Tag Archives: Suspense

The White Picket Fence by Karen Rose – a Review

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The White Picket Fence by Karen Rose – a Review

 

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Description:
Tino Ciccotelli is a sketch artist who discovers his newest client, a victim of a vicious assault, is his former high school art teacher. He is devastated to see her injuries and determined to help the police catch her attacker, but he must also deal with the return of her niece, his first love who left him when their lives were just beginning.

Charlotte Walsh has always regretted leaving Tino, her fear of being stuck in marriage like her parents driving her away from Tino and his dreams of a house with a white picket fence. Her life did not play out as she’d expected and, after an assault by a stalker, has returned to Philadelphia, only to have her aunt targeted for violence.
​
Now she and Tino must work together to find the man who left her aunt for dead, but soon realize the killer’s true target is much closer than they think.

 

Review:

The White Picket Fence by Karen Rose is a novella based on her romance suspense series (30.5). An old favorite returns, Tino Ciccotelli; who is a sketch artist, passionately dedicated to helping victims identify those who were assaulted.   Tino returns to Philadelphia, to help a former high school art teacher who was brutally beaten; together Tino and the teacher are able to draw what she remembers. Tino is also faced with seeing his former girlfriend, watching over her aunt; she was his first love, who left him 17 years ago.

Charlotte Walsh has never forgotten Tino, and always regretted leaving him; which was due to her family and wanting to be free.  Charlotte was very close to her aunt, and she is devasted by the assault by an unknown stalker.  Charlie was a food critic, and one day she gave a bad review, which led her to be assaulted; the attacker was sent to jail.   Her life was difficult, especially with her continued damage of her attack; now she worries about her aunt. 

Tino and Charlie slowly begin have feelings again, but they both try to keep it at a distant, since there is someone out there who is determined to find Charlie.  Tino will get his brother, Vito (a detective) to help find out who is behind the threat against Charlie.  They learn that the man who attacked Charlie a few years ago, was murdered in prison. This leads to another person who is killing those close to Charlie; some one from the past, who will stop at nothing to kidnap her. Tino was determined to protect Charlie at any cost, despite Vito trying to keep him from getting involved. Will Tino save Charlie? 

I really liked Tino and Charlie together, and hoped they would find a way to start again.  It was also very nice to see Vito and Sophie again, as they were wonderful together. As we get closer to the end, all hell breaks out, as both Tino and Charlie’s life is in danger, with a twisted killer on the loose.  The White Picket Fence was a terrific read, that had us holding our breath.   The White Picket Fence was so very well written by Karen Rose.   This was a fast paced and exciting thriller, which I suggest you read. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy purchased

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The Mirror by Nora Roberts – a Review

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The Mirror by Nora Roberts – a Review

 

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Description:
When Sonya MacTavish inherits the huge Victorian mansion on the coast of Maine, she has no idea that the house is haunted. The footsteps she hears at night, the doors slamming, the music playing, are not figments of her imagination. In her dreams she sees glimpses of the past. In the present she finds portraits of brides. And when she has visions of an antique mirror, she is drawn to it, sensing it holds dark family secrets.

Then one night the mirror appears and Sonya glides through this looking glass, into the past—and sees a bride murdered on her wedding day, the circle of gold torn from her finger. It is a scene that will play out again and again—a centuries-old curse that must be broken—and a puzzle she must solve if there is any hope of breaking the curse.

 

 

Review:

The Mirror by Nora Roberts is the 2nd book in her The Lost Bride Trilogy. The Mirror picks up immediately after the ending of the first book, Inheritance. Sonya MacTavish, our heroine, begins to settle into her daily life with her best friend Cleo; as they both adjust to the ghosts of brides, as well as the evil murderer Hester Dobb, who murdered all 7 brides.

Trey and Sonya are even more romantic now, as their relationship become more serious.   Cleo and Owen also became a couple; especially with all four of them constantly together. The Lost Bride Manor includes many deaths, with all the brides killed on their wedding day, centuries ago.  Now in present time, Sonya is determined to find a way stop Dobbs, and find all the missing rings from each bride, to force the end of the curse.  Other than Dobbs, the other ghosts are always helpful with both Sonya and Cleo; one sings songs, someone else makes the beds, cleans the kitchen, and even a young boy ghost, loves to play with Sonya’s dog.  Dobbs was always causing temper tantrums, with slamming doors, loud noises, her evil laughter and flying objects.

Sonya will learn more about the history of each bride, especially when she gets to enter into the mirror, finding herself decades in the past, witnessing live the happy days of each bride, before it ends in tragedy at the murderous hands of Dobbs.  Sonya also got to see Dobbs ripping off each of the wedding rings from each of the brides.

Sonya and Cleo were both strong and independent women; I loved their friendship, as they were always, they’re for each other.  I also loved both Trey and Owen, as they made wonderful couples, with the men both sweet and supportive. I adored the dogs that played a major part of the story, with Yoda, Mookie, Jones and Pye, Cleo’s kitten who became part of the group.   

The Mirror was another fantastic addition to this trilogy, with suspense, paranormal, romance, ghosts, supernatural, and an evil murderer. The Mirror was so very well written by Nora Roberts.  I loved the book, and cannot wait for the final book in the Lost Bride series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Mainely Mayhem (Goff Langdon Mainely Mystery 6) by Matt Cost

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Mainely Mayhem (Goff Langdon Mainely Mystery 6) by Matt Cost-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 13, 2024

Things are not right in Brunswick. Chabal is wracked by the nightmare that was the Wendigo. Langdon is hired to investigate the questionable moral integrity of one of Brunswick’s favorite sons and gets thunked in the head and left to die on a boat mooring in the Atlantic Ocean. And that is just the beginning of the bad.

Judge Cornelius Remington is being fast-tracked to be a Supreme Court Justice. Why?

After only a five-day investigation of Remington, Langdon is pulled from the case, suggesting that the judge had already been rubberstamped and that the White House staff and FBI were just going through the motions. But there are questions about the man’s past that Langdon can’t shake, a past that might still live in the present.

Welcome to Maine: The Way Life Should Be. Or so the billboard reads upon entering the state. But that was before MAYHEM seeped in and tainted the idyllic nature of the place. A corruption that was born in Brunswick has seeped throughout the state and is threatening the entire nation.

It is up to Langdon to find and stop MAYHEM before it is too late. And the clock is ticking.

••••

REVIEW:MAINELY MAYHEM is the sixth instalment in Matt Cost’s contemporary, adult GOFF LANGDON MAINELY MYSTERY suspense series focusing on fifty something part time PI / book store owner Goff Langdon, and his motley crew of friends and family. MAINELY MAYHEM can be read as a stand alone but some of the events of Mainely Mayhem are connected to the events of book five Mainely Wicked. MAINELY MAYHEM advances the series a little over one year.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be trigger for more sensitive readers.

Told from third person perspectives MAINELY MAYHEM follows several paths in the wake of the potential nomination of a local judge for the SCOTUS. Goff Langdon has been hired by the FBI to investigate Judge Cornelius Remington but five days into his search, the investigation is closed without resolution, and Goff begins to consider the reasons why. All of Goff’s information leads to a troubling past for the supreme court nominee, and when anyone connected to the judge disappears or is found dead, all is not as is appears to be when Goff becomes a target because of a job he was hired to do. No one in Washington appears to care about the past, a past that is taking aim at Goff Langdon.

Meanwhile, Goff’s wife Chabal is struggling in the aftermath of her abduction and assault by a Satanic cult, who used Chabal as their unwilling sacrifice. With issues of PTSD, and emotional trauma, Chabal is spiraling even with the help of her family and friends.

MAINELY MAYHEM is another detailed and intriguing story of suspense, secrets and lies. Once again, the premise is edgy, dark, and startling; the characters are eclectic, larger than life and determined. MAINELY MAYHEM is another thought-provoking tale that makes you reconsider what secrets lie behind the people at the top.

 

Reading Order and previous reviews
Mainely Power
Mainely Fear
Mainely Money
Mainely Angst
Mainely Wicked

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

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Over the years, Cost has owned a video store, a mystery bookstore, and a gym. He has also taught history and coached just about every sport imaginable.

Cost now lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife, Harper. There are four grown children: Brittany, Pearson, Miranda, and Ryan. A chocolate Lab and a basset hound round out the mix. He now spends his days at the computer, writing.

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Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch – a Review

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Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch – a Review

 

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Description:
In this one-of-a-kind mystery with heart and humor, a hilariously grumpy pony must save the only human he’s ever loved after discovering she stands accused of a murder he knows she didn’t commit.

Pony has been passed from owner to owner for longer than he can remember. Fed up, he busts out and goes on a cross-country mission to reunite with the only little girl he ever loved, Penny, who he was separated from and hasn’t seen in years.

Penny, now an adult, is living an ordinary life when she gets a knock on her door and finds herself in handcuffs, accused of murder and whisked back to the place she grew up. Her only comfort when the past comes back to haunt her are the memories of her precious, rebellious pony.

Hearing of Penny’s fate, Pony knows that Penny is no murderer. So, as smart and devious as he is cute, the pony must use his hard-won knowledge of human weakness and cruelty to try to clear Penny’s name and find the real killer.

This acutely observant feel-good mystery reveals the humanity of animals and beastliness of humans in a rollicking escapade of epic proportions.

 

 

Review:

Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch is a unique standalone novel about a Pony and his former owner, Penny.  Years have passed, and Penny has never forgotten her childhood memories of her love for her Pony, when she was 12 years old: she is now 37 years old.   The story opens when Penny opens the door, and the police are arresting her for a murder, that she may have committed when she was 12 years old.  She is whisked back to Ithaca, NY, where she grew up. 

Pony has constantly been passed over from many different owners, and now he is fed up, determined to find the only girl he ever loved; Penny.   Pony busts out and goes on a cross-country mission to find her. Pony can talk to all animals, and gets help from them, but the mission that he embarks on is a long-drawn-out journey.  It was fun with Pony being one of the narrators, and listening to him talk to the other animals; dog, birds, rat, sparrow, goat, butterflies and other species, who will eventually lead him to where he can find Penny.  Each animal has a distinct personality; including other horses who give Pony advice. Pony will also learn along the way, that Penny is in danger, and he needs to save her.   

Penny works with a law student, as her actual attorney only appears in the courtroom. Slowly, Penny’s memories begin to remember that day 25 years ago, when someone else committed the murder.  Pony also remembers when another horse played a prank on Penny and the boy she was riding with, leaving both stranded in the woods.  Of course, Pony feels guilt, as he is determined to rescue Penny; since she was attacked, and someone was killed; but Penny was not the murderer.  The family moved away, and Penny never was able to say good-bye to her wonderful Pony.

Penny’s daughter pays a big part closer to the end, as she finds Pony, and together they will help Penny discover the two villains who were the true murderers. I really loved Pony, and his friends who helped him to find Penny, and the real culprits. This was a wonderful ending.   Pony Confidential was an interesting and different kind of story, which was so very well written by Christine Lynch.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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YOU CAN KILL (Laurel Snow Thriller 4) by Rebecca Zanetti-review

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YOU CAN KILL (Laurel Snow Thriller 4) by Rebecca Zanetti-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 22, 2024

A string of brutal murders is leaving a grisly trail across the Pacific Northwest—and drawing rising star FBI profiler Laurel Snow back into a treacherous case and a twisted personal drama she can’t escape . . .

The first body is torn apart, blood and flesh discovered across both state and federal lands. As the victims multiply, a pattern emerges—each is related to past cases investigated by Laurel Snow, with the assist of Huck Rivers, Washington Fish and Wildlife captain. When friends and loved ones are targeted, things become even more chillingly personal.

As Laurel and Huck team up again to navigate the gruesome and increasingly bizarre killings, they must also keep a safe distance from Laurel’s half-sister, Abigail, a dangerously clever sociopath. Ever since their father reappeared in town, Abigail has been convinced she must protect Laurel from his malignant narcissism—a scourge she’s sure they’ve both inherited. Huck is not spared either as a shocking development in the case touches his own life.

With the murders, and the suspects, multiplying around them, and the lives of everyone in their orbit at stake, only Laurel’s sharp analytic skills, Huck’s deep gut instincts, and their growing bond will enable them to face the demons within and the threats without—before they’re next on an elusive killer’s hit list .

•••••

REVIEW:  YOU CAN KILL is the fourth instalment in Rebecca Zanetti’s contemporary, adult LAUREL SNOW suspense thriller focusing on FBI Special Profiler Laurel Snow. YOU CAN KILL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is an ongoing plot line throughout.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Laurel, following several interconnected pathways, YOU CAN KILL continues to focus on Laurel Snow’s investigation into the father she never knew, and a half sister whose proclivities are questionable and dark. Someone is taking aim at the women of Genesis Valley, and Laurel begins to suspect an escaped serial killer is purposely making her life difficult. All of the victims are blonde, and may or may not have a connection to our story line heroine, and as the numbers increase, so too do the accusations against Laurel and the man that she loves. Meanwhile a social media journalist, one who has a past with Huck Rivers, fuels the accusations with her attempts at revenge, revenge that make her a target of a crazed serial killer.

The world building is complex and detailed as we are up close and personal with Laurel and Huck, victims and killers, suspects and madness. Laurel Snow believes she knows the people responsible but outside interference and a need for vengeance threaten Laurel’s investigation when the people at the top, take over.

The relationship between Captain Huck Rivers and FBI profiler Laurel Snow continues to be both professional and personal. Laurel and Huck’s romance is more than a passing, as they begin to make plans for a future together in Genesis Valley.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and questionable secondary and supporting characters including many of whom we met in the previous story lines: Laurel’s half sister Dr. Abigail Caine, their father Pastor Zeke Caine; Laurel’s mom Deidre, podcaster Rachel Raprenzi, as well as several locals, victims, and survivors.

YOU CAN KILL is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, madness and murder, social and pathological behaviors. The premise is thrilling, dramatic, haunting and twisted; the characters are animated, tragic and brutal.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

You Can Run
You Can Hide
You Can Die

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti has worked as an art curator, Senate aide, lawyer, college professor, and a hearing examiner – only to culminate it all in stories about Alpha males and the women who claim them. She writes contemporary romances, dark paranormal romances, and romantic suspense novels.
Growing up amid the glorious backdrops and winter wonderlands of the Pacific Northwest has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her stories. She resides in the wild north with her husband, children, and extended family who inspire her every day—or at the very least give her plenty of characters to write about.

Website  * Facebook * Amazon * Goodreads

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HEATHEN (Cerberus MC: Las Vegas 1)by Marie James-review

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HEATHEN : A Very Cerberus Halloween (Cerberus MC: Las Vegas 1) by Marie James-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 17, 2024

The rules were simple:
Go to Vegas and get a feel for the place before you start the real work in a week.
Under no circumstances are we supposed to get involved with a case.
Yet after less than a week in town, I find myself married to a woman I don’t know because she got herself tangled up with some really bad guys.
It was meant to be a rescue, a problem easily solved, but as it turns out, life never works the way you think it will.
The contract Kaylee signed demands two years of service before she’s able to make another move.
With the threat of harm to those she loves, it’s up to me, and the other men of this brand new Las Vegas chapter of the Cerberus MC to figure out how to get her, and the other women these men have trapped, to safety.
As the days drag by, I find myself thinking that maybe being married isn’t so bad.
Only, it’s obvious that Kaylee doesn’t feel the same way.
How can I possibly make my wife see that being married to me isn’t all that bad?

•••••••••

REVIEW: HEATHEN : A Very Cerberus Halloween is the first instalment in Marie James’ contemporary, an adult CERBERUS MC: LAS VEGAS MC romantic suspense series focusing on the members of the Cerberus MC- all former members of the US Marines. Cerberus MC: Las Vegas is a spin off set in the author’s Cerberus MC world. This is thirty year old, former US Marine Ellis ‘Heathen’ Burke, and twenty-six grocery store clerk year old Kaylee Rhodes’ story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Kaylee and Heathen) HEATHEN follows in the wake of the Cerberus MC setting up a new chapter in Las Vegas. Ellis ‘Heathen ‘ Burke is one of several Cerberus MC members to be assigned to Las Vegas  in their endeavour to hunt down human traffickers but Heathen never expected the first woman he met to fall victim to the very people he is fighting to take down. Marrying Kaylee to protect her life, Heathen must face the men of Cerberus MC, in the hopes of uncovering the people responsible.

The world building focuses on the start up of the Las Vegas chapter of the Cerberus MC, and their first foray into taking down a human trafficking ring selling Russian brides, and one home grown American woman who made herself a target of some powerful men. A little TSTL (Too stupid to live) Kaylee walked into trouble wherever she went, bringing with it trouble to the Cerberus MC.

The relationship between Heathen and Kaylee begins when Heathen suspects Kaylee is in trouble. Heathen had previously met Kaylee at her job but finding Haylee’s car at a suspicious warehouse eventually brought the wrath of the Cerberus MC to their door. Marrying Haylee to keep her safe meant bringing facing the MC he would soon call brothers but marrying Haylee would be questioned by all. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

We are introduced to the new members for the Las Vegas Chapter of the Cerberus MC (Twisted, Bandera, Rooster) ,as well as the return of some of the original brothers (Kincaid and Dominic). We are introduced to Haylee’s best friend Morgan.

HEATHEN is a story of new beginning and friendships, power and control, betrayal and madness, acceptance and love. The fast paced premise is haunting; the romance is slow building and guarded ; the characters are determined and spirited but Kaylee Burke’s behavior was often questionable in the face of what was happening and why.

As to the ‘Halloween’ aspect of the story line-it is limited and almost non-existent.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Let’s see…where to begin…

I’m a full-time author, mother of two boys, and wife of 18+ years. Dog Mom to four great danes: Maximus, Nala, Freya, and Hagrid.

I’ve spent almost my entire lifetime living in central Texas, with only short stays in South Carolina, Alabama, and Florida. Currently residing in a sleepy little town in East Tennessee.

Writing is my passion, and I absolutely love being able to sit down and put all of my thoughts and emotions into my stories.

I love dogs, coffee, making handmade cards, and steamy romance novels!

Keep up with Marie James and subscribe to her newsletter.

To learn more about Marie James & her books, visit here!

Website/ FACEBOOK / Twitter / Bookbub / Instagram / Amazon Author Page / Book and Main / Goodreads / Pinterest / Youtube/ Reader Group/ NewsLetter/

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Cold Spite (Cold Justice: Most Wanted 5) by Toni Anderson-review

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Cold Spite (Cold Justice: Most Wanted 5) by Toni Anderson-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters/Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 14, 2024

When FBI Agent Delilah Quinn survives an attempt on her life, she pretends to be dead in order to outwit her attacker. There is only one person she can turn to for help—a man she never wanted to see again…a man who abandoned her five years ago and left her heartbroken. A man definitely on the killer’s hit list.

FBI Hostage Rescue Operator Cas Demarco lives with the burning regret of choosing to join HRT and leaving Delilah behind. News of her death devastates him. Then she calls him out of the blue and he can’t help but seize this one last chance to make things right.

With both Delilah and Cas targeted for death, a task force is set up to catch their would-be killer, who they believe is a disgraced former Navy SEAL they helped convict of drug trafficking. Out of prison and on a ruthless quest for retribution, the former SEAL is eliminating everyone who wronged him—without leaving a shred of evidence behind.

Can Delilah and Cas prove who’s responsible for the attempts on their lives and have a second chance at a future together? Or will the rogue ex-SEAL double-down on his promise to destroy them both?

••••

REVIEW: COLD SPITE is the fifth instalment in Toni Anderson’s contemporary adult COLD JUSTICE: MOST WANTED erotic, romantic suspense series, a spin off set in the author’s COLD JUSTICE series. This is FBI Agent Delilah Quinn, and thirty-four year old, FBI Hostage Rescue Operator Cas Demarco’s story line. COLD SPITE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Delilah and Cas COLD SPITE follows the second chance relationship between our story line couple. Approximately five years earlier, Agents Delilah Quinn and Cas Demarco went in undercover as a couple with the Mexican Cartel but a dirty agent threatened the investigation, and in doing so, targeted Delilah in the process. With the mission complete, Delilah and Cas returned home to have Cas push aside the woman with whom he had fallen in love. Fast forward to present day, Delilah believes she is being targeted by the same agent who threatened their investigation, and the only man she trusts is the man who broke her heart. Enter FBI Hostage Rescue Operator Cas Demarco. A killer is amassing a body count of people involved in the operation five years earlier, targeting family friends and direct encounters including threatening the lives of our story line couple. What ensues is the rebuilding relationship between Cas and Delilah, and the potential fall-out as their time together comes to a close.

The world building is detailed as the number of victims grows; the threats against Delilah becomes more personal, and the possibility of more than one betrayer working for the FBI.

The relationship between Cas and Delilah is one of second chances. Delilah fell in love with Cas Demarco while on assignment five years earlier but Cas pushed Delilah out of his life, choosing to enhance his career without Delilah by his side. Broken and having lost more than her heart, Delilah never want to rekindle her relationship with our story line hero but the only man she trusted is the man who broke her heart. The $ex scenes are provocative and passionate.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, charismatic and familiar secondary and supporting characters crossing over from the previous story lines in the Cold Justice: Most Wanted series, as well as several characters and agents from the author’s original Cold Justice series, and Cold Justice: Negotiators.

COLD SPITE : MOST WANTED is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, heart break and forgiveness, power and control. The premise is dramatic, intense and intriguing; the romance is impassioned ; the characters are struggling, determined, dynamic and desperate.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Cold Silence
Cold Deceit
Cold Snap
Cold Fury

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Toni Anderson is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, RITA® finalist, science nerd, professional tourist, dog lover, gardener, mom. Originally from a small town in England, Toni studied Marine Biology at University of Liverpool (B.Sc.) and University of St. Andrews (Ph.D.) with the intention she’d never be far from the ocean. Well, that plan backfired and she ended up in the Canadian prairies with her biology professor husband, two kids, a rescue dog, and a laid-back leopard gecko.

Toni started writing while pregnant with her first child and never stopped. Her greatest achievements are mastering the Tokyo subway, climbing Ben Lomond, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, and surviving fourteen Winnipeg winters (fingers crossed). She loves to travel for research purposes and was lucky enough to visit the Strategic Information and Operations Center inside FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. in 2016, and she also got to shove another car off the road during pursuit training at the Writer’s Police Academy in Wisconsin. Watch out world!

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CROSSFIRE (Cross Duet 1) by Kathy Lockheart-review tour

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CROSSFIRE (Cross Duet 1) by Kathy Lockheart

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

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Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3Xoyznm

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 10, 2024

In my defense, I didn’t know he was sent to kill me when I fell in love with him.

Grayson. Dark. Dangerous. Irresistible.

One moment, he’s making me feel alive for the first time since Dad died. The next? He’s got a cold steel blade to my throat. Turns out, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Homicidal is actually an assassin ordered to kill me.

Now I’m his prisoner. I hate that his touch still ignites my soul, each one a cruel reminder that the next could be my last. I want to believe he would never actually hurt me, but Grayson’s code is absolute: eliminate any threat to innocents. And someone’s working overtime to convince him I’m guilty… Who? And why?

As secrets unravel, I’m forced to confront the shocking truth about why Grayson was sent to silence me forever… Leaving me with one haunting question:

Will the man who gave me a reason to live become the one who takes my life?
**Author’s Note: This book follows Grayson Lockwood, brother of Hunter from the Vendetta Duet. While not essential, readers may enjoy starting with Secret Vendetta for additional context.*

••••

REVIEW: CROSSFIRE is the first instalment in Kathy Lockheart’s contemporary, adult CROSS romantic suspense duet focusing on CIA operatives Grayson Lockwood, and ER nurse Ivy. Grayson was first introduced in the Vendetta Duet focusing on his brother Hunter.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Grayson and Ivy) CROSSFIRE follows the building but tempestuous relationship between our story line couple. Grayson’s latest assignment spiralled out of control when a young woman interrupted what was supposed to be the takedown of a dangerous arms dealer . Curious as to the who what and how, Grayson goes on the hunt only to discover his next target is our story line heroine. Grayson has been ordered to kill the woman with whom he is falling in love but all is not as it appears to be. On the run, hoping to protect the woman he was ordered to kill, Grayson quickly discovers that the CIA is refusing to back, and they are determined to terminate our story line heroine.

The world building focuses on the search for the truth. Both Grayson and Ivy’s backstories are heart breaking and difficult but as Ivy continues to ferret out the clues regarding her father’s death, someone else is taking aim at our story line heroine.

The relationship between Grayson and Ivy begins as a lie. Grayson is stalking our heroine in the hopes of uncovering the truth but the truth may be what is about to take down the woman he loves. A deep dive into the darkness uncovers a possible betrayal and the need to be silenced. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to Grayson’s brother Hunter and his wife Luna, Detective Mitchell, Grayson’s handler Daniel, as well as Ivy’s mother, her grandmother and her ex boyfriend Peter.

CROSSFIRE is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, power and control, family and relationships. The premise is intriguing, thrilling and entertaining ; the romance is seductive but struggles with the unknown; the characters are desperate and determined. CROSSFIRE ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Previous reviews
Secret Vendetta
Silent Vendetta

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Kathy Lockheart is an author of Romantic Suspense novels. Her books—which have a unique blend of emotional elements typically found in women’s fiction and the romance and danger elements found in romantic suspense—contain themes of dark romance, antiheroes, and forbidden romance. When she’s not writing, you can find her silently cursing the person who put fluorescent lights in dressing rooms.

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