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Deep Tide by Laura Griffin – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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Deep Tide by Laura Griffin – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
An undercover FBI agent and an independent coffee shop owner must team up when a local barista is found dead and danger circles their coastal Texas town.

With two brothers on the police force, Leyla Breda is well aware of the rising crime in her small beach town, but she never expected it to show up on her doorstep. When Leyla finds one of her employees murdered in the alley behind her coffee shop, she’s deeply shaken, and as a new law enforcement officer in town begins to circle her place of business, her instincts only sharpen.

Sean Moran is on an undercover mission: The seaside community of Lost Beach may look like a picturesque postcard, but his team suspects it’s a point of intersection for several crime syndicates that the FBI has been investigating for years. Even so, when the brash and beautiful Leyla Breda starts bossing him around, he’s immediately intrigued. He knows her brothers want him to back off, but every time he sees her, he feels more of a spark.

Leyla’s connections in the local community and Sean’s skills allow them to go deeper into the case together than they would be able to go alone. But when a single crime spirals into something much darker, Sean’s carefully planned mission takes a deadly turn.

 

Review:

Deep Tide by Laura Griffin is the 4th book in her wonderful The Texas Murder Files series.  I am a huge fan of Laura Griffin, as she is one of the best at murder suspenseful mysteries, police procedurals and a bit of romance.  We meet our heroine, Leyla Breda, who runs two shops in Lost Beach, The Island Beanery, a popular coffee and pastry shop on the island, and The Windjammer. Leyla is catering the wedding of her brother, Joel and Miranda (previous heroes), with help from her assistant, Sienna; and meets Sean Moran, an old friend of Joel.  The following morning, with the happy couple away, she enters her coffee shop and to her dismay, finds the dead body of one of her employees. 

Sean, our hero, is an FBI agent, who is also in town on a secret mission; though he finds himself very attracted to Leyla; who tries her best to not allow herself to fall for the handsome hunk. Leyla knows what its like to have two brothers on the police force, and even when she questions him, she gets no answers. 

Nicole is a detective on the police force, and she is assigned to take the lead on the case of the murder at the coffee shop; especially with Joel away on his honeymoon, and Owen (previous hero with Macey), and neither of the brothers are allowed to participate in the murder mystery. Nicole does a good job in trying to find clues, and with help from her co-worker, Emmett, they manage to discover that the murder could very well be part of the secret mission Sean is on.

Sean knows there is an enemy in Long Beach, and he worries that Leyla during her catering, will put herself in danger. Leyla accepts a catering job for a wealthy Tech millionaire, and decides when she has a moment, to take a peek in his office, and snaps a picture of a map.  Though, Sean was happy to have that information, her meddling was too dangerous; and Leyla continued to learn more about the victim possibly dating the millionaire. Sean’s skills allowed him to take Leyla’s information to dig further in this case.    

In a short time, Sean and Leyla succumb to their feelings, with great chemistry between them.   I also loved Nicole, who was doing an excellent job of getting clues, as she learns more during her investigations. 

What follows is an exciting, intriguing, suspenseful thriller that kept me on the edge throughout, especially as we raced to the climax. The last half of the book was extremely tense, I could not put the book down.  I do not want to give spoilers, so you need to read this book to discover what happens.

Deep Tide was another excellent mystery in this series, which to no surprise, was very well written by Laura Griffin. The last third of the book was very exciting, as Leyla finds herself in danger, and Sean, with help from the brothers, needs to find a way to save her.  

Laura Griffin once again, gives us a fantastic exciting suspenseful mystery, with a great romantic couple and wonderful secondary characters. If you enjoy murder mysteries, police procedurals, lots of intense action, suspense, with a touch of romance, you should read this book.  If you have never read Laura Griffin, it’s time to start now, as she is an amazing writer for romance suspense.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

DEEP TIDE by Laura Griffin
Berkley Romance | On sale April 25, 2023

                                Excerpt

Sean Moran slipped away from the party. The bride and groom had left under a shower of rice, but people were still milling around beneath swags of white lights, drinking the couple’s booze and enjoying the breeze off the water. Sean would have liked another drink, but he needed to get back to his condo. As he crossed the wooden bridge spanning the sand dunes, he spied a woman on the beach with a champagne flute in hand.

Leyla Breda.

Her formfitting dress looked silver in the moonlight, and it shimmered against her body as she strolled toward the surf. Nearing a piece of driftwood, she dropped her shoes to the sand and sat down. She nestled the flute at her feet, then lifted her arms and twisted her dark hair into a knot at the top of her head.

Sean stopped at the end of the bridge. He had about a hundred things left to do tonight, including contacting his boss.

Instead, he walked over to Leyla.

“How’s the champagne?”

She jumped and turned around. Recognition flickered across her face, and her shoulders relaxed.

“It’s good.” She held up her glass. “You didn’t have any?”

“Nope. Can I get you a refill?”

She smiled. “What, are you a waiter now, too?”

He stepped closer. “I’m Sean Moran, by the way.” He held out his hand. “We never actually met.”

“Leyla Breda.” Her handshake was brisk and businesslike, but the warm look in her eyes gave him hope.

“Joel’s little sister,” he said.

“That’s me.”

He turned toward the water so he wouldn’t be tempted to stare down the front of her dress.

“I didn’t get a chance to thank you earlier,” she said. “Things got really hectic.”

“Looked like you had your hands full.”

“So, are you here for Joel or Miranda?”

He looked at her. “Joel.”

She tipped her head to the side as she gazed up at him. “And you know him from . . . ?”

“Work.”

She frowned. “Here?”

“No. We go way back. We were in the same academy class in Houston, spent some time at HPD together.”

“Oh. That was a while ago.”

“Yeah.”

“So . . . the vice squad, then?”

“Yeah. Mind if I sit down?”

“Not at all.”

Sean lowered himself onto the other end of the sandy log. He didn’t like the direction the conversation had taken so he steered it back to her.

“So, how long have you been a caterer?” he asked.

“Hmm . . . let’s see. I guess it’s been about three weeks now.” She turned and smiled at him, and he felt a hot jolt of attraction. “Why? Can you tell?”

“Not at all.”

“Right.”

“Well, the timing seemed a little bumpy.”

“Just a little.” She rolled her eyes. “We had several staffers no-show. It happens a lot in this business. People are flaky. Despite all my planning, you could say we were a bit rushed.”

Rushed was right. No woman had ever clapped at him before. He’d discovered it was a turn-on.

Excerpted from Deep Tide by Laura Griffin Copyright © 2023 by Laura Griffin. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

Laura Griffin’s publisher Berkley is graciously offering a paper copy of  DEEP TIDE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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9. Giveaway runs from April 26 to 29, 2023

 

 

 

 

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Seven Girls Gone by Allison Brennan – a Review

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Seven Girls Gone by Allison Brennan – a Review

 

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Description:
For three years, women have been disappearing—and eventually turning up dead in the small bayou town of St. Augustine, Louisiana. Police detective Beau Hebert is the only one who seems to care, but with every witness quickly silenced and a corrupt police department set on keeping the cases unsolved, Beau’s investigation stalls at every turn.

With nobody else to trust, Beau calls in a favor from his friend on the FBI’s Mobile Response Team. While LAPD detective Kara Quinn works undercover to dig into the women’s murders and team leader Matt Costa officially investigates the in-custody death of a witness, Beau might finally have a chance at solving the case.

But in a town where everyone knows everyone, talking gets you killed and secrets stay buried, it’s going to take the entire team working around the clock to unravel the truth. Especially when they discover that the deep-seated corruption and the deadly drug-trafficking ring at the center of it all extends far beyond the small-town borders.

 

 

Review:

Seven Girls Gone by Allison Brennan is the 4th book in her fantastic Quinn and Costa series.  I am a big fan of Allison Brennan, who always gives us sensational mystery thrillers; and Seven Girls Gone was a fabulous addition to this series.

Beau Hebert, is a police detective in a small town, St. Augustine, Louisiana, and he is very frustrated. During the last three years, five women have been murdered, one is still missing, with no one in his department caring, as his leads continually gets squashed; and Beau suspects the police department, mayor are all corrupt. He reaches out to an old friend who works for the FBI Mobile Response Team for help. Special Agent Matt Costa and Detective Kara Quinn, as well as all of the FBI Mobile Response team are called in to help Beau.

Kara and Michael arrive first, with Kara, who is a great detective, having lots of experience working undercover.  She makes it her business to visit Magnolia Inn, where many of the victims who worked there ended up being killed. Kara uses her disguise to meet many of the police and people working at the Inn.  Michael goes with Beau to search the swamp for the missing girl, Lily. Matt arrives with the rest of his team, which includes Jim and Ryder.  Matt (the leader of the mobile team) visits the police chief to explain that they are investigating these deaths, and no one from the department is happy about their being here, especially Officer Guidry, who already angered Kara, as well as Beau’s grandmother. In a short time, the seventh girl is found dead, and Kara is concerned that Winnie will be next; she is determined to get Winnie to work with them, in order to save her.

The relationship between Kara and Matt is still on the border line, as Kara isn’t sure she wants to stay with the mobile team, or go back to being a Los Angeles Detective (she on loan, and her job in LA is in jeopardy). Matt finds himself falling hard for Kara, and though she is very much attracted, she isn’t sure if she can become permanent with Matt. Kara also became close to Beau’s grandmother, and very protective.  The danger escalates, as Mat, Kara, Michael, Jim (forensics expert) finds themselves under attack.  To say to much more would be spoilers, as you  need to read this book from start to finish.

What follows is an intense, pulse pounding thriller, with many twists and turns. Who was truly behind the corruption and murders? As we got closer to the tense climax, the danger escalated in this heart stopping thriller, with so many people involved.  I could not put the book down, as the suspense was amazing.  Seven Girls Gone was so very well written by Allison Brennan, that I fully recommend you read this fantastic exciting edge of your seat thriller.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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Don’t Back Down by Sharon Sala – a Review

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Don’t Back Down by Sharon Sala – a Review

 

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Description:
Army veteran Cameron Pope arrives back in Jubilee, Kentucky, for the first time in years. He barely has time to catch his breath when he becomes embroiled in a race of life or death for his little niece and a deadly hunt for the human traffickers who are destroying the peace of his mountain town. When he’s reunited with Rusty Caldwell—a woman from his past who he’s never stopped thinking about—he wants to believe they can finally be together. But Cameron is shocked to find out that Rusty belongs to one of the rich families in Jubilee—the same rich folks who scorn the rural families living on the surrounding mountainside, in spite of knowing nothing about them. With their community in the crosshairs, Cameron and Rusty will have to find a way to end the feuding and take down the human trafficking ring if they’re to have a chance at happiness.

 

 

Review:

Don’t Back Down by Sharon Sala is the first book in her new romance suspense series, Jubilee, Kentucky.  I am a fan of Sharon Sala, having read and loved her previous series; and this first book was great.  The story started 5 years ago, when our heroine/hero met at a bar, and had a night of passion, as he was shipping out to Afghanistan. Both of them still dream about that night, sorry they didn’t give out their names.

We jump to 5 years later, Cameron Pope, has returned to Jubilee, Kentucky after completing two tours, and is happy to be home near his family.  One night he gets a desperation call from his sister, Rachel, about her daughter being kidnapped.  Cameron, with his service dog, Ghost, become embroiled to find his niece.  Ghost, who spent years in Afghanistan with Cameron, managed to find her, and Cameron rescues little Lily. 

Rusty Caldwell, our heroine, is a top-rated FBI agent, who solves a crime, and is currently recovering from injuries.  She is approached by Agents who have been trying to stop human traffickers, and since she has family in Jubilee, she agrees to visit family members she has not seen in many years; using the guise of visiting while on leave to recover.  When the FBI learns that Cameron is a Military Veteran, whose credentials were top notch, and they inform Rusty to work with him. 

Cameron is shocked when he meets Rusty, as she was the woman he constantly dreamed of.  Rusty, doing research, recognizes Cameron, and couldn’t wait to meet him again and work together. They both worked closely together, investigating a number of people in Jubiliee that were involved, but most of all to find the head honcho who was behind the human trafficking.  Rusty, Cameron and Ghost made a fantastic team.

What follows is an exciting, tense story that held my breath throughout; with many people part of the human trafficking. Just when they think they have discovered the Boss, things change rapidly.  Though this was an exciting mystery, I oved the romance between Cameron and Rusty; they made such a great couple, and the chemistry between them became ultra-steamy.  Their romance throughout was a major part of this story.  I loved Ghost, who was a fantastic dog, and a major part of the rescue/investigation. 

Don’t Back Down was so very well written by Sharon Sala.  I loved the characters, the town, and especially our couple, and dog.  I can’t wait to see what Sala has next.  If you like exciting suspense, and romance, I suggest you read Don’t Back Down.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Cold-Blooded Liar by Karen Rose – Review & Excerpt

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Cold-Blooded Liar by Karen Rose – Review & Excerpt

 

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Description:
San Diego homicide detective Kit McKittrick loves the water. She lives on a boat, and when she’s not solving crimes with the SDPD, she’s assisting her foster sister with her charter fishing business, scuba diving, or playing with her poodle. But there’s nothing that intrigues Kit more than a cold case, so when an anonymous caller leads her on the path of a wanted killer, she’s determined to end the decade-long manhunt.

Sam is soon released but goes home with both a newfound distaste for the SDPD and a resolve—not unlike Kit’s—to uncover the truth. Kit and Sam repeatedly butt heads in their separate investigations but are forced to work together to find one of the deadliest serial killers the city has faced in a decade.

 

 

Review:

Cold-Blooded Liar by Karen Rose is the 1st book in her new San Diego Case Files series.  I am a big fan of Karen Rose, as she writes fantastic crime drama’s that are exciting and tense from start to finish.  I will always read her books.

We meet Kit McKittrick, our heroine, and a San Diego homicide detective, who is considered one of the best in solving crimes.  She and her partner, Baz have worked together for many years, and they are currently deep into a cold case, revolving around a serial killer, who has eluded them and recently killed again.  Kit is close to her foster parents, who also willingly help other young girls to foster, to give them a better life. 20 years ago, Kit’s sister was found murdered, with no resolution over the years, leaving her with terrible memories; this cold case has her determined to find this killer, who kills only underage young girls.   

Sam Reeves, is a psychologist, who treats clients who are court ordered.  One of his patients, is a pathological liar, and when this patient begins revealing strange details, Sam decides to anonymously report this to the SDPD hotline, without revealing his identity, especially keeping patient confidentiality. Kit and Baz discover the tipster’s name, and arrest him, thinking he could be the murderer; since he left a clue to where the woman maybe buried. In a short time, Kit knows that Sam is not the killer, and is released. Since he wants to help get more information, he continues to call Kit with some clues he gets from the client’s ex-wives. 

What follows was very exciting, intense, mindboggling, suspenseful, and action-packed thriller.  The San Diego homicide team was very good, with Baz, Navarro, Connor working closely with Kit to find the killer before he kills again.  I liked Kit’s family, and Sam’s friends who were always there for each other.  Sam also finds himself attracted to Kit, who she knows is innocent, shying away from any romantic feelings. I suspect that we will see more of Sam and Kit in the next book of this series. Cold-Blooded Liar was a fantastic thriller, with so much emotional and passionate feelings along the way. 

Karen Rose once again gives us a fabulous story, with great characters, and a major surprise at the end. I could not put the book down, as it was exciting from start to finish.  If you like crime dramas, you should be reading Karen Rose.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

COLD-BLOODED LIAR by Karen Rose
Berkley Hardcover | On sale February 28, 2023

                              Excerpt

Longview Park, San Diego, California

Monday, April 4, 5:30 p.m.

Kit pulled the handkerchief across her nose and mouth as she watched the two CSU techs meticulously uncovering what was, indeed, a grave. Based on the odor, the body had been there awhile.

They’d arrived at the mystery caller’s coordinates to find that the ground had settled somewhat, creating a slight depression that measured five and a half by two and a half feet.

Ground-penetrating radar had shown a body.

The victim had been small.

Kit slipped her hand into her pocket, finding the little cat-bird figurine. Stroking it with her thumb. Please don’t be a child.

“I hope it’s not a kid,” Baz murmured, echoing her thoughts.

All homicides were difficult. Even drug dealers murdered on the street had been loved by someone. Were missed by someone.

But the child homicides were a completely different level of hell.

She looked away from the grave to where Sergeant Ryland, the CSU leader, was making a plaster cast of the only footprint they’d found in the area. It was a man’s shoe, size eleven.

“You got anything for us, Ryland?” she called.

“I just might.”

She and Baz walked from the grave site to where someone had stepped off the asphalt path, leaving the single footprint in the strip of ground between the path and the field of grass.

Ryland finished pouring the plaster over the footprint, smoothed it out, then set the timer on his phone. “Thirty minutes for the plaster to set. Come see the photos I took of the print while I wait.” He retrieved his camera and beckoned them closer. “There was lettering on the sole of the shoe-likely a brand name. I can’t quite make it out in the photo, but I’m hoping to get detail from the plaster cast.”

“So it’ll be seventy-two hours or so,” Baz said and Ryland nodded.

Kit leaned closer to the screen. “Can you zoom in on it?”

Ryland did, handing the camera to Kit. “I can make out what looks like a Y at the end of the brand name, but-“

“Sperry,” Kit said. “Sorry to interrupt, Sergeant. I recognize the logo. They’re Sperry Top-Siders.” She gave him back his camera. “My sister runs a charter fishing business and sometimes I first mate for her on my days off. A lot of her customers wear them.”

Ryland studied the photo. “You could be right.”

She was, Kit was certain. “Trouble is, that’s a popular shoe. I’ve even got a pair.”

“So do I,” Baz said. “Tracking those will be nearly impossible.”

Kit shrugged. “But when we find the guy who owns these shoes, we can put him at the scene. Any way to get a weight estimate on the wearer?”

Ryland shook his head. “Ground’s too hard. Barely enough sinkage to get the plaster cast. I’ll let you know when I have something definite.”

“Detectives?” one of the techs at the grave called, his tone urgent. “Something over here you need to see.”

“Thank you, Sergeant,” Kit said, then approached the grave alongside Baz, schooling her expression. If it was a child’s grave, she would maintain her professionalism. She’d let herself react later, when she was alone.

“Victim’s a postpubescent female,” the tech said when they were graveside. “The ME will be able to give you a better age than I can, but I’m guessing somewhere between fourteen and eighteen.”

Feeling Baz’s eyes on her, Kit reassured him with a quick glance. She was fine.

He always worried about her reaction when the victim was the same age that Wren had been when she’d been murdered, but after four years as a homicide detective, Kit had seen far too many victims who’d been Wren’s age. It never got easier.

She hoped that it never would.

Excerpted from Cold-Blooded Liar by Karen Rose Copyright © 2023 by Karen Rose. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved.

 


 

 

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FIRST TOUCH (Ex Cap Files 1) by Elsa Jade -a review

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FIRST TOUCH (Ex Cap Files 1) by Elsa Jade -a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 20, 2023

She lost her childhood and her mother on a wild journey through a jungle deep and dark—now she is losing what’s left…
Freelance illustrator Cecily Serrao has painted herself into a corner—and she likes it there. She has her pastel watercolors, her tiny Portland apartment with nice indirect lighting, and just enough work to let her drift through her perfect quiet life.
Until a supersecret agent with eyes as brilliant gold as the deadly jaguars that haunt her dreams tells her she’s missing one thing: herself.
Ronan Conrad joined the First Responders: Extrasensory Capabilities Unit—freaks for short—to atone for his troubled, misspent youth. When unknown forces as covert as any of his unit’s ops threaten ExCap’s mission, the lieutenant guide controller who usually handles other agents with power and precision finds himself hunting the shadows on his own.
Alone until he finds her: subtle, strong, stubborn—and a cruel reminder of his worst failure, why he can never let anyone too close ever again.
They only share an enemy, and even as a dangerous desire ignites between them in all the reckless hues of passion and peril, they know anything more intimate is impossible. But the freaks of ExCap specialize in the impossible as they fight to survive…FIRST TOUCH.

•••••••

REVIEW: FIRST TOUCH is the first instalment in Elsa Jade’s contemporary, adult EX CAP FILES extrasensory, paranormal, action thriller focusing on the men and women who work at Ex Cap, a covert ops group known as First Responders: Extrasensory Capabilities Unit aka FREAKS. This is freelance illustrator Cecily Serrao, and guide controller Lieutenant Ronan Conrad’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Ronan and Cecily) FIRST TOUCH follows Cecily Serrao in the wake of the unexpected discovery of her missing corporeal body. A visit to the local grocery store finds Cecily facing Lieutenant Ronan Conrad, a member of Ex Cap, a division of FREAKS, and the man who will help find our heroine’s body. Cecily Serrao is a ‘ghost walker’ with the ability to project her spirit; etheric projection remote viewing with some intermittent psychokinesis-in other words, Cecily’s spirit can be projected into other places but Cecily’s body is missing, and her ‘ghost’ is found wandering at the local grocers. Ronan Conrad is a guide controller, and his duty is to help guide those with supernatural abilities but Cecily is unaware of the true nature of her powers, and Ronan is hoping to uncover the truth about what is happening and why. Working with Ronan, and other supernatural entities at Ex Cap, Cecily and Ronan will go on the hunt when Cecily’s ghost walking reveals a possible connection to a rogue division of Ex Cap. What ensues is the building relationship between Ronan and Cecily, and the potential fall-out when betrayal and madness threaten the people in control.

Cecily Serrao always knew she was something different having spent much of her childhood dealing with Shamans and medicine men in the South American jungles but ‘magic’ had always kept Cecily’s powers under control until she disappeared approximately three weeks earlier without memory of what happened or why. Ronan Conrad never expected to come face to face with an untrained person with the ability to project their spirit and manifest somewhere else. Most people with psychic powers had been corralled or tracked, and in this, Cecily could have been a danger to not only herself but everyone else. Having no idea where Cecily’s corporeal body was taken, Ronan and our heroine must divide themselves in an effort to discover the truth about what happened and why.

The relationship between Cecily and Ronan begins when Ronan finds Cecily at the local grocers. Cecily doesn’t suspect anything is wrong until she finds herself back at her apartment having no memory of what happened or why. With Ronan’s help, Cecily begins to search for answers to her ‘ghost walking’ powers, and the possibility that all is not right with the world of which Ronan works. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and magical secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to Ronan’s co-workers: empath Rosalind Merrick; former Ex Cap Elvis; Colonel Sykes; Captain Brandon Pierce, as well as pyrokinetic Tennyson, and psychic/prescient Zahara Foy. The requisite evil has many faces.

FIRST TOUCH is a story of power and control, madness and delusion, betrayal and vengeance, acceptance and friendships. The premise is intriguing and entertaining, similar in sensation and atmosphere to the X-Men series. The characters are powerful and magical; the romance is seductive. A wonderful start to a new series.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Girl in the Blue Blazer by Alretha Thomas – a Review

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The Girl in the Blue Blazer by Alretha Thomas – a Review

 

Amazon

 

Description:
Two women. One powerful man. A decades-old secret binds them together.

In 2019, Pamela Carter is determined to secure her dream internship with billionaire businessman Andrew Clifford III.

Twenty-five years ago, in 1993, Andrew is just starting out. Without any of his later fame or fortune, the party boy becomes a legitimate hero when he intervenes to save assaulted Elizabeth Westlake. Sure, she’s a waitress at a strip club, but that’s not her dream. Elizabeth is determined to write her way out of the Harlem hellhole she lives in. Maybe Andrew is the ticket? Even the best-laid plans go awry, and for Elizabeth, tragedy looms.

Pamela is impossible not to notice and she soon becomes Andrew’s prime intern. But, just as with Elizabeth, not all goes to plan. The stocks are plummeting. The company is careening. And then, Andrew himself goes missing. Will Pamela also be plunged into the tragedy that surrounds this man? Or is Pamela the one person who really knows what happened that fateful night in 1993? More than a company is at stake, as Andrew struggles for survival. But sometimes, the past is too powerful. Some secrets refuse to remain buried. Sometimes, truth kills.

 

Review:

The Girl in the Blue Blazer begins with Pamela Carter anxiously waiting to mee with Andrew Clifford III, having made the cut to the final two from a grueling process for his prestigious internship program.  This is her third time, and her last.  That is the maximum number of times that you can apply and she is determined to make it.  When she is called into Andrew’s office, they have a frank, albeit strange at times, conversation. When Pamela leaves, she feels good about her chances, only to have them dashed a few days later when she is told they chose the other candidate. Imagine her surprise when she receives another phone call a few days after that informing her that they were choosing her.  She has waited soooooo long for this opportunity and she will not waste one moment to do what she needs to do.

Elizabeth Westlake is trying to make it on her own, having run away from home to escape her mother’s abusive, ever changing, boyfriends.  Her story begins in 1993 when she is seventeen (she lied about her age)  and working as a waitress at a strip club.  When Elizabeth is groped by a customer, Andrew steps in and saves her.  He then requests she have a drink with him in the VIP room.  Little does she know how much that encounter will alter the direction of her life……….and so many others.

The Girl in the Blue Blazer is written with dual timelines and draws you in from the very beginning that have you turning the pages faster and faster as you navigate all of the twists and turns.  One moment, you’re convinced of one thing, the next, not so much.  What you ARE convinced of is that Mrs. Thomas has once again written an amazing story and built a world that draws you in and doesn’t let go until the very end.  One thing that hit me while reading this is that it is so refreshing to read a story that has “real” dialogue between the characters.  Due to the subject matter of this book, that frank and real dialogue will endear the characters to the reader even more. If you’re a fan of suspenseful storylines with awesome and strong women, you will not go wrong with this book.  So happy that she is back to writing with her busy schedule.  Well done, Alretha Thomas!!  Very, very well done!

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy supplied for review

 

 

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Murder at Haven’s Rock by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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Murder at Haven’s Rock by Kelley Armstrong-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 21, 2023

Haven’s Rock, Yukon. Population: 0

Deep in the Yukon wilderness, a town is being built. A place for people to disappear, a fresh start from a life on the run. Haven’s Rock isn’t the first town of this kind, something detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, know first-hand. They met in the original town of Rockton. But greed and deception led the couple to financing a new refuge for those in need. This time around, they get to decide which applicants are approved for residency.

There’s only one rule in Haven’s Rock: stay out of the forest. When two of the town’s construction crew members break it and go missing, Casey and Eric are called in ahead of schedule to track them down. When a body is discovered, well-hidden with evidence of foul play, Casey and Eric must find out what happened to the dead woman, and locate those still missing. The longer Casey and Eric don’t know what happened, the more danger everyone is in.

•••••

REVIEW:MURDER AT HAVEN’S ROCK is the first instalment in Kelley Armstrong’s contemporary, adult HAVEN’S ROCK murder/mystery suspense series focusing on the fictional village of Haven’s Rock, Yukon-a spin off from the author’s ROCKTON series.

SOME BACKGROUND: Rockton Yukon did not exist on any map, and the residents all have a questionable past, fake names and false histories. Most were once considered to be white collar crimes but with increasing regularity, hardened criminals have somehow paid their way into Rockton, seeking sanctuary against future prosecution, a safe place for two years before seeking asylum somewhere else. A serial killer destroyed the people and ultimately the town of Rockton Yukon, and with the help of some of their former friends and a big influx of cash, Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton, begin the task of building a new town, known as Haven’s Rock, a town that will expose our couple to more murders and questionable inhabitants.

Told from first person perspective (Casey Duncan) MURDER AT HAVEN’S ROCK follows Detective Casey Duncan and her husband Sheriff Eric Dalton as they embark on a new venture, building and settling into Haven’s Rock but from the outset, everything goes wrong when the architect and engineer go missing; the body of a stranger is found hidden in a pit, and the contractor has a questionable alibi for the night in question. As Casey and Eric begin an investigation into the missing and the dead, everyone becomes suspect including the construction crew, the locals, and a prospector whose story makes sense until it doesn’t. The arrival of Casey’s sister, neurosurgeon April gives Casey pause as to the medical explanations but the who and why will become clearer when Haven’s Rock reveals a colorful secret buried beneath the frozen ground.

MURDER AT HAVEN’S ROCK has a familiar backdrop, ambiance and quality, similar in style, characters and story as the author’s ROCKTON series but then again, Haven’s Rock is a spin off using many of the original series characters and history. If you were/are a fan of the Rockton Series, you will definitely enjoy the continuation of Casey and Eric’s story.

MURDER AT HAVEN’S ROCK is a story of greed, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, power and control. The dramatic premise is intriguing and intense; the characters are colorful, spirited and charismatic, as well as familiar as several cross over from the original series.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make her produce “normal” stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She’s the author of the NYT-bestselling “Women of the Otherworld” paranormal suspense series and “Darkest Powers” young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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Desperate Acts (Pike, Wisconsin 4) by Alexandra Ivy-a review

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Desperate Acts (Pike, Wisconsin 4) by Alexandra Ivy-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 21, 2023

WILL SHE FIND THE ANSWER
Teenager Lia Porter shouldn’t have been anywhere near the railroad bridge that night. Sneaking home after a party in the fields outside Pike, Wisconsin, she glimpsed a woman in a leather jacket, running in terror. Lia puts the incident from her mind–until a body is found near the same spot fifteen years later, wearing the same jacket. The police rule it a suicide. Lia knows different. The woman she saw was trying to save her own life, not end it. But whatever she was fleeing from found her first . . .

BEFORE THE KILLER
The stranger who arrives at Lia’s store shares her suspicions. Hollywood stunt driver Kaden Vaughn has come home to Wisconsin to learn the truth about what happened to his brother’s fianc�e years ago. The leather jacket, the timing–he believes the dead woman is Vanna, and that Lia may be the only person who can help. Together they retrace Vanna’s steps, but the more they dig, the darker the secrets become.

FINDS HER?
The killer is still out there, stalking the streets of Pike again, willing to do whatever is necessary to keep the truth locked in mystery. One by one, all those who know something about that night must be silenced, until there is no one left to tell . . .

•••••

REVIEW: DESPERATE ACTS is the fourth instalment in Alexandrea Ivy’s contemporary, adult PIKE WISCONSIN romantic, suspense series. This is thirty-five year old, former motorcycle stuntman Kaden Vaughn, and thirty year old Lia Porter’s story line. DESPERATE ACTS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from third person perspective DESPERATE ACTS follows in the wake of the discovery of a skeleton. Fifteen years earlier, a then fifteen year old Lia Porter stumbled across a woman in uniform, jumping off the local bridge. Fast forward to present day, and a skeleton has been discovered near the area where the woman had jumped. The local mayor declared the case closed, claiming the woman to be a suicide but Lia knew better, having watched from afar, as the woman ran for her life. Former Hollywood motorcycle stunt driver Kaden Vaughn never thought he would return to Wisconsin but the discovery of a female skeleton pulled Kaden to small town of Pike, where he would meet local grocer Lia Porter, a woman with a vested interested in the town’s discovery. Kaden Vaughn was sure his late brother’s fiance’s body had been found but the more Kaden and Lia began to unravel the secrets and lies, the target on their back, and several residents of Pike, is getting bigger by the day. As the injured and dead begin to accumulate, someone is desperate to keep secret what happened years before including blackmail and a possible connection to the EPA.

The relationship between Kaden and Lia is one of insta-lust to love; a joint venture in searching for the truth. Lia witnessed the victim’s jump to her death, and Kaden suspects the skeleton belongs to his brother’s fiancé. Working towards a mutual outcome, Kaden and Lia are pushed together as desperation forces a confrontation between the present and the past. The lone $ex scene is passionate but mostly implied.

Pike, Wisconsin is a town operated by corruption-from the judge to the mayor to local businessmen, wanna-bees and has beens looking to hide years of crimes. With every interview and investigation, another body is discovered, someone is poisoned, anyone who talked to Lia and Kaden, end up dead or injured. My only concern is the lack of any real law enforcement or FBI involvement. Two people looking for answers solve fifteen years of crime and passion.

DESPERATE ACTS is a tragic story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, murder and mayhem. The premise is intriguing and entertaining; the romance is tender; the characters are spirited and determined.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Don’t Look
Faceless
Unstable

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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