All That Fall by Kris Calvin – a Review

All That Fall by Kris Calvin – a Review

 

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Description:
Emma Lawson must race against the clock to rescue a kidnapped child and stop a killer whose master plan only begins with murder.

When Emma Lawson, the youngest lead government ethics investigator in California’s capital, takes a day off to help her best friend, Kate, prepare for the opening of her new business, Rainbow Alley Preschool, the morning takes a shocking turn.

The school’s most high-profile enrollee–Vivian Lange, the governor’s granddaughter–is kidnapped, at the same time Kate’s teenage son, Luke, goes missing. Emma is quickly drawn to a web of clues that point toward sordid secrets and a cold-case murder in a shadow world of bigotry and hate.

Over a desperate and harrowing forty-eight hours, Emma races against the clock to solve the most important investigation of her life. But will she be in time to bring the child to safety and to stop a calculating killer whose plan threatens all that Emma holds dear?

 

 

 

Review:

All That Fall by Kris Calvin is a standalone thriller.  The story starts off with a young girl watching for her brother late at night, then gunshots can be heard, and she discovers her brother is dead.  The following morning, the girl threatens to kill herself, but notices a cop, who she feels is the man who killed her brother. Chaos breaks loose which will begin an investigation that will have so many different elements and characters to follow throughout.    

Emma Lawson, our heroine, has just received a promotion as youngest head of the government ethics investigator in California.  Emma has the day off, to work to help her best friend, Kate with the grand opening of her new daycare, Rainbow Alley.  Emma is a bit late, but Kate has things going smoothly, until people start getting shot at and one of the children is kidnapped.  When Emma arrives on the scene, a few people, including a bodyguard for the child, and one of the kidnappers was killed, and Kate is down with a serious head injury.  Emma notices that Kate’s son Luke, is missing.

What follows is a wild, exciting, tense story with the police, Detectives, and Emma trying to find the clues to figure out the why and who is behind this attack, which is filled with many secrets and murder.   The above book description sounded like Emma Lawson is the main character, however, though she plays an integral part in the book, there are so many characters that lead this story. Emma was a great heroine, especially in the last 1/3 of the book. The lead detective, Alibi was very good and played a major part in the story.  I loved Luke, who happened to be at the attack scene, and ended up going with the attackers on a false identity, and watching over the young girl. 

Emma is doing everything to find Luke and the kidnapped child, as the danger escalates putting all their lives at risk.  It was a wild, exciting and desperate race to the climax, holding my breath as to who will survive.  It was during this time that Emma rose up to heroine status to fight the enemies, despite so many enemies.   With all that is going on, to say too much more would be spoilers. All that Fall was an exciting and engrossing thriller, and very well written by Kris Calvin. I do suggest if you like mystery thrillers, you should read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publicist

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Chinook / Havoc (Miranda Chase NTSB 6 & 7) by ML Buchman-reviews

Chinook / Havoc (Miranda Chase NTSB 6 & 7) by ML Buchman-reviews

CHINOOK
Miranda Chase NTSB #6
by ML Buchman
Release Date: March 23, 2021
Genre: adult, contemporary, military thriller

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When the fastest and most powerful helicopters in the US Army’s fleet start falling out of the sky, Miranda Chase and her team of NTSB crash investigators are called in.

One crash leads to another and they are fast entangled in a Chinese conspiracy to start a war. Only Miranda’s team can stop the trade war from becoming a real one.

•••••

REVIEW: CHINOOK is the sixth instalment in ML Buchman’s contemporary, adult MIRANDA CHASE NTSB military, techno-thriller series focusing on NTSB investigator Miranda Chase and her team of former and current military members.

CHINOOK follows Tasia ‘Taz’ Vicki Flores aka US Air Force Colonel Vicki ‘The Taser’ Cortez aka Tanya Roberts in the aftermath of her ‘death’ following an unsanctioned attack on four major drug cartels on the south side of the Mexican border. Believed to not have survived her last mission, six months later, Colonel Vicki Cortez re-invented herself as Tasia Flores, part of a US hotshot wildfire crew, a position that would bring her up close and personal with someone from her past. Enter Jeremy Trahn, the newest member of Miranda Chase’s NTSB investigation team, and the man Tasia would always remember. As the wildfire crew disbanded for the season, Tasia would be forced to ‘work’ with the NTSB as they began in investigation into a series of ‘accidents’ involving Chinook Helicopters, and a jet plane crash on the border of Tawain, a crash meant to start a war.

CHINOOK is an infinitely detailed and complex story line rife with military and NTSB language and jargon; a story of vengeance, betrayal, power and espionage; a tale of one woman’s struggle in the aftermath of nineteen years of service to the US Air Force, and the fall-out of who she was, and the future going forward. CHINOOK is an imaginative, riveting and edgy story of a nation on the brink of war for nefarious purposes.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

________

HAVOC
Miranda Chase NTSB 7
by ML Buchman
Release Date: April 21, 2021
Genre: adult, contemporary, military, thriller

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Miranda Chase—the heroine you didn’t expect. Fighting the battles no one else could win.

Desperate to recreate the expanse and power of the USSR, Russia drives their military to the limits.

A series of unexplained aircraft losses in the Middle East and Eastern Europe sends Miranda Chase’s NTSB crash investigation team to find the answers.

As they race from debris field to wreckage, they discover a dangerous plot. Russia’s plans to crush NATO could spark the next world war. And only Miranda’s team stands in their way.

•••••••

REVIEW: HAVOC is the seventh instalment in ML Buchman’s contemporary, adult MIRANDA CHASE NTSB military, techno-thriller series focusing on NTSB investigator Miranda Chase Told form several third person perspectives HAVOC follows retired Australian Special Air Services Regiment Sergeant Holly Harper as she, and the NTSB begin an investigation into a series of plane crashes, one in which, Holly was a passenger. Heading to the Johnston Atoll, Holly calls in Miranda Chase, letting her know, that she may not survive but to begin an investigation into possible sabotage. Not only had Holly survived but our heroine quickly discovers a Russian assassin has escaped a military prison, and has set their sights on our story line heroine.

HAVOC is another comprehensive and intricate story awash in military, NTSB, and air flight jargon, some of which may require a Google search or two. ML Buchman pulls the reader into a suspenseful story of power and betrayal, vengeance and murder, in a political game of espionage, and domination between the US and Russia, instigated by the crazed mind of psychopath bent on revenge. HAVOC is a vivid, imaginative and gripping tale where the world powers, are yet again, on the brink of war.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Crucible of Fear by D. W. Whitlock-Review & Guest Post

Crucible of Fear by D. W.  Whitlock-Review & Guest Post

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 6, 2021

A man’s life in chaos. His young daughter at risk. What is a pound of flesh worth?

Dante Ellis is a successful advertising executive on the rise. His world is plunged into a harrowing nightmare after he’s targeted by ruthless hackers known only as Dark Messiah.

Dante soon discovers no part of his life too sacred to be used against him, no secret buried too deep. What began as a veiled threat soon descends into a desperate conflict against the will of an unseen enemy.

•••••••

REVIEW:CRUCIBLE OF FEAR by D. W. Whitlock is a near-future, sci-if, techno thriller focusing on thirty-something advertising executive Dante Ellis, and the carnage that is about to become his life.

Told from third person perspective following several intersecting paths CRUCIBLE OF FEAR focuses on artificial intelligence, and organized groups of cyber hackers out to prove they have the ability to control whatever and whomever they want. A futuristic world of camera drones that record and spy, using the recorded booty for blackmail and more, advertising executive Dante Ellis finds himself the ultimate target of betrayal and revenge, never knowing the who, what or why, until the very end. With not only his life, but the life of his daughter now the focus of a group or entity calling itself the Dark Messiah, Dante is on his own when he discovers that the people meant to help have been compromised by the very entity targeting our story line hero.

CRUCIBLE OF FEAR has many similarities to the television show Mr. Robot™. In Whitlock’s world the cyber hackers take aim at several people in an effort to produce enough fear to obey their commands but the ultimate target is Dante Ellis, a man whose past and present is about to implode.

D. W. Whitlock pulls the reader into a complex scenario of cyber crimes, hackers, AI, and computers; a world that resonates with what is, and what could be, but a world where our entire existence can be destroyed by the stroke of a key. A thrilling, suspenseful and intriguing story, CRUCIBLE OF FEAR begins with a bang, then builds slowly revealing the interconnected pathways and characters, ending with the possibility of so much more.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Idea

Some writers say it’s not what you write about, but how you write it. This approach tends to be more popular in literary fiction where the stories center around a character or characters reacting and dealing with a trauma. But for commercial fiction, writers such as Preston & Child, James Rollins and Michael Crichton have built their stories around a core idea that the believability of the entire story hinges on. Would Jurassic Park exist without its key conceit? I find the tried-and-true what if question is a good place to start for both analyzing existing stories, and the fun part, creating new ones.

What if…dinosaurs were alive today? Interesting question, but one that had already been asked and answered by Arthur Conan Doyle in his seminal work, The Lost World, all the way back in 1912! That story put dinosaurs on a raised plateau in South America, cut off from the rest of the world, safe from extinction. Plausible in 1912, a world still traveling by ship and rail on the cusp of flight, laughable in the technologically advanced and interconnected world of the 90s. Let’s start again with the what if, and expand upon it with the follow up, but how?

What if dinosaurs were alive today? What if we had access to their DNA? But how?

I remember reading Jurassic Park for the first time. That moment in the book when Crichton reveals how it was done was electric for me. As a life-long dinosaur nut and Crichton fan, I was already in. But how did this technological miracle happen? The planting of the ideas was there, the Chekov’s gun cleverly disguised as a series of questions: Why was Ingen, a genetic research corporation, stockpiling amber? Why were small dinosaurs, at first misidentified by experts as mere lizards, suddenly attacking children along coastal towns in Costa Rica? How had Ingen’s scientists achieved the impossible, the resurrection of extinct animals from Earth’s distant past?

DNA extracted from the blood of mosquitoes trapped in amber after feeding on dinosaurs over sixty-five million years ago.

It was an impossible, yet plausible idea, one that answered the what if in such a profound and clever way, that for this reader, the story shot home. At that point, I was bought in, disbelief suspended, prepared for the ride of my life.

I was not disappointed. Along with many, many other readers. From what I understand, the movie did pretty okay too.

So, what is the answer then? Is the idea itself important? According to John Truby, author of Anatomy of Story, he would say it’s at the very core of the process itself. He cautions writers to take their time with what they choose to write about, tap into their passions, aligned with what readers want to actually read. So, choose wisely. Take your time. Write something that will change the world, Truby says. Lofty ambitions, but why not shoot for the stars? The reality is, as an author, you’re going to spend years of your life with what you choose to write about. Planning, writing, editing, pitching, selling, interviews, sequels or series. Making sure your story is worthy of a commitment longer than most marriages is sound advice.

And what about me? What do I think? I believe that a story premise starts with the what if, and ends with the how. I believe the core idea of how something is, or has come to be, can be just as compelling and interesting as the what if itself.

It’s a personal decision, what to write about. For some, how you write it, the prose, the voice, is enough. But for me, the how can elevate the what if from the mere genesis of a story to an idea that can resonate across decades and thrill readers for years to come. And quite possibly, bring dinosaurs back into the world, if only in our collective imaginations.

D.W. Whitlock

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Stolen Daughters by Carolyn Arnold – a Review

Stolen Daughters by Carolyn Arnold – a Review

 

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Description:
The girl looked so peaceful, she could have been asleep. Except her eyes were open, blankly reflecting the flickering flames spreading towards her…

When firefighters discover the body of a teenage girl at an abandoned house, Detective Amanda Steele hurries to the scene. Dumfries, Virginia is a small town, yet no one seems to have any idea who the dead girl is until Amanda finds a dragonfly pin with the name Crystal engraved on it.

Working tirelessly, Amanda traces the pin to Crystal Foster, a thirteen-year-old who disappeared three years ago from her wealthy parents’ home. Breaking the news to the distraught parents won’t be easy, but the loss of her own daughter still haunts Amanda, and she knows this will bring them closure. But when Amanda goes to see the Fosters, they do not recognize the girl. She isn’t Crystal.

Before Amanda can react to this new development, she gets an urgent call. A fire has consumed another vacant house, and the remains of two more girls have been found. Who are these girls, and why are they being picked off? Amanda must stop this killer before the pattern continues, and the death toll climbs.

When Amanda receives a taunting note from the killer, she realizes that she holds the missing piece of this puzzle. The victims are connected to Amanda’s past, to a case she can never forget, and which almost claimed her life. As she follows the clues to their deadly conclusion, can she save more innocent lives… even if it risks her own?

 

 

Review:

Stolen Daughters by Carolyn Arnold is the 2nd book in her Detective Amanda Steele series. As I have noted before, I have been a big fan of Arnold, having read most of her series.  I feel this series is her best one yet, and love its wonderful heroine, Amanda Steele.

Amanda Steele, our heroine, is a homicide detective in Dumfries, Virginia Police Department.  She is called to the scene where a young girl’s dead body was found in an abandoned building fire.  As she and her partner, Trent begin their investigation, they discover that the girl was part of a sex trafficking ring. Shortly thereafter, a woman who had called in the fire to the police,  is also found murdered; they suspect this may be the work of a serial killer. As they interview the family of some of the missing children over the years, Amanda is consumed with finding these missing girls.

Amanda is determined to stop the killer before they kill again, but then there is another fire, with two more dead girls who were probably part of the sex trafficking; the danger escalates as the killer is now setting their site on Amanda.  How does the killer know about her past, and the deaths of her husband and daughter?

What follows is an exciting, intriguing, pulse pounding mystery that kept me unable to put the book down, especially knowing how Amanda continually put herself in danger.  We did get a POV of the killer throughout, giving us a look at his madness. To say too much more would be spoilers, and this was a very good story that needs to be read from start to finish.  I like all of the secondary characters that Arnold has created, but I was not crazy about the chief, who was trying to get rid of Amanda; even though she was their best detective.

Stolen Daughters was an excellent crime thriller that was suspenseful, dark, intense, and kept us glued to the end. Amanda, Trent & Sergeant made an excellent team.   I really liked Amanda, as she was a great heroine, and a fantastic detective.  Stolen Daughters was so very well written by Carolyn Arnold, and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us in future books, especially with the surprise ending. If you like mystery thrillers, police procedural, then you need to be reading this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for Review

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Tell No Lies by Allison Brennan – Review & Excerpt

Tell No Lies by Allison Brennan – Review & Excerpt

 

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Description:
Something mysterious is killing the wildlife in the mountains just south of Tucson. When a college intern turned activist sets out to collect her own evidence, she, too, ends up dead. Local law enforcement is slow to get involved. That’s when the mobile FBI unit goes undercover to infiltrate the town and its copper refinery in search of possible leads.

Quinn and Costa find themselves scouring the desolate landscape, which keeps revealing clues to something much darker—greed, child trafficking and more death. As the body count adds up, it’s clear they have stumbled onto much more than they bargained for. Now they must figure out who is at the heart of this mayhem and stop them before more innocent lives are lost.

 

 

 

Review:

Tell No Lies by Allison Brennan is the 2nd book in her Quinn & Costa Thriller series. The series revolves around Detective Kara Quinn and FBI Agent, Matt Costa.  Matt runs the new Mobile Response Team, which Kara is on loan from her LA Police job.  Tell No Lies starts off with a young girl (an activist), hiking with her boyfriend, as she leaves him behind to looks for clues as to water poisoning, and the girl ends up dead.  Matt brings his team into this mysterious case, with Kara going undercover as a bartender in the local area, and Michael goes undercover to work with a business that is suspected of dumping dangerous chemicals.  Matt has many of his team set in various places, as they slowly try to filter out what and who is behind it. 

Soon they will discover that there is more to what is happening, such as murder, drug cartel and human trafficking. From the beginning there were so many different pieces of the puzzle, which was a bit confusing, trying to understand if this was connected or different villains. 

What I loved about this story was getting to know the main characters, Matt, Kara, Ryder, Michael and others we meet along the way, and learn how those going undercover can handle their dangerous situations.  I loved Kara, as she was a wonderful heroine, as I noted that in the first book.  She was a great detective, experienced in undercover work, and was very empathic when children were involved; as she was insistent to Matt and the team that something else was going on with children. 

What follows is an intense, pulse pounding thriller from start to finish.  As I said there were so many different elements to the story, you needed to pay attention all the way through.  When a member of the family owning the company in question is murdered, everything is escalated, which will affect almost everyone in the family.  Who was truly behind what was happening? Was this human trafficking or drug cartel?

As we got closer to the tense climax, the danger escalated in this heart stopping thriller, with so many people involved, including the evil cartel villians; and we worried who would survive.   I could not put the book down, as the suspense was amazing.  Tell No Lies was so 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

 

 

Prologue
Two months ago
Tucson, Arizona

Billy Nixon had been waiting his whole life to have sex with Emma Perez. Okay, not all his life. Two and a half years. It just felt that way since he’d fallen in love with her the day they met in Microeconomics, on his first day of classes at the University of Arizona. Love at first sight is a cliché, and until that moment in time Billy didn’t believe in any of that bullshit. His parents were divorced, his older sister had been in and out of bad relationships since she was fifteen, and his friends slept around as if the apocalypse was upon them.
But in the back of his mind, he remembered the story about how his grandparents met the day before his grandfather shipped off to the Korean War, how they wrote letters every week, and how three years later his grandfather came home and they married. They were married for fifty-six years before his grandfather died; his grandmother died three months later.
That’s what Billy wanted. Without having to go to war.
It took Emma two years before the same feeling clicked inside her. They’d been friends. They both dated other people (well, Billy pretended to date because he couldn’t in good conscience lead another girl on when he knew that he didn’t care about her like he cared about Emma). But it was three months ago, when Emma lost her ride home to Denver for the Christmas holidays and he found her crying in her dorm room, that he said, “I’ll drive you there,” even though he was a Tucson native and lived with his dad to save money.
From then on, she looked at him differently. Like her eyes had been opened and she saw in him what he saw in her. From that point on, they were inseparable.
The morning after they first made love, Billy knew there was no other girl, no other woman, with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. Call him a romantic, but Emma was it. He had started saving money for a ring. They were finishing up their third year of college, so had a year left, but that was okay. He did well in school and had a part-time job. He already had a job lined up for the summer in Phoenix that paid well, and he could live there cheaply with his sister—though the thought of spending two months with his emotional, self-absorbed sibling was a big negative. And the idea of leaving Emma for two months made him miserable. But if he did this, he’d have enough money, not only for a ring, but to get an apartment when they graduated. And—maybe—his job this summer would be a permanent thing when he was done with college next spring, which meant he’d have stability. Something he desperately wanted to provide for Emma.
Emma rolled over in bed and sighed. He loved when his dad was out of town and he had the house to himself, since they had no privacy in Emma’s dorm. Billy kissed the top of her head. He thought she was still sleeping, or in that dreamy state right before you wake up. It wasn’t even dawn, but how could he go back to sleep with Emma Perez naked in his bed?
“Billy?” she said.
“Hmm?”
“Can I ask you a favor?”
“Anything.” “I need to go to Mount Wrightson today. The Patagonia side of the mountain.”
“Okay.”
An odd request, but Emma spent a lot of time these days in the Santa Rita Mountains and surrounding areas. She was a business and environmental sciences double major who worked part-time at the Arizona Resources and Environmental Agency—AREA, as they called it—the state environmental protection agency.
“For work, school or fun?” he said.
“Last week my Geology class went out to Mount Wrightson and we hiked partway down the Arizona Trail. I noticed several dead birds off the trail. My professor didn’t think it was anything, but it bothered me. So I talked to my boss, Frank, at work, and he said if my professor didn’t think it was unusual, then it wasn’t. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so went back a couple days ago on my own. One of the closed trails has been used recently. And I found more dead birds, more than a dozen.”
“Which means what?”
“I don’t know yet, but birds are especially vulnerable to contaminated water because of their small size and metabolism. Remember when I told you my boss got an anonymous letter two years ago? Signed A Concerned Citizen and postmarked from Patagonia? The letter writer claimed that several local people were being made sick and that the water supply was tainted. Frank tested the water supply himself after that, but he didn’t find anything abnormal. So he dismissed it. But no one has been able to explain why those people were sick.”
“And remember—there was no evidence that anyone was sick,” Billy said. “The letter was anonymous. It could have just been a disgruntled prankster. Didn’t Frank talk to the health center about the complaint? Didn’t he investigate the local copper refinery?”
“Yes,” she said and sighed in a way that made him feel like he was missing something. “Maybe two years ago it wasn’t real,” she said in a way that made Billy think she really didn’t believe that. “But now my gut tells me something’s going on, and I want to know what.”
“You told your boss about the dead birds. You said he was a good guy, right?”
“Yeah, but I think he still thinks I’m a tree hugger.”
“You certainly gave that impression when you first started there and questioned their entire record-keeping process and the way Frank had conducted that original investigation.”
“I’ve apologized a hundred times. I realize now how much goes into keeping accurate records, and that AREA uses one of the best systems in the country. I’ve learned so much from Frank. I really believe I can make a difference now, and be smart about it too. All I want is to give him facts, Billy. And the only way I can do that is if I go back up there.”
Billy didn’t have the same passion for the environment that Emma had, but he loved her commitment to nature and how she continued to learn and adapt to new and changing technologies and ideas.
“Whatever you want to do, I’m with you,” he said. He’d follow her through the Amazon jungle if she asked him to.
“It’s going to be a beautiful day,” she said, as if he needed encouragement to do anything for her. “I just want to check out the trails near where I found the second flock of birds. We can have a picnic, make a day out of it.”
“Good call, bribing me with food.”
She smiled. “I can bribe you with something else too.” Then she kissed him.
* * *
An hour later the sun was up and they stopped for breakfast in the tiny town of Sonoita, southeast of Tucson where Highways 82 and 83 intersected. Emma had been quiet the entire drive, taking notes while analyzing a topo map.
As they ate, Emma showed him the map and her notes. “The dead birds I found last week with the class were Mexican jays. The ones I found after that on my own were trogons. I’ve been studying both of their migration patterns. The jays have a wider range. The trogons are much more localized. It seems unlikely that they just dropped dead out of the sky for no reason. I’m thinking, logically, they might have been poisoned. I don’t see any large body of water near where I found them, but there’s a pond here that forms during the rainy season.” She pointed.
While Billy couldn’t read a topo map to save his life, he trusted her thinking.
“That pond, or this stream—” she pointed again “—are right under one of their migration routes. I’ve also highlighted some other seasonal streams, here and here.”
“That seems like a huge area. North and south of Eighty-Two? How can we cover all of that in one day? Where are the roads?”
“We can hike.”
He frowned. Hike, sure. But this looked like a three-day deal.
“Emma, maybe you should talk to your boss again, show him the map and tell him what you suspect.”
“But I haven’t found anything yet—just on the map!”
Tears sprouted to her eyes, and Billy panicked. Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry. “Okay, what are we doing, then?”
“If you don’t want to help me, Billy, just say so.”
“I do, Emma. I just need to know the full plan, and I don’t understand your notes. I don’t even know where exactly I’m going.”
“This is the town of Patagonia, see?” She trailed her finger along one of the paths that went from Patagonia up the mountain. “And this is Mount Wrightson, to the north.”
Billy had hiked to the peak of Mount Wrightson once. He wasn’t into nature and hiking like Emma, but he liked being outdoors, so he took a conservation class that doubled as a science requirement. His idea of being outdoors was playing baseball or volleyball or riding his bike.
“Okay.”
“We need to hike halfway up Wrightson. I found a service road that I think we can use to get most of the way to the trailhead. Okay?”
“If you’re sure about this,” he said.
She frowned and looked back down at her map. He hated that he’d made her sad.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s fine.”
“You don’t want to go.”
“I do. I just don’t want us to get lost.”
She smiled sweetly at him. “Stick with me and you won’t.”
That was the smile he needed. He took her hand, interlocked their fingers. “I trust you.”
“Good.” She gave him a quick kiss, and they left the café and got back on the road.

Several hours later, Billy wasn’t as accommodating. They’d parked at the end of a dirt road near the trailhead halfway up the southeastern side of the mountain and been hiking through rough terrain ever since. The landscape was dotted with some trees and pines, but not as dense or pretty or green as on the top of the mountain. The land wasn’t dry—the wet winter and snow runoff had ensured that—so the area was hard to navigate, and the paths they were on weren’t maintained. Billy doubted they were trails at all.
The hiking had been fine up until lunch. At noon, they ate their picnic, which was a nice break, because then they had sex and relaxed in the middle of nature. It wasn’t quiet—they heard birds and a light breeze and the rustling of critters. A family of jackrabbits crossed only feet from them as they lay on the blanket Billy had brought. Afterward, Billy suggested they head back to the truck. He was tired, and they had already walked miles, which meant as many miles back to the truck.
But Emma didn’t want to leave. He was pretty sure she didn’t know exactly what she was looking for, but that she had this idea that if she walked long and far enough, she’d find evidence to support her theory that something nefarious had been happening out here to kill all those birds.
So Billy kept his mouth shut and followed her.
By four that afternoon, Billy was pretty sure Emma had gotten them lost. They had seemed to zigzag across the southern face of Mount Wrightson. He was tired, and even the birds had gone quiet, as if they were getting ready to settle in and nest for the night, even though sunset was still a few hours away.
He stopped next to a tree that was taller than most and that provided much-needed shade. It was only seventy-six degrees, but the sky was clear and the sun had been beating down on them all afternoon. He was glad he’d thought to bring sunscreen, otherwise they’d both be fried by now.
He dropped the large backpack he’d been carrying that contained their picnic stuff, blanket, water, first aid kit and emergency supplies. He knew enough about the desert not to go hiking without food and water to last at least twenty-four hours. Like if his truck didn’t start when they got back, they needed to be okay. So he had extra water—but he didn’t tell Emma that. It was for emergencies only.
“We’re down to our last water bottles,” he said. He’d paced himself so he had two left, whereas Emma had gone through all six of hers.
He handed her one of the two. “Drink.”
She sipped, handed it back to him. “Thirty more minutes, honey. See this?” She pointed to the damn map that he wanted to tear into pieces now, except without it he was positive they would be lost here forever. “That’s the large seasonal pond I was talking about. It’ll dry up before summer, according to the topo charts.”
How she could stay so cheerful when he was hot and tired and, frankly, bored, he didn’t know.
“How far?”
“Down this path, not more than two hundred yards. Three hundred, maybe.”
He looked at her. Implored her to let them start heading back.
“Why don’t you stay here and wait,” she said.
“You don’t mind?”
She smiled, walked over and kissed him. “Promise.”
Twenty minutes later she was back where Billy waited. She looked so sad and defeated. “I’m ready to go,” she said.
“We’ll come back next weekend, okay? We’ll bring a tent and food and camp overnight.”
She looked surprised at his suggestion, a smile on her face. “You mean that?”
“Absolutely.”
She threw her arms around him. “I love you, Billy Nixon.”
His heart nearly stopped. “I love you, too,” he said and held her. He wanted to freeze this moment, relive it every day of his life.
“We’re actually closer to your truck than you think—we made a circle. First we went north, then west, then south, now we’re going east again. When we get back to the main trail at the fork back there, we go left rather than right, and the truck is about half a mile up.”
He was impressed; he had underestimated her. Maybe they weren’t as lost as he thought; maybe he was the only one with a shitty sense of direction. But that was okay, because Emma loved him, and they were going to be together forever. He knew it in his heart and his head, and she’d always be there to navigate.
They drove down the mountain, the road rough at first, then it smoothed out as they got near town. They headed west on 82, deciding to drive the scenic route back to Tucson. Emma marked her map to highlight where they’d already walked, when suddenly she looked up. “Hey, can you get off here?”
“Have to pee again?”
“Ha ha. No. There’s several old roads that go south. Sonoita Creek, when it floods, cuts fast-flowing streams into the valley. We had a couple late storms this winter. I just want to check the area quickly—we’ll come back next weekend. But if I see anything that tells me the streams were running a few weeks ago, I want to come back here first. Okay? Please?”
Billy was tired, but Emma loved him, so he happily turned off the highway and followed her directions. They drove about a mile along a very rough unpaved road until they reached a narrow path. His truck couldn’t go down there—there were small cacti sprouting up all over the place, and the chances of him getting a flat increased exponentially.
Emma got out, and Billy reluctantly followed. She was excited. “See that grove of trees down there?”
He did. It looked more like overgrown brush, but it was greener than anything else around them.
“I’ll bet there’s still water. This is on the outer circle of where the birds could have flown from. I just want to check.”
“The path looks kinda steep and rocky. You sure about this?”
She kissed him. “I’m sure. Stay here, okay? I won’t be long.”
“Ten minutes.” “Fifteen.” She kissed him again, put her backpack on and headed down the path.

He sat in the back of his truck and watched Emma navigate the downward slope. He doubted this “path” had been used anytime in the last few years. From his vantage point, he saw several darker areas, plants dense and green, and suspected that Emma was right—this valley would get water after big storms.
Emma was beautiful and smart. What wasn’t to love?
He watched until she disappeared from view into the brush.
He frowned. He should have gone with her. Was he just sulking because he was tired and hungry?
Predators were out here—coyotes, bobcats, javelinas. Javelinas could be downright mean even if you did nothing to provoke them. Not to mention that these mountains bordered the corridor for trafficking illegal immigrants. Billy had taken a criminal justice class his freshman year and they touched upon that topic. He didn’t want to encounter a two-legged predator any more than one on four legs.
What kind of man was he if he couldn’t suck it up and help the woman he loved?
So he grabbed his backpack and headed down the path Emma had taken. He was in pretty good shape, but this hike had wasted him. Emma must have been fitter than he was, because she’d barely slowed down all day. After this, they’d go to his place, shower—maybe he could convince Emma to take a shower with him—and then he’d take her out to dinner. After all, they had something to celebrate: the first time they said “I love you.” They’d go to El Charro, maybe. It was Billy’s favorite Mexican food in Tucson, not too expensive, great food. Take an Uber so they could have a couple of drinks.
He wished he were there right now. His stomach growled as he stumbled and then caught himself before he fell on his ass.
He was halfway down the hill when a scream pierced the mountainside. Billy ran the rest of the way down the narrow, rocky trail. “Emma!”
No answer.
He yelled louder for her. “Emma! Emma!”
He slipped when the trail made a sudden drop as it went steeply down to a small pond—the seasonal one that Emma must have been looking for. The beauty of the spot with its trees and boulders all around was striking in the desert, and for a split second he thought it was a mirage. Then all he could think about was that Emma had been bitten by a rattlesnake, or had fallen into the water, or had slipped and broken her leg.
But she didn’t respond to his repeated calls.
“Emma!”
He stood on the edge of the pond, frantically searching for her. Looking for wild animals, a bobcat that she may have surprised. A herd of javelinas that might have attacked her. Anything.
Movement to his right startled him, and he turned around quickly.
In the shade, he saw someone. He shouted, wondering if Emma was disorientated or had gone the wrong way. But whatever he thought he saw was now gone.
Then he saw her.
Emma’s body was half in, half out of the pond, a good hundred feet beyond him, obscured in part by an outcrop of large rocks on the water’s edge. He ran to her and dropped to his knees. His first thought was that she had slipped and hit her head. Some blood glistened on her scalp.
“Emma, where are you hurt? Emma?”
She didn’t respond. Then he saw the blood on a hand-sized rock on the edge of the pond. And he felt more blood on the back of her skull.
“No, no, no!”
He saw her chest rise and fall. She was alive, but unconscious. He pulled out his phone, but there was no signal. He had to get help, but he couldn’t leave her here.
Billy picked Emma up and, as quickly as he could, carried her up the steep hillside to his truck.
As he drove back to the main road, he called 911. An ambulance met him in the closest town, Patagonia.
But by then Emma was already dead.

Excerpted from Tell No Lies by Allison Brennan, Copyright © 2021 by Allison Brennan. Published by MIRA Books.

 


 

 

ALLISON BRENNAN is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over thirty novels. She has been nominated for Best Paperback Original Thriller by International Thriller Writers and the Daphne du Maurier Award. A former consultant in the California State Legislature, Allison lives in Arizona with her husband, five kids and assorted pets.

Social Links:
Author website: https://www.allisonbrennan.com/
Facebook: @AllisonBrennan
Twitter: @Allison_Brennan
Instagram: @abwrites
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/52527.Allison_Brennan

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Flight by Laura Griffin – a Review

Flight by Laura Griffin – a Review

 

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Description:
When former forensic photographer Miranda Rhoads moves to the seaside town of Lost Beach, she’s decided to make her living as a wildlife photographer and put crime scenes behind her. But her plans are quickly upended when one morning, she comes across a couple sleeping in a canoe, entwined in an embrace. Looking closer, she realizes the man and woman aren’t asleep–they’ve been murdered.

Detective Joel Breda sets out to find answers–not only about the unidentified victims in the marshy death scene, but also about the aloof and beautiful photographer who seems to know more about his investigation than he does.

As they begin to unravel the motivation of a merciless serial killer, Miranda and Joel must race against the clock to make an arrest before the killer can find them first.

 

 

Review:

Flight by Laura Griffin is the 2nd book in her 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, Miranda Rhoads, a former CSI forensic photographer, who left her job (she was burned out) and moves to Lost Beach, a peaceful seaside town, in hopes of moving on.  Miranda now does wildlife photography, content to not be involved in her ex-world of CSI; until she is taking pictures of the sunset and a unique bird.  Miranda comes across a canoe, and two dead bodies, and now that she is a witness, Miranda will meet the detectives in the towns police force.

Joel Breda, our hero, is the detective in charge of the murder, and when he learns that Miranda was a former CSI, he wants her to help them investigate the murder.  Especially since she takes amazing photos of the crime scene, and finds many clues to help the team; which will turn into the possibility of a serial killer.

Though Miranda wanted to escape the life she led before, she finds herself unable to step away, and continues to help Joel and his team.  As more similar older cases begin to show up, the case becomes more complex.  In a short time, both Miranda and Joel find themselves very much attracted to each other; the chemistry between them was great and I loved them together.

Joel, was a strong hero, and a great detective; and together with Miranda they managed to find clues that changes the game.  Joel becomes concerned that Miranda is putting herself in danger, as the murderer maybe too close. The whole Lost Beach Police force was very good, especially Nicole, who was also a very good young detective.

What follows is an exciting, intriguing, suspenseful thriller that kept me on the edge throughout, especially as we raced to the climax.   Griffin gave us a great couple, wonderful secondary characters and an excellent suspenseful story.  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.

Flight was another excellent mystery in this series, which to no surprise, was very well written by Laura Griffin.  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

 

 

Laura Griffin is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty-five books and novellas. Her books have been translated into fourteen languages. Laura is a two-time RITA® Award winner (for Scorched and Whisper of Warning) as well as the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award (for Untraceable). Her book Desperate Girls was named one of the Best Books of 2018 by Publishers Weekly. Laura lives in Austin, Texas, where she is working on her next novel.

 

 

 

 

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Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham – Review, Excerpt & Q&A

Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham – Review, Excerpt & Q&A

 

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Description:
On the edge of the Everglades, an eerie crime scene sets off an investigation that sends two agents deep into a world of corrupted faith, greed and deadly secrets.

A ritualistic murder on the side of a remote road brings in the Florida state police. Special Agent Amy Larson has never seen worse, and there are indications that this killing could be just the beginning. The crime draws the attention of the FBI in the form of Special Agent Hunter Forrest, a man with insider knowledge of how violent cults operate, and a man who might never be able to escape his own past.

The rural community is devastated by the death in their midst, but people know more than they are saying. As Amy and Hunter join forces, every lead takes them further into the twisted beliefs of a dangerous group that will stop at nothing to see their will done.

Doomsday preppers and small-town secrets collide in this sultry, twisty page-turning thriller.

 

 

Review:

Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham is an exciting, tense standalone murder mystery. We meet our heroine, FDLA Special Agent Amy Larson, who is on the scene of a gruesome ritualistic murder of a female in the Florida Everglades. The woman was on a pole, with violent slashes across her face and stabbed through her heart.  Amy and her partner John, both from the Florida State Police, were disturbed, as well as worried if this was the start of more to come. The murder draws the attention of the FBI, and Special Agent Hunter Forrest, who has knowledge of how cults operate.

In a short time, Hunter will join the investigation with Amy as his partner, since her partner suffered a heart attack.  Together Hunter and Amy made a sensational team, as they are both good at what they do.  Early on there is another POV from many years ago, showing a family on the run from a cult and hoping for help from the FBI, leaving us unsure of how this effected the current case; halfway into the story, we do learn what and who was in that POV.

After another female is murdered, Hunter begins to see some similarities of previous ritualistic crimes. Amy and Hunter know that someone powerful runs a dangerous cult, and think nothing about putting women through horrific rituals.  After meeting all the local churches and temples, they do further investigations on all of them to find clues as to who is the leader; and to find another missing woman before she is killed. But there were so many secrets that hindered their investigation, and because Amy is a woman, Hunter and another detective worry that she is in danger, too.

What follows is a tense thriller that will bring them into a commune of dangerous people who are blinded by a leader who will kill at whim.  To say too much more would be spoilers, and I would ruin it for you.  Danger in Numbers is an exciting, intense, dark story of murder and the cults that brainwash people.  Amy and Hunter find themselves in dangerous situations that had us holding our breath if they would survive. 

Once again, Heather Graham gives us a wild, mindboggling thriller, that kept our attention from start to finish.  I did like that both Amy and Hunter started a slow build romance, that hopefully will give us more stories to come.  They made a great team and couple.  If you like intense thrillers, which is written so very well by Graham, then I suggest you read Danger in Numbers.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Fall 1993
Sam

Sam Gallagher stood in the forest, deep within the trees, holding his wife and son to him as closely as he could, barely daring to breathe.
They would know by now. He and Jessie would be missed. He could imagine the scene: Jessie wouldn’t have appeared bright and early to help prepare the day’s meal with the other women. He wouldn’t be there to consume the porridge and water that was considered the ultimate meal for the workday—the porridge because it was a hearty meal, the water because it was ordained as the gift of life.
Their absence would be reported to Brother William, sitting his office—his throne room, Sam thought—where he would be guarded by his closest associates, the deacons of his church.
The family had only been in woods for a few minutes, but it seemed like an eternity. Jessie was so still Sam couldn’t hear her breathing, just feel the tremor of her heart.
Cameron was just six. And yet he knew the severity and danger of his situation. He stood as still and silent as any man could hope a child might be.
Panic seized Sam briefly.
What if Special Agent Dawson didn’t come? What if there had been a mix-up and he hadn’t been able to arrange for the Marshals Service to help?
What if they were found?
Stupid question. He knew the what if.
He gritted his teeth and fought against the fear that had washed over him like a tidal wave. Dawson was a good man; Sam knew he would keep his word. He’d arrived at the commune undercover, having the intuition to realize Sam’s feelings, his doubt, and his fear for his wife and his son. Together, Dawson had told him, they would bring down the Keepers of the Earth. His actions would free others. No, their actions would free others.
Today was the day. Just in time. Sam had known the danger of remaining, felt the way he was being watched by the Divine Leader’s henchmen.
They had to leave. Leave? No, there was no leaving the compound. There was only escaping.
Alana Fisk had wanted to leave, and they knew what had happened to her.
It had been Cameron who had found his beloved “aunt” Al- ana’s body at the bottom of the gorge, broken, lying beneath just inches of dry dust and rock, decomposing in her shallow grave. It had been Cameron, so young, who had become wary and suspicious first. He’d seen a few of the older boys in the area when he’d last seen Alana there, and he didn’t trust them. They were scary, Cameron said.
Sam tightened his hold on Cameron. Seconds ticked by like an eternity.
Sam closed his eyes and wondered how they had come to this, but he knew.
He and his wife had wanted something different. A life where riches didn’t make a man cruel.
Jessie hadn’t hated her father; she had hated what he stood for. And Sam knew the day when her mind had been made up. Downtown Los Angeles. They had seen a veteran of the Vietnam War, homeless, slunk against a wall. Only one of his legs remained; he had been struggling with his prosthetic, his cup for donations at his side. The homeless veteran had looked at Jessie’s father and said, “Please, sir, help if you can.”
Peter Wilson had walked right by. When Jessie had caught her father’s arm, he had turned on her angrily. “I didn’t get where I am by giving away my hard-earned money. He’s prob- ably lying about being a vet. He can get himself a damned job doing something!”
Sam had been walking behind them. Embarrassed, he tried to offer Jessie a weak smile. He hadn’t come from money, and he had lost his folks right after his twentieth birthday, but he was working in a coffee shop, dreaming he’d get to where he could work, go to college and have time left over to be with the woman he loved.
He had given the man a dollar and wished him well. Jessie had turned away from her father.
It was the last time Jessie saw her father. Despite the man’s efforts to break her and Sam up—or because of them—Jessie and Sam had eloped. The plan was to both get jobs and finish college through night school. Her father had suspected her pregnancy; he’d wanted her to get over Sam and terminate the baby.
Jessie quickly made friends at a park near their cheap apartment. They were old f lower children, she had told Sam. Old hippies, he’d liked to tease in return. But those friends had been happy, and they’d talked to Jessie about the beauty of their commune, far from the crazy greed and speed of the city.
In the beginning, Brother William’s commune did seem to offer it all: happiness, unity, love and light.
But now they knew the truth.
Brother William—with his “deacons,” his demands on his “flock” and the cache of arms he kept stowed away as he created his empire, demanding absolute power for himself, complete obedience among his followers. And it became clear Brother William’s will was enforced; he had those deacons—Brothers Colin, Anthony and Darryl, and the squad beneath them. They received special treatment.
Sam clutched his family as he strained to hear any unfamiliar sound in the woods. Was that footsteps? Was the rustling of branches just the breeze?
He had to stop dwelling on fear.
He had to stay strong. Maybe not ruminate on what they’d been through.
But there was nothing else to do while they waited, barely breathing.
Think back, remember it all.

Excerpted from Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham, Copyright © 2021 by Heather Graham Pozzessere Published by MIRA Books

 

 

Q&A with Heather Graham

Q: Please give the elevator pitch for Danger in Numbers.

A: Danger in Numbers is the first in a four book series based on crimes with a mastermind playing with the concept of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. A Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent winds up working a strange, ritualistic murder discovered in the Everglades along with an FBI agent, who, due to his past, has a unique ability to investigate the machinations of cults.

Q: Which came first: the characters or plot line?

A: A drive through my state on Highway 27! The area for the  beginning first–then characters and plot falling in together!

Q: Why do you love Amy and Hunter and why should readers root for them?

A: I always love people who are able to take something negative happening and turn it into something good for others or for the future. I also greatly admire our FDLE, and so many of the men and women working in the department!

Q: What was your last 5 star read?

A: LOL — I have no idea! I never base my reading on stars, rather on whether the subject matter is intriguing, or I know the author’s work and I know it will be a good read!

Q: What is one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?

A: Hm. Publishing has changed so much since I started! But, I did start without an agent and I think that a good agent is priceless. And, a good agent isn’t necessarily the agent you hear about being the “best.” The “best” agent is the one who loves your work and really wants to go to bat for you!

Q: With your two lead characters being in law enforcement, I was curious about the research into police procedures.  Have you ever taken one of the law enforcement ‘schools’ for authors?  Or do you personally have experience or know folks in law enforcement?

A: One of my favorite conferences is The Police Writers Academy. It’s run by Lee Lofland and he brings in specialists from all kinds of agencies, dealing with so many factions regarding law enforcement, evidence, and the law itself. I’m also grateful to International Thriller Writers for trips to the New York offices of the FBI–and out to the CIA. Mystery Writers have also brought in wonderful speakers to various conferences, and, of course, I have friends who are still with–or were with–various law department agencies. And my five children have paid off nicely! One has a U.S. Marshal friend who brought me through his offices and another friend is a Miami-Dade detective.

            They may start running now when they see me coming!

            But they’re seriously wonderfully helpful.

Q: When writing your thrilling mysteries like this one going into the dark side of cults, have you ever felt chills or thrills as you write?  Have any of your fictional villains given you the willies?

A: I’ve seen–thankfully, from a distance–what horrors can arise from cults. I’ve gotten chills many times!

Q: I’ve always wanted to see them.  Have you been on location to the Florida Everglades before? 

A: I grew up in Miami and I love trips out to Shark Valley and other areas of the Everglades. I love visiting our Native American villages and information centers in both Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. We do have mosquitos, alligators, and now, of course, massive constrictors, but we also have amazing birds and incredible nature sites. We’re unique! Down at the tip of the state, we also have crocodiles. No, I don’t really want to play with them or get close to them!  But the habitat, the hammocks, wetlands, and more are all uniquely beautiful.

Q: How much research do you do before beginning to write a book? Do you go to locations, ride with police, go to see an autopsy, etc.

A: It always depends on what I’m doing. I have friends who prefer their research on line–when I can, I love to travel. There are certain cities and areas I love and return to, but bizarre stories can be found in tiny towns and almost anywhere. Fiction will never be stranger than truth! When I can, I go to locations and speak with law enforcement or those close to a situation. When I can’t . . . well, I have a massive library and thankfully, friends who have been police and medical examiners!

Q: What hobbies do you enjoy?

A: Reading! Diving and anything to do with the water, and ballroom dancing.

Q: Do you write under one name for all books across genres or do you have other AKA’s?

A: I do have an AKA — Shannon Drake. At one time, I was writing historical novels under the name, and then doing a vampire series under it as well. Many of the publishers later reissued them under Heather Graham. (Went a little crazy a couple of months ago and wrote an historical, Arthurian fantasy, Daughter of Darkness and Light. Because it’s very different from contemporary thrillers, it’s up under Shannon Drake.) Years ago, I also used my full married name for a few books–Heather Graham Pozzessere. But Pozzessere is apparently hard to say, making it difficult for booksellers! But my dad was Graham, so writing as Graham is important to me!

Q: Do you have pets?

A: I do. A shy crazy cat and two pups, Rocket and Nimh.

Q: What’s your favorite part of writing suspense?

A: Taking a situation–and ending it the way I want it to end!

Q: Do you prefer reading and/or writing suspense with elements of romance? Why or why not?

A: I like relationships, I think they often define us. If not necessarily romance, I still like a story to contain friendships or other relationships.

Q: From the books you’ve written or read, who has been your favorite villain and why?

A: LOL – I don’t have a favorite child and I don’t have a favorite villain! That said, I have always loved Maleficent. She was my girl long before they cast Angelina Jolie as Maleficent in a movie. So evil and glamorous! And now, of course, we know she’s the classic, misunderstood villain–if only the world had treated her more kindly!

 

 

Heather Graham is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author has written over two hundred novels and novellas, has been published in approximately twenty-five languages and with about 60 million books sold in print in the categories of romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. For more information, visit her at TheOriginalHeatherGraham.com.

Social Links:

Author Website
Twitter: @HeatherGraham
Instagram: @TheOriginalHeatherGraham
Facebook: @HeatherGrahamAuthor
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The Poet (Samantha Jazz #1) by Lisa Renee Jones-Review Tour

The Poet (The Samantha Jazz Series #1) by Lisa Renee Jones-Review & Excerpt Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 9, 2021

“The poet is a liar who always speaks the truth.” -Jean Cocteau

Some call him friend or boss. Some call him husband or dad. Some call him son, even a favorite son. But the only title that matters to him is the one the media has given him: The Poet.

A name he earned from the written words he leaves behind after he kills that are as dark and mysterious as the reason he chooses his victims. One word, two, three, a story in a poem, a secret that only Detective Samantha Jazz can solve. Because he’s writing this story for her.

She just doesn’t know it yet.

•••••

REVIEW: THE POET is the first instalment in Lisa Renee Jones’ contemporary, adult SAMANTHA JAZZ suspense series focusing on Detective Samantha Jazz.

Told from dual first person point of view (Jazz and The Poet) THE POET follows Detective Samantha Jazz as she is handed an ongoing investigation into a killer Detective Roberts has dubbed ‘The Professor’ but Detective Roberts is missing forcing Samantha Jazz to work through the information on her own. With the help of fellow detective Ethan ‘Lang’ Langford, and FBI Special Agent Wade Miller, Samantha begins to unearth a pattern of poetry and jazz, newly dubbing the suspect ‘The Poet’ leading our heroine to believe she is the inevitable target of a twisted mind.

THE POET is a fascinating, thrilling and suspense filled story of obsession and madness, betrayal and revenge. Lisa Renee Jones pulls the readers into a twisted, haunting and complex tale; a detailed and ever evolving story of mania and madness. For fans of the author’s LILAH LOVE series, there are many similarities that parallel one another.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

THE SERIES CONTINUES WITH THE GIRL WHO FORGOT!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57319878-the-girl-who-forgot

 

 

 

I move on to what I know. “The Poet, an organized killer, a planner. Highly intelligent. Well employed. These types like to appear stable and we’re most likely looking at someone in a circle of family to shelter himself, even convince himself he’s normal. None of this is on paper. And I don’t feel like I have room for error on this one.”“The Poet?”

“That’s what I’m calling him.”

“Whatever you call him, do you really think he’s a serial killer?”

“I know he’s a serial killer. We just have to find his victims.”

“I’ll get you your profile for peace of mind.”

“Thank you, Wade,” I say, gratitude in my voice.

“Thank me by being careful. If this asshole came after Roberts, you could be next.”

“If Roberts was his type, I am not.”

“Be careful, Detective Jazz,” he says, and this time he uses his best Special Agent Wade Miller voice, the detective title meant to make the “I’m serious” point.

“I am. I called you for a reason. I’m going to get him before he ever has the chance to get me.”
We disconnect a few seconds later and I pull up the poem compilation Chuck put together for me on my MacBook. I gravitate toward the poem The Poet left called “Fate, The Jester.” His message could be in those few lines or in another verse inside the full poem. I read it all slowly, all eight paragraphs, dissecting each one, but I return to the three lines he left in Summer’s mouth:
Who laugh in the teeth of disaster,
Yet hope through the darkness to find
A road past the stars to a Master

A master, a statement that seems to reference superiority and drives home my earlier thoughts. The Poet judged Summer beneath him. Perhaps he judges us all beneath him. He believes he’s above the law, and that’s dangerous to those who come into contact with him.
That means I need to become dangerous to him, and quickly.

 


 

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series.

In addition to the success of Lisa’s INSIDE OUT series, she has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa is also the author of the bestselling the bestselling DIRTY MONEY and WHITE LIES series. And will be publishing the first book in her Lilah Love suspense series with Amazon Publishing in March 2018.

Prior to publishing Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women’s Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at www.lisareneejones.com and she is active on Twitter and Facebook daily.

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