Month: October 2020

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About Last Night-Blog Tour(Review)-RomCom-Available Now

This is my second book by this author. I found the first one, The Best Man, charming and (for the most part) entertaining. So, I was willing to read this newest release. While there were good moments, I don’t know if it lived up to the first book.

One thing this author does well is male banter. The scenes between Tyler and his brother and other male friends were amusing and gave a real sense of their characters. You know that Tyler has something deeper inside of him than the “God’s Gift to Women” that his reputation proves.

He is a very strong personality. Plus, in terms of the setting, he is on home turf. This puts Holly, his neighbor, and focus of attention (both good and bad) at a distinct disadvantage. Not only is she new to the area, but she’s also hiding a few secrets, which makes her very cautious.

In light of Tyler’s demeanor, this makes Holly seem weak. The problem is that I don’t think she was, but he just overpowered her at almost every turn. As I mentioned in my previous review, this may be a cultural thing, but it was a little difficult to get used to.

I also had a difficult time with the ages. Tyler’s attitude would have made a lot more sense if he was pushing 30. But at pushing 40 it seemed almost creepy. Again, that could be cultural. But his “player” ways and attitude toward women seemed more fitting for someone a decade or so younger.

I think I understand why the author chose to make him this age, though. The whole conceit is that he finally realizes that he needs to settle down and stop being a jerk and that Holly is the person he wants to do that with, but given their initial meeting and rocky start, that’s challenging to say the least.

I still think it would have worked better had he been younger. At least, I would have bought into it more. But that’s just me. It didn’t bother me entirely, but it did make me wonder why he couldn’t have been younger. Would that have made it more acceptable? I don’t know – it’s an interesting thought.

Are we pre-programmed to think that certain things should occur at certain ages, and that one should be a grown up by a certain age, or at least curtail certain behaviors? I didn’t expect to think so deeply about a RomCom, to be honest.

Anyway, it was still a good story, and there was some crisp and fun dialogue. Other readers may have a completely different experience. It was a good book.

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Everybody Lies-Books On Tour (Review)-Fiction-Available Now

“Page-turner” definitely describes this book, but not in a thrilling, seat-of-your-pants way. Rather, it was unwinding tension that slowly crept up, making me wonder if anyone was telling anyone else the truth.

Although it wasn’t twisty like the characters were pathological liars. It was an astute and highly accurate portrayal of the lies that people tell each other (and themselves) to simply maintain some kind of normalcy or relative calm in their lives.

The author starts with the murder of a young woman and spirals the story out from that point. Each character has a connection to the woman and some of those are more obvious than others. As the investigation into her death proceeds, the reader learns just how many secrets there are in the small town.

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The story is told in alternating points of view between the three female characters, Caroline, Evvy, and Daisy. I thought that the character development was extremely well-done. I could sense their changes in perspective as they came to realizations about their lives. This was especially true of Daisy. I think she was my favorite

Although Caroline and Evvy had their own growth, I got the sense that they were held back by their own feelings of being too old – choosing (for the most part) to accept what life was handing them.

For example, Caroline never really wanted to stay on the island; she thought it would be temporary. After decades of marriage and raising a family, it is what it is (to her). But, when something happens late in the book, and she has the opportunity to finally leave, she realizes that she has built a home and leaving might not be as easy as she thought.

Daisy, however, shows real growth and maturity as she struggles between loyalty to helping her mom and embracing opportunities to better herself and her situation. I really enjoyed her chapters, as I felt her to be the most sympathetic.

Once the case is solved, all that’s left is for the characters to pick up the pieces. I did figure out who the killer was, but I think many people will be surprised. I would definitely recommend this family drama story for taut storytelling and sharp commentary on the lies we all tell – whether we realize it or not.

Facebook: emilymcavanagh77
Twitter: @admin@emilymcavanagh

Author Bio:

A teacher as well as a writer, Emily Cavanagh lives with her husband, two daughters, and an Australian Shepherd on Martha’s Vineyard Island. Her work has been published in Red Rock Review, Grain Magazine, Transfer, and Martha’s Vineyard Arts and Ideas. Read more about Emily’s work and life at www.emilycavanaghauthor.com.

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First Date-Books On Tour (Review)-Psych Thriller-Available Now

I had seen a lot of early rave reviews for this book, so I was excited to see it come up next on my reading list. As with anything that is hyped, there was a high bar to be matched.

I would have to say that for me, the bar was largely met.

Right from the start, Alex was too perfect. I mean, nobody has those many particulars in common with someone on a first date. It usually takes time to find out that many commonalities.

I liked how the author gave us this “warning shot” at the very beginning, because it allowed me to be suspicious of Alex throughout. And there were plenty of other signs along the way.

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This was a good tactic plot-wise, because even when I thought that maybe Alex was right about certain things, he was already untrustworthy, so it became a circular game of who was right and who was overreacting. It kept me off-balance as much as Hannah was.

She was an interesting character. It was obvious that her past colored how she reacted to the events of the story. There’s a saying that people who help other people often have a hard time helping themselves.

Hannah is a social worker – and while she seems to have a good intuition when it comes to her job, she is clearly blind when it comes to her personal life. This is largely due to her past and what she has always dreamt of her life being, but I do believe there was a blind spot where she couldn’t see what Jas was telling her (and what was quite obvious).

I also found myself yelling at her (in my head) to wake up and get a clue because all of the red flags were flying high!

In a way that worked for the plot, because it made it more difficult to know if Alex was telling the truth at any given point, which in turn led to his character being even more questionable. Her constantly making excuses for him only cemented that feeling.

That being said, it does turn out that Alex was right about some things. The whole thing is honestly just a mind twist, and the author does a good job of keeping the reader guessing.

However, I did guess one of the biggest twists fairly early on and had a strong feeling about another one. This ended up being in direct conflict with reviewers who said they had no idea.

I think that’s partly the issue with seeing reviews of a book before reading it, at least for me. Even if there are no spoilers, they can still mess with the perception of the book. I was expecting to be totally in the dark the whole time – but I wasn’t.

The actuality rarely lives up to the hype. I felt the same way about the movie “Beauty and the Beast” (the original animated). Everybody raved about it, said it was amazing, one-of-a-kind, etc.

I’ll admit to waiting to see it until it had been out for a few months (that was the days where movies stayed in theaters longer than three weeks). And while I was enchanted by it, I was partly right. It was beautiful and extremely well-done, but not the “end all/be all” people made it out to be. But I digress…..

I feel the same way about this book. It did teach me a valuable lesson. I think that I will stop reading all other reviews prior to reading a book, as I have a feeling I would have liked it even more if I didn’t have an expectation going in.

Facebook: suewatsonbooks Twitter:@suewatsonwriter 

Author Bio:

Sue Watson was a TV Producer at the BBC until she wrote her first book and was hooked.

Now a USA Today bestselling author, Sue has written sixteen novels, and many have been translated into several languages. Sue is now exploring the darker side of life with her latest thrillers OUR LITTLE LIES, THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR, THE EMPTY NEST, THE SISTER-IN-LAW and FIRST DATE out on October 16th.

Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her family in Worcestershire where much of her day is spent writing – okay, procrastinating, eating too much confectionery, and watching ‘My 600lb Life,’ on the sofa.

For more info visit Sue’s website; http://www.suewatsonbooks.com/

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Ring of Spies (#3)-Blog Tour (Review)-Historical Spy Thriller-Available Now

Hands down, one of the best historical espionage thrillers I have ever read. I mean, not that I read a lot in that genre, but I’ve certainly done my share with Len Deighton and Phillip Kerr. I was really excited to find this author.

My love for historical fiction is known to anyone who has read even a few entries on this blog. Most of them are straight fiction, although a few have had a mystery involved. This is one of the first in my current reading streak that is straight-up espionage. And the timing couldn’t have been better.

Going off-track for a moment: My family and I recently found “Churchill’s Secret Agents ” on Netflix. It was a reality show where the participants went through the same training that SOE agents did during WWII. It was extremely well-done and very informative.

It also put me in an excellent frame of mind for this book.

In this third Richard Prince adventure, his task is more dangerous than previous ones (apparently – more on that in a minute). When British paratroopers are ambushed, it’s up to him to figure out how the enemy knew where they would be. Or is it the enemy? Is there a traitor in the midst, or is the espionage just that intricate?

Like I’m going to tell you any of those things.

The plot is extremely detailed, and the author knows how to build the tension that surrounds spying in a time of war while keeping it realistic and not verging into fantastical. It would have been easy for the author to go for the thriller and lose plausibility, but he didn’t.

As to be expected with an espionage thriller, there are intricacies, twists, and surprises. These were all well-done and kept me engaged through the entire book.

The only negative I have (and this is totally on me) is that I had not read the previous books. While the plot in this book is a standalone, there is an awful lot of backstory that is missing if you don’t have the first two books under your belt first.

I know that I would have enjoyed this book even more than I did if I had read the first two; there would have been more depth to the character, I think, and some of his motivations might have been clearer.

I’m going to remedy that by grabbing the first two but do yourself a favor and start with them. Read them in order. And don’t read them quickly. Allow yourself the time to sink into Richard Prince’s world. You won’t be sorry.

Twitter: @alex_gerlis 
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Website: http://alexgerlis.com/ 
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About Alex Gerlis:

Alex Gerlis is the author of the acclaimed Spies series of four Second World War espionage thrillers which are noted for their detailed research and intricate plots and feature two great adversaries: the British spymaster Edgar and his Soviet counterpart Viktor. The television/film rights for The Best of Our Spies have been bought by a major production company.

Born in Lincolnshire, Alex was a BBC journalist for nearly 30 years. He lives in west London with his wife and family and three black cats, a breed which makes cameo appearances in his books. He’s a lifelong supporter of Grimsby Town, which has provided some preparation for the highs and lows of writing novels. When asked if he has worked in the field of espionage he declines to answer in the hope some people may think he has.

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Gone Before-Books On Tour (Review)-PsychThriller-Available Now

UPDATE: (After reading through this review, I’m adding this up here – you really should give this one a try. There were some good twists, and it was definitely a psychological thriller. What follows is my experience with the book, which may be completely different from what other readers experience).

I have to start by saying that I thought this book was going to go in a totally different direction from where it actually ended up.

When I first started reading, I thought that it would be about Phoebe, who may be Maya, finding her birth mother (Kay) after her mother (Roz) dies. Clear on that? It has great premise for all kinds of psychological mindgames.

And I did get that…somewhat.

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I thought that Kay and Phoebe’s “reunion” was a little bit farfetched. The whole thing seemed off-kilter, as if neither one really believed the reality of the situation, but each was hoping that was true. I’m still not sure if that was by design to set up the rest of the plot. But it left me confused.

A tragedy occurs after Phoebe finds Kay, which sends Phoebe on a hunt to find out her true identity. Again, plenty of opportunity for some twists and turns as Phoebe realizes that there are more lies than truth in her past.

The problem for me is that the story ended up being something completely different. This is no fault of the author. I think I just had a difficult time switching gears when the author took the story in an alternate direction.

I did like the references (and remembrances) of Africa. I thought it was a good way to ground Phoebe when she began to question all of her other memories. At least she knew the ones of her growing up on the animal reserve were true, even as certain assumptions she had were shattered.

The plot seemed to meander – but it actually did trace Phoebe’s search, and searches are rarely straightforward. So, I suppose that it was clever writing. I just wanted more of a concrete search (again – no fault of the author, just of my own expectations).

Somewhere along the way, there’s a cult involved and a few more tragic incidents that illustrate how screwed up Phoebe’s life really has been. It seems as if the author was going for keeping the reader as off-balance as Phoebe was, and that was very successful

I think if I were to have read this from a different attitude or been able to switch quicker with where the author was going, I would have enjoyed it more. As it is, for the first time, I am considering re-reading a book with a different state-of-mind to see if that changes my perception. Check back for an update.

TWITTER:  @Sam_Osman_Books
FACEBOOK:  SamHepburnAuthor

Author Bio:

Sam Hepburn read modern languages at Cambridge University and, after a brief spell in advertising, joined the BBC as a General Trainee. She worked as a documentary maker for twenty years and was one of the commissioners for the launch of BBC Four. Since then, she has written several books, including psychological thrillers Gone Before and Her Perfect Life, and novels for young adults and children. She won the 2017 CWA Margery Allingham Short Story award and has been nominated for several other prestigious prizes, including the CILIP Carnegie Medal for her YA thrillers.

Sam has worked and travelled widely in Africa and the Middle East, and is a trustee of the Kenyan’s children’s charity, I Afrika. She now lives in London with her husband and children.

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Home at Summer’s End-Books on Tour (Review)-Sweet Romance-Available Now

I love this series and have been hooked since Harper’s story in The Magnolia Sisters. My affection for the Anderson family and the town of Hillsboro grew through Sweet Pea Summer and The Perfect Hideaway.

But I want to be clear that I have been avidly waiting for Rose’s story. Even though I can relate to may, I identify with Rose the most out of the main characters we’ve met. I especially had to laugh when Harper called her “Shakespeare” because that was my nickname (for a while) when I was growing up.

But I digress.

If you’ve read the rest of the series, you know what to expect – realistic characters in a bucolic setting with incidents, interactions, and events that all feel perfectly normal. The author has a talent for making the reader feel like they’re a townsperson of Hillsboro. Something is comforting in the familiarity of all of it.

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Aside from sharing a nickname, I really dig Rose’s character. I like how she’s prickly on the outside but is also whip-smart and has a sharp sense of humor. The scheme she cooks up with Cole is something I would absolutely think of.

And Cole? Well, what can I say about him? He’s an actor without a lot of pretenses, who is much deeper than his good looks. We all hope that our movie crushes have that simpler nature on the inside, no?

I was a little bit unsure of his original reasoning for wanting to enter into the “romance” with Rose, because it seemed a little underhanded – and frankly naïve. But it was soon apparent that even his best-laid plans were going to be all screwed up.

As with other books, you know what’s inevitable, but the fun is getting there with the characters. I’m sad that this was the last sister (including Annie), but I’m really hoping that the author sees fit to give us another visit to Hillsboro.

I’m not ready to leave.

Website: www.alysmurray.com
Facebook: alysmurrayauthor 
Instagram: writeralys
Twitter: @writeralys  

Author Bio:
Alys Murray is an author who writes for the romantic in all of us. Though she graduated with a degree in Drama from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a Master’s in Film Studies from King’s College London, her irrepressible love of romance led her to a career as an author, and she couldn’t be happier to write these stories! Currently splitting time between her home state of Louisiana and London, she enjoys kissing books, Star Wars, and creating original pie recipes for all of her books. Tobey Maguire is her Spider-Man. 

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Under a Sky on Fire-Books On Tour (Review)-Historical Fiction-Available Now

Three words.

Have. Tissues. Ready.  

I knew from this author’s previous books, A View Across the Rooftops and When We Were Brave, that I was in for an emotional and heartfelt story, and I was not disappointed. Ms. Kelman has a particular talent for creating characters and situations that are so real, a reader can imagine being a part of the story. She is probably my favorite historical fiction author.

I really liked the way she set up the main characters, all young women with very different backgrounds. It took awhile to figure out what the connection would be and how they would all relate to each other.

First was Lizzie, from the Highlands, with a deep personal secret she was determined to atone for. Then we met Diana, from Birmingham, whose father is still suffering from Shell Shock from WWI. Last was Julia in London, whose husband is called up, leaving her alone with two young children.

Lizzie and Diana are joining up in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, while Julia finds herself promoted to being a steno in Churchill’s War Rooms. Each woman takes her own path to help the cause, and the ways they all get there are both engaging and informative.

I especially liked Julia’s job. Her proximity to Churchill and interactions in the War Rooms were very realistic. I got chills reading some passages, knowing how accurate they were (we visited the museum of his War Rooms when we were in England a few years ago). Well done to the author for that.

And then the Blitz occurs.

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Again, this is where the author’s talent for creating authentic scenes shines. The terror and uncertainty of the residents of London is palpable, and I truly felt like I could smell the smoke and see the rubble of the bombed-out buildings. Very few authors can evoke such vivid scenes.

Of course, with it being war time, you know that there is going to be heartache and loss. The author does a fantastic job of building the tension, tracking each of the three ladies as they learn their jobs, meet new people and form relationships that may or may not be fruitful.

You just know that one (or more) of them is going to suffer a tragedy of some sort. I kept waiting for the shoe to drop. And even though I expected it, I wasn’t prepared for it when it actually happened (and no, I’m not going to tell you what happens or who it happens to).

But this is where you will definitely need those tissues I mentioned at the beginning. The emotion that pours from the pages is absolutely heart-wrenching.

I did like how the author highlighted the strength of women and the important parts that they played in the war effort. There were a few times it verged on preachy, but then it became more restrained and palpable. To be sure, there were a lot of unsung heroines over the course of the war (the details on the barrage balloons were especially educational).

There was a small subplot about Julia’s mother-in-law that popped up late in the story and for the most part didn’t go anywhere. I would have liked to have seen that fleshed out, especially in light of Julia’s job.

Ultimately, this is a story about how friendships forged in fire are quick but resilient, and family doesn’t have to mean blood relations. I loved every minute of this book, even though it left me a sniffling mess by the end. I highly recommend picking this one up.

Facebook: suzkelman
Twitter: suzkelman

Author Bio:

Suzanne Kelman is an Amazon International Bestselling author in America, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Her WW2 historical fiction books “A View Across the Rooftops” and “When We Were Brave,” together have sold over 150,000 copies and are published by Bookouture – an imprint for Hachette U.K. Her third WW2 Book, Under A Sky on Fire, publishes October 13th, 2020. Kelman’s books have also been translated into five languages.

She is also the author of the bestselling book, “The Rejected Writers’ Book Club”, published by Lake Union, which is the first book in the Southlea Bay series. Other books in the series include, “Rejected Writers Take the Stage” and “The Rejected Writers’ Christmas Wedding”.

Kelman is an award-winning writer/screenwriter whose accolades include the Best Comedy Feature Screenplay Award from the L.A. International Film Festival, the Gold Award from the California Film Awards, and the Van Gogh Award from the Amsterdam Film Festival.

In 2015 her script, Held, was recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures and was shortlisted to the top ten in the Academy Of Motion Pictures Nichols Fellowship competition. As well as a screenwriter and a published author, Suzanne is also a playwright, and her award-winning comedy play, “Over My Dead Body”, had its World Premiere at Outcast Theatre in Washington, Fall 2019.

Born in the United Kingdom, Suzanne now resides in Washington State. Please sign up for her newsletter to stay in touch – https://www.suzannekelmanauthor.com

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A Golden Fury-Blog Tour (Review)-YA/Teen Fantasy-Available Now

When reading and reviewing YA novels, I think it’s important to put oneself in the mindset of a young adult. That’s not always easy (obviously), but I also don’t see the point of reviewing a teen novel with adult perspectives.

That being said, this YA novel has an awful lot going for it and that can be split into two parts.

First, in a generation brought up by Harry Potter, the promise of learning more (or different) information about the Philosopher’s Stone should be intriguing. And it is. All of the parts regarding alchemy and the steps to make the stone were well-researched and informative.

The author also has a particular talent for creating vivid scenes. The details and descriptions of locations are realistic but carry a hint of the mystery that surrounds alchemy. It’s a deft touch that is effective in keeping the story interesting.

We learn early on that Thea’s mom has figured out the secret to the final steps of creating the stone and has done so largely because she pays attention to Arabic alchemists as well as western European ones. This is a nice touch that broadens one’s thinking.

Unfortunately, there is a secret that goes along with the stone: anyone who attempts to create it to the full extent will descend into madness. Doesn’t that throw a monkey wrench into things?

Buy link for A GOLDEN FURY: https://read.macmillan.com/lp/a-golden-fury/

We do see the results of that in the very earliest pages of the book. I think, however, that it is questionable as to whether Meg was actually trying to protect Thea (by sending her away) or if she was more glory hungry. An argument could be made either way; that’s a strength of the book, because it doesn’t seem as if there is a right or wrong answer.

Second, there is the romance angle. This is where I think the author got a little bit tripped up. I found that these sections pulled focus from the story; they didn’t fall in seamlessly. They also seemed a bit forced and verging on melodramatic.

But one has to remember that this is a 17- year-old girl we’re talking about and they are nothing if not melodramatic, especially when it comes to love. In that regard, the author was successful in capturing the attitudes of a teenage girl. Apparently, they are the same no matter what the century.

I do wish that the author had stuck more to the alchemy and Philosopher’s Stone and let the romance/personal life play more of a backseat. But I think that teens and other young adults will find the balance to be perfectly acceptable and will enjoy this book immensely.

Samantha’s Twitter: smcohoe
Samantha’s Instagram: samanthacohoe/
Wednesday Books Twitter: wednesdaybooks
Wednesday Books Instagram: wednesdaybooks/

About the Author:

Samantha Cohoe writes historically-inspired young adult fantasy. She was raised in San Luis Obispo, California, where she enjoyed an idyllic childhood of beach trips, omnivorous reading, and writing stories brimming with adverbs. She currently lives in Denver with her family and divides her time among teaching Latin, mothering, writing, reading, and deleting adverbs. A Golden Fury is her debut novel.

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A Wild Hope-Books On Tour (Review)-Historical Fiction Saga-Available Now

If ever you were looking for a book that was the definition of an epic story, you would be hard pressed to find one that fits better than this sprawling novel from Celeste De Blasis.

Fair warning: the book was originally released in 1985 as Wild Swan and is part one of a trilogy. To truly understand the scope of this book, one has to think back to novels like Roots, The Thorn Birds, and even Gone with the Wind and The Godfather.

They were all written when television was still in its relative infancy (or, in the case of Gone with the Wind, didn’t exist at all). Novels were a major form of entertainment. They needed to be exciting, with memorable characters and unforgettable settings. They needed to be written with detailed descriptions so people could picture unknown places or understand subjects they otherwise would know little about.

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For example, in A Wild Hope, you will learn more than you every thought possible about breeding horses. That’s just one backdrop of this story, but you’ll receive so much information you might be ready to go out and try it yourself.

I was swept away by the descriptions and writing style of the author. She truly was able to take me out of time and put me into when- and wherever Alexandria was. I appreciated her ability to do so, because that is something that is sometimes lacking in today’s novels.

If you can get past the long passages that discuss horses, as well as several other topics, you’ll find a story about a woman torn between two men – one of the very simplest of conflicts. This one is especially well-done, because the two men also happen to represent the two separate lives that the heroine (Alexandria) has led. Which should or could she continue to true happiness?

You’ll have to read it to find out. Just because a book is almost 800 pages doesn’t mean that I am going to give you the Cliff’s Notes version.

And honestly, don’t let the length scare you away. In today’s “immediate information age” it’s easy to forget what it used to be like: to stop, and breathe, taking the time to immerse yourself in a whole different world. When reading could be an absolute luxurious pleasure instead of something to do quickly to fill a few hours.

This book is worth investing your time because there is so much to take in. From the detailed descriptions of England’s West Country over to early-mid 1800s Maryland (and several places in between), I felt like I was there.

The emotions of the characters are real, their troubles consistent with the times, and their reactions purely human. Everything just reads as genuine.

With winter coming, it would be a good time to consider this book (or rather, 3 books, as I assume the trilogy will be completely re-released), especially if you are in a place where you might be stuck due to weather. You’ll be happy to give yourself the ability to follow Alexandria’s trials and tribulations.

Author Bio:
Millions of readers have fallen under the spell of the lush, enthralling and bestselling novels by Celeste De Blasis. Tales of adventure and romance set against the sweep of history—all are storytelling at its finest. After graduating from Pomona College, Celeste devoted her life to impeccable research and spellbinding writing. A native Californian, Celeste grew up on the historic Kemper Campbell Ranch in the Mojave Desert, where she lived until her death in 2001.  

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Last Girls Alive-Books On Tour (Review)-Crime Thriller Series (#4)-Available Now

It’s been exciting to “watch” Detective Katie Scott grow and evolve over time. After the events of Flowers on Her Grave, I was wondering if the author was going to switch gears and ease up on Katie a little bit.

Spoiler alert: Nope.

You can expect the same solid investigating from Katie and her cold case partner, McGaven. They’ve worked together long enough that they are more familiar with each other’s tells and habits. I like the way the author has allowed these two to grow to understand each other better. That’s how true law enforcement evolve in partnerships.

Katie has also made progress in dealing with her PTSD. Part of that comes from her sessions with a therapist, but also from learning how to rely on the people around her, like McGaven and Chad, her boyfriend. She’s even made some progress with him as well, pondering a future – where she used to totally shut it down.

Her job takes a twist with the appointment of a new undersheriff (Dorothy Sullivan) who makes it clear that she will be watching Katie and could suspend Katie at any moment if she steps out of line or doesn’t go by the book. I thought this addition to the cast of characters was good, because Dorothy made a big deal about “women sticking together” while issuing the threat to Katie (at least that’s how I took it). This sets up for potential conflict in future books.

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That threat might be necessary, because Katie still likes pulse-pounding risks (one scene in a storage container was particularly well-done). I found it telling that even as Katie still has panic attacks and is working through her PTSD, she still relies on the military training sometimes to the point of recklessness.

The case itself is unique, dealing with an old mansion that was once a home for teenage girls in foster care. When a couple of the girls turn up dead, including one who may be a missing person from five years prior, Katie and McGaven are given the case to connect the MisPer to the current deaths.

As with previous books, the investigation is solid, and the details of law enforcement investigation are fairly accurate. But the author still has a tendency to drop a few red herrings that are later tossed off as an aside or “we won’t ever know for sure.” That bothers me, because they often seem like bigger clues and to have them dismissed so easily seems manipulative.

I will also say that with this one, I felt like the plot got lost a little bit. It was the first book in the series where I didn’t think there was a purpose TO the investigation. I mean, I know it was the dead girls turning up, but there were a few twists that seemed to be thrown in randomly, and there were ties that could have been made that weren’t.

At times it seemed like various plot points, while intriguing, were disconnected and never gelled into the resolution. The more I think about it, it seems like missed opportunities.

That being said, I do like Katie and I definitely want to see how she reacts under Dorothy’s scrutiny. With the progress she has made, it will be interesting to see what Katie does next, and I look forward to reading about it!

Twitter: @JChaseNovelist

Author Bio:

Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning and best-selling crime fiction author, as well as a consulting criminologist. Jennifer holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master’s degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent psychopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells.

In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling. She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists, and member of the International Thriller Writers.

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