A Good Mother (Bazelon)-Excerpt-Legal Thriller-Available May 11

Doing something different today.

Check out the description of an exciting new book by Lara Bazelon.

ABOUT THE BOOK: 

A gripping page turner about two young mothers, one grisly murder, and the lengths both women will go in the name of their children.

When young decorated combat veteran Travis Hollis is found stabbed through the heart at a U.S. Army base in Germany, there is no doubt that his wife, Luz, is to blame. But was it an act of self defense? A frenzied attempt to save her infant daughter from domestic abuse? Or the cold blood murder of an innocent man?

As the case heads to trial in Los Angeles, hard-charging attorney Abby Rosenberg is eager to return from maternity leave—and her quickly fracturing home life—to take the case and defend Luz. Abby, a new mother herself, is committed to ensuring Luz avoids prison and retains custody of her daughter. But as the evidence stacks up against Luz, Abby realizes the task proves far more difficult than she suspected – especially when she has to battle for control over the case with her co-counsel, whose dark absorption with Luz only complicates matters further.

As the trial careens toward an outcome no one expects, readers will find themselves in the seat of the jurors, forced to answer the question – what does it mean to be a good mother? A good lawyer? And who is the real monster?

Pretty good, huh? How about the cover?

Buy Links can be found below the excerpt

What do you think so far? How about an excerpt?

“Front desk, Sergeant Jamison.”
“He was too big. I couldn’t get him off me. He told me I was going to die—[unintelligible]”
“Ma’am?”
“[unintelligible]”
“Ma’am, where are you?”
“1074-B Arizona Circle. Call an ambulance. I need—”
“Okay, okay. I’ve got the EMT on the other line and the ambulance en route. Where are you hurt?”
“Not me—”
“Ma’am, is that—is that a baby crying? Is that your baby?”
“[unintelligible]”
“Did he hurt the baby?”
“She’s—[unintelligible]—the other room. He was going to [unintelligible]”
“Okay, I reported the break-in. We are dispatching—security forces have been dispatched. Where is he now?”
“[unintelligible]”
“Ma’am, where is the intruder now?”
“He was stabbed. Oh, Jesus, oh, Jesus—[unintelligible]”
“What is the nature of the injury?”
“There’s so much blood—[unintelligible]”
“Ma’am, I can’t—I’m having trouble understanding you. I need for you to calm down so I can tell these guys what’s going on.”
“[unintelligible]”
“Where is he stabbed?”
“In his chest. He’s losing all of his blood.”
“The EMT is en route now.”
“[unintelligible]”
“Ma’am, could the intruder hurt you or the baby? Are you still in danger?”
“He’s not—[unintelligible]”
“Ma’am—”
“—an intruder. He’s— It’s Staff Sergeant—[unintelligible]”
“I’m having a hard time understanding you, ma’am. Take a breath. Take a breath.”
“Staff Sergeant Travis Hollis—”
“The intruder is—he’s—he’s military?”
“He’s my husband. He was stabbed. I stabbed him—[unintelligible]”
“Ma’am, ma’am, are you still there?”
“Travis, baby, don’t die on me. Please, don’t die.”

Excerpted from A Good Mother by Lara Bazelon, Copyright © 2021 by Lara Bazelon. Published by Hanover Square Press.

The Last Bookshop in London-Blog Tour (Review)-Historical Fiction-Coming April 6

Done right, historical fiction not only evokes the time period in question, but also makes the reader truly feel the emotions of the events in the book.

This book is highly successful at that.

Descriptive and elegant, yet also haunting and brutal at times, I felt everything Grace was feeling as she found her way in London.

Right from the beginning, with the date stamp of August 1939 London, the reader knows what the background of the story is going to be, even as Grace and her friend Viv don’t. This added a sense of foreboding as the girls’ excitement at finally being in the city was quite apparent.

I liked the opening chapters because they set the scene for what was to come while also giving the reader a good look at just how “normal” everything was.

Until it wasn’t.

It also gave me time to get to know pivotal characters before the Blitz began (no spoiler there – if you’re reading historical fiction, you should know the time period and the history). This was a very good thing, because once the bombs started dropping, there were new things to focus on.

Buy Links can be found beneath the Author Bio

I thought Grace was a strong character and I loved her development over the course of the entire book. Even her name was an excellent choice because she was often the personification of it, even in the worst of times.

I really enjoyed her journey into reading. It was smart of the author for Grace to have that epiphany because it made her actions later in the book that much more poignant and impactful.

While I loved the scenes involving the bookstore, I do have to mention the details of the Blitz. I have read several books that contain scenes from the Blitz, but I don’t remember a time that it was described so thoroughly.

I felt like I could smell the smoke, see the fires, and feel the concussions of the bombs right along with Grace. It was harrowing and emotional. I honestly needed a break after a couple of the scenes and could totally identify with Grace’s exhaustion.

As the author writes, it’s a true testament to Londoners that they survived that onslaught.

But not only did they survive it, they pulled together. Even writing this part of the review right now, I’m tearing up thinking of the last few chapters.

It was that well-done. I’m not doing it justice. But it was just so good. All of it.

This book had a great story, a lead character to root for, charming supporting characters, and accurate depictions of war, both the good and bad sides of it. All of this together made for an excellent read that I highly recommend.

And make sure to have the tissues nearby.


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About the Author:

Madeline Martin is a USA TODAY bestselling author of historical romance novels filled with twists and turns, adventure, steamy romance, empowered heroines and the men who are strong enough to love them. Her website is http://www.madelinemartin.com/ 

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