Tag: Series

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The One Who Fell-Wilkinson-Mystery-Available Now

I’ve been a big fan of Kerry Wilkinson for a long time, and I was excited to see that The One Who Fell is the first in a new series. It was a little more mystery/suspense than what I usually read from him, but that’s okay – change is good.

In this case, we get Millie who has a mysterious past. She volunteers at a local nursing home, but we don’t learn much else about her for quite a while. Part of the mystery of the book is figuring out Millie as much as the actual mystery itself.

And therein is my sole issue with this book.

It’s the first in a series. We know how those go. There’s a lot of groundwork to put down, character personalities to build, other characters to introduce, and relationships to establish. In short, there’s just a lot going on.  

The One Who Fell: https://geni.us/B0BWK5W5K2social
Audio:
UK: zpr.io/bEL9DASuFVvp
US:zpr.io/MxnWLQWDN9nU

And I found that to be very confusing. Maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention. But the entire plot seemed to move very slowly. I’m thinking that the author knew it would be at least a trilogy and figured that the first book could be all setup.

That’s fine, but it made for a long slog.

I did enjoy trying to figure out the mystery (about someone who fell – obviously. No spoilers here). And how Millie’s background plays into everything does eventually become clear. The author even saves a few twists for the end, which I took as cliffhangers moving into the second book.

Overall, I did enjoy The One Who Fell, although I wish it had moved a little bit faster and really gripped me. As it is, it interested me. And that’s enough to see what happens next.

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A Truth for a Truth-Wyer-Crime Thriller-Available Now

What can I say about A Truth for a Truth, the latest Detective Kate Young crime thriller from Carol Wyer?

I could say that she’s at the top of her game, once again. That would be true. But that’s kind of a given now.

I could say that Kate continues to struggle with the repercussions of her actions. Also true. But that’s not good enough to describe her journey.

I think I’ll say that I absolutely love how the author has taken this character. And that I was pulled in from the very first paragraph. And didn’t want to put it down.

All. True.

One of the things I like most about this series is that Kate is fallible. She’s nowhere near perfect. Her demons (and oh boy, does she have demons) have multiplied and serve as a Greek chorus to her actions.

It’s a depth of character seldom reached in other books.

A Truth for a Truth blog tour crimer thriller
Buy Link – https://geni.us/GFuisaV

Writing a book review of a crime thriller is difficult because it would be so easy to give away a twist or a plot point. And we know I hate to do that.

I am constantly impressed with Ms. Wyer’s command of police work. Not only are the characters “real” but the procedure is always spot on. I never feel like I have to think about whether or not the police would do something…everything rings true.

Ms. Wyer also tackles a sensitive and topical subject (sex trafficking) with sensitivity. That’s not to say that it’s whitewashed in any way. It’s as gritty as you would expect. The way the plot threads intertwine creates a web that rivals what it must look like inside Kate’s mind.

But that’s also to be expected when you have a protagonist who is a murderer trying to stay one step ahead of an investigation that could bring her down while arguing with voices in her head, and trying to maintain a semblance of “normalcy.”

I know it’s an unusual review, but I can’t say enough good things about it and I can’t get specific without giving twists away. I will say that you should probably read the three previous books first. There is so much to Kate’s backstory that starting from this point would definitely make you lost.

I will also say that the twists at the end of this book rival those at the end of book three. It’s a smashing end to A Truth for A Truth, and it makes me very impatient to see how Carol Wyer tops herself in book five (no pressure).

I’m here for all of it.

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Summer at the Cape-Thayne-Review-Women’s Fiction-Available Now

I enjoyed the first two visits to Cape Sanctuary, so I was excited to visit again in Summer at the Cape. RaeAnne Thayne has created a location that evokes childhood memories for me. You can see my reviews of The Sea Glass Cottage and The Path to Sunshine Cove for details about the setting.

While this one didn’t quite have the charm of the first two, I still was happy to be back on the Cape.

For whatever reason, this plot felt unnecessarily complicated. It’s not that it is difficult to understand, it just seemed that there is a lot going on.

Cami is the older sister of twins, one of whom (Lily) has met a tragic end. So, she is coping with being the odd one out but also with losing a sister.

Violet, the twin who is still alive, is dealing with her own demons. Who is she now that Lily is gone? It isn’t easy coping without her other half.

Their mom, Rosemary, who was all in on a glampground project with Lily, is a free spirit who begs Cami to come back and help sort out estate and land issues.

Buy Links:  BookShop.org Harlequin  Barnes & Noble
Amazon Books-A-Million Powell’s 

I should note that Cami left the more relaxed Cape Sanctuary when she was 14. She grew up with her dad in Los Angeles. She has a lot to adjust to when she returns, beyond the complicated family issues.

I didn’t really connect with any of the characters the way I did in the past two books. That makes a difference in how enjoyable a book can be. It is still an engaging story, but I didn’t have that personal connection that takes it to the next level.

As always, I liked the secondary characters. They seem realistic and are appropriate to the story. And I love the setting. This is another pleasant read from RaeAnne Thayne.

I can’t really say I loved it, but I definitely liked it and it is another solid entry in the Cape Sanctuary series. I’ll keep returning for the location alone.

Twitter: @raeannethayne
Facebook: RaeAnne Thayne
Instagram: raeannethayne

Author Bio: 

New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne finds inspiration in the beautiful norhtern Utah mountains where she lives with her family.   Her stories have been described as “poignant and sweet” with “beautiful honest storytelling that goes straight to the heart.”  She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.raeannethayne.com.

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If She Wakes-Therme-Review-Thriller-Available Now

If She Wakes by Erik Therme is billed as a standalone, and as a thriller, I will say that is mostly accurate.

However, I will also say that you absolutely want to read the first book in the series if you have any hope of understanding all of the twists, turns, and relationships.

I understand that the author needs to “lay the scene” so to speak so that anyone who didn’t read the first book has an inkling about where this is starting.

But I will be honest and say that my head was spinning trying to keep everything in the first chapter straight. It was a bit of a push to get through it, but I am glad that I did.

This is a very strongly plotted book that has plenty of interesting moments. It finally did catch my attention and held it.

If She Wakes Thriller Erik Therme blog tour schedule
Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/If-She-Wakes-Harlow-Book-ebook/dp/B09J44N4WY/
Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/If-She-Wakes-Harlow-Book-ebook/dp/B09J44N4WY

It really made me wish I had read the first book first. So, don’t make my mistake – definitely check them out in order.

One thing that I gather is the theme throughout (so far) is the question of how far a person would be willing to go to protect their family. Tess has to answer this question several times.

There is plenty of well-written action. In fact, sometimes it almost seems fraught.

I like a bit of realism with my thrillers, but I kept thinking that no way would a woman (or anyone) be able to handle everything Tess goes through without needing serious therapy – or a drink or seven. There were times that it felt a bit much.

However, once I realized the author’s goal, I was able to just sit back and go along for the ride. And that is definitely the best way to approach this book.

So, definitely read the first one and then read If She Wakes.  Erik Therme is obviously building something, and your enjoyment will be multiplied by reading it the way it is crafted.

Erik Therme thriller author Headshot
Facebook :ErikTherme.writer
Instagram: eriktherme
Twitter: ErikTherme

Author Bio
Erik Therme has thrashed in garage bands, inadvertently harbored runaways, and met Darth Vader. When he’s not at his computer, he is cheering on his youngest daughter’s volleyball team, or watching horror movies with his oldest. He currently resides in Iowa City, Iowa—one of only twenty-eight places in the world that UNESCO has certified as a City of Literature.

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Southern Bombshell-Review-2nd Chance Romance-Available Now

Southern Bombshell by Jessica Peterson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I have a serious love/hate reaction to Southern Bombshell. I love it because I love the family and the world they inhabit. Blue Mountain Farm, and the universe the author has created around it, is a place I want to visit (I think I have said that in past reviews, but it still holds true). More importantly, though, is that she has built a family so strong and resilient that they almost leap off the page in their realism. I also love that the stories sometimes run simultaneously with others from the series. For example, we know from past books that Millie and Nate had something going and it ended badly. Now we get to find out why. I have to get nitpicky to figure out what I didn’t like about the book – and I come up with Nate’s family not being as fleshed out as I would have liked. A bit more of his dad’s nastiness would have been good if only to savor the deliciousness of his downfall. But as I said, that’s being picky, because the whole book is just awesome. I especially liked the focus on June at the end.

Oh, and the hate part? Millie is the last of the Beauregard siblings, so it seems like this might be the end. Unless a few of the characters introduced in this story manage to get their own stories? Maybe a whole book for June? (Hint, hint).
View all my reviews

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The Sorority Murder-Promo-Fiction-Available Now

Today, I have a promo for The Sorority Murder, the first in a new crime thriller series!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan’s suspenseful new mass-market original! It’s about a college senior’s podcast that delves into an unsolved campus murder of a girl three years earlier. But individual callers explode every fact previously thought to be true.

Lucas Vega is obsessed with the death of Candace Swain. Candace left a sorority party one night and never came back. Her body was found two weeks later. Sadly, the case has grown cold. Three years later, Lucas discovers new information while interning at the Medical Examiner’s Office. But the police have no interest.

Lucas knows he has several credible pieces of the puzzle. He just isn’t sure how they fit together. So, he creates a podcast to revisit Candace’s last hours. He asks listeners to crowdsource what they remember. Then he invites guest lecturer, former US Marshal Regan Merritt, to come on and share her expertise.

New tips come in that convince Lucas and Regan they are onto something. Another one hints at Candace’s secret life. It paints a much darker picture than Lucas imagined. Yet another one implicates other sorority sisters.

Then, shockingly, one of the podcast callers turns up dead.

Regan uses her own resources to bolster their theory. But she learns that Lucas is hiding his own dark secret. Obviously, the pressure is on to solve the murder. First, Lucas must come clean about his real motives in pursuing this podcast – before the killer silences him forever.

Look good? Here is where to buy it! Remember, it’s the first in a new series.

The Sorority Murder book cover
The Sor

Buy Links:

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Crime Thriller-The Darkwater Girls-Available Now

A crime thriller can be too predictable. I have favorite authors (here is one), but others I have stopped reading. Always willing to give the first book in a series a shot, though.

And very glad I did that with this one because it is one of the best crime thrillers I have read in a long time.

Everything from the characters to the background, to the setting, is fresh. In some ways, that makes it an even more exciting read.

It would be easy to do a “by the book” review for this one because it does have the hallmarks of a great crime thriller. But that would be giving it short shrift.

It is just so much better than that.

crime thriller blog tour schedule
Buy Links: 
https://geni.us/B09CZ3BRHYsocial
Audible:
UK: zpr.io/hjZrZ6aUcZjW
US: zpr.io/46uKu887B3zV

I like Georgia. She’s normal – even though we find out that she really isn’t. In fact, I like how everyone in this book is an “everyperson.” There are no caricatures and no rote character studies.

Everyone is real. It also adds to the interest level because it made me feel like I was just plopped down in the middle of a real town. I guess that makes me sort of like Georgia.

The author does a great job of keeping the reader off-balance, just as Georgia is. Even at the climax, I still wasn’t sure of where the greatest menace was coming from.

And OMG, what a freakin amazing few chapters mark the high point of the plot.

Honestly, I don’t want to give anything away about the plot. I will say that if you think you have it figured out, you probably don’t,

Even though my guess at one major aspect was accurate, I still didn’t get how widespread the entire enterprise was.

And something else – the author is smart in hinting about a few things regarding Georgia’s background. The story stops short of revealing her secrets. It is a guarantee to get readers like me to read future books in the series.

I will be reading the series regardless, however. I am now invested, and I have to see how Georgia and Linc’s story plays out – it is far from over.

And I do hope that certain characters from this book make a return. Some of them deserve whatever may be coming to them.

This is a fantastic start to a new series. It has great characters, an intricate yet easy-to-follow storyline, and enough detail to create full scenes. In short, it made me feel like I was watching a movie at times.

I highly recommend getting in on the ground floor of this crime thriller series, because I can already tell it is going to be a good one!

Facebook: thrillersandkillers/
Twitter: @maeganbeaumont
Instagram: maeganbeaumont/

AUTHOR BIO

Maegan Beaumont is the award-winning author of the Sabrina Vaughn thriller series. Her debut novel, CARVED IN DARKNESS was awarded the 2014 gold medal from Independent Publishers for outstanding thriller as well as being named a Foreword Book of the Year finalist and Debut Novel of the Year by Suspense Magazine. When she isn’t locked in her office, torturing her protagonists, she’s busy chasing chickens (and kids), hanging laundry and burning dinner. Either way, she is almost always in the company of her seven and a half dogs—her truest and most faithful companions—and her almost as faithful husband, Joe. She also writes hot contemporary romance as USA TODAY best-selling author, Megyn Ward.

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Crime Thriller-The Last Time She Died-Available Now

I’m always excited to read a new crime thriller series because it can become something long-lasting, a comforting serial that I can return to check in on the characters. Done right, they remind me of a good crime procedural on television.

I have also mentioned in past reviews that I think authors have difficulty starting a new series. There is the desire and need to establish the characters and their connections to each other. But they also need to create an interesting case as a stand-alone. That’s a tough line to walk.

In this first book in the new Blake & Byron crime thriller series, we get a little bit of all I mentioned above. There’s the establishment of the two detectives and their coworkers, as well as the case at hand. Some parts are more successful than others.

I liked Byron. Even though the chapters were told from differing points of view, his seemed to be the predominant one. Maybe that’s why I liked him the most? He appeared to be a competent detective who knew when to pivot in the investigation.

I mention that because nothing annoys me more in a crime thriller than a detective or investigator written by someone who has no knowledge of law enforcement and acts simply as the author assumes a detective would.

And I can spot it a mile away.

Fortunately, that wasn’t the case here.

Crime Thriller Book Tour Schedule
Amazon: https://geni.us/B09B3JTTZWcover 
Apple: http://ow.ly/G6bu50FDsTL 
Kobo: http://ow.ly/ZvlX50FDsRy 
Google: http://ow.ly/Y7UZ50FEkwU
B&N: http://ow.ly/fdww50FEkzd 
Audible: 
UK: zpr.io/iFnrLJ4J4Lea
US: zpr.io/sUe4m4dUeYQH

I did feel that there were times that the author tried to do too much. But, as I mentioned before, a new crime thriller series can require a lot more detail as a foundation for what is to come later.

There were a lot of characters, and it was sometimes difficult to determine who was necessary (in that they would show up again) and who was a one-off for this story.

I guess that will become apparent in future books.

The case itself was decent. You find out a lot about it from the blurb (which is a huge pet peeve of mine), but the author does an okay job of throwing in some twists and red herrings to keep the reader off-balance.

I guessed a lot of it correctly, but that’s because I have a background that allows me to think like a detective.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I enjoyed this introduction to a new crime thriller series but that other people may have even better enjoyment of it. I’m willing to come back and give Blake and Byron another try.

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COVER REVEAL: A Life for a Life by Carol Wyer – Coming soon!

I’m so darn excited to see that Detective Kate Young is back for another investigation in the upcoming A Life for a Life.

First, here’s the blurb.

Nobody can get into the mind of an erratic killer

—except an unpredictable detective.

When a young man is found lying on a station platform with a hole in his head, DI Kate Young is called in to investigate the grisly murder. But the killing is no one-off. As bodies start to pile up, she is faced with what might be an impossible task—to hunt down a ruthless killer on a seemingly random rampage.

Meanwhile, Kate has her own demons to battle as she struggles to come to terms with her husband’s death. And she is hell-bent on exposing corruption within the force and bringing Superintendent John Dickson to justice. But with the trail of deception running deeper—and closer to home—than she could ever have imagined, she no longer knows who she can trust.

With her grip on reality slipping, Kate realises that maybe she and the killer are not so different after all. But time is running out and Kate is low on options. Can she catch the killer before she loses everything?

Looks so good, right?!? You need to go out and read the first two books right away. Because there will be a lot going on in this one, I can just tell.

Ready for the gorgeous cover?!?

Idyllic, right? Sooooooo NOT what the book will be. I love it!

Here are some pre-order links if you are so inclined.

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New Thriller Series Reveal! Available Now!

Today, it is something a little different. There’s a thriller series I think you should see.

First, check out the covers.

George McKenzie series

Now, how about some descriptions and buy links? Just click on the title if the description of the book moves you!

The George McKenzie series follows George, criminologist, and the most kickass heroine you’ll find since The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Over the course of five books, she faces some of the worst killers around… but doesn’t hesitate to pursue justice and help save the innocent.

  • The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die: after a bomb goes off in a university campus, George McKenzie, criminology student, is recruited to help Detective Paul van den Bergen work the case. But is it terrorism… or something even worse?
  • The Girl Who Broke the Rules: women are dying on the streets of Amsterdam. And to get answers, George McKenzie will have to face jailed serial killer Dr. Silas Holm. But is she walking into his trap?
  • The Girl Who Walked in the Shadows: a killer called Jack Frost is stalking the shadows, leaving no trace behind… Only George McKenzie and Detective Paul van den Bergen can crack the case… and its strange link to the tragic disappearance of two children.
  • The Girl Who Had No Fear: when George McKenzie receives a plea for help from the father she’s not seen since she was a small child, she’ll stop at nothing to find him and get answers after years of silence. No matter the risks…
  • The Girl Who Got Revenge: someone is killing Amsterdam’s war heroes. As George and Detective Van den Bergen investigate, they realize that the sins of the past cast long shadows…

So, what do you think? Here’s a bit about the author – just so you know you’re getting a good thing in this series!

Facebook: MarnieRichesAuthor
Instagram: marnie_riches
Twitter: Marnie_Riches

Author Bio:

Marnie Riches grew up on a rough estate in north Manchester. Exchanging the spires of nearby Strangeways prison for those of Cambridge University, she gained a Masters in German & Dutch. She has been a punk, a trainee rock star, a pretend artist and professional fundraiser.

Her best-selling, award-winning George McKenzie crime thrillers were inspired by her own time spent in The Netherlands. Dubbed the Martina Cole of the North, she has also authored a series about Manchester’s notorious gangland as well as two books in a mini-series featuring quirky northern PI Bev Saunders.

Detective Jackson Cooke is Marnie’s latest heroine to root for, as she hunts down one of the most brutal killers the north west has ever seen at devastating personal cost.

When she isn’t writing gritty, twisty crime thrillers, Marnie also regularly appears on BBC Radio Manchester, commenting on social media trends and discussing the world of crime fiction. She is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Salford University’s Doctoral School and a tutor for the Faber Novel Writing Course.

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