Book Review: Dead Reckoning by Caitlin Rother

A frightening, yet fascinating story of greed, deceit, and murder can be found in Dead Reckoning.

This is a true crime investigative account by Pulitzer Prize nominee Caitlin Rother. She lays out the story of Skylar Deleon, a former child star, who along with his wife and others plots to kill a retired couple and steal their yacht.

Dead Reckoning is a chilling story. It reveals the horrible evil this world can contain. It leaves the reader wondering: are killers born or are they made? A life of abuse was all that Skylar Deleon knew. Did that turn him into the greedy, immoral person who could hatch a plot to steal the Hawkses' yacht and throw them overboard while they were still alive?

Or was it the influence of his wife, Jennifer? Was Skylar willing to do anything to please her--even murder?

I've been fascinated by true crime stories for decades, and this is one of the best told books I've ever read. Rother covers all sides to this story. The reader learns about the Hawks family; Skylar and Jennifer and their families; the detectives on the case; the attorneys on both sides of the case; the family of Jon Jarvi--another of Skylar's victims, and Skylar's co-conspirators. The end of the book includes an interview Rother had with Skylar in prison.

If you enjoy true crime, Dead Reckoning by Caitlin Rother is one book you shouldn't miss.

Series: Pinnacle True Crime
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Kensington; 1 edition (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0786022175
ISBN-13: 978-0786022175

I received a free copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

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New Cozy: A Fatal Chapter by Lorna Barrett

While out walking Sarge, her sister’s bichon frise, Tricia is led by the agitated dog to a man lying in a gazebo. She’s startled when she recognizes Pete Renquist, the president of the Stoneham Historical Society, who appears to be suffering from cardiac arrest. When Pete later dies in the hospital, the discovery of a suspicious bruise and a puncture mark on his arm suggests he may have been murdered.

Haunted by Pete’s enigmatic last words to her, Tricia begins to consider who had a motive to kill her friend. Did Pete take his flirting too far, only to have a jealous husband teach him a lesson? Or did he discover something in the town’s historical records that his killer wanted kept secret? Tricia is determined to get to the bottom of things before someone else becomes history…


Series: A Booktown Mystery (Book 9)
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (June 2, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425252663
ISBN-13: 978-0425252666

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Coming Soon!: The Tide Watchers by Lisa Chaplin

In the tradition of Jennifer Robson, comes this compelling debut that weaves the fascinating story of a young woman who must risk her life as a spy to help stop Napoleon's invasion of Great Britain in the winter of 1803.

Though the daughter of an English baronet, Lisbeth has defied convention by eloping to France with her new husband. But when he breaks her heart by abandoning her, she has nowhere to turn and must work in a local tavern. Her only hope for the future is to be reunited with her young son who is being raised by her mother-in law.

A seasoned spy known by his operatives as Tidewatcher, Duncan apprenticed under Lisbeth's father and pledged to watch over his mentor's only daughter while he searches the Channel region for evidence that Bonaparte has built a fleet to invade Britain. But unpredictable Lisbeth challenges his lifelong habit of distance.

Eccentric, brilliant American inventor Robert Fulton is working on David Bushnell's "turtle"--the first fully submersible ship--when he creates brand-new torpedo technology, which he plans to sell to the French Navy. But when his relationship with Bonaparte sours, he accepts Tidewatcher's help to relocate to the French side of the Channel, but he refuses to share his invention. With an entire army encamped in the region, blocking off all access, Tidewatcher must get that submersible, along with someone who knows how to use it, to uncover Bonaparte's great secret.

When Lisbeth is asked to pose as a housekeeper and charm Fulton so she can learn to use the submersible before the invasion fleet sails, she will be forced to sacrifice herself for her country--but is she willing to sacrifice her heart when she's already lost it to another...?

A fast-paced, deeply-researched, and richly imagined novel, The Tide Watchers explores a long-hidden, chapter of Bonaparte's history.

Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (June 30, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062379127
ISBN-13: 978-0062379122

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Bargain E-Book: Deadly Fantasies by Kelly Miller

A ringing phone at 1:17 am is never a good sign, but Detective Kate Springer doesn’t have the luxury of ignoring the call. On the other end of the line, a confessor admits to murdering her husband. Nina Grace needs help, and Kate knows it’s time to repay a debt. No matter the consequences, Kate must fight to keep the investigation from solely focusing on her friend.

Jonathan Grace controls the people in his life like he does his business—with a chokehold. His insatiable appetite for living life on the edge leads him to a club where he’s encouraged to act out his darkest desires. But what happens when one man’s fantasy becomes another’s nightmare?

Did Nina Grace kill her husband or did Jonathan’s secret life lead to his death? Kate knows that no matter what her friend admitted, she couldn’t be capable of the horrific torture and murder of her husband. But will Kate’s blind loyalty be her downfall?

File Size: 640 KB
Print Length: 294 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Kelly Miller; 3 edition (January 2, 2014)
Publication Date: January 2, 2014
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00KSNKR52


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Kindle Freebie: Aegis Incursion by S.S. Segran

On a bright July morning in 1948, a B-29 Superfortress flying a top-secret research mission over Nevada crashes into the calm waters of Lake Mead and sinks, remaining lost for half a century.

It has been nearly a year since five friends - Jag, Kody, Mariah, Tegan and Aari - mysteriously reappeared in a small town in Yukon several weeks after their small plane went down in Northern Canada. All were found unharmed but with no recollection of what happened to them after the accident.

A baffling contagion is spreading across the bread-basket of North America destroying vital crops. As this dark shadow marches across the globe, widespread famine and riots bring desperate nations to the brink of war.

These seemingly unrelated events set the stage for a battle between the forces of darkness and those destined to become the 'bearers of light'. From ravaged fields in the Great Plains to clandestine installations around the world, the Aegis League must race against time to save humanity.

File Size: 1176 KB
Print Length: 466 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: INKmagination Books (March 23, 2015)
Publication Date: March 23, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00V56524W


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Bargain E-Book: Birth of an Assassin by Rik Stone

Set against the backdrop of Soviet, post-war Russia, Birth of an Assassin follows the transformation of Jez Kornfeld from wide-eyed recruit to avenging outlaw. Amidst a murky underworld of flesh-trafficking, prostitution and institutionalized corruption, the elite Jewish soldier is thrown into a world where nothing is what it seems, nobody can be trusted, and everything can be violently torn from him.

File Size: 2115 KB
Print Length: 432 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1484088646
Publisher: Silver Publishing (June 18, 2013)
Publication Date: June 18, 2013
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00DIFVC3S


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Kindle Freebies!

Buying a gun to kill your wife: $3,000
Hiring Trauma Care to clean afterward: $1,500
Having that same cleaner uncover evidence that frames you: Priceless

On her way to completing a degree in forensic science, Gabby St. Claire drops out of school and starts her own crime scene cleaning business. When a routine cleaning job uncovers a murder weapon the police overlooked, she realizes that the wrong person is in jail. But the owner of the weapon is a powerful foe . . . and willing to do anything to keep Gabby quiet.

With the help of her new neighbor, Riley Thomas, a man whose life and faith fascinate her, Gabby plays the detective to make sure the right person is put behind bars. Can Riley help her before another murder occurs?

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Before Molly Murphy crossed the Atlantic or even had an inkling that she might someday become a much sought after private investigator in New York City, young Molly lived in Ireland in a small cottage with her father, brothers and little else.

While keeping herself and her home together, Molly receives a request from Lady Hartley—the lady of the country estate where Molly lives, and the family that employs Molly’s father and brothers. The Hartleys are hosting a ball at their manor house, and there will be so many fine gentlemen and ladies in attendance that Lady Hartley needs Molly to help some of her guests prepare for the ball.
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It was a hell of a long shot....

CIA assassin Fortune Redding is about to undertake her most difficult mission ever—in Sinful, Louisiana. With a leak at the CIA and a price placed on her head by one of the world's largest arms dealers, Fortune has to go off-grid, but she never expected to be this far out of her element. Posing as a former beauty queen turned librarian in a small bayou town seems worse than death to Fortune, but she's determined to fly below the radar until her boss finds the leak and puts the arms dealer out of play. Unfortunately, she hasn't even unpacked a suitcase before her newly inherited dog digs up a human bone in her backyard.

Thrust into the middle of a bayou murder mystery, Fortune teams up with a couple of seemingly sweet old ladies whose looks completely belie their hold on the little town. To top things off, the handsome local deputy is asking her too many questions. If she's not careful, this investigation might blow her cover and get her killed. Armed with her considerable skills and a group of elderly ladies the locals dub The Geritol Mafia, Fortune has no choice but to solve the murder before it's too late.

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Bargain E-Book: I Have A Secret by Cheryl Bradshaw

No one knows the value of keeping a secret more than Doug Ward. But after washing the past twenty years down with a smooth glass of whisky, his steely resolve has started to crack. And he doesn't want to keep quiet. Not anymore.

When dried blood is found on the deck of the cruise ship where Doug was last seen, private investigator Sloane Monroe finesses her way into the surveillance room, sees Doug's bloody body heaved over the railing.

How many more will die before Sloane uncovers the biggest secret of all?

File Size: 612 KB
Print Length: 268 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Pixie Publishing (December 2, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B007XWQLTW


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Kindle Freebie: Carrots by Colleen Helme

Shelby Nichols is an average woman who is married to the only guy she ever fell for. Her life is organized and predictable, revolving around her husband and two children. All that changes the day she stops at the grocery store for some carrots. As the cashier rings up her purchases, a gunman is busy robbing the bank inside the store. When a customer grabs the robber's mask, he is shot and everyone runs for cover. Everyone except Shelby, who finds herself face to face with the killer. The next thing she knows, she's lying on the floor with a bullet wound to her head. Luckily, the bullet only grazes her scalp, and she doesn't suspect any lasting affects until later, when she suddenly 'hears' what people are thinking. With this uncanny ability, her life takes on a whole new dimension. Her kids think she's bossy and too old to understand them, but that's nothing compared to her husband. He says he loves her, but what is it about the redhead at work that he doesn't want her to know? As if that isn't enough, the gunman knows she can identify him, and he's out to silence her forever. In her fight to stay alive, she is saved from certain death by a handsome hit-man with ties to organized crime. This pulls Shelby even deeper into danger, where knowing someone's thoughts can not only hurt her feelings, but get her killed.

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Print Length: 287 pages
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Language: English
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Kindle Freebie: Long Lost by S. S. Lange

Charlotte Hayes has waited her entire life to meet her long-lost half-sister. Though Jen Hayes seems to be everything Charlotte hoped for in a sister, the truth of Jen’s past and her menacing fiancé shatter Charlotte’s once sought out dream. Dragged into the dangerous world of drugs and prostitution by her sister, Charlotte is manipulated into becoming an unknowing pawn for an FBI investigation. With more than just her life on the line, Charlotte fights back, even after the ropes are cut.

File Size: 5555 KB
Print Length: 324 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Novel Concept Publishing (July 31, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
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Interview with Linda Weaver Clarke, Author of Her Lost Love

Did you like to read cozy mysteries when you were growing up?

Not really. I read Black Beauty, Little Women, Tom Sawyer, and other classics because that was what my parents had in the bookshelf. We didn’t live near a library. I lived out in the country, so I had to read what the schools gave us or from our own bookshelf.

What was the first story in that genre that you wrote?

The Bali Mystery: Amelia Moore Detective Series. It was so much fun to write and I received so many wonderful reviews that I was encouraged to continue. That is usually expected with mysteries. They are always part of a series.

What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

Coming up with a plot that no one can figure out. I have fooled most everyone who has read my books.

What do you find most difficult about writing in this genre?

Trying not to let out too much information and ruin the plot. I have to keep my readers guessing.

Is there an author in this genre that you admire most?

I love Hercule Poirot, a Belgian detective, by Agatha Christie. I love the TV series. She’s a genius when it comes to mysteries.

What is up next for you?

I’m excited to announce this mystery series is going to be an audio book. The first book, The Bali Mystery, will be out soon. Diane Lehman is the reader and she portrays Amelia and Rick so perfectly. He is so masculine and she is so feminine and spunky. Love it. The rest of the characters, accents and all, were done very well. She had me laughing out loud in some parts. It was so easy to picture everything in my mind as I listened to her.

Do you have anything to add?

For anyone who loves to read a long-lost-love story, here is what this book is about: Julie Anderson feels a need to find the man she fell deeply in love with during her youth. When Julie went off to college to become a lawyer, she lost contact with her high school sweetheart. She now wants to know what became of Joey and why he stopped writing to her? This is an assignment that intrigues Amelia. The thought of finding a long-lost love seems quite romantic.

You may find sample chapters of my books on my website and it will take you to the links for purchase at Amazon and Smashwords. My website is www.lindaweaverclarke.com.