New Paperback Release: Never Go Back by Lee Child

Former military cop Jack Reacher makes it all the way from snowbound South Dakota to his destination in northeastern Virginia, near Washington, D.C.: the headquarters of his old unit, the 110th MP. The old stone building is the closest thing to a home he ever had.

Reacher is there to meet—in person—the new commanding officer, Major Susan Turner, so far just a warm, intriguing voice on the phone.

But it isn’t Turner behind the CO’s desk. And Reacher is hit with two pieces of shocking news, one with serious criminal consequences, and one too personal to even think about.

When threatened, you can run or fight.

Reacher fights, aiming to find Turner and clear his name, barely a step ahead of the army, and the FBI, and the D.C. Metro police, and four unidentified thugs.

Combining an intricate puzzle of a plot and an exciting chase for truth and justice, Lee Child puts Reacher through his paces—and makes him question who he is, what he’s done, and the very future of his untethered life on the open road.

Series: Jack Reacher (Book 18)
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Bantam; Reprint edition (May 24, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 039959325X
ISBN-13: 978-0399593253

Purchase here!

Coming May 24: The Real Mrs. Price by J. D. Mason

Lucy Price is living the American dream. She has been married to her successful husband and businessman, Edward Price for a year and couldn’t be happier until she learns that Eddie is a dangerously ruthless man, heavily involved in illegal activities that threaten not only her marriage, but her life. Eddie abruptly disappears, but not before warning Lucy that if she wants to keep breathing she'd better keep her mouth shut. Six months later, word of her husband surfaces when she learns that he is presumed murdered in a small Texas town, apparently killed by his “wife”, Marlowe Price.

Marlowe is no stranger to trouble. An outcast in her own community for being one of those "hoodoo women," who can curse you or cast you under her beguiling spell, Marlowe is shunned at every turn. Six months ago, a whirlwind romance in Mexico led Marlowe to marry the man she thought she’d spend the rest of her life with. For Marlowe and Eddie, there is no such thing as trouble in paradise. But late one night, when Marlowe witnesses her husband putting the body of a dead man in the trunk of his car, the illusion comes crashing down around her and she knows she has to move fast before the devil comes calling once again.

Now, Lucy and Marlowe must come together to find out where and who Eddie really is, and help each other through the threat he poses. There's nothing more dangerous than a woman scorned...except for two women scorned who are willing to put their pasts behind them and band together to take one bad man down...

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (May 24, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250052254
ISBN-13: 978-1250052254


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Book Review: Danse Macabre by Cristelle Comby (Giveaway)

A suspenseful, thrilling mystery awaits you in Danse Macabre, the third Neve and Egan Cases novel by Cristelle Comby.

Private investigators Alexandra Neve and Ashford Egan are hired by a distraught mother to find her missing daughter. The mother is certain her talented ballerina wouldn't simply run away like the police have suggested. Neve and Egan soon find they have a serial killer on their hands during one of the coldest winters in England.

Fascinating, intriguing, and filled with twists and turns, Danse Macabre is a fabulous mystery novel. It kept me guessing, and I wasn't quite sure how things were going to turn out. I certainly wasn't expecting that surprise at the end.

Combe is a masterful storyteller, slowly adding pieces to the puzzle that ultimately creates a page-turning novel. I loved the relationship between Neve and Egan as they battle their own demons while solving the case. And though I wouldn't necessarily say it's something you would pick up for a seasonal read, it is set in the weeks leading up to Christmas and New Year's.

There are some gruesome parts, but this novel is so well done I didn't mind them at all.
Murder mysteries don't get better than this one.

EXCERPT:

‘Stay here,’ I whisper to Egan, before moving back to the train tracks. I take two steps in the darkness to get away from my partner’s hideout, before flicking my torch back on.

The boys’ light is quick to narrow on me. ‘Whozthere?’ one demands.

‘Hi guys,’ I reply, as kindly as I can. I show them my empty hands as I keep walking in their direction. ‘I’m not a cop, don’t worry.’

‘Whatcha doing here?’ baseball cap asks.

I decide to tell them the truth, hoping curiosity will be enough to keep them from running away. ‘I’m a private investigator. I’m looking for a man. We believe he may have used these old tunnels to escape a crime scene.’

‘Really?’ the kid asks again. ‘A PI, like on the telly?’

Not really, no. Sadly, my life is nothing like what Hollywood makes it look like. ‘Yes,’ I lie. ‘Just like in the movies.’

‘Do you have a gun?’ the guy with the metal bar asks.

My eyes narrow on him as I pay good attention to his posture and the way he now holds the bar with both hands. I’m being plain, I know, but I want him to realise his move wasn’t subtle enough for me. ‘Yes, and a taser.’ None of it is true, but I square my shoulders and continue with my bluff. ‘Trust me; you don’t want me to use either on you.’

Both kids look at each other nervously.

‘Don’t worry, boys; I don’t intend to.’ I smile at them again, a wide smile. They’re teenagers, I’m a woman; I don’t need any weapon, after all. ‘I only want to know if you’ve seen anyone weird down here.’

‘B’sides you, ya mean?’ baseball cap asks.

I flash him my most charming smile in reply.

‘No one,’ his friend answers. ‘But we don’t come here very often. Only when our mum’s too busy to take us to Dad’s herself. It’s a shorter walk down here than up there.’

Genre: New Adult, Detective Mystery
Pages: 254
Release: October 2014
Publisher: self-published
ISBN: 9781502723772

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

Website: http://cristelle-comby.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Cristelle

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Cristelle%20Comby&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CristelleComby

Cristelle Comby will be awarding a autographed copy of the complete 4 book series, to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Russian Dolls by Cristelle Comby (Giveaway)

This is where it all begins for University College London student Alexandra Neve and her blind middle-aged history professor Ashford Egan.

Neve's world falls apart when she learns her best, Irina Anderson, jumps from the university's rooftop. The Metropolitan Police rule her death a suicide, but Neve's convinced Irina would never take her own life.

Egan can see Neve's distracted since her friend's death and is eager to listen to what she has to say. Neve doesn't understand why, but she's appreciative to have someone to bounce her ides off of. As different as day is from night, when they are drawn into violent world of the Russian mafia, learning to work together becomes crucial to their survival.

In 2014, I read the third book in The Neve & Egan Cases, Danse Macabre. At the time, it didn't feel like I missed much starting partway into the series. The book drew me in right away and this crime-fighting duo were characters I enjoyed getting to know.

Having read Russian Dolls, however, definitely made me appreciate the third book more.

This novel is just as much about how Neve and Egan learn to work together as it is about the case they are determined to solve. It cements the personalities played out in future books and creates the villain they are destined to meet again.

Another thing I like about Russian Dolls is that it leaves important parts of Egan's history unknown. While typically loose ends are a no-no for me, here, I feel they are just one component of what will drive this series forward. I'm definitely eager to read Book 2, Ruby Heart, and Book 4, Blind Chess. 

Russian Dolls is the beginning of a superb series that you must check out.

EXCERPT:

Life, death. Two concepts, two words.

You don’t think about them unless you’re forced to. You take the first for granted and try to forget the second.

You get on with your life, worry about meaningless things and you simply stop thinking about death, even though you see it every day on the telly, in the papers you read.

So long as it’s happening to others, you continue to go on with this comforting lie that says it’s never going to happen to you. The Reaper won’t come anywhere near you — until the day he does.

It could be a car crash, it could be a stroke. Or it could be your best friend jumping from the rooftop of the university you both attend. And suddenly you remember that death is very real and there’s no way of knowing who is going to be called next. You’re forced to face the frailty of life and accept your own mortality.

My best friend recently passed away and I almost died twice myself in the past couple of weeks. My name is Alexandra Neve. I’m a student who used to live in a reassuring bubble. It burst, and now I finally see the world for what it truly is.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cristelle-Comby/e/B00EAWEODS/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CristelleComby

File Size: 1176 KB
Print Length: 302 pages
Publisher: Cristelle Comby; 1 edition (March 8, 2013)
Publication Date: March 8, 2013
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English

Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, in Greater Geneva, where she still resides.

She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.

She is the author of the Neve & Egan crime novels series. The four books in the series are Russian Dolls, Ruby Heart, Danse Macabre and Blind Chess.

Links :

Website: http://cristelle-comby.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Cristelle

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

Cristelle Comby will be awarding an autographed copy of the complete 4 book series, to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

First Chapter Review: Dark Money by Larry D. Thompson

I am participating in the book tour for Dark Money by Larry D. Thompson.

BLURB: DARK MONEY is a thriller, a mystery and an expose’ of the corruption of money in politics.

Jackson Bryant, the millionaire plaintiff lawyer who turned to pro bono work in Dead Peasants, is caught up in the collision of money and politics when he receives a call from his old army buddy, Walt Frazier. Walt needs his assistance in evaluating security for Texas Governor Rob Lardner at a Halloween costume fundraiser thrown by one of the nation’s richest Republican billionaires at his mansion in Fort Worth.

Miriam Van Zandt is the best marksman among the Alamo Defenders, an anti-government militia group in West Texas. She attends the fundraiser dressed as a cat burglar---wounds the governor and murders the host’s brother, another Republican billionaire. She is shot in the leg but manages to escape.

Jack is appointed special prosecutor and must call on the Texas DPS SWAT team to track Van Zandt and attack the Alamo Defenders’ compound in a lonely part of West Texas. Van Zandt’s father, founder of the Defenders, is killed in the attack and Miriam is left in a coma. The authorities declare victory and close the case---but Jack knows better. The person behind the Halloween massacre has yet to be caught. When Walt and the protective detail are sued by the fund raiser host and the widow of the dead man, Jack follows the dark money of political contributions from the Cayman Islands to Washington to Eastern Europe, New York and New Orleans to track the real killer and absolve his friend and the Protective Detail of responsibility for the massacre.

COVER: Love it. Took me a few moments to realize that was a blood-splattered face mask, but the color scheme is great and I like the fonts used.

FIRST CHAPTER: Jack Bryant arrives at the Hale estate where a Halloween costume fundraiser for Texas Governor Rob Lardner is scheduled to take place. Once cleared by security, he meets up with his old army buddy, Walt Frazier, who is in charge of making sure everyone stays safe and sound.

KEEP READING: Yes. The short prologue provides a bit of back story for how Walt and Jack met so that the reader dives into the first chapter with some idea of the men's personalities. I feel it wise the author opted to have action in the prologue because the first chapter is low-key in that respect. By the end, however, you are quite certain things aren't going to go as planned.

What I feel the author did very well from the start is define who the major players are and draw the reader into their world. I look forward to reading more of this one.

File Size: 1088 KB
Print Length: 430 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Story Merchant Books; 2 A Jackson Bryant Legal Thriller edition (December 29, 2015)
Publication Date: December 29, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B019YQ63Q0


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I received a free digital version of this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.