tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16844019995818100082024-03-13T07:27:45.948-04:00Books Can Be DeadlyCherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.comBlogger638125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-78808882836433910392023-10-04T02:00:00.001-04:002023-10-04T02:00:00.162-04:00Book Review: Murder at Midnight by Katharine Schellman<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0QWXf0NyNmG6H2BYIA-hnkxWnqGQA5ovH2-qkucANr82scPv2JEW9HEQmP80-yxAFOj7M4LFLBz9PzdLv1nO4lD8p78i1ogs0w9Sn-VyUbMYW7pwF20nEWPUPthoj6qCW5dD1FUs0CJpz_IxbUBc8Ty39E0fOZSKejTYkKGrQYNT0py45v3abyNqF0rD/s2100/murder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0QWXf0NyNmG6H2BYIA-hnkxWnqGQA5ovH2-qkucANr82scPv2JEW9HEQmP80-yxAFOj7M4LFLBz9PzdLv1nO4lD8p78i1ogs0w9Sn-VyUbMYW7pwF20nEWPUPthoj6qCW5dD1FUs0CJpz_IxbUBc8Ty39E0fOZSKejTYkKGrQYNT0py45v3abyNqF0rD/s320/murder.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Join Lily Adler as she solves her latest mystery in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Murder at Midnight </i>by Katharine Schellman. </p><p>The widowed Lady Adler is a guest at a neighborhood Christmas ball in Hertfordshire thrown by Mrs. Grantham. Excited to spend time with her late husband's family, she is glad to see her old friend Jack Hartley and his family in attendance. However, she is disturbed to hear that Jack's sister Amelia has been the topic of neighborhood gossip and is unwilling to explain anything about what happened. </p><p>An intense snowstorm forces many guests to spend the night with their host, and after Lily overhears an argument, she is certain all won't be well this holiday season. When the man who is scandalously linked to Amelia is found shot to death the next morning in the poultry yard, Sir John Adler asks for Lily's help in figuring out who is responsible. </p><p>What could be better than a mystery set during Christmas? Not much if you like Christmas and mysteries as much as I do. <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3PFMOPx" target="_blank">Murder at Midnight</a></i></b> by Katharine Schellman is the fourth book in her Lady Adler Mystery series, but you won't feel like you missed a beat since this is a total standalone novel. </p><p>Admittedly, this plot took a while to set up, so if you are looking for a dive right into the action novel, this won't work. However, once the murder takes place, you are fully invested alongside Lily to uncover who the culprit is. And I encourage you to stick with it, because it is worth it in the end. This is a fabulous locked room historical mystery that will keep you guessing through all the twists and turns and numerous suspects. You'll need to have a keen eye to log some of those details that will reveal the identity of the murderer and why they resorted to such extremes as murder. There is a romantic element to this story, but it plays a backseat to the mystery most of the time. </p><p>If you enjoy historical mysteries with great attention to historical details, locked room mysteries, or stories with female sleuths, you will want to pick up <b><i>Murder at Midnight</i></b>. I look forward to reading past and future Lady Adler mysteries.</p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">ASIN : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">B0BQLKMDJR</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Crooked Lane Books (September 19, 2023)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Publication date : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">September 19, 2023</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">File size : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">1379 KB</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Text-to-Speech : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Enabled</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Screen Reader : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Supported</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Enhanced typesetting : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Enabled</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">X-Ray : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Not Enabled</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Word Wise : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Enabled</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Sticky notes : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">On Kindle Scribe</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Print length : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">316 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700 !important;">Page numbers source ISBN : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">1639104321</span></span></span></li></ul><p><i>I received a digital copy of this novel from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNCmybrl7HKpK0Eu2B5NKWKZNnMPmVHwU58ieCiM71lZaMb1IANNR1dgxQuy3vQSXfwIgR91h0mruNpUNAW26xqC6cBak2D20VkgFz9daXcp8b5EsWoyC4mD-JW4xfxokm7GItztaP8_dbLghB0eCHx7Ui8Kd1cS9hZH0WwgphXO5EUy_pMITGEfLifQb/s2560/murder-at-midnight-by-katharine-schellman--banner-rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNCmybrl7HKpK0Eu2B5NKWKZNnMPmVHwU58ieCiM71lZaMb1IANNR1dgxQuy3vQSXfwIgR91h0mruNpUNAW26xqC6cBak2D20VkgFz9daXcp8b5EsWoyC4mD-JW4xfxokm7GItztaP8_dbLghB0eCHx7Ui8Kd1cS9hZH0WwgphXO5EUy_pMITGEfLifQb/s320/murder-at-midnight-by-katharine-schellman--banner-rev.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i><p></p>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-38247174053739035482023-06-20T14:58:00.006-04:002023-06-20T14:58:32.641-04:00Book Review: A Final Farewell by Marilyn Meredith<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4fn9vhqLgyw1bndZyBkYWPS7f9s9YDRkKFluYmixdoVVLsX7VyTSQ30nFGr-oIaQGArwzWpgbNxP6Zw98bx2B4T9wDbQAzDrYl7LVB6xM091C28i6kmBKRmOyDXIvVqMPRy458TehF4LCebhu627NblN9NwPmcDeBHBIYw-txEtmUbaaAIhIfL8u3A/s500/Final.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4fn9vhqLgyw1bndZyBkYWPS7f9s9YDRkKFluYmixdoVVLsX7VyTSQ30nFGr-oIaQGArwzWpgbNxP6Zw98bx2B4T9wDbQAzDrYl7LVB6xM091C28i6kmBKRmOyDXIvVqMPRy458TehF4LCebhu627NblN9NwPmcDeBHBIYw-txEtmUbaaAIhIfL8u3A/s320/Final.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Join retired deputy, Tempe Crabtree, as she works to solve another Bear Creek mystery in <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Final-Farewell-Tempe-Crabtree-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0C1WHP396" target="_blank">A Final Farewell</a> </i>by Marilyn Meredith. <p></p><p>When Jerod Garfield finds a body in his pond, the buzz quickly spreads throughout Bear Creek. Though Tempe is retired from the police force, she is curious who it is and why they ended up there. That curiosity, however, might just get her killed. </p><p>In the final book of Meredith's Tempe Crabtree series, Tempe finds herself in the middle of a mystery. Despite her husband's protests, she can't help but find out all she can about the victim's past and who might have wanted them dead, especially if it's possible one of the two handsome suitors wooing her friend, Miqui Sherwood, might be involved. </p><p>Tempe has always depended upon her good friend, Nick Two John, to guide her as she solves mysteries, but as his health deteriorates, she wonders how long she will be graced with his friendship and counsel. </p><p>I've been a fan of Meredith's Tempe Crabtree series since I read <i>Judgment Fire </i>back in 2007. With this final installment, Meredith continues to bring readers a mystery filled with twists and turns and a list of plausible suspects, while ramping up suspense along the way. The more Tempe investigates, the more determined a killer is to stop her. Meredith has made it her trademark to blend her character's personal lives and relationships into the unfolding mystery. In <i style="font-weight: bold;">A Final Farewell</i>, Tempe and her husband Hutch, along with their friends Miqui, Claudia, and Nick Two John, all face some sort of change in their lives. </p><p>While always keeping the series fresh with new ideas and some new characters, family, faith, and mysticism has run through this series in every book I've read. I am sad to see the Tempe Crabtree series end, but I feel Meredith left her beloved characters in the right place. </p><p>If you enjoy engaging, well-written mysteries set in a small community, then <i style="font-weight: bold;">A Final Farewell </i>and the other books in the Tempe Crabtree series are for you. </p>
ASIN : B0C1J7KR7K<div>Publisher : Independently published (April 8, 2023)</div><div>Language : English</div><div>Paperback : 227 pages</div><div>ISBN-13 : 979-8390638750</div><div><br /><div><i>I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way. </i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTmyr3bNQSvfqsmI9zqGc6CROdjO5Brke4xs2BipYeWPl1cunT6gsUKKegtjvcg6zGHh6Fjl01iPnH4KCsv44Nm61ITrnh75UZ69Ulqj4zy2a6-ewP8rp_1vszP0h5TnUVCm2uZCL1mL7iTWPex8BoMp4kOdBhoqGgmhrmH8L-KrbFxVU_emDdqUPLA/s699/A%20Final%20Farewell%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="699" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTmyr3bNQSvfqsmI9zqGc6CROdjO5Brke4xs2BipYeWPl1cunT6gsUKKegtjvcg6zGHh6Fjl01iPnH4KCsv44Nm61ITrnh75UZ69Ulqj4zy2a6-ewP8rp_1vszP0h5TnUVCm2uZCL1mL7iTWPex8BoMp4kOdBhoqGgmhrmH8L-KrbFxVU_emDdqUPLA/s320/A%20Final%20Farewell%20banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></div></div>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-41901796101568544942023-04-16T22:59:00.000-04:002023-04-16T22:59:11.569-04:00Reading Now: The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILGNDij3CB6S7ye32fOpWWg2QiayjN-rYqZ68xSnJ82QPzNsRfAA654tSS_8ZT4L0EA1NdXIqsN3dT24zh8kvzgf54-FfEmzK_GJeoKRMyF4TaVbeuQOjKR5FdPDt4GphndktC3no9RLQCkbv-8VCZrLiN8t9vauQB4OX0K2Qf26QvIK7KhEeql3Q/s400/castle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjILGNDij3CB6S7ye32fOpWWg2QiayjN-rYqZ68xSnJ82QPzNsRfAA654tSS_8ZT4L0EA1NdXIqsN3dT24zh8kvzgf54-FfEmzK_GJeoKRMyF4TaVbeuQOjKR5FdPDt4GphndktC3no9RLQCkbv-8VCZrLiN8t9vauQB4OX0K2Qf26QvIK7KhEeql3Q/s320/castle.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>
In 1865, orphaned Daisy Francois takes a position as housemaid at a midwestern Wisconsin castle and finds that the reclusive and eccentric Gothic authoress inside hides more than the harrowing tales in her novels. With women disappearing from the area and a legend that seems to parallel these eerie circumstances, Daisy is thrust into a web that may threaten to steal her sanity, if not her life.<div><br /></div><div>In the present day, Cleo Clemmons is hired by the grandson of American aristocratic family the Tremblays to help his matriarchal grandmother face her hoarding in the dilapidated Castle Moreau. But when Cleo uncovers more than just the woman's stashes of collectibles, a century-old mystery of disappearance, insanity, and the dust of the old castle's curse threatens to rise again, and this time, leave no one alive to tell its sordid tale.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fan-favorite Jaime Jo Wright draws readers into a seamlessly woven dual-time tale of suspense, mystery, romance, and redemption. </div><div><br /></div><div>For more information and links to purchase, visit <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61140615-the-vanishing-at-castle-moreau" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.
</div>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-83664929390202492332023-03-30T23:00:00.001-04:002023-04-16T23:02:50.364-04:00First Chapter Review: Murder in Devil's Cove by Melisa Bourbon<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweVCyKSDxM_btG6E2o9AOWsEodOib5fW5z96JbeXb-4SBO1djy4KHrF0vckQArWMXEiemLsPdv1I0iz1kHJ0vgk0stzKxWM41JF2MHL_4lYSdXzt8Zca6aaUGmq4nRX0Zb1xCBVoJzS7Y7YM6QY6T2bdfiJrxlWi2JOCIWpYFRkcK-p1p6iLTCe9j/s300/1st%20Chapter%20Review%20Deadly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="200" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjweVCyKSDxM_btG6E2o9AOWsEodOib5fW5z96JbeXb-4SBO1djy4KHrF0vckQArWMXEiemLsPdv1I0iz1kHJ0vgk0stzKxWM41JF2MHL_4lYSdXzt8Zca6aaUGmq4nRX0Zb1xCBVoJzS7Y7YM6QY6T2bdfiJrxlWi2JOCIWpYFRkcK-p1p6iLTCe9j/s1600/1st%20Chapter%20Review%20Deadly.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I won a copy of this Outer Banks murder mystery from a <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123159396-murder-in-devil-s-cove" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> giveaway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>BLURB: </b>After twenty years, Pippin Lane Hawthorne and her twin brother, Grey, return to their birth place—the Outer Banks island of Devil’s Cove. But what was supposed to be a chance at a new life turns sinister when their father’s old fishing boat reveals a dark secret.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now Pippin must embrace her fate as a bibliomancer and learn how to ‘read’ the books she’s always shied away from. Only then will she be able to discover the truth about what really happened to her parents and continue their efforts to break the curse that has haunted the Lane family for two thousand years.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixFaKRAWuV-HcgsX_jIEpkuaJzxYBflQKJ9KJWgFHRJIX-EO9PpNNiZxhGqhDssUT0_ShpB8i1vcxtN5K0uqKRaBrqkfEacrCU1hR-e6ktq434RemAMcwQ7lzUDwTsZBmhSLHc2AiErygivijyY_8GtxpNr4gXA4xM_ZBqlIgIGYgM0UOM2tEWsd50uQ/s514/book%205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="340" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixFaKRAWuV-HcgsX_jIEpkuaJzxYBflQKJ9KJWgFHRJIX-EO9PpNNiZxhGqhDssUT0_ShpB8i1vcxtN5K0uqKRaBrqkfEacrCU1hR-e6ktq434RemAMcwQ7lzUDwTsZBmhSLHc2AiErygivijyY_8GtxpNr4gXA4xM_ZBqlIgIGYgM0UOM2tEWsd50uQ/s320/book%205.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />COVER: </b>What an awesome cover! It speaks to the genre, plot, and setting. I like the font color for the title and author name. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>FIRST CHAPTER: </b>Twins Pippin and Grey return to their family's Outer Banks home after two decades away. Hesitant at first, Grey agrees with his sister that they can restore their childhood home. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>KEEP READING: </b>Let me just say: if I didn't have review book commitments, I would stop everything I am reading to continue with this book. The author knows her setting and easily blends it into the storyline as the reader dives into a riveting prologue followed by a fabulous opening chapter. It is in that prologue readers learn of the Lane curse and get insight into Pippin and Grey's mother. The first chapter opens twenty years later, with Pippin and Grey back at their childhood home. The author brings forth all the emotions a return to your childhood home would conjure up. This looks like it will be an amazing story.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ASIN : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">B088J48JY8</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Lake House Press (September 22, 2020)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publication date : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">September 22, 2020</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">File size : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">2378 KB</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Text-to-Speech : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Enabled</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Screen Reader : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Supported</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Enhanced typesetting : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Enabled</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">X-Ray : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Not Enabled</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Word Wise : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Enabled</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Sticky notes : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">On Kindle Scribe</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Print length : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">316 pages</span></span></span></li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>This First Chapter Review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.</i></div>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-49606719537869993262023-01-23T23:03:00.001-05:002023-04-16T23:05:39.130-04:00Book Review: To Catch The Setting Sun by Richard I. Levine<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnt_x5bhDOWLtK3WISz_sWzSVZaQ0tBYfIHzgxavOc2Y9KDS5e5aQBl_VJ0P7QLhGhUKIzcHs08BsIymtOzBWmu-mbg9-_0Da_5-zd_UhNju_p5Bjf5OkYQ9tVPogyHnWL4AJ6XH4BrkXWMUaoPtfOPuVCy3h8XyaIocroIpvU5sBQ7mYxeIzLc5sXQ/s755/sun%20cover.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUnt_x5bhDOWLtK3WISz_sWzSVZaQ0tBYfIHzgxavOc2Y9KDS5e5aQBl_VJ0P7QLhGhUKIzcHs08BsIymtOzBWmu-mbg9-_0Da_5-zd_UhNju_p5Bjf5OkYQ9tVPogyHnWL4AJ6XH4BrkXWMUaoPtfOPuVCy3h8XyaIocroIpvU5sBQ7mYxeIzLc5sXQ/s320/sun%20cover.png" width="223" /></a></div>An edgy thriller set on the island of Oahu awaits you in <i style="font-weight: bold;">To Catch the Setting Sun </i>by Richard I. Levine.<p></p><p>Honolulu police detective Henry Benjamin is tracking a killer targeting young, native-Hawaiian women on the island of Oahu. It appears the killer is taunting Henry, who seems to have known each victim, while his aggressive style that turns up few leads, fuels rumors that he might be the killer. Having spent more than a dozen years on the job, Henry expects nothing of this faux fantasy island except deceit and deception.</p><p>Levine writes one heck of a story. Twists and turns abound in this thriller set on Oahu. The author uses his knowledge of the area to depict a fascinating setting that might be different than what you would find in a travel brochure. Having been to Hawaii, I felt Levine did a superb job with it.</p><p>Henry is a New York transplant who long ago dropped the illusions of his job in "paradise." Drawn to the investigation because his wife Maya was the first name on the killer's list, his colleagues are stumped when his investigation lacks any progress. Not all of them are Detective Benjamin fans anyway. With a smart, sassy new partner, maybe things will change. </p><p>While I am not a huge fan of third person omniscient point of view, I didn't mind it as much in <i style="font-weight: bold;">To Catch the Setting Sun</i>. I enjoyed how journal entries opened each chapter. They are deep and personal entries that captivate the reader with their poetic style. As with any suspense thriller, one must expect some grit and gore. <i style="font-weight: bold;">To Catch the Setting Sun </i>is an overall satisfying read.</p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Wild Rose Press (August 22, 2022)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">322 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">1509243291</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-13 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">978-1509243297</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3HnxDHT" target="_blank">Purchase here!</a></b></span></span></span></li></ul><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><i>I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.</i></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQz9p3Yrr1ph3x_A7vkD-kU-0-149ym9l6P6qgtk5zEH9g4_k0U2GjKhNFLXQfHiPB5H4A6k6EtMxpwCJdqyWM8gfgw80BZxJJ0UGwyGtd5EVOdfbpdWhkcsLWmit2gGe5R4L9LwZc8pfkEUXaSd0ccDQI-LL3RX99WOeylboEvOJvFosw8_iddBX2oA/s643/To-Catch-the-Setting-Sun-banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="643" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQz9p3Yrr1ph3x_A7vkD-kU-0-149ym9l6P6qgtk5zEH9g4_k0U2GjKhNFLXQfHiPB5H4A6k6EtMxpwCJdqyWM8gfgw80BZxJJ0UGwyGtd5EVOdfbpdWhkcsLWmit2gGe5R4L9LwZc8pfkEUXaSd0ccDQI-LL3RX99WOeylboEvOJvFosw8_iddBX2oA/s320/To-Catch-the-Setting-Sun-banner.jpg" width="320" /></a>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-64410938183887194632022-12-22T23:06:00.002-05:002023-04-16T23:09:37.589-04:00Interview with Mike Martin, Author of Christmas in Newfoundland Memories & Mysteries<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMaP9U5zCjT6m-InmHsk9U6wi4c_U3nwllRKH7s3tsXIZQU3vLhu_9BLXd4CTIsPRpMOnJejzp7LbyfkJXkgL1R-5mfo09acRgwe-tHTP2BuvcpmFiPItDUOXF87TDJdIe0oyucjOL2-h9Vk50aKDA8a29-z9kD2jUJ3e4OBgzuzr9wfFnUl17Z48Dg/s414/Mike%20Martin.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="341" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMaP9U5zCjT6m-InmHsk9U6wi4c_U3nwllRKH7s3tsXIZQU3vLhu_9BLXd4CTIsPRpMOnJejzp7LbyfkJXkgL1R-5mfo09acRgwe-tHTP2BuvcpmFiPItDUOXF87TDJdIe0oyucjOL2-h9Vk50aKDA8a29-z9kD2jUJ3e4OBgzuzr9wfFnUl17Z48Dg/s320/Mike%20Martin.png" width="264" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><p></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">Mike Martin was born in St.
John’s, NL on the east coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa,
Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have
appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United
States and New Zealand.</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">He is the author of the
award-winning Sgt. Windflower Mystery series set in beautiful Grand Bank. There
are now 12 books in this light mystery series with the publication of Dangerous
Waters. A Tangled Web was shortlisted in 2017 for the best
light mystery of the year, and Darkest Before the Dawn won the
2019 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award. Mike has also published Christmas
in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries, a Sgt. Windflower Book of
Christmas past and present. And now Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and
Mysteries 2.</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">Mike is Past Chair of the Board
of Crime Writers of Canada, a national organization promoting Canadian crime
and mystery writers and a member of the Newfoundland Writers’ Guild and Ottawa
Independent Writers and Capital Crime Writers. </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can follow the Sgt. Windflower Mysteries on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore/">https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore</a></span></p><p style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 12pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Website:<a href="http://www.sgtwindflowermysteries.com"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc;">www.sgtwindflowermysteries.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; margin: 12pt 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Twitter:<a href="http://www.twitter.com/mike54martin"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc;">@mike54martin</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><b>Where did you grow up?</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">I grew up in St. John’s,
Newfoundland on the easternmost tip of Canada </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><b>When did you begin writing?</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">I have always been a reader and
a writer. I started reading early because I had two older sisters who dragged
me to the library where I fell in love with the magic and adventure of books.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><b>What is this book about?</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><b><i>Christmas in Newfoundland Book
2</i></b> is the second collection of stories and vignettes featuring my own memories
of Christmas in a small town and then stories from imaginary Christmases of
characters from the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series. A stroll down a Christmas
memory lane. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpJHeLHuC16Ob_aGRpy28mbEubjtxLI_24NscxoqRHIDGlfxE6pMrZBwq9LT1JcWvXP6iWLRjR7JFfnsU6xwPDc_KFXo25yJ_JOXBuoSmR8ud6DGLarH-8w8na1igJJMRXlNDimZdGAareWRYYZJ-biLZEBrVgwySrNA2pO8YWHr-K8g1k-DPKFm2fw/s843/Christmas%20in%20Newfoundland.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="595" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpJHeLHuC16Ob_aGRpy28mbEubjtxLI_24NscxoqRHIDGlfxE6pMrZBwq9LT1JcWvXP6iWLRjR7JFfnsU6xwPDc_KFXo25yJ_JOXBuoSmR8ud6DGLarH-8w8na1igJJMRXlNDimZdGAareWRYYZJ-biLZEBrVgwySrNA2pO8YWHr-K8g1k-DPKFm2fw/s320/Christmas%20in%20Newfoundland.png" width="226" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: #1d2228;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><b>What inspired you to write it?</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">I am a big Christmas guy. I
always have been and for years I have written a special Christmas story for my
family and friends. Some of those stories are here as well as the new ones from
my award-winning mystery series</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><b>How is it similar to other
books in its genre? How is it different?</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">I think this is a unique book
because it blends both personal memories and stories based on characters from
the mystery series. But anyone who likes reading about Christmas memories will
like this book and can probably connect it to their own experiences.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><b>What is the most important
thing readers can learn from your book?</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">That Christmas is about giving
and the more you give, the more you will receive. And that Christmas is magical
if only you believe.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><b>Where can readers purchase a
copy?</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><b><i>Christmas in Newfoundland Book
2</i></b> is available from Amazon all over the world and in many fine bookstores in
Canada.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Newfoundland-Memories-Mysteries-Windflower/dp/1990896030/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669121102&sr=8-2"><span style="color: #0563c1;">https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Newfoundland-Memories-Mysteries-Windflower/dp/1990896030</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What is up next for you?</b></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #1d2228;">I have a new book in the Sgt.
Windflower series coming out in the spring of 2023 as well as a new audiobook
in the series. And starting to write a new adventure for Sgt. Windflower and
his friends.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Is there anything you would
like to add?</b></span></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #1d2228;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you!</span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;"><span style="color: black;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1IEd_dcFA3QWJQ6A-vDkZWPyrxkGmTxW_xwxH6R6BiFAZAfgtari-PcKEnQPSXQoVPcQgR9x1T43vwFBqBn0XcYUTWknBwlFjYMrjKDDSje39jhPn69TVsNW3o4eQ1CsPbFDG-PaAkENxrWWj73imw-GKlTjcyaooc6CsnPbeZ8z80rq0ds1bA5vTw/s651/Christmas%20in%20Newfoundland%20banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="651" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1IEd_dcFA3QWJQ6A-vDkZWPyrxkGmTxW_xwxH6R6BiFAZAfgtari-PcKEnQPSXQoVPcQgR9x1T43vwFBqBn0XcYUTWknBwlFjYMrjKDDSje39jhPn69TVsNW3o4eQ1CsPbFDG-PaAkENxrWWj73imw-GKlTjcyaooc6CsnPbeZ8z80rq0ds1bA5vTw/s320/Christmas%20in%20Newfoundland%20banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><br /><p></p>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-4114175960684558422022-10-20T23:09:00.001-04:002023-04-16T23:12:37.566-04:00Book Review: The Counterfeit Wife by Mally Becker<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjms5vRSm_9BJdSIVPcWmr-JOqpLjLIq0RgrLBCEB4PKa3OQM5Q5-8vDLIu7uOK1UGh1EvvSFNK9FhfTdCUFacI3kfCvFkLj4W_l-RsLVzvjBrQLcj9wYbLpPNiy_xvtiLn8Sm2JEra9-9GChvvtNy21JDRFwHzUk-dR3KW9xsmkpVIHPtdJSCKFP2lrw/s640/the-counterfeit-wife-by-mally-becker-cover.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="401" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjms5vRSm_9BJdSIVPcWmr-JOqpLjLIq0RgrLBCEB4PKa3OQM5Q5-8vDLIu7uOK1UGh1EvvSFNK9FhfTdCUFacI3kfCvFkLj4W_l-RsLVzvjBrQLcj9wYbLpPNiy_xvtiLn8Sm2JEra9-9GChvvtNy21JDRFwHzUk-dR3KW9xsmkpVIHPtdJSCKFP2lrw/s320/the-counterfeit-wife-by-mally-becker-cover.jpeg" width="201" /></a></div>Becca Parcell and Daniel Alloway return in their latest thrilling spy adventure, <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ETnmT5" target="_blank">The Counterfeit Wife</a></i> by Mally Becker. Posing as a married couple, General Washington has sent them to Philadelphia to uncover the identities of those spreading counterfeit money that threatens the young country's quest for independence. <p></p><p>Set in 1780 Philadelphia, <i>Mr. & Mrs. Alloway </i>are welcomed guests of Thaddeus Barnes, a good friend to George Washington and a wealthy merchant, who is unaware of their faux marriage. As Becca becomes friends with some of the wealthiest women in town, Daniel visits local printers searching for information. </p><p>But as their mission quickly turns personal and deadly, Becca and Daniel find themselves searching for a hate-driven villain who is ready to kill again.</p><p>Becker's strong debut, <i><a href="https://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2021/03/book-review-turncoats-widow-by-mally.html" target="_blank">The Turncoat's Widow</a></i>, left me eager for more by this talented author who blends history, mystery, adventure, and romance into a fabulously woven tale. The author's second book is just as intriguing as the first. Filled with returning and new characters--fictional and historical--Becker drops the reader into Revolutionary War America, as the fledgling country experiences growing pains and deception that threaten its independence. </p><p>In <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Counterfeit Wife</i>, the relationship between Becca and Daniel takes an unexpected turn, which could put their mission at risk. Becker, unafraid to put her characters to the test, will have the reader turning page after page until the book's satisfying conclusion. </p><p>If you enjoy historical mysteries with a sense of adventure and romance, you need to pick up <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Counterfeit Wife</i> by Mally Becker. Better yet, start with the first book in the series, <i>The Turncoat's Widow</i>, and follow Becca and Daniel through their adventures.</p><p>Highly recommended!</p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Level Best Books (September 20, 2022)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">276 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">1685121586</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-13 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">978-1685121587</span></span></span></li></ul><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Catch Up With Mally Becker: </span></b><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.MallyBecker.com">www.MallyBecker.com</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21067583.Mally_Becker#wife" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mally-becker#wife" target="_blank">BookBub – @mallybecker</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mallybeckerwrites/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram – @mallybeckerwrites</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://twitter.com/mally_becker#wife" target="_blank">Twitter – @mally_becker</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mallybeckerauthor#wife" target="_blank">Facebook – @mallybeckerauthor</a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><i>This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.</i></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnmTU_qrTp8y2ns41ixrQMcjKXP9fkyhAJ95k8E0VSJwdrocvfm2lMUMoUiHXJPdCJgv26wsyiikJFrluYnoDnNWsMrg0rsnLduwjkqKnZMTaAVpsct2Gcb0lUS78P08PNwJHBi2C6g2qgip05eQirpUZlaKIbeazUzXQvACBh8RlgOwOXKaXl0lOXA/s2560/the-counterfeit-wife-by-mally-becker-banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnmTU_qrTp8y2ns41ixrQMcjKXP9fkyhAJ95k8E0VSJwdrocvfm2lMUMoUiHXJPdCJgv26wsyiikJFrluYnoDnNWsMrg0rsnLduwjkqKnZMTaAVpsct2Gcb0lUS78P08PNwJHBi2C6g2qgip05eQirpUZlaKIbeazUzXQvACBh8RlgOwOXKaXl0lOXA/s320/the-counterfeit-wife-by-mally-becker-banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-74433438108228545022022-08-15T21:11:00.001-04:002022-08-15T21:11:36.624-04:00Kindle Freebie: Love Can Be Murder Boxed Set by Heather Haven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi490nJWFVOzNTo1cYSicxMpS2FGzOoBtdDuxDj1x9lW2zSjQSxKy0CqG9oahTei0-gXPj_TXdsncqBVGNfiAJ6-E245Y51ZmR1iiB77KRmIIfQdU8Mz7ACA51PvVcUy8RxTNZBWxR76raIZEdE2861P5-tXtiW9htXaiCe2hrrROARBbStIYoysn8b/s2560/love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi490nJWFVOzNTo1cYSicxMpS2FGzOoBtdDuxDj1x9lW2zSjQSxKy0CqG9oahTei0-gXPj_TXdsncqBVGNfiAJ6-E245Y51ZmR1iiB77KRmIIfQdU8Mz7ACA51PvVcUy8RxTNZBWxR76raIZEdE2861P5-tXtiW9htXaiCe2hrrROARBbStIYoysn8b/s320/love.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>August 14 - 16 this boxed set from Heather Haven is free on Kindle. <div><br /></div><div><b>NOW THERE WILL ALWAYS BE LOVE.
AND … THERE WILL ALWAYS BE MURDER.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>For P.I. ferret Lee Alvarez first comes murder, then comes love, then comes marriage… and now Lee and her drop-dead gorgeous Navy SEAL groom Gurn Hanson are stumbling across bodies together.
This wryly romantic box set is a bonanza for fans of The Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries, featuring a full-length novel, Book 5 <i>The CEO Came DOA</i>, PLUS two novellas. Together they tell the story of the action-packed, homicide-solving week leading up to Lee and Gurn’s wedding followed by the too-eventful weeks in Kauai and their return home when they were supposed to be resting and relaxing. Not to mention romancing.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The CEO Came DOA</b></div><div>The beautiful Christmas wedding in a romantic chapel that Lila has planned for Lee and Gurn moves into uncharted territory, and the outcome is uncertain when a killer turns up as an uninvited wedding guest. Will there be a wedding or a wake?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Honeymoons Can Be Murder</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Honeymooning on peaceful Kauai, Lee and Gurn find a dead woman practically on their doorstep. Kauai breezes may be soft, but there are gale force winds of accusation against Gurn, and Lee must find the real killer to keep her handsome new hubby out of a Hawaiian hoosegow.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Marriage Can Be Murder</b></div><div><br /></div><div>The newlyweds certainly aren’t taking any commitment lessons from their newest client, an eight-times-married Hollywood legend! But they are committed to finding out who’s trying to kill her in a series of mysterious accidents around her animal sanctuary estate.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lee and Gurn – think Nick and Nora Charles in Silicon Valley…with a Mexican flair – will delight fans of PI stories, cozy mysteries, and women sleuths, especially if they love sharp funny female protagonists like Sue Grafton’s witty Kinsey Millhone and Janet Evanovich’s lovable Stephanie Plum.</div><div><br /></div><div>Grab your copy for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B65RB6N7/" target="_blank">FREE</a> while this deal lasts!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-16274521422171870582022-07-14T21:17:00.004-04:002022-08-15T21:27:03.895-04:00Book Review: Stolen by Vivian Gilbert Zabel<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhQG0Q9GhKMUTQPCF1RG7fk7ntN_hu-ZlkbbwGghPfkOpg89BxrRWJdBEttc3hrEP-hpr7HjY_DYvF0op3f1uWrfgMxedhYv8GH5t7uKfLbrGLFJuOt07i_j3iE5hf4hcGN62qmDCE0iN2EeP_I_pCZu38-gX82gvK17TOVECzuQB42F3eO0T3_gCRA/s400/stolen.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhQG0Q9GhKMUTQPCF1RG7fk7ntN_hu-ZlkbbwGghPfkOpg89BxrRWJdBEttc3hrEP-hpr7HjY_DYvF0op3f1uWrfgMxedhYv8GH5t7uKfLbrGLFJuOt07i_j3iE5hf4hcGN62qmDCE0iN2EeP_I_pCZu38-gX82gvK17TOVECzuQB42F3eO0T3_gCRA/s320/stolen.jpg" width="214" /></a></i></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="https://www.4rvpublishing.com/vivian-zabel.html" target="_blank">Stolen</a> </i>is a heart-wrenching story of abduction from award-winning author Vivian Gilbert Zabel. </span><p></p><p>Torri Adamson put up with her husband's philandering ways for years, but a new indiscretion makes her take their two children and return to her family. </p><p>As the years pass, Torri rebuilds her life, but when Mike abducts her children, she is afraid this tragedy might be too much to handle.</p><p>Based on a true story, Zabel weaves an emotional story of one woman pushed to her limits. From the first page, the reader is drawn into Torri's family drama. A tightly-written tale that pulls at the heartstrings, the reader will turn page after page, following Torri as she rebuilds her life, just to have an unspeakable tragedy rip joy away from her. Readers will admire Torri's strength and appreciate the closeness of her family as they move along. </p><p>Though Torri's story is fictional, it is based on a true story; a story that unfolds too often. As a mother, this story truly hit home.</p><p>Riveting, intense, and masterfully told, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Stolen </i>is a must read.</p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">4RV Publishing LLC (November 1, 2010)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">200 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-10 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">098258864X</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-13 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">978-0982588642</span></span></span></li></ul><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="color: white;"><i>I purchased a copy of this book from the publisher. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated from in any way.</i></span></div><div><span style="color: white;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="color: white;">This post originally appeared at The Book Connection.</span></div>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-1830374257900491582022-06-27T21:19:00.002-04:002022-08-15T21:26:33.912-04:00Book Review: Reversal of Fortune by F.M. Meredith<p>The Rocky Bluff P.D. is back investigating its latest murders in <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3OqlFhM" target="_blank">Reversal of Fortune</a> </i>by F. M. Meredith.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKADoHWTWsmJXMrgliGX_GegHhdR4it85caOjBoTzdyCKcGC-pu42ZqcYPOzICaVPROkN438DIrU-IPQ-UZJarw5My7mJzZNwIqSBS4I4V6ErU9cUt2Ta5NeWe5C-5uw2HH-cArn2R10cjC9BHk-tMuiqFT1v-Kynsvy0UFGUjZa1Qy_yar0MSKqTYg/s690/Reversal-of-Fortune.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKADoHWTWsmJXMrgliGX_GegHhdR4it85caOjBoTzdyCKcGC-pu42ZqcYPOzICaVPROkN438DIrU-IPQ-UZJarw5My7mJzZNwIqSBS4I4V6ErU9cUt2Ta5NeWe5C-5uw2HH-cArn2R10cjC9BHk-tMuiqFT1v-Kynsvy0UFGUjZa1Qy_yar0MSKqTYg/s320/Reversal-of-Fortune.png" width="237" /></a></div><br />Beth Milligan and Kayla Duval stumble upon the body of the town's fortune teller. Detective Doug Milligan and his partner, Detective Felix Zachary, arrive to investigate. Reviewing the woman's long list of clients, it soon becomes apparent more than one person could have a reason for wanting Bernadette Wolfort dead. <p></p><p>When the body of one of their prime suspects is discovered on the fortune teller's property, Doug and Felix know the two murders are related. But who wanted both of them dead? And why? </p><p>It is so wonderful to be back in the small beach town of Rocky Bluff, where the understaffed and overworked members of the Rocky Bluff P.D. live. Having followed this community for years, it is always good to catch up with what is going on in my favorite characters' lives. </p><p>As Doug and Felix investigate these murders, the personal lives of the Rocky Bluff P.D. unfold in the background. Meredith does a fabulous job of sprinkling in a bit of backstory and bringing readers up to date with our favorite Rocky Bluff P.D. members, with one or two of those personal stories unfolding as subplots during the investigation. In <i style="font-weight: bold;">Reversal of Fortune</i>, Kayla Duval, the mayor's daughter and Beth's best friend, is dealing with a pushy aunt who has got it in her mind that the girl's deceased mother would prefer Kayla live with her in Los Angeles instead of staying with the father she didn't even know until her mother was diagnosed with cancer. The other subplot is that trouble could be brewing for Gordon Butler and his wife Lizette. </p><p><i style="font-weight: bold;">Reversal of Fortune</i>, like other books in the series, stands alone as an engaging and easy read. You can sit down and read a book in one or two sittings and feel totally satisfied with the outcome when done. I am not sure what is up next for the Rocky Bluff P.D., but I know I will keep reading as long as Meredith keeps writing.</p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ASIN : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">B09XLQCNZB</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Independently published (April 9, 2022)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">212 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-13 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">979-8449705860</span></span></span></li></ul><p><i><span style="color: white;">I received a paperback copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.</span></i></p><p><i><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></i></p><p><span style="color: white;">This post originally appeared at The Book Connection. </span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-2551392437843913802022-06-18T21:23:00.001-04:002022-08-15T21:26:21.918-04:00Book Review: Gravely Murdered by Marty Damon<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLV-5LibH7a-6jsd6-F9SqcoOn1F8EcKDn9EVXGjM6eImrkvvjTAjAN68CbRc0qH3Qy9-MeoWEknF4hfA0AblADOp5ZfGrD-n-I35x-p-hcpinhwmlleHb6Ea1BbKKRsa66PQmL7m4z1x781aoU8antRBuo0_FpCGZynzxoU7Lbut94EjauaJ8FGmNg/s475/grave.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="299" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGLV-5LibH7a-6jsd6-F9SqcoOn1F8EcKDn9EVXGjM6eImrkvvjTAjAN68CbRc0qH3Qy9-MeoWEknF4hfA0AblADOp5ZfGrD-n-I35x-p-hcpinhwmlleHb6Ea1BbKKRsa66PQmL7m4z1x781aoU8antRBuo0_FpCGZynzxoU7Lbut94EjauaJ8FGmNg/s320/grave.jpg" width="201" /></a></div>Welcome back to Calvin, Massachusetts, where Cate MacLeod stumbles upon another murder that interrupts her otherwise mundane life. <p></p><p><b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gravely-Murdered-Marty-Damon-ebook/dp/B08GJYWKVB" target="_blank">Gravely Murdered</a> </b>by local author Marty Damon is the second book in her mystery series featuring Cate MacLeod. In the first book, Cate returned home to Calvin after losing her job in the city. Now working on a project for the town planners, Cate expects a September evening to be a boring night of small town history. Instead, she stumbles over a body and is dropped into a tangle of jealousy, past injustice, and revenge.</p><p>The second Cate MacLeod mystery novel is even better than the first. Damon blends established characters with new in a small New England town that makes you think of Angela Fletcher's Cabot Cove without the water. </p><p>The murder of one of the well-known residents in town, who isn't exactly everyone's cup of tea, lends itself to a story filled with a plethora of potential suspects. Damon knows the cozy mystery genre and she writes it well. Filled with twists and turns, any cozy mystery lover is sure to enjoy <i style="font-weight: bold;">Gravely Murdered</i> and might be surprised by who the actual culprit is--which in my mind, is the makings of a great mystery.</p><p>Though you don't need to start with the first book, <i>Well Murdered</i>, because both stand alone, I am enjoying the evolution of Cate and her relationships as she navigates being a city girl living in her hometown and solving mysteries along the way.</p><ul class="a-unordered-list a-nostyle a-vertical a-spacing-none detail-bullet-list" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 1px 18px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ASIN : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">B08GVCMW8N</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Publisher : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Independently published (August 27, 2020)</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Language : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">English</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Paperback : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">305 pages</span></span></span></li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 5.5px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span class="a-list-item" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">ISBN-13 : </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">979-8678799029</span></span></span></li></ul><div><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><i>I purchased the printed version of this book from a library book sale and own a Kindle version. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.</i></span></div><div><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;">This post originally appeared at The Book Connection. </span></div>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-35369126863795597352020-12-07T23:02:00.002-05:002020-12-07T23:02:33.777-05:00On Hiatus<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Y3CN1QEWv2cunR2t19sUPoihGRsH9s1DhB2WXbC0e_MuRJK2Ak32hxb_lOWCFlaN0uitl8H-d368x_WBOiGmMvOoe9zhHtbi3UiJ9tYgwchawVatQQACu0bZX-GlEMA7Mbox-kh7zao/s575/bookscanbedeadly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="575" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Y3CN1QEWv2cunR2t19sUPoihGRsH9s1DhB2WXbC0e_MuRJK2Ak32hxb_lOWCFlaN0uitl8H-d368x_WBOiGmMvOoe9zhHtbi3UiJ9tYgwchawVatQQACu0bZX-GlEMA7Mbox-kh7zao/s320/bookscanbedeadly.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>In case you hadn't noticed (ha, ha) this blog is taking a bit of a break. You can still catch my book reviews and other special features at <a href="http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Book Connection</a>. I also blog at <a href="https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">The Children's and Teens' Book Connection</a>. </p><p><br /></p>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-10518224640756247002020-08-27T20:57:00.000-04:002020-08-27T20:58:04.533-04:00Short Story Review: A Whiskered Perspective by M. G. Spear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzf3jMIeBY-QQ2CaPyvbhLK1zdPnI52PBb4gkObqrqMyj0ZEoZCW7wwvDN3lzOzcYHdO4irgvnQIsKNrY4N_Ag1iUS8jBcv7RnRPenyhrbsOMX554dWnGByuaZTzqleGU27bTNWIMEf2z/s1600/A-Whiskered-Perspective.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="519" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzf3jMIeBY-QQ2CaPyvbhLK1zdPnI52PBb4gkObqrqMyj0ZEoZCW7wwvDN3lzOzcYHdO4irgvnQIsKNrY4N_Ag1iUS8jBcv7RnRPenyhrbsOMX554dWnGByuaZTzqleGU27bTNWIMEf2z/s320/A-Whiskered-Perspective.jpg" width="274" /></a></div>
Life through the eyes of a loyal black cat is what the reader will find in this short story titled "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Whiskered-Perspective-M-G-Spear/dp/B08CWBFCJ6/" target="_blank"><b>A Whiskered Perspective</b></a>" by M. G. Spear.<br />
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This furry warrior has come close to using up his nine lives when he is rescued by a woman who he calls Miller.<br />
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Glad to leave his warrior ways behind, Miller and Pumpkin create a special and loving bond. When Miller starts dating a man named Rob, Pumpkin is glad to see her happy. Then Rob changes, and Pumpkin is determined to stick by Miller's side no matter what.<br />
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This is a much darker story than I expected. If you read the description for the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Whiskered-Perspective-M-G-Spear-ebook/dp/B089QTSVY6/" target="_blank">Kindle version</a>, you'll have an idea of what I mean.<br />
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Told entirely from Pumpkin's perspective, this short story is about the special bond between a woman and her cat; but it is also about how one woman's desire to be loved by another person goes terribly wrong. It is a story of how someone can hide their true colors until it's too late.<br />
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A story of this length doesn't leave a lot of room for character development, so Miller's friends' dislike for Rob didn't make sense. It isn't until the reader witnesses Rob's behavior that it all comes together. If the length of the story had been closer to novella or novel length, that problem may have solved itself. The author switches between past and present tense regularly, which interrupts the flow of the story. It also ends on a cliffhanger, so the reader must wait for the sequel to learn how things turn out for Miller and Pumpkin. I admit cliffhanger endings like that never sit well with me.<br />
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What I like about "<b>A Whiskered Perspective</b>" is Pumpkin's personality and his loyalty toward the woman who rescued him. The author, through Pumpkin's eyes, explored how a woman like Miller could be attracted to a person like Rob. She created a plausible explanation in a short period of time.<br />
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If you enjoy reading about human and pet relationships or dark stories, you might consider "<b>A Whiskered Perspective.</b>"<br />
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File Size: 1259 KB<br />
Print Length: 37 pages<br />
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited<br />
Publication Date: June 4, 2020<br />
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC<br />
Language: English<br />
ASIN: B089QTSVY6<br />
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<i>I received a digital copy 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.<br />
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<br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-92055315124128756692020-08-21T21:03:00.000-04:002020-08-27T21:03:37.046-04:00Book Review: Strong from the Heart by Jon Land <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEt5Vj_r9jh1pnRIYNS6TuZIhg33zaCqOmNE_DsGM3BQGjfBjw81rpQJtJpUdZKtX4B1KmrYBrpHNIccHrZ5748BuazetzFgeCxcMEYxQT5DdUde2_oMisBa6mTicdWXiU0h5xb0xxFVA/s1600/strong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEt5Vj_r9jh1pnRIYNS6TuZIhg33zaCqOmNE_DsGM3BQGjfBjw81rpQJtJpUdZKtX4B1KmrYBrpHNIccHrZ5748BuazetzFgeCxcMEYxQT5DdUde2_oMisBa6mTicdWXiU0h5xb0xxFVA/s1600/strong.jpg" /></a></div>
You better get ready, because Caitlin Strong is back!<br />
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<b><i>Strong from the Heart</i></b> is Jon Land's latest addition to his Caitlin Strong series, and this time it's personal.<br />
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The opioid crisis hits home when the son of Caitlin's lover Cort Wesley Masters nearly dies of an overdose. She is also investigating how the residents of a small Texas town all died in one night.<br />
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When this fifth generation Texas Ranger realizes both instances are related, she finds herself following a trail to uncover the truth behind a crisis that claimed 75,000 lives in the last year. She doesn't yet know, however, that the same forces have taken over the opiate trade and have even more nefarious goals in mind.<br />
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Pitted against a cabal nestled within the highest corridors of power that’s determined to destroy all threats posed to them, Caitlin's latest adventure draws the current crisis, the deaths in a small Texas town, and an amazing story from Texas in the late 1800's into one powerful and exciting conclusion.<br />
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I've been reading Land's Caitlin Strong novels for years. This hard-as-nails Texas Ranger gets the job done every time... but it's not usually easy. As with other novels in the series, the current story is woven alongside a story from the past. In this instance, her great-grandfather, Texas Ranger William Ray Strong, is sent to the border town of Camino Pass to transport Pancho Villa to stand trial, but his plans are waylaid when he learns all the town's children have been kidnapped.<br />
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<b><i>Strong from the Heart</i></b> floats between present and past, drawing the reader deeper into the story with each step. Caitlin is battling some of her own demons in this story and learning to deal with her half-sister Nola on top of everything else going on. She is so profoundly human in Strong from the Heart that you connect with Caitlin in a different way than you might have in the past. Seeing her bring down the bad guys in this one is a great reward.<br />
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My favorite series regular remains Colonel Paz. He's this strange blend of gentleness and violence, has a strong sense of reason and repentance, and is truly not a force to be reckoned with. He starts off the story in an unusual role--one which I wish would have turned out differently.<br />
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Land's masterful storytelling never ceases to amaze me. As long as he keeps writing Caitlin Strong novels, I will keep reading. Simply put, this is one of the best thrillers you'll ever read.<br />
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<b>Number of Pages:</b> 368<br />
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<b>ISBN:</b> 0765384701 (ISBN13: 9780765384706)<br />
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<b>Series:</b> A Caitlin Strong Novel, #11<br />
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<b>Purchase Links:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Heart-Caitlin-Novel-Novels-ebook/dp/B07WPNFP54" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bit.ly/30bbozY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="https://bit.ly/2XZnd9K" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b><br />
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<b>CHAPTER 1</b><br />
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</b> San Antonio, Texas<br />
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Caitlin Strong pushed her way through the gaggle of reporters and bystanders clustered before the barricade set up just inside the lobby of the Canyon Ridge Elementary School building.<br />
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“Look,” she heard somebody say, “the Texas Rangers are here!”<br />
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She’d focused her attention on the six men wearing black camo pants and windbreakers labeled I-C-E in big letters on the back, glaring at her from the entrance to the school to which they’d clearly been prevented from entering. She pictured several more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stationed at additional exits in case their quarries tried to make a run for it.<br />
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“We didn’t call the Rangers,” snarled a bald man, the name tag he was required to wear reading ORLEANS.<br />
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“No, sir,” Caitlin told him, “that would’ve been the school principal. She told Dispatch you’d come here to collect some of her students.”<br />
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She let her gaze drift to a windowless black truck that looked like a reconfigured SWAT transport vehicle.<br />
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“Just following orders, Ranger. Doing our job just like you.”<br />
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“My job is to keep the peace, sir.”<br />
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“Ours too, so I’m going to assume you’re going to assist our efforts, given that we’re on the same side here.”<br />
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“What side would that be?”<br />
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Orleans snarled again, seeming to pump air into a head Caitlin figure might’ve been confused for a basketball. “United States government, ma’am.”<br />
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“I work for Texas, sir, and the principal told me all the kids you came for were born on Lone Star soil.”<br />
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“That’s for a court to decide.”<br />
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“Maybe. And, you’re right, the both of us are here because we’ve got a job to do and I respect that, sir, I truly do. My problem is it’s never right in my mind for adults to involve children in somebody else’s mess.”<br />
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<img align="left" alt="Jon Land" border="0" src="http://www.partnersincrimetours.net/pict/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Jon-Land-1.jpg" height="200" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-top: 5px;" width="200" /><br />
<i>Jon Land is the USA Today bestselling author of fifty-two books, including eleven featuring Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong. The critically acclaimed series has won more than a dozen awards, including the 2019 International Book Award for Best Thriller for <a href="http://www.partnersincrimetours.net/strong-as-steel-by-jon-land/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Strong as Steel</a>. He also writes the CAPITAL CRIMES series and received the 2019 Rhode Island Authors Legacy Award for his lifetime of literary achievements. A graduate of Brown University, Land lives in Providence, Rhode Island.</i><br />
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<a href="https://bit.ly/2XCRRXz" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">JonLandBooks.com</a>, <a href="https://bit.ly/2UrNGvJ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/2U0Jrnt" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">BookBub</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/2VmJuMt" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, & <a href="http://bit.ly/2Q9Ttki" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a>!<br />
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<i>I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.</i><br />
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</i> Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-66723606235285450682020-08-04T15:01:00.000-04:002020-08-04T15:01:48.256-04:00New Release: The Perfect Father by John Glatt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the early morning hours of August 13th, 2018, Shanann Watts was dropped off at home by a colleague after returning from a business trip. It was the last time anyone would see her alive. By the next day, Shanann and her two young daughters, Bella and Celeste, had been reported missing, and her husband, Chris Watts, was appearing on the local news, pleading for his family’s safe return.<br />
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But Chris Watts already knew that he would never see his family again. Less than 24 hours after his desperate plea, Watts made a shocking confession to police: he had strangled his pregnant wife to death and smothered their daughters, dumping their bodies at a nearby oil site. Heartbroken friends and neighbors watched in shock as the movie-star handsome, devoted family man they knew was arrested and charged with first degree murder. The mask Chris had presented to the world in his TV interviews and the family’s Facebook accounts was slipping―and what lay beneath was a horrifying image of instability, infidelity, and boiling rage.<br />
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In this first major account of the case, bestselling author and journalist John Glatt reveals the truth behind the tragedy and constructs a chilling portrait of one of the most shocking family annihilator cases of the 21st century.<br />
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Hardcover: 304 pages<br />
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (July 21, 2020)<br />
Language: English<br />
ISBN-10: 1250231612<br />
ISBN-13: 978-1250231611<br />
<br />
<b>Purchase from:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250231612" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-perfect-father-john-glatt/1132911661" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-27062463374909307002020-07-23T10:45:00.000-04:002020-07-23T10:45:46.088-04:00On My Kindle: By Book or By Crook by Eva Gates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Get bound up in murder in the first Lighthouse Library mystery!<br />
<br />
For ten years Lucy has enjoyed her job poring over rare tomes of literature for the Harvard Library, but she has not enjoyed the demands of her family’s social whorl or her sort-of-engagement to the staid son of her father’s law partner. But when her ten-year relationship implodes, Lucy realizes that the plot of her life is in need of a serious rewrite.<br />
<br />
Calling on her aunt Ellen, Lucy hopes that a little fun in the Outer Banks sun—and some confections from her cousin Josie’s bakery—will help clear her head. But her retreat quickly turns into an unexpected opportunity when Aunt Ellen gets her involved in the lighthouse library tucked away on Bodie Island.<br />
<br />
Lucy is thrilled to land a librarian job in her favorite place in the world. But when a priceless first edition Jane Austen novel is stolen and the chair of the library board is murdered, Lucy suddenly finds herself ensnared in a real-life mystery—and she’s not so sure there’s going to be a happy ending....<br />
<br />
File Size: 1086 KB<br />
Print Length: 341 pages<br />
Publisher: Berkley (February 3, 2015)<br />
Publication Date: February 3, 2015<br />
Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC<br />
Language: English<br />
ASIN: B00LMGLZW8<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LMGLZW8/" target="_blank">Purchase here!</a>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-54594871943614925752020-07-02T21:28:00.000-04:002020-07-02T21:28:15.972-04:00Book Review: The Guests on South Battery by <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1Y54bF2KXd911y-BxKXtUBgF-t173bSt_w_E2GTh6w-YTClGdQo9ntBhqpPF82lrIJ3bZGJmwdpBfEJ2e_kRKOl2d40A8pqsndDZcGPcs5Q8Se0qZgalfisM_x070H4UkZM9SDiuaoBA/s1600/tradd+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim1Y54bF2KXd911y-BxKXtUBgF-t173bSt_w_E2GTh6w-YTClGdQo9ntBhqpPF82lrIJ3bZGJmwdpBfEJ2e_kRKOl2d40A8pqsndDZcGPcs5Q8Se0qZgalfisM_x070H4UkZM9SDiuaoBA/s320/tradd+2.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
Melanie, Jack, and their family and friends are back in the fifth installment of Karen White's Tradd Street series, <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/2AgAfrw" target="_blank">The Guests on South Battery</a></i></b>.<br />
<br />
Realtor Melanie Trenholm reluctantly returns to work after her maternity leave ends. She is thrilled, however, when a new client wishes to sell a home she recently inherited on South Battery Street.<br />
<br />
Melanie's mother is familiar with the house, which belonged to a long-time friend of hers. The new owner, Jayne Smith, has no family of her own, so she is surprised she inherited the place. From the very first meeting at the house, Melanie knows spirits call the house on South Battery home...and not all of them want their secrets revealed.<br />
<br />
Wow! I just finished this book and can't wait to read the next one. White proves she can weave a superb story filled with twists and turns, family secrets, and paranormal elements to keep the reader turning page after page until the very end.<br />
<br />
In this story, Melanie's relationships are tested in numerous ways. It's great to see her evolving as a wife and mother, but so many of the things she has struggled with remain. Jack is having issues of his own, and both of them continue to keep an eye out for what Marc Longo is up to. Readers will see more of Melanie's mom, Ginette, in this story, and it is their connection that makes coping with the spirits in the house on South Battery possible. The ending of <b><i>The Guests on South Battery</i></b> also sets up the next book nicely. Though this is a stand-alone novel, I highly recommend starting at the beginning.<br />
<br />
Readers of southern fiction, paranormal mysteries, and stories involving family secrets will want to pick up this one.<br />
<br />
Series: Tradd Street (Book 5)<br />
Paperback: 368 pages<br />
Publisher: Berkley; Reprint edition (August 28, 2018)<br />
Language: English<br />
ISBN-10: 0399584706<br />
ISBN-13: 978-0399584701<br />
<br />
<i>I bought this book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.</i>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-28259117914485289102020-07-02T11:28:00.001-04:002020-07-02T11:28:44.122-04:00Pre-order Casting Call for a Corpse by Heather Haven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftNCDfjrms3FZOwbV-RUOPbBhJ8-zYR8dQIXMyEQU_FEvqksIPbvdY0boZlCUXnReqB4spzZUm8WU98p8UPoSGiUrs7e1yw4EAbjo7HbPEKOuvVMKVDzLmMcUB2RgRnsqGRxrE4CRjNs/s1600/casting+call.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftNCDfjrms3FZOwbV-RUOPbBhJ8-zYR8dQIXMyEQU_FEvqksIPbvdY0boZlCUXnReqB4spzZUm8WU98p8UPoSGiUrs7e1yw4EAbjo7HbPEKOuvVMKVDzLmMcUB2RgRnsqGRxrE4CRjNs/s320/casting+call.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Super sleuth, Lee Alvarez, finds a dead man wearing a tuxedo in a friend’s bathtub during a soiree for San Francisco’s VIPs. And not just any friend, but an internationally acclaimed actress who recently came to live in San Francisco. And not just any bathtub, but a bathtub residing inside one of Alamo Square’s famed Painted Ladies, recently bought by said actress.<br />
<br />
<br />
The police believe it’s the actress friend who done the man in. After all, it’s her house and her tub. And another man died under suspicious circumstances around her recently. Both romantic encounters, doncha know. The actress must be guilty.<br />
<br />
Or is she?<br />
<br />
For ace detective Lee Alvarez, the timing couldn’t be worse. She is supposed to go off in celebration of her 6-month wedding anniversary with her hunky hubby. Paris is calling!<br />
<br />
Or is it?<br />
<br />
<br />
Her long-time friend, plus her mother – She Who Must Be Obeyed – thinks she should stick around and find out who the real killer is. So Lee, family, handsome hubby, and Tugger, the cat, are on the job. But Lee’s nose is itching. Which means not one of the suspects is telling the truth.<br />
<br />
<br />
Or not all of it. Lee soon uncovers threatening letters, sullen playwrights, dead bodies, and a criminal web of jewel thieves, all treading the boards of her friend’s latest musical. This is showbiz?<br />
<br />
File Size: 2231 KB<br />
Print Length: 295 pages<br />
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited<br />
Publisher: The Wives of Bath Press (August 1, 2020)<br />
Publication Date: August 1, 2020<br />
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC<br />
Language: English<br />
ASIN: B08BR6H1GV<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BR6H1GV/" target="_blank">Pre-order here!</a><br />
<br />
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-26408015281513267712020-06-17T23:10:00.000-04:002020-06-17T23:10:21.083-04:00Book Review: Return to Tradd Street by Karen White<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Readers return to historical Charleston in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Return to Tradd Street</i> by Karen White.<br />
<br />
Having refused Jack's marriage proposal, Realtor Melanie Middleton is simply going through the motions of life while she ponders raising her child alone and copes with the never-ending renovations on her historical Tradd Street home.<br />
<br />
When Melanie is awakened by the sound of a ghostly infant cry, she does what she does best--ignores it. That is, until the remains of a newborn are discovered hidden in the foundation of her home.<br />
<br />
As the hauntings at Tradd Street become more violent, Melanie delves into the nature behind the baby's untimely death. When she finds her claim to ownership threatened, she wonders if she can seek Jack's help without risking her heart. But in revealing the secrets of the past, she also awakens the malevolent presence that has tried to keep the truth hidden for decades.<br />
<br />
Though I love this series, I approached <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Return-Tradd-Street-Karen-White/dp/0451240596/" target="_blank">Return to Tradd Street</a></i> with trepidation. Several online reviews didn't care for how Melanie was portrayed in this novel. They found her negativity and stubbornness annoying. I saw her character in a different light.<br />
<br />
For reasons I won't reveal in case you haven't read previous books, she turned down Jack's proposal. Now, she finds herself forty, single, and pregnant. Considering what she endured in her early life, how could she not be highly anxious about everything that is going on? Plus, her mother, her best friend, the housekeeper, and even Jack's teenage daughter are determined to make sure she eats nothing but healthy food during her pregnancy. While Melanie should appreciate the sentiment, can you imagine having the food police following you around for 9 months? I would be sneaking donuts or something.<br />
<br />
Then, there is, of course, the whole dead baby pulled out of her foundation. Melanie is feeling protective over her own baby growing inside, and the ghosts in her house are getting more dangerous by the day. Toss in a threat to her ownership of her historical home, and should we expect her to be more cheerful? Oh, did I mention, pregnancy is not being kind to her body?<br />
<br />
For these reasons, and more, I enjoyed <i style="font-weight: bold;">Return to Tradd Street</i>. Even though I had mostly figured out the mystery behind the dead baby in the christening gown and how the threat to her ownership would end before I turned the last page, White continues to create engrossing stories filled with family, friends, and ghosts set in historical Charleston. In this book, perhaps more than any other in the series, she pushes Melanie to her limits.<br />
<br />
I read in the reviews that some thought this was the end of the Tradd Street series. I don't recall what was going on back in 2014 when <i style="font-weight: bold;">Return to Tradd Street</i> came out, so I can't say...unless it had something to do with the epilogue.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, the next two books are in my house. I have already started <i>The Guests on South Battery. </i>I hope we will see more adventures for Melanie, Jack, Sophie, Nora, and the rest of their crew.<br />
<br />
Series: Tradd Street (Book 4)<br />
Paperback: 336 pages<br />
Publisher: Berkley (January 7, 2014)<br />
Language: English<br />
ISBN-10: 0451240596<br />
ISBN-13: 978-0451240590<br />
<br />
<i>My family bought me a copy of this book as a Christmas gift. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way. </i>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-61807543694411116432020-06-17T00:00:00.000-04:002020-06-17T00:00:03.914-04:00Book Spotlight: Slow Down by Lee Matthew Goldberg<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">SLOW DOWN</span></b><br />
<br />
By Lee Matthew Goldberg <br />
<br />
Thriller/Noir<br />
<br />
How far would you go to make your dreams come true? For budding writer and filmmaker Noah Spaeth, being a Production Assistant in director Dominick’s Bambach’s new avant-garde film isn’t enough. Neither is watching Dominick have an affair with the lead actress, the gorgeous but troubled Nevie Wyeth. For Noah’s dream is to get both the film and Nevie in the end, whatever the cost. And this obsession may soon become a reality once Dominick’s spurned wife Isadora reveals her femme fatale nature with a seductive plot to get rid of her husband for good.<br />
<br />
<i>Slow Down</i>, a cross between the noir styling of James M. Cain and the dark satire of Bret Easton Ellis, is a thrilling page-turner that holds a mirror up to a media-saturated society that is constantly searching for the fastest way to get ahead, regardless of consequences.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Here’s what readers are saying about Slow Down!</h3>
<em>“Slow Down </em>is a frenetic first novel…full of unedifying characters scrambling for the elusive, perhaps imaginary, brass ring.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>—<em>Publishers Weekly</em></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Lee Matthew Goldberg writes like a young Bret Easton Ellis doing a <br />
line of uncut Denis Johnson off the back of a public urinal. Memorable <br />
in the best possible way, also mostly illegal, Goldberg’s <em>Slow Down</em> is a mad man’s tour of Manhattan’s vices, follies, and ultimate betrayals.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>–Urban Waite, author of <em>The Terror of Living </em>and <em>Sometimes the Wolf</em></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<em>“</em>What would happen if one of Raymond Chandler’s 1940’s femme<br />
fatales were to join forces with one of Jay McInerney’s enfant <br />
terribles? Lee Matthew Goldberg wrings every delectable trope imaginable<br />
out of this mashup while still managing a fresh spin. A writer to watch<br />
out for.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>–David Kukoff, author of <em>Children of the Canyon</em></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<em>“Slow Down</em> starts fast and gets faster quick, gunning <br />
through yellow streetlights on its way to a full collision with your <br />
shattered soul. Lee Matthew Goldberg takes on the American Zeitgeist in <br />
this stunning debut.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>–Stephen Jay Schwartz, <em>LA Times</em> bestselling author of <em>Boulevard </em>and <em>Beat</em></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><em>“</em></strong><em>Slow Down </em>is a brilliant rush of a work charting the rise and fall of Noah and other pretentious losers. Savor this book.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>—<em>Foreword Reviews</em></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Dark and hard-boiled writing that grabs you by the throat. <em>Slow Down</em> is one of those rare novels that’s so good you want it to go on forever!”<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>–Nick Pengelley, author of <em>Ryder: An Ayesha Ryder Novel</em></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“The plot takes off…there’s no denying it’s fun to watch rich snots destroy themselves.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>—<em>Booklist</em></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Goldberg’s portrayal of the New York demimonde is one of the book’s strengths and brings to mind Bret Easton Ellis’ <em>Less Than Zero</em>. He also succeeds in marshalling a complicated plot.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>—<em>CrimeFictionLover.com</em></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
ORDER YOUR COPY</h3>
<h3>
Amazon → <a href="https://amzn.to/3dmv8UU">https://amzn.to/3dmv8UU</a></h3>
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PROLOGUE<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
NOAH WATCHED THE PRODUCER’S ASSISTANT PLACE HER PURSE DOWN ON THE STOLEN RED COUCH. He’d taken everything in the apartment, all of it part of another man’s life that he now pretended to lead. The full-wattage smile she gave him never left her face, clear evidence she hadn’t been in the City long, the opposite of a native New Yorker like Nevie Wyeth. Nevie, with her panther-black hair and need for Fast—or any other drug someone had to offer. He was only reminded of Nevie because he’d been waiting endlessly for her to call. He was about to give up hope that she ever would.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Kristy Edson,” the woman said, shaking his hand. She gave two quick pumps. “Mr. Bronfeld sent me over from the L.A. office.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Noah knew that a guy like Barry Bronfeld was too much of a power player to ever appear in person, even though Apex Studios was giving Noah a gigantic deal for a novel and for a film based on that novel. The problem was that he hadn’t written a word yet.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Kid, I can’t wait much longer,” Mr. Bronfeld had yelled on the phone the other night. “Just get it done, whatever it takes. I’m scouting locations already. We’re already spending a fuckload of money.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
They had decided to say that the novel and subsequent film were “based on a true story” to avoid any legal ramifications. They would change all the names, but at the end of the day Mr. Bronfeld wanted as much of the truth in there as possible. The Lee Matthew Goldberg<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
public craved answers and those answers sold books—reality sold books. Now the terrible things Noah did to make it in this business would be revealed in the guise of a story. Sins that nibbled at his soul more and more until all that remained were crumbs.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“So you’re here to…facilitate this?” he asked Kristy, nodding for her to take a seat on the red couch. He took out a pack of cigarettes and flipped one between his lips. His habit had ballooned from zero to two packs a day.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Think of me as your cheerleader,” she said, smiling so hard that her back molars showed. He knew she was hungry for this “tell-all” coup, this bad boy bankroll in front of her. She pointed at his T-shirt that asked Who Am I?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“So who are you?”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Why don’t you tell me when all this is done?”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Yesterday Mr. Bronfeld had threatened that Kristy would be Noah’s last chance; he’d be sued for breach of contract if the book wasn’t finished on time. He’d have to dictate his “novel” to her and then clean it up later on.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“The girl is in love with me,” Mr. Bronfeld had told him. “She can be trusted. And she stands to move up a bunch of rungs if she can get you to open up. She has no reason to go selling your story to some rag. Like I’ve told her some dark stuff. Shit I did at parties in the 80s that would get me arrested today. A hobo I once hit off the Pacific Coast Highway. Anyway… you’re damn young, Noah, but not for too much longer. This is your fucking time to shine. All you gotta do is get me that goddamn book.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“I’m ready whenever you are,” he heard Kristy say. She removed a digital recorder from her purse and placed it on the glass coffee table between them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“I’m trying to think of the best way to start,” he said, his mind racing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“How about when you first met Dominick?”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
He put on a pair of sunglasses. There was no need for her to keep looking directly into his eyes.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Listen, we have an expiration date here.” She was still smiling, but it seemed strained. “Gossip only lasts for so long and then people stop caring. They forget.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
It was hard for him to concentrate on what she was saying. He didn’t know if it was because his brain had turned to mush from all the Fast he’d done the year after college ended, or if it was something else.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“I’m a little on edge,” he said, checking his cell. “I’m waiting for a call, an important call.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Forget about everything else right now,” Kristy said, and motioned for him to put away his phone. “And it’s normal to be on edge. So how are we gonna get you to calm down?”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
She placed her hand on his knee. He noticed she had a tiny gap between her front teeth. He pictured her ten years ago: getting off the bus in Hollywood with an overstuffed suitcase, overfed on impossible dreams.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“I have to say that Slow Down was robbed at the Oscars,” she said. “You totally deserved Best Director.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
She hadn’t taken her hand off his knee, rubbing it now and casting her spell.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“How can I be sure that you won’t screw me over?” he asked.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
She stopped rubbing to put a hand over her heart.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Why would I ever do that?”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“I promise you’ll have a different opinion of me after we’ve finished.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“I have too much to lose if we don’t deliver your book. Barry is financing most of your deal himself, and he’ll attach me as producer. He’ll give me the world.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“You do know he’s married.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
She pouted her lips and shrugged her shoulders.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Noah felt his cell ring. He fumbled around in his pocket and picked it up after the first buzz.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Hello,” he said, chewing on his lip.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Noah!” a gruff voice shouted through the receiver. “Barry Bronfeld here. How’s it working out with Kristy so far?” Noah pictured this bigwig on the other end. Manatee-sized and wearing globular rings filled with cocaine that he’d snort in between meetings. The only bastard in Hollywood that promised double anyone else’s offer.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Tell me we got a fucking masterpiece here, kid.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Noah took another drag and exhaled the smoke through his nose.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“We’ve got a fucking masterpiece here, kid.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Noah, you are a hil-a-ri-ous son of a bitch. You hand me a goldmine and I’ll give you carte blanche with the entire project, even forget about any of these delays. Ah shit, I got Tommy Cruise on the other line…Ciao.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Noah tossed the cell from one hand to the other, rubbing his tired eyes.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
He glanced down as if willing it to ring again.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Sometimes I think about taking a permanent vacation. Away from all the paparazzi.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
He looked out of the window toward a crowd of photographers below.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Is it like this everyday?”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“With the film being so big, and of course after what happened….”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“So how true are all the rumors?”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
He noticed her staring at the giant painting hanging on the wall. A blank white canvas with a yellow circle in the center and traces of red splattered across the bottom in the shape of a handprint.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“The painting caught your eye?”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Yes…I’m trying to understand the significance of the red handprint, obviously the yellow circle represents–”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Not everything has to have a meaning.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“No, of course not, it’s just the yellow circle resembles the tattoos the different girls had in Slow Down, so I thought the red handprint might symbolize blood or death–”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“I’m ready to begin,” he said, more forcefully than he intended.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“Right….absolutely. Time is money.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
She turned on the digital recorder, her fingers lightly shaking. The apartment remained silent for a long, drawn-out minute.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“I met Dominick Bambach four long years ago.” He let out a laugh that sounded like he was gagging. “And I can’t help but wonder, what if I never had? Where would I be now? Who would I be? Sometimes I feel like the real me died a long time ago, or at least whatever part of me was worthwhile.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
He took a deep breath, one last moment of quiet before the purge. He knew that once he’d begin, he wouldn’t allow himself to stop until he reached the brutal end. He sucked in a last hit of smoke and crashed the butt into an ashtray filled with a pile of other snuffed casualties.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
“So here it goes….”<br />
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Lee Matthew Goldberg is the author of the novels THE DESIRE CARD, THE MENTOR, and SLOW DOWN. He has been published in multiple languages and nominated for the 2018 Prix du Polar. The second book in the Desire Card series, PREY NO MORE, is forthcoming, along with his Alaskan Gold Rush novel THE ANCESTOR. He is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Fringe, dedicated to publishing fiction that’s outside-of-the-box. His pilots and screenplays have been finalists in Script Pipeline, Book Pipeline, Stage 32, We Screenplay, the New York Screenplay, Screencraft, and the Hollywood Screenplay contests. After graduating with an MFA from the New School, his writing has also appeared in the anthology DIRTY BOULEVARD, The Millions, Cagibi, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Underwood Press, Monologging and others. He is the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series and lives in New York City.<br />
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WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:</h3>
Website: <a href="http://www.leematthewgoldberg.com/">http://www.leematthewgoldberg.com</a><br />
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Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/LeeMatthewG">http://www.twitter.com/LeeMatthewG</a><br />
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Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/leemgol">https://www.facebook.com/leemgol</a><br />
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Instagram: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/leematthewgoldberg">http://www.instagram.com/leematthewgoldberg</a><br />
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Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-60252760214103433792020-06-10T00:07:00.001-04:002020-06-10T00:07:42.720-04:00Book Review: End of the Trail by Marilyn Meredith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Deputy Tempe Crabtree is back in a new story that finds her drawn into the search for a missing hiker that could put her life in danger.<br />
<br />
In <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trail-Tempe-Crabtree-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B087ZQMZ8P/" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">End of the Trail</a> by Marilyn Meredith, Tempe decides to join the search for a missing hiker. At a nearby campsite, she finds the hiker's wife and two of their close friends. Tempe quickly realizes there is more to this than meets the eye.<br />
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As people try to prevent Tempe from discovering the truth, she finds herself in harm's way. She will need to count on her husband Pastor Hutch, her friend Nick Two John, and maybe even her ghost hunting friend to solve this one.<br />
<br />
I didn't realize how much I missed Tempe until I started this book. All the residents of her little community, the Bear Creek Inn, and the fabulous location came flooding back from previous Tempe adventures. Her Native American ancestry also plays a role.<br />
<br />
As Meredith has always done well, she works Tempe's everyday life into the plot of the unfolding investigation. Fans of the series will recognize familiar names and be introduced to some newcomers.<br />
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Another thing I appreciate about Meredith's writing is that it gets right to the point. <b style="font-style: italic;">End of the Trail </b>opens with a well-written conversation between Tempe and Hutch that hooks the reader into the story. I simply couldn't walk away and read it in between meetings and other daily chores.<br />
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I found the last chapter of <i style="font-weight: bold;">End of the Trail </i>piquing my curiosity of what the future looks like for Tempe and Hutch. It will be interesting to see what Meredith comes up with next.<br />
<br />
If you like engaging police stories, you'll want to grab <i style="font-weight: bold;">End of the Trail</i>. This is a stand alone story, but part of the joy of picking this one up is that I knew these characters before. It's worth starting from the beginning.<br />
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File Size: 2603 KB<br />
Print Length: 175 pages<br />
Page Numbers Source ISBN: B087SFTC6K<br />
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited<br />
Publisher: 31 Months LLC (May 1, 2020)<br />
Publication Date: May 1, 2020<br />
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC<br />
Language: English<br />
ASIN: B087ZQMZ8P<br />
<br />
<i>I was gifted a digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> For a list of Tempe Crabtree books, visit <a href="http://fictionforyou.com/" target="_blank">http://fictionforyou.com</a>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-56625693284478806732020-06-07T19:22:00.000-04:002020-06-07T19:22:19.706-04:00New Release: Lucy Trotter Series Boxed Set by Anya Wylde<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzJWxOfIicfjlGcK9ZF45EWfGJ29p070Tt5fwNPpsx4833UpU1qT713MXQcG029kxkWyhcRzXdF5IJ-o1ha2Oc9lLqQ3VTPc-8yjmjsqk8BrrnZuRTGHEFBwOQJNLdRAzk2xrpVV6xVXS/s1600/Lucy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzJWxOfIicfjlGcK9ZF45EWfGJ29p070Tt5fwNPpsx4833UpU1qT713MXQcG029kxkWyhcRzXdF5IJ-o1ha2Oc9lLqQ3VTPc-8yjmjsqk8BrrnZuRTGHEFBwOQJNLdRAzk2xrpVV6xVXS/s320/Lucy.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Murder at Rudhall Manor</i></b><br />
<b><br />
</b> A murder and a theft have been committed at Rudhall Manor. A box of jewels has vanished and Lord Sedley, a lusty old aristocrat, has been stabbed six times in the chest.<br />
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It is all very mysterious, and the Sedley family and the servants have decided that Miss Lucy Anne Trotter, a recently employed governess, is to blame for the unfortunate events.<br />
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The legendary and wickedly handsome Marquis, Lord William Adair, learns of the matter and decides to uncover the truth.<br />
<br />
Lucy, however, has little faith in blue-blooded creatures—even if they possess dashing good looks— and, accompanied by two naughty pugs and a moody raven, decides to investigate and unmask the killer herself.<br />
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But the hunt for the killer turns out to be far more complicated than she anticipates—what with snooty servants, warts in odd places, mixed up love affairs, agitated chickens and dreadful disguises ruining her plans.<br />
<br />
Soon she begins to wonder if, for once, she is in over her head….<br />
<br />
<b><i>Death of an Aristocrat</i></b><br />
<b><br />
</b> The gossip columns can talk of nothing else, and even the Regent is intrigued. The murder of Lord Beazley at Gopshall Manor has caused a sensation, and the fact that two sweet governesses could have done it has further tickled the nations bloodthirsty soul. Lucy Anne Trotter, who stands accused, steals a horse and hurtles off to convince the only man in the country who can save her bacon— the national hero and the most handsome man in England, Lord William Hartell Adair. With him by her side, she sets out to discover the Gopshall family’s secrets and the murderer.In true Anya Wylde style, plenty of madness, kisses and burning breeches make an appearance. It’s a carriage ride not to be missed.<br />
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Read my thoughts on the first chapter of <i>Death of an Aristocrat</i> <a href="https://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2020/04/first-chapter-review-death-of.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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File Size: 808 KB<br />
Print Length: 390 pages<br />
Publication Date: June 3, 2020<br />
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC<br />
Language: English<br />
ASIN: B089NVRBJ8<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089NVRBJ8/" target="_blank">Purchase here!</a>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-59968060129697510152020-06-07T15:00:00.000-04:002020-06-07T15:00:50.439-04:00E-Book Sale: Pineapple Hurricane by Amy Vansant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1G87Pk4T3_S6LmxIx_Njzc-N5JHS8An1lG4qnDxZBr_ACkvthMS2uV0RzkhqxLnDqowE96UgEtbNNlBQn2RXuRpPP4aRBdI-ZyOAMiJyvRtQtvxobf3L8RV2QgOENf9QkzpeMNb3aBo/s1600/pinapple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1G87Pk4T3_S6LmxIx_Njzc-N5JHS8An1lG4qnDxZBr_ACkvthMS2uV0RzkhqxLnDqowE96UgEtbNNlBQn2RXuRpPP4aRBdI-ZyOAMiJyvRtQtvxobf3L8RV2QgOENf9QkzpeMNb3aBo/s320/pinapple.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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When a Pineapple Port resident is found dead during an approaching hurricane, Charlotte fears someone’s trying to disguise murders as storm-related accidents. The first two victims have more than the storm in common – both were hoarding valuable storm supplies like toilet paper and water.<br />
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Hm. Maybe the killer is karma!<br />
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Bringing together the area’s community leaders to spread a warning could lead to even more trouble. Last time the Five Families got together, someone ended up dead. But things could be much deadlier if Declan’s crazy ex is right and the Puzzle Killer's broken out of prison…<br />
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And did that lamppost just explode, or is someone trying to kill Charlotte and Declan?<br />
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Charlotte vows to solve the crime before the storm hits. Mariska and Darla vow to find some toilet paper for sale, even if they have to call in help from their old neighbor, the revenge-genius, Gloria.<br />
Buckle down for a blustery ride as the storm hits!<br />
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Quips get flung and puns get slung, making for a hilarious read, but even better, Pineapple Port's just a place you want to hang out. The dialog crackles---you'll hear the voices of your own nutty friends and relatives in every conversation.<br />
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Throughout the series, you find serial killers, crazy ex-girlfriends, loving dogs, romance, government operatives, FBI agents, danger... and a cast of characters almost as funny as they are loving, supportive and brave. The series appeals to men and women. <br />
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If Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum and the <i>Golden Girls</i> had a baby, it would be the Pineapple Port series!<br />
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If you like Jana Deleon, Angie Fox, Leslie Langtry, Susan M. Boyer, Gina-LaManna, Julie Smith or any funny, action-packed mystery, you're about to find your next favorite series. <br />
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File Size: 3499 KB<br />
Print Length: 335 pages<br />
Publication Date: June 1, 2020<br />
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC <br />
Language: English<br />
ASIN: B086LGQX89<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086LGQX89" target="_blank">Purchase here!</a>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-15446493177822844222020-05-18T11:51:00.001-04:002020-05-18T11:51:22.822-04:00Interview with Ed Duncan, Author of Rico Stays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_RXoCgeavu8v5bXke02Xo5d5tDCohyphenhyphenmUu1VLS5aSUNEhVFulz7E2uOMEpNX6B1dDAK1P8d6dMelWjxwd-akxhBygEngJuVvD9WDHUlCgdCwPBAdaPMJ7PL7gXHjqPmj-gx4gPJqOZ6s/s1600/RICO+ED+DUNCAN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_RXoCgeavu8v5bXke02Xo5d5tDCohyphenhyphenmUu1VLS5aSUNEhVFulz7E2uOMEpNX6B1dDAK1P8d6dMelWjxwd-akxhBygEngJuVvD9WDHUlCgdCwPBAdaPMJ7PL7gXHjqPmj-gx4gPJqOZ6s/s200/RICO+ED+DUNCAN.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<i>Ed Duncan currently lives outside of Cleveland, OH. He is a graduate of Oberlin College and Northwestern University Law School. He was a partner at a national law firm in Cleveland, Ohio for many years. “It’s always been said that you should write what you know. I am a lawyer - as is a pivotal character in the novel who is being pursued by a hit man - and I'm excited to be able to use my legal training creatively as well as professionally,” says Duncan. Readers can connect with him on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Ed-Duncan-Author-1077945592245888" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/pigeonbloodred" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28223259" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>. To learn more, go to <a href="http://eduncan.net/" target="_blank">http://eduncan.net</a></i><br />
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<b>Did you like crime novels when you were growing up?</b><br />
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I actually first developed a taste for crime fiction after I finished college. I believe that my favorite novel as an adolescent was <i>Great Expectations</i> by Charles Dickens. That novel so wonderfully depicted a world and events that were so far removed from my own experience growing up in Gary, Indiana, a steel town 35 miles east of Chicago, that I felt I was transported there. It was not until I stumbled upon <i>The Maltese Falcon</i> by Dashiell Hammett years later that I became fascinated with crime novels.<br />
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<b>What was the first story in that genre that you wrote?</b><br />
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<i>Pigeon-Blood Red</i> was the first crime novel I wrote and the first novel I wrote. It is the beginning novel in a trilogy. It was followed by <i>The Last Straw</i> and my current novel <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0885HL3LQ" target="_blank">Rico Stays</a></b></i>. Each installment of the trilogy depicts a different violent encounter involving two men from different sides of the tracks, Paul Elliott, a black lawyer, and Richard "Rico" Sanders, a killer with a conscience. The two men seemingly have nothing in common, but each secretly harbors a grudging admiration for the other. In <i>Pigeon-Blood Red</i> a loan shark tasks Rico with recovering a priceless "pigeon-blood red" ruby necklace and at the same time sending a message to the thieves. Trouble is, the necklace falls into the hands of Paul's girlfriend Evelyn, and Rico mistakenly believes she is one of the thieves.<br />
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<b>What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?</b><br />
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I am a big fan of film noir and I consider my novels to be literary noir. I love the dialogue from classic and neoclassic noir films, and I love trying to reproduce the cadence and hard edge of that dialogue in my novels. One of the qualities of <i>The Maltese Falcon</i> that endeared that novel to me was the realistic yet stylish dialogue. Apparently, Walter Huston, who wrote and directed the most popular of the three films based on that novel, agreed, since much of the dialogue is taken directly from the novel. One of the compliments from a reviewer that has meant the most to me is that in his judgment my dialogue is brilliant. I don't know whether I can live up to that assessment, but it's awful nice to hear. <br />
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<b>What do you find most difficult about writing in this genre?</b><br />
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I don't believe that there are any aspects of crime fiction that make writing in that genre any more (or less) difficult than writing in any other genre. Certainly, I don't believe the genre imposes any limitations on a writer's imagination. For instance, the characters can be as complex as the writer wants them to be, and although my stories all take place in cities, as do most crime stories, there is no reason why they couldn't take place elsewhere. Of course, there has to be a crime but not all of the characters need to be criminals with hackneyed back stories. Indeed, all of my novels involve innocent people (with rich back stories) who are unexpectedly thrust into the world of criminals.<br />
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<b>Is there an author in this genre that you admire most?</b><br />
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I've already mentioned my admiration for Dashiell Hammett. He is still probably my favorite despite the fact that he wrote in the first half of the last century. A close second, however, is Lee Child. His Jack Reacher novels are expertly written.<br />
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<b>What is up next for you?</b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Rico Stays</i></b>, which I've just published this month, is the third in my trilogy. I haven't decided yet whether to expand the trilogy. It's informally known as the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ed-Duncan/e/B00J16CW9Q/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1" target="_blank">Pigeon-Blood Red Trilogy</a>. I suppose I could expand it to the Pigeon-Blood Red Trilogy Plus One. Meanwhile, I've written screenplays for each of the three novels, and I'm diligently trying to drum up interest in turning them into films or a TV series. Even with the ever-expanding need for content in today's market, that is is long shot, but I'll keep my fingers crossed. <br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Praise for the Pigeon-Blood Red Trilogy:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"...It rips along like a .45 bullet rushing past your head....a crime novel in a style you don’t ... see too often... a juggernaut of a story that just won’t quit."</i> - Monkey’s Book Review<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"A fast-paced read with complex and morally ambiguous characters that leaves you on the edge of your seat!"</i> - AllieReads.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"Readers in search of a tight, well-written...crime/action/adventure will find...an engrossing story that will keep them involved to the end. And like me, they will find themselves eagerly awaiting the next installment."</i> - Mike Siedschlag’s Review<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"This charming, classically-told crime thriller is a must for noir fans...refreshingly old-school pulp, inhabited by a familiar cast of gamblers, con men and hustlers found in Dennis Lehane and Elmore Leonard novels”</i> – 5 Stars, <a href="http://bestthrillers.com/pigeon-blood-red-a-crime-thriller-by-ed-duncan/">Best Thrillers</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>“This Chicago set thriller is a pacy read, written with an edge and style… Ed Duncan’s series will sweep up fans as it goes along.”</i> - Crime Thriller Hound<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>“With danger looming in every chapter... Duncan skillfully draws the reader into a complex web of characters… A few key twists within the storyline keep the reader intrigued… an outstanding crime thriller…</i>- 5 Stars, Red City Review<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"...suspense from start to finish... a fast-paced read... Entertaining, Gritty and Nailbiting."</i> - The Bibliovert<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03470069911115912344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1684401999581810008.post-18244829068699855752020-05-01T22:28:00.000-04:002020-05-01T22:31:50.385-04:00Book Tour & Giveaway: The Pinebox Vendetta by Jeff Bond<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.partnersincrimetours.net/the-pinebox-vendetta-by-jeff-bond/"><img alt="The Pinebox Vendetta by Jeff Bond Banner" class="aligncenter size-full" src="http://www.partnersincrimetours.net/pict/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/the-pinebox-vendetta-by-jeff-bond-banner-1536x864.png" height="338" width="400" /></a></h1>
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<h2>
Synopsis:</h2>
<img alt="The Pinebox Vendetta by Jeff Bond" border="0" src="http://www.partnersincrimetours.net/pict/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/the-pinebox-vendetta-by-jeff-bond-cover-scaled.jpg" height="300" style="float: left; margin: 5px 15px 5px 0px;" width="200" /><br />
<h3>
From the author of <a href="http://www.partnersincrimetours.net/the-winner-maker-by-jeff-bond/">The Winner Maker</a> and <a href="http://www.partnersincrimetours.net/blackquest-40-jeff-bond/">Blackquest 40</a> comes The Pinebox Vendetta: a genre-bending thriller that combines a love story, cold-case murder mystery, and political blood feud — told over the course of a single breathless weekend.</h3>
The Gallaghers and Pruitts have dominated the American political landscape dating back to Revolutionary times. The Yale University class of 1996 had one of each, and as the twenty-year reunion approaches, the families are on a collision course.<br />
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Owen Gallagher is coasting to the Democratic nomination for president.<br />
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Rock Pruitt — the brash maverick whose career was derailed two decades ago by his association to a tragic death — is back, ready to reclaim the mantle of clan leader.<br />
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And fatefully in between lies Samantha Lessing. Sam arrives at reunion weekend lugging a rotten marriage, dumb hope, and a portable audio recorder she’ll use for a public radio-style documentary on the Pruitt-Gallagher rivalry — widely known as the pinebox vendetta.<br />
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What Sam uncovers will thrust her into the middle of the ancient feud, upending presidential politics and changing the trajectory of one clan forever.<br />
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<i>The Pinebox Vendetta</i> is the first entry in the Pruitt-Gallagher saga: a series that promises cutthroat plots, power grabs, and unforgettable characters stretched to their very limits by the same ideological forces that roil America today.<br />
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Book Details:</h3>
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<b>Genre:</b> Thriller</div>
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<b><b>Published by:</b> Jeff Bond Books</b></div>
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<b><b>Publication Date:</b> February 19th 2020</b></div>
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<b><b>Number of Pages:</b> 264</b></div>
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<b><b>ISBN:</b> 1732255253 (ISBN13: 9781732255258)</b></div>
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<b><b>Series:</b> Pruitt-Gallagher Saga, #1</b></div>
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<b><b>Purchase Links:</b> <a href="https://amzn.to/2uFRDTE" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/38c0tGz" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/2IcOlu5" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></div>
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Excerpt:</h3>
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<h3>
1</h3>
Jamie Gallagher stood beside the pirate at the skiff’s rail, the African sea thick on his skin. Neither man could see the other in the moonless night, but Jamie smelled the khat the Somali never stopped chewing—sweetly sharp, a scent that made Jamie feel part cleansed and part crazed.<br />
“The money is ready,” said the pirate named Abdi. “My men have packed the briefcase.”<br />
“<i>Wanaagsan</i>.” Jamie ducked his head in gratitude. “You believe the general will accept a briefcase?”<br />
“This is the usual way, yes. It will be checked for explosives with X-ray and IMS swabs.”<br />
“Of course.”<br />
“Also, the general will insist on verifying the amount before the release occurs.”<br />
“His men are going to count ten million dollars?” Jamie asked.<br />
The Somali spat khat leaves into the sea. “He has machines. The machines check by weight.”<br />
Jamie exhaled, pushing his own breath into the hot, still air. The money would weigh out.<br />
The money wasn’t the trick.<br />
Abdi continued, “Once the amount is verified, the general will call his people in the jungle by satphone, and they will free your journalist.”<br />
“Immediately? I’ll need confirmation from HD before we leave the yacht.”<br />
“That is the arrangement.”<br />
Jamie mopped his brow. Acting wasn’t his strength, and he hoped his insistence on this procedural point was convincing. In fact, Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) knew nothing about tomorrow. There would be no representative at the hand-off spot, and the French journalist—whose reporting on minority suffrage truly had opened the world’s eyes—would not be freed.<br />
This was a regret. But Jamie Gallagher had lived with worse.<br />
He said, “I’ll be X-rayed, too?”<br />
“Yes.”<br />
“Strip-searched?”<br />
“At a minimum. You should expect a body cavity search.”<br />
“Fine.” In his years advocating for peace and public health around sub-Saharan Africa, Jamie had had his cheeks probed, his neck magnetically combed, and the arches of his feet flayed. “I suppose the general’s in no position to be trusting.”<br />
The pirate took a while to respond. Was he eyeing Jamie in the dark? Signaling to his men back on the mothership? Jamie’s statement had been obvious and shouldn’t have invoked offense.<br />
Since joining the pirates at Merca, a white beach paradise down the coast from Mogadishu, Jamie had detected hostility—even after paying their exorbitant convoy fee. Abdi himself had been civil enough, but his three young lieutenants, after pointedly using their left hands to shake Jamie’s, had glared at him with undisguised contempt.<br />
He understood this. A westerner waltzes onto their ship with unimaginable stores of cash—cash that, in a matter of hours, will bring them into contact with the most wanted war criminal on the planet. Naturally, they resented him.<br />
He was what, five years older than them? With his bandanna and dishwater-blond hair?<br />
Abdi said, “This is a great risk for us. We have earned the general’s esteem. We do not wish to squander it.”<br />
Jamie heard the clench in the man’s jaw. “I assure you, I will comply with every procedure he or you tell me to follow.”<br />
General Mahad and these Somali pirates fought on the same side of many issues. Both wanted the ruling Muslims out of Puntland. They didn’t care that the Muslims had remade the conflict-ravaged region into a prosperous enclave, introducing compulsory education and a foodstuff-based living wage.<br />
For the pirates, the problem was their strict, Islam-centric brand of law and order, which had made the coastal waters harder to pillage.<br />
General Mahad’s beef was simple: the Muslims had replaced him in power.<br />
He’d ruled Puntland for a decade, enriching himself and his cronies using any resource available—khat, guns, people. When word of his atrocities leaked, international pressure mounted for a free election. The general agreed after a period of stonewalling, believing he could manipulate the results. When Al Jama-ah won anyway, the general stole all he could in the weeks before yielding control.<br />
According to a local guide Jamie trusted, the general toured polling stations his last day with a machete, taking three fingers from each precinct leader.<br />
“If I lose next time,” he told them, “you lose the rest.”<br />
Though he retained a few loyalist strongholds like the one holding the French journalist, General Mahad himself lived on a yacht, moving constantly to evade capture. The Hague had convicted him last year in absentia.<br />
Now Jamie asked, “Who’ll be coming aboard with me?”<br />
“Me and Josef,” Abdi said. “We are known to the general.”<br />
“Will you be armed?”<br />
“No. He will search us, too.”<br />
Jamie shuffled in place, the skiff feeling suddenly unsteady beneath him. “I—er, I hope it’ll be okay that I bring a gift. Akpeteshie. I was told it is the general’s favorite liquor?”<br />
The pirate groaned pleasurably. “Akpeteshie, yes.”<br />
“I thought we might share a drink as a token of good faith.”<br />
“The bottle is factory-sealed?”<br />
“Yes.”<br />
“The general will like this. The general believes in courtesy.”<br />
Several retorts came to mind at the ludicrous idea this butcher had any claim on civility, but Jamie swallowed them. He removed a pair of night-vision goggles from his rucksack. Before looking himself, he offered them to Abdi. Abdi waved them off as though the technology were frivolous.<br />
Jamie scanned the horizon, right to left, left to right. The skiff’s sway seemed to increase. The eye cups stuck to his sweaty forehead.<br />
The smell of khat, which hadn’t bothered him before, grated now, like sugar grit needling into his nose and eardrums. He felt the pressure of this place keenly. Every actor—man, woman, or child—who entered this stretch of ocean would be girded to fight. They must be. Choice never came into it.<br />
A shape appeared on the horizon. Jamie thumbed his focus wheel until red blurs resolved to running lights.<br />
“The general,” Abdi said.<br />
Adrenaline jolted through Jamie. Here was a ghost vessel—a vessel many militaries of the world would board on sight, and one the United States wouldn’t think twice about blasting to smithereens with a drone strike.<br />
The yacht grew larger in the greenish display. Jamie screwed on a bulky magnifier lens and was able to make out guards on the gunwale, ambling, AK-47s on their shoulders. The yacht was perhaps twenty meters. Several figures were sprawled out on deck, sleeping in the open for the heat.<br />
Jamie raised the goggles, thinking to find the general on the bridge. The cockpit windows were smoked—opaque from outside and surely bulletproof.<br />
He panned back down. The craft made a leeward turn, and he glimpsed new figures at the base of the pilothouse. These were prone like the others but smaller—a dozen in a line, little pulled-apart commas. Most of them were still, but one squirmed restlessly.<br />
Children.<br />
Jamie’s stomach shrank to a cold fist.<br />
#<br />
He barely slept. Long after rowing back to the mothership and helping Abdi loosely tie up the skiff, and bedding down in the holds beside crates of ammunition and rocket-propelled grenades, Jamie lay awake thinking of those children.<br />
He’d known the general had kids, twenty or thirty that he acknowledged. And it shouldn’t have been surprising such a monster would keep family members near, in the cross-hairs of danger. Still, the concrete knowledge of these innocents shook Jamie. His moral clarity waned, like a tower of blocks losing its crosspiece.<br />
<i>How will the general’s children move on? What if they fall into the arms of the pirates or the next warlord up? </i><br />
From here, it was no leap at all to obsess about the French journalist. When the exchange was revealed as phony, would the general’s men execute her on the spot? They would blame her, despite the fact that she had played no role whatsoever in the ruse.<br />
Renée Auteuil had been raised by a jobless father in Roubaix, the post-industrial husk of a city. She’d worked sixty-hour weeks as a line cook to support them. She’d defied dictators on three continents to achieve the eminence and audience that had prompted General Mahad to snatch her last spring.<br />
Now Jamie was putting her in jeopardy, and for what?<br />
So that he could feel better about himself? So he could feel absolved?<br />
Jamie had chosen Puntland precisely because it was neutral territory in the feud between his family, the Gallaghers, and their conservative arch-enemies, the Pruitts.<br />
The two clans had been fighting for nearly three centuries—and while there was hardly a facet of American political, corporate, or philanthropic life their battles hadn’t touched, neither family had much connection to Puntland. As president, Jonathan Pruitt hadn’t carried out any significant dealings with the territory during his term. (His <i>only</i> term, thankfully.) The Gallaghers facilitated relief missions all over Africa, but nothing specially in Puntland.<br />
Jamie’s action tomorrow wouldn’t be interpreted as having grown out of the feud, or impacted the feud, or given the Gallaghers some edge in the next midterm elections.<br />
This was separate. This was good, a thing nobody could spin or debate.<br />
That had been the plan, at least.<br />
Now doubts roared in Jamie’s mind. He dug at the roots of his hair, flopping about the damp, creaking boards. The Somalis snored in the adjacent room. Their arsenal reeked of grease and sulfur. Jamie crunched his eyes and pulled his rucksack, which he’d been toting around since freshman year at Yale, down over his head.<br />
The thoughts still came, and the guilt. <br />
His emotions spiraled and sickened and fought, and finally came to a head. He growled, disgusted by himself, then tore through his rucksack for the shoe that contained, wedged up in the toes, a newsprint photo of a mass grave discovered in northeast Puntland.<br />
By penlight, he stared at the image. He seared it into his brain. The open trench of dusted gray bodies. The overlapping femurs. The fleshless faces.<br />
The photo was merely one of dozens. Jamie knew the general was well-positioned to continue the slaughter once the collective international eye moved along.<br />
“That’s it,” he whispered aloud. “Not one more thought.”<br />
#<br />
The meeting was to take place twenty minutes after sunrise. Jamie woke, having finally fallen asleep around four a.m., to the Somalis chatting in their native tongue over pieces of flatbread. He dragged himself aboveboard, feeling at once languid and jittery.<br />
“Bread?” Abdi offered, tearing a piece from a slab.<br />
“Thanks, no.” Jamie reached into his rucksack instead for a piece of biltong, the wildebeest jerky he’d grown fond of. “Has the general been about?”<br />
“Yes, Josef saw him. The hat.” Abdi made a sifting gesture above his head to indicate the general’s beret.<br />
The day was already scorching, the sky’s blue brilliance broken only by the boiling disk of the sun. The general’s yacht rocked softly in the west, appearing quite large now, its bow sleek and spear-like.<br />
“They’re within gun range,” Jamie observed.<br />
“Oh yes. We are in their scopes.”<br />
As if to prove the point, Abdi raised a hand in the yacht’s direction and laughed. Nobody joined him.<br />
The pirate named Josef, taller and broader in the chest than Abdi, loaded the ten-million-dollar briefcase into the first of three skiffs. Jamie stepped in after, fitting his rucksack into the hull—careful of the Akpeteshie inside—and tying back his hair.<br />
Abdi took a minute instructing the two men staying back on the mothership. Was he arranging a distress signal? Telling them what to do if shots were fired? <br />
<i>Coordinating a double-cross? </i><br />
There was no use worrying. Jamie had placed himself between dangerous people, but dangerous people performed the same calculations benign ones did. The pirates would keep up their end so long as the benefits remained clear: not only cash, but stronger ties with the general and the establishment of a new back-channel to the powerful Gallaghers.<br />
The skiff loaded, Adbi yanked the outboard motor’s cord. The engine sputtered alive and settled to a rumbling purr. Josef untied them, flashing a grim thumbs-up to the men staying behind.<br />
They charted a course for the general’s yacht. The sea felt choppier on the smaller craft, which didn’t bother Jamie—a lifelong boater and varsity swimmer in college—but did compel him to pull the rucksack protectively into his lap. If the Akpeteshie somehow ruptured against the hull, the mission would be lost.<br />
As they neared the general’s yacht, the faces of his guards became visible—wary, textured faces. The carry-straps of AK-47s sawed their necks.<br />
Abdi cut the motor and drifted in.<br />
A section of railing was unclipped, and a ramp extended from the yacht’s stern. After helping Josef tie up, Jamie slipped the rucksack onto his back and boarded. The Somalis trailed him with the briefcase.<br />
“<i>Halkan, ku siin!</i>” said one of the general’s men.<br />
Abdi shook his head forcefully at the request—to hand over the briefcase. The guards backpedaled, their formation hemming Jamie and the pirates into a corner of the aft deck. Abdi and Josef walked with their bodies shielding the case as if it contained plutonium.<br />
With these uneasy field positions established, the general’s men conferred briefly and parted to form an aisle to the pilothouse. General Mahad emerged.<br />
The general wore his full dress uniform: navy blue, epaulets, ribboned medals. He lumbered forward with a mild limp, said to have originated during the Simba rebellion of 1964.<br />
He raised his chin to Abdi, then spoke to Jamie. “Welcome to the one and true seat of Puntland, Mr. Gallagher.”<br />
Jamie felt the man’s deep, scarred voice in his bowels. “That’s none of my concern. I’m here for Renée.”<br />
The general smiled, his lips fat and sly. “How fortunate she is. You are the white knight, eh? Sir Jamie?”<br />
The characterization stung, but Jamie pushed on. “I’ve been in touch with Humanitarian Dialogue—their helicopter is ready. Give me a latitude and longitude for the exchange and let’s get this over.”<br />
“Your friends have the money?”<br />
Every eye on the yacht turned to Abdi, whose knuckles tightened on the briefcase handle.<br />
“Ten million,” Jamie said. “Count it if you like.”<br />
The general crooked a finger at one of his men, who disappeared to the pilothouse. The man returned with a machine resembling a fax with bill-sized trays.<br />
Abdi stepped forward with the briefcase. The man with the counting machine passed a handheld X-ray scanner around the case and swabbed a cloth along each edge.<br />
He started for the pilothouse with the cloth, likely to perform a residue test for explosives, but the general stopped him. Then gestured for Abdi to go ahead.<br />
When Abdi undid the clasp, the lip snapped open—ten million was a squeeze, even with an oversize case—and a few packets spilled out.<br />
The counting began.<br />
Now Jamie reached into his rucksack for the Akpeteshie.<br />
“I’ve heard tell around campfires,” he began, gathering himself, “that you enjoy a certain Ghanaian beverage.”<br />
The general grinned when he saw the bottle, squat, the neck’s glass bowed in the distinctive shape of a baobab tree.<br />
“This is true.”<br />
“Shall we drink together?” Jamie said. “It’s early, but I find a day started well nearly always ends well.”<br />
The general palmed his jaw. There was a risk he would set the gift aside, but Jamie was counting on this subtle challenge to his manhood—in front of his crew, in front of Abdi and Josef. People like the general didn’t back down from such dares.<br />
Jamie thought of his old classmate Rock Pruitt who’d downed a fifth of whiskey disproving a frat brother’s claim that prep-schoolers only drank martinis and smoked reefer.<br />
“I would quite enjoy that,” the general said. “After the bottle is checked.”<br />
Jamie raised a shoulder, feigning indifference as two men seized the Akpeteshie and held it sideways up to the sun, testing its feel in their hands, poking fingernails along the dripped-wax seal.<br />
They would find nothing. Jamie’s sister Charlotte Gallagher, founder of internet-of-things giant SmartWidget and the eighteenth-richest person in the world, owned 45 percent of the local distillery that produced Akpeteshie. She had allowed Jamie to follow this lone bottle through the factory. At the final step, just before corking, he’d poured out 150 milliliters of liquor and replaced it with an equal amount of king cobra venom.<br />
For fifteen months, Jamie had been inoculating himself with increasingly larger doses of the venom. He had started, after discussing the strategy at length with a Sudanese shaman, with a pinprick diluted in a pint of water. Last week, he had managed eight milliliters of venom—the amount a shot from the spiked Akpeteshie would deliver, depending on the pour—and suffered only dizziness, blurred vision, and severe cottonmouth.<br />
When his men were satisfied the bottle was unaltered, the general took a pair of tumblers from the yacht’s fiberglass sideboard.<br />
Tumblers, not shot glasses. Eight ounces at least.<br />
“To finding a middle, eh?” The general poured each tumbler to the brim. “Two parties can start from opposite ends and, with good sense, find a common understanding.”<br />
Jamie’s teeth pulverized each other in the back of his mouth. He’d always found the rhetoric of compromise disingenuous, whether it came from television pundits or the North Carolina Gallaghers exhorting the clan to give ground at the fringes of the abortion debate.<br />
To hear it from the mouth of a man like Mahad? Revolting.<br />
“<i>To the middle</i>,” he spat.<br />
He raised the tumbler to his lips. Calculations whipped around his brain. Eight ounces divided by one point five…<br />
Equaled six times the amount of venom his body had previously endured.<br />
The liquid was amber, almost orange. As the glass tilted, Jamie imagined he saw currents of venom slithering among the palm wine. His fingers trembled. Some sloshed over the side, but not nearly enough.<br />
In his periphery, Jamie became aware of Abdi and Josef arguing with the general’s men. Abdi slapped one empty well of the briefcase. The general’s men shouted. More rushed to the deck from below board.<br />
The general balked at Jamie’s tone. “You do not like my toast. That is your right. You are the guest, so make your own.” He smirked about. “We are democratic here, aren’t we?”<br />
Jamie ignored the low hoots. “To justice.” He regripped his tumbler. “To justice, and fair treatment for all living things.”<br />
The general guffawed, big and toothy. “For ten million, yes. Why in hell not?”<br />
Their eyes locked over the tumblers’ rims. Jamie perceived something in the man’s look, some hustler’s instinct, and knew if he faltered now—even for a moment—the trap would be blown.<br />
Jamie stared into the lethal brew, waited for bright madness to rise, and drank. The Akpeteshie burned his throat. His jaw felt weak and daggers pressed into his eardrums from inside. Still, he kept his head tipped back and drank it all.<br />
The general and several of his men goggled at the feat. When their eyes turned to him, the war criminal downed his, too.<br />
“…no, <i>the release! </i>” Jamie heard behind him. “No money before release!”<br />
“We will keep it.”<br />
“No, us! We will hold the money.”<br />
A guard wearing ripped denim leveled his rifle at Abdi. Josef stepped forward to push aside the muzzle. Another guard drove the butt of his rifle into Josef’s back, crumpling the pirate.<br />
Jamie didn’t know how long he and the general had. During his inoculation, the symptoms would begin in about a minute, but he’d never ingested this large a dose.<br />
His heartrate zoomed and breath pumped through his chest like air from a bellows—still, this could be the effects of anticipation.<br />
“So, um…the release,” he said, feeling a vague duty toward Abdi. “If you…so I’ll call HD and be sure Renée, er…s’all okay with the money…”<br />
Words were deserting him. The scuffle on deck was intensifying. Josef had recovered to pounce on the man in denim. Abdi was buried in a furious tangle of fists and churning hips.<br />
Jamie didn’t understand the fight. Let them have the money—who cared?<br />
He began to feel disconnected from his body, Abdi and Josef blending into other people he’d known in life, Gallaghers and Pruitts, senators and reporters, grad students and business titans, all fighting without reason, finding joy and enemies, grinding their life into the larger sausage.<br />
The general unleashed a thunderous whistle and raised his hand for calm. The struggle paused. Every eye turned his way. He began to lower his hand but suddenly couldn’t.<br />
His arm convulsed and became some bucking stick-animal beyond his control. His fingers twitched unnaturally. He grasped his throat, staggering back. Froth bubbled in his nostrils.<br />
The man who’d retrieved the money scale from the pilothouse pointed at Jamie.<br />
“What is this?”<br />
Jamie tried answering, but his tongue would not obey, dead and heavy in his mouth. Pain gored his brain. Sweat screamed from his pores, a thousand beads altogether.<br />
This wasn’t the outcome Jamie had wanted, but neither was it wholly unexpected. He thought now of life’s best moments. In Burundi, feeling that boy’s skeletal hand squeeze as he sucked a tab of enriched peanut butter. On the vineyard, fourteen years old, swinging his cousins round and round in celebration after his mother—the senior senator from Connecticut and Democratic National Committee chairperson—had succeeded in her long-shot campaign to retake majority control of the Senate.<br />
Above all, though, he remembered kissing Sam. Seniors on their last night at Yale, about to go conquer the world, standing together in an entryway. Emotions spiked to the heavens. Their mouths came together in the gentlest, deepest touch he’d known before or since.<br />
Samantha Lessing. God, she was it. The life he missed.<br />
Half the general’s men were swarming the Somali pirates while the other half moved on Jamie. There was a gap between the two, but it was closing.<br />
Jamie willed his tongue back into service.<br />
“This was right,” he croaked. “Here, today. This was not a waste.”<br />
And he believed this—dashing across the deck through grasping hands, over the gunwale, into the black ocean.<br />
<h4>
TEN YEARS LATER</h4>
<h3>
2</h3>
Sam slipped out of the WNYC studios at four thirty, waving off cheers of “Have fun!” and “Take me with you!”, hurrying through the lobby, jogging a short block to catch the uptown C. She needed to pick up a daughter and possibly husband in Brooklyn, then be back in Manhattan for the 5:41 p.m. train to New Haven. Reunion check-in closed at eight. If the train arrived on time, she’d make it easy.<br />
If not? If any of the dizzying array of pitfalls inherent in teenagers and public transit popped up? Sam guessed they were sleeping on the street.<br />
Half an hour later, she hiked three flights of stairs with key at the ready. The apartment was unlocked.<br />
“Joss?” she called. “You are packed, yes?”<br />
Her daughter’s door was closed, but guitar chords thwanged through. Sam stepped around French bread pizza and a stack of indie music magazines to pound twice.<br />
“Not telling you what to wear,” she yelled, “but I suggest a dress or dress-like garment for Saturday night.”<br />
The music inside dulled, indicating Sam had been heard. The warning bell had been sounded. She found an oversize duffel bag in the hall closet and tossed in her stuff: toiletries, three-odd outfits for the weekend, Zoom audio recorder.<br />
About outfits: Sam both cared and didn’t care. She was forty-three. Her classmates were forty-three, give or take. Nobody should go rocking a prom dress, but they weren’t dead yet either. She brought dark-red sleeveless, plus yellow floral in case of glorious weather.<br />
“Leaving twelve minutes!” she said through Joss’s door. “Zero wiggle situation.”<br />
Tight timelines didn’t bother Sam—the studio commonly dropped post-production on her for shows that were airing in mere hours. Packing now, she thought pleasurably of the friends she’d see at the reunion. Laurel in from San Francisco. Jen Pereido. Naomi, even though she was still recovering from the birth of her fourth(!) child.<br />
From her own daughter’s room came a squeal, streaked with joy. The noise pinched Sam’s heart. Her husband Abe was in there—they’d probably harmonized on some new melody. Which was awesome. Truly. Except that it was 4:48.<br />
She opened the door. “I hate to be Yoko, but the time’s come to break up. Leaving in five minutes.”<br />
Fourteen-year-old Joss looked up from fingering the neck of her guitar, still grinning. Abe sat cross-legged on the floor with the Yamaha across his knees, a kind of strung-out, hipster Dalai Lama. Both appeared stumped.<br />
Sam said, “Yale? My alma mater, where you’ve been dying to go for months?”<br />
Joss’s grin vanished. “Dad said you were leaving whenever! Isn’t it like an all-weekend thing? Today’s only Thursday.”<br />
“Yes, but in order to check in Thursday night, as I hope to,” Sam said, patiently as she could, “we need to arrive on campus by eight o’clock.”<br />
“That’s ridiculous, I’ve barely even looked at clothes.”<br />
“Then look quickly. I’m winging it myself.”<br />
Joss shot upright, dropping her guitar with a <i>clang</i> against the bed. “I’m not going to Yale on, like, zero notice. You can’t just spring this on me.”<br />
“I sprung no thing on no body. We discussed timing last night, and this afternoon I sent your father four texts—every hour, on the hour—reminding him.”<br />
“But those go to <i>his</i> phone,” Joss said. “Remember, I don’t have one? Because you won’t let me?”<br />
Sam stretched one arm laboriously toward the ceiling, focusing on good breaths. Apparently, they were skimming right over Abe’s not passing along the messages. His long-running campaign to absolve himself of any and all responsibility—waged by a steady pattern of never giving a crap for anyone but himself—had succeeded at last.<br />
“Look, we can argue about phones again or we can try to make this train. Otherwise, we basically miss half the reunion. We might as well skip.”<br />
This genuinely spooked Joss. Her face hollowed even more deeply than usual. (She’d grown three inches this year, causing Sam to marvel at this moody, suddenly supermodel whose laundry she washed every week.) They’d been talking about the reunion forever, what architecture couldn’t be missed, whether student activists would be around for Joss to connect with.<br />
Sam hated to use fear, that blunt-force instrument of the parenting arsenal, but she knew a reasoned argument would produce nothing but gridlock.<br />
Joss started packing.<br />
Abe, who’d disappeared to the bathroom, emerged now with drawstrings dangling from his sweats. He nodded to a pair of shiny heels in Sam’s duffel.<br />
“Somebody’s dressing to impress.”<br />
“I haven’t seen these people in twenty years,” she said. “I’m erring on the side of adequate.”<br />
Her husband snorted, seeming to take the comment personally. Twelve years older than Sam, he’d been an already-aging rocker when she had met him in her late twenties. Between drugs and alcohol, and having nowhere in particular to be for the last twenty years—no office or classroom mores to adhere to—Abe had aged poorly. His leatherette skin belonged to a person decades older, and beige hair had fled the top of his head for his ears and nostrils.<br />
“You’re more than welcome to join,” Sam said, stuffing in a toothbrush. “But we are leaving <i>mucho rapido</i>, so…”<br />
He ambled a step away, picked up Joss’s guitar and set it in its case.<br />
She heaved the duffel’s halves together to make the zipper zip. “You’re passing, correct? I just want to confirm with a verbal yes or no answer.”<br />
Sam knew with four hundred percent certainty that some future argument would hinge on this point—whether or not Abe had been invited. They would be sniping back and forth about Yale, how phony or not phony her friends were, what first-world problems they were finding themselves crippled by, and he would break out his trump card.<br />
<i>You were embarrassed. You didn’t want me there, dragging you down. </i><br />
And here it came, earlier than expected.<br />
“You don’t have to faux-invite me,” Abe said. “You prefer to go alone. Oh, you’ll tolerate Joss. Joss is an acceptable accessory. Perfectly cool, I get it. I won’t ruin your triumphant return.”<br />
Sam again focused on respiration.<br />
In, out. In, out.<br />
“This is a real invitation,” she said. “Just like the one I offered in April, and in May. You are absolutely welcome at my reunion. Come. Please. Joss would love having you there. Maybe you could jam with Thom—he’s supposed to be playing Toad’s.”<br />
As convincingly as Sam delivered these words, her husband was right. The invitation wasn’t real. Abe thought Thom’s music was derivative and had zero interest in strumming out tired chords while Activist Boy preened at the mic for the ladies. If Abe went, he would grump and sulk and criticize, and ruin the whole thing.<br />
“Pass,” Abe said. “Thom can play ‘Better Man’ solo. That is where he opens, isn’t it? Pearl Jam? Or is it the first encore?”<br />
Sam chuckled with relief. Complicity with ragging on her own friends? Fine. Fine, she’d do it—so long as he stayed home.<br />
Their daughter’s voice came through the wall, “What’s the formality situation for Saturday night dinner?”<br />
“Less stuffy than a cotillion,” Sam called back, “but expect mosh-pitting to be frowned upon.”<br />
As she waited on her daughter, Sam kept tabs on a few text conversations by phone. People were arriving into New Haven and wondering where Demery’s had gone, or at the airport dreaming of hugs on the quad, or annoyed because they had to work tomorrow which <i>royally sucked! </i><br />
Sam grinned at this last but didn’t tap back a response. Abe was watching her, surely guessing what the rapid-fire chimes were about. For Sam to actively join in would risk an argument or, worse, a change of heart.<br />
She didn’t think her husband was capable of attending the reunion for spite, enduring a rotten weekend just to play the killjoy. But why push him?<br />
Finally, Joss emerged. She had changed into a clingy ankle-length skirt and carried a backpack.<br />
“Thank you for hurrying,” Sam said. “Excited?”<br />
Joss rolled her eyes but couldn’t completely suppress a smile. Sam clutched her hand. After double-checking the cat dish had food, she slipped on her jacket and pulled her cell charger out of the wall, jamming it into the side of her bag.<br />
Abe tilted his head. “Why’re you taking the Zoom?”<br />
<i>Shoot</i>. Sam inwardly punched her brain for not packing last night.<br />
“Ah…I’m kicking around this audio doc. Just ideas. Might record some clips.”<br />
“Topic?”<br />
She hated how he asked, all aggressive and pedantic.<br />
“I doubt I’ll have time.” She considered lying outright. Joss was watching, though, and the idea of cowering in front of her daughter—who was learning how to relate to others and respond to adversity and be an assertive female—repulsed her. “It’s about pinebox. How it affected our class, et cetera. Of course the vendetta’s been done—this would try to get at it through the lens of our class at Yale. We had one Pruitt, one Gallagher, that death freshman year. Kind of the whole feud in miniature.”<br />
She shrugged, pretending to be flip, and started for the door. It was 4:32.<br />
Abe asked, “Is Rock Pruitt going to the reunion?”<br />
“Dunno,” Sam said. “We didn’t exactly run in the same circles.”<br />
“Really? That seems disingenuous given you were bosom buddies there with the immortal Jamie Gallagher.”<br />
Sam felt her chest constrict. <i>Let it go</i>, she told herself. <i>Let it go like Elsa. Turn yourself to ice, and everything slides right off. </i><br />
Except she couldn’t.<br />
“Jamie despised Rock. You could walk the earth and never find two people with more diametrically-opposed worldviews than Rock and Jamie.”<br />
Abe huffed. “Those beautiful people and their worldviews. What rarefied air you’ll be breathing again.”<br />
Sam opened her mouth hotly to speak. At the last moment, she stopped and finished zipping her bag instead. She stood tall-shouldered, smiled, and invited Joss to lead the way out.<br />
“The audio doc does sound right out of <i>This American Life</i>,” said Abe, evidently unsatisfied with the fight’s resolution. “Who produces that? Must be one of those Yale ninety-sixers working there you could pitch.”<br />
She felt like asking how he could possibly believe in mythical Ivy League connections after this life of theirs: Sam’s twelve years bouncing around the periphery of pseudo-academic film, hustling after grants, performing peon tasks in job after job to bulk up a CV so it could sit on her Patreon page getting a half-dozen page views per month. She had finally risen to prominence at WNYC but almost in spite of Yale, which carried significant prima donna baggage in the field.<br />
Again, though, Sam restrained herself in front of Joss.<br />
“Hey, quick Zoom question,” she said. “You think forty-eight/twenty-four-bit, or forty-four/sixteen is better? It’ll be mostly outdoor clips.”<br />
Abe tipped his balding head left, then right. “Forty-eight. File sizes won’t be that different, and at sixteen, the Zoom gets super noisy.”<br />
Sam crinkled her nose. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess that’s right. Thanks.”<br />
Mother and daughter both pecked Abe goodbye and bounded off to catch a train.<br />
Joss seemed to study Sam down the stairs, and she wondered momentarily if her ruse had failed—if Joss understood that Mom had forgotten more about sampling rates than Dad had ever known—and had only made this final query to escape the apartment on a positive note.<br />
Other fictions existed between the couple. That Abe respected her managerial position at WNYC. That she believed his vow to start playing shows again—that those freelance audio-tech Fiverr gigs he’d parlayed fairly successfully into income were just temporary and not his professional endgame. That reuniting each night for dinner, they asked about the other’s day with anything like genuine interest.<br />
Sometimes Joss would make comments indicating she knew. “Gee, Dad, bitter much?” or, “I’d rather not be involved in <i>this</i>,” swirling her hand as though over a cesspool. Other times, she seemed oblivious, just a regular kid consumed by regular kid stuff.<br />
Either possibility broke Sam’s heart.<br />
***<br />
Excerpt from <i>The Pinebox Vendetta</i> by Jeff Bond. Copyright 2020 by Jeff Bond. Reproduced with permission from Jeff Bond. All rights reserved.</div>
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<i>Jeff Bond is a Kansas native and graduate of Yale University. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Michigan, and belongs to the International Thriller Writers Association.</i><br />
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