Book Review: Reversal of Fortune by F.M. Meredith

The Rocky Bluff P.D. is back investigating its latest murders in Reversal of Fortune by F. M. Meredith.

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. 

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? 

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. 

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 Reversal of Fortune, 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. 

Reversal of Fortune, 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.

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09XLQCNZB
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (April 9, 2022)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 212 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8449705860

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.

This post originally appeared at The Book Connection. 

Book Review: End of the Trail by Marilyn Meredith

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.

In End of the Trail 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.

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.

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.

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.

Another thing I appreciate about Meredith's writing is that it gets right to the point. End of the Trail 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.

I found the last chapter of End of the Trail 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.

If you like engaging police stories, you'll want to grab End of the Trail. 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.


File Size: 2603 KB
Print Length: 175 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: B087SFTC6K
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: 31 Months LLC (May 1, 2020)
Publication Date: May 1, 2020
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B087ZQMZ8P

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.

For a list of Tempe Crabtree books, visit http://fictionforyou.com

Book Review: The Walker on the Cape by Mike Martin

If you enjoy a police procedural or a murder mystery with a unique protagonist, you'll find it in The Walker on the Cape by Mike Martin.

The body of Elias Martin is found on the Cape on the eastern coast of Canada. Word was the old man died of a heart attack or stroke, but it is soon discovered he was poisoned. Sergeant Wintson Windflower and his trusted colleague, Eddie Tizzard, are called to investigate, discovering Grand Bank  holds a lot of secrets for a small fishing community.

The Walker on the Cape is the first book in Martin's Sgt. Windflower Mysteries series. It features a full-blooded Cree as a sergeant for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. While balancing his work life with a little bit of romance, Windflower draws upon his native background and traditions to help others.

Martin does a fine job of crafting an engaging mystery with several twists and turns. He ramps up the tension between Windflower and his superior, making this story feel real. This novel had a quick pace and was easy to move through.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the third person omniscient point of view, so I struggled with that. In addition, it would have been helpful if the book made it through another round or two of edits. The number of typographical errors, missed words, or incorrect words drove me a bit batty; but that's the editor in me. Some readers might not notice as much.

Overall, this looks like it will be a fun series to read. Windflower and Tizzard make a great team.

File Size: 353 KB
Print Length: 243 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: BookLocker.com, Inc. (November 1, 2012)
Publication Date: November 1, 2012
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00A95U6JQ


I received 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.

On Sale!: Tangled Webs by F. M. Meredith only 99 cents Jan 25 - 28, 2019

Officer Gordon Butler and his overanxious trainee Dakota Ayala are dispatched to a scene where they find a woman named Melody White who has been stabbed to death. Gordon is not surprised. He’d been called to that address several times to confront Jacob Hulsey who had stalked the victim. The neighbor who placed the call to the Rocky Bluff Police Department reported seeing Hulsey there the night before. But when another neighbor says Melody’s ex-husband had threatened her, and then one of Melody’s co-workers at the day care center where they worked reported a clash between Melody and her boss, suspects seem to be multiplying like Russian nesting dolls. And to add to the difficulty of sorting it all out, Gordon’s new partner is making moves on Gordon’s wife, and detective Doug Milligan’s daughter Beth has become moody and secretive. At least two of the suspects and maybe some others are weaving tangled webs.

File Size: 736 KB
Print Length: 137 pages
Publisher: Aakenbaaken & Kent (September 27, 2018)
Publication Date: September 27, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07HRKZ927

PURCHASE HERE!

F.M. Meredith is the author of over thirty novels including the Rocky Bluff P. D. crime series. Her many relatives and friends in law help her provide realistic stories of police officers and their families. She is a member of three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her online at http://fictionforyou.com

Police Procedural: The Force by Don Winslow

Our ends know our beginnings, but the reverse isn’t true . . .

All Denny Malone wants is to be a good cop.

He is “the King of Manhattan North,” a, highly decorated NYPD detective sergeant and the real leader of “Da Force.” Malone and his crew are the smartest, the toughest, the quickest, the bravest, and the baddest, an elite special unit given unrestricted authority to wage war on gangs, drugs and guns. Every day and every night for the eighteen years he’s spent on the Job, Malone has served on the front lines, witnessing the hurt, the dead, the victims, the perps. He’s done whatever it takes to serve and protect in a city built by ambition and corruption, where no one is clean—including Malone himself.

What only a few know is that Denny Malone is dirty: he and his partners have stolen millions of dollars in drugs and cash in the wake of the biggest heroin bust in the city’s history. Now Malone is caught in a trap and being squeezed by the Feds, and he must walk the thin line between betraying his brothers and partners, the Job, his family, and the woman he loves, trying to survive, body and soul, while the city teeters on the brink of a racial conflagration that could destroy them all.

Based on years of research inside the NYPD, this is the great cop novel of our time and a book only Don Winslow could write: a haunting and heartbreaking story of greed and violence, inequality and race, crime and injustice, retribution and redemption that reveals the seemingly insurmountable tensions between the police and the diverse citizens they serve. A searing portrait of a city and a courageous, heroic, and deeply flawed man who stands at the edge of its abyss, The Force is a masterpiece of urban living full of shocking and surprising twists, leavened by flashes of dark humor, a morally complex and utterly riveting dissection of modern American society and the controversial issues confronting and dividing us today.

File Size: 2638 KB
Print Length: 501 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0062664417
Publisher: William Morrow (June 20, 2017)
Publication Date: June 20, 2017
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
Language: English
ASIN: B01M1549OD


Order from Amazon or other online retailers.

Interview with J. L. Abramo, Author of Coney Island Avenue

J. L. Abramo was born in the seaside paradise of Brooklyn, New York on Raymond Chandler’s fifty-ninth birthday. Abramo earned a BA in Sociology at the City College of New York and a Masters Degree in Social Psychology at the University of Cincinnati.

Abramo is a long-time educator, arts journalist, film and stage actor and theatre director.  Abramo is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Private Eye Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and the Screen Actors Guild.

Abramo is the author of Catching Water in a Net, winner of the St. Martin’s Press/Private Eye Writers of America Award for Best First Private Eye Novel; and the subsequent Jake Diamond private eye mysteries Clutching at Straws, Counting to Infinity and Circling the Runway, winner of the Shamus Award.

Gravesend, the acclaimed stand-alone crime thriller from Down&Out Books, was released in September 2012.  Chasing Charlie Chan, a prequel to the Jake Diamond private eye series, was released in 2013.
​
Brooklyn Justice, a novel in stories was released in 2016.  Coney Island Avenue, the follow-up to Gravesend was released in 2017.

Visit J. L. Abramo at www.jlabramo.com


Did you like mysteries and thrillers growing up?

I recall always being partial to the Classics—and many of the great works of literature contained elements of mystery, crime, and thrills which stimulated my imagination—from Hugo to Dumas to Dickens to Dostoyevsky. It was the films of the forties and fifties that led me to reading Conan Doyle, Chandler, Cain and Hammett—more specifically crime and detective fiction writers.

What is the first story in that genre you wrote, whether it is published or unpublished?

I co-wrote a small book for the Denver Art Museum called Jack Masters and the Masterpiece Mystery in the late-eighties. The book was given to school children visiting the museum and they would be instructed to find clues in a number of exhibited paintings to solve the mystery.

What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

There is a great deal of range that can be used in developing characters—both the good guys and the bad guys—in crime and mystery fiction. The lone wolf, like Nick Ventura in Brooklyn Justice; the private eye who needs a lot of help from his friends, like Jake Diamond in Catching Water in a Net, Clutching at Straws, Counting to Infinity and Circling the Runway; and those who work as a team, like Samson, Murphy and the other 61st Precinct detectives in Gravesend and the latest novel, Coney Island Avenue. And the villains can range anywhere between the truly evil to the sadly misguided. It is also exciting to be surprised by your characters and the events which unfold—and cling to the assumption that if you surprise yourself in the writing, you will surprise the reader as well.

Is there an author in this genre you most admire?

There are many, for different reasons. I enjoy Dennis Lehane for his strong sense of place, Boston, something I try to embrace in my novels set in Brooklyn. I have always appreciated the smart and often humorous analogies in Raymond Chandler’s narratives and—particularly in the Jake Diamond books—it is evident in my style. Although not specifically a crime writer, the films of David Mamet, including House of Games, Homicide and Heist, are exceptional for their dialogue—and similarly my writing is very dialogue driven.

What is up next for you?

I am working on putting together a collection of short fiction—some previously published and some new, unpublished short stories. I am also working on an epic novel about two families—resembling an Italian-American Hatfields and McCoys—a century long blood feud that begins in Sicily in the late 1800s, moves to America around the time of the First World War, and climaxes in the early years of this century.

Do you have anything to add?

That is a dangerous question since I could go on for quite some time on a wide number of subjects. I will let my fiction do that talking and instead take this opportunity to thank Down & Out Books for their faith in and support of my work.

Interview with Dana King, Author of Resurrection Mall

Dana King owns two nominations for the Private Eye Writers of America Shamus Award, for A Small Sacrifice (2013) and again two years later for The Man in the Window. His novel Grind Joint was noted by Woody Haut in the L.A. Review of Books as one of the fifteen best noir reads of 2013. A short story, “Green Gables,” appeared in the anthology Blood, Guts, and Whiskey, edited by Todd Robinson. Other short fiction has appeared in Thuglit, Spinetingler, New Mystery Reader, A Twist of Noir, Mysterical-E, and Powder Burn Flash.

Dana lives in Maryland with The Beloved Spouse.

Find Dana King online …

Blog: http://danaking.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DanaKingBooks
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Dana-King/e/B005J5BU5K/
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2084473.Dana_King

Did you like mysteries and thrillers growing up?

Always. Sherlock Holmes, The Hardy Boys, Encyclopedia Brown, and the Thinking Machine are among my earliest reading memories.

What is the first story in that genre you wrote, whether it is published or unpublished?

I wrote a private eye short story in a high school creative writing class that the teacher spoke highly of, then let it drop for years. The first adult story I wrote was another PI, which evolved into my Nick Forte series.

What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

That’s hard to say. There are a lot of things I like about writing crime. I think what I like best is the opportunity to write about the kinds of people I understand. Not necessarily the criminals, but the average people caught up in the story one way or another. My cops, for instance. They’re mostly just working class guys who found a job they like and are generally good at. Most of them grew up in or near Penns River and they have more or less trouble adjusting to what the town has become. I grew up there, too, and have some of the same problems when I go back.

Is there an author in this genre you most admire?

Again, picking one is tough, but it’s probably Dennis Lehane. He’s a brilliant writer and his heart’s in the right place. He has a way of exposing social issues in his writing that brings them right out into the open, but never in such a way that he detracts from the story. Well, rarely, anyway. There are a few moments in Moonlight Mile.

What is up next for you?

I’m working on another Penns River story. A mass shooting in a local department store provides an opportunity for a robber passing through town to take advantage of the local cops’ preoccupation with the other problem at hand.

Do you have anything to add?

I’m always aware of what a treat and a privilege it is to be part of the crime fiction community, but the week of a new release drives that point home. That probably sounds sappy to someone from the outside, but crime fiction writers are, in general, as fine a group of people as anyone I know. Myself, excluded, of course.

Guest Blogger: F.M. Meredith, Author of Unresolved (Rocky Bluff P.D.)

Rocky Bluff P.D. is underpaid and understaffed and when two dead bodies turn up, the department is stretched to the limit. The mayor is the first body discovered, the second an older woman whose death is caused in a bizarre manner. Because no one liked the mayor, including his estranged wife and the members of the city council, the suspects are many, but each one has an alibi.

Copies may be purchased from Book and Table by emailing bookandtablevaldosta@gmail.com with a 10% discount and free shipping.

Books may be ordered from all the usual places as well.

One of My Favorite Characters in the Rocky Bluff P.D. Series

Cheryl asked me to tell about my favorite character in this series, but instead, I wanted to tell you about a fairly new character that I’m growing fond of, the new Chief of Police, Chandra Taylor.

Chandra, the second African American on the RBPD, came to Rocky Bluff from the San Francisco Police Department. She knew her chance of advancing beyond lieutenant were nil. Though the small beach town of Rocky Bluff certainly didn’t compare to San Francisco, it didn’t take long before Chandra began to enjoy her job, the police officers who worked under her and the community itself.

In A Crushing Death, Chandra’s life was threatened by a man she’d arrested in the past and Detective Milligan and his wife, Officer Stacey Milligan, not only protected her but became friends in the process.

When the mayor is murdered and the other members of the city council all become suspects, Chandra finds herself attracted to the man who has become the new mayor, Devon Duvall. Whether or not this attraction will develop, of course, depends upon Devon’s innocence.

It’s always fun for me as an author, when new and interesting characters become a part of the Rocky Bluff series. I hope that readers will enjoy this new twist as well.

F. M. Meredith lived for many years in a small beach community much like Rocky Bluff. She has many relatives and friends who are in law enforcement and share their experiences and expertise with her. She taught writing for Writers Digest Schools for 10 years, and was an instructor at the prestigious Maui Writers Retreat, and has taught at many writers’ conferences. Marilyn is a member of three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and serves on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She lives in the foothills of the Sierra. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/

Kindle Freebie: Strong Motive by K. C. Turner

The tables are turned on victim advocate, Elizabeth Strong, when she falls prey to a crime herself and Silverton’s newest detective, Angel Martinez, is personally assigned to her case.

Soon after, they discover her recent client is the target of a murder for hire and she tries to assist him in finding the would-be-killer. Meanwhile, the tangled web of Elizabeth’s past begins to unravel and it’s realized Martinez must work harder to protect one of his own.

Not all mysteries are the same. Strong Motive comes with a little bit of police procedural, a dash of cozy mystery, and peppered with just the right amount of amateur sleuth!

File Size: 590 KB
Print Length: 243 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Strong Books (November 25, 2015)
Publication Date: November 25, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B018JQ9NPY

Purchase here!

Bargain E-Book: Avenue of the Dead by Brian L. Porter

First seen in the short story "The Devil You Know," included here as a bonus, Detective Captain Juan Morales returns in the chilling "Avenue of the Dead."

After the baffling case of the six missing choirboys and the tragic revelations surrounding the death of his brother, the priest Father Rodrigo, Morales is faced with his strangest case yet. A vacation with his best friend in Mexico City leads him into a world of human sacrifice, ancient Gods, and a relationship with the beautiful archaeologist Sophia Kanakarides. When Sophia goes missing, Morales and his friend Francisco Tamayo face a race against time to save her from the knife of the High Priest of the Old Religion.

Set against the backdrop of the ancient ruined city of Teotihuacán, "Avenue of the Dead" is an ‘edge of the seat’ thriller that will set your pulse racing as time begins to run out and the gripping and surprising finale unfolds.

File Size: 1511 KB
Print Length: 161 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Creativia; 2 edition (November 7, 2014)
Publication Date: November 7, 2014
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00PE2XHBS

Purchase here for only 99 cents!

Violent Departures Blog Tour Schedule

College student, Veronica Randall, disappears from her car in her own driveway, everyone in the Rocky Bluff P.D. is looking for her. Detective Milligan and family move into a house that may be haunted. Officer Butler is assigned to train a new hire and faces several major challenges.

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

April 1 http://mmgornell.wordpress.com/

What’s Happening with Gordon Butler?

April 2  http://christanardi.blogspot.com/

            Introduction to the Rocky Bluff P.D. Mystery Series

April 3 http://gumbojustice.blogspot.com/

            My Writing Process

April 4 http://justthefactsmaam.blogspot.com/

            Research

April 5 http://jrlindermuth.blogspot.com/

 What’s Up Next?

April 6  http://marianallen.com/

The Importance of Place

April 7 http://buriedunderbooks.blogspot.com

            Coming Up With New Ideas for an Ongoing Series

April 8  www.paguthrie.blogspot.com

Where Do My Characters Come From?

April 9 www.stephenbrayton.wordpress.com/

            What About the Dialogue?

April 10 http://anastasiapollock.blogspot.com

  Interview

April 11 http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com/

            How I Keep Up With my Characters and What’s Happened

April 12 http://lesleyadiehl.com/

            After So Many Books, How Do You Get Fresh Ideas?

April 13 http://www.lindathorne.com/blog/

            When to Think About Promotion

April 14 www.samwriteaway.blogspot.com

The Good and Bad of Writing a Series

April 15 http://lornacollins-author.blogspot.com

            Ghosts and Why I Write About Them

April 16  http://jlgregerblog.blogspot.com/

            Reading Reviews of my Books

April 17 http://drusbookmusing.blogspot.com/

            Stacey Milligan’s Dilemma

April 18 http://marjamcgraw.blogspot.com/

            The Inspiration for Violent Departures

April 19 http://evelyncullet.com/blog/

            Who Do I Write For?

April 20 https://bookbrowsing.wordpress.com/

            What Makes the Rocky Bluff Mystery Series Unique?

April 21 http://blog.jamesmjackson.com

Final Interview

F.M. Meredith, also known as Marilyn Meredith, is the author of over thirty published novels. Marilyn is a member of three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Besides having family members in law enforcement, she lived in a town much like Rocky Bluff with many police families as neighbors.

Links:

Webpage: http://fictionforyou.com/

Blog: http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/ (Check out the contest she is running during the tour!)

Facebook: https://facebook.com/marilynmeredith

Kindle Freebie: Cruel Justice by M.A. Comley

The headless body of a wealthy widow is discovered decomposing in Chelling Forest. Then a second victim is found. Detective Inspector Lorne Simpkins and her partner, DS Pete Childs are assigned the case.

Before they can discover the identity of the killer they must make a connection between the two victims.

After a third murder, Lorne receives a grisly surprise. Clearly, a vicious serial killer is on a rampage...and Lorne has become the killer's fixation.

Lorne can't allow her failing marriage or her new boss--a man with whom she shares a sensuous secret--keep her from focusing on her job. She must catch the macabre murderer, or risk becoming the next victim.

The Justice series in order are:
Blind Justice - introduction novella to the series.
Cruel Justice #1 in Police Procedurals and 1# Women Sleuths.
Impeding Justice #1 in Police Procedurals
Final justice #1 Action and Adventure
Foul Justice #1 Hard-Boiled Mysteries
Guaranteed Justice #1 Women Sleuths
Ultimate Justice - #2 Women Sleuths
Virtual Justice - #1 Hard Boiled/#2 Psychological Thrillers
Hostile Justice - #1 Police Procedural
Tortured Justice - New release.

File Size: 2831 KB
Print Length: 364 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B005QOY4FM

Purchase here!

Bargain Kindle Books: Deadly Search by Donna Welch Jones

Sheriff Lexie Wolfe becomes entangled in a web of deceit as she searches for her father’s murderer. At the center of the investigation is her mother, Margo, a beautiful temptress who used the love and attention of Diffee men to feed her ego before rejecting them. Her mother may be the reason Lexie’s father, Nodin, was killed. But which of Margo’s pawns did it: the judge, the lawyer, the mayor or someone else? The investigation and Lexie's betrayal of the man she loves propels her life into a dark downward spiral. If she finds her father’s killer what price will she pay for revenge?

File Size: 279 KB
Print Length: 132 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Deadly Niche Press (November 7, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00AXBM72K
Only 99 cents!

PURCHASE HERE!

Book Review: Dangerous Impulses by F. M. Meredith

Officer Gordon Butler is thrilled to learn he is being partnered with the drop-dead gorgeous new hire, Lizette Gibbs, but happenings in Rocky Bluff are going to keep them too busy for much socializing.

Detectives Doug Milligan and Frank Marshall are called in to investigate the murder of a mother and her teenage son. They have trouble narrowing down the suspects to one likely candidate. Meanwhile, Doug's wife, Vice Officer Stacey Milligan, is looking into a party where numerous teenagers were sickened by a recreational drug, and none of the kids will talk about what happened that night.

The latest installment in F. M. Meredith's Rocky Bluff P.D. series is more proof of why the author has carved out a lengthy and prosperous writing career. In Dangerous Impulses, Meredith brings back favorite characters and introduces new ones, always blending the elements of the characters' personal lives and their jobs. Perfect as a stand-alone novel, new readers will enjoy this murder mystery, and longtime fans of the series will be thrilled to see how everyone in Rocky Bluff is getting along. 

Meredith weaves in numerous sub-plots around the larger plot of the murder investigation and Stacey's questioning of the kids at the party. This gives readers a true sense of community inside and outside of the department. 

Dangerous Impulses is a quick, enjoyable read. I dusted it off in two nights. It only took me that long because I was working on deadline. It was hard to stay away. 

Lovers of police novels and murder mysteries will like this one.

Paperback: 202 pages
Publisher: Dark Oak Mysteries (December 24, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1610090608
ISBN-13: 978-1610090605

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


This post first appeared at The Book Connection.

Book Review: Angel Lost by F.M. Meredith

The Rocky Bluff P.D. is back with the latest book in this mystery/crime series, Angel Lost, by F.M. Meredith.

Vice Officer Stacey Wilbur is having trouble keeping the thoughts of her upcoming wedding at bay while at work. Between her job and all the wedding plans, she hasn't had much time to spend with her fiancé, Detective Doug Milligan. Then comes a new case, a flasher showing himself off to women jogging along the beach. Stacey decides to set herself up as bait and Doug is less than happy about it.

Vaughn Aragon has recently transferred to the Rocky Bluff P.D. from L.A. He says he is looking for a slower lifestyle, but his strange behavior makes some of his fellow officers suspicious.

Abel Navarro has trouble concentrating on his work when his mother begins to show signs of Alzheimer's. One forgotten memo could put an officer's life on the line.

When a mysterious angel appears in the window of a local furniture store, not everyone is sure what to make of it. Is it real? Is it a hoax? One thing's for sure, it means members of the Rocky Bluff P.D. will be working crowd control until the excitement dies down.

The lives of the Rocky Bluff P.D. are never boring.

I began reading the Rocky Bluff P.D. series when Smell of Death came out. That was prior to my working with Marilyn Meredith (also writing under the name F.M. Meredith), to promote her Deputy Tempe Crabtree and Rocky Bluff P.D. books. What I picked up right away on with this series, is that Meredith focused on showing how the personal lives of the members of the Rocky Bluff P.D. are impacted by their jobs. From divorces, to deaths, to marriages, and everything in between, a career in law enforcement means you don't leave your job at the door when you come home.

With Angel Lost, it appears the author decided to concentrate more on the personal lives of her characters than their jobs. Not that there isn't a lot going on at the Rocky Bluff P.D.--there is--it's just that we have Stacey and Doug's upcoming wedding, Gordon Butler (my favorite) planning to move out of Doug's house so that Stacey and her son Davey can move in after the wedding, and Abel's mother developing signs of Alzheimer's. The appearance of the angel in the furniture store window is also something I consider more personal, as Barbara and Ryan Strickland are a bit divided over if it's real or not.

I was glad to see the addition of Vaughn Aragon to the force. He quickly became a favorite. I hope we see more of him in future books. I'm also hoping my other favorite, Gordon, gets a book that focuses mostly on him. A lot of what he gets into brings comic relief, but you have to like a guy who attracts nothing but bad luck and odd cases.

With Angel Lost, Meredith continues to do what she does best:  provide an entertaining story that draws you in and takes hold of you until the very last word. In addition, all these books, while part of a series, are excellent stand-alone novels. This book, like the others, left me eager for more of the members of the Rocky Bluff P.D.

Title:  Angel Lost
Author:  F.M. Meredith
Publisher:  Dark Oak Mysteries
ISBN-10: 1610090055
ISBN-13: 978-1610090056

The author paid a fee to promote her book with a virtual book tour through Pump Up Your Book! This fee did not include a favorable review. I received no monetary compensation for this review, which contains my honest opinions of the book. An e-Copy of the book was provided free of charge by the author.

This post first appeared at The Book Connection.

Book Review: Fringe Benefits by F.M. Meredith

A bored, self-centered housewife, a cop who plans the perfect murder, a teenage son who can't handle life at home, a violent rapist who only attacks on Wednesdays, and a series of odd break-ins, come together for an engaging police procedural in Fringe Benefits by F.M. Meredith.

Officer Cal Sylvester has been known to step out on his wife, but he gets more than he bargains for when he hooks up with the greedy wife of a fellow officer. Darcy Butler, the wife of Sylvester's rookie partner, Gordon, is a looker, but his plan to make their affair a more permanent relationship is squashed when Darcy refuses to marry someone who makes as little money as a cop. So Sylvester plans the perfect murder to get his hands on his wife's insurance money.

Sixteen-year-old Adler "Patch" Costello has always been a screw up. Unlike his angelic sister, Jill, he's been a thorn in his parents' side since the day he was born. Unable to deal with his parents' constant criticism, Patch takes to the streets, unaware he's about to become a pawn in a dangerous chessboard that leads to a future he can't conceive.

Members of the Rocky Bluff P.D. work hard to keep the streets of the growing beach community clean, investigating odd break-ins, arresting drunk drivers, and searching for a knife-wielding rapist who only attacks on Wednesday; not knowing that one of their own is operating on the edge of the law.

In the third book of the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, my favorite character is introduced, Gordon Butler. A rookie cop, who if he didn't have bad luck would have no luck at all, is partnered up with Cal Sylvester, a veteran who isn't above taking advantage of the fringe benefits of being a cop.

Gordon is a cop eager to do his best, but the poor guy is the butt of most jokes. His efforts to be a good cop despite his many mishaps, is what endeared him to me in later books in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. What happened with Darcy had been mentioned in future installments, but it was good to finally know the entire story behind how Gordon found himself single again.

Fringe Benefits definitely has an edge to it. You've got a cop who plans to off his wife to collect the insurance money, a teenager whose home life is so bad that he would rather live on the streets than deal with his parents, and the rising crime rate that growth seems to bring.

Abel Navarro, who was more of a supplementary character in earlier books, also gets some time in the limelight. He's frustrated because he keeps arresting drunk drivers, but the D.A. doesn't even bring the cases to court. Navarro gets his own lesson in fringe benefits when he arrests a fire chief from a nearby community for drinking and driving, but discovers he shouldn't have wasted his time. Abel's wife, Maria, is only mildly supportive, and hopes that her husband won't make too many waves that could interfere with his chances for a future promotion.

As with previous and future installments in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, there is a perfect mix of police work and how being involved in law enforcement impacts the family.

I've always been more of a mystery type of person, where the identity of the actual perpetrator is unknown until the very end, so it surprises me how much I've enjoyed reading the books in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, where the reader typically, though not always, knows who committed the crime and journeys along with the detectives as they uncover the clues that lead to an arrest.

It took me a little over a day to finish Fringe Benefits, and if I didn't have a TBR pile that rivaled the Empire State Building, I would reread the next three books in the series.

Fringe Benefits is available through the author's website and also comes in a Kindle edition.

Here is a list of the Rocky Bluff P.D. books in order:

Final Respects
Bad Tidings
Fringe Benefits
Smell of Death
No Sanctuary
An Axe to Grind

Once you read one book in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series you're going to want to own them all. Meredith creates characters you can't help but want to know more about.

This post first appeared at The Book Connection.

Interview with Author F.M. Meredith

We welcome mystery and crime fiction author F.M. Meredith (Marilyn Meredith). We’ll be talking about the latest book in her Rocky Bluff P.D. series, Smell of Death.

Welcome back Marilyn. It’s always a pleasure to have you with us.

Thank you for having me. This is always fun.

Before we begin talking about Smell of Death, why don’t you give readers a refresher of who you are and let them know what you’ve been up to since you last popped in.

I’m the author of over 20 books. Besides the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, I also write the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. Since my last tour, I’ve been to Tampa FL where I was a speaker at a writer’s conference and to Anchorage AK to a mystery convention and then I stayed a few days with a friend in Wasilla and spoke to every class about mystery writing at Wasilla middle school.

This is a bit off-topic, but I am dying to ask you about this. Your website http://fictionforyou.com/ says that you write mysteries, historical novels, and Christian horror. That last one throws me. I didn’t even know there was such a genre. Can you tell us a little bit about it and the Christian horror books you’ve written?

I probably am the one who came up with the name for the genre. It’s horror (really scary) with a Christian theme. The Left Behind Books fit in that category, though in my Christian horror, the heroines may not have the strongest faith, but that’s what carries them through and helps them overcome what ever threat they’ve come up against whether it’s the devil or his demons.



Why don’t you tell us about your Rocky Bluff P.D. series.

This series focuses on the men and women in the Rocky Bluff P.D. and their families. My intention is to show how what goes on in the job affects the family and what happens in the family affects the job. Though many of the same characters appear in each book, the main characters change. For instance, in the first book, Doug Milligan is the main character and at that time is just a regular officer. He appears as a minor character in the next two books, and in this book he’s become a detective and has a major part.

Officer Stacey Wilbur’s physical size appears to be a disadvantage for her. How does she handle it?

What Stacey doesn’t have in brawn she makes up with by her brain and psychological approach to situations.

In the first chapter of Smell of Death you have a lot going on—a murder, a police officer suffering from horrible nightmares, and a missing toddler. How did you manage to jam that much conflict into one chapter? What do you think the key is to making it work well?

Hopefully, I’ve hooked the reader into continuing on. One thing my son-in-law, a police officer for 15 years, always said was that the police department never has just one case to work on at a time like they do in books and movies. That’s one of the things I wanted to show in all four books and have it be more realistic.

We also meet several members of Rocky Bluff’s police department in this first chapter. Is there anyone you would like to talk more about?

Other officers have come and gone, the ones who are in this book have appeared in others. Gordon Butler is an officer who is interested in Stacey, and sort of becomes the comic relief. He was an important character in the book right before this one, Fringe Benefits.

In addition to being the only female in the department, Stacey is a single-mom. How does she juggle her career and her home life?

Stacey and her son live with her parents. She is fortunate to have her folks to baby-sit Davey.

There’s a hint of romance in Smell of Death. We find out that Stacey is attracted to Detective Doug Milligan, but she has a long standing rule about not dating anyone from the department. Do you think Doug could make her break that rule?

There is definitely a strong attraction between Stacey and Doug. He not only admires her as a woman but soon realizes she’s intelligent and a real asset to the department. To find out if she breaks her rule, you’ll have to read the book.

Where can readers purchase a copy of Smell of Death?

Smell of Death is available as a trade paperback from my website, http://fictionforyou.com or Amazon.

What is up next for you? Are there any upcoming projects you would like to share with our readers?

My next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, Kindred Spirits, is expected in August. I’ll be busy promoting Smell of Death and the latest Tempe mystery, Judgment Fire, all this coming year. I’m attending Love is Murder in Chicago, EpiCon in Portland OR, Public Safety Writers Association’s conference in Las Vegas, and Mayhem in the Midlands, in Omaha NE plus library talks and other appearances. And oh yes, while working on another book.

Thanks for joining us today, Marilyn. It was great to speak with you again. I wish you continued success and hope you’ll be stopping by again soon.

This interview first appeared at The Book Connection.