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Book Review: The Foster Family by Nicole Trope

March 30, 2023 Leave a Comment

Title: The Foster Famiily
Author: Nicole Trope
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Rating: 3,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon

In their holiday home, a stone’s throw from the beach, Elizabeth dials the police with trembling hands. ‘My little boy, he’s missing.’

Elizabeth is Joe’s foster mother, but she loves him like her own. The five-year-old, who adores superheroes and watching the birds outside, is the child she has dreamed of. As she looks into the garden, where he was playing just moments ago, her heart feels like it has been ripped from her chest.

She was meant to save Joe from his birth mother who almost harmed his chances at life. The woman who has been trying to desperately get him back.

She was meant to protect Joe from her husband. The man who, right now, lies to the police, saying he was making breakfast when Joe disappeared. Who squeezes her shoulder, ordering her to be quiet.

She was meant to look after Joe. They are just footsteps from the ocean, and little Joe can’t swim.

Then Joe’s tiny blue sandal is found in the water. If the worst has happened – the unimaginable – Elizabeth will never forgive herself. Because what if the secret she has been keeping for years, the guilt eating her alive, has somehow hurt her little boy?

It’s time to tell the truth – even if it means losing the child who is her whole world. Even if it could be the death of her.

 

In The Foster Family, Elizabeth dials the police to inform them that her son has gone missing, little Joe. Joe is in fact her foster son, and Elizabeth and her husband Howard have gone to a holiday house near the beach to relax and enjoy some quality time with their little family of three.

Told in multiple POVs, the reader soon uncovers that there’s more to this family than meets the eye and that things between Howard and Elizabeth aren’t as great as they initially appear. Each chapter pulls back layer upon layer of this mystery, recalling the events leading up to the day when Joe went missing, intermixed with chapters of the police’s frantic search for Joe.

First, the good. The characterization is well done, and each character feels three-dimensional and fully fleshed out, in particular Elizabeth, Howard and Gordon. The author’s descriptions of the illness tormenting Gordon was at times heart-breaking, but they seemed to be a spot-on description of how it feels to deal with dementia. The writing in general is solid, and the plot has enough twists to be entertaining.

Now, the bad. The pacing. I found this book to be such an incredibly slow read, it felt like the plot was crawling along. Something happened, then there were a few pages filled with details about the events, or the characters’ thoughts about it, and so on. It was also repetitive at times, and honestly I just wanted the plot to move along faster.

Despite that, I did enjoy it, and I’ll definitely pick up one of the author’s other books in the future. There’s information about her other books in the back matter, and she already has an impressive bibliography it seems.

Filed Under: Mystery and Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , ,

Book Review: The Haunting of Highdown Hall (Psychic Surveys Book #1) by Shani Struthers

February 6, 2023 Leave a Comment

Title: The Haunting of Highdown Hall (Psychic Surveys Book #1)
Author: Shani Struthers
Genre: Paranormal Mystery, Ghosts & Hauntings
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon

Join the Psychic Surveys team for a pulse pouding, spine chilling journey into the heart of darkness! Perfect for fans of Stephen King, Darcy Coates, and James Herbert.

If you sell your soul to the devil, can you ever get it back?

The latest in a long line of psychically gifted females, Ruby Davis, can see through the veil that separates this world and the next, helping grounded souls to move towards the light – or ‘home’ as Ruby calls it. Not just a job for Ruby, it’s a crusade and one she wants to bring to the High Street. Psychic Surveys is born.

Based in Lewes, East Sussex, Ruby and her team of freelance psychics have never been busier. Specialising in domestic cases, their solid reputation is spreading – it’s not just the dead that can rest in peace but the living too. All is threatened when Ruby receives a call from the irate new owner of Highdown Hall. Film star, Cynthia Hart, is still in residence, despite having died in 1958.

Winter deepens and so does the mystery surrounding Cynthia, who insists the devil is blocking her path to the light. Investigating her apparently unblemished background, Ruby is pulled further and further into Cynthia’s world and the darkness that now inhabits it. For the first time in her career, Ruby’s deepest beliefs are challenged.

Does evil truly exist? And if so, is it the most relentless force of all?

The Haunting of Highdown Hall is the first book in the Psychic Surveys series. As a fan of paranormal mysteries, when I saw this book was free for a limited time, I had to pick it up, and I’m glad that I did.

In The Haunting of Highdown Hall, Ruby Davis is the owner of Psychic Surveys, a small band of psychics who go investigate hauntings, perform cleansings, and in general, help people with their ghostly issues. This time around, they’re invited to Highdown Hall, a behemoth of a house that is haunted by the ghost of its previous owner: Cynthia Hart. Back in 1958, Cynthia Hart was a world-famous movie star who unfortunately perished during a Christmas party at her own home, due to a heart attack.

But did Cynthia really die of a heart attack, or is something more sinister going on? And is Cynthia’s spirit the only troubled soul dwelling within the halls of Highdown Hall?

I liked the story overall. It wasn’t scary, so if you’re not doing well with the spooks, but you do enjoy reading about spirits, then it’s a good choice. It reminded me a bit of Ghost Whisperer in that sense – featuring spirits, but not in the scary way. I imagine it’s also a great read for local people, as it described the scenery and surroundings of Ruby’s hometown in great detail. Not that interesting for me, and I skipped several of these paragraphs to get to the meat of the story, but not that off-putting either and it added some flavour to the book.

I also wasn’t convinced by Cash, the male love interest. He was a bit… dull. I do intend to pick up the other books in the series, if I get the chance, and hopefully Cash will become more interesting at times goes on. I do have a feeling he’s hiding something darker – or maybe that’s just my own dark side holding out hope. I’m not sure about the other mysteries in this series: maybe they do grow darker and more terrifying (which I secretely hope) but, at least for this one, there’s a positive message of hope and light hidden in the pages.

Filed Under: Mystery and Suspense, Paranormal Mystery, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Book Tours: Starter Day Party Tall Willows

September 2, 2021 Leave a Comment

I’m hosting the starter day party today for the book tour for romantic suspense “Tall Willows”. Enjoy the tour!

Tour Schedule

September 2nd: Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading

September 2nd: Book Excerpt @ Drunk on Pop

September 3rd: Book Excerpt @ Bookish Madness

September 5th: Book Excerpt @ Kate Hill’s Blog

September 6th: Book Excerpt @ Nesie’s Place

September 8th: Book Review @ I Heart Reading

September 9th: Author Interview @ Candrel’s Crafts, Cooks and Characters

 

About the Book

Title: Tall Willows

Author: PC Feather
 
Genre: Murder Mystery / Romance
 
For senior Ruth Willows, her last year at Golden Valley High School in Golden Valley, Colorado was to be the best year ever. That is until the drop-dead sexy cowboy love-of-her-life Ken Silver turns out to be the school’s new English teacher.
 
When she sees him at school, she faints from the shock, crashes into a bookcase, and goes to the ER. Ken, realizing his terrible conflict of interest, goes to the ER and tells her he cannot see her anymore. Ruth returns to school, injured, mortified, and heart broken only to discover the district accountant shot dead in the school darkroom.
 
If that weren’t enough, she accidentally picks up a file that the late administrator left in the school office before his death. The file contains proof that someone was embezzling funds from the school. Ruth finds herself in the middle of the mystery. Was the administrator killed by the embezzler? Does the embezzler know this file exists? Could the murder be a coincidence?
 
Tall Willows takes you to beautiful horse farms in the fictional small town of Golden Valley, Colorado, back to high school and first love, and into the mind of a crazed murderer. If you love a good mystery with a steamy side of forbidden romance, you’ll love Tall Willows.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

PC Feather feels blessed. She has lived and traveled from Maine to California. She’s had the opportunity to work many many jobs from Actor to Zookeeper. Currently, PC Feather lives in Monmouth County, New Jersey where she cares for sport horses, shows horses in dressage, and is a certified equine massage therapist.

Links

Book Site     www.tallwillows.com

Author Site   www.pcfeather.com

FaceBook     https://www.facebook.com/pcfeatherstories

Instagram      https://www.instagram.com/pcfeather/

Purchase Tall Willows from Amazon.

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Cover Reveal Notorious Minds

March 17, 2020 1 Comment

PROPOSAL-Cover reveal 2020-0113 3d Box Set Judith Holstrom on transparent-WEBSITE

TITLE: NOTORIOUS MINDS BOXSET
GENRE: Mystery/Thriller Crime
ISBN: 9781947649651
ASIN: B085S2DYPH
RELEASE DATE: 13th October 2020
PRE-ORDER DATE: 17th March 2020
PUBLISHER: FIRE QUILL PUBLISHERS

What does it take to commit the perfect crime?
Delve into these dark and twisted tales by twenty USA Today and International Bestselling Authors. No matter what kind of crime story typically catch your imagination, there sure is something for everyone.
Conspiracies, political plots, and yes, even murder, are just a few of the crimes waiting inside this box set. Discover a narcissistic grandmother running an underground syndicate, or a support group bent on murder…and even a serial killer who turns his victims into fairytale creatures.
Prepare to delve into an elite killing team who made a mistake, an oil rig filled with secrets ready to explode and a reporter uncovering a treasonous plot.
Uncover how fatal passion, jealousy and fear can be to a group of royal marines and learn from a detective who is far from home fighting demons from his past in order to stay alive.
Can you figure out how the police solve a killer’s confession to nine murders that haven’t happened yet? or how a girl tethered to the heart of a serial killer becomes the FBI’s no 1 ally.
This box set is packed with thousands of pages that will hold you on the edge of your seat, crying for answers. Definitely a must for fans of Patterson, Lee, and Grisham. One-click it today!
AUTHOR LINE UP:
Judith Lucci – USA TODAY AND WSJ BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Carlyle Labuschagne – USA TODAY
Eva Winters – USA TODAY
Lena Bourne – USA TODAY
Karen M. Bryson – USA TODAY
Inge – Lise Goss – USA Today
Karen Randau – Award Winning Author
Eric J. Gates – Award Winning Author
Deborah Shlian & Linda Reid – International Bestselling Author
Sian B. Claven – Award Winning author
Brandy Nacole
Kelsey Reed
N. Gray
Majanka Verstraete – International Bestselling Author
Thomas J. Eyre
Adam Alexander
DL Jones
K.L Lamar
D.J Grayson
Judith Holstrom
BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE….
Pre-Order now and you will receive our amazing pre-order gift – pre-orders are digital and printing is at readers cost.

HOW TO CLAIM THE PRE-ORDER GIVEAWAY

PRE-ORDER PURCHASING LINKS

Amazon

B&N

Itunes

Kobo

GIVEAWAY READERS BUNDLE

notoriousmindbookfunnel

GRAB IT NOW

Filed Under: Book Tours, Cover Reveals Tagged With: , ,

Release Blitz Dreams Illuminate

March 22, 2019 Leave a Comment

About the Book

Title: Dreams Illuminate

Author: Michelle Iden and Emerson Miller

Genre: Middle Grade Urban Fantasy Mystery

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.” –Albert Einstein

What could possibly be happening to Emerson Hill? When she touches an index card, the first color in a rainbow (red)—she’s whisked away to another domain–and given a glimpse of her first dream illuminating. She finds herself in a very hot desert having fun sand-boarding.

This mystery unfolds within a three year period. Emerson gets six more exploding dreams and experiences that coordinate with the other colors of the rainbow. Emerson has headaches from keeping her secret. She’s afraid to tell her parents that secret because they might commit her to a psych facility. She finally lets her best friend, Morgann Stone know what’s going on.

A mystical creature named Mondulalore follows and records Emerson’s movements without her knowledge. He’s able to make himself invisible with a touch of a button. And at times morphs into a human. He reports to his bosses, King London Dolloway and Queen Cortex Dolloway of the Kingdom Galen which is perched on a faraway planet, Bamore. This planet is unknown to the whole world.

Time’s ticking as EM and Morgann attempt to solve this mysterious force. They research sixteen areas, such as, witches, domains, realms, planets, telepathy, etc., to help them uncover clues of these unexplained events.

In the end, Emerson, now a junior in high school is faced with a difficult choice. Will she keep living her present life or forever have her entire past erased from memory to be handed a bright future?  Which one will she pick? Which one would you select?

This electrifying, jaw-dropping urban fantasy mystery will bedazzle you. Get reading. Join Emerson on her journey of magic, excitement, fear, and mystery.

Author Bio

Michelle Iden is a retired counselor. She is published in her area of academia. She penned her first fiction novel, Emma Beware, Book One in her YA suspense series. Book Two, Clara Beware soon followed. She is currently working on the final book in the series, Helen Beware.

Michelle loves God. She likes spending time with family and her two grand-daughters, traveling, writing, reading, researching, cooking healthy dishes and working out.

Emerson Miller lives in the Midwest and attends middle school. She lives with her parents and two cats. She likes to dance, hang-out with friends, travel, bake, camp, run, read and write.

Website: Website

Facebook/Suspense Thriller Books: Facebook / Suspense

Twitter: Twitter

Instagram: Instagram

Get the Book

Amazon

Kobo

B&N
B&N Print

Filed Under: Book Tours, Enchanted Book Tours, Release Day Party, Starter Day Party Tagged With: , , , ,

Book Review: The Sanctity of Sloth by Greta Boris

March 15, 2019 Leave a Comment

Title: The Sanctity of Sloth
Author: Greta Boris
Genre: Suspense, Mystery
Series: The Seven Deadly Sins
Rating: 4,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

There’s one thing more dangerous than testifying to a crime—staying silent.
Locked in the ruins of a California Mission, Abby Travers watches helplessly as a girl dies outside her window. As she struggles between her moral obligation to come forward as a witness, and her commitment to a Medieval religious practice that requires her to retreat from the world, the situation spins out of control.
Abby’s hesitation starts a series of catastrophes. She finds herself at the center of a deadly cover up where every minute counts and indecision could be fatal. She questions all her beliefs and everyone she knows becomes suspect. To save herself and those she loves, she must break free from her self-imposed prisons of stone and fear.
The Sanctity of Sloth is a taut, psychological thriller that answers the question: What happens when a good woman does nothing? Fans of Paula Hawkins and A.J. Finn will enjoy this third book in Greta Boris’s Seven Deadly Sins Series.

 

The Sanctity of Sloth is the first book I’ve read by Greta Boris, but I’m already certain it won’t be my last. This book is the third book in a series, but even without reading book one and two, I could follow the story easily enough.

Abby Travers is forced to watch helplessly when a girl dies outside her window, while she’s locked up in a secret room in the ruins of a California Mission. Abby doubts between coming forward as a witness, and her commitment to the practise of the anchorites (and for those unfamiliar with the word, an anchorite is someone who withdraws from secular society for religious reasons). The practice sounds a little bizarre, but when woven into the story and connected with the personality of someone like Abby, it actually makes a lot of sense.

Abby’s hesitation to come forward has disastrous consequences, and Abby starts to question everything she’s ever believed in.

The pacing is great, the tension is nail-biting, and overall the premise is intriguing. Abby makes for a complex, but well-defined and recognizable character. A suspenseful mystery that certainly leaves the reader guessing.

Filed Under: Book Tours, Enchanted Book Tours, Mystery and Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Book Review: Where Shadows Meet by Nathan Ronen

February 4, 2019 Leave a Comment

Title: Where Shadows Meet
Author: Nathan Ronen
Genre: Espionage, Thriller, Mystery
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

It’s up to him to stop the assassination of the King of Morocco and stop chaos in the Middle East.

Arik Bar Nathan is head of the Israeli National Security Council. He has a direct contact with the Prime Minister. Due to the sudden death of the Prime Minister, Arik’s entire life is about to change.

The new Prime Minister seeks a better public opinion of him and demands that Arik serve this need to build a political image as Mr. Security, revealing secrets and showing off the success of military operations. Arik, an honest professional is not willing to take part in any of these fraudulent activities. The PM decides to end Arik’s duty and dismisses him, as well as the head of Mossad, from their positions.

The new head of the Mossad is a cunning character whose ties to the new Prime Minister are anything but professional.

It doesn’t take long for the new head of the Mossad to ask Arik for assistance. The Israeli Intelligence Agency has received information about Al-Qaeda operatives planning to assassin the King of Morocco during the Inauguration event of the big mosque in Casablanca.

Arik is the only one person who can put an end to this plot and is asked to use his abilities and contacts, to assist in this underground mission In Morocco, and save the King together with the French DGSE secret service.

If the King of Morocco is assassinated, there will be chaos in the Middle East and thousands of lives will be lost. Arik and his commando team must get to him first!

Where Shadows Meet is a tapestry of intrigue, wit, drama and dare that enthralls the reader from start to finish. A brilliant espionage thriller that will leave you breathless. It is the remarkable story of those who live in the shadows, working under false identities and behind masks, addicted to adrenaline and control. An intricate tale of passion and danger.

Nathan Ronen’s history with Israeli national security easily conjures the stories of extraordinary people, dedicating their lives to ensuring public security while paying a costly personal price. These people live in the shadows, functioning behind masks and borrowed time, and like many of us, remain terrified of loneliness.

In Where Shadows Meet, Arik Bar Nathan has worked as the head of the Israeli National Security Council under the previous Prime Minister, but after the sudden death of the latter, a new Prime Minister is elected who demands Arik helps him craft a better public and political image.

Arik refuses to take part in any unsavory activities, and is promptly dismissed. However, Arik is soon asked for assistance by the Israeli Intelligence Agency regarding Al-Qaeda operatives planning to assassinate the Kin of Morrocco. Arik is the only person who can put an end to this evil scheme, but he will have to risk his own life to do so.

Action, espionage, this book feels like watching a movie, and a pretty good one at that. The dialogue is fast, the scenes are action-packed, the pacing is tight, and overall, this is an excellent read!

 

Filed Under: Action, Reviews, Thrillers Tagged With: , , , ,

Book Review: A Trace of Revenge by Lyle Howard

January 8, 2019 Leave a Comment

Title: A Trace of Revenge
Author: Lyle Howard
Genre: Paranormal Mystery, Thriller, Supernatural Thriller
Rating: 4,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A young boy is left for dead by the assassin who has just bludgeoned his parents.

Matt Walker witnesses the murder of his parents but is able to escape and remains alive. He loses his ability to hear but finds out he has a unique power called Psychometry. This power is an ability to “trace” or know an object’s history, just by touching it.

A few years later, a top-secret government armament is stolen during a deadly hijacking at sea and someone intends to sell the powerful weapon to fulfill their own twisted ambitions.

At the same time, a ruthless mob boss has a gruesome secret that he must protect no matter the cost.

All it takes is something as unassuming as a foul ball hit at a Major League baseball game, to send all of these characters and events spiraling on a collision course aboard the most unique cruise ship ever built and send Matt on the quest to find his parents’ killer.

In A Trace of Revenge, Matt Walker witnessed his parents’ murder and narrowly escaped with his life. Although he can no longer hear due to this terrifying ordeal, he discovers he has an unique power: the ability to trace an object’s history by touching it.

Seeking revenge for what happened to his parents, Matt is dead-set on tracking down the killer, no matter what the cost. Add in the theft of a top-secret government weapon, the most unique cruise ship ever built, and a ruthless mob boss with a harrowing secret, and you have an edge-of-your-seat thriller that is fast-paced, not predictable at all, and solidly escorts the reader from one chapter to the next.

Filed Under: Mystery and Suspense, Paranormal Mystery, Reviews, Supernaturall Thriller, Thrillers Tagged With: , , , ,

Book Review: Haunted Blood by Elik Katzav

January 6, 2019 Leave a Comment

Title: Haunted Blood
Author: Elik Katzav
Genre: Paranormal Mystery / Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A missing reporter is found drained of blood after being murdered in a ritualistic ceremony.

Now, a young boy has gone missing.

David used to be a police detective before he was shamefully dismissed for claiming that a demon possessed an old priest.Now, he is taking odd jobs as a private eye and investigating the disappearance of a missing boy. As his investigation progresses, he becomes certain that supernatural forces are involved.

The theft of an ancient pagan god statue from a museum, a patient in a psych ward who claims she took part in secret sacrificial killings, and a ruthless cult leader who will stop at nothing, all allow David to understand evil things are coming his way.

David must solve the mystery before the clock strikes zero. If he doesn’t find the boy, he will lose himself as well.

In Haunted Blood, we follow main character David, who used to be a police detective before he was dismissed because he claimed a demon was possessing an old priest. Now, David makes a living as private investigator, and it’s this job that leads him to the search for a missing young boy, which is linked to the murder of a missing reporter – found drained of blood in what looks to be a ritualistic ceremony.

Combined with a woman in the psych ward claiming she participated in sacrificial killings, and an evil cult leader, David realizes that the evil he recognized all those years ago has come back to haunt him. And if he wants to find the missing boy, he’ll have to face his own worst fears.

The world-building was great. I read a lot of paranormal mysteries, but to have one set in Israel is quite unique and gave it an intriguing feel. I liked the characters and plot, even if the plot was not that original, the setting and characters definitely made it entertaining!

Filed Under: Mystery and Suspense, Paranormal Mystery, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2019

January 1, 2019 Leave a Comment

I’ve participated in the Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge for the past few years, and I usually win the challenge (or enjoying trying to win it…) so I decided to sign up again.

For this challenge, you have to read mystery / crime / thriller / suspense books. This year, I’m aiming for level Detective, which means I have to read between 16 and 25 books. Wish me luck!

You can find out more about the challenge, or sign up to participate on Books, Movies, Reviews, Oh My!

I will keep track of my progress here, and on my main reading challenges page.

  1. Haunted Blood by Elik Katzav
  2. A Trace of Revenge by Lyle Howard
  3. Where Shadows Meet by Nathan Ronen
  4. The Sanctity of Sloth by Greta Boris
Filed Under: Reading Challenges Tagged With: , , ,

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