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Illusion of Truth

Detective Emily Hunter Mystery, #3

by

James L'Etoile

 

Heart-pounding action and complex plot twists!

 

Illusion of Truth is the third book in author James L'Etoile's riveting Detective Emily Hunter Mystery series, and in this latest story, the tables are turned as Sacramento PD's finest become the target of a killer. When Emily's romantic partner, Sergeant Brian Conner, is severely injured in a targeted church bombing, her need for a swift and successful closure to the investigation is not only critical but personal. But as additional attacks on more officers and others continue, the clues seem to point to a vendetta against the particular officers themselves, and getting the answers she needs to find the bomber becomes harder and harder as one of their own is implicated. 

Emily is such a relatable woman. With her mother in memory care and her having mixed feelings about merging households with her significant other while holding down a crucial, tension-filled job, you can't help but root for her the entire time. No wonder she's blunt. In her shoes, who would have time to play games or pussyfoot around? I love her dedication to her job, but I moan over her keeping her thoughts to herself and not letting Javier know what she's thinking when she's on the track of a solution, although I enjoy their usual rapport. I understand both her having second thoughts about taking this next step with Brian and his disappointment that she didn't jump for joy at his suggestion. Brian's story is tragic, fraught with the pain of the initial injury, recuperations, and rehabilitation, and his natural and realistic concerns for his future: one that may be much different from the one he'd planned. Even partner Javier is facing tough decisions about his future due to his growing relationship with Jenny, who has been offered a spectacular opportunity in Portland's larger media market. 

The plot is well-paced and suspenseful as Sacramento PD officers are being stalked, manipulated, and attacked. Just when I thought I knew where the story was headed, a new twist would literally grab the plot and drag it in another direction. Not only did the story make me jumpy, wondering when the next attack would come and whether it would be against Emily or Javier, but the action and clever redirection kept me glued to the pages for hours at a time. I didn't want to put the book down until I knew what the resolution would be. This latest book may be my favorite of the series so far. 

I recommend ILLUSION OF TRUTH to fans of mysteries, thrillers, and suspenseful police procedurals. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

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Templar’s Folly

Psychic Detective Malachi Monroe, #1

by

Luke DeSalvo 

 

A newly appointed spiritual guardian and a psychic witch join forces to defeat an ancient evil hidden on the island of Kauai.

 

Templar’s Folly by Luke DeSalvo is set on the lush island of Kauai, an exotic location steeped in Hawaiian mythology and lore, and the author crafts an intriguing, fresh paranormal story by introducing a powerful vampiric adversary straight out of Eastern European folklore. Malachi Monroe, a newly appointed Templar living on the island of Kauai, is tasked with eliminating a vampire who is stalking the daughter of a recent client, only to discover the vampire has a more serious motive than looking for his next meal. Dominic, the almost 500-year-old vampire, needs help killing his creator, an ancient vampire who is slumbering now but will soon awake to destroy humanity and the world, starting right there on Kauai, where he has been secretly hidden. Dominic needs Valerie, a young witch with unique psychic abilities, to help open a pathway to the underworld before Orion, his former mentor, awakens and Malachi’s abilities as a Templar to destroy him once found. But first, all three must come to trust each other before anything good can come from their alliance. 

I loved the premise of this book and really wanted to love the execution as well, and while promising, this work needs more refining before reaching its potential. Malachi Monroe is an engaging main character, and several nice storylines support the plot; however, I felt like I was dropped into the middle of the book, with insufficient development of Malachi’s backstory or the world of the Templars. There are tidbits of information throughout, some even repeated, that help establish both, but the whole Lavaitus Corporation remains vague to me. Were the Templars in the story a modern branch of THE Templars? I liked the chapter epigraphs relating to Lavaitus’s policies, which provided additional insights. Valerie’s presence in the story is more defined, but I still had questions about her being a witch, a ghost hunter, a psychic, and her abilities. 

The relationship between Malachi and Valerie is foretold from both their perspectives, so their meeting and immediate attraction were understandable; however, their instant declarations of love still felt premature. The feeling of rushing may be a product of the dialogue. Much of it came off as unnatural and disjointed, filling space rather than providing motive and direction. 

The underlying plot is intriguing, and the fight sequences are vivid and exciting. Malachi could be a compelling protagonist if his traits were better established. He presents, initially, as engaging, lovable, and somewhat goofy, but he’s later described as classy, which doesn’t show up in his interactions with other characters. Lastly, the book still contains way too many execution errors, such as incorrect word choices, misspellings, typos, repetitive passages, inconsistencies in character names, and continuity issues. These are all the types of things that confuse a reader and interrupt the flow of the story that another pass by an editor can fix. 

The bottom line, though, is that despite my quibbles, I enjoyed the story and would share this title, with my reservations noted, with friends and family who like this genre, especially those who like stories set in Hawaii. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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Struck Dead

Forensic Instincts, #10

by

Andrea Kane

 

Thrilling and complex! A riveting murder mystery!

 

Struck Dead is the tenth book in author Andrea Kane’s thrilling Forensic Instincts series, and all I can say is, “How have I missed reading this fabulous series before?” This story hit the ground running, and I was firmly in its grip from the very start! 

Forensic Instincts is a high-tech investigative firm with a skilled team of professionals who have built an impressive resume of successes. Founder and president Casey Woods becomes the target of a police investigation of the murder of a wealthy, high-profile businessman and of whomever is behind it. She and her coworkers scramble to solve the murder and a previous hit-and-run accident the murder victim was suspected of causing to clear her name. The urgency of the situation and the tension are clear from the outset, and there are few clues on which to springboard into their investigation. From the first twist, Casey’s name scrawled the dead man’s own blood, the story kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat, and there were more to follow. 

The investigation to exonerate Casey is a team effort, including help from outside experts, so there were many people to keep straight. Thankfully, the author has a talent for developing well-defined, interesting, easily differentiated characters. Between the twists and turns in the plot, I enjoyed reading about these characters’ roles in the investigation and how they used their skills. Very early on, I was amused by Emma Stirling’s enthusiasm and playfulness (“Student bests master, Bam.”) but was alarmed later by the situation she put herself in with Brighton, as were the more experienced team members. They really are a family. 

With its tense storyline and likable characters, I recommend STRUCK DEAD to thriller and mystery readers and fans of the previous books in the FORENSIC INSTINCTS series. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

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You Don’t See What I See

by

Ashley Sadrnoori

 

Lovely children’s picture book encouraging kindness and the acceptance of differences and variety.

 

You Don’t See What I See by Ashley Sadrnoori is a lovely new children’s picture book full of cool-colored illustrations, rhymes, animals, insects, and the concepts of kindness, grace, acceptance, and the beauty of diversity. Told from the viewpoints of a frog, fish, snail, rabbit, bear, and fox, my boys would have loved this gentle and encouraging tale when they were growing up. 

When the frog bemoans his bumpy skin and long, sticky tongue, a passing fish points out his beautiful, shiny coloration and his tongue’s usefulness. When a snail becomes depressed over his slow pace and heavy shell, a wise rabbit expounds on how wonderful it is for him always to have his warm, cozy home nearby. Finally, when a bear is sad that people find his large size and hairy appearance scary, a fox exclaims over the advantages the bear’s claws and thick fur grant him in his forest home. The illustration of the smiling, happier bear is adorable and my absolute favorite in the entire book. The story concludes with the animals all looking into the river, using the water as a mirror to reflect their images back to them, considering new viewpoints, and realizing that a few kind words from another could change their feelings and attitudes. 

The story is a gentle one, with some rhyming repetition that children will readily pick up on. The illustrations use a cool color palette that is both relaxing and eye-catching. This picture book would be perfect for bedtime, when you want to share a calming story to help prepare for sleep. Still, it would be an excellent choice for the classroom or after-school sharing as well. 

I recommend YOU DON’T SEE WHAT I SEE to young listeners at home, school, or after-school programs. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.

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The Dreamer

The Black Stone Cycle, Book One

by

Linda Patricia Cleary

 

Great start to a new YA space adventure series about young misfits fighting a secret organization intent on taking over the universe.

 

Sixteen-year-old Ash Bennett has grown up traveling around the solar system with her parents in a space vessel of her engineer father’s design. But as she’s gotten older, she’s come to realize the secretive nature of their existence and is starting to believe her parents are keeping secrets from her. When she returns to tragedy at their ship docked on the surface of Phobos after a routine supply run, she becomes tragically certain that they had been holding out on her. Now she’s on the run from killers – Mind Squad Agents – with three new companions she’s not at all sure she can trust. 

The Dreamer is a marvelous beginning to this exciting new young adult science fiction space-adventure series by Linda Patricia Cleary, and the story hits the ground running, even as the author undertakes the heavy lifting of crafting a unique and robust universe for the story. The story unfolds from multiple points of view, Ash’s and those of other major characters, with great effect. 

Ash is a typical teenager, full of curiosity, emotions, new feelings, and uncertain about her current life and her future, and that’s before tragedy strikes. The author immediately builds suspense with Ash’s thoughts on her and her parents’ solitary lifestyle and the odd, recurring dreams that leave her waking in a sweat. Now on her own, Ash must grow up quickly while discovering she’s developing strange new abilities like those of the universe’s much-maligned Pathers. 

Joining her in the story is Edan Wagner, whose parents lead the notorious space pirates, the Rippers. He’s trying hard to walk away from that life, and his parents aren’t having it. The twins, Isaac and Isabel, are Pathers with strong kinetic and telepathic abilities, and are searching for their own parents, who disappeared from their home on Mars. They, too, are being hunted, as are pathers throughout the solar system, by whom and for what purpose no one seems to know. Each of these characters has a strong, intriguing underlying storyline that I look forward to learning more about as the series progresses. 

The plot is vibrant with compelling backstories of first contact and Earth’s demise, leaving it a spoiled, uninhabitable rock in space. Alien races, such as the Kai and Qreegs, freely mingle with humans throughout the solar system, which advances in technology had opened to exploration and settlement for quite some time by the time of the events in the book. There are plenty of bad guys to escape from as the new friends learn to trust each other and seek answers about their parents. Their group of misfit young adults slowly expands as they rescue others in need along the way. As this is the start of a new series, not all questions are answered, leaving ample territory for future books. 

I recommend THE DREAMER to readers of young adult science fiction and space adventures. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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Secrets of the Deep

by

James Churchill

 

An unusual underwater tale of mystery and horror involving a long-lost WWII German U-boat.

 

Markos and Jem, two divers on what appears to be a research or recovery vessel, unexpectedly find a long-lost WWII German U-boat, one that seems to have been hidden for 80 years and guarded from discovery by the sea itself. Inside is the captain and its original crew; time seems to have stopped for them, waiting to hand off the responsibility they’ve so faithfully executed all this time. 

In Secrets of the Deep by James Churchill, the sea is a timeless, all-powerful, and sentient entity, protective and in charge of what occurs in the plot. It guides and informs the actions of the two main characters, Dr. Markos Leonides and his diving partner, Jem Taner, from the moment Markos makes his initial dive in the Aegean, where U-527 waits. In the story, the sea recognizes Markos as the one to decide what must be done: safeguard a secret older than mankind’s written history, or release it into the world, altering everything known about life. 

We know little about the main characters prior to the dive; they’ve obviously worked together in the past, as they have an ongoing disagreement about something that happened on a previous dive and seem to have developed camaraderie. Jem is Turkish, but we don’t even know Markos’s full name or that he has earned the prefix of Dr. until much later in the story. His identity is initially confusing because his name is presented using a non-English alphabet. But we do know that they are both affected, changed by their experiences underwater, and they believe this to be true, especially for Markos, who is the one most connected to the consciousness of the sea. 

The sea compels them and their vessel into an area of water believed to be unlucky or cursed, and definitely to be avoided by those who spend their lives on the water, where they learn the extent of what they’ve been tasked with. The author’s descriptions of the underwater sequences are vivid, evocative, and so eerie that I got goosebumps. 

While we don’t have a wooden Nazi chest as teased in the blurb, there are shadowy, suspicious outsiders waiting for Markos and Jem when they return to land. They decide to trust the first one to approach them at their hotel room, an Israeli woman claiming to represent UNESCO, who convinces them that the two men they suspect of watching them have bad intentions. However, they soon return to the safety of the sea for the rest of the story. 

So, while this wasn’t the story I expected, I did enjoy it. Rather than an Indiana Jones-like “beat the Nazis” plot, it was much more surreal and original with horror vibes. The main characters remain relative strangers to the reader throughout the book, with their actions alone shaping their development, and I was somewhat okay with that. What they are confronting remains as much a mystery as well, and this aspect of not knowing may perhaps reflect the true nature of the characters’ own understanding. However, the landside agents seem to know what they’re seeking. I felt off-balance and in the dark through most of the story, and I thought this was how the characters probably felt, too. I’d absolutely read more by this author and, in particular, about these two characters. 

I recommend SECRETS OF THE DEEP to readers of underwater adventure and horror stories involving the sea. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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Track of Courage

Call of the Wild, #1

by

Susan May Warren

 

The courage to make hard decisions has gotten her where she is and will determine her future.

 

Track of Courage is the first novel in veteran author Susan May Warren's new Christian romantic suspense series, Call of the Wild, and is set deep in the wilds of the Alaskan bush. Mega-popstar Keely Williams, "Bliss" to her millions of devoted fans, has come to Copper Mountain, Alaska, to search for her birth mother while she recuperates from the surgery she had undergone to repair her vocal cords. But once faced with the reality of introducing herself to this stranger, Keely chickens out and decides to fly back home to New York City without revealing herself to the vibrant, confident woman she found or asking her all the questions she has about why she gave her up for adoption. However, once on the small bush plane to Anchorage, another passenger hijacks the plane, causing it to crash in the middle of nowhere. Surviving the crash, but with the attacker after her, Keely is forced to flee into the snowy, forested bush. 

Flying overhead, Dawson Mulligan, an Anchorage police officer recuperating from an on-duty injury, and his pilot cousin, Moose, see the wreckage of the small plane and set down to investigate. When Dawson's rescue dog, Caspian, disappears into the snowy landscape, they separate with Dawson in pursuit. He runs across Keely, lost and hiding in the bush, and under fire from an unknown assailant. With the help of a local, they make it to Woodcrest, a community of artists and artisans, to hunker down as a massive blizzard hits. 

Both main characters, Keely and Dawson, are working through past traumas, heartbreak, and physical challenges that may alter the futures they had planned for themselves. Both faced difficult decisions, and their similar circumstances drew them together. The generous and welcoming residents of Woodcrest, with their open, natural belief in God, offer the balm their two struggling souls need at just the right time. Their individual strengths and talents provide each with the means to give back for the hospitality and feel useful rather than a drain on the weather-besieged community. Keely and Dawson are attracted to each other from the start, and their light flirting and banter were a delight. They meshed so well, looking like the perfect couple if they could overcome their obstacles together. 

The plot is well-paced and suspenseful as Keely's former fellow passenger is revealed to be a real and ongoing danger not only to herself but also to the Woodcrest community. As the weather worsens, everyone is trapped in place until the storms move on. The harsh conditions and remote setting pose their own dangers and significantly shape the plot's trajectory. As the suspense built and one twist after another appeared, there was no way I was going to put this book down before I knew how everything was going to turn out. 

I recommend TRACK OF COURAGE to readers of Christian romantic suspense. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

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The Lost Ones

Detective Nikki Cassidy, #3

by

Dana Perry

 

One shocking twist after another!

 

The Lost Ones is the third book in author Dana Perry’s thrilling mystery series featuring FBI Agent Nikki Cassidy as she investigates another string of brutal murders of young teenage girls. With its determined, likable main character and complex plot, readers won’t want to put this book down! 

The main character, FBI Agent Nikki Cassidy, is dragged into this latest series of murders when a teenage girl shows up at Nikki’s childhood home in Huntsdale, Ohio, claiming to be Caitlin Cassidy, her sister who was abducted and murdered fifteen years earlier. As more victims appear, each is discovered to have identified themselves as Caitlin in some way shortly before their deaths and in the company of a woman who looks remarkably like Nikki herself. 

The story is well-paced and unfolds inch by inch as small, seemingly insignificant bits of information lead to big discoveries. The plot contains twist after twist, some that even made me gasp out loud when I came to them. The story was riveting, and I was on the edge of my seat from the building tension and the need to get to the final and surprising resolution. 

While this third book in the series can be read and enjoyed on its own, the tension and excitement are much the result of the culmination of all the events from the previous books, and I feel they really should be read in series order for the best experience. I recommend THE LOST ONES to fans of the series and the series to readers who enjoy tense, thrilling serial killer mysteries featuring a strong, smart female protagonist. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

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Last One To Die

Detective Nikki Cassidy, #2

by

Dana Perry

 

The tension mounts as FBI agent Nikki Cassidy searches for a serial killer.

 

Last One To Die is the second book in author Dana Perry’s Detective Nikki Cassidy series, and once again, FBI Agent Nikki Cassidy finds herself involved in a cat-and-mouse game with a serial killer. The tension starts right away and builds as the killer taunts and teases law enforcement from somewhere nearby but just out of sight. 

The story unfolds from Nikki’s point of view and picks up only months after her successful resolution of her sister’s cold-case murder. She’s still mentally recuperating from some of the awful truths she uncovered and the death of an officer with whom she had developed a romantic relationship. But a desperate mother’s direct appeal for her help in solving her daughter’s 20-year-old murder galvanizes her and her partner, Alex, into action. Nikki is a strong and tenacious protagonist with definite ideas about how the investigation should proceed. Although she is capable and confident she will find and stop the killer; she barely gets started before he strikes again, this time in her hometown of Huntsdale, where her sister had been abducted and murdered. 

The plot splits the investigation between cities and the old and new cases, which have some surprising connections. The cold case investigation had a lot left undone by local law enforcement, but they had a quick arrest and a suspect who confessed to the murder at the time. Tracking down witnesses and clues 20 years after the fact is naturally difficult, so the agents must get creative. Nikki finds the new police chief in the town where the cold case occurred easy to work with, and he becomes an interesting distraction. The taunting notes from the killer were chilling in their knowledge of what was going on in Nikki’s investigation and the threats about more to come. 

Although this is the second book in the series, it can easily be read and enjoyed as a standalone. While the author does a comprehensive job of catching new readers up on what preceded the current events, these could be spoilers for readers who want to back up and read the first book. 

With its tense plot, steady, compelling pacing, and likable main character, I recommend LAST ONE TO DIE to readers of mysteries, thrillers, and crime fiction, as well as fans of the previous book in the series. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

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The Nowhere Girls

Detective Nikki Cassidy, #1

by

Dana Perry

 

Riveting thriller where the past comes hunting for the present.

 

The Nowhere Girls is the first book in author Dana Perry’s exciting series featuring FBI Agent Nikki Cassidy, and it is a riveting beginning. With its guilt-ridden main character and an intriguing plot where the past impinges on the present, readers will find it difficult to set this book aside. 

Twelve-year-old Caitlin Cassidy’s murder destroyed her family. Her police chief father suffered a fatal heart attack during the investigation, and her mother blamed her older sister, Nikki, for her death. Nikki shouldered the guilt her entire life, and it guided her to her career in the FBI. She couldn’t save her sister but would do her best to rescue other children in similar circumstances. With her past and commitment to this goal, she is ultra-focused on her work, even to the detriment of her personal life. Nikki has recently acquired a fiancé, one equally devoted to advancing in his own career with a prestigious law firm in Washington, DC. On the face of things, they appear perfect for each other, but the reality is the complete opposite. Nikki is a skilled and pugnacious investigator but has developed a reputation as a bit of a loose cannon and doesn’t recognize the impact the conflict of interest poses for the broader case because of her long-held guilt over her part in her sister’s death and her desperate need to find out the truth of what happened and why. 

The plot grabbed me from the first when her sister’s convicted killer requests a meeting with Nikki to finally answer her questions about Cassidy’s murder, and from there, the story unfolds with one twist after another. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, something new would prove me wrong or change my mind. I was compelled to keep reading to find out how the author would resolve this very intriguing tale. 

I recommend THE NOWHERE GIRLS to readers of mysteries and thrillers, especially those who enjoy a professional female investigator. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.