Last to Fall

Gossamer Falls, #3

by

Lynn H. Blackburn

A wonderfully satisfying tale of romance, suspense, forgiveness, and second chances.

Last to Fall, the final book in author Lynn H. Blackburn's excellent Christian romantic suspense trilogy, Gossamer Falls, is a well-done and satisfying story of abiding friendship, forgiveness, and second chances. This is Bronwyn Pierce's and Montgomery "Mo" Quinn's story and the perfect conclusion to the trilogy. 

The Haven's CEO, Bronwyn Pierce, knows something isn't right in the company's financial reports, but whatever it is, it's so subtly hidden that she's unable to pinpoint it on her own. With only family members and in-laws on the Board of Directors and in management, though, chances are the culprit, if there is one, is going to be a relative, so she turns to the only people she can trust: her childhood friends Cal, Meredith, and Mo Quinn. Unfortunately, a mistake in her past has caused a years-long rift between her and Mo, a forensic accountant and the one person she knows who can figure this all out. But the longer she puts off asking for help, the worse the atmosphere on the Board is getting. Although she's brought their company to new heights of success, some members are looking for any excuse to oust her in favor of someone more malleable, and it's starting to look like someone may be taking more sinister and permanent measures to get rid of her. 

I loved this story from the very beginning! The two rival families, the Pierces and the Quinns, are mending their differences, at least among the younger members. But Mo and Bronwyn's troubles go deep, with a load of hurt and trust issues to overcome before they can begin to heal. 

The author creates a brooding, expectant, atmospheric feeling early; the perfect setting for what's to come. So much happens during the wee hours of the morning, when everyone is sleep-deprived and less alert, with their defenses down. However, Bronwyn, Mo, and their group rise to the challenge, which is proven early on during a suspicious power outage at the resort. 

Bronwyn and Mo are such a vulnerable pair, and their refusal to even speak directly to each other prevents them from reconnecting and overcoming their past hurts. I liked how the author used quick flashbacks to tell their shared backstory and explain why things were the way they were between them in the present. 

I recommend LAST TO FALL to readers of romantic suspense, especially those who enjoy faith-based stories. 

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

The ZigZag Girl

by

Ruth Knafo Setton

Atmospheric noir crime fiction with paranormal elements.

The ZigZag Girl by Ruth Knafo Setton is a wonderfully moody and atmospheric crime novel with unique paranormal elements, and the engaging young narrator, Lucy Moon, drew me in and under the book’s spell from the start. When the third member of their magic act, Vanessa Kim, fails to show up for a performance, Lucy Moon and Stormy Weather are worried that the mysterious new man in Van’s life is responsible, but despite their unease, the show must go on. However, when her naked body is revealed inside the prop saw box during the highlight of the show, Lucy recognizes a clue the killer left behind as one meant solely for her. 

Lucy is a unique and engaging heroine, and I was invested in her story from the beginning. She’s smart but vulnerable with a past shrouded in secrets and mystery. While her public announcement that she is going to track down her friend’s murderer was an impetuous, emotional outcry, it was the truth, and she never wavered from her mission, even as the stakes got higher and more deadly. 

The author weaves a compelling tale in the eerily moody, atmospheric setting of the Atlantic City Boardwalk and the dark, mysterious Midnight Hotel, and brings in a variety of suspicious characters to keep things interesting and muddy the waters. The storytelling was vivid, placing me in the scene alongside the narrators as if I were experiencing the action firsthand. This is a gripping modern rendition of noir crime fiction with unusual and unique magic and paranormal elements: a true page-turner! 

I recommend THE ZIGZAG GIRL to readers of mysteries and thrillers who enjoy elements of magic and the paranormal in their tales. 

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

The Murders at Saint Charles Seminary

A Priest, A Rabbi, and a Baptist Minister, #3

by

Janet A. Brown

Mystery and murder at a Catholic seminary!

Terror and suspicion grip Saint Charles Seminary as a murderer stalks its dark and hallowed halls!

The Murders at Saint Charles Seminary is the third book in author Janet A. Brown's cozy A Priest, A Rabbi, and a Baptist Minister mystery series featuring Father Brendan O'Clery, his homicide detective niece, Maureen, and his close friends in the clergy, Rabbi Ezra Lieberman and Pastor Langdon Boothe, who use their unique expertise and insights to solve murders. The story hits close to home for Father Brendan when a murderer kills a young seminarian, with a vow of more death to come at the Saint Charles Seminary, where his young nephew, Aiden, is also enrolled. Since his niece, Detective Maureen McNeely, is supposed to be on vacation, the case is assigned to her untested coworker, Deputy Caleb Martinez. Maureen sticks around, off the books, to help guide Caleb through his first homicide investigation and avoid the confusion and wrath of their vindictive supervisor that she experienced during her first case. Still, as Aidan was the one who found the body of the murder victim, Caleb's suspicion naturally falls on him as the possible killer, raising the stakes for the O'Clery clan. 

Told from multiple points of view, readers have a front row seat to what's not being told the police as they question the residents of Saint Charles, as well as the terror the young men there are experiencing as the killer strikes again. Aiden O'Clery is only three months into his studies and is a kind and gentle soul, and friends with most of the others in his year, one of whom may very well be the murderer. As this is the same seminary Father Brendan attended, he is able to come and go at will and enlists Aiden to be his eyes and ears on site. 

Father Brendan's two close friends, Ezra and Langdon, are only on the fringes of the case; Brendan uses them as sounding boards for his theories and as backup observers when they visit the seminary. They are so peripheral to the story that if they'd been omitted completely, they wouldn't have been missed. Even though I love this trio of clerical sleuths, Father Brendan has always been my favorite, and the series is really his. Also, the banter between Ezra and Langdon regarding Ezra's purported diminutive size and Langdon's prodigious appetite quickly palled. 

The charm of the book lies in the O'Clery family relationships. Family matriarch Eabhe O'Clery has been moved to assisted living, and, as expected, is not happy about it. She is lovable but sly, crabby, and manipulative, and knows exactly what buttons to push or cards to play to get exactly what she wants. Her scenes are delightful as she pointedly proclaims whatever is on her mind or wants to know. Her favorite son and golden boy, Archbishop Malachy O'Clery, stirs the pot as the older brother he is. 

The resolution of the case was exciting, and I didn't catch on to who the killer was until it was revealed, much like most of the characters of the book, although there was a big old hint right in front of our eyes that no one considered. The plot delves into Father Brendan's continued struggles with PTSD from his Gulf War and Afghanistan service and his worrisome reliance on his prescription medications to survive, but there may be light at the end of this tunnel for him, too. 

I recommend THE MURDERS AT SAINT CHARLES SEMINARY to readers of mysteries and thrillers, especially those who enjoy amateur sleuths with a religious vocation. 

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

The Quantum Revelations

by

Stuart Heinrich

Fascinating and frightening and completely absorbing!

The Quantum Revelations by Stuart Heinrich is a riveting science fiction tale that is fascinating, frightening, and completely absorbing. Teasing and teaching, with its plot of humanity on the path to the end times, I couldn’t put this book down. 

The main character, Skyler Wexler, is a doctoral student in quantum physics, working on a classified, grant-supported project at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, when he makes a breakthrough that could advance his field of study and garner him global recognition, and maybe even the approval of his renowned but emotionally distant physicist father. But what he thinks he’ discovered and what the reality is may be two very different things. But with society on the brink of collapse due to an accelerating climate crisis, it may not matter. 

Skyler’s story is compelling reading, from the book’s explosive opening to its almost gentle, eye-opening conclusion. The author presents a vividly wretched picture of the U.S., suffering from the effects of an accident in the Arctic ice and the denial of impending doom cultivated by an all-too-powerful president and news media, and the many parallels to current conditions lend the tale a definite feeling of realism. Skyler and his lab partner, Zara, are relatable, regular students, and I was quickly invested in their stories: Skyler with his desire for parental approval and Zara with her hospitalized, comatose mother. 

While there is plenty of action, investigation, and plot twists, there is a lot of discussion about the hypotheses that make up quantum physics and much of that are Skyler’s internal monologues as he struggles with determining what his experiment has produced, the current state of the field, discarded alternate hypotheses, which are then repeated when he has someone to argue with or share his thoughts. His ruminations help clarify what’s at stake for those not conversant with the science, and they lay out Skyler’s thought processes. But if long passages of theoretical head-scratching are not your thing, just know the payoff is coming. I loved that Skyler had his own breakthrough after a casual observation by the girl next to him on his flight home from a professional conference that netted him nothing in the way of insight into his research problems. 

I recommend THE QUANTUM REVELATIONS to readers of hard science fiction. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.

In the Frame

Rosedale Investigations, #3

by

Lyn Farrell

The Rosedale team is back with several interesting and exciting cases to solve.

In The Frame is the 3^rd book in author Lyn Farrell's mystery series featuring the good folks at Rosedale Investigations. This time, the small firm is investigating, first, a missing person, then later, a suspicious death, concurrently with the fascinating search for the provenance of a valuable painting rumored to be cursed. The cases proved exciting, and the detectives' detailed activities held my attention from start to finish. 

Its recurring cast of characters, the Rosedale team, is a diverse group of individuals and over the course of the series, have developed into a close-knit "family." Besides the cases the company is being paid to investigate, certain members are going through some stressful life changes. I enjoyed all the subplots woven into this story. The bottom line is they all love each other beyond a workplace relationship and always have each other's backs. 

PD is distracted and on edge as the book opens. He's reacting to a real eye-opening discovery from his past and tends to take out his anxieties on his unofficial granddaughter, Billy Jo. She is also deeply affected by these revelations, and there are some emotional moments as she tries to find her place in life and on the investigative team. Her desire for greater involvement leads to the art provenance job and places her in jeopardy. 

Wayne and Lucy's impending nuptials provide some fun moments and some emotional ones as he searches for the younger sister with whom Lucy had lost touch. But I had to smile over the references early in the story about Wayne and PD getting their COVID vaccinations, and when it was revealed the needles made the groom-to-be somewhat nervous. 

The investigations are continually in motion, with several interesting and exciting storylines finely meshed together. The author maintains a steady, productive pace, so there is never a dull moment for the team or the reader. There are some surprising twists and turns as the cases wend their way to resolution, though, and that had me invested in the story from the first page to the last. Although readers are recommended to begin the series with the first book, this one can stand on its own. 

With its found family of engaging main characters and several solid mysteries to consider, I recommend IN THE FRAME to mystery readers who enjoy complex family dramas, stories set in the Nashville area or Erie, Pennsylvania, and especially to fans of the previous books in the series. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.