Cat and Mouse

Parker City Mystery, #6

by

Justin M. Kiska

Another compelling dual timeline tale of mystery and suspense.

Cat and Mouse is the sixth entry in author Justin M. Kiska’s excellent historical and comradely Parker City Mystery series, and this time Detectives Winters and Mason are faced with a cold case of stalking from the Christmas of 1965 that kept the women of Parker City on edge and looking over their shoulders the entire holiday season. The most wonderful time of that year was marred when numerous women, seemingly selected at random, received a creepy, typewritten note in the mail, claiming they were being watched and to “Be careful.” However, the note Elizabeth Blakely, a young administrative secretary at the town’s largest department store, received varied significantly from the others; hers was personalized, handwritten in angry red, and delivered by hand to her home rather than sent through the postal service. Her targeting was much more personal and was followed up with even more taunting missives. Still, the police had little to go on, and the case gradually languished in storage until Elizabeth, 20 years later and married, moved back home to Parker City, and the letter writer took up their pen again. 

It was great fun to be reunited with Ben and Tommy as they reworked this old case with new eyes and fresh ideas. Ben is soon to wed Natalie, and Tommy may have found someone special in Christine. It was nice to see Tommy has grown in maturity and taken note of how Ben handles himself in investigations since he first joined him as a detective. While they still banter like old friends tend to do, they’ve really upped their game in working together as a team, too. I liked that Ben still considered Natalie as a valuable point of view on his cases. 

The story hits the ground running as Ben and Tommy foil an unusual crime in progress, as the entire downtown of Parker City celebrates its rebuilding from a devastating flood with a well-received summer street festival. But the plot soon reverts to the winter of 1965 when the stalker roamed those same streets, targeting random women with threatening notes. The recounting of what Elizabeth Blakely experienced kept me on the edge of my seat, and the descriptions of her work life as a secretary in 1965 were a surprising trip down Memory Lane and a reminder that some things have changed for the better while others have stayed the same. The author gives readers a couple of possible suspects to consider, along with some good plot twists that keep things exciting. I think this may be my new favorite of the series. 

I recommend CAT AND MOUSE to readers of mysteries and suspense. 

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

Everyone Is Perfect Here

by

Jane Haseldine

Unsettling and twisty psychological domestic thriller.

Everyone Is Perfect Here is a new psychological domestic thriller by author Jane Haseldine, and features unsettling family drama and shocking plot twists that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. USC English professor Carly Bennett has finally gained hold on a satisfactory life after her tragic childhood that culminated with the murder of her mother and police suspicions that she was somehow involved. But when she discovers the body of a campus janitor in her office and the stepbrother who betrayed her all those years ago suddenly reconnects, it seems all her old nightmares are coming back to haunt her … or worse. 

Carly Bennett was the victim of psychological manipulation as a child and is now facing similar circumstances as an adult, but who exactly is behind it all? Ava Patel is her strong, vibrant, and loyal best friend, doing her darndest to get to the bottom of what's going on, and she's such an exciting element in the story. I'd love to see her appear in another book. 

The plot unfolds from multiple points of view, including Carly's flashbacks to her childhood, when she and her mother, Emily, first became part of the White family. I loved how the author sets readers up with clues pointing in one direction while sprinkling clever indicators that perhaps things weren't what they seemed throughout the tale. I was delightfully fooled. 

I recommend EVERYONE IS PERFECT HERE to readers of psychological or domestic thrillers. 

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

Circus Bim Bom

by

Cliff Lovette

A delightful spectacle!

Circus Bim Bom is a new historical fiction novel by Cliff Lovette, and while regaling readers with a wonderfully worthy story, it does its darnedest to recreate the magical spectacle of a circus come to town, with all the sights and sounds ushered in through the marvel of QR codes and a well-developed website hosting the extras. Snippets of history dazzle alongside a sparklingly entertaining fictional plot, peopled by engaging and sympathetic main characters. Together, this story will not only grab your attention but also your emotions and your heart. 

In an effort to promote the post-Cold War sentiments of peace and goodwill, Moscow sends the newly formed Circus Bim Bom to the U.S. for a two-year tour. With most of its members never having set foot outside the former Soviet Union, their introduction to the privileges and excesses of American life is eye-opening and fraught with temptation and opportunity, despite the buffering effect of state-supplied chaperones and the watchful presence of the KGB. The huge undertaking, guided by a raft of unlikely and ill-prepared local producers and sponsors, faces unexpected, and at times amusing, obstacles as the show must go on! 

While the tale runs a bit long with backstory, it is full of interesting background information that absolutely sets the stage for what is to come, and I still found the pages to fly past. The book ends with unanswered questions, ready for answers in the upcoming sequel, but readers can attain some immediate satisfaction by following the provided QR codes to the website for additional material. 

I recommend CIRCUS BIM BOM to readers of historical fiction who are looking for something fresh, new, and innovative. 

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

The Portal

Blame It On the Moon, #3

by

Lou Pugliese

A young woman is convinced the answer to keeping her friend’s newborn safe lies where life meets the afterlife.

The Portal is the third book in author Lou Pugliese’s riveting and original paranormal mystery series, Blame It On the Moon, and puts faith, love, and commitment to the test when Vicki Roadcap discovers the Crafts’ new baby may be the target of kidnappers. With suspense lurking around every corner, I was loath to set this book down before the final page. 

The entire gang from the previous books returns as Robert, Audrey, and friends relax on the water in the final weeks before the birth of their first child. A freak accident, however, lands Vicki Roadcap in the hospital in a medically induced coma as doctors work to save her life. 

Spiritually gifted, but not necessarily a religious person, Vicki finds herself floating in a welcoming, light-filled space that exists between life and the afterlife, a place she calls ‘The Portal,’ where souls can linger as they pass to or from one existence to the other. She discovers she can connect with loved ones from her past as well as the spirit of the victim in a murder investigation she and her friends had assisted with in the previous novel. 

These characters, including Lincoln, feel like real people, old friends I enjoy catching up with. I loved that they returned to Pennsylvania to visit Don Weston and Abbey Foster and that they made another attempt to find out what happened to Isabel. The Ouija board séance scenes had my heart in my throat and my stomach in knots with anxiety and anticipation at all times. The author tells an absorbing story, and I really enjoy his ability to craft realistic and witty dialogue. 

The plot picks up and resolves the threads of a couple of storylines left over from earlier books, such as the murder of Isabel Helms, and readers finally learn the truth behind the ghostly basketball game that takes place in the wee hours at the old Craft house. However, the focus is on Vicki Roadcap and her desperation to return to ‘The Portal’ for answers, so readers new to the series should be able to read and enjoy this book as a standalone. (But do yourself a favor and read the previous books in the series.) 

The lengths Vicki is willing to go to in order to return to ‘The Portal’ are shocking, and I was on the edge of my seat as she put her plans into motion, completely invested in what the outcome might be. There were clues along the way as to the identity of the kidnapper, so observant readers may be able to guess the truth behind Baby Elizabeth’s disappearance. As a mother, I can imagine the agony that Audrey and Richard endured, but my belief in who the perpetrator was and why they did it actually helped talk me off the literary ledge. 

I recommend THE PORTAL to readers of paranormal mysteries.

For this and other reviews, visit Boys' Mom Reads!

Yesterday’s Echo

Rick Cahill, #1

by

Matt Coyle

No good deed goes unpunished.

Yesterday’s Echo by Matt Coyle is the 2014 Anthony Award winner for Best First Novel and the first book in the author’s Rick Cahill crime fiction series. The main character (Cahill), a disgraced former Santa Barbara police officer, had relocated to the town he grew up in after being accused, but never charged due to lack of any evidence, of the murder of his wife, Colleen. For the past eight years, he’s struggled to put a life together as the manager and part-owner of Muldoon’s Steakhouse in the La Jolla community of San Diego. However, a couple of good deeds at the restaurant one night put him in the crosshairs of some very powerful people involved in politics, blackmail, and murder. 

Rick is a personable guy dealing with a tragic past that began in his childhood. He’s carrying a load of guilt since his wife’s murder, and although innocent of her murder, he feels responsible for her death. His father had been fired from the La Jolla Police Department when Rick was a boy and lived under a cloud for the rest of his life, though it appears he, too, was blamed for someone else’s actions. Both father and son were judged guilty in the public eye, and there is much yet to be uncovered in both cases in future novels. 

I enjoyed Rick’s quick wit and wisecracking style, and the novel has a strong crime noir feel.

The plot is complex, with several subplots unfolding throughout, some of which eventually converge in unexpected ways. The story is violent at times, and there’s shocking collateral damage that affects Rick’s loved ones. Scenes with Colleen’s father, who is convinced Rick is guilty of his daughter’s murder, are gut-wrenching, especially as you feel Rick is being truthful that he was not the one. 

I recommend YESTERDAY’S ECHO to readers of crime fiction. 

For this and other reviews, visit Boys' Mom Reads!