Death by Blood

South Beach Crew, #1

by

Kerrie Biehl

Seductive and sexy start to this paranormal thriller series!

Detective Shawna Davies of the South Beach Police Department is working undercover on the night shift as part of an interagency task force to find out who is infiltrating the local scene with a deadly new drug called La Petit Mort, which has killed several of its young users rather than deliver the ecstasy promised by its name. Paired with the devastatingly handsome and unattached Detective Eric Black from Miami, and despite their mutual attraction, she is laser-focused on ridding her community of this new danger. Together, they quickly discover the power behind the pills belongs to an ancient predator, and Shawna finds out there’s a whole other society existing side-by-side with the known human one: a society Eric Black is more familiar with than he is ready to reveal. 

Death by Blood is the first book in author Kerrie Biehl’s sexy and seductive South Beach Crew series of paranormal thrillers, and it is a great kickoff. Engaging characters, some human, some not, caught up in a compelling set of storylines, had me glued to this book from start to finish. I was so immersed in their world that I was shocked by how much time had passed by when I finally came up for air. 

Shawna Davies is an accomplished and decorated narcotics investigator handpicked by her department chief as their liaison on the interagency task force to stop La Petit Mort. She’s a fully imagined character when the story opens, but with hints throughout that something in her backstory drove her to leave her parents and childhood home in Vermont to start over in Florida. She is immediately affected by her hunky new partner from the task force and struggles to maintain her professional distance, but thankfully, not too long, because Eric Black is hot! The pair’s chemistry is unmistakable and results in some very spicy adult scenes. 

Eric Black is a centuries-old vampire and an Enforcer for The Elders, the council of ancients that rules the worldwide community of the undead. He, too, struggles with his unprecedented attraction to Shawna, and when trouble (and later opportunity) arises, he succumbs to all his sensual desires. His disappointment with Armand’s decisions and actions was heartfelt, and his sadness radiated off the page. His sworn duty to deal with Armand is heartbreaking, but Armand effectively destroys their past relationship with his words and deeds, and Eric moves forward with what he has to do without sentimental qualms. 

The plot progresses quickly, and intriguing twists are introduced that really shake up Shawna’s life and everything she ever believed about herself and her past. However, her past is a bit murky even before a stunning revelation about her origins. While hailing from Vermont, at one point in the story, she mentions offhandedly that she grew up in Oregon. I don’t know if that was a calculated dissembling on the character’s part for some reason or an uncorrected leftover from a previous iteration of the novel. Similarly, Shawna’s cat Twitch, who is literally left to his own devices in Shawna’s home for days at a time, is renamed Tiger midway in the story. Of course, Twitch may have found another home with people who would feed him, and this is a new cat. 

While resolving their official mission, a number of questions are left unanswered, though, and hopefully, these will be addressed in future books. Both Shawna and Eric are blessed with a ride-or-die pal: Detective Jessica Houser for her and shapeshifter José Lyro for him. The synopsis for the next book in the series, Death by Fire, indicates it will feature these two very interesting secondary characters. 

I recommend DEATH BY BLOOD to readers of paranormal thrillers, especially those who enjoy vampire stories or a Miami-area setting. 

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

Maggie the Cat Loves Pip’s Thanksgiving Surprise

by

Julia Russo

Illustrated by Grace Metzger-Forrest

A heartwarming, nostalgic, and cozy Thanksgiving tale for children.

Maggie the Cat Loves Pip’s Thanksgiving Surprise is a warm and cozy children’s chapter book and the second in author Julia Russo’s series featuring Maggie the Cat. This latest tale is centered around Thanksgiving and the wonderful memories Maggie’s owner, Wilhelmina Olive Blessing, is making at her grandfather’s apple farm during the week leading up to the holiday. While her days are made special with fun fall activities that she’s not previously experienced, such as flying a kite, it is the simple moments spent with her loving grandpa that will linger with her for the rest of her life. Readers will easily relate to her story with similar times in their own lives. 

However, this visit to this grandpa has some twists! Grandpa has a tiny pet goat named Pip who lives with him in the farmhouse, and next door, on an adjoining piece of property, a new park is being built for the county’s children. The former owner, Farmer Ted, has put small goats there to eat the unwanted vegetation that needs to be cleared before opening the park to visitors. The smallest of the goats, Barney, has taken a shine to Pip and Grandpa’s home and keeps finding his way to the farmhouse’s back door. The situation leads to the surprise in the book’s title. 

The narrative is good for children who are ready for chapter books, and the more unusual or advanced words in the text are explained as they appear in the story. The author includes a helpful vocabulary list compiling these words at the end of the book. 

I recommend MAGGIE THE CAT LOVES PIP’S THANKSGIVING SURPRISE to elementary school readers of chapter books, especially those who enjoy stories featuring animals. 

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

Santa Claws

A Christmas Tail for Cats

by

Denise Alicia

Illustrated by Sadiqa Akhter

This adorable Christmas story is about Apollo, the cat who becomes Santa Claws.

Santa Claws: A Christmas Tail for Cats by Denise Alicia is a cute and cozy story for the little ones besides the cats. With an adorable cat main character, a lovely tale arising from his wish for all his fellow cats who have not yet found their forever home, and vivid, realistic illustrations by Sadiqa Akhter, this book would be a perfect one to share in the days leading up to the big night. 

Apollo, a former stray, has found his forever home, a loving family, and all the amenities his little kitty heart could desire. But when Santa Claus comes down the chimney on Apollo’s first Christmas at home, he’s amazed by what Santa will accomplish that night. His only wish is that all the cats still living on the streets could have their own home. However, Santa Claus has a plan. 

The story is heartwarming, and there’s a lesson there for children and adults to explore. Apollo immediately thinks of others who need a “Santa” in their lives. The illustrations of Apollo with his large, yellow-green eyes will melt your heart, and each setting is perfectly depicted, whether it’s inside his warm and cozy home, a cold, dirty alleyway, or a snow-laden street scene. I think children will enjoy looking at the pictures alone or while the story is read aloud. There is a lot of detail to notice in the backgrounds of each beautiful picture. This is a book that will require more than one reading. 

I recommend SANTA CLAWS to children from young to old, especially those who like cats. 

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

The Spiderboys of Aranae

Volume I

by

Glenn Thomas

A story and writing so good I saw it as a movie in my head!

The Spiderboys of Aranae: Volume I by Glenn Thomas is a wonderful science fiction/western tale set in the Earth colony of Aranae, where spiders are the size of horses and are used in much the same manner. Sixteen-year-old Haley Morgan, the youngest daughter of Aranae billionaire and inventor Wes Morgan, is undergoing some growing pains. Having recently witnessed her mother’s murder during a holdup, she has one more argument in a string of arguments with her father and decides to show him the error of his ways by going after the man responsible for her mother’s death. 

Haley is everything her father claims she is: impatient, impulsive, reckless, and short-tempered, but also absolutely adorable. At that awkward point of adolescence, not a child but not yet an adult, Haley longs for the freedom she is sure her older siblings already enjoyed when they were her age. She’s determined to strike out on her own, support herself, and retrieve her mother’s wedding ring, stolen by her killer, to throw back in her father’s face as proof of her worth. 

She steals her favorite spider mount, Paladin, the subject of her and her father’s last big blow-up, and heads out across the treacherous and deadly desert plain of Aranae toward the outlaw Frank Nugent’s last known whereabouts. The girl is engaging and proves to be fairly adept at taking care of herself, not only eluding her father’s hired hands sent to bring her back home but staying one step ahead of the many villains she encounters along the way. 

I enjoyed that she met some of her goals and was disappointed when others didn’t work out as planned, which left room for future adventures. A tense standoff with a vicious example of one of Aranae’s native inhabitants had me on the edge of my seat. I fervently hope for a Volume II in the near future! 

I recommend THE SPIDERBOYS OF ARANAE: VOLUME I to readers of science fiction/space opera-style stories.

See this and more of my reviews HERE! At times, I host book and gift card GIVEAWAYS!

Murder and Matrimony in the Castello

by

Tessa Floreano

An atmospheric and immersive historical mystery with a touch of forbidden attraction set in the late 1890s in northern Italy.

Murder and Matrimony in the Castello by Tess Floreano is a new historical mystery set in the late 1890s in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. With an engaging main character and suspenseful domestic mystery wrapped in an immersive historical setting, I felt I was side-by-side with a new best friend as she prepared for her Yuletide wedding in a miasma of menace. 

When bride-to-be Renata Bombonetti witnesses a man plunge to a certain death from the top of a tower on the grounds of the castello, she is shocked to discover that no one else seems to know that this tragedy has even occurred. Puzzled by Placido’s failure to greet her and her family upon their arrival at his home, his absence vaguely explained away by his relatives as he was away handling a furniture delivery, her concern grows day by day with the arrival of cryptic notes, the disappearance of the best man and his pregnant wife, and still no bridegroom. Renata determines she must investigate. 

Renata is a likable, enthusiastic, young amateur sleuth and diehard fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. While her mother had ensured her training in the administration of an aristocratic household, her father, an early advocate of higher education for women, has nurtured her intellectual growth. Her investigation is hampered by conservative societal expectations for her gender and station in life, a hostile castello staff left too long to their own devices, and the appearance of an intriguing but aggravatingly temperamental local police inspector with whom Ranata shares some definite chemistry. Her best friend, Nataliz Nunzio, proves a true “die or ride” sidekick, if for no other reason than she effectively distracts Renata’s mother from figuring out what her daughter is up to. 

The plot is compelling, and it is not until the big reveal that the identity of those responsible for the accidents and murder becomes clear; the author really keeps you guessing. Still, I felt one suspect’s motive for mayhem was weakened by our lack of contact with them and the dearth of character development. While one is present and vocal about their grievances, the other is absent for most of the story, no history of animosity is given to support the motive, and they don’t take any action to further their intentions against their actual target other than issuing a threat for them to come out of hiding or else. However, it was an acceptable explanation and perhaps one that will prove to become more understandable as the series progresses. 

I recommend MURDER AND MATRIMONY IN THE CASTELLO to readers of cozy and traditional historical mysteries. 

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