Plausible Deception

by

Dwain Lee

Intriguing disappearance of a famous Stradivarius violin during a violin-makers competition.

Plausible Deception by Dwain Lee is a new cozy mystery about the disappearance of a famous Stradivarius violin during a conference and competition for violinmakers. Its engaging main characters, paired with its intriguing plot, made this book a winner that was hard to put down. 

Presbyterian minister the Reverend Dan Randolph and his husband Greg Zhu are in Anaheim, California, for the Violin Society of America’s annual makers competition. Greg is a skilled designer and talented craftsman with a growing reputation for creating beautiful violins, many of which are in the hands of renowned musicians around the world. When Greg is identified as the last known person to have been in the room alone with the missing violin, the police detective begins to focus his attention solely in his direction. It is up to Dan and Greg to figure out the truth and clear his name. 

The story unfolds from the viewpoint of both Dan and Greg, who not only make a delightful couple but also a great team, as they try to find the real thief. Prior to the crime, the author takes the time to build their life together so the reader can see the dynamics of their relationship and the care they’ve taken to ensure two individuals with disparate interests are successfully pursuing intense, hands-on, and, surprisingly, solitary careers. I had never realized the unique isolation that comes with being the pastor of a church and the loneliness that can result. While the story includes interesting tidbits of violin history and details of their design and construction, it also reveals that the artistry and precision required to craft a quality instrument make this a solitary profession, too. I could feel Greg’s panic when he realized his latest creation and competition entry had gotten away from him. Both occupations are not without their drama and readers get a taste of what that looks like in both professions. 

The story comes with a full-on teaser regarding how different mystery authors handle potential suspects in their books, and, consequently, this psychologically doubled the number of those possible in this one. I was immediately on the alert, trying to decide which direction Lee went. Were the unpleasant secondary characters just unpleasant red herrings, or were they telegraphing his intent that they were the bad guy? It was interesting that this earlier suggestion had me trying to second guess the motive of the author in addition to what I do with every mystery, which is to try to discern the motives for the available characters and potential suspects. In the end, the resolution was satisfying, and I was entertained by it all. 

I recommend PLAUSIBLE DECEPTION to cozy mystery readers, especially those interested in violins and violin-making and strong, realistic LGBTQ representation. 

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

Available ONLY in paperback through BakerBook.com.

Evidence of the Affair

by

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Modern tale of the unexpected secrets in a marriage.

Evidence of the Affair, a short story by author Taylor Jenkins Reid, offers an unexpected view of an extramarital affair from the surprised perspective of the non-cheating spouses, Carrie and David, as revealed through letters they exchange. The cheaters are obliviously unaware their affair has been discovered. While Carrie and David commiserate and hope the affair burns out naturally so their marriages can return to normal, the inevitable happens. However, plot twists ensure a surprise ending for everyone involved. 

I recommend EVIDENCE OF THE AFFAIR to readers of women’s fiction, family drama, and romance.

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories

Publication date: September 20, 2018

ASIN: B07GN867XT

Available through Kindle Unlimited or purchase

| Amazon | 

See other reviews on Boys' Mom Reads!

I Know She Was There

by

Jennifer Sadera

Exhilaratingly mind-blowing.

I Know She Was There by Jennifer Sadera is a mesmerizing tale of mystery, murder, and mental illness. Every evening, a young mother walks the upscale Deer Crossing neighborhood pushing her daughter's baby carriage, but what started as post-partum exercise has morphed into an addiction to watching the lives of the residents unfold, baring their secrets and sins to her observant eyes. 

Wow! What seems to start out as a tragic domestic drama soon became an exciting thriller where nothing is what it initially appears. The storytelling is clever and cunning, drawing me in from the start, and the pages almost turned themselves; I was so engrossed in following the twists and turns. 

The story unfolds via the troubled narrative of Caroline Case, the estranged wife of Tim and mother to Emmy. I immediately began to wonder what was really going on with this woman, as supposedly normal people clearly voiced their doubts about what she was reporting. Even the character herself starts to think maybe she is seeing things that aren't there. Twists and turns in the plot made me doubt every first impression for a good reason. It's one of the best books I've read this year. 

I recommend I KNOW SHE WAS THERE to readers of thrillers, mysteries, and psychological suspense. 

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

Alone With a Tasman Tiger

Chic Charlie, #2

by

Jane Ellyson

Unique settings and intriguing double storylines make for a great two-for-one story.

Alone With a Tasman Tiger is the second book in author Jane Ellyson’s Chic Charlie series and focuses heavily on Scott and Charlotte Harmon’s friend, Sebastian. Readers new to the series should be able to easily slip into the current story without having read the previous novel; there’s enough backstory mentioned for readers to catch up comfortably. With its intriguing premises, unique settings, and engaging characters, I didn’t want to put the book down. 

The plot is well-paced and compelling, beginning with the characters who are participating in the Australian survival competition television show Alone. I greatly enjoyed the day-to-day of the contestants and the insider view of this type of TV entertainment. Having heard that almost everything in Australia can kill you, I was on pins and needles the entire time that the contestants were in the bush, just waiting for something dire to happen. Part II switches to the yacht race from Sydney to Hobart and the Blue Gazelle that Scott is captaining. The author has the timelines of these two separate parts overlapping, and I liked how it worked out: there was no bouncing back and forth between the two major storylines. The day headings made keeping this straight simple and easy. The race is suspenseful, and danger comes quickly in the form of a terrible storm at sea, as well as the appearance of a mysterious and unidentified black yacht that is not part of the race. 

The resolution to the story comes as quite a surprise and I liked how Charlotte/Charlie and Galina/Betty worked together to find the inexplicably missing Sebastian. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I’m now looking forward to reading book one in the series as well. 

I recommend ALONE WITH A TASMAN TIGER to mystery readers, especially those who enjoy television survival shows and boat races. 

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

The Crushing

Olivia Callahan Suspense, #4

by

Kerry Peresta

Suspenseful tale of revenge and love gone wrong!

The Crushing is the fourth book in author Kerry Peresta’s compelling Olivia Callahan Suspense series and proves to be a suspense-filled tale of revenge and regretted former lovers. With an engaging main character, a supportive group of women friends all suffering the consequences of ill-chosen former husbands, and an intense storyline, I didn’t want to put this book down. 

The main character and the owner of her own private investigations firm, Olivia Callahan is still recuperating from an assault that left her with a traumatic brain injury years earlier but is forging ahead with her new career and patchy memories of her former life. However, she and the rest of her close-knit Wine, Whine, and Win women’s group become worried when one of their friends, Hannah, seems to drop off the face of the Earth soon after she marries and moves to a small town in Florida. Finally, they decide to have Sherry, with her newly granted PI’s license, check on her in person, and what she discovers is chilling. The exciting prologue foretells the extreme circumstances Sherry encounters in her rescue of Hannah from her abusive spouse. The psychological and physical abuse she had undergone in the previous two years was unimaginable, and Patrick’s relentless pursuit of his fleeing wife kept me on the edge of my seat, waiting for him to pop up again.

In the meantime, a new client with ties to both Olivia’s incarcerated ex-husband and Callie’s former spouse shows up looking to hire her firm for some surveillance work on his wife, who he suspects is having an affair. It, too, turns out to be much more complex. 

Hunter Faraday, now a sergeant with Richmond Police Department, returns, still hurting from Olivia’s rejection a year earlier and his more recent breakup with Detective Shiloh McPherson. He’s remained in contact with Olivia’s family but steers clear of contacting her until she reaches out for information he can obtain on her current case. To complicate his life and emotions, Shiloh also re-enters his life, needing his department’s cooperation on a case to Richmond that she’s been working undercover for several months. Naturally, he’s highly conflicted over his feelings for both women. 

Even though this is the fourth book in the series, new readers should be able to quickly pick up enough backstory to read and enjoy this story as a standalone. With twists around every corner, the suspenseful involvement of the ex-husbands, and its emotion-fraught relationships, I recommend THE CRUSHING to readers of suspense. 

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