It's taken me a while to write my review of Mary E. DeMuth's Daisy Chain and A Slow Burn (Defiance Texas Trilogy Books 1 & 2). In part, because they were so intense that it took me a while to recover from them. Also because I feared any attempt to review the books would fall terribly short. I'm not sure I can label my reaction to the story...at times, angry, sad, intrigued, frustrated, and emotionally exhausted. The books tell the story of the disappearance of 14-year old Daisy Chance. Daisy Chain centers on Daisy's closest friend, Jed Pepper, and the affect her disappearance has on him. Jed was the last person to see her, and he feels responsible. He tries to find clues that will solve the mystery, yet as time passes he realizes that hope of finding ...
Category Archives: Mystery/Suspense
Short Takes: Fiction
If action-packed reads are right up your alley, Double Cross: A Novel is one you'll want to consider. Author James David Jordan continues the story of Taylor Pasbury, a former Secret Service agent turned private security specialist. Taylor's latest mystery to unravel brings her back to her estranged mother and uncovers the truth behind her father's death. Firefighter Aidan O'Neill's reckless confidence has resulted in his suspension, just as an arsonist is wreaking havoc throughout Reno. Aidan teams up with a beautiful fire investigator to solve put the arsonist behind bars, and learns to trust someone other than himself in Through the Fire. If historical fiction is your genre of preference, author Jill Eileen Smith offers a series on the wives of King David, beginning with ...
Bundle of Trouble
What do you get when you combine those hazy first weeks as a new mom with a puzzling “cozy” murder mystery (which I found out means that the "action" takes place "offscreen")? Lots of fun, that’s what. Diana Orgain’s novel Bundle of Trouble (A Maternal Instincts Mystery) combines both and delivers an entertaining read that is equally complex and amusing. The novel opens with the birth of Kate’s new daughter Laurie. Just before Laurie’s arrival, Kate and her husband receive a mysterious phone call about a body being pulled from San Francisco Bay and the possible connection to her missing brother in law. Kate soon finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation that grows more complicated as the body count rises. Paralleling Kate’s increased involvement in the case is her adjustment to motherhood—a totally realistic, at times humorous, depiction, I might add. Bundle of Trouble ...
Pirate Hunter
Tom Morrisey’s novel Pirate Hunter tells the stories of two treasure hunters, one past, one present: High Seas Adventure Meets a High-Tech Quest for Pirate Gold West Indies, 18th century Young Ted Bascombe is rescued by notorious pirate Captain Henry Thatch, finding himself caught up in a world of crime, adventure, and a daily fight for freedom.... Key West, 21st century Marine archaeologist Greg Rhode embarks on a treasure-hunting expedition in the turquoise waters of the Florida Keys, but he's as beguiled by a beautiful diver with different-colored eyes as by the lure of pirate gold.... The Hunt Is On! Interweaving these two stories, pro deep-sea diver Tom Morrisey spins a multilayered tale of two young men's quests to escape their past by losing themselves to adventure on the high seas. Romantic and thrilling, this unique novel explores the timeless truth that "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." On ...
A Job to Kill For
Chick-lit is not my go-to genre (just keepin’ it real) so the occasional indulgence is just that: a fun indulgence and a welcome change of pace. Janice Kaplan’s A Job to Kill For fits the bill with its chick-lit meets cozy mystery story line: Shopping meets suspense in this enticing new cocktail of sassy-smart sleuthing featuring a spunky decorator who can hunt down furniture -- and murder. As a tireless mom of three, the doting spouse of a surgeon, and a talented interior designer to the stars, Lacy Fields can always find the perfect piece to finish a puzzle, a living room -- or an investigation. When Lacy's beautiful young client Cassie Crawford drops dead after a sip of tea in her newly decorated L.A. penthouse, Lacy once again finds herself in the midst of murder. She's stunned when suspicion lands on her own best friend, hot Hollywood ...
The Last Ember
Some of the reviews I’ve read liken Daniel Levin’s novel The Last Ember to Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code. I haven’t read Brown’s book so I have no point of reference but I will tell you the comparison I drew most often was that of the movie National Treasure (of which my family is a HUGE fan). All the elements that made National Treasure such a smart movie are featured in The Last Ember: A hunt for lost treasure. A brilliant protagonist and an equally brilliant love interest. Conspiracy theories galore. Persistent bad guys. Betrayal. Adventure. And history. Lots and lots of history. Where National Treasure featured the American Revolution, The Last Ember is steeped in the ancient civilizations of Rome and the Holy Land. An Italian antiquities squad discovers a woman’s preserved corpse inside an ancient column. Pages torn from ...
The Knight
I have been eagerly waiting for the release of The Knight, the third installment in Steven James’ Patrick Bowers Thrillers. The Rook, the second in the series, was most definitely a 5 Star Read (my review here) so I could NOT WAIT to read The Knight. Finally, I received it, promptly devoured it and am happy to report it exceeded my expectations! From the back cover: The stakes have never been higher. FBI Agent Patrick Bowers is used to tracking the country's most dangerous killers, but now it looks like a killer is tracking him. Bowers faces a race against time to decipher who the next victim will be and to stop the final shocking murder--which he's beginning to believe might be his own. Gritty, chilling, and intense, this psychological thriller is guaranteed to keep you up all night. Gritty. Chilling. Intense. Guaranteed to keep ...
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Jennifer Donovan
Managing Editor -
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