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Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Struck Dead by Andrea Kane

Struck Dead

by Andrea Kane

March 4 – 29, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for STRUCK DEAD (A Forensic Instincts Novel Book #10) by Andrea Kane on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links, and a Kingsumo giveaway. Enjoy!

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Book Description

The fragile line between life and death… Families that will never be the same…

When a tragic hit-and-run takes the life of a hardworking family man, multi-millionaire Christopher Hillington becomes the prime suspect, and the whole city of New York alights with speculation as to what happened.

But before the NYPD can establish Hillington’s guilt, he himself is brutally murdered in his own home. As he lays dying, he scrawls the name Casey Woods with his own blood, and the Forensic Instincts team is drawn into a complex mystery that has placed its president in the sights of a desperate killer.

A millionaire’s life is full of secrets and suspects. So as the baffled NYPD investigates Casey for the murder, and the body-count ratchets up, Casey herself becomes another potential victim. The FI team’s hardcore investigation has them twisting and turning through suspects and secrets, where the stakes intensify―and so does the collateral damage. As Casey and the team get closer to finding the killer, the unthinkable happens, and the life of one of FI’s own hangs in the blood-stained balance.

They say dead men tell no tales, but blood doesn’t lie. Peeling back layer after layer of deception, the team will cross whatever lines are necessary to solve the case, get justice for the families, and make their team whole again…unless the relentless killer gets to them first.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/189082177-struck-dead?ref=nav_sb_ss_2_11

Struck Dead

Genre: Suspense Thriller
Published by: Bonnie Meadow Publishing
Publication Date: March 2024
Number of Pages: 384
ISBN: 9781682320631 (ISBN10: 1682320634)
Series: Forensic Instincts (#10)

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

STRUCK DEAD (A Forensic Instincts Mystery Book #10) by Andrea Kane is another suspenseful mystery story featuring the brilliant team from Forensic Instincts. While each book in the series has a unique crime/mystery to solve that can be read as a complete standalone crime plot, each book also continues to further develop the main characters’ personal lives over time, and I personally enjoy reading them in order.

A multi-millionaire, Christopher Hillington is the prime suspect in a hit-skip that kills a man. All of New York is speculating about his guilt or innocence when Casey Woods gets a call from his lawyer to come immediately to the Hillington home. Casey is shown the bludgeoned body of Hillington and on the desk written in his blood is “Casey Woods”.

With a multitude of suspects and secrets, but few leads, Forensic Instincts is working to unravel all the threads of this case. The stakes increase when Casey is threatened. The team is fighting to uncover layer upon layer of deceit as the killer gets to one of the team first.

I always enjoy revisiting the team at Forensic Instincts and this addition to the series is one of my favorites. The mystery plot is intricately woven between two crimes and three families. I liked that the two crimes kept me guessing and were solved at different times in the book. The most intense part of the book for me was when I might lose one of the main characters. The plot is fast paced with the investigations, and it is not predictable. The twist at the end should bring an entertaining new dynamic to the team that I am looking forward to reading.

I highly recommend this addition to the Forensic Instincts series.

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Excerpt

Offices of Forensic Instincts

Tribeca, New York

Main conference room

Monday, 9:40 a.m.

Casey Woods, the president of Forensic Instincts, stood at the head of the oval table, her jaw having dropped. She pressed her iPhone closer to her ear, and tried to reconcile herself, both to who the caller was, and the reason for her call.

She certainly didn’t sound like the Angela King that Casey knew. And why in the name of heaven was she reaching out to Casey, of all people?

Angela repeated her original demand: “I need you to meet me now—as in drop everything and get over here.” This time her voice was commanding but shaken.

Shaken? Angela King?

Casey’s mind raced.

Angela was a high-powered and aggressive criminal defense attorney at Harris, Porter, & Donnelly. A virtual barracuda. Rumor had it that she was next up to make partner. No surprise. She successfully defended the richest of the rich, from corporate executives, to wealthy entrepreneurs, to “businessmen” with rumored links to Organized Crime—a fact she chose to overlook since they were affluent enough to pay her fees. She and Forensic Instincts were on opposite sides of law enforcement. They’d battled it out more than once the criminals that FI had helped catch becoming the very criminals Angela would defend.

Needless to say, the FI team and Angela weren’t friends.

And yet, here she was, calling Casey on an urgent, time-is-of-the-essence matter—one she seemed incredibly high-strung about.

“Casey?” Angela repeated. “Did you hear me?”

Casey lowered herself into a chair. “I heard you. What is this about? And why me, of all people?”

“You’ll see for yourself,” Angela replied. She rattled off the address of a luxury skyscraper on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. “Hurry. I’m jeopardizing my career by waiting to call 9-1-1. I can’t wait much longer. But you have to view the scene first and later provide me with some answers. No more questions. Just come. I have a key to the building’s back door. I’ll let you in. We’ll use the freight elevator.”

Casey’s common sense was urging her to refuse. 9-1-1 meant a crime scene, and questions meant involving her. Both those things were screaming for her to stay away. She pushed aside that inner voice. She was too intrigued to refuse. “I’m on my way.”

She shrugged into her wool winter coat as she called John Nickels, Forensic Instincts’ number one on their security team. Then, she blew out the front door, not waiting to fill the FI team in on where she was going. There was no time. Plus, they’d only try to talk her out of it.

Holiday decorations were glistening everywhere, and tiny snowflakes danced in the air.

Casey didn’t notice any of it.

John pulled around a few minutes later, and Casey hopped into the car, gave him the address, and urged him to hurry.

With a brief nod, John was on his way, navigating the FDR Drive in record time. He got Casey to her destination in thirteen minutes. He dropped her off around back, far from the doorman’s view. Then, he waited to return her to the brownstone once her meeting was over, as per her instructions.

Angela was pacing inside the building, and opened the door to let Casey in the moment she saw her. No matter how dire the occasion, Angela always looked stunning. An Armani cobalt blue pants suit that set off her dark skin, matching four-inch Louboutin heels, and long wavy black hair styled at the highest end salon. She carried herself like a queen. In short, she was a knock-out.

Now she looked more rattled than Casey had ever seen her.

“Let’s go,” she said. She led the way to the freight elevator, where she and Casey rode up.

“Tell me what’s going on,” Casey stated flatly.

Angela didn’t answer. She glanced at her Apple Watch, her gaze snapping up as the elevator stopped on the twenty-first floor.

The doors slid open.

Angela paused only long enough to ensure that Casey was right behind her. Then, she strode down the hall, made a turn, and halted in front of Apartment Twenty-One B. She unlocked the door, pulled Casey inside, and faced her to offer the first few words of an explanation.

“This is the home of my client, Christopher Hillington. We had a nine-thirty AM meeting scheduled to be held here.”

Casey’s brows rose. Christopher Hillington was a renowned and phenomenally wealthy managing director of the private equity firm YNE. He was also a major suspect in a vehicular homicide, and Casey knew through various news sources that he’d been questioned several times by the NYPD and was on the verge of arrest.

“I see you know of him,” Angela said. “Given the circumstances, I’m not surprised.” She gestured toward a breathtaking sunken living room. “In here.”

Casey bit back her question about what Angela had just said. She sensed she was about to get her answers. So she remained silent.

The two women stepped down and Angela stood to a side and waited.

Casey got the full view immediately.

Christopher Hillington’s body was crumpled on the Oriental carpet beside his desk, blood pooling out around him. His head was bashed in, clearly having been struck multiple times by a heavy object. The bloodied sledge hammer lying next to the body was obviously the murder weapon. Judging from the damage done, the killer had been, not only determined, but brutal.

Casey eyeballed the scene, feeling sickened as well as confused. She was about to ask Angela what this horrific scene had to do with her when she spotted the letters, written in blood, on the lower edge of the desk, right beside Hillington’s outstretched arm.

She walked over, careful not to touch anything, squatted down, and squinted. The two words were completely legible, and they made Casey’s blood run cold.

Casey Woods.

***

Photographr Information Stevenson/Lupke 1924 Rittenhouse Square Philadelphia, Pa 19103 215-627-3777 amandastudio@yahoo.com

Author Bio

Andrea Kane is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirty-two novels, including eighteen psychological thrillers and fourteen historical romantic suspense titles. With her signature style, Kane creates unforgettable characters and confronts them with life-threatening danger. As a master of suspense, she weaves them into exciting, carefully-researched stories, pushing them to the edge—and keeping her readers up all night.
Kane’s first contemporary suspense thriller, Run for Your Life, became an instant New York Times bestseller.
She followed with a string of bestselling psychological thrillers including No Way Out, Twisted and Drawn in Blood.
Her latest in the highly successful Forensic Instincts series, Struck Dead, showcases the dynamic, eclectic team of investigators as they hunt down a desperate killer who’s threatened one of their own. The first showcase of Forensic Instincts’ talents came with the New York Times bestseller, The Girl Who Disappeared Twice, followed by The Line Between Here and Gone, The Stranger You Know, The Silence That Speaks, The Murder That Never Was, A Face To Die For, Dead In A Week, No Stone Unturned, At Any Cost, and Struck Dead.
Kane’s beloved historical romantic suspense novels include My Heart’s Desire, Samantha, Echoes in the Mist, and Wishes in the Wind.
With a worldwide following of passionate readers, her books have been published in more than twenty languages.
Kane lives in New Jersey with her family. She’s an avid crossword puzzle solver and a diehard Yankees fan.
Author Hometown – Warren, New Jersey

Social Media Links

www.AndreaKane.com
Goodreads
BookBub
Instagram – @authorandreakane
Twitter/X – @andrea_kane
Facebook – @AuthorAndreaKane

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads

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Giveaway

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Andrea Kane. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

The giveaway is for: 1 – $20 Amazon.com Gift Card, US Only

https://kingsumo.com/g/tysf4b/struck-dead-by-andrea-kane

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Double Grudge Donuts by Ginger Bolton

Book Description

When the Fallingbrook Arts Festival rolls into town weeks before she’s set to tie the knot, Emily expects talent and friendly competition at the week-long summer series to go together like coffee and double fudge. But the fun crumbles fast after a lively bagpiper takes first place on day one and turns heads for the wrong reasons—all before Emily and her tabby cat find him dead in a clear case of murder. Along with a distinctive weapon at the crime scene, several strategically placed items leave disturbing clues about the killer’s identity, including a broken piece of a Deputy Donut mug . . .

While detectives aren’t sure who silenced the bagpiper’s music, they don’t trust Emily or her family to tell the truth. With her nuptials and career on the line, Emily launches an unsettling investigation to save herself from trouble and bring a dangerous figure to justice. The search not only brings too many suspects into the picture, but also leads to a strange discovery on Deputy Donut’s rooftop. A discovery that tells Emily she better get cooking, because someone may be watching her every move . . . and carefully plotting to turn a wedding into a funeral!

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Elise’s Thoughts

Double Grudge Donuts by Ginger Bolton is a scrumptious read. She combines tasty treats with likeable characters within a riveting mystery.

The story has a murder but also a happy ending for Detective Brent Fyne and Deputy Donut Café owner Emily Westhill. It begins with the Fallingbrook Arts Festival with Emily expecting lots of talent and friendly competition at the week-long summer series that will go together with coffee and donuts. She is half owner along with her ex-father-in-law Tom. She’s thriving and happy. Someone who is strong, intelligent, empathetic, and smart.

Their relationship was a no go for a while because Brent was the detective partner of Emily’s late husband. In fact, unlike some of the other cozy mysteries Brent does not chastise Emily or get upset with her for investigating as an amateur sleuth. He relies on and trusts the information Emily finds and he’s happy for her to call for backup anytime she feels the need. Brent admires these things and doesn’t berate her when she finds clues for him.

During the contest bagpiper Kirk MacLean interrupts other performances with a noisy rendition of “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean,” but despite that rudeness wins the contest. Kirk’s antics continue when he drowns out a teen barbershop quartet. He’s annoying, playing the pipes up and down the street even in the middle of the night while others are sleeping. After speaking with people, Emily finds out that he’s not well-liked. The next morning tragedy strikes when Emily finds the piper dead and calls the police. The list of suspects is long and include a local guy who lost first place to him, Emily’s own parents, the owner of the local café, and other friends of Emily. She with help from some of her friends decides to investigate and find the real killer.

Bolton worries about jumping the shark after the marriage but has nothing to worry about because the focus of her stories are the characters personalities and a plot that has many twists and turns. Readers are kept guessing in these fun and exciting mysteries. Not to mention mouthwatering donuts.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

GINGER BOLTON: A cozy writer said that there was a bakery that was about to close. The nine police in this small town decided to buy it so they run this bakery. I used that to jump start the series with a bakery donut shop somehow connected to law enforcement and first responders. I thought donut shops is a great place to pick up a lot of clues. For this book there was an incident that I based the murder weapon on.

EC: Do you like donuts?

GB: I like the plain old-fashioned donuts with nutmeg. I actually cook donuts but do not do it often.

EC: How would you describe Brent?

GB: Brent is gentle, kind, loving, and thoughtful. He keeps a neutral face when he needs to.

EC: How would you describe the relationship between Emily and Brent?

GB: In the beginning of the relationship, he and Emily were standoffish because he was her first husband’s detective partner who got killed in the line of action. They share this major grief. When they finally got around to speaking with each other they bonded over communicating about their shared grief.

EC: Do you think you will jump the shark by having them get married?

GB: I hope I do not jump the shark by having them get married. This is a worry for me. I thought this was going to be the last book in the series. But then the publisher wants two more books.

EC: How would you describe the victim?

GB: Kurt the bagpiper is devious and mean. He interrupts other performances. Nobody really likes him.

EC: How about your next book?

GB: The next book is titled, Blame The Beignets and is based on the famous New Orleans donuts. It will come out the end of November with Emily discovering a body while kayaking with her assistant a suspect.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Evil on the Island by Stewart Giles

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for EVIL ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #12) by Stewart Giles on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions Blog Tour.

Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Blurb

‘I know about evil, because my mum is evil. She killed my dad. My mother murdered my father, and left him where she knew I would find him.’

A class discussion in a prestigious school on the peaceful island of Guernsey takes a sinister turn when the body of the father of one of the students is found, exactly where the boy said he would be. The 16 year old has no further information to offer the Island Police, and his mother has disappeared off the face of the earth.

Detective Inspector Liam O’Reilly has no idea where to look. The boy’s father was stabbed multiple times, but there is nothing at the scene to suggest why this man was killed in such a horrific manner.

Then another man is found dead.

But when a third suffers the same fate soon afterwards, O’Reilly knows that he’s up against something darker than his mind could ever comprehend.

There’s something evil on the island, and O’Reilly has no idea how to stop it.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203651746-evil-on-the-island?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=KpdLioYVAc&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

EVIL ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #12) by Stewart Giles is another intriguing mystery/police procedural in the DI Liam O’Reilly series set on Guernsey Island. This murder plot/police procedural story can be read as a standalone book, but I have enjoyed the continual evolution of all the main characters’ lives and find I have enjoyed it more as I have read the series in order.

DI Liam O’Reilly knows there he is being lied to, but he has no proof, and he does not understand why. He is called to the scene of a vicious stabbing death after a sixteen-year-old tells his classmates that he left his home for school with his father dead on the floor and his mother did it. The mother is missing, and O’Reilly has no idea where to find her.

Then their neighbor is found bludgeoned with a nine iron and his daughter discovers him when she gets home from school. When a third neighbor has his head bashed in by a bowling ball at his club, O’Reilly knows there is evil on the island, but he has no idea how to stop it.

This is such an engrossing mystery, and I had no clue until it was revealed in the end who the perpetrator was. There are not many red herrings in this mystery, but plenty of questionable people. O’Reilly once again works with his team to discover the murderer. It is always fun to catch up with the happenings in his personal life and the antics of his felines for a touch of humor amidst the murder and investigation.

I highly recommend this addition to the series and I cannot wait for the next.

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Author Bio

After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live.

In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later.

3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor: Cornwall series.

The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.

I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results. I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018.

After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor.

The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before.

The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow. I also have another series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey, the Detective Liam O’Reilly series. There are also 3 stand alone novels.

Social Media Links

Website: www.stewartgiles.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stewart.giles.33

Twitter: @stewartgiles

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Deepest Kill by Lisa Black

Book Description

For software pioneer Martin Post, the third richest man in America, his private compound on the Florida coast is a sunny no-man’s-land separating his family from the rest of the world. Now, expert forensic analysts Ellie Carr and Rachael Davies of the renowned Locard Institute have been summoned to its dark side.

Martin’s pregnant daughter, Ashley, had ventured on a day trip in her motorboat into the Gulf, only to wash up dead on a nearby shore. Although the local coroner determined her death was an accident, Ellie and Rachael soon confirm Martin’s gravest fear: His daughter was murdered. Was it a kidnapping gone wrong? Or something even more brutal? Ashley and her husband, Greg, had been working working with Martin on a revolutionary new defense initiative for the US military – could espionage have played a part in her death? Martin believes Greg is behind the murder, and the spoiled charmer does set off Rachel’s deception radar. If the widower didn’t kill Ashley himself, why isn’t he more upset that she’s dead?

Drawn into the Posts’ increasingly dangerous family dynamic, Ellie and Rachael must work hard and fast to discover what secrets are buried at the heart of the crime. Because the churning waters of the Gulf are getting rougher. And soon, Ellie and Rachael themselves will be in danger of getting crushed in their depths.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Deepest Kill by Lisa Black brings back forensic investigators Dr Ellie Carr and Dr Rachael Davies of the Locard Institute. Once again readers get a glimpse into the forensic world as Black uses her own experiences as a forensic scientist to intertwine information within the riveting plot and readers will not be disappointed.

Carr and Davies are asked by billionaire Martin Post to investigate his pregnant daughter’s death. Ashley had taken out her boat into the Florida Gulf, and just disappeared until her body washed ashore. Both scientists determine that her death was not accidental but murder. Her husband, Greg, is considered the number one suspect. But because Greg, Ashley, and Post were working on a revolutionary defense initiative for the US military, some think that foreign agents might be involved. Thus, FBI agents Michael Tyler and Luis Alvarez are brought into the investigation.

Also adding to the storyline is the coast setting and the weather that appear as a character. Not to mention that Black gives more details of Ellie’s backstory whose mother died under suspicious circumstances and her death was also ruled drowning.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Lisa Black: Throughout the series readers will discover more of Ellie’s history that is relevant to what is happening. This story popped into my head as I was thinking about defense contracting and the Laci Peterson case. I describe it as the Laci Peterson case if her father was Bill Gates, although I never worked on it. I did watch a documentary about it.

EC: Do you like switching off from featuring as the main character, Ellie, and Rachel?

LB: I want both in the story. It depends on what needs to be done because their expertise is in different areas. It depends on what they are investigating. If it deals with pathology and anatomy Rachel will be featured more, but if it is about fingerprints then Ellie will be featured. It depends on what is called for with the investigation.

EC: Deception, detection, and body language are mentioned. Does it play a role in forensic analysis?

LB: Not really, it was what a detective does. But a class was offered for the police officers in detection and deception. I was allowed to attend it. It was a two-day class which I found interesting. I got a lot of ideas for this story. For example, what was told about people’s feet. I put a scene in about it. People know that they should cover their faces, but a person’s feet can betray them. There must be a baseline that should be interpreted.

EC: Did the setting play a role in the story? I laughed when I read what you said about your husband and moving to Florida.

LB: I live in Florida now. I have accepted the move he wanted to make, but still would rather have stayed where I was because I loved Cleveland where my job and family are. I wanted to present how I felt when I first came here. It was a shock. I hoped to have a little fun presenting an outsider’s view of Florida. There are hurricanes, and in summer it is hotter than heck and very humid. Florida has two seasons, raining season and not raining season.

EC: What about the boat scenes?

LB: When I was a child in Lake Erie, we had a boat, so I am comfortable around boats. I love boats. This was also inspired by the Laci Peterson case because they think the husband dumped her body in the water.

EC: You put in the forensics about the water?

LB: Yes, being in the water changes a body. The way it decomposes and what happens to it after death. A body is affected greatly after being submerged. This helped me to keep the mystery going.

EC: Was the father’s dead wife presented like a hologram?

LB: No. I was basing it on smart phones, Alexa, and Siri, all the artificial types. He just gave it his wife’s name so when he asked a question he referred to her name.

EC: How would you describe Ellie?

LB: Someone who wants to fit in, committed, athletic, and does not handle change very well. She does have insomnia. Having to move around a lot as a child has made her a little insecure. Having her adjust to new living situations made her crave stability. She was always raised by aunts, uncles, and cousins.

EC: How would you describe the husband, Greg?

LB: Energetic, amiable, rich, shallow, and arrogant. Picture a spoiled frat boy. He is used to women giving him what he wants because he is cute and the rest of the world giving him what he wants because he is rich. He was born rich.

EC: What about your next book?

LB: It is titled Not Who We Expected. The plot has this aging rock star trying to make a comeback. He calls the Locard Institute because of his missing daughter and is very worried after the boyfriend turns up dead.

THANK YOU!!

***

Book Review: Murder by Invitation Only by Colleen Cambridge

My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

MURDER BY INVITATION ONLY (Phyllida Bright Mystery Book #3) by Colleen Cambridge is another charming and entertaining addition to the Phyllida Bright historical cozy mystery series featuring Agatha Christie’s murder mystery solving housekeeper. While this is the third book in the series, it can be read as a standalone for the mystery, but each book gives a little more information and teasers regarding Phyllida’s mysterious past.

While Agatha Christie and her husband are away in London, Phyllida receives an invitation sent to Mallowan Hall for a murder from the new inhabitants of Beecham House. How can she resist?

Mr. and Mrs. Wokesley have set up a murder mystery play with friends and family playing the suspects. When the scene is revealed all the invited guests are invited to question the suspects from the scene. As the questioning begins, one invited guest gets closer to the body of the murder victim and discovers that he is not acting. Mr. Wokesley is dead.

Phyllida takes control of the investigation while Inspector Cork is delayed in his travels from London. She soon discovers that all the play-acting suspects all truly have reasons to kill Mr. Wokesley. When a second murder occurs, Phyllida may have discovered the killer, but at what price to her own life?

I really enjoyed this engaging return to Mallowan Hall. Phyllida is a wonderful protagonist/amateur sleuth and with every book her mysterious past and aversion to London makes her even more intriguing. This mystery plot is set up like Christie’s own mysteries and cozies of that era. While I enjoyed reading this story due to my love of these characters, the murder mystery is very easily solved. The reasons for all the suspects to have hated and or murdered the dead man were interesting, but never really pulled me away from my early belief of the true murderer. That will not stop me from continuing in this series though. I cannot wait to learn more about Phyllida’s past and see if she and Bradford become even closer.

I enjoyed this return to Phyllida’s historical cozy mystery world and I am anxiously waiting for the next book in the series.

***

About the Author

Colleen Cambridge is the pen name for an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From a young age, Colleen has loved reading mysteries and now she couldn’t be happier that she is able to write them.

Under several pseudonyms, she has written more than 36 books in a variety of genres and is always plotting her next murder—er, book.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.colleengleason.com/colleen-cambridge/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColleenGleason.Author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/colleengleason

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/colleen-gleason

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney

Book Description

A car accident in Japan.

A drowning in Seoul.

A home invasion in Boston.

Someone is killing the world’s leading experts on robotics and artificial intelligence. Is it a tech company trying to eliminate the competition or is it something even more sinister?

After all, artificial intelligence may be the deadliest battlefield gamechanger since the creation of gunpowder. The first nation to field weapons that can act at the speed of computer commands will rule the battlefield.

It’s an irresistible lure for most, but not for the Gray Man. His quest for a quiet life has led him to Central America where he and his lover, Zoya Zakharova, have assumed new identities. With a list of enemies that includes billionaires, terrorists, and governments, they need to keep a low profile, but the world’s deadliest assassin can’t expect to hide out forever.

Eventually, they’re tracked down and offered a job by an old acquaintance of Zoya’s. He needs their help extracting a Russian scientist who is on the kill list. They reject the offer, but just being seen with him is enough to put assassins on their trail.

Now, they’re back on the run, but no matter which way they turn, it’s clear that whoever’s tracking them is always going to be one step ahead. Since flight’s no longer possible, fight is the only option left, and no one fights dirtier than the Gray Man.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney brings to life artificial intelligence, which takes center stage in this plot. Just as with other issues like biological weapons and cloning, Greaney talks about how AI can weaponize drones and robots.

The plot starts off quiet enough as Court and Zoya settle down together in Central America in hope of living a quiet life. But that comes to a quick end after Zoya is approached by an old contact who needs her to extract a Russian scientist from a deadly situation. To make matters worse, they are attacked by a team of professional assassins.

It seems that multibillionaire Anton Hinton is building a lethal autonomous weapon controlled by artificial intelligence. His reasoning is that he wants to bring some sanity to the world where human wars could be a thing of the past. Putting the pieces together, Court and Zoya realize that someone is killing the world’s leading experts on robotics and computers. Because he is afraid for his life, Hinton hires as his new chief of security, Court’s old teammate, Zack Hightower. Eventually, they all band together to stop this powerful AI computer, Cyrus for destroying the world.

The plot has nonstop action. The best Gray Man books are ones with the supporting cast of characters, which includes this one. Readers should take the plot as a word of warning as to what happens after AI is weaponized.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Mark Greaney: I was watching a lot of TV about developing artificial intelligence. Then I read a few books about AI run amok. I was looking into the dark side of AI. Robotics, AI, and lethal autonomous weapons melted together. It was fascinating for me to write about. I am always looking for something different to write about. The idea of the private sector creating something dangerous was interesting to me.

EC: What do you personally think of AI?

MG: It can be used by the military or for cures to cancer. It depends on how it is used. I am fatalistic about it, knowing it is coming whether we want it to or not. I am nervous as I write about in the book. If the enemy does it and revolutionizes the way countries fight it will become a game changer. I read a line that said, ‘If a scenario cannot be anticipated, then we cannot test it.’ AI can act in ways they are not taught.

EC: For example, Israel drops leaflets and warns the Gazans before they bomb, but I do not think AI will do it.

MG: Absolutely. AI does not have any judgement or morality. Now AI are basically large language models. Once in the real world there is no telling what might happen. They clobbered US pilots in simulators with the human pilot never getting a shot off. In the book, Cyrus, the AI agent, is aggressive. War game simulations have AI on the attack, to fight, and attack. This is also a vulnerability because it can make mistakes that will hurt it.

EC: Is it like biological weapons where all the countries say they are not pursuing them or use them?

MG: I do agree with that analogy. Some years ago, a bunch of Google employees threatened to quit because the company was working with the US military on object recognition to process drone feeds. All these employees got on their high horse and refused to work with the defense department. This killed the whole project. At the same time Google had tons of projects with Chinese firms. All of these are dual use, can be operational in the military.

EC: I was thinking of the debate over cloning to get the perfect person-are we for it or against it?

MG: Yes. In some ways it is good, to eliminate diseases, but it would also be possible to get a Master Race. This is very concerning to me. It is coming down the pike, AI, one way or another. The US did put export controls on the chips that make high level AI and China cannot acquire them. Regulations will help. Everything I read is that the sophisticated AI are prone to making mistakes.

EC: Why the Albert Einstein quote in the beginning of the book?

MG: He was talking about the nuclear age. The leaders of the AI industry, the gate keepers that told Congress, they are scared about what is behind their own gates. They asked for regulations. But they also fought against some regulations that were in England. People asked if they could do it, but no one asked if they should do it.

EC: Did you want to show that Court, as with some in the military, miss the action and adrenaline rush?

MG: A little bit of a version of it. I played it up in other books more. He sees himself as someone that should be used for good not evil. I think he feels a little bit listless when he is not doing what is right to make the world a better place. He has this moral compass with right and wrong incredibly important to him.

EC: How would you describe the relationship between Zoya and Court?

MG: They have trust issues. Sometimes they feel betrayed. Court has a vulnerability but has let his guard down for Zoya. What is programmed into him is to go into flight if he senses any kind of deception from her.

EC: Would you kill off any of your main characters?

MG: I have not written the next book yet. I honestly do not know. I can kill any of my characters at some point.

EC: Can you describe how you came about to write the two intense scenes with the autonomous robots and drones?

MG: I watched a lot of videos. Everything in this book is based on existing or emerging technology. There is no science fiction. The robot dogs with rifles on their backs exist. The drones that land on the roof is also real. The hexacopters that are remotely piloted and carry explosives we are seeing a ton of that in the Ukraine War. When building an action scene, I think of the enemy capabilities and the heroes’ capabilities.

EC: This book had a cliff-hanger so can you tell anything about the next book?

MG: I don’t look on it as a cliff-hanger. The entire story played out is resolved but in the last twenty-five pages is something new that came about. I had the idea while writing the middle of this book. There will be a wild ride in the next book.

I also have a book coming out in June titled Sentinel. It is the second book in the Josh Duffy series. This book takes place in Africa. Duffy is a diplomatic security agent. The series is sold to TV.

THANK YOU!!

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