Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Next Wife by Liz Lawler

Book Description

My husband is everything I ever dreamed of. A handsome, successful doctor who swept me off my feet.

Our new life together is perfect.

He’s perfect.

But am I good enough for him? I never seem to get anything right. And I’m starting to feel a little afraid of the man I married.

He’s taken away my bank card and my phone. I don’t know what to think or what to do. I gave up everything for him and now I’m trapped.

Then a stranger comes to our door. She tells me that I can’t trust my husband.

That I should ask him what happened to his first wife.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

The Next Wife by Liz Lawler explores domestic violence, that includes physical, sexual, mental, and emotional.

The plot explains that Tess Myers met her husband, Daniel, while they worked together in an English hospital. He is a doctor, she a nurse. They got married quickly and then moved to Bath England. After they moved into the house, Tess notices the change in Daniel as he becomes increasingly controlling. As he escalates his abuse Tess knows she must leave him. This is confirmed when a woman in her 80s, Martha King, comes to her doorstep and warns Tess about Daniel’s first wife.

Daniel is a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He is a psychopath, cruel, nasty, evil and makes Tess’s life unbearable. Yet, outsiders see him as a great surgeon, charismatic, caring, and nice. Daniel is a monster to her and the abuse he inflicted is appalling.

Tess is not the same person she was before she married Daniel. She has become timid, scared, and fearful for her life, being reduced to a shell of her former self.

The relationship between them shows how Daniel uses his power over her, whether at their work or in their home. As Tess’s abuse, sexual, physical and mental, gets worse she feels increasingly alone. Readers wonder if Tess will be able to survive and how she will be able to leave Daniel.

People will be captivated by this story and riveted to their seats as they turn the page. This book begins with a bang of a mysterious murder and ends with a bang of a twist that many will not see coming.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Liz Lawler: Well, the germ of the idea came to me from one of my previous jobs of working at a railway station as a customer ambassador for Great Western Railway, which is one of the main network railways in England. Part of my job was dealing with distressed customers and being mindful of passengers on the platform. Over the time I was there, I did come across a few attempted suicides. I remember this one lady, a businesswoman, beautifully dressed, and I got a feeling about her. Unfortunately, my gut was right, and it was telling me that she was far too close to the yellow line. Basically, what I wanted to do with The Next Wife was really, explore coercive control, the kind of abuse that often starts so subtly.

EC: Was this woman the inspiration for the main female lead, the wife Tess?

LL: She was, although not her character, but the situation. Her character was completely different to Tess’s. It was sad. She was a woman probably in her early, early 40s, maybe late 30s.

EC: Did your nursing career help you to write this story?

LL: Very much so because I was able to pull on all the experiences as a nurse. and almost walk Tess’s line, you know, every part of Tess’s journey in the hospital setting. My nursing background is my solid career background, and that influenced me greatly in everything that I liked because of all the experiences of dealing with people. I predominantly worked in the emergency department. The scene in the surgery, with Tess and Daniel, that’s very realistic. What happened to Tess could possibly have happened. I’m very fortunate to have people that I’ve been in contact, and one of the people that I contacted to make sure I got everything correct, is a vascular surgeon. I got him to read the passages that I wanted him to check and he said, he felt he was there. What happened won’t happen to many people, thank goodness. But yes, situations like that can happen.

EC: How would you describe Tess?

LL: Tess is sensitive, wants to belong. She’s a loner and anxious. Before Daniel, her abusive husband, she was chatty and confident, and somewhat bossy. Now she’s guarded, and feels that she’s in a world of darkness and secrets.

EC: What about the husband, Daniel?

LL: He’s a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. To Tess, he’s a Dr. Jekyll and to everyone else a Mr. Hyde. He has a facade of an attentive husband, that he’s kind and considerate to her. He is charismatic. To her, he’s power hungry. Tess doesn’t know anything about him. She doesn’t know anything about his past, about his childhood, all the things that make Daniel’s character what it is. She hasn’t got a clue.

EC: What about the setting of Bath London?

LL: She’s in a new place where she should feel safe. Bath city is considered probably one of the safest cities, not only in the UK, but possibly in the world. It’s a beautiful, calm place, and this is one place where Tess should have felt safe. And it doesn’t pan out like that at all.

EC: What about the relationship between Tess and Daniel?

LL: His behavior escalates little by little. Daniel makes her feel off kilter. He is such a betrayal from someone she loves. To her, he’s critical. He humiliates her. He’s abusive, controlling, cold, cruel, brutal, with no compassion. She feels powerless, really, without answers, without anybody telling her anything.

EC: What was the role of Martha in the story?

LL: She has a real life happening within our own head. But it’s in a different time zone. So, everything she things she is experiencing in the now is something that she’s experienced in the past. What she’s seen, she thinks this is the present, what she’s witnessing. She can’t grasp why Daniel has moved back into this house. Now he’s there, and the only thing that he’s changed is his name. He’s hiding in plain sight with this new wife. Martha is convinced that she knows his first wife. And then she’s convinced that this new wife must be warned. Because unless she warns her, this young new bride is in danger. Martha’s, my favorite character who I fell in love with. When I was writing Martha, my mum was always in my head. My mum would have been out there, rain, snow, trying to warn this new young wife of Daniel’s, that she was in a dangerous situation, because she knew everything that had happened. in the past.

EC: Next book?

LL: The story is set in London. The main character is a nurse that works on the surgical ward. A patient is brought in and he’s a prisoner that has a spinal injury. He tells her that he’s not guilty of the crime sent to prison for and who is the real criminal. She is shocked she knows them. The working title is The Hospital Prisoner and it is due to be published on January 27th.

THANK YOU!!

***

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.

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Kill to Keep by Elena Taylor

KILL TO KEEP

by Elena Taylor

July 6 – August 14, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for KILL TO KEEP (Sheriff Bet Rivers Book #3) by Elena Taylor on this Partner’s 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 PICT giveaway. Enjoy and good luck!

***

My Book Description

Sheriff Bet Rivers’ inspection of the carnival grounds should have been routine. Murder is certainly the last thing on anyone’s mind. Then comes the sound of a gunshot. And a dead body with no signs of trauma, no witnesses and no obvious motive for the killing.

But solving the unexplained death is only part of the challenge. Bet is still grappling with her on-off relationship with town owner Rob Collier, while dealing with her feelings about her late father, the beloved town sheriff she had to replace.

As Bet launches her homicide investigation, she soon discovers the carnival is a place of whispers, rumours, resentments and lie after lie. And as the stakes build, it quickly becomes clear that protecting a deadly secret is something that someone is willing to kill to keep.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246509602-kill-to-keep?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=x0SGEDtFCt&rank=4

Kill to Keep

Genre: Police Procedural, Rural Crime Fiction
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: July 7, 2026
Number of Pages: 279
ISBN: 9781448317400 (ISBN10: 1448317401)
Series: Sheriff Bet Rivers Mystery Series

***

My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

KILL TO KEEP (Sheriff Bet Rivers Book #3) by Elena Taylor is an action filled smalltown crime thriller/police procedural in the Sheriff Bet Rivers series. I enjoyed the characters and investigations in the previous books and looked forward to reading this new one. Like most books in this genre, as the series continues the lives of the main characters also develop, but the criminal investigation plots are always concluded in each book.

Sheriff Elizabeth “Bet” Rivers has settled into her role as the sheriff of her smalltown in Collier, Washington. Former FBI agent Rob Collier and longtime friend invites Bet to do a walk-through of the carnival that has come to town and is leasing part of his property. A gunshot rings out and when they investigate, they discover a dead body, but it has no gunshot wound.

Bet and her team, along with the help of Rob, find silence and deception from many of the carnies. It will take all their skills to discover the identity of the body and the killer.

I found this addition to the series to be another well plotted crime thriller with plenty of suspects and twists. Bet is once again a smart and resourceful smalltown sheriff who makes do with what she has and the excellent help of her deputies, Clay and Nate, Rob, and Alma, her senior office manager/computer tech extraordinaire.  And you cannot forget Schweitzer, her Anatolian Shepard. My small criticism of this book, which made it not as enjoyable as the previous two was Bet’s continual internal dialogue about her and Rob’s relationship. It felt overdone and not what I would expect from Bet. Even though I was not really interested in the carnival plot to start, it did pull me in the further I progressed in the story, and I realized I had some of the same prejudices of carnies as Bet. The revisiting of the town and characters along with an intricate crime plot made this another solid addition to the series and I hope to read many more in the series.

I recommend this smalltown crime thriller and the entire Bet Rivers series.

***

Excerpt

ONE

The air above the blacktop rippled as Sheriff Elizabeth “Bet” Rivers drove west. The tiny town of Collier struggled under a heatwave that had swept through Washington State and turned the last week of June unexpectedly brutal. The sun, barely over the tops of the mountains surrounding the community, already beat down hard. By midday, it would be merciless on the traveling Carnival Roma where they’d set up on the hardpacked dirt at the far end of the valley.

Bet parked the SUV in the makeshift visitor lot and eyed the temporary fencing around the fairgrounds. It didn’t encircle the entire footprint, tempting reckless souls to take a shot at getting in through the back for free.

She sauntered up to the empty ticket booth where Robert Collier Junior stood with an unreadable expression on his face. He cocked an eyebrow. “Mornin’, Sheriff.” His voice was warm and low, teasing her with his formality.

Pretending deference, she tipped the brown campaign hat that covered her auburn curls. “Mr. Collier.”

At thirty-seven, Rob had more than a few care lines etched into his tanned face, and the dark, neatly trimmed beard had begun to show hints of gray. He held out his arm. “Shall we?”

“We shall.” Bet wrapped her fingers around the crook of his elbow, enjoying the tingle that always arrived when she touched him. They had stopped and restarted seeing each other so many times since they’d met last September that her head spun, but the physical attraction was always there—at least for her. Rob played his feelings close to the vest. Recently, there had been phone calls and texts that he ignored in her presence, or left the room to answer, giving Bet the impression she wasn’t the only woman in his life. She worried that they had missed their chance at something wonderful and would fall into the awkward role of “friends.”

It surprised her how much that hurt.

Following Rob through the turnstile, she kept her fingers tucked against his arm. “I feel special getting in before opening day.”

“It’s my role as the person renting the land to do a walkthrough, and as the head of local law enforcement, you should confirm that everything meets your approval.”

“And as a bonus, you get to show off your newfound status as feudal lord of the manor.” She meant it as a joke about his recently expanded fortune but caught Rob’s grimace from the

corner of her eye. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“It’s OK.” He stopped and pulled her around to face him. “It’s not your fault that I’m uncomfortable owning an entire town.”

Not to mention international corporations and properties across the US. His sudden riches had regularly taken him away from their remote high elevation valley, interrupting their progress as a couple and turning him into someone else. Toe-to-toe, she got a better look at the dark circles under his eyes. There was a toll to all the travel his new position forced on him. Rob had left the Collier family responsibilities behind years before to pursue a career with the FBI, but his

father’s death had sucked him back in. As the sole heir, he felt obligated to the people his father’s businesses employed and responsible to various organizations.

He tugged her closer, and she closed her eyes, the heat of his body seeping through their clothing in direct competition with the weather. Standing together, the world felt right, even with a heat dome hovering over their heads.

All too soon, Rob stepped back with a glint of amusement in his eyes. “I wanted to join the circus once.” The brim of his hat cast a shadow across his face and for the briefest of moments, he looked like a stranger.

Bet wasn’t sure if he was joking. “Because you wanted to run away?”

“Because I wanted to be Buffalo Bill.”

“And star in a Wild West show.” Bet could picture him on his big Morgan horse, shooting targets at a full gallop.

“Something like that.” The two continued their walk, and with no one around to see them, Bet kept her grip on his elbow, touching the soft blue denim of his shirt. It made them feel like a real couple. She’d never wanted that until now, when it wasn’t clear if they would ever be committed.

The midway split the meadow in half. Food stalls filled one side while games of skill and chance filled the other, with rides scattered in between. The big blue and white striped tent at the far end promised trick horses and acrobats, shimmering in the heat like a mirage. Carnival Roma combined the food, rides, and fun of a carnival with the live performances of a circus, guaranteeing tourist dollars for her often-overlooked town and spectacle under the big top.

As they made their way along the empty “street,” Bet imagined Rob in a fringed coat, performing with the big horse he’d brought with him to Collier almost a year ago. “You still got to carry a gun to work for the FBI. That’s almost like Buffalo Bill.”

“Does that make you Annie Oakley?”

They reached the first of the games—multi-colored balloons to pop with darts, metal targets to hit with little peashooters, heavy white milk cans stacked into pyramids waiting to be knocked into the dirt by an oversized softball. Memories of the past filled her, the view of those games from a child’s eye level. Her father always waving off trying his hand at hitting the targets. A crack shot, he didn’t believe guns should be used as toys.

The stalls were unattended, but a tall, gangly man stood not far away watching them—his blue polo shirt had GUS stitched in gold letters on the left side and a patch with the carnival’s logo on the right.

Rob gestured toward the shooting gallery like a game show host pointing out the grand prize. “Care to prove your gunslinger skills, Sheriff?”

“Only if Gus’ll let us use the dart game.” Bet didn’t hold the same belief as her father, toy guns didn’t bother her, but she refused to fail at hitting the targets with the carnival rifles because the sights were bad.

Gus started his singsong patter as he climbed over the knee wall in front of the games. “Hit a balloon and win a prize.”

Hefting a dart, Bet readied her shot. The pink balloon popped as the point found its target, but before they could finish the high five she aimed Rob’s way, a sharp crack rebounded down the valley. “That was—”

She caught Rob’s startled expression, and they finished with eyes locked together, “—a gunshot.”

Bet’s hand went instinctively for the gun in her holster. But before she drew, she reached down to her backup weapon and held the Smith & Wesson Shield Plus out to him. Planning a fun morning off, his weapons were all back home in his gun safe. Rob gave her a nod, the micro-compact looking tiny but lethal in his hand. They started toward the far end of the carnival grounds, their steps in sync.

Carnival workers streamed toward them, away from the blast at the north end of the midway. With the carnival opening in two days, performers and other staff had likely been at their various tasks and rehearsals. Now they formed a mob, racing toward the entrance, their voices loud and frightened.

Bet grabbed the arm of a young woman running by, wearing a glittery costume. Her silver tights and gold leotard were draped in spangled scarves and netting, which sparkled in the bright sunlight. “What did you see?” Bet asked her.

“Nothing.” Her wild eyes focused and she took in Bet’s sheriff uniform. “I was inside the big top when I heard the gunshot. It sounded close, like it came from out back where the trucks are parked.”

Bet let the woman go and she slipped into the crowd as Bet picked up speed in the other direction. She caught up to Rob, who had paused a short distance away. “Could have come from behind the tent,” she said.

His expression was grim, his body taut as they jogged toward the far end of the midway. “At least there haven’t been any more shots,” he said.

If this had been a spree, the report wouldn’t have stopped at one. But Bet wasn’t taking any chances. Kane Stand, her sole full-time deputy, answered his cell on the first ring.

“We may have an active shooter at the carnival,” Bet said before he could get a word out. “Call Clayton and get him back here now.” She hoped her part-time deputy was still in the area, his night shift had only recently ended.

Kane’s calm voice came through. “Will do. He just left, so he hasn’t gotten far.” Kane grounded her as she fought to steady her breathing. “Do we need Addy?” he asked.

Addy Jamisen was an EMT who owned the only ambulance to serve the rural valley.

“Yes, please. Call her too. But wait with her and Clayton at the front entrance while Rob and I determine if someone has been injured or there’s still a threat.”

“OK, but if I hear gunshots, I’m coming to back you up.” Kane’s voice said not to argue with him doing his job. “Keep me posted on your location.”

“We’re heading past the southeast corner of the tent to get behind it. I’ll be in touch.”

She made eye contact with Rob, and they moved faster in tandem again, weapons drawn.

The tent blocked their view of all the travel trailers for the crew and performers parked behind it, along with transport vehicles for rides and booths and animals. As they came around the side of the tent, the forest of vehicles and trailers threw angular shadows onto the ground. Danger could hide in the fractured light.

Fifty feet away, a man lay face down in the dirt near the back of the tent—as if the gunman had already hit the bull’s-eye, only to slip away in the crowd.

***

Author Bio

Elena Taylor spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, and educator before turning her storytelling skills to fiction. Her first series, the Eddie Shoes Mysteries, written under Elena Hartwell, introduced a quirky mother/daughter crime fighting duo. She is also the author of the standalone suspense novel, The Haunting of Emily Grace.

With the Sheriff Bet Rivers Mysteries, Elena returns to her dramatic roots and brings readers much more serious and atmospheric novels. Located in Washington State, Elena produces tense and suspenseful investigations for a lone sheriff in an isolated community.

Her favorite place to be is at Paradise, the property she and her hubby own south of Spokane, Washington. They live with their equines, dogs, and cats.

Social Media Links

ElenaTaylorAuthor.com
www.TheMysteryOfWriting.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub – @elenataylorauthor
Instagram – @ElenaTaylorAuthor
BlueSky – ‪@elenataylorauthor.bsky.social‬
Facebook – @elenataylorauthor
YouTube – @ElenaHartwellAuthor

Purchase Links

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PICT Giveaway

https://pictbooks.tours/E6AxdgOJ

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The German Sisters by Marty Wingate

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE GERMAN SISTERS by Marty Wingate on this Bookouture book tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section and social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

1938, Germany. “Be brave, little one,” her mother whispers. Dagmar holds her hand tightly through the train window, trembling, trying not to cry. But as the train lurches forward, they are torn apart, and her mother is swallowed by the darkness.

As the train carries her far away from home, ten-year-old Dagmar’s hand tightens around her sister’s. As little Heike leans in, her acorn-coloured eyes wide, Dagmar is terrified she won’t be able to keep her safe…

Dagma heart aches for her mother but only children were allowed on board. The carriage is crowded; a small boy hugs a battered teddy bear and cries for his father. A girl her own age whispers that this train is rescuing Jewish children. But their families have been left behind…

As the train jolts along the track, Dagmar holds her breath. Her scuffed suitcase, with everything she owns inside, bangs painfully against her. Dagmar and Heike have nobody else but each other; what will happen to them? And will they ever see their mother again?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/252188237-the-german-sisters?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=GMbOadtuPc&rank=3

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0H1NHLSJ9social

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE GERMAN SISTERS by Marty Wingate is an emotional WWII historical fictional story of two young Jewish sisters evacuated to England on the Kindertransport from Germany. While this book is easily read as a standalone story, it is set in in the English countryside at Oxborough Manor with the cast of characters previously introduced in “The House for Lost Children” also by this author.

Ten-year-old Dagmar and her little sister Heike are sent by their parents after Kristallnacht on the Kindertransport to England. Dagmar is told she must take care of her sister and write to let them know where they settle and write the Jewish refugee committee to ask for assistance in getting a travel visa for them to follow. A heavy burden for a ten-year-old especially with a war engulfing Europe. Will they ever see their Mutti and Vati again?

After a fire in the first home they are settled in, the sisters end up resettling at Oxborough Manor with Lady B, Jack, and other evacuated children from London. As they settle into the manor, they are surrounded by the love and understanding they need, but will it be enough for Dagmar to let others help with her worries and burdens?

This is an emotional roller-coaster of a story. Dagmar has so much placed on her young shoulders and she does not know how to ask for help without feeling they will lose what they have if they need anything. Her continued letter writing was heart-breaking. When the sisters end up at Oxborough Manor, I was so excited to revisit the characters I had come to love in The House of Lost Children. The entire book is full of situations and emotions that are realistic and kept me turning the pages. Make sure you have plenty of tissues ready for the epilogue.

I highly recommend this moving WWII historical fiction!

***

About the Author

Marty Wingate is a USA Today best-selling author of both mysteries and historical fiction. Marty enjoys weaving humor into her books and creating characters—from quirky and loveable to sinister and duplicitous—that leap off the page. Before embarking on her series about the London Ladies Murder Club with Bookouture, Marty published three contemporary cozy mystery series (the Potting Shed, Birds of a Feather, and First Edition Library books). She has also published two standalone books of historical fiction and found stories of the past to be compelling. She’s delighted to combine her penchant for both mysteries and histories to bring her readers more satisfying stories. Marty currently resides near Seattle, Washington.

Mailing List: https://bookouture.com/subscribe/marty-wingate

Social Media Links

Website: http://martywingate.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martywingateauthor/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-german-sisters-completely-heartbreaking-and-unforgettable-world-war-two-fiction-by-marty-wingate

Feature Post and Book Review: A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly

Book Description

1940, England: Evelyne Redfern, known as “The Parisian Orphan” as a child, is working on the line at a munitions factory in wartime London. When Mr. Fletcher, one of her father’s old friends, spots Evelyne on a night out, Evelyne finds herself plunged into the world of Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s cabinet war rooms.

However, shortly after she settles into her new role as a secretary, one of the girls at work is murdered, and Evelyne must use all of her amateur sleuthing expertise to find the killer. But doing so puts her right in the path of David Poole, a cagey minister’s aide who seems determined to thwart her investigations. That is, until Evelyne finds out David’s real mission is to root out a mole selling government secrets to Britain’s enemies, and the pair begrudgingly team up.

With her quick wit, sharp eyes, and determination, will Evelyne be able to find out who’s been selling England’s secrets and catch a killer, all while battling her growing attraction to David?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65214072-a-traitor-in-whitehall?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=SXYBqa9zET&rank=1

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

A TRAITOR IN WHITEHALL (Evelyn Redfern Book #1) by Julia Kelly is the engaging first book in a new historical mystery series featuring two new protagonists that I am very excited to follow into future books. Set in Winston Churchill’s underground war rooms during the beginning of the blitz, the murder mystery is full of twists, intrigue, and historical facts.

Evelyn Redfern loves nothing more than staying in and reading her favorite British authors’ mysteries after having grown up in the center of her parent’s society divorce and scandal. After graduating from school, she is living as normally as possible in London with her best friend and working at a munitions factory until she runs into an old family friend on a night out. Mr. Fletcher has plans for Evelyn if she is willing to accept them.

Evelyn ends up working in the typing pool in Winston Churchill’s war rooms under Whitehall. As she gets used to her new position and the other girls, she discovers one of her co-workers murdered. Evelyn is determined to use her amateur sleuthing skills even as the two detectives warn her off. She crosses path with a Minister’s aide, David Poole, who she soon learns is working to discover the murderer and a leaker of military secrets.

They pool their resources and skills to work at discovering if it is one person or more responsible for selling England’s secrets and if the murderer is a part of the conspiracy.

I am interested in WWII history and love mysteries and this book delivers both; interesting facts with a murder mystery which makes me a happy reader. Evelyn is a wonderful protagonist who is intelligent, mature, and not willing to take any prejudice against her sex. David is a good partner in the investigation and is necessary since there are still many places in 1940s England women are not allowed. The mystery plot is intricately woven and moves at an ever-increasing rate with many suspects, red herrings, and twists interspersed throughout. I am really looking forward to future book in this series.

I highly recommend this first mystery book in the Evelyn Redfern series and look forward to many more.

***

About the Author

Julia Kelly is the international bestselling author of historical fiction and historical mystery novels about the extraordinary stories of the past. Her books have been translated into 13 languages. In addition to writing, she’s been an Emmy-nominated producer, journalist, marketing professional, and (for one summer) a tea waitress. Julia has called Los Angeles, Iowa, and New York City home. She now lives in London with her husband.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.juliakellywrites.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliakellywrites

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliakellywrites/?hl=en

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/juliakellywrites.bsky.social

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/a-traitor-in-whitehall-by-julia-kelly

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Lead Me Home by Catherine Bybee

Book Description

Luna Canning trusts numbers more than people—and for good reason. As a forensic accountant who specializes in exposing fraud, she knows numbers never deceive, unlike the toxic family she’s spent a lifetime trying to escape. Now living in her grandmother’s Victorian home, Luna has built a carefully ordered life behind walls she thought were unbreakable.

When her car is stolen from an airport parking lot, former FBI agent turned PI Nate Warren steps in to help—and proves more dangerous to her defenses than any thief. Despite Luna’s ironclad rules about mixing business with pleasure, their chemistry ignites, and for the first time, she considers letting someone past her guard. But just as their relationship begins to blossom, Luna’s manipulative mother arrives unannounced, dragging with her a dangerous man and decades of unresolved trauma that threaten everything Luna has built.

Now Luna must confront the ghosts of her past—both metaphorical and possibly literal, as strange occurrences in her historic home suggest she’s not alone. With a violent threat looming and her heart on the line, Luna discovers that sometimes the hardest person to trust is yourself.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Lead Me Home by Catherine Bybee is the first book in her newest series.  The plot delves into how someone can find a love founded on mutual respect and kindness while struggling with toxic family situations. Unfortunately, Bybee experienced something very similar and drew from her own family experiences.  

The main female lead is Luna Canning, the youngest of three siblings. She inherited the family home from her grandmother and shares it with a good friend, Miley, and a ghost. Luna is a forensic accountant who trusts numbers more than people. She steeks control and certainty in her life because her past was so unstable.  

She is very guarded about her life until one day she meets PI Nate Warren after a coffee spill. They realize they both have been hired to investigate a corporate fraud.  At first, they have an uneasy alliance, but both realize they enjoy each other’s company and that there is chemistry between them. 

This story intertwines heartbreak, suspense, and healing. But it also highlights sensitive topics of child abuse, neglect, emotional manipulation, and narcissism. 

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Is Luna based on yourself? 

Catherine Bybee: Luna is very personal to me. If you’ve read the author’s note for the book, I make no secret that my childhood left some scars. And if you’ve met me, you know that snark and independence is part of who I am. So, yes. I drew on my own experiences for Luna, as I do for most of my main characters. 

EC: Idea for the story? 

CB: I wanted to write a romance that could help women reclaim their agency and set emotional boundaries. We can’t stay silent. That lets our abusers win. 

EC: Do you write a certain type of heroine? 

CB: One of the things you’ll notice about all my books is that my heroines aren’t victims. They may have suffered trauma, they may struggle with self-doubt, they may have been told they’re worthless. But they will figure out how to move beyond that and claim their power, gain their voice. My heroines learn that the biggest obstacle in your life that is keeping you from whatever it is you want is your own fear. There is no reward without risk. 

EC: How would you describe Luna? 

CB: Luna is at the stage where she’d jumped off the wheel, but because of what she left, she doesn’t believe the right guy can be out there. And she certainly doesn’t trust herself to make the right decisions when it comes to men. Her walls are high because they have kept her safe.  

EC: How would you describe Nate? 

CB: Nate is literally able to protect her. He makes it clear that he will do whatever he can to earn her trust. He is willing to show up consistently and does not look for rewards, hoping to get past the walls Luna has built.  

EC: Was the house a character in the story? 

CB: When I was a child, I lived in an old Victorian home in Queen Anne Hill for a very short time. That house was haunted. Like seriously. It was haunted. I have some theories about why, but that’s a whole different conversation. Honestly, an eerie house where strange things happen? That’s definitely a Catherine Bybee setting. And yes, there are several things in the book that happened to me and my brother and sister when we were living there. It’s been a lot of fun writing a book where the house is as much as a key player in the story as the people who live there. 

EC: There are ghosts in the story, literally and figuratively? 

CB: As a child, I briefly lived in a haunted house, so that’s always been a real thing for me. Luna’s story, and her siblings and friends, fit naturally into that. They’re haunted by their toxic childhood, the traumas that they had to normalize, and now they’re trying to move past it. I think my readers will be able to resonate with that. Early in my career I wrote a time travel series that had a LOT of magic in it, and readers are still asking for the sixth book. I miss writing paranormal. I like the idea that deceased loving family members are around in spirit looking out for us. 

EC: What about the next book? 

CB: The second book is about Luna’s brother, Ash, and her best friend, Miley. And we’re going to learn more about her sister Harper’s marriage. Things aren’t looking good there. We’ll find out more about that later in the series. With the house as a central character, there are bound to be more members of this found family moving in. 

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.

Feature Post and Book Review: Birds of Prey Don’t Sing by Joe Cary

Book Description

Michael Harrier has built his reputation on a system no one else uses. Every contract comes with two targets. One dies. Someone else takes the blame.

It’s worked flawlessly for years.

Until now.

What should be a clean hit starts to unravel. A woman with a violent past pulls him off course. A single mistake threatens to expose everything. And for the first time, Harrier is forced to improvise.

Meanwhile, LAPD homicide sergeant Jordan Becker is hunting a killer he can’t pin down.

But he’s built his career on getting results where others stall out.

The case doesn’t follow any rules. The evidence doesn’t hold. The story keeps shifting. And the deeper Becker digs, the clearer it becomes he’s chasing someone smarter, faster, and always just out of reach.

As Harrier’s world tightens and Becker starts to break through, both men are pulled into a game where every move has consequences—and no one is as untouchable as they think.

Because this time, getting away with murder isn’t the hardest part.

It’s controlling what comes next.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/250733055-birds-of-prey-don-t-sing?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=BFezz6Ls20&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

BIRDS OF PREY DON’T SING by Joe Cary is engrossing dark thriller featuring an assassin traumatized by his past and living by his own moral code and the damaged detective determined to catch him. This is the author’s debut novel, and it is truly difficult to put down even with some emotionally difficult to read scenes.

The main characters in this novel are Michael Harrier, the assassin who makes the person ordering his service pick one victim to kill and one victim to frame for the murder, Chensea, a woman on the run from her Vegas  bookie ex who has Michael questioning his personal rules, and LAPD homicide detective Jordan Becker who will do anything to get his man which is what has gotten him in trouble before. All three of these characters are fully developed in all their shades of gray and black. Even as you learn more about each, you may feel you want to like them, or excuse something they have done, but there is no white knight in this novel.

The plot and pace of this novel is flawless. The step-by-step investigation is realistic, and each minute flaw made by Michael is a reward to Jordan’s doggedness. The action is intense and there is a lot of blood, so it is not good for the squeamish, but what I expect for a novel of this type. The ending is not what I was expecting and frankly, I am still not sure how I feel about it. I believe it is a conclusion that will be discussed by many every time this book is read.

I highly recommend this dark and gritty assassin thriller!

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About the Author

Joe Cary’s stories have appeared in One Story, XRAY Literary Magazine, BULL, MonkeyBicycle, and elsewhere, and also earned a Special Mention in the 2020 Pushcart Prize Anthology and a Best of the Net nomination. A former Angeleno, he currently lives with his family in Philadelphia, where he fights money laundering, fraud, and other financial crimes. Birds of Prey Don’t Sing is his first novel.