SECRETS NEVER DIE (Morgan Dane Book 5) by Melinda
Leigh is a romantic suspense/PI mystery. I cannot get enough of Morgan, Lance
and the whole cadre of secondary characters. The only reason I put this book
down was because I had to go to work.
Tina Knox comes home from work to find her husband, a retired
sheriff shot dead in the den and her teenage son, Evan missing. Tina calls PI
Lance Kruger for help because her son is on Lance’s hockey team for at risk
teens. As the evidence begins to come together, Evan goes from being considered
a missing person to the prime suspect.
Lance and Morgan work together to locate Evan and find evidence to prove him innocent. Just when the trail goes cold, another deputy goes missing. Is his disappearance connected?
Also, Lance and Morgan do not believe that Tina is telling them the whole truth. What is she hiding and is it connected?
Lance and Morgan fear Evan is the killer’s target. Will they
be able to find Evan alive and unravel family secrets that put everyone in
jeopardy?
Once again, Morgan and Lance go all out to prove the innocence
of their client. It is difficult to not give away secrets because I want
everyone to see how clever Ms. Leigh is with her plotting. She gives you a fast-paced,
page-turning, intense read with plot twists that always surprise me. Morgan and
Lance’s relationship continues to develop and they are a powerhouse couple at
home and on the job. I always look forward to catching up with all the
secondary characters, also.
This is my favorite series by Ms. Leigh and I am going to be
very sorry to see it end. Until then, I highly recommend this book and the
whole series for great reads!
Today I am excited to share this Feature Post/Blog Blitz and Book Review for a great new release from Pamela Murray – BLOODLINE: an edge of your seat crime thriller which is the second book featuring DI Joe Burton and DS Sally Fielding. This book can easily be read as a standalone, but I loved it so much I will be going back to read the first title, MURDERLAND.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review and the author’s bio. I highly recommend this British police procedural/mystery!
***
Book Blurb:
When a young boy discovers a man’s body
lying in a doorway, DI Burton and DS Fielding are called to the scene.
Believing the man was homeless, the police
are shocked to discover the true identity of the victim; a Detective Constable
from London who was working undercover.
But when the DNA from the victim is linked
to a cold case Burton and Fielding find themselves looking into another
unsolved murder.
And as the case unfolds, the detectives are faced with unpicking through a web of lies and deceit. But can they solve the murders before any more blood is spilt?
***
My Book Review:
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
BLOODLINE: an edge of your seat crime thriller by
Pamela Murray is a new and exciting British police procedural featuring Detective
Inspector Joe Burton and Detective Sergeant Sally Fielding. This is the second
book in the series and can be easily read as a standalone. I will definitely be
going back to read the first book, MURDERLAND.
A homeless man is found stabbed to death lying in a doorway.
But something is not right. The police are shocked when they find out the
homeless man was one of their own from London working undercover.
The fingerprints identify the slain office, but his DNA
comes back linking him genetically to a cold case homicide. Now DI Burton has
two homicides to investigate as DS Fielding goes undercover to follow the case
that leads to the policeman’s death.
These cases are tied together with lies and deceit which the
detectives must unravel before more people end up dead.
This book is an exciting page turner that hooked me right away. There are so many unanswered questions, deceptions, twists and turns. The main characters are likable and realistic. The two plots are intertwined and flow seamlessly from start to resolution.
I am very happy to have found this author and series now,
when I only have one book to go back to read. I can highly recommend this British
procedural/mystery!
***
Author Bio:
Pamela
Murray is from the North East of England, and has spent most of her life living
in Boldon. She began writing at an early age when she and her school friend
used to write stories for one another. The writing continued on and off over
the years, but was only recently reignited when the same school friend
introduced her to the local writers group she was in.
Pamela had intended to enter Journalism after leaving
school but found herself going to work in a Public Library instead, and has
always had more than a passing interest in books and literature.
When
not writing, Pamela is passionate about Cinema and her three grandchildren. She
has also appeared as a Supporting Artiste in two episodes of the hit TV crime
series “Vera”.
I am so excited to be sharing THE WONDER OF YOU (Sanctuary Sound Book 3) by Jamie Beck. I have been anxiously awaiting Peyton’s story in this trilogy and Ms. Beck did not disappoint!
Below you will find a guest post from Jamie Beck, an excerpt, my book review, a book summary, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. As always good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway and you have to read this book!
***
Guest
Post: Author Jamie Beck Urges Readers to Focus on the Wonder of Now
Throughout my career, I’ve
loved the challenge of redeeming a character that might be hard to like, much
less love. In Peyton, the heroine from The Wonder of Now, I took on
a particular challenge, because most of my readers are women, and most women
don’t forgive a friend who betrays them for a man. This setup made redeeming
Peyton a singular challenge and begs two questions: who is Peyton, and why
should you care about what happens to her?
Peyton Prescott is part of a
legendary literary family owing to her great-grandfather’s prolific career as a
celebrated novelist. The casual observer would say she’s grown up in a mansion
by the sea and enjoyed every privilege (wealth, beauty, wit). But life in
Arcadia House wasn’t as picture-perfect as her family would have the public
believe, and emotionally distant parents didn’t exactly model warmth or instill
a sense of deep love and acceptance. She spent her twenties living out of
suitcases and blogging about her travels, then had the misfortune of falling
for her childhood friend’s boyfriend, who dumped that friend for Peyton…until
she got diagnosed with breast cancer, at which point he dumped her, too.
Facing her mortality alone
forced her to take a hard look at her life and her choices, spurring a sincere
desire to become a better person, and to make amends with the friend she
betrayed. Although she gets diagnosed in the first book in this series, and
begins to make amends in the second, this final book is when all the threads
come together. She and her famed-photographer brother recorded her journey from
diagnosis through her final surgeries, collaborating on a memoir that is about
to release (the proceeds of which will be donated to cancer research). Of
course, at this point in time she’s more interested in moving on with her life
than with reliving the experience with cancer and sharing those intimacies in
public forums. Her attitude puts her in direct opposition to the publicist,
Mitch, who is counting on her becoming his fledgling company’s big hit.
Despite Peyton’s flaws, of
which she is well-aware, she also has strengths that draw people to her. She’s
self-deprecating, witty, brave, beautiful, and empathetic. She now also has a
heightened appreciation for living in the moment and not taking any day for
granted—something the goal-oriented Mitch must learn to do. Although he has
very good reasons for being disciplined and focused on his ambitions, he is
instantly drawn to her energetic spirit and zest for life.
I confess that I struggled
while writing this book, but it ended up becoming my favorite to date. Not just
because I loved rising to the challenge I’d set up, but also because Peyton’s
musings, fears, and hopes go to the heart of what connects us all, and because
I think I gave her the perfect man to help her complete her much-needed
personal growth arc. But you can be the judge!
***
Excerpt:
The writer from the Barcelona
Review swaggered in and sat down. Medium height, trim, with coal-black
hair worn a bit shaggy. The guy’s eyes lit up when he got his first good look
at Peyton’s smile, making Mitch’s gut tighten.
“Hello, Miss Prescott. I’m
Javier Molina, but friends call me Javi.” He reached across the table to shake
her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Javi.
Please call me Peyton.”
The little knot in Mitch’s
stomach screwed tighter when he thought she was flirting. She’s only
smiling, stupid.
Javi set up his phone
recorder and then slouched back, feet planted wide apart on the ground, pen in
hand. That cocky bastard was trying to intimidate Peyton with his domineering
position. “First, let me say I enjoyed the book, although I suspect some of the
caustic humor was meant to keep us at a distance.”
“Not exactly,” she muttered.
Javi hesitated but would be
disappointed if he expected his silence would force her to elaborate. Mitch had
watched her operate with interviewers in Rome. She’d make an excellent trial
witness, answering only those questions asked—nothing more or less. Even this
spare utterance seemed to have slipped through her fortress wall.
Javi prodded again. “In
certain cases, the photographs are more raw than the narrative, although they
blend seamlessly together. All but the cover photo, which has no explanation or
accompanying exposition. It’s a spectacular, harsh image . . . Can you tell our
readers what was going through your mind when it was taken?”
“You mean aside from ‘I’m
going to kill you, Logan’?” She chuckled, buying herself a precious moment to
compose her thoughts, Mitch guessed.
Meanwhile, Javi raised his
index finger with a sly nod, as if she’d proved the point he’d made a moment
ago about her defense mechanism. Rather than venture another attempt to flirt
his way past Peyton’s defenses, Javi simply stared at her this time, waiting
for a real answer.
Her gaze drifted, eyes
cloudy. If she’d wanted to discuss whatever happened at the time of that photo,
she would’ve put it in the memoir.
Mitch loosened his fist and
wiggled his fingers. She needed to do this for herself, and it might be easier on
her if he left the room. It would certainly be easier on him not to listen to
the story behind the photo that had captivated yet haunted him for weeks.
He wrestled with his
internal debate until she sighed.
Without looking at Javi, she
picked up the pen and began doodling on the pad in front of her while she
spoke. “Forty-five minutes before Logan shot that photo, I’d used the magic
mouthwash to help with my mouth ulcers. After the waiting period, I went to the
kitchen to get some water. It was predawn, so I’d assumed Logan was sleeping. I
took a few sips and then wandered to the living room window. Outside, the
street was already coming to life, all shadows and movement and secrets.
Garbage men emptying bins, night-shift workers heading home, a stray woman
dashing toward the subway on an obvious walk of shame . . . ordinary people
living their lives. Probably worrying about the electric bill, or looking
forward to a sporting event, or maybe daydreaming about a new love. Things that
had once occupied my thoughts but, in that moment, meant less than nothing to
me.”
When she paused, Mitch stole
a look at her notepad. Daisies?
Her expression shifted to
something self-deprecating. “And yet I envied them and those small worries . .
. envied their health. Their nonchalance about another new day. I was so
separated from it all—and not only by the glass. I swallowed a scream because I
knew they, like me before my diagnosis, were taking everything for granted. I
watched them, resentment festering because I might not exist long enough to
even see those people months later. Worse, they’d never know. Life everywhere
would go on without me, and very, very few people would care. Just like
that”—she snapped her fingers—“it hit me that my whole life never mattered
much. No spouse. No children. No impressive legacy from my Globejotter days.
What, of value, had I done with my time?”
The room remained silent
while she resumed her doodling. “I don’t know what woke Logan. All I remember
is that I turned when I heard the camera click, and then he kept snapping.” She
finally looked at Javi and tapped the book jacket with the back end of her pen.
“That was his favorite of the bunch.”
Javi straightened his
posture while finishing his notes. Peyton shot Mitch a quick glance punctuated
by a half shrug. What a strange, intriguing woman. Drawing flowers while
relaying her existential crisis to a total stranger.
Mitch offered a sharp nod of
approval when what he wanted was to gather her in his arms like a bouquet of
delicate flowers and tell her that he would care very much if she didn’t exist
tomorrow or the next day or the one after.
***
My Book Review:
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
I have been anxiously waiting for Peyton’s story and Ms.
Beck did not disappoint!
THE WONDER OF NOW (Sanctuary Sound Book 3) by Jamie
Beck is the third contemporary romance in this trilogy about three friends who
dubbed themselves the Lilac Lane League growing up and their lives until they
each find their HEAs. This can be read as a standalone, but there is character
and back-story crossover.
Peyton Prescott is not the same carefree, world travel
blogger she was before her breast cancer. She has survived a double mastectomy,
reconstruction surgery and a year of baring her sole through words to go along
with the pictures taken by her brother, Logan, a professional photographer, of
her personal journey to be published as a book with half the proceeds going to fight
cancer. Up until the cancer she led a privileged and spoiled life, but now she must
find a way to face her new self in the mirror not just physically, but mentally
also.
The first leg of publicity for the book is a tour through
Europe. Logan is at home planning his wedding, so the publisher hires a
publicist to accompany her.
Mitch Mathis has been responsible and disciplined ever since
he lost his father to cancer while in high school. His new company’s success is
riding on Peyton’s tour being a success. There are definitely sparks between
the two, but Mitch has been burned before in an office romance and refuses to ever
let personal feelings interfere with business again.
As the tour progresses, Mitch and Peyton’s attraction grows,
but so do expectations, stress and miscommunications. Both need to decide if they
are willing to be what the other needs.
All three of these books were about such emotionally strong
women, but I especially loved this book. I have known many women who have gone
through Peyton’s journey and others who have passed on and this book realistically
covers so many of their fears and joys as I witnessed their terrifying and amazing
journeys. Mitch and Peyton are a wonderful couple with a complex, flawed and
slow burn romance that had my emotions engaged throughout. These characters and
this book will stay with me for a long time to come.
I highly recommend this contemporary romance trilogy and for
me, they only get stronger as they progress.
***
About The Book:
Title: The Wonder of
Now
Author: Jamie Beck
Release Date: September 10,
2019
Publisher: Montlake
Summary:
Peyton Prescott would give anything for the carefree life she knew
before breast cancer changed everything. But instead of using her second chance
to move forward, she’s stuck promoting the memoir her brother convinced her to
write, thus reliving the very battle she wants to forget. If she hopes her
European book tour will allow her to enjoy revisiting her favorite
travel-writing destinations, she’s wrong: her PR whiz is too consumed with his
own goals to consider her needs.
Mitch Mathis has relied on discipline to achieve his goals, and
with his new firm’s success riding on Peyton’s book launch, he must keep her on
task. They’re here for business, not pleasure. And Mitch won’t let unbridled
desire harm his professional reputation—not again.
When frustrated expectations and attraction throw the tour into chaos, it challenges everything Mitch and Peyton believe about themselves, life, and love, forcing these opposites to consider whether they can embrace the change they need to grow.
***
Author Biography:
National
bestselling author Jamie Beck’s realistic and heartwarming stories have sold
more than two million copies. She’s a Booksellers’ Best Award and National
Readers’ Choice Award finalist, and critics at Kirkus, Publishers
Weekly, and Booklist have respectively called her work
“smart,” “uplifting,” and “entertaining.” In addition to writing, the author of
the Cabot novels, the Sterling Canyon novels, and the St. James series enjoys
dancing around the kitchen while cooking and hitting the slopes in Vermont and
Utah. Above all, she is a grateful wife and mother to a very patient,
supportive family.
Fans can learn more about her on her website, www.jamiebeck.com, which
includes a fun “Extras” page with photos, videos, and playlists. She also loves
interacting with everyone on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JamieBeckBooks.
Today I am excited to share this Feature Post and Book Review for Susan Stoker’s new release CLAIMING SARAH (Ace Security Book 5). This is the final book in this romantic suspense series, but it is easily read as a standalone and it will make you want to go back and read the previous couples’ stories.
Below you will find a guest post from the author, an excerpt, my book review, a book summary, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Enjoy this romantic suspense with heart and as always good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!
***
Opposites
Attract: When Cole Claims Sarah
In Claiming Sarah, Cole
Johnson is co-owner of one of his town’s most popular gyms. He’s extremely busy
since his partner, Felicity, is out of town. He makes an appointment to meet
with Sarah Butler, to arrange for some self defense training for her, but he
almost loses his chance when she overhears him telling his secretary he’s too
busy and to give her an excuse as to why he can’t meet her. The couple
(obviously) works out that awkward first meeting and Sarah begins learning how
to defend herself from a creepy man who keeps giving her inappropriate
presents. Of course the more time Cole spends with Sarah, the more he likes her
and they end up dating. When she disappears it’s up to Cole, and Ace Security,
to put together the clues to find her before it’s too late.
Cole Johnson is a man who’s used to
plowing through his day and when he needs or wants something, he simply gets
it. Sarah Butler is more reserved. As a kid who didn’t feel wanted until she
was finally adopted she was used to being in the background. Cole and Sarah
compliment each other perfectly. Cole is able to ferret out what Sarah wants
and needs and he delivers. And in return Sarah keeps Cole grounded. She smooths
out his jagged edges.
I think that’s how good relationships
work, at least in my books. The Hero is there to protect and shield his woman
from anyone or anything that might want to hurt her, and she’s there to keep
him grounded and to support him. It seems to just work.
***
Excerpt:
“Do you ask out every woman you train
at your gym? It just seems . . . fast.”
Cole stared at her for a long moment,
and when he frowned, Sarah felt as if she’d somehow disappointed him.
“No, I don’t ask out every woman I
train. Not even close. It’s been a long time since I’ve asked anyone out.
And believe me, Sarah, I’m looking at you—and I like what I see. A lot. You’ve
got an air of innocence about you that I find fascinating. You’ve had a tough
life, but haven’t let it harden you. I respect you, and I . . . I’d like to get
to know you better.”
She bit her lip and took a deep
breath, but didn’t immediately protest, so he went on. “I have a feeling simply
being around you will make me a better person.”
Sarah shook her head. “Don’t do that.
Don’t put me on a pedestal. I’m not some paragon walking around sprinkling
glitter throughout the world.”
Cole laughed. Threw his head back and
laughed as if she’d said the funniest thing he’d ever heard.
Sarah tugged on her hand again,
somewhat offended, but he still refused to let go.
When he got himself under control, he
said, “I know you’re not perfect. You’re too trusting. You see the good in
everyone, even when there isn’t any there. You probably neglect your own health
in order to do something good for someone else.”
“You make me sound like an idiot,”
Sarah grumbled, despite being secretly kind of flattered.
“You’re not an idiot. You’re
refreshing. And I’m not. I’ve got more than my share of flaws that I’m sure
you’ll discover sooner rather than later. But as I said, if you let me get to
know you, go out on a few dates with me, I’m hoping you’ll find that you like
me back . . . just a little.”
Sarah frowned. “I already like you,
Cole, but I don’t understand you. You don’t know anything about me. I could
totally be lying to you right now, and you just bought my lies hook, line, and
sinker.”
He smiled again. “You’re not lying.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’m an expert at reading body
language. I’ve been around some bad people in my life, angel. You are who you
say you are. What you see is what you get.”
Sarah licked her lips nervously, and his
gaze immediately followed the movement.
Cole persisted. “Say you’ll go out
with me, Sarah.”
“I thought I was here to figure out
how to defend myself.”
“You are. And we’ll get to that.
Agreeing to go out with me in no way affects whether or not I’ll teach you some
basic moves that will allow you to get away from someone and get to safety.”
“But if I say no, things could get
weird.”
“Then say yes,” Cole cajoled. “I swear
you’ve got nothing to fear from me. I’ll even get references if that will make
you feel safer.”
“It’s not that. I think I feel safer
with you than anyone I’ve ever been around . . .” She
hesitated.
“But?”
“I’m afraid once you get to know me,
you’ll decide I’m annoying. Too much work or something. I work odd hours, weird
shifts. And I looked you up online. I know about your friend and what happened
to her. And about the Andersons. The last thing I want is my stalker getting
upset when he sees us together—because he will—and taking out any anger on you
and your friends.”
“Breathe, angel. Take a breath.
Nothing is going to happen to them.”
“You can’t control people, Cole,”
Sarah pressed. “They’re unpredictable.”
“Fine. Then we’ll meet with Logan,
Blake, Nathan, and Ryder, and make sure they know everything about this Owen
guy. We’ll let them investigate and figure out what will make him back off. In
the meantime, we’ll hang out at my place. Or here. Or your house. We won’t
shove our relationship down Owen’s throat. We’ll be discreet. How’s that
sound?”
Sarah could only gape at him. “How’d
we go from me wanting some tips on protecting myself to having Ace Security
investigating Owen and you and me hanging out at each other’s houses?”
He smiled at her again, but didn’t
answer her question.
She took a deep breath and gave him
the only answer she could. “Okay.”
He beamed. “Okay,” he said quietly.
Then he finally let go of her hand and stood, before immediately reaching the
same hand down to her again. “Time for your first lesson.”
Automatically, she reached up and let
him help her off the floor. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting. A kiss to
seal the deal. A hug. A discussion about when and where their first date would
be. But so far, Cole hadn’t done anything the way she expected him to.
“First lesson for today will be how to
get a guy to let go of your hand if he’s been holding on too long and you’re
uncomfortable.”
Sarah knew he was referring to her
feeble attempts to pull her hand out of his, and blushed. But he was right,
this was something she should know. It would come in handy at the hospital too,
just in case one of the patients or family members got a little too familiar,
as they’d done in the past.
Concentrating on his instruction, she
did her best to put her nerves about dating Cole behind her.
***
My Book Review:
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
CLAIMING SARAH (Ace Security Book 5) by Susan Stoker
is the last romantic suspense book in the Ace Security series. This story does
have crossover characters from the other books, but it is easily read as a
standalone and makes me want to go back and read the others.
Sarah Butler is a nursing assistant who loves her job, but
she is now having difficulty with the son of an ex-patient who keeps sending
her intimate notes and gifts. There have been no threats, just a weird feeling
on Sarah’s part, so the police and Ace Security do not believe there is a
problem and just tell her to take self-defense classes at Rock Hard Gym and let
them know if she receives an overt threat. When she shows up at the gym, she
overhears the co-owner trying to get the receptionist to brush her off and she
walks out.
When Cole Johnson realizes he just sent the “Sarah” that Ace
Security sent his way, he runs out to apologize and try to get her to come back.
Cole has an instant and intense attraction to Sarah; her gentleness and innocence
make her his “angel”. Sarah also cannot explain why Cole makes her feel safe,
but her fears disappear when he is around. Cole believes Sarah’s instincts and
gets Ace Security working on her case as they become closer. Sarah has a premonition
she will disappear and no one will come looking for her or be able to find her.
Sarah’s premonition becomes reality and Cole will stop at
nothing to find his “angel”.
I loved everything about Sarah. She is sweet, loving and
forgiving. I agree with Cole that she is a special person who needs to be
protected and I wish there were more people like her in this world. Cole is a
great hero for Sarah with his alpha attitude, rough edges, tattoos but a core
of love and protectiveness for her. The sex scenes are explicit and steamin’ hot.
I was very satisfied with the compassionate way Ms. Stoker handled the
resolution of the climax of this story, also.
This is a suspenseful romantic suspense with a lot of heart
and memorable characters.
***
About the Book:
Title: Claiming Sarah
Author: Susan Stoker
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Publisher: Montlake
Summary:
Sarah Butler isn’t flattered. She’s
angry and unnerved. She’s been getting intimate gifts from a man she barely
knows. Nothing threatening yet, but there’s just a weird vibe she can’t ignore.
Her recourse is Ace Security. Their solution: self-defense lessons at Rock Hard
Gym with a personal, hands-on instructor. One look at the bearded, tattooed,
green-eyed alpha is enough to take Sarah’s breath away.
Cole Johnson is definitely the man for the job. He’s eager to train her. Eager
to get closer. And when it comes to Sarah’s instincts, Cole knows she’s not
imagining things. He’s also not imagining the intense attraction between
them—and his desire to protect her is growing. But so are Sarah’s fears, the
worst of which come true when she disappears.
Enlisting the help of Ace Security, Cole will stop at nothing to find the love of his life . . . before she vanishes forever.
***
Author Biography:
Susan Stoker is the New York
Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling
author of Claiming Felicity, Claiming Bailey, Claiming Grace, and Claiming
Alexis in the Ace Security series. A lover of alpha heroes, Susan is
also the author of the Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes, SEAL of Protection, and
Delta Force Heroes series. Married to a retired Army noncommissioned officer,
Stoker has lived all over the country—from Missouri and California to Colorado
and Texas—and currently lives under the big skies of Tennessee. She is a true
believer in happily ever after and enjoys writing novels in which romance turns
to love. To learn more about the author and her work, visit her at www.stokeraces.com.
Occasionally, I enjoy reading a sci-fi romance book just for
the fun and simply campy enjoyment of the world-building and the explicit sex scenes.
DURIC: A Science Fiction Romance (Trident Alliance Mail Order Brides
Book 2) by Athena Storm is one of those stories.
Daphne Moebius is a member of the Interstellar Human Confederation.
The ship she is travelling on is attacked and destroyed by an Odex assault ship.
She is the only survivor and is rescued by a Vakutan warrior.
Duric is a seven-foot tall, alpha Vakutan warrior whose ship attempts to help the ship under attack. After his rescue of the only surviving human, his ship is also damaged beyond repair. He directs his crew to set for a crash landing on the closest moon of Aenexia that supports human life. After the crash landing, Duric and Dapne are the sole survivors.
The enemy ship has also been damaged beyond repair and crash
lands on the same moon. Duric and Daphe travel to get as far away as they can,
but is it enough if their enemies from the Ataxia Coalition have survived?
Stranded together the pair has to learn to work together to survive and in the
process discover their feelings for each other are more than they expect.
I enjoyed this quick sci-fi romance book. It is the second Mail Order Bride book in a four book series that stands on its own. The world-building was well done and put me in the fantasy world, but I did not read how this was a mail order bride story. There were also a few typos that should have been caught in editing before publication that threw me out of the fantasy in a few crucial places. The sex scenes were explicit, erotic and steamin’ hot, but also at times some word choices and phrases were campy and not what I would usually find in a current romance. That said, it was still a fun, sexy and entertaining quick read and just the escapism I was looking for.
Thanks very much to Booksprout for this eARC for review.
Today is my turn on the Blog Blitz for THE EDITOR by Simon Hall.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review and the author’s biography. This book is not what I was expecting. I would not classify it as a classic mystery, but a fiction story with a mystery subplot. You will have to judge for yourself. Enjoy!
***
Book Blurb
A mysterious advert in a newspaper promising to
restore hope to the hopeless brings together four strangers.
None realising they will end up investigating a
twisted and troubling crime that threatens their very futures.
Mitch, a former Crime Scene Investigator,
Olivia, a brilliant PhD student, and Florence, a middle-aged solicitor, find
themselves working with an enigmatic newspaper editor who refers to himself
only as Ed.
But when Maddie, a teenage girl, disappears in
sinister circumstances, the team are drawn into the hunt for her. And when a
neighbour’s body is discovered in a pool of blood, they realise they must use
their unique skills in a race against time.
But can they solve the mystery before it’s too late? And before Ed’s shadowy past overcomes them all?
***
My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
THE EDITOR by Simon Hall is not the book I was
expecting, but that is not necessarily a bad thing at times. I was expecting a
straight mystery due to the book blurb and the marketing, but for me it was
more of a general fiction story with a mystery sub-plot.
An ad is posted in the newspaper promising to restore hope
to the hopeless by Ed. Ed is a mysterious figure who chooses three people from
the applicants to assist him in starting a new newswire to get them out among people
and reconnect them with humanity and hope.
Mitch is a former crime scene investigator who has seen too
much. Olivia is a brilliant computer and mathematician PhD student who hates
humanity. Florence is a lawyer who feels that no matter who or what she tries
to help, it ends in disaster. Ed is the leader, but he is also is looking for an
unnamed answer.
As they search for news stories, the four become involved
with a family in crisis. When teenager, Maddie disappears after her mother is sent
to the hospital after a domestic abuse incident, the four work together to
solve her disappearance. They all use their unique skills in a race against
time and fight to maintain their hope.
The four main characters are the focus of this book more
than the mystery which is easily figured out. Even the surprise twist at the
end is focused on the main characters and not the mystery itself. I really
enjoyed the differences between the four and how they came together. The twist
at the end surprised me and cleared up questions about Ed.
This book is one of those books that everyone will have different
views on and leave the ratings all over the place, but I enjoyed it. I recommend
it for a different type of read with the emphasis on the four main characters
and not the mystery sub-plot.
***
Biography
Simon Hall is an author, journalist, communications
consultant, and business coach.
He was a broadcaster for twenty five years, mostly as a BBC
Television, Radio and Online News Correspondent, covering some of the biggest stories
Britain has seen.
He now lectures, and coaches companies at the Judge Business
School, part of the University of Cambridge, working on presentation skills,
branding, pitching, websites, and media profile, both conventional and social.
Simon has had seven books in his tvdetective series
published. They focus on a television reporter who covers crimes and gets so
involved in the cases he helps the police to solve them.
He has also contributed articles and short stories to a
range of newspapers and magazines, written plays, and even a pantomime.
Alongside his novels and stories, Simon is a tutor in media
skills and creative writing, teaching at popular Writers’ Summer Schools such
as Swanwick and Winchester, for the National Association of Writers’ Groups, at
universities including Cambridge and Exeter, on cruise ships and overseas.
Simon has also become sought after as a speaker, appearing
at a variety of prestigious literary festivals. His talks combine an insight
into his writing work, along with some extraordinary anecdotes from the life of
a television reporter, including the now notorious story of What to do when you really need a dead otter.
He began a broadcasting career as a DJ on the radio and in
nightclubs, then moved into radio and TV news. He worked in Europe, London, Ireland,
and the south west of England, before settling in Cambridge.
Simon is married to Jess, Director of Libraries at the
University of Cambridge, and has an adopted daughter, Niamh. She’s an army
officer, which makes her father both very proud and very nervous.
Simon also lectures on careers in the media at Cambridge
University, and in schools and colleges. Amongst his proudest achievements, he includes
the number of young people he has helped into higher education and jobs in
broadcasting, and aspiring writers into publication.
As for his likes, Simon lists beer – he judges at real ale
festivals – running, cycling, solving cryptic crosswords, composing curious
Tweets (find him @SimonHallNews) and studying pop lyrics.
