While her famous employer is happily back home at Mallowan Hall, wrestling with her Belgian detective’s dilemma on board the Orient Express, Phyllida is finding her local renown as a sleuth has put her in high demand. A distraught Vera Rollingbroke suspects her husband of infidelity and has invited Phyllida to a dinner party to observe his behavior, particularly in regard to one Genevra Blastwick.
What she does observe at the party is that Genevra craves attention, in contrast to her shy sister Ethel. Genevra introduces a game called Two Truths and a Lie, and one of her questionable statements is that she once witnessed a murder. At this bold claim, the guests react with disbelief and pepper her with questions. Genevra remains cagey, withholding details, but insists this is not her lie.
The next morning Phyllida learns poor Ethel was purposely run down by a motorcar the previous night while inexplicably walking home alone from the party. She fears Genevra may have been the target, which means someone at the party is a killer—twice over. A chilling thought. With Genevra in potential danger—and Inspector Cork proceeding ponderously as usual—Phyllida takes it upon herself to unmask the killer. With two murders to solve, she will need to grill Genevra and the guests as well as re-examine any past sudden deaths or disappearances. And if she’s smart, she’ll look twice before crossing the road . . .
TWO TRUTHS AND A MURDER (A Phyllida Bright Mystery Book #5) by Colleen Cambridge is another intricately plotted historical mystery in this fun and intriguing series featuring Agatha Christie’s housekeeper and friend, Phyllida Bright, who seems to have a penchant for solving murders. While you can read each book in the series as a standalone with a complete whodunit crime plot, I feel they are best read in order of publication to follow the evolution of all the recurring characters.
When Agatha and Phyillda return to Mallowan Hall after their trip to London, Phyllida is surprised by a visit from Vera Rollingbroke, who is looking for her and not Agatha. She is afraid her husband is having an affair and wishes Phyllida to investigate the matter at a coming dinner party at their manor. After dinner, Genevra Blastwick pulls everyone into a game called Two Truths and a Lie. When she takes the first turn, after her shy sister, Ethel demurs, Genevra announces she has witnessed a murder and swears this is not her lie. The guests react with disbelief, and the party soon breaks up.
The next morning Phyllida learns Ethel was purposefully run over by a motorcar. Phyllida believes Ethel died mistaken for her sister and is asked by the Blastwick’s to look into Ethel’s murder. What she learns as she begins to investigate is that this murder may be tied to a previous death in the village, but which one? Questioning everyone at the dinner party, she begins to discover secrets and lies that someone does not want to be revealed and Phyllida soon finds herself in danger.
I thoroughly enjoy this series and find Phyllida a wonderful lead character and amateur sleuth. While she may seem prickly, she is intelligent, inquisitive, has a large heart, and is extremely loyal. I found the mystery plot intriguing and well plotted throughout to keep me turning the pages. It was twisted and when I was expecting one crime, it branched off into two crimes and mysteries for Phyllida to solve. I also enjoyed the continuing romance between Phyllida and Bradford. Both still have many secrets that can be revealed, but you know the other servants know what is going on between the two even if Phyllida refuses to believe it.
I highly recommend this compelling historical mystery addition to this endearing 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.
In the hours before dawn at a local summer camp, Bureau of Indian Affairs archaeologist Syd Walker receives an alarming call: newly discovered skeletal remains have been stolen. Not only have bones gone missing, but a Native teen girl has disappeared near the camp, and law enforcement dismisses her family’s fears.
As Syd investigates both crimes, she’s drawn into a world of privileged campers and their wealthy parents—most of them members of the Founders Society, an exclusive club whose members trace their lineage to the first colonists and claim ancestral rights to the land, despite fierce objections from the local tribal community. And it’s not the first time something—or someone—has gone missing from the camp.
The deeper Syd digs, the more she realizes these aren’t isolated incidents. A pattern of disappearances stretches back generations, all leading to the Founders Society’s doorstep. But exposing the truth means confronting not just the town’s most powerful families, but also a legacy of violence that refuses to stay buried.
***
Elise’s Thoughts
The Bone Thief by Vanessa Lillie blends history with fiction.
In the hours before dawn at a local summer camp, Bureau of Indian Affairs archaeologist Syd Walker receives an alarming call: newly discovered skeletal remains have been stolen. Not only have bones gone missing, but a Native teen girl has disappeared near the camp, and law enforcement dismisses her family’s fears.
As Syd investigates both crimes, she’s drawn into a world of privileged campers and their wealthy parents, most of them members of the Founders Society, an exclusive club whose members trace their lineage to the first colonists. They claim ancestral rights to the land, despite fierce objections from the local tribal community.
The deeper Syd digs, the more she realizes these aren’t isolated incidents. A pattern of disappearances stretches back generations, all leading to the Founders Society’s doorstep. But exposing the truth means confronting not just the town’s most powerful families, but also a legacy of violence that refuses to stay buried.
This story is multi-layered and intertwines culture, history, and suspense.
***
Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?
Vanessa Lillie: I moved to Rhode Island in 2011 which is the setting of this book. The first book in the series, Blood Sisters, was set where I am originally from, Oklahoma. I made friends with those in this tribe and attended a Pow Wow, the oldest continuing Pow Wow in the country. There is a lot of history of here. I am Cherokee but did think about the history of the Narragansett Tribe. It is interesting of a writer to come in with my own Cherokee background and look at this tribe through my own lens. I have Syd Walker, my main character, an archeologist, sent there to investigate the remains found that were tied to the Great Swamp Massacre. She also finds that a Narragansett teenage girl is missing. It will all come together.
EC: What was the role of the Warden Journal?
VL: There are a lot of journals and texts from colonial days. I studied about the Massacre. The journal to me represented the historical perspective of the period and draw the reader back to those days.
EC: Why the opening quote?
VL: Maria Pearson was one of the first people who questioned why the remains are dug out and put on shelves and not treated with the same respect as white people. I decided this quote resonated with the story. Archeology has deep roots in colonialism. Family members buried their dead in the ground with the intention that is where they would stay. People who do not even understand the life they lived, dug them up and put them on a shelf with no context. There are a lot of remains that are in a museum and have not been returned to the tribes.
EC: Has Luna from the first book changed since she achieved freedom?
VL: Yes. In this book she has a chance of having freedom, joy, and hope. She is no longer captive but does have a lot of traumas from it. In this book she is trying to find purpose. Her background story is how she is trying to fit in a world that she has not really been a part of for a long time. Her narrative is to connect with her daughter and Syd. I wanted to make it realistic, so I did not make it an easy road for her. She realizes she is good at investigating and surviving.
EC: Is it true that Indigenouschildren were taken out of their community?
VL: Yes. There was a law that was enacted, ICWA (the Indian and Child Welfare Act). Religious people were taking the children out and giving them to white families to adopt. I have friends on that journey where they are trying to reconnect.
EC: Was Bud a good person or a bad person?
VL: Everyone is grey in my books. He is a man of his times. He thought working with the Founder’s Society and the children at the camp was his job. Syd is the next generation of archeologists in BIA who sees her job as being more engaged with the tribal community. Bud saw his job to be engaged with the white communities. By the end he did try to redeem himself and pushed back.
EC: Next book?
VL: Hopefully there will be more. I am also working on a stand-alone thriller set in Oklahoma.
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.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for SERVES YOU RIGHT (Sydney Livingstone Detective Series Book #2) by Orion Gregory on this Book Amplifier Tour for AME.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, an about the author section and social media. Enjoy!
***
Book Description
In Serves You Right by Orion Gregory, justice becomes personal, and one detective must decide whether the greater threat lies in the shadows—or within her own department.
Sydney Livingstone thought her leap from the spotlight of professional tennis to the badge of a small-town police officer would mean calm, routine, and a sense of purpose. Newly engaged to Enzo and ready to build a new life, she expected quiet days in Walsh County. Instead, a faceless vigilante calling himself The Enforcer launches a brutal campaign against criminals and the justice system itself. With each attack, his reach grows broader, his methods more terrifying. Sydney quickly learns she isn’t just investigating the crimes—she may be one of the targets.
The deeper she digs, the more the boundaries blur between protector and predator. Evidence points toward betrayal within the force, a stalker shadows a fellow officer, and the media descends as fear spreads through the community. Sydney must question her instincts, her colleagues, and the very idea of justice. With the body count rising, the line between truth and deception narrows, and Sydney must race against time to survive a killer who always seems one step ahead.
SERVES YOU RIGHT (Sydney Livingstone Detective Series Book #2) by Orion Gregory is a twisted crime thriller/police procedural featuring a female detective who was once a pro tennis player and is now a newly minted detective in a small Wayne County department in Northeast Ohio. While this is the second book in the series, it can be easily read as a standalone.
Rookie detective Sydney Livingstone is trying to find her footing not only as a new detective, but also one of only two females in her department. When Sydney makes a mistake that could have cost officers their lives, she is placed on a two-week probation. While out, she is asked by a superior to quietly look into rumors of a vigilante, known as The Enforcer on the dark web.
The Enforcer is a self-proclaimed executioner of those who escape justice in the courts. Sydney is assigned to work to case and finds not only a killer who broadcasts his kills on the dark web but also has hinted at the fact that someone in the Wayne County department assists him. When a detective is murdered, Sydney must work out all the clues and navigate betrayal on the force before the wrong man is charged with The Executioner’s crimes, and she is let go.
This is a fast read with a protagonist who is trying to find her way in a new profession with mainly male colleagues who are not all welcoming. Sydney was portrayed as a regular human being with faults and insecurities and not endowed with superpowers of investigation. The crime plot was well paced and had a multitude of suspects and surprise twists that were solved with good investigative work and not a surprise out of thin air.
I recommend this gripping crime thriller/police procedural and would be interested in reading more in the series.
***
Excerpt
He looked over at Andrea, who was happily finishing a chili dog next to a side of circular, mangled fries. She was saying something about changing the drapes in the front window of her house, but Frank wasn’t listening.
His hamburger looked nauseating. Even the idea of taking a sip of beer made him want to vomit. The smell was now all-encompassing.
A pair of young boys chased each other, darting between tables. One bumped their table, causing some of Frank’s beer to spill.
“Undisciplined brats,” he muttered. “Can you imagine what kind of adults they’re going to be?”
Murderers? Spouse killers?
There goes Sheila again, funneling bullshit into my mind.
“We were all there once,” said Andrea. “Just ignore them.”
Frank smiled, wondering how Andrea wasn’t overcome by the disgusting smell. “You know what, I’m not really hungry,” he said. “I’m going to throw this stuff out.” Distracted by the unpleasant odor, Frank forgot about the possibility he was being followed. He fell into line behind two teenagers who were attempting to shove their trash inside an overflowing receptacle. The park seemed to be growing more crowded by the minute.
The park noises consumed Frank’s thoughts. Ice cream machines revved crazily in a high pitch, barbeque grills hissed louder than usual, and soda machines buzzed. Kids squealed at their parents while nearby game operators hollered at customers to step forward and win prizes.
He glanced upward, noticing hot-air balloons in the distance, moving toward the theme park. They were decorated with bold, contrasting colors. The late afternoon sun cast its light onto them, creating a living rainbow of color in the open air.
Frank’s eyes honed on one particular balloon, a white teardrop with silver accents and a printed logo. Four passengers waved cheerfully at everyone below. He struggled to read all the letters, but his mind was quick to fill in the gaps.
Murderer.
Frank was now trapped by the growing crowd. They jostled him, making it impossible to breathe properly. If he had the military sword that he found in Afghanistan, he could clear a five-foot radius around himself with a 360-degree swing. And what was that stinging sensation near his spine? Had a bee or wasp stung him? Or did someone accidentally jab him with a plastic fork?
But the stinging sensation was less noticeable than the certainty that he was being taunted from the heavens by some bastard who had rented a hot-air balloon. How was that possible? Who would’ve even known he would be at this theme park at this exact time?
Frank saw Andrea walking toward him, carrying a hot-fudge sundae. “Surprise!” she said. “I bought you a little treat. I figured maybe some ice cream would stimulate your appetite.”
Andrea, he thought? Of course. She was the only person who knew they were coming here today. But she would never betray him, would she? Andrea had stood steadfast by his side for two years. Had someone gotten to her? Was she gaslighting him so she could end up with everything? No, that couldn’t be right.
Andrea handed the ice cream to Frank. “Have some,” she said. “It might make you feel better.”
Why wasn’t she looking skyward? Playing coy? Perhaps. But then again, maybe someone else was behind all of this.
Frank let the sundae fall out of his hands. It struck the ground, cracking its plastic container and oozing white and brown onto the concrete.
“Shit, Frank. I just paid seven bucks for that. What the hell are you doing?” “Look up,” said Frank. “That white-and-silver balloon to the west. Tell me what you see.”
“Yeah, I guess it’s nice,” she shrugged. “They all are. Why are you acting so strange?” “Read the message on the balloon,” said Frank. “Tell me what it says.” Andrea squinted, looking upward.
“I don’t understand why it matters, but I’ll give it a go. Um – it appears to be a moving and storage company, I think. Yes, ‘Furderer Moving and Storage.’ Now, why was that important enough to drop your ice cream?”
Furderer. Not Murderer?
Shit. In all the hullabaloo of the last several years, Frank had neglected to update his contact lens prescription.
“Andrea, I am so sorry,” he said. “For some reason, I’m not feeling well.” Perhaps it was the combined smells of the food court, or maybe it was something else. The stinging sensation on his back was now more painful.
“I think I need to find a place to sit.”
Andrea placed her hand on his shoulder and attempted to help him navigate through the tight crowd. In the distance, Frank could see a few vacant seats located around a water fountain. It looked inviting – water spraying upward in a fanning arc, sparkling in the sun’s reflection.
He’d cool off near the fountain. Once he gathered his thoughts, they could leave and resume their romantic getaway. He grabbed Andrea by her outstretched arm and pulled her toward the fountain. When he was only steps away, Frank collided with a distracted man – holding four large translucent cups of beer – coming from the opposite direction. The impact caused the man to lose his balance, sending the cups tumbling out of his hand and onto the ground.
The man turned to Frank, his face red with anger. “Watch where you’re going, asshole!” he shouted. “That’s $36 of beer you spilled. You’re either gonna pay me back or I’m going to kick your ass and take the money out of your wallet myself.” The stinging sensation seemed to be increasing by the second. He tried to focus on the man, but his vision blurred.
The man leaned in, transferring saliva into Frank’s face as he continued his verbal barrage.
Frank understood the most logical solution would be to remain calm and pay the man for the spilled beer, especially after the last two tumultuous years. But between the insult and challenge to his manhood, Frank certainly wasn’t going to back down now.
Frank’s tormentor was about 6’ 2” and would be fortunate to reach 160 pounds. He looked like someone who had experienced a few too many go-rounds with methamphetamines. With Frank’s superior size and strength to go along with his hand-to-hand combat techniques, he knew he’d have this guy on the ground in a matter of seconds, begging for his life.
The man grinned, displaying two missing front teeth. His crooked nose had obviously been broken before. He sported a stained blue ball cap, a heavy-metal T-shirt, and his blue jeans displayed holes in the knees.
Andrea tugged at Frank’s shirt sleeve. “Let’s just go.”
Frank moved closer. “I give you one free shot,” he growled. “From that point on, I’m only defending myself.”
Frank held his hands low. Even a direct shot didn’t really concern him. He’d taken huge punches from some of the top instructors in the area during his martial arts classes. Surely, this guy wouldn’t even come close to matching them.
Frank suddenly was seeing two images of the man in front of him. And then three. The world was rotating around him like a turbo-charged merry-go-round. He no longer was thinking about moving his head at the sight of an incoming fist. He couldn’t focus his vision on any one thing. He could hear Andrea begging him to stop among the chats of a bunch of high school kids who were encouraging the other man to throw a punch. And the stinging pain in his back had become even more intense. He lost all feeling in his legs.
At the same time, the man barreled his head into Frank’s face. He heard laughing from above him. Everything was a blur. And still, there was that stinging sensation in his lower back. He heard Andrea scream. And then, Frank lost consciousness.
***
About the Author
Orion Gregory’s fascination with mysteries and human psychology began when he read his first Agatha Christie novel as a boy. After earning a degree in Communications from Wright State University, he carved out an award-winning career in journalism and advertising, later contributing to a national sports magazine. For 25 years, he balanced his professional life in sales with raising a family alongside his wife, Fran, and coaching tennis—a sport that sharpened his focus and strategy, both qualities he threads into his fiction. Now based in Southwest Ohio, Gregory writes fast-paced thrillers that combine page-turning suspense with emotional depth.
Decades after the end of World War II, the name Ravensbrück still evokes horror for those with knowledge of this infamous all-women’s concentration camp, better known since it became the setting of Martha Hall Kelly’s bestselling novel, Lilac Girls. Particularly shocking were the medical experiments performed on some of the inmates. Ravensbrück was atypical in other ways as well, not just as the only all-female German concentration camp, but because 80 percent of its inmates were political prisoners, among them a tight-knit group of women who had been active in the French Resistance.
Already well-practiced in sabotaging the Nazis in occupied France, these women joined forces to defy their German captors and keep one another alive. The sisterhood’s members, amid unimaginable terror and brutality, subverted Germany’s war effort by refusing to do assigned work. They risked death for any infraction, but that did not stop them from defying their SS tormentors at every turn—even staging a satirical musical revue about the horrors of the camp.
After the war, when many in France wanted to focus only on the future, the women from Ravensbrück refused to allow their achievements, needs, and sacrifices to be erased. They banded together once more, first to support one another in healing their bodies and minds and then to continue their crusade for freedom and justice—an effort that would have repercussions for their country and the world into the twenty-first century.
THE SISTERHOOD OF RAVENSBRUCK by Lynn Olson is an amazing testament to the lives of the featured French women who survived the infamous women’s concentration camp of Ravensbruck which was in Germany during WWII. I knew nothing about this camp which ended up in the Soviet controlled portion of Germany which is why I feel this book is so important. The infamous camps that are remembered, like Auschwitz and Buchenwald, are important, but there were many others, and they all deserved to be remembered.
This well researched non-fiction book tells the story of many women, but the focus is on a small group of French women who leaned on each other to survive at Ravensbruck after being arrested for their resistance work during WWII. The story tells of their lives before the war, how they became involved in the resistance and were arrested, and then their time in a French jail in Paris before being shipped like cattle to Ravensbruck. Arriving at different times, they were still able to form a bond to help each other survive and even help other women of many nationalities and religions. The liberation of the camp did not occur all at once and the story goes on to tell of the friends varying recuperations and reunions.
The women’s lives after the war are followed as they build families and work to help all survivors of the camp. The work they did to get healthcare and reparations from the French and German governments was inspiring. I also was in awe of the Polish lapins “rabbits” that were experimented on in the camp and the ladies’ determination to help them get reparations.
All non-fiction history books that tell the stories of the WWII concentration camps are heartbreaking and leave you questioning humanity and this one was no different, but it also gave you the ladies’ lives after and demonstrated the resilience and strength they had after the horror. The research is evident. The author immerses you in these women’s journey, avoiding a dry historical account. I will definitly be picking up other history books written by this author.
I highly recommend this incredible non-fiction story of the women of Ravensbruck!
***
About the Author
Lynne Olson is a New York Times bestselling author of ten books of history. Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has called her “our era’s foremost chronicler of World War II politics and diplomacy.”
Lynne’s latest book, The Sisterhood of Ravensbrück: How an Intrepid Band of Frenchwomen Resisted the Nazis in Hitler’s All-Female Concentration Camp, will be published by Random House on June 3, 2025. Her earlier books include three New York Times bestsellers: Madame Fourcade’s Secret War: The Daring Young Woman Who Led France’s Largest Spy Network Against the Nazis; Those Angry Days: Roosevelt, Lindbergh, and America’s Fight Over World War II, 1939-1941, and Citizens of London: The Americans Who Stood with Britain in Its Darkest, Finest Hour.
Born in Hawaii, Lynne graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arizona. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a journalist for ten years, first with the Associated Press as a national feature writer in New York, a foreign correspondent in AP’s Moscow bureau, and a political reporter in Washington. She left the AP to join the Washington bureau of the Baltimore Sun, where she covered national politics and eventually the White House.
Lynne lives in Washington, DC with her husband, Stanley Cloud, with whom she co-authored two books.
She thought she and her loved ones would be safe here. The lovely farm nestled in the heart of West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle looks like the perfect refuge from the backstabbing maelstrom of DC politics. But this seemingly peaceful new home is anything but safe for former FBI director Rivers and her children.
Troubles begin when Irene’s 12-year-old nephew finds a dead body in a cave on the property. Grim evidence points to a long-ago murder and cover-up. Powerful forces will do anything—including kill again—to protect their interests. Soon Irene’s family is the target of the kinds of threats and intimidation she’s seen before from major crime syndicates . . . but this time, the enemy determined to tear them down is homegrown.
Then comes the attack she most fears. With everything she cares about at risk and an impossible deadline looming, Irene knows she won’t get any help from the local police force. And she’s burned too many bridges in Washington to get help from the FBI. This time, Irene Rivers is on her own.
***
Elise’s Thoughts
Burned Bridges by John Gilstrap is a riveting mystery. This series is a spin off from the Jonathan Graves series where the featured character, Irene Rivers, is moving on from her position as FBI Director. No matter what genre Gilstrap writes, whether a thriller or mystery, his stories are always gripping, intense, and action filled.
The plot shows how “you can take the job out of the woman, but you cannot take the no-nonsense attitude from Irene.” This becomes clearer as the story unfolds. She must combat a range of villains including corrupt officials and lawbreakers. They are greedy, powerful, like to intimidate, blackmail, and think nothing of resorting to violence.
The first couple of chapters explain that Irene took down a corrupt President and left the FBI. But now Irene Rivers is looking for a quiet life. She has moved to West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle in Jenkins County with her teenage daughter Kelly and 12-year-old nephew Wyatt. She thought they would be safe on her grandparents’ farm she had inherited. Irene’s trying for a fresh start, raising Kelly and Wyatt after both his parents died. She is hoping to improve her relationship with the children she is raising.
But her desire for a peaceful and quiet existence is shattered when Wyatt finds a dead body in a cave on the property. Grim evidence points to a long-ago murder and cover-up. Soon Irene’s family is the target of threats and intimidation she’s seen before from major crime syndicates.
In addition, she has become a private investigator and her first case lands her on the wrong side of a powerful family that seems to control the town. A teenage boy is in prison for a possible crime he didn’t commit. The evidence looks overwhelming, but Irene finds a lot of things that don’t add up. She must combat a sheriff who looks the other way, and a local kingpin whose legacy drips violence. Unfortunately, she’s burned every political bridge behind her so there will be no help she can seek and must solve both crimes on her own while protecting her family.
This novel is packed with nail-biting suspense, riveting drama, and blazing intrigue. The complex plot has good guys readers root for and bad buys they will hope to get their just do. This is a strong start to this new series.
***
Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Why the Irene series?
John Gilstrap: I thought Irene deserved her own series. She has been in seventeen of the Jonathan Graves books. Irene is a cool character, and she was in my second book, At All Costs, that came out in 1998 as an FBI field agent. Ten years later I needed an FBI Director and decided to have Irene take that position. She now has her own book, and I do not think I will do any crossovers because Jonathan will be the hero of his books and Irene is the hero of her books.
EC: Yet Venice was in this book. Why?
JG: I needed her level of expertise for that plot point. Plus, it links this series with the Graves series. I think going forward the character Billy Stubblefield will take over the tech position in future books, but he is not near her level.
EC: In Zero Sum the last book, Irene saves the US from a corrupt President. Please explain the role that played in this book.
JG: In the second chapter I described why Irene chose to leave the FBI. Eighteen months ago, she proved the President, Anthony Darmond, to be corrupt. Unfortunately, the polls in the US showed how the nation was split down the middle on whether she was a hero or a spawn of Satan. During the Impeachment hearings it showed Darmond to be involved with drug smuggling, human trafficking, and treason. It effects Irene and Jonathan in his books because Irene is not there to help him out. But in future books I will moving away from this plotline.
EC: Why move her from Washington D. C. to West Virginia?
JG: I moved to West Virginia and decided to set a series of stories here with Irene moving here with her younger daughter, and nephew. She leaves the FBI and goes to her family’s land in West Virginia.
EC: How did you get the idea for this first book in the series, Burned Bridges?
JG: I was walking with my dog and saw some caves. My dog was trying to go into one. I thought that Irene’s nephew, Wyatt, who was with his black lab, Ruger, finds a part of body stuffed in this cave for a long time. She decides to investigate who was this person. My dog gave me the idea.
EC: How would you describe Irene?
JG: Strong-willed, has a lot of backbone, a single mom in Washington D. C. that has now moved to West Viriginia. She is tough as nails, zero BS, very, very honest, and frustrated because she does not have the FBI perks she had as a director. Part of the fun of the series is watching Irene discover herself. She still seeks out justice, a knight of the round table.
EC: Where will Irene be going professionally?
JG: She will become acting sheriff and has a private investigating firm she started. I do not outline so I do not know if she will become the permanent sheriff. In general Irene does not trust politicians and sheriffs are inherently politicians while deputy sheriffs are career police. The way I see it playing out right now is that she is not a politician. The deputies who worked with the corrupt Sheriff Monroe will not have a future but the ones there for actual police work will have a future.
EC: Does Irene also hate reporters?
JG: I have this book quote, “Reporters are Jackals…they wait till their prey is weakest and then they pounce.” It is safe to say that she does not trust the media. Does anybody trust the media?
EC: How would you describe the children?
JG: Kelly is the youngest daughter who never lets Irene forget she put career and country over mothering. As a typical teenager she blames her mom for everything wrong in her life and blames her for not being around enough.
Wyatt, her nephew, lost his father, and now his mother, and currently lives with Irene. He is a loner who does not have friends or enemies. He has been through a lot.
EC: How would you describe the villain, Finn?
JG: He is a sociopath, psychopath, with a lot of rage. He is part of the Rutledge clan. They own pretty much everything in Jenkins County. They made sure the elected officials were in their back pocket so they could get away with pretty much anything they wanted. Irene as sheriff will be the honest one so they want to get rid of her. They did bring a lot of prosperity to the area, but they do not like competition.
EC: Next book?
JG: The next Graves book, titled, Scorched Earth, comes out in late February 2026. Jonathan was an off the book’s contractor for Irene. People are taking revenge on these contractors. Graves is also trying to prevent a terror plot trying to take out a group of young people. There is an influence of October 7th that triggered this idea. These books are of the global scale.
Regarding the next Irene book, I know if Irene’s children are involved in the plot, they must be in some form of jeopardy. Irene books will be more of the local scale. But since I do not have it written yet who knows.
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.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for HOME THIS CHRISTMAS by Sue Roberts on this Bookouture blog tour.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, the author’s bio, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
***
Book Description
Ruby hasn’t been back home since she made the heart-wrenching decision to leave her childhood sweetheart, Nathan, for a career in London. But when she’s invited to judge the charity gingerbread competition, she decides it’s time. And it seems there’s Christmas mischief at work. Because Nathan is joining her as a gingerbread judge.
But it’s clear he would rather she’d stayed away, from his icy silence when they are alone, to the snarky comments and his accusing glare as they prepare for the event with other members of the community. And all Ruby wants to do is get back to London.
Then bad weather leaves her snowed in the village until after Christmas, with nowhere to stay. And things go from bad to worse when she slips on the ice… And falls straight into the arms of Nathan.
The pain of her injured ankle is nothing when, her heart aflutter, Nathan surprises her. As he scoops her up and sweeps her off to the hospital, it seems like the frost between them is finally thawing. But could the magic of Christmas mean a second chance is possible? Or is it too little too late?
HOME THIS CHRISTMAS by Sue Roberts is a heartwarming Christmas women’s fiction/second chance romance mash-up featuring a young woman named Ruby who left her small village and first love behind to chase her dreams of success in London. Now she has attained many of her dreams, a beautiful flat in London and successful career as a food and restaurant critic and another Christmas is just around the corner.
Ruby is happy with her London life, but she is just out of a relationship and at loose ends. She has made plans with her girlfriend for Christmas but then receives a note from her hometown to be a judge for the charity gingerbread competition. She decides to accept and be in and out of the village in one day. When she shows up at the competition, she is surprised to discover her first love, Nathan, is the other judge.
Nathan is even more handsome than Ruby remembered, and she is surprised that their attraction is still strong. As Ruby gets involved in village affairs and makes new friends, she ends up staying longer and the attraction between them only grows. Ruby is afraid that she will have to leave Nathan behind again or can this second chance at romance be strong enough to keep her in the village?
This is an enchanting holiday read. The first half of the story is more focused on Ruby and her career and life in London, while the second half has her in her old hometown and the second chance romance begins to bloom with Nathan. The romance plot is sweet, charming, and believable. We get to see the village through Ruby’s eyes from her memories of her youth and how things have changed in the present. Ms. Roberts does a wonderful job of making the village and all its Christmas activities come to life on the page. This is a wonderful story to escape into over the holidays.
I recommend this delightful holiday HEA genre mash-up.
***
Author Bio
Sue Roberts lives in Lancashire with her long term partner Derek and has had a lifelong love of writing, encouraged by winning a school writing competition at the age of 11.
She always assumed that ‘one day’ she would write a book, always having a busy household and a job, the idea remained firmly on the back burner but never forgotten.
The inspiration for her first novel came to her on a holiday to a Greek village. Her daughters had left home and suddenly the time had come to write that book!
