Avonna

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Serves You Right by Orion Gregory

Hi, everyone!

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!

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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.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237696808-serves-you-right

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4gEGWTZ

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

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.

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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.

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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.

Social Media Links

Website: https://oriongregory.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orion.gregory.98

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/serves-you-right-a-novel-sydney-livingstone-detective-series-by-orion-gregory

Feature Post and Book Review: The Sisterhood of Ravensbruck by Lynne Olson

Book Description

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.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218153679-the-sisterhood-of-ravensbr-ck?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=bHz6SP4Rwy&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

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!

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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.

Social Media Links

Website: https://lynneolson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynne.olson.79

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-sisterhood-of-ravensbruck-by-lynne-olson

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Burned Bridges by John Gilstrap

Book Description

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.

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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.

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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 7^th 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!!

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

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Home This Christmas by Sue Roberts

Hi, everyone!

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!

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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?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239677219-home-this-christmas?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ev1mmkDGhJ&rank=1

Purchase Link: Amazon- https://geni.us/B0FKNDG8V3social

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

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.

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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!

Social Media Links

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suerobertsauthor/

Book Tour/Feature Post and Mini Book Review: Crime Writer by Vinnie Hansen

CRIME WRITER

by Vinnie Hansen

September 22 – October 17, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for CRIME WRITER by Vinnie Hansen on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.

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

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Book Description

In the peaceful California coast city of Playa Maria, CRIME WRITER ZOEY KOZINSKI joins a local police officer for a ride-along in hopes of breaking through her writer’s block. But during a routine traffic stop, the cop is shot, the victim of a brutal homicide.

Zoey realizes she is the only witness and the number one target on the killer’s hit list. PTSD kicks in, sending her into a tailspin. It doesn’t help that she lives on an illegal cannabis farm and that her estranged mother has just arrived. Even the police officer’s widow points a finger at the writer, claiming she was a distraction, and the police department knew it.

Lurking on the fringes is a man who stopped briefly at the crime. Good Samaritan or sinister suspect? For her safety, Zoey needs to find out.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240145337-crime-writer?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=bguNasUCCB&rank=1

Crime Writer

Genre: Suspense
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: September 9, 2025 (ebook)
Number of Pages: 266 (paperback)
ISBN: 979-8-89820-027-5 (paperback)

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My Mini Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

CRIME WRITER by Vinnie Hansen is an immersive crime thriller where the reader knows who the killer is and what he is doing to cover his tracks, but the interest, twists, and action are all centered around the protagonist, a crime writer and musician named Zoey Kozinski.

The red-headed and feisty Zoey witnesses the murder of the police officer she is doing a ride-along with during a routine traffic stop. The killer knows there is a witness and the drug trafficker he works for tells him he must eliminate her. With PTSD from the incident, the arrival of her estranged mother she has been hiding from, the cop’s widow who blames Zoey and wants revenge, and a man who appeared at the scene of the crime and keeps popping up in her life, Zoey needs to unravel what is happening and who to trust before she ends up dead.

This story starts out appearing to be very straight forward, but the more you learn, the more twisted and anxiety inducing the story becomes. Zoey is interesting and Ms. Hansen’s writing brings her to life with all her problems. The ending was not what I was expecting, but it is satisfying. For me, this was an interesting change in perspective from the usual crime thriller/police procedural mystery.

***

Excerpt

One

Day 1 – early evening

Heat from the Mobile Data Transmitter radiated onto Zoey Kozinski’s arm. The interior of the patrol car cooked, muggy and close. September brought the hottest weather to the central coast of California, anxiety about fires flaring as the oak leaves curled and undergrowth crisped. Thankfully, Officer Austin kept the windows of the patrol car open even as the sun started to set.

“Must be boiling with your vest.”

“Better to sweat than bleed.” Austin’s profile was sharp angles, pointed nose, strong chin.

“How much does that thing weigh?” Zoey already knew, but the officer didn’t seem talkative. She needed to crack the façade and dig out some grist to apply to Officer Horne, the character in her book. Her stalled, barely-started book.

“Six pounds.”

Officer Austin rolled along Scenic Drive, a main thoroughfare through Playa Maria County. Zoey wished they could listen to music, something to go with driving on a sultry evening, maybe Ella Fitzgerald’s “Summertime.” Instead, the police radio spat information, filling awkward silence. Zoey jotted down that a list of stolen cars was tucked on the left side of his dash. She’d chosen a night shift, hoping for a modicum of action but nothing on the radio stirred Austin’s interest.

“How do you feel about ride-alongs?” She flipped her legal pad and the printed-out opening pages of her manuscript winged to the floor. All two of them. A whopping three hundred ten words. She bent down to retrieve them.

“It’s part of our Community Policing.” Austin kept his focus forward. “To increase civilian awareness of what police work entails.”

She didn’t bother to write down the canned response.

Austin must be a rookie to receive the crappy assignment of hauling a ride-along, but he didn’t look like one. Silver highlighted his short hair. Older than her fictional Officer Horne. Her protagonist Horne should be young, freshly free of his training wheels, a more credible character to rush toward a terrible mistake after witnessing the shooting of a fellow officer.

In the margin of the legal pad, she scribbled: A hot-head. Temper=hubris. Too eager to prove himself?

Then she wrote Stan and put a question mark after it. The name of the murdered officer in her manuscript had appeared in a magician’s puff of smoke, typed by her fingers before she was conscious of a choice. Not a common name for guys of her generation, the lost kids born between Generation X and the Millennials. The name had merit—easy to pronounce, but not overly used. Why had it popped into her head?

She slipped her pen through her tangle of red hair and scratched her scalp.

Austin shot her a glance, maybe thinking she didn’t know she was using the ink end.

“Writing off the top of your head?”

She smiled slightly. Witty for a police officer.

He quirked a brow. “Making headlines?” His tone was dry. No smile. Was he being funny or busting her balls?

Zoey tapped the legal pad. Her next question wasn’t on it, but Austin’s age and his quips begged for it.

“What did you do before becoming a law enforcement officer?”

Long fingers curled around the wheel, maneuvering the vehicle through the rush-hour clog of Scenic Drive. He scanned the lanes of traffic and sidewalks long enough that she thought he wasn’t going to answer.

“I was a teacher.”

“Really?” Her voice squeaked with unveiled surprise. Heat rose up her face. With her coloring, there was no playing off a blush. When she was a kid, her Grosse Pointe classmates had pinned her with the nickname Tomato.

“High-school history.” In the parking lot, he’d offered a firm handshake and introduced himself formally as Officer Austin, although he’d added with a trace of humor ‘at your service.’ Over six-feet with ropy muscles, he was a bit old for her, maybe forty-five, but a hottie, nonetheless.

“That’s a strange career trajectory.”

“Not really. In both jobs you deal with a lot of young punks.”

As part of the outreach program, he probably was not supposed to refer to members of the community as punks. She was making progress.

“In policing I bet you have more flexibility about how you deal with punks?”

His lip curled, but he didn’t respond.

“So why the career move?”

“In teaching, the more you work, the less you’re paid,” he said. “Police work offers time-and-a-half for overtime. Ten-hour shifts and four-day work weeks. More money and time for my family.”

“Kids?”

“Three.”

She felt a twinge of disappointment. Her sex life had been reduced to her Magic Wand, and Austin wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, so a bit of fantasy had slipped under her normally guarded door. Since she didn’t want a relationship, a hot cop could be the ticket. Married killed that idea.

And three kids! With the world’s exploding population and global climate change, that was self-indulgent. One of her least favorite character flaws—in reality. In fiction, it was a great character flaw.

“My wife’s the one who should have made the career move to cop,” Austin volunteered. “She’s a tiger. Can outshoot me.” He shook his head in admiration.

Another twinge. She had a serious weakness for men who complimented women in absentia.

Zoey touched the cool metal of the AR15 propped in front of the passenger seat. “This is some serious fire power.”

The creases in his uniform lifted infinitesimally, a hint of a shrug. “You should see what they have on the street.”

She ran her finger down her list of questions. Nothing so far had gotten the juices flowing. “What kind of handgun do you carry?”

“Smith & Wesson. Officers with more seniority get Berettas. The most senior officers have Glocks.” Jealousy tinged his voice. “But if you want a better gun, you can buy one. I’m looking at a Glock.”

The crackling voice of dispatch relayed a report of a middle-aged black male dealing drugs in Playa Maria Park.

Austin swung off Scenic onto a street that cut along the seedier edge of downtown, where the homeless population dwarfed the number of university students. He slowed at the park.

Dusk had sifted into darkness, but streetlights illuminated the perimeter of the grass. Young men played basketball in a well-lit court. A lone man leaning against a light pole straightened at the cruiser’s arrival. Austin put the windows up, parked the car, and plucked a wood baton from the base of his door. “Remain in the vehicle.”

Another patrolman rolled up and joined him. She noted details. Suspect’s dreadlocks glisten in bluish light. Tan pants bag around skinny legs.

Austin questioned the man, while the other officer patted him down and dipped into the pockets of his army-fatigue jacket. With the window closed, Zoey sweated.

In the end, the man bumped away and swaggered toward the basketball court.

Talking together, the officers watched him, then turned in the direction of the vehicle. Austin nodded. The other man laughed. They were talking about her. The inside of the cruiser steamed like a sauna. Austin was letting her marinate in a patina of sweat.

Zoey opened the passenger door, which prompted Austin to step toward the cruiser. Before he plopped into his seat, he thunked his baton into its spot.

“I asked the suspect if we could search him and he said no,” he started before Zoey even asked. “But he has a Search Clause.” Austin cleaned his hands with foam sanitizer. “That’s a bargain he made for probation. He relinquished his right to probable cause.”

She scribbled the information. This was good stuff, strengthening her knowledge of the law.

“But you didn’t find anything?”

“Maybe he sold out.”

Dry humor. Deadpan delivery. Her favorite. To curtail a blush, she cast her eyes to the pocket of his door.

“Don’t most officers these days carry whip-batons?”

He gave her a look.

Amazing eyes—way greener than her own. He yanked the baton from its spot and held it across his lap, the top grazing her thigh.

Phallic symbol, for sure. The air inside the car shifted subtly.

“See all those nicks?” he said. “My T.O. gave this to me, said the riff-raff on the street notice the dents. They’re mostly from getting in and out of the car, but hey,” he returned the baton to the door pocket, “they don’t know that.”

He gave his hand a second squirt of the sanitizer. “I tell you one part of this job I don’t like. The grime. You’d have to get up close to appreciate how much that guy . . . how grubby he was.” Austin started the car. “Tell you the truth, I’m more afraid of an accidental needle poke than a gunshot.”

“Was he dealing?”

“I imagine.” Austin put down the windows. Fresh air rushed into the compartment. “He doesn’t have any other means of income.”

The radio called Austin to roust a panhandler near the entrance to the freeway. Civilian complaint. Austin zoomed back up to Scenic. At the intersection before the freeway entrance, he stopped at a red light with the rest of the traffic. The girl panhandling on the median spotted the cruiser, folded her sign, and meandered down the sidewalk.

Austin turned and rolled along the street across from the girl. In spite of a curvaceous figure packed into tight jeans, with her wavy brown hair hitched into pigtails she looked all of fifteen. The girl ignored them.

Zoey twisted toward Austin. “Are you going to stop?”

“She’s not doing anything illegal now. She didn’t even jaywalk.” He sped up. “We got her off the median.”

“Yup. Sure did.” He knew, and she knew, that as soon as they were out of sight, the girl would return to her spot.

How do they negotiate spots? She wrote. First come, first served?

If she asked Austin about the girl—did he know her—what was her story—she sensed he’d blow off the questions. The police department had picked the wrong officer to give ride-alongs. Austin lacked a gregarious, empathetic personality.

Zoey tried to unpack how she’d arrived at this conclusion. Maybe because he’d chosen policing over teaching. Police work had to be more frustrating than high school teaching, certainly less rewarding.

***

Author Bio

A Claymore and Silver Falchion finalist, Vinnie Hansen is the author of the Carol Sabala mystery series, the novels LOSTART STREET, ONE GUN, and CRIME WRITER, as well as over seventy published short works.

She is a member of Mystery Writers of American, Sisters in Crime, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society. A retired high-school English teacher, she lives with her husband and the requisite cat in Santa Cruz, CA.

Social Media Links

www.vinniehansen.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub – @vinnie5

Purchase Links

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/BbIBvA5Y

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/7Y6wWGfA

PICT Tour Page – https://pictbooks.tours/nmCGXK98

PICT Giveaway Page – https://pictbooks.tours/zVgaCSjk

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Last Assignment by Erika Robuck

Book Description

Manhattan, 1954.

Since her arrest for disobeying orders and going ashore at Iwo Jima almost a decade earlier, combat correspondent Georgette “Dickey” Chapelle has been unmoored. Her military accreditation revoked, her marriage failing, and her savings dwindling, Dickey jumps at the next opportunity. In the aftermath of a an assignment gone wrong, a flame is lit deep inside Dickey—to survive in order to be the world’s witness to war from the front lines.

Never content to report on battles unless her own boots are on the ground, Dickey and her camera journey with American and international soldiers from frozen wastelands to raging seas to luscious jungles, revealing one woman’s extraordinary courage and tenacity in the face of discrimination and danger. And it’s along the way, in Dickey’s desire to save the world, she realizes she might also be saving herself.

At a time when a woman’s heroic spirit often gave way to homeland reality, Dickey blazed a trail for the revolutionary hearts inside us all.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

The Last Assignment by Erika Robuck delves into the life of a trailblazing woman photojournalist, Georgette “Dickey” Meyer Chapelle, known for her work as a war correspondent from WWII through the Vietnam War. Through the novel, readers will understand her desire to capture the raw, human side of war, and shows her bond with the troops she was embedded with.

The story shows how she was very supportive of the Marines, who considered her a partner. She trained with them and went to war with them. Most of the book centers on her life during the 1950s and 1960s. It starts with her floundering, having her photo credentials revoked from the military because she disobeyed orders while embedded with the troops at Iwo Jima, the battle fought during WWII. She also had her relationship with her live-in partner crumbling and unable to find a job.

Readers take a journey with her feeling that they are amid a war zone whether in Hungary during the Cold War, Cuba during the revolution of Fidel Castro, and Laos, and South Vietnam. There are potent scenes of her time in a Communist prison after being captured while working in Hungary. Her next assignment takes her to Cuba, where she covers the rebels in the Sierra Maestra and witnesses the revolution of Fidel Castro against Batista’s regime. In 1961 she went to Laos and showed the true horrors of what was happening there. After that she was off to Vietnam and knew that she needed to show her support for the soldiers there.

She wanted to be known as the person who would document the realities of war. She often put herself in danger to make sure that Americans could see what was going on in war zones. Robuck does a wonderful job of showing how Dickey would risk everything to uncover the truth.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Do you have any military influences?

Erika Robuck: I have grown up around the military. My father-in-law served in the Army in Vietnam. I have always been interested in that area, ever since I was a teenager. There were a lot of movies that came out around that time. Living in Annapolis I am around the Naval Academy. My grandfather was in the Navy. I was always immersed in the world of the military. A lot of my most recent fictions have been about women involved in the world of military intelligence.

EC: Why write about Georgette “Dickey” Meyer Chapelle?

ER: I was looking through a photograph book of Vietnam where I discovered her pictures and then learned about her personal story. I think of this book as historical fiction or bio fiction where the story is very close to the truth. It has facts but I make up the dialogue. Plus, I sometimes consolidate characters.

EC: Why the setting of Hungary, Cuba, Laos, and Vietnam?

ER: She served in seven conflicts. I chose those that were united in theme. The more research I did, the Cold War became the subject of personal fascination. The time, 1955 to 1965, had the most significant conflicts where she had the deepest relationships and the highest stakes.

EC: Do you think she supported American troops?

ER: Yes, I have this book quote, “American men are dying for the protestors right to free speech and democracy, yet they villainize them.” They are doing it to make sure Americans can retain their freedom. We are spoiled where we are. It is easy to comment when people enjoy their coffee while at their computer.

EC: Why did Dickey become a photojournalist of war zones?

ER: Freedom was an important theme within her philosophy. She was willing to go into very dangerous situations. She wanted to be the eyes and ears of the people so they could understand what was happening. She wanted to see it herself and was always looking for the pictures that showed the collateral of war.

EC: Was she a complex character?

ER: She had a pacifist upbringing but supported the troops and photographed war. My thoughts are that her thirst for adventure was a sort of rebellion as a young person in her pacifist household.

EC: How would you describe her?

ER: She was an optimist, risk taker, courageous, resilient, had self-doubt, gutsy, restless, impulsive, and sometimes she did not think through what she was doing. She was very hopeful.

EC: What role did Tony play in her life?

ER: He taught her about photography. He saw the glamor in her and drew out her feminine side. She came into herself as a woman, an awakening in the early years of their relationship.

EC: Was she affected by being arrested for disobeying the order in Iwo Jima?

ER: It wounded her. Because she did not respect the chain of command she got cut off and had to face the consequences when she lost her military credentials. This was a period of real darkness for her. She learned that if she went into combat, she had to follow the rules.

EC: After she was captured in Eastern Europe, did it make an impact on her?

ER: She was tortured, interrogated, put in solitary confinement, and threated with death daily. She lost a large amount of weight. This fueled her fire to fight for democracy even more after her experience in a Communist prison. This why she wanted to go to regions where they fought Communism.

EC: What do you want readers to get out of the story?

ER: She also lived in New York where she led the glamourous life, between conflicts. People can learn a lot about the human conditions through her. Going into these places with her was like traveling with Forest Gump.

EC: Next book?

ER: I am writing a woman in intelligence military history.

THANK YOU!!

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