Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review on the Buoni Amici Press Release Blitz for THE RED DOOR (A Love in Limestone Novella) by Emery Jacobs.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway and enjoy!
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Book Description
There’s a bar on the outskirts of Limestone, Louisiana that serves an unusual type of whiskey. Some call it magic. Others claim it’s a scam. Yet rumors of its mystical properties keep people coming in from far and wide.
Luck.
Wealth.
Happiness.
Health.
These wonders can be found by those who believe… and take a shot.
Ten o’clock in the morning, New Year’s Day. Two down-on-their-luck strangers enter The Red Door Bar. Both are searching for a miracle. What they find when they reach the bottom of that glass will eventually change their lives forever.
THE RED DOOR (A Love in Limestone Novella) by Emery Jacobs is a perfect little contemporary romance novella that tugged at my heart and left me with a smile on my face.
The Red Door Bar is on the outskirts of Limestone, Louisiana and they serve an unusual whiskey. Some believe it is magical while others believe it is a scam, but people come from far and wide to take a shot.
At ten o’clock in the morning on New Years Day, Evie walks into The Red Door Bar with her last twenty dollars and finds one other patron. Bennett is in the bar to be alone and wants nothing to do with the beautiful chatterbox. Even though both are at a low point in their lives, they agree to meet for a date once again on the next New Years Day.
Fate has the two running into each other over the next year when they need each other the most. Will they ever get the timing just right for both of them?
I read this wonderful romantic novella all in one sitting and was sorry to have it end. Ms. Jacobs manages to fill this short story with a realistic couple who have to get through so much to obtain their HEA. Evie and Bennett have me cheering for them from page one and the writing has me feeling as though they could walk right off the page.
I highly recommend this novella!
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Author Bio
Emery grew up in Southern Arkansas and has lived most of her adult life in Northern Louisiana. She spends her days working as a Nurse Practitioner in rural health and her nights reading, writing, and occasionally sleeping.
She loves real life romance…lots of angst and heartbreak, but always a happy ending.
THE CHRISTMAS BACKUP PLAN (The Twilight, Texas Book #12) by Lori Wilde is an opposites attract Christmas contemporary romance that has the last single Alzate sister on a road trip with the last single Lockhart brother. This is the couple I was waiting for in the series and the book I was looking for to get me in the Christmas romance spirit.
Aria Alzate is a wedding planner who is hired to give her best friend the perfect Winter Wonderland wedding. When Aria gets a concussion in a fall, she is not allowed to drive. Her boss, Vivi sets her up with returned veteran Remington to get her to Twilight. The free-spirited Aria is not happy with the arrangement but can see no other alternative.
Remington “Remy” Lockhart left the elite Army paratroopers after an accident. Twelve years of service and PTSD have Remy always following the rules and having a backup plan for every situation. Remy is not happy about being drawn into this road trip. Aria is everything he is not and this can only lead to disaster.
When the couple is stranded overnight by an ice storm, they cannot fight the chemistry and they come together. Both decide it should be just a one-night stand, but the magic of Twilight, Christmas and the Alzate legend will work to bring these opposites together for more.
I absolutely loved Aria and Remy. This opposites attract Christmas romance may start out as light and just plain fun, but Ms. Wilde delves deeper and you really become invested in why the H/h are the way they are and how much they truly need each other. This book is a crossover between the Cupid and Twilight series by this author and even with the crossover and many secondary characters, I never felt lost and it easily can be read as a standalone. The sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous.
I highly recommend this romance for all the holiday enchantment and the HEA between Aria and Remy!
Lori Wilde can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to write. She even went to nursing school so she could have a schedule flexible enough to allow her to write on the side. She nursed for 20 years, working in a variety of settings from the newborn nursery to the recovery room, to dialysis. But she never lost her desire to write.
She sold her first book in 1994 to Silhouette Romance but later discovered she had a flair for comedy and branched out to Harlequin Duets and now, to Blaze.
Lori is an adventuresome soul who loves to travel. She’s taken flying lessons, completed two marathons, rode in a hot-air balloon, performed with a professional jazz band, traveled Europe as a teenager, hiked volcanoes in Hawaii, trod on glaciers in Alaska, shot white-water rapids, water-skied, snow-skied, raced all-terrain vehicles, bodysurfed in the Gulf of Mexico, and photographed grizzly bears in Yellowstone.
She lives in her native Texas, with her own real-life hero, Bill.
Today is my turn on the Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour for this new standalone murder mystery set in 1950s rural Ohio. I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for TWO MURDERS TOO MANY by Bluette Matthey.
Below you will find a book synopsis, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway and enjoy!
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Book Synopsis
Barn burning in a sleepy farming community is a serious enough matter, but a grisly murder or two in a small mid-west town is a showstopper. Throw in a serial blackmailer who has his claws in some of the town’s leading citizens and you have one big recipe for disaster.
Charlie Simmons, newly sworn in as Shannon’s policeman, takes on the challenge of investigating this cauldron of crimes in stride, untangling one thread after another from the fabric of the town of Shannon to find the simple truth.
TWO MURDERS TOO MANY by Bluette Matthey is a new standalone murder mystery set in 1950s rural northwestern Ohio by a new to me author.
Charlie Simmons fills in as the acting police chief of the small town of Shannon, Ohio while the chief is away. Charlie is immediately thrown into the middle of mayhem which includes arsons, blackmail and murder, but Charlie knows all of the players and works methodically to unravel who is responsible for the crimes.
Ms. Matthey’s writing style brings this small town and all its inhabitants to life. The writing juxtaposition of comforting small town mid-west 1950s innocence against brutal criminal scenes kept me turning the pages. Charlie is the perfect protagonist to guide us through this story and all the town’s characters. The time period also plays a part in the story by not only giving the reader a feeling of nostalgia, but also makes solving the crimes more difficult with no modern forensics. The plot is skillfully crafted with interesting twists and memorable characters.
I highly recommend this murder mystery and author!
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Excerpt
Blanche Gruman sprawled on the park bench in front of the Presbyterian Church Monday enjoying the afternoon sun, her long, tanned legs stretched out on the sidewalk in front of the bench. She looked serene, with her face turned sunward, eyes protected by aviator sunglasses. Her blonde hair was almost white, bleached by the sun, and she wore it long and loose.
“Afternoon, Blanche,” Charlie said as he made his way toward town hall.
Blanche turned her head to see who had spoken. “Well, hey, Charlie!” she replied. She quickly sat up, pulling her bare legs primly under the edge of the bench. It was a lady-like move; just what you would expect from Blanche. A broad smile, showing perfect pearl-white teeth lit up her face.
Blanche Gruman owned and operated a successful hair salon in town. For Shannon, it was an exclusive salon. Blanche was an excellent cutter and stylist, and her flamboyant but tasteful sense of style attracted the cream of Shannon’s women to her salon, as well as some of the more prominent men. She had expanded her business over the course of a decade, hiring additional staff, but she was the queen bee, and closely guarded her select clientele.
Blanche had never married, though she’d had a fairly constant parade of suitors. Rumor had it that when someone had once asked her why she had never married she had flippantly replied, “Why marry one man when I can make so many happy?” Whether or not this was true, it was generally agreed that Blanche had a less traditional approach to relationships with men than her female contemporaries, and it was speculated that many of her female devotees who religiously came to Blanche for hair treatment did so as a means of keeping an eye on her latest paramour, primarily to make sure it wasn’t a wayfaring husband.
“You look mighty pleased with yourself,” Charlie said. He stood in front of her, blocking the sun from her eyes. She removed her sunglasses, hooking one of the templates on the V-neck of a snug knit top that accented her generous curves.
“It’s a great day to celebrate life,” she told him, “and that’s just what I’m doing.” Clearly, she was enjoying herself.
Charlie changed the subject. “You hear about what happened to Otto Hilty the other night?”
His question soured Blanche’s mood noticeably. Her voice took on a hard edge when she responded. “That SOB …” she began. “I don’t truck with what happened to Otto,” she said, “but I’ll not shed any tears for him.” She put her sunglasses on and stood, facing Charlie. “Like I said … it’s a great day to celebrate.” She walked off leaving Charlie standing, literally, with his mouth agape.
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Author Bio
Bluette Matthey is a product of the melting pot of America’s settlers, with her ancestry rooted in the Swiss, German, and English cultures. She is a keen reader of mysteries who loves to travel and explore, especially in Europe. Bluette currently lives in Béziers, France, with her husband and band of loving cats. Other books by Bluette Matthey include the Hardy Durkin Travel Mystery series: Corsican Justice, Abruzzo Intrigue, Black Forest Reckoning, Dalmatian Traffick, and Engadine Aerie.
Today is my turn on the Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour for the first book in a new series with a female astrologist as the amateur sleuth by a new to me author. I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE MADNESS OF MERCURY (A Zodiac Mystery Book #1) by Connie di Marco.
Below you will find a book synopsis, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Enjoy!
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Book Synopsis
San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti’s life is turned upside down when she becomes a target of the Reverend Roy of the Prophet’s Tabernacle. The Reverend, a recently-arrived cult preacher, is determined to drive sin from the city, but his gospel of love and compassion doesn’t extend to those he considers an “abomination unto the Lord.” Julia’s outspoken advice in her newspaper column, AskZodia, has put her at the top of the Reverend’s list. While the powerful Mercury-ruled preacher woos local dignitaries, his Army of the Prophet will stop at nothing to silence not just Julia, but anyone who stands in his way.
Driven out of her apartment in the midst of a disastrous Mercury retrograde period, she takes shelter with a client who’s caring for two elderly aunts. One aunt appears stricken with dementia and the other has fallen under the spell of the Reverend Roy. To add to the confusion, a young man claiming to be a long-lost nephew arrives. The longer he stays, the more dangerous things become. One aunt slides deeper into psychosis while the other disappears. Is this young man truly a member of the family? Can astrology confirm that? Julia’s not sure, but one thing she does know is that Mercury wasn’t merely the messenger of the gods – he was a trickster and a liar as well.
THE MADNESS OF MERCURY (A Zodiac Mystery Book #1) by Connie di Marco is the first book in a new series with a female astrologist as the amateur sleuth by a new to me author.
Julia Bonatti is a successful astrologist in San Francisco. She accepts individual clients and answers letters anomalously as Ask Zodia in a San Francisco newspaper column. With an answer to a letter in her column, Julia suddenly becomes the target of a new cult leader Reverend Roy and his followers in the Prophet’s Tabernacle.
With Mercury in retrograde, Julia is chased from her apartment by protestors. The Reverend has the elite and government officials of the city in his thrall and is terrorizing all those who do not agree with his preaching. Julia moves in with a friend and client, Dorothy and her affluent elderly aunts. The gardener dies mysteriously in a fall on the property, one aunt believes Dorothy is trying to kill her and is showing signs of dementia, while the other aunt disappears to join the Reverend Roy’s followers in their secluded compound. Add a controlling ex trying to get Dorothy back and a long-lost relative showing up out of the blue, the charts do not look good for any of them.
Julia knows Mercury was a trickster and a liar. Will she be able to find the truth before anyone else dies?
I enjoyed this new mystery. Julia is a very likable amateur sleuth and the astrology is an interesting twist, even though I enjoy it as an entertainment and not as a way to live my life. I felt some of the astrology terminology was more than the average reader would care to know and it took me out of the story occasionally while reading. The secondary characters were fully-fleshed and I am looking forward to following them in future books in the series. The descriptions of San Francisco made me feel as though I was there. The plot had interesting twists and red-herrings and I was surprised at the ending, which I always consider a plus.
I can recommend this first book in the series and am looking forward to more mysteries with Julia.
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Excerpt
“Thank God you’re there.” Gale sounded very shaky.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m at the Mystic Eye. Something very strange just happened. I heard a knock at the back door. I thought it might be you.”
“Are you alone?”
“Yes. I closed up and sent Cheryl home. When I opened the door . . . oh God, Julia. Someone left a dead cat on the doorstep.”
I cringed. “I’ll be right there.”
“I’m sorry. You don’t need to come. I wrapped it up and put it in plastic in the dumpster. It looked like its neck had been broken.”
“Don’t argue. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Less than that.”
I drove the length of California Street as fast as I could, slowing at each red light. Once I was sure no other cars were crossing I ran through several intersections. When I reached the Eye the shop was closed but the display lights were on in the front windows. I pulled down the alleyway and parked next to Gale’s car. I tapped on the door. “Gale, it’s me.” She opened the door immediately. The storeroom was dark. A stack of empty boxes and packing materials stood against the wall. Inside, the only light was a small desk lamp in the office.
Gale is tall and self-assured with a regal bearing. Tonight she was completely shaken. She hugged her arms, more from fright than from cold. “I feel bad now that I’ve called you. I was just so freaked out. I recognized the cat, it was the little gray one that hangs out behind the apartment building next door. I think it’s a stray. Everyone around here feeds it, even the restaurant people, and it’s such a friendly little thing. Some sick bastard probably gave it some food and then snapped its neck. God, I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Shouldn’t you call the cops?”
“And tell them what? I found a dead cat? Please. Like they’d listen. Even if they thought someone had killed it, what could they do?”
“It shows a pattern of harassment. Might be worth making a report.”
She sighed. “Yeah. You’re probably right. I just wasn’t thinking straight. I was so upset.” She collapsed in the chair behind her desk.
I shrugged out of my coat. “Why are you here so late?”
“We just got a huge shipment of books and supplies in. Cheryl’s been working late every night so I sent her home. I had just finished stacking the boxes in the storeroom.” Gale shivered involuntarily. “Look, let’s get out of here. Have you eaten? Why don’t we go up the block and grab some food? Actually a drink sounds even better.”
“Okay.”
“Get your coat. We can leave the cars here and walk. I’ll just get my purse.”
I headed to the front door and checked that the locks were all in place. The drapes separating the display windows from the shop were drawn for privacy. Gale left the desk lamp on in the office and walked out to the front counter. As she reached under the counter for her purse, we heard glass breaking. Then I saw a flash of flame through the doorway to the back storeroom. I screamed. The empty boxes and packing materials had caught fire in an explosive flash. The smoke alarm started to ring, filling the shop with earsplitting sound. Using my coat like a blanket, I dropped it over the center of the flaming pile. It wasn’t going to be enough, but I had to do something before the entire storeroom went up, if not the building.
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Author Bio
Connie di Marco is the author of the Zodiac Mysteries featuring San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti. The Madness of Mercury, the first book in the series will be re-released in October 2020.
Writing as Connie Archer, she is also the author of the national bestselling Soup Lover’s Mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime. You can find her excerpts and recipes in The Cozy Cookbook and The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. Connie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.
Today is my turn on the Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tour and I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for SLIGHTLY MURDEROUS INTENT: A Southern California Mystery (Corrie Locke Mystery Series Book #4) by Lida Sideris.
Below you will find a book synopsis, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Enjoy and good luck on the giveaway!
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Book Synopsis
There’s a shooter on the loose who keeps missing his target. But that doesn’t stop him from trying again…and again. It’s up to Corrie Locke, rookie lawyer and spunky sleuth, to find the gunman before he hits his mark, Assistant Deputy D.A. James Zachary, Corrie’s hunky and complicated frenemy.
When Corrie is stuck with more questions than answers, she enlists a team with various strengths, from weapons to cooking skills, to help her find the shooter. Her computer whiz boyfriend Michael is onboard. So is former security guard Veera. Toss in an over-the-hill informant and a couple of feuding celebrity chefs and Corrie’s got her very own A-Team. Okay, maybe it’s more like a B-Team.
Can Team Corrie hunt down the shooter before he scores a bulls-eye?
Genre: Traditional Mystery with some Humor Published by: Level Best Books Publication Date: October 20th 2020 Number of Pages: 280 ISBN: 9781947915930 Series: A Southern California Mystery, #4 || Each can be read as a Stand-Alone book
SLIGHTLY MURDEROUS INTENT: A Southern California Mystery (Corrie Locke Mystery Series Book #4) by Lida Sideris is the latest in this light mystery series featuring Corrie Locke. This is the first book I have read in this series and while the mystery plot stands on its own, I felt slightly confused in beginning until I caught up on some of the characters’ past interactions.
Corrie Locke is a young attorney for a film studio who is a sleuth on the side. She grew up with a famous P.I. father who was murdered. Now she has a closet full of weapons, the irrepressible attitude to fight for justice and a boyfriend who is a computer whiz.
There is an inept shooter on the loose and he appears to be after Corrie’s friend James. She pulls a unique team of friends together to catch the gunman before he finds his mark.
This fast-paced mystery is full of plot twists and red herrings which always makes for an intriguing read, but this author also uses quirky characters and humorous and witty dialogue to set it apart and it is very entertaining. Even though I had to catch up on the characters’ connections, I am interested in reading the next book to see how Corrie and her friends all move forward.
Overall, this is a well written mystery with a protagonist and secondary characters I would like to read about again.
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Excerpt
The last of my patience dripped onto the concrete floor beneath my feet. My fists clenched, my jaw tightened and my stomach rumbled like the start of an avalanche. I’d officially reached the cracking point.
“Today was V-day for us. Victory with a big fat V.”
Los Angeles Senior Deputy District Attorney Bruce Beckman stood at the head of our table, arms raised high. The first two fingers of each hand formed a “V”. Meanwhile, everyone’s dinner sat in front of them. Everyone’s, that is, but mine. All I had was an empty plate and an empty stomach.
“Where’s our server?” I whispered. The beach side diner was packed. “Did they run out of food?”
Beckman dropped his pose and glared at me so fiercely, my cheeks glowed from the heat.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. What did he expect? His mac n’ cheese was half eaten. I licked my lips.
“The case came close to swinging in the opposite direction,” Beckman continued. “We couldn’t have won today’s trial without this guy.” Beckman gestured toward the deputy D.A. sitting next to him.
I half stood and peered past the other diners. No sign of our server. “Slacker,” I mumbled. I slammed my napkin down beside my plate.
“Have some of mine,” Michael whispered. “Please, Corrie.”
If anyone else had offered, I would’ve cleaned his plate in thirty seconds. But Michael was my oldest friend slash newest boyfriend, and I loved him dearly from his dark floppy hair to the Chuck Taylors on his feet. We sat in a crowded hipster restaurant in Santa Monica, a hop, skip and a jump from the sparkling Pacific Ocean. Michael had barely touched his burger, waiting on my dinner with me. His stomach growled right alongside mine.
“Obviously, I picked the right man for the job,” Beckman said. “And gave him a few tips. Quite a few, actually.” He chuckled.
Weak laughter trickled around the table, followed by a groan. Did that come from me? Beckman shot me his signature scowl. I managed a shadow of an apology, and his attention returned to the man on his left. My hunger pangs took a brief hike while I assessed the object of Beckman’s praise. Assistant Deputy D.A. James Zachary flashed a grin. He was a sight for sore eyes. Or any eyes, for that matter.
“Thanks to James,” Beckman continued, “defense counsel didn’t stand a chance.”
Cheers erupted. I clapped and wriggled around in my seat. My stomach rumblings grew even louder. That’s what happened when my last meal was breakfast.
“I’ll be back,” I whispered to Michael and shoved away my chair. We sat around a table of five. Three of us were members of the world’s oldest profession. The oldest after toolmakers, farmers, the military and doctors. We were lawyers. I was the only lawyer unaffiliated with the D.A.’s office.
“Wait.” Michael took my hand.
Michael Parris wasn’t a lawyer, but he was the associate dean of the computer science department of a private tech college near downtown L.A. Michael’s lips were moving but shouting voices, clanging dinner plates and background music swallowed up his next words.
“What?” I leaned in closer, sniffing a sweet combo of sandalwood and fresh laundry that made my empty insides tingle.
He wiped his mouth on a napkin and said, “Stay here. I’ll go to the kitchen. Help yourself to my burger while you wait. I promise I won’t return empty-handed.”
“No, you stay. I want to make sure they get my order right.” I touched his shoulder. “Be back soon.”
We locked stares and his hazel eyes softened. “Two minutes. If you’re not back, I’m coming after you.”
I’d insisted my table mates eat without me, figuring my meal was on its way…fifteen minutes ago. I aimed for the kitchen, wading sideways between packed tables when I bumped into our server. She tried to push past, but I blocked the way.
“I’m still waiting,” I told her.
“No, you’re not,” she said. “You got served.”
“Crispy chicken sandwich with spicy slaw and chili cheese fries, hold the onions. It’s not on our table.” I pointed my thumb over my shoulder.
“I brought all the orders out personally.”
“Not mine.”
“You wanna talk to the manager?”
“I demand to talk to the manager.”
She tipped her head and pitched it to one side. “Big Sam’s up front by the cashier.”
I moved out of her path, and she hustled past. I continued my sideways trek, filing between chairs and dodging scurrying servers. Nearly closing time and the place was still hopping. I slowed and looked back at the kitchen. Maybe I’d get somewhere if I talked to the cook. I was about to swivel around when I spotted a manager-type; a stocky guy with a shaved head and goatee, chatting up a group of wannabe diners near the bar.
I headed for him and waited behind the blonde hostess. The cash register drawer popped open with a ping. She plucked wads of bills from beneath the drawer and shoved them into a vinyl bank bag.
“Excuse me,” I said.
She jumped and turned to me, zipping up the bag and pushing it behind her. “Yeah?” Long bangs stabbed at her eyes.
I pitched my chin toward the stocky guy. “That the manager?”
“He owns the place. Big Sam Neely.” Her attention went back to the bag. She unzipped it and continued stuffing bills inside.
I navigated closer to Big Sam and leaned against a pillar, waiting for a chance to butt into the conversation. Meanwhile, a lanky dude in a dark gray hoodie and faded jeans edged his way inside. His clothes were baggy; his hood was up and over his head. Only his nose, mouth and tinted shades were visible. Sunglasses at night weren’t unusual in L.A. I stared out at the room. A couple of diners wore shades. The guy in the hoodie flitted past me. He threw out his anchor near the hostess. My heartbeat quickened. The cash drawer still gaped open. I elbowed my way back toward him, half-expecting the guy’s hand to dart out and grab the bank bag, but he ignored the money. Instead, he eased forward and stared out toward the back of the diner. My gaze dropped to the lower left side of his jacket. The bottom edge had latched onto the large violin shaped leaf of an ornamental ficus, exposing the top of his jeans. My heart hammered against my chest. The grip of a revolver stuck out of his pocket.
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Author Bio
Lida Sideris’ first stint after law school was a newbie lawyer’s dream: working as an entertainment attorney for a movie studio…kind of like her heroine, Corrie Locke, except without the homicides. Lida was one of two national winners of the Helen McCloy Mystery Writers of America Scholarship Award for her first book. She lives in the northern tip of Southern California with her family, rescue dogs and a flock of uppity chickens.
Today is my turn on this Blackthorn Book Tour for this exceptional anthology. I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for NOTHING GOOD HAPPENSAFTER MIDNIGHT: A Suspense Magazine Anthology by Jeffrey Deaver et al.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, a section about Jeffrey Deaver and Suspense Magazine. This is the best anthology I have read this year. Enjoy!
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Book Description
The sun sets. The moon takes its place, illuminating the most evil corners of the planet. What twisted fear dwells in that blackness? What legends attach to those of sound mind and make them go crazy in the bright light of day? Only Suspense Magazine knows…
Teaming up with New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver, Suspense Magazine offers up a nail-biting anthology titled: “Nothing Good Happens After Midnight.” This thrilling collection consists of thirteen original short stories representing the genres of suspense/thriller, mystery, sci-fi/fantasy, and more.
Readers’ favorites come together to explore the mystery of midnight. The ‘best of the best’ presenting these memorable tales, include: Joseph Badal, Linwood Barclay, Rhys Bowen, Jeffery Deaver, Heather Graham, Alan Jacobson, Paul Kemprecos, Shannon Kirk, Jon Land, John Lescroart, D. P. Lyle, Kevin O’Brien, and Hank Phillippi Ryan.
Take their hands…walk into their worlds…but be prepared to leave the light on when you’re through. After all, this incredible gathering of authors, who will delight fans of all genres, not only utilized their award-winning imaginations to answer that age-old question of why “Nothing Good Happens After Midnight”—they also made sure to pen stories that will leave you…speechless.
Nothing Good Happens After Midnight: A Suspense Magazine Anthology
Genre: Mystery, suspense, thriller, horror
Print length: 338 pages
Suitable for young adults: This is an adult collection but suitable for age 16+
Trigger warnings: No
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My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS AFTER MIDNIGHT: A Suspense Magazine Anthology by Jeffrey Deaver, et al. is a new suspense, thriller, mystery anthology and is my favorite anthology of this year. The thirteen short stories pull the reader in and this anthology has some of my favorite authors contributing.
The theme of these thirteen short stories is that – nothing good happens after midnight. I usually only like about a third to a half of most anthologies I read, but I enjoyed all these stories, some more than others, but all captured my attention to keep me reading and I did not skip any of them.
This is an exceptional anthology because there is something for everyone who loves short stories, loves suspense, thrillers, mysteries and a small amount of horror and wants a short read from their favorite author or are looking for a new author to follow.
I highly recommend this anthology!
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Authors in Anthology
Jeffery Deaver , Linwood Barclay , Rhys Bowen , Heather Graham , Alan Jacobson , Paul Kemprecos , Jon Land, John Lescroart , Kevin O’Brien , Hank Phillippi Ryan , D.P. Lyle, Joseph Badal, Shannon Kirk
About Jeffrey Deaver
JEFFERY DEAVER is an international number-one bestselling author. His novels have appeared on bestseller lists around the world. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into twenty-five languages. He has served two terms as president of Mystery Writers of America. The author of forty-three novels, three collections of short stories and a nonfiction law book, and a lyricist of a country-western album, he’s received or been shortlisted for dozens of awards. His THE BODIES LEFT BEHIND was named Novel of the Year by the International Thriller Writers association, and his Lincoln Rhyme thriller THE BROKEN WINDOW and a stand-alone, EDGE, were also nominated for that prize. THE GARDEN OF BEASTS won the Steel Dagger from the Crime Writers Association in England. He’s been nominated for eight Edgar Awards. Deaver has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, the Strand Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Raymond Chandler Lifetime Achievement Award in Italy. His book A MAIDEN’S GRAVE was made into an HBO movie starring James Garner and Marlee Matlin, and his novel THE BONE COLLECTOR was a feature release from Universal Pictures, starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. Lifetime aired an adaptation of his THE DEVIL’S TEARDROP. NBC television is airing the popular prime time series, Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector. His latest novel is THE GOODBYE MAN, a Colter Shaw thriller.
About Suspense Magazine
Suspense Magazine was started in 2007, with the mission that every author should get a voice. It strives to bring the very best coverage in the genre, by publishing reviews, articles on writing, interviews, short stories, excerpts and much more. It expanded in 2009 to include Suspense Radio, a podcast that interviews such authors as Dean Koontz, Laurell K. Hamilton, David Balducci and many more. The podcast is available on Spotify, ITunes, Amazon Music and several other podcast sites. The operation was expanded again in 2010 with Suspense Publishing which has published over one hundred books. Suspense publishing books have won three Tony Hillerman Awards, Shamus nominee, ITW Thriller Nominees and thousands of books have been sold.