Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Last Seen Alone by Laura Griffin

Book Description

When they face the most baffling missing person’s case of their careers, a fiercely ambitious lawyer and a homicide detective have no one to turn to for help except each other, from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin.

Up-and-coming attorney Leigh Larson fights for victims of sexual extortion, harassment, and online abuse. She is not afraid to go after the sleaziest targets to get payback for her clients. Leigh is laser-focused on her career–to the exclusion of everything else–until a seemingly routine case and a determined cop turn her world upside down.

Austin homicide detective Brandon Reynolds is no stranger to midnight callouts. But when he gets summoned to an abandoned car on a desolate road, he quickly realizes he’s dealing with an unusual crime scene. A pool of blood in the nearby woods suggests a brutal homicide. But where is the victim? The vehicle is registered to twenty-six-year-old Vanessa Adams. Searching the car, all Brandon finds is a smear of blood and a business card for Leigh Larson, attorney-at-law.

Vanessa had hired Leigh just before her disappearance, but Leigh has no leads on who could have wanted her dead. Faced with bewildering evidence and shocking twists, Leigh and Brandon must work against the clock to chase down a ruthless criminal who is out for vengeance.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Last Seen Alone by Laura Griffin brings to life a subject that needs more publicity. Because of cell phones, people, especially women, are vulnerable to revenge porn, which is a form of on-line abuse. This subject matter is explored within a riveting storyline.

Leigh Larson is a fiercely ambitious lawyer who fights for victims of sexual extortion, harassment, and on-line abuse. She is the victim’s advocate, fighting to get payback for her clients.

The story opens with Vanessa Adams buying a gun. But she realizes someone is following her and runs into the woods. Her car is found abandoned along with her purse and phone. After being called in, Detective Brandon Reynolds of the Austin P.D. finds a smear of blood on the passenger seat car door that was left open. Brandon finds a lead when he discovers lawyer Leigh Larson’s business card among Vanessa’s things. It seems Vanessa had hired Leigh just before her disappearance. Faced with bewildering evidence and shocking twists, Leigh and Brandon must work against the clock to chase down a ruthless criminal who is out for vengeance. Leigh suspects that Vanessa may be harassed. She and Brandon team together to find out what happened to Vanessa. While doing this they realize they have off the chart chemistry. They grow closer after Brandon’s protective streak comes out when Leigh was attacked. They are racing against the clock to find Vanessa and to solve the case.

The gripping and riveting story puts on-line abuse front and center. The characters are very well developed and readers root for justice to be served.

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Elise’s Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Laura Griffin: I used to be a newspaper reporter. I saw some articles about a girl targeted for revenge porn that turned her life upside down. I did some research on these types of cases of online harassment.

EC: How would you describe Leigh?

LG: It is pronounced “Lee” not Leigh like Vivian Leigh. I got the name from a good friend in college. Leigh is tenacious, outspoken, smart, and knows how to operate in a man’s world. She is confident, pushy, headstrong, and intuitive. I made her a lawyer because I did not want the hero and heroine to both be law enforcement.

EC: How would you describe Brandon?

LG: Analytical, observant, cool headed, protective, and at times bossy.

EC: Can you discuss online harassment?

LG: It uses technology for revenge. The two types of harassment, online and in person, blend together. A man can stalk a woman but can also interface with her at home with technology. There is a blurring of the lines.

EC: What method do online harassers use?

LG: They like to torment, terrorize, control, and manipulate their victims. They can be sadistic, intimidating, and threatening. In this story the victimized woman had to move. Even if it is online the threats are not less scary and less dangerous.

EC: How would you describe Vanessa?

LG: Exasperating, at times sympathetic, impulsive, and has many faults. She did not make very good decisions and is not an angel yet does not deserve to be targeted. She is also a cutter.

EC: Why did you make her a cutter?

LG: I wanted to show how these cases have a devastating effect on young people. They have their images posted around for all the world to see. There have been cases of suicide, depression, and psychological impact. Vanessa became stressed and withdrawn after she was targeted. Once the images are out there it is hard for the victim to gain control.

EC: How would you describe the relationship?

LG: Both Brandon and Leigh have been burned and betrayed in the past. She has built walls. But after a while they find common ground. She does like to push his buttons and he likes to be sarcastic with her. They have a dynamic with a healthy back and forth.

EC: What about your next book?

LG: It will be out in May 2022. It is part of the “Texas Murder Files series” and is titled, Midnight Dunes. The setting is still the coast, and it will feature Owen’s story.

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.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Right Behind Her by Melinda Leigh

Book Description

The discovery of human remains unearths another nightmare from Sheriff Bree Taggert’s past in a bone-chilling thriller by #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.

Twenty-seven years ago, Sheriff Bree Taggert’s father killed her mother, then himself. Now Bree and her younger brother, Adam, find human bones on the grounds of their abandoned family farm. The remains are those of a man and a woman, both murdered in the same horrible way.

When the investigation determines the murders occurred thirty years ago, Bree’s dead father becomes a suspect, forcing Bree to revisit the brutal night she’s spent most of her life trying to forget. The only other suspect is an unlikely squatter on the Taggert farm who claims to know secrets about Bree’s past. When he mysteriously disappears and Bree’s niece is kidnapped, the cold case heats up.

Bree has stoked the rage of a murderer who’ll do anything to keep his identity—and motives—a secret. To protect everyone she loves, Bree must confront a killer.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

Right Behind Her by Melinda Leigh is a gripping read, just like her other books. Readers get sympathetic heroes and monstrous villains along with a plot that will keep them turning the pages.

Sherriff Bree Taggert agrees to travel to her childhood home with her brother Adam. She must confront the memories of her childhood that includes the cruelness of her father, being attacked by his dogs, the night her father murdered her mother, and then committed suicide.

What she did not expect to find are human bones on the grounds of the abandoned family farm. They appear to be cruelly murdered thirty years ago. She is wondering if her father, who killed himself and her mother while she hid herself, her brother, and sister, is the culprit. Suspects begin to pile up, including someone who kidnaps her niece to warn her from further investigation. Assisting is Matt Flynn, the police investigator, who is also helping Bree realize she wants a relationship with him. She begins to feel the need for family and starts to tear down the wall she has built to protect herself.

This story will keep readers captivated with plenty of emotion and suspense including wondering who committed the crime.

***

Elise’s Author Interview

Elise Cooper: In this story there is more of Bree’s backstory?

Melinda Leigh: I think there will be at least eight books in the series. This is book 4. After each book my goal is to leave each character in a happy place because they need a break. This continuing character series will develop the characters and their relationships over a long term. I will continue writing the series as long as the character personal development moves forward and is never stale. For me, the highest flattery a writer can receive is being told people enjoy their books.

EC: You try to make some of the bad guys redeemable?

ML: In reality, people have shades of grey. There are various shades of grey, some darker than others, some being greyer. Every character has their own viewpoint, their own perspective. Bree in this book found out more about her family and the memories she avoided as a traumatized child.

EC: How would you describe the relationship between Matt and Bree?

ML: At first it was just a friendship, but they had a connection. Her backstory affects her feelings until she allowed herself to lean on Matt a bit. She is learning she does not have to exist all by herself. Although she is there for others, to support them, there is a back and forth in relationships and she is seeing this. Bree is finally learning not to be a loner and allows Matt to support her.

EC: There is some therapy in this book?

ML: Bree is realizing that dogs are a great companion and know when they are needed. Brody, the German Shepherd retired police dog is a hero in this story. The saying feelings run down leash applies to all the dogs in the story.

EC: There is also paint therapy?

ML: Bree’s brother Adam obtained solace from painting. He had been born into a family filled with grief, anger, and abuse. Like Bree, he carried that burden into adulthood. Darkness always filled his work. The book quote, “Dark reds, bold blues, and stormy grays dominated the canvas. Bree saw sadness and anger and lack of control in the turbulent brushstrokes. But in one corner, a shaft of light blue with just the slightest hint of pale-yellow shadow pierced the darkness… Despite being a minute portion of the overall work, the smaller sliver of brightness drew and held the eye. It was a spark of hope at the edge of overwhelming despair…that tiny ribbon of light pulled her in.”

EC: A heads up about your next book?

ML: It is titled Dead Against Her and should be out in May 2022. It is about a double homicide in which Bree is a prime suspect. Morgan Dane from my other series will make an appearance and will be in this book quite a bit.

THANK YOU!!

Feature Post and Book Review: Missing at Christmas by K.D. Richards

Hi, everyone!

I will be posting Feature Post and Book Review blog posts on the Harlequin Investigator Blog Tour for all of these great reads throughout this month and the next.

Today I am sharing my blog post for MISSING AT CHRISTMAS (West Investigations Book #2) by K.D. Richards.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Come back throughout the month for more and enjoy!

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Book Description

To bring her sister home for the holidays

They’ll put everything on the line.

Private investigator Shawn West is stunned when the attack victim he rescues is Addy Williams—the one woman he never forgot. She’s turning a quiet upstate New York town inside out to bring her missing sister home by Christmas. Shawn offers to help if she’ll provide a cover for his own investigation into a suspicious company in town, but can they work together to find Addy’s sister…or are they already too late?

Add Missing at Christmas to your Goodreads!

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

MISSING AT CHRISTMAS (West Investigations Book #2) by K.D. Richards is another action-packed romantic suspense in the West Investigations series. This book can easily be read as a standalone with minimal crossover of characters from the first West Investigations story.

Private Investigator Shawn West is in upstate New York to investigate the source of counterfeit computer chips for a client. While on his way to his hotel, he sees a woman being attacked and intervenes. He is surprised when the woman turns out to be the one woman he has been unable to get off his mind since he met her at his brother’s destination wedding.

Addy Williams is searching for her missing younger sister. She was doing an internship before attending MIT and has failed to get in touch with Addy. Told her sister quit her internship and moved away, Addy is determined to find her before Christmas. Shawn offers his help Addy for free if he can use their search for her sister as a cover for his own investigation.

Will Addy and Shawn be able to find Addy’s sister before it is too late for them all?

This is the second book in this series I have read by this new to me author and I really enjoyed both. In this book Shawn and Addy work well together with Addy being an intelligent and strong heroine who can hold her own even with firearms. There is strong chemistry between these two, but the two investigations keep their romance to a slow burn. The suspense plot was fast-paced and action packed with a believable crime premise.

This is a well written romantic suspense by a new-to-me author that I will be following in the future.

***

Excerpt

The doors to the kitchen swung outward, and the man reappeared, a white plastic bag in one hand and Cassie’s picture in the other.

Addy slid her phone back into her purse and rose. The pity she saw in the man’s face as he drew nearer dashed the hope that had swelled in her chest.

“I showed your sister’s picture to everyone who’s still here, and no one recognized her. I’m sorry.”

Two solid days of showing Cassie’s picture everywhere she could think of in Bentham and nothing. No one remembered seeing her.

“Thanks, anyway.” She didn’t bother trying to muster a smile of thanks. She reached in her purse for her wallet.

“No charge,” he said, thrusting her food and Cassie’s picture at her. “You take care of yourself.”

Addy looked up into the man’s now compassion-filled eyes and wiped away the single tear she couldn’t stop from falling. “Thank you,” she croaked out before turning and fleeing the restaurant before the dam of tears broke.

Silver garlands hung from the streetlamps along with fluttering signs ordering the denizens of Bentham to have a happy holiday. The lamps themselves were spaced too far apart for the weak yellow light they cast off to beat back the dark December night.

Five blocks west, cars coasted along one of Bentham’s main thoroughfares, but the street in front of Addy was clear and quiet, the surrounding businesses having long since closed for the night.

She’d left the metallic-blue Mustang she’d rented for the two-hour drive from Manhattan to Bentham in the hotel’s parking lot. It was easier to canvass the neighborhood on foot. All she had to show for her effort were sore feet.

A footstep sounded as she pocketed her phone. Shooting a glance over her shoulder, she squinted into the darkness but saw no one.

You’re just not used to so much quiet, she thought, walking on.

She’d lived in New York City since she was twelve but spent summers on her grandfather’s ranch in Texas. She’d loved the ranch almost as much as she loved the city, but New York wasn’t called the city that never slept for nothing. There was always something to do and see, and she was used to being surrounded by thousands of people, even though she’d been very much alone since Cassie moved to Bentham.

A scraping sound came from close behind her, followed by the unmistakable sound of fast-moving footsteps.

She turned, intending to move to the side, when a hand clamped around her ponytail, jerking her backward against a hard chest.

It took a moment for her brain to catch up with what was happening, and by the time it did, her assailant had taken his beefy hand from her hair and clamped it over her mouth.

Addy fought her rising panic. Like any savvy city girl, she’d taken self-defense classes, but it had been a while since she’d brushed up. She’d never thought she’d actually have to use any of those techniques.

She tried to pull away, but the man’s arm was like a vise around her neck.

“Don’t fight, and I won’t hurt you,” the man growled.

She didn’t believe that for a minute. She’d left the small gun she carried for protection locked in her car’s glove compartment, a decision she regretted now. Who’d have thought the streets of Bentham were more dangerous than Manhattan?

Well, she had no intention of going down without a fight, gun or no gun. She sent up a quick prayer and fisted her hands at the same time a yell came from somewhere in the night.

***

About the Author

K.D. Richards is a native of the Washington, DC area who now lives outside of Toronto with her husband and two sons. You can find her at kdrichardsbooks.com.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.kdrichardsbooks.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kiadwritesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kdrichardsauthor/

Buy Missing at Christmas by K.D. Richards

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335489111_missing-at-christmas.html

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Trace of Doubt by DiAnn Mills

Trace of Doubt

by DiAnn Mills

September 1-30, 2021 Tour

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on the Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour and I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for TRACE OF DOUBT by DiAnn Mills.

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

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Book Description

Bestselling and award-winning author DiAnn Mills delivers a heart-stopping story of dark secrets, desperate enemies, and dangerous lies.

Fifteen years ago, Shelby Pearce confessed to murdering her brother-in-law and was sent to prison. Now she’s out on parole and looking for a fresh start in the small town of Valleysburg, Texas. But starting over won’t be easy for an ex-con.

FBI Special Agent Denton McClure was a rookie fresh out of Quantico when he was first assigned the Pearce case. He’s always believed Shelby embezzled five hundred thousand dollars from her brother-in-law’s account. So he’s going undercover to befriend Shelby, track down the missing money, and finally crack this case.

But as Denton gets closer to Shelby, he begins to have a trace of doubt about her guilt. Someone has Shelby in their crosshairs. It’s up to Denton to stop them before they silence Shelby—and the truth—forever.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57239695-trace-of-doubt?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=kwcEoTyFr0&rank=1

Trace of Doubt

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Romance, Romantic Suspense
Published by: Tyndale House Publishers
Publication Date: September 7th 2021
Number of Pages: 432
ISBN: 1496451856 (ISBN13: 9781496451859)

***

My Book Review

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

TRACE OF DOUBT by DiAnn Mills is an action-packed, fast paced Christian romantic suspense. The unique heroine is an ex-con looking to start over with an FBI undercover agent determined to recover embezzled money he believes she has hidden for fifteen years. This is a standalone novel.

Shelby Pearce has been paroled from prison after serving fifteen years for shooting her brother-in-law to death. She is looking for peace and a fresh start in a small Texas town to sell her custom-made jewelry.

FBI Special Agent Denton McClure worked the Pearce case from the beginning not to prove Shelby’s guilt of murder, but to discover the five hundred thousand dollars embezzled from her brother-in-law’s nonprofit account. Undercover in the same town as Shelby, he is determined to find the missing money and finally crack the case that has eluded conclusion for years.

Someone has Shelby in their crosshairs and as Denton works to discover why, he begins to have a trace of doubt about her guilt. Will Shelby and Denton be able to discover the who and why before they are able to silence Shelby forever?

Shelby is a unique heroine in many ways. While in prison Shelby claimed her Christian faith and a lot of her story is trying to live her faith even with the hate of some and the disbelief of others for her crime. While Denton does not believe, Shelby tries to share her faith with him. The romance is slow to build due of the lack of trust which is realistic and there are no sex scenes. The secondary characters in the small town are fully fleshed and believable, but the criminals seem two-dimensional to me. The suspense plot was intriguing and interesting in the first part of the book, but then it went into more of an action movie over-the-top less realistic climax and conclusion.

This is a Christian romantic suspense with plenty of Christian faith, redemption and forgiveness intertwined with an action-packed suspense plot.

***

Excerpt

PROLOGUE

SHELBY

Would I ever learn? I’d spent too many years looking out for someone else, and here I was doing the same thing again. Holly had disappeared after I sent her to the rear pantry for potatoes. She’d been gone long enough to plant and dig them up. I needed to get those potatoes boiling to feed hungry stomachs.

I left the kitchen to find her. The hallway to the pantry needed better lighting or maybe fewer corners. In any event, uneasiness swirled around me like a dust storm.

A plea to stop met my ears. I raced to the rear pantry fearing what I’d find.

Four women circled Holly. One held her arms behind her back, and the other three took turns punching her small body. My stomach tightened. I’d been in her shoes, and I’d do anything to stop the women from beating her.

“Please, stop,” Holly said through a raspy breath. For one who was eighteen years old, she looked fifteen.

“Hey, what’s going on?” I forced my voice to rise above my fear of them.

“Stay out of it, freak.”

I’d run into this woman before, and she had a mean streak. “What’s she done to you?” I eyed the woman.

“None of your business unless you want the same.”

“It’s okay, Shelby. I can handle this.” Holly’s courageous words would only earn her another fist to her battered face.

And it did.

“Enough!” I drew my fists and stepped nose to nose with the leader.

The four turned on me. I’d lived through their beatings before, and I would again. I fell and the kicks to my ribs told me a few would be broken.

A whistle blew, and prison guards stopped the gang from delivering any more blows to Holly or me. They clamped cuffs on the four and left Holly and me on the floor with reassurance help was on its way.

I’d been her age once and forced to grow up fast. No one had counseled me but hard knocks, securing an education, and letting Jesus pave the way. I’d vowed to keep my eyes and ears open for others less fortunate.

Holly’s lip dripped blood and a huge lump formed on the side of her head. I crawled to her. “Are you okay?”

“Not sure. Thank you for standing up for me. I thought they would kill me. Why do they do this? I’ve never done a thing to them.”

“Because they can. They want to exert power, control. Stick by me, and I’ll do my best to keep you safe.”

CHAPTER 1

I tightened my grip on the black trash bag slung over my shoulder containing my personal belongings—parole papers, a denim shoulder bag from high school, a ragged backpack, fifty dollars gate money, my driver’s license at age sixteen, and the clothes I’d worn to prison fifteen years ago.

The bus slowed to pick me up outside the prison gates, its windshield wipers keeping pace with the downpour. The rain splattered the flat ground in a steady cadence like a drum leading a prisoner to execution. I stepped back to avoid the splash of muddy water from the front tires dipping into a pothole. Air brakes breathed in and out, a massive beast taking respite from its life labors.

The door hissed open. At the top of the steps, a balding driver took my ticket, no doubt recognizing the prison’s release of a for- mer inmate. He must have been accustomed to weary souls who’d paid their debts to society. The coldness glaring from his graphite eyes told me he wagered I’d be locked up again within a year. Maybe less. I couldn’t blame him. The reoffend stats for female convicts like me soared high.

For too many years, I imagined the day I left prison would be bathed in sunlight. I’d be enveloped in welcoming arms and hear encouraging words from my family.

Reality hosted neither.

I moved to the rear of the bus, past a handful of people, and found a seat by myself. All around me were those engrossed in their devices. My life had been frozen in time, and now that I had permission to thaw, the world had changed. Was I ready for the fear digging its claws into my heart?

The cloudy view through the water-streaked window added to my doubts about the future. I’d memorized the prison rules, even prayed through them, and now I feared breaking one unknowingly.

The last time I’d breathed free air, riding the bus was a social gathering—in my case, a school bus. Kids chatted and laughter rose above the hum of tires. Now an eerie silence had descended.

I hadn’t been alone then.

My mind drifted back to high school days, when the future rested on maintaining a 4.0 average and planning the next party. Maintaining my grades took a fraction of time, while my mind schemed forbidden fun. I’d dreamed of attending college and exploring the world on my terms.

Rebellion held bold colors, like a kaleidoscope shrouded in black light. The more I shocked others, the more I plotted something darker. My choices often seemed a means of expressing my creativity. While in my youth I viewed life as a cynic. By the time I was able to see a reflection of my brokenness and vowed to change, no one trusted me.

All that happened . . .

Before I took the blame for murdering my brother-in-law. Before I traded my high school diploma and a career in interior design for a locked cell.

Before I spent years searching for answers.

Before I found new meaning and purpose.

How easy it would be to give in to a dismal, gray future when I longed for blue skies. I had to prove the odds against me were wrong.

***

Author Bio

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a storyteller and creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is the director of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Retreats: Marketing, Speakers, Nonfiction, and Novelist with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

Social Media Links

DiAnnMills.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @DiAnnMills
Instagram – @DiAnnMillsAuthor
Twitter – @DiAnnMills
Facebook – @DiAnnMills

Purchase Links

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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f24bf84b763/?

Release Blitz/Feature Post and Book Review: Watching Trin by Freya Barker

Hi, everyone!

Today I am excited to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for the Release Blitz of WATCHING TRIN (On Call Book #7)(Police and Fire Operation Alpha) by Freya Barker.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Freelance journalist and single mom, Katrina (Trin) Paige, has recently returned to her hometown to help her sister care for their elderly father. They’ve barely settled back into Durango’s daily life when her rebellious teenage son gets himself in tumultuous waters. While being rescued by the local fire department, he unwittingly uncovers a decades-old crime hidden underneath the churning rapids of the Animas River.

Once Trin’s life is back on an even keel, her sharp nose for a compelling story starts twitching and she dives headfirst into an investigation of her own. The more she uncovers, the closer she gets to the firefighter who not only pulled her son from the river, but who also seems present everywhere she turns.

Bodhi (Roadkill) Jones doesn’t believe in things like fate, although, he can’t deny the way his life seems to be entwined with the spunky redhead is more than mere coincidence. In fact, he’s been wondering how it is possible she escaped his attention growing up in the same town, even though she is a few years older. Swept up in an unfamiliar current, he finds himself looking for ways to spend time with her and her family.

However, when a murder investigation touches his personal life, it invades Trin’s as well, leaving him scrambling to make sure the woman he’s fast falling for is protected.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58646877-watching-trin?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=q2HJoDXZ8d&rank=1

Watching Trin (On Call, #7)

Author: Freya Barker

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: September 14th

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zUTa4x

Start the series: https://amzn.to/3C7FdBh

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

WATCHING TRIN (On Call Book #7)( Police and Fire: Operation Alpha) by Freya Barker is the latest romantic suspense and wonderful new couple in the On Call series to follow. While this is book #7 and some of characters crossover between books, it can be easily read as a standalone. I have read the whole series and anxiously wait for each of Ms. Barker’s mature, intelligent, and sexy heroes and heroines.

Katrina “Trin” Paige has returned to her hometown to help her sister with their father who has dementia. Single mom Trin is a freelance journalist so it is easy to relocate to Durango, and she hopes the move will be good for her rebellious fourteen-year-old son, Tucker.

Barely settled in, Tucker must be rescued by the local fire department from the Animas River in the middle of the night when the stolen raft he and his friends stole capsize in the rapids. During his rescue, the firefighter who pulls him out discovers an old crime scene.

Bodhi “Roadkill” Jones is surprised by his instant attraction to the spunky mother and sister to one of his fellow firefighters. As he finds ways to spend time with Trin, her investigation into the old crime scene he discovered seems to be placing her life in danger. He discovers he will do anything to protect her and her son, but will it be enough?

I always enjoy Ms. Barker’s characters and writing style. The romance between Bodhi and Trin is realistically paced and believable. The sex scenes are hot, but never gratuitous. The secondary characters all add to the story and never feel like placeholders. The scenes dealing with Trin’s father’s dementia were heartbreaking and from friends with a similar situation, were handled with empathy and honesty, as well as the problems Tucker was dealing with as a bi-racial child. I did figure out the way the suspense plot was going very early on in the story, but it did not take away from my overall enjoyment of the story.

I recommend this addition to the On Call series and all the books written by this author.

***

Author Bio

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.

Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Social Media Links

Web: http://bit.ly/FreyaWeb

Facebook: http://bit.ly/FreyaFacebook

Twitter: http://bit.ly/FreyaTwitter

Instagram: http://bit.ly/FreyaInstagram

BookBub: http://bit.ly/FreyaBookBub

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Cold Case Double Cross by Jessica R. Patch

Hi, everyone!

I will be posting Feature Post and Book Review blog posts on the Harlequin Investigator Blog Tour for all of these great reads throughout this month and the next.

Today I am sharing my blog post for COLD CASE DOUBLE CROSS (Cold Case Investigators Book #2) by Jessica R. Patch.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Come back throughout the month for more and enjoy!

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Book Description

They’re on a cold trail

and running out of time.

Convinced his brother was wrongly convicted of murder years ago, detective Cash Ryland’s determined to find the real killer—even if it puts him in the crosshairs. But he needs help from cold case investigator Mae Vogel, whom he mistreated in high school. Can they put their past aside to solve the murder…before the killer succeeds in silencing them for good?

Add Cold Case Double Cross to your Goodreads!

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

COLD CASE DOUBLE CROSS (Cold Case Investigators Book #2) by Jessica R. Patch is a Christian romantic suspense in the Cold Case Investigators series. Each book features a member of the MBI (Mississippi Bureau of Investigations) Cold Case Unit involved in a crime mystery/suspense. They meet and work with their perfect match and as their case progresses so does the romance. Each book can easily be read as a standalone with minimal crossover of the characters in the MBI unit introduced in the first book.

Detective Cash Ryland believes his brother was wrongly convicted of murdering his ex-wife. He is determined to find the real killer no matter how long it takes.

MBI Cold Case Investigator Mae Vogel is home on vacation to visit her ailing grandmother. Cash wants Mae’s expert assistance, but he mistreated her years ago in high school. Mae is willing to help with the case, but she is having difficulty forgiving Cash personally.

Can they work out their differences and solve the mystery before the killer silences them for good?

I enjoyed this quick romantic suspense read. The suspense plot is fast-paced, action packed and gives the reader many suspects and red herrings. The killer was a surprise to me and I like when that happens. It is well integrated with the Christian romance which has no sex scenes. Mae must learn to truly forgive past transgressions and learn and believe that there are some good men out there. Cash is hiding a secret that he has held for far too long. Ms. Patch does a good job of working the H/h through their pasts and misunderstandings.

I can recommend this Christian romantic suspense for a fast and entertaining read.

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Excerpt

She moved toward the lawn chairs Mom and Grandma Rose were sitting in, glanced up at the radiant display and smacked into marble.

Nope. A man.

She peered up to apologize, but the words died on her lips as recognition dawned. Cash Ryland. Mae hadn’t laid eyes on him, by design, since high school.

Maybe this was the origin surrounding her jittery feeling.

She put some pep in her step and moved backward, but Cash’s tanned arm reached out, as if assuming she’d stumbled and not retreated from him.

She swatted away his steady hand. “I’m perfectly fine.” No need for physical touch between them.

His thick eyebrows tweaked upward. “Sorry.” His voice had grown deeper, huskier since he was a kid. Cash shoved his hand into his pocket, drawing her eye to the badge clipped to his thick black belt looping through well-fitted jeans.

What? How in the world did Cash Ryland make it into any branch of law enforcement and why would he want to? His teenage years had been spent as a juvenile delinquent. Not that she’d imagined what Cash might be doing now, but if she had it would be more along the lines of doing time for drug possession or grand larceny or maybe both. Not on the grounds with a criminal investigations division badge from Willow Banks Sheriff’s Office.

Unbelievable.

“You never were too good at masking your feelings.”

She glanced from his badge to his face and his lopsided grin rolled another wave into her stomach. How dare her body betray her common sense by being attracted to his strong, chiseled features.

His blond hair had turned a little sandier, but it worked for him, unfortunately. His eyes hadn’t changed—they were still the same intense shade of blue that won the hearts of girls determined to rebel against their parents. Cash had never been meet-the-parents material, unless a girl wanted to give them a heart attack and end up grounded for life.

Not Mae.

Mae knew better.

And she’d still been charmed then burned.

Speak, Mae. You have to at least speak. “I’m just surprised, I guess.” As if she were still a high school girl enamored by the bad boy of Willow Banks and unsure of herself, she folded her arms, which felt like dead weight across her chest.

Cash Ryland—a detective. She’d seen it all.

“Well, it’s a surprising thing. Um…” He scratched the back of his neck. “I actually was looking for you. I saw your family and hoped you would be here. Your brother mentioned you were in town on vacation.”

Why did Barrett have vocal cords? He hadn’t mentioned Cash to her. But then, why would he? Barrett was clueless about what had transpired during her senior year with Cash. All he knew was Mae had tutored Cash in English. But if anyone had been schooled that semester, it was Mae.

“Barrett talks too much.” She tried to pass around him, but he blocked her. “Detective or not,” Mae said, tossing grit into her tone, “if you don’t move, I’m going to move you. And I promise you, size doesn’t matter. I can do it.”

While Cash towered above her five-foot-one frame, she was not porcelain, and attached to her petite frame was the muscle to maneuver him if necessary.

His hands shot up in surrender, but there was no teasing in his eyes. “I have no doubt, Mae. You’ve always been strong.”

No one had ever uttered those words about her before, but flattery wasn’t going to get him one solid inch. His charm no longer affected her.

He cleared a path for her to flee. “I just want to talk to you for a minute or two. Please?”

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About the Author

Publishers Weekly Bestselling author Jessica R. Patch is known for her dry wit and signature twists. When she’s not hunched over her laptop, you can find her cozy on the couch in her mid-south home reading books by her favorite authors, watching movies with her family, and collecting recipes to amazing dishes she’ll probably never cook. Sign up for her newsletter “Patched In” at www.jessicarpatch.com.

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Buy Cold Case Double Cross by Jessica R. PatchHarlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335554529_cold-case-double-cross.html