Suspense/Thriller – Avonna Loves Genres

Feature Post and Book Review: Bad Liar by Tami Hoag

Book Description

Small-town labels are hard to shake. Hometown hero. Fallen angel. Can anyone ever escape their past?

A murder victim dumped at the dead end of a lonely country road, face and hands obliterated by a shotgun blast, is not the way sheriff’s detective Nick Fourcade wants to start his week. His only lead takes him to the family of a hometown hero suddenly gone missing. Marc Mercier left his home for a weekend hunting trip and hasn’t been seen since.

Meanwhile, sheriff’s detective Annie Broussard begins her first day back on the job after suffering a brutal attack by taking on the case of B’Lynn Fontenot, a mother desperate to find her grown son, a recovering drug addict. Robbie Fontenot has been missing for eight days, but the local police have no interest in the case, telling B’Lynn that an adult has the right to disappear, and a missing addict is no big surprise. But B’Lynn swears her son was turning his life around. Sympathetic to a mother’s anguish, Annie agrees to help B’Lynn, knowing she’s about to start a turf war with the city police.

As Annie searches for Robbie Fontenot and Nick investigates the disappearance of Marc Mercier, it quickly becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems in the lives of either man. And it’s still not clear whether either—or neither—of them might be the unidentified murder victim. Old jealousies and fresh deceits, family loyalties gone wrong and love turned sour all lay a twisting trail that leads deep into the Louisiana swamp, endangering all who cross the path of a bad liar.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205846882-bad-liar?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=6fxQITTDev&rank=2

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

BAD LIAR (Broussard and Fourcade Book #3) by Tami Hoag is a fast-paced, dark, and intricately plotted crime thriller/police procedural featuring a married couple, both Sheriff’s Detectives in Partout Parish in the French Triangle of Louisiana. This crime thriller is easily read as a standalone crime thriller, but it is based in a small-town and all the characters continue to grow and evolve in their everyday lives.

Sheriff’s Detective Nick Fourcade is called to the scene of a dumped murder victim in the tall grass off a country road. Identification is going to take time because the victim’s face and hands have been obliterated by a shotgun blast. As he begins to look for leads, he discovers a returned hometown hero has gone missing. Are his victim and the missing man one and the same?

Sheriff’s Detective Annie Broussard is on her first day back on the job after recovering from a brutal attack. She takes on the case of a mother, B’Lynn Fontenot, desperate to find her adult son. She has gone through ten years of drug addiction, but she truly believes this time he had finally turned his life around. Annie is willing to fight the city police detective to take over the case.

As Nick and Annie investigate their cases, they soon discover that there is much more to the lives of the missing men as they wait to discover if either is the unidentified corpse in the morgue. The investigation leads to surprising twists and turns that will endanger Nick and Annie until the pieces of all the lies fall into place.

This is another example of the strength of Ms. Hoag’s ability to produce an atmospheric crime thriller full of compelling, complicated characters, good and bad, and a twisted plot that keeps you guessing until all the pieces have been discovered. Nick and Annie are fascinating as a couple, while also being the ying and yang of investigative styles. This book realistically portrays many types of drug addiction, domestic abuse, family loyalties, good and bad, jealousy, and murder. It took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions throughout and left me guessing to the end.

I highly recommend this compelling crime thriller/police procedural!

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About the Author

Tami Hoag is the #1 international bestselling author of more than thirty books published in more than thirty languages worldwide, including her latest thrillers–COLD COLD HEART and THE 9TH GIRL. Renowned for combining thrilling plots with character-driven suspense, Hoag first hit the New York Times Bestseller list with NIGHT SINS, and each of her books since has been a bestseller. She leads a double life in Palm Beach County, Florida where she is also known as a top competitive equestrian in the Olympic discipline of dressage. Other interests include the study of psychology, and mixed martial arts fighting. A woman of eclectic tastes, to say the least, Tami was recently asked to list seven things people may not know about about her: 1. I was once offered a job by a private investigator. 2. I have a license to carry concealed weapon, but never do. I took the course for research purposes. 3. My high school guidance counselor encouraged me to become an actress, but I thought that was too impractical (Of course, there’s nothing practical about being a writer, either, but at least I’m not obligated to look good on a daily basis.) 4. I used to sing at weddings. 5. While I have no intention of ever getting married again, I love watching Say Yes To The Dress 6. I have legitimate knockout power in my right hand, and I’m not afraid to use it. 7. When I’m stressed out, all tech devices around me go haywire. I’ve stopped watches, and fried hard drives. I once killed a television in a store display by merely touching it. I’m better off sticking to life’s simple pleasures–like books!

Social Media Links

Website: https://tamihoag.com/

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

Twitter: https://x.com/tamihoag

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tami-hoag

Feature Post and Book Review: The Boy by Tami Hoag

Book Description

When Detective Nick Fourcade enters the home of Genevieve Gauthier outside the sleepy town of Bayou Breaux, Louisiana, the bloody crime scene that awaits him is both the most brutal and the most confusing he’s ever seen. Genevieve’s seven-year-old son, KJ, has been murdered by an alleged intruder, yet Genevieve is alive and well. Meanwhile, Nick’s wife, Detective Annie Broussard, sits with the grieving Genevieve. A mother herself, Annie understands the devastation this woman is going through, but as a detective she’s troubled: Who would murder a child and leave the only witness behind?

When KJ’s babysitter, twelve-year-old Nora Florette, is reported missing the very next day, the town fears a maniac is preying on their children. With pressure mounting from a tough, no-nonsense new sheriff, the media, and the parents of Bayou Breaux, Nick and Annie dig deep into the dual mysteries. Is someone from Genevieve’s past or present responsible for the death of her son? Is Nora a victim, or something worse? Then everything changes when Genevieve’s past as a convicted criminal comes to light. Could she have killed her own child to free herself from the burden of motherhood, or is the loss of her beloved boy pushing her to the edge of insanity? Could she have something to do with the disappearance of Nora, or is the troubled teen the key to the murder? How far will Nick and Annie have to go to uncover the dark truth of the boy?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32716342-the-boy?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=0rAJN6GV2e&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE BOY (Broussard and Fourcade Book #2) by Tami Hoag is a gritty, dark, and emotionally unsettling crime thriller featuring Sheriff’s Detectives Annie Broussard and Nick Fourcade in the French Triangle Partout Parish of Louisiana. While this is the second book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone thriller.

Detective Nick Fourcade is called to the scene of a bloody home invasion. The mother is hospitalized, and her seven-year-old son, KJ, is dead. Nick finds it confusing that the young child is killed but the mother is still alive. Why did the killer leave a witness? Detective Annie Broussard is with the emotionally traumatized mother at the hospital and is troubled by her story.

As Annie begins to investigate the child’s movement from the previous day, she discovers his thirteen-year-old babysitter is missing. Who is preying on the children of Bayou Breaux?

This is an incredibly twisted tale that at times is difficult to read and yet I could not put it down because it takes off on page one and does not stop. The plot is packed with questions, answers, twists, and secrets and I never figured out how it would end. Annie and Nick are once again opposites in their approach to their jobs and yet balance each other perfectly. All the characters in this story are well developed and realistically flawed, some much more than others. The story does contain depictions of neglect, child abuse, spousal abuse, and sexual exploitation. There are also explicit descriptions of scenes of violent crimes and suicide. I felt these were all handled without exploitation, just realism.

I highly recommend this intense crime thriller!

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About the Author

Social Media Links

Website: https://tamihoag.com/

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

Twitter: https://x.com/tamihoag

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tami-hoag

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Zero Option by Peter Kirsanow

Book Description

November 1943. Stalin is pressing the Allies to open a second front in Europe in order to ease the pressure on the bloody grinding war in the East. Roosevelt and Churchill agree to meet the Soviet premier in Tehran.

Wild Bill Donovan, the charismatic leader of the OSS, has intelligence that someone is planning to assassinate either or both of the Western leaders at the conference. He sends his best agent, Dick Canidy, to thwart the plan, but how can he do that when he doesn’t even know if the killer is a Nazi or an Ally?

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Elise’s Thoughts

W.E.B Griffin Zero Option by Peter Kirsnow bring to life the characters within an exciting thriller. This story has Major Dick Canidy of the US Army racing to stop an assassin from disrupting a vital conference that will shape the course of World War II.Stalin is pressing the Allies to open a second front in Europe to ease the pressure on the bloody grinding war in the East. Roosevelt and Churchill agree to meet the Soviet premier in Tehran. Wild Bill Donovan, the charismatic leader of the OSS, has intelligence that someone is planning to assassinate either or both of the Western leaders at the conference. He sends his best agent, Dick Canidy, to thwart the plan. Unfortunately, there are others also trying to thwart the success of the conference. There is also the danger that an important weapon is being developed and it must be kept out of both the German and Russian hands. Readers will not want to put the book down.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Peter Kirsanow: I wrote two so far. The first one came out last year. I always have been into WWII history. I have read history books about the historical characters of this period. The characters are larger than life with events the most cataclysmicin history. There is a lot of material. In writing about WWII there is an abundance of information even for fiction.

EC: Were there any parameters you had to follow?

PK: I was able to write my own stuff and not necessarily in the style of Griffin. But I had to have the characters consistent with the ones he created. I tried to keep the personalities the way he had created, including speaking in the same manner.

EC: Was it true Russia tried to do an assassination hoax to kill the western leaders?

PK: Historically people think that might be true. If Stalin thought it could prompt the western powers to move up the day for D-DAY. He needed a Western flank to open to relieve pressure on the Eastern front.

EC: How would you describe some of the antagonists?

PK: There are a couple of antagonists, all of whom I made formidable. Major Taras Gromev is one of them. He is a despicable character who can do just about anything. He is strong, determined, and guile. He is pure evil and ambitious. He had no second thoughts of killing friend or foe to achieve his objections. The character I thought is the most fascinating is a historical one, Otto Skorzeny, a German commando. He is like a James Bond on steroids. He was an Olympic athlete, James Bond. In fact, after the war he worked for Mossad. He is hyper-smart, a roguish character. I even wrote in the book how he rescued Mussolini from a prison that was on top of a mountain, heavily guarded by allied troops. He is very efficient, resourceful, and disciplined.

EC: The way Skorzeny rescued Mussolini reminded me of what Hamas did on October 7^th?

PK: Both are evil bad guys, the Germans and Hamas used gliders. I wrote this before October 7^th.

EC: How would you describe the protagonists?

PK: They are talented, innovative, aggressive, diligent, daring, and resourceful. Major Richard Canidy and Lt. Eric Fulmer were quid essential Americans, all-Americans. They were not evil or cunning. They would win by being on the up and up.

EC: What was the role of Dr. Sebastian Kapsky?

PK: He was a carryover from the previous novel. In the first book, The Devil’s Weapons, Canidy and Fulmer rescued him. He had encrypted the notebook so anyone who had it would need him to decipher it. I wanted the reader to think there was something in the notebook that could change the direction of the war and possibly giving the advantage to whoever possessed that information.

EC: Next books?

PK: It will not be a W.E.B. Griffin but one of my own, titled The Black Russian. It is about a defector from Russia, Putin-like most reliable assassin. He comes to the US and offers his services to the CIA. The President wants to use him but no one trusts him. A former Navy SEAL is assigned to be his watchdog. The plot is based on if the protagonists do not prevail the world will come to an end. They are trying to prevent a nuclear Armageddon. The next Griffin book is a question mark if I will write it.

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.

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Madness on the Island by Stewart Giles

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for MADNESS ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #14) by Stewart Giles on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions Blog Tour.

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

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Book Blurb

Midsummer madness has hit the island of Guernsey with a vengeance.

The residents of the peaceful island are behaving irrationally.

It starts with an exclusive dinner party where two lifelong friends are hospitalised following a brutal fight, but things soon spiral out of control.

The first body is found, and Detective Inspector Liam O’Reilly is sent out to investigate.

A man has been maimed beyond recognition. The injuries he has sustained suggest that there is a maniac on the loose.

The killer is soon apprehended, and O’Reilly thinks that will be the end of it.

But when another mutilated corpse is found soon afterwards, O’Reilly realises he’s dealing with something very different to anything he’s come across before.

The killer of the first victim will be the one to shed light on the sudden madness that is spreading around the island, and O’Reilly will find himself in the middle of the most disturbing case of his career.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217143024-madness-on-the-island?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=iQANKQKS9e&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

MADNESS ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #14) by Stewart Giles is another intense, intricately plotted addition to this fantastic series. This can be read as a standalone for the crime mystery plot, but the characters evolve over each new book, and I have enjoyed reading them all in order.

The madness begins at an annual summer dinner party on the island of Guernsey. After the wine is served, the fights begin. Several people were injured and some severely and need hospitalization. Before DI Liam O’Reilly can even begin to sort out what occurred and who is responsible, he is called out over the next two days on four murders that leave the killers claiming a complete loss of memory like the people from the dinner party. The only connection seems to be the brand of wine involved in all the scenes to cause this madness.

Another great addition to the DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries series. I was once again surprised by all the twists and turns this book took. The crime plot kept me turning the pages from beginning to end and I did not figure out the solution until it was presented. Liam is on top of all the nuances of the clues and interrogations as usual. We also get to see his softer side when one of his cats is ill and he spends more time with his new wife. I enjoyed watching the interactions between Liam and his teammates, also. This is always a must-read series for me, and I always finish it in one day and must wait anxiously for the next.

I highly recommend this great addition to the series!

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Author Bio

After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live.

In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later.

3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor: Cornwall series.

The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.

I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results. I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018.

After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor.

The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before.

The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow. I also have another series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey, the Detective Liam O’Reilly series. There are also 3 stand alone novels.

Social Media Links

Website: www.stewartgiles.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stewart.giles.33

Twitter: @stewartgiles

Feature Post and Book Review: The Garbage Man by Candace Irving

Book Description

Former US Army detective Kate Holland spent years hiding from the world—and herself.

Now a small-town cop, the past catches up with Kate when the body of a fellow Army veteran is left along a backcountry road…in meticulously severed pieces.

Four years earlier, Kate spent eleven hours as a prisoner of war in Afghanistan. According to her Silver Star write-up, she singlehandedly took down eleven terrorists to avoid staying longer.

But Kate has no memory of the deaths, or the events that led up to them. And now, bizarre clues are cropping up in and around that crime scene—and others. Clues that appear to connect to that fateful day. Is the killer trying to tell her something?

Or is Kate finally losing her grip on reality?

As the body count rises, Kate must confront the reason she bolted from the Army—before she becomes the killer’s next victim.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/194927746-the-garbage-man?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=VuZVoNLjXg&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE GARBAGE MAN (A Hidden Valor Military Veteran/K-9 Mystery Book #1) by Candace Irving is an intense, gritty, emotional roller coaster mash-up of mystery, suspense, and thriller genres featuring a female small-town deputy on the hunt for a serial killer. I could not put this book down, but be warned, this is a book featuring a serial killer and it contains graphic violence.

Former US Army CID investigator Kate Holland saw several tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan seeing some of the worse violence man does to man. On her last trip outside of the wire, her group was captured and Kate spent eleven hours at the hands of terrorists. She escaped but has been suppressing the memory of what happened.

Now a small-town deputy in her hometown, Kate and her German Shepard, Ruger are trying to just get through each day until she is called to the horrific crime scene left by the road. The clues have ties to fellow vets and begin to make Kate believe this is tied to her captivity overseas, but is it true or is she losing her grip on reality?

With each new victim, Kate is forced to face her suppressed past and worry that she may be the next veteran to die.

This is one of those books that pulls you in and keeps you turning the pages. The plot comes at you from many different directions, but all the threads come together to a brilliant climax with PTSD, trauma, and revenge all interwoven throughout. Kate is a complex protagonist. She is strong on many levels, but also vulnerable. She is put through difficult situations, personally and professionally, throughout this story. Ruger is a wonderful sidekick, protector, and emotional support for Kate. This book has everything I look for in a gritty, intricately plotted genre mash-up with a memorable protagonist, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I highly recommend this mystery/suspense/thriller mash-up!

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About the Author

A former US Navy Lt., Candace Irving is the daughter of a librarian and a retired boatswain’s mate chief. Candace grew up in the Philippines, Germany, and all over the United States. Her senior year of high school, she enlisted in the US Army. Following basic training, she transferred to the Navy’s ROTC program at the University of Texas-Austin. While at UT, she spent a summer in Washington, DC, as a Congressional Intern. She also worked security for the UT Police. BA in Political Science in hand, Candace was commissioned as an ensign in the US Navy and sent to Surface Warfare Officer’s School to learn to drive warships. From there, she followed her father to sea.

Candace Irving writes gritty military thrillers. She is the author of the Deception Point Military Detective Thriller Series and the Hidden Valor Military Veterans/K9 Psychological Suspense Series. She also writes military romance and romantic suspense as Candace Irvin (without the “g”).

Social Media Links

Website: https://candaceirving.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/candace_irving

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-garbage-man-a-hidden-valor-military-veteran-k-9-suspense-1-by-candace-irving

Feature Post and Book Review: The Forest of Lost Souls by Dean Koontz

Book Description

Raised in the wilderness by her late great-uncle, Vida is a young woman with an almost preternatural affinity for nature, especially for the wolves that also call the forested mountains home. Formed by hard experience, by love and loss, and by the prophecies of a fortuneteller, Vida just wants peace. If only nearby Kettleton County didn’t cast such a dark shadow.

It’s where José Nochelobo, the love of Vida’s life and a cherished local hero, died in a tragic accident. That’s the official story, but Vida has reasons to doubt it. The truth can’t be contained for long. Nor can the hungry men of power in Kettleton who want something too: that Vida, like José, disappear forever. One by one they come for her, prepared to do anything to see their plans through to their evil end. Vida is no less prepared for them.

Vida, the forest, and its formidable wonders are waiting. She will not rest until goodness and order have been restored.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199396945-the-forest-of-lost-souls?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=J6mAT69dnB&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE FOREST OF LOST SOULS by Dean Koontz is a slow burn suspense/thriller featuring a battle between a female champion of the natural world, an oligarch who only loves money, and a cast of characters and animals both spiritual, paranormal, and very human.

Vida has always had an otherworldly connection to the natural world. When a fortune teller comes to Kettleton County, Vida is drawn to her. The prophecies she receives impact and prepare her for a future full of danger and loss, but also love and peace if she survives.

This story has many of Mr. Koontz’s recurring tropes and yet he always finds a new way to pull me in and emotionally connect me to the main protagonist. Vida is a strong young the woman connected her entire life to the natural world, both spiritually and with a shade of the paranormal. Her special gifts are recognized by the fortune teller and are used to protect the world she loves. There are mysterious wolves, an albino mountain lion, a war veteran with search and rescue dogs, and a Native American couple who all help Vida against the invasion of an oligarch and his minions who plan to destroy her beloved mountains.

The writing is full of evocative language not usually found in genre style suspense/thriller novels which had me more involved with the story’s themes rather than just rushing to the crime plot climax, but I was disappointed that after so much imagery and intrigue, the climax seemed a bit rushed.

Overall, Vida is a memorable protagonist, and this story is worth the read.

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About the Author

When he was a senior in college, Dean Koontz won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition and has been writing ever since. His books are published in 38 languages and he has sold over 500 million copies to date.

Fourteen of his novels have risen to number one on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list (One Door Away From Heaven, From the Corner of His Eye, Midnight, Cold Fire, The Bad Place, Hideaway, Dragon Tears, Intensity, Sole Survivor, The Husband, Odd Hours, Relentless, What the Night Knows, and 77 Shadow Street), making him one of only a dozen writers ever to have achieved that milestone. Sixteen of his books have risen to the number one position in paperback. His books have also been major bestsellers in countries as diverse as Japan and Sweden.

Dean Koontz was born and raised in Pennsylvania. He graduated from Shippensburg State College (now Shippensburg University), and his first job after graduation was with the Appalachian Poverty Program, where he was expected to counsel and tutor underprivileged children on a one-to-one basis. His first day on the job, he discovered that the previous occupier of his position had been beaten up by the very kids he had been trying to help and had landed in the hospital for several weeks. The following year was filled with challenge but also tension, and Koontz was more highly motivated than ever to build a career as a writer. He wrote nights and weekends, which he continued to do after leaving the poverty program and going to work as an English teacher in a suburban school district outside Harrisburg. After a year and a half in that position, his wife, Gerda, made him an offer he couldn’t refuse: “I’ll support you for five years,” she said, “and if you can’t make it as a writer in that time, you’ll never make it.” By the end of those five years, Gerda had quit her job to run the business end of her husband’s writing career.

Dean Koontz lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.deankoontz.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/deankoontz

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-forest-of-lost-souls-by-dean-koontz