Category: Suspense/Thriller

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Illusion of Truth by James L’Etoile

ILLUSION OF TRUTH

by James L’Etoile

January 5 – 30, 2026

Virtual Book Tour

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for ILLUSION OF TRUTH (A Detective Emily Hunter Mystery Book #3) by James L’Etoile on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.

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 Partners In Crime hosted giveaway. Enjoy!

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Book Description

A Detective Emily Hunter Mystery

Illusion of Truth takes Emily by the throat when her cop boyfriend, Brian Conner, responds to a disturbance only to be lured into a church bombing. Seriously wounded, Emily worries if he survives, will he be the man she knew? One-by-one, other officers linked to a crime years earlier are targeted. Was it covered up? Was Brian part of it? Emily discovers truth depends on who’s left to tell the story.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/231796293-illusion-of-truth?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=JbS7Zl54J3&rank=2

Illusion of Truth

Genre: Police Procedural with a Thriller Edge
Published by: Oceanview Publishing
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
Number of Pages: 366
ISBN: 978-1608096497 (1608096491)
Series: A Detective Emily Hunter Mystery, #3

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

ILLUSION OF TRUTH (A Detective Emily Hunter Mystery Book #3) by James L’Etoile is another suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat police procedural/crime thriller/mystery mash-up featuring Sacramento Detective Emily Hunter. I anxiously wait for each new book from Mr. L’Etoile in this series and the Detective Nathan Parker series. He has become one of my favorite writers in this genre with his fully developed memorable main characters and intricately twisted crime plots. While each crime plot/mystery is complete in each book, the characters and their relationships continue to evolve, and I feel the series are best read in order of publication.

Detective Emily Hunter receives a call that her fellow police officer and boyfriend, Sgt. Brian Conner, is in the hospital after being caught in a bomb blast with fellow officers on a fake call for assistance. As Emily and her partner, Det. Javier “Javi” Medina begin their investigation, the bombings continue to injure other officers and then finally the bomber murders a target. They discover all the officers were targeted due to a shared incident in their past.

Trying to pull all the threads from the past together in this investigation is not easy, while also dealing with Brian’s PTSD and TBI, and her mother’s continued mental decline due to Alzheimer’s. Will Emily be able to discover how the past is influencing the bombings of today and bring the killer to justice?

I find I need to set aside a block of time for these books because I cannot put them down. The books pull you in with Emily’s personal trials and her sometimes full hardy, but always genius ways of solving crimes and bringing the guilty to justice. While I follow every twist and turn of the investigation, I am always surprised by a last-minute twist in each plot that shocks me. You may think you know the resolution, but there is always more.

I highly recommend this addition to the Det. Emily Hunter series and cannot wait for more.

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Excerpt

Chapter One

“All available units, report of a large crowd and 459s in progress at the corner of Rio Linda and South Ave.,” the dispatcher’s voice called out over the radio.

Sergeant Brian Conner clicked the microphone in his patrol unit. “1-Sam-12 responding.”

“Hey, Tommy, isn’t there a church on South Ave.?” Conner asked.

Tommy Robinson, a Black rookie officer assigned to Patrol District 1 in North Sacramento, turned in the passenger seat, checking for cross-traffic at the intersection. “Yeah. It’s one of those pop-up, God-in-a-box churches. You know—no denomination, takes all comers.”

“Why would a church be a target for looting at midnight?”

“It’s right on the edge of Tru Heights Bloods territory. Could be gangbangers after the food pantry and the donations the church’s brought in.”

“Tommy, let me ask you something. You’ve been married a while, so you’ve got this whole relationship thing down. When Emily says she isn’t ready to move in together, what does that mean?”

“Um, Sarge, you think I’m the one to answer that? Shouldn’t Emily—I mean Detective Hunter—tell you why?”

“I mean, sure, but I thought everything was going great—and then, she’s not ready. You ever have anything like that?”

“No. But then my Baptist momma would’ve slapped me into tomorrow if I thought about living in sin.”

“That’s not helpful, Tommy.”

Conner shot north on Rio Linda. The flashing blue lights from other patrol units ahead marked the location. As Conner pulled into the church parking lot, he expected a crowd spilling out of the church and into nearby businesses. There had been a rash of daylight attacks on retail establishments in the city, where mobs of thieves grabbed armfuls of whatever they could carry. Hitting a church in the middle of the night was a new direction.

“Where are they? The looters?” Tommy said.

Conner parked near the church entrance, ahead of another Sacramento Police Department SUV, and stepped from his vehicle. He couldn’t spot a single person near the church, except for the six police officers who had responded to the call.

“Dispatch, 1-Sam-12, have a callback number on the RP? Looks like a false alarm.”

“Negative, 1-Sam-12. Caller didn’t give their name.”

An officer rounded the corner of the church building and approached Conner. “Nobody’s here, Sarge. What gives?”

The hairs on the back of Conner’s neck pricked up. He swiveled around and surveyed the darkened windows on the street opposite. They were lured here.

“Got movement across the street—second floor, left side,” an officer called out. His brass nameplate read Tucker.

Conner spotted the window and the flare of a cigarette. Someone watching the police respond to this snipe hunt?

“We see any evidence of a break-in? Broken windows, open doors, anything?”

“Nada. Simmons and I walked the perimeter. No sign of entry. No sign of anything,” Tucker said.

“Someone wanted all the units in District 1 to respond. A report of a large crowd breaking into businesses would draw us out here.”

“They needed a diversion so they could pull off whatever they were into somewhere else,” Tucker said.

“Maybe. I haven’t heard anything new from dispatch. Why would we get a callout to the edge of Tru Heights territory?”

“Westgate Crips are on the other side of the freeway. I could see them making a false report to push us to roust a couple of their rivals.”

“Well, nothing going on here. Why don’t you and your partner hit the road. Let dispatch know this was a dry hole,” Conner said.

“Got it, Sarge. You need Parker and Cortez in the other unit? They’re watching the back of the church.”

“Nah, send them on their way, would you?”

“You got it.”

“Thanks, Tucker. Be careful out there. I’ve got an uneasy feeling about someone sending us here.”

“I hear you.”

Conner started back to his SUV, paused, and turned. “Hey, Tucker, anyone check the front door lock?”

“Yeah, I shook it. Locked up tight.”

Tucker and his partner got into their SUV, shut off the lights, and backed out of the church parking lot.

Tommy Robinson wandered to the front entrance and peered through the smoked glass doors. “Place is empty. Nothing going on—hey, what’s up with this?”

A metal donation bin sat to the right of the front door. Gang graffiti adorned the side of the four-foot-tall, repainted mailbox.

Conner caught the glint from a thin wire attached to the donation box door. On the concrete below, a cut padlock lay in the shadow.

Tommy reached for the bin.

“Tommy! Wait!”

Conner ran to the young officer as he tugged on the lid.

“Stop,” Conner said.

Tommy was focused on the unlocked donation bin and didn’t hear Conner.

Conner shoved Tommy as a click echoed in the entry vestibule. A microsecond later, a fireball erupted from the donation bin.

A pressure wave of heat and metal shards exploded. Conner caught the blast in the back as he pushed Tommy away. The force of the explosion picked Conner off his feet and threw him into the brick wall opposite the donation bin.

Conner couldn’t hear anything through the ringing in his ears, and his vision was a blurred kaleidoscope of flames and smoke. From where he fell, he could see the parking lot and the window across the street. The glowing ember from the cigarette was gone, but he swore he spotted a flashing red strobe.

Another explosion sounded to his right. A flash of orange shot from the parking lot. Conner squinted through his warped vision and saw a police SUV on fire. Tucker and his partner, Simmons. He couldn’t see them anywhere.

He tried reaching for his shoulder-mounted radio microphone and his arm wouldn’t move. A quick glance down and Conner saw his broken arm pointing in the wrong direction.

“Tommy. Tommy, you okay?”

Conner couldn’t hear anything but the high-pitched ringing in his ears.

He wasn’t even supposed to be working tonight. Conner swapped the shift with a buddy so his friend could go spend some time with his kids.

Conner felt cold, and a heavy blanket of exhaustion fell over him. Emily. He wanted to tell Emily how much he loved her one more time. She’d wanted to take it slow, but now he felt regret. He should’ve told her how he felt when he had the chance.

The sirens in the distance pierced through his muffled hearing. They would not be in time.

“Emily” . . .

***

Author Bio

James L’Etoile uses his twenty-nine years behind bars as an influence in his award-winning novels, short stories, and screenplays. He is a former associate warden in a maximum-security prison, a hostage negotiator, and director of California’s state parole system. His novels have been shortlisted or awarded the Lefty, Anthony, Silver Falchion, and the Public Safety Writers Award. River of Lies, Served Cold, and Sins of the Father are his most recent novels. Look for Illusion of Truth coming soon.

Social Media Links

Website: https://jamesletoile.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/james.letoile

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

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jamesletoile.bsky.social

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/illusion-of-truth-a-detective-emily-hunter-mystery-book-3-by-james-l-etoile

Purchase Links

PARTNERS IN CRIME HOSTED GIVEAWAY

https://pictbooks.tours/KkRVvqpM

Feature Post and Book Review: Last Dog Out by Candace Irving

Book Description

Kate Holland has a new mission. As a special investigator for the governor’s office, she takes on Arkansas’ toughest cases—especially those involving veterans. At her side is Ruger, now her fully trained K-9 partner.

Their first case begins with a mutilated body and a stolen identity. The victim wasn’t who he claimed to be—and he was still actively serving his country when he died. As Kate digs deeper, other bodies surface…and the truth emerges: a warrior is missing.

Working the case puts Kate and Arash on dangerous ground—professionally and personally. The closer they get to the truth, the tighter the noose around them. Kate will risk everything to bring the missing soldier home. The only question is, who will make it out alive?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217236725-last-dog-out?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=JuJlJ2v0Gf&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

LAST DOG OUT (A Kate Holland/Hidden Valor K-9 Mystery Thriller Book #4) by Candace Irving is another gritty and intense police procedural/crime thriller addition to this outstanding action-packed series with a female veteran protagonist and her dog that you cannot forget even after the conclusion of each book. This is a series that I feel is best read in order due to the protagonist’s personal journey through PTSD, emotional trauma, and healing. Please note: this book does discuss PTSD, suicide, and depicts a dog fight.

Kate Holland and her newly promoted K-9 partner, Ruger are barely situated in their new jobs as Special Investigators for the Arkansas governor’s office, when she receives a call to investigate a mutilated body found in a ditch that is presumed to be a Marine veteran. As Kate begins to search for answers, the identity of the man from his wallet begins to fall apart.

Kate and her law enforcement friends must deal with politics, military secrets, and a secretive circle of powerful men and corrupt law enforcement involved in dog fighting, illegal arms, and prostitution. She discovers beside unraveling this web of death, money, and power, she is also looking for a stolen retired CAD (Canine Assault Dog). Can she find the killer, bring justice to the dead soldier, and find the CAD still alive?

It is no secret that I love this series and this book did not disappoint! Kate’s journey with PTSD has come a long way since book one and it continues here. The bond between Kate and Ruger is strong and beautiful. I love reading about his instinctive protective reactions towards Kate. Ruger’s climatic scene in this book had me holding my breath on the edge-of-my-seat. Kate’s relationship with Arash is believably written and I am looking forward to following it into future books. All the recurring secondary characters are realistically written and well developed. The police procedural/crime thriller plot was well written and fast paced with many twists and surprises throughout. This plot does go into dark criminal activity and animal abuse, but I never felt it was gratuitous.

I highly recommend this addition to the Kate Holland/Hidden Valor K-9 Mystery Thriller series!

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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

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/last-dog-out-a-kate-holland-suspense-a-hidden-valor-military-veteran-k-9-suspense-book-4-by-candace-irving

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Strangers in the Car by C.M. Ewan

Book Description

Late at night…

Abi and Ben are driving home down foggy country roads, arguing about having had to cut short their weekend away when they take a wrong turn. Abi’s driving, but her eyes leave the road for a moment as she says something to Ben – just as he gasps. A man is in front of the car, waving a torch. Abi swerves to avoid him.

You see a family stranded…

Ben tells her they should stop and go back, but Abi refuses. It’s dark, the roads are isolated and they don’t know this stranger. But, as Abi continues on, they see a broken-down car. Every instinct is still telling Abi to drive by, but then she notices the woman holding a car seat with a baby in it.

Would you stop?

For a moment, Abi hesitates, but they can’t leave a mother and baby on the side of the road. Agreeing to give the family a lift, they set off again. But now these strangers are inside their car and it might be the worst mistake they have ever made…

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228646255-strangers-in-the-car?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=2Hrt3LXQo1&rank=1

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Elise’s Thoughts

Strangers in the Car by C. M. Ewan will take readers on a roller coaster ride.

The plot has Abi Foster and her boyfriend Ben Simmons driving home, having cut their weekend vacation in Cornwall short due to a crisis at Ben’s law firm. They are arguing about cutting the weekend short when Abi misses a turn in the foggy country roads.  They spot a stranded family with a young baby whose car has stalled.  They learn the father is Paul, the mother is Samantha, and the baby is Lila.  They offer the family a ride to Bristol but offering them a ride takes Abi and Ben down a treacherous road. It seems Paul has a lot of gambling debts and is trying to avoid the bad guys. At this point the story is told from three different perspectives with dual timelines. The author weaves in flashbacks from Samantha and Paul’s events from prior in the day.

This is a story where readers will think of the idiom, no good deed goes unpunished. The story is intense from beginning to end and people will be on the edge of their seats.

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Author Interview

EC: How would describe Abi’s boyfriend, Ben?

CME: He insists on doing the right thing. He is responsible, law-abiding, a  middle of the road guy. He is also innately selfish.  Ben is tested throughout the story where he wakes up to realize Abi’s priorities must be his priorities. He was a complacent character living in his own world inoculating himself from the trauma Abi has been going through. This entire situation forces him to grow up, mature, and confront these things.

EC: Why write the timelines in the style of going backwards when the time is given and the current situation when there is no time?

CME: The Abi and Ben’s story is the essence of the plot and is played out in real time fashion. The excerpts with the time are from earlier in the day until the car breaks down. In the book there is a point where both timelines come together. It did not occur to me to put time markers in the main thread, which is what is happening now. The Abi and Ben timeline is a real compressed timeframe, while the hitchhikers backstory of Samantha and Paul is spread over many more hours during the day.

EC: How would you describe one of the hitchhikers, Samantha?

CME:  She was an accessory to the crime of what Paul was doing and complacent. She is Paul’s wife who is troubled.  She is a cowed wife to Paul who is a very dominant figure. She is a mystery.

EC: What about Paul?

CME: He is mean, complicit, jealous of Samantha’s family’s money, frustrated, terrorizing, violent, unstable, dangerous, antsy, unpredictable, and frustrated. He was a bully and not that smart. He is very self-serving.

EC: How would you describe the bad person, Collette?

CME: She is a psychopath, ruthless, uncaring, money hungry, violent, a planner who is deceitful, a liar, dangerous, and evil. She is an expert criminal.

EC: What was the role of baby Lila?

CME: She is a baby to be protected.  Lila is the reason Abi does everything she does because she wants to protect all children. This is also true of Samantha. The theme of most of my books is how far would someone go to protect those they love, especially children. Lila is needed for everything to make sense and is the driver for Abi to become the heroine she does not know that she is.

EC: Next book?

CME: It is titled Eye Spy. It is a contained thriller set on the Eurostar high speed train from Paris to London. A father travels home to his wife with his four-year-old daughter and his teenage stepdaughter. His younger daughter says she spied a bad man on the train with the family.  It will be out in March 2026 on Amazon.

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.

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

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for SICKNESS ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #16) by Stewart Giles on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions Blog Tour.

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

When over a dozen people succumb to a sudden sickness on the island, and most of them don’t pull through, Detective Inspector Liam O’Reilly is instantly suspicious.

It doesn’t take long to get to the source of the sudden deaths of so many unconnected victims.

But when the truth about why so many innocent islanders had to perish becomes apparent, O’Reilly finds himself in a predicament, the likes of which he could never have imagined.

The sickness on the Island has its roots in something much deeper, and when O’Reilly finally works out the real reason for the sudden deaths of so many islanders, it’s going to make him question his decision to move to the Island in the first place.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/241793341-sickness-on-the-island?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=pgj44ei3kf&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

SICKNESS ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #16) by Stewart Giles is a twisted mystery/crime thriller/police procedural that was impossible to put down. I have loved this series since book one and even after fifteen more, the main characters still pull me effortlessly into their world and Mr. Giles has me continually guessing about the crime plot suspects and motives as he untangles everything through O’Reilly and his team. I have read all these books in order and while each crime is solved within each book and can standalone, all the characters’ lives have developed and grown over time and story.

DI Liam O’Reilly is having his birthday dinner with family at his favorite island restaurant when a man at the next table falls to the floor dead. The next morning, he discovers there were several other people with the sudden sickness and most died. O’Reilly and his team can find no connection between the dead. O’Reilly is called into CO Johnson’s office and finds himself entwined in a web of lies tied to an old case.

O’Reilly and his team are led in many directions with questions not only involving an old case, but also corruption within their own police department. Then there is a demand for a huge ransom or more islanders will end up dead. Can O’Reilly unravel all the secrets and discover the killer before more islanders die?

This was a nailbiter with so much on the line in a short period of time. Mr. Giles never makes it easy on O’Reilly or the reader. You can always count on O’Reilly to find the solution with help of his team by thinking outside of the box or finding that one elusive clue. He has no care for his own career, but a strong sense of moral justice that he always follows. I love all the characters, and the dialogue is realistic and brings them all to life.

I highly recommend this edge-of-your-seat mystery/crime thriller/police procedural. I also recommend all the other books in the series. They are all well worth the read.

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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

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Killer Tracks by Mary Keliikoa

KILLER TRACKS

by Mary Keliikoa



October 27 – December 12, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review of KILLER TRACKS by Mary Keliikoa on this Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour.

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

***

Book Description

A Misty Pines Mystery

A peaceful retreat. A maze of smoke and murder. Is their remote getaway about to become a death trap?

Sheriff Jax Turner is worried about going off-grid and leaving his young team of deputies behind. But while his getaway with his ex is meant to help them reconnect, Jax is distracted by signs of a break-in at their rented lookout.

After a string of unsettling events and an approaching wildfire turn their isolated retreat into a danger zone, he’s stunned to find a dead body with marks tying it to a killer he put away a decade ago.

Terrified that his attempt at reconciliation has led them both into a fatal setup, Jax rushes back to his estranged wife before she joins the list of victims. But his dedication to serving and protecting could become an Achilles heel as other players join them among the darkening trees.

Can he fight his way out of the woods before the flames of revenge consume everything?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240210865-killer-tracks?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=1pQAS3qDVv&rank=1

Killer Tracks

Genre:  Police Procedural; Detective and Mystery; Crime Fiction; Suspense
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: September 30, 2025
Number of Pages: 319
ISBN: 979-8-89820-033-6 (pb)

***

My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

KILLER TRACKS (Misty Pines Mystery Book #3) by Mary Keliikoa is an intense genre mash-up of mystery/crime thriller/police procedural that kept me turning the pages. This is the third book in this series and like most books of this type, the mystery/crime plot is complete and resolved in each book, but the characters’ relationships continue to evolve, and I feel the series is best read in order.

Sheriff Jax Turner has agreed to spend a week away with his FBI agent ex-wife, Abby, to work on their relationship. When they arrive at the remote cabin, they notice things that has Jax’s cop radar on alert. They discover a lone female camper who is hiding something and deal with the sabotage of their vehicle. Jax discovers a dead park ranger and now is desperate to get Abby safely off the mountain as they are chased by not only a killer, but a wildfire.

Meanwhile in Misty Pines, Deputy Rachel Killian is in charge and dealing with an apartment explosion and a dead tenant found in another apartment. As she inspects the body with the new medical examiner, the body has an “X” carved into his chest and the medical examiner realizes this signature is reminiscent of an old serial killer case. Rachel is also dealing with her cold case detective father showing up in Misty Pines unannounced. The more they investigate, they begin to fear for Jax and Abby.

This is a very good story that weaves two crime plots together that come from two different directions and ends with an explosive resolution. There were plenty of twists and surprises and towards the end the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. While Jax and Abby are both interesting, flawed characters, sometimes I find Abby not sympathetic, but a bit annoying, but not enough to stop reading the series. I find Misty Pines an interesting town and as I get to know more of the secondary characters, it gets even more interesting.

I really enjoyed this gripping crime thriller/mystery, and I am looking forward to more books in the Misty Pines series.

***

Excerpt

PROLOGUE

Click. Slide. Clang.

If he never heard that sound again, it’d be far too soon. That, and the sleepless nights under a thread-bare wool blanket that chafed his exposed skin, the looming threat of death… in the yard, the shower, the halls to and from the cafeteria or his cell. 

Death and desperation seeped from the pores of this godforsaken place. So thick he could almost taste it. No amount of soap, no amount of ritual, would rid him of the stench that clung to him—though he’d be willing to try.

It was over now. Dying among these second-class men would not be his fate. A man of his intellect, a man far superior to the minions around him, deserved better than what he’d endured these past years. 

He’d eagerly reeducate those who believed otherwise. They’d all see it by the time he was through with them, just like those that came before. 

Click. Slide. Clang.

A voice echoed off the concrete walls.

“Inmate 22-A-4242. Gather your crap. Time to go.”

He stood, hands to his sides.  

“Ready to face the world?” 

He remained silent. None would get the satisfaction of his acknowledgement.

The voice continued. “They gave you a goddamn Hail Mary. Bleeding heart liberals anyway. Don’t screw it up.”

He bowed his head to obscure his smirk.

“Right. I know your type. You’re innocent.” The guard continued rambling. “That’s what all you convicts say. ‘I didn’t do it.’ ‘I was framed.’ ‘It’s unconstitutional.’” The guard’s voice dropped to a growl, prickling his skin. “Tell that to the victims and their families. I’d reckon less than one percent of you bastards got a legit claim.”

The guard had forgotten betrayed, of which he surely had been. But he shrugged, not to agree, but to stave off the urge to wrap his hands around the guard’s throat. So close to freedom…

Whether he was innocent or not had no bearing; it had not been among the criteria for the help he’d received. Being wrongfully convicted qualified. According to the junior team that had embraced his cause when he’d written the letter, they agreed that’s what had happened in his case. Even if it took them ten years, he loved a system that allowed more loopholes than the cable-knit sweater Mother had dressed him in for school.

“Sell it to someone else, you psycho,” the guard snapped. “Bet you money. We’ll see you again real soon.”

A jagged smile crossed his face. The guard had part of it correct—but he’d never be back here. Next time, he’d be less gullible. 

And he intended to snuff out anything that could hurt him, like the light of every other woman who hadn’t seen his worth. 

Chapter One

Some days, it didn’t pay to get out of bed. 

Sheriff Jax Turner had experienced more than his fair share of those mornings in the past six years. First, when his daughter Lulu died from leukemia. Then, when his marriage dissolved—more like shattered into a million pieces. Followed by a couple of cases that had tested his limits of trust. They’d destroyed some, too.

Today was different. 

Abby Kanekoa, his ex-wife with whom he’d shared the gutting grief of those past years, had offered hope for reconciliation—the chance to glue a few of those pieces back together. It would never be the same without their little girl… but perhaps they could create something new. 

Leaving for the mountains just after Labor Day was less than ideal. Though with the tourist season coming to an end in Misty Pines, and Abby due a vacation at the Bureau, it was the best time. Deputy Rachel Killian, his new hire and right hand, was turning out to be as capable as he’d hoped. Applicants for filling the gaps at their station had been sparse. Few, it seemed, wanted to work these days—or work at the often cool and foggy Oregon coast. He’d at least been able to get most of his young crew on full-time payroll, so Rachel had help.

Bottom line, getting away was Abby’s idea. He would not tell her no.

Now to get through the pep talk with the team. The two major events of the past year had allowed them to punch a few notches into their experience belt, but wisdom and reliance on gut instinct were born with time. Leaving them to run Misty Pines without his guidance had his muscles taut. 

He entered the sheriff’s office with his duffle flung over his shoulder.

“Oh hon, don’t tell me that’s all you’re taking for the week?” Trudy said. Jax’s long-time secretary, and overall, Team Mother to him and his ragtag group of deputies, lifted the headset off her ears. 

He suppressed a smile. “Glad to see your accident hasn’t made you any less opinionated.” 

Eight months had passed since the event that had nearly stolen her from him and the team. A warm and fuzzy Trudy would be hard to get used to—he was grateful he didn’t have to learn.

Trudy rested the headset around her neck. “Looks like Abby hasn’t given you any clue about where you’re going.”

“Other than the mountains, not much. I’ve tossed a few essentials in my truck.”

“Like?”

“A good book and a board game.” He smiled. “A couple of bottles of wine.”

She arched her brow.

“What? I’m assuming she’s arranged for us to be at some luxury resort.”

“You think so?”

“Abby likes her massages, saunas, breakfast in bed.” Not to mention time basking on the deck with a steaming cup of coffee. For being a tough no-nonsense woman, and a hell of an FBI agent, she liked the finer things—and she’d earned every damn one of them.

“And what do you like?” Trudy asked.

He chuckled. Not much of what he’d just mentioned. “Roughing it.”

“Hmmm…and she arranged this for the two of you to reconnect?”

His smile faded; he dropped the bag at his feet. “Are we camping?”

Trudy laughed and shook her head. “When it comes to women, you do take a minute to catch up. Might I suggest a few more items?”

“Like a tent?” He’d have to dig it out of his garage, which wouldn’t take long.

“No. But a communication device might come in handy.”

“Abby said something about our phones being off for the week.” He shifted on his feet. “Are you saying we’re headed somewhere with no service?” 

She returned to her desk in response.

Of course they were. Several interruptions to his and Abby’s conversations had come from the station over the past months. Too often, when they’d just settled into talk or were on the edge of a sensitive topic. Tourist season was like that every year with the random fender bender, a too-loud party on the beach, a drunken brawl at the pub. Some infraction demanding his attention.

Added to that, Brody had slid his motorcycle on wet pavement and nearly dislocated his shoulder in the spring. Garrett had a few interviews in Portland, one in Seattle. Matt was called in to stock shelves by his boss at the IGA grocery store when they were short staffed, which had become more consistent.

Time with Abby had been the price, although the last time they’d carved out a night together still brought a smile to his face. Maybe this trip signaled her intention of wanting more quality togetherness. That thought alone made having limited phone access worth it regardless of where they went, even as the uneasiness of being out of contact with his crew niggled at him.

He flung the bag back over his shoulder and headed to his office. 

The click of claws on the linoleum sounded behind him. 

“Boss.” Rachel and Koa, her black lab, came out of the kitchen. “You all set?”

“Almost. Picking Abby up soon for what appears might be a wilderness retreat.”

Rachel laughed. “Don’t look so concerned.”

“I’m not.”

“Uh-huh. That’s why you have a crease between your eyebrows.”

He rubbed the spot. “Guess I’m not fond of surprises.”

“Never have been myself, but I have a feeling you’ll have fun.”

“According to Trudy, I will. Hope Abby does.” It was sweet she’d chosen a place that appealed to him—more imperative if she enjoyed herself. She’d never been one to sleep on the ground. 

“Believe me, she did good.” 

“Take it you know where we’re headed?” 

“Not precisely.” 

“How about a hint of what you do know, so I’m better prepared?” Having spent far too much time in the dark, he preferred to be ahead of things these days.

She did a zipping motion in front of her mouth. “I get that it’ll be difficult for you, but try not to worry. The men and I have everything covered.”

He nodded. Letting go of the wheel would never be easy, and in law enforcement things could change quickly. But Rachel was solid, and he trusted her… despite his former partner Jameson not agreeing with him hiring his only daughter. Jax had made the right call; he stood by it. There should be no hesitation about him and Abby taking a week for themselves.

“You’ll get a hold of me if there’s a problem?” he said.

“You won’t have any way…”

“I’m taking the satellite phone.”

Rachel folded her arms over her chest. “Suppose that’s smart after the last trek in the wilderness…”

“Exactly my thought.”

Rachel pursed her lips, likely recalling that day when radio silence had left her and the team wrought with worry as they waited for word on whether Jax and Abby were alive. But Abby should understand his decision, if it came up. Probably better it didn’t. 

“Let’s do a briefing before I head out,” he said.

Rachel winked. “The men are waiting for you in the strategy room.” 

He chuckled. That’s why there’d been no sign of them when he’d arrived. 

In his office, he set his duffle bag on a chair, and retrieved the satellite phone, burying it near the bottom in a T-shirt. Once he checked his email for the tenth time and cleared his desk, he started toward the meeting room, until he heard voices in the reception area.

Trudy was holding open the station’s door. The men were grabbing their gear about to file out, Rachel and Koa behind them. 

“What’d I miss?” Jax said. 

Koa turned at the sound of his voice, trotting to his side. Jax squatted next to her, draping his arm gently over her back. 

“Nothing to worry about, boss,” Rachel said. 

“Just a routine traffic revision, chief,” Brody said. “We’ve got it.” He’d gelled down his wispy brown hair today, making him look young. Too young.

“I’ve got forty minutes before…” 

“Oh no you don’t, Jax Turner,” Trudy said. “It’s a half-hour drive to Abby, and you will not be late.”

“I—”

“We’ve got it, Sheriff,” Rachel said, calling Koa to her. Koa didn’t budge.

“Koa’s siding with me on this,” he said. 

Rachel lifted a brow at her black lab, who promptly returned to her side. 

Fine. Jax stood. He’d wanted a team he could rely on, and he had one. So why did he feel left out? “Who’s in need of traffic revision anyway?”

“Fire department,” Trudy said.

“There’s an apartment complex on fire at the edge of town,” Rachel said.

Battalion Chief Mike O’Brien rarely requested assistance. With the remaining tourists eking out the last of their holiday weekend there could be a traffic log, he supposed. 

“I’ll go with you,” Jax said.

Rachel held up her hands in a stop gesture. “Please. Get out of here and have a good time.”

Before he could protest, Rachel was out the door and Trudy shut it behind them. Through the glass, Jax watched his team slide into two of the patrol cars. 

“You heard your deputy, hon. Get your stuff and head to Abby’s. And don’t come back until you and that saint of a woman have worked everything out.”

Trudy was right. He needed to check his ego. Misty Pines could handle a week without him.

A call came through Trudy’s headset which she tapped to answer. She settled behind her desk as he grabbed his bag, her voice fading as he walked outside.

“Yes, Mrs. Harper. Just a small fire. Nothing to worry about.”

***

Author Bio

Eighteen years in the legal field, and an over-active imagination, led Mary Keliikoa to plot murder—novels that is. She is the author of the domestic thriller DON’T ASK, DON’T FOLLOW, the newly released KILLER TRACKS, the third book in the Misty Pines mystery series which is an IPPY Silver and Bronze Award winner, Silver Falchion finalist, and a Foreword Indies award finalist, and the Shamus and CLUE Finalist, and Lefty, Agatha and Anthony nominated “PI Kelly Pruett” mystery series. Her short stories have appeared in Woman’s World and the anthology Peace, Love and Crime.

Social Media Links

MaryKeliikoa.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub – @Mary_Keliikoa
Instagram – @mary.keliikoa.author
Threads – @mary.keliikoa.author
Facebook – @Mary.Keliikoa.Author

Purchase Links

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PROMOAMP GIVEAWAY

https://www.promoamp.com/c/killer-tracks-by-mary-keliikoa

Friday Feature Author Interviews #1 with Elise Cooper: The Adversary and Tom Clancy Executive Power by Brian Andrews & Jeffrey Wilson

The Adversary and Executive Power by Brian Andrews and Jeff Wilson show why they are one of the best thriller authors today. They have realistic, gripping, and action-packed plots. With Black Friday approaching, these books will be great holiday gifts.

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Book Description

For John Dempsey, it’s a time of uncertainty.

As a new administration tries to piece together who was behind the assassination of an American president, Task Force Ember is a team without a target. Newly minted POTUS Kelso Jarvis is haunted by strange dreams of a house on fire, and Dempsey’s son, Jake—who has begun his own journey as a SEAL—can’t escape the ghost of the father he believes to be dead.

But when a routine intelligence-gathering mission in Taiwan goes horribly wrong and one of Ember’s own is captured, Dempsey’s frustration only grows. As Ember races to rescue their teammate before it’s too late, three of America’s strongest warriors—Dempsey, Jarvis, and Jake—must ask themselves if tomorrow’s adversary resides across the Taiwan Strait, or within themselves.

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Elise’s Thoughts

There are three subplots in The Adversary. Ember’s computer expert Richard Wang has been kidnapped by the Chinese in Taiwan. The whole team know they must rescue Wang, and their biggest enemy is time. They need to rescue him before it becomes impossible to find him. Another subplot is President Jarvis and the First Lady Petra deciding who will run in the next election. As if this is not enough, there is the story of Dempsey’s son Jake Kemper following in his footsteps to become a Navy SEAL. This is the book where Jake and John do have a reunion and are forced to work together to rescue Wang. There is also the emotions that are swelling up in both.  

Per usual, the story has a villain everyone will hate, characters with emotional baggage, and lots of intense action. This Tier One world is exceptional and the only regret by readers is that they must wait for the next story to come out.

***

Book Description

Luanda, Angola
An American intelligence team on a routine mission is wiped out. The sole survivor: Kyle Ryan, youngest son of President Jack Ryan.

But the massacre of his colleagues is just the prelude to an even more devastating conflict—a deadly military coup in the central African nation. The next step is a shocking escalation, the seizure of the American Embassy and the taking of numerous hostages including the ambassador and the younger Ryan.

As US forces fight insurgents street by street in the African capital city, Lieutenant Katie Ryan leads the effort to untangle the mystery behind the coup and the identity of the plotters. Is it the Chinese government? Is it a corrupt Angolan general? Or is there a darker force pulling the strings?

In the White House Situation Room, President Jack Ryan and his National Intelligence Team anxiously await the answers. He may have a full Marine Expeditionary Unit at his command, but the full executive power of the presidency is useless if they can’t find the target.

One thing’s for sure, Kyle and his fellow hostages sit at the center of the bullseye—human shields to deflect an American response. Jack Ryan has faced many challenges as President, but solving this problem is no one-man job. It’s going to take all three of them to get through this.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Tom Clancy’s Executive Power features the two youngest Ryan children, Katie and Kyle (a numbers person). A three-man Defense Intelligence Agency team in Angola is attacked where two are killed and the third, Kyle, survives and escapes to the US Embassy. Unfortunately, he is not safe because the embassy was seized and taken over by a terrorist group that has just overthrown the current government. Their leader, Victor Baptista, takes hostages including Kyle. Navy Lieutenant Commander Katie Ryan is asked to find a way to rescue the American hostages and find the identity of the kidnappers. This story has it all including kidnapping, torture, politics, covert intel work, and Marines sent in to help with the rescue.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Since you are writing so many series, do you divvy up or write together?

Brian Andrews and Jeff Wilson:  We write together in everything we do.  Everything has both of us on the page.

EC: How did you get the idea for the Tier One series latest book The Adversary?

BA & JW: This is book nine.  The last Ember book focused on Dempsey being back from Russia.  We want to feature a different member of the team with each book.  In this one Richard Wang became a main character instead of a peripheral character. He might not get that much more page time, but people learn a lot more about him. This is the first time in the series he has a point of view. The readers over time can get to know the entire family of characters. We want readers to get to know them as we know them in our mind.

EC: How would you describe Wang?

BA & JW: He is not a warrior. After being kidnapped by the Chinese he feels helpless, has been tortured, fearful, he tries to play the game, and contemplates what will happen to him. He is in “direct support” and over the years has convinced himself he is a badass warrior. This is a very big slap in the face awakening where he realizes he is not John Dempsey.  We flush it out by having him ask the question to himself several times, ‘what would John Dempsey do.’ He feels he must channel his relationship with Dempsey to help himself.

EC: What do you want to say about China in this book: adversary, enemy, or fren-enemy?

BA & JW: China is a nation state trying to undermine democracy, undermine the US military, and actively trying to exert influence in Pacific regions of the world, pinning their natural interests against our own. We are going to call a spade a spade. We refuse to pretend this is not happening. This is the equivalent for the modern generation to the 70s and 80s Cold War with Russia that was always talked about. The stakes are enormous encompassing business, economics, and who will be the superpower.

EC: Why do you put Grimes through the ringer?

BA & JW: Speaking as a reader, if there are too many character arcs it bogs the plot down to keep everything straight. To bring one of the other team characters forward, somebody else needed to fade into the background.  We chose Lizzie Grimes in this one to fade into the background. There is a toll with the characters. We want people to see, understand, and appreciate the real human toll these people do in real life, which is why we gave Grimes a beating.

EC: What are Jake’s feelings for his dad, John?

BA & JW: Jake felt his dad chose team over family and did not balance his career and his family. He has mixed emotions towards his dad. The more Jake becomes part of the team the more he understands his dad’s feelings.  Jake was a child when his dad disappeared from his life and now realizes he lied to him and his mother. Jake cannot believe that John allowed them to think he was dead and buried. Again, we wanted to make things as realistic as possible. John feels his new family is the Tier One family. This will be a complex relationship.  There will be a couple of books dealing with this storyline.

EC: Both of you must have a crystal ball considering President Jarvis had a dream about burning up the East Wing of the White House.  Please explain.

BA & JW: This was written before anything President Trump decided to do about the ballroom.

EC:  Next book?

BA & JW: We had so much momentum with this book that we changed our publishing schedule around to write the next Tier One book. It comes out in July and is titled Insurgent.  The reason we did this is because of the two questions readers will have regarding Jake and John as well as Petra and Jarvis. Those questions will be answered in the next book. Several of our characters will think overtly about where they came from and where are they going. It comes to the front in the next book.

EC:  What about any TV/film from the books?

BA & JW: All the series we do will wind up in both venues of books and media. Many of our series are in development. There will be a give and take about which comes first the books or the media.

EC:  What about the Tom Clancy book, Executive Power?

BA & JW: This is our last Tom Clancy book because we wanted to have all our books with one publisher. We wanted to show what nation will have economic, social, moral, and political influence in the improvised part of the world in Angola.  The minerals could make them wealthy. The US needs to be the influencer, not China, in this area of the world because that partner will be not just economically but also politically and militarily. China could have a naval base there with easy access to the Atlantic that they never had before. There is a lot at play with these emerging nations. We tried very hard to reflect this complexity in the story.

EC: Did you want to show how the US is underestimated?

BA & JW: Impoverished nations don’t underestimate what we could do but do underestimate US resolve. Like right after 9/11, all the politics went out the window, and we were America against the enemy. People underestimate our will. This is what happens in the story, where Victor Baptista never imagined President Ryan would send in the Marines. We showed that if poked hard enough the US will not care about the politics and will do the right thing.

EC: The coup showed what?

BA & JW: The leaders are acting in their own self-interest and question what their priority is. The incumbent President in Angola thought it was better for him to make deals with China than to make deals with America because China gave a better deal.  The coup showed how the new President wanted to leverage a better deal.

EC: What about Katie and Kyle’s personality versus the other two Ryan siblings?

BA & JW: They are sister and brother in the Ryan clan.  They are kindred spirits, rely on each other, can read each other, and have an inseparable bond. With the Ryan family the oldest daughter followed mom and became a doctor, Jack Ryan Jr is a gunslinger trying to be everything his dad wasn’t.  There is a wide number of years between Katie/Kyle and the older siblings.

EC: How would you describe Kyle?

BA & JW: Kyle’s personality is very different than his dads. He is not a warrior but is a negotiator. If he does his job well there is no need to send someone like John Dempsey for the violent action, which should be the last resort.  We want to highlight characters like Kyle and Wang because of the important job they do.

EC: In The Adversary there was the AI sub and Carmen. What do you want to say about AI since it is used in your stories?

BA & JW: Since we write a modern military thriller reflecting the real-world technology there should be AI in the plots. We also put it in the Clancy books.  All the AI in the books is based on real world technology that is being utilized currently by the military. The technological ability to gather information has increased where human analysts are faced with an impossible task of looking at billions of pieces of data. The ability to get information far exceeds the ability to analyze it. Without some form of AI that can categorize and point out to the human operators in real time, things will get missed.  This shows the value of AI. We try to show in all our series the concern of AI.  That is the need to make sure humans do not give away their decision making to AI. The military has said that at no point would anyone, but a human make a kill order. They will get information, advice, strategy from AI but AI will never decide to kill.

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.