Tag: #aboutauthor

Feature Post and Book Review: What Harms You by Lisa Black

Book Description

The Locard Institute is a state-of-the-art forensic research center where experts from around the world come together to confront and solve the world’s most challenging and perplexing crimes. When Dr. Ellie Carr arrives for her first day as an instructor at the prestigious facility, the buildings glimmer amid the brilliant fall foliage on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. But within hours a colleague, Dr. Barbara Wright, is found dead on the floor of a supply closet. Her death appears to be an accident—but Ellie and her new supervisor, Dr. Rachael Davies, suspect a more sinister explanation.
 
A young woman attending a professional training program then disappears, only to be found in a gruesome tableau. Other than their link to the Institute, there seems to be no connection between the student and Dr. Wright. Although forensic traces are elusive, Ellie and Rachael are determined to find the bizarre link between the violent and diverse deaths.  
 
As reporters shatter the privacy of Ellie’s new workplace, she searches old files and finds evidence of a crime that feels much too personal. But who, among those dedicated to justice, could be the threat? No matter how skilled she and Rachael may be in uncovering the truth, they may not be able to prevent a well-schooled killer from striking again.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63120925-what-harms-you?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=KSDvgw8ayK&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

WHAT HARMS YOU (Locard Institute Thriller Book #2) by Lisa Black is a gripping forensic crime thriller and the second book in the Locard Institute Thriller series featuring two dynamic female forensic experts. Even though this is the second book in this series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

Dr. Ellie Carr has arrived for her first day teaching at the prestigious Locard Institute on the Chesapeake Bay and within hours the teacher she is replacing is found dead. What appears to be a terrible accident leaves Ellie and her new supervisor, Dr. Rachel Davies, unsettled. As they investigate their colleague’s death, a female Suadi national attending the professional training program goes missing and is soon discovered dead.

Ellie and Rachel must now work to discover if there is a link between the two diverse deaths among the professional law enforcement agents attending this training program and discover who is responsible before he or she strikes again.

I love when I get to read a new Lisa Black thriller and learn more about forensic techniques besides watching her main characters put them to use in solving crimes. This story introduces the reader to the halls of the Locard Institute, right along with Ellie and where the crimes take place. I enjoyed the interactions between Ellie and Rachel who, while at different phases of their careers, still work well as colleagues and recognize each other’s strengths. The murders and mysterious killer keep the tension high and the reader on the edge of their seat. The scientific analysis Ellie and Rachel use for solving crimes as well as teaching their program attendees is woven throughout the plotline without slowing the pace and I always find highly interesting.

I highly recommend this exciting crime thriller in this series and all the forensic thrillers by this author.  

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About the Author

Lisa Black’s books have reached the NYT bestsellers list, been translated into six languages and have been optioned for film. Perish was shortlisted for the inaugural Sue Grafton Memorial Award by Putnam and Mystery Writers of America. Lisa will be a Guest of Honor at 2021 Killer Nashville.

She is a certified crime scene analyst in Florida and a former forensic scientist for the Cleveland coroner’s office. She is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the International Association for Identification, and the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts, and has testified in more than fifty homicide trials.

She still aspires to drive Nancy Drew’s convertible and marry Ellery Queen.

Social Media Links

Website: https://lisa-black.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisablackauthor

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lisa-black

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Vengeance of Samuel Val by Elyse Hoffman

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE VENGEANCE OF SMAUEL VAL (Project 613 Series Book #2) by Elyse Hoffman on this Black Coffee Book Tour.

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

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Book Description

Samuel Val is blessed with a loving family and a tight-knit community in his Jewish village of Khruvina. He dreams of becoming Khruvina’s Rabbi, but his dreams are crushed when his family is slaughtered by Nazi Officer Viktor Naden, the Beast of Belorussia.

With Samuel left as Khruvina’s only survivor, he joins the anti-Nazi resistance group known as the Black Foxes. Determined to avenge his family, he swears to hunt down and destroy Viktor Naden. Samuel’s mission of vengeance, however, is put on hold when he is forced to escort a Jewish refugee to a safehouse operated by Black Fox Ten, a high-ranked member of the resistance.

While on his mission to save a life, Samuel discovers that the Beast of Belorussia might be closer than he thought. All at once, Samuel is given the chance to destroy Viktor Naden…but the cost will be high.

Will Samuel sell his soul for vengeance?

Award-winning author Elyse Hoffman offers a heart-breaking and thought-provoking WW2 story.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122571847-the-vengeance-of-samuel-val?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=rKYgzNXRKp&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE VENGEANCE OF SAMUEL VAL (Project 613 Series Book #2) by Elyse Hoffman is a powerful WWII historical fiction novella that may be short but packs an emotional punch. This novella features a young man who lives to avenge his family against the SS Beast of Belorussia. This story is a novella that is a bridge between the first book, Fracture, and the yet to be published third book, Black Fox One. It is easily read as a standalone, but it does carryover a main character from the first book.

Samuel Val loves his family and community and dreams of becoming a rabbi in the Jewish village of Khruvina in Russia. Then the Nazis, led by the SS Officer Viktor Naden roll into the village on the sabbath, nail the temple doors shut and burn the community, including all of Samuel’s family. When he attempts to save his family members, he is shot, left for dead, but ultimately the only person in his village to survive.

Determined to avenge his family, he becomes a member of the resistance group known as the Black Foxes. As he is escorting a Jewish man to safety, he discovers the home of the Beast and must decide if vengeance for his family is worth his soul.

I loved the brilliant concept of this novella that takes you on a young man’s emotional and spiritual journey in just 110 pages. Amos, the escaping Jew is carried over from book one and is used as the opposing voice to the blind vengeance Samuel is determined to carry out. The back-and-forth moral debate is beautifully executed between Amos and Samuel, not only for the discussion of redemption vs. repentance, but also because you can understand both sides represented in the arguments. Ms. Hoffman’s writing paints a picture of this time and place in history while also being lyrical and informative at the same time. I cannot reveal Samuel’s ultimate decision, you will have to read the novella to find out for yourself. I am anxiously looking forward to the next book in this series.

I highly recommend this WWII historical fiction novella!

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About the Author

Elyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. She loves to meld WWII and Jewish history with fantasy, folklore, and the paranormal. She has written six works of Holocaust historical fiction: the five books of The Barracks of the Holocaust and The Book of Uriel.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.elysehoffman.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elysehoffman.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Project613Books

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elyse-hoffman

Feature Post and Book Review: The Auschwitz Detective by Jonathan Dunsky

Book Description

The boy was murdered in Auschwitz. The killer isn’t a Nazi.

Poland, 1944: Adam Lapid used to be a police detective. Now he’s a Jewish prisoner in Auschwitz.

Reduced to a slave after losing his family in the gas chambers, Adam struggles to find a reason to carry on living.

But when a boy is found murdered inside the camp, Adam is given the chance to be a detective again.

Ordered to discover the identity of the killer, Adam must employ all his wits to solve the mystery while surviving the perils of Auschwitz.

And he’d better catch the killer soon because the punishment for failure is death.

Readers of murder mysteries and historical fiction will be thrilled by The Auschwitz Detective.

The Auschwitz Detective is a prequel and can be read before the other books in the Adam Lapid series.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55290283-the-auschwitz-detective?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=GJZuI1MA9u&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE AUSCHWITZ DETECTIVE (Adam Lapid Mysteries Book #6) by Johnathan Dunsky is a historical fiction/crime mystery set in 1944 in Auschwitz. The mystery features former Hungarian police detective Adam Lapid while he is in the death camp and coerced into solving the murder of a young inmate. There are five previous books in this series, but this one is a prequel to his life as a P.I. in Israel after the war and is very raw and candid in its depiction of life in Auschwitz. This book is easily read as a standalone story.

Transported to Auschwitz in 1944, Hungarian police detective Adam Lapid loses his entire family to the gas chambers and is struggling to find a reason to go on. When a young man is found murdered, not by the guards in the camp, Adam is ordered to find the killer in three days or lose his own life.

This book is such a difficult book to read with the descriptive depravity laid bare that is usually somewhat glossed over in other WWII stories when they discuss life in the death camps. That said, there are small depictions of humanity and friendship intertwined throughout the story as well as an engrossing murder mystery. The research involved and carried over to the writing of this story is evident.  

After reading this story, I am going to move on to book one in the series from here. I believe this book will give me a greater understanding of Adam Lapid’s character in 1950’s Israel.

I highly recommend this historical fiction/crime mystery for a more in-depth though fictional look at life in Auschwitz.

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About the Author

Jonathan Dunsky is the author of the Adam Lapid historical mysteries series. The first five books take place in the early days of the State of Israel and feature private investigator Adam Lapid, a Holocaust survivor and former Nazi hunter. The sixth novel, The Auschwitz Detective, is a prequel that takes place in Auschwitz-Birkenau in the summer of 1944.

Dunsky has also written a standalone crime thriller called The Payback Girl, in addition to publishing a number of short stories, in various genres.

He resides in Israel with his wife and two sons.

You can download one of his short stories for free at http://jonathandunsky.com/free/

Social Media Links

Website: https://jonathandunsky.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonathanDunsky

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jonathan-dunsky

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE KEEPER OF HIDDEN BOOKS by Madeline Martin on this HTP Books Blog Tour. This is a story for all who love books and believe in the ultimate power of their words and ideas.

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

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Book Description

All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler’s forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving.

With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto.

But the closer Warsaw creeps toward liberation, the more dangerous life becomes for the women and their families – and escape may not be possible for everyone. As the destruction rages around them, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left – literature.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62054146-the-keeper-of-hidden-books?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=UcPnnlBz7N&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE KEEPER OF HIDDEN BOOKS by Madeline Martin is a tour de force historical fiction novel featuring a group of friends in Warsaw, Poland during WWII inspired by the true story of the public and underground libraries that continued throughout the war. This is a must read for all lovers of books who believe books have the power to uplift, nurture, embolden, and provide escape during the worst of times.

Zofia Nowak and Janina are inseparable best friends bound by the love of books. This novel follows their lives, their families’ lives, and friends during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw during WWII. It is a poignant look at the horrors perpetrated by the Nazi’s in the Warsaw Jewish ghetto and against the general Polish population in general. Hitler looked down on all Poles and wanted them eliminated or used as slave labor.

Zofia not only worked with Polish Resistance, but also worked in the library warehouse to save as many books and historical documents as possible from the Nazi book banning and burning. Janina and her family are Jewish and end up in the ghetto, but both continue to find ways to share books, remain friends and resist.

This story is beautiful and inspirational as well as so hard at times. There is a reason autocrats ban and burn books because the words and ideas are powerful. Books give hope, teach empathy, and spread ideas that can change hearts and minds. This book has an inspiring friendship at its center, mentions wonderful literary novels throughout, and reminds us to be ever vigilant of those who seek to ban and destroy books and history.

I highly recommend this marvelous historical fiction novel!

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About the Author

Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty-five different languages.

She lives in sunny Florida with her two daughters (known collectively as the minions), two incredibly spoiled cats and a man so wonderful he’s been dubbed Mr. Awesome. She is a die-hard history lover who will happily lose herself in research any day. When she’s not writing, researching or ‘moming’, you can find her spending time with her family at Disney or sneaking a couple spoonfuls of Nutella while laughing over cat videos. She also loves research and travel, attributing her fascination with history to having spent most of her childhood as an Army brat in Germany.

Social Media Links

Website: https://madelinemartin.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MadelineMMartin

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/madeline-martin

Feature Post and Book Review: Out of Nowhere by Sandra Brown

Book Description

At a Texas county fair, amidst carousels and a bustling midway, children’s book author Elle Portman is enjoying a rare night out with her favorite cowboy: her two-year-old son, Charlie. But just as they’re about to head home, the unthinkable happens: a shooter opens fire into the crowd, causing widespread panic to erupt all around them.

Also caught in the melee was corporate consultant Calder Hudson. Arrogant, self-centered, and high off his latest career win, he’s frustrated and confused when he wakes up in the hospital after undergoing emergency surgery on his arm.  The doctor tells him that he was lucky—that as far as gunshot wounds go, he pulled through remarkably well.  Others weren’t so lucky, which instills in Calder a furious determination to get justice . . . a goal shared by Elle.

Their chance encounter at the police station leads to a surprising and inexplicable gravitation to one another, but even as the attraction grows, Elle and Calder can’t help but wonder if the unimaginable tragedy that brought them together is too painful and too complicated to sustain—especially while the shooter remains at large.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64005123-out-of-nowhere?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=0q3nw2yIiS&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

OUT OF NOWHERE by Sandra Brown is an intense romantic suspense/crime thriller that begins with a random mass shooting that leaves physical and mental devastation in its wake. Out of the devastation, two of the survivors come together only to discover they still have more to fear.

Elle Portman writes children’s books and is the single mom of two-year-old, Charlie. She meets her best friend, Glenda, for a fun afternoon at the county fair. As Charlie begins to fuss, Elle decides it’s time to leave for home. The exit is congested, and Charlie is in full meltdown as shots ring out throughout the crowded midway. Elle loses control of Charlie’s stroller.

Calder Hudson is a slick, arrogant, and successful business consultant on a high after finishing a prosperous job. He is less happy about meeting his TV reporter girlfriend at the county fair. After clearing the entry gate, shots ring out and Calder recognizes what is happening and shouts for people to hit the ground. As he attempts to stop a runaway stroller, he is shot and loses conciseness as his head hits the ground.

Both Elle and Calder are determined to get justice and are shocked when the detectives tell them the shooter is still at large. When they have a chance meeting at the police station, they begin to gravitate to each other but is it just the tragedy that brought them together for now or can their feeling be real and last?

This is a fast-paced crime thriller with a plot with many twists and unexpected surprises. The reveal of the shooter is a big one. The hero and heroine of the romantic suspense part of the plot changed emotionally throughout the story. At first, I believed Elle was the average mom who suffers a tragedy, but as the story continues, you discover she has a very strong sense of self. Calder was not the most likable hero, but as the story progresses, he changes almost completely. The sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous. One thing that left me feeling slightly unsettled, though it was good for the progression of the plot, was the not safe safehouse set up by the detectives. Overall, an emotional, action-packed page turner of a romantic suspense.

I highly recommend this romantic suspense/crime thriller from one of my favorite authors.

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About the Author

Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE (2013), LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011), and the critically acclaimed RAINWATER (2010).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into thirty-three languages.

Brown recently was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Social Media Links

Website: https://sandrabrown.net/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrabrown_NYT

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sandra-brown

Book Review: Mr. Right Next Door by Naima Simone

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

MR. RIGHT NEXT DOOR (Rose Bend Book #4) by Naima Simone is an emotional contemporary romance that takes the “mean girl” of the series and turns everything you believe about her upside down while matching her with a broken hero who has come home to Rose Bend to heal with family. This is a smalltown romance series, and while these stories are more enjoyable when read in order, they can be read as standalone stories.

Jenna Landon is cold and sharp. If you get too close, you will receive a verbal blow that is meant to cause pain. She does not let people see the hurt and “never enough” woman her parents continue to reminder her that she is to them. She is finally ready to flee Rose Bend after one more fundraiser for her father’s reelection campaign.

Retired pro wrestler Mr. Right is Isaac Hunter, and he has returned to Rose Bend to be close to his family after a much-publicized divorce. He accepts the position of assistant wrestling coach at the high school while he decides what he wants to do with the rest of his life. While working on his truck and blaring country music on an early Saturday morning, his next-door neighbor comes over to complain. While Isaac discovers that the prissy Jenna Landon is fun to mess with, he also discovers there is more to her than others around town have seen.

Isaac has enough problems of his own and his next-door neighbor spells nothing but trouble, but as their attraction builds, so does his need to prove to Jenna that she is more than enough for him.

WOW! I never thought this redemption story could be possible. Ms. Simone completely turned my feelings around for Jenna and made me fall for another new man in Rose Bend. When an author can make you cry for the “mean girl”, you know you have found a gem. Jenna and Isaac are characters that could walk right off the page, they are written so realistically. The slow burn and snarky dialogue are perfect for these characters and this romance. The sex scene is not until almost the end of the story, and it is explicit, but it is not gratuitous just perfect. It is always fun to catch up with characters from the other books in the series and it is especially heartwarming to watch Jenna make amends and reunite with her two best girl friends in town.

I highly recommend this contemporary romance and look forward to returning to Rose Bend again and again.

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About the Author

Published since 2009, USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone loves writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor and snark. Her books have been featured in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly, and described as balancing “crackling, electric love scenes with exquisitely rendered characters caught in emotional turmoil.”

She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bullet proof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.

Social Media Links

Website: http://naimasimone.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Naima_Simone

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/naima-simone