Tag: #aboutauthor

Feature Post and Book Review: Undercover K-9 Cowboy by Addison Fox

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for Harlequin Romantic Suspense UNDERCOVER K-9 COWBOY by Addison Fox. (My apologies to Harlequin for not quite making the timeline for the Investigators Winter 2022 Blog Tour.)

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

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Book Description

A by-the-book Fed…gone rogue for justice

To stop the drug epidemic ravaging Midnight Pass, FBI agent Ryder Durant reluctantly takes matters into his own hands. Poised to set a trap at Reynolds Station, he has to contend with Arden Reynolds—who prefers Ryder’s K-9 to the Fed protecting her family. As Ryder and Arden spar, embers spring into flame. And those flames are as dangerous as the crime ring lurking too close to home…

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58602448-undercover-k-9-cowboy?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=MU10D3NeH1&rank=1

Feel the excitement in these uplifting romances, part of the Midnight Pass, Texas series:

Book 1: The Cowboy’s Deadly Mission
Book 2: Special Ops Cowboy
Book 3: Under the Rancher’s Protection

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

UNDERCOVER K-9 COWBOY (Midnight Pass, Texas Book #4) by Addison Fox is the final romantic suspense in the Midnight Pass, Texas books and it was a good conclusion to the series. The youngest Reynolds family member meets the FBI agent and his K-9 companion who may finally be able to break down her wall of emotional self-protection while also ridding the Reynolds ranch of the cartel drug runners using their land.

FBI agent Ryder Durant and his canine companion have been working with the police force in Midnight Pass to stop the cartel’s from using the large tracts of land on the major ranches for drug running. To stop the drug epidemic, he wants to set a trap on Reynolds Station. He learns he must first get the cooperation of Arden Reynolds, who is not impressed with the agent, but he is very impressed with her.

Arden Reynolds has watched her three brothers find true love and now a handsome FBI agent wants to put them in danger with an operation on their land. She trusts the agent’s canine companion more than the agent or any other handsome, cocky man having been hurt in the past, but she wants the ranch to be safe for future Reynold generations.

As the sparks fly the danger is closer than they know.

I enjoyed this conclusion to the series. The romance is a little heavier than the suspense in this story, but I still felt the suspense portion of the plot was tied up nicely. Arden is a very strong female character, and the author does a good job of making her past grief believable and a reasonable excuse for her not moving on. Ryder is her perfect foil as he continually tries to get Arden to open up and let him in. He does not give up. I loved Murphy, Ryder’s K-9 companion and always enjoy a dog addition to a story. Even though this is the fourth and final book in the series, it can be read as a standalone.

An enjoyable romantic suspense read and final book in the Midnight Pass series.

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Excerpt

“You want answers?”

“I do.” Arden said.

“Then I want a few of my own first.”

Although she didn’t say anything, anticipation lit her blue eyes. It surprised him how that struck somewhere low in his gut. Like he was enjoying getting a reaction—any reaction—from her.

“You don’t like me very much, and I’d like to know why.”

That small light winked out, fading away as if it had never been. “I have nothing against you.”

“I’d say you do. You have since the first time we met.” Ryder tilted his head toward the wide-open window beside them. “Right out there on Main Street.”

He remembered the moment well. It had been a pretty fall day and he’d tied Murphy up outside the coffee shop to bask in the sun for a few minutes while he ran in to snag a quick cup. The night before, he’d run his first op since coming to Midnight Pass and was pretty much subsisting on fumes. He’d come back out to find Arden, expectantly waiting for him, full of barely veiled insult and clear irritation that he’d left his dog outside.

“I wasn’t aware that Murphy was a working dog that day. I may have been a bit terse.”

“And the other night? At your place?”

“I—” She stopped, clearly considering her words. He was surprised to find that he had the patience to wait for whatever it was she had to say. “I don’t appreciate cocky arrogance.”

“You live on a ranch full of testosterone-fueled cowboys. And in a town full of the same. Surely you come up against a bit of cocky banter now and again?”

“That’s an excuse for it?”

“It’s a fact. I’d have thought you’d be used to it by now.”

“It doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Her tone was prim and her already strong, fit posture stiffened a few more degrees north.

Ryder was good at his job because he knew how to read people. It was also what made him a good K-9 handler. He paid attention and he read situations before reacting. And every instinct he possessed read this one as arising from something that had specifically happened to her.

With someone who had hurt her.

Someone, Ryder suspected, who had been cocky and arrogant and likely unkind to her.

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About the Author

Addison Fox is a lifelong romance reader, addicted to happy-ever-afters. She loves writing about romance as much as reading it. Addison lives in New York with an apartment full of books, a laptop that’s rarely out of sight and a wily beagle who keeps her running.

Social Media Links

Author’s Website: https://www.addisonfox.com

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

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com@addisonfox

Purchase Links

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335759597 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Undercover-Cowboy-Midnight-Pass-Texas-ebook/dp/B099ZYXL8K/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=UNDERCOVER+K-9+COWBOY+by+Addison+Fox&qid=1637001968&qsid=133-7575147-1798556&sr=8-1&sres=B099ZYXL8K%2C1335456260&srpt=ABIS_EBOOKS 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/undercover-k-9-cowboy-addison-fox/1139886440?ean=9781335759597 

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335759597_undercover-k-9-cowboy.html

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Ghosts of Thorwald Place by Helen Power

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review on the Blackthorn Book Tour for THE GHOSTS OF THORWALD PLACE by Helen Power.

Below you will find an about the book section, my book review, an about the author section and the book’s purchase link. Enjoy!

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About the Book

Trust no one. Especially your neighbors.

Rachel Drake is on the run from the man who killed her husband. She never leaves her safe haven in an anonymous doorman building, until one night a phone call sends her running. On her way to the garage, she is murdered in the elevator. But her story doesn’t end there.

She finds herself in the afterlife, tethered to her death spot, her reach tied to the adjacent apartments. As she rides the elevator up and down, the lives of the residents intertwine. Every one of them has a dark secret. An aging trophy wife whose husband strays. A surgeon guarding a locked room. A TV medium who may be a fraud. An ordinary man with a mysterious hobby. Compelled to spend eternity observing her neighbors, she realizes that any one of them could be her killer. And then, her best friend shows up to investigate her murder.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57933772-the-ghosts-of-thorwald-place?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=kz9FTFkkBj&rank=1

The Ghosts of Thorwald Place

  • Genre:  Paranormal thriller
  • Print length: 351 pages
  • Age range: This is an adult book but suitable for mature teens age 16+
  • Trigger warnings: Violent deaths, ghosts, domestic violence, brief reference to severe self harm by a child; pet death.
  • Formats available for the Tour: all standard electronic formats (sorry, no paperbacks)
  • Amazon Rating: 5 stars

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE GHOSTS OF THORWALD PLACE by Helen Power is a superb paranormal thriller and debut book from this new-to-me author. I could not put it down!

Rachel Drake is her pseudonym as she lives in the security building her policewoman friend found for her as hides from the man she believes killed her husband. She works from home and discourages any neighborly overtures. But one night, she receives a call that sends her running straight into the man who kills her in her apartment building’s elevator.

She is now a ghost, tethered to the elevator she was murdered in. She is able to enter the apartments surrounding the elevator, but only to a point. As she rides the elevator, she begins to discover many of her fellow Thorwald Place residents are hiding terrible secrets and she is not the only ghost on the premises.

Rachel is now drawn to the neighbors she ignored while she was alive and wonders what she needs to do to or who she needs to help so that she can move on and possibly uncover her killer.

This paranormal thriller is perfectly plotted to continually keep the reader on the edge of their seat. The thriller plotline is full of surprising twists and misdirection that just keep coming and the paranormal plotline keeps the creepy factor at its height. I was captivated by all the neighbors lives and secrets and it makes you wonder how many secrets go on behind apartment doors in nonfictional buildings. I do not believe I have read another thriller like this. This is a clever paranormal thriller read with a great cast of fully developed characters and a perfectly paced plot.

I highly recommend this unique read!

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About the Author

Helen Power is an academic librarian living in Saskatoon, Canada. In her spare time, she haunts deserted cemeteries, loses her heart to dashing thieves, and cracks tough cases, all from the comfort of her writing nook. She has several short story publications, including ones in Suspense Magazine, Hinnom Magazine, and Dark Helix Press’s Canada 150 anthology, “Futuristic Canada”. Her stories range from comedy to horror, with just a hint of dystopia in between. The Ghosts of Thorwald Place is her first novel.

Purchase Link

http://mybook.to/Amazon_GhostsThorwald

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Man With the Golden Mind by Tom Vater

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review on the Blackthorn Book Tour for THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN MIND (Detective Maier Mystery Book #2) by Tom Vater.

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

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About the Book

Detective Maier has a new case. This time it is a cold case: investigating the death of Julia Rendel’s father, an East German culture attaché who was killed near a fabled CIA airbase in central Laos in 1976.

But before the detective can set off, his client is kidnapped right out of his arms. Maier follows Julia’s trail to the Laotian capital Vientiane, where he learns different parties, including his missing client, are searching for a legendary CIA file crammed with Cold War secrets.

The real prize, however, is the file’s author: someone codenamed Weltmeister, a former US and Vietnamese spy and assassin no one has seen for a quarter century. Racing against time, Maier needs to dig deep into the past – including his own – in order to make sense of the present.

The second book in Tom Vater’s Detective Maier Mysteries series, The Man With The Golden Mind is an action-packed thriller with plenty of sex, drugs, assassinations and double-crosses.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18490900-the-man-with-the-golden-mind?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=inYT8WylWK&rank=1

The Man With the Golden Mind

Detective Maier Mystery Book #2

  • Genre: Crime
  • Print length: 239
  • Suitable for young adults? No
  • Trigger warnings: graphic violence
  • Amazon Rating: 4.5 stars

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN MIND (Detective Maier Mystery Book #2) by Tom Vater is the second noir crime fiction/spy thriller which takes the reader on an intriguing, atmospheric and thrilling trip into Asia with German war correspondent turned private investigator Maier. While his last adventure took him back to Cambodia, this time he is sent to investigate a twenty-five-year-old case in Laos.

Julia Rendel hires Maier to investigate what happened to her East German cultural attaché father who was murdered twenty-five-years-ago in Long Cheng, a CIA run airbase in Laos during the Vietnamese war. Before the two can even begin their journey to Laos, Julia is kidnapped right from under Maier in their hotel room.

Maier arrives in Laos and is immediately dragged along by circumstances rather than following a step-by-step investigation. Maier learns his information is far from complete and he ends up searching not only for his missing client and answers from the past, but also a cache of gold, a legendary CIA file and a spy who does not wish to come in from the cold.

I found the intriguing and unique characters, the vividly drawn atmosphere and locations and the surprising twists and action kept me turning the pages. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but eventually they sort themselves out and the plot moves along at a fast pace. I was surprised by the return of a character from the first book and with his return comes a very unexpected plot twist. The author steeped me in the atmosphere and culture of Laos, past and present which made it a unique read. While this is not an easy book to read, the characters, location and plot all come together to make it a very special noir crime fiction/spy thriller book to read.

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About the Author

Tom Vater is an Asia-based writer.

He has published some 20 books – four novels, nonfiction, illustrated books and guidebooks, all on Asian subjects.

Tom has written four crime fiction novels. The Devil’s Road to Kathmandu – the third English language edition out with Next Chapter out now – is a travel thriller set on the 70s hippie trail between London and Kathmandu. A Spanish translation is out with ExploraEditorial.

The Detective Maier trilogy – The Cambodian Book of the Dead, The Man with the Golden Mind and the The Monsoon Ghost Image, a Southeast Asia series of novels follows the exploits of a former conflict journalist turned private eye.

Tom has written for The Guardian, The Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Telegraph, the Nikkei Asian Review and many other publications. He co-authored Sacred Skin – Thailand’s Spirit Tattoos (2011), a notable bestseller. He is also co-author of several documentary screenplays, including The Most Secret Place on Earth (2008), a feature on the CIA’s covert war in Laos in the 60s and 70s.

Social Media Links

Book Review: Three Immortals by Bert-Oliver Boehmer

My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THREE IMMORTALS by Bert-Oliver Boehmer is an action-packed intergalactic science fiction adventure. This story is full of space battles, alliances, friendships and betrayals, knowledge, and the fight for ultimate supremacy. I feel it is appropriate for all ages, has several powerful messages and is also just fun to read.

After being almost eliminated by extra-galactics, humans have risen again. Led by the Assembly, a body of immortals of all races, the humans are once again endangered by a ruthless Empress seeking power over all.

Kel Chaada, a popular war hero becomes the leader of a conglomerate of mining worlds with his unbelievable defeat over the Aloo Das lead by Sya Omega. He is elevated to the Assembly and receives the gift of immortality only to be betrayed.

As Kel flees to the outer fringes of the galaxy, he discovers ancient alien civilizations. Kel learns those his has been taught to fear just may be the allies he needs to save humanity once again.

I enjoyed reading this science fiction book as a change of pace from my usual choice of material. I also enjoyed this author’s worldbuilding. The names in the worldbuilding are unique and difficult, but once everyone was sorted and the action took hold of the story it just flew by. The space and time scientific concepts were difficult on occasion, but the overall character plotlines always kept me turning the pages. I loved Kel’s hero journey throughout the story and I felt all the characters from all the differing civilizations were intriguing.

Overall, an entertaining science fiction space action-adventure.

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About the Author

Bert-Oliver Boehmer is a science fiction writer and author of the new novel “Three Immortals”. After two decades of working with innovative software and bioinformatics companies, he turned his passion for futuristic technologies, exotic biology, and artificial intelligence into the foundation of a vast space opera universe.

Bert-Oliver holds a degree in computer science and has traveled this planet extensively. Since 2020, he focuses on telling stories about what we might find elsewhere and elsewhen.

He lives with his wife and daughters in Southern California, where his Jeep leaves tire tracks on many trails.

Feature Post and Book Review: The Fields by Erin Young

Book Description

A breakneck procedural that is beautifully written and masterfully crafted, Erin Young’s The Fields is a dynamite debut—crime fiction at its very finest.

Some things don’t stay buried.

It starts with a body—a young woman found dead in an Iowa cornfield, on one of the few family farms still managing to compete with the giants of Big Agriculture.

When Sergeant Riley Fisher, newly promoted to head of investigations for the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, arrives on the scene, an already horrific crime becomes personal when she discovers the victim was a childhood friend, connected to a dark past she thought she’d left behind.

The investigation grows complicated as more victims are found. Drawn deeper in, Riley soon discovers implications far beyond her Midwest town.

Goodreads: https://avonnalovesgenres.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=6060&action=edit

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE FILEDS (Riley Fisher Book #1) by Erin Young is a gritty, dark, and intense start to a new police procedural crime thriller series featuring a rural American female police sergeant as the protagonist. This is a hunt for a serial killer and the author does not shy away from explicit crime scene descriptions which is fine for an ID and true crime lover as myself, but may be too graphic for some.

Newly promoted Sergeant Riley Fisher is to lead the Black Hawk, Iowa Sheriff’s Office Field Investigations Unit. A young woman is horrifically murdered and is found in a cornfield. When Riley arrives to investigate, she is shocked to discover the victim was a childhood friend.

As the investigation continues, so does the body count and the connection to Riley’s own dark past.

I really loved Riley and am very glad this is a series because there is still so much more I want to know about her. All the secondary characters are interesting and fully fleshed. I felt the police procedural plot was made more realistic with the missteps along the way instead of the usual step-by-step perfect investigation. The inclusion of government corruption and Big Ag interwoven throughout sometimes slowed the pace for me, but it was thought provoking. I will be interested to see where the author takes these characters in the future.

Overall, a strong start to a new police procedural crime thriller series with an intriguing new protagonist.

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About the Author

The Fields is Erin Young’s debut crime thriller, featuring Sergeant Riley Fisher of Black Hawk County, in the first of a planned series. Young lives and writes in Brighton, England.

Social Media Links

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57693667-the-fields

Website: https://erinyoungauthor.com/about-erin/

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

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The List by Michael Leese

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on the Books ‘n’ All Promotions Blog Tour and I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE LIST (Martha Munro Crime Mystery Book #1) by Michael Leese.

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

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Book Blurb

It was just an ordinary Wednesday lunchtime when Detective Martha Munro’s life changed forever.

Her sergeant is speaking, but she barely hears what he’s telling her.

Your mother has been shot dead. Your four-year-old daughter has been taken.

There are no leads. Who would want to hurt her family?

Martha realizes it’s time to ask herself some hard questions about her late father.

He led the anti-corruption squad at Scotland Yard. It’s rumoured he kept a list of everyone who worked for him, from coppers to criminals. And just being on that list was a sure-fire way to lower your life expectancy.

Her mother was killed by someone trying to get their hands on that list. Now time is running out for Martha to get her daughter back alive.

Martha is the kind of cop who always goes by the book. But family is EVERYTHING. And she will do ANYTHING to keep them safe. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59920624-the-list?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=dFG7fb31ts&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE LIST (Martha Munroe Crime Mystery Book #1) by Michael Leese is the first book in a new British crime mystery series and it is constructed like no other I have read before. I was immediately intrigued and could not put it down.

Detective Martha Munroe is informed by her sergeant that her mother has been shot dead and her four-year-old daughter kidnapped.

With the help of longtime friend of the family, Harry the Hat, Martha begins to learn more about her late father who led the anti-corruption unit at The Met and is somehow tied to the forces working to destroy her. A powerful enemy believes Martha has the list belonging to her father that names all the criminals who were working as snitches for him and all the corrupt police on the force and he is willing to do anything to get it for himself.

When Martha and Harry find the list, they must work to decode it to find out who Martha can really trust and who is trying to make sure she ends up dead.

I enjoyed the unique way this story unfolded. Who would put their detective protagonist in such a position in the first book of a series? Well, Mr. Leese did, and I found it kept me turning the pages. Martha and Harry are wonderful characters that are very likeable and fully fleshed. The other characters always had me guessing whether they were good, bad, or varying shades of gray. The plot is full of twists and surprises with an ending that leaves the door open for more. I am looking forward to following Martha in future books in this series.

I recommend this start to a new British crime mystery series!

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About the Author

Before taking up writing, Michael Leese was a national newspaper journalist for over 25 years, with the last part of his career working for the London Evening Standard. The most memorable stories he covered ranged from Tiananmen Square, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the death of Princess Diana, the 9/11 attacks and the two Gulf wars.

In the latter part of his career, Mike was a news editor. In this role he gained insights into many specialties from crime and court reporting, to political and science news and the behind the scenes working of government, the City and other institutions. Mike’s passion for news and current affairs remains very strong and influences the writing of his books.

Social Media Links

AUTHOR WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
GOODREADS

BOOKS BY MICHAEL LEESE

DETECTIVES ROPER AND HOOLEY MYSTERIES:

  • THE CASE OF THE HEADLESS BILLIONAIRE
  • THE CASE OF THE MISSING FACES
  • THE CASE OF THE DIRTY BOMB
  • THE CASE OF THE EXPLODING SHOP
  • THE CASE OF THE KILLER GAMESHOW