#aboutauthor – Page 49 – Avonna Loves Genres

Release Blitz/Feature Post and Book Review: Bonus Kisses by Freya Barker

Hi, everyone!

Today I am very excited to be included on this new Buoni Amici Press Release Blitz for one of my favorite romance authors! I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for BONUS KISSES by Freya Barker.

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

Free-spirited black sheep, Taz Boran, has worked tirelessly as a nurse bringing efficient medical care to Africa for the past eight years. But when her sister Nicky is told she doesn’t have long to live, she immediately flies home to small-town Eminence, Missouri.

Unfortunately, taking care of Nicky means being around her husband, Rafe; the one man Taz could never forget. Rafe is not only her brother-in-law but also took over the family veterinary clinic from her dad.

As Taz becomes Nicky’s home health care nurse—working closely with Rafe to make her sister comfortable—their latent attraction comes sizzling back to the surface. They won’t betray Nicky, but if her dying wish is to see them get the happy ending they always deserved, can they really keep fighting what’s meant to be?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55538247-bonus-kisses

Title: Bonus Kisses

Author: Freya Barker

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Release Date: December 7, 2020

Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

BONUS KISSES by Freya Barker is a contemporary romance/Women’s fiction by an author I have come to always look forward to reading. Not only is the reader emotionally involved in this small town second chance love story, but the entire family dynamic is rocked to its core as secrets are revealed.

Natasha “Taz” Boran has been working as a nurse for nine years in Africa with Doctors Without Borders. Taz is the adventurous younger sister, but there are also personal reasons for her running across the world to work away from her small-town upbringing. Veronica “Nicky” Boran was always the perfect older sister, but now she does not have long to live and all she wants is Taz to come home.

Taz agrees to take care of her sister and her two children. With that comes the problem of being around Rafe, Nicky’s husband and the reason for her leaving. As Taz cares for Nicky, secrets are revealed and Taz learns that Nicky knows and wants Taz to get what she gave up nine years ago.

When Nicky dies, Taz not only has to deal with her grief, but two young children who have lost their mother, her own mother who believes the worst of her, a father with Parkinson’s disease and the ever-increasing return attraction to the one man she ever truly loved.

Freya Barker is masterful at taking this story plotline, which could have been a disaster and written a beautiful, emotional, heartbreaking, healing and redemptive love story not only between the hero and heroine, but the entire extended family. My emotions were all over the place while reading this book. Each character, big and small is written realistically and takes the story into small subplots that give you the small town feel. Small town gossip, strained family dynamics and a love story delayed all make for a story I could not put down. (Make sure you have tissues close by.)

I highly recommend this beautiful love story!

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About the Author

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

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

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

Social Media

Facebook: http://bit.ly/FreyaFacebookTwitter: http://bit.ly/FreyaTwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/FreyaInstagram
Web: http://bit.ly/FreyaWeb
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/FreyaGoodreads
Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/Freya_Newsletter Bookbub: http://bit.ly/FreyaBookBub

Buy Links

Amazon: https://amzn.to/33CEzgJ

Apple: https://apple.co/3lkgwJp

BN: https://bit.ly/34rddZZKobo: https://bit.ly/3d2oF2f

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: All Down The Line by Andrew Field

All Down the Line by Andrew Field

#AllDownTheLine #AndrewField @BoomslangBooks @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing My Feature Post and Book Review on the Damppebbles blog tour for a new crime fiction/mystery book – ALL DOWN THE LINE by Andrew Field.

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

MANCHESTER: Cain Bell thought he had closure over the hit and run death of his daughter. Ted Blake had confessed he was the behind the wheel just before he died.

Twenty years on and Cain’s world is thrown upside down when his fiancé claims the driver was lying. Before she says more, a savage attack leaves her in a coma fighting for her life.

To find out why Cain must uncover why four friends swore blind to never tell the truth about his daughter’s death.

Now, he must persuade Manchester’s most terrifying gangster to reveal the secrets that kept hidden for two decades. But Billy McGinty is in no mood to break his own wall of silence.

Unless Cain can persuade him to talk, even if it means putting his own life on the line.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55575775-all-down-the-line

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

ALL DOWN THE LINE by Andrew Field is a new crime fiction/mystery book by a new to me author. The story is set in Manchester and pits a grieving protagonist against an organized crime family in a fast-paced, tightly plotted standalone mystery.

Cain Bell lost his 10-year-old daughter in a hit and run on the streets of Manchester. While the driver did not stop at the scene, a man does confess to the crime before he dies of prostate cancer. The accident destroys Cain’s marriage and he lives in a fast paced limbo until he meets April.

Fast forward twenty years and Cain proposes to April in their restaurant, Red Manisfesto. April says yes, but she tells Cain she has a secret that must be revealed first about the death of his daughter, but before she can tell her secret, the two are attacked on their way home from the restaurant. April ends up in a coma and is not expected to live.

To discover April’s secret, Cain begins to ask questions that have been covered up for many years. Each discovery only leads to more danger as Cain finds himself pitted against the most feared crime boss in Manchester and his terrifying family.

This gritty crime fiction/mystery story has a crew of characters that are not very likable, but they are interesting. I did feel for Cain and his losses and I was surprised by his determination to find the truth even as he was completely out of his league. Mr. Field has written an intricate plot that has plenty of twists that lead to a surprising and satisfying climax.

This is a fast-paced gritty crime fiction/mystery with plenty of secrets, villains and violence.

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About the Author

Andrew Field has spent most of his working life as a PR consultant raising the profiles of others. Now the roles are reversed as he steps into the spotlight with All Down The Line (published in 2020).

He handled Boddingtons Bitter during its “Cream of Manchester” heyday, developing innovative sports and cultural partnerships with TV and media platforms. Clients have also included a convicted armed bank robber and another who did eighteen months prison time for blackmail, although he didn’t know about their colourful backstories at the time. “I’d quizzed them more about their experiences. After all, hard-boiled grimness all adds to the mix, even if it is anecdotal.”

“Authors are by definition are relatively introverted. They work in isolation and inhabit imaginary world of their own creation. They can spend years staring at a computer screen bringing their characters to life. Then they have to become a different person to promote their work and market themselves.”

“Fiction is a great way to write about how you feel personally about this great thing we do called living. We disguise it by calling it crime fiction, but behind the genre there is a world view being expressed. In my eyes, the memorable books, films and music, good or bad, are the ones you’re still thinking about 24 or 48 hours after you finished reading, watching or listening.”

What can readers expect from Andrew’s work? “If you’re into noir from the likes of James Lee Burke, James Cain, James Ellroy, Dennis Lehane, Elmore Leonard, Ted Lewis, Ed McBain and Jim Thompson, you’ll see where I am coming from.”

Andrew lives, works and plays in Northumberland, England, Europe, with his wife Catherine. A novella, Wicked Games was published in 2014. Without Rules in 2018 by Boomslang. All Down The Line will be published in December 2020.

Social Media Links for Boomslang Books

Website: https://boomslangbooks.org/

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BoomslangBooks

Purchase Links

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3eLC3II

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/35h44Vn

Publishing Information:

Published by Boomslang Books on 7^th December 2020

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Failsafe Query by Michael Jenkins

The Failsafe Query (Sean Richardson #1) by Michael Jenkins

#TheFailsafeQuery @FailsafeQuery @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on this new blog tour and I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE FAILSAFE QUERY (A Sean Richardson Thriller Book #1) by Michael Jenkins. This is the first book in an exciting, action packed spy trilogy.

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:

‘Some secrets were meant to be buried forever. Until now.’

Sean Richardson, a disgraced former intelligence agent, is tasked to lead a team to search for a British intelligence officer on the cusp of exposing thousands of secrets to the media. It includes a long lost list of Russian moles embedded since the Cold War, one of whom remains a public favourite in the British parliamentary system.

The action moves with absorbing pace and intrigue across Central Asia and Europe as the puzzle begins to unfold through a deep hidden legacy. As Sean gets closer to the truth, senior figures are left to nurse their anxiety knowing that if the secret is revealed, it will destroy their lives.

On the verge of success, his eye is taken off the ball, and the Russians step forward ready to pounce.

Tense, fast paced, and insightful, The Failsafe Query twists and turns to a satisfyingly dramatic finale.

The first in a set of spy thrillers that have been expertly crafted with stunning plot lines, magnificent locations, and twists that leave you gasping for air. Perfect for fans of Frederick Forsyth, Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy, and Scott Mariani.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40696242-the-failsafe-query

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE FAILSAFE QUERY (A Sean Richardson Thriller Book #1) by Michael Jenkins is the first book in a trilogy of contemporary British spy thrillers.

Post 9/11, the British government wants proof of the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Sean is an agent in Central Asia and everything his informants show him points to the Iranians buying black market radioactive materials, not the Iraqis. Sean’s informant is killed and his mission compromised so he is recalled to Britain.

Eleven years later, Sean is rescued from an Afghanistan prison after months of incarceration. He was on a civilian contract job after leaving the service and was turned on when they found out he was digging into their real business, heroin. He is rescued for a reason. With his extensive knowledge of the Middle East and the mountains of Central Asia, he is tasked with finding an intelligence officer that has gone rogue. The rogue has secret information that could make him Britain’s biggest whistle-blower.

The story takes off from this point and Sean and his team travel around Europe and Central Asia in a fast-paced action spy thriller full of plot twists, modern day espionage and military precision. Sean is a complex protagonist. He is realistically flawed, believable and a professional. All the secondary characters are fully fleshed and believable, also. Since this is the first book in the trilogy, the first few chapters are more backstory and explanatory, but once Sean is on the job, the pace increases exponentially to the climax.

I recommend this exciting spy thriller and am looking forward to reading the other two in the trilogy!

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About the Author

I started climbing at 13, survived being lost in Snowdonia at 14, nearly drowned at 15, and then joined the Army at 16. Risk and adventure was built into my DNA and I feel very fortunate to have served the majority of my working career as an intelligence officer within Defence Intelligence, and as an explosive ordnance disposal officer and military surveyor within the Corps of Royal Engineers.

I was privileged to serve for twenty-eight years in the British Army as a soldier and officer, rising through the ranks to complete my service as a major. I served across the globe on numerous military operations as well as extensive travel and adventure on many major mountaineering and exploration expeditions that I led or was involved in.

I was awarded the Geographic Medal by the Royal Geographical Society for mountain exploration in 2003 and served on the screening committee of the Mount Everest Foundation charity for many years. It was humbling after so many years of service when I was awarded the MBE for services to counter-terrorism in 2007.

Social Media Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FailsafeQuery

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

Website: https://www.michaeljenkins.org/

Purchase Links

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3eM9w5V

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/35gCfN1

Blackwells: https://bit.ly/3kje98F

Publishing Information

Published in paperback and digital formats by Failsafe Thrillers on 20^th May 2020

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: A Heart Redeemed by Dawn Brower

BLOG TOUR: November 13 – November 19

A Heart Redeemed

The Everyday Heroes Series World

By Dawn Brower

Hi, everyone!

Today I am excited to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review on this blog tour for A HEART REDEEMED (The Everyday Heroes Series World) by Dawn Brower. This is my first time reading a romantic suspense written by this author and set in this world started by K. Bromberg, but it will not be my last.

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

Paige Morris has secrets…

Her life has been filled with darkness for too long. After a terrorizing experience with her daughter’s father she makes necessary changes. Redemption isn’t always possible, but she hopes in time she’ll achieve hers. When she is asked to foster a little girl whose parents were murdered she automatically agrees.

Alexander “Lex” Foster is battling demons of his own…

He has witnessed a lot of awful things in his life, but the gruesome murder he’s assigned to investigate tops the list. The little girl he finds cowering in a cupboard breaks his heart. Solving the case becomes his top priority. What he doesn’t expect is his instant attraction to the foster mother who takes in the victim’s daughter.

Deception, murder, and inescapable passion…

What could go wrong? As Paige and Lex grow closer, so does the killer. After several disturbing messages Lex moves in to protect the girls. Ensuring their safety is his priority. He cannot afford any diversions; however, his growing desire for Paige may be his undoing. When the psychopath makes his move he might be too late to save them.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54310864-a-heart-redeemed

Get your copy today on your Kindle and KindleUnlimited – books2read.com/AHeartRedeemed

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

A HEART REDEEMED (The Everyday Heroes Series) by Dawn Brower is a new romantic suspense set in K. Bromberg’s Everyday Heroes Series world. This is my first time reading a book written by this author and set in this world, but it will not be my last.

Eight-year-old Mila Gallo waited until her parents went to bed to sneak into the kitchen to take the cookies her mom told her she could not have. When she hears a noise on the stairs, she hides in a kitchen cabinet and hears a stranger kill her father.

Alexander “Lex” Foster discovers Mila the next morning curled in the cabinet and it breaks his heart. He vows to discover Mila’s parent’s killer. He delivers the silent Mila to her emergency foster placement and is surprised by his instant attraction to the foster mother. What Lex does not know is that the killer’s job is not done until Mila is dead, too.

Paige Morris is a second-grade teacher and has become a foster parent available to traumatized children. Paige is hoping by helping other children, it will make up for her slow response in separating herself and her daughter from an abusive relationship. Paige feels she will never be interested in a relationship again until Lex shows up at her door with Mila in his arms.

After several disturbing incidents, Lex moves in with Paige and the girls to protect them. Paige and Lex’s attraction turns into more even as the killer plans to finish his job. Will Lex be able to protect them all and save Mila?

I enjoyed Paige and Lex finding each other when they both never thought a relationship was possible for them. Paige and Halie had been through a lot and their backstory really fleshed them out and made you want them to find happiness and made them perfect for helping Mila heal. Lex is a hero that is handsome, but also intelligent and loving. There is no secret of the killer’s identity and the plot itself is not new and was predictable, but the author filled the story with characters that felt realistic and you want to follow them until the HEA.

This is a quick and entertaining romantic suspense.

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About the Author

USA TODAY Bestselling author, DAWN BROWER writes both historical and contemporary romance. There are always stories inside her head; she just never thought she could make them come to life. That creativity has finally found an outlet.

Growing up she was the only girl out of six children. She raised two boys into productive young men. There is never a dull moment in her life. Reading books is her favorite hobby and she loves all genres. You can find out more about her books both contemporary and historical on her website www.authordawnbrower.com/.

Social Media Links

Facebook – www.facebook.com/AuthorDawnBrower

Instagram – www.instagram.com/1DawnBrower/

Twitter – www.twitter.com/dawnab33

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Rough Country by T.J. Brearton

Rough Country by T.J. Brearton

#RoughCountry #TJBrearton @inkubatorbooks @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

Hi, everyone!

Today I am happy to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for the new standalone murder mystery ROUGH COUNTRY by T.J. Brearton on this Damppebbles Blog Tour.

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

A young girl murdered. A town with a dark secret.

A young girl, Kasey, is murdered in the woods of northern New York, a strange symbol carved into her stomach.

Investigator Reed Raleigh, Major Crimes, is tasked with finding the killer.

Reed has his own troubles. He’s in therapy, divorced, estranged from his son. But he desperately needs to solve this case – his own stepdaughter vanished when she was a teenager and Reed knows all about the agony of having no closure. No way is he letting Kasey’s mother go through that.

But as Reed begins to dig, the case grows ever more complex. Why is Kasey’s boyfriend acting so strangely? And why is her mother lying to the police?

As evidence of Kasey’s bizarre secret life starts to emerge, Reed realises this case isn’t just about a dead girl. There’s something much bigger at play in this small rural town, a decades old secret that needs to be protected. At any cost.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55782972-rough-country

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

ROUGH COUNTRY by T.J. Brearton is a murder mystery set in the rural hills of upstate New York. I read and enjoy the Shannon Ames Thriller series by this author, so I was looking forward to reading this new standalone book and I was not disappointed.

A young girl, Kasey Stevens is found murdered partially lying on a trail in the woods of upstate New York. She has been strangled and a symbol has been sliced with precision on her abdomen.

Reed Raleigh is an investigator on the Major Crimes Unit of the New York State Police and receives the early morning call to be the lead on the murder. Reed is razor focused on this case as his superior keeps close tabs on him and his state of mind because Reed is still trying to deal with the fact that he had no closure on the disappearance of his own step-daughter.

Initially, Reed and his fellow investigators are lead to believe it is a case of a distraught ex-boyfriend, but as the case continues Reed finds a tangled web of lies and relationships among many of the small towns’ inhabitants in the region.

Reed discovers there have been other missing and dead girls over the past years. There is something even bigger going on and it is a secret that many are willing to keep at any cost.

I was really caught up in this intricately plotted and paced mystery. Reed is an intriguing protagonist who is dealing with his own demons, but he is cognizant of his problems and the fact his superior is keeping tabs on his mental health as he works this case. Through everything though, Reed is determined to get to the truth and on top of every inconsistency in the case. All the secondary characters, good and bad, were fully fleshed and added to the realism of the story. The threads came together in the end for an interesting and satisfying conclusion.

I recommend this new standalone mystery by this author for an entertaining and satisfying read.

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About the Author

T.J. Brearton’s books have reached half a million readers around the world and have topped the Amazon charts in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. A graduate of the New York Film Academy in Manhattan, Brearton first worked in film before focusing on novels. His books are visually descriptive with sharp dialog and underdog heroes. When not writing, Brearton does whatever his wife and three children tell him to do. They live happily in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. Yes, there are bears in the Adirondacks. But it’s really quite beautiful when you’re not running for your life.

T.J. is the author of Into Darkness, Road to Mercy and other crime thrillers. ROUGH COUNTRY will be his third novel published with Inkubator Books.

Social Media Links

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

Website: http://tjbrearton.net/

Purchase Links

US: https://www.amazon.com//dp/B08MWLZFYV/

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/B08MWLZFYV/

Publishing Information

Published by Inkubator Books in paperback and digital format on 15^th November 2020

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Phoenix Project by Michelle Kidd

The Phoenix Project (DI Jack MacIntosh #1) by Michelle Kidd

#ThePhoenixProject #DIJackMacIntosh @AuthorKidd @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on the Damppebbles Blog Tour to share my Feature Post and Book Review for THE PHOENIX PROJECT (DI Jack MacIntosh Book #1) by Michelle Kidd. This is an exciting thriller/international crime/mystery mash-up that is the first book in a new series by a new to me author.

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

How long can the past remain buried?

A simple message in a local newspaper. A set of highly sensitive documents left in the back of a London black cab. Both events collide to cause Isabel Faraday’s life to be turned upside down. Growing up believing her parents died in a car crash when she was five, Isabel learns the shocking truth; a truth that places her own life in danger by simply being a Faraday. Detective Inspector Jack MacIntosh of the Metropolitan Police races against time to save her, and at the same time unravels long forgotten secrets involving MI5, MI6, the KGB and NASA. Secrets that have lain dormant for twenty years. Secrets worth killing for. With kidnap, murder and suicides stretching across four continents, just what is the Phoenix Project?

The Phoenix Project is the first Detective Inspector Jack MacIntosh novel.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42112850-the-phoenix-project

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE PHOENIX PROJECT (DI Jack MacIntosh Book #1) by Michelle Kidd is an exciting thriller/international crime/mystery mash-up that is the first book in a new series by a new to me author.

Isabel Faraday is about to go from a simple shop assistant to becoming the center of an international plot which has her on the run for her life.

Long kept secrets that have lain dormant for twenty years are on the verge of being exposed, but there is a contingent that will do anything and kill anyone to prevent that from happening. Everyone is involved, MI5, MI6, the FBI, NASA and the KGB and with Isabel’s life on the line, Detective Inspector Jack MacIntosh of the Metropolitan Police races against time to save Isabel and unravel the secrets of the Phoenix Project and a secret organization protecting it called PRISM.

What is the Phoenix Project?

This book is a little confusing at first, not just trying to understand why Isabel is in danger, but also because there are so many characters from many different agencies. Once you get everything sorted out, each turn of the page increases the pace of the plot. The thrills, twists and turns, murders and intrigue take off and continues to crescendo towards a very satisfying conclusion. I was especially intrigued with Jack and I believe he is a great protagonist to follow into future books.

I am looking forward to following DI Jack MacIntosh and author Michelle Kidd in the future.

***

About the Author

Michelle Kidd is a self-published author known for the Detective Inspector Jack MacIntosh series of novels.

Michelle qualified as a lawyer in the early 1990s and spent the best part of ten years practising civil and criminal litigation.

But the dream to write books was never far from her mind and in 2008 she began writing the manuscript that would become the first DI Jack MacIntosh novel – The Phoenix Project. The book took eighteen months to write, but spent the next eight years gathering dust underneath the bed.

In 2018 Michelle self-published The Phoenix Project and had not looked back since. There are currently three DI Jack MacIntosh novels, with a fourth in progress.

Michelle works full time for the NHS and lives in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. She enjoys reading, wine and cats – not necessarily in that order J

Bibliography

The Phoenix Project (DI Jack MacIntosh book 1)

Seven Days (DI Jack MacIntosh book 2)

The Fifteen (DI Jack MacIntosh book 3)

Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorKidd

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

Website: https://www.michellekiddauthor.com/

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

Purchase Links

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3nLLqMQ