Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE HARDWICK HEATH KILLER (DI Nicki Hardcastle Mysteries Book #3) by Michelle Kidd on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions book tour.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Blurb
Two grisly murders. Three days apart. One brutal killer?
The call comes at midnight on a stormy March night. A body has been found hanging from a tree on Hardwick Heath. In the dead man’s pocket is a handwritten note: SORRY. LIFE IS JUST TOO HARD. LOVE TO YOU ALL.
Detective Nicki’s instincts tell her this was no suicide — but someone has gone to a lot of trouble to make it look like one.
Three days later, a second body is found floating in a pond, just a few miles away. But the victim didn’t drown.
The police are treating the deaths as separate cases. Then Nicki uncovers a link between the two dead men — and the case takes a shocking twist.
As she unearths a series of secrets stretching back twenty years, Nicki and her team find themselves in a race against time before more people die.
THE DETECTIVE Detective Nicki Hardcastle is in her early thirties. She’s an independent, determined woman who is good at her job and treats her team with the respect they deserve. When she was ten years old, her little brother Dean disappeared. Nicki was supposed to be watching him. Now, she is estranged from her family, and finds it difficult to let people get close to her. Contentedly single, Nicki’s perfect evening consists of a long run followed by a hot bath. Her closest companion is her cat, Luna.
THE SETTING Bury St Edmunds is a picturesque market town in the heart of Suffolk, on the east coast of England. Founded in the 11th century, the town is notable for its rich and colorful history. Tourists flock to see the ruins of the medieval abbey and maybe catch a glimpse of the infamous ghostly ‘Grey Lady’. It’s also home to the Angel Hotel, once frequented by Charles Dickens, and the Nutshell, famous for being Britain’s smallest pub. It’s an unlikely setting for murder. But its tranquil surroundings and stunning architecture hide a darker side.
DI NICKI HARDCASTLE Book 1: MISSING BOY Book 2: THE TROPHY KILLER Book 3: THE HARDWICK HEATH KILLER
DI JACK MACINTOSH Book 1: SEVEN DAYS TO DIE Book 2: FIFTEEN REASONS TO KILL Book 3: SIXTEEN CARVED PIECES Book 4: TWENTY YEARS BURIED Book 5: THREE BROKEN BODIES
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My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
THE HARDWICK HEATH KILLER (DI Nicki Hardcastle Mysteries Book #3) by Michelle Kidd is a British police procedural crime thriller that builds to an exciting and surprising climax but is slow to get going in the beginning with its multiple subplots that are slightly confusing. This series also intertwines DI Nicki Hardcastle’s past throughout and I believe it is best to read the books in order to understand what is happening in this regard.
DI Nicki Hardcastle and her team are still recovering from their last major case when they are called to what appears to be a suicide, but it is not. Three days later, a major landowner in the district is found floating dead in a lake.
At first these murders appear to have nothing in common, but as the team investigates, there are secrets stretching back twenty years that begin to bring all the clues and players together. Nicki is in a race against time to stop the killer before more people die.
This is a good British crime thriller read, but I felt at times the pace was bogged down by too many subplots. I appreciate the work done by the author to bring these many threads together in the end to completely surprise the reader and I enjoy this series with Nicki’s complex and secretive personal life, but there were also times that Nicki did things that I thought were out of character for a smart and intelligent DI. Overall, while this was not my favorite in the series, the investigation was well written, and I am excited for book #4 because of the slight cliffhanger at the end of this book.
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Author Bio
Michelle Kidd is a crime fiction author best known for the DI Jack MacIntosh and DI Nicki Hardcastle series. Michelle qualified as a legal executive in the early 1990s, spending ten years practising civil and criminal litigation.
But the dream to write was never far from her mind and in 2008 she began writing the first book in what would later become the DI Jack MacIntosh series. Michelle now works full time for the NHS and lives in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. She enjoys reading, wine and cats — not necessarily in that order.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for NEVER FINISHED (Pine Crest Mountain Book #1) by Ana Rhodes on this AME Blog Tour.
Below you will find an author Q&A, a book synopsis, my book review, an excerpt from the book, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Author Q&A
Where do you get inspiration for your stories?
From everywhere! The places I’ve been, the people I’ve met. I’m inspired by everyday things. My mind is always capturing moments that will inspire me down the road.
Your book is set in Colorado. Have you ever been there?
I lived there for four years and it holds a special place in my heart. I still travel there at least once a year to visit friends and get my rocky mountain high. 🙂
What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
I have had several people say they can feel all the emotions between my main characters. A story can feel flat without it, so I’m so happy to hear it comes across in my writing. That is the goal after all!
What are your favorite tropes to read?
I love a good forbidden love story because it creates beautiful tension between the main characters. Add a little brother’s best friend or age gap and I’m all in!
Any hobbies? or Name a quirky thing you like to do.
I make homemade wine. While I love the finished product, there is a lot of cleaning and sanitation involved that makes it less romantic than it sounds.
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Book Synopsis
She’s an heiress bound by obligation, determined to protect her mother’s legacy. He’s a bartender from the wrong side of the tracks who’s always loved her.
Twelve years ago, I chose my family and the future they laid out for me. And walked away from Jaime, my best friend and forbidden fantasy. We said goodbye with a soul searing kiss I can still feel on my lips.
Now I’m back in Silverpine for the first time since my mother died. I’m brokering a merger for the family business—only I don’t realize my freedom is on the line. My father wants to expand at any cost, including offering his only daughter as part of the deal.
But Jaime is back too, and his effortless charm and smile disarm my every defense. He stands for everything my world isn’t—warm, passionate, and unpredictably beautiful.
I’m trapped between the life I’ve always known and the taste of freedom I’ve longed for. But with my father plotting my future, and my mother’s legacy weighing heavy, can I dare to rewrite my story for love?
NEVER FINISHED (Pine Crest Mountain Book #1) by Ana Rhodes is an enchanting and sexy contemporary second chance romance. This romance genre read pulled me in with relatable characters, introduced me to a small mountain town and resort in Colorado, and hit all the right romantic notes with just a touch of suspense all the way to HEA.
Emma and Jaime were pulled apart twelve years ago by her father’s machinations and family obligations to her dying mother. Both moved on with their lives, but never forgot their special bond.
Emma is back at their family’s resort to broker a deal for her father. What she does not know is that Jaime is working as The Lounge manager and head mixologist. They run into each other after an event and pick up as if no time has passed at all. Their chemistry is intense, and they are determined to not let anything pull them apart again, but once again Emma’s father, who only cares about money, is determined to run Emma’s life and not only make her part of a business deal but steal the virgin mountain land her mother left her.
I enjoyed this first book in the Pine Crest Mountain series and Emma and Jaime’s romance. Emma is a strong, intelligent, sweet and loving heroine who is having a hard time since her mother’s death. The treatment of her by her father was horrible and I was happy with the author’s resolution. Jaime was swoon worthy and protective. The sex scenes are smokin’ hot and explicit, but not gratuitous. All the secondary characters are believable, and I look forward to following them in further romances in the series. The dialogue is realistic, and the touch of suspense was a nice twist.
This is an easy-to-read, heartfelt contemporary romance that you just want to curl up with and let it take you away for a few hours. Gratifying start to this new series.
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Excerpt
Me: Hey, I need an SOS call to get out of this dinner. Call me in five minutes?
I breathed a sigh of relief when she answered almost immediately.
Caroline: On it. Five minutes starting now.
Thank God for Caroline. I smoothed a hand over my hair and made my way back to the table. Andrew was busy chatting away on his phone, glancing at me as I sat back down and mouthing “Sorry.”
As he wrapped up his conversation, I pushed the food around on my plate with my fork, not bothering to eat any of it.
“I’m sorry about that. Sometimes all this networking can be downright exhausting. Now, where were we? Ah, yes, we were talking about merging,” he said, drawing out the last word, and I smiled tightly, trying to hide my disgust.
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could get a word out, my phone rang.
Thank you, Caroline.
“Excuse me … You know how it is. I have to take this,” I said, slipping my phone from my clutch and stepping into the lobby. “Hello?”
“Hello, Ms. Carter, an emergency requires your attention. Now before you say anything, I need to know … Are you okay getting rid of this guy on your own, or do I need to come down there with a crowbar? Be honest.”
I bit back a laugh. “That won’t be necessary, but I appreciate the concern.”
“Of course. What are friends for? I expect a full report when you get back, though.”
“You got it,” I promised before I hung up. I glanced up, and my eyes landed on the bar where Jaime was helping a guest. He looked up at that exact moment, and our eyes caught and held. After all this time, he could still make me weak in the knees.
A slow smile stretched across Jaime’s lips, and he winked. I smiled back like a teenager with a crush. He turned his attention back to his customer, and I immediately felt the loss of connection.
I walked back to the table, looking apologetic. “Andrew, I am so sorry, but there’s an emergency and …”
“And you need to go,” he finished.
I nodded, forcing a sheepish expression, and Andrew nodded in understanding. “I get it—I always have a lot of fires to put out. I assume I’ll hear from you tomorrow to set up another time to meet?”
“Of course,” I promised, already dreading it. Andrew opened his arms for a hug, but I stuck out my hand. He laughed awkwardly and shook my hand before telling me goodnight and slinking out of the restaurant.
I hovered near the table until I was sure Andrew was out of sight, then escaped into the bar, relief pouring over me at the idea of being in Jaime’s presence.
I headed straight toward Jaime, who was grinning at me.
“What happened to your fancy business dinner?” he asked as I slipped my butt onto a stool.
I shrugged. “It was a bust, which is why I could use a Gin Fizz right about now.”
“Coming up,” he replied as he grabbed a shaker. “I would feel bad your dinner didn’t go well, but selfishly, I’m glad because you’re here earlier than I expected.”
I felt myself blush. “Well, those dinners are boring, and I’d rather spend my time talking to someone interesting.”
His eyebrows shot up. “And you think I’m interesting?”
I huffed out a laugh. “So modest. You know you’re usually the most interesting man in the room.”
He barked a laugh. “Isn’t that the guy in the Dos Equis commercial?”
“I’m just saying you could give him a run for his money.”
Jaime leaned closer—close enough I could smell his cologne. He smelled like cedar with a hint of bergamot and something uniquely Jaime.
That was when my stomach growled. Loud. I felt my face heat with embarrassment.
“Was that …” he started.
I nodded. “Yes … and that was totally embarrassing,” I lamented.
“Did you not eat at that fancy dinner tonight?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
I shook my head. “Kind of lost my appetite having to deal with that blowhard …” I began before stopping myself as Jaime listened with amusement. “I mean, having to deal with that promising investor,” I amended, slapping an exaggerated smile on my face.
He chuckled. “Well, I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you work on getting a little less gin and a little more water into your system, and I’ll go make you something to eat.”
I shook my head. “Oh no, Jaime, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t, I’m offering,” he said with a grin before something caught his eye over my shoulder. I turned to find Caroline with a feline smile on her lips as she glanced between the two of us.
“Well, hello there,” she practically sang as she slipped onto the stool beside me, reaching her hand out to Jaime. “I’m Caroline, Emma’s best friend. You must be Jaime.”
Jaime shook her hand, his grin widening. “Hello, Caroline, it’s nice to meet you. I was just going to rustle up something to eat for my starving soldier here. You wouldn’t happen to be hungry, would you?”
Caroline’s eyes lit with amusement as she rested her chin on a fist. “Oh Jaime, that’s my eternal state of being.”
Jaime laughed, and the rich sound sent shivers down my spine. “Okay—two Jaime specials coming up,” he said, throwing a towel over his shoulder. “You two sit tight, and I’ll be back before you know it.”
As soon as he was out of sight, Caroline looked at me in wonder. “Oh. My. God,” she marveled. “He’s cooking for you already. I see why you’ve been pining after him for so long.”
“Caroline,” I hissed. “Keep your voice down. You have the subtly of a freight train.”
She made a face. “Uh, I hate to break it to you, Emma, but there’s nothing subtle about this whole situation. I mean, when I walked in here, that man looked like he was two seconds away from devouring you.”
A happy warmth spread through me at her observation, but I didn’t say anything.
“Besides, you had to know I was going to come check on you after that SOS call. I’m assuming your associate had to have been behaving like a total creep to make you call me.”
I sighed. “Well, maybe not a total creep, but he was fast approaching,” I paused, turning to face Caroline. “It’s weird. Before I would have breezed through that dinner no matter how uncomfortable I was in order to get the deal done. But there’s something about being here … I don’t know. I just didn’t have it in me to put up with it tonight.”
Caroline nodded sympathetically. “Maybe Mama Carter’s spirit is reminding you it’s not your job to take everybody’s shit.”
I laughed. “I can’t imagine my mother putting it like that, but maybe you’re right … and based on our recent experiences, it would seem we both need to embrace that sentiment.”
Caroline grimaced. “Amen to that.”
It was then that Jaime returned with a tray in his arms. “Ladies, dinner is served,” he said, presenting us with two plates that each held a burger with all the fixings, a side of fries, and little cups filled with ketchup.
My eyes widened as the smell hit my nostrils and my empty stomach. “Is that …” I started.
“Oh, it is, Mabel’s secret recipe,” Jaime announced with relish. “It’s been a long time, but I know that recipe like the back of my hand. I only wish I could get my hands on a couple of chocolate milkshakes, and then you could have the full experience.”
I couldn’t stop the grin that took over my mouth. “I can’t believe you went to all this trouble.”
Jaime shook his head. “Anything for you, Bella,” he said in a low voice, and prickles of pleasure raced down my spine at the mention of the nickname he’d given me when we were younger. I still remember the first time he’d called me that, explaining it meant beautiful.
Our eyes held for a long moment before Caroline’s moan interrupted. “Wow, you were not lying about this burger, Emma,” she mumbled around a mouthful of burger.
“Well, tell me if it still holds up,” Jaime said, gesturing toward my plate.
I picked up the hefty burger, my mouth watering from the smell, and when I took that first bite, a flood of memories assaulted my senses from the taste.
My eyes shut in rapture. It tasted heavenly, but knowing Jaime’s hands created it made it all the better.
I opened my eyes and met Jaime’s gaze as he watched me hungrily. I swallowed hard around the bite of food as a different appetite was awakened.
Caroline cleared her throat loudly. “You know, as fun as this has been and as much as I would like to get to know the legendary Jaime, I think it might be better to take this in a doggy bag.”
I looked sharply at Caroline, feeling the need to tell her, “You don’t need to do that.”
She winked at me before saying, “I assure you, no one needs to witness me consuming this burger—it’s about to get wild. So if you’ll excuse me, I think my burger and I need to be alone.”
Jaime had already pulled out a cardboard box and was helping Caroline pack up her food along with a complimentary cocktail for the road.
“Well, Jaime, it was lovely meeting you, and I hope we can talk more later, but right now, I have a date with this burger,” Caroline declared.
“Totally understand. It was nice to meet a friend of Emma’s.”
Caroline beamed at Jaime—my normally suspicious friend had been charmed. She rose from her stool and hugged me. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Enjoy that burger,” Jaime said, his sexy smile further crumbling my resolve. God, that smile used to make me feel all the things, and it had only magnified in power in the years we’d been apart.
It was then Joey rushed to the bar. “Jaime, I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have a situation with a guest.”
Jaime shot us both an apologetic look. “I’ll be right back,” he said before stepping around the bar and following Joey.
Caroline looked at me, eyebrows drawn up. “Emma,” she exclaimed, “I thought you were being a little dramatic all these years, but girl, you definitely undersold him. And for the record, that man has plans for you.”
I shook my head. “Would you calm down? We’re old friends catching up on lost time. That’s all,” I said, unsure who I was trying to convince, Caroline or myself.
She huffed out a laugh. “You can tell yourself that all you want, but from my vantage point, you are two seconds away from doing it on this bar.” She stopped cold, and a wicked grin stole over her mouth. “Now wouldn’t that be a picture for old Daddy Moneybags?” she asked, using the nickname she’d given my father, a man she wasn’t particularly fond of given how he’d been acting lately. “And as a token of my love and admiration,” she continued, “I’m delaying the consumption of this burger to stop by the front desk and get my own room.”
I felt a weird combination of panic and excitement threading through me at her suggestion. “Caroline, that’s really not necessary. I seriously doubt …”
She put up a hand to stop me. “Save your breath, Emma. All I’m asking is for you to keep an open mind, and this way, you can’t use me crashing in your suite as an excuse. I refuse to be a cockblock.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but Caroline just grinned, snatching up her to-go cocktail and box and giving me a wink before floating out of the bar and into the lobby.
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Author Bio
Hello! I’m Ana and I love writing swoony, small town romances with sweet, protective heroes who love their strong and sassy leading ladies. When I’m not writing, I’m reading… romances, of course! I’m a sucker for a good love story, and I hope you enjoy mine.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE GARDEN GIRLS (FBI: Strange Crimes Unit Book #3) by Jessica R. Patch 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 Kingsumo giveaway. Good luck on the giveaway and enjoy!
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Book Description
On a remote Outer Banks island, a serial killer collects his prized specimens. And to stop him, an FBI agent must confront his own twisted past.
FBI agent Tiberius Granger has seen his share of darkness. But a new case sets him on edge. It’s not just the macabre way both victims—found posed in front of lighthouses—are tattooed with flowers that match their names. There’s also the unsettling connection to the woman Ty once loved and to the shadowy cult they both risked everything to escape.
Bexley Hemmingway’s sister has gone missing, and she’ll do anything to find her—including teaming up with Ty. That may prove a mistake, and not just because Ty doesn’t know he’s the father of her teenaged son. It seems the killer is taunting Ty, drawing everyone close to him into deeper danger.
As the slashing winds and rain of a deadly hurricane approach the coast of North Carolina, the search leads Ty and Bex to an island that hides a grisly secret. But in his quest for the truth, Ty has ignored the fact that this time, he’s not just the hunter. Every move has been orchestrated by a killer into a perfect storm of terror, and they will need all their skills to survive…
Genre: Christian Psychological Thriller Published by: Love Inspired Trade Publication Date: April 23, 2024 Number of Pages: 367 ISBN: 9781335463074 (ISBN10: 1335463070) Series: FBI: Strange Crimes Unit, Book 3 || Each is a Stand-Alone Novel
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My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
THE GARDEN GIRLS (FBI: Strange Crimes Unit Book #3) by Jessica R. Patch is a chilling and suspenseful romantic suspense/serial killer crime thriller. This is the third book in the FBI: Strange Crimes series, but it can easily be read as a standalone thriller. Each book focuses on a different member of the team, and I have read all of them.
FBI Agent Tiberius “Ty” Granger is the religious studies and cult expert on the southeastern area’s unit of the Strange Crimes. His past, in which he grew up in the darkness of a religious cult, is the reason he chases these monsters. He is a grown man who diverts people from truly understanding him with juvenile humor and song lyrics. The current case has Tiberius being personally lured to the Outer Banks by a serial killer collecting girls for his garden.
Bexley “Bex” Hemmingway’s sister has gone missing. Ty discovers the girl he loved, and her sister are alive, and it is her sister that is missing, but Bexley has an even bigger secret. Before they were separated by the cult, Bexley was pregnant. Now the serial killer is personally taunting Ty and placing everyone he cares about in danger.
With a hurricane on the way, Ty and Bex are about to discover a terrible secret on a private island. This serial killer has been plotting for a long time to get Ty into his world and destroy him.
I find Ms. Patch’s serial killer crime plots to be extremely well written and plotted. In this book, and the two previous ones in this series, I found it difficult to put them down. The killers are truly terrifying. The killers are dark and gritty, but interspersed with their depravity is the friendship, closeness and sometime humor of the Strange Crimes team as they work the clues. This is a Christian romantic suspense series and while I appreciated the author not cheating by solving every problem with just a prayer, I did feel at times the proselytizing was a bit too heavy for my taste, and that is present in all three books. Others who are more into the religious aspects of Christian fiction may not agree with me and that is their right. There is violence in these books, but they are serial killer crime thrillers and that is to be expected.
The characters of the Strange Crime Unit are all fully developed and engaging. With each book you discover more of what makes each individual click and why they do what they do. I enjoyed meeting all the members of the team and I find the crime plots make for a very edge-of-your-seat thrilling read.
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Excerpt
Prologue The Garden Girls
Sharp claws scrape along my neck.
Back and forth.
Back and forth.
Buzzing fills the room, and I strain to open my eyes but they’re like molasses, thick and sticky and slow-moving. My stomach jumps and the room shifts as my blurred vision registers red walls and coffee-colored concrete. I inhale a hint of bleach and incense with a spicy note as I shift to survey the rest of the room, but my muscles ripple like languid water.
The air-conditioner kicks on, and the cold air raises chills across my naked body.
I’m…naked. A fist squeezes my lungs as panic rips through my system. My memories are disjointed.
Where am I? How did I arrive here?
What is happening to me? What has already happened? Shoe soles click on the floor and silence my questions.
I am not alone. Or…I wasn’t. The door closes with a quiet click.
Get up. Move. Run!
Gripping the sides of a massage table, I roll off, and my bare feet hit cool flooring. The walls close in and shift, and my stomach roils. Something is wrong. Off.
Floor-to-ceiling mirrors cover an entire wall, and my breath catches as reality comes into view.
Pink flower buds wend through a vine of black along my neck and upper back.
Confusion clouds my senses, and I stand cemented in place gawking at the angry red skin, sore and tender and smeared with glossy petroleum jelly.
A tight knot grows in my throat, and tears stab with heated force against the backs of my eyes.
I have to get out of here.
Behind me, I spot a twin bed with luxurious sheets and a thick white comforter as well as tattooing equipment. My hands tremble. Am I in a tattoo parlor? Why is a bed in here?
Lying on the floor next to the bed is an old iron cuff attached to a thick, heavy chain that is anchored to the wall.
Why is that in here and where are my clothes?
I snatch the downy comforter and drape it over my exposed body.
Run. Run. Run!
I open the door but have no clue which way to go or where he is or how long until he finds and cuffs me to that bed.
I’ve been trapped before at the hands of a vicious predator. Old memories surface and spur me across the carpeted flooring. The hall veers left. My eyes begin to adjust to the darkness as I flee to safety—no.
To a dead end.
Defeat leaches like muddy water into my soul, and my chest aches. The only choice is to turn around.
But he’s in that direction.
Sweat slicks down my temples and spine, springing up through my pores like an underground fountain as I return the way I came.
I see what might be a crack in the wall. Light seeps in from the other side. As I approach, I discover it’s a door made to look like part of the wall. I swallow hard and guide my fingers along the smooth wood until I feel a lever. I push it and the door releases, but it takes some grit to open it enough for me to slide through.
I expect some kind of lair or dungeon or God knows what—a wall with torture devices and cages—but it’s not.
It’s a living room with wall-to-wall windows overlooking dark water.
Where is he?
I suck in a breath as creaking registers on the stairs. There’s nowhere to hide, and the comforter is bulky and will easily give me away. I have no option but to ditch it in the corner. I can’t dwell on modesty.
Outside.
I dart toward the sliding glass door, silently slide it open and slip out into the warm night air before scrambling to the edge of the balcony. I crouch to make myself small, like when I was a child and needed to obscure myself.
Maybe he doesn’t realize I’m gone, but then it hits me.
I didn’t shut the secret door concealing the other rooms.
A sob bubbles to the surface as I shake uncontrollably like I’ve woken from anesthesia. The ground is far below me. I’d die or break my legs, maybe my spine. But I’d rather die than go back to that room.
To that chain.
To more tattoo needles.
To him.
I draw up my knees and wait, pray. Hope.
When the door doesn’t open, I scoot across the deck, the raw wood digging into tender flesh, but I need to see if the coast is clear.
What if he’s standing at the door, waiting? Watching?
I hear something and freeze.
One Mississippi. Two Mississippi…I count silently until I reach Twenty Mississippi and scoot again.
I can’t be sure if he’s nearby. If he is, deep in the marrow of my bones, I know the kinds of things that await me. I know what evil men can do. I’ve seen it. Experienced it.
Finally, I muster the courage to peep through the door. The room is empty and dimly lit from the one glowing lamp. I creep inside; my brain is fuzzy and spins.
No footsteps. Only bulging shadows in the corners.
I slither across the Berber carpet and inhale the newness. A set of stairs is on the other side of the open living concept. About ten feet of space isn’t occupied with furniture which means when I make a run for it, and he enters the room, I’ll have no cover.
If he doesn’t and I make it downstairs, he could still be waiting for me.
I try to form a defense plan, but my brain might as well be sludge. Making my move, more out of my flight response than logic, I army-crawl across the open space to the stairs.
Two sets of six. I practically roll down the first set and pause.
He’s not there at the small landing.
Six more to go.
This time I move slower, ignoring the adrenaline shouting sprint. I can’t. He could be waiting and I need to listen.
One…two…three…four…five…six. I pause again at the bottom of the stairs.
No light befriends me on the ground floor. Only darkness—and darkness is never a friend. Darkness is deceptive, offering false security. Nothing good transpires in darkness. It’s not a refuge to hide. But a place to be found. In the dark, I can’t see my predator, but I know he’s lurking.
The door is five feet away to freedom, and I sprint for it.
Hope blooms in my chest.
I mutter a prayer as I run. Three feet left.
Two.
Thank God, I’m here. I twist the knob.
It’s locked.
A cry cracks loose inside me, but I hold it down and fumble with the dead bolt.
Shuffling sounds across tile.
Closer. Closer.
I manage to turn the dead bolt and pull on the door, but it sticks.
He’s coming. The clicks are methodic, slow and measured as if he’s in no hurry. Like he knows I can’t escape. It’s a game.
Please. Please. Come on!
The door opens and I slip out, forcing myself to stay calm in case my mind is playing tricks on me and it’s not him. This time, I make sure to close the door behind me. The air is balmy and the wind rustles through the grass.
The briny sea air washes over my tongue and the marsh grass swishes as I dart down a private boardwalk that leads…I don’t know where. I only know to run and eat up the ground and create distance between me and the house of horror. Between me and him.
Thick walls of clouds block the moonlight.
A door slams. Then I hear something.
Thwupt. Thwupt. Thwupt.
He’s dragging something across the boardwalk. I dare not turn to look.
He’s coming.
Slow and methodical. Silent. Only the awful dragging noise.
Nothing comes into view but marshland and water surrounded by clusters of trees. Alligators lie in wait. I can’t remember how I know this. There are snakes and snapping turtles too.
But he’s behind me.
Plopping noises in the water draw my attention, and I freeze. What is it? Will it approach me or prey on me if I enter too?
I can’t risk staying on the boardwalk. I ease myself into the icy depths and it steals my breath. Slime oozes over my feet, and I sink into mire. Murky water reaches my waist, sending a shock along my abdomen, but I can’t gasp. Instead, I push through the grass and hope the stirring due to my movement won’t alert him of my location.
Sharp twigs and rocks gouge into the bottom of my feet, and I crunch my bottom lip to keep from crying. Marsh grass appears soft at a glance, but it’s strong and sharp like knitting needles and stabs into my flesh and tender places where I’ve been tattooed in flowers.
Ahead is a patch of dense trees that would conceal me even in daylight. A huge splash sends ripples only a few feet away, startling resting birds to flight. Now I know what’s been causing the dragging noise.
A canoe.
He’s cutting through the narrow channels and at an advantage.
I can’t stop now. I push through the mud, which tries to hold me captive, and toward the dense thicket of trees. I finagle my way inside, but it’s like camping in a thorn bush, and nettles rip my flesh. A quiet cry escapes my throat, and I cover my mouth.
Did he hear me? Does he know I’m here?
I shiver in the water, my teeth chattering as something lightweight drops onto the crown of my head and skitters into the thick layers before I can catch it.
I squeeze my eyes shut and clench my jaw to muffle a scream. What hideous legged creature is creeping through my hair?
What swims unseen below my waist?
Plop. Plop. Plop.
Fish, alligators, snakes…him?
“Daaaah, daaaah, dah daaaah,” his rich buttery tone sings. It echoes through the wetland and sweeps over my skin like icy talons. “I’ve got all night,” he continues singing. “I’ll take my time.” I cup my hands over my mouth to silence my chattering teeth. He’s close. So close. “I’ll find you. There’s nowhere to hide,” he belts out as if we’re in a Broadway show. His voice is magical and terrifying. “You belong to meeeee…You want only meee…”
I can’t stay here. He’ll find me. I work as silently as possible out of the thicket and away from the concentration of his voice. I hoist myself onto the wooden boardwalk because he believes I’m in the water. Rushing is out of the question. He’ll hear my footfalls. Slow and steady is about all I can muster anyway. My legs might as well be licorice sticks.
He’s still singing and slicing an oar through the water as I forge ahead, quickening my steps by a small measure until I finally reach the end of the boardwalk and am on dry ground. In the woods.
The woods mean I’ll find a road at the clearing. Help will drive by, and I’ll flag it down to freedom.
I wait a beat while my eyes adjust to greater darkness. The trees loom overhead, and the ground is mushy and mixed with sand. I stub my toe, tripping over roots jutting out, but press on. There’s a path and I follow it. Bike path maybe?
My feet are cut and bleeding and my head pounds. The path curves, then straightens out, and I halt.
Not a road.
Not freedom.
Before me is a long stretch of beach littered with driftwood and shells that cut into my feet. Beyond the beach is the endless sea. No homes. Only wetland to my back and the sea everywhere else.
I have no boat. No canoe. Nothing to propel me to freedom.
I’m on a private island, and I finally remember how I arrived.
***
Author Bio
Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author, Jessica R. Patch is known for her dry wit and signature twists whether she’s penned a romantic suspense, a cold case thriller, or a small-town romance. When she’s not getting into fictional mischief with her characters, you can find her cozy on the couch in her mid-south home reading books by some of her favorite authors, watching movies with her family, and collecting recipes to amazing dishes she’ll probably never cook. Sign up for her newsletter “Patched In” at www.jessicarpatch.com and receive a FREE short thriller exclusive to subscribers. Jessica is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Management.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for FIRE ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #13) by Stewart Giles on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions book tour.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
Book Blurb
In the evening of the 4th of July 2019 four dozen drones descend on Guernsey, and the peaceful island is ablaze in minutes. 48 individual bombs have caused destruction in all four corners of the island.
Detective Inspector Liam O’Reilly takes this extremely personally. He was enjoying his honeymoon in the far north of the island at the time.
As the fire on the island continues to burn, O’Reilly can’t sit back and wait for it to die down. He needs answers to why this happened on the island he now calls home.
But the truth is going to take him to hell and back.
The fire on the island is only the start: this is a case that O’Reilly may never recover from.
FIRE ON THE ISLAND (DC Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #13) by Stewart Giles is another engaging and exciting addition to the DC Liam O’Reilly Mysteries series. This series never fails to keep me glued to the page from start to finish. Each book can be read as a standalone because the crimes mysteries are all unique, but I love watching characters reveal traits and quirks, and grow in their relationships, so I prefer reading the books in order.
DI Liam O’Reilly is enjoying his honeymoon when they are interrupted by a call. Several dozen drones have encircled the island and dropped bombs along the entire coast. As the smoke and fires are being taken care of, Liam is told four people have lost their lives. The Guernsey Border Agency has received a call that this is an attack from an Albanian terrorist group that plans to destroy even more if a ransom is not paid, but Liam does not believe it is terrorists at all.
Liam and his team discover the drones have come from the neighboring island of Herm, while the GBA agents look the other way. Liam is determined to discover what the four murdered victims have in common and why they were killed, while also looking forward to once again proving the GBA wrong.
This police procedural/murder mystery surprised me with the conclusion, and I love when that happens. Mr. Giles effortlessly intertwines new-to-me information on subjects that I did not know would fascinate me, plot twists and surprises, and main character developments that pull me in and keep me turning the pages. I love Liam and it seems to me he is becoming a bit less irascible, at least with those he cares about. Every one of the main characters is like a friend now and I love to catch up with them in each book.
This is one of my favorite DC mystery series and I highly recommend this police procedural/crime mystery, the entire series, and this author.
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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.
Cowboy Max Romero is a married man—even if he hasn’t seen his bride since their impulsive Reno wedding. When the seriously sexy Brit Phoebe Creighton-Smith suddenly shows up in his life again, the last thing he expects is a request to play man-and-wife in front of her family. But it sounds like a challenge to the mischievous Max, who offers Phoebe one in return—give up proper English etiquette for riding the range like a real rancher’s woman.
Phoebe is willing to rope a stallion, if it means she can convince her grandmother to release the trust fund she’s entitled to after marriage. She’ll just have to pretend that her deliciously brawny “husband” isn’t tempting her to total abandon every minute of every day—and night. But just when the heat between them crackles into a blaze, Phoebe’s snobby clan forces Max to make a choice, he knows he’ll risk everything to convince her that with them, true love is a sure thing . . .
THREE COWBOYS AND A BRIDE (Three Cowboys Book #3) by Kate Pearce is the third book in the Three Cowboys trilogy of cowboy contemporary romances and Max’s story which I have been waiting for and I believe my favorite of the three. While this book can be read as a standalone, I read them in order to follow all three of the cowboys’ romances because the main characters live together, and all appear in each book.
Cowboy Max Romero has never felt he deserved a permanent home, and he has an unfiltered mouth which gets him in trouble often, even with his friends. When he takes off a without notice from the ranch after a disagreement with Luke and Noah, they are surprised when he returns a few months later with a bride in tow that no one knew anything about.
Phoebe Creighton-Smith has tracked down the man she married in Reno. Four years ago, she conceived a marriage of convenience to Max to solve a problem with her inheritance back in England and then they parted ways. Now she is back requesting Max to play her husband at her sister’s wedding. Max agrees, but only if Phoebe will play a real rancher’s wife until they need to leave.
While playing husband and wife, Max and Phoebe discover an explosive chemistry between them, but these two have a few secrets to clear up. When Phoebe’s brother manipulates them to part, will Max risk it all for the woman he loves?
I loved Max and Phoebe. I really had no idea how Max would find the one for him after his problems in the first two books of the trilogy, but they were perfect for each other. There was a large communication gap between them, and it was slowly settled throughout the story and ended with the HEA I wished for. The sex scenes were smokin’ hot and steamy, but not gratuitous. I also always enjoy catching up on the lives of the other main couples and secondary characters. This is an entertaining and sexy romance with a great cast of characters.
I highly recommend this entire trilogy and I will definitely be checking out more of this author’s books.
***
Author Bio
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kate Pearce was born in England in the middle of a large family of girls and quickly found that her imagination was far more interesting than real life. After acquiring a degree in history and barely escaping from the British Civil Service alive, she moved to California and then to Hawaii with her kids and her husband and set about reinventing herself as a romance writer.
She is known for both her unconventional heroes and her joy at subverting romance clichés. In her spare time she self publishes science fiction erotic romance, historical romance, and whatever else she can imagine.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review of MIA by John Lansing 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, the author’s social media links and a Kingsumo giveaway. Good luck on the giveaway and enjoy!
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Book Description
Mia, is the origin story of retired inspector Jack Bertolino as a young undercover, NYPD narco-busting detective and his relationship with Mia, his confidential informant.
Mia, a former Miss Colombia, has the kind of beauty that can make a grown man contemplate leaving his wife, his job, and his kids. She’s a complex character, with a painful backstory, who signs on with Jack to help him infiltrate, and take down, a heavy hitter in the Colombian drug trade. Mia has ice water in her veins and is already responsible for delivering large amounts of cocaine, and millions of the cartels cash into the government’s coffers.
This is Jack and Mia’s story. How Mia became a confidential informant, her evolving relationship with Jack, and how the life and death case they break wide open becomes the prequel to The Devil’s Necktie.
Genre: Crime Thriller Published by: White Street Press/ Karen Hunter Publishing Publication Date: June 4th, 2024 Number of Pages: 252 ISBN: 979-8-89456-000-7 (Print) | 979-8-89456-899-7 (Digital) Series: The Jack Bertolino Series, Prequel
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My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
MIA by John Lansing is the action-packed origin story for the Jack Bertolino action/thriller series. This is the first book I have read in this series, and I am happy it was this one. Not only is this story an exciting thriller, but I cannot wait to continue with more books in the series now. I will be going into book one, The Devil’s Necktie, with even more knowledge of the main protagonist’s history.
NYPD detective Jack Bertolino heads up a special narcotics task force working to shut down all Columbian drug cartel cocaine from reaching the streets of NY and Miami. During this operation, Jack is introduced to the beautiful ex-Miss Columbia, Mia, who will be their confidential informant. Mia will do anything to bring down the Columbian cartel that has emotionally and physically harmed her in the past. The operation goes well, and Jack and Mia go their separate ways, but Jack has promised Mia to always protect her if she needs it.
Five years later, Mia is in danger and reaches out to Jack for help and when Jack makes a promise, he delivers.
This is an exciting, action-packed thriller that moves at a fast pace throughout. This story had me on the edge of my seat with the escalating tension of Mia being undercover and the violence of the cartel members. The law enforcement procedural plotline is well paced and interesting. Jack is a protagonist with a strict set of morals and while he is a workaholic, he still believes in family and loves his wife and son. The ending of this series prequel is sad and disturbing, but leaves you wanting to grab the first book in the series right away.
I highly recommend this prequel to the Jack Bertolino thriller series, and it is a great way to start the entire series which I will be doing.
***
Excerpt
Jack Bertolino’s early morning shower gave up the ghost long before he swiped his long-term pass to gain entry to the Staten Island Ferry. Once he landed in the City, he headed for Tango 23’s base of operations. There he picked up his NYPD plain-wrap sedan. The ninety-degree temperature, wetted by ninety-five degree humidity, made a mockery of the air conditioner in the Ford Crown Vic as it crawled through commuter traffic headed for LaGuardia. The air was thick, the stench of exhaust on the Grand Central Parkway overwhelmed as Jack dodged a pothole, rattled into the airport parking lot and came to an engine-clicking stop next to DEA agent Kenny Ortega’s government issue.
The joint narcotics task force case was in its sixth month. Jack had agreed to meet a few old friends and a new confidential informant who had arrived from Miami via Colombia. This CI claimed to be able to provide entry into the inner workings of Manuel Alvarez’s illicit drug operation.
Alvarez, a notorious Colombian trafficker, had been on Jack’s radar for more than a year. Alvarez was responsible for importing a thousand keys of cocaine into Miami on a monthly basis, and the poison
was dripping into New York City. Jack wanted Alvarez’s head on a pike.
At thirty-eight, Jack was already a lieutenant, the boss of the narco-rangers called Tango 23. His crew had great success shutting down drug and money-laundering cells in the five boroughs, piling millions of dollars of the cartel’s money into the city’s coffers.
Jack was a handsome, unpretentious man with thick dark hair he wore brushed back. Creases on his striking face were a roadmap of years exposed to the elements doing undercover narcotics work on the streets of New York City.
As he stepped out of the car, a hot gust of wind blew grit into Jack’s eyes and mouth. It also blasted the long hair of a young woman exiting the passenger side of Ortega’s vehicle, obscuring her face. The deafening sound of a wide-body jet thundered overhead as Jack spit and wiped his stinging eyes.
The woman hand-combed strands of blonde away from her face. When Jack’s vision cleared, he was momentarily stopped in his tracks. The woman was drop-dead gorgeous.
He nodded to Sal Traina, a member of the Tango group, and shook the hand of Mia Ferrero as Ortega made the introductions. Mia, an ex-Miss Colombia, was the confidential informant. Kenny Ortega, the Miami-based DEA agent, was Jack’s partner on the drug task force.
Nick Aprea, a detective from the LAPD narcotics division, had flown in from Los Angeles, where a large quantity of the illicit drugs ended up. He ducked low as he slid out of the back seat, wearing a black leather jacket in the New York heat, and led with a wolfish grin as he proffered a hand the size of a baseball glove. “Jack, good to be back in business.” Aprea was tall, hard, and took life as it came. He had arrived with serious skin in the game. A few years back, his partner had been gut-shot in an Alvarez–Delgado operation. Nick had put fifteen hundred keys of coke on the table, and his partner had been put in an early grave. When Jack invited him to the party, Nick jumped at the chance to deliver some retribution.
Mia signed on to the joint operation between the NYPD, Miami DEA, and LAPD to infiltrate Manuel Alvarez’s operation and help put away a
heavy hitter for the Colombian cartel. She was a proven commodity, already wealthy from delivering large quantities of cocaine and cash to the United States government’s coffers in their ongoing war on drugs. The Feds had a formula in place for paying informants. The bigger the bust, the larger the payoff. A nice way to fatten your wallet, an easy way to die.
Mia started playing Jack—who had a reputation of being a straight arrow—from the moment she touched down at LaGuardia Airport. She’d been summoned for a meeting downtown, organized to get a feel for the principals, define the case, and plan a strategy.
It was time to roll. Sal was sitting in the passenger seat of Jack’s car when Mia rapped on the window. Sal slid out, and Mia stepped in seconds before Jack pulled out of the lot.
“I hope you don’t mind. It was so crowded in the other car,” she said.
Jack wasn’t thrilled. “It’s okay,” he said, always careful when spending time with a CI. First of all, rules and parameters of the relationship had to be set in place, until the informant was proven trustworthy. Too many things could go wrong. Jack was career building and didn’t need any bullshit slowing him down. He had a line in the sand when dealing with informants, and although he always treated them with respect, sharing his personal life was a nonstarter.
Mia started talking rapid fire. Her English was lightly accented but flawless, and Jack chalked her excited banter to nerves.
“I wasn’t supposed to fly first class, but I used my frequent-flyer miles, and thank God because the plane was full, and I was in the air for so many hours. Should I call you Jack or Mr. Bertolino?”
“Lieutenant works.”
“Oh, very formal. It’s so hot in here,” Mia play-whined, and undid the second button on her blouse as she turned to face Jack. “Are you a by-the-numbers kind of guy?”
“Something like that.”
“I know a lot of Italians in Medellín. Not a formal one in the mix. Very sexy though, Italians in general, don’t you think?”
—
Jack kept his eyes trained on the traffic. “Never given it much thought.”
“Oh, I have. Very much so.”
Jack wasn’t going there. He hoped Mia would lose herself in the approaching view of the New York skyline and stop talking. Instead, she seemed content to stare at Jack who was growing increasingly uncomfortable, but didn’t want to get off on the wrong foot with a woman who could break his case wide open.
“And the police in general, what do they call it? Mucho testosterone. You can’t hide it, Jack—I mean, Lieutenant.” Mia’s smile was sly, and Jack kept his eyes on the road, not wanting the conversation to get out of hand.
“Your nose,” she said knowingly, “that must have hurt.”
Jack had a bump on his otherwise straight Roman nose. It was a gift from a crack dealer named Trey, who he traded punches with outside the Red Hook projects in Brooklyn. Trey went to jail, and Jack had a reminder every morning when he shaved to keep his right fist higher and jab with his left.
“Do you like sex on the beach?” Jack hoped she was talking about the cocktail and didn’t respond. “What about sex in the car?” Mia said and ran a manicured nail down his thigh. “I love giving blow jobs, I mean, giving oral sex.”
Jack shot a look in the rearview mirror, tried to remain stoic, but he was getting hot under the collar. He was doing sixty and Kenny Ortega’s car was tight on his bumper. Jack glanced in the rearview again, and saw the men in the trailing car laughing.
He’d had enough. He signaled and pulled the wheel hard to the right, sending Mia sliding against the passenger door. As horns around him started blaring, he skidded to a tire-screeching stop on the shoulder of the Brooklyn–Queens Expressway. He was followed by Ortega, Nick, and a few other smirking detectives in the second car.
Jack knew he’d been set up. He picked up the radio and raised Ortega. “Get this woman out of my car.”
Mia feigned being hurt. “Is it something I said?” Over the intercom, Ortega and his crew were howling. Mia jumped out of Jack’s car, her
face split into a sultry grin, and she winked. “Just having some fun, Lieutenant.”
Jack was the only one on the crew not laughing. He pulled back into traffic, riding solo, and dialed his home number.
Jeanine answered on the second ring. “Are you all right, Jack?”
“Huh?”
“An afternoon call. It’s usually bad news.”
“Oh, no, not today. Just wanted to hear your voice.”
“Hmmm, okay… Good.” Jeannine could read Jack’s mood and wasn’t buying it.
Jack started to relax, the earth rotating back on its axis. “Actually, I just made a pickup at LaGuardia, had a moment.”
“Okay. Are you going to make it home for dinner?”
“Don’t wait on me. We have a TAC meeting, breaking in a new informant. You know how that goes.”
Jeannine knew all too well what that meant. And Jack was hit with the familiar chill on the other end of the line. “Okay, Jack. Your son’s asking what happened to his father.”
“Tell him I miss him.”
“Tell him yourself, Jack,” Jeannine said quietly before hanging up the phone.
Jack stifled his growing anger, fully aware that he was an absentee father. From his point of view, he was building a secure life for his family, and they all had to make sacrifices. It was a team effort. He knew he was being defensive, but he also knew what it took to rise through the ranks of the NYPD.
Jack snapped out of it when Kenny beeped his horn and rocketed past in the fast lane. He rolled his eyes, slightly amused as Mia, sitting in the back seat, nailed him with a look that was purely X-rated.
Excerpt from MIA by John Lansing. Copyright 2024 by John Lansing. Reproduced with permission from John Lansing. All rights reserved.
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Author Bio
John Lansing is the author of six thrillers featuring Jack Bertolino—The Devil’s Necktie, Blond Cargo, Dead Is Dead, The Fourth Gunman, 25 to Life, and MIA—as well as the true-crime non-fiction book Good Cop Bad Money, written with former NYPD Inspector Glen Morisano. He has been a writer and supervising producer on Walker, Texas Ranger, the co-executive producer of the ABC series Scoundrels, and co-wrote two MOWs for CBS. The Devil’s Necktie is in development at Andria Litto’s Amuse Entertainment, with Barbara DeFina attached as a producer.
A native of Long Island, John now resides in Los Angeles.
