Today I am excited to share my Feature Post and Book Review on the Blog Tour for THE LIBRARY MURDERS by M.R. Mackenzie.
Below you will find a book description, my book review and the author’s bio. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Alyssa Clark is about to find out that reading really can be murder.
She thought her new job in Thornhill Library would be safe and uneventful. Boring, even. But on her first day at work, a masked gunman storms into the building and blows away every member of staff on duty. Alyssa barely escapes with her life.
The police are satisfied they’ve got their man, but Davy, Alyssa’s colleague and the only other survivor of the massacre, is convinced the real killer is still at large. Alyssa – trying to move on with her life while dealing with traumatic flashbacks and the unwanted advances of an obsessive ex – is sceptical. However, when she stumbles across damning evidence of a cover-up, she agrees to join forces with Davy to help track down the real culprit.
But in her pursuit of the truth, will she find the closure she desperately craves… or provoke the wrath of a killer with unfinished business on his mind?
If you like twists, turns and compelling, conflicted characters, you’ll love this gripping new mystery from the McIlvanney Prize-nominated author of In the Silence.
THE LIBRARY MURDERS by M.R. Mackenzie is a murder mystery that begins with a graphic murder of librarians in a small satellite library in Glasgow and then becomes a twisted search for the murderer by two of the survivors. This is a new to me author who was able to immerse me in his narrative and I did not put it down until “The End”.
Alyssa Clark is late for her first day on her new job at the Thornhill Library. As she and her new colleagues are behind the main desk a masked man dressed all in black walks right up to the desk and proceeds to shoot everyone. Alyssa and one other, Davy survive the nightmare.
Davy is not satisfied when the police arrest a down and out patron of the library. He has the gun when taken down weeks later, but he swears it is not his. When he tells Alyssa about his doubts, she finds it difficult to believe until she finds some damning evidence of a cover-up. The two begin to work to uncover the real murderer.
This book surprised me, not only with the revelation of the murderer, but also with the multiple revelations about Alyssa’s past and the reasons for her prickly and off-putting personality. Usually I have difficulty with a book which has a protagonist that I do not like, but Mr. Mackenzie deftly kept me interested in why she is the way she is as well as spinning the twists and turns of the murder mystery around her and Davy. This book is as much a study of human interactions with others and the repercussions as well as a deftly plotted murder mystery.
I highly recommend this mystery and look forward to more from this author!
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Author Bio
M.R. Mackenzie was born and lives in Glasgow, Scotland. He studied at Glasgow University and has an MA in English and a PhD in Film Studies.
In addition to writing, he works as a Blu-ray/DVD producer and has overseen releases of films by a number of acclaimed directors, among them Dario Argento, Joe Dante, Hideo Nakata and Jacques Tourneur. Writing as Michael Mackenzie, he has contributed chapters to books on cult cinema and regularly provides video essays and liner notes for new releases of celebrated films. He used to work in a library, before leaving to spend more time with books.
In 2019, his first novel, In the Silence, was shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Scottish Crime Debut of the Year and longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize.
Author Website: https://www.mrmackenzieauthor.com
Praise for M.R. Mackenzie
‘Writes with precision and passion’ – Caro Ramsay
‘Brings a fresh new voice to the field of Tartan Noir’ – James Oswald
‘Up there with the best contemporary authors working today’ – David B. Lyons
Today I am excited to be sharing on the September 2020 Harlequin Category Romance Blog Tour. I chose the Harlequin Intrigue for my Feature Post and Book Review – HIS BRAND OF JUSTICE (Longview Ridge Ranch Book #4) by Dolores Fossen.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
USA TODAY bestselling author Delores Fossen does it again, with a romantic suspense book that forces a US Marshal to confront his past—and the woman who might hold all the answers…
Can he help her recover her memory before they are both killed?
The only person who knows who killed Marshal Jack Slater’s father is Caroline Moser. But the Texas profiler has no memory of the murder, her abduction…or Jack. And her witness-protection safe house has just been compromised. Now in Jack’s protective custody, Caroline must trust her ex to help her recall her past before a murderer steals their future.
HIS BRAND OF JUSTICE (Longview Ridge Ranch Book #4) by Delores Fossen is the final romantic suspense in this series. Ms. Fossen does give enough backstory that you can read this as a standalone, but I would recommend you at least read book #1 first. These four books are about four modern day law enforcement cowboy brothers and the women they meet under perilous circumstances.
Caroline Moser was a profiler and computer wiz working on a program for law enforcement to identify serial killers spearheaded by Gemma Harrison. Their research assistant, Eric Long was a serial killer who almost killed both women. Caroline escaped with a severe head wound causing amnesia and she was placed in the WITSEC program under the protection of Marshall Jack Slater.
Marshall Jack Slater is determined to keep Caroline safe at all costs. Their relationship was lost when Caroline lost her memory as well as any clues to the murderer of the Slater brother’s father who was killed trying to save the women.
Eric Long might be dead, but someone does not want Caroline to get her memories back. As Jack tries to keep Caroline safe, he races to find the threat before even more people turn up dead.
I really enjoyed this conclusion to the Longview Ridge Ranch series. Ms. Fossen does a great job of bringing together all the threads of this plot and the overall arc of the series. I was bouncing back and forth between the suspects and for such a limited number of characters, I was still surprised. I always know that I am going to get an alpha cowboy hero and a strong heroine to match in any of Ms. Fossen books I pick up. I was excited to read Jack and Caroline’s HEA and it did not disappoint. There are explicit sex scenes, but they are not gratuitous or dragged out.
The Intrigue series always gives me a great romantic suspense or mystery that I can read quickly and be completely satisfied with the HEA. I recommend this book, this series and any book by Ms. Fossen!
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Excerpt
“I nearly got Lucille and you killed,” she said, and Caroline cursed her own voice. It was shaking, too.
Jack lifted an eyebrow. “Funny, I thought it was the shooter who nearly killed us.”
“The shooter wouldn’t have been firing those bullets if it hadn’t been for me.” She expected him to give her some sugarcoated answer, but she’d obviously forgotten this was Jack.
“That’s true.” With that hanging in the air, he waited a heartbeat. “And since I’d rather not have any more attempted murders, that means you’re going to have to let me help you.”
“You mean I’m going to have to trust Kellan,” Caroline blurted out. She was feeling a lot less shaky now.
Jack shrugged, took his hand from his pocket so he could tap the badge on his belt. “Every lawman in Texas isn’t tainted, and if you dig beneath all the anger, fear and whatever else it is you’re feeling, you’ll remember that I’m the best shot you’ve got at keeping us both alive.”
He followed that too logical minilecture with a long stare. Jack was obviously waiting for her to come to the only conclusion that she had right now.
“I’m not going to trust your brother,” she insisted, but left the rest of it unspoken—that she would trust Jack. Again, it was the only choice she had.
He nodded as if they’d just hashed that out with a heated argument. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.” He paused. “Want me to take a bullet for you to prove it?”
Jack didn’t wink, but he might as well have, because he was obviously trying to lighten things up. Trying to bring her back down and ease some of the still raw adrenaline. It was working, sort of, since it was something he’d said to her in jest when they’d been lovers. A way of letting her know that he cared that much for her.
“No,” she said, drawing out the one-word answer to emphasize it. There was a lot more emotion in her voice than she wanted as she stared at him.
Thinking.
Remembering.
Yes, definitely remembering.
That helped more than his lame attempt at cop humor. His being there helped, too, and despite everything she’d been through—or maybe because of it—Caroline wanted to step right into his arms. Those strong arms with their toned muscles. She wanted to feel the heat, and the comfort that she’d gotten there before. Jack had tugged and pulled at her in a way that no man ever had before.
Or ever would again, she was forced to admit to herself.
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Author Bio
USA Today bestselling author, Delores Fossen, has sold over 70 novels with millions of copies of her books in print worldwide. She’s received the Booksellers’ Best Award, the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award and was a finalist for the prestigious Rita ®. In addition, she’s had nearly a hundred short stories and articles published in national magazines. You can contact the author through her webpage at www.deloresfossen.com
Today I am very excited to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for EPITAPH by Anita Waller. I love all this author’s books!
Below you find a book description, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Pensioner and Private Investigator Doris Lester has taken a well-deserved break from work. She’s planned a holiday with her best friend Wendy on a journey across the Yorkshire and Derbyshire Dales. But before they depart a letter arrives, and the contents stir up trouble and memories of the past.
Soon Doris and Wendy are drawn into the mystery surrounding a troubled family, a missing person and gruesome murder.
When Doris and Wendy join the investigation, intriguing revelations about Doris’s past and present surface, which shock even those closest to her.
Step by step they uncover familial secrets that could tear a family even further apart. Together can Wendy and Doris solve the mystery and if they do, will their lives ever be the same again?
EPITAPH by Anita Waller is mix of cozy mystery and British police procedural that is perfectly blended and I could not put it down. This story features pensioner and P.I. Doris Lester from the Kat and Mouse Mystery series and while it is an offshoot of the series and can be read as a standalone, I was happy I already had background and a love of this main character from the series.
P.I. Doris Lester and her best friend of 40 years, Wendy Lucas are beginning a long-deserved vacation travelling throughout England visiting the graves of historically famous people. After only the very first outing of their trip, Doris tells Wendy about a disturbing letter she received. The letter is from a woman claiming to be the daughter of her husband, who has been dead for fifteen years. Wendy knows her friend well and they delay their trip and detour to meet this woman.
Doris and Wendy discover not one, but two unknown daughters. Doris becomes involved in the sisters’ families, when one goes missing and her almost sister-in-law is discovered dead. Secrets, lies and infidelities lead to another murder. When the authorities become involved, Doris once again finds herself connecting with local law enforcement, but she and Wendy are also following the clues and are one step ahead.
I love Doris so much! She is seventy, a black belt, a P.I., an IT wiz, has a past she cannot tell you about or she will have to kill you and a loving grandmother. In this book we also get to see what a close friend she has in Wendy. Even with such a small cast of characters, Ms. Waller skillfully keeps the reader guessing with plot twists and red herrings. This mystery has a steady pace as it intertwines Doris and Wendy’s investigation with the police investigation up until the climatic resolution.
I highly recommend this book and all of Ms. Waller’s books. She never disappoints.
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Author Bio
Anita Waller was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire in 1946. She married Dave in 1967 and they have three adult children.
She has written and taught creative writing for most of her life, and at the age of sixty-nine sent a manuscript to Bloodhound Books which was immediately accepted.
In total she has written seven psychological thrillers and one supernatural novel, and uses the areas of South Yorkshire and Derbyshire as her preferred locations in her books. Sheffield features prominently.
And now Anita is working on her first series, the Kat and Mouse trilogy, set in the beautiful Derbyshire village of Eyam. The first in the series, Murder Undeniable, launched 10 December 2018, and the second in the series, Murder Unexpected, launches 11 February 2019.
The trilogy has now been promoted to a quartet following the success of the first book; she is currently working on book three, Murder Unearthed. Book four doesn’t have a title, a plot, a first sentence… but she remains convinced it will have!
She is now seventy-three years of age, happily writing most days and would dearly love to plan a novel, but has accepted that isn’t the way of her mind. Every novel starts with a sentence and she waits to see where that sentence will take her, and her characters.
In her life away from the computer in the corner of her kitchen, she is a Sheffield Wednesday supporter with blue blood in her veins! The club was particularly helpful during the writing of 34 Days, as a couple of matches feature in the novel, along with Ross Wallace. Information was needed, and they provided it.
Today is once again my turn on the Harlequin Trade Publishing Mystery & Thriller 2020 Summer Reads Blog Tour. I am excited to share my Feature Post and Book Review for LIES, LIES, LIES by Adele Parks.
Below you will find an author Q&A, a book summary, 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
Q: Please give an elevator pitch for Lies, Lies, Lies.
A: Daisy and Simon’s marriage is great. Isn’t it? After years together, the arrival of longed-for daughter Millie sealed everything in place. A happy little family of three. But Simon drinks too much and one night at a party, things spiral horribly out of control. The consequences are horrific, their little family of three will never be the same again. Lies Lies Lies explores the darkest corners of a relationship in freefall as lies are exposed and secrets will not stay hidden. A domestic noir with themes such as addiction, jealousy and secrecy raging throughout.
Q: Which came first: the characters or plot line?
A: The two things are intrinsically linked and need to work together, but for me it is nearly always plot line that comes first, a hare’s breath before characters. My domestic noir or psychological thrillers (call it what you will!) are dependent on reveals, rug-pulls and twists. They only work if the author is confident about where the plot is going from the beginning. That way every word written works harder. If the author is making it up as they go along in this genre it can get complicated at best, farcical at worst! So, I had a plot. Then I thought, ‘which people in the entire world would this be most devastating for?’ At that point I draw my characters. The same circumstances that Daisy and Simon endure would have a different outcome if they didn’t have particular character traits.
Q: Why do you love Daisy and why should readers root for her?
A: Honestly, hand in the air, time to confess – Daisy is tricky to love to start with. She’s reserved, closed, a little judgemental. However, the more you get to know her, the more you’ll understand she’s incredibly resilient, has a strong moral compass, an incredible sense of loyalty and is a fiercely strong mom! All great qualities.
Q: What was your last 5 star read?
A: The Guest List by Lucy Foley This is a classic whodunit? Set on a beautiful windswept Irish island, the Wedding of the Year is about to take place between beautiful fashion-forwards magazine editor Jules Keegan and her TV star finance Will Slater. The novel shimmers with tension: past rivalries, family rifts and barely disguised grudges. The cake has just been cut when a body is found. As a storm is raging, no one can get on or off the island, so which of the guests is the murderer and who is dead? It’s tense, brilliantly paced and keeps the reader guessing!
Q: What is one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?
A: It is an industry for the kind and patient. That is a great thing, right? Two fabulous qualities. Nearly everyone I’ve ever met in publishing has been genuinely lovely, with a sincere passion for their work, good intentions and big hearts. However, it is not a speedy industry! I worked in a global management consultancy before I became a published novelist and was used to a very fast pace in my working life. Publishing is generally rather sedate. I hope I am known for my kindness, but I doubt I am known for my patience! I’m so glad that my last three books have been published by HarperCollins. Luckily for me, they are an incredibly nimble publishing house, not only responsive and reactive, but proactive too.
Q: Can you tell us what you’re working on now?
A: The next novel of mine that will hit the States is a novel called Just My Luck. It’s about – a lottery win so big, it changes everything for a group of friends who learn to understand what money can, can’t should and definitely should not buy!
For fifteen years, Lexi and Jake have played the same six numbers with their friends, the Pearsons and the Heathcotes. Over dinner parties, fish & chip suppers and summer barbecues, they’ve discussed the important stuff – the kids, marriages, jobs and houses – and they’ve laughed off their disappointment when they failed to win anything more than a tenner.
But then, one Saturday night, the unthinkable happens. There’s a rift in the group. Someone doesn’t tell the truth. And soon after, six numbers come up which change everything forever.
Lexi and Jake have a ticket worth £18 million. And their friends are determined to claim a share of it.A look at the dark side of wealth, in this gripping take on friendship, money, betrayal, and good luck gone bad…
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Book Summary
LIES LIES LIES (MIRA Trade Paperback; August 4, 2020; $17.99) centers on the story of Simon and Daisy Barnes. To the outside world, Simon and Daisy look like they have a perfect life. They have jobs they love, an angelic, talented daughter, a tight group of friends… and they have secrets too. Secrets that will find their way to the light, one way or the other.
Daisy and Simon spent almost a decade hoping for the child that fate cruelly seemed to keep from them. It wasn’t until, with their marriage nearly in shambles and Daisy driven to desperation, little Millie was born. Perfect in every way, healing the Barnes family into a happy unit of three. Ever indulgent Simon hopes for one more miracle, one more baby. But his doctor’s visit shatters the illusion of the family he holds so dear.
Now, Simon has turned to the bottle to deal with his revelation and Daisy is trying to keep both of their secrets from spilling outside of their home. But Daisy’s silence and Simon’s habit begin to build until they set off a catastrophic chain of events that will destroy life as they know it.
Lies, Lies, Lies by Adele Parks is a domestic noir/psychological thriller that managed to surprise me with several plot twists. I have not had an easy time with this genre lately and been in a slump, but I was pleasantly surprised with this story.
Daisy and Simon were married young along with their circle of friends. While their friends started having families, Daisy and Simon had difficulty getting pregnant. Finally, after years of trying they were blessed with a beautiful baby girl they named Millie.
Their family of three was perfect in every way, so when Millie turned five-years-old, Simon asked Daisy if they could try for another child. Daisy does not want another child, but she will not tell Simon why. Simon’s drinking has been a problem and it is only getting worse. As they argue on their way home from a party with friends where Simon has once again been drinking and out of control, they are in an auto accident that will change the happy little family of three forever.
This is a tale of a marriage that has each partner keeping secrets that lead to lies that ultimately poison the relationship and after a tragedy, the marriage implodes. Ms. Parks does an excellent job of keeping the reader engaged with plot twists that can completely change their perspectives. I feel she also does an excellent job of describing the fall from functional alcoholic to nonfunctioning. Yes, most of the problems, except for Simon’s alcoholism could have been solved if they just told the truth as problems occurred, but that does not happen until “The End”.
I recommend this domestic noir/psychological thriller.
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Excerpt
Prologue
May 1976
Simon was six years old when he first tasted beer.
He was bathed and ready for bed wearing soft pyjamas, even though it was light outside; still early. Other kids were in the street, playing on their bikes, kicking a football. He could hear them through the open window, although he couldn’t see them because the blinds were closed. His daddy didn’t like the evening light glaring on the TV screen, his mummy didn’t like the neighbours looking in; keeping the room dark was something they agreed on.
His mummy didn’t like a lot of things: wasted food, messy bedrooms, Daddy driving too fast, his sister throwing a tantrum in public. Mummy liked ‘having standards’. He didn’t know what that meant, exactly. There was a standard-bearer at Cubs; he was a big boy and got to wave the flag at the front of the parade, but his mummy didn’t have a flag, so it was unclear. What was clear was that she didn’t like him to be in the street after six o’clock. She thought it was common. He wasn’t sure what common was either, something to do with having fun. She bathed him straight after tea and made him put on pyjamas, so that he couldn’t sneak outside.
He didn’t know what his daddy didn’t like, just what he did like. His daddy was always thirsty and liked a drink. When he was thirsty he was grumpy and when he had a drink, he laughed a lot. His daddy was an accountant and like to count in lots of different ways: “a swift one’, “a cold one’, and ‘one more for the road’. Sometimes Simon though his daddy was lying when he said he was an accountant; most likely, he was a pirate or a wizard. He said to people, “Pick your poison’, which sounded like something pirates might say, and he liked to drink, “the hair of a dog’ in the morning at the weekends, which was definitely a spell. Simon asked his mummy about it once and she told him to stop being silly and never to say those silly things outside the house.
He had been playing with his Etch A Sketch, which was only two months old and was a birthday present. Having seen it advertised on TV, Simon had begged for it, but it was disappointing. Just two silly knobs making lines that went up and down, side to side. Limited. Boring. He was bored. The furniture in the room was organised so all of it was pointing at the TV which was blaring but not interesting. The news. His parents liked watching the news, but he didn’t. His father was nursing a can of the grown ups’ pop that Simon was never allowed. The pop that smelt like nothing else, fruity and dark and tempting.
“Can I have a sip?” he asked.
“Don’t be silly, Simon,” his mother interjected. “You’re far too young. Beer is for daddies.” He thought she said ‘daddies’, but she might have said ‘baddies’.
His father put the can to his lips, glared at his mother, cold. A look that said, “Shut up woman, this is man’s business.” His mother had blushed, looked away as though she couldn’t stand to watch, but she held her tongue. Perhaps she thought the bitterness wouldn’t be to his taste, that one sip would put him off. He didn’t like the taste. But he enjoyed the collusion. He didn’t know that word then, but he instinctively understood the thrill. He and his daddy drinking grown ups’ pop! His father had looked satisfied when he swallowed back the first mouthful, then pushed for a second. He looked almost proud. Simon tasted the aluminium can, the snappy biting bitter bubbles and it lit a fuse.
After that, in the mornings, Simon would sometimes get up early, before Mummy or Daddy or his little sister, and he’d dash around the house before school, tidying up. He’d open the curtains, empty the ashtrays, clear away the discarded cans. Invariably his mother went to bed before his father. Perhaps she didn’t want to have to watch him drink himself into a stupor every night, perhaps she hoped denying him an audience might take away some of the fun for him, some of the need. She never saw just how bad the place looked by the time his father staggered upstairs to bed. Simon knew it was important that she didn’t see that particular brand of chaos.
Occasionally there would be a small amount of beer left in one of the cans. Simon would slurp it back. He found he liked the flat, forbidden, taste just as much as the fizzy hit of fresh beer. He’d throw open a window, so the cigarette smoke and the secrets could drift away. When his mother came downstairs, she would smile at him and thank him for tidying up.
“You’re a good boy, Simon,” she’d say with some relief. And no idea.
When there weren’t dregs to be slugged, he sometimes opened a new can. Threw half of it down his throat before eating his breakfast. His father never kept count.
Some people say their favourite smell is freshly baked bread, others say coffee or a campfire. From a very young age, few scents could pop Simon’s nerve endings like the scent of beer.
Adele Parks was born in Teesside, North-East England. Her first novel, Playing Away, was published in 2000 and since then she’s had seventeen international bestsellers, translated into twenty-six languages, including I Invited Her In. She’s been an Ambassador for The Reading Agency and a judge for the Costa. She’s lived in Italy, Botswana and London, and is now settled in Guildford, Surrey, with her husband, teenage son and cat.
Today is my turn to share my Feature Post and Book Review on the Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour for Carrie Stuart Parks new release – RELATIVE SILENCE. This book pulled me in right from the start and is very difficult to put down.
Below you will find a note from the author, a book synopsis, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveway. As always, good luck on the giveaway and enjoy!
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A Note From the Author
Drawing on the Art of Forensics
-Carrie Stuart Parks
When I first started writing fiction, in 2004, it never occurred to me to pen anything other than the career I was already in—forensic art. Although other authors had explored different aspects of this unique field, most notably Iris Johansen’s Eve Duncan series, I knew about it first hand. By definition, forensic art is any art used in law enforcement or legal proceedings. My entrance into this career came in 1981 at the North Idaho Regional Crime Lab in Coeur d’Alene. The crime lab handled physical evidence from the ten northern counties of Idaho, the Department of Fish and Game, ATF, and the FBI. My initial duties were to prepare the court exhibits for trial, measure and diagram crime scenes, and create storyboards for juries. In 1985, I was invited to attend the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, to study composite drawing and image enhancements. In those days, image enhancements meant painting or airbrushing inks or dyes onto photographs. Photoshop wouldn’t be released for another seven years!
I was bitten with the forensic art bug and searched all over for more training. I finally located a class on facial reconstruction taught by Betty Pat Gatliff at the University of South Alabama’s school of Forensic Science. After that I was on my own, finding other artists in the field and studying directly with them.
It was the lack of training in the field and requests from officers to learn about forensic art that made me decide to become a trainer of the subject in 1988. It’s now been over thirty-three years and, with my artist/forensic artist husband, we travel across the US and Canada as the premier courses in the world. What a ride!
Along the way, the cases we’ve worked have provided a rich source of inspiration for my plots. Relative Silence, the latest novel, introduces the reader to age progression when a young mother asks a forensic artist to show her what her long-deceased daughter would look like today. The location, a fictional island off South Carolina’s shore, was chosen because we teach classes in Mount Pleasant, SC, and love the area.
I love hearing from folks about my work and books and invite you to contact me through any of the below methods.
A powerful family with lots of secrets. A forensic artist with his own tragedies. And a hurricane drawing bearing down on their private island.
Fifteen years ago Piper Boone’s only child died in a boating accident, and Piper’s almost perfect life came to an end too. After living through a divorce and losing her job, she retreats to Curlew Island and her childhood home—a secluded mansion for the politically powerful Boone family, who are practically American royalty.
But Piper’s desire to become a recluse is shattered when a mass shooter opens fire and kills three women at a café where Piper is having lunch. The crisis puts her family in the spotlight by dredging up rumors of the so-called Curlew Island Curse, which whispers say has taken the lives of several members of the Boone family, including Piper’s father and sister.
Forensic artist Tucker Landry also survives the shooting and is tasked with the job of sketching a portrait of the shooter with Piper. They forge a bond over their shared love of movies and tragic pasts. But when police discover a connection between the shooting and two more murders on Curlew Island, they face a more terrible lineup of suspects than they could have imagined: Piper’s family.
Unraveling the family’s true history will be the key to Piper’s survival—or her certain death.
Book Details
Genre: Suspense Published by: Thomas Nelson Publication Date: July 14th 2020 Number of Pages: 336 ISBN: 0785226184 (ISBN13: 9780785226185) Purchase Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
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My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
RELATIVE SILENCE by Carrie Stuart Parks is a mystery/Christian romantic suspense mash-up that pulls you in from the first page and is extremely difficult to put down. A powerful family that has known several tragic events over the years with the heroine from that family who finally decides to investigate those tragedies after she becomes a target.
Sandpiper “Piper” Boone has been told all her life she comes from the perfect family and tries to live up to that standard. When her young daughter is found dead, her marriage falls apart and she becomes a recluse on the family island compound.
Fifteen years later, forensic artist Tucker Landry is having lunch while waiting to begin his new assignment. A shooter opens fire and Tucker grabs the woman behind him and hits the patio floor. While Piper only receives a small injury, Tucker is shot protecting her as three other women are also killed. When the detective learns of Tucker’s skills, he asks Tucker and Piper to get together to produce a sketch of the shooter.
The authorities believe there is a connection between the shooting and two other murders that occur soon after. Piper and Tucker are in a race to find out who wants to kill Piper to hide long buried family secrets and a hurricane that threatens everyone.
This is a story that ticks off everything I am looking for in these genres; a mystery that keeps me guessing, action, unexpected twists, edge-of-your-seat suspense and a hero and heroine that are realistic and make me cheer for their relationship to have a HEA. Piper and Tucker are wonderful characters that have had terrible pasts that must be overcome as they struggle with the current race to reveal a murderer. I like that the injuries they received throughout the story were believable and they could overcome them or work around them without becoming fantastical super humans. Even with the small number of suspects, I was kept guessing and I always like when that happens. The religious beliefs and faith of the characters was not gratuitous or in your face.
This book is a compelling generational family mystery with a believable romantic suspense. I can highly recommend this story!
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Excerpt
Prologue
Curlew Island, South Carolina
Fifteen years ago
The piercing scream ripped up my spine. I dropped the spatula and spun.
My almost-three-year-old daughter, Dove, stood at the door to the kitchen and held out her favorite toy, a tattered stuffed bunny she’d named Piggy. Piggy’s ear was hanging by a thread with stuffing protruding from the opening.
“Mommy,” she sobbed. “P-P-Piggy’s hurt.”
I turned off the blender. I’d told Mildred, the housekeeper, I was going to make dessert and was elbow-deep in half-whipped meringue for the banana pudding now cooling next to me.
“Come here, Dove, and let Mommy see.”
Still crying, Dove launched herself at me.
I lifted her and checked my watch. No one was at the family’s Curlew Island home at the moment except my husband, Ashlee. He’d said he would look after Dove while I did some cooking. Yet here she was with a damaged toy and in need of comfort, while he, as usual, was absent.
“Sweetheart, Mommy will have to fix Piggy in a little bit. Where’s Daddy?”
She shook her head. Her sobbing settled into hiccups and loud sniffles.
Shifting her to my hip, I caught sight of movement in the foyer. “Ashlee?”
The front door clicked shut.
Still holding Dove, I charged through the house and opened the front door. Ashlee was just climbing into a golf cart, the only transportation on the island. “Just where did you think you were going? You’re supposed to be watching Dove.”
“Don’t give me a hard time, Piper.” His face was pale with beads of sweat on his forehead. “I have an errand to run on the mainland. Mildred can watch Dove.”
“Mildred’s getting groceries and I’m cooking. Take Dove with you. You don’t spend nearly enough time with your only child.”
“Look, Piper, this is important and I don’t—”
“So’s your daughter. Or maybe we should all go to the mainland together if something is that important. Better yet, you finish dessert and I’ll get to play with Dove.” I was heartily tired of Ashlee’s constant racing off to “something important.” His work as head of marketing at the family business, Boone Industries, was stressful and kept him busy, but this was getting ridiculous.
He took out a handkerchief and swabbed his sweaty brow. “N-no. I’ll take her.”
Dove had relaxed against my shoulder. “She’s overdue for her nap, and the boat always puts her fast asleep. Just be sure to put her life jacket on. There are snacks on the boat if she gets hungry.”
Ashlee opened his mouth, then shut it. A vein pounded in his forehead.
“Dove, sweetie,” I said. “Go for a boat ride with your daddy. I’ll take care of Piggy, okay?”
She nodded under my chin and allowed me to hand her over to Ashlee.
“Will you be long?”
“As long as I need to be.” Without another word he got into the cart and drove toward the dock.
The late October day was pleasantly warm, and although Dove wore a white T-shirt and short skirt, she could always crawl under a blanket in the saloon if the boat ride was too cool.
I took poor Piggy back into the kitchen and placed her on the end of the counter, hoping the meringue was salvageable. I topped the banana pudding, stuck the dessert into the oven, set the timer, and moved to Dove’s room to change the sheets. Finishing just as the pudding was ready, I placed it on the counter to cool.
After washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, I still had laundry to do. How could I be washing more clothes than we’d packed?
Once a year the entire family would gather on the private island for a stockholders’ meeting and retreat, joining the year-round staff. I’d like to say that seeing my family together in this beautiful paradise was a special treat. Unfortunately, I was closer to the housekeeper than to my own mother. At least the beach was sandy, the ocean refreshing, and the house spectacular and spacious. Dove, of course, was perfect. And Ashlee? Back to the laundry.
After shifting a load from the washer to the dryer, I made my way past the workout and sewing room toward the kitchen. Could a rabbit ear be repaired on a sewing machine? Ha! I didn’t even know how to thread a bobbin. I found Mildred in the kitchen, checking a store receipt. “I didn’t know you’d returned. Do you need help with the groceries?”
“Already done.”
“Then I timed my offer perfectly. Do you know how to thread a bobbin?”
“Have you been out in the sun too long?”
“It’s a rabbit-ear question.”
“Next time wear a hat.”
I grinned at the older woman. “To thread a bobbin?”
“You are the oddest child,” she muttered, then nodded at my banana pudding. “But you do make the most beautiful desserts.” We busied ourselves preparing dinner. The stockholders’ meeting was tomorrow, and the remaining members of the family would arrive tonight.
“Strange,” Mildred said after the pot roast had been placed in the oven.
“What?”
“I’d have thought everyone would be here by now.”
I glanced at my watch. Ashlee and Dove had been gone for five hours. Dove would be starving. “I’m sure—”
The phone rang.
“That’s probably them now.” I picked up the receiver. “Boone residence.”
“Piper!” It was my older brother, Tern. “Oh, Piper, I’m . . . I’m at the hospital. It’s Ashlee.”
I squeezed the receiver tighter. “What’s going on? Is Dove okay?”
Tern groaned.
I reached for Mildred. She took my hand, then put her arm around me to keep my knees from buckling. “Tern? Tern!”
Tern didn’t answer. A male voice took over. “Mrs. Piper Yates? This is Officer Stan Gragg of the Marion Inlet Police. There’s been an incident involving your husband. He was attacked on the dock and your family’s yacht was stolen. He’ll be fine, but we’re having the doctor check him out—”
“What about my daughter, Dove?” I tried to keep my voice under control, but the words came out shrill.
“We believe she was still on the boat. I’m afraid she’s missing.”
***
Author Bio
Carrie Stuart Parks is Christy, Carol, and Inspy award-winning author, an award-winning fine artist, and internationally known forensic artist. Along with her husband, Rick, she travels across the US and Canada teaching courses in forensic art to law enforcement as well as civilian participants. She has won numerous awards for career excellence. Carrie is a popular platform speaker, presenting a variety of topics from crime to creativity.
Today I am posting for Blackthorn Book Tours Presents blog tour. My Feature Post and Book Review is for COME JOIN THE MURDER by Holly Rae Garcia.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. This is a poignant and dark murder thriller that kept me turning the pages.
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BookBlurb
“This is a novel I would read and reread and recommend to others. Fans of vigilante and desperado revenge will delight in this horror story.” — Horror Tree.
Rebecca Crow’s four-year-old son is dead, and her husband is missing.
Divers find her husband’s car at the bottom of a canal with their son’s small, lifeless body, inside. The police have no suspects and nothing to go on but a passing mention of a man driving a van. Guilt and grief cloud Rebecca’s thoughts as she stumbles towards her only mission: Revenge.
James Porter knows exactly what happened to them, but he’ll do anything to keep it a secret.
James didn’t plan to kill Rebecca’s son, but he’s not too broken up about it, either. There are more important things for him to worry about. He needs money, and his increasing appetite for murder is catching the attention of a nosy detective.
COME JOIN THE MURDER by Holly Rae Garcia is a short, poignant and dark crime thriller by a new author that kept me turning the pages. Graphic and at times difficult to read, I still could not put it down until I knew the final resolution for the dual narrators.
Rebecca Crow and her husband, Jon tried for a long time to have a child. Now Oliver is four years old and a miniature copy of her husband. Rebecca stays home to catch up on work as her husband and Oliver head to the beach for the day. On the way home, their car has a flat. After calling AAA and Rebecca, she agrees to wait for them at the car repair shop, but they never show up.
Her husband’s car is found at the bottom of the canal with her son’s body inside. Her husband’s body is missing. Guilt and grief take over Rebecca’s every thought and all she can focus on is revenge against the person in the old van who destroyed her family.
James Porter did not plan to kill Rebecca’s son, but he is not feeling any guilt over it either. James needs money and he is finding it increasingly easier to kill to get it. As James’ trail of bodies begins to draw attention from a nosy detective, he also realizes someone else may be looking for him and his van.
Rebecca and James are dual narrators throughout this short novel. Rebecca is twisted by the pain, regret and loss she now endures into a woman seeking revenge and believing she can find some closure. James is a taker who finds he increasingly enjoys the kill. The plot spirals into a psychological thriller that leaves you comparing the two and finding that both may have started differently, but are they now truly different? This story has graphic violence, but I never felt it was gratuitous because it was demonstrated by both main characters.
I feel this is a gripping story of grief and murder that I find I cannot quit thinking about and analyzing.
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Author Bio
Holly Rae Garcia’s debut novel, Come Join the Murder, was released on March 27th, 2020 by Close to the Bone Publishing (UK). Her short fiction has been published by Siren’s Call, The Bookends Review, Rue Scribe, Pen to Print, The Australian Writers’ Centre, and Trembling With Fear along with a few anthologies. Holly lives on the Texas Coast with her family and five dogs.
