My turn on the blog tour. I was riveted, repulsed, scared and engrossed the entire time I was immersed in this new suspense/thriller. One sitting was all I needed to fly through The Controller ( A Lynch and Rose Thriller Book 1) by Matt Brolly.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, author info, author social media and purchase links. I loved this edge-of-your-seat thriller!
***
Book Blurb:
From the bestselling author of the acclaimed
DCI Lambert series comes The Controller, a gripping serial killer thriller
introducing Sam Lynch and Special Agent Sandra Rose.
It is
six years since special agent Samuel Lynch left the FBI following the
disappearance of his son, Daniel. Lynch believes an underground organisation
known as The Railroad is responsible and has never
stopped searching.
When
Special Agent Sandra Rose investigates a house invasion gone wrong, she
discovers the assailant has the legendary, and infamous, Railroad tattoo carved
onto his back and he claims to know Daniel’s whereabouts.
Rose
draws Lynch in to her case, and together they become embroiled in
an unparalleled world of violence and evil.
It seems that to see his son again, Lynch will have to confront his greatest fear and face the ultimate test: an encounter with the Railroad’s enigmatic and deadly leader, The Controller.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
THE CONTROLLER (A
Lynch and Rose Thriller Book 1) by Matt Brolly is a fast-paced, high octane suspense/thriller
that I could not put down until the explosive end. A former and current FBI
agent work together to bring down an organization that is only spoken about as
a legend.
Special Agent Samuel Lynch left the FBI. He was forced out as he spent every minute investigating an underground organization known as The Railroad who he believed kidnapped his son and hundreds of others. Each time he gets close, his lead evaporates, but he will never stop searching until his son, Daniel is found.
Seven years have passed.
Special Agent Sandra Rose is sent to investigate a home
invasion were the killer sadistically eliminated an entire family. He is taken
into custody, but refuses to talk to anyone but Samuel Lynch. He claims to know
were Daniel is being held – alive.
Rose brings Lynch in and together they become entangled in a
world where no one can be trusted. As Rose works with her partner within the
system, Lynch will allow himself to be taken by The Controller, who is the
sadistic and deadly leader of The Railroad. He will do anything to see his son
again, but will it be the last thing he ever does?
This book drops you immediately into action that never lets
up. The author weaves Lynch and Rose’s backstories throughout without losing
momentum. There are gruesome scenes that are graphic, but this is a thriller
about an organization of sadists and I never felt the scenes were gratuitous. The
Controller was a truly scary psychopath who is still out there. (This is not a
secret, so I will be looking for him in future books.) All of the secondary characters
kept you guessing if they were good or bad which added to the tension.
I am very interested in following this duo to see how the
author handles each going forward. The next thrill ride cannot come soon
enough!
***
About Matt
Brolly:
Following his law degree where he developed an interest in criminal law,
Matt Brolly completed his Masters in Creative Writing at Glasgow University.
He is the bestselling author of the DCI Lambert
crime novels, Dead Eyed, Dead Lucky and Dead Embers. The fourth in the series,
Dead Time, was released by Canelo in May 2018 and a prequel, Dead Water, will
be published in September 2019. In 2020 the first of a new crime
series set in the West Country of the UK will be released by Thomas and Mercer
(Amazon Publishing).
The Controller, released in May 2019, is the first of a new thriller
series set in Texas.
Matt also writes children’s books as M.J.
Brolly. His first children’s book, The Sleeping Bug, was released by Oblong
Books in December 2018.
Matt lives in London with his wife and their two
young children. You can find out more about Matt at his website MattBrolly.co.uk or by
following him on twitter: @MattBrollyUK
My turn on the blog tour today. I am excited to share this Feature Post and Book Review for the first book in a new P.I. cozy mystery series set in Wales by a new to me author. MURDER ON THE ROCKS (Jordan Jenner Mysteries Book 1) by J.S. Strange will keep you guessing.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, author info, social media links and purchase links. Enjoy!
***
Book Blurb:
When PI Jordan Jenner returns to work following the death of his mother, his first case involves a murdered writer…
James Fairview has been killed. As a member of a prestigious writing group hosted by bestselling author Joseph Gordon in the heart of Cardiff, Jordan not only has to cope with solving the mystery, but also deal with press attention.
As Jordan investigates, he discovers his mother’s death may not have been so simple. And when another writer is murdered, Jordan realises the killer could strike again…
A murdered writer, a mysterious death, and a group with jealousy at its heart, this is Jenner’s toughest case yet.
A cozy murder mystery with a gay male detective, Murder on the Rocks is the first in the Jordan Jenner Mysteries series. If you’re a fan of classic whodunits you will love this!
A perfect read for those looking for Welsh crime fiction.
***
My Book Review:
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
MURDER ON THE ROCKS (Jordan Jenner Mysteries Book 1) by J.S.
Strange is a new cozy P.I. mystery. It is the first in a series set in Wales
and by a new to me author. This mystery has a unique lead character and the
murder occurs within a prestigious writer’s group of not so friendly
competitors.
Freelance P.I. Jordan Jenner has just returned to work after compassionate leave for the death of his mother. DCI Vanessa Carter calls Jordan in to her new crime scene for assistance. James Fairview, a wannabe author is found poisoned at a writers’ group meeting. He is a member of bestselling author, Joseph Gordon’s writing group in Cardiff.
As Jordan investigates the private lives of the members of
the writers’ group and tries to find the killer, he finds out that his mother
knew Joseph Gordon and her death may be related in some way. Every turn has
Jordan drawn deeper into this web of lies and the killer may not be done yet.
Jordan is an intriguing main character. He is not the nicest
person, but he is intelligent and determined. I also have not read any
mysteries with a gay P.I. protagonist. The plot itself has many twists, turns
and red herrings that kept me reading and guessing right up to the end. Since
this is a cozy mystery, you are able to avoid the strict, true-to-life police
procedures and rules.
The murder mystery is all tied up in the end, but there is a
bit of a personal cliffhanger that will easily lead those of us who want more
into the next book. I am very glad I tried this new to me author and can highly
recommend this book. I am looking forward to many more mysteries in this
series.
***
About J.S.
Strange:
J.S. Strange is an author from Wales,
United Kingdom. He writes crime, mystery and horror. His first novels,
published in 2016 and 2017, were set in an apocalyptic London. Murder on the
Rocks, is the first in a cozy crime mystery series, featuring a leading gay
male detective.
Murder on the Rocks was written by Strange for many reasons. One of those
reasons was a lack of representation within the crime genre, particularly with
detectives and sleuths. Strange created Jordan Jenner, a private investigator,
who lives and works in Cardiff. Murder on the Rocks was written with the
intention of shining light on Cardiff, and bringing Cardiff, and furthermore,
Wales, into the crime genre.
Strange’s previous works, such as ‘Winter Smith: London Burning’, also explored
LGBT themes, and featured socialite Winter Smith escaping a zombie apocalypse.
‘London’s Burning’ became an Amazon best-seller in LGBT fiction.
When Strange doesn’t write, he works in television. He also presents a radio
show all about the paranormal. He has an enthusiasm for Britney Spears and
cats.
Today I am excited to share the Feature Post and Book Review for Susan Stoker’s new release DEFENDING HARLOW (Mountain Mercenaries Book 4). This addition to the series has the men working a case right at home in Colorado Springs.
Below you will find a guest post from the author, an excerpt, my book review, the author’s bio and social media info and a Rafflecopter giveaway.
You are going to love “Black” and Harlow’s story. As always, good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!
***
Guest Post: A Mountain Mercenary’s Sneak Attack with
Author Susan Stoker
Defending Harlow is
book 4 in the Mountain Mercenaries series. Each book features one of the men
who were recruited by the mysteries “Rex” to work on his team to help rescue
kidnapped women and children. In this book we meet Lowell “Black” Lockard who
was a Navy SEAL before he became a Mountain Mercenary. He joined the group
because after his stint in the Navy, he realized that he was happiest when he
was being useful, helping others. He’d been close to his fellow SEALs when he’d
been on active duty, but somehow he was even closer with his fellow Mountain
Mercenaries.
They worked together, they played
together, and they simply enjoyed spending time with each other both during
missions and when they were living their lives in Colorado Springs.
Black loves that his friends have
found women that completed them. Gray met Allye when he rescued her from a boat
in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and they had to swim for hours to safety. Ro
met Chloe when her brother was holding her hostage in his house and was about
to pimp her out from his strip club. And Arrow met Morgan when they’d been down
in the Dominican Republic to rescue a child who’d been kidnapped by her non
custodial father. Turns out, Morgan was one of the most famous missing people
the United States had ever had, and she’d been held for over a year before
she’d accidentally been found by the Mountain Mercenaries.
He loves that his friends are happy,
but realizes that he is…bored. He wants someone to laugh with. To talk to at
the end of the day. To break the routine of his life. He envies his friends for
having that.
Meeting Harlow is a turning part in
Black’s life. She makes him laugh and he’s intrigued more than he’s ever been
by a woman before. And realizing they went to the same high school once upon a
time makes him even more curious. But there’s a problem…Harlow has had bad date
after bad date and she’s sworn off dating forever.
But Black won’t give up. He decides to “trick” her by refusing to call what they’re doing as ‘dates.’ They’re just “hanging out.” And the more he spends time with her, the more he likes her…and vice versa. Harlow will have to decide whether or not to take a chance on Black, and he’ll have to figure out how to neutralize the threat looming over Harlow and the women’s shelter she works at or else the semantics of what they’re doing will be a moot point, because someone might end up dead.
***
Defending Harlow Excerpt
Neither said anything for a while as
they drove toward downtown.
Finally, Harlow asked, “Where are we
going?”
“The Pit.”
“Where?”
Lowell smiled. “Since this isn’t a
date, and we’re talking about the shelter, I decided I should take you to the
place where me and my team conduct business. The Pit.”
“It sounds scary. Please tell me there
aren’t snakes on the floor and Indiana Jones isn’t going to pop up and run
pell-mell through the place being chased by members of an ancient civilization
because they want their artifact back.”
Harlow stared at Lowell when he threw
his head back and laughed loud and long. She couldn’t help but chuckle herself.
The man sitting next to her was so different from any man she’d dated in the
past—no, wait … this wasn’t a date. Nope. Not even close.
“I can’t wait to tell the others that.
No, Harl, The Pit is a combination bar and pool hall. It’s pretty much a
hole-in-the-wall kind of place.”
“Why do you do business in a bar?”
Harlow asked.
“To be honest, I’m not sure. The Pit
is where we were interviewed when we were first asked to join the Mountain
Mercenaries … I’m assuming you know about the team?”
She nodded. “A bit. Loretta told me.
I’m sorry if she spoke out of turn, but she was trying to reassure me that you
knew what you were doing and could help us.”
“I can help you,” Lowell confirmed.
“And in a nutshell, me and my teammates are all former Special Forces soldiers,
and we work for Rex, getting women and children out of untenable situations.”
“Why mercenaries? I mean, it doesn’t
sound like that’s what you guys really are.”
Lowell shook his head, and a small
smile formed on his face. “Why do women always concentrate on that word?” he
asked, more to himself than her.
Harlow answered him even though he
hadn’t really asked. “Because. It’s weird that you call yourselves something
that you technically aren’t. I wouldn’t start a catering business and call it
Harlow Photography.”
“Point taken. I don’t know why Rex
chose that name. Probably because it was catchy and sounded better than
Colorado Badasses, or Your Worst Nightmare.”
Harlow couldn’t stop the bark of
laughter that escaped. “True.”
“The bottom line is that it doesn’t
matter what we’re called. We’re six men who go where we’re needed and do what
we have to do to rescue those who need a helping hand. I know women are
empowered, and there are many who are just as talented at what they do as we
are. But the fact remains, there are a lot of men out there who feel the need
to subjugate and beat down the women and children in their lives. They take
advantage of teenagers who are too young to know better or those who have had
horrible lives. They hurt them and force them to do things against their will.
It’s not right, or fair, and me and my friends are playing a small part in
trying to right those wrongs.”
Harlow wasn’t sure how their light and
playful conversation had turned so intense, but she turned slightly in her seat
to better look at Lowell. His teeth were clenched, and the hand on the steering
wheel was holding on so tightly, she could see his knuckles turning white. He
obviously felt deeply about the topic and his job, and Harlow couldn’t be more
proud of him.
“I’m proud to know you, Lowell
Lockard.”
He looked at her in surprise. “What?”
“The world needs more men like you and
your friends. I don’t know why men like the ones harassing the shelter are the
way they are. Why they feel the need to exert their power over those they deem
weaker than them. But I’m glad you’re there to help tip the scales. Other than
the high-speed-chase guy, generally I haven’t been afraid of my bad dates, I’ve
just been disgusted by or disappointed in them. But I know there are a lot of
women out there who’re in bad marriages and relationships, and it helps knowing
there are people who care. People who will put their own lives on the line to
help get others out of those situations, if asked.”
Lowell pulled into a parking lot of a
dark and seedy-looking building, and Harlow wasn’t surprised to see the neon
sign above the door that said The Pit. This was exactly the
kind of place where she imagined Lowell and his fellow badasses would meet.
He stopped the engine, brought the
hand he was still holding up to his mouth, and kissed the back of it. “Stay
put. I’ll come around.”
He went to let go of her, but Harlow
held on to his hand. “This isn’t a date,” she said, not sure if she was
reminding him or herself. “It’s a work meeting. I let you pick me up, but I
should’ve driven myself. And I can open my own door and pay my own way.”
Lowell leaned into her, and Harlow
forced herself not to pull back.
“I know this isn’t a date. You don’t
date. I heard that loud and clear, Harl. But in my world—and make no mistake;
when you’re with me, you’re in my world—a man opens a door for a lady. He walks
on the outside of the sidewalk, he picks her up whenever possible, and he pays
for drinks and meals. If it makes you feel better, you can think of this as a
business expense I can write off on my taxes.”
Harlow stared at him for a beat, then
nodded. What else could she do? She didn’t want to like Lowell’s world, but she
had to admit it felt good being there. She’d had doors shut in her face when
men had entered ahead of her and hadn’t held them open. She’d had to pay for
her own meals on dates. And she’d even had an experience when she’d literally
almost been run over by a bus in Seattle because she’d been forced to walk on
the outside of the sidewalk near the curb.
“Okay,” she said.
“Okay,” Lowell said with a small
smile. Then he squeezed her hand once more and climbed out.
“Not a date, not a date,” Harlow
chanted to herself quietly as Lowell walked around his car to come to her side.
He opened her door and held out a hand. Taking a deep breath, Harlow put her
hand back in his and allowed him to help her up and out of the low seat.
He didn’t let go of her hand once she
was standing next to him, though. He simply shut the car door with his free
hand and led her toward the door of the bar.
Not a date, she told
herself once more as Lowell smiled at her and pulled open the heavy wooden
door.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
DEFENDING HARLOW (Mountain Mercenaries Book 4) by Susan
Stoker is a romantic suspense that has the men of Mountain Mercenaries working
a case in their own hometown. When a women’s and children’s shelter is
threatened, these dedicated men work to discover who is responsible and why.
All of the books in this series can be read as standalones, but there is more
character crossover in this book than in the previous books.
Ex-Navy SEAL Lowell “Black” Lockard has watched his
teammates find their forever matches one by one and even though he is not ready
for forever, he would like to find someone to share his time with. When Black
shows up for his turn to teach self-defense at the women’s shelter, he is
surprised to see that the new chef is an acquaintance from high school. Harlow
is a beautiful person, inside and out, and Black wants to see more of her, but
Harlow does not date.
Harlow Reese loves her job and all of the women and children
in the shelter. She is surprised when the boy she had a crush on in high school
walks in to teach self-defense to the women. Recently a group of young thugs
has started harassing the women and children and Harlow asks Black for his
help. With Harlow’s “No Dating” rule, Black has to find a way to do things with
Harlow without calling it a date. He starts by being available at all times to
keep her safe and he begins to find that Harlow means more to him than he
planned.
The threats escalate and Black pulls in all of the Mountain
Mercenaries to help find who is responsible. Can Black and the Mountain
Mercenaries keep the shelter and its’ occupants safe as they work to uncover
the threat?
I really enjoyed the mix of romance and suspense in this book in the series. Harlow’s list of bad dates had me laughing out loud. She had bad things happening around her at the shelter, but she was not abused as the previous heroines. Lowell was an interesting mix of understanding and caring for Harlow, but he has a dark side that is revealed in this story. These two were perfect for each other and I cheered on every step Lowell took to get Harlow. The suspense plot was well written to keep the story fast paced and interesting. The sex scenes were explicit, but not gratuitous when they did occur.
I can highly recommend this book and the entire series! I am
looking forward to Ball’s story next.
***
About the Book
Title: Defending Harlow
Author: Susan Stoker
Release Date: June 4, 2019
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Summary
Lowell “Black” Lockard, former Navy SEAL, has
watched his fellow Mountain Mercenaries settle down with the women of their
dreams, but he’s convinced he doesn’t need love. Then he gets a call from
Harlow Reese—a chef at a local women’s shelter—and begins to reconsider his
decision.
After being
continually harassed by a local band of punks, Harlow asks Lowell to give the
women of the shelter lessons in self-defense. She doesn’t expect him to take
such a special interest in her safety, but he insists on escorting her to and
from work, never taking no for an answer. Not that Harlow minds the personal
touch…especially when it’s coming from her former teenage crush.
Despite her long history of bad dating luck, seeing Black again makes Harlow rethink her self-imposed celibacy. Easy on the eyes and hard to forget, the man has morphed into an alpha stud. And Harlow may be exactly the type of woman Black is looking for. Making her feel safe isn’t only a duty; it’s a pleasure. But the threats are escalating. The motives are a mystery. And as the danger burns almost as hot as their passion, there’s much more at risk than their hearts.
Author Biography
Susan Stoker is
a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling
author. Her series include Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes, SEAL of Protection,
Delta Force Heroes, and Mountain Mercenaries. Married to a retired Army
noncommissioned officer, Stoker has lived all over the country—from Missouri
and California to Colorado and Texas—and currently lives under the big skies of
Tennessee. A true believer in happily ever after, Stoker enjoys writing novels
in which romance turns to love. To learn more about the author and her work,
visit her website, www.stokeraces.com,
or find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/authorsusanstoker.
I want to share this Feature Post and Book Review for BAYOU CITY BURNING (Harry and Dizzy Lark Book 1) by D.B. Borton which is being released June 1st. Below you will find a synopsis, an excerpt from the book, my book review and the author’s bio and social media.
This is a historical crime mystery set in the 1960’s in Houston, TX with a father/daughter hard-boiled detective duo. Oh, and did I mention the daughter is 12 years old! I highly recommend this first book in this new series and cannot wait to read more.
***
Synopsis
Houston, 1961
Texas’ slickest politician has lost his presidential bid to a good-looking naval hero from Massachusetts. President Kennedy wants to put a man on the moon, and the Freedom Riders are raising morale for local civil rights activists.
Sleepy backwater Houston finds itself short on air conditioning just when things are heating up.
In a seedy downtown office, a well-dressed out-of-towner hires P.I. Harry Lark to tail two D.C. visitors looking to build NASA a space center. The more Harry finds, the more he suspects he’s working for the wrong side, and vows to wash his hands of the case. Meanwhile, Harry’s twelve-year-old daughter Dizzy is puzzling over a mystery of her own—she’s running a lost-and-found out of a suburban garage and is unexpectedly hired to find a missing dad who’s supposed to be dead and buried.
When Harry’s client turns up dead in his office, and mobsters start hounding him for cash, Harry realizes he needs the help he can get, even if it comes from his daughter. As Harry and Dizzy’s cases converge, thing is clear: some wants Houston to look like a lawless Wild West cowtown. Together, Harry and Dizzy are going to find out who that is.
***
Excerpt
It was there, and then it wasn’t: a grainy, pockmarked triangle slashed by a dark shadow. First the edges blurred into an impres sionist dream of earth tones and light, then the cut of a thin shadow skimmed across the surface, and then—darkness. Nothing to see, no matter how I strained my eyes.
Static, like a windstorm against a microphone, accented by highpitched beeps.
A calm male voice: “Contact light. Okay, engine stop.” Then another voice, a familiar twang, Texan: “We copy you down, Eagle.” The first voice again: “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.”
Later, I heard that about five million people all over the world were doing exactly what I was doing at that moment. I had a summer job as a day camp counselor at the local Y, but they sent everybody home early that day—kids, counselors, and staff—to watch two men land on the moon, just like President Kennedy had promised they would eight years before. In the thrill of the moment, it was hard to predict what people would remember afterward. Probably they’d remember the words, “The Eagle has landed.” But I’d remember the part that came before. I’d remember the first word in that announcement: Houston.
If it hadn’t been for my old man, that word might have been different.
Some people regard my father Harry as a two-bit shamus. They see him as a licensed peeper with a gun under his coat and the ethics of an alligator lizard. I’ve seen him that way myself. But he’s got his principles. And I knew as I sat in our chilly living room, curtains drawn against the blazing star that lit up the lunar surface and melted the Texas sidewalks, that this was his gift to me: that word.
He didn’t have to do it. The other side was safer, and they paid better, too. But I was his little girl, and he wanted to make me happy.
“Where’s your secretary?” He angled a thumb over his shoulder toward the outer office. Two rings winked at me, a diamond and a signet.
“She must’ve stepped out,” I said noncommittally.
Jeanie had “stepped out” about six months ago when I’d traded her salary for a set of braces for my son. I liked to keep up appearances, though, so I hung an old sweater from the back of Jeanie’s chair and sprayed it with perfume from time to time—mostly rejects from my daughter’s Christmas gift exchanges. I filed some things on Jeanie’s desk instead of in the wastebasket and kept a page in the typewriter. But what did he care, unless he was worried about witnesses?
I nodded at the wooden chair in front of my desk and angled a packet of Winstons in his direction. “What can I do for you?”
He slung his raincoat over the arm of the chair. It dripped small dark stains onto the rug. He took a cigarette and we lit up. Then he settled back in the chair and grimaced. I studied his tie, waiting for him to speak. It was the same slate gray as the suit and thin as a razor blade.
“I need some information about an event that’s taking place here next week,” he said. “In town, I mean.” He waved his cigarette in the direction of the window and grimaced. The grimace told me that he’d never consider promoting Houston from a backwater berg to a city. His voice was flat and forgettable—the kind of voice that could have read the daily stock report. “And what would that be?”
“Two men are coming down from Washington, DC. I want to know what they’re doing here, where they go, who they see. Pictures, too.”
“What’s the beef?” I said.
“Let’s say that I suspect these men of conspiring to defraud taxpayers by engaging in certain underhanded practices that stand to damage my business interests and those of my associates.” He was looking at Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was hanging on my wall, when he said it. If Ike didn’t like this story, he didn’t say so. I didn’t like it, but I was in hock to a certain orthodontist, so I refrained from comment.
“Let’s say that,” I said. “And you would be Mr.—?”
“Smith.” His gaze returned to me and his eyelids dropped to halfmast over the cigarette smoke. “My name is Smith.”
“Well, Mr. Smith,” I said, “I get fifty dollars a day plus expenses.”
“Isn’t that a little steep?” he said.
I shrugged. “I have to pay for the air conditioning.” Besides, his suit told me he could afford it.
He gestured with his cigarette. “And I suppose all the other private dicks in Houston have to pay for air conditioning, too.”
I grinned. “You’re welcome to go ask them.”
I left it up to him to imagine spending the hours between now and his departure time sitting in a Houston office without air conditioning instead of cooling his heels in a lounge near the airport. I felt sure he was doing it, too.
“Yeah, all right,” he said.
My marks were Philip Miller and John Parsons. Their work had something to do with space research.
“What kind of space research?” I said, frowning. “You mean for business expansion?”
“Hey, that’s right.” He pointed the cigarette at me. “Business expansion. But the business is space—outer space.”
My phone rang. The voice on the other end was accusatory. “You were supposed to pick me up ten minutes ago for the orthodontist.”
Since he’d become a teenager, my son Hal addressed me in one of three tones of voice—bored, superior, and disgruntled. He’d found it harder to manage since he’d acquired a mouthful of metal and rubber bands, but not impossible.
I pretended to check my desk calendar and make a notation. “Yes, that’s fine,” I said. “I’ll be there.”
“I’m going to be late for the orthodontist,” Hal said.
“That’s all right. Happy to help out. Thanks for calling.” I hung up and raised my eyes to my visitor. “Where were we?”
“Space.”
“I don’t know anything about that,” I said.
“I don’t, either,” he said. “But there’s business involved, and a lot of money. That’s all you have to know.”
The two men were due to arrive the following Tuesday at Houston International. He didn’t know the time or the flight, but he gave me photographs of the men. The photographs looked like my kind of photograph—stuff taken with a telephoto lens when the subject didn’t know he was being photographed.
He glanced out the window next to the one with the air conditioner. City buildings gleamed in the rain but there wasn’t much else to look at except the Weather Ball on top of the Texas National Bank, which blinked to show that precipitation was expected. It didn’t matter to him; he was blowing town anyway, the sooner the better. He counted out four twenties and laid them on my desk. “That enough to get you started?” he asked. I nodded. He told me he’d come back in a week at the same time.
He was already swabbing the back of his neck with the wet handkerchief as he stood up.
“What if I have to get in touch with you before then?” I said.
“Save it.” He turned his back and headed for the door.
I stood at the window and watched him emerge from the building downstairs, his raincoat over his head like a pup tent. The Chinese laundry on the first floor was kicking up a lot of steam and he gave it a wide berth, stepping gingerly to keep his Italian leather shoes out of the puddles. Then he disappeared around the corner, so I didn’t get to see his car, if he had one. It was probably a rental, anyway. I had already decided that tailing him at this point was a losing proposition. He’d paid me enough to start the work he wanted me to do, but not enough to give me the trouble of tailing him.
Besides, I had a date with my surly teenaged son. I pocketed the twenties and hoped that my daughter’s teeth all stayed as straight as a drill sergeant.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
BAYOU CITY BURNING (Harry and Dizzy Lark Book 1) by D.B.
Borton is a new P.I. mystery story and the beginning of a new series. Set in
Houston, TX in the 1960’s this father/daughter team are so much fun to get to
know and follow as their separate investigations merge into one intriguing
mystery case. Did I mention that Dizzy is only 12 years old?
P.I. Harry Lark is happy when a well-dressed out-of-towner shows
up at his office. He has orthodontist bills to pay for his son. All he has to
do is follow two men from D.C. and let his client know where they go in Houston
and who they see. When Harry discovers he is not the only one following these
men, he starts to wonder what his client is really interested in.
Desdemona “Dizzy” Lark is not your average 12 year old girl.
She has started a business with her two best friends, B.D. and Mel out of her family’s
garage. Lost and Found finds lost items collected from the neighborhood and you
can have them returned or purchase them for a small trade or fee. Dizzy and her
friends are Nancy Drew fans and Dizzy wants to become a P.I. just like her Dad.
As Dizzy and the girls are sitting around the garage, little
7 year old Sissy Heffelman walks up and tells the girls she wants them to find
her daddy. An expensive Barbie doll was sent to Sissy on her birthday and she
believes it is from her father even though he was supposedly killed in a
terrible train wreck weeks before. They take Sissy’s case.
As the girls work their case, Harry’s client is killed in
his office while searching for something after breaking in in the night. Harry
has mobsters showing up from Chicago and Tampa all looking for something that
Harry knows nothing about. Houston got rid of the mob years ago, so why are
they back? All of a sudden in once quiet Houston there are bombings tied to
picketers and the dockworkers are striking. When Harry and Dizzy begin to compare
their cases, they find the two may be connected by a single incident.
This is such a fun, entertaining and intriguing mystery. Harry’s dialogue is filled with old-fashioned hard-boiled P.I. lingo that at first was a little jarring, but then it just blends right into the whole narrative and I could not imagine him talking any other way. It was especially entertaining when Dizzy used the same lingo. Harry and Dizzy have a unique relationship that had me laughing out loud at times. Set in the 1960’s, the author realistically writes about race relations, dirty politicians and the mafia. There are many twists and turns in this fast moving plot that kept me guessing.
I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read more mysteries with this father/daughter duo.
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Author Bio and Social Media
D. B. Borton is the author of two mystery novel series, the Cat Caliban series (Berkley,
Hilliard and Harris) and the Gilda Liberty series (Fawcett), as well as
recent novels Second Comingand Smoke.
She has published academic
work on film, women’s literature, and the
supernatural; she is co-author of Haunting the House of Fiction: Feminist
Perspectives on Ghost Stories by American Women and Ghost Stories by
British and American Women.
She also wrote for Ms. magazine.
A native Texan, Borton became an ardent admirer
of Nancy Drew at a young age. At the age of fourteen, she acquired her own blue
roadster, trained on Houston freeways, and began her travels. She also began a
lifetime of political activism, working only for candidates who lost. She left
Texas about the time everyone else arrived.
D. B. currently teaches writing, film, and
literature at Ohio Wesleyan University.
The last thing MI6 agent Eli Morgan expected was Pleiades witch Avery Donovan showing up to “rescue” him. Turns out she’s his biggest threat when an unexpected love spell hits them. Now he can’t keep his hands off the woman he vowed never to touch.
But something evil fights to posses Eli’s soul. The only one who can truly save him is his soulmate. Can’t be Avery. What they feel is spell-induced. Or is it?
ONE NIGHT WITH A WITCH (Keepers of the Veil Book 5) by Zoe
Forward is a new paranormal romance novella in the Keepers of the Veil series. This
is a fast, entertaining read to finally bring two soulmates together. This
novella can be read as a standalone, but I feel it is better read in order with
the other books in this series due to the character crossover and the author’s
world-building.
Avery Donovan is one of the seven Pleiades. She can see and speak
to ghosts. Avery has loved Eli her entire life, but due to a tarot reading, she
believes he is the soulmate destined for her sister. For years they have been
there for each other since the death of her parents and sister as they fight
their mutual attraction. Avery has been told that Eli is in trouble in Paris
and she has to be there to save him.
Eli Morgan is an MI6 agent and a druid protector of the Pleiades. While on a mission in Paris, Eli is shocked when Avery shows up and says she is there to save him. Believing that a love spell has been cast, Eli finally gives in and he and Avery come together physically for the first time.
When he sends Avery away to safety, an evil spirit enters
Eli’s body and fights to posse his soul. Now the only one who can save him and
stop his destruction is his true soulmate. Was it a spell that brought them together
for only one night, or is Avery truly the only one for him to save his soul?
This was the first Keepers of the Veil book that I have
read. I will definitely be going back to read them from the beginning. Even
without all of the world-building leading up to this novella, I could figure
out what was happening and not be lost, but I had questions. I would also like
to read more of Avery and Eli’s interactions prior to this story. This is a
fast read that kept me turning the pages to find out if and how Eli would be
saved. The sex is explicit but not drawn out or gratuitous. This is an exciting
witchy world that is definitely worth the read.
***
About Zoe:
Award winning author Zoe Forward is a hopeless romantic who can’t decide between paranormal and contemporary romance. So, she writes both. Her novels have won numerous awards including the Prism, Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence, Golden Quill, Carolyn Readers Choice Award, and the Booksellers’ Best Award.
When she’s not typing at her laptop, she’s cheering her son on at baseball, chasing the toddler or cleaning up the newest pet mess from the menagerie that occupies her house. She’s a small animal veterinarian caring for a wide range of furry creatures, although there has been the occasional hermit crab.
She’s madly in love with her globe trotting conservation ecologist husband who plans to save all the big cats on the planet, and she’s happiest when he returns to their home base.
They’ve never met, but their paths run in the same direction—home for the holidays.
Yet their reasons for leaving are as different as the reasons they return.
Meeting by chance along a 1400 mile stretch of highway when a snowstorm grinds traffic to a halt, they have no choice but to jointly ride it out.
Exposing a common thread, leading them from the past to the present, it’s through the innocent eyes of a toddler, they discover a future.
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My Book Review:
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
LuLLaY: Portland ME, a Christmas Novella (Portland ME #4.5) by Freya Barker is a contemporary holiday romance novella and is the PERFECT heartwarming, sexy and HEA holiday read for the season. Even though this is part of the Portland ME series, it can easily be read as a standalone.
Matteo “Matt” Savela is a bartender at the Skipper, who has watched all his friends find their perfect matches, but he does not feel it is in the cards for him. Matt is on his way home to pick up his sister. Driving across country during December can lead to unexpected snow storms and chance meetings.
Montana “Tana” Memphis Romer is driving across country with her three year old toddler, Flynn. She decided to drive across country rather than fly because Flynn has an ear infection. Tana wants to get home for Christmas and help her parents with some major decisions about their family bakery.
Tana and Flynn keep crossing paths with “Man” (Flynn’s name for Matt) along the way. When a snow storm hits, they all end up sharing a hotel suite until it blows over. Matt loves all kids and he and Flynn bond quickly. Tana is not so sure, but with all the kind things he does for them and the way he takes care of them she begins to care for Matt as much as her daughter.
With all the chance meetings and the same destinations, can fate be putting these two together for more?
Matt is the hero that every single mom would want to meet. Tana is an independent business woman and single mother. Flynn is too adorable and I could not get enough of her. These three come together, even with all the many real life problems to be solved before their HEA. The relationship comes together quickly, but it never feels forced. The sex scenes are yummy. All of the secondary characters are three dimensional and believable.
I always love Freya Barker’s characters! I want to be friends with all of them and I am always happy with their HEAs. The stories could happen anywhere and I just fall into the first scene and never want to put it down until I am done. This is another great read from this author!
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About Freya:
Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; with characters who are perhaps less than perfect, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills, and their own slice of happy.
A recipient of the RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for best first book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya has not slowed down.
She continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!
