I am very happy to be included in the Release Blitz for M FOR MURDER by Keri Beevis. (This book was previously published as Dead Letter Day in 2013.)
This standalone thriller’s plot will grab you from page 1 and pull you into a fast paced twisted story that intertwines a serial killer’s story from eight years ago with a present day series of killings. They thought the killer died in a fire, but there was no body.
Has he returned to continued his Alphabet Killings ?
***
My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
M for Murder by Keri Beevis is an engrossing and fast
paced standalone thriller. (This book was previously published as Dead Letter
Day in 2013.)
Eight years ago, the ninth victim of The Alphabet Killer
escaped. With her escape came the identification of the serial killer as
Professor Rodney Boone an English Professor from the college. During the
escape, the professor was stabbed twice and the basement kill room was set on
fire. No body was discovered and the killings stopped.
Present day. The killings have resumed right where they left
off in the alphabet. Rookie cop, Rebecca Angell is excited to be assisting the two
FBI agents assigned to the case. She soon finds that not every investigator plays
by the rules.
The investigators are convinced they are dealing with a
copycat killer, but Boone’s body was never found. Is Professor Boone back or is
someone else finishing The Alphabet Killers letters?
I have to say that this plot pulled me in and did not let
up. There are several red herrings and plot twists that constantly had me
questioning who the killer may be. I did not guess the killer or the twisted ending
correctly and that makes me very happy. I was disappointed in Rebecca. She was
always hot-headed and confrontational. The male characters were difficult and
chauvinistic, but I would have really liked Rebecca to have handled her
frustration and temper better.
The thriller plot is great and because of that and the
surprise twist ending I recommend this book for an engrossing read.
***
Author Bio and Social Media Links
Keri Beevis wrote her first novel at age twenty, but it was a
further twenty years before she was published after winning a contract in the
Rethink Press New Novels Competition 2012.
Born in the village of Old Catton, less than a mile from where Anna Sewell was
living when she wrote Black Beauty, Keri had a passion for reading and writing
from a young age, though her tastes veered more to the macabre.
Today she still lives in Norwich, along with her two naughty kitties, Ellie and
Lola, and a plentiful supply of red wine (her writing fuel), where she writes a
comedic lifestyle column for a local magazine. She loves Hitchcock movies,
exploring creepy places, and gets extremely competitive in local pub quizzes.
She is also a self-confessed klutz.
Keri joined the Bloodhound team in 2019 and her first release with them, the
psychological thriller, Dying To Tell, which is set in her beautiful home
county of Norfolk, has been her biggest success to date, with over 1200 four
and five star ratings on Goodreads.
Her new novel, Deep Dark Secrets (which was previously published as The
Darkness Beneath) was released in January 2020.
Today is my turn on the Chemical Attraction Audiobook Blog Tour. This Feature Post and Audiobook Review is for the romantic suspense CHEMICAL ATTRACTION (The Chemical Attraction Series Book #3) by Christina Thompson and narrated by Gary Bennett. This book can be read as a standalone in terms of the suspense plot, but there is a lot of crossover of characters from the previous two books.
Below you will find a book synopsis, my audiobook review, an author interview with a character from her books, the author and narrator’s info and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Enjoy!
***
About the Audiobook
Author: Christina Thompson
Narrator: Gary Bennett
Length: 10 hours 3 minutes
Publisher: 48fourteen⎮2019
Genre: Romantic Thriller
Series: The Chemical Attraction Series, Book 3
Release date: Dec. 26, 2019
***
Book Synopsis:
Working in nanotechnology, Madeline Pierce, a dedicated scientist, has pain in her heart from an abusive relationship. She hides in her research. Charismatic yet brooding, Joe Roberts searches for an instant chemistry with his soulmate, the one person who will love him for his faults not in spite of them.
Dr. Pierce teams up with Agent Roberts to uncover a criminal network within her medical research facility in West Michigan. Feeling an undeniable attraction, they struggle to stay professional while they determine the degree of company involvement.
In the nearby farming town, animals violently attack the residents. Someone is experimenting outside the laboratory. Are human test subjects next? With the help of Joe’s sister Eva, a physician assistant at the local hospital, and her husband Chief Matt Connor, Joe and Madeline hunt for this new bio-weapon before the death toll rises in this gripping third book of The Chemical Attraction Series.
CHEMICAL ATTRACTION (The Chemical Attraction Series Book
#3) by Christina Thompson is the third romantic suspense in this engaging
series. In this story it is Joe’s turn to feel the chemical attraction. The suspense
story can be read as a standalone, but there is a lot of character crossover
between the books in this series. I suggest you read or listen to them all in
order. You will not be disappointed.
Dr. Madeline Pierce is a scientist who specializes in nanotechnology.
She discovers discrepancies on invoices at the medical research facility where
she works. When her questions lead to answers that do not add up, she asks the
FBI for help.
FBI Agent Joe Roberts is sent to meet with Dr. Pierce. The
two use the pretense of a relationship to work together to get to the truth. Joe
never believed he would find the chemical attraction his sisters talk about
until he meets Madeline, but she is his contact on this dangerous case.
As they work together, they struggle to keep their
relationship professional. Joe has a history of being a player and Madeline has
been terribly abused in the past. Can she trust this chemical attraction to be
real? And can their relationship survive as they fight a horrific threat to
humanity?
I have been waiting for Joe to meet his “one” and this story
did not disappoint. I love when a player is brought down by a strong and
intelligent woman. Even with her past and some insecurities, she is a heroine that
fits with Joe. The suspense plot is well paced, realistic and terrifying in that
aspect. There are some graphic scenes, but they are in line with the plot so
for me they were not gratuitous. I enjoy Eva and Matt being active participants
in this story and crossovers from “The Kindred Code”, book #2 in this series.
None of the characters in this series have it easy in love or danger.
I listened to the audiobook this time after reading the
first two books in this series. Gary Bennett narrated this audiobook and this
was my first time listening to him. I enjoyed his voice and I would definitely
look for other audiobooks with his narration.
I recommend this audiobook and all the books in the Chemical
Attraction series!
***
Author Character Interview:
Matthew Connor from Chemical Attraction
Hello Everyone! I’m Christina Thompson, the author of Chemical Attraction, a romantic thriller. I’m joining you today to promote Chemical Attraction’s Audiobook narrated by Gary Bennett.
I’ve had the privilege of getting to know the people in this story. Eva Connor and Joe Roberts are siblings by choice. They’ve told me their story, and I wrote about their amazing journey. These interviews take place just after their adventure. [trivial spoilers/no plot spoilers]
Ruggedly handsome with a calm demeanor, Matthew Connor had pushed any romantic life aside to focus on raising his eight-year-old son, David. Then, he met Eva and watched her take his hometown by storm. Now as the police chief, he helped Joe on his FBI case.
CHRISTINA: When you first saw Eva with David, what was your first thought?
MATT: Mesmerizing came to mind. She definitely spiced up my life. The first time she visited my home, she turned the town upside down. I didn’t think the Allenton gossip circuit could travel faster than the speed of light. Boy, that weekend it had.
CHRISTINA: How hard was it to be a single dad for the first eight years of David’s life?
MATT: Tough. Like I mentioned before, gossip is big in this town and stereotypes are even bigger. I’ve been the chief for nine years, but I’m still known as the guy who knocked up his high school girlfriend. Beth gave up her rights to David right after he was born while I embraced fatherhood. I wouldn’t have changed a thing though. David makes me a better person, and I strive to be the man he looks up to.
CHRISTINA: Uncovering a criminal network in your town, Joe created tension by not informing you about his case from the beginning. How’s your relationship with him?
MATT: Man, I don’t want him to visit us anymore … too much drama when he’s around. Joking aside, I love Joe like a little brother. Years ago, I helped him out of a sticky situation, which cemented a brothers’ bond. I could do worse than having a federal agent as a brother.
CHRISTINA: I get the feeling that your responsibilities take over much of your life. What do you do for fun?
MATT: Ha. Not having much fun these days. I enjoy spending time with my wife and I crochet to relax. It’s meditative. My mother taught me years ago. I made David’s first baby blanket, and I donate the baby blankets I make now to our local hospital. After seeing the basket of yarn next to our sofa, Joe gave me a hard time until Eva told him what I did with the finished ones. Boy, did he feel bad. His niceness lasted for a month. It really creeped Eva out.
Thanks for stopping by. You can find the audiobook of Chemical Attraction on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Attraction-Book/dp/B0833H7YSV/
***
About the Author: Christina Thompson
Christina Thompson has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Nazareth College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is a certified massage therapist from the Health Enrichment Center’s School of Therapeutic Massage in Lapeer, Michigan. She also has a Diploma in Traditional Chinese Acupuncture from the Midwest College of Oriental Medicine in Racine, Wisconsin.
Her background in biology gave her a love of science and an insight into the physical realm of the body. Her holistic understanding of Traditional Chinese medicine taught her that the mind and spirit affect the body in powerful ways.
As a former holistic practitioner with over 20 years of knowledge, experience, and service, Christina now enjoys writing about the physical science, the emotional workings of our mind and heart, and the spiritual energy that taps into our passions.
She is the author of the romantic thrillers in The Chemical Attraction Series, which include Their Rigid Rules, The Kindred Code, Chemical Attraction, Chemical Reaction, and an anthology of short stories, Searching for Her. She has also written the romantic adventures, The Trucker’s Cat and The Garden Collection.
Narrator Gary Bennett is a SAG-AFTRA audiobook narrator. He was born and raised in California and then in Bozeman, Montana, and is the oldest of 4 children. He now calls the greater Seattle area his home, and he’s a huge fan of the Seattle Seahawks
He’s always been passionate about not just telling a story, but telling it well! From reading bedtime stories with his children to performing in front of the microphone, bringing a story truly to life is one of his greatest joys.
Gary has pursued his career in audiobook narration with zeal, investing in not only personal coaching from some of the best in the field, but in also some of the best equipment for his professional home-based studio. There are few things he enjoys more than stepping into his StudioBricks home studio and recording his favorite books!
Gary is also a licensed electrical engineer and a private pilot, loves to listen to and play music and is an avid outdoor enthusiast.
A Favor for a Favor (All In Book #2) by Helena
Hunting is a contemporary romance that will have you laughing out loud and/or teary
eyed more times than you can count throughout this fun and entertaining read.
This is the second book in the “All In” series featuring alpha professional hockey
jocks from Seattle’s new expansion NHL team, but it is easily read as a standalone
romance.
Stevie Bowman is excited to surprise her boyfriend returning
from her trip early to her and her boyfriend’s new apartment in time for her
birthday. But the surprise is on her when she walks in and finds him in bed
having sex with someone else.
Her brother, Rook helps her out by letting her live in his
team apartment he is not using while she gets back on her feet. As she stumbles
in late at night, she wakes her neighbor, who is not happy to be woken up. Stevie
just wants to hide and get away from this jerk of a neighbor.
Bishop Winslow cannot believe his strait-laced team captain
is keeping a side piece in his apartment. He already hates that Rook was made
team captain instead of him and this makes it even worse. Imagine his surprise
when he finds out the mistress is actually the hot younger sister.
Bishop suffers a severe groin injury in the very first
pre-season game. Stevie offers Bishop a deal. She will assist with his rehab so
he can return to the ice sooner, if he will give her a letter of recommendation
which will help advance her career in sport physiotherapy. Can they keep it
strictly professional?
I absolutely love Bishop and Stevie. They are perfect
examples of “do not judge someone because you don’t know what they are going
through privately.” The underwear war had me laughing out loud.
I am fast becoming a huge fan of Helena Hunting’s romances. The
characters are realistic, full-fleshed and the dialogue is pitch perfect. She
captures the sex appeal and down-and-dirty language and foibles of young
professional male athletes. The women she creates are strong, but surprisingly
quirky and/or have an emotional impediment that I would never think would work as
a match for these men and yet each is the perfect match.
I highly recommend this contemporary romance and author!
***
Author Biography:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Helena Hunting lives on
the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately
intolerant cats. Helena writes everything from contemporary romance with all
the feels to romantic comedies that will have you laughing until you cry.
Today it is my turn on the Toxic Deception Blog Tour. I am excited to share my Feature Post and Book Review for Toxic Deception (A Jordan Reed Mystery Book #1)) by K.C. Gillis, who is a new to me author.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. This is a fast-paced, entertaining start to a new thriller series. Enjoy!
***
Book Blurb
Strange symptoms. Bloody secrets. Can one reporter solve a medical mystery before she ends up in a body bag?
Jordan Reed put her world on hold to hunt down corruption. So when the gutsy journalist gets tipped off about blood money changing hands at a pharmaceutical factory, she dives into the story. With an otherwise healthy worker dropping dead of multiple organ failure, Jordan suspects something far more sinister than a simple accident…
Daring to go up against big pharma, she gains an ally on the inside and recruits two friends to join the investigation. But after a string of false leads and tight-lipped witnesses, she ties her case to disturbingly similar evidence in a medical trial on the other side of the globe. And if she doesn’t expose the lethal conspiracy soon, Jordan is terrified she and her team could be the next victims of the lethal cover-up.
Can Jordan take down a greedy corporation before they sacrifice more lives in the drive for profit? Toxic Deception is the first book in the gripping Jordan Reed thriller series. If you like tenacious heroines, underdog stories, and edge-of-your-seat action, then you’ll love K.C. Gillis’s page-turning tale.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
TOXIC DECEPTION by K.C. Gillis is an engrossing new
thriller by a new to me author. A junior staff reporter versus an amoral
biochem/pharmaceutical company and it just picks up in speed and suspense as it
progresses.
Jordan Reed is a staff reporter on the metro beat at a small
newspaper. She returns home one day after her morning swim to find an envelope
taped to her door. It contains an obituary for a young husband and father who
died under mysterious circumstances. Jordan is not a crime reporter, but when
she starts to ask questions, she finds she has a story that may tie the pharmaceutical
company and its COO back to an experimental drug trial that killed her mother.
With help from her ex-fiance, still best-friend Travis and her
friend Charlie Choi who works at the CDC, Jordan fights to learn what the
company is hiding. This lethal conspiracy needs to be uncovered before there
are more victims, including Jordan and her friends.
I enjoyed this introduction to Jordan and her friends from
K.C. Gillis. The thriller plot is an interesting investigation into the biochem/pharmaceutical
industry and the massive amounts of money that corrupt the entire system. Jordan
makes an interesting new journalist protagonist to follow, but she is at times
a little too naïve to believe for her position. That said, she will hopefully
be a little more careful in her decisions in future books. She is inquisitive
and caring and I do not want those qualities to change. The secondary
characters are well fleshed out and I hope to read more about Travis in future Jordan
Reed books.
I recommend this thriller for a fast-paced, entertaining
read.
***
About the Author:
K.C. (Kevin) Gillis is the author of the Jordan Reed mystery series.
Despite being a lifelong lover of stories and books, writing took a distant
back seat as his professional career travelled through the Canadian Air Force,
a decade as a chemist, followed by a long and continuing run in corporate
America. With writing no longer in the back seat (but not quite yet in the
front seat), Kevin has the initial novels (plus one novella) in the Jordan Reed
series well under way. His personal interests focus on endurance and water
sports, and obviously a lot of reading!. Having grown up in the Canadian
Maritimes, he now lives in the US northeast.
Today, it is my turn on the San Diego Dead Blog Tour. I am excited to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for San Diego Dead (Jake Wolfe Book #4) by Mark Nolan. This is the first book I read in this series and I cannot wait to go back and read the previous books after falling in love with Jake and Cody.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review and an about the author with social media links. Enjoy!
***
Book Blurb
Danger awaits Marine-turned-lawyer Jake
Wolfe on his vacation to sunny San Diego and Cabo San Lucas. There he finds
sugary white sand beaches, warm turquoise water, boat trips among gray whales,
and … cold blooded murder.
It was meant to be a relaxing holiday
for Jake and his adopted war dog, Cody, but violence erupts when he crosses
paths with a criminal cartel urgently seeking to reclaim a deadly package.
Jake learns the missing item is a threat
to US citizens and vows to stop the cartel from possessing it, no matter what
vigilante justice actions he might have to take.
Time is running out and thousands of
innocent lives are at risk. Will the two combat veterans be able to retrieve
the dangerous item before the killers do? The clock is ticking, but Jake hopes
that if anybody can help find the package, it has to be his highly-trained and
ultra-intelligent dog, Cody.
Find out what happens next. Start reading the latest Jake and Cody thriller right now and enjoy another fast-paced stand-alone story by author Mark Nolan.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
San Diego Dead (Jake Wolfe Book #4) by Mark Nolan is a
fast-paced action thriller featuring Jake Wolfe and his retired war dog, Cody. This
is my first time to read a book in this series. The plot lends itself to be
easily read as a standalone, but multiple characters seem to be carried over
from previous books. That said, I loved it so much that I bought the first
three books in a bundle pack.
Jake Wolfe is a veteran Marine turned lawyer, but he is also
part of a secret covert operation team. He and his retired war-dog, Cody live
on a borrowed yacht. Jake’s Marine training, love of country and the strong
moral code have him fighting against national security threats and assisting
his many friends and brothers-in-arms.
Jake is on vacation with his girlfriend, Sarah and Cody in
Cabo San Lucas to relax and whale watch with a fellow veteran and friend, Pez. Pez
is hiding secrets that put Jake, Cody and Sarah in the crosshairs of a ruthless
Mexican cartel leader, who will do anything to retrieve a stolen package.
Until Jake can unravel the mystery of the package with help
from his friends, they are all in mortal danger. And when they discover what the
package contains, it becomes a threat to national security. The clock is
ticking as Jake and Cody work to destroy the cartel, secure vengeance for his
friend and neutralize the threat to the country.
This is an extremely fast-paced and exciting, easy-to-read
thriller. The plot is packed full of action, danger, a ruthless cartel,
terrorism and human trafficking that does not slow down. Jake is an alpha hero and
with his war-dog Cody, they work together to slip out of some very tight
situations. There is a large ensemble of secondary characters that work with Jake
and Cody that make the story feel more realistic than just a lone hero taking
on the world. I really love that Mr. Nolan gives Cody a unique personality and he
gives his own third person perspective on his pack leader occasionally. I read
this book all in one sitting and I am looking forward to reading the previous
books in this series, too.
I recommend this fast-paced thrill ride of an adventure.
***
About Mark Nolan:
Mark Nolan has spent much of his life
near the seashore. He loves dogs and has often been called a “dog whisperer.”
These interests are reflected in his novels where the main character lives on a
boat with his highly intelligent former war dog.
Today, I am excited to be on The Mentor Book Tour. This Feature Post and Book Review is for an intense new thriller – THE MENTOR by Andrew Lee Goldberg.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
***
Book Blurb
Kyle
Broder has achieved his lifelong dream and is an editor at a major publishing
house.
When
Kyle is contacted by his favorite college professor, William Lansing, Kyle
couldn’t be happier. Kyle has his mentor over for dinner to catch up and
introduce him to his girlfriend, Jamie, and the three have a great time. When
William mentions that he’s been writing a novel, Kyle is overjoyed. He would
love to read the opus his mentor has toiled over.
Until
the novel turns out to be not only horribly written, but the most depraved
story Kyle has read.
After
Kyle politely rejects the novel, William becomes obsessed, causing trouble
between Kyle and Jamie, threatening Kyle’s career, and even his life. As Kyle
delves into more of this psychopath’s work, it begins to resemble a cold case
from his college town, when a girl went missing. William’s work is looking
increasingly like a true crime confession.
Lee Matthew Goldberg’s The Mentor is a twisty, nail-biting thriller that explores how the love of words can lead to a deadly obsession with the fate of all those connected and hanging in the balance.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
THE MENTOR by Lee Matthew Goldberg is an intense
psychological thriller. Literary references, a cynical look into the book
publishing industry and a college literary professor who dreams of immortal
fame. A twisted and dark page-turner. (This thriller is not for the squeamish.)
Kyle Broder is a young New York house editor who has a new
deal with a debut author that has put him in the limelight. The publicity is
noticed by college professor, William Lansing who was Kyle’s mentor in college
and assisted him in straightening out his life. William gets in touch and lets
Kyle know he is writing a novel. Kyle is more than happy to read his mentor’s
opus.
Kyle cannot believe not only the poor writing, but the story
is depraved. He finds himself trying to let his mentor down gently with his
rejection, but William obsessively injects himself into Kyle’s life and
threatens his career.
Kyle learns that there is no way to separate himself from
William’s story and he must finish reading the manuscript to discover the fate
of all the people tangled up in this psychopath’s story.
I feel this will be one of those books everyone will have
very differing responses to. It was a riveting, hard-to-put-down thriller that
has an escalating cat-and-mouse game going on between Kyle and William. It is
also quite graphic in descriptions of cannibalistic behavior and thoughts. That
said, it has a twisted, psychological plot that pulled me in and had me continuing
to read until the end just as Kyle did inside the story. I also enjoyed the
dark twist after the climax at the end of the book.
I recommend this for dark psychological thriller lovers.
***
Author Bio
Lee Matthew Goldberg is the author of the novels THE DESIRE CARD, THE MENTOR, and SLOW DOWN. He has been published in multiple languages and nominated for the 2018 Prix du Polar. The second book in the Desire Card series, PREY NO MORE, is forthcoming in 2020, along with his first Sci-Fi novel ORANGE CITY.
His new endeavor will be as the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Fringe Press and Fringe Digital, dedicated to publishing fiction that’s outside-of-the-box. His pilots and screenplays have been finalists in Script Pipeline, Book Pipeline, Stage 32, We Screenplay, the New York Screenplay, Screencraft, and the Hollywood Screenplay contests.
After graduating with an MFA from the New School, his writing has also appeared in the anthology DIRTY BOULEVARD, The Millions, Cagibi, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Underwood Press and others. He is the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series and lives in New York City. Follow him at leematthewgoldberg.com.
