Tag: #authorsocialmedia

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Dressmaker’s War by Michelle Vernal

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE DRESSMAKER’S WAR by Michelle Vernal on this Bookouture Books-On-Tour blog tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

She gazes at her mother’s face in the black and white photograph, her vision blurring as tears build. Could this wartime wedding portrait be the key to finding out why her mother went missing, all those years ago?

Brides of Bold Street is filled with beautiful, brand-new ivory gowns. But dressmaker Sabrina loves it when brides-to-be wear vintage, family heirloom dresses. Seeing wedding day photographs of future mothers and grandmothers beaming – as if knowing the happiness they feel will be passed down to their daughters – is a bittersweet reminder of the mother she’s never known.

And as she and her handsome beau, Adam Taylor, start talking about marriage, not having her mother by her side weighs on Sabrina’s heart more and more each day.

But when a bride walks into the store with a family dress made of rare parachute silk from World War Two, Sabrina feels hope rise again in her chest. Because the bride also has a photograph. A photo Sabrina is sure shows her mother’s face…

With the answers to what happened all those years ago almost within reach, Sabrina decides to risk another journey through the past – and this time, with Adam by her side. He’d never let her travel alone, to a time when air raid sirens broke the silence of the night and bombs fell on Liverpool.

Together, will they finally solve the mystery of Sabrina’s real family? Or will the dangers of the darkest days of World War Two prevent Adam and Sabrina from returning to their own time?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/232542182-the-dressmaker-s-war?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=PQe5Y30IXG&rank=4

Purchase link: https://geni.us/B0F2SVYS6Lcover

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE DRESSMAKER’S WAR (Brides of Bold Street Book #3) by Michelle Vernal is another captivating dual timeline adventure featuring wedding dress maker, Sabrina in 1982 Liverpool, England who is able to time slip into the past. While each book has Sabrina helping a different couple in different years and could be read as standalone stories, I preferred reading them in order as those around Sabrina continue to evolve in their relationships to Sabrina in her present.

In 1982, Sabrina’s work at Brides of Bold Street and her relationship with Adam are going well and right now she has no plans to attempt a time slip to find the mother she was separated from. When a bride-to-be walks into the shop to have her grandmother’s dress altered for her own wedding, she shows Sabrina a wedding photo from her grandmother’s wedding. Sabrina is shocked to see not only herself and her boyfriend, Adam, in the photo, but she is sure she sees her mother’s face also.

Now in 1945, Sabrina and Max have slipped to the day before the celebrations for VE Day and to meet Lily, whom readers have been following in the other of the dual timelines in this story. Before the time slip, we follow Lilly’s young life during the war up to the time she meets Sabrina.

A night around the celebratory VE DAY bonfires changes everything for Sabrina.

Every book just gets better and better. I love this series and all the characters; both the main group that appear in every book and the new couple we are introduced to in each past story. This book once again had me completely engrossed as I turned the pages. Ms. Vernal’s descriptions of each time period pulled me right into the era’s history and clothing and it is especially fun and brings back good memories when she lists what music Sabrina and her friends are listening to in 1982. This is a beautiful story that is full of emotional ups and downs, love, family, and surprising revelations.

I highly recommend this mash-up of time travel, romance. and mystery!

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About the Author

Michelle Vernal is a New Zealand author who writes stories that will take you onto the page with her characters and make you feel part of their lives. She writes with humor and warmth, and her readers describe her books as unputdownable, feel good and funny. Her writing has been likened to Maeve Binchy but with a modern-day vernacular. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Love Stories Award. In 2020 she won the Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal Award for Chick lit, and in 2021 was shortlisted for the Page Turner Book Awards.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.michellevernalbooks.com/

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

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

Newsletter sign up: https://www.bookouture.com/michelle-vernal

Feature Post and Mini Book Review: The Last Hamilton by Jenn Bregman

Book Description

The more they know, the more danger they’re in.

    When Elizabeth Walker, the last heir of the Alexander Hamilton line, is tragically killed by a subway train in New York, foul play is immediately suspected. Elizabeth had been terrified, frantic, and manic during her last days, running mysterious errands, searching for a strange antique key, and sending cryptic messages to her best friend, Sarah Brockman.  

     The morning after Elizabeth’s death, a box of tattered documents lands on Sarah’s doorstep, confirming her suspicions about Elizabeth’s strange behavior and shocking death. She brings the box to Elizabeth’s grieving husband, Ralph. Working together, they are stunned to discover that Elizabeth was part of a secret society established by Hamilton himself to keep the United States just and free, its influence woven into every  corner of the country’s history. As Sarah and Ralph race through the streets of New York to uncover the truth behind Elizabeth’s death, they must stop an ingenious and sinister plot before someone else catches up to them–and the secrets of Hamilton’s society are lost forever. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208433120-the-last-hamilton

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My Mini Book Review

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

THE LAST HAMILTON by Jenn Bregman is an intriguing adventure thriller that combines a murder mystery, treasure hunt, secret society, and American history all wrapped up in fast-paced escapism. This is a standalone story set in present-day New York City interspersed with historical facts about Alexander Hamilton’s life and family.

Sarah Brockman’s best friend, Elizabeth Walker was the last living heir in Alexander Hamilton’s direct family line until she is killed in the middle of the night. Sarah and Elizabeth’s husband, Ralph are both devastated and then puzzled by items left for them by Elizabeth upon her death. Neither knew of the secrets she was keeping and now they are not only working together to solve her murder, but they are following the clues she left to uncover a plot to destabilize the U.S. Treasury’s gold standard.

This story has a mix of interesting historical facts, intriguing locations all over New York, a murder mystery, and a thriller plot that is more easy-to-read escapism than realism. The characters do their jobs of moving the reader through the story, but I was more motivated to continue the read for the mystery and history. There is a surprise plot twist at the end, which I had already guessed, but was a nice addition to understanding that character.

Overall, a good beach read, escapism thriller.

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About the Author

Jenn Bregman is the author of THE TIMEKEEPERS and soon to be released THE LAST HAMILTON. A graduate of the University of Denver and UCLA Law School, Jenn practiced as a Big Law business lawyer in both Los Angeles and New York and worked on some of the most notorious financial crimes cases of our time. Always up for a challenge, she loves to travel, ski, run marathons, scuba dive, and hike giant mountains, having summited 14,265 foot Quandary Peak, “reverse summited” the Grand Canyon, and thru-hiked from Crested Butte to Aspen. She lives in Colorado with her family and sweet Havanese dog Babalu. THE TIMEKEEPERS is her first novel, with the next in the series, THE LAST HAMILTON, publishing on February 11, 2025 by Crooked Lane Books.

Social Media Links

Website:https://jennbregman.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenn.swenson.bregman

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-last-hamilton-by-jenn-bregman

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Fury on the Island by Stewart Giles

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for FURY ON THE ISLAND by Stewart Giles on this Book ‘n’ All Promotions Blog Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

The midsummer madness that hit Guernsey with a vengeance has abated, but if Detective Inspector Liam O’Reilly thought he could relax he’s sorely mistaken. A fury like no other is about to take hold of the island, and O’Reilly is going to be thrown headfirst right into the middle of it.

The murder of a teenager at a party on the beach is just the beginning. Things on the island are about to get much worse.

A gang of masked phantoms on mountain bikes are hell bent on terrorizing the people of Guernsey. They strike without warning, and with a fury like no other. And O’Reilly cannot figure out why they’re doing it. They attack with precision, and the brutality on display is like nothing the Irishman has ever seen before.

The fury on the island spreads far and wide as the residents gather to take the law into their own hands. The Island Police aren’t doing enough, and O’Reilly faces a war on two fronts.

How do you stop a fury when you have no idea what lies behind it?
This is going to be O’Reilly’s bloodiest investigation yet.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227887108-fury-on-the-island?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=LU7acNbzYW&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

FURY ON THE ISLAND (Detective Liam O’Reilly Book #15) by Stewart Giles is a new case of murder and mayhem for my favorite team of detectives on Guernsey Island. This story once again has DI Liam O’Reilly working with his team on a difficult murder investigation, dealing with a new temporary superintendent, and bringing the reader up to date with family and regulars on the island. One of my favorite mystery/police procedural series with a unique protagonist and the unique setting of Guernsey Island.

A gang of masked riders on mountain bikes viciously murder a teenager when he walks away from beach party. O’Reilly and his team are shocked at the fury of the attack. When more victims are attacked in the same way, the people of the island are scared and about to take the law into their own hands. There seems to be no connection or motive between those killed and injured that O’Reilly and his team can find.

With the masked riders leaving no clues or evidence, O’Reilly and his team face an island population on the brink and they are desperate for answers.

This was a different type of murder case in this series with the lack of evidence, it was less of a procedural until almost the resolution, and it still was not evidence O’Reilly could use in court. The current murder mystery reader or crime junkie wants physical evidence and DNA, but that is not always how a case is resolved. Tips, interrogations, and confessions, I believe, resolve cases more than we know. The inclusion of the temporary superintendent storyline, for me was just a space filler, although it did show O’Reilly’s care for an old colleague. I enjoyed catching up with all of O’Reilly’s police colleagues, family, and friends once again. As always, I will be anxiously waiting for the next book in this series.

I highly recommend this addition to the Detective Liam O’Reilly mystery/police procedural series.

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Author Bio

After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live.

In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later.

3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor: Cornwall series.

The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.

I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results. I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018.

After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor.

The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before.

The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow. I also have another series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey, the Detective Liam O’Reilly series. There are also 3 stand alone novels.

Social Media Links

Website: www.stewartgiles.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stewart.giles.33

DI O’REILLY MYSTERIES:

Book 1 – Blood on the Island
Book 2 – Lies on the Island
Book 3 – Fear on the Island
Book 4 – Malice on the Island
Book 5 – Revenge on the Island
Book 6 – Christmas on the Island
Book 7 – Silence on the Island
Book 8 – Secrets on the Island
Book 9 – Chaos on the Island
Book 10 – Sadness on the Island
Book 11 – Danger on the Island
Book 12 – Evil on the Island
Book 13 – Fire on the Island
Book 14 – Madness on the Island
Book 15 – Fury on the Island

Feature Post and Book Review: The Lost Concerto by Helaine Mario

Book Description

A woman and her young son flee to a convent on a remote island off the Breton coast of France. Generations of seafarers have named the place Ile de la Brume, or Fog Island. In a chapel high on a cliff, a tragic death occurs, and a terrified child vanishes into the mist.

The child’s godmother, Maggie O’Shea, haunted by the violent deaths of her husband and best friend, has withdrawn from her life as a classical pianist. But then a recording of unforgettable music and a grainy photograph surface, connecting her missing godson to a long-lost first love.

The photograph will draw Maggie inexorably into a collision course with criminal forces, decades-old secrets, stolen art and musical artifacts, and deadly terrorists. Her search will take her to the Festival de Musique, Aix-en-Provence, France, where she discovers answers to her husband’s death, an unexpected love—and a musical masterpiece lost for centuries.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24767146-the-lost-concerto?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=bzf1D6vGHn&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE LOST CONCERTO (A Maggie O’Shea Mystery Book #1) by Helaine Mario is an exciting, fast moving, intricately plotted mystery/thriller that had me completely engrossed and guessing throughout. I am very glad this is a series, so I am able to follow these characters on future adventures.

Concert pianist Maggie O’Shea was devastated by the death of her best friend and the disappearance of her friend’s young son who is her godson. When her investigative journalist husband goes overseas to look into the murder and disappearance, he is killed in a boating accident. Now withdrawn, unable to play and find solace in her music, she hides away in her music shop.

When a CIA officer drops off an envelope with a recording of a piano concerto and a grainy picture, Maggie and the military officer sent to protect her are drawn into an international mystery and investigation into terrorism, politics, and a historic original music score. Will she find her find her missing godson before an international assassin kills them all?

This is one of those books that are impossible to put down. Maggie is depressed and has suffered so much loss in such a short time and yet she is determined to find her godson. The journey all over the beautifully described European sites made me feel like I was there with Maggie. The classical music content added a special interest for me throughout the story besides just being a fast-paced chase thriller. The mystery/thriller plot was intricately plotted with many red herrings and twists that continually surprised me even knowing that you just cannot always trust your belief in who is a good man and who is an evil man without knowing their pasts and reasons for what they believe in. The good and bad were all fully developed. The romance elements in this story were quite romantic with two broken people finding each other with no sex involved.

I highly recommend this well written, exciting mystery/thriller!

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About the Author

Best-selling author Helaine Mario grew up in NYC and is a graduate of Boston University. Now living in Arlington, VA, this mother of two, grandmother of five, and passionate advocate for women’s and children’s issues came to writing later in life. Her first novel, The Lost Concerto, won the Benjamin Franklin Award Silver Medal. Echoes on the Wind is her fifth novel and the fourth in her Maggie O’Shea Classical Music Suspense Series. Royalties from her books go to children’s music and reading programs. Helaine recently lost her husband, Ron, after 57 years together. Her new book echoes with loss, grief and, ultimately, the healing power of love.

A personal note to my readers,

There is a lovely quote that says, “Happiness is finding the first good book in a series, and knowing there are more to follow.”

If you want to learn my pianist Maggie O’Shea’s story from the beginning, then begin with THE LOST CONCERTO. DARK RHAPSODY and SHADOW MUSIC follow. ECHOES ON THE WIND, newly available summer 2024, is #4 in my award-winning Classical Music Suspense series. Each story comes from my heart.

My only stand alone is FIREBIRD, a novel of espionage, art, dance and enduring love.

In all of my books, the emotional heartbeat is a strong woman. It’s been said that my books are like music. They take you on a journey, they tell a story, they make you feel something. More than anything, I want my readers to fall into the story, to care about the characters. I want them to ask, What would I have done? While there are too many moments in life that we cannot change or control, I know that it’s how we deal with what happens to us that matters. This always will be a theme in my novels.

I like to say that ‘Music tells our stories.” I want to be a storyteller forever. Beyond grateful.

Social Media Links

Website: https://helainemario.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helaine.mario

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helainemario.author/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-lost-concerto-by-helaine-mario

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Murder in the Appalachians by Susan Furlong

MURDER IN THE APPALACHIANS

by Susan Furlong


March 17 – April 25, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for MURDER IN THE APPALACHIANS by Susan Furlong on this Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links, and a Kingsumo giveaway. Enjoy!

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Book Description

On the run in the mountains…
with a killer on their trail.

After unearthing secrets from her late brother’s police notebook, journalist Emma Hayes discovers his death was no accident—he was murdered. Only someone doesn’t want Emma to find out the connection to the cold case her brother was investigating…and they’ll kill to keep it that way. Now Emma must rely on local ER doctor Logan Greer to help her stay alive and follow a trail of elusive evidence. But as they unravel a conspiracy, they realize that the killer could be anyone hiding in the mountains…

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213103156-murder-in-the-appalachians

Murder in the Appalachians

Genre: Love Inspired Suspense – Romantic Suspense
Published by: Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense
Publication Date: April 1, 2025
Number of Pages: 206
ISBN: 9781335980533 (ISBN10: 1335980539)

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

MURDER IN THE APPALACHIANS by Susan Furlong is an edge-of-you-seat Christian romantic suspense/mystery with plenty of action, twists, and surprises. This standalone Love Inspired Suspense book is set in a small ex-mining town in the scenic West Virginian Appalachian Mountains.

Emma Hayes is an investigative journalist living in Washington, D.C. who returns to her twin brother’s mountain cabin after his death. He was a police officer, supposedly killed while handling a traffic stop, but after listening to a message left by him on her phone, Emma believes he was murdered while investigating a local cold case. In her search of his cabin, she finds his notebook but is then chased by a masked man and shot at. She escapes down the river.

On vacation and fly fishing on the river, Dr. Logan Greer discovers a woman on the riverbank freezing. He takes her to his free clinic and his sister, a physician’s assistant, takes care of her wounds, and they take her home. Emma does not know who to trust, but Logan gains her trust as he saves her life more than once. What Emma does not know is that the cold case she is looking into ties to the disappearance of Logan’s youngest sister.

Someone is determined to keep their secrets, and to stop the attempts on their lives, Emma and Logan must uncover the secrets of this cold case and find the killer.

This is one of those stories that pull you in and you just want to read it from start to finish. Emma and Logan are both dealing with trauma and loss and are at different places in their relationship with their faith. They are feeling many of the same things, but Emma’s feelings are fresh while Logan has had more years to deal with his feelings even though he continues to search for the truth of his sister’s disappearance. Their romance and faith journeys both felt realistic and believable. This is a Christian based romance, so there are a few kisses, but no sex scenes. The suspense plot is intense and kept me turning the pages and continually guessing who was involved and who was innocent. I was very satisfied with the resolutions in the suspense plot, the cold case mystery and the HEA.

I highly recommend this exciting Christian romantic suspense!

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Author Bio

Susan Furlong grew up in North Dakota where she spent long winters at her local library scouring the shelves for mysteries to read. Now, she lives in Illinois with her husband and children and writes mysteries of all types. She has over a dozen published novels and her work has earned a spot in the New York Times list of top crime fiction books of the year. When not writing, she volunteers at her church and spends time hiking and fishing.

Social Media Links

www.SusanFurlong.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub – @SusanFurlongAuthor
Instagram – @susanfurlong
Threads – @susanfurlong
Facebook – @SusanFurlongAuthor

Purchase Links

Amazon –     https://pictbooks.tours/UTHi4    
BN –     https://pictbooks.tours/h8qVJ    
Goodreads –     https://pictbooks.tours/c4J3g    
BookShop.org –     https://pictbooks.tours/1GBD3    
Harlequin-    https://pictbooks.tours/tuqwl    

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KINGSUMO GIVEAWAY

https://kingsumo.com/g/1gg4vz1/murder-in-the-appalachians-by-susan-furlong

ARC Feature Post and Book Review: Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts

Book Description

Natural Resources police officer, Sloan Cooper, and her partner had just taken down three men preying on hikers in the Western Maryland mountains. Driving back, she pulled in at a convenience store—and walked right into a robbery in progress. One gunshot from a jittery thief was about to change her world.

After being shocked back to life on the operating table, she has a long recovery ahead, so she moves back to her parents’ peaceful house in Heron’s Rest. As for the boyfriend who dumped her via text while she was in the hospital, good riddance.

She may be down, but she’s not out. So when a woman vanishes, leaving her car behind in a supermarket parking lot, Sloan searches online for similar cases. She finds them, spread across three states. Men and women, old and young—the missing seem to have nothing in common. And the abductions keep happening.

Luckily, the new man in her life shares her passion for solving this mystery. But it will take every ounce of endurance to get to the dark heart of this bizarre case—and she’s willing to risk her life again if that’s what it takes to stop the horror.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217388081-hidden-nature?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ZVurAHIy6W&rank=1

Hidden Nature

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DDJC6XS2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin’s Press (May 27, 2025)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 27, 2025
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 448 pages

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

HIDDEN NATURE by Nora Roberts is an intriguing mash-up of mystery, crime thriller, investigation, and romance with a bit of HGTV like home renovation going on throughout. The setting of this story is the beautiful Maryland mountains with a main character who is not only a member of the Natural Resources Police but is a genuine lover of nature and all its varied seasons. This is a standalone novel.

Sloan Cooper grew up knowing exactly what she wanted to do with her life. While her family runs a successful year-round vacation resort in the Heron’s Rest, she has her heart set on a career with the Natural Resources Police of Maryland. After closing a successful case, she and her partner stop at a small-town convenience store. Sloan walks into a robbery in progress and is shot in the chest.

After being shocked back to life, she has a long recuperation ahead. She returns to her childhood home, but even though she cannot return to work, she is bored. When she hears about the case of a missing woman which intrigues her. She decides to do a bit of online searching on her own and soon discovers there are more missing people in the tri-state area of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia that appear to have no connections other than their disappearances.

As the investigation continues with several jurisdictions on the case, Sloan realizes what the connection is between all the missing, but it is so bazaar, others find it hard to believe, but Sloan knows she is right. When a local friend goes missing, she is determined to find him and bring him home and stop the killer or killers because she may be on their list, too.

This is another great all-around, intriguing and satisfying book by Ms. Roberts. I opened this book and could not stop. Sloan is a strong, intelligent protagonist who is put through difficult physical and mental trials and doggedly continues forward. Her family and friends are all fully developed characters that are a strong support system and interesting in their own rights. The HGTV home renovations add a unique twist to the dialogue and focus when they are not discussing or chasing down the missing. I also loved the beautifully integrated descriptions of nature and wildlife in the area. The crime thriller plotline is woven throughout the book at an ever-increasing pace. The perpetrators are seriously scary and depraved and made the hair on my arms stand-up.

I highly recommend this amazing mash-up! Ms. Roberts is one of my all-time favorite authors and I always look forward to her books.

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About the Author

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Shelter in Place, Year One, Come Sundown, and many more. She is also the author of the bestselling In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than five hundred million copies of her books in print.

Social Media Links

Website: https://noraroberts.com/

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

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/hidden-nature-by-nora-roberts