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

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for MADNESS ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #14) by Stewart Giles on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions Blog Tour.

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

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Book Blurb

Midsummer madness has hit the island of Guernsey with a vengeance.

The residents of the peaceful island are behaving irrationally.

It starts with an exclusive dinner party where two lifelong friends are hospitalised following a brutal fight, but things soon spiral out of control.

The first body is found, and Detective Inspector Liam O’Reilly is sent out to investigate.

A man has been maimed beyond recognition. The injuries he has sustained suggest that there is a maniac on the loose.

The killer is soon apprehended, and O’Reilly thinks that will be the end of it.

But when another mutilated corpse is found soon afterwards, O’Reilly realises he’s dealing with something very different to anything he’s come across before.

The killer of the first victim will be the one to shed light on the sudden madness that is spreading around the island, and O’Reilly will find himself in the middle of the most disturbing case of his career.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217143024-madness-on-the-island?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=iQANKQKS9e&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

MADNESS ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #14) by Stewart Giles is another intense, intricately plotted addition to this fantastic series. This can be read as a standalone for the crime mystery plot, but the characters evolve over each new book, and I have enjoyed reading them all in order.

The madness begins at an annual summer dinner party on the island of Guernsey. After the wine is served, the fights begin. Several people were injured and some severely and need hospitalization. Before DI Liam O’Reilly can even begin to sort out what occurred and who is responsible, he is called out over the next two days on four murders that leave the killers claiming a complete loss of memory like the people from the dinner party. The only connection seems to be the brand of wine involved in all the scenes to cause this madness.

Another great addition to the DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries series. I was once again surprised by all the twists and turns this book took. The crime plot kept me turning the pages from beginning to end and I did not figure out the solution until it was presented. Liam is on top of all the nuances of the clues and interrogations as usual. We also get to see his softer side when one of his cats is ill and he spends more time with his new wife. I enjoyed watching the interactions between Liam and his teammates, also. This is always a must-read series for me, and I always finish it in one day and must wait anxiously for the next.

I highly recommend this great addition to the 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

Twitter: @stewartgiles

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Deadly Protocol by Roger Corke

Hi everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for DEADLY PROTOCOL by Roger Croke on this blog tour.

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

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Book Blurb

Dr Ronnie Ackerman wakes up in bed alone. Her boss, Nobel Prize-winner Professor Hasely Stone, and the man she got drunk with the night before, is downstairs in the sauna, brutally murdered.

Who did this, and why?

Stone had been working with total dedication on the ultimate cure for all cancers. Was he killed because he failed, or because he succeeded?
Ronnie panics, clears the house of all traces of her overnight stay, and then sets out on a mission to find out.

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

DEADLY PROTOCOL by Roger Corke is a fast-paced, twisted, roller coaster ride mash-up medical/political thriller featuring an American research doctor working in England and a British television reporter. I could not put this debut book down and I am so excited there is a proposed second “Deadly” book that I cannot wait to read.

Dr. Veronica “Ronnie” Ackerman is having second thoughts about her move to London six months ago, even though she is working for one of the most brilliant cancer research doctors in the world. Professor Hasely Stone talks Ronnie into coming to his home on the pretense of a business dinner, but after too much alcohol, they end up together in bed. When Ronnie wakes up, Hasely is not in bed. As she looks for him before leaving, she discovers him brutally murdered in his home sauna. Terrified, she tries to eliminate any evidence of her presence and goes on to work.

Journalist Daniel Plowright is one of the Professor’s success stories with his new protocol. When he meets Ronnie, they find a professional and personal connection that has them working to uncover why there are an increasing number of dead bodies connected to the protocol. They find themselves and some friends they make along the way are up against not only violent killers, but a secret plot within the highest echelons of the English government.

This is a page turner that starts off with a terrible murder and keeps up the pace from start to finish. Ronnie is an interesting protagonist, who I did not like at first, but once you get to know her; she is very human, making human mistakes, but she wants to make everything right in the end. Her pairing with Daniel works well as they both work to unravel this twisted plot of murder, intrigue, and corruption. Even though the intricate main plot ends with typical reasons for a crime, the paper Hasely rights about the economic consequences of curing all cancers is chilling. It is hard to believe this is a debut novel because it has everything I want when I pick up a book that calls itself a thriller.

I highly recommend this debut medical/political thriller!

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Author Bio

TV journalist Roger Corke has spent more years that he cares to remember travelling to all parts of the world, making investigative documentaries for series like the BBC’s Panorama, Channel 4’s Dispatches and ITV’s World In Action and Tonight. It was whilst he was on a filming trip to America that he came up with the plot of Deadly Protocol.

“I was talking to a scientist working there who told me that they had made great strides in cancer research over the past few years.” says Roger. “I asked him whether that meant a cure for cancer might come soon. His answered floored me. He said ‘they may have found a cure for cancer but an lot of people would have a lot to lose if it ever saw the light of day’. Straight away, the plot for a thriller jumped out at me.”

Roger is now writing the sequel to Deadly Protocol, called Deadly Messages.

Social Media Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rogercorke

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roger.corke

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Protocol-Roger-Corke-ebook/dp/B0DFYBLBQ3/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3FC6RZV3BDYEP&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.nAFW5sVunKU

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The Hardwick Heath Killer by Michelle Kidd

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE HARDWICK HEATH KILLER (DI Nicki Hardcastle Mysteries Book #3) by Michelle Kidd on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions book tour.

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

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Book Blurb

Two grisly murders. Three days apart. One brutal killer?

The call comes at midnight on a stormy March night. A body has been found hanging from a tree on Hardwick Heath. In the dead man’s pocket is a handwritten note: SORRY. LIFE IS JUST TOO HARD. LOVE TO YOU ALL.

Detective Nicki’s instincts tell her this was no suicide — but someone has gone to a lot of trouble to make it look like one.

Three days later, a second body is found floating in a pond, just a few miles away. But the victim didn’t drown.

The police are treating the deaths as separate cases. Then Nicki uncovers a link between the two dead men — and the case takes a shocking twist.

As she unearths a series of secrets stretching back twenty years, Nicki and her team find themselves in a race against time before more people die.

THE DETECTIVE
Detective Nicki Hardcastle is in her early thirties. She’s an independent, determined woman who is good at her job and treats her team with the respect they deserve. When she was ten years old, her little brother Dean disappeared. Nicki was supposed to be watching him. Now, she is estranged from her family, and finds it difficult to let people get close to her. Contentedly single, Nicki’s perfect evening consists of a long run followed by a hot bath. Her closest companion is her cat, Luna.

THE SETTING
Bury St Edmunds is a picturesque market town in the heart of Suffolk, on the east coast of England. Founded in the 11th century, the town is notable for its rich and colorful history. Tourists flock to see the ruins of the medieval abbey and maybe catch a glimpse of the infamous ghostly ‘Grey Lady’. It’s also home to the Angel Hotel, once frequented by Charles Dickens, and the Nutshell, famous for being Britain’s smallest pub. It’s an unlikely setting for murder. But its tranquil surroundings and stunning architecture hide a darker side.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/213692484-the-hardwick-heath-killer?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=WF3rmdxQu8&rank=1

ALSO BY MICHELLE KIDD

DI NICKI HARDCASTLE
Book 1: MISSING BOY
Book 2: THE TROPHY KILLER
Book 3: THE HARDWICK HEATH KILLER

DI JACK MACINTOSH
Book 1: SEVEN DAYS TO DIE
Book 2: FIFTEEN REASONS TO KILL
Book 3: SIXTEEN CARVED PIECES
Book 4: TWENTY YEARS BURIED
Book 5: THREE BROKEN BODIES

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE HARDWICK HEATH KILLER (DI Nicki Hardcastle Mysteries Book #3) by Michelle Kidd is a British police procedural crime thriller that builds to an exciting and surprising climax but is slow to get going in the beginning with its multiple subplots that are slightly confusing. This series also intertwines DI Nicki Hardcastle’s past throughout and I believe it is best to read the books in order to understand what is happening in this regard.

DI Nicki Hardcastle and her team are still recovering from their last major case when they are called to what appears to be a suicide, but it is not. Three days later, a major landowner in the district is found floating dead in a lake.

At first these murders appear to have nothing in common, but as the team investigates, there are secrets stretching back twenty years that begin to bring all the clues and players together. Nicki is in a race against time to stop the killer before more people die.

This is a good British crime thriller read, but I felt at times the pace was bogged down by too many subplots. I appreciate the work done by the author to bring these many threads together in the end to completely surprise the reader and I enjoy this series with Nicki’s complex and secretive personal life, but there were also times that Nicki did things that I thought were out of character for a smart and intelligent DI. Overall, while this was not my favorite in the series, the investigation was well written, and I am excited for book #4 because of the slight cliffhanger at the end of this book.

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Author Bio

Michelle Kidd is a crime fiction author best known for the DI Jack MacIntosh and DI Nicki Hardcastle series. Michelle qualified as a legal executive in the early 1990s, spending ten years practising civil and criminal litigation.

But the dream to write was never far from her mind and in 2008 she began writing the first book in what would later become the DI Jack MacIntosh series. Michelle now works full time for the NHS and lives in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. She enjoys reading, wine and cats — not necessarily in that order.

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Social Media Links

TWITTER
AUTHOR WEBSITE
FACEBOOK

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

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for FIRE ON THE ISLAND (DI Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #13) by Stewart Giles on this Books ‘n’ All Promotions book tour.

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

Book Blurb

In the evening of the 4th of July 2019 four dozen drones descend on Guernsey, and the peaceful island is ablaze in minutes. 48 individual bombs have caused destruction in all four corners of the island.

Detective Inspector Liam O’Reilly takes this extremely personally. He was enjoying his honeymoon in the far north of the island at the time.

As the fire on the island continues to burn, O’Reilly can’t sit back and wait for it to die down. He needs answers to why this happened on the island he now calls home.

But the truth is going to take him to hell and back.

The fire on the island is only the start: this is a case that O’Reilly may never recover from.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208351430-fire-on-the-island?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=JhkmTPT3gV&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

FIRE ON THE ISLAND (DC Liam O’Reilly Mysteries Book #13) by Stewart Giles is another engaging and exciting addition to the DC Liam O’Reilly Mysteries series. This series never fails to keep me glued to the page from start to finish. Each book can be read as a standalone because the crimes mysteries are all unique, but I love watching characters reveal traits and quirks, and grow in their relationships, so I prefer reading the books in order.

DI Liam O’Reilly is enjoying his honeymoon when they are interrupted by a call. Several dozen drones have encircled the island and dropped bombs along the entire coast. As the smoke and fires are being taken care of, Liam is told four people have lost their lives. The Guernsey Border Agency has received a call that this is an attack from an Albanian terrorist group that plans to destroy even more if a ransom is not paid, but Liam does not believe it is terrorists at all.

Liam and his team discover the drones have come from the neighboring island of Herm, while the GBA agents look the other way. Liam is determined to discover what the four murdered victims have in common and why they were killed, while also looking forward to once again proving the GBA wrong.

This police procedural/murder mystery surprised me with the conclusion, and I love when that happens. Mr. Giles effortlessly intertwines new-to-me information on subjects that I did not know would fascinate me, plot twists and surprises, and main character developments that pull me in and keep me turning the pages. I love Liam and it seems to me he is becoming a bit less irascible, at least with those he cares about. Every one of the main characters is like a friend now and I love to catch up with them in each book.

This is one of my favorite DC mystery series and I highly recommend this police procedural/crime mystery, the entire series, and this author.

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Author Bio

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

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

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.

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

Social Media Links

Website: www.stewartgiles.com

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

Twitter: @stewartgiles

Release Blitz/Feature Post and Book Review: Captivating Anika by Freya Barker

Captivating Anika (On Call, #9)

Freya Barker

RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2024

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for CAPTIVATING ANIKA (On Call Book #9)(Police and Operation Alpha) by Freya Barker on this Buoni Amici Release Blitz.

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

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Book Blurb

Anika Jones has her future carefully plotted out and is checking the boxes, one by one, despite the bumps thrown in her path. This last one is a challenge, but she manages to stay on track; her salon is thriving, and she just bought a house. Unfortunately, when one of her employees runs into trouble, she inevitably gets sucked in, throwing her carefully paced life off-balance. It doesn’t help a friend, who’s been ghosting her for a year, suddenly makes an appearance.

He was born to pig farming, but for Noah (Hog) Hodgekins fighting fires is his calling. He wasted too many years honoring a legacy he wants no part of. But now that he’s finally free from family obligations, there’s nothing holding him back from pursuing the life he’s been dreaming of. The first step is mending bridges with the one person who is central to that future, but she comes with her own challenges, family and otherwise.

Instead of treading carefully to gain her heart, he ends up throwing caution to the wind when her recent string of bad luck lands the FBI on her doorstep. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210713918-captivating-anika?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=6RU9LWcHaS&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

CAPTIVATING ANIKA (On Call Book #9)(Police and Operation Alpha) by Freya Barker is an exciting romantic suspense addition to the On Call series. Each of these books stand on their own and have a complete suspense plot and romance, but there is some crossover of characters from previous books in the series. If you love romantic suspense as much as I do all the books in this series are worth a read and contain wonderful mature and sexy heroes and heroines.

Anika Jones has worked hard to achieve her goals. Her hair salon is thriving, and she has been able to buy her own home. Her main bump in the road was a diagnosis of RA and fibromyalgia a year ago, but with a change in lifestyle, she has been able to cope well with few recognizing a change. When one of her stylists is having troubles with her abusive husband, Anika tries to help, but there is more danger involved than just the abuse. When the danger involves Anika, her brother’s friend and fellow firefighter jumps in to help and protect her.

Noah “Hog “ Hodgekins has been dreaming of calling Anika his own for years, but with family obligations and working with her brother, he has put it off and been avoiding her. Now, with her life in danger, he is determined to concur any challenges to make her the center of his life and keep her safe.

I love this series and have been waiting for this new book! Anika and Noah are a wonderful couple, and you want nothing but a HEA for them. This is a friendship-to-lover and best friend’s sister-to-lover romance that works beautifully. They are mature adults who know how to compromise and communicate, which brings their worlds together fairly easily and makes them strong as a couple. The sex scenes are smokin’ hot and realistic without being gratuitous. The suspense plot is intense and well-paced with a twist at the end that I did not see coming. This story hits all the right notes for me and has everything I look for in this genre.

I highly recommend this wonderful romantic suspense, the entire series, and this author!

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Author Bio

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.

With forty-plus books already published, she continues to create characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Social Media Links

Facebook: http://bit.ly/FreyaFacebookTwitter: http://bit.ly/FreyaTwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/FreyaInstagram
Web: http://bit.ly/FreyaWeb
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/FreyaGoodreads
Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/Freya_Newsletter Bookbub: http://bit.ly/FreyaBookBub
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreyaBarkerWriter
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FreyasBarksandBites
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorfreyabarker

Purchase Links

Amazon ➡ https://amzn.to/4cRFhb9

Start the series ➡ https://amzn.to/4cUrCQI

Blog Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Sun, Sea & Murder by J.S. Savage

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for Sun, Sea & Murder: A Locked Room Mystery by J.S. Savage on this Overview Media Blog Tour.

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

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Book Blurb

Two baffling murders. A hotel full of suspects. One secretive sleuth.

The guests at The Orange Tree Hotel arrive looking forward to a holiday filled with sun, fun, and sangria. But when Russell Aspell, the hotel’s owner, is found dead inside a locked room, any hopes of a relaxing break under the Spanish sun are ruined. Soon, each of the guests will become suspects as their lies and secrets are uncovered.

Then, when a guest is murdered in plain view of everyone else, it’s clear the murderer is not only ingenious but utterly ruthless too.

In order to catch a killer, some perplexing questions will first need to be answered… How did the killer get in and out of a locked room? What is the significance of the mysterious notes found in Russell’s office? What happened to the money in the hotel safe? And why is someone stealing guests’ mobile phones?

Only a special type of investigator with a unique skillset will be able to piece together the clues to stop the killer before they strike again…

Enter Penny Haylestone.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205687374-sun-sea-murder?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=njUDadfJO9&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

SUN, SEA & MURDER by J.S. Savage is an engaging and fun old fashioned locked room cozy mystery told from four protagonist’s points of view who are all English vacationers at a resort hotel in Spain. This is a very clever mystery plot from a new-to-me author that had me stumped.

A group of English vacationers have arrived at The Orange Tree Hotel in scenic and hot Spain for some holiday fun. The owner, Russell Aspell, is discovered dead in the hotel’s locked gym and the vacationers become suspects overnight. When the gum chewing, bumbling Inspector arrives on the scene, Russell’s longtime friend, Penny Haylestone, decides to do some detecting with the help of Marley, another vacationer and soon discovers secrets and lies among the group.

When a member of their group is murdered right in front of everyone at a cookout, the group realizes they are dealing with a ruthless killer and Penny is determined to uncover the killer before they strike again.

I absolutely loved this mystery, not only because it reminded me of the type of books that started me on my love of mysteries many years ago, but because all the red herrings and surprises kept me guessing as well as entertained from start to finish. I did not guess the solution to the mystery before the denouement and I love it when that happens. There are many characters, but they are all well defined by the author and easily sorted early in the story. Penny and Marley are a delightful mystery solving duo.

I highly recommend this enchanting locked room cozy mystery.

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Author Bio

J.S. Savage is a London based writer who hails from Northern Ireland. His love of detective fiction originated one hot, dusty day in Kandahar when he was serving with the R.A.F. From a bookcase, he picked up Agatha Christie’s The Mystery of the Blue Train, and though she cited it as her worst work, J.S. Savage became enthralled by the deceptions, red herrings, and mastery at work. This fascination with the genre eventually led him to try his hand at his own novel, and so, The Mystery of Treefall Manor was published in September 2023. His latest novel Sun, Sea, and Murder was published in April 2024. Both of these novels were chosen as Book of the Month by the Crime blog In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel.

J.S. Savage has been shortlisted in several short story competitions and is a member of the Crime Writers’ Association.

Social Media Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/J_S_Savage_

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CKPLVVN5/about