Today I am very excited to be posting on the Harlequin February 2020 Series Blog Tour. My Feature Post and Book Review is for Debra Webb’s new Intrigue – WITNESS PROTECTION WIDOW.
Below you will find a short author Q&A, a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book and an about the author blurb. Enjoy!
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Debra Webb Author Q&A
1. Did you always want to write for Harlequin?
A: From the moment I read my first Harlequin Intrigue novel, I knew I wanted to write them!
2. Share your favorite memory of reading a Harlequin romance
A: I write romantic suspense so sometimes something light is a great way to relax. My fav memory is of laughing out loud while reading a Stephanie Bond Harlequin romance!
3. What is a recent book you have read that you would recommend?
A: In The Dark by Loreth Anne White
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Book Description
Can the witness protection program keep her identity secret?
After Allison James finally escapes her marriage to a monster, she becomes the star witness in the case against her deceased husband’s powerful crime family.
Now it’s up to US Marshal Jaxson Stevens, Ali’s ex-boyfriend, to keep the WITSEC widow safe. But as the danger escalates and sparks fly, will Jax be able to help Ali escape her ruthless in-laws.
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My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
WITNESS PROTECTION WIDOW (Winchester, Tennessee Book #5) by Debra Webb is the February 2020 Harlequin Intrigue romantic suspense second chance romance and since it is written by Debra Webb, I knew I would be getting a great story even in this shorter format. I was NOT disappointed. Though this book is part of the Winchester, Tennessee series, it can easily be read as a standalone.
Allison James Armone has been trapped for several years in
an abusive marriage to the son of the head of the Armone crime family. She has
been planning and waiting for her chance to escape. At the weekly meeting between
father and son, Allison witnesses the father shoot the son and kill him.
She makes her escape and becomes the star witness in the
case against her father-in-law. When the US Marshall guarding Allison (aka
Alice Stewart) is involved in an accident, he calls on one of his best friends
in the Marshalls to fill in. It is only a few days until the trial and Ali’s
life is at stake.
US Marshall Jaxon Stevens cannot believe his assignment is
his young foolish mistake in love. Can Jaxon convince Ali he wants and deserves
a second chance even as he works to keep her alive to testify?
Ali is a great heroine. After everything she has been
through, she refuses to back down and wants to testify no matter the danger to
herself. She made a mistake that cost her, but she has come out on the other
side and is strong and determined. I also liked that her main concern is for
Jaxon’s safety and not her own. Jaxon is a strong alpha protective hero, but he
also must come around to understand how Ali got caught up in her marriage and
to understand his own feelings about wanting her back even though he left her
before for his career. There are a lot of emotions and misunderstandings to get
through in this book even as physical danger is just around the corner. My only
concern is Ms. Webb never revealed who changed their travel plans and set them on
the run from the bad guys. Other than that, this is a fast-paced story that
intertwines the suspense and the romance perfectly.
I love sitting down with a Harlequin Intrigue and an author
I enjoy because I know I can be entertained with a romantic suspense that
engrosses me in the story and is a quicker read than a full-sized novel. I
recommend this second chance romantic suspense.
***
Excerpt
She shivered. The fire had gone out. She kept on her jacket
while she added logs to the fireplace and kindling to get it started. Within a
couple of minutes, the fire was going. She’d had a fireplace as a kid, so
relearning her way around this one hadn’t been so bad. She went back to the
kitchen and turned on the kettle for tea.
Bob growled low in his throat and stared toward the front door.
She froze. Her phone was in her hip pocket. Her gun was still in
her waistband at the small of her back. This was something else Marshal
Holloway had insisted upon. He’d taught her how to use a handgun. They’d held
many target practices right behind this cabin.
A creak beyond the front door warned that someone was on the
porch. She eased across the room and went to the special peephole that had been
installed. There was one on each side of the cabin, allowing for views all the
way around. A man stood on the porch. He was the typical local cowboy. Jeans
and boots. Hat in his hands. Big truck in the drive. Just like Marshal
Holloway.
But she did not know this man.
“Alice Stewart, if you’re in there, it’s okay for you to open
the door. I’m Sheriff Colt Tanner. Branch sent me.”
Her heart
thudding, she held perfectly still. Branch would never send someone to her without
letting her know first. If for some reason he couldn’t tell her in advance,
they had a protocol for these situations.
She reached back, fingers curled about the butt of her weapon.
Bob moved stealthily toward the door.
“I know you’re concerned about opening the door to a stranger,
but you need to trust me. Branch has been in an accident, and he’s in the
hospital undergoing surgery right now. No matter that his injuries were
serious, he refused to go into surgery until he spoke to me and I assured him I
would look after you, ma’am.”
Worry joined the mixture of fear and dread churning inside her.
She hoped Branch wasn’t hurt too badly. He had a wife and a daughter.
She opened her mouth to ask about his condition, but then she snapped it shut. The man at her door had not said the code word.
***
About the Author
DEBRA WEBB is the award winning, USA Today bestselling author of more than 150 novels, including reader favorites the Faces of Evil, the Colby Agency, and the Shades of Death series. With more than four million books sold in numerous languages and countries, Debra’s love of storytelling goes back to her childhood on a farm in Alabama.
Today is my turn on the Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tour for The Vampire Next Door (The True Story of the Vampire Rapist) by J.T. Hunter.
Below you will find a book synopsis, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway.
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Book Synopsis:
While he stalked the streets hunting his unsuspecting victims, the residents of a quiet Florida town slept soundly, oblivious to the dark creature in their midst, unaware of the vampire next door.
John Crutchley seemed to be living the American Dream. Good-looking and blessed with a genius level IQ, he had a prestigious, white-collar job at a prominent government defense contractor, where he held top secret security clearance and handled projects for NASA and the Pentagon. To all outward appearances, he was a hard-working, successful family man with a lavish new house, a devoted wife, and a healthy young son.
But he concealed a hidden side of his personality, a dark secret tied to a hunger for blood and the overriding need to kill. As one of the most prolific serial killers in American history, Crutchley committed at least twelve murders, and possibly nearly three dozen. His IQ eclipsed that of Ted Bundy, and his body count may have as well.
Genre: True Crime Published by: RJ Parker Publishing Publication Date: October 11th 2014 Number of Pages: 365 ISBN: 1500909491 (ISBN13: 9781500909499) Purchase Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
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My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
The Vampire Next Door: True Story of the Vampire Rapist
and Serial Killer by J.T. Hunter is a true crime story of a serial killer
who was terrifying in his ability to hide his depravity.
John “JB” Crutchley is a good looking man with a genius IQ
and working as an engineer. To his neighbors in Florida, he was a hard-working,
quiet husband, father and neighbor. He was sometimes socially awkward and could
hold a grudge, but these were just looked at as quirks. At one time he even
held a top secret security clearance when he worked on projects for the
Pentagon and NASA.
There was a dark side to JB’s personality that he kept
behind closed doors. He enjoyed bondage, choking and hungered for blood. Women
went missing in areas that JB lived. He was accused of at least twelve murders,
but authorities believe there were many more.
I found this to be a well written true crime novel. Mr.
Hunter writes an account that pulls you right into John Crutchley’s life. His
research flows into a writing style that gives you all the information without
being stark and feeling as though you are just reading an information dump. Mr.
Hunter also does a wonderful job introducing the reader to Crutchley’s victims
and the one woman who got away. At times, this killer reminded me of Ted Bundy
and that made it even more chilling.
This book focuses as much on the victims and law enforcement
officers, as it does the killer and the narrative flows perfectly to tie the
whole story together throughout the book. The ending is not what I was
expecting or hoping for, but this is not fiction and you cannot change the facts.
I highly recommend this true crime book and author. I am
looking forward to checking out more of Mr. Hunter’s work.
***
Book Excerpt
Chapter 2
You were a vampire . . .
Nineteen-year-old Christina Almah was still a virgin, and a bit naïve when it came to matters of sex, but like most teenaged girls on the verge of womanhood, she enjoyed receiving attention from good-looking, romantically inclined men. Yet, even she was surprised when, after a handsome, slightly older man took an interest in her, she found herself traveling all the way across the country to see him again.
Christina first met twenty-two-year-old Carl Von Bane several months earlier while he was visiting a friend near her hometown of Westminster, California. She immediately noticed him when he walked into the Drug Emporium where she had been working for the past year as a clerk, and they had quickly hit it off. His rugged, bad-boy looks and confident disposition combined to render her fully smitten. But the budding romance had barely begun before “Von” returned home to Florida. Their brief time together had passed much too quickly for the love-struck Miss Almah.
Since Von’s departure, they had continued their blossoming relationship by telephone racking up steep long distance bills. All the while, Christina had meticulously saved her meager Drug Emporium pay so that she could afford to purchase a plane ticket to visit him. When Von had called her a few weeks ago, Christina hinted at wanting to see him again by casually mentioning that she had some vacation time that needed to be used. When he suggested that she catch a flight to Florida to visit him, she had immediately agreed. After all, this was not some fly by night infatuation. She thought that she might be in love.
Christina had been counting the days until this trip—a weeklong vacation certain to be a memorable one if for no other reason than the fact that it would be the first time she had ever traveled alone. She booked a direct flight on Eastern Airlines from Los Angeles to Orlando International Airport, and Von had picked her up there nearly a week ago. Since then, she had been staying with Von in his mother’s mobile home at Lot 12 of the Enchanted Lakes Mobile Home Park on Malabar Road, near the eastern edge of the City of Palm Bay in southern Brevard County.
Named for the lush palm trees that lined the bay at the mouth of Turkey Creek, the nearly 100-square-mile Palm Bay had experienced a period of rapid growth in recent years fueled by an influx of retirees, northern transplants, and space industry workers. As part of the “Space Coast,” Palm Bay benefited from its proximity to Cape Canaveral, home to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s space shuttle program. To the west of Palm Bay, just past Interstate 95, a vast expanse of swamps and marsh grass stretched beyond the horizon, home to an endless assortment of flora and fauna. Under the blinding gaze of the eternal Florida sun, cold-blooded creatures swam silent and unseen as they had for ages past, ancient predators stalking their unsuspecting prey.
Immediately to the east of Palm Bay sits the Town of Malabar, a small, quiet community only thirteen square miles in size. Its eastern edge meets the Intracoastal Waterway in a subtropical paradise of palm trees, sailboats, and spectacular sunsets. The area’s abundant seafood, perennial sunshine, and constant sea breeze reminded Christina of her favorite parts of California. That familiarity was reassuring. It felt comfortable. She felt safe.
A petite girl standing about five feet, four inches tall and weighing a little less than 110 pounds, Christina was not a beauty queen, but she was not unattractive either. Indeed, her green eyes and brown hair combined in an inviting way that most men found sensual and appealing, and she had enjoyed her fair share of suitors. Although she had shared a few intimate moments with boys in high school, she had never found one with whom she felt comfortable enough to sacrifice her virtue. Still sexually inexperienced, she had the classic Libra traits of compassion, innate gentleness, and a genuine caring for others, traits that were sometimes misconstrued by men. Still, it never dawned on her that Von’s testosterone-driven brain would expect something more than a kiss hello, or that he would interpret her willingness to fly across the country to visit him as a green light for sleeping together. Von had tried to take that next step during her first night in Florida, and when she told him that she was not ready, he had reluctantly played the part of the understanding boyfriend, but he could not wholly hide his irritation and mounting frustration.
Von worked at Gator Chrysler in nearby Melbourne, and he had to leave Christina alone for much of the day. That had been the routine for most of the week, and the excitement of staying with someone in another state had long-since faded away. On this particular morning, she passed some time by listening to a worn down cassette tape of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” album, popping it into the cherry red Sony Walkman that Von had given her. She played several songs, rewound the tape, and played them again, but after a while she tired of listening to the provocative singer purr about being “touched for the very first time.” She tried watching television after that, but quickly lost interest in the mindless game shows and melodramatic soap operas that dominated the channels. Growing bored, she decided to walk to Melbourne a few miles away to visit several friends that she had met through Von. She would be flying back to California the next morning and wanted to say her good-byes and make the most of her final day of vacation. Wearing blue jeans, sandals, and a black t-shirt with a Harley-Davidson insignia splashed across the front, she left the trailer shorty after 1:00 p.m. It was the twenty-first day of November, 1985.
As she walked out of the entrance of the mobile home park, a light rain began to fall. She could see dark clouds gathering in the distance and a westerly wind promised that they would soon be present. Somewhere beyond the visible horizon, thunder rumbled ominous and angry, its source hidden behind an approaching wall of grey and black clouds.
Christina turned left and started walking faster as the rain increased, heading east on Malabar Road toward U.S. 1 and the Intracoastal. She planned to stop at the Jiffy Mart at the corner of Malabar Road and U.S. 1 to buy a pack of cigarettes before walking north into Melbourne. She had not gone far when a small, light-colored car pulled up beside her.
Behind the wheel of the two-door automobile sat a clean-shaven man wearing a stylish, navy-blue sports coat, a black-and-white striped tie, and a nice pair of dress slacks, not the cheap K-Mart kind, but the higher quality cloth and cut of a more fashionable men’s store. The man looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. He had loafer style shoes, but he was not wearing them while he drove. Christine thought it slightly odd that the well-dressed man’s bare foot operated the gas and brake pedals, but she gave it no more than a fleeting thought. She had certainly seen much stranger things during her time in Florida. The man’s eyes were concealed behind darkly tinted sunglasses and his face was framed by a mane of medium-length, dirty blonde hair. He had a thin build, and though slightly pale in complexion, his handsome facial features held an undeniable allure. She could not help feeling an attraction to him.
Flashing a broad, inviting smile, he leaned over, rolled down the passenger door window, and greeted her in a friendly, reassuring voice.
“It’s a bit wet today for a walk, isn’t it?” he asked with a wry, disarming smile. “Can I give you a lift?”
Although Christina was initially wary of his invitation, he looked harmless enough and it was the middle of the day in broad daylight in a public place, so she did not wait long before responding.
“Well,” she said, deliberately drawing out her reply as she decided how much to trust the seemingly friendly stranger. “I’m on my way to Melbourne to meet some friends. Are you going anywhere near there?”
“Sure, I have to go that way to get to my office. I just need to stop by my house real quick to pick up a notebook for work, but it’ll only take a minute or two. Go ahead and hop in.”
She hesitated for just a moment, studied her Good Samaritan one last time, and then grabbed the passenger side door handle of the car. As she opened the door, she heard Sting’s new song, “Russians,” playing on the car’s radio.
The country had long since fallen into the depths of the Cold War, and the perpetual threat of nuclear holocaust loomed in the back of most people’s minds like some amorphous boogieman lurking in the shadows. As Christine pulled the door closed, Sting’s voice flowed out of the car’s speakers, echoing what seemed to be the universal mood in America and Western Europe, the growing fear of a nuclear attack by the Russian-controlled Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The song sought to appeal to the good in what President Reagan dubbed the “Evil Empire,” expressing a desperate hope that the Russian leaders loved their children enough to avoid the horror of a nuclear holocaust.
Suffering from the same state of uneasiness expressed in the song, Christina found herself captivated by the sense of calm that seemed to radiate from the man behind the wheel. They drove for a little while making small talk. While they chatted, she caught a glimpse of the man’s eyes behind his sunglasses. Their azure shade of blue added to the aura of assuredness he projected, and it seemed to Christina that the man’s eyes had the power to peer into her very soul, not in any unsettling way, but in an understanding, comforting manner that disarmed her naturally cautious disposition. He seemed genuinely interested in learning about her, and she was impressed with how articulately he expressed himself. He was charming, witty, and exuded self-confidence, and Christine felt relieved that he seemed to be normal. Some of Von’s friends that she had met were more than a little on the odd side.
After about five minutes, the man turned his car onto a bumpy, dirt road, and then continued on for a few minutes more before exiting onto a gravel driveway obscured by a tall row of hedges. Planted across the inner edge of the yard, the hedges had grown high enough to block a clear view of whatever was behind them. As the car continued down the driveway, a well-kept lawn, dotted sporadically with pine and oak trees, came into view. At the far end of the lawn stood a redbrick, Colonial style house with four white columns framing a large front door painted the same shade of white as the columns. The gravel driveway ended at a double-length carport on the left side of the house. The man pulled into the carport and parked. Two motorcycles stood at the opposite end of the parking area.
“I’ll be right back,” the man told her as he took the key out of the ignition and slipped on his shoes.
He stepped out of the car and walked to the side door of the house, where he paused and glanced back at her.
“Hey, you want to come inside for a drink?”
She smiled politely.
“Oh, no thanks, my friends are expecting me and I don’t want them to worry.”
“Suit yourself,” he said, before unlocking the door and disappearing into the building.
After a few minutes, the man emerged and announced with an embarrassed laugh that the notebook was not in the house after all.
“It must be in the back of the car,” he said, an amused smile spreading across his face as if he had just remembered an irresistibly funny joke.
He walked to the passenger side of the car and opened the door, flashing her the same smug alligator smile. He crawled into the back seat and began looking around, grinning all the while.
Suddenly, the back of Christina’s seat shot forward, slamming her violently against the dashboard. Stunned by the force of the impact and shocked by the unexpected attack, she was barely able to register the sound of something rustling behind her.
Then something brushed against her forehead. Before she could react, her neck jerked back painfully, and she began to choke. Frantically, she reached for her purse, attempting to grab something – anything – to try to defend herself. Her fingers brushed against the top of a can of OFF insect repellant. Desperate, she thought that if she could spray her attacker in his eyes, she might be able to blind him long enough to get away.
But as her fingers closed around the spray can, the man’s voice, angry and powerful, startled her into submission.
Stop it or I’ll kill you!”
As her initial impulse of self-defense gave way to a paralyzing feeling of despair, her hand retreated out of her purse and her arm fell numbly to her side.
Then the rope tightened and everything went black.
***
Author Bio:
J.T. Hunter is an attorney with over fourteen years of experience practicing law, including criminal law and appeals. He has significant training in criminal investigation techniques. He is also a college professor in Florida where his teaching interests focus on the intersection of criminal psychology, law and literature.
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!
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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.
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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!
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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.
Today is my turn on the Going Rogue Blog Tour! I am very excited to share my Feature Post and Book Review for GOING ROGUE ( A Tom Novak Thriller Book #2) by Neil Lancaster. In just two books this has become a must read series for me. I love Tom Novak for action and suspense.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. You are going to love this. Enjoy!
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Book Blurb
Tom Novak is back.
When a spate of deadly terrorist attacks hit the streets of London, Tom finds himself thrust into the middle of a fight for the survival of all he holds dear.
When the attackers hit closer to home than he could ever imagine, Tom is forced to make a choice between his duty or his conscience. In doing so, he enters a series of increasingly dangerous worlds, in the darkest corners of humanity.
Can Tom and his colleagues get to the bottom of a plot which threatens the very fabric of society?
Will they stop the terrorists before it’s too late?
When faced with the ultimate choice, which way will Tom go?
After all, as Cameron always says: “Always do right, boy…”
Going Rogue is the follow-up to the hugely successful thriller, Going Dark: the book that introduced Tom Novak as the hero who, in the words of best-selling author Tony Parsons, “makes Jason Bourne look like a vegan Pilates teacher”.
Get Going Rogue today, and start a rollercoaster ride of a thriller that you won’t ever want to put down.
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My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
GOING ROGUE (A Tom Novak Thriller Book #2) by Neil
Lancaster is the latest thriller featuring Tom Novak. This book can be easily
read as a standalone, but there is some character overlap and it adds to your
enjoyment when you read both. I read them both in order and fell in love with
this protagonist and author!
Tom Novak was a child refugee, a Royal Marine and an
undercover member of an elite army force. He was raised with a strong moral
compass and sense of justice. He is highly skilled physically and mentally.
After his exploits in Going Dark, he is now a member of the Covert Policing
Advice Unit known as “the team”. They specialize in undercover work to disrupt
those with power in the military, judiciary and/or civil service who use their
positions corruptly.
This story starts with a domestic terrorist attack in
London. A mosque is targeted on the Eid to maximize deaths and destruction.
DS Tom Novak is briefed that the bomber was captured and
refused to talk, but he did turn over a prepared statement. He is an ex-British
soldier living on disability and claims to be a member of the Aryan Defense
Force. He states that the group will not stop until all Muslims are expelled
from Britain.
As Tom and the team begin to investigate, they find there is
missing Semtex and their best option to finding it is to get someone into prison
with the bomber. Tom has to move into darker and more dangerous territory for
answers. Will Tom and the team be able to stop these terrorists before it is
too late?
I am so excited to have another fabulous protagonist and thriller
series to follow. Mr. Lancaster had me at book one, Going Dark and now in book
two, Going Rogue, I have added this series to my must reads list. Tom Novak,
all his team members and his colleagues add up to a great cast of characters. Mr.
Lancaster has written a fast-paced thriller that builds in intensity and
tension throughout.
I highly recommend this thrill ride!
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Author Bio
Neil was born in Liverpool in the 1960s. He recently left the Metropolitan Police where he served for over twenty-five years, predominantly as a detective, leading and conducting investigations into some of the most serious criminals across the UK and beyond.
Neil acted as a surveillance and covert policing specialist, using all types of techniques to arrest and prosecute drug dealers, human traffickers, fraudsters, and murderers. During his career, he successfully prosecuted several wealthy and corrupt members of the legal profession who were involved in organised immigration crime. These prosecutions led to jail sentences, multi-million pound asset confiscations and disbarments.
Since retiring from the Metropolitan Police, Neil has relocated to the Scottish Highlands with his wife and son, where he mixes freelance investigations with writing.
