SECRETS NEVER DIE (Morgan Dane Book 5) by Melinda
Leigh is a romantic suspense/PI mystery. I cannot get enough of Morgan, Lance
and the whole cadre of secondary characters. The only reason I put this book
down was because I had to go to work.
Tina Knox comes home from work to find her husband, a retired
sheriff shot dead in the den and her teenage son, Evan missing. Tina calls PI
Lance Kruger for help because her son is on Lance’s hockey team for at risk
teens. As the evidence begins to come together, Evan goes from being considered
a missing person to the prime suspect.
Lance and Morgan work together to locate Evan and find evidence to prove him innocent. Just when the trail goes cold, another deputy goes missing. Is his disappearance connected?
Also, Lance and Morgan do not believe that Tina is telling them the whole truth. What is she hiding and is it connected?
Lance and Morgan fear Evan is the killer’s target. Will they
be able to find Evan alive and unravel family secrets that put everyone in
jeopardy?
Once again, Morgan and Lance go all out to prove the innocence
of their client. It is difficult to not give away secrets because I want
everyone to see how clever Ms. Leigh is with her plotting. She gives you a fast-paced,
page-turning, intense read with plot twists that always surprise me. Morgan and
Lance’s relationship continues to develop and they are a powerhouse couple at
home and on the job. I always look forward to catching up with all the
secondary characters, also.
This is my favorite series by Ms. Leigh and I am going to be
very sorry to see it end. Until then, I highly recommend this book and the
whole series for great reads!
Today I am excited to share this Feature Post/Blog Blitz and Book Review for a great new release from Pamela Murray – BLOODLINE: an edge of your seat crime thriller which is the second book featuring DI Joe Burton and DS Sally Fielding. This book can easily be read as a standalone, but I loved it so much I will be going back to read the first title, MURDERLAND.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review and the author’s bio. I highly recommend this British police procedural/mystery!
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Book Blurb:
When a young boy discovers a man’s body
lying in a doorway, DI Burton and DS Fielding are called to the scene.
Believing the man was homeless, the police
are shocked to discover the true identity of the victim; a Detective Constable
from London who was working undercover.
But when the DNA from the victim is linked
to a cold case Burton and Fielding find themselves looking into another
unsolved murder.
And as the case unfolds, the detectives are faced with unpicking through a web of lies and deceit. But can they solve the murders before any more blood is spilt?
***
My Book Review:
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
BLOODLINE: an edge of your seat crime thriller by
Pamela Murray is a new and exciting British police procedural featuring Detective
Inspector Joe Burton and Detective Sergeant Sally Fielding. This is the second
book in the series and can be easily read as a standalone. I will definitely be
going back to read the first book, MURDERLAND.
A homeless man is found stabbed to death lying in a doorway.
But something is not right. The police are shocked when they find out the
homeless man was one of their own from London working undercover.
The fingerprints identify the slain office, but his DNA
comes back linking him genetically to a cold case homicide. Now DI Burton has
two homicides to investigate as DS Fielding goes undercover to follow the case
that leads to the policeman’s death.
These cases are tied together with lies and deceit which the
detectives must unravel before more people end up dead.
This book is an exciting page turner that hooked me right away. There are so many unanswered questions, deceptions, twists and turns. The main characters are likable and realistic. The two plots are intertwined and flow seamlessly from start to resolution.
I am very happy to have found this author and series now,
when I only have one book to go back to read. I can highly recommend this British
procedural/mystery!
***
Author Bio:
Pamela
Murray is from the North East of England, and has spent most of her life living
in Boldon. She began writing at an early age when she and her school friend
used to write stories for one another. The writing continued on and off over
the years, but was only recently reignited when the same school friend
introduced her to the local writers group she was in.
Pamela had intended to enter Journalism after leaving
school but found herself going to work in a Public Library instead, and has
always had more than a passing interest in books and literature.
When
not writing, Pamela is passionate about Cinema and her three grandchildren. She
has also appeared as a Supporting Artiste in two episodes of the hit TV crime
series “Vera”.
Today is my turn on the Blog Blitz for THE EDITOR by Simon Hall.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review and the author’s biography. This book is not what I was expecting. I would not classify it as a classic mystery, but a fiction story with a mystery subplot. You will have to judge for yourself. Enjoy!
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Book Blurb
A mysterious advert in a newspaper promising to
restore hope to the hopeless brings together four strangers.
None realising they will end up investigating a
twisted and troubling crime that threatens their very futures.
Mitch, a former Crime Scene Investigator,
Olivia, a brilliant PhD student, and Florence, a middle-aged solicitor, find
themselves working with an enigmatic newspaper editor who refers to himself
only as Ed.
But when Maddie, a teenage girl, disappears in
sinister circumstances, the team are drawn into the hunt for her. And when a
neighbour’s body is discovered in a pool of blood, they realise they must use
their unique skills in a race against time.
But can they solve the mystery before it’s too late? And before Ed’s shadowy past overcomes them all?
***
My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
THE EDITOR by Simon Hall is not the book I was
expecting, but that is not necessarily a bad thing at times. I was expecting a
straight mystery due to the book blurb and the marketing, but for me it was
more of a general fiction story with a mystery sub-plot.
An ad is posted in the newspaper promising to restore hope
to the hopeless by Ed. Ed is a mysterious figure who chooses three people from
the applicants to assist him in starting a new newswire to get them out among people
and reconnect them with humanity and hope.
Mitch is a former crime scene investigator who has seen too
much. Olivia is a brilliant computer and mathematician PhD student who hates
humanity. Florence is a lawyer who feels that no matter who or what she tries
to help, it ends in disaster. Ed is the leader, but he is also is looking for an
unnamed answer.
As they search for news stories, the four become involved
with a family in crisis. When teenager, Maddie disappears after her mother is sent
to the hospital after a domestic abuse incident, the four work together to
solve her disappearance. They all use their unique skills in a race against
time and fight to maintain their hope.
The four main characters are the focus of this book more
than the mystery which is easily figured out. Even the surprise twist at the
end is focused on the main characters and not the mystery itself. I really
enjoyed the differences between the four and how they came together. The twist
at the end surprised me and cleared up questions about Ed.
This book is one of those books that everyone will have different
views on and leave the ratings all over the place, but I enjoyed it. I recommend
it for a different type of read with the emphasis on the four main characters
and not the mystery sub-plot.
***
Biography
Simon Hall is an author, journalist, communications
consultant, and business coach.
He was a broadcaster for twenty five years, mostly as a BBC
Television, Radio and Online News Correspondent, covering some of the biggest stories
Britain has seen.
He now lectures, and coaches companies at the Judge Business
School, part of the University of Cambridge, working on presentation skills,
branding, pitching, websites, and media profile, both conventional and social.
Simon has had seven books in his tvdetective series
published. They focus on a television reporter who covers crimes and gets so
involved in the cases he helps the police to solve them.
He has also contributed articles and short stories to a
range of newspapers and magazines, written plays, and even a pantomime.
Alongside his novels and stories, Simon is a tutor in media
skills and creative writing, teaching at popular Writers’ Summer Schools such
as Swanwick and Winchester, for the National Association of Writers’ Groups, at
universities including Cambridge and Exeter, on cruise ships and overseas.
Simon has also become sought after as a speaker, appearing
at a variety of prestigious literary festivals. His talks combine an insight
into his writing work, along with some extraordinary anecdotes from the life of
a television reporter, including the now notorious story of What to do when you really need a dead otter.
He began a broadcasting career as a DJ on the radio and in
nightclubs, then moved into radio and TV news. He worked in Europe, London, Ireland,
and the south west of England, before settling in Cambridge.
Simon is married to Jess, Director of Libraries at the
University of Cambridge, and has an adopted daughter, Niamh. She’s an army
officer, which makes her father both very proud and very nervous.
Simon also lectures on careers in the media at Cambridge
University, and in schools and colleges. Amongst his proudest achievements, he includes
the number of young people he has helped into higher education and jobs in
broadcasting, and aspiring writers into publication.
As for his likes, Simon lists beer – he judges at real ale
festivals – running, cycling, solving cryptic crosswords, composing curious
Tweets (find him @SimonHallNews) and studying pop lyrics.
SOLVING CADENCE MOORE by Gregory Sterner is a mystery
written in the form of a radio podcast series intertwined with intervals of the
background workings and relationships of the main character. The podcast
scripts reveal the mystery and interviews in an attempt to solve a ten-year-old
murder mystery.
Ten years ago, Cadence Moore, a talented but troubled young
singer disappeared. After a drunken altercation with her college friends, she
was left on the side of the road while returning from a party and was never
seen again.
Charlie Marx is the host of a popular conspiracy radio show.
After the huge popularity of a movie about the disappearance of Cadence
reignites public interest, Charlie’s boss wants a special series of podcasts on
the subject. He launches his own investigation into the disappearance and claims
to have solved the mystery which he will reveal in a groundbreaking live radio
special after the podcasts run.
But is it really solved? Is there finally closure for
Cadence?
If Charlie has succeeded and truly solved this mystery, he
will be acclaimed, but if he fails and everything he is promoting are lies, his
entire career will be destroyed live on air.
I liked the mystery and the podcasts revealing the
information, speculation and characters involved. It was a unique way to let
each character reveal their versions of Cadence and the case. It was a
fictional case, but the author made feel you feel as if you were following a
true-crime case which pulled you into the mystery. Charlie Marx is a flawed
character that has everything on the line and you feel equal parts empathy and revulsion
for. I did find the sections of the book where Charlie interacts with others
outside of the podcasts realistic, but drawn out and slow. I also found the
lead section into the climax slow and unnecessary. That said, it was not enough
to stop me from reading until the end to find out both the solution to the
mystery and the resolution of Charlie’s career.
I would like to thank Kelsey Butts from bookpublicityservices.com
for the copy of this book for review.
THE LOST MAN by Jane Harper is a slow burn, atmospheric
murder mystery set in the unforgiving and remote Australian Outback.
The apparent suicide of Cameron Bright seems to be just
another tragedy in this family’s story. A well liked family man, no one can
understand why he would leave his well-stocked vehicle and walk to the
Stockman’s Grave in the deadly heat of the Outback summer to die.
When Nathan Bright meets his youngest brother Bub at the
fence-line between his and the family’s properties at the Stockman’s Grave to
recover his brother’s body, Nathan has more questions than answers. The local
police believe it is a suicide, but Nathan has trouble believing. He returns to
the family homestead to help, but the past returns to haunt him as well as the
secrets his brother was hiding.
As the family grieves, Nathan’s suspicion grows that there
may be a murderer among them.
This is one of those books you start and just fall into the
intrigue of the location and mystery. Ms. Harper’s description of the heat and
dry in the Outback in the summer pulls you in and makes you believe you can
feel the isolation and danger of the location for the families that live there.
My opinion of the point-of-view main character, Nathan changes continually with
each new family revelation Ms. Harper weaves into the story. The secondary
characters are all hiding their own secrets and add to the feeling of surprise
and dread with each revelation. The resolution of the mystery was a surprise I
did not see coming which makes this a truly memorable read.
THE MacINNES AFFAIR by Blair McDowell is a contemporary
romance intertwined with a historical romance with a mystery subplot. The
present MacInnes and Glendenning investigate a mystery and the history tied to
their MacInnes and Glendenning 19th century ancestors. This is a
standalone romance read.
The Present
Canadian Lara MacInnes is getting away from her broken
engagement with a trip to Athdara castle B&B in Scotland. Athdara castle
has been in the Glendenning family for generations and the current generation
has done everything to ensure it continues on for many more. None more so than
the handsome Highlander Iain Glendenning. As Lara and Iain begin to discover
how much they have in common, they also discover the journals of a long ago
Glendenning woman in love with Lara’s very great-grandfather.
The Past
Elspeth Glendenning is in a carriage accident and rescued by
a rugged Highlander named Lachlan MacInnes. While the clans may have been
feuding since Culloden, Elspeth and Lachlan fall in love. They discover the
carriage wreck was not an accident and the two are caught up in events beyond
their control.
Lara and Iain research the long ago romance and historical
events that intertwine their two families. As these two work to uncover a
murder mystery from the past, they fall in love as well. Can this generation of
MacInnes and Glendenning’s solve a mystery that persists from their clans’
past?
I really enjoyed reading this entertaining contemporary and
historical romance mix. It was not what I was expecting from the genre listings
on the description because it is not a time-travel or paranormal romance. It
has two time-lines that intertwine, but no one travels to another time. That
said, both plot-lines are well written and I never felt confused as the two
stories shift from past to present and back again. The present day romance
progresses at a believable pace and the historical romance is filled with
situations that are appropriate to that time.
This is the type of book you can just fall into and get
engrossed by the history and mystery and not want to put down. This is the
first book I have read from this new to me author, but I will definitely be
looking for others.
Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.
