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Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: For the Honor of the Empire by Andrew J. Harvey

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for FOR THE HONOR OF THE EMPIRE (The Honor Trilogy Book #2) by Andrew J. Harvey on this Black Phoenix Book 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

Haunted by the horrors of war and the weight of her new role as envoy to the Sultan Line, Margaret Peric reaches her breaking point. But with the support of her estranged mother, her devoted sister Louise, and a slowly healing bond with Markus Ackov and his daughter, Jessie, Margaret begins the long road to recovery.

Meanwhile, on the volatile world of Sultan, Jade Carvello and her partner Carlos Babineaux uncover a terrifying plot: eco-terrorists are preparing to unleash a devastating weapon-one that could destabilize the entire Cross-Temporal Empire. As Carlos walks a dangerous line between spycraft and exposure, Jade must protect Margaret, now a symbol of diplomatic hope, from enemies closing in on all sides.

But when a deadly bombing rocks the Sultan capital and Margaret is taken hostage, survival becomes uncertain. The conspiracy leads back to a line thought lost to history-and to a biological weapon born from its ancient secrets.

As the C-TE prepares for war, For the Honor of the Empire delivers a gripping story of political intrigue, emotional resilience, and interdimensional conflict-where loyalty and love must stand against terror, and redemption comes at the highest cost.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242874015-for-the-honor-of-the-agency?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=FRukz4A4Jr&rank=1

Universal link for the book on Amazon

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

FOR THE HONOR IF THE EMPIRE (The Honor Trilogy Book #2) by Andrew J. Harvey is the second exciting book in this sci-fi trilogy and it is so much more than middle book filler. The political intrigue, plot twists and surprises continue, along with the romances. Once you figure out the worldbuilding of multiverses, these books contain everything a good suspense thriller gives you and more.

As all the main players continue to try to discover who is biologically sabotaging the Mainline’s crops, this book focuses more on the action and political intrigue in the Sultan Line multiverse.

The book opens with Margaret Peric being discovered having attempted suicide due to her unresolved PTSD from the war. Margaret is asked by the First Leader to be the new diplomatic Ambassador to the Sultan Line and she believes she cannot handle the assignment on her own, but she also cannot refuse. With the support of Markus Ackov and his daughter, Margaret is thrown into a hornet’s nest of intrigue, political double cross, and anarchists. A bombing in the capital with hostages taken ratchets up the stakes and the tension.

This book in the trilogy focuses on Margaret and while it starts with her succumbing to her PTSD and insecurities, she then must attempt to find her warrior strength and determination, real or not, to carry on and lead. I loved reading more about Jade and Carlos’ relationship and their work to uncover who wants to destroy the Mainline, but while Margaret and Jade had two intertwining plotlines in the first book, I feel this book is much more focused on Margaret’s character arch and the political intrigue/thriller plotline. An intricate plot with plenty of action and fully developed characters had me wanting to not put this book down. I also had more understanding of the multiverse worldbuilding in this book, which made it even more enjoyable.

I highly recommend this intriguing second book in the Honor Trilogy and cannot wait to read the next!

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About the Author

Andrew spent his high-school years in the school’s library lost in the worlds of Andre Norton, Robert Heinlein, and Isaac Asimov. Reading in turn led to writing, with the first draft of The Portal Adventures originally completed to read to his two sons at night. Now his children have left home he lives in Perth with his wife, one dog, and sixty four gold fish.

Andrew is presently the Principal of Hague Publishing, established in 2011 as an independent publisher of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Registered in Western Australia, it publishes original work by Australian and New Zealand authors.

Andrew’s first published short story (A Messenger to the Dragon) appeared in Aurealis – Australian Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1992. His most recent was the award winning 1827: Napoleon in Australia, which appeared in Sea Lion Press’ anthology Alternate Australias released in 2020.

His first novel, Nightfall (book one in the Clemhorn Trilogy) is an adult, alternate history set against the backdrop of the Cross-Temporal Empire and its fifty-four separate lines. Nightfall was released by Zmok Books in 2019. The series is distributed by Simon and Schuster.

Trouble on Teral and Crisis at Calista Station, the first two books in his new middle-grade, Science Fiction adventure series, The Portal Adventures, were released by Canada’s Peasantry Press in 2020. The open ended series is a combination of Caroline Lawrence’s Roman Mysteries and Andre Norton’s juvenile speculative fiction.

A passionate reader of Alternate History Andrew is working on completing a number of additional series of trilogies based on the Cross-Temporal Empire.

Social Media Links

Website: https://andrewjharvey.com/

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/andrew-j-harvey

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Assassins by Mike Bond

Hi, everyone!

Today I am featuring my Feature Post and Book Review for ASSASSINS by Mike Bond on this book amplifier tour.

Below you will find a book summary, my book review, an excerpt from the book, an about the author section and social media links. Enjoy!

Book Summary

In Assassins, Mike Bond introduces Jack, an intelligence operative whose career unfolds alongside some of the most volatile geopolitical shifts of the modern era. His work places him at the center of covert operations that blur the line between duty, loyalty, and accountability.

For CIA operative Jack, intelligence work is never confined to a single mission. Early assignments place him close to local communities, creating personal ties that complicate later operations driven by politics and fear. As global terrorism escalates, Jack is sent into increasingly volatile environments to gather intelligence and stop emerging threats.

Doctors, journalists, foreign officers, and militants move through the same conflicts, each shaped by decisions made far beyond their control. Jack’s relationship with Sophie Dassault, a doctor who once saved his life, becomes a rare human constant amid instability. As former training programs begin producing unintended consequences, Jack confronts a career defined by secrecy, responsibility, and outcomes no one fully controls.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33789163-assassins

Amazon: https://amzn.to/49oZhSM

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

ASSASSINS by Mike Bond is a thought-provoking spy thriller that took me through many memorable moments, not necessarily good, in recent history and reminded me of many political debates I have had with family and friends. There are several viewpoint characters throughout the novel, but the main protagonist is Jack, a CIA agent, and the story begins with his parachuting into the mountains of Afghanistan to assist the mujahideen in their fight again the Soviet Union.

This is a very suspense filled and political story that takes the readers over the years from the Soviet war in Afghanistan to the Bataclan theater attack in Paris. Jack is a complex character who is tortured by the people he loses on operations but is also strongly accepting of that cost to fight terrorists. The thriller plot moves at a fast pace and is very good at showing not only both sides of those in armed conflict, but also the political greed and interference that uses both sides as puppets.

I enjoyed this book, the intricate plot, and characters, but it is heavy on military and political issues, and it is not just a fast-paced thriller. It appeals to those of us who like those intricacies and may feel too heavy for others.

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Excerpt

An Evening in Paris

November 2015

IT WAS WARM for mid-November. They sat on the terrace of a little restaurant. Anyplace in France, she said, how wonderful the food, the delicious wine, the gentle harmony of others there for love, food, friendship, ideas, freedom, the joys of life.

They had been through the wars together, fallen in love amid the hail of bullets and thud of explosions in cities drenched with blood. Knowing, as the cliché put it, any moment could be their last.

It gave an intensity to love, that this person dearer to you than life itself could be extinguished at any instant. Someone you cherished so completely, composed of neurons, cells, muscles, bone, tissue and memories, could be blown apart, riddled with bullets, any second.

“I love you so much,” she said. “But I think I love you even more in Paris.”

“France does that to us all. What was it Hemingway said –”

“Paris is a moveable feast.”

“Yes, and we will happily feast, in whatever life brings us.”

“As you’ve said, to follow the path with heart?”

 “Yes.” He caressed the back of her hand. “For us, the wars are over.”

“For us the wars will never be over. You know that.”

He looked out on the quiet street. “Let’s take time out. Then we decide.”

“Decide what?”

 “Whether we keep fighting or run for cover.” He smiled at the thought. Not once in all these years had he ever run for cover. Nor had she.

“Your buddy Owen said that people like us, once we’re in, we can never get out.”

“Look where it got him. You want that?” Again he checked the street. It was automatic, this watchfulness. On the edge of consciousness.

He scanned the passing pedestrians – happy couples hand in hand, an old man with a wispy beard, a little girl walking a black poodle, an ancient limping Chinese woman, a kid on a skateboard.

But it worried him, this something; he wished he’d brought a sidearm, but Home Office didn’t want you carrying one here. And everything seemed so peaceful. He sipped his wine, the raw ancient roots of Provence…

A black Seat slowed as it came down the street. A grinning face full of hatred, an AK barrel aiming at them out its window, a blasting muzzle as he leaped across the table knocking her to the sidewalk and covered her with his body amid the hideous twanging hammer of bullets and smashing glass and screams and clatter of chairs and tables crashing and the howl of the Kalashnikov and awful whap of bullets into flesh as people tumbled crying.

It couldn’t be, this horror, he’d left it all behind.

***

About the Author

Mike Bond is the author of nearly a dozen bestselling novels and an ecologist, war and human rights journalist, award-winning poet, and international energy expert. His work spans more than thirty countries across seven continents, often drawn from firsthand experiences in remote, dangerous, and war-torn regions. His novels are praised worldwide for their intricate plots, vivid settings, and explosive pacing. His reporting has covered wars, revolutions, terrorism, and major environmental crises.

Social Media Links

Website: https://mikebondbooks.com/

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/assassins-by-mike-bond-2021-01-21

Feature Post and Book Review: Last Call at the Savoy by Brisa Carleton

Book Description

Six years ago, Cinnamon Scott was a young writer on the rise in New York City. But since the sudden loss of her parents, she’s been stuck in place, retreating to a life of endless partying—made possible by the massive fortune she’s inherited. Despite their tragic loss, she and her older sister Rosemary have always had each other to lean on. But now, with Rosie living in London and about to give birth to twins, Cinnamon feels more lost than ever.

When Rosie is put on bedrest, Cinnamon flies to her sister’s side, where she’s temporarily living at The Savoy. Immediately swept away by the beauty and history of the legendary hotel and its famed American Bar, Cinnamon finds ample opportunity to distract herself. When the late shift bartender tells her the story of Ada Coleman, the woman who crafted the cocktail recipes The Savoy popularized in its famous handbook a century ago, Cinnamon is inspired by the bartender’s vivid stories of Ada’s fearlessness and can’t understand why Ada’s name is nowhere to be found.

After meeting a handsome historian researching the hotel and realizing that Ada is likely to be once again overlooked, Cinnamon must decide if she can overcome her demons and stand up for Ada’s story. And, along the way, she might just save her own story too.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228646243-last-call-at-the-savoy?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=QcQcQl5MMA&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY by Brisa Carleton is an engrossing story with two intertwined timelines. The women’s fiction timeline is set in the present featuring two sisters at an emotionally charged moment in their lives and the second timeline is historical fiction set in the early 1900’s featuring the first female bartender in The American Bar in the London Savoy.

Cinnamon Scott is taking a break from her rich New York girl’s party life to fly to London to help her sister, Rosemary, who is on bedrest with a twin pregnancy at the Savoy while her new flat is being renovated. While Rosemary is a successful attorney, Cinnamon has struggled since leaving college early due to a scandal and the death of their parents in a plane crash. While Cinnamon hoped to be a famous writer, the last ten years have been nothing but partying with no writing.

Bored just hanging in their Savoy suite, Cinnamon goes to The American Bar in the hotel. She meets Joe, the older nightshift bartender, who regales her each night with a new story of the glamorous past of the bar and its first female bartender, Ada “Coley” Coleman, who is responsible for the famous Savoy Cocktail Book. At the same time during her stay, she continues to run into a sexy celebrity historical writer who is researching the Savoy.

Cinnamon becomes entranced with Ada’s story, even as her personal struggles and past demons are coming to a head.

Both timelines were interesting and pulled me into the story to keep me reading and the ending was not what I was expecting but was very satisfying as well as a bit surprising. Cinnamon was a flawed character with terrible coping skills, and she was very immature, but there was also something compelling about her because her sister always believed the best of her. The sisters were forced to deal with many issues, and yet their love for each other always persisted. The historical fiction timeline about Ada’s life was extremely interesting. From famous and inventive mixologist to a not surprising ending, Ada, like most women of her time had her history written by men and that seems to never go well.

This is a compelling read with many interesting historical facts, historical people, and cocktail recipes interwoven throughout the story as well as being an emotional women’s fiction story of sisters.

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About the Author

Brisa grew up in the Pacific Northwest before moving to Midtown Manhattan to turn her passion for musicals and “flare for the dramatic” into an award-winning career as a Broadway producer. Three Tony’s later, she’s worked on numerous productions including Hamilton, Beautiful and Moulin Rouge. In 2019 at the request of HSH Prince Albert of Monaco Brisa joined his foundation to lead philanthropy efforts in theater, dance and film on behalf of his mother, Princess Grace Kelly. Most recently she turned her entrepreneurial spirit to actual “spirits,”  launching Literati Spirits, a premium vodka created by book lovers for book lovers. She now spends her days traveling to literary destinations with a martini in one hand and a manuscript in the other, collecting stories with her husband Mark and her long-haired chihuahua, Mister Big.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.brisacarleton.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brisa.carleton

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/last-call-at-the-savoy-by-brisa-carleton

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Her Cold Heart by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for HER COLD HEART (Detective Delaney Pace Book #6) by Pamela Fagan Hutchins on this Bookouture Books-On-Tour blog post.

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

As snow falls over the small town of Kearny, the body of a young woman lies on the frozen ground. Her unblinking eyes stare out across the mountain top, and a wave of crimson-red blood seeps into the white blanket where she rests.

When residents discover a body on the slopes of a popular ski resort, Detective Delaney Pace and Sheriff Leo Palmer are first to investigate. Delaney scans her surroundings, and among the panic-stricken crowd she spots a man fleeing through the trees.

Delaney and Leo race after the suspect, following the tracks he left in his wake. But when the pair are separated, Delaney makes a heart-stopping discovery: a make-shift graveyard at an abandoned lodge deep in the forest. Immediately she knows there are more victims—and Leo’s radio has gone dead…

With the sheriff missing and the risk of more lives being taken, Delaney works fast to capture the twisted killer. But her mission grinds to a halt when a ghost from her past sends her a chilling message: Do as I say, if you want to see Leo again.

Desperate to save the man she loves, Delaney faces the shocking realisation that this whole thing was planned. She knows who’s responsible—and how dangerous they are. If she follows the orders she could lose her life, but if she doesn’t, she could lose Leo. Will she catch the killer in time? Or will she pay the ultimate price?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237144617-her-cold-heart?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=VA9g1ngce3&rank=1

Purchase link: https://geni.us/B0FFGW5LMPsocial

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

HER COLD HEART (Detective Delaney Pace Book #6) by Pamela Fagan Hutchins is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that is full of action and twists. This is the sixth book in the series, and I could not put it down. I would recommend reading this series in order because the characters’ personal lives, growth, and histories play a large part in each book.

Detective Delaney Pace and Sheriff Leo Palmer are out enjoying the slopes with their family. As they are getting off the ski lift at the top of the run, a shot rings out and the young women behind Delaney is shot and killed. Delaney and Leo race after the suspect described by a witness.

A snow mobile chase ensues, and Delaney and Leo separate. When Delaney returns for Leo’s help, she cannot find him anywhere. As she traces his tracks, she discovers he was in an accident and then taken by the suspects they were chasing. She is sent a proof of life video and is told she must follow all orders she receives to get Leo back alive.

Delaney must risk everything as she goes up against dangerous ghosts from her past who want both dead.

This is such a fast paced, thrill ride of a new book in this series. After six books, I care about all the characters and I just feel like I am catching up with old friends, and when they are in danger, I read as fast as I can and pray all ends well. The danger, mysteries, and plot twists come fast in this story as Delaney works to save Leo and herself.

I highly recommend this emotional, action-packed thriller/police procedural addition to this series and cannot wait for more!

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About the Author

USA Today bestselling and Silver Falchion Best Mystery winning mystery/thriller/suspense author (and recovering attorney and investigator) who splits time between an off-the-grid lodge on the face of Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains and a rustic cabin on Maine’s Lake Mooselookmeguntic with her husband, kids and grandkids, rescue pets and sled dog, and draft cross horses.

Writes for Bookouture and independently.

Host of Crime & Wine: Novelist Chats with Pamela Fagan Hutchins.

Social Media Links

Website: https://pamelafaganhutchins.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamela.fagan.hutchins.author

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

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/her-cold-heart-an-absolutely-addictive-and-totally-gripping-crime-thriller-detective-delaney-pace-book-6-by-pamela-fagan-hutchins


Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: The House for Lost Children by Marty Wingate

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE HOUSE OF LOST CHILDREN by Marty Wingate on this Bookouture Books-On-Tour blog post.

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

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Book Description

English countryside, 1940. A brave mother’s love offers hope for children fleeing war. When her world falls apart, will they be her guiding light?

When a class of frightened children escape the city’s bombs for her countryside home, Louisa vows to do everything in her power to protect them. As she sends up silent prayers for her only son David, fighting the Nazis in the skies above Britain, she tucks them in to bed. Her heart aches as they cry in their sleep, and she knows they need all her love and care.

Among them is wide-eyed orphan Gracie, who was found next to her mother in the rubble, and clings to Louisa like a shadow. And little Alf, who begins to smile again as he cares for Lulu the dog, the only other survivor of his family. Alongside their handsome teacher Jack, can Louisa help the children to heal? Or when the school governors threaten closure and the war edges closer than ever before, will she soon lose them all?

Then devastating news about David shatters Louisa’s world. Through the depths of her grief, she must find the strength to fight for her beloved lost children. Can they show her the way through the darkness? Or when German planes fly over their peaceful village, will Louisa and the orphans be torn forever apart?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237361584-the-house-for-lost-children?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=XXZdy5ouIe&rank=1

Amazon Purchase Link: https://geni.us/B0FF5XPK2Wsocial

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE HOUSE FOR LOST CHILDREN by Marty Wingate is an emotional and heartwarming standalone WWII historical fiction novel with romantic elements. Set in England during the Blitz, it features a generous and loving woman who opens her home in the country to a group of children and their teachers who have their charity school destroyed in London.

Lady Louisa Brightford is alone in a rambling mansion in the countryside with a minimal staff and her son, David, away flying Spitfires for the British Air Force. When she learns of a group of children and their two teachers displaced by a bombing in London, she calls the family lawyer and asks for his assistance in moving them to the mansion. She hopes the children can find safety and love of the countryside as they each capture her heart in their individual ways and with their particular needs, especially the youngest named, Gracie.

Louisa becomes attached to Gracie, who lost her mother in the bombing. Gracie has not spoken since she lost her mother, but clings to Louisa who continues to offer her love. Louisa also finds herself becoming closer to Jack Barry, one of the teachers. So, when the governors of the charity that run the school threaten to take the children away because she is a divorced woman, she will do everything in her power to keep them. While she is fighting for the children to stay, she receives news that her son is missing in action.

Even through her grief and anxiety over her son, Louisa is determined to keep the children in her home. With the help of Jack, long-time friends in the village, and new surprise allies, Louisa does not give in to despair but fights for the future of the children.

This is an emotionally uplifting and satisfying read that had me completely invested in all the characters. Ms. Wingate brought all the characters in this story to life. Louisa was so strong in the face of everything she had gone through personally and was still able to share so much love and understanding with the children. It was also satisfying that she found someone for herself as well. I loved all the children and their individual personalities. This story demonstrates love in all its manifestations even when you have to go through worry or despair to find it.

I highly recommend this WWII historical fiction with romantic elements and dare you to not fall in love with Gracie!

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Author Bio

Marty Wingate is a USA Today best-selling author of both mysteries and historical fiction. Marty enjoys weaving humor into her books and creating characters—from quirky and loveable to sinister and duplicitous—that leap off the page. Before embarking on her series about the London Ladies Murder Club with Bookouture, Marty published three contemporary cozy mystery series (the Potting Shed, Birds of a Feather, and First Edition Library books). She has also published two standalone books of historical fiction and found stories of the past to be compelling. She’s delighted to combine her penchant for both mysteries and histories to bring her readers more satisfying stories. Marty currently resides near Seattle, Washington.

Social Media Links

Website: https://martywingate.com/

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

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Marty Wingate here: https://bookouture.com/subscribe/marty-wingate/

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