#romanticsuspense – Page 28 – Avonna Loves Genres

Book Review: Her Last Word by Mary Burton

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

Mary Burton is one of those authors that when I see she has a new book out, I have to grab it right away because I know I will be able to disappear for hours into a solid, intriguing plot with realistic, interesting characters for the length of the book. She never disappoints.

Fourteen years ago, Kaitlin Roe witnessed the abduction of her cousin, Gina Mason. There were four girls partying by the river. Two friends were picked up by a relative while Kaitlin and Gina stumbled towards Gina’s home. Scared to death, drunk and drugged when Gina was grabbed, the abductor told Kaitlin to run and she did. She only has vague memories of that night, but fourteen years of guilt.

Kaitlin has returned to Virginia to make a podcast of Gina’s disappearance. She will never forgive herself, but she hopes through new interviews to bring Gina’s cold case back to life, find out what really happened and bring Gina home. Kaitlin’s podcast interviews attract attention, but not everyone wants the truth to be known.

Detective John Adler is assigned a murder case that overlaps with Kaitlin’s interviews. Is it a coincidence or is the cold case leading to murder in the present day to cover up the past? As Adler works to solve the case, he also has to worry if Kaitlin could have provoked the killer to come for her next.

This book was written not only in chapters, but it is also divided by podcast interviews. The interviews add an interesting twist, because you do not know if the person being interviewed is telling the truth. Between the current plotline, the podcast interviews and Kaitlin’s memories of the past the mystery and suspense continually build. There are several red herrings and the ending was a surprise.

The relationship between Adler and Kaitlin was realistic with Adler not giving her certain information as it was an official investigation and her distrust of police since Gina’s disappearance. The romance was well paced and intertwined throughout the last half of story in a believable fashion. I was once again satisfied in every way with a Mary Burton book!

Thanks very much to Montlake Romance and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Feature Post: Cold Justice Series Books #1-3 by Toni Anderson

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

This is one of my favorite Romantic suspense series!

The first three books are in a box set which makes it easy for you to download the start of this great series. Ms. Anderson is already up to book #10 in this series. When you have reading time, this is the series for you to start and fall in love with especially if you love Romantic suspense. Hot, sexy and intelligent heroes and heroines with nonstop suspense plots that will keep you turning the pages. (All of the books can be read as standalones, but there is some character crossover.)

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A COLD DARK PLACE (Cold Justice, #1) – Mini Review

Mallory Rooney has worked her whole life to become an FBI agent and solve the abduction case of her identical twin from their bedroom when they were 9 years old. She believes in the justice system, not vigilantism. With the execution style death of a serial killer, Mallory begins to suspect a vigilante is using information from inside the FBI. She wants him stopped and jailed.

Alex Parker, former soldier, former CIA, now assassin for The Gateway Project has an agreement to ignore his conscience for three years and eliminate proven serial killers before they kill more victims and destroy more families in exchange for getting him out of a Moroccan Prison.

As the FBI tries to catch a serial killer who is abducting and killing young women from the same area Mallory’s sister was taken 18 years previously, Alex meets Mallory. At first he is there to make sure she does not identify him as the vigilante, but he soon only wants to protect her as the killer has Mallory in his sites.

So many secrets, not just from Alex, but from everyone around Mallory. The ending was very satisfying. The suspense is nonstop and the romance is hot. I loved this book and cannot wait to continue on in this series.

***

COLD PURSUIT (Cold Justice, #2) – Mini Review

This book starts with an intense mall attack by terrorists while single mom, Vivi Vincent and her son, Michael are shopping and enjoying the holiday season. FBI agent Jeb Brennen is also in the mall with no weapon, while on vacation. A bomb goes off and then the shooting begins.

The plot continues to escalate at a heart-pounding rate. The terrorists find out Michael was hiding in a cabinet in the toy store during the attack and they do not know what he witnessed or heard. The danger continues far after the mall attack.

The characters are all complex, even the terrorists. Ms. Anderson brings to light how very complex the politics are in the Middle East with a surprising twist. The romantic elements are paced and handled realistically. The plot and action start with a bang and keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.

***

COLD LIGHT OF DAY (Cold Justice, #3) – Mini Review

Physicist Scarlett Stone’s father is dying in prison and she wants nothing more than to prove this former FBI agent wrongly accused and imprisoned. He was accused of being a spy for the Russians. Using a false identity, Scarlett gains access to the Russian ambassador’s Christmas party and attempts to bug the embassy, but sets the true spies on a deadly path to remain unknown.

Former Navy SEAL, now FBI Special Agent, Matt Lazio is attracted to Scarlett and when he finds out she lied to him about her identity he hunts her down. As agents from her father’s case begin to die, Matt wonders if the FBI still has a traitor and the true spy is still free.

Scarlett and Matt are a sizzling hot couple! The suspense plot keeps intensifying at a fast pace as the real spy fights to remain unknown. I really liked the plot twist at the end.

***

Toni Anderson – NY Times and USA Today international bestselling author.

Ms. Anderson writes dark, gritty Romantic suspense novels that have hit the Amazon and Nook Top 10 and iBooks Top 50.

Feature Post: Her Last Word by Mary Burton

I am very excited to be sharing this feature post from Mary Burton.

Below you will find a message from the author, an excerpt from Her Last Word and a Rafflecopter giveaway. (My personal review of this book will follow soon.)

Message From Author Mary Burton

My latest Romantic Suspense, HER LAST WORD is set in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia and features homicide detective John Adler, university teacher Kaitlin Roe and, not to be forgotten, a vengeful killer. HER LAST WORD has its roots in Kaitlin Roe’s obsession to solve the cold case of her missing cousin, Gina Mason, who vanished fourteen years ago. They were walking along the deserted road that snakes along the James River. Both were drunk. When a man attacked them, Kaitlin got away. By the time she found help, Gina was gone.

I’ve done quite bit of research over the years on police procedure and have attended events such as Sisters in Crime’s Forensic University, Writers Police Academy and my local citizen police academies. I’ve interviewed detectives and I have a library of books that cover everything from true crime stories, courtroom procedures to forensic evidence collection. Having a basic understanding of police procedure was a great jumping off point for this novel.

But with this story, I wanted to dig a little deeper, so I started listening to crime podcasts. Initially, I was searching for new police procedural twists and turns. I especially liked listening to podcasts featuring cops describing investigative techniques and their take on the criminals they hunted. As I listened, I found myself writing backstory scenes as if they were for a podcast. I found the style crisp and fun, and I was enamored with the idea of building the plot around a podcast.

As much as I enjoy this storytelling technique, I knew I couldn’t ignore my main protagonists. Let’s face it. We keep turning the pages to learn what’s happening to characters we care about. In this case, I knew the focus had to stay on Kaitlin and John. Plus, I love pairing opposites and those two fit that bill immediately. Both come from very different backgrounds, and it would be easy to assume they’d never be right for each other. But if you dig past John’s affluent background and Kaitlin’s less stable upbringing, you find two people who each carry a deep sense of guilt. It’s the losses they suffered that have changed them both, making them far more similar than anyone would imagine. The two are drawn to each other at the first spark of sexual tension. Both soon discover the other is honorable and values friends and family above everything, including personal safety.

And of course, I can’t forget the villain, the character I consider the most important in any suspense novel. Without the villain, there’d be no story. To me, one of the most entertaining bad guys I’ve ever written is in HER LAST WORD. He’s got a quirky sense of humor that under normal circumstances might be charming. His quips and jokes about cold blooded murder are hard to forget. Though I balanced several points of view in the book, slipping into the skin of one of my most chilling villains yet was fascinating and fun.

HER LAST WORD is not only told in a podcast style of writing, but it weaves together suspense with romance with a cast of characters that are truly some of my favorite.

***

Her Last Word Excerpt

Kaitlin had not revisited the spot by the river since she left Richmond fourteen years ago. Returning now was harder than she’d imagined. Her chest tightened and her hands trembled as she stood on the narrow road hugging the river just under Mrs. Hayward’s house.

The afternoon sun cast a warm glow on the rippling water lazily drifting past large rocks. The warmth of the sun took the edge off the cold and blustery air as she walked toward the outcropping of boulders that would be packed with sunbathers in only a few months. It looked so peaceful. So innocent.

She closed her eyes. The soothing sounds of nature grew silent in the wake of Gina’s screams. Her cries. And when she opened her eyes, for a brief second, she saw the menacing clown mask.

Every fiber in her demanded she run now.

Run, Kaitlin. Run.

Her fingers curled into fists.

Breathless, she retraced the same path she had walked with Gina. She hugged the shoulder of the narrow road, remembering as an occasional car came flying by full of kids not paying attention. With each step, she felt the pull of the past.

Kaitlin was now a half mile from Pony Pasture and standing at the spot. Her heart pounded as fragmented memories rushed her from all sides.

The knife to Gina’s throat and then her ear. Gina’s screams. The blood. The seconds when she didn’t remember but must have stood in shock and utter denial that this could be happening. A memory of those missing moments reached out and teased her, but it quickly drifted away. Why couldn’t she remember?

A car drove by, and she sidestepped into a line of trees separating the river from the road. To steady herself on the sloping bank, she placed her hand on one of the trees. Its broken branch scratched her palm, and in an instant a memory emerged.

It was Gina’s abductor. “I told you I’d come for you, Gina.”

She closed her eyes and replayed the words that until now had remained locked in her subconscious. She focused, trying to trigger more memories. She waited. Listened. But instead, the sounds of the river and wind in the trees came back.

Frustrated, she headed back to her car. “I’ll make this right, Gina.”

***

About the Book

Title: Her Last Word

Author: Mary Burton

Release Date: May 8, 2018

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Thriller

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Summary

Fourteen years ago, Kaitlin Roe was the lone witness to the abduction of her cousin Gina. She still remembers that lonely Virginia road. She can still see the masked stranger and hear Gina’s screams. And she still suffers the guilt of running away in fear and resents being interrogated as a suspect in the immediate aftermath. Now Kaitlin has only one way to assuage the pain and nightmares—by interviewing everyone associated with the unsolved crime for a podcast that could finally bring closure to a case gone cold.

But when a woman Kaitlin questions is later found stabbed to death, she fears that she’s drawn a killer out of hiding. It’s Detective John Adler’s fear that the murders have only just begun. Now his job is to keep Kaitlin safe.

As a bond between Kaitlin and Adler builds, the past closes in just as fast—and it’s darker than Kaitlin remembers. Soon, her wish will come true. She’s going to find out exactly what happened to Gina. Someone has been dying to tell her.

Author Biography

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Mary Burton is the highly praised author of twenty-eight published romance and suspense novels and five novellas. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three miniature dachshunds.

Author Social Media Links

Website: http://www.maryburton.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryBurtonBooks

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15020.Mary_Burton

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Book Review: Scent of the Jaguar by S.E. Gilchrist

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

SCENT OF THE JAGUAR (Deadly Forces #2) by S.E. Gilchrist had me on another action packed romantic suspense adventure in the steaming Amazon jungle. This book features Kitarna Ashford’s older sister, Bernie and the other band of passengers from their downed plane being hunted by mercenaries through the deadly jungle.

Bernadette “Bernie” Ashford is an archeologist on her way with her botanist sister to a new dig that could turn into an important major discovery. Before they make it to the site, the sister are warned through a static filled call from their father that their lives are in danger from “El Jaguar” and to leave the area immediately. As they are flying away over the vast jungle, Bernie realizes that the plane is too low and they are suddenly told to brace for a crash landing.

Zane MacIntosh was on a previous dig with Bernie and mysteriously disappeared the same day as a valuable artifact. Bernie cannot believe he is on the plane and is suspicious of his motives. She is sitting with Zane and his mother as the plane goes down. She gets a brief glimpse of her sister after the crash, but they get separated as the two groups flee from the mercenaries chasing them.

Zane and Bernie work together to get their group to safety. As they are being chased by mercenaries, they are also vulnerable to all the dangers of the Amazon. The heat, humidity, native bugs, reptiles and animals all add to the misery and despair as the group tries to survive. As Zane and Bernie learn to trust one another, they wonder if there is a traitor in their little group? Bernie keeps praying that Kit has survived and Zane’s mother seems to be more than a retired school teacher.

This is a suspenseful and action packed read that sets a fast pace with an ever increasing threat to the survivors. Zane and Bernie were well written, resourceful and realistic main characters. Zane’s mother was a surprise and an intriguing addition. The sex scenes fit well in the story. This is the second book in this duet of stories and can be read as a standalone, but if you are interested in the first book it is Beat of the Jungle by Erin Moira O’Hara. Both are excellent reads.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.

Book Review: Murder Notes by Lisa Renee Jones

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

NOOOOOOO!!!

One of the best starts this year to a new Romantic Suspense series with fantastic characters and Lisa left me hanging!

MURDER NOTES (Lilah Love, #1) by Lisa Renee Jones had me quickly turning the pages and falling into the story to the exclusion of all else. Lilah Love is an FBI profiler with an extremely abrasive personality, foul mouth and a secret that could destroy her career. Also, she loves, but refuses to allow it, the gorgeous head of a multinational conglomerate, Kane Mendez, that when run by his father was more of an illegal Mexican cartel than corporation.

When Lilah starts looking into a series of murders, which she believes are assassinations, they lead her back to her hometown in the Hamptons. What becomes apparent to Lilah is that all the murders lead to a secret from her past that she believes was only between herself and Kane Mendez, her former lover. As the body count increases, so do taunting notes from the person who has been hiring the assassin. Lilah has to work this case without exposing her past, while catching a killer who may be from her own family or circle of friends.

Lilah Love, who calls herself “Murder Girl” is the type of character that I love to follow. An FBI profiler, but with a secret in her past that could destroy her future. She loves the “F” word and is confrontational, but she also loves to be a woman who dresses in designer clothes and loves her family. The sexual heat that flies between Lilah and Kane could spark a wild fire in a snow storm. I cannot wait to get the next book in this series! You need to read this book yourself and get ready for the next one, too.

Thanks very much to Montlake Romance and Net Galley for allowing me to review this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I am anxiously awaiting more!

Feature Post: “What Would Your Heroine Do?” Blog Tour

WELCOME to the “What Would Your Heroine Do?” Blog Tour

I am very happy to share this blog tour post on Avonna Loves Genres!

Three great Romantic Suspense authors, Melinda Leigh, Lisa Renee Jones and Elisabeth Naughton have new books out and have answered some questions regarding “What Would Your Heroine Do?” Also included is a short bio for each author and a Rafflecopter Giveaway. ENJOY!

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What Would These Romantic Suspense Heroines Do With Lisa Renee Jones, Melinda Leigh, and Elisabeth Naughton

This month bestselling authors Lisa Renee Jones, Elisabeth Naughton, and Melinda Leigh are each releasing thrilling romantic suspense novels. But while they write in the same genre, you can expect very different stories.

Lisa kicks off her new Lilah Love series with a bang in Murder Notes. When copycat murders plague her hometown, FBI profiler Lilah Love is sent to investigate. But she returns to find hidden secrets from her past aren’t staying hidden and the danger swirling around her is just beginning.

Elisabeth continues her RITA award Deadly Secrets series with Protected. Fashion designer Kelsey McClane rolls her eyes when her overprotective brothers saddle her with a bodyguard while she is on a press tour, however, she’s more than thankful to have former Army Ranger Hunter O’Donnell on her side when a deadly explosion hits too close to home.

Morgan Dane is back in Melinda Leigh’s unforgettable new story Bone’s Don’t Lie. In this outing Morgan stands by her man as Lance attempts to unearth the secrets of his father’s decades old murder. Morgan quickly realizes that just because the case is cold, doesn’t mean the original killer isn’t out for more blood.

Interested in learning more about these books? Continue reading as the Lisa, Elisabeth, and Melinda play a not-always-nice game of “What Would Your Heroine Do?” that will give you an inside look at their characters and enter the giveaway to win copies of the authors’ full series.

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What would your heroine do if she feels like someone is following her, yet she can’t prove it?

Lisa: Well funnily enough in the first book of my Lilah Love series, Murder Notes, Lilah is being followed, but she can prove it as her stalker is quite blatant and goading with their practices. However, if Lilah couldn’t prove it, she would probably cuss a blue streak, as she’s prone to do, and make herself bait in order to lure her stalker out. She’s definitely not afraid of any danger, she is an FBI agent after all, and she loves nothing more than to best someone at their own game.

Elisabeth: This actually happens in Protected! I don’t want to give too much away, but Kelsey would definitely turn to someone she trusts for help. In this case…Hunter O’Donnell…the hero of Protected.

Melinda: The first thing Morgan would do is determine if she was actually being followed. She’d make some turns then see if the car was still behind her. If it was, she would never drive home and lead a potential stalker to her family. Instead, she’d head somewhere public and call PI Lance Kruger. Together, they’d try to trap whoever was following her.

What would your heroine do if the man in her life was injured and in the hospital?

Elisabeth: Freak out. LOL Actually I think her reaction is dependent on how and when he was injured and whether she thinks she’s somehow responsible.

Lisa: Lilah’s man, Kane, is forbidden fruit. He brings out her dark side. He’s on the wrong side of the law. He helped her do something very bad and she wants to blame him, but really blames herself. She can’t really be with him but she loves him. If he were hurt, she’d try to play it cool. She would put on a strong face at first, but she would go to Kane and the minute he catches her showing that she cares, he’d point it out. He’d make her admit it. She’d, in turn, deny her feelings and tell him in no uncertain terms that he’s screwed with her schedule and he better not f-ing do it again. She’d tell him she hates him for making her worry but that means she loves him, and he knows it, too. She’d try to go after his enemy, and Kane, would go after her.

Melinda: Since, Lance frequently gets himself into trouble, Morgan has some experience with this. She is protective and loyal and always wants to be by his side.

What would your heroine do if she receives an anonymous text accusing her of committing a heinous crime?

Elisabeth: Kelsey would be shocked first. Then become angry and want to track down the sender of the text.

Melinda: Having been stalked in the past, Morgan takes threats seriously. She would want to find out who sent her this text. She would try to trace the phone number, enlisting the help of experienced investigator Lincoln Sharp or computer whiz Jenny Kruger if necessary. In the meantime, she’d be extra vigilant — and so would Lance.

Lisa: In the opening Duet that launches the Lilah Love Series, Lilah isn’t getting text messages, but rather notes, left for her. They are very “I Know What You Did Last Summer” since she really did something bad. She isn’t one to be played with though, so Lilah goes on the attack, seeking out her note writer.

What would your heroine do if she wins a surprise trip to a faraway tropical island?

Melinda: Single mom Morgan has not had a vacation in ages. She’d talk her sister into babysitting her three kids and pack her bags! Or… could she save the trip as a potential future honeymoon?

Lisa: I don’t think I can picture Lilah on a vacation, she’s such a workaholic! But as far as her response to winning it, she’d probably say she has far too many dead bodies to deal with and then handoff the winnings to someone else.

Elisabeth: Kelsey is skeptical of everything so I’m pretty sure she’d assume the surprise trip was a scam.

What would your heroine do if she has the choice to confront someone threatening her?

Elisabeth: The answer to this really depends on whether this confrontation happens at the before Protected or after. Kelsey’s journey through the book is really one of empowerment. At the start of Protected I don’t see her being confrontational with someone threatening her, but by the end she really comes into her own. She’s never going to be a kick-ass heroine like some of my other heroines, but she can definitely take care of herself.

Melinda: Morgan comes from a law enforcement family. Her father and grandfather, both former cops, taught her to defend herself when she was young. She would rather not get into a physical altercation unless it was absolutely unavoidable. She prefers to talk her way out of trouble. That said, she carries a gun and knows how to use it.

Lisa: Lilah does this on a daily, if not hourly basis. She sometimes even provokes the threat, so her response would be colorful, as are all of her responses, with a hint of condescending humor and her own threat in return.

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About the Authors

Before topping multiple bestseller lists—including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal—Elisabeth Naughton taught middle school science. A voracious reader, she soon discovered she had a knack for creating stories with a chemistry of their own. The spark turned into a flame, and Naughton now writes full-time. Her books have been nominated for some of the industry’s most prestigious awards, such as the RITA and Golden Heart Awards from Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Readers Award, and the Golden Leaf Award. When not dreaming up new stories, Naughton can be found spending time with her husband and three children in their western Oregon home. Protected is the third book in her Deadly Secrets series, following Gone and Repressed, which was a 2017 RITA winner in romantic suspense. Learn more about Elisabeth at www.ElisabethNaughton.com.

Lisa Renee Jones is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the highly acclaimed Inside Out series; the Dirty Money series; the White Lies duet; the Tall, Dark, and Deadly series; and The Secret Life of Amy Benson series. Murder Notes is the first book in the Lilah Love series. Visit her at www.lisareneejones.com.

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker. A lifelong lover of books, she started writing as a way to preserve her sanity when her youngest child entered first grade. During the next few years, she joined Romance Writers of America, learned a few things about writing a novel, and decided the process was way more fun than analyzing financial statements. Melinda’s debut novel, She Can Run, was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. She’s also garnered Golden Leaf and Silver Falchion awards, along with nominations for a RITA and three Daphne du Maurier Awards. Her other novels include She Can Tell, She Can Scream, She Can Hide, She Can Kill, Midnight Exposure, Midnight Sacrifice, Midnight Betrayal, Midnight Obsession, Hour of Need, Minutes to Kill, Seconds to Live, Say You’re Sorry, and Her Last Goodbye. She holds a second-degree black belt in Kenpo karate; teaches women’s self-defense; and lives in a messy house with her husband, two teenagers, a couple of dogs, and two rescue cats. You can learn more about the author at http://melindaleigh.com.

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