Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE WHISPERINGWOMEN (Delafield & Mallory Investigations Book #1) by Trish MacEnulty on this Black Coffee 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
Born into a once-wealthy Manhattan family, Louisa Delafield survives by doing the one thing she’s suited for: writing a society column. But in January 1913, the death of a police matron in a bombed brownstone convinces Louisa to write about darker subjects. “Muckraking” goes against her upbringing, but once her blinders are off, she can’t continue to protect the privileged.
Ellen Malloy came to America to escape the priests who told her she would go to hell for loving women. However, her job as a debutante’s personal maid affords her no opportunity for a life, much less for finding love. After witnessing the death of a fellow servant during an illegal abortion, she flees her comfortable position in fear for her life.
When the two women are brought together by New York’s top bomb squad cop, Louisa and Ellen dive into a dangerous world of gangsters, bordellos, and back-alley abortions to find the connection between Ellen’s friend and the dead police matron. Their investigation makes them the target of powerful forces who will stop at nothing, even murder, to bury the truth.
This book is a timely reminder of an era when the legal system and social norms prevented women from enjoying the freedom to control their own destinies.
THE WHISPERING WOMEN (A Delafield & Mallory Investigation Book #1) by Trish MacEnulty is the first book in an exciting historical mystery series featuring two very different young women in early 20th century New York who come together to fight against injustice. This is a story set over a hundred years ago and is yet eerily relevant to the present.
Louisa Delafield was born into a Manhattan society family. Due to her father’s murder and her family’s financial downfall, she now earns her living and is supporting her mother by writing a society column for The Ledger. Ellen Mallory came to America from Ireland and is a lady’s maid to a young debutante. When Ellen witnesses the death of a fellow servant during an illegal abortion, she finds she must flee her position in fear of her life.
Louisa and Ellen stories converge as Louisa looks to discover why a police matron was blown up while investigating an abortionist and Ellen is running from those Louisa is investigating and wants to seek revenge for her friend. The two must learn to navigate the social class system to discover a way to combine their strengths and find the power to bring powerful evil into the light.
I loved this story and both Louisa and Ellen are great protagonists. Louisa and Ellen are well developed, and their differences make them a good pair that you want to succeed. You can tell the research into early 1900’s New York life and society is extensive and the descriptions pull you right into the story. The plot is well paced, and the investigation is believable. So many of the topics in this plot, such as illegal abortion, women’s rights, and LGBTQ issues are as discussion worthy then as they are today.
I highly recommend this wonderful start to a new series with memorable strong main characters, and I am looking forward to seeing where this author takes them next.
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About the Author
The Whispering Women is Trish MacEnulty’s debut as a historical fiction novelist. She has previously published four novels, a short story collection, and a memoir. A former Professor of English at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC, she currently lives in Florida with her husband, two dogs, and one cat and teaches journalism.
Tasting wine is not enough: sommelier Giovanni D’Angelo wants to create it. To put his family first, he’s always deferred his dreams—a vineyard to run, a woman to marry. But a three-week vineyard tour in Italy could set him back on track.
For Emma Rutledge, wine is in her blood. Intent to run the family wine business one day, she finds that the men in her family are only intent to push her out of it. But that’s fine—she’s got a plan.
When Gio and Emma meet on a wine tour in Tuscany, their shared aspirations fuel an undeniable chemistry. Returning home to California, they work toward setting up Emma’s vineyard and a label of their own. But when Emma receives a life-altering diagnosis, she worries it’s all been for nothing.
As Emma works to cement her family legacy while dealing with this unexpected challenge, Gio tries to convince her that their future isn’t just wine.
BEGINNING OF FOREVER (The D’Angelos Book #3) by Catherine Bybee is another perfectly wonderful contemporary romance addition to The D’Angelo family series. This story features Giovanni D’Angelo and his discovery of that one true love traveling from the vineyards of Italy and back to California. This romance can be read as a standalone, but there are family member connections throughout tying to the first two books in the series.
Giovanni “Gio” D’Angelo has always loved everything connected to wine since his first visit with his grandfather in Italy. He has become a sommelier and works in his family’s restaurant, but his dream has always been to own a small vineyard of his own. For his thirtieth birthday, his family sends him on a three-week tour of Italian vineyards.
Emma Rutledge was born into a prominent Napa wine family and has worked hard for her place in the family business, but her father never sees her as an asset. For her thirtieth birthday her mother sends Emma and her best friend, Natalie, on a wine tour to take a break, but Emma is already making new plans for her future.
Gio has a house full of strong women in his family and the feisty, redheaded Emma catches his attention. Their shared love of wine and dreams of having their own vines connects them and only adds to the growing chemistry, but Emma is not looking for forever. When they return to California, Gio continues to show Emma he is a partner with suggestions, but never wants to make her decisions for her. When Emma receives a medical diagnosis that changes her life, Gio proves he is at her side for everything and anything, forever.
I love Emma and Gio’s journey to love and HEA! Every one of the stories in this series has been an absolute delight! Ms. Bybee knows how to bring a romance together even with all the messy things in life that can interfere. With the D’Angelos, like in many big Italian families, difficulties can be overcome with the help and love of family, friends and food and the comparisons between the D’Angelo and Rutledge families leave me with an easy decision of which I would rather belong to. I enjoyed catching up with all the other family member’s relationships and wish I could go to Little Italy and meet them all.
I highly recommend this delightful and heart-warming contemporary romance! The entire D’Angelos series is worth the read.
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About the Author
Catherine is a #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and Indie Reader bestselling author. In addition, her books have also graced The New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists. In total she has written thirty-six beloved books that have collectively sold more than 10 million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages.
Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full time and has penned the Not Quite series, The Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, and the First Wives series. Learn more about Catherine and her books at www.catherinebybee.com
Being alone is what he wanted… All he needed was her.
Hunter Osborn left his family, his friends and his job as a park ranger after uncovering a disturbing crime scene. Haunted by nightmares and harrowing memories, Hunter relocated to an isolated property near Triple Creek, Colorado, where he lives alone and keeps his interactions with people to a minimum.
Still, Hunter can spot trouble from a mile away, and when he encounters Jodi Bentley, he knows she’s trouble of the most tempting kind—even more tempting when she moves into the run-down cabin next door. Jodi is tough as nails, sexy as hell—and clearly struggles with her own traumatic past. Hunter tries to keep his distance, but when Jodi’s life is threatened, he can’t help being drawn out of his own darkness and into hers.
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Elise’s Thoughts
The Dangerous One by Lori Foster is a spin-off of the McKenzies of Ridge Trail trilogy. The story has everything a reader would wish for: suspense, secrets, lies, power, control, manipulation, security, protection, acceptance, and love.
The hero and heroine both are fighting demons of their past. Jodie Bentley was abused and is trying to overcome the terrors, while former park ranger Hunter Osborn is trying to stop the nightmares after seeing a terrible crime scene. They both are now in a small Colorado mountain town to escape a troubled past, enjoying the isolation and solitude.
After Jodi moves next door, Hunter becomes intrigued by her personality. She can be a spitfire, cocky, independent, and strong, but she is also vulnerable, petite, and wants to be a survivor with a normal life.
But after she is threatened, Hunter and his dog Turbo, become protective of her. Sometimes she gets annoyed, but Jodi allows them into her life. What ensues is the budding romance and relationship between Jodi and Hunter, and the potential fall-out as Jodi finds herself hunted by a powerful man. They join forces as they build trust in each other and allow the walls built over time to fall.
The secondary characters helped to make the story even more interesting. They are very colorful and include Hunter’s brother Memphis, his dog Turbo, and Jodi’s non-blood related family. All the characters in this book will tug at the reader’s emotions as they will connect with them and form bonds.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story of The Dangerous One?
Lori Foster: Jodi, the female protagonist of this book, first appeared as a slight secondary character in another series, “The McKenzies of Ridge Trail.” But as sometimes happens, she stuck with me. Even when I’d be thinking about a different story, writing a separate plot or character, Jodi would sneak into my thoughts. Sometimes characters take over and they have a story to tell and I’m just the one putting their words on paper. That’s how it was with Jodi. She told me she’d need a special kind of guy, told me her life had been harsh and it wouldn’t be easy to move forward, but that she could do it with the right person at her side. Turns out she was right.
EC: How would you describe Hunter?
LF: Hunter is, above all, honorable and loyal. He’s an alpha through and through, the kind of man who can’t ignore injustice, even when standing up for others he can bring peril to himself. It’s in his DNA to help where and how he can. Sometimes, as in the case with Jodi, that basic nature is inconvenient as hell.
EC: How would you describe Jodi?
LF: Jodi is a wounded soul with a backbone of steel. If hurt, she comes out swinging, fearlessly and with everything she’s got. She’s extremely aware, especially now that she has personal experience with just how evil people can be. Distrust is her constant shadow.
Like Hunter, she’s a natural born protector, but because of her size and lack of physical strength, she utilizes a lot of attitude. Part of her learned response is to react first and ask questions later; yet she has great instincts, and she knows to trust them, especially where Hunter is concerned.
EC: Do you think the men in the story underestimated Jodi considering she used weapons as equalizers, used her banter for intimidation, yet they only saw her as a petite woman unable to stand up for herself while they were bigger, badder, and more superior?
LF: The less astute men did, but Hunter recognized her dangerous edge right off. He didn’t fully trust her capability at first, but he did trust her – so when necessary, he didn’t mind being her backup. Hunter is confident enough that he doesn’t have to take the lead every time.
EC: What about the relationship between Hunter and Jodi?
LF: Jodi always fell back on the wounded woman she once was, so it was easy for her to misconstrue concern with pity, or to think that Hunter’s concern was a lack of faith in her ability. Jodi hadn’t had many people in her life to teach her about love, so it takes her a little while to figure it out.
For Hunter’s part, he was a very reluctant neighbor. He didn’t want to care for Jodi. He didn’t want to worry about her. As always, though, that basic nature of his made it impossible to ignore her.
EC: What was the role of the dog Turbo?
LF: Turbo was also a wounded soul! Hunter saved him, despite his broken barker and an affinity to chew on things. To me, it was one more way to show Hunter as a nurturer as well as a powerful defender. I don’t think the comparison was lost on Jodi. Seeing how someone treats a pet can give us great insight into their character. Never, ever trust someone who mistreats animals.
EC: Can you explain Jodi’s motto: “Everyday life for an everyday woman.”
LF: Jodi really wanted to reach the status of a mundane middleclass existence. She’d healed from a pretty awful situation. She’d found her footing and was able to put her energy into helping other women. But just as she encouraged those women to find a happy life, she wanted to do the same. First on the agenda for her was complete independence – even from a family who had helped her to survive. It wasn’t easy for her to separate help given freely from love (from her pseudo family) from help given out of desperate need (what she’d first required to survive). It helped that Hunter had come from an amazing family of his own – a family willing to give him the time and distance he needed to overcome his own traumatic experience. He was able to share that insight with Jodi, and to point out the true meaning of family.
EC: Do you believe there is a need for vigilantes because in a sense that was what Jodi and Hunter were?
LF: I’ll get vilified for this, but most definitely. We have vigilantes – those hired privately by our government and other governments, as well as mercenaries for hire when situations are dire and legal avenues are too slow.
I have the utmost respect for law enforcement. To me, the majority of police are heroes, but still everyday men and women, who sometimes find themselves in untenable life or death situations – either their own life or someone else’s. Mistakes can happen.
In my “perfect world” (which, of course, doesn’t exist) evil would always end. Permanently.
EC: Both Jodi and Hunter tried to isolate themselves living in a remote area: they built up walls to lock others out, yet felt it was defeating. Did both their families help to break down the walls along with each other?
LF: Jodi didn’t have any ties to her biological family, yet she had grown close with the family that saved her. For her, it often felt like pity and for a person with her internal strength that was difficult to bear.
Hunter, on the other hand, never had a doubt about the love and support of his family – his mom, dad and brother. They did their best to understand his need for isolation, but his brother had already grown impatient, and he loved Jodi for busting through Hunter’s emotional walls much like the Kool-Aid man. Since Jodi didn’t even realize she was doing it, it was extra fun to write. I often see my books like a movie playing out before me.
EC: Next book(s)?
LF: Hunter’s brother, Memphis, is a hero in the book, The Fearless One, out December 26th. I loved Memphis the moment he showed up on the page. Memphis has opened an RV resort (known for shady business) near the area where his brother, Hunter, now lives. His plan is to stop trouble before it happens, but in walks Jedidiah, hauling her own turbulent trouble along, and his plans get turned upside down in a big way. Love often does that to people.
April 25th, I have a reissue, Meant to Be, published digitally. The story ties in with my Visitation series, but also stands alone, based around two people who grew up together and yet begin seeing each other in a whole new way when the female lead considers moving away.
May 9th, I have The Little Flower Shop, which is set in the same small, quirky town as a previous book, The Honeymoon Cottage. It’s about a 40 something woman who decides to try to fit a little romance into her hectic life, and somehow becomes a hashtag on the town’s local social media. #theflowerlady I had loads of fun writing it!
June 1st is my next “benefit book,” Bray. Each year I write a novella where the advance and all royalties go directly to a no-kill animal shelter. Readers met Bray as a young boy in Fighting Dirty, one of the books from my Ultimate series. He’s an MMA fighter with a rough background, which makes it easy for him to recognize when someone else is going through trouble. He knows Karen is hiding something, and he not only wants to help her, he just plain wants her – in every way. When the past catches up to her, she turns to Bray, and together they’re able to meet the trouble head on, as well as build a promising future.
August 22nd, one of my reader favorites, Too Much Temptation, is being reissued with a new cover. It’s one of my sexier books featuring a voluptuous woman who doesn’t recognize her own appeal, and a man who loves her body but truly falls for her heart.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
He performs his profane ceremony in a wooded Minneapolis park, anointing his victims, then setting the bodies ablaze. He has already claimed three lives, and he won’t stop there. Only this time there is a witness. But she isn’t talking.
Enter Kate Conlan, former FBI agent turned victim/witness advocate. Not even she can tell if the reluctant witness is a potential victim or something more troubling still. Her superiors are interested only because the latest victim may be the daughter of Peter Bondurant, an enigmatic billionaire. When Peter pulls strings, Special Agent John Quinn gets assigned to the case. But the FBI’s ace profiler of serial killers is the last person Kate wants to work with, not with their troubled history. Now she faces the most difficult role of her career—and her life. For she’s the only woman who has what it takes to stop the killer . . . and the one woman he wants next.
ASHES TO ASHES (Kovac and Liska Book #1) by Tami Hoag is the start of a new series featuring a former FBI agent who is now a local law enforcement victim advocate and a high-profile FBI serial killer profiler who share a personal past. This book does have graphic scenes of violence and torture, but it is expected when I read a serial killer suspense by this author and she adeptly mixes the gruesome with a humanizing empathy for the victims, witty dialogue, and a subplot second chance romance that will carry on through the series.
The Minneapolis papers have named him “The Cremator” after his killing of two prostitutes who he tortured and then left burning is public parks. His third victim is a billionaire’s daughter and that has the police and politicians scrambling.
Former FBI agent now victim advocate Kate Conlan is assigned to a teenage witness who claims to have witnessed “The Cremator” setting the latest victim on fire and FBI profiler John Quinn is called in by the billionaire’s father to assist the Minneapolis authorities. As they work together to catch a sadistic killer who continually taunts the police, they are also dealing with a complicated past from when Kate left the FBI five years previously.
As Kate and John get closer to catching the killer, the killer still has some twisted surprises in store for Kate. Will she survive the attention of “The Cremator”?
I enjoyed this serial killer thriller/police procedural/romantic suspense mash-up from start to finish. There are graphic scenes of torture against women, but this is a serial killer thriller story, so I expected them, and Ms. Hoag is adept at giving me the chills without making the scenes seem gratuitous. The story is more suspense/thriller than romance, but there are two seriously hot sex scenes as Kate and John work through their complicated pasts and come together for the future books in the series. I will say that the revelations surrounding the killer’s identity surprised me and made for a tense and exciting conclusion. As you may have noticed, Conlan and Quinn are not Kovac and Liska which is why I did not give this book more stars. Kovac and Liska are the Minneapolis detectives in this story and while they are important players and had great wise-cracking dialogue, I did not feel they were the focus like Kate and John.
Not for the faint of heart, but I enjoyed the start to this series and I am looking forward to continuing the series.
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About the Author
Tami Hoag is the #1 international bestselling author of more than thirty books published in more than thirty languages worldwide, including her latest thrillers–COLD COLD HEART and THE 9TH GIRL. Renowned for combining thrilling plots with character-driven suspense, Hoag first hit the New York Times Bestseller list with NIGHT SINS, and each of her books since has been a bestseller. She leads a double life in Palm Beach County, Florida where she is also known as a top competitive equestrian in the Olympic discipline of dressage. Other interests include the study of psychology, and mixed martial arts fighting. A woman of eclectic tastes, to say the least, Tami was recently asked to list seven things people may not know about about her: 1. I was once offered a job by a private investigator. 2. I have a license to carry concealed weapon, but never do. I took the course for research purposes. 3. My high school guidance counselor encouraged me to become an actress, but I thought that was too impractical (Of course, there’s nothing practical about being a writer, either, but at least I’m not obligated to look good on a daily basis.) 4. I used to sing at weddings. 5. While I have no intention of ever getting married again, I love watching Say Yes To The Dress 6. I have legitimate knockout power in my right hand, and I’m not afraid to use it. 7. When I’m stressed out, all tech devices around me go haywire. I’ve stopped watches, and fried hard drives. I once killed a television in a store display by merely touching it. I’m better off sticking to life’s simple pleasures–like books!
“Retired” detective and police captain’s wife Molly Murphy Sullivan tangles with Tammany Hall in the next in Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles’s New York Times bestselling historical mystery series.
New York, Autumn, 1907: Former private detective Molly Murphy Sullivan is happy with her place in the world. She and her policeman husband, Daniel, have built quite a life for themselves in Greenwich Village, in their modest-yet-beautiful-home in Patchin Place, filled with family, friends, and laughter. Molly and Daniel have a good marriage, a true partnership where they value each other’s opinions in all things.
So when he tells her they’re moving to a fancy home on Fifth Avenue—and that he’s running for the sheriff of New York—Molly is left reeling. Daniel begs Molly to trust him, but why would he run for sheriff on the Tammany ticket? A party known more for kickbacks and quid pro quo than anything else, it used to be everything Daniel despised. So what’s changed? And why didn’t he discuss it with her beforehand? Molly can’t help but wonder what Daniel’s got himself tangled up in… and whether he needs her help to get out.
In this next installment in this beloved series All That Is Hidden, the incomparable Molly is drawn into the dangerous world of politics, forced to navigate through the webs of lies and deceit which are hidden behind a veil of vast wealth and grandeur.
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Elise’s Thoughts
Molly always thought that she and her husband Daniel had a good marriage, which was a true partnership. But things seem to unravel when he comes home to tell her they are moving from their modest home in Patchin Place to a fancy home on Fifth Avenue. He has decided to run for sheriff of New York on the Tammany Hall ticket. She cannot understand this change in Daniel since he has had a long opposition to the Tammany record of corruption. Now she must deal with bodyguards, servants, and her bills paid for by Tammany boss, William “Big Bill” McCormick.
As with most of the books there is a glimpse into the society of the times. Their ward, Bridie, has been attending a wealthy private school, paid for by Molly’s friends Sid and Gus. She is being picked on for being poor and smart. That is until she helps to rescue Blanche McCormick, Big Bill’s daughter, from a fire aboard a tour boat. Afterward Bridie and Blanche become BBFs.
The mystery also involves the killing of Big Bill, found dead in a locked room. Everyone is wondering if the real-life William Randolph Hearst had something to do with it since his investigative reporter of Tammany Hall has disappeared. Now Molly and Daniel must go undercover to investigate and find the killer.
The characters added to the intriguing story. It alerts readers to the ever-changing times and the realism makes for an insightful plot.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: What was it like working as a mother/daughter team?
Rhys Bowen: I had put the Molly Murphy series on hiatus because I simply did not have the time to write three books a year. I knew Clare was a very good writer and since she wanted to give it a go, I said ‘let’s give it a try.’ She read through the whole series, seventeen books, and was able to find Molly’s voice perfectly. It has been seamless. At the end no one could tell who wrote what. In the third book, Clare wrote the end of the book by herself.
Clare Broyles: Writing with my mom is fun. We spark each other as we come up with ideas. As a mystery writer I had to consider how Molly could solve the crime in a clever way. I get to write a scene and have this amazing author, my mom, read the scene.
RB: We chat with each other every evening, making writing not a solitary profession. We can create together more and exciting scenes.
EC: How did you get the idea for the story?
CB: We wanted to do something with a wealthy Fifth Avenue story. Every single day the book takes place I read the New York Times for that day. One story had a mail bag ripped open and the mail flew everywhere. I thought, what if a letter contained important information that someone else got a hold of. I also read how a pleasure cruise caught fire on the Hudson. Finally, there were some stories of how Tammany Hall sparred with William Randolph Hearst who joined with the Republicans in attempting to win the Mayorship of New York. From there we decided to make a wealthy school friend of Bridie, the soon-to-be adopted daughter of Molly, a daughter of a Tammany Hall official.
EC: You set up the characters before the mystery comes into play?
RB: In the Rhys Bowen books a body is not usually found before page 100. I tend to bring my characters together, allow the readers to watch them interact, and then someone is killed. We very rarely have a body early in the book. There is a mystery in the beginning since Molly cannot believe that her husband Daniel accepted a job with Tammany Hall without consulting her. Molly always will have a personal life.
EC: Molly is not thrilled with Daniel over his unilateral decisions?
CB: Molly likes to do things herself. She is proud of keeping her house and raising her child. She never looked for an easier life. She feels out of place having to move to Fifth Avenue in a house Tammany Hall has given Daniel. It is her Irish background where she feels out of place with the gentry. She is not very good at giving orders to servants. She enjoys raising her child and being with him.
RB: As a husband of the time, he is remarkably understanding. A husband of the time could say he does not want Molly doing detective work, beat her, and a woman had no claim on the property or the children. A wife was really another possession. He is scared for her because she does take risks. In the beginning, he asks Molly to trust him. There is a lot of Feminism in the Molly books.
EC: What role does the Tammany Hall official ‘Big Bill ‘play in the book?
CB: He represents several different bosses in New York and New Jersey. They wanted to control the docks. I read of an official who had a two-sided desk, sliding it out so a person could put their bribe in it. The book is really about the relationship between him and his family with Molly, Daniel, and Bridie. Big Bill is overwhelming, charming, someone who likes to have his way, evil, corrupt, yet helps the downtrodden.
EC: What was the role of the Fifth Avenue house versus the house on Patchin Place?
CB: Having to move destabilized Molly and threw her off balance. She did not know how she was going to pay the servants.
RB: Molly could not wait to get back to Patchin Place especially since her neighbors and friends were across the street and her support group. She knows the rules there. She is much more comfortable in her own home.
EC: What about Big Bill’s wife, Lucy McCormick?
RB: She is a complete antithesis to her husband. He is the rough Irishman without refined manners who has learned how to manipulate, a classic mob boss. He married her for her money and position in society. She is a very loving mother, kind, and caring. She is not a snob and wanted to be friends with Molly.
CB: She is a kindred spirit with Molly. She also feels a bit trapped in her life, not really wanting to be involved in politics.
EC: Bridie’s friend, Blanche transformed?
RB: She transformed from a mean girl to a good friend. She represented a typical teenage girl. After being rescued by Molly and Bridie she realized they were good caring people. But she is obviously very spoiled. Girls at that age are a prowling pack and enjoy picking on someone different. Bridie is not like them since she is poorer than them and very bright. She made a judgement and saw how Bridie is supported by her family.
EC: What about the forensics?
CB: Before I came into the series Daniel was a big proponent of fingerprints. It is a new science at the time the book takes place. It is not admissible in court yet, but still can be useful to find the preparator.
RB: Autopsies had been done for a while. We are getting into the very beginnings of blood types and blood spatter, just around the corner. They are starting to get the scientific evidence to back up the “who done it.” This is one of the reasons I like writing these times, because the detective still must use their smarts.
EC: Next books?
RB: The secondary characters in this book will have a break in the next Molly book. It is summertime in New York, where school is not in session.
CB: Bridie is devasted that Blanche has gone to France for the summer. The family visits Daniel’s mom, Mrs. Sullivan. Molly is being driven crazy, so she gladly accepts an invitation to go to the Catskills with Sid and Gus. Three different communities are brought together: Sid and Gus are part of an artist’s colony, there is a new ranger there since the Catskills are now a state park, and in the bungalows are a fledgling Jewish colony. The murder has to do with a matchmaker.
RB: My historical novel is titled The Paris Assignment, published in August, even though the main action takes place outside Paris, ending up in Australia in the 1940s. There are two parallel stories going on in the book. The heroine acts as a courier for the allies. It was not an easy one to write because it tugs on readers’ heartstrings.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
WHIRLWIND (The Champions Book #1) by Janet Dailey is the first book in a western romance/romantic suspense trilogy featuring the three Champion sisters of the Alamo Canyon Ranch set in southern Arizona. They are carrying on the family legacy of raising and breeding bucking bulls for the professional rodeo circuit.
Lexie Champion has been invited to bring Whirlwind, her promising young bull to participate in the PBR. This could radically change the money problems their ranch has been having since the death of both their father and brother. Whirlwind is the talk of the circuit and brings the unwanted attention of family competitors interested in buying the talented bull and even their ranch and with that come threats and accidents that just might not be accidents.
Shane Tully is a ranked bull rider who is sent to offer Lexie an offer on Whirlwind from the man he works for who is scheming to take not only the bull, but the sister’s ranch. Shane is immediately taken with the intelligent and beautiful young Lexie, but she wants nothing to do with him not only because he works for a family enemy, but also because she refuses to be involved with a professional bull rider. Neither can resist the emotional pull of the other, but when Shane is trampled in the ring, both need to find their way in this new reality, but will it be together or apart?
This story pulls you right in. Lexie and her sister are working so hard to keep their ranch going and Whirlwind just may be the bull that brings them financial stability. Lexie is a wonderful heroine with her love of Whirlwind and the ranch, her intelligence in wanting to advance ranch practices to help them in the future and her loving and caring heart. Shane is a hero who goes through very difficult life changes and fights for what he wants in his future. The two of them together make a powerful couple despite Shane’s physical disabilities. The author’s descriptions of the ranch’s Arizona landscape and the arenas where the bull riding competitions take place are so vivid that you feel you are there. The suspense plot was intertwined well throughout the story, but I was surprised by the lack of law enforcement involvement.
I am happy this is a trilogy because I did not want this story to end, and I am looking forward to the other sister’s stories.
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Author Bio
Janet Anne Haradon Dailey was an American author of numerous romance novels as Janet Dailey (her married name). Her novels have been translated into nineteen languages and have sold over 300 million copies worldwide.
Born in 1944 in Storm Lake, Iowa, she attended secretarial school in Omaha, Nebraska before meeting her husband, Bill. Bill and Janet worked together in construction and land development until they “retired” to travel throughout the United States, inspiring Janet to write the Americana series of romances, where she set a novel in every state of the Union. In 1974, Janet Dailey was the first American author to write for Harlequin. Her first novel was NO QUARTER ASKED.
She had since gone on to write approximately 90 novels, 21 of which have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List. She won many awards and accolades for her work, appearing widely on Radio and Television. Today, there are over three hundred million Janet Dailey books in print in 19 different languages, making her one of the most popular novelists in the world.
Janet Dailey passed away peacefully in her home in Branson on Saturday, December 14, 2013. She was 69.
