BOOKS AND BLOGGING PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy is defined as a theory underlying or regarding a sphere of activity or thought. Well, my theory is if I can add at least 10 new books to my Wishlist and move at least 5 older Wishlist selections to my TBR list every month, then life is a ice cream sundae. And if I can find those 10 books from at least 5 new blogs each month then that's the cherry on top.

NEW VISITORS AND OLD- WELCOME!

NEW VISITORS AND OLD- WELCOME!
Well, I've made it almost 5 years now, so for better or worse, I continue on. I tend to blog in spurts as the urge to be creative erupts. As I don't have an artistic bone in my body, you will see very few changes in the layouts. Hey, I'm a reader not an artist like so many of the awesome bloggers I follow. I know you don't always have the time but if you stopped and looked, take a half a minute and say your piece. Recommend a book that you have enjoyed or hated for that matter. Thank you to all who visit.
Oh, and I moved my Google Friend Connect info and share this buttons to the top, as without our friends, who are we?


Showing posts with label Mystery/Suspense. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mystery/Suspense. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Review of THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET by Diane Chamberlain * * * * *


Title: 
The Last House on the Street 
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Genre: Mystery/Suspense 
Rating: 5*
Publishers: St. Martin's Press
(Jan 11, 2022)
Hardback: 352 pages
ISBN:  978-1250267962
FTC Disclosure: Book provided by my local library
A small town divided by prejudice. A family torn apart. A secret that won't remain silent.

Read the magnificent new novel from the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author.

'Compelling, important, devastating: you have to read this one' Sunday Times bestseller Clare Mackintosh

'Both powerful and page-turning' Sunday Times bestseller Cathy Kelly

'Sensitively written yet unflinching... Taut, compelling and moving' Sunday Times bestseller Adele Parks, Platinum magazine

1965. A young white female student becomes involved in the fight for civil rights in North Carolina, falling in love with one of her fellow activists, a Black man, in a time and place where an interracial relationship must be hidden from family, friends and especially the reemerging Ku Klux Klan. As tensions rise in the town, she realises not everyone is who they appear to be.

2010. A recently widowed architect moves into the home she and her late husband designed, heartbroken that he will never cross the threshold. But when disturbing things begin to happen, it's clear that someone is sending her a warning. Who is trying to frighten her away, and why?

Decades later, past and present are set to collide in the last house on the street...

This book was a wonderful blending of the past and the present and the captivating mystery kept me reading late into the night.
I grew up in a town very like the one in this story in the foothills of North Carolina and though I'd have only been 10 at the time this happened, I am both fascinated and horrified to realize that events that happened in this book could and did take place in my lifetime and possibily in my community. 
It took awhile to see the connection in what was going on in 1965 to the events in 2010 but when they connected wow! I must say I had very little of it figured out and what a surprise ending. It was perfect. If you want a read that will keep you thinking about it long after you've finished it then read THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET.

Diane Chamberlain is the RITA Award winning author of sixteen novels, published in over twelve languages. A former hospital social worker and psychotherapist, Diane writes complex stories about relationships, redemption and forgiveness with a touch of mystery and suspense. She lives in North Carolina with her significant other, John, and her shelties, Keeper and Jet.

Monday, September 3, 2018

Review For COWBOYS LEGACY By B.J. Daniels- 4*

Title: COWBOYS LEGACY 
Series: The Montana Cahills #3

Author: B.J. Daniels
Genre: Romance/Suspense

Rating: * * * *
Publishers: HQN
(Nov 28, 2017)
Paperback: 384 pages
FTC Disclosure: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley


Nothing will stop a Cahill cowboy 

from protecting what’s his


After a rocky marriage and even rockier divorce, Sheriff Flint Cahill finally has something good in his life again. Maggie Thompson’s down-to-earth charm and beautiful smile hooked him from the start. When she disappears on the day they plan to start their lives together, all signs point to abduction—and his ex-wife.

Functioning on adrenaline and instinct, Flint must call on his every resource to bring Maggie home before it’s too late. His past and future are blurred. Maggie’s only chance at surviving her abductor and a raging winter storm depends on an old vendetta that could destroy it all. But the Cahills don’t give up easily, and Flint’s love will have to be strong enough to conquer anything, including the unimaginable.


This is a series and author that I've read forever. I love that a lot of her series are offshoots of other series and takes place in one of my favorite
areas, Montana. She manages to keep me engaged with both the suspense and romance. I especially like that the suspense is not overwhelmed by the romance. There's just the right amount of romance, this time it was done more in flashbacks 
not intense romance per se.
One of my favorite aspects of Daniels books is that she generally can windup her series in about two years. To me that means I can collect the series and then binge read a 6 book or so series in a long weekend. 


Montana Cahills
1. Renegade's Pride (2017)
2. Outlaw's Honour (2017)
3. Cowboy's Legacy (2017)
4. Cowboy's Redemption (2018)
5. Hero's Return (2018)
6. Rancher's Dream (2018)
7. Wrangler's Rescue (2018)
Cowboy's Reckoning (2017


NYT and USA Today Bestselling author B.J. Daniels was born in Texas but moved with her family to Montana at the age of five. Her first home was a cabin in the Gallatin Canyon and later a lake house on Hebgen Lake outside of West Yellowstone. B.J. Daniels' life dream was to be a policewomen. After a career as an award-winning newspaper journalist, she wrote and sold 37 short stories before she finally wrote her first book. Since then she has won numerous awards including a career achievement award last year for romantic suspense. 
Most of her books are set in Montana, a place she loves. She lives now in a unique part of the state with her husband and three Springer Spaniels. When she isn't writing, she loves to play tennis, boat, camp, quilt and snowboard. There is nothing she enjoys more than curling up with a good book.

www.bjdaniels.com




Saturday, April 14, 2018

Review For WINNAWARRA By Elizabeth M. Darcy-3 1/2*

Title: Winnawarra

Series: Red Skies #1
Author: Elizabeth M Darcy
Genre: Mystery/suspense Romance
Rating: * * * 1/2
Publishers: Luminosity Publishing LLP
(Dec 8, 2017)
Paperback: 266 pages
FTC Disclosure: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
Copy provided for the purpose of providing an honest review.
 This does not affect my opinion of this book.
Heart pounding suspense and feel good romance set in the Australian Outback
Emily Perkins is over the moon to learn Jock Macgregor has left her a share in Winnawarra Station in the magnificent Kimberly region of Outback Australia. The bonus comes when she realises, his handsome grandson, Doug is the man of her dreams. She loves working beside him and every day is an adventure.
After receiving a letter from Jock, she discovers he was convinced the accident that killed his son and daughter-in-law was actually murder, and he included her in his will to investigate the deaths.
When accidents start happening to Emily, and she hears footsteps outside her room at night, she is convinced someone is stalking her.
Is she next on the killer’s list?
Isolated on an Outback cattle ranch, will strong, dependable Doug be able to keep her safe?

A murderer is loose at Winnawarra Station, and she must race against time to identify the killer before he strikes again.
While I loved the mystery/suspense aspect of the story, I thought the romance was lacking a bit of punch. It seemed more forced than natural on the part of the characters. It just didn't flow for me.
I loved the author's descriptive voice of the Outback and her mystery kept me reading. In general I love a story set in Australia and this author was great at her world building. This was a pretty quick read for me and I'll probably check out future books in this series.


Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Review For ONE FROSTY NIGHT By Janice Kay Johnson-4*



Title: One Frosty Night
Author: Janice Kay Johnson
Genre: Mystery/Suspense Romance
Rating:* * * * 
Publishers: Harlequin
(Nov 4, 2017)
Paperback: 384 pages
FTC Disclosure: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
Copy provided for the purpose of providing an honest review.
 This does not affect my opinion of this book.

Unexpected Christmas plans 
Olivia Bowen would rather avoid this holiday season. Even her satisfaction at improving the family business doesn't make up for the loss of her beloved father and the sudden tension with her mother. Olivia questions how much longer she can live in her hometown. And her decision is further complicated by Ben Hovik. 
She should keep her distance—he broke her heart years ago. Yet his compassion and their still-sizzling attraction are seductive. Could she be falling for him again? When she spends Christmas with Ben and his teenage son, she wonders if this might be the first of many more….



Nothing I like better than a mystery wrapped up in romance and I just love second chance romances. Toss in a secret romance and baby and this is a great read at anytime of the year.

Janice Kay Johnson is the author of sixty books for children and adults. Her first four published romance novels were coauthored with her mother, also a writer who has since published mysteries and children's books on her own. These were "sweet" romance novels, the author hastens to add; she isn't sure they'd have felt comfortable coauthoring passionate love scenes!
Janice graduated from Whitman College with a B.A. in history and then received a master's degree in library science from the University of Washington. She was a branch librarian for a public library system until she began selling her own writing. 
She has written six novels for young adults and one picture book for the read-aloud crowd. Rosamund was the outgrowth of all those hours spent reading to her own daughters, and of her passion for growing old roses. Two more of her favorite books were historical novels she wrote for Tor/Forge. The research was pure indulgence for someone who set out intending to be a historian!
Janice is divorced and has raised her two daughters in a small, rural town north of Seattle, Washington. She's an active volunteer and board member for Purrfect Pals, a no-kill cat shelter, and foster kittens often enliven a household that already includes a few more cats than she wants to admit to!
Janice loves writing books about both love and family — about the way generations connect and the power our earliest experiences have on us throughout life. Her Superromance novels are frequent finalists for Romance Writers of America RITA awards.



Friday, November 3, 2017

Book Blitz & Giveaway For PAWN By Mimi Jean Pamfiloff


Pawn

Mr. Rooks Island, #2
by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
Publication Date: November 3, 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense, Romance
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

From NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff, Comes Part Two of Mr. Rook’s Island, a Sexy, Dark, Romantic Suspense.
SHE KNOWS HE’S BAD. THE QUESTION IS, HOW BAD?
Stephanie Fitzgerald is nobody’s pawn. Determined to discover the truth about a missing loved one, she lands a job at the world’s most exclusive resort, working for the only man with the answers—Mr. Rook. He’s shockingly handsome, thoroughly intimidating, and completely off-limits.
But the truth she seeks isn’t black and white, and Mr. Rook is a far more dangerous temptation than she ever knew.
Will Stephanie resist her desires, or will she be lured into Mr. Rook’s world of hidden sins?

Pawn (#2)

iBooks: http://apple.co/2zYhR1q

99¢ for a limited time!

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

From NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff, Comes Part One of Mr. Rook's Island, a Sexy, Dark, Romantic Suspense.
He's Enigmatic, Dangerously Handsome, and COMPLETELY OFF-LIMITS...
The women who vacation on Mr. Rook's exclusive island are looking for one thing and one thing only: to have their wildest romantic fantasies come to life. Pirates, cowboys, billionaires--there's nothing Rook's staff can't deliver.
But when Stephanie Fitzgerald's sister doesn't return after her week in paradise, Stephanie will have to pose as a guest in order to dig for answers. Unfortunately, this means she'll need to get close to the one thing on the island that's not on the menu: the devastatingly handsome and intimidating Mr. Rook. And he's not about to give the island's secrets away.


Mr. Rook (#1) 99¢ for a limited time!
General book information -> http://www.mimijean.net/rook.html


Mimi Jean Pamfiloff is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of Paranormal and Contemporary Romance. Both traditionally and independently published, Mimi has sold over 800,000 books since publishing her 1st title in 2012, and she plans to spontaneously combust once she hits the one-million mark. Although she obtained her international MBA and worked for over 15 years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance-closet and follow your dreams.
When not screaming at her works in progress, Mimi spends time with her two pirates in training, her loco-for-the-chili-pepper hubby, and rat terriers, Mini & DJ Princess Snowflake, in Arizona.

She continues to hope that her books will inspire a leather pants comeback (for men) and that she might make you laugh when you need it most.



Friday, October 20, 2017

Book Tour & Giveaway For PASSING STRANGE: THE WELL By P.W. Creighton



Passing Strange: The Well
Passing Strange #1
P.W. Creighton
Genre: YA, Mystery-Horror-Suspense
Date of Publication: Sept 2, 2017
ISBN: 978-1522029151
ASIN: B075BJJ1S7
Number of pages: 220 Digital/ 303 Print
Cover Artist: For The Muse Designs

 Parrish Cove Secrets Run Deep...

For Fourteen-year-old Aidan Reynolds, the archaeological dig at the Parrish Cove historical society is the only thing making the summer interesting.
That is until he meets Maddie, an unusual girl who has just moved to town and is convinced that there is more to the local legends surrounding the historical society than even he knows.  While Aidan may not believe her, the strange artifacts that are recovered from the dig force them into exploring the dark, twisted history of Parrish Cove and its strange doctor...a man who vanished over a century ago.
Together, they uncover a town secret that has been forgotten for centuries, and discover that there are some things that should stay buried.


Excerpt:


…The officer 
started us back into the plaza at a 
rapid walk. His clomping steps on the brick
walkway, and the heavy jingling of his belt gave 
an air of strength. Although 
Maddie was glued to 
my side, I could feel her gaining confidence with each
step. We were probably running from a dog again.

“Here,” I said, 
and started us back down the alley 
past the Custom House.

“Did you see the 
animal?” The officer asked.

“Yeah,” Maddie 
responded.

“No,” I 
corrected with glance at her. 
“It was fast.”

The officer 
clicked on his huge flashlight, casting 
a blinding light down the alley ahead
of us. He quickly turned the light down the side 
alleys as we passed them to 
check for motion. 
It  
only lasted a moment before he swept the back 
ahead of us 
over the dumpsters and piles of 
cardboard lining the alley. The beam was so 
bright that it was possible to illuminate the brick walls on both sides.

Everything changed the moment we emerged into the park.


Born in California, he has spent most of his life traveling throughout the US. Drawing inspiration from his many adventures, turning that strange reality into fiction.
Over the years, he has found himself in many unusual situations, ranging from hanging off an 80 foot cliff-face in New York, to sailing off the coast of Salem, Massachusetts. He has hosted archaeological excavations, and have even reported from the middle of a police stand-off.
When a teacher asked him in the second grade what he wanted to be when he grew up, he didn't have an answer. To be honest, he still doesn't know. He just lets his characters make that decision.








a Rafflecopter giveaway



Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Release Blitz & Giveaway For ALIBI AFICIONADO by Harvey Church


Book Title: Alibi Aficionado
 (An Edwin Burrows Mystery)
Author: Harvey Church
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Release Date: Feb 1, 2017
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
Goodreads Button with Shadow
GR
Edwin Burrows, CPA, can’t do anything right. Not marriage, not office etiquette, not saving his boss’s daughter, not even public accounting. So when he’s tasked with constructing an alibi for the firm’s biggest client, everyone has low expectations. Including Edwin.
In Alibi Aficionado, Edwin Burrows is an accidental investigator, an accountant without tact or a filter, or any kind of interest for investigations. A cross between Myron Bolitar and Archy McNally, Edwin says, does and behaves in the strangest manner.
Cursed with an investigation that's doomed from the start, Edwin knows that everyone expects him to fail. But when the police arrest the all-important client, tensions rise at the firm and the stakes get as big as they'll ever be. Edwin must decide whether he will use his knowledge to be the hero that helps a guilty man avoid prosecution, or be a zero by telling the truth and burying the firm.
#BuyNow
excerpt


teaser

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Review For ALL THE MISSING GIRLS by Megan Miranda 3 1/2*


Title: All The Missing Girls 

Author: Megan Miranda
Genre: Mystery & Suspense
Rating: * * * 1/2
Publishers: Simon & Schuster
(Jun 28, 2016)
Hardback: 384  pages
FTC Disclosure: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

Like the spellbinding psychological suspense in The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive, Megan Miranda’s novel is a nail-biting, breathtaking story about the disappearances of two young women—a decade apart—told in reverse.

It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.
The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaleise goes missing.
Told backwards—Day 15 to Day 1—from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.
Like nothing you’ve ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you’re walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love.
While the story was a fun and easy read it was only semi-suspenseful. 
like a good twisty turny thriller and this just missed the mark. To familiar to "gone girl" and "girl on a train" to totally captivate me. I also felt like it had more of a YA or NA leaning and I was really looking forward to a good thriller that would leave you thinking about it afterwards. Unfortunately, it was too easy to lay it down and rather a job to finish.

Megan Miranda is the author of the young adult novels FRACTURE, HYSTERIA, VENGEANCE, SOULPRINT, and THE SAFEST LIES. Her first novel for adults, ALL THE MISSING GIRLS, will be published by Simon & Schuster in June, 2016. Megan has a degree in Biology from MIT and currently lives near Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and two children.
Follow @MeganLMiranda on Twitter, or visit www.meganmiranda.com


Monday, January 2, 2017

Review For DON'T SAY A WORD by Jennifer Jaynes 5*

Title: Don't Say A Word

Series: Strangers #3
Author: Jennifer Jaynes
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Rating: * * * * *
Publishers: Thomas & Mercer
(May 3, 2016)
Paperback: 256 pages
FTC Disclosure: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

Death has always stalked single mother Allie Callahan. For the first time in her life, she has found a fragile sort of happiness living a quiet, peaceful existence in East Texas with her young son, Sammy, and her adoptive mother. Still, Allie fears she may be susceptible to the same mental illness that destroyed her serial-killer mother and brother. She's haunted by the idea that she could become incapable of caring for Sammy. When twelve-year-old twins Zoe and Carrie arrive on her doorstep late one night, their parents slain in a vicious double homicide, Allie’s strength and sanity are put to the test. What did the twins see on the night of their parents’ horrific murder? They are too frightened to say. Soon faced with a series of menacing phone calls, a rising body count, and the pressure of keeping the girls and her own son safe, Allie fears she'll lose her mind—and her one shot at happiness—once and for all.
This book was all you could want in a murder/suspense and then some. It had the best twisty ending that I've read in ages. This is one of those books that even if laid down, it's constantly on your mind. I didn't realize that this was book 3  in a trilogy until writing the review so it can definitely stand by itself. Now though, I get to go back and read the first two books in the series. 

(To receive book updates, please subscribe at www.ProjectJennifer.com.)
I'm a novelist, wife and mommy to the most wonderful twin four-year-olds on the planet.
While earning my bachelor's degree in Health Sciences at Old Dominion University and a certificate from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I did a little bit of everything to pay the bills. I've been a gas station attendant, waitress, a dancing waitress, beer girl, shot girl, bartender, closing coordinator, executive assistant, medical assistant, EMT, content manager, webmaster, news publisher, editor, copywriter, weight loss coach and publishing consultant.
However, through it all, what I really wanted to be was a novelist.
It's been a very long, and sometimes difficult road, but in 2011, I finally began living my dream with the release of my debut thriller, Never Smile at Strangers. To date, Never Smile at Strangers has earned a place on the USA Today Bestseller's list, the #1 spot (across all categories) in the Barnes & Noble's Nook Store, has graced the Top 5 in the mystery/suspense category in the Kindle Store multiple times, and has appeared in the Top 25 in the Kindle Store (across all categories).
In 2014, Thomas & Mercer acquired the rights to Never Smile at Strangers and re-released it January 2015. They also bought the rights to my second novel, Ugly Young Thing, that released in March 2015.

I LOVE to connect with my readers. You can find me at www.ProjectJennifer.com, www.Facebook.com/NeverSmileatStrangers and www.Twitter.com/jenniferjaynes7.