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#Review / #Giveaway – Deadly Choices by Karen Randau – Great Escapes Book Tour

2017 Reviews, Cloak and Dagger Challenge, E-Book Challenge, Giveaways, Great Escapes Book Tours, You Read How Many Books Challenge 8 Responses »

Aug 242017

Deadly Choices
by Karen Randau

Deadly Choices (Rim Country Mysteries)
3rd in Series
Setting – Arizona
Suspense Thriller
3rd in Series
Short on Time Books (July 17, 2017)
Kindle – ASIN: B074187YT7

An elderly woman with an arrow in her chest. A murdered journalist. A decades-old cover-up. In Deadly Choices (Rim Country Mysteries Volume 3), Rita and Cliff Avery team up again to solve a spate of murders in their picturesque Arizona mountain town of Rim Vista. Rita’s mother Willow delivers gun-wrenching news while falling for the man who could be responsible for four deaths. And Rita must escape a string of life-threatening predicaments thrown at her by an assailant willing to do anything to scare Cliff off the case.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Karen Rabdau is a new author to me but with stories like this one we are going to become fast friends. I was skeptical about jumping into this series with book three but by the end of the first chapter I was totally tuned in and reading at a rapid pace. The mentions of things that happened in previous books only made me realize that I needed to add both books to my wish list right away.

Deadly Choices starts out with Rita and Cliff camping with her mother, Willow, a woman Rita has not seen for 25 years, when they hear a shot and soon after a woman they had met earlier stumbles into their campsite with an arrow in her chest. She was teaching a student and he is missing. Had he been shot? Rita and her detective husband Cliff are quickly brought into the case. As more deaths occur, a man they have known for years becomes a prime suspect. As they investigate surprising things are uncovered tying back into the past.

This story is a wild adventure for Cliff and Rita. There were so many edge of the seat moments I lost count. Explosions, kidnapping, and twists and turns galore.

Ms. Randau is a wonderful storyteller. She packs as much punch into these pages as humanly possible and makes it impossible to put this book down. I love the way she describes a scene. I felt like I was right there whether it be a dangerous situation or if she was just describing the beauty of Rim County. The dialogue was on point and I was totally invested in these characters. The plot was complex and so well written.

Drama, danger, mystery and suspense with well crafted characters, this story has them all. I am excited for the next adventure.

The story deserves more than 5 stars! Paradise Rating.

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About the Author

Karen Randau is the author of the Rim Country Mystery series. Her fast-paced novels include Deadly Deceit, Deadly Inheritance, and Deadly Choices, each with intricate plots and lots of action and told from the point of view of protagonist Rita Avery.

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#Review / #Giveaway – Cold Hearted River: A Sean Stranahan Mystery by Keith McCafferty @VikingBooks

2017 Reviews, Cloak and Dagger Challenge, Giveaways, You Read How Many Books Challenge 4 Responses »

Jul 062017

Cold Hearted River: A Sean Stranahan Mystery
Mystery
6th in Series
Setting Montana/Wyoming/Michigan
Viking (July 4, 2017)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0525429609
Kindle ASIN: B01N3L0Z8U

When a woman goes missing in a spring snowstorm and is found dead in a bear’s den, Sheriff Martha Ettinger reunites with her once-again lover Sean Stranahan to investigate. In a pannier of the dead woman’s horse, they find a wallet of old trout flies, the leather engraved with the initials EH. Only a few days before, Patrick Willoughby, the president of the Madison River Liars and Fly Tiers Club, had been approached by a man selling fishing gear that he claimed once belonged to Ernest Hemingway. A coincidence? Sean doesn’t think so, and he soon finds himself on the trail of a stolen trunk rumored to contain not only the famous writer’s valuable fly fishing gear but priceless pages of unpublished work.

The investigation will take Sean through extraordinary chapters in Hemingway’s life. Inspired by a true story, Cold Hearted River is a thrilling adventure, moving from Montana to Michigan, where a woman grapples with the secrets in her heart, to a cabin in Wyoming under the Froze To Death Plateau, and finally to the ruins in Havana, where an old man struggles to complete his life’s mission one true sentence at a time.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Again the author draws on history for the theme of this story. Apparently Ernest Hemingway was quite the fisherman and had a trunk of tackle go missing when traveling West. When a wallet of fishing flies with EH engraved on it is found near a suspicious death and the president of the Madison River Liars and Fly Tiers Club is contacted about fishing gear said to belong to Hemingway Sean seems to think the events are connected. He is then hired to track down the items rumored to belong to the author. This takes him not only around the Montana/Wyoming area but all the way to Michigan and beyond. All to find the truth.

I love these characters, they are very believable and have become like dear friends. Sean and Martha have found their way back to each other which doesn’t make his former girlfriend very happy. I think the relationship may continue to be in flux as they are both very independent people, with Martha being very opinionated and strong willed while Sean seems to go with the flow. I love their dialogue with each other. I am anxious to see their story pan out.

The book starts with a heart-wrenching telling of 2 people trapped in a storm that brings a search party out. I was captivated immediately. I really enjoyed this story and the way Mr. McCafferty weaves Hemingway’s history right into this current day story. It takes many twists and turns as each new clue is uncovered. I do love the way this author writes, his laid back style, he is a very descriptive writer. This time I felt we were covering the same places more than once with the same details so it dragged just a little bit for me in places but enough to ever stop reading. I was totally taken by surprise at the ending. Hook, Line, and Sinker, put me in the net. The last twist, priceless. I was right there with Martha as Sean told her what happened.

A mystery, some history, drama, and romance makes this an enjoyable escape.

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About The Author

Keith McCafferty is the Survival and Outdoor Skills Editor of Field & Stream. He has written articles for publications as diverse as Fly Fisherman Magazine, Mother Earth News, Gray’s Sporting Journal and the Chicago Tribune, and on subjects ranging from mosquitoes to wolves to mercenaries and exorcism. Based in Montana and working on assignment around the globe–he recently spent a month in India trekking the Himalayas, fishing for golden mahseer and studying tigers–Keith has won numerous awards, including the Robert Traver Award for angling literature. He has twice been a finalist for a National Magazine Award. Find out more about Keith and his books on his webpage here.

Now Available

Thanks to the publisher I have 1 copy to give away!
Contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
with a US or Canadian mailing address.

Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited.

You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

COVER REVEAL – Protocol by Kathy Valenti @HeneryPress

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Jun 092017

Freshly minted college graduate Maggie O’Malley embarks on a career fueled by professional ambition and a desire to escape the past. As a pharmaceutical researcher, she’s determined to save lives from the shelter of her lab. But on her very first day she’s pulled into a world of uncertainty. Reminders appear on her phone for meetings she’s never scheduled with people she’s never met. People who end up dead.

With help from her best friend, Maggie discovers the victims on her phone are connected to each other and her new employer. She soon unearths a treacherous plot that threatens her mission—and her life. Maggie must unlock deadly secrets to stop horrific abuses of power before death comes calling for her.

Ready…..

Set…..

Reveal!!

Protocol by Kathy Valenti will be available
September 5 from Henery Press!!

Book will be available for pre-order June 12!!

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Flashback Friday – Buffalo Jump Blues by Keith McCafferty #Review / #Giveaway @VikingBooks

2017 Reviews, Cloak and Dagger Challenge, E-Book Challenge, Flashback Friday, Giveaways, Literary Escapes, TBR Pile Challenge, You Read How Many Books Challenge 2 Responses »

May 262017

On Flashback Fridays I will share with you the books I was not able to review
when they were first released that have been screaming at me
from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.

I can’t believe I missed my trip to Montana last year courtesy of author Keith McCafferty.
So glad I was able to catch up before the next adventure with Sean Stranahan and Martha Ettinger.
Cold Hearted River will be released in July.

Buffalo Jump Blues: A Sean Stranahan Mystery
Mystery/Western/Crime
5th in Series
Setting – Montana
Viking (June 28, 2016)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0525429593
Paperback: 336 pages (June 6, 2017)
ISBN-13: 978-0525429593
Kindle ASIN: B018RVBUHK

In the wake of Fourth of July fireworks in Montana’s Madison Valley, Hyalite County sheriff Martha Ettinger and Deputy Sheriff Harold Little Feather investigate a horrific scene at the Palisades cliffs, where a herd of bison have fallen to their deaths. Victims of blind panic caused by the pyrotechnics, or a ritualistic hunting practice dating back thousands of years? The person who would know is beyond asking, an Indian man found dead among the bison, his leg pierced by an arrow.

Farther up the valley, fly fisherman, painter, and sometime private detective Sean Stranahan has been hired by the beautiful Ida Evening Star, a Chippewa Cree woman who moonlights as a mermaid at the Trout Tails Bar & Grill, to find her old flame, John Running Boy. The cases seem unrelated—until Sean’s search leads him right to the brink of the buffalo jump.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Our visit to Montana starts right after the Independence Day celebration. Sheriff Martha Ettinger and Deputy Sheriff Harold Little Feather are called in to investigate a murder and massacre. A herd of buffalo have plummeted off the edge of a cliff and a man is found dead nearby. When they notice the man has an arrow in his leg they have to assume it wasn’t the fireworks that started the stampede.

We find Sean Stranahan taking it easy painting and finishing until he is approached to help Ida Evening Star find a man she hasn’t seen in years. While performing as a mermaid in the local tavern she noticed him watching her. Could it really have been her old boyfriend, John Running Boy? Sean agrees to help her and it isn’t long before his investigation runs right into Martha’s. They have parted ways but he is hoping they can still work together.

I have been a fan of Keith McCafferty since I read the first book in this series. I just love the way he writes. The main character, Sean Stranahan, is so genuine, laid back, calm, and easy going in almost everything he does. That is the way the author writes. He includes very graphic details of people, time and place. As with all the other books in this series I was hooked from page 1.

That is not to say the book is not full of suspense because it is. There are surprises around every turn of this complex mystery. Sean has his way of investigating and Martha has hers. Harold Little Feather helps out when they need to involve and talk to the people on the reservation. They do make a good team even though there is romantic tension now that Martha is no longer with Sean and seeing Harold. The modes of investigation are credible and the dialogue is stellar. The characters themselves and their relationships continue to evolve and remain engaging. The mystery ebbs and flows. The final twist was absolutely fantastic.

I did not know much about these “buffalo jumps” prior to reading this story. The author weaves the history of such feats into the story to give a reader like me plenty of background and understanding about the American buffalo and their dwindling numbers. The political spin and the public/private land quandary was very topical and interesting. McCafferty takes on a serious issue in a fictional way that can create and raise awareness. I applaud him for doing this.

Mr. McCafferty is a true storyteller. I can picture a group of us all around a campfire and him telling us this story of Sean, Martha, the Native Americans, the law, and the buffalo. Escape west and enjoy. I truly did.

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About The Author

And Coming July 4, 2017

Thanks to the publisher I have 1 paperback copy to give away!
Contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
with a US mailing address.

Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited.

You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
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Click the Like Button at the top of this post for a Bonus Entry.

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Contest Will End June 9, 2017 at 11:59 PM CST
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#Spotlight / #Giveaway – A Purely Private Matter by Darcie Wilde @BerkleyMystery

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May 112017

A Purely Private Matter (A Rosalind Thorne Mystery)
Women Sleuths/Mystery
2nd in Series
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery (May 2, 2017)
An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
Trade Paperback: 384 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425282380
Kindle ASIN: B01KGZVSTK

The Rosalind Thorne Mysteries—inspired by the novels of Jane Austen—continue as the audacious Rosalind strives to aid those in need while navigating the halls of high society…

Rosalind Thorne has slowly but assuredly gained a reputation as “a useful woman”—by helping respectable women out of some less-than-respectable predicaments.

Her latest endeavor is a tragedy waiting to happen. Desperate Margaretta Seymore is with child—and her husband is receiving poisoned pen letters that imply that her condition is the result of an affair with the notorious actor Fletcher Cavendish. Margaretta asks Rosalind to find out who is behind the scurrilous letters. But before she can make any progress, Cavendish is found dead, stabbed through the heart.

Suddenly, Rosalind is plunged into the middle of one of the most sensational murder trials London has ever seen, and her client’s husband is the prime suspect. With the help of the charming Bow Street runner Adam Harkness, she must drop the curtain on this fatal drama before any more lives are ruined.

Find out about Darcie Wilde and her books on her webpage here.

Thanks to the publisher I have 1 copy to give away!
Contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
with a US mailing address.

Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited.

You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Click the Like Button at the top of this post for a Bonus Entry.

Add this book to your WANT TO READ shelf on GoodReads for 3 Bonus Entries.

Pin this giveaway to Pinterest for 3 Bonus Entries.

If you publicize the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive
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Contest Will End May 25, 2017 at 11:59 PM CST
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Winner Will Be Notified By Email
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Click Here For Entry Form

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#Review / #Giveaway – The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White @PenguinRandom

2017 Reviews, Cloak and Dagger Challenge, E-Book Challenge, Giveaways, Virtual Book Tour, You Read How Many Books Challenge 3 Responses »

Apr 112017

The Night the Lights Went Out
Women’s Fiction/Mystery
Setting – Georgia
Berkley (April 11, 2017)
An Imprint of Penguin Random House
Hardcover: 416 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0451488381
Kindle ASIN: B01LWLFUT2

Recently divorced, Merilee Talbot Dunlap moves with her two children to the Atlanta suburb of Sweet Apple, Georgia. It’s not her first time starting over, but her efforts at a new beginning aren’t helped by an anonymous local blog that dishes about the scandalous events that caused her marriage to fail.

Merilee finds some measure of peace in the cottage she is renting from town matriarch Sugar Prescott. Though stubborn and irascible, Sugar sees something of herself in Merilee—something that allows her to open up about her own colorful past.

Sugar’s stories give Merilee a different perspective on the town and its wealthy school moms in their tennis whites and shiny SUVs, and even on her new friendship with Heather Blackford. Merilee is charmed by the glamorous young mother’s seemingly perfect life and finds herself drawn into Heather’s world.

In a town like Sweet Apple, where sins and secrets are as likely to be found behind the walls of gated mansions as in the dark woods surrounding Merilee’s house, appearance is everything. But just how dangerous that deception can be will shock all three women….

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Merilee Talbot Dunlap’s and Sugar Prescott’s lives collide when Merilee rents a cottage from Sugar following her divorce. Sugar doesn’t usually get involved in her tenant’s lives but there is something that draws her to Merilee and her children. When an anonymous local blog spills all the details about Merilee’s divorce and she finds she doesn’t have much in common with the other moms at her children’s pricey private school (paid for by their grandparents), she finds herself opening up to Sugar. She does make friends with a couple of the moms but Sugar advises her to be cautious of Heather Blackford, one of the Sweet Apple’s elite that has basically taken her under her wing. There is just something about her Sugar doesn’t like….

I loved this story for so many reasons.

The first is the story starts with a blog post, what blogger wouldn’t love that.

The second is the characters and the friendships that build throughout the story. The friendship between Sugar and Merilee drew me deeply into the story. Both woman started out very uncertain about their future both apart and together. Sugar had quite a life, losing the love of her life and living on her property her entire life while developers bought up land all around her. She shares her memories with Merilee and in turn us readers. It gives Merilee a different perspective for her life. We also learn they both have secrets.

Third, there was mystery. I knew from there was something building but was totally surprised and then things fell into place like dominoes. There were fantastic twists all along the way that I really enjoyed.

Full of Southern charm, friendships, history, mystery, and humor. These complex characters will jump off the pages and into your heart quickly. As the weather warms, make yourself a pitcher of sweet tea, find a comfy chair and grab this book. A perfect springtime escape!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

About the Author

Karen White is the New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels, including the Tradd Street series, The Night the Lights Went Out, Flight Patterns, The Sound of Glass, A Long Time Gone, and The Time Between. She is the coauthor of The Forgotton Room with New York Times bestselling authors Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig. She grew up in London but now lives with her husband and two children near Atlanta, Georgia.

Thanks to the publisher I have 1 print copy to give away!
Contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
with a US mailing address.

Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited.

You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Click the Like Button at the top of this post for a Bonus Entry.

Add this book to your WANT TO READ shelf on GoodReads for 3 Bonus Entries.

Pin this giveaway to Pinterest for 3 Bonus Entries.

If you publicize the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End April 25, 2017 at 11:59 PM CST
Winner Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winner Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.

Click Here For Entry Form

Spotlight – Rum, Cigars and Corpses by Jerold Last

Spotlights 1 Response »

Jan 212017

Rum, Cigars, and Corpses (Roger and Suzanne Mystery)
13th in Series
Self-Published
Paperback: 256 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1537199672
Kindle ASIN: B01EZBDCRC

Roger and Suzanne have to solve a cold, but still hazardous, case in a hot climate. Roger’s newest client was fired after leading a disastrous tour to Cuba during which a tourist died in a devastating accident. Our detective couple joins a subsequent identical tour of Cuba to seek evidence the catastrophe was murder, not an accident. There’s no shortage of suspects in this perilous case, including the Cuban Intelligence Services, the CIA, a sprinkling of additional spies waiting for them in Havana, and several suspicious characters traveling on their tour. Danger lurks as they investigate the nightmare scenario that the victim was targeted by a deadly terrorist conspiracy. The author recently visited Cuba on a similar person-to-person tour, so all of the details about locations are authentic and the background is real.

Now available in both e-book and paperback versions: After more than half a century U.S. citizens can once again take a cruise ship or a scheduled airline flight to Cuba. What’s Cuba really like?

From a review of the newest Roger and Suzanne mystery novel, “Rum, Cigars, and Corpses”: “As normalization of relations between the U.S. and Cuba gives American tourists the opportunity to visit the island, this exciting novel provides a real glimpse into a country that was literally frozen in time for over fifty years. The author and his wife recently took a people-to-people tour and provide interesting historic and cultural highlights sprinkled into a fictional account of murder, espionage, and intrigue…This complicated novel is spiced with Latin flavor and sightseeing nuggets, but the tale of murder and espionage is sure to please any mystery/adventure enthusiast. If you wonder what the real world is like inside Cuba, take this exciting trip with Roger and Suzanne from the safety of your own home.”

Free from Kindle Unlimited. Get your copy today!

Amazon E-book, US UK CA Paperback version

You can find the rest of the books in the series here.

About the Author

The author is a Professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of California’s Medical School at Davis, near Sacramento in Northern California. Jerry writes “tweener” mystery books (tough mystery stories that follow the cozy conventions of no graphic sex and no cussing) that are fast moving and entertain the reader. Several of the books introduce the readers to South America, a region where he has lived and worked that is a long way from home for most English speakers. He and his wife Elaine lived previously in Salta, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay. Jerry selects the most interesting South American locations he found for Roger and Suzanne to visit while solving miscellaneous murders. Montevideo, Salta, Machu Picchu, the Galapagos Islands, and Iguazu Falls are also characters in these books, and the novels portray these places as vivid and real. Jerry and Elaine breed prize-winning German shorthaired pointer dogs; Elaine also provides technical advice for Jerry’s dog-related novels like The Deadly Dog Show and Hunter Down, as well as editing for all of the books.

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#Review – The Red Queen Rules by Bourne Morris

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Dec 062016

The Red Queen Rules
(A Red Solaris Mystery)
Mystery
Setting – Nevada
3rd in Series
Henery Press (December 6, 2016)
Paperback: 246 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1635111217
E-Book ASIN: B01M02MBOP

Free speech or hate? When a white supremacist schedules an event on campus, Red Solaris must confront her own feelings about an issue that challenges the very core of American education: campus safety versus freedom of speech. Amidst escalating tension, Red meets with the editor of the student newspaper—who also confides in Red that her young cousin is missing, probably a victim of local sex traffickers.

Agreeing to rescue the girl, Red solicits help from her beloved Detective Joe Morgan. But when Joe goes undercover into the dangerous world of human trafficking, he disappears without a trace. Red must balance her fears for Joe with her worries that a campus riot may soon break out.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This has become one of my favorite series.

Bourne Morris takes on a hot topic in America right now. I know she wrote this book during the presidential election but she shines her focus on something in the news right now.

Red Solaris is the Dean of Journalism at a college in Nevada and recognizes how important the First Amendment is regarding Freedom of Speech, even when it comes to a group of white supremacists attending the college. They have asked a very controversial speaker to the college for a rally. Red just wants it to take place without violence but to pull that off is not going to be easy. Joe is off on a special assignment working undercover to find a victim of human trafficking so she is worried about him as well. Especially because it was one of her students that put the case on his radar.

I was immersed in the story from the very first word and didn’t put the book down until I reached the end and was surprised at how quickly I read the book. To me this was like watching a movie or a prime time drama. The author sets the tone and scene so well giving the reader plenty of information. The pace was fast with something new always happening but not overwhelming at all. I pictured everything so vividly. Several times I found myself sitting up straight almost trying to actually escape right into the book.

Red and Joe are fantastic characters and in reality Red would not be able to go the places or do some of the things she did but that is why they call it fiction, you have to suspend that type of thinking and just let the story take you away. If you do that you will enjoy it as much as I did.

I do wish the way the students at the college dealt with the situation presented to them was reality. An easy solution that sadly does not happen enough or at all.

Every book in this series has been excellent and the topics are very current. The stories have an edge and while Red is an amateur sleuth I do not categorize these stories as cozy, they are suspenseful and wonderful mysteries. I highly recommend them all!

perfect 2016

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About The Author

After Bennington College, I worked at McCall’s Magazine and then went to Ogilvy&Mather, New York during the “Mad Men “ era. David Ogilvy and his colleagues treated me wonderfully, promoted me several times and then sent me west to become head of their agency in Los Angeles. I had a splendid run in advertising.

In 1983, I joined the University of Nevada Reno as a full professor in Journalism where I taught until 2009. I learned about campus politics when I served as chair of the faculty senate. I retired to write mysteries in 2009 after a wonderful teaching career.

I live with my husband of 34 years in a ranch house with a view of tall trees and mountains. We have four children and eight grandchildren. Life is good.

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Spotlight – Logan Book Series by Valerie Davisson

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Nov 262016

spotlight

shattered

Shattered: Logan Book 1
Mystery/Women Sleuths
Hauser Publishing (March 3, 2014)
Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1939534231
E-Book – ASIN: B00IRPWH6K

Meet Logan McKenna … fiercely loyal, and impossibly inquisitive.

In SHATTERED, the first book in the original mystery series and stunning fiction debut with which Valerie Davisson lets us crave for more, Logan McKenna loses her husband, her illusions, the company they built together, her music, and now, probably her job. But that won’t stop her from digging into a murder investigation that keeps Southern California’s tight-knit artist community on its toes and law enforcement cluelessly guessing.

At loose ends, and running out of money after buying a fixer upper on the coast, she decides to help out her best friend from high school, Thomas, a Native American artist, and his wife Lisa at their booth at the Otter Arts Festival, in the idyllic coastal town of Jasper, where she and her police-officer brother Rick grew up. When one of the talented, young artists is found gruesomely murdered at the festival, Logan is faced with the reality that her best friend not only lied to her, but may be guilty of murder. It’s up to her to find out what really happened that night, before the murderer kills again.

forest-park
Forest Park: Logan Book 2
Mystery/Women Sleuths
Hauser Publishing (November 17, 2015)
Paperback: 266 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1939534316
E-Book ASIN: B01A3BHAGM

Critical choices made in the drama and chaos of the last days of the Vietnam War reach across the Pacific to modern-day Portland, Oregon, threatening to destroy the lives of those who managed to cheat death in 1975. When a violent explosion takes a woman’s life just steps away from Logan McKenna’s downtown hotel, the police suspect all the wrong people, including a homeless vet and two of Logan’s new friends; but are any of them completely innocent?

While unraveling the tangle of half-truths and secrets to help her friends, Logan’s personal life suffers an explosion of its own. Each character must decide not only whom to trust, but at what cost.

In addition to writing a great story, in FOREST PARK: Logan Book 2, Davisson skillfully deals with tough questions about our attitude toward refugees, immigration, the homeless, and our military vets. Through the eyes of her original and complex characters, she invites us to explore the true nature of hope, redemption, family, character, and love.

About The Author

A self-admitted book addict, Valerie was the kid with the flashlight under her pillow. A life of travel with exposure to many different cultures led to a pervasive interest in people, with degrees & teaching credentials in Cultural Anthropology & English.

Writing and Teaching became twin passions, and she feels lucky to pursue both. With the support and distraction of her husband, John, their 6 children, a growing tribe of grandchildren, and a very supportive Girls’ Night group, she is hard at work on Book 3, Logan’s next adventure.

If you like Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon, J. A. Jance’s Sherriff Joanna Brady, Elly Griffith’s Ruth Galloway, or Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Milhone, you’ll love Davisson’s independent, strong, female protagonist, Logan McKenna!

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Flashback Friday – Dead Insider by Victoria Houston – #Review / #Giveaway

Cloak and Dagger Challenge, Flashback Friday, Giveaways, Reviews 2016, TBR Pile Challenge, Wisconsin Author, Wisconsin Setting, You Read How Many Books Challenge 3 Responses »

Nov 182016

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On Flashback Fridays I will share with you the books I missed when they were first
released that have been screaming at me from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.
Did a little rearranging on my bookshelves last week and was so excited I found this book I read it before I read the book for yesterday’s post. 🙂

Dead Insider (Loon Lake Mystery)
13th in Series
Mystery
Setting – Wisconsin
Tyrus Books (June 18, 2013)
Paperback: 208 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1440533563
E-Book ASIN: B00CA9DKE2

In the midst of a catastrophic August rainstorm, a grisly discovery shatters the serenity of a summer evening in northern Wisconsin. Moving quickly to prevent a panic among tourists, Loon Lake Police Chief Lewellyn Ferris enlists the forensic and interrogation skills of her close friend and fellow fly fisherman, the retired dentist “Doc” Osborne. Within hours of launching their investigation, they find themselves faced with a national media circus as Loon Lake becomes the focus of a murderous scenario that links the murder to the race for the U.S. Senate by a woman who is heir to a Northwoods fortune and other, less savory, family traditions.

In the meantime, Doc Osborne’s eldest daughter, Mallory, enters into a relationship that may put her life at risk–unless her father and Chief Ferris can find the killer stalking the residents of Loon Lake.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Reading this after the crazy political season we just experienced seemed fitting.

It is raining cats and dogs in Look Lake. Roads and fields are flooding and while blocking vehicles from traveling through the water something awful is found floating now a new rainfall river. The findings lead to a woman running for the U.S. Senate. Loon Lake Police Chief Lewellyn Ferris has her hands full. Thankfully her friends and officers are there to help her pull all the pieces of this terrible murder investigation together.

Fly fisherwoman Lew Ferris has caught a huge case and relies on the resources available to her to solve it. I had my main suspect but the twisted plot made the conclusion and the motive totally surprising. What followed was a tragic tale that left me almost visibly shaking. The pain felt by the killer’s mother just broke my heart.

Ms. Houston dug deep for this one. The laid back community of Loon Lake was not only rocked by the flooding but a terrible murder. People came together to help with the case and handle the media because tourism in the bread and butter of this community. I felt a plethora of emotions as the story continued. How could something so awful happen in this little town?

I enjoy these characters and admire the soothing calm they find standing in a lake or river casting their line time and time again. Sometimes never catching a thing. It’s in those places Lew and Doc can order their thoughts and break away from the stress and trauma of the case. I can see their faces so clearly. My grandfather was a fisherman and his perfect place to relax was in his little boat out on the water with a fishing pole in his hands. He never had the stress of a murder to solve but his life wasn’t easy. I loved going out in his boat with him. Some days we caught a lot of fish and some days we just caught some sun and had good conversation, me the youngster not even in my teens and him sharing his life’s stories with me. The look on his face was just peaceful out on the water. Times I will never forget. The stories in this series touch my heart because of my relationship with him. Doc Osbourne’s thinking and temperament remind me so much of the wonderful fisherman in my life. Lew is a strong woman in a top position and she takes her job seriously. Together they make a great team.

Sadly, these little vacations north to Loon Lake are way too short. I hope to return again soon. Not so much for the mysteries, although those are good, but for the serenity outside of the drama. Both grab a hold and don’t let go.

perfect 2016

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To find out more bout Victoria Houston visit her webpage here.

GIVEAWAY
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