Review – Cold As Hell by Kelley Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong #netgalley #coldashell

Amazon / Goodreads

I am always up for a Kelley Armstrong novel, so when I saw Cold As Hell was available on NetGalley, I promptly clicked, requesting a copy.

I haven’t read all the books in her unique towns series, but I don’t feel lost following along. I love books that deal with storms, and a blizzard makes for some extra danger to the characters.

Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton are expecting a child, but that does not stop her from investigating the murders in the small sanctuary town of Haven’s Rock.

The action begins from the opening pages. Kendra had grown up Indigenous in Canada, and her idea of going out means one drink. But, here she is, staggering around, being dragged through the snow, kicking and screaming. Thank goodness someone sees what’s happening and saves her from something worse. How could she be drunk on one drink? Did someone drug her?

Haven’s Rock is a small town and everyone knows everyone and all their business. It shouldn’t be that hard to figure out who is the villain.

I did get some chuckles from Kelley’s creative writing.

I’m so accustomed to lumbering around like my dog that I suspect after the baby is born, I’ll fall flat on my ass leaning backward for balance.

“Will has even promised me a T-shirt. ‘I escaped a serial killer, and all I lost was this lousy pinkie toe.’ I will be sorely disappointed if he’s joking. I want that shirt.”

I love some humor with my danger and Kelley is a pro at supplying them both. I love that the characters all have lots of baggage. Of course, they do. That seems to be a requirement to becoming a resident in Haven’s Rock. That being the case, there are lots of suspects to choose from. The villain is truly evil. The torture he submits to his victims is dark, brutal. I loved the ending, but I won’t be telling you anything about it. You’ll need to find out for yourself.

Thanks NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read Haven’s Rock by Kelley Armstrong.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong returns to Haven’s Rock in Cold as Hell as Casey Butler hunts down a dangerous killer during a deadly blizzard.

Haven’s Rock is a sanctuary town hidden deep in the Yukon for those who need to disappear from the regular world. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are starting a family now that they’ve settled into their life here. As Casey nears the end of her pregnancy, she lets nothing, including her worried husband, stop her from investigating what happens in the forbidden forest outside the town of Haven’s Rock.

When one of the town’s residents is drugged and wanders too close to the edge of town, she’s dragged into the woods kicking and screaming. She’s saved in the nick of time, but the women of the town are alarmed. Casey and Eric investigate the assault just as a snowstorm hits Haven’s Rock, covering the forest. It’s there they find a frozen body, naked in the snow. With mixed accounts of the woman’s last movements, the two begin to question who they can trust—and who they can’t—in their seemingly safe haven.

  • Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
  • 343 pages, Kindle
  • Expected publication February 18, 2025 by Minotaur Books
Kelley Armstrong

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make her produce “normal” stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She’s the author of the NYT-bestselling “Women of the Otherworld” paranormal suspense series and “Darkest Powers” young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

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Review – Rule Of Extinction by Geoff Jones @Jonesy_Geoff

Rule Of Extinction by Geoff Jones will be published on 2.25.25 but is available right now for preorder.

Amazon / Goodreads

Rule Of Extinction: The Preservation Of Species by Geoff Jones is out of this world, literally. A comet is headed to Earth and no one will be spared, until the pods arrive. Could they be their salvation? Who sent them? Why did they send them? It doesn’t matter. It’s time to climb in and find out.

When I found out what was going on, I was shocked. I never anticipated the truth.

Geoff Jones is not afraid to kill off his characters. No one is safe, and a time or two I felt like asking him why that person.

I love apocalyptic and dystopian novels. I love seeing what the characters will do. Man’s basest nature is exposed and the characters cover the spectrum. Good ones. Bad ones. Ones who will sacrifice themselves for others. Ones that will do anything to survive.

The novel moved at a steady pace and I never lost interest. The world Geoff Jones created was fascinating and well developed, surprises popping up here and there.

I didn’t realize that Rule Of Extinction (The Preservation Of Species was a trilogy, so I’m crossing my fingers that I will be around at the end.

I want to thank Geoff Jones for the opportunity to read and review Rule Of Extinction.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

A civilization-ending comet is headed for Earth.

Two days before impact, thousands of mysterious pods land in a swath across North America. When people touch them, the pods open. Anyone who climbs inside is carried away.

No one knows where the pods came from and no one knows where they go, but finding one is David Williams’ only chance to save his family from the end of the world.

… and escaping Earth is just the beginning.


The Preservation of Species trilogy begins with Rule of Extinction, a post-apocalyptic science-fiction adventure filled with unforgettable heroes, terrifying monsters, and heart-pounding action.

  • Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fiction, Science Fiction
  • 447 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication February 25, 2025
  • Series: The Preservation Of Species #1
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Review – It’s Raining Men by Hollie Smurthwaite @H_Smurthwaite

Amazon / Kindle Unlimited / Goodreads

I first became acquainted with Hollie Smurthwaite when I read her The Psychic Colors Series. I loved the trilogy, so she is on my radar. When I saw the opportunity to read It’s Raining Men, how could I possible resist. I mean, the author, the title, the blurb, and the cover made me have to have it.

The first man fell from the sky.

With a start like that, I am off and running.

“I’ve got cobwebs in my hoo-ha. They make me cranky.”

It’s Raining Men by Holliesmurthwaite was everything I anticipated. The action begins from the opening pages and never lets up. Sahara is a fabulous character with a big heart. She opens her home and the hunkalicious men keep coming. We have a paranormal curse that she is determined to remove to give the men she comes to care for their freedom. There are many laughable moments that put a smile on my face.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of It’s Raining Men by Holliesmurthwaite.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

Male-storm Warning in Effect!

A woman stumbles into a witches’ spell and finds the “perfect guy” she never wanted.
Sahara’s life is a broke, betrayed, and roasting in a record-breaking heatwave—with no air conditioning. But when her dog bolts into Willowbark Retreat, things go from bad to bizarre.

Outside, it’s pouring rain. Inside? It’s raining men.

Turns out, the quirky commune ladies are actually witches who’ve conjured perfect gorgeous, obedient, and magically programmed to fulfill their every sexual whim.

When one of these creations imprints on Sahara, she’s stuck with Cortland—frustratingly stubborn, shamelessly seductive, and relentless in his pursuit of sex. She wants him just as much, but giving in while he’s bespelled would mean betraying principles she refuses to compromise.

While Sahara scrambles to break the spell, and her libido battling her better judgment, she reluctantly leans on a group of magical heroes desperate to escape their own enchantments.

They raid her fridge, clutter her space, and—slowly but surely—Sahara must decide if she’s ready to stop just surviving and start fighting for the love and family she never thought she deserved.

Enemies-to-lovers, found family, and magical mayhem collide in this steamy paranormal rom-com where the storms are freaky, the men are maddening, and love is the ultimate magic

  • Genre: Comedy, Fiction, Humor, Romance
  • 360 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published February 11, 2025

Hollie Smurthwaite is a paranormal romantic suspense author of The Color of Trauma and The Color of Betrayal. The Color of Trauma was the winner of the 2020 Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project in adult fiction. She lives in Chicago with her husband, son, and too few pets. In past lives, she’s been a checkout clerk, massage therapist, office manager, recruiter, magazine staff writer, pepper spray hawker, and belly dancer.

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Twists And Turns – Review – Then She Died by Michael Geczi @MichaelGeczi

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I love a villain that I can have empathy for, a character that tugs at my heartstrings. Michael Geczi has created a complex character that brought out all kinds of emotions. Will Post is a serial killer. After the murders of three people, he high tails it out of town, leaving Chicago for the Berkshires. And that is where his life takes on a more positive spin. He meets Val. He has a somewhat normal life while he was with her. My heart broke for him, when she passed away. He’s lost and he heads back to Chicago.

When Michael Geczi finally reveals Will’s past, I can’t help but think, what a fabulous, very complex character he has created. The emotional and psychological torture he goes through is debilitating, his psyche looking for ways to survive.

Then She Died by Michael Geczi is the fifth book in the serial killer anthology, but it can standalone. It a fast paced, intense thriller that is unputdownable.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Then She Dies by Michael Geczi.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

FIFTH BOOK IN THE SERIAL KILLER ANTHOLOGY! CAN BE READ AS STANDALONE.

Emotional and psychological episodes are nothing new for Will Post. He’s got a lifetime of experience. More than anyone would want or believe.

But he doesn’t have any experience dealing with his recent killing of three people, and that’s his newest challenge, along with haunting hallucinations and delusions. His hit the road, get out of Chicago, and hide and figure things out in the Berkshire Mountains in Western Massachusetts.

For a year, it works out well. He lives as a recluse, stays out of sight, and develops a new routine. Then he meets Val. They fall in love, move in together, and share a near-perfect life for several years … until she gets sick. And then passes away.

The episodes return, and Post inexplicitly decides to return to Chicago. Perhaps he can learn how to forgive himself and even heal. Chicago is no panacea, however. Chicago PD Detective Tanner Osborn is looking into the three killings, now ignored cold cases, determined to learn more.

Post faces other issues, as well, some dating back to his heartbreaking childhood, new ones tied to his return to Chicago, and others signaling a significant and intensifying psychological break. And then there’s the voice in his head providing specific – and often conflicting – instructions.

Then She Died is a fast-moving and deeply penetrating look at the highs and lows surrounding life, love, death … and the always-important truism that actions – conscious and unconscious – have consequences.

  • Genre: Fiction, Psychological, Serial Killer, Suspense, Thriller
  • 314 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published January 7, 2025 by Tierra Buena Publishing
  • Serial Killer Anthology #5 StandAlone

Former Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Associated Press and Dallas Morning News writer and editor; Wall Street executive; best-selling author; communications/crisis consultant and university instructor (University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism). Also author of Futures: The Anti-Inflation Investment. Lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife, Lisa.

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$15 GC & Review – Early Termination by Cindy Goyette @partnersincr1me @cindy_ccgoyette

EARLY TERMINATION

by Cindy Goyette

January 20 – February 14, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Cindy Goyette draws on her personal experience in Early Termination. What does she mean by Early Termination? There are two ways to get off probation. Be a model citizen…or die.

Probation Officer Casey Carson has issues. She is caught in a romantic triangle and she is on a gang’s hit list. Bodies are accumulating. She’s determined to figure out what’s going on, which puts a target on her back.

I found Casey to be an interesting character. I don’t know if I have ever read a book where the main character was a probation officer. We get an inside look into what that entails and I am intrigued.

The writing was top notch. The giant chicken was a nice touch. At times, I found myself laughing out loud and other times I sat white knuckled. The pacing kept me flipping pages, trying to figure out who the villain was, before Cindy Goyette revealed them to me. I didn’t see it coming and I love when an author can surprise me. Well done, Cindy.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Early Termination by Cindy Goyette.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

Synopsis:

A Probation Case Files Mystery

 

There are two ways to get off probation early. The first is to be a model citizen and complete all requirements imposed by the court. The second is to die. In Early Termination, Phoenix probation officer Casey Carson’s clients aren’t civic-minded, but they are dropping like flies.

She’s on a gang’s hit list, a detective’s suspect list, and is torn while two very hot men vie for her heart. As more clients die and a probationer accuses her of brutality, she becomes the focus of the investigation. Casey risks losing everything in her race to find the real killer, but doing so will put the target squarely on her back. She will need to find the person responsible for lightening her workload before she’s the one terminated.

Praise for Cindy Goyette’s Novels:

“A hard-charging crime novel powered by combustible realism and driven by a fresh, new heroine—probation officer Casey Carson. Buckle up for a wild, white-knuckle ride.”
~ Lee Goldberg, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“A dynamite start to an excellent new series. This is the kind of book that can grow legs and take off just by word of mouth. The character Casey Carson has grit, loyalty and honor. OBEY ALL LAWS is a topnotch thriller and I can’t wait for the next one. Author Cindy Goyette is here to stay.”
~ David Putnam the bestselling author of The Bruno Johnson series

“Cindy Goyette is a master with words. And she knows how to spin a tale! Drawing from rich life experiences in law enforcement, her characters jump from the page. Don’t miss a single sentence this gifted author writes.”
~ Judith L. Pearson, author of From Shadows to Life, The Wolves at the Door and Belly of the Beast

“A rollicking ride through the gritty world of feisty Probation Officer Casey Carson, a fantastic character with a heart as big and vast as the Arizona desert she calls home. When her probationers keep stacking up as homicide victims, Casey realizes that someone is sending her a message, and they’re dead serious about it. Now, she must unravel the sinister plot before she becomes the next victim. A complex, entertaining story that includes a secondary theme of romantic frustration simmering in the background, and a twisty ending that ensures we’ll see more adventures from Casey Carson. A great read! Five thumbs-up!”
~ Kerry Peresta, author of the Olivia Callahan Suspense series and Back Before Dawn

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Number of Pages: 320
Series: A Probation Case Files Mystery
Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

One

In probation work, there’s no such thing as a routine day at the office.

This morning, flashing red and blue lights guided me to the crime scene. Coming to a stop behind the coroner’s van, I parked my Jeep Wrangler and took a deep breath.

Coroner meant someone was dead. Not a good start to my day, but even worse for whoever I’d been called here about.

As I climbed out of my Jeep, I adjusted my sunglasses and surveyed the area. Yellow crime scene tape blocked off the entrance to the canal. Red tile rooftops peeked over six-foot walls that separated the waterway from the middle-class sea of stucco on either side. The canal, about ten feet wide, snaked smack in the middle of a dirt pathway that residents used to get their steps in.

It was nearing the end of September, and I was grateful for the hint of the cooler weather that would dip below one hundred for the first time in months. Ninety degrees might seem hot to some, but in Arizona, it was sweater weather.

I walked up to a uniformed cop and held out my badge. “I’m with probation. Detective Ramsey asked me to come.”

It wasn’t unusual for the police to contact us, but it wasn’t common practice to be called to a crime scene. My curiosity mixed with dread.

The cop glanced at my identification. “Ms. Carson. Welcome to the shit show. Don’t touch anything.” He held the tape high so I could pass. I ducked underneath and secured my badge to my belt so the other officers could tell I belonged there.

Lots of Tempe Police blue uniforms and forensic staff mulled around the area, but I homed in on the tall, balding man standing close to the water. He had on plain clothes—khakis and a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I figured he might be Ramsey, so I walked over to him.

He scribbled something on a small notepad and glanced at me as I approached. “You the PO?”

I nodded and dropped my gaze to the mound covered by a tarp at his feet. I wasn’t fond of seeing dead bodies. One reason I was a PO and not a cop.

“Thinking this might be one of your charges, Ms. Carson,” he said. “I gotta warn you, it’s not pretty. He was in the water for a while and birds, and god knows what else got to him. You got a strong stomach?”

No. At the mere thought of seeing the body, my breakfast threatened to make a reappearance, but I wouldn’t admit that. “I’m fine. Why do you think he was on my caseload?”

Ramsey shrugged. “Someone stuffed your business card in his mouth.”

I gulped air. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. You ready?” Ramsey reached down and pulled the sheet back before I could respond.

A bloated, green face, missing chunks of cheek, greeted me. Bulging eyes looked skyward. Bran flakes swirled in my stomach and crested in my throat. Without a word, I ran to the canal and vomited so hard I thought I’d hack up a vital organ or two.

“You okay, ma’am?” Ramsey sounded bored.

I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and straightened. Memories of the same man, alive and animated, flashed in my mind. Not so long ago, he was proud of accomplishing a solid month of sobriety. Now, I hardly recognized him. “Could you put the sheet back?” I said, keeping my back to the body on the ground.

“Sure.”

I waited a moment to give Ramsey time to cover the corpse and to compose myself. But that would take a while, and the detective didn’t seem like he had a lot of patience. The relationship between police and probation was fickle. We often needed each other, but POs were on the lower end of the food chain.

When I finally turned around, Ramsey was tapping his pen against his notebook. “So, you know the guy, or what?”

“Brian Johnson,” I said. “He was on abscond status. Haven’t seen him for a few weeks, maybe a month. He was doing well, but then he stopped reporting. He probably relapsed. I was gearing up to request a warrant for probation violations. What do you think was the cause of death?”

Ramsey shrugged again. “Too soon to tell, but most people who die of natural causes don’t end up in a canal or send a message like your business card does. They preserved it in a plastic Baggie, so we’d get the point no matter how long it took to find him.

I felt even sicker. Was the message for me? “Couldn’t you ID him through fingerprints? I thought you had all kinds of tech gadgets for that.”

“Sure,” Ramsey said. “But then I wouldn’t have seen your reaction. Plus, some of his fingertips are missing and what’s left probably isn’t usable. Dental records take time.” He pulled a business card out of his shirt pocket and handed it to me. “Call me if you think of anything else I might need to know.”

I turned back to the canal and vomited until I had nothing left to give.

In probation work, there’s no such thing as a routine day at the office.

This morning, flashing red and blue lights guided me to the crime scene. Coming to a stop behind the coroner’s van, I parked my Jeep Wrangler and took a deep breath.

Coroner meant someone was dead. Not a good start to my day but even worse for whoever I’d been called here about.

As I climbed out of my Jeep, I adjusted my sunglasses and surveyed the area. Yellow crime scene tape blocked off the entrance to the canal. Red tile rooftops peeked over six-foot walls that separated the waterway from the middle-class sea of stucco on either side. The canal, about ten feet wide, snaked smack in the middle of a dirt pathway that local residents used to get their steps in.

It was nearing the end of September, and I was grateful for the hint of the cooler weather that would dip below one hundred for the first time in months. Ninety degrees might seem hot to some, but in Arizona, it was sweater weather.

I walked up to a uniformed cop and held out my badge. “I’m with probation. Detective Ramsey asked me to come.”

It wasn’t unusual for police to contact us, but it wasn’t common practice to be called to a crime scene. My curiosity mixed with dread.

The cop glanced at my identification. “Ms. Carson. Welcome to the shit show. Don’t touch anything.” He held the tape high so I could pass. I ducked underneath and secured my badge to my belt so the other officers could tell I belonged there.

Lots of Tempe Police blue uniforms and forensic staff mulled around the area, but I homed in on the tall balding man standing close to the water. He was dressed in plain clothes—khakis and a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I figured he might be Ramsey, so I walked over to him.

He scribbled something on a small notepad and glanced at me as I approached. “You the PO?”

I nodded and dropped my gaze to the mound covered by a tarp at his feet. I wasn’t fond of seeing dead bodies. One of the reasons, I was a PO and not a cop.

“Thinking this might be one of your charges, Ms. Carson,” he said. “I gotta warn you, it’s not pretty. He was in the water for a while and birds, and god knows what else got to him. You got a strong stomach?”

No. At the mere thought of seeing the body, my breakfast threatened to make a reappearance, but I wouldn’t admit that. “I’m fine. Why do you think he was on my caseload?”

Ramsey shrugged. “Your business card was stuffed in his mouth.”

I gulped air. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. You ready?” Ramsey reached down and pulled the sheet back before I could respond.

The face before me was bloated, green, and missing chunks of cheek. Bulging eyes looked skyward. Bran flakes swirled in my stomach and crested in my throat. Without a word, I ran to the canal and vomited so hard, I thought I’d hack up a vital organ or two.

“You okay, ma’am?” Ramsey sounded bored.

I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and straightened. Memories of the same man, alive and animated flashed in my mind. Not so long ago, he was proud of accomplishing a solid month of sobriety. Now, I hardly recognized him. “Could you put the sheet back?” I said, keeping my back to the body on the ground.

“Sure.”

I waited a moment to give Ramsey time to cover the corpse and to compose myself. But that would take a while, and the detective didn’t seem like he had a lot of patience. The relationship between police and probation was fickle. We often needed each other, but POs were on the lower end of the food chain.

When I finally turned around, Ramsey was tapping his pen against his notebook. “So, you know the guy, or what?”

“Brian Johnson,” I said. “He was on abscond status. Haven’t seen him for a few weeks, maybe a month. He was doing well, but then he stopped reporting. He probably relapsed. I was gearing up to request a warrant for probation violations. What do you think was the cause of death?”

Ramsey shrugged again. “Too soon to tell, but most people who die of natural causes don’t end up in a canal or send a message like your business card does. It was preserved in a plastic Baggie, so we’d get the point no matter how long it took to find him.”

I felt even sicker. Was the message for me? “Couldn’t you ID him through fingerprints? I thought you had all kinds of tech gadgets for that.”

“Sure,” Ramsey said. “But then I wouldn’t have seen your reaction. Plus, some of his fingertips are missing and what’s left probably isn’t usable. Dental records take time.” He pulled a business card out of his shirt pocket and handed it to me. “Call me if you think of anything else I might need to know.”

I turned back to the canal and vomited until I had nothing left to give.

***

Excerpt from Early Termination by Cindy Goyette. Copyright 2025 by Cindy Goyette. Reproduced with permission from Cindy Goyette. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Cindy Goyette

Cindy Goyette is a former probation officer who had a front row seat to the criminal justice system. She kept her sanity by finding humor in most situations. A mix of these things helped her create The Probation Case Files Mystery Series, Book 1, OBEY ALL LAWS won a PSWA Award for best suspense, and was published in January of 2024. Book 2, EARLY TERMINATION, released January of 2025. Her first cozy mystery, DIAMOND IN THE RUFF, will release in May of 2025. After spending over twenty years in Arizona, Cindy lives in Washington state with her husband and two Cocker Spaniels.

Catch Up With Cindy Goyette:
CCGoyette.com
Amazon Author Profile
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Instagram – @cindy.goyette
Threads – @cindy.goyette
X – @cindy_ccgoyette
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Review – Masks Of The Dragon by J T Hunter @JTHunter6

Amazon / Goodreads

Masks Of The Dragon by J T Hunter contains three true crime stories and is part of the True Crime series. We will learn about Cody Legebokoff, Bobby Joe Long, and Oscar Ray Bolin.

The Country Boy Killer: First up is Cody Legebokoff, one of the youngest serial killers in Canadian history. He loved the outdoors, camping, hunting and fishing. He loved killing women too. Luckily, his reign of terror doesn’t last long. This is a very quick easy read.

Deadly Deception: Next up is Bobby Joe Long. It’s more in depth than The Country Boy Killer and J T Hunter shows his research. This is one of those stories where the people that knew Bobby Joe Long found it hard to believe he was a serial killer. A survivor took him down and the state of Florida finished him off.

Death Row Romeo: Last but not least, Oscar Ray Bolin. Crime Stoppers brought him down. This story really pissed me off. The money spent on trials and retrials and appeals was disgusting, but he finally met his maker in Florida.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

Part of the Monsters of True Crime series, Masks of the Dragon presents three stranger-than-fiction true crime stories about three monstrous serial Cody Legebokoff, Bobby Joe Long, and Oscar Ray Bolin. These used to be sold separately as The Country Boy Killer, Deadly Deception, and Death Row Romeo, but now you can read them all at a bargain price in one book!

  • Genre: Anthology, Nonfiction, True Crime
  • 427 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published August 19, 2024 by Pedialaw Press
J.T. Hunter

J.T. Hunter is an attorney with over fourteen years of experience practicing law, including criminal law and appeals, and he has significant training in criminal investigation techniques. He is also a college professor in Florida where his teaching interests focus on the intersection of criminal psychology, law, and literature.

Catch Up With J.T. Hunter On:
jthunter.org, Goodreads, BookBub, Twitter, Instagram, & Facebook!

 

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Review – Stolen By The Berseker by Asa Maria Bradley @AsaMariaBradley #BookBoyfriendBinge

Amazon / Kindle Unlimited / Goodreads

Stolen By The Berserker by Asa Maria Bradley is a novella, packed with action. An immortal Viking, Sten, enters Cassie’s life and nothing will ever be the same. The action is non stop, as is the danger they face. We may have insta love, but that fits the story and I’m good with it. Stolen By the Berserker by Asa Maria Bradley may be short, but it was very engaging.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

The captor became the captive.
He’s an immortal Viking who’s in town to complete a semi-legal weapons deal. She’s the tempting server dishing out delicious pie at the local diner. After one sizzling night, they both think they can just walk away from each other.

But even if Loki’s monsters and the Goddess Freya had not exacerbated the situation, they would both still be very wrong. That one night changed everything.

Note: This standalone novella takes place in the Norse Warrior Protectors world.

You’ll love Stolen by the Berserker if you’re a fan of:
-Creature/Monster Romance
-Forced Proximity
-Dominant Immortal Vikings
-Shotgun-Wielding Mountain Girls
-One-Night Stands that Turn into So Much More
-Soulmarked Fated Mates
-He Falls First
-Norse Mythology
-Spicy Sizzling Chemistry

  • Genre: Fiction, Mythology, Novella, Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural
  • 101 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published September 5, 2024 by Kaering Press

USA Today Bestselling Author Asa Maria Bradley grew up in Sweden surrounded by archaeology and history steeped in Norse mythology, which inspired her sexy paranormal romance and urban fantasy series.

Subscribe to her newsletter at www.asamariabradley.com/newsletter.

Booklist attributes Asa’s writing with “nonstop action, satisfying romantic encounters, and intriguing world building” and Entertainment Weekly says “when it comes to paranormal romance with explosive action scenes, Bradley has that nailed.” Her work has received the honors of a double nomination for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA contest, a Reviewers’ Choice Award nomination, a Holt Medallion win, and a Booksellers’ Best Award win.

Asa came to the United States as a high school exchange student and quickly fell in love with ranch dressing and crime TV dramas of all flavors, two addictions she unfortunately still struggles with. Currently, she lives on a lake deep in the forest of the Pacific Northwest with a British husband and a rescue dog of indeterminate breed. Sadly, neither of them obeys any of her commands.

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The Martini Club – Review – The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen @tessgerritsen

Can a former spy outrun the ghosts of her past?

Amazon / Kindle Unlimited / Goodreads

For years, I have known Tess Gerritsen as the author of the Rizzoli and Iles novels. I have watched the TV series for years, and continue to watch the reruns to this day. After reading The Spy Coast, I am thinking that I love The Martini Club, a group of ex spies that have settled in the small town of Purity, Maine.

They will come out of retirement, when Maggie Bird’s past comes calling. She tries to keep them out of it, but they could use a little excitement in their lives. They will travel from Maine to Thailand to Turkey to London to Malta, as Maggie tries to put her past to bed once and for all.

Jo Thibodeau, Purity’s police chief is on the case and she’s like a dog with a bone. She knows that Maggie is hiding something and keeps her eyes on the gang.

Maggie loves her life as a chicken farmer. Will she ever be able to return to Maine? Will they all manage to traverse the dangers and come out the other side in one piece? Well, it’s The Martini Club series, so what do you think?

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

A retired CIA operative in small-town Maine tackles the ghosts of her past in this fresh take on the spy thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.

Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. These days, she’s living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement.

But when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends—all retirees from the CIA—to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they’re eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives.

Complicating their efforts is Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide, Jo is puzzled by Maggie’s reluctance to share information—and by her odd circle of friends, who seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn.

As Jo’s investigation collides with the Martini Club’s maneuvers, Maggie’s hunt for answers will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe, from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past have returned, but with the help of her friends—and the reluctant Jo Thibodeau—Maggie might just be able to save the life she’s built.

  • Genre: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
  • 341 pages, Kindle Edition
  • First published November 1, 2023by Thomas & Mercer
  • Setting: Maine (United States), Bangkok (Thailand), Istanbul (Turkey)
  • Series: The Martini Club #1
Tess Gerritsen, © Leonardo Cendamo / Blackarchives

Internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D.

While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller, was followed by eight more romantic suspense novels. She also wrote a screenplay, “Adrift”, which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.

Tess’s first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her suspense novels since then have been: Life Support (1997), Bloodstream (1998), Gravity (1999), The Surgeon (2001), The Apprentice (2002), The Sinner (2003), Body Double (2004), Vanish (2005), The Mephisto Club (2006), and The Bone Garden (2007). Her books have been translated into 31 languages, and more than 15 million copies have been sold around the world.

As well as being a New York Times bestselling author, she has also been a #1 bestseller in both Germany and the UK. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon.) Critics around the world have praised her novels as “Pulse-pounding fun” (Philadelphia Inquirer), “Scary and brilliant” (Toronto Globe and Mail), and “Polished, riveting prose” (Chicago Tribune). Publisher Weekly has dubbed her the “medical suspense queen”.

Now retired from medicine, she writes full time. She lives in Maine.

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Review – The Valkyries Legacy by Tiana Warner @tianawarner #TheValkyriesLegacy #NetGalley

Amazon / Goodreads

The Valkyries Legacy by Tiana Warner is the third book in the Sigrid and The Valkyries series. This series has been blowing my mind, so I am happy to be back in the saddle again with Sigrid.

We open with immediate action and I love it. Will I get a chance to catch my breath along the way? No, I won’t. The action and danger are intense and non stop. The vivid descriptions of Sigrid’s fantastical world draw me in, deeper and deeper.

Loki is creating havoc across the nine worlds.

I love that Sigrid is more warrior than princess. A badass female main character is always at the top of my list of desirable characters, especially when there will be many battles fought. Sigrid would rather everyone learn to work together, but sometimes others refuse. I also love that we have a lesbian heroine and I love an author that is not afraid to share diverse characters.

I love all the creatures.

The nine worlds are in danger and Sigrid has tasked herself with the dangerous journey to the Norns in the hopes of creating a new Eye of Hnitbjorg, thus restoring Vanaheim’s gods given magic.

In Chapter 27, Tiana may have thought she could sneak one by me, but I am on my toes. I love what she did and I read even faster to find out the end result.

Sigrid and the Valkyrie’s series is amazing. Each and every book kept me enthralled, waiting for the next book to be available, having to know the story. I raced through the pages, heart in my throat, a white knuckled grasp on my ereader. I am sad to see the series end, but Tiana Warner wrapped it up in a spectacular fashion.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Valkyrie’s Legacy by Tiana Warner.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

The blood of a princess
and the heart of valkyrie


Sigrid may be the last surviving royal of Vanaheim, but she’s more warrior than princess. Her world is collapsing under the onslaught of their enemies, who are ripping apart Sigrid’s home and everyone in it. Even astride Sleipnir, her legendary eight-legged horse, Sigrid can’t fight the darkness unleashed by the Night Elves. And at any moment, the god Loki could unleash chaos upon them all…

With the fate of nine worlds perilously close to breaking, there’s only one way to restore the by restoring Vanaheim’s gods-given magic. But doing so means undertaking a journey that’s not only treacherous but nearly impossible.

With her beloved Mariam by her side, Sigrid must find a way to unite all the worlds…including Helheim.

It will take courage.

It will take strength.

Most of all, it will tempt Sigrid to draw upon the thing she fears most: the darkness inside her own heart. Because the only way to take on a god—and win—will be to raise an army from the most fearsome corners of the nine worlds.

The Sigrid and The Valkyries series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading
Book #1 The Valkyrie’s Daughter
Book #2 The Valkyrie’s Shadow
Book #3 The Valkyrie’s Legacy

  • Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance
  • 366 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication January 27, 2025 by Entangled: Teen

Tiana Warner is an LGBTQ+ author from British Columbia, Canada, best known for her critically acclaimed “Mermaids of Eriana Kwai” trilogy and its comic adaptation. Tiana is a lifelong horseback rider, a former programmer with a Computer Science degree, and an outdoor enthusiast who loves to explore nature with her musician boyfriend and their hyperactive rescue mutt, Joey. Find her online at tianawarner.com.

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Review – Final Encounter by D V Berkom @dvberkom

Leine Basso thriller series, Final Encounter graphic
Leine Basso relentless cyberterrorist, non-stop action, white-knuckle thriller, action-packed

 

Amazon / Kindle Unlimited / Goodreads

When I first read the title, Final Encounter, I thought, oh no, this can’t be the end of Leine Basso…and it is not. I am excited to spend some time with Leine in the US, even though I do enjoy traveling to all parts of the world. Instead of human traffickers, we have artificial intelligence.

Final Encounter by D V Berkom is Leine Basso’s fourteenth novel in the series. Leine is a kickass character that doesn’t hesitate to help out a friend. She has her own set of rules, and I don’t have a problem with that. Sometimes getting the job done blurs the lines.

I am seeing more books coming out that are dealing with artificial intelligence. I already thought we had enough problems with technology, but there is no holding it back. It’s not like you can put the genie back in the bottle. I think artificial intelligence can be a good thing, but, just like anything, there are always those who will use it for bad.

When Leine Basso is involved, bodies fall and suspense rises. At times she tiptoes through the pages, trying not to be seen. Other times, she is up front and personal. Leine likes action, and so do I. But, I like the written kind. I am an armchair spectator, so D V Berkom’s writing speaks to me. She knows how to keep me involved and I feel like I have a lot of other readers keeping me company.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

A former assassin, a disgraced-cop, and a cyber-security expert race to stop a relentless cyber-terrorist determined to sell death and destruction to the highest bidder.

When three performers from a prestigious Seattle nightclub are murdered, former assassin Leine Basso is called in by a close friend to help investigate.

The clues lead her to a wealthy tech mogul with a state-of-the-art AI program. Despite compelling evidence implicating the billionaire, Leine senses a deeper conspiracy.

Assisted by a cyber-security expert and a disgraced-cop-turned-PI, Leine must navigate a maze of deception and cyber warfare, uncovering a cunning rival with a deadly agenda who is manipulating events from behind the scenes.

  • Genre: Artificial Intelligence, Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
  • 326 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published September 9, 2024 by Duct Tape Press
  • Series: A Leine Basso Thriller #14
Image of D.V. Berkom

DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.

Raised in the Midwest, she received her BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves (and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle, Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned contractor, and writes every chance she gets.

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