I Wanted To Love – Her Last Whisper by Jennifer Chase @JChaseNovelist @pumpupyourbook

Posted on December 12, 2019 by fundinmental

Her Last Whisper is one of those books that I really wanted to love. I read Dead Cold by Jennifer Chase and it was fantastic, so when I had a chance to grab Her Last Whisper from PumpUpYourBook, I didn’t hesitate.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I read Dead Cold by Jennifer Chase from the Jennifer Chase series and LOVED IT, so when I had the opportunity to read and review Her Last Whisper, what a great title, I had to have it. Unfortunately, it fell a little flat.

I love Prologues and Jennifer Chase’s Last Whisper prologue made me sit up and pay attention. I had hoped the story would continue to do the same, keep me on the line and reel me in.

Kate had been a patrol officer and an Army K9 handler, and a loner. Now she is stepping in to lead the cold case unit. I love cold case stories and the steps they take to solve the mystery.

I know what her first cold case will be, Amanda Payton, the kidnapped girl inn the prologue. I can detect too. LOL

Chad is her best friend, a firefighter for Sequoia County, but will it be more than that? I do like some romance with my serial killers. 🙂

He’s on the hunt…AGAIN.

I do love critters, especially dogs, in my stories. They tend to add that little extra I am always looking for. I just questioned why Kate didn’t have him by her side more. Even though it is explained why, I wouldn’t have left him behind. After all, Cisco is an Army K 9 and trained to the max.

We have a side mystery too. A blast from her Army past comes to town, looking for his lost brother. Will they come together, or is Jennifer Chase sharing her personal life to give us a glimpse into who she is, showing us a developed character?

Soooo close, but Her Last Breath didn’t quite get there for me. I devour suspense and thriller novels, so my expectations are always high when I ‘crack open a book’. A sense of urgency and suspense fell a little flat, BUT the ending was great. I would have liked that level of tension throughout .

There is no doubt I will be looking for more of Jennifer Chase’s work.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Her Last Breath by Jennifer Chase.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Katie focuses her mind, trying to keep another anxiety attack at bay. The victim’s long brown hair is slick and wet, her body rigid in the grass. She looks more like a mannequin than the woman Katie had spoken with only yesterday, the woman she had promised to protect…

When a cold, naked body is discovered by a couple on a jog through the lush woodlands of Pine Valley, California, new recruit Detective Katie Scott is stunned to discover the victim is Amanda Payton – a much-loved local nurse and the woman at the heart of an unsolved case she’s been investigating whilst getting a grip on her crippling PTSD.

Weeks earlier, Amanda had run, battered and bruised, out into the headlights of a passing patrol car. She claimed to have just escaped a kidnapping, but with no strong evidence, the case went cold. The Pine Valley police made a fatal mistake…

Katie is certain the marks on Amanda’s wrists complete a pattern of women being taken, held captive and then showing up dead in remote locations around Pine Valley – and she won’t let someone die on her watch again.

But then a beautiful office worker with a link to the hospital where Amanda worked goes missing. With only days before the next body is due to show up, can Katie make amends for her past by saving this innocent life?

Totally gripping crime fiction for fans of Lisa Regan, Rachel Caine and Melinda Leigh. Nothing will prepare you for this nail-biting roller-coaster ride…

ABOUT JENNIFER CHASE

Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning crime fiction author and consulting criminologist. Jennifer holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master’s degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent sociopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling. She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists. Her latest book is the crime thriller, Dead Cold.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS: WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

MY JENNIFER CHASE REVIEWS

Dead Cold

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Z is for Zombies v Ninjas: Origin by R A Barnes @MarbleCityPub

Posted on November 15, 2019 by fundinmental

I have been remiss in keeping up with my challenges and am now crossing off the Z for my Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge, Zombies v Ninjas by R A Barnes. I have K, Keeper of the Peace by Jennifer Malone Wright, X, EXtinct by Ike Hamill (which I am currently reading), and You Can Run by Willow Rose to finish it off. I pulled them from my Amazon free downloads. I will be squeezing the reviews in before the end of the year, because I like all my challenge books to be reviewed.

I picked this up on 9.10.15 for free and it was still FREE when I created this post.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The tile for Zombies v Ninjas made me have to pick this up. I was curious how they would come together and it happens quickly.

An island, the Undead, an evil mastermind…and ninjas, there has to be a lot of slash ’em up, rock ’em sock ’em action…and there is. Have I died and gone to…HELL?

This is a different slant on zombies and how they came to be and the ninjas are recruited to save humanity from the apocalypse.

I felt like that’s cool, oh yeah, i like that, all right, way to go, but I never felt like OH NO! OMG! Run for your lives. Watch Out.

All in all a fun read and I would continue with the series.

GOODREADS BLURB

The dead are coming alive on an island in the North Atlantic Ocean. A bullet isn’t going to stop them. They feel no pain.

Flesh-eating walkers have been taking sheep and cattle from the fields. A minor inconvenience until someone, or something, starts to organize them.

A force of pure evil, building an army of undead offspring, planning the end of mankind.
Only the ninjas are suitably skilled to identify the undead, understand them and cut off their heads. So few against so many.

Will the human race survive?

Featuring Ruby Barnes, John Baptist and D.I. Andy McAuliffe.

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I Need A J – Just You, Me and a Secret by Ganga Bharani Vasudevan @ganga_bharani

Posted on November 7, 2019 by fundinmental

The year is coming to an end and I was looking at my 2019 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge to find out what I was lacking and I needed a J. I looked through my Kindle and found Just You, Me and a Secret by Ganga Bharani Vasudevan. I picked it up on an Amazon free day, 6.7.16.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

There are some definite bumps and bruises in Ganga Bharani’s first novel, but I am so happy I grabbed it on an Amazon free day.

I love the cover and it fits the story perfectly!

When I first began I struggled a bit. It reads like an ARC, rough around the edges, but I persevered and am glad I did.

Meera has lost her memory and her future husband, a doctor, is helping her to regain it. She reads her diary, Clara, and learns about her life. For some reason she is drawn to San, her lifelong friend, more than to Ashruth, her intended. Could the bash on her head have changed her that much?

As the story unfolds, I find myself getting more involved in her life and I am hoping she comes to the same conclusion I have.

The ending makes everything worthwhile.

GOODREADS BLURB

Just You, Me And A Secret is a story of an amnesiac, Meera, who battles between her past and present.

Meera Prabhu wakes up after a terrible accident with absolutely no memory of herself. She sees a stranger in the mirror and seems to be living with another stranger, Ashruth. Ashruth, a doctor by profession and a clown by appearance, claims that he is her fiancé. They were engaged to be married and would have been married already if not for the accident. He keeps on emphasizing on how much she loved him and yet, he keeps her apart from her family for her ‘mental state’. Armed with what seems to be her personal diary, Meera tries to grasp her identity and her reality. But no matter how hard she tries, she just seems to be unable to connect. Will Meera break through the hurdles in front of her and be able to connect to her friends and family again? Most importantly, will she ever regain her identity again?

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Nightfall on New Babylon by Carmen Dominque Taxer & Richard T Wheeler @RichTWheeler

Posted on October 29, 2019 by fundinmental

I have been reading and reviewing some books that authors have requested and they have been a pleasant surprise. Nightfall on New Babylon by Carmen Taxer and Richard Wheeler is one of these books.

Nightfall on New Babylon (Gaslight Vamp #1)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Nightfall on New Babylon by Carmen Dominque Taxer and Richard T Wheeler is told from multiple character viewpoints. At times I found it confusing trying to remember who was who and what’s happening to them, but I do love my vampire stories, so I read on and I’m glad I did.

Things started falling into place. Characters are being exposed for who they truly are. Horrors arise and they are not only the vampire kind.

The women seem to pay the biggest price. As I learn more about the four main characters, I find their lives tragic and frightening. There is more going on than meets the eye and the ending set me up for wanting to know what comes next.

The setting seems like the time of Jack the Ripper in England, but I could visualize the street and ruins of Italy too.

Cliffhanger ending that hooked me.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Nightfall of New Babylon by Carmen Dominque Taxer and Richard T Wheeler.

GOODREADS BLURB

Nightfall on New Babylon (Gaslight Vamp #1)

A Gothic Political Thriller Serial in a Victorian Vampire Horror Setting

In a city built on sin, the immortal Lords of Night move all the pieces.

New Babylon is a city of sin, built on lies told over generations. The inhabitants may think they are the masters of their own destinies at the dawn of the Scientific Revolution, but as night falls on New Babylon, the true Lords of Night once again move their pieces across the playing field in a secret war for dominance – Devika Templeton is a girl who has it all, including a nightly visitor; Roald Black has lost it all, but the truth is even more painful than the loss will ever be; Dalla Arnesen must rebuild her scuttled career, a tenuous feat in a city set against her; and Victoria Campbell has a secret that she must share with her rich suitor if she has any hope of escaping the streets.

Binding all four together with strings of obligation and pain is House D’Asur, the disgraced Lords of the Glass Manor – Those who would be Lords of Night again.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Carmen Dominque Taxer: Author, artist, and sometime philosopher, Carmen Dominique Taxer was born in South Africa with familial roots across the globe. She began her career with early scribblings of the dark and twisted, and this love of dark Gothic Horror, and equally dark Romance, has only grown over the years. Her first love was vampires, and to this day she cannot write without the words pouring out in the shape of roses, blood, and thorny kisses.
Carmen uses the presence of vampires in a fictional setting to give voice to the struggles and successes of humanity, painting a portrait of the world that is both dark and beautifully highlighted with love conquering death above all else.

She and her husband and co-author, Richard T. Wheeler, have constructed a universe of these vampires with the affectionate title of Sanguinem Emere. All of these stories take place in the fictional city of New Babylon, a melting pot of cultures, ethnicities, and desires.

Website

About Richard T Wheeler: Richard T. Wheeler is the co-author of the Sanguinem Emere Gaslight Vamp novel serial and runs Dauntlesswriting.com, helping writers become authorpreneurs.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Tumbler

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Town Curfew for The Darkness by Brittney Leigh @BrittneyBass

Posted on October 28, 2019 by fundinmental

I was given an opportunity to read some of this anthology and I began at the beginning with Bulwark by Brit Lunden. The short stories/novellas are sold separately and to me they read as standalones. This is the third story I have read and enjoyed.

The Darkness: A Bulwark Anthology (Book 8)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Bulwark is a small town, where everything revolves around football. I lived in Alabama for a while and they are some of the most avid fans I have every seen, so I can easily relate to this.

The Darkness by Brittney Leigh is written like a diary. from Sophie’s perspective.

Meeting Sophie, I feel, is going to be a real hoot. She did put a smile on my face early on, so I am eager to see what kind of trouble will seek her out.

And…it being Bulwark, I knew the trouble would be of a paranormal kind.

Secrets will be revealed, bodies will fall.

We have all the teenage angst of high school as these four kids will solve the puzzle of Billy Joe’s disappearance. It is the past clashing with the present.

The Darkness by Brittney Leigh is the eight book of the anthology. Though I have only read two others, I had no trouble enjoying this one. Fast reading with characters that are forever changed.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Darkness by Brittney Leigh.

GOODREADS BLURB

Bulwark- a wall or stockade that protects or sometimes hides the truth from the outside world.

Bulwark, a quiet town… or is it? Four best friends, Sophia, Scott, Chloe and Chris, are just trying to manage their senior year at Bulwark high school when Sophia realizes that her feelings for Chris are really meant for Scott. Before she can deal with that though, the four friends then stumble upon Bulwarks darkest secrets when a spell is cast on Bulwark High. Students have been disappearing and no one has any clues as to their whereabouts. With a town curfew set and parents on edge, the four friends decide to take things into their own hands. Will they break the spell, or will Bulwark High and the town be changed forever? Based on Bulwark, a paranormal thriller by Brit Lunden, The Darkness is the eighth volume in the multi-author Bulwark Anthology.

ABOUT BRITTNEY LEIGH

Brittney Leigh is gracing the Bulwark anthology as a debut author. She is a proud graduate of SUNY Old Westbury College, with a bachelors degree in Media & Communications. Gifted in singing, acting, and dancing, she finds her voice reaches its highest ground in writing. She resides in Long Island where the darkness of New York City comes to sleep.

Stalk Brittney Leigh at Facebook / Twitter

MY BULWARK ANTHOLOGY REVIEWS

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Monday Mini – The Town That Feared Dusk by Calvin Demmer @CalvinDemmer

Posted on October 21, 2019 by fundinmental

The Town That Feared Dusk (Short Sharp Shocks! Book 17)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Sylvia was searching for a good story to kick off her journalism career and almost immediately I thought I knew how the story would go…but not quite. Calvin Demmer wasn’t going to make it quite that easy for me.

Suicide Bridge…36 cases. Why had she never heard of it before?

I can guess. There’s something going on and everyone in town wants to keep it a secret.

Suitably creepy for an easy reading short story.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Town That Feared Dusk by Calvin Demmer.

GOODREADS BLURB

Sylvia Bernstein doesn’t want to end up on a dead-end path like a former journalism colleague. She begins searching the tabloid’s archives for a story that can get her career back on track. A strange bridge, with an abnormally high rate of suicides, seems like the perfect place to start. She journeys to the little town, eager to investigate, but encounters a tale far more sinister than she ever expected…

***

Praise for The Town That Feared Dusk:

“Short, sharp and definitely shocking, The Town That Feared Dusk is a grim tale that picks you up, buckles you in, and speeds away on a chilling ride that veers left just when you think you want to go right.” – Renee Miller, author of Stranded

“Calvin Demmer is a rising star in the weird firmament. It’s possible that his work might change your life forever. This short story is a good example of his craft and impact.” – Duane Pesice, author of Before Crazytown

“Prepare to face a menacing supernatural force that’ll have you questioning the veil between heaven and hell. An edge-of-your seat story with a mind-bending conclusion.” – Theresa Braun, author of Fountain Dead

***

(Cover by Adrian Baldwin)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Calvin Demmer is a dark fiction author. His debut collection, The Sea Was a Fair Master, was released in June 2018. When not writing, he is intrigued by that which goes bump in the night and the sciences of our universe.

You can find him online at http://www.calvindemmer.com or follow him on Twitter @CalvinDemmer.

MY CALVIN DEMMER REVIEWS

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A New To Me Zombie – The Earthdead by Mark James Wooding #Mark James Wooding

Posted on October 18, 2019 by fundinmental

I saw the cover for The Earthdead and it made me curious. At first glance, it looks like it could be a children’s book, .then, I looked closer at the hand on the tree. That’s not a very nice hand. The title made me more curious, so I had to read it.

Indigo / Goodreads

MY REVIRE

The Earthdead by Mark James Wooding was a quick and dirty read. LOL

Rebecca woke up with something heavy on her chest and a bad taste in her mouth.

The Community of Men are on the hunt for Rebecca. The town knew the rumors of Earthdead rising from the ground to feast on humans.

The Earthdead is a different take on the Undead and looking at the cover I was fooled. I thought it was a children’s book, I didn’t foresee the gruesomeness, but the deaths are not the ususal bloody or gory for zombies….maybe when she seeks her revenge Rebecca will do worse.

For it’s originality, fun and entertainment value I give it a three.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Earthdead by Mark James Wooding.

GOODREADS BLURB

A certain fungus brings corpses back from the dead. After the dead revive, they become stronger, faster, and smarter than they were. They can also travel underground. And there’s only one item on their menu: human flesh.

Two local lodges, the Community of Men and the Community of Women, must once again step up to defend the county against an evil that most people don’t even believe exists.

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Monday Mini – They Come At Night by Nick Clausen @NickClausen9 #Horror

Posted on October 7, 2019 by fundinmental

At the time of posting, They Come At Night by Nick Clausen was FREE. Be sure and check for the ‘0’

And what about that cover? Creepalicious huh?

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

There are more than animals in the water, and they want YOU.

How do you protect yourself?

A little mystery and plenty of danger, as the four kids try to survive and make good their escape. I enjoyed this novella, but I was never really scared, just curious.

What is it? Who and how will they survive?

GOODREADS BLURB

Four teenagers. A cottage by the sea. Something comes at night. Something comes with the tide …

They Come at Night was originally published in Danish, but is now available in English.

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One Sentence Review – The Last Dinner Party by Carly M Duncan @carlymduncan

Posted on September 28, 2019 by fundinmental

The Last Dinner Party by Carly M Duncan is one of those long lost review books that slipped through the cracks. I finished reading it 11.27.16.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

Well, what can I say about these characters…that they leave a lot to be desired is putting it mildly, as they will throw each other under the bus as the mystery surrounding the murder brings forth some misdirection and plenty of suspects that may keep you guessing as the last drink is drunk and the party has ended.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Last Dinner Party by Carly M Duncan.

GOODREADS BLURB

When Jeanie D’Alisa is found murdered in her bedroom after hosting a dinner party in her home, detectives Anna Cole and Kristy Hicks are called to investigate the crime. Known within her community for her generous, yet unpredictable nature, Jeanie’s secrets unfold as family, friends and neighbors become suspects. Anna and Kristy discover stamped passport pages revealing travels unknown and a curious relationship between Jeanie and the charming salesman who frequents the apartment building. Meryl, Jeanie’s devoted and needy friend, further complicates the investigation when she phones Jeanie’s sister who is studying abroad and lies to her about the cause of death. Through a muddied pool of misdirection and betrayal, will Anna and Kristy be able to assemble the clues in order to bring Jeanie’s killer to justice? The path to solving the mystery becomes tangled with faces of loved ones who are revealed to be foes in this story about the lengths people will go to in order to save themselves.

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One Sentence Review – Rite of Passage by Emily Martha Sorensen @CleanYAFantasy

Posted on September 21, 2019 by fundinmental

I have read a lot of Emily Martha Sorensen’s short stories and was happy to read Rite of Passage.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

The twins are turning twelve years old and will have a choice to make, but it is not a choice like human children make and it will definitely be life changing…but this ends in a cliffhanger and you will have to read more….

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Rite of Passage by Emily Martha Sorensen

GOODREADS BLURB

Twelve-year-old twins Jaeda and Kaedin are preparing for their society’s rite of passage. Kaedin’s hoping to get magic. Jaeda just wants to survive. But neither are prepared for the surprise awaiting them.

“Rite of Passage” is a 1,900 word short story. It can be purchased here, or read on the author’s website for free.

ABOUT EMILY MARTHA SORENSEN

Emily is a prolific writer with many titles to choose from. She writes of fairies, dragons, fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, world peace in short stories and flash fiction.

You can find her on Goodreads & Amazon

MY REVIEWS FOR EMILY MARTHA SORENSEN