Friday 56 #90 & BB #66 – A Perfect Evil by Alex Kava @AlexKava_Author

Posted on June 24, 2016 by fundinmental

.
The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

~~~

A Perfect Evil by Alex Kava

Alex Kava is a master storyteller that is on my hit list. I don’t even need to look at the book, just hear her name and I know I want it.

I was lucky enough to meet her a year or two ago and got her autograph for my hardcopy of A Perfect Evil. I love this cover and the story inside. This is the first book in the Maggie O’Dell series.

MY FRIDAY 56

“What makes you say that?” He was annoyed by her matter-of-fact attitude, She had been here only minutes and seemed to have it all figured out.

“You fell here when you tripped, right?” she said, pointing to the torn grass and the indent in the mud.

(page 56 in hardback)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

“Bless me Father, for I have sinned.” Ronald Jeffreys’ raspy monotone made the phrase a challenge rather than a confession.

Father Stephen Francis stared at Jeffreys’ hands, mesmerized by the large knuckles and stubby fingers, nails bitten to the quick. The fingers twisted – no, strangled – the corner of his blue government-issue shirt. The old priest imagined those same fingers twisting and choking the life out of little Bobby Wilson.

Uh, oh…What do you think happens next?

Add me to Goodreads

GOOREADS BLURB

A killer is watching . . .

The brutal murders of three young boys paralyze the citizens of Platte City, Nebraska. What’s worse is the grim realization that the man recently executed for the crimes was a copycat. When Sheriff Nick Morrelli is called to the scene of another grisly murder, it becomes clear that the real predator is still at large, waiting to kill again.

Morreli understands the urgency of the case terrorizing his community, but it’s the experienced eye of FBI criminal profiler Maggie O’Dell that pinpoints the true nature of the evil behind the killings — a revelation made all the more horrific when Morrelli’s own nephew goes missing.

Maggie understands something else: the killer is enjoying himself, relishing his ability to stay one step ahead of her, making this case more personal by the hour. Because out there, watching, is a killer with a heart of pure and perfect evil.

~~~

I have never see this cover before. The colors sure do pop, but it looks too cheesy.

Which cover do you like best? Why?

~~~

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
Leave your link in the comments, I’ll drop by to see what’s shakin’.
Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Beware of Rest Areas – Stranded by Alex Kava

Posted on August 17, 2013 by fundinmental

I have been a fan of Alex Kava for a long time. I recently went to a book signing. Alex Kava was discussing Stranded and Erica Spindler was telling us about Justice For Sara. Be on the lookout for my upcoming review of Justice For Sara. To see more about the book signing, go HERE.

HE did his research, taking meticulous notes of what worked best.

HE considered himself an expert on serial killers.

Ted Bundy, Edmund Kemper, Henry Lee Lucas, Jeffrey Dahmer – they all got caught by doing something stupid. Of course, HE thought he was above that. HE was, oh so much, smarter. Don’t they all think that, before they are caught?

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

My favorite genre is murder, especially serial killers. I am baffled by the cruelty a person will inflict on another for their personal pleasure. I also watch all the TV shows, CSI, NCIS, The Closer, Major Crimes, Castle……..for entertainment. I love to watch the true life crime shows too. I find their problem solving skills and tenacity fascinating. Climbing into a killer’s mind takes a special person, very detail oriented and meticulous in their tracking down every lead and putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

I love Alex’s books. They are fast paced and easy to read.They are well written and heavily researched. Alex has talked about her love of doing the research. She is up to date on the latest police and FBI tools that help to apprehend criminals and find the lost.

Cadaver dogs. I remember being surprised the first time I heard they could smell decomposed bodies that were underwater. They make our sense of smell seem non-existent.

The FBI Highway Serial Killer Initiative – came about because an analyst in Oklahoma noticed a pattern when he was investigating the dumping of women’s bodies along Interstate 40, which crossed four US states. The suspects are usually long haul truckers and their victims women like Lily, the Lot Lizard, who hang around rest areas, truck stops and service stations.

I love when the book is placed in locations I am familiar with. Waffle House. Everyone knows Waffle House, home of the best breakfast in the South. You cannot live in the Pensacola area and not know about Sacred Heart Hospital. Black Water River State Park. I have swung on a tree rope, launching into the water to swim and canoe down the Blackwater River.

Alex Kava says this would be a great dumping ground for bodies. Between the weather and the critters, it wouldn’t take them long to decompose. Not like in the colder, northern climates, where a body could be dumped in the winter and not be found until the spring thaw. Ya gotta love an author that thrives on murder and has a great sense of humor.

Blackwater River by Ebyabe

Maggie – independent. FBI profiler. Living her life surrounded by dogs. Is she ready to add a lover to her life? She is a white knuckled flyer. I hate flying and turbulence makes more than my knuckles white.

Grace is a Jack Russell terrier. Alex loves the scrappy little dog. Grace has drive and is a workaholic. She loves her squishy, squeaky, pink elephant toy. Maybe it was because Alex had talked about loving Grace, that she became a huge part of the story for me. I think she will capture your heart too. The same with Creed, but I think I would have fallen for him anyway.

Creed- strong, determined, yet hurt and vulnerable. A damaged hero. A man after my own heart. How about you? He rescues dogs and trains them for use in his work, finding lost ones. He was always looking for his lost sister. Alex described Creed loving to dive into the water and feel it flowing over his body. I love the water and knew exactly what she was saying. My hubby calls me his mermaid.

Lily the Lot Lizard. Sounds like a song. Alex delved into the trucker culture. Her research surprised me, as she describes their world. Next time you are at the rest area, be sure to keep your eyes open at all times. Maybe you’ll even spot a Lot Lizard.

Alex also does a great job of describing our weather here in the South. Crashing thunder is part of our usual afternoon storms, as it rattles the windows in their frames. Florida has the most lightening strikes per year than anywhere else in the world.

Thunderstorm by Bidgee

QUOTES

Occam’s razor – the easiest explanation is often the correct one.

Asparagus – “….these look like penises.” LOL. And that’s all I’m gonna say.

Smorgasbord of travelers – his victims.

“…..legend that says when you can’t sleep its because you’re awake in someone else’s dream.”

I have read numerous books by Alex Kava, both bought and checked out of the library. I purchased this book at the book store where Alex Kava and Erica Spindler were doing a discussion and book signing. I love having a signed, first edition hardcover to add to my collection.

To get your copy of Alex Kava;s books, simply click on the cover below.

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

My Adventures – Murder In The Children’s Section – Alex Kava and Erica Spindler

Posted on August 8, 2013 by fundinmental

Murder In The Children’s Section is an adventure into the minds of two fantastic MURDER novelists, Alex Kava and Erica Spindler.

I received a phone call from my hubby, which is not unusual, but this time he had some really great news. Alex Kava and Erica Spindler are here in Pensacola being interviewed at the WSRE PBS station at Pensacola State College. I jumped in the shower, grabbed a couple books from my shelf and ran right out to buy their latest releases. Thus, the bad hair day. LOL I love both authors, so there was no way I was going to miss this.

Erica Spindler, Alex Kava and Me by Sherry Fundin

Both authors were friendly and in no hurry. They were willing to answer all our questions and sign, not just their new releases, but the additional books we brought in for autographs. Of course, we all wanted photos with them. ^_^ They complimented each other very well.

Erica Spindler and Me by Sherry Fundin

Erica Spindler talked about her writing regimen. She gets up early and goes to her local coffee shop to write for a couple of hours. She finds it less distracting, even with all the activity going on around her. Could it be because of the bats that have moved into her home? She waits til the pressure is on and a deadline looms, then takes off, just her and her dog. She spends the time writing and walking. She prefers writing over research. Erica used to write romance, then felt a need to add suspense. Now she can’t imagine writing a book without a murder in it. She feels she has found what she was meant to do in life – writing suspense novels. She talked about how green Pensacola is compared to the New Orleans area, due to the loss of the trees since Hurricane Katrina. She wasn’t sure if she had written thirty or thirty one books and has one in the works.

Alex Kava and Me by Sherry Fundin

Alex Kava’s favorite part of writing is the research. She does marathon writing sessions with her dogs at her side. In Stranded, she made Creed like herself, surrounded by the dogs that they love. She divides her time between Nebraska and Pensacola. She loves to write about places and settings she is familiar with. Alex talked at length about the FBI’s Highway Serial Killings Initiative and Cadaver dogs. She also talked about the research she did into the trucker culture and how her and Erica would be stopping at rest areas while on tour, looking for a Lot Lizard, a truck stop prostitute. She talked about how the Black River State Forest is an excellent dumping ground for bodies a murderer wouldn’t want found. The critters and weather would eat up the body quick, not like the refrigeration of the cold north. I couldn’t help but laugh. She has written thirteen books and has one in the works.

Neither author can imagine writing a book without a murder in it. By the time they tour and promote a new release, they are already writing another novel. Both like to stand when they talk, pacers, making it easy for all of us to see them.

Be sure and check out their websites to see if they will be touring in your area!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know Alex’s books are always quick and easy reads. The words flow smoothly off the pages making them perfect summer reads. No question in my mind about picking up my copy of her new release – Stranded. I am familiar with a lot of the settings and that makes it even more readable. I’ve stopped at many rest areas and truck stops and never really thought much about it – day or night. Now I will be keeping my eyes open. I want to see a Lot Lizard too.

The big question now is which book do I read first!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stranded (Maggie O’Dell, #11) Stranded by Alex Kava

4.01 rating details

168 ratings · 41 reviews

Pick up your Amazon copy HERE.

New York Times bestselling author Alex Kava returns with another action-packed thriller featuring special agent Maggie O’Dell, who is on the hunt for a “truck stop” serial killer.

Tired travelers and weary truckers have stopped at rest areas on the nation’s highways for decades to refuel, grab a bite, and maybe get some shut-eye, but one man’s rest stop is another’s hunting ground. For decades the defenseless, the weary, and the stranded have disappeared along the highways and byways, vanishing without a trace, but these seemingly unconnected incidents are no coincidence, and a madman stalks the freeways.

When FBI special agent Maggie O’Dell and her partner, Tully, discover the remains of a young woman in a highway ditch, the one clue left behind is a map that will send Maggie and Tully on a frantic hunt crisscrossing the country to stop a madman before he kills again.

As the body count rises and Maggie races against the clock to unmask the monster who’s terrorizing the nation’s highways, she turns to a former foe for help since he seems to know just what the killer’s next move will be. As she gets closer to finding the killer, it becomes eerily clear that Maggie is the ultimate target.

Turn the tables on Alex Kava and stalk her by following the links below:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Grab your copy from Amazon by clicking on the cover.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Erica’s books seem to be more about feelings and emotion, delving into the psychological aspect of the story, making them a little heavier. Her new book, Justice for Sara is a perfect example. The writing also flows smoothly and I would not have to think twice about picking up a book with her name on it.

Justice for Sara

Justice For Sara

by Erica Spindler

4.41 · rating details

27 ratings · 11 reviews

Pick up your Amazon copy HERE.

When seventeen-year-old Katherine McCall awakened one morning to find her beloved sister, Sara, brutally murdered, her whole life changed in the blink of an eye. Kat was named the prime suspect and, on a string of circumstantial evidence, charged and tried. While the jury found her innocent, not everyone else agreed, and her only choice was to go into hiding. But she carried a dark secret with her, one that made her worry she might actually have had something to do with Sara’s death . . .

Now, years later, Kat is still haunted by her sister’s unsolved murder and continues to receive chilling anonymous letters, but she has tried to move on with her life. Until, on the tenth anniversary of Sara’s death, she receives a letter that makes the past impossible to ignore: “What about justice for Sara?” What about justice for Sara? And for herself? Kat realizes that going back to Liberty, Louisiana, might be the only way to move forward and find some peace. And there’s a killer out there who was never caught.

But the town she’s come back to is hardly different from the one she left. The secrets and suspicions still run deep. Kat has an ally in Detective Luke Tanner, son of the former Liberty police chief, but he may be her only one. With plenty of enemies, no one to trust and a killer determined to keep a dark secret buried, Kat must decide if justice is worth fighting—and dying—for.