Alone and Targeted – Absolution by D V Berkom @dvberkom

Posted on May 23, 2019 by fundinmental

D V Berkom writes of strong female characters, so when Absolution came in the mail, I was very excited to begin reading. Whether she expects a review or not, doesn’t matter. I want to share one of my favorite authors with you, so a review is always forthcoming.

The great cover is done by Deranged Doctor Designs

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I got lost in the writing as I am drawn in deeper…and I am not surprised with D V Berkom.

This badass character faces danger in every story and this antagonistic villain has a personal agenda that places Leine Basso in her sights.

Leine Basso will stop at nothing to protect those she loves, so she isolates herself as she hunts Salome, the one that got away in Dark Return.

Danger…intrigue…

Never a dull moment.

Who’s the mole? I figured wrong and D V Berkom is great at surprising me that way. The betrayal is well hidden and the red herrings kept me guessing.

And Jinn. I would love to read more about Jinn, a very special young girl.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Absolution by D V Berkom.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

There’s one sure way to stop a terrorist…

Leine Basso has severed ties with everyone she loves to keep them safe while she hunts for the ruthless terrorist, Salome. There are rumblings that the French-born assassin is planning another attack, and Leine’s determined to stop her before it’s too late.

Leine must follow her instincts despite a cunning and merciless enemy determined to lure her down a deadly path. Can Leine thwart her plans, or will Salome’s own twisted vengeance mean the end for Leine and everyone she loves?

From London to Edinburgh to the City of Angels, Salome’s making a comeback—and that comeback includes killing Leine.

ABOUT DV 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.

For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.
Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Pinterest / Amazon US / Amazon UK/ Newsletter
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My Reviews DV Berkom’s Leine Basso Thrillers:

My Reviews for DV Berkom’s Kate Jones Thrillers:

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You can see my Reviews HERE.
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One Sentence Review – Sweet Dreams by Aaron Patterson @Mstersmith

Posted on February 9, 2019 by fundinmental

I shared Sweet Dreams for Teaser Tuesday and now I need a book for Saturday’s One Sentence Review. Seeing I loved Sweet Dreams by Aaron Patterson, it seems a perfect fit, I also must confess, the cover reached out…………

Cover by Andrew Garcia

Amazon / Audio / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I wasn’t sure I was going to write a review about Sweet Dreams by Aaron Patterson until after I finished reading it, saw some of the mixed reviews and thought I needed to add my two cents by saying, “Hey man, it’s a fictional novel with lots of thrill, chills and surprises by some fiendish villains and loveable heroes that will keep you reading, and reading, and wanting more.”

GOODREADS BLURB

*Warning The WJA series is a cross genre series and may bend or break many rules. If you are set in the traditional ways of storytelling this may not be the series for you. Please use caution and only read if you are of an open mind, and crave something off the map and mind-bending. Mark Appleton is living the American Dream. Beautiful wife, loving daughter, and a high paying job in New York City. But when his family are killed in a accident he must reinvent himself. A year later in the midst of putting his life back together, Mark finds out that his family was killed and it was…No accident. Mark will stop at nothing to hunt down the men responsible for the death of his family and what he finds will change his life forever. Kirk Weston is a Detroit detective. He hates his job, his ex-wife, and his life. He is hand selected to help the FBI on a high profile case and just when he thinks things could not get any worse… They do.

If you look at the Amazon blurb you will notice it and the Gooreads blurb are different. I always share the Goodreads blurb on my blog. After checking out the Amazon blurb, I have mixed feelings about this situation. Read the Amazon blurb below and let me know what you think.

AMAZON BLURB

Fans of Daniel Silva, Robert Ludlum, and James Patterson will enjoy SWEET DREAMS by international bestseller Aaron Patterson. . .

Mark Appleton was living the American dream. Beautiful wife, loving daughter, and a high paying job in New York City. But his perfect life is shattered when his family dies in an accident. In the midst of putting his life back together, Mark discovers the seemingly random accident that killed his wife and daughter was not an accident at all. Mark will stop at nothing to hunt down the men responsible for the death of his family, and what he finds will change his life forever.

“New authors come and go every day. Very few come on the scene with the ability to weave a tale that will make you sad to reach the end, longing for more. At a time when the world needs a real hero, Patterson delivers big with the WJA’s Mark Appleton—an unlikely hero for the 21st century.” —The Joe Show

“SWEET DREAMS is packed with action, suspense, romance, betrayal, death, and mystery.” —Drew Maples, author of 28 Yards from Safety

Visit Aaron’s blog at TheWorstBookEver.blogspot.com
Follow Aaron on twitter at www.twitter.com/Mstersmith
Join Aaron on Facebook too!

Quite a difference, don’t you agree?

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Review & Giveaway – The Former Assassin by Nikki Stern @realnikkistern @partnersincr1me

Posted on August 23, 2018 by fundinmental

Continue reading →

Giveaway – ISAN by Mary Ting @MaryTing @KathyHabel

Posted on July 30, 2018 by fundinmental

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Monday Mini – Surgical by Geoffrey Germann #GeoffreyGermann

Posted on January 15, 2018 by fundinmental

I had reviewed the first book, Prepare, in this superhero series and loved it (see it here), so when Geoffrey Germann sent me Surgical, Book II, I was eager to read more about the superhero, Darren Kiel.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

Terror from the opening pages.

Darren Kiel is a vigilante, a super hero. Who doesn’t love someone who works undercover saving those unable to save themselves, never needing or wanting credit or acknowledgement?

Darren is an introvert and has been alone for so long, he is craving interaction with another human. He works in disguise so only has fleeting contact and can never let anyone know who he really is. After 200 days a man could lose his mind.

Until…

He becomes part of a superhero, scifi team: Darren has the suit, Faye has the cloak, Walter is the brains and the means, Brigham is the gopher, and Ives is the techie, the inventor. The characters are unique individuals, well developed, flaws and all. I would love to be a part of their team.

It makes me wonder what super heroes are lurking in our world, invisible to us. Could it be your next door neighbor?

The technology is very realistic and who knows what the government keeps secret from us. Maybe some of it is being used today?

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Surgical by Geoffrey Germann.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The leader of a lynchpin Eastern Bloc nation has been increasingly erratic, belligerent, destabilizing the entire region. On the cusp of reversing the personal campaign that is destined to bring war, he is assassinated. His death comes with no warning, draws no blood, and leaves no trace; a puppet with its strings cut.

A new assassin, a new terrorist, can kill anyone, anywhere, anytime. He is undetectable, untraceable, unstoppable. He will bring governments, nations, and continents to their knees one leader at a time.

His next target is Walter Rocaena.

To fight this enemy Walter will need extraordinary help, but he hasn’t seen Darren Kiel in over a year. Can Walter find him in time and, even if he does, how can anyone stop an assassin that can kill with a thought without ever being near the target?

Even if it is possible, can they do it before civilization itself unravels?

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Book Blast – Murder and Mayhem @PromoBookTours

Posted on September 27, 2017 by fundinmental

Looking for unforgettable heroes pitted against unbeatable odds?

Evil lurks in broad daylight. Conspiracies play out in the shadows. Nowhere is safe. And these 20 pulse-pounding mysteries and thrillers won’t let you forget it…

Fans of Lee Child, James Patterson, Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins, and John Grisham will love the USA Today and Award-Winning authors in the MURDER & MAYHEM boxed set, which is why the authors of this collection came together to bundle 20 EXCLUSIVE thrillers and mysteries, including plenty of BRAND NEW material!

This unbeatable lineup of stories will spike your heart rate and blow your senses with thousands of pages of clever crimes, devastating murders, heart-pounding mystery, and psychological twists.

From tales of spies and espionage to small-town mysteries and traditional courtroom thrillers to hard-boiled noir, this collection offers a cross-section of modern thriller and mystery.

Scroll Up Now and Pre-order Today to secure your 20 stories from the masters of thrills and kills!

Including Titles From…

Award-Winning author Nathan M. Farrugia

Nick Thacker

John Birmingham

N.D. Hill

Eva Winters

Lee Hayton

USA Today bestselling author Olivia Wildenstein

Nathan Goodman

John Ling

Award-Winning author Fiona Quinn

M.R. Graham

USA Today bestselling author H.B. Moore

Award-Winning author Pamela Crane

Award-Winning author Ashley C. Harris

Award-Winning author Terry Keys

Steve P. Vincent

Tina Glasneck

Award-Wining author Pauline Creeden

Dave Sinclair

New York Times bestselling author Monica Corwin

—

Buy Links: Only $.99!

Amazon / Google Play / Kobo / Nook

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Assassin + Serial Killer = Come Hell or High Water by Britney King @britneyking_

Posted on April 19, 2017 by fundinmental

I love the fabulously eerie cover for Come Hell or High Water, the finale for a stupendous trilogy by Britney King.

Come Hell or High Water (The Water Trilogy #3)

Author: Britney King
Title: Come Hell or High Water
Series: Water Trilogy #3
Release Date: April 19, 2017

MY REVIEW

I didn’t think Kate could get any more twisted, but I was so wrong. Her desire to know drives her to do unspeakable, twisted and perverted things. Her actions constantly amaze me, and not in a good way. Where our anger and thoughts of doing something bad to someone may flit through our minds, Kate acts on hers.

This latest ‘event’ cannot end well and I don’t know what she’s thinking. She’s fooling herself. People like her can’t have friends. I’m not even sure she can have a husband and kids and I wonder how this story could possible end with a happy ever after.

If Kate and Jude could live in a sexual frenzy, could they be happy, content with a life in suburbia? Can a serial killer ever be happy? Does killing become an end all, must have, like the air they breathe?

This trilogy has been an amazing journey into the mind of assassins and serial killers, and what motivates them to do the things they do. Sometimes I think I am a little twisted because I loved reading about Kate and Jude so much, but then I think about the author that writes it. LOL

Kate starts out calm and in control…for now, and Jude will settle for that…for now. But what happens the shit hits the fan and Jude fears that more than anything.

And their children…Do serial killers breed serial killers?

Britney King’s in depth descriptions of people, whether it’s the main characters, their petty, drunken neighbors, or the woman in the dress shop treating people like crap because she hates her petty life

We get a glimpse into their past through flashbacks, but that is no excuse for them doing the things they do.

Seeing all books need to be read to follow the story, I don’t want to spoil anything, so all I can say is Kate and Jude are seriously fucked up and I can only wonder .how they haven’t managed to kill each other

I love the illustrations heading each chapter, hinting at what’s to come.

After Kate and Jude have sex, Jude’s thoughts are I think about what we’ve just done, how we’re so broken and yet we fit just right. Then why all the problems? Why can’t Kate be happy? Content?

I started to get bored with the killing (LOL), chatting, kids…and that’s when Britney King throws in a fantastic twist. She lulls me in with a sense of complacency then slams it home.

I have been trying to figure out how Britney King will wrap up The Water Trilogy and couldn’t wrap my mind around a happy ending, but she came up with one that fit very nicely and I can rest…

This twisted, dark suspense thriller series is one you won’t want to miss!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Come Hell or High Water by Britney King.

5 Stars

EXCERPT

“I’ve been studying her for weeks. I know how she takes her coffee, the color she prefers on her nails, the way her mouth moves when she sleeps. I don’t know what she looks like when she’s happy. But I will.”

When Cheryl Steinbeck-Edwards makes the decision to get in a car with a potential contractor, meticulous hitman Jude Riley and his lovely wife Kate, it appears to be the perfect partnership. Turns out, nothing is perfect, and getting in that car was a poor choice, to say the least.

When Kate decides not to kill the woman, as she and her husband agreed, a series of events, some might even call it karma, conspire to turn their worst fears turn into reality.

I’ve been studying her for months. I know how she takes her coffee, the color she prefers on her nails, the way her mouth moves when she sleeps. I don’t know what she looks like when she’s happy. But I will.

That’s not to say I meant to keep her this long. And, of course, you, well you, never intended to keep her at all. But then, what’s done is done.

“I want you to be happy here,” I told her the first week she was here, not long after we let the drugs wear off completely.

“I don’t see how that’s possible,” she said.

“Tell me what makes you happy.”

I could see her thinking about my question; I could see that I’d set something into motion. It wasn’t immediate—most things that are truly great rarely are, but eventually her lips turned upward. Slowly, she broke out into a full-on smile, and it was like the sun coming out on a cloudy day. “He makes me happy.”

“Your husband,” I said. It wasn’t a question. Mostly because it hadn’t occurred to me that it should be.

She laughed just slightly. The smile remained. “Something like that.”

“I see,” I told her, raising my brow.

She looked at me then, really looked at me. The smile faded but her eyes lit up. “Not yet, you don’t,” she said. “But you will.”

ABOUT BRITNEY KING

Britney King writes modern love stories for mature audiences. She also enjoys suspense and often finds her sweet spot penning a good mixture of the two.

Britney is the author of eight novels and is currently at work on number nine.

She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, children, two dogs, one ridiculous cat and a partridge in a pear tree.

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MY BRITNEY KING REVIEWS

Teaser Tuesday #92 – Vigilante Dead by DV Berkom @dvberkom

Posted on February 21, 2017 by fundinmental

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by The Purple Booker, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

~~~~~~

This is how I felt as I rode Kate’s Crazy Train!

DV Berkom’s characters are strong women who face dark and dangerous situations, and Kate Jones is put to the test in Vigilante Dead.

You can see my Review HERE.

There are definitely turbulent waters inside.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY TEASE

I climbed the front stoop and rang the doorbell.

(page 56 in paperback)

GOODREADS BLURB: Death. Lies. Revenge.

After years of running, Kate Jones is finally putting her past behind her. Between restoring ties with her younger sister, moving in with Sam, a cop-turned PI, and working as a PI herself, she’s learning to live life without looking over her shoulder.

Then Kate lands a case that changes everything: a young college student with no history of drug abuse dies of an overdose, and the parents come to Kate demanding answers. Soon, Seattle is reeling from dozens more deaths, all with the same chemical markers. At first, police assume that the victims are closet junkies who got a hold of a bad combination, but after someone close to her becomes a victim, Kate believes something far more sinister is going on.

The deeper Kate digs, the more she uncovers about the deadly drug’s origins, forcing her to choose between doing what’s right… and getting revenge.

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You WILL Want To Ride This Crazy Train – Vigilante Dead by DV Berkom @dvberkom

Posted on February 15, 2017 by fundinmental

This is how I felt as I rode Kate’s Crazy Train!

DV Berkom’s characters are strong women who face dark and dangerous situations, and Kate Jones is put to the test in Vigilante Dead.

I love this amazing cover done by Deranged Doctor Designs.

There are definitely turbulent waters inside.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

OMG, D! You have outdone yourself! Best one yet!

If you are looking for a strong female protagonist and a high octane thriller, look no furthert!

Every time I think DV Berkom can’t make a Kate Jones Thriller even more thrilling, she puts out a story like Vigilante Dead.

Kate has been running from her past for a long time, but now she has settled down. She is a private investigator and has a gorgeous man, Sam, at her side. He is a super guy who gives her space and time when she needs it and some lovin’ when she needs that.

When her sister ODs, the hunt is on…

Drugs, murder, vengeance…

I love books that make me think of our life choices. We all march to our own drummer and who knows what will work if we don’t explore our options. BUT, sometimes we get off course and the road we walk takes us down a dark and dangerous path. So does Kate.

Kate grows more complex with each story told, but danger follows her through each and every one. This time, D took her somewhere that totally blew my mind. Sometimes the character demands that you go there, go where the bad guy goes to get your answers.

DV Berkom’s characters are strong and bold, and sometimes I think they need to have a little more fear. I worry for them. Every time Kate went creeping around, staking out places, I waited for the hammer to fall. I do love that she does things I only think about.

Kate fights the lows that wash over her when she thinks of all she has been through and lost by making mistakes in her youth. They left her with nightmares. Her rash actions and decisions can get her in difficult and dangerous situations.

Kate’s family pisses me off! and her wimpy dad is a huge disappointment to me. Am I being too harsh? You will need to decide.

And Angie, a badass assassin, you are a woman after my own heart, until…

You make a deal with the devil and you get burned.

I cannot quit reading, not for a second. I cannot wait to learn the ending of Vigilante Dead…thoughts are running through my mind, fed by the title. I am loving and hating what I am thinking.

The twists and turns DV Berkom has supplied in Vigilante Dead has ratcheted the suspense and my anticipation to a white knuckled, nail biting level. With all that is happening I am wondering where DV Berkom will leave Kate.

I am mentally yelling at her…DON’T DO IT!!!!!

Yet the little devil whispering on my shoulder says…

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Death. Lies. Revenge.

The deeper Kate digs, the more she uncovers about the deadly drug’s origins, forcing her to choose between doing what’s right… and getting revenge.

ABOUT DV BERKOM

For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.
Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Pinterest / Amazon US / Amazon UK/ Newsletter
Author Pages: Amazon / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / itunes / Kobo

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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My Reviews DV Berkom’s Leine Basso Thrillers:

My Reviews for DV Berkom’s Kate Jones Thrillers:

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Giveaway & Review – Turning To Stone by Gabriel Valjan @GValjan @NouveauWriter

Posted on November 24, 2016 by fundinmental

This is my fourth book in the series, Turning To Stone by Gabriel Valjan and each book got better and better.

If you like complex stories and characters that grow on you, this series is a must read..

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Roma Series continues in Turning To Stone by Gabriel Valjan and starts out with a BANG!

I am on familiar ground with Turning To Stone…The Mob. I have read a lot of organized crime novels, and Turning To Stone has everything I look for…corruption, betrayal, brutality, wholesale slaughter and assassins, female, no less. I love that twist and, for me, it doesn’t happen often enough.

But this is not the organized crime of Al Capone’s day. They are going legit and manipulating events through money, so be careful about investing in the stock market. LOL

Gabriel Valjan’s series keeps getting better and better. The writing flows smoother for me, the pacing and suspense picking up to a level that makes it hard to put the book down.

Some surprising turns at the end make me realize how strong and determined Bianca and her cohorts are. They have questions and WILL NOT stop until they have the answers, no matter the cost to themselves.

I enjoyed Turning To Stone the most…so far…and I am so glad I stuck with the series!

Action packed with OMG moments. The brutal, tragic ending left me feeling very sad and I can hardly wait to see where we go from here.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Threading The Needle from Gabriel Valjan.

4 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Alabaster Black aka Bianca Nerini returns as an investigation into a public official’s assassination pits Bianca and her friends against a backdrop of financial speculation, female assassins on motorcycles, and the Camorra—the most ruthless of Italian organized crime gangs—in Gabriel Valjan’s TURNING TO STONE, the fourth book of the highly praised Roma series (Winter Goose Publishing; June 2015; softcover $15.99; Kindle / Nook, $5.99).

En route to a secret meeting, Aldo Giurlani—the regional commissioner of Lombardy in northern Italy and a specialist on organized crime—is assassinated in the middle of a public square.

More mysterious is the package sent to Giurlani’s hand-picked team of five top investigators within the Guardia di Finanza (GdF), the Italian law enforcement agency that investigates illegal financial transactions, from money laundering to drug trafficking. Within the package are five copies of a book entitled Man of Smoke written by Aldo Palazzeschi.

Then there is Bianca’s tenuous online contact with a mysterious online contact known as Loki, who delivers a cryptic message to her, takes on a new twist with the appearance of a brilliant young obsessive-compulsive man who joins her team.

Complicating matters even further, old enemies and, more problematically, Alabaster’s former employer—Rendition, a murky covert U.S. government agency that does more than just investigate financial crimes—still have grudges to bear against her.

As new mysteries unfold, Bianca’s group quickly discovers that Naples might just be the most dangerous city in Italy.

ABOUT GABRIEL VALJAN

Gabriel Valjan lives in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the author of the Roma Series, available from Winter Goose Publishing. Gabriel has also written numerous short stories and essays found online and in print.