TheToymaker & Savannah Project by Chuck Barrett @chuck_barrett #booksfromthebacklog

Posted on August 20, 2020 by fundinmental

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.

If you would like to join in, swing by Carole’s Random Life in Books.

Chuck Barrett is the kind of author that is as interesting as his novels and he a Florida native, so that’s a big plus. I have read one of his books and now that these are on my radar…again…maybe I can get to them.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB

“An intense, heart-pounding St. Patrick’s Day thriller!”

The truth can be a dangerous thing.

Terrorism, duty, and personal safety collide when Jake Pendleton, an investigator for the NTSB, is called to investigate an aircraft accident in Savannah, Georgia during the St. Patrick’s Day celebration. The accident, which at first appears to be quite run-of-the-mill, turns out to be anything but. Since Jake is not willing to pretend there are no suspicious circumstances and more than the usual share of rather unlikely “coincidences,” he sets off a veritable avalanche of secrets, violence and treachery. Aided by an unlikely partner, Gregg Kaplan, the air traffic controller who was the last person in contact with the airplane that crashed, Jake sets out to untangle the webs of deceit and to find a vicious killer.

Nothing is as it seems, nobody is who you thought them to be.
Nothing is sacred.
Nobody is safe.

Goodreads ratings: 3.73 · 688 ratings · 72 reviews

I am so excited to have the first two books in the Jake Pendleton series by Chuck Barrett. I added this to Goodreads on 10.6.12 but I didn’t pick it up from Amazon until 6.23.14. I’m so glad I haven’t read book one yet, The Toymaker, see below. Now I can read them in order and I feel they are going to be some good ones. What can of thrillers float your boat?

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB

Former NTSB Investigator Jake Pendleton faces a dilemma as the line blurs between right and wrong. After his judgment comes into question, Jake is entrusted to his new mentor, an eccentric old man who sees beyond Jake’s flaws. A man who makes ‘toys for spies.’ A man known as The Toymaker. Jake’s first assignment reunites him with Gregg Kaplan in a daredevil mission to rescue a fellow agent held captive in Yemen. He risks his life to stop the first attack of an al Qaeda mastermind. But now, with no one to trust but himself, can Jake stop the terrorist from destroying what is most precious to the free world? Unfortunately, more trouble comes his way as a killer from his past threatens something more important to Jake than his own life, leaving him to make the hardest decision any man ever has to make- Who to sacrifice. In the same suspenseful style as his award winning thriller, The Savannah Project, Chuck Barrett’s The Toymaker is guaranteed to engulf the reader in another spine-tingling tale of international intrigue.

Goodreads ratings: 3.91 · 551 ratings · 60 reviews

No doubt in my mind that I added The Toymaker to my reading list because of the cover! I added it on 10.6.12, but for some reason I actually got it from Amazon on 6.20.12. Who knows why it’s different. I didn’t keep very good records for years and just recently tried to add all books owned, kindle and physical, through blogging. I have a lot more on the shelves before I even joined Goodreads. Any who…back to business.

MY CHUCK BARRETT REVIEWS

Blown

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Into The Deep by Lauryn April #booksfromthebacklog @laurynapril

Posted on August 13, 2020 by fundinmental

If you would like to join in, swing by Carole’s Random Life in Books.

Amazon / Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB

Ivy Daniels is a high school junior still learning who she is. After an accident, Ivy finds herself with an ability she doesn’t want, an ability to uncover secrets which quickly begins to redefine what she thinks about the people around her as well as herself. Because of this ability, Ivy becomes the one thing that stands between an angry teen and the death of every student on campus. The only problem is she doesn’t know who wants everyone dead. Will she figure out who has this dark secret, or will she fail to find him in time?

Through her search to do the right thing, Ivy discovers that knowing the thoughts and secrets of those around her may just tear her apart.

Goodreads Ratings: 3.87 207 ratings · 46 reviews

I’m sure I picked this up because of the cover and title, thinking, ah, something to do with water…and we have secrets. I love books where secrets are exposed. Do you have any secrets? Anything you would like to share?

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Ghosts Beneath Us by Kathryn Meyer Griffith @KathrynG64

Posted on July 23, 2020 by fundinmental

I found Kathryn Meyer Griffith through blogging and once I started reading her work, I never looked back. Be sure and check out all my reviews below and don’t forget to read this one. It’s another fun trip to Spookie town.

Ghosts Beneath Us (Spookie Town Murder Mysteries, #3)

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Oh man, it’s good to be back with Abigail, Frank, Myrtle and the gang in Spookie Town. Not only do we have a murder mystery, but we have a little bit of the supernatural going on. Is it good or bad? I’ll leave that for you to find out for yourself.

Myrtle is an eccentric (?) who sees ghosts and I love how she pops in and out of Abigail and Frank’s life. Abigail and Frank are a couple, but they have yet to make that final decision, to live together. Abigail has two children that she took in when they were orphaned. You can find the details out in All Things Slip Away and it is a wonderful story.

Abigail got up in the morning and as soon as she stepped outside felt something…was in the air…and it didn’t feel good. Myrtle comes to Abigail with a request. Will she help her neighbor, who is being haunted by a ghost? Bumps in the night doesn’t begin to describe what she is going through.

They are not ghost whisperers, ghost busters, or ghost hunters, but they will get to the bottom of the mystery of the burglaries, hauntings, missing people, and dead bodies. Just because they are older and quickly dismissed by the small town police, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening and someone must step in before something else happens.

Are the police just inept, lazy and useless, or are they part of the problem? That is one of the things I love about small towns, the unique, fun, and interesting characters that add as much to the story as the mystery we are here to solve.

BUT, also in a small town:

“You’re one of us. Remember I told you, we take care of our own in Spookie. That’s what we do.”

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Ghosts Beneath Us by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Someone is terrorizing the elderly in a certain neighborhood in Spookie and vandalizing their homes. As usual, Abigail Sutton, a freelance artist, and her boyfriend Frank Lester, a retired homicide detective, are called in to help find out who’s doing these awful acts. The two seem to have an uncanny knack for unraveling mysteries and getting to the bottom of such strange happenings. Some of the old people think it’s ghosts in their basements, in their homes, doing these destructive deeds but Frank doesn’t believe in ghosts; while Abigail isn’t so sure. Then the old folks begin to disappear one by one or to die suspiciously and Frank thinks there’s a sinister plan behind the crimes and is determined to uncover who or what is responsible. In the end, they, with a little help from their friend eccentric old Myrtle, must solve the mystery or more of the old ones in town might end up dead. Sequel to Scraps of Paper (Spookie Town Murder Mystery #1) and All Things Slip Away (Spookie Town Murder Mystery #2)

ABOUT KATHRYN MEYER GRIFFITH

Kathryn Meyer Griffith has been a writer for over forty-nine years now and has had twenty-nine novels and thirteen short stories published since 1984. She began her writing career as a paperback horror author in 1984 with Leisure and Zebra Publishing, but has since moved on to write paranormal horror, romantic historical time-travel, suspense, romance, thrillers, and murder mysteries. Her horror novel The Last Vampire, and her thriller Dinosaur Lake (now a best-selling five book series), were both Epic eBook Awards Finalists in 2012 and 2014. Kathryn Meyer Griffith rdgriff@htc.net

* My Books here: https://tinyurl.com/ycp5gqb2

*Audio: http://tinyurl.com/oz7c4or

NOVELS: Evil Stalks the Night, The Heart of the Rose, Blood Forged, Vampire Blood, The Last Vampire (2012 Epic eBook Awards Finalists in their Horror category), Witches, Witches II: Apocalypse, Witches plus Witches II: Apocalypse, The Nameless One erotic horror short story, The Calling, Scraps of Paper (1st Spookie Town Murder Mystery), All Things Slip Away (2nd Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Ghosts Beneath Us (3rd Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Witches Among Us (4th Spookie Town Murder Mystery), What Lies Beneath the Graves (5th Spookie Town Murder Mystery), All Those Who Came Before (6th Spookie Town Murder Mystery); soon, a 7^th, When the Fireflies Retuned, out in December 2020, Egyptian Heart, Winter’s Journey, The Ice Bridge, Don’t Look Back, Agnes, A Time of Demons and Angels, The Woman in Crimson, Human No Longer, Four Spooky Short Stories Collection, Forever and Always Romantic Novella, Night Carnival Short Story, Dinosaur Lake (2014 Epic eBook Awards Finalists in their Thriller/Adventure category), Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising, Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation and Dinosaur Lake IV: Dinosaur Wars, Dinosaur Lake V: Survivors, Memories of My Childhood, and a biographical short story Christmas Magic 1959.

Stalk Kathryn Meyer Griffith:

Twitter / Blog / Facebook / AuthorsDen / Goodreads / YouTube

Smashwords / Pinterest

MY KATHRYN MEYER GRIFFITH REVIEWS

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On The Road Again – Superstition Victim by Ellen Behrens #EllenBehrens

Posted on July 22, 2020 by fundinmental

Woo Hoo. We;re hitting the road with Walt and Betty, and I’m sure there will be a mystery or two to solve while we hike the trails of Arizona.

Superstition Victim (Rollin RV Mysteries #3)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I am so happy to be back in the RV with Walt and Betty and this time we will be hiking the trails and solving a mystery in the shadow of the Superstition Mountains in Arizona.

I love the play on their name Rollin…pronounced as if saying rolling down the road.

Betty is the Jessica Fletcher of the RV world.

Their son had died and Betty could not let it go. She needed to know why. Had to have answers, but there were none. They sold everything, bought an RV and began to travel. Maybe that is why she is persistent in her need to know what’s going on right under her nose, like the dead man and two missing people.

I do like that the characters talk about their surroundings, the weather, and the people they meet. They love to people watch, trying to guess what was going on in their lives. They talk about RVs and what it means to be a permanent traveler. It lends an air of authenticity and reality making it easy to put myself in their shoes. She even throws some history in the mix.

The Superstition Mountains were given their name because the Pima and Apache Tribes were superstitious about the mountains and the settlers gave them their name. It is also the home of the Lost Dutchman’s mine.

Could there be a hidden gold mine with riches waiting to be discovered? Does that explain the brief flashes of light Betty has seen?

If you are looking for an easy reading cozy mystery with some travel and local history of the locations the characters visit, meeting some interesting people and solving crime, this is a series for you. Each book stands alone and takes place in a different state in the US.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Superstition Victim by Ellen Behrens.

GOODREADS BLURB

A rustic campground in the shadows of Arizona’s Superstition Mountains is anything but peaceful for Walt and Betty Rollin, full-time RVers hoping for tranquil hiking and a good deal on a new RV. What they find instead are secrets buried deeper than the Lost Dutchman’s legendary treasure… secrets so valuable someone is willing to kill to keep them. Local law enforcement seems unable to help, leaving Walt and Betty to do all they can–no matter what it takes.

This is the third installment in the Rollin RV Mystery series which RVers and non-RVers alike have called “page-turning,” “engrossing,” and their favorite way to stay up past bedtime.

ABOUT ELLEN BEHRENS

Ellen Behrens’ short stories, articles, essays, and reviews have been widely published. Her published books include the novels “Pea Body,” “None But the Dead and Dying” and the short story collection “Road Tales: Short Stories About Full-Time RVing.” She is former fiction editor of Mid-American Review and the recipient of an Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship. She and her husband have been living the “full-timer” RV lifestyle since 2009.

Website

MY REVIEWS FOR ELLEN BEHREN

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The Book Doctor by Britney King @EJBookPromos @britneyking_

Posted on July 17, 2020 by fundinmental

Britney King has done it again in The Book Doctor, a psychological thriller!

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Britney King has done it again in her psychological thriller, The Book Doctor. The Prologue smacked me in the face, made me duck and cover, and had me rapidly turning the pages to find out what in the hell is going on.

George is a writer with a book deadline months past due and a wife with severe mental issues and the story takes off. It quickly becomes a twisted mess and I’m wondering what is going on with Liam. And his wife? My head is spinning.

George is living in hell.

A terrifying look into the life of a mentally disturbed woman and the man who cares for and keeps both of them safe. An impossible task, I believe.

Great job, Britney. You had me til the end and what a wild ride it was. I went down the path you led me and walked into crazy town. You had me questioning the characters actions, feeling something was a little bit off, and I never saw the ending coming.

I love books with serial killers and this led me down a murky path. The pacing kept me turning the pages, having to know what comes next. I can highly recommend every book of hers I have read.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Book Doctor by Britney King.

GOODREADS BLURB

From the bestselling author of The Social Affair and HER comes a riveting new thriller about a writer desperate to make a comeback who realizes that success may cost more than he can afford to pay when a stranger arrives at his door.

George is bitter. As he should be. Once a household name, George is dying to make a comeback, and death may be the only option left to get the public’s attention. Ask anyone, his life is unraveling at the seams. Meanwhile, his new apprentice is everything he is not.

The enigmatic man his publisher sends to help is young and ambitious, with looks that could kill, and possibly do.

When George discovers that his apprentice’s talent extends beyond fixing broken plots, that his winning formula may, in fact, be a result of making the crimes in his novels come to life, George has to ask himself how much he is willing to overlook to achieve mainstream success.

Perfectly paced, The Book Doctor is an electrifying psychological thriller about a life’s work, obsession, and the dangerous places ambition can take you. Full of enough tension and twists to make even the most seasoned suspense reader break out in a cold sweat, it keeps you guessing until the very last page.

ABOUT BRITNEY KING

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

When she’s not wrangling the things mentioned above, she writes psychological, domestic and romantic thrillers set in suburbia.

Currently, she’s writing three series and several standalone novels.

The Bedrock Series features an unlikely heroine who should have known better. Turns out, she didn’t. Thus she finds herself tangled in a messy, dangerous, forbidden love story and face-to-face with a madman hell-bent on revenge. The series has been compared to Fatal Attraction, Single White Female, and Basic Instinct.

The Water Series follows the shady love story of an unconventional married couple—he’s an assassin—she kills for fun. It has been compared to a crazier book version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Also, Dexter.

Around The Bend is a heart-pounding standalone, which traces the journey of a well-to-do suburban housewife, and her life as it unravels, thanks to the secrets she keeps. If she were the only one with things she wanted to keep hidden, then maybe it wouldn’t have turned out so bad. But she wasn’t.

The With You Series at its core is a deep love story about unlikely friends who travel the world; trying to find themselves, together and apart. Packed with drama and adventure along with a heavy dose of suspense, it has been compared to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Love, Rosie.

The Social Affair is an intense standalone about a timeless couple who find themselves with a secret admirer they hadn’t bargained for. For fans of the anti-heroine and stories told in unorthodox ways, the novel explores what can happen when privacy is traded for convenience. It is reminiscent of films such as One Hour Photo and Play Misty For Me.

Without a doubt, connecting with readers is the best part of this gig. You can find Britney online here:

Web• http://BritneyKing.com
Instagram • https://instagram.com/britneyking_
Facebook • https://www.facebook.com/BritneyKingAuthor
Twitter• http://twitter.com/BritneyKing_
Goodreads • http://bit.ly/BritneyKingGoodreads

To get more– grab two books for free, by subscribing to her mailing list at britneyking.com or just copy and paste bit.ly/britneykingweb into your browser.

MY BRITNEY KING REVIEWS

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Books From The Backlog – Boardwalk Cottage by Barbara Cool Lee @BarbaraCoolL

Posted on July 2, 2020 by fundinmental

If you would like to join in, swing by Carole’s Random Life in Books.

Everything about Under The Board walk talked to me, especially the title and cool cover, and now I am trying to decipher what cover I am supposed to use and because the title was changed too. I am disappointed about the cover and title, but the blurb still makes me want to read it. The second cover is the newer one.

Boardwalk Cottage (A Pajaro Bay Mystery Book 2) by [Barbara Cool Lee]

Amazon / Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB

Wounded artist Hallie Reed comes to Pajaro Bay for a summer job at the funky old amusement park owned by her college roommate’s family. But she finds more than she bargained for: danger, romance, and a new beginning await Hallie during her summer at the beach, and she—and the whole town—will be changed forever by what she finds Under the Boardwalk.

Welcome to the charming little village of Pajaro Bay, with its cast of quirky characters and its cottages overlooking the sun-drenched coast.

Goodreads ratings: 3.83 · 649 ratings · 61 reviews

I added this on 10.4.12. Like I said above, I grabbed this because of the title, Under The Boardwalk and the fabulous cover. I still want to read it because I love anything beachy and I want to know what she finds Under The Boardwalk. How about you? Which title and cover speak to you?

If you look at her website, it’s obvious why she changed the cover and title and it does make the series appear branded.

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Laying Ghosts by Virginia King @selkiemoonbooks

Posted on June 30, 2020 by fundinmental

FREE AT TIME OF POSTING

I added Laying Ghosts by Virginia King to my TBR on 2.16.20. I can’t resist going to the beach…sooooo it’s on to Crystal Cottage.

Love the fabulous cover, done by Julia Kuris at Designer Ability.

Laying Ghosts (The Secrets of Selkie Moon, #0.5)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Such a great cover and tagline for Laying Ghosts, The Secrets of Selkie Moon #0.5 by Virginia King, I couldn’t resist grabbing it. It’s a quick read at 48 ebook pages.

Selkie’s home along, after declining an invite to spend time at a beachside resort with her honey, Andrew, who has to attend a conference. She has no use for beaches, other than to fear them and stay as far away from them as she can BUT…

She ends up at the beach anyway, when she receives a text:

Help me at Crystal Cottage. Rina.

She had lost touch with Marina, when she left with Frank and his band to go to London. Something doesn’t feel right and she has very bad memories of Crystal Cottage, but that won’t stop her.

Most of the characters leave a lot to be desired, even the possessive Andrew, who monitors her every move.

Wow, that was every which way of weird and surprising. I was tossed here and there, never knowing where I was going until I got there. I want more of Selkie…a lot more.

Love it!

GOODREADS BLURB

Ghosts used to moan. Now they … pho-o-ne.

A strange message, a deserted beach house, a shocking incident from the past … Selkie Moon’s life with change forever.

When a text message from a long lost friend lures Selkie Moon to Crystal Cottage, the chilling events from a house-party four years earlier wrap her in ghostly fingers and turn her life upside-down.

A prequel to the Selkie Moon Mystery Series plus your bonus first chapter of The First Lie.

Read Laying Ghosts for a standalone 60-minute adrenaline rush or as a taste of the Selkie Moon Mystery Series: The First Lie, The Second Path, The Third Note and The Fourth Door

ABOUT VIRGINIA KING

When a voice wakes you up in the middle of the night and tells you to write a mystery series, what’s a writer to do? That’s how I came to create Selkie Moon, after a massage from a strange woman with gifted hands was followed by this nocturnal message. I sat down at the keyboard until Selkie Moon turned up — a modern woman with a mythical name. Soon I was hooked, exploring far-flung places full of secrets where Selkie delves into psychological clues tangled up in the local mythology.

Before Selkie Moon invaded my life, I’d been a teacher, an unemployed ex-teacher, the author of over 50 children’s books, an audio-book producer, a workshop presenter and a prize-winning publisher. These days I live in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney with my husband, where I disappear each day into Selkie Moon’s latest mystery. Bliss.

Website

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Giveaway – The Study of Secrets by Cynthia Kuhn @cynthiakuhn @dollycas

Posted on June 5, 2020 by fundinmental

The Study of Secrets (A Lila Maclean Academic Mystery)
by Cynthia Kuhn

About The Study of Secrets

The Study of Secrets (A Lila Maclean Academic Mystery)
Cozy Mystery/Amateur Sleuths
5th in Series
Publisher: Henery Press (May 26, 2020)
Hardcover: 242 pages
ISBN-10: 163511618X
ISBN-13: 978-1635116182
Paperback: 242 pages
ISBN-10: 1635116155
ISBN-13: 978-1635116151
Digital ASIN: B085P3CF39

There could be nowhere more fitting for English professor Lila Maclean to spend her sabbatical than in a proper Victorian mansion. The whimsical Callahan House seems to have materialized from the pages of the mystery novels she is researching, with its enchanting towers, cozy nooks, and charming library. Unfortunately, it also features a body in the study.
Residents of Larkston have long believed that the Callahan family is cursed—the murder on the estate sets the town buzzing. Wild rumors are fueled by a gossipy blogger who delights in speculation, and further crimes only intensify the whispers and suspicions. A newly discovered manuscript, however, appears to expose startling facts beneath the fictions. When Lila steps in to sort the truth from the lies, it may cost her everything, as someone wants to make dead certain that their secrets stay hidden.

About Cynthia Kuhn

Cynthia Kuhn writes the Lila Maclean Academic Mysteries: The Semester of Our Discontent, The Art of Vanishing, The Spirit in Question, The Subject of Malice, and The Study of Secrets. Honors for the series include an Agatha Award for best first novel and Lefty Award nominations for best humorous mystery. For more information, please visit cynthiakuhn.net.

Author Links

Website: cynthiakuhn.net

Twitter: @cynthiakuhn

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cynthiakuhnwriter

Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/authors/cynthia-kuhn

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Blog: chicksonthecase.com

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Purchase Links – Amazon – Nook – B&N Paperback

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Giveaway Tour for The Thorny Rose Mystery Series by Lauren Carr @TheMysteryLadie @iReadBookTours

Posted on May 22, 2020 by fundinmental

I have read all the books in the series…so far…so check out my review links at the end of the post.

“The plot was original, fresh and fast paced in spite of the “traditional elements” employed which can normally be found in any other thriller of this genre. The USP of this story would be its unpredictability. When you think you have it all guessed up, the plot would change its course keeping you hooked. There were a lot of suspense twists and turns that kept the momentum up. Needless to say, the writing was simply perfect. One thing that writer needs to be lauded for is the humor she inculcated in the book. Minus those humorous parts, the book would have been one serious read.” – Reviewer: Book and Ink

Join us for this tour from May 4 to Jun 5, 2020!

Book Details:

Book Title: Kill and Run by Lauren Carr
Series: Thorny Rose Mystery Series (Volume 1)
Category: Adult fiction, 422 pages
Genre: Murder Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: September, 2015
Format available for review: audible (download code), ebook (mobi, ePub, PDF)
Tour dates: May 4 to Jun 5, 2020
Content Rating: PG (mild violence and sexual suggestion)

Book Description:

Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers together only to be killed.

Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims, then he can find their murderer.

The case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night shift on the turnpike.

In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in Crime join newlyweds Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to shift through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning killer?

Buy the Book:
Audible ~Amazon
Add to Goodreads

“Mysteries, murder, danger, and memories that threatens their lives keeps the action and suspense at a high level and even when the answers are found, it left me wanting more.” – Review by Sherry Fundin of Fundinmental

Book Description:

After ten months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in their new home, everything appears to be perfect … except in the middle of the night when, in the darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep secret from Jessica’s past creeps to the surface to make her strike out at Murphy.

When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may have witnessed the murder of a family while visiting family at the winery near-by, and suppressed the memory.

Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims, Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker, a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an end to the Thorny Rose couple?

Buy the Book:
Audible ~ Amazon
Add to Goodreads

Murder by Perfection is a wonderful read and a perfect to escape from the challenges of a busy day. Danger, intrigue, humor, and love all take their turn in this tale which will keep you reading into the wee hours.” Review by Marilyn R. Wilson, Olio by Marilyn

Book Description:

Beware: Perfection has a dark side!

Frustrated with their busy schedules, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday attempt to find togetherness by scheduling a weekly date night. The last thing Jessica Faraday expected for her date night was to take a couple’s gourmet cooking course at the Stepford Kitchen Studio, owned by Chef Natalie Stepford―the model of perfection in looks, home, and business.

When Natalie ends up dead and Murphy goes missing, the Thorny Rose detectives must peel back the layers of Natalie Stepford’s life to discover that the pursuit of perfection can be deadly.

Buy the Book:
Audible ~ Amazon
Add to Goodreads

Enjoy this latest Thorny Rose Mystery! Coming soon to Audible!

“Wow – this is one INCREDIBLE novel that I could not put down. It had me on the edge of my seat and I can honestly say that I never saw the end coming. It was full of suspense, action but also humour (done in a way that only Lauren can accomplish).” – 5-Star Review of THE NUTCRACKER CONSPIRACY by Working Mommy Journal

THE NUTCRACKER CONSPIRACY by Lauren Carr

Book Details:

Book Title: The Nutcracker Conspiracy (A Thorny Rose Mystery #4) by Lauren Carr
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 388 pages
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: January 30, 2020
Format available for review: audible (download code), mobi, epub, PDF
Tour dates: May 4 to Jun 5, 2020
Content Rating: PG-13 (Lauren Carr’s books are murder mysteries, so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a murder will happen on stage. There is sexual content, but always behind closed doors. Some mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between). No F-bombs!

Book Description:

Three years ago, the nation gasped in horror when the President of the United States barely escaped an assassination attempt that left two dead—the vice president’s wife and the attempted assassin. Even after numerous investigations proved otherwise, conspiracy theorists argue that the assassin was acting on orders from the CIA, FBI, and every federal agency within a hundred miles of the capital.

Aspiring Author Dean Conway is the last person Lieutenant Commander Murphy Thornton wants to spend his Saturday afternoon when they end up at the same wedding reception table. While their wives tend to bridesmaid duties, Murphy is trapped listening to Dean’s latest work-in-project—completing the manuscript of an investigative journalist who’d disappeared months earlier.

“She was number twelve,” Dean says.

“Twelve?” Murphy asks.

“Twelve witnesses connected to or investigating The Nutcracker shooting have died either in an accident or suicide.”

Two days later, Dean dies suddenly―but not before sending a text message to Murphy:

“13”

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com ~ Audible (coming soon!)
BookBub ~ Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Chris Matheson Cold Case, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

A popular speaker, Lauren is also the owner of Acorn Book Service, the umbrella under which falls iRead Book Tours. She lives with her husband and two spoiled rotten German Shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author: Webs ite ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

Tour Schedule:

May 4 – Hall Ways Blog – series spotlight / giveaway
May 4 – She Just Loves Books – series spotlight / giveaway
May 4 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – series spotlight / giveaway
May 4 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – audiobook review of Kill and Run / giveaway
May 4 – Michelle L. Bloodworth – Goodreads – audiobook review of Kill and Run
May 5 – Michelle L. Bloodworth – Goodreads – audiobook review of A Fine Year for Murder
May 6 – Buried Under Books – audiobook review of Kill and Run / giveaway
May 6 – Michelle L. Bloodworth – Goodreads – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection
May 7 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 8 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – audiobook review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
May 11 – Locks, Hooks and Books – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 11 – Jazzy Book Reviews – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 11 – Merlot Et mots –series spotlight / giveaway
May 12 – Laura’s Interests – series spotlight / giveaway
May 12 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection / giveaway
May 13 – Bookish Quest – audiobook review of Kill and Run / giveaway
May 13 – Blooming with Books – audiobook review of Kill and Run / giveaway
May 13 – Lamon Reviews – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 14 – Buried Under Books – audiobook review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
May 15 – Sefina Hawke’s Books – series spotlight
May 19 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 19 – Rosepoint Publishing – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection / giveaway
May 20 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway
May 20 – Bookish Quest – audiobook review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
May 20 – Blooming with Books – audiobook review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
May 21 – Books for Books – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection
May 21 – La libreria di Beppe – series spotlight / giveaway
May 22 – fundinmental – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 25 – Buried Under Books – audiobook review of Murder By Perfection / giveaway
May 25 – T’s Stuff – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 26 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – series spotlight / giveaway
May 27 – Bookish Quest – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection / giveaway
May 27 – Blooming with Books – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection / giveaway
May 27 – Books for Books – series spotlight
May 28 – Bookish Quest – series spotlight / author interview/ giveaway
May 29 – Mystery Suspense Reviews – series spotlight / guest post
Jun 1 – Thoughts in Progress – series spotlight / giveaway
Jun 2 – Svetlana’s reads and views – series spotlight
Jun 2 – Kristin’s Novel Café – series spotlight
Jun 3 – Buried Under Books – series spotlight / giveaway
Jun 3 – Blooming with Books – series spotlight / giveaway
Jun 4 – Rosepoint Publishing – series spotlight / giveaway
Jun 4 –Splashes of Joy – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Jun 5 – The avid reader – series spotlight / giveaway

MY LAUREN CARR REVIEWS

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You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Books From The Backlog – Christopher Smith & Shawnda Currie @CSThrillers @ShawndaCurrie

Posted on May 21, 2020 by fundinmental

If you would like to join in, swing by Carole’s Random Life in Books.

Right now, I have 2483 books on my Goodreads TBR. No matter how many books I read, the mountain grows taller and I am going through it…slowly. If I have the book, it stays, no matter what. I’m adding tags that I never even thought about doing at the time I added them. It would have been so much easier at the time.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB

Description: A billionaire investor dealt a grisly death.

The suspects? Six of his seven children, all so desperate for their father’s money, they’d kill for it.

His seventh child, Camille, a former assassin who left that life behind to raise her now sixteen-year-old daughter Emma, must tap into old instincts to learn who killed her father and why. What she never sees coming are Emma’s plans to go into Manhattan and find out on her own.

Meanwhile, Camille must be found. Private investigator Marty Spellman is threatened by a mysterious man to find her. He has seventy-two hours or do so–or members of his own family die.

Over the course of one day, Spellman, Camille, Emma and Spellman’s own fifteen-year-old daughter, Beth, must intervene to finish this and shut it down. Twists abound. Few are who they appear to be. Soon, all parties are in a rush to violence, but in spite of how quickly they act, it’s clear that no one is safe.

Goodreads rating: 3.94 · 618 ratings · 48 reviews

I added this back on 10.2.12, but had downloaded it from Amazon on 8.14.12. It’s a mystery and I’m sure that’s why I grabbed it, along with it being an Amazon freebie. Back then I was verrrrrrry click happy and new to the blogging world. Were you like that too?

Altered - Revelations of the Evolved (The Evolved Trilogy, #1)

Amazon / Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB

Abandoned by her family, Lacey is sent to a juvenile detention center known as Clear Waters. Her teen years don’t look promising until she is befriended by a mysterious stranger named Taylor, a gorgeous guy whose captivating eyes seem to stare into her soul. Convinced she is in danger at Clear Waters, Lacey joins Taylor in a daring escape. As she meets Taylor’s group of friends, she discovers that they’re more than they seem – they’ve been sent from the future to head off an evil corporate plot that will lead to a world war unless averted. With Lacey as their only hope to prevent a grim future, Taylor shows Lacey how to tap into her
psychic abilities known in his time as evolved humans. Travelling with her new friends, she discovers the magic of love while she grows into the powerful warrior chosen to make the difference to the world!

Goodreads rating: 3.80 · 51 ratings · 34 reviews

I added this to my TBR on 10.2.12 and downloaded it from Amazon on 9.29.12. This may be a book I won. I have a record of all of that, but to find it???? I try to keep more current with books I win because it’s too hard to keep track.