Tag Archives: police procedural

Jaw Dropping Debut – The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen @slipperywhisper

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Every so often I will follow an email link from NetGalley and check out what’s happening. I try to limit how many books I grab at one time…you know how that is. I found some books by Joanna Schaffhousen and grabbed a couple. I would like to thank NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Joanna Schaffhausen for the opportunity to read and share them.

The cover definitely fits the story.

The Vanishing Season (Ellery Hathaway, #1)

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Vanishing Season is Joanna Schaffhausen’s debut novel, released in 2017…and, boy oh boy, is it a good one. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it gave me so much more.

Three people have gone missing and Ellery Hathaway knows they are dead and another will be taken very soon. Sam dismisses her warnings, but she won’t stop there. Sam is not only her boss, the chief of police, but also her lover, her married lover. I sure don’t approve of that, but as I read on, I could see how it happened. She uses sex as a weapon. That will have it’s own repercussions.

Woodbury, Massachusetts is a small town, a blink and you will miss it, with only eight police officers. I love to read of small towns, the gossip mill, and secrets that won’t stay secret. Ellery has a big one, but…

Ellery calls in the big guns, Reed Markham, an FBI profiler that had saved her from the serial killer that had taken her fourteen years ago, leaving her scarred and broken. He too has his own story. His marriage is on the rocks, but he had made a promise to her, so when she called, he came.

I love her basset hound, Speed Bump. LOL Critters always add some grins for me, and with a subject like serial killers, I need some chuckles.

The dog leapt from the vehicle with all the grace of a hippo performing a belly flop.

I have plenty of suspects, but two in particular have my attention. Even if I’m wrong, I don’t like them. LOL I do like to try and figure it out for myself as we follow clues, question witnesses, and try look for what others have missed.

There is no romance, though I know there are more books coming, so I wonder. I mean, just think about it, her body is scarred and so is her mind. She doesn’t want anyone in her house. Doesn’t want anyone touching her. And doesn’t want to share her secret. After what she’s been through, I can see why she protects herself, so who could possible get through the walls she has built up but the one person she trusts?

I am at 38% and my tension level is high, the pace is picking up, making me feel like the end is near, nut, there’s so much of the story left. I can only imagine what Joanna Schaffhausen has in store for her characters. I am lovin’ it.

I am filled with horror at the terrible things one person can do another, as the bits and pieces of Ellery’s captivity leaks out, each detail worse than the last.

Well…I didn’t see him coming. It takes a lot for an author to fool me so completely, especially near the end, but she had me eying the wrong guy until a page or two before he attacked. He was well camouflaged, but I will be on my toes with the next case, expanding my suspect list and reading between the lines.

Man oh man, I am so glad I took a chance on Joanna Schaffhausen. I had never heard of her. She kept me riveted from beginning to end and I can hardly wait for Book II, No Mercy. BRING IT ON!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Ellery Hathaway knows a thing or two about serial killers, but not through her police training. She’s an officer in sleepy Woodbury, MA, where a bicycle theft still makes the newspapers. No one there knows she was once victim number seventeen in the grisly story of serial killer Francis Michael Coben. The only victim who lived.

When three people disappear from her town in three years, all around her birthday—the day she was kidnapped so long ago—Ellery fears someone knows her secret. Someone very dangerous. Her superiors dismiss her concerns, but Ellery knows the vanishing season is coming and anyone could be next. She contacts the one man she knows will believe her: the FBI agent who saved her from a killer’s closet all those years ago.

Agent Reed Markham made his name and fame on the back of the Coben case, but his fortunes have since turned. His marriage is in shambles, his bosses think he’s washed up, and worst of all, he blew a major investigation. When Ellery calls him, he can’t help but wonder: sure, he rescued her, but was she ever truly saved? His greatest triumph is Ellery’s waking nightmare, and now both of them are about to be sucked into the past, back to the case that made them…with a killer who can’t let go.

ABOUT JOANNA SCHAFFHAUSEN

Joanna Schaffhausen

Joanna Schaffhausen wields a mean scalpel, sharp skills she developed in her years studying neuroscience. She has a doctorate in psychology, which reflects her long-standing interest in the brain―how it develops and the many ways it can go wrong. Previously, she worked as a scientific editor in the field of drug development. Prior to that, she was an editorial producer for ABC News, writing for programs such as World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and 20/20. She lives in the Boston area with her husband, daughter, and an obstreperous basset hound.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

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Giveaway & Review – Eye For An Eye by J K Franko @jk_franko @partnersincr1me

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Eye for Eye

by JK Franko

on Tour July 22 – September 20, 2019

Eye for Eye

MY REVIEW

Talion: ex talionis – the law of talion – punishment of an injury by inflicting a similar injury on the offender, an injury similar in kind and degree.

Love the cover for Eye for Eye by J K Franko. Sure does foreshadow what’s inside!

It started thirty years ago, with the death of Joan, an eleven year old girl that only wanted to have fun at summer camp.

Now…we come to a spoiled rotten kid The scenario is one that always ticks me off royally. Can do the crime, but will do anything not to do the time. And so would his father, the Senator. I think we all know where that’s going. But… a ‘chance’ meeting and a plan is born.

Someone has to pay!

Want to commit a murder? Let’s start with PH1, the guidebook.

As the characters play their roles, I think I see where we’re going. HAH! Was I in for an awakening. The suspense came early and I was eager ‘to turn every page’. But police procedurals and psychological thrillers usually don’t make me have an intense feeling of danger,and urgency like dark, action packed, suspense thrillers. Maybe I’ m more of an adrenaline junky, even though I prefer to get my thrills through osmosis.

Everyone has secrets and as they are revealed are marvel at J K Franko’s imagination. He too Stranger on a Train and blew it away.

Manipulation, betrayal, distrust, anger, vengeance, love, devotion…

A stupendous surprise ending and I loved every minute of it. It put a smile on my face and that may expose a piece of my personality. LOL

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Eye for Eye by J K Franko.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

ABOUT THE BOOK

“NEW TWIST ON STRANGERS ON A TRAIN”
~ THE SUNDAY TIMES

 

Book Details:

Genre: Crime & Mystery
Published by: Talion Publishing
Publication Date: June 22nd 2019
Number of Pages: 400
ISBN: 1999318803 (ISBN13: 9781999318802)
Series: Talion #1
Purchase Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

When I try to piece together how this whole mess began, a part of me thinks it may have started over thirty years ago. At least the seeds were planted that far back, in the early 1980s. What happened then, at that summer camp in Texas, set the stage for everything that was to come.

Odd, how something so remote in time and geography continues to impact me here, today.

Sometimes I try to imagine her, how she felt—that eleven year-old girl—as she ran, stumbling and tripping through the woods that night. I try to put myself in her shoes. When I do, I wonder if she was frightened.

Did she understand the consequences of what she’d gotten herself into? I imagine it felt otherworldly to her, like a dream. But not a good dream. No, one of the bad ones—the ones that make your heart machine-gun as you try to outrun some dark thing that’s chasing you. But the faster you try to run, the slower you go, your legs feeling leaden, clumsy, useless.

Panic sets in. Tears of frustration form. Fear takes hold and won’t let go. You open your mouth to scream but realize, to your horror, that you’re paralyzed. It’s not that you can’t scream; you can’t even breathe. Not a dream—a nightmare.

Then again, all that may simply be my imagination. It could just be me projecting what I might have felt onto Joan. Maybe she wasn’t scared at all.

True, it was dark out. The night smelled of rain, but there was no lightning, only the far-off rumble of thunder hinting at a distant storm. There were no trail lights, no visibility but for the moon peeking out intermittently from behind a patchwork of clouds. But, Joan had been down this trail before. She was running toward the main cabin.

She had been at Camp Willow for almost two full weeks. She had been up and down that trail at least ten times a day, every day. Of course, that was during the day, and always with her buddy, or a camp counselor (the children called them troop leaders). Joan had never been on the trail at night. And never alone.

Maybe I imagine Joan was scared because, as an adult, I believe that she should have been. I would have been terrified.

***

Excerpt from Eye For Eye by JK Franko. Copyright © 2019 by JK Franko. Reproduced with permission from JK Franko. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

JK Franko

J.K. FRANKO was born and raised in Texas. His Cuban-American parents agreed there were only three acceptable options for a male child: doctor, lawyer, and architect. After a disastrous first year of college pre-Med, he ended up getting a BA in philosophy (not acceptable), then he went to law school (salvaging the family name) and spent many years climbing the big law firm ladder. After ten years, he decided that law and family life weren’t compatible. He went back to school where he got an MBA and pursued a Ph.D. He left law for corporate America, with long stints in Europe and Asia.

His passion was always to be a writer. After publishing a number of non-fiction works, thousands of hours writing, and seven or eight abandoned fictional works over the course of eighteen years, EYE FOR EYE became his first published novel.

J.K. Franko now lives with his wife and children in Florida.

Catch Up With JK Franko On:
jkfranko.com, Goodreads, Twitter, & Facebook!

 

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!



This linky list is now closed.

 

 

Enter The Giveaway!!!:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for JK Franko. There will be 6 winners. Two (2) winners will each win (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. Two (2) winners will each win a signed copy of EYE FOR EYE by JK Franko (Open to U.S. addresses only) and Two (2) winners will each win a Knife set (Open to U.S. addresses only). The giveaway begins on July 22, 2019 and runs through September 22, 2019. Void where prohibited.


 

 

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

 

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Looking For Some Serial Killers? Check out Carolyn Arnold @Carolyn_Arnold @GoddessFish

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BRANDON FISHER FBI SERIES by Carolyn Arnold

GENRE: Police Procedural/Mystery

Meet today’s guest, Carolyn Arnold.

She is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series and has written nearly thirty books. Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark, POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Today, she answers a few questions for us and gives us insight into her life and journey as a mystery author.

Have you ever been on a manhunt or at the scene where a dead body was found?

I took part in my local police department’s Citizen’s Academy. As part of this, I received an inside look at seventeen divisions over a ten-week period. As an added benefit, each student was afforded a ride-along. And mine… Well, I went on the perfect one for a crime writer.

My ride-along actually started out with a manhunt. I experienced the excitement of wanting to find the guy and found myself scrutinizing every male I spotted in the area just to make sure he wasn’t the one we were after. Unfortunately, the search moved to the downtown area from the eastern end of the city where the hunt had begun, and the sergeant signed off the investigation. By the end of my ride-along, about five hours later, the man still hadn’t been found.

After the sergeant left the investigation, he turned to me as he was driving and asked if I had ever seen a dead body. I told him I had at memorials and funerals and then asked why. I soon found out that our next stop involved one.

I figured I’d catch a glimpse of the deceased under a tarp or being wheeled away, but I got far more than that. I received a front-row seat to a death investigation. For hours, the sergeant and I were mere feet away from the body. I witnessed firsthand how it changed color over time, but I also found that I went into detective-mode. The forensic identification unit—essentially CSIs—was called in and arrived with collection kits. The team members gloved up, snapped photographs, took fingerprints from the deceased, and more.

The entire time that I was on scene, I noticed myself going into a detached state—the result of adrenaline. Later that evening, it began to sink in that I had spent hours with a dead body, and I was nauseated. As more time passed, I became weepy as it sank in that the deceased had been a husband, a father, a lover, a friend…a person. That night I dreamed about the man. It wasn’t a nightmare, but I was an officer trying to figure out what had happened to him.

I couldn’t imagine returning to the field the next day and having a similar experience or witnessing something even worse, like a violent murder scene or that of a fatal car accident.

What do members of law enforcement say about your books?

Many testimonials attest that I am pleasing readers in law enforcement. They love that my mysteries are accurate in that regard, and they view that alone as a sign of my respect for them.

Here are a few testimonials that I have received on Eleven (Brandon Fisher FBI series):

“I spent thirty-eight years with a major police department in Missouri, fifteen of which were in the homicide section. I also had numerous dealings with the FBI throughout my career, mostly bank robbery, interstate shipment thefts, and a few kidnappings. Eleven kept my interest piqued throughout… Loved it.”

–Richard Bartram, Sergeant (retired), St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, St. Louis, MO

“I am a forty-year veteran of police work. All local, no Fed. Eleven was a great read. All the descriptors and nomenclature were spot on.”

–Joe Danna, Police Officer, Katy Independent School District Police Department, Katy, TX

“Very good! I worked as a police officer for eleven years and with the Federal Bureau of Prisons for twenty-two. I have also dealt with the FBI.”

–Richard Smith, Facilities Development Manager (retired), Federal Bureau of Prisons, Central Office, Washington, DC

“A great police procedural! … Full of twists and turns. The characters are well-developed and a mix of interesting personalities. … Holds your interest to the end!”

–Mark Davis, FBI Special Agent (retired), Washington, DC

What did you do before you became a bestselling author?

For a living, I worked in accounts receivable for a few different companies collecting from businesses. Yet, despite working full time, in 2006 I was reunited with writing. I wrote every chance I got—before work, on lunch breaks, after work, on the weekends. I became so focused on writing and the publishing world that hardly a day went by without them being a part of my life, and since the summer of 2014, I’ve been a full-time author.

How do you know so much about what criminals think?

I can’t answer that without incriminating myself… Just kidding.

Everyone has what we call a “dark side.” In writing these books, I suppose you could say I tap into this side of my psyche. Whatever I can scheme up is possible, and I write that which scares and excites me.

When did you know that you had hit the big time with your books?

When I got to say good-bye to my day job! Even before I fully resigned, I had cut back a five-day a week job to four days, then to three. It got to the point, though, that I loathed going in for that many days, and I knew it was time to make the move and become a full-time author. That was in the summer of 2014. Since then, I incorporated my own publishing company in the summer of 2015, and, at the start of 2016, my husband joined me there full time.

MY REVIEW FOR SILENT GRAVES

We have all different sides to our personalities, both good and bad. What happens when the bad takes control? We will be finding out here.

Women are missing…and one of the women is rising from the dead, from their grave, where her murderer had thought she would remain hidden..so says the villain, who is missing one.

Brandon and the rest of the gang are called in to help. Brandon is still trying to fit in, but he walks a fine line with Paige. You always have, at least, one know it all want to be ther hero cop. And Stenson was it. He’s a Dumfree’s police officer but he wants to be so much more.

There are more killers than they thought and many more bodies that will be exposed.

Brandon and Paige…well, we will see what happens…Can they move on from each other? Can they work together, whether or not they stay romantically involved?

We have plenty of suspense and need Carolyn Arnold to take us through the investigation, questioning here and there, each person having their part to do, while dealing with every day life, tiredness and egos. She is a pro at keeping the mystery alive and making me follow along to learn she wraps up the case.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Silent Graves by Carolyn Arnold.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

BLURB

Profilers. Serial killers. The hunt is on. Do serial killers and the FBI fascinate you? Do you like getting inside the minds of killers, love being creeped out, sleeping with your eyes open, and feeling like you’re involved in murder investigations? Then join FBI agent and profiler Brandon Fisher and his team with the Behavioral Analysis Unit in their hunt for serial killers.

This is the perfect book series for fans of JT Ellison, Catherine Coulter, Allison Brennan, and Blake Pierce. This series is also bound to entertain those who enjoy Criminal Minds, NCIS, Silence of the Lambs, Seven, Dexter, Luther, and True Crime.

Read in any order or follow the series from the beginning: Eleven, Silent Graves, The Defenseless, Blue Baby, Violated, Remnants, On the Count of Three.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.

Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives in London, Ontario, with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime.

Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online: Website / Twitter / Facebook

And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters

follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found HERE

MY REVIEWS FOR CAROLYN ARNOLD

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All Good Things Must Come To An End – Ten by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor

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It’s the end of the Count To Ten series by Jane Blythe and I am so sad to say goodbye to some characters that I have known and loved for a long time. Jane Blythe found me through another, in her word, amazing blogger and I can only say thank you to whoever it was, because I have been loving Jane since 2016 because of them. I eat her books up like M&M candies. If you have tried her work, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, and are a thriller lover, than I recommend you give her a try.

Ten

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I turn my Kindle on, search for Ten by Jane Blythe, then click the cover with trepidation. I have been following Jane Blythe’s Count To Ten journey since 2016 and I am eager, yet hesitant to begin, wanting to know the end, yet wondering if it will meet all my expectations. Fair or not, I have set the bar high for Jane Blythe…and I am so happy to say that even though I hate to see the journey come to and end, I am very sad, yet satisfied with the end. She not only met my expectations, she exceeded them.

An electrifying beginning and it doesn’t take long for the bodies to start falling and I am fearful of those characters I have come to care so much about.

Tessa…independent, reclusive, strong…she has been through so much, yet Jane is done with her yet. She’s and urban legend.

JANE JANE JANE! You’re breaking my heart. Hope you enjoyed your killing spree.

He sure isn’t what I expected, but now I am even more worried about my family. You have put them through hell, but the horror just keeps on coming. I must be almost as bad as you because I sure do love reading what you write. The darker, the better, and you paint a bleak picture with your words.

I am almost half way in and I cannot begin to guess at what is to come. Whether it’s because I don’t want to know or face it, I would have to stop long enough to think about it…and I can’t seem to do that.

These characters cannot get a break. Maybe it is time to end the series, Jane, while some of them are still standing. I kinda smiled when I typed that. How evil am I? Will any of them find a happy ever after? How will Jane Blythe wrap it up? Will it have a casket or a pretty bow?

NO NO NO! At 85% tears are falling down my face. I am soooo sad.

OH NO! More tears. I finally gathered my self together, thinking the worst is over…

Jane, woman, OMG, you’re killing me…And it’s still not over.

I laughed, I cried. And I want more. Thank goodness, she has a new series coming, Broken Gems and Cracked Sapphire is due for release in February of 2020.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Ten by Jane Blythe.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

They say time heals all wounds.

Tessa Micah is snatched from her bed in the middle of the night. She manages to make a phone call to her best friend, the partner of her deceased police officer husband, before she disappears. Tessa has a complicated past and as the widow of a decorated cop, there are a long list of suspects. Retired detective, Skylar Wyatt, is determined to find her and honor the promise he made to his partner; to protect and care for his wife should anything ever happen to him.

Then people connected to Tessa start getting murdered. The cops don’t know who from her past is targeting her, or if it has something to do with her dead husband’s cases. With time running out, and more bodies falling, vocations will be questioned, futures reassessed, and not everyone will survive.

** Warning: Graphic violence and themes of sexual assault/abuse **

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

Jane has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series, Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.

When she’s not writing Jane loves to read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies. She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears. She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!

Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook

MY REVIEWS FOR JANE BLYTHE’S BOOKS

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Can’t Run From The Past – Last Night by Karen Ellis @mulhollandbooks @KatiaLief

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Woo Hoo. A big shout out and thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the chance to read Last Night, the second book in The Searchers series by Karen Ellis/Katia Lief.

Last Night (The Searchers, #2)

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

OH NO! The beginning has me super angry. This is the type of book I have been avoiding. Smacks too much of realism and I don’t need anymore than I happen to catch flipping channels on the TV or clicking on the internet.

Ugly business and I see it ruining Crisp’s life. Will it make him become a monster? We’ll see.

A portrait of a white privileged teen girl, a promising, intelligent mixed race boy and a black homeless boy and what results from their coming together.

Kind of a coming of age story …I thought it would be about race when I first began, but it turned into teens…learning about life.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Last Night by Karen Ellis.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

NYPD detective Lex Cole tracks a missing Brooklyn teen whose bright future is endangered by the ghosts of his unknown father’s past, in this highly anticipated sequel to A Map of the Dark.

One of the few black kids on his Brighton Beach block, Titus “Crisp” Crespo was raised by his white mother and his Russian grandparents. He has two legacies from his absent father, Mo: his weird name and his brown skin. Crisp has always been the odd kid out, but a fundamentally good kid, with a bright future.

But one impulsive decision triggers a horrible domino effect–an arrest, no reason not to accompany his richer, whiter friend Glynnie on a visit to her weed dealer, and a trip onto his father’s old home turf where he’ll face certain choices he’s always strived to avoid.

As Detective Lex Cole tries to unravel the clues from Crisp’s night out, they both find that what you don’t know about your past can still come back to haunt you.

ABOUT KAREN ELLIS

Karen Ellis is a pseudonym of longtime crime novelist Katia Lief. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. Her novel A MAP OF THE DARK will be published by Mulholland Books/Little, Brown on January 9, 2018.
Learn more at karenellisbooks.com

Stay in touch with Karen Ellis by joining her mailing list: http://eepurl.com/cS6h_r

MY KAREN ELLIS/KATIA LIEF REVIEWS

A Map of the Dark

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews 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 and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

A Map of the Dark by Karen Ellis @mulhollandbooks @KatiaLief

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Woo Hoo. A big shout out and thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the chance to read A Map of the Dark by Karen Ellis/Katia Lief.

A Map of the Dark (The Searchers #1)

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Loved it!

Flawed characters, teenagers, kidnapping, murder, serial killer, life and death, cancer.

I loved the characters, searching for answers, struggling with life.

Glad Dark is in the title, because it’s not only the villain that hides in the dark.

I am so happy this is a series because I want a whole lot more of it.

Elsa, her new partner and friend, Lex…and his brother, David. she doesn’t have much of a personal life, doesn’t strive to have one, discourages those who try to get close, until Lex who manages to earn her trust.

Deep, dark secrets.

So glad I have the next story ready and waiting…and I will begin NOW.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of A Map of the Dark by Karen Ellis.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A girl, missing
A woman, searching
A killer, planning…

FBI Agent Elsa Myers finds missing people.
She knows how it feels to be lost…

Though her father lies dying in a hospital north of New York City, Elsa cannot refuse a call for help. A teenage girl has gone missing from Forest Hills, Queens, and during the critical first hours of the case, a series of false leads hides the fact that she did not go willingly.

With each passing hour, as the hunt for Ruby deepens into a search for a man who may have been killing for years, the case starts to get underneath Elsa’s skin. Everything she has buried – her fraught relationship with her sister and niece, her self-destructive past, her mother’s death – threatens to resurface, with devastating consequences.

In order to save the missing girl, she may have to lose herself…and return to the darkness she’s been hiding from for years.

ABOUT KAREN ELLIS

Karen Ellis is a pseudonym of longtime crime novelist Katia Lief. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. Her novel A MAP OF THE DARK will be published by Mulholland Books/Little, Brown on January 9, 2018.
Learn more at karenellisbooks.com

Stay in touch with Karen Ellis by joining her mailing list: http://eepurl.com/cS6h_r

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Coming Soon – Shades of Justice by Carolyn Arnold @Carolyn_Arnold

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George Arnold has created another fabulous cover.

Shades of Justice (Detective Madison Knight series Book 9)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Carolyn Arnold does an excellent job of presenting the case, piece by piece, putting aside preconceived notions and privilege to the moneyed.

I love stories with strong women and Madison is not only strong, but confident. Push and she pushes back. She always gets her man and the journey to finding him is one I love to read.

She does have some trust issues, so it’s a good thing that Troy is a man with patience to spare.

A naked woman is found dead in her home, with a man not her husband. There are plenty of suspects and mystery. Carolyn doesn’t give anything away, so I read on.

Carolyn Arnold is one of those authors whose characters keep on giving and make me eager to visit with them every chance I get.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Shades of Justice by Carolyn Arnold.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The line between good and evil isn’t always clear…
 
“Tremendous! A double homicide, decadent scandals, and smooth prose—Shades of Justice is the perfect combination of mystery and suspense.” –K.J. Howe, bestselling author of Skyjack

Detective Madison Knight has risked her badge—and her life—in the pursuit of justice before, and she just might need to do so again. Two victims are found murdered and naked in the home of Steven Malone, who is the largest contributor to the Stiles PD. One victim is his wife. The other victim is a John Doe. This high-profile double homicide immediately pits Madison against her sergeant, who seems more intent on protecting the Malones’ reputation and retaining a benefactor than catching a killer.
Madison will need to pull on her tenacity and courage if she’s going to follow the evidence without prejudice. In the process, it becomes clear that finding justice isn’t always black and white, and often the shades in between tell the fullest story—and it’s not something she will forget anytime soon.

Shades of Justice is a murder mystery with twists and turns that will have readers flipping the pages until the wee hours of the morning. The ninth installment in an international bestselling series, it doesn’t matter if this is the first book you’re reading in the Detective Madison Knight series or not; all the books stand alone!
 
Buy this book now and join the investigation! Uncover clues, follow leads, and catch a killer like hundreds of thousands of readers in this series have done before you. Perfect for fans of James Patterson, Michael Connelly, and JD Robb.

ABOUT CAROLYN ARNOLD

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.

Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives just west of Toronto with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime.

Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:  Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook

And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters.

MY REVIEWS FOR CAROLYN ARNOLD

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Homicide Hunter Tells All in I Will Find You by Joe Kenda #JoeKenda

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I have been watching Joe Kenda on Homicide Hunter, a TV show that appears on ID. I binge watch him for hours and hours. I fell in love with the guy, so when I saw he just came out with a new novel, I HAD TO HAVE IT. I find him very hypnotic and I have only seen him laugh a few times. He is a bulldog and determined to get his man…just like the title states. I buy very few books any more, but I am very excited to read I Will Find You and had to have a copy of my very own.

My favorite Joe Kenda quote:

“I don’t understand people, but they interest me.”  Joe Kenda

To some, my fascination with murder, murderers, homicide and serial killers may be morbid. Mr Wonderful humors my binge watching and reruns of many of the TV shows, such as ID TV, Forensic Files, Criminal Minds, CSI, NCIS, etc. To say I am fascinated is to put it mildly. I, too, will never understand the people that commit these crimes, but cannot help but want to know more about them.

I Will Find You: Solving Killer Cases from My Life Fighting CrimeGoodreads  /  Amazon US  /  Amazon UK  /  Amazon CA 

MY REVIEW

I don’t buy many books any more, but I Will Find You by Joe Kenda is one of those that I just had to have on my bookshelf.

If you think dealing with the scum of the earth can lead you down a dark road, just ask Joe Kenda. He looks all cool, calm and collected, but beware, he is a badass.

I love the first chapter, where he doles out a little justice to a guy trying to kill a fellow police officer. What a way to start a career. His fellow officers called him a shit magnet and kept their distance. It seemed he was always getting attacked or shot at.

Back in the seventies, police officers were not as sophisticated and trained as they are now. We have come a long way, but I feel it takes a special kind of person to be able to put all the puzzle pieces together and find the killer. He has solved 93% of his 387 homicides.

I love when he talks about the right to lifers…will you take care of all the children who need someone to love and care for them? Where are you when they need a loving home instead of raising themselves and growing up on the street, with a gang as their family? Where are you when the mother doesn’t want them or is at the end of her rope?

I also think a lot of lives could be saved if getting DNA results didn’t take so long. Law enforcement needs more money and all the latest greatest equipment and technology to aid them in doing their job.

Some people complained about a couple of shows ID TV ran. Give me a break. This is real life…it’s murder and it’s messy, as Joe says. If you think the TV show is bad, his glimpses of murder in the book is so much more grotesque, horrifying and heartbreaking.

When do you know enough is enough? How many sleepless nights and hauntings from the dead are enough? Each individual must pick their moment when it is time to pass the torch to the next generation of police officers.

Joe Kenda’s personality shines through in this fabulous glimpse into his life as the Angel of Death. I think it is a very appropriate title for a man that is determined to take the despicable off the street and, sometimes, help them leave this world.

My. My. My. I give this non fiction book a solid four stars and the show…five stars. I look forward to Wednesday’s, when I can binge watch Joe Kenda, and God forbid anyone who gets in my way. LOL

You did a great job Joe!!!!

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

 Detective Lt. Joe Kenda, star of Homicide Hunter, shares his deepest, darkest, and never before revealed case files from his 19 years as a homicide detective. Are you horrified yet fascinated by abhorrent murders? Do you crave to know the gory details of these crimes, and do you seek comfort in the solving of the most gruesome? In I WILL FIND YOU, the star of Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda shares his deepest, darkest, and never-before-revealed case files from his two decades as a homicide detective and reminds us that crimes like these are very real and can happen even in our own backyards. Gruesome, macabre, and complex cases. Joe Kenda investigated 387 murder cases during his 23 years with the Colorado Springs Police Department and solved almost all of them. And he is ready to detail the cases that are too gruesome to air on television, cases that still haunt him, and the few cases where the killer got away. These cases are horrifyingly real, and the detail is so mesmerizing you won’t be able to look away. The tales in I WILL FIND YOU will shock you like the best horror stories-divulging insights into the actions, motivations, and proclivities of nature’s most dangerous species. Don’t mind the blood.

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Underground Tombs – A Perfect Obsession by Heather Graham @heathergraham

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Uh oh. I don’t like tight spaces, but it looks like I will have to get over it in order to read A Perfect Obsession by Heather Graham…and I will.

A Perfect Obsession (New York Confidential #2)Goodreads  /  Amazon

MY REVIEW

There is never any doubt, when it comes to Heather Graham, that I will grab her book without hesitation. Even a bad book by Heather Graham is a good book and I would definitely recommend A Perfect Obsession.

Kieran Finnegan, a psychologist, also works at the family pub and shares a bed with her FBI guy, Craig Frasier. He knows to keep tabs on her because trouble seems to find her…or does she find it?

A model/actress was murdered just around the corner from Finnegan’s, but nobody thought it was connected to the family…until her brother, Kevin, told her his secret.

Someone wanted her found.

“Living art.”

It’s easy to figure out that Kieran is Irish. She has three brothers. They are quick to defend and protect her, since she’s prone to finding trouble to get into.

We have a headstrong woman, a hunky cop, mystery and dead bodies on display in mausoleums that haven’t seen the light of day in decades, but…

I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’m just not getting into this like I do most of her work. Am I having an off day? Or is it because it’s an ARC and will be tidied up before publishing. I think it will get better. You’ll need to check out A Perfect Obsession to figure it out for yourself.

I feel on edge. I keep thinking…waiting…for “the moment”…when the monster reaches out from under the bed and grabs me.

Heather has created a sense of menace from the serial killer. I can’t put my finger on the villain. Have I met him?

Uh Oh. I think I know who it is and we have a big problem.

I started out having a hard time getting into the story. I don’t know why. It has all the elements I require for a thrilling read. I rarely give up on a book, and I sure wasn’t going to give up on a Heather Graham book. And it is worth sticking with. As usual, she leaves me wanting more and I can hardly wait to pick up another one of her stories.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of A Perfect Obsession by Heather Graham.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Someone is murdering beautiful young women in the New York area and displaying them in mausoleums and underground tombs. The FBI is handling the case, with Special Agent Craig Frasier as lead.

Kieran Finnegan, forensic psychologist and part owner of Finnegan’s, her family’s pub, is consulting on the case. Craig and Kieran are a couple who’ve worked together on more than one occasion. On this occasion, though, Craig fears for the safety of the woman he loves. Because the killer is too close. The body of a young model is found in a catacomb under a two-hundred-year-old church, now deconsecrated and turned into a nightclub. A church directly behind Finnegan’s in lower Manhattan.

As more women are murdered, their bodies discovered in underground locations in New York, it’s clear that the police and the FBI are dealing with a serial killer. Craig and Kieran are desperate to track down the murderer, a man obsessed with female perfection. Obsessed enough to want to “preserve” that beauty by destroying the women who embody it”.

ABOUT HEATHER GRAHAM

 Also published as Heather Graham Pozzessere and Shannon Drake.

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell’s Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette’s Shadows, and for Harlequin’s mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books.

Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children’s charity.

She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards frorn Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.

Heather loves travel and anything have to do with the water, and is a certitified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.

 
Website  /  Facebook  /  Twitter  /  YouTube

MY HEATHER GRAHAM REVIEWS

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Going Covert in Dead Cold by Jennifer Chase @JChaseNovelist @pumpupyourbook

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We’re really excited to be part of Jennifer Chase’s DEAD COLD Blog Tour!

Fabulous cover for a fabulous story!

 

 

Title:  DEAD COLD
Author: Jennifer Chase
Publisher: JEC Press
Pages: 326
Genre: Crime Thriller

MY REVIEW

WHOA. Why haven’t I read any Jennifer Chase and Emily Stone? I cannot say how excited I am now remedying that! Intense from the very beginning. The writing went where I wasn’t expecting and I love it. I can hardly wait to see what other surprises await me.

I took a break from murderous mayhem and serial killers, for a short while. All the books started to run together, but I felt right at home when I began reading Dead Cold by Jennifer Chase. Made me wonder why I ever took a break.

Emily and her partner, Rick Lopez, work outside the law, but they use all the skills they had learned in their time with the federal government to pursue criminals. Rick loved Emily and hunting the bad guys with her. They are so much more than partners. They are friends and lovers too.

Emily is like a female Sherlock Holmes. She is patient, meticulous, methodical, a natural when it comes to profiling. But she does have a bit of a problem with surveillance. She wants to go right for the take down. There is absolutely nothing Emily wouldn’t do to accomplish her goal, to save a life, to rescue a friend. Instincts, intuition, deductive reasoning, step by step, piece by piece, she weaves together the facts and data. Each piece of evidence is a part of the puzzle. Then…

She looks death in the eye and spits at it.

They are covert, letting the cops take the credit while vanishing into thin air when they arrive.

Now her sights are set on a serial killer she dubbed the Ice Puzzler.

Jordan is her go to guy for information they can’t get on the own. He’s smart, playful, fun and annoying. I smiled at his antics. When he meets Gunner, he insists he is not a dog guy, but Gunner adopts him. Rick is antagonistic to Jordan. Do they need to put ‘it’ on the table and measure? Is he jealous, threatened? Does Rick have a reason to be concerned about Jordan’s feeling for Emily?

Oh man. A shift of perspective. Right at a crucial moment. One minute I was with Emily and Rick, and Emily is in deep danger, then I was pulled away to be with Detective Daniel Starr. Now I have to wait…to see what comes next. A great way to build suspense and anticipation and I love it.

Uh oh. Kayla cannot let sleeping dogs lie and is persistent in her pursuit of Emily. I can understand it, but I think nothing good can come of it. You’ll need to read the book to find out who Kayla is and what becomes of her.

Enter HER. Who is SHE? What does SHE have to do with anything? Other than being a sad and damaged woman with some very serious issues?

I feel empathy for the villain. I sometimes find myself rooting as much for the villain as the hero. I just can’t seem to help myself. It takes some fantastic writing to make that happen.

Told from multiple perspectives, there’s an underlying mystery running. I’m deciphering the implications and coming up with my own conclusion. Let’s see if I’m right.

As the pieces come together Jennifer Chase delivers a surprise or two or three. She created a wonderful feeling of suspense, and anticipation. My eagerness to find out kept me reading at a rapid pace, but I told myself to slow down…I wanted to savor each delicious morsel of Dead Cold. Danger oozes off the pages. Action and intrigue overwhelm me. Love everything about it. Can’t get enough of it. I need more!

For more fun, be sure and check out her bio.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Cold by Jennifer Chase.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars

 

 

What happens when one California community has a disturbing spike in homicides? It catapults cops into a deadly game of murder. Frozen human body parts hideously displayed at the crime scenes offers a horrifying interpretation that only a sadistic serial killer could design—and execute.

On the hunt for a complex serial killer, vigilante detective Emily Stone must face her most daring case yet. Stone’s proven top-notch profiling skills and forensic expertise may not be enough this time.

Young and ambitious, Detective Danny Starr, catches the homicide cases and discovers that it will test everything he knows about police work and the criminal mind. Can he handle these escalating cases or will the police department have to call in reinforcements—the FBI.

Emily Stone’s covert team pushes with extreme urgency to unravel the grisly clues, while keeping their identities hidden from the police. With one last-ditch effort, Stone dangles someone she loves as bait to draw out the killer. She then forces the killer out of their comfort zone with her partner  Rick Lopez, and with help from a longtime friend Jordan Smith. A revelation of the serial killer’s identity leaves the team with volatile emotions that could
destroy them.

The killer continues to taunt and expertly manipulate the police, as well as Stone’s team, and as they run out of time—they leave behind everyone and everything—in Dead Cold.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon

 
 
ESCAPE WAS IMPOSSIBLE. TEARS STREAMED down her face as she sat in the darkness and waited for the man to return. There was no other choice—but to wait.
 
She hadn’t eaten anything in three days and had only a limited amount of water—her strength continued to fade with every hour. With her wrists and ankles secured with duct tape, her skin stung with pain every time she struggled to move. At least the man had peeled the tape from her eyes and mouth so that she could see something besides pitch-blackness.
 
Even if she could escape, the only way to safety was jumping into the frigid water, but she could not swim and would drown before ever reaching the shore.
 
The only thing thirteen-year-old Kayla Swanson thought about was home. Fond memories flashed through her mind of her parents, her little brother, and her dog Charlie. She was never going to see them again. Their smiling faces were forever etched in Kayla’s mind, and she constantly held them close to her heart.  
 
The boat rocked, and seemed to sway more violently as the tide flooded in and out of the harbor. Kayla could hear a consistent clanking noise above her as the boat rolled back and forth. The sound had a hypnotic quality, and kept her mind on something else besides when the man would return and what he would do next. 
 
Her lips were dry and cracked as she bordered on dehydration.
Even her tears dried on her cheeks, leaving her skin stiff and drawn. Her body began to shake, not only from fear, but also because of the extreme exhaustion and the constant dampness all around her.
 
The boat rocked more, but this time it shifted from the opposite sides. Kayla heard soft footsteps above, which she knew wasn’t her captor’s heavy walk. She strained her eyes in the darkness and thought she saw a thin shadow stealthily move along the upper deck.
 
Was it a ghost?
 
Kayla remembered a television series where a team of people hunted ghosts and they had said that ghosts could occupy any type of space, house, property, and even a boat.
 
She blinked her eyes several times and hoped that she could catch a glimpse of the ghost again. With every ounce of declining strength, Kayla scooted her body closer to the narrow stairs leading to the upper deck.
 
Painfully craning her neck, she strained to see something up in the darkness.
 
The dark shadowed areas played tricks on her eyes—it was there, then it wasn’t.
 
She waited for several minutes.
 
Nothing appeared.
 
The only sounds she heard were the usual boat noises she had grown accustomed to hearing. Whatever she thought she heard was gone now. It was most likely her imagination trying to give her some hope and a few moments break from her dire circumstances.
 
As she relaxed her shoulders and leaned back against the wall, the reality of her world pressing down hard. Tears streamed down her face. She tasted the saltiness that settled around her mouth. Her last moments were approaching, and there was nothing she could do.
 
 

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

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