Police Chief Autumn Long is fighting to keep her job in the quiet Alaska town of Shadow Gap when an unexpected string of criminal activity leaves her with a wounded officer, unexplained murders, and even an attack on her own father. Despite her mistrust of outsiders, she turns to Grier Brenner, a newcomer who seems to have the skills and training Autumn needs to face this threat to her community.
Grier is in Alaska for the same reason so many others are–to disappear–when Chief Long enlists his help. He emerges from the shadows and proves his mettle, but his presence in her life could be a deadly trap for them both. If his secret is exposed, all will be lost. And he’s not sure even Autumn could save him.
As the stakes rise and the dangers increase, Autumn and Grier must rely on each other to extinguish the deadly threats.
“An exhilarating, page-turning race to the finish!”
Carrie Stuart Parks, bestselling author of Relative Silence
“Gripping and hard-hitting.”
James R. Hannibal, award-winning author of Elysium Tide
“Elizabeth Goddard has created a novel that immerses the reader in small-town Alaska. From the first page, it’s a race to stay alive and solve a number of ever-spiraling mysteries. I highly recommend this novel.”
“A simmering romantic suspense with an explosive ending. Once more Goddard proves she is a master storyteller and deserving of her place as one of the best Christian romantic suspense authors of our time.”
Genre: Romantic Suspense Published by: Revell Publication Date: February 2023 Number of Pages: 336 ISBN: 9780800742041 (ISBN10: 0800742044) Series: Missing in Alaska, 1 Book Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Baker Book House
Author Bio:
Elizabeth Goddard is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than 50 novels, including Cold Light of Day and the Rocky Mountain Courage and Uncommon Justice series. Her books have sold nearly 1.5 million copies. She is a Carol Award and Reader’s Choice Award winner and a Daphne du Maurier Award finalist. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry. For more information about her books, visit her website at www.ElizabethGoddard.com.
Burning for the Truth A.B. Medley (Finding the Truth Series, #3) Publication date: February 28th 2023 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense
Once the fire starts, no one is safe until the smoke clears.
He’s the one who broke her heart first, the one she can’t let go, and still always saves her when it seems all hope is lost.
He’s also her brother’s best friend and way off limits.
***
She’s the one he dreams about, the one he’s always drawn to, but the one he keeps at arm’s length..
She was meant to walk away—he made sure of it—but he can’t stop holding onto her.
Even though she’s the one woman he can never have.
***
Dean and Briella think their feelings are under control—all they’ll ever be is friends—until tragedy strikes, followed by a string of mysterious fires targeting the hearts of Greendale Valley’s police and firefighters. The aftermath pushes them apart completely, only to drive them back together as they risk burning everything down in search of justice.
Will the flame between them continue to burn, or will uncovering the truth leave nothing but ashes?
The ride to my apartment is silent. When we get back, I keep quiet as I get ready for bed.
“Is everything okay?” he finally asks.
“Fine. Why wouldn’t it be?” I clip frostily.
“I don’t know, maybe because you’ve been acting like a spoiled brat since we left the diner.”
I stop what I’m doing and face him with my jaw clenched. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me, Bree. You’re mad because she talked to me. Admit it.”
“I’m not mad. What you do and who you do it with is none of my business,” I reply coolly even though he’s right. I don’t want to think of him with anyone else even though I have no right to those feelings.
He steps closer, almost nose to nose. “You’re lying.” He searches my face for a crack in my armor.
I step closer so there’s no space between us. “I don’t tell lies. It sounds like you made your move with her and I’m happy for you.”
He scoffs and laughs humorlessly. “I was on duty and checked her detectors, one of the other guys was with me. We were in and out in a matter of about fifteen minutes. This dinner she keeps wanting to have with me is her idea, not mine.”
“So go. You might have fun. You might even be able to give your heart to her and be happy. You won’t know until you try. What do you have to lose?” My chest is aching as I say the words. I don’t mean them. I want him to be happy, but not with her.
“You.” He slides his hand into my hair at the base of my neck; his stormy gaze blazing with fury and passion. “I stand to lose you. Chelsea’s nice, but she’s not you. I can’t give my heart to her or anyone else. You have it. You took it a long time ago.” His breath fans my face as his lips lightly brush against mine.
He brings both hands to either side of my face as I lean into him for an instant, my body and my heart responding in every way, until I think about all the ways this can go wrong. “No. You don’t mean that. And even if you did, we can’t.” I take a step back with my hand placed firmly on his chest as if it will keep him from coming closer.
“The hell I don’t. But if you don’t want me, then I’ll back off.” He takes a few steps back as if demonstrating what he means.
My heart squeezes painfully. “It’s not that I don’t want you. This isn’t only about me and you. If we take a chance and we fall instead of fly, we risk hurting other people too,” I admit honestly.
He comes closer and pulls me into his arms. “We won’t fall. I won’t let go. We can do this if we’re in it together. Hold on to me, Briella. Don’t let go.”
His lips crash down on mine as he pushes me toward my bed, and I know with certainty I’ll do exactly as he says. I won’t let him go. I don’t think I ever truly did.
Author Bio:
A.B. Medley lives in Tennessee with the love of her life and two sons. Her husband stole her heart when she was sixteen and their relationship is one of those meant to be love stories you find in magazines and novels.
She is a dental hygienist who loves to read and has always dabbled in writing. When she’s not making people’s smiles shine, she enjoys belting out songs with her boys, dancing, raspberries, baseball, and anything vintage. Like any proper Tennessean, Sundrop is her drink of choice.
She loves her family and friends fiercely and believes in always chasing your dreams.
Deception in the Truth is her debut novel—but now she’s hooked, and there’s more to come!
The great cover for Cry To Me by J A Schneider immediately drew me in. I love suspense thrillers. Add a hurricane, blizzard, or any kind of weather or storm to the scenario and it steps things up. I love the characters trapped and in danger.
Little Miss Cry To Me, Kim Bell, cannot say no to anyone and finds herself overloaded with obligations. Things become worse. At a celebration in their home, she finds her brother in law and sister, with a gun in her hand, dead in his office. The police think she murdered Wyatt, then killed herself. It isn’t possible. Her sister hates guns.
David, Wyatt’s brother is at her side, pulling her away. Kim is a true crime writer and a quick thinker. Something doesn’t seem right to her, so she quickly pulls out her phone and snaps a few photos. Her first experience with murder was her own father’s, which was never solved. Her mother became an alcoholic. Kim and Liddy became each other’s world.
Liddy was the fun sister, the creative one, the peacemaker. Wyatt is was a tech CEO guru. Winnie is one of Liddy’s best friends. She seems VERY helpful and makes me suspicious. (I am not paranoid. I know people are out to get me. LOL) Zoe Martin is another of Liddy’s best friends. Many times things are not as they seem, so I immediately begin to try and figure out who is the villain. Is it one of the ‘ladies’ or one of their husbands?
Police Officer Miller…bitch is pissing me off. Her dismissive attitude and quick assumptions lead me to believe that, if she didn’t have a partner looking for the real answers, the investigation could have ended with Kim found guilty in Liddy and Wyatt’s death.
I read LOTS of mysteries, suspense and thriller stories. It’s important to me that the mystery stays muddled. I love red herrings, twist and turns, and danger dogging the characters footsteps. Early on it becomes obvious the characters are keeping secrets. I may need my own murder board to focus in on the culprit and that’s a good thing. No easy answers here.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Cry To Me by J A Schneider.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Liddy Bell shot her husband – or did she? In the middle of a party she’s giving with her guests just feet away? Liddy’s sister Kim, a true crime writer, struggles to prove her sister innocent.
Wyatt Bell was a powerful tech CEO; the party was to celebrate the purchase and restoration of his and Liddy’s 1920s mansion. No one heard the shots that killed him and wounded Liddy. The band was loud and guests were scattered. When the police declare the crime a failed murder-suicide attempt and Liddy as their suspect, her sister Kim is devastated and insists it’s a setup. Wyatt’s handsome brother David and Liddy’s closest friends try to help Kim investigate…but questions arise. Could Liddy have only pretended to be happy, snapped, and shot her husband? Above all, Kim’s worst anguish is wondering if she ever really knew her sister…
With a hurricane approaching, the police put their investigation on hold, and those closest find themselves all under one roof. Relationships unravel, and Kim thinks, “This is terrifying. We’re all five of us in this house. At night in a hurricane with no power…and a terrible feeling of menace. I can’t shake it.”
ABOUT J A SCHNEIDER
Wheaton College, Norton MA (French Lit Major, Minor in Spanish & squeezed in Russian.) Sorbonne, Jr. Year in Paris
Exchange student in the Soviet Union, where I got arrested for spreading anti-Soviet propaganda – ha! Caught with friends laughing at their pea-green-colored drinking water; that was the offense; four of us arrested. Let go after a day, guess they decided we weren’t worth an international incident. Then weeks later I landed in a Soviet hospital because I fell down a ravine during a student hike in the Caucasus mountains near Sochi. It wasn’t bad. Docs in Sochi were nice…
Former writer at Newsweek Magazine. Author of the 6-book EMBRYO medical thriller series; the 4-book Detective Kerri Blasco Police/Psychological Thrillers FEAR DREAMS, HER LAST BREATH, WATCHING YOU, & SHOELESS CHILD.
Also 5 standalone thrillers: INTO THE DARK, GIRL WATCHING YOU, WHAT YOU’VE DONE, CRY TO ME, & THE WIFE LIST. Also the U.S. Civil War thriller, KATE WARNE’S SISTER IS MISSING. (She was America’s first female detective and a Pinkerton. The story takes place in NYC – a pro-South hotbed – at the outbreak of the Civil War.)
Copper Waters is the fourth book in the Annalise series, and I have loved traveling the world, facing danger, and coming out on top of it, with her and her group of friends. As the series grows, so do the characters.
I do have an issue with Annalise shitting or getting off the pot as far as her and Alec’s relationship goes. She is an antiquities expert and Alec is loaded. He’s ready to tie the knot and give up the ratrace. She’s not so sure, having a hard time believing he could really want her. But, I think the time has come to make a decision.
Especially after the mystery and danger they face in New Zealand. But, before their adventure, before she will accept his proposal, another road block appears.
I doubt I will ever make it to New Zealand, so it is wonderful to see it through Annalise’s and Marlene M Bell’s eyes. The vivid descriptions…They paint an amazing picture with their words. Snow topped mountains, lush green fields, hers of sheep and cattle, and the small town of brightly colored businesses, with historical architecture.
Annalise cannot leave a mystery unsolved, so going home to the United States when the shit starts to hit the fan is not an option. I love that her and Bill, Alex’s…and now Annalise’ detective friend, are getting comfortable with each other…not in a romantic way, but as life long friends.
The characters become richer with each story, as Marlene M Bell fills in the blanks of their lives. After reading Copper Waters, I am wondering how she will help Annalise mature into a more confident person. I don’t understand why she is so hesitant with Alec, yet so bold when there is a mystery to be solved. I love a strong female protagonist, and I want Annalise to become a more mature, self assured person. confident woman.
The saying ‘ Absence makes the heart grow fonder’ works for Annalise and Alex. They learn each other even better while being apart, finding out the mos important thing is each other.
I am loving the series and traveling to foreign worlds, but Copper Waters fell a little flat for me. I don’t know what I was wanting or expecting, but I didn’t get it. I did enjoy the story and my travels, and kept picking up the book when I had a spare minute or hour. (LOL) so there is no doubt I will continue reading whatever Marlene M Bell writes. Bring it on Marlene.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Copper Waters by Marlene M Bell.
4 Stars
Book Details:
Book Title: Copper Waters – A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 340 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: October, 2022 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF ) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: G. Book is for general audiences. No profanity. No graphic scenes. Crimes described briefly after-the-fact. Mild and limited romance https://www.youtube.com/embed/PjDimoA2yQc https://www.youtube.com/embed/PjDimoA2yQc
Book Description:
Annalisse Drury and Alec Zavos find themselves on opposing sides when an ex-lover from Alec’s past introduces him to his alleged son. With Alec distracted and their future engagement in limbo, Annalisse accepts a key to her dream cottage—situated on a picturesque sheep station on South Island, New Zealand—only this time, she travels alone.
But not long after her arrival she’s confronted by two peculiar deaths—either accidental, or the deliberate acts of a psychopath.
Local investigators are closing the cases too quickly and want Annalisse to exit the country before she reveals the town’s darkest secrets.
Will she return to Alec, or sacrifice their future together to expose it all?
Book Title: Stolen Obsession (Annalisse Series Book 1) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 296 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: March 2018 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG. Subtle romantic interludes. No profanity. https://www.youtube.com/embed/EfPsyRPdIwI https://www.youtube.com/embed/EfPsyRPdIwI
New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury’s best friend was murdered. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.
Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act. Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.
Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his parents, feared kidnapped or even dead. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?
Book Title: Spent Identity (Annalisse Series Book 2) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 378 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: Nov 2019 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG-13+M. Main Character is accosted and fights an assailant in one chapter. Mild profanity. https://www.youtube.com/embed/bqwn2d2qBQU
Antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury drives to her family farm in upstate New York to consult with Aunt Kate about her troubled relationship with Greek tycoon, Alec Zavos. When Annalisse arrives, she learns the beloved farm she expects to inherit is for sale.
That same morning, they find a stranger’s body decaying in the barn. Then her aunt vanishes.
In Spent Identity, Annalisse and Alec join forces for the second time. They must find the mastermind behind her aunt’s abduction before Kate’s health issues worsen. Was the corpse in the barn a coincidence or a warning? The clock ticks for Annalisse to find her aunt and repair what she has left with the man she loves.
Book Title: Scattered Legacy (Annalisse Series Book 3) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 352 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: Oct 2021 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG+M. Brief kissing/romance. mild use of profanity like “damn.” No F Bombs. Some violence and talk of an attack by villain that doesn’t materialize.
To outsiders, the relationship between Manhattan antiquities assessor Annalisse Drury and sports car magnate Alec Zavos must look carefree and glamorous. In reality, it’s a love affair regularly punctuated by treasure hunting, action-packed adventure, and the occasional dead body.
When Alec schedules an overseas trip to show Annalisse his mother’s birthplace in Bari, Italy, he squeezes in the high-stakes business of divesting his family’s international corporation. But things go terribly wrong as murder makes its familiar reappearance in their lives – and this time it’s Alec’s disgraced former CFO who’s the main suspect.
Accompanied by friend and detective Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father – linking him to embezzlement, extortion, and the dirty business of the Sicilian Mafia. The search for the truth sends the trio straight into riddles, secrets, and an historic set of rosary beads. Annalisse leads Alec toward a discovery that is unthinkable, and events that will change their futures forever.
Scattered Legacy is the third in Marlene M. Bell’s thrilling Annalisse series, which weaves romance, crime, and historical mystery into addictive tales to instantly captivate fans of TV show Bones or Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.
Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.
The Annalisse series has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity,) and FAPA— Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award for two other installments, (Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy.) Her mysteries with a touch of romance are found at marlenembell.com. She also offers the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! Based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.
Book Title: Copper Waters – A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 340 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: October, 2022 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF ) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: G. Book is for general audiences. No profanity. No graphic scenes. Crimes described briefly after-the-fact. Mild and limited romance https://www.youtube.com/embed/PjDimoA2yQc
Book Description:
Annalisse Drury and Alec Zavos find themselves on opposing sides when an ex-lover from Alec’s past introduces him to his alleged son. With Alec distracted and their future engagement in limbo, Annalisse accepts a key to her dream cottage—situated on a picturesque sheep station on South Island, New Zealand—only this time, she travels alone.
But not long after her arrival she’s confronted by two peculiar deaths—either accidental, or the deliberate acts of a psychopath.
Local investigators are closing the cases too quickly and want Annalisse to exit the country before she reveals the town’s darkest secrets.
Will she return to Alec, or sacrifice their future together to expose it all?
Book Title: Stolen Obsession (Annalisse Series Book 1) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 296 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: March 2018 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG. Subtle romantic interludes. No profanity. https://www.youtube.com/embed/EfPsyRPdIwI
New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury’s best friend was murdered. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.
Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act. Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.
Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his parents, feared kidnapped or even dead. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?
Book Title: Spent Identity (Annalisse Series Book 2) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 378 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: Nov 2019 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG-13+M. Main Character is accosted and fights an assailant in one chapter. Mild profanity. https://www.youtube.com/embed/bqwn2d2qBQU
Antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury drives to her family farm in upstate New York to consult with Aunt Kate about her troubled relationship with Greek tycoon, Alec Zavos. When Annalisse arrives, she learns the beloved farm she expects to inherit is for sale.
That same morning, they find a stranger’s body decaying in the barn. Then her aunt vanishes.
In Spent Identity, Annalisse and Alec join forces for the second time. They must find the mastermind behind her aunt’s abduction before Kate’s health issues worsen. Was the corpse in the barn a coincidence or a warning? The clock ticks for Annalisse to find her aunt and repair what she has left with the man she loves.
Book Title: Scattered Legacy (Annalisse Series Book 3) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 352 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: Oct 2021 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG+M. Brief kissing/romance. mild use of profanity like “damn.” No F Bombs. Some violence and talk of an attack by villain that doesn’t materialize.
MY REVIEW
It’s wonderful to be back with Annalise, on another adventure. I went right from Spent Identity, Book II, to Scattered Legacy, Book III, in the Annalise series, eager to go to Italy and face a new danger, since Trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes.
I love the cover. Those slashes, and those eyes, what the heck?
Annalise has the ability to visualize who may have held a jewel or sat for a portrait. She sometimes sees others and their motives for acquiring or stealing oils and jewels. She is a partner with Generosa Zavos, her lovers mother, in the Sazos Gallery, specializing in antiquities.
Annalise receives an envelope and hesitates to open it. I think it may take us on our next murder mystery adventure…and I say…open it Annalise.
Before Alex and Annalise head to Bari, Italy, his mother’s birthplace, Generosa gives her a rosary, a very special rosary. The visit will be a working vacation. They reach a bump in the road in the sale of his sports car company. Since mystery and murder follow them wherever they go, I am waiting for a dead body to make an appearance.
Zavos’ father had went to prison for his part in dealing with the Mafia, but there is so much more to the story that will be revealed.
In Spent Identity, we learned Annalise’s family history. In Scattered Legacy, it is Alec’s turn, with the help of his chauffeur and bodyguard Brad, and his friend and private investigator, Bill. What’s so important about Stella the cat? I sure didn’t see that coming.
Marlene M Bell’s vivid descriptions make me taste the salt air and feel the sand between my toes. I can smell the aroma of garlic and broccoli rabo, tasting the deliciousness of the pasta.
She reacts as a sleek thoroughbred would react, ready to belt at the starting gate, unsure when to run how far the finish line is.
Delicious trouble (with a capital T) seems to follow her…
Now, on to Copper Waters and a trip to New Zealand. Grab a book and follow along. You won’t regret it.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Scattered Legacy by Marlene M Bell.
4 Stars
Book Description:
To outsiders, the relationship between Manhattan antiquities assessor Annalisse Drury and sports car magnate Alec Zavos must look carefree and glamorous. In reality, it’s a love affair regularly punctuated by treasure hunting, action-packed adventure, and the occasional dead body.
When Alec schedules an overseas trip to show Annalisse his mother’s birthplace in Bari, Italy, he squeezes in the high-stakes business of divesting his family’s international corporation. But things go terribly wrong as murder makes its familiar reappearance in their lives – and this time it’s Alec’s disgraced former CFO who’s the main suspect.
Accompanied by friend and detective Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father – linking him to embezzlement, extortion, and the dirty business of the Sicilian Mafia. The search for the truth sends the trio straight into riddles, secrets, and an historic set of rosary beads. Annalisse leads Alec toward a discovery that is unthinkable, and events that will change their futures forever.
Scattered Legacy is the third in Marlene M. Bell’s thrilling Annalisse series, which weaves romance, crime, and historical mystery into addictive tales to instantly captivate fans of TV show Bones or Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.
Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.
The Annalisse series has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity,) and FAPA— Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award for two other installments, (Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy.) Her mysteries with a touch of romance are found at marlenembell.com. She also offers the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! Based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.
Book Title: Copper Waters – A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 340 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: October, 2022 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF ) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: G. Book is for general audiences. No profanity. No graphic scenes. Crimes described briefly after-the-fact. Mild and limited romance
Book Description:
Annalisse Drury and Alec Zavos find themselves on opposing sides when an ex-lover from Alec’s past introduces him to his alleged son. With Alec distracted and their future engagement in limbo, Annalisse accepts a key to her dream cottage—situated on a picturesque sheep station on South Island, New Zealand—only this time, she travels alone.
But not long after her arrival she’s confronted by two peculiar deaths—either accidental, or the deliberate acts of a psychopath.
Local investigators are closing the cases too quickly and want Annalisse to exit the country before she reveals the town’s darkest secrets.
Will she return to Alec, or sacrifice their future together to expose it all?
Book Title: Stolen Obsession (Annalisse Series Book 1) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 296 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: March 2018 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG. Subtle romantic interludes. No profanity.
New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury’s best friend was murdered. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.
Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act. Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.
Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his parents, feared kidnapped or even dead. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?
Book Title: Spent Identity (Annalisse Series Book 2) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 378 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: Nov 2019 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG-13+M. Main Character is accosted and fights an assailant in one chapter. Mild profanity.
MY REVIEW
I love the Prologue. Ethan Fawdry, the farmhand is walking along, engrossed in a myrder mystery he is reading, and stumbles across something pink…with teeth.
Annalise needed a break from her Manhattan life and her relationship with Alex Zavos. Coming home to Goshen and the Walker Farm to get advice from her Aunt Kate.
A letter arrives from Kate’s son Jeremy, telling her he is selling the farm out from under her, leaving her with nothing. But, that is only the beginning of her troubles.
One thing after another is thrown at Annalise. It should have had her head spinning, and sometimes it does, but she approaches each situation methodically. She has people she trusts, looking out for her. Though she has her doubts by Alec, he is by her side. Can they work out their issues? We shall see.
Communication was definitely an issue with the characters, but isn’t that how real life is. People keep silent to protect themselves.
We have plenty of suspects and I was unable to eliminate any of them, feeling I was missing something…until Marlene M Bell spelled it out for me. She was able to keep me guessing. Even though I had an inkling who may be behind it all, I didn’t see it unraveling the way it did. I love when I can’t figure things out. Great job, Marlene.
From the Prologue, to the end of the book, I didn’t want to put it down. Annalise is no damsel in distress, and I loved following her through all her trials and tribulations. It never hurts to have a happy ever after and it feels just right.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Spent Identity by Marlene M Bell.
4 Stars
Book Description:
Antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury drives to her family farm in upstate New York to consult with Aunt Kate about her troubled relationship with Greek tycoon, Alec Zavos. When Annalisse arrives, she learns the beloved farm she expects to inherit is for sale.
That same morning, they find a stranger’s body decaying in the barn. Then her aunt vanishes.
In Spent Identity, Annalisse and Alec join forces for the second time. They must find the mastermind behind her aunt’s abduction before Kate’s health issues worsen. Was the corpse in the barn a coincidence or a warning? The clock ticks for Annalisse to find her aunt and repair what she has left with the man she loves.
Book Title: Scattered Legacy (Annalisse Series Book 3) by Marlene M. Bell Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 352 pages Genre: Mystery-Suspense Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing Release date: Oct 2021 Format available for review: print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF) Will send print books out: USA Content Rating: PG+M. Brief kissing/romance. mild use of profanity like “damn.” No F Bombs. Some violence and talk of an attack by villain that doesn’t materialize.
Book Description:
To outsiders, the relationship between Manhattan antiquities assessor Annalisse Drury and sports car magnate Alec Zavos must look carefree and glamorous. In reality, it’s a love affair regularly punctuated by treasure hunting, action-packed adventure, and the occasional dead body.
When Alec schedules an overseas trip to show Annalisse his mother’s birthplace in Bari, Italy, he squeezes in the high-stakes business of divesting his family’s international corporation. But things go terribly wrong as murder makes its familiar reappearance in their lives – and this time it’s Alec’s disgraced former CFO who’s the main suspect.
Accompanied by friend and detective Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father – linking him to embezzlement, extortion, and the dirty business of the Sicilian Mafia. The search for the truth sends the trio straight into riddles, secrets, and an historic set of rosary beads. Annalisse leads Alec toward a discovery that is unthinkable, and events that will change their futures forever.
Scattered Legacy is the third in Marlene M. Bell’s thrilling Annalisse series, which weaves romance, crime, and historical mystery into addictive tales to instantly captivate fans of TV show Bones or Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.
Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.
The Annalisse series has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity,) and FAPA— Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award for two other installments, (Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy.) Her mysteries with a touch of romance are found at marlenembell.com. She also offers the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! Based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.
The Scoundrel Delta James (Club Southside, #1) Publication date: February 17th 2023 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Danger and desire go hand in hand…
Welcome to Club Southside. Cerberus has opened an office in Chicago over the Club. The team takes on the jobs no one else wants. They handle everything from protection, covert rescue operations, cyber-crime to reconnaissance and more. These men are driven and deadly, willing to do what is needed to complete their missions and to protect the women they love.
A fast-paced romantic suspense series of interconnected standalone books that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
As a USA Today bestselling romance author, Delta James aims to captivate readers with stories about complex,curvy heroines and the dominant alpha males who adore them. For Delta, romance is more than just a love story; it’s a journey with challenges and thrills along the way.
After creating a second chapter for herself that was dramatically different than the first, Delta now resides in Florida where she relaxes on warm summer evenings with her loveable pack of basset hounds as they watch the birds, squirrels and lizards. When not crafting fast-paced tales, she enjoys horseback riding, walks on the beach, and white-water rafting.
More about Delta, including a full list of her books and audiobooks, can be found at www.deltajames.com.
Her readers mean the world to her, and Delta tries to interact personally to as many messages as she can. If you’d like to chat or discuss books, you can find Delta on Instagram, Facebook, and in her private reader group https://www.facebook.com/groups/348982795738444.
If you’re looking for your next bingeable series, you can get a FREE story by joining her newsletter https://www.subscribepage.com/VIPlist22019.
Protecting Sparrow by Jane Blythe is Book IV of the Prey, but the series is part of something so much bigger. There are many more books and authors putting their own spin on the Operation Alpha World.
About Operation Alpha
Operation Alpha is the fan fiction world for Susan Stoker’s SEAL of Protection, Delta Force Heroes, and Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Worlds. The books all have at least one of Susan’s characters in them. Check it out at Aces Press.
I was excited to begin Protecting Sparrow by Jane Blythe. I don’t know why, but I didn’t connect with Protecting Sparrow like I did the first three books in the series. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy my trip to Africa. After all, I know danger and romance are on the way.
It all starts with Sparrow’s helicopter being shot down. She is a member of the Air Force’s Nightstalkers, the best of the best. She knew the helicopter was too badly damaged after being hit by a missile to stay in the air. A crash was eminent. Who would survive? AND…go figure. She was going home to New York tomorrow…NOT.
There’s a couple storylines going on at the same time. One I knew about because of the last book, Protecting Falcon, which is still ongoing. Bringing Ethan Zimmerman into the story created the second. He came to her rescue and they were both kidnapped by a drug trafficker.
They had been friends for a long time and she wondered if there could be more. Ethan had lost his wife and could not get past it. He felt moving on was a betrayal, but…Sparrow had a big heart and knew what to say to reach people. She was a calm in the storm, yet she could fight like a hellcat when called upon to do so.
The last part of the book didn’t go the way I thought and I do love when I can’t see it coming.
All in all, an entertaining read and I look forward to getting my hands on Book V, Protecting Hawk, and his one night stand.
There are some very sad moments and lots of running from danger, a missile, a catastrophic crash and Colt….OMG! A punch to the gut.
On that note:
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Protecting Sparrow by Jane Blythe.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Grief is all that’s stopping this friendship becoming more.
When Sparrow Oswald’s helicopter is shot down in Africa the last person she expects to come to her rescue is her old friend Ethan Zimmerman. She’d love for there to be more between them but he’s not over his wife’s death. As they work together to find who is using Ethan’s plane to smuggle drugs the spark between them grows. Only question is will Ethan do anything about it.
Ethan isn’t looking to move on. He’s already loved and lost and no way is he willing to open his heart up to let it happen again. But when he and Sparrow are kidnapped by a drug trafficking warlord and have only each other to rely upon he can’t deny that feelings he didn’t want are there nonetheless and they’re growing. He’s going to have to look at his life and decide what he wants his future to look like, only by the time he makes those decisions it might be too late.
ABOUT JANE BLYTHE
USA Today bestselling author Jane Blythe writes action-packed romantic suspense and military romance featuring protective heroes and heroines who are survivors. One of Jane’s most popular series includes Saving SEALs, part of Susan Stoker’s OPERATION ALPHA world! Writing in that world alongside authors such as Janie Crouch and Riley Edwards has been a blast, and she looks forward to bringing more books to this genre, both within and outside of Stoker’s world. When Jane isn’t binge-reading she’s counting down to Christmas and adding to her 200+ teddy bear collection!
Protecting Falcon by Jane Blythe is Book III of the Prey, but the series is part of something so much bigger. There are many more books and authors putting their own spin on the Operation Alpha World.
About Operation Alpha
Operation Alpha is the fan fiction world for Susan Stoker’s SEAL of Protection, Delta Force Heroes, and Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Worlds. The books all have at least one of Susan’s characters in them. Check it out at Aces Press.
I have read numerous books in the Special Forces: Operation Alpha series and this is my third book in the Prey Security series by Jane Blythe. I have read a lot of Jane’s stories and eagerly crack the cover on every book I get my hands on. Protecting Falcon was no different. In fact, I was even more eager than usual, because I knew Hope was in dire straits and Cam was going to be the one to save her.
Hope is no wimp. She has a quiet strength about her. She had risked her life to help another slave, who happened to be Cam’s sister. He and his team were able to get Raven and her daughter out, but had to leave Hope behind.
Prey Security is owned by Cam and his five siblings. The whole family has a need to make sure Hope is rescued. She went above and beyond anything that could have been asked of her to help Raven and her daughter, Cleo.
Cam is a bit grumpy, like Walter Matthau in Grumpy Old Men. When he finds Hope, in a cage, wondering if she is alive, I think his heart skips a beat. He is quiet and she is a talker. What’s that saying about opposites attract?
“You’re really here for me?”
As soon as Hope said that my eyes teared up. I can visualize her, looking at him with soft eyes filled with wonder. Such innocence, considering the things that have been done to her by the traffickers and the evil man that revels in her pain and degradation. Little does he know, the things being done to her do not define her.
I knew how she came to be there because of reading Book II in the series, Protecting Raven, but Jane Blythe does fill in the blanks so the story can stand alone, but once you meet Prey Security, I think you may want to get each character’s story.
Jane Blythe kept me dragging myself through the Amazon rain forest, hunted, hurt, tired, hungry, thirsty, and falling for the handsome special forces man that came specifically for Hope. Danger surrounds them and getting out will not be easy.
Of course, they are going to fall in love along the way. Are any of us surprised? I would be let down if they didn’t. After all, this is romantic suspense. We have some fun dialogue and I love to smile while the characters are running for their lives. 🙂
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Protecting Falcon by Jane Blythe.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Sparks fly when opposites attract.
When Hope Delancey showed kindness to another slave, she never expected it to put her in the crosshairs of a dangerous man. After weeks of being held captive she’s rescued by a gruff, grumpy, intimidating soldier who obviously wishes he was anywhere but in Colombia rescuing her. But Hope sees through the cold exterior to the man underneath, a man she could fall in love with, a man who has already told her he has nothing to offer.
Falcon Oswald never again wants the responsibility of someone else’s life resting in his hands. But that’s exactly the position he finds himself in when he agrees to honor the promise he made to his sister to rescue Hope. Now they’re running for their lives through the Amazon rainforest, and as Hope impresses him with her strength over and over again he realizes walking away from this woman might prove impossible, even if its what’s best for her.
ABOUT JANE BLYTHE
USA Today bestselling author Jane Blythe writes action-packed romantic suspense and military romance featuring protective heroes and heroines who are survivors. One of Jane’s most popular series includes Saving SEALs, part of Susan Stoker’s OPERATION ALPHA world! Writing in that world alongside authors such as Janie Crouch and Riley Edwards has been a blast, and she looks forward to bringing more books to this genre, both within and outside of Stoker’s world. When Jane isn’t binge-reading she’s counting down to Christmas and adding to her 200+ teddy bear collection!
Yuletide Guard is Book II of Jane Blythe’s Bodyguard Christmas Trilogy and I am looking forward to reading of damaged characters, a villain that won’t take no for an answer, and the knight in shining armor’ that will come to her rescue. The thing is, the knight has issues of his own.
Samara has a great job, great friends…and a stalker. Stories like Yuletide Guard is truly frightening to me. It’s a good thing she has friends that are bodyguards and FBI, but still, if a stalker wants you…
Samara doesn’t believe in a happy ever after for herself. She feels she doesn’t deserve it.
Michael carries his own guilt and baggage and feels the same. Can they heal each other?
Stories like Yuletide Guard read like true crime to me, and the thought of a stalker, where the stalker has no repercussions except to take it, makes me angry. What would I do? What would you do? It brings to mind so many questions as I read along. Would I turn vigilante? Would I become the hunter instead of the hunted? Would you?
I bounced between a three and a four rating, because I found nothing new in the story. It was predictable, but I gave Yuletide Guard a star for keeping me reading and hoping they would find a happy ever after and the whole stalker thing is soooo creepy. Of course, I knew they would, but…and I do love the warm, fuzzy feelings I got when I am done.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Yuletide Guard by Jane Blythe.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Is it possible to move on from your past?
Samara Patrick is being stalked. She doesn’t know by who, or where she came into contact with this person, but when the stalker makes an attempt to kidnap her she knows he’s not going to go away. It’s bad enough suffering through her least favorite time of the year but now on top of everything else she’s got a bodyguard who makes her feel things she’s not ready to accept.
Michael Stein did something he can never forgive himself for. Now he’s lost down a path he can’t find his way back from, but when his friend Samara needs him he’s there for her. Developing feelings for her wasn’t supposed to happen, but he sees through her veneer of perfectionism to the deep pain she tries to hide and it calls out to his own pain. Only problem is his issues have the power to destroy them both.
ABOUT JANE BLYTHE
USA Today bestselling author Jane Blythe writes action-packed romantic suspense and military romance featuring protective heroes and heroines who are survivors. One of Jane’s most popular series includes Saving SEALs, part of Susan Stoker’s OPERATION ALPHA world! Writing in that world alongside authors such as Janie Crouch and Riley Edwards has been a blast, and she looks forward to bringing more books to this genre, both within and outside of Stoker’s world. When Jane isn’t binge-reading she’s counting down to Christmas and adding to her 200+ teddy bear collection!
