Mystery

There are repeat authors on the list this time and only one new one – Tom Threadgill.

The regulars are Christy Barritt, Blake Pierce, Margaret Daley and Kristen Heiztmann. They are excellent writers and they often give good deals on their books. Such a great way to acquaint readers with their work.

I enjoyed reading the new author’s book too, Coming of Winter, and look forward to seeing more from him.

I highly recommend every book on this list. Good reads – all of them.

Disillusioned  Disillusioned – Christy Barritt …… Sometimes we don’t know who we can trust, or, if there is anyone we can trust. Nikki is relieved to have her brother home from Columbia after escaping a terrorist group. When the  hospital releases him to her care and the bodyguards sent to keep them safe turn out to be the enemy, all trust is gone.

Bobby and Nikki manage to escape  their would be captors and call the one friend they know could help. Now all three of them are in this together with arrest warrants out on all of  them, They are running for their life.

The authorities are convinced Bobby is in league with the terrorists, he says he’s not. He is trying to stop the bombings plotted against the US, not cause them.

There is something strange going on with Bobby and at times Nikki can’t be sure if she knows which side he is truly on. She is convinced the threat is real though and time is not on their side if they want to stop it.

 

If she knew A Kate Wise Mystery – If She Knew book 1 – Blake Pierce …. Retired after a successful thirty year career with the FBI, Kate is restless with a year of living small town life under her belt. Not sure what to do with herself she has thought about re-establishing some sort of connection with her old life but can’t decide if she should.

She’s pondering all of this as she enters the restaurant for the weekly gathering with her friends. It’s strange. Deb is usually there first and isn’t, what’s with that?

The shocking news is her daughter has been murdered. The police are looking for the killer but  Deb is determined that Kate has to investigate too.

She has a proven track record for finding serial killers. The trouble is, she has no authority and the local police won’t be happy with her poking her nose into their investigation.

They weren’t happy – they contacted her old FBI boss to complain. Not exactly the way she wanted to renew connections with her old life.

The Agency agreed to work with her and give her limited resources but the loss of even  that is threatened as the bodies keep mounting up without an arrest.

She does have a proven track record though, and if she hasn’t lost her touch …..

Freefall  Freefall – Kristen Heitzmann ….. A bruised and battered young woman has stumbled into someone’s yard after surviving a long trek out of the Hanalei Mountains, dehydrated and starving. She has no recollection of anything to do with who she is, what’s happened to her or why. She doesn’t remember leaving an injured someone behind,  waiting for her to get help and return.

Cameron Pierce is hostile toward yet another stray showing up in his sister’s garden, taking advantage of her tender heart. The only reason he is here now is because he was asked to help figure out where she came from and what’s happened to her.

He wants to turn the woman they call Jade over to the police, or at the very least take her for medical help, but for reasons she doesn’t understand Jade resists, feeling threatened by going to the authorities.

The person she’s left behind has serious injuries and he’s caught behind a waterfall where it’s cold, damp, and there’s no way to get food when his meagre store runs out.

Jade is trying hard to remember but nothing is working.

Deciding to put a picture out there to see if anyone recognizes her will not work out the way they’d hoped. They’ll be left wishing they could take it back.

 

Deadly Fires Strong Women, Extraordinary Situations Series – Deadly Fires: Rodeo Knights book 9 – Margaret Daley …..  Alexis Richards is trying hard to please her father after she’s been forced to run their family rodeo business while he recoups from a massive heart attack.

His blood pressure is through the roof when he hears his prize bull was out on the street terrorizing the neighborhood.

Bad things keep happening and it seems to be escalating without anyone knowing who or why.

Her father said he’s sending help and the last person she expects to see is Cole, her ex-husband. Their marriage did not survive the death of their son and Alexis is not happy to see him.

 

Coming of Winter A Jeremy Winter Thriller – Coming of Winter book 1 – Tom Threadgill ….. Special Agent Jeremy Winter, twenty-three year veteran of the FBI has been exiled to St Louis from DC for anger management issues. Without any explanation.

He’s had to leave his girlfriend and all his friends behind to work white collar crime in a sterile office with a fake plant.

His anger is simmering when his phone rings and it’s a voice he is expected to recognize, and doesn’t. It’s a connection to his army days, a guy he doesn’t even know all that well.

Randy is worried about one of his ex wives, she hasn’t been cashing his alimony cheques and that’s highly unusual. He’s called the police and they checked it out and said everything looked fine, there is nothing they could do. He’s convinced something is wrong and wants Jeremy to find out where she is.

At first he doesn’t want to get involved but the longer he thinks about it and the more red flags his research uncovers – he’s convinced Randy has good reason to worry.

The challenge will be to find time to investigate without the brass realizing what he’s up to, at least until he has enough evidence to convince them there is a case to be worked on.


May you have many hours of Happy Reading!

 

Distorted, and other thrillers

Here are a few more thriller suggestions for you. Ghost was probably my favorite…. because of the dry humor. I always like a book that will make me laugh out loud. The twists and turns of the story were fun too.

 

distorted Distorted – Christy Barritt ….. Mallory feels like she has been given a second chance at life and she is trying to build new and make it count for something. It has been working too….. until a man from her past is spotted at a public event for one of her new ventures.  The old fears are suddenly strangling her and she can’t breathe.

Former Navy Seal Tennyson Walker is amazed at the difference in Mallory, he still has nightmares about her rescue from sex slavery.  The call now is because of the stalker and  while Mallory is grateful to see him again, he has reservations about interacting with her. There are secrets he’s been keeping about her life in captivity and for that he feels guilty.

 

ghost A Sam Prichard Mystery – Ghost – Sam Prichard Part 2 book 1 – David Archer ….. Sam, a retired cop with a bad hip, is lead singer for a hot new band, with a side business as a private investigator. He’s trying  to retire from the PI business but keeps being drawn back in.

He takes his wife out for a nice dinner and nearly runs a man over on the way home. Sam brakes to miss him and sees the man look back to the forest. His head suddenly explodes in a shower of blood before he has the chance to run across the road. Sam and his wife (also his personal assistant) figure they better check to see if there is anything they can do before help arrives. It’s strange;  he is wearing a cheap suit but everything else about him spells money. There is nothing in the way of identification and no clues as to why he is out here running from someone. It feels creepy as they wait for the cops to show up.

It’s been a couple of weeks since the shooting, life has gone back to normal and Sam has a nine o’clock appointment. A tall black man with a retired military service dog — they’d survived Afghanistan together and now they have problems on the home front. Jack received a threatening note accusing his wife of cheating on him with his best friend Max. Jack doesn’t believe a word of it and wants Sam to find out who is doing this terrible thing.

 

before sunrise  Before Sunrise – Rick Mofina …. Will Fortin, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, chose the wilderness of southern Alberta as his place to serve. Life is hard in these remote places and the worst of it is domestic violence, where injuries are extreme and charges are never laid.

Will’s loving marriage didn’t survive his guilt and distress over failing to protect a woman who wouldn’t leave her abusive drunken husband. His promising career didn’t survive either but at least he was still employed.

For some reason his boss, all these years later, is sending him to Washington State to deliver a dangerous offender. They will be flying by small private plane in weather that is less than the best. When they crash in the mountains and most of the passengers are killed, Will is on his own with the prisoner. His challenge is to make sure no one else will ever be harmed by this murderer. A tall challenge.

 

tears of god  The Blackwell Files – Tears of God book 7 – Steven F Freeman …. Her mother’s birthday party is in full swing when Mallory and her husband Alton arrive. The place is crowded with military guests, all of them having served with her parents through the years. A chance meeting with a man claiming to have served with her late father is disturbing. He expresses sorrow for the avoidable death – a surprise to Mallory who was told her father had died of a heart attack. He gives them his card and invites them to his home in the morning to hear more. When he doesn’t appear to answer the door, they imagine the worst and break in to find him dying in a pool of vomit on the bathroom floor. Someone has gotten to him first. With his dying breath he tries to whisper words they don’t understand but figure much be important for him to make such an effort.

The mystery deepens. Alton and Mallory try to make sense of the words they heard. They check with their FBI sources for clues and the results are mystifying. The coroner tells them Major Creighton’s cause of death is poisoning. They mention him to Mallory’s mother and find she doesn’t know this man and didn’t invite him to her party. Further research turns up more questions than answers and Mallory cannot rest without answers. It’s a good thing she is not the only one wanting to know because they have no idea what giant will be awakened by their search for the truth.

buried secrets  Men of Valor – Buried Secrets book 1 – Irene Hannon …. Lisa Grant, former Chicago homicide detective, has taken on the role of Chief in a small town hoping for the quiet life. Unearthing bones in a new housing development was not part of the future she had in mind with this move.

Former Navy Seal, Mac McGregor, has been called in to lend assistance and doesn’t get off to a good start when he bypasses Lisa and addresses one of the officers as the person in charge. Oops!

Lisa knows she has to find a way to set aside her prickly response to Mac if they hope to uncover the secrets buried with this person. Maybe it’s not a bad thing, but they have no idea what they are getting in to, or the lengths someone will go to try and keep the secrets hidden.


Happy reading!

 

Mysteries, and writing

The other day someone asked me if this blog is about writing. It is…… indirectly.

I am a novice at writing so have little to offer that would be useful in perfecting a writer’s craft. I have thoughts and opinions but nothing I would share.

On the other hand, I have much experience as a reader. I’ve learned to recognize good writing and not-so-good writing. I am passionate about the value of an active and robust reading life in an aspiring writer.

Deeply disappointing experiences with books that could have been great and weren’t has ignited this passion to be an influencer.

To be great you have to hang out with the greats.

Discussion of mechanics will only take you so far. Watching a master at work will take you places an instruction book could never hope to go.


Attempting to inspire, here are a few more examples of good writing.

If you get caught up in a story and lose sight of the writing……it was a good book.

hunt for justice   Hunt for Justice Willa Carson Novels – Due Justice book 1, Twisted Justice book 2 – Diane Capri ….

Due Justice …  Judge Willa Carson and her sister have a long history of a rocky relationship and Carly has been ignoring Willa’s attempts to connect with her for over a year. The sight of her sister showing up at her door is a bit of a shock, to say the least. This visit wouldn’t be happening without good reason and Willa is immediately wary of being drawn in, again. If she asks the reason for the visit, and it turns out to be criminal in nature, she would have to choose between loyalty to her sister and the letter of the law requiring her to report to law enforcement. It could mean her job.

Carly is a successful lawyer herself and knows how to make things go her way. Despite her best efforts to avoid involvement, Willa finds herself signed up as legal counsel for a sister accused of murder. Can she manage to walk this tightrope? Helping her sister  while keeping her job? Or will she crash and burn?

Twisted Justice …. Judge Willa Carson’s beloved husband has been arrested for murder. He has been leading the fight to defeat General Randall Andrews’ nomination to the Supreme Court. Andrews has been found dead and the police are convinced the evidence points to George Carson.

Willa doesn’t believe George did it but she feels helpless because he won’t discuss it with her. He says he has an alibi but can’t, or won’t – she’s not sure which – tell her where he was. He is refusing to hire a lawyer or to discuss his defense with anyone.

Willa decides; under normal circumstances George trusts her judgement so hopefully he will this time. One of Willa’s old classmates has become a high powered defence lawyer, it looked like a good fit but things don’t go as smoothly as hoped. George still refuses to cooperate and clues are hard to come by. Things are not what they seem and the truth – when it comes out – is a shock.

dangerous mistakes  Leah Nash Mysteries – Dangerous Mistakes book 2 – Susan Hunter ….. Reporter Leah Nash is back at her small-town newspaper after a disgraceful exit from her big city job. She plans to do whatever it takes to survive this job and work on her true-crime book as a way to get back to the city. This won’t be easy since her new boss seems to have it in for her for some reason.

Escaping the notice of her boss becomes difficult when the daughter of the local surgeon is convinced her father did not commit suicide but was murdered. The authorities  believe this murder theory is a figment of an overactive imagination so in desperation  she turns to Leah for help. Soon everyone in town, everyone that matters anyway, is upset with Leah for poking her nose in where it doesn’t belong.

Even she begins to question the sanity of the murder theory but then odd things begin to happen and it’s clear, this is a dangerous position to be in, chasing a determined killer. Well, so is she … determined ….. to find the truth.


 

If your passion for reading is at a low ebb, I hope you will be inspired to make a change. 

Here’s to finding books that will carry you away to magical places.

Happy hunting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christy Barritt Mysteries

I cannot believe how quickly the weeks are flying by. It feels like a new month is starting every couple of weeks. I know it’s not but it sure feels like it

Lately, I find myself spending more time in front of my work computer and less in front of my blog computer. I have mixed emotions about this. I appreciate the heavier workload but ……  like my favorite bumper sticker says I’d rather be reading. I’m gradually working up to I’d rather be writing and I do see a little progress in that area.

It seems I’m not the only one writing less these days. I’ve noticed many of the bloggers I follow aren’t writing as often as they once were, either. It would be interesting to know why this is. Is it a busier life? Less interest in writing… or in life? Is it a normal cycle, maybe, to start out strong and fade after awhile? Every day, as I check emails for new notifications of blog posts, I wonder about the answer to this question of why. I miss the writers I used to count on as being there. I miss seeing the regular readers for my posts too. They still pop up now and then but not like before. Hopefully things will change one day and we will find our motivation again.

It would be nice to overcome the lethargy I feel at the end of a work day, and find the energy to spend time blogging. The writing process can be an uplifting experience, releasing some of those feel good endorphins. My intentions are good, to do better……. but you know what they say about good intentions…..

In the meantime, I’m still finding good books. Today I have a couple of mystery books to share with you. Author Christy Barritt is showing up often these days and her books are always a good read.

shadow of intrigue  Lantern Beach Romantic Suspense – Shadow of Intrigue book 2 – Christy Barritt …… Lisa Garth feels out of place, all of her friends have someone to share life with and she is odd man out, having no one. It’s most noticeable in the off season with tourists gone and reduced hours at her restaurant leaving her too much time to think.

Braden Dillinger plans to spend several weeks at Lantern Beach, on the recommendation  of his therapist. The hope is that beach time will bring some healing for the debilitating scars of his Special Forces days in battle.

Friends have loaned him the use of their cottage while they are away visiting family. Lisa promised Ty and Cassidy she would play hostess to their guest and cook for him while they are gone.  Things have gotten off to a rocky start, and now she wants to turn her back on that promise.

With no car in the driveway , Lisa assumed their guest had not yet arrived and let herself in to prepare dinner. Braden, forgetting about the special arrangement for his meals, has gone to take a shower and doesn’t hear her come in. She knew he had an injury of some sort but had no idea just what it was, or what reaction her presence in the house would trigger.

She thought she was going to die at his hands.

She explains her presence, he apologizes and, eventually, they begin an uneasy truce.

Distressing, inexplicable events keep happening to them both. Evidence of break-ins in his cottage, shadowy figures watching both houses, shots fired through her window.  With his blackouts, Braden is afraid the memories of these events are part of his paranoia and he is only imaging things. Lisa is labelling her attacks as bored teenage pranks.

Gradually, Braden is convinced someone is trying to kill him, but who is it and how did they know where to find him? Then, there’s the question of Lisa’s attacks – are they connected to his or is something else going on with her?

When he sees Lisa is busy and short handed, Braden decides to offer his services at the restaurant . He thinks listening to the town’s gossip may give him clues as to who and why.  He’s hoping he can figure this out before it’s too late.

 

Random Acts of Outrage  Holly Anna Paladin Mysteries – Random Acts of Outrage book 6 – Christy Barritt ….. As usual, Holly arrives on time after school to pick up Sarah, her fourteen year old foster daughter. She’s even a little early today. The line keeps moving up and eventually Holly realizes, all the other students have gone, and Sarah isn’t here. Convinced something is terribly wrong she runs to the school staff and calls her case worker, but no one takes her seriously. They are all of the opinion Sarah has run away, that’s what foster kids do. Holly doesn’t believe it. There are too many indicators, in her mind anyway, that Sarah has been taken against her will.

Holly is desperate and can think of only one person with the ability to help her. He is her ex fiancé, and it will be awkward, but she asks them to call Detective Chase Dextor. Sarah has Type 1 diabetes and without her meds, she could die, they have to find her..

Holly is convinced Sarah hasn’t run away. They have developed a close relationship, and this home situation is the best she’s ever had. She’s even more convinced now that she’s   talked to the teachers responsible for supervising after school pick ups. Someone saw  Sarah get into a lady’s car in the student parking lot and drive away. Holly doesn’t believe she is running, there is something else going on here.

Once she’d gone through her house and found all of Sarah’s meds still there, Holly knew this wasn’t a planned meeting. The deeper she searches the greater her conviction, something is desperately wrong.

Fortunately for her; Chase believes her and is doing everything he can to help figure out what happened. The problem is; they have very little to go on.

It’s a good thing they are looking, because Sarah needs them more than they could ever imagine.


How is your book search going?  Have you discovered a good source for books? What is your favorite? My favorite is still BookBub.

Happy searching, and happy reading this week!

 

Rogue Wave

Last post ended with this comment:  Speaking of addictions: that reminds me….. of a idea which I will save to talk about in the next post……… This subject that has been on my mind, often, since that post, and as it won’t seem to go away, I’ll share what I was thinking that day….

I heard an interesting commentary on addictions the other day. It was in regard  to things that – in and of themselves – are not bad for you. Things like work, sports, reading….  activities that, if taken too far, can cause us to neglect obligations, and the significant people in our lives.

The speaker was describing a way to enjoy an activity while encouraging it to shrink back to healthy levels.  The gist of her thought was this – We need to expand our happiness base.  Adding to the number of  activities we enjoy will do this, and the hold any one activity has on us will be lessened.

This commentary belongs to award winning lyricist, Gloria Gaither, and she was giving it in response to a question from Mark Lowry on Monday’s With Mark,   (Mark Lowry’s live video interviews on You Tube.) (Mark is funny, real, and wise beyond his years. Check him out, you might like him). The addict Gloria was speaking about is workaholic Bill Gaither, who agreed – he is an addict. He also agreed that expanding his happiness base has made a big difference in it’s hold on him. Interestingly enough, reading has become one of his new favorite activities. We are cheering you on, Bill!

After hearing this interview, I’ve been taking an honest look at the activities in my own life. It seems I bounce back and forth between four or five different things (sometimes all in one day). Maybe that’s a good sign my happiness base has broadened…. at least a little. There is this compulsion though, in the back of my mind, always looking for openings to snatch a few diversionary moments,  doesn’t matter how big or small they are. I think my happiness base expansion still needs some work.

Addictions and stress levels are never as simple as all that but even now, several weeks later, I can still see the value in the point Gloria was making. I have been making an effort to vary the way I spend time and it has been making a difference. It is getting easier to make myself get up and get going when I need to.


This time the book is …. fantasy.

Deep sea adventure, intrigue, death threats, bombings, rogue killer waves, green men ….  really….. a good book for the addictive reader

 

Rogue Wave   Rogue Wave – Christopher Cartwright

A killer wave that can sink massive ships without leaving evidence of what it is, or where it came from.

A mystery solver dragged into a sinister plot for reasons that are unclear. Someone notices and now his life, and that of his crew, is in danger.

His business associates have fallen for the promise of a payout in the millions, but with his  personal wealth and laser focus on new inventions – the lure of money has no effect on him. He votes to reject the lucrative deal, he can see what this takeover is really all about  – a threat to life as we know it.

His rejection of this deal is a threat to life as he knows it.

In the meantime, his father’s shipping business has been taking a hit with mega tankers disappearing and he wants his son to figure out what’s going on.

Are any of these things related?  Are they all related?

He has a talented crew, with sophisticated equipment, ready to take on the challenge. He’s not confident they will live through the experience so he makes plans.

He decides their best hope is to disappear while they investigate discretely. That’s when the fun begins.


I love a good book, don’t you? 🙂

Happy reading, everyone

 

 

Flowers in The Snow, and more

This is going to be another, very basic, catch up list.

Distracted by a great number of compelling reads, there was not much writing going on this summer, and the lineup of finished books is growing longer.

The books on this list were well worth reading and I wish there was time to enlarge on them all, as enticement.

There is no time though, there are more almost ready to be added. What can I say, I’m addicted.

One book I would recommend is Flowers in The Snow. It follows, in a way, after The Book of Negroes.

I mentioned The Book of Negroes several posts ago and noticed very little traffic on it. I wasn’t sure whether readers were distressed to see something, seemingly, politically incorrect, or if there were other reasons.

Several weeks ago, at our writers group, it was my turn to present a reading for critique. I revised the post a little, for clarification, and mentioned that the Book of Negroes was  the record book of black loyalists taking advantage of an opportunity for relocation. Relocation sponsored and paid for by the British Commonwealth. There are two versions of the record book: the British version kept in Kew London, the American version kept in Washington DC.

The response to my reading was positive and several said they felt inspired to read the book as well.

One of the books in this new list has a character, a literature professor, teaching her students to notice how much can be learned by reading books thoughtfully.

That’s why I don’t shy away from tough subjects. There is much to be learned from them.

Learning is always a good thing.

Some of the books in this list are more thought provoking than others but there is still something to be gained from all of them.

I’m hoping you will feel inspired.


Flowers in the Snow The Edenville Series – Flowers in the Snow book 1 – Danielle Stewart

 

Finding Faith  Love’s Compass – Finding Faith book 4 – Melanie D. Snitker

The Face of the Earth  The Face of the Earth – Deborah Raney

 

Nearly  Nearly – Deborah Raney

 

Glamorous Illusions  Grand Tour Series – Glamorous Illusions –  Lisa T. Bergren

Where the Hurt is  Where The Hurt Is – Chris Kelsey

Tides of Deception  Lantern Beach Series – Tides of Deception book 1 – Christy Barritt

If You Believed in love   If You Believed in Love – Staci Stallings

Sorrowful Road  Detective Allan Stanton – Sorrowful Road book 3 – Alex MacLean

IntroductionsIntroductions to four spunky female sleuths – Christy Barritt

Squeaky Clean Mysteries – Hazardous Duty book 1

A Holly Anna Paladin Mystery – Random Acts of Murder book 1

The Sierra Files – Pounced book 1 (spin off of Squeaky Clean series)

The Worst Detective Ever – Ready to Fumble book 1

New Year's Revolution   New Year’s Revolutions – Chautona Havig

The Nostradamus Equation Sam Reilly –  The Nostradamus Equation book 6 – Christopher Cartwright

In Honor Bound   The Chastelayne Trilogy – In Honor Bound book 1 – DeAnna Julie Dodson

Happy, and inspired, Reading!

Experiences along the way

There were some things I wanted to experience, on my trip to Nashville and beyond. I wanted to find out if some places were as good as they said they were.

I probably shouldn’t use the word they, I should probably be truthful and say he. He is a funny man, given to hyperbole. Are these restaurants really the greatest, or is it just his opinion? And, if it’s just his opinion… is it one I could agree with?

This fellow is funny, fearless, has attention deficit disorder, and is always coming up with good ideas and catching them on video. He has a You Tube channel with thousands of followers and I’m sure some of his friends cringe when they see him and his cell phone coming their way. Many more don’t, though, and he manages to post some great stuff. Fun, entertaining, and touching, all in the same video sometimes.

He loves to eat in restaurants, and share the experience on line. He likes Mexican, Chick Fil A, Waffle House, In and Out burger, and many others. I did get to Waffle House and Chick fil a. I tried southern sweet tea and a fancy salad with thick slices of banana bread, at a Bob Evans restaurant. I passed a Cracker Barrel one day but had just finished lunch so didn’t get to try it out.

I’ve decided he is full of hyperbole but the food was still good. I loved the banana bread but the sweet tea… not so much. That wasn’t much of a surprise to me though as most of the time I prefer my tea hot, and straight up with no sugar.

I’m looking forward to another trip one day, maybe I can check out a few more of his recommendations.


 

The Prisoner's Wife  Maine Brides Series – The Prisoner’s Wife – Susan Page Davis ….. 1720  Jack has been working diligently to make something of his farm in hopes that Lucy would agree to marry him. Her father refused him four years earlier, because of his parentage, and he has not spoken to Lucy in all these years but he still hopes.

Hope turns to despair when he is falsely accused of murdering the neighbouring farmer,  and the murder weapon turns out to be his knife. The whole prejudiced town, convinced  of his guilt, is determined to skip the trial and go straight to hanging

He may not survive this ordeal but maybe there is still a way to keep his valuable farm from falling into greedy hands.

 

Until we reach home  Until We Reach Home – Lynn Austin….. the arrival of an abusive uncle has made life unbearable for Elin after the sudden tragic loss of her parents. Determined to spare her sisters from falling victim to the same abuse, she quietly contacts their uncle in America to see if he can help. Maybe life would be  better for them far away in a new country.

He agrees but…. things don’t go as smoothly as hoped. Her sisters each have their own reasons for not wanting to leave the only home they know, and keeping them in the dark about her motivation has only fed their rebelliousness.

Elin is determined to find a way to make a happy home for her sisters, but everywhere she turns there are unexpected set backs and road blocks. Will they ever find a safe place to call theirs?

 

fial witness  Final Witness – James Scott Bell ….. Rachel is brilliant, hard working, talented in her chosen profession, and  has landed a paralegal position in a prestigious law firm, even though she hasn’t completed her final year of law school.

Her boss trusts her with critical research on a high profile criminal case and her success at finding results has produced two unhappy groups.  Jealous colleagues and a threatened criminal element. Both of them have become a danger to her.

With threats on her life she is taken off the case but goes undercover to finish what she started.

Can she find away to stay alive and still do her part to win this legal battle?

 

hidden currents  Lantern Beach Mysteries – Hidden Currents book 1 – Christy Barritt ….. Detective Cady Matthews has to go into hiding after a notorious gang puts a bounty on her head for taking down their leader.

The small  isolated resort town is turning out to have more going on than expected. And as Cassidy, owner of an ice  cream truck, she is finding it impossible to stay out of things when a body washes up on shore and the local police are bungling the investigation.

She succumbs to looking for creative ways to help the investigation without blowing her cover, or getting her picture on national newscasts. With less than stellar success.

There is one other person in town who is also trying to hide some serious skills. They each have suspicions about the other one but somehow manage to team up without coming out and admitting anything. Maybe there is safety in numbers, maybe they will be able to look out for each other… and solve the crime.

This was a favorite read in this list. I loved the dry humour.

 

murder in room 305  Murder in Room 305 – Gary C. King ….. a shocking true story of sex, greed and cold blooded murder. Kathyrn Ann Martini is a beautiful young woman with a bright future in banking, until she meets a sleazy, smooth talking man with connections to the world of crime.

Her raped and mutilated body was found at the Valley River Inn in Eugene Oregon and her husband of one year was arrested. He had recently taken out a large life insurance policy on her and hired an underworld assassin to stalk and kill his wife.

A well presented  story of one of the most sensational trials in Oregon’s history.

 

all in one place All in One Place – Carolyne Aarsen ….. Terra Froese likes to keep people at arms length and move regularly, but an abusive boyfriend  in this last place has her running for her life.

The once close relationship with her sister has become strained with neglect but she is  running to her anyway, hoping for a safe place to hide until she can figure things out.

She’s managed to hitchhike within a few miles of her sister and hopes to quietly cover the last final bit but her choice in attire (dressing to make a good impression) is drawing unwanted attention. First a cop car, with two forlorn little girls in the back seat, stops and wants to know who she is and did she know anything about a wild house party last night. Next a young woman with a hungry and neglected looking baby in the back seat of her convertible, rolls up and offers a ride.

Accepting the ride and an invitation to stop for a drink at the local bar is a bad choice, spoiling her chance for a quiet entrance into town. Unwanted male attention and her attempt to discourage it lands her in jail facing an assault charge.

Making bail for your sister is not the best start to a surprise visit.

Okay, so there were two favorite reads this time.

This is a tough subject but still a fun read, with spunky characters revealing devastating secrets and finding forgiveness.


Happy reading to you, on this close to the end summer day!

 

My trip to Nashville

This summer my son was home from overseas and needed to make a trip to Indianapolis USA to meet up with some of his colleagues. I was excited when he suggested I travel with him. How could I pass up the rare chance of a travel companion.

We would be there a little over a week. I would be on my own while he was tied up with scheduled activities and I was good with that. Getting to travel to and from with him gave me the push I needed to venture out into new territory. I hadn’t been across the border to the US since before passports were a requirement for Canadian citizens, several decades at least, and I’d never travelled in eastern US. I wanted to, mostly because of curiosity aroused by blogs and vlogs of artists I follow. There were places to see and things to experience.

First I had to apply for a passport. I’d been dragging my feet on that subject for more than a decade (but that’s a story for another time). I am now the proud owner a brand new passport, and I don’t hate my picture – that made my day.

One of the places I hoped to visit while I was at loose ends was Nashville. There were several other places too, in other directions, and I needed to end up in Chicago to meet up with my son. Looking at Google maps it all looked doable.

It was but…. I decided to ignore the interstate highways. They are fast paced, a direct route bypassing towns and other interesting landmarks. I wanted to learn more about this  part of the country so I chose minor highways that kind of meander from one town to another.

I was happy with that choice. It was interesting to see the lay of the land, mostly farming, different styles of architecture, and the way things changed from region to region. Some small towns had a down home, country, kind of feel, while some seemed to promote the  past. Others were more formal with lots of well cared for, fancy brick houses. Some had the charming antebellum houses we read about in stories of the old south. Of course this route took much longer than the time Google maps quoted.

I think my favorite part about Nashville, when I finally got there, was driving through city center at rush hour. Creeping along at a snails pace was giving me plenty of time to appreciate the view, there was something about the city scape that I loved.

I stayed in the area that night and the next morning, while trying to find my way back north again, I happened upon a beautiful park in the downtown part of Nashville. It all left me wanting to go back again, for more than a passing look.

Then, when I got back home and discovered I had just missed some of my favorite artists at the Grand Ole Opry…..


OK, book time

Romeo's Rules  A Mike Romeo Thriller – Romeo’s Rules book 1 – James Scott Bell …… Mike witnesses a bombing and all he wants to do is be helpful to the distraught mother of two children who have gone missing.

He has his reasons for trying to fly under the radar, not wanting to draw the attention of law enforcement or drug lords, so he is trying to be discreet about helping. Not an easy thing to do while being questioned as a witness

It turns out it’s a good thing he is knows how to fight to keep  himself alive because he’s not doing a very god job of avoiding notice. Who knew a simple kindness could become so complicated, and life threatening.

 

Sanctuary Murrells Inlet Miracles – Sanctuary book 1 – Laurie Larson ……Nora Ramsey has worked long and hard to get to where she is, a partner in a successful law firm with hopes of becoming a senior partner one day. So, when an legal document arrives advising her she has inherited beach front property from an aunt she loved but hasn’t seen in years, her first thought is to sell.

Life throws curves at us sometimes, and the arrest of her boss, and mentor, on fraud charges was a major curve that shook her world. Maybe checking out her inheritance and making an informed decision would be a better use of forced time off for the investigation.

Revived memories of a happy time with beach and horses has her rethinking her chosen lifestyle. Could she, should she, take a chance on coming back? A renewed relationship with her sister is a strong motivator, not to mention the handsome vet looking out for the animals on her property. She has almost decided yes when she finds out the vet has a secret she wishes she had known before her heart became involved.

 

Ruthless   The Blackwell Files – Ruthless book 2 – Steven F. Freeman …. Chelsea suspects her family has ordered the killing of her uncle who wanted out of the family business. Chelsea, who has never been part of the business, wants to know the truth and has the means to do it. Alton, her colleague in the cyber security world, has the talent and the skills, if she can convince him to help her.

Mallory, Alton’s FBI girlfriend, agrees to help a little in checking this out but as the bodies keep piling up and a simple mob hit turns into something more, it becomes a full fledged FBI case and it’s more than a challenge for them to keep Chelsea safe.

They still think the killings are the work of the family but some things are not adding up right. So, if not the family, then who?

 

the Chase   Jill Lewis Mysteries – The Chase book 1 – Susan Wales and Robin Shope …… Jill’s expose is about to hit the newsstands and she makes her grand entrance to the office primed for a congratulatory celebration. It’s a shock to open the boardroom doors to find the dour faces of big wigs and lawyers. The politician being exposed has somehow managed to turn the tables and she is the one being accused.

She knows she has the facts straight and he is guilty but without a job she can’t prove it, and her promising career is destroyed, Her marriage prospect has gone up in smoke; under the circumstances she is a liability to his political aspirations.

For some reason the editor of her small hometown newspaper keeps trying to get her to come home and work for him. It’s not an appealing idea but what else can she do, no one else will hire her.

Writing obituaries and covering dog shows is not enough to make her want to get up in the morning but the interest of her boss encourages her to keep gong, and investigating. The goal – to find enough truth to convict and clear her name. Truth someone doesn’t want her to find.

How has your summer been going? Found any good books? I’m hoping you have!