Counter Attack

by

Patricia Bradley

A Review

Phame wanted revenge. Alex Stone wanted to live. Alex would soon become the newly appointed Chief Deputy Sheriff of Russell County, TN. Nathan Landry was the Police Chief of Pearl Springs, the county seat of Russell County. Together they would track down Phame and identify the drug dealers that had recently arrived in town - if they could survive each other.

As in the past, Patricia Bradley has written an enjoyable, exciting, and suspenseful tale that captivated this reader, The book moves between Chattanooga, TN, and Pearl Springs. Both sound like, except for the murders, a wonderful vacation destination. Counter Attack serves as the first book of a new series being written by the author.

The book easily earns the 5+ stars given it by this reader.  This reader will look forward to the next book in the series.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.  

A Wealth of Deception: A Review

A Wealth of
Deception

 

Trish Esden

A Review

Southeastern Vermont is the home of a number of antique shops. It is also the site of a 10-year-old unsolved murder. Edie Brown, the manager of an antique store, finds herself in the middle of that murder as she seeks to discover the provenance of a collage created by an outsider - a relatively new artist arising outside the traditional art scene. 

Scandle Mountain Fine Arts and Antiques had been started a number of years earlier by Edie’s mother. Now her mother sat in prison charged and convicted of copying and selling forged works of art.  Scandle Mountain Fine Arts and Antiques’ reputation was quickly falling as was its financial stability. If Evie and her friends could prove the provenance of the collage, much of that reputation and financial problems might be corrected.  But could they do it before the Russian mob would kill Evie and friends.

The second book in a series focused on Evie and her store - this reader could not put the book down. LGBTQ+ friendly and full of lovely descriptions of the Vermont countryside, the book will make one want to take a summer or fall trip to the area. The characters seemed real, the art scene was of interest, and there was enough suspense and mystery to hold the attention of many. I give the book five-stars.   

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.  

Broker of Lies - A Review

Broker of Lies

by

Steven James

Steven James and Tyndale offer a well-written and interesting tale focusing on domestic terrorism - a story where it becomes, at times, difficult to discern who are the good guys and who are not. Though the story takes place in the present day, it has it roots in the fire that took Travis Brock’s wife’s life two years ago. No one knew the whole story, at least no one that was talking. Yet the pieces were starting to come together; but it would take time for the story to unfold.

The book started slow - this reader, at first, felt like he was reading something written by a high school student. However, by the end of the book, the story could not be put down. Including espionage, betrayal, and a bit (a very small bit) of romance, the book will appeal to a great many readers. I particularly liked Army Ranger Gunnar Bane - who is attempting to write the world’s next great romance novel. His character offers a strange mix of traits that fit well with the book.

Because the story started slow, I was ready to give the book 3-stars. By the time this reader finished the book, it became clear that it had earned the well-deserved rating given the finished story. The book had become a 5-star book that makes this reader look forward to the next volume in the series.

A Christmas Candy Killing - A Review

A Christmas Candy Killing

by

Chrstina Romeril

A Review

The author has written a fine coy mystery centered around a combination mystery bookshop/candy store. Alex and her twin sister, Hanna, ran the store located in the small Rocky Mountain village of Harriston, Montana. Alex, visiting an elderly friend, finds her dead - stabbed to death. The sheriff accusses another friend of the crime, bui A;ex is not so sure. She and a collection of friends and neighbors will spend the days before Christmas searching for the real killer while not being killed themselves.

It was fun getting to know the members of the Harriston community - both their strengths and their faults. The author drops enough clues for the reader to track the guilty party, without giving the culprit away till the book reaches its climax. When combined with the cany recipes, the book is well done.

Hopefully this becomes the first book in a new series - after all, “This is the first time there’s been a murder in Harriston in over a hundred years. What are chance of another … in our lifetimes.”  I give this cozy mystery four-stars.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.  

Missing Pieces - A Review

 

Missing Pieces

“Elvis Has Left the Building” by Cynthia Hickey 

“The Puzzle King” by Linda Baten Johnson 

“A Puzzling Weekend” by Teresa Ives Lilly 

“Puzzle Me This” by Janice Thompson

A Review

The publisher has brought together four different faith-based cozy mysteries all centered on the theme of Jigsaw puzzles. Each was enjoyable and provided a few hours of fun reading.

For this reader the most enjoyable story was Janice Thompson’s “Puzzle Me This”. Set in the annual Camden Jigsaw Puzzle Show, Mariah was opening a new business - selling Jigsaw puzzles - but it seemed like it would be a failure from the start. First were the gunshots heard throughout the Camden Opera House, home to the show; then came the dead body found near Mariah’s booth; the first night ended with the missing, i.e. stolen, “Grindle Point '' antique puzzle valued at over $2500. That puzzle was the key to Mariah’s future success and now it was gone.

Mariah, working with other shop owners and Detective Casey Durham of the Camden PD, would follow (stumble on) clues which would lead to the guilty party. The clues not only guided Mariah and her friends, but they also provided tantalizing breadcrumbs for the reader, leading to a very satisfying conclusion. This final story, and the book, gets five stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

The Diva Says Cheesecake - A Review

 

The Diva Says

Cheesecake

By

Krista Davis

Do you like cheeecake? Do you like cozy mysteries? If the answer to these two questions is “Yes”, then you will likely enjoy this book.

Tate Bodoin has died. Sophie Winston, owner of Old Town’s most well-known cheesecake store, had found the body. Now Sophie was a suspect. To clear her name she would need to “help” find the real culprit.

Besides being a very readable cozy, the author also includes excerpts from two local advice columnists within the story and some tasty recipes (both cheesecake and more) at the end of the book. This reader would not try them all, but several are eye-catching and worth considering for a future treat. Between the cozy and the recipes, I give this book four stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

A Disturbing Nature - A Review

                                                   A Disturbing Nature

by

Brian Lebeau

A Review

Though I was looking forward to reviewing this book, I found myself discouraged as I read. The discouragement began with the lengthy “Acknowledgments” (3 pages). This was followed by a one page “Author’s Note”. The author’s note seems mostly unnecessary in that it focuses on the setting and timing of the novel - elements clearly covered within the body of the book.

The book itself was more a set of character studies than mystery - this reader found himself quickly losing interest. The well-written story may be of interest to some, but I can only give the book two-stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.