Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2023! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

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Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

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I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

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 Camp Twisted Pine

by Ciera Burch

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Genre: Horror / Middle Grade / Mystery

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MY REVIEW

It’s weird how much I’m drawn to stories that involve summer camp. Probably because I never went to one. The author made me feel like I had after reading this book. Took me back too. To when we’d go to the summer cabin on the lake. “She hated how the trees blocked out the rest of the world, branches overlapping like the fingers of clasped hands, absorbing light and sound.”  I really felt that situation. That excitement and mystery and little bit of trepidation when I’d go for walks in the vast woods behind the cabin.

Naomi was a gem. She put on a brave face and tried to make the best of it when her parents announced they were getting divorced and the kids were being sent to summer camp. It didn’t seem so bad at first. But then people started disappearing. Something was out there in the woods. Naomi stepped up her game to save everyone. I’d like to think I was as brave as Naomi. Had her ingenuity. Who knows what I’d do. I’m thinking maybe I was lucky I never went to camp. LOL.

This was incredibly engaging. The characters were well written and spoke to me in their appropriate age voices. The adventures were fun. And the suspense and sense of danger had me burning the midnight oil to get to the end. Super fun for all ages.

5 STARS

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Synopsis

Whispering Pines meets Small Spaces in this spooky middle grade novel about a girl whose first summer camp experience is disrupted by a menacing creature abducting her fellow campers.

Eleven-year-old Naomi loves all things outdoors—birds and beetles, bats and bunnies—in theory. She explores nature in the best possible the cold, hard facts in books. So when her parents’ announcement of their impending divorce comes hand in hand with sending Naomi and her younger twin brothers to summer camp while they figure things out, it’s salt in the wound for Naomi and her avoidance of hands-on experience. Camp Twisted Pine could be worse. The counselors are nice, and Naomi likes her cabinmates, especially Jackie, whose blunt personality and frank dislike of the camp draws Naomi in quickly. Jackie is also hard of hearing and uses a hearing aid, and the girls quickly develop a routine of sign language lessons in their free time, which Naomi sees as a welcome break when all the s’mores-making and nature walks get to be a bit much. But the campers aren’t the only ones who roam the grounds of Camp Twisted Pine. When people start to go missing, including Jackie, Naomi has to find a way to save everyone—and herself. Her practical knowledge of the outdoors may still be rudimentary at best, but she has years of studying and the scientific method to fall back on. Can Naomi identify and stop the dangerous predator before it’s too late?

Amazon

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Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

     

     

     

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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A spin-off from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series! The Redemption Detective Agency is a
funny, twisty cozy mystery series set in the 1990s featuring silver sleuths
solving cold cases. Great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club.

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The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive

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The Redemption Detective Agency Book 1

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by Michele Pariza Wacek

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Genre: Cozy Mystery

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When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or maybe a gin and tonic.

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Emily Hildebrandt has run into a bit of a rough patch. She’s lost her job, her
fiancé and her apartment. Still, she never expected to be desperate enough to
accept an invitation to live with her eccentric Aunt Tilde in Redemption,
Wisconsin.

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But, beggars can’t be choosers. Even if part of the deal is she has to pretend
to work at her aunt’s latest hair-brained scheme, The Redemption Detective
Agency.

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Seriously, the woman is a retired nurse. Why does she think she’s remotely
qualified to run a detective agency, especially in a creepy little town like
Redemption?

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But, when a strange phone call suddenly thrusts them into an actual case, Emily
finds herself hoping her aunt really does know what she’s doing … or an
innocent person may be the one to suffer the consequences.

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A spin-off from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series! The Redemption Detective
Agency is a funny, twisty cozy mystery series set in the 1990s featuring silver
sleuths solving cold cases. Great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club.

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Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Chapter 1

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This couldn’t possibly be my life.

There was no possible way that I, Emily Hildebrandt, who graduated with honors from high school and then from the University of Wisconsin-Riverview with a 3.8 GPA … who, as of ten days ago, had a solid job with a good paycheck, a lovely apartment, new car, and fiancé … was now sitting in a dirty, smelly bus station in Redemption, Wisconsin, trying not to glance at the clock yet again as I continued to wait for my chronically late Aunt Tilde.

On second thought, I realized I should hope she was just late, rather than having mixed up the time I was arriving. Or the day.

Or maybe, she forgot I was coming altogether.

Oh, dear lord. I scrubbed at my face, torn between laughing and crying.

My Aunt Tilde was a character—crazy, lovable, chaotic. In so many ways, she drove me nuts. She was my complete opposite in just about every way.

Yet … I had always felt a connection with her. She made me feel seen–despite, or maybe because of, her craziness. When I was with her, I felt loved, just as I loved her. But I never felt like I could live with her.

Talk about the Odd Couple. But worse, because it would be MY life, not a television show.

That said, it was a moot point. No way should I be about to move in with my nutty Aunt Tilde. People like me didn’t go through the implosion of their lives and consequent upheaval of everything they’ve known while being forced to live with their relatives. I was a responsible adult. I had done all the responsible, adult, right things. I went to school, studied hard, and picked a useful degree as a business major so I could land a good-paying, solid job … even if it was a little dull. But work is supposed to be dull, right? That’s what “being adult” means—going to work, paying bills, keeping the house neat and tidy. None of these things are fun, but they’re all necessary in terms of being a responsible adult, like me.

And responsible adults don’t need to move in with their Aunt Tilde. Or have their Aunt Tilde give them a job. That isn’t how life works.

I must be dreaming. Or trapped in a coma. Otherwise, none of this was making any sense.

If only I hadn’t decided to take a closer look at that spreadsheet. Then, I wouldn’t have realized something was off. If I had just left it alone, none of this would have happened.

But even as I thought those words, I knew deep down that if I had to do it all over again, I would. Even if it meant losing everything—my job, my home, my car, and my fiancé. Even if it meant I would have no one to turn to except …

“Emily!” Aunt Tilde flung open the door of the station and beamed at me. Her bright-orange hair sparkled in the sunlight and perfectly matched her orange-rimmed glasses, although both clashed horribly with her bright-yellow and red striped shirt. “I’m so sorry I’m late. Traffic was dreadful.”

“It’s fine. I only just got here,” I lied. I seriously doubted small-town Redemption was a snarl of traffic problems, but at that point, I didn’t care. I was just relieved she remembered. I got to my feet and started to reach for the suitcase and duffle bag I had tucked under my feet.

But before I could get my hands on them, Aunt Tilde grabbed them. “I can take these if you want to get the rest.”

A tight knot seemed to settle in my chest. When I had first moved in with Geoff, my ex, he’d encouraged me to give away most of my belongings. He already had a fully stocked household, so why would we need duplicates of things like plates and towels? Not to mention the apartment was so small, it didn’t make sense to clutter it. As usual, he sounded so reasonable, so I ended up selling or donating most of my belongings, including the antique dresser my grandfather had refurbished for me. That, I instantly regretted, along with the set of crystal vases my grandmother gave me as a graduation gift. Now, that regret was doubled. I wondered if Geoff had always viewed me as simply a guest in his space rather than an actual life partner.

I gave my head a quick shake as I reached for the duffle bag. Enough of that. “You don’t have to do that. I’ve got them.”

“Nonsense,” Aunt Tilde said, trying to juggle both bags. “Go get the rest of your stuff.”

A mental image of myself packing what few personal items I had—mostly clothes and bathroom products—flitted across my mind. “This is all I brought. Let me at least take one of them.”

I braced myself for questions or condemnations. What do you mean this is it? I thought you said you were moving here? Who can fit their entire life in one suitcase and one duffle bag? 

But Aunt Tilde just shrugged as she swung the duffle bag toward me. “Smart thinking. Who wants to mess around with a bunch of luggage on a bus anyway?” She started dragging the suitcase to the door, leaving me staring after her in shock.

She paused at the door to glance back at me. “Coming?” I quickly closed my mouth and hurried after her, lugging the duffle bag.

Hot, humid air immediately smacked me in the face as I stepped outside. I shoved a few strands of hair that were sticking to my cheeks back as I increased my pace. For an elderly woman, Aunt Tilde was surprisingly fast, even with my suitcase. “Here we are,” she sang out as she approached a light-pink Cadillac that was taking up two spaces, thanks to a very crooked parking job.

I stopped walking, my stomach twisting in on itself. “You have a pink Cadillac?”

She grinned. “I do. Isn’t she a beaut?” She patted the trunk lovingly.

Oh no. This was getting worse and worse. “I thought only Mary Kay beauty reps were able to get a pink Cadillac.”

“Yep. Isn’t it wonderful?” She set my suitcase down and started fiddling with her keys to open the trunk.

This was turning into a nightmare. Was this the job Aunt Tilde had promised me? Helping her with her multi-level marketing business? Was that the reason she was being so cagey about my new job? The idea of sitting in a kitchen surrounded by people I didn’t know as I revealed the latest eyeshadow colors was making me break into a cold sweat. “Are you selling Mary Kay?“

She popped the trunk and looked at me like I was crazy. “Heavens no! Do I look like someone who should be giving makeup tips?” She gestured toward her face, which was bare of any color other than a little smeared, pink lipstick, before letting out a rusty laugh. “Good grief.” Shaking her head, she turned back to her overflowing trunk.

I didn’t move. “If you’re not selling Mary Kay, then how did you get one of their cars?”

She waved a hand airily at me. “A friend gave it to me.”

A million questions rose up inside me, like how did this “friend” end up with a Mary Kay car? Were they the ones selling Mary Kay? And if they were, why weren’t they driving it?

But I forced myself to swallow those questions. Knowing my aunt, I wasn’t going to get a straight answer out of her if she wasn’t in the mood to give me one. What I needed to do was focus on the positives … like how my mysterious new job wasn’t selling makeup, to start. That was a good thing.

Although if I was being honest, beggars couldn’t be choosers. Whatever my aunt had in store for me, I really had no choice but to take it and be grateful for it.

And I was grateful. Truly. When I finally called Aunt Tilde three days ago, I was desperate and nearly in tears. Geoff had given me five days to pack my things and move out. “And that’s being generous,” he told me, his voice sounding so reasonable as he explained how, when couples break up, it’s customary for one to leave immediately. Of course, in my case, not only did I not have a job, but I also had no money or legal right to the apartment I had faithfully spent every single Saturday morning cleaning while Geoff lazily enjoyed the newspaper and home-cooked breakfast I made. My name was not on the lease, even though Geoff had assured me it was. Not only that, but the so-called “joint” checking account that I had deposited every one of my checks into wasn’t actually joint. It was solely his, and I had merely been a signer on it. Needless to say, that privilege had also been removed.

The only money to my name was the twenty-seven dollars in my wallet and $333.96 in my personal savings account that I had for years. Geoff knew nothing about it. He had promised to send me a check once he deducted my half of the last set of bills, but the whole setup had left me feeling uneasy. I reminded myself that despite all his faults, he had always been fair, and there was no reason for him not to be in this situation. It wasn’t like he was a thief or anything. He was just thorough, which was something I had always appreciated about him. I was the same way. And I was sure once he found a few minutes to go through all the bills, he would make it right.

No question.

Unfortunately, though, that meant until I got squared away, I only had access to a few hundred dollars, which wasn’t going to get me far. Especially if I had to rent a hotel room. It was 1993, after all … even staying in a cheap, rundown hotel wouldn’t last long. Both my mother and sister refused to let me stay with them. Well, to be fair, my mother was the one to outright refuse, which I had expected, although it still hurt. My sister told me I was welcome to sleep on her couch for a few days until I got my feet under me. I had a terrible feeling it was going to take longer than a few days to find a job and an apartment I could afford, though. Between that and the exhaustion in my sister’s voice as my two nieces screamed at each other in background, I knew it wasn’t an option. I thanked her and told her I would figure something out.

My friend Deena, on the other hand, immediately offered me her couch for as long as I wanted. “It will be fun, like a sleepover,” she gushed. As much as I appreciated the offer, Deena had a small, one-bedroom apartment with a boyfriend who stayed over more often than not. Not only that, but he happened to work in the same law firm as Geoff. While Deena might be fine with me staying with her, I suspected her boyfriend wouldn’t be nearly as enthusiastic.

And that’s how I found myself standing in a parking lot in Redemption, with the noonday summer sun beating down on my head and sweat dripping off my neck, about to get into a pink Cadillac that I was half-convinced Aunt Tilde had stolen from some nice Mary Kay lady.

When I had called my aunt, there was zero hesitation in her voice as she immediately instructed me to pack up my bags and move to Redemption, where she would not only provide me with a place to live, but a job, as well. I was so grateful and relieved, I nearly burst into tears. Finally, I had somewhere to go that would allow me to lick my wounds and figure out my next steps. I was going to be fine. It was all going to work out.

I should have known there would be a catch.

Aunt Tilde was busy trying to shove my suitcase into her trunk, on top of the mishmash of wrinkled clothes, crumpled fast-food bags, magazines, and cat litter bag, but it wasn’t fitting. “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she muttered as she tried rearranging things. “Oh, my library books! I need to return them. Emily, can you remind me to do that?”

“Of course,” I said, trying not to wince. Please don’t let my job be trying to keep my aunt organized. Maybe becoming a Mary Kay lady wouldn’t be so bad after all.

After a little more pushing and shoving, she finally managed to get my suitcase into the trunk. “Aha! It fits.” She turned and gestured toward me. “Here, let’s get that other bag in.”

I took a few steps forward, still clutching my duffle bag, my eyes fixed again on the bag of cat litter as my stomach filled with a growing sense of horror.

Don’t get me wrong … I liked cats. From a distance, and owned by other people. I didn’t have any desire to deal with the mess and hair and everything else that came from owning a pet. Plus, I was fairly certain cats inherently hated me. I had been snarled at and scratched by them more often than not, even from the ones whose owners swore were the friendliest around. “I don’t understand what’s going on with Princess,” my elderly neighbor had fretted a few weeks ago when I stopped by to drop off her mail. “She’s the sweetest cat I’ve ever had,” she insisted as Princess hissed and spat at me from the corner.

Again, I reminded myself that beggars couldn’t be choosers. If my aunt had a cat, I would just have to figure out a way to not be in the same room with it. With any luck, the cat litter belonged to the Mary Kay lady who was now out of a car. “It doesn’t look like there’s much room. I can just put it in the backseat.”

My aunt clicked her tongue. “Nonsense, there’s plenty of room. Besides, Sherlock is in the back.”

Sherlock? I craned my neck to peer into the back of the car, but as far as I could tell, it was empty. “Who’s Sherlock?”

“Oh, she’s one of my partners in my new venture,” Aunt Tilde said, taking the duffel bag from me and attempting to shove it into the trunk. “You two will love each other.”

I glanced at the backseat again but still didn’t see anyone. “New venture?” I asked cautiously.

“You’ll see,” Aunt Tilde answered mysteriously, giving my bag a final push before slamming the trunk shut with a grunt of relief. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

I followed her to the front passenger side, still trying to get a peek at the elusive Sherlock. All I saw was what looked like a long, black duffle bag similar to mine. Was Aunt Tilde getting a little senile? I didn’t think senility ran in my family, but I was no longer so sure. “Aunt Tilde, I don’t see anyone …” I said as I opened up the passenger door.

Just then, the head of a feline popped up from inside the duffle bag, and I let out a shriek.

“Emily, meet Sherlock,” Aunt Tilde said with a flourish, getting into the driver’s seat.

I didn’t move. “Sherlock is a cat?”

“Obviously.” She patted the passenger seat next to her.

I still didn’t move. “And you’re telling me this cat is your partner?”

“I said she’s one of my partners,” Aunt Tilde corrected.

“How can a cat be a partner?”

“You’ll see. You just need to have a little faith. Now, let’s get you home,” she repeated.

I could do nothing but look at her in horror. “What sort of venture is this?”

Aunt Tilde beamed at me. “Trust me. You just have to wait a little bit, and then it will all make perfect sense. Now, get in. We need to get going.”

Sherlock blinked at me and yawned, revealing rows and rows of very sharp teeth.

What had I gotten myself into?

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A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years
old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some
detours) but now she does spend much of her time writing stories. Mystery
stories, to be exact. They’re clean and twisty, and range from psychological
thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the
mix. If that wasn’t enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including
short stories, puzzles, recipes and more, at MPWNovels.com.

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Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and
still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the
mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband and southern squirrel hunter
Cassie.

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When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or
watching the Food Network and imagining she’s an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert,
she’s not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)

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Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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Print Copy of The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive – 2 winners, US only.

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$20 Amazon Gift Card – 1 winner, WW.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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The Con: An Organized Crime Cozy Mystery
by Jackie Layton

 


The Con: An Organized Crime Cozy Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Georgia
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Level Best Books (August 27, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1685127266
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1685127268
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DDBFJGPK

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Professional organizer Kate Sloan is hired by Ben Houser to organize his office at Seaside Hideaway Resort on Fox Island. Ben tells everybody he’s planning to revamp the resort. Ben throws money around and convinces people to invest with him. The first problem is, Ben’s a con man. The second problem is, Kate finds his dead body.

The killer believes Kate has incriminating evidence, and she must solve the mystery before she’s next on the hitman’s list.

About Jackie Layton

Jackie Layton is the author of cozy mysteries with Spunky Southern Sleuths. Her stories are set in Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina. She lives on the coast of South Carolina, where she enjoys walks on the beach and golf cart rides around the marsh. Reading, gardening, and traveling are some of her favorite hobbies.

Jackie always keeps a notebook handy to write down ideas for future stories. Dateline and American Greed are two ways she gets ideas. She’s also a people watcher, and that can giver her ideas for stories or even a thread in a book.

Author Links: Facebook / Pinterest / Twitter/X / Instagram 

Threads / Goodreads / BookBub / Website

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 10 – Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 10 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 11 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 13 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

October 14 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 14 – Deal Sharing Aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 15 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 15 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 16 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 17 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 18 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 18 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

October 19 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2023! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

.

Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

.

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

~~~~~

 The Beast Of Barcroft

by Bill Schweigart

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Genre: Horror / Supernatural

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MY REVIEW

This book took me back to when I was in my early teens. I went to bed. Got up the next day and a house that wasn’t there the day before was now in the once vacant lot beside my house. It was kind of rundown and the neighbors junked up their yard.  Not saying that happened in this book, just that every neighborhood has one of those problem houses.

The Bancroft House is one of those problem houses. The older woman who lives there is somewhat of an animal hoarder. And it’s developed into a rat problem. This has the affect or ringing the dinner bell, and something answers. Then the dying begins. No one is immune to it’s appetite.

Nothing pings my radar more than a creature horror story. The beast was everything I could have hoped for. And so was the mayhem. I ate this up, almost as voraciously as the beast ate it’s victims.

Great character building and wicked action scenes made this one of those straight through reads.

4 STARS

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Synopsis

Ben McKelvie believes he’s moving up in the world when he and his fiancee buy a house in the cushy Washington, D.C., suburb of Barcroft. Instead, he’s moving down-way down-thanks to Madeleine Roux, the crazy neighbor whose vermin-infested property is a permanent eyesore and looming hazard to public health. First, Ben’s fiancee leaves him; then, his dog dies, apparently killed by a predator drawn into Barcroft by Madeleine’s noxious menagerie. But the worst is yet to come for Ben, for he’s not dealing with any ordinary wild animal. This killer is something much, much worse. Something that couldn’t possibly exist-in this world. Now, as a devilish creature stalks the locals, Ben resolves to take action. With some grudging assistance from a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and the crackpot theories of a self-styled cryptozoologist, he discovers the sinister truth behind the attacks, but knowing the Beast of Barcroft and stopping it are two different animals.

Amazon

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Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

     

     

     

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Stellar Heir organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Scott Killian will award a $2o Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Stellar Heir

by Scott Killian

 

 

Genre: Science Fiction

Synopsis

Jael Ked’Korhva hadn’t anticipated becoming the galaxy’s most wanted.

He hadn’t planned on picking up a strange alien artifact, either, but once it was clasped around his wrist, Jael was granted extraordinary abilities. His senses were heightened, his reflexes faster, and he could now regenerate from damage that would spell the end for others, which was a boon, considering he was just a derelict scavenger.

That was until forces from every corner of the stars wanted Jael’s artifact for themselves, and they’ll stop at nothing to take it back. What initially appears as a boon swiftly transforms into a weighty charge. Yet, it’s a charge Jael accepts without hesitation, understanding the catastrophic potential should the relic fall into the wrong hands.

Prodded onward by visions of an ancient ally and a mysterious enemy, Jael becomes a pivotal piece in a vast interstellar play of power and dominion.

An action-packed space opera, perfect for science fiction fans of Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio or The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Silence fell over the derelict ship.

An ominous drone vibrated through the ship’s hull that Jael could feel beneath his feet and then the cargo hold was violently breached. A searing streak of plasma sliced through the hull, disintegrating the sturdy alloy walls as though they were made of paper. An Archon corpse floated by Jael, their helmet and head nothing more than a smoldering clump of matter vitrified to their pressure suit.

The other Archons unleashed a barrage of gunfire. Emerging from the breach, Mortuum biobots slithered into the cargo hold—serpentine constructs of metal and flesh, each limb a deadly weapon, protecting their central brain encased in layers of plasticrete casing.

Jael took a deep breath in and steeled himself for combat.

“Shoot the fraxxing things!” Garlial yelled over the comms, firing wildly at the biobots. His shots were haphazard, more out of fear than strategy.

A biomechanical tendril whipped over Jael. Garlial dove onto the floor to avoid it, dropping his rifle in the process. Their gazes locked and Garlial sneered, scrambling to grab his weapon.

Jael kicked away the rifle just before Garlial got his hands on it. He pushed off the floor, turning his body as he snapped out another kick and it connected with Garlial’s helmet. Jael drew his pistol and fired.

Garlial rolled and the beam barely missed him. He lurched forward, grasping the pistol before Jael could fire again and eject the lens cartridge.

Pulling free, Jael twisted himself around, positioning himself on Garlial’s back. He brought the pistol up and slammed it into Garlial’s helmet. Jael raised it again but leaped off and rolled as a wayward arc of plasma from a biobot raced toward him.

“Fraxxing scav!” Garlial scrambled to his feet and tipped a crate towards Jael.

Jael swung his body around and hopped up, avoiding the crate entirely. Garlial drew a combat knife from a panel on his thigh and slashed at Jael. With the palm of his hand on Garlial’s wrist, Jael stopped his attack. He grasped the inside of Garlial’s armored cuff and pulled him in close.

Jael dropped his weight on Garlial’s arm, and he felt the limb snap.

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About Author Scott Killian:

Scott Killian grew up in California where he consumed every bit of sci-fi and horror media he could find. Delving deep into the works of Thomas Harris, Stephen King and H. P. Lovecraft to name a few, those dark portals in his mind were opened and his obsession with the macabre began. Story telling, in any form, is his greatest passion.

Author Links: Facebook / Twitter / Email / Newsletter

Book Link: Amazon

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Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2023! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

.

Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

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I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

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 Red Swarm

by Jamie Hutchison

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Genre: Horror

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MY REVIEW

The Royal Navy. A Marine Biologist. They work together to destroy the threat in the sea. Sounds perfect for me.

And it pretty much was. I love creatures of the deep. And taking a look at the cover, I knew I was going to get some. Sure did.

It had some interesting characters, lots of action scenes and some wicked monsters. All of it came together to make this horror fan happy.

4 STARS

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Synopsis

BENEATH THE WAVES LURKS NEW DEADLY PREDATORS On a cold November morning the crew of the Anti-Submarine Frigate HMS Sabre witnesses divers being attacked and viciously killed by ferocious fish.  From the coast of Britain to the shores of the United States the deadly creatures leave a trail of death in their wake. Marine Biologist Professor Mark Yates teams up with the Royal Navy to combat the threat not only to the British Isles but all the world oceans.The first of Mark Yates high seas adventures.

Amazon

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Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

     

     

     

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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Donor 73101: A PIP Inc. Mystery
by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

 


Donor 73101: A PIP Inc. Mystery
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – California
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Good Read Mysteries (August 15, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 243 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8990936607
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DC5H77N2

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Aiden O’Rourke needed cash to help pay for college so he made money by selling his sperm. He was young, attractive, smart…and popular. Now many years later, his offspring are coming forward—eleven of them and counting—and connecting on a website they created called Donor73101.com.

Pat Pirard, Santa Cruz County Law Librarian turned PI, is approached by next door neighbors Tina and Robin who want to start a family. Because Tina was conceived via sperm donation, they want to be 100% certain that their baby and Tina won’t have the same father.

It doesn’t take Pat long to determine that Aiden O’Rourke was Tina’s sperm donor. It also doesn’t take her long to discovers that one by one, his offspring are being murdered. By whom and why? Well, that’s a mystery.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Although it was only a few minutes past 6:30pm, it was dark, not unexpected in Santa Cruz in early January. The Uber driver popped his hatchback and offered to help them with luggage. Tim declined, moving the four suitcases―one for him and three for Pat―on to the sidewalk.

   Pat started to pick one up. “Leave it,” Tim instructed. “We can come back outside for those in a minute, but before we bring in suitcases, I want to carry my bride across the threshold.”

    Pat giggled. “I’m a modern woman. No carrying needed.”

“That may be, but I’m feeling old-fashioned at the moment.” He smiled at her, put one arm around her back just above her waist, and attempted to scoop her into his arms.

She slipped away from him, laughing as she did. “I bet you can’t catch me before I get inside on my own, my old-fashioned caveman,” she flirted, heading for the front door.

 “I can be a caveman if that’s how you want to be carried, but you’re being carried,” he said, his tone full of playful mischief. He gave chase and tossed her over his shoulder when he caught her.

Pat squealed, but was laughing too hard to resist, which is how she came to greet her tail-wagging Dalmatian, Dot, who jumped against Tim’s backside in an attempt to get her head up high enough for the backward slung Pat to scratch her ears; her cat, Wimsey, who abandoned his rule about avoiding Tim and rubbed against his legs, and Tina and Robin, their pet-sitting next-door neighbors, butt-first, draped over Tim’s shoulder.

About Nancy Lynn Jarvis

Nancy Lynn Jarvis wore many hats before she started writing cozy mysteries. After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News, as a librarian, as the business manager for Shakespeare/Santa Cruz, and as a realtor.

Nancy’s work history reflects her philosophy: people should try something radically different every few years, a philosophy she applies to her writing, as well. She has written seven Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries; five PIP Inc. Mysteries; a stand-alone novel “Mags and the AARP Gang” about a group of octogenarian bank robbers; edited “Cozy Food: 128 Cozy Mystery Writers Share Their Favorite Recipes,” and short story anthologies, “Santa Cruz Weird,” and “Santa Cruz Ghost Stories.”

Author Links
Website    Facebook    Goodreads

Purchase Link – Amazon 

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 8 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 9 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT

October 10 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 11 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 13 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 14 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 15 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 16 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 17 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

October 19 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 20 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 21 – Reading Authors Network – SPOTLIGHT

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2023! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me! Read the rest of this entry »

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Murder, She Wrote: A Killer Christmas
by Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran

 


Murder, She Wrote: A Killer Christmas
Cozy Mystery
59th in Series
Setting – Maine
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (October 8, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593640721
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593640722
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CRTW3Z9N

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It’s Christmastime in Cabot Cove, but there’s more homicide than ho-ho-ho in the newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.

Christmas is not an easy time to sell a house, but in Boston tycoon John Bragdon, Cabot Cove Realtor Eve Simpson has found a buyer for the old Jarvis homestead. Unfortunately, Eve gets a lump of coal in her stocking in the form of Kenny Jarvis, who has been missing for years and presumed dead but has now come back to stop his sister from selling their childhood home.

Eve presses on, organizing a welcome dinner for Bragdon and his wife, Marlene, to meet the leading citizens of the town, including Jessica Fletcher. Dinner is interrupted by an uninvited guest—not Santa but Kenny, who threateningly promises Marlene she will never live in his house.

When Marlene is found dead a few days later, Kenny is the natural suspect. But Jessica isn′t so sure he′s on the naughty list . . .

About the Authors

Along with Jessica FletcherTerrie Farley Moran co-writes the Murder She Wrote mystery series including  Murder, She Wrote: Killer on the Court. She is the author of the Read ‘Em and Eat cozy mystery series and also co-writes the Scrapbooking Mysteries with Laura Childs. Recipient of both the Agatha and the Derringer Awards, Moran has published numerous mystery short stories. The only thing Terrie enjoys more than wrangling mystery plots into submission is hanging out with any or all of her seven grandchildren.

Author Links – Webpage   Facebook 

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – PenguinRandomHouse

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 7 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

October 7 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 8 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

October 8 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 9 – The Mystery of Writing – SPOTLIGHT

October 9 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

October 10 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 10 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW

October 11 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 13 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

October 13 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 14 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

October 15 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

October 15 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW

October 16 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

October 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

October 17 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

October 18 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

October 19 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

October 20 – Deal Sharing Aunt – SPOTLIGHT

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2023! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

.

Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

.

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

~~~~~

 Wolf Hunt

by Jeff Strand

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Genre: Horror

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MY REVIEW

Some comedy with my horror is always appreciated. And Lou and George provided plenty. It came as a surprise since they’re a couple of tough guys. The kind who work for people who stay under the law’s radar. Their assignment, deliver a werewolf to a man in Florida. No problem since they don’t believe in werewolves. The jokes on them.

What a blast. I had some laughs. Cringed at some of the carnage. Loved the wicked werewolf. And actually rooted for the bad guys, George and Lou. Hey, they made me laugh. And they dealt out some gratuitous bloodshed. I’d love to read more about those two. Maybe next time they’ll deal with a Sasquatch. One can always wish.

4 STARS

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Synopsis

Two thugs. One innocent woman. And one VICIOUS frickin’ werewolf. Meet George and Lou, thugs for hire. The kind of intimidating-yet-friendly guys who will break your thumbs, but be polite about it. Their latest assignment is to drive across Florida to deliver some precious cargo to a crime lord. The a man in a cage. Though Ivan seems perfectly human, they’re warned that he is, in fact, a bloodthirsty werewolf. George and Lou don’t believe in the supernatural, but even if they did, it’s daytime and tonight isn’t the full moon. Their instructions are Do not open the cage. Do not reach into the cage. Do not throw anything into the cage. And they don’t. Unfortunately, Ivan doesn’t play by the usual werewolf rules, and the thugs find themselves suddenly responsible for a ferocious escaped beast. One who can transform at will. One who enjoys killing in human form as much as he enjoys killing as a monster. If George and Lou want to save their careers, dozens of people, and their own lives, they need to recapture him. Because Ivan the werewolf is in the mood for a murder spree… From Jeff Strand, the four-time Bram Stoker Award nominated author of PRESSURE, comes 75,000 words of action-packed, blood-soaked werewolf terror!

Amazon

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Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

     

     

 

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.