Jade Burt can do without her grandmother’s meddling in her love life. But when Millie finds an abandoned baby possum, it leads her to Caleb Young. Caleb would be perfect for Jade! When Jade meets Caleb, it’s hard to argue with her grandmother’s choice. Still, Jade is determined to push Caleb away, but his friendship with Millie concerns her. What if he’s a slick con man trying to take advantage of a sweet old lady? Jade needs to figure Caleb out before he breaks her grandmother’s heart…and Jade’s too!
I live in Virginia with my family, which includes my own “Angus” who is not an Irish wolfhound but a Great Pyrenees who provides plenty of inspiration for the character of Mr. O’Ruff. I’m having a blast writing this new series! But, never fear, I’m also working on a new cozy mystery series as well.
The Tawnee Mountain Mysteries series is a collection of seven brand new mysteries from seven award-winning and bestselling authors taking place at the same final destination, the Tawnee Mountain Resort.
Each book in this multi-author series is a standalone novella, and the series can be
read in any order.
Leona’s Last Resort
Tawnee Mountain Mysteries Book 1
by Karen M. Bryson
Genre: Mystery / Suspense
A small-town mystery novella with a dash of romance and a few ghosts.
When Max Elliot invites Izzy Grant to a fancy Ivy League alumni reception
at the Tawnee Mountain Resort, the ghost hunters anticipate a
romantic weekend getaway at the premier ski and golf destination.
But when wealthy hotelier Leona Hutton is murdered, and her ghost
asks Izzy to find her killer, she and Max decide to investigate.
Will Izzy and Max solve the case before more alumni end up dead, or the
killer turns the tables and decides to hunt the ghost hunters?
Leona’s Last Resort is a part of the Tawnee Mountain Mysteries series, a
collection of seven brand new mysteries, from seven award-winning and
bestselling authors, taking place at the same final destination, the
Tawnee Mountain Resort.
Leona’s Last Resort features ghost hunters, Izzy Grant and Max Elliot, from
the Izzy & Max Paranormal Mystery series.
Each book in this multi-author series is a standalone novella, and the
series can be read in any order.
Katie Douglas thinks doing a mechanical inspection job at the Tawnee
Mountain Resort is going to be a working vacation. But that’s
before three young mountain bikers go missing while riding the trails
of the mountain and a ransom note is delivered.Partnering with a charming guest of the resort, novelist Casey Malone, Katie
soon discovers there is a twisting plot possibly involving the
missing men’s girlfriends and perhaps even the FBI.When their investigation is complicated by the discovery of bomb making
material in a cave on the mountain and the threat of an approaching
hurricane, Katie and Casey go into overdrive to find the missing men
and prevent what could be a devastating attack on an unknown target.As Hurricane Patrick pays a rare visit to inland New Jersey, the story
reaches an explosive climax as they and the staff of Tawnee Mountain
Resort deal with both of these threats.Dark Side of the Mountain is a part of the Tawnee Mountain Mysteries
series, a collection of seven brand new mysteries, from seven
award-winning and bestselling authors, taking place at the same final
destination, the Tawnee Mountain Resort.
A severed head. A philandering husband. A skeleton in the basement.
This was not the perfect wedding Rita Avery planned for her daughter Zoe!
Rita Avery and her detective husband Cliff arrive at New Jersey’s Tawnee
Mountain Resort prepared to greet Zoe’s wedding guests in just
three hours. Who would have expected to find a man’s torso in their
closet?
Things explode into high gear when the victim’s head shows up at the golf
equipment shack. A good look at his social media makes Rita wonder if
a wife murdered her husband as revenge for infidelity. Or did a
secret admirer decide to liberate the wife from her scoundrel husband? Worse, is Zoe in life-threatening danger . . . again? And will Rita and Cliff escape the trap in which the murderer snares them?
Murder and a passel of twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Zoe’s wedding is the most exciting you’ll attend!
Deadly Reception is a part of the Tawnee Mountain Mysteries series, a
collection of seven brand new mysteries, from seven award-winning and
bestselling authors, taking place at the same final destination, the
Tawnee Mountain Resort.
Deadly Reception features characters from Karen Randau’s Rim Country
Mysteries series.
KWLF-FM crime reporter Lisa Powers’ boss sends her to a radio news
conference in New Jersey, in the dead of winter, and far away from
her beloved crime beat in Arizona. She goes to the Tawnee Mountain
Resort begrudgingly, afraid she’s going to miss a big story.But at the convention, where she is up for an excellence in reporting
award, an unknown stalker torments her for several days. When she
takes the stage to learn the winner, the stalker antes up the stakes
– with deadly force. Deadly Misfire is a part of the Tawnee Mountain Mysteries series, a
collection of seven brand new mysteries, from seven award-winning and
bestselling authors, taking place at the same final destination, the
Tawnee Mountain Resort. Deadly Misfire features characters from Laurie Fagen’s Behind the Mic
Mysteries series.
Broadway actress Cassidy Quinn finally wins a long coveted Tony award, but the
words in her acceptance speech stir up a new problem – a previously
low-key fan ramps up online rhetoric to the point where her usual
security categorizes this unidentified person as an avidly persistent stalker.Cassidy takes control of her career and her safety, while doing her best not
to disappoint her most devoted fans – she travels to the Tawnee
Mountain Resort to attend her first fan convention, a small gathering
of her super fans. After all, what could happen to her when she’s
surrounded by devoted admirers, trusted employees, and the security
precautions of a resort that has hosted large scale political
gatherings without a single reported incident?When events at the gathering turn deadly, Cassidy must figure out who
among her fans and her staff wants to kill her, and her career.Cassidy’s Deadly Exit is a part of the Tawnee Mountain Mysteries series, a
collection of seven brand new mysteries, from seven award-winning and
bestselling authors, taking place at the same final destination, the
Tawnee Mountain Resort.
Cali May attends an Artists’ Retreat at Tawnee Mountain Ski and Golf
Resort in North Jersey. She’s appalled to see a figure fall from the
Black Diamond ski lift as she and the other attendees ride the lift
to a small lodge on the first day. She finds herself stranded at the
top of the mountain with several creative souls both dead and alive,
and must uncover a murderer before she too becomes a target.
“Down in South Jersey, you got your Jersey Devil and the Pine Barrens.
Up here, we got E.T.s and Quinnipiac.” So says Alan Riddiak, NSA field agent Jake Farrister’s friend, as they
rent kayaks at Quinnipiac Reservoir, site of what locals say was the
most credible mass sighting of a UFO in human history, and just miles
from the swanky Tawnee Mountain Resort, where Alan’s boss, revered
Senator Grant Bilson of New Jersey, is on an August recess retreat.“ Ok…” smirks Jake.But smirks turn to shock when two bizarre disappearances and an attempted
murder suck the rest out of the retreat, and Senator Bilson
commissions Jake to solve the mysteries. Jake finds nothing but frustration, though, until he finally concedes what
quirky new friend Nikki Hayes has told him all along; when it comes
to Quinnipiac, the only explanations are inexplicable, the only
believable witnesses are unbelievable, and in order to stop the
world-shattering plot at the heart of the mysteries, Jake must do
what he thought was unthinkable—and hope he’s not too late.
KAREN M. BRYSON writes romantic mystery and suspense stories. She is a winner of the prestigious RONE Award for Excellence in the Indie and Small Publishing Industry as well as the RWA Lone Star Writing Contest. Karen is also an award-winning/optioned screenwriter. When she’s not at her computer creating new stories, Karen enjoys spending
time with her husband and their bloodhounds. Karen previously wrote contemporary romance under the pen names SAVANNAH
YOUNG, SIERRA AVALON, REN MONTERREY and USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR
DAKOTA MADISON.
R.J. Rosatte is a native of Prince Edward County, Ontario, his careers have included being an infantry officer in the Canadian Army Reserves,
economics teacher at Loyalist College in Belleville, Ontario, a long-haul truck driver and businessman. He has travelled all forty-eight lower US states, eight Canadian
provinces, Italy, Mexico and most of the Caribbean. He currently
resides in Bayside, Quinte West, Ontario with his wife, Wendy, and
their Westie, Molly.
A native of the southwestern U.S., Karen Randau
has been writing and telling stories since elementary school. She
holds a degree in journalism/public relations from The University of
Texas at Austin and has enjoyed a long career in marketing
communications.After a short stint working in a psychiatric hospital, when she wrote three self-help books, Karen joined an international relief and development organization to use her skills to help people struggling with extreme
poverty. She has traveled to numerous developing countries, witnessing famines, violence, and hopeful people working to overcome a generational cycle of poverty.She loves to read and write fast-paced mysteries and thrillers, especially those with intricate plots, lots of action, and rollercoaster-like twists and turns.
Laurie Fagen is a “writer by habit” who has enjoyed writing for a
variety of mediums, including radio, commercial and cable television,
film, newspapers and magazines.
Fagen, a member of Sisters in Crime (SinC), is also is an artist and jazz
singer, and the former publisher of the SanTan Sun News, a community
newspaper in the Phoenix, AZ area.
Marla J. Hayes, a produced screenwriter and occasional actress, graduated with a Master Screenwriter Certificate from ScreenwritingU in October 2017 — check out her film Biz credentials on imdb.com. Now add novelist to her screenplay stories!Her articles (and photographs) have been published in American and Canadian magazines and newspapers. She was a featured columnist in COLLECTIBLES CANADA
magazine for over 10 years. Short fiction pieces have appeared in Canadian elementary school reading program textbooks and public school libraries continue to carry her picture book, HOW A CAROUSEL
CAME TO NORTH BAY, published by Scholastic Canada.Marla lives in northeastern Ontario, Canada.
Wendy Fallon –By day I am a technical writer, and by night and on weekends I am
an artist and creative writer. Having lived in Phoenix, AZ for 20+ years with my husband Tim, I found the urban wilderness to be endlessly fascinating. Our home was tucked up
against South Mountain, the largest city park in the U.S. The canal that ran across the base of the mountain provided inspiration for painting, drawing, and writing with sitings of wild coyotes, skittering fluffs of newborn quail, lizards, constant
change…and stories of life and death. In December 2017, we moved to a beach in Florida, which is whole ‘nother story!
Lee Tidball is a represented, 3 times optioned screenwriter and author. His two novels, WINDFORK SECRETS (middle-grade/YA historical fantasy) and MALLED (dark teen/YA action/thriller based on his screenplay) have both been Amazon Kindle Store Bestsellers at various times in their respective categories. He currently writes from northern California where he lives with the two loves of his life, his partner, Cyndie, and his Giant OCR1 road bike. He enjoys movies, theater, history, staying in shape, and traveling to scenic and/or historical destinations around the world.Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Lee spent many years as a middle-grades teacher in his adopted hometown of Modesto, California. He’s also spent ten seasons coaching girls youth soccer, 22 seasons coaching youth runners, founded a children’s community theater company, directed nearly a dozen children’s theater productions, and acted in numerous community and church theater productions over the years. Much of the inspiration for his stories and characters continues to come from the hundreds of students, athletes, and actors he has served in these endeavors.
Praise for City of Gold, a Matthew Connor Adventure:
“A nonstop, pulse-pounding ride.” –I Read What You Write!
“A must-read for those who love mystery, history, [and] thrilling story lines,
with a touch of Indiana Jones/Ben Gates feel!” –Lynchburg Mama
“Carolyn Arnold has restored my faith in the archaeology/mystery genre with
her Matthew Connor Adventure series.” –Nicki’s Nook
International bestselling author Carolyn Arnold returns to the gripping adventures of archeologist Matthew Connor in The Secret of the Lost Pharaoh as he searches for a mysterious treasure from an ancient Egyptian pharaoh that could destroy the modern world.
Matthew Connor has made a career out of discovering forgotten legends, but one elusive myth has captivated his curiosity for years: the Emerald Tablets. It’s said that the Tablets contain the knowledge of the universe and can grant humans the power to traverse Heaven and Earth, bestowing whoever possesses them with great wealth and wisdom. But should the Tablets ever fall into evil hands, they could cause complete global destruction.
When a former colleague of Matthew’s unearths ancient hieroglyphics promising the route to the Emerald Tablets within a pharaoh’s tomb, he leaps at the opportunity to seek out the artifacts. With his two most trusted friends and associates by his side, Matthew heads to Egypt’s remote Western Desert to begin his quest.
But they soon learn that they are not the only ones looking for the Tablets, and when it comes to hunting legends, no one can be trusted. Now, what started out as an exciting journey has become a dangerous race to protect the fate of the world.
In an electrifying new take on the adventures of an archaeologist, The Secret of the Lost Pharaoh is a thrill ride that digs into the depths of human nature when one is tempted by power.
I dig books about archaeology. It’s been a dream of mine to visit some of the ancient cities and pyramids that have been uncovered, and I couldn’t wait to join these character’s in their adventure.
The story begins with Alex, an Egyptologist, who discovers a secret in the sand that could be the end of mankind if it falls into the wrong hands.. Mathew Connor instantly comes to mind when she realizes she needs people she can trust to help her uncover and protect it. They have worked together before and she feels she can trust him. Mathew is excited to join her and brings with him two trusted friends, Cal and Robyn, who’ve also been on expeditions with him before. The excitement of the adventure is dimmed by the reality of what they might uncover and what it might mean for mankind. But they can’t help but be thrilled as tunnels are discovered, tombs are opened, and things long lost are now found. History will be changed.
Not having read the first book, City Of Gold, I still didn’t have any trouble reading this, the second book in the Mathew Connor series. The author filled me in at appropriate points about past connections and events without slowing down my reading enjoyment. But I’d still recommend reading the previous book first. You don’t want to miss the fun of discovering these characters and seeing how they came to be where they are now.
I had a good feeling about this book going in. What I didn’t expect was the nail biting suspense. If it’s not tunnels collapsing, it’s flooded chambers and lethal cobras. Not to mention others who might want they uncover. I could picture this on the big screen. The darkness under the desert. The chill of opening hidden chambers. Being trapped with snakes all around you. No idea if help will come in time. Yep, it would be a great movie.
Each character tells their story but you won’t get confused. I quickly came to know them and easily recognized who was narrating. Cal, especially. He’s a wise cracker and made me chuckle in between the dangerous events. And the author did it just right as it helped me to understand each character’s motivations and reactions. Led to a much deeper read for me.
Mysteries, action, adventure, danger, and genuine character’s await you inside this well researched and fun book. You’ll quickly become immersed in it and reach the end feeling satisfied yet wanting more.
~~~~~
Book Discription:
Mystery lovers will need to hold on to their hats for this follow-up to City of Gold, which reviewers described as “a fast-paced action adventure” that is “akin to an Indiana Jones story set in modern times.” Now, the second in the series promises to bring much of the same excitement! Join archaeologist and adventurer Matthew Connor and his friends as they go after the Emerald Tablets to save the world in The Secret of the Lost Pharaoh.
In Egypt’s Western Desert lies the tomb of an unnamed pharaoh that hides a secret so powerful, it could destroy the world as we know it.
Archaeologist and adventurer Matthew Connor has made a career of finding legends the world has all but forgotten. Though there’s one in particular that has fascinated him for years—the Emerald Tablets. Myth says that they possess the knowledge of the universe, allowing humankind to traverse Heaven and Earth, and have the power to bestow wealth and wisdom upon whoever possesses them. But if they fall into evil hands, it could cause a global disaster.
So when a former colleague stumbles across an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic map that promises to lead to a pharaoh’s tomb and the Emerald Tablets, there’s no way he’s turning down her invitation to join the dig. He only has one stipulation: his best friends Robyn Garcia and Cal Myers come with him.
The road ahead isn’t going to be an easy one, and their shared dream of recovering the Emerald Tablets is being crushed at every turn. And just when they think it’s all over, they learn there are a few clues they have overlooked. But they’re no longer the only ones searching for the Tablets. Now, the fate of the world hangs in the balance, and soon they’ll find out that when it comes to hunting legends, they can’t trust anyone.
About the Matthew Connor Adventure series:
Action-adventure books for the mystery lover. Does treasure hunting excite you? What about the thought of traveling the globe and exploring remote regions to uncover legends that the world has all but forgotten? If so, strap yourself in for an adventure with modern-day archaeologist Matthew Connor and his two closest friends. Indiana Jones meets the twenty-first century.
This is the perfect book series for fans of Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, National Treasure, and The Relic Hunter.
Carolyn Arnold is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series and has written nearly thirty books. Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark, POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.
Hoping to promote the Glass Dolphin antiques shop, co-owners Arabella Carpenter and Emily Garland agree to sponsor a hole in one contest at a charity golf tournament. The publicity turns out to be anything but positive, however, when Arabella’s errant tee shot lands in the woods next to a corpse.
They soon learn that the victim is closely related to Arabella’s ex-husband, who had been acting as the Course Marshal. With means, opportunity, and more than enough motive, he soon becomes the police department’s prime suspect, leaving Arabella and Emily determined to clear his name—even if they’re not entirely convinced of his innocence.
Dogged by incriminating online posts from an anonymous blogger, they track down leads from Emily’s ex-fiancé (and the woman he left Emily for), an Elvis impersonator, and a retired antiques mall vendor with a secret of her own.
All trails lead to a mysterious cult that may have something to do with the murder. Can Arabella and Emily identify the killer before the murderer comes after them?
~~~~~
Enjoy this glimpse inside:
Arabella Carpenter let the others go first. All three managed to clear the pond with their tee shot and land on the green, but not one was anywhere close to getting a hole in one. Arabella breathed a sigh of relief—since they were sponsoring the contest, their foursome might not be eligible to win, but it still freaked her out to think someone else might. She went through her mental prep, took her swing, and watched as her ball went directly into the woods.
“Hey, you made it over the water,” Hudson said, hopping into his cart. “For someone just starting out, that’s not a bad shot.”
Arabella caught Emily’s look and smiled. He really was a nice guy. “Thanks, Hudson. Whether I can find my ball is an entirely different story. Why don’t I look for it while you guys putt in? I’m sure one of you will be able to make the shot.”
They crossed the pond on a wooden bridge just wide enough for their golf carts, parked on the path next to the hole, and grabbed their putters. Luke, Hudson, and Emily went to the green and began debating which ball to hit. Arabella trundled over to the woods, feeling stupid and hoping like hell it wasn’t infested with poison ivy. The woods were thicker than she’d expected. She walked in a couple of feet, using her putter to push the branches aside.
That’s when she started to scream.
~~~~~
Author Judy Penz Sheluk
An Amazon international bestselling author, Judy Penz Sheluk is the author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries (THE HANGED MAN’S NOOSE and A HOLE IN ONE) and The Marketville Mysteries (SKELETONS IN THE ATTIC). Her short crime fiction appears is included in several collections, including LIVE FREE OR TRI.
Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she currently serves on the Board of Directors as the Regional Representative for Toronto/Southern Ontario.
Find Judy on her website/blog at www.judypenzsheluk.com, where she interviews and showcases the works of other authors and blogs about the writing life.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
My Teaser for this week is from
Three Strikes, You’re Dead
An Eddie Shoes Mystery #3
by Elena Hartwell
Genre: Mystery
My teaser from page 36 in the paperback.
Find my daughter, he’d said. Then he’d paid me. Was I now on a case for a missing girl?
I’d never worked for a dead man before.
~~~~~
Read on if you want to know more.
Synopsis
Private investigator Eddie Shoes heads to a resort outside Leavenworth, Washington, for a mother-daughter getaway weekend. Eddie’s mother Chava wants to celebrate her new job at a casino by footing the bill for the two of them, and who is Eddie to say no?
On the first morning, Eddie goes on an easy solo hike, and a few hours later, stumbles upon a makeshift campsite and a gravely injured man. A forest fire breaks out and she struggles to save him before the flames overcome them both. Before succumbing to his injuries, the man hands her a valuable rosary. He tells her his daughter is missing and begs for her help. Is Eddie now working for a dead man?
Barely escaping the fire, Eddie wakes in the hospital to find both her parents have arrived on the scene. Will Eddie’s card-counting mother and mob-connected father help or hinder the investigation? The police search in vain for a body. How will Eddie find the missing girl with only Eddie’s memory of the man’s face and a photo of his daughter to go on?
Book 3 in the Eddie Shoes Mystery Series, which began with One Dead, Two to Go.
The Boy Who Swallows Flies Michael F. Stewart
Publication date: February 15th 2018
Genres: Middle-Grade, Mystery, Superhero
Winner of the Claymore Award!
Warning – Rated Kids-Only for Bug Violence
Jarrod can view the memories of any bug. He just has to eat it. It’s not the tastiest of superpowers and, let’s face it, fly memories aren’t all unicorns and rainbows. Eating insects also doesn’t net him many friends, and Bug-boy is an unavoidable nickname. But Jarrod’s ready to prove that he and his bugs are worth more than ridicule.
When he swallows a fly while biking, he’s in for a shock. The bug saw a room stacked full of sick dogs and puppies in crates. It’s a puppy mill, and Jarrod needs to save the animals. But the flight range of the common housefly is five miles. Even if the police believed him, with no evidence, they can’t help. It’s up to Jarrod.
Trained cockroaches survey neighborhood basements. A fly taped to a window makes an excellent sentry. Every beetle, mosquito, caterpillar—don’t eat the fuzzy yellow ones—spider and centipede is his edible sidekick.
Will Jarrod save the dogs? Or is it all too much to swallow?
I had a feeling this would be a hoot to read and the author didn’t let me down.
Jarrod has a condition where he faints for no reason. That’s why he wears a helmet to protect his head. It paints a huge target on him at school and the bullies don’t miss a chance to pick on the Bug Boy. He’s been called weird and dumb often enough he’s come to believe it. But his best friend tells him he just hadn’t tapped into his potential yet. When he accidentally swallows a bug and can see it’s memories, he thinks he just might have found it.
No. Just no. There’s no way I could eat a bug on purpose. Jarrod gets creative, I’ll give him that. And he keeps a bucket handy in case what goes down comes back up. And letting the bugs out to crawl all over him in his bed. Just thinking about it gives me the shivers.
Jerrod’s new found talent sets him on a course of discovery. There’s some moral issues involved and he’s tempted by others. He may believe he’s not the smartest of kids, but I sure liked how he worked things out.
An unlikely hero with some unusual sidekicks. It’s creepy crawly fun.
5 Stars
~~~~~
Author Michael F. Stewart
Michael F. Stewart is winner of both the 2015 Claymore Award and the 2014 inaugural Creation of Stories Award for best YA novel at the Toronto International Book Fair.
He likes to combine storytelling with technology and pioneered interactive storytelling with Scholastic Canada, Australia, and New Zealand’s, anti-cyberbullying program Bully For You. In addition to his award winning Assured Destruction series, he has authored four graphic novels with Oxford University Press Canada’s Boldprint series. Publications of nonfiction titles on Corruption and Children’s Rights are published by Scholastic and early readers are out with Pearson Education.
For adults, Michael has written THE SAND DRAGON a horror about a revenant prehistoric vampire set in the tar sands, HURAKAN a Mayan themed thriller which pits the Maya against the MS-13 with a New York family stuck in the middle, 24 BONES an urban fantasy which draws from Egyptian myth, and THE TERMINALS–a covert government unit which solves crimes in this realm by investigating them in the next.
Herder of four daughters, Michael lives to write in Ottawa where he was the Ottawa Public Library’s first Writer in Residence. To learn more about Michael and his next projects visit his website at www.michaelfstewart.com or connect via Twitter @MichaelFStewart.
Sneaking Out Chuck Vance
(Chased, #1)
Published by: Dunemere Books
Publication date: March 6th 2018
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult
Could you sleep next to a murderer?
Luke Chase—yes, that Luke Chase, a modern hero ripped from the headlines—didn’t mean to get caught up in Mrs. Heckler’s murder. He just wanted to hook up with the hot new British girl at St. Benedict’s, and if that meant sneaking out to the woods after hours, then so be it. But little did he know someone would end up dead right next to their rendezvous spot, and his best friend and roommate Oscar Weymouth would go down for it. With suspects aplenty and a past that’s anything but innocent, Luke Chase reluctantly calls on his famous survival skills to find the true killer.
For fans of “A Study in Charlotte” and boarding school lit, “Sneaking Out” (book one in the “Chased” series) immerses readers in the privileged prep school world, with a mystery that exposes the dark side of life on a residential high school campus.
Luke stood up and held out a hand to help Pippa up. He didn’t let go after she rose, and he clasped it firmly as they walked together. It didn’t feel awkward—he’d already held her hand a couple of times. He felt protective. They walked along in silence.
They passed a mailbox, its hinge squeaking in the wind. The wind had picked up a plastic bag, which was scraping along the road, dancing with the fallen leaves. Every noise was amplified.
Luke pulled Pippa toward him to avoid a ditch. It was then that Luke sensed something. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw the flash of someone jump behind a tree. Luke’s muscles tensed. They were being followed.
“Don’t turn around, but someone is behind us,” warned Luke. “On foot.”
He saw Pippa’s neck stiffen. “Who is it?” she whispered.
“Not sure, but let’s speed up.”
They started walking as fast as possible without running. Luke felt as if there was a bullseye on his back. Was the person who was following them crazy enough to do something to harm them? What if he had a gun?
They were about a block away from the nearest streetlight. Luke feared that if they walked under it, they would be completely exposed to whoever was following them. It seemed safer to remain in the shadows. He abruptly pulled Pippa diagonally across the street. They picked up their pace and stayed on course.
“We’ll be able to see who it is when they pass the streetlight,” said Luke.
“Do you think he crossed, too?”
Luke pricked his ears. He could hear a distant tap, tap. Footsteps. “No, he’s on the other side.”
They walked past the streetlight and up about thirty feet before stopping short and turning around. For a split second, they saw a figure bathed in the light, but then it darted to the side. It looked like a man, in a baseball hat. But he was too fast for them. Luke grabbed Pippa’s hand tightly.”
“We need to run.”
Author Chuck Vance
Chuck Vance is a pseudonym for a bestselling writer of both adult mysteries and novels for young adults. Vance attended boarding school in Connecticut and graduated from Columbia University. Vance has lived in New York, Moscow, London, Paris and Los Angeles and is frequently on the move.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
My Teaser for this week is from
Hurricane Season
A Florida Panhandle Mystery#1
by Michaela Thompson
Genre: Mystery
My teaser from 26% in the eBook.
The figure caught in the net was not, as he had been trying to tell himself, a large fish or a sodden pile of clothing. Dark hair wafted around what was unmistakably a woman’s head. As he watched, the dark shape of a catfish swam up and nuzzled at her fingers.
I know this is a bit gruesome. This story takes place practically in my back yard and I could see this so clearly. You cast a net in the muddy bayou and who knows what you’ll dredge up.
~~~~~
Read on if you want to know more.
Synopsis
Sticky, sultry Palmetto had seen its share of hurricanes and evil. But it was an ill wind that blew through the Gulf-coast Florida town in the summer of ’52.
Diana Landis, well-known in every barroom, and more than a few bedrooms in town, was found beneath the dock, afloat in a fishing net. Her lover, Bo Calhoun, had already seen his family’s moonshine still set ablaze by arsonists. Congressman Robert “Snapper” Landis seemed more interested in his tough reelection campaign with Gospel Roy McInnes than in his daughter’s murder. And Wesley Stafford, a young seminarian more familiar with salvation than seduction, was in jail when, it seemed, he confessed to the killing.
All that was before storekeeper Lily Trulock left her neglecting husband to his beekeeping and ran her skiff to the island of St. Elmo, where an even bigger wind threatened to blow the lid off the whole county!
A cop is forced into retirement. His last case left open and haunting him. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Fritz will show you different.
Such a fun story and told from a dog’s point of view. Fritz is a police dog. He’s seen a lot. Taken down some nasty criminals. But an injury while on the job forces him into retirement, his last case left open. He’s determined to close the case and enlists some eager canines to sniff out leads.
I loved Fritz right out of the gate. So brave and dedicated and he just wants to keep doing his duty. I felt so sad for him when he was forced to retire. But the story shifts quickly as he goes on the hunt to track down the nasty rottweiler that injured him and helped a villain escape. Calling all dogs. It’s time to do your duty.
This book was a blast. I got so caught up in Fritz and the other character’s that I almost forgot they were dogs. The investigation leads them on a merry chase and I happily scampered along with them.
If you’re a dog lover and enjoy a good mystery, this is one for you. Don’t forget to hug your dog. He’s always on duty.
4 Stars
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Synopsis
Dog Duty is the debut novel from Bobby D. Lux. It tells the tale (or “tail”) of Fritz, a German Shepherd who was once the top dog of the Grand City Police Department . . . literally. There’s police dogs and then there’s Fritz. A true dog’s dog. A dog neither afraid nor jaded by the streets he patrols and the criminals he chases.
But all that changes in a moment. On another routine late-night foot pursuit, Fritz is confronted by Clay, an ex-military Rottweiler custom built with one-syllable efficiency. Bite. Maim. Kill.
Fritz’ injuries force him into a retirement of backyard boredom surrounded by suburbanite hounds of all shapes and sizes. That won’t do for a dog like Fritz. There’s a reason why you don’t see retired K-9 dogs laying around.
Fritz narrates his quest for revenge and redemption in this adventure that takes him through the seedy canine underworld of cat-races, underground clubs, back alleys, and dog parks. Along the way, he encounters criminals of all breeds, derelict mutts, beauty queens, and a hotshot young K-9 hungry for publicity. At the end of that road is where Fritz will find Clay. That’s the only way Fritz will ever get his life back.
