Archive for the ‘thriller’ Category

Saturday Screams #27 ~ Monster and Leviathan

Posted: February 18, 2017 in Creatures, horror, reviews, Science Fiction, thriller
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Welcome to my Saturday Screams.

Today’s reviews are for all of you lovers of creatures. Got two of them that I really enjoyed. There be a fire breathing dragon and big, hairy beasts.

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Monster

by Frank Peretti

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Genre: Horror / Christian Thriller

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My Review

I’ve enjoyed other books by this author and couldn’t resist this one. It’s different from his other Christian thriller novels and takes a swing at the Sasquatch legend.

This is a Sasquatch story with a twist. Reed drags his wife, Beck, along on a weekend survival trek. It quickly turns into a nightmare when a huge animal comes out and takes Beth. As search parties organize and enter the wilderness in search of Beth, something else is out there, hunting them down, along with the creature that took her.

The twist for me was reading about what happened with Beth. She has to survive her abduction. And it’s scary and sometimes funny what she has to contend with. Sasquatch is in no way human. A large predator with plenty of attitude, the family dynamics for them is tumultuous and violent. Talk about dysfunctional.  And Beth has to fight for her place in order to stay alive long enough to be rescued.

There’s a strong sense of urgency as you get into the story. And for such a large book, I was surprised how quickly I finished it. Grab the book, remember this is fiction, and just enjoy the ride. It’s well worth a go.

I’m still crossing my fingers that this will be made into a movie. It would be such an adventure.

   5 Stars

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Synopsis

Reed Shelton organized this survival weekend. Hired the best guide in the region. Meticulously trained, studied, and packed while encouraging his wife, Beck, to do the same. But little did they know that surviving the elements would become the least of their worries.

During their first night of camping, an unearthly wail pierces the calm of the forest. Then someone – no, something – emerges from the dense woods and begins pursuing them. Everything that follows is a blur to Reed – except for the unforgettable image of a huge creature carrying his wife into the darkness.

Dependent on the efforts of a small town and a band of friends, Reed knows they have little time to find Beck. Even more important, he soon realizes that they aren’t the only ones doing the hunting. Something much faster, more relentless – and definitely not human – has begun to hunt them.

Amazon

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Leviathan

by James Byron Huggins

1496682

Genre: Science Fiction / Horror / Spiritualism

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My Review

I can’t quite pin down the genre for this. I notice it’s been tagged as science fiction, which I agree with that. But I feel it’s also a horror and spiritualism genre too.

There’s the beast. What a beast it is too. It started out as a benign creature. Then the idiots alter it genetically, hoping to use it as a weapon. I swear, no matter how many times I come across this plot, it just never gets old for me.

Imagine a harmless creature turned into something that looks like a dragon. Then make it impossible to kill and program it’s brain like a computer. Then imagine it getting a mind of it’s own and a raging desire to kill and burn.

Thor is a mysterious viking, a giant of a man living an isolated life in an ancient tower on the harsh and frozen Grimwald Island, his only companion his valiant steed, Tanngrisner. Until the men come. He’s a gentle giant and quickly comes to care for these men and their families, as they do him.

When the beast escapes his confinement under the ice, they must keep it from reaching the surface, for there will be no stopping it’s bloody revenge then.

What really drove this story for me was the character’s. The author really outdid himself in bringing them to life. Even some that are only briefly mentioned are easily imagined. I felt bad that they were hired to do an innocuous job, little knowing the terrible secrets being performed behind blast proof doors deep in the caverns below.

And I adored Thor. He’s an epic warrior and the best of heroes. His friendship with Connor and his wife and daughter is strong, forged with love and loyalty. The power of the bond between Thor and Connor is another favorite part of this book.

Take a bunch of people, good and bad, and isolate them somewhere with the harshest of elements, and then unleash holy hell on them. This is the best of scenarios for me and I loved everything about this book. I’ve reread this several times and will do so again. Can’t recommend it enough.

 5  Stars

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Synopsis

In a cyberspace experiment deep beneath an Arctic island, Electromagnetic Chromosomal Manipulation recreates man’s most ancient nightmare. Searching to possess a living weapon that can bring every nation to its knees, scientists spawn a dark legend that once trembled the Earth, a beast that heralds the end of the world.

Amazon

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You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

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The Friday 56 #139 ~ The Blood Gospel

Posted: February 17, 2017 in The Friday 56, thriller
Tags: , , ,
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Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

 

This is a really fun meme!

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!

My 56 for this week is from:

 The Blood Gospel

The Order Of The Sanguines #1

by James Rollins

and Rebecca Cantrell

17450128

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Genre: Thriller

From page 56 in the paperback.

“Take a look at the skeleton’s femur.”

“And?”

“It had gnaw marks.”

~~~~~

Read on if you want to know more.

Synopsis

An earthquake in Masada, Israel, kills hundreds and reveals a tomb buried in the heart of the mountain. A trio of investigators—Sergeant Jordan Stone, a military forensic expert; Father Rhun Korza, a Vatican priest; and Dr. Erin Granger, a brilliant but disillusioned archaeologist—are sent to explore the macabre discovery, a subterranean temple holding the crucified body of a mummified girl.

But a brutal attack at the site sets the three on the run, thrusting them into a race to recover what was once preserved in the tomb’s sarcophagus: a book rumored to have been written by Christ’s own hand, a tome that is said to hold the secrets to His divinity. But the enemy who hounds them is like no other, a force of ancient evil directed by a leader of impossible ambitions and incalculable cunning.

From crumbling tombs to splendorous churches, Erin and her two companions must confront a past that traces back thousands of years, to a time when ungodly beasts hunted the dark spaces of the world, to a moment in history when Christ made a miraculous offer, a pact of salvation for those who were damned for eternity.

Here is a novel that is explosive in its revelation of a secret history. Why do Catholic priests wear pectoral crosses? Why are they sworn to celibacy? Why do the monks hide their countenances under hoods? And why does Catholicism insist that the consecration of wine during Mass results in its transformation to Christ’s own blood? The answers to all go back to a secret sect within the Vatican, one whispered as rumor but whose very existence was painted for all to see by Rembrandt himself, a shadowy order known simply as the Sanguines.

In the end, be warned: some books should never be found, never opened—until now.

AMAZON

~~~~~

Leave your link and I’ll drop by your 56.

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You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

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A Suspense Thriller by Merry Jones ~ Child’s Play ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: February 15, 2017 in Excerpt, giveaways, suspense, thriller
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Child's Play by Merry Jones

Welcome to the tour for Child’s Play by Merry Jones February 1 – 28th.

I’m thrilled to share an excerpt from the book.

And there’s a giveaway. So don’t forget to enter!

Alsp, be sure to click on the link at the bottom of the post to follow the tour for more fun posts!

Child’s Play

by Merry Jones

Genre: Thriller, Suspense
Published by: Oceanview Publishing
Publication Date:  January 3rd 2017
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 1608091910 (ISBN13: 9781608091911)
Series: Elle Harrison Thriller #3 (Each can be read as a Stand Alone Novel)

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Synopsis

Since her husband’s murder two years earlier, life hasn’t been easy for Elle Harrison. Now, at the start of a new school year, the second grade teacher is determined to move on. She’s selling her house and delving into new experiences―like learning trapeze.

Just before the first day of school, Elle learns that a former student, Ty Evans, has been released from juvenile detention where he served time for killing his abusive father. Within days of his release, Elle’s school principal, who’d tormented Ty as a child, is brutally murdered. So is a teacher at the school. And Ty’s former girlfriend. All the victims have links to Ty.

Ty’s younger brother, Seth, is in Elle’s class. When Seth shows up at school beaten and bruised, Elle reports the abuse, and authorities remove Seth and his older sister, Katie, from their home. Is Ty the abuser?

Ty seeks Elle out, confiding that she’s the only adult he’s ever trusted. She tries to be open-minded, even wonders if he’s been wrongly condemned. But when she’s assaulted in the night, she suspects that Ty is her attacker. Is he a serial killer? Is she his next intended victim?

Before Elle discovers the truth, she’s caught in a deadly trap that challenges her deepest convictions about guilt and innocence, childhood and family. Pushed to her limits, she’s forced to face her fears and apply new skills in a deadly fight to survive.

Purchase Links: Amazon / B&N / Goodreads

~~~~~

Enjoy this glimpse inside the book.

I was the first one there.

The parking lot was empty, except for Stan’s pickup truck. Stan was the custodian, tall, hair thinning, face pock-marked from long ago acne. He moved silently, popped out of closets and appeared in corners, prowled the halls armed with a mop or a broom. In fourteen years, I couldn’t remember a single time when he’d looked me in the eye.

Wait—fourteen years? I’d been there that long? Faces of kids I’d taught swirled through my head. The oldest of them would now be, what? Twenty-one? Oh man. Soon I’d be one of those old school marms teaching the kids of my former students, a permanent fixture of the school like the faded picture of George Washington mounted outside the principal’s office. Hell, in a few months, I’d be forty. A middle-aged childless widow who taught second grade over and over again, year after year, repeating the cycle like a hamster on its wheel. Which reminded me: I had to pick up new hamsters. Tragically, last year’s hadn’t made it through the summer.

I told myself to stop dawdling. I had a classroom to organize, cubbies to decorate. On Monday, just three days from now, twenty-three glowing faces would show up for the first day of school, and I had to be ready. I climbed out of the car, pulled a box of supplies from the trunk, started for the building. And stopped.

My heart did triple time, as if responding to danger. But there was no danger. What alarmed me, what sent my heart racing was the school itself. But why? Did it look different? Had the windows been replaced, or the doors? Nothing looked new, but something seemed altered. Off balance. The place didn’t look like an elementary school. It looked like a giant factory. A prison.

God, no. It didn’t look like any of those things. The school was the same as it had always been, just a big brick building. It seemed cold and stark simply because it was unadorned by throngs of children. Except for wifi, Logan Elementary hadn’t changed in fifty years, unless you counted several new layers of soot on the bricks.

I stood in the parking lot, observing the school, seeing it fresh. I’d never paid much attention to it before. When it was filled with students, the building itself became all but invisible, just a structure, a backdrop. But now, empty, it was unable to hide behind the children, the smells of sunshine and peanut butter sandwiches, the sounds of chatter and small shoes pounding Stanley’s waxed tiles. The building stood exposed. I watched it, felt it watching me back. Threatening.

Seriously, what was wrong with me? The school was neither watching nor threatening me. It was a benign pile of bricks and steel. I was wasting time, needed to go in and get to work. But I didn’t take a single step. Go on, I told myself. What was I afraid of? Empty halls, vacant rooms? Blank walls? For a long moment, I stood motionless, eyes fixed on the façade. The carved letters: Logan School. The heavy double doors. The dark windows. Maybe I’d wait a while before going inside. Becky would arrive soon, after she picked up her classroom aquarium.

Other teachers would show up, too. I could go in with them, blend safely into their commotion. I hefted the box, turned back to the car. But no, what was I doing? I didn’t want to wait. I’d come early so I could get work done without interruption or distraction before the others arrived. The school wasn’t daring me, nor was I sensing some impending tragedy. I was just jittery about starting a new year.

I turned around again, faced its faded brown bricks. I steeled my shoulders, took a breath and started across the parking lot. With a reverberating metallic clank, the main doors flew open. Reflexively, I stepped back, half expecting a burst of flames or gunfire. Instead, Stan emerged. For the first time in fourteen years, I was glad to see him. Stan surveyed the parking lot, hitched up his pants. Looked in my direction. He didn’t wave or nod a greeting, didn’t follow social conventions. Even so, his presence grounded me, felt familiar.

I took a breath, reminded myself that the school was just a school. That I was prone to mental wandering and embellishing. And that children would stream into my classroom in just three days, whether I was ready or not.

~~~~~

Meet Author Merry Jones
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Merry Jones is the author of some twenty critically acclaimed books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her work has been translated into seven languages. Her previous Elle Harrison novels have been The Trouble With Charlie and Elective Procedures. Jones lives with her husband in Philadelphia.
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Catch up with Merry online:
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Click here to view the ‘Child’s Play by Merry Jones’ Participants

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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My Monday Minis Reviews #52 ~ Scream and Becoming Dragon

Posted: February 13, 2017 in Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Romance, Short stories and collections, suspense, thriller
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Welcome to My Monday Minis Reviews where I share short reviews of books I’ve read. For today I’ll be sharing two books. One is an anthology, Scream, which releases tomorrow. And the other, Becoming Dragon is a new series from Eve Langlais.

Scream releases on February 14th. It’s a steal at only 99 pennies. Go HERE to claim your copy!

Scream

A Collection of Dark Tales

by Multiple Authors

33963600

Genre: Dark Tales / Thriller / Serial Killers

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My Review

I’m drawn to stories about serial killers. I’ve been told by many it’s a morbid fascinate. LOL You’ll get nine short stories about them in this anthology, each author bringing their own dark spin to their tales.

I won’t play favorites and name any certain ones, but some of these hit hard and a couple were pretty good. One left me confused. I read it twice and felt like the end might have been left off or I just completely didn’t get it.

It was great to read some familiar authors and discover new ones. I found a few that I’ll be checking out now.

There’s lots of terrible monsters in these pages. They may look human, but there’s no humanity in the way they delight in their kills. You’ll also come across a bit of the paranormal or supernatural, which I find adds to the suspense and scares.

A great collection that’s sure to satisfy that dark craving inside you. I read them late at night and got even more thrills.

5 Stars

~~~~~

Synopsis

Biohazard by Kathy Love
Jenny knew when she took a job working for a crime cleaning company, she would experience some weird situations. But she never thought one of her co-workers, David, would fall in love with her, and man, does he have a strange way of showing it. Hearts drawn in blood spatter and notes out of body tissue? That takes weird to a whole new level. Add to that, with a serial killer on the loose, she finds herself spending a lot of time at work—and with David. Soon, she can’t help wondering if he could be the one killing these people. Just so they can spend more time together.

Undying Love by Kristine Mason
Till death do us part does not apply…

Morgan Smithwell’s first love is killed in a car accident, leaving her devastated and heartbroken. When she claims his ghost has visited her, Morgan’s parents and psychiatrist believe she’s had a psychotic break. But Morgan knows the truth. Death cannot come between her and the boy she loves. Now, to keep their love alive, Morgan must find her lover a new body. Again and again…

No Eulogy for a Stranger by Caleb Pirtle III
Easy Eddy Dollar is not quite sure where he is when he awakes on a park bench with a bullet wound in his stomach. And just who are all these people entering his life? With only twenty-four hours to find out, Easy Eddy Dollar knows he’s a stranger among strangers, and nobody has a prayer to recite at the grave of a stranger.

The Woman of My Dreams by Joe Broadmeadow
The cut of a truth long hidden is quick, deep, and painful. Yet, life has a way of never missing a beat, even when breaking your heart. Is there such a thing as loving too much?

The Hunter by Drew Jordan
Not every woman is fortunate enough to be married to a serial killer like I am. Why is that lucky? Because he will protect me from everyone and anyone…and never ever hurt me.

Follow The Hunter from Alaska to Canada to reclaim his wife, Laney. Or to make her his final victim. The Hunter is a short story related to the dark and sexy CRASH trilogy, which includes Crash, Hide, and Expose.

The House That Weeps by Elle J Rossi
Andrew Stevens has one shot left to do something good with his life. But will the horrors inside the house that weeps be his savior or his ultimate demise?

The Silent Widow by Kimberly McGath
Eight-track tapes and bell-bottoms were all the rage in the late 1970’s. Citizens had become familiar with serial killers such as Zodiac, but nothing prepared them for this sweetheart killer. Valentine’s Day will be red with blood in this rural town. Author Kimberly McGath will keep you guessing in The Silent Widow, with many twists and turns that will make you Scream. But will you be able to?

Chimes at Midnight by Paul Dale Anderson
Never play blind man’s bluff with a blind man. Never play games with an old man entering his second childhood. And never ever play for keeps or bet your life because the odds are not in your favor.

A Sultry Abyss by Sue Coletta
Crime Writer Sydney Slaughter has spent her life researching serial killers. What she never expected was to find herself at the center of a brutal murder spree. When visions hit too close to reality, Syd goes to a hypnotist to tap into her subconscious. What she envisions shakes her very core. Can she use her skills to expose the killer? Or will fate turn the table, reveal things she never wanted to know?

AMAZON

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Becoming Dragon

Dragon Point #1

by Eve Langlais

Narrated by Chandra Skye

Published by Tantor Audio.

Published January 25, 2017

Format: Unabridged Audiobook

Length: 7 hours and 22 minutes

34209280

Genre: Paranormal / Fantasy / Romance / Shifters

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My Review

Not having read Eve’s books before, but meaning to, I didn’t know what to expect. It’s a brand new spin off series from her Bitten Point books. I was thrilled with this book. I was quickly immersed in the story and never felt the need for a break.

Aimi is strong, knows what she wants and goes for it, that being Brandon. I have a feeling he doesn’t stand a chance. It was fun to meet Aimi. She’s my kind of gal. And the antics of her odd family gave me plenty of chuckles.

Brandon grew on my quickly. He’s got a lot to handle, trying to adjust to his new self. He escaped from a facility that experimented on him and he’ll forever be changed by it. He doesn’t know what to make of the sexy and determined Aimi, who states he’s hers.

The chemistry between these two characters was electric. I was anxious to see who would give in to who and had such fun with their back and forth banter.

There’s plenty of snarky dialogue, which is always a win with me. Lots of intrigue, people needing rescuing, and some steamy encounters to warm you up on a cold night.

I’ve been wanting to try Eve’s Bitten Point series, and after having such fun with this book,  now I have to.

5 Stars

About the narrator.

Chandra Skye does a fabulous job. She even manages to pull off the male characters convincingly. I’ll be keeping an eye out for her.

I received a complimentary copy from Tantor Audible Books. My review is voluntarily given.

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Synopsis

A new series spun off the end of Bitten Point…

Brandon’s story…

Dragon Point isn’t a place, but rather a society, a secret one. And humans aren’t invited.

I’m a monster. That’s what Brandon thinks when he flees the medical institute that changed him. Living a normal life isn’t in the cards for him because, while he can hide his scaly skin, his wings are hard to miss. So he runs and lives in the shadows where monsters belong. What he didn’t expect to find were others just like him, and they call themselves dragons. Or so Aimi with the violet eyes tells him when she pins him to the ground.

Seriously, though, dragons?

He doesn’t want to believe, but the evidence is mounting. Not helping his resolve is the fact that the woman with the silver hair doesn’t fear the monster and wants to claim him.
However, before he can think of his own happiness, he has to rescue his little sister. Uncle Theo kidnapped her, and Brandon will do anything to get her back, even if he must embrace the monster within to become the dragon.

AMAZON

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

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Saturday Screams #26 ~ Afraid and Truck Stop

Posted: February 11, 2017 in horror, reviews, thriller
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Welcome to my Saturday Screams.

Got two super thrillers for you today.

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Afraid

by Jack Kilborn

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Genre: Horror

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My Review

I’m sure you’ve read the synopsis so I won’t bore you with much about that. The setting is a peaceful little town in the wilderness. One way in, one way out.  Who will survive the night?

When a helicopter crashes, horror of such magnitude is unleashed on the denizens. How can they survive what’s come calling? How do they fight back? That’s where it gets crazy.

One thing I’ve learned from reading this author, you get a diverse mix of characters. I suspect some are easy surplus to spot. But don’t thing those characters you become attached to will make it through the night. Jack isn’t above killing them off and does so frequently in his books.

And I feel I need to warn you, this is gory to the nth level. I actually cringed at a lot of the violence, but, having read the author before, I’ve come to expect it.

This isn’t for the feint of heart, but it’s good fodder for fans of violence, gore, and psychological mayhem.

  4 Stars

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Synopsis

ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? YOU WILL BE . . .

Welcome to Safe Haven, Wisconsin. Miles from everything, with one road in and out, this peaceful town has never needed a full-time police force. Until now . . .

A helicopter has crashed near Safe Haven and unleashed something horrifying. Now this merciless force is about to do what it does best. Isolate. Terrorize. Annihilate. As residents begin dying in a storm of gory violence, Safe Haven’s only chance for survival will rest with an aging county sheriff, a firefighter, and a single mom. And each will have this harrowing thought: Maybe death hasn’t come to their town by accident . . .

Amazon

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Truck Stop

by Jack Kilborn and J.A. Konrath

6598913

Genre: Horror / Thriller

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My Review

My mother warned me about truck stops. Never, ever stop at one alone. Especially at night. You never know what evil stalks them.

Truck Stop will show you just what haunts them. There’s not just one serial killer biding their time, waiting for their next delicious victim. Imagine them plotting together, working together, and trying to one up each other.

In walks a woman. A homicide cop who thinks she knows all about serial killers. She’s minding her own business and stops in for a cup of java to keep her awake on the road. What happens next is a trip down the deepest, darkest rabbit hole.

So twisted on so many levels. Just the way I like em.

 4 Stars

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Synopsis

Before the events of Jack Kilborn’s epic horror novel AFRAID…

Before the events of J.A. Konrath’s critically acclaimed thrillers FUZZY NAVEL and CHERRY BOMB…

Before the events of Jack Kilborn’s and Blake Crouch’s #1 Amazon Kindle bestseller SERIAL…

Three hunters of humans meet for the ultimate showdown at the TRUCK STOP.

Taylor is a recreational killer, with dozens of grisly murders under his belt. He pulls into a busy Wisconsin truck stop at midnight, trolling for the next to die.

Chicago Homicide cop Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels is a long way from home, driving to meet her boyfriend for a well-earned vacation. She pulls into the truck stop for a quick cup of coffee and stumbles into her worst nightmare.

Jack’s no stranger to dealing with psychos, but she’s got her hands full trying to stop Taylor. Especially since he’s getting help from someone just as deadly; a portly serial maniac named Donaldson…

TRUCK STOP is a 15,000 word thriller novella that ties together Konrath’s and Kilborn’s works, with terrifying results.

A prequel to SERIAL, which has been downloaded more than 70,000 times, TRUCK STOP is an eighteen-wheeled ride straight into hell. Not for the faint of heart. Let the reader beware.

This ebook also includes an exclusive interview: JA Konrath talks with Jack Kilborn, plus excerpts from their latest books, CHERRY BOMB and AFRAID.

Amazon

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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The Friday 56 #138 ~ The Ashes

Posted: February 10, 2017 in suspense, The Friday 56, thriller
Tags: , , , ,
22

Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

 

This is a really fun meme!

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!

My 56 for this week is from:

 The Ashes

The Rebecca Underhill Trilogy #2

by Vincent Zandri

The Ashes (The Rebecca Underhill Trilogy Book 2) by [Zandri, Vincent]

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Genre: Suspense / Thriller

From page 56 in the paperback.

…I find it almost impossible to believe that anything bad ever happened here. That maybe the horrors of eight years ago are only a figment of my imagination. An artist’s mind. Or, at the very least, the unwelcome memory of a bad dream.

~~~~~

Read on if you want to know more.

Synopsis

“Don’t go down into the cellar, Mommy…”

From Thriller Award winner and New York Times and USA Today bestselling author comes the long awaited sequel to the No. 1 Overall Amazon Bestselling suspense thriller, THE REMAINS. “Sensational…Masterful…Brilliant.” –New York Post “Gritty, fast-paced, lyrical and haunting.” –Harlan Coben, New York Times bestselling author of Six Years “Tough, stylish, heartbreaking.” -Don Winslow, New York Times bestselling author of Savages HORROR IN THE DARK WOODS.

It’s been eight years since artist and single mom, Rebecca Underhill, was abducted and left to die in an old broken down house located in the middle of the dark woods. But even if her abductor, Joseph William Whalen, has since been killed, another, more insidious evil is once more out to get her in the form of the Skinner. The son of an abusive butcher, Skinner intends on finishing the job Whalen started but failed at. How is he going to get to Rebecca? He’s going to do it through her children, by luring them into the cornfield behind the old farmhouse they live in. HORROR IN THE DEPTHS Now, armed with the knowledge that the Skinner has escaped incarceration at a downstate facility for the criminally insane, Rebecca must face the most horrifying challenge of her adult life: Rescuing the children not from a house in the woods, but from the abandoned tunnels that run underneath her property. But the Skinner is watching Rebecca’s every move. Horrifying question is, will she live long enough to save the children?

AMAZON

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Leave your link and I’ll drop by your 56.

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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My Monday Minis #52 ~ Meet Tucker Wayne and his canine partner Kane

Posted: January 30, 2017 in Monday's Minis, reviews, Series, thriller
Tags: , , ,
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14288244  21911320

Welcome to My Monday Minis Reviews where I share short reviews of books I’ve read. For today I’ll be sharing two thrillers. Tracker by James Rollins. And The Kill Switch is from a new series I’m really excited about, co-authored by James Rollins and Grant Blackwood.

Tracker

Sigma Force #7.5

by James Rollins

14288244

Genre: Thriller

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My Review

I was so excited to get this short story. I first encountered Tucker and his canine partner, Kane, in the author’s Sigma Force book, Bloodlines, another great series.

Tucker can’t stand by when he sees a damsel in distress. Before he can say shit storm, he’s in one. Turns out the men following said damsel are after a treasure stolen by Nazis during World War II.

The action and danger are palpable. There’s hardly time to breathe. And there’s no guarantees that Tucker or Kane will get through it unscathed.

This is an up close and personal introduction to Tucker and his mighty dog, Kane. They work as a team, their bond so strong it seems like they read each others minds. It didn’t take me long to become attached to them, and it was fascinating to see them in action.

Tucker and Kane now have their own series and I’m already reading the second book. These characters are larger than life and the action never stops.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author James Rollins comes a stirring story of a soldier and his military war dog who are drawn into a dark mystery tracing back to World War II and a lost treasure tied to the bones of the dead.

Off the blustery streets in the medieval heart of Budapest, Captain Tucker Wayne and his war dog, Kane, rescue a mysterious woman fleeing three armed men. The secret she holds will unlock a terrible treasure, one steeped in blood and treachery, tied to a crime going back to the fall of Nazi Germany and a heritage of suffering and pain that reaches out from the past to wreak havoc today. In a final showdown in the depths of a lost cemetery, truths will be unearthed, treasures exposed, and the fate of all will rest upon the shoulders of one man and a dog whose courage is beyond measure.

Included within this thrilling story is a sneak peek at the opening chapters of Bloodline, in which the further exploits of Tucker and Kane will be revealed.

Amazon

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The Kill Switch

by James Rollins

and Grant Blackwood

21911320

Genre: Thriller

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My Review

I’ve read most of James Rollins books. One of the things that I love about his stories is that he mixes the larger than life scenarios with mysterious events from days long passed. From ancient artifacts and biological weapons to undiscovered creatures and the latest in technology, it’s always a thrilling adventure.

I first met army ranger Tucker Wayne and his military dog, Kane, in Bloodlines, a Sigma Force novel. Now they have their own series and I couldn’t be happier.

Right out of the gate you’re with Tucker and Kane on the job. How they work as a team is amazing and my favorite parts in the book. Being a dog lover myself, the bond between them touched me in a big way. And also reading from Kane’s point of view brought home their affection for each other. It was sweet how they reassured each other, how Kane was so ferocious in his defense of Tucker, and how Tucker was torn when having to put Kane in danger.

From one end of the globe to the other, the deadly duo took on some truly bad guys, or should I say gals. The action was super fast, and some scenes were so intense that I really worried about the outcome.

These two talented authors lay it on the line is this fantastic new thriller series. Loved it and Tucker and Kane are now some of my favorite characters.

 5 Stars

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Synopsis

From bestselling authors James Rollins and Grant Blackwood, the first installment in an exciting new thriller series based on the Sigma Force novels featuring former Army Ranger Tucker Wayne and his partner, Army working dog Kane, introduced in the New York Times bestseller Bloodline and the e-original story “Tracker.”

Former Army Ranger Tucker Wayne and his military working dog Kane are recruited by Sigma Force to extract a Russian pharmaceutical magnate from Siberia. A scientific genius, the drug tycoon holds the biological key to a new weapon system, a danger engineered from the ancient past to terrorize the modern world.

From the frozen steppes of Russia to the sun-blasted savannahs of Africa, Tucker and Kane must piece together a mystery going back to the origins of life on Earth—before the ancient peril can destroy the heartland of America, and with it, all of humankind.

Amazon

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Dare to go there….. Grimm Woods ~ Tour Review

Posted: January 23, 2017 in horror, reviews, thriller
Tags: , , ,
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grimmBlurb

A remote summer camp becomes a lurid crime scene when the bodies of two teenagers are found in a bloody, real-life rendering of a classic Grimm’s fairy tale. Trapped in the wilderness, the remaining counsellors must follow a trail of dark children’s fables in order to outwit a psychopath and save the dwindling survivors before falling prey to their own gruesome endings.

Drawing on the grisly, uncensored details of history’s most famous fairy tales, Grimm Woods is a heart-pounding thriller about a deranged killer who uses traditional children’s stories as tropes in elaborate murders. Set against the backdrop of modern-day Michigan, it’s a journey through the mind of a dangerous zealot and a shocking glimpse into the bedtime stories you thought you knew.

 

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GOODREADS

Exclusive to AMAZON

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My Review

Reading this was like an experience with Lays Potato Chips. I couldn’t eat just one. I devoured this in one sitting.

If you love horror thrillers with a good whodunit, you’ll like this book.

It synopsis sounds familiar, but just wait for it. Young camp counselors protect their flock of kids from someone bent on killing. It’s not longer before the bodies start piling up. Except, the killer isn’t after the kids. The counselors are the targets. Many meet grisly ends and it seems the the killer leaves a message with each new body. They all die differently, the killer using the very themes the park is based on to display his victims. Grimm Fairy Tales come true.

Sound good? It is. And the thing I enjoyed most…the author spares no one. Yep, don’t get attached to any of these characters as they drop like flies.

4 Stars

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Check out this glimpse inside!

July 7th, 5:44 a.m.

One hacksaw. One hammer, six boxes of nails. Twelve Mason jars, four hunting knives, two pairs of handcuffs. Fifteen gallons of gasoline divided evenly among three dented jerry cans.

It’s time.

A work glove hovered over the table where the objects were laid out side by side and began ticking the air as though marking off an invisible checklist. The chamber reeked of mildew, and the walls had no windows or electrical sockets—no lamps, no wires, no switch covers. A single red candle provided the only light, its crimson wax dripping down its shaft like blood.

The hand picked up a piece of paper from the table and slipped it into a blank envelope. Below, a beetle scuttled across the floorboards. The insect—its gangly antennae tuned to some foul frequency in the gloom—raced past the sole of a giant boot just as a drop of liquid fell through the air and struck it dead center, engulfing its body in a hot, gelatinous blob that filled its orifices and burned it from the inside out. Another droplet tumbled from the candle, plopping onto the envelope this time, and then a brass stamp came down and pressed the wax into a hardened seal.

Drawing in heavier, raspier breaths, the figure held the envelope up to a corkboard that was bolted to the wall. More than a dozen pictures of young men and women were tacked to the panel by their throats and foreheads, smiling in the shadows.

The figure pinned the envelope to the board and stepped back to take in the room again.

The table and the switchblade.

The book of matches.

The iron rods, the hatchet, the .22 Smith & Wesson.

The smiling faces.

Now, the figure mused, watching the photographs flicker in the bloodred light. Who’s the nicest, who’s the worst, who wants to hear a story first?

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About D. Melhoff

D. Melhoff was born in a prairie ghost town that few people have heard of and even fewer have visited. While most of his stories are for adults, he also enjoys terrifying younger audiences from time to time, as seen in his series of twisted picture books for children. He credits King, Poe, Hitchcock, Harris, Stoker, and his second grade school teacher, Mrs. Lake, for turning him to horror. For more information, visit grimmwoods.com.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

Follow the Grimm Woods tour HERE

Brought to you by Worldwind VBT

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For a list of my reviews go HERE

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A Paranormal Thriller ~ Blackwell ~ Tour and Giveaway

Posted: January 19, 2017 in giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, thriller
Tags: , , ,
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Blackwell

Magnus Blackwell Series

Book One

Alexandrea Weis with Lucas Astor

Genre: Paranormal thriller.

Publisher: Vesuvian Books

Date of Publication: 1/17/17

ISBN: 978-1944109240

ASIN: B01M7T4NQT

Number of pages: 300

Word Count: 71, 800

Cover Artist: Sam Shearon

Book Description:

Hell has a new master

In the late 1800s, handsome, wealthy New Englander, Magnus Blackwell, is the envy of all.

When Magnus meets Jacob O’Conner—a Harvard student from the working class—an unlikely friendship is forged. But their close bond is soon challenged by a captivating woman; a woman Magnus wants, but Jacob gets.

Devastated, Magnus seeks solace in a trip to New Orleans. After a chance meeting with Oscar Wilde, he becomes immersed in a world of depravity and brutality, inevitably becoming the inspiration for Dorian Gray. Armed with the forbidden magic of voodoo, he sets his sights on winning back the woman Jacob stole from him.

Amid the trappings of Victorian society, two men, bent on revenge, will lay the foundation for a curse that will forever alter their destinies.

Amazon     Kobo      Apple      BN

Enjoy this glimpse inside.

Leaving the firelight, he headed toward the water, eager to learn more about the woman. Beyond the glare of the bonfire, his eyes were better able to take in her figure. Her nightdress was torn in places and had dark splotches on it in others. She stood at the water’s edge, her feet hidden below the surface of the bayou. As he drew closer, Magnus got a better view of her exquisite face. Her pale, snowy skin glowed in the darkness, and her features were perfect except for a scar above her right lip. He ached to help her, to guide her from the water and back to the warmth of the fire.

“Are you all right?”

She titled her head to the side as she examined him. Then without saying anything, she held out her hand to him.

Magnus could hear a woman’s voice saying, Magnus, come with me, in his head, but her lips never moved. He was entranced, drawn to her, and just as he was raising his hand to take hers, another hand clamped down on his wrist.

“Magnus, no, don’t touch her,” Madam Simone called out.

The spell was broken, and the woman in the water faded away.

Magnus gawked at the water. “What?”

“I told you to stay close to the fire,” she admonished.

He pointed to the water. “You saw her? Who was that?”

Madam Simone let go of his arm. “You mean what was that, don’t you?”

“I don’t understand.”

She waved her long stick out over the water. “That was a spirit called by the ceremony. She often appears when we perform our rituals on the bayou.”

“You know her?” The shock was evident in his voice.

“She’s the spirit of one who sacrificed herself for love many years ago. She was the quadroon mistress of a wealthy white man who spurned her and her unborn child.”

Magnus removed his hat and wiped his hand over his brow, feeling shaky. “So you are telling me I just saw a ghost?”

Madam Simone chuckled at his reaction. “The world is not everything you see, Magnus. Ghosts are as real as you or I. They are the impression left behind by a life ended in misery, pain, or confusion. The spirits trapped or bound to earth are the ones who haunt. The ones who have found peace are the ones who leave.”

“Where do they go?”

She gave him a sad smile. “That all depends on what you believe. Heaven, hell, paradise—take your pick. We have more names for the world that comes after than we do for the one we currently inhabit. I think that speaks volumes about our capacity for hope.”

Magnus took an unsteady breath as his eyes returned to the water. “What about her? The girl in the water? Will she ever find peace and move on?”

“No.” Madam Simone shook her head and, gathering up her skirt, took a step away from the shore. “She has chosen to remain here.”

“Chosen?” he shouted. “Are you telling me she had a choice?”

“We all choose in life and in death, Magnus.” She glanced back at him. “That is why we have souls—to make that choice.”

Magnus could still hear the voice of the spirit calling to him in his head. “I think she spoke to me. She knew my name.”

 “Spirits often bring messages from the dead. Do you know anyone who has recently died?”

He shook his head. “No, no one.”

Madam Simone motioned ahead to the bonfire. “Let’s get back to the fire.”

Returning his hat to his head, Magnus followed her up the bank. “I’m not sure what I witnessed, Madam Simone, but I no longer think I’m a skeptic.”

She grinned as they walked along. “Good. Then the ceremony served its purpose.”

“What purpose?”

Madam Simone kept her eyes focused on the firelight. “To prepare your soul for what is to come.”

 

About the Author:

From New Orleans, Alexandrea Weis was raised in the motion picture industry and began writing stories at the age of eight. In college, she studied nursing. After finishing her PhD, she decided to pick up the pen once again and begin her first novel. Since that time, she has published many novels and won several national writing awards for fiction. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her bestselling books, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story memorable.

Alexandrea Weis is also a certified/permitted wildlife rehabber with the La. Wildlife and Fisheries. When she is not writing, she rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She is married; they live in New Orleans.

Facebook / Webpage / Twitter / Instagram / Amazon / Goodreads

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Tour giveaway

3 hardbacked copies, US and Canada only please.

Click HERE to enter.

~~~~~

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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A Serial Killer Thriller ~ A Secondhand Life by Pamela Crane ~ Book Tour and Giveaway

Posted: January 16, 2017 in giveaways, Series, thriller
Tags: , , ,
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A Secondhand Life:
(The Killer Thriller Series Book 1)
by Pamela Crane
Genre: A compelling serial killer thriller

**”A Secondhand Life” is a standalone psychological thriller

featuring characters also found in the companion novella, “A

Secondhand Lie.”**

2016 New Apple Literary Award in Psychological Thrillers, First Place Winner

2016 Reader’s Favorite Award in Thrillers, First Place Winner

2015 Library Journal selection

2016 Chanticleer Clue Awards nominee
2016 Silver Falchion Best Fiction nominee
A heart never forgets its last beat…

In a freak collision when she was twelve, Mia Germaine faced death and

the loss of her father. A heart transplant from a young murder victim

saved her life, but not without a price. Twenty years later, chilling

nightmares about an unresolved homicide begin to plague Mia.

Compelled by these lost memories, she forms a complicated connection

to the victim—the girl killed the night of Mia’s accident—due

to a scientific phenomenon called “organ memory.”

Now suffocating beneath the weight of avenging a dead girl and catching a

serial killer on the loose dubbed the “Triangle Terror,” Mia must

dodge her own demons while unimaginable truths torment her—along

with a killer set on making her his next victim.

As Mia tries to determine if her dreams are clues or disturbing

phantasms, uninvited specters lead her further into danger’s path,

costing her the one person who can save her from herself. More than a

page-turning thriller, “A Secondhand Life” weaves a tale of

second chances and reclaimed dreams as this taut, refreshing story

ensnares and penetrates you.

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A Secondhand Lie:
A gripping short story thriller
(The Killer Thriller Series Book 0)

**”A Secondhand Lie” is the companion novella featuring characters

also found in the full-length standalone thriller, “A Secondhand

Life.”**

Sometimes you know things you’re not supposed to know. Things that you can

never un-know. Things that will change the course of your life…and

the fate of the ones you love.

I found her in our living room, bleeding and close to death, but alive.

Barely. Until morning stole her last breath. The media called her

killer the “Triangle Terror” … and then forgot about her. But I

never forgot—my murdered sister, and an investigation that led to

my own resurrection from the dead.

Twenty-two years ago, on a cold February night, Landon Worthington lost his

father for the last time. After an armed robbery gone wrong, evidence

and witness testimony pointed a shaky finger at Dan

Worthington—deadbeat dad and alcoholic husband. But before the dust

could settle over the conviction, Landon’s preteen sister, Alexis,

is murdered in their home, plunging Landon’s life into further

despair.

Two decades and a cold case later, Landon is dogged by guilt over their

estranged relationship and decides to confront his incarcerated

father-of-the-year about what really happened the night of the

robbery. But the years of lies are hard to unravel. And the biggest

question of all haunts him: How does everything tie into his sister’s

murder?

And so begins Landon’s journey to piece together the puzzle of secrets,

lies, and truths that can free his father, avenge his sister, and

perhaps save himself.

Pamela Crane is a professional juggler. Not the type of juggler who can toss

flaming torches in the air, but a juggler of four kids, a writing

addiction, a horse rescuer, and a book editor by trade. She lives on

the edge (ask her Arabian horse about that—he’ll tell you all

about their wild adventures while trying to train him!) and she

writes on the edge. Her characters and plots are her escape from the

real world of dirty diapers and cleaning horse stalls, and she

thrives off of an entertaining tale.

She is the author of the best-selling psychological thriller “The

Admirer’s Secret,” Amazon top 20 short story “A Fatal

Affair,” and her latest releases “A Secondhand Life”

and “A Secondhand Lie.”

To pick up a copy of a FREE book, or to find out more about her chaotic

existence, visit her website at www.pamelacrane.com.

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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

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