Posts Tagged ‘mystery’

Help me choose my first review for 2019!

Posted: December 27, 2018 in Dark Fantasy, horror, Mytery/Thriller, reviews
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I have so many reviews to share from some really great books. This year my first review was for Hell Divers by Nicholas Sansbury Smith and my last review for 2018 will be the latest in his series, Wolves.

Hell Divers (The Hell Divers Series Book 1) by [Smith, Nicholas Sansbury]  Hell Divers IV: Wolves (The Hell Divers Series Book 4) by [Smith, Nicholas Sansbury]

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I’m trying to decide which book to share as my first review in 2019. I’ve narrowed it down to five and would love for you to help me choose which one to do.

Here they are.

The Sorrows

by Jonathan Janz

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Synopsis

Ben Shadeland and Eddie Blaze are the hottest young music composers in Hollywood. Fresh off an Oscar nomination, they’ve just been chosen to score a big-budget horror movie by Lee Stanley, the most demanding director in film. But Ben, the creative half of the duo, hasn’t written a note since his wife divorced him and got custody of their three-year-old son.

Chris Blackwood is the gambling-addicted heir to the Blackwood fortune, which includes the Sorrows, an island off the coast of northern California. The island and its castle have been uninhabited since a series of gruesome, unexplained murders in 1925, but Chris needs money, and to get it he allows Ben, Eddie, Claire Harden (an aspiring composer), and Eva Rosales (Lee Stanley’s gorgeous assistant) to stay a month in Castle Blackwood.

Eddie is certain an eerie, isolated setting is just what Ben needs to find musical inspiration for a horror film. But what they find is more horrific than any movie.

Amazon

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Bane County

Forgotten Moon #1

by J.R. Rice

30521395

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Synopsis

The large river-island of Bane County has a troubled past; but some histories are eagerly forgotten, especially those written in blood.

Nestled into the foothills of the National Wildlife Refuge, the small rural town of Silver Canyon seems idyllic to most; but a long-slumbering evil is about to reawaken.

Seventeen-year-old Bryce McNeel is your average teenage boy, living on a cattle ranch with his grandparents. Well, average genius, but he prefers to keep that fact to himself, no one likes a know-it-all.

When Bryce learns of a series of grisly deaths and mutilations that occurred decades earlier, his curiosity gets the better of him. Together with his cousin Jackson, Bryce sets out to learn more about the macabre event; but as they delve deeper into the history and legends of Bane County, the two boys are horrified by what they find.

Unfortunately, history has a way of repeating itself.

As friends and neighbors begin to go missing, or worse, they find themselves embroiled in a battle for their young lives.

Amazon

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How To Save An Undead Life

by Hailey Edwards

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Synopsis

Grier Woolworth spends her nights weaving spooky tales of lost souls and tragedies for tourists on the streets of downtown Savannah. Hoop skirt and parasol aside, it’s not a bad gig. The pay is crap, but the tips keep the lights on in her personal haunted mansion and her pantry stocked with ramen.

Life is about as normal as it gets for an ex-necromancer hiding among humans. Until the society that excommunicated Grier offers her a second chance at being more than ordinary. Too bad no one warned her the trouble with being extraordinary is it can get you killed.

Warning: This book contains one ex-con/ex-heiress with a pet zombie parakeet who lives next door to her ex-army/ex-crush. Brace yourself, we’re talking more exes than a pirate treasure map here.

Amazon

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Devouring Dark

by Alan Baxter

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Synopsis

DEVOURING DARK is an urban horror novel about a man plagued since childhood by a malevolent darkness that threatens to consume him. After a lifetime spent wrestling for control over this onslaught, Matt McLeod has learned to wield his mysterious paranormal skill to achieve an odious goal: retribution as a supernatural vigilante.

When one such hit goes bad, McLeod finds himself ensnared in a multi-tentacled criminal enterprise caught between a corrupt cop and a brutal mobster. His only promise of salvation may be a bewitching woman who shares his dark talent but has murderous designs of her own.

The gritty thriller DEVOURING DARK is based on Baxter’s award-winning short story “Shadows of the Lonely Dead” and will be available worldwide on November 6, 2018.

Amazon

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The Current

by Tim Johnston

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Synopsis

A Stunning New Novel from the Bestselling Author of Descent

Tim Johnston, whose 2015 national bestseller Descent was called “astonishing” by the Washington Post and “unforgettable” by the Miami Herald, returns with another tour de force about the indelible impact of acrime on the lives of innocent people.

When two young women leave their college campus in the dead of winter for a 700-mile drive north to Minnesota, they suddenly find themselves fighting for their lives in the icy waters of the Black Root River, just miles from home. One girl’s survival, and the other’s death—murder, actually—stun the citizens of a small Minnesota town, thawing memories of another young woman who lost her life in the same river ten years earlier, and whose killer may yet live among them. One father is forced to relive his agony while another’s greatest desire—to bring a killer to justice—is revitalized . . . and the girl who survived the icy plunge cannot escape the sense that she is connected to that earlier unsolved case by more than a river. Soon enough she’s caught up in an investigation of her own that will unearth long-hidden secrets, and stoke the violence that has long simmered just below the surface of the town. Souls frozen in time, ghosts and demons, the accused and the guilty, all stir to life in this cold northern place where memories, like treachery, run just beneath the ice, and where a young woman can come home but still not be safe.

Brilliantly plotted, unrelentingly suspenseful, and beautifully realized, The Current is a gripping page-turner about how the past holds the key to the future as well as an unbreakable grip on the present.

Amazon

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All of these were great reads.

So, what do you think?

Which one do you think I should share for the start of a new year?

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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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Darkest Before The Dawn by Mike Martin ~ Spotlight and Giveaway

Posted: December 12, 2018 in giveaways, Mystery
Tags: ,
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Darkest Before The Dawn

A Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series

by Mike Martin

 

Darkest Before the Dawn (Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series)
Supernatural Suspense Mystery
7th in Series
Ottawa Press and Publishing (September 27, 2018)
Paperback: 266 pages
ISBN-10: 198843713X
ISBN-13: 978-1988437132
Digital ASIN: B07HRTTMLY

Darkest Before The Dawn is the latest adventure in the Sgt. Winston Windflower mystery series, the popular Maritime tales about a Mountie who finds himself with a new family and a new life in tiny Grand Bank, Newfoundland. Ghosts, mysterious deaths, and a new, perplexing character confront Windflower, Tizzard and the other police officers in Grand Bank as they unearth secrets that have been lying hidden in the sleepy hamlet for decades. A fast-moving mystery, Darkest Before The Dawn is also a story of love, loss and learning how to grow old gracefully; a tale of family, community and looking after each other, of not giving up hope, just before the dawn.

Author Mike Martin

Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a longtime freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the author of Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine.

The Walker on the Cape was his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. Other books in the series include The Body on the T, Beneath the Surface, A Twist of Fortune and A Long Ways from Home.

A Long Ways from Home was shortlisted for the 2017 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award as the best light mystery of the year. A Tangled Web is the newest book in the series.

Facebook / Twitter / Website

Purchase Link – Amazon

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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 go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Haunted and Hunted … Deadfall ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: December 11, 2018 in giveaways, Mytery/Thriller, YA
Tags: , , ,
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DEADFALL banner

 DEADFALL
by Stephen Wallenfels

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Deadfall cover

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Pub. Date: December 11, 2018
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 384
Find it: Goodreads / Amazon / B&N / TBD

Twin brothers Ty and Cory Bic are on the run. When they encounter a dying deer in the middle of a remote mountain road with fresh tire tracks swerving down into a ravine, they know they have to help. But when they reach the wrecked car the vehicle appears empty, with signs that the driver escaped.

Until they hear a sound coming from the trunk.

Ty and Cory are escaping demons of their own. But what they discover in the trunk puts them in the crosshairs of something darker and more sinister than their wildest nightmares.

Told through a gripping, lightning-fast narrative that alternates between present and past, this unputdownable survival thriller unravels the tangled circumstances that led Ty and Cory to the deer in the road and set them on a perilous course through the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.

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Check out this peek inside:

We run the final thirty feet. Inhale the stink of gas and oil and
burning rubber. Shattered bits of glass are everywhere. I shed my
pack while Ty checks out the driver’s door, which is crushed inward.
The window is gone. He crouches down, pokes his head inside. I
run to the rear passenger window, which is also gone, and shine my
headlamp inside, fully expecting to see multiple dead bodies. But
the backseat is empty. I don’t see anyone in the front passenger seat.
Ty says, “Nobody here. But there’s plenty of blood on the airbag and
the steering wheel. Oh, and there’s more on the roof. Shit. There’s a
lot on the roof.” Then, “Hey. Check it out.” Ty shines his headlamp
on the seat belt clip. A six-inch piece is hanging down, sliced at
an angle. He says, “Looks like the driver had to cut his way out.”
“Any sign of a passenger?”
“Don’t see any blood. And the airbag didn’t happen.”
I say, “The gas smell is pretty bad back here.” Then I step away
from the car and throw up.
Ty knows the drill. He waits till I stop heaving, says while I’m
wiping my face with my sleeve, “There’s a bloody handprint outside
the driver door. And a couple boot prints going that way.” He
points up the slope we just hiked down. “Looks to me like he didn’t
want to hang around here with all this gas leaking.”
“I know how he feels,” I say as my stomach finally settles and the
surrounding trees wind down to a slow spin.
He says, “So? What’re you thinking?”
“If he’s bleeding as much as you say, he could be hurt pretty bad.
Since we didn’t see him up at the road, or on the way down, it could
mean he collapsed somewhere between here and the road. With
this fog it would be easy to miss him.”
“Or her.”
“Right. Or her.”
“So? Can we go now, or do you need to search for the body?”
“Maybe we should yell first. Do you mind?”
“Go for it.”
I yell, “HEY! WE’RE HERE TO HELP! WHERE ARE
YOU?” We wait. Hear nothing. I yell again. Still nothing.
“Well?” Ty says.
Then I do hear something. But it’s not coming from the forest.
It’s close by. A muffled, metallic sound. I look at Ty. “Did you
hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“A sound. Kind of a clunky metal sound.”
“Nope. All I heard is you yelling.”
We wait a couple more seconds. The fog-drenched silence seeps
in from the trees, coils in our headlamps, crawls up and over the
big rock where the trunk of the car is resting. Whatever the sound
was, it’s gone.
“And the verdict is . . . ?”
I say, “Let’s spread out. Stay about twenty feet apart and hike
to the car. If we don’t find the driver, then we’re back to plan A.”
Ty smiles. “Okay. Let’s do it. But do it now. I don’t want to kill
the battery.”
I put on my pack. Ty finds another boot print. It’s about the same
size as his hiking boot, so I figure the driver is our size, six foot,
maybe a little more. Ty walks fifteen feet away, starts hiking up
the hillside. I walk fifteen feet in the opposite direction, then head
straight up, scanning the beam from my headlamp in 180-degree
arcs. I walk ten steps, when I hear the same sound again. But this
time there’s no question about the source.
I call out to Ty, “Wait! I heard something.”
He swings around.
I run to the car. Bang on the frame with my fist and yell while
scanning the interior, “Hey! Where are you?”
By this time Ty is back. He says, “Cory. The car’s empty. We
checked. There’s nothing—”
Then he hears it. A muffled thump, thump.
He looks at me, says, “Oh shit.”
The sound is coming from the trunk.

~~~~~

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About Stephen:

Stephen
Stephen Wallenfels lives in Washington state with his wife.  He wrote freelance for the Health and Fitness industry for fifteen years before turning writing novels.  His passions are family, hiking, cooking, reading, movies, climate change, and especially writing.

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Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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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 go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Clearcut by Jack Mahoney ~ Blitz and Giveaway

Posted: December 5, 2018 in giveaways, Mytery/Thriller
Tags: , ,
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Clearcut banner

Clearcut
Adrian Cervantes #1
by Jack Mahoney
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Clearcut cover
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Publication date: December 6th 2018
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
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Synopsis
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Adrian Cervantes’s Ranger squad was betrayed and ambushed in Iraq, sent to deliver an embezzled payoff to a man who didn’t exist. The lone survivor, Cervantes went AWOL, returning to the States to distribute his purloined cash to the families of his squad. But it’s not as simple as leaving a check in the mailbox. Every family he visits has their own troubles. Law enforcement hunts him at every turn. And Cervantes’s need to see justice done earns him plenty of enemies.

Cervantes’s first stop is the fading lumber town of Cullinan, WA. His plans to visit the Quinones family are complicated by the death of the father and the suspicions of the widow. Teaming up with a local lawyer, Cervantes uncovers enough questions to cast doubt that the father’s death was a drunken accident. But his investigation puts him in the sights of local bruisers, crooked cops, and the real power behind the lumber mill. In the end, Cervantes discovers a conspiracy that’s robbing Cullinan of its livelihood, and he puts it to rest the only way he knows how.

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Purchase: Amazon
Author Jack Mahoney
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Jack
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Jack Mahoney lives on the North Shore of Massachusetts. When he’s not practicing jiu-jitsu or catching up on crime thrillers, he’s putting in work on the next Adrian Cervantes novel.
Author links:  Website / Facebook
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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 go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

The Friday 56 #193 ~ Holly In Hiding

Posted: November 30, 2018 in Cozy Mystery, Holidays, Mystery, The Friday 56
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 a short stories series:

Holly In Hiding

The Twelve Mysteries Of Christmas #6

  by P. Creeden

40690166

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Genre: Cozy Mystery

From 56% in the eBook.

After getting only two or three hours of shallow sleep, Bethany paced around her living room. The police weren’t doing what they needed to do, and it was going to end badly if she didn’t do something. The fear of the close call had vanished entirely. Who would save Holly? Bethany lost her parents two years ago, and she wasn’t about to lose her sister too.

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Synopsis

Bethany has been acting as parental guardian for her younger sister ever since the death of their parents in a car accident. She tries hard to make Christmas a special as she can for her sister. But when her sister meets a man online who wants to meet her over the holiday, Bethany puts her foot down. Her sister shows her rebellious side and disappears. Now former police detective from Boulder is looking for the couple and suspects that the Christmas Killer from Boulder might have set his sights on their small town.

Amazon

THE 12 MYSTERIES OF CHRISTMAS series:

• IN THE NICK OF TIME by Susette Williams

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• GABRIEL’S SECRET by Alexa Verde

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• GUARDING CANDY KANE by V.B. Tenery

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• MURDER: UP ON THE ROOFTOP by Lilly York

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• JOY IN JEOPARDY by Lynette Sowell

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• HOLLY IN HIDING by P. Creeden

40664323

• STARR WITNESS by Susette Williams

40728598

• NOELLE ON THE RUN by Alexa Verde

40682694

• GOLDEN BELLES ARE WRINGING by Gina Conroy

40739207

• DEATH BY FIGGY PUDDING by P. Creeden

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• DANGER FOR GLORIA by Lynette Sowell

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• MERRY WITHOUT MALICE by P. Creeden

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Aren’t these covers so cute and festive. And the stories sound so fun.

Me wants all of them!

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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 go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Riddle me this …. Crimes Past by Lauren Carr ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: November 23, 2018 in giveaways, Mystery, reviews
Tags: , ,
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I’m so happy to be sharing another of Lauren Carr’s thrilling mysteries. This one has so much going on, from a sixteen year old murder to some current ones, it could all be connected.

Enjoy my review of Crimes Past.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

 Crimes Past by Lauren Carr
Series: A Mac Faraday Mystery (Volume 13)
Category: Adult fiction, 322 pages
Genre: Murder Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: October 16, 2018
Tour dates: Nov 12 to Dec 14, 2018
Content Rating: PG (mild violence and sexual suggestion)

My Review

So much happens in this book and I’m hard pressed to not spoil it for you when sharing my review.

Lauren gives you a mystery within a mystery, more suspects than you can shake a stick at, a cold case, and a cast of characters that will charm your pants off. Well, maybe not literally.

Mac Faraday feels guilty about not solving the murder of two police officers,, gunned down on their wedding day sixteen years ago. He made a promise to one of the murdered officer’s young daughter’s and he plans to keep it even now. So, when the daughter is set to be married, he offer’s up his five star resort for the ceremony and invites all of the people from that long ago wedding to attend. Surely he can find and nail down the killer.

Well, I sure didn’t see the killer coming. Lauren had me hopping from one likely suspect to the next. I’d feel like this one did it, then that one did it. When several more murders occurred, I gave up and let the author reveal things for me. I was having so much fun with other things and I just went with the flow.

As usual the characters are plenty and the author does this handy thing at the beginning of the book. She lists all of the main players and how they connect to each other, even the four legged ones. I do confess, I’m always excited when Mayor Gnarly shows up. Yes, he’s the mayor and a darn good one when he’s not stealing cell phones from purses or the food from your plate. He’s a hundred pound  German Shepherd, a hero and a lovable scamp. He stole my heart the first time I met him and still has it.

Being familiar with how Lauren springs surprises, I couldn’t wait to see what she offered up this time. There’s some doozies. She managed to make me feel giddy as each one was revealed. If I wasn’t holding the book to read it, I’d be clapping my hands.

Another fun, exciting mystery from Lauren that will have you using your brain pan. If you’ve read her books before, you’ll have fun settling in with these characters again. If you haven’t, jump in and meet them. You’ll be comfortable soon enough.

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Synopsis

It’s a bittersweet reunion for Mac Faraday when members of his former homicide squad arrive at the Spencer Inn. While it is sweet to attend the wedding of a former colleague’s daughter, it is a bitter reminder that the mother of the bride had been the victim of a double homicide on her own wedding night.

The brutal slaying weighing heavy on his mind, Mac is anxious to explore every possibility for a break in the cold case—even a suggestion from disgraced former detective Louis Gannon that one of their former friends was the killer.
​
When the investigator is brutally slain, Mac Faraday rips open the cold case with a ruthless determination to reveal which of his friends was a cold-blooded murderer.

 

Buy Crimes Past:
​
Watch the trailer:
 
 
Praise for Lauren Carr’s books:
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“Lauren Carr is a master storyteller who combines the humor of Janet Evanovich and the investigative skills of Patricia Cornwell. She is always at the top of my reading list.”
– Sherry Fundin, Fundinmental

“Lauren Carr could give Agatha Christie a run for her money!”
– Charlene Mabie-Gamble, Literary R&R

“Lauren Carr’s books are never boring, that’s for sure. They entertain, give us a good mystery to dig into, keep the reader guessing, give us a few good laughs and make us eager for the next book. Warning: Lauren Carr’s series are addictive, so be ready to read more than just one book!”
– Laura Fabiani, Library of Clean Reads

“She is an amazing author that draws you into the story, makes you fall in love with the characters (they feel like family!) and keeps you guessing right to the very end.”
– Working Mommy Journal

“Lauren Carr does a good job of moving the quirky storyline along nicely with an abundance of witty dialogue. And you have no idea who the good guys are and who the bad guys are until the end.”
– Every Free Chance Book Reviews

To read reviews, please visit Lauren Carr’s page on iRead Book Tours.

Meet the Author:
 
 

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Now, Lauren has added one more hit series to her list with the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. Set in the quaint West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry, Ice introduces Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent, who joins forces with other law enforcement retirees to heat up those cold cases that keep them up at night.

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

​Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

​Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

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Enter the Giveaway!
Ends Dec 22, 2018
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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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Spring Thaw by Lauren Carr ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: November 22, 2018 in giveaways, Mystery, Novella, reviews
Tags: , ,
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I’ve been reading Lauren’s books for a while now. Each series has genuine, fun characters that have charmed me from one book to the next. I’m thrilled to be able to share some short stories from her collection, Spring Thaw.

Enjoy my review.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Spring Thaw

by Lauren Carr

Category: Adult fiction, 237 pages
Genre: Murder Mystery, Short Stories
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: August 12, 2018
Tour dates: Nov 12 to Dec 14, 2018
Content Rating: PG (mild violence and sexual suggestion)

My Review

When I like a series, and Lauren has several that I’ve been enjoying, I also like to grab any side or short stories collections that go along with them. Spring Thaw dips into a couple of her series. Each one has a lot of characters and the author provides a list at the beginning of the books explaining who’s who . By the end of the first book in each series these characters were so memorable I no longer had to refer to her list to know who was who. So when I started reading each of these stories, the characters were familiar and I just dove in to see what was going to happen.

I quickly engaged with the character’s, human and critters. And the mystery was established without fanfare so the author get right to the meat of it. I enjoyed the dialogue, either cracking a grin or laughing while following along. And the critters are a huge bonus. They’re all shapes and sizes and have unique personalities. It’s common for them to steal the limelight.

I was hoping for and got an appearance from Mayor Gnarly, a mischief making German Shepherd that stole my heart the moment I met him. Yes, you read this right, he was actually elected Mayor. Lauren describes him so clearly it’s like I’m watching his scenes, not reading them. When he’s kidnapped by two bungling thieves, he actually made me snort and think, oh no, you didn’t. LOL

If you’ve read Lauren’s books, you’ll enjoy these fun nibbles. If you haven’t, you can easily read this collection and meet some of the stars. There’s plenty of humor, snark and twists to keep you entertained.

symbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,sign

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Synopsis

In today’s hectic world, many whodunit fans don’t have time to get their mystery fix diving into a whole novel. Lauren Carr’s SPRING THAW AND OTHER MYSTERY SHORT STORIES is for these fans—but that doesn’t mean whodunit fans who do have time can’t dive in as well.

A novella, Spring Thaw features retired federal agent Chris Matheson from Lauren Carr’s newest bestselling cold case series. When his late father’s former friend is indicted for the seven year old murder of a church bishop, Chris renews old broken friendships to thaw out the cold case.

Featuring Mac Faraday from Lauren Carr’s popular Mac Faraday Mysteries, an estate auction turns into a deadly affair after Gnarly’s antics cause Mac to purchase a gem of a dress, which isn’t his color in Killing Bid. (Previously published in Lauren Carr’s BEAUTY TO DIE FOR.)

Beauty to Die For features the Lovers in Crime, Joshua Thornton and Cameron Gates in a race against the Angel of Death to clear the name of a dying woman’s son, who was framed for murdering Miss Pennsylvania. (Previously published in BEAUTY TO DIE FOR.)

Countdown to Murder returns to the Lovers in Crime where Cameron and Joshua try to solve the murder of a young pregnant widow before it happens. (Previously published in BEAUTY TO DIE FOR.)

Mystery fans will see that every dog has his day, especially if that dog is Gnarly. In Lucky Dog, Gnarly helps Mac Faraday to solve the murder of a wealthy society girl. (Previously published in BEAUTY TO DIE FOR.)

Dog Loving Mystery Fans will get a special treat when they read The Gnarly Rehabilitation Program. In this Gnarly Mystery Short, Bert and Ernie learn the hard way that crime does not pay when they dog nap Gnarly. (Previously published as a bonus feature with A WEDDING AND A KILLING.)

Gnarly, the rambunctious German shepherd, is also featured in Lauren Carr’s Christmas short, A Gnarly Christmas. It is Christmas day and Gnarly has been up to his old tricks again. Now he’s in the dog house–or rather the boathouse–after stealing the Christmas feast! Moments after Archie and Mac leave Spencer Manor, Gnarly hears a call for help from Rocky, the Maltese down the street. Four assassins for hire have invaded the home of Rocky’s elderly owners. While the home invaders wait for instructions from a mysterious caller, Gnarly must plot to stop them. Can Gnarly save Christmas with only the help of an 8-pound Maltese dressed in an elf suit? (Previously published as a single short story by the same name.)

 
Buy Spring Thaw:
Praise for Lauren Carr’s books:
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“Lauren Carr is a master storyteller who combines the humor of Janet Evanovich and the investigative skills of Patricia Cornwell. She is always at the top of my reading list.”
– Sherry Fundin, Fundinmental

“Lauren Carr could give Agatha Christie a run for her money!”
– Charlene Mabie-Gamble, Literary R&R

“Lauren Carr’s books are never boring, that’s for sure. They entertain, give us a good mystery to dig into, keep the reader guessing, give us a few good laughs and make us eager for the next book. Warning: Lauren Carr’s series are addictive, so be ready to read more than just one book!”
– Laura Fabiani, Library of Clean Reads

“She is an amazing author that draws you into the story, makes you fall in love with the characters (they feel like family!) and keeps you guessing right to the very end.”
– Working Mommy Journal

“Lauren Carr does a good job of moving the quirky storyline along nicely with an abundance of witty dialogue. And you have no idea who the good guys are and who the bad guys are until the end.”
– Every Free Chance Book Reviews

To read reviews, please visit Lauren Carr’s page on iRead Book Tours.

Meet the Author:
 
 

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Now, Lauren has added one more hit series to her list with the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. Set in the quaint West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry, Ice introduces Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent, who joins forces with other law enforcement retirees to heat up those cold cases that keep them up at night.

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

​Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

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Enter the Giveaway!
Ends Dec 22, 2018
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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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Violin Words by Taylor Dean ~ A Holiday Romance Giveaway

Posted: November 21, 2018 in giveaways, Mystery, Romance
Tags: , ,
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With Christmas approaching fast, I have just the book to get you in the holiday spirit! Taylor Dean’s new release, Violin Words, is a sweet romance with some mystery and suspense thrown in to spice things up.

Violin Words

by Taylor Dean

WHO IS THE AUTHOR?

When Jade Lockwood begins to receive anonymous love letters, she becomes a woman on a mission. She’s determined to figure out who wrote the flowery, over-the-top letters filled with the sweetest violin words she’s ever heard.

She’s neglected her love life, concentrating on Lockwood Cabins, the business her father built from the ground up. But her sweet letters have awakened something inside of her, something that can’t be ignored.

Facing Christmas alone this year, her emotions are already fragile. Add in a mysterious burglary, a handsome stranger, and a little deceit, and it just might be the most eventful Christmas she’s ever endured.

Will Jade find her happy ending? Or will her love letters prove to be nothing more than a sinister ploy?

Find out in this charming Christmas novel.

 

Get your copy on Amazon

Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Praise:

Don’t miss this fun, perfect holiday read by a master storyteller!
-Mylissa Demeyere, Author of The Songs of You and Me and The Songs that Brought Me Back

A sweet, heartwarming romance with a twist of mystery and suspense, all wrapped up in Christmas magic that makes this one hard to put down.
-Charissa Stastny, Author of The Ruled Out Romance Series

 

Enjoy this peek inside:

You are in my heart, Jade, and you always will be. You’ve had a profound effect upon my life. Just the knowledge of your existence renews my faith in the human experience.

There is joy in this world.

And you are it.

 

ME

SIGNED ME. THAT’S it. Just Me.

I have no idea who Me is. Wondering about The Author of my flowery, over-the-top letter consumes my thoughts. I can hardly think of anything else.

As I sit at my desk—reading the letter when I should be tackling mounds of paperwork—I can’t help but sigh. The letter fills me with a warm sensation, a feeling as though my heart is about to explode. I’m addicted to reading it. Over and over again.

 

And another peek:

I have no clue whatsoever as to The Author of the one and only love letter I’ve ever received. I’ve neglected my love life, giving all of my attention to Lockwood Cabins. Now I realize what a mistake that has been. When I read the letter, I’m filled with sensations I didn’t know existed.

It’s as if I can physically feel the depth behind his words. I’m taken away to another world and I just want to float away, wrapped in his love.

The Author’s words are flowery and eloquent, stirring and moving. They’re as lyrical and achingly sweet as a few strokes from a violin.

Violin words.

Yes.

My letter is filled with violin words. All meant for me. And I love them.

A few simple chords from a violin inspires soul soaring emotion within me and leaves me breathless. Somehow the sound speaks to me and I have to close my eyes and thank God that I’m alive, if only to hear such a precious sound.

But when I read my love letter, my reaction is the same. Words alone have never had this effect on me. Plain and simple words—twenty-six letters all strung together in thousands of combinations—and together they form the most beautiful thoughts. I hold the letter to my chest and absorb the love.

It’s the sweetest torture, the most exquisite agony. I welcome it. To feel is to live, I know that now.

Wow. Just wow. Are those violin words really directed toward me? I always figured I’d meet someone and get married one day. But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a man would speak to me like that. It sends a thrill through my body. Every time.

 

Author Taylor Dean

Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of clean romance in her line-up.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Newsletter

 

Blast Giveaway Details

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/12/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

A Haunted Bluffs Mystery ~ House Of Ashes ~ Spotlight and Giveaway

Posted: November 16, 2018 in giveaways, Mystery
Tags: ,
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House of Ashes banner

Welcome to my stop on the Book Blast for House Of Ashes by Loretta Marion.

Fans of romantic suspense will want to check this out.

And there’s an awesome giveaway so don’t forget to enter.

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House Of Ashes

by Loretta Marion

House of Ashes cover

Synopsis

Thirty-seven-year-old painter Cassandra Mitchell is fourth-generation to live in the majestic Battersea Bluffs, a brooding Queen Anne home originally built by her great-grandparents, Percy and Celeste Mitchell, and still standing despite tragedies that have swept the generations. Local lore has it that there was a curse placed on the family and the house is haunted, though opinions are divided on whether it’s by malicious or benevolent spirits. Cassie believes the latter―but now she stands to lose her beloved home to mounting debt and the machinations of her dream-weaving ex-husband.

Salvation seems to arrive when a nomadic young couple wanders onto the property with the promise of companionship and much-needed help―until they vanish without a trace, leaving behind no clue to their identities. Cassie is devastated, but determined to discover what’s happened to the young couple…even as digging into their disappearance starts to uncover family secrets of her own. Despite warnings from her childhood friend, now the local Chief of Police―as well as an FBI agent who pushes the boundaries of professionalism―Cassie can’t help following the trail of clues (and eerie signals from the old house itself) to unravel the mystery. But can she do so before her family’s dark curse destroys everything in its path?

Check out this Excerpt:

Eighty years ago ~ Whale Rock, Massachusetts ~ Cape Cod Bay

Friday, December 13th

The fire bell was ringing, and someone yelled in through the tavern door, “There’s a fire up on the north end! Battersea Bluffs. We need all the hands we can get!”

“No, it can’t be,” Percy whispered. The Bluffs was his home. He leapt from the barstool and ran for the street, bumping into a stranger as he passed through the tavern door. The man’s eyes were ominously familiar to him, but with more pressing concerns, there was no time to bring to memory why. He had to get home to Celeste.

It sickened him to see the flames as his Ford pickup rounded the top of Lavender Hill. How hard he and Celeste had worked to build this house, a grand Victorian with a widow’s walk and a proud front porch facing out to sea. Fire trucks were already there, and men he’d known these many years were working hard to contain the blaze.

As he ran toward the house, it came to him who the stranger in the tavern had been, and later one of the firefighters would recount that Percy had screamed: “Damn that lighterman’s curse. Damn you to hell, Robert Toomey!” Nobody was quick enough to keep Percy Mitchell from entering the inferno. Moments later he emerged, his clothing and hair afire, carrying a charred human form. Any man would have been delirious from the pain, but as the firefighters looked on in shocked disbelief, Percy walked with a purposeful bearing and a swift gait toward the bluffs. A few men chased after their friend, but before anyone could stop him, Percy reached the ledge and cried out, “I am not finished!”

And then, with his already dead wife in his arms, he hurled them both into Cape Cod Bay.

About the Author:

A true bibliophile, Loretta Marion’s affection for the written word began in childhood and followed her like a shadow throughout her life as she crafted award winning marketing and advertising copy and educational brochures. She then applied her writing skills as a volunteer, establishing a Legacy Story program for hospice patients, which inspired her to create her own fictional stories. Her debut novel, The Fool’s Truth, was a twisty mystery with whispers of romance. Her newest novel, HOUSE OF ASHES – A Haunted Bluffs Mystery, is the first in a series published by Crooked Lane Books.

When not whipping out words on her laptop, she is traveling, enjoying outdoor pursuits, or is curled up with a delicious new book. Loretta lives in Rhode Island with her husband, Geoffrey, and their beloved Mr. Peabody, a sweet, devoted and amusing “Corgador”.

Website / Facebook

Amazon / B&N / Books-A-Million / Indiebound

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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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Teaser Tuesday #248 ~ The Box Of Bones

Posted: November 13, 2018 in Mytery/Thriller, Paranormal or fantasy, Teaser Tuesdays
Tags: , , ,
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Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by Ambrosia  @ The Purple Booker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
•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

The Box Of Bones

Skye Cree #3

by Vickie McKeehan

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Genre: Mystery/Thriller/ Paranormal

  Teaser from 24% in the eBook.

“Sometimes with no crime scenes it all comes down to this. Law enforcement has to rely on the unconventional. And these two are about as unconventional as you could get.”

Skye and Josh are sharing their ideas about the killer. This scene reminded of the part in the television show Criminal Minds where they talk out their profile.

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Synopsis

As a brutal killer descends into madness, can Skye end his reign of terror before it’s too late?

A motivated killer with the charm and good looks of Bundy and the cruelty of Dahmer works his craft with cunning skill. When he decides he’s fed up with going unnoticed, he reaches out to Skye in a big way. As more and more people around her begin to turn up missing or dead, she realizes there’s a link–and it’s her. Unless she finds a way to stop him, he’ll continue checking off his list with precision and deadly consequences.

Amazon / B&N

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The above cover is the Goodreads cover I own.

Here’s the Amazon cover.

The Box of Bones (Skye Cree, Book 3) by [McKeehan, Vickie]

Which do you like more?

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

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