Posts Tagged ‘mystery’

Kiss Kill Love Him Still ~ Who killed Jason Landis? The killer is revealed!

Posted: November 21, 2015 in Contemporary Romance, Mystery, YA
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Kiss Kill Love Him Still
by Jamie Blair & Dawn Rae Miller
Release Date: November 10th 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
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Synopsis:
Jackson Landis kept secrets. It’s how he got girls into bed, the grades he wanted, and a reputation for being the life of the party.
But now he’s dead, and no one knows how or why. Especially not the four girls whose secrets he protected. Secrets so scandalous they could cause each girl to lose something valuable. Secrets so dark, someone may have killed for them.
The four girls – a campus drug dealer, an overweight bookworm, a closeted lesbian, and a spoiled princess have one thing in common – they’re terrified the things Jackson knew may not have died with him. As Reggie, Haddie, Val, and Livie try to piece together her own role in Jackson’s death, each girl realizes Jackson had some not-so-pretty skeletons of his own.

Which makes a girl wonder, who really wanted Jackson Landis dead?

Readers have decided that Livie killed Jason Landis and that’s why we’re sharing an exclusive excerpt today with you!
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KISS KILL LOVE HIM STILL
 
Haddie pauses at the door before holding it open for me. “After you.”
Shouting erupts from across the parking lot. Four-letter expletives fill the air. The guy, the one whose car I stole, is walking toward me in handcuffs and a police escort.
They work quickly around here.
“You little bitch,” he snarls as he passes me. “What did you tell them? What?”
I grin and toss my head back, letting a laugh tumble out of me. “Have fun in there,” I say. “It’s a swell place.”
Haddie places her hand on my arm. “Really, Livie. Do you need to take it to that level?”
“What level?” I say, batting my eyelashes. “He tried to make me a felon. Only fair he gets a little of the action himself.”
Haddie bites her lip and leads me over to a Toyota Camry. I would have pegged her more as a VW Bug kind of chick, being round and oh-so-jolly like her, but I guess plain and boring is about the same thing.
A flash of cherry red catches my eye, and I spy the BMW convertible in the impound lot. Too bad it’s locked up. Driving it was a million orgasms worth of fun. I shut my eyes and remember Jax standing up in the passenger seat, his hair blowing in the wind, as I sped down the freeway.
Oh, Jax. Why, why, why did you have to die?
“Where would you like to go?” Haddie says with the most Goddamn sincere voice I’ve ever heard. It’s like she has a zillion girl scouts living in her pudgy body.
“Jax’s. I need to pick up some things.” Like all of my Louis Vuitton bags, my Hermes scarves, and of course, my Chanel everything.
She sits in the driver seat and tilts her head. “And that would be where?”
“39 Cherrywood Drive.”
Haddie slowly backs out of the parking space, and the car crawls toward the exit. “Can’t you make this thing go any faster?”
“Like the BMW you stole?”
How did she know that? “I didn’t steal it. That guy gave it to me in exchange for…favors.”
“So you’re claiming prostitution?” Haddie says with a smirk. “Nicely done.”
“That man knows what he did. He knows I didn’t steal the car.” I force my jaw together to keep any more information from spilling out.
“Really? Then why did they impound it?”
I shrug. “Don’t know.”
“It is interesting that they’d impound your car when you’re claiming prostitution.” We’re at a stoplight, and she turns her head to look at me. “But it must not be too bad if they let you off without bail.”
That surprised me too. Ruiz had mentioned bail, but they let me walk out on my own accord. I keep my mouth sewn shut.
Haddie must notice how hard I’m trying to keep it together because she laughs. “Not everyone is buying the prostitution story, Livie.” She signals and turns the corner. Jesus, can’t she go faster? “I know you stole that car, and I’m pretty sure Regina Walker knows too.”
Cool sweat pricks at the back of my neck. Who was this girl? And how does she know so much about me?

 

 

 

Follow the Kiss Kill Love Him Still by Jamie Blair & Dawn Rae Miller Scavenger Hunt Blog Tour and don’t miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.
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Young adult author of the Kirkus-starred novel Leap Of Faith (Simon & Schuster 2013), and Lost To Me (2014), featured in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling anthology, Dirty Boys of Summer. Represented by Rebecca Friedman of RF Literary.

 

Dawn is a Twitter and fashion addict whose favorite things in life are her family, gorgeous dresses, tea leaf salad, and French macarons. She splits her time between San Francisco and Northern Virginia, and is always up for a trip to Paris.

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Until I see you again….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

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Is it real or was she dreaming? Falling Awake ~ Book Blast and Giveaway

Posted: October 27, 2015 in Book Blast, giveaways, Mytery/Thriller
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FALLING AWAKE:

Magic or madness? Can your dreams really take over your life?

Falling Awake is the story of a book and the power of imagination to turn two lives upside down.

 

When Mary Parker finds an unusual book everything in her life changes. As she reads, she dreams, and the quiet, repressed woman is transformed.

She gives the book and the phenomenon a name, ‘falling awake’. The existence of the book seems to make others act out of character too. Joe’s usually dour father gambles with the factory where Mary works, and Joe, the romantic daydreamer, engages in a sexual eternal triangle to keep the dull routine of the accounts department at bay. The dominant partner in the triangle is Clem; dark and dangerous.

Extricating himself from Clem, Joe meets Mary. They fall in love and marry in haste when Mary falls pregnant, but this is no happy ever after tale. Their joy turns to misery when Mary miscarries and she turns inward to her darkening ‘falling awake’ world. Then Joe’s father dies, and he has to fight for control of the factory. He falls into Clem’s clutches again, and to make things worse, he believes Mary is going mad, and the people and places she remembers all just dreams dreamt inside her insanity. But then how can Joe remember them too?

Magic or madness?For Mary and Joe, the impossible – or the deadly – might only be a breath away.

Falling Awake is a brain teaser, an atmospheric mystery, an exposition of madness; an examination of the impossible, a fantasy, a ghost story, a psychological thriller, a love story, and a story of intrigue and sudden death. It will keep you awake at night, wondering, and pausing during the day, questioning …

One editor has already described it as:

 

“In the best traditions of Audrey Niffenegger and Carlos Ruiz Zafón…”

And others comment:

“…one of the most original, quirky manuscripts I’ve read for a long time…”

“…I especially like the fairy-tale and myth undertones that creep in from time to time throughout the novel: Sleeping Beauty clutching her book with echoes of Snow White in her glass coffin, the transformative red mac with its Red Riding Hood connotations, Mary’s Cinderella transformation from emotionally abused child to confident woman, the mermaid dress, Mariam’s Scheherazade dance, and especially the gambler as Rumpelstiltskin…”

“…a light, authoritative touch with both …story and characters.”

Amazon

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Debrah Martin is a British author writing under three different pen names and in three very different genres. She plots fast-paced thrillers as D.B. Martin, with the first in the Patchwork trilogy, Patchwork Man, having been recently awarded a coveted B.R.A.G. Medallion. Her YA teen detective series is penned as Lily Stuart – THE teen detective; irreverent, blunt, funny and vulnerable. Webs and Magpies are the first two books in the series. And as Debrah Martin she writes literary fiction. Her first literary fiction, Chained Melodies, a startling transgender story to rival The Danish Girl, and described pre-release as “…a beautiful book about love, acceptance and self-discovery…” was also released earlier this month.

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Net Galley reviewers can access an ARC of Falling Awake there from 27th October, and all reviewers can obtain a copy and more information about Debrah’s other works by contacting her at the email address below.

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For the first thirty reviewers to post a review of Falling Awake on Amazon, if you email Debrah with a link to the review, she’ll send you a bumper bundle (digital) of her other adult fiction books, including the award-winning Patchwork People series. Reviewers are also invited to contact Debrah for review copies of any of her books.

Debrah Martin can be emailed on info@debrahmartin.co.uk

Her website is www.debrahmartin.co.uk

And she is on:

Twitter: @StorytellerDeb

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeborahMartin.Author?ref=hl

Pinterest: http://uk.pinterest.com/Debrah_Martin/

And Sign up to Debrah’s mailing list for news and special offers: http://eepurl.com/3-965

 

Book trailer:

Read an excerpt from Falling Awake –

 
‘What is life? An illusion, a shadow, a story.’


Pedro Calderon de la Barca

 

Prologue

No-one could sleep forever.

But apparently she could. It was the unusual challenge to the premise that had brought him here against the inclination to evade responsibility and slip home to his own dreams. She’d slept continuously for days now, without the need for water or sustenance; her only requirement, seemingly, a book. He peered curiously through the viewing panel as the attendant hovered behind him.

‘That’s her,’ the attendant announced as if pulling a rabbit from a hat. ‘Mary Parker.’

‘She’s very pretty,’ the tall young man declared, deep blue eyes narrowing to slits as he studied her. The woman’s long red hair cascaded over the side of the bed like blood streaming to the floor, her face a marble effigy of life. She reminded him of Millais’ Ophelia as she floated downstream on her layette of wild flowers – except this frozen beauty was merely asleep, not dead. He wondered what she was dreaming about. She seemed very familiar in a strange half-forgotten way.

‘Yeah, she is – and quiet now, but she weren’t once. Blimey – you should have seen her then, screaming and hollering. Wasn’t until we found that old book and gave it back to her that she shut up.’ The attendant picked at his nails and watched the tall young man lean in closer still. The corner of a book poked out from under the tightly clasped hands. ‘Then she just slept,’ the attendant added, shrugging his shoulders.

‘What’s its significance?’ the young man asked. He could just make out a title scrawled longhand across its spine. He wondered if the woman had written it on herself. He could only decipher the first word – ‘Falling’.

‘Not a clue, Mister; it’s just an empty book.’ The attendant shifted impatiently, as if tired of waiting, then asked, ‘How’d you know her again?’ He flipped the visitors’ page back to read the tall young man’s entry.

22nd Sept ’92: Time in – 5.45pm. John Hathorne, Director: Geo. Tooley & Sons.

‘I don’t really. She worked at the factory, that’s all. We have to be seen as caring employers so I’m here to check on her before we sign her off the books.’ He paused. Now he came to think of it he might have met her once. There had been a girl with bright red hair like hers the day he’d been shown round the factory. He’d been surprised by her scarlet mac because of the colour clash. He dragged himself from his reverie.

‘You said she had no family?’

‘Nope, apparently the mother died a while back and the neighbours say she’s been a bit odd ever since. Before they brought her in here she was wandering the graveyard down the road babbling about how she couldn’t find herself any more. Shame – when you got no-one.’

‘How do you think she can do it?’

‘What?’

‘Not eat or drink for so long – just sleep.’

‘Beats me. Maybe she’s not really there and we’re just imagining her.’ The young man stared at him. The attendant laughed. ‘Only joking. You done then?’ The attendant looked expectantly at him, and the young man found himself involuntarily offering his business card before collecting his briefcase and coat.

‘I suppose I could see if I can do something to help her if she comes back to the land of the living.’

The attendant turned the card over and read aloud, ‘Bespoke leisure wear and stage costumiers; themed event supplies a speciality.’ He studied the tall young man. ‘Versions of reality, huh? You’ll be getting a lot of custom soon, then.’ He sniggered. Outside the midweek rush hour traffic distantly hooted on its way home. The light had dimmed to the half-dusk of early autumn, but fallen leaves and skeletal trees said winter was already in the air.

The tall young man had spotted the now redundant leather straps on the side of the bed when he’d been trying to decipher the title of the book. The reddening round her wrists indicated where no doubt they’d been clasped until recently. ‘Halloween does tend to be a busy time,’ he agreed, suddenly uneasy. The place was oppressive and the sight of the comatose and confined woman depressed him. ‘Such a waste. Will she ever recover, do you think?’

‘Don’t know, mister. Not sure if she’s actually ill. Probably just the stresses of life – grief and disappointment. They do strange things to us, don’t they? Perhaps if she had someone to look after her, she’d get well again, but then who knows when anyone recovers from life.’ He laughed mirthlessly. ‘Maybe it’s better to just dream?’ The tall young man considered the idea for a while.

‘No, reality is always better, no matter how hard.’

He went back to the viewing window and studied the young woman for a few minutes more before gathering up the Essex County Gazette he’d brought with him and stuffing it under the arm carrying the briefcase. The pages creased and he made to flatten them, but stopped abruptly and tossed the paper back on the table the attendant had been sitting at when he’d arrived. He peered at his hand as if there was something wrong with it before shaking his head. The attendant cleared his throat meaningfully and opened the unit’s outer door.

‘I hope her dreams are sweet,’ the young man added sadly as the attendant ushered him out. The attendant flicked the light off and the room behind them sank back into shadow.

Neither saw the frozen figure thaw, stir, and open her eyes – deep green pools of luminescence. They fixed on the door and she listened intently to the low rumble of the tall young man’s voice as he made his goodbyes. The marble features creased to a frown and the slack body tensed. The book still clutched in her hand shivered.

‘No!’ she murmured. ‘No, no, no!’

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Two (2) print copies of Falling Awake by Debrah Martin (INT)
Ends November 19th
Prizing is provided by the author, hosts are not responsible.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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It was supposed to be a relaxing getaway ~ The Cypress Trap by JC Gatlin ~ Tour Review and Giveaway

Posted: October 16, 2015 in Blog Tour, giveaways, Mystery, reviews, suspense
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Welcome to my tour stop for The Cypress Trap by J.C. Gatlin. This is an adult suspense/thriller novel. The tour runs October 12-23 with reviews, interviews, guest posts and excerpts. Check out the tour page for the full schedule.
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The Cypress Trap

by JC Gatlin

Cypress Trap Book Cover

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My Review

Hang on to your boot straps! This is one intense, suspense filled read.

Rayanne knows her marriage is in trouble, so she talks her husband, Owens, into changing his plans and going fishing with her. They need to work on things.

She’s none too happy when Owens fishing buddy Daryl shows up, but sucks it up and goes along with them. What first appears to be some punk kids messing with them on the lake quickly turns into a fight for their lives.

From the water, to the woods, to an old cabin, they are relentlessly pursued by maniacal teens and a ferocious Rottweiler.

It makes you think twice about going off road. You go on a trip into the wilderness, or even just a bit away from the populace, never thinking anything bad will happen. Is that ignorance? Or is it denial? Bad things happen all the time. People disappear and are never found.

What do the teens want? How did it get so out of control?

I can’t wait for you to read this book and find out.  It’s something so inconsequential.

And the relentless suspense will keep you reading to the end.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

When Rayanne commandeers her husband’s weekend fishing trip, she knows it’ll take work to adjust Owen’s attitude. She has no choice. Since the tragedy, they lost so much. They need to reconnect.

Without her knowledge, Owen texts his best buddy, Daryl, to join the getaway. The three of them aren’t alone in the backwoods of Georgia, though. Owen took something that didn’t belong to him. Something that changed their lives. And now the owner wants it back. By any means — including a posse led by a killer dog.

At first, Rayanne is clueless about the item and its value. One thing becomes crystal clear: If it’s not returned, they might not make it home alive.

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JC Gatlin

 

About the Author:
JC Gatlin lives in Tampa, Florida. In addition to regular fishing trips, he wrote a monthly column for New Tampa Style Magazine, then began penning several mystery/suspense stories. He also maintains a blog about the art of spinning a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat mystery yarn.

Coming from a large family with five brothers, JC grew up in Grapevine — a small Texas town just outside of Dallas. He moved to Tampa in 1999, and most of his stories feature the rich landscapes of Texas and Florida as backdrop.

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$10 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
Ends Oct. 28th
Prizing is provided by CBB Book Promotions, hosts are not responsible for prizing.
Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

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Follow the tour for more fun stops.

10/12

Excerpt – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!

Excerpt – Born Bookish

10/13

Excerpt – WS Momma Readers Nook

10/14

Guest Post – CBY Book Club

Review – The Desert Bibliophile

10/15

Excerpt – Crystal’s Chaotic Confessions

Guest Post – Bookhounds

10/16

Excerpt – Turbulence In The Eye Of The Storm

Review – fuonlyknew

10/19

Review & Guest Post – fundinmental

Review – Candace’s Book Blog

10/20

Review – Cassandra’s Reviews

10/21

Excerpt – Alpha Book Club

10/22

Guest Post – Curling Up With A Good Book

10/23

Review – Maureen’s Books

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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Your Next Choice For Saturday Screams ~ The After House

Posted: October 3, 2015 in Mystery, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews
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Welcome to my Saturday Screams!

With Halloween fast approaching, I’ve amassed a bunch of creepy stories to share with you.

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Recently I showcased several books I won from Michael Phillip Cash and I asked you to help me choose which order I should review them in.

The Flip was the top choice and you can read my review HERE.

Next up is The After House.

Come on in and get your scare on!

The After House

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My Review

This was an entertaining haunting.

Remy rents a cottage for her and her young daughter, despite the protests of her parents. She needs her independence since her divorce.

It’s not long before eerie things start to happen in the house. Her daughter, Olivia, sees a ghost. Remy hears things and sees things out of the corner of her eye. And someone is stalking her.

Trying to run her business and raise her daughter, Remy has precious little time for romance. Her parents say that’s nonsense. There’s always time for love. And her mother arranges a meeting with the town mayor.

Hugh and Remy hit it off immediately. It’s like they’ve known each other forever. Someone or something doesn’t like this one bit.

Her house is ransacked, someone tries to burn down her business, and she sees something in the bushes by her house. And her ex-husband is a pain in the behind.

Will she have a happy ever after or will something put an end to her dreams, or her?

This was a lot of fun. I liked Remy and her need for independence. Her daughter, Olivia, is a precocious, charming young girl. And Hugh is sexy and smart, yet gentle and nurturing.

The ghost is another matter. He’s a mess and ornery as a snake. There’s something keeping him here, and as I read more, I began to cheer him on, hoping he’d find what he forgot.

There’s more than one mysterious otherworldly being in this story two. There are two onlookers that have their own agenda. They seem to have been involved with the characters in another book by this author, The Flip. I like that connection.

There’s also a fascinating prologue. You learn a lot about the whaling era. And you will understand the meaning behind the title. I enjoy learning some new trivia from stories. Then the story begins in the present and the connections are made later.

I enjoyed meeting these characters. Liked the mystery. Enjoyed the multiple character’s stories. And had a good feeling when I finished this book.

Not to scary. Just right.

4 Stars

Synopsis

Remy Galway and her daughter Olivia are rebuilding their life after a failed marriage in a 300 year old cottage in historic Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. Little do they know, another occupant is lurking in the haven of their own home. Will the After House be their shelter or their tomb?

Trailer

 

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Stop back by next Saturday for your next choice!

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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The Extraordinary Days Series by Polly Becks ~ Blast and Giveaway

Posted: September 10, 2015 in Book Blast, giveaways, Mytery/Thriller, Romance, Series
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I have a wonderful series to share with you today.

Polly Beck’s The Extraordinary Days Series.

Enjoy the excerpt.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Genre: Romance / Mystery / Thriller

NOTE: A percentage of the sales of this book will be donated to Children’s International, a not-for-profit organization very close to the author’s family’s heart. Past books in the series have benefited The American Red Cross, The American Cancer Society, Tuesday’s Children [a 9/11 charity], and The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

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Synopsis

A mystery is introduced in No Ordinary Day, the first book in the Extraordinary Days series that is carried through all eight volumes and solved in the last book, Sunday’s Child: Born on the Sabbath Day, due out in January of 2017.

In the late spring of 1991, a flood and fire of historic proportions tore through the pretty resort town of Obergrande, New York, in the central region of the Adirondack mountains.

The twin disasters destroyed a large part of the east side of the town that bordered the Hudson River and Lake Obergrande.

In the aftermath, a new dam was built, and that damaged part of the town “drowned,” covered by the new, larger lake.

During that terrible flood, five kindergarten girls were trapped in their drowning school, huddled together as the water rose higher, rescued just in the nick of time. The nightmare bonded them, and three others like them, to each other for life.

These are their stories.

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International attorney and human rights advocate Elisa Santiago believes she has life under control—an impressive career, a solid group of friends in Obergrande, and a handsome law partner for hot “car action” when she needs release. Little does she know that her entire world is about to burn down when she discovers that nothing she believes she knows about herself and

her past is true. Can the gorgeous former CIA operative, acting as her guide and guard as she returns to Colombia, the land of her birth, looking for answers, set her world on fire in a good way?

 

THURSDAY’S CHILD: Far to Go is the fifth book in the eight-book series The Extraordinary Days by breakthrough novelist Polly Becks. The first book, No Ordinary Day, tells the tale of an epic tragedy that changes life forever in a small town in the wild, mystic Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, and the mystery surrounding that tragedy.

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Enjoy this excerpt

Present day, Sunday, September 8th, 2:11 PM

Le Mille Neuf, 1009 Rue de Bleury, penthouse, Montreal

 

The young man at the front desk in the luxury apartment building looked up in surprise at the quartet of women making their way across the lobby, carrying what looked like a variety of flowers, sweets, and boxes, chatting happily amongst themselves as every male head in the lobby turned in their direction.

An older man in the uniform of a professional driver or chauffeur was following them, his arms piled high with packages, puffing slightly.

The women, who were carrying on an intense four-way conversation between them, did not notice the attention they were garnering like magnets. They ranged in height from just over five feet to just under six, with a variety of body types, hair and skin colors ranging from alabaster to ebony, and clothing styles, all of which had some sort of bright artistry to them.

They stopped in front of the desk.

The tallest of the group, a fair-skinned beauty with gray eyes and shoulder-length brown hair atop a tall, willowy figure, smiled down at him.

“Penthouse deux, s’il vous plait,” she said politely in a perfect French accent.

The young man slid his swivel chair quickly under the desk to shield his lap from view.

“Qui appelle?” he asked in a French-Canadian accent. “Er—whom shall I say is calling?” He picked up the phone.

“The—uhm—Fivesome,” Briony Windsor, known as Sarah to her friends, said.

The young man waited for an answer, requested permission for entry and, receiving it, directed the four women to the penthouse elevator, only to discover they had started across the back lobby while he was hanging up.

They already knew where they were going.

“Has anyone heard from Sloane’s father recently?” Dr. Corinne Byrnes, a veterinarian and the second-tallest member of the group asked the others as they entered the elevator and pushed the button for the top floor.

“I spoke to him last night,” said Reverend Grace Fuller, the Associate Pastor of the Obergrande Community Church back in New York State. “He says she seems to be doing better, as long as she rests. Apparently he hasn’t been entirely successful at keeping her in bed.”

“Shocker,” mused Elisa Santiago, esq., a practicing attorney and civil rights advocate who divided her time between law on the international stage and a quiet practice back in Obergrande, the pretty Adirondack hometown of the four young women and the friend they had come to visit. At five-foot-three, she was petite, like Grace, and extraordinarily well put-together, every detail of her wardrobe perfect, just as every detail of her business and personal life seemed to be.

“Well, between us we have plenty of things to keep her amused in bed,” said Briony. “Although that’s like selling ice to penguins; Sloane has made of art of being kept amused in bed most of her life.”

“Truth,” mused Corinne as the elevator doors opened, providing a stunning view of downtown Montreal and its exquisite spires.

The four women hurried down the sunlit hallway of windows to the door where the number 2 was elegantly displayed.

Elisa pushed the doorbell.

A tall, strapping, dark-haired man with a finely-featured, neatly-bearded face opened the door a moment later.

All four women blinked in surprise.

“Dr. Marlowe?” Elisa’s voice broke the silence.

The man’s dark blue eyes blinked as well.

“Come in, ladies,” he said quickly.

The women looked at each other, then followed him into the penthouse.

“What’s he doing here?” Grace whispered to Briony. “Sloane told me they couldn’t stand each other.” Briony shrugged.

“Perhaps they’re working on the Quadricentennial?” Elisa suggested as they passed through the elegant central foyer into the open living area, a high-ceilinged room ringed with floor-to-ceiling windows.

She turned to Corinne, the only one not to have met Nathan Marlowe. “He’s a world-class history professor here at McGill and in New York at NYU, a specialist in the Adirondack Park

area and particularly in Obergrande. Sloane’s mother hired him to do the authentication and other research for the town’s four-hundredth anniversary next May.”

“Well, if her mother likes him, I can see why Sloane can’t stand him,” said Corinne. “Those two can’t agree on whether the sun is up or not.”

Dr. Marlowe was standing at the far left edge of the open sitting area, next to the door that led to Sloane’s bedroom suite.

The women and their driver, still lugging their packages, followed him.

A glorious spicy smell filled the air near the kitchen.

On their way past a recessed alcove in which a towering animal cage stood, Corinne paused and clicked softly at the sweet, melon-sized animal inside it.

“Hiya, Pfeffernusse,” she said. “You’re lookin’ good, gurrl.”

Ed Hillenbrandt, the driver, waited until she was following the other girls again, then paused in front of the cage himself.

“I still say you would make a nice hat,” he whispered.

Pfeffernusse just stared at him with her big black chinchilla eyes. Then she flicked her large ears and spun around, her white belly disappearing from view as she turned her gray-blue back to him.

“You’re not by any means the first female to give me the cold shoulder, ma’am,” Ed said as he went to join the women.

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Author Polly Becks

Polly Becks has been making her living writing for more than twenty years, as well as working as an editor, curriculum developer, and teaching secondary-school Spanish. She has more than 350 books to her credit, mostly educational materials, as well as professionally published fiction in both the adult and YA market in a variety of genres, plus more than 30 Children’s books. She is excited about exploring the digital literature frontier and is honored to be the launch series for GMLTJoseph, LLC. – See more at: http://www.pollybecks.com/author/#sthash.pEZ6f3xO.dpuf

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Buy Polly’s Books

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Isolation ~ A Faye Longchamp Mystery ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: September 9, 2015 in Blog Tour, giveaways, Mystery, reviews
Tags: , , ,
12

Partners In Crime Tours

I do love a good mystery. And it’s even better when there’s a mystery inside a mystery. Lots to keep you guessing and on your toes in Isolation!

Enjoy my review.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway.

Isolation

A Faye Longchamp Mystery

by Mary Anna Evans

25575967

Genre: Mystery, Women Sleuths
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: August 4, 2015
Number of Pages: 284
Series: A Faye Longchamp Mystery, 9
ISBN: 9781464204029

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My Review

This has all the makings for a good mystery.

A family torn apart by tragedy, isolation on a private island, toxic spills, murder, stalkers, and all of this might possibly be connected to a mysterious history. I was hooked already!

Being a fan of character driven stories, this didn’t disappoint.

There’s Faye Longchamp – Mantooth. She’s coping the only way she knows how after a terrible loss. She spends every waking minute and most nights prowling the island and doing random digs. Not herself at all. Being a professional archaeologist, she knows better. You need to investigate, do the math, before digging. I think she’s just trying to stay numb.

Her husband, Joe Wolf Mantooth, is such a gentle soul. He loves his wife and patiently waits for her to come around, knowing she needs time to grieve and heal. In the meantime, he takes care of their young son, Michael, making sure he’s happy and loved.  When things go wiggy and bodies start adding up, he goes into alpha mode. I loved the gentle bear and the warrior spirit of Joe.

Joe’s father, Sly Mantooth, out after serving time in prison, shows up on their doorstep and they invite him to stay awhile. Faye hopes the two will stay out of her hair, and Joe’s looking to get reconnected with his father. I like Sly. He’s a diamond in the rough. He keeps his thoughts to himself, unless a pretty gal is around. Then the charmer, the ladies man, comes out to play. There was one particular lady I wanted him to get better acquainted with. I hoped the author would grant my wish.

Not just a murder mystery, there’s also the mystery of Faye’s ancestor. Some people want to prove her great-great-grandmother Cally was a murderer. Faye’s having none of it and launches her own investigation, keeping their relationship secret while she works to clear Cally’s name. Not so easy when you’re going back 150 years.

A strange toxic find on the island, chemical dumps in the gulf, murder and violent attacks. Could all of this be random events or do they all tie together? I couldn’t wait to find out.

Though this is the ninth book in the Faye Longchamp Mystery Series, it can easily be read as a stand alone. I’ve not the read the other books and with some short mentions of past events, had no trouble reading this first.

Good clean fun, with no sex scenes or foul language.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Archaeologist Faye Longchamp-Mantooth has dug herself a deep hole and she can’t make her way out of it. As she struggles to recover from a shattering personal loss, she sees that everyone she loves is trying to reach out to her. If only she could reach back. Instead she’s out digging holes all over her home, the Florida island of Joyeuse.

In their old plantation home, Joe Wolf Mantooth is surrounded by family—Faye, the wife he loves; their toddler son he adores; and his father, who hasn’t gotten around to telling him how long he’s been out of prison or how he got there—yet Joe has never felt so helpless or alone.

Then a close friend at the local marina is brutally murdered, the first in a string of crimes against women that rocks Micco County. Joe, desperate to help Faye, realizes she is in danger from both her inner demons and someone who has breached the island’s isolation. Local law and environmental officials say they want to help, but to Faye and Joe they feel more like invaders. A struggling Faye reaches back over a century into her family’s history for clues. And all the while, danger snakes further into their lives, threatening the people they love, their cherished home, even the very ground—some of it poisoned—beneath their feet.

Purchase Links

Amazon / B&N / Goodreads

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Author Mary Anna Evans

Mary Anna Evans

Mary Anna Evans is the author of the award-winning Faye Longchamp archaeological mysteries–Artifacts, Relics, Effigies, Findings, Floodgates, Strangers, and Plunder. She has degrees in physics and chemical engineering. Her background includes stints in environmental consulting and university administration, as well as a summer spent working offshore in the oil fields. Writing lets her spend weeks indulging her passion for history, archeology, and architecture, and months making up stories. Mary Anna is preparing to move to Oklahoma since accepting an Associate Professor position with the University of Oklahoma.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

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Teaser Tuesdays #128 ~ Grey Daze

Posted: September 1, 2015 in Adult Fiction, Mytery/Thriller, Paranormal or fantasy, Teaser Tuesdays
Tags: , , , , , ,
20

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.

TeaserTuesdays2014e

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

Grey Daze

  A Lance Underphal Mystery

by Michael Allan Scott

25911094

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My Teaser from page 51 in the Paperback.

  Finally, after eons, the faintest stirrings come through, like ancient static drifting down out of the either, soiling the atmosphere with its confusion. Its whisperings float around me like circling sharks. I can’t make it out. What’s it want? Near panic, I’m frozen, not even my blood circulates. I listen harder, trying to hear….what?

This scene is so chilling, I’d like to share a bit more.

Ever so faintly, I hear it, something new – a small child whimpering, lost, alone, and frightened. It hits me like a crack of thunder. That little voice,crying…crying,crying. And there’s nothing I can do. Overcome, I break down, weeping. I can’t ake it. I have to get out of here. The horror – I’ll face death, stare down evil – I can take it. But the child’s cries are too much, ripping my heart out. You can’t expect me to stay. I won’t make it.

This book is killing me and this is only a small part of it. It’s a psychic, serial killer, mystery/thriller, and boy is it intense. Intended for mature readers. Just thought I’d warn you.

~~~~

Synopsis

GREY DAZE descends. A fresh murder spins out of control, twisting into new realms of paranormal mystery.

Not for the faint of heart, the third in the Lance Underphal Mystery series, is an interplay of corrupt characters immersed in today’s world.

Paranormal twists and fast action in movie-like scenes set the story’s mystery/thriller elements apart from the typical whodunit/serial-killer thriller.

Guided by his dead wife, a reluctant psychic finds himself on a wild ride through a criminal underworld, slamming face first into corrupt police, gunrunning bikers, and a drug addicted killer–not to mention confrontations with the dead.

Layers of plots within plots twist this new thriller into a startling climax.

~~~~

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Just a little….Hair Of The Dog ~ Tour Review and Giveaway

Posted: August 18, 2015 in Blog Tour, giveaways, Mystery, reviews
Tags: , ,
4

Partners In Crime Tours

Hair Of The Dog

A Dan Mahoney Mystery

by Susan Slater

24974807

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: July 7, 2015
Number of Pages: 240
ISBN: 978-1-4642-0420-3
Purchase Links:

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My Review

It’s supposed to be kind of their practice honeymoon. Soon to be married, Dan entices his fiancee Elaine to spend some time with him in tropical Florida. He works an an investigator for United Life and Casualty. They have a case he needs to check out. Five prized dogs were lost in a fire at the Greyhound Racing Park. Things look all in order and Dan can steal some quality time with Elaine. Should be an easy wrap.

That is until Elaine stumbles upon a stray dog while taking a walk and the dog has a clue in it’s mouth.

I was drawn to this book because of the Greyhound racing. I live in Alabama and we don’t have horse racing, which I love. I was introduced to the Mobile Greyhound Racing Club and found it just as fun and exciting. I was an amateur and chose my bets by catchy names for the dogs. Never did win much but I loved watching those elegant, sleek dogs chase that rabbit.

I did enjoy the characters. Each had their own mysteries. Dan had to determine if the insurance company should pay off on the fire and the lost greyhounds. Elaine was getting her P.I. license and working a case for her mother-in law, Maggie. And Maggie was worried that her new fiance, Stanley, might be someone other than he who says he is.

In an area renowned for ex mobsters provided with new identities from the witness protection agency, who knows who Stanley really is. About to uproot herself and move to Palm Beach, Maggie wants to make sure she doesn’t have a rotten apple from the barrel.

And lets not forget Fucher. What a sweetie. He’s a bit slow but loves the dogs and taking care of them, especially his beloved Sadie. An employee at the track, he’s the perfect patsy for the cops to arrest. It’s not just arson either. Kennel owner, Jackson Sanchez, was found stabbed to death with the word thief carved into his forehead. Could Fucher have done it? He recently came into a lot of money and perhaps he loaned some to Jackson , and he wasn’t paying it back?

The police believe they have their man and are content to look no further.

Mystery upon mystery, the plot is afoot. I was kept on my toes, for sure. The author had me going in circles and, until the smoke cleared, I had no idea who the true culprit or culprits were.

I chased that rabbit and got my reward.

4 Stars

~~~

Synopsis

It sounds like some work and mostly play when United Life and Casualty sends its investigator Dan Mahoney to Florida. Five greyhounds—all heavily insured—were lost in a fire at the Daytona dog track. So simple. Five dogs dead by smoke inhalation, bagged, tagged, and cremated. Papers all in order. Ashes in specialty urns on the desk of Dixie Halifax, track and casino co-owner. In jail, a young employee charged with arson to cover a murder he’s blamed for committing. Then the body of kennel owner Jackson Sanchez is found face down in a pool of blood, a knife stuck in his back. But Sanchez didn’t die from a knife wound. Someone has carved “thief” on his forehead. The blood pooled underneath his body isn’t his. Should Dan be looking for a second corpse? And the one man who can answer questions, the track vet, dies in a motorcycle accident. Working this case is not as complicated for Dan as having his mother Maggie move into the FBI’s favorite mob slob haven in nearby Palm Coast, while his fiancée Elaine Linden, on sabbatical, works on a PI license. Perfect—the FBI can set Maggie up to spy on her boyfriend who may be laundering cash in some geriatric mafia scheme in this follow-up to Flash Flood and Rollover.

Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble Goodreads

~~~

Read an excerpt:

CHAPTER 1

Morning. The gold-orange glow shimmered in the narrow window high above him barely illuminating the computers and file cabinets. He turned over and rubbed his right hip bone. Musta slept on that spring poking up through the cotton batting. Cheap mattress, cheap cot, but when he was working with the dogs late, he could sleep in the office—didn’t have to travel ten miles to get home. On his bicycle. If his mother had taught him one thing, it was not to look the gift horse in the mouth and to thank the Lord for small favors. All in all, he didn’t have no regrets.

He could hear the dogs. Mostly barking but there were a couple howlers out there. And it was breakfast time. They never waited much past sunrise to let him know they were expecting a bowl of raw meat and kibble. These dogs were as precious as race horses, even if they only chased a mechanical rabbit a couple times a week. He swung his legs over the cot’s side and sat up, taking a deep breath. Acrid smoke settled around his head and the deep breath sent him to his knees in a spasm of coughing. Fire. Oh, God, help him. He had to get the dogs out. The barking was at a fever pitch now. Had the fire reached the kennels? He grabbed his pillow and pressed it to his nose and mouth. Better. He could take them to the turnout. That area of scruffy grass where potential bettors could size up the day’s might-be stars. No time for muzzles. Bites would be the least of his worries about now.
He moved the pillow away from his mouth, “Sadie? Come here, girl.” She never left his side that sleek, brown-eyed silver greyhound. Knew without words that he’d saved her life some four years back. Slept with him curled into a ball at the foot of the cot. Shared his lunch and dinner. She was a real pushover for shrimp fried rice and pot stickers. Frantically he tried to see in the haze. The office door was open. That was odd. Could he have forgotten to latch it? Oh well, he’d find her outside in the hall or maybe in the kennel. She wouldn’t be far.

But he couldn’t go out in his skivvies. He put the pillow down and pulled on overalls, no time for a shirt or shoes and, bending low, pillow again over his mouth and nose, with eyes squinted almost shut, he sprinted for the door. And went sprawling. Through the doorway, crashing with a thud on one knee, slamming head-first onto the tile, shoulder scraping against the doorjamb, propelled forward, splayed out on all fours. And all because he caught his foot on … on … on a body. He pushed up, sitting back hard on his haunches, then bolted upright, heart pounding, slipping in the blood pooling beside the inert man dressed in Levis and plaid shirt, lying facedown, but with a knife handle sticking straight up out of his back. He couldn’t stop his hands from shaking. He backed up against the wall knowing the keening sounds were his, a low-pitched wail that rose in intensity. Help me. God and my mama, help me.
The smoke was thick now. He had to do something. He bent over, dropped to all fours, grasped the knife handle and closed his eyes. The jerk threw him backwards as the knife slipped out easily and clattered across the tile. It was out, but he knew it wouldn’t matter none to the man on the floor. He was dead. Absolutely, totally not getting up anytime soon. He knelt beside the body and leaning across it firmly put his left hand on the shoulder opposite, and right hand around the man’s upper arm and pulled. The man flopped over against his thigh, then slipped down leaving a smear of red and settled into the pooled blood. “Jackson?”

He stared down at the biggest kennel owner at the Daytona track. But no time to wonder about what had happened, that fire wasn’t slowing down. Smoke billowed thick above his head. He grabbed up the pillow, and squinting into the acrid gray cloud, raced along the corridor to the room of large metal crates lining every wall, each holding a dog. Much less smoke back here. He tossed the pillow aside and set to work. He started with the crates closest to the hall. He twisted handles and jerked doors open as fast as he could, stopping only to cross the hall and throw wide the double doors to the outside.

Dogs pushed against him, jostling to enter the run that emptied into the observation and exercise area. Fifty dogs. All being held over for Thursday’s races, with a hundred more arriving that morning. They had sent a whole bunch for training earlier that evening. And now the transport carrying the new racers was due at nine. Thank the Lord they hadn’t gotten here yet. He needed to make sure the dogs still kenneled at the track were all accounted for. But no counting now. He’d save that for later; he needed to keep going. He didn’t stop until the last crate had been opened and the last greyhound had bolted for what they thought might be freedom. But had he gotten everyone out the exit? Dogs were everywhere, and the smoke wasn’t clearing. Thin tendrils hung in the air.
Only one thing to do. He grabbed two packages of stew meat from a fridge in the hall and waved handfuls above his head to get the attention of the errant few still circling frantically. He led them through the exit to safety, slamming the door behind him.

Still, no Sadie. He yelled her name but doubted she could hear over the raucous, panicked dogs. Had she run with the pack and was already safely out in the chain-link enclosure? He could have easily missed her in all the confusion. Maybe she was fighting over turf or circling the fence looking for him right now. The smoke was thinner outdoors, but behind him, the office was engulfed in flames. No time to check now. She’d wait for him. She wouldn’t run away.

The body. Oh no. He’d forgotten. He wasn’t thinking straight. He should have pulled it out of the doorway. He couldn’t just leave it to burn. Dead or not, that wasn’t showing respect to the family. He knew Jackson had a mother. You could find her every Wednesday when the programs were free, putting down a big chunk of her Social Security check at a betting window. He had to give Jackson back to his mama.

He started to run. The closer to the office, the thicker the smoke. He dropped to all fours and crawled forward. He stopped. Had he passed the office? No. He was in front of the door. There was the blood spot darker now around the edges. But no body. Jackson was gone. Maybe he’d been wrong about him being dead; maybe Jackson had crawled away. And he took his knife with him. There wasn’t any knife where it used to be. That was a puzzle. What if the body had been a dream?
He could hear sirens, trucks turning in from South Williamson Road. Tendrils of fire now licked out of the office coming way too close to his clothing. No more wondering, he needed to leave. He crawled backwards and then stood and ran toward the dogs. He needed to do a count and find Sadie and then feed the dogs their breakfast. He’d grab some muzzles—he hoped there hadn’t already been fights. Funny how some dogs were just jealous and needed to have their way. He’d bet old Pete had already put the chomp on somebody. Sadie’d be smart. She’d stay out of the way. He tried to whistle for her but there was too much noise. She’d never be able to hear him.

 

~~~

Author Bio

authorSusan is the author of the Ben Pecos series (Pumpkin Seed Massacre, A Way to the Manger, Yellow Lies and Thunderbird), a stand-alone (Five O’clock Shadow), a women’s fiction novel (0 to 60), a para-normal short story in Rod Serling’s commemorative Twilight Zone Anthology (Eye for an Eye), and the Dan Mahoney series. Susan lives on the Atlantic coast and writes full-time.

Catch Up:
author's website author's twitter author's facebook

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Adopt a Greyhound! Check out A Ticket Home by clicking on the image below. Aren’t they precious!

With short racing careers, these beautiful dogs need some TLC when the dust settles.

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This is a giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for Susan Slater & Poisoned Pen Press. There will be one US winner of 1 Box of Poisoned Pen Press books including Hair of the Dog by Susan Slater. The giveaway begins on August 1st, 2015 and runs through August 31st, 2015.

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Teaser Tuesdays #126 ~ Ghosts Among Men

Posted: August 18, 2015 in Mystery, Novella, Paranormal or fantasy, Teaser Tuesdays
Tags: , , ,
48

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.

TeaserTuesdays2014e

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

Ghosts Among Men

A Samantha Davidson Novella

by Laura Del

25623998

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My Teaser from 18% in the eBook.

“Would you please go away,” I almost begged her. Even for a dead person she was annoying.

“Fine. But remember – “

“You’ll be back,” I finished. “I get it.”

~~~~

My Review

You’d think being able to see and talk to ghosts would be a handy thing if you’re a private investigator. But that doesn’t help Samantha Davidson.

Samantha is working a murder case with her assistant, Mark, and homicide detective, Lance MacDowell. She sees and interviews the murdered girl, Allison.  The problem is, Allison can’t remember what happened to her, who killed her.

Samantha has solved all twenty of her cases so far, from helping loved ones connect to catching adulterers. Not bad for only a year as a P.I. But this case could threaten that record.

Life gets complicated for Samantha. Things aren’t what they appear in this case. Lots of secrets. Lots of money. Lots of ghosts. And she’s trying to have a love life too, crushing on her sexy office manager, Mark.  Hey, a girl’s gotta try.

I’d call this a dark comedy mystery. Heavy on chuckles and mystery.

There’s a scene where Samantha is having dinner with the parents of Allison, the murdered girl. The father doesn’t want his wife to know he’s hired a private investigator, especially one who communicates with ghosts, so Sam poses as the dead girls friend.

Try to picture Sam, struggling to ignore Allison as the ghost butts into every conversation. It’s almost impossible not to blow her cover. Allison is a sassy lass and loves toying with her.

There’s a dark side too. Things got creepy while reading a scene where Sam is dreaming. In her dream, she’s Allison and reliving what happened the night she was murdered. Such an ugly betrayal.

I was surprised by how quickly I came to know the characters in this story. This isn’t a long book, but I easily connected to and liked many of them. They were easy to visualize, even the stereotypical jerks.

And the ending was something else. Bazinga was the first thing that popped into my head when the case unfolded.

I’d recommend this to mystery and paranormal lovers. It’s fast, fun, and you’ll want more.

5 Stars

~~~~

Synopsis

Samantha Davidson sees ghosts for a living. More specifically, she sees ghosts as a private investigator, working alongside the Chicago Police Department to put away killers and put troubled spirits to rest.

When the daughter of one of Chicago’s wealthiest families turns up dead, Samantha and her assistant Mark team up with homicide detective Lance MacDowell to get to the bottom of the crime.

Allison Allen is tall, blonde, beautiful–and very much dead. As Samantha interviews the girl, who doesn’t remember anything about the circumstances of her own murder, it’s clear that there’s more going on behind the walls of this manicured home than anyone wants to let on—and that Samantha has her work cut out for her this time.

Juggling her own love life, tracking down troubled spirits, and evading attempts to thwart her investigation keeps Samantha on her toes. Good thing Samantha knows how to keep her eyes open, her wits about her, and her sense of humor.

A paranormal mystery that is both dark and funny, Ghosts Among Men will cause chills to run down your back even while you’re laughing out loud at the lovable, strong, and supernaturally sighted private investigator Samantha Davidson.

~~~~

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He must find her ~ Things Mysterious ~ An Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: June 29, 2015 in Blog Tour, giveaways, Mystery, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance
Tags: , , ,
5

Things Mysterious Tour Button

Welcome ya’ll.

I have an exciting book to share with you today.

Things Mysterious has a fabulous cover. And wait until you read the blurb!

There’s also a giveaway, so don’t forget to enter!

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Title: Things Mysterious

Author: Matthew Chabin

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Release Date: June 22, 2015

Keywords: Romance, Mystery, Paranormal, Mortality, Literary

Things Mysterious cover _Cvr3

 

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Blurb:

Dasan Garret is a disappointed man.  Recently divorced and just returned from a traumatic tour of duty in Iraq, he moves back to his hometown of Portland, Oregon only to find himself unexpectedly alone.  His old friends are all gone, moved away, locked up, or dead.  Women seem to occupy a parallel universe.  With no community and few prospects, he takes a job as a night watchman and withdraws ever deeper into the shadows of his mind.  Until one day when he meets Edenia, and she lights up his world like a bolt of pure energy.  She seems perfect: vibrant, gifted, kind, sexy, a sudden and unlooked-for reprieve from the sad ruin of his life.  And yet there remains a nagging sense that something isn’t right.  Could it be that he is merely slow to trust the happiness she offers him?  Or is there something behind that waver in her laugh, that fleeting look of sadness in her eyes?

The mystery deepens when one day Edenia disappears.  Dasan believes he must find her in order to go on living.  But to find her again, he will have to confront a devastating truth about her life, and his.

 

Purchase Links

~~~

Enjoy this excerpt!

She appeared in front of him, emerging from a double hedgerow of women’s clothing, holding a faded, sunflower yellow, antique-looking slip up to the light.

Dasan paused and swiveled left, blinking up at some Maoist propaganda posters on the wall.

“It’s all been done, yes, hate to be a killjoy, but I’m afraid it’s aaalll been done.”

She was speaking. He glanced back, looked around. She appeared to be talking to the slip.

Say something!

He managed an inquiring “Hmm?”

“It…” she said as she turned and placed the slip back with its peers, “…has all been sampled…and quoted…and copied…and done and nearly done to death. Aesthetically speaking, we’ve painted ourselves into a corner, we of the post-everything era. We may be doomed.” She stepped back between the rows, ducking down after something hidden, and he lost sight of her.

Her voice came muffled through the wall of garments. “We’re nostalgic for the old days, when beauty was truth and truth was what we said it was. At least then, we knew what we were looking at.”

Dasan waited, unsure of his cue. He could hear her moving around back there. He decided he’d try honesty. “I guess if this was a movie, I’d say something all witty and suave like…or if I had any idea what you’re talking about…”

She lifted her head out of the aisle, smiling generously, as if he had said something witty and suave, which he was pretty sure he had not. She was pretty, with her hair slightly messed and hanging in her face like that, her smile, dark eyes…

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sort of regurgitating crap from my art history class. Pay no mind. I am the pedantic bitch-queen of the monologue.”

~~~

Author Matthew Chabin

Matthew Chabin was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico and grew up in Portland, Oregon.  He served four years in the US Navy as a ship crewman, journalist and public affairs liaison.  He studied literature and philosophy at Southern Oregon University.  After graduating in 2010, he started teaching English abroad, working in the Czech Republic and volunteering with the Dalai Lama’s affiliate organization, Tibet Charity, in Dharamsala/Mcleod Ganj, India.  He currently lives in Nagano Prefecture of Japan with his wife, Marie, and cat, Futa.

His work has appeared in Gravel: A Literary Journal, Southern Pacific Review, Piker Press, and Black Denim.  He is the author of a memoir, Equaling Heaven, which he hopes to see published in the near future.

 

Matthew’s Links:

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Link for Things Mysterious on Goodreads

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~~~

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