Format: Hardcover

#BookReview The Attic on Queen Street by Karen White @KarenWhiteWrite @uplitreads @BerkleyPub #TheAtticonQueenStreet #KarenWhite #TraddStreet #UplitReads #gifted

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#BookReview The Attic on Queen Street by Karen White @KarenWhiteWrite @uplitreads @BerkleyPub #TheAtticonQueenStreet #KarenWhite #TraddStreet #UplitReads #gifted Title: The Attic on Queen Street

Author: Karen White

Series: Tradd Street #7

Published by: Berkley Books on Nov. 2, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Women's Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: Hardcover

Source: Uplit Reads

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Return to the house on Tradd Street for one last time as the bestselling series featuring psychic medium Melanie Trenholm comes to a hauntingly spectacular finale.

After the devastating events of the past few months, the last thing Melanie Trenholm wants is to think about the future. Why, when her husband, Jack, has asked for a separation—a separation that might have been her fault? Nevertheless, with twin toddlers, a stepdaughter leaving for college soon, a real estate career to resume and a historic home that is still being restored, Melanie doesn’t have much time to wonder where it all went wrong—but that doesn’t stop her from trying to win her husband back.

Their relationship issues are pushed aside, however, when longtime nemesis, Marc Longo, comes to them with a proposition: allow their Tradd Street house to be used as the filming location for the movie adaptation of Marc’s bestselling book, and he will help Jack re-establish his stalled writing career. Despite Melanie’s hesitation, Jack jumps at the chance. But Melanie’s doubts soon prove to be well founded when she uncovers ulterior reasons for Marc wanting to be back in their house—reasons that include a hidden gem so brilliant that legend links it to the most infamous jewel of all, the Hope Diamond.

But Melanie has an unexpected ally in protecting the house and its inhabitants—the ghost of a Civil War era girl warns her of increasing threats to her family. But she’s not the only spirit who is haunting Melanie. A malevolent ghost seems determined to stop Melanie from investigating the decades-old murder of a friend’s sister, and this spirit will stop at nothing to protect its secrets—even from beyond the grave.

Melanie and Jack must work together to find the answers before evil spirits of past and present destroy everything they love.

 

Review:

Rich, atmospheric, and satisfying!

The Attic on Queen Street is a quirky, mysterious, entertaining tale that takes us back into the lives of Melanie, Jack, and the whole Trade Street gang, including a few intriguing newcomers, as they work on repairing fractured relationships, begrudgingly allow a movie production crew onto their property, and use the help and guidance from those long past once again to solve and close some tragic, unfinished cases.

The prose is vivid and descriptive. The characters are eccentric, lovable, and clever. And the plot is a well-paced, quirky tale full of amateur sleuthing, scandalous behaviour, treasures, ghosts, history,  suspects, deduction, and an abundance of southern charm.

The Attic on Queen Street is the seventh and last novel in this wonderful series by White. And even though it is a little bittersweet to say goodbye to the lovely gang we’ve come to know and love over the last seven novels, it has been an absolute pleasure to be able to indulge in all the mystique, adventure, mishaps, and romance that’s happened on Tradd Street over the entire series.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Uplit Reads for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Karen White

Karen White is the New York Times bestselling author of 28 books, including the Tradd Street series, Dreams of Falling, The Night the Lights Went Out, Flight Patterns, The Sound of Glass, A Long Time Gone, and The Time Between. She is the coauthor of All the Ways We Said Goodbye, The Glass Ocean and The Forgotten Room with New York Times bestselling authors Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig. She grew up in London but now lives with her husband near Atlanta, Georgia.

Photo by Marchet Butler.

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#BookReview A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones @Darynda @smpromance @StMartinsPress #AGoodDayforChardonnay #DaryndaJones #SunshineVicram #smpromance #smpinfluencers

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#BookReview A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones @Darynda @smpromance @StMartinsPress #AGoodDayforChardonnay #DaryndaJones #SunshineVicram #smpromance #smpinfluencers Title: A Good Day for Chardonnay

Author: Darynda Jones

Series: Sunshine Vicram #2

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Jul. 27, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 416

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

Running a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff–and even fuller-time coffee guzzler–Sunshine Vicram, didn’t get that memo.

All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns out, that’s about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people do that? And who hurt them?)

Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunny’s got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he’s not the villain of her story. Still, perhaps beneath it all, he possesses the keys to her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a serious set of abs. She’s seen it. Once. Accidentally.

Between policing a town her hunky chief deputy calls four cents short of a nickel, that pesky crush she has on Levi which seems to grow exponentially every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn’t know when to quit, Sunny’s life is about to rocket to a whole new level of crazy.

Yep, definitely a good day for chardonnay.

Review:

Wacky, wild, and wonderful!

A Good Day for Chardonnay is a refreshing, highly entertaining mystery that transports you back to Del Sol, New Mexico, where police chief Sunshine Vicram now finds herself investigating another multitude of oddball events that pull her back to the past, including a potentially fatal stabbing, a hit and run involving the delicious Levi Ravinder, and a missing teenage boy.

The prose is brisk and amusing. The characterization is spot on with a wonderful cast of characters that are eccentric, sharp-witted, and endearing. And the plot is the perfect mix of suspense, humour, witty banter, familial drama, friendship, secrets, deception, community, mayhem, steamy moments, and sexy times.

Overall, A Good Day for Chardonnay is a quirky, gripping, brilliant tale by Jones that has a storyline that will make you laugh, make you smile, and most definitely leave you wanting more. I absolutely adore this Sunshine Vicram series, and I can’t wait to read A Hard Day for a Hangover when it publishes next month.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following links.

               

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Darynda Jones

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. She currently has two series with St. Martin's Press, the Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview Death of a Showman by Mariah Fredericks @MariahFrederick @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #DeathofaShowman #MariahFredericks #JanePrescottSeries #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers

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#BookReview Death of a Showman by Mariah Fredericks @MariahFrederick @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #DeathofaShowman #MariahFredericks #JanePrescottSeries #MinotaurInfluencers #SMPInfluencers Title: Death of a Showman

Author: Mariah Fredericks

Series: Jane Prescott #4

Published by: Minotaur Books on Apr. 13, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 288

Format: Hardcover

Source: Minotaur Books

Book Rating: 8.5/10

In Mariah Fredericks’s Death of a Showman, the fourth in this absorbing series set in Gilded Age New York, lady’s maid Jane Prescott is thrust into the world of show business, where a killer is stalking Broadway.

It is the summer of 1914 and lady’s maid Jane Prescott is back in New York with the Tylers after a glittering society wedding in Europe. On their return, Jane learns another wedding has taken place. Her old dancing partner, Leo Hirschfeld, has married a chorus girl in his new Broadway musical.

Jane and Louise Tyler are pulled into the sparkling and scandalous world of Broadway, as a star struck Louise invests in Leo’s show, and Jane chaperones her at rehearsals. But behind the glittering facade of the theater, there are rivalries, secret romances, and some very dodgy business practices. When the show’s abusive producer, Sidney Warburton, is murdered, the list of suspects is long. Was it the comedic star or her gambler boyfriend? The disgruntled costume designer? The beautiful, blond dancer, her jealous husband? Or was it Leo himself, who had more reason than anyone to hate Sidney Warburton?

As the First World war looms in the distance, Jane and tabloid reporter Michael Behan must strip back the masks of these consummate performers before one of them kills again.

Review:

Whimsical, suspenseful, and compelling!

Death of a Showman is an amusing, nuanced, surprising tale that takes you back to Manhattan during 1914 and into the life of lady’s maid Jane Prescott who, after spending a year in Europe, returns to find her former dance partner and potential paramour, Leo Hirschfield married and rehearsing a new Broadway musical, a show that ends up with more problems than just money woes when the producer suddenly turns up dead, and everyone behind the curtain seems to have a motive for murder.

The prose is vivid and authentic. The characters are astute, multi-layered, and likeable. And the plot develops nicely and has just the right mix of misdirection, deduction, clues, suspects, mishaps, drama, and murder.

Overall, Death of a Showman is a light, quick, enjoyable tale by Fredericks that I thoroughly enjoyed, and that is without a doubt another satisfying addition to the Jane Prescott series.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Mariah Fredericks

Mariah Fredericks was born and raised in New York City, where she still lives with her family. She is the author of several YA novels. Death of an American Beauty is her third novel to feature ladies' maid Jane Prescott.

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#BookReview The Killing Tide by Lin Anderson @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #RhonaMacLeod #TheKillngTide

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#BookReview The Killing Tide by Lin Anderson @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #RhonaMacLeod #TheKillngTide Title: The Killing Tide

Author: Lin Anderson

Series: Rhona MacLeod #16

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Sep. 7, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural

Pages: 400

Format: Hardcover

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

The Killing Tide by Lin Anderson sees forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod investigating a mysterious abandoned ship which has swept ashore in the Orkney Isles.

After a fierce storm hits Scotland, a mysterious cargo ship is discovered in the Orkney Isles. Boarding the vessel uncovers three bodies, recently deceased and in violent circumstances. Forensic scientist Dr Rhona MacLeod’s study of the crime scene suggests that a sinister game was being played on board, but who were the hunters? And who the hunted?

Meanwhile in Glasgow DS Michael McNab is called to a horrific incident where a young woman has been set on fire. Or did she spark the flames herself?

As evidence arises that connects the two cases, the team grow increasingly concerned that the truth of what happened on the ship and in Glasgow hints at a wider conspiracy that stretches down to London and beyond to a global stage. Orcadian Ava Clouston, renowned investigative journalist, believes so and sets out to prove it, putting herself in grave danger.

When the Met Police challenge Police Scotland’s jurisdiction, it becomes obvious that there are ruthless individuals who are willing to do whatever it takes to protect government interests. Which could lead to even more deaths on Scottish soil . .

Review:

Meticulous, sinister and sharp!

The Killing Tide is a menacing, creative police procedural that sees forensic scientist Dr Rhona MacLeod and her team tangled up in two cases that seem at first glance to be isolated incidents, a woman set on fire at an apartment building in Glasgow and an abandoned cargo ship containing several victims washing ashore in Orkney, but as the investigation unfolds, it doesn’t take long before it quickly becomes apparent that these cases may be connected and may have ties to a criminal syndicate with influential friends and a penchant for fulfilling all the devious things the rich and powerful like to indulge in.

The writing is atmospheric and crisp. The characters are multifaceted, intuitive, and persistent. And the plot is a compelling, ominous mix of twists, turns, red herrings, secrets, deduction, mayhem, violence, manipulation, and murder.

Overall, The Killing Tide is crafty, dark, and unbelievably the sixteenth book in the Rhona MacLeod series. I have yet to read a novel by Anderson that isn’t gripping, pacey, and extremely satisfying, and this one is definitely no exception.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

              

 

 

Thank you to PGC Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lin Anderson

Lin Anderson is a Scottish author and screenwriter known for her bestselling crime series featuring forensic scientist Dr Rhona MacLeod. Four of her novels have been longlisted for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year, with Follow the Dead being a 2018 finalist. Her short film River Child won both a Scottish BAFTA for Best Fiction and the Celtic Film Festival’s Best Drama award and has now been viewed more than one million times on YouTube. Lin is also the co-founder of the international crime writing festival Bloody Scotland, which takes place annually in Stirling.

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#BookReview Pippo and Clara by Diana Rosie @Diwrite @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #PippoandClara #DianaRosie

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#BookReview Pippo and Clara by Diana Rosie @Diwrite @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #PippoandClara #DianaRosie Title: Pippo and Clara

Author: Diana Rosie

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Oct. 19, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 336

Format: Hardcover

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A story about family and fate – and how so much of our lives hinges on chance.

A country torn apart by war. Two siblings divided by fate.

Italy, 1938. Mussolini is in power and war is not far away . . .

Clara and Pippo are just children: quiet, thoughtful Clara is the older sister, Pippo the younger brother is forever chatting. The family has only recently arrived in the city carrying their few possessions.

When Mamma goes missing early one morning, both Clara and Pippo go in search of her. Clara turns right; Pippo, left.

As a result of the choices they make that morning, their lives will be changed forever.

Diana Rosie’s Pippo and Clara tells the story of a family and a country divided. But will Clara and Pippo – and their mother – find each other again?

Review:

Moving, tragic, and absorbing!

Pippo and Clara is a bittersweet, family saga that sweeps you away to Italy in the late 1930s when Italy was full of unrest and upheaval not only due to the war being waged on the fields of Europe and getting closer to its borders by the day under Mussolini rule, but in their own countryside where simmering anger, questions of patriotism, and ongoing tension between supporters of communism and fascism was quickly coming to a head.

The prose is rich and smooth. The two main characters Clara and Pippo are lost, strong, and resilient. And the plot told from alternating points of view is an engaging tale filled with life, loss, friendship, familial drama, tragedy, heartbreak, separation, war, survival, and political unrest.

Overall, Pippo and Clara is a thought-provoking, informative, gripping story by Rosie that reminds us that often the choices we make have far-reaching consequences and has just the right amount of intrigue, colourful history, and heart-tugging emotion to be exceptionally pleasing to lovers, like myself, of historical fiction.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

               

 

 

Thank you to Publishers Group Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Diana Rosie

Diana Rosie has been a tour guide in South America, a designer in Hong Kong, an Olympics volunteer in London and an advertising copywriter all over the place.
Diana now writes books in a country cottage where she lives with a husband, two children and a big dog.
She is thinking of buying some noise cancelling
headphones.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BlogTour #BookReview Pug Actually by Matt Dunn @mattdunnwrites @midaspr #PugActually #MattDunn

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#BlogTour #BookReview Pug Actually by Matt Dunn @mattdunnwrites @midaspr #PugActually #MattDunn Title: Pug Actually

Author: Matt Dunn

Published by: HarperCollins UK on Oct. 14, 2021

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Hardcover

Source: Midas PR

Book Rating: 8/10

Loyal rescue pug Doug wants his adoring owner Julie to find unconditional love and happiness – and he knows she won’t find either in the arms of Luke, her married boss. 

Doug is terrified that Julie will become a lonely cat-lover if she stays single too long, but he can’t let her fall for any more of Luke’s empty promises. Julie needs to move on – and Doug is convinced that Tom, a newly divorced V-E-T, is perfect for her (despite his questionable occupation). 

There’s just one problem: Julie and Tom can’t stand each other.

Doug doesn’t quite understand the quirks and complexities of human relationships, but he won’t let thatget in the way of his mission to bring Tom and Julie together. After all, being a ‘rescue’ works both ways…

Review:

Cute, comical, and charming!

Pug Actually is a quirky, heartwarming tale that takes you into the life of Doug, an adorable, four-legged Pug as he embarks to do whatever it takes, even causing himself harm so that he has to visit the dreaded V.E.T., in order to get his owner, Julie, to turn her pretty eyes away from her selfish, two-timing, married boss, Luke, and onto the handsome, caring, recently-divorced veterinarian, Tom.

The writing is light and witty. The characters are sharp, vulnerable, and endearing. And the plot is an amusing blend of life, love, introspection, friendship, family, hilarious hijinks, awkward situations, embarrassing moments, misunderstandings, taking chances, and the highs-and-lows of finding the one.

Overall, Pug Actually is a sweet, humorous, satisfying read by Dunn that’s full of engaging characters, an entertaining storyline, and a dreamy, happy-ever-after ending.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

             

 

 

Thank you to Midas PR for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Matt Dunn

Matt Dunn is the author of numerous romantic comedy novels, including the bestselling The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook and A Day at the Office. He's also written about life, love, and relationships for various publications including The Times, Guardian, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Company, Elle, and The Sun.

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#BookReview The Stolen Hours by Allen Eskens @aeskens @mulhollandbooks @HBGCanada #TheStolenHours #AllenEskens #MulhollandBooks

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#BookReview The Stolen Hours by Allen Eskens @aeskens @mulhollandbooks @HBGCanada #TheStolenHours #AllenEskens #MulhollandBooks Title: The Stolen Hours

Author: Allen Eskens

Published by: Mulholland Books on Sep 7, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: Hardcover

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

Lila Nash is on the verge of landing her dream job—working as a prosecutor under the Hennepin County Attorney—and has settled into a happy life with her boyfriend, Joe Talbert. But when a woman is pulled from the Mississippi River, barely alive, things in the office take a personal turn.
 
The police believe the woman’s assailant is local photographer Gavin Spenser, but the case quickly flounders as the evidence wears thin. It seems Gavin saw this investigation coming—and no one can imagine how carefully he has prepared.

The more determined Lila is to put Gavin behind bars, the more elusive justice becomes. Battling a vindictive new boss and haunted by the ghosts of her own unspeakable attack, which she’s kept a dark secret for eight long years, Lila knows the clock is ticking down. In a race against an evil mastermind, it will take everything Lila’s got to outsmart a killer—and to escape the dark hold of her own past.

Review:

Sharp, riveting, and creepy!

In this latest novel by Eskens, The Stolen Hours, he transports us to Hennepin County and into the life of Lila Nash, a young prosecutor with a haunted, troubled past, who under the guidance of the tough, veteran prosecutor Andi Fitch takes on the assault and attempted murder case of bridesmaid, Sadie Vaub, putting her front and centre in the sightline of Gavin Spencer, a wedding photographer with a penchant for details and a long history of sadistic violence.

The prose is fluid and tight. The characters are vulnerable, persistent, and meticulous. And the plot, including all the subplots, unravel and intertwine quickly into a gripping tale full of twists, turns, surprises, deception, cruelty, obsession, manipulation, power, privilege, politics, mayhem, violence, and murder.

Allen Eskens is one of those authors that every time I pick up one of his books, I absolutely love it, and yet for some reason he seems to fly under the mainstream radar. I don’t know why. He’s one of my favourite authors, and once again, with The Stolen Hours, he’s written a tense, crafty, cunning thriller that I highly recommend and, in my opinion, shouldn’t be missed.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

           

 

 

Thank you to HBG Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Allen Eskens

Allen Eskens is the USA Today-bestselling author of The Life We Bury, The Guise of Another, The Heavens May Fall, the Deep Dark Descending and The Shadows We Hide. He is the recipient of the Barry Award, Rosebud Award, Minnesota Book Award, and the Silver Falchion Award and has been a finalist for the Edgar Award, Thriller Award, and Anthony Award. His work had been published in 21 languages and his debut novel, The Life We Bury is being developed for a feature film.

Allen lives with his wife, Joely, in greater Minnesota and is represented by Amy Cloughley of Kimberley Cameron and Associates, and is published by both Seventh Street Books and Mulholland/Little Brown.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview High Stakes by Iris Johansen @Iris_Johansen @GrandCentralPub @HBGCanada #HighStakes #IrisJohansen #GrandCentralPub

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#BookReview High Stakes by Iris Johansen @Iris_Johansen @GrandCentralPub @HBGCanada #HighStakes #IrisJohansen #GrandCentralPub Title: High Stakes

Author: Iris Johansen

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Sep. 7, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 400

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

All bets are off as #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen introduces gambler Logan Tanner, a man with a secret past that’s about to come back to haunt him.

Logan Tanner lives the exhilarating life of a professional gambler, taking risks with nerves of steel. From casinos in Macau to Monte Carlo to Milan, he’s racked up a fortune and become a living legend. But all the glitz and glamor hide a dark and violent past as an extractor—a world that comes rushing back to him when the beautiful and innocent Lara Balkon enters his life.

Soon Logan is drawn into the conflict between two Russian mafia bosses over Lara, whose life now hangs in the balance. Logan has been offered something more valuable to him than money—information he desperately needs—in exchange for getting Lara out of Russia and to safety. Once together, Tanner discovers that Lara is a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Tanner’s search for the truth leads them to the bright lights of Las Vegas. Where the person who was hunting Lara now lies in wait for them.

With the stakes climbing with each deadly confrontation, Logan and Lara are soon catapulted into a game against pure evil. The odds are stacked against them, but it’s a game they know they must play…even if it may cost them their lives.

Review:

Tense, twisty, and suspenseful!

High Stakes is a well-executed, menacing tale that features professional gambler, sometimes extractor Logan Tanner, as he heads out on a special mission to extract the talented pianist, Lara Balkon, and her mother Maria from the clutches of the ruthless, depraved Russian mafia in return for a nice paycheck and some sought after intel on someone very special to him who has been missing for some time.

The prose is crisp and precise. The characters are hot-tempered, callous, talented, and resourceful. And the plot is a fast-paced, cat-and-mouse game full of twists, turns, action, intrigue, power, corruption, duplicity, immorality, manipulation, danger, terror, and murder.

Iris Johansen is an award-winning, best-selling author, and with this new release, it’s easy to see why. High Stakes is a sinister, edgy, action-packed page-turner that is intricate, entertaining, and undoubtedly extremely satisfying.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

           

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Iris Johansen

Iris Johansen is a New York Times bestselling author. She began her writing after her children left home for college. She first achieved success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, Johansen began writing suspense historical romance novels, starting with the publication of The Wind Dancer. In 1996 Johansen switched genres, turning to crime fiction, with which she has had great success.

She lives in Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.

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#BookReview All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle @mikegayle @GrandCentralPub #AlltheLonelyPeople #MikeGayle #GrandCentralPub

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#BookReview All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle @mikegayle @GrandCentralPub #AlltheLonelyPeople #MikeGayle #GrandCentralPub Title: All the Lonely People

Author: Mike Gayle

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Jul. 13, 2021

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 10/10

If you loved A Man Called Ove, then prepare to be delighted as Jamaican immigrant Hubert rediscovers the world he’d turned his back on, in a novel that is “warm, funny, and gives you all the feels” (Good Housekeeping).

In weekly phone calls to his daughter in Australia, widower Hubert Bird paints a picture of the perfect retirement, packed with fun, friendship, and fulfillment. But it’s a lie. In reality, Hubert’s days are all the same, dragging on without him seeing a single soul.

Until he receives some good news — good news that in one way turns out to be the worst news ever, news that will force him out again, into a world he has long since turned his back on. The news that his daughter is coming for a visit.

Now Hubert faces a seemingly impossible task: to make his real life resemble his fake life before the truth comes out.
Along the way Hubert stumbles across a second chance at love, renews a cherished friendship, and finds himself roped into an audacious community scheme that seeks to end loneliness once and for all . . .

Life is certainly beginning to happen to Hubert Bird. But with the origin of his earlier isolation always lurking in the shadows, will he ever get to live the life he’s pretended to have for so long?

Review:

Powerful, poignant, and memorable!

All the Lonely People is a nostalgic, touching novel that takes us into the lives of three main characters; Hubert Bird, a kind-hearted, Jamaican widow whose loneliness is palpable and who spends the better part of his days in companionable silence with his beloved cat, Puss; Ashleigh, a friendly, determined, young mother living in a new place with no family or friends nearby to turn to; and Jan, an elderly woman with a heart of gold who not only spends her time having a little fun but helping anyone in need.

The prose is eloquent and reflective. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are unique, endearing, multi-layered, and warm. And the plot, alternating between “Now” and “Then,” is a beautiful tale of friendship, happiness, kindness, generosity, loss, grief, solace, forgiveness, honesty, humour, unconditional love, growing old, and the true meaning of family.

Overall, All the Lonely People is a moving, delightful, exceptional story by Gayle that will make you laugh, make you cry and is hands down one of my favourite reads of the year that, in my opinion, everyone should read at least once.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

           

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Mike Gayle

Mike Gayle was born and raised in Birmingham, UK. After earning a Sociology degree, he moved to London to become a journalist and ended up as an advice columnist for a teenage girls’ magazine before becoming Features Editor for another teen magazine. He has written for a variety of publications including the Sunday Times, the Guardian, and Cosmo. Mike became a full-time novelist in 1997 and has written thirteen novels, which have been translated into more than thirty languages. After stints in London and Manchester, Mike now resides in Birmingham with his wife, two kids, and a rabbit.

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#BookReview The Siren by Katherine St. John @thekatstjohn @GrandCentralPub #TheSiren #KatherineStJohn #GrandCentralPub

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#BookReview The Siren by Katherine St. John @thekatstjohn @GrandCentralPub #TheSiren #KatherineStJohn #GrandCentralPub Title: The Siren

Author: Katherine St. John

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on May 4, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Women's Fiction

Pages: 416

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

From Katherine St. John, author of The Lion’s Den, comes another sublimely escapist thriller: When dangerously handsome megastar Cole Power hires his ex-wife, Stella Rivers, to act in his son’s film, he sparks a firestorm on an isolated island that will unearth long-buried secrets — and unravel years of lies.

In the midst of a sizzling hot summer, some of Hollywood’s most notorious faces are assembled on the idyllic Caribbean island of St. Genesius to film The Siren, starring dangerously handsome megastar Cole Power playing opposite his ex-wife, Stella Rivers. The surefire blockbuster promises to entice audiences with its sultry storyline and intimately connected cast.

Three very different women arrive on set, each with her own motive. Stella, an infamously unstable actress, is struggling to reclaim the career she lost in the wake of multiple, very public breakdowns. Taylor, a fledgling producer, is anxious to work on a film she hopes will turn her career around after her last job ended in scandal. And Felicity, Stella’s mysterious new assistant, harbors designs of her own that threaten to upend everyone’s plans.

With a hurricane brewing offshore, each woman finds herself trapped on the island, united against a common enemy. But as deceptions come to light, misplaced trust may prove more perilous than the storm itself.

Review:

Captivating, seductive, and sinister!

The Siren is a scheming, scintillating tale that sweeps you away to the Caribbean and onto the movie set of Cole Power’s latest film where a varied cast of characters have gathered, tensions are running high, money is low, deception is rife, everyone has a hidden agenda, and sex, violence, despicable behaviour, and murder are definitely not out of the question.

The writing is crisp and edgy. The characters are self-obsessed, ambitious, and secretive. And the plot is an enticing, addictive mix of domestic drama, unpredictable mystery, and breezy summer read all rolled up in one.

Overall, The Siren is another entertaining, enjoyable, satisfying read by St. John that does a wonderful job of reminding us that revenge is best served cold.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

           

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Katherine St. John

Katherine St. John is a native of Mississippi and graduate of the University of Southern California. Over the years she has worked as an actress, screenwriter, director, photographer, producer, singer/songwriter, legal assistant, bartender/waitress, yoga instructor, real estate agent, and travel coordinator… but finds she likes writing novels best. Katherine currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

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