Review: Ominous Legacy by Jannine Gallant

 

Ominous Legacy by Jannine Gallant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the 4th book in the Counter Strike series by Jannine Gallant. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and she did not disappoint. This page-turner starts with a mysterious legacy that sends experienced investigator, Wyatt Stone, and Talia Davis, a computer expert for the Counter Strike team. When they get together, the chemistry is clear--but is Talia ready to put her heart and her life on the line after a bad break-up. Will they and the budding romance survive the investigation--and the political impact? A nail biter and page turner, this novel earned 5 red, white, and blue stars from me and made me wonder, "What if?"

View all my reviews

Review: When Mountains Fall by Rolynn Anderson

When Mountains Fall by Rolynn Anderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been on the water in boats in high seas and low. This story took me back to those times and resonated through my core. I was cold, I was scared, I was angry, I was so frustrated I cried. I felt every emotion the heroine Camryn Hudson experienced, thanks to the author's powerful writing and scene setting. Her husband dies in a horrible timber company accident. Not bad enough he's dead, he has chained her to a marina she's not sure she can run on her own. Could things get worse? Yes, and they do. Her in-laws try to get her parental rights revoked, her DEAD husband is accused of murder, and the man she thinks she's falling for, Finn Weber, has more secrets than a triple agent. No spoilers from me, you must read the book to find out why I give it 5 stars and 5 rousing tug boat toots.

View all my reviews

Review: Hiding Among the Dead by Chris Bauer

Hiding Among the Dead by Chris Bauer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

From the moment I opened this book on my Kindle, until I closed it a few hours later, I was enthralled. A unique business (crime scene cleaning) with unusual owners and employees (ex-Navy Seal, woman in need of new lungs, an amnesiac), a crime syndicate I did not see coming--and well, let's just say the plot is not predictable. No spoilers from me.

The characters were well-drawn, quirky, and endearing (well not so much the some of the villains), but even the villains had great back stories. No mustache twirlers. The heroes and heroines felt like I'd like to know them in person, with all their foibles. I keep thinking about them and wondering if there will be another book with them in it.

Bottom line: The beginning hooked me, the middle drug me along with the hook firmly wedged in my brain, and the ending was symmetrical and satisfying. I give this book 5 industrial sized, shiny new pressure cookers with a side order of highly recommend and you must read this story!

View all my reviews

Review: Second Wind by Alison Henderson

Second Wind by Alison Henderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Laurel McDowell escapes her abusive fiance and runs home to her loving family in Big Sur. Little does she know that not only was he an abusive SOB, he was also a money launderer. When his body washes up, Laurel hopes it's the end of an era in her life. Unfortunately, it's the beginning of a nightmare where mobsters are trying to find something the fiance left with her, something she cannot find.

Jake Carlson, a shorts-wearing, easy going FBI forensic accountant and friend to her family, shows up to help Laurel out in the nick of time repeatedly. Is he really interested in her? Or does he want to get the same thing the mobsters want? He seems like a good guy, but does his interest in Laurel stop when the case is solved.

Laurel and Jake take on bikers, mobsters, and a 30 pound cat. Okay, it's her cat, but still, he's thirty pounds of attack cat. Who will find the elusive thing? And what happens when they do? No spoilers from me! I give this book five big cat shining grins and an enthusiastic recommendation for all those who love romantic suspense.

View all my reviews

Review: Lethal Memory by Jannine Gallant

Lethal Memory by Jannine Gallant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Dr. Riley Adair is close to finding a cure for dementia, a shadowy organization comes after her. Do they want to suppress or steal her findings? All she knows is she is attacked, abducted, and assaulted. To the kidnappers dismay, their battery causes her to lose her memory.

Noah Kimball, aka, Patch, is the medical officer as part of an elite extraction team called Counterstrike. When Riley is rescued by the team, she is under Patch's care. While trying to recover her memories, she's making new ones with the handsome and compassionate doctor.

Will she recover her memory or will the assailants succeed in stealing her work? No spoilers from me, you will have to read the book to find out how many plot twists Ms. Gallant works into this story! I give it five (5) shiny stethoscopes and highly recommend this read.

View all my reviews

Review: Courting the Cat Whisperer

Courting The Cat Whisperer by Wynter Daniels
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A man wakes up in a ravine and can’t recall how he arrived there—or his name. The only clue he has to his identity is a rain soaked piece of paper in his pocket that says “Harr”. He decides his name must be Harry and follows a cat who leads him back to civilization.

Pet-sitter Jordan Vaughn struggles to shine, but is always overshadowed by her “smarter, prettier, more lovable” identical twin. While attempting to climb into the window of a house full of hungry cats, she literally falls into Harry’s arms.

Living in Nocturne Falls, where Halloween is celebrated every day of the year, Jordan’s used to strange things, but never has seen a hot hunk who is actually interested in her—and doesn’t appear to be another loser.

After someone tries to break into the house where Jordan is pet sitting, things begin to heat up outside and in Harry’s arms. Is the bungled burglary a random act or is it the beginning of something more ominous?

With the help of feline friends who share clues, Jordan and Harry race to unravel this mystery before someone gets hurt—again. I give this purrfectly fun read 5 kitty biscuits and 5 gold stars!

View all my reviews

Review: Wilde One by Jannine Gallant

When Griff Wilde, a sunken treasure hunter, receives a handwritten letter from a man claiming to have Nazi war loot, he is initially skeptical. His curiosity gets the best of him and he decides to accept the challenge.

Ainslee Fontaine, an exhausted and emotionally defeated inner city teacher, has packed up her SUV and plans to escape the city, going to the West Coast for a new start. She gathers her last bit of mail and finds a letter in a spidery hand inviting her to join a scavenger hunt for treasure.

Griff and Ainslee meet at the bank where the first clue awaits them in a safety deposit box. Much like “Rat Race”, there are more contestants in this cross-country puzzle, some of them with less than pleasant attitudes toward their fellow contestants.

The two decide to join forces and become partners in a race from clue to clue. Along the way, romance flares, but will it fizzle when the game’s over?

Jannine Gallant had me at Nazi loot. Combined with a Greatest Race plot and sexy interludes, this is a fast-paced story that makes me want to read about the rest of the Wilde Family! I give it 5 ankle biters (read to find out why) and 5 gold stars and I highly recommend it!

Buy at Amazon for 99 cents! Sale ending soon! Grab it while you can!

Review: The Art of Love and Murder by Brenda Whiteside

The Art of Love and Murder by Brenda Whiteside
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Lacy Dahl first encounters Chance Meadowlark on a dark night while visiting in Flagstaff, she thinks he belongs to the footsteps that had been following her down an alley. Little does she know he’s the Sheriff and trying to protect her. Lacy is shaken by the encounter, and not just from fear-induced adrenaline. He’s tall, dark, and sexy, stirring feeling she hasn’t had since her husband died.

Chance doesn’t need any complications in his life. His life has settled into a nice pace and his daughter is in college. Eight years before, his wife was murdered in an art heist. Running into Lacy wasn’t going to upset his routine, which includes a friends-with-benefits relationship with a local woman appropriately named Kitty.

Lacy is on a mission to find her roots. Her mother and father died in a plane crash and now she has returned to Flagstaff to connect her mother’s artwork to her past. Chance and Lacy work together on a personal and professional investigation. Will Lacy’s past come crashing into his? Will the ever present Kitty release her claws from Chance? Will Lacy find her true heritage?

No spoilers from me. You need to listen to this fast paced, well written, well-acted audio book to find out! I give it 5 Southwestern Sunsets, 5 Sexy Sheriffs, and 5 Stars!


View all my reviews

Review: Fire is Nice by Rolynn Anderson

Fire is Nice by Rolynn Anderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Law Enforcement (LE) Ranger Carter Glass is happy working solo in his computer cave in Sequoia National Park when an unwanted partner is thrust upon him. FBI Special Agent Sable Chisholm is equally annoyed with being reassigned as an LE Ranger in Sequoia National Park to investigate ancient bone thefts—with truffles on the side.

When Sable arrives with her pet donkey named Wheezer and a pig named Chops and takes occupancy of a nearby cabin, Carter takes cover, preferring the company of his computers to the attractive, extremely direct woman. Sable thinks Carter could be a decent partner—if he’d come out of his cave.

Forced to work together to investigate an attack on a park ranger in addition to the ongoing thefts of national treasures, Sable and Carter come to an uneasy truce. But can this truce grow into something more than a partnership? You must read this fast-paced, well-researched, suspense story to find out. I give it 5 Pig Snorts, 5 Donkey Brays, and 5 Stars!

View all my reviews

Review: Debriefing the Dead by Kerry Blaisdell

Debriefing the Dead by Kerry Blaisdell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hyacinth is an art and antiquities dealer whose merchandise has dubious provenance. When her partner dies and leaves her a truckload of art, she examines the haul to see what is marketable--and a rock sings to her. The rock, indistinguishable from any rock-garden variety rock, is such a siren she cannot resist touching it. And it knocks her off her feet and into a series of extraordinary events.

Add a sister who was literally married to the mob, a hot handsome neighbor, an equally hot and handsome dead guy, Archangel Michael in battle gear, and a nephew who needs to be rescued from the clutches of demonic beings and you have a cast of characters ready to go into action.

This debut novel is well-researched, well-written, and a fast-paced page turner. Hint: Keep your eye on that rock. I give this book 5 Angelic Stars and highly recommend this supernatural story.

View all my reviews

Review: Evil Speaks Softly by Maureen Bonatch

Evil Speaks Softly by Maureen L. Bonatch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you've ever wondered where authors get their story ideas, here's the answer: the voices tell me to do it. Not only do the voices, but in this instance, it's dead killers who whisper to the heroine (Liv) and tell her what to write. But...she doesn't know that until one particularly nasty spirit decides he doesn't like the way she's writing the story. Cue the scary music RIGHT NOW. Seriously. It's a good thing she has a best friend, a romance writing grandmother, and a hot boyfriend (GAGE) who are there to help her, otherwise, I'm not sure she and Mozart (the dog, not the musician) will make it out alive. NO SPOILERS. This book has a dead bad guy, spooky happenings, hot romance, funny secondary characters (OMG GAGE'S FAMILY ALONE DESERVES A BOOK!!!) and a lot of action. Five spooky stars for this fast, fun read.

View all my reviews

Review and Character Interview with Jesse Sullivan from Dying Light by Kory M. Shrum

Where are you from? Did you have a happy childhood? I’m from the middle of nowhere, southern Illinois. And, uh, no. My childhood wasn’t happy. Let’s just say that when my father died when I was 8, it just got worse from there.

Where do you live now and what do you do for a living? Is there something you'd rather be doing? Right now, I’m on the run and not really living anywhere. After all, you can’t really live in a hotel can you? But I had a house in Nashville that I really liked. Until I burned it down accidentally. Uncontrollable pyrokinesis. Got to love it! Before I had to leave Nashville I was working as a death replacement agent, dying so others don’t have to. But then people started trying to kill me and I “quit”.

What's going on in your life right now? Now I’m part of a small tactical team that’s trying to take down the bad guy. I hallucinate and talk to angels. As you can imagine, this doesn’t help me stay focused on killing the bad guy. I’m pretty sure we’re all going to die.

Is there someone special in your life? I’ve got this hot lesbian thing going on with my best friend.

How did you meet? We met when we were 11 and have been best friends ever since. We just recently got together, probably because it’s now or never.

What's keeping you two apart? The homicidal maniac trying to kill us and the fact the world might end at any minute. All couples have their problems!

What one thing could you do that would make you feel like the relationship will work out? I’m not sure it will work out, since it looks like I’m going to have to choose my life or hers. But it isn’t a hard choice for me. I’d choose her every time.

Any last comments? Kory M. Shrum lives in Michigan with her partner and a ferocious guard pug. She has dabbled in everything from fortune telling to martial arts and when not reading or writing, she can be found teaching, traveling, or wearing a gi. She is the author of four books in the Jesse Sullivan contemporary fantasy series. She is also an active member of both SFWA and HWA. Called "addictive" by New York Times Bestseller Darynda Jones, those interested in strong female leads are sure to take a shine to Jesse Sullivan, the reluctant anti-hero of this series.

Synopsis of Dying Light:
In the wake of her handler's death, Jesse has never felt more alone. Her best friend is distracted by a new love. Her mentor Rachel is missing and her boyfriend Lane isn't returning her calls. 

Worse, a Necronite with the ability to heal any wound wants to kill Jesse and absorb her power of pyrokinesis.

With little to hold her to Nashville, Jesse agrees to work as a freelance agent for Jeremiah Tate, a pharmaceutical tycoon in Chicago. Together they plot revenge against Caldwell, the mastermind responsible for the genocide of over 100,000 Necronites worldwide.

When Jeremiah fails to dominate Jesse and her abilities, tensions escalate, dividing her from her allies. Then Caldwell gives Jesse an ultimatum she cannot refuse.

 Amazon

My Rating: Five Firecrackers out of Five

 

My Review

Dying Light is the fourth story by Kory M. Shrum that I've enjoyed. This book picks up where the third one left off, with Jesse fighting supernatural forces of evil, Ally in love with Nikki and Jesse, Jesse in love with Ally and Lane, and Lane having left Jesse. The last book, Dying for Her, gave us Jesse’s handler’s backstory in depth. While it is not necessary to read the series in order because the author does a good job of bringing the reader up to speed, you would lose out on a lot of enjoyable reading if you don’t.

This story is told from the point of views of Jesse and Ally, rather than one point of view. This structure adds depth and breadth to a tale of life, death, reanimation, and the struggle between the demonized Necronites (do not call them zombies!) and a country following a madman who hides behind religion to advance his ambitions. More than ever, Jesse is called upon to confront and defeat this madman. Will she and her allies survive and overcome the madman? Or will she die and lose her powers to the man she must defeat? Will Nikki and Ally have a happily ever after? Or will Jesse reunite with her lover?

I don’t want to give anything away. However, if you are worried about madmen who wrap themselves in a cult and call it the truth, if you care about marginalized people, if you know anything at all about the rise of Nazism on the way to WWII and the cult of the Aryan nation, then you will want to read this thought provoking paranormal tale of the battle of good and evil, life and death, destruction and creation. At times heartbreaking, this is not a story for the faint of heart. Prepare to be catapulted into this dark, world and buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride. I highly recommend this series and am eager to read the next book in the series.