A Shadowed Fate by Marty Ambrose

June 2, 2020 By Leave a Comment


A Shadowed Fate by Marty Ambrose
Claire Clairmont #2
Publisher: Severn House
Genre: Historical, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (180 pages)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

A shocking revelation from an old friend leads Claire Clairmont on a dangerous quest in this second in a fascinating historical trilogy based on the ‘summer of 1816’ Byron/Shelley group.

1873, Florence. Claire Clairmont, the last survivor of the ‘haunted summer of 1816’ Byron/Shelley circle, is reeling from the series of events triggered by the arrival of Michael Rosetti two weeks before, which culminated in a brutal murder and a shocking revelation from her old friend, Edward Trewlany.

Stunned by her betrayal at the hands of those closest to her, Claire determines to travel to the convent at Bagnacavallo near Ravenna to learn the true fate of Allegra, her daughter by Lord Byron. But the valuable Cades sketch given to her by Rosetti is stolen, and Claire soon finds herself shadowed at every turn and in increasing danger as she embarks on her quest. Is the theft linked to Allegra, and can Claire uncover what really happened in Ravenna so many years ago?

Will Claire ever know the truth about Allegra’s fate?

First, anyone wishing to read this book must first read the previous book, Claire’s Last Secret. This novel picks up exactly where the other left off and builds upon events and characters previously introduced.

I truly enjoyed getting to know Claire in the first book, and I relished the opportunity to spend more time with her not only to learn more about her past, but also to follow her quest for the truth about her daughter’s fate. Claire has always had a vibrant personality, and while she is less impulsive than she was in her youth, old age has done little to dim her spirit. I’m also pleased to say I saw a lot of character growth in Claire in this installment. In the first book, Claire seemed like a woman still haunted by her past in many ways. She never got over Byron, and she carries a lot of hurt regarding her relationship with him. Claire and her sister Mary did not part on good terms either. In A Shadowed Fate, Claire begins to find some closure. As Claire travels through Italy, she has the opportunity to reflect on various parts of her past, and in doing so begins to forgive not only others, but herself. These glimpses into the past reveal the events that made Claire the woman she is.

Ms. Ambrose has chosen to tell this story in a slightly different format. Claire’s Last Secret was told with sections that alternated between Claire’s life in 1816 and 1873. This book alternates between Claire’s adventures 1873, old journal entries from Allegra, and sections Claire reads from Byron’s confession. I enjoyed the different perspectives, and I especially enjoyed seeing Byron through the eyes of his daughter in her journal entries.

As with the first novel, A Shadowed Fate is not a story to race through. While the danger surrounding Claire and her mission are very real, the beauty of the scenery and atmosphere is what I’ll remember most when I think about this book.

The conclusion is satisfying if a bit abrupt given the story’s leisurely pace. Some pieces of the mystery surrounding Claire’s daughter have been solved, but Claire’s journey is far from over. Ms. Ambrose has again left me wanting to know more!

I’m delighted that I had the opportunity to continue reading this series. I highly recommend A Shadowed Fate to anyone wanting to lose themselves in the Italian ambience Ms. Ambrose has created.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Knit Your Own Murder by Monica Ferris

May 29, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Knit Your Own Murder by Monica Ferris
A Needlecraft Mystery Book 19
Publisher: Berkley Books, Penguin Group
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (302 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

In the USA Today bestselling Needlecraft Mysteries, Betsy Devonshire has her hands tied between running her needlework shop and turning her sharp eye for deduction to solving crimes…

The Monday Bunch and other local knitters are participating in a fund-raising auction to save a community center, creating a growing pile of stuffed animals and toys right in front of the auctioneers as the audience bids. Among those contributing the most knitted goods is temperamental businesswoman Maddy Hanover—who keels over halfway through the event.

After she is pronounced DOA, an autopsy reveals that Maddy had been poisoned. But how? And by whom? One of the prime suspects is her ruthless business rival Joe Mickels, who lost a bitterly contested property bid to Maddy.

When Mickels pleads his innocence to Betsy, she reluctantly believes him. But if Betsy is going to uncover the real murderer’s identity, she must first untangle the knots Maddy made in her relationships throughout her life…

A competition, an argument and a couple murders… Oh my!

I’ve not read anything by Monica Ferris and was drawn to this book, quite frankly, because of the cat on the cover. I’m a sucker for books with cats in them. I liked that this one was a toy. I’m not a knitter or crocheter. I don’t know my knit two from a purl one. I didn’t need to know anything about knitting to enjoy this book. There is a lot going on in this story.

The writing is crisp and kept me going. I didn’t want to put it down. I’m looking forward to more by this author. Some might be bogged down in the details of knitting aspect of the story. They might be a little confused by some of the product mentions, too. I have no idea what the stuff was the characters discussed stuffing their knitted critters with and it didn’t bother me.

I have to admit, I had no idea who’d committed the murders until the end. I read for the sheer excitement of reading and wasn’t looking for the specific clues on who killed the others. But there were moments when certain things stuck out. I also got a little confused on the sheer amount of characters and character points of view. I did like that the world is so rich and that there is more going on in the story than just the murder. Nothing ever happens in a vacuum. I rather enjoyed the side story of Raphael and Godwin, the gay couple looking to get married. Again, it’s a small town situation and there are always things going on in ever direction.

If you want a cozy mystery that’s a little different and has a knitting theme, then this might be the book for you. Give it a try.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Eidola Project by Robert Herold

May 26, 2020 By Leave a Comment


The Eidola Project by Robert Herold
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery, Paranormal, Horror, Historical
Length: Full Length (293 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

It’s 1885 and a drunk and rage-filled Nigel Pickford breaks up a phony medium’s séance. A strange twist of fate soon finds him part of a team investigating the afterlife. The Eidola Project is an intrepid group of explorers dedicated to bringing the light of science to that which has been feared, misunderstood, and often manipulated by charlatans. They are a psychology professor, his assistant, an African-American physicist, a sideshow medium, and now a derelict, each possessing unique strengths and weaknesses. Called to the brooding Hutchinson Estate to investigate rumored hauntings, they encounter deadly supernatural forces and a young woman driven to the brink of madness. Will any of them survive?

There are some things even science can’t explain yet.

The paranormal genre is something I read regularly. With that being said, I can’t remember the last time I read about characters who not only sought out scientific explanations for the bizarre things they experienced in haunted locations but tried to find a way to stop them using logic among other tools. While I can’t go into much detail about this part of the plot without giving away spoilers, I was quite happy with how these characters responded. They were immensely sensible!

I struggled to remember who all of the characters were in this book. Not only were dozens of them introduced, they were written about in ways that didn’t always make it immediately clear who was going to be important to the plot in the longterm and who might only be mentioned occasionally. As interested as I was in the storyline itself, this made it harder to stay engaged with what was going on than I would have like to be.

Some of the most interesting scenes were the ones that featured paranormal content. Mr. Herold did a great job of explaining what was happening in them, especially when it came to showing how the character who was able to see spirits dealt with her special ability. This was something that brought plenty of complications to her life, so I was glad to see how much attention was paid both to her ability and the dead people who tried to get her attention.

The Eidola Project should be read by anyone who is a fan of ghost stories.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica

May 19, 2020 By Leave a Comment


The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica
Publisher: Park Row
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (359 pages)
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to small-town Maine when their neighbor Morgan Baines is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie.

But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. And as the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of what really happened that dark and deadly night. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light.

It was supposed to be a fresh start.

Every area of Sadie’s life has been marred in some way. Her husband isn’t as devoted as he seems, her oldest child is in serious trouble at school, and a mistake at work nearly costs Sadie her career as a doctor. Moving to Maine was supposed to be a new beginning for them all. Instead, it only makes things worse. Just when Sadie doesn’t think anything else could go wrong, a brutal murder happens just a few houses down the street. Even more shocking, the police think Sadie has something to do with the crime. Will Sadie be able to prove her innocence, or is the culprit closer than she imagines?

Sadie’s situation is so sad. The more I read, the more I discovered just how many problems were plaguing Sadie and her family. Ms. Kubica chose to tell this story from multiple viewpoints. I found this intriguing as each character has something important to add to the plot. Each chapter peels back another layer, revealing the roots of the problems bit by bit. I will say that this format did slow the pacing down. Since the chapters alternates between the perspective of several of the main characters, I needed to re-adjust my mindset with each change. I interpret chapters from Sadie’s perspective much differently than those from the perspective of Camille, the woman Will has an affair with, or Mouse, a young girl whose true identity isn’t revealed until the novel’s conclusion.

The nature of the subject matter also made it more difficult to get through this book. This book contains a lot of heavy material including violence and child abuse. As I read, the weight of it all pressed on me, and I needed to set the book aside from time to time before picking it up again. Readers sensitive to this material are forewarned.

The conclusion of this novel is mostly satisfying. I think some of the twists are a little hard to swallow. However, I was able to set aside my disbelief, especially since many of the characters are well on their way to finding some semblance of happiness by the end.

Overall, I think The Other Mrs. is a good book. I recommend it to readers who enjoy a slower paced suspense.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

R.I.P in Reykjavik by A.R. Kennedy

May 18, 2020 By 9 Comments


R.I.P in Reykjavik by A.R. Kennedy
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: Full Length (149 pgs)
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Rose

Traveling with your family can be murder. One wedding party + one estranged mother = another vacation that goes array for Naomi.

Naomi is off on another international vacation. She thinks traveling with her mother will be the most difficult part of her trip until she meets the rest of the tour group—a wedding party. It only gets worse when she finds the groom dead. Everyone’s a suspect on her Icelandic tour of this stunning country.


I was excited to go on another adventure with Naomi, the protagonist of Sleuth on Safari. This time she’s traveling with her mother and, once again, a dead body shows up.

It was wonderful to get a detailed glimpse of Iceland and learn about some of the special foods and habits of the people. It was also great getting another small glimpse of Jack (I loved him from the last book).

The mystery was just as good as the last one – I have to admit to not knowing who the killer was until the end. Good job on that!

And, I loved Naomi’s mother…finally. She was a hard one to swallow until all was revealed. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series – hopefully we’ll be able to meet Naomi’s brother. It was also really cool that Charlotte was involved long distance.

This is shaping up to be a really neat series and I can hardly wait to see where the author takes us next.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Vaaden Warriors by Jessica Coulter Smith

May 18, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Vaaden Warriors by Jessica Coulter Smith
Intergalactic Affairs 2
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full length (203 pages)
Other: M/F, Masturbation, Forced Seduction, Multiple Partners
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Dryas

When Vaaden warriors claim slaves from Earth they will face emotions they never knew they possessed.

Vaaden Captives: Captured on Earth, Sorcha, Enid and Susan are slaves, bound to owners who crave them for the pleasure they can bring, the women despair of ever finding happiness again. But then the unthinkable happens. Sorcha falls for her owner’s brother; Enid, despite her fears, falls for the man who claims her; Susan finds herself drawn to two men, but in the end, only one will claim her heart.

Vaaden Warriors: When three Vaaden warriors claim slaves procured from Earth, they will face emotions they never knew they possessed. Rheul doesn’t believe in love, until he meets his new slave; Randar must choose between his duty or his heart; Thale thought he was saving Moira, but in the end she saved him.

This is a novel that has three short stories about three different Vaaden Warriors and the slaves they have purchased. We learn about their society and just how horrible they treat their slaves, as many are considered either a possession or a warm body to get sexual relief. Many of the women are mistreated and injured for the least thing if they displease their masters. The men have the right to kill a slave or give them away. They have a society that if men do not have sex regularly, they will sicken and die. The Warriors prefer slaves over their own women as their women are cold, and uncaring–along with the fact that they do not seem to enjoy sex. Many warriors that have married a Vaaden woman have had a horrible relationship. Thus, the profusion of harems, and it doesn’t explain just how the slaves are found but my guess is that they are kidnapped from earth.

The only slightly good thing that there are a few laws that will protect the slaves. A warrior will be fined for the first two transgressions and then he will face banishment. This isn’t the best way to keep the slaves safe as several different men could abuse a woman and be fined while the slave must suffer.

The first story features Rheul and his new slave Darcy and how their lives are changed upon first sight. Most Vaaden warriors go to select their slaves from the slave pens. Those that are not chosen were sent to the Harems.

Rheul’s situation was different as his brother Bastian had picked one out for him. Getting Rheul a slave was partially Bastian’s idea and partially his slave, Enid’s idea. They hope he will fall in love just like they did. Rheul is stuck on the notion that he has to marry eventually since his brother doesn’t want to marry a Vaaden woman and he sees it as his duty to marry and provide an heir to their fortune. The society doesn’t allow slaves to marry their masters, to live in their master’s homes, or to keep any children that are born of the union. So, the slaves are considered second class citizens.

Rheul is a very dutiful male who knows that if he got a slave it would not be fair since once, he married a Vaaden woman he would not see the slave very often. Bastian believes that Rheul would be a good master as he is not violent and would provide the best care possible. I enjoyed his character as he knows his mind and what would be for the best, at first at least. He is also incredibly understanding and is a man of his word.

When he first met Darcy, it was funny because he immediately felt protective. His stomach dropped since he knew that those feelings were not good as he had seen his brother go through the same thing. He doesn’t want to fall in the same trap as his brother.

Darcy is an incredibly sweet but strong woman with a large capacity for love. She is confused and worried about her new life and for a good reason. She is a virgin and had heard horror stories in the slave pen from three slaves that had been returned. She thought she would be abused, expected to do anything that was asked of her no matter how she felt about it. I felt happy for her as her heart swelled at her amazement of how she was being treated, since it was better than she ever imagined.  Their intimacy is hot and yet sweet at the same time, both finding so much pleasure together.

The second story features Randar. Randar is an older warrior and, unlike many of his comrades, he really hadn’t thought of getting a slave. He is firm and no nonsense. He knows what he wants and will get it at any cost. He has rather a romantic notion in his head of having a slave around his age that he could hopefully have a companion.  He is the most compassionate of all three of the men we meet. This is shown by how he treats Lyssa after he brings her back to the slave apartments and he notices how timid and fearful she was. He used such a soothing and calming tone of voice and actions with small touches. To give Lyssa her time to heal and trust him he decides to use the harem. He has a favorite slave he visits, Sophie, whenever he needs to have sex.

Sophie is a completely different person than Lyssa and is more to his liking. When he saw Sophie’s expression at the thought of losing him, he made a wild decision. He was able to support two slaves and he really wanted Sophie near him. She was an older woman whom he already had conversations with, and a pleasant attitude and he just knew that there could be a deep friendship and maybe he could fall in love. He did not have any wish to marry a Vaaden woman.

Sophie makes it clear that she prefers him over any of the men who have come to her. It was so sweet watching them together as it’s obvious how connected they are. She is a brave woman, not letting on just how much it hurts that she must share him. He also becomes extremely protective once he claims her as his and when she points out that many of the men had seen her body and he state, “But That was before you were mine. No one gets to see your body but me.”

She is just such a tough person and the author is doing a great job of showing how differently people who suffer from tragedy behave. The fact that Sophie did not let herself become jaded and is still able to love and in fact look forward to being intimate with him. Where Lyssa has become withdrawn, bitter and unable to cope, just letting her mind shut down and do what is asked. He is another man of honor who is trying his best to keep both woman happy.

The final story involves Thale, another man who is forced to take a slave from a friend.  Yet again, Rheul is stepping in to get a woman who deserves to get out of the Harem to a friend he knows will take care of her.

Thale has a completely different personality than the other two men. He had owned a slave before, and it was not a good idea. He accidentally ended up hurting her. He also blames himself for his wife’s death, even though he had been cleared by the medic. He has lost faith in himself and because of everything he went through he believes he has no heart to give. Rheul is persistent , soThale agrees to visit her but he made sure Rheul knew that he would not decide right away. The poor man is so insecure about love and just will not believe that his concrete heart could be broken into.

Poor Thale is captivated by her eyes first and feels a pull towards her. It scares him as he has not felt a pull like this ever. Moira has been abused also and my heart hurt as she has accepted the fact that these men can do this to her as she is only a slave. Again, the society is showing just how far they need to go to understand that humans have feelings and should not be treated like an object.

Thale well knows his own of his weaknesses and makes sure that Moira knows them. He makes sure that she understands that he won’t hurt her and won’t share her with anyone else. Moira is another sweet woman that seems to be made just for Thale, as she remarks to him, “I have a lot of tolerance so being rude won’t bother me.” All she cares about is that he is not mean.  Their sex life is explosive a passionate. Moira is a great character with a soft personality and the ability to know what he wants. Love beats all circumstances.

These stories show us just how horrible sex slavery is, how each woman must take whatever comes to her and not complain. These women were strong enough to take the horrors they faced day after day, but others have been broken, living inside their minds while letting their bodies be used. Each one is considered a possession if they are bought from the harem. They may have a slightly better life, but it depends on their owner. Not everyone is as sweet and caring as these fine men. I’m going to see if there are full stories available as this is only a small sample of what happened to other men.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Dream Job? by Linda Palmer

May 15, 2020 By Leave a Comment


Dream Job? by Linda Palmer
Psy Squad #8
Publisher: Uncial Press
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (105 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

RJ Banks, 20, is psychic. Her gifts are her dreams, which are riddled with cryptic hints about the location of the world’s most wanted criminals. This isn’t an accident. RJ, who believes that dreams are just our brains working through recent half thoughts, images, and impressions, deliberately immerses herself in details about these real-life villains in hopes her psychic brain will give her answers the World Security League needs.

Her methods actually work, the reason she was able to help WSL agents find a dangerous cult leader on the run. Now she is trying to find a high-profile politician from Georgia who is also a murderer. Up until now, her dreams have come in threes with a trio of hints in each. While the dreams generally change in locale, theme, and intensity, the hints in each are the same…sort of. A river in one could be an ocean or pond in another. RJ keeps a dream journal to help her figure out the common denominators, in this example water. But the challenge doesn’t end there. Is her assigned villain in a swimming pool? In a bathtub? Or watering his lawn?

The work is challenging, but she loves it…until she dreams about herself in a plane that crashes. Although tempted to blow off the dream, she fears it has something to do with plane tickets she just bought so she can fly to Florida for her parents’ anniversary. Nate, her supervisor suggests driving might be smarter. He also recommends that she hire a bodyguard to go with her and even gives her a name: Wyck Hardy. Wyck isn’t a full-time professional, but does have experience in personal protection. In spite of the fact that he thinks psychics are psycho, RJ hires him. Maybe this trip with be an eye opener for him. Or will it be an eye opener for her?

Love doesn’t always show up when you expect it to. For that matter, neither do mysteries!

There was some fabulous chemistry between RJ and Wyck that played out in a beautifully slow fashion. Their banter was on point and they seemed just aware enough of the sparks flying between them for me to wonder when one of them might finally act on it. I appreciated the fact that things moved so slowly between them, too. That was perfect for their personalities even though I was eager to see if they make as good of a match for each other as I thought they might.

I would have liked to see more attention paid to the mystery elements of the storyline. They were an important part of why RJ’s road trip unfolded the way that it did, and things felt a little unbalanced to me when it came to how much time was spent on this when compared to the paranormal and romantic plots.

The dialogue was smooth and felt natural to me. Each time I read the passages that included a lot of conversations between RJ and the various folks in her life, it felt like I was listening to two people talk instead. These sections couldn’t have been written better. They were a joy to experience.

This novella is the eighth in a series, and it works well as a standalone piece. I’d only read one of the previous installments and had no problem catching up with what had happened since then.

Dream Job? should be read by fans of the romance, paranormal, and mystery genres alike.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Fun with Funerals by Yvonne Rediger

May 13, 2020 By 5 Comments


Fun with Funerals by Yvonne Rediger
A Musgrave Landing Mystery
Publisher: BWL Publishing Inc.
Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Contemporary
Length: Full length (182 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

Alicia Highmere is heading home, back to Musgrave Landing after a call from her mother’s care home. Accompanied by her bodyguard, Bryce Graham, Alicia won’t know until she gets there that Olivia Frost-Highmere is manipulating events regarding the estranged family members to suit her agenda.

Part of the reason the family has fallen out is due to the disappearance of Allister Highmere, some twenty years ago. Alicia’s father vanished without a trace upsetting the family company and leaving the seat of CEO vacant. Uncle Hugo had his eye on the power seat and accused Olivia of murder, to get it, but is it murder if there’s no body?

When a corpse is discovered in the family cemetery, where there shouldn’t be one, the cold case regarding Allister Highmere is reopened. Alicia has no idea who in the family or the Highmere estate staff is involved, but she will find out.

This book was a surprise…a particularly good one. This is a good story. It’s the kind that has you holding your breath a little, wondering what will happen and wondering if what you “hope”, will happen. It’s a cozy mystery with a lot of suspense; plenty of twists and turns. It’s a quick read but there is plenty of story between the opening page and the conclusion. And it wasn’t what I was expecting.

I think the title and cover are not representative of this story. It is not a book I would have picked up off the table to look at in the bookstore. I love cozies and I often think of them having certain elements. To me, that’s not true of this book. It has more depth, a deeper definition of its characters, and a serious storyline. And those are all good things!

This is an author with lots of ability. I’m not saying I think she’s writing in the wrong genre.  I just think this author is more of a heavyweight than the marketing of this story portrays. I’m not trying to say she needs to write longer books. Long is not always better.

I know I’m not saying this in the proper manner. This is a very good story told by a very good storyteller and I think maybe the book is underrated or not being marketed properly. Is its beauty and depth hidden behind the title? I’m not sure but I hope Ms. Rediger writes some more.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Beat of Black Wings by Josh Pachter (Editor)

May 13, 2020 By 4 Comments


The Beat of Black Wings by Josh Pachter (Editor)
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Historical, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (362 pages)
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

With nine Grammys, multiple lifetime achievement awards, inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and a Top Ten ranking on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time,” Joni Mitchell has established herself as one of the most important singer/songwriters, not only of her generation, but in the history of popular music.

In this collection, 28 crime writers pay tribute to Joni’s musical legacy with short stories inspired by her lyrics, representing each of her seventeen studio albums from 1968’s Song to a Seagull to 2007’s Shine.

Many of the classics are represented here, including “Both Sides, Now” (in the first literary collaboration between Art Taylor and Tara Laskowski, who have each won major awards for their fiction), “Big Yellow Taxi” (by Kathryn O’Sullivan, author of the Colleen McCabe series), and “River” (by Stacy Woodson, winner of the 2019 Readers Choice Award from Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine), plus such equally fascinating titles as “Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire” (by Donna Andrews, author of the award-winning Meg Lanslow series), “The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines” (by Amber Sparks), and “Ray’s Dad’s Cadillac” (by Michael Bracken). This anthology also includes contributions from Alison McMahan, Brendan DuBois, Edith Maxwell and many other talented writers.

The best songs are the ones that tell unforgettable stories.

An insurance clerk fell for a showgirl in “The Pirate of Penance.” He dreamed of whisking her away from the nude dancing she did to pay the bills. I was immediately entranced by their relationship and curious to see what would happen to them next. While I can’t go into any more detail than that, I will say that the twist in the end was delightful.

Charlie, the protagonist in “Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire,” was a homeless guy who had a secret weapon to fight against an enemy that only he could see. I had a lot of sympathy for him. He was clearly dealing with some hard stuff and had few resources to draw upon other than the one I already mentioned. Seeing how he dealt with conflict kept me reading. It was well written and compelling.

“Ray’s Dad’s Cadillac” told the tale of a family that bought a new vehicle that seemed to be too expensive for their lifestyle. Figuring out how they could afford it was a great deal of fun. I had a few different theories in mind and was eager to find one which of them, if any, might actually be the correct one. What was truly delightful about the plot was the big twist in it towards the end that I didn’t see coming at all. As much as I’d liked the main character before, my opinion of her only grew even more positive by the final scene.

The Beat of Black Wings was a beautiful anthology that I’d heartily recommend to anyone who is a fan of Joni Mitchell or the mystery genre.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Fated Hearts by Becky Flade

May 12, 2020 By 13 Comments


Fated Hearts by Becky Flade
Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense, Paranormal
Length: Full (218 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Poppy

Psychiatrist Henley Elliott fled her quiet life in Cleveland for a gypsy lifestyle, trying to stay one step ahead of her painful memories. When she breaks down in quirky little Trappers’ Cove, Minnesota, she meets Sheriff Carter McAlister – a man healing from his own share of hidden heartbreaks.

At the request of a friend, Carter offers Henley a job to help her get back on her feet . . . but soon he can’t resist trying to sweep the intriguing woman off them. Breaking through her carefully built shell proves to be a near-impossible task, and to make matters worse, a dangerous new presence in the Cove seems to be targeting Henley. They must learn to trust in each other in order to keep her safe.

Can Henley and Carter leave their secrets and scars in the past to get a second chance at happily ever after?

I absolutely enjoyed this book! One of my favorite things to read is small town romance, and this had it all. The secondary characters absolutely shined throughout.

That’s not to say the main characters didn’t. They did. There was an ease in the way they were written that really made this book easy to read, no burps or hiccups at all. From the very start, when Henley was coaxing her old car into just one more mile, to the end when their romance was being wrapped up (and they had Maggie and Aiden as the “peanut gallery”) I just enjoyed them all.

The storyline was interesting as well and I appreciated that both characters had a traumatic past to overcome. There were times I found Carter to be a little too cocky and Henley a bit too reticent to form attachments, but they are who they are. I had to laugh at how Maggie just steamrolled Henley from the very start and completely enveloped her with her friendship. Honestly, everyone in the town did the same thing with their openness and willingness to accept her (except Aiden…and I did like that subplot as well).

It was neat getting reacquainted with Maggie and Aiden from book one, as well as the town and its people, too. However, this book easily stands on its own so don’t let the fact it’s book two in a series deter you from giving it a try. Also, even though I say this book’s heat level is “spicy”, the love scenes are present but very mild and understated.

The mystery side of this was well written as well, though as in the book before, the bad guy was a little over the top bad (to the point I could almost envision him in one of the old melodramas twirling his mustache). Still, it holds up and I loved how everyone bands together to protect Henley.

The end was perfect. I giggled every time Maggie or Aiden murmured something during the wind down of this story. A good, solid, well written and fun read. I’m looking forward to the next book.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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