Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 90
December 9, 2023
Review: SANTA CRUISE by Mary and Carol Higgins Clark
“Your body must not be surroundedby water” was the psychic prediction Alvirah got just before boarding a holidaycruise. Just perfect. Two escaped felons were among the stowaways on the cruisealong with Alvirah, Willy, Regan, and Jack.
Aptly named “Santa Cruise,” theship would have ten Santas strolling around in suits, greeting guests andtaking pictures. Two suits go missing to hide the felons. Such excitement onthe turbulent seas.
Once again, the two Clarks manageto lure us into a suspenseful and mysterious story that gets you hooked andkeeps you reading. The best part was the possibility of a would-be killer onthe ship. Will they finally figure out what’s going on here?
A good holiday mystery at sea!
Rating:5 stars
Review: DOG EAT DOUG: BAK IN BLACK Vol. 7 by Brian Anderson
Cute and funny comics about anadorable puppy and her baby companion. See what fun mischief these two havewhen the parents announce plans to move. Moving boxes everywhere! Oh, whattangled fun they have.
A quick and fun read!
Rating:4 stars
Review: DOG EAT DOUG Vol. 9 by Brian Anderson
Cute comics about a pup, a baby,and two cats. A fun read!
Rating:4 stars
Review: WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN? By Mary Higgins Clark
Where are the children? For years,Nancy had been asking herself that very question. Ever since that day. Eversince the trial. Now married with two more children, she still thinks about it.
“Somewhere today, Nancy Harmon iscelebrating her 32nd birthday and the 7th anniversary ofthe death of the children she was found guilty of murdering.”
The past was repeating itself whenher 2 current children go missing. Nancy, where are the children? Oh no. Notagain.
This story was a little slow toget into as it concentrated at first on the missing children and Nancy’scatatonic state. Could Nancy be suspected of murdering these 2 children aswell?
Meanwhile, the 2 kids are trappedwith a sick and twisted stranger with a sinister plan to repeat history. Thisone had good suspense, but I have to admit that I kind of figured who it wasgoing to be in the end.
Another good mystery!
Rating:4 stars
December 8, 2023
Blog Tour: CHRISTMAS COVE by Sarah Dressler
Christmas Cove
by Sarah Dressler
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GENRE: Romance
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BLURB:
With only three weeks left in December, traveleditor, America Greene, arrives in the idyllic Christmas Cove to find it...Christmasless!
America needs a story, and fast, so she teams upwith the town’s good-looking (and eligible) mayor, Leo, to light up Main Streetand salvage her chance at being a full-time writer. The connection between themheats up, halls are decked, sleigh bells ring, and lights twinkle. Just whenshe thinks the holiday is saved, a nearby city threatens the future ofChristmas Cove. With her heart, and career, hanging in the balance, she mustlearn that Christmas is much more than just a place on a map before time runsout.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
Night came and went with another solid sleep. America lookedat herself in the mirror, unable to believe what she had done, or what she hadoffered to do. Sure, she knew her reasons for wanting to bring back Christmaswere purely in the interest of self-preservation. Wanting to succeed with herfirst article assignment was a huge driving factor, but the task at hand was somuch bigger than anything she should have taken on. There was no denying herreign as the office elf, and she knew that if anyone had enough Christmasspirit to spread around, she did.
Now that the offer was out there, she would need to followthrough. One way or another, she was getting her Christmas Cove experience, andan article drafted to prove it. Sure, she had enlisted Leo’s help, but if shehad any real chance of success, they would need reinforcements. America checkedher watch. Leo would be back any minute to pick her up. In the meantime, shepulled her coat back on and tidied her hastily twisted bun atop her head.
The pine tree, so generously given to her that previousmorning by Leo, stood in its bare state beside her. There is nothingsadder than a Christmas tree with no lights. Except perhaps, shethought, one without ornaments too.
“This simply will not do,” America said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Topic: What's your favorite scene in this story and why?
If you ask any author what their favoritescene is from their story, you will likely receive a similar answer. How do Ichoose just one? Because a storyteller knows that the sum of the story isgreater than the parts. I love Christmas Cove. All of it, the characters, thesetting, the traditions, and the kindness. It’s a place that we all secretlydream about being a part of, and we long for the sort of Christmas that bringsa community together.
But since you asked, I’ll spill the tea on oneof the scenes that I am especially fond of, and one that has several beautifulmoments for the main characters, America and Leo.
Spoiler alert:
The scene takes place at an annual bonfire. Ina tradition called the Bonfire of Fears, people write down their fears onscraps of paper and throw them into the flames. The paper turns to ash andglitters in the night sky, turning something bad into something beautiful. Thisscene has a reflection later in the story that will surprise and please thereader when America and Leo come together in a most unexpected way.
“The paper left [America’s] hand as though shewas throwing a baseball in a World Series game. She wanted to be certain thefire would devour her fear.
“Open your eyes,” Leo whispered into her ear.
The tiny hairs perked up and tickled her neck,causing her hand to reach up and cover them. He stood close. Too close. Sheswallowed hard at the sight of his rapid breaths condensing and dissipatinginto the chilly night air. Was he going to kiss her? Because she wanted to kisshim.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
SarahDressler, originally from Florida, now calls the mountains of Colorado home.Beginning her writing career as an award winning fashion blogger, Sarah nowwrites fiction full time. She has spent her life traveling the world, first asthe daughter of a US Air Force officer, and later as a military spouse. Sheenjoys sunset walks with her husband of nearly twenty years, and raising twovery busy teenagers.
Buy Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Cove-Sarah-Dressler-ebook/dp/B0CBD7Q57L/
iTunes: http://books.apple.com/us/book/id6460122265
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-cove-sarah-dressler/
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/christmas-cove
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1420736
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sarah_Dressler_Christmas_Cove?id=Rl_QEAAAQBAJ
5PP: https://www.5princebooks.com/sarahdressler.html
Socia Media
5PP Page: https://www.5princebooks.com/sarahdressler.html
INSTAGRAM AUTHOR PAGE: instagram.com/thesarahdressler,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY :
Sarah Dressler will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnesand Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.a Rafflecopter giveawayDecember 7, 2023
Blog Tour: NEXT STOP, BOSTON by Iris Dorbian
Next Stop, Boston
by Iris Dorbian
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Contemporary Fiction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB: Sixteen-year-oldGeri Randall's life is turned upside down when her late sister's fiance, DezDeacon, a washed-up rock star, is named her guardian. Whisked away from theonly life she knew and taken on a rock and roll tour, Geri is initiallydesperate to win Dez's approval. That desire hits a sour note when Dez'streatment of her becomes too much to bear. What ensues is a battle of willsbetween her and her temperamental guardian, a collision course that will pushGeri to do the unthinkable to get what she wants.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
Her skinnyfingers rippled across the strings. She played a G chord, one of the few chordshe’d
taught her inbetween gigs. She plucked it again, the twangy sound vibrating in her ears.
It was part ofher nightly backstage ritual. Most important was polishing and cleaning hisguitar.
He waspersnickety in the way he liked it. Lately, she had gotten the hang of it, butit had been rough going there for a while, as he was never satisfied withanything he asked her to do. Whether it was this task or another, she couldnever please him. Not until recently.
She’d thoughtbeing on the road would be a lot more fun. She didn’t hate it, but she didn’trelish it either. Time was a blur; it was as if school and her other life neverexisted, with every day seeming to stretch into an eternity.
She scanned themusty room, and when she was sure no one was lurking, Geri picked up the Gibsonagain and pretended to play the guitar like a rock god. Tossing her head back,she rolled her right arm like a windmill and closed her eyes, faking thestrumming and picking motions.
It was dumb,childish as all hell. But, screw it. She needed to let loose.
Of course, ifhe saw her doing this, she’d never hear the end of it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Iris Dorbian is an arts and business journalistwhose bylines have appeared in a wide array of outlets that include Forbes,Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Crain's New York Business, Business Insider,Buyouts, Venture Capital Journal, Investopedia, Playbill, Backstage, DanceMagazine, Theatermania and Stage Directions, where she served aseditor-in-chief for eight years. Her personal essays have been featured inHBO's Inspiration Room, Boomer Magazine, Jewish Literary Journal, DiverseVoices Quarterly, and Gothesque Magazine. Having previously published"Great Producers: Visionaries of the American Theater"(Allworth/Skyhorse) "An Epiphany in Lilacs: In the Aftermath of theCamps" (original publisher: Mazo Publishers) and "Sentenced toShakespeare" (Sunbury/Milford House Prss), "Next Stop, Boston"is her fourth book.
Links:
Book links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Next-Stop-Boston-Iris-Dorbian/dp/1949802353
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/next-stop-boston-iris-dorbian/1144160777
Social Media Links:
Linkedin Site: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/iris-dorbian/1/759/358
Twitter site: https://twitter.com/IrisDorbian
Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/iris.dorbian
Instagram site: https://www.instagram.com/irisdorbian/
Muckrack.com: http://www.muckrack.com/irisdorbian
Personal website: www.irisdorbian.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
Iris Dorbian will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC toa randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayBlog Tour: TERROR BAY by Lisa Towles
Awoman. A ghostly summons.In a coma, no one can hear you scream.
Terror Bay
byLisa Towles
Genre:Psychological Thriller
A Literary Titan Gold MedalWinner &
ANYC Big Book Award “Distinguished Favorite” Thriller!
A woman. A ghostly summons.
Ina coma, no one can hear you scream.
Detective KurtFarin, shot in the line of duty, is haunted by a woman he sees in acoma. Come, she says. I'll show you things. Like themissing piece of your soul.
Kurt's unshakable quest tofind her leads him to northern Canada, where he discovers a shipwreckand a shocking family secret that can't possibly be true. As he digsdeeper, he realizes his fate is inextricably tied to the enigmaticwoman...and a long-lost treasure that's been submerged forcenturies.His shooter, his nemesis, knows what he found and is comingto finish the job he started. Alone and exposed, Kurt's the only onewho can bring down this notorious killer and expose an internationalscandal. But is the cost of justice - to him and everyone he loves,too high?
Terror Bay is filled with intrigue and action,with surprises at every turn. Fans of John Sandford and ChristineKling will love Lisa Towles' new psychological thriller. With aheart-pounding plot, complex characters, and a shocking twist,"Terror Bay" is a must-read for fans of psychologicalthrillers and crime fiction.
“Terror Bay, by Lisa Towles,beckons readers into a world saturated with suspense, propelling themthrough a captivating odyssey of action, intrigue, and enigma” -Literary Titan
“A nail-biting mystery, apure joy to read” - The Book Commentary
**ReleasesNovember 29th!**
Amazon* Apple* B&N* Kobo *Smashwords* Bookbub* Goodreads
LisaTowles is an award-winning, Amazon bestselling crime novelist and apassionate speaker on the topics of fiction writing, creativity, andStrategic Self Care. Lisa has ten crime novels in print with a newtitle, Terror Bay, forthcoming in November of 2023. The first twobooks of her E&A Investigations Series (Hot House and SaltIsland) were both #1 Amazon Kindle Bestsellers with book three(Switch) due for release in Summer 2024. Lisa also writes standalonethrillers, such as her 2022 political thriller, The Ridders, whichwon an American Fiction Award. Lisa is an active member and frequentpanelist/speaker of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, andInternational Thriller Writers. She has an MBA in IT Management andworks full-time in the tech industry.
Readmore about Lisa’s book on her publisher’swebsite.
Website* Facebook *Twitter * Instagram* TikTok *Bookbub *Amazon* Goodreads
Followthe tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
SwagPack with signed books by Lisa Towles,
$20 Amazon
– 1 winner each!
December 5, 2023
Blog Tour: AND THE TREES TALKED BACK by Frederick J. Burns
Book Details:
Book Title: And the Trees Talked Back by Frederick J. Burns
Category: Children's Fiction (ages 3 to 7), 48 pages
Genre: Children's Book
Publisher: Frederick J. Burns
Release date: Nov 4, 2023
Content Rating: G. Suitable for everyone.Book Description:
Meet Amanda, an extraordinary child with a unique gift — she can talk to trees.
Living in a quaint village with a mystical forest, Amanda's life takes an enchanting turn when she seeks out her inquisitive cat, Daisy. As the sun sets and the moonlight casts its glow, the duo embark on a thrilling night-time adventure.
As Amanda encounters ancient trees, she uncovers a world she never knew existed, where wisdom and acceptance coexist with fear and hatred. Amidst the rustling leaves and haunting shadows, she confronts the duality of nature, discovering the true meaning of good and evil. Her bonds with nature deepen and she learns to navigate the world where choices shape destinies.
And The Trees Talked Back is a heartwarming tale of wonder, friendship, and self-discover that will captivate readers of all ages.Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ B&N
add to Goodreads
Review: This is a lovely story of a littlegirl named Amanda and the things she notices around her. The prose had a poeticlilt, which was a nice touch.
The black-and-white sketches werejust gorgeous! What I liked best was the playful way the images interacted withthe text. For instance, when Amanda is looking for her kitten, Daisy, she usesa flashlight to flash an area of white space onto the black text. Very creativeand a wonderful way to naturally draw the reader’s eye. There’s a great levelof contrast in the text, which again engages and directs the reader.
All this led to a talking tree.Amanda never knew that trees could talk. The whole thing was like something outof Alice in Wonderland. It was quite fascinating, especially when the treesprovide insight and perspective.
“And remember, we create the veryair humans breathe. They could not live without us.
We hold the land together with ourroots. We provide shade with our leaves. But they cut us down to burn us forwarmth, to make us into objects for their use, or to uproot us if we stand intheir way.”
In “And the Trees Talked Back,” alittle girl learns from the wise oaks and makes new friends. But then Amandalearns that not every tree wants to be her friend. How can she convince thistree that not all humans are terrible?
A sweet and quick story for earlyreaders.
Rating:4 stars
Meet the Author:
Burns, always an artist on the inside, breaks through his trial attorney exterior at age 63, to write and illustrate his first children’s book, AND THE TREES TALKED BACK. Three years in the making, Burns strives to convey a world where commonalities are more important than differences, where empathy is more important than distain and where making friends is more important than creating enemies. With no formal art training, Burns enjoys working in and learning new mediums and styles. His art has won awards in juried competitions, been displayed on billboards, in government offices, the D’Amour Museum of Fine Art, and now graces the cover of Dave Brinnel's second CD, ALONE. His detailed illustrations of trees using pen and ink with washes of watercolor have been compared to the fantastical illustrations of Arthur Rackham and Maurice Sendak. Burns lives in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts with his wife, Heather and two dogs, where he is developing ideas for his next book.
connect with author: website ~ instagram ~ goodreads
Enter the Giveaway:AND THE TREES TALKED BACK by Frederick J. Burns Book Tour Giveaway
December 4, 2023
Blog Tour: DEJA VIEW by Michael Thomas Perone
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the DEJA VIEW by MichaelThomas Perone Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Title: DEJAVIEWAuthor: MichaelThomas Perone
Pub. Date: October6, 2023
Publisher: Wheatmark
Formats: Paperback,eBook
Pages: 275
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/DEJA-VIEW
Twelve-year-old Bobby Dalton doesn'twant to grow up. All his life, he has relied on the imaginary games ofchildhood with his best friends Joe and Max to get him through the tough times.But this all changes when his Seventh-Grade class buries a time capsule tocommemorate the end of the 1980s. Now Bobby is being haunted by visions:ghostly doppelgangers of himself, his friends, and others. He calls them"déjà view." Are these visions real, or has his imagination finallygotten away from him? And if they're real, what do they want? Bobby needs tofigure this all out to survive his childhood…and his life.
From the author of theaward-winning Danger Peak, Déjà View is a darklyfunny coming-of-age dramedy with a sci-fi twist, cranked up to eleven. But evenmore, it's at once a pulse-pounding thrill ride and a haunting portrait ofparanoia, mental illness, and the unbearable sadness of growing up.
INSERT YOUR POST OR REVIEW HERE!
About Michael Thomas Perone:
MichaelThomas Perone is an award-winning author who has written for The Baltimore Sun,Baltimore City Paper, Long Island Voice (a spinoff of The Village Voice), andThe Island Ear (now titled Long Island Press), among others. Online, he haswritten for Fatherly, Yahoo!, WhatCulture!, and other websites that don’t endwith an exclamation mark. His articles for WhatCulture! covering the world ofentertainment alone have been viewed over 374,000 times, and his expertise oncritical writing in the music industry has been cited on Wikipedia and featuredin national press kits. He currently works as a Senior Editor in Manhattan andlives on Long Island with his wife and two daughters. For more information,please visit www.michaelthomasperone.com.
Sign up for Michael’s newsletter!
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
YABCQ&A for Michael Thomas Perone, Author of Déjà View: A Kid Nightmare
1. Whatgave you the inspiration to write this book?
Similar to mydebut novel, Danger Peak, Déjà View is based on a short story Iwrote when I was a kid. The idea came from something my friends and I actuallydid. We buried a time capsule in my backyard, and then the next day I was onthe swings at my best friend’s house around the corner. Our houses shared afence, so as I was swinging, I looked past the fence to see where we buried thetime capsule the night before and thought, “Wouldn’t it be funny if we werestill doing that? Sorta stuck in time, burying the capsule over and overagain?” That was the genesis of the idea, but in the original short story, it hadmuch more of a horror vibe. It was like a slasher flick, and there was a lotmore death. I toned that part down…a lot!
2. Whois your favorite character in the book?
Probably Dr. Pann,Bobby’s therapist. Without giving too much away, the character has a lot ofshades to him, and it was fun playing with his different sides.
3. Whichcame first, the title or the novel?
If by “novel,” youmean the story idea, that came first. The original title was Déjà Vu,but there are only about five-hundred books with that title already, so I wentwith Déjà View since Bobby is actually seeing these repeated visions ofhis. There are still a few other books with that title but nowhere near as manyas Déjà Vu. I guess that’s why I also added a subtitle to differentiatemy book: A Kid Nightmare. Also, my debut novel, Danger Peak, hasa subtitle as well (A Kid Adventure), and I wanted to link the twobooks, though Déjà View isn’t a sequel.
4. Whatscene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
Probably the ChuckE. Cheese chapter. Not only was it fun to revisit those birthday parties I usedto have in the ‘80s, I thought it was a pretty funny scene, and it sets thetone for the novel. It’s a little silly, slightly spooky, and somewhat surreal,and it foreshadows the strangeness to come. It also reinforces the major themeof the book, which is the death of childhood.
5. Thinkingway back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as awriter from then to now?
I learned theimportance of outlining. I used to hate writing outlines in school, and when Iwrote for fun on my own, I would write off-the-cuff and see where the storytook me. There are merits to that too, but I’ve found it much easier if youhave a general idea of where you’re going. You don’t have to have every sceneplotted out or every line of dialogue memorized obviously, but if you know howto get from point A to point B and then C and so on, the writing flows mucheasier, at least for me.
6. Whatdo you like most about the cover of the book?
The colors. I cameup with the design of the book (three kids burying something mysterious underthe light of the full moon), and the artists at my publishing house created it,but I didn’t have any particular colors in mind. I was really pleased thoughwhen the cover came back to me. The deep blues and purples of the night skyreally set the tone for the spooky story, and it’s also just pretty to look at.I might actually like the cover better than the one for my last novel, DangerPeak, and I really liked that one!
7. What’sup next for you?
After two novelsback to back, I’m taking a break from the longform story, so my next book willbe a collection of my favorite short stories I’ve written over the years. There’sone I wrote in the mid-‘90s that actually predicted the future. It’s about asmall town that becomes obsessed with television to the point of madness, andit features telecommuting and remote learning via T.V. screen and cars withbuilt-in screens in the front dashboard. I remember thinking it was ridiculousat the time, and now it’s commonplace.
8. Whatwould you say is your superpower?
Probably juggling(the figurative, not literal, kind, as I can’t even juggle two balls). I have afull-time job, two small kids to take care of, a wife to make happy, a dog thatrequires constant attention, parents around the corner who need help, a houseto fix up, and yet somehow, I found time to write two novels in the past twoyears. I know one day years from now—maybe when I’m retired—I’m going to lookback and think, “How did I do it all?” I’m actually thinking of that now!
9. Isthere an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
I like the Make-A-WishFoundation. When I was a kid, one of my good friends had a bad liver and neededto move to Florida because supposedly, they had a better hospital for him downthere for that sort of thing. He was granted a wish from this organization, andhe asked for a roundtrip plane ticket to come home to visit the family he leftbehind and his old friends, including me. That was the last time I saw him, as afew months later, his liver gave out, and he died. If it wasn’t for Make-A-Wish,I wouldn’t have had that final day with him, so you know they’re actually doingthe job they claim to do. I ended up naming Chris, one of the characters in mydebut novel, Danger Peak, after him.
Giveaway Details:
1 winnerwill receive a finished copy of DEJA VIEW, US Only.
Ends December12th, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
11/27/2023
#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog
Blog Spotlight
11/27/2023
Excerpt
11/28/2023
Interview/IG Post
11/28/2023
IG Post
11/29/2023
Excerpt/IG Post
11/29/2023
Excerpt
11/30/2023
Review/IG Post
11/30/2023
IG Post
12/1/2023
IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
12/1/2023
IG Review
Week Two:
12/4/2023
Review/IG Post
12/4/2023
Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's
Review/IG Post
12/5/2023
Guest Post
12/5/2023
IG Review
12/6/2023
Review
12/6/2023
IG Review
12/7/2023
Review/IG Post
12/7/2023
IG Review
12/8/2023
IG Review/TikTok Post
12/8/2023
IG Review
Blog Tour: COOKIN' UP MURDER by D.J. Adamson
TuesdayWelsh, a witty and tenacious private investigator whose life takes anunexpected turn when she stumbles upon the lifeless body of EricKenny, owner of Mr. Yummy's donut shop. Yet, upon going to the homeof Eric Kenny, she finds him standing in the doorway, ready to greether.
Cookin'Up Murder
Davidson& Welsh Investigations Book One
byD.J. Adamson
Genre:Cozy Mystery
"Cookin'Up Murder" is a lighthearted and captivating mystery set inAppleton, Oregon. The story revolves around Tuesday Welsh, awitty and a tenacious private investigator whose life takes anunexpected turn when she stumbles upon the lifeless body of EricKenny, owner of Mr. Yummy's donut shop.
Tuesdayis thrust into a web of secrets and danger that extends far beyondthe sugary confines of the donut shop. As she delves deeper into theinvestigation, determined to unearth the truth, she finds herselfentangled in a sinister plot that will shock her community. Andpossibly gain Davidson & Welsh a new client.
Filledwith a blend of humor and suspense, "Cookin' Up Murder" issure to captivate readers who enjoy mysteries. It offers anengaging puzzle that will keep readers guessing until the satisfyingreveal of the culprit.
“Before I leave, I want you to promise that you’ll open theoffice on time,” demanded Harley Davidson, my business partner, last Wednesdaynight.
“Why wouldn’t I?” I replied, pretending I didn’t alreadyknow the answer.
Harley stands at five-foot-ten, his green eyes framed bywell-groomed eyebrows. His eyes hold a mischievous glint as if he harborssomething known only to him. He might tower over me with his tousledreddish-brown hair, but he never truly poses a formidable threat. With me, hisbark is always worse than his bite.
“Beats me why you’re never on time,” he sniffed. “I bet ifyou were called to save someone from jumping off a building, you’d arrive afterthe coroner.”
“Why is it a man jumping and not a woman?” I quipped, myeyes shooting daggers at him.
He scowled, thinking I wasn’t taking his last-minute to-dolist seriously.
Harley Davidson and I have been business partners for threeyears at Davidson & WelshInvestigations. The decision to partner with him was an easy one. He possessedan unwavering sense of integrity, even when faced with tough choices. He isserious about business but has a quickwit that can help calm clients down.
But, I don’t like to-do lists.
So, I added, “And whywas I the one called?” I couldn’t helpbeing flippant because I wasn’t the one getting to go to Los Angeles.
“Ahhhhh,” he screamed, his hands gripping his hair like aman driven to madness.
I can cause that reaction sometimes.
“Okay, okay,” I quickly backed off and backed up, giving himsome space. He clearly wasn’t in a joking mood. So, raising my right hand, Isolemnly vowed, “I swear that the office will be unlocked, and the lightsturned on ten minutes early every day.” I crossed my heart, but without hopingto die. A girl can only go so far.
“Hands,” he demanded.
I extended both of my hands, all fingers uncrossed, as agesture of goodwill.
“Just be on time. That will be miracle enough,” he statedfirmly, staring at me. But there was an upward curve on his lips. “On time and no Amazon shopping during officehours. I should get back by Saturday night.”
“But…”
“Find new clients.”
“But…” I tried to protest again. No Amazon shopping?Christmas was on Monday!
Review: This all begins with finding thedead body of the donut shop owner. The pace started off slow with thereiteration of Tuesday’s account and the history of the town. I couldn’t reallysee why the town history had any relevance. Eventually, the characters starttalking about the dead and what he was all about (i.e. his children, hisgrandchildren, his plans for the holidays, etc.)
The narrative was quite trivial,although the prose did have that silly wit and relatable faux paus that gavethe characters some charm. There was an obvious attempt at humor, but there wasvery little progress toward solving the case.
The overall read about small-townliving was decent, but the mystery itself wasn’t too riveting.
A fairly nice read, but I expectedto be better.
Rating:3 stars
D.J. Adamson is an accomplished author known for her captivatingstorytelling and engaging characters. She has established herself asa prominent figure in the world of mystery and suspense fiction. Herwork draws inspiration from classic detective novels and contemporarythrillers. Adamson's literary journey began at a young age, and shecontinued the journey through her life, recently embarking on herwork with novels and her exceptional ability to create immersiveworlds and multifaceted characters. She developed her own uniquestyle that combines elements of suspense, intrigue and psychologicaldepth. Beyond her novels, Adamson has contributed to various literaryjournals and anthologies, sharing her insights and expertise withfellow writers and enthusiasts. Her work has gained a loyal followingand her novels praised for their intricate plotting and masterfulstorytelling. When not immersed in the world of writing, Adamsonenjoys the Central CA coast, traveling, and the outdoors. She alsoengages with her readers through various platforms, fostering astrong connection and appreciation for the support she receives fromher dedicated fan base. Readers can connect with her through herwebsite at www.djadamson.com.
Website* Facebook *Twitter * Instagram* Bookbub *Amazon* Goodreads
Followthe tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$20Dunkin Donuts gift card
