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Nocturne in Ashes: A Riley Forte Suspense Thriller
Slammed by disaster. Playing for her life.
With the tragic death of her husband and son, concert pianist Riley Forte’s life and career shattered. In a struggle to rally, her comeback performance bombs, her sponsor pulls out, and she faces the tattered ruins of a once-happy life.
When the catastrophic eruption of Mt. Rainier traps her in a frightened community tormented by a relentless serial killer, it seems like the end of everything, but it brings a new chance for Riley.
If she can evade the clutches of a demented killer.
In a riveting action story filled with breathtaking suspense, Riley fights to hang on to the one thing she has left—her life—and the one thing she needs to turn it around—redemption.
Fans of Jeffery Deaver, CJ Box, and William Kent Krueger will be captivated by this page-turner.
“Just when I thought I had the killer in a cage, a bombshell reveal, chapters later, knocked me out of the park. This book is a force to be reckoned with and a must for the avid reader.” ~ Terry A. Benedict-Devine (reader, Amazon.com)
If you like a gripping, suspenseful tale, grab your copy of Nocturne in Ashes today and prepare to burn the midnight oil!
With the tragic death of her husband and son, concert pianist Riley Forte’s life and career shattered. In a struggle to rally, her comeback performance bombs, her sponsor pulls out, and she faces the tattered ruins of a once-happy life.
When the catastrophic eruption of Mt. Rainier traps her in a frightened community tormented by a relentless serial killer, it seems like the end of everything, but it brings a new chance for Riley.
If she can evade the clutches of a demented killer.
In a riveting action story filled with breathtaking suspense, Riley fights to hang on to the one thing she has left—her life—and the one thing she needs to turn it around—redemption.
Fans of Jeffery Deaver, CJ Box, and William Kent Krueger will be captivated by this page-turner.
“Just when I thought I had the killer in a cage, a bombshell reveal, chapters later, knocked me out of the park. This book is a force to be reckoned with and a must for the avid reader.” ~ Terry A. Benedict-Devine (reader, Amazon.com)
If you like a gripping, suspenseful tale, grab your copy of Nocturne in Ashes today and prepare to burn the midnight oil!
495 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 14, 2024
4 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Joslyn Chase
86 books33 followersJoslyn Chase is a prize-winning author of mysteries and thrillers. Any day she can send readers to the edge of their seats, chewing their fingernails to the nub and prickling with suspense, is a good day in her book.
Joslyn’s story, “Cold Hands, Warm Heart,” was chosen by Amor Towles as one of the Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2023 and “A Band of Scheming Women” was a finalist for the Derringer Award in 2025. In addition, her thriller novel Staccato Passage was a 2025 semi-finalist for the Adventure Writer’s Grandmaster Award.
Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Malice Domestic's Mystery Most Devious, Thrill Ride Magazine, Fiction River, Mystery, Crime, and Mayhem, Mystery Magazine, and Pulphouse Fiction, among others.
Known for her fast-paced suspense fiction, Joslyn’s books are full of surprising twists and delectable turns. You will find her riveting novels most anywhere books are sold.
Her love for travel has led Joslyn to ride camels through the Nubian desert, fend off monkeys on the Rock of Gibraltar, and hike the Bavarian Alps. But she still believes that sometimes the best adventures come in getting the words on the page and in the thrill of reading a great story.
Joslyn’s story, “Cold Hands, Warm Heart,” was chosen by Amor Towles as one of the Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2023 and “A Band of Scheming Women” was a finalist for the Derringer Award in 2025. In addition, her thriller novel Staccato Passage was a 2025 semi-finalist for the Adventure Writer’s Grandmaster Award.
Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Malice Domestic's Mystery Most Devious, Thrill Ride Magazine, Fiction River, Mystery, Crime, and Mayhem, Mystery Magazine, and Pulphouse Fiction, among others.
Known for her fast-paced suspense fiction, Joslyn’s books are full of surprising twists and delectable turns. You will find her riveting novels most anywhere books are sold.
Her love for travel has led Joslyn to ride camels through the Nubian desert, fend off monkeys on the Rock of Gibraltar, and hike the Bavarian Alps. But she still believes that sometimes the best adventures come in getting the words on the page and in the thrill of reading a great story.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 4, 2024
I thank the publishers, BookSirens and the author for this review copy.
My review is based on my reading this book and is my honest feedback to the story based on my experience while reading it.
This seems to be the start of what should be an interesting series. The book blurb about the story of a serial killer with the backdrop of a volcanic eruption made for an explosive story. This is my first book from the author Chase and the story has delivered on the promise of the blurb.
The book gets convoluted on occasions with several sub-plots interwoven into the main story but full credit to the author for pulling off a credible climax with the loose threads well woven at the end.
Serial and ritualistic killings are a norm for most books on serial killers and this story starting with the first killing follows a well trodden path. It is the character of the protagonist Riley which injects a fresh breath into the story. A classical music aficionado and concert pianist on a comeback trail provides Chase the opportunity to display her immense research and knowledge of music. Riley's personal anguish through the loss of her family provides her character with the much needed pathos and depth. The erupting volcano which isolates the community injects the much needed pace to the story and there are a bevy of other characters of various hues and backgrounds who provide impetus to the story from different ends either in the pursuit of the eruption or the killer.
The story would seem slow on occasions mainly because of the depth that the author has tried to put behind the characters. Some deft editing could have sped up matters but the story does not seem effected by the slowness. Too many sub-plots do slow down the main story but that's fine. I loved the treatment.
My review is based on my reading this book and is my honest feedback to the story based on my experience while reading it.
This seems to be the start of what should be an interesting series. The book blurb about the story of a serial killer with the backdrop of a volcanic eruption made for an explosive story. This is my first book from the author Chase and the story has delivered on the promise of the blurb.
The book gets convoluted on occasions with several sub-plots interwoven into the main story but full credit to the author for pulling off a credible climax with the loose threads well woven at the end.
Serial and ritualistic killings are a norm for most books on serial killers and this story starting with the first killing follows a well trodden path. It is the character of the protagonist Riley which injects a fresh breath into the story. A classical music aficionado and concert pianist on a comeback trail provides Chase the opportunity to display her immense research and knowledge of music. Riley's personal anguish through the loss of her family provides her character with the much needed pathos and depth. The erupting volcano which isolates the community injects the much needed pace to the story and there are a bevy of other characters of various hues and backgrounds who provide impetus to the story from different ends either in the pursuit of the eruption or the killer.
The story would seem slow on occasions mainly because of the depth that the author has tried to put behind the characters. Some deft editing could have sped up matters but the story does not seem effected by the slowness. Too many sub-plots do slow down the main story but that's fine. I loved the treatment.
October 13, 2024
Nocturne in Ashes by Joslyn Chase is the first book in a series featuring Riley Forte a concert pianist. In Nocturne in Ashes, we meet Riley who is struggling to perform in public two years after the horrifying death of her husband and son in a fire. While Riley is struggling to put the pieces of her life back together a serial killer is on a murder spree in the Seattle area and Mt. Rainer erupts which causes more chaos. The story is not only about Riley, there are other many characters such as; the killer, police detectives Nate and Rick, Topper a volcanologist, and many neighbors and friends of Riley's who all have stories in the book. While there are a lot of characters and different voices in the book, the author does a great job integrating them all into the story. The book is very long, 103 chapters, but the story has a good flow with a few twists and turns that I did not expect. Overall, I enjoyed the book and I look forward to reading future books in the series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews