REVIEW: Angel’s Halo, by Terri Anne Browning @AuthorTERRIANNE

Angel_s Halo MC Series Sale

I signed up to be a part of the Promotional Events for Angel’s Halo: Avenged, and I read some of the blurbs of the books and found that I had Angel’s Halo, the first book in the series, so I read it. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put them down, I purchased all of the books in the series, 1 – 7. I loved this series and the men and women in it. I was so drawn into their lives that I hated for the series to end. The stories were funny at times, tore my heart out in some, and showed characters that were strong, loving, and loyal. They were a family that had each others backs and wouldn’t let anyone get in the way of their MC or hurt anyone they cared about.

Once I finished this series, I noticed that there was a branch off to another series, so I purchased it, and I am looking for a break in my review schedule to read it. I am really looking forward to reading it and hope there will be more in the MC and Mafia world for these characters.

I give the Angel’s Halo series a 5 star review (all 7 books) and highly recommend it for a read. It is well written and really kept me interested. I hated to find that I had gotten to the 7th book.

RELEASE BLITZ: OVER HARD, BY JESSA YORK @givemebooksblog and @JessaYorkAuthor

RB BannerOver Hard Ebook Cover

RELEASE BLITZ
Title: Over Hard
Series: Santa Lena Sizzles Duet #2
Author: Jessa York
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 28, 2018

 

BLURB 

Love looks easy, but it’s harder than you think…

Done.  Harper is done with men.  They’re too complicated, frustrating—and dangerous.  After a run-in with her ex-husband, Harper ends all contact with her boyfriend, Jack, the one man who stole her heart.

But when Jack and Harper are thrown together to help a friend, all her old feelings reignite.  Torn between closing herself off and her desire to understand his life and choices, Harper delves into his world.  Jack’s past may complicate things even more.  Will Harper see that the payoff is greater than the risk?

Over Hard Teaser 1

 

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41215001-over-hard
 Over Hard Full Wrap

PURCHASE LINKS

US: https://amzn.to/2nDh1T5

UK: https://amzn.to/2nBNn0b
CA: https://amzn.to/2MerGCd
AU: https://amzn.to/2MoKdLy

Free in Kindle Unlimited

 

ALSO AVAILABLE

 Over Easy Ebook Cover

#1 Over Easy – 99c for a limited time

US: https://amzn.to/2P6Km4I
UK: https://amzn.to/2KQiM8j
CA: https://amzn.to/2P7ugrJ
AU: https://amzn.to/2Mb8fKF

Free in Kindle Unlimited

 

AUTHOR BIO

Jessa lives in a very non-descript, unassuming town filled with the best kind of people. Most days, she can be found in the stands of various soccer fields, cheering her on Youngest, or discussing books with her Oldest (who is an English Honors student).

At night, if she’s not up burning the midnight oil, Jessa enjoys snuggling up to her hubby and watching his latest pick for a cheesy romance movie. He always chooses the best ones. (after he cooks supper, of course)
AUTHOR LINKS

Website: https://jessayork.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jessa-York-author-1827704377521746

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/jessa.york.397

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessayorkauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessaYorkAuthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jessa-york

Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/p7z3b5

 

Over Hard Teaser 3

GIVEAWAY

 

There is a giveaway for 2 signed paperbacks of Over Hard & 10 ebooks of winners’ choice (max $3.99 each) (12 winners total, open internationally)

 

Over Hard Teaser 2

Direct Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ba3ffd552002

 

MY REVIEW:

WOW! This story was very well done. I read Over Easy, and was very glad that I already had Over Hard already because the cliff hanger at the end of Over Easy was a jaw dropper for me and I had to see what was going to happen. The suspense and the twists in Over Hard, were page turning and on fire. I loved the rest of this story and the intrigue that it hinted to about Harper’s neighbor left me wanting more.

Jack ends up in danger over Harper, but his only thought is keeping Harper safe and away from the crazy man that surprised him and is waiting for Harper to show up. Luckily, Harper’s neighbor intercepted the text and will show us a secret she’s been keeping to herself.

I really liked this series and hope that there is more about these characters. I give this story a 4.5 star review and highly recommend it to readers.

Release Blitz: Cyclone by Janie Crouch @givemebooksblog and @janiecrouch

RELEASE BLITZ
Title: Cyclone
Series: Linear Tactical Series #1
Author: Janie Crouch
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: September 25, 2018

Cyclone Ebook Cover

BLURB

He’d protect her from any threat…
But what if the biggest threat is him?

Doctor Anne Nichols is back in Oak Creek, Wyoming, only because she has no other options. Here, she was always the shy, stuttering girl, invisible to everyone.

Except Zac Mackay. The very reason she left in the first place.

Zac’s years in Special Forces taught him survival skills, and he’s created a company—Linear Tactical—to teach those skills to others, so they never have to live in fear.

Then why is Annie, the last person he’d ever want to hurt, afraid of him?

Zac’s determined to wipe the fear from the eyes of the woman who has never been far from his mind. And fix the mistakes—his mistakes—that put that look there in the first place.

But a predator has set his sights on Annie. And now survival skills will become much more than lessons…

Linear Tactical Series Teaser

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39100494-cyclone
PURCHASE LINKS

US: https://amzn.to/2Mxinxq
UK: https://amzn.to/2BKKkNq
CA: https://amzn.to/2MwlTIy
AU: https://amzn.to/2P6f257
B&N: http://bit.ly/2BJLQ2j
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2NjixEY
iBooks: https://apple.co/2Ni3DyJ

Cyclone Teaser 5

EXCERPT

“I was here a couple of years ago, but only for a day or two,” Anne told Zac, looking away. She had booked a room out of Oak Creek both times she’d dared come back. The thought of staying at The Mayor’s Inn had been too painful. She couldn’t even look at that hotel without feeling sick to her stomach.

And she’d avoided everyone—particularly Zac—as much as possible. Just in case his words about not coming back were still true. She tried to swallow the panic that threatened to overwhelm her. Maybe he still felt that way now, even though he hadn’t said anything at the hospital.

“There.” He pointed at her. “That look that just came into your eyes. I saw it at the hospital. It’s like you’re afraid of me, Annie.” He took a step closer and she instinctively one back. One of his eyebrows shot up, letting her know she’d proved his point. “Do you think I’m going to hurt you?”

“No.” Not physically. She’d never worried that he’d hurt her that way, despite having five inches and probably fifty pounds—all muscle—on her.

But he was right. She couldn’t continue living in Oak Creek with them ignoring everything that had happened that night. What had been said. What had been done. Maybe she would’ve tried to, and to avoid Zac forever, if he hadn’t ended up in her ER.

But the truth was, there weren’t enough bushes in this town for her to jump into. She was going to run into Zac. A lot.

Sometimes all you could do was face the past.

She pulled a breath in. “I’m not scared of you. I mean, I know you would never hurt me physically. For crying out loud, you wrecked your motorcycle rather than hit a dog.” She’d meant for her laugh to seem breezy, but it just sounded stilted. “But yeah, I mean, we can’t pretend like that night never happened. The stuff we did. Stuff you…we said.”

His eyes narrowed. “That night we spent together after Becky died.”

“Yeah. That night.” As if they’d had another. “The bottom line is, I can’t leave here, Zac. No matter what you said then, or even if you feel the same way now.”

He shook his head, brows furrowing. “I don’t expect you to leave. You’re obviously a respected doctor, more than competent. Why would you think I wanted you to leave?”

Some of the tension she’d been carrying since his arrival in the ER began to ease. He was right. Something said in grief and anger six years ago didn’t necessarily hold true all this time later. She was silly for thinking it did. “Okay, well, it’s good to know you don’t feel the same as you did back then.”

He took a single predatory step closer, and she tensed again. “I said something that night to make you think you needed to leave?”

She stared at him, her mouth flopping open like some sort of fish. “You don’t remember what you said?”

Those words would be engrained in her memory forever.

Get out and don’t come back.

He rubbed his forehead. “That whole night is fuzzy for me.”

I can’t even bear to look at you. You just betrayed the only person in this town who ever wanted you here. 

Tossing her naked into the hallway before flinging her clothes at her.

“What do you remember?” She forced the words past a throat that seemed to have dried up.

His hand moved to the back of his neck. “Honestly, not much at all. It’s sort of a blur.”

She retreated a step from him again. That night had been the most important night of her life. The best. The worst. It had changed the very fabric of her being.

And it was sort of a blur for him.

Janie Crouch Logo

 

AUTHOR BIO
USA TODAY bestselling author Janie Crouch writes what she loves to read: passionate romantic suspense.  She is a winner and/or finalist of multiple romance literary awards including the Golden Quill Award for Best Romantic Suspense, the National Reader’s Choice Award, and the RITA© Award by the Romance Writers of America.

Janie recently relocated with her husband and their four teenagers to Germany (due to her husband’s job as support for the U.S. Military), after living in Virginia for nearly 20 years. When she’s not listening to the voices in her head—and even when she is—she enjoys engaging in all sorts of crazy adventures (200-mile relay races; Ironman Triathlons, treks to Mt. Everest Base Camp) traveling, and movies of all kinds.

 

AUTHOR LINKS

Website: http://www.janiecrouch.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/janiecrouch
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crouchcrew
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/janiecrouch
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/janiecrouch

RB Banner

 

GIVEAWAY

There is a giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card and ecopies of Cyclone, Eagle and Shamrock + 5 ecopies of Cyclone (6 winners total)

Direct Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ba3ffd551996

 

My Review:

A second chance at love with a woman that he tried very hard to stay away from and forget about. Zac will do anything to make Anne’s return to Oak Creek comfortable for her. He may not remember what happened the last time they saw each other, but he was mad at himself and lashed out at her then. Now he wants to protect her and care for her.

This story has some twists and turns in it and it was a great story. I love the strength that Zac brought out in Anne and how she was able to learn so quickly when watching Zac and the others at Linear Tactical training sessions. Her strength came from within and her childhood, but she needed Zac to tell her that she was strong for her to believe it and bring it out. I loved this book and cannot wait for the rest of the books in the series to come out.

I give this story a 5 star review and look forward to more of the Linear Tactical men.

ARC Review of “Protected By The Claws: A MC Bear Shifter Romance” by Laura Wylde

A short suspenseful love story.Baron is a boy coming of age and finding out new things about himself that most teens don’t go through. He knows that he wants Kayla in his life, and thinks he knows who he is, but one night changes so much for him and Kayla.

Kayla’s father is the sheriff of Shady Way and has warned Baron to stay away from his daughter. Baron can’t stay away from Kayla because he knows that she is the only girl that he will ever love. They have a draw to each other and their young age makes the draw and sneaking around so much more attractive. A night where they are caught by the sheriff causes both of their lives to change. They are separated for ten years.

I enjoyed reading this story. The story was structured so that it was really hard to figure out who was causing all of the trouble. Even though I had my thoughts, it was not easy to figure out who the real bad guy was until almost the end of the book. There were hints and evidence to lead one way, but when you put everything together and looked deeper it was not as open and shut as I thought it was. I enjoy reading suspense romance and enjoy looking for the bad guy in the book and try to figure out the case before I finish the book, and I really like a book where it is harder to figure out. I like the challenge and I like the story more when the challenge is harder. This book fell into that category for me.

I give this story a 3.5 star review and recommend it to readers who like suspenseful romance.

RELEASE BLITZ FOR “ONLY THE POSITIVE”, BY ELLE THORPE @givemebooksblog and @ellethorpebooks

Only the Positive Ebook Cover

RELEASE BLITZ
Title: Only the Positive
Series: Only You #1
Author: Elle Thorpe
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 20, 2018

BLURB:
Reese
I made a mistake that might have ruined someone’s life. I’ve moved to Sydney to avoid the glares and the questions from the people back home, but there’s one thing I can’t run from—the guilt and pain that follows me relentlessly. All I can do is dull it with alcohol and casual sex. But then my new boss, Mr Dark and Delicious, deserted me, mid kiss, with my skirt hiked up and my shirt discarded on the alley floor. I should hate him―him and the secrets he’s keeping. But I can’t stay away. Because the pain and guilt he’s hiding mirror my own.

Low
All she wanted was one night. That, I could do. I’m the king of casual. Love them and leave them, before they leave me. With chemistry off the scale, we couldn’t even make it home, both of us too impatient, ripping each other’s clothes off in the alleyway outside the bar. Then my phone buzzed, and one text message stopped everything. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. All I could do was run. I’m toxic, but I can’t tell her why. I can’t bear the look of horror I know would cross her face. But I also don’t know how to keep something so life altering from the woman I’m falling for. Not when I need her just to survive it.

Only the Positive Full Wrap

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39931854-only-the-positive

PURCHASE LINKS – 99c for a limited time
US: https://amzn.to/2KJAnij
UK: https://amzn.to/2vuSQuj
CA: https://amzn.to/2MjB4Un
AU: https://amzn.to/2P033a7
Free in Kindle Unlimited

Elle Thorpe LogoAUTHOR BIO
Elle Thorpe lives on the sunny east coast of Australia, about an hour out of Sydney. When she’s not writing stories full of kissing and chemistry, she’s a wife, and mummy to three tiny humans. She’s also official ball thrower to one slobbery dog named Rollo. Yes, she named a female dog after a male character on Vikings. Don’t judge her. Elle is a complete and utter fangirl at heart, obsessing over The Walking Dead and Outlander to an unhealthy degree. But she wouldn’t change a thing.

 

AUTHOR LINKS
Newsletter: https://www.ellethorpe.com/newsletter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellethorpebooks
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ellethorpesdramallamas
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellethorpebooks
Website: https://www.ellethorpe.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/ElleThorpe

RB Banner

GIVEAWAY
There is a giveaway for a $10 Amazon gift card

Direct Link:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ba3ffd551976

My Review:

This book was so well written. The subject matter is something that is not easy to think about, let alone talk about, but Elle Thorpe did a great job writing this story and bringing all of the feels that the reader will go through reading it. I love this story and the connection that Low and Reese have just from their interest in the horses and the racetrack is great. There is a a lot of heat between them, but there is so much more that they find out about each other that makes that heat burn so much more.

The tough times that these two went through has made them both the strong people they are and as Reese states in the book, “you know this won’t be the worst thing we ever have to go through”. They are strong enough to get through anything if they can get through the situation they are faced with.

I really liked the characters in this story and I hope there will be books for each of them or Riley and Bianca together. I am looking forward to reading Jamison’s story after reading the teaser in the back of Only the Positive. I read this book as an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) for an honest review. I give this book a 4 star review and look forward to more in the near future from the characters in this story.

Only the Postive Teaser 5

BLOG TOUR: Deadly Friend, by K. D. Bloodworth @Books_n_all @kdbloodworth

BLOG TOUR Banner - Deadly Friend

Deadly Friend by K.D Bloodworth

http://geni.us/qboZO

cover

Following the horrific events in MRPERFECT.COM, Dawn thought she would never escape the demons that had haunted her every waking moment. But months of therapy finally freed her from the memories, allowing her and John to start their lives afresh with a new home in a new town. Slowly making new friends and gaining the confidence to take a part-time bar job, life was better than it had been for a long time.

Then, the past Dawn had tried so hard to forget caught up with her.

Awaking to her worst nightmare, beaten, bound and bloody, Dawn dared not move, fearing she would wake the monster in the room.

The man sleeping in the chair looked like her friend. Something was horribly wrong.

Author PhotoAUTHOR BIO

I lived in three different states before I started school, but then lived in the same house with my parents until I was nineteen. The wander lust took over and since then I have lived in nine different states and have lost count of how many different addresses I have owned.

Other than my family and dog, I have two other loves in life, photography and writing. The writing came to me later in life when I decided I could write some good fiction based on real life experiences. Truthfully, many of the things I have done most people would think I was making that stuff up. So, I started changing names and some places, adding a bit of spice, and my writing career began.

People often ask me if something in the story happened to me and all I can do is smile. Some secrets are best well kept.

LINKS

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006979873628

Twitter – @kdbloodworth

Website – http://www.kdbloodworth.com/

My Review:

This was a great story. I did not read the first book Mr.Perfect.com, but this story filled in enough for me so that I was able to read this one on it’s own. The story was so well written that it really drew me in and made me feel as though I was a part of the story.

Dawn convinces John that in order to finally be healed and able to move on with their lives, a trip to Montana would help. On the trip the find a beautiful little town that they decide to move to. However, John has now been offered a job overseas and Dawn will complete the move on her own. This is a big step for Dawn to be alone for so long after her first attack. This story showed how strong Dawn was and how she found her way to overcome all that she had endured. It also showed John that Dawn was not as broken as he thought she was and how their marriage had survived so much and that they were able to find a life together and move on.

I loved Dawn in this story and her strength was undeniable. She was able to overcome so much and she survived twice. I received this book to read as an ARC in exchange for an honest review and was very pleased to have read it. The suspense and psychological mind games in this book really drew me in. Although some of the story was disturbing, the plot and the writing were excellent. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes psychological thrillers and suspense stories. I give this book a 4.5 star review.

Review of “Enzio, An Undercover Romance”, by Bry Ann

Enzio an undercover FBI agent is in a tight situation and isn’t quite sure he can go through with the plan or his orders. He’s been immersed in the family long enough that he has feelings for the women in this family and doesn’t want to hurt Lacey. However, when he is put in a position where has to choose between Lacey and Iris, a woman he has just met, things begin to clear in his head.

Iris is a woman who is in the wrong place at the wrong time and draws Fances’ attention. She’s from a small town in Texas, she’s awkward and very naive. Her awkwardness and naivety pull at Enzio’s protective strings and he can’t help but want to help her and protect her from the men he works for. I love Iris’ outlook on life and how she really tries to be such a nice person even after she has been treated so wrong. Her thoughts on forgiveness and her reason for forgiving are refreshing and make her such a lovable character.

Another great book by Bry Ann. I love the women in the Roses and Thorns series and adding Iris to that group as well as Blyth just makes the women in these stories so much better. I love a woman who stands up for herself and can draw the attention of these men when they need to make sure they are listening to them. I absolutely love these stories and I am looking forward to more stories of the men and their women that were mentioned in Enzio.

I read a lot and have read many mafia stories, which I love, by the way. Bry Ann is definitely one of my top Mafia love story authors. While these men are mafia, the story revolves a lot around their home lives and the women who bring out the best in them. I find these stories to really draw me into the lives of the characters and I love how they show the story from all points of view of the characters. I give this story a 5 star review and look forward to more of the men in these stories.

Enzio cover

RELEASE BLITZ: OVER EASY (Santa Lena Sizzles Duet # 1)

unnamed

RELEASE BLITZ
Title: Over Easy
Series: Santa Lena Sizzles Duet #1
Author: Jessa York
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 14, 2018

BLURB

If it’s easy, it’s not worth it…

After a tumultuous divorce, the last thing Harper wants—or needs—is a new man in her life.  She’s done with love and romance.  When a smear of lipstick and a Pink Squirrel turn into a chance encounter that she’ll never forget, everything changes.

Nothing worth having comes easy…

Jack can’t believe his luck.  When the mysterious woman he’s had his eyes set on falls into his arms—literally—he realizes he can’t let her go.  He’s willing to do whatever it takes to keep her, even if it means playing with fire.

unnamed (1)
GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40964859-over-easy

PURCHASE LINKS – 99c for a limited time

US: https://amzn.to/2P6Km4I
UK: https://amzn.to/2KQiM8j
CA: https://amzn.to/2P7ugrJ
AU: https://amzn.to/2Mb8fKF

Free in Kindle Unlimited

COMING SOON

#2 Over Hard – Releasing September 28, 2018

US: https://amzn.to/2nDh1T5
UK: https://amzn.to/2nBNn0b
CA: https://amzn.to/2MerGCd
AU: https://amzn.to/2MoKdLy

AUTHOR BIO

Jessa lives in a very non-descript, unassuming town filled with the best kind of people. Most days, she can be found in the stands of various soccer fields, cheering her on Youngest, or discussing books with her Oldest (who is an English Honors student).

At night, if she’s not up burning the midnight oil, Jessa enjoys snuggling up to her hubby and watching his latest pick for a cheesy romance movie. He always chooses the best ones. (after he cooks supper, of course)

AUTHOR LINKS

Website: https://jessayork.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jessa-York-author-1827704377521746
Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/jessa.york.397
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessayorkauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessaYorkAuthor
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jessa-york
Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/p7z3b5

GIVEAWAY 

There is a giveaway for 2 signed paperbacks of Over Easy & 10 ebooks of winners’ choice (max $3.99 each) (12 winners total, open internationally)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ba3ffd551963

My Review:

After Harper walks into her new apartment to find her husband in bed with her cousin she finds a way to live on her own and make a life by herself. She’s a young woman who is happy with staying home and reading or just relaxing on her own. Her friends won’t allow that though. Her neighbors make sure that she is not alone for long and check in on her after the initial meeting the day that she broke her ex-husbands TV.

Jack a man who works too hard and puts his everything into his restaurant. He’s been hurt, and his heart is guarded. He is too busy for relationships, and he’s happy with the way his life is. He buys his produce from the Organic company that Harper works for, but they haven’t met because Harper’s friend and co-worker generally goes to Jack’s restaurant for meetings and to go over his orders.

When Harper runs into Jack while trying to connect with Audrey, her friend thats meeting her, Vivienne, and Riley for a girls night out, the attraction is immediate. Unbeknownst to Harper, Jack had already set eyes on Harper. Jack was intrigued by his first look at Harper and knew he needed to talk to her.

I really liked this book and I love Harper. I love a woman who is strong, independent, and knows that she can be on her own to survive. These two are great characters to read and I enjoyed the connection they have. The only thing I hated was that Jack kept secrets from Harper. I hated putting this book down as a matter of fact, I had to read the second book as soon as I was done because I couldn’t stand the suspense, but that review will come later. I highly recommend this book and I give it a 4.5 star review.

Blog Tour of “Buried Lies”, by Chris Collett @Books_n_all @crime_crow

Buried Lies Cover

BURIED LIES by CHRIS COLLETT

Do you love gripping mysteries with great characters?

Discover Detective Tom Mariner in this critically acclaimed series.

‘Collett is a wonderful writer, subtle, clever, strong on atmosphere and character.’ Yorkshire Post

Detective Inspector Tom Mariner goes to the beautiful Welsh countryside to recover. But he finds himself caught up in a murder investigation . . . with him as the prime suspect.

Grieving the death of his former lover, all Mariner wants is some peace and quiet. But his walking holiday is ruined by the discovery of a body in the woods.

The remote stone farmhouses of this beautiful valley hide many buried secrets.

As more bodies are discovered, can Mariner clear his name and avoid becoming the next victim?

Discover an absorbing crime mystery with an action-packed conclusion.

Perfect for fans of Peter James, Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson. This is the sixth book in the DI MARINER SERIES, more books coming soon!

THE SETTING

Birmingham is a city of stark contrasts with a rich cultural and historical heritage. Playing a key role in the industrial revolution, it helped shape the nation’s manufacturing industry

But with its many green spaces, Birmingham also borders on the beautiful countryside of Worcestershire and Warwickshire, is just a few miles from Stratford on Avon and a short drive from the wild country of mid-Wales.

Birmingham’s population is large and ethnically diverse, and while urban regeneration has forged a modern and culturally vibrant city, the decaying remnants of the industrial past and 1960s concrete jungle give it a unique and gritty character; the dark underbelly policed by DI Tom Mariner and his team.

THE DETECTIVE
Detective Inspector Tom Mariner is, on the surface, an average dedicated policeman, but his experiences as a younger man have given him an insight into life on the dark side, and a clear sense of right and wrong. Mariner has little interest in material things. He lives in a modest canal-side cottage, enjoys the occasional (real) beer and game of dominoes and drives an old car. He is most at home in the outdoors, with an OS map and a compass, and in times of crisis, will take off and walk for miles in any weather.

THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS “BLOOD AND STONE.”

DI MARINER SERIES

Book 1: Deadly Lies
Book 2: Innocent Lies
Book 3: Killer Lies
Book 4: Baby Lies
Book 5: Married Lies
Book 6: Buried Lies
Books 7 coming soon

BLOG TOUR BANNER - Buried Lies

 

Author Bio

Chris Collett grew up in a Norfolk seaside town where she worked in a boarding house (now defunct) a local bakery (closed down) and a crisp factory (razed to the ground). Graduating in Liverpool, Chris has since taught children and adults with varying degrees of learning disability, including autism. She is now a university lecturer, with two grown up children, and lives in Birmingham; DI Tom Mariner’s ‘patch’. She has published short stories, teaches creative and crime writing and is a manuscript assessor for the Crime Writers Association.

The first five DI Tom Mariner books will be released in revised editions by Joffe Books in 2017/2018.

 

Links
Website:  www.chriscollettcrime.co.uk

Twitter: @crime_crow

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.collett.5477

My Review:

Another great DI Mariner story. I loved the twists and suspense in this story. The dedication to the job by DI Tom Mariner and his team always makes the book so much better to read.

Even when on vacation, Tom cannot get away from the job. It seems to follow him no matter where he goes. DI Tom Mariner needs to get away and let his mind wander and clear after attending the funeral of his ex, Anna. He decides to go to Wales and walk the path that he walked when he was a young man. He isn’t sure there are any of the people left in the area so many years later, but the familiarity of the area helps him. He finds that there is someone still living in the small town where he stayed at a hostel and worked on the local farm. He runs into an old lover and finds that she is engaged and has two children. Tom stays in the run-down hostel for a few days while he is walking the paths in the area. He has a hard time shutting down the detective side of him, and when he is run over by someone on the trail, has to convince the man to tell him what has him so spooked and running through the woods like he is.

DI Mariner is unlucky in this story as he finds not only one dead body, but two and he is a suspect in the death on one because they were sharing a room. There are several murders in this story, and the twists of the murderer and the victims drew me to think that the murderer was one person, but in the end one murder is not clear as to who the murderer is. The intertwining of the lives of the people in this story was complex and interesting all the same.

I give this story a 4.5 star review and really look forward to the next DI Tom Mariner story to answer some questions that were created at the end of this book. I highly recommend all the books in the DI Mariner series, they are full of twists and always have me surprised by who the murderer is as well as the reason behind the crimes.

Blog Tour of “Bye Baby Bunting”, by Tannis Laidlaw @Books_n_all @TannisLaidlaw

BLOG TOUR Banner - Bye Baby BuntingBye Baby Bunting ebook cover-5BOOK DESCRIPTION

 

An unwanted pregnancy. A kidnapping. Escape…

University student Jemma Howell’s life has turned upside down: she’s pregnant and her boyfriend has just died.

A lawyer manipulates Jemma to sign away the child to her dead boyfriend’s parents, the wealthy Winchesters.

Six months after giving birth, Jemma is still obsessed with her baby’s welfare. A chance opportunity occurs. She makes a split-second decision.

She is now a kidnapper and on the run. Detective Constable Tim Findlay is assigned to the Winchester kidnapping, his first big case.

In the course of the investigation, he and his partner uncover deeply hidden secrets about the Winchester family.

For Tim, the difference between right and wrong becomes blurred.

BYE BABY BUNTING is a page-turning psychological suspense that explores society’s attitudes to single parenting and adoption and the laws that apply to birth-mother, child and adoptive parents. The story takes place in Auckland, New Zealand, Hawaii and Winnipeg, Canada between 1963 and the present.

Author photo 2Author Bio

Dr Tannis Laidlaw has worn many hats in her career as a psychologist: clinician in private practice, in psychiatric bins and in the prison service; researcher in schizophrenia, anxiety, psychopathy and other personality disorders, mind-body interactions, and the therapeutic use of hypnosis; research manager; writer and lecturer.

She has always been fascinated by the human condition, not only in those with crossed wiring but also when ordinary people are driven to behave in extraordinary ways. Her fiction reflects her psychological background; her non-fiction, her interests as a wife, mother and friend.

Tannis lives with her husband in Auckland, but spends half her time at a deserted beach in Northland, the semi-tropical northern part of New Zealand, and in a remote cabin in the woods on a Canadian lake – all places where she writes and writes and writes.

Website: www.tannislaidlaw.com

Follow @TannisLaidlaw

 

My Review:

I really enjoyed reading this book. It took a few pages for me to get into it, but once I began reading the story it was hard to put down. Being a child of the 1960’s it was easy to read this book and see where Jemma was coming from and her feelings about being looked down upon due to her pregnancy. I really liked how the story was written with the prologue giving you an insight into the story, and then the story starting from the beginning of Penny’s life.

This was a story of love, loss, and family but with the added psychological distress that Jemma went through giving up her baby and the despair that she felt about wanting her back and knowing her. Graemme was an added bonus to the story. He was a man that knew that Jemma was wrong, but his feelings for her overpowered his belief that she was in the wrong. Tim was a also an added bonus to the story with his detective work and his loyalty to his superior officer, Sarge. He was upset that they were given the low work, but he never really got angry with Sarge for the fact that his mess up caused this. He worked with him and he respected him.

I would like to know how things work out now with Jemma, Tim, and Penny’s family. I hope there will be another book coming along to answer the questions that were left at the end of this one. I give this story a 4 star review and look forward to reading more books by Ms. Laidlaw.