Murder Uncorked

If you like tantalizing culinary cozies, you'll enjoy this one in the Wine Lover's Mystery Series. In Michele Scott's Murder Uncorked,  the first book in the cozy series, Nikki Sands was a waitress down on her luck and quit her job. When the handsome Derek Malveaux acquired her for a job in Napa Valley, working for his winery, she jumped at the opportunity, since she knew a lot about wines. But just her luck, when there was a murder on her doorstep and an interesting cast of characters who worked at the vineyard. Nikki was on the scene to get to the matter, when someone was out to get her, and someone else ended up getting killed. That's when she learned the truth and hidden secrets of who wanted to do Derek in, who she was quite attracted to. When she thought she had gotten the person, the person was out to get her, before it's too late. Bon appetite!

This was a wonderful introduction to Nikki Sands and the wine lover's series. I love the Napa Valley location with the vineyards. That went double with the wine pairings tips included in the book too. I loved how Nikki found new work at the winery and later meets Derek Malveaux.  There was a lot of good drama about the winery process and how they pick the grapes from the vineyards. Nice drama, good action, and nice hint of romance in this corked up cozy.

Ready to uncork a bottle? Bottoms up! Grab a copy this week!

Close Enough to Kill

If you love steamy romantic suspense novels, you'll love this one from the late Beverly Barton, who passed away almost a year ago this April. In Adams Landing, Alabama, there's a serial killer on the loose, who's admiring women from afar, leaving presents and ghastly sketches. Once he kidnapped them, he tortures and raped them for a week to two weeks ago, and kills them. It's up to Bernadette "Bernie" Granger, the new Sheriff, and her new deputy sheriff, Jim Norton, formerly from the Nashville PD. Jim has some excess baggage from his ex-wife and estrangement with his son, while Bernie is competing with her younger sister for Jim's affections. But when the serial killer targets the women, they realized that there's a connection to him and who's in the fold that's been breaching their security, especially when it's closer to Bernie's family. Together they discover who it is and find the happiness they need.

All the Pretty Girls

If you love thrillers, you'll enjoy this one. Keep your lights on and lock your doors. Taylor Jackson was the new lieutenant for the Metro Police in Nashville, when a serial killer struck in her jurisdiction, leaving dead bodies and missing hands in other states. And then he snatched someone else. But that wasn't all who he left behind with him. John Baldwin was Taylor's lover and worked for the FBI on the Southern Strangler, while Taylor also worked on the Rainman case, a serial rapist who raped women on rainy nights. They were both very busy. But for both of them, things turned up the heat with the connection to the death of a local journalist, Whitney Connolly, who died in a car accident, and then discovered the truth of hidden family secrets and of the serial killer himself in JT Ellison's All the Pretty Girls, the first installment of the Taylor Jackson Thriller series.

I was gripped on the first page of this thriller and took deep breaths. You'll be sucked into the drama and place you right into the crime scene. I love the connection between Taylor and John Baldwin.  To describe it mildly would be considered real cold. I loved how Taylor interacted and took charge on her first crime scene cases, while she did double duty. We cared about her and Sam Owens as well. This thriller sent some ice cold chills down my spine as well, too.

Dare to read this thriller at night? Check it out now and keep your lights on!

Farm Fresh Murder

In Paige Shelton's Farm Fresh Murder, the first installment in the Farmers Market's series, you'll be enticed into this new culinary cozy series debut. Becca Robins who was a farmer who made berry and pumpkin preserves at Bailey's Market. When word comes down that Matt Simonsen was murdered, everyone was a suspect, including herself and her twin Allison. She butted  head with Sam Brion, the police officer on the scene, and had feelings for Ian Cartwright, an artist who was a decade younger and clad with tattoos. There was chemistry between them. But for Becca, one of her friends was accused for murder. So now it's up to  her to figure it out, one by one. After a couple of close calls, she came closer to the truth that she thought, when she uncovered an old history of family secrets and former friendships. A great cozy with yummy recipes.

This was a compelling new culinary cozy fresh recipes you can make at home.  I really cared about Becca and Allison and became intrigued into her feelings for Ian. I really enjoyed the farmer's market area and location in South Carolina with great scenic settings of a rural small town. This would entice you, thrill you and excite you, all in the same time. Great drama, non-stop action with hints of suspense, intrigue, romance and mystery.

Will you check out farm fresh murder for yourself? Give it a try this weekend!

Deep in the Valley

If you love the Virgin River series, you'll love this earlier trilogy set in Grace Valley. In Deep in the Valley,  this story was about Dr. June Hudson and her small clinic, when she encountered marijuana drug growers, mountain families, and people with deep secrets. She was in her late thirties, craving for a man of her own and a baby, when Dr. John Stone came to her clinic. When one of her patients caused trouble and complained about him, she investigated the matter with her own concerns. When two people raided her clinic, she fell in love with one of them, who ended up being an undercover agent, and changed her life while keeping her own secrets. It was a great cross of a great medical drama and contemporary romance.

This was another magical contemporary romance series, while other characters crossed over in the Virgin River series to make an appearance or two. I loved the Grace Valley depiction of another wonderful California town. I loved the combination with medical drama and contemporary romance to give us a wonderful story. I did feel strong emotions for June. I did love the connection she had with John and the way it built up to a good climax and explosive chemistry. Tons of lovely drama in this one to pack a punch.

Ready to visit Grace Valley? Order a copy now!

Bait

In this novel, Karen Robards placed us right in the middle of danger in Bait. Someone was after Maddie Fitzgerald, who started her own advertising company, and had a secret of her own. When there was a hit on her life, she me FBI agent, Sam McCabe, who was in charge of protecting her, while other people had been killed and taunted by the killer by phone. When she encountered McCabe, they butted heads. Later, they fall in love, knowing they were right for each other. When the truth came out in the open, it placed a kink into their relationship, when he discovered her real name and story, running and hiding from the mob, who were also after him. In the end, her past caught up with her, until McCabe saved her. What a great read.

This romantic suspense packed a punch or two. I loved the locale backdrop for this novel and the concept. I did feel a pang for Maddie, who had a secret or two to keep. I also loved Sam was a dashing FBI agent to save her. I think the match up between the two of them was magical and wonderful. We could really see the sparks flying between them to show their chemistry. I hated for the mob to come after her as well. Great drama, lots of heated romance, and plenty of action to keep you reading all day long.

Ready to catch a good read? Give this one a try!

The Ripple Effect

If you love great adventurous thrillers on the water, you would love the Ripple Effect.  It's one year after 9/11, and Aiden Page is presumed dead from the Twin Towers crash, along with his brother. Little did they know, that both of them escaped and hiding out--AIden's in trouble with the law, while Charlie's in paradise. And when Aiden accidentally called his daughter Morgan, it sent her on a sailing mission to find and reconnect with her dad, while they were other people after him for different reasons. And when they meet, their reunion is more than bittersweet. What a great suspense novel!

A Stab in the Dark

If you love a simply good mystery, you'll love this one by Lawrence Block. In the fourth installment of the Matthew Scudder series, Matt Scudder is assigned a 9-year-old cold case murder of Barbara Ettinger from her father, Charles London. Scudder, ex-cop and an alcoholic, is on the case, and talked to the people involved in the case, including her family. One by one, he's building up facts and compiling theories, while people tried to scare him off. He didn't phase him. He kept on talking to people and revisiting the clues, until he solved it right into the end. A good quick read.

The Perfect Couple

If you love romantic suspense with tons of drama, you'll love the 4th installment in the Last Stand series. When Zoe Duncan's daughter is missing, her life is turned upside-down, and her secrets will be exposed. It's up to Jon Stivers from the Last Stand, a private investigator who's in love with Sheridan and assigned to the case, when he's on the scene. Little did he know, that he would fall in love with Zoe at the same time. During that one week, her world have been turned apart, when she dumped her stuffy fiancé and reveals her past to him, when they travel to Northern California. Samantha has mono and has been kidnapped by her own next-door neighbors, the Bells,  who treated her like a pet, and has deadly secrets of their own. It's up to Zoe and Jon to find her before it's too late, and before she's the next victim. What a thrilling read!

The Perfect Husband

In Lisa Gardner's The Perfect Husband, the first installment in the FBI Profiler series, this thriller will give you goosebumps and chills, leaving you speechless and breathless at the same time. In her thriller debut, Tess Williams was living in fear from her ex-husband, Jim Beckett. She places her daughter into hiding and went on her own.  Since police protection had failed her, when she almost died, she headed to Arizona to meet JT Dillon, a former mercenary, and asked him to teach her how to fight and survive back. Little did they know, they both had excess baggage and cared about each other. Now Beckett was a serial killer on the run, escaping from prison, and went after her. It was do or die. 

This was an excellent thriller debut from Lisa Gardner.  I instantly cared for Tess and her daughter and hated her husband at the same time. I do like the instant connect she had with JT, when he helped whipped her into shape to fight and survive against a violent man. I do like the dual locations of California and Arizona for the settings and locations of this story.  This would leave you feeling cold when it's over with tons of action, drama, suspense and some chemistry along the way.

Will you be wary of the perfect husband? If so, check it out today!

Murder Off the Books

If you love a fast read for a mystery, then you'll enjoy the Sullivan Investigation series by Evelyn David.  Mac Sullivan is a retired cop who's now a PI and has Whiskey, his faithful Irish wolfhound. He's on the case of an embezzlement at Concordia College, when a murder's taking place at the clock tower. And all fingers points to Rachel Brenner's brother, Dan Thayer, who's in hiding and suspicious. But she believes he's innocent and being framed--so does Rachel's son Sam and his friends Carrie and Ray. Sullivan and Rachel  butt heads, but together they find out the truth a bit deeper behind the college, when someone else's murdered. And more suspicion is piled up on Dan, especially when the third body pops up. In the end, it's someone they didn't expect who's real evil and behind the scheme.