The Highest Stakes

In Rick Reed's The Highest Stakes, the 4th installment in the Jack Murphy thriller series, hang onto your hat for a bumpy ride. It all started with a bombing in Chicago, when Jack Murphy and his partner Liddell chased a family of bank robbers and shooting them dead. But things get dicey, when his friend ATF George Killian gets shot in an undercover operation. As he investigates the scene with Liddell, they learn about who's involved into the crime of crooked cops and other unsavory characters. Every step of the way, he throws no punches to uncover the secret of why other federal agencies are on his tail and wanted to stop him dead. In the end, it comes to a shocking explosion that would knock your socks off. 

This was a gripping thriller to read with a lot of going on. I cared for Jack and for his troubles at work and liked Liddell a lot. I thought the CIA agents were swarmy and Susan were a great friend to Jack.  I liked the Evansville scenery in Indiana and how intricate the locations of the riverboats were on the Ohio River. This would take you for an action-packed ride with non-stop action, drama, a hint of humor, and lots of suspense that will keep you guessing.

Will you gamble on reading The Highest Stakes?

Knit One, Kill Two

In Maggie Sefton's Knit One, Kill Two, the first installment in the A Knitting Cozy Mystery series, this mystery will slowly unravel and get untangled into a dicey mystery. Kelly Flynn returns to Fort Connor, Colorado, when she learns about her Aunt Helen's death. As she handles her aunt's affairs, she meets new friends and learns about the world of knitting. While she takes cares of business, she becomes curious about the nature of her aunt's death and discovers her aunt's hidden past from her aunt's cousin Martha. As she delves deeper into a closer look, she came close of being scared away and probes more into her aunt's past. When she thought it was figured out, she learned about Martha being murdered. In the end, she nabbed the bad guy with help from her her friends on the only way she knew how.

This is a great new cozy series to read and get hooked into a great mystery. I really cared about Kelly and her new friends, when she sought out answers on her aunt's death. I really learned a lot about knitting and how to create scarves and sweaters. I loved the scenic locations in Fort Connor, Colorado, and pictured myself there. This would get you hooked into knitting for this light read with drama, suspense, non-stop action and intrigue.

Will you try out Knit One, Kill Two today?

The Devil's Work

In Mark Edwards's the Devil's Work, this psychological thriller will shock you and thrill you on how far someone would go for revenge. Sophie Greenwood always dreamed to work for Jackdaw Publishing Company in downtown London. When she had gotten a chance to do so as the new manager, things aren't what they seemed. It all started when one of her employees complained about a sexual harassment email on another employee. And then it spiraled out of control from there. First her close gay friend was beaten by a thug and then things got astray in her own workplace. While she was on probation in her new job, her husband Guy is getting accused of posting a harsh tweet that cost him his freelance career and their marriage hit a turbulent period. While Sophie has her eye on Cassie, a fellow go-getting achiever to climb the ladder of success, she believed she would do her in, like they did with the previous predecessor. And when she thought she had figured it out, she was wrong on who rubbed her the wrong way... someone from her past in the shocking ending... and why.

This was a gripping and bone-chilling thriller to take your breath away. I really cared for Sophie and Guy Greenwood and their daughter Daisy. I couldn't really stand Cassie and didn't like Simon much either. I guess I had every reason too, especially right in the end. I really thought bad for Jasmine (told via flashbacks) and how things ended up with her back then. It had excellent and compelling scenic locations through London and the SoHo area. This would take you on a disturbing roller coaster ride and made you care for Sophie, since this had drama, lots of non-stop action, intrigue, and plenty of mystery.

Will you be tempting to read the Devil's Work today?

The Letters

In Luann Rice's The Letters, she told us a gripping and moving story about love, life and loss in one powerful woman's fiction novel.  For Hadley and Sam West, they had split up after their own child, Paul, died in a plane crash in Alaska. They went their separate ways and filed for divorce, when their love went wrong. For Sam, he had sent her the first letters, when he was set out to go to Alaska to see where the plane crashed and learned about dog mushing in his first Alaskan adventures. For Hadley, she wrote him back about how she needed time to herself in Mohegan Island, Maine, and how she painted again. Later on, they talk about how they first met each other, how they loved each other, and the sore spot about the reason for their divorce. Hadley became concerned on Sam's health out there, and enlightened him about her haunted cabin with a friendly ghost. Both of them didn't want to sell their home and their orchard on their land. While they discussed Paul and what he went through with his relationship with Julie, before the plane died, they mourned his loss in their profound way. They both sought out to get answers in Alaska and found their way back to each other in the end, when their love never died in spite of things.

This was a beautiful epistolary novel told in letters and in three parts. I cared for both Hadley and Sam West and what they had to endure by losing their own child. They both grieved and mourned their loss their own way, while they needed away from each other and in two different locations. I loved the vivid descriptive Alaskan locations and the idyllic Maine settings. Their love for each other and their son were gripping and moving on how they both sought out answers, when it in return brought them back to each other. This would pull your heart-strings real tight with drama, light non-stop action, and plenty of love to go around.

Will you reading The Letters today?

Gunpowder Green

In Laura Childs' Gunpowder Green, the second installment in the Tea Shop Cozy Mystery series, she brewed an interesting and sordid mystery from the ground up. It all started, when Theodosia Browning attended the annual Charleston yacht race to share her newest tea flavor from her shop. But it kicked off with a bang, when Oliver Dixon was shot in close proximity of his young bride. As a witness to hear the argument before it happened and then saw it from her own eyes, she became intrigued on why someone wanted him dead. As she prepared for her own mystery tea party, she dig up the dirt on Oliver's personal and private life as she received idle threats of her own. Later on, she concocted a plot to lure the murderer out with her friends and discovered the real culprit and how he done it and why... when it was nothing more than strictly business.

This was another great cozy mystery to read in a light setting or two. I love the tea shop theme and how each novel features a new flavor to brew and try at home. I do care for Theodosia and her friends at the shop and liked how Timothy turned his own cheek by helping her out. I thought Tidwell was okay and maybe warming on Theo. I loved the Charleston location and descriptive settings in each compelling scene. This would get you intrigued on the first page with drama, non-stop action, suspense and a great mystery from start to finish.

Will you be tempting to try Gunpowder Green today?

Triple Six

In Erica Spindler's Triple Six, the second installment in the Lightkeepers Paranormal Thriller series, the battle between good and evil, dark and light rage on in this compelling gripping thriller. Months later, after Detective Michaela "Mad Dog" Dare was injured on their first fight against the Dark Bearer, she had questions that she needed the answers for. Back on her feet on the next case, they deal with home invasions across the neighborhood. Meanwhile, Angel meets and gets rescued by a man named Seth, who she fells in love for. But both Micki and her partner Detective Zach Harris are both leery and wary about. As she's drawn into his embraces and meets his uncle Will, the case heats up for Micki and Zach, when they have possible leads and suspects, which hit a dead end, literary. As they get closer to the truth, Angel's turns against them, not know who's drawn her into a deadly web of her own. When it dawned to her, it would be too late, until it would come crashing down on her with a shocking ending.

This was another explosive installment into the paranormal thriller series. I really continued to care for Micki and Zach and worried about Angel. I felt compelled to read more and drawn on how she became tangled into an otherwordly web. I loved the New Orleans scenery and gripping locations, especially with the epic battle of good vs evil. This cross-genre of paranormal elements in a mind-blowing thriller will take you for a wild ride with drama, non-stop action, plenty of suspense and a hint of intriguing romance from start to finish.

Will you watch your step with Triple Six?

An October Bride

In Katie Ganshert's An October Bride, the eleventh installment in the A Year of Weddings Contemporary Romance Novella Anthology, she had brought forth a moving love story to warm your heart. Ever since Emma Tate spotted her father's bucket list, she wanted to make it come true. Enter Jake Sawyer, a local neighbor and childhood crush since junior high to help her make it happen. So he gives her a fake proposal for a fake wedding. When the word spread in Mayfair, it stirred a lot of commotion from her folks up to her best friend Lily. With rumors spread out about the fast wedding, as it quickly approaches to the end of October, Emma realizes she's in love with Jake and calls the fake wedding off. But he has a change of heart and tells her, his best friend's kid sister, that he's in love with her, and wants a real one. Emma gives her terminal ill father a happily ever after with her own happy ending.

This was a real beautiful contemporary romance novella. This one really moved me to tears and warmed my heart with a lovely contemporary love story. I really cared for Emma and Jake's story and how they followed their heart and went with their true feelings. I'm so happy that she made her father's last wish to come true on his bucket list before he passed away. I loved the small town of Mayfair and how they came together. I would love how to see Liam and Lily would've turned out, too. I would love to read more of Katie's books in the future. This would take you on a sweet ride in this easy ride with romance, a hint of drama, and a whole lot of warmth.

Will you be the next October Bride?

Termination Dust

In Sue Henry's Termination Dust, the second installment in the Alex Jensen/Jessie Arnold serial mystery series, this gripping mystery brought forth a hint of mystery from the past into the present. It all started, when Jim Hampton, a tourist from Colorado, visits Alaska on a trek to discover a skeleton with bones and a journal of Addison Riser, a gold prospector during the rush in 1897. From there, he's been concussed and set up for murder, when Alex Jensen from Anchorage and Charles Delafosse from the RCMP came to his attention. From there, they question him and his story and later watch it unfold, when two dead bodies turn up at the same time. During the brisk Alaskan cold, it brought along danger and mystery to Jim, Alex, and Del, when the past is connected to the present with new suspects popping out of the woodwork. As they sorted things out, it placed Jessie in danger as the real culprit came up and surprised them, when they put him behind bars.

This was an very good compelling mystery that brought a past mystery to take centerfold in the present fold. I cared for Jim Hampton and for Alex, Del and Jessie. I loved how they worked together to solve this mystery that took part in both parts of the country--Alaska and Canada. I loved the beautiful scenic settings for both dual locations across the border in the cold winter. This would take you into a compelling ride in every gripping turning page with drama, a bit of history, a lot of mystery, a hint of romance, and a lot of suspense with non-stop action.

Will you be checking out Termination Dust today?