Interview with Natalie Walters (Lights Out)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Lights Out by Natalie Walters delves into national security, international intrigue, and inter-agency cooperation. The plot has a national security agency looking for a missing foreigner who might be connected to terrorism, murder, explosives, and poisoning. The story opens with CIA analyst Brynn Taylor heading up a program she developed to combat terrorism. She wants to make sure no terrorist falls between the cracks considering many are not the typical looking type. To gain …

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Interview with Nicci French (The Unheard)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Unheard by Nicci French, the pseudonym for husband and wife writing team Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, is a gripping psychological thriller. Anyone who is a mother can relate to this story where the emphasis is a mother knowing and understanding their child. Tess Moreau is the mother of three-year-old Poppy. She and her partner, Jason, have gone their separate ways and have agreed on a custody timeline. But something has gone very …

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Interview with Jessica James (Meant To Be and Presidential Advantage)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Meet Jessica James, known for her gripping historical novels and national security suspense. She combines some romance with a lot of action and intriguing characters. Besides an intense plot, readers get a unique view of military life and hardship. If someone has not read her in the past they should do so now. Meant To Be, the first national security novel, by Jessica James delves into the meaning of honor and duty. This is …

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Interview with Mary Burton (Don’t Look Now)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Don’t Look Now by Mary Burton shows how each story gets better with every book. There is a lot of suspense and detective work with a tinge of romance. The plot has sexual assault, drug addiction, and graphic scenes of battery along with sibling love. The plot opens with a serial killer suffocating small blonde females who were drug addicts, by wrapping them in plastic sheeting. Austin homicide detective Jordan Poe fears this is …

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Interview with Irene Hannon (Labyrinth of Lies)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Labyrinth of Lies by Irene Hannon shows why she is the master of romantic suspense. Readers will always find in her books clever twists, enticing dialogue, likeable and realistic characters, a tinge of romance, and riveting plotlines. This novel opens with thirty-three-year-old detective Cate Reilly asked to go undercover as a seventeen-year-old high school student. Readers will tip their cap to Hannon for finding a realistic way to convince them that this could happen. …

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Windswept by Annabelle McCormack

Title: Windswept Author: Annabelle McCormack Series: Windswept Saga #1 story dragged, characters rather unlikeable I would like to thank Annabelle McCormack and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review. I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it was incredibly well researched and I loved that McCormack explored an often overlooked area of WWI; it was an interesting change of scenery that lent itself to fascinating descriptions and …

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Interview with Laura Griffin (Last Seen Alone)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Last Seen Alone by Laura Griffin brings to life a subject that needs more publicity. Because of cell phones, people, especially women, are vulnerable to revenge porn, which is a form of on-line abuse. This subject matter is explored within a riveting storyline. Leigh Larson is a fiercely ambitious lawyer who fights for victims of sexual extortion, harassment, and on-line abuse. She is the victim’s advocate, fighting to get payback for her clients. The …

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Interview with Kathryn Springer (The Gathering Table)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Gathering Table by Kathryn Springer would be great for a Hallmark movie. The characters and the plot are relatable to anyone who has struggled with betrayal. Despite the many bumps along the way, the characters end up having hope after reinventing themselves. Readers realize how new friendships can help with overcoming past secrets. Meet Jessica Keaton, who was unjustly fired from her job and accused falsely of improprieties. She decided to start anew …

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The Lighthouse by Christopher Parker

Title: The Lighthouse Author: Christopher Parker Series: n/a Lots of heart but misleading and disappointing I would like to thank Christopher Parker, Beacon Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a wonderful story about several characters’ journeys through grief and difficult life circumstances. It’s beautifully written, bursting with heart and hope, takes one to the pits of despair and leads one back to thinking everything will …

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Interview with Joanna Davidson Politano (A Midnight Dance)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano brings to life a mystery involving the ballet. But the plot has more than a mystery. As with many ballet romances, there are tragedies. Combining history and the ballet culture during the 1830s, readers get suspense with a tinge of romance in a captivating plot. The story begins with the main character, ballet dancer Ella Blythe, finding some very old, but famously well-known crimson ballet slippers. She …

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