mystery - No Apology Book Reviews

Interview with Nicole Helm (South Dakota Showdown, Covert Complication, Backcountry Escape)

April 17, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Badlands Cops Series by Nicole Helm is a must read for anyone who wants a great suspense story intertwined with a romance and very likable protagonists. These novels explore if children can escape the sins of their father, who is the ruthless head of a murderous gang. The first book in the series, South Dakota Showdown has the oldest of the six Wyatt brothers, Jamison, helping his former beau, Liza rescue her four-year-old-kid …

Interview with Marta Perry (Amish Protector)

April 9, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Amish Protector by Marta Perry has both the hero and heroine as each other’s defenders. The story skillfully explores how children feel they are to blame for the sins of their parents, and what happens when secrets are revealed that have the birth parents possibly coming back into a child’s life. All this comes into play, intertwined within the Amish culture. The main character, Joanna Kohler, the Bishop’s daughter, discovers a mysterious unconscious woman …

The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

May 24, 2020February 29, 2020

Title: The Sun Down Motel Author: Simone St. James Series: N/A Not her best but I still really enjoyed it Well, let me tell ya. I wasn’t going to review this book because I’m bitter that Berkley wouldn’t allow me to read an ARC. I’ve praised St. James’s books up and down since I discovered them a few years ago; I’ve recommended them to friends and family; and I was allowed to read The Broken Girls six months early. But …

Interview with Luanne Rice (Last Day)

February 22, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Last Day by Luanne Rice is a gripping psychological suspense story. It starts out with an intensity from page one that never lets up. The story delves into survivors of trauma, sisterhood, best friends, and small communities shaken by violence or death. The plot begins with the brutal murder of Beth Lathrop who was six months pregnant. She is found by her sister Kate, strangled in her bed with her skull bashed. Kate also …

Interview with C. M. Gleason (Murder at the Capitol)

February 13, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Murder at the Capitol by C. M. Gleason is a unique historical mystery. With a superb ability to combine famous and admired historical figures with characters of her own, Gleason masterfully creates a suspenseful and informative story. The characters created bring to life the Civil War era. This third book in the series has want-to-be journalist Sophie Gates and Southern Belle Constance Lemagne sitting in the Senate Gallery waiting for a session to start. …

Interview with Lisa Gardner (When You See Me)

February 6, 2020February 6, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper When You See Me by Lisa Gardner is a home run. This book has four female heroines stepping up to the plate, working together to solve a town’s murders. What makes it extra-special is that it brings together three characters: Boston Homicide Detective D.D. Warren, FBI special agent Kimberly Quincy and recovering torture victim turned vigilante Flora Dane. FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy and Sergeant Detective D. D. Warren have built a task force …

Elise’s Review – Knot on Her Life by Mary Marks

February 6, 2020

Book Review by Elise Cooper Knot on Her Life by Mary Marks is a cozy mystery with a different perspective. Some would think that a story with quilts could not make a good mystery, but Marks is able to stitch everything together. She is one of a few mystery authors who has a Jewish protagonist. The author explained why she used the quilt angle. “I have made quilts for twelve years. I decided to write about them, which turned into …

The Third to Die by Allison Brennan

January 31, 2020

Title: The Third to Die Author: Allison Brennan Series: Mobile Response Team #1 A lot going on but not bad I would like to thank Harlequin MIRA for inviting me to take part in the blog tour, and also thanks to Allison Brennan and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Allison Brennan has been on my radar for years, but I never got around to reading one of her books. So …

Interview with Debra H. Goldstein (Sarah Blair Mysteries 1 & 2)

February 6, 2020January 31, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper A new series by Debra H. Goldstein, Sarah Blair Mysteries, is a fast-moving, intriguing plot set in the world of food. Readers should probably read the books in order, One Taste Too Many and then Two Bites Too Many. These first two books have the main protagonist, Sarah Blair, trying to defend family members of murder. First her sister is accused, and in the second book her mother. Sarah would rather catch bad guys …

Interview with Amanda Flower (Matchmaking Can Be Murder)

January 25, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Matchmaking Can Be Murder by Amanda Flower, is the first in a new series for the New Year. This spin-off from the wildly popular “Amish candy-Shop Mysteries” has some of the beloved characters including Deputy Sheriff Aiden Brody, and introduces some interesting others, some eccentric and some very appealing. The plot has matchmaker Millie Fisher just returning to Harvest, Ohio after spending 10 years taking care of her ailing sister. Millie is a widow …