suspense

Elise’s Review – Smokescreen by Iris Johansen

Book Review by Elise Cooper Smokescreen by Iris Johansen brings to life a realistic page-turner. Readers will be reminded of the genocide in Rwanda through some of the descriptions in this plot. Women empowerment are always a part of the stories that Johansen writes. “I like writing strong women. In this one I had a bunch of them. They showed the world what they could do. One quality they all had in common was independence. They are talented and bad …

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Gothic Ghost Stories, Historical Mysteries, Scottish and Vampire Romance – Review Roundup Spring and Summer 2019

There may be tiny spoilers for some of the books I mention, so here’s your warning. This spring I was craving Simone St. James. She put out one book a year from 2012 to 2016, but then it was two years between Lost Among the Living and The Broken Girls and will now be two years between The Broken Girls and The Sun Down Motel. I don’t know why there has been longer waits between books, if St. James has …

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Interview with Laura Griffin (Her Deadly Secrets)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Her Deadly Secrets by Laura Griffin has plenty of action and suspense with a touch of romance. Readers are easily drawn into the investigation of this murder mystery that involves the mob and a surprise villain. The plot starts out with a bang, literally. The heroine, Kira Vance, a private investigator, arrives to a meeting with her boss/mentor, Ollie Kovack, and the lead defense attorney Brock Logan. Unfortunately, she finds herself in the wrong …

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Steel Resolve by B. J. Daniels

Title: Steel Resolve Author: B. J. Daniels Series: Cardwell Ranch: Montana Legacy #1 Generic tale with more suspense than romance and underdeveloped MCs I would like to thank B. J. Daniels, Harlequin, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was a solid piece of work, but it lacked personality. It was well plotted and moved at a steady pace that didn’t let me get bored—though it slowed, sometimes a …

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Interview with Amanda Flower (Toxic Toffee)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Toxic Toffee by Amanda Flower is a delightful cozy mystery that will put a smile on readers’ faces while they try to solve the who done it mystery. As with all the books in the series, murder seems to find Bailey and she enjoys her role as an amateur sleuth along with her “hot” boyfriend Deputy Sherriff Aiden Brody. She divides her time between New York, where she films a cable TV show, and …

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Interview with Wendy Walker (The Night Before)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Night Before by Wendy Walker is a first-class psychological thriller with a lot of twists. Interestingly the premise begins with on-line dating that creates a tension-filled, suspenseful mystery. The plot delves into childhood memories, family relationships, secrets, lies, and betrayals. The story alternates between three time periods. The day of Laura Lochner’s blind-date, the day after, which has her sister, Rosie Ferro, searching for her, and a few months earlier with Laura in …

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Interview with Amanda Quick (Tightrope)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Tightrope is a fabulous mystery, typical of what readers have come to expect from Amanda Quick also known as Jayne Krentz. This action based plot has secrets, betrayals, Hollywood actors, circus characters, spies, gangsters, and a sweet romance, although the focus is more on the suspense than the romance. The plot has Amalie Vaughn putting the past behind her, especially the recent attack from the Death Catcher, a serial killer who targeted trapeze artists. …

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Interview with Natalie Walters (Living Lies)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Living Lies by Natalie Walters brings to life the characters with an emotionally charged story. With thrilling suspense, threads of romance, and important messages about removing the stigma of mental health and depression this book seems to have it all, including an action-packed crime mystery. The crime revolves around murder, drugs, art, and dealing with mental health issues. Lane Walton, widower at the age of twenty-eight, journeys back to her hometown in hopes of …

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Interview with Liz Freeland (Murder in Midtown)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Murder in Midtown by Liz Freeland brings to life New York in the early 1900s. Besides a good mystery, readers will be enlightened about the different social issues during that era. The plot begins with a fire breaking out at a publicity house. It is the one Louise Faulk works at while waiting to see if she has passed the exam to become a NYPD police officer. As the investigation of the charred ruins …

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Interview with Linda Fairstein (Blood Oath)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Blood Oath by Linda Fairstein has Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper returning to work after taking a hiatus to recover from double personal traumas. She has no time to ease back into a routine because she is presented with a very formidable case. As the chief of the Special Victims Bureau Alexandra (Alex) oversees and prosecutes sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, and related murder cases. After returning to work she is presented with a …

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