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 Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (Double Exposure)

Double Exposure by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of the TV series, “Smallville,” brings to life a unique storyline. Set in the 1960s to make the story believable, they explore the question, what if Hitler did not die in the bunker, and is still alive? The plot begins with a KGB Russian agent, turned CIA asset, smuggling a film canister over the Berlin Wall. Because the East Germans shot the agent as well as the canister the CIA …

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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 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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Elise’s Review – What Doesn’t Kill Her by Christina Dodd

Book Review by Elise Cooper What Doesn’t Kill Her by Christina Dodd brings back the fabulous characters of Cape Charade. Dodd has outdone herself by creating this character driven story. The previous book presented the heroine Kellen Adams as a victim, survivor, and warrior. But in this novel, readers also see another aspect of her, as a mom. People will take a journey with Kellen as she grows emotionally, while overcoming the trials and tribulations of having a seven-year-old daughter. …

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The Fifth Doctrine by Karen Robards

Title: The Fifth Doctrine Author: Karen Robards Series: The Guardian #3 Got a love-hate relationship with this series I would like to thank Karen Robards, Harlequin/Mira, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. I read Moscow Deception (MD) and Fifth Doctrine (FD) back to back, so this is kinda-sorta a review for both. I’ve decided to have a love-hate relationship with this series. On one hand, I freaking love it, because …

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Interview with Lisa Gardner (Never Tell)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Never Tell by Lisa Gardner brings back some of her well-known characters. Detective D. D. Warren and CI Flora Dane must work together to find the truth behind a murder. It powerfully examines how someone’s past can come back to haunt them, especially when the police appear to have tunnel vision. The book opens with a pregnant wife, Evelyn “Evie” Carter, returning home to find her husband murdered. What she does next becomes very …

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Say You’re Sorry by Karen Rose

Title: Say You’re Sorry Author: Karen Rose Series: Sacramento #1 Good read but rather bland Click here to find an interview with the author regarding this book. I liked this book a lot, but it…lacked energy, I guess. Things moved along at a steady clip, never got slow to the point of putting me to sleep—but I didn’t want to stay up late to read more, either. There were only two scenes—in six hundred pages—that got my heart pumping: when …

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Interview with Karen Rose (Say You’re Sorry)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Say You’re Sorry by Karen Rose will keep readers guessing and thinking. It has thrills, suspense, psychological analyses, and a bit of romance. People are kept at the edge of their seats by a story that delves into intense subjects such as cults, pedophiles, torture, abuse, alcohol dependency, anxiety attacks, and PTSD. Although the first novel in a new series, it draws on characters from the Baltimore series. The heroine, Daisy Dawson, should be …

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Interview with Karna Small Bodman (Trust But Verify)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Trust But Verify by Karna Small Bodman brings to life the inner workings of the White House in a financial thriller. Realistic political intrigue and suspense mirrors the current issues. The story is propelled by her past experiences as deputy press secretary and senior director/spokesperson for the National Security Council, in the Reagan Administration. The plot has Russian oligarchs with the help of the Russian mafia attempting to create havoc within the United States. …

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