Book Review Groups

Mayhem, Murder and the PTA by Dave Cravens

Book Review Graphic

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from iRead Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Mayhem, Murder and the PTA by Dave Cravens quickly became one of my favorites.  I loved Parker right from the start of the book. There were so many times that I was left laughing at things that Parker would say and do.  I loved that this book’s main character is a strong female. I don’t think authors do that enough so when I see that an author does that I always like to bring it up.  I can say that if strong language isn’t something you are okay with then this isn’t the book for you. I did feel bad for Parker and her kids because of everything that they had gone through before the book started because I don’t know if I would be able to deal with it all.  This was a longer book but I was able to read through it pretty quickly. I also didn’t want to put this book down because I never knew what crazy thing Parker was going to do or say next. This book wasn’t super suspenseful or anything like that but as I have said several times now I was always waiting for Parker to act crazy and she never did let me down.  If swear words don’t upset you then I would for sure pick up a copy of this book because I know you enjoy Parker as much as I do.

About The Book

Book Title:  Mayhem, Murder and the PTA by Dave Cravens
Category:  Adult Fiction, 434 pages
Genre:  Mystery / Thriller
Publisher:  Amazon
Release date:   May 20, 2019
Format available for review:  print, ebook (mobi, gifted Kindle copy, ePub, PDF)
Will send print books out:  USA & Canada
Tour dates: August 19 to September 13, 2019
Content Rating:  R (Rated R mostly for language. There are adult topics of conversation, a brief scene depicting two adults having consensual sex that becomes interrupted, a murder, and several themes that touch upon drug use, adultery, pedophilia and human trafficking.)

Parker Monroe is a tough-talking investigative reporter used to writing headlines, not being the subject of them. When a key source vanishes on a politically toxic story, this single mother of three finds herself at the center of a media storm and out of a job. Ready to reset, Parker moves her family back to the rural town where she grew up. But a gossip-filled PTA, a tyrannical school principal and a gruesome murder make adjusting to the “simple life” anything but. Parker Monroe is about to chase the story of her lifetime…

About The Author

As a child, Dave Cravens planned to grow up to be a superhero, the first person to capture Bigfoot and Nessie on film, pilot experimental aircraft out of Area 51, develop cold fusion, and star and direct in his own blockbuster action movies so he could retire at the ripe age of twenty-five and raid tombs the rest of his life. Instead, he got a degree in journalism, which he hasn’t used at all other than to justify his incredibly insightful and valid complaints about the state of journalism. During his twenty-two years in the video game business, he’s written for award winning franchises, directed TV commercials and movies, sprained his ankles numerous times in ultimate frisbee games and published three original novels.

Connect with the author:   Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook 

Buy A Copy

Amazon.com 

Add-On Goodreads

Let’s Be Friends

Enter To Win

Prizes: ​ First Prize: $20 Amazon GC (10 winners); 

Second Prize: $10 Amazon GC (10 winners);

Third Prize: Paperback copy of MAYHEM, MURDER & THE PTA (10 winners);

Fourth Prize: Kindle copy of MAYHEM, MURDER & THE PTA (10 winners)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2019 Margaret Margaret

The Experiment by Robin Lamont

 

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Book Tours  in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

The Experiment by Robin Lamont was an amazing book.  This is the first book that I have read by this author and I can’t wait to read more books by her in the future. There are two other books in this series and I can’t wait to read them. This book included two things that I am interested in animal rights and mystery books.  I really enjoyed this author writing and she had me hooked right from the start of this book. This book kept me on the edge of my seat as I was reading it which hasn’t happened for me in quite a while.  I fell in love with Jude right from the start of the book and I was sad when the book was over because I was sad to say goodbye to Jude. I love when authors make me fall in love with the characters because it means the book really came alive to me. If you are looking for a different type of mystery book to read I would pick this one up and give it a shot.

About The Book

Genre: Suspense

Published by: Grayling Press

Publication Date: May 15th 2019

Number of Pages: 288

ISBN: 0985848588 (ISBN13: 9780985848583)

Series: The Kinship Series

Jude Brannock is a brash and single-minded female protagonist for today’s readers who believe that nature and animals deserve our respect and must be protected. In The Experiment, author Robin Lamont brings these forward-looking themes to her newest suspense novel.

Jude is an investigator for an animal protection organization. When the young man she has trained for an undercover job suddenly vanishes after a tantalizing text that he’s “on to something,” Jude rushes to the quiet, farming community of Half Moon, only to discover that her trainee might have perpetrated an elaborate con job on her. Determined to get to the truth, she unearths a biopharmaceutical company’s deadly secret, and in doing so, comes up against dark secrets of her own.

About The Author

Before becoming a novelist, Robin was a popular Broadway actress and singer, turned private investigator, and then New York prosecutor. She draws on these diverse careers for her work, infusing suspenseful plots with character-driven drama. Robin’s prior work has garnered awards and recognition, including Suspense Magazine’s Best of the Indies and a Gold Medal in the Independent Publishers Book Awards for her novel If Thy Right Hand. Her book The Chain, which introduced Jude Brannock to readers, was a Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Finalist. Her screen adaptation of the book, Six Seconds, is currently under option.

Catch Up With Our Author On: thekinshipseries.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Twitter, & Facebook!

Buy A Copy

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Let’s Be Friends

Enter To Win

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Robin Lamont. There will be 1 winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on August 1, 2019 and runs through September 2, 2019. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway ;

Read An Excerpt

(more…)

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2019 Margaret Margaret

The Ornery Gene by Warren C Embree

 

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Book Tours  in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

The Ornery Gene by Warren C Embree wasn’t my favorite book but I did enjoy it.  This book did have a good amount of suspense in the book which I did enjoy. It has been quite a long time since I have read any book that has to do with cowboys and a good mystery.  I didn’t hate any of the characters but I also wasn’t the biggest fan of any of them either. I did feel like some parts of the book were really long-winded and yet other parts seemed to be rushed.  I did like that each chapter had the date and time that the chapters took place because it made it super easy to follow along and understand the time frame. I liked this because it was interesting to see how quickly things happened.  I always am left wondering if something like this could really happen and in this case, I could see it actually happening. I wasn’t super shocked with the outcome of this book but because I was able to figure out most of what happened but there were a few things that I didn’t figure out which was a nice.  If you are looking for a mystery book that is a quick read I would give this book a shot.

About The Book

Genre: Mystery, Amateur Sleuth Published by: Down and Out Books Publication Date: April 27, 2019 Number of Pages: 216 ISBN: 1643960121 (978-1643960128)

When itinerant ranch hand Buck Ellison took a job with Sarah Watkins at her ranch in the Sandhills of Nebraska, he thought he had found the place where he could park his pickup, leave the past behind, and never move again.

On a rainy July night, a dead body at the south end of Sarah’s ranch forces him to become a reluctant detective, digging into the business of cattle breeding for rodeos and digging up events from his past that are linked to the circumstances surrounding the murder of Sam Danielson.

Working with his boss Sarah, her nephew Travis Martin, and the cook Diane Gibbons, Buck unmasks the murderer, but at the cost of learning the reality of past events that he chooses to keep to himself.

About The Author

WARREN EMBREE and his wife grew up in the Sandhills of Nebraska. He did both farm work and ranch work during those years, and he still keeps track of what goes on in the hills. After leaving the area, he pursued an academic career in English, Classical Languages, and Divinity. He lectured at a couple of institutions and preached at a few churches, and he now works in Lincoln as a data analyst for the University of Nebraska. His knowledge and love of the unique culture of the Sandhills, his education in languages and literature, and his analytical skills contribute to his story telling. He and his wife currently live in Nebraska and have 3 grown children.

Catch Up With Warren Embree On: warrenembree.com, Goodreads, & Facebook!

Buy A Copy

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Down & Out Books

Enter To Win

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours forWarren C. Embree. There will be one (2) giveaway winners.  Each winner will receive one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on August 1, 2019 and runs through September 2, 2019. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read An Excerpt

(more…)

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2019 Margaret Margaret

Eye For Eye by J.K. Franco

Book Review Graphic

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Book Reviews in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Eye For Eye by J.K. Franco was an amazing read. It has been awhile since I have read a book that kept me guessing right up until the end.  There were so many questions right from the start and that made me want to keep reading. This is the first book in the series and I know without a doubt that I will be reading the other books as soon as they are released.  I loved that I could understand why they were making the choices even though I didn’t agree with the things they were doing. I did love all the work that Roy did when he was researching how someone could get away with murder and it left me wondering if the things he planned would actually work in the real world.  I can’t say enough good things about this book and the author. I can’t wait to read more by this author because this author is one of my favorites.

About The Book

Genre: Crime & Mystery Published by: Talion Publishing Publication Date: June 22nd 2019 Number of Pages: 400 ISBN: 1999318803 (ISBN13: 9781999318802) Series: Talion #1

“NEW TWIST ON STRANGERS ON A TRAIN” ~ THE SUNDAY TIMES

Roy and Susie are on a skiing holiday, trying to take a break from the constant reminders of their daughter, tragically killed by a careless driver. Out of the blue they meet Deb and Tom, another couple with a tragic past and a shocking proposal to put things right.

As the bodies accumulate, secrets are revealed and alliances crumble. Ultimate survival depends on following the rules for a perfect murder. And the first rule is… leave no singing bones.

About The Author

J.K. FRANKO was born and raised in Texas. His Cuban-American parents agreed there were only three acceptable options for a male child: doctor, lawyer, and architect. After a disastrous first year of college pre-Med, he ended up getting a BA in philosophy (not acceptable), then he went to law school (salvaging the family name) and spent many years climbing the big law firm ladder. After ten years, he decided that law and family life weren’t compatible. He went back to school where he got an MBA and pursued a Ph.D. He left law for corporate America, with long stints in Europe and Asia. His passion was always to be a writer. After publishing a number of non-fiction works, thousands of hours writing, and seven or eight abandoned fictional works over the course of eighteen years, EYE FOR EYE became his first published novel. J.K. Franko now lives with his wife and children in Florida.

Catch Up With JK Franko On: jkfranko.com, Goodreads, Twitter, & Facebook!

Buy A Copy

Purchase Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Enter To Win

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for JK Franko. There will be 6 winners. Two (2) winners will each win (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. Two (2) winners will each win a signed copy of EYE FOR EYE by JK Franko (Open to U.S. addresses only) and Two (2) winners will each win a Knife set (Open to U.S. addresses only). The giveaway begins on July 22, 2019 and runs through September 22, 2019. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway ;

Read An Excerpt

(more…)

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2019 Margaret Margaret

An Eye for a Lie by Cy Wyss

 

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

An Eye for a Lie by Cy Wyss was an interesting book but I did have trouble staying interested during the first couple of chapters. One thing I did like was that one of the main characters was a female FBI agent.  I always love when authors make strong females as lead characters. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Richter throughout the entire book but by the end of the book, I didn’t hate him as much.  I didn’t find this book was super suspenseful but it did have enough that I want to keep reading once I was a couple chapter’s into the book. This is the first book that I have read by this author and if I am honest I will probably pick up another book by this author in the future.   I did love that this book had some sci-fi elements in it because sci-fi isn’t a genre that I usually read so it was nice to read a book that was different from what I usually read. It is always nice to read a book that combines different genres because it makes it hard for me to figure out what is going to happen before it actually does happen.  If you are looking for a different type of thriller to read this summer I would give this book a chance. What books are you reading this summer?

About The Book

Genre: Mystery Published by: Nighttime Dog Press, LLC Publication Date: May 27, 2019 Number of Pages: 258 ISBN: 978-0-9965465-3-9

Lukas Richter is a San Francisco police detective with a cybernetic eye and heightened senses. He can detect the same autonomous responses as a polygraph machine, so he has a leg up in determining guilt.

In An Eye for a Lie, his first full-length novel, Richter is accused of murder and the evidence seems incontrovertible, including a bullet that was somehow fired from his gun when he claims he was nowhere near the crime scene. In the background, San Francisco is aflame over Richter’s shooting of an unarmed Asian man, an incident some are calling “the Asian Ferguson.”

Can Inspector Richter convince a plucky and suspicious FBI agent of his innocence in the face of overwhelming accusations and public persecution?

About The Author

Cy Wyss is a writer based in Indianapolis, Indiana. She has a Ph.D. in computer science and her day job involves wrangling and analyzing genetic data. Cy is the author of three full-length novels as well as a collection of short stories and the owner and chief editor of Nighttime Dog Press, LLC. Before studying computer science, Cy obtained her undergraduate degree in mathematics and English literature as well as masters-level degrees in philosophy and artificial intelligence. She studied overseas for three years in the UK, although she never managed to develop a British accent. Cy currently resides in Indianapolis with her husband, daughter, and two obstreperous but lovable felines. In addition to writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, and walking 5k races to benefit charity.  

Catch Up With Cy Wyss On: cywyss.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Twitter, & Facebook!

Buy A Copy

Amazon | Goodreads

Enter To Win

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Cy Wyss. There will be 2 winners of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card each. The giveaway begins on May 27, 2019 and runs through July 29, 2019. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway ;

Read An Excerpt

(more…)

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2019 Margaret Margaret

Swann’s Down by Charles Salzberg

 

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Swann’s Down by Charles Salzberg was a book that I wasn’t sure I was going to like but I really did enjoy this book.  I fell in love with Henry right from the start of this book and I also really liked Goldblatt so much so that I want to read the other books by this author in the future.  This is the fifth book in the series.  This was the first book that I have read, and I wasn’t lost or confused at all while I was reading this, so you don’t have to read all the books in order if you don’t want to.  Although if you are going to want to read the whole series, I would start with the first book so that nothing will get spoiled.  I wasn’t the biggest fan of Rachel, but it did feel bad that she had so much money taken from her.  I have a hard time liking people who make stupid choices and she made a ton of those choices.  I love when authors do a great job of making the characters come to life for me and this author did that for me.  If you love mystery books that don’t have a ton of suspense in them than I am sure you will enjoy this book like I did. 


About The Book

Genre: Detective/Noir/Mystery

Published by: Down & Out Books

Publication Date: May 14, 2019

Number of Pages: 300

ISBN: 978-1-64396011-1

Series:Henry Swann

When Henry Swann is asked by his quirky partner, Goldblatt, to find a missing psychic who’s swindled his ex-wife out of a small fortune, he just can’t say no. Although he doesn’t actually expect to get paid, he figures it might give him a chance to finally learn more about his partner’s mysterious past. His search takes him into the controversial, arcane world of psychics, fortune tellers, and charlatans while raising questions in his own mind about whether or not there is an after-life.

While working his partner’s case, he’s approached by a former employer, attorney Paul Rudder, to track down a missing witness who might be able to provide an alibi for his client, Nicky Diamond, a notorious mob hitman who’s scheduled to go on trial for murder he claims he didn’t commit in a week. Swann’s search for the missing witness, who happens to be the defendant’s girlfriend, takes him from Brooklyn to a small beach town across the Bay from Mobile, Ala. But what does she really know and will she even come back with him to testify for her boyfriend?

About The Author

Charles Salzberg is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in New York magazine, Esquire, GQ, Redbook, The New York Times Book Review and other periodicals. He has written over 20 non-fiction books, including From Set Shot to Slam Dunk, an oral history of the NBA, and Soupy Sez: My Zany Life and Times. He is author of the Shamus Award nominated Swann’s Last Song, Swann Dives In, Swann’s Lake of Despair, nominated for two Silver Falchions, Swann’s Way Out, Devil in the Hole, named one of the best crime novels of the year by Suspense Magazine. He was a Visiting Professor of Magazine at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and he teaches writing the New York Writers Workshop where he is a Founding Member. He is a member of the MWA-NY Board.

Catch Up With Charles Salzberg On: Charlessalzberg.com, Goodreads, Twitter, & Facebook!

Buy A Copy

Purchase Links: Amazon | BN.com | Goodreads

Let’s Be Friends

Enter To Win

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Charles Salzberg. There will be 6 giveaway winners. There will be 1 Grand Prize winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. There will be 5 2nd Prize winners of one (1) Print Edition of Swann’s Down (U.S. Mailing Addresses only). The giveaway begins on May 1, 2019 and runs through July 2, 2019. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Praise for Swann’s Down:

“Psychics, double-crosses, missing persons–Charles Salzberg’s latest Henry Swann book has it all. Swann’s Down is a gritty, no-frills PI novel that brings to mind greats like Reed Farrel Coleman’s Moe Prager and Michael Harvey’s Michael Kelly. Whether this is your first Swann adventure or the latest, you won’t want to miss the brass-knuckle punch that is Swann’s Down. Trust me.” ~ Alex Segura, author of Blackout and Dangerous Ends

“From Manhattan to Coney Island to the steamy shores of Alabama, Charles Salzberg delivers a top-flight mystery with his latest Henry Swann outing. Highly recommended.” ~ Tom Straw, New York Times bestselling author as Richard Castle

Swann’s Down gives readers two intriguing mysteries for the price of one, as skip tracer Henry Swann pursues a woman who might alibi a murderer and a psychic who swindled the ex-wife of Swann’s partner. Shamus Award-nominated Salzberg does a superb job cutting between the two investigations. I kept turning pages to stay with both chases as the suspense increased to the very end. Whatever is going on, Swann is at the center of this story. His wry wit, quotes from authors and philosophers, genius for questioning suspects, and dark past make him a character readers will follow anywhere as he seeks his quarry. This is another thrilling addition to this excellent series. ~ Rich Zahradnik, Lights Out Summer, winner of the 2018 Shamus Award for Best Paperback Private Eye Novel

Henry Swann dives in where others fear to tread in Swann’s Down: Fast. Funny. And Smart. This time out, Swann crosses paths with a psycho hitman, a phony psychic and Swann’s mysterious partner, a disbarred lawyer. Who could ask for more? I hope we’ll see a lot more of Swann in the future and that this isn’t Swann’s swan song. ~ Paul D. Marks, Shamus Award-winning Author of White Heat and Broken Windows.

Read An Excerpt

(more…)

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2019 Margaret Margaret