Book Review Groups

Scarlet Oaks and the Serial Caller by Michaela James

 

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Audiobookworm 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.

Scarlet Oaks and the Serial Caller by Michaela James was a good audiobook.  I really enjoyed the characters in this story and I was always left trying to figure out which person was the most insane in her group of friends and family.  These are the types of characters that I wish I knew in real life because they are a never-ending source of entertainment. I really enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook and I wouldn’t be mad if I were to listen to other books that she reads. I loved listening to this book because it wasn’t super intense but it did give me an escape from all of the crazy events that are happening right now.  I did enjoy the comedic parts of this book and those moments are the reason that I finished the entire audiobook in just a couple of days. I also enjoyed the author’s writing and I can’t wait to see what crazy things the characters are going to do next. There is one more book in this series that I am going to review next week so come back then to see how I feel about this series then.

 

About The Book

Author: Michaela James

Narrator: Kimberly M. Wetherell

Length: 10 hours 2 minutes

Publisher: LW Media Group Ltd.⎮2019

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Scarlet Oaks Cozy Mystery Series, Book 1

Release date: Nov. 9, 2019

Synopsis: Is it possible Scarlet Oaks, the reluctant new host of a men’s call-in show, inspired the first serial killer San Francisco’s seen in some 40 years?

Struggling to pay the rent after her boyfriend’s sudden departure, continue her role as mediator in an unconventional family, and feed a micro pig who appears less micro by the day, Scarlet’s life is far from perfect. But when an eerie sounding caller is identified as the bay area’s latest serial killer, it appears her life will never be the same.

With the killer continually calling into Scarlet’s show, while managing to stay one step ahead of the San Francisco police, Scarlet begins to fear she’s his next victim. Enlisting best friends Niles and Tom and their often-hilarious help, Scarlet sets out to find the elusive Serial Caller…before he finds her.

Root for Scarlet during this heart-pounding and alternately humorous mystery thriller. Fall in love with unforgettable characters, recognize familiar family members, and hold on tight for an adrenaline-filled ride.

If you’re a Stephanie Plum fan, make room for Scarlet Oaks!

This is the first book in the Scarlet Oaks series.

About The Author

Michaela lives near Reno, Nevada, where there are lovely walking trails and lots of sun. She was born and grew up in Hampshire, England, where there is less sun, but better chocolate! A professional voice over artist and the voice of a local radio station, Michaela enjoys watching great movies with her husband and grown sons, playing tennis and  and drinking lots of tea.

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About The Narrator

Kimberly M. Wetherell

A bright, versatile, broad-next-door type, Kimberly M. Wetherell is rapidly becoming a sought-after talent in the voiceover market, specializing in audiobooks, commercials, and animation.

Kimberly has worn multiple hats in the entertainment industry for over 30 years. A graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, Kimberly has been an actor, a singer of musical theatre, director of both opera and film, and producer of opera, film, and most recently, commercials.

She speaks French, Italian, and German (all thanks to her 15-year career in opera), and, as a lifelong lover of language, has a large catalogue of dialects and accents from around the world at the tip of her tongue.

Equally active in the literary world, Kimberly is a published essayist and contributing editor of The Nervous Breakdown. She founded and hosted DISH, a monthly food & drink reading series at SoHo’s Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, as well as having hosted other reading series around NYC, such as NPR’s Dime Stories at Brooklyn’s Barbès and TNB’s Literary Experience at Chinatown’s Happy Endings.

Voiceover artistry is the perfect marriage of her life’s two passions, and she couldn’t be happier with this new career pursuit.

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The Corridor by Vic Neal

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Audiobookworm 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 Corridor by Vic Neal was a great book to listen to.  It took my mind off of what is happening in the world and that made me love this book even more.  I am not someone who finds books funny but this one made me laugh out loud more times than I can count.  I was also intrigued by this book because I don’t know much about Oxford and that kept me interested in the story and the characters.  Right from the start, I felt like the characters in this book were real people and I was always left thinking how crazy they all were. I loved that the narrator is from the UK because it made the story come to life for me.  He was also easy to understand so I was still able to understand him and listen to it at a faster speed. If you are looking for a book to listen to/read that will take your mind off of what is going on in the world I would give this one a shot.

About The Book

Author: Vic Neal

Narrator: Jack Hardman

Length: 8 hours 32 minutes

Publisher: Nice Cake Publishing Ltd⎮2020

Genre: Humor

Series: Oxford Uni Corridor Series, Book 1

Release date: Feb. 14, 2020

Synopsis: The Corridor is a documentary-style comedy which follows the lives of a group of Oxford students through their conversations, tweets, emails, video diaries, and text messages. Rather than attending lectures and writing essays, the students are more interested in their bizarre clubs, secret dining societies, and organizing rebellions.

Based loosely on the experiences of an Oxford student, The Corridor exposes the famous seat of learning which has continued to excrete our most reprehensible leaders for hundreds of years.

A must-listen book for anyone thinking of becoming a prime minister/anarchist.

About The Author

Vic studied at Oxford for four years, and now lives and works in the West Midlands in the United Kingdom. The Corridor is her debut novel, which she boldly claims is “a bit funny in parts”. Vic has just published the sequel to The Corridor and is now working on a number of new titles – including a historical fiction based on a chance encounter between Lord Byron, King George III and Frankenstein (working title: “Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Sew”). Her aim is to become somebody somewhere’s favourite author.

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About The Narrator

Jack is an actor from the East Midlands. He trained at Millennium Performing Arts college and has been acting most of his life.

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Dangerous Ground by Susan Hunter

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.

Dangerous Ground by Susan Hunter was a great book that I enjoyed so much that I read it quickly.  I believe that I have read one other book in this series but I can’t be positive. That being said you don’t have to read the entire series in order to understand this book.  If you are interested in the series I would start from the first book and read them in order but if this is the only one that interests you then you won’t be lost if you read this book.  Leah did get on my nerves from time to time even though I knew why she was making the choices that she was. This book wasn’t super suspenseful but it did have enough that kept me reading until I was finished with this book.  I do think that I am going to back and read a few more books in this series because of how much I enjoyed this book. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t enjoy all of the drama that the characters had with each other because of the things that happened when they were all in high school.  It took me about half of the book before I was able to figure out who the killer was and when I figured it out I was totally shocked with is always a good thing when it comes to books in this genre.

About The Book

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Himmel River Press
Publication Date: November 19, 2019
Number of Pages: 364
ISBN: 1698530994 (9781698530994)
Series: Leah Nash Mysteries, Book 6

A Murder Among Friends …

Everyone is anxious to connect with actor Ryan Malloy when he returns to town for his 15-year high school reunion. Everyone except crime writer Leah Nash. She doesn’t have many fond memories of Himmel High’s golden boy. But it turns out she’s not the only one who isn’t a fan. Before the weekend is over, Ryan Malloy is murdered.

The hard-headed but soft-hearted Leah is unwillingly drawn into investigating his death by the pleading of Ryan’s terminally ill mother. She soon discovers that Ryan’s self-absorbed journey through life trampled on the dreams of a number of people. His old girlfriend, his best friend, his own brother, a local businessman—there’s no shortage of suspects—or secrets. But the solution eludes Leah, until the past and the present collide in a dangerous confrontation that threatens one life and ends another.

About The Author

Susan Hunter is a charter member of Introverts International (which meets the 12th of Never at an undisclosed location). She has worked as a reporter and managing editor, during which time she received a first place UPI award for investigative reporting and a Michigan Press Association first place award for enterprise/feature reporting.

Susan has also taught composition at the college level, written advertising copy, newsletters, press releases, speeches, web copy, academic papers, and memos. Lots and lots of memos. She lives in rural Michigan with her husband Gary, who is a man of action, not words.

During certain times of the day, she can be found wandering the mean streets of small-town Himmel, Wisconsin, looking for clues, stopping for a meal at the Elite Cafe, dropping off a story lead at the Himmel Times Weekly, or meeting friends for a drink at McClain’s Bar and Grill.

Catch Up With Susan Hunter On:
LeahNashMysteries.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook!

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This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Susan Hunter. There will be one (1) winner. The winner will receive an Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on February 17, 2020 and runs through March 21, 2020. Void where prohibited.

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No Stone Unturned by Andrea Kane

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.

No Stone Unturned by Andrea Kane was an interesting book but not one that I would want to read again.  I believe that I had read one other book by this author and in this series. This another one where you won’t be lost if you only read this book but like I said before if you want to read the entire series I would start with the first book so nothing gets ruined in later books.  When I read books like this one I always wonder if things like this actually happen in the real-world or if companies like Forensic Instincts really exist in our world today. I did really enjoy this author’s writing and I was sad when the book ended because I really did enjoy these characters and I began to think of them as real people that are alive someone in the United States.  This book wasn’t super suspenseful but it did keep me reading the book until I was finished with it. I also didn’t figure out who had killed Rose until the end of the book which was also a good thing because that doesn’t always happen when it comes to books that I am reading because at this point I have read some many books I am usually able to figure out who killed the person pretty early on.

About The Book

Genre: Suspense Thriller
Published by: Bonnie Meadow Publishing LLC
Publication Date:
Number of Pages: March 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68232-039-
Series: Forensic Instincts

WHAT IF YOU FOUND YOUR FRIEND DEAD AND FEARED YOU’D BE NEXT?

Jewelry designer Fiona McKay is working on her latest collection of Celtic-inspired jewelry. She’s excited by the possibilities uncovered by Rose Flaherty, the antiquities dealer helping her research the heirloom tapestries inspiring her new collection. So when Rose calls to tell her she has answers, Fiona hurries to meet her. But her artistic world is shattered when she finds the lifeless body of the elderly woman.

Why would anyone kill such a harmless person? And what if Fiona had arrived just a few minutes earlier? Would she have been killed as well? Unnerved, she heads for her brother’s Brooklyn apartment seeking advice and comfort.

Ryan McKay, Forensic Instincts’ technology wiz is not amused by his little sister interrupting his evening with his girlfriend and co-worker, Claire Hedgleigh. But when Ryan and Claire hear the details of Rose’s murder, they fear that Fiona could be next, and quickly assume the role of her protectors. What they’re unaware of is how many people are desperately seeking the information now buried along with Rose.

A former IRA sniper. A traitorous killer who worked for the British. Two vicious adversaries taking their epic battle to America. A secret Irish hoard as the grand prize in a winner takes all fight to the death.

As the story woven into the tapestries passed down from McKay mother to daughter unravels, Forensic Instincts realizes that Fiona and her family are in grave danger. Together, the team must stay one step ahead of two rival assassins or risk Fiona’s life and the McKay family tree.

About The Author

Andrea Kane is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirty novels, including sixteen psychological thrillers and fourteen historical romantic suspense titles. With her signature style, Kane creates unforgettable characters and confronts them with life-threatening danger. As a master of suspense, she weaves them into exciting, carefully-researched stories, pushing them to the edge―and keeping her readers up all night.

Kane’s first contemporary suspense thriller, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, became an instant New York Times bestseller. She followed with a string of bestselling psychological thrillers including NO WAY OUT, TWISTED and DRAWN IN BLOOD.

Her latest in the highly successful Forensic Instincts series, NO STONE UNTURNED, showcases the dynamic, eclectic team of maverick investigators as they solve a seemingly impossible case while narrowly avoiding an enraged law enforcement frustrated over Forensic Instincts’ secretive and successful interference in a murder case. The first showcase of Forensic Instincts’ talents came with the New York Times bestseller, THE GIRL WHO DISAPPEARED TWICE, followed by THE LINE BETWEEN HERE AND GONE, THE STRANGER YOU KNOW, THE SILENCE THAT SPEAKS, THE MURDER THAT NEVER WAS, A FACE TO DIE FOR, and DEAD IN A WEEK.

Kane’s beloved historical romantic suspense novels include MY HEART’S DESIRE, SAMANTHA, ECHOES IN THE MIST, and WISHES IN THE WIND.

With a worldwide following of passionate readers, her books have been published in more than twenty languages. Kane lives in New Jersey with her husband and family. She’s an avid crossword puzzle solver and a diehard Yankees fan.

Catch Up With Andrea Kane:
AndreaKane.com, Goodreads, Twitter, & Facebook!

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The Occult Persuasion & The Anarchist’s Solution by Lisa de Nikolits

 

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 Occult Persuasion & The Anarchist’s Solution by Lisa de Nikolits wasn’t my favorite book but it did keep me reading because I had to know what crazy thing the characters were going to do next.  I wasn’t ever to figure out what was going to happen next because they were always doing the craziest things. The book starts with one character thinking her husband fell overboard on a ferry and the next chapter starts with a guy stealing a jeep with a very expensive cat that insists on having the air conditioning going full blast.  The book only gets weirder and weirder as the chapters go on and on. I wasn’t the biggest fan of this book but because I wasn’t able to figure out what was going to happen I had to keep reading because I was always wondering what crazy thing was going to happen next even though the things that happened wouldn’t happen in the real world.  That being said if you don’t mind crazy things happening that wouldn’t happen in the real world then I would pick up this book and give it a read.

About The Book

Genre: Suspense Thriller Published by: Inanna Poetry & Fiction Series Publication Date: September 30th 2019 Number of Pages: 300 ISBN: 1771336498 (ISBN13: 9781771336499) The Occult Persuasion and the Anarchist’s Solution is about a couple experiencing a crisis. The husband, Lyndon, loses his job as editor of a financial magazine. Neither are happy with aging. Lyndon has gotten by with charm and frozen emotions. The wife, Margaux, has no idea how angry she is with him for his detachment. It is her idea to sell the house and just travel. But he is not coping well with retirement, so he simply walks off a ferry in Australia and leaves her. He steals a cat (well, he steals an expensive SUV that happens to have a cat onboard) and he flees Sydney, ending up in Apollo Bay, a few hours south-west of Melbourne, where he falls in with a group of anarchists and punk rockers in a tattoo parlour, planning revolution.

Meanwhile, Margaux sits tight in Sydney with no idea of where her husband might be or what happened. She moves into the red-light Kings Cross area, befriending the owner of the hostel, a seventy-year-old ex-cop drag queen from Saint John, New Brunswick, and waits to hear from her husband.

When she learns that her husband is fine, she is consumed by wrath and she invokes the angry spirit of an evil nurse, a key player in the terrible Chelmsworth sleep therapy in which many patients died (historical fact). While Lyndon gets in touch with his original career ambition to become an artist and wrestles with anarchism versus capitalism, Margaux learns to deal with her rage.

A serio-comedic thriller about a couple who embark on an unintentionally life-changing around-the-world adventure, The Occult Persuasion and the Anarchist’s Solution is about the meaning of life, healing from old wounds, romantic love at all ages, and how love and passion can make a difference, at any age.

About The Author

Lisa de Nikolits is the internationally-acclaimed, award-winning author of nine novels: The Hungry Mirror, West of Wawa, A Glittering Chaos, The Witchdoctor’s Bones, Between The Cracks She Fell, The Nearly Girl, No Fury Like That, Rotten Peaches and The Occult Persuasion and the Anarchist’s Solution (all Inanna) No Fury Like That was published in Italian in 2019 by Edizione Le Assassine under the title Una furia dell’altro mondo. Her short fiction and poetry have also been published in various anthologies and journals across the country. She is a member of the Mesdames of Mayhem, the Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and the International Thriller Writers. Originally from South Africa, Lisa de Nikolits came to Canada in 2000. She lives and writes in Toronto.

Catch Up With Lisa de Nikolits On: LisadeNikolitsWriter.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook!

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This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Lisa de Nikolits. There will be one (1) winners. Each winner will receive an Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on March 1, 2020 and runs through April 2, 2020. Void where prohibited. a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Parallel Lies by Georgia Rose

 

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Audiobookworm 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.

Parallel Lies by Georgia Rose wasn’t my favorite book that I have listened to lately but it was a nice change of pace from the books that I have been reading/listening too.  I found that this book was somewhat predictable but that didn’t bother me too much. I wasn’t the biggest fan of this narrator because her voice made me tired and that made me not want to listen to the book.  Madeleine did get on my nerves at times because of how she would act but at times I really did enjoy her. I was a huge fan of Dan right from the start of the book up and through the end of this book. I am glad that there is another book in this series because I hate when books don’t wrap things up and then you have to wait for the next book to come out.  I will have a review of the next book up next week so if you are interested in this come back next week and I will let know if, in the end, I would recommend this series to you. If you like romantic suspense type books than I think you may like this series of books.

About The Book

Author: Georgia Rose

Narrator: Henri Merriam

Length: 9 hours 20 minutes

Publisher: Three Shires Publishing⎮2019

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Series: The Ross Duology, Book 1

Release date: Jan. 23, 2019

Synopsis: A woman with a hidden past. A new love on the horizon. Will the truth set her free or cost her everything?

Madeleine Ross has meticulously organized her world to leave no trace of her criminal past. After creating a new identity for herself, her only remaining connection to her previous life is the security work she does for a small-town insurance company. But when she starts falling for her handsome boss, Dan, she’s worried letting him in will expose secrets best kept locked away….

As their attraction grows stronger, Madeline’s attempts to keep Dan in the dark go horribly wrong when a dangerous ex emerges from her unsavory past. After her former flame gives her an offer she can’t refuse, she has one choice left: ditch her life as a thief to let Dan in or embrace her shady dealings to destroy her only shot at a happy future….

Parallel Lies is fast-paced romantic suspense. If you like troubled heroines, character-driven action, and powerful emotions, then you’ll love Georgia Rose’s thrilling novel. 

Buy Parallel Lies to unlock a secret identity today!

About The Author

Georgia Rose is a product of rural England and the countryside setting is the theme running through her books. She loves strong characters and finds developing them incredibly satisfying. 

Instructing and working with horses has provided the knowledge needed for some of her storylines and these can come from a fragment of conversation, via Georgia’s not so surreptitious people watching or most often from her overactive imagination.

Georgia’s busy life is set in a tranquil part of rural Cambridgeshire in the UK where she lives with her much neglected husband and dog.

She loves afternoon tea, the way the word loquacious rolls off the tongue and she sincerely believes inanimate objects have feelings.

She does not care for clowns or kites and can’t understand why adding salt to caramel is seen as a good thing.

She also hates every photo ever taken of her…

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