Book Review

The Pain Colony by Shanon Hunt

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 Pain Colony by Shanon Hunt was a book that left me wondering what in the hell I had listened to.  Even saying that now I want to go back and listen to it again. One thing I really enjoyed about this book was that it was narrated by 2 people which made following the story and characters easier.  I really enjoyed both of the narrators of this book I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another book they narrate in the future. There was so much about this book that left me totally confused once it was over.  Even saying that I still really enjoyed this book and it did keep me guessing right up until the end. This author did a great job of keeping me guessing just when I thought I had figured out what was going on something would happen that would leave me shocked.  This book kept me on the edge of my seat as I was reading it and that made me enjoy it even more. This book also left me wondering if things like this could really happen because I could see it really happening in today’s world. If you are looking for something different to read or listen to this winter I would for sure pick up a copy of this book and check it out.

About The Book

Author: Shanon Hunt

Narrator: Noah Michael Levine, Erin deWard

Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher: Narrow Ledge Publishing⎮2019

Genre: Thriller

Release date: Oct. 21, 2019

Six dead bodies with one disturbing similarity. An illicit genetic experiment. A secret society of true believers willing to do whatever it takes to become Pure.

And this is only the beginning.

DEA Special Agent Peter Malloy is no stranger to the devastating impact of drugs. So when six bodies turn up with surgical ports implanted in their spines, he’s sure a potent new opioid is the culprit. But when lab tests show zero evidence of any known narcotics, he fears something far more sinister.

Allison Stevens thought she knew everything about her boss. But after he disappears, she’s stunned to discover his secret genetic research in pain tolerance. When she becomes the target of the FBI’s investigation, Allison has only one move. She must expose his illegal experiment. There’s just one problem. Some secrets will be protected at any cost.

As Malloy and Allison get closer to the truth, they begin to realize they’re about to uncover the most chilling medical discovery in human history.

If it doesn’t get them killed.

The Pain Colony is a gripping suspense thriller–you’ll be plunged into terrifying twists of modern science, chilling tension, and shocking revelations that will leave you breathless.

“A nail-biting page-turner you can’t put down!” –BookTrib

“A shocking finale that even jaded readers won’t see coming!” –BookLife

About The Author

Shanon Hunt

As a former pharmaceutical executive of 15 years, Shanon Hunt has firsthand experience with cutting edge medical advances. But it wasn’t until she took an interest in CRISPR and the near future implications of genetic engineering that she became inspired to write a suspense thriller.

When she’s not plotting her next story, she enjoys being tormented by her frisbee-obsessed Australian Shepherd, hiking the wilds of northern New Jersey, and canyoneering in southern Utah with her husband, Steve. She lives in suburban New Jersey with Steve and their two teenage sons, Nick and Ben.

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About the Narrator: Erin deWard

Erin deWard is an Audie Award winning audiobook narrator and a classically trained stage actor. She is a long-time company member of The Strange Bedfellows, a Rockland County, NY based Shakespeare company and can be found directing, assisting another director, or on the lighting board for The Children’s Shakespeare Theatre in Rockland County, NY. She also directs English Language dubbing for IDC in New York. Erin has been working in the field of Audio Description (media accessibility for people who are blind) as a writer, voice talent, advocate, and trainer for over a decade. She is a proud and grateful member of SAG/AFTRA.

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About the Narrator: Noah Michael Levine

Family lore has it that, when I was three years old, my parents took my two older brothers and me on a vacation to Puerto Rico.  At some point during the sojourn, my parents … well … they lost me on the beach. After searching, frantically, (Or not, as the case may be.  I mean, they DID lose me in the first place.) they found me in the hotel bar, sitting on a hooker’s lap, telling a story to a sailor. And THAT is when my life in performance & yarn-spinning began.

The rest of my life has pretty much followed suit.  Telling stories and becoming characters. I have over 40 years experience as a stage, film/TV actor and  singer/songwriter/musician. And now, with over 325 audiobook titles, I’m so passionate about this industry – a medium that allows me to be immersed, for hours and hours, in wonderful characters and their tales.  I’m grateful for the authors, narrators, & productions companies with which I work and so thankful for all the listeners!

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2019 Margaret Margaret

Killer Resolutions by Elizabeth McKenna

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.

Killer Resolutions by Elizabeth McKenna was an interesting and fast read for me.  I was able to get through this book about a day and I loved that. I was sucked right into this story from the very first chapter and I was left feeling sad once it was over because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the characters.  It made me sad that this was a short book because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these characters. I fell in love with Dani and Nate right from the start of the book. I was able to figure out what was going to happen pretty early on while I was reading but that didn’t bother me in the least.  If you are looking for a quick book to read this winter I would sure pick up a copy of this book and give it a shot.

About The Book

Book Title:  Killer Resolutions by Elizabeth McKenna
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  174 (excluding bonus materials, which should not be reviewed)
Genre:  Mystery – Suspense
Publisher:  Elizabeth McKenna
Release date:   October, 2019
Tour dates: Dec 2 to Dec 13, 2019
Content Rating: R: There is profanity, including 12 F-bombs. There are numerous murders, though nothing is described in over-the-top gore. There are sexual conversations between characters and kissing as well as an off-page love scene.

For fans of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None . . .

In a remote lodge in northern Wisconsin, friends gather for a festive, New Year’s Eve weekend. When a blizzard traps them with a murderer, who will be left to kiss at midnight?

Five years ago, a tragedy shattered the friendship between Dani, her older brother, and their college pals. When her brother invites the old gang for a weekend of outdoor winter fun at a remote lodge, she sees it as a chance to reconnect and heal. But when her friends are murdered one-by-one, Dani must determine whom she can trust before she becomes the next victim.

Contains profanity, violence, and mild sexual content.

About The Author

Elizabeth McKenna’s love of books reaches back to her childhood, where her tastes ranged from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Stephen King’s horror stories. She had never read a romance novel until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene). Her novels reflect her mercurial temperament and include historical romances, contemporary romances, cozy mysteries, and dark mysteries. With some being “clean” and some being “naughty,” she has a book for your every mood. Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn’t writing, working, or being a mom, she’s sleeping.

Connect with the author:   Website ~  Twitter ~  Facebook  ~ Instagram

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All Lies by Andrew Cunningham

 

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

All Lies by Andrew Cunningham was a great book once I got over the narrators’ voice.  His voice bugged me for the first couple of chapters but once I was a few chapters his voice had grown on me.  Now that I am a few hours into the second book I can’t really remember why I originally didn’t like this voice.  I loved how this book started which is one of the reasons that I kept listening even when I wasn’t sure about the voice of the narrator.  I am glad that I kept going because I love the plot and the author’s writing. I do have to say that once it was a week or so from when I finished the book I can’t really remember how it ended which means that at least for me this book was super memorable but I do know that I did enjoy it.  Like I said before the first chapter of this book made me smile and that is one of the only things that I remember about this book. I would recommend this audiobook to anyone who is looking for something to listen to this winter.

About The Book

Author: Andrew Cunningham

Narrator: Greg Hernandez

Length: 7 hours 20 minutes

Publisher: Andrew Cunningham⎮2017

Genre: Mystery, Modern Detective

Series: Lies, Book 1

Release date: Dec. 22, 2017

Synopsis: “I come from a long line of idiots.”

Those were the last words his father uttered before dying, and from what he knew of his family tree and the unfortunate end that came to so many of his ancestors, Del Honeycutt couldn’t disagree. What he didn’t know was that his family held dark secrets – secrets that were about to come crashing down upon him.

A seemingly innocent date gone tragically wrong plunges Del into a web of murder, lies, greed, and a hidden fortune dating back to a crime committed 85 years earlier by his great-grandfather. Accompanied by Sabrina, the sister of Del’s brutally murdered date, a violent journey of discovery and fear begins. Pursued by vicious killers intent on eliminating anyone with knowledge of the 85-year-old crime, their only hope of survival is to find the reason behind the original crime and why, decades later, someone is still willing to kill to keep it hidden. But Sabrina is concealing a monstrous lie of her own. Is she who she says she is?

By the author of the Amazon best-selling thriller, Wisdom Spring.

About The Author

Andrew Cunningham

I’m the author of novels in several genres, including, mystery, thriller, and post-apocalyptic science fiction. Under the name A.R. Cunningham, I’ve also written the Arthur MacArthur series of mysteries for children.

I was born in England, but have spent most of my life living in the U.S.—including 25 years on Cape Cod before moving to Florida. A former interpreter for the deaf and long-time independent bookseller, I’ve been a full-time freelance writer and copy editor for many years. A 4th-degree Master Black belt in Tang Soo Do, I finally retired from active training when my body said, “Enough already! Why are you doing this to yourself?” I’m married, with two grown children and two awesome grandsons. My wife and I spend as much time traveling as we can, and are especially fond of cruising the Caribbean.

​I have been gratified by the response to my books. When I published Eden Rising back in the spring of 2013, I had no idea what to expect. When I sold my first few copies, I was excited beyond belief that someone was willing to take a chance on it. Numerous books and thousands of copies later, I am still humbled by the emails I get from readers telling me that my books kept them up late into the night.

In October of 2014, Wisdom Spring made me an official Amazon Bestselling author, a thrill I never thought would happen. But it still comes down to being able to bring a few hours of escape to a reader. That’s what it’s all about for me.

I hope you will try my books. Please feel free to email me with your comments.

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About the Narrator: Greg Hernandez

Author-preferred Narrator of Mysteries & Thrillers

Narrating audiobooks is highly gratifying.  I immerse myself into an author’s story in order to bring it to life for the listener.  I’ve enjoyed working with Andrew Cunningham for several years. His books are filled with rich characters, and the stories keep me turning the pages.

I also work as a background actor in movies and TV shows.

For more than 20 years, I worked as a radio news reporter and news writer.  I spent half of my broadcasting career at ABC News Radio in the Washington, D.C., bureau.  I covered all the federal agencies as well as Congress and the White House. I reported on a wide range of stories during my career, including financial and entertainment industry news.

For nearly 24 years, I worked as a federal government spokesman at three separate agencies—National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Mint and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2019 Margaret Margaret

Cradle To Grave by Rachel Amphlett

 

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.

Cradle To Grave by Rachel Amphlett was an interesting book and it kept me listening until I was finished with the book.  I really enjoyed this narrator and she is someone that I will look up more books that she narrates. I also loved this author and the characters in this book.  This is a series of books but you don’t know need to read them in order if you don’t want to read the other books. This is the first book I have read in this series and I didn’t feel lost as I was listening to this book.  There were a few times where I wished that I knew the back story but that was only a few times and it was only because I wondered about the characters and some of the things that they went through before this book started. Like I said I really enjoyed the narrator’s voice and even though she is from the United Kingdom I could understand what she was saying.  I saw that because at times I struggle to understand what some people are saying when they have heavy accents. I loved that I wasn’t able to figure out how this book was going to end and who the killer was. If you love mystery books than I know you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

About The Book

Author: Rachel Amphlett

Narrator: Alison Campbell

Length: 7 hours 56 minutes

Publisher: Saxon Publishing⎮2019

Genre: Mystery, Police Procedural

Series: Detective Kay Hunter, Book 8

Release date: Oct. 15, 2019

When a faceless body is found floating in the river on a summer’s morning, Detective Kay Hunter and her team are tasked with finding out the man’s identity and where he came from.

The investigation takes a sinister turn when an abandoned boat is found, covered in blood stains and containing a child’s belongings.

Under mounting pressure from a distraught family and an unforgiving media, the police are in a race against time – but they have no leads and no motive for the events that have taken place.

Will Kay be able to find a ruthless killer and a missing child before it’s too late?

Cradle to Grave is the eighth book in the Detective Kay Hunter series by USA Today best-selling author Rachel Amphlett and perfect for listeners who love fast-paced murder mysteries.

About The Author

Before turning to writing, Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as a sub-editor and editorial assistant.

She now wields a pen instead of a plectrum and writes crime fiction and spy novels, including the Dan Taylor espionage novels and the Detective Kay Hunter series.

Originally from the UK and currently based in Brisbane, Australia, Rachel cites her writing influences as Michael Connelly, Lee Child, and Robert Ludlum. She’s also a huge fan of Peter James, Val McDermid, Robert Crais, Stuart MacBride, and many more.

She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and the Crime Writers Association, with the Italian foreign rights for her debut novel, White Gold sold to Fanucci Editore’s TIMECrime imprint, and the first four books in the Dan Taylor espionage series contracted to Germany’s Luzifer Verlag.

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About the Narrator: Allison Campbell

Alison Campbell is an actress based in Bristol, U.K. She has lent her voice to 50+ audiobooks, cartoons, documentaries and dramas. She can be found treading the boards across the country, in everything from Shakespeare to hip hop kids adventures. On screen she has appeared in dramas and science documentaries, her most recent co star was a CGI elephant. She can also be found performing the Natural Theatre Company’s award-winning surreal brand of interactive comedy around the globe.

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2019 Margaret Margaret

Dead Reckoning by Caitlin Rother

 

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Pump Up Your Book 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.

Dead Reckoning by Caitlin Rother was an interesting book.  I realized while I was reading this book that I had heard of this story before but I am not sure where I heard it from.  This was a really well-written book that took me a while to get through because there was so much information that it took a while to finish. I was very impressed with this author and this book.  I felt like I understood all of the characters and why they made the choices that they did but I didn’t support most of the choices that were made. I was left thinking more than once that if one person had made a different choice most of this book never would have happened.  I was left speechless more times than I can even talk about because the characters were always doing or saying insane things. I felt so bad for everyone who got hurt because of Skylar and the choices he made. I also at times felt bad for Skylar because of everything he went through as he was going up but that didn’t give him any right to hurt or even kill other people.  I will never understand why some people who have rough childhood do things as Skylar does and other people don’t end up like this. I hope that this author will write other books in the true crime genre because I really did enjoy this book. If you are looking for a new true crime story to read I would recommend this book to you. Have you heard of this case before and if so what did you think about it?

About The Book

Title: DEAD RECKONING
Author: Caitlin Rother
Publisher: WildBlue Press
Pages: 504
Genre: True Crime

Tom and Jackie Hawks loved their life in retirement, sailing on their yacht, the Well Deserved. But when the birth of a new grandson called them back to Arizona, they put the boat up for sale. Skylar Deleon and his pregnant wife Jennifer showed up as prospective buyers, with their baby in a stroller, and the Hawkses thought they had a deal. Soon after a sea trial and an alleged purchase, however, the older couple disappeared and the Deleons promptly tried to access the Hawkses’ bank accounts.

As police investigated the case, they not only found a third homicide victim with ties to Skylar, they also uncovered an unexpected and unusual motive: Skylar had wanted gender reassignment surgery for years. By killing the Hawkses with a motley crew of assailants and plundering the couple’s assets, the Deleons had planned to clear their $100,000 in debts and still have money for the surgery, which Skylar had already scheduled.

Now, in this up-to-the-minute updated edition, which includes extensive new material, New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother presents the latest breaking developments in the case. Skylar, who was ultimately sentenced to death row for the three murders, transitioned to a woman via hormones while living in the psych unit at San Quentin prison. Recently, she legally changed her name and gender to female, apparently a strategic step in her quest to obtain taxpayer-subsidized gender confirmation surgery and transfer to a women’s prison. Combined with Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent moratorium on executions, this only adds insult to injury for the victims’ families, who want Skylar to receive the ultimate punishment for her crimes.

“Rother gives readers compelling insight to an unthinkable American nightmare. A gripping read… frank and frightening… it sizzles.”

—Aphrodite Jones, host of True Crime on Investigation Discovery and bestselling author

About The Author

New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 13 books, ranging from narrative nonfiction to memoir and crime fiction. Her latest titles are the true-life thriller Hunting Charles Manson and her memoir short, Secrets, Lies, and Shoelaces. A former investigative reporter at daily newspapers for 19 years, Rother has been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Boston Globe and Daily Beast. She has appeared more than 200 times on TV, radio and podcasts internationally, including Australian Broadcast Corp’s “World News,” “Crime Watch Daily,” “People Magazine Investigates,” “Nancy Grace,” “Snapped,” and dozens of shows on Netflix, Investigation Discovery, Oxygen, A&E, Reelz, C-SPAN and various PBS affiliates. Rother also works as a writing-research coach and consultant, leads writing workshops, and plays keyboards and sings in an acoustic group called breakingthecode. She is working on two new books, one titled “Justice for Rebecca,” about the Rebecca Zahau death case, and one about the San Diego Zoo’s Frozen Zoo. Please visit her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter or visit her website at https://www.caitlinrother.com.

★ WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS: ★

Website → https://www.caitlinrother.com

Blog → https://www.caitlinrother.com/blog

Twitter → https://twitter.com/CaitlinRother

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/caitlinrother

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2019 Margaret Margaret

Speak No Evil by Liana Gardner

 

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.

Speak No Evil by Liana Gardner left me feeling very broken because of everything that happened to Melody throughout the book.  I read through this book really quickly because I had to know how it all worked out or if it even did work out at the end. If abuse and things like that bother you then I wouldn’t read this book but if you are okay reading the kind of stuff than I think you might like this book.  Even with me saying that there aren’t a ton of details about the abuse but it does go into a few of the details. I also had a rough childhood so I felt like I could relate to Melody and understand some of the things that she went through. This is the first book I have read by this author and I am pretty sure I will pick up other books by her in the future because I enjoyed this book so much.  I love when an author tackles tough subjects as this author did because it shows that they will talk about things that can help people. If you are looking for a quick but amazing read than I would pick up this book because I am sure you will love it as much as I did.

About The Book

Genre: YA Mystery Published by: Vesuvian Books Publication Date: October 1st 2019 Number of Pages: 285 ISBN: 1944109366 (ISBN13: 9781944109363) What if every time you told the truth, evil followed?

My name is Melody Fisher. My daddy was a snake handler in Appalachia until Mama died. Though years have passed, I can still hear the rattle before the strike that took her from me.

And it’s all my fault.

Since then, I’ve been passed around from foster home to foster home. I didn’t think anything could be as bad as losing Mama.

I was wrong.

But I will not speak of things people have done to me. Every time I do, worse evil follows. Now, the only thing I trust is what saved me years ago.

Back when I would sing the snakes calm …

About The Author

Liana Gardner is the multi-award-winning author of 7th Grade Revolution (most recently the recipient of a 2018 Nautilus Book Award) and The Journal of Angela Ashby. The daughter of a rocket scientist and an artist, Liana combines the traits of both into a quirky yet pragmatic writer and in everything sees the story lurking beneath the surface. Liana volunteers with high school students through EXP (expfuture.org). EXP unites business people and educators to prepare students for a meaningful place in the world of tomorrow. Working in partnership with industry and educators, EXP helps young people EXPerience, EXPand, and EXPlore. Engaged in a battle against leukemia and lymphoma, Liana spends much of her time at home, but her imagination takes her wherever she wants to go. Liana is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Catch Up With Liana Gardner On: lianagardner.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Twitter, & Facebook!

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This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Vesuvian Books and Liana Gardner. There will be 1 winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card and 2 winners of a signed print copy of Speak No Evil by Liana Gardner. The giveaway begins on October 1, 2019 and runs through December 2, 2019. Open to U.S. addresses only. Void where prohibited.

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