Book Talk

Gambling With Murder by Lida Sideris

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.

Gambling With Murder by Lida Sideris was a super easy read.  I was able to read this book from start to finish in about a day.  I loved that this book wasn’t super intense because I used it as my escape from all of the crazy going on in the world.  I love that there wasn’t a ton of suspense because I haven’t wanted to read super intense books lately.  The author did a great job of making me fall in love with the characters and the setting of this book right from the start.  I know that I will be going back and reading other books by her in the future because I enjoyed this book so much.  I loved that the author used experiences that she went through in her books because that makes the plot even more realistic.  If you are looking for your next book, I would pick up this book because I am sure you will love it like I do.

About The Book

Genre: Mystery (soft-boiled)
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: March 29, 2022
Number of Pages: 280
ISBN: 978-1-68512-086-3
Series: The Southern California Mystery series, #5 || Each is a stand alone work

A late-night call is all it takes for rookie lawyer Corrie Locke to kiss her day job at the movie studio goodbye, and do what she does best: flex her sweet P.I. skills and go undercover to find a senior who’s missing from a posh retirement community. One small stumbling block: skirting past security to gain inside access to the exclusive Villa Sunset. Time to call in the heavy artillery. Besides former security guard turned legal assistant—now wannabe P.I. –Veera, Corrie relies on a secret weapon: her mother, a surprisingly eager addition to Corrie’s team. Armed with enough attitude and pepper spray to take down a band of Navy Seals, Mom impersonates a senior to infiltrate the Villa, Corrie and Veera in tow. Turns out the job’s not as easy as they’d thought. These seniors have tricks tucked up their sleeves and aren’t afraid of using them.

The action gets dicey as the missing senior case turns into attempted murder by a criminal mind who’s always one step ahead. Corrie’s hot on the trail, but finds more than she bargained for…especially when her mother becomes a target.

About The Author

Lida Sideris’ first stint after law school was a newbie lawyer’s dream: working as an entertainment attorney for a movie studio…kind of like her heroine, Corrie Locke, except without the homicides. Lida was one of two national winners of the Helen McCloy Mystery Writers of America Scholarship Award and a Silver Falchion Award Finalist. She lives in the northern tip of Southern California with her family, rescue dogs and a flock of uppity chickens.

To learn more about Lida, please visit:
http://www.LidaSideris.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @LidaSideris
Instagram – @lida_sideris
Twitter – @LidaSideris
Facebook – @lidasideris

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Fool Her Once by Joanna Elm

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Virtual 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.

Fool Her Once by Joanna Elm was a book. Right from the start of this book, I was hooked. I loved that this book had suspense that started in the first chapter because that made me want to keep reading until I had finished the book. This is one of those books that kept me guessing. Just when I thought I had the book figured out, something else would happen, and I would realize that I was wrong. I love books that keep me guessing, as this book did. This book had just the right amount of suspense throughout the entire book. The author also did a great job of making all of the characters seem like they were real people. This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I am sure going to pick up other books by her because if they are half as good as this one, I know I will love them. If you are looking for a new suspense book to read, I would pick up this one because I am sure you will enjoy this book.

About The Book

Genre: Thriller (Domestic)
Published by: CamCat Books
Publication Date: March 1st 2022
Number of Pages: 416
ISBN: 0744304938 (ISBN13: 9780744304930

Some killers are born. Others are made.

As a rookie tabloid reporter, Jenna Sinclair made a tragic mistake when she outed Denny Dennison, the illegitimate son of an executed serial killer. So she hid behind her marriage and motherhood. Now, decades later, betrayed by her husband and resented by her teenage daughter, Jenna decides to resurrect her career—and returns to the city she loves.

When her former lover is brutally assaulted outside Jenna’s NYC apartment building, Jenna suspects that Denny has inherited his father’s psychopath gene and is out for revenge. She knows she must track him down before he can harm his next target, her daughter.

Meanwhile, her estranged husband, Zack, fears that her investigative reporting skills will unearth his own devastating secret he’d kept buried in the past.

From New York City to the remote North Fork of Long Island and the murky waters surrounding it, Jenna rushes to uncover the terrible truth about a psychopath and realizes her own investigation may save or destroy her family.

About The Author

Joanna Elm is an author, journalist, blogger and an attorney. Before publication of her first two suspense novels (Scandal, Tor/Forge 1996); (Delusion, Tor/Forge/1997), she was an investigative journalist on the London Evening News on Fleet Street in the U.K. She also wrote for British magazines like Woman’s Own.

Then, she moved to New York where she worked as a writer/producer for television news and tabloid TV programs like A Current Affair. She was also the researcher/writer for WNEW-TV’s Emmy-award winning documentary Irish Eyes. In 1980, she joined the Star as a reporter, eventually becoming the magazine’s news editor and managing editor before moving to Philadelphia as editor of the news/features section of TV Guide.

After completing her first two novels while living in South Florida, (Nelson DeMille described Scandal as “fresh, original and unpredictable”) Joanna returned to New York, enrolled in law school, graduated summa cum laude, passed the NY Bar exam and worked as principal law clerk for an appellate division justice in the prestigious First Department. She has been married to husband Joe for 35 years, and has one son.

Catch Up With Our Author:
http://www.JoannaElm.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @authorjoannaelm
Instagram – @authorjoannaelm
Twitter – @authorjoannaelm

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If They Can’t Kiss Right: Surviving Online Dating by Shannon Yingst

 

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.

If They Can’t Kiss Right: Surviving Online Dating by Shannon Yingst was a great book.  I am not usually someone who enjoys books like this but I am so glad that I gave this book a chance.  I loved that the author was able to write a self help book and make me laugh through most of the book.  I found everything about this book relatable because my now ex-husband and I met online and lets just say that my marriage was quite the shit show.  If you have never tried online dating this book will make you not want to.  I loved all of names that she gave to men in this story because most of them made me laugh.  This book was a super quick read and I was sad when I was over because I enjoyed this book so much.  I also read it super quick because I didn’t want to put the book down until I was finished reading.  If you are looking for a self help book that will make you laugh out loud than I would for sure recommend this book to you.

 

About The Book

Title: IF THEY CAN’T KISS RIGHT: SURVIVING ONLINE DATING
Author: Shannon Yingst
Publisher: Tyburn Hill Media Co.
Pages: 150
Genre: Creative Nonfiction

Warning: Adult Content

Online dating: the new way of life. It seems like the only logical way to meet people anymore. The rest of our lives are on the internet, so why not our love lives too? Because if you wait for your friends to set you up, you’ll only be disappointed with their choice of Roger from accounting, the epitome of mouth breathing, booger eating morons.

Fortunately, there are no Rogers from accounting in this tale. There are, however, many other bad choices. But along the way, I learned what I want, and what I don’t want in a relationship. I learned good qualities to seek and bad qualities to leave behind. I also learned a lot about myself in the process, too. The biggest gain I got from my foray into online dating, though? Writing this book and passing along some of the life lessons I discovered through a painful trial-and-error process.

If you think your dating life is bad, take a gander at mine. Relive the awkward moments, soak in the unnecessary drama, and don’t forget to learn a thing or two. Men and women alike will be able to read this and take-home solid dating advice for the future.

Laugh. Learn. Love. Question why some humans are so insane. Maybe even see yourself in some of the pages. But above all, take to heart all the things I figured out along the way. It’ll save you the heartache and trouble. Trust me.

 

About The Author

Shannon Yingst is a woman with dreams far beyond her reach. Not because she isn’t ambitious, but because she is short, and her dreams are on the high shelves. On her tip toes reaching for those dusty aspirations, she hopes to achieve the daunting task of entertaining the masses with the written word. Shannon likes to write while listening to Star Wars soundtracks, stand outside while it snows, and get confused playing board games. She would love to spend her days reading on the beach with a waiter bringing her frozen margaritas and snacks as the sun moves about the sky, but for now, she will continue to work at her desk in Jersey.

If They Can’t Kiss Right: Surviving Online Dating is her latest book.

You can visit her blog at https://waitstophelp.blogspot.com/ or connect with her on Twitter.

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Pay Or Play by Howard Michael Gould

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Virtual 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.

Pay Or Play by Howard Michael Gould was a challenging book for me to get interested in.  I liked that he stuck to his morals, but at times I got super annoyed because he would do things that didn’t make any sense.  The author tried to make Charlie out like he was a great detective, but he seemed like an idiot to me.  I also wished that this book had more suspense in it, but I know that I tend to like books with a ton of suspense, which isn’t for everyone.  I do think that I just wasn’t the target audience for this book.  I hate when I don’t like a book because I know that there are people out there that will love this book, but it just wasn’t a good fit for me.  If you are the type of reader who likes books that aren’t super intense, you might get along great with this book.

About The Book

Genre: Thriller, Private Detective
Published by: Severn House Publishers Limited
Publication Date: December 7th 2021
Number of Pages: 224
ISBN: 0727850857 (ISBN13: 9780727850850)
Series: Charlie Waldo, #3

Blackmail, sexual harassment, murder . . .
and a missing dog: eccentric, eco-obsessed LA private eye Charlie Waldo is on the case in this quirky, fast-paced mystery.

Paying a harsh self-imposed penance for a terrible misstep on a case, former LAPD superstar detective Charlie Waldo lives a life of punishing minimalism deep within the woods, making a near religion of his commitment to owning no more than One Hundred Things.

At least, he’s trying to. His PI girlfriend Lorena keeps drawing him back to civilization – even though every time he compromises on his principles, something goes wrong.

And unfortunately for Waldo, all roads lead straight back to LA. When old adversary Don Q strongarms him into investigating the seemingly mundane death of a vagrant, Lorena agrees he can work under her PI license on one condition: he help with a high-maintenance celebrity client, wildly popular courtroom TV star Judge Ida Mudge, whose new mega-deal makes her a perfect target for blackmail.

Reopening the coldest of cases, a decades-old fraternity death, Waldo begins to wonder if the judge is, in fact, a murderer – and if he’ll stay alive long enough to find out.

Pay or Play is the third in the Charlie Waldo series, following Last Looks and Below the Line. Last Looks was turned into a major motion picture, starring Charlie Hunnam as the offbeat private investigator.

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller, Private Detective
Published by: Severn House Publishers Limited
Publication Date: December 7th 2021
Number of Pages: 224
ISBN: 0727850857 (ISBN13: 9780727850850)
Series: Charlie Waldo, #3

About The Author

Howard Michael Gould graduated from Amherst College and spent five years working on Madison Avenue, winning three Clios and numerous other awards.

In television, he was executive producer and head writer of CYBILL when it won the Golden Globe for Best Comedy Series, and held the same positions on THE JEFF FOXWORTHY SHOW and INSTANT MOM. Other TV credits include FM and HOME IMPROVEMENT.
He wrote and directed the feature film THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY LEFAY, starring Tim Allen, Elisha Cuthbert, Andie MacDowell and Jenna Elfman. Other feature credits include MR. 3000 and SHREK THE THIRD.

His play DIVA premiered at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and La Jolla Playhouse, and was subsequently published by Samuel French and performed around the country.

He is the author of three mystery novels featuring the minimalist detective Charlie Waldo: LAST LOOKS (2018) and BELOW THE LINE (2019), both nominated for Shamus Awards by the Private Eye Writers of America, and PAY OR PLAY (2021). The feature film version of LAST LOOKS, starring Charlie Hunnam and Mel Gibson and directed by Tim Kirkby, will premiere February, 2022; Gould also wrote the screenplay.

Catch Up With Howard Michael Gould:
HowardMichaelGould.com
Goodreads
BookBub
Instagram – @howardmichaelgould
Twitter – @HowardMGould
Facebook – @HowardMGould

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Fabyan Place by Peter Angus

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.

Fabyan Place by Peter Angus was an amazing book.  I knew I would like this book from the start because I love books that have anything to do with WWII.  I loved how the author of this book switched between when Sonny was in the war and when he was home after the war.  It gave me a better idea of who he was and what he went through.  The author did a great job of keeping me interested because I had to know everything that had happened, Sonny.  This author did a great job of making me believe it was back in the 1940s.  He did such a great job writing this book that it is one that I will keep in my personal collection of books that I love.  I loved that the author wasn’t afraid to put things in this book that happened in the 1940s because some people wouldn’t use certain words because people might be offended by them.  I wasn’t offended by it because I know that is how things used to be, and if we don’t recognize that, we can’t ever change. If you love historical fiction books that take place during WWII, then I know you will enjoy this book.

About The Book

Book Title:  Fabyan Place: Two WWII GIs Fight to Survive and Overcome Racial Strife as POWS by Peter Angus
Category:  Adult Fiction 18+, 350 pages
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Publisher:  Dottenfritz Press
Release date:   August 2021
Formats Available for Review: print-softback (internationally), e-book (mobi for Kindle, epub, and pdf)
Tour dates: November 22 to December 3
Content Rating:  PG13 + M: Some use of the “F” word, some swearing, bigoted pejorative vernacular common in the 1940s, treatment attributed to Nazi captors in both a POW and Death Camp and one antagonist suicide.
“Fabyan Place is a book that stays with you. A callow young man goes to war and confronts his prejudice, forming an unlikely friendship in a POW camp with another soldier. They each know a secret about the other that could be a death sentence. Deeply researched with fascinating details and unforgettable characters, moving and thought-provoking, the story rises to a ferocious finish that will take your breath away.” — Kay Williams, co-author, The Matryoshka Murders and Butcher of Dreams

“Enthusiasts of this genre will be impressed by the book’s authenticity. The author has a deep knowledge of the Second World War and offers many historical insights and details that I was not aware of.” — David Aretha, editor, World War II Chronicle and The Holocaust Chronicle

Book Description:
​​
Should racism prevent you fighting for your country?
Does bigotry still live even after a war has ended?
Must standing at the gates of hell in a POW camp forever change a man?

Memories of his internment as a prisoner echo as a young war veteran returns to his family and an enigmatic visitor arrives unannounced on Christmas morning.

The guest brings memories of the war, the horrors of the camps and the life-altering changes in his own psyche as his family prepares for their annual feast.
​
Fabyan Place is an engrossing suspenseful historical fiction novel about two mixed race young men from urban New Jersey and rural Georgia whose experiences clash in a Nazi concentration camp.

About The Author

Pete Angus spent his early years in New York City and environs. From there it was working and living in Vienna, Belgrade, Warsaw, Moscow, and Paris before settling in his current base, London. Fabyan Place, his first novel, is drawn from his own recollections and his extensive study of WWII military history. Pete has caught the writing bug and is currently working on a new mystery series featuring a military CID officer investigating unusual crimes in the 1940s.

Connect with the Author:  Author’s Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads

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Interview Questions from Peter Angus (peter.angus.author@gmail.com – Nov 2021)

Where do you write? 

To be honest, I can write just about anywhere; inside, outside, in the middle of a park on a bench or on a comfy chair – I just need my laptop!  But it usually works out to be most mornings in my living room, surrounded by darkness except for a lone light.  I have an agreeable leather couch, a small pillow with my laptop sitting on top in front of me – and a good strong cup of coffee with oat milk. 

Do you write every day? 

I endeavor to, however I don’t always get the chance.  But I find that if I do, the speed with which I write improves if I do it daily. 

If you were stuck on a deserted island, which 3 books would you want with you? 

First book:  How to survive and escape a deserted island!  But after that, I would pick at least a couple of Patrick O’Brian novels – he is a wonderful historical fiction writer.  To me, his stories are less important than the way he tells them (though his stories are detailed and gripping), and I find that reading how a pro author does it on a topic I know little about quite fascinating 

What advice would you give budding writers? 

Do everything you can to boost your confidence starting out.  By that I mean developing a bevy of good beta readers (who you trust!) who will be brutally honest in reviewing your prose and your story.  You don’t always have to take their advice, but it will always give you pause to think!  They are your eventual audience, so make sure you have a wide array of them!

What is writing schedule? 

I try to write a little every day, even if it is 200 words, but I am at my best when I’m doing it at 5-5:30 AM when I have very little distraction from emails or phone calls. 

In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper? 

I use both paper and computer.  I love typing as I can do it quite fast (my mom enrolled me in a summer school classroom course between 8th grade and middle school and I’ve been typing ever since.)  I didn’t appreciate it at the time, but it sure paid off!  But in writing stories, I type as much as I can, and then print it and have at it with a red pencil!  For some reason, I’m much better making corrections having a hard copy in my hand.  And I find it all very relaxing. 

If there is one thing you want readers to remember about you, what would it be? 

From an author’s perspective, that people will say that I both entertained and informed!

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2021 Margaret Margaret

The Counsel of the Cunning by Steven C. Harms

Book Review Graphic

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 Counsel of the Cunning by Steven C. Harms had a very unique plot.  I didn’t think I would enjoy this book, but I was pleasantly surprised.  This is the second book in the “Roger Viceroy Series.”  I didn’t read the first book, and I wasn’t lost at all, so you don’t need to read the first book if you don’t want to.  This book wasn’t super suspenseful, but it had just enough that I didn’t put the book down until I was finished reading it.  This book includes so many genres of books that I think everyone could find something that they enjoy.  There are so many characters in this book that I would sometimes get confused as to who everyone was.  I enjoyed the characters; I just wish that there weren’t so many different characters.  I also wished that the author didn’t jump around because it made it hard to follow.   If you are looking for a mystery book with a very unique plot, I think you will enjoy this book.

About The Book

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Suspense Publishing
Publication Date: November 9th 2021
Number of Pages: 268
ISBN: 978-0-578-93379-5
Series:Roger Viceroy Series, #2

Roger Viceroy faces a return to the FBI and a life he vacated long ago, until a knock on his front door announces the presence of billionaire and former U.S. Senator, Jürgen Sandt.

The past has come back to rear its ugly head. Sandt stands on his threshold for a reason: a decade prior the senator’s only son disappeared into the jungles of Guatemala, and Sandt has come to convince Viceroy that further investigation is now necessary. A package left mysteriously outside the family estate, opens the door to the possibility that his son is still very much alive.

Viceroy and his team agree to take on the hunt. Their search steers them from the back streets of Milwaukee to the stealthy corridors of Washington, D.C.—an eerie trek that will ultimately lead to an ancient site that supposedly doesn’t exist.

As Viceroy closes in on the truth, a parallel plot emerges. Not only could it point to the reason behind the cryptic disappearance of Bertram Sandt, but it could also launch a deadly battle that will put millions of lives at stake. On pure instinct, Viceroy knows nothing is adding up. Somehow, somewhere they missed a clue, and if it’s not discovered soon…it may be too late.

About The Author

Steven C. Harms is a professional sports, sponsorship, broadcast sales, and digital media executive with a career spanning over thirty years across the NBA, NFL, and MLB. He’s dealt with Fortune 500 companies, major consumer brands, professional athletes, and multi-platform integrated sports partnerships and media advertising campaigns. He’s an accomplished playwright having written and produced a wildly successful theatrical production which led him to tackle his debut novel, Give Place to Wrath, released November 9, 2021 from Suspense Publishing. Harms is a native of Wisconsin, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. He now resides in the greater Milwaukee area as a sponsorship executive.

Catch Up With Steven C. Harms:
StevenCHarms.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @StevenCHarms
Instagram – @stevencharms
Twitter – @steven_c_harms
Facebook – @authorstevencharms

 

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