PERSONAL THOUGHTS

Dead Reckoning by Caitlin Rother

October 4, 2019

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

Goodreads → https://tinyurl.com/y3oy4cwp

Photo Gallery → https://tinyurl.com/y6q4lyrg

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Speak No Evil by Liana Gardner

October 3, 2019

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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Fatal Strike by DiAnn Mills

September 29, 2019

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

Fatal Strike by DiAnn Mills was a really good book. This book did keep me on the edge of my seat as I was reading it because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. I love it when I can find books like this one that keeps me guessing because it makes reading the book’s fun. I love to be kept guessing about what things are going to happen. I also spent most of the book hoping that Leah and Jon would become a couple because I thought that they were perfect for each other. I hate when I feel like that about the characters because then I spend the entire book hoping and hoping that they will end up together by the end of the book. I thought that the plot of the book was a super interesting one and one that I could see actually happening in today’s world. I love finding authors like this one that is able to make things seem like they could actually happen in the real world. I can’t wait to read more books by this author in the future because I love this book and I am sure that I will love other books that she has written. If you love crime thrillers than I know you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

About The Book

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Published by: Tyndale House Publishers

Publication Date: September 3rd 2019

Number of Pages: 400

ISBN: 1496427106 (ISBN13: 9781496427106)

There’s a killer on the loose in Galveston, targeting law enforcement officials and using a fatal injection of snake venom to take them down. Authorities have reasons to believe the Veneno gang is behind the hits, and FBI Agents Leah Riesel and Jon Colbert team up to track down those responsible. Their best lead is an eyewitness who identifies a young man dumping the third body on a church doorstep. But their suspect has gone into hiding, and those closest to him are reluctant to reveal anything that might help investigators find him.

As Leah and Jon check connections among the victims and dig deeper into motives, they discover appearances may be deceiving. Someone is desperate to keep their secrets hidden, and Leah and Jon must face their greatest fears in order to stop the next fatal strike.

About The Author

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure? Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Marketing Conference, and the Mountainside Novelist Retreat with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on: diannmills.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Twitter, & Facebook!

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This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for DiAnn Mills. There will be 2 winners. Each winner will each receive one (1) Gift Card of their choice to Amazon or B&N. The giveaway begins on September 1, 2019 and runs through October 2, 2019. Void where prohibited.

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Strands of Truth by Colleen Coble

September 28, 2019

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.

Strands of Truth by Colleen Coble was a great book. I have read quite a few books by this author in the past and this book was different from the others that I have read by her. As far back as I can remember I have always liked her books so this book had high standards to live up to. This book was a slow starter for me but once I was in a couple of chapters I didn’t want to put the book down until I had finished the book. I didn’t’ think that this book was super suspenseful but that didn’t bother me because I love this author and I would probably read and love anything that she wrote. I really loved Harper right from the start and once I was almost halfway through the book I fell in love with Ridge. It was hard for me to like him because he had it out for Harper through most of the book and that just pissed me off. I love when authors are able to make me love/hate their characters because it shows that they made the book come to life as I was reading the story. I love this author’s books because I always make it easy for me to escape into the books and forget what is going on in my own life as I am reading her books. If you are looking for an author who always leaves me wanting more than I would for sure recommend this book but more than that I would recommend this author.

About The Book

Genre: Romantic Supsense Published by: Thomas Nelson Publication Date: September 10th 2019 Number of Pages: 336 ISBN: 0718085906 (ISBN13: 9780718085902) Strands of Harper Taylor’s childhood are resurfacing—but will the truth save her . . . or pull her under?

Harper Taylor is used to being alone— after all, she grew up in one foster home after another. Oliver Jackson finally took her under his wing when she was a runaway teenager, and now Harper pours her marine biology knowledge into Oliver’s pen shell research. But she’s never stopped wishing for a family of her own.

So when a DNA test reveals a half-sister living just two hours away, Harper is both hopeful and nervous. Over warm cinnamon rolls, Harper and Annabelle find striking similarities in their stories. Is it just a coincidence that both their mothers died tragically, without revealing Harper and Annabelle’s father’s name?

Oliver’s son Ridge still sees Harper as a troubled teen even all these years later. But when Oliver is attacked, Ridge and Harper find themselves working together to uncover dangerous secrets that threaten to destroy them all. They must unravel her past before they can have any hope for the future.

About The Author

Colleen Coble is a USA TODAY bestselling author and RITA finalist best known for her coastal romantic suspense novels, including The Inn at Ocean’s Edge, Twilight at Blueberry Barrens, and the Lavender Tides, Sunset Cove, Hope Beach, and Rock Harbor series. Connect with Colleen online at: colleencoble.com Goodreads BookBub – @ColleenCoble Twitter – @colleencoble Instagram – @colleencoble Facebook – @colleencoblebooks!

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One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski

September 23, 2019

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.

One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski was a very interesting book and made me want to read more books by this author in the future. This book kept me on the edge of my seat as I was reading it and I loved that about this book. I felt so bad about everything that happened to Allison but I also loved that she told off her husband while she was live on the air. This book jumps back and forth between 1986 & 2015. I am not the biggest fan when books do that because if I am not paying close enough attention to who is talking I end up getting lost and have to go back and read it again. Even with that being said I really did enjoy this book and the characters. I read through this book pretty fast because I didn’t want to put it down. Through this entire book I was trying to figure it out and I wasn’t able to until I got to the end of the book. I also really liked Tammy and I wished that we knew more about her. I was drawn to Tammy right from the start and I am not sure why. I wasn’t the biggest fan Maureen but I did feel bad for her and I always wondered about her past. This book did keep me on the edge of my seat and it left me sad when I was done because I really did enjoy this book. If you are looking for a new mystery book to read this fall than I would pick this one up and give it a shot. If you do/have read it what did you think about it?

About The Book

Genre: Mystery,Suspense

Published by: Graydon House Books (Harlequin)

Publication Date: October 1, 2019

Number of Pages: 352

ISBN: 1525832190 (ISBN13: 9781525832192)

It was the perfect place to disappear…

One sultry summer, Maureen Haddaway arrives in the wealthy town of Opal Beach to start her life anew—to achieve her destiny. There, she finds herself lured by the promise of friendship, love, starry skies, and wild parties. But Maureen’s new life just might be too good to be true, and before the summer is up, she vanishes.

Decades later, when Allison Simpson is offered the opportunity to house-sit in Opal Beach during the off-season, it seems like the perfect chance to begin fresh after a messy divorce. But when she becomes drawn into the mysterious disappearance of a girl thirty years before, Allison realizes the gorgeous homes of Opal Beach hide dark secrets. And the truth of that long-ago summer is not even the most shocking part of all…

“A subtly but relentlessly unsettling novel.” —TANA FRENCH, author of The Witch Elm

“A heart-wrenching and suspenseful novel of betrayal and revenge. Stunning!” —Carol Goodman, award-winning author of The Night Visitors

“Featuring a brilliantly executed dual timeline with two unforgettable narrators, One Night Gone is a timely and timeless mystery that will keep you obsessively reading well past your bedtime.” —Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World

About The Author

TARA LASKOWSKI is the award-winning author of two short story collections, Modern Manners for Your Inner Demons and Bystanders, which was named a best book of 2017 by Jennifer Egan in The Guardian. She has had stories published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Mid-American Review, and the Norton anthology New Micro: Exceptionally Short Fiction, among others. Her Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine story, “States of Matter,” was selected by Amy Hempel for the 2017 Best Small Fictions anthology, and her short story “The Case of the Vanishing Professor” is a finalist for the 2019 Agatha Award. Tara was the winner of the 2010 Santa Fe Writers Project’s Literary Awards Prize, has been the editor of the popular online flash fiction journal SmokeLong Quarterly since 2010, and is a member of Sisters in Crime. She earned a BA in English with a minor in writing from Susquehanna University and an MFA in creative writing from George Mason University. Tara grew up in Pennsylvania and lives in Virginia. One Night Gone is her first novel.

Visit Tara at: TaraLaskowski.com, Goodreads, BookBub, @TaraLWrites, Instagram, & Facebook!

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This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Harlequin and Tara Laskowski. There will be 1 winner of one (1) copy of One Night Gone (print). The giveaway begins on September 23, 2019 and runs through October 6, 2019. Open to U.S. and Canada addresses only. Void where prohibited.

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The Smallest Thing by Lisa Manterfield

September 18, 2019

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 Smallest Thing by Lisa Manterfield was a different book for me and I am so glad that I gave it a chance. This also the first audiobook that I have reviewed in quite a while and it reminded me how much I love listening to books as I am working. I really enjoyed this narrators voice which made me want to keep listening until I finished listening to this book. The premise of this book was super interesting to me because it makes me wonder when something like this will happen in the future because there is no way that it won’t happen. Anyway, let’s get back to the review and not my thoughts on things like this happening in the future. Like I said I really enjoyed the narrator’s voice and how she made the story come to life for me. I really enjoyed the characters and the setting of this book because it took me out of what I know and put me in England. I always love books that take me out of what I know and put me in a new location. I read and listen to audiobooks to get away from my life for a while and this book was able to take me away from the present and transport me to somewhere new. If you are looking for something different to listen to then I would for sure recommend this book to you. I know that I will check out others book by this author and narrator in the future because I truly enjoyed both of them.

About The Book

Author: Lisa Manterfield

Narrator: Charlie Sanderson

Length: 8 hours 28 minutes

Publisher: Lisa Manterfield⎮2019

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Release date: Aug. 9, 2019

Synopsis: The very last thing 17-year-old Emmott Syddall wants is to turn out like her dad. She’s descended from 10 generations who never left their dull English village, and there’s no way she’s going to waste a perfectly good life that way. She’s moving to London and she swears she is never coming back.

But when the unexplained deaths of her neighbors force the government to quarantine the village, Em learns what it truly means to be trapped. Now, she must choose. Will she pursue her desire for freedom, at all costs, or do what’s best for the people she loves: her dad, her best friend Deb, and, to her surprise, the mysterious man in the HAZMAT suit?

Inspired by the historical story of the plague village of Eyam, this contemporary tale of friendship, community, and impossible love weaves the horrors of recent news headlines with the intimate details of how it feels to become an adult – and fall in love – in the midst of tragedy.

About The Author

Lisa Manterfield is the award-winning author of Adult and Young Adult fiction.Her second novel,The Smallest Thing, was a finalist in the 2019 American Fiction Awards. Her work has appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, Los Angeles Times,andPsychology Today. Originally from northern England, she now lives in Northern California with her husband and over-indulged cat. When not at her treadmill desk, she can be found pulling weeds and daydreaming in her vegetable garden. Learn more at LisaManterfield.com.

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Top 10 List

Lisa Manterfield’s Top-Ten Tips Literary inspirations

Bronte Country: I grew up in Yorkshire, like the Bronte sisters. The dark moody settings of their novels have inspired my own writing.
Travel: I always carry a notebook when I travel. A place or a nugget of history can inspire an idea, or sometimes just the feeling in the air can put me in a mood to write a certain kind of story.
My Local Library: Libraries are such a critical part of our communities because they give everyone access to books. I love to browse the stacks and just look at the titles and topics available. You can find a book on almost anything! It’s great for inspiring character or subject ideas.
The Outdoors: I am happiest outdoors. I love trees and I love my garden. I love other people’s gardens, the coast, the forest, the hills. If ever I need inspiration, I get outdoors and walk.
Joyce Carol Oates: The more I learn about this author, the more she inspires me. She’s hugely prolific, writes both novels and short stories, and is not someone whose work can be fit easily into a category. I’m taking her Master Class right now and she is inspiring me to write more than ever.
Historic places: You know the expression, “If these walls could speak, the stories they’d tell”? In a way, old walls do speak. I’ve often visited historic sites and sort of felt the weight of the stories that happened there. It almost always makes me want to tell a story about the place.
Book festivals: Book lovers are special and I love the energy of being around a large group of readers. It’s inspiring to hear famous authors speak, but it’s just as inspiring as an author to see voracious readers staggering around with towers of books.
Writing conferences: Just as readers inspire me, being among writers always fires me up. I just attended the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference, and after four days of writing and hanging out with writers, I came home and wrote and wrote.
My garden: A couple of years ago, I bought my first house with a garden. It still needs a lot of work, but in one shady corner I have a chair by a little fishpond and it’s become one of my most inspiring places to write.
My Husband, aka Mr. Fab: He’s not so much an inspiration as a relentless supporter. He read something I wrote (which wasn’t very good) when we were first dating. He encouraged me to keep writing and he’s never stopped being supportive since. That support is priceless, not to mention sexy!