Book Review

Loser Baby by Jason Bovberg

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.

Loser Baby by Jason Bovberg was an interesting book.  I did have a hard time keeping track of who was talking, and I am sure that is because there were quite a few characters who were similarly acting.  I did think that this book was well written.  I didn’t find that this book was super suspenseful, and because of that, it did take me a little while to finish this book.  This is one where I would read it for an hour or so, and then I would walk away and come back to it later.  I enjoyed the plot of this book, and I wouldn’t mind reading other books by this author in the future, even though I am not the biggest fan of this book.  The author did do a great job of making the characters come to life as I was reading.  I can say that he did a great job of making me hate several of the characters.  If you are looking for a different type of book to read this fall, I would pick up a copy and check it out.

About The Book

Genre: Suspense
Published by: Dark Highway Press
Publication Date: August 2nd 2021
Number of Pages: 322
ISBN: 9780966262988
Series: This is not a part of a series.

Jasmine Frank is missing.

It’s a humid summer morning in Santa Ana, California, and her twin brother Jordan abruptly finds himself on a desperate search—fearing the worst. The party last night got way out of hand, and his brain is still chemically fried. But this is Jasmine’s story. She’s awakened far from home to her own mystery: She’s unwittingly stolen something from the most dangerous person she’s ever known. Tommy Strafe. And now Tommy is raging through the sunbaked streets, gathering illicit forces to seek brutal retribution. But all Jasmine really wants is to get out of Orange County, escape her past, and find a measure of redemption.

Loser Baby is a propulsive blast through the streets of the SoCal melting pot, a breakneck dark-comic neo-noir populated by misfits and malefactors, criminals and innocents, down-and-outers and spun-out dreamers. Prepare yourself for an adrenaline rush of rat-a-tat he-said-she-said narrative twists—all in service of a giddily slam-bang shock ending.

Book Praise:

“Jason Bovberg’s Loser Baby is a beautiful noir novel for the 21st century! It’s a wild, frantic ride through shady Southern California, a desperate drug-fueled search for a girl who only wants to escape a sordid life.”
—Scott Phillips, author of THE ICE HARVEST and THAT LEFT TURN AT ALBUQUERQUE

“Loser Babyis the real deal for hardcore crime fiction fans. This one grinds with the engine over the red line all the way. Hang on tight!”
—Eric Beetner, author of ALL THE WAY DOWN

“Loser Baby is one cool book! Bovberg writes characters who get into your head and under your skin. You won’t shake this one easily: It’ll stay with you long after you read it!”
—Terrill Lee Lankford, author of SHOOTERS and ANGRY MOON

“Jason Bovberg’s Loser Baby is a high-octane thriller that moves like greased lightning! The beauty of this book is its motley collection of despicable characters whom you come to love by the end. Loser Baby is Bovberg’s greatest book and one of the best of the year.
—Gary Phillips, author of BLOOD AND ASPHALT and BIRDS OF FIRE

About The Author

Jason Bovberg is the author of the Blood trilogy—Blood Red, Draw Blood, and Blood Dawn—as well as The Naked Dame, a throwback pulp noir novel. His forthcoming books include Tessa Goes Down, a border noir, and A Small Poisonous Act, a suburban crime novel. He is editor/publisher of Dark Highway Press, which published the controversial, erotic fairy tale Santa Steps Out and the weird western anthology Skull Full of Spurs.

He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, with his wife Barb, his daughters Harper and Sophie, and his canines Rocky and Rango. You can find him online at http://www.jasonbovberg.com.

Catch Up With Our Author:
JasonBovberg.com
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BookBub
Instagram – @jasonbovbergauthor
Twitter – @JasonBovberg
Facebook – @CriminalVintage

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Black Label by James L’Etoile

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.

Black Label by James L’Etoile was an exciting book.  I love that there were medical aspects in this book because those always interest me.  There wasn’t a ton of medical things going on, so if that is something that you don’t like, then I would still check this one out. This book did have quite a bit of suspense running throughout most of the book, which I loved.  The more tension that book has, the more I am going to enjoy the story.  The author did a great job of making the characters and the story come alive as I was reading.  I read this book in just a couple of days.  This book had just about everything that I love in an excellent psychological thriller.  This book kept me on the edge as I was reading, and I was sad when the story ended because I wasn’t ready to move on from these characters or this story.  If you love super suspenseful books, then I know you will love this book like I do.

About The Book

Genre: Thriller
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: July 20, 2021
Number of Pages: 300
ISBN: 978-1-953789-14-3

Sanity is something you don’t miss until it’s gone. Hard charging pharmaceutical executive Jillian Cooper fears she’d destined to inherit her mother’s history of mental illness when she finds herself accused of murdering her boss. All the evidence tells her she’s either a murderer, or insane. When Jillian struggles to find the truth, she uncovers a web of black market pharmaceuticals, prison gangs, and greed. She begins to believe she may have killed to cover up the off-the-books drug operation.

Can she discover the truth before she’s condemned to life in prison, or a mental hospital?

Praise

“Tight, terrific, terrifying. BLACK LABEL delves into the murky world of pharmaceuticals where profit is prioritized above all else. L’Etoile creates a strong female lead in Jillian Cooper, a woman who faces obstacle after obstacle, but still charges into the abyss. More unnerving than a fistful of amphetamines. Unputdownable.”
—K.J. Howe, international bestselling author of SKYJACK

“James L’Etoile’s BLACK LABEL is a delightfully complex and twisty thriller with a ripped-from-the-headlines plot that will make you think long and hard before you swallow your next dose of medication. Add in an intrepid heroine willing to do whatever it takes to uncover the truth no matter the cost, and L’Etoile’s newest offering is a winner!”
— Karen Dionne, author of the #1 international bestseller THE MARSH KING’S DAUGHTER and THE WICKED SISTER

“Relentlessly fast-paced and compellingly twisty! The talented James L’Etoile sets up an irresistibly high-stakes situation: a woman is certain to be charged with murder and doesn’t remember a thing. Can she prove her innocence before she’s silenced forever? A dark journey through the world of big Pharma and big money—you will turn the pages as fast as you can.”
— Hank Phillippi Ryan USA Today Bestselling author of THE FIRST TO LIE

“If this book had a tag, it would say ‘proceed with caution’ because nothing is what it seems. Told with a vivid and visceral style, this is le Carré’s Constant Gardener meets The Fugitive. As the title suggests, BLACK LABEL is a top of the line thriller.”
— Gabriel Valjan, Agatha & Anthony Award nominated author

About The Author

James L’Etoile uses his twenty-nine years behind bars as an influence in his novels, short stories, and screenplays. He is a former associate warden in a maximum-security prison, a hostage negotiator, facility captain, and director of California’s state parole system. He is a nationally recognized expert witness on prison and jail operations. He has been nominated for the Silver Falchion for Best Procedural Mystery, and The Bill Crider Award for short fiction. His published novels include: At What Cost, Bury the Past, and Little River -The Other Side of Paradise.

Catch Up With James L’Etoile:
http://www.JamesLEtoile.com
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BookBub – @jimletoile
Instagram – @AuthorJamesLEtoile
Twitter – @JamesLEtoile
Facebook – @james.letoile

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This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for James L’Etoile. There will be Seven (7) winners for this tour. Two (2) winners will each receive a $20 Amazon.com gift card; Three (3) winners will each receive a $10 Amazon.com gift card; and Two (2) winners will each receive 1 signed print edition of At What Cost and Bury the Past by James L’Etoile. The giveaway begins on July 12 and runs through August 10, 2021. Void where prohibited.

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Kill Shot by Blair Denholm

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.

Kill Shot by Blair Denholm was an exciting read.  I enjoyed this author’s writing, and I can’t wait to read other books in this series in the future.  I also love that the author has a short story about Jack’s background and why he is the way he is.  I love when authors do things like that because it helps me connect with the characters.  This author did a great job of including enough details to understand where the characters come from but not so much information that you get bogged down in all of the unnecessary information.  This book had the right amount of suspense that kept me up way too late reading, which isn’t great for my day job, but it made me love this author’s writing and this story.  If you love thriller genre books, I know you will love this story as I did.

About The Book

Genre: Thriller
Published by: Indie
Publication Date: December 9th 2020
Number of Pages: 212
ISBN: 979-8733882802
Series: The Fighting Detective, Book 1

Violent crimes. Missing people. Dark secrets. Only one driven detective can unearth the truth.

Detective Sergeant Jack Lisbon travelled halfway round the world to escape his troubled past. Mutilated bodies were never part of the plan.

A body found in the mangroves at first appears to be evidence of a frenzied crocodile attack. But it soon becomes obvious this is a horrific murder.

And when a popular MMA fighter disappears, police now face a possible double homicide. The list of suspects grows longer, but no one in the closed fighting community is talking.

Can hard-nosed ex-boxer Detective Sergeant Jack Lisbon solve the mystery before the panicked town of Yorkville goes into total meltdown?

Join DS Lisbon and his partner Detective Claudia Taylor on a heart-thumping ride through the steamy tropics of Northern Australia as they hunt for a killer out of control.

Justice served with a side order of vengeance.

What readers are saying about Kill Shot:

“Head spinning twists and gritty crisp dialogue make Kill Shot a must read for the gruff mystery thriller crowd out there!”
– Goodreads reviewer

“I would overwhelmingly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good crime fiction, thriller, who-done-it or the like.”
– Booksprout reviewer

“Denholm is a masterful story teller with realistic facts and hardcore action scenes throughout! Readers looking for a real page-turner have found it here!”
– Goodreads reviewer

“The story is so well written and full of action, that it is impossible to put down.”
– Voracious Readers reviewer

“With the heat, crocodiles, press speculation, and lack of progress, the pressure is on for a fast resolution. A cracking police procedural and a highly enjoyable read. I look forward to the subsequent adventures of the promising crime fighting duo.”
– Booksprout reviewer

“There are some surprising twists and turns along the way, one which I couldn’t even imagine which made this read a sheer delight. I struggled to keep this book down. I look forward to reading more of Denholm’s work.”
– Goodreads reviewer

About The Author

BLAIR DENHOLM is an Australian fiction writer and translator who has lived and worked in New York, Moscow, Munich, Abu Dhabi and Australia. He once voted in a foreign election despite having no eligibility to do so, was almost lost at sea on a Russian fishing boat, and was detained by machine-gun toting soldiers in the Middle East. Denholm’s new series, The Fighting Detective, starring ex-boxer Jack Lisbon, is now up and flying with the first two installments, Kill Shot and Shot Clock. The series is set in tropical North Queensland, Australia, and features heavy doses of noir crime with a vigilante justice twist. Expect at least six novels with Detective Lisbon, his fellow cops and a host of intriguing characters.

Denholm’s debut crime novel, SOLD, is the first in a thrilling noir trilogy, featuring the detestable yet lovable one-man wrecking ball Gary Braswell. The second exciting book in the series, SOLD to the Devil, was released in June 2020. The final episode, Sold Dirt Cheap, will see the light of day in 2022.

Finally, Denholm is working on a crime series set in Moscow just prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Captain Viktor Voloshin is a hard-boiled investigator who has to fight the establishment in order for justice to be served, in his own special way. The first in this series, Revolution Day, will be published in October 2021.

Blair currently resides in Hobart, Tasmania with his partner, Sandra, and two crazy canines, Max and Bruno.

Catch Up With Blair Denholm:
BlairDenholm.com
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BookBub – @BlairDenholm
Instagram – @blairdenholm
Twitter – @blairdenholm
Facebook – @blairdenholm

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Women In Shadow by Carrie Stuart Parks

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.

Women In Shadow by Carrier Stuart Parks was a sweet story.  I have read quite a few books by this author, and this one didn’t let me down.  I did wish that this book had been more suspenseful, but that wasn’t a deal-breaker for me.  This book didn’t have any adult scenes or anything that may offend someone.  The author did a great job of making the characters come to life as I was reading the book.  I did have a hard time keeping the characters straight, and I think that is because there are so many different people in this book that I would get confused as to who was talking.  I enjoyed that this author included animals in the story because that made the story come to life for me.  I didn’t figure out what was going to happen before the book ended.  This book did have enough suspense that I kept reading until I had finished the book, so over all it was a great book that most people would enjoy.  If you don’t like super suspenseful books, then I would for sure pick up a copy of this book.

As a side note, I bought the audiobook version of this book, and I enjoyed the narrator’s voice, and I would listen to other books that she has narrated in the future.

About The Book

Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Published by: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: July 13th 2021
Number of Pages: 336
ISBN: 0785239847 (ISBN13: 9780785239840)
Series: Woman in Shadow is not a part of a series.

Carrie Stuart Parks combines her expertise as a forensic artist with her ability to craft a gripping story in this page-turning web of light and shadow.

A woman off the grid.

Darby Graham thinks she’s on a much-needed vacation in remote Idaho to relax. But before she even arrives at the ranch, an earthquake strikes—her first clue that something is amiss. Then when a cabin on the edge of town is engulfed in flames and problems at the ranch escalate, Darby finds herself immersed in a chilling mystery.

A town on fire.

A serial arsonist sends taunting letters to the press after each fire. As a forensic linguist, this is Darby’s area of expertise . . . but the scars it’s caused her also the reason she’s trying to escape from her life.

A growing darkness.

As the shadows continue to move in, the pieces of the town around her come into sharper focus. Can she trust the one man who sees her clearly?

Praise for Woman in Shadow:

“Unique, witty, and hilarious, Carrie’s voice shines throughout Woman in Shadow. The perfect mix of intrigue, mystery and danger, this is most definitely a book for my keeper shelf.”
—Dani Pettrey, bestselling author of the Coastal Guardians series

About The Author

Carrie Stuart Parks is a Christy, multiple Carol, and Inspy Award–winning author. She was a 2019 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence in mainstream mystery/suspense and has won numerous awards for her fine art as well. An internationally known forensic artist, she travels with her husband, Rick, across the US and Canada teaching courses in forensic art to law-enforcement professionals. The author/illustrator of numerous books on drawing and painting, Carrie continues to create dramatic watercolors from her studio in the mountains of Idaho.

Catch Up With Carrie:

http://www.CarrieStuartParks.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @CarrieStuartParks
Instagram – @CarrieStuartParks
Facebook – @CarrieStuartParksAuthor

Or Join the Conversation on Twitter – #CarrieStuartParks

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The Academy Saga by CJ Daly

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.

The Academy Saga by CJ Daly was an interesting book.  It is a super long book, and I had a hard time reading it because it has a super slow pace.  I hated that there was so much inner dialogue with Kate because it made me put the book down and walk away for a while. I hate when I can’t stay focused on what I was reading.   If you don’t like super suspenseful books, you might enjoy this book more than I did.  I did enjoy the authors writing style.  At times felt like she included way too many details, and I am sure that is why it took me so long to read this book.  This book did keep me guessing as to what was going to happen.  I was glad that I stuck with this book because I did enjoy the ending of the book.  The author did a great job of making the characters come alive to me.  I love when the characters in books seem like they are alive.  I am hoping that the second book in this series isn’t as dull as this book was.  If you don’t mind books that move at a slower pace, then I would pick up a copy of this book.

About The Book

Book Title:  The Academy Saga by C.J. Daly
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 yrs +),  500 pages
Genre: Suspense Romance
Publisher:  BrandyLight Ink
Release date:   September 2019
Content Rating:  PG-13. My book has some adult themes, language, and a few slow-burn romance scenes.

“Unique, intense, and suspenseful. A story with compelling characters that pull you into the author’s world and keep you reading from beginning to end.
Intriguing start to a new series.” –New York Times Best Selling Author Jami Brumfield “CJ has created an unforgettable story about a young woman caught up in a world of lies and deception. The Academy Saga is a page-turning read with a twist you may not see coming.” —Tony Jones, Executive Producer of My All American

“Wow wow wow! This book has it all. It’s extremely well written, the characters are amazing and the story is so intriguing that it pulls you in from the very first page. There’s tension, mystery chemistry and of course romance. I loved it! I would highly recommend this page turner!” — RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ @abbi_reads_xx

Readers’ Favorite Suspense Romance

Kate Connelly should be careful what she wishes for.

Just seventeen, she already feels like she’s suffocating. Since her mother’s death, her father’s basically checked out, so she’s stuck raising her brothers by herself out in the New Mexico scrub. All Kate wants is a little distraction from the same-ole, same-ole that is her life.

When two mysterious guys show up at the diner where she works, she thinks her wish has come true, until they start giving her a hard time. Like her life isn’t hard enough. Something about them niggles her, but she
brushes it off. She’s never going to see them again anyway . . . right?

Then they appear in an alley one night to either rescue or kidnap her (she’s still not sure which) before disappearing like figments of her imagination.

Kate decides to put the bizarre encounters out of her mind. She has bigger problems to worry about: like that elite
military academy that’s been pursuing her gifted little brother. When one of their cadets shows up at her high school, he creates instant pandemonium. And just happens to be one of those mysterious guys. Coincidence? Mama said there’s no such thing. And to always trust her instinct. But that might be kind of hard, because every time she’s around Cadet Peter Davenport, her gut starts flip-flopping on her. And her heart.

Can Kate keep it together long enough to stop Cadet Davenport’s mission? She’s about to find out. And—once again—how neatly life can be split into before and after.

About The Author

CJ Daly grew up on the scrabbly plains of Eastern New Mexico. When she was supposed to be helping her six siblings with chores on the family ranch, she was really sneaking behind dusty haystacks to read. And dreaming about becoming a writer.

After graduating high school, CJ moved to Big D, where she quickly put herself through college while trying to rid herself of her country accent. She had better luck with college, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in English literature. After teaching a few years and pausing to have back-to-back boys, she began writing in earnest.

A few years later, “The Academy Saga” was born. It instantly earned a Readers’ Favorite 5-STAR seal of approval and became an Amazon best seller.

connect with the author:  website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ pinterest ~ instagram ~ goodread

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Halfway Hunted by Terry Maggert

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.

Halfway Hunted by Terry Maggert was a great book.  This is the third book in the Halfway Witchy series, and I enjoyed it but not as much as the first two books.  I can’t put my finger on why that is, but I would listen to it again, and I still want to listen to the other books in this series.  I loved the narrator of this series.  Her voice fits Carlie so much that if I listen to other stories that she reads, I would be confused because, in my head, she is Carlie.  Carlie always leaves me smiling because so many things that she does are things that I would do or say.  I enjoy the authors writing in this series.  I did wish that there was more suspense in these books.  I enjoyed this book because it isn’t super long, and I listened to it as I was working.  If you are looking for something different to listen to this summer, I would recommend this entire series.  I am so glad that I decided to review these three books because I would never have picked them up otherwise.  If you want to see my reviews of the other two books you can click here and here to check them out.

About The Book

Author: Terry Maggert

Narrator: Erin Spencer

Length: 6 hours 56 minutes

Publisher: Maggert and Spencer⎮2018

Genre: Paranormal Fantasy

Series: Halfway Witchy, Book 3

Release date: Apr. 3, 2018

Some prey bites back.

Welcome to Halfway; where the waffles are golden, the moon is silver, and magic is just around every corner.

A century-old curse is broken, releasing Exit Wainwright, an innocent man trapped alone in time. Lost and in danger, he enlists Carlie, Gran, and their magic to find the warlock who sentenced him to a hundred years of darkness.

The hunter becomes the hunted when Carlie’s spells awaken a cold-blooded killer intent on adding another pelt to their gruesome collection: hers.

But the killer has never been to Halfway before, where there are three unbreakable rules:

  1. Don’t complain about the diner’s waffles
  2. Don’t break the laws of magic
  3. Never threaten a witch on her home turf

Can Carlie solve an ancient crime, defeat a ruthless killer, and save the love of her life from a vampire’s curse without burning the waffles?

Come hunt with Carlie, and answer the call of the wild.

About The Author

Left-handed. I like dragons, coffee, waffles, running, and giraffes; order unimportant. I write the Halfway Witchy, Messenger, Starcaster and Shattered Skies series, as well as contributing to many anthologies.

If I’m not at home, then I’m on the road, and if I’m on the road, I’ll be at a book event. I’ve written thirty-three novels and counting. I don’t sleep, but you probably guessed that already. If you want me to visit your town for an event, let me know when and where. See you out there.

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About The Narrator

Erin loves audiobooks!  As an actress, they have allowed her to creatively stretch by playing all kinds of characters, all kinds of ages and all kinds of accents!  She voiced roles in the Audie award winning title, Illuminae and was also nominated for a Voice Arts Award in the romance category.  She has narrated over 100 titles and as an audiobook director has worked on at least 100 more.  She has worked for most of the major publishers and also enjoys working with indie writers who are some of the most talented writers out there! Follow her on Twitter @ErinSpencerLA or find her on Facebook, Erin Spencer Actress.

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