Mystery

When Death Draws Near by Carrie Stuart Parks

Parks1

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

When Death Draws Near by Carrie Stuart Parks was a great book. This book is another thriller/suspense book, and I enjoyed reading it right from the start. There are two other books before this book, but you don’t need to read the other two to understand what is going on in this book. I know that I am going to go back and read the other two books because I enjoyed this author’s style of writing. I also really liked Gwen right from the start see seems like a spunky character, and I am always a sucker for those types of female characters. At times I did find this book predictable, but that is just because I have read so many of these kinds of books I can figure out what is going on pretty early in the book. Even with that being said I still enjoyed this book. It also doesn’t have any bad language or gross parts because it is written by a Christian author so you don’t have to worry about what you might read in this book. If you love Christian thrillers than I know, you will love this book as much as I did.

When Death Draws Near by Carrie Stuart Parks

About The Book

Gwen Marcey takes death in stride. Until she’s faced with her own mortality.

Forensic artist Gwen Marcey is between jobs when she accepts temporary work in Pikeville, Kentucky—a small town facing big-city crime. But before Gwen can finish her first drawing of the serial rapist who is on the loose, the latest witness vanishes. Just like all the others.

Gwen suspects a connection between the rapist and the “accidental” deaths that are happening around town, but the local sheriff has little interest in her theories. When her digitally-obsessed teenage daughter joins her, Gwen turns her attention to a second assignment: going undercover in a serpent-handling church. She could get a handsome reward for uncovering illegal activity—a reward she desperately needs, as it seems her breast cancer has returned. But snakes aren’t the only ones ready to kill. Can Gwen uncover the truth—and convince anyone to believe her—before she becomes a victim herself?

In a thrilling race against time, When Death Draws Near plunges us into cold-case murders, shady politics, and a den of venomous suspects.

Carrie Stuart Parks

About The Author

Carrie Stuart Parks is an award-winning fine artist and internationally known forensic artist. Along with her husband, Rick, she travels across the US and Canada teaching courses in forensic art to law enforcement as well as civilian participants. She has won numerous awards for career excellence. Carrie is a popular platform speaker, presenting a variety of topics from crime to creativity.

Animals have always been a large part of her life. Her parents, Ned and Evelyn Stuart, started Skeel Kennel Great Pyrenees in 1960. Carrie inherited the kennel and continues with her beloved dogs as both an AKC judge and former president of the Great Pyrenees Club of America. She lives on the same ranch she grew up on in Northern Idaho.

Buy A Copy

Add-On Goodreads

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2016 Margaret Margaret

Baby Doll by Hollie Overton

Book Review Graphic

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

Baby Doll by Hollie Overton was an excellent book. I was hooked right from the start with this book, but I figured that I would like it because of the description of the book. These types of books are my favorites, and this one didn’t let me down in the least.   I have always been a fan of suspense/thriller books, and this one kept me on the edge of my seat throughout most of the book.   This is the first book I have read by this author, and I can’t wait to read other books by her in the future. There were parts of this book that were hard to read because of what was going on, but it wasn’t anything that made me not want to finish the book. I was able to get through this book fast because it was an easy read. If you love suspense novels than I know, you will love this book as much as I did.

Baby Doll by Hollie Overton

About The Book

For fans of Gone Girl and Girl on the Train, Baby Doll is the most tense thriller you will read this year.
Held captive for eight years, Lily has grown from a teenager to an adult in a small basement prison. Her daughter Sky has been a captive her whole life. But one day their captor leaves the deadbolt unlocked.

This is what happens next…

…to her twin sister, to her mother, to her daughter…and to her captor.

Hollie Overton

About The Author

Born in Chicago, I was adopted at six days old, along with my identical twin sister, Heather, and carried home in matching red Christmas stockings. After our parents divorce, we moved back to my mother’s hometown of Kingsville, Texas. Painfully shy, Heather and I were encouraged to audition for the local production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” The minute I stepped on stage, I was hooked! My mom, also a film and TV junkie nurtured my talents, ensuring that I would never pursue a “normal” profession.

My love affair with storytelling led me to NYC where I studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, writing at Hunter College and Burlington College and mixology in Murray Hill.  After heading to Hollywood with dreams of becoming a star, my celluloid claim to fame was one episode of TNT”s “Leverage,” opposite DB Sweeny.  Thankfully I realized my talents were better suited behind the scenes and began my screenwriting pursuits.

I landed my big break in 2008 when I was accepted into the coveted Warner Brothers Writers Workshop, a bootcamp style program for aspiring TV writers.  After completing the workshop, I was staffed on the CBS drama “Cold Case,” and went on to write for two seasons of Lifetime’s The Client List.”  I’m currently a writer on the new ABC Family dramaShadowhunters, based on Cassie Clare’s international bestseller “The Mortal Instruments.”

I always dreamt of publishing a novel but let’s be honest, writing a book is daunting. I mean it’s really really daunting. Luckily, in the spring of 2012, I finally sat my butt down and just kept writing. My debut thriller “Baby Doll” will be published on July 12, 2016 by Red Hook, an imprint of Hatchette in the USA. Baby Doll will also be published by Peguin Random House in the UK and translated into eleven other languages.

I live in West Hollywood with the love of my life, my rescue dog Stevie and my husband David (he’s comfortable where he stands). When I’m not writing, I can be found exploring LA (and beyond) with my twin sister/ best friend, Heather. Sometimes we even let Stevie and David join us.

Buy A Copy

Add-On Goodreads

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2016 Margaret Margaret

From Scratch by C.E. Hilbert

Book Review Graphic

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

From Scratch by C.E. Hilbert was a super sweet romance novel. This book was one that I wasn’t sure if I was going to like when I back of the book but after I was a chapter or two into the book I didn’t want to put it down. This was a super easy read for me which I always like. I liked that Maggie was a super relatable character, and I felt like I understood her and the things that she did. I am always a fan of characters like Sean as well. I always think that they are people I would get along with in the real world. The one thing that comes to mind as I think about this book is how sweet the story was. It does have a little bit of mystery to it, so I enjoyed that. It was predictable in the fact that I pretty much knew what was going to happen in the long run but even with that being said I still really enjoyed the book. If you love chick lit books than I know, you will enjoy this book just as much as I did.

From Scratch by CE Hilbert

About The Book

Maggie McKitrick loves everything about her new life in Gibson’s Run, Ohio—her charming bakery, her quirky customers, her distance from the past. Yes, she loves everything…except her new landlord. Police Chief Sean Taylor is like a piece of sand in an oyster—irritating, but with the promise of something beautiful. Despite Maggie’s self-imposed man-fast, she wonders what kind of treasure she and the lawman could create together.

Sean Taylor likes to keep the peace, but his new tenant is making it nearly impossible to keep anything on an even keel—including his heart. Despite her sassy attitude, Sean is drawn to the beautiful pastry chef and has an overwhelming need to serve and protect her.

As Maggie and Sean draw closer together, her long buried dreams about her life are reawakened into a hopeful prayer…until a threat from her past promises to destroy their future. Will Maggie be forced to run—again—starting fresh? Or will God answer her prayer and give her the happily-ever-after she’s started from scratch?

CE Hilbert

About The Author

I have four great passions: sharing Jesus with young people, telling happily-ever-after stories with humor, professional hockey and making cookies with real butter.

Buy A Copy

Add-On Goodreads

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2016 Margaret Margaret

The Ringmaster’s Wife by Kristy Cambron

Book Review Graphic

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse 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 Ringmasters Wife by Kristy Cambron was a fun book. I like that this book took place in two different locations up until the characters meet, and then you get to follow them both. I enjoyed this book because I fell in love with the characters right from the start. At times I did get bored, and when that did happen, I just book the down and came back to it later. I liked all the characters in this book and the premise of this book. If you aren’t a huge fan of historical novels than I don’t know that you would like this one but I did enjoy it. I am not a huge fan of the circus, so I didn’t like the book because of that but it was well written, and I am going to check out other books by this author in the future.

The Ringmaster's Wife by Kristy Cambron

About The Book

An ounce of courage. A split-second leap of faith. Together, they propel two young women to chase a new life—one that’s reimagined from what they might have become.

In turn-of-the-century America, a young girl dreams of a world that stretches beyond the confines of a quiet life on the family farm. With little more than her wit and a cigar box of treasures to call her own, Mable steps away from all she knows, seeking the limitless marvels of the Chicago World’s Fair. There, a chance encounter triggers her destiny—a life with a famed showman by the name of John Ringling.

A quarter of a century later, Lady Rosamund Easling of Yorkshire, England, boards a ship to America as a last adventure before her life is planned out for her. There, the twenties are roaring, and the rich and famous gather at opulent, Gatsby-esque parties in the grandest ballrooms the country has to offer. The Jazz Age has arrived, and with it, the golden era of the American circus, whose queen is none other than the enigmatic Mable Ringling.

When Rosamund’s path crosses with Mable’s and the Ringlings’ glittering world, she makes the life-altering decision to leave behind a comfortable future of estates and propriety, instead choosing the nomadic life of a trick rider in the Ringling Brothers’ circus.

A novel that is at once captivating, deeply poignant, and swirling with exquisite historical details of a bygone world, The Ringmaster’s Wife will escort readers into the center ring, with its bright lights, exotic animals, and a dazzling performance that can only be described as the greatest show on earth!

Kristy Cambron

About The Author

Kristy Cambron fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. Her second novel, A Sparrow in Terezin, was named Library Journal Reviews’ “Pick of the Month (Christian Fiction)” for February 2015.

Cambron is an art/design manager at TheGROVEstory.com storytelling ministry. She holds a degree in art history from Indiana University and has nearly 15 years of experience in instructional design and communications for a Fortune-100 company. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three football-loving sons, where she can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good Christian fiction read.

Buy A Copy

Add-On Goodreads

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2016 Margaret Margaret

Precious in His Sight by Karen Pashley

Book Review Graphic

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

Precious in His Sight by Karen Pashley was a good book. I did spend most of the book hating Clay and even now that I am done with the book, I still don’t like him at all. I had a hard time reading this book because of how I felt about Clay. I love when and the author can make you hate a character so much from the first few pages. So even though I didn’t like him, I did enjoy this book. I loved reading along and seeing how Sugar changed and grew throughout the book. I did love this book in the end, and I like I said before I love when authors make their characters so life like that you hate them. I did enjoy just about everything in this book. It was slow at times, but I didn’t mind those parts as much as I usually do. I liked this book, and I would love to read more by this author in the future.

Precious In His Sight by Karen Pashley

About The Book

What if your husband was cheating? What would you do?

Feisty, tenacious, and adorably flawed, Sugar Brennan is fiercely committed to her family, her traditional Christian values, and her spotless reputation in her affluent Southern community. When she discovers her husband Clay’s been unfaithful, Sugar is determined to right the wrongs in her life.
But when Clay’s former mistress returns to Westfield with devastating news, it poses a heart-wrenching dilemma that challenges Sugar to rethink all she’s believed about faith, family, and the healing power of forgiveness.

She’s been raised in a preacher’s home, taught to love her enemies.

She’s got the fish sticker on her car and a collection of good works under her belt.

But . . . reach out to the woman who nearly destroyed her marriage? Surely God wouldn’t ask her to go that far.

Karen Pashley

About The Author

I’m proud to call Nashville home. Though I grew up in New York, and lived in Florida for more than two decades, I’ve been grafted into Nashville’s eclectic southern culture. I love the people, the easy going vibe, and the lingo. I’m a southern transplant, y’all!

I’m also:

A Christian. In awe of the transforming power of the Word of God. A daily recipient of God’s abundant grace. A redeemed sinner who still messes up regularly. I have a heart for women and the pressures we are faced with in today’s complicated world.

A wife. Thirty years. I didn’t have much training on how to be a wife. Wasn’t prepared for the many ups and downs we would face as we learned by trial and error what marriage was all about. Trials and errors. There have been plenty of them. But there’s also joy, and friendship, and matchless intimacy. I’m committed to one man—my husband Jay.

A proud mom of four incredible young women. Over the past twenty-nine years, they have been my reason for waking in the morning, my motivation to be the best person I can be, and the reflection of a Father in Heaven who loves me inconceivably more than I love them.

An author. An encourager. A storyteller. I wrote my first novel PRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT to inspire others to grasp the very personal truth of God’s amazing love for each one of us. It’s a story of hardship and heartache, and the power of forgiveness to set us free. You can read more about it and my upcoming projects in the Books menu under the Fiction tab.

A foodie. I am the founder of Girls Dine In. Part cooking class, part supper club, my monthly events bring women together for an evening of great food, fellowship and loads of fun. No kids. No hubbies. Just the girls. Check out the Food tab under the Blog menu for recipes, entertaining ideas, kitchen tips, and more.

A creator. A visionary. A bigger picture kind-of thinker. I love coming up with ideas and setting them in motion. Seems like I’ve always got a new project to tackle!

I enjoy entertaining, going for morning hikes in the woods, hanging out with my daughters, cuddling my sweet grand baby, painting old furniture, trying to grow things in my yard, planning events, wandering through museums, and lounging at the beach.

I do not enjoy mani/pedis or massages (I know, I’m weird). I’m not fond of carnivals, heights, doing paperwork of any kind, watching my plants whither and die despite my best efforts, and I’m probably the only person in America who did not like the Broadway musical Wicked. So there you have it.

Buy A Copy

Add-On Goodreads

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2016 Margaret Margaret

Murder Mezzo Forte by Donn Taylor

Book Review Graphic

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

Murder Mezzo Forte by Donn Taylor wasn’t my favorite. I had a hard time getting into the story and staying interested in this book. I don’t usually have problems reading mystery books because they are my favorite type of book to read, but I struggled with this book. There are just times when you don’t like the characters, and this was one of those times for me. It is well written, and the author does a great job of making me feel like I am there with the characters but I didn’t enjoy them and at times I was just bored with this book. I know that this book will be right for some people, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me.

Murder Mezzo Forte by Donn Taylor

About The Book

He is a reclusive history professor with musical hallucinations, she a headstrong professor of religion, a converted Wiccan. Earlier, they solved a campus murder, but now police say they formed two-thirds of an illicit love triangle with a newly-murdered female colleague and they’re probably guilty of her murder. A leak of the alleged scandal to the college administration threatens their jobs. Their desperate attempt to prove themselves innocent of the triangle and the murder plunges them into a tangle of unsavory corporate relationships among college trustees. And it puts their lives in danger from a mysterious criminal organization that seems to have tentacles everywhere.

Can this ill-matched pair’s stumbling efforts succeed against the entrenched forces of the police, the college’s incompetent administration, and that powerful but unseen criminal organization? If not, they may end up unemployed, in prison, or suffering a fate much worse . . .

Donn Taylor portraits 12/7/07

About The Author

I’m working now as a novelist and poet, also teaching at writers’ groups and conferences. In a prior incarnation I served in two wars with the U.S. Army. Afterwards, I taught English literature at two liberal arts colleges. The World’s Perfect Woman consented to honor me in marriage, and we enjoyed six decades together until the Lord needed another alto for His heavenly choir. I live in the woods near Houston, TX, writing fiction, poetry, and essays on current topics.

Buy A Copy

Add-On Goodreads

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2016 Margaret Margaret