Holiday Haul-A-Day!

BookTrib, one of my favorite book sites, has presents, lots of presents for the holidays. From Black Friday to New Year’s Eve, BookTrib is giving away gifts to surprise and delight their readers. Everything from Etsy creations inspired by literature to hip new products from the book world, they’ve got the stuff to make a Kringle jealous. Did I mention books? A whole haul of them! One book, two books, three books—an entire box of books—are you excited yet?

Mark your calendar—the Haul-a-Day fun is about to begin!

Live Chat with Author Leslie Meier Oct. 2nd

BookTrib is having another chat, this time with cozy mystery author Leslie Meier. Join them on Thursday October 2nd at 4PM EST. Meier's book, "French Pastry Murder",  is releasing on September 30th. If you happen to live in Massachusetts, Ms. Meier will at the Dennis Public Library during the chat.

 
They will be giving away two amazing gift boxes full of Parisian themed kitchen products. Check out the image below to see the goodies!

To RSVP, submit a question, or get more info, click here.

Related articles

• Excerpt from Christmas Carol Murder #teasertuesday
• EASTER BUNNY MURDER by Leslie Meier

Live Chat with Carla Neggers on September 25th

Come join Carla Neggers at a live chat over at BookTrib on Thursday September 25th at 4PM EST. Her newest book, "Harbor Island" came out August 26th and is part of her Sharpe & Donovan series. Talk to her about her book, her recent trip to Ireland, or whatever else you think of.

Want an email reminder for the chat? Have a question to submit? Go here.

Related articles

• EXCERPT from Harbor Island by Carla Neggers
• Harbor Island: Sharpe & Donovan #4 by Carla Neggers with Excerpt
• Today's Spotlight~ Carla Neggers~harbor Island~
• Blog Tour Review & Giveaway of Declan's Cross by Carla Neggers

Live Chat with Author Steve Berry

Now's your chance to talk to thriller author Steve Berry and ask him your burning questions. Tune in on Wednesday June 11th at 1 p.m. EST, to ask Steve questions about THE LINCOLN MYTH (now a New York Times bestseller) and his career.

To join the chat, go here - http://booktrib.com/2014/06/upcoming-live-chat-steve-berry-and-his-latest-thriller-the-lincoln-myth/   

Related articles

• EXCERPT from The Lincoln Myth by Steve Berry
• The Lincoln Myth by Steve Berry

Chat with thriller author Anderson Harp

Anderson Harp's debut book, "Retribution", a political thriller, is out now. My review will be up on Monday March 10th and you can chat with Anderson over at BookTrib on Wednesday, March 12th. From the BookTrib site -

Using the knowledge of cutting edge technology, and the kind of military experience that a make for great thriller writing, Harp has created a fast-moving and totally riveting thriller that will make Anderson Harp a leading name, like Ludlam and Brad Thor, in the military/political thriller. - See more at: http://booktrib.com/2014/03/coming-soon-anderson-harp-to-chat-about-retribution-a-fast-moving-and-totally-riveting-thriller/#sthash.SujrsiUm.dpuf

Click on the image for more info and to RSVP.

Q&A with Lori Foster and Giveaway of Getting Rowdy

Welcome to my stop on the Getting Rowdy blog tour. Lori Foster is back again for another quick interview (I also interviewed Lori last October.) and then her publisherHarlequin, and PR firm Meryl L Moss Media, are giving away a paperback copy of "Getting Rowdy".

Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a Waldenbooks, Borders, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author of over 70 novellas and novels. She currently writes single titles for HQN. Lori believes it’s important to give back to the community as much as possible, and for that reason she ran special contests in conjunction with a publisher, facilitating many first sales for new authors. She routinely organizes events among authors and readers to gather donations for various organizations.

Chat with Stephanie Evanovich July 24th

Join BookTrib on July 24th at 3:00 p.m. EST on http://booktribchat.com/ to chat live with Stephanie Evanovich to discuss her debut novel, BIG GIRL PANTIES.

During the chat you can:

• Ask Stephanie questions directly
• WIN a free copy of the book

Click on the image above to join in the chat.

Live Chat with Bella Andre! July 10th at 3:30 PM

I only recently discovered Bella Andre but I am really enjoying her books. Next week, she'll be at BookTrib for a live chat. I won't be there as I'll be at work but if you're able, drop in and join the conversation. The chat will be Wednesday July 10th at 3:30PM EST. Click on the image below for more information.

New York Times bestselling author BELLA ANDRE is known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly). Winner of the Award of Excellence, the Washington Post has called her “one of the top digital writers in America.” Married with two children, Bella splits her time between Northern California and the Adirondacks.

Live Chat with Steve Berry on Monday July 1st!

Steve Berry, author of thrillers such as "The Amber Room" and "The Jefferson Key", will be chatting about his newest book, "The King's Deception" about Queen Elizabeth I, where he proposes that she was really a he.

BookTrib is hosting a the chat with Steve on July 1 at 3 p.m. ET. I probably won't be there as I;m scheduled to work but it should be an interesting chat. In the meantime, click here to see what some other readers think. To get more info or join the chat click on the image below.

Chat with author Andrew Gross and Enter to Win a Kindle Fire!

Author Andrew Gross is back for another chat with BookTrib. If you're available tomorrow night, at 7:30 ET, go to BookTrib and join the chat.

Andrew's new book is "No Way Back": One woman is framed for a horrific crime, and desperate to prove her innocence. Wendy Gould is an attractive, happy suburban mom, and an experienced ex-cop. A chance meeting with a stranger in a hotel ends when the man is murdered and she’s the only witness, forcing her to run from rogue federal agents determined to keep her silent, even if it means killing her. Things only get worse when the authorities—the wrong ones—find their way to her door, giving her no recourse but to flee from her only safe haven.

A breathtaking tale featuring two strong, sympathetic women who must rely on each other to take down powerful, lethal forces, No Way Back is a riveting tale full of twists and thrilling surprises from the bestselling author who is “coming up on the rails behind Harlan Coben and Lee Child” (Evening Standard, U.K.)

Need a little encouragement? BookTrib has a surprise for you if you join the chat live with Andrew! For the first time ever, they will be giving away a brand new Kindle Fire! And it will be loaded with a selection of Andrew’s books!

The format for the chat is a little different this time; BookTrib will use Spreecast! It’s easy to use, all you need to do is log in with either Twitter, Facebook or your email (must be logged in to ask questions). If you decide to watch the chat without signing in, and still want to submit a question prior to his week's event with author ANDREW GROSS, please email LiveChat@BookTrib.com.

See you there!

Lori Foster #BookTrib Chat Tuesday April 30th

Are you a Lori Foster fan? Love her hot men? Want to talk to her but can't make it to her annual authors and readers gathering? She'll be on Booktrib on Tuesday April 30th for a live chat about her new release, "Bare It All".

Already receiving rave reviews in Publisher’s Weekly, RT Book Reviews, and more— "Bare It All", Lori Foster’s latest in her Love Undercover series, does not disappoint!

A cop’s craving to know more about the woman next door could prove fatal.

As the person responsible for taking down a brutal human trafficker, Alice Appleton fears retaliation at every turn. No one knows about her past, which is exactly how she prefers it…until the sexy cop next door comes knocking. Detective Reese Bareden thinks he knows what makes women tick, but his ever-elusive neighbor keeps him guessing like no other. Is his goal to unmask Alice’s secrets? Or protect her from a dangerous new threat? One thing is certain: their chemistry is a time bomb waiting to explode. And with no one to trust but each other, Reese and Alice are soon drawn into a deadly maze of corruption, intrigue and desire—and into the line of fire….

So, join BookTrib to chat live with Lori and find out everything you ever wanted to know about her red hot reads.

Bonus! — For the first time ever, BookTrib will give away a goodie bag filled with ALL of Lori Foster’s favorite things, including chocolate, lip balm, and more! AND FREE copies of the book!

Click on the image to go the BookTrib event page and if you want, you can sign up to receive an email reminder about the event.

Review of Drop Dead on Recall by Sheila Webster Boneham

Publisher: Midnight Ink
Series: An Animals in Focus Mystery #1
Format Read: Trade Paperback
Release Date: October 2012
Buying Links:  Amazon  Barnes & Noble  The Book Depository

Book Blurb from goodreads:

Dogs, cats, and murderous misdeeds. 

Animal photographer and dog show handler Janet MacPhail knows it’s the sure-footed, finely trained canine competitors that steal the attention in the obedience ring. But all eyes are on widely disliked star handler Abigail Dorn when she falls down dead at the drop on recall command with her border collie, Pip, an Obedience Trial Champion.

Janet suspects foul play when she uncovers a bitter rivalry between Abby and Suzette, the owner of Fly, Pip’s top-ranking competitor. Balancing her dementia-afflicted mother, threats aimed at her beloved pets, and a flirty-hunk dog handler, Janet investigates as another murder takes place. And her nosing around reveals an ugly scandal in the dog show circuit.

Bea's Thoughts:

If you aren’t a dog lover, this might not be the right book for you. I like dogs but I’m not a dog lover and at times the story dragged. We get an up close and detailed look at dog shows and their culture, as well as a look at breeding purebred dogs. Mixed in with the murder mysteries are a sweet budding romance and the travails of an aging parent.

Janet is likable; she isn’t a morning person, loves animals, has bills to pay, puts housekeeping low on her priority list (which actually works to her benefit later in the story), and has family problems. When a competitor and acquaintance, Abigail,  literally falls ill at a show, she rushes over to help but Abigail dies en route to the hospital. She helps Abigail’s husband by taking the dog, Pip, home to her house for a few days. That’s when the trouble begins. She is hounded by another competitor and Pip’s breeder to turn Pip over to them and the police keep questioning her. She gets drawn deeper and deeper into the investigation, unable to turn away.

Boneham pushes one suspect very hard; so hard that I became convinced that that person wasn’t actually responsible. There are other suspects and I thought I knew who it was. Boneham sprinkles clues and red herrings throughout the story, leaving the reader wondering just who the killer is. The ending was a bit cliched, and the dog details could get incredibly dry. The book goes on too long, it could have been trimmed by a quarter and been the better for it. The story was okay but I doubt I’ll bother with the next book.

This review first appeared at BookTrib.  I borrowed this book from my library.

Chat with Kristan Higgins

Are you a fan of Kristan Higgins? Heard about her but don't know much? She'll be chatting live with readers on Tuesday March 12th at 3PM EST over on BookTrib. She'll be discussing her new book, "The Best Man". Click here for more info or to sign up for an email reminder about the chat.

Review & Giveaway of Easter Bunny Murder by Leslie Meier

Publisher: Kensington Books
Series: Lucy Stone #19
Format Read: Hardcover
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Buying Links:  Amazon  Barnes & Noble  Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

*May contain spoilers for earlier books*

Spring has sprung in Tinker's Cove, and Lucy Stone has a mile-long to-do list. From painting eggs with her grandson, to preparing the perfect Easter feast, to reviving her garden after a long, cold winter, she hardly has time to hunt for a killer with a deadly case of spring fever... Lucy has always loved covering the annual Easter egg hunt for the Pennysaver. Hosted by elderly socialite Vivian Van Vorst at Pine Point, her luxurious oceanfront estate, it's a swanky event where the grown-ups sip cocktails while their children search for eggs that are as likely to contain savings bonds as they are jelly beans. But when Lucy arrives with her three-year-old grandson, VV's normally welcoming gates are locked, and a man dressed as the Easter Bunny emerges only to drop dead moments later… Lucy discovers that the victim is Van Vorst Duff, VV's grandson, and soon learns that not all is as it seems at idyllic Pine Point, where the champagne and caviar seem to be running dry. Always a social butterfly, VV has been skipping lunch dates with friends, and her much-needed donations to local charities have stopped with no explanation. Maybe she's going senile, or maybe her heirs are getting a little too anxious to take over her estate… As Lucy gathers a basketful of suspects, she's convinced someone's been hunting for a lot more than eggs, and she'll have to chase the truth down a rabbit hole before the killer claims another victim…

Bea's Thoughts:  *May contain spoilers for earlier books*


"Easter Bunny Murder" kept me up late reading. It took me a while to get into it, something that's been happening to me a lot lately, but once I did, I was hooked. I've read one or two books from this series and was 'meh' about them but I read some reviews of this one that intrigued me and then I was offered a copy for review. Swayed by the reviews I'd read, I said 'yes' and I'm glad I did. 

I love cozies but sometimes they don't come across as real. The circumstances are unlikely, the ease in solving the murder is unbelievable, etc. While "Easter Bunny Murder" has a couple of unlikely coincidences, overall, the story is believable. I particularly enjoyed that it took place over a matter of months, matters weren't resolved in a few days. Meier weaves together the mystery of Van's death, related mysteries, and Lucy's personal life into an enjoyable, smooth, easy mix.

At first, Van's death seems like a tragic act of nature, but Lucy's suspicions are aroused when his former lover, and the mother of their daughter, starts throwing around accusations. Town officials and her boss at the newspaper are not convinced so in between her job as a reporter for the town paper and her jobs as wife, mother and grandmother, she begins her own investigation. There are ups and downs in her investigation, and at times her personal life takes precedence, but eventually she finds answers.



Lucy is kind, compassionate, persistent, occasionally harried but also feels like she could be one of my neighbors in the small town I live in. Meier does an excellent job of making her characters, major and minor, feel real and multi-dimensional. There's also a genuine feel to the settings, the small town feel and the New England feel. The story was relatable, the murder slightly unbelievable but cunning, the investigation and the various mysteries well-done, and the murder quite likeable. At first, it the murderer's identity seemed too convenient and out-of-the blue but looking back, the clues were there. "Easter Bunny Murder" is a very enjoyable way to spend several hours.

I received a hardcover from BookTrib for review.

Live Chat with Author Susanna Sonnenberg

BookTrib is having another live chat; this time with Susanna Sonnenberg, author of  the non-fiction book "She Matters (A Life in Friendships).

If we’re lucky we have a few special girlfriends on whom we rely for comfort, companionship, and to be there during the important events in our lives.  Friendship is something that, when nurtured, can blossom into sisterhood.  Studies have shown that the more close friends we have the less stress we harbor inside.  So grab your BFF and join the BookTrib Live Chat with  Susanna Sonnenberg, this Thursday, January 31 at 1pm EST. 

This is the first in a new series of 20 Live Chats  on  BookTrib.com to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of Meryl Moss Media Relations promoting authors. 

As always, they’ll have a  give away: copies of "She Matters (A Life in Friendship)" and also other “girlfriend friendly” surprises.

  
Click on the photo below to RSVP.

Review of Serpent Queen by J.A. Campbell

Publisher: InkWolf Press
Series: Sky Yarns #1
Format Read: Kindle
Release Date: December 4, 2012
Buying Links:  Amazon   Barnes & Noble  

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

Aether gas: lighter than air, and more valuable than gold. It gives the mighty airships the ability to fly. Without it, the delicate balance between magic, technology, and nations would crumble.

The pirate ship Serpent Queen doesn’t much care for the balance of nations, except when it affects her profit. So when Captain Adair is hired to smuggle a load of aether gas into Tribunal lands for a rebel group, the crew is happy to do it-as long as they get paid.

It’s a bonus that most of them have been wronged by the Tribunal in the past and this may be a way to unbalance the tyrants.

 Bea's Thoughts:

This was  a fast paced, action packed, emotion filled story that didn’t stint on character development or story line. It’s short but Campbell packs a lot in. A paranormal pirate story in a universe similar to our own. It’s not quite steampunk as it doesn’t appear to be set on Earth or even in our galaxy. Yet it has dirigibles and other devices that might be found in steampunk or even alternative history. It has species found in urban fantasy – vampires and weres while it also has dragons from fantasy and human folk, the Rom, who are obviously based on Gypsies. I’m not sure exactly how categorize this but Campbell makes all the parts work. It’s fun, fast, engaging and I want more.

It’s hard to discuss it without giving away spoilers but there’s betrayal, friendship, politics, a hint of romance, tragedy and action. There are twists and turns that Campbell hints at but when they happen, you’re still surprised in a , “Oh, that’s what that meant!” way. The ending is not quite a cliff-hanger but it’s a little ambivalent. She’s got two more stories planned and who knows, possibly more if all goes well. There are some copy editing and proofreading errors, more than I like in a book of this length, but not so many as to distract from the story.

Give this a read, you won’t regret it.

I own this Kindle book.

This review first appeared at BookTrib.com

Review of What Kings Ate and Wizards Drank by Krista D. Ball

Publisher: Tyche Books
Format Read: epub and PDF
Release Date: November 1, 2012
Buying Links:  Amazon   Tyche Press   Barnes & Noble

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

A Fantasy Lover's Food Guide

Equal parts writer’s guide, comedy, and historical cookbook, fantasy author Krista D. Ball takes readers on a journey into the depths of epic fantasy’s obsession with rabbit stew and teaches them how to catch the blasted creatures, how to move armies across enemy territories without anyone starving to death, and what a medieval pantry should look like when your heroine is seducing the hero.

Learn how long to cook a salted cow tongue, how best to serve salt fish, what a “brewis” is (hint: it isn’t beer), how an airship captain would make breakfast, how to preserve just about anything, and why those dairy maids all have ample hips.

What Kings Ate will give writers of historical and fantastical genres the tools to create new conflicts in their stories, as well as add authenticity to their worlds, all the while giving food history lovers a taste of the past with original recipes and historical notes.
 
Quote:

If time is of the essence, your hero will not have time to field dress a dear, locate water (unless he's following an uncontaminated stream or river), fish, or club a baby seal and make a fur coat. Yet, how many of us have read fantasy books where the heroes have done all this and still had enough time to seduce the assassin traveling with them?

My eighty-three-year old father has been hunting most of his life and he offers this advice to the hero wanting to hunt rabbits while being chased by orcs: go hungry.

Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

Ball has a wicked sense of humor and it shines through in this book. This is not a formal textbook or treatise but a conversational look at common myths and mistakes in historical and fantasy books concerning food and eating. She points out common errors but doesn’t cite books or authors, letting them stay anonymous. She limits her scope to Northern Europe in the early Middle Ages, and freely admits that her bachelor’s degree in history doesn’t make her an expert. She did a lot of research for the book and it shows. I enjoyed it tremendously and will be looking with a closer eye now when I’m reading historical books or fantasies.

 

In societies where wood stoves were used, apples could be sliced and hung on strings over the stove, the warmest and dries part of the house. Mushrooms, likewise, can be threaded with a needle and twine, and hung over the hearth or stove. (You won’t want to do this in a Steampunk story or  any urban-based story with coal. Coal stoves eventually coat everything in black soot that tastes really foul. Follow the advice of Mrs. Beeton (a Victorian cookery guru) and put the drying goodies in the wooden cupboards near the stove, where spices and salt were stored. Still warm, but less soot.) These small details can be twisted and massaged into making a lovely setting.

My one gripe about the book and the reason it’s four stars instead of five is the copy editing. There are numerous errors, all of them sloppy. It hasn’t been a problem with her other books so I assume the publisher is responsible for not catching and fixing them.

 

…the hot desert sun was prefect for laying fish out on the roofs of houses to dry.

Smoking and salting is the most common methods…

If potatoes were not in the diet, than bread and beer would…

I quickly became aware that it was so more complex than dealing with…

Never in my life have I felt more in line with the Romans, the original Borg from Star Trek,…

Apart from the numerous proofreading and copy editing errors, I found the book to be fun, enjoyable, useful and easy to use. I recommend it for anyone who writes historical books or fantasies or to readers who are curious. Just be sure to have your red pen ready.

 

I received the Epub and PDF from the author. I’ve also ordered the print copy.

This review first appeared at BookTrib. 

Interview, Excerpt, & Giveaway of Run The Risk by Lori Foster

Today it's my pleasure to welcome romance author Lori Foster to the Nook. She's touring the book blogosphere to celebrate and promote the release of her newest book, "Run the Risk".

Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a Waldenbooks, Borders, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author of over 70 novellas and novels. She currently writes single titles for HQN. Lori believes it’s important to give back to the community as much as possible, and for that reason she ran special contests in conjunction with a publisher, facilitating many first sales for new authors. She routinely organizes events among authors and readers to gather donations for various organizations.

Along with her good friend, Duffy Brown, Lori hosts a very special annual “Reader & Author” event in West Chester, Ohio. Proceeds from the event have benefited many worthy causes, including the Hamilton County YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter, the Animal Adoption Foundation, The Conductive Learning Center for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, and The One Way Farm, Children’s Home.

Lori has received many prestigious awards, including: Romantic Times “Career Achievement Award” for: Series Romantic Fantasy Contemporary Romance Lori Foster has been both a clue in the New York Times crossword puzzle and the USA Today Quick Cross puzzle. She enjoys visiting with readers on her Facebook Fan page, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest. Sign up for Lori’s Newsletter to get the latest news on book releases!

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 Q&A:

 Bea: What book are you reading now?

Lori: This might change by the time the answer is posted, so how about I mention BOTH series that I’m loving? Jill Shalvis’s “Lucky Harbor” series. I’ve already read (and loved) “Lucky in Love,” and “At Last,” and I’ve already purchased “Forever and a Day.” I’m also reading Erin McCarthy’s “Fast Track” series. I’ve finished “Flat Out Sexy” and “Hard and Fast.” She has a lot more in the series, so I see myself with plenty of reading to do for the next few months.

Bea: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Lori: Not until after I sold my 3rd book. Before that, I still didn’t say too much about writing. I didn’t want to be a one-book wonder, and two books could still be a fluke. So I waited. In fact, I’m still pretty uptight about telling it to strangers. Not sure why.

Bea: What inspired you to write your first book?

Lori: Reading great stories! Romance blew my mind. Great dialogue, engaging characters that drove the plot, happen endings... love it all. I’d always been a day-dreamer and a right-brained oddity. J I decided to write that 1st book (and then the 2nd and 3rd and 4th) just for me. “If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” –Toni Morrison. When I went to a writers’ con and met a bunch of writers who’d been working on their 1st chapter for 5 years, I thought, hmmm. Maybe I have what it takes.

Bea: How did you come up with the title?

Lori: RUN THE RISK is about Logan Riske. Ages ago, readers would write me and say that they couldn’t remember which hero had which title. It made sense then to put a part of the hero’s name in the title to make it easier for readers. But after this series, I think I might switch it up again. HQN is giving me such amazing covers that I hope readers will remember the image, if not the title.

Follow the tour here: http://booktrib.com/blog-tour-run-the-risk-by-lori-foster/


Have more questions for Lori? She's having a live chat on BookTrib.com this coming Monday, October 22nd at 7PM EST. Come join Lori and ask her your burning questions! BookTrib will be giving away 10 copies of "Run The Risk", as well as her Dirty Car Art print and t-shirt! Click on the photo below for more information. 

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Excerpt: 

 “I keep to myself.” She awkwardly snatched back her groceries and straightened her spine. “Others should do the same.” “Yeah, maybe I could.” Giving up his scrutiny of her cluttered living space, he leaned in her door frame—all six-feet-plus of him. His broad shoulders kept her from closing the door. Patient, silent, he waited for her to meet his gaze. Girding herself, Pepper looked up—and felt caressed by his suggestive, intimate attention.

****************************************************************************************

 Giveaway

  

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

When Detective Logan Riske goes undercover to find Pepper Yates, a potential link to his best friend's unsolved murder, he vows to gain her cooperation by any means necessary. But the elusive beauty is more suspicious—and in far more danger—than he expected. And the last thing Logan needs is to start caring for her….Pepper has spent years dodging the corrupt club owner who will stop at nothing to keep her silenced. She can trust no one, not even the handsome new "construction worker" who's moved in next door. The heat between them is undeniable. But will surrendering to passion bring her the safety she so desires—or will her feelings for Logan draw them both into a killer's crosshairs?

Run the Risk
Series: Love Undercover #1
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Formats: Paperback, ebook, audio
Length: 384 pages, 529 KB
Buying Links:  Amazon   Barnes & Noble   The Book Depository

I have one paperback copy to giveaway to a US or Canadian resident. Enter using the rafflecopter widget below.

Review of Broken Harbour by Tana French

Publisher: Penguin
Series: Dublin Murder Squad #4
Release Date: July 24, 2012
Buying Links:  Amazon    Barnes & Noble    The Book Depository


Book Blurb (from goodreads): 

The mesmerizing fourth novel of the Dublin murder squad by New York Times bestselling author Tana French. 

Mick “Scorcher” Kennedy, the brash cop from Tana French’s bestselling Faithful Place, plays by the book and plays hard. That’s what’s made him the Murder squad’s top detective—and that’s what puts the biggest case of the year into his hands. 

 On one of the half-built, half-abandoned “luxury” developments that litter Ireland, Patrick Spain and his two young children are dead. His wife, Jenny, is in intensive care.

 At first, Scorcher and his rookie partner, Richie, think it’s going to be an easy solve. But too many small things can’t be explained. The half dozen baby monitors, their cameras pointing at holes smashed in the Spains’ walls. The files erased from the Spains’ computer. The story Jenny told her sister about a shadowy intruder who was slipping past all the locks. 

And Broken Harbor holds memories for Scorcher. Seeing the case on the news sends his sister Dina off the rails again, and she’s resurrecting something that Scorcher thought he had tightly under control: what happened to their family one summer at Broken Harbor, back when they were children. 

With her signature blend of police procedural and psychological thriller, French’s new novel goes full throttle with a heinous crime, creating her most complicated detective character and her best book yet.

Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts: 

 I enjoy police procedurals though if the author isn’t careful they can take it too far and forget about the people part of the equation. Happily, French blends procedure with character development yet doesn’t get mawkish or sentimental. Her writing is direct, plain but not boring; she writes with enough detail to sketch out what’s happening or provide a visual but is spare enough for the reader to fill in. French goes further than just giving us the details of the investigation but digs deeper and examines the psychology of everyone involved. She brings to life the fears, hopes, dreams and beliefs of the cops, the victims, their friends, families and co-workers.

There’s a subplot involving Detective Kennedy and his sister which didn’t completely work for me but it did give us insight into “Scorcher” Kennedy and how events unfolded towards the end of the story. While I liked Kennedy, I really liked his rookie partner Richie and their developing relationship.

The story held my attention and kept me reading, even when they arrested a suspect about halfway through the book. I had to keep reading to find out what happened next. French introduced some twists and turns and red herrings that kept me guessing, even when I thought I knew where the story was going. It’s an intelligent, complex story that won’t leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy but if something were to happen to me, I’d want “Scorcher” Kennedy on my case.

I received a hardcover from the publisher for review.

This review was originally posted at BookTrib.

Steve Berry BookTrib Chat

Thriller/action adventure author Steve Berry released a new book, "The Columbus Affair" recently (which landed at #4 on The New York Times best seller list) and to celebrate, he's doing a live chat over on BookTrib. The chat will be next week, on Wednesday June 13th at 1:30PM EST.

BookTrib would love to have you join him for this incredible opportunity and exciting discussion! Get his professional insight on the writing process, his experience with bestsellers, and his dedication to historic preservation projects (The Columbus Affair is an historic thriller).

10 members of the audience will be randomly selected to win a copy of THE COLUMBUS AFFAIR. So, if you can, go to BookTrib that day and join in the chat. An RSVP is requested, just email livechat@booktrib.com

Book Blurb (from the press release):

“For 500 years historians have pondered the question: Who was Christopher Columbus? The answer is simply another question: Who do you want him to be?” – Anonymous Observer

He was called many names – Columb, Colom, Colon – but we know him as Christopher Columbus. Many questions about him exist: Where was he born, raised and educated? Where did he die? How did he discover the New World? None have ever been properly answered. And then there is the greatest secret of all.

From New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry comes THE COLUMBUS AFFAIR (Ballantine Books Hardcover – On sale May 15, 2012 for $27US) an exciting new adventure – one that challenges everything we thought we knew about the discovery of America.

Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist Tom Sagan has written hard-hitting articles from hot spots around the world. But when a controversial report from a war-torn region is exposed as a fraud, his professional reputation is destroyed. Now he lives in virtual exile, haunted by bad decisions and the shocking truth he can never prove: that his downfall was a deliberate act of sabotage by an unknown enemy. But before Sagan can end his torment with the squeeze of the trigger, fate intervenes in the form of an enigmatic stranger with a request that cannot be ignored.

Zachariah Simon has the look of a scholar, the soul of a scoundrel and the zeal of a fanatic. He also has Tom Sagan’s estranged daughter at his mercy. Simon desperately wants something only Sagan can supply: the key to a 500-year-old mystery, a treasure with explosive political significance in the modern world. For both Simon and Sagan the stakes are high, the goal intensely personal, the consequences of opposing either man potentially catastrophic. On a perilous quest from Florida to Vienna to Prague and finally to the mountains of Jamaica, the two men square off in a dangerous game. Along the way, both of their lives will be altered – and everything we know about Christopher Columbus will change.

STEVE BERRY is the New York Times bestselling author of The Jefferson Key, The Emperor’s Tomb, The Paris Vendetta, The Charlemagne Pursuit, The Venetian Betrayal, The Alexandria Link, The Templar Legacy, The Third Secret, The Romanov Prophecy, The Amber Room, and the short stories “The Admiral’s Mark,” “The Devil’s Gold,” and “The Balkan Escape.” He has 14 million books in print, which have been translated into 40 languages and sold in 51 countries. He lives in St. Augustine, Florida. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have founded History Matters, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving our heritage.


I won't be able to attend as I'll be working but I'm on the wait list for this book at my library. I'm looking forward to it!