Mini-Book Review — Fragile Designs

2 Jan

Fragile Designs is a standalone novel by Colleen Coble. It combines history and mystery for a twisty romantic suspense that fans of this genre will love. Messy family dynamics are front and center, as the main character negotiates her present circumstances and past secrets. After her husband is killed, Carly moves back to her home town and her grandmother’s house. Danger follows her as mysterious break-ins occur. It’s providential that her next door neighbor is a policeman, who soon becomes as interested in her as the case. I liked the relationship that went from cautious friends to more. The mystery involves a lot of digging into the history surrounding Faberge eggs, and the two soon uncover more than they bargained for, including more family for Carly. Everyone was a suspect as I tried to figure out whodunit. Coble does a good job of keeping her characters and readers on their toes!

If you like fast-paced suspense, strong romantic elements, and a cleverly plotted novel, then put Fragile Designs on your wishlist.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Since her police-officer husband Eric’s mysterious murder, Carly Harris has been struggling to support herself and their infant son. Her career as an antique dealer isn’t sustainable, nor is her dream of becoming a novelist. So, when her grandmother proposes she and her two sisters restore the family’s large Beaufort home and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast, she immediately gets to work clearing out the house. In the process, she uncovers a family secret that Eric kept hidden. And an heirloom that the wrong person wouldn’t hesitate to kill for.

Homicide detective Lucas Bennett isn’t his neighbor’s biggest fan, not since she broke his brother’s heart years ago. But when Carly turns to Lucas for help, believing she’s found a lost Fabergé egg that would be worth millions and could put her family’s lives in danger, he can’t help but get involved. Soon, they’re entangled in a mystery with threads that lead all the way to the Russian mafia. Lucas has gotten in deep, and while he trusts his ability to keep Carly and her family safe, he begins to realize he’s vulnerable to an unexpected kind of danger–and helpless to stop the freefall. As they continue working closely together, Carly and Lucas realize they may have found something more precious than gold. Yet it’s only a matter of time before Carly–or, worse, someone she loves–gets hurt.

Colleen Coble’s Fragile Designs is gripping suspense with closed-door romance and includes an intriguing mystery surrounding an extremely valuable Fabergé egg, second-chance romance, home renovation, and found family.

Best-selling author Colleen Coble‘s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has over 5 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website at http://colleencoble.com.

Tags: ,

Book Club Selection — Indigo Isle

1 Jan

Happy New Year! And happy 2025 book club selections! My book club has some great reading ahead. First up is Indigo Isle by T. I. Lowe. This author of southern fiction will be a participant at the Turning A New Page Book Festival. I am so looking forward to reading the Christy Award-winning novel before I hear her speak. If you are anywhere in the middle Georgia area, make plans to attend on 1/25/25. Or there’s always road trip fun!

Sonny Bates left South Carolina fifteen years ago and never looked back. Now she’s a successful Hollywood location scout who travels the world, finding perfect places for movie shoots. Home is wherever she lands, and between her busy schedule and dealing with her boss’s demands, she has little time to think about the past . . . until her latest gig lands her a stone’s throw from everything she left behind.

Searching off the coast of Charleston for a secluded site to film a key scene, Sonny wanders onto a private barrier island and encounters its reclusive owner, known by locals as the Monster of Indigo Isle. What she finds is a man much more complex than the myth.

Once a successful New York attorney, Hudson Renfrow’s grief has exiled him to his island for several years. He spends his days alone, tending his fields of indigo, then making indigo dye―and he has no interest in serving the intrusive needs of a film company or yielding to Sonny’s determined curiosity. But when a hurricane makes landfall on the Carolina coast, stranding them together, an unlikely friendship forms between the two damaged souls. Soon the gruff exterior Hudson has long hidden behind crumbles―exposing the tender part of him that’s desperate for forgiveness and a second chance.

A story of hanging on and letting go, of redemption and reconciliation, and of a love that heals the deepest wounds, from the author of the breakout Southern fiction bestseller Under the Magnolias.

Tags: , ,

Mini-Book Review: Free Fall

30 Dec

In my year end pleasure reading binge I have concentrated on the romantic suspense on my TBR list, especially those that will finish up a series. Free Fall, the final book in Nancy Mehl‘s Quantico Files series, was a good choice. Mehl is a must-read author for me. Her books featuring serial killers are intriguing, yet never overly graphic. I can get the chills and thrills I want without the ensuing nightmares. 😉 In this novel main characters Alex and Logan are negotiating their relationship. Neither wants to upset the strong friendship they have developed while partnering in their work as profilers with the FBI. A case involving a missing woman sets them up on professional and personal roller coasters. While circumstances separate the pair, their feelings for each other grow stronger. The case is puzzling for the two, as well as the reader. You will be turning the pages trying to figure out just what is going on. The strong faith message shows a God who is intimately involved in His children’s lives. I liked that Mehl included a variety of ways He communicates, including scripture, other believers, angelic messengers, and dreams.

The books in the Quantico Files build on each other, with the emphasis on the two main characters throughout the series. Begin at the beginning for great reading.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

The closer she comes to the truth, the deadlier her chase gets.

FBI behavioral analyst Alex Donovan and her colleague Logan Hart have been called upon to write a profile for a missing woman, but a little digging quickly turns up more disappearances in Virginia with the same physical description. 

Alex is in a race against the clock to rescue the missing victims, so when the UNSUB makes demands of her in exchange for information, Alex takes the bait. But when her life is put in jeopardy, Logan must do whatever it takes to track them down before time runs out.

Alex works to think one step ahead of the suspect, but the more Logan and the BAU learn about the serial kidnapper, the more they fear Alex may not make it out alive.

Nancy Mehl lives in Missouri, with her husband Norman, and her puggle, Watson. She’s authored over fifty books and is currently at work on a new FBI suspense series for Bethany House Publishing.

All of Nancy’s novels have an added touch – something for your spirit as well as your soul. “I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing,” Nancy says. “It’s a part of me and of everything I think or do. God is number one in my life. I wouldn’t be writing at all if I didn’t believe that this is what He’s called me to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan especially for your life, and there is nothing you can’t overcome with His help.”

You can find out more about Nancy by visiting her Web site at: http://www.nancymehl.com. She also is active on the Suspense Sisters: http://www.suspensesisters.blogspot.com and on FaceBook!

Tags: ,

First Line Friday — Over The Edge

27 Dec

I am on a romantic suspense reading-binge. The last couple of weeks of 2024 are dedicated to pleasure reading, and romantic suspense is a go-to genre for me. Today I am featuring Over The Edge by Irene Hannon. I am really looking forward to diving into the 2nd book in her Undaunted Courage series.

Here’s the first line:

That was odd.

Trauma survivor Lindsey Barnes hasn’t fully recovered from the ordeal that almost took her life, and now she’s in the middle of another crisis. Not only is she the sole witness in a high-profile murder case, but it also appears someone is trying to cast doubts on her mental stability.

Police detective Jack Tucker doesn’t know what to make of her story, especially when her elusive enemy leaves no evidence behind to lend credence to her claims. Yet the more he gets to know the appealing personal chef, the more he’s convinced someone is targeting not only her sanity, but her life.

And unless they can figure out who is behind the campaign to undermine her credibility, a murderer could slip away–leaving more than one body in his or her wake.

Tags: ,

Mini-Book Review: Man of Shadow And Mist

26 Dec

Michelle Griep is fabulous at melding mystery and history together. Her novel Man of Shadow And Mist was a wonderful gothic-delight! Inspired by the Dracula legend, this historical mystery set in Victorian-era England was an intriguing and well-researched exploration of finding one’s place in the world, in spite of prejudice. Main character Rosa Edwards works for her father in his subscription library (an interesting bit of history) but dreams of more than the place she seems destined for — a married woman with children. When the mysterious Sir James Morgan returns to his home, rumors of vampires swirl around him. Mystery, intrigue, and double-dealing abound in the small town. Gossip and innuendo, rumors and violence are whipped up by misinformation, ignorance, prejudice, and good-old fashioned evil intentions. Rosa and James join forces to counteract the misplaced fears that threaten their relationship and James’s life. I really, really loved this book. I fell in love with Rosa and James and rooted on their growing romance. I found the medical information behind vampirism to be intriguing and eye-opening. The addition of Bram Stoker to the cast of characters added a unique historical detail to the story. And the journeys of the two main characters to find their place in the world and in God’s kingdom was inspiring.

If you love history, mystery, and intrigue I highly recommend reading Man of Shadow And Mist.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased the ebook from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

England, 1890
 
Vampires are alive and well in North Yorkshire, leastwise in the minds of the uneducated. Librarian Rosa Edwards intends to drive a stake through the heart of such superstitions. But gossip flies when the mysterious Sir James Morgan returns to his shadowy manor. The townsfolk say he is cursed.
 
James hates everything about England. The weather. The rumours. The scorn. Yet he must stay. His mother is dying of a disease for which he’s desperately trying to find a cure—an illness that will eventually take his own life.
 
When Rosa sets out to prove the dark gossip about James is wrong, she discovers more questions than answers. How can she accept what she can’t explain—especially the strong allure of the enigmatic man? James must battle a town steeped in fear as well as the unsettling attraction he feels for the no-nonsense librarian.
 
Can love prevail in a town filled with fear and doubt?

Tags: , ,

Top 10 Tuesday — Books I’d Like from Santa

24 Dec

Happy Christmas Eve! While there is really zero shopping time left, Santa’s magic could still bring you your bookish wishes under the tree tomorrow morning. And when I say Santa’s magic, I mean the incredible digital books and gift cards that can be delivered instantly. 😉 Santa (and my family) rarely grant my book wishes. It’s not because they don’t care about me, it’s because they honestly think I have all the books I need! I have been unsuccessful in changing their minds. LOL! They have, on occasion, given me Amazon gift cards, so that’s kind of the same. And my husband has been giving me Kindles since the first one was available — he feeds my addiction nicely.

Today, TTT has tasked us with listing books on our Christmas wishlists. The books I am featuring are new for the upcoming year, so those gift cards can really come in handy for pre-orders.

What books are you looking for under the tree?

For more bookish dreams and wishes, please visit That Artsy Reader Girl.

Books I’d Like (to pre-order) for Christmas

Ambush by Colleen Coble

Break My Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn

Guilty Until Innocent by Robert Whitlow

The Hunted Heir by Jayna Breigh

Midnight on The Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin

Serial Burn by Lynette Eason

Shattered Sanctuary by Nancy Mehl

Storm Warning by Elizabeth Goddard

Sunrise Reef by Irene Hannon

Tempest at Annabel’s Lighthouse by Jaime Jo Wright

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mini-Book Reviews — Cold Pursuit/Cold Threat

23 Dec

Nancy Mehl writes great serial killers! If you love books with creepy, yet intriguing bad guys, then her books are waiting on you. Her Ryland And St. Clair series features ex-FBI profilers turned private investigators River Ryland and Tony St. Clair who use their specialized skills to tackle cold cases in the St. Louis area and beyond.

In Cold Pursuit the partners and friends are just starting their business and are tasked with finding a missing son. Their investigation stirs up a hornets nest and they are soon in the thick of danger. I liked the exploration of River and Tony’s friendship. It was very natural and realistic. The cold case was intriguing and I found the way these two did research into the background of the missing man and his associates interesting. There is also the threat from a serial killer who they put in jail prior to their retirement from the FBI. Is he behind the current threats to River? This thread runs throughout the 3 books of the series, and adds a good deal of tension. The reader also gets glimpses of the diabolical workings of the bad guy’s mind.

In Cold Threat, River and Tony travel to Tony’s family home. A solved case from his father’s days as a policeman is the subject of their newest investigation. Is this a copycat murderer/arsonist or did they have the wrong man all along? There is lots of action with elements of danger to the characters. I enjoyed how River and Tony worked together to find out whodunit. Again, the bad guy’s POV is presented with chilling insight. River and Tony’s relationship continues to develop naturally.

Both are excellent choices for fans of suspense with an element of romance. And they are perfect for wintertime reading — you really get the cold factor in this series. Book 2 builds on book 1, so be sure to start from the beginning of this series.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(Thanks to NetGalley for complimentary copies. All opinions are mine alone.)

Ex-FBI profiler River Ryland still suffers from PTSD after a case went horribly wrong. Needing a fresh start, she moves to St. Louis to be near her ailing mother and opens a private investigation firm with her friend and former FBI partner, Tony St. Clair. They’re soon approached by a grieving mother who wants them to find out what happened to her teenaged son, who disappeared four years ago. River knows there’s almost no hope the boy is still alive, but his mother needs closure, and River and Tony need a case, no matter how cold it might be.

But as they follow the boy’s trail, which gets more complicated at every turn, they find themselves in the path of a murderer determined to punish anyone who gets in his way. As River and Tony race to stop him before he kills again, an even more dangerous threat emerges, stirring up the past that haunts River and plotting an end to her future.

Twenty years ago, several people were murdered in Des Moines, and the only evidence left behind was a snowman ornament hanging ominously on a tree in the victims’ front lawns. With a suspect behind bars, the killings have come to an end–or so everyone thought. But now crimes with a similar MO are happening in a small Iowa town, and a local detective believes the killer is back and ready to strike again.

With little time left on the clock before they have another murder on their hands, private investigators River Ryland and Tony St. Clair must work alongside Tony’s detective father to find evidence that will uncover an evil that has survived far too long. As the danger mounts and the suspect closes in, it will take all they have to catch a killer–before he catches one of them.

Nancy Mehl lives in Missouri, with her husband Norman, and her puggle, Watson. She’s authored over fifty books and is currently at work on a new FBI suspense series for Bethany House Publishing.

All of Nancy’s novels have an added touch – something for your spirit as well as your soul. “I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing,” Nancy says. “It’s a part of me and of everything I think or do. God is number one in my life. I wouldn’t be writing at all if I didn’t believe that this is what He’s called me to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan especially for your life, and there is nothing you can’t overcome with His help.”

You can find out more about Nancy by visiting her Web site at: http://www.nancymehl.com.

Tags: ,

First Line Friday — Free Fall

20 Dec

Happy Friday! I am spending the last couple of weeks of 2024 pleasure reading. And nothing gives me more pleasure than a serial killer book by Nancy Mehl. 😉 I recently finished the last book in her Quantico Files series (I am also cleaning up my NetGalley shelf). What a great ending to the series.

Here’s the first line:

The screams of people buckled into rides designed to either terrify or thrill them rang out in the darkness.

The closer she comes to the truth, the deadlier her chase gets.

FBI behavioral analyst Alex Donovan and her colleague Logan Hart have been called upon to write a profile for a missing woman, but a little digging quickly turns up more disappearances in Virginia with the same physical description. 

Alex is in a race against the clock to rescue the missing victims, so when the UNSUB makes demands of her in exchange for information, Alex takes the bait. But when her life is put in jeopardy, Logan must do whatever it takes to track them down before time runs out.

Alex works to think one step ahead of the suspect, but the more Logan and the BAU learn about the serial kidnapper, the more they fear Alex may not make it out alive.

Tags:

Mini-Book Review — Blind Trust

19 Dec

I am a big Natalie Walters fan. Her series are great for fans of romantic suspense — sizzle and non-stop action! Blind Trust is the final book in Walters’ SNAP Agency series, set in the NOVA area. While I did enjoy it, I have to admit it is not my favorite of the trilogy. Not sure what it was about the book — I liked the main characters and the plot was intriguing. I just had a very hard time getting into the story. Towards the end I was turning the pages fast and furiously to find out just what in the world was going on! Maybe that’s what I had trouble with — a lot of random-feeling threads I didn’t think would ever come together. But they did, and I am glad I have a conclusion of the gang at SNAP. The series taken as a whole is excellent and certainly binge-worthy. So start with book 1 and keep going. You’re welcome! 😉

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Lyla Fox knows she has a reputation at the SNAP Agency for impulsivity, but when she receives a threatening letter from a man she helped put in prison, she can’t stop herself from going all in to find out why he’s coming after her. Unfortunately, she’s going to need the help of the one person who questions her reckless choices more than anyone else.

Explosives and weapons specialist Nicolás Garcia agrees to help Lyla in order to keep her safe, but her recklessness continues to be a major concern, especially when her investigation into a conspiracy puts a target on her back. Dealing with bombs is dangerous. Working with Lyla is proving to be just as treacherous–to both the mission and his heart.

Natalie Walters closes out her SNAP Agency series with a bang with this nail-biting story of a deadly government conspiracy, an unlikely couple, and an ending that will leave you breathless.

Natalie Walters is a best selling author who loves writing romantic suspense with dynamic plots, memorable characters, humor, heart, and adventure.

As an Army wife, she fills her stories with the right balance of romantic and suspenseful tension to get the heart-racing and a cast of witty characters–all of which, may or may not be inspired by true people and/or events.

When she’s not writing, she’s dreaming of her next vacation, spending time with her family, or chasing after her sock-eating Goldendoodle, Scout. Annnd binging CourtTv.

Tags: ,

Mini-Book Review — Body of Evidence

18 Dec

I have no reading deadlines until the end of the year, so I am trying to clear off my shelves and read some great books I have put off for too long. One of those is Body of Evidence by Irene Hannon. I usually fly through her romantic suspense series, but it has been a while since I visited with the Reilly sisters in the Triple Threat series. This novel focuses on forensic pathologist Grace Reilly and new sheriff in town Nate Cox. There is instant chemistry between the two, but of course there are some obstacles to overcome — previous relationships and a few unexplained deaths stacking up across a couple of counties in rural southern Missouri. 😉 Unexplained as far as Grace is concerned even if the coroner is eager to close the cases. Grace and Nate agree on more than their interest in each other; they sense that not all is as it seems in the elderly deaths. I really liked the puzzle presented in this book. There’s a lot of investigating for both main characters. And while the reader does have a glimpse into just whodunit, Hannon does a great job of keeping the solution just out of reach. Both Grace and Nate are christians and endeavor to live upright lives, though neither is perfect. But it is a secondary character who has the most intriguing faith journey. True repentance and heartfelt forgiveness are explored in most satisfying ways. Body of Evidence is the concluding book of the series, and a HEA is celebrated. I listened to the audiobook on a trip back and forth to visit family. I was shy about 45 minutes of finishing as I pulled into my garage — I made sure to get this book done before bedtime! It is unputdownable or unturnoffable, as the case may be!

You can read Body of Evidence as a standalone novel, but I recommend starting with book 1. It is a fabulous binge-worthy series.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I bought the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Forensic pathologist Grace Reilly has seen her share of unusual deaths in rural Missouri. But when she begins to notice a curious pattern in autopsies of older residents whose demise appears to be natural, she takes her concerns to Sheriff Nate Cox.

Nate is skeptical about the link Grace is seeing between the deaths–and her suspicions of foul play. But her persistence is compelling. Once she finally convinces him her theory is credible and they join forces to investigate, danger follows. Because exposing the truth could destroy several lives–including Grace’s.

Queen of inspirational romantic suspense Irene Hannon closes out her bestselling Triple Threat series with this gripping tale of secrets revealed and romance sparked.

Irene Hannon is the bestselling and award-winning author of more than 65 contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. In addition to her many other honors, she is a three-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award from Romance Writers of America. She is also a member of RWA’s elite Hall of Fame and has received a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews for her entire body of work. Millions of her books have been sold worldwide, and her novels have been translated into multiple languages.

Tags: ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →