Tuesday, June 30, 2015

New Releases 2015 (Jun 30)











www.theoriginalheathergraham.com

Where is Lara Mayhew?

Lara, a congressman's media assistant, suddenly quits her job — and disappears on the way to her Washington, DC, apartment.


Novice FBI agent Meg Murray, a childhood friend of Lara's, gets a message from her that same night, a message that says she's disillusioned and "going home." To Richmond, Virginia. Meg discovers that she never got there. And bodies fitting Lara's description are showing up in nearby rivers.  Could she be the victim of a serial killer?

Meg is assigned to work with special agent Matt Bosworth, a hard-nosed pro in the FBI's unit of paranormal investigators — the Krewe of Hunters. They trace the route Meg and Lara took more than once in the past, visiting battlefields and graveyards from Harpers Ferry to Gettysburg. Places where the dead share their secrets with those who can hear.  As Meg and Matt pursue the possibility of a serial killer, they find themselves in the middle of a political conspiracy. Is there a connection? If so, has Lara been silenced for good? And whom — besides each other — can they trust?



 



The Biggest Mistake

The branding iron glows in the moonlight as he presses the searing metal into his victim’s flesh. She must wear the devil’s sign, just like the others. He knows the curse that afflicts them — and he’ll make sure they carry it to their graves.

Is Believing

When investigative reporter Jay “Dance” Danziger is nearly killed in a bomb blast, journalist Jordanna Winters senses a career-making story. Together they can find out who’s responsible. But as their investigation uncovers a string of unsolved murders, each body branded in the same way, Jordanna realizes that Dance isn’t the only one in danger.

You Could Ever Get Away

Small towns can hold big, dark secrets. Deep in Jordanna’s troubled past is the key to a killer’s terrifying mission — to purge the guilty one by one, burning their flesh to free their souls. And her turn is coming, as he prepares to make his mark once more.

Monday, June 29, 2015

Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads (Jun 29)




 Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads


Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews:

Post the books you read last week and books being read this week.

Read Last Week:

1.  Blood Ties - Nicholas Guild
2.  Anatomy of Evil - Will Thomas

Weekly Read:

1.  NYPD Red 3 - James Patterson
2.  Truth or Die - James Patterson
3.  Murder with a Twist - Tracy Kiely

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Mail (Jun 27)



Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Mail is hosted every Saturday at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews.

I received this in the mail this week.

For Review:







The truth will set you free — if it doesn't kill you first.

After a serious professional stumble, attorney Trevor Mann may have finally hit his stride. He's found happiness with his girlfriend Claire Parker, a beautiful, ambitious journalist always on the hunt for a scoop. But when Claire's newest story leads to a violent confrontation, Trevor's newly peaceful life is shattered as he tries to find out why.

Chasing Claire's leads, Trevor unearths evidence of a shocking secret that — if it actually exists — every government and terrorist organization around the world would do anything to possess. Suddenly it's up to Trevor, along with a teenage genius who gives new meaning to the phrase "too smart for his own good," to make sure that secret doesn't fall into the wrong hands. But Trevor is about to discover that good and evil can look a lot alike, and nothing is ever black and white: not even the truth.




PROTECT THE RICH. SERVE THE FAMOUS. HUNT THE GUILTY.

NYPD Red is the elite, highly trained task force assigned to protect the rich, the famous, and the connected. And Detective Zach Jordan and his partner Kylie MacDonald-the woman who broke his heart at the police academy-are the best of the best, brilliant and tireless investigators who will stop at nothing to deliver justice.

Zach and Kylie's New Year's celebrations are cut short when they're called to the home of billionaire businessman Hunter Alden, Jr. after he makes a grisly discovery in his townhouse garage. When Alden's teenage son goes missing soon afterwards, and his father seems oddly reluctant to find him, Zach and Kylie find themselves in the middle of a chilling conspiracy that threatens everyone in its wake-especially their city's most powerful citizens.

NYPD Red 3 is the next sensational novel in James Patterson's explosive new series, a thriller that goes behind the closed doors of New York high society and into the depths of depravity.







Veterinary technician Carrie Kennersly has become known for offering healthy dog treats at the clinic where she works. So when the owner of the local bakery moves away, Carrie jumps at the chance to buy the business and convert half of it into the Barkery, a shop where she can make and sell her canine delights.

But Myra Ethman, co-owner of another pet product store, hates the new competition. At the Barkery's opening party, she badmouths Carrie's homemade dog biscuits, insisting she'll find a way to shut the place down. When Myra is found dead with a Barkery biscuit beside her, Carrie must prove she didn't do it before she's collared for murder.







Visiting New York to attend a cousin's birthday gala, Nic and Nigel Martini are looking forward to cocktails with old friends and a pampered stay at the Ritz. But when the birthday girl's gold-digging cad of a husband goes missing, the Martini family worries that the social event of the season may turn into a story for the scandal sheets.

Nigel's condescending aunt begs former detective Nic to find sleazy Leo, despite the fact that it would be better for everyone if he just stayed lost. Trailing a "married bachelor" with a penchant for trouble isn't pretty; in fact it's downright deadly. Assisted by Nigel and their newly adopted Bullmastiff, Nic must tangle with her old underworld connections if she hopes to hunt down the dirtiest Martini.







In England in the late 1920s, The Honourable Daisy Dalrymple Fletcher, on a convalescent trip to the countryside, goes to visit three old school friends in the area. The three, all unmarried, have recently bought a house together. They are a part of the generation of "superfluous women"-- brought up expecting marriage and a family, but left without any prospects after more than 700,000 British men were killed in the Great War.

Daisy and her husband Alec -- Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher, of Scotland Yard -- go for a Sunday lunch with Daisy's friends, where one of the women mentions a wine cellar below their house, which remains curiously locked, no key to be found. Alec offers to pick the lock, but when he opens the door, what greets them is not a cache of wine, but the stench of a long-dead body.

And with that, what was a pleasant Sunday lunch has taken an unexpected turn. Now Daisy's three friends are the most obvious suspects in a murder and her husband Alec is a witness, so he can't officially take over the investigation. So before the local detective, Superintendent Underwood, can officially bring charges against her friends, Daisy is determined to use all her resources (Alec) and skills to solve the mystery behind this perplexing locked-room crime.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Cozy, Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Books Wish List

 
Please list the books from your wishlist that you are hoping to add to your shelves in a comment, thanks.

Cozy, Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Books, I'm Waiting For:







www.theoriginalheathergraham.com

Where is Lara Mayhew?

Lara, a congressman's media assistant, suddenly quits her job — and disappears on the way to her Washington, DC, apartment.


Novice FBI agent Meg Murray, a childhood friend of Lara's, gets a message from her that same night, a message that says she's disillusioned and "going home." To Richmond, Virginia. Meg discovers that she never got there. And bodies fitting Lara's description are showing up in nearby rivers.  Could she be the victim of a serial killer?

Meg is assigned to work with special agent Matt Bosworth, a hard-nosed pro in the FBI's unit of paranormal investigators — the Krewe of Hunters. They trace the route Meg and Lara took more than once in the past, visiting battlefields and graveyards from Harpers Ferry to Gettysburg. Places where the dead share their secrets with those who can hear.  As Meg and Matt pursue the possibility of a serial killer, they find themselves in the middle of a political conspiracy. Is there a connection? If so, has Lara been silenced for good? And whom — besides each other — can they trust?



 



The Biggest Mistake

The branding iron glows in the moonlight as he presses the searing metal into his victim’s flesh. She must wear the devil’s sign, just like the others. He knows the curse that afflicts them — and he’ll make sure they carry it to their graves.

Is Believing

When investigative reporter Jay “Dance” Danziger is nearly killed in a bomb blast, journalist Jordanna Winters senses a career-making story. Together they can find out who’s responsible. But as their investigation uncovers a string of unsolved murders, each body branded in the same way, Jordanna realizes that Dance isn’t the only one in danger.

You Could Ever Get Away

Small towns can hold big, dark secrets. Deep in Jordanna’s troubled past is the key to a killer’s terrifying mission — to purge the guilty one by one, burning their flesh to free their souls. And her turn is coming, as he prepares to make his mark once more.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Blood Ties: A Novel


I've finished "Blood Ties" by Nicholas Guild.

Product Description

Homicide detective Ellen Ridley of the SFPD is tracking a serial killer terrorizing young women in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ridley is sure she's cornered her most likely suspect: Stephen Tregear, a hacker and code breaker who works for U.S. Naval Intelligence. But Tregear is not the killer - he's the killer's son.

Ridley and Tregear team up to look for Tregear's father, Walter, in an elaborate game of murderous cat and mouse. As the body count rises, Ridley must race against the clock to stop Walter before he kills any more women -- and Tregear must finally confront the father who has been trying to kill him for twenty years. Blood Ties is an elegant and frightening thriller from Nicholas Guild.


About the Author

NICHOLAS GUILD was born in Belmont, California, and attended Occidental College and the University of California at Berkeley. He taught at Clemson and Ohio State before turning full time to writing fiction. He has published a dozen novels, several of which were international bestsellers, including The Assyrian, Blood Star, and Angel. Guild now lives in Frederick, Maryland.

Product Details
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Forge Books (May 12, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765378450
ISBN-13: 978-0765378453


My Review:

4/5

Lynn Cahoon's Dressed To Kill Blog Tour with a Spotlight



I am so excited to have Lynn Cahoon here at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews with a Spotlight.

Thanks Lynn and Pump Up Your Book Promotions for allowing me to join your Dressed To Kill Blog Tour!

Please take it away, Lynn!




 
Title: Dressed to Kill
Author: Lynn Cahoon
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Kindle


Jill Gardner — owner of Coffee, Books, and More in the tucked-away town of South Cove, California — is not particularly thrilled to be portraying a twenties flapper for the dinner theater murder mystery. Though it is for charity.

Of course everyone is expecting a “dead” body at the dress rehearsal but this one isn’t acting! It turns out the main suspect is the late actor’s conniving girlfriend Sherry who also happens to be the ex-wife of Jill’s main squeeze. Sherry is definitely a master manipulator but is she a killer? Jill may discover the truth only when the curtain comes up on the final act and by then, it may be far too late.






I love happy endings. My stories are all about life in small town America and building the family that you deserve. You know, the people who love you unconditionally – even when you’re less than perfect.

Personal stuff? I’m a seven-year breast cancer survivor. I’m married to my own hero who shaved his shoulder length hair when I lost mine during chemo. I’m the proud mom of a computer engineer (although I don’t know what that means.) And I have four fur babies.

I’m an active member of MORWA, my local RWA chapter.

My debut was THE BULL RIDER’S BROTHER released June 4th, 2012 from Crimson Romance. Cowboys aren’t easy to love—but they sure are easy on the eyes. I bet you’ve felt the same way my heroine Lizzie has, at least once or twice. Since that time, THE BULL RIDER’S MANAGER, came to your favorite digital store. If flying was hell, waiting to fly was purgatory. Both are available in print as well as digital. And the long awaited bull rider story is finally out and available. Check out THE BULL RIDER’S KEEPER!

For those of you who like a little magic in your stories — The Council Series starts with A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL. A rogue hunter, a clueless witch and a mission to save an unknowing world. The second book, RETURN OF THE FAE, continues Parris and Ty’s adventures, and is a 2014 RONE finalist.

2013 brought MARRIAGE NOT INCLUDED, a organic farmer’s daughter meets corporate seed executive. Set in Idaho, this story takes me home.

2014 sees more big news – e-Kensington released The Tourist Trap Series – with GUIDEBOOK TO MURDER kicking the fun off in April. MISSION TO MURDER arrived July 31st, and a third book, IF THE SHOE KILLS, November 10th. Set in a small coastal California town, I love these who dun it’s with a touch of romance.

Summer of 2015 – DRESSED TO KILL and KILLER RUN will be arriving.

I’ve come a long way from the little girl on the school bus who used to cut out pictures from Teen Beat to illustrate my tales of love and loss. And yet, not so far.

So pull up a chair, pour a cup of coffee, and let’s chat about writing, love, life, and the pesky things that get in the way of our goals and dreams.

I’m glad you found me.

Visit Lynn’s website.
Connect with Lynn 

Monday, June 22, 2015

New Release 2015 (Jun 22)











The truth will set you free — if it doesn't kill you first.

After a serious professional stumble, attorney Trevor Mann may have finally hit his stride. He's found happiness with his girlfriend Claire Parker, a beautiful, ambitious journalist always on the hunt for a scoop. But when Claire's newest story leads to a violent confrontation, Trevor's newly peaceful life is shattered as he tries to find out why.

Chasing Claire's leads, Trevor unearths evidence of a shocking secret that — if it actually exists — every government and terrorist organization around the world would do anything to possess. Suddenly it's up to Trevor, along with a teenage genius who gives new meaning to the phrase "too smart for his own good," to make sure that secret doesn't fall into the wrong hands. But Trevor is about to discover that good and evil can look a lot alike, and nothing is ever black and white: not even the truth.

Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads (Jun 22)




 Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads


Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews:

Post the books you read last week and books being read this week.

Read Last Week:

1.  Fatal Enquiry - Will Thomas
2.  Night Life - David C. Tyler

Weekly Read:

1.  Blood Ties - Nicholas Guild
2.  Anatomy of Evil - Will Thomas

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Library Haul 2015 (Jun 21 - 27)


Here's the list of books I picked up from the library this week:

Softcover:

1.  Kittens Can Kill - Clea Simon

Happy Father's Day


Happy Father's Day everyone!

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Fatal Enquiry: A Barker and Llewelyn Novel



I've finished "Fatal Enquiry" the 6th book in his Barker and Llewelyn series by Will Thomas.

Product Description

Winner of the Oklahoma Book Award for Fiction


Brimming with wit, atmosphere, and unforgettable characters, FATAL ENQUIRY reintroduces private enquiry agent Cyrus Barker and his assistant, Thomas Llewellyn, and their unforgettable world of Victorian London.

Some years ago, Cyrus Barker matched wits with Sebastian Nightwine, an aristocrat and sociopath, and in exposing his evil, sent Nightwine fleeing to hide from justice somewhere in the far corners of the earth. The last thing Barker ever expected was to encounter Nightwine again - but the British government, believing they need Nightwine's help, has granted him immunity for his past crimes, and brought him back to London. Nightwine, however, has more on his mind than redemption - and as Barker and Llewellyn set out to uncover and thwart Nightwine's real scheme, they find themselves in the gravest danger of their lives.

Product Details
Series: A Barker & Llewelyn Novel (Book 6)
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (April 28, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250068509
ISBN-13: 978-1250068507

My Review:


4/5

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Cozy, Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Books Wish List

 

Please list the books from your wishlist that you are hoping to add to your shelves in a comment, thanks.

Cozy, Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Books, I'm Waiting For:







The truth will set you free — if it doesn't kill you first.

After a serious professional stumble, attorney Trevor Mann may have finally hit his stride. He's found happiness with his girlfriend Claire Parker, a beautiful, ambitious journalist always on the hunt for a scoop. But when Claire's newest story leads to a violent confrontation, Trevor's newly peaceful life is shattered as he tries to find out why.

Chasing Claire's leads, Trevor unearths evidence of a shocking secret that — if it actually exists — every government and terrorist organization around the world would do anything to possess. Suddenly it's up to Trevor, along with a teenage genius who gives new meaning to the phrase "too smart for his own good," to make sure that secret doesn't fall into the wrong hands. But Trevor is about to discover that good and evil can look a lot alike, and nothing is ever black and white: not even the truth.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Julie Rowe's Deadly Strain Blog Tour with a Spotlight



I am so excited to have Julie Rowe here at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews with a Spotlight.

Thanks Julie and Pump Up Your Book Promotions for allowing me to join your Deadly Strain Blog Tour!

Please take it away, Julie!




Title: Deadly Strain Book 1: Biological Response Team Series
Author: Julie Rowe
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: June 15, 2015
Pages: 260
ASIN: B00PQDB6LI
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Format: eBook, PDF

Buy The Book:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Strain-Biological-Response-Team-ebook/dp/B00PQDB6LI/ref=la_B005WL9UJY_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431025158&sr=1-9

Barnes and Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/deadly-strain-julie-rowe/1120791534?ean=9781426899805&itm=1&usri=deadly+strain+julie+rowe

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23366545-deadly-strain?ac=1

Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2359206-deadly-strain-by-julie-rowe

Book Description:

Book one of Biological Response Team Series

Major Grace Samuels, a trauma surgeon deployed to Afghanistan, spends her life helping her fellow soldiers overcome disease and combat injuries. But her own wounds are harder to heal. Wracked with guilt over the death of a fellow soldier, she finds comfort in her only friend and appointed bodyguard, weapons sergeant Jacob “Sharp” Foster.

Sharp feels more for Grace than a soldier should, more than he wants to admit. When the team discovers a new, quick-to-kill strain of anthrax, he tries to focus on the mission to find its source. He knows he can help Grace defeat her demons, but first they must defeat the deadly outbreak.

Sharp is Grace’s most loyal ally, but in close quarters, he starts to feel like more. She can’t watch someone else she cares about die — but she might not have a choice. The closer they get to finding the source of the strain, the closer it gets to finding them.


Book Excerpt:


The battle line between good and evil runs through the heart of every man. —Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn


Chapter One


“I’m so dead.” Dr. Grace Samuels stared at the chessboard. There was no hope. None. Not a single move left open to her.

Except for one.

She sighed, shook her head at the patience on her opponent’s face. “I concede.”

“Want to know where you went wrong?” he asked as he cleared the board. He set the pieces up again. Those big hands of his could bandage a wounded soldier, field strip a 9 mm and box her into checkmate with equal skill.

“I sat down in this chair,” she answered with a straight face. The mess hall was busy with soldiers, American and Afghan alike, either beginning their day or ending their night.

“No,” he said. “You played the board.”

Grace thought about it for a second, but it still didn’t make any sense. Then again, it was 0600 and she’d only been up for twenty minutes. “Huh?”

Special Forces Weapons Sergeant Jacob “Sharp” Foster looked at her earnestly. “You played the board,” he repeated. “You should have been playing the man.”

He winked and she had to fight not to roll her eyes. When she first met him she’d thought his flirting was for real, and had been worried she’d have to shut him down. She didn’t want to, because he was hilarious, but the impropriety couldn’t be ignored. Then, she discovered when he wasn’t on the job, he had a wicked sense of humor, and everyone was a target.

“Then I suppose I’ll have to study you.” She leaned forward and made a show of giving him a thorough once-over.

He grinned and spread his hands wide. “By all means, study me.”

Sharp was a big man, about six-two, and she’d guess he weighed about two hundred pounds. He flexed his biceps and waggled his eyebrows in response to her joke. Though he had brown hair, with a mustache and beard to match, he had the lightest blue eyes she’d ever seen—like looking into glacial ice.

Right now, those eyes were challenging her. She just wasn’t sure if it was regarding the game or something she didn’t want to talk about. At all.

Unfortunately, Sharp wasn’t going to leave it alone. The chess game should have warned her. They usually played poker.

She watched him reset the chessboard while, for the first time in a week, letting her mind go back to the moment she realized she was in trouble. On her way to her quarters late at night. They’d arrived at Forward Operating Base Bostick the week before, and she’d been introduced to the base commander, Colonel Marshall. He’d barely spoken to her. So why was he waiting for her outside her quarters with clenched fists and a face so blank she knew he was in the grip of a powerful emotion?

The colonel wasn’t known for any kind of emotion.

She stopped several feet away. “What are you doing here at this hour, sir?”

One corner of his upper lip lifted in a sneer and he snarled, “I wanted a private conversation.”

His words triggered every internal red flag she had. “I don’t understand.”

Marshall’s response was two words. One name. “Joseph Cranston.”

A name she wished she could forget. “You…knew him?”

Scorn turned his words into weapons. “He was my son.”

Oh God.

Grace took an involuntary step backward. Now that she knew, she could see the son in his father’s face, the same eyes and jawline as the young man whose features she couldn’t forget. As if conjured, his shade floated in front of her mind’s eye, thrusting her into a memory she wanted desperately to erase. His face, covered with blood, whipped her heart into a gallop. Her breathing bellowed, lungs attempting to push air through her terror-closed throat. She fought the invisible hands pulling at her and her vision spiraled into a narrow tunnel.

Sharp had surfaced out of the dark, his presence breaking the memory’s chokehold.

He’d crouched in front of her, calling her name, ordering her to respond before he did something stupid like give her mouth-to-mouth. She coughed out a response, couldn’t remember what, and fought her way to her feet.

Sharp didn’t try to hold her. He didn’t touch her at all, but he shielded her body from prying eyes with his own. He refused to leave her, facing down Colonel Marshall, who showed no sympathy and less tolerance for her fainting spell. Two of Sharp’s team members appeared and, after glaring at them all, Marshall left without saying anything else.

She managed to get inside her quarters before anyone could demand an explanation, shut the door and locked it. She’d only felt relief when no one knocked to ask for an explanation. It wasn’t until the next day that she realized their lack of questions was as suspect as her behavior.

She hadn’t expected to meet anyone connected to Joseph Cranston outside of the United States. Hadn’t expected something that happened that long ago to thrust her into a memory like it was happening all over again.

Fool.

In the days since, Sharp had been mother-henning her like she was some fragile little chick, and she’d had about as much of that as she could take. She was a Samuels. Her father, also a military doctor, had just retired from the army, and her grandfather had run a MASH unit during the Korean War. He’d met her grandmother during WWII; she’d been one of the first Air Force service pilots. If there was one thing she wouldn’t accept from anyone, it was pity.

“I’ve been studying you for a while.” Sharp finished setting up the board and met her gaze. “You’re a damn good doctor, a hellacious good shot on the range and you put up with our male stupidity with more patience than we deserve.”

“I hear the but coming.”

“What happened between you and Marshall?”

“None of your damn business.”

When he continued to stare at her, she added, “Look, I’m not going to saddle anyone else with my personal grievances or the fact that I don’t get along with someone.”

“Personal grievances?” Sharp asked. “Twice last week I thought you were going to damage a guy for jostling you in the chow line. What’s going on with you?”

Shit, of course he would notice. She’d damn near freaked out each time, a scream hovering on her lips, her hands and feet moving to defend against an enemy who wasn’t there.

The enemy wasn’t there. No gunfire. No weapons pointed at her, yet she still found herself reacting as if it were happening all over again.

She hadn’t been reacting that way until Marshall had confronted her. Meeting the father of a soldier who’d died an unnecessary death in front of her must have detonated an emotional trip wire in her head. One she needed to deal with.

Not an easy thing when on active duty and nowhere near a base with more than a glorified first-aid station.

It seemed like anywhere she went on the base, Sharp or one of the guys from the A-Team was there. Not doing anything, just there. They weren’t fooling her.

Damn alpha males and their overprotective tendencies.

“Nothing I can’t handle. I take care of myself.” She narrowed her eyes. Her sidearm, a Beretta M9, might have to make an appearance. Then Sharp’s words sunk all the way in. “Wait. Are you telling me I should play chess with the same mind-set as poker?” She buried his ass every time they played poker. He was terrible at keeping his attention on his cards and lousy at pretending he wasn’t checking her out—not that he was serious about it. He knew the rules same as she, and she was glad, ridiculously glad, she had a friend she could count on, someone she could trust.

“Sort of. Chess demands more of you than poker, but the principles are the same.”

Them’s fightin’ words. “The hell you say.” She’d been playing poker with her dad since she was ten years old. He’d taught her how to bluff anyone.

“Doc,” Sharp said, chuckling. “If I were lying, you’d be beating me, but you aren’t.”

“Ha.” She leaned forward and tapped the board. “Make your move.”

Sharp opened his mouth to respond, but he never got a chance to say anything before another Beret, the team’s other weapons sergeant, Harvey Runnel, strode over to them. It wasn’t the speed he was moving that drew her and Sharp’s attention, it was the look on the soldier’s face. Flattened lips, clenched jaw and a slightly flared nose. She couldn’t see his eyes due to the tinted safety glasses he wore, but she could guess that the skin around them would be tight—a man who was on full alert.

Special Forces soldiers did not get amped up for no reason.

“Playtime’s over,” Runnel said. “Doc, grab your go-bag.”

A mental blanket sank over her, numbing her to the horror to come. It was the first self-preservation tactic doctors learned. Compartmentalize all that terrible stuff or go crazy in a week. Sometimes she wondered when all those boxes in her mind would break open and rip her apart from the inside out.

There was an entire crate named Joseph Cranston.

“Warm or cold?” She asked even though she already knew the answer. Runnel never looked this rattled. Please say warm.

Her warm go-bag was a trauma kit, a backpack with everything she’d need if she was dealing with bullet holes, shrapnel lacerations or broken bones. The typical things most people expected her to treat since she was a trauma surgeon. But that wasn’t all she was.

She was also an infectious disease specialist.

Her cold go-bag contained the very latest in biological detection technology. One- or two-step tests that identified anything from anthrax to Ebola to a weaponized flu. She was a member of a select group of virologists, microbiologists and infectious disease specialists the US Army relied on to train not only their own troops, but the soldiers of other nations, in the detection of and protection against biological weapons. They were known officially as the Biological Rapid Response team, but most soldiers called them Icemen or Icequeens.

Lately the army had been assigning BRR team members to work with Army Special Forces teams — Green Berets. She’d been working with Sharp’s team for almost a year. Her job was to assist in training Afghan forces in everything from combat and demolitions to the most survivable responses to biological, chemical or nuclear weapons.

“Cold,” Runnel said. “No drill.”

Shit.

Adrenaline spiked through her system as Grace got up and followed Runnel. He led the way back to whoever was calling the shots, Sharp right behind her as they ran at a trot. She might be the base’s resident expert on biological weapons, but it was knowledge she wished fervently she didn’t have to use.

They entered the staging area where she’d been doing some of the training. Several members of Sharp’s team were using it to gear up. Runnel glanced at her and angled his head toward the base commander, a tall man in his forties who wore a permanent frown. He was looking at a map with several ranking officers, including the A-Team’s commander, Geoffry Cutter.

Cutter glanced at her. “The major is here, sir.”

Base Commander Colonel Marshall gave her a glare before returning his attention to the map in front of him.

He’d called her a fucking quack yesterday as he walked past her. If he kept demeaning her in front of the Afghan forces and their own soldiers, she’d lose the credibility she needed to successfully train them.

“Major,” Marshall said without looking at her. “One of our patrols reported in about ten minutes ago with what appears to be a biological incident.”

She waited, but he didn’t add any more details. “What led them to believe that, sir?”

He met her gaze with an even colder expression. “An entire village dead. Some of the bodies show lesions and bleeding from the nose, mouth and eyes.”

Holy Mother of God.

Bad. This was very bad.

“I concur with their assessment of the situation, sir. Your orders?”

“Get the fuck out there,” he snarled at her. “Figure out what happened and fix it.”

That part she knew already. Asshat. She’d hoped he’d give her some detailed orders, with a timeline and what kind of manpower she could expect. Not more sarcasm and snark. She came to attention and saluted. “Yes, sir.”

He took two steps, then stopped and turned around. He addressed Cutter and only Cutter, who had somehow inched his way over until he was right next to her, with Sharp on the other side. What a couple of papa bears. “Send half of your A-Team with the Icequeen. The other half will stay here in case I need a second team to go in.”

Grace bit her tongue hard to keep from telling what she thought of him and his orders, and mentally promoted him to asshole.

“Yes, sir.” Cutter saluted. “The location of the village is here.” He glanced at Grace and pointed to a spot on the map. From a distance Cutter looked like the least threatening person in the room. He was the shortest, skinniest guy on the A-Team, but he more than made up for that in stubbornness and stamina.

Grace moved closer so she could get a better look. “How far is it from the Pakistan border?”

“About two klicks.”

“Not very damn far.” She ran her index finger over the spot on the map. “Mountain valley?”

“Yeah. It’s a small village. Less than one hundred people.”

“The patrol found no one alive?”

“No one.”

Grace breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. “Did they get their breathing gear on right away?”

“According to their report they did, but they’re nervous. Whatever killed those people, killed them fast.”

“Okay. I don’t have to tell you guys how to prep. You’re as well trained as I am. Consider this a live weapon.”

“Will do,” Cutter responded. He looked at Sharp standing next to her. “I’m assigning Sharp to ride herd on you, Doc. Where you go, he goes.”

“I’m not arguing, Commander. I’ve worked with Sharp plenty of times.”

“Good. We leave in fifteen.” Cutter nodded at her, gave Sharp a nod, then moved off to brief the rest of his team.

“I have to get my go-bag and the rest of my gear,” she said to Sharp, her mind on the eight million things she needed to do before those fifteen minutes were up.

“I’ll give you a hand.”

“Thanks, but I don’t need any help.” She was going to have to deal with his protective crap sooner rather than later, but carefully. “I do need every friend I can get, though. Are you in for that?”

At his grin, she relaxed a little and refocused on the job at hand.

Sharp watched Grace rush away for about two seconds too long.

“Do I need to replace you with Runnel?” Cutter asked.

He jerked his head around to stare at his commander. He’d thought Cutter had been briefing the rest of the team. “No.”

Cutter stood with his arms crossed over his chest and his feet apart. “Then pull your tongue back into your head. You’re damn near panting after her.”

“Not fucking likely. She’s just the only person on this base who can beat me in poker. If something happens to her, I’ll have nothing to do for the next month,” he said. “Besides, something’s not right. She’s been off her game since Marshall decided to be an ass. She’s our number-one asset. I’m worried.” The way he’d found her the other day, damn near passed out, shaking and hyperventilating like she was about to fly apart… It had hit him — a sucker punch to the gut. She was reliving something awful.

Post-traumatic stress disorder.

How many guys did he know who lived with PTSD? Ten, twenty, fifty?

What was Marshall’s connection? Something he’d done or said had set off a bomb in Grace’s head.

Even weirder, Marshall hadn’t liked it when Sharp wouldn’t leave Grace alone with him.

What the hell had Grace been involved with that earned her the dislike of a career military man who normally didn’t give a rat’s ass about what a doctor like her might be doing or not doing?

“Still, watch yourself. Word around the base is, he’s got a hate on for the doc and you got in the way.”

“What do you know, Cutter?”

“Nothing specific. Marshall hasn’t talked, but his attitude toward the doc is clear. He hates her guts.”

Cutter was right, Marshall’s face had been twisted by disgust and hostility as he stared at her the night he got between her and the colonel. What had happened to cause it? Whatever it was, Sharp wasn’t going to let anyone hurt her. She worked just as hard and long at training their allied troops as the A-Team did. And she was good.

“Sharp.” Cutter’s voice had a wary edge and he took a step closer. “Be careful, man. I like the doc, too. Hell, the whole team likes her, but you and I both know falling for someone while on deployment is a mistake.”

“Preaching to the choir here, boss. I might enjoy the view on occasion, but there’s a line I have no interest in crossing.”

They’d both watched as a former team member fell hard for a woman he’d met while overseas. The relationship disintegrated within weeks after he’d been reassigned. It had damn near broke him, and he’d left the military altogether.

“I respect her,” Sharp told his commander. “She’s smart and she’s worked her ass off this last year. I also think Marshall has some kind of vendetta against her. The look on his face the other night…” Sharp shook his head. “He’d have killed her if he could have. She belongs to us.”

Cutter was silent for a couple of moments, his gaze steady on Sharp’s face. Finally, he angled his head toward the knot of soldiers and gear. “Come on, no one is going to bother her now. Marshall needs her. Get your shit together.”

Cutter had one thing right. He needed to keep his focus on the mission. Sharp followed the other man, but there wasn’t much for any of them to do, since they were always ready to move out on a moment’s notice. Every man on the team had developed the habit during training and had only refined it since. One of their instructors used to say that an unprepared soldier was a dead soldier.

Sharp joined the rest of his team, double-checked his weapons, pulled on his battered gear and bio-suit and got out of the way. Focus.

Cutter was talking with Bart, one of their communications guys, when Colonel Marshall walked in a few minutes later with another half-dozen soldiers behind him and headed straight for the Special Forces group.

“Cutter, storm coming at twelve o’clock,” Sharp informed him quietly.

By the time Marshall came to a stop, the entire A-Team was standing at attention.

“Sir,” Cutter said with a salute. “The go-team is ready, sir.”

“Where’s that damn doctor?”

“She’ll be here in six minutes, sir.”

Marshall grunted. “You’re taking these men with you on this mission. Two additional medics, Yanik and Anderson, and four of my infantry for security. Your mission objective is to assist Major Samuels.”

For the first time since their arrival two weeks ago, Marshall was actually helping a situation rather than shitting all over it.

“And make sure that bitch doesn’t screw up,” Marshall added. “I want the men on that patrol back in one piece. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

The team saluted and Marshall stalked off like he was Patton or something.

“So much for that guy not being a tremendous bag of dicks,” the team’s second in command, John Leonard, said in an undertone.










About The Author

Julie Rowe’s first career as a medical lab technologist in Canada took her to the North West Territories and northern Alberta, where she still resides. She loves to include medical details in her romance novels, but admits she’ll never be able to write about all her medical experiences because, “No one would believe them!”.

In addition to writing contemporary and historical medical romance, and fun romantic suspense for Entangled Publishing and Carina Press, Julie has short stories in Fool’s Gold, the Mammoth Book of ER Romance, Timeless Keepsakes and Timeless Escapes anthologies. Her book SAVING THE RIFLEMAN (book #1 WAR GIRLS) won the novella category of the 2013 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. AIDING THE ENEMY (book #3 WAR GIRLS) won the novella category of the 2014 Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence. Her writing has also appeared in several magazines such as Romantic Times Magazine, Today’s Parent, and Canadian Living.

You can reach Julie at www.julieroweauthor.com , on Twitter @julieroweauthor or at her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/JulieRoweAuthor

Connect with Julie:

Author Website: http://www.julieroweauthor.com/Facebook: www.facebook.com/JulieRoweAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulieRoweAuthorGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/5272597.Julie_Rowe

Please follow the rest of Julie's Deadly Strain Blog Tour here, thanks:

http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2015/05/07/pump-up-your-book-presents-deadly-strain-1-biological-response-team-series-virtual-book-publicity-tour

Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads (Jun 15)




 Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads


Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews:

Post the books you read last week and books being read this week.

Read Last Week:

1.  The Wrong Man - Kate White
2.  Slated for Death - Elizabeth J. Duncan

Weekly Read:

1.  Fatal Enquiry - Will Thomas
2.  Night Life - David C. Tyler

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Slated for Death: A Penny Brannigan Mystery



I've finished "Slated for Death" the 6th book in her Penny Brannigan Mystery series by Elizabeth J. Duncan.

Product Description

When the body of well-liked and respectable Glenda Roberts is discovered at the bottom of a former slate mine, now a busy tourist attraction, pandemonium erupts in the North Wales town of Llanelen.

Penny Brannigan finds herself drawn into the investigation when jars of her house-brand hand cream are found among counterfeit inventory Glenda and her sister were selling.

Police are convinced that the mine operator whose asthmatic son suffered an almost-fatal attack due to the merchandise is responsible for Glenda's death. But Penny's not so sure. A visit to Glenda's mother only deepens her conviction that a hidden family secret is the real reason for the murder.

Elizabeth J. Duncan's Slated for Death is a wonderful traditional mystery with snappy dialogue, lively characters and an enchanting setting.

About the Author

ELIZABETH J. DUNCAN is a winner of the Bloody Words Best Light Mystery Award and has been a finalist for the Agatha and Arthur Ellis Awards. She has worked as a writer and editor for some of Canada's largest newspapers, including the Ottawa Citizen and Hamilton Spectator. Duncan is a faculty member of the Humber School for Writers. She lives in Toronto, Canada and enjoys spending time each year in North Wales.

Product Details
Series: A Penny Brannigan Mystery (Book 6)
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (April 14, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250055210
ISBN-13: 978-1250055217


My Review:

4/5

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

The Wrong Man: A Novel of Suspense



I've finished "The Wrong Man" by Kate White.

Product Description

She wanted to be more daring, but one small risk is about to cost her everything — maybe even her life.

Bold and adventurous in her work as owner of one of Manhattan's boutique interior design firms, Kit Finn couldn't be tamer in her personal life. While on vacation in the Florida Keys, Kit resolves to do something risky for once. When she literally bumps into a charming stranger at her hotel, she decides to make good on her promise and act on her attraction. But back in New York, when Kit arrives at his luxury apartment ready to pick up where they left off in the Keys, she doesn't recognize the man standing on the other side of the door. Was this a cruel joke or part of something truly sinister? Kit soon realizes that she's been thrown into a treacherous plot, which is both deeper and deadlier than she could have ever imagined. Now the only way to protect herself, her business, and the people she loves is to find out the true identity of the man who has turned her life upside down. Adrenaline-charged and filled with harrowing twists at every turn, The Wrong Man will keep readers riveted until the final page.

Product Details
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; First Edition edition (June 16, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 006235065X
ISBN-13: 978-0062350657


My Review:

4/5

Monday, June 8, 2015

Kathy Clark's After Midnight and Cries In the Night Blog Tour with a Spotlight, Excerpt and Giveaway



I am so excited to have Kathy Clark here at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews with a Spotlight, Excerpt and Giveaway.

Thanks Kathy and Tasty Book Tours for allowing me to join your After Midnight and Cries in the Night Blog Tour!

Please take it away, Kathy!





After Midnight and Cries in the Night
Denver Heroes # 1 & 2
By: Kathy Clark
Re-issued June 9, 2015
Loveswept

After Midnight: Denver Heroes # 1


Perfect for fans of Nora Roberts and Karen Robards, Kathy Clark’s suspenseful, seductive Denver Heroes series kicks off as a dedicated cop and a beautiful actress get wrapped up in a world of danger and desire.

Aside from the reporter riding along in the passenger seat of his cruiser, it’s a typical Saturday night on the job for Sam Morgan of the Denver Police Department. Then shots ring out, and a routine stop involving a pimp and a hooker spirals into senseless violence. Now Sam is lying in a hospital bed, haunted by fleeting memories of the stunning blonde who saved his life — and then just disappeared.

Kate McKinney was hired to play a prostitute on a reality-TV show, not stand around as actual bullets start flying. Unable to shake the feeling that trouble is stalking her, Kate turns to the only man she can trust: the wounded cop whose blue eyes send chills through her body. He doesn’t believe she was just playing a role, but the predator hiding in the shadows is all too real — and, as Sam and Kate edge closer to the truth, so is the heat that ignites between them.

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/03/after-midnight-and-cries-in-night.html


Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17163429-after-midnight?ac=1

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/147796-denver-heroes

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/After-Midnight-Denver-Heroes-Novel-ebook/dp/B00QP3ROCS/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1426967805&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=After+Midnight+A+Denver+Heroes+Novel+Written+by+Kathy+Clark

B and N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/after-midnight-kathy-clark/1120871639?ean=9780988343603

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/after-midnight/id949241293?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/after-midnight-37

Publisher: http://www.randomhouse.com/book/251450/after-midnight-by-kathy-clark







Cries in the Night: Denver Heroes # 2

Fans of Nora Roberts and Karen Robards will love this pulse-pounding novel of romantic suspense, as a red-hot firefighter reaches out to save a courageous beauty from the terrors of the night.


As a victim’s advocate for the Denver Police Department, Julie Lawrence is always on call for survivors of abuse, fighting for the justice she never got for herself. It’s a high-risk job that makes a lot of enemies — one of whom seems to be now targeting Julie. But teaming up with firefighter and local hero Rusty Wilson sparks a different kind of danger. As Julie surrenders to intoxicating passion, she finds herself breaking her own rules, caring about Rusty in a way she thought she’d sworn off forever.

When a domestic incident escalates into a deadly hostage crisis, Rusty is willing to risk everything to protect those who really need his help — like Julie, the breath of fresh air who fills his days with purpose and his nights with pleasure. He just hopes he’s not too late to stop a chillingly orchestrated act of payback that puts the woman he loves at the mercy of a madman’s rage.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19047351-cries-in-the-night

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/147796-denver-heroes

Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cries-Night-Denver-Heroes-Novel-ebook/dp/B00QP3ROG4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1426968287&sr=1-1&keywords=Cries+in+the+Night

B and N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cries-in-the-night-kathy-clark/1120871640?ean=9780988343665

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/cries-in-the-night/id949239774?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/cries-in-the-night-2

Publisher: http://www.randomhouse.com/book/251451/cries-in-the-night-by-kathy-clark







Author Info

Kathy Clark is a New York Times bestselling author whose novels have sold more than three million copies in eleven languages. Her plot lines have always championed women’s empowerment, placing strong female characters in real-life situations. Her stories will make you laugh and cry, and her characters will live in your heart forever. She lives with her husband and co-author, Bob Wernly.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Website: http://www.thethrillofsuspense.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kelly.welch.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/93NightWriter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/150098.Kathy_Clark






“It’s not that I can’t do what I want. But with a father who has much higher ambitions, I can’t do anything that will screw up his career. You know how presidential candidates are vetted. He hasn’t been the best father in the world, but he’s a great governor and would be a really good president. I would hate myself if I did anything to distract from his personal and professional qualifications.”

“Okay, so that’s an added complication,” Sam agreed. “Let me see if I can work something out so that you can remain anonymous.”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

“I can’t make any promises, but I’ll do what I can.”

Kate visibly relaxed for the first time that evening. “That would be fantastic.”

Sam gave her a distracted smile. He wasn’t sure what the policy was, but it would be tricky to keep her identity confidential. Especially since it was widely suspected that she was a prostitute. Maybe he could use her fear for her personal safety as an excuse. He’d have to come up with a good excuse for that since Jameel was dead, and there wasn’t anyone else who would want to harm her.

But then there was the matter of who had actually hired her and why. It could all have been legitimate—the film crew could have gotten sidetracked or frightened off by the blood. Bottom line was, it wasn’t as straightforward as it had seemed.

He met her grateful gaze across the table. Minus the blond wig and slutty clothes, she looked much different than on that night. Long medium-brown hair with reddish-gold highlights fell softly around her shoulders. Soft translucent skin, a straight nose, and full red lips combined in a face that was undeniably beautiful. And her eyes that were that serene shade of turquoise were exactly the same. She had been flashy and hot before, but now she was very pretty . . . and still hot. She spoke intelligently and with a slight Texas drawl that he was finding particularly irresistible. His first impression of her was quickly being replaced by that of a strong, ambitious young woman who was trying to deal with an extraordinary event with grace and honesty.

Or he could be entirely wrong. A little detective work would prove it one way or the other, and he had plenty of time to follow through. But he wanted to keep her close until he discovered the truth.

“I’ve really got to be going,” she said, interrupting his thoughts. “I work the morning shift at the bookstore, and then I have another show tomorrow night.”

He picked up the check and waved away her halfhearted offer to pay her share. “No, this was almost official police business,” he assured her. He left enough to cover the check and a generous tip and followed her out of the restaurant.

The silence as they drove back to the parking lot where her car was parked was much more comfortable than earlier in the evening. They weren’t exactly in the chatty friend stage, but at least there wasn’t the confrontational suspicion that had hung in the air before.

He parked his Mustang next to her yellow SUV, but neither made a move to open their doors. He turned to her in the semidarkness. “Hey, I’m sorry about what I said in the hospital.”

She didn’t say anything, and he rushed to add, “You really were there, weren’t you?”

She nodded and smiled. “I forgive you. You were drugged out of your mind.”

“It made for some crazy dreams.”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay.” She hesitated a moment before continuing. “I really do feel responsible for all this.”

“You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. We both were. But I’ll help you get through the process.”

“Thanks.” She reached for the door handle, and he hurried to get out and hold her door, although she was halfway out by the time he got around his car.

Kate already had her keys out of her purse and quickly unlocked her doors. Chivalrously he opened her driver’s-side door. Just before she climbed inside, she turned to him. “I just have to ask, how did you find me?”

Sam reached out and lifted the locket that hung between her breasts. The brush of his fingers against her bare skin sent unexpected tingles through her. Her startled gaze lifted to meet his. Gently, he ran his thumb over the gracefully engraved “K.”

“I started calling around to all the local theater companies and asked about a beautiful young actress whose name started with a ‘K.’ It only took a couple of hours before I found out there was a Kate McKinney meeting your description acting in a play at the Music Hall tonight. Sure enough, there you were.”

“So, you finally believe that I am a professional actress?” Her voice was soft and just a touch defensive.

His lips stretched into a slow, slightly crooked grin. “I wasn’t sure why, but it became very important to me that you were.”

His admission momentarily took her breath away, and she didn’t know how to respond. “I suppose you know how to get in touch with me about going to the station.”

“It would make it easier if I had your phone number.”

“You’re spoiling my opinion of your detective skills,” she shot back at him with a teasing grin to match his. But she dug through her purse and found an old receipt on which she jotted down her cell phone number.

“What if I call you for something other than business?”

She didn’t pretend she didn’t know what he was talking about. Instead, she met his gaze steadily. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.” Before he could respond, she slid inside her car and shut the door. He was still standing in the parking lot as she started her car and headed back to Denver. For the first time in over a week, she felt like the cloud that had been hanging over her was gone. She realized she was still smiling, and she turned up the radio and sang along with Katy Perry. Fireworks indeed!


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