Crimes Past ~ Review

Crimes Past
Mac Faraday Mystery #13
By Lauren Carr
Read by Mike Alger

For 16 years Mac Faraday has been haunted by a case that hit close to home - two officers were brutally slain just hours after their marriage. And the wedding reception that was waiting for them was full of police officers.

Mac made a promise to Gina, the daughter of the bride to solve the murder that took her mother from her. But time has passed and the case has grown cold but it has never been far from Mac's mind. With Gina now getting married Mac is determined to solve the case and has set the stage for all the suspects to gather together at the Spencer Inn for all the wedding festivities.

But this is Spenser and nothing is ever simple and in addition to working the cold case, Mac also has to worry about the threats that Spenser's newest dog hater has made against the mayor. Yes, Gnarly is still mayor and he is celebrating a book release, in addition to the stealth attacks made by the cat-loving fiend next door.

And then there is Mac's half-brother David who is Spenser's chief of police who has his own personal issues going on. And as usual, they are matters of the heart with David once again dealing with the past and the choices he has made.

Rest and relaxation - not too likely at Spenser Mountain.

This is another well put together mystery from Lauren Carr. And Gnarly is again in his element and always a favorite! If you like a who-dun-it that you are literally kept guessing as to who is the guilty party this one will do it for you. One gets an idea but then something happens and you're again left wondering - just like Mac. And if you've read the Chris Matheson series he makes an appearance in this one.

I went the audio route with this book and the narration is well-done. Each character is presented with a different tone/pitch/accent so that it is easy to follow both the story and the dialogue.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.

Book Details:

Book Title: Crimes Past by Lauren Carr
Series:  A Mac Faraday Mystery (Volume 13)
Category:  Adult fiction, 322 pages
Genre:  Murder Mystery
Publisher:  Acorn Book Services
Release date:  October 16, 2018
Tour dates:  May 1 - June 28, 2019
Content Rating: PG


Book Description:

It’s a bittersweet reunion for Mac Faraday when members of his former homicide squad arrive at the Spencer Inn. While it is sweet to attend the wedding of a former colleague’s daughter, it is a bitter reminder that the mother of the bride had been the victim of a double homicide on her own wedding night.

The brutal slaying weighing heavy on his mind, Mac is anxious to explore every possibility for a break in the cold case—even a suggestion from disgraced former detective Louis Gannon that one of their former friends was the killer.
​
When the investigator is brutally slain, Mac Faraday rips open the cold case with a ruthless determination to reveal which of his friends was a cold-blooded murderer.

---

Buy Crimes Past:
Amazon ~ Audible
Add to Goodreads

​Meet the Author:

 ​Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Now, Lauren has added one more hit series to her list with the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. Set in the quaint West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry, Ice introduces Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent, who joins forces with other law enforcement retirees to heat up those cold cases that keep them up at night.

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

​Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

Enter the Giveaway!

Ends July 6, 2019

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Living Lies ~ Review

Living Lies
Harbored Secrets #1
By Natalie Walters

Lane Kent has a secret and its one that she's been forced to keep for years - one that has been affecting her, making her feel less. And no one truly understands just how she feels. The one bright spot in her life is her son Noah.

But when Lane literally stumbles over a body the world she has so carefully constructed begins to crumble. First, there are strangers in Walton. Second, one of her regulars at the Way Station Cafe's Friday Night Club, Miguel has been less than regular. And then there is the new deputy, Charlie Lynch whom Lane keeps running into (and it is more than a little messy).

Walton, Georgia, might be a close-knit community but murder has a way of putting everyone on edge and sometimes the evidence just doesn't point where it should. But Lane isn't sure how to make people listen to her and see the truth of what she knows in her heart.

Living Lies is quite appropriate as far as titles go as this is how Lane feels that her life and how people see her is a living lie - a face that she has put out there for her father's career, for the family's honor, and to protect herself. But sometimes the greatest freedom is facing the truth of who we are and not concealing it.

While this book is classified as a romantic suspense, which it is, it is much more. It deals with PTSD, depression, suicide, guilt, and bullying. Living Lies doesn't shy away from the issues it is dealing with and presents them from several perspectives that of those living with these issues and those on the outside looking in. All too often judgments are made without a full understanding and that is just what the author, in my opinion, is trying to carefully and thoughtfully present to the reader. This is an excellent read and one that would make an excellent book club selection.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with the no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.



About the Book:

In the little town of Walton, Georgia,

everybody knows your name-

but no one knows your secret.

At least that's what Lane Kent is counting on when she returns to her hometown with her five-year-old son. Dangerously depressed after the death of her husband, Lane is looking for hope. What she finds instead is a dead body.

Lane must work with Walton's newest deputy, Charlie Lynch, to uncover the truth behind the murder. But when that truth hits too close to home, she'll have to decide if saving the life of another is worth the cost of revealing her darkest secret.

Golden Gown ~ Review with Interview and 2 Giveaways

Golden Gown
By Sarah Boucher

Elyse Morley has lost the life she has known following the deaths of her parents. Though not a life of privilege that some would envy it was a life spent with loving parents who worked for the life they had. With no other option before her Eyyse gladly accepts her Aunt Lydia's offer of a home.

But Elyse isn't content to have her Aunt Lydia scrimp so that they might have a day-to-day existence and puts to use the needle skills her mother passed onto her. But Miss Isabelle Rossini isn't willing to offer Elyse a job as a seamstress without an example of her work. In need of employment, Elyse agrees to create a gown within three days. There is just one little catch she has to provide all the materials for the said gown!

With time short Elyse is in need of the help that a handsome mysterious stranger offers in completing her gown on time. But who is this stranger whose speech is colored with words foreign to Elyse's ears and who hints at magic?

When Elyse's gown captures the fancy of Princess Caroline she soon has more work than she can possibly complete on her own. Soon Elyse with the help of Aunt Lydia and her new friend Anna is at work designing and creating gowns for the upcoming royal ball. With more gown orders than days before her Elyse's life is all about the work and then disaster strikes and time is an enemy in more ways than one as the days slip by. Will her mysterious stranger again come to her rescue or will she fail miserably?

What Elyse doesn't realize is that more is on the line than just her reputation as a seamstress so is her heart.

The Golden Gown is an absolute delight to read and Elyse is the person one would love to have as a friend. And the mysterious stranger well that is a mystery you'll just have to discover for yourself as you read through the book!

If you are a fan of fairytales you'll enjoy this one. The story is a clean read and appropriate for all age readers (tween and up). And if you like a little touch of mystery with a pinch of romance wrapped up in a lovely story about family you'll be enchanted with the Golden Gown.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.



About the Book:

Elyse has lost everything; her parents, her family home, and the village where she is loved and respected. Still grieving, she arrives in a new town where she must prove her skills as a seamstress. Overnight, she creates a gown stunning enough to catch the princess’s eye and win the community’s approval. With every eligible maiden clamoring for her designs, Elyse must do everything in her power to appease them. No one can ever know that in the moments when she doubts her abilities, a mysterious stranger with a talent for tailoring and a penchant for damsels in distress comes to her aid. If anyone ever discovers the truth, her reputation will be ruined.

Golden Gown is a blending of the classic fairy tales Rumpelstiltskin and The Shoemaker and The Elves. The magic of pure love woven through the tale will touch the hearts of all of its readers.

Golden Gown, Becoming Beauty, and Midnight Sisters are now available on Amazon.

During the Blog Tour, Becoming Beauty and Midnight Sisters

will be $.99 each on Kindle!

Author Interview:

If you had to pick another format for your books to be shared what would it be - musical, movie, public readings, serial release(a chapter at a time), graphic novel? 

Preferably a made for TV movie on Hallmark or one of the coming of age Netflix movies. (Is it just me, or does their music sound like it’s from the 80s? Whatever. I dig it.) Basically, I’d be happy with anything that makes people say, “Ahhhh...” as they reach for the tissues. I’d want it to be the type of movie people watch again and again, and not just because it’s 3 AM and they’re bored but because they actually connected with the characters.

By the way, someone said that about one of my books once. Except I don’t believe the word they used was bored. I believe it was smashed. I should probably have been offended, but I wasn’t. B movies are my bread and butter, honey!

Do you have a favorite author that you would recommend? 

I’m going to shine a little light on a friend of mine, Jo Ann Schneider. She’s still a fairly new writer, but she continues to challenge herself by writing in different genres. Her first two series are about magic, specials powers, and surviving the apocalypse. In her latest series, she delved into fairy tale retellings and created an entire Fairy Tale Academy where all her chapters interact. I’m completely in love with it. If you enjoy fairy tales, you’d love her novellas too.

Who is your favorite character (or two) in Golden Gown? 

I LOVE the leading man in Golden Gown, Gilberto De la Vega. He’s an homage to Rumplestiltskin and Gilbert Blythe from the Anne of Green Gables series, which is a favorite from my girlhood. Additionally, I lived in Argentina for a couple of years and fell in love with the Latin American people, so I made Gil a Spaniard. That gave him the ability to taunt my heroine, Elyse, in Spanish every time they share a scene in the novel. 

There was just something really fun about creating a man out of all the things I love. He’s not the perfect man, but he is delightfully flawed. Mischievous, secretive, and flaunting a hero complex as wide as the Rock Mountains are some of his less savory characteristics. However, Gil is also loyal and kind when he wants to be. I kind of love that.

Becoming Beauty, Midnight Sisters, or Golden Gown, do you need to read one to read the others? Do you have a favorite? Why or why not?

I always have a little overlap between stories and characters, but it’s not enough for you to need to read all my books to understand what’s going on. Isn’t it nice to know that if you see someone you love, like Jonas in Midnight Sisters, you can search out his first cameo in Becoming Beauty? Likewise, if you’re reading Golden Gown and you think, “Who’s this duke dude who’s related to Aunt Lydia?” you’ll want to read Midnight Sisters because the Duke of Trentwich’s storyline starts there.

I don’t really have a favorite novel. I kind of fall in love with whatever I’m working on at the moment. So I’m extra smitten with Gilberto De la Vega right now. As I continue to publish novels, I feel like I’m becoming a better storyteller and putting out better books.

That’s what I always tell new writers. You’re always a better writer today than you were yesterday. So put that manuscript you’ve spent years obsessing over away and start something new, honey!

What do you most like about this genre that you are writing in?   

I am such a fairy tale junkie! Retellings are my favorite form, but I’ve loved reading the original fairy tales since I was a little girl. I don’t care if the characters are one dimensional, all the women are either helpless or ruthless, there’s always a slightly creepy moral at the end, and evil people get their eyes pecked out by birds. I’ve just always loved the magic of fairy tales.

Retellings are especially fun because you can take them in any direction you’d like. In my stories, rather than using magic, I set up scenes that would have appeared fantastical to the people not directly involved in them. Over time, that simple tale is passed along and becomes more and more grandiose. Eventually, fairy godmothers and talking cats are required to explain what happened long ago. In a similar way, rather than teaching a moral, I nestle a nugget of truth at the center and build the story around that. It’s my way of sharing who I am and what I value with the world.

About the Author:

Sarah E. Boucher is a lover of fairy stories, romance, anything BBC and Marvel, and really, really cute shoes. On weekdays she wears respectable shoes and serves as Miss Boucher, the Queen of Kindergarten. On school holidays she writes stories about romance and adventure. And wears impractical super cute shoes.

Sarah is a graduate of Brigham Young University. She lives and works in northern Utah. Midnight Sisters is her second novel. 

Visit Sarah at SarahEBoucher.com 

or connect with her on 

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Amazon, or Goodreads.

Rafflecopter Giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rafflecopter Giveaway:

Prize 1 copy of the book.

Open to US Residents 18 years of age and older.

Winner will have 48 hours to respond with their US Postal Address

or an alternate winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Number of Love ~ Review

The Number of Love
The Codebreakers #1
By Roseanna M. White

For Margot De Wilde everything is about the numbers - she lives and breathes numbers. Her every decision is based on the numbers she sees and feels in the world around her. She's the perfect person to work in Room 40 of the Old Admiralty Building decoding intercepted German messages. Margot has no time for friends and the silly gossip of the secretaries she lives in a world that follows a set order.

But when Dorothea (Dot) Elton interviews for a position things begin to change. For one Dot has almost as many quirks in her personality as Margot which gives them a starting point upon which to build a friendship. And Dot's brother Drake manages to make an impression on her during the brief discussion they have during Dot's interview, an impression that goes both ways thanks to Margot's unique and precise method of speaking.

Drake Elton's unique heritage is being put to good use in intelligence gathering in Spain. But when his mission to stop a potential threat ends with him wounded he is sent back to England with the enemy's threats of revenge echoing in his ear.

When Margot's world comes crashing down upon her with a loss she never saw coming she finds herself adrift and the numbers have been silenced. The solitude and loneliness she feels are different than what she's accustomed to. How could the numbers that have always guided and comforted her just be gone? But the work must continue and Margot needs the stability that it offers. And even amid her loss, she is determined to do her part in Room 40 and be there for Dot during her own time.

The Number of Love is the first book in a new series from Roseanna White but those who have read her previous books will be glad to hear that various characters from those series make some appearances here. This series is focusing on those unnoted individuals who worked tirelessly to break the ciphers that were used to relay information about England and her vulnerabilities during the war. I really like Margot and her dedication, at times one can forget that she is as young as she is with the work she does. She has goals and is focused on them not the typical young lady of her day but unique in her own way. I like that Dot and Drake seem to appreciate her for who she is. I also appreciate the chance to get to know her better after being introduced to her in A Song Unheard.

This series debut promises to be a most enlightening look at a hidden part of history. Fans of historical fiction, WWI fiction, and romance fiction will have a new series to add to their must-read list. The characters are well developed and the setting descriptive without getting bogged down in excessive details. If you are looking for a good read to take you away from your ordinary I highly recommend The Number of Love.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book:

The Toughest Puzzle She'll Have to Solve

Might Be the Wishes of Her Own Heart

Three years into the Great War, England's greatest asset is their intelligence network--field agents risking their lives to gather information, and codebreakers able to crack German telegrams for hints of the enemy's plans. Margot De Wilde thrives in the environment of the secretive Room 40, where she spends her days deciphering intercepted messages. But when her world is turned upside down by an unexpected loss, she discovers for the first time in her life that numbers aren't enough.

Drake Elton returns wounded from the field, followed by an enemy who just won't give up. He's smitten quickly by the quick and brainy Margot, but soon the dangers of the war draw ever closer. Margot and Drake will have to team up to save themselves from the very secrets that brought them together.

About the Author:

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award-nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. 

You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

Connect online at:

Blog | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Website

Purchase links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Christian Book | Roseanna’s Shop (Signed)

Agent Rising ~ Review

Agent Rising
Max Thorne #1
By Ethan Jones

In a  change of pace author, Ethan Jones instead of focusing on a Candian agent has turned his attention to Maximillian (Maxim) Thornichinovich an agent with Russia's FSB.  We were introduced to Maxim in Eighteen Minutes when Maxim's job as a transporter took an unexpected turn that resulted in the Sheremetyevo International Airport receiving tens of thousands of dollars in damage, the package dying, and other agents dead. And now Maxim is stuck at a desk rather than in the field doing the job he loved and excelled at.

When offered a trial job with the SVR and the GRU as a transporter Maxim is more than willing to give this job his best especially as it will prove his worth. There's just one little catch - he will have to retrieve the package, a traitor, from America and work with other agents with whom he is unfamiliar. But what could go wrong?

The assignment Maxim is about to take on has deep links to the past both his and to the fall of the Berlin Wall. And unless he can shift through the layers to get to the truth this just might be one mission he won't come back from. But Max is determined and he has determined that nothing will stop him from completing his mission and regaining what his last assignment cost him. This mission just might take a little longer than anticipated as someone seems determined to stop him permanently. With trust at a premium, Max may have no choice but to rely on the very person he is transporting if they hope to make it out of America alive. But how much trust should you place on a traitor?

Those who have read Ethan Jones past books will enjoy this newest series starring Max Thorne (aka Maximillian Thornichinovich). Wondering where the name Max Thorne comes from? Well, you'll just have to read the book to find that out.

I was provided a copy of this book as a beta reader and have since purchased a final version of it. No expectations but providing my honest feedback - all thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Max Thorne is a Russian covert operative ... or is he?

Demoted FSB Agent Max Thorne, living with a troubled, unknown past and aimless future, accepts a near-impossible assignment: bring a traitor who is hiding in the United States back home to Russia.

Max has never lost any of the high-value detainees he transports, and this mission could prove his allegiance to the agency. But he’d be working in hostile territory, with an untested new team, and his career and life are on the line.

As the Russian team is ambushed while descending on Washington, DC, Max discovers that his fate is inescapably linked to that of the “traitor.” Now there is even more at stake … his mysterious past may tie him to the CIA.

With no time to determine whom to trust, will he find the courage to stand between the Russian service and an innocent man? And in doing so, will Max be deemed a traitor himself? 

The Tinderbox ~ Review

The Tinderbox
By Beverly Lewis

Sylvia Miller has always been fascinated by her father's tinderbox. A box that has always been locked and put up out of her reach. But when she discovers it unlocked her curiosity gets the better of her and she looks inside to see what treasures from the past Dat has hidden away. But when she sees everything that there is to see she instantly regrets it especially when she fears that her father is hiding a secret that he shouldn't.

Ernest Miller came to Hickory Hollow as a young man and with a broken heart was more than willing to embrace the life that the Old Order Amish community offered. He thought he could leave the past behind him but recently his past decisions and mistakes have begun to weigh on him.

Meanwhile, Sylvia and her boyfriend Titus are soon to make a commitment to the church and possibly a future with one another. But when the truth about her father's past comes to light even her plans for the future begin to weigh on her. But with helpful advice from Ella Mae, aka the Wise Woman, Sylvia is given much to think about at the key period of her life - a time for decisions that will affect her future.

The Tinderbox is not a book complete in itself so be on the lookout this fall for the continuation with The Timepiece. That is no way means you can't enjoy this latest Beverly Lewis offering which does conclude the main focus of the book the tinderbox and the secrets it has held for more than 20 years. Those who are familiar with Hickory Hollow will enjoy visiting with the Miller family and getting glimpses of those who they are familiar with. This is a story of family and forgiveness.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own. 


About the Book:

I've marveled at Dat's ability to accept the Old Ways

so readily, considering his modern upbringing. 

Mamma says it's like he was born to be Amish. 

Maybe so, but all the same, I wished I knew 

something more about his past.

With her parents' twentieth anniversary approaching, eighteen-year-old Sylvia Miller finds her father's cherished brass tinderbox left unlocked. Against her better judgment, Sylvia opens the heirloom, not realizing that what she is about to discover will splinter apart her happy life and alter everything for her close-knit Old Order Amish family. As the long-kept secret emerges into the light of day, can the Millers find a way forward through the turmoil to a place of forgiveness?

CFSRS's 3rd Year ~ Sponsor Registration Now Open

The past few years have been such a blast! 

 Welcome to CFSRS's third year!

SPONSOR REGISTRATION is now available for this fun summer reading event. 

Registration is available through 06.15.2019.

This year we have three different activities a reading challenge, a Facebook group challenge, and an Instagram challenge. Authors may pick and choose which events they are interested in participating in. 

 For more information, visit the CFSRS blog HERE.