Day: May 26, 2019

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.

Brock McGovern and Maura Antrim were teenaged lovers as they worked together at a famed resort, the Frampton Ranch & Resort, in central Florida 12 years ago. Then one night, the body of a colleague was found hanging from the infamous ‘History Tree’, resulting in the misguided arrest of Brock, and Maura, whisked away from her parents, never heard from him again…till now.

Flash forward to the present day…Brock, long since exonerated, is now and up and coming FBI agent, who is being sent to Florida to investigate a rash of recent murders, all with ties somehow to the Frampton Ranch. Maura, now a video producer, is at the resort with a client who is filming highlight specials on the area history, the History Tree, and the ranch itself. Others who were present on that day long ago have also remained close by, resulting in a reunion of sorts as Brock arrives in town.

In predictable fashion, Brock and Maura eventually talk about the events of years ago, and resume their relationship, as Brock hunts for a killer. The protagonist is fairly easy to guess, and like most mid-sized Harlequin novels, the ending is a predictable & happy one!!

The book gives a lot of history into the St. Augustine and central Florida areas as part of the backstory, in and around the investigation of the murders, which, as a newer Florida resident, I found fascinating! In fact, I am eagerly planning a trip now to The Devil’s Millhopper, a park I had not known of before this book. I could not find a reference to the History Tree, although I did find another – the Senator Tree – which may have been loosely modified for this story – going to head there too!

All in all, quick, good beach read, especially if you happen to be vacationing in northeastern Florida!

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.

The Monkeewrench crew is back, as Leo & Gino face another challenging case…

It’s been a cold, brutal winter in Minnesota, so cold that even the criminal activity has been at a minimum. Leo Magozzi & Gino Rolseth and sitting in the homicide office discussing the weather when they are notified that a psychic has come to see them – to report a murder that hasn’t happened yet. At the same time, Gino’s wife, and Monkeewrench member Grace is hard at work in her own case. Hired to find and fix security system flaws after a Bitcoin heist, the Monkeewrench crew are hard at work finding ways to stop a cyber thief in his tracks – and Roadrunner has a chance encounter with a neighbor, an ICE agent, and ends up saving her life, not knowing that they will discover a mutual goal.

Meanwhile, a young woman with an interest in bondage has secured a willing teacher via the internet and is happily anticipating their meeting. With a dose of Ecstasy on board, she opens the door to a mysterious stranger, who handcuffs her to her bed – and then the script goes horribly wrong…

Leo & Gino catch the homicide and as the begin the research Kelly Ramage’s recent activities, they learn of up and coming artist Rado – a conceptual artist who sculpts some very disturbing images involving women in various states of BSDM. He currently has a gallery show in town, but the artist himself remains very reclusive and impossible to reach. And then another girl goes missing…

As Leo & Gino work their case, and the Monkeewrench team work theirs, they soon find some interesting connections, and Roadrunner’s desire to assist his newfound friend reveals even further commonalities, leading to one big case, that if solved, will have global implications…

It’s been a while since I’ve read a Monkeewrench novel, but it was like picking back up with old friends. Familiar characters, snappy dialogue, and a fast paced multi-faceted mystery made this book very hard to put down! I loved seeing Roadrunner’s character blossom with a love interest as well, and I can’t wait to see if Petra appears in later installments. A great read!! I highly recommend!!