Tropical Delusions……

Lost Creed – Alex Kava

Ryder Creed is back again along with his dogs, and is busy working Scout, a newer acquisition, at a training facility when he receives a text, regarding an incoming phone call – ‘it’s about Brodie’ is all he’s told. Brodie, his sister, disappeared from a rest area in Nebraska, over 16 years ago, and he’s never given up searching for her, or trying to discover what happened to her.

Maggie O’Dell, meanwhile, is deep in a cornfield as the FBI stealthily gets ready to merge onto the property of a suspected human trafficker. As they swarm the property, they capture a single man attempting to escape. But the house has been cleared – they were somehow warned that the FBI was coming. And then, on an innocuous board filled with pictures, Maggie spots a picture of Brodie, Ryder’s missing sister.

From that point on, the two join forces as the investigation into human trafficking continues and the search for Brodie intensifies. To say more would likely provide spoilers, so I’ll stop here. But, as with all of Kava’s work, this book is amazing, full of suspense, and un-put-downable! She ranks high on my all time favorite author’s list! A must read!!

If you only read one book that I recommend, read this one!! And then go pick up the rest of the Ryder Creed and Maggie O’Dell books. I found this author after the publication of her first book back in 2001, and I’ve NEVER been disappointed!

Broken Promise – Tara Thomas

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

Kipling Benedict is the eldest of the three Benedict brothers, whom are the heirs apparent to the large shipping company bequeathed to them by their father. Set in beautiful Charleston, SC, Kipling has seen both of his brothers marry, but after having his heart broken at a young age, he has vowed to remain single, despite his hidden interest in Charleston PD’s Officer Alyssa Adams.

Alyssa Adams has an agenda of her own. After losing a sister to murder when she was 15 years old, she has made it her life’s work to avenge her sister and to protect society, a story she shares with Kipling over an impromptu cup of coffee one afternoon. As they talk, they discover a connection between them – a company named ‘Finition Noire’.

Soon, a young woman who proclaims to be the Benedict’s sister – Jade – goes missing, and Kipling receives a call from an individual who claims to have her. He joins forces with Alyssa in attempts to find her.

As the search for Jade intensifies, we learn of ‘The Gentleman’, and a clue left behind by Alyssa’s sister all those years ago, that ties into the present as Kipling & Alyssa give in to their chemistry and search for answers and for Jade. Just who is ‘The Gentleman’ and why does he have it in for the Benedict family?

I absolutely LOVED this book! Non-stop action and suspense, and some great reveals into the motivations and backstories of individual characters and how they became to be. It kept me guessing – and guessing wrong! Great read!! I will most definitely be watching for more from Tara Thomas!!

Duel To The Death – J.A. Jance

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

Ali Reynolds returns in Jance’s newest novel! In the prologue, we meet Frigg, an Artificial Intelligence ‘AI’, who seems to demonstrate the ability to grow and think beyond her programming. When her creator Owen is defeated by Stuart Ramey, a member of High Noon Enterprises, Frigg senses her imminent demise, and makes some moves ensuring her prolonged existence. Unprovoked, she transfers money, in the form of bitcoin, to Stuart, recognizing his efforts as altruistic, and hopeful that he will re-activate her to gain access to the funds.

Meanwhile, in Panama, a young woman, who’s father is the head of an international drug cartel, and whom managed Owens less-than-legal offshore accounts, recognizes the transfer of assets to Stuart, and recognizes that Frigg must have arranged the transfer. Eager to get her hands on the A.I. herself, she drafts a letter to Stuart, detailing the ‘gift’ of monetary funds, and the need for certain codes to gain access to the funds, betting that he will have to re-activate Frigg to gain those codes.

Meanwhile, strange things begin to happen. A man posing as a building inspector gains access to High Noon and leaves bugs around the offices, only to mysteriously perish later. Stuart, stunned by the ‘gift’ Frigg has bestowed on him, realizes that he needs to reactivate her, to gain access to the money for tax purposes. When Frigg comes on line, she assists High Noon in putting all of the pieces together, shutting down a cartel, and solving some old crimes as well.

I LOVED this book, as I love all of Jance’s work, and I can only hope that Frigg is here to stay in future Ali Reynolds novels! What a creative and great idea Frigg is!! A wonderful, all-in-one-sitting kind of read!!

Her Last Word – Mary Burton

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

Kaitlyn Roe cannot forget – fourteen years ago, after a gathering with her teenaged friends, she stood helplessly by while her cousin was abducted in front of her by a masked man – and she ran. Gina’s body was never found. Now, an older, sober, and focused Kaitlyn has returned to Virginia in an effort to discover, once and for all, what happened to her cousin that night.

Kaitlyn has plans to bring attention back onto Gina’s disappearance in the form of a podcast. She has been making waves in her hometown, requesting interviews from all that were involved in the events of that night – including her ex-boyfriend, Randy Hayward, in hopes of jogging old memories and perhaps discovering new information. Randy was a suspect in Gina’s disappearance, but never charged – he presently sits in jail on an unrelated charge. She has captured the attention of the local police department, and Detective John Adler.

But she has also captured the attention of someone else. First one of Gina’s friends is found dead. Then, another disappears, and Kaitlyn is injured in an ambush attempt, with her assailant vowing to ‘finish at a later time’. But who would want all of Gina’s friends dead? And why?

I very much enjoyed this suspense/mystery novel from Mary Burton and look forward to reading more from her. Being fond of series type characters, I’d absolutely LOVE to see Kaitlyn & John’s story carry over into future books. Engaging characters, page turning suspense, some sweet romance, and an old wrong made right make for a perfect beach or rainy day read!