Tropical Delusions……

Fallen Five – Erica Spindler

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

New Orleans Detectives Michaela Dare & Zach Harris are back again, as they are called to investigate the death of a local millionaire, after a fall from the 21st story of his newly opened business – but was it a suicide, or something more sinister? And why are the dead man’s daughters so convinced that his wife is responsible, when she was in the lobby, surrounded by party-goers, when he fell to his death?

As they begin to explore the crime scene, Zach, a half breed Lightkeeper, begins to sense things that do not add up. Who is the strange woman in his visions that beckons to him, yet whom he cannot identify? And what did she have to do with the millionaires death?

Meanwhile, Mich receives a gift from a long lost mentor, Hank, minutes after believing that she’s seen him walking outside of her home. Uneasy with the coincidence, she opens the package to find a letter and a medal that the remembers Hank always wore. She puts it on, and almost immediately feels a connection.

As the search for a killer continues, strange events continue to happen, leading Mich & Zach to suspect something far more sinister is occurring.

But this time, the murderer has set her sights of Mich, and all that she holds dear is in peril…

I have always enjoyed anything written by Erica Spindler, and this series is no different! A great police procedural, with a little paranormal added in, and you have yourself a first-rate series!! Readers of Kay Hooper will love this series by Erica Spindler!

Last Girl Gone – J. G. Hetherton

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

Laura Chambers is an investigative reporter, who – after a scandalous exclusive and forced retraction in Boston – has returned home to Hillsborough, North Carolina, to lick her wounds. She is able to procure a position with the local newspaper but finds herself limited to ‘small town’ reporting, and competing with the mayors’ son, also a reporter. Then, the first young girl disappears and turns up dead. Soon, another is taken.

Using her big city skills, and her ‘sometime’ cop lover, Laura is able to deduce that the FBI has been consulted and manages to contact the investigative Special Agent, ‘Tim’ Timinski. While the agent is reluctant to trust her with present information, he refers her back to a similar occurrence thirty years ago – where three young girls had also gone missing and killed, in hopes that re-emerging information with an old case may help. Laura enlists the help of the former investigating deputy of the cold cases, Donald Rodgers, who has never been able to forget the case he couldn’t solve.

As she researches those killings, to find new information to keep the story on the front page, she enlists her therapist Jasmine to help her create a profile of the killer, as she researches and speculates that past and present killings may be linked.

A cracked code leads to a showdown in a secluded cabin where both a disgraced cop and the suspected killer are killed, and Laura is left injured. The killer is dead, now where is the missing child?

As the search continues, Laura discovers more links to past and present, leading her to believe that perhaps the killer isn’t dead at all, but alive and well, searching for the next victim, and that victim may just be Laura herself…

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The characters are well developed, and the story is full of satisfying twists and turns that I did not see coming. While I can usually identify the protagonist early on, this book kept me guessing right up to the end – and then the end was especially satisfying!

Great read!! Hoping to see more soon from Mr. Hetherton!!

Deep Zero – V.S. Kemanis

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

Dana Hargrove is the District Attorney for Westchester County, NY. As she and her office juggle the busy day to day case of the D. A.’s office, unbeknownst to them, a young girl commits suicide by jumping from the river bridge, leaving an enigmatic Facebook post behind…

Once young Naomi’s body is found, The D.A’s office quickly identifies significant cyberbullying as a possible cause for her suicide. But with no cyberbullying laws on the books in New York, and a grieving family demanding prosecution via news outlets, Dana and her fellow attorneys find themselves in a difficult position as they attempt to find justice for Naomi.

Meanwhile, Dana’s young daughter Natalie, asks for permission to go to a friends home for a sleep over. Unbeknownst to Dana, or her daughter, there is no parental supervision at the house that night, and a post-dance high school party turns out of control, leaving two attendees severely injured, and Dana’s daughter Natalie as the only reliable witness.

This book did a great job touching on the topics of teenaged cyberbullying, and polysubstance consumption, and made for a very enjoyable read. The characters are well developed, the circumstances are very believable, and I found it hard to put down!

This was my first introduction to the Dana Hargrove series, but it will not be my last!

Come Home To Me – Liz Talley

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

Summer, Rhett and Hunt are three typical high school kids whose paths intertwine in this delightful tale of longing, turmoil, regret, self-discovery and love…
Rhett Butler has it all – king of the late night television in L.A., he has it all…money, fame, fortune…then in a single instant, tragedy ensues, causing him to question everything he knows. He grabs a flight back home to Moonlight, South Carolina in attempts to distance himself from events.

Summer Valentine, aspiring singer/songwriter, single mother to teenaged David, has returned home from Nashville to Moonlight, in hopes of allowing her son to cultivate a relationship with his father, Hunter McCroy.

Hunter McCroy was an up and coming baseball star, until injuries, addictions and bad decisions land him back home in Moonlight, working for his father, and attempting to cultivate a relationship with his son David.

Flash back to 2003…ahhh, those high school years, and the all important senior prom…

Summer is the proverbial high school nerd – a straight A student, she’s chubby, introverted, dresses down, and hopeful for a scholarship to continue her education, and is hopeful for a future as a singer/songwriter in Nashville. She has no plans to attend senior prom – no one has asked her.

Rhett Bryan is your typical high school jock, plays sports, great looking, dating the schools most popular girl Greyson, hands down the prom king, yet Rhett has a soft side. He’s nice to everyone. And Summer has crushed on him for years. After an unexpected calculus quiz, Rhett approaches Summer and asks for some tutoring assistance, which she willingly provides.

Hunter is yet another high school jock, strong pitcher, and Rhett’s best friend, who has dreams of making it to the big leagues. And he’s just been dumped by his girlfriend Molly, so now he needs a date for the prom. And Greyson feels that Summer would be the perfect substitute.
Summer has no plans to go to the prom. Engaged in a battle for the valedictorian title with head cheerleader Molly, she just plans to keep her head down and earn her grades. But, Rhett’s girlfriend has an idea. Lets makeover Summer and she can go to the prom with Hunt.

And so past and present collide as these three re-connect, and each of their stories is weaved through both present day and past events…

I absolutely LOVED this novel. I was sucked in from page one and left longing for more when the last page was turned. Liz Talley is an amazing storyteller, and I look forward to reading more of her work!