Where No One Will See by Felicia Watson Publisher: DX Varos Publishing (April 11, 2023) Category: Mystery, Detective Mystery ISBN: 978-1955065788 Available in Print and ebook, 271 pages
Lucia Scafetti, a Philly private eye, has tried to move out of the shadow of her infamous crime family. She has her own business, her beloved dog Rocco, and she’s starting to date the cute lawyer down the hall. Her life is upended when her notorious hitman father disappears while in search of the diamond and gold coins he stole from his last victim.
Lucia races to unravel the mystery of her father’s disappearance before a crooked and powerful cop beats her to it. Though Lucia’s allies are scanty and her enemies numerous, she tries to resist the questionable help on offer from her Mafiosi family. It looks like Lucia must finally decide on which side of the law she truly belongs, knowing the wrong choice could send her to prison – or an early grave.
An absolute thriller of a detective mystery that will leave you desperate for more! “Where No One Will See” by Felicia Watson is the kind of novel that makes you fall in love with the characters and leaves you guessing until the very last page.
Lucia Scafetti is striking out on her own, and trying to make it without her family’s interference for the first time in her life. Growing up in a well known crime family, Lucia is trying her best to get her private detective agency off of the ground and build a better name for herself, but first she has to find some new clients.
Luckily, two lawyers move into her building, and she quickly befriends them. Lucia really hits it off with one of them, a man named Hank, and the two begin dating. However, everything in Lucia’s life is thrown into jeopardy when her father, who has been incarcerated for many years, shows up on her doorstep asking for help.
When he goes missing a day later, Lucia has to put everything she has into solving the case before she and her friends are put in danger, too.
I had a great time reading this and a great time trying to figure out the resolution to the mystery before the ending! Felicia Watson has a great talent for writing compelling mysteries, and an even greater one for writing refreshing and delightful characters. I found myself rooting for Lucia from the very first chapter and was really hoping that she and Hank ended up together in the end.
I won’t spoil the ending for you, but I think any reader would be happy with the way things work out. I’m giving all the stars to this magnificent novel, and I hope that Felicia Watson writes more mysteries like this in the future! It would be fantastic if we hear from Lucia again so, hopefully, there will be a sequel in the works!
About the Author
Felicia Watson, author of the ground-breaking romance, Where the Allegheny Meets the Monongahela, and the award-winning scifi novels, The Lovelace Series, started writing stories as soon as they handed her a pencil in first grade.
When not writing, Felicia spends her time chasing after her not-so-brilliant, but darling and beloved dogs, being chased by her truly brilliant, darling, and beloved husband. She is known to friends and family as an amateur pastry chef and still finds time for swimming and her day job as a scientist.
Book Title: Deep Blue Murder (A Fiona Quinn Mystery) Author: C.S. McDonald Category: Adult Fiction, 268 pages Genre: Cozy Mystery Publisher: McWriter Books Release date: Nov 2022 Content Rating: G. C.S. McDonald’s books are appropriate for YA readers as well as adults–no bad language or sexual content.
Book Description:
Fiona is delighted when her new mother-in-law, Rita Landry invites her and Nathan to a private island in the Bahamas owned by a US ambassador. Sun, sandy beaches, and romantic tangerine sunsets await the newlyweds, but for Rita and her executive assistant, Hal Underwood the trip to Deep Blue Isle is a working vacation. Ambassador Taslow has summoned them to the island to discuss a scandal he has fallen victim to. However, when the Landry’s and Hal arrive, they find less than welcoming circumstances: no internet or Wi-Fi, mischievous monkeys, a dangerous tenant, and then there’s that pesky dead body.
A storm is brewing on Deep Blue Isle, and it has nothing to do with wind and rain.
I chose to listen to this book after receiving a free audio copy from iRead Book Tours. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
Fiona Quinn and her husband, Nathan, are delighted to go to Deep Blue Isle with her mother-in-law, who is going for work. What starts out as a vacation becomes anything but. There’s even a murder while they’re there! Unfortunately, that’s not the only criminal activity on this island that’s supposed to be a get-away island for the ambassador.
I like how the author always includes a bit of humor in her stories. In this case, it’s a rogue monkey! He causes quite a stir among the guests.
The narrator’s voice takes a little getting used to. It’s not as soothing as some of the audiobook voices I’ve heard, but now that I have listened to a few of these, I’m used to it, and it’s like listening to an old friend. I can tell who the different characters are, and her timing and inflection were very good.
I recommend the Fiona Quinn mysteries, all of which stand alone but, of course, they’d be better listened to in order.
About the Author
For twenty-six years C.S. McDonald’s life whirled around a song and a dance. Classically trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, The Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and many others, she became a professional dancer and choreographer. During that time, she choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards. In 2011 she retired from her dance career to write. Under her real name, Cindy McDonald, she writes murder-suspense and romantic suspense novels. In 2014 she added the pen name, C.S. McDonald, to write children’s books for her grandchildren. In 2016 she added the Fiona Quinn Mysteries to that expansion. She decided to write the cozy mystery series that everyone, including teens and tweens, can read and enjoy. Presently, the Fiona Quinn Mysteries includes nine books with a tenth slated for 2021. The books are also available on audio, narrated by Maren Swenson Waxenberg.
Cindy’s newest venture is The Owl’s Nest Mysteries. Once again, she has set her cozy mystery in Pittsburgh and the female protagonist, Alexa Owl, is much different from Fiona Quinn. The Owl’s Nest Mysteries has a little grit, a little time travel, a little romance, and a whole lot of cozy!
Ms. McDonald resides on her Thoroughbred farm known as Fly by Night Stables near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bill, and her poorly behaved Cocker Spaniel, Allister.
When her fiancé, a CIA operative accused of treason, is killed overseas, intelligence analyst Maggie Jenkins smells cover-up and sets out to clear his name. Maggie disobeys direct orders and travels to Tbilisi, Georgia, to follow a trail littered with secrets and lies, corruption and deceit, risking her own life to expose the terrorist threat at the intersection where the Russian Mafia, Chechen rebels, Al Qaeda and…US government officials meet.
From the halls of power in Washington, DC to the political chaos of the former Soviet Union, Maggie must confront players from the intelligence, political, and criminal worlds who will do anything to stop her. How far will Maggie go to uncover the truth?
My Review
I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
When Maggie’s fiancé is killed overseas and it’s suggested that he was a traitor, she knows that she has to find out who killed him so that she can clear his name. Easier said than done. The way she goes about clearing his name is to secretly go to Tbilisi, Georgia, where he’d been killed and, of course, she is kidnapped. Things get exciting from then on although quite unbelievable.
The story starts slowly and includes a lot of extra government information that I felt wasn’t needed, but the last 25% of it was exciting with a couple of twists and Maggie not knowing if she could trust anyone. Because of the excitement at the end, I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Hopefully, it will keep my interest throughout next time.
About the Author
Susan Ouellette was born and raised in the suburbs of Boston, where she studied international relations and Russian language and culture at both Harvard University and Boston University. As the Soviet Union teetered on the edge of collapse, she worked as an intelligence analyst at the CIA, where she earned a commendation for her work done during the failed 1991 Soviet coup. Subsequently, Susan worked on Capitol Hill as a professional staff member for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).
It was there in the Capitol Building, during quiet moments, that Susan conceived of Maggie Jenkins, an intrepid female character thrust into a dangerous situation borne of tragedy. Next came the threads of a plot, and from that blossomed her first espionage thriller, The Wayward Spy.
Susan lives on a farm outside of Washington, D.C., with her husband, three boys, cats, chickens, turkeys, and too many honeybees to count. In her spare time, she loves to read, root for Boston sports teams, and spend time staring out at the ocean on the North Carolina coast.
This is an incredibly moving story about the enduring love & bond between two young women deported to a German concentration camp.
In 1944 two young Dutch women, Julia and Suzanne, are both sent to the German concentration camp for so-called privileged Jews at Theresienstadt. As an antidote to their appalling conditions, they begin to write a novel. At first, their novel is just an escape an imaginary world into which they can withdraw and find comfort but as their story unfolds, it becomes the way they communicate their feelings to each other and, ultimately, confront their own demons. They become convinced that the war will end when they finish their story, but it is the frenzied last year of the Final Solution.
As the darkness gathers around them, they find themselves in a race not just to finish the novel but to find a means of survival. The Paradise Ghetto is the story of two people whose lives are drawn together in unimaginable circumstances, and a reflection on the part that books play in our lives.
*Film rights to this book are currently available. To learn more, see:
‘The Sunday Business Post’ has described Fergus O’Connell as having ‘more strings to his bow than a Stradivarius’.
His 2002 novel, ‘Call The Swallow’, was described by The Irish Times as ‘better than Schindler’s Ark’. The book was short listed for the 2002 Kerry Ingredients Irish Fiction Prize and nominated for the Hughes & Hughes / Sunday Independent Novel of the Year.
Fergus is also the author of fifteen business books. The first of these, ‘How to Run Successful Projects – the Silver Bullet’, has become both a bestseller and a classic and has been constantly in print for over twenty years. His book on common sense entitled ‘Simply Brilliant’ – also a bestseller and now in its fourth edition – was runner-up in the W H Smith Book Awards 2002. His books have been translated into nearly thirty languages.
For more about this author and his various publications, see:
Genius beautiful writing that transports you into two worlds and takes you on a journey that we will never experience in our lifetime. You are placed in a world that became reality for millions of people. You are led on this journey through the lives of two women, Julia and Susanne who, to escape the inhumanity of their daily existence, write a book and while doing so, transports you, yet again, to a different time.
A rollercoaster of emotions is an apt description, a book that cannot be put down until you are finished and then you want to read again.
What a fantastic book! It was actually two books in one as the main characters wrote a story as well. I found BOTH books to be excellent reads reflecting strength, determination, and hope in the face of brutal situations. I found the stories to be suspenseful; they pull you in and you can’t put the book down. Written with great skill, the book moves at a perfect cadence amid well-researched times in our history. I definitely recommend this!
“The Paradise Ghetto” (2nd edition) is available in hardback from Amazon UK at:
This incredibly moving historical fiction novel is available in paperback from:
This novel can also be downloaded as an e-book from:
Press/Media Contact Details:
Darin Jewell Managing Director The Inspira Group Literary Agency (Fergus O’Connell’s literary agent) Tel. 0208 292 5163 E-mail: darin@theinspiragroup.com
Book Title: Doctoroo and the Case of the Picnic Pirates by Rachel B. Wellner Category: Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7), 43 pages Genre: Children’s Picture Book Publisher: Wellner Media Release Date: January 9, 2023 Content Rating: G – No profanity, sex or violence
Doctoroo (also known as Dr. Marsha Roo) and her team Kirby Koala, Louie Llama and Terence Toad may live in Australia, but they travel the world solving medical mysteries. In Doctoroo & the Case of the Picnic Pirates, they fly to the United States to find out why bear cubs in the Tumbling Potomac Pirates won’t practice their somersaults, cartwheels, or handsprings. Will Doctoroo discover what is wrong? Will she have the answer in time for the cubs to perform on the Fourth of July, America’s Independence Day?
I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy from iRead Book Tours. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
Doctoroo and her team go to the U.S. to figure out why the bear cubs in the Tumbling Potomac Pirates won’t practice. When they get there, many of the cubs have upset stomachs and just don’t feel good. In the meantime, someone has gotten into the picnic food for the Fourth of July celebration! Will Doctoroo figure out what’s going on in time for the celebration?
This is a cute book with a great message. It teaches in a fun way that we should eat healthy foods rather than a bunch of junk food. Eating junk food will make you feel sluggish and even give you a tummy ache. The illustrations are bright and colorful, and they kept the attention of my grandson. This is definitely a good book for your child’s library!
About the Author
Dr. Rachel Wellner is a board-certified general surgeon, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and a Society of Surgical Oncology-trained breast oncology surgeon.
Book Title: Matrimony. Mayhem, and Murder (A Fiona Quinn Mystery #10) Author: C.S. McDonald Category: Adult Fiction, 242 pages Genre: Cozy Mystery Publisher: McWriter Books Release date: Nov 10, 2021 Content Rating: G. C.S. McDonald’s books are appropriate for YA readers as well as adults–no bad language or sexual content.
Book Description:
The venue is set, invitations sent, and the flowers ordered. It’s almost time for Fiona and Nathan to get married…again. What could possibly go wrong? Nothing…well, until the wedding planner is found dead.
Then the woman Fiona has never met shows up–Nathan’s enigmatic mom, Rita Landry. And she’s wearing a gorgeous but mysterious necklace. Worse, Rita is being followed by two sinister-looking men, forcing her to flee the country. And who gets dragged along? None other than the bride-to be! How does a girl prepare for all of that? Looks like Fiona’s perfectly planned matrimony has morphed into mayhem and murder! You’re formally invited to Fiona and Nathan’s wedding. Question is: Will the wedding happen?
I chose to listen to this book after receiving a free audio copy from iRead Book Tours. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
Fiona Quinn is about to get married (again) when she finally meets her mother-in-law. Rita Landry is quite a woman, and she and Fiona end up having to fly out of the country to get away from Russian agents. Fiona takes everything in stride, though, and she and Rita get along well. But will they make it back in time for the wedding?
In the meantime, Fiona’s wedding planner has been murdered! Will Nathan’s partner be able to solve that case while she’s out of town?
This is my favorite Fiona Quinn cozy mystery so far. Yes, there’s a murder, but the characters are colorful and there’s a lot of humor, so it’s a fun read rather than a serious one.
The narrator’s voice takes a little getting used to. It’s not as soothing as some of the audiobook voices I’ve heard, but now that I have listened to a few of these, I’m used to it, and it’s like listening to an old friend. Her timing and inflection were very good.
I recommend the Fiona Quinn mysteries, especially this one, which does stand alone. Time for me to start on the next one, Deep Blue Murder!
About the Author
For twenty-six years C.S. McDonald’s life whirled around a song and a dance. Classically trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, The Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and many others, she became a professional dancer and choreographer. During that time, she choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards. In 2011 she retired from her dance career to write. Under her real name, Cindy McDonald, she writes murder-suspense and romantic suspense novels. In 2014 she added the pen name, C.S. McDonald, to write children’s books for her grandchildren. In 2016 she added the Fiona Quinn Mysteries to that expansion. She decided to write the cozy mystery series that everyone, including teens and tweens, can read and enjoy. Presently, the Fiona Quinn Mysteries includes nine books with a tenth slated for 2021. The books are also available on audio, narrated by Maren Swenson Waxenberg.
Cindy’s newest venture is The Owl’s Nest Mysteries. Once again, she has set her cozy mystery in Pittsburgh and the female protagonist, Alexa Owl, is much different from Fiona Quinn. The Owl’s Nest Mysteries has a little grit, a little time travel, a little romance, and a whole lot of cozy!
Ms. McDonald resides on her Thoroughbred farm known as Fly by Night Stables near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bill, and her poorly behaved Cocker Spaniel, Allister.
Sex, Drugs, and Spiritual Enlightenment (but mostly the first two) by Karuna Das
Publisher: DX Varos Publishing (March 28, 2023) Category: General Fiction, Fictionalized Memoir ISBN: 978-1955065764 Available in Print and ebook, 280 pages
Description
On the cusp of turning eighteen, it’s time for Drew Lovell to become a man.
But deep within, Drew has questions—ones he doesn’t know how to phrase—about what that means and how to go about it.
During three intense stretches between 1985 and 1993, taking him into his mid-twenties, Drew undergoes a series of profound experiences—often wild, sometimes painful, and always revealing—that force him to rethink his current assumptions. Only after nearly dying from trying to conform to conventional models of masculinity does he begin to become the man he wants to be and not the one he thought the world required him to be. Still, he’s unable to live with full integrity until interaction with a pair of awakened humans inspires new awareness that helps him at long last embrace the truth of who he is.
I felt a compulsion to force myself upon the world, to exert a positive impact on it, and that I imagined I’d do so through my writing. But the only “more” I wanted out of life—right then, in that particular moment– had nothing to do with those grand plans.”
Part novel and much a fictionalized memoir, ‘Sex, Drugs, and Spiritual Enlightenment (but mostly the first two)’, takes the reader on a journey that surprises you on every single page. I found this book to be enlightening in ways that I was not expecting. I guess this shouldn’t have been surprising given the title! I can’t say I’m much of one for spirituality, but this book provides an insight into a side of religion that I had never considered.
Das has a great way with words, and he really paints a picture for the reader about the different phases of the life of his main character, Drew, as he seeks enlightenment in his own life and sheds the image that society created for him. Drew goes through somewhat of a metamorphosis throughout the novel and comes out the other side a much-changed indivi…dual with a different perspective that leads him into a wholly different life.
I think everyone could stand to do a little introspection into themselves, and this book provides a good jumping off point for that, even if your beliefs don’t necessarily align with the author’s.
There is a lot here to dissect and, to be honest, some of it went over my head, but I do feel that this is a great book for those just starting out in their spiritual journeys. This is a book for adults of all sizes, shapes and creeds. You just need to have an open mind. The writing is excellent!
About the Author
Karuna Das is the pen and spirit name of Kyle Bostian. Born in Wisconsin, he grew up in Massachusetts and now resides in Pennsylvania, but he lives wherever he happens to be at that moment and feels at home everywhere in the universe. He holds a BA in English and an MFA in Playwriting. In addition to his dramatic writing, he’s published the sci-fi novel Kat’s Cradle as well as short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. He and life partner Ti share their house with five wonderfully wacky cats.
Bound 4 Escape 