Book Review: The Dance by Mike Faricy

The Dance is a Novella in the highly entertaining Dev Haskell series. Dev, along with his golden retriever, Morton, are hired by a woman to investigate her former daughter-in-law, but all is not as it seems. Turns out there are trust fund issues and Dev begins to learn a lot more than he ever expected.

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My Review

I chose to read this novella after receiving a free e-copy from the author. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Dev Haskell is a P.I. who is currently down on his luck. He’s a womanizer but he behaves himself in The Dance. In fact, he does something so sweet that it brought tears to my eyes.

Dev also gets a case that his client (a woman he can’t stand) wants solved in three days. He does solve it but not quite with the results his client was hoping for. I love this guy!

This novella is short but still has a good story. There are a few unanswered questions, though, that I would have liked answered.

About the Author

I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, I still live there as well as in Dublin, Ireland. I’ve been a soldier, freelance journalist, tended bar, sold designer cakes, owned a painting and decorating company along with a number of other schemes and scams. If that doesn’t offend you I also play bagpipes with the Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band. All my books stand alone, read them in whatever order you wish. They are filled with the sort of oddballs we are all curious about, but wisely, prefer to keep at a distance. None of my characters will be saving the world from terrorism, international banking conspiracies or coups to take over the government. Rather, they inhabit a world just below the surface of polite society, characters with one foot on either side of the law. The circumstances they find themselves in are usually due to bad decisions, but bad decisions lead to interesting stories. They serve not so much as an example but as a warning to us all. Thanks for taking the time, happy reading.

Book Review: Bang by Mike Faricy

A delicious mix of hard-boiled P.I. story, endearing revelation, and a thriller that’ll have you re-checking the locks on your doors. And, of course, in inevitable Dev fashion, Dev’s services aid a luscious beauty who repays his kindness.

Bang gives us a peek at the young Devlin Haskell, before he got to be “that rascal, Dev Haskell”. Truth to tell, we learn that at thirteen he was already a rascal, and exactly how it could have been so much worse! We also meet some creepy characters who’ll find their full expression and come back to haunt our dreams in The Corridor Man series.

Dev Haskell is juggling a shoestring P.I. operation and a long string of Miss Right Nows when his junior high school nightmare walks into his office. It seems the neighborhood bullies have grown up, served their prison time, and resurfaced under the cloak of newfound respectability with bigger threats than taking Dev’s lunch money.

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My Review

I chose to read this novella after receiving a free e-copy from the author. You can get a free copy as well at Goodreads! All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Dev Haskell is one of those P.I.s you can’t help but like. He’s a womanizer but he’s smart and he has contacts for just about anything…whether they’re willing to help him or not. When a bully from his past needs his help to find someone, those old feelings come up but he realizes he’s an adult now and won’t let be bullied anymore. Good for him! He does agree to look for the old friend, but does he really want to find him?

This novella is short but still has a good story. The best part is that it introduced me to a new author and a new character and I’m definitely going to have to find some time to read the novels about Dev Haskell!

About the Author

I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, I still live there as well as in Dublin, Ireland. I’ve been a soldier, freelance journalist, tended bar, sold designer cakes, owned a painting and decorating company along with a number of other schemes and scams. If that doesn’t offend you I also play bagpipes with the Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band. All my books stand alone, read them in whatever order you wish. They are filled with the sort of oddballs we are all curious about, but wisely, prefer to keep at a distance. None of my characters will be saving the world from terrorism, international banking conspiracies or coups to take over the government. Rather, they inhabit a world just below the surface of polite society, characters with one foot on either side of the law. The circumstances they find themselves in are usually due to bad decisions, but bad decisions lead to interesting stories. They serve not so much as an example but as a warning to us all. Thanks for taking the time, happy reading.

Audiobook Review: Daisy McDare & the Deadly Directorial Affair by K.M. Morgan

“A delightful cozy read with a sweet, cupcake loving sleuth, a quirky cast of characters, and plenty of charm to spare.”

Daisy McDare is back with a new case to crack! Murder once again strikes the quaint little tourist town of Cozy Creek. This time the victim is an arrogant independent film director who has a bad habit of making of enemies.

As the set decorator for the movie, Daisy is in a unique position to do some serious sleuthing. But she can’t solve the murder alone. She enlists her cupcake baking best friend Samantha, wise cracking Granny Annie, private investigator crush Gavin, and her lovable West Highland Terrier Shamus to find the killer.

My Review

I chose to listen to this book after receiving a free audio copy from the author. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Daisy McDare & the Deadly Directorial Affair is a novella with a listening time of a little over 3 hours. It’s the third book in the Daisy McDare cozy mystery series.

Daisy is an interior decorator and can’t believe there’s a murder where she works for the third time. It’s not something she really wants to do, but she doesn’t think the detective on the case will figure out the killer.

This time she’s a set decorator on a movie and the director is murdered. Unfortunately, there are several people who are suspects. She spends so much time investigating the murder, she almost gets fired from her job. Fortunately, she finishes her job in time and figures out the murderer all on the same day!

The narrator, Caroline Shively, was good. Her pronunciation is great and timing were good.

I recommend Daisy McDare & the Deadly Directorial Affair to anyone who likes cozy mysteries and quick reads. I’m looking forward to listening to more of the Daisy McDare series.

About the Author

K.M. Morgan loves baking, crafts, cute cat videos, and reading mysteries.

Sign up for the K.M. Morgan new release mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/7Wt8L


You can contact K.M. with questions and/or comments here: kmmorgancozy@gmail.com

Audiobook Review: Daisy McDare & the Deadly Legal Affair by K.M. Morgan

Welcome to Cozy Creek, a quaint tourist town nestled along the Pacific Coast.

Daisy McDare is busy nursing a broken heart, trying to build up her interior decorator business, and baking cookies when murder strikes Cozy Creek.

At first she leaves the investigation to Chris Crumple, the local bumbling police detective. But when Crumple arrests the wrong suspect, Daisy takes the investigation into her own hands.

Cracking the case won’t be easy. She’ll need help from her pastry-baking best friend Samantha, her wise-cracking Granny Annie, and her trusty West Highland Terrier Shamus.

It’s up to Daisy McDare to find the murderer in Cozy Creek before they strike again.

My Review

I chose to listen to this book after receiving a free audio copy from the author. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Daisy McDare & the Deadly Legal Affair is more of a novella with a listening time of a little over 3 hours. It’s the second book in the Daisy McDare cozy mystery series.

Daisy is an interior decorator and once again finds herself trying to solve a murder after taking on a new job at a legal firm. It’s not something she really wants to do, but she can’t let an innocent person go to jail. The story is pretty straightforward, and there aren’t any big surprises.

Poor Daisy is feeling a bit lonely after a messy break-up and when she meets Gavin, she’s hoping that may turn into something. Gavin has just broken up with someone, though, and it’s apparent he’s not quite ready to start dating yet.

The narrator, Caroline Shively, was good. Her pronunciation is great and timing were good.

I recommend Daisy McDare & the Deadly Legal Affair to anyone who likes cozy mysteries and quick reads.

About the Author

K.M. Morgan loves baking, crafts, cute cat videos, and reading mysteries.

Sign up for the K.M. Morgan new release mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/7Wt8L


You can contact K.M. with questions and/or comments here: kmmorgancozy@gmail.com

Audiobook Review: Daisy McDare & the Deadly Art Affair by K.M. Morgan

Daisy McDare wants nothing more than to find the man of her dreams and build a thriving interior decorator business. Instead she finds herself heartbroken and in the middle of a murder investigation.

Daisy is in the middle of a decorating job at a famed local celebrity’s mansion when the arrogant painter is found murdered in his backyard studio. Suddenly there’s a house full of suspects, each with a bigger reason to want the victim dead than the next.

When the local police get stumped during their investigation, Daisy realizes she’ll have to take matters into her own hands.

But she can’t crack the case alone. She recruits her cupcake-baking best friend Samantha, wise-cracking Granny Annie, and her feisty West Highland Terrier Shamus to find the killer.

My Review

I chose to listen to this book after receiving a free audio copy from the author. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Daisy McDare & the Deadly Art Affair is more of a novella with a listening time of a little over 3 hours. It’s your typical cozy mystery, which I like to read occasionally to give myself a break from more intense reads. I’d feel lost without something to read!

Daisy is an interior decorator and finds herself trying to solve the murder of an old friend’s husband. The story is pretty straightforward, and there aren’t any big surprises.

Because it’s short, I don’t feel like I’ve gotten to really know Daisy except that she wants a man, and she loves her best friend’s cupcakes. Since I have several more of these books to listen to, I’m hoping there’s more character development in the coming books.

The narrator, Caroline Shively, was adequate. Her pronunciation is great; however, it seemed like she was just reading the book rather than conveying the mood or feelings of the characters.

I recommend Daisy McDare & the Deadly Art Affair to anyone who likes cozy mysteries and quick reads.

About the Author

K.M. Morgan loves baking, crafts, cute cat videos, and reading mysteries.

Sign up for the K.M. Morgan new release mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/7Wt8L


You can contact K.M. with questions and/or comments here: kmmorgancozy@gmail.com

Book Review: Wastebasket by J.M. Tompkins

The journey into absurdity is a slow descent.

The year is 2069. America has suffered a split between two groups, the Citizens and the Outsiders. To make a transition as a Citizen, one has to join the military and serve a six-year enlistment.

Not even a year into August Paxton’s service and he’s counting down the days until it’s over. But then everything takes a turn when a military drone crashes into the Wastebasket and August is assigned to the team charged to uncover it. The Wastebasket, the world’s largest trash dump, is home to natives that are rumored to be mentally and physically impaired, though no one is sure as to the extent of their condition. August is apprehensive about their mission’s location but learns that the real source of trepidation originates from within his own crew.

Wastebasket is the first installment of the Habitual Humanity series by J. M. Tompkins. The Habitual Humanity series will follow America’s fall into an apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic future.

My Review

I chose to read this novella after receiving a free e-copy from the author. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

This novella is super short but the author has fit enough information into it that I’m already hooked. August is the main character and he is on a submarine serving his required six years. He isn’t perfect, of course, but he is a good guy.

When August and four other crew members are required to rescue a drone from the Wastebasket, they have no idea what to expect. Can they get in and get out without any complications?

I’m looking forward to the next installment of the Habitual Humanity series. I want to find out more about the characters and this “new” America.

About the Author

J. M. Tompkins worked within the field of technology sales until she was able to focus on her passion for writing. A late-blooming nerd, she enjoys a variety of interests including theology, history, genetics, and astronomy. Her novels and short stories contain each of these elements within dystopian worlds and science fiction plots.

J. M. lives in Georgia with her equally nerdy husband and her son. She loves cooking, reading, hiking, and spending time with her family and her two Italian Greyhounds.

http://www.creativityuntamed.com/

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Book Review: The Seer’s Fate by Christine Amsden

 

She can see the future, but she can’t escape it…

Danielle Hastings has lived countless possible futures, and getting involved with Adam Scot always ends in heartbreak. The gift of foresight has led her to one solid conclusion: avoid Adam at all costs. But when she sees a tornado tearing through downtown Eagle Rock – and Adam helping her save dozens of lives – she knows she has no choice.

Adam lives a charmed life; thanks to his powerful gift of charisma, everyone has a hard time saying no to him. Everyone, that is, except Danielle. Adam is determined to break through her shell…until he finds out the real reason she’s avoiding him. But by the time he realizes there’s no hope for a future for them, he’s in too deep to back out.

It seems there’s only one question the fates haven’t already answered: Will he break her heart, or will she break his?

Amazon

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My Review

I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

One of my favorite series is the Cassie Scot series which takes place in Eagle Rock. Adam Scot is a little brother of Cassie’s and his gift is charisma. He always gets what he wants just by turning on the charm. Danielle Hastings is a seer and she knows that there is an attraction between her and Adam. She also knows that Adam will hurt her in the future. She has followed many different paths and every one has shown him hurting her. Because of that, she knows that she should stay away from him, but can she?

Danielle spends many hours looking into the future and sometimes she doesn’t know if some things are memories or things she’s seen in the future. Maybe she’s spending too much time in the future and not enough time living in the present. 

Even though this is a novella, Danielle’s character is well developed. I enjoyed reading The Seer’s Fate while I’m waiting for the next full length novel in the series.  

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About the Author

Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, which scars the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. In addition to being a writer, she’s a mom and freelance editor.

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Book Review: If…Lost or Found by Jackie Mae

If Lost or Found banner

If...Lost or FoundTitle: If…Lost or Found
Author: Jackie Mae
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 72
Genre: New Adult/Contemporary Romance/Paranormal

Traveling abroad, Sabrina’s grand adventure is about to change. Needing to go home and rectify the wrongs that are hovering ever constant around her, she finds herself thrust into a whole new set of truths she must confront. What if she had chosen differently? What if she had followed her parents’ guidance? Acceptance, freedom, being a worldly woman, had all seemed so important. Now, however, her path will lead her into the unknown. On her own, she must confront her fears head-on. When she meets “dream man,” she dares to hope, but life has its own plan. Is she strong enough for what destiny has in store for her? What will the cost be this time?

For More Information

  • If…Lost or Found is available at Amazon.
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My Review

I received a free ecopy of this book for an honest review.

This isn’t the easiest review to write because the first half of the book was slow and I was thankful it wasn’t very long. The second half, however, kept my interest so well that I didn’t put the book down until I was done.

Sabrina is a different kind of person and some of that is because of how her life has unfolded but she also seems to be a little “off.” After taking a few years to party overseas, she comes home and settles down, going to school working and living alone. She doesn’t really have close friends or family since her parents died.

Once “dream man” comes into the story it gets more interesting. Is he truly as perfect for her as she thinks? If not, will she find out in time?

 

 

 Excerpt

“If,” could mean different things to different people. If—I were a better person. If—I were rich, thinner, or prettier. If—I were black, white, Asian, male or female, shorter or taller. If—I had been born to a different set of parents. If—I had more friends. If—I had a better job. If. That one little word can take you places or make you crazy…

“I used to. Now I live on the other side of town,” he stated.

Why? “Why do you drive out of your way, just to come here? There must be a dozen places you could eat at that are closer.”

“None of those places have you.”

She felt like a sinkhole had just swallowed her up and she found it hard to breathe. “Me?”

“Yes. You.”

Sabrina might have acted differently, if she hadn’t known. But, she did know, and that made all the difference…

Sabrina worked the third shift Friday and Saturday nights at Mike’s Dine-In Café & Carryout. She also worked part-time at R&P Insurance Company Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8 to 2, all while finishing up her degree in Meteorology. She would be getting her B.S. Although she knew she would eventually need her Master’s to secure a good paying job, she figured getting a lower paying job in Meteorology would be infinitely higher in pay than either of her present jobs, and more than both jobs combined.

She was in her last semester. It had been quite the struggle. She remembered vividly all the details from the last four years. She often wondered what would have been different if she had stayed home and went to school. Would things have been different if she had heeded her parent’s wishes? All those lectures from Mom and Dad haunted her. They had practically begged her to go to college right after graduation. They had even offered to pay for it, because they all knew her grades were not good enough to secure a scholarship. It wasn’t that she was a bad student; she just had ‘learning deficiencies,’ as mom put it, that her teachers didn’t understand. Try as she might, she couldn’t conform to the rest of her classes’ learning techniques.

Her parents had told her to apply for financial aid, that, if needed, they would pay her way. But there was a big, bold, world out there waiting for one Sabrina A. Jeffries and she had wanted more. It would be thrilling. No more little town that didn’t understand her needs. The mere idea that she would be making her own decisions, living as she designed, making her own mark on humanity, was compelling. It was as if the world had been waiting for her to grow into her own—waiting for her to fulfill her destiny. For this group of people, called her hometown, she bitterly thought they disparaged her spirit. There was no doubt in her mind, she was meant for a grand adventure.

She rationalized the notion of taking one year off to ‘live and learn,’ to really find herself, to explore all the possibilities that life had to offer, and then she would come home and start school, as was expected of her. No amount of ‘talking to’ or censure would dissuade her.

She had promised her parents no more than one year. But one year had led to two, then three, then four. Four long years had gone by in a flash and she found herself missing both her parents and hometown. She was now a woman; a learned and experienced woman of the world. She had traveled extensively throughout Europe.

Her very first stop was in the beautiful country of the Netherlands. She lived there for about the first six months. Those six months, really five months, twelve days, and about seven and a half hours, had been a real eye opener. It had been the first place in a long line of places she landed without much of a plan or care.

Sitting at a little outdoor café beside the rail station in Rotterdam, Holland, Sabrina was busy sifting through her purse for a map. Looking for lodging, she was already having second thoughts about her rash plan to find a place to stay when she saw a place she liked.

A good-looking, tall, dark man with wavy hair interrupted her thoughts when he sat down at the table. This was a suave, super cool, good looking man, and he was looking at her, smiling. He wore a leather jacket with the lapels turned up and tight dark pants. His shoulder length jet-black hair and green shaded eyes made him the best eye candy she’d seen in a good long while. No one in her hometown looked like this. No one. Looking at him resulted in an electrification of the senses. Heat had been rising right there in the middle of the town square; it was a new and thrilling experience for Sabrina.

About the Author

Jackie MaeJackie Mae is an award-winning author. She writes in several genres including new adult, women’s fiction, contemporary romance, paranormal, mystery/thriller/suspense, science fiction, and juvenile fiction for the middle grade.

In the “If…” series, what-ifs will be taken to a whole new level. What if you knew your future? What if you could change your destiny? What if you couldn’t? Faced with choices, what would you do?

In addition to the “If…” series, she also writes a series called, THE DARKEST SERIES, which chronicles women who struggle with their new found psychic abilities while trying to stop an invasion.

Jackie Mae’s children’s chapter book series, A Taylor and Alan Adventure, is co-authored with her young granddaughter, Alison Taylor. In the Taylor and Alan Adventures, where faction meets fiction, you will meet Taylor and Alan a sister/brother duo, who are called on to help the good wizards of the land. Artfully weaving rich history into the story, it instills the concept of being mindful and respectful of the environment while appropriately thrilling the young audience. A portion of the proceeds goes to the Caitlin Dunbar Nature Center to help support Girl Scouts. This juvenile fiction series for the middle grade is sure to please readers.

Jackie also finds time to volunteer within her community. “Giving back is a big part of who I am.” When she is not volunteering she is writing, gardening, or spending time with her grandchildren.

Her latest book is the New Adult/contemporary romance/paranormal, If…Lost or Found.

For More Information

Book Review: Ruse by Kaley Copely

22911209Title: Ruse

Author: Kaley Copely

Genre: Erotica

Publication date: August 1, 2014

 

Book Description:

WARNING: This story contains explicit sex.

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Asta Everly is one of the wealthiest girls on campus—maybe even the wealthiest.
But as long as people know their place, Asta’s middle name could be bitch—for all she cares.

But lately they’ve attached a new name.
Whore.
And the frenzy has stuck viciously in her mind.

When there’s no going back, the best consolation she has is to destroy someone else’s reputation—someone not so wealthy, someone untouched—too pure to even hook up one time before saying I do. The girl on campus whose face is smattered over every pathetic, waste of time, good deed, fundraising poster.
She just needs to enlist a game player to even her private score. . .

 

Review:

I received a free ecopy of this book for an honest review.

Ruse is a novella about Asta, Bryson, and Shay, who are all college kids. Asta is a self-centered brat who can’t stand Shay. It’s obvious that she’s jealous of Shay and she wants to hurt her, so she tries to set her up for a big heartache. What ends up happening is what I expected, thank goodness.

I didn’t care at all for Asta, the main character, and because this is a short story, I didn’t really get to know much about Bryson or Shay except that they both seemed like decent people.

Although I didn’t care much for the content of the story, Kaley Copely does have a good writing style. It’s easy to follow and flows well.

Book Review: Confessions of the Cuckold by J. David Core

18666823Title: Confessions of the Cuckold

Author: J. David Core

Publication Date: 2013

Pages: 57

Book Description:

“He destroyed everything of mine.” Eric said as tears filled his sunken eyes. “He destroyed my life. He broke my future, so I broke his windshield. I shouldn’t have to pay for that.”

The last person Eric Dadjov would have expected to confide in was the bounty hunter sent to take him to court, but his wife has betrayed him leaving his life in shambles. A careless moment purging his anger has led to formal charges, so when he learns that he might have more in common with the forlorn bounty hunter than he thinks, a frustrated Eric just begins venting.

Gradually, the details of Dadjov’s story begin to suggest that he has a sinister plan for revenge brewing. Is the bounty hunter complicit, a dupe, or is he the next victim of the cuckold?

 

Review:

I received a free ecopy of this novella for an honest review.

Some novellas are difficult to get into because there’s not much time or the reader to engage. That wasn’t the case with Confessions of the Cuckold. I read it in one sitting and it never lost my interest.

I like the way the narrator, whose name was never given, told most of the story to another character (a pedophile of all things) until the end.

Part of the ending was exactly what I expected but part of it was a complete surprise. That’s the way I like it!

I definitely recommend Confessions of the Cuckold, especially if you’re looking for something short but good.

 

Available on Amazon.