Suspense/Thriller–Power, Greed, and Ambition

Posted on by November 20, 2019
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suspense/thrillerDeb’s Dozen: Ambitious Man, Supportive Trophy Wife, Scorned Mistress, and Secrets Lead to Murder

Another suspense/thriller from Irene Hannon,Dark Ambitions draws us into a world of blind ambition, unwavering loyalty, dark jealousy, and budding romance. Phoenix Inc, the PI firm featured in the last few novels in the Code of Honor series, takes front and center again. They’ve acquired a new employee, Heather Shields. Heather fits right in with her background as a cop and a detective.

About the Book

Christmas holidays and one of the principal’s vacation deplete their resources, so Heather draws the newest client, Rick Jordan. Rick found blood on the ice outside his home and senses someone intruded. He intuits the intruder might be a friend from the 160th Night Stalker Regiment, Jackson (Boomer) Dunn. The police don’t think the blood warrants a full-blown investigation, so he contracts with Phoenix Inc, and therefore, Heather.

Enter Brad Weston, successful businessman contemplating a run for governor of Missouri. His trophy wife, Lindsey, covets the position of first lady. But Brad hides two secrets–one from when he served in the military, and one who keeps popping up, his ex-mistress, Ellen Chambers. The suspense heightens when Brad tells Ellen running for governor dominates his future. She and his secret must both stay hidden.

And so the characters all people the stage, and the suspense/thriller begins. Solving the mystery before the story ends seems unlikely, but the journey stimulates our imaginations. You will love this novel–and the new member of Phoenix Inc. Five stars–buy Dark Ambitions now.

About Irene

Murder, Hidden PerilOne of my fave authors, Irene Hannon exemplifies the successful writer. After a successful career as a corporate communication manager, she left the fluorescent lights and cubbies to write. Winner of three RITA awards from Romance Writers of America and a member of their hall of fame, Irene also claims over fifty contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels to her credit. All of her suspense novels have been ECPA/CBA bestsellers. She and her husband live in Missouri and enjoy traveling, coffee shops, and each other. Find out more about Irene at irenehannon.com.

Revell, a division of Baker Books, gave me a complimentary copy of Dark Ambitions but in no way required me to write a review.

Murder in the Family or Murder the Family?

Posted on by November 20, 2019
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murder mysteryDeb’s Dozen: Chasing Hurricanes Is Nothing Compared to Murder and an Abandoned Dead Body

Ramona Richards gives us an intriguing murder mystery in Murder in the Family. The book, peopled with all sorts of fascinating characters from an antiquarian aunt to raucous relatives fascinated me. You will want to curl up in your chair with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Enjoy getting lost in the vagaries of house cleaning after a hoarder.

About the Book

Molly McClelland returns to her hometown to deal with an unanticipated legacy left her by her aunt. Molly suffers conflict from being forced to leave behind her hurricane-chasing partners. Her friend and partner Sarah suffered severe injuries during their last chase. And yet Aunt Elizabeth held an important place in her heart and life too.

As she arrives at the attorney, Russell Williams’ office, so do two of her feistiest relatives. His secretary urges her inside and locks the door. What on earth? Seems the relatives think they should have inherited. They determine to cause Molly nothing but trouble. She wants nothing to do with the inheritance but a letter from Aunt Liz convinces her to at least look at the house. And Molly doubts Aunt Liz just died—she thinks someone committed murder–either accidentally or on purpose.

After arriving in a caravan of the attorney, the relatives and her, the house and contents Aunt Liz left overwhelm Molly. But where to start? And what to do with the cantankerous relatives? Williams tells her he need to place a guard on the house to keep those relatives from walking off with all the contents. The discoveries begin. Why do the relatives seem bent on stripping the house? What smells so strongly?

Molly, some helpful neighbors, the sheriff, and the attorney begin the task of clearing the house of decades of junk and debris in order to find anything that may be valuable. All the while, the relatives squabble with the sheriff and with Molly.

I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns and surprises as Molly begins her task. If you like a good mystery with fascinating characters and a bit of romance, buy Murder in the Family—and thank the good Lord you don’t have Molly’s family. Five stars!

About Ramona

murder mysteryRamona Richards grew up entranced with Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, and Robin Kane—a lady after my own heart. Presently, she holds the position of Associate Publisher for Iron Stream Media and lives near Birmingham, Alabama. But Ramona still creates new ways of murder and mayhem to thrill her fans.

The author gifted me with a copy of Murder In the Family but did not obligate me to write a review.

Cozy Romance Firmly Grounded in Coffee

Posted on by November 20, 2019
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romance grounded in coffeeDeb’s Dozen: A Cup of Coffee Toast to Cozy Romance Firmly Grounded on Coffee

Carla Laureano’s Supper Club series delights me. Each book in the series reveals more about the three main characters. I am enticed to like them even more than I already did. If you’ve not read the first two novels, The Saturday Night Supper Club and Brunch at Bittersweet Café, stop right now, go buy and read them. If you love cozy romance, they will not disappoint you. You will enjoy The Solids Grounds Coffee Company even more than if you read as a stand-alone book.

About the Book

Analyn (Ana) Sanchez works long hours with distasteful clients in her job as a crisis management associate at a large publicity firm in Denver. She needs to prove to her family her job choices suit her and bring her not only financial returns, but happiness. Unfortunately, at the moment, happiness eludes her. Getting entangled in a cozy romance is not on her dashboard.

Bryan Shaw, professional mountain climber, suffered a disastrous accident while climbing with a former girlfriend in South America. Even hooking up with her at all demonstrated bad judgment. Bryan loses all his sponsorships and must find other means of support. He jumps on the opportunity to buy a coffee company and interns with the former owners to learn how to roast the beans. However, when he returns home, he finds he lacks sufficient skill to run a business.

In the meantime, Ana has refused to work with an obnoxious client. As a result, she loses her job. When they meet, they discover each other could be the solution to their respective problems. And so begins a fascinating adventure into the world of coffee with a side of cozy romance. You’ll love how Ana and Bryan work together. And you’ll love reading about all the things that trip them up on the way. Five Stars—go purchase The Solid Grounds Coffee Company and give yourself a gift!

About Carla

RomanceCarla Laureano won two RITA Awards–one for the Saturday Night Supper Club series. After graduating from Pepperdine University, she worked as a sales and marketing executive for almost ten years before leaving the corporate world behind to write fiction full-time. She, her husband, and two sons currently live in Denver. Learn more about Carla at her website, CarlaLaureano.com.

Tyndale House gave me a copy of The Solid Grounds Coffee Company but did not obligate me in any way to write a review.