Marijuana Mayhem + Mexican Mafia = Chaos

Posted on by June 26, 2018
Reply

Deb’s Dozen: Marijuana mayhem maligns small town police department causing chaos, confusion, and crime.

Lethal Target by Janice Cantore is the second book in her Line of Duty series and was so good, I immediately purchased the first book in the series to catch up! Tess O’Rourke is the police chief in Rogue’s Hollow. Marijuana has been legalized by the state and now the town is deciding whether to allow stores. That’s causing enough dissension but then a popular teen by is found dead in his bedroom, and the death seems drug-related on the surface. One clue leads to another and another and Tess finds herself in an unwieldly web of pot and politics, mafia and mayhem.

Enhancing her uncomfortable state of mind is her angst over the death of her father, a heroic police officer, who was shot and killed in the line of duty. She’s never forgiven God for not stopping the murder. Blend in Oliver Macpherson, the local pastor, who is finding out he has feelings for Tess but primarily wants to bring her back to her faith.

Add to the mix a character who has come up from Long Beach specifically to harass Tess, a Mexican mafioso who also wants her dead, a dirty cop, an ex-boyfriend, and a murder charge—well, Tess has had better years.

I loved Lethal Target, and I love the character of Tess. She’s real, she’s tough, and she’s tender—all at the same time. Oliver Macpherson is a wonderful character—I’d love to have him as a friend. Cantore creates great characters and weaves them together in a fantastic story. I am anticipating book three! Five stars!

Lethal TargetJanice Cantore has the experience to write about these situations. She’s a retired Long Beach police officer with twenty-two years of experience on the force. Line of Duty is her third series, following the Cold Case Justice series and the Pacific Coast Justice series.

Tyndale House Publishers provided me with an Advance Reader Copy of Lethal TargetLethal Target, but I was in no way obligated to write a review.

Fugitive Father’s Baby Instead of Coffee–Wow!

Posted on by September 15, 2018
Reply

Deb’s Dozens: Went in for Coffee, Came out with Baby. Fugitive Father Kidnaps Both.

DiAnn Mills is one of my favorite suspense authors because she always manages to keep us guessing until she’s ready for us to know the answers. In Burden of Proof, we can assume the answers, but how we get there is a spine-tingling ride.

FBI Special Agent April Ramos is emotionally drained. She has just lost a negotiation with a man determined to jump to his death, and she is reeling. Wearing her FBI jacket, she enters her favorite coffee shop to grab a donut and some coffee. A woman with a crying baby asks her if she’s really FBI. When April says yes, the woman shoves the baby into April’s arms and leaves.

Carrying the baby, April goes outside to try to find the woman. Unsuccessful, she heads back to the front of the building only to hear, “Stop! You have my daughter!” She turns to see a man jogging up to her. “Why did you kidnap my daughter?”

April tells him she’s an FBI agent and a woman gave her the baby. The man demands the baby—April refuses until she knows who he is and whether he has custody of the baby. The man, a fugitive, shows her the gun tucked under his jacket, and we’re off! April is in a negotiation for her life and that of the baby. How the issue is resolved—well, you’ll have to read Burden of Proof.

Suffice it to say DiAnn has created yet another pair of memorable characters. She’s drawn April Ramos to a T, and Jason, the escaped fugitive and the baby’s dad, is a totally sympathetic person. I loved the interactions as April tries to work out the best solution to the problem. Another five stars for DiAnn!

DiAnn Mills is a much-awarded author, who writes action/suspense/romance novels. She’s won two Christy Awards and been on numerous best-seller lists. Burden of Proof is the first book in her new FBI: Rapid Response series. DiAnn lives near Houston where she crafts her highly researched yarns.

Tyndale gave me a copy of Burden of Proof, but I was in no way obligated to write a review.

Prayers Bring Hope, Joy, and Faith to Cancer Sufferers

Posted on by October 2, 2018
Reply

To purchase One-Minute Prayers® for Those with Cancer, click the links or the cover.

Deb’s Dozen: Prayers to Bring Hope, Joy, and Faith to Those Afflicted with Cancer.

One-Minute Prayers® for Those with Cancer by Nick Harrison is a blessing and a joy. Nick has written short, easily digestible prayers most of us who’ve had or have cancer have wanted to say. He precedes each prayer with an applicable Scripture verse and a short note of encouragement.

The book is pocket or purse sized with a leatherette cover that makes transporting the book easy. A person can take the book wherever they go—even to chemo or other treatments—to ensure they have encouragement and thoughtful words with them.

Although written from a Christian perspective, these prayers will help anyone who’s called out from the depths of their emotions during their cancer walks. Nick, a cancer survivor himself, understands where we go in our minds and hearts during this journey. I wish I’d had this resource with me during the time I had cancer and was undergoing treatment in the early 2000s.

One of my favorite entries has the familiar “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” As Nick writes, we are often heavy laden when we go through the cancer experience. “But one of God’s greatest gifts for the weary is rest.” The prayer follows those lines, “Thank you that when I find rest in you, I also find a source of renewed strength.”

I was blessed reading these prayers even though my cancer journey has ended. You will be too—and this little book would be a wonderful gift to anyone you know who is fighting the scourge of cancer. Five plus stars.

One-Minute PrayersNick Harrison is an agent with WordServe Literary and the author of more than a dozen books, including two more in the One-Minute Prayers® series—for Husbands and for Dads. I’ve known Nick for many years and find him a thoughtful, kind man who is a pleasure to know. Nick and his wife, Beverly, are the parents of three adult daughters and live in Oregon.

Harvest House Publishers sent me a copy of One-Minute Prayers® for Those with Cancer, but I am in no way obligated to write a review. And having read the book, I’m going to share with an acquaintance of mine who is walking her cancer journey. I trust she’ll be encouraged.