Brought up believing that sex is the devil’s work, a killer
only finds release once he has saved his victim’s souls. Abiding by his vision,
he marks them as his. A gift to guide his chosen ones on the rightful path to
redemption.
Detective Inspector Paolo Sterling is out to stop him, but
Paolo has problems of his own. Hunting down the killer as the death toll rises,
the lines soon blur between Paolo’s personal and professional lives.
I had planned to review this book, because I really enjoyed Joan’s last novel, Redneck’s Revenge , but I’m still not well enough to deal with e-readers.
Blurb
Isabel Long is a bit banged up from her last case with a broken collarbone and her arm in a sling. But that doesn’t stop her from pouring beer at the Rooster Bar or taking her third case with Gary Beaumont, a local drug dealer who once terrorized her. Gary is convinced his brother didn’t jump off a bridge known for suicides. Somebody pushed him.
Gary’s brother was a boozer who drove for a highway crew. But what interests Isabel and her ‘Watson’ — her 93-year-old mother who lives with her — is that the man wrote poetry.
The chief suspects are one of Gary’s business associates and a famous poet who plagiarized his brother’s poetry for an award-winning book. Yes, he was that good.
As a journalist, Isabel did regular meetups with her sources for stories. She called it checking the traps. She does the same as a private investigator, and this time, she’ll make sure she doesn’t get caught in one.
Joan Livingston is the author of novels for adult and
young readers. Checking the Traps,
published by Crooked Cat Books, is the third in the mystery series featuring
Isabel Long, a long-time journalist who becomes an amateur P.I. The first two
are Chasing the Case and Redneck’s Revenge.
An award-winning journalist, she started as a reporter
covering the hill towns of Western Massachusetts. She was an editor, columnist,
and the managing editor of The Taos News,
which won numerous state and national awards during her tenure.
After eleven years in Northern New Mexico, she returned
to rural Western Massachusetts, which is the setting of much of her adult
fiction, including the Isabel Long mystery series.
DCI Michael Yorke faces his most harrowing case yet.
When 12-year-old Paul disappears from school, Yorke’s only clue is a pool of animal blood. Fearing the worst, he turns toward the most obvious suspect, recently released local murderer, Thomas Ray.
But as the snow in Salisbury worsens, Ray’s mutilated body is discovered, and Yorke is left with no choice but to journey into the sinister heart of a demented family that has plagued the community for generations. Can he save the boy? Or will the evil he discovers changes him forever?
One Last Prayer for the Rays introducing DCI Michael Yorke.
19 year
old Sean hasn’t seen his father since he was twelve. His mother has never
really explained why. An argument with her leads to his moving to the other
side of the country.
Martin,
his father, has his life thrown into turmoil when the son he hasn’t seen in
nearly eight years strolls back into his life immediately killing his dog and
hospitalising his step-daughter.
The one
thing they have in common is the friendship of a girl called Rhiannon.
Over the
course of one summer Sean experiences sexual awakenings from all angles,
discovers the fleeting nature of friendship and learns to cope with rejection.
Martin,
meanwhile, struggles to reconnect with Sean while trying to delicately turn
down the increasingly inappropriate advances of a girl he sees as a surrogate
daughter and keep a struggling marriage alive.
Gap Years is an exploration of what it means to be a man in the 21st Century seen from two very different perspectives – neatly hidden inside a funny story about bicycles, guitars and unrequited love.
Published By: Crooked Cat Books Publication Date: 13th December 2018 Formats available: Kindle and Paperback Price: Kindle – £1.99, Paperback – £6.99 IS.B.N.: 9781731437822
Blurb
Beth Haldane, SE21’s answer to Miss Marple, thinks she is going for a carefree stroll on Peckham Rye with her best friend, Katie, and her annoying new puppy, Teddy. But before Beth knows it, she is embroiled in her most perplexing mystery yet.
Strange events from her family’s past, present-day skulduggery in the art world, and the pressures of moving school in south London threaten to overwhelm Beth. Will she be able to piece together the puzzle before her son’s crucial interview at Wyatt’s? Or will Beth’s insatiable curiosity finally drag down all her dreams for the future?
Join Beth, her irascible on-off boyfriend, Detective Inspector Harry York of the Metropolitan Police, and the dog walkers of Peckham Rye in a tale of murder, mayhem – and bloody revenge.
For a chance to win a signed copy of Revenge on the Rye, keep reading.
I will be one of the last to review so check out everyone else if you want to know more. I’ve enjoyed the others in this series so I expect I’ll have a positive review for this one too. Here’s the blurb.
Revenge on the Rye
Beth Haldane, SE21’s answer to Miss Marple, thinks she is going for a carefree stroll on Peckham Rye with her best friend, Katie, and her annoying new puppy, Teddy. But before Beth knows it, she is embroiled in her most perplexing mystery yet.
Strange events from her family’s past, present-day skulduggery in the art world, and the pressures of moving school in south London threaten to overwhelm Beth. Will she be able to piece together the puzzle before her son’s crucial interview at Wyatt’s? Or will Beth’s insatiable curiosity finally drag down all her dreams for the future? Join Beth, her irascible on-off boyfriend, Detective Inspector Harry York of the Metropolitan Police, and the dog walkers of Peckham Rye in a tale of murder, mayhem – and bloody revenge.
When Haydan’s home world is invaded by a soul demon seeking an item shrouded in myth and legend, his father evicts him and sends him to safety. His chosen one and warrior should provide reassurance and sanctuary, but neither appears to be working very well. Just when he thinks matters cannot get any worse his scheming grandmother arrives. She has her own plans that appear to involve him, none of which bodes well.
Diego feels confident he has the soul demon under control. Overlooking his devious mother’s involvement, he fails to appreciate that he is not only storm rider elder, but also an elven prince and certain debts are about to become due.
Lavinia worries about her grandson, but also who she left behind in the elven realm a long time ago. Tallin thinks she abandoned him and he is livid. She has everything under control, including Tallin…at least that is what she thinks.
They all need to learn afresh who to trust. With a soul demon on the rampage, an unleashed, angry and betrayed elven king and a long-forgotten mask surfacing, what could possibly go wrong?
The past is about to catch up with all of them. Nothing is going to go as planned because the mask and the gods have other ideas.
Published By: Black Rose Writing Publication Date: 19th January 2019 Format: Kindle Price: Free on Kindle Unlimited/£6.23
Blurb
He blends in. He is successful, intelligent and methodical. There are no clues. There are no leads. The only thing the FBI and local police have to go on is the method of death: two bullets to the face- gruesome and meant to send a message. But it’s difficult to understand any message coming from a dark and damaged mind. Two adopted boys, struggling in their own world, have no idea they are the next targets. Neither does their family. And neither does local law enforcement.
Everything Is Better With Dragons 