Book Tour and Review: The Judge’s Lawyer

BOOK REVIEW

This is a compelling legal thriller with a professionally smart but flawed main character whose extreme gambling debts have made him vulnerable. This novel will keep the reader enthralled with its intriguing plot and strong writing. The character descriptions make them come alive, for example, “The man carried some serious presence; maybe in another lifetime he could have been a scene-stealing character actor whose name you never remember but with a face you never forget. His eyes were coal-black pools, giving the impression that nothing existed behind them, as if they were there just for show.”

The fast pace is appreciated by this reader, and in between all of the action is great character development and some of the best writing I have seen in a legal thriller. The consequences of a gambling addiction are made plain, as is the importance of facing up to your mistakes. The evils of human trafficking and organized crime are brought to the forefront.

The author, Dylan H. Jones, easily holds his own, and then some, with those who are at the top of the genre. In fact, now that I have read his work, I will have higher expectations for legal thrillers in the future.

I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via Zooloo’s Book Tours. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

🎉 DYLAN H. JONES 🎉

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Dylan H. Jones is the author of the best-selling Detective Tudor Manx series, set on the idyllic Welsh island of Anglesey.

A native Welsh speaker, Dylan was born on the Isle of Anglesey and left at the age of eighteen to study at Leeds University. His love of storytelling and writing began at a young age when he slipped a copy of Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock from his father’s bookshelf.

Dylan’s debut novel, Anglesey Blue, was an immediate hit, taking the Amazon #1 spot in Welsh Crime on the first day of release. The novel was also long listed for the Guardian Newspaper’s prestigious readers’ choice award, Not the Booker Prize.

His following two novels, Doll Face and Shadow Soul, soon became firm favorites of crime fiction fans, and established DI Manx as a fresh, compelling protagonist in Welsh Noir. His standalone thriller, What Follows, set in Oakland CA, was published in 2021.

Dylan is also a creative director and ad agency copywriter, and now lives in Oakland, California with his wife, Laura, and daughter Isabella. Dylan loves great coffee and fine wines, and can often be found around the coffee shops of Oakland conversing with the locals and seeking inspiration in his next shot of espresso.

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Where can you find Dylan?

Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/angleseyblue/
Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/dylanjonesauthor/
Websitehttps://www.dylanjonesauthor.com/

Book Links

Goodreads | Purchase Link

Thank you to Zooloo’s Book Tours for a spot on the tour.

Book Tour and Book Review: In The Blink of an Eye #Bookouture #KateHewitt

It only took a moment for everything to go wrong. A little girl is hurt, but who is to blame?

I’m so happy as I walk to pick up my seven-year-old son from the birthday party. It’s his first since we moved here, and I know he’s found it hard settling in. Just as I’ve found it hard to make friends among the mothers at the school gates. But as I turn the corner, my heart stops when I see an ambulance.

I start to run. My son, is all I can think. I have to find my son.

As I race into the garden, desperately searching for my blue-eyed little boy, a fellow parent turns to me, her finger pointed. The words out of her mouth make my blood run cold.

Your son did this. This is your fault.”

Surely that can’t be true? My son can be difficult, but I’d know if he was capable of hurting someone… Wouldn’t I?

As a little girl is lifted onto a stretcher, I feel my world come crashing down. My heart cracks in two for this poor child, her devastated family. Because there’s no coming back from this. An innocent girl has been hurt. My son is being blamed. But I’m his mother, and I’ll do whatever it takes to find out what really happened…

A totally gripping and emotional novel about trust, female friendship and betrayal. Perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty and Susan Lewis.

BOOK REVIEW

This is a compelling story that shows the power of words, and how they can hurt. It shows the consequences of making assumptions and excluding people based on what you think you might know. And through almost every single character, it shows how appearances can be deceiving. The characters are well developed and are woven together into a story of an elementary school where status matters and everyone gathers around the “perfect Mom.” And it shows the people left on the edges, those who do not appear to be as unflawed as the clique of Moms that presides over the school.

My only slight criticism is that the story moves a little slowly in the beginning. But the power of spoken words, and how they can cause catastrophe whether they are true or not, is so well laid out here that it makes this book an important read.

my rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 on sites with no half-star option.

I received a free copy of this book from Bookouture via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | X (TWITTER)

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Thank you to BOOKOUTURE for the opportunity to read this book.

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Book Tour and Review: The New Son

BOOK DESCRIPTION

BOOK REVIEW

This is an exciting, heart-pounding thriller with an intriguing premise. Nina is in a not-so-great relationship, which also comes with a rude and ungrateful “stepdaughter.” Then the son she gave up years ago shows up on her doorstep. Is he the key to a new life?

The story is full of twists and turns. The present tense is used, and that’s not my favorite, but it works here. The author uses a plot twist that’s been famously used before, but they give appropriate credit to that work within the story, which I appreciated. The secrets, lies, intrigue, and action are woven well together. Readers should hold onto their hats, the edges of their seats, and possibly their hearts. Overall, this is a compelling psychological thriller that fans of that genre will enjoy.

I received a free copy of this book via Zooloo’s book tours. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Iain Maitland is the author of three previous psych thrillers for Inkubator Books: The Soulmate, The Perfect Husband and The Girl Downstairs.

Iain is also the author of two memoirs, Dear Michael, Love Dad, a book of letters written to his eldest son who experienced depression and anorexia, and (co-authored with Michael) Out Of The Madhouse.

He has also written a semi-autobiographical novel, The Old Man, His Dog & Their Longest Journey.

He is an Ambassador for Stem4, the teenage mental health charity. He talks regularly about mental health issues in schools and colleges and workplaces.

Find out more about Iain at www.iainmaitland.net  and twitter.com/iainmaitland

BOOK LINKS

AMAZON AMAZON UK

*Kindle Unlimited Subscribers can read this for free.

Book Tour and Spotlight: Atom Inc


BOOK DESCRIPTION

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I write what I love to read – big-issue thrillers that are super well-researched inside a complex plot full of twists and turns.

The result of the above is The Race Is On series or TRIO. The best sequence to read it in is as follows:

– MAD, a 120-page prequel novella that you can download from my website

– LEAP, Book 1, kicks off the TRIO series

– Green Ray, Book 2, is set five years after the end of LEAP

– ATOM, INC, Book 3, which picks up immediately from the end of Green Ray

I live in Leeds, UK with the love of my life and our two daughters. It rains a lot in Leeds but that works out well for me – loads of time for research and of course writing!

OC’s Links

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Website

Book Links

Goodreads | Buy Links

Indie Spotlight: False Truth and Dark Truth

Below are book descriptions and buy links for the first two books in the Joe Wilde series, a mystery/thriller that will be a total of three books. A link to my past review of Book One, False Truth, can be found below.  Book Two, Dark Truth, was just published in December and I will post a review at a later date.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

False Truth

Private Investigator and former MI6 agent Joe Wilde is hired by Sally Devlin to investigate her son’s disappearance. Liam Devlin was a rising football star. His car was found abandoned at Lea Bridge in Hackney, a known suicide spot, six weeks prior. With help from friend and retired MI6 Data Technician Mark Thompson, Joe uncovers a huge secret in Liam’s life. Putting the pieces together, he starts to suspect that this case is far more complex than he originally envisioned. Falling ever deeper into his own investigations, Joe meets with the detective in charge of the case, D. I. Carl Whatmore, who does not take kindly to Joe getting involved. As Joe and D. I. Whatmore go head-to-head in their own investigations, more lives are put in danger. But who will crack the case? Only time will tell…

My review of False Truth can be found here.

Dark Truth

‘Dark Truth’, the second in a series of three novels, is a suspenseful mystery thriller full of intrigue that will leave you guessing right until the very end. Private investigator Joe Wilde is hired by Tom and Marie Archer to investigate the disappearance of their six-year-old daughter Laura. Joe also takes on an unusual case for a client by the name of Jack Riley. Jack believes he was framed to make it look like he was cheating on his fiancée Claire Brooks. Claire has been the target of disturbing vandalism. As Joe helps the police investigate Laura’s disappearance, he uncovers disturbing secrets concerning the Archers and some of their neighbours. Meanwhile the attacks on Claire become more extreme. Fearing for her life, Claire also hires Joe. As Joe continues to investigate, he puts himself in great danger.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C.D. Steele is the author of the Joe Wilde mystery thriller series. There are at present two books in the series, False Truth which was published by The Book Guild on the 28/04/21 and Dark Truth which was published by The Conrad Press on the 15/11/23.

He works as an Executive Officer in the Civil Service, has a degree in Recreation Management and lives in County Down, Northern Ireland.

GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

PURCHASE LINKS

FALSE TRUTH: AMAZON UK | AMAZON US

DARK TRUTH: AMAZON UK | AMAZON US

Book Review: Random in Death by J.D. Robb #JDRobb #InDeath #Thrillers #BookReviews

BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM PUBLISHER)

In the new crime thriller from #1 New York Times-bestselling J.D. Robb, a small and easily concealed weapon wreaks havoc, and the killer is just a face in the crowd.

Jenna’s parents had finally given in, and there she was, at a New York club with her best friends, watching the legendary band Avenue A, carrying her demo in hopes of slipping it to the guitarist, Jake Kincade. Then, from the stage, Jake catches her eye, and smiles. It’s the best night of her life.
It’s the last night of her life.

Minutes later, Jake’s in the alley getting some fresh air, and the girl from the dance floor comes stumbling out, sick and confused and deathly pale. He tries to help, but it’s no use. He doesn’t know that someone in the crowd has jabbed her with a needle—and when his girlfriend Nadine arrives, she knows the only thing left to do for the girl is call her friend, Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

After everyone on the scene is interviewed, lab results show a toxic mix of substances in the victim’s body—and for an extra touch of viciousness, the needle was teeming with infectious agents. Dallas searches for a pattern: Had any boys been harassing Jenna? Was she engaging in risky behavior or caught up in something shady? But there are no obvious clues why this levelheaded sixteen-year-old, passionate about her music, would be targeted.

And that worries Dallas. Because if Jenna wasn’t targeted, if she was just the random, unlucky victim of a madman consumed by hatred, there are likely more deaths to come.

BOOK REVIEW

This book was compelling from beginning to end. The author, as always, does a great job of detailing the crime and the investigation. The futuristic setting only adds to the appeal. The perpetrator is slowly revealed, but their horrible crimes splash across the page immediately from the beginning of the book. As Eve Dallas begins to peel away the layers of this crime, the reader will be transfixed, both by the complexity of the investigation and the potential for more crimes that would surely be coming.

This book is hard to put down.The characters just flame to life, and the personalities of the victims, their friends, and the perpetrator are so well described.

I listened to the audiobook as well, and the narrator Susan Ericksen portrayed teenagers in such an authentic way. She was also able to expertly convey drama, horror, grief, sadness, and love in such a powerful way.

Eve Dallas’s personal life is subtly layered throughout the book, but never takes over from the crime and investigation.

This thriller is horrifying, enthralling, and captivating throughout. J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) has done it again. She has created another quality book that keeps us all mesmerized. 

I received a free copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

PURCHASE LINKS

COVER REVEAL: Powerless #Thriller #BookPromo

Cover Reveal Banner

I’m pleased to share this cover with you all today. The book is called Powerless by Jeff O’Handley and it will be available late this summer!

Powerless_eBook final

Powerless Expected Publication Date: August 24th, 2022
Genre: Thriller/ Contemporary
Publisher: Breaking Night Press
When all goes dark, they’re left alone. As starvation provokes chaos, can one man defend all he holds dear?
Sunspots, Al-Qaeda, North Korea—no one knows why the power goes out in sleepy little Harpursville, how much of the world is affected, or how long it will last. In one instant virtually every modern convenience stops working, leaving the townspeople scrambling. For Kevin Barton, the problem is compounded by the presence of his sixteen-year-old daughter’s best friend, Dina, who’s been stranded at the house after yet another sleepover. When Kevin’s attempt to escort Dina home ends in robbery and humiliation, their “second daughter’s” overnight visit becomes a permanent stay. Kevin doesn’t really mind. Dina helps with everything from hauling water to digging a garden, and she does it with a smile. But with food scarce and hunger eating away at reason, her large appetite and constant presence sets the household on edge, causing a rift between Kevin and his wife, Monica. Help is offered by the man who stops Harpursville from sliding into everyone-for-themselves chaos but then he gives Kevin an unthinkable ultimatum. With the peace of the town and Kevin’s own family hanging in the balance, he faces a two-front war. Can Kevin find the power in himself to protect everything he holds dear? Buy Powerless to shine a light on darkness today!
“A poignant, elegantly written, gripping book that delves deep into an all-too-possible future. You won’t be able to put this down. O’Handley is brilliant and masterful. One of the best books I’ve ever read.” – Lisa Regan, USA Today & Wall Street Journal best-selling author Powerless is Available on Netgalley!

Pre-Order Here

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon Ca | Books2Read

About the Author

Jeff author photo 1 Jeff O’Handley has been a science and technical writer as part of his job since the late 1980’s, but fiction is his passion. This talented and insightful author provides depth to his characters and explores their stories in a way that can be related to on a very personal level. Jeff can often be found ‘butt-deep in a swamp’ removing invasive species, leading a nature walk in the woods, or promoting recycling as part of his work for a boots-on-the-ground conservation organization. Jeff is a die-hard Boston Bruins fan who loves the outdoors and has a resistance to tech, but grudgingly admits to the usefulness of smartphones and computers. Jeff grew up on Long Island, NY but has embraced the rural life of central New York, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. Find out more about Jeff and his work at www.jeffohandley.com Cover Reveal Organized By: R&R Button

Self-Published Saturday: June 12, 2021

Here is my weekly installment of Self-Published Saturday, which is devoted to helping self-published authors promote their books. As always, if you decide to buy this book, please make sure and leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and any other site where you review books. This week is devoted to Book 2 in the Juche Series, The Weeping Masses. You can find a link to my review of Book 1 and the Link to preorder Book 3 at the bottom of this page

THE WEEPING MASSES

This is now the second book of the  fantastic Juche series, which the author says is currently planned as a nine book series. As the book opens, something terrible has happened to Areum’s sister Nari, and Areum is reeling, trying to take care of her family but also burning with the desire for revenge.

 The  terror at the camp continues, and Areum does what she can to survive.  When she and Nari are assigned to a work group, more challenges arise.  Areum struggles to protect her family and herself as the terrors of a concentration camp rain around her.  She begins to make difficult choices and uses her skills as a gymnast and martial artist to survive. However, she takes risks for which there must be consequences. She also makes alliances which she knows may fall through at any moment.  Will Areum and her family survive, and what new horrors lay in wait for them?

This excellent dystopian series continues to shock and provide a realistic look at an evil military dictatorship. The first 20 percent of this book is very dark and bleak, but you have to expect that from a concentration camp.  Then the story picks up steam and the author throws in little glimmers of hope in the midst of all the darkness.  This is a realistic read and makes you wonder what you would do to protect yourself in a situation like this.  Areum is thrust into many ethical battles by her cruel overlords.  Areum’s struggles with evil captors, difficult choices, and her own rage are well written by the author.  Surprises abound in this novel, and the reader will be on the edge of their seat.  I would recommend this to anyone interested in dystopian fiction or historical fiction, as you will recognize the Kingdom of Chosun as a country that exists today.

This book is available on Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can borrow it for free.  It is also only $3.49 to purchase outright on Kindle.

LINK TO BUY BOOK TWO: THE WEEPING MASSES

MY AMAZON REVIEW OF THE WEEPING MASSES (HELPFUL VOTES APPRECIATED)

LINK TO MY REVIEW OF BOOK ONE, THE DEMON OF YODOK

LINK TO BUY BOOK ONE, THE DEMON OF YODOK

LINK TO PREORDER BOOK THREE, THE STORM OF STORMS

REMEMBER AS ALWAYS TO LEAVE A REVIEW IF YOU BUY THE BOOK. REVIEWS ARE SO IMPORTANT TO SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHORS.