One Dead, Two to Go by Elena Hartwell Blog Tour and Book Review

 

I received this book as a gift.

This is book one in the Eddie Shoes series. And who can resist a book with the opening line of: Call me Eddie Shoes.

Eddie Shoes is a private investigator in Bellingham, Washington, with her own practice. This is an entertaining tale of a case that involves Kendra Hallings and all the drama that goes with her. You will meet colorful characters like Chava, Eddie’s mom, who is a firecracker and basically inserts herself into Eddie’s life … and home, much to Eddie’s surprise.

You will meet Mr. Hallings, Chance Parker and his partner Kate (there’s a history between Chance and Eddie). You’ll also meet the not so upstanding Karl Turner. And we meet Eduardo, Eddie’s estranged father. I have never read/met such colorful characters. All of them together are quite entertaining.

The thing that I like about Eddie is her random thoughts in even the most serious of situations. She can be facing, literally, an extremely serious situation and make light of it with her humor. I found myself chuckling quite a bit while turning these pages. Eddie seems to be the sort of PI who takes on seemingly ‘simple’ cases, but they turn out to be much more than she anticipated. If you like a good chuckle, a well-paced read full of humor, with some romantic tension thrown in, pick this one up.

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/One-Dead-Eddie-Shoes-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0CGMRQF99/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=wYfau&content-id=amzn1.sym.cf86ec3a-68a6-43e9-8115-04171136930a&pf_rd_p=cf86ec3a-68a6-43e9-8115-04171136930a&pf_rd_r=131-3104865-4758931&pd_rd_wg=Ce3tt&pd_rd_r=0e90287a-bda0-4710-9a37-84d00d484616&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-dead-two-to-go-elena-hartwell/1122755079?ean=9781504089364

 

Find Ms. Hartwell:

Website: https://www.elenahartwell.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElenaTaylorAuthor

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/elena-hartwell

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3975429.Elena_Hartwell

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Elena_TaylorAut

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elenataylorauthor/

 

Interested in your own book tour?

Partners in Crime: https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/

Need a proofreader? I’ve got you covered - https://www.melissaproofs.com/

Struck Dead by Andrea Kane Blog Tour and Book Review

 

I received this book as a gift.

Forensic Instincts is an organization that delves into criminal investigations – like a PI company, sometimes skirting the law and definitely making the detectives in this story a bit irked at their antics, especially when it comes to not sharing information. This story centers around what happened to Mr. Hillington and why and is coupled with the underlying story of what really happened to Mr. Vicario. And, to keep things interesting, who is going after Casey.

The characters we meet are Casey and Hutch (Casey is the owner of FI, and Hutch is FBI). Ryan, Patrick, Claire (she is an intriguing character), Marc, Emma, and Yoda. The two police detectives, Lorraine and Burt, who have opposite personalities so they complement each other. Angela Case, Mr. Hillington’s lawyer. The rest of the Hillington family, the Vicario family, and the secret family.

Having never “met” these characters, I was still able to pick up on their different personality quirks. Each of these folks have different talents that they use throughout their investigations. I was intrigued with Claire as she is a claircognizant, meaning she gets visions. She adds an intriguing element/perspective to this tale. I was especially taken with Yoda. Yoda is basically a Siri, an Alexa, the internet with a voice request. Yoda has also apparently taken on a human aspect, or so it seems. I also enjoyed reading about all the backstories, even the minor ones, that make the characters all the more relatable.

This is book 10 in this series and I suspect there will be more. If you like police procedurals that run in a series, pick this one up. Short chapters, quick read, well-developed characters. I don’t think you have to read them in order to get a sense of the characters. I suspect FI will be taking on another investigation soon … irritating the two detectives even more on their next adventure, especially since they’re going to be adding a new team member. You’ll have to read the book to find out who that is.

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Struck-Dead-Andrea-Kane-ebook/dp/B0CJ7JDTBP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=C7BGFLPFW3RY&keywords=struck+dead+andrea+kane&qid=1705848832&sprefix=struck+dead%2Caps%2C292&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/struck-dead-andrea-kane/1143781976?ean=9781682320631

 

Find Ms. Kane:

Website: https://www.andreakane.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAndreaKane/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/andrea-kane

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/62844

Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrea_kane

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorandreakane

 

Interested in your own book tour?

Partners in Crime: https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/

Need a proofreader? I’ve got you covered - https://www.melissaproofs.com/

 

Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray New Release and Book Review

 

Happy Release Day - March 12, 2024!

She took on titans, battled generals, and changed the world as we know it…

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray returns with a captivating and dramatic new novel about an American heroine Frances Perkins.

Raised on tales of her revolutionary ancestors, Frances Perkins arrives in New York City at the turn of the century, armed with her trusty parasol and an unyielding determination to make a difference.

When she’s not working with children in the crowded tenements in Hell’s Kitchen, Frances throws herself into the social scene in Greenwich Village, befriending an eclectic group of politicians, artists, and activists, including the millionaire socialite Mary Harriman Rumsey, the flirtatious budding author Sinclair Lewis, and the brilliant but troubled reformer Paul Wilson, with whom she falls deeply in love.

But when Frances meets a young lawyer named Franklin Delano Roosevelt at a tea dance, sparks fly in all the wrong directions. She thinks he’s a rich, arrogant dilettante who gets by on a handsome face and a famous name. He thinks she’s a priggish bluestocking and insufferable do-gooder. Neither knows it yet, but over the next twenty years, they will form a historic partnership that will carry them both to the White House.

Frances is destined to rise in a political world dominated by men, facing down the Great Depression as FDR’s most trusted lieutenant—even as she struggles to balance the demands of a public career with marriage and motherhood. And when vicious political attacks mount and personal tragedies threaten to derail her ambitions, she must decide what she’s willing to do—and what she’s willing to sacrifice—to save a nation.

My Review:

I am not a history buff by any means. And, I usually do not like reading in the historical genre. To me, a historical read needs to be interesting to hold my attention. I don’t like books that are filled with so many facts and figures that my mind spins.

I found myself to be quite invested in the tale of Miss Frances Perkins whom I have never heard of until now. This book documents her personal life as well as her life in the political world, which was quite unheard of back in the early 1900s. This book really sets a tone for the time period and brings to life Miss Perkins and her struggles.

To say I really enjoyed the reading of this tale would be an understatement. I was able to get a ‘real feel’ of Miss Perkins and her personality, her struggles with the political world and her home life. I liked the fact that her husband’s illness was handled delicately and with discretion as was appropriate to the time. I even enjoyed reading about her reactions when she would be offered a job because, again, it was unheard of for a woman to be in the political realm in the time period.

We have Miss Perkins to thank for a lot of things that women are entitled to in this day and age. Read it … you won’t be disappointed.

Kaleidoscope of Secrets by Sandy Clements Book Review

 

Do you like stories with strong women characters? This one has two very strong women in Mia and Nikki.

Do you like stories that discover a long-lost buried family secret? This one has that covered!

What about a backstory of a childhood friendship that lasted over the years? Covered.

And … what about just a bit of back-and-forth romance? That’s here too.

How about a couple of bad guys? Check that one off as well.

I didn’t realize how much I appreciated a strong female main character or two. This is something that appealed to me as I was turning the pages. I like Mia’s character as she comes across as meek and mild, maybe even a bit standoffish, until she comes face-to-face with Nikki.

Nikki, the other main female character, is on the opposite end of the spectrum to Mia. I think this provides an excellent contrast in these two characters.

There are a whole host of characters that make this a colorful read. Their personalities really pop off the pages. Join Mia as she goes through a kaleidoscope of emotions as she uncovers a couple of long-lost, deeply buried secrets that she was not expecting. And the twist? That was totally unexpected.

One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey Blog Tour and Book Review

 

I received this book as a gift.

This was my first introduction to this author. The basis of this story is twofold. There is the story of Christian and Andi trying to figure out who was behind two heists that this tale centers around. And, there is also the intertwining story of Hunter (who happens to be Andi’s best friend) and Deckard (who happens to be Christian’s brother) who are trying to unravel what really happened leading up to Andi’s banishment from the FBI.

The other entertaining characters in this tale include Riley who is Christian and Deckard’s sister. Greyson, who used to own the PI business that Deckard bought from him. I enjoyed reading the banter that happens between Riley and Greyson, made me think that there was something more to their relationship. They are quite an entertaining pair.

I also enjoyed reading the small yet significant underlying backstories which included the siblings’ stories of their less-than-desirable upbringing and how they got to where they are as adults. There is Andi’s story with the FBI and her failed relationships. And Hunter … we all need a best friend like Hunter, one who stands by our side no matter what. I liked and appreciated the fact that Christian and Deckard were able to show their vulnerability which is rare for male characters. I think it added just a little more realism to this tale. As well, each of these characters call upon their faith to get them through the worst of times and the best of times. There are also some romantic notions thrown in just to keep things interesting. I would not hesitate to read this author’s work again. I enjoyed her writing style and how she dropped tidbits of information throughout these pages. And, we can’t forget the bad guy and how he ties into all these backstories.

  

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/One-Wrong-Move-Investigator-Thriller/dp/0764238485/ref=sr_1_1?crid=P2UVDLKF2CHE&keywords=one+wrong+move+dani+pettrey&qid=1705848543&sprefix=one+wrong+move%2Caps%2C334&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-wrong-move-dani-pettrey/1143717375?ean=9780764238482

 

Find Ms. Pettrey:

Website: https://www.danipettrey.com/#owm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaniPettrey#owm

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/dani-pettrey#owm

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5275947.Dani_Pettrey#owm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authordanipettrey/

 

Interested in your own book tour?

Partners in Crime: https://www.partnersincrimetours.net/

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