As Long As I Breathe

As Long as I Have BreatheAs Long as I Breathe, by Garrett James, is a romance with thriller and mystery aspects. Stephanie Morgan and her daughter, Lilianne Rose (Lily), live as quiet a life as they can. Stephanie (Steph) works nights at a nursing home and at the local bar on weekends. Life was tough since her fiancé had died. Or was it murder? And why was Cole Miller, the sheriff’s brother, so bent on having Steph as his girlfriend?

Mason Cain, ex-military, ex-convict, moves back into his mother’s house after she dies. He’d planned to clear things up and quickly move on. But the best laid plans…Mason witnesses Cole dealing violently with Steph, who lives across the street. Inevitably, Mason becomes friends with Lily, then with Steph. Cole becomes even more erratic and irrational as he witnesses the growing feelings between Mason and Steph. How far will Cole go to keep Mason away from Steph, who Cole views as his property? How far will Mason go to protect “his girls”?

Mystery has always surrounded the death of Steph’s fiancé. Everyone has a good word to say about Matt Peterson, who seemed to have had no enemies. So, why is Agent Nick Canon, from the Division of Criminal Investigation, hanging around pursuing an inquiry into Matt’s death?

Mystery, resolution, anger, love, tenderness, psychological problems, all fall within the realm of As Long as I Breathe. Garrett James does well in uncovering emotions in his characters and develops them into living beings. Love and tenderness can turn around the lives of some characters, like Mason. But others, like Cole, have nowhere to go but into a burning hell of their own making.

I enjoyed As Long as I Breathe for the character and plot development. I felt connected to Mason, Steph, Lily, and even Nick Canon. Be prepared for well-done, but explicit, sex scenes. My only “thumbs down” was that this book could have used a good proofreading to fix some grammatical issues. Otherwise, bravo.

This appears to be the first in a series. I look forward to reading about the future lives of Mason, Steph, Lily, and Nick Canon.

To purchase a copy, click here. I get a small commission for any purchases made.

As Long as I Breathe
by Garrett James
©2022

The Further Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

The Further Adventures of Sherlock HolmesCaiden Cooper Myles strikes the absolutely correct tone in The Further Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. Miles’s prose rolls smoothly along—highlighting gas-lit, foggy London streets as well as the firelight in the sitting room of that famous duo—Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. The reader can see the yellow, swirling fog with gas lamps glowing dimly without casting much light.

In “The Adventure of the Sinister Correspondent,” coded messages under stamps reminds me of “The Adventure of the Dancing Men” in that secret coded messages portend problems for the recipient. “The Problem of Hazelwood Grange” reminds me of The Hound of the Baskervilles in that Holmes sends Watson in his place to help gather clues, view the scene of the crime, and report back to Holmes. Watson purports himself well in this story. He is a well-drawn character in this story, as well as the rest of the tales. “The Adventure of the Drury Lane Pawnbroker” brings to mind “The Red-Headed League” because it deals with pawnbrokers and the misappropriation or mishandling of money. “The Adventure of the Naval Architect” recalls “The Adventure of the Naval Treaty.” Both involve stolen military secrets.

The author of these further adventures strikes the right note with both Holmes and Watson’s characterization. Watson always has an eye for women, as, in “The Adventure of the Braden Park Bench,” Watson notes, “She had dark hair, bright blue eyes, and an air of confidence beyond her years. I was immediately struck by her beauty.” On the other hand, Holmes stands as a more intellectual plateau in the same story about Braden Park. For example, “Mid-morning the following day, Holmes and I found ourselves in Amberley. It was a charming village which appealed to me but it did not appeal to my friend whose love of Mother Nature was largely limited to her poisons.”

Illustrations in this anthology are not the best. The frontispiece illustration before “The Adventure of the Sinister Correspondent” has Holmes in a too-small puffy chair . A puffy, gummy bear chair that looks like it will swallow him.

Caiden Cooper Myles demonstrates a knowledge of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes canon. I mentioned a few similarities between Myles’ stories anthologized in The Further Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes and Doyle’s stories. Similarities may exist for the other stories as well. But significant time has elapsed since I’ve read the original Holmes canon for me to be forgetful. These similarities in no way detract from Myles’ stories themselves or of my enjoyment of them. In fact, the faint similarities enhanced my appreciation of Myles’ writing style. Myles takes his version of Holmes and Watson in a new direction, including some modernizations such as Holmes’ use of a telephone. Myles’ stories are in no way derivative. They stand alone, a well-done addition to the contemporary Holmes canon.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Click if you wish to purchase The Further Memoirs of Sherlock HolmesI receive a small commission if a purchase is made.

Two Lists

In Two Lists, Malcom “Mal” Winters and his close friend, V. N. “Vinn” Atchison, confront a series of bizarre murders. Staged crime scenes laugh at them, daring them to connect the dots. And solve the crimes before someone else is murdered. Oddly, the murders seem to follow two lists created in the psychology field about those who would be most, and least, likely to commit murder. With each murder, props meticulously set the stage that indicate two different careers. And all the suspects congregate at Puzzlers Anonymous. What is it with that, anyway?

Mal and Vinn move as fast as they can with the help of Rebecca and Leo, Mal’s tenants. But not fast enough. Among the victims – their young friend, Maggie, the journalism student.

Mal and Vinn’s mounting frustration is sharply depicted in this latest from Thomas J. Thorson. When Mal and Vinn must take justice into their own hands, how will they react? Will they kill again, like in their previous lives? Even for justice? As Mal says, “it’s a slippery slope…Over time, your become immune to the emotional effect of holding a knife to someone’s throat or putting a gun to her head, and it becomes easier each time to follow through. At some point you actually begin to relish the rush…”

Also, see my reviews of Thorson’s previous Mal Winters books: Bad Fortune, The Cosmic Killings, The Connubial Corpse, and Heirs Apparent.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Get a copy of Two Lists by Thomas Thorson.

(I receive a small commission if you purchase the book using the above link.)

Two Lists
by Thomas J. Thorson
© 2023
Thorshammer Books

Bookmarks

BookmarksIf you’re anything like me, you have more than one book going at any one time. I usually have at least two, sometimes three or four. I’ve found bookmarks in books that I was so sure I needed to buy and read instantly. Only to come across them lying forlornly in my to-be-read pile.

So, what does that mean for us bookaholics? We are generally short of bookmarks.

Rather than use any old thing, like slips of raggedy paper or bits of used napkins, I have invested in a few corner bookmarks from TheBookmarkNovelist at her Etsy shop. (Or visit her at her website.)

These little pieces of brightly patterned paper have become my go-to type of bookmark. They hug the corner of the page without slipping off—or worse yet, out of the book totally as some “regular” bookmarks have the habit of doing.

For me, my collection of bookmarks almost—not quite but almost—equals my collection of books that I have yet to read. But there can never be too much of a good thing, whether it’s books or classy markers to keep our place elegantly

What do you use as bookmarks? Leave me a comment, if you wish, about how you deal with marking your place.

 

 

Thomas J. Thorson

Thomas J. ThorsonFrom time to time, I will post interviews with authors whose books I’ve reviewed on this blog. So, first up is Thomas J. Thorson, author of the Malcom Winters mystery series.

I never reviewed Thomas J. Thorson’s first book, Serendipity. But thus far, I’ve reviewed the books in Thorson’s Malcom Winters mystery series: Heirs Apparent, The Connubial Corpse, The Cosmic Killings, and Bad Fortune. In the coming weeks, I’ll be posting a review of his newest addition to this series, Two Lists.

Did you always want to be a writer?
I’ve always been an avid reader even as a young child. I remember trying to write a war novel when I was in junior high–I got about half a page done, it was terrible, and I gave up. My true desire developed when I was an English major in college and spent a lot of time reading great and not-so-great books.

What got you interested in the main subject of your books?
My mom turned me on to Sherlock Holmes and Nero Wolfe when I was young, and I’d read those stories in the dark with a book light when I should have been sleeping. Since then, I’ve always loved mysteries, so it was my go-to choice when I started to write.

Do you have any manuscripts written prior to your first published book that you feel will never be published?
Full manuscripts, no. But I was never without a notebook and pen nearby and would jot down plot ideas or snippets of a scene or character I thought would be fun. Some of them are really good ideas but they never fit into any of my novels, so they’ll probably languish unwritten.

Have you done any writing other than fiction?
I set out to write a mystery but a conversation with my daughter got me distracted and heading down a different path, so my first book called “Serendipity” is non-fiction and focuses on accidental discoveries and chance events that changed the course of history.

How do you handle publishing your books? And what about marketing?
My first novel was put out through a vanity publisher. I was naïve and thought they’d market my book. After that, I’ve self-published and love the total control over the content. I’ve been fortunate to surround myself with a wonderful editor and a talented and knowledgeable friend who does my design and all of the technical stuff required to get the novels printed. I market mostly through social media but frankly am terrible at it.

Do you like the direction in which your writing career is headed? Why or why not?
I’ve never relied on my books as my primary source of income which has allowed me to proceed at my own pace and under my own terms. I set out to write one book but now have my sixth one due out this month, so I’m happy with that. My fifth novel is the last in a series, so I may jump to a different genre just for the challenge. If I never publish again, I’ll be satisfied with and proud of what I’ve done.

Is there any area in which you feel you need help to succeed?
Marketing, no doubt. People who read my books really like them and I get great reviews, but I need to reach a larger audience.

What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?
I’ve come to love my characters and the universe I created for them, so wrapping it all up had some pretty significant emotional moments.

If you write a series, have the characters in your series become easier to write about?
This sounds pretentious, but my characters early on took on a life of their own and I would hear their voices telling me what to say and what behavior they would manifest in a particular situation. But yes, it became easier as their personalities and character traits became more established. They could still surprise me though.

What previous jobs have you had? Do you still work at something other than writing?
I’m a real estate attorney working full-time. Writing has always been more of a hobby than a career, although one that takes up most of my time away from work.

To purchase any of the books in the Malcom Winters series:
Heirs Apparent
The Connubial Corpse
The Cosmic Killings
Bad Fortune

I will receive a small commission if a purchase is made through these links.

The Honey in the Bones

The Honey in the BonesCaroline Mellor‘s The Honey in the Bones is fantastic, exquisite. Her poems hum and sing and whisper in your ear and heart. Mellor partitions her poems in this collection into seasons of the year as well as earthly directions and elements. Rightly so.

Her poetic sense makes much of the earth’s seasons and weather and draws the reader along “soft and slow/as each breath/follows the last,” through the earth’s daily and seasonal tides and cycles. She invites the reader into a comfortable space where you can “tend the ember glow/of your soul’s hearth.” The poem, “Changing Sky, December 31, 2020,” recalls to mind that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Crocuses, birdsong, weather, light, birth—these are all related in Mellor’s vision.

Mellor makes various allusions to gardening regarding many things, including life. “Let my life/be an overgrown/garden:/gloriously messy/and lightly tended/with love.” Yes, mine, too.

In “Imbolc,” Mellor speaks about building bridges: “Give me the silent crescent moon rising over the sea and I will build/you a bridge of light so you can walk across and lie down in it.” To me, Mellor’s poetry is a bridge to a life of serenity and beauty.

The Honey in the Bones is Mellor’s first poetry collection. Living in the United Kingdom, besides being a poet, Mellor is a writer of essays and creative nonfiction. I can hardly wait for her second poetry collection. This first magnificent collection left me a fan.

The Honey in the Bones
by Caroline Mellor
© 2022
Golden Dragonfly Press

The Tower Hill Terror

The Tower Hill TerrorBook 2 in Dane Cobain‘s Leipfold Mysteries series cuts to the chase, or the bone in this case. The Tower Hill Terror grabbed me from the first sentence. Mutilated corpses appear during Leipfold and O’Hara’s surveillance of Jayne Lipton, a suspect in a previous case. (See my review of Driven.) As the bodies mount up, James Leipfold and his assistant, Maile O’Hara, chase clues on social media and dating apps. Their friend, Jack Cholmondeley, rips his hair out, figuratively, as pressure mounts on the police to solve the crime.

Why is a serial killer cutting off the genitals of his/her victims? That’s one of the monumental questions that Leipfold and O’Hara must figure out. When they finally do, the answer helps lead them closer to the solution. But, will they be in time to save Kat Cotteril, O’Hara’s roommate, from the same fate as the other victims?

Cobain’s main characters are well-rounded people who add substance to the plot. James Leipfold is a down-on-his-luck private investigator. He makes strides to turn his life around in each book within this series. Maile O’Hara, a computer-savvy twenty-something, advances in learning the private-investigation field. Jack Cholmondeley is a smart chief inspector of police at the height, and end, of his career.

The Tower Hill Terror was enjoyable. I look forward to reading more about these folks in any upcoming additions to the Leipfold Mysteries series.

Fool Her Once

 

 

 Book Details:
Book Title Fool Her Once (A Novel) by Joanna Elm
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +), 416 pages
Genre:  Thriller
Publisher:  CamCat Books
Release date:   Feb, 2023
Content Rating:  PG-13 + MThere’s adultery, language, some sexual content, and violent crime, but no explicit descriptions of the crimes.

Book Description:

Some killers are born. Others are made.

As a rookie tabloid reporter, Jenna Sinclair made a tragic mistake when she outed Denny Dennison, the illegitimate son of an executed serial killer. So she hid behind her marriage and motherhood. Now, decades later, betrayed by her husband and resented by her teenage daughter, Jenna decides to resurrect her career—and returns to the city she loves.

When her former lover is brutally assaulted outside Jenna’s NYC apartment building, Jenna suspects that Denny has inherited his father’s psychopath gene and is out for revenge. She knows she must track him down before he can harm his next target, her daughter.

Meanwhile, her estranged husband, Zack, fears that her investigative reporting skills will unearth his own devastating secret he’d kept buried in the past.

From New York City to the remote North Fork of Long Island and the murky waters surrounding it, Jenna rushes to uncover the terrible truth about a psychopath and realizes her own investigation may save or destroy her family.

 

Meet the Author:

Joanna Elm is an author, journalist, blogger, and attorney. Before the publication of her first two suspense novels (Scandal, Tor/Forge 1996); (Delusion, Tor/Forge/1997), she was an investigative journalist on the London Evening News on Fleet Street in the U.K. She also wrote for British magazines like Woman’s Own.

Then, she moved to New York where she worked as a writer/producer for television news and tabloid TV programs like “A Current Affair.” She was also the researcher/writer for WNEW-TV’s Emmy-award-winning documentary “Irish Eyes.” In 1980, she joined the Star as a reporter, eventually becoming the magazine’s news editor and managing editor before moving to Philadelphia as editor of the news/features section of TV Guide.

After completing her first two novels while living in South Florida, (Nelson DeMille described Scandal as “fresh, original and unpredictable”) Joanna returned to New York, enrolled in law school, graduated summa cum laude, passed the NY Bar exam, and worked as a principal law clerk for an appellate division justice in the prestigious First Department. She has been married to her husband Joe for 35 years and has one son.

connect with the author: website ~ instagram twitter ~ bookbub goodreads

FOOL HER ONCE Book Tour Giveaway

 

Murder at Half Moon Gate

Murder at Half Moon GateA strong historical mystery, Andrea Penrose‘s Murder at Half Moon Gate leads us through the fog-filled streets of London on a merry chase. Penrose dispenses a great mix of mystery, death and romance in a Regency setting with unerring intent. This second offering in the Wrexford/Sloane series does not fall short.

Lord Wrexford and Charlotte Sloane make a formidable pair, reminiscent of Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne in the series by Julia Spender-Fleming. Speaking of other fictional detective duos, Wrexford and Sloane are more evenly matched than Holmes and Watson in analyzing clues and info. However, friends of Raven and Hawk (Charlotte’s wards) are a troupe of streetwise urchins similar to Holmes’ Baker Street Irregulars.

Wrexford and Sloane stumble across a number of deaths including the death of Elihou Ashton. On the verge of revolutionizing the steam engine, Ashton’s design would transform manufacturing. Both nobility and commoners were at the mercy of the unknown killer. Greed and blood lust mix and coalesce in a fiery brew among the swirling London fog before Wrexford, Sloane and their associates bring things to a full stop.

Secondary characters are given full measure in Murder at Half Moon Gate. From Jeremy Sterling, Charlotte’s long-time friend, to Tyler, Wrexford’s valet, to Christopher Sheffield, Wrexford’s friend, to McClellan, one of Wrexford’s maids. All did much to assist the investigation efforts.

I read, but didn’t review, Murder at Black Swan Lane, the first book in this series. For sure, I’ll be reading more of Penrose’s Wrexford and Sloane series in the future. Also, I’ll be checking out her other mystery series about Lady Arianna. Stay tuned for my reviews.

Forced Induction

Forced Induction

John Tyler, former Green Beret, attracts trouble like a magnet, no matter how hard he tries to stay away. But he remains upbeat and undeterred, even keeled and able to deal with whatever comes his way. With his ex-wife in jail, his daughter, Lexi, living with him, and a super girlfriend, Sara Morrison, in Forced Induction, by Tom Fowler, Tyler’s life seems to be on a smooth path. At least for the time being. Then guns go missing from Fort Bragg and Sara, a Pentagon executive gets involved. Tyler gets involved too, through a strange accident at his Special Operations Car Repair shop. Patrick Baker crashes his recent model Subaru in the parking lot next to Tyler’s shop. Why?

Along with the dynamic, descriptive scenes of the interactions between Tyler and various militias that are ready, willing and able to buy stolen Army rifles (thanks to Tyler’s brother-in-law) are charming scenes between Tyler and Lexi. The tension sizzles between Tyler and his ex-wife in the women’s correctional center as Tyler explains his killing of her brother.

Forced Induction is the fifth in Tom Fowler’s great series featuring John Tyler. Sufficient backstory is presented for Forced Induction to be read out of sequence. But I will read the previous installments to know the whole story.

See last week’s review of The Reluctant Detective (here), the first book in Tom Fowler’s CT Ferguson series. I’ll be reading and reviewing both of these series throughout this year, and probably beyond, as Tom Fowler is prolific.

I received a copy of Forced Induction in exchange for an honest review.

Forced Induction
by Tom Fowler
© 2023