Unscrupulous By M.E. May Review

Unscrupulous

By M.E. May

 

ISBN-10: 1519150792

ISBN-13: 978-1519150790

M&B Literary Creations

Paperback: 252 pages

November 5, 2015, $14.95

 

 

Christmas is only a week away, but not all is merry and bright for Sergeant Brent Freeman and his partner, newly promoted Detective Anne Samuels. They find themselves facing more than a homicide when they discover the victim’s five-year-old daughter, Maricella, is missing.

 

When suspicion moves to human trafficking and gang involvement, the FBI sends in two of their best to assist in the investigation. In the meantime, two people who insist her mother didn’t want her anymore have transported a terrified little Maricella out of state. Fortunately, she finds solace in two older children. These two soon realize their captors are prepping Maricella for organ harvesting. Their main goal becomes to protect her at any cost, even if it means running away in the snow and bitter cold temperatures of December without any knowledge of the area where they’re being held. Can Maricella’s newfound protectors get her out of the house and to safety before the doctor decides she’s a transplant match? Will Brent discover where these unscrupulous persons are hiding the children before it’s too late?

 

Michele May

 

 

M. E. May lives in the Far Northwest Suburbs of Chicago with her husband, Paul, and their white Husky, Iris. Born in Indianapolis, she spent most of her years there or in a suburban town near there. Although she has physically moved away, her heart still lives in her hometown. She has a son, daughter, and four wonderful grandsons living in central Indiana.

She attended Indiana University in Kokomo, Indiana, studying Social and Behavioral Sciences. Her interest in the psychology of humans sparked the curiosity to ask why they commit such heinous acts upon one another. Other interests in such areas as criminology and forensics have moved her to put her vast imagination to work writing crime fiction that is as accurate as possible. In doing so, she depicts societal struggles that pit those who understand humanity with those who are lost in a strange and dangerous world of their own making.

In creating the Circle City Mystery Series, she brings to life fictional characters who work diligently to bring justice to victims of crime in the city of Indianapolis. Michele also hopes her readers will witness through her eyes, the wonderful city she calls her hometown. Learn more about Michele at www.memay-mysteries.com.

 

Other titles by M.E. May:

 

Perfidy (Circle City Mystery, Book 1) – winner of the 2013 Lovey award for Best First Novel

Inconspicuous (Circle City Mystery, Book 2) – nominee for the 2014 Lovey award for Best Suspense novel

Ensconced (Circle City Mystery, Book 3)

Purged (Circle City Mystery, Book 4)

My Review: 

This is the fifth novel in the series, however, I did not notice. There was mystery, death, and sadness. There were times I wanted to reach into the book and help the police. I would like to read the next book to she if the mastermind is caught. I liked Jack and I wish that he had more of a reunion. I wanted to see Mari at the hospital hugging him and Haley. The way that the chapters alternated between the cops point of view and the children's point of view was interesting. I liked to read how each were progressing. This is a sad story and may not be suitable for all readers. The ending gave two characters what they deserved, and I was very happy about that. I am giving this book a 4/5. All opinions are my own.

Jingle and his Magnificent Seven By Randy Rawls Review

 

ISBN-10: 1548898295

ISBN-13: 9781548898298

Randy Rawls

Trade paperback, 129 pages

October 2017, $13.99

Also available in Kindle edition

When Jingle Bell, Santa’s SEIC Santa-Elf-in-Charge) for Southeastern operations of the SBI (Santa Bureau of Investigation) is assigned to recover the naughty list from a rogue elf, he finds himself in need of human partners. He recruits Nep Thomas, a PI in Coral Lakes, Florida. But the problem grows as Jingle, aka Rocky, discovers that his adversary, Rime, is dealing with Abdul Abaddah, a Mid-East terrorist recruiter and financier. More support is needed. Soon, Rocky’s group grows to a magnificent seven, but they face a dirty dozen. Only when the dozen has been neutralized – without serious injury – can Rocky bring Rime to justice.

Randy Rawls

Randy was born and reared in Williamston, North Carolina, a small town in the northeastern part of the state. From there, he says he inherited a sense of responsibility, a belief in fair play, and a love of country. As a career US Army officer, he had the opportunity to learn, travel, teach, and hone talents inherited from his parents. Following retirement, he worked in other ventures for the US Government. Every job has in some way been fun. Even the dark days of Vietnam had their light moments, and he cherishes the camaraderie that was an integral part of survival in that hostile world.

At an early age, Randy discovered the town library and the librarian. She was a wonderful lady, who loved to introduce children to books. She engendered in him a love of the written word. Then, one day many years later, he sat at his computer and began to type. About a year later, he had a tome as long and heavy as WAR AND PEACE (or so it seemed). Giving himself every benefit of the doubt, he will simply say, "It stunk." But the seed was planted, and he continued to compose and continued to learn. 

 

Today, he has short stories in several anthologies, and a growing list of novels to his credit. As a prolific reader, the reads across several genres and takes that into his writing. He has written mysteries, thrillers, an historical, and two fantasy/mystery/thrillers featuring a Santa Elf. The count is now at fourteen and growing. He is a regular contributor to Happy Homicides, a twice annual anthology of cozy short stories. He also has a series of short stories featuring a cattle-herding burro. Wherever his imagination will take him, he follows.

 

Randy writes because he enjoys it and smiles because life is fun. Learn more about Randy and his work at www.randyrawls.com.

My Review: 

This is a fast read that has a little bit of everything. There is Santa, Terrorism, and of course mystery. I was not sure that I would like the thought of Christmas time being invaded by a terrorist cell. Christmas time is usually a happy time. However terrorists never stop, and they never take a vacation. Rocky the elf appearing and disappearing gave a kind of lightness to story. All in all this is a fun read that had a happy ending. I am giving this book a 4/5. All opinions are my own.

The Homeport Journals By AC Burch Review

The Homeport Journals

By AC Burch

ISBN-10: 1925313034 ISBN-13: 978-1925313031

 Wilde City Press

Genre: Gay Romance/Mystery

Paperback: 352 pages

March 18, 2015, $15.99

Also available for Kindle

Fleeing New York City and an abusive partner, would-be writer Marc Nugent finds work at HomePort, the Provincetown mansion of Lola Staunton, a fabulously wealthy recluse. Aided by an attractive-but-unattainable artist and an all-too-available cross-dresser, Marc investigates accusations of rape and murder that have estranged Lola from a childhood friend for more than sixty years. Past and present converge when a long-lost journal reveals tales of infidelity, adultery, and passion that mirror the life Marc has recently abandoned. When his ex-lover arrives in search of revenge, Marc must confront his past, his notions of family, and his capacity for love.

Evocative, funny and heartfelt, The HomePort Journals will be to Provincetown what Tales of the City is to San Francisco. - William J. Mann Author, The Men from the Boys series.

A cockeyed, full-hearted Provincetown fantasia, The Homeport Journals combines history and romance with a dash of wit and a firm belief that in some magical places there is always a second chance- for love and for art. -Heidi Jon Schmidt Author, The House on Oyster Creek

My Review:
I was glad that Marc was able to flee his abusive partner, not happy when he showed up where Marc flew to. This was as much a fantasy as I thought it would be by the description. However Magic is not always make believe. Places are often times as enchanting as are these situations. We can all learn to take risk and earn gains, if we let ourselves. I am giving this book a 3/5. I was given a copy, all opinions are my own. As a New Englander, I also enjoyed the setting,

My Sister’s Mother By Donna Urbikas Review

My Sister’s Mother

By Donna Urbikas

ISBN-10: 0299308502

ISBN-13: 978-0299308506

University of Wisconsin Press

Hardcover, 272 pgs

 April 26, 2016 $26.95

Donna Urbikas' half-sister Mira was five when she and her mother Janina were taken from their small family farm in eastern Poland and shipped to a hard-labor camp in Siberia amid the turmoil of World War II. That shared experience of war and exile created a bond between mother and daughter—an exceptionally close relationship that Donna, born years after the war and raised in the Midwest, would struggle to achieve with either of them.  

Yet, despite Donna's comparatively privileged upbringing in postwar America, the events of war-torn Europe cast a long shadow on her life. She grew up fascinated by stories of wartime deprivation, but at the same time drawn to mainstream America and the elusive dream of a "normal" American family. In the years that followed, Donna lived through ordeals of her own as she first coped with cancer and then watched a son struggle with the same disease. In her own way, she realized, she was also a survivor, like her mother and sister. 

In My Sister's Mother Urbikas recounts Janina's arrest in Poland, the grueling journey to Siberia with her young daughter Mira, the hunger and sickness that attended their life in the camps, and their refuge in Persia, India, England, and finally the United States. Interweaved with her mother's and sister's memories of their past are the author's own experiences—less dramatic, to be sure, but also requiring reservoirs of inner strength.

At the broadest level, this is the story of a woman trying to reconcile her identity as a first-generation American with her awareness of herself as a second-generation survivor of World War II and its tremendous upheavals.

My Review:
This was an interesting read. I had read about the Jewish people and my uncle was a POW in War World II, but I have not read about how the Polish were treated during this time. I was planning on reading a lot about history and the war. I was pleasantly surprised when the author made the book more about routine relationships between mothers and daughters. Even under the most stressful of circumstances. There is a bond between women and especially mothers and daughters. I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy, all opinions are my own.

Death by Sunken Treasure By Kait Carson Book Review

Death by Sunken Treasure

By Kait Carson

ISBN-10: 1635110017

ISBN-13: 978-1635110012

Henery Press

Paperback: 256 pages

Genre: Mystery

March 22, 2016 $15.95

Also available for Kindle

“Kait Carson’s Florida is dead on in this action-packed mystery! The enviable setting, compelling characters, and the author’s expertise on diving make for a fresh plot and an intriguing story masterfully woven into a satisfying conclusion.” – Krista Davis, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Domestic Diva Mysteries (on Death by Blue Water)

When Hayden Kent’s mentor and friend discovers her son Mike’s dead body, dressed in full scuba attire, washed up on Pigeon Key, she needs Hayden. Her paralegal and dive skills may help unravel the tragedy of Mike’s last days. He’d recently discovered a sunken Spanish galleon and rumors that he hit the mother lode ran through the Keys like wildfire.

Hayden’s dive on the treasure site uncovers gold, and clues that Mike’s death was something far more sinister than an accident. When two different wills, both signed the day Mike died, are delivered to the courthouse, the suspect list grows, as do the threats against her. The danger escalates as she tries to save herself, discover the motive, and find the killer.

Books in the Hayden Kent Mystery Series: 

DEATH BY BLUE WATER (#1)

DEATH BY SUNKEN TREASURE (#2) 

My review:
"Death by Sunken Treasure" is Book # 2 in the exciting series called Hayden Kent Mystery Series  by author Kait  Carson. This is a really exciting series that will keep you at the end of your seat until the end. Hayden Kent's friend has come and asked her for help to find the person who murdered her son. Mile has found a Spanish Galleon and now that he is dead they believe that this could be the reason. When Hayden finds gold herself at the dive site they start to think that he was killed on purpose. They keep finding more and more proof that this was on purpose. but, who was it? Hayden has to work as fast as she can or she just might be the next to end up dead. I give this book a 4/5. I was given this book  and these are my opinions.

Fairfield’s Auction By Betty Jean Craige Review

Fairfield’s Auction

By Betty Jean Craige

ISBN-10: 1626944091

ISBN-13: 978-1626944091

Black Opal Books

Witherston Murder Mysteries (Book 2)

Genre: mystery

Paperback: 284 pages

February 6, 2016, $12.95

Language: English

On a cold winter evening in the small mountain town of Witherston, Georgia, antique dealer Hempton Fairfield auctions off rare Cherokee artifacts, Appalachian antiques, and a young African Grey parrot. Late that night, a blizzard stops traffic for a three-mile stretch of the Witherston Highway, prohibiting anyone’s arrival or departure and stranding an eighteen-wheel semi full of chickens. The next morning two bodies are discovered in the snow, the chickens are running free, and the parrot is missing, leaving a number of unanswered questions. What happened? Where’s the parrot? How did the chickens escape the stranded truck? Who rightfully owns the remnants of the thousand-year-old Cherokee civilization? Who killed the two men? And, most importantly, how many more bodies will turn up before the killer is caught?

My Review:
This is one of those mysteries that made me question history. How many times have people been been killed and robbed, then their stuff sold for profit? Doesn't it help the killer get caught?  What happens when it is an entire type of people or town? The suspect pool is large, and there is no way to know who is guilty as people go missing and bodies pile up. I liked all the pets and it gave me insight to some of the characters. There were a lot of names to remember. Maybe a family tree or cast of characters would be helpful for the next installment. I really enjoyed the way the author used the Witherston Paper to get some of the plot to the reader. It made it seemed realistic and it was faster to read. I am giving this book a 3/5. I was given a copy, all opinions are my own.

The Devil’s Cold Dish By Eleanor Kuhns Book Review

The Devil’s Cold Dish

By Eleanor Kuhns

ISBN-10: 125009335X

ISBN-13: 978-1250093356

Minotaur Books

Series: Will Rees Mysteries (Book 5)

Hardcover: 336 pages

June 14, 2016, $17.49

Genre: Mystery

Will Rees is back home on his farm in 1796 Maine with his teenage son, his pregnant wife, their five adopted children, and endless farm work under the blistering summer sun. But for all that, Rees is happy to have returned to Dugard, Maine, the town where he was born and raised, and where he's always felt at home. Until now. When a man is found dead - murdered - after getting into a public dispute with Rees, Rees starts to realize someone is intentionally trying to pin the murder on him. Then, his farm is attacked, his wife is accused of witchcraft, and a second body is found that points to the Rees family. Rees can feel the town of Dugard turning against him, and he knows that he and his family won't be safe there unless he can find the murderer and reveal the truth...before the murderer gets to him first.

My review;
This book takes place in Maine in the year 1796. Will Rees has returned to where he grew up with his family. They are trying to get their farm working. Just when he thinks he is doing okay a man who he had an argument with is killed. It gets worse when they begin to think that they are being set up for the crime. The people are not only after him, but are after his whole family. Why? His wife is going to have a baby but they have said that she is dealing with witchcraft. It is up to Will to save his whole family and get the real killer before they are also found dead. I give this book a 4/5. I was given this book for a review and these are my opinions.

Old River By Clyde Linsley Book Review

Old River

By Clyde Linsley

ISBN-10: 1479406309

ISBN-13: 978-1479406302

Wildside Press

Paperback: 178 pages

August 12, 2015, $14.99

Genre: Mystery

Also available for Kindle

Sheriff John Sprenkel has only lived in Concordia Parish, Louisiana for six years and has never had to investigate a murder. . . until now. The badly beaten body of a young woman dumped beside the banks of the Mississippi River offers few clues, but when he searches for answers, all he finds are more questions. Was the young woman Harriet Van Dorn, graduate student in Natchez, Mississippi, or Madeleine D'Anjou, streetwalker in New Orleans? Sprenkel isn't the only person who wants to find the truth. Jill Winston, Harriet's roommate, finds the investigation more compelling than her graduate work, and is intrigued by hard-working Sheriff Sprenkel. But their investigations lead to a dangerous plot dreamed up by a madman-one that could lead to disaster for everyone living along the Mississippi River!

My review;
A woman is found dead before her time and now it is up to the Sheriff of Concordia Parish in Louisiana to find the murderer. Sheriff John Sprenkel is about to work on his first murder. He finds himself getting nowhere in trying to find who did this horrible crime. The dead body seems to have 2 different names and identities, both opposites. Sheriff John Sprenkel has the help of one of the dead woman's friends. They are going to have to find the murderer fast before they both as well as others are found dead. I give this book a 4/5. I was given this book and these are my opinions.

Deviant Acts By JJ White Review

Deviant Acts

By JJ White

ISBN-10: 1626942854

ISBN-13: 978-1626942851

Black Opal Books

Trade paper, 268 pgs.

November 14, 2015, $11.99

Also available for Kindle

Jackson Hurst lives his nightmares with his eyes open. Only the heroin he’s been addicted to since Vietnam keeps the horror at bay. A poster child for losers, Jackson’s addiction has cost him his job, his girlfriend—and unless there’s a change soon—his life. That change comes in the form of the wicked Aunt Camille, a Vermont millionaire who desperately needs Jackson’s services to retrieve her twenty-year-old daughter, Cheryl, from kidnappers. Camille wants her back at any cost and she wants the kidnappers, who maimed her only daughter, murdered. Jackson could use the money—no, he desperately needs the money—but can he stay clean long enough to get her back? And, more importantly, can he kill again, despite the demons that haunt him from the war?

My Review:
This is a drama from start to finish and a great thriller. I wondered if he could kill again and how it would affect him. I also thought that the argument after the shower was spot on! Seriously. So many people rush into things and I could not agree more. I LOVED the ending and only wish that it was one chapter longer. The characters were great and I was happy that they "paid" their dues. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy, all opinions are my own.

Soft Target By John Beyer Review

Soft Target

By John Beyer

ISBN-10: 1626941327

ISBN-13: 978-1626941328

Black Opal Books

Trade Paperback,  302 pages

$11.99

Also available for Kindle

Russia had learned the hard way the extremes these fanatics would go to… Ten years ago, Captain Yuri Shakirov stood in horror as young children were butchered by a hail of bullets from a group of Islamic extremists. As blood spattered the walls of this small Beslan school, Yuri's greatest fear was that this tragedy would someday be repeated. Now America would encounter these same crazed murderers… All the terrorists needed was a place where they could descend, like the cowards they were, and strike terror into the heart of every American. An average middle school in California seemed the perfect soft target. The terrorists saw it and pounced. And Yuri was once again thrust into the line of fire. It would take strong determination and courage to stop what had happened in Russia from happening here. The Americans need his help, but can Yuri find the strength to go through this nightmare again?

My Review:

This story was a little too close to home for me. This book was published 2 years after the Newtown shootings in Connecticut, which I have driven by on the highway many times. The author has a background in teaching and SWAT. The story is scary and feasible. Yuri was a character to like because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and tried to help others. It was like watching the news, but being right next to the police, rather then only hearing the reporters. This plot is not for everyone. I also felt that Yuri grew as a character and his statement at the end of the book validates that he learned to changed. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy, however all opinions are my own.  

Portrait to Die For By Radine Trees Nehring Review

Portrait to Die For

By

Radine Trees Nehring

ISBN-10: 1610092228

ISBN-13: 978-1610092227

Dark Oak Mysteries

Paperback: 284 pages

April 22, 2016, $16.00

Genre: Mystery

Carrie McCrite, a volunteer librarian at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, discovers two versions of a portrait on loan to the museum. When a reporter writing about that portrait disappears, Carrie must choose between honoring Henry's request that she stop jumping into danger on behalf of people in trouble--or work to find the woman who was a college friend of her son's.

My Review:

This was a great cozy mystery. I like that the author picks places that the reader can visit and see for themselves. Carrie is the type of person that I can relate to. I always feel like I am in the wrong place at the wrong time. She definitely is. People are always getting her in danger. She is innocent. At least she tries to be until her curiosity gets the better of her and she wants to help other people. The recipes were fun to read as well. The artifacts in this book kept me interested as did the guessing of who was guilty. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy, all opinions are my own. 

Murder on the Mullet Express by Gwen Mayo & Sarah Glenn Review

It’s 1926. The West Coast Development Company is staging its biggest land deal in Homosassa, Florida, selling pieces of a planned city to speculators who dream of a tropical paradise. Army nurse Cornelia Pettijohn takes leave to travel to Florida with her ancient uncle, who claims that he wants a warm winter home. When their car breaks down, they take the local train, The Mullet Express, into Homosassa. By the time they arrive, though, a passenger has been poisoned. A second murder victim boards the train later, iced down with the fish. Uncle Percival’s hidden agenda makes him the sheriff’s prime suspect. Cornelia and Teddy Lawless, a twenty-year-old flapper in a sixty-year-old body, must chase mobsters and corner suspects to dig her uncle out of the hole he’s dug for himself.

Gwen Mayo

Gwen Mayo is passionate about blending her loves of history and mystery fiction. She currently lives and writes in Safety Harbor, Florida, but grew up in a large Irish family in the hills of Eastern Kentucky. She is the author of the Nessa Donnelly Mysteries and co-author of the Old Crows stories with Sarah Glenn.

Her stories have appeared in A Whodunit Halloween, Decades of Dirt, Halloween Frights (Volume I), and several flash fiction collections. She belongs to Sisters in Crime, SinC Guppies, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, the Historical Novel Society, and the Florida Authors and Publishers Association.

Gwen has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Kentucky. Her most interesting job, though, was as a brakeman and railroad engineer from 1983 - 1987. She was one of the last engineers to be certified on steam locomotives. http://www.gwenmayo.com

Sarah Glenn

Sarah E. Glenn has a B.S. in Journalism, which is a great degree for the dilettante she is. Later on, she did a stint as a graduate student in classical languages. She didn’t get the degree, but she’s great with crosswords. Her most interesting job was working the reports desk for the police department in Lexington, Kentucky, where she learned that criminals really are dumb.

Her great-great aunt served as a nurse in WWI, and was injured by poison gas during the fighting. A hundred years later, this would inspire Sarah to write stories Aunt Dess would probably not approve of. http://www.sarahglenn.com

My Review:
This is a funny book! Murder on a train, watching someone die, and trying to find out who is guilty. I was so involved with the characters that I forgot that the book was a mystery and not a comedy at times. I really liked the way the authors had Florida in the 1920's. The language was real and funny! My favorite was Fuddy Duddy!!! It was a different time then, Buying property and Prohibition are just a few sub plots that I enjoyed. The ending was good, and I hope that there is a series with these quirky characters! I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy, all opinions are my own,