Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Click on the title for synopsis via GoodReads.


     

Tuesday: (01/10/23)
Spare by Prince Harry~ HC was a personal purchase
Wednesday: (01/11/23)
The Thing About Home by Rhonda McKnight ~ eBook from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley
Friday: (01/13/23)
Under My Skin by Lisa Unger~ Print from author via GR win

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Click on title for synopsis via GoodReads.


Tuesday: (01/03/23)
The Senator’s Wife by Liv Constantine~ eBook from Random House-Ballentine via NetGalley
Wednesday: (01/04/23)
Her Father’s Daughter by T.M. Dunn~ eBook from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley
The Revenge List by Hannah Mary McKinnon~ eBook from Harlequin via NetGalley
Night Angels by Weina Dai Randel ~ eBook via Amazon Prime
Someone Else’s Life by Lyn Liao Butle~ eBook from Amazon Prime
Saturday: (01/07/23)
The Block Party by Jamie Day~ eBook from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley

2023!!!

Happy New Year!


From our home to yours wishes for a Healthy, Blessed, Happy New Year!!

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I’m Back!!!!…..And I hope to stay!!

Hi everyone!!!


Did you notice I was MIA? It’s been a rough 15 months and have been in and out of the hospital. Besides neck surgery, there were also major medical issues, which caused many hospitalizations. So many that I have lost count!!! I’m not going to bore you with the details.


Besides the medical issues, there was another issue that threw me for a loop and that was reading!!!!! I only read 7 books! this past year! I am mortified to say that number out loud and share that little nugget of info with this great book blogging community. It’s not like I didn’t have books to read, that wasn’t the problem, I just didn’t have the desire.

I need a jump start! If you know me, visit or follow my blog, then you know I’m a challenge addict! And it’s that time of the year! I am hoping that this is the kick in the butt that I need to get back on track. The funny thing is, I have only finished a few challenges in the past years that I had signed up for but I find the challenges to be fun so this year I’m only going to sign up for several that I have enjoyed in the past. My challenge page will be HERE where you can see which ones I plan on participating in. There will also be links if you want to join too!!

Holiday!!!

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From our house to yours, may you have a blessed and happy day, filled with love, peace, laughs, family, friends, and delicious food, especially desserts (wink, wink) 😉

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Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Click on title for synopsis via GoodReads.

Tuesday: (08/02/22)
Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths~ eBook from Mariner Books via NetGalley
Wednesday: (08/03/22)
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister ~ eBook from Harper Collins via NetGalley
The New Neighbor by Karen Cleveland~ eBook from Random House via NetGalley
A Harvest Of Secrets by Roland Merullo ~ eBook from Prime First Reads
Saturday: (08/06/22)
All He Has Left by Chad Zunker ~ eBook from Amazon Pub via NetGalley
Quarter To Midnight by Karen Rose ~ eBook from Berkley Pub via NetGalley

 

#Review | The Secrets We Share by Edwin Hill

The Secrets We Share by Edwin Hill

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Suspense Thriller
My Rating: 4

Publisher: Kensington Books
Publication Date: March 29, 2022
ISBN-10:‎ 1496735412
ISBN-13:
Pages: 304
Review Copy From: Publisher
Edition: HC

Synopsis (via GR)

A mesmerizing, twisty suspense novel perfect for fans of Mary Kubica and Riley Sager from an acclaimed author! Explore the deep bonds—and deadly secrets—between two very different sisters haunted by the crimes of their father murdered nearly twenty years earlier…

At first glance, Natalie Cavanaugh and Glenn Abbott hardly look like sisters. Even off-duty, Natalie dresses like a Boston cop, preferring practical clothes and unfussy, pinned-up hair. Her younger sister, Glenn, seems tailor-made for the spotlight, from her signature red mane to her camera-ready smile. Glenn has spent years cultivating her brand through her baking blog, and with the publication of her new book, that hard work seems about to pay off. But her fans have no idea about the nightmare in Glenn and Natalie’s past.

Twenty years ago, their father’s body was discovered in the woods behind their house. A trauma like that doesn’t fit with Glenn’s public image. Yet, maybe someone reading her blog does know something. There have been anonymous online messages, vague yet ominous, hinting that she’s being watched. And with unsettling coincidences hitting ever closer to home, both Glenn and Natalie soon have more pressing matters to worry about, especially when a dead body is found in an abandoned building . . .

Natalie is starting to wonder how much Glenn really knows about the people closest to her. But are there also secrets Natalie has yet to uncover about those she herself trusts? For two decades, she’s believed their father was murdered by their neighbor, with whom he was having an affair. But if those events are connected to what’s happening now, maybe there’s much more that Natalie doesn’t know. About their father. About their neighbors. About her friends. Maybe even about herself.

But there are no secrets between sisters . . . are there?

My Thoughts

Caveat

I have been in a major reading slump, and I mean MAJOR!! I hadn’t picked up a book since February of this year. It’s not that I didn’t have any books, or the books that I do have were not calling my name, I just didn’t have the desire to read. I’m guessing that the dry patch with my reading was due to months of me having to deal with multiple medical issues.

Then one day I received an email that I subscribe to and this email was definitely “talking” to me. There were a few titles mentioned that would help with reading slumps so I had nothing to lose at that point. I replied, explained my situation, and that The Secrets We Share by Edwin Hill sounded like my kind of book. Did it work? Did it end my reading slump?

Plot

As the synopsis asks, do the 2 Cavanaugh sisters have secrets, that you will need to read this exciting book to find out? But there are many secrets floating around among the characters, which kept this reader turning the pages as quickly as I could. The plot chilling at times and definitely thrilling.

Characters

I could easily picture the characters in my head and feel their emotions. Three-dimensional and relatable.

Setting

The setting took place in Massachusetts, which is the state right next door to me. It was very familiar to me as we have visited often, being only an hour away. While reading the book I felt that I was there. Matter of fact, one day, we had to drive into Boston for a doctor’s appointment and I read all the way there and back. Good thing my husband was driving. I was so engrossed that I had blocked out the loud music that my husband enjoys and that the hour drive flew by.

Negatives

For me, the number of characters being introduced in a short period of time was the only negative.

Before and after I choose a book to read, I will read some reviews of the book, which this time benefitted me. There were many characters, and some of the reviews mentioned this and people found it hard to keep track of them all which made them give up. Having known this from the reviews, I was prepared by making a little flow sheet as to the characters, their relatives, their relationships, etc. so that I could look at it while reading. I suggest future readers definitely do this so that one doesn’t miss out on a terrific read.

For me, the number of characters being introduced in a short period of time was the only negative.

Ending/Conclusion

The ending was definitely shocking. The suspect was on my list as to who it coiuld be, but then, I thought a lot of the characters could be the suspect. What impressed me, was that the “ending/conclusion” was wrapped up with only a few pages left in the story. Not only was it a Wait, What? moment in the end, there were many of those same thoughts several times throughout the book. This reader had to stop and reread what I had just read to make sure I read it correctly and at the same time, picking my jaw up off the floor

Overall opinion

This is the first book I read by this author but I will definitely be putting him on my radar. I enjoyed his writing style, whereas I could picture the story in my mind as if it was a movie.

I highly encourage you to look past other reviews that find the number of characters to be too much and confusing and make notes that I suggested earlier in this review. Don’t let that sway you because you will be missing out on a captivating read that grabs you from the start to the very last word.

An unremitting spine-chilling read!! It definitely ended my major reading slump!!! Thank you Alex!

I received a complimentary copy from Kensington Books in exchange for my honest review.

Purchase Links: Amazon 🔗 | Barnes & Noble 🔗 | Goodreads 🔗

REVIEW DISCLAIMER

  • This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.
  • I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
  • I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
  •  

    Goldhammer by Haris Orkin | #GuestPost

    Goldhammer by Haris Orkin Banner

    Goldhammer

    by Haris Orkin

    June 6 – July 1, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

    Synopsis:

    A James Flynn Escapade

    Goldhammer by Haris Orkin

    A young actress, involuntarily committed to City of Roses Psychiatric Hospital, plunges James Flynn into a dangerous new adventure when she claims one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood is trying to kill her.

    Still convinced he’s a secret agent for Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Flynn springs into action, helps her escape and finds himself embroiled in a battle with a dangerous sociopath worth billions. In the process, he uncovers a high-tech conspiracy to control the mind of every human being on Earth.

    With the help of his reluctant sidekick, Sancho, and a forgotten Hollywood sex symbol from the 1960s, Flynn faces off with Goldhammer and his private army in a desperate attempt to save the young actress…and save the world…once again.

    Praise for Goldhammer:

    “One of those books that has you laughing and turning pages well into the night.” —Len Boswell, Bestselling author of The Simon Grave Mysteries

    “A riotous comic novel that’s also a legit page turner. A deftly plotted, swiftly paced thriller.” —R. Lee Procter, Author of The Million Dollar Sticky Note and Sugarball

    “A fast-paced quixotic thriller that would make Miguel de Cervantes and Ian Fleming proud. The third James Flynn novel is a powerful cocktail of suspense, adrenaline and a whole lot of laughs. Orkin has the remarkable ability to keep the reader straddled between a genuine spy thriller and an off-the-wall comedy” —Joe Barret, Award-winning author of Managed Care

    Book Details:

    Genre: Comedy Thriller
    Published by: Black Rose Writing
    Publication Date: June 23rd 2022
    Number of Pages: 240
    ISBN: 1684339677 (ISBN-13: 978-1684339679)
    Series: The James Flynn Escapades, Book 3 | Each is a stand-alone thriller
    Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

    Read an excerpt:

    Chapter ONE

    The Corsican wanted him dead.

    Of that James Flynn was certain.

    Somehow, the assassin had infiltrated Her Majesty’s Secret Service as a security officer. Flynn didn’t recognize him at first. The killer had put on a few pounds and likely had plastic surgery, but what he couldn’t disguise were his eyes. His cold, dark, pitiless eyes. The eyes of a sociopath. The eyes of an executioner.

    The only question was when.

    When would the Corsican come for him?

    He told his colleagues what he suspected, but they refused to believe him. They claimed his name was Thomas Hernandez and that someone else on the security team had recommended him. They also said they fully vetted him. But Flynn wasn’t fooled. He tangled with the Corsican before. The man was relentless. A cold-blooded enforcer who started with the Corsican mafia but went on to do contract hits for the Sicilians, the Albanians, the Serbians, and the Russians.

    Instead of waiting for the Corsican to come to him, Flynn decided to flush him out. Force his hand. Expose him for who he was and why he was there.

    Flynn dressed in black denim and a black turtleneck and waited until 2 a.m. to make his move. He kept to the shadows as he trod the deserted corridors. He had no weapon since lethal weapons of any kind were now forbidden at headquarters. A foolish rule put in place by sheltered bureaucrats who had no clue. Luckily, not even security could carry a firearm at headquarters. All the Corsican had was an expandable baton and a Taser. Even so, the man was lethal enough with just his hands and feet.

    But then, so was Flynn.

    Flynn heard footsteps ahead and ducked into a conference room. He waited and listened as the footsteps drew closer. As they passed the doorway, Flynn peered into the corridor to see the Corsican lumbering forward, quietly peering in room after room. Suddenly, he stopped. Flynn felt a jolt of adrenaline. The air was electric. The silence palpable. Could the Corsican feel Flynn’s eyes on him? Flynn knew that scientists have identified a specialized group of neurons in the primate brain that fire specifically when a monkey is under the direct gaze of another. Humans also appear to be wired for that kind of gaze perception. Predators like Flynn and the Corsican can also be prey and have developed a sixth sense to alert them to danger.

    The Corsican turned and he and Flynn locked eyes for a moment. Before the hit man could take a step, Flynn took off down the hall in the opposite direction. He heard the footfalls of the Corsican as he chased after him. Flynn had his route all mapped out. Darting down one corridor. Then another. Running until he arrived at a door that led down to the basement and the guts of the building. Flynn had picked the lock after dinner, knowing that this was the night he would lure the Corsican to his end. He had a license to kill and could have used it anytime, but Flynn didn’t exercise that power willy-nilly. Only as a last resort. He didn’t want the Corsican dead. He needed to know who put the price on his head. Otherwise who ever hired the killer would continue to send hitters until finally one succeeded.

    The building that housed HMSS was huge and had a substantial infrastructure. The basement utility plant had mechanical, electrical, HVAC, and plumbing systems that fed water, air, and electricity all through the facility. Flynn moved from massive room to massive room, staying just ahead of the Corsican. He needed to lose him and lay in wait. Flynn was confident in his abilities, but to come at a killer like that head-on didn’t make much sense. Why give your opponents any edge at all?

    Flynn ducked into a room that housed all the electrical panels, distribution boards, and circuit breakers. Conduit snaked everywhere and Flynn found a metal door secured with a heavy padlock. Using two straightened paper clips, he quickly picked the lock. The door led to an outside area protected by a chain-link fence topped with razor wire. The security fence surrounded three giant transformers and two massive backup generators the size of semi-trailers.

    Flynn stood next to the door and strained his ears to hear approaching footsteps over the electrical buzz of the transformers. Faint at first, they moved closer. Careful. Slow. Stealthy. He saw a shoe as someone came through and Flynn took them from behind, using jiu-jitsu to slam them into the ground.

    “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” said the man Flynn had face down in the gravel.

    “Sancho?”

    “Get off me, man.”

    Flynn released his comrade-in-arms and helped him to his feet. Bits of gravel still clung to his face. “I thought you were the Corsican.” Flynn’s British accent had a touch of Scottish burr.

    “His name is Hernandez,” Sancho said.

    “That’s not his real name.”

    “And I’m telling you, he’s not the Corsican.”

    “Don’t let him fool you, my friend. He’s not who he says he is.”

    “Then why’d he call me? He knows I know you. He knows we’re friends. He asked me to find you. Talk to you. Calm you down.”

    “Perhaps he wants to take care of you too.”

    “Take care of me?”

    Flynn heard the Corsican call to them, his voice deep and resonant. “You okay in there, brother?”

    “We’re good,” Sancho said.

    The Corsican walked in with two other men. All three wore the blue security uniform issued to those who guard HMSS. The Corsican looked at Flynn with his dark, merciless eyes. “You okay, Mr. Flynn?”

    “Tell them who you are,” Flynn demanded.

    “Thomas Hernandez.”

    “Who you really are.”

    The Corsican rolled his eyes and sighed. “That’s who I really am.”

    Flynn aimed an accusatory finger. “I know who you are. Born Stefanu Perrina in Porto, Corsica. Contract killer for the Unione Corse, the Cosa Nostra, and the Russian mafia. Wanted by Interpol for fifty-two confirmed kills.”

    “I was born in Hacienda Heights.”

    Flynn glanced at Sancho. “The man is a master of deception. It’s kill or be killed with men like him.”

    The Corsican drew his Taser and the other two guards followed suit.

    Sancho raised his hands. “Whoa, come on now. Easy.” He stepped in front of Flynn as the Corsican fired. The Taser darts caught Sancho in the shoulder and socked him with fifty thousand volts. He screamed in agony as his whole body seized up and shook. His legs gave out and he fell on his side, helpless and twitching.

    Flynn dove behind a generator before the other two guards could fire. Each guard stalked him from a different side. Flynn clambered up over the top and launched himself from above, tackling the Corsican. He wrenched away his reloaded Taser and shot one of the guards in the crotch. The man went down with a shriek as the other guard fired on him. Flynn fell to his knees and the darts parted his hair before hitting the Corsican in the chest. The killer crumpled as Flynn sprang to his feet and pulled the Corsican’s expandable baton out of its holster. Flicking his wrist, Flynn fully extended the menacing club and turned to confront the last standing guard.

    Someone grabbed Flynn by the arm and Flynn elbowed him in the face. Sancho staggered back, holding his bloody nose. “What the hell, man?”

    “Sorry, mate.”

    Flynn heard a Taser fire and an instant later, two darts hit him in the side. Fifty thousand volts took him to his knees as another guard fired another Taser. Those two darts hit him in the stomach. Flynn lost control of every muscle in his body. And then he saw the Corsican looming over him with his own weapon. He shot the darts directly into Flynn’s chest. Right over his heart. Now all three lit him up with electricity. One hundred and fifty thousand volts rocked Flynn as they shocked him with charge after charge until the world faded into a tiny aperture that slowly began to close.

    ***

    Excerpt from Goldhammer by Haris Orkin. Copyright 2022 by Haris Orkin. Reproduced with permission from Haris Orkin. All rights reserved.

     

     

    Author Bio:

    Haris Orkin

    Haris Orkin is a novelist, a playwright, a screenwriter, and a game writer. His play, Dada was produced at The American Stage and the La Jolla Playhouse. Sex, Impotence, and International Terrorism was chosen as a critic’s choice by the L.A. Weekly and sold as a film script to MGM/UA. Save the Dog was produced as a Disney Sunday Night movie. His original screenplay, A Saintly Switch, was directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starred David Alan Grier and Vivica A. Fox. He is a WGA Award and BAFTA Award nominated game writer and narrative designer known for Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, Tom Clancy’s The Division, Mafia 3, and Dying Light.

     

    Guest Post by Haris Orkin

    James Bond in the age of #MeToo

    When I first found out I was going to be a father, I was happy, excited, and terrified. My wife and I knew we were going to have a son and the prospect of impending fatherhood raised all kinds of questions and fears. What kind of man am I? What kind of example would I be? What would I teach my son? What kind of man would I like him to become? With all those concerns and thoughts swirling around in my head, I started writing things down. It was a way to process my thoughts and feelings. Those thoughts and feelings eventually became a play that was performed at the American Stage Company, the Coronet Theater in Los Angeles, and at the La Jolla Playhouse.

    The play was called “Dada” and the main character is David, an insecure father to be. At one point in the show he has an imaginary conversation with James Bond. 007 confronts him on the choices he has made.

    “You settled. You gave up. You wanted to be me. How do you know you couldn’t have?”

    “You’re not even real.”

    “When you were fifteen I was more real to you than your own father. I embodied all your dreams. All your desires. You wanted to be suave and masterful and seductive and dangerous. You wanted men to fear you and women to fall all over you. Is that no longer true? Or do you no longer know what you want anymore?”

    “You kill people. You force people to have sex with you.”

    “I have a license to kill and because I do I will brook no insolence from anyone. I take what I want and I do what I want and no one tells me how to live or what I can or cannot do.”

    “But no one cares about you. And you don’t care about anyone else. What kind of life is that?”

    “A life free of sticky and unnecessary encumbrances. To love is to allow someone inside so deeply the can cause you…unmentionable pain.” Bond’s eyes fill with tears. “Why give someone that power?”

    Goldfinger - GoldenGirl

    I was an impressionable 13 year old when I first saw James Bond in Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Bond was engaged to be married to Teresa Draco, played by Diana Rigg. I was a huge Avenger’s fan back then. (The English Avengers…not the one with Captain America and the Hulk.) Diana Rigg was beautiful and smart and incredibly cool. Who wouldn’t want to be engaged to Diana Rigg? But Bond wasn’t content with just one woman. He had to sleep with every woman he bumped into. Even those who seemed reluctant. At the time I didn’t realize that was a problem. I thought that’s what men did when they were engaged to be married. And then (spoiler alert) Diana Rigg died and Bond was heartbroken. It was clear even to my 13 year old self that the producers didn’t want a married Bond; a Bond who had to change nappies and help with the dishes. They killed off his fiancé so Bond could continue to be a lady killer.

    The Bond ethos along with the Playboy philosophy warped the world view of my entire generation. Dan Draper on Mad Men reflected that ethos perfectly. Bond was of that age and also part of what shaped that age. By 1974 the feminist movement was burgeoning and my college years were shaped by James Bond on one hand and feminist girlfriends on the other. It was a schizophrenic time and when my son was about to be born sixteen years later, I reflected on all of that.

    Connery’s my favorite Bond, but he was also the most “old school” in terms of how he treated women. Daniel Craig’s version of Bond feels a lot more nuanced in that regard. He’s just generally tortured and angry about everything. At least he’s not as glum as Timothy Dalton.

    Does James Bond have a place in the age of #MeToo? I would hope he would change with the times. Or at least reflect them. It was never believable when every woman Bond met threw herself at him. That didn’t happen in the more recent Bond films starring Daniel Craig…so maybe things are changing. Judy Dench’s M always seemed wonderfully irritated with him. The first time we see her with Bond she calls him a “sexist, misogynist dinosaur, a relic of the cold war” (Though to be honest, every M since the first one has been irritated with Bond.)

    When Bond is rebooted again, I’d like to see some changes. I’d like to see James Bond get rejected and ignored once in a while. I’d like to see Miss Moneypenny call HR on him. Maybe Bond should miss occasionally when he leaps off a building to grab onto a passing helicopter.

    I love the daring-do, but anyone would have to be a little crazy to do what James Bond does. He’s always risking life and limb and scrotum (in Goldfinger) to save the world and rescue damsels and take down evil masterminds bent on world domination.

    Do you know what other character that brings to mind? Don Quixote. A clearly delusional hero. But at least Don Quixote wasn’t such a jerk with the ladies. He treated Dulcinea with respect and followed the rules of chivalry. (Yeah, I know, turning women into untouchable objects of perfection can be just as problematic.)

    I get that we like our heroes to be infallible and indestructible and always quick with a quip, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt if 007 took a few tips from crazy old Don Quixote. After Bond himself, that’s the character that most inspired James Flynn. Flynn even has his own Sancho. Together they blunder out into the world, seeking adventure, and slaying all kinds of metaphorical dragons. Flynn still loves the ladies, but he treats them with respect and isn’t a “sexist, misogynist dinosaur.” At least not all the time.

    Catch Up With Haris Orkin:
    www.harisorkin.com
    Goodreads
    BookBub – @HarisOrkin
    Instagram – @HarisOrkin
    Twitter – @HarisOrkin
    Facebook – @AuthorHarisOrkin

     

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