Susan Kiernan-Lewis Presents Deadly Faux Pas: A Page-turning mystery set in Paris!

 With its reputation as the most romantic river in the world, the Seine always felt like a surprise to Catherine with its fetid odor and murky olive-green color. She remembered reading that the river flowed into the sea, but as stagnant and listless as it always looked to her, she found it hard to believe that it had enough force. She let Todd lead the way to the table since she knew things like that were important to him. He’d spoken very little on the cab ride over. She would’ve preferred to walk—the weather was hot but it felt good on her skin. Unfortunately, her mother had mentioned it was a nice walk and that was all Todd needed to hear to insist on calling for a taxi.

Here I am sitting

in one of my favorite

places in the whole

world: Aix-en-Provence.

From the author:

The Claire Baskerville Mysteries

I have been wanting to write a mystery centering around a “woman of a certain age” since the day I turned sixty! Claire Baskerville is suddenly widowed and finds herself living in Paris where the dead bodies fall out of the ancient elevator shafts and antiquated wardrobes just enough to keep her and her burgeoning private eye business for the ex-pat community very busy. A tad darker than the other mysteries, this is Paris today and a woman who knows herself and is still open to discovering the world around her. And no, I’m not stopping any time soon. Claire’s adventures have been loosely outlined for another three books past Book 12 AT LEAST. I love this series and don’t see myself stopping writing it any time soon.

Since I'll never be able to visit Paris in my lifetime, I am sure, I wanted to at least set the stage for this book series, which I am going to highly recommend on the basis of this one book... It is clear that the author enjoys writing and sharing, through her travels via her blog as well as through the various series that she writes about...

This particular book caught my attention for many reasons... For instance, the characters include a dominating husband, a kidnapper who becomes enamored with the woman he kidnapped... And then there are two older women who, in this book, are reunited with family from America at the same time, and so become totally involved with the murder mystery that evolves... There is plenty of both turmoil in romantic relationships as well as an extraordinary familial come together when an emergency occurs of people mostly who are friends as opposed to family...

I've purposely chosen the video of a street walk, because the majority of the book will be walking those streets...endlessly trying to find the one kidnapped! But it didn't really start out like that...

You see, the daughter, grandson and son-in-law of our main character, who happens to be a PI working in Paris, has come to visit after many years. One of the problems was the timing, since Covid was touring the world and there was fear, especially by Todd, the son-in-law that they may be forced to stay in France as things are studied... On the other hand, it was clear to those who were at the apartment when they got there, that there was considerable tension within the family. One of the issues that had arisen was that Catherine was interested in adopting Robbie, the son of her mother's husband who had died in an accident. Todd opposed this action. Yet, when they first entered the apartment, their son immediately joined Robbie in playing and all things that boys want to do...

Finally after several attempts to smooth out the events, it was suggested that Todd and Catherine plan a dinner out on their own--which should have worked. Except that, even at the table, Todd kept his eyes close to his phone. And in a sudden explosive act, Catherine grabbed the phone out of his hands and read a short note that was clearly personal to Todd from another woman. Let's face it, if you don't think Todd deserved to be put on the defense, then you, too, may just be a chauvinist! My personal opinion, of course... LOL

In any event, Catherine exploded and a loud argument commenced which was watched by those in the restaurant that evening. Until Todd got up and walked out... And Catherine was left there, not know whether to wait, to leave... And, finally, the decision was made for her...

Only to be murdered that evening... and thrown in the Seine!

And Catherine  then kidnapped by the same man who claimed that her son was in trouble and he had been sent to bring her quickly to him... The truth was that Cameron was quite safe and at home with his grandmother... What she hadn't been told was that Todd had been murdered during the actions leading to the kidnapping of Catherine... And Catherine was torn as to why Todd was not finding her quickly as days went by...

Since the Parisian police thought that Catherine had killed her husband and escaped with the man who was escorting her off the ship, they weren't really interested in changing their opinions and did little to try to find her... It was up to her mother, who at least had come to know the streets of the area around th dock and soon as gathering as much about the people who were on the cruise that night, and what they had done thereafter. Interestingly a man who

My daughter is tenacious. I prayed that stubborn trait was still there inside her somewhere. I prayed that the girl who’d stood on that stage all those years ago, that unlikely award in her hand and that determined expression on her face, was still alive and roaring somewhere in this city.

Claire Baskerville was over 50 and normally able to arrange her professional activities within her own schedule. But now everything was in emergency mode and the only one Claire felt she could really depend upon was herself. She trudged up and down streets showing pictures, talking to anybody who would listen. Once in a while she had help from Jean-Marc a police officer who had worked on her husband's murder case... Genevie, her close friend and neighbor, who had her son and partner visiting from America that week also, had volunteered to help search, while one friend of Claire's from the police fit in support between her own duties... Still, it was right up to the last minute... as Covid controlled times allowed on the streets or when those now kept inside Paris were allowed to begin leaving... Desperation and fear walked beside Claire, while she knew that others were beginning to feel little hope... Could she find her daughter?! Could she bring Cameron's mother home, as he continued to grieve his father?

 

“A son and his mother have a special bond,” she said. “Stop. Please.” “And yet you used this love—the love of a mother for her son—to trick me.” He looked at her and he was stricken. “Don’t apologize to me again,” she said. “Don’t embarrass us both. Don’t humiliate your mother who is looking on you right this—” “Stop it!” he shouted and jumped up. “A boy needs his mother! My husband can’t do it! My husband needs me!” “Not anymore, he doesn’t!” The minute he spoke Catherine felt a ripple of ice-cold fear slice into her. Rashid looked at her from across the table with haunted eyes, his shoulders slumped as if trying to make himself smaller. “What did you mean by that?” she asked. He picked up his plate and retreated to the kitchen. Catherine stood up slowly at her place at the table. “Answer me, Rashid!” she screamed. “What do you know? Where is my husband?” When he didn’t answer, Catherine picked up her plate and flung it toward the kitchen. He ran back to the table and stared at her, his hands going up as if in an attempt to calm her. “Look, it was an accident,” he said desperately.

Except…I felt a wave of hopeless longing and defeat shudder through me. Except, I am desperate. I am a desperate mother who is willing to sacrifice anyone and everyone for the chance—no matter how paltry—to try to recover her child. “Chérie? I am at the hospital now,” Geneviève said. “I will call you when I have news.” She hung up before I could uselessly apologize one more time. I looked at my phone intending to call Adele…and I hesitated. I was calling her to tell her what? To stop? To go home? I couldn’t do that. I needed her. Now more than ever. My phone rang and I saw it was Jean-Marc. I answered. “Did you hear?” I asked him. “Yes, chérie. He is in surgery. Where are you?” “I’m about a block from where I was yesterday,” I said looking around. I thought about telling him about the text message but decided to wait until tonight. What was the point of telling him since I was determined to carry on anyway? “They think the assailant was an ex-boyfriend of Noel’s,” I said. “I overheard the detective saying they were going to put security on Geneviève’s apartment—” “Non,” Jean-Marc said. “They have located the ex-boyfriend.” I felt a flinch of annoyance. Clearly the police can move quickly when they’re motivated. “He was in Cyprus at the time,” Jean-Marc said. “Which means no security for Geneviève,” I said feeling a wave of exhaustion. “Unfortunately, not. Listen, I’ve been thinking,” he said. “Abadi might have tried to replace the car he had to abandon.” “What are you suggesting?” “Nothing really. I’m just thinking out loud.” “You think he might have bought another car? So he’ll be ready to get out of Paris when the lockdown lifts?” That made sense. I felt a flare of energy and hope at the thought. Any new idea helped. Jean-Marc must have picked up on the excitement in my voice. “Claire,” he said in a strained voice, “is there any way you can stop?” “What do you mean stop? How can you even ask me that? The lockdown lifts in just a few hours!” “You must see how the warnings are ramping up, non? This was not a beating this time. Bill may not survive!” “You think I don’t know that?” “Claire, listen to me,” Jean-Marc said. “You cannot find Catherine. It is too late! But you can get yourself killed.” Or Adele. He didn’t say it because he didn’t have to. Clearly even without my telling him about the ominous text message, he had figured out that the attack on Bill was connected to what we were doing. What I was doing. “I have to go, Jean-Marc,” I said. I broke the connection and found Adele’s number and as my eyes filled with tears, I pressed the number. “Are you here?” she asked breathlessly. “I’ve already done a full block.” “Adele, You need to stop and go home.” “Why? Have you found her?” “No, but Noel’s husband has been attacked and I’ve been sent another message. It’s too dangerous.” I heard Adele snort and I loved her for it even while my chest filled with terror at the danger I was putting her in. “I’m not quitting,” she said. “Did you want to meet up and grab a bite or just keep going?” I was so overcome with emotion at her bravery and loyalty to me that at first I couldn’t speak. “Keep going,” I said finally. 

I walked through the next few hours with Jean-Marc’s ominous words of warning reverberating in my skull. You cannot find Catherine. It is too late. That, combined with the new inclination to look over my shoulder every few seconds made me jumpy and on the verge of panic. But I couldn’t help myself. Without Noel and Bill’s help—and I felt ashamed even thinking those words—I had an impossible area to cover. It had been largely impossible even with their help. How does one measure the limits of impossibility? How can you determine the scope of something to be even more impossible than it already was? As I walked the hot sidewalk I felt like I was going through the motions of walking and knocking on doors because the alternative—either sitting with Geneviève and Noel at the hospital or watching cartoons back at my apartment with the children while I waited for the inevitable bad news to find me—was unthinkable. An elderly woman operating a streetside crêperie told me she thought she remembered seeing someone “different” in the neighborhood. I nearly jumped across the counter when she said that. She even described this newcomer as a Middle Eastern man, good-looking, of medium height, but she had no idea which way he went. And he hadn’t actually visited her crêpe stand. She’d simply noted him as he walked by. Telling me he’s here somewhere is not news. I know he’s here. “How did he walk?” I asked. “Did he stroll? Or walk quickly? Purposefully? Did he look tense?” She gave me a look that said she clearly thought I was insane. But it mattered. A man strolling by enjoying the day was not my man. Somebody who looked like he was just out for an espresso and a newspaper wasn’t someone who was holding a woman hostage in a nearby apartment. After that I decided to modify my questions to include affect but it didn’t matter. Nobody except the woman at the crêperie remembered seeing anyone new or different on the street. Amazingly, in spite of the heat and my mushrooming fear of an attack, I didn’t feel the weariness and physical strain that I’d felt yesterday. It was as if my body wasn’t going to recognize anything like blisters or leg cramps as the reason why I didn’t search as far and wide and as long as humanly possible. I resisted looking at my watch because, whenever I did, my brain automatically translated the time into how many hours I had left. …how many hours Catherine had left. My phone buzzed while I was leaning against a stone wall, resting. I was so involved in my desperate mental world of search and probable loss that I jumped in surprise and looked at my phone as if it were a foreign object It was Adele. “Hey,” I said to her. I appreciated that she didn’t ask me if I’d had any luck. Obviously she’d have heard from me if I had. “I’ve finished my streets,” she said. “Do you want to give me Noel and Bill’s?” I’d been mulling that over and decided I had a different job for her that was at least as important. “Jean-Marc thinks Abadi might have acquired another car in anticipation of the lockdown lifting,” I said. There was a pause on the line. “Do you want me to try and find it?” Adele asked. Even on the phone I could hear the misgiving in her voice. “I want you to look at the cars parked on the street where you are,” I said, “and jot down the license plate numbers—unless you see somebody getting out of one who could not possibly be our man.” “Are you sure you don’t want me to knock on doors instead?” she asked doubtfully. I knew it sounded like a long shot. I knew I was asking her to finish her day with literally nothing to show for it. “I’m sure,” I said, knowing that the one thing I was sure of was that I was sure of nothing...

~~~

A Perfect Murder Mystery--because Claire knows who is behind it all...Will it work out that nobody will hurt Catherine?

GABixlerReviews

Kiernan-Lewis, Susan. Deadly Faux Pas: A page-turning mystery set in Paris (The Claire Baskerville Mysteries Book 6) (pp. 237-241). San Marco Press. Kindle Edition. 

James Houston Turner's Dragon Head: An Aleksandr Talanov thriller - My Favorite Lead Character in Series is Back!

 

https://jameshoustonturner.world
/about-talanov/

FROM THE AUTHOR: 

Dragon Head is the longest of my Talanov novels, and is written specifically for those who enjoy lingering in Talanov’s world. The book is not a quick sprint to the finish line, but a puzzle that unlocks gradually while building in speed. I purposely lingered on one theme in particular – family (and who constitutes “family”) – because of what I’ve personally experienced over the last ten years, which is how long it’s taken me to finish writing this book. One reason was the loss of some of my own family members. Many of us have experienced that kind of pain, so I’m not unique in that regard, and like many of you, I understand how it changes us in ways we don’t comprehend for months and sometimes years. In Dragon Head, Talanov experiences a similar loss, and while he’s already been through this before, in Dragon Head his loss amplifies the blessing and triumph of what happens as a result. Thus, Dragon Head is not a story of loss and sadness, but one of exciting new beginnings. I hope you enjoy the ride.

“We were in Berlin during the winter of ’eighty-seven. Crummy little coffee shop, colder than hell, snow gusting out of the north. That shop is where you gave me the name of a Soviet mole in one of our embassies.” ​“You said the idea was preposterous.” ​“That’s because your information didn’t check out, and I had my people run a background check through every database we had.” ​“And yet . . .” ​“And yet, in the end, you were right. The person in question was a mole who was buried so deep she would have done irreparable damage had you not provided me with her name.” ​“Is that what we’re dealing with here?” ​“No, it’s not,” answered Wilcox, “and I bring it up here only to remind you of what you told me that day. Do you remember what it was?” ​

“I asked if Arthur M. Anderson meant anything to you.” ​“And I asked if that was a codename for one of your espionage programs.” ​“And I laughed outright.” ​“Yes, you did, in my face,” said Wilcox, “whereupon you proceeded to tell me how the Arthur M. Anderson was a Great Lakes cargo ship built by the American Ship Building Company of Lorain, Ohio, which got caught in the same storm on Lake Superior that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald.” 

​“In 1975.” ​“Which Gordon Lightfoot memorialized the following year in his hit song, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Unlike the Edmund Fitzgerald, however, the Arthur M. Anderson survived that storm, which to this day I do not know how you knew. But it led you to look me in the eye and say, ‘Only in a storm do you appreciate the kind of ship you’re on.’ When I asked what you meant, you replied, ‘You tell me.’ I remembered staring at you for the longest time until I realized you were talking about yourself, and that your performance in the storms we’d gone through together spoke louder than any words you could have said about your character and loyalty.”

 ​“It usually takes a storm for us to realize what we’re made of,” said Talanov. “Storms reveal character. Which is the advantage of studying history. We look back so that we can look forward, either with confidence or concern.”

~~~

Talanov watched in a private room while his long-term friend, Bill Wilcox spoke to The House Intelligence Committee.

As a CIA station chief in the American Embassy in London during the Cold War, Wilcox had recruited Talanov away from the Soviets, and as his former handler and now longtime friend, was regarded as the one person who knew Talanov better than anyone. As such, his testimony was vital as to whether or not Talanov would be allowed to officially consult for the CIA.

Talanov had already been grilled for hours and as he listened, his frustration grew. It was certainly clear that there continued to be a question as to whether a former KGB officer could indeed be loyal to America.

During that session, suddenly Talanov noticed that Diane Gustaves, chair of the committee, and one of the most powerful congressional members,  was glaring at him. He knew she was the only firm support she had on the committee and wanted him to keep cool rather than make things worse than they are already were. But would she be able to get the much needed support, given that the Head of National Security opposed Talanov's involvement in any type of action?!

And while arguments continued, a tall lean woman, Xin Li, on behalf of the top Chinese criminal leader, had been sent to watch Wu Chee Ming, but instead of what was planned, Wu Chee Ming, when he realized that he was being followed, knew what would happen if he were caught and held by anybody working for Dragon Head. He would be tortured and murdered, whether or not they were able to get the information they sought. He chose to jump in the way of an incoming train...

Now, the only way to move forward was to capture Talanov. The problem was that Xin Li hated Talanov and, if she had an opportunity, would torture and kill him. With strict instructions for Talanov's safety from Dragon Head, the search began...

Unfortunately...as well as fortunately, Talanov had caught sight of a young Chinese girl who startled when she saw Talanov. It was only when Wilcox and Talanov had moved on to meet an unexpected individual, did he once again see the girl and noticed that she was no longer carrying the expensive handbag she had brought it. With quick action by our hero, the bomb, which did go off, had no casualties...

But another bomb also followed!

With the heightened confusion and threat, Gustaves "authoritatively" recommended that both Talanov and Wilcox get "out of town..." While Wilcox decided to go to Hawaii for a real vacation, Talanov chose to take the opportunity to visit an old friend and mentor, Major Zakhar Babikov, now living in America under a new name. He had found God and was now head of a community center in a small town. The community now depended upon the center for support to all children and, when three children from one family found their way to the center, he had taken them in to live with he and his wife, who was a lawyer, also doing service for the community members.

While Dragon Head had the brawn to pull together and train a gang of warriors, it was Xan Li who had the genius to think through the possible escape routes of their enemies. As she did with Wu Chee Ming, she was able to pinpoint exactly where he would go to escape. They would have caught him if he had not chosen suicide. And, now Xin Li was on the tail of Talanov and actually was able to track him down...

“Kindness feeds strength;

while arrogance feeds weakness.”

Readers will meet a man we have not yet met--a gentler, kinder Talanov. He is with his best friend... and that friend seeks Talanov's sharing of the burden he has taken upon himself. He asks Talanov to become godfather to the free Chinese siblings who had no other family. Our hero does not take this request lightly, but it is soon clear that all three children had come to care about and respect their new friend.

And when Dragon Head agreed with his mistress Xin Li that the best way to ensure Talanov's capture is by kidnapping the youngest child, the emotional side of Talanov took over! There was no way that Talanov would not do anything to get her back!

An overview summary cannot possibly provide the fantastic breadth and scope of this novel. I had already come to love Talanov, but as mentioned by the author, this novel has pulled in characters who have faced pain and loss, and, they have faced fear. Yet each has moved forward. Some have become confused, trying to deal with changes to their present lives, while others know what they are doing is right and just for the world in which they lived... I'm already looking forward to the next novel. It, too, should be less thriller but more family drama, something that is facing so many of us these days!

Still, stealing a government plane and flying an unauthorized trip to China in order to negotiate the release of a child is simply NOT what the U.S. government had in mind for assistance from Talanov. 

Finally, I have to highlight that the three main children characters is extraordinarily well done! And their interaction with adults, good and bad, are intriguingly realistic and fun to read about! Many of us will learn, even more after reading this novel, that, indeed, our children ARE THE FUTURE of America!

God Bless

Gabbie

WOW! In our Blood By William J. Goyette

They’ll never see it coming. A lazy finger brushed across a blurred photo of an attractive couple hurrying across a hectic urban street. Not in a million years. He studied their eyes, imagined himself peeling back the eyelids, crawling through. Really digging inside their heads. Not even after the last drop of blood has drained from their bodies. The man in the photo was attentive, purpose in his frozen stride. The woman appeared distant, oblivious to the traffic buzzing around her. She gripped her companion’s arm more out of necessity than affection. 
His eyes flicked across more images of the couple. Split-second glimpses of their lives–together, alone, or with a young boy and girl. His attention shifted to a narrow slit of a window, the only source of light in an otherwise bleak space. Rain slammed the weathered panes at an impossible angle, painting an angry ripple effect on the bed beneath. 
The woman sprawled across it stared blankly at him. “What are you looking at?” His gaze slid back to the photographs, to the woman frozen in time, His Fair Maiden, each snapshot an open window to her soul. 
She was a doting yet ferociously protective mother. As a wife she was efficient, dutiful, if somewhat apathetic. She was kind and respectful as a rule, but had no patience for fools, and made little effort to hide it. She took painstaking care of herself. Not, he sensed, for her husband or anyone else, but out of a selfish need to preserve the beauty she’d always known, yet also knew was on temporary loan. 
He riffled through the photos. Ah, there you are. His favorite. Caught in close-up. Apprehension, bordering on fear, chiseled into the subtle lines book-ending her mouth that only made her more real, more potent.
What are you thinking, My Fair Maiden? A leisurely finger massaged the contours of the face, circled the full lips, caressed the silken hair. He stood abruptly, moved to the bedside, shoved the photo into the face of the woman twisted among the covers. “Why don’t you take care of yourself like this?” he said. He got no response. Not that he expected one. After all, she was dead. He was lulled by the tap-tap on the window above the ghastly corpse, the diminishing rain the only witness to his crime. Tears slid down the slick panes, mourning the woman because nobody else would. But they’ll all care about you, won’t they? He positioned the photo of His Fair Maiden so it shielded the blanched face of the woman on the bed. I’ve got a big surprise in store for you. You’ll never see it coming.

~~~

From the Prologue until the last climatic pages of William Goyette's novel, In Our Blood, I was hooked! In many ways, the suspense is subtle--the author has grabbed the reader, but has not told us anything that can help us know what will be happening--no, what IS happening!

Carla Mendez was a wilted flower that has hung on long past its season. White-with-specks-of-gray hair was pulled back so severely, her eyes seemed to stretch halfway around her head. A neatly pressed housecoat worked overtime to fill out the skeletal frame it dripped from. 

“Mrs. Mendez,” Jake said, “you said that Miss Thomas had a guest staying with her. A man. Can you remember what he looked like?” 

The tiny woman let out a puff of air, deflating her fragile body even more. “I’m sorry I haven’t been much help. It’s just, after seeing Donna that way…” 

“It’s okay, Mrs. Mendez,” Henderson said. “Take your time.” Women melted when Kyle flashed those pearly whites. Even old coots in housecoats. Carla Mendez returned the smile, smoothed her dress. “Thank you, Detective.” 

Jake stifled a groan. Carla turned to Jake. “Yes, I think I can remember what he looked like.” 

Jake nodded. “Great. If you wouldn’t mind coming down to the station…” “Beg your pardon?” Carla crowed. “What for?” Her wrinkled face wrinkled up even more, if that were possible. Thin parched lips folded into one another. 

“It would be a tremendous help, Mrs. Mendez,” Jake’s partner said. “If you’d feel more comfortable, I can accompany you.” The wrinkles smoothed, her lips unfolded and curled up. “Then I’d be delighted,” she said. “Shall I get my purse?”

~~~

And, of course, in order to learn, we will need to become acquainted with our main character, Jake Hawksworth. It is Jake who describes himself to readers, and I kept coming back to "Columbo" as I learned more about our main investigator. In fact, I enjoyed the POV coming from him as he worked to discover what was going on...but also as he worked and thought about his partner, enjoying, his sense of humor...or lack thereof.  For me, it lightened up a somewhat gruesome murder mystery/thriller...

The murder in the Prologue set the tone for what was to come, but, interesting, one clue came out of it as Jack and Kyle surveyed the room... In the midst of a variety of books on a shelf, a complete set of those written by a well-known author... Jake surveyed a snap-together wall unit that housed a jumble of tattered books. Tawdry romance novels. Obscure detective pulp. A perfectly aligned row of shiny hardcovers caught his eye. The same author’s name ran up each of their glossy spines. Every book written by the guy. Jake knew this because he had the same collection on a shelf in his house. 

“She must’ve been a fan of McCauley’s,” an ID officer said. “How about you,” he added. “A fan, I mean?” 

“Who isn’t?” Jake said. He winked at his partner. “Let’s go meet your girl Sally.”

~~~

It begins around the third chapter when readers meet Drew McCauley on a plane heading home, as he is working on his latest book... And we meet Chance...Is he just a character? An  intriguing overlay of activities within the book begins...Is McCauley writing a book...or is what is happening only concepts for McCauley's story... Close attention is mandatory for readers at this point! My only warning...

While Jack and Kyle are working on the murder of the woman who had been found dead in her bed, readers move on to meet new characters in the book... Chance and Lynette are meeting with Bud to consider having Bud help them...in kidnapping the son of author, Drew McCauley... Bud is hesitant, very hesitant, but needs money badly, and asks why Chance thinks he can get to the kid... Chance answered, but Bud didn't understand, when the answer was, "Because I know him better than he (McCauley) knows himself..."

And, indeed, when Drew arrived home, he was surprised, and then concerned that Paige and his children had not met him at the door, as usual when he returned. Though Chance and Bud thought they were not observed, they had been, so the family had prior warning that somebody was watching their home... But they still succeeded in taking Ben...

Jake was having one of his nightmares, which had become routine since his wife had been murdered, and Nikki, his daughter was having a tough time awaking him...They were planning to go out and eat and she was going to share about her new boyfriend... Even then, Jake had a hunch about the young man he had not yet met....

But that had to wait, because Jake, who had worked for them before, was called in by the McCauley family to find their son!

Intense, provocative, and somewhat spellbinding, this book is well worth reading if you are a suspense thriller fan. This first in series is a must-read if you enjoy a main character and series that grabs you right from the beginning and leaves you wanting more. The climax is well worth waiting for and surprising enough to leave you a bit stunned... wondering what Jake is going to get into in his next case.... Highly recommended.

GABixlerReviews

I've been a "word nerd" for as long as I can remember. My mind is always in the "on" position, with new stories and characters constantly brewing. Right now, I have about a half dozen ideas for future novels banging around in my head.

In Our Blood is the first in a series of detective thrillers featuring Detective Jake Hawksworth. Jake isn't superhuman. He can't take on five guys at once, can't scale buildings, can't save the world from weapons of mass destruction. Jake is every man. 

I'm currently immersed in the second Jake installment, a murder mystery set at a remote writers' retreat, called Little Red Herrings.

When I'm not lost in my fictional world, I'm traveling the real world with my wife, spending quality time with my two daughters, or rolling around on the ground with my dogs.

Ronald Paxton Presents Tears At Sunrise

A mild breeze, soft as a baby’s kiss, greeted John “Cowboy” Howard as he closed the door behind him and stepped out onto the front porch. He drew a deep, ragged breath, held it, and then slowly let it out. The hollow space between his heart and stomach remained unimpressed by the simple relaxation exercise. The night was clear and soundless. John descended the porch steps on rubbery legs and started down the hill to the barn. His pulse was pounding in his ears and a heavy film of sweat covered both arms and dripped from his fingertips. It’s just a panic attack, that’s all. It can’t be anything else. 
The pills Kenneth prescribed are controlling my cholesterol and blood pressure, and I’ve been walking every day. I just had a check-up. Kenneth said I was doing great. John opened the barn door and sat down on a metal folding chair beside the first horse stall. He closed his eyes and tried to embrace the quiet. After a few minutes, he could feel his heart rate slowing and the perspiration on his hands and arms starting to dry. His legs still felt wobbly and the hole in the pit of his stomach was still there, but it was time to get started. Pale light from the waning moon shone through the windows as John walked the length of the barn to the last stall. 
The big chestnut stallion was awake and waiting for him. He took a moment to stroke the horse’s mane and gaze into the deep eyes that reminded him so much of Jubal. John pulled an apple from his pocket and waited for JB to snatch it from his hand. “You’re up early. We’ve got over an hour to go before daylight. What do you say we take a ride up the mountain?” 
JB flicked his ears and finished eating the apple. He looked at John and waited. John reached into his pocket and produced a second apple. 
While the stallion ate he quickly secured the saddle and bridle and led his horse out of the barn. The remnants of moonlight and a faint glow on the eastern horizon were all horse and rider needed to follow the familiar path to the base of Look Back

Mountain, the northern boundary of Wild Pony Ranch. As he rode, John let his thoughts return to the previous evening. He and Sarah Jane had been eating supper when the phone rang. They rarely received calls on their landline and he had no intention of interrupting his meal to speak with some telemarketer or survey taker. After the fifth ring he had given in, swearing to Sarah Jane that he was going to cancel the line, or at least unplug the phone unless she bought an answering machine to take calls from rude people who insisted on phoning during the supper hour. 
David Kirkwood, or at least someone pretending to be David Kirkwood, had been on the other end of the line. John had been stunned. The man sounded like he was a hundred years old. He and David had first met in kindergarten and formed a tight bond that had endured for sixty years. They had grown up together, riding horses, playing sports, chasing girls, drinking beer, and getting into scrapes that they still talked and laughed about. John had been the best man at his friend’s wedding and David had returned the favor a year later when John married Sarah Jane. Other than his own family, David Kirkwood was the only person that still called him John. He was like a brother. 
“The cancer’s back,” David had said, “And there’s nothing else the doctors can do about it. My time’s running out John, and I need to see you. Can you come?”

~~~

Tears at Sunrise:

Danger Lies Beyond the Horizon

By Ronald Paxton

Heading out for his morning ride with JB was important to John and his horse...Spending time out on his ranch brought a certain type of peace... So it was natural for him to lead JB over to the grave of his sire, Jubal... But when he got there, the grave stone had graffiti over the face... What now? John was angry, wondering who would do this since everybody had loved Jubal... But for now, this would have to wait, he needed to go to this best friend immediately...

“He’s an addict,” David said. “Not drugs —
Adam is a compulsive spender and gambler.
A couple of months ago, the bank’s internal
auditors uncovered
 a discrepancy of almost half a million
 dollars in several of its managed accounts.
When they confronted Adam with the problem,
my son confessed to stealing the money from his clients.”
~~~

John was shocked that he had been made heir of the majority of David Kirkwood's estate, his life-long friend. Even more surprising was his asking John to ensure that none of the money would get into his son's hands. His son was a gambler and would go through his father's entire estate and David wanted to ensure that didn't happen!

John promised, but didn't realize what trouble it would be bringing his way...

Nor did he realize that, going to get a magazine for his friend, would mean that he was not there when David had died...just the hospital chaplain...

So, here I am. God, I’m glad Emma
 and Sarah Jane aren’t here in
 case nobody buys the book.
 It’s bad enough that I
 have to face Anna.
~~~

And just as he was beginning to understand his new reality, he was called by his agent about his book, The Cowboy Way: Life, Love, and Lessons from the Ranch. She wanted to start arranging book signings, proudly announcing that they had made a first printing of 50,000...which promptly sold out, with John suggesting a 500,000 printing the next time...


By the way, I haven't mentioned that our main character, usually called Cowboy was once a rodeo bull rider star with many fans, have I???

Then there was the issue of John's grandson who was mixed race getting hassled...and later kidnapped!

And more damage to Jubal's grave...

Lots of cowboy action and complex situations so that readers are sometimes even having to stop and pause to catch up! Still, until the very last, with a number of options on what was really happening, you just may be on the edge of your seat... Have to admit I loved the part when John's grandson used an Indian language signal to help find him! Great characters, great storyline...Highly recommended!


GABixlerReviews

Ronald Paxton was born in Richmond, Virginia and currently resides in Newport News, Virginia with his high school sweetheart and wife of over 43 years. Mr. Paxton sold his first short story in 2008 and has since published approximately 40 short stories. His work has received Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations. The author's debut novel, "Winter Songs," was published in 2012 by World Castle Publishing and his second novel, "Deep Water," was released in December 2013. "Haven," the sequel to "Winter Songs," was published in 2014. "Soul Man" was published in April 2015, by Moonshine Cove Publishing. 

Robert John Estko Presents Evil, Be Gone, a Fascinating Political Thriller

Comfortable that the house was secure and Susan would keep close tabs on Josh, John popped a John Mellenkamp cassette in the tape player, put on the earphones, and climbed on the treadmill. Five miles of walking and running were a lot easier to the beat of Mellenkamp's heartland ballads. Having finished her favorite talk show, Susan had moved on to the kitchen to prepare dinner. She quickly discovered that her boys, John and Josh, had already polished off the gallon of milk she had just picked up yesterday. A quick car ride around the corner to the market would only have her out of the house for a couple of minutes, so without going to the door of the gym, she shouted down the hall to Lilly that she'd be right back. He never heard her.

He also never heard the carpet cleaner's van pull into the driveway the moment Susan's car was out of sight. This particular carpet cleaner was more adept at picking locks than he was at steamcleaning. And as Lilly broke into a run of the treadmill, packing himself to the tempo of the "Coug's" guitar 

in "Hurt So Good," the man made his way down the hall to Josh's room. As he walked, he poured a small amount of liquid into a heavy handkerchief. Josh had no opportunity to protest this time as the handkerchief was placed over his mouth and nose. The carpet cleaner turned kidnapper then rolled the unconscious child up in the five-foot by eight-foot rug that covered the middle of the hardwood floor in Josh's room, threw the rolled run on his shoulder and walked out of the house. The van was a block down the street before Susan drove up the driveway with a fresh gallon of milk.
About forty minutes later a sweat-drenched John Lelankevitch walked into the kitchen where Susan was busy preparing dinner. "What's cookin', good lookin'?"
"How's roast beef and mashed potatoes sound, handsome? You better grab a shower quick or Josh will eat all the mashed potatoes and gravy."
"Where is the little guy anyway?"
"Well, when I ran out, he was in his room zapping bad guys or monsters or whatever it is he zaps on that electronic game he plays."
Surprised, Lilly barked, "When you ran out! Where'd you go?"
"I told you...I ran to the store to get some milk for the mashed potatoes...I told you when I left," Susan snapped back.
Lilly was already running down the hall towards Josh's room and didn't hear her finish her remark. "Josh!" he yelled as he ran. Grabbing the doorjamb, with a hand on each side, he leaned into the room. "Josh!" he yelled again.
"Oh My God!" came the cry from Susan who had quickly been on Lilly's heels when he took off and now stood behind him at the doorway to their young son's room. "John...John...where is he?"
Noticing that the rug was gone, Lelankevitch said, "They came back. They got him this time."
Susan just crumpled to the floor.
Lilly didn't even move to console her. Still staring into Josh's room, he simple said with resolve in his voice. "They won't hurt him. They want me. And I'm going to give them what they want...in spades."

~~~

Evil, Be Gone

By Robert Estko

"Evil, Be Gone"

The small intruder, without thinking, lunged into the darkness toward what he believed to be the attacker, only to find his feet lifted from the deck, by a hand clutching his throat just beneath the jaw-line. Assisted by his captive's momentum, John "Lilly" Lelankevitch, carried the man through an arc in the air to a crashing collision with the living room's hardwood floor, still gripping the throat of what was now more rag doll than man. Clenching the hand that encircled the little man's larynx into a fist, Lelankevitch began his mental journey back to an earlier time, and between the popping sound and the gurgling of blood in his enemy's throat, he said, "Evil, be gone," under his breath.
~~~

This book reminded me a little of the "Taken" series so I

immediately thought of Liam Neeson as the perfect star to play John Lelankevitch. A Vietnam vet who learned how to kill for his country, first had to deal with the issue of murder. He realized that if he could actually see evil intent, he was able to move decisively to take the enemy down... And he became a master, but always, always, he said the mantra, "Evil, Be Gone..." to ensure he could actually kill the individual.

He had continued somewhat in the same business when he was hired into a firm where he had been working, in retirement for ten years... But there were people who remembered his expertise and were now calling upon him to do jobs that were not exactly clear in the evil versus good decision.

This time they wanted him to kill an innocent... And to ensure he did it, they kidnapped his son. Fortunately their first attempt failed, but on their second try, they were successful. In dealing with the safety of his family, John was forced to share his background activities with his wife, who had known him only as a beloved husband and father. Now he had to introduce her to danger, by moving her into a safe house while he dealt with the kidnappers...

The startling plot of who is to be murdered was a new twist to the presidential election process and proved to be an excellent look at both the personal life of potential candidates, as well as what it means to be part of a "political family" where the power of the office overrides anything else.

The portrayal of Lilly Lelankevitch was both as a hero in his

decisions to fight evil, but most telling was that, once he had left that life and was asked to go back, he had to work himself into the mind-frame of once again being a killer... Still, could he kill an innocent?

At a time when turmoil in Washington is in the daily news, Robert John Estko has written a plausible and exciting thriller. His character is "hero-stuff" with his love of family and country overriding commands given, when they are "evil" orders... It is a thoughtful, intriguing concept while at the same time an exciting "good fighting evil" page-turner... It is highly recommended for your consideration...

GABixlerReviews

Robert Estko grew up on Chicago's south side before winning a Marine Corps scholarship. Later in Chicago, he became a social worker. A three-month odyssey ended when he ran out of gas and money in Northern California in 1978. Today, he is a lawyer and corporate executive in Silicon Valley.

Right to an Attorney Challenges Reader With Complex Story Wow!

An upfront comment... I had to work to read this book... There were many characters and I found I couldn't keep them all straight. Because of the story, however, I could see why there were so many, and I was able to follow the storyline without worrying about learning the names of the characters, except for the main ones. Once I made that internal decision, I discovered what an amazing book this really is... If you like psychological thrillers and can accept a writer's challenge to follow the story where it is leading, then you, too, may find it just as fascinating as I did...

“My research tells me that you have state and federal licenses and that you also practice in California.” 
“Yes. I moved here from California four years ago. Did the crime occur here in Pennsylvania or in California?” 
He said, “Here. Harrisburg. I’ll eventually face more unrelated charges in California. I’ve already retained counsel there, though I haven’t met her yet. I’ll need for you to assist with that case as well.” 
Janet shut her eyes tightly then quickly opened them. “Let’s start over, this time from the beginning. The two homicides…” 
He grabbed the newspaper and opened it up to page 3A. He folded the paper below an article then gave it to her. “Read the story about the missing investment banker and his driver. They’ve only been reported as missing, but pretty soon the cops will eventually investigate it as a double homicide. I believe this because a white guy named Eric Adkins will likely tell the police that I killed them.” 
Janet was reading the article but stopped and said, “And why would this Eric guy say such a thing about you? Try to answer that without incriminating yourself.” 
“Well, I owe him some money.” 
“How much money?” “That depends,” Dexter smiled, “on how much you think is fair.” She began reading again but stopped and said, “How much does Eric think is fair?” 
“About $ 3.3 billion.” She looked up at him. The number caught her attention only because she’d heard it more than once this morning on her way to work. The $ 3.3 billion investment scam had been all over the radio.
He leaned forward, gently pulled the paper from her delicate hands, and showed her the front page. THE $ 3.3 BILLION TRAFFIC STOP. “You can read about the traffic stop first; it’s more interesting,” he said. Janet studied him, looking for signs that this guy was just playing games. 
He said, “Why the silent treatment?” 
“I don’t know if I should take you seriously.” She didn’t mean to say that. Actually, she meant to say it but it came out wrong. This could be her career client. She would have to be careful with her words, careful not to run him off to another lawyer. “I mean, are you kidding me?” She smiled.
“How much for a high-profile double homicide?”
“Why don’t we wait until you’re charged before we talk numbers?” 
“How about we do this my way? Give me a price or decline representation.” 
She held his stare for a few seconds. “How does a half million sound? That would also cover my investigators, experts, and…”
“I have a better idea.” He opened his briefcase, removed two documents and four stacks of hundred-dollar bills, and dropped the six items on her desk. “That’s $ 100,000 cash, just to get you to take me seriously.” She was definitely taking him seriously now. “That’s yours if you agree to do everything my way. I’ll pay your fee of $500,000 as soon as I’m indicted, and you’ll get another 2.4 million if I’m not convicted. All of that includes your assistance with whatever charges I may face in California as well. Any questions?”

~~~

Right to an Attorney:

A Psychological Legal Thriller

By R. Sims

Dexter Parker had already started working on the whole plan many months ago... An a brilliant financial high roller, he had the contacts, the background, and the charisma to persuade... I thought of one man who would easily play the part--Denzil Washington. Denzil who has been called one of the Bad-Ass actors of all time. Readers might find that Dexter Parker would fit in that badass category too... Cool, sophisticated, and...B A D...

Now I wouldn't want to see a steady of diet of the bad guys winning, but there is a softer side of Dexter that comes through as the story goes on, especially for responding to the needs of a certain charity... So, I have to admit, I was watching this Dude soar through every glitch that came up and, with the help of his attorney, Janet, played by Viola Davis.... I picked her as soon as I'd read the court scenes... Janet is a beginning but also intelligent lawyer who, when she starts negotiating for working with Dexter, soon allow her mind to wander far from the money he's offering as she explores his physical presence and how she's feeling about being with him...

At that point, I should point out that there is a number of explicit sex scenes, as Janet lets Dexter know that she requires much more than the job, the money, and him... She requires her own...satisfaction... Quickly I should also mention Dana, another female lawyer who is being interviewed and hired, but... well, let's just say, she's not part of Dexter's life later in the story... And, oh yes, just one other little tidbit that plays into their relationship... Dexter is looking for the future mother of his child... Whew!

Readers are brought into the book as various criminal partners to Dexter are being discovered... Some talk, some blame Dexter as the bad guy, but readers think that Dexter is already aware of what they people might do...Is Dexter also able to evaluate the psychological strength of each of his connections? Readers will begin to think so...

Especially when you consider that a small group of people were able to successfully sell, scam, and steal billions of dollars from some fairly high profile mega-dollar investors!

Now, I have to tell you that when you're talking about hundreds of thousands and more dollars used to pay for each and every thing that must or could happen during such a money scam, that goes well beyond my ability to comprehend...I mean, do you even have to keep any type of accounting process when there is that much money available to you? LOL... In any event, Dexter is shelling out money to as many people that are in the book...so many, that you'll never remember their names...maybe just what they were paid, LOL! For instance, students were being hired at $1000/day to march and support Dexter in front of the court house during his trial...

And, about that trial, Dexter was doing all the planning upfront as to when he would be willing and able to start dealing with the legal system... Of course, by that time, the biggest investor in the scam, who'd lost $1Billion had made his own arrangements about getting his and all of the rest of the money! And that's when the kidnapping comes in...

But who, exactly, had that money and where was it?

R. Sims has put this book out for feedback and comment...He has placed the main character as a criminal, yet shows the good he is trying to do. We wonder, what will he do with the last billions he'd stolen? I think I'd like to see more to find out!

At first I thought the author might be a woman...his two female lawyers were written to be strong characters who were willing to both meet Dexter on his terms, as well as to demand their own. No matter whether male or female, he has shown me the ability to create an empathetic and contemporary female character...

As mentioned earlier, I always root for the good guy, so while I cannot personally support the actions of the main character, I cannot allow that to detract from the brilliance of the plot, the writing, the continuity, and how each action and most words push the story forward... I can easily applaud the author's writing, and commend the story in response to his upfront statement of his art following today's world... As many know, I read many similar stories which focus on today's world events and I believe this author has captured, through his experience, the ability to become well known for his writing choices... I recommend him as an author to watch as he publishes his already-written books...GABixlerReviews 

RIGHT TO CONFRONT HER: A Female-Driven Revenge Thriller... was released Friday, December 9, 2016, as an e-book (now with Kindle Unlimited participation). RIGHT TO AN ATTORNEY: A psychological-Legal Thriller That Will Dupe You Senseless... was released November 3, 2016, as an e-book and a paperback (also with Kindle Unlimited participation). The next R. Sims thriller will be released in late March 2017.

While most thrillers are written from the perspective of the good guy, an R. Sims thriller could focus on life from the bad guys’ point of view, and the bad guy could actually win every once in a while. And, because human beings are so complex, sometimes the bad guy might actually be the good guy as well. Just trying to make art imitate life whenever possible. You have been warned.

Just want you to know what my thrillers hope to establish. Having pointed that out, I am asking you all to judge my storytelling and editing skills, and try not take anything personal. Can I write well? Can I tell a good story? I invite you to fairly criticize my works based on those two things. I write thrillers, so don't be surprised to find violence, unethical behavior, corruption, deception, lies, vivid and explicit sex scenes and some extra homicides. Just another warning. But I can promise you the story will be well-written with multiple plots that all tie-in seamlessly.

R. Sims is a native of Rock Hill, South Carolina. He is the editor of more than 35 novels, ghostwriter of more than 20 books, and author of 5 unpublished thrillers. He expects to release his unpublished books once monthly. He also writes as James Sims when dabbling in the African-American Urban Fiction genre (violent and action-packed). see GodMother: The Rise of TeTe; Anybody Can Get it; Dirty South Queen…