Their Final Cry - Dea Poirier

 As the sheet was pulled away, Harlow started to get a picture of her victim. Looking down at her alabaster skin, flowing blonde hair and striking cheekbones, it was not hard to see why she was known as the sweetheart of this town. But as Harlow’s eyes scanned down to the purple bruising around her neck, it was clear that someone wanted her dead.

When the body of sixteen-year-old Mazie Winters is discovered on the site of an abandoned farm, the small and tight-knit community of New Paltz in upstate New York is rocked to its core and Detective Harlow Durant is called in immediately to investigate.

Harlow’s partner Lucas Park is already working at Ackert Farm on a cold case, identifying human remains found in a cellar. Looking out at the desolate farmland, Harlow can’t help but think that dumping Mazie’s body on the site of an active crime scene is a warning: leave the remains in the past or more innocent lives will be lost.

Searching old farm records and interviewing previous owners, Harlow discovers that no one ever stayed long: the ground appeared to be cursed and owners soon moved on. The only shred of evidence is of teens heading into the vast network of woods to hear the supposed cries of women, presumed to be the ghosts of the past. But were those screams real?

As Harlow pieces together a picture of Mazie: a loving daughter of the local pastor who spent her weekends singing in the church choir, she is called to an abandoned outhouse hidden in the woods. Forcing open the door, she is shocked to find the remains of two women. But the case soon becomes personal as Lucas recognises the necklace found on one of the bodies.

Could the remains be linked to the tragic disappearance of Lucas’s mother decades before? And when another teenager vanishes, Harlow senses history repeating itself. With a killer at large, Harlow knows that time is running out to catch the killer and bring justice to Lucas’s family. But how far will the killer go to cover up their darkest crime?

A completely gripping and pulse-pounding crime thriller perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot and Robert Dugoni.

Author Bio:

Author Dea (D.H) Poirier is the author of NEXT GIRL TO DIE, which hit #1 in the Amazon charts. She was raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, where she got her start writing in creative writing courses. She attended The University of Central Oklahoma for Computer Science and Political Science. Later, she spent time living on both coasts, and traveling the United States, before finally putting down roots in Central Florida. She now resides somewhere between Disney and the swamp. She spends her days at her day job as a President of Digital Marketing, and her nights writing manuscripts.

https://www.dhpoirier.com/

https://www.facebook.com/dhpoirier/

https://www.instagram.com/deapoirier/

https://twitter.com/deapoirierbooks

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Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0B8TFPSPYsocial

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My Review

Their Final Cry is the third book in the Detective Harlow Durant series. Like the previous books it deals with some pretty nasty crimes and it also reveals more of Harlow's turbulent childhood with her evil father and abusive mother. This time we also get a glimpse into the past of Harlow's partner, Lucas. The mystery surrounding his mother and grandmother's disappearance being thrown up.
I really enjoyed this latest instalment. There are a few things that I think you have to suspend belief with. I'm not sure that someone with a past such as Harlow's would be able to investigate crimes such as these, even if she were legally allowed, from a mental health point of view, it's far from ideal. Then there's Lucas' involvement in the current investigation, I'm sure that there's no way that he could possibly be involved and I think that with his closeness to Harlow, even that would be unlikely. It doesn't matter though, as their part in all of this is what really drives the story, both in this book and the overall story that we keep being given glimpses of.
I'm sure that there's more to come for Harlow, we certainly have plenty of questions about her story and it's clear that her father has still got a role to play. I'm looking forward to seeing how all of that unfolds.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily

Wicked Prince - Anya J. Cosgrove

 

𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬...

𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧. 𝐈 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

Cole Desirys now thinks he owns me, his psycho best friend hates me, and I loathe myself for the foolish promise I made.

From what I understand, breaking the terms of our agreement could have me killed, shunned, or turned into a slave of some kind. I’m still fuzzy on the details.

𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐦.

𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐨.

𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦'𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘺. 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴.

Buy Links (Kindle Unlimited):

Universal: https://bit.ly/readWickedPrince

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3CCe9xx

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3wlBJKJ

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3dO3B3C

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3ChWD1e

In the Series - Forbidden Magic (Kindle Unlimited):

Universal: http://bit.ly/ForbiddenMagic

Author Bio:

Anya J Cosgrove lives in Québec with her husband, her beautiful son, and two mischievous cats. She works as a veterinarian by day. She’s a travel and Disney junkie and is passionate about her favorite paranormal series.

What would Buffy do? Kick ass!

Social Media Links:

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

Website: www.anyajcosgrove.net

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Anya-J-Cosgrove/e/B07JLC18DW

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19860932.Anya_J_Cosgrove

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnyaJCosgrove

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

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/anya-j-cosgrove𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐅𝐚𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬...

𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧. 𝐈 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.

Cole Desirys now thinks he owns me, his psycho best friend hates me, and I loathe myself for the foolish promise I made.

From what I understand, breaking the terms of our agreement could have me killed, shunned, or turned into a slave of some kind. I’m still fuzzy on the details.

𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐦.

𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐨.

𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦'𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘶𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘺. 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴.

My Review

I was worried that it had been too long since I read the first book in the Dark Falls Academy, in an ideal world I would have re-read Forbidden Magic but I just didn't have the time right now. It didn't really matter, despite it being over two and a half years since I read book one, it didn't take me long to pick up the plot and remember everything that had been going on and the world that this all happens in.
Book two takes place a year after the first one. Our heroine, Jules, still finds herself drawn to fae prince Cole. Even though he seems to be completely wrong for her and she certainly can't trust him, there's something about Cole that just draws her to him.
I really enjoyed this second instalment in this series. Even better than that, we don't have to wait for too long before the third book is due to be released, which is excellent news. I can't wait to return to the Dark Falls Academy in the not-too-distant future.

Buy Links (Kindle Unlimited):

Universal: https://bit.ly/readWickedPrince

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3CCe9xx

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3wlBJKJ

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3dO3B3C

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/3ChWD1e

In the Series - Forbidden Magic (Kindle Unlimited):

Universal: http://bit.ly/ForbiddenMagic

Author Bio:

Anya J Cosgrove lives in Québec with her husband, her beautiful son, and two mischievous cats. She works as a veterinarian by day. She’s a travel and Disney junkie and is passionate about her favorite paranormal series.

What would Buffy do? Kick ass!

Social Media Links:

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

Website: www.anyajcosgrove.net

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Anya-J-Cosgrove/e/B07JLC18DW

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19860932.Anya_J_Cosgrove

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnyaJCosgrove

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

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/anya-j-cosgrove

Silent Vows - Jill Ramsower

 

 

 

 

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

 

  

 

𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑓𝑖𝑎 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑𝑙𝑦 𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑠ℎ, 

𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝐼 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑.

𝐼’𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑟𝑖𝑠ℎ. 

𝐴𝑛 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒. 

𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑛𝑜 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒. 

𝑀𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑓 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑠𝑒.

 

𝐼𝑛 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑘𝑠, 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑅𝑒𝑖𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑚𝑦 ℎ𝑢𝑠𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑑. 

 

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝐼𝑟𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜𝑥𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑠. 

𝐻𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑦𝑒𝑡 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠.

 

𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑚.

 

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑖𝑠, 𝐼’𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜. 

𝐵𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑏𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑒.

 

𝑨 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒔, 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑽𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒏 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒇𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈!

♦ ♦ ♦

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

 

 

 

His cool stare held me captive, eyes inches from mine. “Is your father going to be a problem?”

My lips parted in surprise.

I’d expected innuendo and manipulation. Such a direct line of questioning hit at the very heart of my worries and unsteadied me.

I shook my head and tried to dart beneath his arm. Conner wedged his body in front of the door, blocking my path completely and bringing us chest to chest. I sucked in a shock of air, then narrowed my eyes defensively.

He wasn’t remotely unsettled by my display of irritation. If anything, his intensity only darkened further in the dimly lit basement hallway—a villainous storm threatening to crumble me to my foundations.

“Protective is one thing. I get the sense this is more, and I think I ought to know if it’s going to be a problem.” His eyes narrowed a fraction, the difference between tension and savage ferocity in one tiny twitch of a muscle. “He ever hurt you?” The words were deadly calm.

Oh God. Why was he doing this?

He needed to stop asking questions, and I needed to stop thinking his questions meant he cared. This was all probably about control and power, not me. I had to shut it down. Now. The best way to accomplish that was not to look like a scared little girl.

Taking a small step back, I opened my clutch and pulled out a pen, then took his hand in mine, palm up. It’s so much wider than I expected. Rough and solid muscle. Hands that knew hard work, like squeezing the life out of an enemy.

I mentally scolded myself to focus and wrote two letters across the full surface of his palm.

NO.

Releasing him, I peered up in challenge. Conner stepped forward, placing his leg between my thighs and swiveling us until my back was against the wall next to the door. I didn’t squirm or respond, knowing I couldn’t show doubt or weakness if I was going to shut down his questions.

“Not so fragile as they implied, are you?” he purred above me.

I took his tie in my hand, pulling him slowly lower until our noses almost touched, and shook my head slowly side to side. His hands came to rest on either side of my head as he brought his cheek to mine, his hint of stubble creating a delicious friction against my skin.

“Good, because I’m not remotely gentle.” The words were a black promise, raw and demanding and utterly intoxicating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read the First Chapter HERE!

 

 

 

 

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

 

 

 

 

Jill is a Texan, born and raised. She manages the hectic social calendars for her three active children and occasionally spends an evening with her dashing husband. Aside from being an author and a mom, she's a travel junkie and loves to read when she is not lost in her own stories.

With Jill’s books, you can count on confident heroines, plenty of steamy tension, and deliciously assertive leading men. There are no guarantees in life, but with her books, you know everything will work out in the end. However, a perfect ending would not be nearly as satisfying without a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Jill loves to add plenty of adversity in her stories, creating unforgettably dynamic characters and sneaky plot twists you will never see coming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

♦ ♦ ♦

 

 

 My Review

Silent Vows is the first in Jill Ramswoer's new Byrne Brothers series. Although this is a new series, if you've read any of her Five Families books, then you will spot some recurring characters here. These books, as you may guess from the Byrne name, are focusing on the Irish families that lurked around the edges of some of the five families' books.
Noemi hasn't spoken since the car accident that killed her mother, is it due to trauma, something that damaged her, or perhaps she's just unwilling to speak about what really happened? Whatever her story, this troubled woman doesn't seem to be the ideal candidate to help form an alliance via marriage with the Irish. Her father has no concerns about putting her forward and when Conner meets her, it's clear that there's more to this woman than meets the eye.
The romance between Conner and Noemi develops very quickly, but I still enjoyed seeing it unfold. There's plenty going on here with both Conner and Noemi learning things about their family that they never dreamt.
This was a great start to a new series and I'm looking forward to reading more about this Irish family.

 

 

 

Death Among the Diamonds - Fliss Chester

 Everyone in 1920s London knows the Honourable Cressida Fawcett: fiercely independent (though never apart from her little pug Ruby), lover of martinis and interior designer extraordinaire. She’s solved many crimes of fashion… so how about murder?

Cressida Fawcett is heading to the English countryside for a weekend of cocktails and partying at her friend’s glamorous mansion, the location of a recent diamond heist. But just hours after her arrival, Cressida is woken by an almighty scream. Rushing to the landing, she looks down into the great hall to find a trembling maid standing next to the body of Harry, the friendly young chandelier cleaner.

Everyone believes Harry’s death was an accident. But as Cressida examines the opulent hall and the beautiful grounds, she thinks something darker is afoot. Why clean a chandelier in the early hours of the morning? And who overheard Harry boasting about coming into unexpected wealth? A small piece of torn silk found near the body has Cressida looking at the guests’ elegant clothes with fresh eyes…

The short-tempered Detective insists that she keeps her curious nose out of the investigation, but it’s Cressida who realises the stolen diamonds were hidden in the sparkling chandelier. Convinced there is a connection between the theft and the murder, the case takes a sinister turn when a guest is killed in his sleep after a brandy-fuelled night of cards. With everyone unable to leave, can Cressida’s sharp eye for detail catch the killer before another life is taken?

An absolutely gripping and utterly charming 1920s murder mystery packed with wit, glamour and intrigue. The perfect whodunnit for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Downton Abbey!

Author Bio:

Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.

https://www.instagram.com/flisschester/

https://twitter.com/SocialWhirlGirl

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Fliss Chester here: https://www.bookouture.com/fliss-chester

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0B5LNRLRYsocial

Audio Links:

UK: zpr.io/5TH6WL7X6AsX
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My Review

I've loved Fliss Chester's Fen Churche series so I was really looking forward to getting into this new Cressida Fawcett mystery series. Although both are historical murder mysteries with female leads, I think that's possibly where the similarity ends. While the Fen Churche books are a little more serious, Cressida seems to be all about the fun, even with dead bodies popping up here there and everywhere. I didn't mind it being something a little different though, I still enjoyed it immensely.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get to the bottom of whodunit completely. I'd managed to work out a few bits and bobs, but the final reveal kept me guessing. It did all make sense though, which is all I demand in a murder mystery.
This was a great start to a new series. It took me a little longer to get into than I expected, but once I'd got my head around the various characters I was hooked. I'm looking forward to reading more of Cressida's adventures. I'm sure that there's plenty more to come.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Fate in Suspension - Excerpt

Fate in Suspension
Archer Kay Leah
(Horn & Haven, #1)
Publication date: June 30th 2022
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance

Quiet. That’s how he likes life, no drama to clean up…

Tai Xen-Vorsy leads a straightforward life: work, time at the local clubs where shapeshifters like him can play without fear, and the comforts of home with a cat that’s more than half attitude. After breaking up with his last submissive, he’s even taking a break from Dom duties.

Meeting Gates changes everything, and when Tai’s childhood home is destroyed, his simple life goes up in flames.

The Callensdale haven was his refuge as an orphan, a hideaway that saved his life. Now it’s time to return the favour. Bringing in the Fluff Brigade Brotherhood would make all the difference… if he could just get them back together. Tai won’t give up—he’s not that kind of unicorn. But can he reunite the brotherhood and keep his new relationship with Gates kindled at the same time?

The darkness is dragging him into the shadows, one case at a time…

Helping others is all Gates Colfaethe wants to do, being mostly unicorn shifter with a splash of Faerie. But years as an agent on trafficking cases leave him fearing just how far he’ll lose himself in the job before he burns out completely.

A random hookup with Tai might be the very change he needs. A new Dom means new rules and the chance to create safe distance from work—until his worlds collide in a twist Gates should leave well enough alone. What he knows is bad enough, but running headlong into danger could kill him.

Horn & Haven is an MM+ romance series featuring a found family of unicorn shifters brought together by tragic circumstances. Friends out to save a magical world in trouble. Family fighting to protect those they love. Lovers falling for the kinkiest unicorns this side of their universe… Welcome to the Fluff Brigade Brotherhood.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Author Bio:

Archer Kay Leah is an LGTBQA+ romance author that you’ll often find getting lost in strange, fantastical worlds with characters who can’t help but find trouble and shake things up. Fantasy and sci-fi romances are Archer’s speciality, especially when they’re complex and emotionally charged. But at the heart of Archer’s stories are friendship, family, and there’s always a happy ending–it might just take a whole lot of complications to get there!

When not reading and writing for work or play, Archer is a nerd of much geekery, loves music to depths that will never be contained, and is fascinated by behaviour, psychology, and ecology. Born and raised in Canada, Archer lives in London, Ontario with a non-binary partner who loves all things out there in the vast space of the universe.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Excerpt

Fate in Suspension Excerpt 1: The Call

Terror shot through him, competing with a simmering rage like twin blasts of hot and cold tearing each other's throats out. He hadn't been this scared since he'd seen his parents murdered.

Ratchet. Need to tell him.

He turned off the taps and dried his hands, then returned to the bedroom. Gates hadn't left the bed, only turned over to lie on his stomach, face turned away from the bathroom, all of which suited Tai just fine. He wasn't up for explaining. Gates wouldn't understand anyway, so what was the point?

Tai opened the closet as quietly as he could and grabbed his phone from his jacket.

"Problem?" Gates's voice drifted over from the bed, soft and sleepy.

"No," Tai answered through gritted teeth, unable to look at Gates. "Go back to resting. I'll be back soon." He stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him. The moment he was alone, he called Ratchet.

The connection went straight to voicemail. Twice.

"Dammit," Tai muttered. Ratchet was most likely passed out at home, sneaking in a quick nap since he'd be up early to deal with event matters. Either that or his phone was dead.

It was just as well—Tai didn't want to discuss anything over the phone. Not when he didn't know who was listening in. He wasn't a complete fool: after the dragon sighting, all sorts of agents would be up to their dicks in surveillance, especially in the city where it all went wrong.

The chime of Ratchet's voicemail pissed him off even more as he left his message. "Hey, asshat," Tai said, "thanks for not picking up. Need to see you, basically fucking now. It's almost three—wake your ass up and text me. I'll keep harassing you till you do."

He hung up, only to text Ratchet the same message. Everything else was just a matter of waiting.

Molly Rey had told him to stay. That he had time.

None of that made him feel better. The Callensdale haven had been their home for years, ever since he and Molly Rey had been whisked away to the haven's veiled location, hidden from whoever had killed their parents. They'd shown up on the haven's doorstep as bundles of paranoia and horror but left as mostly adjusted adults ready to see what the world offered, other than secrets. Between the Eightfold Watchers and the patron guardians, they'd never had reason to fear life on the haven's grounds. They'd been raised well. With care. Just as every child of the Dale was.

Now that compassion and kindness had been devastated, and for what?

Tai scowled at his phone, thumb poised over the Message button. He should go to Ratchet's place and bang down the door until someone let him in, except…

Gates.

Tai had gone rough enough on him. He wanted Gates to rest it off, at least for a little while, and he didn't need anyone else knowing his business.

Then again…

His fucking head. He wasn't fit to go anywhere, let alone drive. His insides felt as if someone had gone full-on supernova on his brain matter, then redecorated his skull with a sledgehammer. His sight was blurry and getting worse the longer he stared at his phone, details bleeding together—a reaction to the magic he'd completely forgotten about. If it was anything like when he was a child, the blurriness would last for at least an hour, maybe longer since he hadn't worked mirror magic in over twenty years. Molly Rey had always been the strongest at their shared ability, not him.

No, leaving the apartment was a bad idea, likely to get him killed with a fate far worse than what Molly Rey would deal out if he didn't obey her instructions, even if loyalty demanded he run to her. Staying put was already making his skin crawl.

Tai sighed and headed for the kitchen—

—Only to hit the ground, knee slamming down before he could stop himself from falling. His other leg buckled just as quickly, bringing him face-first against the wood floor.

Okay… not going anywhere.

Rolling onto his back, Tai hissed at the contact on his spine. He called Ratchet from where he lay in the corridor.

Voicemail. Again.

"Change in plans," Tai said in his new message. He stared at the ceiling, waiting for the doubled shadows to stop dancing. "Meet you at the club at eight. Morning eight. Have coffee."

He let the phone slip to the floor by his ear, the clatter too loud to not wince at. Fine, if his body didn't want to move, he'd lie there for a bit, then try to get up and hobble back to bed, assuming Gates didn't find him first—or Estrel didn't sit on his face. The thud and click, click, click coming from the other room meant the furry bastard was already on the way, probably to loaf on Tai's chest and smack his tail in Tai's face, knowing Tai wasn't in any condition to stop him.

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