Author: cvegnad

September 16, 2019

Real Murder Book Review

It doesn’t take long for the Lovers in Crime to put their cases together to reveal a long-kept secret that some believe is worth killing to keep undercover.

About Real Murder

When Homicide Detective Cameron Gates befriends Dolly, the little old lady who lives across the street, she is warned not to get lured into helping the elderly woman by investigating the unsolved murder of one of her girls. “She’s senile,” Cameron is warned. “It’s not a real murder.”

Such is not the case. After Dolly is brutally murdered, Cameron discovers that the sweet blue-haired lady’s “girl” was a call girl, who had been killed in a mysterious double homicide.

Meanwhile, Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Thornton is looking for answers to the murder of a childhood friend, a sheriff’s deputy whose cruiser is found at the bottom of a lake. The deputy had disappeared almost twenty years ago while privately investigating the murder of a local prostitute.

My Thoughts

This incredible novel that leaves you on the edge of your seat centres around an old woman who appears to be a sweet but perhaps senile lady. The truth is never quite what it seems though! Soon the story is full of unsolved and seemingly unlinked deaths and disappearances that our characters must put together and solve the cases.

In this novel, we have Joshua and Cameron (my personal two favourite characters that make me laugh) as the leads in the investigation that starts off with the murder of an old woman named Dolly (who funny enough used to babysit Joshua). We then begin to unravel quite the story full of deaths and disappearances that are all centred around Dolly’s girls.

The real shock that came to me (and many characters) was that Dolly owned and ran a brothel, not to mention quite the black mailing ring that she was at the centre of. Sadly, many of her girls met untimely deaths and the police officer investigating also ended up dead. But how was Dolly murdered? Why were the girls murdered? What did they know? And who could be at the centre of this?

Real Murder is an excellent, edge of your seat novel that will keep you guessing right until the end. A definite must read!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Thorny Rose, Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries—over twenty titles across four fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and two spoiled rotten German shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 12, 2019

Family Dining at Paramount Fine Foods

We are an extremely busy family with two kids in competitive soccer, both working full time and owning my small business. It can be very hard to find the time to sit down and spend quality time with each other. But this is very important to us and also what makes those moments so special.

We recently visited Paramount Fine Foods in Mississauga – a treasure of a find tucked away on Crestlawn Drive. If you are not familiar with the restaurant, Paramount Fine Foods is the fastest growing Middle Eastern food chain in Canada with over 60 restaurants across the country. You can find all of their locations here.

This elegant restaurant (with exquisite attention to detail) offers something for everyone. You can enjoy incredible, mouth watering recipes in a warm and inviting environment. And the kids – they can enjoy the Kids playground once they are done eating or while you are waiting on your food order.

For our visit, we ordered Manakeesh and the mixed combo platter. This was my kids and my first time trying Middle Eastern cuisine, while my husband has had it several times. We were not disappointed at all. We loved the Manakeesh, we ordered it with just cheese and it hit the spot.

We could not get over how much food was on the mixed combo platter., everything looked and tasted divine. We loved how the platter offered enough of each of our favourites – chicken, beef, rice and fries! They also have a fantastic kids menu, which had chicken fingers for the picky eater in our family. He managed to eat a little bit of everything.

I loved that we could all dive right in and share the same dishes, it made the experience feel like we were at home. Our youngest even said Mom – this tastes like home cooking but better! Which at first, I gave him the stink eye thinking he was making fun of my cooking but he was trying to say the food tasted real and healthy. Which, as any parent of a picky eater knows, is a win- win.

Our kids get full fast (I wish I had this problem!) so it was incredibly helpful that Paramount Fine Foods had a closed in Kids Playground that he could use while he waited for Mom and Dad to finish up. He felt comfortable coming and going from the table to the playground, and never felt that he was disrupting others.

For all my parents looking for an amazing evening out at a restaurant that not only has great food but is also welcoming to children, Paramount Fine Foods is a great option for you on your next family night out!

Make sure to check out their website and follow them on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with events and new menu items.

Disclosure: We were hosted at Paramount Fine Foods to experience their location. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 9, 2019

The Healer’s Daughter Book Review

Can these three women defeat ISIL terrorists, criminal oligarchs, and corrupt officials? Can they even survive?

About The Healer’s Daughter

A terrorist bombing in Bergama, Turkey kills twenty-three people including three children. Modern Bergama is built on the site of ancient Pergamon, a city whose art and wealth and culture rivaled Athens. It was also the home of the Aesklepion, the world’s greatest healing center, and the birthplace of Galen, the Roman Empire’s most famous doctor.

Tuğçe Iskan, a Turkish Ministry investigator, finds evidence that links the terrorism to a powerful criminal family and to Galen’s life and Pergamon’s lost treasures. But Iskan is alone, an outcast in the Ministry because she is honest, diligent, and a woman.

As Iskan delves more deeply into the heinous attack, she needs allies outside the Ministry. She must turn to Özlem Boroğlu, a local archeologist, and Boroğlu’s daughter Elif, an artist with an affinity for ancient Aegean goddesses. Can these three women defeat ISIL terrorists, criminal oligarchs, and corrupt officials? Can they even survive?

My Thoughts

The Healer’s Daughter is a thrilling novel that takes you on a political, cultural and historical journey. It is the type of novel that you just can’t put down as it pulls you right in with the injustice and corruption.

The novel takes place mainly in present time but pulls in historical events through Galen, the Roman Empire’s most famous doctor. The novel starts off with a terrorist bombing in Bergama, Turkey which kills twenty three local residents and tourists. From here, we plunge right in to this fast paced story.

The novel has several layers as we learn about Galen (his teachings), archaeological findings and plundering by black markets to sell these artifacts, as well as terrorists and an element of spirituality. The story centres around Ozlem and her family. Ozlem is a local archaeologist who finds evidence of a long hidden treasure. This sparks interest by several wealthy collectors who want to sell this item on the black market. These same individuals are protected by local and international government and use ruthless methods to get what they want.

This finding sets off a series of events that centre around Ozlem, her family and her colleagues that involves betrayal, murder, bombings, deception, greed and so much more. Ozlem and her daughter have to think several steps ahead and keep themselves firm in their beliefs in order to stay alive.

This novel had an excellent pace and the plot was incredible. I have never read a book like this before and it kept me engaged throughout the whole novel. I loved how we had glimpses of the past that connected to the present and even had meaning and guidance for our future. It is a truly special novel that you will not want to put down.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Amika Press.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Jay Amberg is the author of twelve books. He received a BA from Georgetown University and a PhD from Northwestern University. He has taught high school and college students since 1972. His latest book, The Healer’s Daughters, is now available from Amika Press. Amberg has also published Bone Box, Cycle, America’s Fool, Whale Song, and compiled 52 Poems for Men. Prior to Amika Press, Amberg published thriller novels Doubloon (Forge), Blackbird Singing (Forge) and Deep Gold (Warner Books). Among his books on teaching are School Smarts and The Study Skills Handbook, published by Good Year. Amberg wrote The Creative Writing Handbook (Good Year) with Mark Henry Larson and Verbal Review and Workbook for the SAT (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich) with Bob Boone.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 9, 2019

The Root of Murder Book Review

Homicide Detective Cameron Gates learned long ago that there is no such thing as a typical murder case.

About The Root of Murder

Homicide Detective Cameron Gates learned long ago that there is no such thing as a typical murder case. Each mystery is special in its own right—especially for the family of the victim.The homicide of a successful executive, husband, and father seems open and shut when the murder weapon is found in his estranged son-in-law’s possession. The circumstantial evidence is so damning that when her step-son, J.J. Thornton, agrees to act as the defendant’s public defender, he assumes his first murder case will be a loss. Only the report of a missing husband proves that this case is not as open and shut as it seems. Strap on your seat belts for a wild ride in this mystery rooted in decades of deception that sprouts into murder

My Thoughts

Root of Murder is another incredible story from Lauren Carr that you will not be able to put down. She leaves you biting your nails, guessing at every turn and never truly kowing what is coming next.

In this book, we have a murder that looks like it should be open and closed very quickly with one very guilty looking son-in-law. But as the story unravels, we find many twists and interesting turns that brings some dark family secrets to light and forces you to question every person’s motives. What seemed like a simple case becomes so much more with many different layers.

Without giving too much away, Lauren has a magical way of intertwining different plots at strategic points throughout the novel that keeps you on your toes. While there are many characters, you don’t feel overwhelmed or lost at any point in the novel (she also includes a list of characters that you can refer back to if you do get lost). You do have to pay attention as the plot unravels, otherwise you may miss key parts that may have a major impact on the way the story turns out. I loved that throughout the whole novel, I never saw the end coming – the book was far from predictable.

I love the way Lauren writes and this novel is one of her best. She has a way of taking a story and making you laugh, cry, worry and feel sorrow. You don’t want to put her books down – which was the case with this story – I had to read it in one sitting! I love how she brings her characters to life and you become connected with them. Each new novel, you get to learn a little bit more about them and you can’t help but feel a deep connection to them.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

August 27, 2019

How To Love a Duke in Ten Days Book Review

Love takes no prisoners in How To Love A Duke in Ten Days.

About How To Love a Duke in Ten Days

Famed and brilliant, Lady Alexandra Lane has always known how to look out for to herself. But nobody would ever expect that she has darkness in her past―one that she pays a blackmailer to keep buried. Now, with her family nearing bankruptcy, Alexandra strikes upon a solution: Get married to one of the empire’s most wealthy eligible bachelors. Even if he does have the reputation of a devil.

Piers Gedrick Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne, is seeking revenge and the first step is securing a bride. Winning a lady’s hand is not so easy, however, for a man known as the Terror of Torcliff. Then, Alexandra enters his life like a bolt of lightning. When she proposes marriage, Piers knows that, like him, trouble haunts her footsteps. But her gentleness, sharp wit, independent nature, and incredible beauty awakens every fierce desire within him. He will do whatever it takes to keep her safe in his arms.

My Thoughts

How to Love a Duke in Ten Days is an excellent story from start to finish – I could not put it down!

We follow the story of Lady Alexandra Lane – who is strong, independent and fearless. She also holds a secret that she fears getting out, although it is a secret that is not her fault and that she should not be ashamed of. It is a secret that has followed her and has negatively affected her relationships and confidence in herself. On top of all of this, she is being blackmailed about this secret! She would do anything to keep this a secret – even marry one of the richest bachelors – who also has quite the reputation of being evil.

Piers is a misunderstood character – where people see a monster, Alexandra sees him for who he truly is. He may be a bit dark and damaged but he is also kind, compassionate and sees Alexandra and loves her for who she is. Their chemistry in this story is incredible and leaves you craving more. They have such an intense spark!

This is a well written, exciting novel that I could not put down. I loved the two main characters – they find forgiveness and healing through their love and this allows them to put their past behind them and move forward. It is also a story of survival – Alexandra may have been a victim and this changed her view and the way she interacts with the world but it also made her a fighter. I loved how she grew and developed throughout the story.

How to Love a Duke in Ten Days is a definite must read novel that you will not be able to put down.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Whether she’s writing about Celtic Druids, Victorian bad boys, or brash Irish FBI Agents, USA Today bestseller Kerrigan Byrne uses her borderline-obsessive passion for history, her extensive Celtic ancestry, and her love of Shakespeare in every book. She lives at the base of the Rocky Mountains with her handsome husband and three lovely teenage girls, but dreams of settling on the Pacific Coast. Her Victorian Rebels novels include The Highwayman and The Highlander.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.