Author: cvegnad

June 1, 2019

Dead Gold Book Review

The closer we get to the killer, the more confusing it gets – who is behind the murders and mutilation in Dead Gold?

About Dead Gold

The dazzling lure of Olympic gold fame is a spotlight glare hotter than any fifteen minutes of fame. During plans for a cross-country ski vacation, Aspen Police Department Criminal Investigation Division Detective David “Spinner” Krespinak and SEAL-bud Craige Ingram are ensnared by glamour, upmarket glitz and bling, and greed in the deadly champagne powder world of a money-gets-you-anything high-country ski-mecca. Body parts start turning up in the most unlikely places. As the two friends start their investigation, a hornet’s nest of the local elite do not want the publicity. For good reason it seems, they may be part of the mystery of bodies and body parts piling up at the morgue.

The closer they get to the killer, the more confused they become. Who is behind the murders and mutilation? The list of suspects grows as they close the net on the killer. The tender underbelly of Aspen is not what it seems. It is a raw open sore that oozes blood, drugs, and murder.

My Thoughts

This novel is excellent thriller from start to finish that will keep you on your toes!

Body parts, murder, lies, drugs and more can be found in this novel where you never really know what’s coming next. The plot is complex and I found myself having to reread a couple paragraphs over again but it was well worth it. The novel starts out with a murder that goes cold and this seems to be the theme – a lot of death with no answers. The detectives have their hands full and almost don’t seem to know where to start.

Spinner and Craige are in a race to solve these crimes especially when one of the murders hits close to home. This is when the stakes get high and the novel really builds up.

This is an excellent, well thought out novel with a lot of plot twists. You need to pay attention but it is well worth it in the end. I never saw the end coming! But it truly fit the theme of the novel. A fantastic read from start to finish.

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

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Hawk MacKinney served in the US Navy for over 20 years. While serving as a Navy Commander, he also had a career as a full-time faculty member at several major state medical facilities. He earned two postgraduate degrees with studies in languages and history. He has taught postgraduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem, Israel.

In addition to professional articles and texts on chordate neuroembryology, Hawk has authored several works of fiction—historical love stories, science fiction and mystery-thrillers. His titles are not genre-centered, but plot-character driven. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award, details the family bloodlines of his serial protagonist in the Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series—murder and mayhem with a touch of romance. Hidden Chamber of Death, the first book in the mystery series, was followed by Book 2, Westobou Gold and his latest, Book 3, Curse of the Ancients. All have received national attention. The Bleikovat Event was Vol I in The Cairns of Sainctuarie Science Fiction Series followed by Vol II, The Missing Planets. Vol III, Inanna Phantom is in final galleys.

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

May 28, 2019

Smitten by the Brit

An English professeor starts a new chapter in her life and is swept up in a Jane Austen-esque romance with a modern day duke.

About Smitten by the Brit

English professor Bonnie Blythe expects her life to play out like her favorite novels, especially now that her long-term boyfriend has finally proposed. So when a shocking discovery leads Bonnie to end her engagement, she decides to close the book on love. But the plot thickens when a brand-new character enters the scene—and quickens Bonnie’s heart.

With his brilliant blue eyes, sexy accent, and irresistible charm, Theo Wharton is like a romantic hero straight out of a Jane Austen novel. When fate places Bonnie in England for a summer—conveniently close to Theo—she realizes a hot friends-with-benefits fling is exactly what she needs to start a fresh chapter. Just as Bonnie begins to believe she’s falling in love, an eye-opening revelation into Theo’s life makes Bonnie feel like she’s wandered into one of her favorite books. Will Bonnie have the courage to risk her heart and turn the page with the dashing Brit to find her true happy ending after all?

My Thoughts

I loved every moment of this romantic, funny, laugh out loud novel. We have two irresistible main characters, one a handsome Brit (who is a bit more than he makes out to be!) and the lovable Bonnie, a true romantic and historian at heart.

The novel starts off a bit dramatically in a way that breaks my heart for Bonnie. She is such a sweet, kind and compassionate person that the actions that lead up to the break up of her engagement hurts. But this is the turning point for Bonnie. She decides to take life by the horns and do things that she wasn’t doing for herself – including traveling to England to teach! I was so proud of her independence and challenging herself, especially when you so easily fall to depression. She even throws in a fling, something that is way out of character for her.

Theo is the perfect counterpart for Bonnie, while he has always been there for her as a friend, you can tell that he definitely feels a lot more for her. He is just a kind, good person with some serious charm, the type of person that you would love to have in your life whether as a friend or as a partner. But he comes with his own surprise and Bonnie isn’t too sure if she can handle it (or whether she is good enough maybe?). It definitely threw me through a loop!

This is a definite must read novel this summer. You will not want to put it down, it is well written, sexy, funny and perfect from start to finish.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

After earning her Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Loyola University Chicago, Melonie Johnson―aka #thewritinglush―taught high school English and Theatre for several years. An award winning author and a two-time RWA Golden Heart® finalist, she writes smart and funny contemporary romance and moonlights as an audiobook narrator under the pseudonym, Evelyn Eibhlin. She lives happily ever after with her husband, two redheaded daughters, a dog that’s more like a small horse, and a pair of hermit crabs. She is the author of the Sometimes in Love series which includes Getting Hot with the Scot and Smitten by the Brit.

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

May 28, 2019

The Earl Next Door

What does an independent young widow really want? One determined suitor is about to find out!

About The Earl Next Door

When Adeline, Dowager Countess of Wake, learns of her husband’s sudden death, she realizes she’s free. At last, she can do, go, and be as she pleases. Finally, she can have the life she has always dreamed of. She doesn’t need, or want, to remarry. Especially not the supremely dashing future Marquis of Marksworth, who makes Adeline yearn for his desire.

Lord Lyonwood, son of a philandering marquis, will not be like his father. He wants to run his estates and watch them flourish—and find a wife who brings love to his life. When he meets spirited and self-reliant Adeline in a case of near-scandalous mistaken identity, Lyon feels he’s met his match. But Adeline isn’t interested in a marriage proposal. She will only accept becoming his lover—and Lyon finds it hard to refuse. Unless the fire of his passion can melt Adeline’s resolve.

My Thoughts

This story features an extremely strong, independent, fierce female character who knows what she wants and goes for it. This can be contrary to the type of female leads we see during this time period. Adeline had a rough past in her first marriage and when her husband died, she realizes she is free and she will never let anyone hold her down again. While this is fantastic in so many ways, it may also hold her back as we soon come to find out. Despite this, I loved her character to bits.

Enter Lyon – the handsome, funny and determined young man from next door. While they get off on the wrong foot, he can’t help but be swept away by Adeline. While she may not have been what he had been looking for, her spirit is what hooks him. He loves her independence and willingness to stand up for what is right and for herself.

This was a sweet story of learning to let go of our past and not let it define our future. Adeline was so stuck in her past, that she was losing out on something potentially so amazing. You kept wanting to give her a little shake and some common sense in the right direction. Can they move past their history? Can they build a future together? Or is her past too much for her to bury? This novel is sweet, funny romance that will be perfect for the upcoming summer months.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author AMELIA GREY read her first romance book when she was thirteen and she’s been a devoted reader of love stories ever since. Her awards include the Booksellers Best, Aspen Gold, and the Golden Quill. Writing as Gloria Dale Skinner, she won the coveted Romantic Times Award for Love and Laughter and the prestigious Maggie Award. Her books have sold to many countries in Europe, Indonesia, Turkey, Russia, and most recently to Japan. Several of her books have also been featured in Doubleday and Rhapsody Book Clubs. Amelia is the author of over twenty-five books. She’s been happily married to her high school sweetheart for over thirty-five years and she lives on the beautiful gulf coast of Northwest Florida.

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

May 27, 2019

The Revolutionist Book Review

Two families escape the tyranny of their homelands, and their journey brings them to America in the throes of the industrial revolution during the 1890s and early 1900s.

About The Revolutionist

Two different families escape from the political tyranny of their respective homelands, the Josephsons from Sweden and Matias and Kurt Bauman, brothers from Germany and Austria Hungary, with the aid of a Viennese opera diva, Sophie Augusta Rose, and Jean Guenoc, a former Jesuit priest, family friend and protector and partisan of the French underground. Their journey brings them to America in the throes of the industrial revolution during the 1890s and early 1900s.

Ingrid and Olaf Josephson settle on a small wheat farm in North Central Minnesota to raise their children, Newt and Julie. Among the Jewish entrepreneurs forced to leave Germany and Austria-Hungary, Matias and Kurt Bauman re-establish their transportation company in Chicago, Illinois. In search of a secret list of insurgent social democrats, the bounty hunter assassin, Luther Baggot, tracks his victims to the American heartland. Following the murder of their mother and father, Newt, Julie, and their friends, Aaron and Beth Peet, hide from the killer in a Northern Minnesota logging camp. Believing the children have taken possession of the list, Luther tracks them down and they are forced to flee again, this time to Chicago where a different world opens up to them as they are thrust into the turmoil and violence of an urban society and economy careening into the new century.

My Thoughts

This is a fantastic, well written novel from start to finish, I could not put it down.

It starts off with the daring escape of two families from Sweden and Germany and Hungary. They are forced to escape and leave behind their world due to the political views and being supports of the socialism movement. The families escape to America and you would think that their nightmare is over but someone is determined to ensure that they will not escape. Luther, a hired bounty hunter, follows them to America and kills Ingrid and Olaf when they refuse to give him the secret list of social democrats.

This sets their children down a very unique and interesting past. With no parents and no one to protect them, they must seek out their own future – first in a lumber camp and then in Chicago. The children are exposed to the good and the bad of the world. You are never really to sure if the children have escaped the clutches of Luther.

This was an excellent, well written and planned out historical novel. He touches on some difficult topics but does so with fact and respect. It is a novel full of hope and loss that you will not want to put down. A definite must read!

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

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Robert is published by Tell-Tale Publishing Group LLC / Wise Words Publishing under a multi-book contract. The author of four previous earlier novels, Robert infuses his books with unique dynamic stories and characters that portray social and cultural conflicts of their time. His career encompasses many years as a business consultant that have given him access to a wide range of organizations and an appreciation for people in all areas of society. His life experience is reflected in the literary quality of his work. Born and raised in the Middle-West, he has traveled throughout the United States and abroad.

Now retired, he resides with his wife in Southern California where he devotes full-time to writing. Robert is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara with a Masters Degree in Communications at the University of California, Los Angeles where he received the Samuel Goldwyn and Donald Davis Literary Awards.

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

May 27, 2019

Velvalee Dickinson: The “Doll Woman” Spy

Velvalee Dickinson: The “Doll Woman” Spy is a carefully researched glimpse into the “Doll Woman’s” life as a collector of dolls, and as the highest paid American woman who spied for the Imperial Japanese Government during World War II.

About Velvalee Dickinson: The “Doll Woman” Spy

Velvalee Dickinson was born in Sacramento, California, graduated from Stanford University, married three times, and then in the early 1930s moved to New York City where she eventually opened her own exclusive doll shop on the prestigious Madison Avenue. It was there that she built her reputation as an expert in rare, antique, and foreign dolls. She traveled extensively around the country lecturing and exhibiting her dolls while building a wealthy clientele that included Hollywood stars, members of high society, politicians, and other collectors.

When medical bills started to accumulate because of her husband’s poor health and business started to fail with the onset of World War II, she accepted the role as a spy for the Imperial Japanese Government. By hiding coded messages in her correspondence about dolls, she was able to pass on to her Japanese contacts critical military information about the US warships. After surveilling Velvalee for over a year, the FBI arrested her and charged her with espionage and violation of censorship laws. She became the first American woman to face the death penalty on charges of spying for a wartime enemy.

My Thoughts

This book intrigued me right from the start – I had never heard of Velvalee Dickinson and even the idea of using dolls to put through messages!

This is an incredibly informative story that is not overwhelming, heavy on too many facts or too lengthy. She gives you an incredible look into the life of Velvalee – how she started in the doll business and what turned her to spying. She is a woman who really made quite something of herself, while even committing such a grave crime, she gained quite the reputation as someone who had extensive knowledge in her area of expertise and held herself with grace. At times, I almost felt bad for her but then at other times when she tried to blame her deceased husband, you almost get a different look at this woman. You never really know is she truly innocent and forced to commit the crime, did she do it for her husband or did she do it for selfish reasons?

I loved that while it is a biography on her life, the way Barbara writes it almost feels like a story as well. You want to keep reading to see what happens next with the way that she describes her, the situations and the way the plot unfolds. She did a fantastic job of putting this story together and readers will appreciate this.

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

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Barbara Casey is the author of several award-winning novels for both adults and young adults, as well as book-length works of nonfiction, and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Her nonfiction true crime book, Kathryn Kelly: The Moll behind Machine Gun Kelly, has been optioned for a major film and television series. Her nonfiction book, Assata Shakur: A 20th Century Escaped Slave, is under contract for a major film. In addition to her own writing, she is an editorial consultant and president of the Barbara Casey Agency.

Established in 1995, she represents authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan. In 2018 Barbara received the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and Top Professional Award for her extensive experience and notable accomplishments in the field of publishing and other areas. Barbara lives on a mountain in Georgia with her husband, and three pets who adopted her: Benton, a hound-mix; Reese, a black cat; and Earl Gray, a gray cat and Reese’s best friend.

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