SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS by Susan Mallery

July 14, 2017

Click to purchase

Kelly and her sister Olivia have been estranged for many years. Their mother was the town whore and eventually walked out on the family. Kelly thought that Olivia was just like their mom and convinced their father to send her to boarding school before she ended up a teenage mother. They haven’t seen each other since, so Kelly and her dad, Jeff, are surprised when Olivia shows up.

Kelly and Jeff, run the family business, a tulip farm. They live in a small town about an hour outside of Seattle. Olivia has been living in Phoenix, doing staging for a real estate company. Things are really slow in hot, hot Phoenix in the summer so she decides to spend some time reuniting with her family.

Both girls have serious relationship issues, with each other, their mother, and with men. Kelly was in a five year long relationship and when the guy broke up with her, she really didn’t care. When the boy she had a crush on in high school starts pursuing her, she’s interested. He manufactures tiny homes, like the ones on HGTV, so that was a fun subplot.

Olivia has been following in her mother’s footsteps, happily seducing men but never really having a relationship. And Kelly’s best friend Helen is secretly in love with Jeff, the sisters’ father. All three women have big secrets, but eventually find happiness with each other and the men in their lives. It is a joyful and occasionally painful road to get there.

I learned a bit about tulips, which was nice. I grew up in New York and when I was a kid, I planted tulips every year, then dug the bulbs up again after they finished blooming and stored them in a Barbie doll lunchbox in the garage. Tulips don’t grow in Florida, although I guess you could refrigerate them and fool them into thinking it’s winter but I haven’t tried that. I live in a tropical paradise and while tulips are lovely, I don’t mind not growing any.

I liked the characters a lot and enjoyed spending time with them, even for just one night. There were three romances here and everyone had their happy ending. Another fun read from a terrific storyteller.

7/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS by Susan Mallery. HQN Books (July 11, 2017).  ISBN 978-0373802760.  448p.

Kindle

Comments Off on SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS by Susan Mallery | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

Author Spotlight: Emelie Schepp

July 13, 2017

Click to purchase in the UK

The paperback release of the international bestselling Marked For Life by Crime Writer of the Year 2016, Emelie Schepp, just came out in June in the UK! I’m excited to be part of her blog tour.

“Schepp couples an insightful look at the personal and professional lives of her characters with an unflinching
multi-layered plot loaded with surprises.” –Publishers Weekly

“A fast-paced thriller with a good blend of police procedure, the draw of a ninja-strong female lead, and enough adrenaline to make a good night’s sleep a near impossibility.” -Booklist

When the head of the migration board is shot dead in his living room, the last thing the police expect to find at the crime scene is a mysterious child-sized handprint in the childless home. The young and brilliant but emotionally cold, public prosecutor Jana Berzelius steps in to lead the investigation, unintimidated by the hysterical widow or the threatening letters she tried to hide. Jana is steely, aloof, impenetrable… until more bodies begin to surface.

On a deserted shoreline a few days later, the bruised and heroin-riddled body of a young boy is found along with the original murder weapon, and the sinister underworld of the migration board’s dealings begin to unravel.

Berzelius is drawn more deeply into the case when she recognizes something strangely familiar about the scarred and beaten boy – a name carved deep into the flesh of his neck that triggers flashes from the night terrors she’s suffered since childhood. As memories begin to emerge of her own violent, fear-ridden past, Berzelius must trace her connection to this boy in hopes of finding out what happened to her.

Now, to protect her own secrets, she must find the suspect behind these murders, before the police do. Read an excerpt below!

 

EMELIE SCHEPP is an international bestselling Nordic crime author with Marked for Life published in 29 countries. From a background in marketing, publicity and project management Emelie was last year awarded Crime Writer of the Year 2016 as voted by Swedish readers, and won The Specsavers Readers’ Choice Award. She lives with her husband and two children in Sweden.

Excerpt

It was inevitable that the media would seize upon the story. As soon as the TT national wire service reported that a young boy had been found murdered, the Norrköping police press officer found himself fielding calls from dozens of journalists eager for more details. Since it involved a minor shot to death, the entire nation was gripped, and on the morning TV shows various experts were invited to give their views. The presence of a weapon near the body led many to assume the boy was involved in criminal activity, which sparked discussions about the level of violence among today’s youth, and the tragic consequences.

When the phone rang with the news, it woke Jana Berzelius from her sleep. She got out of bed and took a shower, hoping it would wake her up. Thanks to Per, she had a dreadful hangover.

They’d ended up having three glasses of Scotch – more than she could handle. And before that they had shared a bottle of wine with their meal and ignored the advice about drinking one glass of water for every glass of something stronger.

Feeling a little better after her shower, she swallowed a painkiller for her headache and stretched out on the bed for a few moments, her hair still wet. She counted slowly to twenty, then got dressed, brushed her teeth and looked for a packet of peppermint-flavoured gum. Only then was she ready for the meeting at the police station.

‘We are here to summarize what we’ve been able to discover about the boy who was found dead out at Viddviken this morning.’

Gunnar used a magnet to put up the photo on the whiteboard before continuing.

‘Anneli, who is still at the scene, says the boy had been shot. She estimates that he died between 19.00 and 23.00 on Sunday night, though we’ll need to wait for the medical examiner to confirm that. According to Anneli, broken vegetation around the body indicates that the boy was in motion, and his injuries are consistent with having been shot from behind.’

Gunnar took a sip of water and cleared his throat.

‘At present we don’t know whether the victim has other injuries or if he’d been sexually assaulted. Again, we’ll have to wait for the autopsy – the medical examiner has given his word the report will be with us as soon as possible, hopefully tomorrow. The boy’s clothing has been sent to forensics.’

He got up and went to stand by the map on the whiteboard.

‘We’re still combing the area, but as yet we haven’t found any footprints or trace evidence left at the murder scene by the perpetrator. The only thing we can be relatively certain about is that the dead boy at Viddviken is the same boy who was seen on CCTV footage from Östanvägen.’

‘And the murder weapon?’ said Henrik.

‘We don’t yet know whether the weapon found near the body was used to shoot him. All we can say for certain is that the weapon found near the boy was a Glock, and Hans Juhlén was killed . . .’

‘. . . with a Glock.’ Henrik completed the sentence.

‘Exactly. The serial number is as yet unknown. The weapon’s been sent to the national lab. They’ll examine the bullets still in the gun and let us know whether they’re a match for the ones that killed Hans Juhlén. If they are, it supports the theory that this boy was somehow involved in Juhlén’s murder. We’ve taken his fingerprints too.’

‘And?’ said Mia.

‘They matched. The handprints and fingerprints in Hans

Juhlén’s house match the boy’s,’ said Gunnar.

Emelie Schepp’s Marked for Life is out 6th July (HQ, £7.99)

www.emelieschepp.com

Facebook Emelie Schepp

Instagram @emelieschepp

Twitter @emelieschepp

 

 

 

Comments Off on Author Spotlight: Emelie Schepp | Author Spotlight | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

HELLO, SUNSHINE by Laura Dave

July 12, 2017

Click to purchase

Sunshine Mackenzie is an Internet cooking sensation with cookbooks, an upcoming Food Network show and millions of fans. Until the night of her surprise birthday party, when someone hacks her social media accounts and accuses her of being a fraud. Since she can’t really cook, and her recipes are created by her producer’s wife, who she’s slept with, fraud seems an apt description. And her life implodes. Danny, her husband, leaves her and returns her cookbook advance, wiping out all their cash. Then he sells the apartment out from under her, leaving her penniless, homeless and pretty much friendless.

Since she can’t really cook, and her recipes are created by her producer’s wife, who she’s slept with, fraud seems an apt description. And her life implodes. Danny, her husband, leaves her and returns her cookbook advance to the publisher, wiping out all their cash. Then he sells the apartment out from under her, leaving her penniless, homeless and pretty much friendless. So Sunny decides to go home to the Hamptons.

Most people think of the Hamptons as a summer enclave for the rich and famous, and that is true. But there are people who live there all year round, and Sunny grew up there. Her sister still lives there but they are estranged, haven’t spoken in years. So when Sunny shows up, her welcome is a cop ticketing her for trespassing. Eventually, her sister lets her in and a strained relationship resumes.

Sunny finagles a job as the “trash” consultant at a high end restaurant using her niece’s name instead of her own. A few of the staff recognize her but don’t bother her. She has a plan to get the chef to teach her to cook and re-start her career, but he’s not interested. Then she finds out she’s pregnant and things get even more complicated.

This is a redemption story, but to get to that Sunny has to hit rock bottom. I was tempted to put down the book more than once as her life went on the skids as she was a completely unsympathetic character. Kudos to Laura Dave who somehow kept me turning pages anyway, and I was very glad I did. I liked how the story moved and turned, but the ending felt a bit rushed and incomplete. A few more pages would have been nice. In spite of all that, ultimately I did enjoy the book.

7/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

HELLO, SUNSHINE by Laura Dave. Simon & Schuster (July 11, 2017).  ISBN 978-1476789323.  256p.

Kindle

Comments Off on HELLO, SUNSHINE by Laura Dave | Book Reviews, Fiction, Women's Fiction | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

KING SOLOMON’S TABLE by Joan Nathan

July 10, 2017

Click to purchase

A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World

Joan Nathan is the queen of Jewish cookbooks, and her latest is terrific. Be sure to read the introduction, a history of Jewish food that is completely fascinating, as well as a short but clear explanation of Jewish dietary laws, kashrut. The recipes included are all kosher, including substitutions as needed, although there is a caveat to check with your rabbi if you are not sure.

The forward is written by Alice Waters, so that was also a must read for me.

The book is divided as follows:

Pantry
Morning
Starters
Salads
Soups and Their Dumplings
Breads
Grains and Such
Vegetables
Fish
Poultry
Meat
Sweets

There is also an excellent index and bibliography.

The recipes have basis in many countries, even some I never thought of as especially Jewish, like Mexico and Sri Lanka. All are interesting, some are trendy (Shakshuka, anyone?) and some are classic, like Matzo Brei, Chopped Liver, and Apple Kuchen (cake). But it’s the unusual that really drew me to this cookbook, starting with Ferrara Haroset with Chestnuts, Pine Nuts, Pears and Dried Fruits from Rome. We liked this so much at Passover I used it again as a filling for Hamentaschen, and it worked beautifully. I would never have thought of using tahina in cookies, but Tahina Cookies made a believer out of me – if you like Halvah or Mexican Wedding Cookies, try these cookies.

I was partial to a lot of the Italian Jewish recipes, like Tagliolini colla Crosta, Crusty Pasta with a Bolognese Sauce that has pine nuts, ground almonds and raisins in it and Roman Ricotta Cheese Crostata with Cherries or Chocolate. The Spinach-Feta Burekas is Bulgarian, but is called Buricchi by Italian Jews, and Borek by Ottomans and Balkan Jews. It is a laminated dough filled with spinach and feta, and reminded me of the Greek Spanikopita. I have never attempted a laminated dough and probably will substitute filo dough here.

The Roast Turkey with Challah-Chestnut-Cranberry Stuffing is as delicious as it sounds – I cut the recipe in half and used it for a stuffed turkey breast and it worked really well. Yuca Latkes with Cilantro Cream, Sweet Plantain Guava Kugel and Green Chile Relelleno Latkes all have Hispanic origins, sometimes by way of Miami!

The final recipe in the book is Libyan Saefra, King Solomon’s Cake, which Nathan believes predates baklava and is believed to be an aphrodisiac. This is a filled cake, and the filling is a spiced date mixture. The ingredients are very unusual but not hard to find – Cream of Wheat and semolina are used instead of flour, for example.

All of the recipes include their origin stories, some are longer than others but all are interesting. You can see the research and the love that went into this cookbook.

7/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

KING SOLOMON’S TABLE by Joan Nathan. Knopf (April 4, 2017). ISBN 978-0385351140. 416p.

Comments Off on KING SOLOMON’S TABLE by Joan Nathan | Book Reviews, Cookbook, Nonfiction | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

Author Spotlight: Emma Straub

July 8, 2017

Books Are Magic: Author Emma Straub’s new bookstore | Signature Views Mini-Doc – Author Emma Straub gives a tour of her new bookstore Books Are Magic, which recently opened in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill neighborhood, and discusses its origin.

Emma Straub is the New York Times-bestselling author of Modern Lovers, The Vacationers, Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures, and Other People We Married. Her fiction and non-fiction have been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, and Elle. Her work has been published in fifteen countries.

Visit Emma Straub’s Amazon page

Comments Off on Author Spotlight: Emma Straub | Author Spotlight | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

CAMINO ISLAND by John Grisham

July 7, 2017

Click to purchase

A library, a bookstore, and a Florida setting – count me in! I couldn’t resist and I’m happy to say this was a really good read. I tend to run hot and cold with Grisham’s books, sometimes I love his books, other times, not so much. I put this one in the love column for sure. And interestingly enough, it’s not a legal thriller.

The premise starts with a heist. Princeton University is home to the only original manuscripts of all of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novels as well as his notes, letters and papers. The manuscripts are priceless, to say the least, so when they are stolen, all sorts of agencies get involved in trying to find them.

The insurance company investigator needs help. They think that the owner of a small but very successful bookstore owner may have the manuscripts. The bookstore is on Camino Island outside of Jacksonville, Florida, (which bears a strong resemblance to Amelia Island, where Grisham has a home.)

The investigator zeroes in a Mercer, a novelist who grew up on the island. Mercer has just been let go from her teaching job, has mountains of student debt to pay off, and is three years late on her contracted next book.  The investigator offers to pay off her student loans and pay her a ton of money besides. All she has to do is stay in her former summer home for a six month period, befriend the bookseller, and see what she can learn. She learns a lot about rare books, so I did as well, and it was completely fascinating.

I loved the premise of the book and Grisham really brought it home for me. Luckily, the library at Princeton is apparently nothing like the one described in the novel, lest someone get the bright idea to make fiction a reality. Grisham is quite a diverse writer, and he once again goes off in a different direction from his legal thrillers. This is a thriller, just no lawyering involved here. There are some reviews who cast this with a chick lit light, but I really didn’t see it. I will say that some of my favorite Grisham books, besides his first few legal thrillers, are his non-thrillers like Playing for Pizza and Skipping Christmas. Camino Island is just another really good read.

7/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

CAMINO ISLAND by John Grisham. Doubleday; First Edition edition (June 6, 2017).  ISBN 978-0385543026. 304p.

Kindle

3 Comments | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

BEFORE THIS IS OVER by Amanda Hickie

July 6, 2017

Click to purchase

Rumors of a deadly virus have already begun to spread, but Australia has so far remained safe. For Hannah, though, it is a concern. A cancer survivor always anxiously aware of any minute change in her own health, Hannah also has two sons and a husband to care for. And so when talk circulates of the virus’s potential spread, Hannah starts to prepare. Stockpiling food and other necessities is at the forefront of her mind in the beginning and she feels she’s done well enough at that, ensuring the men in her household don’t dip into the emergency stash along the way. But even she realizes that keeping her eldest son from participating in a school trip, when no infection has yet to reach their shores, might be a bit of a stretch.

And yet, her concerns are founded. The virus hits Australia while her oldest son is separated from the rest of the family. She berates her husband for heading into the office and keeps her youngest son home from school while the teachers and principal believe she’s being ridiculously paranoid. And again her concerns turn out to be founded when one of the men in the office and children at the school become infected. And when her son’s school trip is trapped by blockades and quarantine measures, Hannah’s husband finally agrees it’s time to take matters into their own hands.

I loved Amanda Hickie’s debut. In a time of ebola and zika, amongst others, the fear of viral apocalypse definitely seems like a reality we could very well face. Amanda Hickie herself was inspired to write the book based on her own fears after threats of a SARS outbreak.

And those fears ring true in Hannah. The story is tinged by that fear, imbued with a sense of paranoia and dread that infects the reader from the very first page. Which of course makes it a perfectly intense read.

Before This is Over is the kind of book that will appeal to a wide audience. The outbreak aspect makes it dark and satisfying for dystopian and post apocalyptic fans, but there’s a definite literary lean to the novel that will appeal to more than just genre fans. And considering the book raises a lot of questions, most importantly how far would you go to protect the people you love most, I think it would make a great pick for book clubs looking for a very discussion worthy and timely read.

7/17 Becky LeJeune

BEFORE THIS IS OVER by Amanda Hickie. Little, Brown and Company (March 28, 2017).  ISBN 978-0316355452. 400p.

Kindle

Comments Off on BEFORE THIS IS OVER by Amanda Hickie | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

KISS CARLO by Adriana Trigiani

July 4, 2017

Click to purchase

The 4th of July seems like a good time to talk about Adriana Trigiani’s latest, a book about Italian immigrants living the American dream.

I always look forward to a new book from master storyteller Trigiani, and she never disappoints. Kiss Carlo is another terrific Italian family story, this time set in the late 1940’s in Philadelphia. Dom and Mike are brothers who own a cab company, but when their father dies, he leaves behind a rift between the brothers that forces them and their families apart for more than a decade. Dom opens his own cab company and adds a telegraph office as well, run by Mrs. Mooney, a “colored” woman who loves the family like her own.

Nick is an orphan who lives with his aunt and uncle Dom in a basement apartment. He works in the family business, driving cab #4, and Mrs. Mooney is like a second mother to him. He moonlights at the Borelli theater, where he does everything and anything from cleaning the floors to feeding the actors their lines.

Calla Borelli took over directing the plays from her retired father. The Borelli theater is a community theater that puts on productions of Shakespeare, but ticket sales have been steadily declining and the family is barely hanging on. Calla has to fire Nick, they can’t afford him anymore except at the last minute, he has to fill in for one of the actors, and Nick falls in love with the stage.

Nick has been engaged for seven years, since before the War, to Peachy, but as he is tempted by Calla, and in love with acting, he realizes he can’t see a future with her. In nearby Roseto, the town is expecting the Ambassador Carlo from their sister city in Italy for a Jubilee celebration. Nick is to deliver the telegram stating that the ambassador has been taken ill and won’t arrive, but instead, Nick convinces Mrs. Mooney to go with him while he poses as the Ambassador and all sorts of hijinks ensue.

All of Trigiani’s books are about “la famiglia” and no one does a better job of it; you can practically taste the macaroni and gravy as you read. If you are looking for a beautiful escape, look no further. Kiss Carlo is an intoxicating getaway, a vacation read I wouldn’t want to miss, and neither should you!

7/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

KISS CARLO by Adriana Trigiani. Harper (June 20, 2017). ISBN 978-0062319227. 544p.

Kindle

Comments Off on KISS CARLO by Adriana Trigiani | Book Reviews, Women's Fiction | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

Author Spotlight: Ken Segall

July 2, 2017

Author Ken Segall on the worldwide phenomenon of simplification

Ken Segall (former ad agency creative director for Apple, and author of THINK SIMPLE) discusses why society is trending toward simplicity, from both a business and personal standpoint.

Click to purchase

THINK SIMPLE: How Smart Leaders Defeat Complexity by Ken Segall

Simplicity is arguably the most potent weapon in business—attracting customers, motivating employees, helping outthink competitors, and creating new efficiencies. Yet rarely is it as simple as it looks.
 
Ken Segall’s first book, Insanely Simple, was based on observations gained from twelve years working as Steve Jobs’s advertising agency creative director, first with NeXT and then with Apple. He saw firsthand that Jobs looked at everything through the lens of simplicity. His obsession with simplicity was not just visible in Apple’s products. You could see it in the way the company organized, innovated, advertised, sold at retail, and provided customer service.

In practice, simplicity was Jobs’s most powerful business weapon. It helped Apple distinguish its products and create entirely new product categories, and it put distance between Apple and its competitors. But, while Apple is a terrific example of a company that has been propelled by the power of simplicity, it is hardly alone.
Inspired by the ways Apple has benefited from the power of simplicity, Segall set out to find other companies that were traveling this path. He wanted to learn more about the thinking of their leaders. He felt that if he could chronicle the experiences of those who have successfully simplified, it would be an invaluable guide for everyone who would like to do the same.

This book is the result of his journey into simplicity in companies around the world.
Many of the “heroes of simplicity” profiled in this book are probably not on your list of usual suspects. Segall had conversations with over forty men and women from a wide range of industries, in companies big and small, established and up-and-coming, famous and below under the radar.

Each leader has a fascinating point of view about how simplicity has helped improve his or her company and set it apart from competitors. Each is unique, yet, as you’ll find, many display interesting similarities.

From Jerry Greenfield, you’ll hear how Ben & Jerry’s grew from local to global without losing its focus and simple values. From the CEO of one of Australia’s biggest banks, you’ll hear how simplicity is attracting new customers. From former Apple Senior Vice President Ron Johnson, you’ll hear how a simple idea aligned the team creating the worldwide network of Apple Stores.

You’ll discover how simplicity influences the CEOs of The Container Store and Whole Foods. You’ll get insights on simplification from the worlds of fashion, automobiles, entertainment, and technology. You’ll even get inside the blue heads of the Blue Man Group, who developed a business strategy to defeat complexity before it could take root.

No principle is more important for businesses today than simplicity. In this insightful and often surprising book, you will learn how to harness the power of simplicity to build lasting, profitable organizations.

THINK SIMPLE by Ken Segall.  Portfolio (June 7, 2016). ISBN: 978-1591847502. 256p.

 

Comments Off on Author Spotlight: Ken Segall | Author Spotlight | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

Win the July ’17 bookshelf of signed thrillers!

July 1, 2017

Welcome to the July bookshelf of signed thrillers! Amazing books this month from some of my favorite authors and some new-to-me authors. To enter, go to the Win Books page. Best of luck!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

USE OF FORCE by Brad Thor: When the body of a high-value terrorist washes ashore during a storm in the Mediterranean Sea, Scot Harvath is hired by the CIA to determine if the suspect was involved in planning a major attack they’ve been fearing all summer.

THE LIBRARY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW by M. J. Rose: Sought by society patrons who admire her ability to create stunning “shadow portraits” revealing her subjects’ most scandalous secrets, a mystical artist in 1925 Manhattan renounces her gift in the wake of a tragedy and flees to southern France, where she confronts toxic people from her past.

PARADISE VALLEY by C. J.  Box: Setting a trap for a serial killer she has hunted for three years, investigator Cassie Dewell is disgraced when the operation goes horribly wrong, a situation that is further complicated by the loss of her job, the disappearance of a troubled youth and her determination to catch the killer at any cost.

DEADFALL by Linda Fairstein: Investigating the drive-by murder of a high-profile city employee, assistant district attorney Alexandra Cooper teams up with NYPD detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace to search for answers in secret societies, a big-game hunting operation, the illegal animal trade and covert government deals.

AFTERLIFE by Marcus Sakey: Between life and death lies an epic war, a relentless manhunt through two worlds … and an unforgettable love story, in a book that is soon to be a major motion picture!

WATCH ME DISAPPEAR by Janelle Brown: A beautiful Berkeley mom with a radical past vanishes while hiking, leaving her family to piece together her secrets, in this keenly observed novel for readers of Emma Straub and Maria Semple.

DON’T CLOSE YOUR EYES by Holly Seddon: A shut-in who meddles in her neighbors’ lives and her twin, whose secrets have separated her from her husband and child, reevaluate complex family dynamics that have led to their respective circumstances before their lives are shattered by terrible revelations.

PERISH FROM THE EARTH by Jonathan F. Putnam: Steamboat owner’s son Joshua Speed enlists close friend and fledgling lawyer Abraham Lincoln to defend a young traveling artist who has been wrongly accused of a murder linked to a rigged card game.

FINAL GIRLS by Riley Sager: Emerging a lone survivor of a serial killer’s massacre a decade earlier, a former college student struggles to ignore traumatic memories and move on as one of a group of other survivors who look to her for answers when one of them is found dead in a suspicious suicide.

THE FIFTH REFLECTION by Ellen Kirschman: A shocking police procedural told through the eyes of a police psychologist. When a young child goes missing, Dr. Dot Meyerhoff is pulled into the vortex of a terrible crime. Torn between her allegiance to the troubled investigator and her complicated connections to the missing child, Dot must find a way to help—or lose everything she holds dear.

PERSONS UNKNOWN by Susie Steiner: Enduring cold-case work as the price she must pay for a transfer back to Cambridgeshire and a better work-life balance, pregnant detective Manon Bradshaw becomes unwittingly embroiled in the murder of her former brother-in-law when the case threatens her family and pits her against close colleagues.

 

You can win autographed copies of all these books! If you are new to the site, each month I run a contest in conjunction with the International Thriller Writers organization. We put together a list of books from debut authors to bestsellers, so you can win some of your favorites and find some new favorites.

What makes this contest really special is that all of the books (except eBooks) are signed by the author! Books with multiple authors will be signed by at least one of the authors.

Penguin Random House books for giveaway were provided by the publisher. #PRHpartner

Don’t forget, if you subscribe to the newsletter or follow this blog, you get an extra entry into every contest you enter. Check out the Win Books page for more information on all these books and how you to enter this month’s contest.

Thanks for reading, and good luck!

Comments Off on Win the July ’17 bookshelf of signed thrillers! | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

Next Entries »