The Sullivans Boxed Set Books 1-3 by Bella Andre

The Sullivans Boxed Set Books 1-3 by Bella Andre on Tour September 1 - October 31, 2017

 More than 6 million readers have already fallen in love with the Sullivans! Now get ready to meet your new favorite family in Bella Andre's New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romances with the first three books in the #1 hit series.

"Not since Nora Roberts has anyone been able to write a big family romance series with every book as good as the last! Bella Andre never disappoints!" ~ Revolving Bookcase Reviews

THE LOOK OF LOVE

Chloe Peterson is having a bad night. A really bad night. The large bruise on her cheek can attest to that. And when her car skids off the side of a wet country road straight into a ditch, she's convinced even the gorgeous guy who rescues her in the middle of the rain storm must be too good to be true. Or is he? As a successful photographer who frequently travels around the world, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful women, and whenever he's home in San Francisco, one of his seven siblings is usually up for causing a little fun trouble. Chase thinks his life is great just as it is–until the night he finds Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley. Not only has he never met anyone so lovely, both inside and out, but he quickly realizes she has much bigger problems than her damaged car. Soon, he is willing to move mountains to love–and protect–her, but will she let him?

FROM THIS MOMENT ON

For thirty-six years, Marcus Sullivan has been the responsible older brother, stepping in to take care of his seven siblings after their father died when they were children. But when the perfectly ordered future he's planned for himself turns out to be nothing but a lie, Marcus needs one reckless night to shake free from it all. Nicola Harding is known throughout the world by only one name – Nico – for her catchy, sensual pop songs. Only, what no one knows about the twenty-five year old singer is that her sex-kitten image is totally false. After a terrible betrayal by a man who loved fame far more than he ever loved her, she vows not to let anyone else get close enough to find out who she really is…or hurt her again. Especially not the gorgeous stranger she meets at a nightclub, even though the hunger – and the sinful promises – in his dark eyes make her want to spill all her secrets.

CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE

Gabe Sullivan risks his life every day as a firefighter in San Francisco. But after learning a brutal lesson about professional boundaries, he knows better than to risk his heart to his fire victims ever again. Especially the brave mother and daughter he saved from a deadly apartment fire…and can't stop thinking about. Megan Harris knows she owes the heroic firefighter everything for running into a burning building to save her and her seven-year-old daughter. Everything except her heart. Because after losing her navy pilot husband five years ago, she has vowed to never suffer through loving – and losing – a man with a dangerous job again.

Details:

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published by: Oak Press, LLC
Publication Date: December 2015
Number of Pages: 662 (for the 3-book set)
ID: 2940157256548 (BN) B018ZY7USM (ASIN)

Get Your Copy of The Sullivans Boxed Set on: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, & Add it to your Goodreads List!

My Review:

I read only part of the first book in this collection because it was extremely sensual in nature and included graphic descriptions of sex. I was unaware of the graphic nature of the sex scenes when I signed up for this tour. That being said, I did find that what I read was well written. While I do not appreciate descriptive lustful sex as part of a plot, others may. Potential readers need to be aware of the graphic nature of the sex scenes included in the first book.

Read an excerpt:

THE LOOK OF LOVE

Chase almost missed the flickering light off on the right side of the two-lane country road. In the past thirty minutes, he hadn’t passed a single car, because on a night like this, most sane Californians—who didn’t know the first thing about driving safely in inclement weather—stayed home.
Knowing better than to slam on the brakes—he wouldn’t be able to help whomever was stranded on the side of the road if he ended up stuck in the muddy ditch right next to them—Chase slowed down enough to see that there was definitely a vehicle stuck in the ditch.
He turned his brights on to see better in the pouring rain and realized there was a person walking along the edge of the road about a hundred yards up ahead. Obviously hearing his car approach, she turned to face him and he could see her long wet hair whipping around her shoulders in his headlights.
Wondering why she wasn’t just sitting in her car, dry and warm, calling Triple A and waiting for them to come save her, he pulled over to the edge of his lane and got out to try and help her. She was shivering as she watched him approach.
"Are you hurt?"
She covered her cheek with one hand, but shook her head. "No."
He had to move closer to hear her over the sound of the water hitting the pavement in what were rapidly becoming hailstones. Even though he’d turned his headlights off, as his eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, he was able to get a better look at her face.
Something inside of Chase’s chest clenched tight.
Despite the long, dark hair plastered to her head and chest, regardless of the fact that looking like a drowned rat wasn’t too far off the descriptive mark, her beauty stunned him.
In an instant, his photographer’s eye cataloged her features. Her mouth was a little too big, her eyes a little too wide-set on her face. She wasn’t even close to model thin, but given the way her T-shirt and jeans stuck to her skin, he could see that she wore her lush curves well. In the dark he couldn’t judge the exact color of her hair, but it looked like silk, perfectly smooth and straight where it lay over her breasts.
It wasn’t until Chase heard her say, "My car is definitely hurt, though," that he realized he had completely lost the thread of what he’d come out here to do.
Knowing he’d been drinking her in like he was dying of thirst, he worked to recover his balance. He could already see he’d been right about her car. It didn’t take a mechanic like his brother, Zach, who owned an auto shop—more like forty, but Chase had stopped counting years ago—to see that her shitty hatchback was borderline totaled. Even if the front bumper wasn’t half smashed to pieces by the white farm fence she’d slid into, her bald tires weren’t going to get any traction on the mud. Not tonight, anyway.
If her car had been in a less precarious situation, he probably would have sent her to hang out in her car while he took care of getting it unstuck. But one of her back tires was hanging precariously over the edge of the ditch.
He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Get in my car. We can wait there for a tow truck." He was vaguely aware of his words coming out like an order, but the hail was starting to sting, damn it. Both of them needed to get out of the rain before they froze.
But the woman didn’t move. Instead, she gave him a look that said he was a complete and utter nut-job.
"I’m not getting into your car."
Realizing just how frightening it must be for a lone woman to end up stuck and alone in the middle of a dark road, Chase took a step back from her. He had to speak loudly enough for her to hear him over the hail.
"I’m not going to attack you. I swear I won’t do anything to hurt you."
She all but flinched at the word attack and Chase’s radar started buzzing. He’d never been a magnet for troubled women, wasn’t the kind of guy who thrived on fixing wounded birds. But living with two sisters for so many years meant he could always tell when something was up.
And something was definitely up with this woman, beyond the fact that her car was half-stuck in a muddy ditch.
Wanting to make her feel safe, he held his hands up. "I swear on my father’s grave, I’m not going to hurt you. It’s okay to get into my car." When she didn’t immediately say no again, he pressed his advantage with, "I just want to help you." And he did. More than it made sense to want to help a stranger. "Please," he said. "Let me help you."
She stared at him for a long moment, hail hammering between them, around them, onto them. Chase found himself holding his breath, waiting for her decision. It shouldn’t matter to him what she decided.
But, for some strange reason, it did.
**
Excerpt from THE LOOK OF LOVE by Bella Andre. Copyright © 2017 by Bella Andre. Reproduced with permission from Bella Andre. All rights reserved.

 

Author Bio:

Bella Andre is the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of "The Sullivans", "The Maverick Billionaires", "The Morrisons", and the NYT bestselling "Four Weddings and a Fiasco" sweet romance series written as Lucy Kevin.
Sign up for Bella's newsletter at www.BellaAndre.com/Newsletter
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Having sold more than 6 million books, Bella Andre's novels have been #1 bestsellers around the world and have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists 32 times. She has been the #1 Ranked Author at Amazon (on a top 10 list that included Nora Roberts, JK Rowling, James Patterson and Steven King), and Publishers Weekly named Oak Press (the publishing company she created to publish her own books) the Fastest-Growing Independent Publisher in the US. After signing a groundbreaking 7-figure print-only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella's "The Sullivans" series is being released in paperback in the US, Canada, and Australia.
Known for "sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance" (Publishers Weekly), her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine "Red Hot Reads" twice and have been translated into ten languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post called her "One of the top writers in America" and she has been featured by Entertainment Weekly, NPR, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and TIME Magazine. A graduate of Stanford University, she has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences from Copenhagen to Berlin to San Francisco, including a standing-room-only keynote at Book Expo America in New York City.
If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100-year-old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

 

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I received a complimentary digital copy of this boxed set through Providence Book Promotions. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Providence Book Promotions.

Love Defined by Leila Tualla

About the Book

Book title: Love Defined  
Author: Leila Tualla  
Release date: August 4, 2015  
Genre: YA Christian Contemporary Romance

In their final summer before graduating college, three childhood friends expect an uncomplicated transition to adulthood…but learn they all still have some growing up to do. Alex Makapulo is facing a crisis of faith. Raised a Catholic, Alex is considering becoming a member of her best friend Jack Page’s church—against her family’s wishes—but she can’t quite take the final step of baptism. Jack loves Alex and doesn’t understand her hesitation, and Alex wonders if Jack’s love is a blessing or a distraction to test her religious conviction. Lori Hanson embarks on the trip of a lifetime. For her twenty-second birthday, Lori’s grandfather presents her with a summer vacation in England. While preparing for her adventure, she meets British musician Colin Watson online and quickly falls for him. They plan to hook up when she lands in London, but her grandfather forbids it. Due to complicated family dynamics, Lori must regretfully comply with his wishes, though she vows never to forgive him. Andy Taylor is looking for love in all the wrong places. When Andy runs into an old crush, she decides she wants a more meaningful relationship with sexy Miles Webber. But when she confides in Alex, her friend warns her Miles only wants her for sex. Andy becomes angry and devises a reckless plan to distract Alex’s attention from her relationship. Things don’t go quite as she expected, though, and Andy is left facing a crushing moral dilemma. As the summer unfolds, three young women learn love and faith go hand in hand, not everything is black and white, and sometimes in a fast-paced world you have to slow down, breathe a little, and find your own definition of love.

My Review:

This is a hard hitting novel for older teens and college age readers. It is a realistic look at three young women navigating their journeys of faith in a world of recreational sex and quick hookups. Tualla explores the issues of friendship, what it really means to be a Christian, forgiveness, and more. Each of the three college students must face life transforming events. It was heartening to see how they stuck together and supported each other, even when the action of one was not approved by the others.

This may not be your typical young adult Christian novel. It deals with sexual issues, not hiding the sexual experiences of one of the characters. There is also swearing included, although it fits the character. Tualla has portrayed well the uncertainties in faith and relationships college students face.

I recommend this novel to college age readers who enjoy a realistic story of friendship in the midst of change. There will be many topics to think about and discuss with friends.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author

Leila Tualla is a Filipino American writer, poet, and Christian author. She is a preeclampsia survivor and advocate, and blogs about “life after preeclampsia,” at www.tuallaleila.blogspot.com. After her second baby, Leila had postpartum depression. She is thankful that her family and those who supported her, stood with her and helped pull her out of her darkness. Her faith in Christ was, and continues to be, her daily lifeline. Leila is humbled daily by God’s saving grace. When she’s not writing about her preeclampsia or postpartum journey, or chasing after her tiny miracle bosses, she can also be found buried in books. Leila reads various novels throughout the year and her book reviews can be found at www.leilatualla.com.

Guest Post from Leila Tualla

In 2004, I was in college, and living with my 2 childhood best friends. College was FUN. But I can see where a lot of us stray, and get disillusioned about being a Christian. I journaled my hypocrisy. I cried over being pulled in two. On the one hand, I was in college, and wanted the college experience, and I was also your typical 20 yr old…I didn’t want to be an outcast, especially not by my friends. I also didn’t know what I wanted to be, or who I was. I started to chronicle my faith, and my bargaining, and pleading with a God that I questioned. My words became my conviction. The pages began to fill with my lack of fervor in my faith, the consequences and support of friendships…..somehow, I managed to write the basis for Love, Defined. In my ramblings, I shaped Alex, one of the main characters. She was a mix of the old me, questioning about faith, and devotion in our actions, but I wish I was as strong in her stance. She was the person I simultaneously wanted to be, and someone I wanted to shake.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Celebrate Lit.

GodSpace by Keri Wyatt Kent

I've gone to retreats, expecting to be spiritually transformed. I've participated in classes and small groups, expecting to end up more like Christ. After having been a spiritual formation teacher and writer for years, Kent has come to realize that it is not those events that change us the most. Rather, it is what we do in daily life that forms us the most. Kent explores how she has come to have moments of encountering the holy, what she calls life lived in the GodSpace.

The first practice she writes about is Sabbath. I like how Kent explains that this practice is trusting God for provision. I like that Sabbath is so much more than rest. It is community. It is doing what brings us joy. It is time for life giving activities.

Next is hospitality, trusting God to provide resources to share. Hospitality is not entertaining but rather inviting people into God's space.

With insight and encouragement, Kent also writes about worship (opening ourselves to awe), simplicity (space in our soul), generosity (a healthy detachment so we are giving more then we are getting), gratitude (choosing to thank God), and critical thinking (facing doubts and questions).

That last practice is my favorite. Christians certainly need critical thinking in a world of spin and lying. I have seen too many Christians easily fall for the latest revelation or prophecy without testing it. And we are not to be afraid of doubt. “Doubt facilitates faith,” she writes. (161) Thinking through issues might be hard but the reward is a steadfast faith.

I really like that Kent gives personal and honest examples of these practices from her own life.

I recommend this book to Christians who desire spiritual transformation. You will find here good teaching on what Kent calls embodied spirituality, living our faith in our daily actions.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Keri Wyatt Kent is a lay pastor at Willow Creek Community Church and is the author of eleven books. She speaks at events and retreats around the country. You can find out more at www.keriwyattkent.com.

FaithWords, 208 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Mercy Triumphs by Jana Kelley

This is the third book in the trilogy. While it reads well on its own, I would suggest reading the previous books to get a full picture of the life of the characters involved.

The main character is Mia. She and her husband have been in Khartoum, Sudan, for three years. (Previous novels in the series cover earlier experiences.) Her husband works for an NGO while Mia runs their home. Both try to share Jesus with people they meet. Doing so in a Muslim country requires serious discretion. One of the converts from a previous novel is Halimah. She had to flee her home when she became a Christian. She ended up helping in a refugee camp in Kenya, having adopted an assumed name. She has an opportunity for a job in Nairobi and moves to the big city. Her sister, Rania, is another major character. She is studying art in Dubai, staying with relatives. She has kept the fact that she is a Christian from her family. She faces an arranged marriage to a Muslim upon her graduation.

Kelley does a great job of describing the situation of Christian converts in a Muslim country through the eyes of these three women. Converts will probably be disowned by their family and may be beaten. If they have a business, others will refuse to patronize it. They may not be able to get jobs. They may be arrested and detained. It is always difficult for converts as there is not the support system to sustain their faith we see in western countries.

Kelley also does a good job of describing life in general for Americans living in Sudan. We are made aware of the clothing restriction on women. We experience the intermittent electricity. We sweat in the heat. We read of refugees and mistreatment. We are concerned with the possibility of being caught in the uncertainty of an attempted coup.

I recommend this book to readers interested in the living conditions for Christians abroad. You will get a glimpse of modern day persecution and the providence of God. You'll experience the struggles Christians face when living under Islamic law. While this book is fiction, Kelley is clear that the stories are based on real events. She has also included a glossary for the foreign words she used.

I am taking part in a blog tour of this book. You can find other reviews here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Jana Kelley was raised in Southeast Asia and developed a love for cross cultural living early in life. She returned to Texas for college and was married a month after she graduated. They were living in a remote African town by their second anniversary. She, her husband and their three boys now live in Southeast Asia after thirteen years in Africa. You can find out more at http://www.janakelley.com/.

New Hope Publishers, 296 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Litfuse. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Rule of Law by Randy Singer

An extraction operation in Yemen by SEAL Team Six goes terribly wrong. Lives are lost. Some suspect the president knew the operation was compromised. A case is filed and Paige Chambers, a young attorney, tries to find out the truth.

I enjoyed this novel, a combination of character development and legal procedure. Singer has done a good job with Chambers and the other characters involved. There is quite a bit of character rumination and scene description. I have to admit I skipped some of the description of Chambers on her morning run, for example, until she met someone on the path and dialog started.

While there is much about the characters, of the most interest to me was the legal aspect of the novel. Is the president subject to the rule of law or above the law? Should the U.S. be sending military personnel on clandestine missions to nations with which we are not at war, if not action against al Qaeda under the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force Act? What about the use of drones to take out people in those countries? Should the CIA make military personnel temporary agents so they can be sent out on assignments the military is otherwise forbidden to do? What role should the courts play in reviewing foreign policy actions?

The novel is not all legal procedure. There are some desperate government agents determined to cover up their illegal action so there is some suspense too.

Singer writes in the Author's Note that he wrote this book in 2016 to address important issues. Is the president above the rule of law in matters of foreign policy? Should the U.S. be involved, through the CIA, in shadow wars in countries where we have not declared war? Should U.S. troops ever be used for political gain? He created a fictitious president, cabinet and Supreme Court but, nonetheless, the issues remain very real.

I recommend this novel to those who enjoy a timely story about legal procedure and the secrecy the government claims as national security. You'll be faced with wondering, as I did, just how much secrecy the government needs to operate effectively.

I am taking part in a blog tour of this book and you can read other reviews here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Randy Singer is an author and trial attorney, having written more than ten legal thrillers. In addition to his law practice and writing, he is a teaching pastor for Trinity Church in Virginia Beach, and teaches classes at Regent Law School. You can find out more at http://www.randysinger.net/.

Tyndale House Publishers, 480 pages. Learn more about the book and purchase a copy here.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Litfuse. My comments are an independent and honest review.

A Pair of Miracles by Karla Akins

Akins and her husband adopted twins that they later found had developmental issues. The boys were on the fetal alcohol disorder spectrum and were finally diagnosed with autism. More disorders were diagnosed later, such as apraxia of speech. This was in 1998 when awareness of the autism disorder was just beginning. There was little was known about it and there were no support groups.

Akins reveals her own feelings and struggles, knowing that they had adopted children with disabilities. She writes about what it meant to trust God, to believe that He was good and would sustain her. She writes about understanding the spiritual battle involved.

I appreciated Akins helping me understand autism. She included suggestions for someone like me helping and supporting families with autism. She wrote of wading through the “cures” and controversial treatments people suggested. There are good ideas for how churches can support families with disorders too.

For those with autism in the family, she writes about navigating the educational system when those with disabilities were mainstreamed. She shares tips on interacting with experts. She has suggestions for dealing with the sensory cravings, the use of medications, working with medical staff, and more.

I recommend this book to family members of those with autism. I also recommend this book to readers in general. A 2007 study showed autism to be the fastest-growing developmental disability. (46) If you want to understand the disability or learn how to help and encourage those dealing with it, this book will give you good insight.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Karla Akins is the co-minister with her husband at Christian Fellowship Church in North Manchester, Indiana. She has over thirty years in ministry and over forty years of teaching experience in homeschooling, private school, and public education. You can find out more at http://karlaakins.com/.

Kregel Publications, 224 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge

I'm not a Austen fan but I enjoyed this novel. I loved the friendship between the sisters. I felt bad for them, having to make their own way because their father was a crook and marred the family name. I liked how they were determined to make a new life for themselves in Austin.

I did think Jane was a weak character. She seemed to naive for her age. She was swept up into love too easily. Perhaps that was the idea, so I'd dislike Sean. I thought Celia was the bravest of the girls. She was willing to forsake her own happiness for the man she loved. My favorite character, I think, was Callum. A returning veteran with a prosthetic leg, he has his own demons to face.

Jane and Celia are focused on tea. Having had a tea room in California, they want to open one in Austin. Tea is not my favorite but I really enjoyed the recipes for scones and other goodies included in the book. I also enjoyed learning more about tea plants, drying, and steeping the leaves.

I recommend this novel to those who enjoy a good romance. Austen fans will recognize plot and characters taken from Sense and Sensibility. Others will enjoy a good novel about sisters, romance, and the true character of people.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Hillary Manton Lodge is the author of several novels. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. She and her husband live in Memphis, Tennessee. You can find out more at http://www.hillarymantonlodge.com/.

WaterBrook, 322 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Murder in the Dog Days by P M Carlson

Murder in the Dog Days

by P.M. Carlson

September 1-30, 2017 Book Tour

Synopsis:

On a sweltering Virginia day in 1975, reporter Olivia Kerr, her husband Jerry Ryan, his very pregnant sister Maggie and her family decide to have a beach picnic. Olivia invites her colleague Dale Colby and his family to join them. At the last minute, Dale decides to stay home to pursue an important story. But when the beach-goers return, they find Dale lifeless in a pool of blood inside his locked office.
Police detective Holly Schreiner leads the investigation, battling Maggie—and demons of her own.

Don't Miss These Great Reviews:

"An ingeniously plotted, fair-play, locked-room mystery, one of the best we've encountered." — Tom and Enid Schantz, The Denver Post
"A dandy locked room murder…The investigation is a dangerous one… [the] solution both surprising and satisfying" — A Suitable Job for a Woman
"A satisfying, fast-paced whodunit that also explores a range of social issues, especially the violence of war and its aftermath." — Cynthia R. Benjamins, Fairfax Journal
​“[Maggie Ryan] has been a role model for women since the beginning and I loved watching her merge marriage and children with her talent for solving mysteries!” — Margaret Maron

My Review:

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. It contains a great mix of character development, action, and scene description. The author has a compelling writing style that I really appreciated. I usually don't like a universal point of view but it worked for me in this novel. Though this novel is far into the series, it is the only one I've read. It was a great read on its own and I will be looking for more from Carlson.

The plot deals with solving a mystery. I love the idea of a murder behind locked doors. I also liked the idea of getting to know the characters. I really like Maggie. She has an intuitive mind and is filled with compassion. I liked the police detective, trying to deal with the tragedies from her past. She had been a nurse in Viet Nam and there is quite a bit about that war and reactions to it in the novel. I remember well those troubled years and Carlson has done an excellent job of describing feelings of veterans and protesters.

I recommend this mystery to those who enjoy a good mix of character revelation and growth woven into a good mystery.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

Book Details:

Genre: Traditional Mystery
Published by: The Mystery Company / Crum Creek Press
Publication Date: April 2014
Number of Pages: 271
ISBN13: 978-1932325379
Series: Maggie Ryan and Nick O'Connor #6
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Goodreads

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Read an excerpt:

“I don’t understand!” Donna Colby cried out. Her self-control cracked. She reached toward Holly in appeal, tears starting. “It was bolted! How could anyone—even if Dale let them in, they couldn’t bolt it again after they—”
“Yes, Mrs. Colby.” Holly broke in, firm and reassuring, to deflect the outburst. “We’ll check into it. You can depend on it.”
‘Thank you,” said Donna with a little choking sound.
“Now, what did you do when you realized the door was bolted?”
“Well, he usually takes a nap. I thought maybe he was asleep.” Donna Colby was trying to revert to her numbed monotone again, but a tremor underlay her words. “Then Maggie went to look in the window and came running back in and said hurry up, we had to get the door open. So she did, and—” She stopped. The next part was the unspeakable, Holly knew. Donna Colby turned her face back to the pink flower on the back of the sofa, tracing the outline with a forefinger. “All that blood,” she murmured. “I just don’t… Why?”
“I know, Mrs. Colby.” Holly tried to keep her voice soothing in the face of the incomprehensible. A husband and father lay twisted in the den. Why? Tell me why. And the others, so many others. A flash of reds at the back of her eyes. A blue-green stench. A tiny whispered beat, ten, eleven. Twelve. No more. Hey, cut the bullshit, Schreiner. Just get the details. Ain’t no time to wonder why, whoopee we’re all gonna die. Holly flipped to a new page, keeping her voice colorless. “What did you do when you got the door open?”
“We all ran in—I don’t remember, it was so—I couldn’t—the blood. Maggie went to him. Sent Olivia to call an ambulance. Told me to keep the kids out, take them to the kitchen.”
Holly noted it down. This Maggie sounded like a real take-charge type. “Okay. And then what?”
“I don’t remember much. She made me leave, take care of the kids.”
“What was she doing?”
“I don’t know. There was so much…” The word escaped Donna and she stared at Holly in mute terror before finding it again, with an almost pitiful triumph. “Confusion. The men came back. Maggie will tell you,” she added hopefully, trying to be helpful. All her life, probably, being nice had kept her out of trouble. But now she’d hit the big trouble, and Holly knew that no weapons, even niceness, could help now.
* * *
Excerpt from Murder in the Dog Days by P.M. Carlson. Copyright © 2017 by P.M. Carlson. Reproduced with permission from P.M. Carlson. All rights reserved.

 

Author Bio:

P.M. Carlson taught psychology and statistics at Cornell University before deciding that mystery writing was more fun. She has published twelve mystery novels and over a dozen short stories. Her novels have been nominated for an Edgar Award, a Macavity Award, and twice for Anthony Awards. Two short stories were finalists for Agatha Awards. She edited the Mystery Writers Annual for Mystery Writers of America for several years, and served as president of Sisters in Crime.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Partners in Crime.