The Escape Game by Gina Holder Blog Tour Book Review

 

About the Book

Book: The Escape Game (The Game Masters Book 2)

Author: Gina Holder

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: May 5, 2026

20 years ago, the world’s leading enigmatologist disappeared…

Demi Kayne, owner of a popular puzzle shop, has spent years searching for her father, who vanished without a trace. When she cracks the code he left behind, the trail leads her to a secluded mansion—and straight into danger.

Liam Shepherd, a missionary with a passion for puzzles, is desperate to find his missing sister. His investigation brings him to Silver Falls, where his path collides with Demi’s in ways neither of them expects.

Drawn into a deadly escape game designed by a brilliant and vengeful mind, Demi and Liam must unravel twisted riddles and confront buried secrets before time runs out. Losing could cost them everything. Their faith and each other may be their only means of escape.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

Holder has created an escape room on steroids. In addition to the typical escape room plot, she has added a number of interesting issues. Hanging on to old dreams is one. Not being willing to step out in faith is another. And that brings up the Christian faith message which is very clear and very strong in this novel. A prominent topic is God's love. Demi thinks she must earn it. Liam feels forever guilty for the one betrayal of his faith. Holder provides insight into God's forgiveness available to all the characters in the novel.

This is a good novel for readers who like puzzles and escape room type adventures. In addition to the strong faith message, there is some interesting history related to solving puzzles. Finishing this book, I don't think I'll be trying out any escape room adventures myself.

While this is part of a series, each novel is independent.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

You can read my review of the first book in this series, The Puzzle Within.

 

About the Author

Gina Holder is a Christian award-winning author of romantic suspense and cozy mysteries filled with faith, intrigue, danger, romance, and epic twists you’ll never see coming.

She’s had an infatuation with books for as long as she can remember. She loves sharing uplifting messages from God’s Word and introducing readers to new and new-to-them authors on her blog.

When she’s not writing, Gina enjoys playing the piano, cooking, reading, watching Hallmark mysteries, and solving “escape room” puzzles. She loves growing in her craft as an author. She published her debut novel in 2017. Gina lives in Wyoming with her husband and daughter.

More from Gina

The Book I Almost Gave Up On

When I turned in the first full draft of The Escape Game last September, I hated it.

Not in a playful, self-deprecating way. I really, truly hated it.

I had that awful, hollow feeling in my stomach. The one that whispers, This isn’t good enough. You aren’t good enough. Why did you ever think you could pull this off?

Honestly, I believed this book was beyond my abilities.

And it was.

But I forgot I have Someone on my side who can do all things.

Back in 2022, this story idea was supposed to be simple. A shorter novel inside a collection. I had a fun premise, a few intriguing characters, and a basic plot: a second chance romance with the two main characters locked in a deadly mansion.

Easy peasy, right?

Wrong.

I realized the story needed space to breathe, so I wrote something else for the collection, and put this story back on the shelf until the right time.

Fast forward to 2025. The Escape Game was proposed as book 2 of The Game Master series.

I started writing. Characters pushed back. They wouldn’t talk. Inside my head, there was silence.

Some books flow. This one fought.

I wrestled with tone and pacing. I rewrote entire sections only to delete them again. Scenes that sparkled in my head fell flat on the page. I second-guessed everything.

My heroine was supposed to be the faithful Christian girl who wins the bad boy to the Lord.

She wasn’t.

And my hero? He was all wrong.

So, I did something terrifying.

I replaced him.

Completely.

I created an entirely new character—Liam Shepherd.

On the surface, Liam was perfect—kind, protective, devoted to the Lord, close to his family. Every Christian girl’s dream.

But fiction doesn’t work that way. Perfection isn’t compelling.

I asked God to show me Liam’s wound.

When it came, I cried.

No, I bawled like a baby.

Liam wasn’t abused. He didn’t come from a broken home. He had love and stability. Then tragedy struck, and he faced a choice.

He chose wrong.

And it haunted him.

But the troubles were far from over.

This wasn’t just a tricky plot or a stubborn manuscript.

This story touched some deep places in my own heart—places I didn’t expect to have to revisit. Writing it meant digging into tender, uncomfortable emotions, facing truths about fear, grief, and courage that I hadn’t fully confronted. It hit a little too close to home.

Some days it felt less like writing fiction and more like surgery.

And surgery is exhausting.

By the time I reached the end, I wasn’t excited. I was just tired. I turned it in because it was due, not because it felt finished.

Then the editing began.

If drafting this book was wandering through a dark forest, editing was finally being handed a flashlight. Sentences tightened. Motivations clarified. Scenes I thought were essential were cut, and others grew stronger. What felt hopeless started to feel possible.

Slowly—painfully at times—the story started to come into focus.

My editor asked hard questions. I rewrote the entire book. (Not completely, but it felt like it.)

Each round of edits chipped away at the parts I disliked and revealed the story underneath—the one I’d been trying to tell all along.

Somewhere along the way, something unexpected happened.

I stopped hating it.

More than that, I started to like it.

Everything clicked. The story finally had the depth—and the heart—it had been missing.

And now, sitting on the other side of the process, I can honestly say something I never imagined saying last fall:

I’m proud of The Escape Game.

Not because it’s perfect—no book ever is—but because it represents persistence. Growth. The courage to dig into hard places and stay long enough to find the heart of the story.

And that heart is what I hope you feel when you read it.

What started as a small, simple idea grew into something deeper than I expected. Something that required more from me than I thought I had to give.

And in the end, it became something God and I built together.

This book reminded me of something important:

We’re all first drafts.

God is shaping us, molding us … and we fight back. We look at our lives and wish things were different. We replay our wrong choices. We feel regret, frustration, and fear.

Sometimes, we even hate what we see.

But hating your draft doesn’t mean you’ve failed.

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Philippians 1:6 (KJV)

It just means God isn’t finished yet.

And sometimes, the stories we struggle with the most end up being the ones we’re proudest to hold in our hands.

Blog Stops

SydneySchmied books, June 26

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 27

Lyssa Loves Books, June 28

Book Looks by Lisa, June 28

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, June 29

Inspired by Fiction, June 30

Texas Book-aholic, July 1

For Him and My Family, July 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 3

Holly’s Book Corner, July 4

Mary Hake, July 5

Pause for Tales, July 6

Cover Lover Book Review, July 7

The Lofty Pages, July 8

Lights in a Dark World, July 8

Lily’s Corner, July 9

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 10

Giveaway

 

To celebrate her tour, Gina is giving away the grand prize of a copy of The Puzzle Within and a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/P1o9U/the-escape-game-celebration-tour-giveaway

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

The God Test by Robert Wright

About the Book:

The God Test is the first book to capture the power behind the AI revolution—to clearly explain the breakthroughs that sparked the current wave of advance and compellingly show why this wave will grow in magnitude and meaning. Written by one of our foremost public intellectuals, and informed by his decades of chronicling the digital age, the book argues that we are about to witness the most abruptly dramatic social transformation in the history of our species.

Wright says that to truly understand this moment in technological history, we need to expand our perspective beyond the last century or even the whole history of technology and look back across billions of years of life on Earth. The advance of AI, he argues, is driven by evolutionary dynamics like those that led to intelligent life in the first place. And understanding those dynamics can empower us to confront our climactic challenge: Can we muster the political, moral, and even spiritual resources needed to guide this technology wisely?

If we fail, the consequences for the whole planet could be grave. But if we meet the challenge—if we pass “the God test”—we can live in a world where humanity thrives, finding not just happiness but deeper meaning and purpose. The very machines that might otherwise imperil or oppress us can enrich us, helping us transcend the psychological impediments to human concord and fulfillment.

My Review:

There is something about AI that makes me nervous. For good reason, Wright says. He suggests we are not prepared for the development of the revolution that is coming. Some wonder if AI might develop God-like abilities. (Separate AI systems will be able to collaborate and work as a team.) He notes the very real possibility of criminals and terrorists using it. AI generated misinformation is already widely promoted. He also records cases where AI learned more than ir was programmed to, exhibiting an emergent property.

We need to make decisions now to put us on a path to a better world and not a dystopia. We have had major revolutions in the last centuries, from industrialization to the information age. The coming AI revolution will have a much greater impact, he suggests, likening it to the Cambrian explosion. It must be planned for now.

I must admit I did not understand much of the more technical aspects of this book, such as the explanation of vectors for LLM. But I do understand enough to realize there needs to be some moral progress in general for the future to be the kind we humans want. He explores philosophical and religious aspects near the end of the book, emphasizing Buddhist enlightenment. While I am not a Buddhist enthusiast, wisdom for the future is needed, that's for sure.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Robert Wright is the New York Times bestselling author of The Evolution of God (a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize), Nonzero, The Moral Animal, Three Scientists and their Gods (a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award), and Why Buddhism Is True. He is the cofounder and editor-in-chief of the widely respected Bloggingheads.tv and MeaningofLife.tv. He has written for The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times, Time, Slate, and The New Republic. He has taught at the University of Pennsylvania and at Princeton University, where he also created the popular online course “Buddhism and Modern Psychology.” He is currently Visiting Professor of Science and Religion at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Photo credit: Barry Munger.

Simon & Schuster, 304 pages.

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

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

The White Stone by Scott Meinke Blog Tour Novella Review

About the Book

Book: The White Stone: Faith at the Edge of the Deal

Author: Scott Meinke

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction

Release Date: November, 2025

In the high-pressure world of corporate success, the lines between ambition, compromise, and faith are rarely clear.  The White Stone tells the story of a driven professional forced to confront a question many believers face but few talk about openly: What does faithfulness look like when the cost is real- and the reward is unseen?

Rooted in the message to the church in Pergamum (Revelation 2), The White Stone explores integrity under pressure, the slow erosion of conviction, and the grace that calls us back when we’ve settled for less than we were made for.

This is a story for anyone who has wrestled with success, struggled with compromise, or wondered whether quiet obedience still matters in a results-driven world.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

This is a compelling novella. It is short but contains a powerful message. One man facing the temptation of success and financial gain at the cost of honesty and his own integrity. When it comes to the point of making a choice between obedience to God and career suicide or maintaining loyalty to his own principles, he maintains his faith. He refuses compromise and ultimately moves to the life that honors God above all else.

This is a good little novella exploring the challenge of remaining true to Christ, recognizing the cost and being willing to pay the price. Also realizing the reward is something more than success in this world could ever offer.

The plot moves along well. The characters are likable. The writing style is readable and one I enjoyed. A three session study guide is included so this would make a good choice for a discipleship group or other gathering.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

 

About the Author

Scott Meinke is a business leader, writer, and ministry founder with decades of experience navigating faith in the workplace.  After a long career in the insurance industry, Scott began writing stories that explore integrity, ambition, and what it means to follow Christ when success and conviction collide. The White Stone is his first novel – born out of real-world experience and shaped by Scripture – examining the quiet decisions that define character long before they define careers.

 

More from Scott

What if the biggest risk isn’t losing your job… but losing your soul?

We don’t drift all at once.

It happens in small decisions. Quiet compromises. Moments no one else sees.

The White Stone: Faith at the Edge of the Deal steps into that tension.

Luke Chambers is building a career, a reputation, a future.

From the outside, everything is working.

But inside, the questions are getting louder.

How far is too far?

When does success start costing more than it’s worth?

And what happens when doing the right thing threatens everything you’ve built?

This isn’t just a story about business.

It’s about integrity under pressure.

About faith in the gray areas.

About the quiet line we all face—the one between who we appear to be and who we are becoming. 

Because the real danger isn’t failure.

It’s becoming someone you never intended to be… and calling it success.

But this is also a story of hope.

Of second chances.

Of truth breaking through.

Of what can be restored when courage finally outweighs control.

And beyond the pages, this story is part of something bigger—

supporting real lives and real work happening in Vietnam through Did Over Should Ministries.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, June 25

Artistic Nobody, June 26 (Author Interview)

The Lofty Pages, June 27

Guild Master, June 28 (Author Interview)

Fiction Book Lover, June 29 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 29

The Bookish Ledger, June 30 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 1

Books, Books, & More Books, July 2 (Author Interview)

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, July 3 (Author Interview)

Books Less Travelled, July 4 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, July 5

History, Hope & Happily Ever After, July 6 (Author Interview)

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, July 7 (Author Interview)

Simple Harvest Reads, July 7

Stories By Gina, July 8 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

 

To celebrate his tour, Scott is giving away the grand prize of a pre-release copy of The Open Door and a Vietnam-themed coffee package, connected to the mission of Did Over Should Ministries, supporting outreach efforts in Vietnam!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://gleam.io/193LT/the-white-stone-faith-at-the-edge-of-the-deal-celebration-tour-giveaway

I received a complimentary egalley of this novella through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

I Belong to Me by Tia Levings

About the Book:

What does it mean to heal from trauma caused by the people, beliefs, and practices of your faith? And to rebuild a sense of self, when high-control religion said you shouldn’t have one?

Indoctrinated from early childhood to obey, conform, and want what others wanted for her, Tia Levings learned love and acceptance meant being someone other than herself.

After years of abuse in a violent marriage and high-control religion, Tia Levings escaped with her children (a story told in her memoir, A Well-Trained Wife) and thought the hardest was behind her.

But leaving was just the beginning.

With an audacious persistence to reclaim her life, Tia set off on a 15-year quest to psychological peace. The result is an emotionally regulated, actualized, self-aware woman who is able to tell her harrowing story without retraumatizing herself ―a woman who can reach back to help others claim what’s theirs. If trauma took your past, it shouldn't get your present and future too.

Through a series of personal stories, therapeutic stages, and resources, Tia Levings guides readers through the journey that helped her leave abuse, rediscover selfhood, and heal her mind, soul, and body after religious trauma ―so that you can too.

My Review:

It is certainly scary to leave a place of secure feeling to venture into the unknown. Levings encourages readers to know they will survive. Trauma can and will be healed and there are others who will help you. It is a good encouragement to anyone looking to heal from personal trauma. She provides some good general information too so this book would also be appreciated by those who just want to know more about trauma and healing.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

You can read my review of her first book, A Well-Trained Wife. 

About the Author:

Tia Levings is the New York Times Bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife, her memoir of escape from Christian Patriarchy. She writes about the realities of religious trauma, evangelical patriarchy, and the Trad wife life, decoding the fundamentalist influences in our news and culture. Her work and quotes have appeared in Teen Vogue, Salon, Newsweek, and the HuffingtonPost. She also appeared in the hit Amazon docu-series, Shiny Happy People. Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, she is mom to four incredible adults and likes to travel, hike, paint, and daydream. Find her on social media @TiaLevingsWriter.

St Martin's Essentials, 400 pages.

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

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

The Case of the Christie Wedding Affair by Kelly Oliver

About the Book

Scotland, 1930: Agatha Christie is getting married. She invites fellow members of the Detection Club to the windswept Isle of Skye for a quiet break while the banns are read. But tranquility proves elusive when the formidable Lord Blackwood, leader of a hunting party sharing their lodge, vanishes from the moors.

Sharp-eyed assistant to the Detection Club secretary, Eliza Baker, suspects foul play as the strange occurrences pile up: a mysterious grave in the churchyard, a missing rifle, and late-night excursions across the rugged island. There may be no body—yet—but someone at Dunmara Lodge is hiding a deadly secret.

As a storm cuts them off from the mainland, Eliza and her friend Theo must navigate lies, half-truths, and a treacherous landscape... but can they uncover the killer in the stalking grounds… or will the moors keep their secrets forever?

My Review

We are taken to the mysterious Isle of Skye in this adventure. There is plenty of unplanned excitement but Eliza and Theo are on the case. Agatha and Dorothy are firmly in the back seat in this one. The plot is layered as secrets from the past come to light. Thank goodness for Queenie, Eliza's beagle who can follow clues others miss.

I like how Oliver describes the characters and their action. Of Eliza, for example, “She was all forward motion, all sharpened edges, and restless mind.” That certainly indicates a woman on a mission. The landscape is treacherous and the weather frightful in this latest mystery from Oliver.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author

Kelly Oliver is the author of four award-winning bestselling mystery series and dozens of nonfiction books.

Kelly grew up in the Northwest—Montana, Idaho, and Washington states. Her maternal grandfather was a forest ranger committed to saving the trees, and her paternal grandfather was a logger hell bent on cutting them down. The only thing they agreed on was Canadian rye whiskey. On both sides, her ancestors were some of the first settlers in Northern Idaho. She went from eating a steady diet of wild game shot by her dad (and playing drums with their hooves) to becoming a vegetarian while studying philosophy and pondering animal minds at Northwestern University where she got a PhD in philosophy. Competing with peers who’d come from private schools and posh families “back East” her working-class backwoods grit served her well. And much to her parent’s surprise, she managed to feed and clothe herself as a professional philosopher before giving up academia to become a mystery writer.

When she’s not writing mysteries, Kelly is emerita Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. Kelly's nonfiction work includes over 100 articles and over twenty books, including: Hunting Girls: Sexual Violence from The Hunger Games to Campus Rape (which won a CHOICE AWARD for Outstanding Title). She has been featured on ABC news, CSPAN books, and various radio programs.

Boldwood Books, 296 pages.

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

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.) 

By the River's Edge by Gregg Olsen

About the Book

In 1990 in Washington state, the bodies of Yolanda Sapp, Nickie Lowe, and Kathy Brisbois were found on the banks of the Spokane River. They were part of a close-knit alliance of sex workers whose oath to protect each other was, in the end, hopeless. For twenty-two years their brutal murders went unsolved.

In 2012, a DNA cold hit pointed to Douglas Perry. A repeat assault offender, Douglas was currently incarcerated in Carswell, Texas. But there was a twist: The facility was for female prisoners. The man authorities hunted for decades was now Donna Perry. Her gender reassignment not only helped to mask the evil deeds of the past, it ended a life of childhood traumas and a pent-up rage unleashed on nearly thirty victims, according to Donna herself. Through total reinvention, she believed she’d finally slayed the monster within.

My Review

What makes a serial killer? Olsen looks at Perry's life, the family mental illness, being born intersex, the gender dysphoria, the childhood trauma experienced, how the gender change surgery came about. The investigation and the final move to trial. It was the first trial of an alleged transgender serial killer in history. There was also the issue of whether she was mentally competent. The surgery had changed Perry. Was Donna guilty now for what Douglas did years ago?

Olsen's writing style is good and I found this to be a compelling read. There is a long interview given verbatim. While it helped me understand Perry's mental condition, I found it to be the least interesting aspect of the book. Otherwise, it is a good true crime account.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

 

About the Author

Gregg Olsen is the #1 New York Times and Amazon Charts bestselling author of more than forty books, including If You Tell, Out of the Woods, The Amish Wife, I Know Where You Live, The Hive, Lying Next to Me, and The Last Thing She Ever Did; six novels in the Detective Megan Carpenter series; and The Sound of Rain and The Weight of Silence in the Nicole Foster series. His work has received critical acclaim, numerous awards, and prominence on the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times bestseller lists. Washington state officially selected his young adult novel Envy for the National Book Festival, and The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year. The Amish Wife was a finalist for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime. Born in Seattle, Olsen lives with his wife in rural Washington state and is already at work on his next book. Visit him at www.greggolsen.com.

Thomas & Mercer, 349 pages.

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

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Dance Like Nobody's Watching by Michelle Wadleigh

About the Book:

In Dance Like Nobody’s Watching, spiritual teacher and forgiveness authority Michelle Wadleigh invites you on a transformative journey through the twelve essential dimensions of self―from Self-Awareness to Self-Love. With each chapter, you are guided through illuminating truths, gentle provocations, and practical soul work to uncover the power, presence, and potential already within you. Drawing from her lifetime of spiritual practice, teaching, and lived experience, Wadleigh offers a grounded yet poetic path toward embodied freedom.

Combining the insight of beloved spiritual traditions with the tools of modern coaching, Dance Like Nobody’s Watching helps readers confront internalized beliefs that keep them small―like self-criticism, shame, and unworthiness―and replace them with liberating practices of self-inquiry, self-forgiveness, and self-expression. Each chapter is woven with powerful quotes, heartfelt letters to the self, and daily practices to deepen reflection and activate change. Whether you're new to inner work or ready for your next awakening, this book will meet you where you are and lovingly call you into greater alignment with your truth.

Michelle Wadleigh, bestselling author of Shadow Work and Forgiveness, brings her signature clarity, honesty, and warmth to this empowering work. Dance Like Nobody’s Watching isn’t just a book―it’s a sacred companion on your path to wholeness, an invitation to come home to the self you were always meant to be.

My Review:

I like to read self help books. Most of them encourage us to be something better, something more. I was surprised when this book encourages us to be authentically who we are, not the self we have constructed for the public, but who we are in our deepest and essential self. Wadleigh has good teaching and includes many questions for reflection and journaling. She has exercises for us to use our imagination too.

I appreciate the insights to help us return to who we were meant to be. There is good work to deal with self-criticism, to practice self-compassion, self-care, and self-forgiveness and to move into self-confidence and to be assured of our self-worth..

Wadleigh provides a frame for the work we must do. It takes time and commitment but the resources and encouragement needed are provided here. This is a good book for anyone desiring to be their most authentic self.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Michelle Wadleigh, born and raised in Hudson County, New Jersey, is a spiritual leader, metaphysical teacher, international speaker, sacred retreat facilitator, author, mother of three sons and a proud grandmother. She writes to bring her teaching alive and to make the metaphysical truths she teaches practical and pragmatic. All that she writes is to create a legacy of love.

Michelle is a minister and has a Doctor of Religious Science. She lives in the small town of Denville, NJ with her husband of seven years. Michelle Wadleigh can be found teaching her groundbreaking work on Forgiveness both in person and virtually. She can be contacted at www.plannedhappinessinstitute.com. She is a dedicated master teacher, blogger, and podcaster offering common sense solutions to life’s innate challenges.

St Martin's Essentials, 272 pages.

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

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)

Alive by Proxy by Manning Wolfe Blog Tour Book Review

PROXY LEGAL THRILLER SERIES

by Manning Wolfe

June 8 - July 17, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

 

ALIVE BY PROXY

 

Can attorney Quinton Bell hang on to his new life, as he hides in plain sight, in this lawyer-on-the-run suspense thriller?

Alive By Proxy takes readers on a heart-pounding ride through the life of a criminal defense attorney whose world was wiped out by the very client he tried to save. After faking his own death and stepping into the life of his deceased best friend, Quinton walks a razor-thin line every day to keep his past buried and his future intact.

When Houston Wildcatters linebacker Marcus Hale is charged with the brutal murder of his agent, the case detonates into a media firestorm. As the defense digs deeper, the murder case opens into something darker with buried secrets, dangerous leverage, and hidden lives that refuse to stay in the shadows.

As the courtroom battle intensifies, so does the danger beyond it. Unseen eyes track Quinton’s every move. Old ghosts stir. The identity that has kept Quinton alive begins to feel more fragile than ever.

Every witness, every revelation, and every step closer to the truth threatens to expose both Quinton and his client. Will Quinton find a way out, or will he forever be a target in a deadly game of cat and mouse?

Praise for the Proxy Legal Thriller Series:

"A riveting read that expertly teams courtroom drama and legal maneuvering with imminent danger, spine-tingling suspense, a touch of romance, and non-stop action. Talk about an adrenaline rush!"
~ Reedsy

"Can a woman write a thriller book that leaves you going, 'Wow, how did I ever miss this author before?' Yes, she can. Fist bumps and high fives to author, Manning Wolfe on this fantabulous thriller!"
~ Forgotten Winds

"I love the whole book! From beginning to end, it was a roller coaster ride! From New York to Texas, With incredible character development, and plot twists from beginning to end! Looking back, there were subtle clues, but not until the very end was there a resolution. I would highly recommend this book!"
~ Susan Riley, Amazon Customer

"Manning Wolfe just put herself on my list of must-read authors!"
~ John Ellsworth

My Review:

This is an unusual legal thriller. It has a plot that revolves around childhood trafficking and the ramifications in adulthood of that experience. Wolfe has provided a moving trial experience where it seems it may well be impossible to arrive at justice. There is an end to the trial I don't think I have ever seen before.

Wolfe provides an additional plot line of suspense. Quinton has assumed a fake persona to keep himself safe from a vindictive crime boss. It becomes clear someone knows who Quinton really is and his life is in danger. There is a surprise twist at the end letting us know it is not over by any means.

This novel is quite an emotional ride as we come to know some of the horror trafficked children experience. We also get to see the psychological toll one experiences years later. I liked reading this well paced novel with good emotional depth and insight. While it is part of a series, it reads well on its own.

My rating: 4/5 stars. 

You can read my reviews of an earlier book in the series, Hunted by Proxy.

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thriller
Published by: Starpath Books, LLC
Publication Date: April 28, 2026
Number of Pages: 327
ISBN:9781944225629 (ISBN10: 1944225625)
Series: Proxy Legal Thriller Series
Book Links: Amazon | KindleUnlimited | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

Proxy Legal Thriller Series

DEAD BY PROXY Book 1 Amazon | KindleUnlimited | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

HUNTED BY PROXY Book 2 Amazon | KindleUnlimited | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

ALIVE BY PROXY Book 3 Amazon | KindleUnlimited | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

Lightning slashed the Houston sky, illuminating the street for a fraction of a second before plunging it back into darkness. Rain hammered the pavement, pooling in gutters and rising fast. The bayous were already swollen, their muddy currents surging over the banks, consuming roads, homes, yards, everything in their path.

Daniel Price stood at his townhouse window, watching the water creep up his driveway. The power had gone out over an hour ago, leaving him in the dim glow of a flickering candle. A sharp knock at the door made him turn.

He wasn’t expecting anyone, especially at this hour and in this weather.

Another knock. Louder this time.

Urgent.

He unlatched the door and pulled it partially open.

A figure in a dark blue, rain-soaked poncho stood on the threshold.

“Jesus, you’re soaked,” Price said. “Get in here.”

The blade flashed in the candlelight.

Chapter 2

On the 610 Loop, Quinton Bell hustled into his office and dropped down behind his large wooden desk. He’d finished a hearing in the downtown courthouse and had hurried to get back to his office before rush hour hit.

The Law Office of Quinton Lamar Bell had only been open for about a year, and he was already turning away clients.

But Quinton Bell was not his real name.

It was Byron Douglas.

When Quinton opened his Houston office, he thought he was the only person alive who knew he had faked his own death in New York and stepped into the life of his dead best friend. He had taken the face, the name, and the future of Quinton Bell.

Now he lived each day alive by proxy, hiding in plain sight.

The phone rang.

Cassidy West was calling from jail.

Her client, Houston Wildcatters linebacker Marcus Hale, was being questioned for the murder of Daniel Price.

Chapter 3

Sheryl Benton sat in the dimly lit viewing room, her hands folded tightly in her lap. On the other side of the one-way glass, five men stood shoulder to shoulder in matching gray sweats.

Marcus Hale stood in slot number three.

Officer Gere’s voice was calm. “Take your time, Mrs. Benton. If you recognize anyone, just tell us.”

She leaned forward, uncertainty settling into her chest.

“Third from the left,” she finally whispered. “Maybe.”

That one word changed everything.

Behind her, Detective Clive Broussard stiffened.

And in the corner, Quinton Bell adjusted the cuffs of his tailored suit and watched the lineup begin to tilt toward disaster.

***

Excerpt from ALIVE BY PROXY by Manning Wolfe. Copyright 2026 by Manning Wolfe. Reproduced with permission from Manning Wolfe. All rights reserved.

 

Author Bio:

MANNING WOLFE, an award-winning author and attorney residing in Austin, Texas, writes cinematic-style, smart, fast-paced thrillers and crime fiction. Manning was recently featured on Oxygen TV’s: Accident, Suicide, or Murder.

Manning's legal thriller series features Austin attorney Merit Bridges, including Dollar Signs, Music Notes, Green Fees, Chinese Wall, and Killer Weed.

Manning's new Proxy Legal Thriller Series features Houston attorney Quinton Bell and includes: Dead By Proxy, Hunted By Proxy, and Alive By Proxy.

Manning is co-author of Sinister Santa, and twelve additional Bullet Book Speed Reads.

As a graduate of Rice University and the University of Texas School of Law, Manning’s experience has given her a voyeur’s peek into some shady characters’ lives and a front-row seat to watch the good people who stand against them.

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I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)