Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley

About the Book:

High in the Swiss Alps, accessible only by a single, winding railway, stands the luxurious Grand Alpine Hotel. With glorious mountain views and exclusive access to powdery slopes, it draws guests from far and wide.

The notorious actress.
The high-flying politician.
The society wife.
The reckless friend.
The shrewd doctor.

But not everyone is here for a winter holiday.

Beneath the champagne and furs, dark histories simmer; old grudges emerge like cracks in the ice.

And someone is watching from the shadows. A polite, unassuming woman with an extraordinary mind: Miss Marple.

When a body is found and a blizzard cuts off all escape, only Miss Marple can connect the clues before the killer strikes again. Because it isn’t a question of who has a motive, but who’s next…

My Review:

I grew up reading Agatha Christie and fell in love with her mysteries. I am so glad an author has picked up the work to keep that kind of mystery being written.

Foley does a fine job of establishing the setting. Her descriptions of the hotel and the snowy landscape are good. The plot is complex with several murders ultimately happening. It takes Jane a good deal of talking to people and reviewing facts to identify the murder. I like the character of Diane and her forceful actions. This novel has multiple POVs and much character thought, something I don't remember if Christie did or not. Nonetheless, this was an enjoyable historical mystery. 

My rating: 4/5 stars.

William Morrow, 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 Lost Claim by S F Baumgartner

About the Book:

She reads old paper: Queensland mining registers, transfer deeds, the dull documents that decide who owns what's underneath. So she knows what an altered date looks like. This one makes her father's claim die four years early.

Then the letter arrives: YOUR FATHER'S CLAIM WAS NEVER CLOSED.

Noah Mercer has driven eleven hours to tell her the rest. A single receipt ties the worst day of his family's life to the Callahan ground, and to money somebody used the claim to hide.

The proof exists. That's the problem. Surveillance becomes a pickup bearing down on them along a one-lane track. A court order seals the ground. Fire takes a workshop, floodwater cuts the roads, and the paper that could clear her father keeps disappearing.

Following the trail will take them into abandoned workings and across ground Lori has been ordered not to enter. By the time permission comes, the evidence may be gone.

For fans of Blood & Treasure and Mystery Road: clean Outback action-adventure with procedural bite.

Book 2 in The Mercer Files; it can be read as a standalone.

My Review:

This is the second book in a collection of shorter novels from Baumgartner featuring the three sons of Tom Mercer, the main character in the free prequel (The Last Shift, available at the author's website). This novel takes place in Australia and involves a great deal of paperwork and land descriptions. I was pretty much lost at the beginning when the plot involved documents, claim regulations and land actions by name and letter and number designations. I had no idea what most of them indicated. Unless I missed something, I had no idea what was so important about this land claim in the first place. How all the information was documented and recorded was interesting but became repetitive after a while.

Baumgartner's writing style is fast paced and succinct. Usually that makes for a fast moving plot but this time it prevented this reader's understanding of what was going on. I do wish Baumgartner had added some background information and explanations to help me understand what was at stake and what was going on. There is one more novella in this series and I do hope it explains the meaning of this one.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

You can read my review of the first book in this series, Black Gold Secret. You can read my review of the short prequel, The Last Shift and download it free at https://sfbaumgartner.com. 

About the Author:

S.F. Baumgartner crafts fast-paced Christian suspense thrillers, weaving tales of complex characters, secretive operatives, and relentless agents. Her gripping storytelling has earned acclaim, with Living Secrets and Forgotten Secret—Books 1 & 2 of her Mirror Estate series—named Top Picks in the thriller & suspense categories, respectively, at Killer Nashville, and Tangled Secrets—Book 3 of Mirror Estate series—won couple of awards in the Christian Indie Awards and the Incipere Awards. When she’s not plotting her next twist, she’s binge-watching crime TV shows, like NCIS or playing with her cats. Fans of James Patterson’s style, especially those who appreciate short, punchy chapters, will find much to love in her work.  And as always, her books are all clean.

Independently Published, 182 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through BookSirens. 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 Darkness at Deception Pass by D D Black

About the Book:

Three years ago, the body of an elderly woman was found in the cool waters beneath the Deception Pass Bridge near Whidbey Island, Washington. Two years later, a deceased man of almost ninety floated onto the pebbly shore of Bremerton, just south of the Manette Bridge. Each case left the authorities puzzled. Were these the final acts of individuals lost to despair, or were they meticulously staged murders?

Two inexplicable deaths, two years apart, the cases colder than the waters where the bodies were found.

Until now.

When a third body turns up in the chilling waters of Deception Pass, Thomas Austin and the Kitsap Sheriff's Department are on the case. Together, they embark on a quest to connect the dots between past mysteries and the present horror, unraveling a thread that leads to an unthinkable crime.

In Book 9 of the Thomas Austin Crime Thriller series, Austin is confronted with his first case as a detective for the Kitsap Sheriff's department. But as he gets closer to the deadly truth and the twisted individuals behind it, it may just be his last.

My Review:

I like this series from Black as they take place in Puget Sound. I am vary familiar with the Deception Pass bridge as I have driven over it or walked it scores of times. (The banner above on this blog is Deception Pass Bridge.) Talking about death in relation to it is a serious topic. While people do use the bridge to end their lives, Black has a different take. Some people are targeting the elderly to get their money. When the elderly person is no longer useful, they are thrown off the bridge to the turbulent water below.

Austin is now a detective with the sheriff's department so this is more of a police procedural rather than a private investigator style. Black creates a good plot as the villains are identified.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

You can read my reviews of the earlier books in the series: The Bones of Point No Point, The Shadows of Pike Place, The Fallen of Foulweather Bluff, The Horror at Murden Cove, The Terror in the Emerald City, The Drowning at Dyes Inlet, The Nightmare at Manhattan Beach, and The Silence at Mystery Bay.

About the Author:

D.D. Black writes crime fiction set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. He is the author of the Thomas Austin Crime Thrillers and the FBI Task Force S.W.O.R.D. series. When he's not writing, he can be found strolling the beaches of the Pacific Northwest, cooking dinner for his wife, and throwing a ball for his corgi over and over and over. To learn more, check out my website, where you can join the VIP Reader Club for discounts, news, and more corgi photos than you ever knew you needed. You can find out more at https://ddblackauthor.com/

Independently published, 256 pages.

Shadowing You by Robin Patchen Blog Tour Book Review

 

About the Book

Book: Shadowing You (The Wright Heroes Book 10)

Author: Robin Patchen

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release Date: September 8, 2026

When the wife he believed dead calls from China, an ER doctor races to find her before her enemies silence her forever.

Ethan Wright never recovered from the death of his first love.

Six years ago, Mei Lin discovered evidence linking powerful officials to a human trafficking ring. She planned to smuggle the details out of China and join her new husband in America—but COVID sealed the borders before she could escape. Snatched by the men she’d been investigating, she was wrongfully imprisoned while authorities claimed she had died in quarantine. Now, Mei Lin’s sudden release doesn’t mean she’s free.

Ethan will stop at nothing to get his wife out of China, but he has no idea where she is. He must reach out to his estranged father, a former CIA agent who has powerful connections. With his dad’s help, Ethan begins a desperate search. He finally finds Mei Lin, but she refuses to run without the evidence that could expose the conspiracy—and ensure they’re never hunted again.

Reunited after years apart, Ethan and Mei Lin must rediscover the love they thought they’d lost—while staying one step ahead of enemies who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets hidden.

From a USA Today bestselling author… You’ll love this heart-pounding suspense and gripping romance as Ethan and Mei Lin discover that real love is strong enough to survive anything.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

This novel is a little different from the earlier ones in the series as Patchen takes us to China, where most of the action occurs. Also, Ethan, who is the hero of this novel is the result of an affair his father had so has not felt part of the Wright family. While there are some good and suspenseful scenes in this novel, it is mostly about relationships and commitment to family, especially when you need family to stay alive. This book reads pretty well as a stand alone. Family members from previous novels do come into the plot but more as support than the focus.

Reading this novel is a bitter sweet experience as it ends this series. I have appreciated Patchen's ability to create fast paced plots and engaging characters. I was happy to find that she already has another series in the works. I enjoy her writing so will be eagerly looking for the new novels.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

I missed the earliest books in this series but you can read my reviews of several of the rest: Sheltering You, Protecting You, Capturing You, Defending You, Fighting for You, and Anchoring You. 

About the Author

Robin Patchen is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of Christian romantic suspense. She grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, the setting of her Coventry Saga books, and then headed to Boston to earn a journalism degree. Working in marketing, she discovered how much she loathed the nine-to-five ball and chain. After relocating to the Southwest, she started writing her first novel while homeschooling her three children. The novel was dreadful, but her passion for storytelling didn’t wane. Thankfully, as her children grew, so did her writing ability. Now that her kids are adults, she has more time to play with the lives of fictional heroes and heroines, wreaking havoc and working magic to give her characters happy endings. When she’s not writing, she’s editing or reading, proving that most of her life revolves around the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. Visit robinpatchen.com/subscribe to receive a free book and stay informed about Robin’s latest projects.

More from Robin

Saying Goodbye to Shadow Cove

When I typed the last sentence of Shadowing You, the final Wright Heroes of Maine book, I was dehydrated from all the tears I’d shed. These Wrights feel like family to me. I can’t imagine leaving them behind.

From about book five, I knew about Ethan, the son his father kept secret. I didn’t know his plot yet, though. When I met Mei Lin and understood where she’d been for the last six years, I couldn’t wait to share their story.

But first, I want you to get to know Gavin.

The Wright family has two branches. Roger Wright and his wife, Peggy, raised six sons on an apple farm in central Maine. Roger was a physician who never put his work ahead of his children. He was steady and present, the kind of man his boys grew up wanting to be.

His brother Gavin is a different story. He was a CIA officer, gallivanting the world while his wife, Evelyn, raised their five daughters. For most of the girls’ lives, he was distant and guarded, always one assignment away from coming home. Even after he retired from the CIA, he started a business that kept him close to DC—and far from his family in Shadow Cove.

None of those girls knew anything about their father’s son.

Ethan was raised by a single mother in Virginia. Gavin supported them but visited on his own terms. Ethan grew up knowing he was his father’s secret, too shameful to share with Gavin’s real family.

All Ethan ever wanted was a family of his own, which might be the reason that, when his girlfriend finished nursing school and returned home to China, he followed her and proposed. They were married the same week. But after the honeymoon, Ethan had to return to the States, and Mei Lin had to stay in China until her visa came through.

It should have been a matter of weeks, maybe a couple of months at most. But the pandemic hit. And then Mei Lin disappeared. A few months later, Ethan and her parents got word that she’d contracted the disease and died.

But Mei Lin isn’t dead. Six years ago, she uncovered a human trafficking ring and started gathering evidence against the man in charge. She didn’t know he was on to her until she was arrested and thrown into prison. Nobody came to visit her, not her parents, not her brother, and not the husband who’d promised to love her forever. A few years into her imprisonment, she lost hope that she’d ever be freed. And then, after six torturous years, she was released—just like that.

She might be out of prison, but her enemy can’t let her escape from China. Mei Lin calls the husband who left her to rot, not asking—or expecting—anything from him except some money to help her get to safety.

She certainly doesn’t expect him to fly around the world to find her.

But Ethan hasn’t forgotten Mei Lin. Now that he knows she’s alive, he’ll do everything in his power to get her to safety, including rushing into a country he barely understands. And reaching out to the father he rarely speaks to.

But Gavin isn’t the only one who jumps in to help Ethan and Mei Lin escape China. I won’t spoil it for you, but I know you’ll enjoy seeing some old friends in this story.

Thanks for spending your valuable time in Shadow Cove. Enjoy one last story before you move on to your next destination.

As for me, I’ll be just up the coast in Briar Bay, Maine, where three castaway children…

Well, we’ll talk about that one next time.

Blog Stops

Book Looks by Lisa, September 9

lakesidelivingsite, September 9

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 10

Texas Book-aholic, September 11

For Him and My Family, September 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 13

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 14

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 15

Blossoms and Blessings, September 16

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 17

Mary Hake, September 17

Holly’s Book Corner, September 18

Cover Lover Book Review, September 19

Pause for Tales, September 20

Devoted To Hope, September 21

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, September 22

Giveaway

 

To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of Anchoring You!!

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

https://gleam.io/VphI6/shadowing-you-celebration-tour-giveaway

I received a complimentary digital copy 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.)

Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan

About the Book:

There isn’t much that happens in the Appalachian Mountains that Private Investigator Annie Gore hasn’t seen. Before she was an Air Force Special Investigator, she was born and raised in those rolling hills, and lately Annie's cases have called her away from her Louisville office and closer to the small towns of her youth than she ever anticipated. But when her newest client asks if she’s ever been to a snake-handling church, Annie knows she’s about to enter unknown territory.

Katie May has been estranged from her father―one of Appalachia’s last infamous snake handling preachers―for twenty years. But when Katie finds out he’s been fatally bitten, and a funeral was held within twenty-four hours, she questions whether someone deliberately rushed the process. Despite Annie’s doubts, she takes the case. After all, when she looks at Katie, she sees a version of herself: a girl who needs to understand her father in order to understand herself.

As she navigates the hidden hollers and dangerous secrets of this insular Eastern Kentucky town, Annie works fast, hoping to find the truth in record time for her client―and before too many memories from her own childhood surface. But it soon becomes apparent that someone wants Annie’s investigation to stop―by any means necessary.

My Review:

The second in a series but the first for me. The setting of the Appalachian mountains is well presented. Sullivan knows the land. The plot was a bit long and could have ended sooner without losing anything. It was interesting to read about the snake handling group. The characters are well done. Annie comes across as a normal woman and not someone with super abilities. Secrets come to light and the suspects are many, as are the twists. A pretty good read.

Minotaur Books, 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.)

Blackout by J Luke Bennecke Blog Tour Book Review

 

BLACKOUT

by J. Luke Bennecke

September 7 - October 16, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

A Jake Bendel Thriller

 

THE LIES SHINE BRIGHTEST WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT.

The assassination was only the beginning. When the President of the United States is killed in a coordinated drone strike, the nation spirals into chaos. But this isn’t terrorism. It’s strategy.

Behind the attack stands a brilliant and ruthless leader of a shadowy global cabal known only as New3—a group convinced the age of American dominance is already over.

They’re just speeding it up.

Their plan is devastating in its simplicity:

• First, kill the president.
• Then cripple the nation’s power grid.
• Finally, plunge the United States into darkness long enough for rival superpowers to make their move.

Civil engineer Jake Bendel never expected to be part of that war. As one of the architects of America’s AI-driven energy grid, he helped design the very system now being turned against the country.

As blackouts spread and order begins to fracture, Jake teams up with FBI agent Kristi Konnors to follow a trail of digital clues—only to uncover a conspiracy far bigger than a cyberattack. One that could hand America’s collapse to China and Russia.

Then it becomes personal.

Evidence emerges that Jake’s wife, Cynthia—presumed dead for years—may still be alive, trapped inside the organization behind it all.

Now Jake is running out of time. Because if the lights go out across America, the invasion won’t be far behind. And the system he built may be the only thing that can stop it.

Perfect for fans of David Baldacci and Tom Clancy, BLACKOUT is a high-stakes techno-thriller where cutting-edge technology collides with global power—and one man is forced to decide how far he’ll go to stop what’s coming.

BLACKOUT Trailer:

My Review:

This thriller points out the vulnerable nature of the US power grid. Bennecke has posed a plausible attack that would bring the country to a standstill. Without power and with many important locations damaged, the country would be susceptible to attack from without and from within. Thankfully, Jake Bendel is on the case. He has developed an advanced AI operation that just might outsmart the villain. It is a race against time but Jake has been seriously hurt and is distracted by concern for his wife. With well placed betrayal in the government agencies, I wondered if the nation could survive.

This is the third book in this series but the first I have read. While there are many references to Jake's previous experiences, I felt this book read very well on its own. It is not necessary to read the previous novels to enjoy this one.

This novel has plenty of action and a very wealthy villain who can buy the people and supplies she needs to bring the country to its knees. The plot moves well as Jake is pitted against the smart and well resourced opponent. This is an engaging thriller that could reflect tomorrow's headlines.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

This book releases October 6.

Book Details:

Genre: High-Concept Thriller
Published by: Jaytech Publishing
Publication Date: October 6, 2026
Number of Pages: 436
ISBN: 9798990527386
Series: Jake Bendel Thrillers, Book 3 || Learn More About the series on Amazon & Goodreads
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Books2Read

Read an excerpt:

FACTS:

1. The United States power grid is divided into three largely independent systems, considered one of the most complex machines ever built with over 160,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines. Large portions of the grid infrastructure are decades old.
2. Modern societies rely on electricity for nearly every critical system including: water treatment plants, fuel pipelines, telecommunications networks, hospitals, and transportation systems.
3. GPS signals are surprisingly weak and vulnerable to interference.
4. The largest blackout in North American history affected 50 million people in August 2023 involving eight states and Canada.
5. Small inexpensive drones can now carry lethal payloads.
6. The U.S. military (under DARPA’s OFFSET program) have tested drone swarm “curtain” formations.

Chapter 1

Friday, September 27 - 8:49 a.m. -
AIRPLANE #1 - Private Gulfstream Jet - Coast of Venezuela

The day was perfect for flying, sipping Russo-Baltique vodka—and an assassination.

In exactly eleven minutes.

Ominous black clouds churned miles beneath the Gulfstream cruising high above the Atlantic. Far away, 1,600 miles north, thick fog rolled across the runway at Tampa International Airport—with Air Force One descending on approach.

Tracy strode the cabin aisle, air thick with sweat and heavy leather. Her smartwatch pinged. Florida ground team: Eight minutes to launch. All good.

Fiddling with her charcoal pearl necklace, she eyed the dozen technicians, each tracking a sliver of the covert op. Right on schedule. She halted behind her lead coordinator, Boris, bent over a pulsing, colorful weather map.

When Tracy placed her hand on his shoulder, Boris stopped typing and adjusted his headset. She stood erect, arms crossed and chin high, her gold silk blouse complementing her team’s black combat uniforms like a leather-banded Swiss watch.

Seeds of anarchy thrive in a nation stripped of electric power.

The enormous gravity of today’s operation weighed on everyone aboard. Their goal: to plant kernels of chaos.

She clucked her tongue, gave a sharp nod and pointed to a green and yellow blob on his screen. “Tell me that’s not fog.”

Successfully executing their mission—polished for years—would bring infamy to her name and enter Tracy Daniela Ciacchella into the history books alongside John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald. Not desirable, but exitus acta probat: the outcome justifies the deeds.

“It is, but ma’am, your yacht is in perfect position in Old Tampa Bay,” Boris said, a hint of a Russian accent slipping through on certain syllables. “All four hundred drones fully programmed, ready for activation and deployment from boat deck. We have new problem.”

A sitting US president hadn’t fallen since ‘63. Today’s mission was the culmination of years of planning, subversion, and digital sleight of hand. No bullets. No lone gunman. Just 400 Semtex-laden drones guided by a matrix of stolen GPS coordinates and a rigged FAA exemption buried three years ago by one of her assets.

A clean kill.

Boris nodded. “Not worried about fog, ma’am, but light rain, not good for drones. Moved in faster than expected.”

Each drone carried a two-pound brick of homemade Semtex.

Washington had talked counter-drone defense for years. But as was typical with US leadership, nothing actually got done. No productive decisions. Only political wrangling and posturing—mixed with unhealthy levels of toxic masculinity.

Incompetent politicians. Yet another reason to raise my curtain of death—weather permitting.

For the final time, Tracy confirmed the ground team in position. On her iPad, she tapped open the video chat app connected with her two generals: first, the captain on her yacht in Old Tampa Bay, Florida; and second, her trusted, longtime friend Bob Huffington—nicknamed

Huff—perched atop the Macy’s roof near I-275. Positioned a mile south, Huff had an unobstructed view of the final approach flight path for runway 1R at Tampa International.

Although Tracy herself was nowhere near Florida, both video feeds from her team streamed clean and crisp via satellite. Rolling fog thickened, obscuring her views.

“Wind speed?” she asked Huff.

“Twenty-two knots. For now, acceptable, but if gusts start pushing above twenty-five, our chances drop to ten percent.”

Getting Goldberg into place had been her masterpiece. After today, with President Whitehead out of the picture, Vice President Goldberg would give Tracy direct access to the power levers controlling the federal government. Her puppet would be in perfect position for the next phase of world domination.

It was now or never. Time for the all-important decision.

Even if the wind began gusting, the drones might still fly close enough to do catastrophic damage.

Tracy brought her iPad close and announced into the tiny speaker, “Green. Repeat, we are green for Operation Black Flock.”

On her screen, both generals nodded in confirmation. Now—shadowy iPad feeds showed Huff entering the launch code while workers on the boat peeled off a massive blue tarp to reveal a cargo container with four hundred off-the-shelf quadcopter drones—all made in China—packed inside a customized carbon fiber lattice. Each carried a two-pound payload of Semtex and a pre-programmed set of GPS-coordinated waypoints—latitude, longitude and elevation—to travel to.

“Gusts up to twenty-four knots,” Huff said, nervously tugging at his earlobe before giving her a thumbs up, indicating her ground team had programmed the drones and activated them. Assuming the weather cooperated, the small black machines would follow precise paths using exact signals from dozens of GPS satellites—all in working order as of five minutes ago, according to her inside man at the Department of Defense. Her DOD contact had also confirmed the Air Force One plane on descent was, in fact, carrying President Whitehead, not a decoy.

Boris leaned back in his chair, away from his laptop, and squinted at Tracy. “I still think we could have come up with a better name for this op.”

She nodded, anxiety rising, wondering whether the drones would perform as intended. “Perhaps.”

“How about Operation Kill Racist Xenophobic Pedophile?”

“Come now, Boris. Way too long.” Tracy gave a silent smirk.

A tiny matrix of red and green lights blinked on her iPad, communicating status from every craft, as propellers whirred, creating a bee-like buzzing sound crackling from the embedded speaker.

The swarm of drones lifted skyward and disappeared into the gray blur of rolling fog.

***

Excerpt from Blackout by J. Luke Bennecke. Copyright 2026 by J. Luke Bennecke. Reproduced with permission from J. Luke Bennecke. All rights reserved.

 

Author Bio:

J. Luke Bennecke is an Amazon #1 bestselling thriller author who writes about what happens when technology gets smarter—and people don’t. A former civil engineer and longtime executive, he spent decades designing real-world systems in California before turning to fictional ones that fail far more spectacularly. His novels explore artificial intelligence, surveillance, memory manipulation, and the dangerous gap between innovation and ethics. He is currently at work on his tenth novel.

Luke lives in Southern California with his wife of thirty-five years and their four spunky cats. When not writing, he enjoys philanthropy, consulting as an engineering expert witness, traveling, playing golf, creating videos, and voiceover acting.

Catch Up With J. Luke Bennecke:

JLukeBennecke.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads - @JLukeBennecke
BookBub - @JLukeBennecke
Instagram - @JLukeBennecke
Facebook - @JLukeBennecke
LinkedIn

 

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Click here to view the Tour Schedule

 

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This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for J. Luke Bennecke. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

Blackout by J. Luke Bennecke | Gift Cards

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I received a complimentary digital copy 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.)

Fatal Pattern by Kate Angelo Blog Tour Book Review

 

FATAL PATTERN

by Kate Angelo

September 14 - 25, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

The King Legacy

 

A COVERT INVESTIGATION

A stalker attacks behavioral analyst Dr. Tori Crew at knifepoint, shattering the fierce independence she's built since her parents' unsolved murder. Forced into an off-the-books criminal investigation, Tori must push her expertise--and her fiercely guarded heart--to the breaking point as a killer's pattern emerges.

A LOOMING THREAT

Homicide detective Blade St. James has been Tori's friend and protector since childhood. Haunted by his own past of parental abandonment, Blade is determined to build a stable life and find the peace that always seems just out of reach. But when Tori's life is threatened, his guardian reflexes collide with everything he's been trying to build.

A HIDDEN MENACE

As the conspiracy rooted in Tori's past pulls them deeper, the boundaries of their friendship blur, and the truth neither can deny becomes impossible to ignore. Can they unmask the sophisticated serial killer before they become the final, fatal piece in the pattern?

In this gripping romantic suspense thriller, Kate Angelo delivers pulse-pounding psychological suspense and forensic investigations threaded with slow-burn romance and a heart-stopping cold case. Perfect for fans of Criminal Minds, Lynette Eason, Nancy Mehl, Colleen Coble, and Irene Hannon.

My Review:

I liked this engaging thriller. It starts off with action and rarely lets up. Angelo's writing style is succinct, with no extra words. That means the plot moves along quickly. Even so, Angelo has the skill of writing intense scenes, drawing out all the emotional depth of an event. She is good at creating and building psychological tension and has the ability to produce emotion filled descriptions of attacks and other interactions. The spiritual content is subtle and not an essential part of the plot.

Reading Angelo's novel was an emotional experience as I was repeatedly pulled into the plot by the intensity of Angelo's writing. It was interesting to learn about fractals, a feature of the murderer's complete method of committing and celebrating murders. And the best part is that there is a thread left dangling at the end so I will be watching for the sequel. I recommend this engaging and informative intense thriller.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

You can read my review of the first book in this series, Girl Lost.

Book Details:

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Mystery & Suspense
Published by: Fleming H. Revell Company; Baker Publishing Group
Publication Date: September 15, 2026
Number of Pages: 368
ISBN: 9780800746643
Series:The King Legacy | Book 2 | Find it on Amazon & Goodreads
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Baker Publishing Group

Read an excerpt:

 

 

Author Bio:

Kate Angelo is the Publishers Weekly bestselling author of Hunting the Witness, Selah Award winner of Deadly Holiday Hijack, and Amazon Top 100 bestseller of Driving Force. Kate works alongside her husband championing stronger marriages and families. Her journey from foster care to bestselling author fuels her fast-paced romantic suspense, where flawed characters discover hope and healing through life's fiercest trials and relationships. When she's not putting fictional people through the wringer, she's out creating real-life happily-ever-afters at conferences and events nationwide.

Learn more about Kate at:

KateAngelo.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads - @kateangeloauthor
BookBub - @kateangeloauthor
Instagram - @kateangeloauthor
Facebook - Kate Angelo- Author

 

Tour Participants:

Click through the other tour stops for can’t-miss reviews, insider interviews, exclusive guest posts, and more chances to win!

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Fatal Pattern by Kate Angelo | The King Legacy + Gift Card

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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.)

The Parallax Field by M Maloney

About the Book:

Some places remember what we cannot.

Glass artist Ethan Finn has spent years hiding from grief, guilt, and the impossible expectations of his father—a beloved local hero who died trying to rescue fishermen during a violent storm. After his father’s death, Ethan creates a series of life-sized glass sculptures and installs them on the isolated cliff above Gray Harbor. The locals call them the Watchers.

Then the impossible begins.

Visitors report seeing lost loved ones beside the sculptures. Others relive forgotten moments with startling clarity. At first, the town dismisses the visions as rumor or mass hysteria. But as more people experience them, Gray Harbor is overwhelmed by tourists seeking answers the Watchers might reveal.

Claire Bennett, a geophysicist investigating strange seismic activity beneath the coast, searches for a natural explanation. The geology offers tantalizing clues: fault pressure, quartz deposits, electromagnetic fields, and a phenomenon that appears to connect the physical world with human perception. But no scientific theory can explain what the Watchers reveal—or why they respond so powerfully to Ethan’s grief, anger, and longing.

As the town divides between fear and fascination, Trent Mitchell files a complaint with the Coastal Commission, forcing Ethan to remove the sculptures. Yet the deeper Ethan and Claire investigate, the more the Watchers seem connected to Ethan’s emotions—and to the devastating secret his father carried for decades.

With storms gathering over the Pacific, seismic activity building erratically, and the community turning against him, Ethan faces an impossible choice: dismantle the sculptures and lose the only path to the truth, or complete his project and risk the lives and sanity of everyone he loves.

Blending magical realism with psychological suspense, The Parallax Field explores memory, perception, forgiveness, and the invisible distances between those we love.

My Review:

Maloney challenges us to think of the possibility of a deeper reality we can experience but perhaps cannot explain in scientific terms. It might be a sense, a weight or something similar we cannot scientifically explain. It may be a mystery at the edge of science.

How much of what we experience and how we understand our experiences depend upon where we are standing? If we had been some place else, would we have seen everything differently? That is the reality of parallax, seeing reality from a different position.

Maloney explores these kinds of issues in this novel. There is a good dose of science included, such as electromagnetic fluctuations and coherence fields. But Maloney extends the influence of them beyond scientific understanding by having human emotions amplify their effect.

This is a good novel for those who like science fiction and thinking about how the physical world and human relationships intersect. It is a fun adventure at the edge of our understanding of reality.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

You can read my review of the first book in this series, The Tuning Chamber.

About the Author:

M. Maloney grew up reading every Ray Bradbury story she could get her hands on. She wrote her first sci-fi story in elementary school and devoured science fiction novels and short stories like they were Belgian chocolates. She estimates that she's read more than a thousand sci-fi and fantasy stories. Her brain is constantly sizzling with timey-wimey plot concepts, what-if scenarios involving impossible science, and researching cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs to help her come up with insanely weird, original, and creative stories. She thinks she has a killer sense of humor, but that seems to be highly subjective, she's been told. Her aim is to entertain her readers and make them think ... even if they don't really want to.

Independently published, 286 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through BookSirens. 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.)