Saturday, September 2, 2023

Small Town Danger by Various Authors Blog Tour Book Review

About the Book

Book: Small Town Danger

Authors: Mary Alford, Liz Bradford, June Foster, Therese Heckenkamp, Cynthia Hickey, Gina Holder, Edie James, Ann Malley, J. Carol Nemeth, and Colleen Snyder

Genre: Christian/Clean Romantic Mystery and Suspense

Release Date: April 25, 2023

More than lives are in danger when small town tranquility meets heart pounding suspense in this collection of ten brand-new novels from some of the genre’s most explosive romantic suspense authors!

Join Mary Alford, Liz Bradford, June Foster, Therese Heckenkamp, Cynthia Hickey, Gina Holder, Edie James, Ann Malley, Carol Nemeth and Colleen Snyder as mystery, suspense, and faith combine to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Sins of the Past – A Hope Island Securities Book by Mary Alford

Ten years earlier, Janine put him away for murder. Now Bennett’s back in her life with a challenge—help me find the real killer.

Swept Away – Tracking Danger Book Two – A Search and Rescue Novel by Liz Bradford

When a SAR mission ends with a murder, Josh and Chloe must fight rising tensions before they get swept away.

Danger in Cranberry Cove by June Foster

When Julie Wilder joins local lawyer Lucas Ethridge in uncovering clues of who murdered their high school friend on the beach fifteen years before, phone calls from their deceased classmate are unnerving. After incriminating evidence turns up, can Lucas and Julie discover the killer’s identity or will they suffer the same fate as their friend?

Escaping Illusions – A Frozen Footprints Book by Therese Heckenkamp

All she wants is a new beginning, but a man famous for deception is the last person she should trust.

A Place to Hide by Cynthia Hickey

Is there nowhere to hide? Will Marley and Dirk escape a fan who always seems to be one step ahead of them?

Handmade Mayhem – Addie Masters Mysteries Book 1 by Gina Holder

“Who Knew DIY Could Be So Deadly.”

Hidden Sins – A Redemption Creek Romantic Suspense by Edie James

Redemption Creek, where sometimes justice needs a helping hand.

Debt of Honor by Ann Malley

Where’s the honor in loving your best friend’s wife? Or keeping the secrets that may get her and her baby killed?

Death Goes to School by J. Carol Nemeth

The rewarding profession of teaching: it could get you killed.

Twisted by Colleen Snyder

She’s eighteen. A visitor to a tornado-stricken town in need of help. Half of the residents think she’s a saint. While the other wants her dead.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

This is an entertaining collection of novellas and a good way to be introduced to new authors. As is often the case in a collection like this, the quality of the writing varies. Some of the novellas have a good deal of suspense. There was one, however, that was mostly relational interaction between characters and little suspense. Some seem to be part of a novel series but they read well as a stand alone story.

It was interesting to see how each author handled plot and relationship development within short novel lengths. My favorite was where the two main characters each suspected the other of a murder from years ago. That was a good situation that meant they had to solve the past murder before developing any trust.

This collection is a good way to read an additional novel from a favorite author and be introduced to some new ones.

My rating: 4/5 stars.


About the Authors

Liz Bradford didn’t always know she was a writer, but story ideas have always been a part of her life. When she finally took an idea seriously, she started writing and hasn’t been able to stop. She is a member of ACFW and ACFW-Louisville Chapter. Even though Liz’s heart yearns to live in the mountains of North Carolina, she and her husband live in southern Indiana where she homeschools their three daughters.

An award-winning author, June Foster is a retired teacher with a BA in Education and a MA in counseling. June began writing Christian romance in 2010 as she and her husband traveled the US in their RV. Her adventures provide a rich source of information for her novels. She brags about visiting a location before it becomes the setting in her next book.

To date, June has written over thirty contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels and novellas. June uses her training in counseling and her Christian beliefs in creating characters who encounter real-life difficulties yet live victorious lives. She’s published with Winged Publications. Visit June at www.junefoster.com to see a complete list of her books.

Her novel, The Inn at Cranberry Cove, won the 2021 Selah award for Romantic Suspense. It is available on Amazon in paperback, hardback, and eBook format.

Born in Australia but raised in the US as a homeschooled student, Therese Heckenkamp has been writing stories since before she could spell. She lives in Wisconsin and is an award-winning author of five Christian romance and suspense novels as well as a non-award-winning mother of five energetic kids. As a busy stay-at-home mom, Therese writes whenever she can manage (and sometimes when she can’t). She dreams up new stories mostly at night when the house is—if she’s lucky—finally quiet. It’s no coincidence one of her novels is called Sleep Deprived. ​

Cynthia Hickey is a multi-published and best-selling author of cozy mysteries and romantic suspense. She has taught writing at many conferences and small writing retreats. She and her husband run the publishing press, Winged Publications, which includes some of the CBA’s best well-known authors. They live in Arizona and Arkansas, becoming snowbirds with two dogs and one cat. They have ten grandchildren who keep them busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer.”

Gina Holder is an indie author and stay-at-home mom. 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 at http://storiesbygina.wordpress.com. When she’s not writing, Gina enjoys playing the piano, cooking, reading, watching Hallmark mysteries, and solving “escape room” puzzles. She’s been a member of ACFW for several years, and loves growing in her craft as an author. She published her debut novel in 2017. Gina lives in Colorado with her husband and daughter.

Edie James writes faith-filled romantic suspense featuring adventurous women, and the heroic men who love them.

Don’t let the smile fool you. Edie spends far too much of her time considering murder, mayhem, and former Navy SEALS with private jets and high tech toys. ​

She lives within sight of the real-life town that inspired the Hope Landing series with her firefighter husband, one creaky senior border collie and three mischievous cats.​

Ann Malley is an empty-nesting, homeschool mom looking for fun. Don’t let the Snap Chat filters fool you. She writes clean romantic suspense when not dabbling in short, sassy romantic comedies.

A native North Carolinian, J. Carol Nemeth always loved reading and making up stories since childhood, and began writing in junior high school. As a young adult, she worked in the National Park Service and served in the US Army where she was stationed in Pisa, Italy. While there she met the love of her live, Mark Nemeth, also an Army veteran. They’ve lived in various locations including North Yorkshire, England. Now living in West Virginia, they enjoy RVing and traveling to research for Carol’s books. They have two grown children, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, three amazing grandchildren, and a lab fur baby named Holly. Carol is a member of ACFW and an Amazon Bestselling author. She writes Christian historical and contemporary romantic suspense and has published twelve novellas and full-length novels.

Colleen K. Snyder has always had a passion for writing. She authored two previously published books: Journey to Amanah: The Beginning (1991) and Return to Tebel-Ayr: The Journey Continues (1993)  (B&H Publishing). She is the author of the “Collin Walker Series” of books. She lives on a “ranchette” in California and is the (very) junior ranch hand. She serves on her church prayer team and exercises a ministry of encouragement. Colleen has worked as a factory line worker, pharmacy technician, USAF missile systems analyst, nanny, teacher and whatever else the Lord required. Her story is for His glory, always.

Mary Alford is a USA Today bestselling author who loves giving her readers the unexpected, combining unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots that result in stories the reader can’t put down. Her titles have been finalists for several awards, including the Daphne Du Maurier, the Beverly, the Maggie, and the Selah. She and her husband live in the heart of Texas in the middle of 70 acres with two cats and one dog.

More from Mary

If you’re like me, when you picture a small town, you think about a place where you feel welcomed and where the world becomes a little bit smaller and friendlier. Small towns are a safe place where everyone knows everyone, and big-city crime seems so far away.

Imagines of county fairs and picnics in the park come to mind. Fireworks on the fourth of July, and a small-town church where the town gathers to worship on Sunday.

That image is a peaceful one. But do you ever think about the secrets that might lay hidden behind those cheerful small-town curtains?

That was one of the things that attracted me, Mary Alford, to creating the Small Town Danger collection along with Liz Bradford, June Foster, Therese Heckenkamp, Cynthia Hickey, Gina Holder, Edie James, Ann Malley, Carol Nemeth and Colleen Snyder.

The idea of taking a seemingly tranquil setting such as a small town and then throwing in a dangerous situation that flips everything you think you know about a small town on its ear is the premise behind Small Town Danger—a collection of 10 full-length novels available now on Amazon.

Getting to work with such a talented group of authors was an amazing blessing for me.

So, I hope you enjoy the Small Town Danger collection as much as each of the authors enjoyed creating these tales of intrigue that prove not all small towns are tranquil and not all secrets stay hidden.

Blog Stops

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, August 28 (Author Interview)

Lily's Book Reviews, August 28

Texas Book-aholic, August 29

For the Love of Literature, August 30 (Author Interview)

Debbie's Dusty Deliberations, August 30

The Book Club Network, August 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 1

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 2

Because I said so -- and other adventures in Parenting, September 3

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 4

Blogging With Carol, September 5

Book Looks by Lisa, September 6

Artistic Nobody, September 7 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, September 8

She Lives to Read, September 9

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 10

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

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

https://promosimple.com/ps/27a6d/small-town-danger-celebration-tour-giveaway

I received a complimentary egalley 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.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)

5 comments:

Mary Alford said...

Thank you, so much, for sharing Small Town Danger with your readers!!! Have a wonderful weekend.

Rita Wray said...

Thank you for the review.

Emma said...

This sounds exciting! The one that mentions a SAR mission caught my eye; one of my sons is involved in such things.

Bea LaRocca said...

Thank you for sharing your review of Small Town Danger, this sounds like a great collection of romantic suspense stories and I am looking forward to reading them all

Anonymous said...

I have pre-ordered this just because I love Mary Alford’s novels. I love suspense, so this collection is definitely right up my alley! I enjoyed the review.
Perrianne Askew
perrianne (DOT) askew (At) me (DOT) com