The Sleuth’s Miscalculation (The Librarian Sleuth Book 1) by Kimberly Rose Johnson

My Review

Nancy Daley, in addition to being a librarian, is also the daughter of the county sheriff. Moreover, she has had some success in her avocation as an amateur sleuth. So, you can imagine her indignation at being paired with the new deputy, who recently transferred from LA. She feels eminently qualified to solve a string of license plate robberies in her hometown of Tipton, Oregon. Sheriff Deputy Carter Malone is even more upset to be told he must work with an amateur who is the town’s librarian!

Tipton is a small town, full of all the characters one would expect to find in a small town. There are the gossips, the do-gooders and those who stick their nose into everything whether it helps or not. Throw in a couple of teenagers, an overly strict father, plus other strange townspeople, and you have the makings of an extraordinary whodunnit!

Kimberly Rose Johnson’s first book in the Librarian Sleuth series, The Sleuth’s Miscalculation, is an exciting mystery, suspense story.

I have read and enjoyed many of Kimberly Rose Johnson’s romance short stories and novellas. Thus, it was no surprise to me when I enjoyed her newest endeavor in mystery and suspense, too!

I received this book from the author, Kimberly Rose Johnson. However, I was under no obligation to post a review.

Publisher’s Summary

Two strong-willed sleuths team up to solve a mystery. Can they work together, or will their differences pull them apart?

Librarian Nancy Daley loves a good mystery and enjoys moonlighting as a consultant for the sheriff’s department. When license plates go missing in Tipton County, she’s on the case. This time things are different—she’s been partnered with the new deputy, and he’s not interested in her help. To make matters worse, she’s angered the wrong person and is now being threatened.

Sheriff Deputy Carter Malone expects Tipton, Oregon to be a sleepy small-town, but he miscalculated. He’d come to town for a fresh start with his nephew—one without the issues big cities deal with. Had he made a mistake? To complicate matters, he’s told he must consult with the sheriff’s daughter, who is not in law enforcement. When the minor case they are working morphs into something more, things quickly go from harmless to scary.

Can they solve the mystery before it’s too late, and more importantly, what will they do about their growing attraction?

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A Time to Stand by Robert Whitlow AND Another Giveaway!!!!!

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

Information the giveaway for the book, A Time to Stand, is below the reviews.

My Review

A Time to Stand focuses on the turmoil in small town Campbellton, Georgia, after a white police officer shoots an unarmed black teenager. The plot could very easily have been ripped from the headlines of today’s newspaper.

The story centers around several characters. Adisa Johnson is a young, extremely successful African-American lawyer practicing in Atlanta. Luke Nelson, a young, white police officer, recently left the Atlanta PD for a quieter life with his family – only to become embroiled in the biggest fight of his life when he shoots unarmed Deshaun Hamlin, a point guard for the local high school. Deshaun, the victim, lies in a coma after the shooting. Also, there are several other characters that range in importance; my favorite is Adisa’s elderly Aunt Josie. Josie’s wisdom, love of God and spunkiness were a refreshing touch in such a politically charged context.

I appreciated how Whitlow showed the racial tension and prejudices on both sides in an even-handed manner, not showing prejudgment, bias or one-sidedness. As a reader you could feel the tension, frustration and anger felt by both sides and could understand the reasons.

I normally enjoy Whitlow’s books. His knowledge of law and human nature is fascinating. I don’t know if it was the POV (Point of View) or if it was in a more narrative style, but there seemed to be a lack of feelings, profundity and passion to the novel. Thus, it was hard for me to get into his latest book, A Time to Stand. Nevertheless, because the storyline happens to be very intriguing, I stuck with it. I’m glad I did because the basic premise was interesting and timely. However, early in the book, I guessed the eventual outcome (perhaps that’s another reason it wasn’t as good to me as some of his other books).

I received this book from NetGalley and Fiction Guild. However, I was under no obligation to post a review.

Publisher’s Summary

In a small Georgia town where racial tensions run high and lives are at stake, can one lawyer stand up for justice against the tide of prejudice on every side?

Adisa Johnson, a young African-American attorney, is living her dream of practicing law with a prestigious firm in downtown Atlanta. Then a split-second mistake changes the course of her career.

Left with no other options, Adisa returns to her hometown where a few days earlier a white police officer shot an unarmed black teen who is now lying comatose in the hospital.

Adisa is itching to jump into the fight as a special prosecutor, but feels pulled to do what she considers unthinkable—defend the officer.

As the court case unfolds, everyone in the small community must confront their own prejudices. Caught in the middle, Adisa also tries to chart her way along a path complicated by her budding relationship with a charismatic young preacher who leads the local movement demanding the police officer answer for his crime.

This highly relevant and gripping novel challenges us to ask what it means to forgive while seeking justice and to pursue reconciliation while loving others as ourselves.

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

***********GIVEAWAY***********

I have a copy of The Two of Us to giveaway!

Leave a comment to enter the drawing.

Drawing will be open October 11th to October 18^th.

One name will be randomly drawn as winner.

Check back on Thursday, October 19^th, to see if you won!

GOOD LUCK!

 This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only, void where prohibited by law and you must be at least 18 to enter. The odds of winning depend on the number of comments received.

Blessings to everyone~

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

Because You’re Mine by Colleen Coble

Publisher’s Summary

Amid the beauty of Charleston, not all is as it seems.

When her husband Liam is killed by a car bomb while their Celtic band is on tour in Charleston, singer and Irish beauty Alanna doesn’t quite know where to turn. Her father-in-law is threatening to take custody of the baby she carries, but Alanna knows she can’t lose the only piece of Liam she has left.

Alanna’s manager offers her a marriage of convenience to obtain U.S. citizenship and allow her to escape her father-in-law’s control. It seems like the perfect solution until she arrives at the family home of her new husband—a decaying mansion with more questions than answers.

Strange things begin happening that threaten Alanna’s life and the life of her child. Are they merely coincidences? Or is something more sinister at work?

A mysterious painting, a haunting melody, and a love stronger than death leave Alanna questioning where darkness ends and light begins.

My Review

Alanna Connolly, on tour in America, is four months pregnant when her husband, Liam, and his best friend go for a ride.  Just minutes after their concert, a strategically placed bomb causes the car to explode.

Alanna doesn’t know what to do or where to go; her in-laws are threatening to take her baby-her only connection to Liam-and she needs to find a way to support herself and the baby. When her band manager, Barry Kavanagh, a wealthy Charlestonian attorney, offers her a marriage of convenience and legal assistance, she jumps at the chance.

Set in historic Charleston, Colleen Coble weaves a story of mystery and suspense evocative of low country folklore. As you read the richly illustrated Because You’re Mine, you are transported to muggy, humid Southern days, redolent with the images of brackish water, chirruping insects, croaking frogs and a splashing alligator. Also, the imagery of the once stately mansion, now in sad disrepair, transports you to a bygone era, leaving a feeling of sadness and despair.

The haunting imagery and eerie, suspenseful tale, with its creepy folklore, will have you on the edge of your seat as you read.

I enjoyed reading Because You’re Mine. Although aspects of the book are seemingly predictable, the outcome is still shocking. There are some spine-chilling, macabre and unnerving events in the book. Nonetheless, it added to the overall edginess and tension.

I received this book free through the Fiction Guild program in exchange for an honest review.

Friday’s Fiction

Murder at the Courthouse: A Hidden Springs Mystery by A. H. Gabhart

About the Book

Welcome to Hidden Springs

Pop. 972 971

Michael Keane’s stressful days as a Columbus police officer are done. He’s ready to relax into his new position as deputy sheriff in his sleepy hometown. Nothing ever happens in Hidden Springs, Kentucky—and that’s just fine with Michael.

Nothing, that is, until a dead body is discovered on the courthouse steps. As Michael works to solve the case, it seems that every nosy resident in town has a theory. When the sheriff insists Michael check out one of these harebrained theories, his surprising discovery sends him on a bewildering search for a mysterious killer that has him questioning everything he has ever believed about life in Hidden Springs.

Bringing with her a knack for creating settings you want to visit and an uncanny ability to bring characters to life, A. H. Gabhart pens a whodunit that will keep you guessing.

My Thoughts

Hidden Springs is a small, quaint town in Kentucky and a great place to live and raise your children. It is the perfect home for Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane even though he doesn’t have a family yet.

Town gossip, Willadean Dearmon, stalks into Sheriff Keane’s office and demands he do something about the drunk sleeping on the courthouse steps. When Michael sees the “drunk” he realizes the man isn’t drunk, but dead. Making matters worse, no one in town, not even Willadean knows who the “drunk” is.

Beginning with this audacious murder, the story takes you on a rollercoaster ride of whodunit.  Holly Springs, Kentucky, just doesn’t have any strangers, and certainly not one that is murdered. The residents are as dumbfounded by the event as Sheriff Keane is by all the wild theories-not excluding alien abduction.

A. H. Gabhart is actually Ann H. Gabhart, author of multiple inspirational novels; however, Murder at the Courthouse is her first murder mystery. I have read and enjoyed most of Ann’s books; however, I wasn’t sure I would enjoy a murder mystery. She has definitely “solved” the problem.

Miss Gabhart has written a fascinating story full of intrigue and charm. You can’t wait to find out more about your friends in Hidden Springs and become eager for the rest of the series.

I received this book from the author, A. H. Gabhart, and Revell (a division of Baker Publishing) in exchange for an honest review.