Tuesday, February 28, 2017

New Releases 2017 (Feb 28)










The menacing woods of Grizzly Falls, Montana, are not for the faint of heart. But for some, they’re the perfect setting for partying and pranks. They don’t know there’s a rapt audience amid the tangled trees, a killer with a different kind of game in mind, for whom the woods are dark and deep — and perfectly deadly.

Some places earn their bad reputation through tall tales or chance. Grizzly Falls is different. Here, killers aren’t just the stuff of legends and campfire lore. Someone is in the nighttime shadows, watching the local teens play around in the moonlit woods. Waiting for the right moment, the right victim. Waiting to take away a life.

Detective Regan Pescoli is counting the days until her maternity leave. Exhausted and emotional, the last thing she needs is another suspected serial killer. Especially when her daughter, Bianca, is swept up in the media storm. When a reality show arrives in town, the chaos only makes it harder for Pescoli and her partner, Selena Alvarez, to distinguish rumor from truth.

Another body is found and another. And as the nightmare strikes closer to home, Pescoli races to find the terror lingering in the darkness, where there are too many places to hide and countless places to die.



Everyone swears by Yeast of Eden, the Mexican bread shop in town. But tonight, the only thing on the menu is la muerte.

Struggling photographer Ivy Culpepper has lots of soul-searching to do since returning to seaside Santa Sofia, California. That is, until the thirty-six-year-old enters a bread making class at Yeast of Eden. Whether it’s the aroma of fresh conchas in the oven, or her instant connection with owner Olaya Solis, Ivy just knows the missing ingredients in her life are hidden among the secrets of Olaya’s bakery.

But Ivy’s spirits crumble when a missing classmate is suddenly discovered dead in her car. Even more devastating, the prime suspect is Olaya Solis herself. Doubting the woman could commit such a crime, Ivy embarks on a murder investigation of her own to prove her innocence and seize the real killer. As she follows a deadly trail of crumbs around town, Ivy must trust her gut like never before — or someone else could be toast!




They want revenge. They need each other.

Detective Bobbie Gentry has one objective: to stop the serial killer who robbed her of her husband, her child and her life. Nick Shade understands Bobbie's pain — and her desire for vengeance. He's on a mission of his own, and the murderer known as the Storyteller is next on his list. Nick knows that the best way to find his target is to stick close to Bobbie. But as she becomes more and more reckless in her attempts to lure the Storyteller out of hiding, he has to make a choice. Will he protect her from herself even if it means passing up the chance to take out one more monster? As for Bobbie, she's forced to decide just how much she can trust this stranger who knows so much about her. And both of them are about to learn whether or not two broken people can save each other.

Monday, February 27, 2017

Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads (Feb 27)




 Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads


Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews:

Post the books you read last week and books being read this week.

Read Last Week:

1.  A Absolute Darkness - Kelley Armstrong

Weekly Read:

1.  The Secrets She Kept - Brenda Novak
2.  Turbo Twenty-Three - Janet Evanovich

Sunday, February 26, 2017

A Darkness Absolute: A Novel (Casey Duncan Novels)



I've finished "A Darkness Absolute" the 2nd book in her Casey Duncan series by Kelley Armstrong.

Product Description

When experienced homicide detective Casey Duncan first moved to the secret town of Rockton, she expected a safe haven for people like her, people running from their past misdeeds and past lives. She knew living in Rockton meant living off-the-grid completely: no cell phones, no Internet, no mail, very little electricity, and no way of getting in or out without the town council’s approval. What she didn’t expect is that Rockton comes with its own set of secrets and dangers.

Now, in A Darkness Absolute, Casey and her fellow Rockton sheriff’s deputy Will chase a cabin-fevered resident into the woods, where they are stranded in a blizzard. Taking shelter in a cave, they discover a former resident who’s been held captive for over a year. When the bodies of two other women turn up, Casey and her colleagues must find out if it’s an outsider behind the killings or if the answer is more complicated than that before another victim goes missing.

Casey Duncan returns in another heart-racing thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

About the Author 

KELLEY ARMSTRONG graduated with a degree in psychology and then studied computer programming. Now, she is a full-time writer and parent, and she lives with her husband and three children in rural Ontario, Canada. 

Product Details
Series: Casey Duncan Novels (Book 2)
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (February 7, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250092175
ISBN-13: 978-1250092175


My Review:

3.5/5

Library Haul 2017 (Feb 26 - Mar 4)


Here's the list of books I picked up from the library this week:

Hardcover:

1.  The Secrets She Kept - Brenda Novak
2.  Turbo Twenty-Three - Janet Evanovich

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

The Shark (Forgotten Files)

 

I've finished "The Shark" the 1st book in her Forgotten Files series by Mary Burton.

Product Description

At the grisly murder scene of a teen prostitute, Virginia state trooper Riley Tatum’s past roars back to haunt her. When she was a teenage runaway, she was kidnapped, drugged, and left unconscious on the streets. She has no memories of what happened, only strange recurring dreams of two men playing cards.

Former FBI agent Clay Bowman, Riley’s old flame, is Shield Security’s newest member. He’s plagued by the unsolved case of a serial killer nicknamed the Shark who murdered girls as part of a sadistic poker game. Only one girl survived. With the Shark now bent on evening that score, Clay has a chilling suspicion: Riley is the girl who escaped the Shark’s deadly amusement — and she is his next prey.

As the Shark gets ready to play his hand, can Riley and Clay stop him — or will this killer finally claim the one who got away?

About the Author


Mary Burton loves writing suspense, researching law enforcement and forensic procedures, baking, books, and tiny dachshunds. Not necessarily in that order. She also enjoys hunting down serial killers, which she does in her New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance and suspense novels. She’s tracked them down in stories set in her hometown of Richmond, Alexandria, Austin and Nashville that have been praised by readers and reviewers. Her work has been compared to that of James Patterson*, Lisa Gardner** and Lisa Jackson***

Research is a favorite part of Mary’s work day. She never tires of learning more about police work, evidence collection and analysis, and doesn’t hesitate to take a hands-on approach, whether it means interviews with those working in the field, forensic seminars or lessons at the firing range.

A Richmond native, Mary has lived there for most of her life. She is a graduate of Virginia’s Hollins University and worked in marketing before she began writing full time. Her first book was published in 2000 and now she’s the author of thirty-one published novels and five novellas, including her contemporary women’s fiction written as Mary Ellen Taylor.

Her new book, The Dollmaker, is the second of her The Forgotten Files novels, which began with The Shark. which Publishers Weekly called "tense, sexy and pleasingly complex." The next, The Hangman, will be published in early May, 2017. Other recent bestsellers,include Vulnerable, I’ll Never Let You Go, Be Afraid and Cover Your Eyes. Each featured the Morgans, Nashville’s preeminent law enforcement family.

When not traveling for research or visiting with readers at bookstores, book festivals and conferences, Mary remains very much a homebody. She and her husband spend time alternately enjoying and lamenting their newly empty nest and spoiling their four legged babies, Buddy, Bella and Tiki.

Product Details
Series: Forgotten Files (Book 1)
Paperback: 364 pages
Publisher: Montlake Romance (May 24, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1503934470
ISBN-13: 978-1503934474


My Review:

3.5/5

Cozy, Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Books Wish List

 
Please list the books from your wishlist that you are hoping to add to your shelves in a comment, thanks.

Cozy, Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Books, I'm Waiting For:  






The menacing woods of Grizzly Falls, Montana, are not for the faint of heart. But for some, they’re the perfect setting for partying and pranks. They don’t know there’s a rapt audience amid the tangled trees, a killer with a different kind of game in mind, for whom the woods are dark and deep — and perfectly deadly.

Some places earn their bad reputation through tall tales or chance. Grizzly Falls is different. Here, killers aren’t just the stuff of legends and campfire lore. Someone is in the nighttime shadows, watching the local teens play around in the moonlit woods. Waiting for the right moment, the right victim. Waiting to take away a life.

Detective Regan Pescoli is counting the days until her maternity leave. Exhausted and emotional, the last thing she needs is another suspected serial killer. Especially when her daughter, Bianca, is swept up in the media storm. When a reality show arrives in town, the chaos only makes it harder for Pescoli and her partner, Selena Alvarez, to distinguish rumor from truth.

Another body is found and another. And as the nightmare strikes closer to home, Pescoli races to find the terror lingering in the darkness, where there are too many places to hide and countless places to die.




Everyone swears by Yeast of Eden, the Mexican bread shop in town. But tonight, the only thing on the menu is la muerte.

Struggling photographer Ivy Culpepper has lots of soul-searching to do since returning to seaside Santa Sofia, California. That is, until the thirty-six-year-old enters a bread making class at Yeast of Eden. Whether it’s the aroma of fresh conchas in the oven, or her instant connection with owner Olaya Solis, Ivy just knows the missing ingredients in her life are hidden among the secrets of Olaya’s bakery.

But Ivy’s spirits crumble when a missing classmate is suddenly discovered dead in her car. Even more devastating, the prime suspect is Olaya Solis herself. Doubting the woman could commit such a crime, Ivy embarks on a murder investigation of her own to prove her innocence and seize the real killer. As she follows a deadly trail of crumbs around town, Ivy must trust her gut like never before — or someone else could be toast!





They want revenge. They need each other.

Detective Bobbie Gentry has one objective: to stop the serial killer who robbed her of her husband, her child and her life. Nick Shade understands Bobbie's pain — and her desire for vengeance. He's on a mission of his own, and the murderer known as the Storyteller is next on his list. Nick knows that the best way to find his target is to stick close to Bobbie. But as she becomes more and more reckless in her attempts to lure the Storyteller out of hiding, he has to make a choice. Will he protect her from herself even if it means passing up the chance to take out one more monster? As for Bobbie, she's forced to decide just how much she can trust this stranger who knows so much about her. And both of them are about to learn whether or not two broken people can save each other.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

New Release 2017 (Feb 21)











In this thrilling entry in #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter’s FBI series, FBI agents Savich and Sherlock must discover who is trying to murder Venus Rasmussen, a powerful, wealthy society icon. They soon discover that the danger may be closer than expected.

Venus Rasmussen, a powerful woman who runs the international conglomerate Rasmussen Industries, believes someone is poisoning her. After Savich and Sherlock visit with her, someone attempts to shoot her in broad daylight. Who’s trying to kill her and why? A member of her rapacious family, or her grandson who’s been missing for ten years but suddenly reappears? Savich and Sherlock must peel away the layers and sift through unforeseen lies to uncover the incredible truth about who would target Venus.

Meanwhile, Special Agent Cam Wittier leaves Washington for Los Angeles to work with local Detective Daniel Montoya to lead the hunt for the Starlet Slasher, a serial killer who has cut the throats of five young actresses. When a sixth young actress is murdered, Cam comes to realize the truth might be closer than she’d ever want to believe.

With breakneck speed and unexpected twists and turns, Coulter’s Insidious will leave you breathless until the shocking conclusion.

Monday, February 20, 2017

Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads (Feb 20)




 Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads


Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews:

Post the books you read last week and books being read this week.

Read Last Week:

1.  Night and Day - Iris Johansen
2.  Hide Away - Iris Johansen  

Weekly Read:

1.  A Absolute Darkness - Kelley Armstrong

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Stalking Ground: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery


I've finished "Stalking Ground" the 2nd book in her Timber Creek K-9 series by Margaret Mizushima.

Product Description

When Deputy Ken Brody's sweetheart goes missing in the mountains outside Timber Creek, Mattie Cobb and Robo are called to search. But it's mid-October and a dark snow storm is brewing over the high country -- and they're already too late. By the time they find her body, the storm has broken and the snow is coming down hard.

While Brody hikes down to bring back the forensics team and veterinarian Cole Walker gathers supplies to protect them from the storm, Mattie and Robo find themselves alone, guarding the gravesite overnight in the dead of the early winter. And that's only the first long, dark night in a series of them, because as their investigation develops, Mattie, Robo, Brody, and Cole find themselves in the middle of the killer's stalking ground -- with no way out unless they can catch a predator more deadly than any natural threat.

An effortlessly engrossing read filled with tension, excitement, and heart, Stalking Ground, the second in Margaret Mizushima's lauded debut series, will send a chill down every reader's spine.

About the Author

Margaret Mizushima enjoys writing mysteries and suspense. After earning a master's degree in speech pathology, she practiced in a hospital and in her own rehabilitation agency, and now she assists her husband with their veterinary clinic and Angus cattle herd. Her short story "Hay Hook" was published in the 2014 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers anthology CROSSING COLFAX. She likes reading and hiking, and she lives on a small ranch in Colorado where she and her husband raised two daughters and a multitude of animals. She can be found on Facebook/Author Margaret Mizushima, on Twitter @margmizu, and on her website at www.margaretmizushima.com.

Product Details
Series: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery (Book 2)
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (September 13, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1629538337
ISBN-13: 978-1629538334

My Review:


3/5

Laura Bradford's Death in Advertising Blog Tour with a Spotlight and Giveaway

 

I am so excited to have Laura Bradford here at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews with a Spotlight and Giveaway.

Thanks Laura and Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for allowing me to join your Death in Advertising Blog Tour!

Please take it away, Laura!





Death in Advertising (A Tobi Tobias Mystery)
1st in Series
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Lyrical Underground (February 7, 2017)
Approximately 300 PAGES
ASIN: B01FBZXSFW








Synopsis

When Tobi Tobias decided to open her own ad agency, having to moonlight in a pet shop wasn’t part of her vision of course, neither was murder.


Sometimes when opportunity knocks, the door you open leads to a closet. That’s certainly the case for Tobi, whose weekends spent cleaning cages in her best friend’s pet shop may soon be over. She’s just landed her first big break — Zander Closet Company needs a catchy campaign slogan ASAP, and Tobi thinks she’s got the right hook to knock ’em dead: “When we’re done, even your skeletons will have a place.”

But when a real dead body topples out of a showcase closet, she’s about to discover there is such a thing as bad publicity. To save her fledgling business and not get killed by the competition, Tobi takes on a new pet project: solving the murder. But with a stressed-out parrot as the only witness to the crime, Tobi will really have to wing it to put the cagey killer behind bars.






About The Author

While spending a rainy afternoon at a friend’s house more than thirty years ago, Laura Bradford (a.k.a. Elizabeth Lynn Casey) fell in love with writing over a stack of blank paper, a box of crayons, and a freshly sharpened number two pencil. From that moment forward, she never wanted to do anything else.

Today, Laura is the national bestselling author of the Amish Mysteries, the Jenkins & Burns Mysteries, and the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries (written as Elizabeth Lynn Casey). A new cozy mystery series will be added to the mix in 2016 with the release of The Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries. Laura is a former Agatha nominee and the recipient of an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award in romance. In her free time, Laura enjoys making memories with her family, traveling, baking, and visiting the sea lions at the Central Park Zoo. For more information and all the latest book news, visit her website at www.laurabradford.com.

Author Links

Website: www.laurabradford.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurabradfordauthor

Twitter: @bradfordauthor

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/laurabrad4d/

Purchase Links:

Barnes & Noble Amazon

Giveaway

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/02887792485/

Please follow the rest of the tour here, thanks:

https://www.escapewithdollycas.com/great-escapes-virtual-book-tours/books-currently-on-tour/38822-2








Saturday, February 18, 2017

Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Mail (Feb 18)


Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Mail is hosted every Saturday at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews.

I received this in the mail this week.  






Echoes in Death, the chilling new suspense novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author J.D. Robb is the perfect entry point into the compelling In Death police procedural series featuring Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

As NY Lt. Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband Roarke are driving home, a young woman ― dazed, naked, and bloody ― suddenly stumbles out in front of their car. Roarke slams on the brakes and Eve springs into action.

Daphne Strazza is rushed to the ER, but it’s too late for her husband Dr. Anthony Strazza. A brilliant orthopedic surgeon, he now lies dead amid the wreckage of his obsessively organized town house, his three safes opened and emptied. Daphne would be a valuable witness, but in her terror and shock the only description of the perp she can offer is repeatedly calling him “the devil”.

While it emerges that Dr. Strazza was cold, controlling, and widely disliked, this is one case where the evidence doesn’t point to the spouse. So Eve and her team must get started on the legwork, interviewing everyone from dinner-party guests to professional colleagues to caterers, in a desperate race to answer some crucial questions:

What does the devil look like? And where will he show up next?





MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

Alpha Security operative Trey Hanson is ready to settle down. When he meets a gorgeous blonde in a bar, and the connection between them is off the charts, he thinks he's finally found the one. But after their night together ends in a hail of gunfire and she disappears in the chaos, Trey's reasons for tracking her down are personal until he learns she's his next assignment.

Elle Monroe never expected to see Trey again. The night they shared was incredible, but the last thing she's looking for is a relationship. Now that it's clear she's being targeted, though, she has no choice but to trust this man she barely knows with her life. And Trey's not just determined to keep her safe he's determined to win her heart.

The Alpha Security series

Book 1 - Heated Pursuit (Rafe and Penny)
Book 2 - Holding Fire (Trey and Elle)
Book 3 - Hard Justice (Vince and Charlie)

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Cozy, Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Books Wish List

 
Please list the books from your wishlist that you are hoping to add to your shelves in a comment, thanks.

Cozy, Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Books, I'm Waiting For: 






In this thrilling entry in #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter’s FBI series, FBI agents Savich and Sherlock must discover who is trying to murder Venus Rasmussen, a powerful, wealthy society icon. They soon discover that the danger may be closer than expected.

Venus Rasmussen, a powerful woman who runs the international conglomerate Rasmussen Industries, believes someone is poisoning her. After Savich and Sherlock visit with her, someone attempts to shoot her in broad daylight. Who’s trying to kill her and why? A member of her rapacious family, or her grandson who’s been missing for ten years but suddenly reappears? Savich and Sherlock must peel away the layers and sift through unforeseen lies to uncover the incredible truth about who would target Venus.

Meanwhile, Special Agent Cam Wittier leaves Washington for Los Angeles to work with local Detective Daniel Montoya to lead the hunt for the Starlet Slasher, a serial killer who has cut the throats of five young actresses. When a sixth young actress is murdered, Cam comes to realize the truth might be closer than she’d ever want to believe.

With breakneck speed and unexpected twists and turns, Coulter’s Insidious will leave you breathless until the shocking conclusion.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

New Release 2017 (Feb 14)

 






Her power-hungry husband takes pleasure in her pain, but she’s done playing the victim.

Three years ago, ex-operative Sophie Jordan made the mistake of falling in love — and marrying — her target. Now she’s paying for it tenfold. Her husband might be one of the sexiest men alive, but he’s also a psychopath. She’s been a virtual prisoner, and the time has come for retribution — and escape.

Undercover agent Malcolm Gunnison has his orders: get intel from Sophie’s arms-dealer husband, then kill him. He plans to get rid of her, too, if she gets in his way, but he’s unprepared when she gets under his skin instead. Whose side is she on? And what is she hiding behind those mesmerizing eyes?

Sophie vowed to never fall for another man again, but this sexy undercover agent is different. With danger mounting, can Malcolm and Sophie trust each other — and their growing passion — enough to get out of this operation alive?

Monday, February 13, 2017

Killing Jane (Erin Prince Thriller)



I've finished "Killing Jane" the 1st book in her Erin Prince series by Stacy Green.

Product Description

WHAT IF EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER HEARD ABOUT JACK THE RIPPER IS WRONG


A young woman is brutally murdered in Washington D.C., and the killer leaves behind a calling card connected to some of the most infamous murders in history.

JACK THE RIPPER

Rookie homicide investigator Erin Prince instinctively knows the moment she sees the mutilated body that it’s only a matter of time before someone else dies.

She and her partner, Todd Beckett, are on the trail of a madman, and a third body sends them in the direction they feared most: a serial killer is walking the streets of D.C.

THE CLOCK IS TICKING.


Erin must push past her mounting self-doubt in order to unravel a web of secrets filled with drugs, pornography, and a decades-old family skeleton before the next victim is sacrificed.

THE ONLY WAY TO STOP A KILLER IS TO BEAT THEM AT THEIR OWN GAME.

About the Author

Stacy Green is the author of the Lucy Kendall thriller series and the Delta Crossroads mystery trilogy. All Good Deeds (Lucy Kendall #1) won a bronze medal for mystery and thriller at the 2015 IPPY Awards. Tin God (Delta Crossroads #1) was runner-up for best mystery/thriller at the 2013 Kindle Book Awards. Her next novel is Lovely Boys (The Katy Madison Series).

Stacy has a love of thrillers and crime fiction, and she is always looking for the next dark and twisted novel to enjoy. She started her career in journalism before becoming a stay at home mother and rediscovering her love of writing.

She lives in Iowa with her husband and daughter and their three spoiled fur babies.

Product Details
Series: Erin Prince Thriller
Hardcover: 340 pages
Publisher: Vesuvian Books (January 31, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1944109277
ISBN-13: 978-1944109271


My Review:

4/5

Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads (Feb 13)




 Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads


Weekly Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Reads is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews:

Post the books you read last week and books being read this week.

Read Last Week:

1.  None

Weekly Read:

1.  Night and Day - Iris Johansen
2.  Hide Away - Iris Johansen  

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Rhonda Pollero's Exposed Blog Tour with a Spotlight, Excerpt and Giveaway

 


I am so excited to have Rhonda Pollero here at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews with a Spotlight, Excerpt and Giveaway.

Thanks Rhonda and Forever for allowing me to join your Exposed Blog Tour!

Please take it away, Rhonda!





EXPOSED by Rhonda Pollero (February 7, 2017; Forever Yours eBook; $3.99; Finding Justice Book 1)

First comes love, then comes fear


After a whirlwind romance, Darby Hayes Grisom married the man of her dreams. Smart, handsome, ambitious - Sean was everything she always thought she wanted. Little did she know that one year later that dream would turn into her worst nightmare. Sean is moody, angry, violent. Violent enough to kill. When Darby realizes she's pregnant she knows Sean will never let her go.

Attorney Jack Kavanaugh is the only person Darby can trust to help her with her plan to save herself and her baby. But the deeper Jack gets involved in protecting Darby, the deeper the feelings between them become. A complication Darby can't afford - because her husband is watching their every move and he'll do anything to get her - and their baby - back.

Buy the Book!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2jgy35x

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/2hb8iU6

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2jxxoh0

iBooks: http://apple.co/2hb9x5r

Google: http://bit.ly/2gGrsQG


Excerpt

“Let’s step into the hallway,” Sean suggested, placing his arm around the shoulder of the officer, guiding him out of the room.

Darby slammed her head against the pillow and again hot tears welled in her eyes. Grabbing the call button, she pressed it over and over until a petite and clearly irritated nurse entered the room. In the split second the curtain was drawn back, Darby saw Sean and the sergeant sharing a handshake.

“Yes?” the nurse asked as she gave cursory glances to the machines tethering Darby to the bed.

“I need a phone.”

“We don’t allow telephones in the rooms. Is there someone I can call for you?”

“Yes. I need the police.”

The nurse blinked, then peered back over her shoulder as she pushed apart the curtain. “Officer?”

“Not him,” Darby cried. Too late.

Sean and the officer returned. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the sergeant was totally charmed by Sean. The sergeant took up a position at the end of her bed next to the nurse while Sean moved to the head and draped his arm around her shoulders. “I was just explaining your condition to the policeman.” His fingers dug into the flesh at her shoulder.

Ciminelli smiled understandingly. “I’ve got three kids myself. My wife went a little hormonal with each one. She had all sorts of weird thoughts and cravings. Got so I was afraid to walk in the door after my shift. Never knew what was going to set her off.”

“Darby’s normally very rational,” Sean said, brushing a kiss to her temple. “Don’t you have something to say to the officer, sweetheart?”

Darby pressed her lips tight.

Sean squeezed her shoulder harder. “Darby, the officer checked. He spoke directly with Roxanne.”

“Roxanne would lie for you,” she whispered under her breath.

Sean sighed heavily. “Sweetheart, I thought you might still be…confused, so I made sure the officer called the airline to verify that I was on the flight. The hotel verified that I checked in and even told the officer what I ordered from room service and when it was delivered. The investor I was meeting as well as the restaurant staff verified that I attended the meeting. So, don’t you think it’s time for you to apologize to the officer for making extra work for him?”

Darby had no idea how he had managed it, but he had. Now she looked like the crazy one. And worse yet, she was at Sean’s mercy, which was a terrifying thought. What would happen once they were alone? She shivered just thinking about the potential punishment for calling him a murderer in public. She had that trapped animal feeling again and she couldn’t stop crying. No one believed her but she didn’t know how he’d pulled it off; she just knew he had. Just as she knew the officer wasn’t going to believe a word she said. Darby felt defeated. She gave up. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t give it a thought, Mrs. Grisom. I know it was just the grief and the hormones talking. I gave your husband everything you’ll need to make the, um, final arrangements for your parents.”

“Thank you.”

The nurse followed Ciminelli out of the room. Darby braced herself, fully expecting to suffer the wrath of Sean. Instead, he was just looking at her as he arranged the hair framing her face.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I always liked your parents,” he whispered against her ear.

“Ummmm.”

Then calmly and quietly he added, “If you hadn’t called them, I never would have been forced to kill them.”


 




About the Author

After selling her first romantic suspense in 1993, Rhonda Pollero has penned more than 30 novels, won numerous awards and nominations, and landed on multiple bestseller lists, including USA Today, Bookscan, and Ingram’s Top 50 List. She lives in south Florida with her family.

Social Media Links

www.rhondapollero.com

www.facebook.com/rhpollero

www.twitter.com/RhondaPollero

Add Exposed to your shelf on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2gfvJJA

Giveaway

Enter to win 1 of 15 free ebook downloads of Exposed! http://bit.ly/2hkAGGj




Wednesday, February 1, 2017

February Releases

 


7th
Every Dark Corner - Karen Rose
Echoes in Death - J.D. Robb
A Darkness Absolute - Kelley Armstrong

14th
Wildfire - Anne Stuart

21st
Insidious - Catherine Coulter

28th
Expecting to Die - Lisa Jackson
Kneaded to Death - Winnie Archer
No Darker Place - Debra Webber