THE CHAIRMAN’S TOYS by Graham Reed
Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery, Humor
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: July 3, 2018
Number of Pages: 238
ISBN: 1464210055
ISBN13: 9781464210051
Review Copy from: Author
Edition: Kindle
My Rating: 4

Synopsis (via GR)

Vancouver, British Columbia – land of psychotically expensive real estate, high-grade cannabis, and Jake Constable. A man adrift.

After Jake quits the drug business, his realtor/ex-wife, Nina, gets him a job as a house sitter for her wealthy clients. Jake celebrates by throwing a party in the mansion he was hired to look after. Unfortunately, the guest list gets out of hand, leaving Jake to contend with a hallucinogenic-vitamin-dispensing yogi, a dead guy in the bathroom, and The Norwegian – a criminal force of nature with a grudge against Jake.

When the owner of the multimillion-dollar crime scene returns home prematurely, only Jake’s inadvertent discovery of the man’s politically incorrect business history saves him from having to clean up after the party. But he still has to come clean with his ex-wife. The situation threatens to turn into an international incident when Nina’s power broker uncle and some Chinese government agents show up to turn the screws on Jake. Soon after that his friends start disappearing. With the Chinese government leaning on him and The Norwegian out to settle an old score, Jake comes up with a desperate plan to dupe a pair of secret agents, save his friends, and (why not?) solve the murder.

Editorial Reviews:
“…takes the reader on a fast, furious, and often hilarious tour. Watching him zigzag through the twisting plot is pure pleasure.” – Publisher’s Weekly

“Reed’s lively mystery debut may be overloaded with colorful characters and tricky subplots, but too much of a good thing is still a good thing.” – Kirkus Reviews

“…definitely belongs on your short list of amiable stoner sleuths, along with Bart Schneider’s Augie Boyer and Hal Ackerman’s Harry Stein. The dark-comedy aspect of this debut will also appeal to fans of Chris Knopf, David Freed, and Tim Cockey.” – Booklist

My Thoughts

After reading the synopsis and editorial reviews, this book piqued my curiosity, and am so glad it did!

Jake Constable, former drug dealer and now house sitter to the rich, makes an unfortunate decision. He decides to throw a large party at the house he is tending to. What could go wrong? A bit of a mess? No problem, his friends Richard and Dante have a custodial cleaning business. Until Richard, who is at the party, texts him that “there’s a dead guy in the bathroom :(“. And no one knows who he is.

As Jake, Dante and Richard try to figure this mess out, Dante and Richard are kidnapped. And Jake finds himself involved with both some very unsavory men and government representatives of China.

Along with humor, the suspense of this debut novel was exciting to the very end. The cast of characters outlandish and sometimes comical. Impressive writing and storyline. I will be looking for more work by this author.

This indeed was an entertaining read!

**Stop by tomorrow for Q&A with Graham Reed**

Purchase Links: Amazon 🔗 | Barnes & Noble 🔗 | Goodreads 🔗

GIVEAWAY:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Graham Reed. There will be 1 winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on August 1, 2018 and runs through September 1, 2018. Void where prohibited.

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REVIEW DISCLAIMER
This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.
DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Synopsis:

Susan Foster wants to retire. Her boss wants her dead.

After decades as Victor Kemp’s off-the books killer, Suzanne finally quits. Not until five years later does Kemp discover how thoroughly she’s deceived him. Determined to punish her, he tracks her to Wales to watch her die. Instead, he walks into a trap.

Believing themselves safe at last, Suzanne and her family relocate to London, where she hopes to find the peace that has eluded her for so long. Her son is engaged to a nobleman’s daughter; her husband has a good job with British Intelligence. Yet she still struggles with restless dreams and the premonition that her nemesis has survived.

He has: Kemp, though severely injured, is rebuilding his empire and plotting revenge. He’s prepared to risk everything to end the former assassin. He may not be the only one.

Suzanne has no choice: to protect those she loves, she will be forced to kill again. Assassins, it seems, can never retire.

“An explosive page-turner which owes its momentum to it two well-drawn opponents and a conflict that goes beyond good-vs.-evil.” ~IndieReader, Four Star review

“Later turns in the smashing final act come at a searing pace.” ~ Kirkus Reviews

“Keeps readers guessing the outcome right up to its conclusion.” ~D. Donovan Midwest Book Review

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense Thriller
Published by: Ruthenia Press
Publication Date: January 8, 2018
Number of Pages: 304
ISBN: 9780999548721
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible | Goodreads

 

Read an excerpt:

 

Author Bio:

Nikki is the author of two works of non-fiction: HOPE IN SMALL DOSES, a 2015 Eric Hoffer finalist for books that provoke, inspire and redirect thought, and BECAUSE I SAY SO: MORAL AUTHORITY’S DANGEROUS APPEAL, as well as dozens of short stories. She is co-author on the Cafe Noir interactive murder mystery series, published by Samuel French. Nikki’s suspense novel, THE FORMER ASSASSIN has garnered strong reviews, including a four-star rating from Indie Reader. She’s working on a mystery/sci-fi series starring an unorthodox crime fighter named Samantha Tate. When she’s not writing about strong complex women, Nikki is working with several non-profits, taking Pilates classes, and attending to the needs of her dog, Molly.

Catch Up With Nikki Stern On:
Website, Goodreads, Twitter, & Facebook!

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

 

ENTER GIVEAWAY:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Nikki Stern. There will be 2 winners of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on August 1, 2018 and runs through September 1, 2018. Void where prohibited.

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Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

 

Mailbox Monday

Wednesday: VANISHING GIRLS by Lauren Oliver ~ eBook win via GR
Friday: PROTOCOL ONE by Nathan Goodman ~ eBook from Author

Hosted by McGruffy’s Reader and 15 and Meowing

This week’s Fill-Ins:

1. I would like tickets to _____________________.

2. Please don’t ask me to _______________________.

3. I’d rather _________ than _________.

4. By this time next year, _________.

My answers:

1. I would like tickets to fly to Italy in first class for my entire immediate family!!
   I visited Italy while in High School and would love to go back and experience and see it through my sons’ eyes.

2. Please don’t ask me to eat liver.
   Growing up I remember my grandmother cooking liver with onions and told me it was steak. The smell alone made me nauseous and one bite made me realize my grandmother lied. 😉

3. I’d rather live in a warmer climate year round than deal with the winters of New England.

4. By this time next year, I’ll be a year older.

ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL STRANGERS by Elizabeth Klehfoth
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Published by William Morrow
Publication Date: July 10, 2018
ISBN-10: 0062796704
ISBN-13: 978-0062796707
Pages: 448
Review Copy From: Won from GR
Edition: HC
My Rating: 5

Synopsis (via GR)

In the last day of summer, Grace Fairchild, the beautiful young wife of real estate mogul Allister Calloway, vanished from the family’s lake house without a trace, leaving behind her seven-year old daughter, Charlie, and a slew of unanswered questions.

Years later, seventeen-year-old Charlie still struggles with the dark legacy of her family name and the mystery surrounding her mother. Determined to finally let go of the past, she throws herself into life at Knollwood, the prestigious New England school she attends. Charlie quickly becomes friends with Knollwood’s “it” crowd.

Charlie has also been tapped by the A’s—the school’s elite secret society well known for terrorizing the faculty, administration, and their enemies. To become a member of the A’s, Charlie must play The Game, a semester-long, diabolical high-stakes scavenger hunt that will jeopardize her friendships, her reputation, even her place at Knollwood.

As the dark events of past and present converge, Charlie begins to fear that she may not survive the terrible truth about her family, her school, and her own life.

My Thoughts

WOW! This was an outstanding debut novel!

This is going to be a very vague review as I don’t want to give even the least bit away. The kind of read that allows the reader to be transported into the story as if a bystander. The writing superb. Beyond engrossing!

I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to read if Charlie’s mother truly abandoned her family or was she murdered as the maternal members of the family believed. And what about the Knollwood myth that there was a ghost on campus that belonged to an alumni, also a member of the elite group? How was it all connected?

I will say something about the title. While reading, I was wondering what the title had to do with this story. Who were “the strangers”? And then I read the following, where Charlie is talking about her mother, which I believe is so true:

Before I even existed, she had been many different things to many different people.

……no one can really understand the whole of a person. In many ways, my mother, my father-the people I was closest to, the people who meant the most to me—were strangers. Beautiful strangers.

Putting this author on my radar! A high voltage read!!

Purchase Links: Amazon 🔗 | Barnes & Noble 🔗 | Goodreads 🔗

REVIEW DISCLAIMER
This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.
DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Synopsis:

Terrorism hits Main Street America

When a rogue CIA consultant goes AWOL from his Middle Eastern post in response to his brother’s plea for help, he arrives just in time to witness his brother’s murder. For years, Jonathan Hunter and his brother Kevin Mallory had not spoken―until Kevin’s final words, “… Khalifah … Not Them … Maya.”

Pursuing his brother’s killer, Hunter stumbles into a nest of horrifying terrorist activity by Middle Eastern refugees, which sparks a backlash across America. In the shadows, Hunter’s mentor, the omnipotent Oscar LaRue, is playing a dangerous game with Russian Intelligence. Neither Hunter nor LaRue realizes that a new threat―the Iranian threat―has entered the game. Stakes rise as two shadowy players are one step ahead of Hunter and LaRue―Khalifah, a terrorist mastermind, and Caine, a nomadic assassin who dances with the highest bidder.

As attacks escalate and the country drifts toward another Middle East conflict, innocent refugees become trapped between the terrorists and the terrorized. Prejudice, hate, and fear vent everywhere. Is this who we’ve become? Before the country explodes, Hunter must find Khalifah, learn the next terror target, and pray he’s in time to stop further annihilation.

 

I usually don’t read espionage with foreign factions’ thrillers but there was something about the synopsis, along with the author’s bio, that intrigued me. Let me tell you, I’m so glad it did! This book scared me, in the way that this could happen in reality.

Jon Hunter Malloy, a U.S. government consultant of international security, receives a letter from his brother, a Virginia BCI officer, who he has not seen or talked to in 18 years, begging him to meet him. However, when he arrives on U.S. soil and is approaching their prearranged meeting location, he is too late. Kevin, his brother, has been shot and is close to death. But he has a message for Jon. Not fully understanding his brother’s last words, all Jon wants is to find out who murdered his brother. But after the local police and FBI arrive on the scene, there is definitely more to this situation. And thus starts the page turning at warp speed.

Terrorism has hit the U.S. But who is behind it?

The story takes place over 7days, and the action is ramped up with every page.

The characters had me guessing as to who was on the right side of the law and who wasn’t. Agents and double agents.

Without wanting to give even a little bit away, I will say this book held me captive with a nervous anxiety because I realized that this could actually happen. It was also frightening to think of how little we know of our government and the workings of it, in which Tj O’Connor gives us a peek.

Palpable non stop action that culminates in an explosive ending!! An exceptional and thrilling read! I promise you, you won’t be able to put it down!

I can’t wait for the next book! I highly suggest you pick this book up!

The Consultant has been chosen by Amazon to be a July Kindle Monthly Deal for $.99. Get your copy now.

 

Editorial Reviews:

“Tj O’Connor is that rare thriller writer with both talent and street time in the worlds he rockets us readers through. O’Connor’s stories will pull you in and race you through plots that come from behind the headlines in our crazy world.” ―James Grady, New York Times best-selling author of Last Days of the Condor

“The Consultant is a flat out, dynamite read. Fast paced, compelling, and all too real. O’Connor writes with authority and the pages fly by almost too quickly. My favorite kind of thriller, reminiscent of the best Ludlum and Forsyth.” ―Christopher Reich, New York Times best-selling author of Invasion of Privacy

“Thriller fans who value fast-paced action…will be satisfied.”―Publishers Weekly

“Hop on O’Connor’s back and enjoy this ride. Helluva fun tale full of action, layers, deceptions, twists, and surprises. Well worth finding this one, folks. Put the publication date on your calendar. It rocks.”―Men Reading Books

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller
Published by: Oceanview Publishing
Publication Date: May 15th 2018
Number of Pages: 432
ISBN: 1608092836 (ISBN13: 9781608092833)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

 

The Consultant Trailer:

 

Read an excerpt:

 

Author Bio:

Tj O’Connor is the author of The Consultant, the first of The Jonathan Hunter Thriller series and four paranormal mysteries.

Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. He was raised in New York’s Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Labrador companions in Virginia where they raised five children.

Dying to Know, Tj’s first published novel, won the 2015 Gold Medal from the Independent Publishers Book Awards (IPPY) for mysteries and was a Finalist for both a 2015 Silver Falchion Award and the 2014 Foreword Reviews’ INDIEFAB Mystery Book of the Year.

 

Catch Up With Our Author On:
Website, GoodreadsTwitter, & Facebook!

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

 

ENTER TO WIN:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Tj O’Connor. There will be 1 winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card and 4 winners of one (1) print OR eBook copy of Tj O’Connor’s The Consultant. The giveaway begins on July 1, 2018 and runs through August 1, 2018. Open to U.S. addresses only. Void where prohibited

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

REVIEW DISCLAIMER
This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.
DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now hosted on its own blog.

Saturday: FEARED by Lisa Scottoline ~ ARC TPB via GR win

I am taking part in the 2018 Book Blog Discussion Challenge hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight!

The last Saturday of the month, I will be recapping the books I have read for the month, what I thought and the links to my reviews, and what I hope to read the following month.

July Books Read

I didn’t read as many books as I hoped I would ;-(

Click on titles below to either see my review or to check out the synopsis on GR.

THE CHAIRMAN’S TOYS by Graham Reed
Comments: First book I read by this author and enjoyed it. Will be posting my review, 4 stars, on Aug. 9th

BABY TEETH by Zoje Stage
Comments: I was the lucky winner from The Book Diva’s Reads giveaway.
Such a chilling read!

SCAR TISSUE by Patricia Hale
Comments: Another engrossing read. I gave it 5 stars and will be posting my review on Oct. 1st.

Current Read

ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL STRANGERS by Elizabeth Klehfoth
Comments: I have seen many rave reviews and hoping it is a gripping story.

Upcoming August TBRs

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18634982-eyes-on-you?ac=1&from_search=true by Kate White
Comments: I won this book via a Harper Collins

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37920735-an-unwanted-guest?ac=1&from_search=true by Shari LaPena
Comments: I also won this via GR. This will be the first book that I will be reading by this author but am really looking forward to it after seeing so many rave reviews for her previous books.

??? by ??
Comments: Keeping this one open since I always get a book that I hadn’t planned to read but one that I can’t pass on.

Your Turn

• What did you finish reading this month
• What book(s) should I add to my TBR list

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