Review: Remnants by Carolyn Arnold

Title: Remnants (Brandon Fisher FBI Series #6)

Author: Carolyn Arnold
Publisher: Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc.
Publication Date: April 11, 2017
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, FBI, Procedural
GoodReads Description
All that remains are whispers of the past…

I received an eARC of the novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

When multiple body parts are recovered from the Little Ogeechee River in Savannah, Georgia, local law enforcement calls in FBI agent and profiler Brandon Fisher and his team to investigate. But with the remains pointing to three separate victims, this isn’t proving to be an open-and-shut case.

With no quick means of identifying the deceased, building a profile of this serial killer is more challenging than usual. How are these targets being selected? Why are their limbs being severed and their bodies mutilated? And what is it about them that is triggering this person to murder?

The questions compound as the body count continues to rise, and when a torso painted blue and missing its heart is found, the case takes an even darker turn. But this is only the beginning, and these new leads draw the FBI into a creepy psychological nightmare. One thing is clear, though: The killing isn’t going to stop until they figure it all out. And they are running out of time…

My Thoughts

There is nothing worse than not starting a series with the first book.  Nothing.  Not even watching your OTP split up is worse than the pain of starting a series with any other book than the first.  I am always wary when publishers tell me that I can read their books as a standalone.  To be honest, it was for that reason that I was not expecting to enjoy Remnants as much as I could have.  I was pretty happy to be wrong.  This is definitely a standalone novel, even though it is the sixth installment in the series!

I LOVED Brandon Fisher!  He is definitely a character that warmed my heart and opened my eyes a bit to more of humanity.  As a female, it's pretty easy to think of love and loneliness through "female" eyes.  It was very refreshing to see these topics written about in such a strong way from the male perspective.  Not only did I watch the amazingly well-written development of Brandon Fisher, but of the rest of his team.  Arnold's use of character development definitely helped her to grow this novel from only a procedural book to a true journey filled with real people.

I also loved that her mystery was not easy to solve.  Sometimes, books can be far too predictable.  I spent the entire flipping book thinking, "Oh!  It has to be this guy!"  But then it wasn't.  So I'd find another character.  "It's him this time!  I'm right!  I have to be"  And, I wasn't.  There was no way I could have seen that conclusion.  But, when I thought back to the plot and all of the descriptions, it made total sense.  I love that Arnold made the intelligent effort to put herself into the minds of her audience to best lead them astray.

I am having a hard time critiquing this novel.  I WILL be reading the entire series (in order, of course) and I WILL make sure that I have a copy of each.  Brandon Fisher is the Bones of the average man, or woman, and I look forward to enjoying the entirety of his saga.

My Rating

About the Author

Carolyn Arnold is the international bestselling and award-winning author of the Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher, and McKinley Mystery series. She is the only author with POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town, but that never kept her from dreaming big. On par with her large dreams is her overactive imagination that conjures up killers and cases to solve. She currently lives outside Toronto with her husband and beagle. She is also a member of Crime Writers of Canada.

                                                    For more information and a FREE book offer, visit her website:

www.carolynarnold.net

Website: www.carolynarnold.net

Facebook: facebook.com/authorcarolynarnold

Twitter: twitter.com/carolyn_arnold

Review: Lemoncella Cocktail

Title: Lemoncella Cocktail
Author: Rene Natan
Publication Date: July 11, 2016
Publisher: Archway Publishing
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Mystery
Rating: 3/5 "It was OK."

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

GoodReads Description
Because of his troubled past, twenty-five-year-old Patrick Carter is determined to live a life without confrontation. A lifeguard by day and a bartender by night, he's content with his care-free daily routine, whiling away the summer on the shores of Lake Huron in southern Ontario.

But one day, as he walks along the Ausable River on his way home, a cry for help makes him plunge into the river's strong current and pull fourteen-year-old Samantha McLeod to safety. Samantha, believed to be a witness to a massive weapons exchange, is marked to death by ruthless arms dealers-along with the man who saved her.

A task force, established to safeguard the country against terrorist attacks, hunts down Oscar Calander, responsible for the weapons trade that is spreading from the Yukon to Ontario. They don't spare efforts or technological advances, even using drones in the attempt to destroy the deadly traffic.

Patrick Carter is not keen on cooperating with the task force, reluctant to move from his comfort zone to a world of suspicion and violence. He wavers-and his hesitation could be costly.

My Thoughts

Uffda.  I hate giving books less than 4/5.  It makes me feel like a bad guy.  Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the story.  However, I refuse to promise my honesty and then not give it.  So, let's start with the positives... 

First, I loved the McLeod family.  I really thought that they were mostly believable and that they worked really well as a family unit.  They felt pain and joy together, but still had their unique problems and quirky moments.  If everything would have been cheery all the time or sad all the time, this family would not have worked well.  As that was not the case, I think it worked out superbly.

I also loved being able to see from the point of view of the bad guys.  I really didn't expect the villains to be as well-devloped as the victims and was impressed by this level of characterization.

There were a few places where the timeline wasn't quite spot on.  This made it difficult to follow from time to time. Overall, I was able to make sense out of it even if it was difficult in a few places.

Where I had the most trouble, however, was that Natan didn't seem to know her own character's names.  At one point, she refers to the McLeod family as the McLean family and is talking about Patrick attending kindergarten when it is Justin who is the student.  Additionally, I found a large number of typographical errors.  I'm not sure if these were due to the formatting change from computer to kindle, or if they are genuinely in the book.

After stating so many negative things, I want to reiterate that I truly enjoyed the story.  Natan has a wonderful way of presenting her story.  I just wish that some of the finer details had been more polished before it was sent to me for review.  Those small things can make a huge difference to the readability of the novel.

                                                                                                About the Author

I always wanted to be a storyteller. At recess time I gathered some of my schoolmates and entertain them with stories—some of my own, others just summaries of books I read. My life, however, took a different turn, and I ended up following a career in information technology (as Professor Irene Gargantini). This over, I reverted to my old passion: plotting intrigues and mysteries and creating romantic or passionate encounters. I took several e-courses on fiction writing and began jotting down my tales. So far I have written nine novels, several short stories and co-authored a novella. The genre varies from romantic suspense (Mountains of Dawn, The Collage, The Loves and Tribulations of Detective Stephen Carlton, The Woman in Black, The Red Manor) to thriller (The Jungfrau Watch, The Blackpox Threat, The Bricklayer, Fleeting Visions).

Blog Review Tour: Forever Blue by Abby Wilder

Title: Forever Blue
Author: Abby Wilder
Publication Date: June 17, 2016
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery, YA
Rating: 5 out of 5 "I loved it!"



GoodReads Description
I broke the surface and gulped in air, running my hands over my face to push the water away. A raindrop splattered on my cheek. He did not rise. Seven more raindrops in quick succession splattered against my skin. And still, he did not rise. The heavens opened and rain fell like a sheet, blanketing me, cutting me off from the rest of the world.
I thought it was the end of everything.
But I was wrong.

Brothers, Ruben and Judah Mitchell, used to be close, but that was before they met Cara Armistead. Once she moved in next door, the brothers grew further and further apart until the tension between them led to an event which left one dead and the other branded by the aftermath.

One year later, after the death of her baby brother destroyed her family, Lennon Donnelly has moved back to her home town of Puruwai. While visiting the cemetery she finds a boy sitting on a gravestone, a boy with secrets in his past, but someone who finally sees her. Accused by the town as a killer, he reaches out to Lennon, but as their relationship deepens, the events of the year before present themselves in a way no one could have imagined.

In this compelling ya romantic mystery, Forever Blue tells of the intertwining relationships of Lennon, Ruben, Judah and Cara. Spanning over two years, Abby Wilder creates a story of intrigue and suspicion that will haunt you long after you turn the final page.

This story contains mild use of strong language and references to underage drinking and smoking.

My Thoughts

WOW!  What a book!  I am honestly not sure what I want to write about first!  This is going to be a difficult review to share because I honestly just want to tell you EVERYTHING so that you can share the experience with me..but it's more fun if you read it. Here....we...go!!!!!

In this novel, the story follows Lennon.  My favorite character, however, was Judah.  It takes a strong and solid person to shoulder as much as he does and I think that Wilder did a wonderful job of writing him that way.  Besides, I think I developed a fangirl crush..*swoon* I really liked Lennon's character as well, I just thought that there was more depth to Judah than there was to Lennon.  That was weird for me because Judah isn't our main character.

My least favorite characters were ALL of the parents.  I cannot imagine living a life with parents who are so distant.  It may be my teacher mind kicking in, but as these kids are out drinking and partying, don't the parents wonder where they are?  I mean, Judah keeps beer in his bedroom!  My parents would have cleaned the floor with me if that had happened when I was in high school!  How do these parents think that's OK? Or do they not check?  Or am I just old fashioned?  Who knows...

As soon as the twist came in at the end, I was so wide eyed that I was afraid I was going to have to sleep with both eyes open. I have never been so surprised that I wasn't sure I would ever be able to shut my eyes again!  WOW!  I SOOOOOO DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!  I am so impressed by a writer who is so talented that she can pull a twist like that out of goodness only knows where and still have it make complete and total sense!  I don't think amazing is a good enough word for such skill! 

If you are still reading this, why haven't you gone to Amazon and bought this book yet? Here!  Let me help you!  Just click right here!  

Author Bio

Abby grew up on a sheep farm at the bottom of the world.

A love of reading has remained constant in her life, and when it occurred to her that she couldn't imagine anything better than being a writer, she set out to achieve just that.

Girl Behind Glass, Boy in Uniform & Girl Beneath Stars are available now, and Forever Blue was released June 17th 2016

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ARC Review of Funeral Games by Colin Heintze

Title: Funeral Games
Author: Colin Heintze
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication Date: September 26, 2016
Genre: Paranormal/Supernatural, Historical, Mystery
Rating: 5/5 "Loved it!"

I received an eARC from the publisher in return for an honest and unbiased review.



Description from GoodReads
Ingerval is the Country of the Dead. Despised by the wider world, blighted by history, since the beginning of time it has honored one law: the Dead rule, and the Living submit. No one remembers why Ingerval nobles return as ghosts after their deaths. To enjoy a brief life of pleasure and plenty, followed by an eternity of reigning from beyond the grave, is the fate of all Ingerval lords. All but one. 

As the youngest son of the King's third wife, Syphax never thought he would amount to anything. He is content to live out a contemplative life free from the scourges of power and politics that infatuate his peers. But, after answering a summons to the Palace – a sprawling, ever-expanding repository for Ingerval's ghosts – he finds himself at the heart of a dynastic struggle centuries in the making.

Funerals are happy occasions in Ingerval, and the King is planning for his to be the most decadent in the country's long memory. He does not know that, unlike every lord before him, he will not return to rule alongside his ancestors. He will die the true death, sparking a succession crisis that throws the noble families into chaos. Amidst the violence and intrigue, Syphax alone asks, "What really happened to the King?" The deeper Syphax digs, the more he realizes these events are connected to others dating back to the founding of his father's dynasty. 

Let the games begin.


My Thoughts
Wow.  Just, wow.  I am so glad that I found Colin Heintze!  This will definitely not be the last of his books that I read.  Now for the ever daunting task of  deciding where to begin this review.

Well, the best place to start tends to be the beginning. So, let's start there.  How often is it that readers lament the moments when their favorite characters die?  And Heintze either ignores that fact or chooses to make a mockery of it by throwing us into a funeral at the very beginning.  We don't even know the characters yet and they are already dying on us!  And then coming back!  I was stunned by this quick turn of events.  Heintze seems to do this in order to acclimate us to the Ingerval view of deaths and funerals.  That way, we are beyond stunned when King Heron does not return.  Rather than being upset that a beloved character died, we feel Syphax's pain when his father's funeral goes wrong.

Let's take a second to just think about Prince Syphax.  He knows that he really doesn't have much to look forward to.  He knows that he isn't going to be king and he knows that he has spent most of his life just living for physical enjoyment.  However, he grows so much as the plot plays out.  From being a hedonistic individual to caring about what happens to his kingdom, the clans, and a variety of individuals.  My favorite example of this is the way that he cares for and repays his debts to Aunt Milda and the baby.  I cried as soon as that baby was quiet.

There was only one thing that I truly disliked about this novel.  The fact that Syphax finds no romance with the woman he loves.  I definitely understand why Heintze wrote this the way he did.  It demonstrates just how far Syphax has come since the beginning of this novel.  However, I think I would have preferred it if Heintze killed a favorite character than put me through the final scene between Fina and Syphax.  You'll have to read, and cry over it, yourself.

I definitely encourage you to give this book a chance!  You can buy it on Amazon.