Crime thriller that won't disappoint!

Fireson Bay by G. G. Stokes is a psychological thriller rife with action, suspense, drama, romance, and clever unpredictable plot twists. Agent Bay takes on a dead cop case and with the help of small-town Coroner Dr. Lucretia Cook is soon on the trail of a serial killer. I was into it from the start and the breathtaking pacing kept the pages turning with the discovery that all the victims are all serial killers. I was thinking, this would make a great movie!

 

Cook and Fireson fall in love and their relationship adds depth to the plot with all kinds of things raising questions about her. She’s a secretive person with a dysfunctional family past. When an attempt is made on her life it raises more questions. Does she know something that could help catch the serial killer? OR Is she a serial killer? OR is she a woman who has suffered great loss in the past and it affects her present?

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Bookhookup Review: Fireson Bay

I don’t want to say too much because I wouldn’t want to spoil this read for anyone. I think it will make my top ten list for 2024. What I will say is that I loved untangling this murder mystery and trying to figure out who dunnit. But I didn’t know until the reveal at the end. If you enjoy crime thriller mysteries that take a twist that turns everything on its head Fireson Bay will not disappoint! Highly recommend it to those who enjoy books like DCI Harry Grimm CrimeThrillers by David J. Gatward. Fireson Bay delivers it all with a side of romance. I am happy to award Fireson Bay 5 out of 5 stars and I look forward to reading Fireson Bay: Resurrection (book 2).

 

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from the author and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites

Historical Family Life Fiction

At the Far End of Nowhere by Christine Davis Merriman centers around a young girl by the name of Lissa Power as she narrates her life from pre-kindergarten to young adulthood. I grew up in the 50s, and this historical fiction carried me along memory lane to a different time when life was simpler but also more challenging. The flow of the storytelling is never stagnant but drifts like a river compelling the reader onto the next page. Sometimes gently with pleasant reminiscing and other times with turbulence. But it is never stagnant. It holds the attention and engages heartfelt emotions as the reader experiences life through the eyes of childhood innocence as Lissa navigates her financially needy home life which is also emotionally deficient but demanding. 

Her mother is a hard-working plain woman who long ago settled for her lot in life. Her older brother Spence is close to his mother and is often unengaged because of the critical need for perfection from his obsessive-compulsive father. Lissa’s relationship with her “Daddy” is at the heart of the story. He is in his 70s when she is born; an inventor and watchmaker. Lissa thinks the world of him. He in turn wants his daughter to be “perfect like his other inventions.” This highlights the crux of the issue between father and daughter as time goes on. He does love her but it is a stifling love. And she does love him unselfishly, but always questions if she is making the right decision.

At age twelve Lissa loses her mother to breast cancer. Household responsibilities like cleaning the house, doing laundry, and making meals fell on her shoulders along with going to school. By this time her Daddy is 84 years old and they live in a rundown farmhouse that belonged to Lissa’s grandparents before they died. Daddy is lonely and still has two young children to provide for and he becomes even more restrictive limiting where Lissa can go and what she can do in his effort to protect her.

 

Book review: At the Far End of Nowhere

The setting for this fictional autobiography traverses three decades with a narrative arc that provides the framework for a cohesive engaging path to follow. It’s a good-old-days story that reveals the good old days weren’t always “happy days.” At the Far End of Nowhere navigates topics including hidden pasts, sexual trauma, losing a parent, living in poverty, loneliness, caring for an aging parent, and death. I enjoyed Merriman’s storytelling and am happy to give At the Far End of Nowhere 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to baby boomers, people who read coming-of-age historical fiction, or who enjoy familylife fiction.

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from BookTasters and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites

 

Historical time travel fiction set in exotic Ancient Egypt

I’m a time travel fan and a historical fiction fan so I looked forward to reading A Time to Seek (The Time Travel Journals of Sahara Aldridge Book 1) by Tracy Higley with a double dose of expectation. For me, this Ancient Egypt time travel romance seemed to get off to a slow start as Higley lays the foundation for this captivating adventure, but it wasn't boring. It just set the scene for the past and present to collide in this captivating tale.

About the book: A Time to Seek 

The story starts in 1922 and is told in the first person by protagonist Sahara Aldridge, an Egyptologist whose parents were also Egyptologists. At the start of A Time to Seek she works in Egypt on a dig, in search of an undiscovered Pharaoh's tomb. Her parents disappeared on a trip to Venice when she was 15 and with no family ties, her life is devoted to her work. Then an attractive young reporter by the name of Jack Moretti shows up on the scene. She’s not the trusting sort, but he wins her over enough to have dinner. The story spirals with secrets uncovered from Jack’s past and her own that I won’t divulge here to spoil the read. The plot is multi-layered and I enjoyed Tracey Higley’s unique rules of time travel that offer a bit of regulation with a twist that makes things more and more intriguing as the story progresses.

Book review: A Time to Seek

A Time to Seek introduces engaging characters including a strong, daring, female protagonist. The world-building stays true to history and offers Ancient Egyptian tidbits that tie into the plot. Once I made it to chapter eight, it turned into a real page-turner filled with mystery, intrigue, and dangerous high-stakes conflicts amid skillfully drawn settings of ancient Egypt. I loved it. 

A Time to Seek is book one in a trilogy and can be read as a stand-alone, but I, for one, look forward to what happens next in the life of this young heroine. I’m happy to give it a strong 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to people who enjoy historical fiction, fiction set in exotic Ancient Egyptian locales, action and adventure, a budding romance, and elements of revenge all couched amid the ability to time travel. 

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I received a free review copy of this book from the author but was not compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

 

Enemies-to-lovers wholesome romance

The Cowboy Billionaire’s Enemy is a fast, entertaining read, with likable clean-cut characters who are flawed and carry emotional baggage. It’s an engaging romance, that keeps the pages turning. Perfect for Hallmark fans looking for an upbeat, inspirational, feel-good story to read while they cozy up with a good cup of coffee.

 

The two love interests, Brooke Winding and Callum Bannon grew up on neighboring ranches in small-town South Dakota amid a family feud. Now as adults with disappointments of life under their belts, fate reintroduces them to life as neighbors when Brooke returns from New York after the death of her estranged father. She’s looking forward to getting back to her small-town roots as a rancher, but the ranch has been run into the ground. Financially things look dismal, where can she turn? On the other side of the equation is her mortal enemy, Callum Bannon. He’s rich, successful, and generous, but he is also divorced, alienated from his children, and lonely. They are thrown together in a couple of awkward meetings and slowly develop a relationship with an unexpected chemistry that evolves into an undeniable love. But of course, it is never as easy as that. What about their families and the circumstances that stand in the way?

I’m happy to award The Cowboy Billionaire’s Enemy 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to readers looking for a heartwarming enemies-to-lovers wholesome romance.