Faded Scars Kristi Copeland

 

Trust your instincts; intuition doesn’t lie.

Kennedy:
I thought I finally left my torrid past behind after my husband died. But now worry consumes me as a stalker fixates on a newcomer to Talkeetna. As each instance intensifies, I’m haunted by memories of the trauma I desperately tried to escape.

Together with our girls’ group, Faith and I work to uncover the shadowy figure’s identity. I’m determined to keep my community safe, so I force myself to face my fears head-on, even if it kills me.

Faith:
I fled the lower forty-eight after my manipulative ex introduced me to a life I didn’t want. Following in my mother’s footsteps, I hope I can create a better version of myself in Alaska without being completely obsessed, like she was. But as I get to know the locals, I wonder who I can trust.

In a small town, though, secrets are hard to keep and it’s almost impossible to hide. On the contrary, someone’s been watching me. I refuse to admit I have a stalker even as his actions grow bolder. It may be too late for anyone to help me, even Kennedy.

As the danger escalates in the shadows of the great Denali, Kennedy and Faith are forced to face their own faded scars. If you love Whiskey Scars, dive into the mystery of Faded Scars to continue the saga.

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Faded Scars: (A Vigilante Justice Alaskan Suspense: Kennedy-Book 2): 9798988964575: Copeland, Kristi: Books

All my life, writing, sharing experiences through story-telling, and intensive research has interested me. All of these loves are combined to give my readers an experience through the written word. I reside in a small town in northeast Texas and originate from a small town in Michigan. Both MI and TX are prominent in my writing.

Everywhere I look, I see someone begging me to write about them. Music, every day life, and even my husband’s dreams inspire ideas about new books! Like so many of my favorite novels have done for me, I sincerely hope to connect with you through my writing. My simple communication style brings words off the page to a vision in your mind.

Join me as I create scenarios that could happen to anyone…and probably have. Maybe me, maybe you.

Christmas Cheer Adult Coloring book

 A fun and festive resource for hours of Christmas crafting, with holiday-themed coloring pages and instructions for homemade paper gifts

Grab your glittery pens, get your playlist ready, and create your own ornaments, puzzle purses, chatterboxes, gift tags, and more! Each of the illustrations can simply be colored and left in the book, or they can be removed and folded into crafts for decorations or gifts. Instructions for folding Christmas tree ornaments, mini gift boxes, and personalized envelopes, and other nostalgic crafts are included.

The bleed-proof, bright white paper stock is heavy enough to use pencils, pens, or markers and light enough to fold easily into desired shapes. With festive illustrations and Christmas-themed crafts, this coloring book contains more than thirty creative projects and is a perfect gift, stocking stuffer, or holiday impulse buy!

From the creative studio of Ann-Margret Hovsepian, one of the illustrators who contributed to the bestselling Whatever Is Lovely, Choose Joy, and Peace, Be Still coloring books, Christmas Cheer is sure to become a holiday favorite for the whole family!

Pick up your copy here...

Christmas Cheer: A Christmas Coloring Book with Paper Crafts and Simple Handmade Gifts: Hovsepian, Ann-Margret: 9780593602843: Amazon.com: Books

Ann-Margret Hovsepian is an award-winning writer and illustrator from Montreal, Quebec. She has had more than 300 articles featured in a variety of Canadian and U.S. print publications and has authored, co-authored, illustrated or contributed to multiple books. Her specialities are devotional books and colouring books.

Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart

 On a brisk February morning while walking to the diner where she works, 24 year-old Ruth Foster is stopped by the local sheriff. He insists she accompany him to a health clinic, threatening to arrest her if she doesn’t undergo testing in order to preserve decency and prevent the spread of sexual disease.

Though Ruth has never shared more than a chaste kiss with a man, by day’s end she is one of dozens of women held at the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women. Some are there because they were reported for promiscuity by neighbors, husbands, strangers. Some were accused of prostitution. Others were just pretty and unmarried. Or poor and “suspicious.” One was eating dinner alone in a restaurant. Another spoke to a soldier.

Josephine’s sin was running a business as a single woman. Maude’s was trying to drown her sorrows. Frances had lost her mind. Opal married a man with a mean streak. Some, like 15-year-old Stella, are brought in because they’re victims of assault. She’s too naive and broken to understand how unjust this imprisonment is.

Superintendent Dorothy Baker, convinced that she’s transforming degenerate souls into upstanding members of society, oversees the women’s medical treatment and “training” until they’re deemed ready for parole. Sooner or later, everyone at the Colony learns to abide by Mrs. Baker’s rule book or face the consequences—solitary confinement, grueling work assignments, and worse.

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Women of a Promiscuous Nature eBook : Everhart, Donna: Kindle Store

Donna Everhart is the USA Today bestselling author of vivid, authentic Southern fiction, including the Southeastern Library Association Award-winning The Road to Bittersweet, the Indie Next Pick, Amazon Spotlight/Debut Pick, The Education of Dixie Dupree, The Forgiving Kind, and The Moonshiner’s Daughter. Her fifth novel, The Saints of Swallow Hill is out now.

Born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, she now lives with her husband just an hour away in the Sandhills area of the state. Please visit her online at DonnaEverhart.com.

Don't come at me, I know I say this about every book released, but this is Everhart's best book yet. I learn so much from every book. She is an author that I can't recommend enough. This is a 5-star two times book. I highly recommend it.
Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

Book of Forbidden Words by Louise Fein

 1552, Paris: Against a backdrop of turmoil, suspicion, and paranoia, the printing press is quickly spreading new ideas across Europe, threatening the power of church and state and unleashing a wave of book burning and heretic hunting. When frightened ex-nun Lysbette Angiers arrives one day at Charlotte Guillard’s famous printing shop with her manuscript, neither woman knows just how far the powerful elite will go to prevent the spread of Lysbette’s audacious ideas.

1952, New York: Milly Bennett, lonely and unmoored, is a seemingly ordinary housewife with a secretive past. Balancing the day-to-day boredom of keeping house and struggling to find her way with the mothers at her children’s school, she finds her life taking an unexpected turn as conspiracies spread amidst the paranoid clamors of McCarthy’s America. When a relic from her past presents her with a 400-year-old manuscript to decipher, she is reluctantly pulled into a vortex of danger that threatens to shatter her world.

From the risky backstreets of sixteenth-century Paris to the unpredictable suburbs of mid-twentieth century New York, the stakes couldn’t be higher when, 400 years apart, Milly, Lysbette, and Charlotte each face a reality where the spread of ideas are feared and every effort is made to suppress them.

Dramatic and affecting, and inspired by the real-life encrypted Voynich manuscript, Book of Forbidden Words is both an engrossing story about a timeless struggle that echoes through the ages and a testament to the indomitable spirit of those who dare to let their words be heard.

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Book of Forbidden Words: A Novel: 9780063411432: Fein, Louise: Books

Louise writes historical fiction, focusing on unheard voices or from unusual perspectives. Her debut novel, Daughter of the Reich (entitled People Like Us in the UK edition) was published in 2020 into 13 territories and is set in 1930’s Leipzig. The book was shortlisted for the RSL Christopher Bland Prize 2021 and the RNA Historical Novel of the Year Award, 2021. Louise's second novel, The Hidden Child, was published in 2021 and is centered around the eugenics movement in 1920’s England and America. It was a Globe & Mail bestseller in Canada. Her third novel, The London Bookshop Affair, about one woman’s journey to uncover secrets of her past, set against a backdrop of espionage and looming nuclear war in 1962 London, will be published in January 2024.

Louise, previously a lawyer and banker, holds an MA in Creative Writing from St Mary’s University and now writes full time. Equally passionate about historical research and writing, she loves to look for themes which have resonance with today’s world. Louise lives in the Surrey countryside, UK, with her family, and is a slave to the daily demands of her pets.

For more information, go to https://www.louisefein.com and sign up to Louise's newsletter. She also posts regularly to her blog at

https://www.louisefein.com/blog-and-news, or follow her on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/louisefeinauthor; Twitter, https://twitter.com/FeinLouise; or Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/louisefeinauthor

The Secret of Orange blossom Cake By Rachel Linden

 Rising star Jules Costa loves re-creating vintage recipes for her popular online cooking show. But when personal and professional disaster strikes, her only chance to save her career is to complete her new cookbook before the end of the summer. Panicked, Jules returns to her family’s beloved olive farm on the shores of Italy’s stunning Lake Garda. Seeking culinary inspiration, she’s hoping to convince her spunky eighty-year-old Nonna Bruna to share her precious collection of family recipes.

 
Jules’s plans quickly go awry as she discovers that Nonna’s cookbook has magical and unpredictable powers. It reveals only one recipe at a time, offering a cooking experience guaranteed to satisfy the chef’s palate and bring clarity to their life. Yet the pages remain stubbornly blank for Jules. To make matters worse, the olive farm is in deep financial trouble, and Jules soon uncovers a web of family secrets involving the cookbook and a lost recipe for orange blossom cake that holds the key to everything. Then there’s Nicolo, the boy next door, who broke her young heart years ago. He is now all grown up, even more attractive, and the only person poised to help Jules find answers. 
 

In a whirlwind summer beyond her imagination, Jules begins to unravel the mysteries baked into her family’s history and discovers the essential ingredients to create the future of her dreams.

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake: 9780593816639: Linden, Rachel: Books

Rachel Mae Linden (who also writes as Rachel Linden) is a novelist and international aid worker whose adventures in over fifty countries around the world provide excellent grist for her writing. She is the author of Recipe for a Charmed Life, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, and several other novels. Currently Rachel lives with her family on a sweet little island near Seattle, WA where she enjoys creating stories about hope, courage and connection with a hint of romance and a touch of whimsy.

To learn more about Rachel Linden, visit her website or find her on Facebook or Instagram.

Mortal Zin by Diane Schaffer

 

A crusading attorney’s death. Sabotage at a family winery. Secrets buried in California’s past…

When corporate attorney Noli Cooper visits her godparents’ Santa Cruz Mountain winery, she’s hoping for a few quiet days to consider her future. But the future will have to wait. The body of her childhood mentor, a crusading social justice lawyer and local hero, is discovered in a rocky ocean cove. The sheriff is quick to call it suicide. Noli knows he’s wrong. Teaming up with PI Luz Alvarado, Noli dives into a world where nothing is as it seems.

As threats mount and the winery teeters on the brink of ruin, Noli and Luz must navigate a treacherous landscape of greed, revenge, and long-buried secrets. Their investigation weaves through the rich tapestry of California’s vineyard history, the mystery of zinfandel grapes, and the haunting legacy of the Vietnam War. With a murderer on the loose, predatory neighbors circling, and Noli’s godfather framed for murder, the clock is ticking. Can two fearless women from different worlds unravel the truth before it’s too late?

Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                     Mortal Zin: A Mystery Novel (A Mortal Zin Mystery, 1): Schaffer, Diane: 9781960573933: Amazon.com: Books

No author headshot provided.

Diane Schaffer, a Stanford PhD, is a retired professor and longtime resident of Santa Cruz County. Mortal Zin, her first mystery novel, is rooted in her summer work in a Santa Cruz zinfandel winery, where she became fascinated with the unique history of zinfandel, California’s mystery grape. When she’s not writing, she’s hiking, river kayaking, or reading a good mystery novel. She now lives in Ashland, Oregon, with her husband.

Christmas for the Heart by Cheryl Barker

Christmas stirs countless longings in our hearts. Longings for a joyful, peaceful season. For merry moments with loved ones. For nostalgic moments and sweet memories. For meaningful moments of worship.

Simply put, we long for the beauty and wonder of Christmas. But so much interferes with that desire. Packed schedules, the urge to do everything Christmas, seasonal commercialism, and life situations all hinder these longings from becoming reality.

Cheryl Barker wants to help you change that with her new Advent devotional Christmas for the Heart. The quotes, reflections, original poetry, Scriptures, and special features in each chapter help you reclaim the beauty and wonder of the season. Her heartfelt words lead you to rejoice in the greatest gift ever given and inspire you to give the King of Kings the worship he’s due. The guided journaling makes this beautiful devotional book a perfect keepsake gift. 

Pick up your copy here...

Christmas for the Heart: 25 Devotions Reclaiming the Beauty and Wonder of the Season: Barker, Cheryl: 9798384508557: Amazon.com: Books

Cheryl Barker is a writer from Kansas who loves the Lord and longs for her words to be a blessing to others. Her heart’s desire is to refresh spirits and nourish souls.

Cheryl is the author of Christmas for the Heart: 25 Devotions Reclaiming the Beauty and Wonder of the Season and also Mother of the Bride: Refreshment and Wisdom for the Mother of the Bride. Her work has also appeared in magazines, compilation books, and other publications as well as in Blue Mountain Arts greeting cards and also their gift book anthologies and calendars. Her website features her inspirational blog and a blog for mothers of the bride.

Cheryl is married to Don and mom to adult daughters Kristin and Kelli and mom-in-law to Shawn and Jake. Each couple has a set of twin sons so Cheryl is now one busy grandma to two sets of twin grandsons (Isaiah and James and Samuel and Silas) and loves every minute of it.

When she’s not writing or tending to life’s chores, Cheryl loves to spend time with family and friends, take photos, read, and stay involved in her church and her writers group. Last, but certainly not least, she loves to indulge in chocolate. Connect with Cheryl on her website where you will find her newsletter sign-up and her social media buttons.

My Thoughts...

I am enjoying this each morning. It's gorgeous and the perfect hostess gift. Or it would be great to gift to give your small group. It's a gift that keeps giving.
This should be on everyone's list this year.
Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

A Simple Kindness in Flatsboro by Heather Norman Smith

 A small dose of kindness can go a long way

Andy Clark has always been different. But it isn't just the tumorous mass covering half his face that sets him apart—it's his quiet kindness. As an anonymous do-gooder in Flatsboro, North Carolina, Andy lives out what his mama taught him, even though she's no longer there.

Della Rose Miller, a well-known former beauty queen, escapes her crumbling marriage to arrogant Wade Miller and moves back to her hometown in hopes of finding reprieve. She and her daughter settle into a little Flatsboro apartment and quickly learn that they’re in the same complex as a childhood classmate whose heart Della Rose broke in third grade.

With her life turned upside down, Della Rose is uneasy about starting fresh, but when unassuming Andy turns his generosity toward her daughter, an unlikely friendship rekindles. When a heroic act suddenly pushes Andy into the spotlight, he risks his anonymity and quiet day-to-day habits to stand up for what's right.

As Della Rose navigates the end of her marriage and Andy continues his secret philanthropy, they navigate grief and trusting God. Heather Norman Smith weaves a charming and heartwarming Southern story to remind you of the power of simple kindness.

Pick up your copy here..                                                                                                                                      Amazon.com: A Simple Kindness in Flatsboro: A Southern Novel: 9780825455643: Smith, Heather: Books

Heather Norman Smith is a Christian Fiction and devotions author. Her goal is to use the written word to entertain and encourage while illuminating the redemptive love of God. She is proud to be a life-long North Carolinian and aims to present the beauty of the Tar Heel State in her fiction. Her home is just outside Winston-Salem, NC, where she lives with her husband, their four children, and several pets. Along with writing and spending time with family, Heather also enjoys singing about Jesus.

Blind Trust by Rachael Eckles

 In Blind Trust, the third installment in Eckles’s series featuring financier and complex heroine Celeste Donovan, Celeste is mourning the death of loved ones while trying to conjure newlywed bliss. As one of the richest self-made women in the world, she appears to have it all—a penthouse apartment, meteoric business success, and a supermodel’s physique with a mathematician’s mind. Beneath the surface, however, she is haunted by how much she has lost.

Now that Celeste has the opportunity to move on from the turmoil of the past few years, she is committed to eliminating any threats to her new life. But the past comes knocking. Entangled with a global crime syndicate that will stop at nothing for revenge, she cannot turn a blind eye to the destruction it has caused. Though she gives the appearance that she has joined her close friends in an alliance with rogue federal agents, she continues to partner with ruthless characters who move through the shadows.

With secrets surfacing and enemies closer than ever, Celeste must navigate betrayal from unexpected sources. The deeper she digs, the more she realizes no one is safe—and nothing is what it seems.

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Blind Trust (Celeste Donovan Series): 9798999064707: Eckles, Rachael: Books

An Indiana native, Rachael Eckles moved to New York City after law school. There, she worked in the finance industry, where she found inspiration for the elusive Trading Secrets world. She currently lives in Manhattan, where she is working on her next novel.

Rachael donates a portion of her proceeds to local and global programs that empower women and girls through her foundation, Aphrodite Gives.

rachaeleckles.com

instagram.com/rachaeleckles

Risky Assets by Rachael Eckles

 Risky Assets, the sequel to Trading Secrets in Eckles’s series featuring financier Celeste Donovan, is brimming with mystery and failed alliances. Celeste appears to have everything a modern woman dreams of—a doting fiancé, a penthouse apartment, and a supermodel’s physique with a mathematician’s mind. But all that glitters is not gold.

A high-powered finance executive with a dark past, she has experienced unspeakable loss at the hand of her abusive ex, Omar. She has healed from the trauma now and is ready to move on as one of the world’s richest women and settle back into her glamorous jet-setting lifestyle.

As Celeste sets out to plan her future, she realizes she cannot live the rest of her life in fear that Omar will strike again. She vows to get rid of him and anyone else who stands in the way of the happy ending she’s fighting for. Her plans become complicated after discovering that Omar has become an agent of the US government. When her friends approach her to finally join forces with them and rogue federal agents, she’s boxed into a corner.

Now Celeste is living with secrets so tortured that if discovered, they could destroy what she’s so carefully built. Will she be successful in making the world a safer place? Or will her appetite for vengeance jeopardize it all?

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Risky Assets (Celeste Donovan Series): 9781734901849: Eckles, Rachael: Books

An Indiana native, Rachael Eckles moved to New York City after law school. There, she worked in the finance industry, where she found inspiration for the elusive Trading Secrets world. She currently lives in Manhattan, where she is working on her next novel.

Rachael donates a portion of her proceeds to local and global programs that empower women and girls through her foundation, Aphrodite Gives.

rachaeleckles.com

instagram.com/rachaeleckles

The Board by Katy Farber

 Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies, The Board is one mother's attempt to uncover the dark secrets that pervade her small New England town. Has she uncovered a criminal enterprise run by members of the school board? Or is it all in her head?

So much for fresh starts. When single mom Liv and her third-grade daughter move to a small New Hampshire town from Boston after a messy divorce and an even messier job loss, they soon find themselves dealing with major culture shock. Within days, Liv is on the "problem" list of the man who acts both as principal and superintendent in her district, and he shuts down her concerns at a school board meeting. Liv's daughter, who suffers from anxiety, struggles to adapt at a school run like an army barracks.

When Liv discovers that a former teacher was bullied, intimidated, and forced to resign by the board, she begins a quest to uncover what's really happening at the school. But as she comes into conflict with her ex-husband and the law, she begins to wonder if all of her suspicions are only in her mind. Is she only imagining things? Or will she be able to reveal the dark truth about unchecked power in this small town--before more people disappear?

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: The Board: 9798228016880: Katy Farber: Books

Katy Farber, Ed.D, is an educator, teacher coach, and writer from Vermont. She is the author of three books about education: Why Great Teachers Quit and How We Might Stop the Exodus; and Change the World with Service Learning: How to Create, Lead and Assess Service Learning Projects; and its new edition, Real and Relevant: a guide for service and project based learning, released in June 2017. She also wrote a middle grade fiction novel called The Order of the Trees (Green Writers Press, 2015). Her writing has been published on CNN’s School of Thought blog, Educational Leadership, Edutopia, Huffington Post and the Synapse.

Connect with her on Twitter at @non_toxic_kids and @katyfarber, or at her website katyfarber.com.

The Spite Date by Pippa Grant

 

I might be the only person in the world not obsessed with Simon Luckwood, famous actor and newest resident of my hometown.

I don't trust the way he's always smiling. No one smiles that much.

And while I'm clearly in the minority here, I don't get everyone's fascination with Simon's cult hit TV show.

But revenge is a dish best served cold, just like the dishes on the menu at the restaurant my ex stole from me. So, when Simon feels guilty enough about his twin teenage boys accidentally getting me arrested that he wants to take me out on an apology date?

I see a perfect opportunity to get mine.

One night, one date, one very loud public scene at my ex's grand opening, and then I can wash my hands of men forever.

That's exactly how it has to go. Because my life can't handle one more plot twist...

Pick up your copy here...                                                                                                                                     Amazon.com: The Spite Date: A Single Dad Romcom (Small Town Sisterhood): 9781955930543: Grant, Pippa: Books

Pippa Grant wanted to write books, so she did.

Before she became a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling romantic comedy author, she was a young military spouse who got into writing as self-therapy. That happened around the time she discovered reading romance novels, and the two eventually merged into a career. Today, she has more than 30 knee-slapping Pippa Grant titles and nine published under the name Jamie Farrell.

When she’s not writing romantic comedies, she’s fumbling through being a mom, wife, and mountain woman, and sometimes tries to find hobbies. Her crowning achievement? Having impeccable timing for telling stories that will make people snort beverages out of their noses. Consider yourself warned.

My thoughts...

Rom- Com queen has done it again. And the audio narrators were so much fun they made this book a fun one for me. The accent of the male narrator was so good. I love everything about this book.
A fun must read.
Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

Christmas Fling by Lindsey Kelk

 

Is a fake boyfriend really just for Christmas?

One fake romance. One magical Christmas. One chance to fall in love.

Laura was all set for a quiet solo Christmas – just her, a bottle of wine, and flat-sitting for a stranger. But when the stranger’s parents mistake her for his mystery girlfriend, she’s swept off to the snowy Scottish Highlands with Callum and his whole family.

Between the cosy sleeper train, charming pubs and breathtaking views, this could be the no-strings-attached Christmas of Laura’s dreams.

But stranger Callum is hot, hilarious and their ‘fake’ chemistry is off the charts.

So is this just a Christmas fling? Or the start of something more?

Pick up your copy here...

Christmas Fling: Kelk, Lindsey: 9780008758745: Amazon.com: Books

Lindsey Kelk is the internationally bestselling author of romcoms for adults including Love Me Do, The Christmas Wish, the I Heart series, and the fantasy series, The Bell Witches.

As well as writing, Lindsey co-hosts Tights and Fights, a pro-wrestling podcast on the Maximum Fun network, and hosts and produces the award-winning beauty podcast, Full Coverage.

Born and raised in South Yorkshire, Lindsey lived in Nottingham, London and New York before settling in Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband and two cats.

My Thoughts...

This was my ninth Christmas book so far this year and it was a bit different from all the others. It is also my first book by this author. I love finding new authors. Set in the Scottish Highlands also a first for me for a Christmas book. So, a lot of firsts with this book. that's always a good thing.

Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.

The Last Day I Saw You by Ruth Mancini

 

“I need to report a crime. My baby has been stolen.”

All Lauren wants is a new life in Spain. She’s suffered an unimaginable loss, but at last she has found a home in the pretty seaside town of Mantilla de Mar. Everyone deserves a new start, and Lauren needs to put her past firmly behind her.

Hope has everything: an interesting career as a therapist, an attractive husband, a dream home in the countryside - and, finally, the baby she always longed for. Sam. Her beautiful boy.

But Sam has gone missing.

So when the police tell her that a woman has been found in Spain with a child matching Sam’s description, Hope thinks that her nightmare might be coming to an end.

But Lauren is insisting Sam is her baby. She even has his passport and birth certificate to prove it.

So what really happened to Baby Sam? And who still has secrets to hide?

One child. Two mothers. And a past that won’t let them go.

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: The Day I Lost You: A Novel: 9780063340596: Mancini, Ruth: Books

Ruth Mancini is an author and criminal defence lawyer. Her background as a solicitor adds authenticity to her crime and psychological fiction. She has spent two decades representing those accused of crimes, navigating courtrooms and police stations. Her storytelling prowess and legal background combine to create thrilling reads that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Ruth was born in London and now lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and two children.

Her fifth thriller, THE WOMAN ON THE LEDGE was published by Penguin (UK) and HarperCollins (US) in January 2024 and was a Sunday Times bestseller. Her sixth, THE DAY I LOST YOU will be published in July 2025.

My Thoughts...

This book was a little bit different than Ruth's last book. But all in all I read it really fast she kept me turning the pages. Thanks for my review copy Harper Perennial.

The Tragedy Of True Crime by John Lennon

 The Tragedy of True Crime is a first-person journalistic account of the lives of four men who have killed, written by a man who has killed. Lennon entered the New York prison system with a sentence of 28 years to life but after he stepped into a writing workshop at Attica Correctional Facility, his whole life changed. Reporting from the cell block and the prison yard, Lennon challenges our obsession with true crime by telling the full life stories of men now serving time for the lives they took.

These men have completely different backgrounds ― Robert Chambers, a preppy Manhattanite turned true crime celebrity; Milton E. Jones, a seventeen-year-old coaxed from burglary into something far darker; and Michael Shane Hale, a gay man caught in a crime of passion ― and all are searching to find meaning and redemption behind bars. Lennon’s reporting is intertwined with his own story, from a young man seduced by the infamous gangster culture of New York City to a celebrated prison journalist. The same desire echoes throughout the lives of these four men: to become more than murderers.

A first-of-its-kind book of immersive prison journalism, The Tragedy of True Crime poses fundamental questions about the stories we tell and who gets to tell them. What essential truth do we lose when we don’t consider all that comes before an act of unthinkable violence? And what happens to the convicted after the cell gate locks?

Pick up your copy here...

The Tragedy of True Crime: Four Guilty Men and the Stories That Define Us: Lennon, John J.: 9781250858245: Amazon.com: Books

John J. Lennon is serving his twenty-fourth year behind bars, currently in Sing Sing Correctional Facility. His writing has appeared in the New York Review of Books, the New York Times Magazine, the New Yorker, the Atlantic, Esquire, and New York magazine. His work has been anthologized in the Best American Magazine Writing, and he’s twice been a finalist for the National Magazine Award, in feature writing and reviews and criticism. His feature essay “The Apology Letter” was part of the Washington Post Magazine’s special issue that won the National Magazine Award. He will be eligible for parole in 2029.