Some of Us Are Looking by Carlene O'Connor

 In Dimpna Wilde’s veterinary practice, an imminent meteor shower has elevated the usual gossip to include talk of shooting stars and the watch parties that are planned all over Dingle. But there are also matters nearer at hand to discuss—including the ragtag caravan of young people selling wares by the roadside, and the shocking death of Chris Henderson, an elderly local, in a hit-and-run.

Just hours before his death, Henderson had stormed into the Garda Station, complaining loudly about the caravan’s occupants causing noise and disruption. One of their members is a beautiful young woman named Brigid Sweeney, and Dimpna is shocked when Brigid later turns up at her practice, her clothing splattered in blood and an injured hare tucked into her shirt.

Brigid claims that a mysterious stranger has been trying to obtain a lucky rabbit’s foot. Dimpna is incensed at the thought of anyone mutilating animals, but there is far worse in store. On the night of the meteor shower, Dimpna finds Brigid’s body tied to a tree, her left hand severed. She has bled to death. Wrapped around her wrist is a rabbit’s foot.

Brigid had amassed plenty of admirers, and there were tangled relationships within the group. But perhaps there is something more complex than jealousy at play. The rabbit’s foot, the severed hand, the coinciding meteor shower—the deeper Dimpna and Detective Sargeant Cormac O’Brien investigate, the more ominous the signs seem to be, laced with a warning that Dimpna fears it will prove fatal to overlook.

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Amazon.com: Some of Us Are Looking (A County Kerry Novel): 9781496737557: O'Connor, Carlene: Books

USA Today bestselling author Carlene O’Connor comes from a long line of Irish storytellers. Her great-grandmother emigrated from Ireland to America and the stories have been flowing ever since. Of all the places across the pond she’s wandered, she fell most in love with a walled town in County Limerick and was inspired to create the town of Kilbane, County Cork. She writes the bestselling IRISH VILLAGE MYSTERIES, the HOME TO IRELAND series, and the new COUNTY KERRY MYSTERIES. Her books have been translated into numerous languages, and optioned for television. Readers can find her at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086525205106 or through her website: http://www.carleneoconnor.net

Once Upon a Buggy by Shelley Shepard Gray GIVEAWAY!

 

May Schott would do anything to change the tragic moment when she stepped too close to the fire that left her best friend, Carl Hilty, devastatingly burned. After Carl left Apple Creek for extensive surgeries, May patiently prayed for one chance to ask his forgiveness. Now, six years later, Carl Hilty is coming home.

The reunion goes nothing like May anticipated. Overwhelmed with emotion at seeing Carl again, she is speechless, unable to look away. And Carl’s own stone-cold silence leaves her certain that whatever attraction they once shared has been replaced by his hatred of her.

After hiding in the shadows of the big city, Carl has returned to connect with his family and to see if May can overlook his scars and accept his love—but it seems she wants nothing to do with him. He grudgingly agrees to stay with his family for a time before retreating once again. . . . But in Apple Creek, it’s easy to miss what everyone around you sees plain as day. For two people who belong together, it will take a few helping hands to heal the hurts of the past and make a miraculous new beginning.

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Once Upon a Buggy (Amish of Apple Creek, 2): Gray, Shelley Shepard: 9781496739865: Amazon.com: Books

Shelley Shepard Gray is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author. She's published over a hundred novels and has over a million books in print. She currently lives in northern Ohio and writes full time.

Shelley lives just an hour from Holmes County, where many of her Amish-themed novels are set. She currently writes contemporary romance and Amish fiction for a variety of publishers. When not spending time with her family or writing, she can usually be found walking her two dachshunds on one of the many trails in the Cleveland area.

She also bakes a lot, loves coconut cream pie, and will hardly ever pull weeds, mow the yard, or drive in the snow.

Shelley also spends a lot of time on line! Please visit her website, www.shelleyshepardgray.com to find out her latest news or to sign up for her newsletter. Shelley can also be found on FaceBook, Instagram @shelley.s.gray, or on Twitter @ShelleySGray.

My Thoughts...

First let's talk about this cover, The perfect spring cover I love it.

I love a fun Amish romance and Gray is great at giving us a romance will not soon forget.

This series can be read as standalone but both books are really good.

I hope you will take the journey to Apple Creek.

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

The Secrets We Share By Edwin Hill

 

Two sisters, one long-ago murder, and a web of terrifying secrets…
 
At first glance, Natalie Cavanaugh and Glenn Abbott hardly look like sisters. Even off-duty, Natalie dresses like a Boston cop, preferring practical clothes and unfussy, pinned-up hair. Her younger sister, Glenn, seems tailor-made for the spotlight, from her signature red mane to her camera-ready smile. Glenn has spent years cultivating her brand through her baking blog, and with the publication of her new book, that hard work seems about to pay off. But her fans have no idea about the nightmare in Glenn and Natalie’s past.
 
Twenty years ago, their father’s body was discovered in the woods behind their house. A trauma like that doesn’t fit with Glenn’s public image. Yet, maybe someone reading her blog does know something. There have been anonymous online messages, vague yet ominous, hinting that she’s being watched. And with unsettling coincidences hitting ever closer to home, both Glenn and Natalie soon have more pressing matters to worry about, especially when a dead body is found in an abandoned building . . .
 

Natalie is starting to wonder how much Glenn really knows about the people closest to her. But are there also secrets Natalie has yet to uncover about those she herself trusts? For two decades, she’s believed their father was murdered by their neighbor, with whom he was having an affair. But if those events are connected to what’s happening now, maybe there’s much more that Natalie doesn’t know. About their father. About their neighbors. About her friends. Maybe even about herself.

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Amazon.com: The Secrets We Share: A Gripping Novel of Suspense: 9781496735416: Hill, Edwin: Books

Edwin Hill is the author of LITTLE COMFORT and THE MISSING ONES. He was born in Duxbury, Massachusetts, and spent most of his childhood obsessing over The Famous Five, Agatha Christie, and somehow finding a way into C.S. Lewis’s wardrobe. His parents were fond of taking his sister and him on month-long family camping trips across the U.S. and Canada, and one of his best memories is of finishing a copy of The Seven Dials Mystery while the rest of the family visited Mount Rushmore. Growing up when VHS tapes were new meant that watching Alien, Jaws, The Shining, or Halloween whenever he wanted seemed luxurious, and still does today. Like Hester Thursby, he watched these movies – and others like them – a lot.

After attending Wesleyan University and graduating with a B.A. in American Studies, he headed west to San Francisco for the original dotcom boom. Later, he returned to Boston, earned an MFA from Emerson College, and switched gears to work in educational publishing, where he served as the vice president and editorial director for Bedford/St. Martin's, a division of Macmillan Learning, for many years before turning to writing full time.

He lives in Roslindale, Massachusetts with his partner Michael and his favorite reviewer, their lab Edith Ann, who likes his first drafts enough to eat them.

My Thoughts...

This was my first book by Hill. I am a huge fan of thrillers and this one had it all. What a ride. I was on the edge of my seat and I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. I recommend this one and I can't wait to read Hill's next book.

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

Afraid By Lisa Jackson GIVEAWAY!

 

Headlined by blockbuster #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson, with fellow bestselling suspense stars Alexandra Ivy and Lisa Childs, a trio of never-before-released, linked novellas about dark secrets and revenge, all connected by St. Cecilia’s School for Girls. An elite boarding school and a haven for the daughters of the rich and famous, it’s a place where scandals are buried and secrets hidden. But for three former students, evil is about to resurface…

LUCY
Lucy Champagne was sent to St. Cecilia’s after her movie-star mother was brutally attacked by her sleazy boyfriend, Ray Watkins. Lucy’s damning testimony landed Ray a twenty-five-year sentence. But now, Ray is free. And he’s going to find Lucy and make her pay, no matter how far and how fast she runs . . .
 
RAYNE
Rayne Taylor found unexpected happiness at St. Cecilia’s, until her roommate, Natalie, committed suicide. Only when Rayne finds a box of mementoes from that time does she realize how wrong she may have been about Natalie’s death—and how far someone will go to keep the truth hidden . . .

ERIN

Erin MacDonald remembers little about the long-ago night she and her sister, Anna Beth, were kidnapped. While Erin was found safe, Anna Beth vanished forever. Now Erin has reluctantly come back to the family estate, where Detective Rafe Montego hopes to finally crack the case. But as flashes of Erin’s memory reemerge, she learns how deep the danger goes . . . 

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Amazon.com: Afraid: Three Riveting Stories of Suspense: 9781420153637: Jackson, Lisa, Ivy, Alexandra, Childs, Lisa: Books

Alexandra Ivy graduated from Truman University with a degree in theatre before deciding she preferred to bring her characters to life on paper rather than stage. She started her career writing traditional regencies before moving into the world of paranormal with her USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times bestselling series The Guardians of Eternity. Now she writes a wide variety of genres that include paranormal, erotica, and romantic suspense.

Stop by www.alexandraivy.com to stay update! 

My Thoughts...

This story was woven together so well you would have never known three people wrote it together. I am a fan of Jacksons so I devoured this book really quick.

This was a 4 star read and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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

Crazy Like A Fox By Melinda Metz GIVEAWAY!

 

Return to the charming mountain town of Fox Crossing, Maine—where nature lovers are welcome, the locals are friendly, and a single glimpse of a legendary fox can change your life forever...

Most people think The Fox is just a folk tale, designed to lure tourists to their quiet little town on the Appalachian Trail. But kindergarten teacher Lillian Smith is hoping the stories of the white-earred, white-pawed vixen—who brings luck and love to those who see her—are all true. After a chance sighting of the fabled fox, Lillian hopes her hiker boyfriend Owen will finally propose. Instead, he publicly dumps her, claiming she’s not adventurous enough. Lillian’s determined to prove him wrong. But she sure could use some of that foxy magic to win him back...

Luckily, Lillian is not alone. She has her good friend Gavin, the local boot camp worker who agrees to help her reinvent herself—even though he thinks she’s fine the way she is. Then there are the townsfolk who also claim to have caught glimpses of The Fox: an offbeat musician with a downbeat career, a not-so-fortunate couple who’ve forgotten just how lucky they are, and a playwright whose life needs a second act. But if the fox legend is true, things always have a way of working out—for those crazy enough to keep believing...

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE CRAZY TO LIVE HERE.

BUT IT HELPS…IF YOU’RE CRAZY LIKE A FOX! 

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Amazon.com: Crazy like a Fox (A Fox Crossing, Maine Novel): 9781496728111: Metz, Melinda: Books

Melinda Metz grew up in San Jose, California. People sometimes ask if she knows the way there. She kinda does, but she has an off-kilter sense of direction, so to be confident of arriving, it's better to consult some kind of navigational device.

Her mother tried to teach her to read in kindergarten, but Melinda had no interest. She also had no interest in learning to write her name. (FYI, when Melinda was in kindergarten it was all about finger-painting, play time, and naps.) Eventually, she mastered both and even majored in English at San Jose State University.

After college, Melinda moved to Manhattan to seek her fortune, which involved learning to identify fruits and vegetables while working at a grocery store,

making $2.73 working backstage for an off-off Broadway play (her part of the box-office profits), and editing books.

Melinda and the lovely and talented Laura J. Burns pretty much became unofficial writing partners when they were editors at the same company. They teamed up to brainstorm story ideas, and at some point their brains fused in some key places. Later they worked on the Roswell High book series, Laura developing and editing the series, Melinda writing.

That series led to Melinda and Laura, now an official writing team, writing two TV pilots, moving to L.A. to work on the Roswell TV show, and briefly living in Toronto while on the writing staff of 1-800-Missing. They both continue to write books, together and separately.

Laura and Melinda have a new book in the works, a young adult thriller that includes: adventure! heiroglyphics! globe-trotting! paranormal artifacts!

Melinda's first adult book, Talk to the Paw, is coming out in February 2018 from Kensington. It's a romance with a cat playing matchmaker. Everybody say awww.

Her six-book S.M.A.R.T.S. series is out now. The middle-grade mysteries focuses on the kids in a makerspace club, and includes lots of science facts. (Melinda minored in Biology. Weird, huh?)

Melinda has never regretted learning to read and write her name. 

This is a fun read. I hope that you get a chance to pick up a copy.

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