Thr3e by Ted Dekker

One of the great things about having a daughter who writes is the opportunity to talk about writing. Whether it's plot, character development, story structure, or POV, I really enjoy the discussion.

This evening we went to our favorite "sitting out, chillin', and chatting" place and spent over an hour talking mostly book stuff. As we discussed writing mysteries, Thr3e came up and we decided it's one of our top 3 books.

Thr3e is a book from Ted Dekker. I found it years ago during a Thanksgiving trip to my mom's and totally loved it. In fact, I read the whole thing in just one evening, in one sitting. Not only does it start with a bang, it ends with one. I had no idea who the "bad guy" was, and Dekker knocked the end out of the ballpark. Neither Beth or I saw it coming. Every time we thought we had it figured out, nope.

If you like mystery/thrillers, then we both recommend you run to the store and get Thr3e.  Then let me know what you think.

And while I'm recommending books - Hit and Run by Beth Lauzier is an awesome middle-grade fantasy your young reader will love.  You can get a copy here or message me for a signed one.

San Gabriel's Secret by David Ciambrone

Nestled on the San Gabriel River in Central Texas’ Hill Country, Georgetown is a small town where things are normally pretty quiet. That is, until Adam Thomas, a retired scientist and now writer of a newspaper column for women under the name Aunt Kay, inherits a Confederate solder’s journal and a new murder. Adam and his girlfriend Kathy find themselves the center of dark doings, strange people and racing headlong into a fast paced, high stakes adventure to untangle a murderous puzzle, a series of macabre organizations and locate the centuries old and highly unusual, San Gabriel Secret.

*****

I really enjoyed this one. If you are a fan of David Ciambrone's, you'll love it too.

Get your copy here.

Rebound by Michael Goodell

As a Private Detective, James “Don’t Call Me Corky” Corcoran has a lot in common with his adoptive hometown of Detroit. The past is brighter than the present; he’s going nowhere fast, and he’s running out of money. But things change when he starts to investigate Jonathan Wade’s death. A childhood friend and longtime rival, Wade was the black sheep son of one of the oldest and wealthiest families who called the exclusive suburb of Grosse Pointe home. Each clue in the case dredges up yet another memory Corcoran has spent the past decade trying to drink into oblivion. It takes him back to Grosse Pointe, where he hasn’t set foot for the past ten years, ever since Sara Jensen’s death sent his career into a tailspin.

Grosse Pointe looks the same, its quiet streets still lined with majestic homes, but behind those facades things aren’t as they seem. Some of the best and the brightest families are hiding some secrets so dark, so destructive, that they are willing to do anything to keep them hidden. They try to buy him off, scare him off, and even try to kill him to keep Corcoran from discovering the truth, but as time goes by he realizes he can’t quit because this case has become his road to justice, redemption, and even love.

He’ll solve this case, or die trying.

Get your copy here.here

*****

Just have to say, I loved this one. Reminds of of the old fashioned noir thrillers.

They Call Me Avenged by Cyndi Lord

When a number of people go missing in a small Northeast Texas town, Sandra Derringer becomes involved to solve the case of missing twelve-year-old twin boys. She soon learns that two common denominators exist between the people who have gone missing; abused animals, and a local animal rescue owner, Loretta Bentley. Her deep devotion to animals is overshadowed by mental illness and her belief she is getting messages from God to deliver an-eye-for-an-eye justice to anyone who neglects or abuses animals. Many have thought this penalty deserved, but Loretta is insane enough to carry it out in her isolated, large ranch where no one can hear her victims’ screams.

*****

Not for the faint of heart. Order your copy here.

Dating Death by Randy Rawls

The Chief of Police of Coral Lakes, FL has the goods on Roger Adamson, a dirty politician. However, the chief knows Adamson has additional information that could bring down a drug lord and disembowel his organization. Chief Elston asks Beth Bowman, a South Florida PI, to assist by becoming Adamson's consort/bodyguard while Adamson parses out data. Beth agrees, not realizing multiple homicides, a kidnapping, a tight frame for murder, and the loss of the man she loves await her. If not for Beth's homeless friends, all might be lost.

Get your copy here.

*****

A really nice read for the summer.

The Radio Murders by Kelly Marshall

Seattle homicide detectives Nick Winston and Pat Strom dig working together. Their lively banter gets them through the daily dark side of their business. After all, dead bodies dominate their workload.

He’s straight, she’s gay. In politically liberal Seattle, that’s not a problem until…they both find the same woman irresistible. Suddenly their wonderful working relationship is intolerable.

At the center of their attention is radio announcer, Jasmine James. Beautiful and sultry, James has a sexual appetite big enough to satisfy both detectives. The two officers are not the only ones obsessed with the Love Songs host. A crazed fan kidnaps Jasmine James while four of her male listeners are discovered dead with a single bullet to their ear as her Love Songs program plays softly in the background. The pressure is on the Seattle cops to find the murderer and locate James before her air runs out.

Order your copy today here.

Six Pack of Murder by Jean Lauzier

Murder happens –

And no matter the reason, there’s always a crime to be solved and a bad guy that needs to be caught. Within the pages of Six Pack of Murder, you’ll find good guys and bad along with those who strive to balance the scales of justice. Just beware; sometimes things aren’t as they appear.

Get your copy here.

*****

Since I wrote this, I naturally like it. Hope you do too. 

Dangerous Threads by David Ciambrone

Virginia Davies-Clark must find a quilt missing for seventy years. An award-winning quilt hiding an amazing secret. Virginia Davies-Clark is called back into the service of the Smithsonian Central Security Service and the Department of Defense, along with her husband, Andy, and her friend, Donna, to locate a quilt. This isn't just any quilt. At the 1933 Century of Progress in Chicago, Sears Roebuck Company sponsored a quilt contest. The Grand Prize was to be $1,000.00. The quilt that won the prize was a pieced called "The Unknown Star" by the maker, Margaret Rogers Caden of Kentucky. The quilt itself was presented to the President's wife, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt. 

Sometime during FDR's presidency, the quilt disappeared and has not been seen for almost seventy years. Virginia questions why the DOD is interested in an old quilt. As she, Andy and Donna start their quest, they find they are not the only ones searching for the quilt and they are attacked by various organizations bent on stopping her. Their adversary list grows as they try to accomplish an impossible assignment. Virginia makes some strange alliances across the country to take down the organizations trying to stop her. Using her wits, cunning, intellect, and guts, she, Andy and Donna attempt to locate the quilt and use any means she can to undermine a bold strategy by her adversaries trying to kill her and her little group. Her conniving, devious and messy strategy brings the villains to an explosive end.

Get your copy here

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*****

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I love David's books. He has a whole series with Virginia including another "quilt" mystery.

 Get your copy here.

Mystery We Write Blog Tour - Jean Henry Mead

Jean Henry Mead is a national award-winning photojournalist published domestically as well as abroad. She’s also the author of 18 books including the Logan & Cafferty mystery/suspense series, Hamilton Kids’ mysteries and western historical novels. Her nonfiction books include five books of  interviews and several history books, one of which served as a college textbook. She began her writing career as a news reporter and worked as a staff writer-photographer and editor for three newspapers in California and Wyoming.  She also served as editor for magazines and small presses and freelanced for the Denver Post.

Jean says, " Although I was born and reared in Los Angeles, I live on a mountaintop ranch in Wyoming, which is the setting for my latest Logan & Cafferty novel, Gray Wolf Mountain. Dana Logan and Sarah Cafferty are driving Dana’s Escalade down the mountain when someone shoots out a tire and the SUV rolls off the road. They’re soon rescued by an old man in an ancient, rusty pickup and they learn that he nurses wounded wolves back to life. Someone’s using the wolves for target practice, and later humans as well."

Here's an excerpt from Gray Wolf Mountain. 

Stooped and slim as a broom handle, he shuffled around to the opposite side of the truck in his frayed plaid shirt and greasy, ragged overalls. Dana flipped open her cell phone and punched in 911. Wouldn’t you know? No service in the area. They would have to accept the ride. Offering to help their benefactor, they were waved off as he removed an aging yellow cat the size of a short-legged cocker spaniel. He then hauled out a battered plastic box with a cracked lid. Placing the box and cat in the bed of his truck, he next retrieved several lengths of greasy rope with hooks attached to both ends. That left something wrapped in a filthy blanket. When it fell to the ground, they saw that it was a saber.

Sarah gasped and grabbed Dana’s arm. “We don’t want to put you to any trouble,” she said,  voice quavering.

He cupped a hand to his left ear. “What’s that you say?”

So he was hard of hearing. Sarah raised her voice and repeated what she’d said.

“No trouble, young lady. I need to clean my truck out, anyhow.”

“Young lady?” They looked at one another and grinned. “We haven’t been called young in ages.”

His returning grin had several teeth missing. “You two look mighty spry to me. Good lookin’ too, if I might add.”

That settled it. They would have to accept the ride, but neither wanted to sit next to him. The old man didn’t appear to have had taken a bath in months. Turning her back, Dana removed a coin from her wallet and flipped it on her wrist. Covering it with her palm she motioned for Sarah to call it.

“Heads.” Sarah said, crossing fingers.

Sighing with relief, Dana showed her the coin.

“No problem,” Sarah whispered. “My sinuses are so clogged from all this mountain greenery that I can’t smell a thing. Make sure you roll down the window.”

Jean will be giving away a copy of Gray Wolf Mountain at the conclusion of the blog tour on December 11, and will announce the winner at Mysterious Writers: http://mysteriouspeople.blogspot.com/

Gray Wolf Mountain is available in Kindle and print editions HERE.

Mystery We Write Blog Tour - Joyce Lavene

Joyce Lavene writes bestselling mystery with her husband/partner Jim. They have written and published more than 60 novels for Harlequin, Berkley and Charter Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. She lives in rural North Carolina with her family, her cat, Quincy, and her rescue dog, Rudi. Visit her at www.joyceandjimlavene.com, Facebook/JoyceandJimLavene.com. Twitter: @authorjlavene, http://romanceofmystery.blogspot.com.

Here's an excerpt of A Haunting Dream:

The moonlight made a white band out of Duck Road as it moved through the center of town. I followed it, winding down the silent streets, until I reached the shore of the Atlantic. There was a hazy quality to the sea that night. The waves were so calm, it was almost like looking at the Currituck Sound on the other side of town. 

I stood on the shore and stared out at the water like so many of my Banker relatives had for centuries in the past. The Atlantic was the lifeblood of Duck and the other older towns on the island. Our ancestors scratched out a living here by taking in cargo that was lost to what came to be known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. 

Hundreds of ships went down here. Some because of the treacherous waters, others because of the local pirates, and a few here and there due to Banker tricks that caused no small amount of disaster. People did what they had to if they wanted to survive. Those weren’t easy times. Cut off from the mainland—no bridges then—life had been difficult.

As I followed the line of the sky with my eyes, I saw what looked like an old wooden ship. It was huge and was under full sail. It looked heavy and cargo rich—a Spanish galleon, if I wasn’t mistaken.

“The Andalusia,” I barely breathed aloud. 

It was a legend, a ghost ship that went down with all hands onboard and a treasure of what most people believed to be over twenty-five million dollars in today’s currency. The ship was destroyed in 1721, never to be seen again as a real vessel. But many people had seen it down through the years, sailing across the water. People in Duck took it as an ill omen. 

All of my life had been spent here, but I’d never seen this before. As I watched it, thrilled and terrified at the same time, I knew it couldn’t be anything else. The ship, even though it looked heavy with cargo, wasn’t quite resting on the dark water. A light that wasn’t part of the moon glow filled it, creating an aura around it. 

I’d heard people say that seeing the ghost ship had transfixed them. They’d walked for miles looking at it. I felt the same way—captivated by the sight of it. I couldn’t look away. 

I started walking along the beach, trying to keep pace with the ghostly galleon. Except for that light and the glow from the moon, it was very dark along the water. I stumbled into a ditch in the sand, created by rain running off from the island. It was still very wet from the tail end of a hurricane we’d had recently.  I lost my balance and sank to my knees in the soft sand. 

I put my hands out to keep myself steady. I didn’t want to look away from the Andalusia, but I had no choice if I wanted to get back on my feet. 

I looked down at the sand and saw a face with wide open eyes looking back at me.

Blurb:

The mayor of Duck, North Carolina, Dae O’Donnell, is a woman with a gift for finding lost things. When her boyfriend Kevin’s ex-fiancée Ann arrives in Duck looking for a second chance, Dae suddenly finds herself facing certain heartache. And while her romantic life is in shambles, she’s even more concerned by the sudden change in her gift. After touching a medallion owned by a local named Chuck Sparks, Dae is shocked when her vision reveals his murder—and a cry for help. Dae doesn’t know what to make of the dead man’s plea to “Help her,” until she has another vision about a kidnapped girl—Chuck’s daughter, Betsy. With a child missing, the FBI steps in to take over the case. But Dae can’t ignore her visions of Betsy, or the fact that Kevin’s psychic ex-fiancé might be the only person who can help find her.

  You can get your copy here.

Win a copy of A Haunting Dream, the fourth book in the Missing Pieces Mysteries, by leaving your name at my blog: http://romanceofmystery.blogspot.com