Kam's Place
Lured by Light by Beth Barany (Book Review)
At Bijoux de L'Etoile, the high-end casino orbiting Earth, anything can happen.
It's a quiet day for L'Étoile lead investigator, Janey McCallister, until a young woman runs screaming through the blackjack tables. She looks like a victim of abuse, but when her boyfriend turns up dead the next day, she becomes the prime suspect.
Determined to investigate every angle, Janey searches for clues and uncovers a world of high-priced escorts and human trafficking—a world just like the one that took the life of her best friend long ago.
When Orlando Valdez, inspector for Sol Unified Planets, shows up with a new suspect, Janey isn't sure she can trust the mercurial man who stopped returning her phone calls. But as the threats escalate and she unravels a deeper conspiracy, Janey and her team will need all the help they can get. If they fail, it could be the end of everyone on L'Étoile.
Lured By Light, the second book in the Janey McCallister Mystery series, is perfect for fans of J.D. Robb's Eve Dallas books and Killjoys, and CSI. It contains a slow-burn romance, enhanced humans, cool high-tech gadgets, a futuristic vision of the Earth, and a tough kick-ass heroine with secrets.
Kindle Purchase Link
Print Purchase Link
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)
Lured By Light didn't fail to keep me entertained. It had mystery, suspense, murder, misunderstandings, futuristic tech gadgets, more questions than answers, and left me counting down the days until Gone Green releases in 2021.
As with Into the Black, Orlando Valdez worked his way back into one of Janey's case and, I believe, her heart. Of course, I'm not entirely sure he ever left it. He's charming but irritating at the same time. One day soon, I think these two will eventually get some quality time together. Maybe Orlando will wear a costume for fun, not just for his undercover assignments. *wink, wink*
As for the ending, Janey didn't get everything she wanted. The loose ends mean more books, and I am 100% on board for this.
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)
Score: ❤❤❤❤
The 'Janey McCallister Mystery' Series Reading Order
Into the Black: Kindle Purchase Link / Print Purchase Link
Lured By Light: Kindle Purchase Link / Print Purchase Link
Coming 2021 – Gone Green: Kindle Purchase Link
Red Running Deep: Date TBD
Award winning author, Beth Barany writes in several genres including young adult adventure fantasy, paranormal romance, and science fiction mysteries. Inspired by living abroad in France and Quebec, she loves creating magical tales of romance, mystery, and adventure that empower women and girls to be the heroes of their own lives.
For fun, Beth enjoys walking her neighborhood, gardening on her patio, and watching movies and traveling with her husband, author Ezra Barany. They live in Oakland, California with a piano and over 1,000 books.
Sign up here to be notified about once a month of book news and special events: http://bethb.net/itbnews.
Tagged as acrobats, adventure, asteroids, black hole, casino, constellations, crime, Earth, fantasy, hotel, investigators, Mars, mining, nebula, Orion, outer space, romance, scifi, space, stars, suspense, technology, Venus
Memory Reborn by Steven M Nedeau (Book Review)
At his new job at the memory storage facility, Darien Mamon is stunned to discover that he is the intended storage device, and has been all along.
Darien thought MemorSingular hired him for his brain. They did. They just don't need what's in it. After finding details of a century old knowledge retention program, Darien learns the company has been grooming the minds of new hires to be overwritten with the personas of their most valued employees.
An old classmate, Nancy, could be Darien's only chance to escape MemorSingular before his mind is overwritten. Unfortunately, Nancy hates his guts, and if she doesn't change her mind the company will change his.
Memory Reborn twisted my mind up like a pretzel. Real – fake – it was hard to decipher what the heck was going on. Memory Reborn was a real thinker. It made me question everything and everybody.
This book was a science fiction lover's wet dream; however, I believe it will appeal to readers who enjoy mystery novels. Hacking, murder mystery, extreme VR, and a few other elements will capture and hold your interest until the final page. You might even find yourself going back and reexamining the clues, wondering if you could've predicted what's happening in the silo before it's unveiled for us.
I had my suspicions. I was correct on a few essential items/people, but not on everything and everyone. Plot twists and surprise developments were the name of the game, and Memory Reborn had both!
My website http://www.StevenMNedeau.com has a contact section that I pay attention to, but I can often be found playing on twitter (@StevenMNedeau), and a little less often at Instagram (@theleastinterestingmanalive). I almost always respond to my fans. You're the people I write for.
Tagged as Dystopian, fantasy, Genetic Engineering, mystery, review, science, scientists, scifi, suspense, tech, thriller, virtual reality
The 'Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries' Series by Angie Fox (Book Series Showcase)
Check out any or all of these GHOSTLY READS by Angie Fox!
Reading Order:
Southern Spirits
A Ghostly Gift (short story)
The Skeleton in the Closet
Ghost of a Chance (short story)
The Haunted Heist
Deader Homes and Gardens
Dog Gone Ghost
Sweet Tea and Spirits
Murder on the Sugarland Express
Pecan Pies and Dead Guys
The Mint Julep Murders
Southern Bred and Dead
The Haunted Homecoming (coming August 2021)
About Angie Fox
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Angie Fox writes sweet, fun, action-packed mysteries. Her characters are clever and fearless, but in real life, Angie is afraid of basements, bees, and going up stairs when it is dark behind her. Let's face it. Angie wouldn't last five minutes in one of her books.
Angie is best known for her SOUTHERN SPIRITS™ mysteries, and for her ACCIDENTAL DEMON SLAYER books.
Visit her at www.angiefox.com.
Tagged as detective, ghosts, Halloween, Happy Holidays, haunting, Holidays, mystery, showcase, skunk, spirits, suspense, thriller, women sleuth
Into the Black: Janey McCallister Mystery by Beth Barany (Book Review)
She wanted to make her mark. How hard could it be?
In 2130, at Bijoux de L'Etoile, a high-end casino orbiting Earth, you can get anything you desire.
Newly-hired as an investigator, Janey McCallister wants to solve her first big case—the theft of a priceless gem.
When her case of theft escalates to murder and points to the seedy underbelly of world affairs, Janey has to rely on her new team and trust the mysterious insurance investigator, Orlando Valdez—before a killer escapes into the black.
Into The Black is perfect for fans of J.D. Robb's Eve Dallas books and Killjoys and CSI. It contains a slow-burn romance, enhanced humans, cool high-tech gadgets, a futuristic vision of the Earth, and a tough heroine with secrets.
Into the Black had mystery, suspense, deception, murder, and sexual tension. Janey and Orlando's interactions reminded me of Castle and Beckett, the lovable characters from the hit detective show — Castle.
In the television show, Richard Castle brings out the fun side of Kate Beckett. He's handsome, sneaky, flirty, quick to mischief. Hmm, yup, it sounds a great deal like Orlando Valdez. Janey and Beckett have some of the same qualities, too. Tough, intelligent, leaders, goal-driven beauties, but can let their hair down at times as well. Plus, they both seem unable to resist their partner, who was thrust upon them against their firm objections… (Figuratively, not literally, of course) 🙂
This story is labeled as science fiction, but I can see certain elements coming to pass as technology grows.
*Casino in outer space? Sure, why not? Casinos are popular on Earth already.
*Ocular eyeballs? I'm surprised Elon Musk hasn't created that already.
*Personal AI assistants? TOTALLY!
*Penal colony on the moon? Alcatraz is known as The Rock, so would that make the moon The Rock 2.0?
Joking aside, buy the book. You'll like it, I'm sure.
Tagged as AI, Earth, enhanced humans, mystery, outer space, private investigators, review, scifi, space, suspense, tech, technology, women sleuth
Death by Midnight: A Young Adult Spy Thriller (The Secret Life of Anna Goode Book 1) by Nicole Nadeau (Book Review)
A teen genius. A Russian terrorist. Can she save her family before time runs out?
Anna is an inventor, but her high school bully causes her to hide her talents. Her best friend, Jake, is the only one she trusts with her secret. But after her parents are taken hostage by a dangerous figure in need of her skills, Anna is forced to carry out his plan in order to save them.
With her inventions and Jake by her side, Anna races against time to complete her mission. She quickly discovers that her parents aren't the only ones in danger.
Can she save her family and countless others before it's too late?
Death by Midnight is the first book in The Secret Life of Anna Goode series. If you like well-written characters, a strong female lead, suspenseful plots, and unexpected twists, you'll love Nadeau's action-packed spy thriller.
Buy Death by Midnight today…the clock is ticking!
Death by Midnight can best be described as a high-octane, thrill ride.
From the opening act, chapter one, readers will be engaged in a car chase, dodge bullets, and stumble upon a dead man.
From there, things did not slow down one iota.
Car chases. Crashes. Guns. Bullets. Kidnappings. These five things happen on a loop. What an adrenaline rush!
Anna and Jake are definitely not experiencing a typical teenage weekend, and speaking of the teens, where the heck did Anna learn to fight? She has some serious moves. She was able to best skilled Russian enforcers, CIA, and the FBI. In reality, I don't see this as plausible. In the land of fiction, anything is possible. That's what makes fiction so great!
I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Nicole Nadeau grew up in Springboro, Ohio, with her older sister, Paige and younger brother Mark. She also has a dog, Lola and a rescue cat named Penny.
An avid reader since grade school, she read every action and adventure book she could get her hands on. Eventually, her love of reading developed into a love of writing. She started working on her own book while she was in high school.
Nicole has a neuromuscular disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) which creates challenges in her daily life. She refuses to let SMA stop her from doing what she loves. Like the lead character in her book, she is determined and overcomes any obstacles that stand in her way.
She is already busy planning the next book in the Secret Life of Anna Goode series and has plans for many more books in the future.
Tagged as action, adventure, ebola, genius, inventions, inventor, review, small pox, spy, suspense, teen, thriller, viruses, YA
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The Extravagant Series by Lauren Blakely (Author Showcase)
Touchstone of Love (A Time Travel Romance) by Beth Barany (Novella Review)
Henrietta The Dragon Slayer (Volume 1) by Beth Barany (Book Review)
Virginia A Rifkin on Dead and Breakfast: Rewind or Die Book 11 by Gary Buller (Book Review)
Kam Brook on Ghost Moon by Kathryn Knight (Book Review)
Kathryn Knight on Ghost Moon by Kathryn Knight (Book Review)
Kam Brook on The 'A Futuristic Fantasy' Series by Jim Proctor (Author Showcase)
Jim Proctor on The 'A Futuristic Fantasy' Series by Jim Proctor (Author Showcase)
action adventure anthology BDSM Christmas comedy comics contemporary contest erotica fantasy fiction historical Holidays horror humor interview LGBT LGBTQIA love magic military mystery ménage novella paranormal random thoughts review romance scifi sexiness sexy short story showcase sports supernatural suspense sweet tattoos teen thriller urban western witches YA
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Kam's Place · Reviewer/Promoter/Proofreader – Your basic bookworm.