Book Review: The Bone Nest by Shanessa Gluhm

The Bone Nest by Shanessa Gluhm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It was their final summer together, and nothing would ever be the same.

The Bone Nest is a suspenseful and cleverly plotted murder mystery by Shanessa Gluhm and set in Blusummer, Texas, where almost 40 years earlier, a serial killer had committed a string of murders of young local women, strangled and photographed, the bodies of the first three never found. That summer was the last one that Hayes Sheridan, Chantilly Price, Troy Terrell, and Greer Collins would have together before the four split up to follow their post-graduation college and work plans. But the 4th of July would see the group destroyed as one would die and another would be accused of murder.

Fast-forward to 2024, where a young criminal defense attorney, Joaquin Ramos, out to enervate his new practice and make a name for himself, would take on the death sentence case of Troy Terrell, the convicted serial killer known as "The Songbird Strangler," whose punishment was scheduled to be carried out after the New Year. Working to overturn Troy’s conviction at the behest of the Death Penalty Abolition Program, Joaquin and his team have an uphill battle as the previous petitions on Troy’s behalf have failed.

The story unfolds in dual timelines (1986 and 2024) and from multiple points of view, giving readers a front-row seat to the events of both the past and the present, and personal insight into the characters involved. Because we know Troy Terrell is on death row, with his time running, and that he was there for the murder of his friend, Tilly, the buildup to the night of July 4, 1986, is breath-stealingly suspenseful. There are secrets among all the friends, which develop later into several plausible motives for Tilly’s murder. I was completely certain I knew who the killer was SEVERAL times, only to have one theory after another kicked to the curb by the plot, which would take spectacular turn after spectacular turn.

The resulting tale is full of missed connections and choices that led to unfulfilled dreams and futures that never lived up to expectations. The main female character, Greer Collins Sheridan, one of the four teenagers in 1986, had loved Hayes Sheridan all her life but only got him by default. She gets the life she dreamed of, only to face tragedy and the knowledge that she was always his second choice. Hayes follows his parents’ plans for his future rather than his dream of becoming a farmer. Troy, who just wanted to get out of Blusummer, gets his wish, but life on death row for a murder he swears he didn’t commit was a devastatingly cruel plot twist. Even the attorney, Joaquin, who dreams of winning big in court and is not afraid to put in the work to achieve it, faces a personal roadblock. His attraction to Melrose Reed, the paralegal on Troy’s defense team, feels wrong, and as her boss, it is inappropriate as long as they work together. But he hopes with all his heart that after the case is settled, he can finally approach her as a regular man interested in a legitimate romantic relationship.

With its strong and interesting character development and clever, twisty plot, I recommend THE BONE NEST to readers of suspense, mysteries, and thrillers.

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Book Review: The Brothers and Sisters Eatery by Gabe Reaume

The Brothers and Sisters Eatery by Gabe Reaume
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Captivating tale of culinary collaboration and kinship in 1920s Chicago.

The Brothers and Sisters Eatery by Gabe Reaume is a warm and captivating tale of two disparate families in 1920s Chicago, drawn together by the fathers' love of cooking and sharing their special family dishes with others. Samson, the head of the Sanders family, is a former slave from Sugar Land, Texas, with a gift for creating mouthwatering barbeque. His wife, Sandra, is an equally gifted baker of hard-to-resist fruit hand pies. Massimo "Mass" Messina is an immigrant from Sicily, brought to the U.S. after years of coaxing by his wife's older brother, Carmine Basile, a Chicago businessman with ties to the Sicilian mafia. Mass's life revolves around the dishes he's grown up with and perfected, and he plans to bring them to his new home by opening a restaurant on his own, without his brother-in-law's help. Both men require capital to keep their families afloat while pursuing their dreams, and the unlikely pair meets when their lunch pails are swapped on the first day of their new jobs at the Chicago Armour plant.

Two passionate, determined men and two loving, supportive families form the foundation of this inspirational, satisfying historical fiction story about immigrant experiences in 1920s Chicago. The two fathers' love of cooking is the common thread that draws them together, but it is their kindness, humanity, shared experiences, and like-mindedness that cement their enduring friendship. I liked that the families shared these qualities and meshed so well as they worked toward their common goal.

The author presents a vivid picture of life in Chicago and the social climate at that time. The attitudes towards Blacks and immigrants are a reminder of the past and, for some, a mirror of current relations. The two men drew the former slaughterhouse workers' particular ire because they were hired as replacements for the strikers. The descriptions of the work, practices, and conditions at the plant were eye-opening.

However, the plot is not just about the two families' paths to collaboration as chefs and, eventually, restaurateurs. The descriptions of their meals, mains, sides, and breads all had me watering at the mouth and wishing the author had included recipes at the end of the book! Also, suspenseful twists involving individuals from both men's pasts threaten not only their dreams but also their lives and those of their families!

The fathers' shared love of cooking and their willingness and determination to persevere, doing whatever it took to keep their families afloat while they worked toward a better life and future, is a tribute to fathers everywhere who are quietly and persistently doing the same: the perfect story as Father's Day approaches.

I recommend THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS EATERY to readers of historical fiction, especially those with an affinity for immigrant stories, men overcoming great odds, or early Chicago settings.

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Book Campaign: Up From Hell by Joan Moran

 

UP FROM HELL

Echoes of the Past:

Crimes in Central Texas

Book 1

By Joan Moran

Crime Thriller

Publisher: Next Chapter

Publication Date: April 7, 2026

SYNOPSIS

Growing up in Las Vegas, Neil Dixon's future looked bleak. The son of a drug-addicted mother, he didn't have a lot of options until a police officer, Sergeant Finch, pulled him from danger and sent him to a new life in Texas.

Now, years later, Neil has become the police officer he always wanted to be—steady, principled, and unafraid to stand alone. But Jarrell, Texas, is not the clean slate he hoped for. Corruption in the department is rampant, and traffickers operate across the border.

When Neil’s mother dies, he returns to Las Vegas and meets the father he’s never known. He gets pulled into a deadly game with his father that stretches from Vegas to the police department in Jarrell, to cartel-scarred border towns. To survive, he must decide what kind of man he truly is - and how far he’s willing to go to stop the people who profit from chaos.

The first book in Joan Moran's series of crime thrillers, UP FROM HELL, is a gripping, character-driven novel about the weight of the past and the cost of justice. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joan holds two master’s degrees: in Theater and in Education. Her desire to teach in the theater department at UNLV led to her position there, where she taught acting and theater history. Five years later, Joan founded and was the artistic director of the Meadows Playhouse, Las Vegas’s first year-round theater. Her interest in film led to her admission to the American Film Institute in Los Angeles as a producing fellow. Joan wrote her first screenplay and continued to write for film in Hollywood for the next 15 years. She produced several films.

Joan also pursued a career as a motivational speaker and blogger. As a keynote speaker, Joan commanded the stage with her delightful humor, raw energy, and wealth of life experiences. She spread her knowledge and energy as she combined 15 years of theater experience, as well as over 13 years of experience as a yoga and meditation instructor at UCLA. 

Joan began her writing journey with her memoir, 60, Sex & Tango: Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer. Other books followed: I’m the Boss of Me: Stay Sexy, Smart & Strong at Any Age, a compilation of her most popular blogs, and An Accidental Cuban, a thriller that takes place in modern-day Havana. The novel was developed into a streaming series. Her recently published book, Once A Homecoming Queen, is a darkly humorous take on senior alcoholism. Joan also adapted Once A Homecoming Queen into an award-winning screenplay. Her latest book is a historical memoir of her mother: Suddenly, I Was Jewish: The Life and Times of My Jewish Mother. Up From Hell is her seventh novel. She is developing Up From Hell into a trilogy: ECHOES OF THE PAST: CRIMES IN CENTRAL TEXAS.

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REVIEW

4 stars!

A young boy comes of age in not-so-sleepy Central Texas.

Up From Hell is the first book in author Joan Moran’s gritty crime fiction series, Echoes of the Past: Crimes in Central Texas, featuring a young boy who was dealt a rough start in life but who has a plan to turn it all around and make the most of his dream to become a good police officer. When Neil Dixon’s mother goes into the hospital to treat her drug addiction, the eight-year-old is befriended by Las Vegas Police Sergeant Jordan Finch, who gets him to a safe, stable place before arranging for a more permanent solution with the boy’s aunt and her family in distant Jarrell, Texas. Finch’s example and kindness become Neil’s ideal for his own future, and as he grows, he plots a course to become a police officer in his new hometown. But law enforcement in small towns in dusty Central Texas was a whole different beast at that time. Corruption was rife through the little communities, and the bad guys went unpunished while the cops took money to look the other way. Still, Neil pursued his dream, with the ultimate goal of changing the way justice was served, from the inside out. 

Told from Neil’s point of view, his experiences and impressions from his early life are hard to read, even as Neil keeps himself together and strives for more. After leaving his life in Las Vegas behind, things improve marginally for him, but his aunt is also fighting her own battles with an alcoholic live-in boyfriend. Still just kids, Neil and his cousin, Jack, take the necessary steps toward getting her the help she needs. 

One of the hallmarks of small-town living is that neighbors help neighbors, and Neil is the beneficiary of some good people who want to give the honest, hard-working kid a break, which is how he comes by his first job and first modes of transportation. Another small-town element is the undeniable familiarity; everyone knows everyone else, their families, and their business. This truth both helps and hinders Neil as he progresses toward his goal. 

Because of his unbuffered childhood, Neil had to grow up quickly, but along with the hard knocks, he gained a keen sense of survival and a strong intuition that served him well. I liked how Neil could see through most people’s smokescreens of lies, half-truths, and other obfuscations to get to the heart of what was going on. 

The story moves at an even pace as Neil grows to maturity, punctuated with exciting encounters with criminals, potential danger, and obstacles laid by those who should have been on his side. The young man experiences even more tragedy in his life yet keeps rebounding even stronger than before. I look forward to more of his crime-stopping adventures. 

I recommend UP FROM HELL to readers of character-driven crime fiction.

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Book Review: Hunted by Proxy (Proxy Legal Thriller, #2) by Manning Wolfe

Hunted By Proxy: A Lawyer On The Run Action Suspense Thriller by Manning Wolfe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This series just keeps getting better!

Hunted by Proxy is the second book in author Manning Wolfe’s excellent Proxy Legal Thriller series, featuring the hiding-in-plain-sight criminal defense attorney Quinton Bell, and what a fabulous follow-up to its debut it is! From its heart-wrenching opening to its dazzling surprise of a conclusion, I was riveted by this exciting and absorbing story.

Quinton Bell is a complex character, to say the least. Living a lie to escape his past, he’s endured a lot and is feeling the stress of maintaining his masquerade as a dead man. The author gets us right inside Quinton’s head, and you can almost feel the pressure he’s under, especially with the knowledge that someone out there knows his secret and is using it to toy with him. His legal work is fascinating to read, even the requisite administrative hearings, and the author clearly knows her way around a courtroom and how to convey that to the layperson reader.

Soon into the story, it is revealed that someone knows who Quinton Bell really is, and naturally, he’s spooked. But as days passed and things began to happen, such as the odd sightings of people that quickly disappeared, I, too, started to get the willies. When Quinton said he felt like he was being watched, I knew exactly how he felt. The reader is privy to the thoughts and actions of this stalker but not who is pulling his strings, and when that big reveal happened, I was fully and completely surprised. The story sets up for a next book, and I, for one, am already waiting.

I have to mention the opening sequence, a massive traffic accident on the I-10 between Houston and Katy, was horrifyingly real – a slow-motion rendering of certain death, critical injuries, and destruction. The author gives the perfect introduction to the main characters involved, so I was immediately engaged and already cared about these people when the scene unfolded.

I recommend HUNTED BY PROXY to mystery and thriller readers who enjoy legal dramas, secret identities, and mob-related stories.

View all my reviews

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: The Fatal Saving Grace (Ed Earl Burch Hard-Boiled Texas Crime Thriller, #5) by Jim Nesbitt

THE FATAL SAVING GRACE

by Jim Nesbitt

February 9 - March 6, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

ED EARL BURCH HARD-BOILED TEXAS CRIME THRILLER 

MAYHEM WITH A BADGE

After wandering the peephole wilderness of a private detective for two decades, defrocked Dallas homicide detective Ed Earl Burch is finally an official manhunter again, wearing the badge of a district attorney's investigator working in the harsh desert mountains of West Texas.

Big D, it ain't. And life as a resurrected lawman isn't everything he hoped it would be. Too many rules. Not enough satisfaction. And a boss who hates him for saving his life.

But Burch is back, playing the same deadly game he mastered as a murder cop, tracking a serial killer who tortured and murdered his ex-lover with a straight razor—an Aryan Brotherhood gang leader Burch thought he killed in a desert shootout.

He's also trying to protect the fugitive granddaughter of an old friend and her four-year-old son—from this remorseless killer and cartel gunsels hired by her incestuous Dixie Mafia daddy.

Throats get slashed. Bullets smack flesh. Bodies drop. And Ed Earl Burch and his partner, Bobby Quintero, are in reckless pursuit, dodging death, closing in on their prey.

No place Burch would rather be. Unless he gets killed.

Praise for The Fatal Saving Grace:

The Fatal Saving Grace is the Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite for Action/Adventure 2026

"Nesbitt delivers a scorched-earth tale where every shadow conceals an ambush and every road bleeds history. He paints West Texas in colors of rust, smoke and whiskey, and the result is a story that feels carved in stone. This is cowboy noir at its finest."
~ Baron Birtcher, Will Rogers Medallion winning author of Knife River

"Ed Earl Burch, who's partial to Lucky Strikes and Maker's Mark, makes Mike Hammer look like Miss Marple. Jim's novels offer wicked humor, an eye for detail, brass-knuck action and language that would strip the paint off a Hummer."
~ Noel Holston, author of Life After Deaf and As I Die Laughing

"Jim Nesbitt knows his Texas crime and writes one fine line at a time. Hard-boiled with prickly pears, old leather boots, a bit of tobacco, freshly spit of course, he gets it right."
~ Joe R. Lansdale, champion mojo storyteller and author of the Hap 'N Leonard crime thrillers

"A gritty and deadly must-read, THE FATAL SAVING GRACE cements Nesbitt’s standing among the best writers in the pantheon of Southern noir."
~ Bruce Robert Coffin, bestselling author of the Detective Justice Mysteries

"Ed Earl Burch is back, and that’s great news for readers who love classic hard-boiled noir, colorful characters, crackling dialogue and plenty of action. Highly recommended!"
~ R.G. Belsky, author of the Gil Malloy and Clare Carlson mysteries

"Some would call it justice. Some would call it revenge. No matter what you call it, the concept has been a long running theme of the Ed Earl Burch series. The same is very much true in the fifth book of the series, The Fatal Saving Grace: An Ed Earl Burch Novel by Jim Nesbitt."
~ 'Ace Texas book reviewer' Kevin Tipple

Book Details:

Genre: Hard-Boiled Crime Fiction, Western
Published by: Spotted Mule Press
Publication Date: December 15, 2025
Number of Pages: 301
ISBN: 9780998329482 (ISBN10: 0998329487)
Series: Ed Earl Burch Hard-Boiled Texas Crime Thriller, Book 5 | Each is a Stand-Alone Thriller
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

Ed Earl Burch Novels, 1-4

The Last Second Chance Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

The Right Wrong Number Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

The Best Lousy Choice Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

The Dead Certain Doubt Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

Read an excerpt:

From Chapter 1

When a man gets hit by a .45 ACP Flying Ashtray or three, by all that's ballistically holy, he ought to get dead and stay dead.

All manner of official paperwork swore he was dead. All of it based on a bogus death certificate filed by parties unknown in the Cuervo County Coroner's Office, with copies popping up like blowflies on a cow carcass. Even the federales had him playing poker with the Devil, his prison mugshot tucked away in ATF and DEA files, DECEASED stamped across his face in bold, black letters.

The con was slick and easy. Money changed hands, files were swapped or ditched, reports were shredded or faked. Somebody else's corpse became him. The relentless power of bureaucratic incompetence and inertia did the rest.

Yessir. According to all that yellowing, lawdog paper, he was nobody they had to worry about no more. Finito. A shade. A ghost who said adios. A good thug now that he was a dead thug. Muerto.

Not hardly.

That's what John Wayne said to all those hombres who thought he was dead in Big Jake. With a growl and a scowl.

Not hardly.

He liked that. Matter of fact, he just trotted out the Duke's line to a guy he used to be tight with. Caught up to him climbing the three cinder block steps to the front door of his desert double wide.

Tapped him on the shoulder, saw the wild-eyed fear when the dude turned and saw who the finger belonged to. Blurted out: "You're supposed to be dead!"

Not hardly. Said it with a growl but no scowl. Then grabbed him by a greasy hank of raven black hair, yanking his head back and cutting a crimson smile across his throat from ear to ear. With a bone-handled straight razor. His favorite.

Threw the guy into the sand at the side of the steps. Listened to the choking gurgle and death rattle. Then licked the blood off the blade.

Not hardly. He tilted his head back and laughed. Savored the kill. Alone and alive. An endless dome of stars glittering in the midnight sky above the rocky desert outback near Radium Springs, New Mexico. No moon. A dead man at his feet. Used to be a member of his crew. Frankie Sheridan.

Met him at Pelican Bay. An Alice Baker brother doing a long stretch for bank robbery. Had a shamrock tattooed on his chest with the initials AB in capital letters—Alice Baker, Aryan Brotherhood. Blood in, blood out. Ex-Army. Knew his way around diesels, alarm systems, and weapons.

Sent him a ticket to Texas when he got out. Made him a member of his crew, smuggling guns and drugs out of a ranch north of Faver, the Cuervo County seat, a bent outfit that ran cattle for cover and fleeced bitter and gullible white trash while promising them the return of the Republic of Texas for Caucasian Christians only, a New Zion based on God, guns, guts, and the Good Book. Niggers, Jews, Arabs, and Spics need not apply.

Bad move. Frankie was a ratfuck snitch. Uno chivato. Not to the lawdogs. Just as bad, though. Frankie sold him out to a rival outfit of gunrunners and drug smugglers. Kept them one step ahead of him as they chased a third outfit that held a cache of stolen military hardware everybody wanted.

Rockets, bloopers, mortars, and full-auto carbines and rifles. Bang-bangs that could tip the scales on both sides of the river. All in the hands of a crew fronted by a flashy woman in jeans, tall boots, a bolero jacket, and a blonde wig. A wet dream for the pendejos she hustled.

La Güera. Just the thought of her caused his molars to grind. He wanted her dead. No, he needed her dead. She and her lover were the reason his life got flushed into the sewer, his crew dead, his stash of guns and drugs long gone. Had him climbing out of the shitter, clawing to the top of the dung heap. Again.

He caught the lover. Sliced off his manhood. Slit his throat. Then chopped off his head and butchered his body to stuff into a giant barbecue smoker. Tucked the man's jewels into his mouth as the crowning touch to a cannibal's mesquite-smoked delight.

Not the same. Didn't have her. She still needed to feel his blade, feel his eyes boring holes into hers as he gave her that crimson smile. He needed to lick her blood off that sharp stainless steel. Taste it. And grin. Only then would the circle be complete. He'd be whole again.

Well, not completely whole.

His right eye was gone, blown out by a glancing hit from one of those .45 ACP slugs that also shattered the orbital bones. Nothing extensive plastic surgery, bone implants and a new glass eye couldn't cure. Had to stack plenty of cash up front to repair damage that severe.

Gave that part of his face a waxy texture straight out of Madame Tussauds. But it sure beat wearing an eye patch and the lopsided face of a Dick Tracy cartoon villain.

His left knee was also shattered, replaced with a titanium joint that allowed him to walk with only a slight limp. Another five-figure hit to his stash of greenbacks.

The man who fired those rounds was also on his payback list. An ex-cop. Big-ass older fucker with a gray beard. Said to be a washed-up Dallas P. I..

Beg to differ, sir. Sumbitch sure kept him from getting to her during that clusterfuck in the West Texas desert. A real Wild West shootout between rival drug gangs wanting the blonde bitch's bang-bangs.

He was oh-so-close to grabbing her up, dodging bullets and bodies, closing the gap between him and Ol' Dude, who was carrying the bitch draped over his right shoulder. He screamed her name and leveled an M-16A1 at the both of them.

"La Güeraaaaaaa! I got you, bitch! Got you now! Gonna slice you wide open and watch you bleeeeeeed!"

Ol' Dude spun on his heel and emptied a 1911 mag at him offhand. Yelled this: "Not today, you cockbite motherfucker. Not in this lifetime or the next." A lefty. On target without dropping the bitch. Only thing that kept him alive was a Kevlar vest that caught the Flying Ashtrays that would have shredded his chest.

Washed-up, my ass. The man wrecked me. His time was coming, though. Count on a reckoning. Soon. But not now. He was working his way up the ladder of a list he kept in his head. One body at a time.

Frankie was the bottom rung. La Güera was at the top with Ol' Dude second. Five other rungs between Frankie and them.

Time to get gone. And get busy.

***

Excerpt from The Fatal Saving Grace by Jim Nesbitt. Copyright 2025 by Jim Nesbitt. Reproduced with permission from Jim Nesbitt. All rights reserved.

 

 

Review:

5 stars!

Gritty and gutsy from page one! 

The Fatal Saving Grace is the fifth book in author Jim Nesbitt’s thrilling, gritty, and gutsy Ed Earl Burch series, featuring the titular former Dallas PI, now wearing a gold shield for the Cuervo County District Attorney. A serial killer is on a mission, tying up loose ends and seeking revenge for those who crossed him. Burch and his partner from the sheriff’s office, Deputy Bobby Quintero, are tracking down their own loose ends, those responsible for a gruesome murder, as their paths converge. 

This story solidly hits the ground running, with action that is tough and shockingly brutal. No quarter is given on either side as Burch does what it takes to track down a killer. Just as the action is unflinching, so is the dialogue. Burch’s words are as unfiltered as his Lucky Strikes. These are hard men talking to other hard men, working a job that requires that type of toughness to succeed and survive. Set in a dry, dusty, and dangerously remote area of West Texas, the author’s vivid imagery had me feeling the heat, the gritty sweat, and the thirst that is a constant companion in those parts. 

While the tale unfolds, there are numerous references to past events from the previous books; some of the characters involved linger on in the present. However, this book stands alone; having read the prior novels, though, would be a bonus (and besides, they’re well worth going back and picking up!). 

I recommend THE FATAL SAVING GRACE to readers who favor harder, tougher stories, grittier crime fiction tales, fans of the previous books in the series, and stories set in West Texas.

Author Bio:

Jim Nesbitt has the perfect radio face, bionic knees that can grind coffee beans and tell time and a cat who poaches his cigars and uses his cellphone to place bets on British soccer. He is also a recovering journalist who once chased politicians, neo-Nazis, hurricanes, rodeo cowboys, plane wrecks and the everyday people swept up in a news event who gave his stories depth, authenticity and a distinct voice.

A lapsed horseman, pilot, journalist and saloon sport with a keen appreciation of old guns, vintage cars, red meat, good cigars, aged whisky without an 'e' and a well-told story, Nesbitt is also the award-winning author of five hard-boiled Texas crime thrillers that feature battered but relentless Dallas PI Ed Earl Burch -- THE LAST SECOND CHANCE, THE RIGHT WRONG NUMBER, THE BEST LOUSY CHOICE, THE DEAD CERTAIN DOUBT and THE FATAL SAVING GRACE.

A diehard Tennessee Vols fan, he now lives in enemy territory -- Athens, Alabama -- with his wife, Pam, and is working on his sixth Ed Earl Burch novel, THE PERFECT TRAIN WRECK. When he's off his meds, he's been known to call himself Reverend Jim and preach the Gospel of Hard-Boiled Crime Fiction.

Catch Up With Jim Nesbitt:

www.JimNesbittBooks.com
Jim's Substack - @edearl56
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @edearl56
Instagram - @edearl74
Threads - @edearl74
Facebook - @edearlburchbooks

 

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Book Blitz & Giveaway: Had Me at Howdy (Hillside High * Spring Creek, #1) by Mary Karlik

Had Me At Howdy

by

Mary Karlik

(A Hillside * Spring Creek Novel)
Publication date: November 22, 2025
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

SCROLL DOWN FOR GIVEAWAY!

SYNOPSIS:

Platinum credit card? Deactivated. 
New car? Sold. 
Best life ever? Canceled.

Thanks to my dad losing his job, we’ve ditched Chicago for Fumbuck, Texas—population: redneck. Now I’m living on a rundown farm, scrubbing dishes, and driving a rusty pickup. Worst of all? I’m stuck working alongside a cowboy.

But this Cinderella isn’t giving up.

I’ll claw my way back to the luxe life I left behind—and no one, not even infuriatingly chill, stupidly handsome Austin McCoy is going to stop me. Even if he does make feeding the chickens weirdly… enjoyable.

She thinks she’s just passing through. I’m hoping she stays.

I kind of feel for the Quinn sisters. City girls don’t belong in Spring Creek—but Kelsey? There’s more to her than designer labels and eye rolls. When she forgets to be angry, I see it—like the way her eyes light up when she feeds the chickens.

Now all I have to do is convince her the guy she really wants is me, not some rich dude taking her to a ball in Chicago.

Content Warning: This work contains a subplot involving death, grief, and an off-page instance of date rape. While these events are not depicted directly, they are referenced and may be distressing to some readers.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

The universe had completely crapped on Kelsey Quinn’s life.

She dabbed at her eyes, blew her nose, and wadded up the tissue before dropping it to the pile on the seat next to her. Pressing her forehead against the car window, she watched the scenery fly by at seventy miles per hour. They passed Bob’s Stay and Go combination gas station—fast food restaurant—hotel, followed by some weird concrete starship-shaped pizza parlor. Next, three-foot fluorescent letters screamed about redemption across a junkyard fence surrounding rusted pieces of mangled metal. The few words of scripture painted there weren’t going change her fate. Her dad was in the driver’s seat and they were heading straight for the armpit of Texas.

With a sigh she slumped against the seat and tried not to think about the boyfriend who’d been ripped from her life, or the best friend she’d been forced to leave behind. But it wasn’t just her forced exile from Drew and Zoe. She’d lost her identity. At St. Monica’s, she knew who she was and where she fit in. It was her senior year, the year she’d looked forward to for as long as she was in school. They had taken it away with less thought than the car they’d sold one afternoon while she and Zoe were shopping. None of it was her fault. She was a victim of her dad’s incompetence on one hand and her sister’s immorality on the other.

Her dad exited onto a two-lane highway where they were greeted by a faded, Welcome to Hillside Texas, Population 5000, sign. They slowed to a crawl as they entered the town. At a four-way stop her mom screeched, “Oh my God Tom, look at the cute little diner. We’re all starving, let’s stop before we go to the house.”

“Sounds good to me. Jack’s not expecting us for another couple of hours anyway.” Dad angled the Infinity between two pickup trucks and turned off the engine.

The diner was nestled in the center of a row of dilapidated two story buildings. Early Bird Café was painted in bright blue letters across the glass. Kelsey pulled her compact mirror from her purse and studied her reflection. She’d been crying for two days, no amount of makeup magic would fix her swollen red eyes. It didn’t matter. She didn’t care about this place or these people. She sure as heck didn’t care what they thought about her. She shoved the mirror back into her purse.

Her younger sister, Ryan, looked all wide-eyed and curious. And worse, she actually looked excited to investigate this hick little town. Why not? It was her fault they were in this mess in the first place. Her parents would have been justified to ship Ryan off to some kind of school for troubled kids. But no—Quinns don’t give up on their own. Everybody had to suffer because Ryan couldn’t say no to drugs or boys.

Mackenzie, Kelsey’s youngest sister, flipped her compact gymnast’s body from the third seat to the back seat nailing Ryan in the shoulder with her foot.

“Watch it!” Ryan drew her fist back, but before she could get the hit off Mackenzie flashed a cherub smile and released a powder sugar apology. Yeah. That wasn’t an accident. Kelsey almost smiled when she saw foot impact with shoulder. Mackenzie had been fairly silent about the ruin Ryan’s exploits had done to her life. Apparently, she had her limits too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mary Karlik (also writing as Mary J. Wilson) combines her Texas roots with her Scottish heritage to write happily-ever-afters from Texas to Scotland.

Mary has five indie-published contemporary young adult romance novels and two fantasy novels.

Mary earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, has a B.S. degree from Texas A&M University, and is currently studying Scottish Gaelic at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye, Scotland. She is also a certified, professional ski instructor and a Registered Nurse.

Mary is an active member of Contemporary Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America, and Dallas Area Romance Authors. Married to a Scott, Mary lives in both and Scotland and Texas.

 

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Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: Sangrita (Jessica Watts Southwest Suspense, #4) by Kathryn Dodson

SANGRITA

by Kathryn Dodson

November 17 - December 12, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Jessica Watts Southwest Suspense Series 

A kidnapping scheme turns deadly when private investigator Jessica Watts becomes the hunted instead of the hunter.

Jessica Watts refuses to work with her nemesis Tomas Garcia—until his desperate wife arrives with their baby, begging Jessica to find Tomas's missing father. Tres Garcia vanished after marrying his late wife's cousin Letty in a secret ceremony, and now Letty claims he's too sick for visitors. When Jessica discovers bloody medical supplies in Letty's trash, someone knocks her unconscious and she awakens trapped in a nightmare.

Held prisoner for days with Tres's life-support machine beeping nearby, Jessica realizes Letty is running a deadly operation with border coyotes—ruthless smugglers who eliminate witnesses. The kidnapping is part of an elaborate scheme to steal Tres's fortune, and with the coyotes closing in with orders to kill everyone, Jessica must overcome her terror and escape before Letty's greed destroys them all—but will the tough investigator she's always been survive becoming the prey?

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Fiction, Women's Detective Fiction
Published by: Renegade Reads
Publication Date: November 21, 2025
Number of Pages: 220
ISBN: 979-8-9903577-7-8
Series: Jessica Watts Southwest Suspense Series, Book 4 | Each is a Stand-Alone
Book Links: Amazon | KindleUnlimited | Goodreads | BookBub

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

Jessica let the mental exhaustion take hold for a minute, then shook it off. Eighteen months to go. If she survived that, she’d be a lawyer and hopefully move from the reception desk to the courtroom.

She settled into her chair. “I’m back,” she called to her boss. Linda owned the one person firm housed in a quaint old home turned law office in downtown El Paso. Jessica ran her fingers across the antique, inlaid cherry desk. She’d started here less than a year ago, but she already loved this place.

“Hey, how was the test?” Linda strode into the room and plopped down in front of her. A perfect-fitting Armani suit and a blonde blowout softened the toughness shining through Linda’s blue eyes. The creases in her face told the world she’d faced a few battles.

“Tough, but I’m pretty sure I passed,” Jessica said.

Linda smiled, then cocked her head, a question appearing in her eyes. “I bet your father would be proud.”

Jessica bristled, the ache returning to her shoulders and prickles of tension running across her skin. Linda hadn’t brought up Jessica’s dad since the first time they met.

Jessica hated how her father’s conviction for destroying evidence in a drug case shaded her pending law career. He’d been El Paso’s district attorney at the time. That embarrassment held Jessica back for too many years. She’d gotten past it, mostly, especially since her father’s passing.

She shrugged her shoulders in response then willfully changed the subject. “Has it been quiet here?”

“Surprisingly so. But who knows what will walk in the door next?” Linda glanced out the large window as if she expected to see someone trotting up the steps. She turned back to Jessica. “Do you have any new projects on the horizon? You know, human remains under a pecan tree or a missing heiress?”

Jessica’s reputation for finding things, missing people, murderers, had ratcheted up since she started working with Linda. She shook her head. “No more wild cases for me. I need to keep my head down and finish school. I keep getting waylaid by these other projects. It’s too hard to focus on law school and my work here when I’m off solving someone else’s mystery.”

Linda studied Jessica. “Maybe, but I think you like striking out on your own, solving someone’s problem, and coming back a hero. Practicing law is so different than that. It’s tedious and requires an extraordinary amount of patience while the wheels of justice turn.”

Did Linda doubt her aspirations? Not every case would be exciting, but lately, she could use a little less excitement in her life.

“Perhaps,” Jessica said. “But you’re a lot less likely to be confronted by people pointing guns at you or burning down the house you’re trapped in.”

“True. At least most of the time.”

Jessica wondered about her answer. “Is that why you left the police force and became an attorney?” She had heard about Linda’s first career from Jaime Castro, a lieutenant on the El Paso police force and one of her oldest friends. Based on the admiration in his voice, Linda had excelled as a police officer.

“Not really.” Linda’s gaze softened, as if remembering something from long ago. “The problem with police work is that you don’t get to choose your cases. When they don’t seem fair, it becomes hard to put your heart into the job.”

Jessica waited for an explanation. What kind of case would make someone as tough as Linda walk away? For a minute, Jessica thought she would say more. But instead, her boss changed the subject. “Why don’t we go over the upcoming cases?”

When they finished, Linda headed back to her office. Jessica had just turned to her computer when she spied someone coming toward the door. Someone she did not want to see.

Tomás Garcia loped up the steps and opened the door before Jessica could escape. If only her test had taken longer.

“Hi, Jessica. It’s good to see you.” He sat in the chair Linda had just vacated as if he owned the place.

He didn’t. And when he’d tracked her down at a party a few weeks ago, she’d told him she didn’t want to see him again. Yet here he sat. The audacity of rich men never failed to surprise her.

“Why are you here?” She threw all the surliness she could muster into her voice.

“Is that any way to treat a potential client?”

“Tomás, I made it clear that I would never work with you again. You do remember you tried to kill me the last time.” And the time before that, she’d almost died at the hands of someone he’d forgotten to tell her dealt drugs.

“I wouldn’t have killed you. I am not a murderer. I was just angry. I thought you had taken something I considered mine.”

“That something was a human being, and she didn’t want to be with you. You’ve lost your chance with me.”

He steepled his fingers and stared across the desk. “We have a long history, and we’ve worked well together in the past.” Arrogance wafted off him like a bad smell.

Jessica scanned her desk for something to throw at him or stab him with. Life was way too short to tolerate assholes like this.

He held his hands up in surrender, as if he could read her mind. “You’re right. That last time was horrible. I shouldn’t have done so many of the things I did then. I’m sorry. I promise I’m a different man now. And I need your help.”

Fire lit in her veins. She had already taken too many chances with Tomás. Jessica took a deep breath and tried to keep from spitting at him. “You need to leave. There is no way in hell you’ve changed enough in the last few years for me to consider working for you.” She wouldn’t physically attack him, but she tried her best to stare daggers into his soul.

“Please. Let me explain. I’m married to a wonderful woman now. We have a son, and he’s the most important thing in my life. Becoming a father changes a person. I’m a much better man today. Also, I lost my mother a year ago, and I’m worried about losing my father. That’s what I need to talk to you about.”

Of course, curiosity gnawed at her, but it wasn’t enough. She loathed this man.

“You do realize that waltzing in here expecting me to listen to you after I’ve already told you no means you’re still the entitled jerk you’ve always been.”

“I’m not. I swear. Please, just hear me out. I think someone is trying to kill my father.”

“So. Go to the police.”

“I have, but I can’t get anywhere with them. My dad remarried just a few months after my mom died. His new wife has completely denied me access to him.”

“Didn’t you hate your dad? How many times have you told me you wanted to build an empire even bigger than his? Maybe he just doesn’t want to see you.”

“Things are different now. After…after what happened with Doraliz, I had to change. I wasn’t a man I could be proud of, and I certainly wasn’t a son my mother could respect. But she didn’t give up on me. Instead, she helped me see what a terrible person I’d become and gave me a way to recover.”

“Whatever. I don’t care, and I want you to leave.” Jessica refused to buy his rich boy sob story. He should have ended up in jail.

He leaned forward, hands on his knees, blue eyes staring her down, probably his attempt at acting earnest. “I know how selfish and hurtful and conceited I was. I know, and I hate that version of myself. I understand why you don’t want to work with me, but my father’s life is on the line. You have a knack for solving mysteries. I’ve seen you do it. I need your help to save my father.”

“It’s not going to happen. And if you don’t leave, I’ll call the cops.” Jessica picked up her phone and hit the timer, then turned it to face him. “You’ve got sixty seconds to get out of this office.”

Exasperation crossed Tomás’s features. He sighed and started to say something. Then he shut his mouth, rose, and walked out the door. She hoped she’d never see him again.

Linda emerged the minute he left. From the look on her face, she’d heard the conversation.

“I didn’t know you had such a long, involved relationship with Mr. Garcia.” Linda sat in the probably still warm chair.

“Yeah. Unfortunately.” Jessica said nothing more, hoping Linda would drop it. She preferred to avoid the whole sordid tale.

Linda watched Jessica for a long moment but didn’t press her for more information. “You do know that you’re always welcome to work on outside cases. Soon enough you’ll have your own legal cases.”

“I look forward to that, but not with him.”

“Fine. You should head home early tonight. Go celebrate finishing midterms with that handsome husband of yours.”

“Thanks.” She did want to celebrate, although she’d stayed up so late cramming, she’d require a second wind to do anything other than crawl into bed. Or maybe a shot or two of tequila to help her forget torts. And Tomás’s visit.

***

Excerpt from Sangrita by Kathryn Dodson. Copyright 2025 by Kathryn Dodson. Reproduced with permission from Kathryn Dodson. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Kathryn Dodson writes about women who have to become their own heroes - whether they're solving a crime or figuring out the next phase of their lives.

She grew up writing and riding horses in far West Texas. She graduated from SMU in English/Creative Writing and went on to get an MBA from Thunderbird and a PhD from Clemson. Now she spends her days writing about women who become their own heroes.

She has worked on both sides of the US/Mexico border and has held jobs with governments, chambers of commerce, and other businesses. Kathryn loves to travel and has visited 30 countries and 44 states. This inspires her novels about interesting women in fascinating places.

Originally from Texas, Kathryn had the good fortune to live in Spain, Mexico, Tanzania, and several U.S. states, and the good sense to end up in Carlsbad, California. She loves travel, fiery food, hanging out with the neighbors in the front yard on Friday evenings, and reading.

Catch Up With Kathryn Dodson:

www.KathrynDodson.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @KathrynDodson
Instagram - @kathrynbdodson
Threads - @kathrynbdodson
LinkedIn - @kathydodson
Facebook - @kathy.dodson.31

 

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Children's Book Review: Maddie - A Little Ghost with a Secret by Cindy J. Vanous

Maddie A Little Ghost with a Secret by Cindy J Vanous
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A sweet ghost with a sweet secret.

Maddie – A Little Ghost with a Secret is a cute children's Halloween-themed picture book by Cindy J. Vanous, perfect for even the youngest among us. Maddie is the ghost of a little girl who, along with her mother, father, and many others of her kind, inhabits the small, abandoned community of Terlingua, Texas. With its cheerfully optimistic, engaging main character and positive messaging, the story is simple, fun, and entertaining: one that will be requested on repeat for bedtime reading.

I enjoyed how Maddie introduces her town, offering a simple explanation for why its former residents had moved away. While Maddie cavorts with her ghostly playmates, delighting in Halloween activities, readers are left to guess about her past and the era in which she may have lived. However, the look of the clothing worn by the main characters, especially Maddie's mother with her stylish pillbox hat and short skirt, seems to indicate the 1960s, perhaps. On the other hand, both Maddie and her father's attire harken back to an earlier time, at least pre-WWII, when the Terlingua mines were still in operation. There are many details in Steven Stewart's colorful illustrations to examine and ponder. However, because of the artwork's style, it was sometimes difficult to discern what some of the illustrations depicted on my tablet, so maybe a physical copy would offer more clarity.

While Maddie's vibe is joyful, she is concerned about how she fits in with the rest of the ghosts in her community; all seem to have a special gift or talent, while she has yet to discover hers, or if she even has one. But it doesn't take long before she realizes that she does something that no other ghost does; she bakes and decorates tasty and adorable cupcakes that she secretly leaves around town for the people living there to enjoy. Her skill may not be like anyone else's, but it is uniquely hers, and with it she makes others happy. Younger listeners will easily relate to Maddie's worries and, with prompting, can begin to consider their own special skills or talents as they are read this sweet story.

I recommend MADDIE – A LITTLE GHOST WITH A SECRET to young readers and for reading aloud at home, school, or in after-school programs.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.

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Book Review - Pillars of Creation: A Quest for the Great Name in a Nietzschean World by Carlos Nicolás Flores

Pillars of Creation: A Quest for the Great Name in a Nietzschean World by Carlos Flores
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Absorbing, eye-opening, and unique storytelling.

Pillars of Creation: A Quest for the Great Name in a Nietzschean World by Carlos Nicolás Flores is one of the most unique storytelling experiences I’ve had in a while and one that I wish I could have over and over again. Told through the little-used second-person narration (using “you” and addressing the reader directly), the author crafts the mesmerizing story of young Yoltic Cortez and his life on the Texas-Mexico border in the colonia of Cuatro Vientos. It is an unputdownable tale of poverty, dual identities, but also hope.

At the beginning of the story, Yoltic is living an aimless life, in a holding pattern since his father, whom he lived with, was placed in a nursing facility in Nuevo Escandón on the Mexican side of the border, after suffering a stroke. While he continues to work at his job at the local Walmart and visits his father regularly, he longs to be a writer, but a growing addiction to Tezca has opened his mind to surreal visions and buried his initiative to write and handle the day-to-day necessities of life, such as maintaining the home his parents built with their own hands. However, a chance meeting with a young woman escaping the cartel danger at her grandfather’s ranch in Mexico slowly expands his world.

The story prominently presents the border setting, lifestyle, and living conditions as a character in itself; the residents are so completely a part of where they live. Each word, each descriptive phrase is meticulously chosen to create unforgettably vivid images and an evocative atmosphere of this distinct location and its circumstances. I was completely drawn into the narrative and struck by how the characters were simultaneously a part of, or torn between, two worlds: the American and the Mexican. I know will be continuing to think about this book for quite a while to come.

I recommend PILLARS OF CREATION to readers of literary fiction and coming-of-age stories, especially those interested in Texas border settings.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.

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Book Review: The Last Woman by John Willingham

The Last Woman by John Willingham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The last resident of a bypassed Texas town reflects on her tumultuous and tragic 80 years of life.

The Last Woman by John Willingham is the well-told story of Catherine “Frenchy” McCain, the last woman, and eventually, the last resident of Tascosa, a small Texas town bypassed by the railroad and doomed to die in obscurity. Catherine, the daughter of an Irish father and Cajun French mother, left her hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at a young age after being falsely accused of making advances toward the pedophilic priest at her Catholic school. She makes her way to a small Arkansas town where she is hired as a schoolteacher, but when she is forced to mortally defend herself from the vicious attack of a man with connections, she and a friend end up on the run, with the man’s evil older brother hot on their trail and out for revenge.

Catherine is a different sort of heroine from those usually found in similar melodramas; she’s plain and even more plain-spoken, and quite capable of taking care of herself. Besides never seeming to catch a break in her life –her mother was cold-hearted and a drunk, and she’s repeatedly targeted by men in a position of esteem for mistreatment—she is living in a time in history when women were viewed as property rather than individuals with rights. She is joined in her adventures by Mamie Jackson, who saves her from a certain hanging in Arkansas, but it is her childhood friend, Gabe Celiot, who is my favorite character in the book.

The story unfolds like a premium soap opera, and I was hooked from the start. Present-day (1930s/40s) Catherine, still living in Tascosa, recounts her story as she looks back over her lifetime, reminiscing about people she knew, and worries will now be forgotten once she’s gone. The descriptions of the settings are so vivid and full of life themselves that the whole effect is almost cinematic. I was there with Catherine every step of the way.

I recommend THE LAST WOMAN to readers of historical fiction.

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Audiobook Review: Just a Hat by Shanah Khubiar

Just a Hat by Shanah Khubiar
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The unique coming-of-age story of a small-town, Persian-American Jewish teen in 1979 Texas.

Just A Hat by Shanah Khubiar is the vivid and evocative coming-of-age story of young Joseph Nissan, a Persian-American Jewish teen whose family had immigrated to the U.S. to escape the Shah of Iran's police. The multi-layered story features Joseph's school life, home life, and life in general in his small Texas town at the start of the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis.

The main character is Youssef (or Joseph as he is known at school) Nissan, a 13-year-old transplant from California, living in Hazel, Texas (somewhere outside Dallas) with his Baba and Maman, who had years earlier fled their home in Iran just ahead of the Shah's police. Besides navigating the emotional minefield of middle school, he's on the cusp of manhood, studying for his Bar Mitzvah and slowly changing his relationship with his parents. He's frequently mistaken for Hispanic; his best friends are Mateo and Roberto Ybarra, and there are no other ethnically Persian families (or Jews) in the entire county, so he is unique to the area's residents.

Joseph struggles with wanting to do the same things other kids do and still respect his parents' wishes, especially his father's. Still, their culture and, sometimes, religious restrictions present a conflict. He's quiet, studious, and academically adept. Joseph has a healthy temper that he must constantly work to control. His nemeses in the town are two cousins, Larry and Brian Edmondson, who are revealed later to have their own interesting backstories, who generally make Joseph's life miserable at school and in the neighborhood.

In Texas, football is a common denominator, a great equalizer that brings diverse groups of people together, creating otherwise unlikely allies (and hitting people is considered a legitimate and acceptable practice.) Joseph makes the fortuitous decision to join the football team where he shows a lot of promise. I enjoyed how Joseph observed the "tells" of the two Edmondson cousins that telegraphed their moves on the field and how he used it to even out their relationships with one another.

The story includes details of Joseph's culture and religion, with celebrations attended by extended family from across the country or Israel. The discussions of the extensive preparations for his Bar Mitzvah were eye-opening and informative, as was the talk about the political situation back in Iran that had prompted many of the characters to immigrate to the U.S.

Joseph's life is further complicated by his crush on a classmate, the daughter of a disapproving and narrow-minded Christian pastor. Baba, who knows the tough path such an alliance would pose even if the two kids were older, does not support the friendship either. The confrontation between the two fathers is frighteningly intense but Joseph sees a side to Baba that he's never seen before: one that he'd been worried was absent. It was so satisfying to see father and son open up at different times during the story and reveal their secrets to each other. And I loved when Maman revealed that she, too, had hidden depths. (I would have thrown a hissy about those apples.)

Ramiz Monsef narrates the Audible audiobook and is one of the best at this craft. His voice is warm and welcoming, using subtle changes in tone, accent, and pitch to differentiate this broad cast of characters that include male, female, young, old, and native English, Spanish, and Farsi speakers. The production is just great.

With its wonderfully relatable characters and unique coming-of-age story, I recommend JUST A HAT to readers of young adult fiction.

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