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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Release Blitz & Giveaway: Pillywiggin Awakening (The Complete Story Arc, Book 1 & 2) by Debbie Bishop

Pillywiggin Awakening

The Complete Story Arc

by

Debbie Bishop

Epic Fantasy / Metaphysical Fiction / Fae Fantasy / Found Family

Publisher: Angelgate Entertainment

Publication Date: June 26, 2026

Page count: 523 pages

SCROLL DOWN FOR GIVEAWAY!

SYNOPSIS:

 

Peter has spent his life hiding among humans.

A light fae raised at an elite academy, he thought his disguise was to protect his place in the human world. A betrayal and ominous nightmare cause sudden caution, but when a mystical creature he has never seen before warns he is in danger, Peter realizes he must flee. To maintain his cover, he creates a clone and sends him to his home in the mystical realm, then sets out to discover who is hunting him—and why.

CAPTURED. FORGOTTEN. FORGED.

Stolen fae young men face their final day before they become dragon food. Taken from their homes and imprisoned in a brutal mine, they have survived through secret training, strategy, inventive tech, and stubborn hope. They failed to escape before, with severe consequences.

A prophecy whispers that a girl will one day free them.

She doesn’t even know they exist.

At a Paris fashion show, Peter collides with a mysterious girl—and discovers she is his twin sister. Together they possess a dangerous power, and those who control the realms will do anything to claim it. Or destroy it.

PILLYWIGGIN Awakening is a contemporary epic fantasy that weaves dark mystery, military strategy, and technology into a world where power is never given—only built. For fans of Lord of the Rings and Fourth Wing.

 

This is no tale of a magical savior.

This is the story of stray kids who grow into warriors—and become their own heroes.

CLICK TO PURCHASE!

| Amazon | BAM! | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Walmart |

 

Author's Contact Links

| Website | Facebook | X (Twitter) |

| LinkedIn | Instagram | Goodreads |

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

                                                                                                                  

Book Tour & Giveaway: Pillywiggin Awakening - The Complete Story Arc by Debbie Bishop

Pillywiggin Awakening

The Complete Story Arc

by

Debbie Bishop

Epic Fantasy / Metaphysical Fiction / Fae Fantasy / Found Family

Publisher: Angelgate Entertainment

Publication Date: June 26, 2026

Page count: 523 pages

SCROLL DOWN FOR GIVEAWAY!

SYNOPSIS:

 

Peter has spent his life hiding among humans.

A light fae raised at an elite academy, he thought his disguise was to protect his place in the human world. A betrayal and ominous nightmare cause sudden caution, but when a mystical creature he has never seen before warns he is in danger, Peter realizes he must flee. To maintain his cover, he creates a clone and sends him to his home in the mystical realm, then sets out to discover who is hunting him—and why.

CAPTURED. FORGOTTEN. FORGED.

Stolen fae young men face their final day before they become dragon food. Taken from their homes and imprisoned in a brutal mine, they have survived through secret training, strategy, inventive tech, and stubborn hope. They failed to escape before, with severe consequences.

A prophecy whispers that a girl will one day free them.

She doesn’t even know they exist.

At a Paris fashion show, Peter collides with a mysterious girl—and discovers she is his twin sister. Together they possess a dangerous power, and those who control the realms will do anything to claim it. Or destroy it.

PILLYWIGGIN Awakening is a contemporary epic fantasy that weaves dark mystery, military strategy, and technology into a world where power is never given—only built. For fans of Lord of the Rings and Fourth Wing.

 

This is no tale of a magical savior.

This is the story of stray kids who grow into warriors—and become their own heroes.

CLICK TO PURCHASE!

| Amazon | BAM! | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Walmart |

 

ENJOY AN EXCERPT:

3 YEARS AGO

Peter, wearing jeans and a hoodie, checks the papers in his hands as he crouches next to a fireplace. His black hair shines a bit, illuminated by the warm glow of fire in a dark room. The only other light coming from the screen of a laptop next to him. He tosses the papers he used to make identification into the flames, then compares a new passport to his old one. He turns slightly while slipping the new fake passport into a pocket and we see his tear-filled face. He wipes his eye with his sleeve and then grabs an iron poker to stir the fire, ensuring every bit of the old documents burn.

He stirs a little extra as if he is lost in his thoughts. His tears increase.

The screen of his laptop is erasing his hard drive.

A message pops up, “Files deleted and replaced. Extracting myself now. Be safe, Peter.”

Peter carries the computer to a desk in a wall of cabinets and bookshelves and places it in the center, open. He pauses to look at his old passport then gently lays it next to his computer as if he is saying goodbye to an old friend. This bedroom, a dorm in the academy where he has lived most of his life is ultra luxurious. Dark wood paneled walls, thick velvet blue curtains, which are closed  now, and a bed laden with overstuffed yet soft pillows, fresh linens and thick comforter encased in an embroidered duvet.

 

Peter rolls up a blanket as he watches the last of the embers dissolve into red glow, then black ash. Stuffing the blanket into his pack, he zips it, straps it on, and takes one last look around. 

Pausing, he sighs sadly.

Opening the door of his room just a bit, he peers out.

The hallway is dark and still. Peter sneaks out then closes the door behind him quietly.

Author's Contact Links

| Website | Facebook | X (Twitter) |

| LinkedIn | Instagram | Goodreads |

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

                                                                                                                  

Book Review: Defiant (Kate Preacher Thriller, #3) by Michael Maloof

Defiant by Michael Maloof
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

With breathtaking action sequences galore, DEFIANT is an absolutely riveting conclusion to this thrilling trilogy!

Defiant is the third book in author Michael Maloof’s action-packed Kate Preacher Thriller trilogy, and it is an absolutely riveting conclusion to this part of her story. In this final tale, recent widow Kate Preacher, critically injured but recuperating, calls in all her markers to finish the mission her deceased spouse, Jake Church, started. From the U.S. to France to Russia to Switzerland, the action never wanes in this intricately plotted tale of love, loyalty, betrayal, sacrifice, and the battle of good versus evil.

Despite the considerable damage she sustained in the previous novel, Kate Preacher steps boldly into this next part of her story. She’s got a growing support system of strong and capable friends, who do not hesitate to follow her in her mission to stop an evil plan of power, dominion, and mass murder. Just as she’s got their backs, they have hers.

The plot picks up where UNSTOPPABLE left off. Kate is slowly recuperating but pushing herself to end this thing that Jake uncovered and eventually cost him his life. I loved how Kate leverages every contact she’s made and every opportunity offered to her advantage, while keeping the welfare of her ‘found’ family in mind at all times.

The plot explores the idea of global threats from bioweapons and increasingly advanced AIs in the hands of an unscrupulous leader, and the resulting picture is frightening, too close for comfort. Familiar faces from earlier in the trilogy return, and storylines in play from the start finally converge. The action is intense, and the action sequences are so well choreographed and staged, especially the heart-stopping scenes set within the mountain in Davos, that I could feel my heart pounding and my whole body tense, wondering if everyone was going to survive (because, as readers learned from the very book, no character is safe!) However, Kate is also still very much a grieving wife, and within the breakneck pace of the story, she experiences the anguish of sorrow, pain, and rage for her loss. Those emotional moments are raw and realistic, the feelings radiating from the pages.

I highly recommend DEFIANT (and the entire Kate Preacher Thriller trilogy) to readers of thrillers, conspiracy stories, action and adventure, and suspense.

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Book Review: Under Vixens Mere by Kit Fielding

Under Vixens Mere: A Long and Forgotten Secret Rises to the Surface by Kit Fielding
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The gripping tale of the intertwining lives of the members of a unique floating community.

Under Vixens Mere is a compelling, mystery-tinged novel by Kit Fielding about the lives of the residents of a unique community of wide-beam boat and barge-dwellers moored in the marina of Vixens Mere near the village of Broome. Portrayed over several years, the story reveals the surprising origins of the close interconnectedness between the permanent residents and those who come and go with the seasons. Once I started, I couldn’t put this book down.

The storylines feature the permanent, temporary, and seasonal inhabitant who lives on their barges or boats in Vixens Mere marina: a free-spirited but aging hippie couple and their late-life son, a drug dealer who inherited his barge and berth from his father, a severely wounded ward veteran and his full-time carer-wife, a laborer at a local pig farm, a new arrival looking to start over after the breakup of her long-standing relationship, and a handsome Scotsman who arrives looking much the same as he did when he last came to stay fifteen years earlier. Each resident brings an intriguing backstory, all of which is interwoven with the others to create a captivating whole in the present. Tragic secrets bind the quirky community together, and they continue to come together to offer support and share their burdens.

Each character is endearing in their own unique way, and I would be hard-pressed to select a single favorite, as I was quickly and intimately drawn into all of their lives. Big Ed and Milly the Mystic anchor the community, and though well up in age, remain an earthy, lusty, and loving couple. However, they mask their relationship behind a screen of constant bickering and clever banter. Newbie Lorrie Smith is disillusioned after her breakup with her long-time partner, Petra, but is determined to start afresh after getting back in healthy physical shape, and I rooted for her personal transformation from the start. Drug dealer Jed Rawlins shows a softer nature when he takes in Anna, who’s on the run from a really bad situation. Karen Jones, full-time caregiver to her husband Harry, is at the breaking point and plays a pivotal role in many of the others’ stories. Not only is Harry’s condition rapidly deteriorating, but she’s carrying a load of guilt and regret, which is compounded by the arrival of a figure from the past.

The plot unfolds from multiple perspectives and an unusual shift in point of view as the individual storylines are established and converge. While most of the narrative is expressed in the third person, Brodie Stewart’s story is delivered in the second person. He enters the tale blissfully unaware of the permanent impact his actions fifteen years earlier have had on the current situation in the floating community. Similarly, Harry Jones has no idea of the collateral consequences of his final actions, believing the results will only be positive. Every resident on the mere has long-held secrets, and even the water itself hides a few.

I recommend UNDER VIXENS MERE to readers of contemporary fiction, mystery, and drama.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.


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Book Review: A Madness Unmade (Deathly Inheritance Duology, #1) by E.K. Larson-Burnett

A Madness Unmade by Erin K. Larson-Burnett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Gothically-vibed coming-of-age fantasy story.

A Madness Unmade is the first book in author E.K. Larson-Burnett’s compelling gothically-vibed Deathly Inheritance Duology, the tale of Laurel Persephone Rumbroom, the last Guardian of Underhallow, the only remaining sanctuary for ghosts who have yet to move on to their next situation. Orphaned as a young teen and left in the care of the ghosts who inhabit her home, Laurel’s 18th birthday arrives, and along with it, so do her dormant, untapped magical abilities and the responsibility to safeguard the ghostly residents of Underhallow, a duty she knew nothing about up to this point.

Laurel is an engaging and sympathetic character right from the start as one learns of her tragic and lonely backstory: her mother was gone from her life at an early age, orphaned upon the death of her father when she was only 13 and left in the care of the other residents (all of whom are dead) in her stately but crumbling home, Underhallow. Ghosts have been raising this child.

Besides not leaving the house for the past five years (when her father passed), Laurel initially appears to be doing pretty well until you realize she’s not the child she seems to be, but going on 18 years old. Her birthday brings with it the revelation that the ghosts ultimately depend upon her for their continued existence, and she has absolutely no clue how to go about fulfilling her responsibilities to them as a Guardian and preventing the dissolution of Underhallow as the last Earthly sanctuary left for these revenant spirits to go.

The story opens as Laurel comes to realize that her difficulties in learning and retaining the information her tutor, Master Godwin, has been trying to impart for the past five years are due to more than her disinterest. The author’s descriptions and handling of Laurel’s issues with ADD, anxiety, and grief are well done, and those facing similar struggles will relate. The added impact of her burgeoning magical abilities is dramatic and frightening. Thankfully, she finds support from an unexpected ally.

Laurel interacts with her ghostly caretakers as if they are human, as they can talk, touch, and move physical objects, unlike traditionally portrayed spirits. A number play critical roles in her life and fulfill duties similar to those they performed when living. There are some big personalities among the unalive who guide and assist Laurel, and their antics also serve to lighten the building tension. Laurel, too, displays a lot of empathy for the feelings of the undeparted, many of whom carry the circumstances of their death with them into this afterlife.

There are questions about Laurel’s father’s death and the regular delivery of small mysterious packages to puzzle out as well as becoming the Guardian, so Laurel turns to the only sources she has to solve them, the ghosts. Still, this first book of the duology concludes with some things yet unanswered, and I look forward to the answers in the next book.

I recommend A MADNESS UNMADE to readers of young adult fantasy and coming-of-age stories, especially those with an interest in characters struggling with mental health issues.

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