The Lost Witch by Paige Crutcher (2023)

Publisher's information

Paige Crutcher, author of the “mystical, magical, and wildly original”* The Orphan Witch, weaves a spellbinding tale of contemporary fantasy, romance, and Irish mythology as a woman torn out of time faces a dangerous coven, otherworldly creatures, and a seductive demi-god to save the souls of a cursed island in The Lost Witch.

1922. The town of Evermore off the coast of Ireland is under the protection of a Goddess. She has bestowed power upon village healer Brigid Heron to ensure the heart of magic within the Lough of Brionglóid—the lake of dreams—remains untouched. For the witches of Knight want to absorb its powerful energies and release the Damned from the Otherworld. Brigid has devoted her whole life to being Evermore’s guardian, immersing herself in witchcraft, and sacrificing her own dreams. Until Luc Knightly, a trickster god with his own claim on the lough, offers Brigid her heart’s desire in exchange for betraying her Goddess’s trust.

2022. A century later, Evermore is under siege. The witches of Knight wield chaos magic, opening the rift between the island and the Otherworld wider every day. Beings born from folklore nightmares prey on the villagers, consuming their very humanity. Ophelia Gallagher, Brigid’s descendent, and her fellow witch Finola McEntire do their best to keep the monsters and mayhem at bay.

Brigid awakens in this world with no memory of how she traveled into the future, and why Evermore has been cursed. To seal the lough and stop the witches of Knight, she must work with Ophelia and Finola to help her remember the events of a hundred years ago. But the knowledge she seeks lies with Luc Knightly himself--mysterious, handsome, and powerful--and the one who once upon a time granted Brigid her dearest wish—a daughter.

To save Evermore, Brigid may have to lose her daughter—again…

Cold Deceit by Toni Anderson (2022)

 

Cold Deceit
Series: Cold Justice – Most Wanted #2
Author: Toni Anderson
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: December 20, 2022
 

BLURB
 
When forensic anthropologist Zoe Miller stumbles across a murder victim in the blisteringly hostile Sonoran Desert, she triggers a chain of events that puts her in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer.
 
FBI HRT operator Seth Hopper is on secret assignment near the Mexican border when he suddenly finds himself on a rescue mission. The former Navy SEAL is ordered to protect Zoe, whether she likes it or not, which sets them off on a cross-country journey back to Virginia.
 
Zoe has good reason not to trust a man like Seth, but there is no denying the scorching heat that flares between them, hotter than the desert sun. Can Zoe find justice for the murdered woman? Or will the killers close in to destroy them both…
 
Don’t miss New York Times bestselling author Toni Anderson’s next Cold Justice® - Most Wanted novel, featuring agents from the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team.
 
 
GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60885672-cold-deceit
 
 
PURCHASE LINKS
 
US: https://amzn.to/3H703UT
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AU: https://amzn.to/3MHohq9
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Kobo: https://bit.ly/3Mtb1VT
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3axH1e7
Website: https://bit.ly/WebCDTaa


Also available in audio & print: https://books2read.com/Cold-Deceit
 
 
EXCERPTS
 
#1
 
He placed a large palm over her forehead and she squinted up at him from under her lashes.
He had the most perfect symmetrical features—strong jawline, high cheek bones, a full lower lip. And those eyes…which veered in color from a pale olive-green to light brown and were probably technically hazel. They looked way prettier than any other hazel eyes she’d ever seen.
An unwanted quiver of awareness shot down her spine at the reminder of how attractive she’d thought he was when she’d first seen him at the motel about a thousand years ago. But, right now, he was examining her more like he thought she was a recalcitrant little kid with a fever.
 
#2
 
She shuddered in his arms and he held her tight against him with a fistful of her fine blonde hair in one hand, her head tucked beneath his chin. He kept his eye on the mirrors searching their surroundings for possible tangos, all the while throbbing with the need to bury himself inside this woman when his only concern should have been protecting her.
 
 
ALSO AVAILABLE
 
#1 Cold Silence
 
US: https://amzn.to/3xsDwyF
UK: https://amzn.to/3MrC9EO
CA: https://amzn.to/3Mr4YRK
AU: https://amzn.to/38XOBhF
B&N: https://bit.ly/3aAgZqw
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3xqQP2p
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3uQYl46
Google Play: https://bit.ly/3xnVL8l
Audiobook: https://amzn.to/397oghu
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3O0hlFr
 
 
AUTHOR BIO

Toni Anderson writes gritty, sexy, FBI Romantic Thrillers, and is a New York Times and a USA Today bestselling author. Her books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense, Readers’ Choice, Aspen Gold, Book Buyers’ Best, Golden Quill, National Excellence in Story Telling (NEST) Contest, and National Excellence in Romance Fiction awards. She's been a finalist in both the Vivian Contest and the RITA. Her books have been translated into five different languages.
 
Best known for her “COLD JUSTICE®” novels, perhaps it’s not surprising to discover Toni lives in one of the most extreme climates on earth—Manitoba, Canada. Formerly a Marine Biologist (Ph.D.), she still misses the ocean. Her greatest achievements include raising two kids, mastering the Tokyo subway, climbing Ben Lomond, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, and surviving eighteen (and counting) Winnipeg winters.
 
Toni loves to travel for research and was lucky enough to visit the Strategic Information and Operations Center inside FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. She also got to shove another car off the road during pursuit training at the Writer’s Police Academy in Wisconsin. She hopes not to get arrested for her Google searches.
 
Find out more on her website: http://www.toniandersonauthor.com
 
 
AUTHOR LINKS
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toniandersonauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/toniannanderson
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/toni-anderson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toni_anderson_author
Newsletter: https://www.toniandersonauthor.com/newsletter-signup
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2820461.Toni_Anderson
Website: http://www.toniandersonauthor.com

 

                                                            ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cold Deceit had me glued from start to finish. The book starts off with an intensity that doesn't let up until at least halfway through when there is a short reprieve as Seth and Zoe begin their road trip. In the opening chapters, the pair of them, are faced with kidnapping, betrayal and murder and that's just the start of it. Throw in a cartel on their tail and an enemy Secret Service Agent and you've got a nail-biting race for survival. The suspense and drama kept me hooked. And the romance was a nice diversion to slow down the adrenaline spikes.

I liked Zoe as the female lead. She had an important job as a forensic anthropologist and I found it very interesting to read about her work, the environment she works in and how it helps bereaved families find closure.

An exciting read from start to finish and a series worth sinking your teeth into.

Death at the Auction (The Stamford Mysteries Book 1) by E.C. Bateman (2022)

 

A brilliant whodunnit mystery perfect for fans of M.C. Beaton and Richard Osman!
Murder stalks the cobbles in England’s finest Georgian town…

When an accident forces Felicia Grant back to her family’s auction house in Stamford, she vows it’ll only be a flying visit. But as the gavel falls on the final lot, a hidden secret is revealed—the body of her father’s business rival, murdered during the packed sale!

Soon, Felicia is swept into a mystery that has everyone in the community as a potential suspect―including her.

As the body count rises and with the people she loves under threat, Felicia takes matters into her own hands. But even the most picturesque place has its secrets…

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A very enthusiastic five stars and two thumbs up for this brand-new series.

 I definitely enjoyed this more than Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club.

         The murder itself is very surprising and unique in the manner in which it  

         happens. There is any number of plausible suspects. They are an eclectic mix of the very likeable and very odd sort of people that you would typically find in any little village or town but probably more so at an antique auction. I loved that the mystery was set around the antique world. It is very reminiscent of the antique shows that are always on tv. I found it very easy to picture the scene.

         I loved the main characters and the supporting cast. I particularly enjoyed Felicia's little boy Algernon and detective Sergeant Pettifer. I liked how she and the detective developed a little friendship despite being at odds with each other over the case. 

         As well as a very engaging mystery the story is laced throughout with humour. I found it very difficult to put down this book and was sad when it came to an end. I hope the next book in the series isn't too far away.

                                 

                                     Death at the Auction is out now.

The Wrong Bones (Widow's Island Novella Book 10) by Melinda Leigh (2022)

 

A frantic chase to catch a grave robber reveals a startling discovery in this tenth installment of the Widow’s Island novella series by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.

Deputy Tessa Black spots a man disturbing a grave in the local cemetery and gives chase. But when Tessa catches him, she learns that the ghoulish trespasser wasn’t robbing graves; he was burying a box of bones.

With the help of her fiancé, park ranger Logan Wilde, Tessa discovers that the remains belong to a missing teenager from a nearby island. After the girl disappeared nine months ago, police labelled her a runaway. Now, though, it’s clear the teenager was murdered.

When the only witness is an uncooperative teenager, Tessa and Logan must find the killer before the boy becomes the next target.

                                                      ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What a great idea; a thriller series with each book of novella length. Not only is the mystery exciting and tense but each book can be read in one evening so it makes perfect reading for anyone who feels they don't have time to read. This is the tenth in the series but easily be read as a standalone.

In this instalment, Tessa starts the ball rolling by disturbing and giving chase to a person burying a box of bones in the graveyard. This quickly escalates into a murder investigation and there are a couple of suspects once the identity of the murder victim is revealed. Logan, the park ranger partners up with her to find the killer.

We get a sense of the realities of living on a small island where there are few resources and help can be far away when something goes wrong.  

This was a quick read with high drama and a satisfying conclusion. 

The Wrong Bones is out now. 

Murder at the Tea Rooms: A 1920s Cozy Mystery (Lady Felicity Quick Mystery Book 3) by Rosie Hunt (2022)

 

The Green Ginger Tea Rooms have a neatly thatched roof, scones baked to perfection, and under a lace-edged tablecloth … a corpse!

England, 1921. On the eve of her first official assignment working with the reporter she admires most, journalist Lady Felicity Quick is more than slightly vexed when her grandmother requests a favour she cannot refuse.

Acts of petty sabotage are undermining the success of tea rooms run by a cherished friend of Felicity’s grandmother. But on arriving in the village to play the detective, Felicity finds more than spilt food dye and collapsed sponges.

Murder has occurred, and her grandmother’s friend is the prime suspect.

Can Felicity use her sleuthing skills to unmask the real killer and still make it in time for her special assignment? Or will Felicity’s battle to outwit a deadly foe destroy not only the tea rooms’ future — but also her own?

If you love puzzling period mysteries sprinkled with humour and set in the charming English countryside, then you will love this cozy series! For fans of Agatha Christie, Ann Sutton, and Helena Dixon. Get your copy today!

                                               ✴✴✴✴✴

I've enjoyed the previous books in the Lady Felicity Quick historical mystery series and I am still a fan. Murder at the Tea Rooms is the third book in the series. The 1920s is one of my favourite time periods and this series sends you on a lovely short trip back in time with an intriguing mystery to solve. The author's sense of humour shines through in this book. I loved the fact that the murder weapon was, of all things, a teapot. 

 

Murder at the Tea Rooms is a light, pleasant read and an excellent whodunnit with a host of credible suspects. Most of the employees of the tearoom had previous trouble with the law so it wasn't a wild stretch that the murderer could be one of them. 

The story had loads of twists and turns and the mystery was complicated enough to keep me guessing until the end. To confuse matters further, Felicity's investigation was misled by the assumption that all the crimes committed were connected. So, Felicity and Alex had more than one case to solve while they were there.

I enjoyed their teamwork and the friendship developing between them. 

The humour at the end had me smiling as I closed the book. I'm looking forward to reading the next case for this investigative duo.

Murder at the Tea Rooms is out now! Amazon