Orphans, Assassins & the Existential Eggplant by J.T.Gillett Spotlight!

Publication Date: February 19, 2015 Publisher: Homunculus Press Formats: Kindle eBook, Paperback ISBN-13: 978-0692391662 Pages: 279 Genre: Historical Fiction

     

Orphans, Assassins and the Existential Eggplant explores the quirky side of historical fiction. The novel takes you on wild ride through the early 13th century with a female alchemist, orphan teenager and a 600-year-old, shrunken eggplant that can speak to whomever wears it. In search of the fabled Lost Stone of Eden, they cross Europe and the Mediterranean with the Children?s Crusade, hijack a caravan in the Sahara desert, live with hashish-fueled Assassins in the mountains of Persia and rediscover paradise on the island of Bahrain.

Excerpt

Aaron and the girls slept for a few hours during the hottest part of the day, then rode through the evening and the entire night, taking only a few breaks to rest the camels. They didn?t catch up to any slow-moving caravans, come upon an oasis or see fires in the night. Everything around them seemed the same, day after day. Same mirrored sky. Same scorching sun. Same sound of camel farting and plodding. Same sad, ivory scent of emptiness. ?Are we dead?? asked Donatelle as they shared the last of the water. They were sitting atop a tall dune and could see nothing but more dunes in every direction. ?Do you feel dead?? Aaron had to ask, knowing that in the middle of this terminal landscape, it was a good question. ?I can?t tell because I don?t know what it?s like to be dead, but it might be like this. Just nothing,? Donatelle shrugged. ?Death is much different?and much luckier,? guessed the eggplant. Aaron hoped the eggplant was right, but he chose a different answer for Donatelle. ?Whenever I?m not sure, I listen for my heartbeat. The pounding inside me says I?m alive in this world and even though we?re in a dead place, we?ll survive. We?ll find something soon, or something will find us.? Something took the form of a humming dark cloud on the horizon. They watched as it grew darker, stretched across the dunes and started to roar like steady, rolling thunder.

Praise for Orphans, Assassins and the Existential Eggplant

"Good stories rise and fall like empires in the endless pursuit of happiness, like armies of lovers marching to paradise - good stories change the world." So begins Part One of Orphans, Assassins and the Existential Eggplant. This book is such a good read. I read it on the plane to Hawaii, and it soared with me through the sky. My wife kept asking what was so funny as I giggled and laughed in my seat. This story changed me, in that flying is such a drag these days, and this book kept coming up with surprises, weaving together stories of gods, goddesses, orphans and assassins, the pursuit of the unattainable, and existential conundrums. I have had the opportunity to read some of Mr Gillett's poetry (especially "This is My Last Poem" - I hope this is not his last novel), and in this novel, he brings his poetic ability to sublimely transport the reader to new views of the mundane, new opportunities for transformation, and new ways of understanding my own self. What more could I ask for in a book. Steal this book if you need to, but get it and read it with joy." - Paul Rerucha, Amazon Reviewer "I don't read a ton of books for pleasure but I did read this one on the recommendation of a friend. It kept me captivated and I ended up finishing it in 2.5 days. This is the kind of book that makes me want to read more often." - B. H., Amazon Reviewer

Orphans, Assassins and the Existential Eggplant Available at Amazon

Kindle eBook Paperback

About the Author

J.T Gillett holds degrees in philosophy and journalism from the University of Oregon and studied at Naropa Institute?s Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. His stories and poems have appeared in a variety of Literary Journals, including City Lights Journal, edited by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. For more information please visit the Orphans and Assassins website and blog.

Orphans, Assassins and the Existential Eggplant Book Blast Schedule

Monday, June 22
Passages to the Past
  Tuesday, June 23
100 Pages a Day
Queen of All She Reads
  Wednesday, June 24
Unshelfish
To Read, Or Not to Read
  Thursday, June 25
Boom Baby Reviews
  Friday, June 26
Book Nerd
What Is That Book About
  Saturday, June 28
Diana's Book Reviews
  Sunday, June 29
The Never-Ending Book
  Tuesday, June 30
A Book Geek
CelticLady's Reviews
  Wednesday, July 1
Room With Books
  Thursday, July 2
Just One More Chapter
  Friday, July 3
Thoughts From an Evil Overlord

VanDay Coffee Mugs 18/8 Stainless Steel Double Wall Tea Cup Review

Product Description

Size: 14 oz

This 14 OZ stainless steel is hygienic and durable, suitable for frequent use. Ideal for adult and children. This double wall coffee cup prevents condensation on the outside and the stainless steel construction makes it much tougher than fragile double wall glass mugs.  This mug will work very well with a stainless steel tea infuser for brewing your favorite tea! Made with food grade 18/8 stainless steel and excellent craftsmanship. Stainless steel products do not chip nor crack like porcelain and glass. It is food safe, no lead, no BPA and no toxins. Also, easy to clean. Everybody loves Stainless Steel! Please choose this high quality tumbler with our VanDay brand logo!

My Thoughts

I am clumsy, I have some medical issues that cause this and when I saw this mug I thought it would be perfect. I rarely buy any drinking vessels that are breakable because I would not have it long. The VanDay Stainless Steel Coffee Mug is high quality, food grade, lightweight with a double wall design. You would think that a mug that was stainless steel would be hot on the outside, I found that this was not the case due to the double wall design, the handle is easy to hold and I love to drink coffee on the deck and this mug is perfect for that. It keeps my coffee hot longer than the standard ceramic mug and if I were to drop it, I think it would bounce, might dent a little but I have not tried that out. The mug is easy to clean, just a bit of soapy water and a cloth to shine it up. The perfect mug to take to the office, on a picnic or use at home. I really like it! The only thing I noticed and it is not a problem for me, is that this mug was 14oz and not an espresso mug that was listed for review I actually received VanDay Coffee Mugs 18/8 Stainless Steel Double Wall Tea Cup so my review will be going on this product. This mug also fits perfectly on the largest mug size for my Keurig and is eco friendly.

I received VanDay Coffee Mugs 18/8 Stainless Steel Double Wall Tea Cups Beer Stein for review free to review. This is a sponsored post.

• #VanDayMug

Roman Mask by Thomas M.D.Brooke Spotlight!

Publication Date: June 29, 2015 CreateSpace Formats: Kindle & Paperback Pages: 388 Genre: Historical Fiction/Adventure/Action

What is it we normally expect of the leading character in our books? Self-sacrifice? Bravery? Strength of character? Possibly with a hint of self-deprecation? Well, Cassius doesn?t have any of those. Cynicism ? yes. Cowardice ? possibly. Prepared to live a lie in order to further his own ends ? absolutely!

It is Rome AD 9 and Augustus Caesar rules Imperial Rome at the height of its power, as the Roman Empire stretches across the known world. Cassius, son of one of her most powerful families, is the personification of Rome?s imperial strength: wealthy, popular, a war hero with a decorated military career. None of Rome?s fashionable parties are complete without him. But he hides a secret. After his nerve is broken in Germany, even the thought of genuine armed combat is enough to send him into a cold sweat. But this doesn?t dissuade him from living off a false reputation so he can continue a life of womanising, wine and wild parties, as he is seduced by the many vices of Rome. However, his scandalous life is interrupted by a summons from the emperor?s wife. It ends his happy decadent life and returns him to Germany to assist the Roman legions in their greatest ever trial. The events will resound through history, in the dark forests of the Teutoburg ?

I have researched the calamitous history of the doomed legions that marched into the Teutoburg Forest in AD 9, using a wide range of historical sources including the classical works of Tacitus and the more recent archaeological findings of the early 1990s in Kalkriese. I have put my complicated hero, who clearly suffers from the post-traumatic stress of his last encounter with the German tribes, at the centre of the events that rocked Rome to its foundations. How can a man, so flawed in so many respects, possibly impact on these terrible events? By his humanity, by coming to terms with his flaws, and learning to stop hating himself for them. It is a tale of betrayal and hardship, but also personal redemption.

Roman Mask Available At

Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon DE

About the Author

Thomas Brooke lives in London where he works in the exciting, and sometimes crazy, fashion world. He is also a committed writer and he spends as much time as he can in his beloved Northumbrian hills, where up until recently could be seen walking with his black Labrador Fergus, who sadly passed in January 2015. Fergus was a constant companion to the writing of the novel and prevented many writers? tantrums. Roman Mask is Thomas Brooke?s second novel, although this will be the first available for sale. As well as writing novels, he also writes a blog on both historical and fantasy genre novels.

 For more information on Thomas M D Brooke, visit www.thomasmdbrooke.com and www.romanmask.com.

You can also find him on Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.
 

The Plan: A Crystal Cove Romance Book 2 Available Now!

iBooks/Amazon/Nook/Kobo/Smashwords/Google Play/All Romance Ebooks/Goodreads

Emmy Carter is a hard-working, no-nonsense woman. She's focused only on supporting her family and growing her pie business. Working weekend nights at The Riptide is just something she does to help pay the bills. When it comes to men--or love--she's not interested. Since the day her surfer-boy husband walked out the door to find bigger waves, Emmy's been determined never to give another man power over her heart. Cooper Davis agrees. He's been married--and divorced--twice, and he's got no desire to make it a trifecta. He has his carpentry business, which is his passion, and his teen-aged daughter to keep him busy. The posse, his best friends since boyhood, tease him about finding the right woman. But Cooper knows she doesn't exist. When Emmy and Cooper share a casual hook-up late one night, isn't a big deal. It's just a one-time thing. Until it isn't. And although neither of them will admit to themselves or each other that they want more, each encounter only brings them closer to the happily-ever-after they never planned to have. Like it or not. . .it's all part of The Plan.

***Special price for THE POSSE (A Crystal Cove Romance Book 1)***

***99 cents for a limited time only!***

iBooks/Amazon/Nook/Google Play/Kobo/All Romance Ebooks

One women, three men, and a love story as unpredictable as the riptide . . .

Being a widow at the age of forty-four was never in Jude Hawthorne’s plans. After her husband’s death, she’s left with her family’s beach restaurant and two nearly-grown children. The last thing she’s looking for is another chance at love.

However, if her husband’s best friends, the Posse, have anything to say about it, love is just what she’s going to get. The Posse is determined to take care of Jude, and when they decide the best way to do that is for one of them to sweep her off her feet, three begin to vie for her affections. But only one can reach her heart. In a story of friendship, loss and second chances, Jude will learn her life is far from being over.

Coming August 25th

The Path

A Crystal Cove Romance

Book 3

Abby Donavan came to the small beach community of Crystal Cove to start over. After a painful affair broke her heart and derailed her burgeoning career, taking over management for the just-opened bed-and-breakfast was the safe choice. In this sleepy town, Abby figured she could bury her memories and forget the pain. When the chance to have her own hotel falls into her lap, though, she can’t resist the temptation. Making the old Riverside Inn into the showplace she’s always dreamed of running offers the second chance she never expected. Abby didn’t expect another kind of second chance to land on her doorstep at the same time. Ryland Kent wants to help her bring the Riverside back to life, and his passion for restoration is irresistible. But as much as she wants to ignore it, she can’t help seeing another spark in his eyes . . . one that offers to reignite her own flame. Sometimes the path to a happily-ever-after is anything but smooth. Pre-order here! iBooks/Amazon/Nook/Kobo/Google Play   

About the author

Tawdra Kandle writes romance, in just about all its forms. She loves unlikely pairings, strong 
women, sexy 
guys, hot love scenes and just enough conflict to make it interesting. Her books run from YA paranormal romance (THE KING SERIES), through NA paranormal and contemporary romance (THE SERENDIPITY DUET, PERFECT DISH DUO, THE ONE TRILOGY) to adult contemporary and paramystery romance (CRYSTAL COVE BOOKS and RECIPE FOR DEATH SERIES). She lives in central Florida with a husband, kids, sweet pup and too many cats. And yeah, she rocks purple hair. Follow Tawdra here:

  Facebook/Twitter/Tsu/Pinterest/Instagram/Website/Newsletter/Amazon

Black and Deep Desires, William Shakespeare, Vampire Hunter by Graham Holderness Spotlight!

Book Details Paperback: 262 pages Publisher: Top Hat Books (September 25, 2015) Language: English ISBN-10: 1785350633 ISBN-13: 978-1785350634 Who was the real architect of the Gunpowder Plot? Who was the first person to  wear a Guy Fawkes mask? Why was Shakespeare’s Dark Lady dark? These and many other questions are answered in Graham Holderness’s new  novel, which combines historical fiction, psychological mystery and  supernatural thriller in a highly original and imaginative re-telling of the  Gunpowder Plot. It is 1604. The Gunpowder Plotters are tunnelling under the palace of  Westminster, and confront an immovable obstacle. Guy Fawkes travels to  Europe to fetch help, and brings back more than he bargained for. Who is the  mysterious Dark Lady? Who is the man in the mask? Why is London over-run  by a plague of vampires, and who is going to defeat them?  From a Westminster vault to a Transylvanian mine, from the crypt of Lambeth  Palace to the under-stage of the Globe theatre, Black and Deep Desires takes  the reader on a tour of historical, psychological and mythical underworlds,  delving deep into some of history’s unexplored corridors, into the secret  thoughts of Catholic terrorists, and into the dark wellsprings of Shakespeare’s  poetry. In Black and Deep Desires Graham Holderness combines the expertise of an internationally-recognised Shakespeare scholar, the narrative flair of his  2001 novel The Prince of Denmark, and the poetic sensibility that won his  verse collection Craeft a Poetry Book Society award. Read an Excerpt 1 July 1606. Hampton Court Palace Silence. William thought the play brilliant, masterful, awe inspiring in its tragedy and terror. It had brought back to him all the horror and sublimity of his own recent encounters with the arch-assassin Guy Fawkes, with the Gunpowder Plot, and with the plague of the Undead; so much so that when Lady Macbeth leapt to her death, he shed a secret tear in memory of Ilona, his own late, lost, lamented Dark Lady. Forman sat in silence, staring at the page he had written, as if he too were seized with the overmastering power of the drama, or of the memories it released. But only one opinion mattered, of course. Cecil’s. Was he pleased? Delighted? Indifferent? As usual nothing could be deciphered in the opaque liquidity of his eyes. He sat for a while in silence, looking at William. About the Author Graham Holderness is a senior academic and creative writer with over 40  published academic and creative books. He has published two novels; an  award-winning collection of poems; and a play performed at Shakespeare's  Globe, and by RSC actors in Stratford-upon-Avon. . Buy Online > AMAZON US > AMAZON UK

Hot Beach Romance: Sand, Sunshine and Sizzle!

Join the Facebook party on June 28^th for the official release of the bundle. 

 Jenna Dales’ Lackadaisical Rules for Beaching I love going to the beach to get away -- just for a little while -- from everyday life. When I can, I like to go to write and read and just relax.

This is the Oregon Coast. I'm here to write a book in four days. Admittedly, it’s not a long book, but it’s still keeping me busy with my morning, afternoon, and evening word counts. Still, I can't visit the coast without a daily walk on the beach. Because writing a book -- even a short book -- can feel long, and life is short. Since I need the reminder to enjoy what's in front of me, not just what's in my head, here are my rules for walking on the beach: 

Look around

Sometimes I get caught up in minutia and forget to appreciate the big picture. The big, pretty, golden (if slightly out of focus)

picture.

Look down

Sometimes minutia is really interesting! Bird tracks and scuttling sand fleas and rocks leaving arrows in the water, but only for a moment before it's gone.

Look Up

Actually this one is not a "do" but a "don't". Seagulls, you know.

Look again

Things change depending on the point of view and the color of the mood. If I squint just right, sometimes I can change them

 to what I want them to be.

                                           Look out

 

Always keep an eye out for treasures that the ocean keeps bringing to your feet. (And always look out for the sneaker waves that'll take you back with them.) 

If words were sand, my shoes would be full, but I still have miles to go. Even so, I’ll be sure to take a few moments to enjoy the here and now. 

Summer is here! Time for long, lazy days poolside or on the beach, and of course, a super hot read. We've got you covered. Or . . . uncovered . . . 

Ready for a summer escape? Get 15 contemporary romance stories by best-selling and award-winning authors for 99¢! Each novel and novella has a beach setting, an irresistible love story with HEA, and high sizzle factor. Slather on the sunscreen, grab a cool drink, and get ready to get hot! 

HOT BEACH ROMANCE: SAND, SUNSHINE AND SIZZLE iBooks/Amazon/Nook/Kobo/Google Play/All Romance Ebooks/Smashwords Join the Facebook party on June 28^th for the official release of the bundle. Find out more about the books and the awesome authors in the bundle here! Here's just a taste . . .

  Ecstasy By the Sea by Chris Almeida & Cecilia Aubrey

A honeymoon to remember.
  Burn Me by Eirinn Brennan She was sure of the future until she experienced what else it had to offer.
  Finding Joy by EmKay Connor You can run from your secrets, but you can't hide.
  Kissing Drake by Jenna Dales A tall, dark and seriously hot hero and the woman who makes him forget about being so serious.
  Madrona Sunset by Jami Davenport Damaged souls craving comfort for a moment or a lifetime.
  The Good Enough Husband by Sylvie Fox What would you do if you met your soul mate, but you were already married?
  The Posse by Tawdra Kandle One woman, three men, and a beach romance as unpredictable as the riptide.
  How to Say Goodbye by Amber Lin She's here for the summer. He lives on the streets. They'll both learn how to say goodbye.
  Last Call By Alannah Lynne One unforgettably hot night could lead to forever...or...death...
  Sunny and 75 by Scarlett Metal Can paradise heal their broken hearts or will their pasts come back to haunt them?
  Midnight Shadows by Lisa Marie Rice She sees shadows that aren't there.
  Two Are Better Than One by Suzanne Rock Two Irish exchange students convince the straight-laced Hannah that two men are better than one.
  The Billionaire's Assassin by Margaret Taylor Adrian Hoyle couldn't know that meeting a hot Hollywood actor would be hazardous to her health.
  Sun Kissed by Nancy Warren It's hard not to mix business and pleasure when your business is surfing.
  Miami Dreams by Layla Wilcox Starting over in the Magic City means believing in second chances when none seem possible.

Gone for You by Jayne Frost Spotlight!

Gone for You

Length: 160 pages

Genre: Sexy romance, erotic romance

Heat rating: Get out your summer wardrobe—things are about to get hot!

Blurb:

As the guitarist for the rock band Caged, I know the rules: no relationships. No complications. Leave ‘em smiling when you go, but always go. Besides, it’s not like I’m ever in one place for more than a few days at a time. As the next hottest thing out of Austin, the band and I are riding the wave, and the music is all that matters.

Until her…

Lily Tennison has “complication” written across her beautiful face. But I can’t get involved. The timing’s all wrong. But she’s under my skin, and I can’t resist her troubled eyes and sweet smile. And I do have a little time to kill. Not much, just a few days in Dallas.

So I’ll scratch the itch and move on, like I always do.

Simple, right?

You can read Gone for You at:

Amazon: http://bit.ly/goneforyou

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/goneforyouGR

Bio for Jayne Frost:

I guess I should start with the basics. The backstory. I was born and raised in California. At this point I'm usually asked what it was like to grow up near the beach, but sadly, I don't know. I grew up in the "other" part of California. Perfect for an aspiring writer, if you ask me. You learn a lot about keeping yourself busy when the nearest house is a mile away...and it belongs to your grandparents.

By the time I went to high school, I started writing romance. Why? Because I met my very own prince charming. I wrote love poems in my journal about the green eyed boy that stole my heart. He promised, the way all storybook hero's do, to sweep me away and take me on a grand adventure. And he did. 
We picked up and moved to the Lone Star State, and began the story of us. The best stories begin without a road map or a compass. Veering off course makes the journey so much more interesting. 

True to form, just when I thought my life was set, we started the next adventure. I traded in my cowboy boots and followed my green eyed boy to Las Vegas. My home will always be in Texas, but my heart is anywhere that he is. 

Writing is what I love. I might stray from the romance every now and then if that is what moves me...but I always come back. Some of the stories don't seem romantic at all. They are gritty stories about flawed characters that find each other and hold on tight. Those are the stories that speak to me. Because that's life. I believe that every story should have a happy ending- even the difficult ones.

You can find me at Twitter at @jaynefrostbooks, Facebook, Pinterest, and my website.

Enter for a Chance to Win the IRULU WalkNBook!

Looking to upgrade your laptop or tablet, well you can do so with the IRULU Walknbook tablet! 

"All in all this iRULU 10.1 inch tablet can do anything most other tablets can do but then also can be a great travel work laptop ensuring your emails get answered, PowerPoint’s get done and no extra time or tweaks needed.  Especially when you consider the year of Office 365 you get which also includes 1 TB of storage and one hour of Skype calls.  It makes this a perfect mobile machine handling all you office and document needs.

You also get Free 1 TB Skydrive when purchasing the tablet and a full 1 year of Microsoft Office 365 which gives you the entire Office Suite of products for a year which is a great deal. For me this get 4 out of 5 stars.  Sure, there are tablets with higher quality and resolution screens and more storage but for under $225 you can’t beat it and this is an excellent Windows Tablet for the price.  Plus you can add an SD Card up to 128GB for additional storage and Windows sees it as a 2nd drive."

For questions, or original post information visit iRulu Windows 8.1 Tablet Giveaway Source Page  and while you are there enter for a chance to win your own tablet!

 

Product Description

Color: Black with Orange Frame

To be the Unique with IRULU W1002.
Say goodbye to be a common one. Welcome a Colorful life with IRULU W1002.Orange frame with 2 in 1 detachable keyboard. Just to be the Unique!

Features:

* Mobile Office: Window 8.1 Operating System and Intel BayTrail-T CPU processor ranging from 1.33-1.83GHz withTurbo boost. One year Office 365 Personal subscription with access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more. Fell great performance with great power efficiency on the IRULU W1002

* Mobile Entertainment: Window Store make you stay entertained and informed. Free 60 min Skypy call every month, call your friends as you please. The IRULU W1002 also has a HDMI port, simply hook it up to television or monitor, come to live in full HD!

* Mobile Storage: Free 1 TB Microsoft SkyDrive space, ever worry about the storage, put your document and photos in the SkyDrive and download them whenever and wherever.

* Mobile Player: With up to 7800mAh high-performance battery life and the low energy-consuming 22NM CPU design, you are free to work or play from dawn to dusk.

* Mobile TV:High-Definition Wide-View Display, 1280*800 display with a wide 178 degree viewing angle for outstanding visual. Enjoy your favorite movies and TV series with IRULU W1002.

Specifications:

OS:Window 8.1....will soon be able to upgrade to Windows 10
CPU:Intel Baytrail-T Quad-Core
Memory:2GB RAM + 32GB Flash
Resolution:1280*800 IPS
Touch Panel:10 point Capacitive Touch Screen
Camera:5.0MP rear, 2.0 MP front
WIFI:802.11b/g/n Battery:7800mAh
Support HDMI, USB, Bluetooth 4.0

Package:
1*IRULU Window 8.1 Tablet
1*User Manual
1*Power Adaptor
1*USB Cable
1*Free gift (Detachable keyboard )

Go here to enter!

Summer Dreams Giveaway & Blog Hop Opportunity!

 

HOSTED BY: MICHIGAN SAVING AND MORE

I will need promoters, co hosts, and blogs with their own giveaway(s) to attached to this.

All giveaways must run the entire time July 1 - 31.

Each prize must be a minimum of $20 rv.

I will have the grand prize and need help with promoting and cohosts for that.

Sign Ups Close 6/28

ALL LINKS TO HOP GIVEAWAYS ARE ALSO DUE 6/28

Giveaway Dates: 7/1 12AM EST through 7/31 11:59pm EST

SPONSORS ALWAYS NEEDED

CAN SIGN UP HERE FOR THIS ONE OR ANY OF MY GIVEAWAYS

or can email me at las93063 at gmail dot com

All bloggers will receive 1 free link for posting and promoting giveaway

and 1 for posting and promoting bloggersopp, HERE.

Please share this on your social media!

Please join my facebook group just for Bloggers: HERE

I will post the html in the facebook group when I email it out. If you do not receive by 6/30 check the group.

Choice for free links: FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM

Co-hosts are $15 for the free links plus 5 more links of choice, Co host page on their site and at minimum 1 follow or secret word page, name and link to blog on giveaway html.

Of course no google+ and no required facebook like.

Other sign up options available on sign up form too!

Please sign up below! Or at this link HERE

The Missing and the Dead by Stuart MacBride on Tour June 2015, Includes Giveaway!

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: June 2, 2015
Number of Pages: 592
Series: Logan McRae #10, (Each is a Stand Alone Novel)
ISBN: 0007494602 (ISBN13: 9780007494606)
Purchase Links:

Synopsis:
One mistake can cost you everything…
When you catch a twisted killer there should be a reward, right? What Acting Detective Inspector Logan McRae gets instead is a ‘development opportunity’ out in the depths of rural Aberdeenshire. Welcome to divisional policing – catching drug dealers, shoplifters, vandals and the odd escaped farm animal.
Then a little girl’s body washes up just outside the sleepy town of Banff, kicking off a massive manhunt. The Major Investigation Team is up from Aberdeen, wanting answers, and they don’t care who they trample over to get them.
Logan’s got enough on his plate keeping B Division together, but DCI Steel wants him back on her team. As his old colleagues stomp around the countryside, burning bridges, Logan gets dragged deeper and deeper into the investigation.
One thing’s clear: there are dangerous predators lurking in the wilds of Aberdeenshire, and not everyone’s going to get out of this alive…

Author Bio:

I was born in Dumbarton — no one knows why, not even my mother — and moved up to Aberdeen at the tender age of two, dragging my mother, father, and a pair of wee brothers with me. There followed a less than stellar academic career, starting out in Marchburn Primary School, where my evil parents forced me to join the cub scouts (specialising in tying unnecessary knots in things and wearing shorts). Thence to Middlefield Academy for some combat recorder practice.
Having outstayed our welcome in Heathryfold we stopped thencing and tried going hence instead. To Westhill. To a housing development built over the remains of a pig farm. Sounds a bit suspect, but that’s what the official story was when all the householders found teeth and bones coming to the surface of their neatly tended vegetable plots. Pig farm. Right… Eventually I escaped from Westhill Academy with a CSE in woodwork, a deep suspicion of authority, and itchy shins.
Here followed an aborted attempt to study architecture at Herriot Watt in Edinburgh, which proved to be every bit as exciting and interesting as watching a badger decompose. If you’ve never tried it, I can wholly recommend giving it a go (watching mouldy badgers falling to bits, not architecture). So I gave up the life academic and went a-working offshore instead. That involved a lot of swearing as I recall. Swearing and drinking endless cups of tea. And I think I had Alpen every morning for about a year and a half. Can’t look at a bowl of the stuff now without getting the dry boak, sod how regular it keeps you. After my stint offshore I had a bash at being a graphic designer, a professional actor, an undertaker, a marketing company’s studio manager, a web designer, programmer, technical lead… Then last, but by all means least, finally circling the career drain by becoming a project manager for a huge IT conglomerate.
Shudder.
Anyway, while I was doing all that IT stuff, I wrote a wee book about an Aberdonian detective sergeant and his dysfunctional colleagues: Cold Granite. HarperCollins bought it, and overnight I went from a grumpy project manager caterpillar to a writing butterfly. As long as you can picture a six-foot-tall, pasty-white, bearded butterfly with no wings, that spends all its time hanging about the house in its jammies.
Stuart has recently been crowned WORLD STOVIES CHAMPION at the 2014 Huntly Hairst.

My Thoughts:
The Missing and the Dead is the ninth novel in the The Logan McRae series and is set in Aberdeen, Scotland and also the first I have read in the series, I suppose I need to start at the beginning of the series to get a real feel for the characters. That said, even though this is the ninth in the series, I had no problem reading it as a standalone book. 

It continues the story of Acting Detective Inspector Logan McRae as he does his daily job. When a little girl is found in the pool of water outside Banff, Logan is pulled deep into the investigation. The Major Investigation Team is all over the case and pushes Logan out, their investigation etc, but Logan has a hard time letting this one go, so against his superior DCI Steele and continues to investigate the murder of the girl. Along with trying to find out who the little girl is, there is a woman Helen who thinks that this little girl may be her daughter that was taken from her years earlier so he feels that he really needs to find out who the girl is and who killed her. 

Aside from this investigation, there are other cases that he and his team are working on, drug dealers, pedophiles and missing persons, plus chasing cows off the road. We are privy to the daily calls that Logan receives regarding things from burglaries to calls from higher ups who don't want or like Logan on the murdered girl's case or don't like him period. His superior DCI Roberta Steele is a brash, uncouth and loudmouth woman who wants Logan back on her team. She knows that Logan is one of the best detectives and will do what she can to get him back. 

Even though is book is huge, 581 pages huge, it is a page turner. I love British authors and I have said before that they do know how to tell a story, especially mysteries and thrillers. There is a fair amount of humor in the book, some vulgarity, mostly from DCI Steele, and I think that all of this is what keeps the story flowing. Characters that you can relate to, some you will like and others not. 

Aside from historical fiction, mysteries/thrillers have to be my next favorite genre to read. I also love British tv dramas, is there a tv show for this series I wonder? If there isn't there should be. The Logan McRae stories would certainly adapt to the screen very well. I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the next one, and going back to start the series from the beginning. If you like a good mystery book that you can settle into with a glass of wine and a cat on your lap, then this is for you. Well you don't have to have the cat....!

I received a hard copy of the book and was not monetarily compensated for my review.

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This is a giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for Stuart MacBride & Harper Collins. There will be one winner of 1 physical copy of The Missing and the Dead by Stuart MacBride to a US recipient. The giveaway begins on June 1st, 2015 and runs through July 3rd, 2015 

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