The Shakespeare Killer by Douglas J. Wood Review!

 

Douglas J. Wood has released his new crime fiction novel, The Shakespeare Killer (Plum Bay Publishing, 979-8-9858564-1-5, Summer 2023), a thrilling police procedural that follows FBI Special Agent Chris DiMeglio as he begins connecting the seemingly unrelated deaths of three lawyers across the US. Between the similar victim profiles, the suicide notes left at the crime scenes, and the unusual methods of death, it soon becomes obvious that the FBI has yet another serial killer on its hands, and the hunt begins.

This case is particularly sadistic and not long after he begins working on the case, DiMeglio starts receiving cryptic texts referencing Shakespearean characters and a clear motive to “kill all the lawyers.” With the lives of so many at stake, DiMeglio is forced to play a heart-pounding game of cat-and-mouse to find the culprit and stop the killing. Through guileful messages and hints, DiMeglio must dissect the killer’s vendetta and figure out who the Shakespeare Killer is at all costs before the next victim dies.

Douglas J. Wood’s The Shakespeare Killer picks up the story of Agent DiMeglio from his previous novel, Blood on the Bayou. Whether you’re already a fan or you want to read it as a standalone work, The Shakespeare Killer is a thought-provoking mystery that will have readers alongside DiMeglio trying to guess the killer. A lawyer himself, Doug has done countless hours of research into the federal justice system & interviews with professionals, culminating in an unnervingly accurate detective novel. 

My Thoughts

The Shakespeare Killer is the second, the first, Blood on the Bayou,  in a series by Douglas J Wood. I read the first one and enjoyed it so I was eager to read this one. I think that even though you may not have read the first one, you can still enjoy this one as a stand-alone.

Someone is killing the lawyers, in various different places in different countries. The first lawyer is Jacob Schneider. Jacob was a prominent defense lawyer, getting murderers off scot-free. It did not matter to him if they were guilty or innocent. 

At first, authorities claimed that Jacob had committed suicide. Special Agent Chris diMeglio and his team are tasked with finding the murderer, and subsequent murders. It quickly came to my attention of Chris that these were not suicides but a very clever person, Male/female often misquoted the line "Let's kill all the lawyers". This line is from Henry VI part two, said by Dick the Butcher.

The killer has taken to texting Chris, who only has so much time to find the killer before he/she strikes again. So his team travels to Italy, from a clue that, the name that the killer has adopted, "Dick". After a time, Chris and his team are able to figure out who the killer is, but not the Why. The only connection to the other murders is that they were all prominent lawyers who defended murders, of which most of the criminals walked free.

I really enjoyed The Shakespeare Killer as I did Blood on the Bayou. Great supporting characters, who also have baggage of their own. There is always a little twist to Mr. Woods's books, I guess that is what makes the reading go by fast. Chris is a no-nonsense FBI profiler, he knows his stuff and he gets respect from the rest of the team. Romance? Well of course there is, would not make a good book if there wasn't. 

The author of course knows his way around the FBI to make the plot of the book believable! It definitely shows that the author did his research

I give this book 5 stars!

I received a copy of the book for review purposes only.

Stilettos and Sniper Rifles Deputy Gemma Stone Book 1 by Gail Koger Book Tour! #DeputyGemmaStone #ColettiWarlordBooks #gkoger58 #GailKoger @SilverDaggerBookTours #SilverDaggerBookTours #SDBookTours

#Action #Comedy #Romance #RomanticComedy #LawEnforcement #StilettosAndSniperRifles

 

Law enforcement isn’t for the fainthearted. Are you brave enough to enter my world?  

Stilettos and Sniper Rifles

Deputy Gemma Stone Book 1

by Gail Koger

Genre: Action, Comedy, Romance 

I’ve been a Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputy for four years. Most folks don’t have a clue about what a cop deals with every day. Like a pack of attack chihuahuas, a monkey with a bad case of diarrhea, a hungry python, a brahma bull named Bodacious and a six-foot iguana.

 And that is just the critters. Now let me tell you about the two-legged varmints. Such as a three-hundred-pound biker who got a bit irate when I zapped him with a stun gun, or a murderous nun, and let’s not forget the senior citizens having an orgy. Ugh.

 My personal life isn’t much better.  Off duty I’m a ballroom dancer which everyone makes fun of.  I love competitive dancing; I get to meet a lot of people who aren’t trying to kill me. Ok, there was one incident, but hey, shit happens. At a dance competition Detective Sergeant Dante Delgado waltzed into my life. My girly parts yelled yee-haw, he’s the one. Now, if I can only get him to do the tango with me.

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Howdy. My name is Gail Koger and once upon a time I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher. Too many years of wild requests, screwy questions, bizarre behavior and outrageous demands have left me with a permanent twitch and an uncontrollable craving for chocolate. I took up writing science fiction romance to keep from killing people. So far, it has worked.

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 Vixen by D.M. Earl is the next book in the Devil's Handmaidens MC: Timber-Ghost, Montana Chapter!

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She's as fierce and fearless as they come...

Being pulled back in is the absolute last thing that I want,

Or need.

After all, the demons and horrors of back then nearly destroyed me,

Broke me,

And killed me.

But my friend needs me,

She needs out,

Away from the trafficking and prostitution,

An escape I know all too well.

The Devil Handmaidens are always on my side,

Supporting me,

Trusting me,

And protecting me.

I just need one more person on my side,

The strongest, bravest man I know,

The one who shattered my heart,

Left me high and dry.

Can I rely on Ironside,

Or will he break me all over again?

Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace Book Review! #TowardtheCornerofMercyandPeace #NetGalley

 June 20, 2023 pub date, Regal House Publishing

It’s 1952 in the small western Kentucky town of Paducah and Mrs. Minerva Place would prefer everyone mind his own business, follow the rules, and if dead, stay dead. Nosy neighbors and irritating church members are bad enough but when residents of the local cemetery start showing up, the quirky widow wonders if she’s going crazy. Just as distressing, a new boy in the neighborhood seems intent on disrupting her life. Minerva, aggravated by the precocious six-year-old, holds him and his father at arm’s length. 

Nevertheless, with charming perseverance, they find a way into her closed-off life and an unlikely friendship begins. But just when Minerva starts to let her guard down, a tragic accident shatters her emerging reconnection with life. Now more than her sanity is at stake. With the help of the living and the dead, Minerva discovers the power of forgiveness and why it’s worth it to let others into your life, even when it hurts.

Tracey Buchanan crashed into the literary world when she was six and won her first writing award. Fast forward through years as a journalist, mom, volunteer, freelance writer, editor, artist, and circus performer (not really, but wouldn’t that be something?) and you find her happily planted in the world of fiction with her debut novel. She and her husband Kent Buchanan live in Paducah, Ky.

Historical Fiction Novel | Tracey Buchanan

My Thoughts

Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace by Tracey Buchanan is a feel-good story about a crotchety old lady, Minerva, who would rather talk to the people in the cemetery than live folks. 

" Mrs.Minerva Place knew they thought her odd.That, she didn't mind. Jept them out of her hair. But crazy? Crazy was a whole other matter. Preoccupation with a cemetery should not qualify one as insane." Chapter 1, page 1 of Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace 

The year is 1952, Minerva does not have much of a social life and prefers it that way. She has a low tolerance for people in general. She teaches piano to the people in Paducah Kentucky. Other than that she prefers to be alone, with her research of the people that lived a long time ago. Once she does her research, she writes about who/what these long-ago residents were and what impact they had on the community.

Things for Minerva change, not that she has a choice when a young man, Robert McAlpin, with a 6-year-old son, George, moves into town insisting that she give George piano lessons. She is reluctant of course because she feels that at 6, he is too young. She does and she does find out that George is too fidgety. They do after a while involve themselves in her life, like it or not. They have invited Minerva over for Thanksgiving. An accident changes Minerva, Robert, and Georges's lives, Is that little block of ice around her heart finally melting? 

Minerva is a hilarious woman, but with a heart of gold, if you can get in. Told with wit and as the story goes on, the reader learns about her life when young, her parents, sister, and husband. I could just picture in my mind's eye, how she either gets along or not with the people of Paducah, whether on the street, shops, or church. A story of forgiveness and redemption. It was such a fun read at just under 230 pages.

This is a book, that is not a murder mystery, no one was killed. But a story that if you like a funny escapist novel, then you have to read this one. I like to think that there is a happily ever after for Minerva, Robert, and George. I think they all deserve it!

5 stars!!

I received a copy of the book for review purposes only

Rescue Series: Darklight, Book Two Sean Ian O'Meidhir and Connal Braginsky Release Blitz! @ninestarpress @indigomarketingdesign

#LGBTQIA+ #paranormal #romance #booklover #bookblogger #bookaddict #romancereadersofinstagram #booknerd #bookworm

Title:  Rescue

Series: Darklight, Book Two

Author: Sean Ian O'Meidhir and Connal Braginsky

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: 08/22/2023

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 54800

Genre: Paranormal, Vampire, Mage, Neurodiverse, Autism, Magic, MM, Paranormal, Conspiracy, Supernatural, Gay

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Nathen, a newly created vampire, diagnosed with autism, and his boyfriend, Cameron, a telepath, find themselves swept up into a corporate plot between two seemingly rival corporations working together to create monsters. 

 In so doing, they uncover a piece of tech they take to their technomage friend whose skills surpass their own. However, in exchange for information, they must assist in rescuing an ally—a rescue mission that brings them face-to-face with the darker side of this world.

Rescue

Sean Ian O’Meidhir / Connall Braginsky © 2023

All Rights Reserved

Chapter One

CAMERON

“Oh man, I don’t care what you two say, she was F-I-N-E, fine.”

Cameron side-eyed his best friend. “Syn, this is serious, and all you’re thinking about is her ass?”

“All you think about is his ass.” Laying on the couch, her feet kicking over the back, Syn shot a look across at Nathen, who perched on the edge of the arm of the recliner where Cameron sat.

“I think it is safe to say that we think about various parts of each other’s body, some not so obvious.” Nathan cast a cryptic grin at Cameron.

Snorting, his raven-haired friend stuck out her tongue in disgust, waggling a finger. “Oh no, I do not think about either of your parts.”

“You two, please. Aside from the fact that—What do we even call her? Cybernetic vampire?—she exists, she was placed there by both Impetus and Paradigm, two of the largest companies in the world, to—What did she say?—test how law enforcement deals with a threat?”

Nathen responded, “Yeah, and it makes a sort of sense from a purely logical perspective. Say you are creating something new, something the world has never seen before…” He paused for a moment, his mind going down a path of the many things he could imagine the world hadn’t seen before: supernatural creatures, AI, flying cars, aliens… Catching himself, Nathan went on. “And I can’t recall ever hearing of anything like what we saw. You would want to see what it can do, and how a society you are introducing it to can possibly respond, which the authorities did stereotypically, without much deviation from the norm. They treated it like a normal cyberattack, no real investigation, no pulling at strings to see what unraveled.”

“So, guys—” Syn rolled herself into a sitting position. “—I got so many questions. I mean, Nathen, how did you respond to Impetus? Your masters gotta know, right?”

“Syn!” Had she just called them that? Sure, Impetus had made Nathen into a vampire, but to call them his “Master” left a bad taste in Cameron’s mouth.

“Wha—?” She rolled her eyes.

“Technically that’s what they are. Or think they are. But they know either way what our part was. She would have told them we found out about her. So I told them the truth, or enough of the truth without telling them everything. HR seemed pleased, or at least I think he was pleased. He simply replied, ‘Good, thank you.’” Nathan tried to mimic HR’s mildly disturbing calm cadence and demeanor as he echoed his words. “He didn’t give me anything else. Said I will get a bonus and Agnus will contact me for my next task. I have until then to relax, I guess.”

Cameron bit back his anger. He had hated allowing Nathen to go into the office alone, but at the same time, they had all agreed it simply wasn’t safe for Cameron to go in with him. Not with them knowing he was a mage, a telepath, and having already notified him that they knew his true identity. It had been a tense hour until Nathen returned in one piece. “So, I know the two of you have planned on moving forward and have that hard drive we recovered decrypted. But…to what end? I mean, what is it going to prove? We already learned the companies are working together and why.”

“Oh, but did we?” Syn rested her elbows on her knees, hands outstretched. “Check this—we have one of Impetus’s vampires.” She gestured to Nathen. “We find out the companies are working together—Impetus with their vamps and Paradigm with their tech? But honestly, Cam, what’s their endgame?”

Nathen chimed in. “They do a lot for the general society, from medical research to robotics; maybe they think they are helping mankind. The news has not exactly been happy recently. Politics have been corrupted and abused to the point where a lot are at each other’s throats around the world. Maybe they plan to nudge us in a better direction? Any information on their inner workings could be helpful in understanding where they are headed.”

“Orrr,” Syn dragged out the word. “They might be bent on world domination, and this is just the first step in their nefarious plot, and only we could potentially help thwart them!”

A groan rumbled from him as Cameron flung himself into a chair, his feet landing on the edge of the table with a thud. How did he find a best friend who was so dark and a boyfriend who was so light? Yin and yang played out in front of him. Sitting around theorizing wasn’t going to get them anywhere. And besides, what would it hurt to let them figure out what was on the hard drive? It was probably more of the same they’d already learned. And that would be the end of it. “Fine, fine. Tomorrow, you guys get to learn more about these shadowy corporations, and tonight, I get to learn more about mages. Cool. Guess it’ll be a couple days of having some questions answered, huh?”

“That sounds about right; hopefully it is answers, and not more questions on top of an already huge pile,” Nathen interjected. He turned his attention to the television. “So what are we watching anyway?”

NineStar Press | Books2Read

Connal Braginsky is a software engineer who lives in San Diego, California. Diagnosed with high functioning autism, Connal sometimes struggles in social situations, but has an inner world that is always incredibly rich. With an insatiable thirst for knowledge about many esoteric things, Connal brings a lot of personal philosophies and interests to writing. 

Sean Ian O'Meidhir is a psychologist who lives in San Francisco, California. Sean is a hedonist who believes in living for today, living every day to the fullest, and enjoying as much as possible. They have been gaming since adolescence and have written about and played hundreds of lives, revelling in the chance to take on new personalities, dramas, even disorders.

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Her Own Revolution: Château de Verzat Series by Debra Borchert Virtual Book Tour1

 

Her Own Revolution: Château de Verzat Series
by Debra Borchert

Her Own Revolution: Château de Verzat Series
Historical Romance
2nd in Series
Setting – Paris and a Loire Valley vineyard during the French Revolution
Le Vin Press (July 14, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 422 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0989454576
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0989454575
Digital Print length ‏ : ‎ 364 pages
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BYKFQGLG

A Woman Forges a Treacherous Path to Save Hundreds from the Guillotine

If Geneviève Fouquier-Tinville had the same rights as a man, she wouldn’t have to dress like one, which she does to attend University—forbidden to women. By swearing her commitment to the revolution, she succeeds in convincing her father, the Public Prosecutor who condemns thousands to the guillotine, to hire her as a court clerk. But she intends to earn passage to join her lover, Henri, in America.

Tasked with copying lists of names scheduled for execution, she reads Louis LaGarde, a fallen noble whom she despises for having exposed her as a woman when they both attended University. Believing him innocent, she replaces his name with one already dead, saving his life. But she realizes that unless she forges a treacherous path, hundreds more will perish at her father’s hands.

When a Revolutionary hunts her down, she must accept LaGarde’s help, yet she denies her attraction to him out of loyalty to Henri. She fights for her life and the lives of those she’s come to love, but she must face the truth of her own heart.

Debra’s debut novel, Her Own Legacy, is the first in a series that follows headstrong and independent women and the four-hundred loyal families who protect a Loire Valley château and vineyard, and its legacy of producing the finest wines in France during the French Revolution. Her Own Revolution is the second book in the Château de Verzat series. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, she weaves her knowledge of textiles and clothing design throughout her historical French fiction. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family and standard poodle who is named after a fine French Champagne.

Author Links

Website www.DebraBorchert.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/debraborchertauthor/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DebraBorchertAuthor/

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127906994-her-own-revolution

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – 

Joliette’s Chilled Fresh Pea Soup

Excerpt from Cooking at Château de Verzat, A Literary Cookbook & Culinary Tribute to the French Revolution, and companion cookbook to the Château de Verzat Series by Debra Borchert

Serves 6–8 appetizer portions

Ingredients

2 cups fresh peas

1 cup vegetable broth

Sea salt (optional)

Fruity white balsamic vinegar (optional)*

A few sprigs of fresh mint

Process 

1. Simmer peas in broth until peas are tender. 

2. Keeping the broth, drain and allow to cool. 

3. Using an immersion blender, blitz the peas with enough broth for a consistency and thickness you like.

4. Add salt to taste. Chill. 

5. Serve with a mint spear and a drizzle of a fruity white balsamic vinegar. 

© Debra Borchert

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Witch Series: Witch's Circle, Book Three Mell Eight New Release Blitz! @ninestarpress @indigomarketingdesign #LGBTQIA+

 

Title:  Witch

Series: Witch's Circle, Book Three

Author: Mell Eight

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: 08/15/2023

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 32500

Genre: Paranormal, Paranormal, magic, witches, warlock, shifters, vampires, werewolves, hunters, cat familiars, MMMM

Add to Goodreads

Kana spent his life hiding from those who might take advantage of his power. Now that he’s living with his lover, werewolf Alpha Ember, hiding is impossible. However, living in the open means accepting the inherent risks. Kana hopes he and Ember together are strong enough to survive whatever might come. Then a new witch moves to town.

Dealing with the witch should be the most important thing for Kana, the pack, and their allies, but something else is lurking in the shadows—something dark, and evil, whose only goal is to destroy everything Kana holds dear.

Witch

Mell Eight © 2023

All Rights Reserved

“Magic is about precision, Kana,” Dad said, his voice firm, but understanding. He gently repositioned Kana’s hand around the chalk. “Now, hold it steady, but not too tight. Pivot with your feet and keep a stiff elbow. Now place the chalk to the floor and spin.”

Kana spun, the chalk scraping along the smooth floor as he tried to keep his arm completely still and allow his momentum to direct the chalk. When he finished a complete turn and the two lines of the circle intersected exactly, Kana pulled the chalk back and grinned up at Dad.

“Very good!” Dad crowed. “Look how exact this circle is compared to the one you drew before.”

Kana stood to look. Where the previous circle was a wiggling wave that suddenly arced to force the two ends to meet, his new circle was almost perfect. A few bits were still slightly skewed, but overall, it was a circle whereas the old one was more of an awkward oval.

“Practice makes perfect, though,” Dad continued. “You need to draw at least ten circles a day, until it becomes second nature. An imperfect circle will lead to an imperfect spell, and an imperfect spell can be very dangerous.”

Kana nodded. Dad was right. Kana’s wobbly circles were harder to call magic into, and the results didn’t always match what he wanted the spell to do. If Dad said Kana needed to write ten circles a day, Kana knew he ought to instead do twenty. He had to perfect his spell circles so the coven and his mother would accept him as a witch.

“Dad?” Kana asked, reminded of a question that had been bothering him since Dad began this lesson. “Momma’s the witch in the family. You don’t have any magic, so how come you know so much?”

Dad’s smile was a little sad as he patted Kana on the shoulder. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell it to you when you’re older. Now, why don’t you draw your ten circles for today, and then we can go out for ice cream?”

Ice cream? Kana grinned and hurried to a clean spot on the floor. Ten good circles in return for some ice cream was a great bargain! He put chalk to the floor and got to work.

*

Four years later, when Kana was thirteen, Atlantea, one of the head witches on the coven council, pulled him out of class. His parents’ car had been found at the bottom of a ravine, their bodies still inside. Her arms were warm and comforting as Kana cried, but it was also the only time he could remember her ever being nice to him. Certainly after the funeral her cold attitude toward him returned.

Kana quickly learned the magic lessons his dad had been giving him were lessons he should have been receiving from the coven, but they had refused to include him. He was a male witch and therefore not worth the coven’s time, according to them. Why and how his dad had been able to provide those lessons instead, Kana never learned, but he was grateful for every one as he fought his way into the high school’s magic classes.

Thoughts of his dad soon faded, however, beaten down under the onslaught of the coven’s vitriol, but Kana knew someday he would be free of the coven. Someday, all the magic lessons he had been hoarding would be of use, and until then he would continue to perfect his spells through constant practice and repetition.

And then, once he was eighteen, Kana had forced them to allow him to cast the spell to call his familiars. He had run away right after that, tired of the coven’s mistreatment and knowing it would only increase after he walked out of the testing room with two cat familiars—cats being the strongest familiars, and Kana had received two of them. His only choice was to leave, so Kana had run as far and as fast as he could..

NineStar Press | Books2Read

When Mell Eight was in high school, she discovered dragons. Beautiful, wondrous creatures that took her on epic adventures both to faraway lands and on journeys of the heart. Mell wanted to create dragons of her own, so she put pen to paper. Mell Eight is now known for her own soaring dragons, as well as for other wonderful characters dancing across the pages of her books. While she mostly writes paranormal or fantasy stories, she has been seen exploring the real world once or twice.

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One lucky winner will receive a $50.00 NineStar Press Gift Code! 

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