Elise’s Review – Murder at Icicle Lodge by J. D. Griffo

Book Review by Elise Cooper Murder at Icicle Lodge by J. D. Griffo brings back the Ferrara women detective team. They are investigating a murder where the people of interest mount up. The four women are related and range in age from 65 to GenX. They are Alberta, her granddaughter Jinx, sister Helen and her sister-in-law Joyce with a supporting cast of police chief, Vinny; Jinx’s boyfriend, Freddy; Alberta’s boyfriend, Sloan; and Helen’s frenemy Father Sal. What makes these characters …

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Interview with Jayne Ann Krentz (The Vanishing)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Vanishing by Jayne Krentz is an action-packed story that relies heavily on the paranormal. The psychic element adds to the suspense along with murder, conspiracies, and a kidnapping. The story opens fifteen years earlier where two teenage girls, Catalina Lark and Olivia Dayton witness a murder in a cave. Convinced the girls were hallucinating, their story was dismissed. Readers find out how the government was running paranormal experiments in the mountains close to …

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Interview with Iris and Roy Johansen (Hindsight)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Hindsight by Iris and Roy Johansen is a unique thriller. The protagonist is Investigator Kendra Michaels, whose former blindness has left her with uniquely insightful observational skills. Blind for the first twenty years of her life before gaining her sight via a revolutionary surgical procedure, she has become known for her razor-sharp senses and keen deductive abilities. Kendra has highly developed senses of smell, hearing, and spatial awareness that she’s used to help the …

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Elise’s Review – Christmas in Winter Valley by Jodi Thomas

Book Review by Elise Cooper Christmas in Winter Valley by Jodi Thomas has an unusual format. Instead of having one hero and heroine there are multiple relationships. Each are connected with the theme involving the importance of family. The author noted, “Having many relationships, instead of just one, has become very much my style. I like to have an interconnection between the lives of those who live on a ranch as well as a sense of community. I wanted to …

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Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Title: Christmas Shopaholic Author: Sophie Kinsella Series: Shopaholic #9 Both charming and irritating aspects I would like to thank Sophie Kinsella, Random House, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. I’m late to the party on this one, it’s been out for over two months now (as of writing this review). But I’m rather glad I waited till this week—Christmas week—to read it, finishing on Christmas Eve. *checks time* Well, Christmas, …

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Reaction to Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker

First off—spoilers for Episode IX. Duh. Oh my god, this movie was not good for my blood pressure. I was red in the face by the time the credits rolled. I’m glad my friend was driving, I’m not sure I would have been safe on the road after leaving the theatre. I was simply reeling. I avoided spoilers all week and had only a vague idea what to expect, so going in I was both terrified I’d get my heart …

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Elise’s Review – A Killer Carol by Laura Bradford

Book Review by Elise Cooper A Killer Carol by Laura Bradford expertly combines a good mystery within the Amish community. In this novel, she is able to highlight the suspense with a secondary story about Christmas preparations and festivities. Bradford decided to write the series because she wanted to “have an interesting backdrop for a mystery. They live in the 1800s with no cell phones in their houses, do not keep large amounts of money in their house, will not …

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Interview with Maisey Yates (Cowboy Christmas Redemption)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Cowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates is written in the same spirit as the old Jimmy Stewart movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” There are pieces of both that are not blushingly happy and celebratory. Yet, in the end there is a happy ending. Caleb Dalton has loved Ellie Bell from the first minute he saw her but because she was going to be married to his best friend, Clint, he repressed his feelings as …

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Interview with Karen Rose (Into the Dark)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper With Into The Dark, Karen Rose has outdone herself, which is hard to do. This story is a great read for the holiday season: full of intense scenes of suspense, a sprinkle of romance, and great characters the readers will fall in love with. The core of the story is finding acceptance, trust, and love while struggling to avoid extreme danger. But an added bonus is how Rose delves into subjects such as living …

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Interview with B. J. Daniels (Restless Hearts)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Restless Hearts by B. J. Daniels is the first in a new series and it starts off with a home run. This story has a great murder mystery, some western romance, and family conflict. The plot begins with the heroine, private investigator Blaze McClintock, returning home. She is asked by the Judge who set her on the right path to help her estranged father who is accused of murdering a neighboring rancher. As the …

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