Author Interviews - No Apology Book Reviews

Interview with Mary Burton (Don’t Look Now)

October 29, 2021

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Don’t Look Now by Mary Burton shows how each story gets better with every book. There is a lot of suspense and detective work with a tinge of romance. The plot has sexual assault, drug addiction, and graphic scenes of battery along with sibling love. The plot opens with a serial killer suffocating small blonde females who were drug addicts, by wrapping them in plastic sheeting. Austin homicide detective Jordan Poe fears this is …

Interview with Irene Hannon (Labyrinth of Lies)

October 22, 2021

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Labyrinth of Lies by Irene Hannon shows why she is the master of romantic suspense. Readers will always find in her books clever twists, enticing dialogue, likeable and realistic characters, a tinge of romance, and riveting plotlines. This novel opens with thirty-three-year-old detective Cate Reilly asked to go undercover as a seventeen-year-old high school student. Readers will tip their cap to Hannon for finding a realistic way to convince them that this could happen. …

Interview with Laura Griffin (Last Seen Alone)

October 15, 2021

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Last Seen Alone by Laura Griffin brings to life a subject that needs more publicity. Because of cell phones, people, especially women, are vulnerable to revenge porn, which is a form of on-line abuse. This subject matter is explored within a riveting storyline. Leigh Larson is a fiercely ambitious lawyer who fights for victims of sexual extortion, harassment, and on-line abuse. She is the victim’s advocate, fighting to get payback for her clients. The …

Interview with Kathryn Springer (The Gathering Table)

October 8, 2021

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Gathering Table by Kathryn Springer would be great for a Hallmark movie. The characters and the plot are relatable to anyone who has struggled with betrayal. Despite the many bumps along the way, the characters end up having hope after reinventing themselves. Readers realize how new friendships can help with overcoming past secrets. Meet Jessica Keaton, who was unjustly fired from her job and accused falsely of improprieties. She decided to start anew …

Interview with Joanna Davidson Politano (A Midnight Dance)

October 2, 2021

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano brings to life a mystery involving the ballet. But the plot has more than a mystery. As with many ballet romances, there are tragedies. Combining history and the ballet culture during the 1830s, readers get suspense with a tinge of romance in a captivating plot. The story begins with the main character, ballet dancer Ella Blythe, finding some very old, but famously well-known crimson ballet slippers. She …

Interview with Ronald H. Balson (Defending Britta Stein)

September 24, 2021

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Defending Britta Stein by Ronald H. Balson is a wonderful read. Although the book has some courtroom drama including legal strategy and loopholes, most of the story is Britta Stein’s recounting of the events leading up to and during World War II in Denmark. This is historical fiction at its best with bravery, betrayal, and redemption. Britta Stein is a 92-year-old Jewish Danish woman who emigrated to America. She is being sued for defamation …

Interview with Melinda Leigh (Right Behind Her)

September 18, 2021

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Right Behind Her by Melinda Leigh is a gripping read, just like her other books. Readers get sympathetic heroes and monstrous villains along with a plot that will keep them turning the pages. Sherriff Bree Taggert agrees to travel to her childhood home with her brother Adam. She must confront the memories of her childhood that includes the cruelness of her father, being attacked by his dogs, the night her father murdered her mother, …

Interview with Nicole Trope (The Family Across the Street)

September 10, 2021

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Family Across the Street is Nicole Trope’s latest novel. Her American debut was in June of this year with the outstanding book, The Boy In The Photo. With all her books, readers get a vivid plot that grips them and grabs their full attention. The stories usually delve into everything from emotional abuse, child abuse (both psychological and sexual), and domestic violence. The Boy in the Photo was first published by Grand Central …

Interview with Serena B. Miller (Sugarcreek series)

September 3, 2021

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Bertha’s Resolve by Serena B. Miller is the fourth installment of the Love’s Journey in the Sugarcreek series. This novel, as well as the other three, have engrossing characters, a riveting plot, and information about the Amish of Ohio. The stories involve policewoman Rachel Troyer, her three elderly Amish aunts who run a Bed and Breakfast, Joe Matthews, Rachel’s eventual husband, and his son Bobby, along with other Amish town members. These books should …

Interview with Karin Slaughter (False Witness)

August 27, 2021

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper False Witness by Karin Slaughter shows why she is one of the best for writing fabulous characters. This story has two sisters’ childhoods tarnished by secrets, broken by betrayal, and ultimately destroyed by a brutal act of violence as well as one of the sister’s tragedy of addiction. She was portrayed with empathy and grace by the author. This story is brutal, honest, real, and heartbreaking at times involving issues of rape, drug use, …