Tag: Laura Griffin

Review of VANISHING HOUR by Laura Griffin

On By vickleaIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

I didn’t think it was possible, but the story in this romantic thriller is just as delightfully delicious and inviting as the gorgeous cover! Ava Burch is a corporate lawyer who is new to the small Texas town of Cuervo. She is accompanied by her search and rescue dog Huck, a dog with plenty of intuition and personality. On a SAR mission, Ava becomes aware that women are missing annually from the hostile desert environment around the town and decides to pursue her own investigation. She is kind of, sort of and reluctantly paired with deputy sheriff and lead investigator Grant Wycoff who does not want her endangering herself by getting into the middle of the case he is trying to solve. The two of them don’t see eye to eye about the case, but they do have sparks flying between them. The mystery in the book is what is happening to these women and why. There are many red herrings placed strategically throughout the story and real clues, too. Perfect for a mystery lover like me! The pace races at a breakneck speed as Grant and Ava seek to find the perpetrators before they kill again. When Ava herself is in the crosshairs of the villain, she shows herself to be a strong and worthy opponent. I love strong female protagonists who can be like melted honey in the arms of a strong male protagonist! The energy between these two characters flames occasionally and is almost a relief from the tension building in the case. This is a brilliantly crafted story with an intriguing plot and a propulsive mystery. The clever descriptions of the characters gave me insight into the fascinating characters and the satisfying misdirection had me reading long into the night to find out the real bad guy. The book crackled with tension, not just in the bedroom, but out in the desert where shots are fired and heroes are injured. The plot was intense and captivating, with a story that held me in its magnetic spell from beginning to end. I loved this book and highly recommend it to those looking for a thriller and a romance with some steam to it that is not offensive or over the top.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Rated PG-13 for content
Author’s photo and bio are from her webpage http://www.lauragriffin.com

Happy Release Day to Laura Griffin! Here are purchase links for your convenience:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Powells

Google Play Store

Target

Walmart

BAM!

Bookshop

For heart-pounding thrills with a beautiful natural setting, get this book today! Many thanks to autor Laura Griffin for the hours of mesmerizing entertainment!

Review of MIDNIGHT DUNES by Laura Griffin

On By vickleaIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

This is the third book in the Texas Murder Files series and is just as good as the gorgeous cover presents. It can be read as a standalone, but I did read the other two books and really enjoy the series. In this latest romance thriller, Macey Burns comes to Lost Beach to film a tourism commercial and gets caught up in a murder investigation. There she meets Detective Owen Breda, a quiet man with a lot of responsibility to catch a killer who seems to be escalating. The book begins with the description of a murder scene and the action ramps up from there and goes full steam ahead all the way to the end. As Owen investigates and Macey films, a killer is walking among them and they both know it but cannot seem to figure out who it is. There are red herrings, which I love, and plenty of twists in the story. The love affair that begins between Macey and Owen begins slowly and builds as each discovers a need for each other. All of the characters are well fleshed out but especially Macey and Owen. Some of the other characters were more fully developed in the other books and are a welcome addition to this one. I enjoyed the relationships, both professional and personal between the police officers at Lost Beach. They are dedicated to the pursuit of justice and don’t mind losing sleep to find it. I liked that Macey had a less than stellar past and that she is not afraid to admit it and move on. Mostly, I enjoyed the cat and mouse game that the police engaged in with the murderer. With missing cars, assaults on innocent bystanders and lots of action in every chapter, this book kept me reading until reached the ending, with a sigh of satisfaction and a desire to go back to Lost Beach for the next adventure there.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Rated PG-13: violence, sex (not graphic descriptions though)
Information and photos from the author’s website at http://www.lauragriffin.com

MIDNIGHT DUNES releases tomorrow, but you can pre-order today. Purchase Links:

Google Play Store

Target

Powells

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Review of LAST SEEN ALONE by Laura Griffin

On By vickleaIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

What a fast-paced, well-written romantic suspense! Leigh Larson is an attorney who takes on interesting cases dealing with sexual extortion and online abuse. Talk about keeping up with the times! This book does that and more. Homicide detective Brandon Reynolds crosses paths with Leigh when her client Vanessa is missing and he concludes that there may have been a murder because of the blood at the scene. Leigh decides to investigate on her own what happened to Vanessa at the same time that Brandon is investigating a possible murder. Leigh’s life is endangered by her own snooping and Brandon comes to her rescue. The romance is steamy at times, but it is a slow burn on the back burner. The real thrust of the story is what happened to Vanessa and why. The characters were three-dimensional and believable, with all of the angst that comes with trying to find out the truth while exploring a new relationship. For the mystery lover fans like me, there were plenty of red herrings and twists with an abundance of possible suspects. The mystery was well-developed, with clues given regularly for me to follow and to keep me enticed to continue to read. In fact, I could not read this book fast enough because I wanted to find out what happened to Vanessa as much as the protagonists did. The conclusion wrapped everything up in a nice, tight bow. I enjoyed the plotting and even the sub-plot of a relationship developing between Detective Antonio and Kate, Vanessa’s sister. Surprisingly, my favorite character was neither Leigh nor Brandon but rather Leigh’s partner Javi, an understanding and compassionate man who really had Leigh’s best interests at heart and wanted her to succeed in her quest for justice. I cannot say enough about how good this story was and hope that fans of creepy good romantic suspense will enjoy it as much as I did.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I would rate this book PG-13 since there are some steamy sex scenes outside of marriage.
Image and Bio from the author’s website at http://www.lauragriffin.com

Coming next week to a store near you! Pre-order now by following a purchase link below:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Target

Powells

Google Play Store

Indiebound

Bookshop

Releases on September 28, 2021! Don’t wait to get this book that will keep you reading until the very end!

Review of FLIGHT (Texas Murder Files #2) by Laura Griffin

On By vickleaIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

First of all, this is book #2 in the Texas Murder Files series, but it can most definitely be read as a standalone. This is the story of forensic photographer Miranda Rhoads who is determined to leave her former career and just take pictures of wildlife. Thus, she ends up in Lost Beach. Unfortunately, she discovers two dead bodies on her nature adventures and thus meets Detective Joel Breda. This tale of a serial killer was both compelling and intriguing since there were a lot of twists and red herrings leading up to the revelation of the killer. I really enjoyed the fact that I could not figure out the bad guy until Joel and Miranda did! This was a fun read, exciting at times, breath-holding tense at others and just an all-around good book for mystery and suspense fans. I liked getting to know Miranda and Joel, both of whom were individuals with pasts that hurt them but who were survivors made stronger by what they had been through. The descriptions of the scenery that Miranda is taking photos of made me want to be right there with her, on the beach and in the marsh. There were also some steamy sex scenes for those who enjoy those in their romance books. I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series since I know that Laura Griffin never disappoints and always delivers a book that is well-written, fast-paced and engrossing entertainment.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Gorgeous cover for a mesmerizing romantic suspense!
I would rate this a definite PG-13 because of the violence and sex scenes.

Available for purchase on March 30th. You can pre-order today! Here are the purchase links:

Google Play Store

Indiebound

Books-a-Million

Powells

Book Depository

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Photo from the author’s website at http://www.lauragriffin.com

BIO:

Laura Griffin is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty-five books and novellas. She is a two-time RITA Award winner, and her book Desperate Girls was named one of the Best Books of 2018 by Publishers Weekly. Booklist magazine calls Laura’s popular Tracers series “the perfect mix of suspense and romance.”

Laura got her start in journalism before venturing into the world of suspense fiction. Her books have been translated into fourteen languages. Laura lives in Austin, Texas, where she is working on her next novel. Visit her website at http://www.lauragriffin.com and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/LauraGriffinAuthor

Info for Bio from the author’s website on Amazon at Amazon/Laura Griffin

I sincerely hope that you will check out Laura’s new book FLIGHT! It was nice to have a book in my hands that made me think through a mystery and entertained me at the same time.

Contest Until August 25th

On By vickleaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Just another reminder that you can still comment on one of my posts about HIDDEN by Laura Griffin and be entered to win an autographed copy. I will choose the winner randomly on August 25th, release day for the book. It’s the first book in a new series by Laura and I read it and loved it!

I gave this book a five-star review because it captured my mind totally.

Two more days to enter! Comment on my blog and throw your name into the hat!

Review of HIDDEN by Laura Griffin and a Contest!!

On By vickleaIn Uncategorized11 Comments

With a well-written plot with all kinds of clues and red herrings, as a mystery buff, I loved the flow of the story and how absolutely captivating it was. I love all of Laura Griffin’s books and this one was not an exception. The main characters were Jacob Merritt, the lead detective hot on the trail of a hit man, and Bailey Rhoads, a dogged and determined reporter who ignores danger in order to follow the story. The romantic interest between the two of them added to the story and gave me insight into the dilemma faced by a police detective who falls for a reporter. I enjoyed following the clues along with Jacob and Bailey and finding out more about their weaknesses and strengths. I was intrigued by the introduction of the dark and mysterious John Colt and hope to see more of him in future installments of the series. I highly recommend this gripping and fast-paced read to all fans of romantic suspense. I, personally, am really looking forward to more books in the series and I’m very excited that this is the introductory book for future books!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Definitely a five-star read and a rating of PG because of content. Fascinating new series!
Photo from Laura’s website at lauragriffin.com

Laura Griffin is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty-five books and novellas. Her books have been translated into fourteen languages. Laura is a two-time RITA® Award winner (for Scorched and Whisper of Warning) as well as the recipient of the Daphne du Maurier Award (for Untraceable). Her book Desperate Girls was named one of the Best Books of 2018 by Publishers Weekly. Laura lives in Austin, Texas, where she is working on her next novel. (From lauragriffin.com

Releasing on August 25th. Purchase Links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-a-Million

Book Shop (Indie)

Google Play

Contest Alert! Laura Griffin will autograph a copy of this new book and send it to the winner. You are entered by commenting on this review. So, enter today! You can enter everyday until release day. I will randomly choose a winner on August 25th and Laura will send out the book. Enter today to win this fantastic romantic suspense. I loved it and I think that you will, too!