"A Spy in Saigon", by Nancy Cole Silverman

A Kat Lawson Mystery

Travel writer and undercover operative, Kat Lawson, is sent to Vietnam her mission is to deliver cash and passports to a top operative when her mission turns awry……. what comes next…. will knock you over.

Another great read that moved along like a read-life story. A page- tuner mystery at its best. The descriptions and the detailed of Vietnam sounded so realistic I thought I was there following every move Kat was facing. Ms. Silverman knows how to set a strong sense of time and place to make her espionage engrossing. Yes, its fast-paced, not a dull moment and of course events happened to derail us.

The plot is skillfully written with well drawn characters, the perfect adventure combining history, mystery and espionage….and love…maybe….Although, threaded through the lines is a darker side: the trafficking of children, a black market made volatile since the collapse of Soviet influence and treatment of children of American GIs.

What elevated “A Spy in Saigon” beyond the conventional thriller is the unmistakable trepidation of lived memory. Kat was an Air Force wife during the war and memories resurfaced with force, the memory of loosing her husband MIA since…

This is a well-crafted story with some tender moments. Excellent read.

I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review

"Road Longer Than Memory", by Melanie McCabe

First, I must admit this is the best first-person narrative I read in a long time. Not only did Melanie McCabe penned a very gripping mystery that delved into the complexities of memory, guilt and the cost of suppressing feelings she did so with aplomb.

Set against the backdrop of suburban 1970s and 80

“Road Longer Than memory” is the story of Sara Barlow returning home in Arlington, Virginia after her love life fell apart and her teaching career tanked. Applying for a teaching job at her old high school would be her next move…when roaming the grounds she unexpectedly spotted a man she suspected to be involved in a classmate’s murder decades earlier….Her life will change for ever…

The slow-burning dual timelines advances through Sara past memories about her family, her sister’s fatal car crash, her secret summer with Devlin Barrie, the anonymous call to 911 made after witnessing what she believed was a murder….and the discovery of Nina’s body. The story forges ahead through rumours that are tough to prove, fleshed out via hearsay and presumptions.

I love this story for its atmospheric tension and the way it weaves past and present. What won my heart is the most engaging narrative and how well-written it is delivered.

Well said and well-done

My thanks to Oceanview Publishing for this ARC

"Dungeons and Danger", by Elizabeth Penney

The Ravensea Castle Book #2

This cozy mystery is set in a haunted castle-turned B&B in Yorkshire, UK.

As Halloween approaches the castle is buzzing with excitement so is Nora Asquith welcoming guests to her newly converted bed and breakfast. Historians have traced movements of Vikings to Ravensea and believed a certain woman known as the Red Maiden may have buried a treasure on the propriety long before the castle was even built…..When a group ghost hunters arrives with all their rivalries and baggage and try to make contact with the infamous ghost , they ended up getting more than they bargained for…..and the fun begins…enjoy.

My thoughts:

A dream castle complete with ghosts. What more can we ask…

This story expertly blends a mystery with romantic complications for the innkeeper turned sleuth, Nora Asquith. The plot covers a lot of ground from treasure hunters, ghost hunters and along the way gives us ghostly encounters: Sir Percival with a sense a humour shows up so is the famous Red Maiden teasing with her ghostly presence.

The point is: the treasure buried may be worth a fortune too much of a lure to resist and well worth killing for to be the one and only one to find it… Tweedy was not so lucky…first victim but not he last. Very exciting following this mystery into the deep dungeons of Revensea.

This story is intriguing and the many recurring and new characters are likeable even the family pets have a role here. I liked passing time with this bunch of misfits and I am looking forward to the next installment

My thanks to St-Martin’s Press for this ARC which I received via Netgalley