"Dangerous Midnight" by Melinda Woodhall

Bailey Flynn FBI Mystery book# 10

The evidence found at a crime scene links the murder to a serial predator known as the Midnight caller prompting FBI Agent Bailey Flynn to join the investigation into the tragic death of an unfortunate wealthy widow that was seeking a fresh start in Florida. As Bailey search the Florida Everglades, she found herself into a race to stop a sadistic killer before another dead body is found….

A Killer Hides Under the Cover of Darkness, Waiting for Midnight to Take His Next Victim

What can I say, once more Ms. Woodhall entertains by giving us not only a suspenseful story but one that will keep us guessing till the very last moment. Indeed, this story is engaging and hard to put aside for any thrill seekers. Who wouldn’t be captivated by a story that is concise and doesn’t beat around the bush by adding words to stretch the drama.

Leave it to Baily and her K9 partner, Ludwig, to team up with the local police and save the day. This story is a page-turner with a little more gore than the previous installments but why not after all it is a murder investigation…..

We do have recurrent players in Dalton, Cate and Sharma and some new players in minor roles to entertain us. A good story has side bars this latest gives us an update on Cate’s latest saga…..The family interactions and relationships add warmth to a somber tale.

One thing Ms. Woodhall has a formula that works very well although some may find the plots are becoming somewhat repetitive through time. I find them entertaining…..

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

"Covenant of the Dead", by Glenn Cooper

Cal Donovan Vatican Conspiracy book# 8

I enjoyed this gripping thriller for its intellectual puzzle and its fast-paced conspiracy, as well as a story that includes a mystery, murders and a religious intrigue. Mr. Cooper knows well how to deliver a blend of historical, religious and scientific themes to captivate us from the get-go till we reach the last word.

Although this book is part of a series, it stands well by its own although I highly recommend to have a look at the previous books in order to know more about the protagonist, Cal Donavan, a Harvard professor, and Elisabetta Celestino, a former secretary of State to the Vatican. The two play a pivotal role in this latest. Be advise: IMO, some books are better than others but don’t give up, in the long run you will be rewarded.

The story in a few words:

Three nuns are murdered in the attic of a Boston convent. There are no witnesses. No shell casings.

The only things missing are their rosaries.

Days later, a Boston medium claims her spirit guide has identified the killer: a broken priest with an antique revolver. A single newspaper column turns that claim into a city-wide witch hunt.
Cal Donovan and former Vatican secretary Elisabetta Celestino step into the city’s séance rooms to test the story. What they uncover will reaches generations and the birth of modern spiritualism.

My last words:

The suspense never ends but I had to be all there in order to understand what was going on. We have a cracking police procedural, a medium’s spirit guide, a story about Boston mediums, a brief history of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his influence on Boston, a twisted case with roots going back 80 years and it goes on and on. The best a progression in the Cal and Elisabetta saga…awe….love is the air….

Thank you to Book Whisperer and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC and providing my honest review!

"Murder on the Med", by Nancy Cole Silverman

A Kat Lawson Mystery book #3

Kat, an undercover travel reporter for the FBI is assigned to report on a luxury cruise ship designed for retired seniors. On the Amalfi Coast Kat discovers a hidden agenda that threatens the lives of all on board.

“Overboard! Are you telling me the woman fell off the ship? And nobody did anything?”

I simply love this cozy mystery. It features elements of intrigue and suspense against the picturesque backdrop of the Mediterranean while vacationers cruise on a very luxurious ship and are highly pampered. The setting adds a sense of charm and allure.

Yes. our amateur sleuth, detective, is drawn into an investigation quicky when she finds a rare gold coin in Dede Drummerhausen handbag, the woman who owns the suite Kat is staying, passengers think Dede may have gone missing….and rumors abound……Kat snooping around soon finds out that her life may be in danger……

The protagonist is smart, sassy and is quick witted as she unravels the mystery and what a mystery it is. What began with a possible missing person morphed into a audacious trafficking scheme in stolen antiquities.

Nancy Cole Silverman is a great author who writes brilliant cozy mysteries. The dialogues are the every day language, easy to understand and not overly done. The pacing is steady, not rush but it moves at a good tempo.

Although a fiction, while I was reading, I pictured the scenes as it moved along and I thought this could really happen, it felt authentic.

No doubts, this mystery is an absorbing read and a page- turner.

Although this may be part of a series “Murder on the Med” reads perfectly well on its own.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are my honest opinion.