Rebellion by Rowan Bishop (VNBtM, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT ADULT title

Rebellion
by Rowan Bishop

 ADULT title

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GENRE:  Science Fiction Romance

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BLURB:

Akyra Roux is an up-and-coming Security Operations commander: ambitious, dedicated, and fearless. Her soldiers have a reputation for getting the job done and cracking skulls, earning her a perilous mission to the far fringes of the galaxy.

As soon as she lands, however, Akyra learns the hard way that rival factions have a lot to gain by seeing her fail, no matter what the cost…

Captain Raemus Petrus is the hunky, charismatic leader of the genetically-engineered Titans stationed at the outpost. He has a job to do and battles to fight, and he doesn’t let anything get in his way. However, when Akyra and her team of hot-blooded females land on the planet, his need to protect her and his duty to betray her collide…

Can Raemus, engineered to be ruthless, prove he has enough humanity buried inside his heart to salvage his honor, save Akyra, and ultimately prove his ability to love?

Can Akyra, running from her past, learn to lose control of the one thing holding her back, her own heart?

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EXCERPT

  

“You’d give all this up?” Raemus pointed to the cluttered mess of the vehicle maintenance shed they’d been facing the whole time, “for a family?”

Akyra shrugged. “Family isn’t an option anymore.” She rubbed the birth control bolt deep in the skin of her shoulder, the one engineered with a homing beacon that would bring arrest, conviction, and death if removed from her body. “Being really good at fighting for The Church is all I got.” She felt pressure behind her eyes, and her nose began to itch, but she shook it off. “That’s why I’m the best commander I can be.” Akyra rubbed her hands against the intensifying cold. “What’s your excuse?”

Raemus didn’t miss any signs of sadness spreading over Akyra’s body, the slight slouch, the successive blinks, the three irregular deep breaths. “I’m with you,” he said. “I get it. When shooting bad guys gets you through the day, might as well become the best at it.”

She laughed through the frog in her throat. “Yes. Exactly.”

“Well, let’s see… I can let you shoot Levi over there if that’ll make you feel any better.”

She blurted out a big laugh.

Her smile! Raemus thought. Rich and honest. So… real.    

Amazon

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

All her life, Rowan Bishop has thrown herself into both romance and science fiction every chance she could, so it was destiny that she’d fall in love with the growing subgenre of science fiction romance.

Consequently, she stepped away from her retail career to focus on her dream of writing full-time. The new girl on SFR scene, she brings her electrifying love stories and her naughty fantasies to our galaxy.

Rowan Bishop is her penname.

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Glimmer by Rayna Noire (VBT, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

It is my pleasure to share a guest post by author Rayna Noire, who shares with us...

Would You Make a Good Druid?

by Rayna Noire

In the story, Glimmer, Meara’s father is a Druid. Whenever someone mentions Druids, people think of bearded old men in white robes with horns on their head. While there are some bearded old men who happened to be Druids, it’s not a requirement.

1.     Druids have no dietary restrictions. They can eat anything. Some might choose to fast before a ceremony or even reduce their intake of a particular item such as salt. This is a choice, not a requirement.

2.     Holidays. Druids celebrate all the fire festivals including Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasad. Who doesn’t love an excuse for a good bonfire? Many Druids celebrate the equinoxes (when you have the same amount of day and night) and the solstices, which acknowledge the longest day and night of the year.

3.     Sex.  Druids can be male or female.

4.     Church. While being a Druid is a recognized religion, they do not worship in buildings, but prefer the outdoors. A group of Druids is called a grove.

5.     Deities. As a Druid, you can believe in one deity or many. Most pick a Patron God or Goddesses such as Brighid, Lugh, The Daghda, The Morrigan, Anu, Danu, Diancecht, Miach, Airmid, Goibniu, and many others. Druids believe every living thing has an energetic essence. They reach out to departed ancestors and spirits from the Otherworld.

6.     Modern Druids never sacrifice animals (or people) in their worship. They may use fruits, vegetables, flowers, poems, and songs as an offering to their deity (deities.)

7.     Ritual Space. Rituals are conducted outside near water, trees, and preferably a large rock.  A cauldron of water and a fire complete the ritual space.

8.     Solitaries. Individuals can be a Druid without being part of a group.

9.     Garb. On special occasions, a Druid might don a white robe, kilt, or other Celtic garb.

10.   Mistletoe. The plant most associated with kissing is sacred to the Druids. It’s associated with fertility, life, and peace. Kissing someone under the mistletoe meant you were friends and bore each other no ill will. It also served as a primitive marriage rite and was an entreaty for children. This might make you think twice before you kiss someone under the mistletoe.

Want to know about Druids?

Check out Bonewits’s Essential Guide to Druidism – Isaac Bonewits or Druid Mysteries – Philip Carr-Gomm

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Glimmer

by Rayna Noire

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GENRE:  Historical Fantasy

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BLURB:

For seventeen years, the convent walls kept Meara Cleary from the secret of her own parentage. A bearded stranger claims she’s his niece and promises to take her home. Before he can, a cataclysmic event thrusts her into a war-torn world. 

Meara vows to journey to Ireland to find her uncle, unaware of how perilous a journey it will be. Her Druidic father guides her through dreams, explaining her magical heritage. Her dead parent can’t help her with the intricacies of village life, especially when she catches the eye of the very engaged Braeden. 

A whirlwind composed of equal parts menace, romance, and revelation sweep Meara across the continent while gathering allies and enemies with equal speed. Her intent to return to her family turns into a fight to survive her own destiny. 

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EXCERPT

Meara glanced back the way she had come realizing nothing looked familiar. How far had she’d wandered from the path. The rustle of movement and the snapping of nearby sticks sped up her heartbeat. A week ago, she’d panicked, sure, someone had followed her only to have a deer wander into the clearing, but this time two large shadows grew out of a nearby underbrush. People. She hadn’t expected this. Could they see her? One gestured in her direction and said something in a guttural language she couldn’t comprehend. The other answered in the same tongue. By the time, it took her to realize the men were after her, one had slipped behind her and grabbed her arm, pinning it painfully behind her back.

He spoke, as his companion reached out for her hair. "Kriegsbeute“

Meara twisted, knowing at an instinctual level she needed to get away from these strangers. The man holding her captive laughed, then muttered something before releasing her arm. She stumbled away recognizing an opportunity. A quick glance back showed the two of them being attacked by the bobbing lights. An occasional yelp assured her the attack was painful. They must be some type of glowing bees.

One hovered in front of her. Follow me. The musical voice sounded in her head. Besides the strangers behind her, there was no one else here. Certainly, no one with a voice as clear and bell-like that it reminded her of a raindrop or dew glistening on a flower. Somehow, this bobbing light placed the voice inside her own head. Her impulsive foray into the woods had landed her into a situation she didn‘t know how to handle. The shimmering light blinked, indicating a need to hurry.

    

Amazon

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Rayna Noire is an author and a historian. The desire to uncover the truth behind the original fear of witches led her to the surprising discovery that people believed in magick in some form up to 150 years ago. A world that believed the impossible could happen and often did must have been amazing. With this in mind, Ms. Noire taps into this dimension, shapes it into stories about Pagan families who really aren’t that different from most people. They do go on the occasional adventures and magick happens.



 

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Fated Hearts by Becky Flade (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Fated Hearts

by Becky Flade

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GENRE: romantic suspense

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BLURB:

Psychiatrist Henley Elliott fled her quiet life in Cleveland for a gypsy lifestyle, trying to stay one step ahead of her painful memories. When she breaks down in quirky little Trappers' Cove, Minnesota, she meets Sheriff Carter McAlister - a man healing from his own share of hidden heartbreaks.

At the request of a friend, Carter offers Henley a job to help her get back on her feet . . . but soon he can't resist trying to sweep the intriguing woman off them. Breaking through her carefully built shell proves to be a near-impossible task, and to make matters worse, a dangerous new presence in the Cove seems to be targeting Henley. They must learn to trust in each other in order to keep her safe.

Can Henley and Carter leave their secrets and scars in the past to get a second chance at happily ever after?


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EXCERPT


“It’s not like that. Carter and I are friends. Just friends.”

“I know you were out at his place the other night. I thought—”

“It’s not like that,” she emphasized.

“Yes, it is,” Carter corrected, strolling into the room. “Hey, Doug. Morning, Doc.”

She looked around for an object to throw at him. From the wink Carter threw her way, she guessed he had a good idea of exactly what her intentions were. He wasn’t that charming. She refused to smile.

“No, it’s not,” Henley argued. Doug stood there, his expression miserable. The grin Carter wore implied he found her amusing. She eyeballed the stapler and wondered how much damage it could inflict if propelled.

“You know, Doc, hitting an officer of the law is as much a criminal act here as it is in Cleveland.” Yeah, he had her number.

“Take off that star then.” Turning up her nose, she sat with as much dignity as she could muster.

You can purchase Fated Hearts anywhere ebooks are sold including:

Crimson Romance

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Google Play

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A coffee addict and born city girl, I tend to place my stories in and around southeast Pennsylvania, or at least have a character or two from the area. Home is where the heart is and I make mine with my very own knight in slightly tarnished armor, three beautiful daughters ranging in ages from college through pre-school, two grandsons and a charming son-in-law. When I’m not busy living my own happily ever after, I’m writing about someone else’s.

I’d love to have you visit with me on my blog; at Facebook and Twitter; on my Goodreads and Amazon author pages; or write to me directly at beckyfladeauthor@gmail.com.

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My review:

4.5 stars

Fated Hearts by Becky Flade follows Henley Elliott, who has fled to a small town in Minnesota, hoping to find a temporary sanctuary while she regains her equilibrium professionally and deals with her sensation of being hunted. Welcomed by a woman who seems to be a force of nature, Henley tentatively lets her guard down and starts establishing relationships, only to discover that she hasn’t left danger behind, and her odd psychic ability may not be enough to keep her or her new friends alive.

This romantic suspense tale is a delicious story that has suspense, romance, and a hint of the paranormal in a terrific combination. The introduction to the characters and the small town atmosphere is nicely contrasted with the danger that gradually escalates, and one can’t help being fascinated by the cast of characters, including the precocious little Tala. I was captured by the opening scene as the heroine is portrayed as a personable stranger who is looking for a safe haven, and with every new person she meets, I grew to like the town and its inhabitants more and more. I think the quirky characters and elements of humor caught my attention until the suspense took over and kept me from putting the story down. I haven’t read the story that precedes this one, but I am certainly curious about it, and this author has been added to my list of folks to keep an eye out for!

A copy of this title was provided to me for review

Fearless Destiny by Annette Bower (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Fearless Destiny

by Annette Bower

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GENRE: Romantic Mainstream


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BLURB:



From the Romance Review Readers Choice nominee, Annette Bower, comes a new small town romance, Fearless Destiny.

Tiffany George, riding high on her commission as a fresco artist, returns home for some deserved rest and relaxation.

The drive is uneventful until she rescues Will Cleaver on the side of a highway. While savoring memories of a kiss and a well formed butt, her future goals do not include a romance.

Once in town, she discovers the hopes and dreams of her community hinge on the development of a new resource mine and Will Cleaver’s designed neighborhood. Her parents demand she give up art and resume her working partner role in the family business. Tiffany George is pulled by her community roots and stretched by her newly discovered independence.

Will Cleaver knows about taking charge of destiny. He models the courage she uses to become the woman she needs to be.


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EXCERPT



The words “hello there” ploughed down the silent hallway as Tiffany’s roadside linebacker advanced with a synchronized arm and leg crutch-walk.

Tiffany bit her cheek while she watched her father grab the railing on the wall. She stepped forward. “Tiffany George of George’s Family Plumbing. There’s a water break.”

His gaze traveled up from her chest to the collar of her pink coveralls and then to the top of her head, where she was sure her spikes had tumbled like dominoes. Then down to the tips of her lime-green boots. “Nice boots, real nice boots.”

Tiffany tugged at the weight of the tool bag across her body.

“A sprite of many talents, I see.” He gripped his walking aids.

“We can’t all be just a pretty face.” She could have bitten off her tongue.

He raised his eyebrows and his eyes sparkled. They weren’t black after all, but a deep brown.

“You think I’m pretty?” He sounded amused.

She took a wide stance and began an assessment of him from the tip of his dusty loafers, gray trousers, a rumpled white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows exposing firm, and tanned arms. His whiskers shadowed across his firm jaw, his full lips held neutral, his straight nose and those dark watchful eyes had deep etched laugh lines around them. “You have a certain road weariness that I’d like to capture on paper.” Reaching with her callused fingers, she touched his beard.



Amazon

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Annette Bower writes about women’s roles in families, in communities and women’s emotions at the beginning and end of love in her home office in Regina, SK. Her short stories are published in magazines and anthologies in Canada, United States, and United Kingdom.

Her women’s fiction novels with romantic elements, Woman of Substance and Moving On are published by Soul Mate Publishing.

Annette Bower’s day-to-day experiences as a nurse, administrator, town councillor, teacher’s assistant and student means that her stories are the real thing because they are about you and your neighbours. Her short stories and novels are read around the world. Her romance novels are set in Saskatchewan because she believes home is as exotic as anywhere else in the wide world she has visited.

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My review:

3.5 out of 5 stars

Fearless Destiny by Annette Bower follows Will Cleaver as he tries to convince a town to embrace the idea of change and allow him to create a haven for both the abled and disabled. Tiffany George, whose plans for a relaxing break at home to celebrate her new project are rapidly derailed, piques Will’s interest and prompts him to look for ways to get her to notice him. Unfortunately, she doesn’t plan to be in town long, and if things don’t go right, neither will he.

There are lots of nice elements in this contemporary romance that provides a thought-provoking look at the obstacles faced by those with physical handicaps. I enjoyed Will’s positive outlook and determination to make the town accessible while sensitizing those around him to the different world occupied by the ‘abled’. I admire that Tiffany had the strength to pursue her dreams and sympathize with the conflict she felt between doing what her family wanted and following her heart. I was skeptical of the speed of the romance that develops, and although I like a capable heroine…she was kind of a superwoman, which seemed a little too good to be true. There are a lot of mysteries and conflicts that don’t necessarily get solved, and drama with the delightful doggies that causes significant angst for the heroine that I thought should have been resolved better but I enjoyed learning about Tiffany’s artistic process and meeting the characters occupying the town. Those who enjoy a sweet and gentle small town romance will probably enjoy getting to meet Tiffany and Will.

A copy of this title was provided to me for review

Mexican Hat Trick by T.S. O'Neil (Spotight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Mexican Hat Trick
by T.S. O’Neil

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GENRE: Contemporary, Action/Adventure

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BLURB:

Mexican Hat Trick reunites Retired Sheriff’s Department Detective turned Private Investigator, Eidetic Eddie Doyle with Former Force Recon Marine, Michael Blackfox, in a rollicking tale of murder, counterfeiting and kidnapping south of the border. A rogue’s gallery of new villains, including a pathological ex-French Foreign Legionnaire, a bloodthirsty drug kingpin, and a conniving corporate attorney, conspire to corner the counterfeit apparel market. Mexican Hat Trick is Florida Glare—south of the border.

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EXCERPT

Michael saw the small panel truck approaching in the distance, trailing a cloud of dust many times its size. He heard the faint sound of the helicopter again, but this time, it seemed closer. He looked back at the mountain and could see it now—a bulbous-nosed blue dot transversing the mountainside as if looking for something. Not good, he thought, not fucking good at all.  He watched as the small, nimble craft changed direction, now advancing towards the box truck. Michael estimated the truck was slightly less than a mile away.  He  held his thumb up and measured the size of the aircraft against it—he estimated the helicopter to be about forty feet long. At a distance, Michael could cover the helicopter with his thumbnail—he estimated the bird to be about 10 miles away. It was now rapidly closing the distance and decreasing its altitude—as if preparing for a strafing run.

Their weapons were down by the lagoon, leaning on the rocks that lined its edge. He ran for the lagoon. There was an AK-47 that had the required range and oomph to take down the aircraft, and he needed it.  Clive, Eddie, and Beth stood at the edge of the water watching as he ran towards them. “Weapons,”said Michael, yelling as loud as his overworked lungs would allow. The two men scrambled to pick them up and then ran toward Michael. The effort saved Michael about twenty feet or just a few seconds, but every second counted in a time bound game. He grabbed the AK from Eddie turned and accelerated back up the sandy incline. Michael bolted up the road, leaving the two other men—quite literally in his dust. He reached the desert floor, and took aim at the chopper, but lowered his rifle. Eddie caught up to him and doubled over to catch his breath. “Why aren’t you firing?”

“We’re out of range,” said Michael. “And we don’t know what they want.” 

As if in answer, the helicopter turned it’s cargo door toward the path of the vehicle and a loud whoosh followed by a streak of propelled fire launched toward’s the truck. The warhead exploded a few feet behind the truck’s cargo compartment—apparently, the shooter did not account for the truck’s forward motion. “Holy shit,” said Clive. “He’s got a freaking RPG!”

Michael couldn’t believe what he was seeing—some madman had fired an RPG at the vehicle from inside the helicopter’s passenger compartment. He was pretty sure he knew who that was. The copter went around for another pass—perhaps to allow the shooter to reload. “Come on, let’s go,” said Michael. He broke into a run towards the truck, as the helicopter slowly circled. Michael felt he was in range and fired at the  helicopter. Tracers spaced every third round outlined the arc of fire that fell well short of the hovering aircraft. He witnessed the ineffectual results and began running again, hoping to close the distance on the helicopter before the shooter could fire the RPG again.

The copter moved to take up a hover on the dirt road, directly in the truck’s path. That maneuver brought the aircraft closer to Michael, but still not within his rifle’s range. He aimed it and elevated the barrel above the target—hoping to lob in an arc of bullets. The rounds fell short, and he elevated the barrel hoping to walk them onto the target when he ran out of bullets. He had no additional magazines. Eddie ran forward with the MP5 and handed it to Michael. He tried the same with the MP5, but given the weapons shorter range, he might as well have been spitting at them. Michael handed the empty weapon back to Eddie and looked with alarm at the hovering helicopter—the shooter had finished reloading and was aiming the rocket launcher towards the oncoming truck 

Michael reached down and picked up several large rocks from the ground. “Help me,” he said. Eddie looked puzzled. “Help me pick up some rocks.” Eddie nodded in understanding, reached down and began collecting some large rocks. Michael ran to close the distance with the helicopter as if hovered perpentidular to the road, just a few feet from the ground.

Michael had two large rocks—one in each hand. He got within thirty feet of the aircraft and launched a rock at the open passenger compartment. It flew over the helicopter. Michael ran forward again and let fly the other projectile. The rock flew through the air, arced into the open compartment and into the shoulder of the firer. The force of the impact turned him to the right just as he was squeezing the trigger.

The primary motor of the rocket fired and launched the projectile into the cockpit as the secondary motor fired and drove the warhead into the aircraft’s control console. The exhaust from the chemical-fueled motor burned the pilot’s face and blinded him. He reflectively pulled on the controls and drove the helicopter into the hard-packed dirt road. The craft turned over on its side, and the blades of the motor rotated into the hard packed desert earth and collapsed with the thunderous and calamitous sound of wrenching metal. The aircraft’s fuel tank ruptured and bled aviation gas onto the already blossoming fire.

They all stood mesmerized by the conflagration. A figure engulfed in flames struggled to escape the fire. He crawled from the inferno and rolled in the dirt as he screamed in pain and fear. Clive held up his pistol and aimed it at the man. Micheal suspected the burning figure was most likely the heartless son of a bitch who killed Jimmy, the DEA agent, in cold blood. He put his hand on Clive’s arm and forcefully pushed it down, so the pistol was aimed at the ground. “Let the bastard burn.”

Amazon link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

TS O’Neil graduated with Honors from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts with a Degree in Criminal Justice and graduated with High honors from the University of Phoenix with a Master’s in Business Administration in Technology Management. He served as a Rifleman with the Marine Corps Reserve, an Officer in the Military Police Corps of the United States Army, and retired from the Army of the United States (AUS) as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2012. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. TS is currently employed as a Senior Security Consultant, specializing in Information Security. He lives in Seminole, FL with his beautiful wife, Suzanne. He has written four books, Tampa Star, Starfish Prime, Mudd’s Luck and Mexican Hat Trick.

All are available on Amazon.com


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The tour dates can be found here



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My review:

First let me thank the author for his service in helping keep us safe. His experience obviously enhanced the realism in this story!

3.75 out of 5 stars

Mexican Hat Trick by T.S. O’Neil is Book 4 in the ‘Blackfox Chronicles’ and follows Michael Blackfox as he becomes involved in an intellectual property investigation at the behest of his friend Eddie Doyle. Danger and death shadow them as they follow the threads tangled with the Mountain Man clothing company that is being plagued by counterfeit knockoffs. Unfortunately, they are not the only ones interested in the fortunes of the successful company, and they may not be the most ruthless, but they definitely are willing to do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of the case, utilizing all of their formidable skills to do so…and remain alive while they’re at it!

Hang on to your hat and be prepared for a wild ride as you read this gritty and exciting suspense-thriller. Be forewarned that one needs a fairly strong stomach for some of the action that takes place, which underscores the lengths that criminals will go to in order to achieve their goals. It was fascinating to see behind the scenes of the designer clothing industry and discover the worldwide implications and economic impact of things like counterfeit versions. I enjoyed the action and the hair-raising adventures but things got pretty gory for my tastes and there was such a large cast of characters that I sometimes struggled to figure out who was on which side.

There are a lot of mysteries that wander through the story and I am not positive that all of them were resolved by the end, and I was a little frustrated by the typos, but I still think this was a very compelling read. There are wonderful twists and turns, exciting adventures and exotic locales described in a laconic vivid style that is reminiscent of a noir detective story. I had no problem reading this as a stand-alone, but judging by the references to previous events, undoubtedly some things would be cleared up by reading the first three books in the series. Those who enjoy stories by authors such as John Sanford or Wilbur Smith will probably be quite entertained by this tale.

A copy of this title was provided to me for review.