Tag: Bradley Patricia

Deputy Jenna Hart has only been working in her sleepy hometown of Pearl Springs for seven months when city officials begin to be targeted by a killer. Twenty years ago, the construction of a dam caused people to lose their land to eminent domain. That wound has not healed with time, and someone bearing a grudge is clearly set on revenge. With the former mayor of Pearl Springs now running for the US Senate, Jenna will have to call in backup to ensure his protection.

That’s where Agent Maxwell Anderson comes in. He and Jenna used to work together in the Chattanooga Police Department, and there was even a smoldering fire of attraction. Now they team up to track down the killer before a big political rally that promises to bring not only the former mayor into the crosshairs but hundreds of civilians as well.

As the sparks of romance reignite and the threads of the investigation get tangled when another suspect comes into play, Jenna and Max will have to draw on all of their skills to stay alive and prevent the wave of disaster poised to hit the community of Pearl Springs. The question is, can either of them fully trust that the other has their back?

My Review:

Phew! A gripping police procedural that turned this into an unstoppable read. Absolutely love the investigative aspects to this suspense. It’s the focus of the plot though there is also a creepy undertone simmering in the background. Sent delicious chills up my spine a time or two. And when it comes time for action, it explodes off the page in a breath-snatching fury. I’ve just now managed to get my heart rate down.

Max and Jenna worked together before in another police department and there was definitely a smouldering attraction between the two until…well stuff happened. Fast forward a few years and they have both experienced enough grief in the romance department to be wary of rekindling an old flame. The tension between these two is palpable from the onset – equal parts awkward and anticipatory. All while they’re grappling with a complicated case that seems to stretch into the past.

‘Deadly Revenge’ is riveting on so many levels. Love the way the author develops the relationship between Max and Jenna. It’s slow and measured and built on respect. And believably sidelined (most of the time) in deference to the case they are working on. And there are so many intricate layers to the suspense plot that kept me on the edge of my seat and frantically trying to put the pieces together before Max and Jenna did. I was right…some of the time…but wrong a lot more. Love when a suspense gives my mind a good workout!

This is the third and last book in the Pearl River series but works fine as a standalone. We do get to see a lot of Alex (heroine from book one) as a secondary character though, in her role as sheriff. And there’s a wonderful epilogue that brings all the series’ heroes and heroines together for one final ‘hurrah’ for readers.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Deadly Revenge, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday March 15 2025.

As a child, artist and potter Dani Bennett witnessed the brutal murder of her parents. With no memory of the incident or her true identity, she was forced to take on a new name and a new life, hidden away in Montana for the past 25 years.

Mae Richmond has spent the same stretch of time searching for her granddaughter, who went missing the night her daughter and son-in-law were murdered. Convinced the woman she saw in a pottery magazine feature is the woman she’s been searching for, she enlists the help of K-9 officer Mark Lassiter of Pearl Springs, Tennessee, who tracks Dani down.

Skeptical but curious, Dani sets out on a journey to uncover the secrets of her past and reclaim her true identity. But someone close to her is determined to keep the truth of what happened all those years ago hidden.

My Review:

An edge-of-your-seater up to the very end. Intense and intriguing. Love the family history connection which brought an emotional tone to the suspense. And the pacing — the way the author draws out certain situations until I could feel every last nerve stretched taut. I felt gut-punched by the end. 🙂

Bradley knows how to create memorable characters and that includes secondary ones. In this case, Mae, a feisty grandma who has never given up hope of finding her missing granddaughter. The police might consider Dani’s disappearance a cold case, but Mae’s dogged determination finally produces results…and then everything goes wrong.

Oy — I wish I could convey how brilliantly the suspense plays out. The glimpses we get of Mae’s memories and Dani’s fragmented ones as they try to piece together a puzzle that someone definitely doesn’t want them to solve. Chilling and captivating, creating a charged atmosphere through the whole read.

And if all that suspenseful tension wasn’t enough we also get the romantical kind as well. A K-9 Officer makes for an appealing hero and Mark does the role justice. He’s protective and kind and compassionate and willing to support Mae in her quest when everyone else has given up. And then Dani comes onto the scene and sparks fly and Mark becomes embroiled in a cover up decades in the making.

Lots of gasp-out-loud moments. Danger. Intrigue. Richly layered mystery. And some swoonalicious moments too. The perfect combination for a stellar romantic suspense.

I listened to the audible edition of ‘Fatal Witness’ and Ann Richardson delivered a compelling narration.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Fatal Witness, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday March 23 2024.

No sooner has Alexis Stone been sworn in as the interim sheriff for Russell County, Tennessee, when a serial killer dubbed the Queen’s Gambit Killer strikes again–this time in her hometown. Pearl Springs is just supposed to be a temporary stop along the way to Alex’s real dream: becoming the first female police chief of Chattanooga. But the killer’s calling card–a white pawn and a note with a chess move printed on it–cannot be ignored.

My Review:

Intense, emotional and unputdownable! I flew through Patricia Bradley’s latest release. Just never found a good place to set the book aside and do other things and I do so love getting lost in a book…even if it’s sometimes scary and a little bit creepy like this one is.

Just the right blend of investigative work interspersed with all the action/danger. And so many things are happening at the same time it’s hard for Alex and Nathan, her police chief counterpart, to keep on top of things. (I’ve always found the US police hierarchy so interesting — where a town has a chief but also a sheriff. And Bradley describes the various responsibilities of each really well.)

I did a good job of sleuthing out some things and was totally clueless about others, so that made for an exciting read. I’m so proud of what I did figure out but agog at what I missed. I won’t quit my day job to become a professional armchair sleuth anytime soon. 🙂

And — woohoo — reunion romance in the making after a high school romance went sour a decade earlier. Love how well they know each other and how irked they are about that. Kinda grumpy and edgy and oh so reluctantly slipping back into old habits. I do so love the second chance romance trope and this one made me all kinds of happy.

A stellar, faith-infused romantic suspense that somehow also manages to ooze Southern Charm. And did I mention that Counter Attack is the first in Bradley’s new Pearl River series? I’m giddy with anticipation for book two’s release.

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

Gently read paperback copy available internationally — so, yay, everybody’s included in this giveaway no matter where you live.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Counter Attack, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday June 3, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.