Books are food for my soul! Pull up a beach chair and stick your toes in the sand as the Jersey surf rolls in and out, now open your book and let your imagination take you away.

Thursday, May 28, 2020

The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan (Book Review)




The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan
Publisher: William Morrow / HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: April 28, 2020
Format: HC: 304 pages
               PB: 464 pages
               AudioBook: 10 Hours / 10 Minutes
               Kindle: 1440 KB / 304 pages
               Nook: 1 MB / 304 pages
ISBN (HC): 978-0062909046
ISBN (PB): 978-0062978790
ASIN (AudioBook): B083TPX1DF
ASIN (Kindle): B07VT93ZTT
BNID: 978-0062909060
Genre: Women's Fiction



Buy The Book:



Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in my monthly (April 2020) The Bookish Box subscription. 



Book Description:

An accomplished storyteller returns with her biggest, boldest, most entertaining novel yet—a hilarious, heartfelt story about books, love, sisterhood, and the surprises we discover in our DNA that combines the wit of Jonathan Tropper with the heart of Susan Wiggs.

Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney grew up as a happy threesome in the idyllic seaside town of Southport, Connecticut. But their mother’s death from cancer fifteen years ago tarnished their golden-hued memories, and the sisters drifted apart. Their one touchstone is their father, Bill Sweeney, an internationally famous literary lion and college professor universally adored by critics, publishers, and book lovers. When Bill dies unexpectedly one cool June night, his shell-shocked daughters return to their childhood home. They aren’t quite sure what the future holds without their larger-than-life father, but they do know how to throw an Irish wake to honor a man of his stature.

But as guests pay their respects and reminisce, one stranger, emboldened by whiskey, has crashed the party. It turns out that she too is a Sweeney sister.

When Washington, DC based journalist Serena Tucker had her DNA tested on a whim a few weeks earlier, she learned she had a 50% genetic match with a childhood neighbor—Maggie Sweeney of Southport, Connecticut. It seems Serena’s chilly WASP mother, Birdie, had a history with Bill Sweeney—one that has remained totally secret until now.

Once the shock wears off, questions abound. What does this mean for William’s literary legacy? Where is the unfinished memoir he’s stashed away, and what will it reveal? And how will a fourth Sweeney sister—a blond among redheads—fit into their story?

By turns revealing, insightful, and uproarious, The Sweeney Sisters is equal parts cautionary tale and celebration—a festive and heartfelt look at what truly makes a family. 




Book Excerpt: Click on the link for the book excerpt

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49978226-the-sweeney-sisters?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=a4noOYnDD6&rank=1




My Book Review:


In The Sweeney Sisters, author Lian Dolan weaves a wonderful women's fiction story about the bonds of sisterhood and friendship.

The Sweeney sisters: Liza, Maggie, and Tricia come home to Southport, Connecticut, when their father, literary icon author and Yale professor William Sweeney unexpectedly passes away. After sending their father off with a traditional Irish wake, the sisters are surprised to find that their father's estate is in a terrible financial state. And that's not all, they learn that there is another Sweeney sister, Serena Tucker! As the four Sweeney sisters work through the complexities of their father's estate, and search for his elusive memoir manuscript, they discover long-held family secrets, which helps strengthen their sisterly bond as they deal with their own individual issues as well. 

The Sweeney Sisters is an intriguing story that depicts the complexity of the family dynamic: its secrets, challenges, heartaches, and the amazing bond of sisterhood and friendship. You can't help but get drawn into the Sweeney family, each sister is different from one another, but when it comes to family matters, their sisterly bond is solid. As Liza, Maggie, and Tricia face their father's death and past while searching for his memoir manuscript, they have to determine how their new relationship with Serena will emerge, while also dealing with their own personal issues. As their family saga unfolds, the Sweeney sisters are given a chance to strengthen their sisterly bonds, and make personal changes in their lives, and there's even a little bit of romance added into the mix!

This is a fast-paced and realistic look into the Sweeney sisters' family dynamic. I loved how each sister is so different from each other, but I was even more impressed by how well they unite when it came down to family matters. You can't help but cheer the sisters on as they come to terms with the surprising drama that arose from their family's past, and their sisterly interactions had a realistic mixture of humor and grace. This was a thoroughly enjoyable story that easily kept me engaged. I loved how the author made sure that the Sweeney sisters' individual stories were intertwined with their father's larger than life history and death, and the discovery of the surprising secrets from his past. 

The Sweeney Sisters is a heartwarming women's fiction tale that will keep the reader engaged from beginning to end! 



RATING: 5 Stars






About The Author




Lian Dolan is a writer, producer and broadcaster. She is the author of two bestselling novels, Helen of Pasadena and Elizabeth the First Wife. Her latest book, The Sweeney Sisters, was published in April 2020 from William Morrow. Both are romantic comedies with a touch of history. Two decades ago, Lian created Satellite Sisters, an award-winning radio talk show, blog and website with her four real sisters. Satellite Sisters is now a top-rated podcast for women. Lian is also the co-author of Satellite Sisters UnCommon Senses and You're the Best: A Celebration of Friendship. Her writing has appeared in many national magazines, including regular columns in O, The Oprah Magazine and Working Mother. She is currently a regular columnist for Pasadena Magazine. TV appearances have included The Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning and The Oprah Winfrey Show. She is a popular speaker for groups and corporations, always using humor as hook.She lives in Pasadena, CA with her husband a her German shepherd Steffi. She has two grown sons who live on their own-- and that's just fine.


Author Website
Amazon Author Page
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Goodreads






Friday, May 22, 2020

The Last Scoop by R.G. Belsky (VBT: Book Review / Contest Giveaway)

In association with Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for The Last Scoop by author R.G. Belsky!







Book Review



The Last Scoop by R.G. Belsky
Book 3: Clare Carlson Mystery Series
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
Publication Date: May 5, 2020
Format: Hardcover - 368 pages
               Kindle - 1229 KB
               Nook - 1 MB
ISBN: 978-1608093571
ASIN: B0849R9JPZ
BNID: 978-1608093588
Genre: Mystery



Buy The Book:


Buy The Series: A Clare Carlson Mystery Series
Book 1: Yesterday's News
Book 2: Below The Fold
Book 3: The Last Scoop


Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest book review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.



Book Description:

Martin Barlow was Clare Carlson’s first newspaper editor, a beloved mentor who inspired her career as a journalist. But, since retiring from his newspaper job, he had become a kind of pathetic figure—railing on about conspiracies, cover-ups, and other imaginary stories he was still working on. Clare had been too busy with her own career to pay much attention to him.

When Martin Barlow is killed on the street one night during an apparent mugging attempt gone bad, it seems like he was just an old man whose time had come.

But Clare—initially out of a sense of guilt for ignoring her old friend and then because of her own journalistic instincts—begins looking into his last story idea. As she digs deeper and deeper into his secret files, she uncovers shocking evidence of a serial killer worse than Son of Sam, Ted Bundy, or any of the other infamous names in history.

This really is the biggest story of Martin Barlow’s career—and Clare’s, too—as she uncovers the path leading to the decades-long killer of at least twenty young women. All is not as it seems during Clare’s relentless search for this serial killer. Is she setting herself up to be his next victim?



Book Excerpt:


CHAPTER 1

I was sitting in my office at Channel 10 News, drinking black coffee and skimming through the morning papers when I saw the article about Marty Barlow.

It was a brief item about the murder of a man on an East Side New York City street. It identified the victim as Martin Barlow. It also said that Barlow was a retired journalist. It did not say Barlow was the first—and probably the best—newspaper editor I ever had.

The police reported that he'd died from a blow to the head. Apparently, from a solid object, although the object itself was never found. Cops first assumed it had been a mugging, but later backed off that a bit because his wallet wasn't taken. Instead, it just seemed—at least on the face of it—to be one of those crazy, senseless crimes that happen too often in New York City.

The article never mentioned Marty’s age—he refused to ever tell it to anyone—but I figured he must be well up in his sixties by now. He was a frail-looking man. He had disheveled white hair, pasty-looking skin and he couldn't have weighed more than 150 pounds. He always wore the same old wrinkled suit that looked like it had last been cleaned during the Reagan administration.

But more than twenty years ago, when I was starting out at a newspaper in New Jersey, Marty Barlow had helped me become the journalist that I am today. He was my editor, my mentor and my friend.

Barlow was a grizzled old veteran even back then, and I soaked up every bit of knowledge and wisdom I could from him. He taught me how to cover police stories, political scandals, and human-interest features.

“Never turn down an animal story,” was one of his mantras. “People love animal stories!” But mostly, he taught me what a noble calling it was to be a newspaper reporter—and about all the integrity and responsibility that went with it. His favorite quotation was from an old Humphrey Bogart movie where Bogey played a managing editor talking about the job of being a newspaper reporter: “It may not be the oldest profession, but it's the best."

I moved on eventually to a bigger newspaper job in New York City where I had a career filled with pretty spectacular moments. I won a Pulitzer prize by the time I was thirty, I scored a lot of other big exclusives and front-page stories for the paper, and became a big media star because of all that. Then the newspaper I worked for went out of business, and I moved into TV. After a few false starts there—mostly finding out that I wasn’t very good as an on-air TV reporter—I wound up on the executive side of the business. First as a segment producer, then an assignment editor and now as news director of the whole Channel 10 operation. Along the way, I found the time to get married—and divorced—three different times, too.

Marty had helped me get through the highs and lows in my life—both professional and personal—over the years. He was always there for me. He always supported me and took my side in everything. Well, almost everything. Everything except the marriage stuff. Marty could never understand why I couldn’t make my marriages work. “Why don’t you find one man, the right man, and settle down with him for the rest of your life?” That’s what Marty said he had done with his wife. “It’s not that easy,” I told him. “Sure, it is,” he said. “You make sure your marriage is as important to you as your job in the newsroom. Then the rest will take care of itself.” It was good advice from Marty, even though I didn’t always follow it.
Marty stayed on as editor of the same New Jersey paper where we’d met, doing the job he loved, until he was pushed into retirement a few years ago. At some point after that his wife died, and he came to live with his daughter in Manhattan. Even after he retired though, Marty became very active in local political and community events. He started a website that skewered local politicians and demanded more accountability/public disclosure in New York City government. Then he became a kind of local gadfly—showing up at town hall and council meetings to demand answers from politicians. That was Marty. Still looking for his next big scoop even after he retired.

We'd kept in touch and he was always asking me to meet him for coffee, but I hardly ever got around to it. Or to checking out any of the various news tips and leads he kept sending me. I never could find time for Marty Barlow anymore.

Until that last day when he showed up in my office.

***
“Hello, Marty, how are you doing?” I said. “Sorry I never got back to you on your calls and emails before. I've been busy covering a bunch of stuff."

"Yeah, probably a big, breaking Justin Bieber news story, huh?" Barlow said, without even attempting to hide the contempt in his voice.

I sighed. Marty Barlow was an old-fashioned journalist who believed the news media should cover serious topics like politics, schools, and government waste the way newspapers had traditionally done in the past.

But now newspapers were dying off as people turned to the internet to give them instant news. And TV newscasts, including Channel 10 where I worked, focused even more these days on glitzy celebrity news, viral videos, and all the rest of the gimmicks known online as “traffic bait” in order to increase our all-important ratings and sales. Marty hated that. I wasn't wild about it either, but I had no choice in the rapidly-changing journalistic landscape.

“This time the big story was Kim Kardashian,” I said.

“You're kidding, right?"

“I'm kidding."

“Good."

“Actually, it was Khloe.”

“My God, what happened to you, Clarissa? The Clarissa Carlson I remember cared passionately about the stories she covered. She wanted to make a difference in the world with her journalism. I miss that woman."

Fake news is what Marty called it. Yes, I know that term has a whole different meaning in today’s political world. But Marty had been using it long before that. For Marty, fake news encompassed pretty much everything on TV news or in newspapers or on news websites today. He didn’t just mean the celebrity news, either. He was contemptuous of the constant traffic reports, weather updates, lottery news, and all the rest of the things I did for a living. He complained that there was hardly any real journalism now. He was right. But the journalistic world had changed dramatically in recent years, even if Marty refused to change with it.

He sat down in a chair in front of my desk.

“So, Clarissa . . .”

“Clare.”

“What?”

“My name is Clare, not Clarissa.”

This was a ritual we had played out many times over the years. Yes, my full name is Clarissa Carlson, but I always use Clare. Have ever since I was a kid and decided how much I hated being called Clarissa.

Everyone knew that. Friends, family, co-workers, even my ex-husbands never called me anything but Clare. Except for Marty. He insisted on calling me Clarissa. I never understood exactly why, but it had gone on for so long between us that it didn’t seem worth bothering to ask anymore.

I figured he wasn’t here for a social visit. That he came because he needed my help. Some big scoop he thought he was going to break, even though his days of breaking big scoops had long past. Marty always got very intense when he was working on a story, and this time he seemed even more intense than usual. I asked him what was going on.

“I’m working on a big story,” he said. “The biggest story of my life. And it’s all because I started taking a good look at one person.”

I nodded and tried to think of an appropriate response.

“Who?” I asked.

It was the best I could come up with.

“Terri Hartwell.”

“Hartwell?”

“Yes, the Manhattan District Attorney.”

I nodded again. Terri Hartwell was the darling of the New York City media and political world at the moment. She’d been a top-rated radio talk show host in New York for a number of years before she ran for the District Attorney’s job—and surprised political experts by unseating the incumbent. Since then, she’d aggressively gone after crime, corruption and all sorts of entrenched special interests in the city. Which made her a lot of enemies, but also made her popular with the voters. She was even being touted now as a potential candidate for Mayor.

“I started out thinking this was a story about building corruption. Illegal payoffs to politicians and authorities by wealthy New York City landlords. But now it’s bigger than that. Much bigger. There’s murder involved too.”


“Murder?”

“More than one murder. Maybe lots of them.”

I nodded again. Pretty soon I was going to have to stop nodding and ask more than one-word questions.

“Who is being murdered? And what does any of this have to do with Terri Hartwell?”

Now I was rolling.

“I can’t tell you any more details. Not yet. I’m still trying to figure it all out myself. But this is a sensational story. More sensational than any story I’ve ever covered. And I have to stop whatever is happening before it’s too late!”

Marty was getting really agitated now, pounding on my desk for emphasis.

A lock of white hair had fallen over his forehead and his eyes were blazing. He frankly looked insane.

“Who’s your source on all this, Marty?” I asked.

“I can’t tell you my source, Clarissa. You know that.”

“Is it a good source?”

“All of my sources are good!” he thundered at me.

He was right about that. All of Marty’s sources were good. Or at least they always had been in the past. But I wasn’t so sure how much I could trust them—or Marty himself—at this point. I didn’t think he was lying. Not intentionally anyway. Marty never lied to anyone, most of all to me. But I did suspect his desperation to get back into journalism in some meaningful way—to prove he wasn’t finished in the news business, no matter how much it had passed him by in recent years—had distorted his judgement and his connections with . . . well, reality.

“Will you help me? Give me a few days to get all the details together, and then I’ll tell you everything. You’re the head of a big news operation now. You have resources I don’t at your disposal. Maybe we could work on this story together. You and me, Clarissa. Just like the old days.”

Mostly because I didn’t know what else to do, I told Marty I’d get back to him about it. I told him we’d get together for coffee—like he’d asked me to do so many times—to go over the details of his story and maybe reminisce a bit about old times too. I told Marty I’d call him the next week and we’d meet up at the Sunrise Coffee Shop on the Upper East Side, which was his favorite place.

Except I never did meet Marty Barlow at the Sunrise Coffee Shop the next week.

Or any time after that.

I never got around to calling him back.

I thought about all that again now as I read the article about Marty Barlow’s death. “Maybe we could work on this story together,” Marty had said. “You and me, Clarissa. Just like the old days.” I didn’t have the heart to tell Marty those days were long over.

***
My boss was Jack Faron, the executive producer for the Channel 10 News. I went to see him now.
“Problem?” he asked when I walked in the door of his office.


“What makes you think I have a problem?”

“Because you never come to see me this early in the morning unless it’s about a problem.”

“My God, whatever happened to the simple courtesy of saying good morning to the people you work with? What is wrong with us as a society, Jack? Have we lost all civility in this day and age? Why can’t you greet me one time with a cheerful: ‘Good morning, Clare. How are you today?’”

“Good morning, Clare,” Faron said. “How are you today?”

“Actually, I have a problem.”

I showed him the short newspaper article about the death of Marty Barlow and told him about my relationship with Barlow.

“What do you think about us doing something on the news tonight about his murder?” I asked. “I feel like I owe him at least that much.”

Faron made a face. “Not our kind of story, Clare. There’s no celebrity or sensational angle, no pizzazz, no ratings of any kind there for us. I’m sorry your friend got killed. I understand he meant a lot to you. But that doesn’t meet the criteria for getting a story about him on our newscast. You already knew that before you even came in here, didn’t you?”

I did. I was feeling guilty because I’d let Marty down at the end. And I didn’t need another thing to feel guilty about right now. Marty was like family to me. And I had no other family. Well, I did, but that was the other thing I was feeling so guilty about. I’ve screwed up a lot of things in my life.

“Kind of ironic, isn’t it?” I said. “A guy like Marty devotes his life to the news business. And now, when he dies, he doesn’t even rate a meaningful goodbye in what the news business has become today. It makes me sad. And yes, guilty, too, that I couldn’t do more for him, after everything he did for me.”

“He was an old man,” Faron said. “He died. There’s no story there.”





My Book Review:


In The Last Scoop, the third book in the Clare Carlson Mystery Series, author R.G. Belsky weaves a riveting mystery tale that easily draws the reader into New York Channel 10 News Director Clare Carlson's latest investigation.

The story begins with the random street murder of Clare's mentor and first newspaper editor, retired journalist Martin Barlow. Even though Martin was retired, he remained active in local NYC politics and community events. He even had a website dedicated to the suggestion that there is corruption between NYC politicians, the mob, greedy wealthy landlords, and the city government. Martin and Clare had kept in touch, and Martin tried to tell her about the two big stories that he had been working on: (1) the alleged corruption between the mob and NYC government, and (2) a thirty year old search for a serial killer possibly linked to the murders of twenty young women. Clare never checked out his tips and leads, she considered them ramblings of an old man, but now she feels guilty and is determined to follow through on Martin's last news scoops.

As Clare delves into the investigation of Martin's two big story scoops, she finds that there are more questions than answers, a growing list of suspects, deeply buried secrets, mobsters, a serial killer, and the intertwining of Clare's personal and professional lives and her dark past that continues to come to the surface.

The Last Scoop is a captivating mystery tale that is rich in detail and vivid descriptions. It has enough intriguing and suspenseful twists and turns that leaves the reader with no other option than to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. As a diehard fan of mystery tales, I must admit that this third installment in the series is my favorite. The complexity of the two story scoops and Clare's investigation kept me thoroughly riveted and so engrossed, I couldn't help but try and guess the outcome as Clare puts all the pieces of the puzzle together.

With a complex and realistic cast of characters, the author does a phenomenal job of transporting the reader into this fast-paced white-knuckle storyline. The thrilling cat-n-mouse game engages the reader to follow Clare's investigation as she tries to follow the notes and leads from the two stories that Martin had been working on prior to his death. The jaw-dropping surprise ending will leave the reader completely speechless. It just doesn't get any better than this!

The Last Scoop is one heck of an adrenaline rush that is a must-read for the true diehard mystery junkies!


RATING: 5 STARS 





About The Author



R. G. Belsky is an author of crime fiction and a journalist in New York City. His newest mystery, The Last Scoop, was published in May 2020 by Oceanview. It is the third in a series featuring Clare Carlson, the news director for a New York City TV station. The first Clare Carlson book, Yesterday's News, came out in 2018. The second book, Below The Fold, came out in May 2019. Belsky previously wrote the Gil Malloy series – The Kenneconnection, Shooting For The Stars And Blonde Ice – about a newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News.

Belsky himself is a former managing editor at the Daily News and writes about the media from an extensive background in newspapers, magazines and TV/digital news. He has also been a top editor at the New York Post, Star magazine and NBC News. Belsky won the Claymore Award at Killer Nashville in 2016. He has finished as a Finalist for both the Silver Falchion and David Awards. And his first Clare Carlson book, Yesterday's News, was named Outstanding Crime/News Based Novel by Just Reviews in 2018 and was a Finalist for Best Mystery of 2018 in the Foreword INDIES Awards. His previous suspense/thriller novels include Loverboy and Playing Dead. Belsky lives in New York City.


Author Website
Amazon Author Page
Facebook
Twitter
BookBub
Instagram
Goodreads




Contest Giveaway

Win A $20 Amazon Gift Card



This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for R.G. Belsky. There will be Two (2) winners of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card each. The giveaway begins on May 1, 2020 and runs through June 2, 2020. Void where prohibited.


a Rafflecopter giveaway





Virtual Book Tour



Tour Schedule:

05/01 Review @ Nesies Place

05/02 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader

05/03 Review @ Mythical Books

05/03 Showcase @ Eclectic Moods

05/04 Review @ BooksChatter

05/05 Interview @ Blog Talk Radio

05/05 Review @ Just Reviews

05/06 Review/showcase @ CMash Reads

05/06 Showcase @ Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

05/07 Interview @ Reading A Page Turner

05/08 Showcase @ The Book Divas Reads

05/09 Guest post @ Books Chatter

05/10 Guest post @ Read and Review

05/11 Showcase @ Lisa-Queen of Random

05/12 Review @ Wall-to-wall books

05/13 Showcase @ 411 on Books, Authors, and Publishing News

05/13 Showcase @ The Bookworm Lodge

05/15 Review @ The World As I See It

05/17 Showcase @ EienCafe

05/18 Interview @ A Blue Million Books

05/19 Review @ sunny island breezes

05/20 Review @ Our Town Book Reviews

05/21 Guest post @ BooksChatter

05/22 Review @ Jersey Girl Book Reviews

05/24 Interview @ Quiet Fury Books

05/25 Review @ michellemengsbookblog

05/28 Review @ COVER TO COVER CAFE

05/28 Review @ Thats What Shes Reading

05/29 Showcase @ Im All About Books

05/30 Review @ A Room Without Books is Empty

05/31 Showcase @ Teatime and Books