Stony Point Summer by Joanne DeMaio (Book Review)

In association with Author Joanne DeMaio, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for Stony Point Summer!

Book Review

Stony Point Summer by Joanne DeMaio

Book 12: The Seaside Saga Series

Publisher: Independent Self Publishing

Publication Date: Paperback - February 25, 2021 / eBook - March 2, 2021

Format: Paperback - 342 pages

               AudioBook - 8 Hours 12 Minutes

               Kindle - 1990 KB

               Nook - 704 KB

ISBN: 979-8668599844

ASIN (AudioBook): B08G9PYDQD

ASIN (ebook): B08B1TDTNZ

BNID: 2940162983262

Genre: Women's Fiction

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Buy The Series: The Seaside Saga Series

Book 1: Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans 

Book 2: The Denim Blue Sea

Book 3: Beach Blues

Book 4: Beach Breeze

Book 5: The Beach Inn

Book 6: Beach Bliss

Book 7: Castaway Cottage

Book 8: Night Beach

Book 9: Little Beach Bungalow 

Book 10: Every Summer

Book 11: Salt Air Secrets 

Book 12: Stony Point Summer 

Book 13: The Beachgoers (Pub Date: May 10, 2021)

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Book Description:

From New York Times bestselling author Joanne DeMaio comes Stony Point Summer, Book 12 of The Seaside Saga. 

Jason and Maris, Shane and Celia, Elsa and the rest of the tangled cast of beach friends are back in their coastal New England town. A novel of summers sad and sweet, this episode further layers the ongoing storyline, as blue skies, lapping waves and swaying dune grasses belie all the drama to unfold.

Book Excerpt: (Select The Preview Button)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53970574-stony-point-summer

My Book Review:

In Stony Point Summer, the beach friends' story continues where Salt Air Secrets, left off. Author Joanne DeMaio transports the reader back to the tranquil seashore town of Stony Point, Connecticut, where the summer season is coming to a close. The story picks up during the Labor Day weekend, where our beach friends lives are like the tides, sometimes they keep moving and changing. 

In Stony Point Summer, Author Joanne DeMaio easily captivates her readers' attention with this beautifully written tale through a seamless and flowing storyline, and with a wonderful description of a tranquil beach setting that wraps itself around the reader like a sun-warmed beach towel. The characters draw you into their lives with a strong emotional pull, their complexities and flaws are true-to-life, it is easy to relate to them with compassion, empathy, and hope.

Stony Point Summer is an intricate story of interweaving friendships, life events, and deeply held secrets and drama. It is a wonderful story that continues to demonstrate the power of the magical sweet salt air that will cure what ails you. In this installment in The Seaside Saga Series, the author weaves a story that alternates between the present and flashbacks to the beach friends' pasts. This segment of the beach friends' story can be described as a driftline: the way the friends met, how they are all connected, and how they drift in and out of each other's lives. The tangled connections among the beach friends are complex and intricate, emotional and sometimes volatile, loving and loyal. 

This installment in the series held so much angst, you can't help but feel the full gamut of emotions as the author takes the reader back to the beginning of how the beach friends met and connected, and how each of the beach friends dealt with their secrets and life events. At the end of the prior book, Salt Air Secrets, the author teased her readers with a cliffhanger ending where Elsa received a certified letter just a few days away from the grand opening of her Ocean Star Inn, and she decided to keep the contents of the letter a secret, that is until the last sentence of the story when of course she whispered her secret into Maris' ear. Stony Point Summer opens up with Elsa's secret, but alas the reader is still kept in the dark, as once again the secret is still not revealed in this installment, and oh wait ... the author decides to add another cliffhanger ending ... Jason looks through his brother Neil's scrapbook and notices a mysterious beach binocular photo with a scant visual of a person ... who is it? We'll just have to wait and see what is revealed in The Beachgoers, the thirteenth installment of the series ... sigh. 

So now that I have whet your interest in the beach friends latest comings and goings, drive under the railroad trestle and enter the enchanting beach town of Stony Point ... pull up a beach chair ... and visit with the close-knit longtime friends in author Joanne DeMaio's delightful novel, Stony Point Summer.

The Seaside Saga Series is a heartwarming series of stories of friendship, family, painful secrets, new beginnings and second chances. Author Joanne DeMaio weaves a wonderful tale written in the third person narrative, that is set in the present with flashbacks to the past. The reader is transported to the tranquil seashore town of Stony Point, Connecticut, where they follow along with Celia, Maris, Eva, Matt, Jason, Kyle, Lauren, Nick, Elsa, Cliff, and Shane as their lives change like the tide's ebb and flow on their little tranquil coastal town.

RATING: 5 STARS 

About The Author

Joanne DeMaio is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She enjoys writing about friendship, family, love and choices, while setting her stories in New England towns or by the sea. Stony Point Summer is her newest novel. Currently at work on her next book, The Beachgoers. Joanne lives with her family in Connecticut.


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Her Every Move by Kelly Irvin (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 Her Every Move by author Kelly Irvin!

Her Every Move by Kelly Irvin

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: February 9, 2021

Format: Paperback - 352 pages

               AudioBook - 12 Hours 17 Minutes

               Kindle - 1705 KB

               Nook - 2 MB

ISBN: 978-0785231905
ASIN (AudioBook): B08CMG1T5R

ASIN (Kindle): B08BZ26978
BNID: 978-0785231912

Genre: Romantic Suspense 

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



Book Description:

He’s a cop trying to stop a serial bomber. And she’ll stop at nothing to clear her own name.

When a deadly bomb goes off during a climate change debate, librarian and event coordinator Jackie Santoro becomes the prime suspect. Her motive, according to Detective Avery Wick: to avenge the suicide of her prominent father, who was accused of crimes by a city councilman attending the event.

Though Avery has doubts about Jackie’s guilt, he can’t exonerate her even after an extremist group takes responsibility for the bombing and continues to attack San Antonio’s treasured public spaces.

As Jackie tries to hold her shattered family together, she has no choice but to proceed with plans for the Caterina Ball, the library system’s biggest annual fundraiser. But she also fears the event provides the perfect opportunity for the bomber to strike again.

Despite their mistrust, Jackie and Avery join forces to unmask the truth—before the death toll mounts even higher.

Book Excerpt:

A steady stream of patrons stood and edged toward the center aisle. A low murmur swelled to the sound of hundreds of people all talking at once. Soon they’d be in front of Jackie, impeding her progress from the parking garage and on the narrow, one-way downtown streets of San Antonio.

“Great job, Jackie. Looks like your boss was wrong.” Sandoval’s constituent services director, Tony Guerra, sauntered up the aisle toward her. “Climate change opponents can coexist amicably in the same space. And so can city manager and city council staff.”

“Thanks, but it took a whole host of partners to make this happen. And it’s not over yet.” Jackie stuck her hand on the door lever that would release her to the Tobin’s massive lobby.

She liked Tony, which was a good thing since he’d asked Estrella to marry him. However, he wore his political ambitions like an obnoxious neon-pink tie.

“I have to go. I want to make sure there are no last-minute snags with the reception. Then it’s back to fine-tuning the altars for the Catrina Ball. It’s only a week away, and I’m behind because of the debate.”

“You never let up, do you? Are we still on for the Spurs game tomorrow—”

A powerful force knocked Jackie from her feet.

Her skull banged on the hardwood floor.

Sharp projectiles pelted her face in a painful ping-ping.

What’s happening?

Estrella? Tony? Bella?

Muffled screams and even her own moaning seemed strangely distant. “Estrella? Tony? Bella?”

If they answered, Jackie couldn’t hear them. She dragged herself onto her hands and knees. Glass and sharp metal pierced both. She forced open burning eyes.

Heavy black smoke shrouded the hall. Metal and debris like deadly confetti showered her. She raised her arm to her forehead to protect her face from the remnants of folding chairs and electronics.

Warm blood dripped from her nose. The acrid taste of smoke and fear collected in her mouth. Her stomach heaved. Her pulse pounded so hard dizziness threatened to overcome her.

No, no, no. Do not pass out. People need help.

Shrieking alarms bellowed.

Water, like torrential rain, poured from above. Rain, inside? Her ricocheting thoughts made no sense. Jackie shook her head. Neither the smoke nor the clanging in her brain subsided.

Sprinkler system.

The smoke had triggered the sprinklers.

Where there’s smoke there’s fire. The old cliché ran
circles in her mind like a children’s nursery rhyme.

Estrella’s mama and papa would never forgive Jackie if something happened to their sweet daughter. Mercedes and Mateo always saw Jackie as the instigator of trouble. And they were usually right.

Ignoring pain and panic, she crawled forward. Sharp metal bit into her skin. Where were her shoes?

Finally she encountered a warm, writhing body. “Tony?”

“What happened?” He struggled to sit up. Blood poured from an open wound on his scalp, his nose, and a cut on his lip. “I have to get to Estrella and Diego.”

He might have yelled, but Jackie could barely make out the words. She leaned back on her haunches. “You’re hurt. Does anything feel broken?”

“No, but I can’t hear anything.” He wiped at his face. Blood streaked his once crisply starched white shirt. “Why can’t I hear?”

“It’ll pass. We have to get everyone out.”

With a groan, Tony leaned over and vomited on the floor. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “Okay, let’s go.”

“Everyone out. If you can walk on your own, evacuate.” One of the contract security guards hired for the debate loomed over them. “The bomb squad is on the way. Go, go.”

“We’re fine. We’ll help get the others out.”

“Negative. Get out, there could be more bombs.”

Bombs.

***

Excerpt from Her Every Move by Kelly Irvin. Copyright 2021 by Kelly Irvin. Reproduced with permission from HarperCollins. All rights reserved.

My Book Review:

In Her Every Move, author Kelly Irvin transports the reader to San Antonio, Texas for an intriguing Romantic Suspense story that will keep the reader guessing and turning the pages.

Jackie Santor is a librarian and adult collections coordinator in charge of planning programming and events for the library foundation at the Central Library.

Avery Wick is a Detective in the Homicide Unit of the San Antonio police department.

Jackie coordinated a political debate on climate-change for the library foundation, and when a bomb detonates after the debate, she becomes a person of interest because of her family's past. Her father, Sam Santoro was a San Antonio Development Service Department Inspector, who took his own life two years ago after being accused of taking bribes from developers and providing a shortcut to the permit process, and looking the other way when it came to inspections, violating city ordinances. He was fired and died before his case went to trial. The investigators considered her a person of interest in the bombing as a means to avenge her father's death against the city officials.

When an extremist organization claimed the bombing and warned the media that they would continue to bomb other prominent San Antonio places, and cripple it's tourism industry unless the local government officials step down, Jackie and Avery join forces to exonerate her, and find the bombers before more death and destruction can occur in San Antonio.  

Author Kelly Irvin weaves a fast-paced and suspenseful tale written in the third person narrative that follows Jackie and Avery as they search for the bombers before more destruction and death befalls the citizens of San Antonio. The reader will be easily drawn into this action-packed and well written story with its richly descriptive plot that will keep them guessing as secrets, possible motives, and clues are uncovered during the search for the bombers. Just when you think you know who is behind the bombing, the author teases the reader with more possible suspects until the surprising ending. 

I would be remiss if I didn't mention how much I loved the intertwining of a Christian themed story with intriguing suspense, and the angsty underlying attraction between Jackie and Avery, you can't help but hope that they find love amongst the craziness of the search.

Her Every Move has enough drama, tension, action, dark secrets, a touch of romance, and unexpected twists and turns that will take the reader on one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride.


RATING: 5 STARS  

About The Author

Bestseller Kelly Irvin is the author of 19 books, including romantic suspense and Amish romance. Publishers Weekly called Closer Than She Knows “a briskly written thriller.” The Library Journal said of her novel Tell Her No Lies, “a complex web with enough twists and turns to keep even the most savvy romantic suspense readers guessing until the end.” The two-time ACFW Carol Award finalist worked as a newspaper reporter for six years on the Texas-Mexico border. Those experiences fuel her romantic suspense novels set in Texas. A retired public relations professional, Kelly now writes fiction full-time. She lives with her husband professional photographer Tim Irvin in San Antonio. They have two children, three grandchildren, and two ornery cats.

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Contest Giveaway

Win A Paperback Copy Of 

Her Every Move

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Kelly Irvin. There will be 3 winners. Each inner will receive (1) physical copy of Her Every Move by Kelly Irwin (U.S. addresses only). The giveaway begins on February 8, 2021 and runs through March 7, 2021. Void where prohibited. 

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Virtual Book Tour 

Her Every Move by Kelly Irvin ~ VBT Event Page Link

Tour Participants:

02/08 Showcase @ The Book Divas Reads

02/09 Review @ @ rozierreadsandwine

02/09 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader

02/09 Review @ Novels Alive

02/10 Guest Post @ Quiet Fury Books

02/11 Review @ Books and Zebras @ jypsylynn

02/12 Showcase @ Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

02/13 Showcase @ Brooke Blogs

02/15 Interview @ BooksChatter

02/15 Review @ Read Review Rejoice

02/16 Review @ The Review Crew

02/17 Showcase @ nanasbookreviews

02/18 Guest post @ Novels Alive

02/19 Showcase @ CMash Reads

02/19 Showcase @ The Pulp and Mystery Shelf

02/21 Interview @ Author Elena Taylors Blog

02/22 Review @ Quirky Cats Fat Stacks

02/22 Showcase @ Im Into Books

02/23 Review @ Books of My Heart

02/24 Review/showcase @ Avonna Loves Genres

02/24 Showcase @ 411 on Books, Authors, and Publishing News

02/25 Interview @ Reading A Page Turner

02/25 Review @ Adventures Of A Travelers Wife

02/26 Review @ Margaret Yelton - FB & GR

02/27 Review @ Splashes of Joy

03/01 Review @ @ geauxgetlit

03/01 Review @ Jersey Girl Book Reviews

03/02 Review @ Nesies Place

03/03 Review @ Lynchburg Mama

03/03 Showcase @ Celticladys Reviews

03/04 Review @ A Room Without Books is Empty

03/05 Review @ Spookys Maze Of Books

Up The Creek by Alissa Grosso (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 Up The Creek by author Alissa Grosso!

Book Review

Up The Creek by Alissa Grosso

Book #1: Culver Creek Series

Publisher: Glitter Pigeon Press

Publication Date: January 12, 2021

Format: Hardcover - 342 pages

               Paperback - 356 pages

               Kindle - 1539 KB /358 pages

               Nook- 643 KB

ISBN (Hardcover): 978-1949852097

ISBN (Paperback): 978-1949852080
ASIN: B08JJD4X97
BNID: 2940162818168

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Buy The Book: Up The Creek

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Buy The Series: Culver Creek Series

Book #1: Up The Creek

Book #2: Factory Girls

Book #3: Haunted Houses (Pub Date: March 9, 2021)

Book #4: Blood Answer (Pub Date: April 13, 2021)

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

Book Description:

An unsolved murder. Disturbing dreams. A missing child.

Caitlin Walker hasn’t had a dream in nine years. But now nightmares torture her son Adam and awaken in Caitlin buried memories and a dark secret. Her husband Lance has a secret of his own, one that his son’s nightmares threaten to reveal.

In Culver Creek newly hired detective Sage Dorian works to unravel the small town’s notorious cold case, the grisly murder of a young girl.

How are Caitlin and Lance connected to the horrific crime? And how far will they go to make sure their secrets stay hidden? Find out in this riveting thriller.

Book Excerpt:

Caitlin emerged from a black, dreamless sleep to screams. Adam’s tortured cries sounded almost otherworldly. They turned her blood to ice and made her heart race. She sat straight up, then bolted from bed, blinking sleep from her eyes as she raced toward the door, banging her shin on the dresser as she went. She yanked on the doorknob and almost toppled over when it didn’t yield as she expected. Goddammit. Lance had locked the door again.

She spared a glance toward the bed, but her husband wasn’t there. Instead he was standing, looking out the window. For a moment she thought she was mistaken. Were the screams coming from outside?

“Lance?” she asked.

He turned to her, but his eyes looked past her at some point on the wall.

“What’s going on?” he mumbled, barely awake.

“Adam’s having a nightmare,” she said.

“Again?” he asked. “Maybe we should just let him sleep it off.”

The screams had subsided now, but she could still hear her son’s whimpers from down the hall. Sleep it off? Could Lance really be that clueless? She unlocked the door and flung it open. It bounced almost silently off the rubber doorstopper, which didn’t really give her the dramatic exit she was hoping for.

She still couldn’t quite wrap her head around her husband just standing there looking out the window while Adam cried for them. Usually Lance was the one who woke up first. Maybe he had already gone to comfort Adam and came back to their bedroom by the time she awoke. He seemed so out of it, though. Well, that’s what a lack of sleep could do to a person.

Adam sat on his bed in a nest of tangled sheets. His face was damp with tears and sweat, his dark hair plastered to his forehead. The hippo nightlight cast large, ominous shadows when she stepped into his room. He looked up with a start, then relaxed when he saw it was her.

She sat down beside him and pulled his small body to her, wrapping her arms around him and rocking him gently back and forth. The tears subsided, but he still felt tense.

“Mommy, I’m scared of the bad boy,” he said. “The bad boy’s going to hurt me.”

“Nobody’s going to hurt you,” she assured him. “You’re safe. It was just a dream. Look, you’re safe in your bedroom.”

At this, Adam pulled away from her a little to study the dimly lit bedroom. Maybe they should get a different nightlight. She had never realized how spooky that hippo light made everything look.

“There were trees,” Adam said, “and a river. She was playing in the river.”

Caitlin stiffened. Adam noticed it and looked up at her. She smiled at him.

“It was just a dream,” she said, as much to reassure herself as him. “It wasn’t real.”

There were lots of rivers out there, and wasn’t Adam just watching a cartoon show with cute animals that had to get across a river? That was probably where that detail came from. Plus, she reminded herself, it hadn’t been a river. It had been a creek. She wasn’t sure Adam knew the difference between a river and a creek, though. But a little girl playing in a river? No, wait, was that what he had said? He said only “she.” For all Caitlin knew, this she could have been a girl river otter. Maybe he had been having a cute dream about river creatures.

And a “bad boy,” she reminded herself. She remembered his bloodcurdling screams. There was nothing cute about the dream he had. Still, she clung to the “bad boy” detail. Was he talking about a child? If so, then the river was just a coincidence. She wanted to ask him more about the bad boy, but this was the worst thing she could do. He was already starting to calm down, starting to forget the details of his nightmare. She couldn’t go dredging things back up again.

“Mommy, can I sleep in your room?” Adam asked.

#

Lance was fully awake and in bed when Caitlin returned with Adam in her arms.

“Hey there, champ,” Lance said. “Have a bad dream?”

“Daddy, he hurt her,” Adam said. “He hurt her head. She was bleeding.”

Her son’s tiny body stiffened again in Caitlin’s arms, and she gave Lance an exasperated look as she set Adam down in the middle of the bed.

“We’d already gotten past that,” she said in a whispered hiss.

“Obviously,” Lance said with a roll of his eyes, “which is why he’s sleeping in our bed. Again.”

She slid into the bed beside Adam and adjusted the covers, ignoring her husband. She petted Adam’s head and made soft, soothing noises.

“Remember, that wasn’t real, just make believe, like a movie.” She didn’t want him to get himself worked up again talking about the dream, but it wasn’t just that. She didn’t want to hear any more details from the nightmare because the bit about the bad boy hurting the girl’s head and the blood felt a touch too familiar.

She stroked his face, and his eyelids slowly drooped closed. He looked so calm and peaceful when he slept.

“I thought we said we weren’t going to do this anymore,” Lance said. Even whispering, his voice was too loud. She held her finger to her lips. He continued more quietly, “I’m just saying, I think it would be better for him if he sleeps in his own bed.”

“It’s already after three,” she said. “It’s only for a few hours.”

“That’s not the point,” Lance said. “He’s nearly five years old. We can’t keep babying him.”

It was like the school argument all over again, and Caitlin didn’t want to get into it. Not now. She was still tired and groggy and needed more sleep.

“I want to get him a new nightlight,” she said to change the subject. “The one he has makes these creepy shadows.”

“A new nightlight,” Lance repeated in a skeptical voice. “Sure, that will solve everything.”

“The important thing,” she said, “is that we have to remind him that his dreams are not real. That they’re make believe. We have to be united on this.”

Lance made a dismissive noise and lay back down on his pillow, turning his body away from her and Adam. He muttered something, but his voice was muffled by the pillow.

“Lance, this is important,” she said. “We have to make it clear that his dreams are not real. He has to know they aren’t true.”

He sighed. “What kind of moron do you think I am? Do you really think I’m going to start telling him his dreams about boogeymen are real?” He squirmed around and pulled the covers up in an attempt to get comfortable. She thought he was done, but he stopped shifting around long enough to add, “It’s not exactly like you’re the foremost expert in dreams.”

***

Excerpt from Up the Creek by Alissa Grosso. Copyright 2021 by Alissa Grosso. Reproduced with permission from Alissa Grosso. All rights reserved.

My Book Review:

In Up The Creek, book one of the Culver Creek Series, author Alissa Grosso takes the reader behind the scenes of a riveting thriller as Culver Creek Detective Sage Dorian tries to solve a nineteen year old unsolved cold murder case, while Caitlin and Lance Walker deal with deep dark secrets and disturbing dreams that has an affect on their four year old son Adam.

Up The Creek is a riveting thriller that easily draws the reader in from the start. The author provides the reader with a fascinating, multi-layered, and richly detailed story set in the small factory town of Culver Creek, Pennsylvania. This exciting story takes the reader on an exhilarating roller coaster ride as the intertwined connection between Caitlin, Lance, and Sage unfolds. There is enough drama, secrets, deception, tension, and surprising twists and turns that definitely will keep the reader sitting on the edge of their seat, and guessing how this story will turn out. I loved how the interweaving of tension, drama, and suspense kept me turning the pages as this complexed and intriguing story unfolded. Just when you think you knew how the story would end, the author does a wonderful job of mixing in twists and turns that definitely keeps the reader sitting on the edge of their seat until the surprising conclusion. 

Up The Creek is a well-written, slow-building story that left me interested in finding out what drama and suspense happens in the rest of the books in the Culver Creek Series.



RATING: 4 STARS  

About The Author

Alissa Grosso is the author of several books for adults and teens. Originally from New Jersey, she now resides in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

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Contest Giveaway

Win A $20 Amazon Gift Card

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Alyssa Grosso. There will be two (2) winners each receiving one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on January 11, 2021 and runs through March 14, 2021. Void where prohibited. 

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Virtual Book Tour Event

Up The Creek by Alissa Grosso ~ VBT Event Page Link

Tour Participants:

01/12 Showcase @ Im Into Books

01/13 Guest post @ Author Elena Taylors Blog

01/14 Guest post @ Novels Alive

01/14 Review @ Jane Pettit Reviews

01/15 Interview @ A Blue Million Books

01/18 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader

01/20 Showcase @ Reading A Page Turner

01/21 Interview @ BooksChatter

01/22 Showcase @ Trailer Trash Diva Reads

01/25 Guest post @ The Book Divas Reads

01/28 Showcase @ The Pulp and Mystery Shelf

02/03 Review/showcase @ Our Town Book Reviews

02/05 Showcase @ Sara In Bookland

02/10 Showcase @ nanasbookreviews

02/11 Review @ Avonna Loves Genres

02/17 Interview/showcase @ CMash Reads

02/22 Review @ Margaret Yelton

02/24 Review @ Spookys Maze Of Books

02/26 Review @ Jersey Girl Book Reviews

02/28 Showcase @ EienCafe

03/02 Review @ Lynchburg Reads

03/02 Review @ sunny island breezes

03/04 Review @ The Bookwyrm

03/05 Review @ Quiet Fury Books

03/06 Review @ Geauxgetlit

03/07 Review @ One More Book To Read

03/08 Review @ Nesies Place

03/08 Review @ Quirky Cats Fat Stacks

03/09 Review @ Wall-to-wall Books

03/10 Showcase @ 411 ON BOOKS, AUTHORS, AND PUBLISHING NEWS

03/11 Review @ A Room Without Books is Empty

03/11 Review @ Novels Alive

03/12 Review @ Just Reviews

Symphony Road by Gabriel Valjan (VBT: Book Review)

In association with Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for Symphony Road by author Gabriel Valjan!

Book Review

Symphony Road by Gabriel Valjan

Book 2: A Shane Cleary Mystery Series

Publisher: Level Best Books

Publication Date: January 12, 2021

Format: Paperback - 232 pages

               Kindle - 1447 KB

               Nook - 2 MB

ISBN: 978-1953789075
ASIN: B08QYS875L
BNID: 978-1953789082
Genre: Mystery / Crime Fiction / Historical Fiction / Noir / Procedural

Buy The Book:

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Buy The Series: A Shane Cleary Mystery Series

Book 1: Dirty Old Town

Book 2: Symphony Road

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

Book Description:

Trouble comes in threes for Shane Cleary, a former police officer and now, a PI.

Arson. A Missing Person. A cold case.

Two of his clients whom he shouldn’t trust, he does, and the third, whom he should, he can’t.

Shane is up against crooked cops, a notorious slumlord and a mafia boss who want what they want, and then there’s the good guys who may or may not be what they seem.

Praise for Symphony Road:

“The second installment in this noir series takes us on a gritty journey through mid-seventies Boston, warts and all, and presents Shane Cleary with a complex arson case that proves to be much more than our PI expected. Peppered with the right mix of period detail and sharp, spare prose, Valjan proves he’s the real deal.” – Edwin Hill, Edgar finalist and author of Watch Her

“Ostracized former cop turned PI Shane Cleary navigates the mean streets of Boston’s seedy underbelly in Symphony Road. A brilliant follow up to Dirty Old Town, Valjan’s literary flair and dark humor are on full display.” – Bruce Robert Coffin, award-winning author of the Detective Byron Mysteries

“A private eye mystery steeped in atmosphere and attitude.” – Richie Narvaez, author of Noiryorican

Book Excerpt:

I went to cross the street when the wheels of a black Cadillac sped up and bristled over tempered glass from a recent smash-and-grab. The brake lights pulsed red, and a thick door opened. A big hulk stepped out, and the car wobbled. The man reached into his pocket. I thought this was it. My obituary was in tomorrow’s paper, written in past tense and in the smallest and dullest typeface, Helvetica, because nothing else said boring better.

Click. Click. “I can never get this fucking thing to light.”

It was Tony Two-Times, Mr. B’s no-neck side man. His nickname came from his habit of clicking his lighter twice. “Mr. B wants a word.”

“Allow me.” I grabbed the Bic. The orange flame jumped on my first try and roasted the end of his Marlboro Red. “You really oughta quit.”

“Thanks for the health advice. Get in.”

Tony nudged me into the backseat. I became the meat in the sandwich between him and Mr. B. There was no need for introductions. The chauffeur was nothing more than a back of a head and a pair of hands on the wheel. The car moved and Mr. B contemplated the night life outside the window.

“I heard you’re on your way to the police station to help your friend.”

“News travels fast on Thursday night. Did Bill tell you before or after he called me?”

“I’m here on another matter.”

The cloud of smoke made me cough. Tony Two-Times was halfway to the filter. The chauffeur cracked the window a smidge for ventilation. As I expected, the radio played Sinatra and there were plans for a detour. A string of red and green lights stared back at us through a clean windshield.

“A kid I know is missing,” Mr. B said.

“Kids go missing all the time.”

“This kid is special.”

“Has a Missing Persons Report been filed?”

The look from Mr. B prompted regret. “We do things my way. Understood?”

We stopped at a light. A long-legged working girl with a chinchilla wrap crossed the street. She approached the car to recite the menu and her prices, but one look at us and she kept walking.

“Is this kid one of your own?”

The old man’s hand strummed leather. The missing pinky unnerved me. I’ve seen my share of trauma in Vietnam: shattered bones, intestines hanging out of a man, but missing parts made me queasy. The car moved and Mr. B continued the narrative.

“Kid’s a real pain in my ass, which is what you’d expect from a teenager, but he’s not in the rackets, if that’s what you’re wondering. This should be easy money for you.”

Money never came easy. As soon as it was in my hand, it went to the landlady, or the vet, or the utilities, or inside the refrigerator. I’d allow Mr. B his slow revelation of facts. Mr. B mentioned the kid’s gender when he said “he’s not in the rackets.” This detail had already made the case easier for me. A boy was stupider, easier to find and catch. Finding a teenage girl, that took something special, like pulling the wings off of an angel.

“He’s a good kid. No troubles with the law, good in school, excellent grades and all, but his mother seems to think he needed to work off some of that rebellious energy kids get. You know how it is.”

I didn’t. The last of my teen years were spent in rice paddies, in a hundred-seventeen-degree weather—and that was before summer—trying to distinguish friendlies from enemies in a jungle on the other side of the planet. And then there were the firefights, screams, and all the dead bodies.

“Does this kid have a girlfriend?” I asked.

Mr. B said nothing.

“A boyfriend then?” That question made Mr. B twist his head and Tony Two-Times elbowed me hard. “I’ve got to ask. Kids these days. You know, drugs, sex, and rock’ n roll.”

“The kid isn’t like your friend Bill, Mr. Cleary.”

The mister before Cleary was a first. The ribs ached. I caught a flash of the driver’s eyes in the rearview mirror. Mr. B conveyed specifics such as height and weight, build, the last known place the kid was seen, the usual hangouts and habits. This kid was All-American, too vanilla, and Mr. B had to know it. Still, this kid was vestal purity compared to Mr. B, who had run gin during Prohibition, killed his first man during the Depression, and became a made-man before Leave It to Beaver aired its first episode on television.

The car came to a stop. The driver put an emphasis on the brakes. We sat in silence. The locks shot up. Not quite the sound of a bolt-action rifle, but close. Mr. B extended his hand for a handshake. I took it. No choice there. This was B’s way of saying his word was his bond and whatever I discovered during the course of my investigation stayed between us, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

“I’ve got to ask,” I said.

“I’ll pay you whatever you want.”

“It’s not that,” I said, feeling Tony Two-Times’ breath on the back of my neck. “Did you hire Jimmy C to do a job lately?”

“I did not.”

“And Bill called me, just like that?” I knew better than to snap my fingers. Tony would grab my hand and crush my knuckles like a bag of peanuts. A massive paw on the shoulder told me it was time to vacate the premises, but then Mr. B did the tailor’s touch, a light hand to my elbow. “Jimmy is queer like your friend, right?”

“What has that got to do with anything?”

“When it comes to friends, you forgive certain habits, like I allow this idiot over here to smoke those stupid cigarettes. Capisci?”

“Yeah, I understand.”

“Good. Now, screw off.”

I climbed over Tony Two-Times to leave the car. Door handle in my grip, I leaned forward to ask one last thing, “You know about Jimmy’s predicament?”

“Ironic, isn’t it?” Mr. B said.

“What is?”

“I know everything in this town, except where my grandnephew is. Now, shut the door.”

The door clapped shut. I heard bolts hammer down and lock. There was a brief sight of silhouettes behind glass before the car left the curb. I had two cases before breakfast, one in front of me, and the other one, behind me in the precinct house. There was no need for me to turn around. No need either, to read the sign overhead.

The limestone building loomed large in my memory. Two lanterns glowed and the entrance, double doors of polished brass, were as tall and heavy as I remembered them. It was late March and I wasn’t Caesar but it sure as hell felt like the Ides of March as I walked up those marble steps.

***

Excerpt from Symphony Road by Gabriel Valjan. Copyright 2021 by Gabriel Valjan. Reproduced with permission from Gabriel Valjan. All rights reserved.

My Book Review:

In Symphony Road, book two in the Shane Cleary Mystery Series, author Gabriel Valjan takes the reader back to 1970s Boston to follow the latest investigative cases of ex-Boston cop turned PI Shane Cleary. Shane has just wrapped up investigating a blackmail case and a missing person case, when three new cases come his way: proving the innocence of an arsonist in a slumlord building fire with a dead body; investigating the disappearance of the local mafia don's grandnephew; and a request by the Commissioner to investigate the closed case of a local activist whose death was ruled as an overdose. 

Symphony Road is a riveting crime story that easily draws the reader in from the start. The author provides the reader with a fascinating and richly detailed crime thriller set in 1970s Boston. Told in the first person narrative by Shane, this gritty noir story has enough drama, secrets, deception, tension, and surprising twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing if Shane will be able to solve all three cases, while dealing with hostility from his ex-police brethren, crooked cops, mobsters, and a variety of criminal types that try to hinder his every move. Trouble always seem to find Shane, it's the hazard of his job and it comes with the territory, but it doesn't deter him from finding the truth. 

With a cast of intriguing characters, a suspenseful storyline consisting of three cases that will keep the reader guessing, a great description of Boston and the throwback to the 1970s decade, and flashbacks to Shane's past, Symphony Road takes the reader on one hell of a thrilling rollercoaster ride!

Symphony Road is a well-written, fast paced crime thriller story that left me interested in finding out what Shane's next investigative adventure will be in the continuation of the series.



RATING: 5 STARS  

About The Author

Gabriel Valjan lives in Boston’s South End. He is the author of the Roma Series and Company Files (Winter Goose Publishing) and the Shane Cleary series (Level Best Books). His second Company File novel, The Naming Game, was a finalist for the Agatha Award for Best Historical Mystery and the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original in 2020. Gabriel is a member of the Historical Novel Society, International Thriller Writer (ITW), and Sisters in Crime.

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