Ears For Murder by Sue Owens Wright

Genre: Adult, Mystery

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

The setting in this story is phenomenal. The way the main character describes the forest before a large part was cut down gives the feeling that you are out in nature.  I love the main character Beanie, a Native American woman. She lives in the woods with her dog, a basset hound named Crusher.  She is not happy that the woods around her is being destroyed. However, there is a bigger problem. While baby-sitting her daughter’s dog Calamity she takes the dogs for a walk in the woods. She makes a horrific discovery. One of the men cutting down the tree’s found chained to a tree and he has an arrow in his neck. She doesn’t want the local Native Americans being blamed for this.

The sheriff likes to crack jokes that tend to be a little racial.

The book is well written and the plot line flows so smoothly.  I guessed throughout the entire thing as to who the murderer truly was.  This is a well written mystery.  This is the fifth book in her series and  I ha e decided I must definitely read the other books in the series. This is a book I highly recommend.

Author Bio

Sue Owens Wright is an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction. She is an eleven-time finalist for the Maxwell, awarded annually by the Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) to the best writer on the subject of dogs. She has twice won the Maxwell Award and earned special recognition from the Humane Society of the United States for her writing. She writes the acclaimed Beanie and Cruiser Mystery Series, including Howling Bloody Murder, Sirius About Murder, Embarking On Murder and Braced For Murder, which is recommended on the American Kennel Club’s list of Best Dog Books.

Her nonfiction books include What’s Your Dog’s IQ?, 150 Activities for Bored Dogs, and People’s Guide to Pets. She has been published in numerous magazines, including Dog Fancy, Mystery Scene, AKC GAZETTE, Fido Friendly, The Bark, and Animal Fair. Her work also appears in several anthologies, including PEN Oakland’s “Fightin’ Words,” along with Norman Mailer and other literary notables. Her newest novels are The Secret of Bramble Hill and Ears for Murder.

Website URL: www.sueowenswright.com

Blog URL: http://dogearedbooks.blogspot.com/

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/sue.o.wright

Ears for Murder buy link:

https://www.amazon.com/Ears-Murder-Beanie-Cruiser-Mystery-ebook/dp/B075FMVHMW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507068917&sr=8-1&keywords=ears+for+murder

The Secret of Bramble Hill buy link:

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Bramble-Hill-Owens-Wright/dp/1626945861/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485128293&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=the+secret+of+bramble+hill+weight

High Child by J.T. Bishop

Genre: Adult, Thriller, Science Fiction

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:

Gifted with unique abilities, Royce Fletcher struggles to find his place in the world. Living a solitary life in the woods, he finds his quiet existence disrupted by unexpected visitors. Visitors he would prefer to avoid.

Despite his attempts to protect himself, Royce finds himself caught up in an unexpected romance, a local murder investigation, and a destiny he has little interest in pursuing.

The more he tries to pull away, the more drawn in he becomes, until he must face the demons that refuse to go away. Demons that risk more than just his life, but all that he holds dear.

High Child is the fifth book in J. T. Bishop’s award winning Red-Line saga. Following the events in Curse Breaker, High Child is a fast-paced, page-turning, suspense story that will keep readers guessing until the end. If you like a fun read with compelling characters and unexpected twists, then pick up High Child today!

My Thoughts

This was a new author for me. This is also the fifth book in the series. I was able to follow along just fine. I loved the setting in this book.  This author does and awesome job keeping the tension going throughout the story. I was drawn in from the very beginning.  Royce is a man who has several abilities. Gus is his friend and knows about those “gifts”. The book starts out with a murder. It then switches to two people trying to blend in to a culture they are not familiar with.  Add to this mix the sheriff’s son who had been dropped into Royce’s lap while his father searches for the person who murdered the young girl.  I love a good mystery. This is a great one. It held my attention all the way through. It left me frustrate at times. Just about the time had the secrets figured out I learned through a twist that I had not really figured anything out. That is the sign of a good author.  Really can’t wait to read the other books in this series.

Author Bio

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Born and raised in Dallas, TX, J. T. Bishop began writing in 2012. Inspired by a video that theorized the meaning of the end of the Mayan calendar, J. T. began the Red-Line trilogy. The video surmised that the earth was the central hub of activity for extraterrestrials thousands of years ago. J.T. didn’t know whether that was true or not, but it did spawn an idea. What if those extraterrestrials were still here? Two years and a lot of work later, the first three Red-Line books were complete, but she’s not done. The Red-Line saga develops as she continues to write new books.

Website URL: https://jtbishopauthor.com/

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/jtbishopauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jtbishopauthor

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judybishop99?trk=hp-identity-name

Buy link for High Child

https://www.amazon.com/High-Child-J-T-Bishop-ebook/dp/B073NYDS2S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504896979&sr=8-1&keywords=high+child+t+bishop

Buy link for Curse Breaker

https://www.amazon.com/Curse-Breaker-Red-Line-Book-4-ebook/dp/B01LX290GS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498784518&sr=8-1&keywords=curse+breaker+bishop

Monsterland by Michael Okon

Genre: Horror, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:

Welcome to Monsterland, the scariest place on earth.

When world markets are decimated by a crippling plague, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, Vincent Konrad decides to place monsters in a theme park setting to promote education and tolerance. Copper Valley is chosen as the primary site for the park in the United States. 

Wyatt Baldwin, a high school senior is dying to go to the opening and when he lands special passes to the park, he and his friends are expecting the experience of a lifetime. 
After all, in a theme park where real zombies, werewolves, and vampires are the main attractions, what could possibly go wrong?

My Thoughts:

Wyatt Baldwin and his friends are excited about the new theme park opening up in their town. Monsterland will be opening seven theme parks around the world on the same date. They have taken the werewolves, zombies and vampires living hidden in the world and put them in these theme parks under the guise of keeping the viruses from spreading and hoping to find a cure. Wyatt and his friends are given VIP tickets.  Wyatt’s step dad is a cop and he and Wyatt don’t agree on the opening of Monsterland.  From the minute they entered Monsterland, both Wyatt and his step-dad feel something is off.  This was a book that picked up speed and took you on the ride of your life. I could not put it down and had to read until I was finished. This is a book my students have been lining up to read. Well written from beginning to end.