This Week At Silver's Reviews

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

What an amazing review week it is going to be!!

Hope to see you.

Have you read any of these books?

Books Read In October

I can't believe October is over already, but it was a good month of reading.

How was YOUR month?

Start With "L"

Vera was sweet and Edith was fearless and ambitious.  If you need an uplifting book, THE LIGHT AFTER THE WAR will fit the bill.  THE LIGHT AFTER THE WAR is actually based on the author's mother's life...FULL REVIEW HERE.

Would you be able to carry out a dying friend’s wish to be sure to protect her family? THE LAST WIFE has a tense, sinister undertone which makes it so good...FULL REVIEW HERE.

Who wouldn’t want to own a bookshop?  That is a dream job.  THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP has it all:  love, books, and anything sweet and heartwarming that you can think of...FULL REVIEW HERE.  

Spotlight of The Music Stalker by Bruce J. Berger

PHOTO SOURCE:
TYPORAMA
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THE MUSIC STALKER

BRUCE J. BERGER

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COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF:

 DAVID KING, DESIGN DIRECTOR, BLACK ROSE WRITING

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF CAMYLLE FLEMING - LEAD PUBLICIST, MINDBUCK MEDIA BOOK PUBLICITY.

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The Music Stalker closely examines how genius and love might survive in a close-knit family torn by trauma, insanity, and jealousy. 

 

A trailer of The Music Stalker can be enjoyed here.

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The second novel by award-winning author Bruce Berger, The Music Stalker comes out Oct. 28, 2021 from Black Rose Press.

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PRAISE FOR THE MUSIC STALKER:

 

“A captivating family portrait with an enigmatic piano prodigy at its center, Bruce Berger’s THE MUSIC STALKER sings. In arresting prose, Berger offers searing meditations on music and mental health, spirituality and Jewish identity, passion and anguish and fear—leaving the reader gasping for breath.”—Patricia Park, author of Re Jane

“Descriptions of Kayla’s responses to her music, as well as her audiences’, were right on track,especially the sense of transport, the departure from her physical surroundings, that she experienced when she played, not just performing in front of an audience, but even in solitary practicE by herself.”—Don Greenfield, Ph.D., Musicology, Princeton University

“What drives the characters of The Music Stalker to their highs and lows, their togetherness and their times apart, is also what artfully holds them locked in patterns of an intricate harmony. The heliotropic center of this novel is desire: desire for the Other; desire for talent; desire to be seen; desire to be held; desire for safety and peace of mind; even the desire to be left alone. Bruce Berger exhibits a sensational knack for imagining lives, real lives lived with triumph and weakness, mental illness and ordered reason, as well as daily flubs and foibles. His skills make for a page turner, with short chapters like etudes that grow increasingly more complicated and frightening, studies in the annals of a family for whom specialness can be a curse; for whom an ordinary day can be
a refuge and a gift.”—David Keplinger, author of The World to Come 

 

ABOUT THE MUSIC STALKER:

Two decades after his family suffers trauma, Max, the loving but remorsefully jealous older brother of a musical genius, chronicles the story of his dysfunctional family. 

 

In mid-1970’s New York City, Max’s sister, Kayla, vaulted to fame as a piano prodigy, holding both audiences and her family in awe with her uncanny
musical ability and warm smile. 

 

But deep within her lie the seeds of destruction: the paranoid fear of being stalked by a murderous fan. This mystery explores themes of family dysfunction, mental illness, and the long-term effects of family secrets going untold.  

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR

 

Following a 40-year career as a trial attorney in Washington, DC., Bruce J. Berger turned full time to writing, earned a M.F.A. in Creative Writing from
American University, and now teaches there. 

 

His first novel, The Flight of the Veil, is a sequel to The Music Stalker and achieved critical success, winning a Bronze Award in General Fiction from Illumination Christian Book Awards.

 
Kirkus Reviews called The Flight of the Veil “A well-crafted tale about trauma and miracles. Get it.” 

 

He has also published more than 50 stories and poems in a wide variety of literary journals.

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A Letter From Nana Rose by Kristin Harper

Brooke, Rachel, and Jill inherited the family beach house, but their grandmother said they had to spend two weeks together at the house and wait for letters she would send every day via courier to tell her life’s story and her secrets.

The girls arrived and so did the first letter.  They cried when they read the first letter as well as each successive one.

The letters told in detail the story of her life and their father’s life.  The girls were shocked and saddened at what they read.

They also were not in agreement about whether to sell the house or to keep it.  Rachel and Brooke wanted to sell, but Jill didn’t want to give up the house and all its memories.

A LETTER FROM NANA ROSE is a sweet read.  I loved the stories and the memories, but felt bad for Nana Rose and all she had to go through.

If you are in need of a book to keep you turning the pages because you want to find out the secrets of Nana Rose and the girls and feel the warmth of being in the cottage and in this family, be sure to add this book in your reading list.

Women’s fiction fans won’t want to miss A LETTER FROM NANA ROSE.  5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Do YOU Re-read books?

 

I do not re-read books.

Looking forward to what YOU have to say.

Featuring: Louisiana Lucky by Julie Pennell

The Breaux sisters played the lottery every month with one ticket with their special numbers.

 

A charming, sweet read with delightful characters.

 

LOVED this book. 5/5

 

FULL REVIEW HERE

 

This Week At Silver's Reviews

The last week of October already?

Hope to see you.

Blog Tour and Giveaway of $20 Amazon Gift Card and Digital Copy of The Last Nine by Robert Dugoni

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THE LAST NINE

ROBERT DUGONI

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF MORGAN DOREMUS OF PITCHLIT.COM

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Upcoming short story from bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

 

Releasing October 21st, The Last Line features two beloved secondary characters from the Tracy Crosswhite universe, Seattle PD detectives Delmo “Del” Castigliano and Vic “Faz” Fazzio. 

When Del Castigliano leaves his old life behind to work homicide for the Seattle PD, he is immediately thrust into a difficult murder investigation...one that uncovers a dangerous conspiracy that could rock the entire police department.

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ROBERT DUGONI Q&A:

From books to movies to television, police procedurals are incredibly popular with audiences. What do you think is the appeal of these stories? 

 

I think the appeal is readers and viewers have good guys to root for and bad guys to root against. Readers also like a good mystery. They like to see if they can solve the crime, determine the bad guy and figure out what he did and how he did it, just like the detectives. It keeps them engaged in and part of the story.

 

Do you recall the first detective story you ever read or perhaps you have a favorite? What was it about this type of story that made you want to write in the genre? 

 

Years ago, I remember reading Michael Connelly’s The Poet. I don’t know if it was the first detective story I read, probably not, but it was visceral and stuck with me. I do recall reading All The President’s Men when I was in high school, and though Woodward and Bernstein were not detectives, per se, they very much functioned like detectives in that story—finding clues, trying to piece together those clues, and then solve the puzzle. In many ways, that’s what a good detective story is all about: solving a puzzle. I think that is one of the appeals to writers, as well as readers and viewers.

Del Castigliano, the police detective in your newest release The Last Line,  has worked in narcotics, arson, sexual assaults, robbery, and now homicide. He has definitely seen the worst that humans have to offer. What keeps him sane and on the job?

 

For most police officers I’ve spoken with, they do the job knowing that they are keeping people safe—maybe people they know or even love. It’s a tough job and burnout can be a problem. Most detectives have to be mentally tough and can be frequently rotated to help minimize burn out. It’s one of the reasons detectives and uniformed officers, I believe, are underappreciated. It’s a tough job.

 

Throughout The Last Line, readers get to see Del at his worst—he faces loss, failure, insecurity, loneliness...yet we also respect him. He is honest, hardworking, and clever. How do you see him? If you were to sit down to have a beer with him, what would you talk about?

 

In The Last Line, I see Del as a guy trying to find his way after life has thrown him a curveball. If we sat down for a beer, I’d ask him if, looking back, he has any regrets, or if time has helped him put life in perspective and he realizes that what he went through as a young man actually helped him to get to a better place in his life.

The Last Line ends in a way that will have readers wanting more. Do you have any future plans for Del and the larger cast?

 

Very much so. Del is a central character in the Tracy Crosswhite series, and in Tracy #9, What She Found, the story of Del’s first case from The Last Line comes back to Tracy, who is now working a cold case and trying to figure out what happened 24 years ago.

For fans of your bestselling Tracy Crosswhite series, will they feel at home with Del as the lead protagonist? For readers who haven’t discovered Tracy yet, will they be able to dip right in?

Absolutely. The Last Line is a standalone story that predates Tracy arriving at Seattle PD. I’ve had so many readers ask me for more of Del and Faz! Writing The Last Line was an opportunity to dig into how they got started and what shaped them. I have a thought now about Tracy #10 being a cold case that Del and Faz investigated 25 years earlier and telling the story from both time periods leading up to Tracy solving the crime in the present.

 

What do you have coming up next?

The third book in the Charles Jenkins espionage series, The Silent Sisters, will be published, February 22, 2022, followed by Tracy #9, What She Found, which will be out August 23, 2022. Beyond that, readers can look for a new standalone legal thriller introducing criminal defense attorney Keera Duggan. I’m excited about that novel and working hard to get it finished soon.

 

ABOUT THE LAST NINE:

His old life in the rearview, Del Castigliano has left Wisconsin to work homicide for the Seattle PD. Breaking him in is veteran detective Moss Gunderson, and he’s handing Del a big catch: the bodies of two unidentified men fished from Lake Union.

 

It’s a major opportunity for the new detective, and Del runs with it, chasing every lead—to every dead end. Despite the help of another section rookie, Vic Fazzio, Del is going nowhere fast.

 

Until one shotgun theory looks to be dead right: the victims are casualties of a drug smuggling operation.

 

But critical information is missing—or purposely hidden. It’s forcing Del into a crisis of character and duty that not even the people he trusts can help him resolve. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Amazon Charts bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite series, which has sold more than seven million books worldwide.

 

He is also the author of the bestselling Charles Jenkins series; the bestselling David Sloane series; the stand-alone novels The 7th Canon, Damage Control, The World Played Chess, and The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, for which Dugoni won an AudioFile Earphones Award for narration; and the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post best book of the year. 

 

He is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Book Award for fiction and a three-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. 

 

He is a two-time finalist for the Thriller Awards and the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, as well as a finalist for the Silver Falchion Award for mystery and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Awards.

 

His books are sold in more than twenty-five countries and have been translated into more than two dozen languages.

 

Website: www.robertdugoni.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/robertdugoni

Facebook: www.fb.com/AuthorRobertDugoni

Instagram: www.instagram.com/robertdugoni 

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RAFFELCOPTER GIVEAWAY:

 

Enter here for the giveaway. 

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Spine Poem

 

SPINE POEM:

THE MOTHER-IN-LAW

"MADE" THE FIRST MISTAKE

"AT" THE SUN DOWN MOTEL

All were great reads, and all are reviewed on my blog.

 

Spotlight of Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars by Samantha Verant

PHOTO SOURCE:
TYPORAMA
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SOPHIE VALROUX'S PARIS STARS

SAMANTHA VERANT

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF TARA O'CONNOR | PUBLICIST BERKLEY, AN IMPRINT OF PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE.

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In 2020, author Samantha Vérant dazzled readers and critics with her debut women’s fiction novel, The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux, the story of a young female chef who journeys to France with aspirations of earning a coveted spot in an elite kitchen and earning her Michelin stars―even though only 1% of chefs who are bestowed the honor are women. 

 

Now, Vérant whisks readers off to Paris in her delightful sequel, SOPHIE VALROUX’S PARIS STARS.

 

(Berkley Trade Paperback; on sale October 19, 2021)

 

In Vérant’s second novel, readers are transported back to the French countryside to be reunited with Chef Sophie and a vibrant cast of supporting characters – and then, off to Paris for an unforgettable adventure! Readers will adore a trip through the pages to the City of Lights as Sophie takes on new culinary challenges. Vérant’s stories offer a perfect escape, with all the tastes of French cuisine to make the reader feel as though they are basking in the sunshine at a French chateau, or lounging along the Seine.

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PRAISE FOR SOPHIE VALROUX'S PARIS STARS:

 

Vérant shines at bringing to life all the delightful sights and sounds of the French countryside, while also shedding light on the sexism that women face in professional kitchens. 

 

As empowering as it is whimsical and charming, SOPHIE VALROUX’S PARIS STARS is perfect for fans of Amy Reichert, Roselle Lim, and Juliet Blackwell.

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ABOUT SOPHIE VALROUX'S PARIS STARS:

Sophie Valroux thought her life was falling apart when she moved to France, jobless, to take care of her ailing grandmother. After being fired from a prestigious New York restaurant, Sophie was convinced her professional career was over. But the opposite has turned out to be true―Sophie is now thriving as head chef at Château de Champvert, the beautiful estate that she inherited from her grandmother, who recently passed away. Surrounded by loyal friends, dedicated staff, and a dreamy French fiancé, Sophie seems to have it all―except for those coveted Michelin stars she’s been vying for.

 

When Sophie is invited to cook at an exclusive event in Paris, she thinks this could be the thing to help her reach for those stars. But fate seems to have other plans… just before Sophie arrives in Paris, she suffers a fall and loses her senses of taste and smell. How can she serve as a professional chef if she can’t savor the food she will serve?! And, to top it all off, this new career opportunity seems to be creating tension in Sophie’s perfect relationship. Sophie must learn to “fake it until she makes it” in the kitchen while remaining strong and true to herself and her principles in every area of her life―not an easy task in the glow of stardom that she’s suddenly found for herself.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 PHOTO COURTESY OF MS. VERANT'S AMAZON PROFILE

Samantha Vérant is a travel addict, a self-professed oenophile, and a determined, if occasionally unconventional, at home French chef. 

She lives in southwestern France, where she's married to a French rocket scientist she met in 1989, a stepmom to two incredible kids, and the adoptive mother to a ridiculously adorable French cat. 

When she's not trekking from Provence to the Pyrénées or embracing her inner Julia Child, Sam is making her best effort to relearn those dreaded conjugations.

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