Spotlight of Crossroads by Steve Doherty

PHOTO SOURCE:

TYPORAMA
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CROSSROADS

STEVE DOHERTY

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF DEBORAH GIUSTINI OF STRESS FREE BOOKMARKETING.

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Crossroads delivers the kind of immersive, high-stakes tension readers crave, brilliant strategy, historical depth, and the pulse of a modern thriller.

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September 12, 2022

Steve Doherty Books

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PRAISE FOR CROSSROADS:

I decided to change up my usual genre of book that I read, that genre being true crime and try something totally different . I came across this newly published book by Steven Doherty entitled " Crossroads" a Jonathan Preston Novel. Crossroads takes place after World War 2. I was amazed that once I started reading it I did not want to put it down. A big theme to this book is spies and espionage, The author wrote the book so detailed that you could feel the tension that the main character was dealing with during his journey to take down Uchito Tsukuda. One thing I really like about this book was its accurate depiction of history and how the author wrote as accurately as possible. I learned alot reading this book. His use of words made the reader feel like they were actually there and taking part in all the action. I could definitely picture this book being made into a movie and someone like Liam Neeson playing the main character Jonathan. I will certainly be reading more of Mr. Dohertys books in the future.-Amazon Reviewer

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ABOUT CROSSROADS:

In Crossroads, World War II may have ended, but the shadow war has just begun. U.S. Army counterintelligence agent Jonathan Preston and his elite team are thrust into a deadly game of pursuit when a former Japanese intelligence czar, now a powerful crime lord, sets his sights on reclaiming a sacred samurai sword believed to hold mystical power. What follows is a relentless chase through postwar Japan, a world of espionage, betrayal, and moral gray zones where no one can be fully trusted.

Fans of Ken Follett, Jack Higgins, or Tom Clancy will find much to love here, the authenticity of military detail, the layered character dynamics, and the sharp interplay between duty, honor, and survival. The story captures the uneasy peace of the postwar era, where old loyalties clash with emerging global powers, and where one man’s courage could change the course of history.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Steve Doherty is a retired United States Air Force officer and aviator.

He is the author of five historical fiction thrillers and five children’s picture books.

Steve earned his undergraduate degree from Texas State University and a master’s degree in health science from Chapman University.

He holds a doctorate certificate in flying training from the United States Air Force and completed post-graduate studies in adult education at The Ohio State University. 

Steve is a 5th Dan Black Belt instructor in Taekwondo.

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SOCIAL MEDIA:

Website

Facebook

Twitter/X

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Spotlight of Lady Knight by Alison Blasdell

PHOTO SOURCE:

TYPORAMA
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LADY KNIGHT

ALISON BLASDELL

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR.

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A Tale of Love, Betrayal, and the Fall of the Knights Templar.

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October 6, 2025.

Independently published (Amazon KDP)

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PRAISE FOR LADY KNIGHT:

“Perfect book club fodder! Strong female character, love and romance, historical facts with fictional character on-site.” (Amazon review)

“Emotions abound in this tale of love, heartbreak, greed, deceit and vengeance. The writing is stellar, the story is compelling, and the pacing is brisk.” (Amazon review)

“Complex weaving of accurate history and compelling story of success and failure, love and loss, redemption…and strength. Great writing. Great story.” (Amazon review)

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ABOUT LADY KNIGHT:

Medieval corruption. Forbidden Love. Betrayal. Loss of innocence. The Rise of a Fierce Swordswoman: Lady Knight.

Rescued as a newborn and raised in the safety of a convent, Aimée dreams only of becoming a nun. But fate intervenes, drawing her into the glittering and dangerous court of Philip IV of

France.

There she encounters Estienne, once the squire who helped save her life, now a Templar Knight.

As dark forces move against the Templars, Aimée faces unimaginable betrayal and heartbreak.

When violence comes to her, she must choose between surrendering to despair or rising to something the world has never seen before: a fierce Lady Knight.

But can vengeance build a future or only destroy the past? Lady Knight is a tale of love and heartbreak, of innocence lost and strength discovered, of the courage of one woman with the

power to change history.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alison is a versatile author who artfully blends genres to create fast-paced, memorable stories, always keeping a woman’s quest for empowerment at the heart of her novels.

There is a reason why she focuses on strong women who overcome adversity.

Alison admits to running away from kindergarten three times. In high school, the career counselor told her that her grades were too poor to consider attending college.

She wanted to pursue martial arts as a teenager but was told she shouldn’t engage in karate because she would get hurt fighting men. She was cautioned about riding horses because of the incidence of severe injury.

And finally, she wanted to match her skills in marksmanship with the boys but was told girls couldn’t shoot.

Alison earned a Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics and taught nursing, medical, and physiology students for 30 years before retiring.

She earned a Black Belt in karate. She rides her horses every day. And girls can’t shoot?

She often weaves her areas of interest and her passion for history into her novels. She has placed her characters in Britain’s Bronze Age; Medieval Scotland, England, & France; Genghis Kahn’s Mongolian Empire; Ancient Greece; and the U.S. Civil War. However, not wanting to always live in the past, she is also the author of two contemporary spy thriller novels that have garnered an international following.

Alison lives with her husband, dogs, and horses in the Midwest on a farm that has been in her family for 175 years.

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CONNECT WITH ALISON:

Website

Amazon Author Page

Facebook

Goodreads

Instagram

Sign up for Alison’s Newsletter

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Spotlight of Desert Songs by Daniel Gard'ner

PHOTO SOURCE:

TYPORAMA
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DESERT SONGS

DANIEL GARD'NER

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR.

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A rock and roll noir set primarily in Los Angeles.

Desert Songs is a crime-adjacent novel set in the shadowy terrain where show business intersects with the Los Angeles underworld.

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November 28 

Close To The Bone Publishing

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ABOUT DESERT SONGS:

Rising LA rock band Vital Minds is in crisis. The passion project of best friends Cash Jones and Slim Mason, the band is slowly falling apart as Slim’s escalating drug habit threatens to undo their years of hard work.

When he can’t pay a debt, Slim is abducted by a criminal organization with ties to the head of the band’s management company. He is forced to work off what he owes by catering to the desires of a select clientele in a gentlemen's club in the desert, while Cash is left to navigate a complex and dangerous world in his attempts to solve his disappearance.

 

Desert Songs is a deep dive into the shadowy terrain where show business intersects with the dark underbelly of the LA crime world. A rock and roll noir, the novel explores the limits of

friendship, the lasting impact of trauma, and the consequences of good people making bad choices.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Daniel Gard’ner is the former drummer for Melbourne-based band The Glorious.

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SOCIAL LINKS:

Instagram

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BUY LINK:

Amazon

Poinsettia Girl by Jennifer Wizbowski

It is 1710 Venice and we meet Agata Farusi who is ten years old and her mother has just died.

She now has to live with her father and her beloved Nonna.

Nonna sees that it isn't safe for Agata to live with her father, and she is getting old and frail so she places Agata in Ospedale de la Pieta.

Ospedale de la Pieta was an orphanage for children that had been abandoned or orphaned.

It wasn't like a regular orphanage, though.  It was for girls who have musical talent and who remain there until they are married. It is also a place where the children/girls were treated well.

Agata loses her name when she enters and becomes Agata de la Pieta.

I enjoyed learning about the life in this time and about the orphanage and the story of Agata de la Pieta’s life.  Agata is a real person.

It was also very interesting that Vivaldi was there and that he was the person who accompanied her to the Ospedale de la Pieta.  4/5

Thank you to the author for a copy of her book.  All opinions are my own.

It's Monday!! What Are YOU Reading? - 12/22/2025

                                         

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I hope you had a great reading week.

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This is a weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at BOOK DATE!

Post the books completed, the books you are currently reading, and the books you hope to finish at some point.

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Books Completed:

THE LIES WE TRADE by Kristine Delano - spotlight will be on January 30, 2026.

A very clever title because it is about Wall Street, but too much about the technicalities and confusing for me.

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MAKE IT OUT ALIVE by Allison Brennan - review will be on January 29, 2026.

Ohhhhh - DO NOT MISS THIS ONE if you are a thriller reader.   You won't want to put it down.

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THE FAIR WEATHER FRIEND by Jessie Garcia - review will be on January 28, 2026.

Oh...it's a good one.  A cozy mystery.

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ALL THE LITTLE HOUSES by May Cobb - review will be on January 22, 2026.

The cover drew me in, but it was like a soap opera with nasty characters.  

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A GREAT ACT OF LOVE by Heather Rose - spotlight will be on January 27, 2026.

Beautiful writing, but the back story was confusing.  

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THE TYPEWRITER AND THE GULLOTINE by Mark Braude - spotlight will be on January 26, 2026.

I didn't realize this was non-fiction.  

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SUCH A CLEVER GIRL by Darby Kane - review will be on January 23, 2026. 

Not a favorite...too long, too many characters.

 

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SUCH SHELTERED LIVES by Alyssa Sheinmel - spotlight will be on January 21, 2026.

Not my cup of tea.

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NO ONE WOULD DO WHAT THE LAMBERTS HAVE DONE by Sophie Hannah - spotlight will be on January 20, 2026.

Confusing.

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THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM by Laura Dave - review will be on January 9, 2026.

Excellent sequel to THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, but a bit too long.

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THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave - reading before I read the sequel...not reviewing it.

A good read - read before you read the sequel.

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WATCHING OVER HER by Jean-Baptiste Andrea - review will be on January 8, 2026.

A beautiful story with great characters.

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THE STORM by Rachel Hawkins - spotlight will be on January 7, 2026.

Confusing and couldn't get into the storyline.

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WILDWOOD by Amy Pease - review will be on January 6, 2026.

A good one - it is the second book, but you can read it without having read the first book.  

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ALL MY BONES by P. J. Nelson - review is in the book's title.

A cute cozy thriller with quirky, fun characters.

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THE POINSETTIA GIRL by Jennifer Wizbowski - review will be on December 22, 2025.

Good historical fiction set in 1710.

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A KNOCK AT THE DOOR by Peter Rowlands - review is in the book's title.

A good mystery.

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THE RICH GUY'S WIFE by Bonnie Traymore - review is in the book's title.

A little slow and confusing at times, but worth the read.  And...the ending line is GREAT!!

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CHRISTMAS AT PINE RIDGE INN by Savannah Carlisle - review is in the book's title.

A lovely, lovely read.  Don't miss it!!

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THE HOUSE GUESTS by Amber and Danielle Brown - spotlight is in the book's title.

Wasn't connecting with it so a spotlight instead of a review.

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CLASS ACTION by Gail Ward Olmstead - spotlight is in the book's title.

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THE WORLD AT HOME by Ginny Kubitz Moyer - review is in the book's title.

A VERY GOOD READ!!  LOVED IT!!

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GOOD HAIR DAYS by Grace Helena Walz - review is in the book's title.

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book - don't miss it.

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NO ONE ABOARD by Emy McGuire - review is in the book's title.

Ohhhh...this is a good one!!  A little slow at first, but worth the wait.

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FRIENDS AND LIARS by Kit Frick - review is in the book's title.

A slow start, but worth the wait for the ending.

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THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS by Jennie Godfrey - spotlight will be on December 30, 2025.

Not what I thought it was going to be.  

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A LOVE LETTER TO READING by Heather Snodgrass - spotlight is in the book's title.

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IT'S NOT HER by Mary Kubica - review is on Goodreads, but other reviews will be on February 3, 2026.

SO GOOD - DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!!  Might be her best one yet!!  :)

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Book Currently Reading:

THE STAR SOCIETY by Gabriella Saab - review will be on February 2, 2026.

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Books Up Next:

FAMILY DRAMA by Rebecca Fallon - review will be on February 4, 2026.

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WE WERE NEVER FRIENDS by Kaira Rouda - review will be on February 5, 2026.

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THIS BOOK MADE ME THINK OF YOU by Libby Page - review will be on February 6, 2026.

What a cute cover!!

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OURS IS A TALE OF MURDER by Nora Murphy - review will be on February 10, 2026.

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THE KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN by Sadeqa Johnson - review will be on February 11, 2026.

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THE FOURTH PRINCESS by Janie Chang - review will be on February 12, 2026.

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FIREFLIES IN WINTER by Eleanor Shearer - review will be on February 13, 2026.

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A SOCIOPATH'S GUIDE TO A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE by MK Oliver - review will be om February 17, 2026.

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WHEN I KILL YOU by B. A. Paris - review will be on February 18, 2026.

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A GOOD ANIMAL by Sara Maurer - review will be on February 24, 2026.

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ALL IN HER HANDS by Audrey Black - review will be on February 25, 2026.

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PINKY SWEAR by Danielle Girard - review will be on February 26, 2026.

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SIX LITTLE WORDS by Sally Page - review will be on February 28, 2026.

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THE SISTERS OF BOOK ROW by Shelley Noble - review will be on March 3, 2026.

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THE BOOKSTORE DIARIES by Susan Mallery- review will be on March 4, 2026.

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WHERE THE GIRLS WERE by Kate Schatz - review will be on March 5, 2026.

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MISSING SISTER by Joshilyn Jackson - review will be on March 9, 2026.

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IT GIRL by Allison Pataki - review will be on March 10, 2026.

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SPRING MELT by Lori Duffy Foster - review wil be on March 11, 2026.

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THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS by Lisa M. Matlin - review will be on March 13, 2026.

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WITHOUT A CLUE by Melissa Ferguson - review will be on March 16, 2026.

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YOU DID NOTHING WRONG by CG Drews - review will be on March 17, 2026.

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THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN LETTERS by Izzy Boom - review will be on March 19, 2026.

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THE HIRED MAN by Sandra Dallas - review will be on March 31, 2026.

 

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KILLING ME SOFTLY by Sandie Jones - review will be on April 1, 2026.

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LOVE BY THE BOOK by Jessica George - review will be on April 7, 2026.

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WHATEVER HAPPENED TO EDDY CRANE by Kate Crane - review will be on April 8, 2026.

 

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TOO CLOSE TO HOME by Seraphina Nova Glass - review will be on April 14, 2026.

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EXTRA SAUCE by Zahra Tangorra - review will be on April 15, 2026.

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MAD MABEL by Sally Hepworth - review will be on April 21, 2026.

LIAR'S CREEK by Matt Goldman - review will be on April 22, 2025.

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THE MOUNTAINS WE CALL HOME by Kim Michele Richardson - review will be on April 23, 2026.

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THE HOTEL GUEST by Rosemary Hennigan - review will be on April 28, 2026.

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MS. MEBEL GOES BACK TO THE CHOPPING BLOCK by Jesse Q. Sutanto - review will be on April 29, 2026.

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SUMMER STATE OF MIND by Kristy Woodson Harvey - review will be on May 5, 2026.

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THE HOPE KEEPER by Heather Webb - review will be on May 19, 2026.

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GOOD JOY, BAD JOY by Mikki Brammer - review will be on May 20, 2026.

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A SPRINKLE OF SWEET SEREDIPITY - review will be on May 21, 2026.

LOVE her books.  Adorable cover.

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THE WINDSOR AFFAIR by Melanie Benjamin - review will be on June 2, 2025.

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MARION by Leah Rowan - review will be on June 3, 2025.

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BEACH THRILLER by Jamie Day - review will be on June 9, 2026.

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IT COULD HAVE BEEN HER by Lisa Jewell - review will be on June 23, 2026.

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THE STORY KEEPER by Kelly Rimmer - review will be on July 21, 2026.

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