Review: The Angel Maker by Alex North

Goodreads Blurb

A dark, suspenseful new thriller about the mysteries of fate, the unbreakable bond of siblings, and a notorious serial killer who was said to know the future.

Growing up in a beautiful house in the English countryside, Katie Shaw lived a charmed life. At the cusp of graduation, she had big dreams, a devoted boyfriend, and a little brother she protected fiercely. Until the day a violent stranger changed the fate of her family forever.

Years later, still unable to live down the guilt surrounding what happened to her brother, Chris, and now with a child of her own to protect, Katie struggles to separate the real threats from the imagined. Then she gets the phone call: Chris has gone missing and needs his big sister once more.

Meanwhile, Detective Laurence Page is facing a particularly gruesome crime. A distinguished professor of fate and free will has been brutally murdered just hours after firing his staff. All the leads point back to two old cases: the gruesome attack on teenager Christopher Shaw, and the despicable crimes of a notorious serial killer who, legend had it, could see the future.

My Review: 4 out of 5 stars

If you could see the future, would you use it for the good of humanity, or would you use it to bring evil into the world? A frightening and twisted story that will have you guessing until the last moment. A family secret is so disturbing you will be utterly shocked. Two brothers will change the course of each other’s lives. A serial killer predicted the future and wrote his horrifying visions in a notebook, a book that still exists, and people wanted to get their hands on it. This story has a strong family bond, revenge, a frightening twist of fate, and a family connection you won’t see coming. It starts off slow, but once it picks up you’ll be blown away by the twists. 

Author Biography

Alex North was born in Leeds, England, where he now lives with his wife and son. The Whisper Man was inspired by North’s own little boy, who mentioned one day that he was playing with “the boy in the floor.” Alex North is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name.

Cover Reveal: Wicked Games by Nancy Brown

BOOK DETAILS:

Wicked Games
by Nancy Brown
(Wicked Series, #1)
Publication date: February 7, 2023
Genres: Adult, Thriller

Synopsis:

Wicked: Evil, Naughty.  Games: To play or manipulate based on skill, strength or luck.

One Woman. Two men. A race against the clock.

The Players:

Avery Carmichael is a brilliant criminal attorney. She is also the daughter of Jonathan Carmichael, the future governor of New York. She hates games and she doesn’t have time for romance. She is running scared from the only man in her life. She calls him Tic Toc and he wants her dead. Her only objective is to survive.

Liam Sanders is tall, dark and deadly handsome. He’s also the twin brother of Luke Sanders and the newest member of Cross Security. He has a job to do. He doesn’t have time for distractions. But just one look at Avery Carmichael and his game plan changes. He wants her and he’ll do whatever it takes make her his.

Tic Toc is a man who loves games. He’s also a sociopath who communicates through cryptic notes, dead roses and crippling fear. He’s bitter and angry, and nothing will stop him from achieving his goal. He’s set the timeline for the game to playout. When the game ends…so will Avery Carmichael’s life.

The stakes are high. 

Each player has their own set of rules. 

Time is ticking down…Who will win and who will lose.

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61617504-wicked-games

Pre-orderhttps://amzn.to/3GkOSb4

AUTHOR BIO:

Nancy Carolyn Brown is an author of contemporary romance, fond of writing love stories about hunky badass men endowed with massive hearts, and strong heroines with just the right mix of sweet and sass… flaming hot chemistry and thrilling nail biting suspense is always guaranteed!

She loves cosmos and chocolate and a swoony good book with a strong storyline.

She lives in sunny southern Alberta, Canada with her high school sweetheart husband and naughty Bengal cat. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys the simple things in life like spending time with family and friends, reading and running with her favorite playlist blasting in her ears.

Author links:

https://www.facebook.com/NancyBrownAuthor/

https://www.instagram.com/nancybrownwrites/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/664523.Nancy_Brown

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: The Maverick Cowboy by Macie St. James

Book & Author Details:

The Maverick Cowboy
by Macie St. James
(Cupid Ridge Dude Ranch, #1)
Publication date: January 6, 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Western

Synopsis:

He’s slow to trust. She can’t seem to keep a secret. Can they overcome their differences to find their happily ever after?

Joshua Ludington is slow to trust. After being betrayed by the woman he loved, he vowed to take a hiatus from dating. But when Lucie Cooper drives onto his family ranch, he finds the beautiful chef hard to resist.

Lucie Cooper is at Cupid Ridge Inn to do a job. They need an interim chef for their dude ranch guests, and she’s determined to fill that position. When she runs into handsome cowboy Joshua Ludington, at first she’s excited to show off her cooking skills. Soon, though, it becomes apparent that what she’s feeling for him goes beyond gratitude for the job.

Although Lucie knows Joshua has been burned, she’s determined to show this handsome cowboy that he can count on her. But Lucie is notoriously bad at keeping secrets, and working for the Ludingtons means keeping things quiet. She means well, but she might just destroy her new relationship before it gets off the ground.

The Cupid Ridge Dude Ranch series is a sweet, clean contemporary western romance series filled with swoon-worthy cowboys in a small-town setting.

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64394179-the-maverick-cowboy

Purchase:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vFRJXs

AUTHOR BIO:

USA Today Bestselling author Macie St. James has written most of her life. After earning a degree in mass communications, she worked in public relations and technology for the government. She spent a full decade as a content writer before realizing her dream of being a full-time novelist. She lives in Nashville with her husband and dog, a spaniel mix.

Visit Macie’s webpage at MacieStJames.com. Sign up for her newsletter and receive a free e-book of The Coolheaded Cowboy, the prequel to the Cupid Ridge Dude Ranch series.

Author links:

https://www.instagram.com/maciestjames/

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/macie-st-james

https://www.tiktok.com/@maciestjamesauthor

https://www.facebook.com/maciestjames/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20106479.Macie_St_James

Giveaway Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d04251235258

Cover Reveal: Whiskey: The Alpha Elite Series #7

BOOK DETAILS:

Whiskey
by Sybil Bartel
(The Alpha Elite, #7)
Publication date: May 23, 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

Synopsis:

Mercenary.

Navy SEAL.

Unconventional Operative.

I didn’t join the Teams. I was recruited. They called me the Specialist. They said I had a unique skill set. I knew who I was.

For eight years, the Navy tried to rein me in with their tactics, techniques and procedures—operations, missions, objectives—they told me to adapt and overcome. I didn’t adapt. I did my time.

Now I worked for Alpha Elite Security. If you called me Specialist, I’d eliminate you before you took your next breath. If you recognized me, it was already too late. I lived by my instincts, and used the resources around me. No target was out of my scope…until my boss unknowingly handed me the only assignment that was.

The one woman I couldn’t kill.

Code name: Whiskey.
Mission: Eliminate.

WHISKEY is a standalone book in the exciting Alpha Elite Series by USA Today Bestselling author, Sybil Bartel. Come meet Will “Whiskey” Damien and the dominant, alpha heroes who work for AES!

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61159998-whiskey

Pre-orderhttps://books2read.com/u/3JEnLP

AUTHOR BIO:

Sybil Bartel is a USA Today Bestselling author of unapologetic alpha heroes. Whether you’re reading her deliciously dominant mercenaries, bodyguards or military heroes, all of her heart-stopping, page-turning romantic suspense novels have sexy-as-sin alpha heroes!

Sybil resides in South Florida and she is forever Oliver’s mom.

To find out more about Sybil Bartel or her books, please visit her at:
Website: http://sybilbartel.com/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sybilbartelauthor
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1065006266850790/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sybil.bartel/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SybilBartel
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/sybil-bartel
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bRSE2T

Cover Reveal: Apex Predator by Cara Dee

BOOK DETAILS:

Apex Predator
by Cara Dee
(The Game, #11)
Publication date: January 24, 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Synopsis:

Ring in the new year with Lane, Macklin, Walker, and Ty as a group of Mclean members head down to Florida for some fun. More info to come.

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64405811-apex-predator

Pre-orderhttps://amzn.to/3I2qSMy

AUTHOR BIO:

I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex.

There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly.

Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.

I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write.

Author links:
https://www.caradeewrites.com/newsletter
https://www.facebook.com/groups/caradeewrites
https://www.facebook.com/caradeewrites/
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cara-dee
https://www.caradeewrites.com/
https://www.instagram.com/caradeewrites/
https://twitter.com/CaraDeeWrites
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6936449.Cara_Dee

Cover Reveal: The Lies Beneath by Bri Blackwood

BOOK DETAILS:

The Lies Beneath
by Bri Blackwood
Publication date: February 28, 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Dark Romance, Romance

Synopsis:

Privilege has its secrets…

Westwick University is known for its prestige and pedigree for hundreds of years.

Many people would die to come here…

And some have come here and died.

There are lies buried within these walls that the world doesn’t know about.

But I do.

It’s what happens when your family has gone to the same college for generations.

Stories and secrets are passed down, making me yearn to know more.

I’m determined to discover if each and every one is true, but I’m distracted.

Because my new professor has taken a particular interest in me.

Or so I think.

I shouldn’t be tempted because anything with him is forbidden.

But the way that he only has eyes for me has set me on edge.

I can’t tell if there is something there or if I’m making it all up in my head.

Why would a billionaire, who is known for his solitary life after the death of his wife, want to teach here?

There’s so much I don’t know.

But I know that lies do nothing but lead to more lies.

And when I uncover the truth, the world will implode.

The Lies Beneath is the first book in a dark forbidden college romance duet that has enemies-to-lovers themes. This book may not be suitable for all readers due to dubious situations that might be triggering. It ends in a cliffhanger.

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63339926-the-lies-beneath

Pre-orderhttps://amzn.to/3iQ1dvQ

AUTHOR BIO:

Bri loves a good romance, especially ones that involve a hot anti-hero. That is why she likes to turn the dial up a notch with her own writing. Her Broken Cross series is her debut dark romance series.

She spends most of her time hanging out with her family, plotting her next novel, or reading books by other romance authors.

Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/e435d408b67a/bb-sign-up-form
Instagram: @briblackwoodwrites
Twitter: @briblackwood2
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briblackwoodwrites
Reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/brisempire

Cover Reveal: Defy The Stars by Cathrina Constantine

BOOK DETAILS:

Defy the Stars
by Cathrina Constantine
Publication date: January 13, 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Circus grunt. Charmer. Fire wrangler.
Growing up within the grind of the enchanted Circus Faire, Crew’s unique talents have blossomed. Though, he’s been warned that the King of Hawkswing is determined to eradicate a certain species, and for his own sake Crew must keep his formidable gifts under wraps.

Relations between interspecies caused an imbalance of power and now are strictly forbidden. Dolorans, like Sage and her sister, are being hunted and persecuted because of their intense powers, leaving them no choice but to run to escape the genocide of their kind.

She possesses a forceful energy for good and evil.
His untapped powers are growing stronger by the day.
Survival will demand they rely on each other.

When Crew learns a dark wizard is holding his brother captive, he enters into a deal with him in hopes of getting close enough to free those he has imprisoned. Yet, what he uncovers is far more sinister than Crew could ever imagine. Can Crew harness the strength within him to save his brother and Sage and all those in the wizard’s clutches? Or will he be trapped by the wizard’s wicked plan?

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63888813-defy-the-stars

AUTHOR BIO:

I am blessed with a loving family and forever friends. My world revolves around them.

I grew up in the small village of Lancaster, NY, where I married my sweetheart. I’m devoted to raising 5 cherished children, and now my grandchildren.

I love to immerse myself in great books of every kind of genre, which helps me to write purely for entertainment, and hopefully to inspire readers. When not stationed at my computer you can find me in the woods taking long walks with my dog.

Author links:
https://twitter.com/cathconstantine
https://www.facebook.com/wickedly333/
http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com/
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cathrina-constantine
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7179953.Cathrina_Constantine
https://www.instagram.com/cathrinaconstantine6004/

Cover Reveal: Pretty Evil by Zoe Rosi

BOOK DETAILS:

Pretty Evil
by Zoe Rosi
Publication date: January 17, 2023
Genres: Adult, Thriller

Synopsis:

You’ve done a bad thing. She has you in her sights. Now you’re going to pay.

Meet Camilla Black: an affluent, respected, influential fashion magazine editor, who lives it up in her beautiful Mayfair apartment. But Camilla’s glamorous life is a lie. Behind her poised exterior beats the cold dark heart of a vigilante killer, a murderer hell-bent on wreaking vengeance upon bad men.

Camilla expects to get away with murder. She’s careful. And anyway, it’s worth the risk. She’s making the world a better place with each predator she kills. But when one of her victims’ bodies is unexpectedly found, his gruesome death is splashed all over the papers.

To make matters worse, she’s now being pursued by Detective Wheelan, a new addition to the Met with laser-sharp focus and a worrying habit of solving impossible crimes…

She knows she should stop, but she can’t. Some men just deserve to die. Will Camilla’s insatiable appetite for justice be her downfall, or can she outsmart the police?

Revised edition: Previously published as Predator, this edition of Pretty Evil includes editorial revisions.

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61256541-pretty-evil

Pre-order:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TefDTa

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pretty-evil-zoe-rosi/1141641206

Blackwell’s: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Pretty-Evil-by-Zoe-Rosi/9781542037167

AUTHOR BIO:

Zoe Rosi has a background in journalism and copywriting. She worked as a reporter for local and national newspapers before moving into the fashion industry as a copywriter. Zoe had four romantic comedies published before writing her debut thriller. It was while working as a fashion copywriter that Zoe had the idea for Pretty Evil, which she describes as The Devil Wears Prada meets American Psycho.

Author links:

https://www.zoerosi.com/

https://www.instagram.com/zoerosiauthor/

Cover Reveal: As The Secrets Turn by B.Truly

BOOK DETAILS:

As The Secrets Turn
by B. Truly
(My Darkest Secret, #3)
Publication date: January 17, 2023
Genres: Romance, Suspense, Young Adult

Synopsis:

When we collided, it turned into beautiful chaos.

I am patient and kind. I do not envy or boast.
He is not proud or rude. He is not easily angered and always protects.
I am not self-seeking and he does not delight in evil.
We define the essence of Love.

In life’s beauty, there are also challenges as the world turns.
Justin and I have overcome a multitude of struggles, starting with his vindictive brother. When I fought for prosecution, I became a pawn in his brother’s game, but I prevailed.

The shockwaves of ridicule didn’t engulf us—they only made us stronger. The center point is knowing that what Justin and I share is real.
Over the last year, we’ve been in the calm of our life. The key to weathering through tremendous obstacles is to find a balance between the good and the terrible. I discover family who can never seem to be happy for you, and deceit that isn’t mine to share. A surge of turbulence is thrown in our path as we attempt to make it to the altar. Saying ‘I do’ may not be in our future. Is fate trying to show us that our love isn’t meant to be?

A family member disappears, and someone must know of her whereabouts. When it turns out the only person who has a clue is my daughter, it puts a horrific spin on the situation. How can my daughter be involved or know the things that she does?
As the tides rise to threaten us, our fate hangs in the balance. How our journey ends on the other side of the tempest, is yet to be told.

This novel can be read as a stand-alone.
Books 1 and 2 do not have to be read first.

As the deceit turns, it unravels into a spectacle of mystery that will evoke the question of existence. Buckle your seatbelts for the captivating conclusion to Madison’s journey.

Recommended for 16+ due to mature themes, including drugs, sexual content, disturbing situations, and mild language.
If you’re not a fan of forbidden romance, then this might not be the book for you.

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62829402-as-the-secrets-turn

Pre-orderhttps://amzn.to/3fyqZDB

AUTHOR BIO:

B. Truly has wanted to be an author since she was fifteen years old. She is grateful to have accomplished this dream. B. Truly has very vivid dreams and a wild imagination. She likes to read, watch tons of TV shows, and movies. She’s addicted to romance and gets a thrill out of suspense and sci-fi. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romance, sci-fi, dystopian, and paranormal genres.

B. Truly likes to explore conflicted plots of romance with thrilling twists. She also loves creating impossible situations for her characters to grow from and try to overcome.

B. Truly has three wonderful children, and a husband who defines the person that she is today. She works full-time as an Ultrasound technologist in Houston, Texas.

Author links:
https://www.facebook.com/BTrulysFantasies
https://twitter.com/BrandyTruly
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7276631.B_Truly
https://www.instagram.com/brandytruly/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandy-truly-a917a9b3/

Cover Reveal: Tempting Wilder by T.L. Mahrt

BOOK DETAILS:

Tempting Wilder
by T.L. Mahrt
(Cottonwood Creek)
Publication date: January 31, 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

I only need one night, one night is all I need…

Summer Grant practices psychology in the inner city of Chicago, specializing in post childhood trauma. Living at the hand of an estranged alcoholic husband, Summer’s worse fear becomes a reality after her daughter witnesses her husband‘s cruelty causing her to flee with her two children to the small town of Loveington, Kentucky.

Summer comes along an abandoned house that she can’t seem to walk away from. Wanting to set roots in the tranquility of small-town life, Summer works to rebuild her family within the home she has longed for.

Wilder Williams always dreamed of was raising a family in his grandparents’ home. After his grandmother refused to sell the homestead to family because of a feud between his siblings, his grandmother turns around and sells it to a newcomer. The timing couldn’t have been worse, with Wilder’s painful divorce, the homestead was all he had to look forward to. And as much as he loves his grandmother, she insisted Wilder to be the contractor causing a conflict of emotions for him.

Will Summer find the happiness her family deserves? Or will Wilder create havoc, turning the remodel into a nightmare? Will a spark cause destruction within the homestead that they both never see coming?

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63210843-tempting-wilder

Pre-orderhttps://amzn.to/3Nw1sYc

AUTHOR BIO:

T. L. Mahrt is a former business owner, where she utilized her education in cosmetology, barbering, and massage therapy for several years. She was raised on and is currently living on a farm in Nebraska, where you can find her running barefoot in the countryside with her loving husband, inspiring children, and massive dogs.

After having her son, who was born with Cerebral Palsy and DYRK1A Syndrome, she made the life altering decision to stay home to care for her two children and pursue her love of writing. She has a passion for romance and poetry where her overactive imagination, along with her adventures and upbeat lifestyle drives her motivation for her writing.

Author links:

https://www.tlmahrt.com/

https://www.facebook.com/tlmahrt/

https://www.instagram.com/tlmahrt.author/

https://twitter.com/tlmahrt
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19755994.T_L_Mahrt