jbronderbookreviews

Tahoe Dark (Owen McKenna – 14) by Todd Borg

When Tahoe resident Jonas Montrop is kidnapped, his father pays the ransom but is then murdered. The next day, four robbers in hoodies and hockey masks take down an armored truck loaded with cash destined for a casino at Lake Tahoe. The company’s boss calls Tahoe Detective Owen McKenna. As McKenna tracks the robbers, he finds two of them murdered in the grisliest of ways. McKenna uncovers evidence that implicates a young woman named Evan Rosen in all three murders. Evan worked for the father of the kidnap victim, and she had a powerful motivation for wanting the robbers dead. Evan is arrested and charged with murder. The problem is that McKenna doesn’t believe Evan did it. The only way to save her from death row is to find the real killer. But this killer is smarter and meaner than any McKenna has ever caught. It looks like McKenna and Evan are both going to die before the killer is finished…

My Review

5 Stars

We start the story as a man is on the phone and learns his son is being held for ransom. Even though he follows instructions he still meets a sad end. Owen McKenna is called in since the victim has accused him of trying to kill him. Owen recognizes the victim as a scam artist that was freed on a technicality. Owen decides that he is going to look into the victim’s son and finds him tied up in a half sunken boat.

Owen also discovers a house cleaner, Evan that is working hard to support her and her special needs sister. After and bank robbery that seems to draw Evan into the mix all signs are pointing to her. Owen just has a gut feeling that Evan is being framed but is having a hard time finding the truth.

This is another great Owen McKenna story. You start out with a murder with a paddle board of a scam artist, a kidnapping, and the robbery of an armored car. But I have to say one of the things that I love the best is Owen and Street’s relationship. Plus having Street teach Owen about Facebook was hilarious.

If you want a great mystery that will keep you guessing until the end, I strongly recommend any of the Owen McKenna books. Although they are a series you can easily read them out of order. You can’t go wrong with a book from Todd Borg.

To purchase Tahoe Dark make sure to check out Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads and Todd Borg’s website.

I received Tahoe Dark from the author for an honest review.

Read Full Post »

In the Garden Room by Tanya Eby

Historical Suspense, Gothic

Date Published: July 18, 2016

Publisher: Blunder Woman Productions

It is Chicago. 1910. Eleven-year-old Lillian March looks over her mother’s dead body with a sense of relief.

As a poor woman, her mother, Cora, never had any real choices or happiness with her life. Cora and Lillian flee to the bustling city of Chicago, where she is certain she will have the life of opulence she deserves.

Cora and Lillian face deep hardships in turn-of-the-century Chicago as Cora’s mind continues its downward spiral. With no money and no hope for income, Cora sells Lillian to The Garden Room, a brothel, where young girls and desperate women are kept like flowers in a jar.

John March comes looking for his daughter and his wife in an attempt to rescue them, but even if he finds them alive, is rescue really possible?

IN THE GARDEN ROOM is an exploration of madness, desire and two women’s choices in a time when they weren’t really allowed to choose.

Amazon     Barnes and Noble     Kobo     iBooks

Tanya Eby

Tanya Eby is a writer and an award-winning audiobook narrator. She has published a variety of novels from romantic comedies to mysteries to dark historical pieces. While her writing crosses genres they all share quirky characters and complicated relationships. Visit her at tanyaeby.com or follow her on Twitter @Blunder_Woman.

Website     Facebook     Twitter     Blog     Goodreads

My Review

5 stars

It is 1910 and we meet Cora and Lillian. Cora is Lillian’s mother and married to John. John is a fisherman and Cora has issues with having to work as a servant when she feels she is entitled to the rich world. Not happy with hoe her life has turned out, Cora is sweet talked by new comer Zeke into running away with him to Chicago.

But when Cora and Lillian get to Chicago it is not the wonderland Cora was lead to believe. It is dirty and rough and Lillian ends up working in a meat packing plant just to make some money that Cora and her can live on since Cora is not about to do anything to help their situation. It doesn’t help that Cora clearly has mental problems and they are not being addresses. Finally at wits end, Cora sells Lillian to a brothel called The Garden Room. John comes to Chicago to help save his wife and daughter but it is going to be a race against time to save them.

This is a very touching historical story. The description sucks you right in and plunks you down in the middle of the dirty, nasty Chicago slums and meat packing plant of 1910. Cora is clearly a narcissist and doesn’t like her lot in life. She runs away from a loving, hardworking man to chase a man that is more interested in using Lillian. And poor Lillian, I know things such as this happened all the time in the past and at time here in present day but I just can’t help wanting to get her away from Cora and give her the love that she deserves.

If you like historical fiction, this is the book for you. It is heartbreaking and gives a realistic portrayal of life in 1910 Chicago.

I received In the Garden Room from Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours.

Read Full Post »