Reading and Reviews (Cooper and Winters)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. Besides Romantic Suspense, I read crime and law novels, once in a while a true story, WWII historicals, mysteries, and mainstream character driven books.

Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not-too-distant past. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author.

After the Fact by Jeff Cooper 

When Jack Collins leaves a small Connecticut law practice to join one of the nation’s most prestigious firms, he trades a nondescript office for an elite one in a gleaming New York City skyscraper. He basks in the pride of working with people far more glamorous than those he left behind, including a famous boss, an alluring coworker, and a well-known client, Abigail Walker, the wealthy widow of a senator.

Jack thinks he’s on the path to glory, but he’s really a victim of deceit, a pawn in a game he doesn’t even know he’s playing. His new boss harbors deep secrets, his seductive coworker is not the person he thinks she is, and his new law firm is at the very center of a blackmail plot involving the widow Walker.

Blinded by the allure of wealth and power, Jack doesn’t see the danger around him. Time is running out for him to figure out the truth before he loses everything: his career, his marriage, and maybe even his life. 

MY REVIEW

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The main character, Jack Collins, isn’t a perfect human being. He’s a good man, and I routed for him, but his faults made him that much more interesting. I feared he’d succumb to the seductive coworker and ruin his marriage. I’m not saying he doesn’t…don’t want to spoil it for you. There is a villain of sorts who I was happy to see take a dive. I applaud Mr. Cooper for good characterizations. To me a good story is incomplete without standout characters. And the plot is twisty enough to keep you guessing. 

AMAZON BUY LINK

 

Deadly Evidence (Jessie Black Legal Thrillers book 3) by Larry A Winters 

When a massacre at an elite private high school leaves seventeen dead and a city reeling with horror, Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Jessica Black will stop at nothing to find justice for the victims. But doing so will require facing an adversary even more terrifying than the teenage shooter.

Lurking in secrecy is an evil voice known only as True_Man. True_Man haunts the Internet, befriending the lonely and the frustrated, turning adolescent emotions toward destruction. Jessie believes True_Man is just as guilty of murder as the teenager he manipulated, but finding him—and proving his guilt in the courtroom—will take all of Jessie’s formidable legal skills and more. 

MY REVIEW

I’ve read several Jessie Black novels by Mr. Winters. I’ve enjoyed all of them including this one, although I don’t rank this as one of the best. Her partner, Graham, irritated me a few times with his phone. I think you’re supposed to get irritated and feel Jessie’s frustration, but it seemed a bit overdone. Jessie hunting down True_Man seemed forced at times to make it work. But don’t get me wrong. This is an entertaining novel which is the purpose and appreciated.

AMAZON BUY LINK

Reading and Reviews (Winters and Winters)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. Besides Romantic Suspense, I read crime and law novels, once in a while a true story, WWII historicals, mysteries, and mainstream character driven books.

I'm on a Larry A. Winters jag right now with his Jessie Black legal thrillers.

Informant (Jessie Black Legal Thriller Book 1) by Larry A. Winters

 

Prosecutor Jessie Black has an airtight case against Tyrone Nash, a gang thug who shot a man behind a bar in West Philly. But what should be an easy trial turns complicated when Nash somehow intimidates her eyewitness, and he recants his testimony on the eve of the trial. Now Jessie's only move to stop the killer from walking is to call a witness she had hoped to avoid—Reggie Tuck, a smooth-talking jailhouse snitch who claims Nash confessed to him during a short time they shared a cell. Worse, there are other people with an interest in the trial—people intent on silencing Reggie's big mouth, permanently.

Soon Jessie and Reggie find themselves trapped in a courthouse taken hostage by armed assailants. She must find a way to keep both Reggie and herself alive long enough to learn who they are, and how to stop them. But is Reggie Tuck's life worth protecting at the risk of her own?

MY REVIEW

Another fun read by Larry Winters. Jessie's personality stays true to form. Reggie Tuck steals the show in this book. The entire scenario was just a touch difficult to suspend belief, but because of the characterizations and the twisty plot, I was able to accept it. The only thing that had me scratching my head was a timeline issue for Detective Leary who's outside the courthouse and trying to find a way to help. But that's a sidebar. Overall, this is another good entertaining novel.

 

AMAZON BUY LINK

 

 

Silenced Witness (Jessie Black Legal Thriller Book 6) by Larry A. Winters

 

Life is good for Assistant DA Jessie Black. She just brought another murder trial to a successful conclusion. Her reputation is growing as a top prosecutor in Philadelphia. And she’s engaged to a strong, handsome man she loves. Now it’s time to step back, plan her wedding, and look forward to a bright future.

But when a young man is brutally butchered in his own home, the courtroom calls to her. Especially when the police are desperate for help. Hal and Kristina Nolan, a clever husband-and-wife team of defense attorneys, have filed motions to block key evidence and keep a critical witness off the stand. Jessie knows she needs to go to trial and beat them at their own game. Because if she fails, their client, a remorseless human monster, will stroll out of the courthouse a free man.

MY REVIEW

This is my favorite so far in this series I will continue to read. I really need to drop back and read them in order I suppose, but it hasn't messed with my enjoyment. I'm a little lost on the relationship between Jessie and Detective Leary but not so much to disturb me. The villain in this book is complex and one we can love to hate. Jessie's personal life with her upcoming wedding causes more conflict for the story. And the clever husband/wife law team Jessie comes up against is so believable I think I saw them on a billboard in Phoenix. Enthralling read.

 

AMAZON BUY LINK

Reading and Reviews (Winters and Black)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. From time to time, I'll share my reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. Besides Romantic Suspense, I read crime and law novels, once in a while a true story, WWII historicals, mysteries, cozy mysterym, and mainstream character driven books.

Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not-too-distant past. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author. 

Burnout (Jessie Black Legal Thriller Book 1) by Larry A Winters 

Years ago, Assistant DA Jessie Black's successful prosecution of Frank Ramsey—a serial killer known as the Family Man—put her on a path to stardom at the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. But now an ineffective assistance of counsel claim threatens to overturn the verdict.

The claim alleges that Ramsey did not receive a fair trial because of his lawyer, a public defender named Jack Ackerman. Jack, an excellent lawyer, committed himself to a mental institution days after the trial. No one knows why.

Now Jessie must return to the courtroom to face the killer and his new lawyers—a dream team of high-powered attorneys with mysterious motives for taking his case. Unless Jessie can stop them, they will overturn the verdict, destroy a good man's legal career, and put a vicious killer back on the street.

Jessie's only chance to keep Ramsey in prison is to defend his defense attorney and prove Jack's sanity. And to do that, she's going to need to find out what really happened at that trial.

 

AMAZON BUY LINK

 

MY REVIEW

This is my second Jessie Black novel. I’m not reading them in order, obviously. Doesn’t matter. I’m hooked on this series. Jessie is an easy character to get behind and follow her adventures. I love characters that are fleshed out so thoroughly that I feel like I know them. She is not so kick-ass she comes off fake. She’s just tough enough and smart. The story is involved and well rounded. An enjoyable read.

Death by Pins and Needles (Holly Swimsuit Mystery Book 2) by Susie Black

 

The last thing Mermaid Swimwear sales exec Holly Schlivnik expected to find when she opened the closet door was nasty competitor Lissa Charney’s battered corpse nailed to the wall. When Holly’s colleague is wrongly arrested for Lissa’s murder, the wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth sticks her nose everywhere it doesn’t belong to sniff out the real killer. Nothing turns out the way she thinks it will as Holly matches wits with a heartless killer hellbent for revenge.

 

AMAZON BUY LINK

 

MY REVIEW

The world of swimwear sales is a lot more cutthroat than I imagined. In fact, I didn’t know such a huge world even existed. This is the second book in the series and since I read the first, I’m learning even more about what I thought might be a glitzy world. Ms. Black makes that world come to life. The amateur sleuth, Holly, certainly knows the ins and outs all the while solving the murder. Ms. Black’s books are full of standout characters who guide you through the mystery. You don’t need to read book one to enjoy this second book in the series.

 

Reading and #Reviews (Winters, Womack)

I'm an author, but I'm also a reader. Each month, I'll share with you reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day. 

I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. Besides Romantic Suspense, I read crime and law novels, once in a while a true story, WWII historicals, mysteries, and mainstream character driven books.

Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not-too-distant past. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author.

 

Grave Testimony by Larry A. Winters 

When a drug dealer reaches out to assistant district attorney Jessica Black with information about a case that has gone unsolved for over a decade—the brutal murder of a little boy—Jessie sees an opportunity to bring long-delayed justice to the murdered child’s family. But convicting the boy’s killer won’t be easy. Much of the evidence is old or lost, the detective who originally investigated the crime seems to have secrets of his own, and someone is willing to kill to ensure that what happened fourteen years ago remains an unsolved mystery forever. 

Jessie’s not the type to give up easily, though. Especially when she’s seeking justice for a child and his family. 

AMAZON BUY LINK

Review:

This book, a prequel, has so much more going on than the blurb above from Amazon—a daughter who believes her mother killed her brother, ripping the family apart. An assistant district attorney whose one night of indiscretion is causing her a heap of trouble, and the search for the real murderer in the cold case. It’s a short, fast read, and the author crams an exciting story into a few pages.  

 

Nobody’s Chain Lays Straight by Steven Womack 

Nashville P.I. Harry James Denton always suspected there was a seamy, dark underbelly to the bright lights and rhinestone glitz of Music City. But until he's hired by an aristocratic, old-monied Belle Meade family to find their runaway daughter, he had no idea of just how sleazy and smarmy the It City could be...

Stacey Jameson is troubled, drug-addled, and haunted by a history of family abuse and secrets. To say she's hooked in with the wrong crowd is an understatement of deadly proportions. When Harry goes after her, the pursuit takes them both into darker places than either of them have ever seen.

AMAZON BUY LINK

First off, isn’t that a great title? It caught my attention. The cover caught my eye also. The characters are intriguing and quirky, which I love in a story. His search for drug-addled rich girl keeps you reading. The relationship between Denton and his girlfriend Marsha hit me as a little off. Doesn’t read true on the page, and is the only problem I had with the story. There is lots of sleaze in the story. The ends and outs of the strip clubs and who owned what and who is a bit convoluted. Or maybe I just had trouble keeping up. But it’s a decent story, with a unique voice. I’ll probably try another book in the series.