Posts

Devil’s Claw (Logan McKenna Series Book 3) by Valerie Davisson – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

/0 Comments/in /by

Devil's Claw: Logan Book 3 (The Logan Series)Devil’s Claw: Logan Book 3 by Valerie Davisson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Devil’s Claw is the third book in the Logan McKenna Mystery series. It is a crime thriller chock full of action, suspense, mystery, murder, intrigue, and drama. Logan McKenna’s life is going well, and she has settled into a comfortable life in her Southern California home near the beach. She has a new job and finally has plenty of time for her music. When her and her daughter rescue a baby Otter, they take it to the Southern Sea Otter Center where they nurse it back to health. Things take a sinister turn when the land the center sits on becomes the target of numerous individuals who all try lay claim to it. When someone Logan knows is murdered Logan takes it upon herself to investigate the mystery surrounding the property. She quickly finds herself swept up in a world of greed, resentment, loss, betrayals, secrets, and violence. Logan could be the next person on the killer’s hit list if she does not solve this mystery quickly enough. I loved the characters of Logan and Amy. Both are kind, smart, compassionate, and determined. The close relationship they had as mother and daughter was endearing and heartwarming. This story took some twists and turns as Logan worked to solve her latest mystery before more lives were lost. The more I read, the more intriguing the mystery became, and I was hooked until the very end. I highly recommend this series!

View all my reviews@tarab

Forest Park (Logan McKenna Series Book 2) by Valerie Davisson – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

/0 Comments/in /by

Forest Park: Logan Book 2 (The Logan McKenna Series)Forest Park: Logan Book 2 by Valerie Davisson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Forest Park is the second book in The Logan McKenna Mystery series. It is a crime thriller full of action, suspense, murder, mystery, intrigue, drama, lies, and secrets. Life for Logan McKenna is looking better, and things seem to be on track. After the rough road she experienced and all of the loss she is happy, healthy, and in a good relationship. Life seems to be coasting along until everything changes in the blink of an eye and throws her world into chaos once again. As Logan awaits the arrival of her boyfriend at their hotel room, she hears a loud boom coming from outside. When she ventures out to discover the source of the sound, she discovers an explosion occurred at the Vietnamese food truck she had been at a short time before. Logan is horrified to discover that the woman killed in the explosion was someone that she had formed a bond with. The police have suspects, two of which are her friends, but Logan feels that they are not the real killer and is determined to find the real culprits. She feels obligated to try to solve what happened and starts digging for clues only to discover there are long-buried secrets that are better left alone. Logan is a character that I really like, and I enjoy reading her adventures, She is smart, tenacious, determined, strong, courageous and does not back down when things become difficult. This adventure led to highs and lows, chaos, confusion, sadness, betrayal, hurt, loss, and hope. I look forward to reading book three.

View all my reviews@tarab

Shattered (Logan McKenna Series Book 1) by Valerie Davisson – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

/0 Comments/in /by

Shattered: Logan Book 1 (The Logan McKenna Series)Shattered: Logan Book 1 by Valerie Davisson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Shattered is Book One in the Logan McKenna Mystery series. It is a crime thriller full of suspense, action, drama, mystery, suspense, and murder. The story centers around the character of Logan McKenna whose life is quickly going downhill as one bad thing after another keeps coming at her. Two years ago, she lost her husband, which devastated her but then she learned details of an affair he had which crushed her. Her father passed away and with so much going on her music fell by the wayside. Looking for a fresh start Logan sells the computer business her and her husband built and moves to a small home near the beach in Southern California. There she takes a teaching job but is accused of helping her students cheat when their test scores are too high. Now with the threat of losing her job looming in the air Logan needs something to keep her busy and help her regroup. She helps her friends Lisa, and Thomas, a Native American artist, at their booth at the annual Otter Arts Festival. When a local glassblower turns up dead at the booth beside Thomas he is accused of her murder and arrested. Thomas is under suspicion of the girl’s murder because of a mysterious bank transfer he sent to the girl prior to her murder which he refuses to explain. Now it is up to Logan to play amateur detective as she tries to find the real killer and prove her friend’s innocence. As Logan digs deeper the murderer becomes more vicious and danger lurks around every corner. Will she have what it takes to solve the case before it is too late? Logan is a character that is easy to relate to and feel a connection to. She is smart, feisty, plucky, courageous, and never gives up. I look forward to reading more of Logan McKenna’s adventures!

View all my reviews@tarab

Sins of the Father (The McIntire County Series Book 3) by Winter Austin – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

/0 Comments/in /by

Sins of the Father: The McIntire County Series: #3Sins of the Father: The McIntire County Series: #3 by Winter Austin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sins of the Father is Book Three in The McIntire County Series. It is a romantic suspense book packed with drama, action, mystery, intrigue, suspense, and murder. This book can easily be read as a standalone, but I do recommend reading the entire series because it is amazing! This story centers around the characters of Deputy Jolie Murdoch and Former Marine Xavier Hartmann. Jolie has had a difficult past and finds herself struggling to find her confidence and self-worth. When she sets off to find a missing girl that disappeared after a local event, she stumbles onto something far more sinister. Jolie finds Xavier covered in blood standing over the body of the girl’s father. He has no memory of what happened, how he got there, or if he killed the man. Xavier has traumatic brain injury because of an IED blast while he was in the service and is prone to having blackouts. The trauma from his past has also left Xavier feeling worthless and lacking in self-confidence. Jolie wants to believe he is not responsible for the man’s murder and sets off to find the real killer. As she delves into the case, she discovers this case is very similar to a cold case that her father had when he was Sherriff. As Xavier and Jolie work to find the real killer they lean on each other for support and find strength in one another. Digging into the case unravels secrets, lies, betrayal, and complex family dynamics. This was a page turner with great characters, an intriguing storyline, and twists and turns that will keep you reading until the end.

View all my reviews@tarab

Liar, Liar (The McIntire County Series Book 4) by Winter Austin – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

/0 Comments/in /by

Liar, Liar (The McIntire County Series: #4)Liar, Liar by Winter Austin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Liar, Liar is Book Four in The McIntire County Series. It is a romantic suspense book filled with action, danger, drama, crime, murder, mystery, and mayhem. The story is set in the small town of Eider, Iowa, and centers around the characters of Sherriff Shane Hamilton and FBI Agent Liza Bartholomew. Sherriff Hamilton is trying to solve the case of a series of random arsons as well as two homicides. FBI Agent Bartholomew has been tracking an elusive scam artist and is determined to bring him to justice. She learns his last known whereabouts are in Eider, Iowa and that is where she goes. When Liza Bartholomew arrives, she receives a less than friendly welcome from Sherriff Shane Hamilton. Neither want to work with the other but they soon reluctantly team up when they learn that both of their cases are somehow intertwined. Soon the two are in a deadly game of cat and mouse with a cold-blooded killer who is leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. As the two spend time together a slow burning romance begins between them, but will they act on it? Shane has seen his share of trauma in his past which haunts him to this day. He is unsure what to do with his feelings for Liza who is strong, compassionate, and kind. Liza wants a family but feels obligated to help her brother with his son. Can Liza and Shane find happiness with one another? This story is full of raw emotion, anger, sadness, hurt, loss, secrets, lies, betrayal, heartbreak, and unexpected love. The twists and turns will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you reading until the end.

View all my reviews@tarab