The current World Cup, the first ever hosted by an Arab country, has offered moments of wonder and jubilation to fans in the region, some of the most passionate in the world. It has also provoked commentary, to a degree that some have considered biased, on the human rights record of its host, Qatar. The […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2022/12/09/focus-on-the-football-qatar-world-cup/
Gray Witch is the fifth audiobook in the Black Hat Bureau urban fantasy series by Hailey Edwards. Narrated by Stephanie Richardson, Hailey advances the overall arc as Rue and her motley crew track down famous monsters across Mississippi. You’ll enjoy a suspenseful tale, snark, humor and romance along the way…..
Gray Witch
by Hailey Edwards
Series: Black Hat Bureau #5
Narrator: Stephanie Richardson
Length: 8 hours and 49 minutes
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.35x
Famous monsters are resurrecting across Mississippi, each one recreating their own gruesome deaths through new victims. Every time Rue pins down one horror legend, another appears with its own bloodthirsty agenda. The summoners raising these vengeful spirits save their best for last, a cruel gift that shatters Rue. But she’s not the only one whose heart gets broken.
Once her father realizes what the summoners have done, who they’ve awakened, there is nowhere they can hide where he can’t find them. After this final betrayal, there are no limits on how far he’s willing to go to bring down Black Hat, the director, and anyone else who gets in his way.
Including his own daughter.
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I am having a blast with these characters. The tale has a cozy mystery vibe to it with characters you’ll adore from Rue Hollis, who has been wronged, to Asa, her mate. Like most urban fantasy series, ti is best to listen in the order of their release. The overall story arc, bonds and character growth will be hindered if you dive in.
Rue attends the demon challenge where other demons fight Asa for his position as heir. While there she gains the attentions of Asa’s father. I am not a fan of the high king. Not that Rue’s family is any better. They come with their own backstabbing, power grabbing set of problems.
The mystery was a good one. The deputy director calls them when the ghosts of dead demon hunters appear. This leads to more chaos as killers and famous monsters rise from the dead. It held me captive and kept me guessing as Rue and the team dug in for answers. We got to see Colby shine.
We see growth and get to witness this team come together. Each brings something to the table. Now that Rue has embraced Asa as her mate, the romance isn’t as distracting, making room to shine some light on Clay and Colby’s abilities.
The overall arc advanced and we see Rue come into her own, facing her foes. Despite the outcome and where things are headed, we get a sense she is ready. Thanks in part to her new family. I am hoping she loosens up regarding Colby and her fears. That girl has spunk and is so clever.
Fans of character driven urban fantasy with snark and suspenseful mysteries will enjoy the Black Hat Bureau series. I am looking forward to the next audiobook.
Stephanie Richardson narrates and does a wonderful job of bringing voice to Rue. Her tone and pacing enhances the overall tale. She has created unique voices for each of the characters picking up on their personalities, snark and humor.
Amazon* | Audible
*available in KindleUnlimited
Gray Witch by Hailey Edwards. Narrated Stephanie Richardson delivered suspense, snark and romance in the latest Black Hat Bureau audiobook. #audiobookreview #NewRelease #UrbanFantasy
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Hailey Edwards writes about questionable applications of otherwise perfectly good magic, the transformative power of love, the family you choose for yourself, and blowing stuff up. Not necessarily all at once. That could get messy. She lives in Alabama with her husband, their daughter, and a herd of dachshunds.
Stephanie Richardson records audiobooks from her professional home studio near the mountains in Utah. She places a special emphasis on bringing positive and wholesome content in the world and records work in a variety of nonfiction and fiction genres, including self-development, memoir, children’s and young adult, and cozy mystery. She has trained with award-winning narrators PJ Ochlan and Sean Pratt and was awarded the ABR award for best mystery in 2020. While not enjoying a book, she can be found playing zoo-keeper to her four rambunctious children, playing nerdy board games, or talking to her plants.
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/12/gray-witch-by-hailey-edwards-stephanie-richardson.html
Contracts for Sale follows a reporter and colleagues who investigate a series of murders with no evidence to work off of but a lot of questions. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I have often fantasized while writing about the perfect murder, the perfect crime, where there are no witnesses, no DNA evidence, no surveillance records, and no fingerprints. I’ve often wondered about how such a crime could be committed, and who could benefit from such a crime. It was this line of thinking that led me to believe that if this were possible, it would need to be handled by a group of professionals who would profit from committing such a crime. Thus, the Eradication Inc. corporation was conceived, and CONTRACTS FOR SALE was written.
With so many interesting characters, both good, evil, and those in between, who was your favorite character to write for and why?
I am still attracted to my protagonist characters, especially my reporters like Paul Crawford and Larry McKay. In several books, my favorite egotistical, narcissistic news reporter, Chaz Rizzo will always be a cherished character. Little Tony DiMatteo is my beloved mob guy. He has been inspired by Actor Joe Pesci from GOODFELLAS & CASINO. Criminal Attorney Michael Prescott constantly reappears in my storylines. CPD Detective Phil Dorian is another go-to favorite.
With my books, I have created a ‘CHICAGO STYLE’ community of characters that interact with one another in various storylines, but still create stand-alone novels. With my DETROIT THEMED NOVELS, Johnny Valentino and Mikie Palazzola will always be my favorite DPD detectives.
A reader can pick up any one of my books and jump in, without having to engage in reading a series of novels in any specific order.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
As I have said, many readers have often fantasized about performing the perfect murder, the perfect eradication of one’s most evil enemy. It is always nice to create that fantasy and incorporate it into a new story line. Thriller fiction is a means of creating and envisioning your most perfect, most personal acts of retribution and revenge, and CONTRACTS FOR SALE explores those evil intentions.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m working on several, hopefully will be available soon:
Dinner at Tony Napoli’s, Evil Acts of Contrition and Never Catch a Firefly – these storylines are evolving and changing, so stay tuned!
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
It is now only a question of time before either the reporters or the shareholders become the next vanishing victims of Eradication, Inc.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/09/who-could-benefit-from-such-a-crime/
Pardonable Offences by Perry Leary is a lighthearted memoir of the author’s experiences he encountered growing up, along with other experiences that were shared with him. Born in South Africa during the war, Leary lived with his mother, brother and grandmother while his father went off to war. We learn of his experiences and the friendships made throughout his school years in prepatory school. Similar to that of heartfelt children’s story The Sandlot, we follow the author’s lifelong friendships and their fond and not so fond memories growing up.
Author Perry Leary provides readers a collection of fascinating anecdotes that inspire thought and a chuckle. The author’s writing style is succinct and his wit comes through well, making this an interesting read. His descriptions of people he interacted with were vivid and unique; he once described the barber as slightly boozy-looking and was a chain smoker of the evil smelling Cavalla cigarettes. I always looked forward to his descriptions after this.
The author does an excellent job of describing unpleasant experiences through a comedic lens so that they are more palatable and allow the reader to absorb the experience more readily. Not to say that this memoir is purely humor, Leary encountered many tragedies and shares them with his readers. He touches upon the cultural aspects of living in South Africa and how things were different during the war. I enjoyed that the author tells reader what became of his friends as they grew older, this gives the story a nice well-rounded feel that leaves you satisfied.
Pardonable Offences is the perfect read for those who are looking for a quick but thoughtful story that will make you laugh and reminisce about your childhood experiences.
Pages: 207 | ASIN: B0B1VXS9BP
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/09/pardonable-offences/
Greta Goldman is a reclusive young author who recently lost her estranged great-uncle, Richard Goldman. He was a wealthy entrepreneur who made billions in his lifetime and left it all to Greta. Expecting to quickly disperse his wealth to charities and organizations Richard originally supported, Greta finds out that her uncle’s will states that she must visit the friends and family of her deceased uncle. During her tour of Atlantic City, visiting people who loved and respected her uncle, Greta is determined to find out who murdered him and why. The Billionaire’s List by Cortney Donelson is a riveting murder mystery that takes a methodical but unpredictable path toward a resolution that is as surprising as it is entertaining.
The Billionaire’s List is a fun whodunit that will have you guessing who the murderer is until the very end. Using the classic children’s game, Monopoly, as inspiration for this novel is the icing on the cake. Readers will get to tour the city with Greta and learn new and interesting things along the way; sort of like Dan Brown’s novels. I can see some similarities to the game but reading Greta’s story is far more interesting. The mystery kicks off immediately, making this book engrossing right from the start, especially since I found Great’s character enthralling. The reader is given two clues right from the beginning, Richard was murdered and the killer is a woman, but the why and the who is just as entertaining as Greta’s character development.
The author has creatively set up the story so that I looked at everyone as they were a suspect including Greta herself. I was immersed in Greta’s world and thoughts and I was able to clearly imagine what was going on due to the vivid detail. I found it interesting that Greta is not too fond of the wealthy even though she came from a wealthy family. She had no obligation to carry out Richard’s will and did not want the money. She even went as far as to say she’d give it all away to the charities of Richard’s choosing. I enjoyed reading about Greta’s character and her deep thoughts. She is an introvert, but also has an active imagination which made reading about her thoughts much more interesting than it sounds and is a highlight of the novel.
The Billionaire’s List is a thrilling murder mystery with a protagonist that is just as fascinating as the mystery itself. This is a novel that was fun to read because of Greta but hard to put down because I so desperately wanted to know who did it. This is perfect for readers looking for an unpredictable crime fiction story, or for anyone looking for a suspenseful story with a curious female lead.
Pages: 290 | ASIN: B0BHM887ZB
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/09/the-billionaires-list/
House of Pain by Karoline Wilde is a gripping story that follows the lives of witches who attend the Venefica Academy. More specifically, the witches dwell in the House of Snakes as one of the five houses in this story. This tale centers around the Games and how everyone involved, including the House of Snakes, includes Val, Blaze, Alessandro, Jolene, and Alecto, who are the inner circle of the house.
This imaginative story is rich in the intensity of human interaction, with lots of love, conflict, and familiar connections. Morals and loyalty all come into question, and the notion of things being black or white is muddled to gray. During the Games, the inner circle accidentally summons a demon to help do their bidding in an attempt to take down the House of Tigers. Their aim becomes complex, impacting their house and creating a darkness that the characters must ultimately face. Actions have consequences.
This action-filled book offers an excellent but dark and complex story that I found interesting. The author creates a unique storyline with lively characters and an exciting plot that’s not too overpowering or complicated. There is just enough complexity within the characters and their dilemmas to give the reader enough action to keep them engaged from the beginning.
House of Pain is an exhilarating dark fantasy romance novel. Readers are taken on a wild ride that kept me turning one page after the next, and I highly recommend this book for its creative, exciting plot and rich character development. Karolina Wilde does a great job setting each scene and adding multiple twists throughout the book. As this is the start of a trilogy, I can not wait to see where things head in book two.
Pages: 476 | ASIN : B0B85KDWKB
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/09/house-of-pain-2/
Dream Jumpers: The Inheritance by Adrienne La Faye is a novel about Malia and her twin brother Micah. The siblings are twelve years old and live a troubled life, having experienced the death of their beloved grandfather, Papa, who always taught them to believe in themselves. Despite the outward appearance of wealth and comfort, as Malia and Micah live in a mansion, they must face an uphill struggle with a father who despises them.
Their lives quickly change when they mysteriously hear the sound of their grandfather’s voice echoing through the halls of their home. This discovery changes everything for Malia and Micah as they are ushered into the hidden world of the Dream Jumpers. It’s a journey that can lead to the fulfillment of children’s dreams, but it is an arduous adventure with many challenges along the way, including bullies, deadly threats, as the duo follows the call of their heritage.
This book tells the amazing story of two young children searching for their place in the world through the magical realm of the Dream Jumpers Academy. I loved the rich cultural elements woven throughout the tale and the special connection between the twins, which only strengthens when they face adversity together – it’s an incredible part of the narrative.
Dream Jumpers: The Inheritance by Adrienne La Faye is an exceptional novel about alternate worlds and the importance of family bonds. It’s a great magical story that I recommend for its unique, creative storyline that has lots of excitement and adventurous developments. It’s the ideal book for readers aged 12 and up, and while there are some scary scenes and close brushes with danger, this only makes the story more enjoyable for fans of the fantasy genre. This book is well-written, and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Pages 232 | ASIN B0B6MGX8S7
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/09/dream-jumpers-the-inheritance/