Salt Island by Lisa Towles/Book Spotlight

Salt Island

E&A Investigations Thriller Series Book 2

by Lisa Towles

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

At the request of an old college chum, former CIA operative and private investigator Mari Ellwyn investigates the blackmailing of a CEO amid a high-profile IPO deal and a motivated witness determined to expose him for corruption and fraud. Mari’s new partner, Derek Abernathy tries to help uncover the truth behind the accidental death of two farm workers in the Central Valley, only to discover that they weren’t accidental and they’re connected to a seamy underworld of illegal drug manufacturing and toxic chemical dumping.

Lured by compassion and ties to their former lives, Ellwyn and Abernathy leverage their collective experience in the biggest challenge of their lives – bringing justice and staying alive in the process.

Book Links:

Amazon * B&N * Goodreads

Lisa Towles is an award-winning, Amazon bestselling crime novelist and a passionate speaker on the topics of fiction writing, creativity, and Strategic Self Care. Lisa has nine crime novels in print with a new title, Salt Island, forthcoming in June of 2023. Her latest thriller, The Ridders, was an Amazon #2 Kindle Bestseller and won an American Fiction Award. Her psychological thriller, Hot House (June, 2022) was an Amazon #1 Bestseller (Kindle version) the first place Winner of the 2022 Book Fest Literary Award in Mystery & Crime. Her thriller Ninety-Five was released in November 2021 and won a Literary Titan Award for Fiction. Her 2019 thriller, The Unseen, was the Winner of the 2020 NYC Big Book Award in Crime Fiction, and a Finalist in the Thriller category of the Best Book Awards by American Book Fest. Her 2017 thriller, Choke, won a 2017 IPPY and a 2018 NYC Big Book Award for Thriller.

Lisa is an active member and frequent panelist/speaker of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She has an MBA in IT Management and works full-time in the tech industry.

Read more about Lisa’s book on her publisher’s website.

Author Links

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * TikTok * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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My Favorite Books of 2020

The end of the year is approaching and it is time to reflect on the books I read in 2020. I read a total of 105 books. I only planned to read 60. I did change my reading habits by incorporating audiobooks and I have to say it wasn’t that bad. When I finished my list there were about thirty favorites, which is a lot, so I broke them down to just my top ten to share with you.

10. The Great Shelby Holmes by Elizabeth Eulberg

This middle grade mystery entertained me especially the characters. Shelby Holmes is so much like Sherlock it is funny even though it has to be hard for her being so overly smart. I like that her best friend becomes a black kid who has issues of his own, but they take care of each other in their own kind of way. This is book one in the series and I have loved them all.

9. The Cleaner by Paul Cleave

I fell in love with Joe the main character in this thriller. It intrigued me that Joe was the narrator who was investigating a copycat of his crimes. He was actually upset someone was copying his style of killing and just had to undercover who it was.

8. Verity by Colleen Hoover

I really enjoyed this thriller. The characters drove the story for me. Verity is sneaking, manipulative and cunning. Lowen is gullible since she is trying to find employment. Both of them are in for a surprise. I would love to see this in film and hope the author writes more thrillers soon.

7. Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh

This is a legal thriller where the killer is one of the jurors. The problem (which is a go problem) is that I didn’t know who it was and the suspense in finding out kept me on the edge.

6. The Cursed Hunter by Bethany Atazadeh

This has been the best beauty and beast retelling I have read. I like that the beast is a dragon and the determination in both the beauty and beast to make things right is so heartwarming. This is book three in the Stolen Kingdom series and I look forward to the fourth book.

5. Darkwind by R. Dugan

This was a wonderful introduction to epic fantasy with action, adventure, realist issues and characters who fight hard to do what is right and to protect their own. This is book one in the Starchaser Saga.

4. Dawnstar by R. Dugan

In book two of the Starchaser Saga, the travels carry on, but there is more to be done and also more to loose. New characters are introduced and I couldn’t help caring for them as much as the ones from book two. The action and adventure is more intense in this book and the suffering will make you cringe.

3. Cinderella is Dead by Kaylnn Bayron

This has been the best retelling of Cinderella in a while for me. The darkness hidden within these pages kept me reading. The twists in the story was unsuspected but so worth it. The characters are well developed and had me captivated from page one.

2. Grown  by Tiffany D. Jackson

Tiffany D. Jackson is my favorite YA contemporary thriller author and here is another one of her books that didn’t disappoint me. I will say this book made me angry, confused, frustrated among other emotions. It deals with realistic issues happening everyday and with young girls in situation they feel there is no way out. I love the realism in her novels and that they are very thought provoking.

1. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

This was my top book of the year mainly because of the investigative nature of the story. Pip’s determination to get answers, to clear a young boys name for his family and to make sure the right person is convicted. I love stories where a teenager becomes the detective and uncovers the evidence necessary to solve a case an adult could not. I like this author’s writing style and the way she structured the novel. I can’t wait to read it’s sequel.

 

Cover Reveal: Azriel by Lee James

Releases  Fall 2020

Bree Faro learns early in life that she has only herself to depend on. Due to her feisty nature and unusual ability with a sword, she is educated in every fighting style imaginable and excels at them all. When she’s sent to infiltrate the city of Azriel, she does not expect to find her place among the Watchmen of the Keep, but they welcome her as one of their own.

Little does Bree know that her new companions are in danger.

An immortal creature lies in wait for any Keeper of the Flame, the city’s water source has dried up, and they are under constant attack from the Yirtzi—former Watchmen reduced to vengeful spirits, who sold their souls for power only to realize the enemy of Yahweh does not translate to the friend of mankind. Not only that, but the Watchmen are fraying. Hostilities come to a head when a Watchman is murdered.

Only a Watchman can kill another Watchman, and all eyes shift to Bree.

Bree finds herself faced with a choice. Does she engineer the betrayal of the powerful city, or does she embrace her destiny as a true Watchman of Yahweh and find the killer before it’s too late?

About The Author

Lee James writes stories of hope and redemption. Whether she creates fantasy, mystery, or historical fiction, her beautifully awkward characters traverse a dark labyrinth on their journey to a hopeful end. Her work is dedicated to sharing the beauty of Christ, one faith-infused project at a time.

Keep up-to-date with all of her stories at http://www.leejameswrites.com.

April Wrap Up

April was a slow reading month due to me needing to get my self editing done for my second book. I only read seven books which is so not like me. I  tried to read books originally on my to-be-read stack (picture below) and I believe I did okay.

These are the ones I actually  finished. I managed four off the stack and a ebook . Three were review books (all in the front row) and the rest leisure reads.

3 Stars

No Bad Deed by Heather Chavez

4 Stars

The Essence of Perfection  by Nita Brooks

Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr

The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler

The Story Raider by  Lindsay A. Franklin

5 Stars

Imperfectly Happy by Sharina Harris

What Have You Done by Matthew Farrell

 

What books did you read in April? Share your titles in the comments.

Happy Reading!