Justice Betrayed – A review

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

I’m afraid I’ve been quiet online for much of the summer. I have been enjoying cultivating my vegetable garden, well, four gardens plus a pumpkin patch to be exact. And I’ve been having tons of fun experimenting with new recipes, including making sourdough for the first time and fermenting some of this year’s bounty from the garden! 

But in between reading “how to” articles and watching videos to hone these new skills, I have managed to do some reading. One of the books I most anticipated delving into was the next instalment in my friend Patricia Bradley’s Memphis Cold Case series. Although if you haven’t read the first books in this series, it does read well as a standalone. And . . . if you’re a longtime Elvis fan, you’re especially in for a treat! 

 

Here’s the book blurb:

It’s Elvis Week in Memphis, and homicide Detective Rachel Sloan isn’t sure her day could get any stranger when aging Elvis impersonator Vic Vegas asks to see her. But when he produces a photo of her murdered mother with four Elvis impersonators–one of whom had also been murdered soon after the photo was taken–she’s forced to reevaluate. Is there some connection between the two unsolved cases? And could the recent break-in at Vic’s home be tied to his obsession with finding his friend’s killer?

When yet another person in the photo is murdered, Rachel suddenly has her hands full investigating three cases. Lieutenant Boone Callahan offers his help, but their checkered romantic past threatens to get in the way. Can they solve the cases before the murderer makes Rachel victim number four?

My Review: 

Justice Betrayed is a keep-you-guessing romantic suspense that is light on the romance. Now, I have to say that I prefer it when authors keep the “bad guy” a mystery, even in a suspense, so I was a little disappointed to “meet” the bad guy in the prologue. Until . . .

I discovered I didn’t have a clue who the person actually was in the present!

I love being kept guessing and Pat provided enough possibilities to keep me on my toes. She also had some great secondary characters, including the heroine’s polar opposite grandmothers, as well as, a sweet, mentally challenged young woman whose adoration of Elvis inadvertently entangles her in the mystery, which takes place during Elvis week in Memphis and begins with the death of a tribute artist. 

I really enjoyed this book. Ask for it at your favourite bookstore or find it all the major online retailers.

And . . . if you’re looking for Ebooks to stock your kindle, iPad, tablet or phone these last few weeks of summer…

 

A Fool and His Monet and Another Day Another Dali are both only $1.99 each through to the end of the month. You can find them on google play for your android devices, iTunes for your Apple devices, Nook, Kobo, and Amazon for kindle.

Justice Buried by Patricia Bradley

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

After several weeks of finding little time to read, it was a pleasure to delve into my friend Patricia Bradley’s newest Memphis Cold Case novel, Justice Buried.  

The heroine, Kelsey Allen is a unique security specialist and an art conservator and the story revolves around a murder and thefts at the Pink Palace Museum, which given all my research into art and antiquities for my Serena Jones Mysteries really sparked my interest. I can tell Pat did her research too! I especially enjoyed the details  about Kelsey’s rock climbing, since that was all new to me. 

Kelsey is a bit of a prickly character, but Patricia gives us plenty of insight as to why, which helps us to understand what drives her. I was ridiculously pleased to have deduced (or maybe guessed 😛 ) the culprit fairly early in the story. But I sure didn’t see the twist coming! It has a great surprise ending. 

Patricia also has a thriller coming out Oct 3rd as part of a “boxed” set with 9 other Christian thriller authors. 

And I’m gifting kindle copies to 3 randomly selected commenters (leave your comment here or on my Facebook post telling me what you like best in suspense). 

Selected recipients will be contacted Oct 3rd.

Introducing Justice Delayed by Patricia Bradley

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Looking for a new romantic suspense series to read? Or a book to discuss in your book club? 

Justice Delayed might be just what you’re looking for.

Back Cover Blurb:

In one week, the wrong man will be executed for murder.
Let the chase for the real killer begin.

Eighteen years ago, TV crime reporter Andi Hollister’s sister was murdered. The convicted killer sits behind bars, his execution date looming. But when a letter surfaces stating that the condemned didn’t do the crime, Detective Will Kincaide of the Memphis Cold Case Unit will stop at nothing to help Andi get to the bottom of it. After all, this case is personal: the man who confessed to the crime is Will’s cousin. Andi and Will must find the real killer before the wrong person is executed. But what can happen in only a week? Uncovering police corruption, running for your life, and, perhaps, falling in love?

My Review:

I really enjoyed Bradley’s last series and this introduction to the new “Memphis Cold Case” series is equally promising. Bradley incorporated more investigators/sleuths in the case than we typically get to see. Some even enjoyed scenes from their own point of view. It made for an interesting multi-faceted book, although occasionally it meant the reader was hearing similar information two or three times and I found myself flipping back to find out who already knew something and who didn’t. On the flipside, I am now really interested in all of these characters and hopeful that future books in the series will spotlight each in turn.

Bradley does a great job of showing the reactions of family members coming to terms with learning the man they’ve believed guilty of their loved one’s murder for the past eighteen years may be innocent, as well as facing truths about her they couldn’t believe. While I didn’t love the heroine Andi, I did find her actions believable given that she was under the influence of too many painkillers. It is a good wakeup call to how easily and quickly addiction can happen. By the end Andi does start to see the folly of her choices and I like that Bradley doesn’t make Andi “all better” unrealistically quickly to tie the ending in a neat bow. Hopefully we’ll glimpse Andi’s continued growth in future books, especially with the positive influence of Will, who I really like. <grin>

This would make a good book club book as it presents several issues worthy of discussion. The book itself doesn’t delve deeply into the spiritual side of them, but it offers a great springboard from which to launch the discussion

My Questions for Patricia:

What inspired you to give your heroine a growing pain med addiction?  

A good friend has just gone through drug rehab after a thirty-five-year addiction. It started when she was twenty and was prescribed hydrocodone after having her wisdom teeth extracted. I wanted to show just how easy and quick it is to become addicted

I didn’t have to do a lot of research since I had lived through the addiction and rehab with my friend. But there is a lot of information on the web about drug addiction. It is an insidious disease that destroys families. 

What’s next in the series? Will we see these characters again?

Andi will be back in book 4 and more of her journey will be discussed then.

The second Cold Case Novel is set at the Pink Palace in Memphis and opens with the heroine, Kelsey Allen breaking into a building. The hero is Brad Hollister. Here’s the blurb:

In an effort to get her security consulting business off the ground, Kelsey Allen has been spending a lot of time up in the air, rappelling down buildings and climbing through windows to show business owners their vulnerabilities to thieves. When she is hired to pose as a conservator at the Pink Palace Museum in order to test their security weaknesses after some artifacts go missing, she’s ecstatic. But when her investigative focus turns from theft to murder, Kelsey knows she’s out of her league–and possibly in the cross hairs. When blast-from-the-past Detective Brad Hollister is called in to investigate, Kelsey may find that he’s the biggest security threat yet . . . to her heart.

About Patricia Bradley:

Winner of the 2016 Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award in Suspense, Patricia Bradley lives in North Mississippi with her rescue kitty, Suzy. Her books include the romantic suspense Logan Point Series and sweet romances with Harlequin Heartwarming. Justice Delayed, a Memphis Cold Case Novel, released in January.  

 

Patricia loves connecting with readers on her blog every Tuesday where she has a Mystery Question for them to solve: www.patriciabradleyauthor.com/blog

Twitter: @ptbradley1

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/patriciabradleyauthor

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ptbradley/

Silence in the Dark by Patricia Bradley with Giveaway

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

I really enjoyed Patricia Bradley’s newest release,Silence in the Dark. This the fourth book in her Logan Point series, but you don’t have to have read the previous books to follow it at all. But if you have, it’s fun to revisit many of the characters you’ve met in previous books.

Silence in the Dark 

Here’s the book’s back cover blurb:

When Bailey Adams left Logan Point two years ago for the mission field of Chihuahua, Mexico, she thought she was getting away from her problems. Running into her ex-fiancé Danny Maxwell was not part of the plan—neither was being chased through the city by the local drug cartel, the Calatrava. Now despite her best efforts, Danny is her only chance of escaping the people chasing her and getting back to Logan Point safely. Can Bailey find the strength to face what’s coming? And in the midst of the chaos, can she keep herself from falling in love with her rescuer all over again?

My thoughts:

This fast-paced suspense kept me turning pages late into the night. It was a perfect blend of mystery, suspense and romance. Reunion romances make the idea of a romance blossoming in such a short time in such dire circumstances so much more believable. And I love that Danny got a second chance to prove his love. Pat did a fantastic job of believably portraying Bailey’s struggle to put God’s will for her life ahead of the desires of her heart. The spiritual thread is nicely woven through the story. And I love how Bailey’s parents show their love and support to her (but I won’t tell you how, because I don’t want to give anything away).  5 stars!

I asked Pat to answer a couple of questions about the book:

First where did you get the idea for this book?

Funny thing about that. Bailey came out of nowhere in a conversation between Ben Logan and Danny Maxell when I was writing the second book, A Promise to Protect:

“Have you heard from Bailey?” Ben asked when he caught up with him.

“A letter every now and then.” Danny’s clipped words warned Ben away from the subject.

I had to know why he hadn’t heard from her and where she was.

That’s too funny. Non-writers must get a chuckle over how little we sometimes know our own characters until the words spill out of their mouths. Now the first part of the book was set in Mexico. Did that present challenges for you?

A little. Since I’ve never been to Mexico, I had to talk to a lot of people who had, particularly to Chihuahua. From all the photos I found on the web, it is a beautiful area.

Hmm, it’s not a place I’d be in a hurry to visit after reading your novel! Too scary. 

Readers, I’m giving away a copy of Patricia’s book to one randomly selected commenter. I’ll pick the name after midnight EDT Saturday. So…

Your Turn: Do you have a question for Pat? About the book, the series or her writing?

If you’d like to connect with Pat, you can find her at: PT Bradley (1)

www.patriciabradleyauthor.com

www.facebook.com/patriciabradleyauthor
https://twitter.com/PTBradley1;

http://www.pinterest.com/ptbradley/

And her Silence in the Dark can be purchased at:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

CBD

Behind the Scenes Glimpse of the Writing of Gone Without a Trace by Patricia Bradley

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

“Shh.” I glanced from side to side. “It’s a little known secret that authors think their characters are–uh, hum, there’s no less absurd way to say this than just to flat out admit it–real. They think they’re real!”

Case in point: I invited Patricia Bradley to interview her character for today’s blog, and…  PT Bradley (1)

This is the scenario I walked in on:

“You busy?” Pat said to the hero of her latest novel, Gone Without a Trace.

She looked from his computer to the doorway. Alex Jennings leaned against it, a frown on his face. “A little. Do you have a problem?”

“No. I just want to hang out.”

I could tell this bugged her. She’s confided in me more than once that she hates it when characters won’t tell her what’s wrong, when she has to drag it out of them. She closed the top on her Macbook. “Spit it out.”

“Spit what out?” He stepped into the room and moved a research book from the Queen Anne chair beside her desk (a very nice chair I might add) and then sat down. Of course, his 6’2” frame looked ridiculous in it.

“Hold on a sec,” she said, and exchanged places with him. “Now, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He crossed his arms and stared out the window.

She waited. Although I noticed her toe impatiently tapping.

After two minutes of staring, he turned to her. “What am I doing in Logan Point, Mississippi? I’m a Texan, all the way back to the Alamo, and Texans belong in Texas.”

“You don’t like Logan Point?”

“I didn’t say that.” He smiled. “Actually, it’s a great little town. And I love Kate’s B&B. Did you know that woman can do some cooking?”

“Hmm. I think I knew that. So, what’s the problem?”

Alex pressed his lips together. “It’s that detective you paired me with. Livy Reynolds. She’s driving me crazy.”

From the slight curve in Pat’s lips, I could tell that warmed her heart, but she managed to restrain a full blown smile. “Exactly how does she do that?”

“She’s going to organize me to death. Have you seen her lists? That woman makes a list for everything. And that’s not all. She.Is.A.Control.Freak.”

“And you’re not?”

“Hmph.”

She doodled with her pencil. “Do you like anything about her?”

A gleam lit his eyes. “Have you seen her with Abby? That little girl has Livy hogtied.” He tilted his head. “And she has courage. She’s pretty, too.”

“So it’s not all bad?”

His eyes widened. “Uh, uh. You’re not going to—” He jumped up and palmed his hands up . “No. Don’t you dare try to get us together. Not happening. Not in a million years. She’s too bossy. And she hates flying.”

“If you say so.” She took her chair back and shooed him out of her office. Gone without A Trace

I slipped out of my hiding place behind the curtain to find Pat madly typing. “What’s up?” I asked.

She laughed sinisterly. “I just figured out another way to torture the both of them!”

Wasn’t that fun? (Okay, I might’ve made up her sinister laugh. Pat is really quite sweet even if she does love to torture people, ur, characters.)

Patricia, thanks so much for giving us a behind-the-scene glimpse of your character development!

Blog readers, if you love romantic suspense, you’ll enjoy this book. I was ridiculously pleased to have figured out whodunit before the end, but…Pat still managed to make me think I might’ve gotten it all wrong in those tense last chapters.

Pat hails from Mississippi, where I’ve never been, but I’ve enjoyed vicariously visiting the Deep South through her novels. I had the privilege of rooming with Patricia at last year’s Writer’s Police Academy and have to say that honoring God through her writing is her number one priority. Gone Without a Trace is the fourth book in her Logan Point Series from Revell, and…

I’m giving away a copy of Gone Without a Trace.

Answer one of these three questions in the comments to enter:

1) Where would you rather live Texas or Mississippi?

2) Do you make lists? How much do you put on them–as detailed as eat breakfast & brush your teeth or just the big projects?

3) How long do you think a couple should date (or know each other) before they talk marriage?

Thanks so much for visiting today! I hope you enjoyed meeting Pat and Alex. You can learn more about Pat at her website: http://patriciabradleyauthor.com/ or connect on Facebook.

And…for first time visitors to my site, check out Deadly Devotion, book one in my Port Aster Secrets series, also from Revell Publishing. It’s currently free in Ebook format at online retailers!

 

Review – A Promise to Protect

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Patricia Bradley, in A Promise to Protect, the second book in her Logan Point series, once again delivers a wonderful, keep-you-guessing romantic suspense. And don’t worry, you don’t have to have read book one. This is a standalone novel that will give people who have enjoyed book one the added fun of seeing what some of its characters are up to now.

A Promise to Protect book cover

And who could resist the stunning cover?

Pat does a fabulous job of making the Mississippi setting come to life. As a Canadian who’s never traveled to the deep South, it was quite a vivid experience. One particular scene involving snakes even haunted my dreams!

Here’s the book blurb:

Acting Sheriff Ben Logan hasn’t heard from Leigh Somerall in a very long time, but it doesn’t mean he can get her—or their whirlwind romance of ten years ago—out of his head. When she calls out of the blue it is with a strange request to protect her brother, Tony. But when Tony dies just days later, Ben is charged with a different task—protecting Leigh and her nine-year-old son, TJ, from the killers. But how can Ben keep an eye on Leigh if she’s doing everything in her power to avoid him? And could the secret that Leigh is keeping change Ben’s life forever?

Suspense, intrigue, and a touch of romance make A Promise to Protect perfect for readers who like their stories with a hearty dose of mystery.

Me again: Now, as you probably guessed from the description. This is a secret baby story. While I often have a difficult time sympathizing with a heroine who keeps her child’s parentage a secret from the father, and admittedly there were a couple of spots that I wanted to knock Leigh upside the head for not finally coming clean, for the most part, the fast-paced scenarios compelled me to suspend judgement and read on to see how the Lord might change her heart.

Let’s Get to Know Pat & Her Characters Better

I borrowed the idea for the following questions from Jessica Patch’s blog. BTW, I’ll be there on Friday doing a giveaway.

Would you rather be single or married?

Pat: since I’ve been dating the same guy for going on 17 years, I figure I’d rather be single. Maybe that’s why I write a little romance. 🙂

Leigh: Married, but he’d have to really like children.

Ben: Single. I have panic attacks when I get around kids.

Would you rather be invisible or read minds?

Pat: I’d rather be invisible. I used to watch Topper and really wanted to be like George and Marion Kerby.

Leigh: I’d rather read minds. I think I’d be a better doctor if I could. And I’d like to know what Ben Logan is thinking.

Ben:  I’d rather read minds. It would make being a sheriff much easier if I knew what the criminal was thinking. And Leigh, too. She’s so hard to read. And maybe I could discover what’s really bothering her.

Oh, I remember, Topper! Thanks so much, Pat, Leigh and Ben!

I actually had the opportunity to room with Patricia Bradley this past September at the Writer’s Police Academy. It was especially fun to hear her warm Southern drawl, which I then found myself hearing in the character’s voices as I read. 😀

In getting to know her, it quickly became clear that honoring God through her writing is her top priority. She is also an abstinence/healthy relationship speaker. And when she’s not writing or speaking, or posing for crazy pics with me

Pat & Sandra

she throws mud on a wheel and tries to make something beautiful.

A Promise to Protect is available from all the major retailers. If you’d like to connect with Pat, you’ll find her at: http://patriciabradleyauthor.com/ and her Facebook author page

Your Turn: Pat is crazy busy these days with approaching deadlines for both another book from Revell and one for Harlequin’s Heartwarming line. But she’ll be happy to answer your questions. So ask away!

Interview with Heroine of Shadows of the Past by Patricia Bradley & Giveaway

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

I am delighted to introduce you to author Patricia Bradley and her debut romantic suspense, Shadows of the Past.

Shades_of_the_Past

I had the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this wonderful book for endorsement. Here’s what I thought:

“In Shadows of the Past, Patricia Bradley has created the perfect kind of mystery-novel-hero—emotionally wounded with a heart of gold. Add in a determined criminal-profiler heroine, an unknown stalker, and an eclectic collection of wonderfully developed secondary characters (aka suspects), and Bradley had me totally hooked. An outstanding first book in the Logan Point romantic suspense series. Looking forward to the next installment.”

Since I enjoyed Patricia’s characters so much, I invited her to drop by and interview one of them for us. But first some background on story: 

Psychology professor and criminal profiler Taylor Martin prides herself on being able to solve any crime, except the one she wants most desperately to solve—the disappearance of her father twenty years ago. When she finally has a lead on his whereabouts, Taylor returns home to Logan Point, Mississippi, to investigate. But as she is stalking the truth about the past, someone is stalking her.

Nick Sinclair pens mystery novels for a living, but the biggest mystery to him is how he can ever get over the death of his wife—a tragedy he believes he could have prevented. With his estranged brother the only family he has left, Nick sets out to find him. But when he crosses paths with Taylor, all he seems to find is trouble.

Okay, take it away, Pat.

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog, Sandra. I thought your readers might enjoy an interview with Taylor. This character literally popped into visit one morning during my quiet time and she told me someone one was stalking her.

Patricia: So, Taylor do you always startle people?

Taylor: Not on purpose, but I do seem to have that knack.

Patricia: What do you think of Nick Sinclair?

Taylor: Nick? At first he made me uncomfortable, the way he defended his brother. After all, I did accuse his brother of stalking me. But then I got to know him, and his loyalty to his brother touched my heart. I would have reacted the same way if someone accused my brother Chase of stalking.

Patricia: You seem so sure of yourself and your opinions. Are you always right?

Taylor: Usually. (she grins). Really? Not always, but enough that I’ll stick to my guns until I’m proven wrong.

Patricia: enough talk about guns. Valentine’s Day is coming up. What is your idea of a perfect date for that special day? And with whom?

Taylor: Hmmm. The last question is a no-brainer. Nick. He is one exciting man! Just thinking about him makes my heart beat faster. Not that I wanted to like him at first. Seems like when we first met, all we did was argue.

And for where? If it’s one of those rare warm days we sometimes get in Logan Point, Mississippi in February, a picnic would be sweet. But since that probably won’t happen, I think I’d like for Nick to take me out to eat at the Blues Espresso. We could listen to some really good jammin’, and he could play his harmonica.

Patricia: That sounds like a great Valentine’s date! Do you want to tell the readers if you and Nick have a future?

Taylor, smiling mysteriously. Nope. But the answer is in the book…

That was great! Thanks so much, Patricia and Taylor for joining us.

Blog Readers: I’m giving away a copy of Shadows of the Past. If you’d like your name thrown into the hat, please scroll to the bottom of this post and ask Patricia or Taylor a question about the story, or about herself, or her next book in the series…whatever you’re curious about. And click through the rafflecopter options for additional opportunities to enter, and…a chance to win an advanced copy of my next Love Inspired Suspense, Perilous Waters.

open+heartWinner will be drawn on Valentine’s Day!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Goodreads members can also enter a giveaway there which ends Feb 18th: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/78819-shadows-of-the-past-a-novel

 

Patricia Bradley

Here’s a little more about Patricia to whet your curiosity. 😉

Patricia Bradley lives in North Mississippi and is a former abstinence educator and co-author of RISE To Your Dreams, an abstinence curriculum. But her heart is tuned to suspense. Patricia’s mini-mysteries have been published in Woman’s World, and her debut novel, Shadows of the Past, is the first of three set in Mississippi and will release February 4, 2014. She will present a workshop, Writing 50,000 words in 30 days, at the Midsouth Christian Writer’s Conference in Collierville, TN on March 8, 2014

Patricia’s Website: www.patriciabradleyauthor.com

Blog: http://mbtponderers.blogspot.com/

Twitter Handle: @PTBradley1