Book Review: A Woman Scorned By Rebecca Howie

 
A Woman Scorned
(The Sam Beckett Mysteries, Book 2)

Rebecca Howie

Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult
Publisher: Createspace
Format: Paperback, 284 Pages
Date: 17^th December 2017

ISBN-10: 1979039798
ISBN-13: 978-1979039796

Purchase: Paperback | Kindle Edition

 

Disclaimer:
I received an advanced copy of this book from the author; obviously this hasn’t influenced the review below, which is my honest assessment of the novel.

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As she continues her recovery after the traumatic events of her first foray into working as P.I., Sam Beckett is compelled to go through therapy as a pre-condition for continuing her association with the Criminal Investigation Department of the local police. The shocking outcome of what should have been a simple case has not only left physical scars, but also psychological scars brought on by the guilt she feels over the death of the person closest to her. Reluctantly, Sam agrees to seeing the designated therapist only to find herself embroiled in a new investigation when she arrives for her first session to discover the shrink, Dr. Weiss, has been brutally murdered.

Book Review: The Game Begins By Rebecca Howie

 
The Game Begins
(The Sam Beckett Mysteries, Book 1)

Rebecca Howie

Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult
Publisher: Createspace
Format: Paperback, 284 Pages
Date: 2^nd October 2017 (First Published 2016)

ISBN-10: 1548240087
ISBN-13: 978-1548240080

Purchase: Paperback | Kindle Edition

 

Samantha Beckett may appear to be the typical, aimless teenage schoolgirl who doesn’t know what to do with her life, but there is more going on in her life than meets the eye. Not only does she have a troubled home life with her mother and stepfather, she also has to contend with the traumatic baggage―both psychological and physical―of having survived the car crash that claimed the life of her father; a car crash that she knows wasn’t really an accident. This conviction eventually inspires Sam to pursue her true calling in life. After she is persuaded by her best friend to complete a private investigators course, to become a qualified P.I., Sam is roped into taking on a seemingly innocuous case, little suspecting there is a greater conspiracy at play―one that will not only lead her to the truth about her father, but also put her life, and the lives of those around her, in danger.

Book Recommendation: Just Breathe By Sarah Doughty

 

I originally intended to do an #SPFBO update about the elimination of The Exercise Of Vital Powers from the competition at the semi-final stage, but now I’m going to delay it until tomorrow. Instead, today’s impromptu blog post is a book recommendation for a novel I read last month that greatly exceeded my expectations. The book in question is, Just Breathe, an urban fantasy/paranormal romance tale by Sarah Doughty, for which I posted an in depth review earlier today on my book blog, Another World, so please go and check it out. I can tell you right off the bat that this book really made an impression on me. As a result, I would love for more people to discover the book and the author.

The Most Rewarding Thing For An Author

 

I have recently come to learn that the most rewarding thing for any author, after successfully writing and publishing a book, is the feeling experienced upon discovering that the story you have written has really connected with a reader. This amazing feeling is further magnified when such a reader chooses to share their appreciation for your work with you, and the rest of the world.

The First Glowing Review For The Exercise Of Vital Powers

Credit: The Qwillery

 

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better for my SPFBO entry, along comes Kitty G’s video review of The Exercise Of Vital Powers, yesterday. Not only did Kaitlin produce a very complimentary overview of my book, watching the video has actually made me seriously start to believe that it’s a better story than I previously thought. I still don’t think it’s polished enough to progress to the final round, but Kaitlin’s praise has already had a positive effect in terms of increasing interest in my book, as well as causing a spike in sales. In that respect, entering this year’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off has definitely paid dividends so I’m really glad to be involved. Anyway, that’s enough waffling from me; you can watch Kaitlin’s review below.

Book Review: Daughter Of The Blood By Anne Bishop

 

I’ve decided to pimp my latest book review that is now live on my book blog Another World. Today the book is the dark fantasy novel, Daughter Of The Blood, the first book of The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop; feel free to go and check out my in depth thoughts on what is a very strange tale by clicking THIS LINK. I awarded the book a score of 4 out of 5 which might come as I surprise when I mention that the first time I read it (a little over a decade ago) I didn’t like it at all. Admittedly, this had a lot to do with the fact I had no idea what was going on, principally because I had been led to believe it was an urban fantasy (which it most certainly isn’t) but also because I had never read anything quite so bizarre before.