Death Hits the High Notes by GG Calpo

              About the book: Concert tickets are sold out. But will the production go on as scheduled in seven days? Two members of the choir are dead, one is MIA. and another grows weaker by the day.  Five former elementary school teachers are ignited into action, risking life and limb to find the killer. No matter what, these long-time friends are there for each other. No Matter What

Our review:  this story, book two in the Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery series, has many things going for it: in particular are the five strong, opinionated lead characters who, over the years, have supported and defended each other in times of need. Each is unique in their own personality, speech patterns and actions. Laughter abounds with this crew and no matter what—each will stick with the reader.  

Based on a score of 1-5. Death Hits the High Notes merits a 4.

Kat Henry Doran, a Wild Women Review.

Hard Lemonade by Darlene DeLuca

         Her husband fails. Her marriage fails. 

      Does that make Emily Sherridan a failure?

 About the Book: With high hopes and rose-colored shades, Emily Sherridan leaves her family and friends to build a new life in with her screenwriter husband in sunny Los Angeles. There, she learns that love conquers all…until the rent is overdue, the rejections pile up, or the test is positive.

As months, then years, go by and Eric’s career fails to launch, Emily is determined to hold everything together. But when he brings danger into their lives, it’s over. When the cops arrive at her doorstep, anguish mixes with anger. She wonders how low they can go—until one of the officers hands her the number to a women’s shelter.

Broke and broken, her dreams are dashed and her confidence is shaken. With Eric’s taunt about running home pounding in her ears, Emily pushes forward. Though she’s unsure of her direction, she cannot give up. Her daughter deserves more.

From rosy dreams to real-life roadblocks, Hard Lemonade is a compelling story of friends, family, and fierce heroes.

Our review: Women’s fiction at its finest, this novel speaks to every woman at any age:  the young college student, the empty nester of a mother [or, like me, a grandmother missing her firstborn grandchild]. Then when the trials and tribulations begin—and we know they always will—the pain and fear and heartache of how to help someone we love without taking over or playing know-it-all. This is a jewel of a story. Well told and heart wrenching.

On a scale of 1-5, Hard Lemonade merits a solid 8.

Kat Henry Doran, a Wild Women Review

The Middle of Nowhere by Rita A. Popp

At a picturesque Wyoming guest ranch, murder mars the reunion between an amateur sleuth and her cowboy boyfriend—and there’s plenty of suspects to consider. . . .

About the book: Bethany Jarviss—young, smart and beautiful—works as the grants administrator at her family’s charitable foundation in New Mexico. She’s solved crimes in the past—but when murder threatens private time with her new significant other, thereby shaking up the lives of the ranch’s owners, staff, and guests—she uses her sharp mind, talent at interviewing reluctant people, and engaging personality to solve the crime.

Our review: set against a glorious Wyoming landscape, author Popp shows her skill at creating a complex cozy mystery that features a multitude of diverse characters, each with their own secrets, ambitions and conflicts. Fans of the Bethany Jarviss Mysteries will glom onto this latest adventure of the young grants administrator with a relish.

Based on a score of 1-5, The Middle of Nowhere merits a solid 5.

Kat Henry Doran, a Wild Women Review 

Blue Dog by Karen Hulene Bartell

 . . . Locals whisper of the bayou’s thin places, where boundaries blur, and the right distorts between fact and folklore. . .

About Blue Dog:  Dierdre “Dare” Doyle has been promised three months to complete and defend her PhD dissertation while at the same time caring for her beloved aunt after rotator cuff surgery. What initially looks like a piece of cake turns into the summer from hell…and two months to complete/defend the dissertation in order to keep her job as an adjunct professor and care for her aunt.

          All that while a toxic ex isn’t sabotaging her, a Louisiana hurricane rages and a bayou shapeshifter threatens her very life. If that isn’t enough for any woman—a seductive park ranger enters the picture, competing for the little time Dare is able to eke out.

Our Review: This book strikes home on several levels, speaking first to anyone, especially a woman, as she makes her way in the super-competitive world of academia. Complicate that with the allure of the bayou and all that it has to offer. The infusion of folklore—especially for this Yankee—is an especially nice touch.

Now add a toxic ex, blend in a mysterious shape-shifter, stir in a raging hurricane and this is a whale of a story.

An accomplished story teller, this book is guaranteed to keep any reader turning the pages to uncover the secrets of the bayou and its denizens.

Based on a scale of 1-5, Blue Dog merits a 7.

Kat Henry Doran, a Wild Women Review

Red Flag For Murder

 Engines roar, secrets simmer, and a killer stays one lap ahead of the pack.

About the Book: When race car legend Leroy Crock trades the roar of the track for the quiet town of Pine Ridge, Arkansas, locals buzz with excitement. His new auto museum and adjacent professional grade racetrack are sure to be jewels of the community—until the museum’s grand opening ends in horror. Crock is found stabbed among the vintage cars and gleaming trophies by Darby Alexander, whose talent for snooping throws her into the middle of the investigation.

She digs into the high-stakes world of professional auto racing, where reputations are built on speed but can crash in the blink of an eye. Trying to stay out of the police chief’s way while she investigates, Darby, along with her best friend Lurlene, uncovers the truth behind Crock’s tangled relationships and bitter feuds, revealing long-buried rivalries, betrayals, and secrets.

Our Review: Once again, Darby and Lurlene keep readers turning those pages. What one isn’t thinking about doing, the other has already started. In the flavor of a fun cozy mystery on one of the many streaming channels on TV, this story is filled with a host of possible bad guys—and gals. For fans of non-stop action, interspersed with zany stunts and laugh out loud banter, this is the one for a terrific late summer read at the beach.

Based on a scale of 1-5, Red Flag for Murder merits a 6.

Kat Henry Doran, a Wild Women Review

Let It Be by Colleen Coyne

                                   Secrets don’t die; they wait.

 About the Book: This gripping contemporary thriller reveals buried secrets, fractured families, and the devastating cost of silence. Aiden Hadley thought his past was behind him, until an email from a former lover reveals a daughter he never knew existed and a dangerous secret tied to his wife’s death. When his estranged son is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Aiden must navigate blackmail, betrayal, and a deadly chain of events before the truth destroys them all.

     Let It Be is heart-pounding suspense where every secret has a cost—and no one escapes unscathed.

 Our Review: Just when he thought his life was finally getting back to normal, widower Aidan Hadley is blindsided by an email from an old lover—the former student he chose over his wife and their young son. Assuring himself he’d made amends to his late wife before her death, he’s dealt a second blow when he discovers the wife knew about the affair all along—and chose to forgive him for the sake of the family unit.

     Adding a load of bitter fuel to the fire, there is an adult child—one he never knew about—who might well suffer from the same genetic abnormality that claimed another child at birth.

     It doesn’t stop there; the heat keeps on coming. Mysterious women appear in his life, only to fade away. Bizarre, threatening emails continue. The apparitions continue—including a young woman in a wheelchair who bears a remarkable resemblance to the woman who once infatuated him.

     As the risk for losing his son heightens, Aiden must buckle down, use common sense and reasoning, then admit he must depend on others in order to face the secrets that continue to wait.  

    Based on a scale of 1-5. Let It Be merits a 5.

Kat Henry Doran, a Wild Women Review 

Balancing the Woofs by Tara Choate

 About the Book: Irene Lisner feels like her life is finally on track. Her sister Angie has moved hundreds of miles away. Her mother, Jennifer, appears to have followed Angie, so is rarely around. Goose, the new dog, is fun, and energetic, and the two are about to start agility training.

     On an even better side, her MS symptoms look to be easing up; work feels smooth, with no big cases on the horizon. She even has a boyfriend. It’s all too good to be true.

     But after she is assigned to help another department with a standard audit, the non-standard review sends things into a downward spiral.

 Our Review: We’ve said it in the past and will continue to shout it to the sky: a well-written, interesting book contains a minimum of three important criteria: well-drawn, multi-faceted characters, a compelling conflict, and a plot line that teaches the reader something they did not know before they turned the first page

Balancing the Woofs has it all, and more. Irene Lisner’s job as an auditor for the State of Oregon takes her into new and interesting situations, meeting some often not so nice characters…thus the reader learns something new. Irene suffers from Multiple Sclerosis but, with the advice and guidance of trusted friends and professionals, she’s coping as best she can and leading a healthy, productive life. Last, training dogs for a myriad of different events one often sees on their favorite media site is fascinating. As the book concludes a new opportunity for Irene and Goose, the energetic rescue pup, crops up—and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for this intrepid woman who never gives up.

 Based on a scale of 1-5, Balancing the Woofs merits an 8.

 Kat Henry Doran, a Wild Women Review