Cliff Hanger by Mary Feliz: Review, Excerpt and Giveaway!

Cliff Hanger

A Maggie McDonald Mystery

by Mary Feliz

About the Book

Cliff Hanger (A Maggie McDonald Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

5th in Series

Lyrical Underground (July 16, 2019)

Paperback: 215 pages

ISBN-10: 1516105303

ISBN-13: 978-1516105304

Digital ASIN: B07JLLRRT2

When a hang-gliding stranger is found fatally injured in the cliffs above Monterey Bay, the investigation into his death becomes a cluttered mess. Professional organizer Maggie McDonald must sort the clues to catch a coastal killer before her family becomes a target . . .

Maggie has her work cut out for her helping Renée Alvarez organize her property management office. Though the condominium complex boasts a prime location on the shores of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, aging buildings and the high-maintenance tenants have Renée run ragged. But Maggie’s efforts are complicated when her sons attempt to rescue a badly injured man who crashed his ultra-light on the coastal cliffs.

Despite their efforts to save him, the man dies. Maggie's family members become the prime suspects in a murder investigation and the target of a lawsuit. Her instincts say something’s out of place, but solving a murder won’t be easy. Maggie still needs to manage her business, the pushy press, and unwanted interest from criminal elements. Controlling chaos is her specialty, but with this killer’s crime wave, Maggie may be left hanging . . .

About the Author

Mary Feliz writes the Maggie McDonald Mysteries featuring a Silicon Valley professional organizer and her sidekick golden retriever. She's worked for Fortune 500 firms and mom and pop enterprises competed in whale boat races and done synchronized swimming. She attends organizing conferences in her character's stead, but Maggie's skills leave her in the dust. Her first book, ADDRESS TO DIE FOR, received a Kirkus Star and was named a Best Book of 2017 by Kirkus Reviews.

Author Links

Website, Blog, Facebook, and Twitter

My Thoughts

Cliff Hanger by Mary Feliz is the fifth A Maggie McDonald Mystery.  Maggie McDonald along with her two boys, Brian and David are heading to Monterey Bay for the summer.  Maggie has been hired by the management of the Heron Beach Resort to help the new complex manager, Renee Alvarez organize the office and the payment includes a condo for the summer.  David and Brian notice a downed ultralight aircraft pilot and quickly contact emergency services.  The distraught family lashes out by filing a lawsuit against the boys and has them the target of an investigation by local law enforcement.  The family rallies their resources and begins a deep dive into the victim’s life.  After noticing some suspicious activity at night, Maggie believes there is some foul play afoot.  I thought Cliff Hanger was nicely written, moves along at a steady rate and is just the right length.  While Cliff Hanger is the fifth book in the series, it can easily be read alone.  The characters are established, and I find them relatable.  Maggie has a good relationship with her two kids, and they have gotten the sleuthing bug from her. The complex crime was not what you typically find in a cozy mystery (I do not want to share too much and spoil it for you).  It is multifaceted with a handful suspects and misdirection. The family certainly came up with some unique theories regarding the crime. The action kept the story moving forward toward the conclusion.  There is a good wrap-up that ties up the loose threads.  I enjoyed the authors vivid descriptions especially those of Monterey Bay and the sea life (a blue whale and dolphins).  It was interesting to learn about ultralight aircraft and the regulations for them.  I enjoyed Maggie’s handy tips at the beginning of reach chapter to help people prepare for trips.  I thought they were clever, helpful and easy to implement. Cliff Hanger has an uplifting adventure with two teenage sleuths, stunning sea life, a malodorous condo, disorganized records, and one weary woman.

Excerpt from Cliff Hanger

The boys had changed into their wetsuits in the picnic area of the state beach. Now they were boogie boarding while Belle chased them and tried to catch waves in her teeth. I checked my phone and my watch. If I didn’t move I’d be lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves. I told the boys I’d walk down to the Heron Beach Resort property to check out our unit.

Brian and David had been thrilled when I told them they’d each have their own room for the summer. Our typical Spartan vacation budget meant they normally shared a tent or a room—with mixed results. When one wanted to sleep in, the other would be anticipating a dawn fishing trip. I’d enjoyed summers of overhearing laughter as they whispered to each other past lights-out. Rumbling older voices now conversed well into the night, replacing those early giggles. Mostly, they got along. But proximity also brought fights. Hurt feelings erupted regularly, particularly when they were tired. The three-bedroom condo was a luxury we’d all enjoy.

According to Tess, a third-floor ocean-view unit meant we’d wake up to share our breakfast with chance sightings of surfing dolphins, breaching whales, and playful seals and sea otters cavorting in the waves just steps from the building. It was my idea of paradise.

Wooden staircases over the dunes marked the beach-side entrance to each condo building, and I counted them off until I spotted the sign to Building F half-buried in the dune grass. I climbed the steps and looked for our unit. But when I took the stairs to the top level, the numbers were higher than I’d expected. I checked the key and the unit number again. There

was no third-floor, ocean-view unit that matched the key Vik had given me.

I trudged down the stairs, discouraged. Had Vik handed me the wrong key? Had Renée misrepresented the promised accommodations? Had a problem developed that she’d neglected to warn me about? Until Renée surfaced, there was no way to know.

Still, while the third floor would have been a dream, all of the condos were steps from the beach and within earshot of the waves. Living on a lower level would make it easier to unload the car, bring groceries in and out, and keep up with Belle’s bathroom needs. I tried to stay positive.

I hunted the shaded lower floors for the apartment number and found it on ground level, where the view would offer beach grass instead of open water. Disappointed, I quickly tried to adjust my attitude. Beach access was beach access. And most of the time we were indoors we’d be asleep.

On the first floor, I wouldn’t have to worry that the boys’ clomping feet would disturb downstairs neighbors.

But as I unlocked the deadbolt and pushed open the door, I feared we’d have to contend with something far worse than a second-rate view. The smell alone had me gagging, and . . .

Cliff Hanger is available at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, and Google Books.  For the complete list of A Maggie McDonald Mystery novels, click here. To win a print copy of Cliff Hanger (US only), click here or enter via the Rafflecopter form below.  Visit the other stops on the tour (schedule below) to see character guest posts, author interviews, an excerpt, guest post and reviews.  Thank you for paying me a visit today.  Tomorrow I am sharing my thoughts on The Girl from the Corner Shop by Arlene Hughes.  May you have a joyful day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Participants

July 16 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST

July 16 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 16 – Carla Loves To Read - REVIEW

July 17 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW, EXCERPT

July 17 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

July 17 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 18 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews  REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 18 – Handcrafted Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 18 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW

July 19 – I'm All About Books - SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

July 19 – A Blue Million Books  - AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 20 – Baroness' Book Trove – REVIEW

July 20 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT  

July 21 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST

July 21 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

July 22 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 22 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

Window on the Bay by Debbie Macomber

Welcome!  The Pawful Truth by Miranda James is out today.  It is the eleventh A Cat in the Stacks Mystery with Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel.  Death in a Budapest Butterfly by Julia Buckley releases on July 30.  It is the first A Hungarian Tea House Mystery. 

Window on the Bay by Debbie Macomber takes readers on a journey to Seattle, Washington.  Jenna Boltz just finished moving her youngest child into the dorm room at University of Washington.  After her divorce from her cheating husband, Jenna raised Allie and Paul on her own while working as an intensive care nurse as Seattle Central Hospital.  Jenna now has an empty nest and is looking forward to trying new things liked painting plus she wants to travel to Paris with her best friend, Maureen Zelinski.  Maureen and Jenna have been planning a getaway to Paris since they were in college and next spring will be the perfect time to go.  Jenna gets a call stating her mother has fallen and has been rushed to the hospital.  Jenna’s mother, Carol has broken her hip and Dr. Rowan Lancaster will be her orthopedic surgeon.  As Jenna gets to know Rowan, she admits that she is attracted to him.  However, Jenna is reluctant to get involved with another surgeon after the way her marriage turned out.  Rowan and Jenna begin dating and enjoy each other’s company.  Maureen accepts a date with with Logan who frequents the library where she works.  They may have books in common, but they seem to have little else.  Jenna begins dreaming of a future with Rowan when she learns something unexpected about him from her daughter.  What does the future hold for these two couples?

Window on the Bay is the latest novel by Debbie Macomber.  I thought the story was well-written with steady pacing.  I enjoy Debbie Macomber’s writing style.  She manages draw the reader into her world and hold their attention.  I like that the main characters are two women in their forties who now have empty households.  Jenna and Maureen are likeable and relatable women (which Ms. Macomber is known for creating).  It is great that the two women are close friends and are there for each other.  Both women are divorced and have spent the last twenty years taking care of their kids.  Now is a chance for the two women to “spread their wings”.  Jenna wants them to finally take the trip to Paris that they had to postpone after college plus she is thinking about taking a painting class.  We also get to see a different perspective with Jenna’s eighteen year old daughter, Allie.  Jenna is making changes at home, which upsets Allie.  Allie may want to live on her own and discover who she is, but she does not want things to change at home.  This provides balance to the story and a different outlook.  Maureen and Jenna have dated sporadically over the years.  But they have been burned by their husbands, and it is hard to open themselves up to love and to trust another man.  Dating is not easy as we see with Jenna and Maureen. Each person learns something about themselves through the process.  It is never too late to grow and change.  The path to happily ever after is bumpy, but well worth the effort.   I admit that I related more to Maureen with her love of books and dislike of sports. I enjoyed the light humor sprinkled throughout the story and I appreciated that is a clean story (no foul language or intimate relations).  Jenna’s favorite spot in her home is her window seat with the view of Elliott Bay.  I could understand how she finds peace from looking out at the water.  It was nice there was an epilogue to wrap up the book.  Window on the Bay is a heartwarming book with a happily-ever-after that will please readers and reading it is a lovely way to spend a leisurely afternoon. 

Window on the Bay is available at Amazon and other major retailers.  Debbie Macomber's next release is A Mrs. Miracle Christmas which will be available on October 1.  I appreciate you joining me today.  Cliff Hanger by Mary Feliz is planned for tomorrow.  It is the fifth A Maggie McDonald Mystery.  May you have a rewarding day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

The Pawful Truth by Miranda James

Welcome!  Cliff Hanger by Mary Feliz, Buried by Ellison Cooper, Shamed by Linda Castillo, A Genuine Fix by J.C. Kenney and Window on the Bay by Debbie Macomber come out tomorrow. A Charming Misfortune by Tonya Kappes and Versions of Her by Andrea Lochen will be released on July 23.  Which new release are you looking forward to reading?

The Pawful Truth by Miranda James returns readers to Athena, Georgia.  Charlie Harris has enrolled in the history of early medieval England taught by the enigmatic Dr. Carey Warriner.  Charlie is glad to see another mature student in the classroom, but Professor Warriner is less than thrilled by the appearance of Dixie Belle Compton.  Charlie is surprised when Dixie later shows up at his office asking to be his study partner.   Charlie is happy to have an excuse to turn her down especially after Melba warns him that Dixie is trouble with a capital T.  On Friday, Dixie fails to show up for class.  When Charlie arrives at home, he finds Chief Deputy Kanesha Berry waiting for him.  Dixie was found dead in her apartment and Charlie cannot help but wonder if Professor Warriner could be responsible especially after his recent uncharacteristic behavior.  Melba shares gossip that has been circulating about Professor Warriner and his wife, Dr. Irene Warriner who teaches in the English department.  Irene happens to be best selling Regency romance author who has a book signing at the local bookstore on Saturday which Charlie attends.  Unfortunately, the event goes sideways when Carey Warriner attacks a colleague.  The next day, another murder rocks the town.  The Ducote sisters pay Charlie a visit to ask him to do a little snooping in order to get the crimes solves in a more expeditious manner.  Charlie is happy to oblige, but this time his curiosity may get him killed.  

The Pawful Truth by Miranda James is the eleventh A Cat in the Stacks Mystery. There is background information in the first half of The Pawful Truth to aid those who are new to A Cat in the Stacks Mystery.  Personally, I suggest you begin with Murder Past Due. I always enjoying picking up the latest installment in A Cat in the Stacks Mystery series.    I thought The Pawful Truth was well-written and the pace moved along steadily.  Athena, Georgia is a small Southern college town with charming shops and some quirky residents.  I like the cast of characters which includes Charlie, Diesel, Melba, Azalea, Helen Louise, Stewart, Haskell, the Ducote Sisters, and, the newest member, Ramses.  I like that Charlie is an older protagonist along with his love of books.  He is a good man who loves his family, friends and fur babies.  Charlie’s family is included so we can find out how his daughter-in-law is doing after her bout with postpartum depression.  I can tell that the author has cats from the way she describes their behavior especially Ramses.  When Ramses uses Charlie’s leg for a climbing tree, she perfectly described how it feels to have those sharp little claws digging into your leg.  I just love Diesel’s little chirps.  Those two cats are such charmers and their antics had me chuckling.  The mystery had several viable suspects and there were good clues.  It is a whodunit that can be solved before the solution is revealed, but that did not deter my enjoyment of this cozy mystery.  I did feel there was to much speculation and repetition of case details.  I did like seeing more of Miss Dickce Ducote.  She has a mischievous side that likes to come out now and then.  We also get to meet to two new ladies who are administrative assistants at the college, and they provide some helpful information.  The Pawful Truth has rampant gossip, two suspicious deaths, a curious kitten, a distrustful spouse, a tolerant Maine Coon Cat, and an admittingly nosey librarian.

The Pawful Truth will be out Tuesday, July 16 and can be purchased on Amazon (as well as Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks).  The next novel in A Cat in the Stacks Mystery series is Careless Whiskers which comes out on January 21, 2020.  You can find the complete list of A Cat in the Stack Mystery novels here.  Thank you for visiting today.  I will be sharing my review of Window on the Bay by Debbie Macomber tomorrow.  I hope you have a remarkable day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Left Fur Dead by J.M. Griffin: Review, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Left Fur Dead

A Jules & Bun Mystery

by J.M. Griffin

About the Book

Left Fur Dead (A Jules & Bun Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

1st in Series

Kensington (June 25, 2019)

Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

ISBN-10: 1496720571

ISBN-13: 978-1496720573

Digital ASIN: B07HVS38YB

On Fur Bridge Farm, Jules cares for rescued rabbits. But when a killer strikes, she'll need a rabbit to rescue her . . .

Juliette “Jules” Bridge prides herself on the tender rehabilitation she provides for injured or abused rabbits on her New Hampshire rescue farm, but she has a very special relationship with one bunny in particular. Bun is a black-and-white rabbit who happens to have the ability to communicate through mental telepathy. Once she got over the shock, Jules found her furry friend had a lot to say.

One frigid March morning on their walk together, Bun spots a body. The police identify the frozen stiff as Arthur Freeman, aka Arty the Mime. Jules and Arty knew each other on the children's party circuit, where he’d perform magic tricks and she had an educational rabbit petting pen. With Bun egging her on, Jules decides it’s time they hop to it and put their heads together to discover who silenced the mime. But their investigation leads them down a rabbit hole of more suspects and lies, while a killer sets a trap for them . . .

About the Author

J. M. Griffin is the bestselling cozy mystery author of sixteen novels, including the Vinnie Esposito series. She lives in rural Rhode Island with her husband and two very mysterious cats. Visit her at jm-griffin.com.

Author Links

Readers can connect with J.M. Griffin through the following links:  Website, Facebook, and Blog.

My Thoughts

Left Fur Dead is a cute cozy mystery.  Jules Bridge is the caretaker of Fur Bridge Farm which takes injured and abused bunnies.  She also breeds and raises rabbits as well as runs a store on the farm that sells yarn and rabbit related items.  Bun is Jules bunny housemate that she rescued from Margery Shaw who called the little fellow the devil spawn.  Margery just did not understand what Bun was trying to communicate.  Oh, I may have forgotten to mention that Bun talks to Jules using mental telepathy and he is a very curious little bunny.  When the pair find Arty the Mime dead in the snow, Bun is eager to investigate.  He has a nose for sleuthing plus he has keen hearing.  Jules is having trouble at the farm with someone breaking into the barn and opening the rabbit cages.  The situation continues to escalate, and Jules is worried about her little rabbit charges.  Left Fur Dead is nicely written and progresses at a steady pace.  I like the main characters of Jules, Bun, Sheriff Jack Carver and Jess Plain.  The mystery has a handful of suspects and there are clues to help readers identify the guilty party.  I did feel that the case was a little drawn out.  Weeks go by before this case is put to bed.  Also, Jules was a little reckless.  She put herself into danger more than once (and then what would happen to the rabbits).  There are some clever aspects to the mystery with a good reveal and a nice wrap-up.   Jules and Bun are cute together and I enjoyed their interactions.  Jess is a good friend to Jules, and I look forward to getting to know her better in future books.  Sheriff Jack Carver is a nice man with a sweet wife who loves to buy yarn.  Jack frequently tells Jules to keep her nose and Bun’s out of the case.  I did wonder why Jack told her this right after she found the body.  I have a feeling that Jules has tried to help Jack in the past.  Left Fur Dead is an upbeat cozy mystery with a dead mime, an inquisitive rabbit, a cunning killer, and a worried rabbit rescuer ready to hop to it to find the mime's killer.

Excerpt from Left Fur Dead

Who was this dead person, and what was he doing by the lake? Inwardly, I shivered at the thought of him dying in the cold, and then turned my attention to what the sheriff was saying.

He waited for an answer to the question I hadn’t heard and then repeated it as he tipped his head in the dead man’s direction. “Are you familiar with him?”

“No, I don’t recognize him. Do you?”  I pointed to the dark spot. “Is that blood on the ground?” “It doesn’t concern you.”

Bun moved around, then wiggled his head out of the sling again. He watched the sheriff with keen eyes.  Jack gave Bun a glance, then offered me a cool attitude that surely meant he’d be asking the questions.

“You’re certain you’ve never met him before? Maybe he stopped by the farm, or you ran into him in town?” 

“Not that I know of. If I did come across him somewhere, he didn’t make an impression. Sorry, Jack.” We walked from the beach onto the upper part of the road where his patrol car sat running.  “Do you always walk with the rabbit?”

I smiled a bit. “Every morning. It’s good for us both.”  With a smirk, he nodded. “If I think of anything else, I’ll be in touch.” Jack tipped his hat-covered head and got into the cruiser. He drove off without a backward glance as I walked on while Bun chatted up a storm.

“Why was he so insistent on you knowing that man? Do you know him? Has he been by the farm? Why didn’t I see him if he did?”  “Stop talking long enough for me to answer you. I have no idea why Jack thinks I’ve seen the guy. He hasn’t been at the farm when I’ve been there, and that’s why you aren’t familiar with him.”

I heaved a sigh. “And, by the way, we aren’t going to get involved in the investigation, so get that idea out of your head right now.”

Left Fur Dead will have you wondering what life would be like if your fur baby talked to to you.  Left Fur Dead is available through Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Google Play, and IndieBound.  The next A Jules & Bun Mystery is Who's Dead, Doc? which will be out on February 25, 2020.  To enter the giveaway for a print copy of Left Fur Dead (US Only), click here or enter using the Rafflecopter form below.  Good Luck!  Please take the time to stop by the other stops on the tour (schedule below) for character interviews, guest posts, excerpts, and character guest posts. Thank you for joining me today.  Next time I am sharing my review of The Pawful Truth by Miranda James which releases on July 16.  It is the eleventh novel in A Cat in the Stacks Mystery series.  Have a beautiful day and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Participants

July 8 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

July 8 – Socrates Book Reviews - SPOTLIGHT

July 8 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

July 8 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 9 – Mochas, Mysteries, and Meows - REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

July 9 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

July 9 – The Book's the Thing – REVIEW

July 9 – The Power of Words – REVIEW

July 10 – I'm All About Books – GUEST POST

July 10 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

July 10 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW

July 10 – That's What She's Reading - SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

July 11 – Cozy Up With Kathy - REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 11 – Sneaky the Library Cat's Blog - CHARACTER INTERVIEW

July 11 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 12 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW

July 12 – Teresa Trent Author Blog - SPOTLIGHT

July 12 – The Cozy Pages – REVIEW

July 13 – Sapphyria's Books – REVIEW

July 13 – Here's How It Happened – CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 13 – Laura's Interests – SPOTLIGHT

July 13 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews - REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 14 – Brianne's Book Reviews – REVIEW

July 14 – The Avid Reader - REVIEW, EXCERPT

July 14 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

July 15 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

July 15 – Books Direct – GUEST POST

July 15 – Author Teresa Watson - AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 16 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW  

July 16 – Brooke Blogs - CHARACTER GUEST POST

July 16 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

July 17 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW

July 17 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

July 17 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews - SPOTLIGHT

Pulse by Linore Burkard: Review & Giveaway!

About the Book

Book: Pulse

Author: Linore Burkard

Genre: Christian YA/Apocalyptic Suspense

Release date: August 24, 2015


What do you do when the whole world stops?

Andrea, Lexie and Sarah are just ordinary teens until a mysterious event shuts down all technology. In the dead of winter, there’s no heat, no internet, no cell phones–not even a working car.

In this chilling Christian YA tale, most of the population doesn’t survive. Pitting faith and grit against a world without power, the girls and their families must beat the odds. But can they find the strength to survive when society collapses and technology fails?

Click here to get your copy.

About the Author

Linore Rose Burkard wrote a trilogy of genuine regency romances for the Christian market before there were any regencies for the Christian market. Published with Harvest House, her books opened the genre for the CBA. She also writes YA Suspense/Apocalyptic fiction as L.R. Burkard. Married with five children, Linore home-schools her youngest daughter, teaches workshops for writers, and is the Vice President of the Dayton Christian Scribes.  Her latest  PULSE EFFEX SERIES, takes readers into a “chilling possible future for America, while affirming the power of faith in the darkest of times.”

More from Linore

When my sweet historical romance series was published, I never dreamed my next would be YA/dystopian. What a switch in genres! So, how did I go from one end of the writing spectrum to another? Blame it on an idea that refused to die. I read a headline about how close the earth came to suffering a catastrophic electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, in 2012. We missed the worst effects of a solar flare by a hair (in space terms); but the “what if” factor had been set in motion. What if that flare hadn’t missed us? What if I was a teen raised on electronics–or an adult medically dependent on them–and it all went dead in a matter of seconds? What if the next flare doesn’t miss? PULSE, the first book in my PULSE EFFEX Series, was born.

The books shows life in the aftermath of such an event for three teens and their families. With the world plunged into a new dark age, can they keep hope alive?

My Thoughts

Pulse by Linore Burkard is a Christian young adult/Apocalyptic suspense novel.  One morning Andrea, Lexie and Sarah are preparing to leave for school when the families notice that there is no electricity.  Upon further investigation, they discover that the cars will not start, cell phones are not working and there is no wi-fi.  It is a cold winter in Ohio and these three families must find a way to survive.  The story is told by the three teenage girls through their diary entries.  Sarah lives in the city, Andrea lives in a large home in suburbia while Lexie lives on a farm.  We get to see what it is like for each of them after the unthinkable happens.  They must find a way to stay warm and cook food.  Difficult times have a way of bringing out the best and the worst in individuals.  Pulse is an interesting story as we see what happens to society when there is no government to regulate people.  I did like how Lexie felt God nudging her to help her friend and how she responded to it.  I thought the first half of the book was better than the second.  It descended into political and theological rants especially regarding the right of gun ownership. There is extreme violence in Pulse (so you are prepared).  I do want readers to be aware that there is a disturbing area where one of the girl’s parents wish to “sell” their daughter to the neighborhood letch for food for the family.  While I felt the author gave an accurate portrayal of what could happen in the event of an EMP, it was not what I expected from a book that is listed as Christian young adult novel.  A wanted to share the following phrase from Pulse “human pain is hard to hear, hard to share, hard to endure.”    How would you act in similar situations?  Would your Christianity have you act differently from other?  Pulse is a book that will have you thinking as well as planning for the future.  

The other two books in The Pulse Effex series are Resilience and Defiance.  They are both available through Kindle Unlimited.  To celebrate her tour, Linore is giving away the grand prize of an eBook copy of her book and a $25 Amazon gift card.  Click here to enter.  Be sure to comment on the blog stops (schedule below) for nine extra entries into the giveaway!  Good Luck!  Thank you for stopping by today.  Tomorrow I am sharing my review of Left Fur Dead by J.M. Griffin.  It is the first novel in A Jules & Bun Mystery series.  I hope you have a sunny day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, July 13

Through the Fire Blogs, July 14

amandainpa, July 14

Genesis 5020, July 15

Real World Bible Study, July 15

Retrospective Spines, July 16

Blogging With Carol, July 17

Artistic Nobody, July 17 (Spotlight)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 18

All-of-a-kind Mom, July 18

Inspired by fiction, July 19

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, July 19

Mary Hake, July 20

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 20

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, July 21

Pause for Tales, July 21

Inklings and notions, July 22

janicesbookreviews, July 23

Emily Yager, July 23

Ashley’s Bookshelf, July 24

Texas Book-aholic, July 25

God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae, July 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 25

A Reader’s Brain, July 26