Friday, October 13, 2023

JUST THE NICEST PERSON and HE WALKS AMONG US (True Crime Junkies #1 and #2) Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

JUST THE NICEST PERSON

A chilling, unputdownable suspense and cold case mystery (True Crime Junkies Book 1)
"Henrietta Blanco was just the nicest person. She was a mother, a wife, and a homesteader, loved by her family, church, and community. And she was murdered in cold blood eight years ago."

"Henrietta's killer has never been found . . . . . but that's about to change." And thus began true crime podcaster Craig Rogers' final episode in season seven of "Real Crime, Real Time". Hearing a strange noise outside his isolated Alaskan home, Craig takes a short break and never comes back to the microphone. His audience is stunned . . .

Among those wondering why Craig never completed his podcast is ice road trucker Andi Slade. A former attorney, who had been set up to take the fall for her employer's illegal activities, Andi is in Alaska utilizing her driving skills while managing some off-the-radar investigating in hopes of clearing her name. When a strange occurrence on a snowy night sends her rig sliding off the road, she is rescued by another person who is Alaska to find answers, former army investigator Duke McAllister, who is working as a tour guide. Taking refuge at a local trading post while waiting out the storm, they join other stranded locals and guests to form an unusual alliance, "The Arctic Circle Murder Club".

Someone is on to them! "What can wash away my sin? What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood . . . "

Veering away from her common format, the author assembles an eclectic cast of characters, who when it's all said and done, want to continue their newfound acquaintance around a common goal . . . solving crimes . . . and for Andi and Duke? . . > maybe something a little more personal? A fascinating, fast-paced story set deep in the snowy wilds of Alaska! Stay tuned for the next episode!
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 3.5 stars.

SEE NICOLE'S REVIEW

HE WALKS AMONG US

a Chilling Alaskan Mystery (True Crime Junkies Book 2)
"He was going to kill her, wasn't he? Why had she allowed hopelessness to lead her to the worst decision of her life?"

They were back together again; signaling the first official meeting of the Arctic Circle Murder Club. Minutes after convening at the plush Grayling Lodge in Fairbanks, Alaska they were interrupted by a disturbance along the icy river bank along the edge of the property. Suddenly their focus changed, instead of covering The Missing Women of Dalton Highway on their first official true crime podcast, they began to investigate what they had officially dubbed as The Ice Fairy Killer. What kind of demented mind froze victims in an ice sculpture, dressed like fairies?

Former attorney Andi Slade and retired military investigator Duke McAllister both have their own agendas to pursue on this four day venture, their combined skills serving as an anchor for their podcast team whose amateur abilities filled in the gaps with tech savvy and knowledge of the area. When the members start poking around in the pasts of the three victims, they find very few connections. Meanwhile, it becomes obvious that the perpetrator is aware of their curiosity . . . "What's really going on is that someone in this group is going to eventually be killed . . . "  Goodness, we hope not.

Prepare yourself for dizzying amounts of twists and turns, ups and downs, two steps forward, three steps back . . . a virtual escape room full of clues, but the key never opens the door . . . until the very, very, very end. And for those wondering if Andi and Duke make any progress dismantling their walls . . . there's a glimmer of hope.

"Maybe together, that's what they found. Hope. Hope away from the secrets of their past. Hope in community. Hope in finding something they were passionate about. Duke would also say hope in God. Andi had prayed for the first time in what seemed like forever."

*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

JUST THE NICEST PERSON BackCover Blurb:

Strangers—each with their own secrets—are thrown together after the murder of a beloved true crime podcaster.

Disgraced attorney Andi Slade is seeking justice for the killer who destroyed her reputation and her career. But going undercover as an ice road trucker in Alaska to find answers is just the tip of the iceberg. A brutal snowstorm, a handsome stranger, and an unsolved cold case send Andi's plans into a tailspin.

Former CID investigator Duke McAllister refuses to give up searching for his fiancĂ©e who disappeared two years ago on the Dalton Highway. When he rescues a woman on the side of the road, he knows just how much danger she’s in. Stranded together and butting heads, they discover a common interest: true crime.

When their favorite local Alaskan podcaster goes radio silent right before revealing the name of a cold case killer, they dive in to investigate only to make a terrifyingly frigid discovery. Can these strangers work together to find answers before the biting, dangerous cold claims their lives? Or even worse . . . before the killer comes looking for his own brand of justice?

River Heights Publishing, July, 2023
Available in digital ebook and paperback.
Buy JUST THE NICEST PERSON at Amazon

 

HE WALKS AMONG US BackCover Blurb:

With a killer walking among them, no one is safe . . .

When the newly formed Arctic Circle Murder Club meets in Fairbanks, Alaska, to investigate the mystery of the Missing Women of Dalton Highway, their plans take a gruesome turn.

Upon the group’s arrival at the hotel, three women’s frozen bodies are pulled from the nearby river. When a friend of one of the victims pleads for help finding out who's behind the murders, how can they say no?

The club must detour from their original plan and dive into the recesses of a killer’s mind before another victim is claimed. As they seek the truth behind the murders, opposition hits them at every turn. Shocking revelations from the past along with brimming conflict threaten to end the group just as they’ve started.

Can this group of true crime podcasters uncover someone’s dark secrets before one of their own plunges into an icy grave?

River Heights Publishing, September, 2023
Available in digital ebook and paperback.

Buy HE WALKS AMONG US at Amazon


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