Legendary stuntman Howard Cline, better knows as All Jacks of All Trades, died while demonstrating his latest epic stunt. He jack-be-nimbled over the room size candlestick but instead of sticking the landing, it stuck him. He landed on his beloved, full-size ceramic cow with crumbled horns. Now Silver City, NM Duties Amanda Thomas and Johnny Travis are trying to determine if it was an accident or if there was foul play…in the house that Jack built.
Listen here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcast.
Bastard Verdict is a Political Thriller. FBI Special Agent Imogen Trager is on sabbatical. She’s taking a break from the fall out of her last cases to dive into the safe world of academia. At visiting fellow at Scotland’s University of Glasgow, she’s diving into the data behind referendums in the US, Scotland, and Sweden. But then a question is raised about the validity of the 2014 Scottish referendum on independence. And that quick, Imogen is back in the thick of it.
Bottom line: Bastard Verdict is for you if you like sophisticated, intricately woven political thrillers steeped in real historical events.
Listen to the first chapter here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcast
Strengths of the story. The strength of the story is the premise: the exploration of a fascinating “what if”. What if an election was stolen…that the victor would have won anyway? Was a crime committed? Where is the accountability? How high does it go? What would the victors do to stop the story from coming out?
This is Imogen’s 4th case so she is an established and well-developed character. As this book is set in Scotland, not the US, there are no continuing characters from previous books. This makes it an easy choice to pick up, even if you haven’t read the previous books.
Thriller lovers should be aware this is a political thriller, so the tension and action are more intellectual and less physical. The pacing is strong with the storyline continuously moving forward. Interestingly, the story is largely driven by the “villains”, forcing the heroes to act and react throughout the book.
Where the story fell short of ideal:
I had two minor challenges reading the book. First centers around point of view. Bastard Verdict is told from multiple points of view, as is common with thrillers. But occasionally, the change in point of view happened within a continuous scene, often subtly. It was enough that I had to stop and re-read to understand the narrating character changed.
The second challenge centered around logic and sequence. Once the story gets rolling, the actions of the characters are consistent, even if driven by fear, greed, or paranoia. They are bad guys, after all. The starting premise that gets Imogen going on the research isn’t the strongest and a coincidence regarding one of the characters strikes as convenient. Small detractions for an otherwise enjoyable read on an intriguing premise.
No book will ever please everyone, which is why the first two reviews for PSYCHO THERAPY, the final book in the Diamond series, really made me feel like I did something right. Excerpts are below with links to the full review. If you are interested in reading PSYCHO THERAPY in exchange for your review, please email me at tina at tgwolff dot com and I will send you the e-book. Reviews are key to getting new readers to give me a chance. As I have yet to crack the secret to getting hundreds of reviews, I am asking for your help getting started.
From Guatemala Paula Love to Read
“The plot sends Diamond across the country and around the globe as she chases down clues left behind by a master hacker, and there are plenty of twists and turns that amp up the excitement. However, Diamond’s narrative, her distinctive inner voice, and the author’s stylish prose keep me coming back for more. TG Wolff has quickly become one of my favorite writers this past year.”
“What sets Psycho Therapy apart from the classic detective style that many readers, myself included, hold dear is the quirky and memorable main female character. Strong, intelligent, and refreshingly unconventional, she subverts the typical tropes of female characters in detective fiction. Her witty dialogue and unorthodox investigative methods inject a sense of authenticity and relatability that is often lacking in similar narratives. She proves to be a refreshing departure from the norm, contributing to the novel’s uniqueness.”
Diamond. One name for a woman who is faking it until she makes it. And she will make it. At least that’s what she’s telling herself.
Dr. Robin Ransom is a therapist to first responders, cops, and spies. She has a problem. She is being blackmailed via email by a nameless, faceless crook. Her neighbor Murali Devi, is an IT wizard who said he’d take care of the problem for her. Now he’s dead. And there’s a hot British guy after her for information she swears she doesn’t have.
Before Diamond was a widow, she was a CIA agent with lethal skills. Skills she nearly used on herself. An intervention puts her on Dr. Ransom’s couch and squarely in the middle of a high-stakes game of blackmail, kidnapping, and murder. From a video gaming Beastmaster in Michigan, to a suicide bomber in Virginia, to a psychiatric conference in the south of France, Diamond jumps in with her usual flair for chaos and destruction. But Fate isn’t satisfied, pushing Diamond into a position where it is either her or the person she cares for most.
From Down & Out Books. Available from online retailers and by request from your favorite bookseller.
DJ Jaye Jordan is working alone, spinning tunes for lonely hearts on a Saturday night. When company arrives, it isn’t her yoga buddies, but a blast from the past…with a gun. Time is running out. If Jaye can’t solve this cold case, she just may have to resort to Jumpin’ Jack Flash.
Listen here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcast.
The Hemingway Deception is a Thriller. Hemingway. No one knows who he is or what he can do, only that he is the ultimate prize. The key lies with Dr. Montilla, who some label a saint and others a guerilla.
Ana Karras Montilla survived her upbringing in the jungles of Colombia to establish a ‘normal’ life in Queens. Now her missionary parents have gone missing and saving them means embracing everything she fought to escape. Trane does the dirty work that needs to be done. To protect his Washington-insider bosses, has to find Montilla, then Hemingway to put a permanent end to his plans. Catalina Reyes is a Cuban spy who has lost her husband and has lost her direction. Desperation drives her to take on this mission where succeed or die are the only outcomes and Montilla is her guide. Luke Brennan is NYPD, working to make sense of the mess Karras and Trane leave in their wake. Everyone keeps telling him to let this one go. Right. Like he’s going to listen.
Bottom line: The Hemingway Deception is for you if you like multi-hero stories where everyone is out for themselves for damn good reasons and the stakes are so high, losing means war.
Listen to the first chapter here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcast
The Hemingway Deception was released from Suspense Books and promoted by Partners in Crime Tours and is available from AMAZON LINK and other book retailers.
About Tj O’Connor
Tj O’Connor is the author of The Hemingway Deception, Dying with a Secret, (pending publication), The Consultant and four paranormal murder mysteries. Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. Tj is a Harley Davidson pilot, a man-about-dogs, and a lover of adventure, cooking, and good spirits (both kinds). He was raised in New York’s Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Labrador companions in Virginia where they raised five children who are supply a growing tribe of grands!
Chief Tom Goldston is trying to save the Taraca Bay police department by solving the murder of the baseball team’s beloved mascot Lumber Jack aka Wilson Bain. Here are the people Tom has interviewed in the order he’s talked to them:
• Franklin Langford, owner of the Lumberjacks who hired Bain to be the mascot;
• Boomer Cordillero, low level criminal who Bain owed money;
• Paul Caverly, Lumberjacks GM who oversaw Bain;
• Kirk Van Ness, Defender of the Redwood who no showed the road trip;
• Ryan Mitchell, Lumberjacks best player; and
• … and I’m adding Sheriff Adam Jones because he’s an a-hole.
Listen here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For podcast.
Psycho Therapyis a Mystery. Diamond. One name for a woman who is faking it until she makes it. And she will make it. At least that’s what she’s telling herself. Dr. Robin Ransom is a therapist to first responders, cops, and spies. She has a problem. She is being blackmailed via email by a nameless, faceless crook. Her neighbor Murali Devi, is an IT wizard who said he’d take care of the problem for her. Now he’s dead. And there’s a hot British guy after her for information she swears she doesn’t have.
Before Diamond was a widow, she was a CIA agent with lethal skills. Skills she nearly used on herself. An intervention puts her on Dr. Ransom’s couch and squarely in the middle of a high-stakes game of blackmail, kidnapping, and murder. From a video gaming Beastmaster in Michigan, to a suicide bomber in Virginia, to a psychiatric conference in the south of France, Diamond jumps in with her usual flair for chaos and destruction. But Fate isn’t satisfied, pushing Diamond into a position where it is either her or the person she cares for most.
Bottom line: Psycho Therapy is for you if you like fast-paced mysteries, dynamic characters, and story meant to be read just for the fun of it.
Listen to the first chapter in Diamond’s third and final (gulp) adventure mystery.
Find Mysteries to Die For wherever you get your podcasts including Apple, Google Play, Spotify…or you can listen right here.
Welcome to season 6 of Mysteries to Die For: Things that Go Jack in the Night. Our first “jack” of the season is Pepper Jack Cheese! Yum.
When love-struck Logan Wesley and his Jack Russell Terrier Jack take their daily walk past the home of his dream girl, Logan gets more than he bargains for. Elizabeth’s father is laying on the walkway, dead. The suspects include:
Kristine Wellingham, the trophy wife;
Roger Wellingam, the older son who is kinda weird;
Elizabeth, Logan’s crush who is reported being sexually abused by her father;
Cyndra Heston, the delivery woman who discovered the body; and
Logan’s own dead beat father (what was he even doing there?)
Listen here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For Podcast
ABOUT Pepper Jack Cheese
From the website for Shisler’s Cheese House in Orrville, Ohio – 24/7 hotline https://cheesehouse.com/
Pepper Jack Cheese is a cow’s milk cheese that blends the creamy, buttery flavor of Monterey Jack cheese with the intensity of spicy peppers. Jalapeños, serrano peppers, and habañero peppers are all used to create heat. As the cheese ages, the peppery flavor intensifies. Some older pepper jacks can taste quite zesty, but generally, the cheese is only aged for a few months. It will take on a creamy color and semi-firm textures.
Monterey Jack Cheese was made by the Mexican Franciscan friars of Monterey, California, in the 19th century. Then David Jack, a California businessman, decided that the market for the cheese could be developed. He produced the mild, white cheese that we now call Monterey Jack. Later, producers began to add small pieces of spicy peppers to the curds of their Jack cheese, creating Pepper Jack Cheese.
KM Rockwood draws on a varied background for stories, among them working as a laborer in a steel fabrication plant, operating glass melters and related equipment in a fiberglass manufacturing facility, and supervising an inmate work crew in a large medium security state prison. These jobs, as well as work as a special education teacher in an alternative high school and a GED teacher in county detention facilities, provide most of the background for novels and short stories.
Diamond has come a long way in three books. From Washington DC, to Rome and Tuscany, to Lock Ness and the Scotland countryside. In this last book of the trilogy, she completes her widow’s run…but will she survive it.
From Down & Out Books comes PSYCHO THERAPY.
Diamond. One name for a woman who is faking it until she makes it. And she will make it. At least that’s what she’s telling herself.
Dr. Robin Ransom is a therapist to first responders, cops, and spies. She has a problem. She is being blackmailed via email by a nameless, faceless crook. Her neighbor, Murali Devi, is an IT wizard who said he’d take care of the problem for her. Now he’s dead. And there’s a hot British guy after her for information she swears she doesn’t have.
Before Diamond was a widow, she was a CIA agent with lethal skills. Skills she nearly used on herself. An intervention puts her on Dr. Ransom’s couch and squarely in the middle of a high-stakes game of blackmail, kidnapping, and murder. From a video gaming Beastmaster in Michigan, to a suicide bomber in Virginia, to a psychiatric conference in the south of France, Diamond jumps in with her usual flair for chaos and destruction. But Fate isn’t satisfied, pushing Diamond into a position where it is either her or the person she cares for most.
Available in e-book and trade paperback, upon request from your favorite bookseller and from on-line retailers
A day off at a waterpark turns into working day for Detective Connelly when a Kiddie Train ride is derailed, taking out the beloved mascot. With Crocs in sport mode, Detective Connelly goes…where no man should go.
Fans of Inspector Clouseau and Inspector Gadget will love Detective Connelly, a man for whom brilliance and insanity is a razor thin line.
Listen here or wherever you get Mysteries to Die For Podcast.
Detective Connolly closes out Season 5. Check out the anthology, available in print and e-book. Join use July 14 for the start of Season 6: Things That Go Jack in the Night.
TG Wolff 