Our Trespasses: A Paranormal Thriller by Michael Cordell


source: free review copy arrived via the author
title: Our Trespasses
author: Michael Cordell
genre: paranormal mystery/horror/suspense
pages: 247
published: October 15, 2021
first line: Ruth stood at her ironing board, working her way though a pile of clothes in the bottomless laundry basket at her feet, mindlessly sweeping the iron back and forth across a blue denim work shirt, breaking her rhythm only to fire shots of steam at particularly stubborn wrinkles.
rated: 4 out of 5


blurb:
Drowning in a meaningless existence flipping burgers, Matthew Davis suddenly collapses from a powerful psychic connection he shares with his twin brother, Jake. The pain is violent and immediate, and Matt knows exactly what it means… hundreds of miles away, Jake has been viciously killed. But instead of severing their connection, the murder intensifies it and Matt begins to suffer the agony of Jake’s afterlife.

Hell bent on solving Jake’s murder in order to break the connection, Matt travels to his troubled hometown of Hatchett, Nebraska, where an old lover and savage new enemies expose the festering wounds that Jake left behind.

Fans of Stephen King’s The Outsider, Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians, and William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist will find this new paranormal thriller impossible to put down.

my thoughts:
Our Trespasses by Michael Cordell is a great paranormal thriller with plenty of twists and turns that had me hooked from the start.

At the center of the story are identical twins Matt and Jake. The brothers grew up in small town Hatchett, Nebraska and have lost touch since Matt moved way to New York city after high school. These two have a strong psychic connection and this is the reason why Matt moved out of town, in order to get away from this overwhelming supernatural bond he had with his twin.

Without giving too much away, one day Matt feels intense pain and he realizes Jake has just been murdered. After being gone for several years, Matt finds himself back home for his brother’s funeral. While trying to make amends at home with his mother and a few old friends, Matt also tries to find answers as to his brother’s murder which remains unsolved.
He comes to find out that Jake had plenty of demons and was not a well liked person around town. Matt wants to make things right not only for himself but for his brother. He feels that if he can try and right what his brother did wrong, Jake’s soul can be at rest.

This was a fast paced story and with a few unexpected plot twists and terrifying scenes. I find the twin connection to be very interesting. I watched a documentary not loo long ago about the identical twin connection. One of the twins featured were brothers who were adopted separately as infants and had never met, yet the two wound up living nearly identical lives… down to their career choices, the houses they bought and the names they gave their children. How fascinating.

So back to Our Trespasses, I really enjoyed this book. I love it when a story just pulls me along and keeps me guessing like this one did. I can always appreciate scary scenes and this book delivered that in spades. There is a creepy movie theater scene that was a favorite.

The supporting cast of characters added to the storyline as they helped Matt find some answers. In reconnecting with his ex Claire and with his mom, Matt comes to realize what his leaving town abruptly years ago did to his loved ones. I had no idea who murdered Jake until the author revealed it and it made sense. I enjoyed the way the story culminated in an exciting conclusion.

With themes of family issues, addiction, good vs evil and redemption, Our Trespasses was a great thrill ride and I recommend it if you enjoy paranormal stories with a nice dose of horror and mystery.

“The human-shaped form behind the curtain moved again, creating a soft rustle, as if trying to escape the small, dark space between drape and wall. Then the bulge silently glided along the wall toward Matt’s row like a huge, red velvet wave rippling forward, before returning to where he’d first spotted it.” -Our Trespasses: A Paranormal Thriller by Michael Cordell, 51% Kindle

“I wasn’t just living on my own, I was literally on my own. Jake tried his best to reconnect, but I overpowered it. At the same time, I felt so incredibly alone. I never realized that part of my self-confidence came from the connection. We had always been a team, and even though we fought, he was still part of me, far more than I realized.”- Our Trespasses: A Paranormal Thriller by Michael Cordell, 71% Kindle


about the author:
Michael Cordell is a novelist, playwright and produced screenwriter. He has sold three screenplays to Hollywood, including Beeper, an action-thriller starring Harvey Keitel and Joey Lauren Adams.

Michael currently lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he has taught screenwriting at the University of Virginia and at Writer House.

You can reach Michael at michaeljcordell@gmail.com- quoted from Goodreads




Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive any kind of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. I am under no obligation to write a positive review. My copy of Our Trespasses came via the author.

The Bookshop Murder (Flora Steele Mystery #1) by Merryn Allingham

source: ARC via Bookouture/ https://www.bookouture.com/
/ NetGalley
title: The Bookshop Murder (A Flora Steele Mystery Book 1)
author: Merryn Allingham / Twitter
genre: cozy mystery
published: July 26th 2021 Bookouture
pages: 256
first line: Locking the shop door carefully behind her, Flora heaved the last parcel of books into the basket.
rated: 4 out of 5

blurb:
Bookshop owner Flora Steele escapes the sleepy English village of Abbeymead through the adventures in the stories she sells. Until one morning, everything changes when she discovers a body amongst her own bookshelves…

The young man with the shock of white-blond hair lay spread-eagled on the floor, surrounded by fallen books. His hand reached out to the scattered pages, as though he was trying to tell her something.

But who is he? How did he come to be killed in Flora’s ordinary little bookshop? ….


my thoughts:

The Bookshop Murder (A Flora Steele Mystery Book 1) was a fun cozy mystery that drew me in instantly. It has a nice 1955 English countryside setting and as the story begins, Flora Steele owns a bookshop in the small village of Abbeymead. She inherited the bookshop from her late Aunt. One morning one of her patrons and crime author Jack Carrington discovers a body in the back of the bookstore. Upon investigating the local police write the death off as a heart attack but Flora suspects it was something more. It doesn’t make sense for the victim to have been in her bookshop after hours plus he was young and was visiting from Australia. Flora convinces Jack to help her get to the bottom of things since he’s a crime writer and so the amateur sleuth investigating begins. Pretty soon the plot thickens as a second body turns up. Danger seems to lurk around the corner as Flora and Jack continue their investigating.

As I mentioned, I enjoyed this whodunnit and found that the mystery, the characters and the pace of the storyline made this a quick and easy read. The author includes plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I had no idea who was to blame for the murders and I liked where the author took the storyline as far as the mystery went. Flora and Jack were likeable characters and as the story flowed I was invested in where their personal relationship if any would go. The small town bookshop setting was also a plus. There’s always something cozy about an independent bookstore.

“Opening the white-painted shop door, she allowed the familiar smell of books to wash over her-the sweet, musky warmth that she loved. Her first chores were always to check the till and dust at least two of the bookshelves. Then she could make a cup of tea.” The Bookshop Murder by Merryn Allingham- Kindle version 3%

I recommend this one to fans of cozy mysteries! I wouldn’t mind picking up book two in the series once it’s out.

“Yet the excitement in edging closer to the truth was undeniable, and for the first time in many years, he had a strong sense of living in the world rather than through the characters he created.”- The Bookshop Murder by Merryn Allingham- Kindle version 56%

about the author:
Bestselling author Merryn Allingham was born into an army family and spent her childhood on the move. Unsurprisingly, it gave her itchy feet and in her twenties she escaped an unloved secretarial career to work as cabin crew and see the world. The arrival of marriage, children and cats meant a more settled life in the south of England, where she’s lived ever since. Having gained a PhD, she taught university literature for many years and loved every minute of it. What could be better than spending one’s life reading and talking about books? Well, writing them perhaps.

Six Regency period romances followed, then those itchy feet kicked in. The Regency was abandoned and Daisy’s War, a wartime trilogy, found its way to the top of the Amazon charts, followed by the Summerhayes books—a saga of romance and intrigue set in the Sussex countryside during the summers of 1914 and 1944.

But itchy feet never rest and in 2020 she finally went over to the dark side! The crime series, the Tremayne Mysteries, is set in locations around the world and features Nancy, a feisty 1950s heroine, turned amateur sleuth.

Keep in touch with Merryn via the web:
Website: https://www.merrynallingham.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MerrynWrites
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/merrynwrites


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Disclaimer: This review is my honest opinion. I did not receive any kind of compensation for reading and reviewing this book. I am under no obligation to write a positive review. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission.

Wish Upon a Cowboy (Cowboys of Creedence #4) by Jennie Marts

wish
source: free ARC via NetGalley/Sourcebooks
title: Wish Upon a Cowboy (Cowboys of Creedence Book 4)
author: Jennie Marts (twitter)
pages: 384
published: November 26th 2019
genre: contemporary romance
first line: The crisp mountain air bit her cheeks as Harper Evans stepped off the Greyhound bus and gazed around the town where her son had been living for the past two months.
rated: 4 out of 5 stars
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blurb:
Hot on the ice and tall in the saddle…

Rancher and hockey coach Logan Rivers’ attempts to hire a housekeeper are hindered by women more interested in marriage than meal-planning. So when snarky Harper Evans arrives with zero romantic interest in him, he couldn’t be happier. But as he gets to know her, he finds himself hungering for more than her cooking.

Down-on-her-luck single mom Harper Evans came to Colorado with one goal: to find her son and bring him home. Temporary work for a local rancher seems perfect, but to keep the job she has to deny her feelings for the hot cowboy who’s heating up her kitchen.

Logan’s secret learning disability has caused a financial mistake that could cost him everything. With the holidays approaching and a storm closing in, he and Harper have to save his ranch and fight for her son. But can Harper trust the cowboy who is offering her both a home–and his heart?

Cowboys of Creedence series:
Caught Up in a Cowboy (Book 1)
You Had Me at Cowboy (Book 2)
It Started With a Cowboy (Book 3)
Wish Upon a Cowboy (Book 4)

my thoughts:
Wish Upon a Cowboy is book 4 in author Jennie Marts Cowboys of Creedence series. I  read and enjoyed the first book in the series,  Caught Up in a Cowboy, a few months ago so I happily dove into this installment.

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Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop by Jenny Colgan

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source: free review copy via Library Thing/ Harper Collins
title: Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop
author: Jenny Colgan / Twitter
genre: Christmas fiction / Romance
published: November 7th 2013
pages: 341
first line: Lipton was quiet underneath the stars.
rated: 3 1/2 out of 5
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blurb:
Rosie Hopkins is looking forward to Christmas in the little Derbyshire village of Lipton, buried under a thick blanket of snow. Her sweetshop is festooned with striped candy canes, large tempting piles of Turkish Delight, crinkling selection boxes and happy, sticky children. She’s going to be spending it with her boyfriend, Stephen, and her family, flying in from Australia. She can’t wait. But when a tragedy strikes at the heart of their little community, all of Rosie’s plans for the future seem to be blown apart. Can she build a life in Lipton? And is what’s best for the sweetshop also what’s best for Rosie?

my thoughts:
Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop by Jenny Colgan is a nice read mainly centering on family life during the holidays in a small town. Rosie Hopkins left her life as a registered nurse in the big city to move to a little village in Lipton and open up a candy shop. She lives with her boyfriend Stephen, who is a Mr. Darcy type. His mother is Lady Lipton and she lives in the large estate of Lipton Hall. She is cold towards Rosie. Rosie wants Stephen to propose and she wants to start a family with him, this is a biggie for her. She wonders if staying in small town Derbyshire with no family is worth it if she doesn’t ever marry and have a family of her own.

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Deadly Ride (Britton Bay #3) by Jody Holford

ride

source: NetGalley
title:Deadly Ride (A Britton Bay Mystery Book 3)
author: Jody Holford
genre: cozy mystery
pages: 217
first line: Molly Owens had a pretty strong grasp on vocabulary, but clearly she misunderstood the word chilly.
rated: 3 1/2 out of 5
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blurb:
Newspaper editor Molly Owens loves her new life—and her new man—in the beautiful seaside town of Britton Bay, Oregon. But when a car-show killer strikes, she needs to put the brakes on the culprit . . .

As editor-in-chief of the Britton Bay Bulletin, Molly steps in for a sick reporter to cover the Classic Car Crawl, an exhibit of vintage automobiles. Her main challenge is not being driven to distraction by the presence of her hunky boyfriend, Sam Alderich, a fellow car enthusiast whose auto shop is sponsoring the event. But when she and Sam discover the co-founder dead in his car, Molly quickly shifts gears to solve the murder.

With a showroom full of suspects—including the co-founder’s longtime partner, much-younger wife, enigmatic ex, and car owners with grudges and grievances—Molly soon starts to feel like she’s spinning her wheels. And after things take a turn for the worse, it’s all she can do to steer clear of trouble and stay out of a killer’s clutches . . .

my thoughts:
Deadly Ride is Book 3 in Jody Holford’s A Britton Bay Mystery series. How cute is the cover? The other book covers in this series can be found here and are also adorable.
The story centers around newspaper editor Molly Owens. There is a car show coming to the seaside town of Britton Bay and Molly is covering the story. While she’s at the show she meets a few people and contestants. However, she and her boyfriend Sam Alderich stumble upon a dead contestant at the end of the night. The cops are called in and there are a few suspects including the victim’s young widow, his ex-wife and fellow car owners who all have motive. Even though Sam wants Molly to stay safe and steer clear of the investigation she can’t help but get pulled in. This is not the first time she has stumbled upon a dead body.

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