Review of Her Silent Cry (Detective Josie Quinn #6) by Lisa Regan

Round and round she goes, blonde pigtails flying, her high-pitched giggle catching on the wind. But as the ride slows to a stop, her seat is suddenly empty. Little Lucy is gone…

When seven-year-old Lucy Ross is snatched from the carousel in Denton city park, Detective Josie Quinn joins the frantic search. She’s the one who finds Lucy’s sparkly butterfly backpack abandoned by the ticket booth, a note with a devastating message stuffed inside: answer your phone, or your sweet little darling will die…

The next day, Lucy’s parents are filled with hope when they pick up a call which they think is from their babysitter – but instead it’s a chilling male voice on the line. Josie races to the babysitter’s small apartment only to find her lifeless body in a tangle of sheets on her bed.

Josie is faced with the most high-stakes case of her career as each new phone call from someone connected to the family ends with the shocking discovery of another body. This twisted killer wants revenge, and he won’t stop until the Ross family are in pieces…

Something is telling Josie that Lucy’s parents aren’t giving her the whole truth, but digging deeper into their lives will force her to confront a life-changing secret of her own. Does Josie have what it takes to crack this case? She has no choice if she’s going to bring Lucy home alive…

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I adore Lisa Regan’s Josie Quinn series and have read each of them more than once. They are just completely engrossing.

This is one that reminds me of why I watch children in my care like a hawk when we are at playgrounds and why I cringe when caregivers are more engaged in their smartphones. In the blink of an eye, something can happen. And the way that this whole crime was carried out is quite devious. This book is one that haunts me every time I reread the series.

I do love the clues that are dropped along the way. They keep the story that much more intriguing. And the interwoven first person story from the mystery narrator is just as fascinating as you’re trying to figure out who it is and how it all ties together. And I think the results will pleasantly surprise you.

Josie also continues to grow as a person. You can see her soften more and more as her relationships grow with people like Noah, Misty, and Misty’s son. I love watching it happen.

Now, that being said, don’t feel like you absolutely must read all of the previous books first. This book absolutely works as a standalone. I just think everyone should read all of the books. And I do, repeatedly.

Review of Her Mother's Grave (Detective Josie Quinn #3) by Lisa Regan

Her Mother's Grave

When two young boys discover human bones buried beneath a tree in a trailer park, Detective Josie Quinn races to join her team at the scene. She used to play in those woods as a child, happier outside and away from her abusive mother, Belinda Rose.

Josie’s past crashes into her present when a rare dental condition confirms the bones belong to a teenage foster-child who was murdered thirty years ago. A girl named Belinda Rose…

Josie hasn’t seen her mother in years but, with an undeniable connection between her mother and the dead girl, does she dare track her down?

Just as Josie gets closer to uncovering a secret that will shatter her world forever, another body is uncovered. It’s suddenly clear that someone very close to Josie will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried forever.

As she battles the demons from her past, can Josie stop this killer before another precious life is taken?

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**My thoughts**

This third installment of the Josie Quinn series is even more riveting than the first two. I had to hide my Kindle so that I would actually get a little bit of sleep, because I was not about to put it down, but also had to be at work early. 

This one finally takes us deep into Josie's history, which has been lightly touched on without a lot of detail. It's so much worse than I ever thought. And it is tied into the latest murder mystery to hit the town.

This story also exposes a character twist that I quickly picked up on in the first book. I'm excited to finally have that revealed as well.

It's another great installment. You can conceivably read it as a standalone, but will appreciate it more if you read the series in order. I can't wait for the next one.

Review of 'Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective' by Christine Amsden

Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective
Cassie Scot Book One
Christine Amsden

Genre: Urban Fantasy (paranormal, mystery, romance, new adult)
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
Date of Publication: May 15, 2013
ISBN: 9781606197
ASIN:B00C7VR69I
Number of pages: 260
Word Count: 85,000

Cover Artist: Ural Akyutz



Book Description:

Cassie Scot is the ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers, born between worlds but belonging to neither. At 21, all she wants is to find a place for herself, but earning a living as a private investigator in the shadow of her family's reputation isn't easy. When she is pulled into a paranormal investigation, and tempted by a powerful and handsome sorcerer, she will have to decide where she truly belongs.

**My thoughts**

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book when it first became available for review. In fact, the first time I came across it, I settled for an interview, instead of a review. The cover is interesting, but didn't quite draw me in as much as it could have, because it doesn't seem real. (And I don't mean it needs photographs of models.) I hate to always judge a book by its cover, but I do. As this book kept popping up in my circles, I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised.

Cassie Scot has a different problem than most of our paranormal heroines. Instead of being a powerful creature born into a family of "normal" people, she is a "normal" person who has been born into a family of powerful sorcerers. Her last name means a lot in their circles. They claim that they love her, but really fear that she will throw off their magical protection of three times three, with her six siblings. She is a complete outcast who is determined to make it on her own.

She is a detective, who specializes in the "normal" human world, though occasionally takes on other cases. She had previously worked for the police department, but found that she preferred being on her own. It is hard for me to remember that she is only 21 when she talks about her previous work, because she seems way too young to have had that kind of experience, even if it was short-lived. I am trying to remember that she lives in a semi-magical world, so perhaps the timing of such things is different.

She has had some successes in her field, though the work isn't pouring in as heavily as she would like. She does finally get a big break when a simple case of serving someone a subpoena turns into a murder mystery, involving the paranormal world. Now she is forced to acknowledge her roots, and to make her family acknowledge her. She learns some strong lessons about the magical world, as well as how strong she can really be on on her own, as she tries to solve this murder.

Cassie is lucky to have a good friend in Kaitlyn, who is a likeable "normal" girl working at the local diner. Kaitlyn is aware of a lot of the magical happenings and is understanding, though the magical people tend to prefer to keep all of that quiet. Alice is another friend, who just doesn't seem to get it and causes problems. Braden is her boyfriend, also a "normal" human, who leaves a lot to be desired. Evan is her old friend from school who is also extremely powerful and seems to be interested in her. At the same time, he sends off warning signals with his reputation. You want to think the best of him, but stay on guard. Nicholas is the one sibling of Cassie's that we get to know, as he is the closest in age to her. He is also powerful and very passionate, but needs to learn to control himself. He is also fiercely dedicated to his big sister. Jason is her long-lost cousin, who is also conveniently a vampire hunter, and supposedly very hot.

All of these people play a significant role in Cassie's first investigation, and her foray into being on her own. I have a feeling their significance will increase as the series continues, and that Cassie is going to discover some more hidden talents and powers of her own. You get the sense of something bigger brewing and will have to keep on reading to find out what it is.

Cassie is a likeable character, who still needs to grow a lot. The story is interesting enough to keep the pages turning. I did manage to read it in one evening, and will soon be reading the second book in the series. I gave it 3 1/2 stars, because it is a fun debut and has a lot of potential as the story continues to develop.



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Christine Amsden has been writing science fiction and fantasy for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that effects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams. 

In addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors. She also does some freelance editing work.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children, Drake and Celeste.

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