Thursday, September 26, 2019

Review: Inspired by Murder & Viable Hostage by Audrey J. Cole


Inspired by Murder
Emerald City Thriller #2
by Audrey J. Cole
Published: August 14, 2018
Publisher: Gum Tree Press
Genre: Thriller


Blurb:

He’s a master of the human mind. But can he get away with murder?

Dr. Eric Leroy hungers for literary fame. Exhausted after years of listening to his rich clients wallowing in their worries, the psychiatrist intends to pursue his true passion of writing murder mysteries. And with his most obnoxious patient in mind, he crafts a killer plot to write exactly what he knows…

The nation is shocked when a famous Seattle resident and his wife are found dead in their upscale Madison Park neighborhood. It looks like murder-suicide, but Detective Blake Stephenson isn't convinced.

As Stephenson investigates Dr. Leroy, he uncovers a dark past filled with secrets. Meanwhile, the headlines are reeling with a killer on the loose in Seattle. As the death toll rises, Stephenson struggles to find enough evidence to arrest the doctor—before he kills again.

Inspired by Murder is the second book in the dark psychological Emerald City Thriller series. If you like gripping cat-and-mouse games, twisted suspense, and pitch-black humor, then you’ll love Audrey J. Cole’s compelling page-turner.





My Review of  Inspired by Murder:

Inspired by Murder follows Dr. Eric Leroy a psychiatrist who wants to write a book about murder he needs more info on the subject and the best way to obtain that information is by doing a little research and the best way to obtain the research he needs is by experience. The only thing left for him to do now is by finding someone to murder which isn't very hard for the good Dr. to do. His only problem is not leaving any evidence behind for the police to convict him with. I guess the good Dr. needs a lot of info because the body count starts to rise.

Detective Blake Stephenson and his partner Detective Kyle Adams, are assigned the case. Stephenson knows who committed the murders but is having a hard time finding the evidence he needs to prove it. But he won't give up until he has what he needs to put Eric behind bars for a very long time.

Stephenson may not have to wait very long as Eric is not as bright as he believes himself to be. Eric thinks he is being very smart and is not leaving any evidence. Eric is cocky thinking he is smarter than everyone else. He has no remorse or regret or any feelings of any kind. He makes some really dumb choices at th worst of times that had me laughing. I was like no way he didn't, not here and not now of all times.

Even though I knew right away who committed the murders I still enjoyed reading Inspired by Murder very much. Even though I knew who the killer was Inspired by Murder still had its share of twists and secrets which was part of the reason I was so glued to the pages. The characters were all so amazing and played their part well. I can't wait to dive into the next book Viable Hostage in the Emerald City Thriller series.

I would recommend Inspired by Murder to anyone who loves a good murder or thriller.




Viable Hostage
Emerald City Thriller #4
By Audrey J. Cole
Published: October 28, 2019
Publisher: Rainier Publishing
Genre:Thriller                                                    
Blurb:

Malorie’s best friend is missing, but no one seems concerned about the wayward medical student's mysterious disappearance—until another student's partial remains wash ashore a Seattle beach...


When Malorie witnesses her best friend and roommate leave a campus bar with a mystery date driving a silver Mercedes, she suspects foul play, especially when Lani fails to return home the next day. Both women, med students in their final year at Elliott Bay University, have a lot riding on the line, but due to Lani’s wild past, no one in her family is worried. When Malorie’s fears for her roommate deepen, she turns to her Uncle Wade, a Sergeant at Seattle Homicide.

Within 48 hours after Lani goes missing, the partial remains of a brutally murdered young woman wash up on Alki Beach, and a human hand is found in a crab pot off Bainbridge Island. When one of the bodies is identified as a pregnant, fourth-year medical student, Wade believes there’s a connection with Lani’s disappearance. And, that they might be looking for a serial killer.

Malorie suspects Lani’s kidnapper is someone they know, possibly even one of their professors at the university, a prominent Seattle anesthesiologist whose wife is the president of EBU. But when Detective Blake Stephenson discovers evidence that links another suspect to the professor’s Mercedes, he and Wade must act fast to attempt a wild rescue in the middle of Puget Sound.







My Review of Viable Hostage:

Malorie and her best friend and roommate Lani are med students at Elliott Bay University. One night they decide to go out to a bar on campus Malorie goes to the bathroom and when she returns Lani is gone. Malorie texts Lani and finds that she is outside waiting on a ride, Malorie is like you are leaving without telling me? Lani explains to her why she is leaving and not to wait up on her that she will be home the next day.

Malorie goes outside hoping to catch Lani before she leaves but Lani is nowhere to be seen but she does see a car leaving the parking lot and assumes that was the ride Lani was talking about.

When Lani doesn’t show up the next day like she said Malorie is the only one who seems to be concerned. Malorie with the help of her uncle who works at the police department goes with her when she decides to file a missing person’s report. No one believes that Lani is missing until the body of a woman washes up on shore a few days later. Further investigations show that Lani is not the only woman attending Elliott Bay University that is missing.

Once I picked up Viable Hostage I couldn’t put it down. It grabbed my attention from the first page and never let go. The suspense alone had me hooked not to mention all the twists and the secrets that it held onto right until the very end. It kept me guessing the whole way through. I would begin to think that I had it all figured out but then another twists was slammed in my face and I was right back to guessing. I love books that like feeding you little tidbits at a time just enough to keep you wanting to know more.

I believe I have read all the books in the Emerald City Thriller and I must say that I have loved each and every one of them. Each book just gets better and better. I fell in love with all the characters and their stories and can’t wait for the next book in the Emerald City Thriller series.

I highly recommend Viable Hostage to all thriller, mystery and suspense fans.




About the Author:

Audrey J. Cole is a registered nurse and a USA Today bestselling author of thrillers set in Seattle. Audrey resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two children.






1 comments:

Audrey J. Cole said...

Thanks so much for the glowing reviews of both Inspired by Murder and Viable Hostage! I'm glad you enjoyed the books :)