Book Review and ARC Giveaway: Ruthless: Faces of Evil Book 6 by Debra Webb

Another great installment in this romantic suspense series!

Ruthless
by Debra Webb
The Faces of Evil Series: Book 6

• Series: Faces of Evil
• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Forever (August 27, 2013)
• ISBN-10: 1455527602
• ISBN-13: 978-1455527601

Genre: Romantic Suspense
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: August 27, 2013
"Gritty, edge-of-your-seat, white-knuckle thriller . . . Move over Jack Reacher-Jess Harris is comin' to town."
He has a ruthless past . . .
Three photos of three unknown women. Sent to Deputy Chief Jess Harris by the Player, one of the world's most sadistic killers. The Player is taunting her, and Jess is more than ready to take on his challenge. Only one thing could distract her from the Player's deadly game: the appearance of a clue to long-unsolved cases. For years Birmingham's children were vanishing-one per year, always on a full moon-until the disappearances stopped and the Man in the Moon case went cold. No leads on the children were ever found-until now.
Jess has no choice but to pursue the case. Someone is reaching out to her, sending her mementos of the missing children, and the citizens of Birmingham deserve justice. But after years of silence, has the Man in the Moon really resurfaced? Or is he just another pawn in the Player's game?

Review:
Tough Chief Deputy, Jess Harris, is still being taunted by her old nemesis, the serial killer Spears.  Now he has sent her pictures of three women challenging her to find and save them. Although the case is being handled by the FBI and Chief Black in her office, it still causes concern to Jess and her boss and lover, Captain Dan Burnett.

Matters are more complicated when another killer from the past begins to send packages to Jess. This killer was known as the Man in the Moon who had spent many years snatching and killing one young child each harvest moon.  He had stopped ten or so years before but now he is sending the packages of the children to Jess. She realizes that something has triggered the killer and she is determined to solve the mystery before it becomes more than unearthing prior victims.

As if work problems were not enough of a challenge, Jess has the stress of wondering if she might be pregnant. Although she is still fiercely independent, she is beginning to appreciate Dan’s concern for her well being and his need to try to protect her from two maniacal killers as well as the possible threat from another cop who is still missing.

I really enjoyed the plot and intensity of this story and I appreciate that there is no offensive language.  There is a bit of conflict and romance for Jess’s coworkers, Harper and Lori, that adds extra elements. There are a few romantic scenes for Jess and Dan but primarily this book focuses on the murder and suspense elements which kept me turning pages to discover the secrets!

This is Book 6 of the series which I started at Book 3. It could be read as a stand alone but I recommend getting the earlier books so you can enjoy the character interactions better. I will be anxious to keep reading this excellent romantic suspense series. 

I received this ARC for review for Forever/Hachette.

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for the ARC Copy:

ENTRY FORM HERE

Don't forget to fill in the form for entry! 

I have noticed a few commenters who forgot to enter through the Form.  

For 3 Extra Bonus entries Visit the author's website and tell me something you find of interest.

* This contest is open to those with US or Canadian address.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on September 13, 2013.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on September 14, 2013.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Book Review and ARC Giveaway: Revenge: The Faces of Evil Series: Book 5 by Debra Webb

This is fast paced, solid suspense with the romance as an ongoing, developing element.
Revenge: The Faces of Evil Series: Book 5
by Debra Webb

• Series: Faces of Evil
• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Forever (July 30, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1455527580
• ISBN-13: 978-1455527588

Genre: Romantic Suspense
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: July 30, 2013
The Faces of Evil Series: Book 5
The desire for revenge can never be sated . . .

When her beloved high school teacher appears on her doorstep, Deputy Chief Jess Harris is flooded with fond memories-until the woman says she's about to be charged with murder. Called to the scene of the crime, Jess learns the victim of the bizarre and brutal slaying was a member of Birmingham's famed "Five."

Twelve years ago, the Five were rich, popular high school seniors who threw one wild last party. Two social outcasts were invited to play in the "loser games." The next morning, one player killed himself. Now Jess fears that an invitation to an upcoming class reunion may have forced the Five to play a new deadly game. As Jess fights to keep her former teacher from suspicion-and her relationship with Chief Dan Burnett separate from her work life-she knows she is caught in a vicious cycle of vengeance. And the killer is far from finished . . .

Review:
This is book five of a continuing series that follows tough cop Jess Harris, Deputy Chief of Birmingham, Alabama, and her boss, Dan Burnett. Dan was Jess’ high school sweet heart and the pull and passion is still strong between them. But Jess has spent 20 years caring for herself and she is insistent that she be treated equally as the other Deputy Chiefs. Making love with the Chief and having him hover around trying to protect her doesn’t help her independent stand.  Jess and Dan walk a fine line trying to figure out how they can balance their professional lives with their personal desires.

As Jess and Dan dance around their issues murders pull them into work mode. One of Jess’ former teacher, Frances, is a prime suspect for the murder of Scott Baker, her retirement home manager. The widows group has been battling management as the developer prepares to build a new high rise that will completely block the view of the existing residents. It’s Jess’ job to find the real killer but she has a personal interest in protecting her beloved friend.

Jess gets some information from another old class mate, Buddy Corlew, who is a private investigator hired by Frances to dig up dirt on the deceased.  Buddy and Dan have been at odds since high school when Buddy made a pass for Jess because he was jealous of Dan always besting him. Buddy reminds Jess that twelve years ago Scott was one of five hot shot high school bullies who had been suspected in the death of another student, Lenny. Dan had been the head of the investigation that got closed for lack of evidence and pressure from the mayor’s office.

Now it seems that Lenny’s best friend is back in town and the surviving four, three men and a woman, are holding tight to their secrets. Then another of the five dies and the three survivors begin to panic. Jess is busy trying to locate the new suspect and get the truth from the other three but she has distractions. Her new apartment has been broken into and there is an unresolved issue with another police deputy who has disappeared.  Beyond all of this activity Jess is getting taunting emails and phone messages from a past monster. Spears is a serial killer who kidnapped and tortured Jess. He was caught and imprisoned and believed to have left the country but now they have discovered that he may have doubled back. Jess is baiting him but is she ready for the show down? I’ll have to get to the next book to find out!

The mystery of the “five” plays out well with some good twists. I enjoyed the investigative process as well as the emotional struggles that Jess and Dan are juggling in their romance. Jess is going to have to deal with her independence issues at some point. There are some other unresolved items, like the secretive landlord and the missing officer, that will carry the suspense into the next book. The reading is quick with the fast paced action. There was no noticeable offensive language which pleased me. This is fine entertainment and I look forward to the next book in the series.

I received this ARC from Forever/Hachette for an honest review.

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for the ARC Copy:

ENTRY FORM HERE

Don't forget to fill in the form for entry! 

I have noticed a few commenters who forgot to enter through the Form.  

For 3 Extra Bonus entries Visit the author's website and tell me something you find of interest.

* This contest is open to those with US or Canadian address.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on August 23, 2013.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on August 24, 2013.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Q&A with Author, Debra Webb; Book Review: Power

Please help me welcome author Debra Webb and learn more about her new series, Faces of Evil!
{See Review below Author Interview.}

I really liked Power and actually want to go back to get the first two novels in the series! I am impressed with the character development and energy in the work.
Q1.  I love series and I like to this question:  When you do a series do you have each book plotted out before you start the first one or do the subsequent books flow from the first?

DW: Thank you so much, Martha! I wish I was such an organized planner/plotter. What I do have is an idea of the big showdown at the end and some of the points I want to hit along the way. With the Faces of Evil part of the journey is already in place. Each story will focus on a crime just a little more heinous than the last. The motive for the crime will escalate in urgency.

Q2.  Have you noted many changes in romance writing over your years of experience?

DW:  There are fewer taboos. Real life issues are explored on a much deeper level. Female characters continue to be stronger and more independent. It has been a truly interesting journey and I look forward to what’s to come!

Q3.  Can you share one of the things you found most difficult on your road to publication?

DW:  Allowing my voice to shine. There’s so much to learn when you jump into the fray of pursuing publication. You hear all these rules, all the do’s and don’t’s. Sometimes trying to color so closely inside the lines can hamper your unique voice. And fear, of course, there’s always the fear of failure which prompts striving for a more perfectly polished manuscript which can prove detrimental. Find what it is you write best. Know your genre. Know the industry. Write the book.  But remember that for every rule there is the exception. For all the do’s and don’t’s there are the did-it-anyway’s.

Q4.  In Power you touched on the topic of ‘bullies’.   Do you think that is that something you might explore more fully in another book?

DW:  I sincerely believe there’s a fine line between good old competitiveness and just being plain old mean. I don’t tolerate bullies very well. And I will be exploring the issue further in Revenge.

Q5.  If you could have a theme song for the Faces of Evil Series, what would it be? And/or do you have a dream cast for your books? 

DW:  Someone Like You by Adele!Kristen Bell would definitely be Jess!  John Cusack would be awesome as Dan!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and good writing with readers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~:

Power
by Debra Webb

Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Forever (March 26, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1455527564
ISBN-13: 978-1455527564

Genre: Thriller

My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description
Release Date: March 26, 2013

Agent Jess Harris is back in another thrilling installment of Debra Webb's Faces of Evil series.

Jess is ready to start the next chapter in her life as the new deputy chief of Birmingham's major crimes division. But with her first love, Chief of Police Dan Burnett, acting as her new boss, it looks like Jess won't be able to put the past behind her that easily.

Jess has decided to focus all of her attention on work when a celebrated ballet instructor is found dead by one of her students. Though Jess's instincts tell her otherwise, the death is ruled an accident, and the case is assigned to another division. Still, Jess can't shake the feeling that there's more to the story, and her investigation leads her into the worlds of Birmingham's gang culture and its powerful elite.
Now Jess's investigation has dug a little too deep, and there's a target painted on her own forehead. Will she be able to solve the crime before her own life is in jeopardy?

Review:
Jess Harris is a tough minded female law officer.  A former FBI profiler, she has taken on a new position as the Deputy Chief of a Special Problems Unit (SPU) in Birmingham’s police department. She faces unique difficulties. Her boss is her first love and they need to walk a fine line so she isn’t shown favoritism. Jess is also  having difficulty gaining acceptance with other Deputy Chiefs who are looking for her to earn respect in their ranks. But Jess isn’t there to seek protection from Dan nor to make friends. Her goal is to solve the crime, even if it means stepping on the toes of the Homicide Division.

Jess is the first on the scene of a death of a celebrated ballet instructor. The case is pulled from her and although she wants to cooperate with the division of duties this is made difficult when outside influences and witnesses keep bringing arguments and facts to her that strengthen her belief that the death is murder, not suicide.

Jess’s division is assigned to locate a missing young black man. The boy has a good reputation and is set to go to college yet it appears there is a connection to a local gang that is becoming more of a community problem.  There is a lot of pressure to find the boy before the public or media claim the case isn’t being handled properly due to racial issues.

Jess has to juggle her unrequested leads and desire to investigate the death with her assignment to track down the missing young man. As her search gets closer she finds herself facing local gang leaders and potentially disrupting undercover operations of other law enforcement agencies. All in all, not safe places to be.

I was immediately impressed with the high level of energy that came across in the writing. Even though this is the third book in a series I was quickly drawn into the characters. It didn’t seem like a lot of backstory but there was good depth so that I felt like I understood the underlying dynamics and difficulties that were at play in the ‘office politics’ as well as several personal conflicts.  The conflicts and crime situations are real to life and touch current issues. There is a good line of suspects and clues and Jess has to hunt through the standard motives and push to find the source of evil.  The focus in this book is more mystery but it has some romantic tension as well. I enjoyed this book and I recommend it to fans of thrillers, mysteries and romantic suspense.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Part of Jess's description:

Unorthodox didn’t begin to describe her blunt, overbearing tactics. Location 359.

The investigation process:

If the motive was unearthed, all the rest fell into place. It was that simple and, at the same time, vastly complicated.  Location 1033.

I received this eBook from Forever/Hachette for an honest review.

Book Feature: POWER and Fall in Love with Forever Prizepack!

BOOK FEATURE:

Courtesy of Forever division of Hachette

POWER, Faces of Evil, by Debra Webb

Debra Webb's POWER (the third of her previously self published series that started with OBSESSION and IMPULSE) goes on sale this Tuesday 9/4 for a great $3.99 price. POWER is the first previously unpublished book of the series (although as you might know Forever Yours has just published the first two as e books in August).
Obsession Faces of Evil

I will be sharing a short Q&A with Ms. Webb and a review of Power later this month.

Impulse

But right now, to celebrate the release of Power, Forever division of Hachette is hosting a GREAT "FALL in Love with Forever" prizepack of upcoming fall titles!

Here are the titles included in the prizepack:

THE WARRIOR by Margaret Mallory
BAREFOOT IN THE RAIN  by Roxanne St. Claire
AN HEIRESS AT HEART by Jennifer Delamere
WHERE ANGELS REST by Kate Brady
TOO DANGEROUS TO DESIRE by Cara Elliott
TWO SINFUL SECRETS by Laurel McKee

To Enter this Giveaway for a GREAT FOREVER PRIZEPACK:

1.  Comment by telling me if you have read one of the above FOREVER Romance authors. If none of these, can you identify another FOREVER romance author you have read or tell me if there is one you would like to read.

2.  Extra Entry: Visit Debra Webb's site and tell me something of interest you find there.

3.  For an extra entry, become a follower on any media (GFC, Twitter @MSEREADS, Facebook fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/ReviewsByMarthasBookshelf , Goodreads or Linky - links on right sidebar) or tell me if you are already a follower.

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(Three total entries possible.)

* This contest is only open to residents of US ONLY.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on September 14, 2012.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on September 15.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.