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Thursday, July 25, 2019

Book Review: Fragments of Fear by Carrie Stuart Parks


About the Book




Book: Fragments of Fear

Author: Carrie Stuart Parks

Genre: Suspense

Release date: July 23, 2019


From award-winning author Carrie Stuart Parks comes a new novel with danger that reaches from a New Mexico Anasazi archaeological dig to micro- and nano-chip technology.



Evelyn Yvonne McTavish-Tavish to her friends-had her almost perfect world in Albuquerque, New Mexico, come to a crashing end with the suicide of her fiancĂ©. As she struggles to put her life back together and make a living from her art, she’s given the news that her dog is about to be destroyed at the dog pound. Except she doesn’t own a dog. The shelter is adamant that the microchip embedded in the canine-with her name and address-makes it hers.
Tavish recognizes the dog as one owned by an archaeologist named Pat Caron because she did a commissioned drawing of the two of them months earlier. The simple solution is to return the dog to his owner, but she arrives only to discover Caron’s murdered body.
After meeting undercover FBI agent Sawyer Price the mystery deepens as more people start disappearing and Tavish becomes a target as well. Her only solution is to find the links between microchip technology, an Anasazi site in the desert, her fiancĂ©’s death, a late-night radio show, and the dog. And the clock is ticking.



Click here to purchase your copy.



My Review


Fragments of Fear by Carrie Stuart Parks is the first in what I hope is a new series based on the characer Evelyn McTavish. Evelyn may be rich but she does not have a great life. An artist, she soon finds herself in the middle of a homicide and with the murderers out to get her next. Ms Parks has written a fascinating new novel with memorable characters. The author’s experience as an artist really came through in this book, adding details like negative space that definitely made the story interesting. In contrast to the author’s other books, this book has some quirky elements. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book, along with the never-ending suspense that this author does so well. Don’t miss this book! It’s a joy. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

About the Author



Carrie Stuart Parks is a Christy finalist as well as a Carol Award-winning author. She has won numerous awards for her fine art as well. An internationally known forensic artist, she travels with her husband, Rick, across the US and Canada teaching courses in forensic art to law-enforcement professionals. The author/illustrator of numerous books on drawing and painting, Carrie continues to create dramatic watercolors from her studio in the mountains of Idaho.



More from Carrie

Using Art to Solve Crime: Techniques Used by Forensic Artists

Since 1981, I’ve been a forensic artist—an amazing feat since I’m only . . .um. . . well, younger than that. In those years, I’ve seen some shifts and trends, but some things have never changed. Despite the overwhelming prevalence of computers in almost every other field, they have never been able to replace a trained forensic artist. Artists have an amazing toolbox of techniques we use to gather the information we need to help solve crime.


  1. The pencil. Any forensic artist worth her weight in graphite knows the power of the lowly pencil and a sketchpad. Law enforcement would love a photographic image of the suspect, but all we have to work with is memory…and memory is faulty. The more the image looks perfect, the more imperfect it is for helping to identify a suspect. We want the drawing to just suggest a likeness and eliminate those not similar.
  2. Now that we brought up the subject of memory, a forensic artist needs to understand how memory works. The average witness will remember between four and five facial features. When they describe the person they saw, they will do so from their strongest memory to their weakest memory, from most important to least important. We listen carefully to the order of facial features.
  3. Whole vs Parts. We don’t look at faces as individual parts, although a particularly outstanding nose or Marty Feldman eyes might catch our attention. We will remember the face as a whole, with the proportions of the face an unacknowledged part of that. Forensic artist prefer to use reference photographs where the whole face is viewed.
Want more? Check out the rest of my article at The Strand Magazine


Blog Stops

The Avid Reader, July 24
CarpeDiem, July 24
Livin’ Lit, July 26
The Becca Files, July 26
Cathe Swanson, July 27
Bigreadersite, July 29
Simple Harvest Reads, July 29 (Guest post from Mindy Houng)
Mary Hake, July 29
EmpowerMoms, July 30
By The Book, August 1
Remembrancy, August 2
amandainpa, August 2
Pause for Tales, August 3
Hallie Reads, August 4

Giveaway


To celebrate her tour, Carrie is giving away a grand prize of her book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

Thursday, July 18, 2019



Book Review: The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey


The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey is book 1 in the Coastal Guardians series. This series starts out with a ton of excitement and action. I loved all the information about the Coast Guard and the sweet history between Harper and the man she’s relying on to keep her alive. What makes this book stand out is the author’s skillful storytelling with suspense that never stops. If you love suspense— this is the book for you. I highly recommend it! I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own. 

Book Review: Just One Kiss by Courtney Walsh


Just One Kiss by Courtney Walsh is the third book in a series but it can still be read as a standalone novel. This book has everything— long held secrets, mistakes, and a devastating medical diagnosis. Somehow, all of these things weave together beautifully in an emotionally deep story that will stay with you long after you are done reading. I highly recommend it! I received a digital copy of this book from the author with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Book Review: Risky Return by Virginia Vaughn


If you are looking for a good read, look no further! Risky Return by Virginia Vaughn has it all. It is brimming with suspense and has real, developed characters that come to life. With important themes like human trafficking, it is a fabulous novel. The main characters have a complicated history and this only adds to the drama in the story. This is one of the best Love Inspired Suspense novels that I’ve read and I sincerely hope to see more in the series from this author. Ms Vaughn is a fabulous storyteller and it is remarkable what she was able to accomplish within a short novel. This is a fast, highly satisfying read and I highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the author with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

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