Tag: mystery

Blue Ink Starred Review!

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SEVERED THREADS by Kaylin McFarrenSEVERED THREADS Cover Jpg

Creative Edge Publishing, 330 pages, (paperback) $12.95, 9781475186529 (Reviewed: February 2016)

STARRED REVIEW

A romantic adventure set in the exciting world of salvage diving, treasure hunters, and modern-day pirates, Severed Threads is an action-packed, crowd-pleasing page-turner.

Four years ago, Rachel Lyons’ father died in a mysterious diving accident, ending her love affair with the sea, as well as her love for her current flame, Chase Cohen, who was there when Sam Lyons died. Chase disappeared from Rachel’s life shortly thereafter, with no explanation. Since then, she has buried herself in a new corporate job and new life devoid of treasure hunting.

However, things are starting to get complicated. Rachel’s brother is in deep trouble with some dangerous people, and one of her father’s close friends needs a priceless Chinese artifact to end a deadly curse. In order to save the ones she loves, Rachel must team up with Chase to find the Heart of the Dragon and other promised riches. Their shaky partnership is thrown off balance by secrets, hidden motives, and unmistakable romantic tension.

McFarren expertly blends Chase and Rachel’s personal story with an exciting treasure hunting narrative punctuated by detailed diving knowledge. One moment Chase and Rachel are fending off sharks and discovering ancient treasure; in the next, their sizzling chemistry lights the pages on fire.

The plot develops quickly, while action, intrigue, sensual romance, and surprising twists and turns abound. The author’s descriptions of an underwater world are vivid and breathtaking, and a supernatural edge colors the search for legendary treasure. The main characters, Chase and Rachel, are wonderfully flawed and are surrounded by interesting and well-developed secondary characters that add depth to the story.

Severed Threads is an exciting and engaging read, simply perfect for fans of romantic suspense.

Also available as an ebook and audiobook.

Book Reviewers Wanted

A lone figure stood in the estuary lookout nestled in the trees above the North Sea on the Holderness Coast, waiting with restless anticipation as Gwen Gallagher approached the cliff’s edge. A quick adjustment to the night- vision binoculars allowed the watcher a closer view of the twenty-eight-year-old secretary as she savored the last autumn sunset she would ever see. The crisp, cool air picked up speed, leaving her long black hair sailing like a ghostly pirate’s flag behind her. It lifted the hem of her black skirt slightly, exposing her white, shapely legs and black suede booties to the wintry elements. Her blue eyes sparkled as they swept across the landscape, appraising the beauty surrounding them. She raised her chin toward the darkening sky and smiled, obviously believing the note she had received, inviting her here, had come from her married lover.

As Gwen moved even closer to the edge, the watcher took a deep breath. All that remained between this ludicrous woman and the vividly blue ocean was two meters of solid rock. From the lookout vantage point, there was barely enough light to confirm that she was staring down at the tossing sands and churning water, mesmerized by the early evening breeze. All it would take was one push, and she would feel the rush of wind through her hair and see the crystal-blue sea one last time as she slammed headlong into the jagged rocks.

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Interested in reading my latest release and providing your honest to goodness review? Much-anticipated Banished Threads – the third book in my Threads series, featuring treasure hunters and adventure seekers Rachel Lyons and Chase Cohen, will be coming to Amazon, B&N and independent book stores this spring (Creative Edge Publishing LLC, March 20, 2016). If you’d like to receive an advance copy, please let me know and I’ll try my best to accommodate the hosts of review sites willing to spread the word.

USReview Book Image

Book Summary: While vacationing at the Cumberforge Manor in Bellwood, England, Rachel and Chase attend an elegant dinner party hosted by her uncle, Paul Lyons, and his aristocratic wife, Sara. Before the evening ends, a priceless collection of Morris Graves’ paintings are stolen from her uncle’s popular gallery, throwing all suspicion onto his wife’s troubled granddaughter Sloan, and turning Rachel and Chase into crime-stopping sleuths. Determined to clear Sloan’s name and, in the process, win Paul’s favor, Chase scours the countryside looking for answers. In his absence, the police accuse Rachel’s uncle of an unsolved murder and secrets surrounding her grandmother’s death and the deaths of Sara’s former husbands turn his wife into the most likely suspect.

With the true villains hell-bent on destroying Paul and his family, solving both crimes while ensuring her uncle’s freedom not only endangers Rachel’s life but that of her unborn child. Will Chase save them before the kidnappers enact their revenge or will the ultimate price be paid, as predicted by a vagabond fortuneteller?

Read the book to find to out! Send your request for Banished Threads to Kaylin@kaylinmcfaren.com.

Thank you!

Great advance review for Banished Threads!

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USReview Book Image         Pacific Book Review

The saga of Chase Cohen and Rachel Lyons continues in book three of the Thread Series! The inimitable treasure-hunting business partners sail to England in the hope of asking Paul Lyons, Rachel’s uncle, for his blessing. Rachel, on the other hand, is not only dealing with morning sickness atop thoughts of her soon-approaching marriage, she is also riddled with a flurry of “what-ifs.” Chase’s relationship with Paul is rocky at best. Yet that pales in comparison to the serious family issues—more like skeletons in the closet—that are at stake in the Lyons household, especially when Sloan, Paul’s step-granddaughter, and Rachel are kidnapped.

Mistress storyteller and award-winning author Kaylin McFarren spins another action-packed adventure shrouded in mystery in her latest sequel. McFarren opens with a supposed tryst that morphs into an unexplained death. Grabbing her audience’s full attention, McFarren quickly shifts gears to the emotional and sexual tension brewing between Chase and Rachel, her two featured characters. Critical to McFarren’s writing style is how she slyly weaves in an array of colorfully complex characters—many of which function as foils for the purpose of building her dynamic cast—while undergirding her story with themes of the lovers’ anxiety and their unfolding relationship. Equally critical is the inclusion of a handful of supportive characters that play distinctive roles in the development of both the storyline and series.

Lightly punctuating her third person narrative with omniscient viewpoints, McFarren provides readers with windows that take snapshots into her character’s thought processes and inner turmoil, especially when she places them within life-threatening scenes. Although the bulk of her story is grippingly fast-paced, McFarren keeps readers engaged by throwing in a variety of sexual scenes that range from steamy to downright disturbing, as well as off-the-wall unexpected moments. Great “unexpected” examples include Chase inadvertently overhearing a sexually skewed hypnotic session and artistic representatives attending a posh dinner with bags on their heads, just to name a few.

Amid chapters replete with alternating character scenes, plenty of un-clichéd scenes, and romance—all set within suspenseful environs, McFarren’s tale would be incomplete without the infusion of a bit of history. Inspired by her love of the arts as well as owning and operating her own art gallery, McFarren aptly sprinkles in elements of art, giving particular attention to the works of the eccentric abstract painter Morris Graves. Also of interest is the way she portrays aspects of London, such as the infamous Soho district.

As with Severed Threads and Buried Threads, book three closes on a cliffhanger—one that indubitably will keep readers on edge anticipating its sequel. Well written and absolutely enthralling, Banished Threads is a wonderful addition to McFarren’s award-winning series!

Inside Scoop Radio Interview

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For anyone who’s interested in hearing more about Buried Threads and Kaylin McFarren’s creative process, please take a few moments to listen to Inside Scoop…a fun and informative radio interview. http://insidescooplive.com/kaylinmcfarrenburiedthreads