Book Promo ~ INHUMAN TRAFFICKING

Another gripping legal thriller from
the author of Law and Addiction

Mike Papantonio
& Alan Russell

For Nick “Deke” Deketomis, going where angels fear to tread in waging legal battles has long been a way of life. As managing partner for one of the nation’s largest plaintiffs’ law firms, Deke has gone toe to toe with some of the largest corporations in the world. His firm specializes in the tough, even quixotic, cases that few lawyers would dare to take on. Like human trafficking.

Deke’s target this time is Welcome Mat Hospitality, a firm known for its truck stops and lodging throughout the United States. What Welcome Mat doesn’t advertise is the human trafficking—for sex work and slave labor—going on at many of its properties. For the sake of better profits, Welcome Mat’s ownership has turned a blind eye to this lucrative enterprise.

As invested as Deke is in the case, though, it takes on even greater urgency when the past comes calling with word that his fifteen-year-old goddaughter, Lily Reyes, is missing. When Deke learns that Lily has fallen prey to a notorious trafficker, his personal and professional worlds converge. For his goddaughter to survive, Deke must prevail not only in the legal arena but outside of it.

About the Authors

Mike Papantonio is a senior partner of Levin Papantonio, one of the country’s largest plaintiffs’ law firms, and was one of the youngest inductees into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame. He has aggressively taken on Big Pharma, tobacco, weapon manufacturers, and the automobile industry, among other bastions of corporate greed, and uses his own cases as springboards for his novels. Papantonio is also a well-known media presence as host of  America’s Lawyer and co-host of the syndicated radio show  Ring of Fire . He is based in Pensacola, Florida. 

Alan Russell is the #1 bestselling author of seventeen mystery and suspense novels, including Burning Man, Shame, St. Nick , and A Cold War. Russell’s novels have been nominated for most of the major awards in crime fiction, and he has won a Lefty award for best comedic mystery, a  USA Today  Critics’ Choice Award, multiple San Diego Book Awards, and the Odin Award for Lifetime Achievement from the San Diego Writers/Editor Guild. He lives with his wife in Encinitas, California. 

Editorial Reviews

“A propulsive legal thriller fueled by the righteous indignation of a legal team fighting against one of the darkest scourges of modern society: the invisible epidemic of sex trafficking and sexual slavery. Through Machiavellian courtroom maneuvering, undercover investigation, and military-style interventions fraught with personal danger, trial attorney Nick ‘Deke’ Deketomis and his team of life-scarred legal heroes put everything on the line.”—William L. Myers, Jr., trial attorney and author of the bestselling Philadelphia Legal Series

“As someone who has previously tackled the subject matter, I can say that Inhuman Trafficking is on the nose with its realism and at times disturbing depiction of a serious problem in the USA and other countries. Authors Papantonio and Russell deliver a fast-paced legal thriller with hard-hitting conflict—sometimes ‘Bondian’ action!—that introduces an engaging team of protagonists and an equally despicable group of baddies.”—Raymond Benson, author of In the Hush of the Night and Blues in the Dark

INHUMAN TRAFFICKING

Skyhorse Publishing
ISBN 10: 1510768874
ISBN 13: 978-1510768871

Available from

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Indie Bound
& other fine retailers

Book Promo ~ ABOVE THE RAIN

 Past, Present, and Future Collide on a Breathtaking Journey

^{by Víctor del Árbol
translated by
Lisa Dillman}

   In ABOVE THE RAIN (Other Press Paperback Original), Victor del Árbol weaves two seemingly disparate narratives: a late-in-life road trip across Europe, and a woman’s fight for survival in Sweden’s criminal underbelly. He draws readers into his complex, gritty world, unspooling threads of the past and present to reconstruct the history of violence that links all of them. More than just a work of suspense, ABOVE THE RAIN examines the nature of evil, asking how those who act from within the depths of human cruelty justify themselves, and what motivates the few who are willing to fight them. I wanted to be sure you’ve had a chance to consider it for Spring or Summer reads.
           
        Sweden: Yasmina, the daughter of Moroccan immigrants, is beholden to Sture, a powerful drug trafficker. She’s ordered to seduce the Deputy Commissioner, an older man who’s investigating a series of grisly murders. Trapped between increasing pressure from Sture, and life at home with her authoritarian, abusive grandfather, Yasmina plots her escape. 

          In their nursing home in Cadiz, Helena and Miguel form an unlikely friendship, both bored with the monotonous days. Helena is still haunted by the man who destroyed her family sixty years ago. Miguel, living with the ghosts of his father and his wife, is terrified that his mind is failing him. Rejecting the notion that it’s ‘too late’ for anything to change, the pair depart for the journey of their lives to finally face their dark pasts, and soon learn how much they’re willing to risk to find answers.

Del Árbol challenges us to question what justice looks like, and the destruction that can come from seeking it. And in its unflinching portrayal of aging and disease, ABOVE THE RAIN is a searing indictment against a world that views the elderly as a burden, and of a society that puts expiration dates on people’s relevance or potential. 

THE AUTHOR

Víctor del Árbol was born in Barcelona in 1968 and was an officer of the Catalan police force from 1992 to 2012. As the recipient of the Nadal Prize, the Tiflos Prize, and as the first Spanish author to win the Prix du Polar Européen, he has distinguished himself as a prominent voice in Spanish literature.

 Del Árbol’s books have garnered wide praise: A Million Drops (2018) was a Washington Post (“a dizzying multigenerational drama”) and CrimeReads pick of the year, and an Amazon Best of the Month selection; Breathing Through the Wound (2020) was a New York Times Globetrotting Selection, and a “Best of the Year Pick” from CrimeReads and PopMatters. 

THE TRANSLATOR

Lisa Dillman teaches in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She has translated a number of Spanish and Latin American writers. Some of her recent translations include Rain Over Madrid; August, October; and Death of a Horse, by Andrés Barba, and Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera.

REVIEWS

“Above the Rain is an exceptional novel about the present’s inability to deny the past, a clear-eyed examination of the cultural clashes in modern Europe. It’s also a novel about love, the different kinds thereof and how they offer their own various sorts of healing and redemption.” —Scott Phillips, author of The Ice Harvest and That Left Turn at Albuquerque

With its large cast of characters, shifting timeline and multiple perspectives, this is a work of deep complexity. But del Arbol, a gifted storyteller, keeps the pages turning even as he probes the dark, compromised souls of his characters — and the fractured families they come from.” —CHICAGO TRIBUNE, Lloyd Sachs

ABOVE THE RAIN

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Other Press
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1635429951
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1635429954

available from

AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
and other fine retailers

Book Promo: Fool’s Errand

Fool’s Errand from Jeffrey S. Stephens is a clever,
upbeat story about long buried family secrets,
the complex relationship between a young man and his father,
and an adventurous hunt for both hidden treasure and difficult truths.

Years after the death of his gangster father, a young man
discovers a letter that sends him reluctantly defying the
mob as he races to locate a hidden treasure.

The love between a father and a son can be both complicated and compelling, especially when the father is a charming rogue. “Blackie” Rinaldi had ties to the mob, and his only son has done all he can to avoid the pitfalls of his father’s chosen path. But when an enigmatic letter hinting at a cache of stolen money surfaces six years after Blackie’s untimely death, the younger Rinaldi is forced to confront his father’s colorful past.

An international treasure hunt ensues, with surprising twists and engaging characters. Fool’s Errand from Jeffrey S. Stephens, author of the popular Jordan Sandor series, is an entertaining story of family ties and a parent’s never-ending influence.

Blackie’s son follows a series of clues from the mean streets of New York to the Las Vegas Strip, and ultimately to the South of France. Along the way, he is confronted by dangerous mobsters, dishonest relatives, suspicious friends, a mysterious woman and the risks of a journey his father may or may not have planned for him.

With the ideal balance of humor and heart, adventure and romance, Fool’s Errand features compelling, relatable characters and a fast-paced narrative that will keep readers guessing as each new secret is revealed.

Author Jeffrey S. Stephens lives in Greenwich, Connecticut. He is also the author of the Jordan Sandor espionage thrillers, beginning with Targets of Deception and, most recently, Rogue Mission. He is also the author of the recent thriller, Crimes and Passion, the first in a planned series featuring Lieutenant Robbie Whyte.

Amazon Reviews

“While Fool’s Errand brings elements of The Maltese Falcon (one of my all-time favorite films), Goodfellas, and even a dash of old-school detective thrillers and serial films, this tale is fully current. It’s a great read and a worthy weekend escape from real life. It doesn’t insult anyone’s beliefs or intelligence. It’s smart, it’s sharp, and it will make a strong movie in the right creative hands. I picked up Fool’s Errand and read it through, cover to cover, in a day. Stephens’ prose is brisk and clean, to the point, and entertaining as it keeps you turning pages. Fool’s Errand is a fun, satisfying read, full of heart and surprises.”  — PJ Media

“Told in the first person, this engaging mystery is both plot-and character-driven. Moving from past to present is deftly handled, and the mystery presented seems both plausible and intriguing. Love of family, albeit a flawed one, is key.”  — Kirkus Reviews

For more information, please visit www.jeffreystephens.com.

Fool’s Errand
Publisher: Post Hill Press
ISBN-13: 978-1642937381
ISBN-10: 164293738X
Available from Amazon.com

Book Promo: Crimes and Passion

Betrayal and Infidelity Lead to
Murder in Crimes and Passion

by
Jeffrey Stephens

Elizabeth Knoebel expected her appointment that night to provide another juicy entry in her private diary, aptly entitled Sexual Rites. But a shadowy figure, watching from the edge of her property, has other plans. Instead of an evening of pleasure, Elizabeth is confronted by someone who wants to put an end to her destructive behavior — and succeeds.

Crimes and Passion is the gripping mystery-thriller from Jeffrey S. Stephens, effortlessly weaving suspense and sensuality with psychological undercurrents.

Elizabeth’s murder investigation is turned over to Lieutenant Robbie Whyte, a former New York City cop now serving on the force in affluent Fairfield County, Connecticut. Whyte understands that the appearances of the privileged gentry are often far removed from reality, and this certainly proves to be true in the case of Elizabeth Knoebel, who Whyte discovers was under the care of psychotherapist Dr. Randi Conway.

When Whyte finds Elizabeth’s diary, Sexual Rites, he uncovers explicit details of her erotic adventures with various men, many of whom may have been the husbands of the women in her therapy group. Elizabeth was a predator bent on seducing and, in some instances, humiliating these men, obsessed with a perverse mission that Whyte believes led to her murder.

The secrets of Crimes and Passion are peeled away one layer at a time as readers meet an assortment of Dr. Conway’s patients — one of whom may have been Elizabeth’s killer. With Dr. Conway unwilling to betray her patients’ confidences, Whyte’s investigation gets complicated, putting the therapist herself in more danger as Whyte gets closer to the truth, and to the doctor herself.

With a pacing that mirrors Whyte’s frantic search for the truth, Crimes and Passion keeps readers guessing as each revelation unfolds. And along the way, readers are shown glimpses into the dynamics that cause marriages to succeed, to fail or sometimes, to end in tragedy.

Crimes and Passion
Publisher: Mandevilla Press
ISBN-10: 162704051X
ISBN-13: 978-1627040518
Available from
Amazon.com

About the Author:

Jeffrey Stephens was born in New York City and graduated from the Bronx High School of Science at the age of 16; he completed a B.A. in Creative Writing from Pennsylvania State University at 19. Jeffrey began his first novel in 1970, which would not be completed for several years as he entered the Fordham University School of Law. His private legal practice has included extensive civil and criminal courtroom experience, and he has represented a wide range of celebrity clients. Nancy and Jeffrey live in Greenwich, Connecticut, where they raised two sons, Graham and Trevor.

Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton

Harper Collins Pub

Michael Crichton, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Jurassic Park, returns to the world of paleontology in this recently discovered novel—a thrilling adventure set in the Wild West during the golden age of fossil hunting.

The year is 1876. Warring Indian tribes still populate America’s western territories even as lawless gold-rush towns begin to mark the landscape. In much of the country it is still illegal to espouse evolution. Against this backdrop two monomaniacal paleontologists pillage the Wild West, hunting for dinosaur fossils, while surveilling, deceiving and sabotaging each other in a rivalry that will come to be known as the Bone Wars.

Into this treacherous territory plunges the arrogant and entitled William Johnson, a Yale student with more privilege than sense. Determined to survive a summer in the west to win a bet against his arch-rival, William has joined world-renowned paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh on his latest expedition.  But when the paranoid and secretive Marsh becomes convinced that William is spying for his nemesis, Edwin Drinker Cope, he abandons him in Cheyenne, Wyoming, a locus of crime and vice. William is forced to join forces with Cope and soon stumbles upon a discovery of historic proportions.  With this extraordinary treasure, however, comes exceptional danger, and William’s newfound resilience will be tested in his struggle to protect his cache, which pits him against some of the West’s most notorious characters.

A page-turner that draws on both meticulously researched history and an exuberant imagination, Dragon Teeth is based on the rivalry between real-life paleontologists Cope and Marsh; in William Johnson readers will find an inspiring hero only Michael Crichton could have imagined. Perfectly paced and brilliantly plotted, this enormously winning adventure is destined to become another Crichton classic.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

Michael Crichton was born in Chicago in 1942. His novels include Next, State of Fear, Prey, Timeline, Jurassic Park, and The Andromeda Strain. He was also the creator of the television series ER. One of the most popular writers in the world, his books have been made into thirteen films, and translated in thirty-six languages. He died in 2008.

Book Review: Within the Law by Chelle Cordero

 

Within the Law

by Chelle Cordero

 Within the Law – Where Murder and Love Collide 

reviewed by Todd A. Fonseca 

Eight years after the abduction and murder of his fiancé, Tom Hughes throws back his last drink pondering the next day’s hearing. Her killer had been found. Consumed with rage and wanting to confront the man who took his future away, Tom leaves the bar and stumbles upon an attractive well dressed woman named Alli whose badly bloodied her knee after twisting her ankle. Uncertain why such a woman would be found so late in a rather dangerous part of town, Tom comes to her aid. Though cautious of a complete stranger wanting to help her, Tom insists ensuring that Alli does not suffer the safe fate as his fiancé years before.At the hearing, Tom begins to think perhaps his life can finally move on with the killer to be tried and a new woman in his life. His dreams quickly unravel when he learns that Alli is the killer’s attorney. Taunted by the man as they leave the courtroom, Tom beats him so badly the killer is hospitalized and later found murdered. With his life turned upside down, Tom is now accused of murder and Alli must prove his innocence.

Chelle Cordero begins Within The Law with a great setup of murder, betrayal, and plot twists that engage the reader immediately. As I read the opening chapters, I was reminded somewhat of Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent. Cordero then takes a turn I didn’t expect, and the opening story arc closes. In Ken Follet style, the novel subsequently explores the tragic sequence of events keeping Tom and Alli from being together. The novel is, therefore, less courtroom murder mystery and more star-crossed love story.

Cordero’s writing and plot is engaging and entertaining. One is drawn to Tom and Alli and their story just as they are drawn to one another. The dialogue is real and crisp and the novel moves quickly. Within the Law makes a great summer beach read.

Book Description

Tom gave up on ever falling in love again the day that he buried his high school sweetheart and fiancé. He started a career in law enforcement just so that he could find her murderer and rapist.Just when he is about to see justice done, he meets Alli Davis-the defense attorney for the murdering rapist who took his love from him.

Alli and Tom share a mutual and passionate attraction but Alli refuses to make any commitments. She is hiding a huge secret. Tom falls in love with her and pursues her despite a false arrest, kidnapping and attempt on his life.

Buy Links

Amazon (print)

Amazon (Kindle)

.pdf E-Book (Payloadz)

multiple ebook formats (Smashwords)

Apple iTunes

Kobo