Maris Soule

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Shannon Powell is a bit sheltered. Whisked away from a life of hardship and poverty at the young age of seventeen by her new acquaintance, turned husband – John continued to shelter Shannon within their life of luxury; almost keeping her child-like and not allowing her to grow up. But when John suddenly dies, Shannon immediately struggles with finding herself. A feat that can be a real trick when you aren’t privy to the dangers that surround you.
Clint Dawson is her chauffeur. Sort of. He was actually hired to protect Shannon as a bodyguard following a botched kidnapping attempt. John refused to tell her the truth of the matter and swore Clint to secrecy when he hired him, so neither can Clint reveal the truth. But John has now been gone for over a year and Shannon’s lack of realization as to how much danger she really could be in as an heiress to a vast fortune could be more hazardous than revealing the truth. He knows he can never have her and her knows he has to get away from her. Falling in love with her was never a part of the plan and resisting her is getting more difficult; especially given the new passes she’s recently taken to making toward him. Even though he can’t have her, knowing she’s way too good for him, he struggles with telling her the truth. Possibly the worst part being that he is the unknown writer of her favorite love letters. What started as blackmail of sorts got a bit out of hand. But if she hates him, maybe it will make it easier to leave her … before they cross the threshold of no return.
His was a super-fast, entertaining read. I polished it off in about 3 hours. While there wasn’t a whole lot of time within the space of the pages to dig deep into these characters, I felt Ms. Soule did a very good job of bringing them to life. I understood where they were coming from and why. I also enjoyed watching their misconceptions of self interfere not only before they realized a mutual love, but also after as they struggled with different insecurities. They not only had to prove to each other that the gamble on love was worth it, but had to prove it to themselves and break past what each thought made them unworthy of such a love.
The book progressed at a steady pace and kept me engaged. The characters were well developed and the secondary characters added the little bit of substance that would have been lacking otherwise. Overall, I enjoyed my time spent with Shannon and Clint. I was a little lost with the kidnapping aspect as it seemed to disappear. Had it been utilized a bit more, I would have welcomed the addition of suspense. Perhaps there wasn’t enough time. Beyond that minor criticism, I would recommend this book. It would be especially nice for the reader who doesn’t have a lot of time to dive into a full-length novel, but is looking to scratch the itch with a quick HEA.
Kindle version provided by Novel Book Tour in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)

I was drawn to A Killer Past for numerous reasons, the title, the cover, the blurb and the location, Michigan. I love to read books that are in a location I an familiar with and I know a bit about Michigan. This is not your comfy, cozy mystery.

Sergeant Jack Rossini had been called to a scene where two gang members claimed to be beaten up by a little old woman. After they arrived at the hospital, they changed their story to ninjas, ending with they fell.

That little old lady is Mary Harrington, who is 74 and looked like easy prey. Boy were they wrong. She kicked their ass, but that created a big problem for her, exposure. Now, not only is she in danger, but also those close to her. How far would they go to keep the past buried?

I knew the premise of the story was a forgone conclusion, but I was looking forward to some twists and turns that would entertain me. The first one was Mary Harrington.

I mean…a 74 year old woman is the main character and her hidden past forces her to go on the offensive. Even though it had been years since she had used martial arts, actions were done by reflex. All her training had paid off.

Even after being warned, Jack does not let the mystery lie. He wants answers. Will he get them? Will he wish he had left well enough alone? We shall see.

Seeing I am no spring chicken myself, it was hard to buy into her kicking ass and taking a few kicks herself, then walking away. I know surprise was on her side, so I’ll give it to her. I don’t know what is missing in A Killer Past, but I did not feel a sense of urgency. I knew the gang members would retaliate, I mean, they are gang members, after all. Isn’t that what they do? It took me three days to read it. It lacks that something extra that makes it unputdownable. Nevertheless, A Killer Past was worth reading and I did enjoy it. I would recommend this as a not so cozy, easy reading mystery.

I received A Killer Past by Maris Soule in return for an honest and unbiased review.… (meer)