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Feature Author – Ken Harris

By
Cyrene Olson
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As seen in the January/February issue of Uncaged Book Reviews

Welcome to Uncaged! Could you tell readers more about The Pine Barrens Stratagem that releases in January?

I think an early review I received said it best: “A contemporary crime thriller that works on every level, from the smoldering investigation to the whipsaw banter between characters you’re bound to love.”

This book is my tribute to the 1970’s private eye, investigative television shows I grew up watching with my father. I rediscovered my love of The Rockford Files by binging the show shortly after I retired. A few episodes in, I knew my three-year battle with writer’s block was over and I could craft a humorous, fast-paced entertaining PI novel with a hard-nosed sarcastic protagonist, but set in current times. And what is more current than the pandemic? If you read this book, you’ll come for the engaging story but stay for the dialogue and relatable characters.

You are retired FBI, did your experience help with writing this crime thriller?

My 32 years with the FBI provided me with a background and knowledge of proper procedurals, if that makes sense, to write a griping crime thriller. The FBI, itself, plays a very minor role in The Pine Barrens Stratagem. I find it more enjoyable to write about a small two-person detective agency than a large bureaucratic machine. Its more personable and compelling. People have asked why I don’t write an FBI-thriller and that’s an easy answer. There are way too many people writing about the FBI and I don’t need to add to it. I’ve got other, more entertaining stories to tell. Besides, what fun is it, if you know everything about the subject matter?

Read the rest of the interview in the issue of Uncaged Book Reviews below

Ken Harris retired from the FBI, after thirty-two years, as a cybersecurity executive. With over three decades writing intelligence products for senior Government officials, Ken provides unique perspectives on the conventional fast-paced crime thriller. While this is his first traditionally published novel, he previously self-published two novellas and two novels. He spends days with his wife Nicolita, and two Labradors, Shady and Chalupa Batman. Evenings are spent cheering on Philadelphia sports. Ken firmly believes Pink Floyd, Irish whiskey and a Montecristo cigar are the only muses necessary. He is a native of New Jersey and currently resides in Northern Virginia.
“THE PINE BARRENS STRATAGEM: From the Case Files of Steve Rockfish” publishes on January 27, 2022
“SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY: From the Case Files of Steve Rockfish 2” publishes on July 14, 2022

kenharrisfiction.com

The Pine Barrens Stratagem
Ken Harris
Crime/Thriller
Releases Jan. 27

Private Investigator Steve Rockfish needs cash, like yesterday. The bad news is that yesterday, a global pandemic raged, and Maryland was headed toward a lockdown that would ultimately lead to cheating spouses no longer “working late,” and hence a lack of new clients.

Rockfish’s luck changes when a Hollywood producer reaches out, but the job is two states away and involves digging up information on a child trafficking ring from the 1940s. What he uncovers will be used to support the launch of a true crime docuseries. He grabs a mask, hand sanitizer and heads for South Jersey.

On-site, Rockfish meets Jawnie McGee, the great granddaughter of a local policeman gone missing while investigating the original crimes. As the duo uncover more clues, they learn the same criminal alliance has reformed to use the pandemic as a conduit to defraud the Federal Government of that sweet, sweet, stimulus money.

It’s not long before the investigation turns up some key intel on a myriad of illicit activity over the last eighty years and Rockfish rockets toward a showdown with the mafia, local archdiocese and dirty cops. COVID-19 isn’t the only threat to his health.

Excerpt

Rockfish sat in the Scion’s passenger seat while Jawnie drove. He wasn’t thrilled with the decision, but she was adamant that some of the dirt roads, deep within the Pine Barrens, were no place for a Dodge Challenger. Plus, she didn’t feel like playing navigator. In the end, Rockfish decided not to put up much of a fight, considering Jawnie was more than a little familiar with where they were headed, although he had second thoughts with the four cases of whiplash he had suffered before even reaching the highway.
“Do you drive with two feet,” he asked. “Because my head can’t keep jerking forward and slamming back much more. Unless you’re running an insurance scam, and if so, what would be my take?”

“Enough with the backseat driving, and can you put your visor back up? That late afternoon glare off the mirror is killing me.”

“Make a deal with you. You drive how you want. I’ll keep an eye on our surroundings the way I want. Speaking of which, can you move this right-side passenger mirror a little more to the right, all I’m seeing is the rear fender.”

Read the rest of the excerpt in the link below

Uncaged Review – Phoenix’s Refrain by Ella Summers

By
Cyrene Olson
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Phoenix’s Refrain
Ella Summers
Dark Fantasy

There are forces greater than gods or demons at work here.

Leda Pandora, the Angel of Chaos, isn’t like other angels. She fights dirty, in ways totally unbecoming of a soldier in the Legion of Angels. She cracks jokes at the other angels, even when she should really keep her mouth shut. And she stubbornly insists on doing the right thing, even if it’s totally against the rules.

Leda’s chaotic ways have helped her win many battles, but she’s going to need more than a healthy dose of chaos this time. Powerful forces have their eyes trained on her unborn child, a magical miracle who might just become the most powerful weapon ever conceived.

To secure her daughter’s future, Leda will need to unravel schemes and unlock secrets buried deep in the past. Because ignorance is not bliss when deities play the game.

Uncaged Review: Leda and Nero’s child is on the
way, and targeted by not only by Leda’s parents,
Grace and Faris for a weapon, but also the Guardians
who have been kidnapping supernaturals to use for
power. In this book we learn more about the past lives
of Grace and her sisters, and of Tessa, Gin and Zane,
Leda’s family and how they all became the adoptive
children of Callie. This world is so intricate and well
thought out down to the last detail that you may want
to read this book (or parts of it) twice to get to all
the details. The plot comes together nicely and even
though the main arc in the story is ongoing, the books
will not leave the reader on a cliffhanger.

Leda and Nero are stronger than ever, and the secondary
characters are back in force. The humor adds
levity and the action sequences had me on the edge
of my seat. Highly recommended series. Reviewed by
Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – Loved by a Dangerous Duke by Collette Cameron

By
Cyrene Olson
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Loved by a Dangerous Duke
Collette Cameron
Historical Regency

Is she desperate enough to marry a man she loathes? Sadly, yes…

He always has his way…
Stanford is aware of his nickname, The Dangerous Duke—and it suits him just fine. Inheriting a bankrupt dukedom and rebuilding it taught him just how useless niceties were. Except now, he’s ready to choose a duchess, and the only one he deems suitable (and enticing) enough despises him. Perhaps he should reconsider the value of niceties…

She’s a most reluctant bride…
Ophelia Breckensole knows what she wants, and it is not Stanford. But fate plays into his hand when she finds herself unwittingly compromised. Now, she must wed or face ruination—and Stanford is only too pleased to help. So, she’ll marry him, but she won’t love him. Or so she keeps telling herself…

But Stanford and Ophelia have much more to overcome on their path to happily ever after than his austere nature and her vow to never love her husband. Stanford’s enemies are determined to make him pay for his past, and they’re willing to use Ophelia to do it. Can this fragile union survive such an onslaught?

Uncaged Review: This is a sweet romance that is a
nice addition to this series. Ophelia has turned down
the Duke of Ashford’s proposal for marriage and he
deserved it. Used to getting what he wants, Stanford
will have to change his game to win over Ophelia.
Ophelia is stubborn and sassy, he’s got his work cut
out for him. But he’s going to find out that marrying
her was not yet a mark in the win column. The gypsy
caravan coming into town was a great touch.

I really enjoyed this romance, although I saw a couple
similarities to a different book, like the alphabetical
names, how the staff was lined up on the stairs when
the Duke arrived home – but one thing I did learn is
about these balls in the regency era, and how they
start later in the evening and go until the wee hours
of the morning, sometimes ending in breakfast. It
always fun to learn new tidbits. Overall, I liked the
story, I think the personalities shifted a little quickly
for both main characters, and I never really saw how
Stanford got his moniker of the “Dangerous Duke,”
but it’s a nice and easy feel-good read for an afternoon
and we sure can use that these days.Reviewed by
Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – How to Rattle an Undead Couple

By
Cyrene Olson
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How to Rattle an Undead Couple
Hailey Edwards
Urban Fantasy

Bring on the cakes, balloons, cakes, gifts, cakes, and…well…cakes. It’s time for Grier’s baby shower!

Grier is ready to smile for the cameras, rip open the presents, and finally taste that lemon chiffon cake, but it’s just not meant to be. The Grande Dame is MIA, which turns the big event into an even bigger search party. And that delicious cake? It’s going right back in the fridge.

While Grier doesn’t have the best relationship with her mother-in-law, she’s determined her child will grow up with one living grandparent or else. Even if it means wiggling into maternity jeans, putting on actual shoes, and waddling over to Lawson Manor to investigate the potential kidnapping.

Just as the investigation turns a corner, Grier pays the price for her stress. The baby wants out ahead of schedule, and it has a unique way of making its desires known. Unique and terrifying. Now the race is on to find the Grande Dame before the baby makes his or her first appearance.

What do you get when you cross a goddess-touched necromancer with an Eidolon?

Linus and Grier are about to find out firsthand. Now they just have to survive parenthood.

Uncaged Review: In the third epilogue of this series,
Grier is nearing the end of her pregnancy and getting
ready to deal with baby showers. In the meantime,
the Grand Dame is missing along with Boaz. So even
though Grier has to sit most of this investigation out,
she manages to help out still stuffed behind the protective
walls of Wooly.

This wasn’t just a frivolous epilogue, this was a fullfledged
book with all the characters, more Linus and
Grier, and an action-fight sequences tossed in for good
measure with a suspense to solve. This book even
introduces more character development in a couple
areas that I didn’t see coming. Even though this book
is the end of this series, the ending left the door open
for more. And I truly hope that there will be more.
Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review – A Demon Bound by Debra Dunbar

By
Cyrene Olson
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A Demon Bound
Debra Dunbar
Dark Fantasy

I never wanted to save the world… or these damned werewolves.

Life was pretty sweet until my hellhound bit one of them. Then I accidentally killed him—the werewolf, not my hellhound. Now I need to help the local alpha track down and destroy a rogue angel or I’ll lose everything that’s important to me, like my Corvette, and my awesome house with a pool.

I might wind up dead. I might wind up back in Hel. Or I might just pull something impish and manage to wiggle my way out of the whole mess.

Uncaged Review: I’m not real sure I ever really
liked the main character, at least in the first half
of the book, I was still on the fence with the book
as a whole for the full first half. This was such a
slow starter for me. As for Sam, I know she’s a
demon and the author does a good job keeping her
a demon and not letting her get “too humanized”
by her time in their world. But the background and
the world building is very lackluster, so it was hard
to get a good focus. I set this book down several
times before I finally finished it. When Gregory
shows up, the storyline is oxygenated to life. I
even started liking Sam more.

There are a lot of unanswered questions lying
around and I know this is a longer series so some
of the answers will keep coming, I’m sure. If the
world would have been better established, it may
have held me better in the first half. All in all, I’m
glad I muscled through as the back half was pretty
good, and I plan on moving to book two to see
where this story goes, but I can’t commit to more
than that at this point. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review – Dead Case in Deadwood by Ann Charles

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Dead Case in Deadwood
Ann Charles
Paranormal Mystery

“Nothing good ever happens at the butt-crack of dawn. No doubt, the headless corpse on the autopsy table in front of me would agree.”—Violet Parker

Real estate agent, Violet “Spooky” Parker stumbles upon a body-part theft ring at the local funeral parlor and suspects her caustic coworker has a hand in it—or maybe a foot. Can Violet discover what’s in the crates the crooks are sneaking out of the mortuary in the dark of night? Or will she end up in one of
them herself … in pieces?

Uncaged Review: In book three, the paranormal is
increasing, and this book amps up even more danger,
laughs and some chills. The mystery is never really
over for Violet, she’s always getting her nose into
somewhere she shouldn’t be. This time, she thinks
she’s stumbled on a body parts ring, but she is also
close to losing her job – if she doesn’t close the sale
on the Old Prospect’s Hotel, she may be out of a job.
And the place is haunted, of course. So Violet will do
some off the wall things to get the sale. And she drags
Doc with her.

This book is not only a good mystery, but the author’s
way of throwing in the humor and how Violet sort of
stumbles through life takes the book to a new level. I
normally am not a mystery lover, but these books are
changing my mind. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review: Optical Delusions in Deadwood

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Optical Delusions in Deadwood
Ann Charles
Paranormal Mystery Romance

Someone is spreading rumors around Deadwood that Violet Parker likes to chat with dead folks.

With her reputation endangered, her bank account on the verge of extinction, and her career at risk of going up in flames, Violet is desperate. When the opportunity to sell another vintage home materializes, she grabs it, even though this “haunted” house was recently the stage for a two-act, murder-suicide tragedy.

Ghost or no ghost, Violet knows this can’t be as bad as the last house of horrors she tried to sell, but sexy Doc Nyce has serious doubts. Her only hope of hanging on to her job is to prove that the so-called, ghostly sightings are merely the eccentric owner’s optical delusions.

But someone—or something—in the house wants Violet stopped…dead.

Uncaged Review: When a book has me trying to force myself to stay awake to read just “one more page,” and finally giving up to sleep because I can’t comprehend what I’m reading any longer – then that’s a sign of a fantastic read. And they don’t come along that often. But this book did it. I read the first one a few months back, and I really liked it, but this one knocked it out of the park for me. There are more than a few laugh out loud moments like this one between Violet and Doc:

“Tiffany said she was glad you were back together again.”

“Natalie heard that? Where was she, under the car?”

I barked out a laugh and was stared at by the three dachshunds that sleep in my bed when their heads popped up out of a deep sleep. Oh well, dogs don’t understand human craziness as long as I feed them.
The mystery was really well done, even stumped me for the whole intertwined mess it turned into, in a good way. The romance is spot on, but Violet really needs to let Doc completely in and quit hiding. The paranormal part of this is mild and has to do with ghosts, but it’s well played in this book and there wasn’t much I didn’t like. Taking some real history about some haunted places in Deadwood. I will say when I hit the last quarter of the book, there was nothing going to stop me from reading to the end. A mystery series with a little more fun. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review: Earl of Baxter by Tammy Andresen

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Earl of Baxter
Tammy Andresen
Historical Regency

He’s known as the Earl of Bastards…

If society thinks the nickname is an insult, they are sorely mistaken. Mason, the Earl of Baxter, has grown up knowing he’s the illegitimate son of the Duke of Devonshire, otherwise known as the Demon Duke. He’ll join his father in hell before he bows before any man or woman of the peerage.

She’s an orphan with a dark secret…

Most think Clarissa is a saint. She’s tended wounded soldiers and helped raise forgotten children. But she is not all that she appears and there are dark secrets in her past that threaten her tenuous opportunities for the future. No one can know how she managed to escape…except one man already does…the Earl of Baxter.

And what he’ll do with that information is anyone’s guess.

She can’t control him anymore that she can the loud thrumming of her heart anytime the man walks into the room. But when specters from her past begin to circle closer she must make a choice. Does she trust the Earl of Bastards? And if she does, will she lose her heart?

Uncaged Review: This book is a very cleverly written story, it hits on two series that are running. First off, it’s in the Wicked Earls Club – a series that has many books with contributions from several authors and it hits on the Lords of Scandal series. In this book, we get the story of Mason and Clarissa. Mason is known as the Earl of Bastards, his title gifted to him from his brother Bash, a Duke. He is the result of an affair of his father’s, and was hated by him. When he goes off to war and is badly wounded, a young girl helps to nurse him back to health and he vows to find her one day and help her.

This book jumps in right after the happenings of the last book in the series, Earl of Gold. When Mason sees Clarissa at the wedding of Logan and Penny, he knows it’s the same girl who gave him a reason to live all those years ago. But both of these characters will need to heal from a childhood and maybe, just maybe they can heal each other.

This is a nice addition to both of the series, and the book moves along nicely. I was already invested before I picked up the book, as this is one of my favorite series from this author, but the book stands on its own as a good story and a great page turner. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review: The Ice Duchess by Tracy Sumner

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

The Ice Duchess
Tracy Sumner
Historical Romance

A scandalous countess plays matchmaker…for a man she once longed to take for herself.

Georgiana Whitcomb, Countess Winterbourne, is known as the Ice Countess for her rebellious ways and refusal to marry again. But a scandalous Christmas wager fashioned by Georgiana’s childhood obsession changes everything.

The demanding duke needs a bride…

Dexter Munro, mere days from becoming the Duke of Markham, made a promise to his dying father to find a wife by the Twelfth Night. Except the only woman he’s ever desired has vowed never to marry again. Not even to become his duchess.

Georgiana and Dex share a sizzling attraction and a wicked past…but is their scorching passion enough to melt the Ice Countess’ heart?

Uncaged Review: A second chance to get it right….Georgiana is a widow, having married in an arranged marriage to an older man to save her family’s monetary issues. After her husband passes away, she vows never to marry again, and sets up The Duchess Society, teaching young women how to get more respect in a marriage and to get a good match, and earning the nickname, The Ice Duchess. Dexter, returns home to his dying father and promises him he will marry and take over the dukedom. As kids, Dexter, Georgie and her now deceased brother, Anthony were inseparable and when she finally sees Dexter again, she finds that easy connection is still there…

This is a nice romance that finds that a second chance to find love is heartwarming and I was drawn into the book pretty quickly. This book introduces The Duchess Society series, and the secondary characters are just as likable as the main. The epilogue was the perfect touch on this one.
Reviewed by Cyrene


5 Stars

Uncaged Review: How to Survive an Undead Honeymoon by Hailey Edwards

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

How to Survive an Undead Honeymoon
Hailey Edwards
Urban Fantasy

The Epilogues: Part II

Nothing says romance like spending a long weekend at a haunted inn famed for sending its guests to the ER with scratches, bites, and fractures. Or so Linus thinks when he books a trip for Grier and himself to Oliphant House. As far as honeymoons go, the choice is nontraditional, but then, so is his bride.

Haunted history is one of Grier’s great loves, and she’s thrilled to discover Linus has given her a mystery to solve. Forget walks on moonlit beaches and sipping fruity drinks, Grier would much rather unravel the curse that’s plagued the Oliphant family for generations than pick sand from between her toes.

The resident spooks, however, aren’t happy with the newlyweds sticking their noses where they don’t belong. Between the missing persons, the dead bodies, and the secrets lurking in the basement, Linus and Grier start to wonder if they’ll survive their honeymoon.

Uncaged Review: When this series was finished, the author added 3 longer novellas as “epilogues” to the ending. Each of these have a story within and just adds to the whole story of Grier and Linus. This time they are going on their honeymoon, of sorts, more of a long weekend away and Linus has chosen a haunted inn because of Grier’s love off all the things that go bump in the night, thinking solving a mystery would be a fun getaway. Well, this haunted fun turns deadly…of course.

I enjoyed the extra time with this group, but I have the same feelings as Linus, I wanted to be selfish and see more time with just Linus and Grier. But it was still a fun time with enough of the twists and turns this series is known for. I’ve put these books off reading for a while, drawing the series out longer. I really am bummed that there is one book left in the epilogues. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

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