CFBA: Pattern of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand

Song Stuck on the Brain: The Light Within by Janice Kapp Perry

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:





Pattern of Wounds

Bethany House (July 1, 2011)





by





J. Mark Bertrand


MY TAKE:

Pattern of Wounds is another sequel I've been (not so) patiently waiting for. J. Mark Bertrand truly impressed me with his first Roland March mystery. It was gritty, fresh and yet a little bit of a throw back to the original hardboiled kind of detectives of older novels. Spot on perfect blend.

He did it again. Pattern of Wounds is gripping, a real page turner for me. I was completely caught up in solving the crime, and yet found the forays into March's personal life and thoughts just as compelling.

With mystery/crime novels especially, I try not to discuss the plot too much because I hate it when someone gives away something good. I won't risk ruining a great read for you, I'll just stamp it with a big thumbs up approval. Oh, and be sure you have time to read, because once you start, you aren't going to want to be interrupted.




ABOUT THE BOOK:

It's Christmas in Houston, and homicide detective Roland March is on the hunt for a killer. A young woman's brutal stabbing in an affluent neighborhood bears all the hallmarks of a serial murder. The only problem is that March sent the murderer to prison ten years ago. Is it a copycat -- or did March convict the wrong man?

Alienated from his colleagues and with a growing rift in his marriage, March receives messages from the killer. The bodies pile up, the pressure builds, and the violence reaches too close to home. Up against an unfathomable evil, March struggles against the clock to understand the hidden message in the pattern of wounds.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Pattern of Wounds, go HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J. Mark Bertrand lived in Houston, where the series is set, for fifteen years, earning an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Houston. But after one hurricane too many he relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota. Mark has been arrested for a crime he didn't commit, was the foreman of one hung jury and served on another that acquitted Vinnie Jones of assault. In 1972, he won an honorable mention in a child modeling contest, but pursued writing instead.

CFBA: Back on Murder by J. Mark Bertrand

Song Stuck on the Brain: Figaro and Cleo from Disney. Sang it to my great nephew this morning.

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:


Back On MurderBethany House (July 1, 2010)


byJ. Mark Bertrand

MY TAKE:

Back on Murder takes me back to old school murder mysteries. The gruff detective battling his way back into the saddle while healing old wounds. The case that can either save his career or ruin it permanantly. The new partner he's not sure he wants. It's great. And looking at those story bones you might think, "ho hum, been there read that". But Bertrand has done a great job in creating the cast and the plot. The story quickly begins to feel like a long lost friend. Familiar in goodways, but with so many new layers to uncover. The mystery is well done, with mulitple cases woven together seemlessly. I closed the book and felt a little sad that I was done. I look forward to his next release.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Det. Roland March is a homicide cop on his way out.

A missing girl. A corrupt investigation. They thought they could get away with it, but they forgot one thing:

Roland March is BACK ON MURDER...

Houston homicide detective Roland March was once one of the best. Now he's disillusioned, cynical, and on his way out. His superiors farm him out on a variety of punishment details. But when he's the only one at a crime scene to find evidence of a missing female victim, he's given one last chance to prove himself. Before he can crack the case, he's transferred to a new one that has grabbed the spotlight--the disappearance of a famous Houston evangelist's teen daughter.

All he has to do? Find the missing teenage daughter of a Houston evangelist that every cop in town is already looking for. But March has an inside track, a multiple murder nobody else thinks is connected. With the help of a youth pastor with a guilty conscience who navigates the world of church and faith, March is determined to find the missing girls while proving he's still one of Houston's best detectives.

Battling a new partner, an old nemesis, and the demons of his past, getting to the truth could cost March everything. Even his life.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Back On Murder, go HERE.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

J. Mark Bertrand has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston. After one hurricane too many, he left Houston and relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota.

Mark has been arrested for a crime he didn't commit, was the foreman of a hung jury in Houston, and after relocating served on the jury that acquitted Vinnie Jones of assault. In 1972, he won an honorable mention in a child modeling contest, but pursued writing instead. Besides his personal website, visit his Crime Genre website at http://www.crimegenre.com/.

The next book in this series, Pattern Of Wounds will come out in the summer of 2011.

CFBA: Beguiled by Deeanne Gist & J. Mark Bertrand

Song Stuck on the Brain: Maneater by Hall & Oates

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:




Beguiled

by

Deeanne Gist

(Bethany House March 1, 2007)

andJ. Mark Bertrand




MY TAKE:

How can you possibly go wrong with a book by Deeanne Gist? Her story telling ability contines to impress me. Co-authoring with J. Mark Bertrand was just a bonus. Beguiled is an exciting and fast paced read and I hate to give away good endings. So, I'm just going to tell you it's worth the read.


ABOUT THE BOOK :

In the shadows of Charleston, someone is watching her... Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston's wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area and worse, someone seems to be targeting her.



Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything. As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything?



If you'd like to read the first chapter of Beguiled, go HERE





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ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Deeanne Gist, the bestselling author of A Bride Most Begrudging and The Measure of a Lady, has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include People magazine, Parents, and Parenting. With a line of parenting products called "I Did It!® Productions" and a degree from Texas A&M, she continues her writing and speaking. She and her family live in Houston, Texas.

J. Mark Bertrand has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston. After one hurricane too many, he left Houston and relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota.