Two episodes this week! On Tuesday's episode (102) of the GSMC Book Review Podcast I interviewed J.D. Sanderson about his debut novel, A Footstep Echo. On today's episode (103) I was happy to welcome R.J. Rosatte back to the podcast to talk about his two follow-up Katie and Malone novellas. If you recall, R.J.'s first interview was in April as part of the collection of authors who wrote novellas for the Tawnee Mountain Mystery series. In his contribution, Dark Side of the Mountain, we were introduced to Katie Douglas and Casey Malone. Katie and Casey survived the adventures they encountered in that story, but little did they know that was only the beginning.
Katie Douglas and Casey Malone first met at the Tawnee Mountain Resort, she an inspecting engineer, he a relaxing mystery novelist. Together they discovered a kidnapping plot on the mountain. As they tried to unravel the mystery, they uncovered a plot to bomb the high society wedding of the Wittenaur family being held at the resort. An imprisoned Mafia Don vowed revenge on Robert Wittenaur, the former DA that sent him to prison for life and had set in motion the plot to murder the entire family and guests at the wedding. After thwarting both of these plots in an explosive climax to the story, Katie and Casey went their separate ways, promising to get together again.Now, Katie is on her way to spend what she hopes will be a romantic weekend at Casey’s mountain-top retreat in Virginia. Before their evening even begins, the long reach of the mob interrupts their solitude promising that no good deed will go unpunished. Vowing to get even for the couple’s interference at the Tawnee Mountain Resort, the perpetrators of both plots take aim at Katie and Casey. As they dodge Mafia hitmen with the aid of a mysterious caller, Katie and Casey fight for their lives when Revenge Comes Calling. (Source)
Katie Douglas and Casey Malone, having survived revenge attacks from the Mafia and a scheming financier, are rewarded for thwarting plots aimed at guests of the famed Tawnee Mountain Resort. Billionaire owner Raymond Elliot has sent them on an all-expense-paid, month-long vacation to his private-island retreat in the Bahamas. But the couple, who are just beginning to enjoy their budding romance, finds it hard to relax in the tropical paradise when bodies keep washing up on the shore. Even more perplexing, the islanders won’t talk about the strange goings-on that Katie and Casey encounter.When they discover that the supervisor of the work crew assigned to build a private airstrip on the island has secret activities that he is willing to do anything to hide, they find themselves targets once more. They seek to solve the mysterious deaths and get to the bottom of who Jake Peters really is and why this beautiful piece of heaven has become an Isle of Deceit. (Source)
Since these are novella length, R.J. is able to pack a lot of action into a fairly short amount of reading time. Katie and Casey go through quite a bit in these two stories, and yet they managed to maintain senses of humor throughout, while also getting to know each other better. You could definitely say they have an odd dating history.
Genres:
- Mystery
- Thriller/Suspense
- Romance
What I enjoyed:
- The fast-paced nature of both books. They are both quick reads, and the level of action keeps the reader flipping pages. These would be great vacation or weekend reads when you are looking for something quick and entertaining.
- Katie is a kick-butt character. First of all, she's an engineer twice over, so she's smart and capable. She's also independent and perfectly capable of defending herself in a physical manner.
- Casey is just as capable, although not quite as physical, but he is also perfectly fine with Katie being the butt-kicker of the relationship.
- Watching the relationship between these two characters evolve through the stories. There are more novellas to come, so more developments in their relationship. They don't have a lot of time between murders and mysteries to solve, but they're doing pretty well figuring out the relationship stuff.
Quotes:
- "'I don't know what I'm trying to say. It's just...I like being around you, being with you, even if we get shot at occasionally, and...you know.'" -Casey in Revenge Comes Calling
- "'Just what I always wanted to do,' she replied. 'Get shot at, run people off the road and dodge Mafia hitmen. Plus make deals with alleged kidnappers, who, by the way, probably won't keep their end of the bargain.'" - Katie in Revenge Comes Calling
- "'Good title for yoru next book, Malone,' Katie said as they followed along. 'Expect the Unexpected!' Casey laughed. 'That's the headline for this entire holiday.'" -Isle of Deceit
Where to find R.J. Online:
- Facebook: @rosattewriting
- Twitter: @PaxusKing
- Amazon Author Page: R.J. Rosatte
- GoodReads: R J Rosatte
Author Bio:
A native of Prince Edward County, Ontario, his careers have included being an infantry officer in the Canadian Army Reserves, economics teacher at Loyalist College in Belleville, Ontario, a long-haul truck driver and businessman.He has travelled all forty-eight lower US states, eight Canadian provinces, Italy, Mexico and most of the Caribbean. He currently resides in Bayside, Quinte West, Ontario with his wife, Wendy, and their Westie, Molly. (Source)
To hear today's interview with R.J., please click here.
To hear his first interview, please click here.
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