“The case grew creepier by the minute, spiraling Aurora deeper into a pit she had vowed to stay out of. A dark dungeon within her mind.”
Wow!! Darlene L. Turner has outdone herself this time, in Coordinates of Death, her second psychological and Inspirational Romantic Suspense book in the Arctic Protectors Series. Having failed to apprehend a sereal ( misspelled on purpose) killer once, Aurora ( Rory) knows that her job, multiple lives, and her own sanity are on the line if she lets the Shadow Box Killer elude her this time in the frozen Yukon wilderness. Unfortunately, the SBK has a sick fascination with Rory and forces her to play a deadly game…in which she is allowed one helper, but it can’t be a Law Enforcement Officer. Aurora chooses Kordell, a former childhood friend whose adoptive family has started their own personal multi-skilled investigation-protection business.
Events of the past cast huge, impregnable shadows over both Aurora and Kordell. Can they work together to solve the mystery, form firmer grounds for faith, and keep themselves and others alive?
Part of the nearly unbearable tension of the book is caused by Turner’s style of writing. Most of the book is in the third person present, while Turner inserts the nefarious thoughts of the killer in first person present. Just creep into my mind, too, SBK!!
When I read a Darlene L. Turner book, I love to pit myself against the author. Can I use the clues to solve the crime before all is revealed? Let me say, I was thrilled with the shocking ending!
I highly recommend this book. There are more members of the Canadian Watcher’s Squad (group Kord is a part of), so I am excited there will be several more books to come!
I received a copy of the book from the author. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“God uses the ashes of life to create beauty.”
“I think we all have some form of darkness within us. Why else would God have sent His Son to save us?”
“…even though we don’t understand why bad things happen, there’s always a reason. The deeper the darkness, the brighter God’s presence shines through.”
“I struggle. There are times I don’t understand what God’s doing and I can’t see His light in all the darkness, but I know He’s there.”
‘‘Son, God doesn’t make junk, only masterpieces, and you are a special boy. I can see that in your eyes.’ … ‘Now you need to believe it.’’
Title: The Glades Author: Angela Hunt Publisher: Hunt Haven Press Release Date: October 13, 2026 Genre: Suspense Thriller When Katherine Armstrong arranges a birthday weekend on her husband’s private island in the Everglades, she plans for everything: the guest list, the menu, the flowers, the careful distance between herself and the dark water beyond the dock. She does not plan for the storm. By nightfall, the power is gone, the mainland is unreachable, and something in the mangrove shadows has begun to move. Katherine has spent years building a life that looks flawless from the outside. Now, with her children beside her and the water on every side, she will have to decide what that life was actually worth. Sixty years earlier, a World War II veteran named Conrad Boone made a decision on these same waters — one that seemed containable, even necessary, at the time. He passed the consequence of that decision to his family. They learned to live with it. And the island learned to keep its secrets. Until the storm. The Glades moves between a Florida that no longer exists and a Florida that is drowning in its own inheritance, between a man who thought he could manage what he’d done and a woman who never knew there was anything to manage. What lives beneath the water has been patient for sixty years. It will not be patient much longer. PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | AngelaHuntBooks.com | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub
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Get to Know the Author
Christy-Award winner Angela Hunt writes for readers who have learned to expect the unexpected in novels from this versatile author. With nearly six million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the best-selling author of more than 160 works ranging from picture books (The Tale of Three Trees) to novels and nonfiction.
Now that her two children are grown, Angie and her husband live in Florida with Very Big Dogs (a direct result of watching Sandlot too many times). This affinity for mastiffs has not been without its rewards–one of their dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest canine in America. Their dog received this dubious honor after an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan for the dog and the Hunts, complete with VIP air travel and a stretch limo in which they toured New York City. Afterward, the dog gave out paw-tographs at the airport.
When she’s not home writing, Angie often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers’ conferences. And to talk about her dogs, of course.
Connie nodded toward the bull croc on the sand. “That’s Romeo.”
The Nile was thirty-six years old—two years younger than Micco—but twice his length. He lay motionless in the sun, his jaw open, his hide the color of old bark. Patient. Aware of everything.
“The females are Crimson, Clover, and Buttercup.”
Micco turned. “Whatever possessed you to name them—”
“Songs,” Connie said. “Top of the charts back then.”
Micco gripped the railing of the feeding platform. When he gave it a shake, the railing wobbled. “How often do you replace this?”
“Every seven or eight years.” Connie kept his attention on Romeo. “Never lean on it. The wood swells and screws come loose. That railing is the only thing keeping you out of that water.” He paused. “But it’s not the only thing you have to maintain.”
He pointed toward the lagoon’s retaining wall, walking Micco through its construction and maintenance as he’d rehearsed it a hundred times. The mangrove roots that burrowed into the concrete and had to be cut back, the patching that followed. The inlet that clogged after heavy rains—even a fraction over six inches, and you rode out here, no matter the weather, no matter the hour, because a blockage could back the water up fast. A flooded lagoon was not a problem you solved in hindsight.
“You can’t underestimate ‘em,” Connie said. “They’re smart. I’ve seen ‘em balance sticks on the end of their snouts to lure herons—that’s downright cunning. I’ve also seen ‘em work together to herd fish. Romeo might be the smartest of the lot, and he gets bored.”
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Why I Want to Read This Book
I am loving the eerie suspense feeling that Hunt creates early on in this book. The feeling of waiting for a catastrophe that reminds me of the feel of the Jurassic Park movies. Who will escape and who will pay the price of a few men’s poor choices? I personally can’t wait to find out!
Reply and tell me if you’ve read the book, or what about the book appeals to you! I’d love to know!!
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Wanna Win? (Tour Giveaway)
(1) winner will receive a $50 Amazon gift card!
Fine Print…just because…
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 13, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 20, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. No delivery restrictions. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
When Finley Burke moves to the peaceful lakeside village of Sunset Cove, she’s looking for a fresh start-not a mystery. But when a violent storm washes a strange tackle box onto her dock, she discovers more than fishing lures inside. Hidden within are antique jewels and secrets that link to a long-buried family feud and a suspicious death. As Finley digs deeper, she finds herself tangled in a web of
lies that threaten the calm of the cove- and her own safety.
With the help of her quirky but loyal neighbors, a sharp-eyed detective, Finley must uncover the truth before the past catches up to her.
Full of Southern charm, close-knit friendships, and suspense that keeps you turning the pages. Dockside Secrets is a heartwarming cozy mystery that proves it’s never too late to start over or to solve a mystery.
Terry Overton is a retired university professor of educational and school psychology. She has an Ed.D. in Special Education and a Ph.D. in Psychology.
Her professional experience includes teaching public school, teaching at the university level, and being a college dean.
She has two children, seven grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.
Her previous writing and publication experiences include textbook and journal articles in the fields of special education and school psychology. She now seeks to answer God’s call to share the good news and grow the church by writing Christian books and devotionals.
Over the years, Terry’s books have won the Mom’s Choice Award, Christian Indie Award, Firebird Book Awards, American Writing Winner Awards, Bookfest Winner Awards, Pencraft Award, Reader Views Silver Reviewers Award, and International Book Award Finalist. Her writing examines real world events with a Christian worldview. She enjoys writing for young children, middle grade readers, YA fiction, and adult level novels.
More from Terry
I must admit I have probably watched and read just about every Hallmark cozy mystery I have come across! I have become addicted to mysteries lately! I don’t limit it to just the cozy mysteries. Lately, I have been watching plenty of true crime. The attraction for me is the puzzle. I mean, really, who can resist a “whodunit?” I prefer more of the gumshoe approach, but I also watch several crime scene investigations.
It started out with a curiosity about why people do such actions. What motivates people to commit these crimes and then try to cover them up? In many cases, criminals just aren’t that bright. But there are some cases that remain puzzling.
I decided to give it a go. Dockside Secrets is my first cozy. It was fun to write this mystery in the little community outside of a big city. We moved to this new little cove on a lake, Sunset Cove, and this is where the characters live. The large city in the book, Sagebrush Bend, is in reality, Fort Worth, Texas. Plenty of changing landscapes here, and these appear in the story.
Grab this cozy and meet the quirky cast of characters: a retired forensic psychologist, a very proper southern lady, a nutty and loud best friend, and a middle-of-the-road peacekeeper join a fumbling local sheriff and a handsome detective to discover what really happened at Sunset Cove.
My Impressions
“She hadn’t expected trouble just sixty-two days into retirement, but it found her standing at the edge of the lake peering under her dock.”
The power of a great first sentence! This one is penned by cozy mystery author Terry Overton. I was really pleased with this book, because I had just finished a very intense thriller. I wondered if Overton’s cozy, Dockside Secrets, #1 Finley Burke mysteries, would suffer in my mind by being read next.
But not to worry. Overton’s style is simple, yet educated, comfortably peaceful while dealing with murder. As a cozy, the action is not super fast, but the pacing is steady, and the characters are introduced and clues presented in an intriguing way. I really cared about recently retired college professor Finley who had moved to a small lakeside Texas community. Expecting to find peace, Finley finds neighbors who become supportive friends (another fun, eclectic group!) and a washed-up tackle box.
What she doesn’t find is quick answers or much help from the local sheriff. Old habits die hard, and Finley finds herself returning to her amateur sleuthing ways. Enlisting the help of her neighbors, the “Sleuths of Sunset Cove” set out to discover the secrets behind the items on the tackle box. Like Pandora’s box, each of them finds secrets being released. But, will some secrets they discover of a local oil family bring them closure or more danger than they can handle?
Instead of a fave character, I believe I’ll pick a fave scene. It would have to be when each member of the group finds they want to trust each other enough to share a carefully guarded part of their past. Such a defining moment!
This is a new cozy mystery series that is now on my “to-be-recommended” list! If you enjoy small town cozies and quirky groups of characters, this may be just the novel for you!
I received a copy of the book from the author through Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“The guy is sneaky. He bends the law at forty-five-degree angles.”
“I do not spread gossip. I hear it, but that’s all.” [ Hoo, boy, is this speaker’s constant avowal hilarious!]
“cologne that could gas a room”
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Superior! I am happy to recommend this new cozy series!
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Coordinates of Death by Darlene L. Turner, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
Book Details
Title: Coordinates of Death Series: Arctic Protectors #2 Author: Darlene L. Turner Publisher: Love Inspired Trade Release Date: October 6, 2026 Genre: Romantic Thriller
A police officer will do anything to catch the serial killer that got away—even if it means playing a deadly game in the icy wilderness.
Sweetwood Falls, Yukon, has seen too much terror for one small town. Corporal Aurora Hunt still blames herself for not catching the Shadow Box Killer before five women lost their lives. The killings stopped two years ago, and her colleagues believe the murderer is dead. But Aurora isn’t convinced.
A chilling discovery on a winter’s morning confirms her fears. The crime scene is all too familiar—a woman’s mutilated body, and beneath it, a box containing a gruesome souvenir. But this time, there’s a special message, daring Aurora to play a game that will lead her into the wilderness to try and save the next victim.
Canadian Watcher Squad survivalist Kordell Greene is part of the past that Aurora has tried to put behind her. He’s also the only person equipped to guide her through this deadly terrain. But somehow, the killer knows all their secrets. Solving cryptic clues as they battle the elements, Aurora and Kordell must confront dark truths they’ve withheld, even from each other. And always, the Shadow Box Killer is one step ahead, drawing them deeper into a twisted game where the slightest mistake may be their last.
Darlene L. Turner is a New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling author known for her high-octane stories and riveting twists. Sparked by Nancy Drew, she’s turned her love of solving mysteries into her writing, believing readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message. Dubbed “the plaid queen” for her love of everything plaid, Darlene resides with her husband Jeff in Ontario, Canada. You can connect with Darlene at www.darlenelturner.com where there’s suspense beyond borders.
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This has got to be Darlene L. Turner’s best book yet! It’s creepier than ever, the mystery more twisty, the ending packing multiple surprises!! I loved it and highly recommend it!
Why would you like to read Coordinates of Death?
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Wanna Win? (Tour Giveaway)
(2) winners will each receive a $25 Amazon gift card!
The Fine Print…just because Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight October 6, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 13, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics. Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies. Enter Giveaway
While all of London waits for snow, an orphanage in need holds holiday cheer, sparks of love, and secrets waiting to be discovered.
When Ebeneezer Scrooge’s former fiancée, Belle Beaumont, unexpectedly inherits a struggling London orphanage, she dreams of giving the children of Haven House the most splendid Christmas they’ve ever known. But her vision of snowflakes and merriment quickly collides with reality: Fire damage has rendered part of the building unsafe, and the paperwork is years behind.
Barrister Rafe Munro is fighting to clear an innocent man and searching for a child, who may be his relative. His pursuit leads him to Haven House, where Rafe offers to help Belle sort through the chaotic records that might lead to the missing child. Amid the mayhem of running an orphanage full of mischievous children and eccentric staff, will Belle and Rafe find love and the answers they seek this holiday season?
With characters from Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, this festive historical romance Christmas novella of family and second chances from Michelle Griep is set in Victorian England and perfect for fans of Julie Klassen and Mimi Matthews.
Michelle Griep is an award-winning author known for her captivating historical romances. With a keen eye for detail, she pens tales that transport readers to the past where they’ll experience romance, adventure, and unforgettable characters. When she’s not writing, you can find her in her garden scaring away armadillos.
More from Michelle
Why I Gave Scrooge’s Belle Her Own Christmas Carol
Guest post by Michelle Griep
I’ve always been suspicious of characters who appear just long enough to break your heart and then vanish without so much as a forwarding address. Belle from A Christmas Carol is one of those.
Scrooge, of course, gets the full treatment. Ghosts. Doom. Moral terror. A dramatic overnight transformation. Turkey delivery. The works. And yes, yes, it’s all very moving. But Belle? Come on. All she gets is one aching goodbye and then is shoved neatly into Scrooge’s past. So, excuse me, Mr. Dickens, but I have questions.
What became of the woman who loved Ebenezer before greed got to him? Did she regret walking away? Did Christmas ever sting? Did she build a fine, sensible life or did some little corner of her heart still ache for him or not? That wondering became Belle’s Christmas Carol.
In my story, Belle Beaumont unexpectedly inherits Haven House, a struggling London orphanage with fire damage, muddled ledgers, eccentric staff, and children who are more than rambunctious. Naturally, Belle decides she will set everything to rights and give the children the most splendid Christmas imaginable because—like me—apparently the woman has never heard of pacing herself.
Then along comes Rafe Munro, a handsome barrister searching for a missing child, and Belle’s tidy plans start to change. Oh, did I mention he’s single? That’s because I wanted Belle to be more than Scrooge’s lost love. I wanted her to have grit, flaws, hope, purpose, and a future all her own.
Because sometimes the story doesn’t end with goodbye. Sometimes that’s where the real story begins.
My Impressions
“Sometimes love looks like staying. Other times it looks like letting go because it’s the only way to keep a loved one safe.”
This is my opening quote for Belle’s Christmas Carol by Michelle Griep, because it could actually apply to more than one person in the story, and, in one character’s case, in a few different ways.
Oh, la! Did this Dickens-based novelette have to end? That was my biggest disappointment about the book. I wanted to stay in Belle’s and Rafe’s world quite a bit longer than wordsmith Griep allows. But the story itself is a cup of Christmas wassail (assuming that tastes good) perfection. As I am oft wont to do with a Griep book, I had to read slowly. Not only is the story itself a thing of beauty, but the phraseology a thing to be admired, to be read, and re-read, before moving on.
A meet-cute? In a Regency Christmas book? That was my first thought as Rafe initially meets our heroine, Belle, who has just inherited an orphanage of seven children. What the orphanage doesn’t have in numbers of children, it has (in spades!) of crazy caretakers, damage to the building, and out-of-control children. Turf and Thunder! What has Rafe walked into, looking for a relative?
I loved both Belle and Rafe. Both strong characters with plenty of hurt and disillusionment in their pasts. Belle is still haunted by the looming shadow of the failure of her engagement to Ebenezer Scrooge, ten years past. Not only is she struggling to maintain and “right” the orphanage, but she fights her attraction to Rafe, afraid he will be just another rich man whose main concern is himself and his money. “What if, beneath his warmth was another tortured soul who prized appearances over people?”
Rafe fights his own demons. He searches for one relative, has lost another, and is in danger of losing a third. His personal life is out of whack and his professional life is going up in smoke as he takes on the justice system that doesn’t care about truth. Rafe is spending a lot of time with Belle and the orphans, and one little orphan in particular, Cricket.
Cricket is such a loveable little character. But his size and demeanor make him an easy target for the other children to bully.
Children can be so cruel… and the victims don’t realize bullies are in the very same boat as themselves! Rafe is very drawn to the 5-year-old Cricket, assuring him of his worth in his and God’s eyes.
“That’s what Christmas is about, you know. God’s love for us. You see, Cricket, God didn’t wait for us to deserve Him. He came to a cold, untidy world and gave everything, not because we were perfect, but because we were precious. So when I tell you that you are loved, it’s not just my word. The whole Christmas season says so.”
What this book meant to me: besides being a new favorite Christmas story, I am taking away several truth nuggets. The biggest might be that God doesn’t call most of us to save the world through what we do, but he does call us to love those around us through what we do. God is in control. I can relax and have peace.
I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher. I also purchased my own pb copy for a friend. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“I am coming to believe that maybe the Almighty didn’t place us here solely to set the world aright. Rather, to love amidst the ruin. Even when it grieves us— or perhaps most when it does. For love may accomplish what justice, in all its forms, cannot. “
“Promise me you won’t get so caught up in the daily management of things that you lose sight of the fact that it is God who is in charge. For you, my darling dear, have a way of carrying the world on those shoulders. You are neither Atlas nor the great Creator. Make use of those He sends your way.”
“…sometimes a storm us just what is needed to wash away the dirt of the past.”
“And I believe God smiles when He sees things like this too. Not because it’s perfect, but because you made it. God made you as different from anyone else as this snowflake is from the other children’s. And rest assured, my boy, that when He looks at you, He sees His own work, made with care, called by name, just like He made the stars.”
My Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Superior!! This book changed the way I do my job! Thank you, Ms. Griep for the reminder straight from God about what truly matters!!
