NEW RELEASE & REVIEW!! Forced Disappearance by Dana Marton

Title: Forced Disappearance

Author: Dana Marton

Publisher: Montlake

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Synopsis

When wealthy American businessman Glenn Danning goes missing in Venezuela, investigator Miranda Soto volunteers to track him down. It's her first assignment for the Civilian Personnel Recovery Unit, but this mission is about more than salvaging the remnants of her shattered military career. Glenn was Miranda's best friend and first lover, and she'll do anything to save him from danger... especially since she just lost everything that mattered to her.

Glenn barely survived being kidnapped and tortured as a suspected spy, but the shock of seeing Miranda again gives him a new lease on life. Their still-simmering attraction grows hotter as the couple races through the treacherous jungle. Determined to reach safe ground, they must stay alive long enough to stop the terrifying enemy who still hunts Glenn. And even if they survive, Miranda's dark past could jeopardize their future together...

 Review

Wow! I love this woman’s books and they seriously just keep getting better. This is the first book in a new series and I have to say, I cannot wait for more. Dana has really upped the ante with this book (The opening line about a monkey catches your attention and reels you in from there).

Glenn is a forced disappearance, where foreigners are kidnapped outside the law and made to disappear, for whatever nefarious reason.

Miranda is ex-Army and has a new job with a civilian search and rescue unit. Her first assignment is finding Glenn in Venezuela.

Both have a past with each other.

Some of my favourite Dana Marton books are set in wild places. One of her SDDU series was set in a jungle, and it had me reading from cover-to-cover in pretty much one sitting. Her Sheikh series, one of which was a SDDU crossover, again had me devouring it in a sitting. There’s something about the way she writes about these untamed places: the wildlife, the survival methods and the roadblocks along the way. I’m sure she has a wonderful time researching the destinations, the culture and the history for each book. A memory teases the edge about a banana spider in one of her books. It was a rather humourous moment! (and I really hope I’m remembering the right book!!)

Despite my often less than stellar memory of which storyline belongs to which author (which is why I write reviews as soon as I’m done reading) I do know that Dana Marton is deserving of her award winning status. She creates wonderful characters, like Glenn and Miranda, puts them in less than wonderful locations, like the Venezuelan jungle, complete with really crappy situations. There’s definitely a little ‘ooo, ick’ moment near the start, not as bad as some I’ve seen, but enough to make me squirm a bit. 

And I have to say, I love happy tears. Love them! My daughter even asked me, “you okay, Mummy? Why you crying?” It’s hard to explain happy tears to a three-year-old!

If you’re already a Dana Marton fan, jump on this one, quick sticks. If you’re not already a fan or have never heard of Dana before, please give this a go. It really is a fabulous book.

***Copy from author in exchange for honest review*** 

REVIEW Deathwish by Dana Marton

Another great addition to the Broslin Creek series

Quiet little mushroom capital, Broslin Creek gets its fair share of action. Gabi has come from the city to regroup after being ousted from the Philly PD for her cop partner/boyfriend’s actions and corruption. She really isn’t sure she likes the sleepy little town and community she’s been a part of for the past six months, since she’s more used to the busyness of the city. But the sleepy part changes overnight when Hunter Bing, brother of the police chief, comes home from the army.

Hunter’s been home not even a day and already he’s in a police cell. Way to be welcomed home! Going off from his welcome home party to propose to his long-term girlfriend turns pear shaped when he finds her dead in his apartment.

His apartment.

Shot with his gun.

Taken from his secure wall safe.

With no signs of a break-in.

Bye-bye welcome home party, hello jail cell.

Because Hunter is either related to or friends with the entire Broslin PD, bar one, it’s up to the new girl in town to take lead on the investigation. And it’s up to Hunter to win her over so she’ll see that he’s innocent.

Dana has a brilliant talent for weaving a tale. She takes you into the world she’s created and you are easily immersed within it. There’s action, intrigue and mystery. And as with any good mystery, I enjoyed trying to figure it out with the characters. I did guess the guilty party, despite their so-called alibi, and happily rode along with Gabi exploring all the other possibilities and leads until coming back to who I thought was guilty. But then Dana goes and throws a spanner in the works and gives the whole thing a shake up and a twist or two.

I love that when you think you’ve got it worked out and waiting for the characters to catch up that you’re thrown and extra something to ponder upon. I can’t say too much without giving anything away, so I won’t, but I can say this. The characters are solid. I really like Hunter and Gabi. They make a good addition to the Broslin Creek family. I like the journey each of them takes through the course of the book and their personal growth. Hunter needs to find who he is out of the army, who he is in the real world. And Gabi needs to discover who she is too, but more so her own self-worth and what she can take from life without feeling guilty for doing it.

Guilt stops so many of us from really living and there’s a subtle reminder of this, life is for living and our path is what we choose it to be. So, don’t feel guilty for sitting down and devouring Dana Marton’s latest offering from the Broslin Creek series, join the gang and solve the murder!

Although each can be read as a standalone, these books are best read in order to fully immerse and appreciate the world and the characters’ backstories.