I love the message in this!
Happy New Year's Eve. I hope you have a wonderful (and safe) celebration tonight!
I'm an award-winning romantic suspense novelist, but in my free time I love to review books and my fave TV shows, as well as pass along great book deals, and eat Canadian chocolate---not necessarily in that order.
Monday, December 31, 2018
Friday, December 28, 2018
Freebie Friday for Psychological Thriller Fans!
If you love psychological thrillers, you have to pick up Breaking Jess by H.B. Moore. *shiver* What do a crooked detective, an upstanding psychiatrist, and a teenager who can’t remember killing her parents all have in common? Nine years of lies.
Get your free Kindle copy here
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Art Imitates Life In My New Book!
Then, yesterday, it was reported that a transformer exploded in New York that cut power to LaGuardia airport and a prison. (Wouldn't that be a great story right there?) But I thought it was really interesting that something I'd just written/researched about and put in my book really happened!
You can read more about what happened in New York here
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
A Special Christmas For Me!
In case any of you were wondering why things have been a little scattered on the blog these days, it's because I got an extra special Christmas gift this year---a new granddaughter! I can't get enough of this little girl! Love her.
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Monday, December 24, 2018
Christmas Eve Traditions
Can you believe it's already Christmas Eve? We are getting ready to head out to grandma's Christmas Eve party. We always have soup and rolls and play a white elephant game. Grandma also has a toilet paper roll game where little treats and prizes are rolled up inside the toilet paper roll and the grandkids sit in a circle and unroll it. Whatever prize lands in front of you is what you get. The kids love it!
When we come home we make cookies for Santa and get ready for his visit. With little kids still at home it's an exciting time!
What are your Christmas traditions?
Friday, December 21, 2018
Freebie Friday for Romance Fans!
Looking for a cute romance to snuggle up with and read this weekend? Taylor Hart's The Bet is free today!
You can download your free Kindle copy here
Here's the back copy:
When Destiny Morningstar gets blackmailed into spending her spring break in Snow Valley, the last thing she’s looking for is a date, especially not with Adam and Chase Moon—two attractive and athletic brothers. But soon she finds herself tangled up in a dating spree that includes a flag football game, swinging around the barn dance, and hiking to Snow Valley's romantic hot springs with the town's most eligible bachelors. At every turn she's within kissing distance of one of the delectable Moon men. When she discovers she’s been part of some bet fueled by sibling rivalry and overactive egos she has to make a decision—forgive them both or miss out on the best thing that’s ever happened to her.
This includes a bonus chapter of Taylor Hart's next book in this series, The Better Man.
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Have You Entered the $400 in Giveaways Yet?
Did you know there's $400 in giveaways going on right now for the 12 Days of Clean Romance Event? Who couldn't use a little extra cash? And it's easy to enter.
Click here to enter the giveaway for $100 cash. Scroll all the way down.
Click here to enter my giveaway for $25 cash
Or, if you'd like to see all the links for 12 Days of Clean Romance in one spot, click here Each giveaway is a separate link in the post.
I hope you'll hop over and enter. I would love it if one of my blog readers won!
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Christmas DVD & Giveaway!
Are you looking for some really cute family videos with great Christmas messages? The Christmas Apron and Christmas Break-In are the perfect movies for you!
The Christmas Apron is a short film with a beautiful message about families and what's truly important at the Christmas season. As you all know, my daughter was an extra in this movie and I've seen it quite a few times. I'll admit, though, that every time I do, I still get weepy. There's just something about families and hardship and happy endings that gets to me every time. I loved this one.
The second one is Christmas Break-In and it's full of laughs and fun. It's sort of like Home Alone, only it's in a school. Danny Glover stars in this one as a lovable janitor with a past. I loved feisty little Isabel, the heroine, and Jet the dog. They stole the show! It was over the top fun with a happy ending as well.
I love finding good shows that we can watch together as a family, especially at the Christmas season. Be sure to scroll down for your chance to win one of these cute DVDs for your family!
The Christmas Apron
The children in Millie’s family can’t wait for Grandma to arrive with her special Christmas apron. According to tradition, each grandchild will write down the gift he or she wants most in the world, and then slip that wish into the apron’s pocket. Then, on Christmas morning, those wished-for gifts will be magically waiting under the tree. But then eleven-year-old Millie overhears her parents: the family can’t afford gifts for all the little ones. She pictures the disappointment on her siblings’ faces: nothing to open on Christmas morning. Is Millie willing to sacrifice her own whole-soul wish so that someone else’s can come true? Full of tender emotion and delightful surprise, this story reminds us of the miracles that unfold when we think of others before ourselves.Buy your copy of The Christmas Apron here
Christmas Break-In
Today was supposed to be one of the best days ever for nine-year-old Izzy Rush. But now, on the last day of class before Christmas break, she has been left alone at school. To make matters worse, the biggest blizzard this town has ever seen is blowing and snowing full force. Which is why three bumbling crooks on the lam decide to take shelter in the seemingly empty school. When Izzy discovers that the criminals are holding her friend Ray, the school custodian, she decides it’s up to her to save the day. But what can a nine-year-old girl do? You’d be surprised!
Get your copy of The Christmas Break-In here
Friday, December 14, 2018
Freebie Friday for Romance Fans!
If you're looking for a little Christmas romance to read this weekend, Sawdust and Mistletoe, by Michelle Pennington, is free today!
Here's the back copy:
Can mistletoe kisses make her believe again?
By December first, Ava Grisham is already sick of Christmas. Unfortunately, she has to survive decorating for her boss’s wealthy clients so she can afford to quit after New Year's. Everything is on track for her to start her own design company until she hires a new handyman and all her meticulous plans fall apart. Not only is her future business in danger, but so is her heart. Hunter is talented, strong, and charming, but falling for such a free-and-easy man will only lead to heartbreak.
Hunter Newman loves his single life with no responsibilities, but he’s always there for his family. When his brother loses his job, he drives across the country to help however he can. Then he meets Ava and realizes his brother isn’t the only one who needs help. Ava captivates him with her determination and warm heart, but she’s lost the joy of Christmas. He’s determined to put the sparkle back in her eyes, even if it means risking his heart.
Somewhere between the twinkle lights and candy canes, they’ll discover the magic of the season. But can they find a way to be together?
Download your free Kindle copy here
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Book Spotlight and $50 Giveaway!
THE DEEPEST HEARTACHE IS THE ONE YOU DON'T SEE COMING.
Golden couple, Sawyer and Quinn Denali, have an amazing love story. A match in every way, their happiness is evident to all who spend time with them. The arrival of twin baby girls completes their picture-perfect family.
When Quinn has the opportunity to help others on a two-week volunteer trip, she reluctantly leaves her family, knowing a short break from the demands of motherhood will be good for her.
She doesn’t expect the trip to change her life forever. But it does. It changes everything.
Struggling from day to day, the young family moves forward, finding happiness . . . and love.
But fate isn’t done mixing things up in their lives. When an unexpected event leaves them all reeling, the unspoken question rings loudly and can’t be ignored: “What happens now?”
A Me and You Thing is a novel that explores the strength of enduring love and friendship.
Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of clean romance in her line-up.
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Book Review & Giveaway---Historical Romance Fans Will Love This One!
I was really intrigued by the back copy and cover for From Ash and Stone by Julie Daines. The story sounded SO good and it really lived up to what I was expecting. I LOVED this one!
This takes place during the reign of Henry VIII who is too busy trying to divorce his wife and marry Anne Boleyn to care much about what is happening on the borders. And there's a lot going on! Margaret Grey, the daughter of a knight, has everything taken away from her when reivers attack her home and kill her family. Six years later, she's back for revenge.
The author sets a scene that is so vivid and couples it with a plot that is hard to put down. I loved Margaret and how she is so focused on her revenge, but when she meets Angus Robson, he becomes the distraction she cannot shake. Their buildup was sweet and riveting, especially as Margaret starts to let Angus in, despite all her best efforts to remain alone. And there's also the fact that Margaret has a curse that might prevent her from being with anyone. I couldn't wait to see how that would turn out. The secondary characters were well-drawn and the people closest to Margaret and Angus have stories that will tug at readers' heartstrings. (I hope the author will give some of those characters their own books!)
This was an exciting, well-written story that I literally could not put down and carried with me everywhere so I could finish it! Historical romance fans will really enjoy this one.
Don't forget to scroll down and enter the giveaway!
You can download your copy here
Here's the back copy:
Lady Margaret Grey of Hartfell wants for nothing. The daughter of a knight, she has a loving family, wealth, and even a secret romance with the blacksmith’s son. But all that is torn from her one fateful night when her home is attacked and her family killed. She is left with nothing but bitterness, an unwavering mistrust of men, and a strange and mysterious curse that allows her to feel the thoughts of anyone who touches her.
Now, after six years away, Margaret is returning home for one reason: revenge. She hopes that by avenging her family’s deaths, she will somehow be freed from her curse. But it won’t be easy. The identities of the raiders are still unknown, she has little left to her name, and traveling alone in the Northumbrian hills during the border wars is dangerous. Matters are further complicated by handsome Angus Robson, a Scotsman whose charm threatens to distract her from her plans. But the raiders are closer than she knows, and Margaret soon realizes that what she believed to be a curse may be the key to finding those she seeks. One touch will reveal the truth . . .
Blog Tour Schedule:
*Dec. 10th: http://mybookaday.com/ , http://www.kindleandme.com/, http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, https://www.rockinbookreviews.com/, http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/
*Dec. 11th: https://brightlystreet.com/, http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://lifeiswhatitscalled.blogspot.com/
*Dec. 12th: https://rachellechristensen.com/, https://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/
*Dec. 13th: http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/, http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, https://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, https://www.wishfulendings.com/, http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/
*Dec. 14th: https://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/, http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://www.iamareader.com/
*Dec. 10th: http://mybookaday.com/ , http://www.kindleandme.com/, http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, https://www.rockinbookreviews.com/, http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/
*Dec. 11th: https://brightlystreet.com/, http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://lifeiswhatitscalled.blogspot.com/
*Dec. 12th: https://rachellechristensen.com/, https://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/
*Dec. 13th: http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/, http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, https://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, https://www.wishfulendings.com/, http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/
*Dec. 14th: https://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/, http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://www.iamareader.com/
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Book Review and a Giveaway! (Regency Fans Will Enjoy This One!)
I was excited to read Rachael Anderson's new book My Brother's Bride. I enjoyed her last regency and was looking forward to a continuation.
Abby has had a rough childhood without a mother and a mostly absent father. Her close friend offers to help launch her into society (Lady Knave from the last book) and Abby is looking forward to it. Unfortunately, the wonderful Season she anticipated twists into a terrible nightmare that Abby fears she can't recover from. A darling of the ton, Lord Jasper come to the rescue and he gives her the protection of his name by hastily marrying. They retreat to the family seat, where Jasper's brother, the Marquess of Brigston is residing with his mother. Abby is anxious to fit in with the family, but things take a complicated turn when she finds herself increasing and Jasper is suddenly killed in an accident. If that isn't enough of an emotional roller-coaster, Abby and the Marquess begin to spend time together as they grieve, and their feelings turn into something more---but the law prevents them from being together. I admit, I was beginning to wonder if there would be a happily-ever-after and with as much as this couple goes through, I really wanted that!
I thought the author did a wonderful job painting the characters with a three-dimensional brush. Readers will sympathize with Abby and all she goes through and root for Morgan to find a way to be with her. The setting is also well-done. This is a sweet book full of emotions that will pull the reader right along with the characters.
Here's the back copy:
Aigail Nash leads a lonely existence. Her mother died giving birth to her, her father’s business dealings took him away more often than not, and her ailing great-aunt, unable to provide much in the way of companionship, was a lack-luster guardian at best. So when her dear friends offered to launch her into London society, it appeared Abby’s life was taking a turn for the better, with suitors and social engagements aplenty. When she marries a proclaimed darling of the ton, it seems she will at last settle into the life of her dreams.
But appearances aren’t always what they seem, and dreams often become disappointments.
Just months into her marriage, Abby finds herself widowed, penniless, increasing, and determined to never hope again. But when her late husband’s brother, the Earl of Brigston, attempts to thaw the numbness surrounding her heart, Abby must decide if she has it in her to risk another chance at happiness, knowing the odds are not in her favor.
Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
When Brigston entered the kitchen, Abby’s back was partially to him, so she didn’t immediately see him. Her brow was furrowed in concentration as she whipped something in a bowl. She paused to lift the spoon, only to frown at the white liquid dripping from it.
“Are you certain this will thicken into a cream?” she asked.
A flash of irritation crossed Monsieur Roch's face until he spotted Morgan and seemed to think better of it. He managed a patient tone in his accented French. “It takes time, my lady.”
Morgan stifled a chuckle as Abby examined another spoonful of the liquid. “I’ve been whipping it for several minutes, but it doesn’t seem even a little thicker to me. Have I forgotten to add something?”
“No,” said the cook in clipped tones.
Morgan stepped forward and leaned in close. “If your arm is tired—”
Abby jumped, and what liquid remained on the spoon splattered across Morgan’s face. She spun around, her eyes growing wide with horror when she saw what she’d done.
He wiped a dab from his nose and tasted it. “A little more sugar, perhaps?”
“Brigston! I’m so dreadfully sorry.” She dropped the spoon into the bowl and grabbed a rag from a nearby wash basin, dabbing it across his face.
“Not that rag!” cried the cook. “It was only just used to mop the floors.”
Abby dropped it as though it had burned her, and Morgan tried not to cringe at the thought of filthy
water coating his face.
Monsieur Roch retrieved a clean rag and held it out to him, appearing apologetic. He flicked another irritated glance at Abby before returning to his work.
As Morgan wiped the cream from his face, he wondered what Abby would do or say next. Offer another fumbled apology? Make her excuses and flee? Pretend the incident never happened and return to her labors? He never knew what to expect from her.
Her face scarlet, she cleared her throat and lifted her adorably determined chin. “You are most welcome, my lord.”
He raised a brow. “For what, my lady?”
“I have heard that cream does wonders for one’s complexion, and it seems the rumors are correct. Your skin appears much . . . creamier.”
Praise for My Brother's Bride I haven't read a book by Rachael Anderson that I didn't absolutely love and this awesome book didn't fail to meet that grade. ~Vicki Enjoyed reading this book.
The characters, dialogue, and plotline kept me entertained. Highly recommend this book to those who enjoy clean romances. ~Michele
This forbidden Regency romance was excellent! Once I started, it was hard—almost impossible—to put down. The characters—Abigail and Brigston—were super well done. I became invested in their lives, their troubles, their hearts really fast, and the author did a superb job of not letting me go. The plot twist was unique. ~Charissa
A lovely, well-written story. Highly recommended. ~Linda
Author Rachael Anderson A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.
Giveaway Details $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 1/1/19 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Monday, December 10, 2018
Hawaii Five-0 Recap & Review---This Isn't Going To End Well
Previouslies include Steve's best moments with Joe White and the recap of Greer's betrayal. I have a bad feeling about this.
We start with former SEAL Mark in the pool playing with his kids. He gets a call from Joe to grab his go-bag and get his family to safety. Joe goes on to say that two of their old SEAL team are already dead and Joe is getting in touch with Cole and McG. Sadly, before Mark can do anything, he's shot with his family just feet away, unaware that anything's happened. Dang.
Cut to McG coming in from his ocean swim. He goes into the house where he sees he's got a bunch of missed calls from Joe. Before he can call him back, though, he's attacked and the fight is brutal. Knives, stab wounds, blood. Hand to hand combat where our hero is literally fighting for his life. Finally, McG gets the upper hand, but the attacker gets away. McG gets a gun out of his bread box in case the guy comes back, and then calls Joe. Pro hitters are taking out the Morocco team. Brewster, Linehan and Howard are dead. McG doesn't seem fazed, really, and might have a plan.
The rest of the H50 team comes in while Junior is bandaging Steve up. Tani is shocked McG is still alive with all the blood on the kitchen floor. Junior is quiet and stoic, sad he wasn't there for the attack. Steve assures him that the attacker was a pro who knew when McG would be alone. This is all blowback from a Morocco operation in 2002 where their SEAL team took out a high value target. Grover wants to stop talking and start drawing these guys out, but Steve wants it quiet and off the books. He doesn't even want to tell Danny. (Who is touring colleges with Grace in Jersey.) Tani says she'll get Noelani to run the gun and blood for an ID. Steve isn't letting them in on his plan, and when Junior says he wants to go, Steve says no, it's just him and Joe this time. Junior reluctantly accepts that, but mentions that files on HVT ops are classified so someone had to leak those names. McG knows who it was and we cut to him visiting Greer in a California prison. She says he looks good for a dead guy and when he says he's not dead, she comes back with "not yet." (She is a really good villain. I hope they keep her around for a bit!)
The team is around the Chatting Table talking about how simultaneous coordinated hits on ex-SEALS would take an extraordinary amount of expertise. Noelani gives them the ID on Steve's attacker through his DNA and his name is Kasper Bauer. (I guess it was a good thing they didn't pick Jack for a first name! Haha But Kasper with a K is also funny.) KasperWithAK is ex-military and probably won't show his face at a hospital so the team is going to reach out to pharmacies.
Steve is talking to Greer and says he knows it was her that leaked the Morocco names. Their SEAL team was following orders handed down by you and she taunts him that he's always doing the right thing, but he can't outrun these people forever. He doesn't look concerned, and merely asked who paid for the hits? She's chatty enough to tell him that it's someone with money that doesn't like Steve. (That's probably a lot of people with his history in the military and law enforcement). He points out that he's fine and so are Cole and Joe. Greer looks surprised when Joe's name is mentioned because she thought he was dead. Steve assures her that he pulled Joe out of the building himself. Greer recovers and says the people after the last of the SEAL team are rich, motivated, and relentless, so they should enjoy the time they have. Steve is all, well, whatever, you're being moved to a more uncomfortable cell. She shoots back with "give Joe my regards."
Steve leaves and talks to Adam in the prison hallway. Apparently, one of the prisoners owes Adam's dad a favor and Steve wants Adam to call it in and find out who Greer is talking to on the outside. Adam is on it! Steve goes out to the car where Joe is waiting and he asks if Greer took the bait. Steve says, yep and it's only a matter of time until she gets the word out and they figure out where Steve and Joe are headed. Joe kind of stares off into the distance, rambling about a lone Ponderosa Pine just west of his land and what a thing of beauty it is since it's the oldest tree in the state. Steve is looking at him all worried, like I am. This is not looking good for Joe at all. Joe snaps out of it and asks Steve if anyone knows about the ranch, but Steve says nope, not even Danny. No one wants them riding in to play hero. And since Joe has friends in the Agency, the plane is fueled up and waiting, so let's go. Steve says maybe Joe should join Cole in the wind and he's got this, but Joe won't hear of it. He's not going to spend his life looking over his shoulder or let Steve have all the fun. He's all in.
Grover finds KasperWithAK in a gas station bathroom bleeding all over and demands to be taken to a hospital. Lou is all, nope, you tried to kill my friend so no hospital for you.
Joe and Steve are driving to his ranch, passing a herd of horses. Luckily, Joe sent the neighbors away. (Mighty trusting neighbors!) When they get to the house there's already a car in the drive. They go in, guns drawn, but it's Cole. He decided he wanted in on the mission and it's hugs all around. He brought guns, but Joe outdoes him with a whole room full of weapons. Cole thinks their odds are 50/50 and Joe always liked that he was an optimist. (That can't be good.)
Next we get a flashback to 2002 in Rabat, Morocco. Steve is on surveillance, watching a kids party in the rain where there are a lot of women and children present. Joe and Cole are in the room with him, when Greer comes in to say that the order stands. No one is comfortable going ahead with the mission because the location was supposed to be empty except for Hassan and his guards. Greer is adamant and says the birthday party isn't ideal, but not a deal breaker. She says fresh intel has Hassan planning a major attack on U.S. interests overseas and even though Steve wants to wait for a clearer shot, she says if they lose him tonight they could lose him forever. Cole is all, we gotta do what we gotta do and Joe says we're going in. Back at the ranch, they're prepping for the attack and it's like Home Alone for Spec Ops. Steve and Joe are talking about being glad Cole showed and that Joe let Steve come. Steve protests that this was his plan and he brought him in. (It's cute and comfortable between them.) Steve gets sent to the other room to get some pins out of Joe's bag where he finds a picture of Joe and a woman.
Adam meets with his dad's old friend in the prison. Even though his dad died before he could collect on the favor owed, Adam wants to collect today. Just tell him the name of the outside channel that the woman in the special wing has. The old friend spills that Kyle Cooper, the guard, is her channel, but by the time Adam gets to the desk, Greer has already left with Kyle and escaped. Uh oh.
Steve asks Joe about the woman in the picture. Her name is Zara and she's a pediatrician he met in Nairobi. Steve is happy Joe found love in the sunset years, but asks if Joe's been in contact. Joe says that a year as a prisoner on a dirty cot gives a man a lot of time to reflect on what was a misstep. He had plenty of sleepless nights to realize it's a younger man's game. (Awww. The job cost him his love.) They do a comm check and Joe tells Steve not to wait as long as he did to find someone, that he sat out too long and he doesn't want that to happen to Steve. (I don't, either!) Before he can say anything else, the hit squad arrives and the gunfight begins. They hardly have any cover and Cole is hit and goes down. Steve goes out to get him, but the hitmen have a rocket launcher. They use it and Steve is blown back, Cole is dead. Steve manages to kill the sniper that killed Cole and get back into the house. (Are there really hit squads out there that are this organized from different countries? Interesting thought.)
Back at the Chatting Table we find out that KyletheGuard got 100K from a shell corporation in Denmark, the same shell that paid KasperWithAK, but the best part is, the payment is linked to a social and there's a woman on the account with him! (Poor newbie hitman didn't take his wife's name off the account!) They track the woman on social media and get a pic of her with a little boy. Grover goes down to talk to KasperWithAK in the Blue Room of Doom. Noelani is there working on him and Grover shows him the pic of the kid and mom. They get down to business and Lou promises that although he's going to prison, Lou would make sure he was in Germany so he could have visits from his little boy. That works on KasperWithAK and he spills that he only knows the lawyer from Copenhagen who set everything up and his name is Gregors Thompson.
Steve and Joe have taken out four men and there's seven left. Steve gets another one as they start advancing on the house. There are some awesome fire and explosions from an RPG as the hitmen start coming in the front. Steve and Joe get one with a porch explosion and another with a shot through a wall. The third with a tripwire. Two left. Steve shoots one from a window, but the last one gets a shot off and hits Joe. Steve grabs Joe and they're moving down the hall. The last hitman is trying to get the big gun in the living room ready to fire, but Steve slides across floor and takes him out. Steve immediately tries to take care of Joe's wound, calling Lou for a medevac and telling Joe to keep the pressure on. While he has him on the phone, Lou tells him that Greer escaped and they got a name: the guy who hired the hitmen is Omar Hassan.
We get another flashback to Rabat, after the target and guards are taken out. There's a little boy holding a gun and Joe is trying to talk him down. The little boy's name is Omar and Joe takes the gun away from him and apologizes as Steve listens in. Back to present day, Omar is the son of the high value target they took out all those years ago. He runs a shipping company in Copenhagen now and while he's clean, he wants revenge.
The medevac is ninety minutes out, the cars are burning and there isn't a nearby clinic. Joe says he has a neighbor who's a retired surgeon, so they get the horses and start riding over there. (After they put a blanket over poor Cole.) As they're riding away, Joe takes one last look at the ranch, just as the sun is starting to set. (Even though I know what's coming now, I don't want it to!) Joe is struggling to stay upright and then we see the Ponderosa pine he was talking about earlier. He asks Steve to stop and tells them that they're there. Steve is confused, they need to go two more miles to get to the doctor, but when he sees the tree it all falls into place. Joe says he's sorry, but he called off the medevac. Steve is angry, wants him to fight. Giving up is not them. But Joe says it's useless, his liver is shot. Steve is begging him to get back on the horse, but Joe asks for his help getting to the tree. He wanted to see this place one last time. They go to the tree and sit down as the sun sets. Steve thanks him for Carlsbad, when after his first week in military school he stole a car because he was trying to come to terms with his mom dying and his dad shipping him off like he was a parcel. He wanted to leave and go back to Hawaii, but got caught. Someone made a call to get him out and he's pretty sure it was Joe. Joe admits that it was him, that Doris had people watching Steve and after she got word of the arrest reached out and called in a few favors. Joe was happy to do it. Steve tells him that that night changed the course of his life. If he hadn't gotten off with a warning, he wouldn't have gone on to the SEALs or Five-O. That night he realized that someone believed in him, even though he'd given up on believing in himself. That's what he has to thank Joe for. Joe tells him that he's thanked him every day with the man he's become and the work he's done. Steve cradles him in his arms and says I got you as Joe answers that he looked out for Steve the way Steve watches over the people in his life now and he couldn't be prouder of the man Steve's become. (It's so emotional!) Steve says we're going to get him and Joe says he has no doubt. He has one more question, though, and asks Steve if he's ever in his life seen a sunset like that? Steve looks at it with tears in his eyes and says no, he hasn't and then Joe is gone as Steve hugs him to his chest.
*sniffle* So sad! Steve has lost so many people in his life already, this is almost too much. Great scenes, though, and incredibly acted. Did you watch? What did you think?
We start with former SEAL Mark in the pool playing with his kids. He gets a call from Joe to grab his go-bag and get his family to safety. Joe goes on to say that two of their old SEAL team are already dead and Joe is getting in touch with Cole and McG. Sadly, before Mark can do anything, he's shot with his family just feet away, unaware that anything's happened. Dang.
Cut to McG coming in from his ocean swim. He goes into the house where he sees he's got a bunch of missed calls from Joe. Before he can call him back, though, he's attacked and the fight is brutal. Knives, stab wounds, blood. Hand to hand combat where our hero is literally fighting for his life. Finally, McG gets the upper hand, but the attacker gets away. McG gets a gun out of his bread box in case the guy comes back, and then calls Joe. Pro hitters are taking out the Morocco team. Brewster, Linehan and Howard are dead. McG doesn't seem fazed, really, and might have a plan.
The rest of the H50 team comes in while Junior is bandaging Steve up. Tani is shocked McG is still alive with all the blood on the kitchen floor. Junior is quiet and stoic, sad he wasn't there for the attack. Steve assures him that the attacker was a pro who knew when McG would be alone. This is all blowback from a Morocco operation in 2002 where their SEAL team took out a high value target. Grover wants to stop talking and start drawing these guys out, but Steve wants it quiet and off the books. He doesn't even want to tell Danny. (Who is touring colleges with Grace in Jersey.) Tani says she'll get Noelani to run the gun and blood for an ID. Steve isn't letting them in on his plan, and when Junior says he wants to go, Steve says no, it's just him and Joe this time. Junior reluctantly accepts that, but mentions that files on HVT ops are classified so someone had to leak those names. McG knows who it was and we cut to him visiting Greer in a California prison. She says he looks good for a dead guy and when he says he's not dead, she comes back with "not yet." (She is a really good villain. I hope they keep her around for a bit!)
The team is around the Chatting Table talking about how simultaneous coordinated hits on ex-SEALS would take an extraordinary amount of expertise. Noelani gives them the ID on Steve's attacker through his DNA and his name is Kasper Bauer. (I guess it was a good thing they didn't pick Jack for a first name! Haha But Kasper with a K is also funny.) KasperWithAK is ex-military and probably won't show his face at a hospital so the team is going to reach out to pharmacies.
Steve is talking to Greer and says he knows it was her that leaked the Morocco names. Their SEAL team was following orders handed down by you and she taunts him that he's always doing the right thing, but he can't outrun these people forever. He doesn't look concerned, and merely asked who paid for the hits? She's chatty enough to tell him that it's someone with money that doesn't like Steve. (That's probably a lot of people with his history in the military and law enforcement). He points out that he's fine and so are Cole and Joe. Greer looks surprised when Joe's name is mentioned because she thought he was dead. Steve assures her that he pulled Joe out of the building himself. Greer recovers and says the people after the last of the SEAL team are rich, motivated, and relentless, so they should enjoy the time they have. Steve is all, well, whatever, you're being moved to a more uncomfortable cell. She shoots back with "give Joe my regards."
Steve leaves and talks to Adam in the prison hallway. Apparently, one of the prisoners owes Adam's dad a favor and Steve wants Adam to call it in and find out who Greer is talking to on the outside. Adam is on it! Steve goes out to the car where Joe is waiting and he asks if Greer took the bait. Steve says, yep and it's only a matter of time until she gets the word out and they figure out where Steve and Joe are headed. Joe kind of stares off into the distance, rambling about a lone Ponderosa Pine just west of his land and what a thing of beauty it is since it's the oldest tree in the state. Steve is looking at him all worried, like I am. This is not looking good for Joe at all. Joe snaps out of it and asks Steve if anyone knows about the ranch, but Steve says nope, not even Danny. No one wants them riding in to play hero. And since Joe has friends in the Agency, the plane is fueled up and waiting, so let's go. Steve says maybe Joe should join Cole in the wind and he's got this, but Joe won't hear of it. He's not going to spend his life looking over his shoulder or let Steve have all the fun. He's all in.
Grover finds KasperWithAK in a gas station bathroom bleeding all over and demands to be taken to a hospital. Lou is all, nope, you tried to kill my friend so no hospital for you.
Joe and Steve are driving to his ranch, passing a herd of horses. Luckily, Joe sent the neighbors away. (Mighty trusting neighbors!) When they get to the house there's already a car in the drive. They go in, guns drawn, but it's Cole. He decided he wanted in on the mission and it's hugs all around. He brought guns, but Joe outdoes him with a whole room full of weapons. Cole thinks their odds are 50/50 and Joe always liked that he was an optimist. (That can't be good.)
Next we get a flashback to 2002 in Rabat, Morocco. Steve is on surveillance, watching a kids party in the rain where there are a lot of women and children present. Joe and Cole are in the room with him, when Greer comes in to say that the order stands. No one is comfortable going ahead with the mission because the location was supposed to be empty except for Hassan and his guards. Greer is adamant and says the birthday party isn't ideal, but not a deal breaker. She says fresh intel has Hassan planning a major attack on U.S. interests overseas and even though Steve wants to wait for a clearer shot, she says if they lose him tonight they could lose him forever. Cole is all, we gotta do what we gotta do and Joe says we're going in. Back at the ranch, they're prepping for the attack and it's like Home Alone for Spec Ops. Steve and Joe are talking about being glad Cole showed and that Joe let Steve come. Steve protests that this was his plan and he brought him in. (It's cute and comfortable between them.) Steve gets sent to the other room to get some pins out of Joe's bag where he finds a picture of Joe and a woman.
Adam meets with his dad's old friend in the prison. Even though his dad died before he could collect on the favor owed, Adam wants to collect today. Just tell him the name of the outside channel that the woman in the special wing has. The old friend spills that Kyle Cooper, the guard, is her channel, but by the time Adam gets to the desk, Greer has already left with Kyle and escaped. Uh oh.
Steve asks Joe about the woman in the picture. Her name is Zara and she's a pediatrician he met in Nairobi. Steve is happy Joe found love in the sunset years, but asks if Joe's been in contact. Joe says that a year as a prisoner on a dirty cot gives a man a lot of time to reflect on what was a misstep. He had plenty of sleepless nights to realize it's a younger man's game. (Awww. The job cost him his love.) They do a comm check and Joe tells Steve not to wait as long as he did to find someone, that he sat out too long and he doesn't want that to happen to Steve. (I don't, either!) Before he can say anything else, the hit squad arrives and the gunfight begins. They hardly have any cover and Cole is hit and goes down. Steve goes out to get him, but the hitmen have a rocket launcher. They use it and Steve is blown back, Cole is dead. Steve manages to kill the sniper that killed Cole and get back into the house. (Are there really hit squads out there that are this organized from different countries? Interesting thought.)
Back at the Chatting Table we find out that KyletheGuard got 100K from a shell corporation in Denmark, the same shell that paid KasperWithAK, but the best part is, the payment is linked to a social and there's a woman on the account with him! (Poor newbie hitman didn't take his wife's name off the account!) They track the woman on social media and get a pic of her with a little boy. Grover goes down to talk to KasperWithAK in the Blue Room of Doom. Noelani is there working on him and Grover shows him the pic of the kid and mom. They get down to business and Lou promises that although he's going to prison, Lou would make sure he was in Germany so he could have visits from his little boy. That works on KasperWithAK and he spills that he only knows the lawyer from Copenhagen who set everything up and his name is Gregors Thompson.
Steve and Joe have taken out four men and there's seven left. Steve gets another one as they start advancing on the house. There are some awesome fire and explosions from an RPG as the hitmen start coming in the front. Steve and Joe get one with a porch explosion and another with a shot through a wall. The third with a tripwire. Two left. Steve shoots one from a window, but the last one gets a shot off and hits Joe. Steve grabs Joe and they're moving down the hall. The last hitman is trying to get the big gun in the living room ready to fire, but Steve slides across floor and takes him out. Steve immediately tries to take care of Joe's wound, calling Lou for a medevac and telling Joe to keep the pressure on. While he has him on the phone, Lou tells him that Greer escaped and they got a name: the guy who hired the hitmen is Omar Hassan.
We get another flashback to Rabat, after the target and guards are taken out. There's a little boy holding a gun and Joe is trying to talk him down. The little boy's name is Omar and Joe takes the gun away from him and apologizes as Steve listens in. Back to present day, Omar is the son of the high value target they took out all those years ago. He runs a shipping company in Copenhagen now and while he's clean, he wants revenge.
The medevac is ninety minutes out, the cars are burning and there isn't a nearby clinic. Joe says he has a neighbor who's a retired surgeon, so they get the horses and start riding over there. (After they put a blanket over poor Cole.) As they're riding away, Joe takes one last look at the ranch, just as the sun is starting to set. (Even though I know what's coming now, I don't want it to!) Joe is struggling to stay upright and then we see the Ponderosa pine he was talking about earlier. He asks Steve to stop and tells them that they're there. Steve is confused, they need to go two more miles to get to the doctor, but when he sees the tree it all falls into place. Joe says he's sorry, but he called off the medevac. Steve is angry, wants him to fight. Giving up is not them. But Joe says it's useless, his liver is shot. Steve is begging him to get back on the horse, but Joe asks for his help getting to the tree. He wanted to see this place one last time. They go to the tree and sit down as the sun sets. Steve thanks him for Carlsbad, when after his first week in military school he stole a car because he was trying to come to terms with his mom dying and his dad shipping him off like he was a parcel. He wanted to leave and go back to Hawaii, but got caught. Someone made a call to get him out and he's pretty sure it was Joe. Joe admits that it was him, that Doris had people watching Steve and after she got word of the arrest reached out and called in a few favors. Joe was happy to do it. Steve tells him that that night changed the course of his life. If he hadn't gotten off with a warning, he wouldn't have gone on to the SEALs or Five-O. That night he realized that someone believed in him, even though he'd given up on believing in himself. That's what he has to thank Joe for. Joe tells him that he's thanked him every day with the man he's become and the work he's done. Steve cradles him in his arms and says I got you as Joe answers that he looked out for Steve the way Steve watches over the people in his life now and he couldn't be prouder of the man Steve's become. (It's so emotional!) Steve says we're going to get him and Joe says he has no doubt. He has one more question, though, and asks Steve if he's ever in his life seen a sunset like that? Steve looks at it with tears in his eyes and says no, he hasn't and then Joe is gone as Steve hugs him to his chest.
*sniffle* So sad! Steve has lost so many people in his life already, this is almost too much. Great scenes, though, and incredibly acted. Did you watch? What did you think?
My New Release, A Giveaway, AND A Sale! Don't Miss Today's Blog Post!
Here's the back copy:
When the most wanted terrorist in the world escapes from a high security prison, Nate Hughes is part of the task force sent to recapture him. During the mission, he meets Abby, a fellow investigator that seems to have it all together. He’s drawn to her and hopes they can join forces, but when her past is revealed, loyalties are called into question. Could she have turned against the country she once held dear?
The CIA wants her captured and interrogated, but with a terrorist attack imminent, Abby may be the only person in a position to help them stop it. Nate must make a choice to either trust her or turn her in—but the wrong decision would clear the path for the largest attack on freedom the world has ever seen.
And time is running out.
The CIA wants her captured and interrogated, but with a terrorist attack imminent, Abby may be the only person in a position to help them stop it. Nate must make a choice to either trust her or turn her in—but the wrong decision would clear the path for the largest attack on freedom the world has ever seen.
And time is running out.
And, in order to take the celebration up a notch, there is a $25 Amazon giveaway going on right now. It's easy to enter! Click here for all the details
But that's not all! The boxed set of the first three books in my Griffin Force series is on sale for only $1.99! You can download your copy here
But that's not all! The boxed set of the first three books in my Griffin Force series is on sale for only $1.99! You can download your copy here
Friday, December 7, 2018
Freebie Friday for Romantic Suspense Fans!
If you love romance and intrigue, you have to read Sheralyn Pratt's book, The Pimpernel. I really enjoyed this one and it's free today!
You can download your free Kindle copy here
Here's the back copy:
At present, Jack is trying to dismantle an investment scheme centered in Las Vegas, but "trying" is the operative word. It's been a month since he put the face of the scheme behind bars, yet the scam is still going strong. As Jack tries to uncover who has stepped in as the new head, what miniscule evidence there is all seems to point him back to Claire Ramsey, an introverted PhD student studying at UNLV.
If ever there as an unlikely head of an investment scheme, Claire's it. She has a genius IQ, but from all Jack has seen, Claire’s intelligence is as much a blessing as a curse when paired up with her acute OCD. Claire can barely make conversation with the cute guy down the hall, which makes it hard to believe she could be the charismatic salesperson who is getting international businessmen to invest $5—50 million a pop.
So what is Jack missing? What is the real story behind Claire Ramsey? And once Jack learns it, will he be able to walk away?
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Book Review and Giveaway: Wager for a Wife
Another gem by Ms. Tuft.
You can download your Kindle copy here
Blog Tour Schedule:
*Dec. 3rd: http://mybookaday.com/, http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/, https://www.rockinbookreviews.com/, http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/
*Dec. 4th: https://www.lovebugsandpostcards.com/, http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/
*Dec. 5th: http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://lifeiswhatitscalled.blogspot.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/
*Dec. 6th: http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, https://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, https://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, https://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/, http://www.iamareader.com/
*Dec. 7th: https://brightlystreet.com/, https://www.wishfulendings.com/, http://www.kindleandme.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://fireandicereads.com/
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
$300 Holiday Cash Giveaway!
$300 Holiday Cash Giveaway
December 1st to 21st
Could you use an extra $300 this holiday season? This awesome group of authors & bloggers have joined together to make that possible for one lucky reader. Just scroll down and enter the rafflecopter. Easy to enter and win! (A huge thanks to our sponsors for making this giveaway possible.)
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Giveaway Details
$300 Amazon Gift Code or $300 in PayPal Cash
Ends 12/21/18
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, BookBub, Instagram, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. This giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader & Clean Wholesome Romance and is sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Monday, December 3, 2018
Hawaii Five-0 Recap & Review: The One With The Comic Book
We start out with previouslies to remind us about Jessie, that Noriko was killed, and that Tani thinks Adam killed her. Then we move into a very serious meeting where the Yakuza bosses are relieving the Yakuza banker guy that Adam trusted of all of his duties. He protests, but they accuse him of framing Adam. He should have stayed neutral! His defense is that he was protecting their interests, since Adam was withdrawing money meant to repay his dad's debt to them. Nope, the bosses aren't having that and give him a choice of either Yakuza justice or Five-0 justice. Adam comes out and cuffs him (and in that moment, I sort of wished Adam was bad again. He just does a character with a lot of gray areas so well!)
Cut to a beach park where a guy is recording a drug deal. He's moving in to make a citizen's arrest, but the dealer pulls a gun on him. They fight and the dealer runs away. The hooded vigilante takes the backpack the dealer left and looks to see what's inside, all the while recording what he finds, when he gets hit by a car and another gunman confronts him and shoots him. Whoa.
The next day, the victim is ID'd as Gene Wahale, who billed himself as the Night Sentinel, a citizen who went around trying to make the area safer even though he wasn't trained for it. The team is speculating about what really happened since the dealer 's bag still had cash and drugs in it and wasn't taken and we see Jerry contributing to a makeshift memorial for Gene. Apparently, Jerry met the Night Sentinel once while he was on patrol. Gene made a difference in the community and people loved him, but he probably had some enemies. Back at the Chatting Table they gather to watch some of Night Sentinels online videos. He made thirty-seven citizen's arrests from vandalism to armed robbery and some of the comments on the videos had threats on them in the form of emojis. Half the island's criminals wanted Gene dead.
They pull in one of the commenters whose brother was arrested by Night Sentinel and take him to the Blue Room of Doom. After being mocked for his lack of spelling skills, the dude breaks and says he's glad the freak's dead, but he didn't do it! He doesn't want to become his bro's cellmate and he has an alibi---last night he was at a gentleman's club and dropped 2Gs. His alibi checks out and none of the other sixteen guys they've looked into are promising leads. Tani and Adam head over to Gene's apartment and they talk about how it was a good start to Adam's career in Five-0 by bringing in the Yakuza banker on a murder charge. He thanks her for believing in him. (That storyline was wrapped up a lot quicker than I thought, but okay.)
They go into the apartment and it's been trashed. Jerry comes in and looks at the bookcase while Tani notices that the computer and hard drive are gone. Whoever stole the computer probably wanted the raw footage from the videos Gene took. Adam finds a pic of Gene with his parents who were killed in a home invasion robbery when he was ten. (Sad!) Gene left behind first edition Martian Chronicles, an Xbox, and a statue of Ultra Man. (I have no idea who Ultra Man is.)
Back at the Chatting Table they get access to his online storage and there are videos of some other guy called the Guardian talking smack about Night Sentinel. No one really took the Guardian seriously, but Night Sentinel obviously did since he kept a file on him. Those videos were moneymakers with ad space and whatnot, and maybe the island wasn't big enough to support two hometown heroes. Oh, and Gene got a threatening, voice distorted, message so they're going to try to unscramble it while they look for the Guardian.
In the car, Danny mentions that you'd have to be a real specific psycho to throw on tights to fight crime, but Steve gets the appeal, he wanted to be Batman. Danno liked Superman because he could fly, was bulletproof, and could shoot lasers out of his eyes. Batman was just a guy. Steve disagrees since Batman had to work hard to get in peak physical condition. Danny thinks Batman isn't special because he just inherited money and bought Batmobiles, but he grew up and moved on to different things, so whatever. Steve figured out what Danny's superpower is, it's irritating people to death. Haha!
They end up catching the Guardian in his "act" where he's foiling a robbery, but it's all a setup. None of his takedowns are real. The supposed robber was also jumping off a bridge and getting mugged in some other Guardian videos. The Guardian guy says he can explain, but then runs away, so Steve gets out a bean bag cannon and calmly shoots him. Can Superman do that?
They get the Guardian in the Blue Room of Doom and accuse him of sending that threatening distorted message after Gene found out his videos were fakes, but the Guardian denies it and says he didn't know Gene was on to him and never threatened to kill the guy! Should they play the highlight reel of the Guardian talking smack about the Night Sentinel? But the Guardian says it's like entertainment, and Gene just took it too seriously. He also mentions that he heard Night Sentinel was liquidating his comic book collection so maybe the guy was desperate for cash. Hmmm...
Gene had an insurance policy for his comic book collection that was worth thirty grand and since it wasn't at his apartment, he must have unloaded it. The team also finds out that Gene had no major debt or financial issues, so it was weird that he was offloading his collection. We'll think on that for a moment because the stolen car that hit Gene was found in a very remote area! Since the driver had to get back somehow, the team is going to reach out to rideshare and taxi services to see if someone picked him up. Meanwhile, Lou and Jerry are heading out to the comic book store that pays fair value for titles. Apparently Lou's son is a collector so he's familiar with the stores that sell. They talk to store owner Sharon and she admits that she bought the collection, but it was because Gene was producing his own Night Sentinel comic and needed the cash for that. Jerry is looking through the first issue and realizes that it's based on Gene's life and may be a way to figure out why he was killed.
Jerry reads through them all and sees the overlap from real life where Gene witnessed his parents murder and how his father was an investigative reporter for Channel 10 when he was killed. HPD didn't think the murder was anything more than a robbery (oh poor dumb HPD) but Gene believed there was more to the death and maybe that's what the threatening phone call is about. In the comic, the hero had a hidden room and Jerry remembers the same sort of setup in Gene's apartment. They go back and pull the Iliad from the bookcase, but nothing happens, so they just physically move the bookshelf and find the hidden room. Inside is all the investigative stuff Gene had collected from his parents' murders including videos, pictures and files. He was investigating the same conspiracy as his father and it might have gotten them both killed.
The dad was looking into a bunch of different shady things, but zeroed in on an HPD captain and a forensics analyst falsifying evidence on a bunch of cases. The captain had a rock solid reputation, though, and the forensics analyst died in the 90s with a spotless record. His daughter is still alive, so they go to talk to her and she tells them that Gene asked to meet her a couple of weeks ago to discuss his father coming to speak to her dad before he died. Gene's dad recorded the confession of a scheme to boost conviction rates and the daughter doesn't know if he implicated anyone else. Gene's dad left with the tape and a week later, he was dead. That's what got him killed and the murderers made it look like a robbery to get the tape back.
They bring in the captain who remembers Gene's father's murder well and how he found a boy hiding under the bed. Gene was convinced it was a conspiracy and thought the captain was involved, but the captain denies it, felt like Gene never got over what happened and needed someone to blame. Steve tells him that they've uncovered information indicating that the forensic analyst was falsifying evidence to boost conviction rates. The lawyer with the captain gets all huffy and ends the interview by advising Steve that any other discussion will take place in a more formal setting. No more fishing expeditions for them!
Adam found a taxi service that picked up a fare right where killer's car was ditched and dropped the person off in some garden apartments in Waikiki. Steve brings Eddie to the apartment and uses the headrest from the stolen vehicle to get a scent. Eddie sniffs around and then stops at a door so they bust in. There's a shootout and when the guy is reloading, the team moves in. They end up shooting the guy who falls off a ledge and is killed. His name was Darrel Wentz, 27, and he had multiple felony charges, did a stint in Halawa for assault with a deadly weapon. But the team quickly realizes that since Darrel is only twenty-seven he would have been a kid when Gene's dad was killed. Sad faces all around since Darrel was just a hired gun and now their best lead is dead. Oddly, though, Darrel got out of prison waaaaayyy early and guess who his lawyer was? The same lawyer that came in with the captain, Michael Pope. So what's a fancy lawyer like him doing repping a two bit hitman? Hmmm...
Steve and Danny go to see lawyer. They confront him with what they know, that Gene was on to the right conspiracy, but he had the wrong guy since the captain is honest. It was Pope working with the forensic analysis guy, not the captain. Pope denies it at first, but they point out that Pope was the prosecuting attorney on all the cases, anxious to make a big name for himself, so he padded his conviction rate and put a lot of innocent people in jail. Gene's dad figured it out, so he had him killed, and then when Gene figured it out, he was killed, too. Pope is all, well, you can't prove it, but they pull out the unscrambled threatening message and it's Pope's voice! They go to arrest him, but he runs to the roof and then we go into comic book mode where Steve grabs the helicopter struts and launches himself into the cockpit as the helo goes into a death spiral. McG makes a pinpoint landing on a busy street and it ends with a "Book 'em Danno." (Haven't heard that in a while!)
Then we're back to real life and we find out that the helicopter chase didn't really happen, Pope just gave up and let himself be arrested, but Jerry adds that it wasn't the climactic ending the story deserved. Duke and the captain come in and tell Steve that they're gong to make sure everyone Pope wrongfully convicted is exonerated and HPD is reopening all the cases Pope and the forensics guy worked on. (As if they aren't overworked enough already!) But, thanks to Trevor and Gene a lot of people are going to get their lives back, too bad they aren't there to see it. Charlie asks Danny if he and Uncle Steve are heroes since they're in a comic book and Danny says yes. Charlie gets a hug from Uncle Steve and Danny says the comic book is for his kid not him, but then they look over at all the adults reading comic books. There's nothing wrong with fun for old times' sake, right? And they both agree.
So, a little different with the comic book angle. Did you watch? What did you think?
Cut to a beach park where a guy is recording a drug deal. He's moving in to make a citizen's arrest, but the dealer pulls a gun on him. They fight and the dealer runs away. The hooded vigilante takes the backpack the dealer left and looks to see what's inside, all the while recording what he finds, when he gets hit by a car and another gunman confronts him and shoots him. Whoa.
The next day, the victim is ID'd as Gene Wahale, who billed himself as the Night Sentinel, a citizen who went around trying to make the area safer even though he wasn't trained for it. The team is speculating about what really happened since the dealer 's bag still had cash and drugs in it and wasn't taken and we see Jerry contributing to a makeshift memorial for Gene. Apparently, Jerry met the Night Sentinel once while he was on patrol. Gene made a difference in the community and people loved him, but he probably had some enemies. Back at the Chatting Table they gather to watch some of Night Sentinels online videos. He made thirty-seven citizen's arrests from vandalism to armed robbery and some of the comments on the videos had threats on them in the form of emojis. Half the island's criminals wanted Gene dead.
They pull in one of the commenters whose brother was arrested by Night Sentinel and take him to the Blue Room of Doom. After being mocked for his lack of spelling skills, the dude breaks and says he's glad the freak's dead, but he didn't do it! He doesn't want to become his bro's cellmate and he has an alibi---last night he was at a gentleman's club and dropped 2Gs. His alibi checks out and none of the other sixteen guys they've looked into are promising leads. Tani and Adam head over to Gene's apartment and they talk about how it was a good start to Adam's career in Five-0 by bringing in the Yakuza banker on a murder charge. He thanks her for believing in him. (That storyline was wrapped up a lot quicker than I thought, but okay.)
They go into the apartment and it's been trashed. Jerry comes in and looks at the bookcase while Tani notices that the computer and hard drive are gone. Whoever stole the computer probably wanted the raw footage from the videos Gene took. Adam finds a pic of Gene with his parents who were killed in a home invasion robbery when he was ten. (Sad!) Gene left behind first edition Martian Chronicles, an Xbox, and a statue of Ultra Man. (I have no idea who Ultra Man is.)
Back at the Chatting Table they get access to his online storage and there are videos of some other guy called the Guardian talking smack about Night Sentinel. No one really took the Guardian seriously, but Night Sentinel obviously did since he kept a file on him. Those videos were moneymakers with ad space and whatnot, and maybe the island wasn't big enough to support two hometown heroes. Oh, and Gene got a threatening, voice distorted, message so they're going to try to unscramble it while they look for the Guardian.
In the car, Danny mentions that you'd have to be a real specific psycho to throw on tights to fight crime, but Steve gets the appeal, he wanted to be Batman. Danno liked Superman because he could fly, was bulletproof, and could shoot lasers out of his eyes. Batman was just a guy. Steve disagrees since Batman had to work hard to get in peak physical condition. Danny thinks Batman isn't special because he just inherited money and bought Batmobiles, but he grew up and moved on to different things, so whatever. Steve figured out what Danny's superpower is, it's irritating people to death. Haha!
They end up catching the Guardian in his "act" where he's foiling a robbery, but it's all a setup. None of his takedowns are real. The supposed robber was also jumping off a bridge and getting mugged in some other Guardian videos. The Guardian guy says he can explain, but then runs away, so Steve gets out a bean bag cannon and calmly shoots him. Can Superman do that?
They get the Guardian in the Blue Room of Doom and accuse him of sending that threatening distorted message after Gene found out his videos were fakes, but the Guardian denies it and says he didn't know Gene was on to him and never threatened to kill the guy! Should they play the highlight reel of the Guardian talking smack about the Night Sentinel? But the Guardian says it's like entertainment, and Gene just took it too seriously. He also mentions that he heard Night Sentinel was liquidating his comic book collection so maybe the guy was desperate for cash. Hmmm...
Gene had an insurance policy for his comic book collection that was worth thirty grand and since it wasn't at his apartment, he must have unloaded it. The team also finds out that Gene had no major debt or financial issues, so it was weird that he was offloading his collection. We'll think on that for a moment because the stolen car that hit Gene was found in a very remote area! Since the driver had to get back somehow, the team is going to reach out to rideshare and taxi services to see if someone picked him up. Meanwhile, Lou and Jerry are heading out to the comic book store that pays fair value for titles. Apparently Lou's son is a collector so he's familiar with the stores that sell. They talk to store owner Sharon and she admits that she bought the collection, but it was because Gene was producing his own Night Sentinel comic and needed the cash for that. Jerry is looking through the first issue and realizes that it's based on Gene's life and may be a way to figure out why he was killed.
Jerry reads through them all and sees the overlap from real life where Gene witnessed his parents murder and how his father was an investigative reporter for Channel 10 when he was killed. HPD didn't think the murder was anything more than a robbery (oh poor dumb HPD) but Gene believed there was more to the death and maybe that's what the threatening phone call is about. In the comic, the hero had a hidden room and Jerry remembers the same sort of setup in Gene's apartment. They go back and pull the Iliad from the bookcase, but nothing happens, so they just physically move the bookshelf and find the hidden room. Inside is all the investigative stuff Gene had collected from his parents' murders including videos, pictures and files. He was investigating the same conspiracy as his father and it might have gotten them both killed.
The dad was looking into a bunch of different shady things, but zeroed in on an HPD captain and a forensics analyst falsifying evidence on a bunch of cases. The captain had a rock solid reputation, though, and the forensics analyst died in the 90s with a spotless record. His daughter is still alive, so they go to talk to her and she tells them that Gene asked to meet her a couple of weeks ago to discuss his father coming to speak to her dad before he died. Gene's dad recorded the confession of a scheme to boost conviction rates and the daughter doesn't know if he implicated anyone else. Gene's dad left with the tape and a week later, he was dead. That's what got him killed and the murderers made it look like a robbery to get the tape back.
They bring in the captain who remembers Gene's father's murder well and how he found a boy hiding under the bed. Gene was convinced it was a conspiracy and thought the captain was involved, but the captain denies it, felt like Gene never got over what happened and needed someone to blame. Steve tells him that they've uncovered information indicating that the forensic analyst was falsifying evidence to boost conviction rates. The lawyer with the captain gets all huffy and ends the interview by advising Steve that any other discussion will take place in a more formal setting. No more fishing expeditions for them!
Adam found a taxi service that picked up a fare right where killer's car was ditched and dropped the person off in some garden apartments in Waikiki. Steve brings Eddie to the apartment and uses the headrest from the stolen vehicle to get a scent. Eddie sniffs around and then stops at a door so they bust in. There's a shootout and when the guy is reloading, the team moves in. They end up shooting the guy who falls off a ledge and is killed. His name was Darrel Wentz, 27, and he had multiple felony charges, did a stint in Halawa for assault with a deadly weapon. But the team quickly realizes that since Darrel is only twenty-seven he would have been a kid when Gene's dad was killed. Sad faces all around since Darrel was just a hired gun and now their best lead is dead. Oddly, though, Darrel got out of prison waaaaayyy early and guess who his lawyer was? The same lawyer that came in with the captain, Michael Pope. So what's a fancy lawyer like him doing repping a two bit hitman? Hmmm...
Steve and Danny go to see lawyer. They confront him with what they know, that Gene was on to the right conspiracy, but he had the wrong guy since the captain is honest. It was Pope working with the forensic analysis guy, not the captain. Pope denies it at first, but they point out that Pope was the prosecuting attorney on all the cases, anxious to make a big name for himself, so he padded his conviction rate and put a lot of innocent people in jail. Gene's dad figured it out, so he had him killed, and then when Gene figured it out, he was killed, too. Pope is all, well, you can't prove it, but they pull out the unscrambled threatening message and it's Pope's voice! They go to arrest him, but he runs to the roof and then we go into comic book mode where Steve grabs the helicopter struts and launches himself into the cockpit as the helo goes into a death spiral. McG makes a pinpoint landing on a busy street and it ends with a "Book 'em Danno." (Haven't heard that in a while!)
Then we're back to real life and we find out that the helicopter chase didn't really happen, Pope just gave up and let himself be arrested, but Jerry adds that it wasn't the climactic ending the story deserved. Duke and the captain come in and tell Steve that they're gong to make sure everyone Pope wrongfully convicted is exonerated and HPD is reopening all the cases Pope and the forensics guy worked on. (As if they aren't overworked enough already!) But, thanks to Trevor and Gene a lot of people are going to get their lives back, too bad they aren't there to see it. Charlie asks Danny if he and Uncle Steve are heroes since they're in a comic book and Danny says yes. Charlie gets a hug from Uncle Steve and Danny says the comic book is for his kid not him, but then they look over at all the adults reading comic books. There's nothing wrong with fun for old times' sake, right? And they both agree.
So, a little different with the comic book angle. Did you watch? What did you think?
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