I enjoyed an interview recently with Peter Okonkwo, the founder of P English Literature, the first international BookTube show in Africa that features authors from around the world. We cover quite a bit of ground in this interview. Enjoy!
Tag: mystery
Award for Shadows of Truth
I’m pleased to announce that Shadows of Truth has received recognition from Literary Titan per the message below. The release date is less than a week away for those buying online. If you’re in the Ottawa, Canada area, you can pick up your signed copy at Indigo Kanata on Saturday, September 20, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Literary Titan Gold Book Award: Fiction | LITERARY TITAN
A Teaser Before the Release of Shadows of Truth
The release of Shadows of Truth is two weeks away! 
But … the official trailer is here, and it’s everything a gripping mystery should be: suspenseful, thrilling, and full of secrets waiting to be uncovered.
Watch the trailer now and feel the suspense build!
Preorder today and be one of the first to unravel the mystery. https://mybook.to/ShadowsofTruth
Shadows of Truth – Cover Reveal and Presale
The moment we’ve all been waiting for… the official cover of Shadow of Truth is finally revealed!
A story of secrets, lies, and truths that refuse to stay hidden.
Will you be ready when the truth comes to light?
Shadows of Truth is available for presale. Order it now for delivery on September 15!
Jake Scott’s Journey and What’s Next
If you love a gripping mystery, a determined sleuth, and twists you’ll never see coming, the Jake Scott Mystery Series is for you.
Jake Scott was once a respected journalist. Now retired and lonely, he finds himself drawn back into danger time and again, uncovering dark secrets others would rather keep hidden.
In Searching for Truth, Jake uncovers a deadly secret buried within his own circle of breakfast friends, proving that no one is quite who they seem.
In The Guardians of Truth, he infiltrates a shady organization preying on vulnerable people, putting himself at great risk to expose their lies.
In The Secret Truth, what should have been a peaceful getaway turns into a nightmare when a deadly explosion shatters lives and uncovers a chilling plot.
And now…
Shadows of Truth on the Cruise Ship is about to set sail.
Jake thought a cruise would be the perfect escape, a chance to relax and leave danger behind. But when a murder rocks the ship, he realizes the killer is onboard, and the truth is buried somewhere in the endless ocean around them.
Will Jake find the answers before the ship docks? Or will the shadows claim another victim?
Catch up on the series now, and don’t miss the next thrilling chapter, coming this September!
#JakeScottMystery #MysterySeries #NewBookRelease #MurderMystery #AmReading #BookLovers #SuspenseBooks
Jake Scott Mystery Receives Great New Review
From The Online Book Club
Review of The Guardians of Truth
Post by Hubre De Klerk » 22 Feb 2023, 03:40
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of “The Guardians of Truth” by Barry Finlay.]
5 out of 5 stars
A secret organization, a missing person, a body, a police investigation, and a retired reporter—if these words don’t get you excited, I don’t know what will. This book is full of suspense, action, and a bit of romance. When Cassie tells her daughter that she must stop someone from hurting other people and then doesn’t return home, a missing person’s file is immediately opened for her. Jake is a retired reporter and a “family friend” of Cassie’s daughter through his relationship with her friend’s mom, Dani. Jake knows that the police are busy with their investigation, but he also knows that they are short-staffed. He decides to dust off his retired gloves and conduct his own investigation in order to assist. He had no idea how far he’d get himself involved or what danger awaited him.
This was such a fun book to read, and it was full of descriptions and easy-to-follow protocols. I enjoyed being part of the investigations and seeing how they unearthed new evidence. I couldn’t help but put myself in Haley’s teenage shoes and imagine the worry she had to go through when her mom didn’t come home. It was also easy to grasp Dani’s frustration when the clues to help them figure out what happened were so few and it felt like the case was at a standstill. Jake was my favorite character by far, with his empathy for others, his being a true friend, and his tenacity to help. He made me think of a bull terrier that just won’t let go after he has locked his jaw.
I enjoyed everything about this book. This book has been excellently edited, as I only found two minor errors throughout the whole book. There was nothing I disliked or would have changed. The book was fast-paced and didn’t have any slow-moving parts. I had my ideas about who the culprit was, but I was still surprised at the end of the book. I was entertained and hooked from the start of the book until the end.
I would rate The Guardians of Truth by Barry Finlay a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. There is absolutely no reason to give this book anything but a perfect score. This book also showed me how important the people in your life are and the importance of being there for each other. I know I have felt shallow when someone is going through a traumatic and emotional time, and the only words I had to offer were that it will get better and that I am here for you. This book showed me both sides, and that the person receiving those words may appreciate them a lot more than you can even imagine. Families and friends are important, and they are what keep you sane when things get tough.
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy crime, action, and mystery books. This is a fun afternoon read that immerses you completely. You feel like you are part of the investigation, and you feel all of the emotions running rampant in this book. I really enjoyed it and would love to read more of this author’s books.
Win a digital copy of Searching For Truth
Searching For Truth
My new mystery novel, Searching for Truth, is coming soon. Here’s a hint of what’s coming. Keep watching for updates.
Mystery, Thriller & Horror Audiobooks sweepstakes
Attention Audiobook Lovers – You can win a bundle of audiobooks that will keep you listening for hours and hours PLUS a brand new e-reader! That’s 27 mystery, thriller and horror audiobooks, and the e-reader – a $350 value. I would enter myself but I don’t think I’m eligible since the first book in The Marcie Kane Thriller Collection, The Vanishing Wife, is one of the featured books. The contest runs through Father’s Day from June 14 – 23 but click on the image now to enter so you don’t forget.
New Book Coming!
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted much and, while it is not an excuse, the reason is that I have been working on a new mystery featuring a brand new character named Jake Scott.
I have been wrestling with ideas about the best way to introduce Jake to my amazing readers. He’s not your ordinary hero. In fact, in his mind he’s not a hero at all. He’s a bored and lonely former reporter, having lost his wife to an aneurysm, his job to technology and his daughter to a boyfriend in another city.
There are many steps to go through before the book is published, so it will be a few months before you will be able to read it. But, as part of the process, Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) have been sent to a handful of readers for early feedback. The first comments arrived yesterday from Cathy S. who blogs under Cath N’ Kindle Book Reviews.
Cathy has captured the essence of Jake Scott perfectly, so there is no better way to introduce him to you than through her words. Take it away, Cathy.
Searching for Truth by Barry Finlay
“Having enjoyed my first encounter with this author (The Burden of Darkness), it was with great enthusiasm that I dived into this book, and what a joy. I was promised a new protagonist (Jake Scott), and he couldn’t be more different than The Burden of Darkness’s Marcia Kane.
Jake Scott is feeling his way around recent widowerhood and retirement. The highlight of his week: Saturday morning coffee with a motley crew: three men and Constable Danielle Perez. As a former investigative journalist, Jake is just the chap to help Danielle look into a double murder from three years previously. The pandemic has delayed so many things, not least the legal process, and it’s taken a long time for the main suspect to be convicted. But Danielle isn’t convinced the right man is in prison. With just a grumpy cat for company and little motivation in his newfound, reluctant singledom, Jake takes up the offer to help.
I really enjoyed this. Jake makes a refreshingly different hero. He’s not young and handsomely six-packed. He’s a bit of a Luddite, a technophobe, but there’s a steadfastness and sincerity about him. And quietly smart. It’s rather lovely witnessing his emergence from his cocoon of grief and loneliness after the tragic loss of his beloved wife. The attractive Dani and her stereotypically monosyllabic, grumpy teenager are quite the tonic. But little do the three of them know what serious danger will befall them by wanting to put right a wrong.
Extremely well composed and observed, this is really edge-of-your-seat, hold-your-breath writing and compelling right to the very end. I consider myself quite a good guesser of whodunnits, but Mr F had me well stumped.
Jake (and Dani) have a sequel in them, I know it. I certainly hope it.”