Why Book Authors End a Favorite Series

 A review of a few favorite authors of fiction series and why they wrote a final one.

What is a Book Series?

In fiction, a series typically shares a common setting, timeline or set of characters. They are usually found in genre fiction, such as my favorite, crime fiction (murder mysteries, police procedurals, etc.). A series can be any length, the most common one being a Trilogy. 

When a fan of a book series discovers a favorite author has ended the long loved series, there is first disappointment that there will not be any more. And one wonders why the series has to end. 

Margaret Maron, author of the 9-book Sigrid Harald series and her 20 Deborah Knott novels explained it best in a 2017 interview. 

I've said almost everything there is to say (about her characters) and I don't want to start repeating myself. Margaret also admitted that she was more than ready to be done with deadlines.

I feel the way many other fans of novel series such as Maron's books felt when faced with the final book featuring favorite characters; I wish they could go on forever. But Margaret Maron was 76 years old when she wrote her final Deborah Knott book Long Upon The Land. And she  died in 2021 at age 82. She gave all her long-time fans terrific memories that will continue on in her books. 

More Endings

A few more of my favorite authors of series who have ended long series are worth mentioning here. 

Faye Kellerman

I just finished reading Faye Kellerman's The Hunt – Book 27 of 27 in her: Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus. On the dedication page, Kellerman states that this is the final book in this series.

I've been a fan since Book #1 – The Ritual Bath – published in 1986. Twenty-seven books in 37 years. Quite a record. I can see that there is not much else to say about these wonderful characters, but they will be dearly missed. I've followed Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus since they met, then married, through their kids growing up and getting married. Now that these favorite characters are grandparents and author Faye Kellerman is 70 years old, I can understand why Book #27 has become her final one in the series, but I'll still miss them. Luckily I can re-read them any time I want. One of the joys of book collections. 

Sue Grafton

One of my deepest reading regrets is that Sue Grafton – she of the Private Eye Kinsey Millhone “Alphabet” series – is that she didn't live long enough to finish the series. I've been a big fan since 1982 when I met the character 'Kinsey' in “A is for Alibi”. Grafton died in 2017 at age 77 before she could write the Z book. So her series ended with “Y is for Yesterday”. I own every one from A through Y and recently reread them all. 

John D. MacDonald

The very first time I realized that a series could end was in 1985. I had recently joined a book subscription service and you could choose 4 books for a low starter price. I had picked out 3 books I wanted to have and for the 4th book chose a book by an author new to me. The book was the Lonely Silver Rain (1985) by John D. MacDonald. I fell  in love with the main character Travis McGee and immediately became a fan. Come to find out, that book was #21 in the series and was published just a year before MacDonald died at age 70. It was not intended to be the final novel in the series. I was terribly disappointed to discover such a wonderful writer of a character that was so fascinating would not be writing any more Travis McGee novels. Eventually I acquired every one of the previous 20 Travis McGee novels – all with a color in the title - and enjoy them to this day.  Some were difficult to find since the first Travis McGee novel was written in 1964, but used book stores and, later, eBay and Amazon were a good source for out-of-print books. 

Endings Are Also Beginnings...

Image Source: Pixabay

Over the years I have collected all the books in favorite series by favorite authors. It is delightful to me to reread a series beginning with the first book and continuing book after book until the last one. Many people say they don't like reading this way, but I love being able to stay with the characters I love one book after another. If I really like an author, like their style and the characters they have created, I enjoy staying with them until I have read/reread them all. Currently, I have over 8 different authors' complete series. Additionally I have many non-series novels by favorite authors. I haven't counted the number of books I own, but suffice it to say that during year one of the panendemic when my local library was closed, I re-read every book I own. Kept me going for many months! 

Summary

So there you have it – the reasons why authors end a series. Either the series has reached it's natural lifespan or the author has retired or died. But each series has given me a wealth of memories and a great deal of enjoyment.

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*Book Review of book series ending by Wednesday Elf

 Long Upon the Land: A Deborah Knott MysteryCheck Price The Hunt: A Decker/Lazarus Novel (Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus Book 27)Check Price Y is for Yesterday
(A Kinsey Millhone Novel
Book 25)Check Price The Lonely Silver Rain by John D. MacDonald(March 12, 1985) HardcoverCheck Price

 

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Make a Wish by Helena Hunting: "Spark House Sisters" Series

New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting's comtemporary romance novel Make a Wish is book three of her popular "Spark House Sisters" series, which also includes When Sparks Fly (book one) and Starry-Eyed Love (book two).

Make a Wish will be published on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, but it is available for preorder on Amazon in Kindle, paperback and audiobook formats.

I was fortunate to listen to an advance copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. Here's my book review.

Make a Wish is book 3 in Helena Hunting's contemporary romance series "Spark House Sisters" which features her signature "swoony heroes and quirky heroines"

A Charming, Often Hilarious, Heartwarming Contemporary Romance Novel

New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting's website describes her lead characters as "swoony heroes and quirky heroines you'll fall in love with." I would say she writes genuinely likeable, thoughtful characters with good hearts and intentions, human failings and insecurities, authentic voices and often witty, flirtatious banter.

Bottom line: Hunting crafts well-developed characters you can't help caring about and rooting for.

Helena Hunting's "Spark House Sisters" Series

When I had the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of Helena Hunting's Make a Wish in audiobook format, I jumped at the chance to listen to this deservedly popular, New York Times bestselling author's latest contemporary romance. I was delighted to discover that the story holds its own as a stand-alone novel. However, I enjoyed it enough to want to go back to the beginning of the story by reading the first two books.

Here are the three books in this series about sisters Avery, London and Harley Spark, in order (links are for the Kindle editions on Amazon):

When Sparks Fly ("Spark House Sisters" Book 1—Avery's Story)

Starry-Eyed Love ("Spark House Sisters" Book 2—London's Story)

Make a Wish ("Spark House Sisters" Book 3—Harley's Story)

Make a Wish Synopsis

When Gavin Rhodes's wife, whom he adores, dies after giving birth to their daughter Peyton, his world collapses. Overwhelmed by grief, heartbreak and a misplaced sense of guilt, Gavin buries himself in his work and hires a vivacious, cheerful, energetic and responsible young woman as a live-in nanny for his baby girl.

Harley Spark's parents died when she was very young, so she knows how hard it is to grow up without a mom. Unlike Peyton, however, she and her two sisters had each other for support, and vice versa. Her grandma Spark also provided a loving, supportive and encouraging home as well as a love of fun and adventure. Harley is totally devoted to Peyton and tries to make up for the lack of both a mom and siblings in her life by playing the roles of both nanny and surrogate big sister.

Harley finds enormous satisfaction in providing a positive, upbeat and nurturing home environment for baby Peyton and her overworked, emotionally devastated dad. The arrangement works beautifully for a year and a half...until the fateful moment when 20-year-old Harley, trying to comfort an exhausted and still grieving Gavin (and indulge her secret crush on him), leans in and almost kisses him before he realizes what she is trying to do and abruptly pulls away.

Harley is horrified and mortified. Worse yet, her idyllic working and living situation suddenly evaporates as Gavin packs up his and Peyton’s things and moves to the other side of the state. He transfers the care of his baby girl to his late wife's strict and domineering mother, Karen, who takes on the role of mothering and educating her granddaughter with an almost religious zeal.

Harley is covered with guilt and remorse for her unusual lapse in judgment and she misses Peyton (and Gavin) tremendously. But when Gavin refuses to respond to multiple apologetic texts, she eventually has to make her peace with the consequences of having acted on her misguided impulse.

Harley loves being and working with kids, but reluctantly decides to give up her career as a professional live-in nanny, fearing another potential risk to her heart if she falls in love with another family who employs her. Instead, she joins her two sisters and their partners in running the family's event hotel, Spark House. In addition to doing some of the hotel's social media, Harley's favorite role has been organizing the children's themed birthday parties, for which she always dresses up in costume. Unfortunately, they are less profitable than other events, such as weddings, and seven years after Gavin's and Peyton's move, Harley's siblings let her know that the upcoming princess-themed birthday party for a local nine-year-old will be the last one at Spark House.

For the "last hurrah" birthday bash, Harley dresses up as a fairy princess. The last people she expects to run into among the young party guests and their parents are nine-year-old Peyton and her dad. Gavin, in turn, who is both a doting father and a good sport, is wearing a tutu. It's not exactly the outfit he would have chosen for an unexpected reunion with Harley, who is now in her late twenties and even more attractive than before.

Harley is so flustered at seeing Gavin again (especially when she is dressed in full-fledged princess attire with all the trimmings) that she breaks out in hives. Gavin is grateful that Harley is no longer his daughter's nanny, and their age difference is less significant. He hopes this chance encounter might lead to both closure concerning their awkward and abrupt parting and perhaps a different type of relationship moving forward. Peyton is simply overjoyed to see her beloved former nanny and playmate and can't wait to make more play dates for the three of them.

Gavin decides to move himself and Peyton back to their hometown. There are a several good reasons for the move, but one of the most compelling is for them to be near Harley again. Predictably, Karen becomes jealous and resentful of Harley and does her best to undermine the would-be couple's burgeoning relationship. Karen's interfering behavior angers and upsets both Gavin and Harley, but Gavin also feels guilty about moving Peyton out of her grandmother's home, control, and daily life and is reluctant to confront his mother-in-law.

Will Harley, who hates confrontation, find the courage to stick up for both her professional role and romantic relationship?

Why does Gavin feel guilty about his wife's death? Can he finally bring himself to truly risk giving his heart to a partner again unconditionally and stand up to his overbearing, jealous, threatened and still-grieving mother-in-law?

Will Peyton finally get her two biggest wishes, a mom and a sibling?

I can promise you a happy ending, but you'll have to read Helena Hunting's Make a Wish not only to find out the answers but also to enjoy the rich storytelling and the rocky road that ultimately leads to this trio's HEA (happily ever after).

Amazon Editors' Picks: Best Romance

I'm not the only reader who has fallen in love with the characters in Helena Hunting's Make a Wish. Even though its release date is nearly a week away at the time of this book review's publication, this new contemporary romance novel is one of Amazon Editors' top picks for Romance Books.

Two Excellent Audiobook Narrators

Fan favorite narrators Jason Clarke, Stella Bloom share the narration duties on all three of the "Spark House Sisters" audiobooks in this series. Bloom's pleasant but higher-pitched voice is the perfect foil for Clarke's bass, and both narrators are eminently "listenable." They are skilled at voicing both male and female characters, as well as both adult and juvenile characters, that are easily distinguishable. This was especially important because each chapter of is told from either Harley's or Gavin's point of view and read by Bloom or Clarke, respectively. I never struggled to identify which character was speaking, even during conversations among three or more characters.

They also spoke at an ideal pace for me, slow enough that I didn't have to concentrate on not missing anything, but also not so slow as to be soporific.

These seasoned narrators really bring the characters to life and enhance the reader's (or listener's) experience of the book. For that reason, I highly recommend the audiobook format for this contemporary romance series.

Here are links to all three audiobooks in order:

When Sparks Fly "Spark House Sisters" Book 1 Audiobook

Starry-Eyed Love "Spark House Sisters" Book 2 Audiobook

Make a Wish "Spark House Sisters" Book 1 Audiobook

10 Hours of Listening Pleasure

There is enough meat to the story to keep me happily engaged in listening to the audiobook for 10 hours. Key bits and pieces of information from the past are gradually revealed to us (and to the main characters) as the story unfolds, giving us more context and insight into each character's motivations, emotional challenges, desires and fears.

By the end of the book, I felt real empathy and compassion for all the characters, even the rigid, self-absorbed, bossy, subversive Karen.

More importantly, all the characters experienced authentic, significant growth from the beginning to the end of the story arc.

Adult Content

As in most contemporary romance novels, the relationship between the story’s hero and heroine includes physical intimacy.

While Hunting isn’t shy about describing the sexual aspect of Gavin and Harley’s romantic relationship as it evolves over time, I didn't feel the descriptions of their intimate encounters were gratuitous or excessively graphic, and those scenes certainly weren't a primary focus of the novel. The pair's relationship is built on a foundation of friendship and trust first. In fact, despite their obvious mutual physical attraction, both of them are very cautious about taking their relationship from friends to lovers.

However, if you are offended by premarital physical intimacy, that aspect of this book (and, presumably, the others in this series) might be a turn-off.

Fun But Not Fluff

The story flowed well and never dragged, and the narrators' characterizations did justice to Hunting's charismatic writing, keepping me engaged, entertained, and emotionally invested from beginning to end.

Harley's and Peyton's boundless enthusiasm, zest for life, optimism and love of unabashadly "girly" things like tutus and glitter crafts provide some much-needed lightness to balance the tragic deaths (and, in the case of Gavin and Karen, misplaced guilt) that weigh on the main characters' hearts.

Ultimately, it's a feel-good story about second chances. I hope you enjoy it.

Now, I'm off to download the first two books in the series.

Make A Wish By Helena Hunting: Spark House Sisters

by Margaret Schindel

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Bradwell Brothers Book Series by Kasey Stockton Reviewed

I recently read the first two books in the "Bradwell Brothers" book series by Kasey Stockton.  The third book will not be released until April, 2023. 

I have really enjoyed this series, thus far, because the author included unusual or funny circumstances, as well as giving her characters an abundance of humorous wit. I can hardly wait for book three to be available.

The books are in the Regency Romance genre, which means they are historical fiction that takes place during the British Regency (1811–1820) time period.  This series is clean and wholesome, therefore it can be recommended for any age.  It almost seems educational as it peeks into the historical British social classes and what is acceptable behavior for ladies and gentlemen, as well as the family hierarchy of the wealthy class. 

There are 3 Bradwell brothers.  At the beginning of the series, their mother still reigns over the Bradwell home and all 3 bachelor brothers reside there at Chelton most of the time.  Henry, the middle brother, was bequeathed the "hunting box", a separate family home, that is his private getaway when needed.  As with all siblings, the brothers have similarities and shared memories, but each has their own individual personality.  They are so well described that I can easily envision James' concerned & watchful eyes, Benedict's looks of confusion or misunderstanding, and Henry's quiet reserve. I feel like I know these boys.

 

Synopsis of Sensibly Wed - Bradwell Brothers Book 1
London, 1817  

 Sensibly Wed (Bradwell Brothers Book 1)Check PriceJames Bradwell chose to attend his godmother's ball in hopes of finding a suitable wife.  As the oldest brother, and heir to his father's estate, James is mindful of his family duties. However, he resents the girls in attendance who merely seek his company because of his wealth.  Desiring a brief escape from the marriage mart, he slips into the library, but quickly finds he is not alone.

Felicity Thurston would much rather be reading than attending a ball.  Not only does she suffer with anxiety attacks, but she is certain she will never find someone who loves her "as her father loves her mother" at a superficial social event.  In an attempt to avoid a particularly unappealing man, Felicity slipped into a dark room and closed the door behind her.  To her delight, she realized she was alone in the library. She lite a candle and began pursuing the book shelves.  When she hears the unmistakable creak of the opening door, she blew out her candle, hoping to not be discovered. Unfortunately, hot candle wax dripped on her hand and she yelped.

And, that is how Felicity and James met, and how they were discovered:  alone together in the library during the ball.  How scandalous!  Before they even exited the room, the gossip was spreading quickly throughout the ballroom. 

Felicity and her parents quickly left the ball, but James already knew what was going to be required of him.  He was at their home early the following morning proposing marriage.  Soon after Felicity and her parents accepted his proposal, she found out his last name.  Of all the people in the world, how could she possibly be engaged to the brother of the only man she had ever hoped to marry.

And, that is just the beginning!  You will need to read the book to find out what happens next.

 

Synopsis of Pleasantly Pursued - Bradwell Brother Book 2  

 Pleasantly Pursued (Bradwell Brothers Book 2)Check PriceDorothea Northcott has escaped her impending doom.  She simply could not be "deposited" at her lecherous chaperone's home, but she couldn't tell her guardian, Lady Edith Bradwell, about her cousin, Lord Claverley, and his despicable desires either.  She felt her only salvation would be to run away and seek employment. While she greatly appreciated her godmother's efforts to see her sponsored and properly introduced to society, Thea would forgo that for a simpler, safe life.  She had found a position working in a kitchen and would be content marrying a humble man.  

Benedict Bradwell had been searching for Thea for months.  He followed her trail of jobs until he finally found her working as a kitchen maid. However, she was not happy to see him and she did not want to be returned to his mother and her home.  When Benedict explained that is mother was worried sick over her disappearance, Thea acquiesced and agreed to return with him, but only if he agreed to her one condition: she would not be forced to go to Lord Claverley's house or forced to remain at Chelton.

Benedict's plan to sneak Thea back to Chelton, was just the beginning of "interesting" situations they faced.  Without a proper chaperone, Thea had to dress as a male servant for the duration of a journey that would take four days, including nights in various inns.  Their verbal sparring made the trip, as well as the entire season, a fun journey for readers.    

Perhaps you have figured out what happens in terms of romance, but the book is worth reading, regardless.

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Cabin 9 Mysteries New Book Launch Review

Book Two Coming Soon

I'll be launching the second book in the Cabin 9 Mysteries series in the near future. Book two is titled Untimely Checkout. I thought it might be fun to talk a little about the series and the newest book today. 

Cabin 9 at Whispering Oaks Campground
image courtesy of pixabay.com

Back in August of this year, I released the first book in this new series, Campground Corpse. Readers met my main character Taylor Reigler who had inherited a campground in Indiana. She arrives at the old campground site in April to find the cabins filled with inches of dust and the ground waist high in grass and weeds. Her dream of spending about a month to get things up and running seemed destined to failure with all of the work that needed to be done. She meets Gavin Bishop and his sister Gwen on her first day at the grounds which begins a new friendship. That is where the mystery begins to unfold.

Cabin 9 Mysteries Book Two

In Untimely Checkout, the second book in the series, the story continues with a new mystery to solve. The story moves forward to early June with progress being made on the restoration work Taylor had hired done. Taylor and Gwen are testing out recipes in the main lodge on the crew of Webb Nailed It. Taylor hopes to get the campgrounds opened to overnight guests in the very near future and wants to decide what foods will be served as a part of the breakfasts. The crew is more than happy to come in every morning to eat for free and give their opinions as to what they liked or didn't like about the breakfast fare. 

As with most Cozy Mysteries, before the first chapter ends a body is found and a murder needs to be solved. I won't spoil the plot here and tell you who was found or who done it or why, obviously I hope you will want to read the book when it comes out. I hope that I have woven a story that you will enjoy as you visit the activity at Whispering Oaks Campgrounds.

If you read Campground Corpse, you will remember Gwen and Gavin and the contractor Glenn Webb. They join us in the second book along with Aunt Flossie, the great-great-aunt of Taylor who happens to reside in spirit form on the grounds. You will meet some new characters in book two that I hope you enjoy. I know that I certainly enjoyed bringing them into the story as I wrote it. 

As you read this new book, I hope there are times that you giggle, times that you say awww, and times that you think about something shared. As the plot unfolded in my head, I certainly had those moments.

Uncertain release date

I wish that I could tell you a specific day that the new book will be released. The story is finished with all of the i's dotted and t's crossed. It has gone through all of the edits and is waiting for a cover. That is the hold-up this time around. I waited a little late to ask my cover designer to make the new one. He is away on a holiday and when he returns he promises to get right on it. In the meantime, if you haven't read the first book in the series, you might want to read it before Untimely comes out. You don't have to, I feel that both can stand alone but reading the first one will help you know a little history of the returning characters. 

Campground Corpse Book One Cabin 9 Mysteries

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Selective Spells Book Review

Witches, Spells, Dogs & A Mystery

Is this Beezley the man turned into a dog?
image courtesy of pixabay.com

I'll be reviewing another Cozy Mystery for you today: Selective Spells by Willow Mason. It is Book 1 in the series Beezley and the Witch. It is also the debut novel of this fellow Indie Author.

The story is told in the first person by the main character. She is a witch living in a small town who has been excommunicated from her coven. Up until she got into trouble with the white witches in the area she was a librarian of sorts guarding boxes of spells that shouldn't be tampered with. Now, she has lost her job and her powers are diminished to a certain degree but not completely gone.

Losing her job and the support of the coven is bad enough but then the leader informs her that she is being evicted from her home, too. A witch has to eat and work in order to pay rent no matter where she lives. Searching for employment, she finds a notice for a job that requires the employee be a witch. She decides to look into the opportunity because she is still a witch she just isn't a part of the coven.

This is when she meets Beezley for the first time. He is in the form of a French Bulldog and will be her boss if he gives her the job. Humans wouldn't be able to understand Beezley's canine ramblings; it would just sound like barking, yipping and yapping. But since our narrator is a witch she understands everything he says. It turns out that he was once a Detective on the police force but has been turned into a dog. He is working on the same case that he had when he was in his human form but has trouble with little things like communicating with non-witches, texting on his phone, and using the computer. 

The two don't exactly hit it off in the first interview and our Witch is not interested in the job until she finds out about her eviction. She goes back to take the job and ask to live with the dog detective. They begin to work on the mystery of deaths that are marked as accidents but Beezley's instincts think there is something more to the whole sorted mess. We travel through the pages of spells, deception, betrayal and surprises as the readers.

Recommendation of Selective Spells

I highly recommend this cozy mystery to anyone who loves the genre. It was unique in the concept of the plot. The characters were both humorous and believable. Well, as believable as one can be if they are a witch and a man turned into a dog. That is the wonderful thing about fiction! The characters can be anything and anywhere. 

I enjoyed the story being told in the first person instead of the more standard third person. Being an author, myself, I know that is a little more difficult to write. Our little witch is allowed to have her snarky thoughts and we see her vulnerability better from her perspective. 

This book was extremely fun to read and to work through the clues of the mystery. Well, done Ms. Mason! I look forward to your future books. I think many of you will enjoy Selective Spells, also. The plot flows nicely, the premise is original and the reading is light and cozy just like it is supposed to be.

Beezley and the Witch Book 1 Selective Spells

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Probable Paws Mystic Notch Series Reviewed

Revisiting A Favored Cozy Mystery Series

A guardian of magic, perhaps?

A few years ago, I reviewed the Mystic Notch series of cozy mysteries here on Review This. At the time of that article there were only four books in this delightful series. While looking for something new to read, I discovered that more books have been written since then. 

I had forgotten just how delightful the humans and cats were in this entertaining series of mysteries! Willa and her cat Pandora are still as fun to read about as in the other books of this Cozy Mystery Series. 

If you recall, Willa has inherited a bookstore from her Grandmother in the quaint and magical little town of Mystic Notch. Along with the shop, she also inherited her grandmother's Victorian house and of course the very intelligent cat, Pandora. In the 5th book, Willa is beginning to realize that there just might be something very special about her cat. Of course, Pandora is trying to be patient with this human of hers while trying to teach her the ways of communication. 

Mystic Notch Series Book 5

Willa still sees ghosts which is an ability that she acquired after a terrible accident a few years ago. The ghosts aren't anything to fear, they are actually pretty friendly. Willa would say they are more annoying than frightening. In Probable Paws, the visiting spirit is Adelaide Hamilton who doesn't ask Willa to find the person who took her life as most of the ghosts do. Adelaide is more concerned that Willa find a certain recipe book and make sure that it gets to Elspeth. Willa remembers that her Grandmother had mentioned this same book in her will and also wanted to make sure that Elspeth got it. What could be so special about a cookbook? Well, perhaps the recipes contained it might be a clue but I won't spoil it for you.

I will tell you that Willa is not the only person in town who is searching for that book. If you remember there has been a struggle in the little town for generations between the people who know good magic and the dark ones who want to exert their evil magic into the town. So, obviously some bad people are also looking for the book known as Betty's Recipes. There is another searcher for the book that Willa is unaware of. Are they one of the good ones or a bad one? Well, you will have to read the book to find out. Will the cats of Mystic Notch be able to help the humans?

If you read the other books in this series, I think you will want to read the fifth book. I enjoyed it immensely. If you have not read any of these books, I highly recommend that you get started. You will not be disappointed if you are a cozy mystery fan, a lover of cats and don't mind a friendly ghost or two.

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The Final Cut - Book Review

by Catherine Coulter (and J.T. Ellison)

The Final Cut by Catherine Coulter

Author Catherine Coulter has written a series of suspense thrillers about continuing characters Special Agents Lacey Sherlock & Dillon Savich who are not only partners in their FBI roles as agents and computer specialists, but are partners in private life. This husband & wife team has given readers & fans exciting adventures since being introduced in the first book of the series (The Cove) in 1996.

My Catherine Coulter Books

(c) Wednesday Elf

I've followed Dillon & Lacey (who goes by Sherlock) through all 25 books (to date) as they meet during training at Quantico, fall in love, and get married. They work together as a married couple FBI team (most unusual and probably would only happen in fiction) solving crimes, and, as the series continues, become parents to the light of their life ~ their son Sean.

With The Final Cut, Coulter (and co-author J.T. Ellison) introduces us to what has fast become another favorite character and series. Nicholas Drummond, American-born chief inspector at Scotland Yard, comes to America and joins Dillon & Sherlock to solve an international crime.

Introducing Nicholas Drummond, a Brit in the FBI

An FBI Thriller

The first book in a brilliant new international thriller series starring that 'Brit in the FBI', handsome Nicholas Drummond, a dashing 'James Bond' type.

New International Thriller Series

In The Final Cut, our favorite team of Dillon and Sherlock joins Nicholas Drummond in his search for an international jewel thief (The Fox) who has stolen the Koh-i-Noor diamond, currently a centerpiece of the Queen Mother's Crown displayed at the Tower of London. The diamond was on loan for a special exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and, while heavily guarded, was snatched through a clever plot. Scotland Yard and the FBI combine to chase the jewel thief from New York to Paris to recover the diamond.

Koh-i-Noor Diamond - Wikimedia Commons

We learn of the diamond's long, complicated history, which once weighed an incredible 793 carets and was once the world's largest diamond and how it passed from hand to hand (perhaps beginning with the great god Krishna) ~ always coveted, but never bought or sold, only gained through conquest.

The title 'Final Cut' refers to the last time the diamond was cut. The diamond is real -- this story about the theft of the stone is fiction. Blended together, the facts & fiction make a very good story.

Introducing the character Nicholas Drummond to us through a set of favorite characters we already love is a unique and clever twist by an author – we fans of one series are easily led to meet a new (and delightful) permanent character. And judging by the fact that the second and third Nicholas Drummond books have already been published, us readers know that a new Catherine Coulter series has now begun.

An Interview with Author Catherine Coulter

In this interview with Catherine Coulter, the author tells us how she found her co-author, J.T. Ellison, and about how they joined up to write The Final Cut.

The Second Book in the Nicholas Drummond Series

The Lost Key (A Brit in the FBI)

Published in September 2014, The Lost Key is the 2nd book in the new Coulter series starring that 'Brit in the FBI', Nicholas Drummond!  With help from his partner, Mike Caine, they are in an  eleventh-hour race to stop a madman from finding a cache of lost World War I gold—and a weapon the world has never seen.  I've already read this book as well.

Third Nicholas Drummond Book

The End Game (A Brit in the FBI)

As I write this review of the first book in the Nicholas Drummond series, I have just finished reading the third book in the series, The End Game.  My original favorite characters (Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock) join Drummond, along with the CIA, the Secret Service, and Mosssad as they move to defeat remarkable enemies.   

Fourth Book in the Series Starring Nicholas Drummond

The Devil's Triangle

Nicholas Drummond (the Brit in the FBI) and his  partner Michaela Caine are now part of the Covert Eyes team.  But their first case with the team may be their last when they  once again come up against the dangerous thief known as the Fox. 






Scene From My Home Collection of Mystery & Suspense Books

 

Catherine Coulter - One of my Favorite Mystery/Suspense Genre Authors

As you can see in the photo above, I'm a big fan of the Mystery Genre. I collect entire series of favorite authors, such as Catherine Coulter. 

Are you a fan of Catherine Coulter's books? Have you read the FBI Thriller series with Special Agents Savich & Sherlock? Come meet a new character - Nicholas Drummond, the Brit in the FBI.

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The Final Cut

The Lost Key
The End Game
The Devil's Triangle

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*(c) Wednesday Elf.  Review originally written on 2/20/16. Updated on 1/20/2024

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