Deception Island
by Judith B. Boss
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GENRE: Romantic Suspense
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BLURB:
While at an archaeology dig in Afghanistan, evolutionary anthropologist Rachel St. Claire discovers a pendant with strange shifting symbols. Not long after, she receives an urgent call from her colleague, Dr. Grace McAllister, insisting Rachel come to Antarctica to examine an unusual body with ethereal properties found in an ice cave. Before Rachel can respond, bandits storm the desert dig site. Just as they are about to seize Rachel, a helicopter appears with Trevor Brookenridge, a handsome polar geophysicist sent by his Aunt Grace to bring Rachel to Antarctica. Sparks fly, but Rachel already has a fiancé. Rachel must decide who she can trust when a group of bioterrorists engaged in secret genetic experiments in an abandoned World War II Nazi base under the Antarctic ice sheet come after the pendant–and her. For it seems everyone knows a secret Rachel does not, one which will change her life forever.
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EXCERPT:
Rachel peered over the rail as the hydrofoil eased into a slip at a floating dock. Whalebones on the floor of the bay, from the days whaling ships used the harbor, could be seen through the clear water. As usual, the beach near the dock was bustling with penguins. A Snow-Cat, a sleek, bullet-shaped vehicle with yellow stripes painted on it, was parked just above the beach line.
As they disembarked and started up the beach toward an awaiting Snow-Cat, some of the gentoo penguins scattered, lurching and stumbling over the cobblestones. Others raised their bright orange beaks in protest.
“The penguins seem particularly jumpy today,” remarked one of the crew. “Like something spooked them during the night.”
Two men unloaded what looked like a body bag from the Snow-Cat and loaded it on the hydrofoil.
In the distance beyond a ridge, Rachel noticed a small hut silhouetted by the low sun. “That’s the Argentinean hut,” said Antonio, shouldering his overnight bag. After saying a quick farewell to them, he slipped on a pair of snowshoes and headed up to the hut.
“All aboard,” one of the men said. He reached out a hand and helped Rachel climb up into the cab of the Snow-Cat.
From her seat on the Snow-Cat, Rachel could see the skittish penguins watching the receding vehicle wind its way up to Shackleton Station. What had upset them? The very air seemed to bristle with angst. She glanced over at Trevor sitting across from her, but he didn’t seem to notice anything amiss.
Talk about whiplash. This book gave it to me. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it but dang there is still a lot to absorb. There is so much going on that at first, I truly thought it would be a straight romantic suspense book but nope. Ms. Boss kicked it up a zillion notches and well, I’m still trying to process it.
Forgive me if my review is a little shorter than normal. If I even try to not spoil it, I will eventually. Again, there is so much going on but here are a few things that I can talk about.
- The setting – I’ve never liked the cold but Ms. Ross has captured my attention with her descriptions of Antarctica. Would I ever want to go there? Maybe not but I love when an author has first-hand knowledge of where the story setting is. Bravo.
- Rachel – I really liked her. Smart, sexy and dynamic. She is no damsel in distress and can take care of herself.
- Trevor – I’m still trying to figure him out but oh my…a sexy nerd.
- The romance is almost too light (in my book) but after Rachel seeing her fiance is NOT what he seems, I can see why Ms. Ross wrote it that way.
- This book has Nazis, science fiction, paranormal, thriller and suspense elements in it. And yes all that and more. Like I said, there is a lot going on and at times, some of it didn’t seem possible. But seriously, where there are Nazis and sci/fi…anything can happen. And does..
- The book never stops. From the first page to the end, it is non-stop action. I had to close the Kindle a couple of times to catch my breath and take a break. It was that intense and insane for me. 😉
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. Fast paced, intense and did I mention penguins? I love penguins.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Judith Boss (née Wager) was born in the village of Honeoye Falls, south of Rochester, New York in the heart of wine country. She attended elementary school in Irondequoit, where her family moved when she was two.
When not in school, she enjoyed wandering the woods and fields around her home and picking beans for 25¢ a basket for Mr. King, who owned the truck farm behind her house. She also loved hiking and camping and was active in the Girl Scouts throughout high school.
An avid writer, when Judy was 11 years old she wrote and illustrated her first “novel,” a story about her beloved parakeet “Sparky.” My Little Sparky was followed by several other short novels and a book of poems.
Following graduation from high school, Judy attended the University of Rochester for a few years before dropping out and emigrating to Australia. Both of Judy’s daughters were born in Australia. She also finished her B.A. in philosophy and anthropology at the University of Western Australia.
From Australia, the family moved to Nova Scotia, Canada for graduate school. After graduate school, Judy worked for eight years as a writer/researcher for the Nova Scotia Museum. In 1979, Judy and her two daughters moved to Newport, Rhode Island where she continued to work as a writer. She also worked as a lecturer for several years at the University of Rhode Island before going back to full-time writing.
Judy currently lives in rural Rhode Island with her family and Corgi. An avid traveler, she has traveled with students from the University Of Rhode Island and Brown Medical School to work with undeserved, indigenous people in Guatemala and Mexico. Her favorite travel destination, however, is Antarctica.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_A._Boss
http://www.omnimysterynews.com/2016/08/a-conversation-with-suspense-novelist-judith-a-boss-5fdbf5b0.html
https://www.facebook.com/judyboss2
https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-boss-41895150?trk=hp-identity-name
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Judith will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Excellent review! Can’t wait to check out this book!
Great review! I’ve enjoyed following the tour for Deception Island and I’m looking forward to reading it.Thanks for sharing all of the excerpts and interviews along the way 🙂
An excellent review thank you.
What is the best book that you have read recently? Thanks for the giveaway. I hope that I win.
I enjoyed the excerpt! Thanks for sharing
I have enjoyed the tour. The book sounds great.
Congrats on the tour and thanks for the chance to win 🙂
Thanks for hosting!