Book Review: DUALITY - Two Sides of the Same Coin (Lies and Misdirection Book 5) by K. J. McGillick

DUALITY

Two Sides of the Same Coin 

(Lies and Misdirection Book 5) 

by K. J. McGillick

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

Just when you think you’ve figured it all out, you’ll learn how wrong you’ve been.

What started out as a normal art restoration project for Melinda Martin soon took on a life of its own. Could this unusual painting actually be a Botticelli masterpiece thought to have perished as part of Savonarola’s Bonfire of the Vanities? Had Melinda’s friend, Lara, a well-known art picker inadvertently acquired stolen art; art that might have ties to the occult and worth millions? Did a bad business decision endanger everyone who touched this potential treasure?

When the painting disappears and both women are found dead, the police think it’s an open and shut case. The husband - it’s always the husband. He had means, motive, and opportunity, and acted strangely cold after the fact.

Is it a case of mistaken identity? Does a secret relationship put Mr. Martin in the crosshairs of an assassin sent to retrieve the painting? Or is he really a sociopath forger with mysterious ties to the Vatican?

Two sides of the same coin. Completely alike. Completely different.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

“For example,” Mary said, “if someone asks you what time it is, don’t say ‘Oh, this watch? It was my aunt Tillie’s, an aunt on my mother’s side, who got it from a pawn shop in New Orleans when she was there for Mardi Gras. It’s been broken twice and once I had to replace the glass and another time the battery.’ Just say: ‘It is nine oh four,’ don’t give them more to question you on.” Mary leaned forward and nodded for emphasis.



Hospitals, I hate hospitals. They are nothing more than a giant Petri dish filled with incubating bacteria… And do not even get me started on this box they call a room. Because I am on Medicare, I’m sure they found the worst room possible to stow my body, cheap bastards.



Are you seriously trying to lead me through some guided relaxation therapy? We have to find Mr. Martin. You need my little gray cells firing at full force right now, stow that Namaste stuff away.



Then when she opened her handbag—well—we were alarmed to find weapons on her, so her check-in has been delayed. These weapons in her bag… A special can of hairspray, which emits a harmful gas. There is an umbrella with a sharp-pointed tip, so sharp it could be used as an ice pick or knife to stab someone. We found a beret with a long-pointed needle object attached, and a key chain with tips that could rip your face off. Also, she is carrying a pen that is a pepper spray canister, illegal here in Rome. Most of these are things that you can find if you know the right people of the criminal faction. But the woman had just arrived yesterday, and for her to amass such an arsenal, well, she must have a connection to some criminals.



Do you know where you are, Jackson? This place is a country that hosts the two most corrupt organizations in the world—the Mafia and the Vatican. Do you seriously think anyone plays by any rules here?

My Review:

Oh, happy day, an entire book featuring Mary, who is my favorite octogenarian. I am envious of her skills and curious as to how a tiny old woman could amass and wield such a vast arsenal of weaponry in her voluminous handbag, which always appears to have the best and newest of gadgets and tech wizardry. She is such a corker, I want to be just like Mary when I grow up. I enjoyed being privy to her snarky and irascible inner musings and sassy observations, although the complex and intriguing storylines featured multiple POVs, unending twists and turns, and a uniquely peculiar cast of characters.


In the latest standalone installment to the Lies and Misdirection series, the crafty and snappish ninety-one-year-old finds herself embroiled in a case with national security and global ramifications, Chinese and Italian/Vatican complications, several murders, fraud, forgery, money laundering, obscure Dante references, and art-theft. If that wasn’t enough, she is also in the crosshairs of an assassin. Mr. Martin (Mary’s typically flat, enigmatic, and cryptic employee) suddenly seems to be a trouble magnet and Mary is willing to trot the globe and steadfastly determined to follow any and all leads to prove his innocence. But wait - is he really innocent? Mary seems to be the only one left believing and fervently wants him to be or it will make her look a fool for hiring him, and Mary could not possibly be wrong.

About The Author

K. J. McGillick was born in New York and once she started to walk she never stopped running. But that's what New Yorker's do. Right? A Registered Nurse, a lawyer now author.

As she evolved so did her career choices. After completing her graduate degree in nursing, she spent many years in the university setting sharing the dreams of the enthusiastic nursing students she taught. After twenty rewarding years in the medical field, she attended law school and has spent the last twenty-four years as an attorney helping people navigate the turbulent waters of the legal system. Not an easy feat. And now? Now she is sharing the characters she loves with readers hoping they are intrigued by her twisting and turning plots and entertained by her writing

Social Media Links 

https://www.facebook.com/KJMcGillickauthor/ 

@KJMcGillickAuth

 http://www.kjmcgillick.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/Kmcgillick  

Book Review: Trust Me (Lies and Misdirection #4) by K. J. McGillick

Trust Me 

(Lies and Misdirection #4)

by K. J. McGillick

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA  

Sex. Power. Murder.

Dr. Gabriel Blackwell and his wife Sandra Blake have it all. He’s a brilliant thoracic surgeon. She’s a high-powered attorney with family money. Their lives are as loving as they are glamorous.

Or are they?

When a nurse Dr. Blackwell works with is brutally murdered, the questions fly. Who would want to kill this woman and why? When an autopsy reveals the woman was pregnant, all signs point to Dr. Blackwell. Just what was her relationship with him?

Whispers about a scandalous sex club surface. How many other lovers are there? Are any of them safe? How far would he go to protect his reputation?

Tragedy strikes again as Sandra Blake is found dead floating in their pool. Dr. Blackwell now finds himself on trial for two murders. Facing life in prison, Dr. Blackwell will grasp at any straw to preserve his freedom.

Any straw.

Is anyone innocent? Is anyone safe?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:



The practice of law came down to which lawyer was a better actor, whose clients lied with more finesse, and who could put out the fires the quickest when your case exploded in real time.



At some point, I would have to ask Mary if I could look inside her bottomless bag. And maybe even set up a duplicate one for me. Weapons and candy, every girl’s dream.



These are times I wish I could get the hang of meditation or maybe comfortable enough to keep a bottle of Jack Daniel’s in my drawer.



I’m always disappointed when a liar’s pants didn’t catch on fire.

My Review:

I am shocked to realize I had started feeling sorry for these surprisingly likable lawyers. I will admit to considering their general ilk a necessary evil in navigating the justice system (emphasis on the evil), and rate close to loan sharks in my level of esteem. However, this boutique law firm of feisty ladies set out to be of a different sort as actually had principles and standards about whom they chose to represent. Although determining a client’s guilt or culpability can be a difficult judgment call, one made even more complicated when unknowingly dealing with sociopaths. And unfortunately, for them, they seem to have landed in a nest of vipers with bizarre happenings quickly mushrooming from bad to worse.



The storylines were complex yet interesting, twisty, and intriguing. As with her previous books in the series, Ms. McGillick shrewdly tucks and folds levity and ironic wit in among the tension and suspense to balance out the strain of uncertainty and distressing revelations. My favorite cunning and spry octogenarian, Mary, was back with her infamous handbag, stylized weapons, and wry wit. New members were added to the legal team who were required to hit the ground running with the sudden unexpected influx of complicated cases. The new attorneys couldn’t have been more dissimilar; I enjoyed them both but was totally enamored with the rigid and robotic Mr. Martin’s computer-like brain and cataloging of obscure information, he was a well-dressed and well-seasoned Sheldon Cooper. The most compelling characters were the various nightmarish clients and their questionable lifestyles, as well as their victims. I am gleefully looking forward to the next book in the series as Ms. McGillick promised to provide more of the oddly peculiar Mr. Martin.

Empress DJ

About The Author
 
K. J. McGillick was born in New York and once she started to walk she never stopped running. But that's what New Yorker's do. Right? A Registered Nurse, a lawyer now author.

As she evolved so did her career choices. After completing her graduate degree in nursing, she spent many years in the university setting sharing the dreams of the enthusiastic nursing students she taught. After twenty rewarding years in the medical field, she attended law school and has spent the last twenty-four years as an attorney helping people navigate the turbulent waters of the legal system. Not an easy feat. And now? Now she is sharing the characters she loves with readers hoping they are intrigued by her twisting and turning plots and entertained by her writing 

Social Media Links – 

https://www.facebook.com/KJMcGillickauthor/ 

Kathleen McGillick 

@KJMcGillickAuth 

http://www.kjmcgillick.com/

https://twitter.com/KJMcGillickAuth 

Book Review: KARMA NEVER LOSES AN ADDRESS by K. J. McGillick

Karma Never Loses an Address 

by K. J. McGillick

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU 

Betrayal on Every Level

Marley Bennington had brutally murdered her older sister Samantha in a drug-fueled rage. Only two people know that fact as true. One of those two people was sitting in a state prison, serving a sentence for a crime he didn’t commit. Who was that unfortunate person? Alex Clarke, Samantha Bennington’s husband, the man so buried in circumstantial evidence that he confessed to a crime he didn’t commit, rather than face a trial. He was now trapped with no way out.

It all began as sibling rivalry and jealousy, as so many tales of treachery do. Now, that intense jealousy had ended in her sister’s murder. Once Alex was tucked safely away in prison, Marley was set to inherit millions of dollars tainted with her sister’s blood. But suddenly, two obstacles stood in her way preventing her from quickly obtaining the reward for her well-executed plan. One obstacle was her brother, and the other a nosy little old lady. But for Marley, this wasn’t a problem. She had killed twice already and cheated the justice system. What were a few more bodies?

Justice delayed is justice denied. Can Marley be trapped by the very people she tried to deceive? Will karma finally visit her door? Another gripping, tangled tale from the author of Facing A Twisted Judgment.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

The next item she handed each of us was a pen that she advised us wrote upside down and could be used in any type of weather. It should have given me pause that she thought we could, at some point, be suspended upside down and needed to take notes.

Honestly, that man had more balls than a pool table.

My Review:

After reading her last book, Facing a Twisted Judgment, I was an instant fan of Ms. McGillick's unique style, which involves a special blend of amusing humor embedded in her intrigue and suspense.  This was despite the expletives streaming from my mouth and steam shooting from my ears upon reaching that cliffhanger ending, which oh happy day, reached a conclusion with Karma Never Loses an Address.  Karma was even more complex and cleverly nuanced with the chilling fratricidal psychopath Marley taking center stage, and I would have expected nothing less from the diabolically clever Ms. McGillick.  My favorite octogenarian, Mary, was well represented but could always handle more attention, as I adore that wily little crone and her lethal handbag.  Mary deserves her own book, as she is such a corker.  The storylines were well-constructed and multi-layered and told from multiple POVs with several rather complicated yet intriguing crimes taking place.  Moral boundaries were smudged and ethics were stretched, but it all worked out to the greater good… essentially ;)  

Empress DJ

 About the Author:

K. J. McGillick was born in New York and once she started to walk she never stopped running. But that's what New Yorker's do. Right? A Registered Nurse, a lawyer now author.

As she evolved so did her career choices. After completing her graduate degree in nursing, she spent many years in the university setting sharing the dreams of the enthusiastic nursing students she taught. After twenty rewarding years in the medical field she attended law school and has spent the last twenty-four years as an attorney helping people navigate the turbulent waters of the legal system. Not an easy feat. And now? Now she is sharing the characters she loves with readers hoping they are intrigued by her twisting and turning plots and entertained by her writing

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/KJMcGillickauthor/

Kathleen McGillick

@KJMcGillickAuth

http://www.kjmcgillick.com/

https://twitter.com/KJMcGillickAuth

Book Review: Facing A Twisted Judgment by K. J. McGillick

Facing A Twisted Judgment

by K. J. McGillick

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU

What happens when tunnel vision clouds a police investigation? Is it true that once you are labeled a person of interest you really are the prime suspect? Can you trust the legal system? Probably not.

After a bitterly contested legal battle over inherited property, the hard-won art collection and its owner Samantha Bennington disappear. Both have vanished without a trace.

When blood spatter is discovered under the freshly painted wall of the room in which two of the paintings were hung, the theft becomes the opening act in a twisted tale of jealousy, revenge, and murder leading to a final judgment for all involved.

As the list of suspects narrows, the focus lands squarely on the husband. Some labeled Samantha’s husband a corrupt attorney, others an opportunist. Either way, he’s in the crosshairs of law enforcement and they are calling him a murderer. But is he the only viable suspect? What about the missing woman’s drug-addicted sister and her convicted felon brother? Both were furious over their loss at court and have more than enough reason to hate Samantha.

Guilty until proven innocent leaves Alexander Clarke facing a twisted judgment.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I saw Mary raise her middle finger ever so slightly from the table in Jackson’s direction, and he got the meaning. Lee’s mouth twitched with a smile. Apparently, Mary and Jackson had their own form of nonverbal communication they were comfortable with.

I had to admit, Mary was not only a hoot, but also a bright woman. The fact that she looked like the mother in The Golden Girls TV show and wore ridiculously thick black owl eyeglasses gave her an edge at disarming people. That she also held a private investigator license and was a co-owner of the firm boggled my mind.

Declan Murphy could be a weak spot for me. Handsome, smart, and funny—the deadly triad.

“Mr. Clarke, unfortunately, trouble seems to find me,” she said as she pushed her glasses up her nose… She opened her bag, and as she took each item out, she identified it. “On my keychain, an alarm to wake the dead. Next to the alarm is pepper spray. This can is hornet spray, and this one is hair spray. Both will blind and choke you. Here is my stun gun and Taser, and fortunately, I’ve only had to use the Taser once,” she said, looking over the items. “No gun?” I asked, intrigued by this eccentric. “Of course. But you asked what was in my bag. The gun is at my back. No need to alarm the public,” she said, eyeing her collection with pride. Who was this lady? A senior citizen 007?

“Alex, before I sign any papers, I need the people who are most involved written on a piece of paper. When I get home, I will separate those names and place each into a small jar and close the lids. Then, I light a candle in front of each to shine a light on each person. I’ll wave a bundle of sage around the jars to cleanse the area. I always say a prayer for guidance. Then, I wait. If any candle immediately dies out in front of any jar, then I’ll know that person shouldn’t touch my paintings. It’s a proven fact, Alex,” she said with a nod. I sat, unable to decide if she was pulling my leg or being serious. I opted for clarification. “Seriously?” “As a heart attack. And, at my age, you don’t use that term lightly,” she replied, easing the grip she had on her handbag.

My Review:

Maybe it was the shocking and earth-shattering numeral reached on my last birthday, but I seem to be on a roll of my favorite book characters being of the more mature/aged variety.  But I will confess, I tittered and smirked like an adolescent at the thought of a tiny yet feisty and resourceful elderly woman repeatedly twitching her middle finger to communicate her pique with an irritating and mouthy coworker.  Snort.  I adored the character of Mary and her infamous handbag/arsenal.  While also a cracker-jack investigator, she provided considerable levity and humor into the complex and stimulating case of murder and art-theft.  The plot was cunningly clever.  The writing was engaging and continually taunted and teased my curiosity with well-balanced and well-crafted storylines, amusing observations, a cleverly contrived frame, and intriguing and questionable characters.  I am eager to see what incredibly unexpected yet timely item Mary next retrieves from her voluminous pocketbook.  She was like a miniature and edgy version of a senior Mary Poppins.     

Empress DJ

Author Bio 

 K. J. McGillick was born in New York and once she started to walk she never stopped running. But that's what New Yorker's do. Right?

As she evolved so did her career choices. After completing her graduate degree in nursing she spent many years in the university setting sharing the dreams of the enthusiastic nursing students she taught. After twenty rewarding years in the medical field, she attended law school and has spent the last twenty-four years as an attorney helping people navigate the turbulent waters of the legal system. Not an easy feat. And now? Now she is sharing the characters she loves with readers hoping they are intrigued by her twisting and turning plots and entertained by her writing.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/KJMcGillickauthor/

Kathleen McGillick

@KJMcGillickAuth

http://www.kjmcgillick.com/

https://twitter.com/KJMcGillickAuth