Book Review | Publish or Perish by RITA Finalist @kerryblaisdell1 #bookreview #romanticsuspense #sus
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  • N. N. Light
    • Aug 20, 2019
    • 3 min read

Book Review | Publish or Perish by RITA Finalist @kerryblaisdell1 #bookreview #romanticsuspense #sus


Title: Publish or Perish

Author: Kerry Blaisdell

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Book Blurb:

IN THE CUTTHROAT WORLD OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH…

When computer whiz Emma O’Manny’s scientist husband dumps her on Valentine’s Day, vandalizing his office seems like a justifiable—if petty—response. But then Dan’s small plane crashes under mysterious circumstances, and Emma’s suddenly the prime suspect in a double homicide. Worse, Dan may have faked important vaccine safety research, to further his career—and the digital trail leads to Emma. Can she determine which data is correct, to prove her innocence? Or will Dan keep controlling her life, even from the grave?

…THE FIRST TO PUBLISH WINS…

Detective Vin Bronislovas came to Portland to rebuild his reputation, after nearly blowing a years-long investigation by believing the lies of a mobster’s daughter. A single misstep—like falling for another suspect—would destroy his career and ruin his life. But when the killer strikes again, and Emma and her children are threatened, Vin must choose between the Job and love. Can he trust his gut? Or will repeating his past mistakes allow a murderer to go free, and potentially put millions of children at risk from an unsafe vaccine?

…AND ANYONE CAN MAKE A KILLING. ANYONE.

My Review:

Emma O’Manny thinks her life couldn’t get any worse. Her husband dumps her on Valentine’s Day right before he takes a flight with his girlfriend. Emma goes to the lab to pick up her things before anyone discovers their impending divorce and decides to seek some creative revenge. She accidentally triggers an alarm and the police show up. As she’s trying to talk her way out of her trespassing charge, she discovers both Dan and his girlfriend died in a horrific plane crash. The police name her as their number one suspect and suddenly her quiet little life is turned upside down. It seems her husband faked data and the trail leads right to her. Now, she’s racing against the clock to clear her name, both professionally and personally. Thank goodness she has Detective Vin in her corner but can he save her from a murderer’s rap? The real murderer is closing in, ready to make sure Emma never talks even if it means one more dead body.

Publish or Perish is a gripping suspense which I couldn’t put down. I read it in one sitting. Yes, one sitting. The characters, the dialogue, the subject matter, the suspense combined together to wrap me in a cocoon of reader heaven. Emma and Vin are fantastic, fully fleshed out characters with immense depth. Through descriptive narration, Kerry Blaisdell allows the reader to ride along as Emma and Vin try to navigate through the investigation. Some of my favorite lines came from Vin. The attraction is pretty quick but is slow-burning due to trust issues.

This is Kerry Blaisdell’s first foray into romantic suspense and I have to admit, I’m impressed. The plot was peppered with twists and a few red herrings. I’m a huge suspense reader and even I didn’t guess the identity of the murderer until the very end. The subject matter on whether childhood vaccines leads to autism is timely and brings a spotlight on the issue. Having diverse characters rounded out the story nicely.

Fans of Harlan Coben and J. D. Robb will be as captivated as I was. Highly recommend!

Favorite Character/Quote:

“There wasn’t a single Principal Research Investigator who wouldn’t stab a fellow PI in the back if it moved his grant app to the top of the pile, or his research into publication faster. Discoveries were great, but if another PI published first, it was career homicide. They were like spiders, hiding in their lab-webs, coming out long enough to sabotage each other’s work before scuttling back into the dark.”

My Rating: 5 stars

Buy it Now:

Save 50% off e-book price at most retailers until August 31!

BARNES & NOBLE: http://bit.ly/POPNook

Author Biography:

Kerry Blaisdell is the award-winning author of The Dead Series, including DEBRIEFING THE DEAD—2019 HOLT Medallion Literary Contest double winner for Best Paranormal & Best First Book, Romance Writers of America RITA® Award finalist, and Royal Palm Literary Award finalist—and its sequel, WAKING THE DEAD, which InD'tale Magazine recommends for "fans of television shows like 'Constantine' or 'Supernatural.'" She also writes Romantic Suspense and Historical Mystery. She has a Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley in Comparative Literature (French/Medieval English), and a Master’s in Teaching English and Advanced Mathematics from the University of Portland. Kerry lives in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest with her husband, two (mostly) adult “kids,” assorted cats and dogs, and more hot pepper plants than anyone could reasonably consume.

Reviewed by: Mrs. N

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