This morning, I have a Christian thriller to share in our book spotlight! Learn about novel Spotlight and author Charles Besondy and be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.  

#5 in The Lighthouse series

Date Published: 12-31-2025

Publisher: Besondy Publishing LLC

 

 

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about the book

What if the Future of Faith Depended on a Song?

 

DelivRus, a world-famous Christian rock band, confronts its darkest threat—from the world outside, and from the pride within. 

 

It’s 2041, and a single world government is striving to strip nations of sovereignty and faith. But the music of DelivRus has been a bulwark against the global attack on faith. That has made the band and its leaders a target for destruction. 

 

Tarnished drummer Charley Austin, 21, and untested songwriter Mia Johansen have been called to reunite the famous band for a high-stakes comeback tour that could ignite widespread spiritual revival—or end in catastrophe. 

 

But as they prepare, supernatural forces infect Charley and Mia with pride, turning ambition into arrogance, loyalty into rivalry, and every creative difference into a potential fracture. 

 

What begins as personal tension threatens to destroy DelivRus on the inside, even as external forces are being directed to end the band’s existence in a two-pronged attack of destruction.

 

With political intrigue and spiritual warfare raging in the shadows, the stage becomes the ultimate battleground—not just for a fractured world, but for the souls of Charley and Mia as faith and pride collide in heart-pounding suspense.

 

Fans of Frank Peretti will enjoy how Besondy gives dimension and character to evil dark angels. 

 

Fans of C.S. Lewis' early works will appreciate how evil forces in Besondy’s novel slyly plot how to deceive and destroy the main characters. 

 

Fans of Charles Martin will like how Besondy drags you deeper into the night so that truth can burn away the lies, reorienting your soul. 

 

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Spotlight is Book Five in the award-winning The Lighthouse series of Christian thrillers.

The Hidden Saboteur

The Chase

The Snare

Road to Nineveh

Spotlight

 

The novel can be enjoyed as a stand-alone read. Order your copy today and enter the fight for humility, unity, and faith that resonates like today’s headline news.

  

about the author

Twelve-time award-winning author Charles Besondy published his first Christian thriller in 2018. His works tell riveting stories of the spiritual battle for our hearts.

Besondy's The Lighthouse series consists of 5 novels, a novella, and a short story.

He lives with his wife in Lakeway, Texas.

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I love finding new psychological thrillers to share! Thrillers and mysteries are my favorites on my reading list! This week, I had the opportunity to read and review a psychological thriller from author Jeff Gunhus! Check out Blood Lasts Forever, learn about the author, read my thoughts on the book, and enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post. 

 

Jeff Gunhus is the USA TODAY bestselling author of thriller and horror novels for adults and the middle grade/YA series, The Templar Chronicles. The first book, Jack Templar Monster Hunter, was written in an effort to get his reluctant reader eleven-year-old son excited about reading. It worked and a new series was born. His books for adults have reached the Top 30 on Amazon, have been recognized as Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Finalists, Kirkus Top 100 Indie Books, and reached the USA TODAY bestseller list. As a father of five, he leads an active life in Maryland with his wife Nicole by trying to keep up with their kids. In rare moments of quiet, he can be found in the back of Old Fox Books in Annapolis, working on his next novel, or on JeffGunhus.com.

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BLOOD LASTS FOREVER by Jeff Gunhus Book Tour Giveaway 

As the book unfolds, each person you meet is given a chance to repent or suffer the mirror's unique form of hideous justice. Be careful doing wrong because the mirror waits for you...

Here are seven stories that will bring chills down your spine and make you wonder: what lies behind the stones? Who lives here? Each voice you will hear has been silenced by the evil of others. Rosie and many others in the camps were tortured and enslaved, and not allowed to speak out at all. Bertha’s voice was never heard by her aunt, who used her for cooking, cleaning, and even servicing men for money.

Next is a teacher who believed that children should be seen and not ever heard, and their opinions were off limits. Sarah Jones knew the secret that her cousin Benita was hiding, and what she had done to her mother. Sarah would bide her time and take on not only Benita but others, too. This is the story of how Sarah Jones decided to fight back. But did she succeed?

Finally, there are several who have wronged so many, and these last three remain behind stones that barely stand straight, where their names are engraved but covered with mud and soil so that no one will ever give them the honor of saying a prayer over them or mourning their deaths. These three come from different walks of life: one is a lawyer, another an accountant, and the third a judge. What are they guilty of? Read their stories as they tell them, and you decide if their fates were just or not, as they blackmailed and threatened so many whose voices, you’ll learn, were silenced in fear.

Within this world, many gain wealth by taking what belongs to others. There is a catch to this, as I will decide the fate of each person as they spend time in my special mirrors facing what they have done. If they show remorse, they have one fate. If not, they will belong to me!

Genre: Psychological Thriller
Published by: Royal Flush Publishing
Publication Date: October 28, 2024
Number of Pages: 60
ASIN: B0D1QM7Y9Z

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 Meet the Author

Fran worked in the NYC Public Schools as the Reading and Writing Staff Developer for over 36 years. She has three masters degrees and a PD in Supervision and Administration. Currently, she is a member of Who's Who of America's Teachers and Who's Who of America's Executives from Cambridge.‬‬

Fran is the author of more than 14 titles including three children's books. She has written several books on Alzheimer's disease in order to honor her mom and help create more awareness for a cure. These include Memories are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey; Ruth’s Story and Sharp as a Tack and Scrambled Eggs Which Describes Your Brain?. She also wrote A Daughter’s Promise about her walk through the disease with her mother. ‪Fran is the author of the Faces Behind the Stones series, a middle school series featuring stories growing up in the Bronx with her sister and MJ magazine. Voices from Beyond is her latest book which was preceded by Mirror Image, What If?, Population Zero, and Accusations.‬

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Today, I have a psychological thriller in our book spotlight.  Check out The Surgeon, learn about author Leslie Wolfe and enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.

The Surgeon

by Leslie Wolfe

Genre: Psychological Thriller 

 

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About the Book

 

Trusted surgeon. Loving wife. Murderer?

Before my world came crashing down, I had it all. The successful career I dreamed of. The beautiful red-brick home where I could relax in front of the fire. The handsome, devoted husband whose blue eyes and charming smile always made me feel safe.

As I call time of death, my voice is steady. My colleagues stand hushed around me, their eyes on me, confused, concerned.

I have never lost a patient until today.

My hands tremble inside their gloves. I slide down the cold tiled walls, my heart racing in my chest.

I have never hated a patient until today.

But what choice did I have, once I recognized him?

And what will I do to protect myself, if someone learns the truth?

A totally gripping psychological thriller that will have you racing through the pages, gasping for breath until the final jaw-dropping twist. If you love Freida McFadden, Shari Lapena and The Girl on the Train, you won’t be able to put this down.

See What Readers are Saying 

About the Book

“Wow!!!… absolutely page-turning psychological thriller!!!!… will shock you over and over again!!… absolutely addictive.” Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I was clinging to it word for word!… suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, betrayal, and some crazy twists and turns!… kept me glued to my Kindle!… Definitely don’t miss out on this one!” NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“As I write this review, I'm secretly giggling and giddy! I have never read such a fantastic thriller in my life!!!! I was constantly in suspense, holding my breath, and keeping an eye on my page count because I absolutely could not wait to see how the book ended!!!!… If I could, this book would be 10 stars!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A riveting, fast-paced thriller…. hooks you from the start, taking you on a wild and twisted journey… I was able to read this one in like 9 hours because I refused to do anything else!… incredibly suspenseful, absolutely addictive page-turner by this amazing author!” @rubie_reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“What a suspenseful read!… my heart is racing!… from cover to cover, I was hooked. I devoured The Surgeon in less than 2 days!… absolutely perfect!” NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I could not quit reading… mind blowing!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I love Wolfe’s plot twists. She’s a master of them… I always give 5 stars to an author who can trip me up… Wolfe gets all the stars for getting me MORE THAN ONCE!… I could go on and on and on about what I loved about this.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Completely gripping and intense!… jaw-dropping twists, and a blow you away ending make this one you can't miss.” NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I was hooked right from the beginning; I started and finished it in less than 24 hours! The suspense was constant and the twists were endless!… The ending left me in shock!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Omg… had me thinking about the ending for two days afterwards!!… a twist that I did NOT see coming!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“You will not get any sleep until you finish this book… The twists were mind blowing… will leave your heart in your mouth. The anticipation of waiting on the next shoe to drop will leave you glued to the pages of this book until you see the words ‘The End’.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“YES!! YES!! YES!!… I was hooked and needed to know more!… Hooked me instantly… Mind-blowing.” Heidi Lynn’s Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Had me hooked from the BEGINNING!!! The twist literally had my jaw in the floor… impossible to put down.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Buy the Book

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About the Author

Leslie Wolfe is a bestselling author whose novels break the mold of traditional thrillers. She creates unforgettable, brilliant, strong women heroes who deliver fast-paced, satisfying suspense, backed up by extensive background research in technology and psychology.

Leslie released the first novel, Executive, in October 2011. Since then, she has written many more, continuing to break down barriers of traditional thrillers. Her style of fast-paced suspense, backed up by extensive background research in technology and psychology, has made Leslie one of the most read authors in the genre.

Reminiscent of the television drama Criminal Minds, her series of books featuring the fierce and relentless FBI Agent Tess Winnett would be of great interest to readers of James Patterson, Melinda Leigh, and David Baldacci crime thrillers. Fans of Kendra Elliot and Robert Dugoni suspenseful mysteries would love the Las Vegas Crime series, featuring the tension-filled relationship between Baxter and Holt. Finally, her Alex Hoffmann series of political and espionage action adventure will enthrall readers of Tom Clancy, Brad Thor, and Lee Child.

Leslie enjoys engaging with readers every day and would love to hear from you. Become an insider: gain early access to previews of Leslie’s new novels.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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 Today, I have a psychological thriller in our book spotlight.  Check out The Stepfamily, learn about author Bonnie Traymore and enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.

The Stepfamily

Silicon Valley Series Book 1

by Bonnie Traymore

Genre: Psychological Thriller 

 

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About the Book

 

Laura Foster's not the type to go looking for trouble. But it seems to be looking for her.

Laura’s on the verge of living the life she’s always wanted. At the age of twenty-seven, she put her career plans on hold, married handsome widower Peter Foster, settled down in his Silicon Valley home, and helped raise his two children.

Twelve years later, it’s her turn to shine. Her career is thriving, the kids are out of the house, Peter’s company is on the verge of an FDA approval that could garner a windfall in stock gains for them, and she’s training for the Ironman world championship in Kona.

But when a series of freak accidents can no longer be chalked up to bad luck, it becomes clear that someone is out to get her. Is it someone from work, jealous of her promotion? Or is it perhaps someone more dangerous? Someone closer to home?

Laura has no enemies that she knows of, but she senses that husband Peter is keeping something from her. And when she starts digging into the family’s past, she ends up with more questions than answers. But with the walls closing in on her, she needs to find out why someone would want to harm her…and what really happened to his first wife.

Before it's too late.

What Readers are Saying

"This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, murder, mystery, and a few crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle!" Netgalley Reader

"I devoured this in a few short hours. Very easy to read and the story keeps you coming back for one more chapter." Netgalley Reader

“Excellent and gripping - recommended. The author's writing style is truly engaging and the plot is well-crafted, with plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end..... I def recommend The Stepfamily to anyone who enjoys a really good psychological thriller.” - Amazon Reader

“I read The Stepfamily by Bonnie Traymore in a day and a half; only much-needed sleep had me putting this book down....Some jaw-dropping moments took me by surprise....I will read more by this author. I give this a 5 out of 5 stars. - Amazon Reader

Buy the Book

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About the Author

Bonnie Traymore is an author, educator, and consultant. A world traveler, she loves to include vivid settings in her novels. She is also an accomplished non-fiction writer, historian, and educator with a doctorate in United States History. She has taught at top independent schools in Honolulu, Silicon Valley, and New York City for over 20 years, and she has taught history courses at Columbia University and the University of Hawaii. Originally from the New York City area, she resides in Honolulu with her husband but frequents the Hudson Valley and New York City areas.

 

 Connect with the Author

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$20 Amazon giftcard, 

ebook of Little Loose Ends by Bonnie Traymore 

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This morning, I have a psychological thriller in our Teaser Tuesday spotlight!  Check out The Beating Heart of a Mind and learn about author Bruce Perrin!

The Mind Sleuth Series #6

Psychological thriller

Date Published: 05-02-2023

Publisher: Mind Sleuth Publications

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Bullied to death in the boardroom?

Private Investigator Rebecca Marte doubted it. Since when would the president and CEO of a highly successful company find the criticisms of his subordinates so destructive to his self-image that he would commit suicide? That, however, was what her new client, Nicole Veles, claimed.

Nicole painted a toxic, if not criminal, picture of defamation leading up to the man’s death. His problems were more than just the company’s bottom line. They ranged from public ridicule of some of his out-of-date marketing concepts that had been leaked to the press to a police report from a young man who claimed the president and CEO had propositioned him. And after his demise, one of his most vocal detractors ascended to his position. That was enough to raise Rebecca’s suspicions. She took the job.

But as she began her investigation, hints that Nicole’s beliefs were tainted by her history became difficult for Rebecca to ignore. Two years earlier, Nicole had been kidnapped, and she still bore the mental and emotional scars of abuse and captivity. She’d cut all connections to her friends and fled her past by relocating to Colorado where no one knew her. She took a job where long-term relationships were impossible, save one stubborn older woman who wouldn’t take no for an answer—and who just happened to be the wife of the suicide victim

While everyone else thought the man’s death, while tragic, was just the consequence of high-pressure business and depression over the loss of the company he had founded, could Rebecca trust anything to the contrary that her new client told her?

“Tension is well-developed, whether it's psychological revelations that involve Rebecca more deeply in her client's life than she'd imagined, the wedge between client and investigator driven home by the victim’s wife, or the probe of a business structure that supports dangerous undercurrents.”

-Midwest Book Review

Read an Excerpt

It’s not what you look at that matters,

it’s what you see.

Henry David Thoreau 

American naturalist, poet, and philosopher

FRIDAY, MARCH 26

Midnight, Jen’s Place, Lone Tree, CO

Conditions were far from ideal for what Kyle Logan had in mind.

He pulled a pint of whiskey from a back pocket and leaned on the front fender of his battered brown pickup truck to consider his options. His gaze tracked up and down the lonely road. Empty, as he expected at this hour. So, he tipped his head back for a long pull on the bottle, his gaze following the tilt of his head. The moon, although only three-quarters, shone like a searchlight, its rays unfettered by the thin cold air of the high plains.

His eyes came back down to the ghostly outline of a massive old house across the road, previously the home of a local rancher. Now, it was Jen’s Place, a temporary shelter for survivors of domestic abuse.

In the front, a porch ran the length of the building. Two sconces carved arches of light in the darkness cast by the porch’s roof. Their rays revealed two doors—a larger main entrance to the shelter and a smaller door well to its right. Otherwise, the porch lay in shadows, the windows mere rectangles of still darker voids. Having seen the structure by day, however, Logan was under no illusion that the feeble rays of those two bulbs were the only security for the building. He’d seen two cameras—motion-sensitive no doubt—on each corner of the structure. There were almost undoubtedly other cameras on the sides and back of the building.

A gravel driveway cut through a xeriscape yard, ending in a circle in front of the house. The native shrubs and grasses of the plot were brown and brittle from the long winter, matching the vacant lots on either side of the building. The area behind was undeveloped, although whether it was just waiting for a new housing project or was part of the Colorado Open Space Alliance, Logan didn’t know. And he didn’t care because the wind that might have covered the sound of his approach through the dry landscape—a wind that had howled down from the mountains or across the face of the front range most of the month—was eerily quiet.

Yes, the conditions were far from ideal. But since the shelf life of Logan’s information was limited—probably measured in hours rather than days—he had to act soon. And since he couldn’t hasten the new vegetation of spring or command the wind to blow, tonight was as good a night as any. He drained the bottle of whiskey and tossed the empty into the bed of his pickup.

“To hell with sneaking around,” Logan snarled into the darkness. He pulled a knife from its cover, admiring the sheen of the blade in the moonlight. Growing up, knives had been his weapon of choice against his peers who always seemed bigger and stronger. Now, it would serve him well once inside.

But to get beyond the front door, he needed another of his tools. He returned the knife to its sheath, walked to the back of his truck, and lowered the tailgate. Laying on the bed was a post driver—a thirty-inch, weighted section of pipe with handles used to drive metal posts into the ground. Though lighter than the equivalent law enforcement battering ram, it was much cheaper and considerably less incriminating. And unless the new owner of the ranch house had seriously upgraded its door, the driver would work. He picked it up and quietly closed the tailgate.

As Logan started up the drive, lights mounted below the cameras came on. The beams overlapped on the drive, and Logan had to pause a moment to shade his eyes with a hand. He broke into a slow jog. His quickened pace wasn’t to limit his time in view of the cameras. After all, before the night was over, it would be clear to everyone who had visited the home. There would be no doubt because, one way or another, he’d be leaving with what was rightfully his.

Logan hit the porch steps at a full run, only slowing to ready his makeshift battering ram. He slammed it into the door just above the knob. The door held although he could hear the frame crack. He hit it again and the door exploded inward, splinters from the shattered wood flying across the entry hall. He dropped the post driver on the floor and pulled the knife from its sheath.

There were rooms on the right and left with their double doors open. Their interiors were dark, but even so, Logan could tell they were large communal areas with chairs, couches, and desks. Beyond the doors, the hall split with a stairway on the left while a narrower hall continued on the right toward the back of the house. From his surveillance earlier in the day, he knew he wanted a room in the front right corner of the second floor. He took the stairs two at a time, reversed direction on the landing, and sprinted to the door. He turned the knob. Finding it unlocked, he burst inside and switched on the lights.

A woman was sitting up in bed, covers gathered up around her neck. Her eyes blinked under a hand that partially shaded them, her understanding of the situation coming slowly. But when it did, she screamed. Logan sprang forward and slapped her hard across the face. With her head turned from the force of the blow, he grabbed her roughly by the hair, sat beside her, and held the knife in front of her eyes. She froze, her sobbing the only sign she was still alive.

“What the hell am I going to do with you, Linda? I thought after the last time you’d forget all this crap. You belong at home. With me. What do I have to do to make you see that?”

“Please don’t hurt me,” Linda whimpered. “I’ll do better.”

“Like hell, woman.” Logan raised his hand again, this time slowly closing it into a fist. He drew his hand back.

“Don’t you dare touch her,” came a voice from behind him .

About the Author

Until ten years ago, I was a human factors psychologist doing research on cutting edge technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence at a major aerospace company. The aim? Fit these technologies to the way people learn, remember, and do their jobs, not the other way around. But if the world can be shaped to work with us, it can just as surely be molded to destroy us.

Now, I’m an author writing “The Mind Sleuth Series”, stories where the evil side of research and science too often surface. Sometimes the devastation is unintentional. Sometimes, it’s motivated by greed or passion, but it’s always a race to see if and how my heroes—Doc, Nicole, Rebecca—can turn the tide.

For special features, giveaways, and previews of my upcoming books, subscribe to my newsletter at brucemperrin.com.

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