Searching for Evidence by Carol J Post

A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

I received Searching for Evidence a week or so ago but was in the middle of another book. As soon as I finished that one, I couldn't wait to start reading this book. It's the first book in a new series from an author that I really enjoy reading. The book was easy to jump right into and with the action and mystery beginning right away, it really pulled me in and made me not want to put the book down. In fact, as I finished the book on Monday evening, while we drove to my son's ball game, my husband asked - didn't you just finish a book yesterday, to which I replied, yes but this one is really good and I just had to keep reading it.

This book offered both a great non-stop suspenseful plot and touching love story. The book read easily and the plot kept the story moving along quickly. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and a little about their backstories. Kassie and Kris, her twin sister, who don't seem as close as most twins, have recently lost their father in a drowning incident and are trying to keep his charter business moving while they prepare it for sale. Their third sister lives outside of the area and seems to only reach out when she needs or wants something. As they are all trying to deal with the loss of their father, strange things start to happen. There are break-ins, muggings, kidnappings and more, from some unknown individuals that seem to think their dad had something that belongs to them. Throw in a matchmaking grandma that lives next door to Kassie and her handsome grandson Jared that is a police officer and has a K-9 dog and you have quite a cast of characters. These characters are easy to attach to and this connection to the characters had me wanting to read one more chapter to see if they could solve the mystery and figure out what these people are after and whether Kassie will survive.

I thouroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it. The fact that I read it in just over a day should attest to that. As I shared, the story was quick moving, action and anxiety packed and the characters were very likeable, making the story very engaging. If you enjoy suspense stories, you should definitely check out this book and the others by Carol J. Post.


About the Book:

With his K-9 partner’s help,

can he save an innocent life?

K-9 officer Jared Miles stumbles upon a crime scene on his day off and believes Kassie Ashbaugh is the victim of a random attack. However, as threats on her life continue, he realizes that Kassie is in grave danger. Her father's abandoned boat suggests foul play, and Jared suspects someone is after Kassie for something her missing father is hiding. Can Jared unravel the mystery before unknown enemies catch her?

About the Author:
From medical secretary to court reporter to property manager to owner of a special events decorating company, Carol's resume reads like someone who doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up. But one thing that has remained constant through the years is her love for writing. She started as a child writing poetry for family and friends, then graduated to articles which actually made it into some religious and children's publications. Several years ago (more than she's willing to admit), she penned her first novel. In 2010, she decided to get serious about writing fiction for publication and joined Romance Writers of America and her local RWA chapter.

Carol lives in sunshiny Central Florida with her husband of thirty-two years, who is her own real-life hero, and writes her stories under the shade of the huge oaks in her yard. Besides writing, she works alongside her music minister husband singing and playing the piano and holds the position of church treasurer. She enjoys sailing, hiking, camping, almost anything outdoors. Her two grown daughters and grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all that nurturing into taking care of three fat and sassy cats and one highly spoiled dog.

You can learn more about the author on her blog.


No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family. A complimentary review copy was provided to me.

Ravensburger Wear Your Party Hat Game Night #RavensburgerMoment #RavensburgerParty #ThatsNotAHat #tryazon

A complimentary copy of That's Not a Hat, Piñata Blast and Level 8 were provided to me through Tryazon so that I could share them with friends and through my blog. All opinions expressed are my own

When I learned that there was a chance to host another game night and play some new games from Ravensburger, I jumped on the invite from Tryazon.

I was excited to learn that I was selected to be a host. I love getting the notice that I have a shipment coming. When the game pack arrived, it was fun to check out the contents. We got the three games, some flyers with info about the games and a link on where to buy them, several That's Not a Hat crowns and even a couple of mini versions of the That's Not a Hat game.

That's Not a Hat

Wrap and regift objects in this deceptively simple card game of having the world’s best memory... or convincing everyone you do! Was that gift a hat, a bucket, or a traffic cone?! Play this “unforgettable” bluffing game with friends and family for fun, laughter, and a dash of madcap mayhem. As cards or gifts are flipped facedown and passed around the table, players must memorize the object on each card or bluff their confidence as they pass the unwanted gift to someone else. Avoid getting caught declaring the wrong object or gain penalty points. The player with the least points at the end wins!

Details:
 Recommended Age: 8+ Great for parties!
 Number of Players: 3 - 8
 15 minutes playtime
 Includes: A rulebook and 110 cards with simple illustrations for maximum memorization chaos.
 Available: Now available at TARGET!, Barnes & Noble, Ravensburger Site and Amazon

Piñata Blast

A game of throwing dice and grabbing candy! Experience the joy of racing for piñata candy in this fast and fun family-friendly party game. Drop the dice, snag the dice that match your cards before your opponents, but watch out for rotten candy. Earn the most points to win!
Details:
 Recommended Age: 7+ Great for parties!
 Number of Players: 3 - 6
 15 minutes playtime
 Includes: 72 cards, 7 dice, 1 Piñata Stick token, and instructions
 Available: Ravensburger Site and Amazon

Level 8

Be the first to collect the crazy combinations of colors and numbers to reach Level 8! A simple quick game perfect for families and card game lovers of all ages!
Details:
 Recommended Age: 8+ Great for parties!
 Number of Players: 2 - 6
 45 minutes playtime
 Includes: 110 cards, 6 level indicators, and instructions
 Available: Ravensburger Site and Amazon

We have played these games a few times over the past few weeks and the consensus is that the games were fun to play and are ones that we will go back to often.

That's Not a Hat is a card game. We had checked this game out previously and still find it very enjoyable. On the surface, That's Not a Hat seems like it should be easy, afterall you start with all the cards face up and yet we quickly discovered how hard it really could be. With cards going both left and right, it really mixes things up and makes it really hard to remember the object on the cards. There was lots of laughter as people passed the gifts left and right and struggled to remember which gifts were moving which direction and what exactly was on the card that you were passing or receiving. We all agreed that the more people playing the more challenging the game became. This was an instant crowd favorite and one we will pull out during future game nights and family evenings.

Piñata Blast is a dice game. It was enjoyable with everyone reaching for the same die and trying to get matches for all of their candy. It was fun but we all agreed that it would probably be more fun for the younger group. The game has a recommended age of 7+ but there are rules included 'for younger players' that I think could work for kids below 7 allowing the whole family to play. This is a game that we will likely share with some friends that have younger kids.

Level 8 is another card game. One of the things that I like about card games is how easy they can be to learn and how quickly they can be played. With Level 8, you are trying to get different combinations based on the goals for the level. There is a nice reference card to help remind you what the different combinations on the level card mean - Runs, Pairs/Triples/Four of a Kind, Color set. This game reminded us of Rummy or Phase 10. We enjoyed the game and are likely to pull it out for future game nights and family evenings.

What we like about all of these games is their size - they are very portable. We like to take games with us when we travel. There is always down time and a game is a great way to spend that time. We usually have a deck or two of cards with us but these games will travel well too.

Game night is always a fun evening spent with family and friends. Finding new games and getting to play classic favorites, makes each game night a unique and fun experience. If you are looking for some games to enjoy on your next game night, be sure to check out That's Not a Hat, Piñata Blast and Level 8.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family and friends. A complimentary copy of That's Not a Hat, Piñata Blast and Level 8 were provided to me through Tryazon so that I could play the games and inivte my friends to check it out too.

Strike and That's Not a Hat! Game Night : #RavensburgerMoment #RavensburgerParty #ThatsNotAHat #tryazon

A complimentary copy of Strike and That's Not a Hat were provided to me through Tryazon so that I could share them with friends and through my blog. All opinions expressed are my own

I have shared many times before that we are a game playing family. We sit down and play as a family or when we have friends over but also plan and host game nights with several couples or families on a regular basis. In fact, our friends shared that their one daughter always looks forward to coming over to our house when we host because we always play games, usually a mix of familiar and new games.

We have been having so much fun checking out several new games these past couple of months. This most recent set of games we tried through Tryazon, Strike and That's Not A Hat, were fun, easy to learn and quick to play. They are enjoyable by players of many ages. The recommended ages are 8+ but a family could easily play them with a younger player.

Strike

Throw your dice into an arena, striking other dice to change their faces, and collect matching sets. Watch out, though – if you roll an X, your die is removed from the game! Play it safe by rolling one die, or push your luck and keep rolling for a chance to make matches. The last player with dice wins!
Details:
 Recommended Age: 8+ Great for parties!
 Number of Players: 2 - 5
 15 minutes playtime
 Includes: 26 Dice, 1 Arena, 1 Foam Arena Mat, Rulebook

That's Not a Hat

Wrap and regift objects in this deceptively simple card game of having the world’s best memory... or convincing everyone you do! Was that gift a hat, a bucket, or a traffic cone?! Play this “unforgettable” bluffing game with friends and family for fun, laughter, and a dash of madcap mayhem. As cards or gifts are flipped facedown and passed around the table, players must memorize the object on each card or bluff their confidence as they pass the unwanted gift to someone else. Avoid getting caught declaring the wrong object or gain penalty points. The player with the least points at the end wins!
Details:
 Recommended Age: 8+ Great for parties!
 Number of Players: 3 - 8
 15 minutes playtime
 Includes: A rulebook and 110 cards with simple illustrations for maximum memorization chaos.

We have played these games a few times over the past few weeks and the consensus is that the games were fun to play and are ones that we will go back to often.

Strike is a dice game that comes with it's own arena. The game is easy to play with a goal of making matches to keep yourself in the game. There is an element of strategy with how many dice you roll on your turn and how you roll them but there is also a lot of luck. We had people get out on their first turn and other games where it seemed to be that the final pair played for several rounds. The game was enjoyable and easy to learn, making it an easy game to play with a small group.

That's Not a Hat is a card game. On the surface, That's Not a Hat seemed like it should be easy, afterall you start with all the cards face up and yet we quickly discovered how hard it really could be. With cards going both left and right, it really mixed things up and made it really hard to remember the object on the cards. There was lots of laughter as people passed the gifts left and right and struggled to remember which gifts were moving which direction and what exactly was on the card that you were passing or receiving. We all agreed that the more people playing the more challenging the game became. This was an instant crowd favorite and one we will pull out during future game nights and family evenings.

Game night is always a fun evening spent with family and friends. Finding new games and getting to play classic favorites, makes each game night a unique and fun experience. If you are looking for some games to enjoy on your next game night, be sure to check out Strike and That's Not a Hat.

No compensation was received for this review. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family and friends. A complimentary copy of Strike and That's Not a Hat were provided to me through Tryazon so that I could play the games and inivte my friends to check it out too.