Review: An Axe to Grind
March 15, 2010 by Lillie
An Axe to Grind
F.M. Meredith
Oak Tree Press
January 2010
Paperback, 178 pages, $12.95
Also available in Kindle edition
Crime fiction
This is the first book I’ve read in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, but after reading An Axe to Grind, I intend to read the rest of the series. I want to know what happened to bring the characters to where they are now. Though Rocky Bluff is a fictional location, the town and the people seem very real.
If you like to read while you’re eating, as I do, you might want to avoid starting this book at meal time. The first scene—when the police are investigating the crime scene with a decapitated body and massive amounts of blood—is pretty gory. However, that’s the only part of the book that will make your stomach a little queasy.
The main storyline involves the investigation and solution of the crime, but the relationships of the police officers and their personal lives are interwoven into the mystery. Readers who enjoy relationship stories will enjoy An Axe to Grind as much as lovers of crime fiction.
Detective Doug Milligan and fiancee and fellow police officer Stacey Wilbur are so wrapped up in their respective cases—his the murder of a stalker and hers a molestation case involving the son of a friend—that they don’t have time to plan their wedding. When Doug disappears while trailing a suspect, Stacey goes looking for him, and finding time to plan a wedding pales in comparison to finding Doug in time to save his life.
Author F.M. Meredith is currently on a blog book tour for An Axe to Grind. I recommend you check out the other stops of the tour for interviews and excerpts.
The book is available in paperback and Kindle edition at Amazon.com
========================================
Bio of F. M. Meredith
F. M. Meredith, who also writes under the name Marilyn Meredith, is the author of nearly thirty published novels. An Axe to Grind is the newest from Oak Tree Press. No Sanctuary was a finalist the mystery/suspense category of the Epic best in e-books contest.
Marilyn has taught writing and is active in industry organizations. For over twenty years, she lived in a beach community similar to Rocky Bluff.
You can visit the author at Fiction for You and on her blog.
Disclosure: I received an electronic advance reading copy of the book from the author’s publicist. I have not accepted any compensation for this review and made no commitment to give a favorable review. The link to Amazon.com is an affiliate link.
Thanks for your great review of Marilyn’s book. I picked up all of the other Rocky Bluff P.D. books this year too. I began reviewing the books with Smell of Death, then read No Sanctuary, and finally this new one. I found I really wanted to know these characters from the beginning.
If the books are ordered through Marilyn’s website, she will autograph them for you.
Thanks again for the review.
Cheryl
.-= Cheryl C. Malandrinos´s last blog ..Pump Up Your Book Chats with Cilla McCain =-.
Cheryl,
Thanks for mentioning readers can get autographed books at Marilyn’s Web site. I’ll be ordering e-books, but I’m sure some of my readers will want autographed print copies.
Thank you so much for this great review, Lillie. I’m so glad to be stopping by here this morning.
Marilyn
mmeredith@ocsnet.net
Marilyn,
I’m delighted to have one and really enjoyed the book.
Are you part of a blogging for books community by chance? If so, how do you like it?
.-= Dominique´s last blog ..PERSEVANCE: the road to EMBRACING my DREAMS =-.
Dominique,
No, I’m not part of blogging for books. I believe that is Multnomah’s review program. Other publishers have similar programs, where bloggers can sign up to receive free books in exchange for writing reviews. The main reason I don’t participate in any of those is that they provide print books, and I can’t read print. If I could get e-books, I’d be interested.
The books I review here come to me because the authors or their publicists approach me directly. Many of them I know or at least know who they are through common memberships or reading blogs.
I try to write a brief review or at least a rating at Goodreads for all the books I read. I only started that fairly recently, but sometimes I go back and write reviews of books I’ve read in the past.
With such a good review, who won’t be tempted to buy and enjoy the thrill of the book? Thank you for the info.
Ron,
Hope you read and enjoy it!
It was a pleasure being here. Thanks again.
Marilyn
Marilyn,
We’ll probably get more comments later on also. It was great to have you here.
I’ll have to check that out. I read books like I drink water – a lot. I just read 4 this weekend.
I just started with Multnomah’s blogging for books but haven’t been offered any as of yet. I can’t wait to get started.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my question, Lillie!
.-= Dominique´s last blog ..Improvements all around =-.
Dominique,
I hope you get some books from Multnomah soon and check out some of the other publishers offering similar programs.
If you’d like to participate in authors’ blog book tours, you can spread the word on your blog and also contact companies like Pump Up Your Book Promotion and Promo 101. Authors and PR companies usually give bloggers a choice of whether you write a review, post an interview, or invite the author to write a guest post. If you want to do reviews only, that will probably work.
wow. your review entices me to buy this incredible novel right away. Its been quite sometime, I havent read any crime fiction or fiction in general
Thanks for this super cool review. This is my first time here and I am glad that I started with a review.
.-= Melvin@Auckland Property Management´s last blog ..Otahuhu, Auckland City =-.
Melvin,
I have snippets of quite a few reviews posted on the review page with links to longer reviews.
Hope you buy and enjoy the book. And if you like mysteries, check out my novel Dream or Destiny.
An associate at work is familiar with this book and had good comments about it. If I can get caught up at work, I will probably try to sit down, relax, and read it. Quite quickly, I might add.
Ed,
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
One of my friend recommended me this book and I was looking for a review on this one and eventually got your page. Really nice review, I will look to purchase this one.
Steve,
I hope you can find it in the UK.
Thank you for all the wonderful comments. For those of you out of the U.S. finding an Axe to Grind might be possible through Amazon.com.
This is a wonderful site and I’m so grateful to have been here.
Marilyn
Marilyn,
It’s a pleasure to host you.
Nice review, thank you. I like the title, “An Axe To Grind.” Sounds like movie material. If your taste runs a little more to the supernatural in crime stories, perhaps give mine a look on Amazon: “The Key of Solomon: A Novel of the Last Days.” Thanks.
.-= Howard´s last blog ..Comparison Review. Don’t Buy Amazon’s Kindle 6? Reader vs. Kindle DX 9? Reader Until You Read This =-.
Howard,
I don’t generally like a lot of supernatural in mysteries, although my romantic mystery Dream or Destiny does have some paranormal elements.
I was actually reading the beginning while I was eating lunch one day. It was rather gruesome, but I can deal with things like that. This was great reading and I too got hooked into the entire series. Thanks for the post and keep up the good work!
Rob,
That opening scene over lunch is pretty gruesome, but it is a good story.