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 … 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.
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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
The thing I loved most about this book is how well thought out it is. Everything made sense and the story was easy to follow, which allowed me to enjoy my first read from this author. You will be pulled in the story of Emma and Vin from page one, waiting to see what happens next. Mixing her children and over the top mother with his own uncle and other numerous family members makes for interesting family gatherings!! definitely recommend this book…
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I didn’t want to put this book down even at the end. This book had my attention from the very beginning and held it until the very last page. I thought I figured out who the bad guy was, but boy was I wrong. I loved the dynamics between all the characters with each other and then their side romances. I highly recommend this book and I am definitely going to look for more books to read by this author, especially if they are anything like this book. Have fun keeping up with the twists and turns and I also enjoyed the references to old movie classics, makes me want to go find some of them and watch.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Oh what a tangled plot they weave when an author writes to deceive….
Read the book blurb to learn what this book is about. Dive in because you won’t regret reading it!
This book was like a foggy road: no clear visibility or map. Just when you thought you reached your destination, you discovered that there is more pavement before you.
I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a whodunit as much. The writing is crisp and the plot is methodically laid out. While it is easy to read, there is a depth to the plot and characters that will keep you engaged. The author takes information about scientific studies, the need to publish and the competitiveness of the science community, and weaves a tale of intrigue, murder and betrayal. This was a “who-dun-it” and “who-dun-what” rolled into one. When you reach the conclusion of this novel, all will be revealed: who, what, where, when, how and why.
Vin and Emma are two people who are not ready to be hurt again. But when they meet at the exact moment they have decided to start doing everything right, it seems as if their plans of absolute caution are about to be thrown to the wind. If you like your mysteries to keep you guessing, Publish or Perish will keep you on your toes until the very last second!
Both unlucky in love and perhaps in business, Vin and Emma are desperately trying to find a new normal after their very disruptive love lives have put them through hell and back, but the connection between them is undeniably strong. Besides having two wickedly smart and funny main characters, Kerry Blaisdell has crafted an entire cast of characters who have lived long, and somewhat difficult lives that just make the prospect of love all the more enticing and the storyline all the more delicately woven.
Packed with action and romance, Publish or Perish had more twists than and M. Night Shyamalan film! The well rounded characters each hold a purpose within the ever turning plot, making it nearly impossible to guess every aspect of this intricately written case. Luckily for us as the readers, this book is impeccably edited, hindering nothing in the process of this story being told, thus leaving only the question: who done it?
While we may not know until the very end who could be behind all of the crime in this book, we certainly know who done it when it comes to passionate encounters, not having to read between the lines for the intensely sexy among these sometimes dire circumstances. Not a single person in the narrative or out will be left unsatisfied by reading Blaisdell’s work.
All of the characters have a natural rapport that is at times both humorous and heartwarming. We know when reading that at least someone has to be the villain, but it was easy to enjoy the relationships that each character’s presence created. This rapport did a lot for the growth and understanding of each character, which enhanced the read by the nth degree.
Publish or Perish by Kerry Blaisdell will fulfill the desire of an exciting romance, a startling mystery, and a heartwarming novel of family all in one go. Impossible to put down, and an absolute thrill to read. I can’t wait to get my hands on more of her work!
Publish or Perish by Kerry Blaisdell is a mystery involving a scientist who mysteriously died in a plane crash, his sexy widow, someone who is willing to kill to get their paper published and a detective who can’t keep his mind and hands off the sexy widow. The author did a great job in making the characters real and relatable, and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat. The author should be commended for crafting a plot that was captivating and contained all the elements of a really good mystery. For me personally, I thought the use of bad language was excessive and not necessary for the story.
This is a fabulous book that is excellently written. The story grabbed me immediately and I could not put this down. The characters of Detective Vin and Emma are well-developed and believable. This is a great story by an author new to me but I intend to find more to read by this author!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed parts of this romantic suspense story but it had a little too much sexual content for my tastes. This is not for the under 18 readers. There is murder, a lot of action, and some really mixed up characters in this. I’ve received this for free and I voluntarily chose to review it. I’ve given it a 4* rating. I suspected the bad guy all along but wasn’t certain till the end. Be ready for a shocking ending.
She has been dumped on Valentine Day and she vandalises his office but when he disappears suddenly she is a suspect. They even believe she helped fake his work and now she needs to find out what is going on. Is he really dead? What did he do? Can she prove she is innocent? How will she get on? Follow her to find out
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Kerry Blaisdell did a fantastic job combining suspended, romance and mystery into one great story. A great “Who Done It” mystery story line with a steamy romance really made this book interesting. This combination truly kept me enthralled in this book. I was not able to put the book down.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.