Blood of a Gladiator (Leonidas the Gladiator Mysteries Book 1)by Ashley Gardner

Leonidas, champion gladiator of Rome, is set free from the games by a mysterious benefactor who grants him freedom, a place to live, and a servant–Cassia, a scribe–to look after him.

But the benefactor is only so generous–Leonidas must pay his own way and Cassia’s, which means hiring himself out. The sharp-witted Cassia quickly lands him a post as a bodyguard, escorting a retired senator to Ostia.

The trip soon turns deadly, as Leonidas and Cassia find themselves squarely in the middle of intrigue that reaches from the slums of the Subura to the Palatine Hill and the emperor Nero himself.

Book 1 of the Leonidas the Gladiator Mysteries. Events in this book take place before the novella, Blood Debts.

Gunmetal Godsby Zamil Akhtar

Game of Thrones meets Arabian Nights in this blood-soaked fantasy epic inspired by the crusades, featuring Lovecraftian gods, mischievous djinns, and astral magic!

They took his daughter, so Micah comes to take their kingdom. Fifty thousand gun-toting paladins march behind him, all baptized in angel blood, thirsty to burn unbelievers.

Only the janissaries can stand against them. Their living legend, Kevah, once beheaded a magus amid a hail of ice daggers. But ever since his wife disappeared, he spends his days in a haze of hashish and poetry.

To save the kingdom, Kevah must conquer his grief and become the legend he once was. But Micah writes his own legend in blood, and his righteous conquest will stop at nothing.

When the gods choose sides, a legend will be etched upon the stars.

"…a huge, epic story that is an absolute page turner full of amazing battles, intense political intrigue, and surprises at every turn. This book easily stands with the best of epic fantasy fiction." – Reedsy ★★★★★

Crow's Landing (Virgil Cain Mystery Book 2)by Brad Smith

Jack-of-all-trades Virgil Cain gets tangled up in an old crime surfacing from the waters of the Hudson River.

For Virgil Cain, a day of fishing on the Hudson River yields more than he bargained for when, while pulling up anchor, he hooks on to a mysterious steel cylinder.

As word of Virgil’s strange catch spreads around the local marina, it draws the attention of a crooked city cop, who seizes both the cylinder and Virgil’s boat. Soon, an old drug deal gone sour resurfaces, and to get to the bottom of it–and to get his boat back–Virgil teams up with a captivating single mom, Dusty, who knows far too much about the cylinder and the pure cocaine it contains.

The landscape is soon cluttered with the dealer who claims ownership of the cylinder, his murderous sidekick, and a wild card in the form of a crazy Russian cowboy. Virgil and Dusty find themselves trapped in the middle and desperate for a way out…

Praise for Brad Smith:

‘A writer with lots of skill, lots of heart, lots of brains’ – Richard Russo

‘Brad Smith has got the goods – he’s funny, poignant, evocative, and he tells a blistering tale. A writer to watch, a comet on the horizon’ – Dennis Lehane

Brad Smith was born and raised in southern Ontario. He has worked as a farmer, signalman, insulator, truck driver, bartender, schoolteacher, maintenance mechanic, roofer, and carpenter. He lives in an eighty-year-old farmhouse near the north shore of Lake Erie. Red Means Run, the first novel in his Virgil Cain series, was named among the Year’s Best Crime Novels by Booklist.

Sister Innocent: A Murder Mystery Novel about Revenge Killingby Patty Lesser

Three grisly murders. A serial killer at large . . .

The staff at the Brown & Bishop law firm cause legal assistant Rebecca Keres great anxiety. She can barely contain her rage every time she watches her co-workers flit around the office gossiping or taking two hour lunches. Day after day, Rebecca bites her tongue and bides her time, counting down the hours until she can return to her apartment for some peace and quiet with her foster cats.

Rebecca minds her own business – until the day that her desk mate, Gina Mancini, goes missing.
Within hours, her body is discovered in a back alley, and security footage indicates that she may have known her killer. Police officers descend upon the firm, questioning everyone for clues, a motive – and a possible suspect.

Fortunately, a handsome stranger on the subway provides Rebecca with the distraction she’s been craving from the chaos at work. Dave is an interesting and charming man, sharing many of the same interests as Rebecca. Best of all, he’s interested in her.

Rebecca feels like her luck is finally changing . . . until Angela goes missing. One by one, the women at the office are disappearing, only to be found later, brutally stabbed to death. Is the killer someone from the firm? And then her boyfriend becomes the prime suspect, and Rebecca finds herself implicated in the investigation. Even though she wants to believe in his innocence, she secretly harbors her own doubts.

From Toronto to Jamaica, from Halifax to Hamilton, join Rebecca in a gripping tale of love, loss, mystery, and murder.

FI Money: Learn the hard way, teach the easy wayby Peter Duffy

It is very easy to become worried about your personal finances. If this sounds familiar, it is time to change. It is time to take control of your money and your life with this unique guide.

Money is massively important. It is a tool that enables you to live life on your terms. It gives you the ability to look after yourself, and most importantly the people you love.

With this book, your personal finance knowledge will go from strength to strength. It will help you to spend less than you earn, giving you the freedom to invest the rest.

Learn the hard way, teach the easy way offers the following steps:
•How to understand your relationship with money
•Learn from your money mistakes
•Better still, learn from the author’s mistakes
•Build mental strength that will guide you in the inevitable bumps in the road
•Become financially literate
•Take control of your finances and start heading towards FI (financial independence)

This book cares about your financial future. It shows you how to start heading in the right financial direction with clarity and purpose.