Tag: Seven of Spades series by Cordelia Kingsbridge

Cordelia Kingsbridge on Signature Cocktails and her latest release Trick Roller (Seven of Spades #2) (guest post and giveaway)

Trick Roller (Seven of Spades #2) by Cordelia Kingsbridge
Riptide Publishing
Cover Art:

Read an Excerpt/Buy it Here

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Cordelia Kingsbridge’s tour for Trick Roller. Welcome, Cordelia!

 

The Boulevardier by Cordelia Kingsbridge

In Kill Game, we learn that bourbon is Levi’s spirit of choice, and his usual drink is an Old Fashioned – until Dominic introduces him to the Boulevardier.

Working in bars and restaurants off and on for a decade has given me some great experience with interesting, uncommon cocktails. I had Dominic choose the Boulevardier for Levi because, like the detective, the drink is straightforward, unusual, and the perfect balance of bitter and sweet. The Boulevardier makes an appearance in every novel in the Seven of Spades series.

A twist on the classic Negroni, the Boulevardier replaces gin with bourbon for a richer, more autumnal flavor profile. Want to make one of your own? Follow the simple recipe below:

Ingredients

  • 1.5 ounces bourbon
  • 1 ounce Campari
  • 1 ounce sweet vermouth

Combine all ingredients and stir with ice until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled glass (either a rocks glass or martini glass will work well) and garnish with a lemon or orange peel. Enjoy!

Thanks for checking out the blog tour for Trick Roller, the second book in the Seven of Spades series!

We rejoin Levi and Dominic three months after the events of Kill Game. Although most of Las Vegas believes the Seven of Spades is dead, our two heroes know better. It’s only a matter of time until the killer resurfaces…

About Trick Roller

It’s the height of summer in Las Vegas. Everyone believes the serial killer Seven of Spades is dead—except Levi Abrams and Dominic Russo—and it’s back to business as usual. For Levi, that means investigating a suspicious overdose at the Mirage that looks like the work of a high-class call girl, while Dominic pursues a tough internship with a local private investigator. The one bright spot for both of them is their blossoming relationship.

But things aren’t so simple. Soon Levi is sucked into a dangerous web of secrets and lies, even as his obsession with the Seven of Spades intensifies. Dominic knows that Levi isn’t crazy. He knows the Seven of Spades is still out there, and he’ll do anything to prove it. But Dominic has his own demons to battle, and he may be fighting a losing war.

One thing is certain: the Seven of Spades holds all the cards. It won’t be long before they show their hand.

Available now from Riptide Publishing!

About the Seven of Spades Series

Las Vegas has never seen a serial killer like the Seven of Spades.

The self-styled vigilante is on a mission to cut down the wicked and treacherous, and Sin City has no shortage of targets for their bloody wrath. What happens in Vegas . . . ends with the Seven of Spades’s calling card on a grisly corpse.

Standing against the killer are Levi Abrams, a dedicated homicide detective locked in a constant struggle to restrain his own dark side, and bounty hunter Dominic Russo, a charming rogue with a heavy secret weighing on his shoulders.

The hunt for the Seven of Spades sends Levi and Dominic on a collision course, igniting a passionate relationship forged in conflict and sealed with blood. Together they’re stronger than the sum of their parts, but a wily, elusive serial killer isn’t the only threat that will strain their bond to the breaking point.

Ante up, because the Seven of Spades is all in. Are you?

Check out the Seven of Spades series! http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/series/seven-spades

About Cordelia Kingsbridge

Cordelia Kingsbridge has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh, but quickly discovered that direct practice in the field was not for her. Having written novels as a hobby throughout graduate school, she decided to turn her focus to writing as a full-time career. Now she explores her fascination with human behavior, motivation, and psychopathology through fiction. Her weaknesses include opposites-attract pairings and snarky banter.

Away from her desk, Cordelia is a fitness fanatic, and can be found strength training, cycling, and practicing Krav Maga. She lives in South Florida but spends most of her time indoors with the air conditioning on full blast!

Connect with Cordelia:

● Email:  cordeliakingsbridge@gmail.com

● Tumblr: http://ckingsbridge.tumblr.com

● Twitter:  @c_kingsbridge

● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cordelia.Kingsbridge/

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Trick Roller, one lucky winner will receive a $15 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on February 3, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

An Ali Review: Kill Game (Seven of Spades #1) by Cordelia Kingsbridge

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Homicide detective Levi Abrams is barely holding his life together. He’s reeling from the fallout of a fatal shooting, and his relationship with his boyfriend is crumbling. The last thing he’s prepared for is a serial killer stalking the streets of Las Vegas. Or how he keeps getting thrown into the path of annoyingly charming bounty hunter Dominic Russo.

Dominic likes his life free of complications. That means no tangling with cops—especially prickly, uptight detectives. But when he stumbles across one of the Seven of Spades’s horrifying crime scenes, he can’t let go, despite Levi’s warnings to stay away.

The Seven of Spades is ruthless and always two moves ahead. Worst of all, they’ve taken a dangerously personal interest in Levi and Dominic. Forced to trust each other, the two men race to discover the killer’s identity, revealing hidden truths along the way and sparking a bond neither man expected. But that may not be enough to protect them.

This killer likes to play games, and the deck is not stacked in Levi and Dominic’s favor.
I thought this was really good.  I haven’t been this excited about a new series in a long time.  In fact, if the rest of the series was done I would have binge read the entire thing.  When the story starts we meet both Dominic and Levi.  They know each other through their jobs but they don’t know each other well.  When a serial killer starts hunting prey in their city they end up crossing paths in a more detailed way.  The two men both feel the chemistry between them but there is a lot going on in both of their lives and getting together is a complicated things.
As the book proceeds the two MC’s get drawn together repeatedly due to the circumstances of the case.  I loved how the author handled these two getting together.  It’s a slow burn and it’s obvious she’s going to take her time building their relationship and I for one am really excited about that.  I love ongoing series where the main characters have time to build a solid foundation and where the author takes the reader along and lets us see all the steps along the way. 
I liked both Levi and Dominic and I thought they were both well done and thoroughly fleshed out.  They came across as realistic people with realistic problems.  Both have some issues they’re going through and the author shows us their vulnerabilities and flaws.  Despite that, or maybe because of that, I immediately connected with them both.  There are a host of side characters (friends, family, co-workers) that we both interesting and added to the overall plot.
The author did a good job on the mystery aspect of the case.  I thought it was entertaining and pretty fast paced.  I have some theories about who the killer is and I’m eager to get to the next installments of the series to see if I’m right or not.  The murders were sufficiently creepy but not too gruesome or dark. 
So, again, this was really good and is going to go on my “best of” list this year.  It looks like there will be 5 books total in this series and I can’t wait to read them all.
The cover was done by G.D Leigh and I think it’s fantastic.  It fits the creepy vibe of a book about a serial killer.  I think it’s super eye catching and attractive.  When you get to the end of this book you can see the covers for the rest of the books in the series and they are all great.  They are distinctive and they match well.  You’ll have no trouble seeing that they are a matched set.
Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 297 pages
Published October 23rd 2017 by Riptide Publishing
Original TitleKill Game
ISBN139781626496194
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSeven of Spades #1 settingLas Vegas, Nevada (United States)
Nevada (United States)

The Seven of Spades series is best read in order of publication, which is as follows:

  1. Kill Game (October 23, 217)
  2. Trick Roller (January 29, 2018)
  3. Cash Plays (April 30, 2018)
  4. One-Eyed Royals (July 30, 2018)
  5. A Chip and a Chair (October 22, 2018)