Full House
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Synopsis:
It's 1993 and in the final novel of the Deck of Cardz series, Captain Shevaughn Robinson is living the challenging life of a single mother of two while at the pinnacle of her career. It doesn't help that her adolescent daughter still communicates with the dead and is in a relationship that's way too serious for her age. Or that Nonna, the only one she can depend on, is showing the beginning signs of Alzheimer's.
When she hears allegations that the police are ignoring the growing number of missing Black women in Portsborough, Shevaughn pledges to personally investigate their disappearance. It leads her to one of the most unusual crimes in her entire career and gives a new meaning to the phrase... Honor thy mother.
When she hears allegations that the police are ignoring the growing number of missing Black women in Portsborough, Shevaughn pledges to personally investigate their disappearance. It leads her to one of the most unusual crimes in her entire career and gives a new meaning to the phrase... Honor thy mother.
Excerpt:
Bethany thought she’d been excited when Tarah’s pregnancy test came back positive, but the moment they cut the cord and placed the tiny little girl in her hands, she felt a joy so deep, it left her breathless. It had all been worth it! She took the baby upstairs to the bathroom, washed her off in the sink and carefully examined her while she washed Tarah’s blood off the newborn. Wrapping her in a soft pink towel, she carried the baby into the nursery and she whispered into the baby’s ear before she laid her in the crib closest to the nursery door.
“You are Eve, in honor of the first woman.”
It struck her that she felt almost god-like and she liked it. This girl will be the first of many. Bethany lightly traced her index finger along the soft, barely visible eyebrows, gently touched the infant’s button nose and traced the outline of the salmon-colored heart shaped lips. The mother of five sons, she became fixated on baby girls. The only reason she kept getting pregnant back in the day was because she kept trying for a girl. That hope died with Elam. When he was born, she consented to a tubal ligation. They simply couldn’t afford another kid. Bethany decided she didn’t want any grandsons long ago, but had yet to devise a backup plan should that situation occur.
She’s so tiny, so perfect. Bethany stood over the crib and watched Eve sleep.
Her sons’ screams snapped her out of her moment of glory. Mama kissed the tips of her index and middle fingers and brushed it against Eve’s forehead. She then rushed back down to the cellar to see what all the commotion was about.
“Mama, hurry, another baby’s coming,” Caleb shouted as she ran to the cot. Together, they pulled the second baby from Tarah’s womb and Bethany saw the male genitalia. She hid her disappointment and took the twin boy upstairs to the bathroom. Bethany placed him into the water she previously used to wash his sister. He hadn’t made a sound and his calm unsettled her. When she turned him over to wash his back, he suddenly began to cry and without thinking she pressed his body to the bottom of the basin, forcing his face into the bloody water as she hummed “Lead Me into Life Eternal.” It was almost symbolic, like a baptism and funeral all wrapped up in a couple of minutes. It surprised her at how quickly his useless struggling began and ended.
“Now, you’re blessed to be with your Heavenly Father. You have come to Him without sin,” Bethany whispered. Humming “Jesus Loves the Little Children”, she left him face down in the water, went to her linen closet, grabbed one of the old towels she used for housecleaning and wrapped the small, limp body in it. Then she took the baby boy back down to the cellar.
“This little one didn’t make it,” she informed them. Seeing the disbelief on her sons’ and Tarah’s faces, she proclaimed, “I did everything I could to save him, but the Lord knows best. What we have to do now is make sure he gets a proper burial.”
Tarah lunged, fought against her handcuffs, screamed “No!” and collapsed. Bethany gave the infant’s body to Ardon. She then sat down on the cot and placed Tarah’s head in her lap. She reached into her apron pocket, pulled out an ampoule of ammonia and waved it under her nose to bring her back to consciousness.
“You need to wake up and pray with us for your son’s soul,” Bethany advised as she watched the girl’s eyes blink open. She softly stroked Tarah’s hair as she began to recite, “God gives many women babies, when they leave is not their choice. Some He sends for a lifetime and others for a day. And some He sends to fill your womb, but there’s no need to stay.”
♥♦♣♠
Tarah thought Bethany would have come up with a suitable Bible verse, not some puerile poem. Softly, she recited Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” She knew Bethany murdered her son. She’d heard him cry. Her exhaustion was replaced with an anger she’d never felt before.
“Where’s my daughter?”
“Upstairs, sleeping like an angel. You’ll see her in the morning. Now you need to rest. Don’t you worry, we’ll take care of everything.”
Reviewed by Leona Romich of APOOO
www.apooobooks.com
Amazon Rating: 4 stars
Because Mommy Says So...
The year is 1993 and Shevaughn Robinson is still adapting to life changes that took place the previous year. Her divorce from Marcus became final and the two of them are sharing in the responsibility of joint custody. Although Shevaughn still has mixed emotions (ones of anger mostly), whenever Marcus is near, she has realized that he is now a part of her past. Also Shevaughn is now Portsborough's youngest Captain of the Homicide Division and the first African American female to hold that title.
Rumors and fingers are being pointed at the police department for not looking into the disappearances of Black women in the area. Could it be because they are women of the street or addicted to drugs that they're not making this a priority? Captain Shevaughn Robinson is determined to put these rumors to rest. She soon discovers that these women were taken for a purpose. What purpose could anyone have? When you find out it will surely blow your mind.
Bethany Peters is a single mom of five good-looking boys. She raised her sons with an iron fist and refused to let another man get close enough to her after her husband disappeared. She loves her boys more than anything, but she has a very different way of showing it. The boys fear their mother, but they are very loyal to her and will do anything that she says...without question, even if they know deep in their hearts that what they're doing is so very wrong. Bethany has an idea that has taken shape in her mind and she is determined that her boys carry out her plan to the tiniest detail, regardless who may get hurt in the process. They know if they do not do what she tells them...there will be absolute hell to pay.
Full House by Jean Holloway is the final installment of The Deck of Cardz. Full House was a great read. From the very first page I was engrossed in the story. With every turn of the page I could not believe what was going on within the story. It takes a very imaginative person to come up with some of the craziest of characters. The crime scenes in the story are painted so vividly, at times making this reader cringe or think out loud what in the world is wrong with him/her? The story has you rooting for the good guys to come out on top, but the question is will they? Or will the bad guys reign?
I have grown quite attached to this series and really hope this is not the last we have seen of Captain Shevaughn Robinson. I really like her character and her little family which consists of her children and close knit friends. I would definitely recommend this entire series to anyone looking for a good read. Start with Ace of Hearts, then Black Jack, Deuces Wild and finish up with Full House. You won't regret it!
“You are Eve, in honor of the first woman.”
It struck her that she felt almost god-like and she liked it. This girl will be the first of many. Bethany lightly traced her index finger along the soft, barely visible eyebrows, gently touched the infant’s button nose and traced the outline of the salmon-colored heart shaped lips. The mother of five sons, she became fixated on baby girls. The only reason she kept getting pregnant back in the day was because she kept trying for a girl. That hope died with Elam. When he was born, she consented to a tubal ligation. They simply couldn’t afford another kid. Bethany decided she didn’t want any grandsons long ago, but had yet to devise a backup plan should that situation occur.
She’s so tiny, so perfect. Bethany stood over the crib and watched Eve sleep.
Her sons’ screams snapped her out of her moment of glory. Mama kissed the tips of her index and middle fingers and brushed it against Eve’s forehead. She then rushed back down to the cellar to see what all the commotion was about.
“Mama, hurry, another baby’s coming,” Caleb shouted as she ran to the cot. Together, they pulled the second baby from Tarah’s womb and Bethany saw the male genitalia. She hid her disappointment and took the twin boy upstairs to the bathroom. Bethany placed him into the water she previously used to wash his sister. He hadn’t made a sound and his calm unsettled her. When she turned him over to wash his back, he suddenly began to cry and without thinking she pressed his body to the bottom of the basin, forcing his face into the bloody water as she hummed “Lead Me into Life Eternal.” It was almost symbolic, like a baptism and funeral all wrapped up in a couple of minutes. It surprised her at how quickly his useless struggling began and ended.
“Now, you’re blessed to be with your Heavenly Father. You have come to Him without sin,” Bethany whispered. Humming “Jesus Loves the Little Children”, she left him face down in the water, went to her linen closet, grabbed one of the old towels she used for housecleaning and wrapped the small, limp body in it. Then she took the baby boy back down to the cellar.
“This little one didn’t make it,” she informed them. Seeing the disbelief on her sons’ and Tarah’s faces, she proclaimed, “I did everything I could to save him, but the Lord knows best. What we have to do now is make sure he gets a proper burial.”
Tarah lunged, fought against her handcuffs, screamed “No!” and collapsed. Bethany gave the infant’s body to Ardon. She then sat down on the cot and placed Tarah’s head in her lap. She reached into her apron pocket, pulled out an ampoule of ammonia and waved it under her nose to bring her back to consciousness.
“You need to wake up and pray with us for your son’s soul,” Bethany advised as she watched the girl’s eyes blink open. She softly stroked Tarah’s hair as she began to recite, “God gives many women babies, when they leave is not their choice. Some He sends for a lifetime and others for a day. And some He sends to fill your womb, but there’s no need to stay.”
♥♦♣♠
Tarah thought Bethany would have come up with a suitable Bible verse, not some puerile poem. Softly, she recited Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” She knew Bethany murdered her son. She’d heard him cry. Her exhaustion was replaced with an anger she’d never felt before.
“Where’s my daughter?”
“Upstairs, sleeping like an angel. You’ll see her in the morning. Now you need to rest. Don’t you worry, we’ll take care of everything.”
Reviewed by Leona Romich of APOOO
www.apooobooks.com
Amazon Rating: 4 stars
Because Mommy Says So...
The year is 1993 and Shevaughn Robinson is still adapting to life changes that took place the previous year. Her divorce from Marcus became final and the two of them are sharing in the responsibility of joint custody. Although Shevaughn still has mixed emotions (ones of anger mostly), whenever Marcus is near, she has realized that he is now a part of her past. Also Shevaughn is now Portsborough's youngest Captain of the Homicide Division and the first African American female to hold that title.
Rumors and fingers are being pointed at the police department for not looking into the disappearances of Black women in the area. Could it be because they are women of the street or addicted to drugs that they're not making this a priority? Captain Shevaughn Robinson is determined to put these rumors to rest. She soon discovers that these women were taken for a purpose. What purpose could anyone have? When you find out it will surely blow your mind.
Bethany Peters is a single mom of five good-looking boys. She raised her sons with an iron fist and refused to let another man get close enough to her after her husband disappeared. She loves her boys more than anything, but she has a very different way of showing it. The boys fear their mother, but they are very loyal to her and will do anything that she says...without question, even if they know deep in their hearts that what they're doing is so very wrong. Bethany has an idea that has taken shape in her mind and she is determined that her boys carry out her plan to the tiniest detail, regardless who may get hurt in the process. They know if they do not do what she tells them...there will be absolute hell to pay.
Full House by Jean Holloway is the final installment of The Deck of Cardz. Full House was a great read. From the very first page I was engrossed in the story. With every turn of the page I could not believe what was going on within the story. It takes a very imaginative person to come up with some of the craziest of characters. The crime scenes in the story are painted so vividly, at times making this reader cringe or think out loud what in the world is wrong with him/her? The story has you rooting for the good guys to come out on top, but the question is will they? Or will the bad guys reign?
I have grown quite attached to this series and really hope this is not the last we have seen of Captain Shevaughn Robinson. I really like her character and her little family which consists of her children and close knit friends. I would definitely recommend this entire series to anyone looking for a good read. Start with Ace of Hearts, then Black Jack, Deuces Wild and finish up with Full House. You won't regret it!
