Thanks for joining me for another Book Spotlight. Today, I’m welcoming Sunbury Press author, J.A. Wash with his suspense/thriller novel, Out of Kindness. J. A. has the perfect background to spin this type of tale, as you’ll see when you check out his bio. First be sure to read the blurb for his very intriguing release, then drop a line to share your thoughts! Doesn’t that cover rock?
Book Description:
A beautiful Irish island reveals its ugly secrets in this thriller of the opioid crisis
Sean Casper retired from the Boston Police to get away from murderers. He left Massachusetts to get away from everything else, especially his broken marriage and the pain of his son’s fentanyl overdose.
Casper retreats to a seaside cottage on a beautiful Irish island, unaware he is surrounded by ugly secrets. When Casper finds a mutilated lamb ritually displayed in an ancient cemetery, he reads up on the island’s only recorded murder and sees a pattern.
One of the island’s 600 residents is a serial killer. Someone else is about to die.
His investigation leads to Aoife Walsh, an island native suffering from the same addiction that killed his son. Her best friend was murdered twenty years ago, and she knows who did it. With no authority, but nothing to lose, Casper goes after the killer.
Instead of finding an island refuge, Casper discovers much of Europe’s heroin passes through the island’s remote coast. And as he gets closer to the truth, he places himself in the crosshairs of the island’s drug traffickers, who will do anything to protect their secrets.
Out of Kindness is a thriller about grief and isolation, swirling in the backdrop of the opioid epidemic, on one of the most hauntingly beautiful islands on Earth.
PURCHASE LINKS:
SUNBURY PRESS | AMAZON
AUTHOR BIO:
J.A. Walsh worked in intelligence and counter-terrorism after the 9/11 attacks, before embarking on a career advising the U.S. military on energy security strategy. He has degrees in Russian, English literature, and Environmental Law. He and his family split time between Lake Norman, North Carolina and the Florida Keys. Learn more at JAWalsh.com.
I love the location of this one. The story definitely sounds like one to sink your reading chops into, don’t you think? J.A. will be dropping by to say hello, so be sure to let him know your thoughts in the comments. We’d both be delighted if you’d use the sharing buttons to spread the word about Out of Kindness. Thank you for visiting today!
Great author spotlight, Mae. š
Wishing JA all the best with his book! š
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Thanks, Harmony. I’m glad you dropped by to cheer on J.A!
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Thanks Harmony! I appreciate the well wishes.
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Thank you, Mae. I’d not heard of J.A., but now I’m captivated. His background and the focus of this book prompt a run to Amazon.š
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That’s awesome, Gwen. I’m sure J.A. will be pleased to hear that!
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Thanks Mae! I am glad Mae is introducing people to new writers, especially me!
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This sounds gruesome and intriguingly complex. Thank you for sharing it, Mae!
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My pleasure to share, Tessa. Thanks for dropping by to check out J.A.’s release!
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Hi Tessa – Right on. This is a dark book for sure. We’ll see if we have questions during the day about the origins of the story for me and maybe I can elaborate.
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J. A., if you would ever like to do a guest post on my blog, I host guest authors on Thursdays. It’s a great place to share the background that led to how a book came about or even something related to the novel. You can DM me on Twitter should you like to do that with this novel or any future book you may have. You can also email me directly at maeclair (at) maeclair (dot) com. Wishing you all the best with your book release!
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Sounds like a timely topic addressed in an exotic location.
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HI, Sharon! Great to see you here! I agree with both your points. Thanks for visiting to cheer on J.A. with his release!
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Hi Sharon! Valentia Island is one of the most hauntingly beautiful places I have ever been. I always feel the need to disclaim: there are no real serial killers there. Not a murder in the island’s recent history, so I created one!
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I agree; the setting is awesome. Wishing J.A. all the best with this one. Thanks for hosting, Mae.
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Thanks Staci! And yes, thanks Mae!
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My pleasure, Staci! I’m pleased to be able to share J.A.’s book today!
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Sounds intriguing as heck. Lonely settings are always good.
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Definitely a lonely experience for Sean as he navigates his grief and can’t keep himself from helping a young woman who reminds him of the son he lost.
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The setting sounds sooo compelling. Looks like J.A. has a winner on his hands!
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Ooh, this sounds right up my alley. Thanks, Mae! Adding it to the TBR.
Hi, JA! Nice to “meet” you. Best of luck with your new book baby. Sounds like a winner!
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Hi Sue. I appreciate the wishes. Best news on this baby, I don’t have to pay for its college like the other four!
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LOL!
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Yep, this one does sound like a good fit for your TBR, Sue. Glad to know it’s snagged your interest!
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Agreed, the cover rocks. The story sounds intriguing. I love the idea of a confined community where the person sitting next to you COULD BE the killer! Yikes!
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Priscilla – You hit it! I was sitting in a pub on the island one day and started to think about what it would be like knowing, literally knowing, every suspect in a murder case.
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I know. What a creepy thought, right? Goose bumps just thinking about it, Priscilla!
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The book sounds great, and I see your point about his background. Lots of fodder for stories!
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Thanks Jacqui! Someday I may try to write some nonfiction “war stories.” It was interesting for sure.
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Absolutely, Jacqui! I’m so glad you dropped by to cheer on J.A. with his release!
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Having been born on St. Patrick’s Day, I’m always attracted to stories set in Ireland, and this sounds like a humdinger! I’m squeezing it in near the top of my virtual TBR stack awaiting me on my Kindle. And any writer who splits his time between Florida (native-born Floridian, here) and North Carolina (where the mountains speak to my soul) is A-OK with me! š Thanks for sharing, Mae! And best of luck to J. A. Walsh with this one! š
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Just saw on Amazon that this one came out on my birthday, too! If that’s not a sign to put it on the TOP of the TBR stack, I don’t know what is! š
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Thanks Marcia! There’s was only one day we could release the book, wasn’t there? I hope you enjoy it. My WIP is a crime story set in the Keys…you’ll have to read Out of Kindness to see if Sean can make it through and down to Florida for the next book in a series…
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SCORE! That’s kismet, Marcia!
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Already got it, J. A., and definitely planning to read it soon! It will be fun to continue the series in the Keys, even though I actually live in central Florida. Still, I’ve been to Margaritaville many times over the years. I’m excited about having a new series to follow! And again, best of luck to you with both Out of Kindness and your new WIP. I’ll definitely be following along. š
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That’s awesome you’re squeezing it near the top of your TBR, Marcia. I know how towering those things get (mine included, LOL). Thanks for visiting to cheer on J.A.– you’ve got a lot in common with your tromping grounds!
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I’m just glad you shared this one, Mae. I have a feeling I’m going to love it! š (We’ll talk later! š )
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š ā¤
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Enjoyed JAās first book, looking forward to this one!!
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Hi, BMiller. Many thanks for dropping by to share your thoughts. Out of Kindness sounds like an awesome read. Glad you’re a fan of J.A’.s writing and looking forward to this one!
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Another book to put on my TBR list. Thanks for the recommendation.
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Thank you Karen! I hope you enjoy it.
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Fantastic, Karen. I wish you happy reading.
Thanks so much for dropping by to cheer on, J.A.!
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Mae – I thought maybe your readers would be interested in the origin story for this novel. It is addressed in the acknowledgments, but also in this brief blog post at my site:
“On the opioid epidemic, losing my brother, and writing my way through grief”
https://jawalsh.com/index.php/2021/04/01/out-of-kindness-on-the-opioid-epidemic-losing-my-brother-and-writing-my-way-through-grief/
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Thank you for the link. I hopped over and the discovered the book has quite a background. Hopefully others will visit as well. I left you a comment on your site, J.A.
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Oh wow! I love the sound of this book, and the graveyard on the cover is perfect for the genre. I will look forward to J.A.’s visit!
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Thanks Jan! Sunbury did an awesome job with the cover!
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Hi, Jan. The over sucked me in right away. Add in the blurb, and J.A. has a powerhouse of intrigue for Out of Kindness.
Thanks so much for visiting!
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Thanks for introducing J.A. Walsh and his book Mae. it sounds good. Wishing him all the best.
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Thanks, Balroop. I’m glad you dropped by to check it out and wish him well!
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This sounds like something I would enjoy. I agree about the cover.
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It does sound intriguing, and that cover is so dramatic.
Thanks for visiting and commenting, Joan!
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The setting definitely has my attention. Nice to meet J. A. here:)
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I agree the setting is so intriguing. I’m so glad you dropped by to cheer on J.A., Denise!
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That cover is a killer (pardon the pun :)) This sounds like a great read!
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LOL! Agreed on both counts!
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Ireland’s always a tempting setting, and addiction is a compelling subject. Put them together, and it’s a great combination. Best of luck with the book!
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Thanks Judi. I agree. There are many more mysteries in Ireland I would like to go back and unpack in nonfiction. And the cold, dark winter months of the north Atlantic were the perfect setting for this meditation on grief and loss. Thanks for the well wishes.
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I agree, Judi. What a combination!
Thanks for visiting to wish J.A. luck with his release!
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I’m a big fan of the cover, setting, description – sounds like one I need to add to the list. Best wishes to J.A. with his release!
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Fantastic, Teri. I’m glad J.A.’s release has piqued your interest. I wish you happy reading!
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What an intriguing plot. I haven’t read a page, and I like the sound of it already. In addition, what a resume. Thank you for your service, J.A.
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Great comment, Pete. It is an indeed an intriguing plot, and I can’t imagine doing the kind of work J.A. did, especially at such a turbulent time for America. Amazing service!
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Thanks for sharing this. I need to get out more…(so many peeps I haven’t heard of! LOL)
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LOL! I know the feeling, Sue. So glad you dropped by to check out the post!
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You’re right that his bio sounds like a great background for the thriller. The blurb is gripping. A great share, Mae. This sounds great.
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Thanks for visiting, Diana. So glad you dropped by to check out J.A.’s post!
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The location alone would spark me to read this. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. (I also feel a flash of anger at the possibility of criminals turning such a remote, special place into a drug route– grrrrrr.)
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I’m glad it’s intrigued you, Flossie. I have to agree about the criminals. Hopefully, J.A. gives his fictional ones a rough time.
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Books about drugs are scary for me, Mae. Fortunately, they have never touched my life and I hope it remains that way. Thanks for sharing about this book.
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It is scary what drugs can cause people to do and the lengths others will go to market, sell, and/or buy them. Thanks for checking out the book, Robbie.
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Really loved JA’s first book, Purpose of Evasion. Looking forward to seeing where this one takes me. Cheers!
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Hi, A.A. That’s great to hear! Thanks for dropping by to share your thoughts!
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