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Best Seller
When crime fiction novelist Kelly Landon agrees to write a memoir for an eccentric, elderly gentleman, her quiet life turns upside-down.
Unbeknownst to her, the memoir is peppered with clues leading to a rare collection of stolen jewels from World War II. After the memoir makes the best-seller list, Kelly finds herself in the crosshairs of a decades-old vendetta.
Now, instead of enjoying her rise to literary fame, she’s thrust into the dangerous world of treasure hunting.
While Kelly struggles to win the game of cat-and-mouse, a secret family legacy is unearthed, forcing her to choose between trusting her charming literary agent or her vigilant bodyguard to keep her safe.
As the three of them become entangled in a web of deceit, it’s a race to see who’s the villain, who’s the hero, and who holds all the pieces to solve the mystery of the best seller.
Unbeknownst to her, the memoir is peppered with clues leading to a rare collection of stolen jewels from World War II. After the memoir makes the best-seller list, Kelly finds herself in the crosshairs of a decades-old vendetta.
Now, instead of enjoying her rise to literary fame, she’s thrust into the dangerous world of treasure hunting.
While Kelly struggles to win the game of cat-and-mouse, a secret family legacy is unearthed, forcing her to choose between trusting her charming literary agent or her vigilant bodyguard to keep her safe.
As the three of them become entangled in a web of deceit, it’s a race to see who’s the villain, who’s the hero, and who holds all the pieces to solve the mystery of the best seller.
- GenresChristian Fiction
361 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 6, 2024
3 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Christina Rost
3 books35 followersChristina Rost is an award-winning author, a mother to three amazing children, and is married to her high school sweetheart.
After spending twenty-four years as an Air Force wife, her husband retired, and she took this opportunity to pursue writing full-time. While she currently lives in Oklahoma City, she’s lived all over the US, a few years in the UK, and loves to travel.
An avid reader, she can still remember the first box set of sweet romance stories her mother bought her as a young teen—The Canadian West Series by Janette Oke. Reading about the rugged landscape of the west and handsome Canadian Mounties, Christina daydreamed about writing her own love stories.
Writing inspirational romance has always been Christina’s passion, and she loves to craft relatable characters with redemptive qualities that reflect the importance of her faith.
In 2021, her novel Best Seller took first place at WriterCon in Oklahoma City and in 2022, the same story was a finalist for the ACFW Genesis Contest. She’s also won several awards in Flash Fiction and garnered a publishing contract by winning the GetPubbed contest for Scrivenings Press.
Her literary hero is Jane Austen, and, like Jane, she hopes her own contemporary romances can sweep her readers away for a swoon-worthy, enjoyable experience.
When she isn’t spending time with her family or writing, you’ll find Christina chatting with friends over creamy cups of seasonal coffee or perusing antique shops for tattered books and hidden treasures.
After spending twenty-four years as an Air Force wife, her husband retired, and she took this opportunity to pursue writing full-time. While she currently lives in Oklahoma City, she’s lived all over the US, a few years in the UK, and loves to travel.
An avid reader, she can still remember the first box set of sweet romance stories her mother bought her as a young teen—The Canadian West Series by Janette Oke. Reading about the rugged landscape of the west and handsome Canadian Mounties, Christina daydreamed about writing her own love stories.
Writing inspirational romance has always been Christina’s passion, and she loves to craft relatable characters with redemptive qualities that reflect the importance of her faith.
In 2021, her novel Best Seller took first place at WriterCon in Oklahoma City and in 2022, the same story was a finalist for the ACFW Genesis Contest. She’s also won several awards in Flash Fiction and garnered a publishing contract by winning the GetPubbed contest for Scrivenings Press.
Her literary hero is Jane Austen, and, like Jane, she hopes her own contemporary romances can sweep her readers away for a swoon-worthy, enjoyable experience.
When she isn’t spending time with her family or writing, you’ll find Christina chatting with friends over creamy cups of seasonal coffee or perusing antique shops for tattered books and hidden treasures.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 25, 2024
“… love is a mystery. And often it’s the missing piece.”
I love books, TV shows, movies, etc. that have an ‘international intrigue’ vibe, particularly if it involves finding lost or stolen treasures and/or outsmarting the bad guys who are trying to do the same thing. So I was delighted to discover that Best Seller by Christina Rost would hold its own quite nicely in a binge reading/viewing of titles such as Leverage, The Italian Job, Connie Mann’s The Crown Conspiracy and even Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s part mystery, part suspense, and part romance… and that ‘international intrigue’ vibe is deliciously present, too.
Kelly Landon normally writes suspense novels and thrillers but agrees to write a memoir for a wealthy, elderly man with a compelling history. She never imagined that her decision would end up drawing her into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, or that the story of Abram’s parents and the children they rescued during World War 2 would be so much more complex than it appears on the surface. Secrets, stolen jewels, threats, hidden codes and riddles, a bodyguard … suddenly, Kelly seems to be living one of her crime fiction novels instead of writing them. I had fun trying to piece together the whole puzzle as each new layer to the big picture is revealed, and even though I never could quite get a sense of how much time was passing between chapters (sometimes it’s months, other times it’s just a few hours, with no date progression to tell me for sure) I was completely invested in tagging along for the ride.
I particularly loved the sweet friendship that develops between Kelly and Abram as she writes his family’s story and in the resulting aftermath. He’s definitely a man with closely guarded secrets, but he also has a quiet wisdom that impacts Kelly on more than one occasion. He’s the kind of character that I would want to sit with in real life and just listen to, absorbing his insight and life experience, so it makes perfect sense that Kelly gravitates toward doing that exact thing too. And despite there being a bit of a love triangle between Kelly, her agent, and her bodyguard, I also enjoyed the romance element to Best Seller (even if I did want to shake Kelly a time or two lol). Normally, I don’t like love triangles but in this case I didn’t mind it because, all along, there was only one clear winner in my opinion. (It’s the love triangles with two strong contenders that wreck me.)
Bottom Line: Best Seller by Christina Rost is a lot of fun to immerse yourself into as a reader, with its surprising legacies, stolen treasure, intriguing characters, and a whole heap of secrets. And the more we find out about each individual player in this treasure hunt, the more solidly I was hooked on seeing all the various plot elements through to their grand finale. If you enjoy mysteries with an Indiana Jones or Leverage flair to them – and a dash of romance – then you’ll enjoy Best Seller too!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
I love books, TV shows, movies, etc. that have an ‘international intrigue’ vibe, particularly if it involves finding lost or stolen treasures and/or outsmarting the bad guys who are trying to do the same thing. So I was delighted to discover that Best Seller by Christina Rost would hold its own quite nicely in a binge reading/viewing of titles such as Leverage, The Italian Job, Connie Mann’s The Crown Conspiracy and even Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s part mystery, part suspense, and part romance… and that ‘international intrigue’ vibe is deliciously present, too.
Kelly Landon normally writes suspense novels and thrillers but agrees to write a memoir for a wealthy, elderly man with a compelling history. She never imagined that her decision would end up drawing her into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, or that the story of Abram’s parents and the children they rescued during World War 2 would be so much more complex than it appears on the surface. Secrets, stolen jewels, threats, hidden codes and riddles, a bodyguard … suddenly, Kelly seems to be living one of her crime fiction novels instead of writing them. I had fun trying to piece together the whole puzzle as each new layer to the big picture is revealed, and even though I never could quite get a sense of how much time was passing between chapters (sometimes it’s months, other times it’s just a few hours, with no date progression to tell me for sure) I was completely invested in tagging along for the ride.
I particularly loved the sweet friendship that develops between Kelly and Abram as she writes his family’s story and in the resulting aftermath. He’s definitely a man with closely guarded secrets, but he also has a quiet wisdom that impacts Kelly on more than one occasion. He’s the kind of character that I would want to sit with in real life and just listen to, absorbing his insight and life experience, so it makes perfect sense that Kelly gravitates toward doing that exact thing too. And despite there being a bit of a love triangle between Kelly, her agent, and her bodyguard, I also enjoyed the romance element to Best Seller (even if I did want to shake Kelly a time or two lol). Normally, I don’t like love triangles but in this case I didn’t mind it because, all along, there was only one clear winner in my opinion. (It’s the love triangles with two strong contenders that wreck me.)
Bottom Line: Best Seller by Christina Rost is a lot of fun to immerse yourself into as a reader, with its surprising legacies, stolen treasure, intriguing characters, and a whole heap of secrets. And the more we find out about each individual player in this treasure hunt, the more solidly I was hooked on seeing all the various plot elements through to their grand finale. If you enjoy mysteries with an Indiana Jones or Leverage flair to them – and a dash of romance – then you’ll enjoy Best Seller too!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
July 30, 2025
Review to follow later today
August 20, 2024
Plot and characters! I loved it all. Unique premise. Love that it's the first of a series. Didn't see the twist at the end coming, but loved it too. Add Best Seller to your TBR pile. Near the top. It will be worth it. Keep writing, Ms Rost!
July 30, 2024
WOWWWW this book was not at all what I was expecting. Let's just start out by saying that the cover itself pulls you in. Then the synopsis really has you questioning what you are about to read about. And wow, this book does not disappoint. When I read it was a ROMANCE and there was MYSTERY and SUSPENSE, I wondered how would that all play out. But it played out BEAUTIFULLY! And the mysteries that are uncovered are honestly so powerful, and lets not forget the history that is interwoven as well! WOW! Just WOW!
When Kelly writes a Best Seller she thinks it is going to be a turning point in her career. But it turns out to be a turning point in her life! Everywhere she turns danger is lurking! And who is to come to her aid? Her literary agent, turned Boyfriend, Declan? Or Nathaniel, the bodyguard that Declan hired to keep her safe. The memoir she has written is much more than just a story, but supposedly is hiding clues to rare jewels, and someone believes she knows where they are! As she is fighting for her life and trying to solve the mysteries behind her best seller... she is finding a new problem is brewing. She finally has the man she always wanted, but what if he isn't the man she truely needs in her life? And what if one of her closest companions is behind all of this?!
This book will NOT disappoint.
So much is packed in this book...
A Love triangle
Secret Identity
Rich/mysterious characters
Historical facts
Lost family
Forced Proximity
Treasure hunting...
There is SO much wrapped into this story I don't want to risk revealing it all. So you'll just have to check it out! I think you are going to want the paperback of this book on your shelf! I KNOW I do!
When Kelly writes a Best Seller she thinks it is going to be a turning point in her career. But it turns out to be a turning point in her life! Everywhere she turns danger is lurking! And who is to come to her aid? Her literary agent, turned Boyfriend, Declan? Or Nathaniel, the bodyguard that Declan hired to keep her safe. The memoir she has written is much more than just a story, but supposedly is hiding clues to rare jewels, and someone believes she knows where they are! As she is fighting for her life and trying to solve the mysteries behind her best seller... she is finding a new problem is brewing. She finally has the man she always wanted, but what if he isn't the man she truely needs in her life? And what if one of her closest companions is behind all of this?!
This book will NOT disappoint.
So much is packed in this book...
A Love triangle
Secret Identity
Rich/mysterious characters
Historical facts
Lost family
Forced Proximity
Treasure hunting...
There is SO much wrapped into this story I don't want to risk revealing it all. So you'll just have to check it out! I think you are going to want the paperback of this book on your shelf! I KNOW I do!
August 24, 2024
Such an exciting read that took turns making my heart race and making it ache and making me smile for the characters and the situations they faced. A well-designed fictional mystery, crime, and suspense story with historical and Biblical threads woven thorough it. This book had everything including faith content that added so much to the story without coming off as cheesy. Likewise, the romance was great, clean and wholesome and I loved that it was a big part of the story but didn't overshadow the mystery. There were so many twists and turns throughout that consistently led to the next piece in the puzzle, one of the best books I have read in this category. Anticipating book 2.
Blurb:
When crime fiction novelist Kelly Landon agrees to write a memoir for an eccentric, elderly gentleman, her quiet life turns upside-down.
Unbeknownst to her, the memoir is peppered with clues leading to a rare collection of stolen jewels from World War II. After the memoir makes the best-seller list, Kelly finds herself in the crosshairs of a decades-old vendetta.
Now, instead of enjoying her rise to literary fame, she’s thrust into the dangerous world of treasure hunting.
While Kelly struggles to win the game of cat-and-mouse, a secret family legacy is unearthed, forcing her to choose between trusting her charming literary agent or her vigilant bodyguard to keep her safe.
As the three of them become entangled in a web of deceit, it’s a race to see who’s the villain, who’s the hero, and who holds all the pieces to solve the mystery of the best seller.
Duplicity* (Wow!)
Broody bodyguard
Love triangle
Secret societies
Vendetta
Treasure
Literary/bookish themes
Blurb:
When crime fiction novelist Kelly Landon agrees to write a memoir for an eccentric, elderly gentleman, her quiet life turns upside-down.
Unbeknownst to her, the memoir is peppered with clues leading to a rare collection of stolen jewels from World War II. After the memoir makes the best-seller list, Kelly finds herself in the crosshairs of a decades-old vendetta.
Now, instead of enjoying her rise to literary fame, she’s thrust into the dangerous world of treasure hunting.
While Kelly struggles to win the game of cat-and-mouse, a secret family legacy is unearthed, forcing her to choose between trusting her charming literary agent or her vigilant bodyguard to keep her safe.
As the three of them become entangled in a web of deceit, it’s a race to see who’s the villain, who’s the hero, and who holds all the pieces to solve the mystery of the best seller.
Duplicity* (Wow!)
Broody bodyguard
Love triangle
Secret societies
Vendetta
Treasure
Literary/bookish themes
April 7, 2025
Kelly's publisher asks her to step outside of her normal writing genre and write a memoir of Abram Zucker. Abram and Kelly become close after collaborating on the book. One problem, Abram likes to talk in riddles. There is a mystery that Abram wants Kelly to solve. Once the book hits the best-seller list Kelly's life is threatened. Someone wants what they think Kelly knows. Nathan is hired to be her bodyguard. Kelly doesn't want a bodyguard, but with the threats ramping up she has no choice. Who can Kelly trust with the secrets that Abram shared with her?
I really enjoyed this story. I loved the characters. I liked Kelly as she was a kind and caring person. I loved the relationship she built with Abram. Both Declan and Nathan's pursuit of Kelly was believable but I found myself liking one way better than the other! The mystery was interesting. A bit of treasure hunting, intrigue and danger. Romance and suspense are always right up my alley and I was quite happy with this book and am looking forward to the next one in the series!
I really enjoyed this story. I loved the characters. I liked Kelly as she was a kind and caring person. I loved the relationship she built with Abram. Both Declan and Nathan's pursuit of Kelly was believable but I found myself liking one way better than the other! The mystery was interesting. A bit of treasure hunting, intrigue and danger. Romance and suspense are always right up my alley and I was quite happy with this book and am looking forward to the next one in the series!
September 9, 2024
What happens when an author writes a best-selling memoir about a pivotal period of history, only to find that she's opened up Pandora's box? I knew Best Seller would have romance, suspense, and Christian themes, but I did NOT know what a roller-coaster ride it would become! When I got halfway through the book and then there was yet another element revealed that made things BEGIN to clear up, I was hooked. When I got to 50% on my Kindle, I think I only took 2 more stints to finish, because I could not put it down. The world of publication, death threats, mysterious treasures, and romance. Yes, please. I'm happy to know there will be more in the H & G Mystery series!
October 2, 2024
This first book in a new series by author Christina Rost will keep you on the edge of your seat. Many twists and turns with fully developed characters so easily visualized as they go about their business on the pages of this novel. A nice mixture of action and emotional nuances. The timeline does skip ahead quite a bit from chapter to chapter at times so it was a challenge to connect with the characters because it felt as if I'd missed large chunks of their lives. However, as the action ramped up in the second half, I couldn't put it down. I'm so impressed with Ms. Rost's creativity and imagination and am very much looking forward to the next installment of the H&G Mystery Series!
August 10, 2024
They say not to judge a book by its cover, but I totally did… and I was not wrong! The cover pulled me in immediately.
When I read it was a romance, and a mystery, and suspense… I wasn’t quite sure how this story would play out, but this story unraveled beautifully.
When Kelly writes a Best Seller she thinks it is going to be a turning point in her career, but it turns out to be a turning point in her life…
She develops this sweet friendship with an older gentleman researching for her book… she thinks she’s writing his memoir. Who knew the history and love involved would embark on a dangerous adventure?!? Was she set up from the beginning by her literary agent turned boyfriend!!?
The memoir turned Best Seller she has written is much more than just a story… it’s hiding clues to rare jewels, and because she wrote this book, it’s believed that she knows where they are!
In this book, you will find:
A Love Triangle
Secret Identity
Money
Mystery
History
Lost Family
Forced Proximity
Treasure Hunting
I am very much looking forward to book 2 in this series to see what happens next!
I was provided an ARC by the author and her publishers, but the opinions are my own.
When I read it was a romance, and a mystery, and suspense… I wasn’t quite sure how this story would play out, but this story unraveled beautifully.
When Kelly writes a Best Seller she thinks it is going to be a turning point in her career, but it turns out to be a turning point in her life…
She develops this sweet friendship with an older gentleman researching for her book… she thinks she’s writing his memoir. Who knew the history and love involved would embark on a dangerous adventure?!? Was she set up from the beginning by her literary agent turned boyfriend!!?
The memoir turned Best Seller she has written is much more than just a story… it’s hiding clues to rare jewels, and because she wrote this book, it’s believed that she knows where they are!
In this book, you will find:
A Love Triangle
Secret Identity
Money
Mystery
History
Lost Family
Forced Proximity
Treasure Hunting
I am very much looking forward to book 2 in this series to see what happens next!
I was provided an ARC by the author and her publishers, but the opinions are my own.
August 7, 2024
“Best Seller” took you on a story that engages you with mystery from the beginning and throws you plot twists you never saw coming. It’s such an imaginative story to get lost in from reality. I really enjoyed it and found it hard to put it down once the pieces really started coming together and I had thought I was getting it figured out, but I wasn’t turns out. I enjoyed the characters, the romance between a manly man and an independent yet feminine woman, and the action.
August 13, 2024
“She couldn’t imagine all this turmoil was because of one best seller.” Hers.
Best Seller begins in 1933 Germany, when young Abram Zucker witnesses a book burning and rescues a children’s book from the flames on behalf of a friend.
Years later, the writing and publishing of Abram Zucker’s memoir about his parents becomes a best seller and stirs up a hornet’s nest of trouble for author Kelly Landon. She’s caught up in a world of secrets and mysteries from the past that she must untangle to find answers and peace. But who can she trust? And why is Abram so cryptic when he responds to her questions? The plot unfolds and the characters are revealed in a way that keeps you reading to the end, finding the answers to her questions and yours along the way.
Best Seller begins in 1933 Germany, when young Abram Zucker witnesses a book burning and rescues a children’s book from the flames on behalf of a friend.
Years later, the writing and publishing of Abram Zucker’s memoir about his parents becomes a best seller and stirs up a hornet’s nest of trouble for author Kelly Landon. She’s caught up in a world of secrets and mysteries from the past that she must untangle to find answers and peace. But who can she trust? And why is Abram so cryptic when he responds to her questions? The plot unfolds and the characters are revealed in a way that keeps you reading to the end, finding the answers to her questions and yours along the way.
April 4, 2025
I don't usually gravitate toward mystery/suspense, but everything I had seen about this book sounded good. Since I had read and enjoyed her other book, I decided to give this one a try. I'm so glad I did.
The way the author wove characters and clues together is like a gorgeous tapestry. You're caught wondering if you're guessing right or if something else could be it. The romance added in is perfect and exactly what this romance lover needed. Highly recommend.
The way the author wove characters and clues together is like a gorgeous tapestry. You're caught wondering if you're guessing right or if something else could be it. The romance added in is perfect and exactly what this romance lover needed. Highly recommend.
August 13, 2024
Best Seller by Christina Rost is a thrilling blend of mystery, suspense, and romance that kept me on the edge of my seat. Rost’s writing is engaging and descriptive, painting vivid scenes that drew me into the story. It’s perfect for fans of treasure hunts, historical intrigue, and complex character dynamics. It’s a must-read!
February 25, 2025
A Heart and Mind Grabber
Rost…Follow her. No disappointment. Don’t expect fluff. She offers complex characters and plots with twists throughout.
Chameleon bad guys. Secrets upon secrets. A writer whose heart throbs for love and meaning.
Ready for the next one.
Rost…Follow her. No disappointment. Don’t expect fluff. She offers complex characters and plots with twists throughout.
Chameleon bad guys. Secrets upon secrets. A writer whose heart throbs for love and meaning.
Ready for the next one.
March 22, 2025
An h and g mystery
This is a long story. You will Want to keep reading to see what happens next. There are quite a few characters in this story. I feel you will like this adventure.
n
This is a long story. You will Want to keep reading to see what happens next. There are quite a few characters in this story. I feel you will like this adventure.
n
August 12, 2024
I absolutely loved this book!! The mystery, the romance…the history!!
Christina Rost laid it out beautifully! The scene-setting🤌🏼. Did I mention the romance?😍😁 It just kept getting better and better! I totally recommend this book!
Christina Rost laid it out beautifully! The scene-setting🤌🏼. Did I mention the romance?😍😁 It just kept getting better and better! I totally recommend this book!
August 27, 2024
All the feels!
Had me guessing what was next! I couldn't put it down! This author is fastly becoming one of my favorites. I enjoyed the mix of mystery and romance.
Had me guessing what was next! I couldn't put it down! This author is fastly becoming one of my favorites. I enjoyed the mix of mystery and romance.
February 2, 2025
Looking for a good book to read? Then look no further than this Christian suspense by Christina Rost!
Kelly is a best-seller thriller author who was approached by her agent to write a memoir of a wealthy, influential elderly client's parents' love story & how they helped save Jewish children when the new German regime came to power. She was given journals his parents kept as long as she promised to keep them safe & not show them to anyone.
Now that the memoir is a best-seller, someone is breaking in Kelly's house, ransacking it & leaving threatening notes. Who is doing this & why? What do they want & what are they afraid of?
Is it her agent, Declan? Why does he keep pursuing information on where she has the journals? Why the sudden interest in her? Is it genuine, or is he a lady's man or something far more sinister?
Her new body guard, Nathan, who is a former FBI agent & ex-military or someone unknown?
What secrets do the journals hold that someone is afraid of what they might reveal?
Will Kelly find the "hidden" meaning in the journals, discover who is behind the threats & find true love before it's too late?
Kelly is a best-seller thriller author who was approached by her agent to write a memoir of a wealthy, influential elderly client's parents' love story & how they helped save Jewish children when the new German regime came to power. She was given journals his parents kept as long as she promised to keep them safe & not show them to anyone.
Now that the memoir is a best-seller, someone is breaking in Kelly's house, ransacking it & leaving threatening notes. Who is doing this & why? What do they want & what are they afraid of?
Is it her agent, Declan? Why does he keep pursuing information on where she has the journals? Why the sudden interest in her? Is it genuine, or is he a lady's man or something far more sinister?
Her new body guard, Nathan, who is a former FBI agent & ex-military or someone unknown?
What secrets do the journals hold that someone is afraid of what they might reveal?
Will Kelly find the "hidden" meaning in the journals, discover who is behind the threats & find true love before it's too late?
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews