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A spooky mansion in the Georgia mountains with an outrageous cast of characters. Spiders, snakes, meth-heads and serial killers, oh my! Venom! ain’t your average gothic mystery, folks. But who would expect it to be when Natalie McMasters is involved? She’s fallen madly in love with two people—her wife, Lupe, and Danny, her partner at the 3M Detective Agency. Rather than choose one of them as her life partner, she’s decided to have them both, and roped them into a relationship retreat in rural Georgia to learn how to live as a polyamorous family.But Nattie finds more than she bargained for in the sleepy town of Greypeak. A methamphetamine operation. A snake-handling preacher. A retired FBI agent hunting a serial killer. And a charismatic psychologist who just might have his own agenda for his clients.Nattie ultimately finds herself in the most dangerous situation she’s ever faced, which may well solve her relationship problems by costing her life. Is this really the last book in the Natalie McMasters series?
- GenresMystery
272 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2020
5 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Thomas A. Burns Jr.
22 books107 followersAs a kid, Tom started reading mysteries with the Hardy Boys, Ken Holt and Rick Brant, and graduated to the classic stories by authors such as A. Conan Doyle, John Dickson Carr, Erle Stanley Gardner and Rex Stout to name a few. Tom has written fiction as a hobby all of his life, starting in marble-backed copybooks in grade school. He built a career as a writer, doing technical writing, science writing and editing for nearly thirty years in industry and government. Now that he's truly on his own as a freelance science writer and editor, he's excited to publish his own mystery series as well. Follow Tom on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/3MDetectiveA..., on Twitter @3Mdetective or email him at tom@3mdetectiveagency.com to get all the news about Nattie and 3M, as well as Tom's other writing projects.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 6, 2021
In this fourth book in the Natalie McMasters Mystery Series by Thomas A Burns, Jr., the level of emotions and feelings rises to very intense, as Natalie attempts to persuade her two lovers, Lupe and Danny, to help her make a family between the three of them, as she refuses to choose one over the other. It is also laced with multiple murders and disappearances of guests at an old stately mansion where the three are attempting to work out whether the threesome can work or not with the help of a psychologist/therapist. As with all cases involving Natalie and her investigative friends, nothing is as it seems nor do all the people fall into their regular niches. The lives of Natalie and others are definitely at risk in this story about killers, poisonous snakes and spiders, drugs, and feelings. I eagerly look forward to reading the next book in this series. This is a voluntary review of this book.
March 9, 2020
What do a love guru, a mysterious mansion, and a methamphetamine operation have in common? You'll have to read Thomas Burns' latest book in the Natalie McMasters series to find out!
Venom grabbed my attention right away and held it throughout the book. This book has a unique premise: the main character (Nattie), Nattie's wife, and Nattie's boyfriend all travel to a relationship retreat to work on their polyamorous relationship. Of course, more than one mystery unfolds as Nattie seeks to cement her relationships. This book is chock full of interesting characters and twists and turns you won't see coming.
My main critique of the book is that Nattie's "slang" at times seems dated. It pulled me out of the story when I saw words and phrases that really aren't used any more by people in her age group.
Venom grabbed my attention right away and held it throughout the book. This book has a unique premise: the main character (Nattie), Nattie's wife, and Nattie's boyfriend all travel to a relationship retreat to work on their polyamorous relationship. Of course, more than one mystery unfolds as Nattie seeks to cement her relationships. This book is chock full of interesting characters and twists and turns you won't see coming.
My main critique of the book is that Nattie's "slang" at times seems dated. It pulled me out of the story when I saw words and phrases that really aren't used any more by people in her age group.
October 12, 2020
Thomas A. Burns, Jr.'s writing is visceral. Whether he is writing about crime, or torture, or love, or sex, you will feel those passages deeply. His fourth foray into the life of Natalie McMasters follows closely on the third. These are books you want to read starting with book one to understand Natalie's tempestuous life. Each and every one of them is a page-turner. If you are like me, a person who reads before going to sleep, plan on not getting much shuteye until you read the last page.
While trying to come to terms with her love for her wife and her best friend at a relationship retreat, Natalie finds herself embroiled in a strange serial killer mystery.
I love the main characters in these books. Each one is a distinct personality. Each has flaws. Each has a history. In other words, these are people not just characters on a page.
Like its predecessors, VENOM! may not be a book for everyone. They all explore relationships in the 21st century and use texting abbreviations popular today. I will confess that I have to google some of them to get the full meaning. Looking them up means I've learned something new, and when I learn something new it is a good day indeed.
While trying to come to terms with her love for her wife and her best friend at a relationship retreat, Natalie finds herself embroiled in a strange serial killer mystery.
I love the main characters in these books. Each one is a distinct personality. Each has flaws. Each has a history. In other words, these are people not just characters on a page.
Like its predecessors, VENOM! may not be a book for everyone. They all explore relationships in the 21st century and use texting abbreviations popular today. I will confess that I have to google some of them to get the full meaning. Looking them up means I've learned something new, and when I learn something new it is a good day indeed.
March 31, 2020
This was a fabulous piece of writing. I’m new to the Natalie McMasters Mysteries, but I’m happy to know there are more and I look forward to reading about her other adventures. It’s great to find a character like this that you can follow through multiple cases and mysteries, I love seeing them unfold from book to book in their lives as well as learning new things and finding new mysteries. They are my favorite types of books, can be read as stand alones, but great to read all of them as well.
Thomas A. Burns, Jr. has done a great job of giving us a mystery that is just so superbly done. I loved the way he let the mystery develop, nothing felt forced and I was hanging by his every word towards the end.
Thomas A. Burns, Jr. has done a great job of giving us a mystery that is just so superbly done. I loved the way he let the mystery develop, nothing felt forced and I was hanging by his every word towards the end.
March 31, 2020
I'm going to jump in with the others who so thoroughly enjoyed this book. You will be very pleasantly surprised on the deep and intriguing story you get out of it.
What a clever story with a wonderful balance of endearing moments and mystery.
Thomas A. Burns, Jr. has created a novel in which the main character shows growth. For me that is always something I look for in my favorite main characters. I love that this is a series in which we can watch her over the course of many books.
What a clever story with a wonderful balance of endearing moments and mystery.
Thomas A. Burns, Jr. has created a novel in which the main character shows growth. For me that is always something I look for in my favorite main characters. I love that this is a series in which we can watch her over the course of many books.
April 2, 2020
I really enjoyed both the characters and the storyline.
I just had a hard time putting this one down. Every chance I got I was reading it....
I enjoyed reading about Natalie and her journey while trying to solve this mystery.
Great world building, personalities of the characters and so much more.
When it got to certain puzzles in the book, I found myself excited to join in and solve them!
I enjoyed myself immensely and would definitely recommend!
I just had a hard time putting this one down. Every chance I got I was reading it....
I enjoyed reading about Natalie and her journey while trying to solve this mystery.
Great world building, personalities of the characters and so much more.
When it got to certain puzzles in the book, I found myself excited to join in and solve them!
I enjoyed myself immensely and would definitely recommend!
March 5, 2020
Pick Your Poison
Natalie McMasters and friends deal with a plethora of evil doings in a place that's supposed to improve relationships. There are enough twists and turns in this mystery to keep readers guessing who is behind all the mayhem in the Georgia mountains. It's an intense story, from the first to the last page in this fourth book in the series.
Natalie McMasters and friends deal with a plethora of evil doings in a place that's supposed to improve relationships. There are enough twists and turns in this mystery to keep readers guessing who is behind all the mayhem in the Georgia mountains. It's an intense story, from the first to the last page in this fourth book in the series.
March 12, 2020
Lots of action but annoying slang
Maybe I am too old for this book or it is just because I am not American but most of the slang in this book made absolutely no sense.
There are lots of crazy twists & turns, a wide variety of characters & a bit of a cliffhanger ending. Worth a read if you don't take it too seriously
Maybe I am too old for this book or it is just because I am not American but most of the slang in this book made absolutely no sense.
There are lots of crazy twists & turns, a wide variety of characters & a bit of a cliffhanger ending. Worth a read if you don't take it too seriously
March 24, 2020
A sexual extravaganza.
This story has an iffy plot. I thought, mistakenly, that it might be a new Mahoney type mystery with the start of the story but it quickly fell to sexual innuendos. The author can write but I wonder if kinky sex has this many legitimate readers. It is way beyond "bodice rippers". I will avoid all other author's books.
This story has an iffy plot. I thought, mistakenly, that it might be a new Mahoney type mystery with the start of the story but it quickly fell to sexual innuendos. The author can write but I wonder if kinky sex has this many legitimate readers. It is way beyond "bodice rippers". I will avoid all other author's books.
March 7, 2020
This story is intense!! It's so crazy, you're going to love it. It's dark, twisted, and full of plot twists and turns. I would advise that if you are afraid of spiders that you be wary lol I had creepy spider nightmares during this book. Such a good book. 5 stars and 2 thumbs up!!
April 7, 2020
Great addition to the series, although there is enough background to pick it up as an intro. Engaging characters, compelling plot and particularly plausible villains.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews