Stranded At Night

California Express #1

by Rebekah Dodson

Two days after Christmas, two in the afternoon, two passengers must face the storm to prevail against the darkness. Maggie Espinoza needs to get away from Portland, Oregon, from a blown out past and a bleak future. She figures taking the Express train to balmy Southern California to start over is just what she needs. Two days after Christmas while everyone is preparing for the New Year, she makes her escape during the worst blizzard the state has ever seen. Jesse Cabot senses a darkness is fellow passenger Maggie when he sits next to her on the train. Why is she so haunted and broken? When the train suddenly stops in the middle of the blizzard weird things start to happen. Random disappearances, an assault, a body in the snow. It becomes clear it's up to Jesse and Maggie to find the culprit or face the music on the stranded California Express.

Genres: Mystery, Romance, Thriller

148 pages, Paperback

Published January 4, 2020

About the author

Rebekah Dodson is a prolific word weaver of romance, fantasy, and science fiction novels. Her works include the series Postcards from Paris, The Surrogate, The Curse of Lanval series, several stand alone novels, and her upcoming YA novel, Clock City. She has been writing her whole life, with her first published work of historical fiction with 4H Clubs of America at the age of 12, and poetry at the age of 16 with the National Poetry Society. With an extensive academic background including education, history, psychology and English, she currently works as a college professor by day and a writer by night.

Reviews

[Will Decker · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a somewhat decent story here but it's buried in poor grammar, poor editing, lousy character development, and a definite lack of research that comes off with a ring of stupidity. If there is a device that will give you a hotspot for WiFi without cell service, I definitely want one. And the UC's weapon description totally confused me. These are just two instances where the author should have done a little research before diving in. And the terrible grammar and typos drove me up a wall. If you won't take the time to learn the trade, hire an editor. At least in today's age of digital, it won't take anything to turn this into a presentable piece of work and re-upload it. Thank goodness it was short! BTW-locals prefer K-falls, not Klamath.

[Penelope · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up STRANDED AT NIGHT because I thought the blurb sounded interesting and the attractive cover caught my eye. I haven’t read anything else by Rebekah Dodson. STRANDED AT NIGHT had potential.

My (e Kindle) copy of STRANDED AT NIGHT was badly in need of additional editing/proofreading/refining/word and grammar checks, etc. Sentences were disjointed, phrases awkward, and the story itself had several inconsistencies in it. SPOILER: I believe the MMC would have belonged to either a special branch of the FBI or Homeland Security rather than the CIA, since the latter agency works on overseas assignments and not inside US borders. Several paragraphs in STRANDED were dedicated to vaping and e-cigarettes which seemed irrelevant as those comments added nothing to the story, and seemed merely lifestyle commentaries. The sexual intimacy scene in the end felt poorly timed - even though this is fiction. It just felt as if it was inserted (no pun intended), as an afterthought - just because. (I read steamy novels, so this isn’t my offense to intimacy in fiction). I’m pretty sure an actual agent would have been trying to save lives, disarm the antagonist, and complete the mission first.

In all, I felt STRANDED read like a rough draft that had potential for possibly an interesting or even a good contemporary suspense novel but it was released too soon. This was nearly a dnf, for me - a rarity. I cannot fathom why it has so many 4 and 5 stars. Points for potential, I guess. I read reviews before “clicking,” I felt those were misleading.

[Mariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stranded At Night
By Rebekah Dodson

I received a complimentary copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Just after Christmas, Maggie must leave Portland asap. Leaving her mother behind, she travels by train, hoping her past doesn't catch up with her and she can start afresh. The train is quieter at this time of year, but a few characters stand out, especially a tattooed, aviator-wearing individual she later learns is Jesse Cabot. Strange events occur and deaths follow; the two team up to find out who is behind the killings.

Stranded At Night is a gratifying read with a stunning book cover. Reading the blurb intrigued me and the story did not disappoint. Mystery surrounds the beginning, but when the reader acknowledges Maggie has a black eye, it’s enough to instil a sense of urgency concerning her departure. I enjoyed the characters and the world-building, including the suspense and attraction that slowly builds between the pair. Maggie appears to be a meek persona, yet has so much hidden strength.

There are quite a few grammatical errors which could benefit from editing, but honestly, this did not distract me from the plot. The mention of the CIA is probably incorrect, as I assumed it prohibits the collecting of information regarding “U.S. Persons”.

Despite the errors, I award Stranded At Night 5 stars as I thoroughly enjoyed the read and the emotions it evoked in me.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two days after Christmas, two in the afternoon, two passengers must face the storm to prevail against the darkness.
Maggie Espinoza needs to get away from Portland, Oregon, from a blown out past and a bleak future. She figures taking the Express train to balmy Southern California to start over is just what she needs. Two days after Christmas while everyone is preparing for the New Year, she makes her escape during the worst blizzard the state has ever seen.
Jesse Cabot senses a darkness in fellow passenger Maggie when he sits next to her on the train.
Why is she so haunted and broken?
When the train suddenly stops in the middle of the blizzard weird things start to happen.
Random disappearances, an assault, a body in the snow.
It becomes clear it's up to Jesse and Maggie to find the culprit or face the music on the stranded California Express.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believeable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nebulous · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stranded at Night is book number one of the California Express series. Intrigued by the plot, sprinkled with a non-traditional Christmas story, I decided to pick up this book. The story's aspects will keep you hooked, and the mystery gave me some serious 'Murder on the Orient Express' vibes. The author does a great job of delivering an immersive experience by presenting incredible landscapes—props to Rebekah for dropping revelations throughout the book, which complements the fast-paced plot and the characters. However, realism morphs into parallel lines, and the protagonists are not adequately fleshed out. I wasn't convinced of the chemistry between Jesse and Maggie. Sometimes, too much goes on in the pages, deviating from the main plot and confusing. But there's always hope as this is the first book of the series. I'm not giving up on Jesse and Maggie just yet. I appreciated the author's note on the inspiration behind the story. A 3.5 star read.

I read and reviewed this book with no obligation. This honest review is left voluntarily.

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this read, Maggie and Jessie are great characters that really draw you in and make you need to know what will happen next. You are kept in suspense on what will happen next as well as who is behind everything, mix that with Maggie and Jessie and its a perfect read. This is the first book in the series I have read so have just gone and grabbed the first book Stranded At Night to read about Maggie and Jessie's first meeting and the adventures that entailed!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder By Day: California Express Book 2 by Rebekah Dodson is a story that I have loved reading very much. This is book number two in this amazing story written by a brand new author for e to read. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about mysteries, thrillers and romantic suspense in their stories.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carolyn Summers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stranded At Night is a twisty-turny thriller that has you on the edge of your seat at times. I was looking forward to this non-traditional Christmas story and it's an excellent start to the California Express series. I don't know the area but I love suspenseful thrillers and am a sucker for a dark and stormy night. The characters are well developed and I enjoyed getting into their heads as the story progressed. I look forward to checking out the rest of the series.

[Carolyn Vandine West · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a horrible story, but some editing needed.
I like thriller type books and this crossed into murder as well.
Can’t really say cute, but a novella size thriller. Based a real life experience the author had with a stranded train.
I also was on a slower than normal journey several years back when wildfires slowed traffic. Just a tip if you take a train trip, take snacks. They don’t have unlimited food.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual story that kept me engrossed. I have ridden on a train a few times, in good weather and bad, but can't imagine what it was like for the passengers who were trapped and stranded in the snow. Of course the story is more than about being stranded on a train. There is an evil person aboard who is making things worse.

Maggie and Jessie combine their knowledge and skills to get to the bottom of this. There is much they don't know about each other and little by little it is revealed to readers as well. Together they are the bravest people on the train and soon form a bond, which is constantly challenged because neither of them wants to reveal who they really are.

Because this is a pretty short story, I don't want to tell more about it, but if you like adventure, intrigue and some romance, you will enjoy this book!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting and suspenseful story. I thought the author did a good job addressing some complex topics. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick mystery/suspense read with closed door romantic involvement. It's worth it to read the Afterword section after reading the story, as it offers some additional insight into the inspiration for the story and character development. I usually skip that part, but I was glad I didn't in this case!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Annette Sullivan · Rating 1 out of 5]

nope

I hardly got past a few pages and the crude blasphemy and use of the ‘F’ word was too much. My world doesn’t have those type of words in it.
I won’t be recommending this book because it is also very poorly proof read, I added my own corrections and missing words as I read.
So glad I only read a few pages.

[TaniaRina Valdespino · Rating 4 out of 5]

TOTALLY cool how the author used a personal experience (stalled train, not a murder) and turned it into a romantic cozy mystery!

The adventures continue in ‘Murder by Day’ and ‘Malady by Twilight’

[Selena Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I started reading I was drawn in. I appreciated that it was a fairly quick read with atmosphere and intrigue. The story itself was very captivating, and I was along for the ride! I'd love this even more with a bit of polish overall, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

[Kori Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute Short Train Mystery

This was a short cute read. The train mystery tale has done but this had a nice little spin to it. The characters were well developed and the mystery was laid out nicely.

[Linda Rae Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Needs editing

Hard to read because of typos. I gave up. Wrong words like blading instead of balding means you must stop often to sort out what they mean.

[Ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a hot mess of a book. It had so much potential but fell flat

[Joanne Bandfield-Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

This was a very interesting story. The editing was not the best. There were many errors. Other than that, I enjoyed the story and characters.

[SM · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was different

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this

[Kimberly Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a few typos that drove me crazy this was a engaging short thriller. I could've definitely read more and would love to know what the rest of the main characters story ended up being.

[Viktor Blazheski · Rating 2 out of 5]

What else to expect from a “Stuff your kindle” free book…

[susan Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read

If I am ever stuck on a train the people of the California express is who I want to be with.

[Penny Peacock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where is He?

If you enjoy mysteries, this is a good one. The twists keep you guessing and wanting to keep reading to see what happens!

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t want to give too much away because there is a big twist in the book that recolors the whole narrative but in a good way I do want to say the book is well written with very likable lead characters in Jesse and Maggie I thought the author has a great neck for writing them as a real People something not all riders can do I thought the storyline was great at building tension and all in all this was a truly satisfying mystery/thriller with an awesome twist. Anyone who likes yeah thrillers an abnormal heroes will definitely love this book it really was really good! I want to thank story origin and the author for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

[Heather W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery on the California Expres...

Stranded At Night is the first book in the California Express series and is a great start to this new series.

I found the characters to be well developed, interesting, and likable. The storyline is well written, fast-paced, and flows nicely from start to finish, with murder, assault, suspense, danger, and intrigue.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.

[K.D. Bloodworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having a husband that worked undercover at one time, some of the things didn't ring true, but most people wouldn't have the insight I have on that kind of work. With that said, I loved this book. It grabbed me from the very start and held me until all was said and done. Wrapped up very nicely. Lots of surprises, good guy, bad guy, damsel in distress, who is going to win, sort of book. Well done Ms. Dodson. Truly enjoyed!

[fred jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Interesting book. Although I liked the main characters I did not feel any chemistry between them, certainly not the almost love at first sight of the story. The story itself is well written and reads well but some of the details do not quite work. The characters needed a bit more depth but were generally good. Overall a good read bout would have benefitted from a bit of work. I received a complimentary copy rom Storyorigin and am leaving a honest voluntary review

[Joy Whiteside · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting read that kept your interest from the very beginning all the way to the end. It moves along at the perfect reading speed making it a comfortable read. Has interesting characters that you want to see overcome whatever obstacles may get in their way and a story that will grab you and hook you. This is a must read for 2020, you will not be sorry.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good start to a new series. The story line will pull you in and the suspense keeps you turning the pages. It's well written and moves along at a good pace with suspense, intrigue, danger and murder. The characters are well developed and easy to like.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.