Reviews by Teri

Getting Lucky

2012-02-12T18:53:00.002-06:00

Getting Lucky
D.C. Brod
Tyrus Books
December 18, 2011
ISBN: 978-1440531989
336 pages
$ 24.95

In Getting Lucky, a reporter is discovered dead in an apparent hit and run accident on a deserted road with her loyal dog at her side. Why would anyone walk their dog on a road with no sidewalks? This doesn’t make sense.

Robyn Guthrie, a freelance reporter for the paper, agrees to look into what Clair had been investigating at the time of her death. What she didn’t plan on was that way too many people were interested in this story.

Getting Lucky has a freshness of realism. Robyn is constantly distracted by real life. Keeping her life in balance is a challenge as this investigation unveils. She also questions old-friendships, her current love, her future wants, and who she can actually trust.

Having a wealthy mother is a comfort to her, but her mother is not happy at her nursing home. Even though she suffers from Alzheimer’s, her mother would like for Robyn and her to purchase a house together. The timing could not be worst. Robyn has just turned down moving in with her boyfriend after the two discovered they had different viewpoints on having children. With Robyn in her early forties, she is not planning on having children which does destroy her boyfriend’s dreams.

Clair had been investigating a new housing development which was both environmentally friendly and reasonably priced. When Robyn takes over this assignment, she unfortunately is reacquainted with a high school classmate. This was a person who ridiculed her when she was a teenager. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful person to interview now that she is in her early forties and not married or successful?

Getting Lucky is an intense tale with a real life constantly complicating matters. What do you do when you are being followed while you are still investigating the death and all the routine haunts of your everyday life?

Getting Lucky is the second installment in this series by D. C. Broad, following Getting Shorty. She has previously written the Quint McCauley private detective series and the Arthurian contemporary thriller, Heartstone. She resides in Illinois.

Getting Lucky is well-written and well-paced. This novel also introduced to me the wonderful, storytelling abilities of D.C. Brod.

Death of a Kingfisher

2012-02-12T17:41:00.001-06:00

Death of a Kingfisher: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery
M. C. Beaton
Grand Central Publishing
Hachette Book Group
February 22, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-446-54736-9
256 pages
$ 24.99

When you are a police constable in the Highland in Scotland, the community expects you to be at their beckoned call and expect you to be knowledgeable of all crimes, no matter how minor. This does include investigations including fairies, whether real or not, and all superstitions. This is the problem of Hamish Macbeth in Death of a Kingfisher.

In Braikie, Scotland, this small village has discovered that they can draw people to their community by turning the local forested area, Buchan’s Woods, into a tourist attraction. This area is a habitat for a family of kingfishers and the fairies. Noticing the success of this attraction, the area is renamed “The Fairy Glen” and the tourism greatly benefits the town.

Everything changes when a kingfisher is found murdered and strung up in a tree. With further investigation, this family of birds has also been poisoned. Why would anyone kill a bird and its family?

While investigating this death of a bird family, Hamish becomes entwined with the married director of the woods who seems to be able to bewitch him with her physical beauty and her blue eyes. Is this affecting his investigation and not allowing him to suspect her as a possible suspect?

When a wealthy widow is murdered, literally rocketed through a window, Hamish is overwhelmed with possible suspects and lies. Who is the murderer? Why are more people dying whenever they seem to make an appointment to speak with Hamish?

Death of a Kingfisher has a slow beginning. The characters were not likeable and appeared detached and arrogant. The pacing changed after the first third of the novel and the story was more intense, intriguing, and logical.

When any author writes numerous books in a series, some are going to be better than others. Supposedly, this is the twenty-seventh book in the Hamish series. This particular novel lacked the affection and humor found in many of the previous books. (No, I have not read all twenty-seven.)

M.C. Beaton has won numerous awards for her Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin mystery series. She has also written over one hundred romance novels and a series of romantic suspense, The Edwardian Mystery Series.

Death of a Kingfisher is wonderful if you are patient through the first third of this novel. The second part is well worth the price of the novel and is an intricate and well-woven tale.

The Lost Saints of Tennessee

2012-02-05T17:10:00.002-06:00

The Lost Saints of Tennessee: A Novel
Amy Franklin-Willis
Atlantic Monthly Press
February 2012
Hardback
ISBN: 978-0802120052
$25.00
320 pages
Fiction

“Moses Washington always says people love the beginning parts of life, it’s the middle and end parts
that end up being more work than we bargain for.”

What is the old saying about falling off a horse? If you fall off a horse, you get right back on.

In The Lost Saints of Tennessee, Ezekiel Cooper has fallen off of his horse in life. His ex-wife has just
remarried. He was fired for deserting his job. He’s back living in the converted shed in his mother’s
backyard. His mother wants to have a memorial service for his twin brother who committed suicide ten
years ago. Nothing seems to be going right for Zeke. Of course, Zeke is not making much of an effort
to change his life for the better either. It’s like he’s fallen on a horse but refuses to get back on.

This is the story of a working-class Southern family who dream of possibilities for their prized son
while the siblings continue the pattern of previous generations of poverty. However, broken dreams also bring about way too much guilt.

While at a class reunion Zeke manages to avoid the event and leaves town. He finally decides how to end things with his two favorite possessions, his dead brother’s dog and a copy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Things don’t quite work out though like he planned, but then again, they seldom do.

This is a novel about life and how some of us don’t know how to pick up the pieces once we find
ourselves shattered. It involves the reluctant changes that happen such as having daughters who are
becoming teenagers, divorces, and death.

The Lost Saints of Tennessee is a gripping tale of characters that are richly developed and actually seem
too realistic. The story line, even though somewhat depressing, is a personal journey, mistakes made
and exposed to everyone. Life is frequently more than we bargained for. Read The Lost Saints of
Tennessee.

El Gavilan

2012-02-01T14:35:00.002-06:00

El Gavilan
Craig McDonald
Tyrus Books
2011
Hardback
ISBN: 978-1-4405-3194-1
426 pages
$ 24.95

What do you do when your job causes the death of your wife and child? How do you go on?

Tell Lyon left the Border Patrol to start over as head of the police in New Austin, Ohio. Hoping that the problems of the past never reappear, heading a small law enforcement force might just be what he needs.

One of his first duties is to meet with the sheriffs of the two neighboring areas, Sheriff Able Hawk from Horton County and Walt Pierce from Vale County. He quickly realizes that there will be territorial and overlapping boundaries between these close-in proximity areas. Also, he quickly concludes that both have a completely opposite approach to law enforcement.

The problem of immigration, both legal and illegal, is the focus point for each of these three law enforcement leaders. How the three of them approach this realistic problem is visibly apparent in El Gavilan.

El Gavilan, which means hawk in Spanish in the nickname given to the highly opinionated Sheriff Hawk. This man assists the legal immigrants in numerous ways within the community but has no patience for the illegals. With introducing Tell into the community, he discovers a kindred spirit which assists in developing their respect and mutual friendship.

Tell quickly reestablishes his life and begins to develop a personal relationship with Patricia as she is ending her interest in Shawn O’Hara, the editor of the local newspaper. When Shawn is beaten, his resentment is focused on Tell.

The story centers on the brutal rape and murder of Thalia. Her surviving family includes her mother and daughter. Shawn O’Hara, the editor, had been with Thalia the night before her death. He slunk off from her early the next morning without a word to her. He was the last one, except the murderer, to see her alive.

The story revolves around the Thalia’s case now and Tell’s past, giving insight into the motivations of the characters. The action is non-stop. This investigation is fast-paced and somewhat predictable. You just don’t know how it will be proven and how the personal problems can be resolved.

Craig McDonald is a writer, journalist, and editor who has been nominated for numerous awards for both his short stories and books.

El Gavilan is graphic both sexually and violently. The story is fast-paced, enthralling, and one novel that you will not quickly, if ever forget.

Chasing Her Destiny

2012-02-01T12:31:00.002-06:00

Chasing Her Destiny
Terri Friedlander
Black Rose Writing
2011
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-61296-076-0
235 pages
$ 16.95

“I forgot to do something in my life. I forgot to have kids.”

Life has changed tremendously in the last hundred years. Where women use to dream only of marrying and having a family, now women can develop a career and decide themselves when is the best time to marry or to have children. However, life doesn’t always work out the way you plan.

Sherri Richmond loves her life of working in Manhattan for a group of attorneys. She is not concerned about money or the time that she spends earning that money. Life for her now is successful and she thrives on the stress, competitiveness, and ambition the keeps her near the top of the corporate ladder. Being briefly married earlier in her life, has just strengthened her sense of independence and made her proud of her personal accomplishments in the business world.

Then she meets Kent Weber. Skeptically, she finds him to be perfect for her. She is uncertain of anyone being just too good to be true, but he really seems to be genuine. The two quickly marry and begin their life together. Both though find themselves longing for children after being married for five years and this is their story of fulfilling that need.

The strength of Chasing Her Destiny is the realism when nature does not always cooperate with our personal desires. The struggle emotionally with infertility is a subject that is not often mentioned.
This is a story for anyone who wants a child and for some undiagnosed or logical reason, just cannot become pregnant and the effect this can have on both a husband and a wife.

Chasing Her Destiny is a well-written romance novel. The characterizations are realistic and visual. The pacing is superb with the reader feeling the empathy and triumphs along with the characters. The novel actual flows from one page to the next with a loving fluency for smoothness as each word becomes alive on each page.

Chasing Her Destiny is Terri Friedlander’s third contemporary novel. This one is somewhat based on her own life and is also dedicated to the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Although Chasing Her Destiny is basically a woman’s romance novel, there is a depth of the characters that men could also appreciate. More than a romance novel, this is a novel about life.

Sticks and Stones

2012-01-16T17:49:00.002-06:00

Sticks and Stones: A Cat Deluca Mystery
K. J. Larsen
Poisoned Pen Press
February 7, 2012
Hardback
ISBN: 978-1590589212
317 pages
$ 24.95

Pants On Fire Detective Agency is owned by Cat DeLuca. This agency specializes in discovering cheating husbands. Cat learned the basics from growing up in a police family with her father and brothers being part of the Chicago Police and from her own cheating husband.

Cleo Jones definitely has a cheating husband. Unfortunately, Walter cheats on Cleo with her sister. Besides that, he takes her money and her dog. So Cleo feels justified when she shoots her husband full of buckshot so that he will not be sitting for quite a while. Cleo also tends to be overly dramatic and gives her neighbors opportunities to use their video cameras when she threatens Walter.

Cat decides that it is best if she accompany Cleo back to the house to take whatever she needs and the dog. She also is pressing Cleo to stop shooting at Walter. When they enter the house, all is quiet but the dog has been in something messy and sticky which turns out to be Walter’s blood. He’s dead. The two also find a bag full of cash which they take with them as they leave with the dog.

The police believe Cleo killed her husband and Cat knows that she didn’t since they were together at the house. Even so, Cleo is arrested and Cat plans to find the real killer.

Unfortunately, Walter had many enemies and had been embezzling money. Also, his past has many secrets with unsavory characters.

Cat DeLuca has the advantage of having a huge, overbearing, Italian, Catholic family. With family support and obligations, she is never alone and someone is always ready to give her advice and food. She also has a special relationship with one F.B.I. agent and tends to attract hunky men.

Sticks and Stones is a quick and humorous read for anyone who enjoys romantic mysteries.

Zaftan Entrepreneurs

2012-01-14T21:47:00.002-06:00

Zaftan Entrepreneurs: Book One of the Zaftan Trilogy
Hank Quense
CreateSpace
January 4, 2011
Paperback
ISBN: 9781456349387
351 pages
$ 14.99

Over the years, the idea of our planet being invaded by aliens from another world has always sparked our imagination. From E.T., to Alien, to War of the Worlds, we just never know what to expect. What if the creatures only wanted some minerals for their fuel and their planet? Would you agree if they would respect the people and the land? Could both species learn and benefit from each other?

In Zaftan Entrepreneurs, our planet is usual with the addition of living with the humans on this planet are also elves, dwarves, and half-pints who can use magic. These new creatures only want minerals. To learn the language, they kidnap two of our planet inhabitants. (That’s always a great way to make friends.) Then the creatures make contact with our planet officially and stating their intentions. They simply want a few minerals and do not intend to trespass. They agree to respect the native creatures and their land.

Quickly, problems and situations escalate to a war. These separate creatures on this planet quickly join forces to fight their common enemy, the Zaftan.

Yunta, a Zaftanm is a squid-like creature with three eyes that commands others like her on a spaceship with the mission of finding particular minerals to fuel the craft and to assist her planet. On her planet, she is expected to be successful and she views this mission as a temporary stepping-stone to become the corporate admiral.

MacDrakin is a dwarf who comes from a legendary family who spends most of his life alone, on his land mining emeralds. His former military service and expertise make him a respected leader in his small community.

Leslie Higginbottom feels fortunate to be the constable of her town, Skensfirth. She was taught this position from her father who was the previous constable. Unfortunately, the men dwarfs are interested in her, but easily intimidated by her intelligence and position.

The story is fast-paced and enjoyable with the varied creatures and their interactions. The Yuks with Gorya as their leader was hilarious with his antics and loyalties. The characters were believable with varied depths as well as shallowness, especially in the politicians.

Zaftan Entrepreneurs is an imaginative, humorous journey showing the contrasts of humanity in all creatures on our planet.

Close-Up

2012-01-08T19:33:00.002-06:00

Close-Up: A Margot and Max Mystery
Kit Sloan
Oak Tree Press
November 2011
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-61009-033-9
222 pages
$ 14.95

What will people do to be famous? ..to have their fifteen minutes of fame? You can probably guess what normal people will do, but what about those in the movie business? What lengths will these people go to get into a film, be featured on television, or just to get some form of publicity?

Everyone is shocked when watching the news on television and seeing an elderly actress talking to a newscaster while her house is burning in the background. Besides being reminded of this person’s existence, Max and Margot view this and decide to invite this actress to play a part in their next movie as the zombie grandmother. Could the fire have been a coincidence? Could this be a set up to get the actress publicity and to remind people of her existence?

Max and Margot have their own movie production company and currently are creating a new-type of zombie movie. They begin their filming in Florida with the zombies coming out of the ocean. Also coincidentally, the containers holding the actors and actresses are covering an alligator hole. This definitely makes for interesting filming.

When the crew returns to California to conclude the filming, they are plagued with constant challenges and mysteries, most notably the elderly televised actress is dead. What looks like a heart attack is still being questioned by the medical examiner. Does anyone ever tell the whole truth about where they were?

With a typical Hollywood cast of characters, their eccentricities, greed, and ambition, Close-Up is a delightful romp of the behind-the-scenes action both filmed and in their everyday not-always-realistic life.

Close-Up is the ninth novel in the Max and Margot series. I look forward to more of this grounded couple from this creative author.

Already Gone

2012-01-08T17:57:00.002-06:00

Already Gone
John Rector
Thomas & Mercer
October 25, 2011
Paperback
ISBN: 9781612180878
317 pages
$ 14.95

What would you expect to be taken from you if you were mugged outside a local bar? Most of us would expect to lose our purse/wallet, keys, money, watch, or rings. Well, Jake Reese was mugged and all that was taken was his wedding ring with the finger. The finger was cut off with bolt cutters. They let him keep his money.

Jake Reese had a rough upbringing. Today we would consider him as a child to be “at risk”. Fortunately, he has turned his life around. His drinking is under control. He recently married and lives together with his loving wife in a house in a decent neighborhood. He has a possibility for a secure future with his position as a professor teaching writing at a university. Everything seems to be falling into place until he is mugged.

Jake decides to investigate this on his own placing his life at the university on hold when another weird thing happens. His wife, Diane, is missing.
Does this have anything to do with the finger? Is this a kidnapping? Is this revenge for something in Jake’s past? He decides to look into his past for the answers, if there are any.
This is a gripping tale. These 317 pages literally fly as you are reading this intense story. As Jake attempts to reconnect with the people in his past, they seem to have more questions and hostility than answers.
Already Gone is John Rector’s third novel following The Cold Kiss which is being adapted for a movie and The Grove.
Jake Reese is a dark, haunted character who unfortunately could be any one of us under the same circumstances. Sometimes he seems naïve, but realistic in that many of us would react similarly with those situations. The intertwining plot is enthralling. You cannot put this book down. (Yes, I read it in less than a day.) Already Gone is definitely a page-turner.
I look forward to more dark haunting complex tales by John Rector.

The Devil's Elixir

2012-01-08T15:07:00.002-06:00

The Devil’s Elixir
Raymond Khoury
Dutton Adult
December 22, 2011
Hardback
ISBN: 978-0525952435
384 pages
$ 26.95

Every parent sees that their child is special, but what if your child really has an ability that is rare and possibly prized by others? Would you take your child to a specialist to verify this ability or to improve this gift? Keep those questions in mind when reading this book.

Michelle Martinez was working in her kitchen when she heard her doorbell. Since she was personally working on not being a super-woman, she asked her boyfriend to answer it. Unfortunately she did not plan to hear the sound of gun shots using a silencer. Her training and adrenaline kicked in as she immediately ran from the house and grabbed her son who was playing in the backyard. Where do you go?

Michelle called the only trustworthy person who could investigate this incident and still protect, Sean Reilly. Since it has been five years, he was surprised to receive the call and to discover that Michelle kept a secret from him. Her son is also his son.

Sean Reilly is shocked at this disclosure. Quickly, Sean flies to California and discovers the situation extremely treacherous involving his son. He soon realizes that he needs help from his girlfriend, Tess Chaykin, who also flies to the area to help.

The Devil’s Elixir shows a different side of the endless war on drugs and how it is always changing. The characters of Tess and Sean are not as developed in this novel as in the previous novels, The Sign, The Sanctuary, and The Last Templar. However, the focus of this particular novel is still action adventure but more realistic without all the constant near-misses, even though there are still plenty of those. The focus of this particular installment of this series was the character development of Sean’s son.

The Devil’s Elixir is a page turner that is different from Raymond Khoury’s previous novels, but definitely worth reading. Raymond Khoury is definitely an author who can weave a tantalizing tale.

His Mistress by Christmas

2012-01-02T15:20:00.002-06:00

His Mistress by Christmas
Victoria Alexander
Kensington Books
September 27, 2011
Hardback
ISBN: 978-0-7582-5567-9
352 pages
$ 19.95

His Mistress by Christmas involves two characters who are magnetically attracted to each other. This is definitely loved at first sight. Sir Sebastian Hadley-Attwater is intrigued when he meets Lady Veronica Smithson and is determined to be married to her by Christmas. Veronica enjoys her life as a wealthy widow and is attracted to Sebastian but plans to be his mistress by Christmas.
Unfortunately, both of them confide in their close friends who tend to tell others of their friends’ intimate secrets. This does cause both of them grief when they decide to spend Christmas together and Sebastian’s family appears to meet his new wife and to celebrate with him. Veronica finds out that the family had expected them to be married while she planned to entice him to her bed.
His Mistress by Christmas is a typical romantic novel. The story is predictable but does have many twists in the journey to the happily ever after ending. The story successfully brings into the changing significance of women and their acceptance into exclusive men’s clubs.
The first hundred pages were fairly slow in the pacing. During these pages, the two main characters were well-developed. Unfortunately, there was not any story development except their romantic involvement.
Supposedly, His Mistress by Christmas is typical of the historical romance books by Victoria Alexander. The historical aspect though was extremely weak with only mentioning the changing image and acceptance of women as equals.
This novel is directed towards a female audience who believes in happy endings and loves the romantic genre.

Troubled Bones

2011-12-28T21:07:00.002-06:00

Troubled Bones: A Medieval Noir
Jeri Westerson
Minotaur Books
October 11, 2011
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-312-62163-6
304 pages
$25.99

In the year of 1385, Crispin Guest has a new assignment in Canterbury, England protecting the bones of Thomas a Beckett from being stolen and destroyed. Unfortunately, one of the first people he meets there is his old former friend, Geoffrey Chaucer. Obviously, the two forfeited their former friendship and now Crispin visibly shows animosity around Chaucer.

Almost immediately, a prioress is murdered in the exact spot where Beckett was assassinated nearly two-hundred years earlier. Added to that, Beckett’s bones are missing and another unrelated murder occurs. Were Beckett’s bones missing before Crispin came to Canterbury?

With Crispin is Jack Tucker, his young companion and apprentice, who falls in love immediately with a young nun, the one who witnessed the prioress’s murder. Meanwhile, Chaucer is imprisoned by the archbishop who plans to execute him if is Crispin does not discover the real murderer.

The story parallels much of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in this medieval setting. Jeri Westerson excels in placing the reader back into this time period with the problems of the times being the Franklin thought versus the Lancaster. Basically, this controversy was over the idea that the bones of a saint could possibly heal or work miracles. What would people then do if the bones were destroyed?
Also revealed was the reality of the author Chaucer, who really was a spy for Lancaster. The issue of loyalty and the results of supporting the wrong brother in the royal family also demonstrated the actuality of the time. Many of the characters were based on real events and people of the time period.

Troubled Bones is the fourth book in this series featuring Crispin Guest. Veil of Lies is the first novel in this series with Serpent in the Thorns and The Demon’s Parchment following. Without having read the first three novels, this enthralling mystery superbly can be read as a standalone. Obviously, the reader will have more insight to character development if they read the first three novels to truly understand Crispin and Jack.

While reading this short mystery, I was impressed by how well the author knew the time period and people’s thoughts and reactions. Troubled Bones succeeded in having me travel to another time and place through the masterful author, Jeri Westerson.

The House of Silk

2011-12-26T20:46:00.001-06:00

The House of Silk
Anthony Horowitz
Mulholland Books
Little, Brown and Company
Hachette Book Group
November 2011
Hardback
ISBN: 978-0-316-19699-4
304 pages
$ 27.99

The House of Silk was commissioned by the Arthur Conan Doyle estate to create a new Sherlock Holmes novel. Anthony Horowitz was selected to be the author of this new series after writing the preteen series Alex Rider, Power of Five, and The Diamond Brothers. He has also written the PBS’s Foyle’s War series, Collision, and Injustice along with numerous other television and film productions.

When an American woman marries an affluent art dealer, naturally, his family will be somewhat suspicious of her. They think that she might be after his money. When his mother is discovered dead due to a gas leak, there are questions about was it a suicide, an accident, or murder.

This particular art dealer, Edmund Carstairs initially contacts Sherlock Holmes regarding a man who seems to be watching their house wearing a flat cap. With his business recently, there had been a tremendous theft of many pieces of art while they were in transit. The believed thieves also wore these caps, and one of them was killed in the U.S. However, the twin brother of one of the thieves seems to have disappeared.

This story is logical with unpredictable connections weaving the story together. The characters closely follow the traditional Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Although not quite as brilliant as Doyle with the word choices or enticement, the story still is enthralling. The reader is constantly wondering about how this will all fit together or what will be the next twist in the story. The characters are believable and definitely reflect the worst of humanity.

One warning, even though this author is well-known to the preteen audience, this is definitely not a book for a preteen. There is definitely a subject matter that would not be appropriate for this age group.

The House of Silk is a quick and involved mystery. Anthony Horowitz is an outstanding preteen author who is now successfully entering the world of adult fiction.

home front

2011-12-24T19:35:00.002-06:00

home front
Kristin Hannah
St. Martin’s Press
January 31, 2012
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-312-57720-9
400 pages
$ 27.99

Frequently, a book surprises you. This is the book home front.

When her parents died in a car accident, Jolene discovered a new family, the Army National Guard. This group molded her to develop into a confident adult. As she made friends she developed skills such as becoming a helicopter pilot. Eventually, this self-reliant woman met the love of her life, Michael, who was a lawyer and was enthralled with Jolene. The two became the parents of two daughters and established their home.

Anytime the traditional role of husband and wife are reversed, many people have difficulty with it.
This is the situation for Jolene and Michael. Michael works as a successful lawyer heading his family firm while Jolene works as a housewife and mother of two daughters. There’s nothing unusual there except that Jolene is also in the Army National Guard as a helicopter pilot. Now, she has orders to go to Iraq.

Obviously, this turns into chaos for her family. Michael expects the family to accommodate his work demands but is resentful of being placed in the situation of being a single parent for a year. He also is not accepting of Jolene’s Guard family and refuses to interact with them. Jolene realizes that she has two choices. She either goes to Iraq or to jail. That isn’t much of a choice. Before Jolene deploys, Michael’s last words to her hurtful is that he no longer loves her.

Isn’t that a great way to leave your family and to enter a war zone?

Although this novel is skirting the edge of a romance novel, it really belongs in women’s fiction. This novel encompasses more though. The dramas regarding the homecoming of any soldier returning after being involved in a war zone is a realistic and problematic situation that this country tends to not recognize. Whether it is labeled PTSD, post-traumatic stress syndrome, or battle fatigue, or shell shock, as our military suffers from these, we have a responsibility to them and to their families. This novel has one perspective of this.

Personally, I found the annoying twelve-year-old daughter to be very realistic. All the characters were superbly described and developed. My only concern was the tendency to almost being a romance novel.

I was surprised at the strength of the characters especially Michael and Betsy, the tween-aged daughter. Choosing the military life with the complexity with the realistic problems of the military returning home and their readjustment is the underlying theme. This problem could easily have been a novel that would have interested both male and female readers, rather than basically being a novel for women’s fiction.

One of Our Thursdays is Missing

2011-12-18T18:01:00.002-06:00

ONE OF OUR THURSDAYS IS MISSING
Jasper Forde
Viking
2011
Hardback
ISBN: 978-0-670-02252-6
$25.95
384 pages

“The circumstances of your confusion will be your path to enlightenment.”

That is the advice for Thursday Next, the written one, to find the missing Thursday Next, the real one.
The written Thursday Next has to enter the real world to search for the real Thursday Next but not
before she finds a replacement for the readers of the Thursday Next books. Confused yet?

For those who have not read any of these books, please read the first one, The Eyre Affair, before
attempting to enter the Book World through any other book, even this one. Being that this is the sixth Thursday Next series, this continues the adventures with the mild-mannered written Thursday trying to think and act as the real Thursday. With the written Thursday being a much less adventurous personality than the real one, this places the written Thursday in some difficult situations.

What makes this novel interesting is the perspective from the written Thursday. This delves into the daily challenges of being read and the “tricks of the trade” from the Book World. The character of Sprocket is introduced as the extremely efficient and caring robotic butler. Also, the reader this time has a window into the everyday life of the real Thursday’s life without much of the adventure, but her role as a wife and mother.

Being reacquainted with the previous characters in the series was like meeting old friends. You still feel the affection or at least the empathy for the book characters, even those you might have viewed as evil or despicable.

Reading Jasper Fforde’s novels is always enjoyable as you never know what to expect. I thoroughly enjoy this unique world with wonderfully developed characters in this literary world.

and she was

2011-12-11T16:57:00.002-06:00

and she was
Alison Gaylin
Harper
Harper Collins Publisher
February 28, 2012
Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-187820-6
384 pages
$ 7.99

Brenna Spector has an unusual ability that she views as a condition, almost a handicap. She truly remembers every incident that has ever happened in her life since the trauma of her sister, Clea, disappeared and becoming a missing person. From trivial incidents such as what she ate for breakfast to every word every person spoke, she remembers it all and attempts to be attentive to the present without having the past memories overwhelm her thoughts.

Hyperthymestic syndrome has only been recognized by the medical community since 2006. This is the condition where the person has perfect autobiographical memory and remembers everything detected by her senses for every moment of their past. This condition has recently been popularized by the current television program, Unforgettable featuring Poppy Montgomery. It makes a normal life near impossible with the past memories always interfering with the daily life.

In as she was, Brenna works as a private investigator that obviously has no need for taking any notes. She has always been curious about a disappearance over a decade ago of six-year-old Iris Neff, who possibly was last seen entering a blue car, just like Clea, Brenna’s sister, when she disappeared forever.

Now Brenna has been hired to investigate Carol Wentz who was one of the last people who saw Iris Neff alive and she is currently missing. However, when she begins to investigate, she is haunted with memories of her past . Logically, Carol’s husband is the obvious suspect but he seems to be keeping secrets of his own. She also develops a professional respect for Detective Morasco who is also working through his own personal guilt.

and she is an enthralling page turner. The pacing races through each page with believable, realistic characters. There is never a dull sentence. The story rapidly flows into an unpredictable but logical conclusion.

as she was featuring Brenna Spector in this first of Alison Gaylin’s new series. Recently, she has written Hide Your Eyes which was nominated for an Edgar. She has also written You Kill Me, Trashed, and Heartless.

Brenna Spector is a wonderful protagonist who attempts to balance her daily life of being a single parent while being a private investigator. Her daughter, Maya, is gifted at manipulating Brenna who also has to deal with moving on from her former husband. Fortunately, she employs Trent who has numerous personal identity issues but is brilliant with a computer.

I look forward to the sequel to and she was.

Queen Elizabeth in the Garden

2011-12-04T18:47:00.001-06:00

QUEEN ELIZABETH IN THE GARDEN:
A STORY OF LOVE, RIVALRY, AND SPECTACULAR GARDENS
Trea Martyn
Blue Bridge
United Tribes Media
January 30, 2012
Hardback
ISBN: 978-1-933-34636-6
$ 22.95
336 pages

There have been numerous novels about the Queen Elizabeth I but none have ever considered the
the style of gardens that hold her name and how those gardens affected her decisions in ruling her
people.

Most of this book revolves around the creation of these magnificent gardens by two of her advisors,
Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicaster and William Cecil, Lord Burghley, her chief minister. These two
constantly competed to be Elizabeth’s favorite and sought her attention by the constant
expansion and creation of artistic masterpieces in their gardens to the point of almost bankrupting
themselves.

Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire was Robert Dudley’s home and Cecil lived at Theobalds Palace in
Hertfordshire. Influenced greatly by artists in Italy and France, these two elaborate places rose to a
decorating Renaissance height that has seldom been achieved in history.

It is amazing to think about those magnificent gardens with the mazes, labyrinths, decorative hedges,
herbs, and the rivalries of Elizabeth’s many advisors to each vie for her favored attention.

For us to go back in time and think about the numerous influential people who owned, tended, or were
guests in these magnificent creations, this book allows the reader to see through the eyes of a visitor
who might have personally known Shakespeare or to witness even the discussion of executing Mary,
Queen of Scots.

QUEEN ELIZABETH IN THE GARDEN is Trea Martyn’s believable account of what likely happened in the 1500s. Martyn excells at understanding how the development and continual expansion as well as perfecting of these gardens influenced history. Dudley was considered to be a possible suitor for Elizabeth, but frequently she enjoyed both men’s efforts to please her at extravagant costs.

This perspective of historical fiction was fascinating and frequently shocking at the lengths and expense both men would go to for Elizabeth’s pleasure. The events seemed believable and were well-researched.

I was amazed at how enthralling the novel seemed as the characters, real historical people, became real in the writing. I look forward to Trea Martyn’s next novel project.

Just Deserts

2011-11-26T20:17:00.002-06:00

JUST DESERTS (Hetta Coffey Mystery Series)
Jinx Schwartz
Treble Heart Books
August 18, 2011
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1936127771
325 pages
$ 12.95
Kindle Edition
349 KB
ASIN: B005SZ171I
$ 0.99

Living on a boat can be full of adventure. For Hetta Coffey in JUST DESERTS, her boat life is sidelined when blisters are discovered on the bottom of her small yacht. She thoroughly enjoys living this way but unfortunately, she has to occasionally work in order to pay the bills and especially when her boat requires expensive and possibly extensive repairs.

Fortunately being a well-qualified civil engineer, Hetta only has to make one phone call to be assigned a job that pays well close to where she is currently located. She is assigned a job in Mexico for a mining company that currently is experiencing labor/union issues and is in desperate need of being updated, especially in the area of safety standards.

Hetta discovered that being located in northern Mexico is problematic and decides to search for a home on the other side of the border in Arizona. She temporarily rents a luxury house and enjoys her time alone in this home until she is visited by a local coyote and numerous friends. Between being a host for her friends, and the local problems of smuggling people, drugs, materials for a dirty bomb, and terrorists, life is far from boring.

JUST DESERTS is the fourth novel in this Hetta Coffey series by author, Jinx Schwarz. She also wrote an outstanding young adult novel, LAND OF MOUNTAINS, which was based on her own life growing up in Haiti.

JUST DESERTS is a little slow at the beginning. Hetta experienced too many problems to be the spunky character with a sense of humor. It is difficult in any series to continually develop the characters without reviewing too much for loyal readers. This particular novel did have Hetta asking many questions about the mining company and the area with no easy answer. The coyote character was reassuring and added humanity regarding this part of the country.

For anyone who has not read any of Jinx Schwartz novels, you are missing a masterful storyteller who tells a memorable and enjoyable tale.

Brain Stem

2011-11-26T13:43:00.002-06:00

BRAIN STEM
Robert W. Walker
Kindle Edition
Amazon Digital Services
April 15, 2010
ASIN:B003HNNJ00
$ 0.99
410 KB

If a healthy baby was subjected to brain surgery at birth, could that affect the child for life? What if part of their brain was exchanged with Einstein’s brain? Would the child be a genius? How could you insure that this child would have values and ethics to balance their intelligence?

Dennis Spears, nicknamed Ice, is a police detective who focuses on doing the right thing, even if it
contradicts orders from his superiors. The apparent suicide of a medical student who was serving her
residency at a mental hospital though just doesn’t feel right to him. Joanna Peters seemed to be the
perfect woman so why would she commit suicide? While he is examining the body, she seems to be
alive, but for only a second. Why? Dennis is certain that he did not imagine this. Unfortunately, the
rest of the police force thinks that he needs a break from his stressful life.

Dennis is plagued with nightmares as he begins to investigate into Joanna’s death. Coincidentally, the
setting for his dreams seems to be the mental hospital where Joanna worked. He has not visited or seen
these buildings before, so is this a premonition? Why would he dream of a place he had never visited?

BRAIN STEM is only available as a Kindle book through Amazon. The author has recently only had his novels as Amazon Kindle exclusives. He recently published his 50th novel.

BRAIN STEM is a medical thriller. It’s fast-paced and definitely a quick read at an economically low-price. The characters are believable even if some aspects are a little far-fetched. The story is fairly simplistic with completing a single plot line. There were some setting changes in the story that were abrupt. They needed either an introductory lead or markings to let the reader be aware of the change.

Overall, BRAIN STEM is an easy, quick, thriller featuring the very enjoyable character of Dennis Spears. I look forward to reading more books with this character.

The Prague Cemetery

2011-11-26T10:23:00.001-06:00

The Prague Cemetery
Author: Umberto Eco, Translator: Richard Dixon
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade
November 8, 2011
Hardback
ISBN: 978-0547577531
$ 27.00
464 pages

Have you ever read a book the reminded you of a bunch of old men kibitzing about the world? That
is my reaction to THE PRAGUE CEMETERY.

Throughout history there have been numerous conspiracies. THE PRAGUE CEMETARY is about the
multiple conspiracies against the Jews, Italians, French, Catholics, and the Freemasons with everyone
constantly spying and working one group against the other. During the late nineteenth century in this
Piedmont area overlapping parts of France and Italy, it appears that no one is loyal to anyone and
everyone wants to end on the side of the victor. No one knows who that will be. So many change
identities as frequently as their clothes and spend their time developing plots complete with forgeries
and murder.

For the main character, Captain Simonini who is also Abbe Dalla Piccola, his main focus is on the
unification of Italy. However, this character of Simonini/Piccola is flawed in that he has a split
personality and neither of the individuals is aware of the other so they are suspicious of the other’s true
intentions.

Early on, Captain Simonini meets with a psychologist in France named Froide. He has interesting
perspectives about his childhood and his dreams. (Sound out the psychologist’s name.)

Between the split personality and the bigotry, the main character whether Simonini or Piccola is not
likeable. As a reader, you feel no connections with this unethical rambling individual. His encounter
with others are usually the same types of people. This aspect quickly becomes drudgery through the
story.

When you read a novel that is translated into English, I always wonder at the balance between the
author and the translator. Can a translator turn a mediocre story into literature or can they take a gem
and turn it into a drab story? Both obviously are possible. That could be the problem with this book.

When you anticipate a book to be outstanding before you read it, are you setting yourself up for
disappointment? When you read a novel and are absolutely spellbound by the rhythm and the
author’s magical approach in utilizing the language and imagery that is an author that is masterful in
telling a tale. That was how I felt years ago when I first read Eco’s THE NAME OF THE ROSE. His other
books have been enjoyable, just not quite at the level though of the first. Unfortunately, THE PRAGUE
CEMETERY is one that I would not recommend for most people. For those who thrive on historical
intrigue, this book is for you.

The Christmas Cantata

2011-11-19T18:00:00.002-06:00

THE CHRISTMAS CANTATA
Mark Schweizer
St. James Music Press
November 10, 2011
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-0984484652
$ 9.85
96 pages

When someone finds an old score of music written in an open score, most musicians would avoid it and
not play through it. Open scores are very demanding and most organists shy away from playing
through this music. Fortunately for St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, their organist and head law
enforcement official is the type of person that plays through this music and chooses it for his church
choir for their Christmas Eve service which is three weeks away. However, Hayden Konig is open-
minded enough to notice the unique beauty in this particular Christmas cantata, written by an unknown
composer.

In St. Germaine, North Carolina, as Christmas is quickly approaching, it seems like the spirit of Christmas
missing since everyone is just plain crabby. Hayden does notice the mood quickly changing as the choir
learns and discovers the beauty of the message and the music within this cantata. He also begins to
investigate the history of this piece and why it was not premiered during the Christmas of 1942. Who
was this talented, although unknown, composer? Who in the congregation remembers what
happened?

With this crimeless mystery, the intertwining of the present day investigation with the events of the
same parish community of St. Barnabas during 1942 makes this a short intriguing novel. Although a
predictable ending, the story was reassuring of the purpose of our celebrations of Christmas.

With this being the tenth book in this series, there is much time spent on the many characters from the
previous novels. This can work as a standalone, but the reader is greatly missing out on some
delightful characters without having read this series.

Although short, this newest Mark Schweizer novel will not disappoint any reader of this musical series.

Mercury's Rise

2011-11-12T19:21:00.002-06:00

MERCURY’S RISE
Ann Parker
Poisoned Pen Press
November 1, 2011
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-1590589632
$ 14.95
250 pages

Just when you feel that your life is coming together and settling down, who shows up? Of course, your deserting husband appears back in town wanting to get back together.

After hearing his story about what happened, Iris Stannert is extremely hesitant to go back to Mark Stannert. She already has a new man in her life and has succeeded in being part-owner of the Silver Queen Saloon in Leadville, Colorado. For a woman in the summer of 1880 to achieve in this western town, this is rather amazing. However, it is not without a cost. For Iris, the cost was sending her five-month old son to live back East with her sister, Harmony.

Her immediate plan is to visit Manitou, Colorado where her sister will meet her with her son who she has not seen in over a year. Traveling by stage, Iris shares the carriage with the Pace family, a father, mother, nanny, and the three children. When Mr. Pace guzzles down his wife’s medicine, Iris is victimized by being vomited on as the man dies in front of her due to what appears to be a heart attack.

This makes an unusual relationship for Iris when Mrs. Pace asks for Inez to check into why her husband died. It just doesn’t make sense. He seemed perfectly healthy. Inez begins to suspects that these mineral springs and special tonics might not be healthy and realizes that she needs someone else to help her investigate, her husband.

Intertwining the death with the investigation of the health spas, as well as her personal issues with her son, sister, husband, and aunt make this an enthralling novel based on real historical events.

This story is a gripping mystery in this series by Ann Parker. Mercury’s Rise is the fourth this Silver Rush series featuring Iris Stannert following Silver Lies, Iron Ties, and Leaden Skies. Mercury’s Rise also works as a standalone novel with sufficient background knowledge of the previous novels without boring those who already know these characters.

Mercury’s Rise is a great historical fiction novel mixing real historical events and challenges with a personal attachment to the wonderful character, Iris Stannert.

The Return of Iowa's Bald Eagles

2011-11-07T17:50:00.002-06:00

The Return of Iowa’s Bald Eagles
Ty Smedes – Author and Photographer
The Iowan Books Publishing
Soft cover
September 2011
ISBN: 978-1-93486-20-2
248 pages
$ 24.95

What is the first thing that you think of when you hear the words “ bald eagle”? Do you think of its majesty, power, or grace? Do you think of the creature as a predator? Do you feel grateful that Ben Franklin did not win with his suggestion of a turkey instead of the bald eagle?

How do you capture these creatures return? If you’re Ty Smedes, it is magnificently.

The Return of Iowa’s Bald Eagles is about these creatures who have been missing from our state of Iowa and much of the rest of this country for so long. First their population decreased due to hunting and then to the usage of DDT, from the years of 1905 to 1977, not one bald eagle nested in the entire state of Iowa. Since they are now settling and making their homes in our state again, we need to know who they are and how we need to be good neighbors to keep their population growing.

By combining truly outstanding photography with informative and well-researched text makes this book perfect for everyone. The combining of factual information about their locations, growth from infancy to adulthood, as well as their hunting abilities, is superbly documented.

This unique book shows the story of these magnificent creatures coming back to Iowa. The photography rivals anything ever in a National Geographic magazine. It truly balances text with photos that are reflective of the everyday life of a bald eagle with clarity and simplicity.

Once in a while you come upon something that is so outstanding that you are not certain how to review it. That’s my problem with The Return of Iowa’s Bald Eagles. It is unusual to read such a well-balanced book with the pictures complimenting the text and frequently explaining to the reader a lesson about these bald eagles completely through the pictures. The amount of time that Ty Smedes had to take these pictures of the lives of these bald eagles had to be immense.

This book is for everyone and especially for those of us who really appreciate all the magnificence of Iowa.

A concern about this book is that it centers on Iowa only. The pictures, the narrative, this book is for everyone, not just for those in Iowa. This is definitely one book that needs to be available to everyone.

To purchase this book, buy it from this website http://www.iowan.com/.

Three-Day Town

2011-11-05T16:32:00.002-05:00

Three-Day Town
Margaret Maron
Grand Central Publishing
Hatchette Book Group
Hardcover
November 2011
ISBN: 978-0-446-55578-4
288 pages
$ 25.99

If you are a working judge and your husband is a sheriff deputy, finding time for a honeymoon can be difficult. They have not succeeded in finding time for a honeymoon in their first year of marriage.

For Judge Deborah Knott and Sheriff’s Deputy Dwight Bryant the opportunity came when Dwight’s sister-in-law offered to let them stay for a week in her New York City apartment in the Upper West Side. Who could turn that down?

Deborah’s grandmother has asked that she deliver a package to a distant cousin while in New York. She immediately called her cousin, Sigrid, who was puzzled by the idea of the package and asked Deborah to open it. How do you delicately and accurately describe a piece of sculpture that is extremely obscene and politically incorrect? Not in any hurry, the two agree to meet at the next-door apartment where there is a party that night.

When the elusive cousin, Sigrid Harold, who is also a NYPD lieutenant, attempts to pick up the package, it is missing. Unfortunately, the building superintendent is also sprawled out dead in the doorway.

Three-Day Town is a realistic novel with the crime being solved as you read each page. The characters are very believable.
If you are daily involved with law enforcement and are away from where you work but are in the middle of a crime, wouldn’t it make sense to just team up with the local authorities if they allow it?
Three-Day Town is superb with establishing the setting. Ms. Maron takes into account the lifestyle with the groceries, transportation, life in an apartment, snow, garbage, doormen, etc… that are so much of the everyday life in present day New York City. These details are what everyone loves when they read a Deborah Knott novel.
Margaret Maron is a native of North Carolina and has also lived in Brooklyn. Being that this is the seventeenth book in this series, it amazes me that each novel can be read as a standalone but has enough character development to keep the story interesting and the series invigorating. I am also wondering if Ms. Maron is going to spin-off the Deborah Knott series and begins the Sigrid series. So many questions that were not answered would be perfect for future novels.
Three-Day Town is a perfect quick read during a snowstorm provided that you have no erotic art sculpture.

Gracie Gannon: Middle School Zero

2011-11-05T12:57:00.002-05:00

Gracie Gannon: Middle School Zero
Mary Elizabeth Anderson
Rayve Productions Inc.
2008
ISBN: 978-1-877810-73-2
Paperback
119 pages
$10.95

“Hey, check out Gracie’s scraggly hair! Looks like she had her little brother cut it.”

What do you do when your friends don’t want to be around you anymore? How do you make yourself fit in with the group? What do you do when people are just mean? How do you handle bullying?

Gracie Gannon has those challenges as she enters middle school. She lives in the wrong part of town now that her dad has been laid off. She doesn’t feel that she can invite friends over to her house since it is small and run-down. Her former friends are making fun of her haircut and her life. She’s extremely shy. Added to that, her parents can’t afford to buy her contact lenses and she dresses like a boy. Her wardrobe is not fashionable at all. One more thing, she hates math.

Life changes for Gracie though when a new student who is deaf is ignored by the other students. Gracie decides to do the right thing and to make friends with her. Through this friendship and the support of her parents and church group, Gracie begins to change her life.

This story shows that things aren’t always as they seem. With issues such as divorce, unemployment, alcoholism, and cancer, the realism and discovering a strategy to effectively deal with real challenges of everyday life, Gracie learns how to journey from conflict to confidence.

For some people, the usage of a church youth group might be uncomfortable but it works perfectly in this concise story. The religious influence actually works well with the story and is viewed as a support for all people.

Mary Elizabeth Anderson has worked extensively as an elementary school teacher. She has written the novels: Taking Cerebral Palsy to School, Ever Wonder What to Do: A Book of Manner, It’s Me Again, God, and Why Did They Build a Fence?. She is also the author of Link Across America: A Story of the Historic Lincoln Highway.

Gracie Gannon: Middle School Zero is for any and every kid, girl or boy, who needs to see how they can become content with their life when there are conflicts.

A Killing Season

2011-11-05T11:24:00.002-05:00

A Killing Season
Priscilla Royal
Poisoned Pen Press
October 2011
ISBN: 978-1590589496
250 pages
$14.95

“ To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die;…A time to kill, and a time to heal…”
Before leaving for the crusades, Baron Herbert had been blessed with five sons and a loving wife all comfortably abiding in his castle in England during this medieval time period.
When he returns, Baron Herbert is injured mentally, physically, and emotionally. He immediately sends for his former Crusading comrade, Sir Hugh for help. Hugh asks his sister, Prioress Eleanor of Tyndal Priory to come. She also sees the value of transporting others with her who have special skills that could assist such as Master Gamel, a physician, Sister Anne, a healer, and Brother Thomas.
The group travels slowly through the cold, wet weather and arrives at the castle just in time to view someone jumping from a window to their death. They quickly discover that was the third son of the Baron to die since he left for the Crusades. Needless to say, life is not cheery in this dismal castle. Added to this, the Baron refuses any physical contact with his family or even his wife and no explanation is given.
Is the castle cursed? Is someone killing his heirs? Did two of the sons choose to die?
Sometimes there is a delicate balance between realism and what readers enjoy. It is difficult to calculate since each reader has their own personal criteria. In a story like this one where the content is depressing but necessary, the reading even though enthralling, can seem like it drags when it really doesn’t. With so much death in the story, it feels like there is no season for the healing.
There is richness in A Killing Season with the language and the authentic voice of the time period. Priscilla Royal masterfully intertwines these within a very realistic story in creating this Gothic mystery. Even though this is the eighth book in this series featuring Prioress Eleanor of Tyndal Priory, the story and characters are easily understood without having read the previous novels. All of Priscilla Royal’s novels are superb examples of life during the medieval time period and I highly recommend all her novels.

The Pirate King

2011-10-22T19:55:00.002-05:00

THE PIRATE KING: A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes
(Russell & Holmes, Book 11)
Laurie R. King
Bantam
September 2011
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-55-380798-1
320 pages
$25.00

Being Sherlock Holmes’ wife can be challenging. What with Sherlock’s eccentricities and brilliance, Mary Russell constantly needs to balance her own interests with his. She finds that this places her in the position of having to be involved in investigations even without her husband’s assistance.

Mary’s newest investigation is to join Fflytte Films, a silent film producing company. There are suspicions about this film crew smuggling of drugs and guns. Working as a director’s assistant should make it easy for her to combine with her massive daily duties. Since the former director’s assistant has disappeared, this is also a concern. Her job is to be a part of this group as they film in Lisbon and Morocco. What she did not plan on though was the demands of being a director’s assistant and quickly finds that she has no time for investigating. She writes to her husband back in England when she finds the opportunity or time. One of the first things that she tells him is the demands of being a mother to the crew and no time to investigate.

The story is to make a silent movie made about making Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Pirate of Penzance”. The complications come when the director, Fflytte, plans to have triplets play each of the daughters and when he manages to hire real pirates for the pirate parts. Imagine working with thirteen blond teenaged-girls and meeting their various needs in an attempt to live in temporary harmony along with real pirates playing both pirates and constables.

Although somewhat predictable, this is a fun light-hearted adventure with numerous references to “The Pirates of Penzance” in which ironically, the pirates are really Englishmen who fall for the daughters. So, this has real pirates pretending to be pirates and constables who are also showing interest in the blond beauties.

With no one being who they really are, the story has numerous twists and turns. When Holmes joins those on the ship, the story changes slightly with more planning involved since naturally, Holmes has taken the part of the Major-General. I still wonder how Holmes managed to get on the ship with the communication and transportation at the time of silent movies being not the most efficient.

If you are expecting Laurie King’s The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. You will find this a disappointment. If you are looking for a fun, light, mystery, you will thoroughly enjoy The

The Redbreast

2011-10-22T17:21:00.001-05:00

THE REDBREAST
Jo Nesbo
Translator: Don Bartlett
Harper Paperbacks
September 2011
Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-206842-2
544 pages
$14.99

How long does it take for someone to finally succeed with revenge?

Harry Hole is a former alcoholic Norwegian detective that believes in doing the right thing, even if it is not politically correct. Harry is searching for a neo-Nazi, Sverre Olsen while also stopping an assassination of a world leader. Having to make a split-second decision, Harry shoots a Secret Service agent, possibly paralyzing the man permanently. True, the Secret Service agent should not have been where he was, but should he have been shot? Harry did not see that he had any choice.

In World War II, Norwegians were in a touchy situation with wondering whether to side with the Germans or the Russians. Many realized that they needed to be on the side of the victors, but it was difficult to tell which side would win.

The Redbreast was voted the best Norwegian crime novel ever written by members of Norwegian book clubs. The Redbreast is a novel that was confusing for me for the first hundred pages. When a novel is translated from its original language, I always wonder if what I am reading is the skill of the writer or the translator. It moved from the Norwegians fighting in World War II, to Harry Hole searching for Sverre Olsen in present time, to Harry at the police station, to Harry investigating with his female partner, and seemed to make few connections. After that, the novel was completely mesmerizing.

The story lines combine in a present day terrorism situation based on events resulting from World War II. The history of Norway’s involvement with World War II is fascinating and informative from a perspective that has not formerly been addressed. The duality of Norway’s geography placed them in a treacherous situation constantly between two powerful adversaries or allies, Germany or Russia. The characterization is a little weak but this is the third book in a series. Possibly this development is in the first two novels.

Jo Nesbo’s books have already been translated into forty languages. Currently The Redbreast is the third book in a series of nine featuring Harry Hole. The first two are not available in this country yet but most of the other ones are published in English.

The Redbreast is definitely one of the most intense and enthralling novels I have read this year. I plan on reading many more novels by this gifted author, Jo Nesbo.

Timmy's Bedtime

2011-10-22T14:40:00.002-05:00

TIMMY’S BEDTIME: A MONSTER BEAR TALE
Written and Illustrated by Tim and Toni Williams
Strategic Book Group
2011
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-61204-171-1
28 pages
$12.50

How many of us were scared of the dark when we were little? What lurked in the dark corners of our bedrooms? Did you feel safer sleeping when your closet door was closed? What unseen danger hid under our beds as we slept?

In Timmy’s Bedtime, Timmy has this same fear. He would rather stall than to go to bed and face the danger of the monster under his bed. While continuing his nightly denial of going to bed, his father addresses the issue of a monster and how to effectively overcome this impending danger.

This story is aimed as a read aloud for children between the ages of three and eight. The language of the story requires an adult to read it. This is not to be considered for beginner readers. Also included in the book are two pages where the child can color the bear. Future owners of this book can also order an accompanying teddy bear with a sash entitled “Monster” across him. This bear of indeterminate size can be purchased through the author’s website and costs $27.

By using a clever poem within the story and a bear, this story succeeds in comforting Timmy and allowing his to safely sleep at night. This is definitely a book which should be considered for a time to cuddle with a parent to read aloud.

The married team of Tim and Toni Williams jointly have written and illustrated this delightful story. Toni is the illustrator while Tim provides the light-hearted humor and poem within the story. They currently live in South Carolina.

This story was originally thought-up by Tim Williams to reassure his daughter about the monsters under her bed. Seeing the success in this approach, over the years their friends tried the same method which also was worked well for them. This started their stories of Monster Bears.

Timmy’s Bedtime is wonderful for the reassurance of any child who is even slightly scared of the dark. With delightful water-colored illustrations, this tale is perfect to read to any child who fears those monsters under their bed.

The Baker's Wife

2011-10-08T22:15:00.002-05:00

The Baker’s Wife
Erin Healy
Thomas Nelson
October 4, 2011
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1595547521
352 pages
$15.99

The Baker’s Wife is the perfect novel to demonstrate the some occupations require more than others. Some people are burdened with their personal lives reflecting on their job performance. This is especially true for ministers.

Geoff and Audrey were forced to leave the church after their son, Ed was accused of making a member pregnant. Added to that, supposedly, Geoff, the minister, paid for the girlfriend, Mirilee, to have an abortion.

As a hobby, this ministerial couple baked and made bread for themselves and those in need. This was comfort to the couple and they decided to turn this hobby into a business in this same town. Adding to the kicked out of the church disgrace, Ed, their son, lost his college scholarship.

As Audrey was driving to work one foggy morning, she could barely see the road, but wasn’t as cautious as she should have been. She was shocked when she hit a motorcycle that she had not seen in the fog and was covered with the blood of the rider. Strangely, though no one can find a body.

Diane Hall is returning to her home town after spending a quarter of a century in prison, right before the accident, she found a cell phone on the road. She picks it up and keeps it even though she is uncertain about how to use it. Diane murdered her twin sister and has not been in contact with her family since then.

Strangely enough, Miralee, the girl who had the abortion now discovers that her family is now involved in the accident. It turns out that the person missing and supposedly on the bike was Julie who is now missing and the head detective, Jack, is her father. Was this accident on purpose?

The Baker’s Wife is spellbinding. Once you begin this enthralling novel, you cannot put it down. The writing is excellent with outstanding character development. This unpredictable tale in haunting but also carries a life lesson about what to do when you are in a troubled situation and about not letting go of anger.

The Baker’s Wife is one of those adventure novels that is in multiple categories. It is definitely a thriller but also in the Christian category. The story is so well-told that the strength is the pull of the plot which never loses intensity. If The Baker’s Wife is an example of Erin Healy’s writing, I definitely want to read more by this phenomenal storyteller.

Dear Priscilla

2011-10-02T20:47:00.004-05:00

Dear Priscilla
Mark Schweizer
Fainting Goat Press
Tryon, North Carolina
2011
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-9844846-1-4
320 pages
$ 23.95

Dear Priscilla is a perfect example of proving that life in Chicago in 1943 had to be difficult. For Merl Cahill, former Chicago Bear who retired from football due to being injured, his life now is quite different since working as a detective on the police force. This is one of those times in history where many of the laws and punishments were not always through the justice system but by those who took it upon themselves to be judge and jury.

Merl has a reputation for his short temper to go with his large size of six foot seven and weighing easily at two hundred eighty pounds. With some obvious facial scars, he also isn’t the prettiest.

Merl’s partner, Fish Biederman finds that being a detective is his third source of income. His most lucrative income is from his bookie business and then singing as either a canter for the Jewish synagogue or for funerals. Fish tends to keep his priorities straight while always keeping his police business in third place.
The two are racing to stop a serial killer who tends to favor killing women of medium height and weight with brown hair. All the women were separated from their heads and then split into seven parts and stuffed in an anonymous army duffel back.
Added to this is an addition to the detective squad, Gloria, who is a wealthy, attractive, and inexperienced with this all male group which tends to make their own laws as they go.
Quickly in this investigation, it is discovered that the killer has some connection with the local newspaper and the “Dear Priscilla” advice column. Through Merl’s sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong, he ends up writing this advice column and greatly expanding the readership subscriptions by his no-nonsense advice as well as his own income.
This is a down-to-earth old-styled detective novel loaded with realism and humor that equalizes the horrors that the characters experience. Although this is much darker than Mark Schweizer’s liturgical St. Germaine mysteries featuring Hayden Konig, these are definitely written from a masterful storyteller with a unique gift to write in a truly “gritty” style.
For those who just want an enjoyable well-written mystery that keeps you wondering until the last page, read Dear Priscilla.

The Tides of Avarice

2011-10-02T18:46:00.002-05:00

The Tides of Avarice
John Dahlgren
Editions Didier Millet Pte Ltd.
Singapore
2011
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-981-4260-53-4
464 pages
$ 14.95

The Tides of Avarice is about Sylvester who lives in Foxgrove which is quiet and safe community. This town is a little unusual in that it is inhabited by common everyday lemmings instead of humans. Yes, they are the creatures known to occasionally go over a cliff in a mass suicide.

Sylvester Lemmington enjoys his daily challenge of being a librarian who translates historical documents and dreams of a future life with his childhood friend, Viola. Two events though are quickly going to change Sylvester’s life. First is when he discovers an injured, dying ferret that is in possession of part of a pirate map. The other is that Sylvester has been selected to be part of the next Great Exodus, where the lemmings go in mass over the cliff into the sea. Sylvester has his doubts about this tradition since no one has ever returned from this and also feels a personal loss since his father disappeared from a previous Great Exodus years ago.

The Tides of Avarice is a delightful journey following Sylvester as he leaves the safety of his home into the adventurous life with pirates and searching for a treasure. Besides finding the treasure is also the question of what is the treasure. This is an in-depth adventure with extremely well-developed three dimensional characters. The writing is enthralling and a constant page-turner. John Dahlgren is a masterful storyteller.

There are some aspects of other well-known tales in this in that I could easily find resemblances to Treasure Island, The Pirates of the Caribbean, Watership Down, and The Wizard of Oz all within this one novel.

The dialogues perfectly reflect the characters which are realistic, human-like, and definitely integral as delightful characters that are interesting with a true mixture of personalities, complete with flaws but also charm.

For Sylvester who only read about adventure, being a part in a real-life daily dangerous situation can be a challenge and the reader is privileged to join him during every crisis.

John Dahlgren was born in Sweden and currently lives in Switzerland working as a psychologist and a marketing director for a pharmaceutical company.

The Tides of Avarice is a wonderful adventurous fantasy in the world of Sagaria. Being the first of a trilogy this is a wonderful journey that is aimed at a young adult audience, though anyone older would enjoy this tale of life and death by the truly gifted author, John Dahlgren.

1. What influenced you to write The Tides of Avarice?
2. Which books have influenced you the most?
3. Your character of Sylvester finds himself questioning his religious
beliefs. Does this reflect your personal doubts?
4. Your characters are extremely well-developed. How long have you been
pondering about writing this tale?
5. When did you decide to begin to write this trilogy?
6. Why did you choose lemmings as your main characters?
7. The Tides of Avarice has many strong female characters who are without
husbands but definitely non-compromising with the male gender. Who have
been the strong women in your life and how have they influenced you?
8. With The Tides of Avarice being a pirate adventure, what other adventures
are planned for the future novels of this trilogy?
9. Which character do you view yourself most like? Are there real people
that you based your characters’ personalities on?
10. With being employed and being a father, how do you find the time to write
such an expansive fantasy adventure?

The Accident

2011-09-19T17:02:00.002-05:00

The Accident: A Thriller
Linwood Barclay
Bantam
August 2011
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0553807189
400 pages
$25.00
Fiction

Sometimes one event in your life can seem like a domino with it causing more problems than you could
ever imagine. This one event is the domino that causes everything else to collapse.

Glen Garber owns his own company which builds houses. Unfortunately with the recent economic
problems and the downward spiral in the housing market, it is causing some money problems at home.
His wife, Sheila, is taking a business class at the local college so that she can assist with the bookkeeping
for Glen’s business and might be able to get another job on the side to help with the family finances.

However, their lives change dramatically when Sheila is killed in a car accident. Apparently, she was
drunk and attempted to drive. Her car was involved in a head-on collision facing the wrong way on an
interstate on-ramp killing Sheila and two people in the other car.

Glen is home with his daughter, Kelly, when the accident happens. His wife is suppose to be at class but
apparently she skipped class tonight. As Glen looks for her vehicle, he sees the police and immediately
sees the situation. The police let him know that the accident was his wife’s fault and they already know
that she was intoxicated.

What bothers Glen the most is that this accident was not like something that Sheila would have ever
done. She didn’t drink and drive. Added to that, now Glen is being sued for not insisting that his wife
get help for her alcohol problem. How could he insist that she didn’t get help when she didn’t have a
problem?

Glen has to deal with the grief while still maintaining his business. Unfortunately, not all is at it seems
and his life continues in this downward spiral. Where will the bottom be?

The Accident is a riveting page-turner. The characters are realistic and unfortunately, the story has an
authentic feel throughout the entire story. Things are seldom as they seem.

The character of Glen was extremely well-developed and realistic. He just wants to do what is
best for his daughter and business. Literally, he is in the survival mode but manages to get through
many uncomfortable and crisis situations while still grieving and protecting his daughter.

Linwood Barclay has written numerous comic thrillers and many darker standalone adventure novels.
This former journalist now writes novels full-time.

If The Accident is typical of Linwood Barclay’s novels, I definitely plan to read anything written by this
master of suspense.

Becoming Marie Antoinette

2011-09-17T20:12:00.002-05:00

Becoming Marie Antoinette
Juliet Grey
Ballantine Books
August 2011
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-0345523860
480 pages
Historical Fiction

Most of us have a general knowledge of Marie Antoinette and focus on her being the beheaded queen.
Who was she? How did she become the infamous queen?

Growing up as the fifteenth child and youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa and the Holy Roman
Emperor Francis I of Austria, who reigned over the Habsburg dynasty, had to have been unusual. Marie
Antoinette learned quickly by charming those around her rather than being well-educated. In music,
she excelled after having Gluck as her musical tutor.

Once her father died from a stroke, the Empress sought a French alliance and marrying one of her
children to the Dauphin of France strengthened the relationship between these two countries.
Unfortunately, the French advisors found many faults with Marie Antoinette that needed to be
immediately altered such as being tutored with the French language, politics, having her teeth
straightened, and having a personal hair dresser. For a twelve-year-old child, she became very insecure
with her own capabilities with all the constant criticism and advice.

Having a young teenager understand the intricacies of the French royalty society and understanding
who the power players were and how to play them did not always work for the young Dauphine. Added
to that was a husband who did not want sexual relations with her while both France and Austria were
anxiously looking for her to become pregnant.

Becoming Marie Antoinette is the first of a proposed trilogy about the French queen from a well-
researched novelist, Juliet Grey, the pseudonym for Leslie Carroll. This native New Yorker has worked
extensively as a writer adapting many classics for stage productions, general fiction, and historical
fiction. She has also used the pen name of Amanda Elyot. She lives with her husband in Manhattan and
Vermont.

The strength of this novel is the strong personal voice of the main character, Marie Antoinette and
seeing her life through her eyes. For the reader, you feel that you are actually on a journey with this
queen-to-be.

I look forward to the next book in this trilogy, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow (Marie Antoinette, #2).
This should be available in 2012.

The Lantern

2011-09-06T20:54:00.001-05:00

The Lantern
Deborah Lawrenson
Harper Collins
August 2011
Hardback
ISBN: 978-0-06-204969-8
387 pages
$ 25.99
Fiction

“A secret can tear the soul. Unspoken, it seeps into the subconscious, it penetrates the body, the character of a person, until at last it takes over all reason and reasoning – until nothing is left but the secret that cannot be told and that must be kept tight inside at all costs. This is devastation, the inner waste.”
How many of us are really what others see? Do we have secrets that change and daily influence us? Or ones that would greatly change someone’s opinion of our personal character? Should you accept the blame for the problems within your family? If not you, who will take the responsibility for your family?
The Lantern is written in a similar style as Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier with the past haunting and influencing people’s lives with a mixture of love and death in Provence, France. This is the intertwining of two tales both at the rural Les GenEvriers surrounded by the lavender fields.
One story revolves around Eve who has quickly become involved with Dom. He obviously has many secrets, especially about his former wife, Rachel. Unfortunately, Dom refuses to talk or to answer questions about her which naturally makes Eve more curious and almost obsessed about the past.
The other story is about the former owners of Les GenEvriers, the Lincel family. This particular family became famous because of one blind daughter who became successful in the perfume business. The one boy in the family, Pierre, was abusive and psychotic. Unfortunately, it appears the even though Les GenEvriers was sold to Dom, the former residents have not left completely.
While somewhat haunting and at times chilling, this seemed to be an imitation of Rebecca rather than a similar story. The story was predictable and leaned strongly to being a romance novel rather than a haunting tale. This was more like family secrets and gossip.
On the positive side, this tale tended more towards a realistic story with real problems and real people. Though not fast-paced, this aspect kept the intensity of the story-line moving and developing.
The Lantern is a different story with a non-linear plot line that still weaves an intriguing tale.

Galaxy Games: The Challenger

2011-09-06T20:06:00.002-05:00

Galaxy Games: The Challengers
Greg R. Fishbone
Illustrations by Ethan Beavers
To Books
Lee & Low Books
September 2011
Hardback
ISBN: 978-1-600-60-660-1
352 pages
$ 15.95
Ages 8 and up

Ty Sato is looking forward to his eleventh birthday party until he finds out that his older sister, Amanda, planned it for his busy parents. She even arranged for there to be a clown at this event. Now, Ty has to figure out a way to have the party but not to be the nerdy kid and the joke of a typical vengeful teenaged sister.

His cousins in Japan have sent him an unusual present. They had a star named after Ty.

Quickly though, this star that astronomers are following, is not a normal star and is moving way too fast and closer to our planet. From being a star, to an asteroid, to a meteor, to now looking like a spaceship, this Ty Sato is closely approaching our planet. With many people believing that the end of the world is near, the planet slowly anticipates their last days due to the arrival of Ty Sato. How would you like to share a name with the possible destruction of the planet?

On board this spaceship is M’Frozza from the planet, Mrendaria, who is an octopus-like creature on a secret mission. She desperately needs to save her own world from disaster in the universe, being a part of the galactic Galaxy Games. Ty Sato is given the chance to save both his world and hers, but will he make the correct choices? Does he have what it takes to be the hero of our planet?

This is a delightful, fast-paced comic type of art book with a teenaged sense of humor such as communications being relayed through the toilets on the Mrendaria ship. This collaborative book is fun, funny, and at the same time realistic. The story line is easy and enjoyable to follow. The characters are well-developed, even for a three-eyed, multiple nostrils, octopus-like creature.

Galaxy Games: The Challengers is fun to read. Combining science fiction, fantasy, with humor and realism makes this intriguing for all ages. The mix of the story with the graphics is a perfect blend for Galaxy Games.

Trail of Blood

2011-09-06T19:28:00.002-05:00

Trail of Blood
By Lisa Black
Harper Collins
August 2011
Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-198936-0
406 pages
$ 7.99
Mystery

Most investigators would not be interested in a murdered body that was killed seventy-five years ago. However, Theresa MacLean, a forensic scientist, is more than intrigued by this discovery especially when she identifies the body of a long-dead policeman.

An older building is being destroyed and as the construction crew is preparing for the complete annihilation of it, they discover a secret room with the remains of this man on a table where it seems that his blood was drained. Who had access to this room? Why would someone have this type of table in a business? Where did the drain lead to? Who knew about this?

This policeman, James Miller, seemed to be one of the few uncorrupted officers at the time. However, he was listed as a deserter of the force when in actuality he was murdered.

Trail of Blood goes back to the mid-1930s, with Eliot Ness being assigned as the leader of the corrupt police force of Cleveland, Ohio and accepting the challenge to clean-up the force. Unfortunately, there seems to be a copycat killer from the 1930s known as the Torso Killer who is leaving new evidence to this old crime.

The strength of this mystery was the realism. Some evidence did not lead to the conclusion, whereas, others did. The reader had to sort out the information as the evidence and interviews were revealed. With various point-of-views, this approach included the reader as actually part of the investigation.

The weakness of this mystery was the lack of attachment for the characters. They all seemed depressed and involved with their own personal misery. This slowed down the pacing considerably while developing a believable storyline.

Lisa Black actually works as a forensic scientist and obviously utilizes this experience in her books. She currently resides in Florida.

The storyline development with the various point-of-views made this an interesting novel by an unusual writer with true forensic experience. I plan to read more by this author to see how she approaches her other novels.

A Time for Peace

2011-08-28T18:29:00.002-05:00

A Time for Peace
Barbara Cameron
Abingdon Press
2011
ISBN: 978-1426707643
352 pages
$13.99

A Time for Peace is about choosing to live and become one of the Amish.

Jenny and Matthew live as an Amish couple in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with their three children. Outwardly they look typically Amish. Inwardly though, Matthew is truly Amish and was a widower. He married Jenny who chose to become Amish and become the mother of this family.

This is the third book in this series by Barbara Cameron entitled the Quilts of Lancaster County. The first book in this series was A Time to Love and the second was A Time to Heal. Even without reading the first two, this is easy to understand the characters and their pasts.

A Time for Peace is a typical love story with a predictable ending based on the Amish lives of two families. For characters that were not raised as Amish, I was amazed on how easily the former military soldiers adjusted to this lifestyle. Also, I was questioning the lifestyle in that an Amish mother of three would have free time to write her novel during the day. Basically, much of the story seemed contrived to the point of being unrealistic. With three step-children, adjusting to a completely different way of life, there would be many more daily problems.

I also questioned the use of a cell phone with the Amish. Apparently this is realistic. For any Amish farmer, I can understand why they would take a cell phone out into the field; however, there will need to be some energy source to keep it charged.

Barbara Cameron has written numerous novels and won the first Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award. She lives in Florida. Her inspiration for this set of novels was her visiting the Amish community in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

This story is for those who enjoy predictable romance novels.

The Shattering

2011-08-21T18:23:00.002-05:00

The Shattering
By Karen Healey
Little, Brown and Company
September 2011
Hardback
ISBN: 978-0-316-12572-7
320 pages
$ 17.99
Young Adult

The seasons in New Zealand are the opposite of those in America. During the Christmas season, they traditionally celebrate under the hot summer sun and look forward to the New Year’s Eve celebration in the scenic tourist town of Summerton.

A death in any family can cause an immense amount of hurt. For Keri and her family, they are devastated since the death of her older brother, Jack. He committed suicide and did not even leave a note. Besides the grief, dealing with the questions is difficult for everyone. Her parents decided to even cancel Christmas this year. Even though Keri is seventeen-years-old, she understands that the funeral was costly but she still feels disappointed.

Keri is surprised when she is approached by two other teens that also had older brothers who committed suicide. Strangely, this does seem to be unusually coincidental, and leads the three to believe that perhaps the suicides were really murders. With Keri is Janna who is a beautiful musician and Sione who is a visiting tourist with a brilliant mathematical mind as together they investigate the deaths while also attempting to prevent any further suicides.

The subject of teen suicide does not engage most readers. However, Karen Healey worked wonders writing this intense novel. The story was constantly moving along with the characters as both simultaneously were developing. Most outstanding in this novel was the realistic characterization along with a well-planned and organized story.

Karen Healey has also written Guardian of the Dead which was a finalist for the William C. Morris Award. She lives in Australia but was born in New Zealand.

When the threesome discovers that witchcraft has influenced both the community and them, the danger for everyone is greatly intensified. Will they live through the New Years’ Eve? Will anyone else die? How can more deaths be prevented?

Rogue

2011-08-14T21:11:00.002-05:00

Rogue (Ike Schwartz Mystery)
Frederick Ramsey
Poisoned Pen Press
July 2011
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-1590589045
$ 14. 95
250 pages
Fiction – Mystery

For anyone who works in law enforcement, fortunately they seldom have to investigate any accident or
crime scene involving their loved ones. What is the right thing for them to do? Should they continue
to do their daily work or should they take a leave of absence for their personal lives and investigate
what really happened?

Sheriff Ike Schwartz is in this quandary. Her fiancée, Ruth Harris, was driving his vehicle when she was
involved in an automobile accident. Being that he is from the small town of Picketsville, the local big
city police believe that this was the result of a normal accident, even though it was a hit-and-run. They
seem to have decided not to spend any more time or effort on this investigation.

Frustrated, Ike decides to investigate on his own and attempts to take a leave of absence. With an
impending election fast-approaching, the mayor does not want to grant this. With Ruth in a coma, Ike
feels compelled to investigate on his own. Was Ruth the target or is someone trying to get even with
Ike?

Fortunately for Ike, Charlie Garland, a former CIA employee, offers to help and investigate the crash.

Rogue shows the difference between following the law and justice, going rogue with Ike. This novel
shows the realism since the characters don’t always make the best decisions but they daily
do what they believe needs to be done. The voice of Ike shows intelligence, humor, curiosity, and a
drive to do the right thing.

Frederick Ramsey is a native of Baltimore, Maryland. He studied medicine, astronomy, and religion.
He presently is retired and lives in Arizona.

This story is well-organized and continues in the development of the characters without having to read the previous novels. The pacing perfectly matches the action within the story. Though a little depressing and very realistic, this is a mystery plotted out by the masterful author, Frederick Ramsey.

The Inverted Forest

2011-08-03T21:07:00.001-05:00

The Inverted Forest
John Dalton
Scribner
Simon & Schuster
July 2011
Hardback
978-1-4165-9602-8
325 pages
$ 26.00

Sometimes you read a book that is so well written that it haunts you, but the story itself is also so disturbing and unsettling to you that you are not certain if you should recommend it or not. That is my predicament with The Inverted Forest.

The Inverted Forest revolves around a summer camp in rural Missouri. The owners of the camp are a set of bachelors who are also twins. One of the brothers recently suffered a stroke, so the surviving brother is in charge of the camp. Schuller Kindermann would prefer to work on his kirigami in the solitude of his cabin than deal with the day-to-day management issues. For that he depends on a long-time worker who lives there year round caring for the camp.

A group of teenagers has been hired to be counselors for this particular summer. They spend time together readying the camp. Unfortunately, these counselors have a late-night pool party, minus the swimsuits. This causes them to be fired. Schuller Kindermann goes to the nearby community to search for replacements. Unfortunately there is not time for training or background checks. He just takes what he can get for counselors.

Most of the counselors are in the early college stage between the ages of eighteen and twenty. There is one of the counselors that is a little unusual in that his facial features are slightly deformed and he seems backward. That is Wyatt Huddy.

Added to this, the first group for the twelve day camp experience is from the state institution for the mentally disabled. These young inexperienced counselors have had no training in working with individuals with special needs. They were planning to work with children, not adults.

This story adds layer upon layer, mixing good with bad actions. There is intensity within the story that draws you into reading page after page. Whether it is the choices of the characters that appall you or the understanding of their actions, this enthralling novel is definitely an experience that I would prefer to read rather than experience. The intrigue is the humanness and their errors that draws you into this story like a magnet.

John Dalton has also written Heaven Lake which was the winner of the Barnes & Noble 2004 Discover Award and the Sue Kaufman Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, He resides in St. Louis.

The Inverted Forest is definitely one of the best written novels of this year. I found myself questioning the characters about their actions. These flawed characters definitely made an intriguing novel.

Flowers for her Grave

2011-08-02T12:01:00.002-05:00

Flowers For Her Grave: A Grim Reaper Mystery
Judy Clemons
Poisoned Pen Press
August 2, 2011
Paperback
978-1590589205
250 pages
$14.95

What if your son and husband recently died? Added to that, now you are wanted by the police. Are you willing to face life or would you prefer to run away and start over?

Casey Maldonado decides to leave her life in Ohio and to start life again in Raceda, Florida as a fitness trainer. She has an unusual companion though, the grim reaper. Yes, Death, L’Ankou, is staying with her. Those who fear death cannot see him, but those who do not fear him, do see these apparition.

Casey decides to change her name to Daisy Gray. To begin her new life, Daisy teaches fitness classes for a trial week at no cost to them. She is hoping that this will allow her to rebuild her life with new friends and to build confidence in herself again.

Naturally, Casey/Daisy has an attraction for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Late at night, Daisy finds one of residents in the locker room, bleeding. Even though she does the right thing and immediately gets help, the resident still dies. The police were able to discover that Daisy was not involved and could not have caused the death since the security video tapes backed her story. Unfortunately, not all the residents feel the same way.

Daisy decides to ask some questions. Being naturally curious and wondering who she can trust allows her to also investigate. Is the murderer a resident or could it be one of the staff? Could the murderer be one of the former fitness instructors? Could it be a jealous woman? Could this be part of a larger blackmail scheme? Who are these people?

Death is full of constant advice, humor, with a bad-taste in wardrobe selections. While Daisy purposefully over schedules her fitness classes, L’Ankou makes sarcastic remarks, gives advice freely, while still maintaining his deadly duties.

Flowers for her Grave is the third book in the Grim Reaper series. The other two are The Grim Reaper’s Dance and Embrace the Grim Reaper. At first, the relationship between the two seemed a little strange since I have not read the previous two books in the series, but there is enough in this story about the past for the story to make sense with the character of Casey/Daisy. This works as both a standalone novel and as part of a series.

Flowers for her Grave is a fast-paced mystery with many twists and turns that keep your interest. It also gives advice for how to gain another identity. For which ever reason you choose, read this page turner.

Loose Gravel

2011-08-02T10:59:00.002-05:00

Loose Gravel
David P. Holmes
North Star Press
June 2011
Paperback
978-0-87839-554-5
239 pages
$14.95

“Beauty and a remorseless soul – a deadly combination. Dangerous – like loose gravel.”

If you have ever driven a car fast on loose gravel, you are aware at how dangerous it can be and how easy it is to lose control, just like fast living.

Detective Harold Bruntz has been a part of the Minneapolis Police for thirty years. He is not handsome. In fact, he’s a mess. He wears clothes that look slept in, hasn’t bathed recently, is overweight, drinks, sleeps around, and has problems getting along with partners. He also has his own version of right and wrong and will do whatever it takes to close a case, even if it is illegal or unethical.

Now his superiors are giving him one last chance. His new partner, Yo-Yo, is a svelte, black woman who can no longer work under cover as a prostitute. Either these damaged individuals have to get along, or they are both out of a job.

Someone shot Gordon Mark and Amanda Freeman while they were in compromising positions. Gordon died immediately while Amanda lived even though she was shot in the stomach. Amanda was also married to Darrel Freeman at the time. Who would be the logical shooter?

Now, Isabel le Freeman and Darrel Freeman are shot and killed, daughter and step-father. It turns out that Isabelle was also pregnant by Darrel. Who would gain by these people being dead? Why was Amanda not killed? What does she know? How does this family interact?

Loose Gravel is a fun-twisted detective story, complete with rough language and situations. At times it is humorous, but very intent on solving the mystery of the shootings. The relationship between the characters is realistic. The story is well-written and fast-page-turning adventure. This is hard-core detective writing at its best. There is a Dirty Harry-like feeling to it with the hard living and an alternative sense of justice.

My one criticism of this novel was the need for further editing in the last third of the book. Many of the spelling and capitalization errors were distracting from the story.

David P. Holmes resides in a log cabin in Minnesota. Previously he has written Secrets, Salt of the Earth, and Emily’s Run. His son created the cover of this novel.

Personally, I would love to read more by this author. His down-to-earth style characters are who we all would like to help us if we ever needed them.

Untouchable

2011-08-02T10:21:00.003-05:00

Untouchable
Scott O’Connor
Tyrus Books
2011
Hardcover 978-1-935562-38-2 $24.95
Paperback 978-1-935562-50-4 $15.95
384 pages
$14.99

Death…grief….cleaning up the mess!

Most sixth-grade boys know about bullying. It is hard being bullied and socially being at the bottom of the totem pole with your classmates, Also having had your mother die a year ago does not help.

During the fall of 1999 many people were anticipating end of the world with Y2K, Whitley Earl Darcy is one of them. He has few friends, one being Matthew, a small black boy and the other being Michelle Moustache, a name the students made up, a large female classmate with a dark mustache.

Whitley, known in his family as The Kid, has difficulty with accepting his mother’s death. Being he did not actually see her dead body, he believes that she ran away and will return to him eventually. He decides to make a covenant with God. If he does not speak at all, God will allow his mother to return.
So now, Whitley is a sixth-grade boy who still is a social outcast with body odor, bad breath, bullies, and no athletic ability who has taken a vow of silence.

His father, David, has a job of cleaning up crime scene messes, usually deaths. Yes, somebody needs to do this, but it is difficult to balance the daily needs for a single parent father and the detachment needed to clean up gruesome and messy deaths.

The characterization is outstanding. These characters are real and flawed which keeps you reading and wondering about how they are ever going to change or manage to survive their daily struggles. This is not an action adventure but people dealing with real problems in the real world.

Untouchable is a fast and engrossing story of grief and the slow road to recovery. At times the story is comical such as when The Kid gets a cell phone to be in contact with his dad. Remember, The Kid refuses to speak. How do they communicate then? No, they do not text.

Scott O’Connor previously wrote a novella in 2004, Among Wolves, which also deals with a troubled boy. Only this one believes that his real parents have been replaced by imposters. He lives in Los Angeles.

Scott O’Connor writes about dealing with real problems and not finding easy solutions. I look forward to more of his books in the future.

The Boy in the Suitcase

2011-07-27T13:22:00.001-05:00

The Boy in the Suit Case
Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis
Translated from Danish by Lene Kaaberbol
Soho Press
Random House
November 2011
Trade paperback
ISBN: 978-1-56947-0
320 pages
$24.00

Doing the right thing is not always easy. For Nina Borg, her daily struggles with balancing her family and work are not always smooth or easy. Working as a Red Cross nurse often conflicts with being available for her family and a husband who does not understand when the family takes second place in her priority list.

Nina receives an unusual request from a friend asking her to pick up a suitcase in a locker at a public train station. The suitcase is heavy and she does wonder what is inside. After struggling to get it into her vehicle, for some strange reason Nina feels the need to return to the locker. There she sees a large man opening the locker and hitting it when he realizes that it is empty. Unfortunately, he also sees her.

After frantically running to car and racing away, she finally finds a place where she can open the suitcase. Inside is a small child, naked. She is surprised to find him breathing. What do you do? She is fearful that the police will place the child in a refugee or foster care situation. Is this better for the child? Who is chasing her? What do they want with the boy?

The Boy in the Suit Case is a page-turning intense action-adventure story. The characters are realistically flawed and their personal problems obviously continue after the story ends. The plot is well-developed and organized. The system of governmental influences on a child really exist and Nina’s choices and situations are easy to understand.

The Boy in the Suit Case is part of a bestselling crime series from Denmark by Agnete Friis and Lene Kaaberbol and translated into English for the first time. It has also earned the 2008 Harald Mogensen award for the best crime novel and was short listed for the Scandinavian Glass Key Award for crime fiction when against The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

The Boy in the Suit Case has now been translated into ten languages with more the two million copies of the book available. With many Scandinavian novels being translated into English, I hope to read more by either of these two gifted authors.

Releasing Gillian's Wolves

2011-07-24T17:39:00.002-05:00

Releasing Gillian’s Wolves
Tara Woolpy
Bats in the Boathouse Press
August 1, 2011
Trade paperback
ISBN: 978-0-9832033-0-8
280 pages
$15.00

How many people give up their dreams in order to support a spouse or raise children? For women, it is often expected.

Gillian gave up her dreams of being an artist when she married Jack Sach. Being that Jack wanted to enter the field of politics, Gillian was the devoted wife in helping with the campaigns and providing food for many of the meetings throughout the past thirty years. She has also had the problem of letting go of her anger towards Jack with his constant affairs.

The latest conquest is a young intern, naturally, who also showed interest in their son. After witnessing the breaking of her son’s heart because of her husband’s indiscretion, Gillian wants time to decide what to do. Fortunately, she inherited money so that makes life easier for her.

Gillian has a long-time gay friend, Edward, who has always been there when she needed a shoulder. Now Edward’s life is changing and Gillian is taking charge of her life, her way.

Releasing Gillian’s Wolves is Tara Woolpy’s debut novel. She has published poems and short stories in a multitude of publications. Currently she is a professor of aquatic sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. She has also published under the last names of Reed, Danaan, and Reed-Andersen.

This story is definitely geared towards a female audience. It also leans to the romantic genre. Parts of the story are autobiographical in that Tara Woolpy’s mother was involved with politics in Idaho.
For a first novel, the story was very well-written, well-organized, and logical. The characters were believable and definitely human. The inner voice had a strong feeling of authenticity.
All of us have wolves inside, hidden talents that need to be released or at least tested. For those who have ever wondered, “What if I had…” you need to read this. I look forward to future novels by this author.

Just a Bunch of Crazy Ideas

2011-07-21T09:36:00.002-05:00

Just a Bunch of Crazy Ideas
Pardu S. Ponnapallli
Xlibris
2011
Hardback ISBN: 978-1-4568-8239-6 $24.99
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-4568-8238-9 $15.99
Ebook 978-1-4568-8240-2 $7.69
78 pages

Crazy ideas??? If you were living in the 1940s most people would have considered the idea of men walking on the moon as a crazy idea. At that time, the thinking was crazy, thinking outside the box.
So, what’s to say that thinking crazy isn’t the way to solve our present day solutions?

Pardu S. Ponnapalli earned a doctorate degree in physics. Upon graduating, he could not find a job which matched his education so he became an IT specialist. From his life experiences, he has some thoughts written as short essays about a variety of subjects, some more reasonable than others, and some being a possibility.

The importance of this book is to get people to think about the present day problems and to find realistic solutions. He mentions his proposals, but more importantly wants others to start pondering on solving the problems. After all, the first step to solving a problem is recognizing that there is a problem.

Some of his ideas are extremely practical such as the luggage problem on airplanes and the energy conservation. Some need more research with what has already been considered such as the gas tank placements and the chess differentiation of games. Some could cause more problems, such as the flexible seating in vehicles would bring another complete dimension to the insurance industry.

Explaining the difference between the National Debt and the deficit was well-done and clear. I am concerned about the simplistic view though of solving this problem. There are many more components of this problem, but he does have insight about where to begin the solution.

Other thoughts discussed are the idea of a space elevator, promoting ice hockey, alternatives for controlling the cat litter box smell, laptops and their constant need for replacement or repairs, space exploration, the stock market, the world of IT workers, hiking injuries, and improvement for dishwashers.

The essays were well-written and mostly thought through. Based on his personal experience, they were enlightening and at times, laughable. More importantly, they make the reader take the time to think about our future, ponder on the problems, and look for the solutions we need.

Lily Hates Goodbyes

2011-07-15T15:13:00.001-05:00

Lily Hates Goodbyes
Jerilyn Marler Illustrator: Nathan Stoltenberg
CreateSpace
March 2011
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1460960707
$ 6.95
32 pages
Fiction

What can any of us do to help a military family who has to deal with being sent overseas?

Jerilyn Marler wondered about that exact thing when her granddaughter was having difficulty with her
father’s deployment with the Navy. From four-year-old Lily’s perspective, her life was ending.

This book allows a young child to talk about their temporary loss and feelings through Lily in the book.
Dealing with a deployment is difficult for any family, Lily Hates Goodbyes even guides the family
through this time and how to effectively deal with it.

Particularly for military families, this little book is excellent. Guiding through with some survival skills
such as looking at the moon and talking to it as if it were her father, talking to her mom, hitting a pillow
allows strategies for trying times. Also, the memory box for her father is a wonderful way for sharing
for any parent that has to be gone for any time.

Also available is a coloring book that accompanies Lily Hates Goodbyes. The illustrations are
wonderful. The story is well-told and perfect for any four-year-old to understand. The suggestions in
the story and the back of the book are well-thought out for any family loss, particularly deployments.

Jerilyn Marler resides in Oregon and has been a writer in the technical world for years. Nathan
Stoltenberg also lives in the Northwest and is an up and coming artist in numerous fields.

Lily Hates Goodbyes is the perfect gift for every military family.

Warlord

2011-07-15T13:49:00.002-05:00

Warlord
Ted Bell
Harper
Harper Collins Publishers
July 2011
Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-185931-1
$ 9.99
681 pages
Fiction – Action- Adventure

Thank goodness that somewhere in the world there is one extremely gifted person who can be trusted
to do the right thing, even if it involves risking their own life. They truly feel that this is their sense of
duty and service to others. These people are rare but those few who feel this commitment are highly
valued by their peers, their superiors, and those everyday folks who need a champion. Fortunately for
us, Alex Hawke is that person in this fictional novel.

Mr. Smith has a long history of terrorism and now seems to be instrumental in the unification of two
known terrorist groups, the IRA and the Sword of Allah who interacts with the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
This Mr. Smith seems to be British but was somehow involved with the death of Lord Mountbatten in
1979 as well as Diana’s accident. Now, his target is the royal family beginning with the princes.

Being that Warlord is the sixth in the Alex Bell series, there are continuations regarding the
progression in their personal lives. Warlord begins with the James Bond-like character in his Caribbean
retreat reflecting on his personal loses from the previous novel, Tsar. Wallowing in his grief, Alex
receives a call from Prince Charles who asks for his help in protecting his family who has been
threatened. Alex instantaneously changes his attitude in response to his long-time friend that
reignites his sense of duty.

Added to that is a missing nuclear weapon which leads Alex and his associates to the Afghanistan desert
and into the mountains along with Mr. Smith.

Warlord is action/adventure with a James Bond attitude. Alex Bell seems to be a more focused Bond-
like character who only needs to focus on one woman. There is humor and a sense of being realistic in
that the characters do need to sleep and eat. Even without having read the previous novels, this one
is easy to understand and the characterization does not suffer.

I enjoyed reading this fast-paced novel. My criticism regards the Epilogue which obviously is leading
into the next novel. With most of the writing being tight and conclusive, this was wandering and
unevenly paced. It really didn’t blend well with theprevious story.

Ted Bell is a former chairman of the board of an advertising agency. He lives in Florida and Colorado
writing his adventurous novels featuring Alex Hawke.

I look forward to the next in this series.

The Durham Deception

2011-07-12T14:11:00.002-05:00

The Durham Deception: A Cathedral Mystery
Philip Gooden
Severn House
Hardback
2011
ISBN: 978-0-399-15722-6
248 pages
$28.95
Fiction, Newlyweds, Lawyers, Mediums, Magicians, Murder Investigations, 19th Century

Sometimes the only way to stop a family member from doing something possibly stupid is by an intervention from a family member, even in nineteenth century England. That is the situation for newlywed Helen Ansell and her husband, Tom.

Helen’s aunt, Julia, lives in Durham, away from the rest of the family in London. Julia, although never married, managed to make many fortunate investments in her younger days, and now money is not a concern. Julia is fascinated by an older gentleman who is a medium for those dearly departed from their loved ones. Can Helen stop her spinster aunt from marrying this fraud?

Conveniently, Tom has also been sent to Durham on an assignment as a young lawyer. He is to meet with the stage magician, Major Sebastian Marmont who wants an affidavit verifying his ownership of an unusual and valuable weapon, the Lucknow Dagger. Both Helen and Tom are pleased when their purposes coincide.

This was a logical and intricate mystery that was not predictable but was easy to follow. Especially outstanding were the references to life in the 1800s such as working with the gaslights. This allowed a true picture into the daily life of this time period.

The story is a well-written page turner. The characters are believable and the references within the setting were true to the time period. The mystery is fast –paced while still being plausible. Added to that are the intricate details important which support the setting.

Being The Durham Deception is the second book of Philip Gooden’s Cathedral series, many readers might be hesitant because many important elements in character development and relationships are only in a first novels. This particular novel is easy to understand without having read the first one.

Philip Gooden has written two separate mystery series. So far, he has six novels in the Shakespearean Murder Mystery series, and two in this Cathedral series. Originally The Durham Deception was published in England in 2008 as The Durham Disappearance. He has also written The Mammoth Book of Literary Anecdotes, The Open Door: and other Ghost Stories, Faux Pas, Who’s Whose?, Name Dropping: A No-Nonsense Guide to the Use of Names in Everyday Language, and The Story of English: How the English Language Conquered the World.

The Durham Deception is a delightful quick mystery. Personally, I plan to read other novels by this British novelist.

The Paris Wife

2011-07-08T14:42:00.001-05:00

The Paris Wife
Paula McLain
Ballantine Books
Hardback
2011
ISBN: 978-03421309
336 pages
$25.00
Fiction

“Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another. “ Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway is remembered as a phenomenal author but also as a person who lived and died by his own set of rules. With four wives, bull fights, friendships or enemies with other authors, and suicide, all of these set his life apart from anything but normal. In The Paris Wife, Paula McLain magnifies one section of Ernest Hemingway’s life, the time with his first wife, Elizabeth “Hadley” Richardson.

This story revolves around when Hadley and Ernest first meet through when they divorce. Hadley was twenty-nine years old when she met the twenty-one year old Hemingway. There was an instantaneous attraction. They quickly married and moved to Europe, centering mostly in Paris. At this time, numerous legendary authors formed a close-knit community here and spent much time together with the couple such as Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, Ezra Pound, John Dos Passos, and F. Scott Fitzgerald as well as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, and Juan Gris. Most of this time, Ernest worked as a journalist while being a financially struggling writer on the side. Their experiences and the visits to Spain for the bull fighting and the runs became much of the content of the memorable novels.

Pauline Pfeiffer, eventually the second wife, becomes an interesting character as she befriends both Ernest and Hadley and is a close and valued friend to both. This awkward friendship eventually caused the dissolution of the marriage.

The Paris Wife tells the story from Hadley’s perspective. Yes, I would consider this to be an advanced chic lit book. Men, you won’t enjoy it unless you enjoy reading romances. The idea to write this book came from when the author read Hemingway’s memoir, A Moveable Feast. One of the last lines about Hadley stated, “I wished I had died before I ever loved anyone but her.” That is the basis for this story.

I enjoyed this novel. However, it came already installed on my Kindle. It flowed easily. It is not a guy novel at all. The Paris Wife is for those who enjoy an involved and realistic love story.

Withering Tights

2011-07-08T13:18:00.002-05:00

WITHERING TIGHTS
Louise Rennison
Harper Teen
Harper Collins Publishers
Hardback
2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-179931-0
288 pages
$16.00
Fiction, Interpersonal relations, Camps, Performing arts, Self-confidence, Yorkshire, England

Many fourteen-year-old girls desperately are trying to fit in and to become popular. It is difficult when you grow unevenly and feel like you are all legs even if you’re living in Britain.

Tallulah Casey is thrilled to be able to fulfill her dreams since she has been accepted to spend the summer at a Performing Arts College. Being that her application was accepted late, there wasn’t room for Tallulah in the dormitory. The school does arrange for her to stay at a nearby home with an eccentric local family.

The theme for the summer program is Wuthering Heights in this moorland of the Yorkshire Dales. Where sheep abound in the town and squirrel slippers keep you warm on chilly mornings, Tallulah begins to awkwardly grow into her height, starting to understanding embarrassing families, kissing boys, making friends, and discovering if she has any talent for this performing arts school.

Making new friends seems fairly easy. The school itself is a challenge since none of her teachers seem to think she has any talent, just clumsiness. Also interesting is that there is an all boys school also in the town. So knowing that boys are around, maybe Tallulah will be kissed for the first time. More importantly, maybe she will finally begin to fill out and need a bra.

Withering Tights is the first book in a new series by Louise Nicolson who is known for her Georgia Nicolson stories. This is a fun-lighthearted book for those girls who are not in high school and enjoy the companionship of a fourteen-year-old girl point-of-view, complete with her mistakes and ungraceful life. Also, most importantly, is the learning from Tallulah about learning to laugh with others, even about yourself. The reading audience is for girls who are in their early teens.

Withering Tights is a funny and realistic journey into the life of a typical British fourteen year-old girl.

Pole Shift 2: The Ribbon Years

2011-07-04T19:18:00.001-05:00

Pole Shift 2: The Ribbon Years
Albert Samuel Tukker
Lulu Press
2010
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-557-37369-7
$ 29.28
457 pages
Science fiction

As a continuation from the first book Pole Shift, this novel continues. As a quick refresher, Pole Shift is
the thrilling action adventure novel about the change of our planet’s magnetic poles due to the
galactic alignment and change in the gravitational forces that actually shift our magnetic poles which
level the mountains and create the Plains Sea in middle America.

Forrest Woods, along with Claire, is continuing his search for survivors in the area of what we now consider as Arizona, Kansas, and Nebraska and being guided by the spirit of his former wife in the form of a blue firefly. He is also looking for the changes in geography as well as the changes in the wildlife such as carnivorous rabbits and cows.

Forrest and Claire are constantly wondering about the people they meet along their journey. They are surprised that there seem to be either those who are evil or good. There is no middle ground. They are constantly rescuing those who need help and attempting to eliminate those who take advantage of others.

There are also many realistic health and injury challenges which are believable with anyone being exposed to the elements and fighting with others. The grieving of personal losses also is considered and varied as it is in real life.

Forrest seems to have a restlessness that is balanced by his wandering and searching. As the story progresses, he changes as his personal needs evolve. The strength of this science fiction/almost western is the characters and their relationships with each other. Sometimes though, it seemed a little too black and white with no regard for the areas in-between.

The ending was forced with skips in time as the chapters progressed. Being that this was not present in the earlier parts of the novel, it is unsettling and seems contrived. The author obviously wanted to end this series.

I loved Pole Shift and would recommend that this be read immediately after it. Albert Samuel Tukker is an extremely talented author who seems to be overlooked by the publishers. His previous novel, Rage, won third place in the Mystery/Suspense/ Thriller category by Premier Book Awards for 2009.

Read anything written by Albert Samuel Tukker. You won’t be disappointed.

Prophecy of the Guardian

2011-07-04T18:17:00.003-05:00

Prophecy of the Guardian: Guardian of the Seventh Realm Part I
J. W. Baccaro
Whiskey Creek Press
2010
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-61160-024-7
$ 17.95
320 pages
Fantasy

Darshun Luthias was born for a purpose. As a infant, he was almost a sacrifice when he was rescued, as foretold in a prophecy. Now, he has the distinction to fulfill this prophecy with a world hoping for his victory of the Light over the Dark.

Prophecy of the Guardian is the story of Darshun and his childhood. Being one of the few surviving Nasharin warriors, Mirabel senses the existence of another of his almost extinct race. Carefully, with Seth, another Nasharin, he stealthily views a small child who will soon be a Cullach sacrifice. Cullachs physically have piglike faces, gray skin, and are slightly stooped. They are creatures who serve the
Dark. The two of them, successful ly rescue the infant. Mirabel becomes Darshun’s adopted father and mentor.

The story is fast-paced and a fantasy lover’s delight. The traditional conflict between good, the Light, and evil, the Dark is a constant struggle with the god of Light, Abidan, and the opposing god, Abaddon. Notice the word “bad” inside Abaddon. There is a quest, a race between the two forces to find the four crystals of the earth forces which we know as elements. Whoever possesses them, rules the world.

Personally, there were too many characters, tribes, and gods. The book needs a character list to help keep them all straight. If you make one as the story progresses, this greatly helps because you do need to refer back to it due to the author’s favoritism of certain letters and having a multitude of fictional proper nouns with very similar letters. Also, sometimes the character’s name changes from ending in an “a” to ending with an “um”. There are also some problems with noun/verb agreement and staying consistent with the verb tense.

Prophecy of the Guardian: Guardian of the Seventh Realm, Part I is an ambitious multi-book plan for novel ist J. W. Baccaro who resides in New York.

This series beginning has many human-like creatures and races that are battling among each other. The action is constant with this race for the crystals and good reigning over evil. If you are patient with the names, you will be richly rewarded with this first installment of a wonderful and memorable tale.

Strangle a Loaf of Italian Bread

2011-07-04T15:11:00.004-05:00

STRANGLE A LOAF OF ITALIAN BREAD
Denise Dietz
Five Star
Gale, Cengage Learning
May 2009
Hardback
ISBN: 978-1-59414-760-9
$ 25.95
269 pages
Cozy Mystery

Many normal people with ordinary jobs dream of their one chance for greatness. Sara Lee, not her real
name, had her own dream. With a voice that sounded more like Barbara Streisand than Barbara
Streisand, Sara expected to win the part of Dolly in the local production of “Hello, Dolly” at the l
community theater. However, someone did not want her to audition. While taking a smoking break as
a waitress, she was rehearsing in the back alley behind the restaurant, she was strangled from behind by
someone grabbing her Daffy Duck necktie which was part of her uniform.

Who would want her dead? “… nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee.” Was that true?

Ellie Bernstein loves sleuthing with her fiancée, Peter Miller who works as a detective in Colorado
Springs. Peter is concerned about Ellie endangering herself by sticking her nose into possibly
dangerous situations. Daily, she works as a leader with Weight Winners making many friends and
acquaintances through her connections.

One of her friends, Rachel Lester, is frustrated with learning about her husband’s cheating with many
different women. She needs to make some decisions for herself. She tells everyone that she is visiting
her ill sister in Texas, but in she is seeking shelter in a friend’s cabin.

Ellie agree to dog-sit for Rachel. She hopes that Scout will get along with her Persian cat, Jackie
Robinson.

Strangle a Loaf of Italian Bread is a short cozy mystery. This is a light fun story with numerous
twists and turns. The characters are realistic and act in a believable manner. The mystery is
fast-paced with constant real life challenges intermixed with the investigations in an almost
real time manner.
Denise Deitz has written other culinary mysteries Throw Darts at Cheesecake, Beat Up a Cookie, and Chain a Lamb Chop to the Bed which also feature Ellie and Peter. With the main character Ingrid Beaumont, she has written Footprints in the Butter and also the stand-alone, Fifty Cents for your Soul. As Mary Ellen Dennis, she has written The Landlord’s Blackeyed Daughter, Stars of Fire, Heaven’s Thunder, and The Greatest Love on Earth. She wrote Finding Bess with her husband, author Gordon Aalborg. She resides at Vancouver Island.
Strangle a Loaf of Italian Bread is a logical but not predictable mystery that is delightful to read.

The Weird Sisters

2011-06-28T10:42:00.002-05:00

The Weird Sisters
Eleanor Brown
Amy Einhorn Books
G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Penguin Group
Hardback
2011
ISBN: 978-0-399-15722-6
336 pages
$24.95
Fiction, Sisters, Terminally Ill Parents, Middle-aged Women, Domestic

“See, we love one another. We just don’t happen to like one another very much.”

Sisters . . . mine included.

The Weird Sisters is about three adult women who are sisters and return home because of their mother being diagnosed with breast cancer. At least that is what it appears. Rosalind “Rose” is home because her fiancé is studying in England and she is scared to leave the security of her job and being close to home. Bianca “Bean” is hiding from her former New York employer who fired her for embezzlement. Cordelia “Cordy” is home because she has no stability in her gypsy lifestyle and is developing a nesting instinct. The three grew up in this house with their father teaching Shakespeare at a local college and their mother staying at home to take care of the family. The daughters grew up without the advantage of having a television but with the gift of having a strong relationship with books and Shakespeare.

Surprisingly, the three daughters closely resemble each other physically, but are extremely different in personality and tend to resemble the Shakespearian characters of their names. Each one is dealing with their own personal conflicts and being unable to deal effectively in the real world with other humans.

“Instead, we were going to wrap ourselves in cloaks woven from self-pity and victimhood, refusing to admit that we might be able to help each other if we’d only open up. Instead, we’d do what we always did, the only thing we’d ever been dependably stellar at: we’d read.”

Although it is easy to identify with the sisters, the story itself was well-written but contrived. Reality does not resolve problems quite so nicely. The learned dysfunction of escaping your problems by reading instead of living and building relationships with others was evident in each of the daughters. Only by building relationships with others were they able to achieve balance within their lives.

The Weird Sisters is the debut book for Eleanor Brown who currently resides in Colorado. For a first novel, the story is good. The predictable audience for this novel is women, most likely those over thirty. I really don’t think men would enjoy this novel as it leans toward the romance genre.

In the Garden of the Beasts

2011-06-26T17:23:00.001-05:00

In the Garden of Beasts
Erik Larson
Crown Publishers
Random House
2011
Hardback
ISBN: 978-0-307-40884-6
450 pages
$26.00

Being a United States’ Ambassador to Germany obviously is an honor with tremendous expectations. Can anyone imagine what it would have been like to be in this position prior to World War II just when Adolf Hitler became the leader of the Nazi party?

William E. Dodd was an unlikely choice for an ambassador appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. His only qualifications were spending time in Germany twenty years previously and knowing history, but obviously not understanding it. Many wealthy and experienced politicians had turned it down so it was a surprise for a university professor to accept this. Dodd started in this position with the idea that it would allow him time to write his book, Old South. He had no realistic expectations of his situation nor how he was perceived by our politicians and the German leaders.

To begin with, Dodd decided to live within the means of his salary for all entertaining and expenditures. This would include the elaborate parties with the German leaders. Then he insisted on transporting his old Chevrolet to Germany. With the Nazi leaders either having a chauffeur or driving long flashy vehicles, this didn’t successfully maintain any dignity.

Also with him came his wife, his adult son and daughter. His son planned to continue his studies while in Germany and to learn the language. His daughter, Martha, found this to be the opportunity for adventure. She divorced her husband who was a New York banker and partied her way through the younger Nazi leadership developing a longtime relationship with the head of the Gestapo and a Soviet spy.

There were numerous challenges for Ambassador Dodd at this time, especially with Americans in Berlin. When the Nazi’s marched past, everyone was expected to salute and to show respect. Those, even Americans, who did not, were frequently beaten. The situation was even more difficult if the visitors were American and Jewish.

Erik Larson is known for writing factual books that read like fiction. He continues to succeed with In the Garden of Beasts. The other novels he has written are Thunderstruck, The Devil in the White City, and Isaac’s Storm.

Though factual, this novel is quickly read even with the footnotes which were enriching to read along with each chapter. The information was extremely easy to understand and helped in filling history prior to the war that is usually not considered but made the Nazi movement more understandable. Also wonderfully written is the aspect of the global impact of the situations surrounding the Ambassador and his family. Written as real people, the style was easy and similar to fiction which made the events realistic to the reader. Knowing the situation and the after events, the reader realizes the danger and the impact of these decisions and situations.

To read In the Garden of the Beasts is to truly transport yourself to another time and place that few of us have and will ever experience except through the eyes of Erik Larson.

Dreams of Joy

2011-06-23T09:58:00.001-05:00

Dreams of Joy
Lisa See
Random House
May 31, 2011
Hardback
ISBN: 978-1-4000-6712-3
358 pages
$26.00

How would anyone feel if the woman who you always called mother is really your aunt and your aunt is really your mother? Added to that, the man who you have considered to be your father is not your father. Your real father lives in China and is a well-known artist.

Joy is in this situation. She has lived her entire life in Los Angeles where her family settled after fleeing China when the Japanese invasion occurred. Her family revolves around two women. May was Joy’s real mother but discovered her artistic gift in working in the movie industry while Pearl, her real aunt, established a small café in Chinatown. Being the Pearl was more available to stay close to raise a baby, this arrangement worked better for the sisters.

With one year of college completed, Joy has just enough knowledge to be dangerous and believes strongly in the idealism of communism. While at college her true feelings become known and cause a domino effect with the F.B.I. and the man who she believed was her father committing suicide.

Between the guilt, idealism, and the intrigue of an adventure, Joy takes her college money for next year and runs to China to find her real father while she plans to become a part of the new life in China under Chairman Mao. Once she finds her father, both go to a commune where Z.G. teaches practical art to the masses and Joy discovers love for a man and for her new country.

The story alternates as a narrative from the point-of-view of Pearl and Joy. Pearl leaves Los Angeles with a goal of bringing Joy home and getting her out of China. She discovers China has greatly changed from when she left twenty years ago and struggles to find Z.G. and Joy. Joy matures into the realism of hard work in a commune with illiterate villagers, an indifferent husband, and a corrupt system during times of drought.

Dreams of Joy is a realistic view into the Mao years of the late 1950s and the early 1960s. This novel was well-researched as to the time and place and was filled with cultural oddities true to the story.

Part of me has a problem with reading a sequel. I feel cheated in that the story was not completed in the previous book. To understand Dreams of Joy and the characters, you really have to read the previous novel, Shanghai Girls. To me, it would make more sense to just publish the two books together or to make one long novel and not to leave the reader hanging in suspense.

Lisa See who lives in Los Angeles has written many novels reflecting on China, her ancestral home. These novels are Peony in Love, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Flower Net, The Interior, On Gold Mountain, and Dragon Bones. Her writing never fails to tell a wonderful story as I can attest to since I have read everything she has written and plan to continue to read anything she writes.

The Mozart Conspiracy

2011-06-17T11:12:00.001-05:00

THE MOZART CONSPIRACY
Scott Mariani
A Touchstone Book
Simon & Schuster
March 2011
Hardback
ISBN: 978-1-4391-9336-6
340 pages
$24.99

After Mozart’s death, there were many who believed the former child prodigy had been poisoned. Being drawn to the dramatic lifestyle, death by common causes such as rheumatic fever, just didn’t seem to answer the questions about his demise.

Added to this mystery were certain facts about Mozart during this time. Being a member of the Freemasons, Mozart used much of this “secret” knowledge in his newest opera, “The Magic Flute.” Could his death be revenge or an attempt to stop this production?

What if Mozart actually wrote a letter during his final hours explaining his personal beliefs about what was happening to him?

The Mozart Conspiracy is a fictional story about this final letter that Mozart wrote on his deathbed regarding the Freemasons. The letter was hidden inside the leg of a piano bench and was discovered by an elderly piano restorer. He attempted to have the letter authenticated, but was not successful. Strangely though, the letter was auctioned off for an astounding fee. Would the Freemasons now want this letter? Were their secrets revealed in the letter?

Oliver Llewellyn and Ben Hope have long been friends from their days spent in army training. Oliver’s sister, Leigh, is a world famous opera singer who almost married Ben fifteen years ago. Oliver decides to write a novel regarding the Mozart letter which was found by his father.

After Oliver dies, Leigh contacts Ben in an effort to have closure and some answers to her brother’s death. Being Ben works as a contractual mercenary soldier, he has skills and is able to find out the truth about what really happened.

What Ben didn’t plan on was that now it is obvious that someone does not want any questions about this incident? Why? Why do people want to kill Leigh and him? Does this have to do with the Mozart letter?

Scott Mariani writes in a similar style as Dan Brown and James Rollins. The story is constant running, page turning, and obviously, an action adventure. Many of his books feature his James Bond like character, Ben Hope. He has written The Alchemist’s Secret, The Doomsday Prophecy, The Heretic’s Treasure, The Shadow Project, and The Lost Relic. He also has written the Vampire Federation series beginning with Uprising and the soon to be released in the UK, The Cross. He makes his home in Wales.

The Mozart Conspiracy was a very quick read and was enjoyable. Personally, I was pleased with his realistic ending. With many of these novels being very similar, the ending set this book apart and made it more reflective and introspective.

Corinthia Falls

2011-06-15T14:14:00.001-05:00

Corinthia Falls
Kim Hutson
Outskirts Press
2011
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4327-7167-6
$22.95
408 pages
Fiction -Christian

On a typical Sunday morning in Corinthia Falls, Oklahoma in 1981, you would find a small church with
a congregation divided. On one side are the Sitters, those who believe that worship should be
individual, quiet, and reflective, while on the other side are the Standers, those who stand most of the
service raising their hands and shouting out amen and blessings.

This divided congregation is united in one thing and that is their dislike for disturbances. So when a
boy is painted red, wearing antlers, accompanied by a red goat and claiming to be the devil, appears in
the church as a joke, this small town is upset about this devilish disturbance. Added to this is the
spiking of watermelon a few weeks later during a church picnic.

Paul, Colonel Pavlos Lincoln Armstrong, is an evangelist who travels to churches and communities
that need interventions to help their living of a Christian lifestyle, appears at the church dressed
completely in black with a creature that seems to be part bear/part dog. He settles into this community
with Silas, his dog, and the two begin to make an impact on many lives.

Timothy Oaks, better known as Timber, is the lead character in Corinthia Falls. You meet him as a
teenager approaching his senior year of high school along with his friends. Through his eyes, this story
is told.

Unfortunately, many books are grouped into the genre of being Christian literature and because of that,
are not read by the general public. Many of these are considered to be in the same category as a
romance novel and have a predictable storyline and conclusion. Even though Corinthia Falls is a
Christian book, the writing is outstanding and the story is memorable.

Corinthia Falls is storytelling at its best. The story should be entitled Timber instead of Corinthia Falls as
that is the center of the novel. For the last one third of the novel, Corinthia Falls is not the focus of the
story, Timber is. Even with this wandering, the story is wonderful and should be read by church goers
as well as those who should be church goers. It provides insight into the direction needed for our
churches and communities.

Kim Hutson, along with his wife, Rhonda work with the United Methodist Church in Eastern Oklahoma.
If this book is a reflection of his work, this must be a blessed area.

Read Corinthia Falls to experience a great story. Even though there is Christianity in the story, it fits as
part of the story, not as an addition. Corinthia Falls is a memorable reading experience for everyone.

Lebensborn

2011-06-15T13:14:00.002-05:00

LEBENSBORN
Jo Ann Bender
Copyright 2010
Eloquent Books
Strategic Book Group
Paperback $ 16.95
ISBN 978-1-60911-450-3
354 pages

The Nazi government firmly believed in their supremacy as part of the Aryan race. The future of this belief depended on many healthy children resembling their ideals. Children who looked Aryan were often integrated, basically kidnapped, into their orphanages to insure genetic diversity for the superior race.

Antoinette Gauthier lives in France during the summer of 1941 when the Germans begin to inhabit their small town. The new rule wants the people to turn in those neighbors, families, and friends who might be of a Jewish background. The town chooses to be loyal to their longtime friends. When the local commander is frustrated by this loyalty, he orders the town residents to turn in their pets to the Nazis. Why? The former mayor and a volunteer helper assist in collecting these animals for what seems to be a demoralizing lesson for the residents and certain death for the animals. When an elderly couple refuses to give up their pet, they are publically and cruelly killed.

Being the mayor’s daughter, Antoinette finds that her home is now inhabited by the S.S. forcing her to live in the attic with her father. Fortunately, she is a wonderful cook and attracts the attention of Major Hurst. Hurst knows what he needs for promotion and has plans for his future such as marrying soon to the correct type of wife. Unfortunately, his fiancé only wants one child. Being that S.S. officers are promoted by having large families, he plans to adopt many children into his family.

Major Hurst is charmed by Antoinette. He arranges for several outings also with a friend of hers and another officer. When Antoinette finds herself pregnant, Major Hurst arranges for her to leave the town and move to Germany for a program known as Lebensborn. His intent is to eventually adopt this child into his family which will insure his promotion and the future of the Aryan race. The story deals with Antoinette and her life at Lebensborn.

The author Jo Ann Bender grew up in the area of Wisconsin and Iowa and now lives in the state of Washington while running a bed and breakfast called the Lazy Bee.

Lebensborn is spellbinding. The intensity of Antoinette’s character is realistic and masterfully written. This historical aspect was accurate and enhancing of events that are not often mentioned with the Nazi movement. This is a page turner and my one regret was that the book ended. I would definitely place Lebensborn as one of the best novels I have read this past year.

Dead Forever Resonance

2011-06-10T14:36:00.001-05:00

DEAD FOREVER RESONANCE
Author: William Campbell
Copyright 2011
Glyd-Evans Press
Paperback $ 15.95
ISBN 978-0-9717960-9-6
318 pages

Have you ever had dreams so vivid that they so real that you can’t separate reality from the dream? Have you ever felt déjà vu when you meet someone but inside you feel certain that you know them?

Damien knows that his conscientiousness has lived before in other bodies. However, he is having difficulty separating his many memories from his ability to sometimes see into the future with events presently happening in his daily life. Confused?

This series of DEAD FOREVER all center with the concept of moving one’s conscientiousness from body to body over time. Usually, most people are given a drug so that they forget their previous lives. A small rebellious group fights to keep their memories throughout the years. This story revolves around these characters.

Damien/Adam is looking for the love of his life, Christina. Unfortunately, he finds her quickly as Carmen who is married to an unethical narcotics police detective. Carmen’s father just happens to be engaged to Damien’s mother. With attempting to figure out his reality as well as keeping one step ahead of the police is not always easy.

In AWAKENING the strength was the action adventure while the characters bonded with each other. The relationships were important. Added to that in APOTHEOSIS was humor with Physuro and Stu. Unfortunately, RESONANCE was confusion for Damien/Adam. The relationships were not as strong, the action/adventure was not the center, but Damien’s confusion about separating dreams from reality greatly slowed down the pacing. This particular novel seemed to lack the personal voice of the characters in the writing that was so evident in the first two of this series.

These books need to be read in order to understand the story. This is not a trilogy where you would understand the third book at all without knowledge of the first two. Also, the first two books were readable for teens. RESONANCE has an explicit sexual scene which I would only recommend for adults.

William Campbell started his professional career in Los Angeles as a paste-up artist, to a press operator, lithographic cameraman and film stripper. He continues to work in the press/technology fields specializing in the conversion to e-books and programming premedia management systems.

I found the storyline in Resonance not as strong as the other two. Perhaps my expectation was too high after reading the first two in the trilogy. At times, Resonance felt reminiscent of the Bill Murray film, Groundhog Day with events being repeated with slight variations. This left the main character and the reader questioning what really happened.

This is an insightful trilogy for adult science fiction/fantasy lovers. The Dead Forever trilogy is an action packed adventure with many unusual and interesting insights.

A Great Catch: Lake Manawa Summers

2011-06-05T19:55:00.001-05:00

A Great Catch: Lake Manawa Summers
Lorna Seilstad
Revell
Baker Publishing Group
2010
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3446-6
$14.99
384 pages
Christian –Romance - Historical

In 1901, being a single female and being twenty-two years old, meant that older aunts and a caring
grandmother might start being concerned about spinsterhood as a future. Emily Graham is living with
their concern while personally she is more passionate about being the president of the Council Bluffs
Equal Suffrage Club to allow women the right to vote.

Her family is spending the summer in a cabin at Lake Manawa and enjoying the area of this growing
resort. Her longtime friends, Lily Hart and Marguerite Andrews, who were featured in the previous
novel Making Waves, also are spending time at the lake while being with their small children and
husbands.

A Great Catch is the second installment in the Lake Manawa Series this time featuring Emily Graham.
This story revolves more about the baseball experiences at the part as well as the touring women’s
league and the women’s suffrage movement.

Similar to the first novel, the female lead is clumsy and is rescued by the male protagonist. In that
regard, the romance is fairly predictable.

What is stronger though is Lorna Seilstad sense of history of the local area. She is excellent in
incorporating the past into readable stories. With using Carrie Chapman Catt, Amelia Bloomer, and the
suffrage movement, she masterfully weaves the romance around the history even including the fashion
of the time period.

Also notable is Ms. Seilstad’s usage of Christianity into the character’s everyday lives and not just relying
on God for your personal wishes. This is very natural and important for the characters to understand
as well as the readers.

Why should anyone read this novel? The strength of the history and the religious thoughts are superbly
demonstrated in A Great Catch.

This is one book that you don’t want to miss. You might want to even catch it. (OK, that was a pathetic
pun.)

Heart of Deception

2011-06-05T19:25:00.002-05:00

HEART OF DECEPTION
Author: M. L. Malcolm
Paperback version entitled Deceptive Intentions, 2008, A Good Read Publishing
Paperback by Harper, Copyright 2011
$ 13.99
ISBN 978-0-06-196219-6
344 pages

Heart of Deception finishes the story that was started in the family saga, Heart of Lies. This book would not work as a standalone novel as much of the character development was in the previous novel. This is a continuation of the story.

This story deals more with Maddy Hoffman, the daughter of Leo and Martha. With Martha’s death, Maddy still feels guilty since her mother died when going to buy her a doll just when the department store in Shanghai was bombed by the Japanese. Amelia has gladly allowed Katherine’s Irish Catholic family to raise Maddy and she has moved to California. Leo is living in Europe, Africa, and Asia as a spy for hire and is estranged from his daughter.

Heart of Deception is about Maddy when her aunt, Martha’s sister wants to take over as her guardian. Leo also feels guilt for the separation from his daughter and is also attempting to rebuild this relationship. Maddy is resentful because of the separation and not completely trusting anyone after life with Amelia.

M. L. Malcolm lives as a recovering attorney even though she is a graduate of Harvard Law School. She has already won recognition in the Lorian Hemingway International Short Story Competition and the silver medal from ForeWord magazine for the Historical Fiction Book of the Year. She currently lives in Washington D.C.

Heart of Deception was previously published from A Good Read Publishing in 2008 under the name Deceptive Intentions.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this conclusion. Personally, when I read Heart of Lies I felt cheated since it was obvious that a sequel was planned. It was simple to reacquaint myself with the characters and to follow their lives. I would like to have had author notes at the conclusion of this novel to state how much of this was fiction and how much of this was based on the author’s family history.

The strength of this novel and the first is the realistic aspect of living through WWII and after in many different parts of the world. M. L. Malcolm is masterful in writing about a time period and specific places. This family saga is well-written and engrossing. I would strongly recommend that you purchase both books together since this book is a continuation of the first one.

Keep watching for any future book my M.L. Malcolm. They will definitely worth reading.

Palm Trees on the Hudson

2011-06-04T12:53:00.001-05:00

Palm Trees on the Hudson
Elliot Tiber
Square One Publishers
2011
Hardback
ISBN: 978-0-7570-0351-6
$24.95
192 pages
Biography-New York-Gay Men –Interior Decorators

Once in a while you come upon a book that you probably would not have chosen to read, but you read
it. You have no expectations because you have no clue what to expect.

When the book is amazingly well-written, enthralling, and enjoyable, then you are uneasy, but in a
positive way. You have found one of those gems in a myriad of gray rocks.

Elliot Tiber grew up with the name Eliyahu Teichberg of Jewish immigrants parents with his mother
being from Russia and his father from Austria. His parents met in Brooklyn at a community social event
where Yiddish was the common language. As a child growing up in this area in the 1930s, this only son
with many sisters was expected to work daily in the family business for no pay. His mother controlled
all the money in the family and she alone decided how or if it was going to be spent.

Elliot’s mother thrived in being demanding and domineering. His father would never question her or
upset the ruling of their household.

Elliot’s one luxury was going to the movies with his mother and younger sister. The theaters at the time
were giving away dishes and naturally his mother saw this as an investment opportunity. The children
could receive the dishes and then she could resell them in her store. Elli saw this theater time as the
one time that someone understood him, especially Judy Garland when she sang.

When Elliot’s mother demanded the he become a rabbi, everyone went along with the idea except Elli
who did not enjoy his Yiddish studies and much preferred to paint murals on his living room walls. As
you can imagine, his mother did not react positively to this artistic venture until the neighbors wanted
Elli to paint murals for their houses. His mother kept the money that he earned.

Because of this, Elliot eventually changed his name and worked various jobs while not living at home in
an effort to build upon his artistic talent and independence from his mother. This is his story of
becoming a well-known New York City interior designer and the problems with his sexual preference.

To reemphasize this, the actual book is hot pink with the binding in lavender.

The story is well-written with a true voice of the author coming through. You can visualize every event
as it actually happens.

A True Story of the Mob, Judy Garland, and Interior Decorating is the prequel to Elliot Tiber’s bestseller
Taking Woodstock. Even though I have not read this book, I was hypnotized by the writing style. This
is truly masterful writing.

My plan now is to read Taking Woodstock and anything else that Elliot Tiber ever writes.

Making Waves

2011-06-02T12:24:00.002-05:00

Lake Manawa Summers: Making Waves
Lorna Seilstad
Revell
Baker Publishing Group
2010
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3445-9
$14.99
368 pages
Christian –Romance - Historical

How many people have been conflicted between doing what their mother wants for them or following
their inner voice? That is the problem Marguerite Westing is troubled with daily.

Marguerite’s mother wants her to marry well, even if it isn’t for love. However, Marguerite really
dislikes Roger Gordon, her fiancé. He is boring, does not love her, and simply wants her to be a wife
because of her family status and her beauty. True, she would never have to worry about money, but is
that worth a lifetime with him?

What Marguerite did not plan on was to meet Trip Andrews, the son of a sailboat maker. Somehow
though, she finds herself strangely attracted to this man, a laborer and not someone from her social
class.

Added to this, Marguerite discovers that her father has a secret. When she follows him during the night
to a building built on a county line, she discovers why this is an advantage to those in this establishment.

When you have to choose between what is right for your family and it is opposing what is right for you,
how do you make the decision?

The historical aspect of Making Waves was well written and documented with real events. The story of
Lake Manawa in Council Bluffs, Iowa is unusual and definitely deserves to be the setting of many novels.
Another wonderful perspective was the use of the hog farm building which the author moved from its
real location. The history of this building is unique and the illegal activities with the inhabitants moving
from one side to the other to avoid the law enforcement from that particular county, was perfect for
this novel.

The strength of this novel was the Christian aspect in allowing God into their personal lives and their
choices. Particularly noticeable was the characters need to lean on God in times of trial and
indecisiveness.

The weakness in my opinion, was the predictable romance. Fortunately, the story was rich in events,
missteps, and conflicts, that even though predictable, Making Waves was an enjoyable read.

Lorna Seilstad is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and Making Waves is her first
novel. She is masterful at using the history from her home in Iowa and turning that into an enthralling
story.

I definitely look forward to the next book in this series.

The Most Dangerous Thing

2011-05-30T12:45:00.002-05:00

The Most Dangerous Thing
By Laura Lippman
William Morrow
Harper Collins Publishers
August 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-170651-6
384 pages
$ 25.99

Have you ever felt guilty about something that happened in your teen years? Could the guilt that you
feel actually affect the choices that you make and your success in your adult life? Do you ever get over
it?

A generation ago, life was different. Kids could actually explore in nearbywoods without parents being
worried. It was a part of life, growing up, exploring, and coming home when your mom called you for
dinner.

The Most Dangerous Thing is about a group of children who grew up together exploring their
neighborhood as close friends. There were three brothers, Tim, Sean, and Gordon (Go-Go) Halloran.
Gwen who lived at the edge of the woods who seemed to have the perfect parents and Mickey who
lived in a single family home with a much younger little brother and her mom’s boyfriend.

The five spent much of their summer time in the woods visiting a black man who lived in a shack in the
woods that only seamed to value his guitar. Gwen especially would take food from her house to give to
Chicken George. They frequently spent time at his shack with a few chickens and an unusual friendship
including this vagabond.

The story revolves about Gwen who is now spending her nights at her father’s house helping him since
his recent fall. While she is there, Go-Go is in a car accident that kills him. It appears that he didn’t
apply the brake and that he purposely ran the car into a head-on collision. As the surviving four reunite,
they each question themselves as well as the accident. Did Go-Go feel responsible for Chicken George
and what happened? What did happen?

Gwen searches into their past to discover for herself the answers about Chicken George. Did the guilt
really cause Go-Go’s death? Is the guilt the reason that Gwen fails to have successful personal
relationships or the reason that Mickey (Mckey) refuses to be involved in any relationship?

The Most Dangerous Thing is a haunting novel. Life is not as neatly concluded at the end leaving
the reader feeling a little uneasy. The story is enthralling and definitely a page turner. The characters
are realistic as are their actions.

Laura Lippman relies on her past of being raised in Baltimore for the basis of this story. She is a former
Newspaper reporter and has won numerous awards including the Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, Nero, Barry,
Macavity, Strand, Gumshoe, and Shamus as well as having her books on the New York Times bestseller
list. She also teaches at Goucher College in Maryland.

The Most Dangerous Thing is haunting in that are your memories can be dangerous. Do you have a
memory that you would prefer be forgotten? Read The Most Dangerous Thing.

The Barbary Pirates

2011-05-29T18:47:00.001-05:00

The Barbary Pirates
William Dietrich
424 pages
ISBN: 978-0-06-156807-7
Harper Collins
April 2010 Hardcover
April 2011 Paperback
$ 9.99

Ethan Gage is successful in that world leaders seem to seek out his assistance and expertise for unusual requests and adventures. Imagine an Indiana Jones who has political connections throughout the world but who tends to be attracted to trouble like a magnet.

It’s the year 1802 and beginning in Paris visiting Napoleon, Ethan finds himself with three savants: British geologist William Smith, French Zoologist George Cuvier, and the American Robert Fulton who invented the submarine before his steamboat. Napoleon sends the quartet to Greece to search for the mirror of Archimedes, which supposedly was able to concentrate the sunlight by using mirrors to attack ships at sea and destroy them. Napoleon wants the mirror destroyed if it exists.

However, Gage’s group is not the only group looking for the mirror. The Egyptian Rite already has a grudge against Gage from previous encounters. Added to this is Lady Aurora who joins with a group of Barbary pirates and continues to a few scores to settle with Gage. When Gage finds Astiza, his former lover, he is shocked to learn that he has a son who is now two years old. However, using his sense of responsibility and love for both is used against him by all.

The Barbary Pirates is the fourth novel in the Ethan Gage series following Napoleon’s Pyramids, The Rosetta Key, and The Dakota Cipher. The Barbary Pirates works as both a continuation of a series or as a standalone novel. Compared to the previous three novels, I found this one the most enjoyable as it resolved some relationships and problems from the previous ones.

William Dietrich is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and the author of ten novels, many of which have been listed on the New York Times bestselling lists. Daily, he is a professor at Western Washington University teaching journalism.

The Barbary Pirates is a page turner with every page being a swash-buckling adventure. Looking at the world as Ethan Gage means that any plan will not work as expected. Bungling as he attempts to save the world makes the novel humorous, fun, and realistic. Ethan’s devotion to his Egyptian lover and son gives him a more likable personality in that he is finally showing some maturity and caring. Personally, I found The Barbary Pirates as the most enjoyable of the four and a delightful novel.

The Countertenor Wore Garlic

2011-05-29T16:47:00.002-05:00

The Countertenor Wore Garlic
By Mark Schweizer
St. James Music Press
March 2011
ISBN: 978-0-9844846-2-1
192 pages
$12.95

Everyone needs to just relax and have a good laugh occasionally. You won’t find a better series of
books that always have a crime, usually a murder, an investigation, a church choir and the behind the
scenes politics of a church, and a separate mystery in the old private investigator style of Raymond
Chandler. These books have no sexual content, minimal violence, no bad language, and are just fun to
read. These are somewhat similar to Jan Karon’s but more from a male point-of-view and humorous..

The Countertenor Wore Garlic takes place in the fictional town of St. Germaine, North Carolina located
in the Appalachian Mountains. The small town is currently infected with teen vampires who are
anxiously awaiting the author of a famous vampire series of books at their local bookstore while
zombies are also roaming the town as a result of a flash mob. Somehow I had visions of the Twilight
Series by Stephanie Meyers.

The death of a town citizen in the hay maze behind the church leads Hayden Konig, the chief of police
and the organist for the Episcopal church to find out who killed Flori Cabbage, secretary to Ian Burch,
PhD, who also is a countertenor singing the alto part beautifully in the choir. Added to that, the
current pastor of the church is leaving to become a bishop. In her place is a Scottish reverend that
plans to send the church back to the Dark Ages in terms of liturgy, the sermon, and the status
of women.

Being this is the ninth book in this series, I was concerned about whether a reader could understand this novel without having read the previous eight. Yes, this is a series that reacquaints the continuing characters and could easily work as a standalone. However, you’re missing a delightful and laughable series of books if you don’t read them all. The
characterization is fictional but very realistic in that you can visualize these people in your
personal everyday life.

Mark Schweizer has a doctoral degree in vocal performance from the University of Arizona. He has worked extensively with regional opera companies and has also appeared as the bass soloist with the Robert Shaw Chorale. He currently is the director of St. James Music Press while writing these series, as well as Christmas opera librettos, choral selections, and several children’s musicals.

What will the next novel be called? The Composer Wore Corduroy or The Choir Director Wore Double Knit are my suggestions.

Need a good enjoyable laugh? Read The Countertenor Wore Garlic.

The Bayou Trilogy

2011-05-15T18:37:00.001-05:00

THE BAYOU TRILOGY
Under the Bright Lights, Muscle for the Wing, and The Ones You Do
Daniel Woodrell
Mulholland Books
Little, Brown and Company
April 28, 2011
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-316-13365-4
$18.99
512 pages
Fiction

It is rare to read a series of three novellas within one cover, but that best describes The Bayou Trilogy.
Each short novella features Rene Shade, a policeman from the swamp area of Louisiana known as St.
Bruno. Rene’s family has an eclectic background as he has one brother who owns and runs a bar and
the other brother is a successful attorney. The relationship between the three is as varied as their
chosen occupations.

Rene Shade grew up becoming a boxer and finally becoming a policeman. Unfortunately, Rene dishes
out his justice through using knowing of the people and families from his life in St. Bruno. Through
understanding the people, who or what is important to them, he solves the criminal investigations
through his own version of justice frequently not having the approval of his superiors.

In Bright Lights which was first published in 1986, the investigation is about a black city councilman’s
murder. Muscle for the Wing from 1988 is about a group of paroled convicts who are on a spree of
robbing and killing anyone who gets in their way. In The One You Do from 1992, Rene’s father who has
been absent for years, appears back in St. Bruno with his ten-year-old daughter from another woman.
Being that his father was a former pool hall hustler, no one is surprised that someone wants the
father dead.

These stories are rich in the history and culture of the bayou. Their violent lifestyle and daily struggle
with people of this area feels authentic. The drinking of alcohol is part of their daily diet. With their
language, dialects, lack of education, corruption of local politics, and backwoods traditions gives the
reader a sense of this area and their alternative justice system.

At first, I found this trilogy disturbing because it was so realistic. Daniel Woodrell masterfully places his
readers with the protagonist while discovering the facts and dishing out justice. This trilogy is a
wonderful example of a different type of fiction known as “country noir” is from a part of the country
that seldom opens a window into their lives.

Infinite Exposure

2011-05-01T20:01:00.003-05:00

INFINITE EXPOSURE
Roland Hughes
Logikal Solutions
July 15, 2010
Hardback
ISBN: 978-0977086696
$24.00
471 pages
Fiction

Many of us have noticed numerous changes since 9-11-2001, especially in that area of airport security.
However, there have been other changes that might not be the best for either ourselves or our country.
Will these changes continue? What are the indirect effects of this?
Usually when someone mentions they have read a factual book that was written like fiction, it means the book has a plot and reads easily. However, Infinite Exposure reads like fact but is really fiction. This isn’t meant to be negative, it simply means there is so much that either has happened, or is similar to a recent event, that the book takes time to digest and understand.
Infinite Exposure is the overlaying of numerous international plots involving al-Quaeda, most notably with the financial world involving the banking system. Being terrifyingly realistic in terms of present day in the United States, the plot of numerous companies being competitive and attempting to sabotage each other, seems to be very honest, straightforward, and too realistic. With having numerous companies outsource the computer specialties to India in order to be more profitable, is a reality today. What happens if there is a problem at an international data center? What if the data is destroyed either accidentally or by an act of terrorism? When does profit outweigh the balance of common sense?
The implications in this fictional novel are terrifying and realistic. Most of us go about our day and really do not consider if our bank is associated with FDIC or even what that really means. The other issues of terrorism in Infinite Exposure are the central data banks, international banking, the illegal trade of human organs, the entire communication system, stock exchanges, the computer industry, the demise of Christianity, the media’s reporting, and how the international world views our lifestyles and choices.
Curiously in this novel are unusual spaces in-between the words and no use of quotation marks. Also, since the story at first involves e-mail messages, there were strange errors such as when the word “café” was used a naught sign was placed over the last e, four separate times. It was as if the novel had a code within the story.
Roland Hughes is the president of Logikal Solutions which is a business applications consulting firm. His expertise in this field makes him the perfect author for this novel. This book is available from most booksellers, except Amazon.
Infinite Exposure is not a quick read, but is a vital one. Each of us needs to be aware of the threats to our way of life. I know that after reading this novel, I plan to make some changes.

The Realm of Hungry Spirits

2011-04-03T15:58:00.001-05:00

THE REALM OF HUNGRY SPIRITS
Lorraine Lopez
Grand Central Publishing
Harper Collins
May 2, 2011
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-446-54963-9
352 pages
Fiction

Is your life sometimes overwhelming? How would you handle visitors who have way overstayed their
welcome? All of us feel the guilt of taking in a family member when they are down, but how long is too
long?

Marina Lucero is attempting to find her inner spiritual peace with herself and the world. Having
recently been dumped by her long-term boyfriend, her everyday life is still near chaotic. She has
worked for years to get herself through college and is finally in the profession of teaching, even if it is
summer school and teaching English to Hispanic students who probably don’t want to be there. She
has also allowed her sister’s boyfriend to stay at her house with his friend. They really have no place to
go and currently have no jobs. However, seeing the two take over her living room can be odorous and
not the most welcoming room. Occasionally, even the neighbor stays in Marina’s guest bedroom,
especially when her husband is drunk and abusive. In fact, Marina’s house seems to be a sanctuary for
those in need.

Added to this are the family problems of everyday life, especially her relationship with her sisters. Her
little sister helps herself to Marina’s wardrobe and jewelry. Of course, she also makes
comments about the dress being too large and that Marina needs to lose weight so that her sister can
easier use her wardrobe.

This is a story about doing the right thing and keeping your sense of humor with the challenges of life.
Marina’s lives in the San Fernando Valley. She is studying writings by the Dalai Lama and is
considering becoming a Buddhist. Being that her mother joined the Carmelite nuns, this is a major
change for Marina and her family.

The Realm of Hungry Spirits is a delightful and memorable page-turner. The characters are
believable and resemble members of our own personal families. Some Spanish phrases are used throughout the story, however, they are not cumbersome for those of who are non-Spanish speakers. This is a lovable and enjoyable story for any woman who feels overwhelmed at times or for those moments when you wonder if the entire world has gone insane.

Lorraine Lopez works as a professor at Vanderbilt University. She was a PEN Faulkner Finalist for her previous novel, The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters.

The Realm of Hungry Spirits is definitely going to make my list for the best books of 2011. Marina’s
life makes wonderful ,picturesque, and memorable events which make all of us laugh.

Heaven is for Real

2011-03-26T19:51:00.002-05:00

Heaven is for Real: A Little Boys Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back
Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent
Thomas Nelson
2010
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-446-8499-4615-8
$16.99
170 pages
Fiction - Christian

Who really knows about heaven? Most of us have read the Bible version of heaven, but still question its
reality. How do we know if it really exists?

Rev. Todd Burpo always believed in heaven which is to be expected for a minister. However, what he
didn’t plan was having his four-year-old son explain the reality of heaven to him.

Colton Burpo seemed to have the flu along with his older sister. When the sister improved and Colton
didn’t, Todd, and his wife, Sonja, prayed and fortunately took their son to another medical facility to
discover that his son’s appendix had burst. During this frustrating time, the family began to question
their faith.

Colton was finally able to return home, healthy. What was shocking was when Colton started to
describe heaven and events that he could not have possibly known about such as the miscarriage of a
baby before he was even born.

Todd Burpo, Colton’s father, works full-time as an operator of a garage door company, an Episcopalian
pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan in Imperial, Nebraska, a wrestling coach, and a volunteer fireman. Lynn
Vincent has written Same Kind of Different as Me, Going Rogue: An American Life, and has been the
co-author of nine books.

Heaven is for Real is for all of us who occasionally question our faith. It is written in a casual style that
makes you feel a part of the Burpo family. The story is well-written and concise even though it moves
quickly. Personally, I am keeping this book close to me for those times that I need a little reassurance of
God’s love.

The Dog Sox

2011-03-26T19:16:00.002-05:00

THE DOG SOX
Russell Hill
A Caraval Mystery
Pleasure Book Studio
March 15, 2011
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-929355-74-7
$14.95
180 pages
Fiction

Some men will do anything to impress their girlfriend. Ray Adams who has worked as a building
contractor for years decides to give his younger girlfriend, Ava Bell, the perfect gift. Yes, Ava adores
excellent jewelry, but the real gift is a minor league baseball team named the Knights Landing Dog Sox.
After all, what else can you buy for this glamorous professional attorney to keep her interest?

On the team are many has-been and want-to-be players, but most of the focus is on the pitchers
especially Billy Collins. He possesses an unhittable curve throw that is almost guaranteed to strike out
every batter. Unfortunately, he has problems making it last for all nine innings and if he is
distracted, then his aim is off.

Billy’s dad has been absent for many of his nineteen living years, but now he is back trying to claim his
cut of Billy’s talent. Since his mother’s death, Billy has had limited contact with his dad and still carries
anger from the abusive relationship. The team, owner, and manager all try to discourage Billy’s dad
from having any interaction with his son and attempt to limit the contact permanently.

The Dog Sox is about the people on the team, as well as the support for the team. It’s about the
relationships and the interactions of doing what is best for the individuals, as well as the team. The
story, although short, is fast-paced and carefully developed into a well-written novel.

Russell Hill has worked as an English teacher for many years. He has written over twenty novels
including Robbie’s Wife, Lucy Boomer, The Heeler, Ghost Trout, The Search for Sheepheaven Trout, and
recently The Lord God Bird. Both The Dog Sox and The Lord God Bird are short novels that are expertly
and concisely written.

I look forward to Russell Hill’s next novel which I am sure will be full of his quirky realistic characters and
tell a tale worthy of any master storyteller

Chime

2011-03-20T20:51:00.002-05:00

CHIME
Franny Billingsley
Dial Books
Penguin Group Inc.
March 2011
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0747583813
358 pages
Fiction/Young Adult/Fantasy

Living near London in the first half of the twentieth century gives most readers a sense of the setting.
However, living in a swampy area creates an environment based on superstition and witchcraft.

Briony Larkin has guilt issues. She feels responsible for her twin sister’s lack of development due to a
childhood injury and also her stepmother’s death. What really happened?

Briony and Rose Larkin are the unusual twin daughters to the local Reverend. For years, Briony lived as
the wolfgirl of the swamp while Rose seemed to be a lost immature child. Since their mother died
giving birth to the twins, the Reverend struggles raising with these two.

Finally, the two sisters are developing love interests and their relationship with their community is
becoming strained, especially when a suspected with is hung. After her death, since the body did not
turn to dust, that was the proof that the red haired woman was innocent.

Briony has the gift of second sight and can view when someone will die. She also sees spirits, brownies,
and creatures that normal people do not even know exist. She doesn’t want to die by being accused of
being a witch, so she has the constant challenge of not fitting in, when she truly feels that she never
does belong.

Chime has issues of jealousy and the problem when it is not controlled. Also are the issues of misplaced
guilt and accusations, as well as arsenic poisoning. The characters are self-centered, unusual, flawed,
and frequently shallow. The storyline does move quickly and constantly is turning and twisting. With
the setting being in the superstitious swamp, there are numerous fantasy aspects.

Franny Billingsley has previously written Well Wished, Big Bad Bunny, and The Folk Keeper. Working as a
lawyer was a challenge and Franny decided to live her successful career to live in Spain while finding
herself. After reading numerous children books, she ran out of money and returned to Chicago to work
as an independent book buyer. She now enjoys her life in this area.

Overall, Chime is an enthralling young adult read. I would recommend that Chime is for the older
teenager due to the relationship issues.

Formula for Murder

2011-03-16T12:42:00.002-05:00

FORMULA FOR MURDER
By Diana Orgain
Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
2011
Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-425-23988-9
278 pages
$ 7.99

Working from home is the ideal career for a new mother. However, what kind of job can make you money and still allow you to be a mother? For Kate Connolly, it is being a private detective. Of course, she has the support of her husband and fortunately, the help and guidance of one of her mother’s boyfriends who already has his private investigator license.

Now, how do you get paying clients?

Kate has a natural ability to be at the wrong place at the worse time. While taking her young daughter on a drive to get her first holiday pictures, the two are hit by a hit-and-run driver. The car is totaled but the two of them appear to be fine. Kate cannot forget the face of the driver of the car. Fortunately, a witness is able to give her the information about the car and it is traced back to the French consul.

Naturally Kate and her husband visit the French consul and don’t get much assistance or information, but they do notice two well-known television reporters leaving. When one of these reporters is found the next day murdered, Kate manages to be hired by the victim’s former husband to investigate this death. Of course, she is still looking for who hit her vehicle seems to believe that the two acts seem to be somehow related.

FORMULA FOR MURDER is a well-written cozy mystery. The story keeps a fast pace while being realistic and having somebody always with the baby as well as the guilt for not always being the unrealistic perfect mother. The characters are fun and believable. I do believe that the reader would enjoy this book more if they have read Orgain’s previous books, BUNDLE OF TROUBLE and MOTHERHOOD IS MURDER which have the same characters and personal connections.

Diana Orgain is a resident of San Francisco and uses this setting in her novels.

FORMULA for murder is a fun mystery to read. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Pursuit of Happiness

2011-03-16T10:14:00.002-05:00

Pursuit of Happiness
Sheldon Greene
Book Surge Publishing
Harper Collins
October 2010
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1439262443
474 pages
Historical Fiction

It is difficult for us to truly understand life during the American Revolution. Pursuit of Happiness gives
us that insight through the eyes of Joshua Rutledge, a Quaker from Philadelphia and Amelia Syre, the
wife of a plantation owner on a Caribbean island.

Living as a Quaker, Joshua learns the meaning of a peaceful lifestyle. He is conflicted when he is
approached by a friend to infiltrate the British occupied area. Is this going against the beliefs of his
family? Would his family believe that he is doing the right thing? Within himself, he wonders about
this. Having succeeded at this task, Joshua is given a new assignment directly from General Washington
involving acquiring guns and ammunition from the Caribbean.

Amelia Syre is living the luxurious life on a sugar plantation on the island of St. Catherine’s. However,
things are seldom as they seem. Her husband, Duncan, impregnated her companion and slave. Amelia
is furious and really wants nothing to do with him. Unlike Duncan, she immediately gets help for the
poor girl. Even though Amelia is the mistress, she values her slaves and respects them as humans.
Her slaves trust her and fear her husband.

The story transitions from the disadvantaged colonial troops to the slave rebellions in Caribbean. Other
issues such as smuggling arms, relationships with the French forces, the acceptance and distrust of the
Jewish businessmen, Washington’s crossing of the Delaware, Benedict Arnold, and the struggles of the
colonists from various perspectives are all incorporated into this novel.

Pursuit of Happiness is a Revolutionary War Gone with the Wind and resembles Nelson DeMille’s
historical novels. This is a wonderful story based on real historical incidents and people adding validity
to the author’s fictional aspects. The characters are believable even if they tend to have many romantic
opportunities. The story moves quickly and has constant conflicts to add to the authenticity.

Sheldon Greene is a lawyer in Southern California. He has previously written three novels,
Lost and Found, Burnt Umber, and Prodigal Sons.

Overall, Pursuit of Happiness is a true snapshot, if slightly overly romantic, into the colonial
time period.

Cat Striking Back

2011-02-26T12:39:00.001-06:00

CAT STRIKING BACK: A JOE GREY MYSTERY
Shirley Rousseau Murphy
Avon
Harper Collins
December 2010
Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-112400-6
340 pages
Mystery

Do you really know your neighbors? They appear agreeable and helpful but are they honest or are they
Just waiting for the moment when they can rob you?

What would you do if you had a spat with your spouse and the person fell, killing them self? O.K., you
might have pushed them a little, but you had no intentions for their being hurt in any way. After all,
your mate started the argument, so it was their own fault. Will the police view it that way? If you go to
the police, will they discover that you are really a thief, or will they accuse you of murder, or both?

Ed and Francis Becker fit in well to their California community. They babysit the neighbor’s children and
join the other neighbors for the occasion meal or barbecue. What they do not realize is the influence of
the cats in the area. They are extremely astute and seem to be communicating and assisting adults.
Isn’t that strange?

How does all this fit together? That’s the puzzle to solve in Cat Striking Back.

It has to be difficult for any experienced author to continue a successful series of books. The author has
to respect their loyal followers who do not want too much review in reestablishing characters but then
they also need to encourage new readers to their series and need to somehow allow the character
development to continue while allowing the reader to envision the action.

That was my concern about Cat Striking Back. I had not read any of Shirley Rousseau Murphy’s
previous books so the beginning attachment to the characters was a little slow for me, especially the
cats. However, once the characters were embedded in my brain, the book flowed.

The cat community was fun and delightful to read about their daily challenges and triumphs. The book
was well-balanced between the human and the cat lives and discoveries. Both were interesting,
especially when they overlapped.

Shirley Rousseau Murphy has won numerous National Cat Writers’ Association Awards for the Best
Novel of the Year, naturally featuring cats. She also has written many children’s novels and resides in
California.

I look forward to reading her next cat adventure.

Outwitted

2011-02-20T19:18:00.001-06:00

Outwitted: A Sadie Witt Mystery
Beth Solheim
Echelon Press
2011
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-59080-666-1
280 pages
Fiction/Mystery

It seems like each one of us has at least one person in their life that just irritates them. Sadie Witt has a few of those people in her life. One of them is a local judge who seems desperate to buy one particular cabin from Sadie who with her sister owns a resort in northern Minnesota. No, they do not intend to sell one of their cabins. It really doesn’t make sense why anyone would want to buy it.

Sadie also has a few other jobs to supplement her income. One of them is assisting the local funeral director and the other one is being a death coach. You don’t make money being a death coach; you just help those who are recently deceased in making peace and finishing up their earthly life to finding the light.

Sadie is a sixty-four year old twin. She likes her hair colored in bright colored spikes while wearing a tube top to show off her tattoo. Her sister, Jane, dresses like one would expect for someone that age. Added to that is Nan who runs the nearby mortuary. Irritating her is her ex-husband, Clay, who just happens to be temporarily living in the cabin the judge wants to buy. Bernie, a recent resort resident, seems to have his eye on Jane. Added to this crew is Aanders, Clay and Nan’s son, who is also a death coach and is just learning what to do. There also are two recently deceased souls who are only seen by Sadie and Aanders, Jed who is looking for his sister who has been missing for fifteen years, and Sally who is a young child recently died.

Outwitted is light and fun. This is a cozy mystery with likeable and believable characters that are eccentric enough to be your family members. The story is well-organized, even if somewhat predictable.

Beth Solheim works in human resources at a hospital for her real job and at night is a writer. She resides in Minnesota.

I look forward to more Sadie Witt stories.

This Body of Death

2011-02-13T19:15:00.002-06:00

This Body of Death
Elizabeth George
Harper
2011
Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-204485-3
976 pages
$ 9.99

Death is seldom simple. When investigating a murder, it unravels the victim’s life and usually leaves the faults of the individual with any possible negative choices being blatantly exposed for the investigators.

A woman is found brutally murdered in a cemetery. Apparently she chose to meet someone there. Why would anyone meet someone in a graveyard? That is the question that Scotland Yard is asking. With no identification, the only clue the investigators have is the oddity that she has eyes that are two different colors, one blue and one brown.

At this same time Meredith Powell decides that old grudges are not worth the cost of a friendship. For her previous friend’s birthday, she baked a cake. However when she went to deliver the gift, the business her friend owned was empty and she could not find her. She even went to her friend’s brother, who also could not find Jemima Hastings.

Investigating this crime are many characters from George’s previous novels, Thomas Lynley, Barbara Havers, and Winston Nkata. Lynley is returning after the death of his wife. Barbara Havers, the mistress of dowdiness, is having style conflicts with the new acting superintendent, and Nkata still follows the rules and tries to smooth over the awkward situations.

This story involves a crime within a crime. Numerous topics are addressed such as juvenile delinquents, the apprenticeship for roof thatchers, the government’s secrecy program for those in systems like the witness protection programs, buried Roman treasures, mask making, agisters who protect the ponies on the nature preserve that William the Conqueror founded in the eleventh century, and paranoia are all combined into this cohesively interwoven mystery.

The one problem I found disturbing was when a violinist was hurt, no one cared about his violin. Musicians feel that the instrument is an extension of them, especially professionals.

Even though the novel was lengthy, there was not one time when I was not wondering about how this story could conclude. If you have not read previous novels by Elizabeth George, I would not recommend that you start with this one. Read some of her much earlier works to really attach and understand these characters. For those of us Elizabeth George fans, I was pleased that this novel is returning to her previous style and not as depressing as her other recently published mysteries.

To keep a story interesting and engaging for almost a thousand pages is an immense task. Elizabeth George succeeded and excelled with This Body of Death.

The Yellow House

2011-02-02T14:57:00.003-06:00

THE YELLOW HOUSE
Patricia Falvey
Irish Books
Hachette Book Group
February 2010
Hardback
ISBN: 978-1-59995-201-7
352 pages
$21.99

Ireland is known for its longtime conflicts especially between its Catholics and Protestants as well as the Nationalists and the British. During the early 1900s, Eileen O’Neil grew up with loving parents in a family that managed to get by financially. When her little sister became ill, the family could not afford the needed care for her and were faced with the possibility of placing her in the Fever Hospital, which was essentially a poor house for the extremely ill to die. Eileen’s mother returned to her estranged home, to her wealthy father, to ask for help. He agreed with the condition that she leave her husband and move her family back into her childhood home. She refused. This defiance molded Eileen’s life.

In a few years, Eileen finds herself working at a clothing mill where she befriends Theresa Conlon. Her brother, James, who is studying for the priesthood is the center of their family. As Eileen marries him, she discovers what it means to be an Irish nationalist and a leader in the fight. She also begins to understand her own internal civil war with having people that she cares for on opposite sides.

The Yellow House is a historical romantic novel dealing with the early twentieth -century and going through the World War I. The story if fluid, the characters believable, and the real events are historically correct. For me, the story was enjoyable and enthralling until I figured out that this is a basic romance novel. The ending is a predictable romantic fairy tale with all the threads neatly tied up.

Patricia Falvey as a child lived in Northern Ireland and then moved to England. As a young adult she immigrated to the US and worked for the Job Corps. Eventually she enrolled at Suffolk University in Boston. She now resides in Dallas.

The Yellow House is wonderful romantic and historic adventure into the previous century in Ireland.

A Passionate Engagement: A Memoir

2011-02-02T13:20:00.002-06:00

A PASSIONATE ENGAGEMENT: A MEMOIR
Ken Harvey
Pleasure Book Studio
November 2010
Trade paperback
ISBN: 978-1-929355-68-60-307-26986-7
208 pages
$18.00

Change is difficult for everyone individually. For society, change is never fast enough and an extremely lengthy and threatening process. In this country, we have had tremendous social change in the past century beginning with women’s right to vote, to civil rights, to now the acceptance of same-sex marital partners.

A Passionate Engagement is the story of Ken Harvey who knew most of his life that he was different. He discovered fairly early in his life that he was gay. This is his story about his trials and triumphs and finally finding contentment with his life partner as he continues his fight for equality of marital partnerships.

This memoir brings the issue of same-sex relationships to a personal connection. The author passionately explains his thoughts, choices, and actions with numerous integral decisions about his life. From the political high of a roller coaster ride of acceptance for same sex marriages to the plunge when laws are repealed through the justice system, A Passionate Engagement accurately reports the developments across the nation as society still struggles with the subject of same-sex marital relationships.

Ken Harvey previous published the novel, If You Were with Me, Everything Would Be All Right which is a collection of short stories centering around the gay community. He has spent many years as a teacher and working with the political system for improving gay rights.

This memoir reads easily and quickly. The time periods are evenly balanced and are connecting all the readers to understand his point-of-view. For those who do not understand the issues, A Passionate Engagement is an excellent resource for viewing the issues from all perspectives. With many states questioning the issues of same-sex marriage, this is a wonderful memoir to better understand the reasons for change in our country’s future.

The Girl in the Green Raincoat

2011-01-31T18:38:00.002-06:00

The Girl in the Green Raincoat: A Tess Monagham Novel
Laura Lippman
William Morrow
Harper Collins
2011
Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-193836-8
$211.99
176 pages
Mystery

Many pregnant mothers-to-be find the last months tiresome, especially is they have preeclampsia.
Tess Monagham, being an older mother and now confined is definitely bored. She is accustomed
to an exciting life with running a private investigating agency.

While daily gazing at the neighboring park, she notices a woman in a green raincoat frequently walking
her dog. One day she notices that the dog is running lose and the woman is nowhere to be seen. Tess
begins her own investigation as to her supposed disappearance. Who is the woman? Why is the dog
running free?

Tess is fortunate to have employees who are extremely efficient and enjoy the investigation as much as
their boss. They are constantly keeping her informed about the developments while also constantly
checking on her needs. When Tess decides to temporarily keep the dog at her house, she discovers
that adapting a new dog to her household is not the easiest task, especially without being able to move
around much.

Originally this story was serialized in the New York Times Magazine and has finally been combined into
this novella. With similarities to Hitchcock’s Rear Window the character Tess takes the part of the
crippled Jimmy Stewart in this haunting tale.

The story was engaging though not as strong as her full length novels. For the loyal Lippman readers,
the reoccurring characters of Mrs. Blossom, Tess’s assistant, Dorie Starnes, her researcher, Whitney
Talbot, her long-timed best friend, and Crow, her artistic lover, are all true to character. If you have not
read previous Lippman novels, it would be difficult because the story depends on understanding the
character development in the previous novels. There is a short reacquaintance with the characters, but
with the shortness of the story, there is not much time allowed for the characterizations. The shortness
of this novella made it less intense and much lighter reading than usual. I enjoyed the book, knew the
characters well, and thoroughly enjoyed the ending twist.

Laura Lippman has worked as a school librarian and a reporter who was born in Atlanta and raised in Baltimore.

For those cold snowy days, curl up with The Girl in the Green Raincoat and prepare to be both warmed
with the characters but chilled by the action.

The Bells

2011-01-23T15:51:00.002-06:00

THE BELLS: A NOVEL
Richard Harvell
Crown Publishers
Random House
September 14, 2010
Hardback
ISBN: 978-0-307-59052-7
$24.00
384 pages
Fiction

Eunuchs have always had an unusual place in world history whether protecting the women, religious
devotion, gender identities, or in music, the male sopranos supposedly were able to create a marvelous
unique vocal tone. By not allowing their voice to mature, their sound can permanently be preserved if
the boy is not allowed to mature. The Bells in the story of an orphaned child who had unusual musical
talent and was castrated to preserve his voice as a child.

Moses Froben remembers his childhood living in the belfry in a church with his deaf mother who was
the bell ringer in a small Swiss village during the 1700s. For some bizarre reason, the tolls of the bells
did not damage the child’s hearing, but seemed to intensify his love of music and tones. Having
become a musico, Moses learns about parental love and married love through unexpected events and
friends.

Although fictional, the characters of the monks Nicolai and Remus are flawed but loving and always
wanting the best for Moses. Amalia Duft, the love of his life although much too wealthy for her family
to ever expect any relationship with Moses. The self-centered choir director who is jealous of Moses’
talent, the overprotective aunt clinging to Amalia so that she does not marry for love but for money and
power, the Abbotts who are not certain how to balance a gifted musician with the daily needs are all
challenges in the story.

The love of the music is what is most special about The Bells. To hear the choice of words from a true
musician helps all of us to better understand the world and the world of music. This is the connection
from one person’s heart to the listener’s souls. This explains to everyone the power and the addictive
love for all music. Used in this story to assist the understanding is the analogy of the opera Orpheus
and Eurydice which is also a parallel story line.

The Bells is Richard Harvell’s debut novel. The characters are delightful and realistic. The story is
enthralling, even though somewhat predictable. The events are realistic and nothing seems to ever
occur without some problem or situation for the characters to solve. Mr. Harvell was born in New
Hampshire, educated at Darmouth College, and now lives in Switzerland with his family.

If you have ever wondered about those who love music, read The Bells to discover the world of the heart and soul of music.

Ghost Country

2011-01-11T15:13:00.002-06:00

GHOST COUNTRY
Patrick Lee
Harper
2011
Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-158444-2
374 pages
$ 7.99

Alternative universe – time travel – these have been science fiction dreams for years. What if you discovered or had access to a device that could bridge two time periods, years apart, in the same place? What if you could actually travel into the future and back? Could you see the financial gains if you could easily commute between the two?

Paige Campbell and her colleagues had just met with the President of the United States to discuss a recent discovery when her motorcade was attacked. Being discovered in the wreckage by the attackers, she is pulled out and captured but fortunately maneuvers her cell phone to make one last phone call with instructions to a another colleague to from Tangent, a secret governmental facility for these other world interactions.

Bethany, the colleague, enlists Travis Chase who previously was also employed with the group but left after some problem. She also lets him know about a particular metal cylinder that was shown to the President that seems to be a portal in time. The two join in a quest to save Paige and the cylinder.

Ghost Country is a non-stop action and adventure novel. Yes, the characters do occasionally rest but your mind doesn’t as it races through the pages. The plot is well-developed. The characters are realistic in that they have a personality and a value system, even flawed.

Ghost Country is the sequel to Patrick Lee’s first novel, The Breach. This novel works as a standalone, but would be better with having a stronger understanding of the issues in The Breach as well as the relationship between Paige and Travis.

Overall, the book is enjoyable and definitely encourages me to read the first book, The Breach. Some of the plot lines in the last third were almost choppy and not developed as well as the beginning however, I wondered if that would have been alleviated if I had read the previous book. I was disturbed by the author’s interpretation of the chain of command with the leadership in the executive branch. His fictional succession would not be allowed in our country.

Patrick Lee is a native of Michigan. He has sold screenplays to movie studios, but they were never produced. Since then, he has begun to become a successful novelist with Ghost Country being his second book published.

Overall, Ghost Country is a great fictional escapist read for anyone who enjoys fast-paced science fiction, or at least what we hope if science fiction.

.

How Music Works

2011-01-10T15:04:00.002-06:00

HOW MUSIC WORKS: The Science and Psychology of Beautiful Sounds, from Beethoven to the Beatles and Beyond
By John Powell
Little, Brown and Company
Hachette Book Group
October 27, 2010
Hardback
ISBN: 978-0-316-09830-4
288 pages
$24.99

Not everyone in the world has been trained to be a musician. Most people realize that musicians hear and respond to life differently. Their connection with the music makes them see the world through eyes that hear and feel from the soul. How can other people gain that connection?

How Music Works explains to the average person what techniques musicians use. It teaches us what to listen for in others to make music a special experience and a form of communication.

To begin, Powell explains music in scientific terms from the mathematics, physics, engineering, and history and the affect on musical compositions. Terms such as rhythm, timbre, pitch, frequency, harmony, and decibel are thoroughly discussed in humorous everyday terms. He also spends considerable time on the actual instruments themselves and the how and why they are individually and collaboratively used.

By the use of analogies, John Powell explains the affect music has on everyone and how it can personally modify a person’s mood or behavior. How Music Works actually explains the connections in creating music. Simply put, this explains the difference between noise and music.

One chapter is also devoted to the differences in music depending on where the music is actually performed. It shows the differences between a concert hall and an outdoors field.

Accompanying the book is a CD which demonstrates what is discussed in the book. How can you explain music without hearing music? The CD solves this.

By the use of his wonderful explanations, illustrations, pictures, knowledge, and humor, John Powell expertly explains music.

John Powell is both a physicist and a musician. He has taught classes in musical acoustics at Sheffield University and physics at the Universities of Nottingham and Lulea (Sweden). He currently resides in England.

This book is for those who want to enjoy music as well as for those who already have a music connection.

Being Polite to Hitler

2011-01-10T13:33:00.002-06:00

BEING POLITE TO HITLER
By Robb Forman Dew
Little, Brown and Company
Hachette Book Group
January 6, 2010
Hardback
ISBN: 978-0-316-88950-6
304 pages
$24.99

How many people just do not want to show up for work anymore? That’s how Agnes Scofield feels about being a teacher for third-grade students. At the age of fifty-four, she just doesn’t enjoy what she is doing and realizes that she never did. Since she was widowed, she was fortunate to have some friends which assisted her entering the teaching field. She became a teacher because she needed the money to support her four children, not because she wanted to be a teacher.

Agnes finds that her life in 1953 in Washburn, Ohio, is to be the focal point of a filmmaker who is documenting a story about life in middle America.

After she bumped heads with a third-grade student, Agnes has a throbbing headache which causes her to faint later. When she awakens in the hospital, Agnes discovers that there is a rivalry over her. Sam, a much younger man, has made it clear that he wants to marry her after believing that there is a romantic involvement with the filmmaker. Could these possibilities lead to better changes in her life?

The story transcends from 1953 to 1973 with Agnes being the focus of the story. Much attention is given to problems of the time such as the possibly contracting polio, the baseball world series, the Cold War issues, and the space race.

As Agnes interacts with her four grown children and their families, she just feels detached from them and does not really enjoy them either. She is noticing that she has changed over time and that she is still evolving.

Robb Forman Dew is a National Book Award for her novel, Dale Loves Sophie to Death. She has also written The Time of Her Life and Fortunate Lives. Being Polite to Hitler is the third book in a trilogy following The Evidence Against Her and The Truth of the Matter. Even without reading the first two books, this book can be a standalone. However, for a better understanding of the characters, it would be best if you read the first two. She is a resident of Massachusetts.

Being Polite to Hitler is about conversations and how people change by their choices. The beginning is a little difficult to connect with if you haven’t read the previous novels due to the many characters. Once you understand the characters, the novel begins to become engrossing with Agnes and her daily life.

How often do any of us pretend to be polite to someone who really does not deserve the courtesy? How many of us would be polite to Hitler? How do our choices affect our happiness? These are all considered in Being Polite to Hitler.

The Illuminated Vineyard

2011-01-02T19:41:00.002-06:00

The Illuminated Vineyard
Jean Moynahan
Five Star Publishing
Gale, Cengage Learning
February 9, 2011
Hard Cover
ISBN-13: 978-1-59414-934-4
$25.95
304 pages
Fiction

Life isn’t always fair. Rachel Jarvis had worked as a high school English teacher and decided to retire.
With both herself and her husband retiring, now is the time for them to relax and enjoy life.
Unfortunately, her husband passed away leaving her the complete responsibility of taking care of the
house and the garden.

Rachel doesn’t have the best relationship with her nearby neighbor. When a young man is walking
around his property, she does wonder what he is doing there. Her neighbor is not a friendly person and
does not welcome new people. Later, she befriends this young man and offers him a job to help
around the outside of her property and a place to stay. Why? This is not like her at all.

Strangely coincidental, since the arrival of this handyman and his girlfriend, the town has experienced
criminal activity such as arson, murder, and an attempted poisoning. Is there a connection or just bad
timing?

The Illuminated Vineyard is unpredictable but still logical. As you read the book, more is
Illuminated than just the vineyard, much more.

Although unusual in its approach, this novel is both intriguing and engrossing. The characters are
believable and realistic. The characters, although often troubled, make logical choices.

Jean Moynahan is an Oregon native who was raised in Arizona and now has returned to her home state.
She has written two romance novels, Captain of Hearts and Painted Hearts. The Illuminated Vineyard is
her first mystery.

The Illuminated Vineyard is an excellent mystery that definitely has a unique writing style. Ms.
Moynahan truly captures the thoughts and misgivings of her main character, Rachel. I look forward to
more mysteries by this gifted author.

Angel Harp

2011-01-01T18:49:00.003-06:00

ANGEL HARP
Michael Phillips
Faith Words
Hatchette Book Group
January 26, 2011
Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-0-446-56771-8 $16.99
Hardback ISBN: 978-0-446-56770-1 $26.99
464 pages
Fiction - Christian

Sometimes it just seems that when you are reading a particular book, it seems that the book was written
for you alone. It meets your needs and matches where you are in your journey through life. This sense
is similar to when you go to church and the sermon seems to be a personal message just to you
when in actuality it is not. ANGEL HARP was the experience for me.

Angel Dawn Marie has been attempting to put her life back together after her husband died suddenly.
She was thirty-four when he died and had not had any children. She felt alone in the world while
working as a teacher’s aide. How do you put meaning back into your life?

Angel decided to finally take a trip to Scotland that both her husband and her has planned and dreamed
about. She realizes that she needs to take some risks and plans to take a break from her everyday life.
Finally, she made up her mind and planned to travel alone to explore the real Scotland, that is staying
away from the cities and exploring the towns learning about the people and the experiences of this land.

Since she wanted a fresh start, Angel decided to use her middle name instead of her first name. Now she would be known as Marie Buchan, her maiden name. Also though, she decides to take one of her harps with her in this adventure. A musician is needs to stay in touch with their instrument.

What she didn’t plan for was to fall in love with the country and the people. She also learned about her relationship with God through the assistance of the local curate and her own harp music. This is Marie’s journey to becoming a part of a community again and learning to need and be needed by others.

ANGEL HARP is completely engrossing. It allows non-musicians to begin to understand the relationship that musicians have with their music and their instrument as well as God. This book is not a romance novel even though there is romance in the novel. It is more about a journey of self-discovery that as a reader you get to experience with Marie.

Michael Phillips has written many books for Christian readers in historical fiction series in both Scotland and the U. S. during the Civil War period. Besides being an author, he has worked as an editor, a publisher and bookstore operator while still being a husband and the father of three sons while living in California.

ANGEL HARP is a delightful journey. Read it.

The Babylonian Codex

2010-12-27T10:11:00.001-06:00

THE BABYLONIAN CODEX
C. S. Graham
Harper Collins
December 2010
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-168936-9
358 pages
$ 7.99

What if you had the ability to actually envision stolen objects where they are presently located? Would this be most valuable to the police, the public, the government, or the thieves?

October “Tobie” Guinness is known to have remote viewing capabilities. This involves concentrating on a sealed envelope and picturing what is inside it. Then she looks at the objects where it is presently stored. This allows her to view the object and its surroundings and gives clues to investigators where to find the stolen treasures.

She has been asked to find some of the missing treasures from the museum that was ransacked in Babylon, Iraq. Unfortunately, while she was engaged in this task, the F.B.I. agents, that were protecting her and the information, were shot. Since she managed to get away, currently she is being pursued by the F.B.I. as a person of interest. Where can she go?

Fortunately, she is well acquainted with a C.I.A. agent, Jax Alexander who immediately realizes her danger and the problems that can be associated with even knowing her. The two decide to pursue the stolen antiquities while trying to clear Tobie of any criminal involvement.

Jax and Tobie have an old and trusting friendship. The two decide to discover what is so valuable from Tobie’s viewing and why people want to kill her. While searching for this, the two also discover that they need to find the biblical translation of a missing artifact that seems to be a life-threatening secret.

The history of Christianity in Iraq is an underlying plot. It is written in a manner that is fascinating and informative as well as valid. It also brings to light another aspect of our involvement with Iraq.

THE BABYLONIAN CODEX is non-stop action. As a reader, it is difficult to take a break in this story due to its intensity. The characterization is believable in this well-written novel.

What is most frightening in this fictional novel is the events and the correlations with present day situations. Even though there are author’s notes at the conclusion of the novel, it does leave you wondering about where the line between fiction and factual information really exists.

C.S. Graham is the partnership of the husband-wife writing team of Steven Harris and Candice Proctor. Mr. Harris worked as an Army intelligence officer in the remote viewing program. Ms. Proctor has written more than a dozen fictional and nonfiction novels using the names of C.S. Harris and C. S. Graham. The twosome lives in New Orleans.

For an informative and adventurous novel, read THE BABYLONIAN CODEX.

The Key to Joy-Filled Living

2010-12-12T13:29:00.002-06:00

THE KEYS TO JOY-FILLED LIVING
By Robert C. Jameson, MFT
Morgan-James Publishing
2008
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-60037-467-8
228 pages
Self-help

How many people wished that life came with an instruction book? Here it is. THE KEYS TO JOY-FILLED
LIVING is that book. What will make you happy? Do each of us have mannerisms or bad habits that
prevent us from being happy? Are there things that we can do that could make us much happier and
more content in our daily lives? What does it take to actually feel fulfillment in our lives?

THE KEYS TO JOY-FILLED LIVING is about us connecting with others and ourselves. All of us have choices
and our choices are what determine who we are and our personal happiness. Sometimes these choices
are not instinctive and we need some guidance into the steps that can give our lives more purpose and
meaning. This gives each of us the opportunity to find our purpose and to achieve our personal
fulfillment.

The author ‘s approach is simple and down to earth. He believes that each of us can improve
ourselves while improving our relationships with others. He believes in self-talk and in how to control
your emotions in a positive manner that can benefit you and others. This is the book that guides each
of us to a higher level in all our relationships that most people only dream about or believe only exist in
fiction.

Many people have never experienced these basic foundations for a fuller and contented life. THE KEYS
JOY-FILLED LIVING allows everyone to know these basic life skills lessons that we missed in our
developing years.

The author, Robert C. Jameson, MFT is an experienced Marriage, Family Therapist. His approach helps
everyone to better approach the challenges of life and how to focus your thoughts on the positive
aspects. He currently resides in California.

All of us at times need life’s instruction manual. You’ll find that the name of the book is THE KEYS TO
JOY-FILLED LIVING.

Teri Davis December 12, 2010

Gar Fish and Long Gravy

2010-12-05T19:02:00.002-06:00

GAR FISH & LONG GRAVY: MEMOIRS OF SOUTHERN SENSIBILITY
Author: Alexander Devereux
Copyright 2010
Outskirts Press
Paperback $ 12.95
ISBN 978-1-59800-675-9
78 pages

“If sense were common, everybody would have it.”
A A small town in Mississippi is not where most people would expect to learn the most important lessons of life but this short memoir for Alexander Devereux proves to be a wonderful experience for every reader.

Alexander Devereux would by today’s terms be considered “at risk” as a child. Fortunately for him, he had a grandmother who taught him lessons in real life about what was important. These lessons made him a successful person due to the realistic common sense attitudes and beliefs which allowed him to grow and overcome his childhood hardships.

The lessons are learned from making mistakes and developing your personal character based on how you handle the situation. The advice from Grandmama Lia is as important today as it was to a small, disadvantaged black child.

The lessons were written first from the point-of-view for someone with a problem. Usually when someone has a problem, a wise person is not always available to share their wisdom. The advice for this small black boy is surprising as useful for everyone today as it was in his past.

This is a book of common sense and unfortunately, most sense isn’t common since we have to use the term “common sense.” Much of the sense is unusual in the viewpoint and the bluntness, also it’s logical.

Personally, I was thrilled with this book. Even in a hardship situation, the advice and approach to difficult situations are reassurances to all of us as we go about our everyday challenges. I was surprised about the mention about “church tithing”. For me, this allowed a guilt-free perspective that certainly makes more sense than the organized church perspective.

Not surprisingly, Mr. Devereux has successfully completed college and is now a strong contributing member in society. He currently lives in Atlanta and is working on his second book.

GAR FISH AND LONG GRAVY should be required reading for everyone. Don’t let the shortness of this book make you apprehensive about buying it. This book has value from the viewpoint of a young child looking back at his past and offering a different perspective to today’s sense.

Don’t expect GAR FISH AND LONG GRAVY to be a quick read. It is reflective and introspective in a way that makes all of us stop and think about how to make each of our own lives better.

Three Seconds

2010-11-28T18:26:00.002-06:00

THREE SECONDS
Roslund & Hellstrom
Silver Oak
Sterling Publishing Co.
January 2011
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-4027-8592-4
486 pages
$24.95

Do all life threatening events come down to the three seconds it takes most of us to make a decision? Do those who do not hesitate have an advantage over those who think through their choices?

Informants can’t have an easy life while literally living in two worlds with the constant threat of death from one wrong move.

Piet Hoffman has worked for years as a police informant infiltrating the Polish mafia. As an ex-con, this opportunity actually put his real life back on track and allowed him to be successful financially while establishing a family including having two sons, who he truly loves. Even though he knows that his life is dangerous, Piet feels fortunate with his life until the incident.

In his role as an informant, Piet is placed in an awkward situation, either he is exposed or a policeman is killed during an illegal drug transaction. Even though many of the upper echelon of the police department are involved with the scenario, there are too many questions by those not directly involved. The questions cause the upper echelon to make a decision. Piet is to be permanently unavailable. The logical method is to have him arrested and to become the main drug supplier for the Polish mafia inside the prison system. Piet is guaranteed safety for this assignment.

Unfortunately, Ewert Grens, a Detective Inspector, will not let go of the investigation of the dead police officer. He decides to question Piet inside the prison. However, it is determined that Piet cannot be questioned and a burn notice is placed on him immediately.

This is an intense novel in which the action never stops. Granted that few of us are police informants, but the realism and the situations make this novel very genuine. The characters are logical and believable.

Rosland and Hellstrom are really Anders Roslund and Börge Hellström. Anders is a journalist and Börge has worked is an expert on the Swedish correctional system. Together they made their debut with THE BEAST in 2004. Their books are translated into German, English, and the Nordic languages.

With the recent interest in Stieg Larsson’s trilogy and The Wallander series on PBS, this Nordic twosome are obviously looking to the world of English for expanding their audience. Personally with a story this dark and intense, they will have a new welcome readership for their future novels.

Teri Davis November 28, 2010

The Grove

2010-11-21T18:38:00.002-06:00

THE GROVE
John Rector
Amazon Encore
November 2, 2010
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-935597131
254 pages
$14.95
Fiction

What would you do if you found that your tractor was stuck in a ditch on your property and there was the dead body of a teenager in your grove? Most people would have called law enforcement, but being that Dexter McCray had already spent time in prison for assault and has a history of alcoholic blackouts, he chooses to investigate himself. He figures that the best way to prove that he is not guilty is to really find out who killed Jessica.

Added to this is the fact that Dexter is not taking his medicine to help him with self-control and alcohol. He is not certain about his own actions. Could he have blacked out and killed the girl without any memory of the incident? He has no memory of anything last night. What could you do?

This story is haunting. Dexter’s choices are limited and his decisions are not always the wise thing to do. Also in his past is the horrendous death of his own daughter that now causes heartache for both his wife and himself. It is disturbing to witness Dexter’s frequent conversations with his hallucinations of the deceased teenager. While the body is rotting, Dexter has a personal affection for the dead victim. For someone who knows that he has mental issues, the story really does allow the reader to view this disturbed person from their own point of view.

The characterization in THE GROVE is superb. Each character is believable and is motivated by their personal issues. The story is gripping in that your thoughts never leave this tale.

John Rector lives in Omaha, Nebraska. He has had an eclectic work history with working as a musician, a record store clerk, a cemetery worker, and a telephone psychic. His previous book, THE COLD KISS, is currently in development for a film production.

I did have one problem with THE GROVE. The publisher erroneously printed part of another novel in place of the last seventy pages of the book. Please check your copy of this book carefully so that the entire story is concluded for you.

THE GROVE is a haunting novel that you will not soon forget.

The Secret Eleanor

2010-11-14T20:11:00.002-06:00

THE SECRET ELEANOR
Cecelia Holt
The Berkley Publishing Group
Penguin Group
2010
Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-425-23450-1
362 pages
$ 15.00

When someone lived almost a millennium ago, that is in the 1100s, how can we know what really happened in a person’s life? We know about their major events, but the actual details are left to the imagination.

THE SECRET ELEANOR begins with Eleanor of Aquitaine as being the Queen of France and being married to Louis VII. She is unhappy with this marital relationship even though they have two daughters. This novel is about what might have happened when she first met Henry of Anjou, her soon to be second husband and the future king of England.

Having read many books regarding Eleanor, this one took a slightly different approach. The involvement of Petronella, her younger sister, is interesting bys turning the divorce and marriage into a romance novel with hunky muscular males and curvaceously sultry females. While this drama is occurring, there are also the constant battles for more castles and land between Eleanor, her husband, her husband to be, and also his brother.

THE SECRET ELEANOR is quick and easy to read. The fictionalizing of minor events revolving around the documented actions is definitely a unique approach. Since no one from the time period actually wrote down the little details, all that we are left with is the skeleton of the puzzle without all the pieces. How Cecelia Holland created these details was masterful.

The characters are believable and human in their decisions. Eleanor’s intelligence and slyness made her a legend and continues with her many dangerous and risky escapades that became a part of her everyday life. The story is well-organized and engaging. Even though I was aware of what the outcome of the events would be, THE SECRET ELEANOR made we want to keep turning pages to find out the resolutions of various situations.

Cecelia Holland is known for writing in many genres including historical romance in which this book would be categorized. She has written numerous books and currently resides in California.

Personally, though I am not a fan of romance novels, I plan to read more by Cecelia Holland. She turns a predictable storyline into an unpredictable adventure.

Teri Davis November 14, 2010

On Target

2010-11-13T22:09:00.002-06:00

ON TARGET
Mark Greaney
A Jove Book
The Berkley Publishing Group
Penguin Group
October 2010
Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-515-14845-9
534 pages
$ 9.99

What happens to former operatives of the C.I.A.? Their job skills don’t always match the needs of today’s job market for reemployment.

Court Gentry found out four years ago that the C.I.A. was not a loyal employer when a particular job was compromised and he ended up being a wanted man. Since then, he has chosen to lay low and to work as a mercenary soldier. He also needs to avoid his former comrades and only chooses those jobs where he feels a need to level the scales of justice.

The Russian mafia has assigned Court the job of assassinating the leader of Sudan. Though complicated, Court reluctantly agrees to this. However, the entire job is slightly altered by his former employer, the C.I.A., when they also contact Court with the challenge of kidnapping this same leader instead of killing him. The plan is for Court to act and to follow the Russian instructions and to alter the plan with the kidnapping at the last minute. In return, the C.I.A. will not attempt to eliminate him if he succeeds.

Interwoven through this is a woman who is also looking for justice throughout the world and naively joins and opposes Court as he flounders from one misstep to another.

ON TARGET is your typical action-adventure novel. There is the damsel-in-distress for the predictable romantic tendency. The underdog hero, Court, who possesses superior athletic skills, abilities, intelligence, and luck to those chasing him who greatly outnumber him and seem to have unlimited resources race through every page.

ON TARGET is fun to read. Yes, much of the story is predictable, but it is a well-organized story. Court lacks a bit realism. No matter who or what is the challenge, he always finagles his way around the problem. However, the flawed characters, especially when dealing with former friendships and loyalties demonstrate a side of these operatives that is distinctly human. It also makes the reader wonder about what really happens to former operatives? Are they all dysfunctional and can never assimilate back into normal society?

Mark Greaney currently resides in Tennessee. He has studied international relations, political science, and criminal intelligence. THE GRAY MAN was the first book in this series featuring Court Gentry.

I enjoyed ON TARGET. This fast-paced page turner is an exciting adventure into a lifestyle that none of us probably would want to live. Live dangerously and read ON TARGET.

Teri Davis November 13, 2010

Land of Mountains

2010-11-07T20:25:00.003-06:00

LAND OF MOUNTAINS
Jinx Schwartz
Treble Heart Books
2010
ISBN:978-1-936127-21-4
322 pages
$13.95 U.S. and Canada

“Gooey tarmac oozed around my brand new patent leather shoes, and damp heat wilted the Shirley Temple curls my mother forced my hair into earlier in the day. I could practically feel the ringlets springing back to their natural orange frizz. I began to glow. Southern girls don’t sweat, they glow. Rivers of glow ran through my scalp, down my neck.”

How can a ten-year-old girl cause so much trouble?

When your father works in the construction business of building dams, you find that this gives you the opportunity to explore the world. Texas born and raised, Lizbuthann finds that relocating to Haiti in the early 1950s is quite an educational experience.

Unfortunately, Haiti is in the tropics and for a redhead, the sweat, the humidity as it frizzes the hair, and the touchy and highly reactive skin that tends to show every blemish don’t always agree with the move.
Not to mention, the unladylike behavior that upsets the perfectionist in your mother.

In Haiti, during the early 1950s, this is a third-world country. The governmental leadership wants to develop the country and sees the future through the restriction of the water system by building a dam. This requires foreign expertise, so Lizbuthann’s father is part of this enclosed community temporarily living in the country at a base camp. Life within the camp is much different from her life in Texas and the community has many privileges and riches that are not even imagined in the general population of Haiti.

This time period is prior to living under a dictatorship. The current leader wants a democracy, just not elections. The country has its own language and still has the religious influences of voodoo mixed with Catholicism. For a Southern Baptist family from Texas, this is quite an adjustment.

Adopting a baby parrot is intended to keep Lizbuthann distracted and hopefully out of a little trouble, but Pee Wee manages to cause plenty of awkward and hilarious situations all by him.

Jinx Schwarz, the author, actually based this series on her life in Haiti during this time period. The sense of time and place superbly transports the reader back into the early 1950s and living in Haiti. Having read many of Jinx’s other mysteries, this book does not let me done. Everything Jinx writes is outstanding.

LAND OF MOUNTAINS is fun to read. The character Lizbuthann is delightfully troublesome and just the type of person who questions life and makes every normal day laughable. The story is extremely well-organized, and has a personal voice that makes a true connection with each of the characters.

For being categorized as a young adult mystery, there is more everyday adventure than there is a mystery. Even though the intended audience is young adult, everyone can have quite a few laughs by reading LAND OF MOUNTAINS. Personally, I think that the targeted audience should be toward middle-aged women who have an understanding of the changes in societal standards since the 1950s. This book is an humorous adventure into a different setting and time period.

LAND OF MOUNTAINS is fun to read. It’s memorable and vividly explains life in a different time and place in a fun and humorous manner.

The biggest problem I see with LAND OF MOUNTAINS is where to buy it. Because it is printed through a small press publication, our local Barnes & Noble will not carry it, nor order it. If you don’t have an Amazon account, either call or contact MYSTERY BOOKSTORE on South 13th by the Bohemian Café or THE BOOKWORM which is also in Omaha. Either store will be thrilled to order it for you.

Snow Day

2010-10-31T17:32:00.002-05:00

SNOW DAY
Billy Coffey
FaithWords
Hatchette Book Group
October 2010
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-446-56826-5
208 pages
$18.99

Sometimes everyone needs a day of unplanned life, a day of reflection, a snow day.

Early in the morning, Peter Boyd listens to his radio station that is encouraging everyone in this small Virginia town to take a snow day. This is the type of snow that is growing in inches every hour. He decides to call in to work to actually take a snow day being that his wife and kids are home for the day. Even though he is aware that his position at his factory is about to be cut, Peter realizes that he needs o get away, just for a break from the daily grind.

His wife’s first priority is to send him to the store. They desperately need milk, bread, and there are about twenty more items on the list. There go his plans to hibernate and take it easy. However the lessons he learns and the people that Peter interacts with make this a memorable and worthwhile day with reflections all of us need to be reminded exist. We all need to look for these gifts throughout every day.

SNOW DAY is Billy Coffey’s debut novel written in the first person listening and learning from the normal daily events that many of us choose not to see or are just too busy to look, listen, respond, and act. From needing help in a supermarket, to finding the real Santa Claus, to a reunion with the class loser, to finding a caring UPS worker, and to observing the teen-aged speed demon driving a sports car on ice are all lessons that many people miss in their everyday life. Peter discovers these and more.
Sometimes everyone needs a day of unplanned life, a day of reflection, a snow day.

Murder to Mil-Spec

2010-10-23T22:34:00.002-05:00

MURDER TO MIL-SPEC
A Crime Fiction Anthology to Benefit Homes for our Troops
Wolfmont Press
October 2010
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-60364-028-2
234 pages
$12.00

There are numerous causes that many people find worthy today. However, some causes are unquestionably just the right thing to support. Homes for our Troops is definitely one of those that need present home cannot accommodate their needs, this agency allows them to have a new home that is specially adapted for their needs and at no cost to the veteran.

Wolfmont Press yearly donates an anthology to benefit a charity and this year they have chosen Homes for our Troops. The authors donate their stories and also promote the book while accepting no funds for compensation. Wolfmont also donates all their profits from the book to this charity.

MURDER TO MIL-SPEC is a collection of twelve short stories by Terrie Farley Moran, Dorothy B. Francis, Big Jim, Williams, Elizabeth Zelvin, Lina Zeldovich, Charles Schaeffer, Howard B. Carron, Brendan Dubois, Janis Patterson, Barb Goffman, S.M. Harding, and Diana Catt. These are all authors who are not well-known and are fairly new to publishing.

Each story is based on a military crime featuring various conflicts around the world from World War II to the present.

Most of the stories are simple with believable characters and events based on real events with conflicts. Each story is engaging and my personal criticism is that the stories are not longer and that they end. The variety of the settings as well as the conflicts within each story is superb illustrations into a realistic military life. These stories are gems.

“Salome’s Gift” by Diana Catt is outstanding. Salome is a fourteen-year-old girl whose brother is fighting for our country in Iraq. He sends her a birthday gift with a puzzle. When her brother is reported as being missing, her grief and reactions make the story feel all too real. The conclusion was perfect.

Read MURDER TO MIL-SPEC. It is definitely worth the money which goes to a worthy cause and you will also have a wonderful collection of stories.

Don't Look Now: Emmy Budd Volume 2

2010-10-23T20:50:00.001-05:00

EMMY BUDD VOLUME 2: DON’T LOOK NOW
Jean Blasiar
Charles River Press
July 2010
Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-936185-14-6
128 pages
$12.95

“That man in the phone booth. He’s looking right at me again. Look someplace else.”

Emmy Budd is speaking these words to T.J. Blake as the two are planning on seeing a movie. In the small town of Jerseyville, Ohio in the 1950s where everyone knows everyone else, this stranger’s actions scare Emmy Budd.

What would a twelve-year-old do when there’s a strange man watching and following her? Emmy Budd is somewhat relieved when her best friend, T. J. Blake shows up and joins her. However, the twosome is not pleased when they are being followed and someone seems to be trying to run them down while they are riding their bikes.

When T.J. and Emmy go to the local pharmacy, they are surprised to find a new manager in the store.
They both find this strange as Mister Foster with his sister, have always owned this pharmacy. So why have both of the owners all of a sudden left town? How is this strange man that has been following related to the Fosters and why is he so interested in two twelve-year-olds?

DON’T LOOK NOW is the second book by Jean Blasiar featuring Emmy Budd. The first book, EMMY BUDD AND THE HIJACKED TRAIN is also written in much of the tradition on Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, Emmy Budd and her best friend, T. J. Blake investigate and assist the local police in solving crime.

Jean Blasiar has written seven young adult novels, including the Emmy Budd series. She has also written eight full-length productions in the Los Angeles area. She lives in Southern California where she is writing more Emmy Budd novels.

DON’T LOOK NOW is a well-written simple mystery novel with realistic characters who smartly investigate crimes. The story is aimed at the tween audience with no inappropriate words or insinuations. I look forward to new additions in this series.