Review of 'Beach Town Boogie'
Posted on August 31, 2016 Updated on August 23, 2016
Cass Destry, a PI, lives the simple life on Galveston Beach until she's stalked, attacked, and then assigned to a murder investigation by her boss, Bob Reed, all in the same week. Her job is to prove that their client, Brandon Wells, didn't kill his wife—hard enough to do ordinarily, but extremely difficult when someone has you targeted for murder.
Beach Town Boogie by Bert Hopkins, Jr. is a hip, fast-paced mystery that follows Cass as she tracks down leads, most of them pointing to the client's guilt, until something doesn't quite fit. At the same time, she has to deal with family problems; a father teetering on the edge of dementia, and personal problems; no sex life to speak of. Cass is not your usual female PI. She's not even sure why she became a PI, she's pretty good at martial arts, and good with a gun.
Fun reading, with lots of action, a bit of whimsy, and enough human drama to please a broad variety of reading tastes.
The author has an annoying habit of switching from past to present tense within chapters, which in a story that's this good is a bit too jarring. I give it three stars.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged beach town boogie, bert hopkins jr., mystery.
Review of 'The Steel Kiss'
NYPD detective Amelia Sachs is hot on the heels of a suspected killer, when she's distracted by an escalator malfunction. She makes the choice to try and save a man trapped in the jaws of an escalator motor and the suspect gets away. Police forensic consultant Lincoln Rhymes, a quadriplegic after an accident, has given up criminal work and now focuses entirely on civil cases. While Sachs continues her hunt for a vicious killer, Rhymes is hired to do a forensic analysis of the escalator accident to support a possible civil suit by the victim's family against the company that sold it.
Once partners, Sachs and Rhymes continue their relationship on a personal level, but that relationship is strained by the two cases their working on until they discover the two cases are related. A maniac has found a way to turn everyday objects into murder weapons, and he seems to always be one step ahead of the authorities.
The Steel Kiss by Jeffery Deaver is a thriller that will keep your interest from page one until the surprising conclusion. Deaver does a masterful job of incorporating police procedure and technical details unobtrusively into the story, making them an essential element to understand what's happening. He also takes the reader into the minds of his characters, bringing them to life—even the perpetrators, and this story has enough bad guys to keep you guessing until they're deftly revealed in what I can only describe as an 'ah-ha' moment.
I received this book as a gift. This is an easy five-star rating.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged jeffery deaver, the steel kiss, thriller.
Review of 'The Gossiping Gourmet'
Sausalito, California is a quiet, arty town north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge. Underneath its quiet exterior, though, is a roiling mess of snobbiness and intrigue, and at the heart of much of that is Warren Bradley, gossip columnist for the local paper. No one except the doyens of town society is safe from his venomous pen. When a couple from New York move to town, and the husband lands a prestigious art committee position that Warren coveted, they become targets for his vitriol. So, of course, when he's found dead, with his hands cut off, they are the prime suspects. But, Marin County Sheriff Department detective Eddie Austin and Rob Timmons, editor of the local paper, aren't so sure the main suspect, a man the snobby old ladies of Sausalito want to literally and figuratively lynch, is guilty, and it's up to them to work around Sausalito's inept police department and solve the crime.
The Gossiping Gourmet by Martin Brown is an intriguing mystery that peels the flesh off a dried up social system; the kind that exists in most small towns, and gets to the guts of what makes little towns tick. The characters, even good old Warren Bradley, will be with you long after you stop reading, and if you're one of those people who has contemplated shucking the big city for small town life after retirement, you might just rethink it. Witty dialogue and detailed (without being overbearing) descriptions pull you in like a high-powered Hoover, and the ending will sucker punch you.
A thoroughly enjoyable five-star book.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged martin brown, mystery, the gossiping gourmet.
Review of 'Tonight and Always'
Anthropologist Kasey Wyatt signs on to help bestselling novelist Jordan Taylor do a book about the Plains Indians. Easy-going, spontaneous Kasey finds the highly structured environment of the Taylor household stifling. Jordan appears to have a tight lid on his emotions, his niece and ward is a shy, lonely girl, and Jordan's mother is a harridan who dislikes Kasey at first sight. Introducing the volatile Kasey into this staid, dysfunctional mix, though, creates reverberations that have a profound impact on the Taylor household.
Tonight and Always by bestselling novelist Nora Roberts is a short but compelling story that follows the year-long collaboration between Kasey and Jordan, that switches back and forth between the two of them as point of view characters—strangely and sometimes confusingly, in the same chapter at times. Not what one would expect from a writer of Roberts caliber. That, however, is probably the only negative thing I have to say about this story of love between polar opposites, a relationship that has three strikes against it before it even gets started. Nothing about the characters at the outset says 'romance,' yet somehow Roberts makes it work, which shows the writer she was to become.
This is one of the author's early stories, written before she'd really honed her craft, so I am willing to forgive some of the amateurish stylisms, such as head hopping and two-plus dimensional characters.
I received this book as a gift. I'm a Nora Roberts fan, but I can only give this one three stars.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged nora roberts, romance, tonight and always.
Review of 'Broken Elements'
Aidan Brook is an Elemental, a being who can manipulate the elements with ease, in her case, water. But, one night in Lake Tahoe, when she and her friend, Sera, a fire elemental, were trying to trap a serial killer, her power failed, with fatal consequences. For years, Aidan tried to run away from her past, retreating to a lonely house in Oregon, but when a close friend is brutally murdered—by what appears to be the serial killer she and Sera vanquished—Aidan is drawn back to Lake Tahoe and her past. She and Sera begin the process of mending their broken relationship, and she finds that there is more to the world of non-humans than she'd been led to believe. With a serial killer now focused on her, two FBI agents determined to find out just what the hell's going on, and her own feelings about life and love bubbling close to the surface, Aidan must learn to control her power if she and her friends are to survive.
Broken Elements is the first book in the Elements series by Mia Marshall. It follows the exploits of Aidan Brook and her Elemental friends as they navigate between their world and that of the humans, but does it in a way that makes it read like a finely tuned mystery or thriller rather than just another paranormal story. The magical elements are woven into the story almost unobtrusively, but are nevertheless crucial parts of the plot.
An interesting premiere to what I predict will be a popular series. Four stars.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged broken elements, mia marshall, paranormal.
Review of 'Time Management Mastery'
One of the keys to success in any endeavor is learning to effectively manage time. There are a finite number of hours in each day, and if you fail to adequately manage them, more tasks than hours to get them done. Time Management Mastery by Greg Host is a short book that offers some sage advice for learning how to make the most of the time available to you; learning how to distinguish between tasks that are important (but not time-bound) and those that are urgent (must be done or the consequences are dire).
The author offers nothing that can't be found in thousands of other pages of books on management, but he does it in a brief, easy-to-read and easy-to-understand form that fits the theme of the book. After all, if an author is going to talk about getting things done in the shortest amount of time possible, the credibility is suspect if it takes hundreds of pages to do it.
A useful book for those who feel there just aren't enough hours in the day. I give this one four stars.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged greg host, management, time management mastery.
Review of 'Insatiable'
Sydney Rye, a London-based private investigator, wants to be free of her past. When a dangerous man from that past approaches her with a job, rescue the daughter of a powerful Mexican businessman and his politician wife, her first instinct is to refuse. But, he offers to pay her with what she really wants more than anything else in the world—finally to put the past away forever. Once she arrives in Mexico, however, her partner turns on her, and the kidnap victim turns out to be something else altogether. Suddenly, Sydney finds herself the subject of a massive manhunt; someone wants her dead. She has to use all her wits, her dog, Blue, and a network of friends and fans to survive.
Insatiable by Emily Kimelman is the third book in the Sydney Rye series, and after having read it, I'm encouraged, no, obsessed, with reading the first two. Sydney is a strong female character, not without flaws, and not incapable of feeling fear or making a mistake—but, she learns from her mistakes. Nonstop action and suspense that zips like a comet from London to the Yucatan to the Caribbean and back again, with more twists than a Coney Island roller coaster. You'll cheer the good guys and boo the villains, until you realize that some of the good guys are villains. But, you won't be able to put it down until you reach the end.
I give it four stars.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged emily kimelman, insatiable, thriller.
Review of 'The Savvy Solopreneur's Guide to Networking'
If you're a solo entrepreneur; writer, photographer, or online marketer, The Savvy Solopreneur's Guide to Networking by Karen Banes is a worthwhile read. In order to get your creative output in front of customers, the one thing you need to do, and do well, is network. This short guide is an overview of online and offline networking—not just selling, which is a different kettle of fish—that will jumpstart your efforts. Written in plain, easy to understand language, complete with action lists at the end of each chapter, this book doesn't get into the how and why of specific platforms; it offers instead, a general overview of how to develop your unique networking campaign. It also offers a list of 'don'ts' to keep you from becoming just another annoying presence hawking your works.
If you want to create value in your presence, this guide is a good start on that journey. I give it four stars.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged karen banes, marketing, networking, the savvy solopreneur's guide to networking.
Review of 'Oliver and Jumpy 49-51'
Oliver, the elegant tomcat, is back with Jumpy and his other friends in another series of adventures that will bemuse and beguile your little ones. Oliver and Jumpy: 49-51 by Werner Stejskal has Oliver getting in trouble with an ice bear when he goes skating with Jumpy's son, Joey, Oliver tutoring a family of young mice, and finally, Oliver and Jumpy helping to teach a naughty dragon a lesson.
Interesting and entertaining stories that youngsters will love having read to them, with fantastic pictures to accompany them will keep your young ones busy for hours.
I give this one four stars.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged children's books, oliver and jumpy 49-51, werner stejskal.
Review of 'Talisman'
Shiloh Wallace spells her name with a 'y' instead of an 'i,' not because she's shy, but just to be different. She has few friends, beyond her dad, his best friend, Samuel, his blind secretary, Bea, and her best friend forever, Katie. Life in Welch, West Virginia is boring for 17-year-old Shiloh who is anxious to turn 18 and finally graduate from high school so she can leave Welch in the coal dust. Then, she starts to have strange dreams and experience strange things, especially when the strange man, Lazarus comes to town with plans to buy the man where he daddy works. When she touches the stranger, she learns an even stranger thing, she can read thoughts of people when she touches them. As if that's not strange enough, the oddball geology professor who came to town with Lazarus, when she finds him sneaking around Shiloh Ridge, informs her that she's not really 'human.' She's a Talisman, a strange race of supernatural being who can channel awesome powers through stones. Okay, do I have you attention? Good, because it only gets better—or worse depending upon your point of view—from that point. Shiloh quickly finds herself in a life or death struggle with other Talismans who want to kill her because she's the heir to the most powerful item on earth.
Talisman by S. E. Akers is a refreshing paranormal story, with lots of humor, a ton of teen angst—did I mention that Shiloh's mom hates her and her kid sister thinks she's been put on earth only to serve as her handmaiden. Add a town bully, son of the mine owner, and the usual complement of high school harridans, and Shiloh doesn't really need angry Talismans trying to poison her or rip her throat out. But she has all that, and precious little time to learn to harness her powers, because not only is her life at stake, but so are the lives of the few people she cares about and the survival of the whole town. If Shiloh can't learn to control the diamond wand—yeah, and you thought diamonds were a girl's best friend, right?—it's curtains.
What can I say—you'll enjoy this book. The dialogue is authentic without becoming insulting or corny, and the action is riveting. My hat's off to the author for writing a YA s tory that an old graybeard like me could read without concealing it behind a 'Sport's Illustrated.'
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged fantasy, s.e.akers, talisman.
Review of 'Bravo and Elphie'
Elphie's afraid of just about everything; he won't go on the slide or play on the monkey bars until his mom gets him a new pet, the rat, Bravo. At first, Elphie doesn't like Bravo, because he doesn't know him, but mom suggests he take him to the park where they can become acquainted. At the park, Elphie learns not only to get along with Bravo, but to take care of him, and his fears disappear.
Bravo and Elphie by mother-daughter team Hagit and Or Oran is a cute little story for young readers or for those being read to that teaches children not to be afraid of things they've never seen, and to learn to explore the world around them. The illustrations are nice and will appeal to everyone.
This is a great book for the parent or grandparent of a timid child, to help pull them out of their shells of shyness. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. I give it four stars.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged bravo and elphie, children's books, hagit r. oran, or oran.
Review of 'The Netherfield Affair'
Elizabeth Bennet goes to Netherfield Park to keep her sick sister, Jane, company. Things turn odd as soon as she arrives. She sees a ghostly face in an upstairs window of the manor, and hears eerie sounds. Then, when things start turning up missing, and she meets a dark stranger in the middle of the night, she finds herself embroiled in danger and scandal, and the only one she can turn to for help is the stiff Mr. Darcy, who at first seems to dislike her, or at least, to hold her in disdain.
The Netherfield Affair by Penelope Swan is a Regency mystery written in the style of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The author does a fantastic job of recreating the style of Austen's works, with a touch of mystery, complete with hidden clues and red herrings. Jane Austen fans will love this book, and even if you're not particularly fond of this style of writing, I'm sure you'll find this an entertaining story. This is the first book in a planned four-book series that explores the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy.
I'll be looking for the next one to see if the mysterious highwayman is found, and just what his story really is. That's a bit of a spoiler, but only a bit. The ending will still surprise you.
I give it five stars.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged penelope swan, regency mystery, the netherfield affair.
Review of 'Crescent City'
Alec Winters, a 40-year-old native of New Orleans, though in good shape, looks like a normal person. But, he has another personality, one that was brought out when he came to his sister Cat's rescue when their father was trying to rape her. To some he's seen as a bright angel of redemption, but, to the evil, he's seen as a giant, red devil, come to take them to the depths of hell.
Crescent City by Chariss K. Walker is a dark paranormal thriller that follows Alex as he moves around the Crescent City protecting the weak from their tormentors. It is also the story of Vivien Simon, an investigative reporter who senses there's more to the story of a few grisly murders than meets the eye, and who is relentless in her pursuit of the truth.
A tense story that is for the most part well-paced, this tale will chill you as Alec races against time to save his love, from a greedy man who is willing to kill her rather than see her belong to someone else. It's only with Vivien's help that he can do it, but there's a possible cost; it might mean exposing Cat to more trauma. He is faced with an almost impossible choice. I won't spoil it by telling you how the story turns out, but I assure you that you'll like it. It did get a little choppy near the end, almost as if the author was rushing to get it done, which is too bad, but didn't spoil what's on balance a pretty good story.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. I give it three and a half stars.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged chariss k. walker, crescent city, paranormal thriller.
Review of 'Dragon Domain'
Posted on August 18, 2016 Updated on August 9, 2016
Cheyenne and Celeste had been close—in fact, Celeste was like a mother to Cheyenne—until Dominic came. He promised Celeste love, but instead, he awakened her dark side, and the two of them are determined to destroy Cheyenne. With the help of Jane and others of the Dragon Clan, Cheyenne must resist a force that becomes stronger with each soul Dominic and Celeste binds to their dark designs. The forces that Cheyenne must face as she fights to save her home, though, are overwhelming.
Dragon Domain is the second book in the Dragon Clan Trilogy by Theresa Chaze. It is a compelling tale of love and betrayal with a Wiccan heroine you can't help but cheer for. The action is chilling and the human emotions are deep. This one reads like a good thriller, with a dollop of witchcraft thrown into the mix. You don't have to be a fan of paranormal fiction to like it.
This is one you'll want to schedule a good block of time to read, but you won't want to put it down once you've started.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged dragon domain, paranormal, theresa chaze.
Review of 'Death Unmasked'
Houston Police Detective Sean Jamison is tormented. Long on the job, he's suffering both physical and mental burnout, as he and his colleagues search for a serial killer who is targeting the women of the city. Then, belching smoke from an oil refinery triggers a memory in Jamison, a memory of a past life, and a love lost. As one memory piles on top of another, he realizes that his lost love is no longer 'lost,' but is a possible target of the killer known as The Magician, and only dogged police work and his strange 'intuition' can catch the killer and save his beloved.
Death Unmasked by Rick Sulik is a gripping paranormal thriller, deftly combining the paranormal with police procedure as Jamison finds more and more links with his past as he chases a killer who quotes from an ancient poem after each crime.
The author drops one surprise after another as you make your way through this riveting story, ending with a more than satisfying, but strange conclusion. I can't say which was better, the way he handled reincarnation, or the way he built a murder mystery, clue by clue, so I guess I'll just have to say the whole thing worked for me.
This was a pretty competent first novel.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. I give it four stars.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged death unmasked, paranormal thriller, rick sulik.
Review of 'Casimir Bridge'
A deep space survey ship is lost on the fringes of a distant star system, victim of a sneak attack. A nuclear terror plot is foiled on the outskirts of Washington, DC, and the evidence points to the company that holds the key to interstellar travel, and a conspiracy is 'uncovered' pointing to this same company.
Casimir Bridge, a first novel by Darren D. Beyer is a science fiction-thriller that covers four star systems, and, thanks to the author's background as a NASA engineer, the technical details, even those describing systems that don't yet exist, come across as entirely credible. The action switches back and forth between the efforts of a young journalist, Mandisa Khosi, who has stumbled across a byzantine plot to gain incredible power, and Jans Mikel, the CEO of AIC, the company that's the target of an extremely hostile takeover by a powerful man who will stop at nothing to gain even more power. Beyer's descriptions of space travel are richly detailed and credible, as are the accounts of the intrigue and political maneuvering that goes on behind the scenes.
Great science fiction, but on a deeper level, if you take away the interstellar travel and violence, the author could be describing events taking place in the present day. The unbridled pursuit of power that characterizes modern-day politics is on full display in this nonstop thrill-a-minute story.
Beyer is definitely a science fiction author to keep an eye on, and this story ends on a cliffhanger that makes me anxious to read the sequel.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. I give it five stars, and await the next one.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged casimir bridge, darren d. beyer, sci-fi thriller.
Review of 'Neon Spark'
Faz Pound, aka Black Spark, a Dark Magic Enforcer, travels to Japan in pursuit of Kimiko, the vampire who killed his parents, and who has established herself as the head of Japan's gangster empire. His mission, to kill her. But, even with the help of his necromancer friend, Dancer, this proves to be a challenge that threatens to overwhelm him as he faces beings from the Hidden unlike any he's ever seen.
Neon Spark by Al K. Line is the fifth book in the Dark Magic Enforcer series, and it continues the amazing adventures of a human with magic powers who devotes his life to enforcing the arcane laws that keep the worlds of the Hidden and the Normals in balance. If you've read the first four books of the series, you'll enjoy this one as it shows Faz's character development as he learns more about his own history, as well as the histories of those around him. The action, as always, is nonstop, with wry observations from the main character, of himself and others.
A good read. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged al k. line, fantasy, neon spark, thriller.
Review of 'Shakedown'
FBI Special Agent Jack Davis is investigating a drug dealer, using some rather unorthodox methods. At the same time, he's contending with his own body's rebellion—he frequently is subjected to violent shaking and tremors—a condition he's trying to hide from his colleagues and his boss. When the drug dealer, his gang, and his family are slaughtered, Jack is caught off guard, and his condition comes to light, just as he suspects someone on his own team of leaking information to the bad guys. Jack then mounts his own private, and unsanctioned investigation, determined to catch the killer, but also obsessed with protecting his daughter, Wendy, who has taken up with a member of his team. His only resources are his own determination, and the help of Kate Scranton, a behavioral expert who uses micro-expressions to determine when people are being dishonest or evasive.
Shakedown by Joel Goldman is a fast-paced, thriller that explores the darkest side of life, sociological and emotional. Follow Jack and Kate as they match wits with an orderly, driven killer, who is the last person anyone would suspect, while dealing with treachery from those sworn to protect and serve.
Hard to put down once you start it, and will leave you shaking as hard as Jack when it's all over. I received this book as a gift.
Four stars.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged joel goldman, shakedown, thriller.
Review of 'Brainrush'
Jake Bronson has terminal cancer. During an MRI, there's an earthquake, and he comes out of the chamber a changed man; with enhanced mental and physical functions that no one can explain. In Italy, terrorist Luciano Battista wants what Jake has, and is willing to kill for it. He sends unwitting Dr. Francesca Fellini, an empath, to convince Jake to cooperate in sharing the secrets of his abilities, but when that fails, he resorts to harsher methods. That is a big mistake. Jake and his friends go to war with Fellini and his goons in an action thriller that is as explosive as some of the explosive charges that detonate.
Brainrush by Richard Bard puts the thrill in thriller. Lots of technical details on weapons and tactics for those who like that kind of stuff, but it also has a lot of the personal dynamics that men and women at war experience. A nice, exciting read. I give it four stars.
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged brainrush, richard bard, thriller.
Review of 'Iced Malice'
Eau Claire, Wisconsin is having one of its worst winters in over a hundred years. Detective Kendall Halsrud is investigating the deaths of two teenagers which resembles the 12-year old unsolved cases of three missing couples. Kendall wonders if it's the same killer, or does someone else have a reason for wanting these kids dead.
In Iced Malice Marla Madison, Kendall has to solve three really cold cases while hot on the trail of a killer who kills without remorse and in some macabre ways, while dealing with her feelings for her colleague, Detective Adam Nashlund, who, after being severely injured while on an undercover operation, suffers amnesia and no longer remembers what they meant to each other.
Chilling mystery (no pun intended) and warm human emotions entwine in a story that can only be called a page-turner. Get it while it's hot. I give it four cool stars!
This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged iced malice, marla madison, thriller.