Reprise Review: The Crooked Beat by Nick Quantrill

 

Genre: Crime Fiction

Description:

Former PI Joe Geraghty has family problems, lots of them. His brother, Niall, is in trouble. He thought he could solve his money problems by smuggling some cigarettes, however the consignment has been stolen and now he owes local hard man George Sutherland for them.

It seems everyone wants Geraghty to drop the case, in particular Don Ridley, his former partner and mentor. But Geraghty can’t let his family down and when the past crashes into the present Joe is in until the bitter end.

Author:

Nick Quantrill was born and raised in the industrial English city of Hull. He’s a prolific short story writer, but has also produced three (Now four.) full-length crime novels starring protagonist PI Joe Geraghty.

For more information on Nick, go to his website.

Appraisal:

I’ve previously read and reviewed two of the author’s works. Both were quality performances, strong and well written, however The Crooked Beat feels like a step on. Perhaps it is because the story moves immediately, rather than a slow build. Perhaps it is the use of first person narrative.

This latter element brings us closer to the protagonist, Joe Geraghty. He’s a man incapable of finding a happy ending. He has few friends and is out on his own now after the private investigation firm he previously worked for closed and his mentor Don retired.

Throughout The Crooked Beat there’s a lot of the difficult past for Geraghty to deal with. Through flashbacks we learn about Don Ridley, who in many ways has been like a father to Joe, and how his behavior ultimately affected Joe. In addition a man involved with the death of Geraghty’s wife may have the answer to the riddle he’s pursuing. He really is a tortured soul.

However, Geraghty must also pull his family out of trouble and deal with Sutherland. Quantrill deals with these many story arcs with aplomb and cleverly produces an exit when none seem obvious.

One of the aspects I really like is the Hull backdrop (I admit I’m slightly biased having lived there for over a decade). Quantrill draws the area very well which adds atmosphere.

Another subtle element is the author reflecting a number of the character’s past (via flashbacks) against the backdrop of the city’s current regeneration. The old is being torn down and replaced with the new, which parallels Geraghty’s changes in circumstances. His old life is being ripped up too, though as yet a future hasn’t been built. It’s neat and clever.

All in all this is an excellent book, intelligently written and a significantly more than your average PI tale.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

The Crooked Beat is Book 3 in Joe Geraghty (4 Book Series). Smatterings of adult language.

Added for Reprise Review: The Crooked Beat by Nick Quantrill was a nominee in the Crime Fiction category for B&P 2014 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran September 14, 2013.

Format/Typo Issues:

None.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Review: Through Rose-Colored Glasses by AB Plum

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Description:

“Fans of rock star Stone Wall call Ryn a whore--in a class of her own--for staying with the abusive music legend. Hey, the prime suspect in his murder, she inherited his $250-million-dollar estate.

So what if Ryn uses the money to run Esperanza House--a place of hope and renewal? So what if thirteen ex-prostitutes live there with their kids mastering computer skills to stay off the street? So what if a hundred percent of the women are working the program with great success? Once a ho, always a ho.

Then, a 3-alarm fire destroys the Esperanza House dorm. The body of a 13-year-old girl is found in the rubble. Brutally murdered. The women rally around the inconsolable mother while fighting their own despair. Who will track the killer of the daughter of a former ho?

Old nightmares and current obsessions drive Ryn to undertake a search for justice. One dead end after the other finally brings her face-to-face with the murderer. Her discovery rocks her to the core and threatens to destroy Esperanza House.

Can she look the other way?”

Author:

AB Plum is the author of numerous books ranging from psychological suspense to mysteries and even some romantic suspense novels in her early days as a novelist. After growing up in southern Missouri, Ms Plum lived and worked in a wide variety of places including multiple countries in Central and South America. She now lives with her husband in the Silicon Valley area of California.

For more, visit Ms Plum’s website.

Appraisal:

There was much about this I liked. The characters, not only Ryn, the main character in this story, but the other characters as well, were much different from the people I run into in a typical book or real life. Yet they felt real. Many of the characters, from Ryn to her ward and frequent sidekick Beau, to the residents of Esperanza House, the home for ex-hookers turning their lives around, are damaged in different ways, yet working through this, which makes them sympathetic. Seeing the world from Ryn’s point of view was strange at times, but made for a unique story that I mostly enjoyed reading. At the heart of the story is figuring out whodunit it, and Ryn eventually does figure that out. I had several theories occur to me, none of which was the right answer. Maybe you’ll do better. I was surprised, which I see as a positive in this kind of book, at least if answer is one that could have reasonably have been considered. I’d say this ending barely fits that criteria, but it’s a close call. I can’t say more without giving spoilers, so I’ll leave it at that.

However, I had two issues with the book, one minor, the other I considered more serious. The big problem was proofreading. I spotted way too many proofing issues, enough to knock a full star off of what I’d have otherwise given the book. These ranged from typos, to wrong or missing words, to one instance where a character was referred to by the wrong name. My minor issue was the use of Spanish, specifically a line or two here and there throughout the book. The times it was used were reasonable and generally positive in they added to the feel of the story, emphasizing the culture the character came from or other good reasons. But they also weren’t phrases that a typical person without a fair amount of Spanish knowledge would understand. Sometimes I could translate the phrase. Sometimes, even though I didn’t know the translation, I felt as though I could get the gist of what it was communicating. But too much of the time I felt like I was in the dark and was probably missing something that, while not critical, I’d like to know. Depending on your answer to habla usted Espanol?, this may be a non-issue or even if you don’t speak Spanish, it might not bother you like it sometimes did me.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

This is the second book in a series, but can be read as a stand-alone. I haven’t read the first book in the series and didn’t feel like I had issues understanding what I needed to know from the character’s past.

Format/Typo Issues:

Way too many proofreading issues (typos, wrong words, at least one wrong name, etc).

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 95-100,000 words

Review: Execution Walk by Melissa Bowersock

 

Genre: Mystery/Paranormal/Native American

Description:

“On a lazy morning, paranormal investigators Sam Firecloud and Lacey Fitzpatrick take some rare time off and head for the beach—Huntington Beach, to be exact. What they don’t expect is to wander onto the scene of a brutal murder committed the night before. When Sam’s initial impressions are surreptitiously recorded by TV cameras at the same time that a local psychic named Anubis makes startling claims about the murder, news journalists smell a ratings bonanza—the battle of the psychics. All Sam and Lacey want to do is stop the killer from killing again, which turns out to be more complex than they’d imagined—especially with the annoying distraction of being partnered with Anubis.”

Author:

“Melissa Bowersock is an eclectic, award-winning author who writes in a variety of fiction and non-fiction genres: biography, contemporary, western, action, romance, fantasy, paranormal and spiritual. She has been both traditionally and independently published and is a regular contributor to the superblogIndies Unlimited. She has a tattoo on the inside of her left wrist that says IMAGINE. In her next life, she plans to be an astronaut. She lives in a small community in northern Arizona with her husband and an Airedale terrier. She also writes under the pen name Amber Flame.”

Learn more about Ms. Bowersock and her other books on her website or on Facebook.

Appraisal:

Navajo Medium Sam Firecloud and Lacey Fitzpatrick, an ex-LAPD homicide detective, have become quite well known as paranormal investigators. On one of their days off they head to Huntington Beach to stroll and take in the sights. Unbeknownst to them a murder is discovered in a small park area just outside of the business district. Were they drawn to Huntington Beach because of the murder or was it serendipitous? As they are rubbernecking along with the rest of the tourists they come across a local psychic named Anubis speaking to a local news reporter. Sam scoffs privately to Lacey about Anubis’s reading. He didn’t realize Marina Vasquez, another journalist they know all too well, is directly behind him recording his words to Lacy, and of course her cameraman got them all on tape. So begins the battle of the psychics.

After another murder Tobin, the Chief of Police in Huntington Beach, has no other choice than to bring in Sam with Lacey, and Anubis with his lovely assistant Falana, to enlist their talents to help solve these murders. Lacey is in her element helping the police. The murders seem random and unrelated in similarities. Execution Walk has a nice pace as the plot twists into a web of ignored humanity that turns into a standoff and bullets start flying. Tension and emotions run high for a powerful conclusion. Then the reader will get a reprieve to breathe again, and the story comes to a satisfying ending.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Execution Walk is book 29 in Melissa Bowersock’s, A Lacey Fitzpatrick and Sam Firecloud Mystery Series. There are also a few F-bombs dropped.

Format/Typo Issues:

I was a beta reader for this book and can’t comment on the finished product.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Reprise Review: Hush by S.L. Baum

 

Genre: YA/Dystopian

Description:

Hush is the continuation of the serial which began with Lush. In this installment Bluebell has a kind of coming out as the “Lush Ambassador.” She then does a tour of each of the four regions of Concord, the fictional dystopian world where the story takes place. As Bluebell visits each Concord region she learns more about the world she’s living in as well as more about things she’s not meant to find out, including her past.

Author:

A former high school math teacher, S.L. Baum now works as a substitute elementary school teacher, chauffeur for her kids, and novelist. She lives with her family in the Southwestern United States. Her The Immortal Ones series has four books, thus far. Her book Lush began a dystopian serial for young adults with Hush as the continuation.

Appraisal:

In my review of Lush, the first installment in this dystopian serial, I discussed how its world was unlike a typical dystopia. The primary difference is that the standard of living is high, lacking the squalor and poverty of a normal dystopia. But like most dystopias, life is far from ideal. In Concord, life appears good, with a healthcare system that provides a long, good life. However, with the government also making many life decisions for the people, maybe it isn’t so good after all.

As the story continues we, through Bluebell, begin to see the chinks in the armor. Maybe some of the positives about Concord are only illusion. As more information comes out about Bluebell’s mother, Bluebell is given clues to some of Concord’s faults. When I finished Lush, I was interested in seeing where this serial was headed, both because I found the world interesting and wanted to see what happened to the characters. But I didn’t feel fully invested. This installment changed that.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Hush is book 2 in the A Lush novel series.

Added for Reprise Review: Hush by S.L. Baum was a nominee in the Young Adult category for B&P 2014 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran September 8, 2013.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on a beta copy which means I’m unable to grade the final product in this area.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 45-50,000 words

Review: Slippery When Wet's Classic Fairy Tales of Murder and Mayhem by Linda Vanek

 

Genre: Fairy Tale/Humor/Satire/Short Story Collection

Description:

“Bluebeard's naive bride is only a cover for his truly brutal fetishes. Rapunzel is the unbalanced spawn of an opium-addicted mother. The Wolf is the least of Red Riding Hood's problems. Meet Sleeping Beauty's twin henchman sons. A product of incest when her own half brother comes upon her helplessly passed out in a coma and takes advantage. Discover the real price Rumpelstiltskin charges for spinning straw into gold.

If you enjoy dark humor with your incest, torture, cannibalism, dismemberment, and other medieval pastimes you've come to the right place. These are extremely gruesome adult retellings of classic fairy tales more than just fractured. These stories are deeply dark with twisted sexual encounters and the women in these fairy tales are not the tenderhearted pushovers as in modern-day fairy tales.

So come down to the dungeon, settle onto your Judas cradles and break out your heretic forks. A delectable feast for true horror fairy tale fans. This book will haunt your dreams if not give you vivid nightmares. Each story and many characters are tied together all into one dysfunctional kingdom with a viciously abusive king and many murderous, lascivious and just plain monstrously evil people. This book includes Bluebeard, Rumpelstiltskin, Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel and more. A wicked read.”

Author:

“Originally from Chicago, Linda has been writing horror and thriller short stories for years and formerly published stories in pulp fiction magazines such as Murderous Intent Magazine under a pen name. She is also a composer, rock guitarist and singer in the classic rock style band Slippery When Wet and uses the stage name Linda Vee Sado.”

Appraisal:

If you like dark and twisted, this might be right up your alley. Each of the stories in this collection takes a classic fairytale as the foundation and rewrites it, staying true to the basic story while adding some off-the-wall twists to end up with a story that you’d never want to tell the kids that the originals were aimed for. But for adults who know the real world isn’t quite like it is depicted in fairytales, you’ll hopefully laugh at these dark and demented tales. Hopefully they won’t feel too familiar to real life.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult themes.

Format/Typo Issues:

The number of proofing errors (homonym issues, missing or extra words and other typos) wasn’t enough to impact the ranking, but it went right up to the line and didn’t quite cross it. If you’re bothered by typos, beware.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 25-30,000 words

Review: Fate’s Arrows by Malcolm Campbell

Editors Note: This is the second half of a doubleshot review. Today we'll see ?wazithinkin's thoughts on this book. In case you missed it, our prior review gave Judi Moore's views on the same book.

Genre: Magical Realism/Fantasy/Folk Tales

Description:

“In 1954, the small Florida Panhandle town of Torreya had more Klansmen per acre than fire ants. Sparrow, a bag lady; Pollyanna, an auditor; and Jack, the owner of Slade’s Diner, step on fire ants and Klansmen whenever they can while an unknown archer fires fate-changing arrows at the Klan’s leadership. They are not who they appear to be, and while they take risks, they must be discrete lest they end up in the Klan’s gunsights.

When Julia and Eldon, a married couple from Harlem, New York, run afoul of the Klan because of Eldon’s pro-union stance at the sawmill, they find themselves down at the ancient hanging tree where two policemen, hiding their identity beneath white robes and hoods, are the ones holding the noose.

Meanwhile, Sparrow seems to have disappeared. When the ne’er-do-well Shelton brothers beat up the Klavern’s exalted cyclops because they think he harmed Sparrow, they, too, find themselves the focus of a KKK manhunt.

Bolstered by support from a black cat and an older-than-dirt conjure woman, Pollyanna persists in her fight against the Klan, determined to restore law and order to a town overwhelmed by corruption.”

Author:

Malcolm R. Campbell, “previously worked as an insurance company's training materials designer, a police management school's course materials developer, a mental health department unit manager, a technical writer, a grant writer, a corporate communications director, and a railway museum’s volunteer collections manager.

His fantasy novels were inspired by Glacier Park Montana where he worked as a bellman and from a tour of duty aboard an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War.

He grew up in the Florida Panhandle, a wondrous place often called “the other Florida” and “the forgotten coast,” that was the perfect environment for growing up and learning about writing and magical realism.

Campbell lives on a north Georgia farm with his wife, Lesa, and their two cats.” He dreams that one day their menagerie will include two miniature burros, and a couple of fainting goats for his wife, Lesa.

To learn more check-out Mr. Campbell’s website, or follow him on Facebook.

Appraisal:

The blurb for Fate’s Arrows says it all. The plot moves at a nice pace and the twists and turns pack lots of surprise. Tension runs high as the Klan exerts their power over the town of Torreya. The archer is an unknown entity fighting the good fight but never killing. Pollyanna is a different story, she can be deadly when pushed to her limits.

Torreya is a tangled web of corruption and Klan members. However, Rudy Flowers, the chief of police, is a good man as well as some of the business owners around town. The problem is they are outnumbered by the Klan and it doesn’t take much to get your name on the short list.

I loved the talk Willie had with Eldon. Wise words were spoken, I’m just not sure the advice hit the mark as deeply as they needed to go. Old habits are hard to break.

Eulalie is feeling her age, but does what she can to bolster Pollyanna with her fight against the Klan. And Lena is ever present to keep Eulalie and Pollyanna apprised. Lena is the best secret agent ever.

The ending I did not see coming! You think you know somebody then BAM, right out of left field it knocks you for a loop! I found Fate’s Arrows well told with several threads woven together to make it an encompassing tale of the era. It’s raw and fraught with danger. The Klan may operate differently these days, but it is still alive and well.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Fate’s Arrows is book #4 in Malcolm Campbell’s, Florida Folk Magic Stories. Brace yourself, there are a few F-bombs dropped, and racist language.

Format/Typo Issues:

A few more proofing errors than I like to see in this length of book. Mostly missing letters that change a word, extra words, or wrong words.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Review: Fate’s Arrows: 4 (Florida Folk Magic Stories) by Malcolm R Campbell

Editors Note: This is the first half of a doubleshot review. On Wednesday we'll have another review of the same book from ?wazithinkin.

Genre: Historical/Adventure

Description:

This is a story about how the Ku Klux Klan operated in Florida in the nineteen fifties, leavened with a sprinkling of southern conjure magic. Turns out the KKK aren’t very bright and it is easier to confuse them than you might think, or might be deemed wise, considering they like setting fire to things and are usually heavily armed. So, a silent approach might work best: a bow and arrows?

Author:

Malcolm R Campbell is an author who has lived in the Florida panhandle (where this novel is set) and is old enough to remember the final days of the KKK. His anger about that organisation continues to burn, and this is an angry book. Coincidentally, it has been released when we must, once again, reiterate that Black Lives Matter and that racism is a foul thing which must be resisted wherever it is encountered.

Appraisal:

I enjoyed this book a lot. It’s set in Torreya, a fictional town in the Florida panhandle, in the mid nineteen fifties. Domination by the KKK ran deep at that time in those southern places. All the same, although it put their lives in danger, there were those who resisted.

Campbell’s cast of characters include people the reader has met before in the first three books of his Florida Magic series. Favourites Eulalie, Willy Tate and the mind-speaking cat, Lena are present once again. However, Pollyanna, is the main protagonist this time and other new and interesting characters also have parts to play. It is difficult to say more without massive spoilers. Suffice it to say, Pollyanna is not simply the hard-drinking blonde she appears to be. She has as many layers as an onion, and great courage.

Pollyanna is a whizz with figures, and is untangling hardware store proprietor Lane Walker’s accounts. But why does she linger in Torreya? Jack Slade runs a diner in town. The local police and other local dignitaries frequent his tables. They are all Klansmen. Silent Sparrow comes in every day too. She’s a bag lady who collects the deposits on pop bottles to get by. The Klansmen don’t bother to keep their voices down. Nobody dare stand against them. Chief of Police Rudy Flowers is an honest man. But one honest man can’t make a lot of headway against generations of ingrained KKK activity. 

However, it turns out that the days of the Klan in Torreya are numbered. An archer starts picking off some of the KKK’s grand panjandrums. Why? Just to tease them really. To set them against each other. So that they make mistakes.

The action keeps on coming. The conversations, the come-backs and put-downs are delightful. Much damage is caused and characters one has come to care about die. Not all of them are brought back to life.

You do not need to have read Campbell’s previous three Florida Magic novels in order to get great enjoyment from this.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of proofing errors.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: Judi Moore

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Review: Where Hope is Found by Rebecca L. Marsh

 

Genre: Women’s Fiction/Drama

Description:

“One tiny moment in time can shatter your whole world.

A family beach vacation turns to tragedy and Marissa must find a way for her and her traumatized eight-year-old daughter, Maisy, to move forward and heal. But memories of what she lost surround her, threatening to take her to a dark place; a place she can never go again.

When her brother extends an invitation for her and Maisy to move in with him on Princess Island, Marissa thinks it might just be the fresh start she needs. But can she really find hope and healing on an island surrounded by the same ocean that broke her heart?”

Author:

“Rebecca L. Marsh is an author of women's fiction and member of the Paulding county writer's guild. She grew up in the mountains of western North Carolina, and now lives in Dallas, Georgia with her husband and daughter.

When she isn't writing, she enjoys spending time with her family (cats and dog included), she occasionally likes to make home-made candy and work on her scrapbooks (she is woefully behind).”

This is Ms Marsh’s third novel. For more about her visit her website or like her Facebook page.

Appraisal:

While presented as women’s fiction, a genre designation I can’t argue with, primarily because the main character is a woman, I can see this novel appealing to people of any gender. The story is about the aftermath of a family tragedy and the struggles the surviving family members (mom and daughter) do after the death of dad and another daughter. Different people deal with difficult situations differently, and this can sometimes cause misunderstanding, conflict, and stress. That should be enough hint as to what Marissa and her daughter Maisy go through in this book. Their struggles made for an intense, thought-provoking tale as I tried to figure out whether they were going to be able to get past this major life event reasonably intact, and if so, how.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

Version read for review was an ARC (advanced readers copy), so I’m unable to gauge the final version in this regard.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Review: Mr. Menace by R. Michael Burns

 Genre: Suspense/Detective Mystery/Noir

Description:

“When a mysterious woman begs detective Frank Orpheus to help her find a missing person—herself—he is intrigued on more than just a professional level. The perplexing puzzle of his client’s lost memory is the most interesting case he’s gotten in years…and the fact that she’s rich and gorgeous doesn’t hurt his enthusiasm, either. 

Despite dire warnings from his devoted and prescient secretary Cass, Frank takes the job. But even as his fascination with the mysterious Lady in Gray flares into passion, Frank finds himself drawn into a shadowy underworld populated by devilish dilettantes and notorious criminals…all of them the puppets of the cryptic crime lord known only as Mr. Menace. A man who traffics not just in drugs and booze, but—possibly—in souls.

As Frank uncovers the clues that might lead him at last to lost identity of the Lady in Gray, he learns that her world holds dangers far more diabolical and deadly than knife-wielding thugs and insidious criminal syndicates.  Frank’s obsession with his strange client could get him and the people he cares about killed— or worse. The closer Frank gets to finding the answers, the more he suspects that the truth might be too terrible to live with. Just who—and what—is this woman he’s fallen for?

 And how hard, and how far, will he finally fall?”

Author:

“R. Michael Burns is an October child and Colorado native with a background in theater, creative writing, philosophy, and other dark arts.  He has published short stories in the horror, science fiction, fantasy, and mystery genres, as well as the horror novel Windwalkers. After earning degrees in English and Philosophy, he taught for the better part of five years in Japan, both in public schools and in a private English conversation school.  During that time, he traveled extensively around southeast Asia. Three of his Japan-based fantasy tales have appeared in Heroic Fantasy Quarterly's Best Of anthologies, and his articles on the craft of fiction have been recognized by Predators and Editors and are taught in several college creative writing courses.  He currently resides in Florida where he teaches English and coaches his school's speech and debate team.”

Appraisal:

One thing I can say about this book is that it is different. In many ways I’m not sure quite what to make of it.

It starts out not unlike a typical detective novel. A private investigator, Frank Orpheus, has a potential client come to his office with a need that is outside the realm of his typical cases, things like finding out if a spouse is cheating or someone is attempting to defraud their insurance company. In this case his new client wants him to figure out who she is, because she’s lost all memories. It’s like she woke up on the street with no idea of who she was or where she lived. Her clothes indicate she’s well-to-do and the pocketful of large bills she has to pay him indicate she’s not just a mentally ill homeless person, but the vibe he’s getting is strange. His secretary tries to convince him to not take the case, but he’s curious and, if we’re going to be totally honest, that he finds her attractive figures into his decision to take this on.

When this story is taking place isn’t obvious. Going in I assumed it was contemporary, but various anachronisms that popped up (things like landline phones and phone booths, taking pictures using film, or not using modern technology of any kind at any point where they’d obviously be used today) told me it was sometime in the distant (but not ancient) past, Sometime in at least the 70s or 80s, but conceivably decades earlier.

As the story goes on it gets stranger and stranger. Frank finds some of the answers he’s looking for, but what to do with that knowledge and figuring out how to get his client back to who she was mentally proves not so easy. As the story goes on it becomes darker and darker, and goes from what I’d consider a hardboiled or noir detective story into what might be termed supernatural and almost surely into the realm of horror. How everything resolves, and where our main characters, Frank, his secretary Cass, and our mysterious client, end up by the end is nowhere near what I’d have guessed as one strange twist after another led us down many different roads and extremely dark alleys to a strange finale.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some mild violence and adult content.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on an ARC (advanced readers copy) and I can’t judge the final product based on this.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Reprise Review: Awakening by Christy Dorrity

 

Genre: Urban Fantasy/YA/Coming of Age/World Mythology

Description:

“A little magic has always run in sixteen-year-old McKayla McCleery's family—at least that’s what she’s been told. McKayla’s eccentric Aunt Avril travels the world as a clairvoyant for the FBI, and her mother can make amazing delicacies out of the most basic of ingredients. But McKayla doesn't think for a second that the magic is real—it’s just good storytelling. Besides, McKayla doesn’t need magic. She recently moved to beautiful Star Valley, Wyoming, and already she has an amazing best friend, a solo in her upcoming ballet recital, and the gorgeous guy in her physics class keeps looking her way.

When an unexpected fascination with Irish dance leads McKayla to seek instruction from the mute, crippled, janitor at her high school, she learns that her family is not the only one with unexplained abilities.

After Aunt Avril comes to Star Valley in pursuit of a supernatural killer, people begin disappearing, and the lives of those McKayla holds most dear are threatened. When the janitor reveals that an ancient curse, known as a geis, has awakened powers that defy explanation, McKayla is forced to come to terms with what is real and what is fantasy.”

Author:

“Christy Dorrity lives in the mountains with her husband, five children, and a cocker spaniel. She grew up on a trout ranch in Star Valley, Wyoming and is the author of The Geis series for young adults and The Book Blogger's Cookbooks. Christy is a champion Irish dancer and when she's not reading or writing, she's probably trying out a new recipe in the kitchen.”

Learn more about Ms. Dorrity and her books on her website and check out her Facebook page.

Appraisal:

This book exceeded my expectations. This is not just another coming of age story. Ms. Dorrity has woven Celtic myth into this whole family's history with an ancient curse they never had a clue about. The author's passion for Irish dance shines through in the emotion of her words. I was totally swept away into the dance, the history, and the characters of this book.

The story is mainly told through McKayla's eyes interspersed with third person, the transitions are smooth and well placed. The story threads were woven together with thoughtful consideration to the overall plot. The stories are heart wrenching and fascinating. I was blown away when I learned this was Ms. Dorrity's debut novel. I thought the story started off strong but I found myself a little overwhelmed with all the details and was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep up. It turned out I didn't have the problem I anticipated thanks to Ms. Dorrity's adept writing style. At about a third of the way in the story takes off and I had trouble putting the book down to sleep. The story comes to a satisfying ending with a nice twist to draw you into the next book. This is going to be an enchanting series.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Added for Reprise Review: Awakening by Christy Dorrity was a nominee in the Fantasy category for B&P 2014 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran February 15, 2014.

Format/Typo Issues:

I found no significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Review: Tokyo Traffic by Michael Pronko

 

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Description:

“Running from a life she didn't choose, in a city she doesn't know  Sukanya, a young Thai girl, loses herself in the vastness of Tokyo. With her Bangkok street smarts, and some stolen money, she stays ahead of her former captors who will do anything to recover the computer she took. After befriending Chiho, a Japanese girl living in an internet café, Sukanya makes plans to rid herself of her pursuers, and her past, forever.

In Tokyo, street smarts aren't always enough

Meanwhile, Detective Hiroshi Shimizu leaves the safe confines of his office to investigate a porn studio where a brutal triple murder took place. The studio's accounts point him in multiple directions at once. Together with ex-sumo wrestler Sakaguchi and old-school Takamatsu, Hiroshi tracks the killers through Tokyo's music clubs and teen hangouts, bayside docks and byways, straight into the underbelly of the global economy.

As bodies wash up from Tokyo Bay, Hiroshi tries to find the Thai girl at the center of it all, whose name he doesn't even know. He uncovers a human trafficking ring and cryptocurrency scammers whose connections extend to the highest levels of Tokyo's power elite.”

Author:

Michael Pronko is a Tokyo-based writer and a professor of American Literature at a university there.

Appraisal:

This was an interesting read. While it has the elements you’d want and expect to find in a crime thriller such as this, for me and probably many of those who will see this review the books like this you typically read are normally happening in the US, sometimes the UK or possibly Canada. While there are some differences in these places, the cultural differences between them and Japan, where Tokyo Traffic takes place, is significant. Those differences and how they are reflected in the story as well as how Detective Hiroshi Shimizu approaches getting to the bottom of the case made for a change of pace from your typical crime thriller. The story kept me engrossed, wondering how it was all going to shake out and worried about a few characters who were in danger throughout.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Adult subjects implied throughout, but never very explicit.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Reprise Review: School of Shadows by C.W. Schutter

 

Genre: Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy

Description:

“At Shadow Academy, every romance is a paranormal romance. But what happens when you fall in love with someone whose destiny is to kill you? For a girl named Destiny, an invisible dork everyone ignored, a dangerous paranormal romance is a creepy, but exciting dilemma. The first day at school she is plunged into a world of magic and meets Liam, a super-hunk sorcerer who jumps out of a limo and into her heart. Way easier to meet the man in the moon then getting someone like Liam to notice her.

Then why does he suddenly start paying attention to her?

Although Destiny has long-forgotten her imaginary playmate, Liam is haunted by the supernatural romance they shared as children. But Liam has a deadly secret.

Only Destiny can free powerful, imprisoned archangels who intend to raise a Nephilim army to seize control of the world. Tormented by opposing forces of good and evil warring inside, Liam knows he must obey the fallen angels and turn the girl he loves to the dark side or kill her. To stay together, the lovers must trick or defeat a terrifying worldwide network of evil spirits and demons.”

Author:

Originally from Hawaii, C.W. Schutter says she “grew up listening to fascinating stories of her family and the people around them from her mother.” Books have always been her passion and at the age of eight she wrote in a notebook, "I want to grow up to be an author." Ms. Schutter is a screenwriter as well as an author. She now lives in the mountains of Colorado.

You can follow Ms. Schutter on Facebook.

Appraisal:

Destiny is charming, full of spunk and sass. It is not hard to like her from the very beginning. She is smart, down-to-earth, easy-going and completely out of her element at this new school. She is immediately drawn to Liam and soon learns that this is no ordinary school. The small group that she is placed in are far more special than the rest of the students though, they are an elite group with special skills that need refining as they each come into their own.

This is a complicated story with a lot of theology and mythology woven into the plot that is set on a contemporary earth that gives it a very real feeling. The characters are well developed, the dialogue and the interactions between the students on a human level is palatable. The demonology and history of angels in this story as it relates to the students is unnerving, I am sure there are truths woven in here. The author has done a good amount of research to make her story seem possible.

I was intrigued by the possibilities and a bit scared for their future as well as our own. The plot is well paced and the implications in the story-line are huge. This story is not finished, there is room for more. Unless the author is leaving the end for us to finish on our own, choosing what we are most comfortable believing.  That is an interesting thought that I hadn't realized until now. Hmmmm...

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Added for Reprise Review: School of Shadows by C.W. Schutter was a nominee in the Paranormal Romance category for B&P 2014 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran December 5, 2013.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant editing errors.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words