Review: Ain't That a Kick in the Head by Nigel Bird

 

Genre: Crime Fiction/Police Procedural

Description:

“This year, the fireworks will be red hot…

Skates Farrington is a changed man. Gone are the smart suits, the dull meetings and the extra pounds. Nowadays, he gets his thrills at the skate park and from whatever substances his dealers send his way. The only thing missing from his life is his ex-wife. She’s shacked up with a respectable partner in an isolated farm and striving to create the perfect life. Skates is convinced that she will come back to him when she sees his new self, but when attempts to win her heart all over again are thrown back in his face, he decides a little gentle persuasion is in order. Now he can include murder and abduction among his new-found skills.

DI Oliver Wilson, leading the investigation, has more than a few things on his mind. The case and imminent arrival of his third child should be at the forefront of his thoughts, but the arrival of a sequence of unusual gifts is making him nervous. The packages are sending him a message, he just can’t work out what they’re trying to say.”

Author:

Nigel Bird is a Scottish school teacher as well as a writer of fiction. He has several novels available and has had his work appear in numerous magazines.

Appraisal:

As I was pondering this book something occurred to me that I don’t remember considering before. Specifically, the different things that a story may or may not have and how those different approaches keep a reader engaged in the story. In this case I was thinking specifically about the difference between a mystery or a lot of stories that, like this one, have some main characters who are police detectives trying to solve a crime and how those compare to stories where the reader knows who committed the crime early in the story. Here we know who committed the crimes in question when they happen or even before (the book description spills the beans).

What keeps the reader engaged isn’t figuring out who did it, but wondering whether those who don’t have those answers are going to figure it out and stop the criminal before he does more. That threat of more crime keeps the reader engaged. That’s what happened to me here. What Skates was going to do, just how far he’d go, and what damage he was going to cause was never clear. The answer to that question kept me wondering and engaged in the story.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Although this is book #3 in a series it can be read as a standalone.

Format/Typo Issues:

This review is based on an ARC (advance reader copy), so I can’t gauge the final product in this area.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words

Review: Chad Stinson Goes for a Walk by Shawn Inmon

 

Genre: Short Story

Description:

“Chad Stinson is fat. When a series of unflattering pictures at his 49th birthday party burn that fact into his brain, he decides to do something about it. Turning to Amazon, he orders an Azuul ExerTracker, hoping to find the discipline he lacks. He finds it. His life will never be the same. Chad Stinson Goes for a Walk is a short, macabre tale of obsession and possession, perfect for a quick lunchtime read.”

Author:

A native of Washington, Shawn Inmon is a former DJ, Real Estate Agent, turned prolific full-time author.

Appraisal:

If you’ve joined the crowd of people who count your steps with one of the “fitness trackers” available today or know anyone who owns one, this story will strike home. (I felt like the protagonist was a kindred spirit, at least at first.) It’s a fun story of inspiration and motivation gone awry.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 7-8,000 words

Review: The Atherton Vampire by Lynne Cantwell

 Genre: Vampire fantasy

Description:

“For a hundred years, Jerome Atherton has roamed the world in a fruitless search for a cure for his vampirism. Now he has returned to the family home – a crumbling mansion that sits, brooding, on a bluff above the river town that bears his family’s name – and his faithful manservant, a gargoyle named Kamen. Jerry falls for a TV news anchor named Lauren Whitacre, but when Lauren discovers his secret, he must flee again. But not for long. Not for nearly long enough.

Upon his return, another TV news personality intrigues him: reporter Callie Dailey. But Jerry Atherton is not the first vampire Callie has run into and she is not interested in complicating her life with another. Yet Jerry needs Callie’s help to find out why an out-of-town developer is so interested in his family's old shipyard. Will he have to use his vampiric powers of persuasion on Callie? If he does, he may lose her forever…”

Author:

Lynne Cantwell’s biography tells us she has been writing fiction since the second grade, when the kid who sat in front of her showed her a book he had written, and she thought, "I could do that." The result was "Susie and the Talking Doll," a picture book illustrated by the author about a girl who owned a doll that not only could talk, but could carry on conversations. The book had dialogue but no paragraph breaks.

Today, after a twenty-year career in broadcast journalism and a master's degree in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins University (or perhaps despite the master's degree), Lynne is still writing fantasy. She is also a contributing author at Indies Unlimited.

 Appraisal:

Nosferatu (the movie) scared the bejazus out of me at an early age. Imprinted on my hind brain forever is the image of the ghoulish shadow thrown onto the wall of the staircase as the creature creeps upwards, towards the bedroom of his beloved victim. Thereafter I came to terms with vampires as scary but comedic entertainment through dear Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She sure got through ‘em, with her trusty stake and sharp one-liners. I mention all this to show that I can go either way with vampires.

There is romance in the novel, and the story isn’t really dark, so I have been pondering what genre this occupies. You can judge the result of my deliberations for yourself if you give the book a whirl.

This vampire tale kept me on the edge of my seat whenever the vampire was on stage as I examined every utterance for a careless invitation to step inside, and occasionally shouted at the Kindle in my hand ‘don’t look into his eyes!’. So tension is kept high.

There is, however, rather little staking – without which the vampire genre inevitably feels a little thin. Reasoning with a vampire, with any expectation of not ending up with a sore neck and an aversion to daylight, seems to this reader to be a fool’s game. It’s all about the catching and the biting, with vampires, isn’t it? Cantwell does, however, give something of the story of the vampire in history and its transmogrification into a fiction staple. This she does through one of her engaging narrators, Callie Dailey – a local TV news anchor, very much in the Tess Showalter mould (see the Magic series). She has the Cantwellian, spunky heroine  ‘come on, what’s the worst that can happen?’ approach to danger, and Gretchen the video operator follows gamely at her heels.

The second narrator is, however, more fun even than the ever-inquisitive reporter and her sidekick. Kamen functions under a glamour laid upon him by his master. He is the magical factotum of Jerome, the Atherton vampire, and through Kamen’s glum narrative we are given a quite different slant on events. Kamen is rather like Marvin the Paranoid Android from Hitchhiker’s Guide, but with wings. And better at catching rats at need. Kamen has a favourite line: “if a creature of stone could feel [insert emotion], then I would feel it now.” For dogged goodness, which he constantly downplays, Kamen is without doubt the most appealing character in the novel. He considers himself dull. But he is not. The vampire gets a sense of civic duty (although I still don’t trust him), the reporter gets a boyfriend, but Kamen gets a soul. Nice.

As ever, it is the cast of characters which invigorate this new novel of Cantwell’s. She gives each one breadth, depth and life (even the dead ones …). The pages turn briskly.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

An accomplished and well-edited work of fiction. No infelicities to report.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: Judi Moore

Approximate word count: 40-45,000 words

Reprise Review: Cargo by D.V. Berkom

Genre: Thriller

Description:

“Haunted by memories of an op gone bad, former assassin Leine Basso travels to Bangkok in search of a missing backpacker. With help from an old contact, she discovers the man responsible for the girl’s disappearance is connected to a violent Hong Kong triad and is the linchpin of an extensive trafficking network—both animal and human.

Making enemies isn’t new for Leine, but making one in the triad is—she soon finds herself a prisoner on board a cargo ship headed for sub-Saharan Africa. To ensure her survival and to continue her hunt for the missing girl, she must join forces with Derek, an ivory poacher who promises to help her.”

Author:

“DV Berkom is the award-winning author of two action-packed thriller series featuring strong female leads (Leine Basso and Kate Jones). Her love of creating resilient, kick-ass women characters stems from a lifelong addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing to find the female equivalent within those pages.

Raised in the Midwest, she earned a BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Several years and a multitude of adventures later, she wrote her first novel and was hooked.”

For more, visit her website.

Appraisal:

Cargo is the fourth book featuring Leine Basso. The short review: this book is like the others, intense.

Leine has a talent for getting into tight situations that will have you on the edge of your seat, wondering how, or even if, she'll manage to accomplish whatever she set out to do. How is she going to manage to get out of whatever dangerous situation she's stumbled into? As in some of Leine's past adventures, in Cargo she finds herself dealing with human trafficking and having to find her way in foreign environments in what I thought was her most intense case so far.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Original review posted August 24, 2016.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Review: Change of Heart by James M. Clifton

 Genre: Crime Fiction

Description:

“To what lengths would you go to ensure that your family can afford a good life? Would you commit a crime? Would you trade your life for their future? These are not academic questions for John Cooper. After losing his business and reaching the brink of bankruptcy, he decides that he’s worth more dead than alive and attempts suicide so that his pregnant wife will have the insurance money.

Two thousand miles away, another man contemplates a different question. He’s dying and needs a heart transplant. And he needs it soon. Where can he get the new heart that he so desperately needs?

What connects these two men is an extremely rare blood type, a type that only one-in-a-million share. John Cooper has the heart that Jimmie Regan needs. And, as one of the biggest drug lords in the world, Jimmie Regan has what John Cooper needs—lots of money.

At first, they come to an amicable arrangement, one where both get exactly what they want. But everything changes when John holds his newborn daughter for the first time. Unfortunately for John Cooper, Jimmie Regan is not the kind of man that accepts disappointment. What follows is a desperate chase across southern Mexico, a betrayal of a husband by his greedy wife, and an alliance of unlikely conspirators including Carlos and Lena Ramirez, the son and daughter of the man that Jimmie Regan murdered in order to seize his criminal empire.”

Author:

“Dr. James Clifton is retired from the U.S. military and also retired from a career as an engineer. He currently spends his time fishing the lakes of Northern Alabama, golfing, hiking, and, when he has time, writing stories.”

Appraisal:

While classified as crime fiction Change of Heart has other things going for it than the typical crime fiction. The protagonist, John, isn’t the typical criminal protagonist. His goals and motivations which evolve as the story continues were something I had no problem understanding and it was easy for me to pull for him throughout the story. The various surprises and unexpected twists in this tale kept me engaged and pulling for things to workout for John.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

“Change of Heart is volume one of the Legacy of Loyalty trilogy. Volume two, Penance, is the story of Carlos’s desperate plan to ease his stricken conscience in the aftermath of the death and destruction caused during the struggle with Jimmie Regan. Volume three, Loyalty, is the story of Lena’s battle to secure the long-term safety and the future of her extended family.”

Format/Typo Issues:

A few minor errors, but not a significant amount.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 95-100,000 words

Review: The Lip Reader by Michael Thal

 

Genre: Literary Fiction

Description:

“It’s not what you get in life, it’s what you give back that truly defines you.”

Set in Iran during the 1960s and 1970s, and later in Los Angeles, California, Zhila Shirazi tells her story firsthand. She reveals the real-life struggle of being a deaf woman who refuses to allow adversity to stop her from reaching her dreams of living a normal and fulfilling life.

In 1985, disgusted with the treatment of Jews by the new Islamic government, Zhila immigrates to the United States in pursuit of better circumstances and a chance to receive a cochlear implant to improve her hearing. However, it isn’t until she is forty-nine, when she meets her soulmate, Mickey Daniels, that she begins to feel her life truly complete.

A decade later, after they have fallen deeply in love, Zhila learns that she is suffering from an aggressive form of cancer. In the months that follow, Mickey becomes Zhila’s primary caretaker, and the two grow ever closer as they fight the disease together.

Right up to the end, Zhila shows her caring nature, innate intelligence, and will power to overcome almost any challenge. Her courage and the beauty of her memory is certain to inspire all who venture to follow her on their quest for a truly meaningful life.”

Author:

A refugee from the cold Northeastern US, Michael Thal moved to Southern California more than fifty years ago where he taught elementary and middle school for almost thirty years. Then a “freak virus” left him deaf and he reinvented himself as a writer, with numerous published articles and multiple novels that seems to be working out. Thal even did a stint as a Pal, reviewing books at Books and Pals.

For more, visit Michael’s website.

Appraisal:

Although fiction, as author Michael Thal makes clear in the preface, this story is largely true. Names have been changed and I’m sure he had to take some liberties, taking guesses or coming up with a feasible way to piece things together at times, but for the most part this is the story of the author’s wife’s life. It’s real. That realness comes through in a good way. That a lot of the story happens in a country and culture that I have no experience with added to the reading pleasure for me as I developed a slightly better understanding of life in Iran during a particular period. Getting a feel for what it is like to adapt to living in America for someone coming from another country and vastly different culture was also interesting. Last, having had a best friend who was deaf I appreciated the insights into what it is like dealing with struggle that the story provided. Definitely a book I’d recommend.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 55-60,000 words

Review: Perilous Gambit by Kevin Chapman

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Description:

“A murder can sure put a damper on a wedding party.

An unexpectedly hurried marriage in Las Vegas was not what Jason and Rachel planned, but circumstances made it their best option. At least Rachel would have her brother, Jackie, there for the happy occasion. Jason had to find out eventually that Jackie is a drag performer. That surprise turns out to be the least of Rachel’s worries.

When the star of the drag show is murdered and Jackie is accused of the crime, Jason and his partner, Mike Stoneman, find themselves out of their jurisdiction and all-in on a complex case that stretches from Nevada to New York to South Dakota and back again. When somebody tries to kill Jackie, being arrested and having to miss the show take a backseat to staying alive.

All this excitement could scuttle the wedding – and could get them all killed – unless Mike and Jason figure a way to take the heat off of Jackie and convince the killers they’ve made a terrible mistake. But they are not taking no for an answer, and Mike has to risk everything on a gamble that could save the day – or end in tragedy.”

Author:

A lawyer specializing in labor and employment law by day, Kevin Chapman describes his real passions as playing tournament poker, rooting for the New York Mets, and writing fiction. For more, visit Mr Chapman’s website.

Appraisal:

In a lot of ways this is a typical detective mystery with all the things you’d expect to find in such a story. But this book goes a step further. Almost from the beginning we know who is responsible for the murder that attracts the interest of our vacationing detectives, Mike Stoneman and his partner, Jason, whose primary reason for being in Las Vegas is to get married. We even know why and the reason turns up the heat for the characters the reader will (or at least should) see as the good guys, which draws us in deeper. Multiple tangled story threads that with events unfolding in ways I sure didn’t see coming did the trick to keep me reading. Basically, what you should expect from a mystery, but with plenty of unique twists.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Although this is the 5^th book in the Mike Stoneman thriller series the books stand alone well enough that not having read the prior books shouldn’t be an issue with reading this one.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on an ARC (advanced reader copy) and I’m not in a position to judge the final product in this area.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words

Reprise Review: Battle Rattle by Brandon Davis

 Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Description:

“For Derrick 'Vez' Vezcheck, dwell time – the period at home between deployments – is a different kind of battle. Swap enemies for civilian expectations and you get a sense of what Vez is up against: a patient and loving wife who’ll stick by him no matter what, a young daughter who’s a little too OK with seeing dad every six months, and a community that’s quick to thank him for his service, even if he himself has long forgotten what he’s fighting for.”

Author:

A veteran who fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom, originally from West Virginia, Brandon Davis Jennings now lives in South Bend, Indiana with his family. For more, visit his website.

Appraisal:

Battle Rattle is a story that explores the cost of war off the battle field. Even if we've never been, the price paid by soldiers who do battle in injuries and lives is obvious. But what about the difficulties in making the transition back and forth from war zone to home? The price the soldiers pay as well as those around them and the struggles to work through for all concerned is explored in this short novel. If you're looking for a breezy read to escape the world for a few hours, this isn't the book for you, but if you're willing to bite off something more weighty and intense, this is a great choice.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Original review posted August 10, 2016

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 25-30,000 words

Review: Bibliomancer by Frances Evelyn

Genre: Speculative fiction

Description:

The book is set in Oakham, principal town of Rutland (the smallest county), about 20 miles from Leicester, in the Midlands in Britain. It begins with a sensitively handled death, and consequent grief. Thereafter it settles on Emily’s volunteer work, reading to patients at a local hospice, and her best friend Lauren’s struggle with baby blues and losing her mum, who was also a sort-of mum to Emily. We watch the two young women gradually rally. When they do, they find their lives have quite changed. Of course. A threshold has been crossed. They are women now in a way neither was before. Thereafter other thresholds are crossed, experimentally and then more boldly. The book gets darker. The two women get more self-reliant. But is the darkness unstoppable now?

Author: 

Frances Evelyn is a British author living now in Rutland. She spent 20 rewarding years as an English teacher, then several interesting years in management. 

In her ‘The Changeling Tree’ series (currently four books), Evelyn combines tangled time-lines, family saga, and Faerie. There is also what I believe is a novella called Sarah Ward and the Lyddington Djinn. Bibliomancer is a standalone book, and her most recent. 

Appraisal: 

This is a clever book. The tagline to the title is “time to choose your last book”. For people who love to read (and we are those people, right?) that is chilling. This is also a book which celebrates the power of books and reading. In this book – OK, I’m actually going to use these words in the same sentence – ‘contemporary British fantasy’ is going to appeal to the same people who enjoy Jane Austen and George Eliot. And no, this is not some sort of zombie mashup. So, what is going on?

The premise is new to me. A fresh plot does not, frankly, come along very often. Half a dozen a year, if that. This is one of those half dozen. So I am going to tread very carefully, so as not to drop any spoilers.

It conceals its freshness under a Red Riding Hood opening which skips along like women’s fiction, giving no hint of the wolf to come. Then it has a short flirtation with police procedural. Thereafter, the wolf lifts its lip to show its teeth and the story hurls itself towards a most satisfying climax in a quite unlooked-for direction.

The blurb on Kindle calls this book ‘contemporary British fantasy’, I’ve deemed it speculative fiction above. It could also quite legitimately strut its stuff as science fiction. Suffice it to say that there is plenty of weirdness, which is thought-provoking. If you enjoy being provoked in that way, I believe you will enjoy this book.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

There are a few typos and some odd stylistic decisions which occasionally disturb the reader.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: Judi Moore

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words

Reprise Review: The Second-Best Ranger in Texas by Kathleen Rice Adams

 

Genre: Western/Romance/Historical/Short Story

Description:

“His partner’s grisly death destroyed Texas Ranger Quinn Barclay. Cashiered for drunkenness and refusal to follow orders, he sets out to fulfill his partner’s dying request, armed only with a saloon girl’s name.

Sister María Tomás thought she wanted to become a nun, but five years as a postulant have convinced her childhood dreams aren’t always meant to be. At last ready to relinquish the temporary vows she never should have made, she begs the only man she trusts to collect her from a mission in the middle of nowhere.

When the ex-Ranger’s quest collides with the ex-nun’s plea in a burned-out border town, unexpected love blooms among shared memories of the dead man who was a brother to them both.

Too bad he was also the only man who could have warned them about the carnage to come.”

Author:

Kathleen Rice Adams: “Descended from a long line of Texas ranchers, preachers, and teachers on one side and Kentucky horse thieves and moonshiners on the other, award-winning author Kathleen Rice Adams had no choice but to become an outlaw. Maybe that's why in her stories, even the good guys wear black hats.

For the past thirty years, she's stayed two steps ahead of a lynch mob as an award-winning journalist. She also has ghost-written or edited several nonfiction books.

A Texan to the bone, when Kathleen's not being a nuisance she bows to the whims of the Hole in the Web Gang -- a herd of tiny but enthusiastic outlaws with four legs.”

For more please visit Ms. Adams’ website.

Appraisal:

I enjoy a little cowboy action occasionally. The Second-Best Ranger in Texas filled the bill nicely. The characters are well developed and realistic. Quinn is trying to deal with his best friend’s death through whisky. After losing his position as a Texas Ranger, Quinn is now on a mission to carry out the promise to his dying friend. The message is cryptic; all he has is the first name of a woman and the name of the town to find her.

Upon arriving in San Miguel all Quinn finds is a burned up town with only two buildings remaining: the saloon, thank God, and a mission at the edge of town. The mission houses a few nuns, orphans, and injured survivors. Quinn figures if Dulce had ever been in San Miguel it is likely she disappeared with everyone else when the town burned to the ground.

The story unfolds at a nice pace as Quinn does all he can to assist the nuns by burying their dead and helping them relocate to another mission. Ms. Adams does an excellent job capturing the flavor of the town and the essence of her characters with her excellent prose. The characters practically walk off the page and into your heart. This includes Quinn’s horse, Bulls-eye. I can highly recommend this novelette for a quick pick-me-up read.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

The Second-Best Ranger in Texas was the winner of the 2015 Western Fictioneers Peacemaker best short fiction award.

Original review posted August 31, 2016.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 9-10,000 words

Review: The Double Monetary Hourglass by Lou Vachon

 

Genre: Self-Help, Finance

Description:

“Do you find yourself worrying about what you’re going to do once you get out of college?

Even if you do manage to get a good job, how do you plan on paying off your student loans? And what about buying a house, getting a reliable car, and starting a family?

Entering the world of ‘adulthood’ certainly comes with a lot of extra requirements, most of which demand sizable financial investment, but it doesn’t have to be a big scary ordeal. In fact, pursuing all of these goals can even become the most liberating and freeing feeling of your life.

70% of college graduates enter the workforce with over $30,000 in debt. But this doesn't have to be you -- you don't have to become part of yet another statistic.

Proper money management is the byproduct of a mindset shift. Your relationship with money is the foundation of your financial success, and with the right tools, techniques, and practices, you can achieve the monetary abundance you’ve always dreamt of.”

Author:

Lou Vachon is a real estate entrepreneur and financial advisor. He teaches courses through some online educational platforms such as Udemy and Teachable on subjects related to real estate investment and finance. This is his sixth book.

Appraisal:

The subtitle of this book, “11 strategies for finding balance in money management for students, and eliminating student loan debt quickly during or after college for beginners,” means that I’m definitely not the target reader, missing by several decades. However, it also means that from my own experiences and observations I might be in a better place than the target reader to gauge the book’s potential usefulness for those the book is aimed at.

My take is that many of the ideas presented are excellent. The ideas proposed to figure out your finances, both where you stand and a budget, were good. How to approach goal setting and prioritization of those financial goals were also very good. He had some good ideas on how a person could identify and monetize their talents and various ways to build their income, in some cases establishing a passive income that once put in place wouldn’t be a time drain, but would continue to provide income.

However, there are places where I think he overstates things, for example I think he overestimates the financial benefit of a blog although I’ll concede that the specific niche the blog falls in will make a big difference. His attitude that comes through is that a person should care more about becoming as rich as possible, focusing all of their time on doing those things that maximize their odds of doing well financially, but doesn’t set you up for a very well balanced life. (Choosing or discarding friends based on how that help or hinder you finances even makes an appearance along with the thought that any decision should be based only on how and whether it benefits you. Other people don’t seem to matter in his mind.) Another example where I think he overstated things was implying that a person who started doing the things he proposed would see a significant improvement in their financial standing in a month. He’s delusional if he really believes that.

I also found myself in some cases unclear as to the point he was trying to make. For example, in the section on goals, specifically what are called SMART goals he was discussing that they should be specific. He then gave an example of getting a car as a goal that wouldn’t be specific enough, suggesting that a specific make and model would be a better goal. Then shortly after he lists “buying a house” as another potential goal and saw that as specific enough. I guess the difference in a falling down shack in the slums and a nice three bedroom in a ritzy suburb is about the same whereas the difference between a Ford and BMW is of major significance.

As I said in the beginning, some of the advice here is good. But there is enough that is questionable that I won’t be buying a copy for my 20 or 30 something friends and family or advising them to check it out.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant formatting issues although the number of instances of grammar issues or the use of a wrong word that I found were more than I like to see, but not quite enough to decrease the rating.

Rating: *** Three Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 25-30,000 words

Review: Things Happen by Christopher Acker

 

Genre: Short Story Collection/Literary Fiction

Description:

“In these four stories, things happen.

A mother loses her son to a magic trick gone horribly wrong. Now a Google Maps car is trying to erase the last tangible memory she has of him.

Michelle lands her first big role in Hollywood as a prostitute in a Sam Cooke biopic. But her chance at stardom is jeopardized when riots break out after an innocent black man is murdered by the LAPD.

Everyone in St. Louis knows about the Salazar House of Horrors where a teenage girl was tortured and imprisoned. The prosecution asks Brandon—a model railroad enthusiast—to make a miniature replica of the infamous dungeon. The goal is to persuade the jury to put the monster behind bars forever. But constructing such degradation at 1/12th scale with his wife and two daughters lingering over his shoulder pushes Brandon and his family beyond their limit.

Disgraced journalist Alexander Reynolds is knee-deep in depression. Just about the only thing he can muster these days is slithering to his couch to watch The Maury Povich Show. In a sudden stroke of genius, a path out of his humiliation falls into his lap: he will fake his way to being a guest on Maury. There’s only one problem. He’ll need to convince his wife—the Oscar-winning filmmaker—to play a co-starring role.

The characters here are bruised, battered, and just plain exhausted. They’re like us. And like us, not everything works out for them. It’s this humanity that’s at the heart of this unforgettable collection.

Things Happen offers a poignant yet highly entertaining portrayal of people desperately looking for answers in a time when truth and facts are more elusive than ever. The themes of infidelity, unresolved grief, identity, redemption, and racial injustice are woven throughout, lending these short stories a degree of resonance every reader can connect with. And to keep things interesting, a celebrity or two might even make an appearance.

Above all else, Things Happen reflects what’s going on in this country right now:

A whole lot of something.”

Author:

A clinical social worker based in Bridgewater, NJ, Christopher Acker has had his fiction published in several publications. This is his first book.

Appraisal:

With four stories and pushing 80,000 words total each of the stories in this book are long enough to be considered novellas. At that length the author fully develops the characters and the plot. Each of them felt like much more than a short story, but also didn’t have the chance to drag, each one keeping my interest the entire way.

The stories were all great with a plot that was entertaining and thought provoking. Each tale made points, if the reader is open to them, while not over doing it. The characters were well developed and credible. I was especially amazed that an author from New Jersey got things so right in so many subtle ways for a character who grew up in Utah (living in Los Angeles during the story).

If it isn’t obvious yet, I highly recommend this book.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on an ARC (advance reader copy) and I can’t judge the final product in this area.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Reprise Review: Postcards from Mr. Pish: South and West Edition by K.S. Brooks

 Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Description:

“The adventurous Jack Russell Terrier, Mr. Pish, is back - this time to guide readers through portions of the southern and western United States in Postcards from Mr. Pish Volume 4. Each postcard Mr. Pish sends is filled with engaging text and full-color photographs designed to inspire both young and old to read, explore, and learn. As with all his books, history, geography, and more become inviting and fun - because of the charismatic traveling terrier!”

Author:

K.S. Brooks has written numerous books in multiple genres including romantic suspense, satire, and educationally oriented children’s books. She is administrator of Indies Unlimited (a multi-author blog “celebrating independent authors”), where you can often catch her pontificating on matters of interest to both readers and authors. For more, visit Brooks’ website.

Appraisal:

Mr. Pish’s child-like enthusiasm is bound to capture any child’s imagination in this wonderful, educational series. What great fun it is to follow this bouncy terrier on his adventures as he teaches readers important and lesser-known facts about the places he visits. This book starts off in Georgia then heads west through Alabama, Mississippi, and north into Tennessee. As he heads into Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, he visits state parks and wildlife refuges while traveling on historic Route 66. There are fabulous pictures of rock formations and national parks through Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Idaho. Finally, he winds up back home in the state of Washington.

Each page has several color pictures taken by Mr. Pish’s mom, K.S. Brooks. I should offer a warning that Mr. Pish’s joyful narration of his adventures will likely infect any reader with a travel bug.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Postcards from Mr. Pish: South and West Edition is the fourth book in the Postcards from Mr. Pish Series, and the fifth book in the Mr. Pish Educational Series. Best viewed on a color e-reader.

Original review posted August 26, 2016.

Format/Typo Issues:

None.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithnkin

Approximate word count: 26 pages

Reprise Review: Havoc Rising by Brian S. Leon

 

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Mythology/Contemporary

Description:

“Steve—Diomedes Tydides to his Trojan War buddies—just had a bad day on his charter fishing boat in San Diego, but when the goddess Athena calls on her faithful warrior for another secret mission, he’s ready. The bomb that exploded inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art isn’t the crime American authorities’ think it is. Someone also stole the Cup of Jamshid, and Diomedes knows its fortune-telling abilities won’t be used for anything benign.

Though Diomedes recovers the Cup from a determined shaman holed up beneath Central Park, when he finds his allies slain and the Cup taken once more, he knows he’s up against a truly powerful enemy. Over a millennium has passed since Diomedes last contended with Medea of Colchis, deranged wife of Jason the Argonaut, but neither her madness nor her devotion to Hecate, goddess of witchcraft, has waned, and she intends to use the Cup of Jamshid to release across the world a dark brand of chaos unseen in human history.

Immortal since the Trojan War, Diomedes must once again fight for mortals he understands less and less, against a divine evil he may never truly defeat.”

Author:

“Brian S. Leon is truly a jack of all trades and a master of none. He writes just to do something with all the useless degrees and skills he’s accumulated over the years. Most of them have no practical application in civilized society, anyway. His interests include mythology and fishing, in pursuit of which he has explored jungles and museums, oceans and seas all over the world.

His credentials include an undergraduate degree from the University of Miami and a master’s degree from San Diego State University, plus extensive postgraduate work in evolutionary biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he studied animals most people aren’t even aware exist and theories no one really cares about anyway… Brian currently resides in San Diego, California.”

Learn more at Brian's website.

Appraisal:

Havoc Rising isn’t the type of Urban Fantasy I generally enjoy reading. The Mythology, Gods, and Goddesses sucked me in. Diomedes Tydides is a Guardian, who was recruited thousands of years ago by the Goddess Athena to protect humankind. The story starts with a suicide bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where we are introduced to the bomber and his mind ramblings, which explains his motive to the reader.

As authorities are scrambling at the scene, Athena, as head of the Metis Foundation, employs Diomedes, who goes by Steve Dore, to join the investigation and recover a stolen item. The foundation’s primary focus is finding peaceful solutions to human conflict. It is known as one of the most respected think tanks in the world. Athena is sure the bombing served as a distraction for a theft of an ancient bronze cup on exhibit in an upper level of the museum. The novel is told through Diomedes point-of-view, and he readily tells us he excels at clandestine operations, intelligence gathering, and combat. He also admits he does not play well with others. But he's forced to overcome this and build a small team to help him.

The plot is fast moving and has many surprising twists as the drama unfolds. The battles are vivid, tense, and grisly as magic is thrown around against seemingly impossible odds while battling unearthly monstrosities. Humor is interspersed throughout to lighten the severity of the story. Diomedes is the perfect tragic hero; he is engaging, courageous, and intelligent, with just the right amount of biting wit.

I found it easy to get totally swept away in this thoroughly engrossing tale. The relationship develops between Diomedes and Sarah is cautious and endearing. The story comes to a satisfying close with some promise of Sarah being included in future missions, which left a smile on my face, especially after she decked Diomedes. I would highly recommend Havoc Rising to any reader who enjoys mythology brought forward in a contemporary setting that includes epic battles between good and evil.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Havoc Rising contains graphic violence and gore. Colorful obscene adult language with plenty of F-bombs.

Original review posted July 18, 2016.

Format/Typo Issues:

I found no proofing or formatting issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 120-125,000 words