Book Reviews (XIV)

Book review: The Cost of Revenge by Dorothy A. Bell

I'd like to congratulate  the talented author Dorothy A. Bell for her upcoming release: "The Cost of Revenge!"

Book Blurb:

Quinn O’Bannon knows it’s time he settled down. He has two likely candidates, both sensible, attractive, young women. However, his fantasies keep straying to Tru McAdam, that thieving, sloe-eyed vixen with the grudge against the whole darn O’Bannon family.

Tru McAdam wants to believe the O’Bannons, all of them are rotten, heartless cheats. God help her, most of all she wants to believe the handsome, arrogant flirt Quinn O’Bannon is the worst of the lot.

When destiny shuffles the cards, strange pairs show up in the hand. Who can fight destiny, not the handsome, flirtatious Quinn O’Bannon, not the thieving, sloe-eyed vixen, Tru McAdam.

MY REVIEW:

Dorothy Bell has done it again! I loved this author's story and characters in The Reprobate and was happy to have the opportunity to read The Cost of Revenge that takes the story further. It can be read without problem, as a standalone book. But you'll miss a god story and the insight. The first chapter of The Cost of Revenge helps you recall, through Quinn's thoughts, the essence of what happened with the main characters.

You meet Royce again - now happily married to his beautiful goddess, Cleantha. Doing well, making a go of hauling quarried rock and railroad ties for the O.R. and N.

And you meet Quinn - dealing with customers and managing the mercantile, considered by the young unmarried ladies as one of the handsomest bachelors here, in Laura Creek.

Will he win the hand of Miss Rosemary Gilliam or of her friend, Miss Dora Lee Price? Will he fall prey to the wild, untamed sloe-eyed vixen Tru McAdam, an Indian girl, a half-breed who considers that a no good son-of-a-bitch by the name of Stanley O’Bannon cheated her father out of his farm and is responsible of her family's tragedy?

Even kindhearted Wren considers Tru a young woman full of pride and misdirected wrath. She’s stubborn, and angry, and pigheaded.

Both Stanley and Tru look for revenge. Whose vendetta will be successful? Will other people become collateral victims in their confrontation?

Ms. Dorothy Bell wrote this book in a very precise manner. Giving details when it's needed but never giving the whole plot in one go.

With fabulous development of the characters and setting, this is one read that is sure to pull you in and keep you turning the pages until the very end. It will hold you captive from page one until the last page. I commend the author, Dorothy Bell, for writing a wonderful, compelling story. I commend her for her storytelling skills. She balances drama and action deftly, and leaves you wondering "what next"?

I loved all her characters, with their good parts and their faults and all. I am happy I found Dorothy Bell and all her writing grandeur. It's hard to turn the last page of her books without a satisfied smile on your face. I highly recommend it.

Disclosure. I received an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest opinion.

My rating: Five  Shining Stars. 

 

Book Reviews (XIII)

Book review: Amber's Mysterious Death by C.L.Exline

Book description:

The game's afoot when Sheryl Locke Holmes spots Amber's husband, Roger, who'd disappeared without a trace after Amber's tragic death. With the help of her sidekick, Dot Watson, Sheryl follows Roger and a trail of amber jewelry which leads to duplicity, mayhem and murder. As different as day and night, Sheryl, Dot and Amber bonded like sisters during college. Their friend's death left unanswered questions and an unidentifiable body. This time Sheryl won't stop until she gets answers--and avenges her friend's death.

My Review

I greatly enjoyed Amber's Mysterious Death, a vivid and compelling story, with a clever designed mystery that kept me so engrossed in it that it was impossible to put it down at all.

The story flows well from the very beginning and it grabbed me from page one. I liked the author's clever naming the characters: Sheryl Locke Holmes. And of course who can be close to this character? None other than the traditional friend and partner, Watson; in our story, Dot, the technological wizard. Unlike Conan Doyle's characters who are men, Cassie's main leads are women. I enjoyed it as I am an inveterate feminist.

The two friends are as opposite as day and night. They aren't detectives proper, though Sheryl worked for a while, until her parents died in an accident, at the Millstone Police Department. They are owners of an antique shop, Homes by Holmes and Watson. Their friendship runs back in the past when they were room mates at the University and where they shared a room with another girl Amanda.

While having a look over some antiques to be auctioned from a mansion, Sheryl spots an old acquaintance that seems to be on top of her suspects list, in the case of death of their friend Amanda. Can't tell you more without revealing the plot and it wouldn't be fair. The story is spiced with the right amount of romance - Dot and Charlie, Sheryl and Jake - and sprinkled with enough humor to make it even more interesting.

A highly entertaining story. Prepare for an unexpected twist at the end of it.

This review is based on a digital copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest opinion.

My Rating: Five Stars

Book Reviews (XII)

 Book review: The Village of God by Frederick E. Hosen


Book Description:

A village appears where only days before there had been uninhabited rain forest.

When the village's existence comes to the attention of two Christian missionary organizations, one Protestant and the other Catholic, both send missionaries intent on convincing the villagers to attend their churches. And the battle for salvation ensues.
 
What are the missionaries willing to do to win the "war?" And is there something they don't know about the villagers that could scuttle their efforts?
 
Find out in The Village of God.

MY REVIEW

I started reading The Village of God having no idea what to expect. Utilizing religion as a vehicle, the author, Fred Hosen, builds an interesting world populated by interesting characters. This is what I enjoyed most, the portrayal of the main characters. So vivid, they simply caught life in my mind's eye. On the one hand we have Wilber Wellborn Wellington IV the director whose decisions, right or wrong (especially wrong), could  not be traced to him.  Quite a character. The head of Society is a man who is not a stranger to human faults: he had experimented with smoking; had, in his earlier days, been enamored with pornography and that even now he had to avoid newsstands that sold girlie magazines. Also, there was an inclination to shoplift.

On the other hand, we have John and Sally, the subordinates, the boots on the ground. People committed to doing the Lord’s work. John had begun his working life as an accountant with the Federal government. Later, after meeting Sally, they both left behind the accounting of dollars for the accounting of souls. John and Sally are reluctant to abandon the mission they are carrying out in Panama, but have at last to obey the orders and go to another location.

As the introduction states, The Village of God is a story of competition and cooperation and its added value, and finally, the fraternity of mankind. The discovery of a tribe of natives in the Amazon rainforests triggers this competition between different branches of missionaries who can't skip the opportunity to gain more followers. Unaware of the others' similar intention, the missionaries reach the location of the tribe on the same day. I loved the way the author builds the interaction between the two groups of missionaries and also between the missionaries and the natives. And I liked the fraternity attitude the missionaries display. I wish it were like this in real life.

But I don't want to reveal the story as I myself hate spoilers. The Village of God is an interesting read.

Disclosure. I was offered a copy of the book, by the author, in exchange for an honest opinion.

My rating: 4 stars

Book Reviews (XI)

Book Review: A Satan Carol by Alan S. Kessler

Book description:

Nostalgic for the Inquisition and plague, Satan feels neglected by the modern world that no longer cares about heresy or blames him for disease and death. He plans to create a new genesis, a place where people will love him. For that, his son needs just the right soul.

A Satan Carol is a horror story with a message for those who want to understand God's apparent absence as the intersection of freewill and choice. It is a story with religious themes written for a secular reader. It is, in the end, a tale about family values even if they originate in hell.

My Review

Reading this novel brought to my mind the morality plays of the 15th and 16th centuries which involve a direct conflict between right and wrong or good and evil and from which a moral lesson may be drawn.

The novel starts in Ireland 1848, with a moving depiction of the Irish famine, the pressing atmosphere, and the people who try to survive; with Meg who believes herself blessed by Christ. She runs along coaches to beg for the rent she has to pay to her landlord Mr. Green. In Liam, her son, the villagers see a healer whose power could only come from Christ.  

In the same chapter, the story moves then, all of a sudden, in Massachusetts, one hundred and eighty years later and we meet fourteen year old Katie Katz and her whole family.

Then we meet Orem, in the past and find out why Satan favored him with visions.

After reading the first two chapters, I had the impression that things were moving too slow. The story unfolds in alternating points of view. It's not the type of story one calls a page turner. It has a multitude of characters and back-stories I lost track of at some moment.  The reader must pay attention to all the details in order to keep track of everything. The main lead belongs to Mr. Green, aka Satan, who needs a soul for his son. He wants to prove God that he isn't as bad as everyone considers him to be, and that he also can create something good. But does Father love me in return?/Not in this world but maybe in the next/when He sees with pride/how I too can create something out/of toxic nothing. An interesting, manipulating and conniving character. Mr. Green was a true believer in the holy church of his plans.

I can't say I felt empathy for any of the characters, no matter how good or bad they were. I'd have liked more insight into them.

As for the ending, I have mixed feelings regarding the way everything was wrapped up. An odd combination of macabre and religious themes. Maybe I didn’t get the exact message of this book.

Disclosure: My copy was offered by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: Three stars.

Reviews (XV)

Badger "Badger" (South Carolina)   Posted on Goodreads
This review is from: Shadows of the Past (Kindle Edition) 

Carmen Stefanescu demonstrates an appreciation of language that weaves beautifully through the pages of Shadows of the Past. She pins together stories of two women, one from the late Middle Ages and the other a modern business woman, and she does this in a way that defies traditional character roles. Her smooth transitions between the time periods in which these women lived blend their passions and heartaches, as if only days separated them. Neither is able to rid herself of her past, Genevieve from the memory of her brutal father and then the equally harsh Abbess, and Anne from a lover's betrayal.

And then there's that forest, with its haunting silence where even dried leaves crush quietly beneath their feet, and the hounds of Hell circle just out of sight. But, they can't resist the urge that draws them deeper and deeper into it, that dark place where nightmares live.

Stefanescu spices the plot with Old Bertha. Her potions and spells rival Shakespeare's witches; although, she never dances around the cauldron. But, dance or not, she seems to bring Genevieve equal measures of hope and despair. Perhaps the same is true for Anne with Neil. Therein lies the charm of this love story, nothing and no one is fully good or bad, not even the heroines. And, that makes them relatable to all of us. Well, maybe the Abbess was all bad.

In all this, a romance crosses the ages, crosses centuries, without fading or losing any of the fire that sparked it. For a tap on your heart and a tingle in your spine, right down to the last page, I invite you to join Genevieve and Anne in their joys and sorrows and, yes, their fears in this tightly-written story. 4 Stars

Book Reviews (X)

Book Review: SHATTERED (Mind Shadows 1) by Patrick Royal

BOOK DESCRIPTION

The only thing that multi-published, award winning horror author, Tom Elliot, wanted was to move to the country for a change of scenery and relaxation, to a quiet part of southern Illinois. It seemed he'd picked out a wonderful spot, miles away from the closest neighbor and even further away from civilization.

Tom couldn't write to save his soul. Weird thoughts trampled through his head and left him wondering if he'd made a mistake moving from Chicago. Could it have been that he ripped himself from his element, like his best friend, Michael Gully, had predicted? That he couldn't answer yet.

Words came and flowed like wildfire, but at what price? Tom's imagination was getting the best of him and running rampant. The very characters that he created tormented him, driving him mad where he couldn't distinguish fiction from reality.

My Review

I've always been a big fan of horror fiction, and I was really looking forward to reading this book. The author, Patrick Royal, delivers a taut horror novel, with an imaginative premise, that moves with speed and agility.

With a fast moving plot that keeps you turning the pages and a marvelous ride of emotion, Patrick Royal's Shattered grabbed me from page one. There are many things I'd like to say, but I'll mention only the aspects which wouldn't give away the ending, as I don't want to spoil the other readers' experience. Shattered is a real spine-tingler. The type of novel where the reader asks breathlessly, "What next?"  It reveals the hidden, dangerous power of a highly creative mind, the mind of a successful horror writing novelist. Shattered tells the compelling and gritty story of Tom Elliot. I loved the chapters where we get to know Tom Elliot better.  Little by little, the fiction world he creates sneaks into his life, reality and illusion, past and present becoming one and leading him to wonder 'if his mind was right at that moment.'

           

Other characters - Michael, his long time friend, Susan a woman he meets at a supermarket, and he enjoys having around, “You’re a very smart person, Tom Elliot,” Susan said and grinned. Tom liked that. It had been a very long time since he had a woman look at him like that. - are believable and immediately evoke empathy from the reader. Not so much his grandmother.

           

The flow of the story was smooth. It wasn't too rushed and it didn't drag which is very nice. The mysteries were given out in a perfect timing. I like how the author built the tension.

           

It took me one session to read it end-to-end. I wholeheartedly recommend it to those who love horror novels, but not only. You will enjoy it and devour it, but beware don't read it during the night.                       

           

Shattered is an enormously gripping story, in my opinion a psychological horror, which fully deserves its five stars review.

Book Reviews (IX)

Book Review:  

How to Write a Novel in 90 Days by Conrad Jones

As a published author myself, I was interested to read another fellow author's opinion. I have read a number of How to Write/Publish/Advertise/Market your book guides. How to Write a Novel in 90 Days is another one on a long list.

The main idea here is that you have to be diligent and keep reading and writing. That you have to understand that once you write the words The End on the first draft of your book the task is not over. I agree with the concept that rewriting is a difficult discipline to master. Patience and a great deal of luck are also necessary.

While I agree with many things the author shares with the readers/ budding writers there are others I don't see as being a must. Shakespeare never visited Italy and it was no obstacle to write The Merchant of Venice. So I don't think you should write only from your personal experience. Imagination plays an important part and don't forget there are so many sources of information nowadays. But I absolutely agree with the concept of 'using hooks.' You should never end the chapter without a hook. You should keep the readers interest alive and make them want to keep reading.

Nowadays publishers advise you not to start your book with landscape/ weather descriptions. That's way many present day novels plunge readers in the middle of the action. It has become a sort of requirement, though some readers may find it confusing.

All in all, Conrad Jones's "How to Write a Novel in 90 Days" is an interesting guide and many may find it useful. It deserves Five Stars.