K. M. Whittaker Reviews Suspenseful Novel

Title: Ring of Lies

Author: Victoria Howard
Author's website: www.victoriahoward.co.uk
Genre: Romantic Suspense
ISBN: 9781935407683

Reviewed by K M Whittaker originally for Amazon

 

What happens when the man you have been married to for ten years is not who you thought he was? After Daniel Elliott dies in a car crash, Grace is left to deal with all the details regarding his will. Grace finds that Daniel has an alias, a lot of money, and a beach house in Miami that she knew nothing of. It seems that this loveless marriage, that Daniel kept Grace in, controlling her and keeping his secrets, was more than just connivance, but a lie. Her life with him was safe and stable, but now she is unsure who her husband really was.

Grace contacts an old friend, Jack West, an FBI agent, who she met 6 months previously. Jack agrees to help her get answers to questions and unravel the mystery behind all the secrecy in her marriage, and find out who Daniel Elliott really was, and where this money came from.

With strings of lies, deceit, murder and mystery, Jack protects Grace from harm’s way and uses his expertise to help Grace unravel all the mysteries and secrets. Family boundaries are pushed, heart breaking discoveries are made, and Grace finally decides to take her stance.

Review

An emotional roller coaster that was fast paced, filled with murder, suspense, lies, and romance. I really enjoyed this mysterious storyline. The plot smoothly flowed from one chapter to the next, and the end finalized swiftly, but efficiently, to give the reader a well delivered finale to a suspenseful read. Romance was present, but not the main factor in the read, but I felt this was evenly distributed to give us those elements we look forward in any suspenseful romance thriller. I was worried towards the end only 15 pages to go and still no deal was sealed. But Victoria ended it well, nothing left unfinished, and a finale which I am sure pleased the reader. I know I was impressed.

The main characters are very different, but fit the jigsaw well. Every little detail was included, giving an insight to the character’s personality and views. Descriptions were well portrayed -including thoughts, emotions and surroundings. I enjoy this in a read, as I am a visual reader!!!

I enjoyed Jack’s character - definitely not flawless, but his love for his daughter softened his hard exterior, good cop -hard arse. He knew what his responsibilities were and never faulted with either. He was brave, and respected, and gallant to the end.

Grace was a tortured soul. Living in a loveless marriage she stuck to her vows, no matter what. She was withdrawn in the beginning of the story, but in time her character grew strong and determined to move on with life, and start to live. I was happy to see Grace stand her ground no matter what happened to her. She had a strong will and in the end this showed in her character.

There are plenty of villains present creating that mystery and suspense that we all crave in a good thrilling read. Their characters coming across as callous and uncaring and just hard arse, this was portrayed well. You grew to hate the characters and what they stood for, but this also is part of a great story.

Overall, Victoria never disappoints in her writing, intriguing the reader into the world that she has created, drawing us into the suspense, and mystery and even little loving entwined. The romance wasn't a big part of the story, but I fell it was just perfect, giving us the insight to Jack and Grace's emotions and dragging us along in the moment.

All secondary characters meshed well with the story line, making it an enjoyable read, all necessary and blending in well with the plot.

I've now read two of Victoria's stories and have enjoyed both immensely. I certainly look forward to more of her stories in the future. A must read!! That will keep you on the edge of your seat, right till the very end

----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Sleep Before Evening Reviewed by Joyce White

Are you an author? Learn about Author Central

Sleep Before Evening

By Magdalena Ball

$17.99Paperback: 296 pages Publisher: Bewrite Books (July 24, 2007)Language: English ISBN-10: 1904492967 ISBN-13: 978-1904492962 Author's Web site: www.compulsivereader.com/html
Also available for Kindle

Reviewed by Joyce White

Magdalena Ball says in this drug fiction slice-of-life drama, you can find good and bad in everything that happened which meant there is no such thing as luck only perception. She obviously loves writing and has mastered quantum jumping from a poet to a brilliant novelist. Her narration whispers, never intrudes. Her metaphors sing like most good poetry; and her scenes leave you wanting more. The reader can not only feel but hear and see each emotion change from page to page, being more like an opera than a novel.

I’ve often wondered if it was wise for a poet to try novel writing. Obviously Magdalene has a talent for both. It amazes me that this is her first novel. It is that good. To be obscurely clearly is a real talent. When something can be read without effort like her scenes, you can be sure great effort has gone into its writing.

One of my favorite metaphors and there are many, she describes Marianne, the young protagonist, as swimming in an ocean of amniotic fluid, cradling and nourishing her. Another metaphor I enjoyed was…feeling Miles’ arms like long tendrils of a parasitic vein, snaking around her body, taking her breath and her life away. Later, she says…There is no heaven, no hell, but there is music…sounds, smells, taste, touch, there is always music.

I recommend this story to all families, teenagers and college students. This is not a typical drug fiction book but a classic work of art.

~Reviewed by Joyce White of Sculpting the Heart Book Reviews www.wingedforhealing.com

 

Joyce White
Author
Sculpting the Heart with Art Therapy
Read Now - http://bit.ly/d1jGLN
Twitter - @wjoycewhite

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

TITLE: The Pumpkin Field

AUTHOR: Linda Nance

PUBLISHER: Create Space http://www.createspace.com

PAGES: 40

PRICE: $10.95 (US), £6.62 (UK), CDN$ 10.80 (CA)

FORMAT: Paperback

ISBN-10: 1461044812

ISBN-13: 9781461044819

Reviewed by Deb Hockenberry

Strange things happen on Halloween night or do they? In this picture book it is a chilly and misty night. It’s a perfect night for spooky things to happen. It’s a perfect night to be full of fright!

Do scarecrows jump from their posts and dance around on Halloween? Do pumpkins dance from their pumpkin patch? Or is it just shadows in the misty night air?

What was that flying through the air? Was it a bird?

In this delightful children’s book, we find out just what the answers are to these questions and more. Linda’s watercolor illustrations really bring the story to life!

A child will love this book. It explains the spooky things you see and the creepy sounds you hear. Adults will enjoy reading this to their children as it brings back memories of their own Halloween celebrations.

To learn more about Linda Nance, you can go to a couple of different places. You can go to Linda’s fan page on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Linda-Nance-Fan-Page/162224753802546.

You can also learn more about The Pumpkin Field and Linda Nance at: http://linda-nance.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-is-pumpkin-field.html.

This entertaining book is sold in several places. You can pick The Pumpkin Field up at http://www.amazon.com or http://www.barnesandnoble.com in the US, at http://www.amazon.ca in Canada or http://www.amazon.co.uk in the United Kingdom. You can also purchase this directly from the publisher at https://www.createspace.com/3588264.

 ~Reviewer Deb Hockenberry

The Bumpy Road http://thebumpyroadtopublishing.blogspot.com

Deb's Book Reviews http://debsbookreviews.blogspot.com

"When God closes a door, He always opens a window."

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Singh Reviews Indian Satire

Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard By Kiran Desai Author:Kiran Desai Genre: Indian fiction/Comedy/Satire Reviewed by Aakanksha Singh originally for Book Reviews Galore The problem with reading an awesome novel by a particular author is the high expectations one has with the other novels and when that doesn't happen,you feel heartbroken for both yourself and the author. And that's exactly what happened with 'Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard' written by Kiran Desai. Having read her other, more famous, Booker prize winning novel, 'The Inheritance Of Loss,' which is quite splendid weaving strands of varying themes into a beautiful story, I built up many sky high praises for Kiran Desai. But, unfortunately, her debut novel doesn't come close to her 2nd one. 'Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard,' is a good read nonetheless, yet lacks the brilliance that lights up the storyline of 'The Inheritnace of Loss.' Synopsis (from Christopher's Rare Books):   The plot of 'Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard' begins with the birth of Sampath in an apparently middle class family living in a village named Shahkot. Then the novel does an Indian soap opera kind of leap and we see Sampath twenty years later, quite dull, and doomed as a failure by his father. Only his mother, Kulfi, has faith that her son will be able to be something in life. And ho! what do you know, he does manage to do just that. But not before getting fired from his clerk job in the post office and running away from Shahkot to be away from the misery of life. He then comes across a guava orchard and decides to climb on a guava tree and interestingly finds peace and solace over there. He feels uncluttered and unfettered on that tree. With a quirk of fate, he gets mistaken by a holy man atop a tree and his father gets a brilliant idea to juice out money from this venture. People flock to listen to his wise words and seek his advice and blessings! Sampath thus from being a good for nothing fellow becomes a famous Monkey Baba revered by one and all. Apart from Sampath, we get to see the rest of his peculiar family like his mother who relishes food and whipping up quite grand and glorious dishes. Then his sister, Pinky who falls in love with an ice cream seller, Hungry Hop. The one word for this novel is eccentric. 'Hullabaloo In The Guava Orchard' reminds one of the bumbling comedies staged during Elizabethan Age that had similar comic situations with myriad quirky characters. The book gives a satirical take on rural/town India and its obsession with godly figures. It highlights the dishonesty that prevails among the fake babas that spring up in all nooks and corners. Of course, Sampath never intended to become a Monkey Baba. He in fact wanted to run away from all things pretentious. So perhaps Desai is trying to bring out how holy men should be in their heart and soul? Well, one can interpret it in anyway one wants. The characters are also well fleshed out particularly Kulfi whose love for food has been highlighted since page 1. While the comic ans satirical part of the book is perfect, its the Bollywoodish touch and the simple, immature writing and the weak climax that make the book rather disappointing. Its quite entertaining and funny in its ludicrous situations but not really a must read, though a fun read! Well, you could either go for it and enjoy the fun or avoid it completely. Take your pick!

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Intellectually Stimulating, Emotionally Engaging Cold War Thriller

Title: The Allemagne Deception

 Author: Donald J. Farinacci

 Author’s Website: DonaldJFarinacci.com

 Genre: Historical Novel/Military

 ISBN: 10:0983416818

ISBN: 13:978-0983416814

Reviewed by Steve George Bustin originally for Independent Author Network and Amazon

 

Author Donald J. Farinacci's latest work, The Allemagne Deception, is a terrifyingly suspenseful and gripping account of a history that few Americans know. While the shooting war in Vietnam was hot and the bellicose actions of the Cold War were in the papers, an unknown, but strategically important and viciously executed secret war raged in Europe between the unsung intelligence services of Democracy and the Stalinesque forces of Communism.

Farinacci has expertly crafted a complex, multi-layered web of deceit, loyalty, patriotism and greed, all within the greater context of the Cold War. As he did in his previous book, Truman, he provides both a global and individual perspective while keeping you in doubt of the final outcome of history.

The heretofore unheralded heroes of this war finally get their due in this story that spans decades and countries, yet remains timeless. There is such detail and credibility in the great prose, one has to wonder if in fact Mr. Farinacci was closer to the actual intelligence operations of the time than anyone but he knows.

Intellectually stimulating, emotionally engaging and certainly a page-turner, The Allemagne Deception is a superb work of the clandestine sacrifices of a highly select group of dedicated Americans who selflessly served without acknowledgement by anyone outside of their small community. This is a movie begging to be made.

~Reviewer Steven George Bustin is the author of Humble Heroes: How the USS Nashville CL43 Fought WWII .

-----  

The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Author Shares Fave Review of Contemporary Fiction

Title: Appalachian Justice
Author: Melinda Clayton
Author's blog link: http://authormelindaclayton.xanga.com
Genre: Contemporary fiction
ISBN: ISBN 978-1-935407-92-8
Publisher: Vanilla Heart Publishing
Reviewer's rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed by Tracy Riva on her blog and originally for Midwest Book Review

"Rarely has a character stuck in my head the way Billy May Platte of Appalachian Justice has. Melinda Clayton does such a rich job with the character you can hear her speaking plain as day by the end of her first chapter and her voices resonates long after she leaves the pages of the book behind. Other characters in the book are just as deeply drawn out, especially the antagonist who will make your skin crawl, almost literally.

Appalachian Justice is a tale of the cost of prejudice, the value of love and the price of courage. It is the story of everyday characters who happen to be settled in the Appalachian mountains during a period of time from the forties through modern day, though the vast majority of the story covers two critical times, one, a single day in the life of Billy May Platte that would change her forever, the other a few critical weeks, in the lives of four families that will once again change the face of the small mountain town and the lives of those living in it.

Appalachian Justice is visceral, reaching out to grab your emotions and senses from the first pages until the last. The tension is well-developed growing exponentially until it finally reaches the breaking point. It is a wonderful début album for Melinda Clayton and deserves to be read by every family trying to teach tolerance and the cost of prejudice. The story, set in the past unfortunately still happens today in community after community, most of which aren’t able to find a little Appalachian Justice.


Open the pages, but be prepared, while Appalachian Justice works to break down barriers and to bring about understanding of a few key issues it is raw and at times violent though both factors are critical to the story and are not done simply for shock value. It is a crucial story for our time and for the ages to come, by reading it we may evolve enough as a people to never need Appalachian Justice."
-----

The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Short Story Collection Honors Crones

Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones
By Vila SpiderHawk
http://www.vilaspiderhawk.com
Short story collection FantasyISBN 978-0-9796545-6-5Perfect Paperback 300pp $15.95Available in paperback or Kindle and Nook at Barnes and Noble. Also available at author's Web site: http://tinyurl.com/3x2np4c

Reviewed by Lisa Mc Sherry, originally for Facing North
    
How appropriate that this book came to me at this time of the year – the time of the Crone (and Sage), the ending of the year. Moreover, this is a wonderful book written in the spirit (and pattern) of folktales while retaining its relevance to modern life. Author Vila SpiderHawk's writing is clear and lucid without losing a rich sense of passion.

Much like Pinkolas’ Women Who Run with the Wolves, Hidden Passages uses storytelling to explore deeper patterns, honoring women of all ages. These are not tales of drifting away from life, as anyone who knows a crone will recognize, but juicy stories of transformation, of loss and of life, of somber reflection and joyful discovery. Lessons are provided for those who look a little deeper, but these are not morality plays, bluntly shoving the point into the readers’ face.

Eight short stories tell the tales of eight wonderfully ordinary women. Full of beauty, and strength, the women take us with them on part of their journey through life. I found the tales to be incredibly evocative, at times coming eerily close to personal experiences (not literally, but in resonance, certainly – and isn’t that a mark of good fiction?).

Entertaining, well-written, and just plain good, Hidden Passages is a wonderful book for women of all ages. Highly recommended!

 

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :