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Deconstructing a Mystery

9/30/2013

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I received a copy of Designed to Kill as a free download on Amazon. In exchange, I offer this author this, my honest review.

I have been enjoying a number of mysteries of late. I’m not sure why I’ve been picking them up, but they have been a welcome change from my generally preferred genre. (This may be, in part because I don’t write mysteries. Thus, I don’t ever find myself wondering what might have happened if . . . . )

With a clear understanding of the area of Florida in which the story is set and a firm grasp of general construction principles, Campbell tells a tale in which McKenzie and his wife, Jill, set out to solve a mystery. The two seek to determine if the death of the son of their best friends, a man who built an upscale beachfront condominium, was a suicide—as had been claimed—or murder. With the assistance of some locals and friends from McKenzie’s former law enforcement days, McKenzie and Jill thwart the efforts of those seeking to keep facts buried while avoiding the local mafia types and upsetting law enforcement personnel. Together, they unravel the mystery, bring the culprits to justice, and are able to bring some peace to their best friends.

Designed to Kill moved quickly, included sufficient elements of surprise to keep me reading, and drew a believable relationship between McKenzie and Jill. As is often the test for me with books in series, I had to ask myself if I would read more. The answer is a simple “yes!”

Find, follow and fan Campbell on Goodreads here and check out his website here. Designed to Kill is available from Amazon here and from Barnes and Noble here.

A Story as Sweet as Honey

9/28/2013

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Reviewed for Readers' Favorite at ReadersFavorite.com.

H. Y. Hanna has delivered, in Big Honey Dog Mysteries, Curse of the Scarab, an animal story, an otherworldly fantasy, and a mystery (complete with hieroglyphics) all wrapped in one, that is sure to please young readers! When Honey, the Great Dane, is left home with a sitter who brings along Bean, her own Great Dane puppy, Honey learn a bit of what it is like not to be the “only dog.” At first reluctant to share her space and affections with the pup, Honey soon discovers the joy that comes in doing so. But, difficulties arise when Bean shows up missing while the neighborhood dogs and their humans are gathered at the local park. Indeed, Honey learns that Bean is just another of the many puppies that have gone missing of late. And thus, the sleuthing begins!

Hanna has created interesting and genuine characters with Honey and her dog friends: Ruffster, the supportive mongrel; Suka, the strong Siberian Husky; Tyson, the courageous Jack Russell Terrier; and Biscuit, the ever-hungry Beagle. Together they learn a lesson about prejudice when at first they suspect Max, the Pit Bull, of being behind the mystery of the missing pups. They learn how to work together, using the strengths of each when they finally uncover the whereabouts of the missing pups that need to be rescued. They suffer the reality of bullying when Max is attacked by the dogcatcher, experience the grievous loss of one of their own, and finally, they are able to celebrate a mission accomplished.

Big Honey and her friends will most certainly entertain children! They especially will be delighted by the manner in which the dogs speak to one another, with words and phrases such as “iBone” for the “iPhone,” “missing pawson” for “missing person,“ and “my Dog!” for “my God!” Adults too, will enjoy the story, as who could deny the fun and unique humor of such things as the manner in which the dogs leave messages for one another—through peemail, no less! There is a magic to speaking to children of the age that would be drawn to read Big Honey Dog Mysteries, and H. Y Hanna has fully and completely captured it!

Learn more about H. Y. Hanna on Goodreads here, on her website here (where children will also find activity sheets and interactive puzzles), and at Readers' Favorite here. Like her on Facebook here. Big Honey Dog Mysteries; Curse of the Scarab is available at Amazon here and from Barnes and Noble here.

A "Fly-on-the-Wall" Thriller

9/16/2013

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Reviewed for Readers’ Favorite.

At the author’s request, this review does not reveal the main character’s vocation or the story’s key plot points.

The thriller, Hoke, by Vivien Braslau, opens with Hoke and his lovely wife, Maria, who are visiting with Hoke’s best friend, Bobby, at Bobby’s estate. Hoke and Bobby have known one another since they were just boys, but ultimately the two made very different lives for themselves. While Bobby pursued riches and the power that goes with what money can buy, Hoke pursued a uniquely different path to power. Recently, Hoke suffered a heart issue, leaving those around him concerned for his welfare. But Hoke, ever the storyteller and center of attention, brushes off those concerns. He could not know, when surrounded by family and friends that his position has opened him to being compromised by those who would seek to damage all that Hoke loves. So, when Hoke finds himself in a bind, trying to provide the things for Maria that so very few (like Bobby) are ever able to possess, Hoke puts everything on the line. Will he be able to back away before ruining himself, his career and reputation, and his family? Readers are held spellbound to find out just that.

Braslau’s Hoke, which provides readers a glimpse into the lives of the powerful and influential, is a suspense thriller that will keep readers asking for more. When Hoke experiences troubled times, readers will feel Hoke’s fear and depression. When Hoke is faced with potential calamity, readers will urge Hoke to ask for help. When Hoke reaches in one direction, readers will want to steer him in another, then will cringe in anticipation of the price Hoke will likely pay if he should make the wrong decision. Braslau tells a genuine tale of how difficult it can be for someone to admit failure and ask for help—how urgent is the sense of need to save face. Along the way, readers’s hearts will trip a little faster as the noose tightens and, just when Hoke thinks the pressure has been released, will jitter with anticipation of what is to come. Braslau has provided thriller lovers with an entertaining, well-researched, read!

Find out more about Hoke on Goodreads here and at www.ReadersFavorite.com. Find, follow and fan Vivien Braslau on Goodreads here. Check out her website here. Hoke is available from Amazon here.

Chaos, Worry and Fun!

9/15/2013

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Reviewed for Readers’ Favorite (at ReadersFavorite.com)

The Silver Strand, by L. J. Clarkson, introduces readers to Isabelle Tresdon—an artist and scientist—not an athlete—who, while suffering through gym class with a headache, ends up on the floor with pink dust that sparkles around her, then fades away. Minutes later, Isabelle sprouts a “granny hair.” This silver streak worries Isabelle. Will the others kids now give her grandma nicknames, like Ethyl, Beryl, or Shirley? With the assistance of her best friend, Bianca, Isabelle attempts to cut off the silver streak. Only later does she learn that it was to be her ticket into the Mastermind Academy, a school of magic.

Presented with a series of tests she must pass in order to earn back her silver streak, Isabelle begins a journey full of chaos, worry and fun! She discovers how to use her imagination to envision the solution to a problem, how to appreciate her own unique beauty and that of others, and how to believe in herself.

In The Silver Strand, Clarkson has provided Isabelle support via a cast of characters rich in quirky personality traits. Meet Bianca, the tough best friend who uses her shirt to wipe off “a year’s worth of smudges” from her eyeglasses. Meet “Mom,” who has kept her own silver streak hidden all these years! One after the other, from Mr. Higgins, the science teacher who conducts dangerous in-class experiments, to Jemima, who accuses Isabelle of being an alien, to Boldrick, destined to live in the form of a cat for years, to Esme the daredevil, to Max the toad, to Ramala the dragon—who initially intends to season, roast and then eat Isabelle--The Silver Strand delivers! With charm, wit and laugh-out-loud dialogue and prose, Clarkson has created a story that is destined to become a favorite for middle grade and pre-teen readers!

Find out more about The Silver Strand on Goodreads here and at Readers’ Favorite here. Find, follow and fan L. J. Clarkson on Goodreads here. Check out her website here. The Silver Strand is available from Amazon here and from Barnes and Noble here.

All Prejudices Aside

9/13/2013

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I was provided a copy of The God King as a free download on Amazon. In exchange, I offer the author this, my honest review.

At the outset, I will note a couple of things that under most circumstances might have made me set this book aside—both are issues wholly personal to me and are not likely to speak to other readers. The first is that I am one of those readers of fantasy who does not appreciate the use of the apostrophe for the names of people or things. For example, how exactly do you pronounce Geh’shinnom’atar and Pa’amadin? It’s an odd prejudice of mine that has turned me away from more than one fantasy book or series that I’m sure would have been wonderful to read. Other than the form of such names with which I easily identify—O’Day or d’Artagnon, for example—I just find that reading such names causes me to stumble—over and over again. Thus, I avoid them. The second issue—also personal to me—is that I don’t like “dead people walking.” Whenever a story includes any sort of “zombie” type people—those who cease to live yet are somehow infused with the ability to continue on—I just get the creeps. Both issues were present in The God King and so, I might have put it down. . . .

However, notwithstanding the apostrophes and dead people, I kept on with The God King. The reason that I did so was simple: I just found the story so well written. Largely the tale of Kian, Hazad and Azuri, three Izutarians who reminded me of 'The Three Musketeers,' West weaves his tale smoothly and colorfully, if rather violently. So, here were the things I especially liked:

I enjoyed West’s voice. For example, Kian thinks: “We tasted war with our mothers’ milk, and as boys supped on the meat of suffering and want. As I recall neither flavor was sweet.”

I liked West’s word pictures: “He greedily sought that sweet bouquet, and she offered it up as a flower weeps nectar.”

I appreciated West’s choice of words that gave flavor to the alternative world that he created: crofters, midges, maw, barbican, denizens and rabble, by way of example.

I found West’s characters honorable at times, quirky at times, evil at times, and real. Hazad may have been “ugly as ten sins,” but he was always ready with a humorous quip. The fastidious Azuri may always have sought to look his best, but when he ceased to do so, it was a sign to all of what had been the cost of their traveling. As to the lead female character, Ellonlef, she was a Sister of Najihar, well educated and trained in the art of defense. I liked her because, though a beautiful woman, she was “made all the more so because she seemed not to know it.” She held firm in the face of danger, demanded to participate in efforts to overcome evil, and encouraged others to be the best they could be. As to Hya—I’d like to know more. It would be interesting to see her take on an even greater role. Regarding the despicable Prince Varis, he was just that—despicable—and the oily Uzzret was—well, we’ve all met someone like Uzzret!

Finally, I appreciated West’s creation of different types of people, from the denizens of the Chalice, to the Madi’in with their swatarin-induced visions of apocalypse, to the Bashye and their murderous ways.

It was because of West’s voice, intriguing word pictures, clever vocabulary, character development and world building that I was able to look beyond my prejudices about apostrophes and “dead people walking.” I am glad that I did because, in the end, I discovered a story that I quite enjoyed.

Find out more about The God King on Goodreads here. Find, follow and fan James A. West on Goodreads here. Check out West's blog here and follow him on Twitter (jwestbooks). The God King is available from Amazon here and from Barnes and Noble here.

What is the Hidden Treasure?

9/11/2013

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From the Dedication “to all the world’s children,” to the last page, Captain Crossbones in the Treasure Hunt, written and illustrated by Victor Ramon Mojica, delivers a delightful tale for children of all ages. In verse form, Captain Crossbones tells of a treasure he must seek. With his ship and pirate crew prepared for a long journey, Crossbones and his men cross stormy seas to find a treasure island. There they follow a treasure map that requires they ford streams, forge through forests, and pass under an ancient arch. Ultimately, Captain Crossbones and his men come upon the place where the treasure rests. Children will delight to learn what the treasure is and parents will enjoy reading the tale, each time reaffirming to their children, the importance of that treasure.

Along with the clever prose, Mojica has delivered, in Captain Crossbones in the Treasure Hunt, wonderful illustrations. The shells upon the sandy beach, the earrings in the pirates’ ears, the patches over the pirates’ eyes, the rust upon the lock that holds the treasure chest closed, even the outline of each page—which shows the story told upon frayed paper—emphasize Mojica’s attention to detail. The colors are bold and the expressions of the cast of characters readily identifiable. The surroundings—from the sandy beach—to the fern laden green forest—to the starry night sky—add a sense of both mystery and authenticity to the story. Mojica brings children a story they are sure to want to hear again and again. Indeed, I predict they may even begin to recite it!

Find out more about Victor Ramon Mojica and fan him on Goodreads here and on ReadersFavorite here. Find Crossbones in The Treasure Hunt on Amazon here, at Amazon.co.uk here, and on Barnes and Noble here.

Fantasy for Children of All Ages

9/10/2013

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Reviewed by Patricia Reding for Readers’ Favorite (at ReadersFavorite.com)

Children will be drawn to this story of elves, druids, dwarves, trolls, monsters—and magic! Truth Teller, by Kurt Chambers, opens with Charlotte, a curious child, on holiday with her family Running out of time before she must return to her everyday life, Charlotte sets out to find gifts for her friends back home. Ambling along the stone walkway, she steps into an alley at the end of which, Charlotte finds a shop. Charlotte wanders in, browses the shelves, and there she discovers a crystal orb.

Encouraged by the shopkeeper, Goffer, to take the orb at no charge—if Charlotte will but care for it and promise always to tell the truth—Charlotte could not know that in doing so, the crystal orb would soon take her on a journey to another realm. Tragedy follows when the orb, needed to return Charlotte home, is lost. Will Charlotte, with the assistance of her new-found elven friends, find it? And, is Charlotte the Truth Teller foretold of in prophecy? Young readers will be anxious to read and to discover the answers to these questions for themselves.

Chambers has created a fantasyland full of creative characters—some friendly, some dastardly. As Charlotte travels with the elves, Elderfield and his father, Middleton, to find Goffer and the lost orb, young readers will find magic and mystery, will cringe with fear of monsters, and will cheer for Charlotte. Truth Teller offers smooth prose, well-drawn characters, and a creative story line. While there is some violence (when Dagan fights through the pack of trolls, for example) it is not too graphic, nor does it continue too long for the 3-5 grade reader. Indeed, it is precisely such scenes that add authenticity to the story. As this is the first in a series—readers will be delighted with the reward of more to come.

Find out more about K. Chambers on his website/blog here, and fan and follow him at Goodreads here. Find Truth Teller on Amazon here and at Amazon.co.uk here and on Barnes and Noble here. K Chambers Twitter name is emailmanROCKS.

How Clever is That!

9/9/2013

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I received Litchgates as a free download on Amazon. In exchange, I offer the author this, my honest review.

I open by saying that I was torn between 4 and 5 stars. The reason for this was that I had one fairly significant issue with the story, against which I had to weigh another truly significant bonus for the story. In the end, I decided that my 4.5 stars had to weigh in favor of being posted as 5 stars!

Litchgates opens with Kara finding her way upon an unkept trail in the Rocky Mountains. There, she has been vacationing with her father, even as the two continued to mourn the death, months earlier, of Kara’s mother—a death for which Kara feels responsible. Coming upon a gate, Kara enters, and is delivered to another realm—a realm of unusual creatures and, of course as fantasy requires—magic, a world wherein Kara becomes the new and long awaited Vagabond.

The single downside for me with Lichgates, was that, while I was convinced of Kara’s mourning for her mother, as the story proceeds, Kara also finds herself witnessing her father’s death. Somehow, what I expected would bring deep emotion from Kara seemed to be a bit missing. Indeed, she seemed to think upon her emotional trials only intermittently and then not wholly convincingly. I also found that Kara’s connection to Braeden was not entirely convincing—and truth to tell, I didn’t like Braeden all that much either.

All that said, however—and this is a BIG however--Lichgates deserves 5 stars because—well, because it was so very original! Boyce’s imagination is incredible! She created a believable, truly unique alternate world that is internally consistent (no small task as any fantasy writer will tell you!), complete with the leaders of each of the kingdoms (known as the Bloods), the manner for passing the power from a Blood to his Heir, the very color of blood that the different kinds of peoples had, the small creature, Flick, that Kara hatches from an egg, and so on and so on. Boyce engaged my senses of sight, sound, smell and touch. She delighted my imagination with unusual creatures, such as the soul thieves, the yakona, the shape-shifters, the isen, and more. Boyce created interesting word pictures and offered unique descriptions (“fitful butterflies dancing a tarantella,” or “hundreds of crooked teeth hung far beyond its lips like rusty knives,” or “a barn that was leaning on its last, crooked legs,” by way of example) and offered unique insight (such as, by way of example, “he drew out his vowels and overly enunciated his consonants, as if pausing to adore the sound of his own voice,” or “her voice bounced and echoed, forcing him to relive the same words many times”). Boyce even made me laugh out loud from time to time, such as when “one of the stones even took on the shape of her face while she stared at it. It stuck out its tongue, the small heap of rock gliding out with the grate of stone scraping brick, and the stony face blew an inaudible raspberry.” (Really!? How clever was that!)

In the end, the questions for me are always—would I go back for more? Would I recommend this read to others? The answers to those questions are a resounding “YES!” and thus, my 5-stars!

Very well done! I look forward to more!

Branding

9/9/2013

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I received Anathema (Cloud Prophet Trilogy, #1) as a free download on Amazon. In exchange, I offer the author this, my honest review.

A fifteenth birthday should be special, but for Reychel, what makes it special is that she is to be branded as the slave that she is. Awakening bright and early, first to have her head shaved (as slaves must do so that they may be identified easily), Reychel finds her best friend, Ivy, the one who was to accompany Reychel to her branding ceremony—missing. Left in her place is a coin. Reychel rightly concludes that someone from the outside has freed Ivy.

Reychel has been a slave her entire life. Her owner will not allow her to see the clouds—except on those rare occasions when Reychel is called to him. The reader is presented with many questions. Why is Reychel the only one who is not allowed to see the clouds? What does the master want with Reychel? Will Reychel be freed before the dreaded brand is placed upon her? The answers to these and other questions are provided, and more questions are delivered, as the reader is brought along on a journey with Reychel and her new found friends, including some capable of wielding unusual magic.

Jensen presents a story complete with mystery, treachery and a bit of romance. For this reader, the betrayal was expected, the true “identity” of the master anticipated, and the romance not entirely believable, but the story was quick and refreshingly original. Anathema will bring YA readers to a satisfying conclusion even while offering them more questions to be addressed in the follow up parts to this series—which readers are sure to gobble up readily.

Find out more about this author and her work on Goodreads here and check out her website here. Purchase Anathema on Amazon here and on Barnes and Noble here.

Note the alternate book cover below:

A Spy Thriller and Horror Story Wrapped up in One

9/6/2013

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I do enjoy a book that will take me away for a good while! In this case, the 800+ pages kept me occupied for a couple of days and each time I put it down, I looked forward to going back for more. What fun!

I can only image how much research goes into creating a story that includes governmental intrigue, political pressures, bureaucratic input, military procedures, weapons systems, and so on. I sincerely appreciate all the effort that it takes.

I’ve not read any of the other books in this series, but I quite enjoyed Clancy’s taking me on this espionage/spy thriller adventure. There are so many parallels in the story to things in the headlines (or perhaps hidden in the interior pages) on a daily basis. The story really made me think about those entrusted with keeping us safe—their history, ideology, integrity—or lack thereof, experience—or lack thereof, qualifications—or lack thereof, and so on, and so on. . . . So, in the end, while I don’t generally tend toward horror stories, this one had a way of dishing up a bit of that as well.

Patricia Reding

Posted here are a number of Patricia's reviews of the works of others.

Those reviews posted here that Patricia did for Readers Favorite are identified as such. No review of less than 4-stars for any Readers' Favorite review is posted here or elsewhere.

Those works reviewed for NetGalley are identified accordingly.

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