Rant

Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey
by Chuck Palahniuk
Doubleday
ISBN: 978-0-385-51787-4
$24.95 319 pages

I am having a really rough time writing a review for this one. I could sum the review up in 2 words or 20 pages. The 2 words are: Mind Blowing, this is one book that I will keep and add to my collection. Words just really cannot describe how I felt reading this. I have never read anything by Chuck Palahniuk and really had never heard of him until requesting this one for review, needless to say I am adding him to my favorite author list, and will be dishing out some major bucks to get all of his earlier books. (lol)

Will try to have the review up by this weekend, even if it is the two words above MIND BLOWING as this was one mind blowing experience and my head is still spinning and the wheels in my brain are ever so constantly turning.

As you can see the cover art is intriguing and enticing which originally drew me to read the blurb in the catalog before requesting this one for review.

The Sacred Bones

The Sacred Bones
By Michael Byrnes
ISBN: 0061146072
$24.95 – Hardcover – 304 pages
Harper Collins Publishers
www.thesacredbones.com

The Sacred Bones is set at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. An ancient artifact is stolen from a vault beneath the Temple Mount. The theft has left many soldiers and policemen dead, leaving the Palestinians angry; tensions run high between the Israelis and the Palestinians.Charlotte Hennesey, an American forensic scientist has been hired by the Vatican to examine the ossuary which contains the bones of an unknown man who was crucified. Charlotte is joined by Giovanni Bersei, an Italian anthropologist and together they uncover forensic and genetic data that lead them to wonder if the bones could be those of Jesus.

As Charlotte and Giovanni become closer to solving the true identity of the man in which these bones once belonged, the Vatican’s security begins to have a much greater watchful eye on her. Are the bones discovered those of Jesus? Will the Vatican allow the information on the discovering or keep the secrets hidden? With her identifying the man these bones once belonged to, will Charlotte be silenced?

Byrnes has penned a superbly crafted debut novel that tantalizes with a sense of drama and of suspense as the story races forward. It is evident that he has done a great deal of research which combines historical fact and protreptic fiction. Byrnes novel is powerful and opens an emotional vein in you leaving you with the desire to read through to the end.

Michael Byrnes currently resides in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters. Byrnes attended Montclair State University in NJ and earned his undergraduate degree in marketing, and later his graduate degree in business administration at Rutgers. The Sacred Bones is his debut novel.

This was one explosive and thrilling 5 star read and one genuine page-turner to the very end.

The Black Sheep

The Black Sheep
by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout
ISBN: 978-1-4231-0156-7
YA, Fiction: Ages 12 and up
Hyperion Books for Children

The Black Sheep is a funny and entertaining read. The setting is New York and then off to California. It begins as Kendra Bishop a fifteen year old who has had enough of her parents and all their rules; they even keep a binder filled with these rules. There is a reality TV show that offers teens a chance to swap families, so Kendra decides to write to the show for her chance to get away from it all. The winner is chosen on the basis of the most pathetic letter written, Kendra is excited to find she has actually won.

Kendra is taken from her apartment in Manhattan to California to live with the Mulligan family. They are so different, the parents are both hippies, have five children and a pet ferret. Kendra learns quickly the chaos of sharing a bathroom with so many, having to watch her belongings, and living with a ferret that wants to sleep in her bed. But her biggest problem is the pushy producer who will do anything to get higher ratings. And to top all of this Kendra falls for one of the Mulligan’s, Mitch who is seventeen and despises everything this show stands for. Will Kendra win Mitch over or will things continue to decline for her?

Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout bring us a cast of characters who are engaging and winsome. The story is well crafted and pulls the reader into the conflicted feelings and reasoning of Kendra so well.

Gun Shy by Ben Rehder

Gun Shy

by Ben Rehder

www.benrehder.com

St. Martin’s

ISBN: 0-312-35752-4

Gun Shy is the fifth novel in this mystery series featuring game warden John Marlin. The setting is Blanco County, Texas and it begins as the National Weapons alliance and director Dale Stubbs gear up for the big rally. The rally is supporting Americans with the right to carry concealed weapons. This is a controversial subject to say the least, but the author has brought humor into the mix and makes light of both sides, remember this is a work of fiction. This rally is expected to be on a grand scale and the NWA’s spokesman is none other than Mitch Campbell.

Mitch is hosting the rally at his Blanco County ranch and will be performing the NWA’s anthem and his number one hit single “My Cold Dead Hands”, but he is no real cowboy, in fact he is an impostor; his agent thought the persona would boost his record sales, deceitful yes. This deceit could end up in a disaster or could make Mitch a big hit. Mitch’s true identity is that of Norman Klienschmidt from Middlebury, Vermont so he is not even from Texas. Will Mitch be able to keep up his hidden identity or will he falter and make a huge mistake?

Due to Mitch’s devious actions and all too fake persona, he has turned to drugs to cope and the drugs are clouding his thinking. He soon becomes paranoid, believing his life is in danger and ends up shooting his gardener. But when the dead Mexican turns up, game warden John Marlin and law enforcement officials are on the case. As Marlin begins checking into the murder a new series of events begin taking place, these events may bring Mitch down as well as the NWA.
Rehder has well developed characters, a strong story line with a very good plot as well as sub-plots. He has created some unexpected twists that will keep you guessing. Rehder does not take an extreme position on questions of gun control and he pokes fun at both sides equally in the book. He presents a comical crime fiction series, that is humorous and entertaining.

It was a great pleasure to review such a witty crime fiction series. I now need to get the other four books in this series. This was the first title I have reviewed from this author and now am hooked. If your looking for a humorous and entertaining read I highly recommend picking up a copy of Gun Shy as it is an enjoyable read.

I believe this deserves a big star with 5 points, (here I am trying to be humorous). A definite 5 stars!

The Bone Whistle by Eva Swan

The Bone Whistle

by Eva Swan

Juno Books

ISBN 10: 0-8095-5792-4

ISBN 13: 978-0-8095-5792-9

208 pages, $12.95

Fantasy - Romance

The setting is Lakota reservation in Greenview, South Dakota. Darly is a twenty year old and lives with her mother just outside of Denver. Every summer she accompanies her mother to an isolated cabin on the edge of Lakota reservation in South Dakota. This is no way for a college student to spend her summer vacation.

Darly is bored and has made the decision that this will be the last year she will accompany her mother to the reservation. Darly likes seeing Grandpa Jack and this year he gives her a bone whistle that has two blue feathers attached, he tells Darly when she gets good and bored to blow the whistle. She waits all of two weeks before blowing the whistle and learns the truth about her family and her father. She had believed her father was dead, but he is not dead nor human, but is wanaghi. Wanaghi are a shape changing people who left their tribes centuries before and now live in a magical land beneath the hill.

On the search for her father she is accompanied by Osni, but what she finds is a conflict among the wanaghi. Now she must choose her heart and feelings she has developed for Osni or her family. Will Darly be able to resolve the conflict between them? Before anything else she must discover own powers which puts her on a path of self-discovery.

Eva Swan combines both Native American and Celtic legends into a romantic fantasy. The author takes us through the story by different character perspectives. Her characters are believable and she maintains a good plot. This is Eva Swans debut fantasy novel, the only problem I found was that as a reader you need to pay attention as the author has point of view changes into different characters perspective which can cause some confusion while reading. I truly enjoyed the both the Native American and Celtic concepts she has incorporated into the story.

Eva Swan is the pseudonym for the author, editor, and artist, who is of Native American descent, who currently reside inEngland. I was unable to locate a website for the author to include with the review.

Lost Echoes by Joe R. Lansdale

Lost Echoes
By Joe R. Lansdale
Crime thriller
ISBN: 978-0-307-27544-8 $13.95
Vintage Books
A Division of Random House Inc.
1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
www.RandomHouse.com

Lost Echoes is a story about a man named Harry Wilkes, who at the tender age of six came down with the mumps and developed a severe ear infection which affected his brain. Harry’s mind would fill with images of past crimes and he could see the events taking place as well as see the faces of the people involved in the crimes. Harry eventually develops a taste for alcohol as it helps him to suppress the images as well as the sounds contained within his mind.

Harry is in a bar one evening when he notices three men taking a drunk out through the back. Harry knows what is getting ready to happen and decides to step in. The drunk is Tad Peters and immediately he and Harry become friends. Soon after Kayla, Harry’s first love comes back into his life, now a police officer she is determined to find her fathers’ killers. With Harry’s ability he soon figures out that the men responsible for Kayla’s fathers’ death are connected to other unsolved murders.

Joe R. Lansdale has penned several novels in the genres of suspense, horror and westerns. He has won many awards throughout his career. He currently resides in Texas with his wife and children.

Lansdale writes scenes with high impact and vivid details and accounts. He incorporates the correct intrusive amount of twists and turns that leave you breathless and drawing you into the heart of the story. The characters are so believable and you feel as if you have known them for quite some time, he is descriptive and adds that human touch to his characters.

An indubious 5 star read.

Toaster Pond by Peter de Witt

Toaster Pond

By Peter de Witt

Fantasy/Adventure

ISBN: 1-933255-21-8

www.toasterpond.com

DNA Press

PO Box 572 Eagleville, PA 19408

www.dnapress.com

Toaster Pond is a wondrous adventure for children. The setting is a place called Waterville. In Waterville during the summer the teens are ready for their championship game of Hide and Seek. But this is not your normal regular game.
The story will captivate your child’s imagination. You can discover within the pages six toed fairies, as well as a wealth of different characters. The stories main characters include Doug, Skip, and Pierce, and they are on the Hide and Seek team termed the best team. Peter de Witt transports the game to a magical place of Sangerfiled, here the main characters must put their expert skills into action. Will they be able to save Sanger Castle? To find out you will need to pick up a copy of this great adventurous tale, you will not be disappointed.

Toaster Pond is a quick compact read, once your child has started they will not be able to put this one down. This is Peter de Witt’s debut and is an excellent creation and there will be a high demand for more. This is one enchanting and magical read that the entire family will want to read. This title will win the parents approval, and will be captivating families for generations to come.

Peter de Witt is an author, a adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Education at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY., and he is also has been teaching elementary school for eleven years. He currently resides in New York.

The Story of Kitten Cuckoo by Ed Baker

The Story of Kitten Cuckoo
Written and illustrated by Ed Baker
www.kittencuckoo.com
ISBN: 1-933572-04-3
Centro Books
200 E. 90th St ., New York, NY 10128
www.centrobooks.com

The Story of Kitten Cuckoo, written and illustrated by Ed Baker is an endearing picture book with cartoonish characters that are simple yet adorable.

The story is for children of all ages, teaching children the concept of friendship. Ed Baker has developed a loosely rhyming poem to enrich this tale of an unlikely friendship. Kitten Cuckoo and a baby elephant named Paquile E. Derm are best friends, despite their obvious differences. The animals at the zoo would stare, giggle and make fun of the unlikely pair.

Paquile escapes from the zoo with Cuckoo and ends up being captured and sent to Africa. Cuckoo returns home to find Harrison Cruz has moved; now homeless he decides to do what any friend would do, travel to Africa to find his best friend. In the end he finds not only Paquile but Harrison Cruz too.

The story delivers the perfect idea of true friendship and will engage young children while teaching them not to give up on friendships formed.

You will find games, wall paper, art and other goodies located on their website at http://www.kittencuckoo.com/

The game located on their website is addicting to both children and adults alike.

Vrolok by Nolene-Patricia Dougan

Vrolok

by Nolene-Patricia Dougan

Author House

1163 Liberty Dr., Ste. 200, Bloomington, IN 47403

9/28/06

www.authorhouse.com

ISBN: 1-4208-8163-9

Do you love a good vampire story? Do you find yourself sucked into the tale? Love adventure of the dark side?
The setting takes place in historic Eastern Europe Transylvania.

The story begins as Vlad Dracula having fought a battle with his enemies, and a young girl’s curiosity ignites her. A historic vampire tale, occurring over a time span of five hundred years. The story follows the protagonist, Isabella, as a young vampire. Isabella is rebelling as her father rejects her; he is unable to overcome the loss of his wife while giving birth to their daughter Isabella. Isabella travels to the castle of Vlad Dracula, where Vlad develops strong feelings, and falls in love with her. What else would a vampire who is in love do? Vlad turns Isabella into a vampire, his mate for life. Do not be fooled this is not a loving match, it is the opposite, they have a long love-hate relationship, spending more time apart than together. Over time Isabella can no longer deny her love for Vlad and upon his demise she vows revenge and to bring his killers down with the help of Nicolae. Isabella and Nicolae leave America and travel back to England to bring down the English Vampire hunters and avenge Vlad’s death.

Isabella struggles with her guilt and makes a vow to only kill those who deserve to die. She never allows anyone to hinder her revenge against those who have wronged her throughout time. Over the centuries of her existence she meets many famous historical figures. She encounters such historical figures as Napoleon, Bram Stroker, to the western figures of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp, as well as many other figures throughout the selected eras. She travels throughout Europe and America. Nolene-Patricia Dougan has performed vast research and the historical figures mentioned in her book are remarkable.

Vrolok is a compelling and gripping tale of a young beautiful vampire’s dark journey through the centuries. Vrolok has a strong plot throughout, and the characters are so well developed and intensely interesting. This is no traditional vampire story; you may think well the story involves Vlad Dracula, it is like all the other stories, it is so very different, do not be fooled. This is a superior spine tingling dark fantasy written be a very imaginative author, her work embraces hundreds of years of history and maintains vivid descriptions of various people, places and events.

This book will hold your attention to the very end, and you will find it is very difficult to put down, a definite page turner well until the late night. I could find no fault in this tale. I highly recommend this story, it is unlike any other vampire story I have ever read. So if you are looking for a different twist from the norm, are seeking a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable read, look no further. All vampire enthusiasts as well as all Anne Rice fans will not want to miss this one, you will get lost in this adventure, and you will not be disappointed. I am looking forward to Dougan’s new release with anticipation.

A definite 5 star read!

The Blue Zone by Andrew Gross

The Blue Zone
by Andrew Gross
Fiction 352 pages
William Morrow an Imprint of Harper Collins
www.harpercollins.com
ISBN: 978-0-06-114340-3 $25.95
www.andrewgrossbooks.com


Would you want to know your family secrets, and what skeletons lie hidden in the closet? Would you really want to know the truth if it would destroy everything you believed? What would you do if you learned your life had been a lie?

Kate Raab receives a devastating phone call from her mom, now the questions of family secrets and skeletons in the closet, and the truth enter her mind like a whirlwind. The words she heard “your father has been arrested, come quickly” made no sense to her at all. There must be some mistake, her father had no connections to the Mercado family and he didn’t know anyone from Columbia, or did he? What lies ahead for Kate when the family secrets begin to unravel?

Kate soon discovers that her life has been a lie. Her family is placed into protective custody, but Kate refuses, and her contact with her family is limited as a result. Kate marries a year later and is working on regaining some normalcy to her life. She feels as if she is being watched, and is consumed by paranoia after her best friend is shot while they are leaving work. After all Kate is certain that she was the intended target, not her best friend. Kate’s world is beginning to come apart.

Kate learns that her father has disappeared from the Witness Protection Program. Agents begin questioning her about her father, now she begins to think and is determined to find her family and learn the truth once and for all. Kate is surrounded by agents and wonders if they can even be trusted. Can she trust anyone? Her mind is consumed with possibilities that no one including her father and even her husband can be trusted. She decides to find out the truth and finds herself entangled in a deadly web, and is confronted with a truth that is more painful than she could ever imagined possible.

The Blue Zone is the term that the agents use when people in the Witness Protection Program come up missing. Kate has her own definition of the Blue Zone and believes that we all live within our own Blue Zone. Andrew Gross is the co-author of five bestselling thrillers with James Patterson. The Blue Zone is Gross’s solo debut. I look forward to reading all his novels to come in the future.

Andrew Gross delivers an ingenious and intricately layered plot, while still creating convincing personal journeys for his characters. The Blue Zone delivers a tantalizing and intriguing story packed with shocking twists that will keep you guessing and begging for more.

The Blue Zone is a definite 5 stars and is highly recommended!

For A Few Demons More by Kim Harrison

For A Few Demons More
by Kim Harrison
www.kimharrison.net
Harper Collins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
Fiction 456 pages
ISBN: 978-0-06-078838-4 $21.95


For A Few Demons More is the fifth installment in the Hollows series by Kim Harrison.

Rachel Morgan is a witch and freelance bounty hunter that is woken from her sleep to find a powerful demon wrecking her home and claiming she posses something of hers. Rachel resides in a sanctified church and in disbelief and being scarred that the demon can enter the church.

Rachel is an interspecies consultant for the police force which is run by humans; she is called down to the morgue to look at the bodies of murdered werewolves. Rachel starts piecing it all together and realizes the reason the women werewolves can not be traced is because they are not registered in the were registry. What does this mean, the conclusion must be they were not born as werewolves; they must have been humans that had been changed into weres.

Rachel recognizes that the Focus, which is a demon artifact she has been hiding, has been turning humans into weres spontaneously. If the artifact were to fall into the wrong hands it would start a new interspecies war between the vampires and the weres which would be disastrous for the entire world.

For A Few Demons More is an action packed fantasy delivering a mix of action, horror and imagination. And some of her characters from the series are back in this edition. Kim Harrison has introduced us to some intriguing and interesting new characters that hopefully will make appearances in future Hallows series. I will have to give praise to the author for taking risks with her characters, and with the killing of one of her main characters.

Harrison has intriguing plot twists and incorporates taking her characters in such amazing directions to leave you with much anticipation of the next in the series.

Readers will not be disappointed. I look forward to reading all her novels for years to come. Reviewing this title was a delightful pleasure. I recommend it without hesitation and give it two thumbs way up. A definite 5 stars! I do highly recommend if you have not read the others in the Hallows series that you pick those up and start with the first in the series.

13 Bullets A Vampire Tale by David Wellington

13 Bullets
A Vampire Tale
by David Wellington
Fiction 323 pages
Three Rivers Press an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
A division of Random House, Inc.,New York
www.crownpublishing.com
ISBN: 978-0-307-38143-9 $13.95
www.davidwellington.net


Do you really believe in vampires? Would you be willing to seek out their lair knowing that you were a sensitive? Such questions had never entered Laura Claxton’s mind. Until she met US Marshall Jameson Arkeley, that would devastate her life as she knows it, her thinking and beliefs are all about to change.

The story begins in 1983; Special Deputy Jameson Arkeley and his partner Webster are on a stake out outside a diner where Piter Byron Lares is inside talking with the waitress. What happens next is rich with moments of terror and the horrifying events that follow will leave you breathless. Lares takes everyone in the diner out in a matter of seconds, Arkeley is in for a terrifying ride of his life. Lares takes Arkeley after killing most of the SWAT team, when Arkeley comes to he finds he is in a ships hold and focuses in on five coffins, only one is empty. The other four coffins contain decaying remains, Arkeley fight for his life, and removes Lares heart and as the sun comes up he burns the boat, believing he had killed them all.

But one single survivor remained, Justinia Malvern, who now has been kept alive at a sanitarium in Pennsylvania. Arkeley believed all the terror was over, he was dead wrong.

Now 20 years later, Arkeley travels to Pennsylvania as a US Marshall and meets with State Trooper Laura Caxton. Arkeley partners up with Caxton to exterminate all the vampires once believed to be extinct. Malvern is being kept alive by minimal life support, the sanitarium has installed special blue lights as she is sensitive to regular lighting, she is being fed fresh blood by her caretaker who has inserted a shunt into his arm to feed her. Why has Malvern been kept alive all these years? There are bizarre laws preventing her extermination, and she seems to be of no threat, until now.

Arkeley and Caxton are on a mission to find the vampires lair and exterminate them before they can get the blood Malverne needs. Then Arkeley is kidnapped in order to use his blood to replenish Malvern’s powers, Caxton must now forge ahead and destroy them before they can unleash unspeakable horrors upon everyone.

David Wellington is the author of the Monster Island trilogy, and is no stranger to this genre.

13 Bullets is the first book in the trilogy by David Wellington, and is a tantalizing wild high octane ride. Wellington weaves his plot line together and has developed some very intriguing characters. This vampire tale is relentless, gripping, powerful and a genuine page-turner, that is horrifying and rich with moments of terror.

The reader is thrust into a state of uncertainty filled with nervous anticipation as the conclusion nears to find that we must wait for the next edition to this trilogy to tie up the loose ends.

13 Bullets is a blood curdling tale to sink your teeth into. I look forward to reading his novels for years to come. Reviewing this title was a frightening pleasure. I highly recommend it to the horror fans everywhere.

The Naming Of The Dead by Ian Rankin

The Naming Of The Dead
By Ian Rankin
Crime fiction 452 pages
ISBN: 978-0-316-05757-8
Little, Brown and Company
Hachette Book Group
237 Park Ave., New York, NY 10169
www.HachetteBookGroupUSA.com
www.ianrankin.net

The setting is Edinburg, Scotland, the year is 2005. And the story begins as everyone is watching for the upcoming G8 summit. Reinforcements are called in from all over the country as a few hundred thousand demonstrators have come to protest poverty aimed at the World leaders. Detective Inspector John Rebus is originally to stay on the sidelines away from the scene, but as luck would have it a routine murder investigation turns up with a clue that throws him right in the middle of things.

Rebus and his partner Clarke are on the case and due to the clues they are turning up believe they may have a serial killer. All the while tensions are running high between Rebus and Special Branch Commander Steelforth. The investigation leads to many questions of suicide or murder. Crime fiction enthusiasts will not want to miss this one.

This is an astounding 5 stars!

Ian Rankin was born in the Kingdom of Fife and graduated from the University of Edinburg. The first of his Rebus novels, “Knots & Crosses” was published in 1987. Rankin is the UK’s number one best-selling crime writer and lives in Edinburg with his wife and their two sons.
Naming of The Dead won the Worldbooks Crime Thriller of the Year Award. Ian Rankin has developed an intriguing plot that is loaded with twists and turns, and has created some very witty and memorable characters. Looking for a great read that holds your attention through to the end, that is difficult to put down and is a real page turner, then this is a must read, especially for the crime fiction enthusiasts every where.

Butterfly Lullaby by Sharon J. Bainbridge

Butterfly Lullaby Fairytale

By Sharon J. Bainbridge

http://www.butterflylullaby.com/

http://www.butterflylullaby.co.uk/

Published by Butterfly Lullaby

Illustrated photographs by Sharon J. Bainbridge

Fairy costumes designed & made by Sharon J. BainbridgeStory by Sharon J. Bainbridge

Brilliant & Delightful with vivid color and detail.

5 stars

Butterfly Lullaby Fairytale is very delicately done with bright vivid colorful illustrations of children in beautiful costumes set to the enchanting backgrounds.

Promotions include photographs where you can become one of the characters in the story. You have your photo taken in costume or you can send in your image and they will transform it into fairy art. They also talk of the characters visiting real places from the story which include Plantasia, Swansea, Wales, Castell Coch, Cardiff, Wales, Upwey Wishing Well, Weymouth, Dorset.

Butterfly Lullaby is the enchanting fairy story about a little Butterfly Fairy called Princess Melody. And a very jealous Prince puts the Princess under a magical spell. Princess Melody runs away as she is frightened for her mother’s safety.

The evil Prince leaves Wet Springs and destroys his new found land. Magical fairies are called upon, but can the spell be broken and will the Queen, Princess, and Fairyland be saved?
Butterfly Lullaby was written with special children in mind and in the heart of the author. The child’s name is Jodie, who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis. And the author Sharon J. Bainbridge has a special dedication to Jodie on page 3. Above that a portion of the proceeds from the sales of this storybook will be contributed to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust in finding a cure.

Not only is this author very talented with the writing of this story, but to the photographs, the designing of the costumes, she also is a lady with a big heart wanting to help children with Cystic Fibrosis to find a cure. So I would like to highly recommend that everyone pick up a new copy of Butterfly Lullaby whether you have little ones or not, the story is very well written, the illustrated photographs are vivid and lively and so brilliantly colorful that everyone will want to add this treasure to their own collection.

A Must Have!

Virgin River by Robyn Carr

Virgin River

By Robyn Carr

MIRA Books

Melinda Monroe is a nurse and midwife, her husband Mark Monroe was murdered during a convenience store robbery. Melinda reads a want ad wanting a Midwife/Nurse Practioner in Virgin River with a population of only six hundred and includes a rent free cabin. She decides this might just be the perfect place for her to heal her heartache and also might be just the place for her nursing career. She accepts the job as the Doctors assistant in this small town. When she arrives nothing was as she expected or as advertised, the cabin is dilapidated and a wreck, and the old Doc Mullins does not even want her. She did receive a warm welcoming from Jack, the restaurant owner, but she still decides this was a mistake and makes the decision to leave, but her plans quickly change when she discovers the newborn left on the Doc’s front porch steps. Has she found the escape she was looking for, or has she discovered her home?

The main characters are Melinda, Doc Mullins, and Jack, whom is in love with Melinda, but he is being patient as he recognizes that her heart still belongs to another man.

The story line is solid; the characters are likeable as well as believable. Virgin River is a fabulous book that is addictive reading. There is so much packed into this book including Melinda’s adventure, great characters, and passion. I highly recommend curling up with this book.

Bicycle Shop Murder by Robert Burton Robinson

Bicycle Shop Murder

By Robert Burton Robinson

ISBN: 978-1-84685-611-2

Are you looking for adventure, romance and murder? “Bicycle Shop Murder” has all of that. This is the first in the Greg Tenorly mystery series.

The book begins with the death of Sam Spokane, the bicycle shop owner, later in the book it is revealed that he only has a few months to live due to a recent diagnosis of prostate cancer, so why would someone want him dead now?

The setting is Coreyville, Texas, a small town where everyone knows everybody. Greg Tenorly is a divorced music teacher, leads the choir at church, and is a marriage counselor, it all starts when a beautiful red head by the name of Cynthia Blockerman, vice president at First State Bank comes to see Greg. Cynthia is in her late 20’s and is married to Troy Blockerman, she has come to see Greg as her marriage is in trouble, her husband drinks a lot, is abusive and she finds herself in a loveless marriage. Troy’s normal routine is coming home from work, drinking beer and watching TV until he passes out in the living room. Cynthia usually sleeps in the marital bed alone, which is completely fine with her as she is afraid of Troy especially when he has been drinking.

As the story continues, Greg Tenorly finds himself being called up for jury selection and is then picked and called upon to be a juror in the murder trial of Sam Spokane. Little does Greg know what troubles lay ahead for him? The troubles all begin when one Buford Bellowin a high powered attorney in Dallas wants the black man accused of murdering Sam Spokane found innocent. Greg and Cynthia are thrown together and both their lives are in danger, there have already been several other murders relating to the murder trial, a witness for the prosecution has had a terrible accident and died, one of the jurors is murdered, and the wife of the bicycle shop is murdered. Who is committing these murders and why? Who will be the next target?

Greg and Cynthia are starting to piece together the murders and who is committing them, they think maybe a hit man or maybe 2 different hit men, after driving to Dallas to see Buford. On the way back to Coreyville, they discover they are wanted for murder, and they have a killer after them, things are going from bad to worse. Will they be murder victims or will they be found guilty of murder? You will want to find out the answer to all these questions.

Although the book has a few errors and typos, it is very well written. The characters are believable and common people that you fell as if you know them. “Bicycle Shop Murder” has enough action and intrigue to keep you turning the pages. Robert Burton Robinson has done a wonderful job of bringing murder, mayhem and romance all into one book. I am anxiously awaiting the next one in the series.

If Truth Be Told by Lynda Fitzgerald

“If Truth Be Told”

By Lynda Fitzgerald

Five Star, June 2007

ISBN: 1-59414-568-7

“If Truth Be Told” by Lynda Fitzgerald, WOW, I loved this book, this story touched me so deeply, this is an emotional and a great read.

The story is told through the eyes of one of the main characters “Christie”. The setting takes place between Cocoa Beach and Melbourne Beach, and the story begins in August of 1961. Christie is the youngest of the three O’Kelly sisters, and is 14 years old when she meets the boy of her dreams. His name is Todd, soon to be her step cousin. Her Uncle Jack is marrying Carly, Todd’s mother. After falling for Todd she decides to put away her teddy bear, which from time to time she takes back out of her closet for comfort. After four years of dreaming about her future with Todd, she is devastated from a letter to her aunt and uncle revealing that Todd is married.

The story progresses through eight years; Christie comes home to find that Todd had been to her place looking for her. Todd is determined to win Christie back, but Christie wants no part of being hurt and lied to again. Todd offers to be there for her as a friend due to her uncle’s illness, she does not believe him and calls her uncle, and it is true, he is sick.

They are thrown together time and again due to her uncle’s series of medical conditions. Christie finally gives in due to Todd’s persistence. They become engaged, and then suddenly her uncle dies.

Christie is confused she though he was doing better, and Carly’s behavior and actions around her are very different, almost as if she feels guilty about something. Christie is determined to find out the truth, she does not believe her uncle’s death was natural. So she begins asking questions, prodding for the truth, but is afraid this will be the end to her relationship with the man of her dreams.

The author mixes romance and a touch of mystery. The plot is intriguing, the characters are believable, and the story has vivid details. In my opinion the writing as a whole can have no blemish thrown its way. The story will tug at your heart and will bring tears to your eyes.

A fascinating read, I could not put this one down, highly recommended, a definite 5 star read.

The Will To Defy by Ken Myler

The Will To Defy

By Ken Myler

ACME Publications

ISBN: 0-9774636-0-5

The Will To Defy is a gripping story filled with intrigue, it is a psychological tale that will send chills up and down your spine. Ken Myler draws you into the story with vivid accounts and detail.

Ben Pearce is a husband, a father, and a broker In New York who is thrown into a nightmare in this suspense/thriller. He is woven into a whirl of trying to prevent his own demise, when the daughter of an underworld mobster is accidentally killed. The underworld boss, Victor Draeken is out for revenge and Ben Pearce is set on a quest to keep his family safe as well as himself. Ben is faced with extraordinary experiences turning his life from a peaceful one into survival from a father’s revenge. Ben even goes as far as to start planning his own funeral, but stumbles upon a one page document that may keep Victor Draeken at bay out of fear. So Ben decides to put a plan into motion using this one page document, but as with most plans things become complicated.

Ken Myler has developed a plot that will keep the reader on the edge of your seat. The story contains twist and turns, and just when you think you have it figured out, Wrong, he takes you in a different direction to keep you on the edge.

This is a definite page turner and demands to be finished, I would recommend starting it on the weekend as you will want to finish this in one weekend.

The Will To Defy definitely earns 5 stars and is a Must read!

Calling The Dead by Marilyn Meredith

Calling The Dead

by Marilyn Meredith

Mundania Press

ISBN: 1-59426-352-3

Calling the Dead is an intriguing mystery which delivers suspense Native Americans who practice in calling back the dead. The story unfolds in Bear Creek California, where Deputy Tempe Crabtree is investigating two deaths. One of the deaths appear to be from natural causes and the other looks to be murder. She investigates these murders by using her insticts and her intuitions as well as investigative tools to solve these crimes. Upon further investigation things become complicated and now the question is was this a murder or an accident or suicide? Other questions arise concerning the two young people who actually reported finding the body, why did they give false names and addresses? And why did they flee so quickly? Then did the other death occur to natural causes or something else? As she continues her investigation into these deaths she is forced to gain answers by use of drastic measures, which puts her own life in danger as she comes closer to solving these deaths.

Marilyn Meredith has her own unique writing style which brings her readers in and allows them to put the pieces together like a puzzle, and to help solve the mystery as they are engaged in the reading of her work. This is a great story with good characterizations, and well developed plot. I highly recommend this book which can be read in a day or two.

Fringe Benefits by F.M. Meredith

Fringe Benefits

By F. M. Meredith

Tigress Press, 2006

ISBN10: 0-977-160-9-X $13.95

Cal Sylvester, a California police officer despises Gordon Butler, who is his rookie partner. Cal does however find his partner’s wife to be hot and has a plan to have her for more than a friend. Cal and Darcy begin a heated romance, after several months Darcy informs Cal she wants and expects more from her men.

In order to keep Darcy in the style she requires, Cal begins to plot the murder of his wife Lee Ann in order to get the money he needs to keep Darcy. He’s plan is to use his wife’s life insurance money, but what about their kids at home? Cal is completely obsessed with Darcy and now needs to fulfill his obsession. Will Cal continue with his plot to kill his wife?

While this book is compact, it delivers a complete read. It combines a luscious blend of police procedurals and thriller, and is a great read. In Fringe Benefits, F. M. Meredith brings a cast of engaging and winsome characters. And most definitely earns 5 stars, and is a must read. Hope there are many more on the way.