A Girl Undone by Catherine Linka

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'A Girl Undone,' A Girl Called Fearless Series by Catherine Linka.

With renewed interest in dystopian worlds we are given a rare new work in A Girl Undone by Catherine Linka. Where marriages and women are bought and bartered, Avie has escaped her own confines with her real love Yates. After a confrontation with the government, he has been hospitalized in critical condition and she is on the run. She carries information that she must get to the Paternalist party if she can locate the correct person.

With the help of another friend, Luke, she tries to help keep them alive while finding the exact person who can use the information she now carries. Her face is on every news channel and a huge reward has been offered by the man who holds her own marriage contract. How can she move forward safely?

Can she find the only man who can make sure the information is used in the right manner before she is captured or worse? Garnering feelings for Luke, she is unsure what her next turn should be. She knows Yates is her only real love, and yet she is conflicted in her feelings. Can Yates survive his own wounds, and even if he does, will she be able to someway break free of the bonds that bind her to another man. One who is extremely ruthless and embarrassed at her running away?

Linka has given us a dystopian world with harsh guidelines and rules. Those who do not cave to the rules are often killed or disappear with no one the wiser. Avie’s only protection from death is the man she fears the most, the one that holds her contract. His character is one of the more complicated, and you will enjoy the process as Avie gets closer to her goal.

Avie is a character both bold and conflicted. She is never quite sure of herself and has some flaws that keep her from being too strong. Unsure of her direction, but undaunted in the task she has, she is compelled to move forward for a better world. That she is torn between her feeling for both Yates and Luke only makes her just a bit more human.

If you enjoy dystopian and futuristic worlds you will enjoy this work. There is romance, danger, mystery and at all times a belief in freedom that transcends the characters. The thrill of the chase and the tense romance will keep you reading to the very end.

This would be a fun book for a book club or reading group, with much dialogue about freedoms and other rights of individuals.

Rating 4/5

Shattered by Valerie Davisson

Posted First to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Shattered,' A Mystery by Valerie Davisson.

Life often changes without notice. What may have been the direction set in place can be changed in an instant without permissions or notice. It is how we react to that change that defines who we become.

In Shattered by Valerie Davisson, Logan McKenna has lost her husband, their business and her own self-worth. Her job is in jeopardy and she struggles with her future. Making a decision to help her best friend from high school, she agrees to help out at their booth at the Otter Arts Festival. Her friend Thomas is a Native American artist and each year they bring their current examples to the booth for sale. The area is beautiful and it is just what Logan needs to get her life on track.

When a young artist is murdered she finds herself looking for clues and following the trails of dishonesty and distrust that come to light. Can she have been wrong about her friend, is it possible that he is the guilty party, or is he just caught up in the backlash?  The law has set their eyes on him as a suspect and do not appear to be looking in any other direction. She decides it is up to her to delve into the darkness and find out what really happened before the murderer kills again.

Can she live with the truth she finds, or is her life about to change again forever?

Davisson has given us a murder and mystery that pique your interest. What could possibly be behind the death of an arts festival worker? As with all walks of life, Davisson has found a niche in which to create chaos and mystery, as well as drama and crime. Her characters are quite real and have the flaws that make them likable. As the red herring continue to circle throughout the telling, you are drawn to the vulnerability of Logan, yet her strength as well.

Prior to her involvement in this death, she had only ever seen a dead body once before. Davisson takes us into the thoughts of her protagonist as she fights her battles separately, that of her friend but also the one she holds in her own psyche.  By creating this fissure Davisson has created a more charismatic and believable protagonist, one that you are drawn to.

If you enjoy life and mystery you will find yourself immersed in this book.  Once begun it is difficult to put down. Logan McKenna is a strong character and I am not surprised to see she will be back as a series character.

This would be a great book for your library as well as for a reading group. There is a great deal of subject matter that would make for great discussion.

Rating 3/5

Forsaken: Ev amd Ell by C. Ryan Bymaster

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Forsaken: Ev and Ell by C. Ryan Bymaster.

Choices can help or hinder in life. The right choice can send you down pathways of happiness or the wrong choice to the other direction and your own slice of hell. Yet how do you determine the right direction?

In Forsaken by C. Ryan Bymaster, we are introduced to characters that have been offered another chance at redemption by helping to correct choices made by others. Everam, has been given this opportunity to protect “debatable” souls on earth. For each soul he saves he is healed and he moves one more step toward fulfilling his purpose
. 
Yet in the struggle of light and dark there must remain a balance. Another has been sent with the same possible reward, to make sure Everam does not succeed.  It appears there is only one soul available, and winner takes all.

As time moves forward sometimes the rules become a bit blurred. When there is less distinction between good and evil. When the choices are right, there is healing and peace, but the other often wins. When this occurs… the healing is slow and painful for the loser, for the tossup goes to the winner, and the glory becomes their own.

Often the right thing is the death of the soul, and that death could come in many means, often quite brutal. As the struggle between the two continues, the decisions are more difficult, for the ideals and lines become blurred.

Bymaster has taken the fight between good and evil in an alternate direction. His characters are interesting and the differing choices make sense.  Even as they fight each other, due to the amount of time spent on earth, they begin to know each other as well.  While there is that competition between them, after much time together they begin to interact in more direct ways, humor, mockingly and sometimes friendship.

The flaws and the reasons they are chosen for the task make them more interesting, and the back story begins to unfold.  I found myself rooting for one then the other as the differing agendas occurred. While there is brutality there is also light and love, so the story does not seem as dark as it could be. While confusing at times the work is interesting enough to keep you reading.


If you enjoy stories of redemption, epic battles, and paranormal tales, you will find this an interesting read. There is a moral–a lesson that makes you think and consider. How do you really know the truth of any situation? You will enjoy the twist as Bymaster makes you question your own perception of what is right and wrong in this tale.

Rating 3/5

This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Iron Shinto by Tricia Stewart Shiu

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Iron Shinto' by Tricia Stewart Shiu.

When life changes and you find things are out of control, how do you rewind and settle the dust. Or can you?  Once you have begun a new journey in both your mind and your soul the difficulty lies in the fact that once you believe and have seen the proof of your beliefs, everything transforms.   ‘You can’t un-ring the bell.’

In The Iron Shinto by Tricia Stewart Shiu, you will follow the lives of Hillary House, her sister Molly and niece Heidi as the journey of discovery moves them into the inferno of the war over control of the portal of the guardians.  

In Moa  by Tricia Stewart Shiu, Hillary and her family were instrumental in saving the Hawaiian Islands as well as Moa the guardian of the gate.  This then moved them forward to the story of the God Ku, and his missing essence.

In The Statue of Ku by Tricia Stewart Shiu, we follow the young women into Egypt where we learn of the God Ku, and how he came to be, as well as the history of Hillary and her family, and how they come to be the ones chosen to put their history to rights. 

The Iron Shinto furthers the story as having found the abilities of astral travel, transporting and protection with the help of Moa, the young women now appear to have lost themselves.  An evil force has found and separated them from their bodies.  They must now find a way to heal the rift that set them asunder and find their physical bodies before time runs out.  Can they decipher the clues that have torn them apart and find the integral beings where they have been hidden?  Moa comes back for the challenge but it is already too late.  

This family is so beset with complexities that the depth is like looking through a bottomless pool.  The story is interesting and Hillary, Molly and Heidi are great personalities, with flaws that make them altogether human.  The beginning of each chapter assigns blessings and chants to help clear chakras and issues to move into a better experience. This adds a dose of spiritualism that enhances the work. This is the third book in the series, with the others listed above.  A final coup de  grace of emotional turmoil.

This would be a great book for the young adult or anyone who really enjoys a good mystery with a dose of spirituality and the paranormal thrown in.  If you are intrigued with the story and the characters you will find that the first two books of the series will give you that extra dose of richness.  Each story can stand alone, but when combined with each other there is a fullness of heart.  

You may find yourself memorizing the chants and rooting for the characters to win and for life to right itself. This is an amazing series, and Shiu has given up a series with teeth.  These are a great addition to your library or that of your young reader.   

Rating 4/5

Each book of the series is an amazing part to the puzzle and receive the same rating.

This book was received from the authors publicist. All opinions are my own based on my reading and understanding of the material.

The Diabolist by Layton Green

Posted First on Blog Critics as Book Review: The Diabolist by Layton Green

Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek are back in a no holds barred dark and suspenseful novel taking us back into the underworld of religion and its various offshoots. Private investigators, specializing in cults, they have drawn a dangerous murder that will test the very heart of their own conviction.

In The Diabolist by Layton Green, Grey and Radek are investigating the bizarre and almost supernatural death of a well-known Satanic Priest. Each witness is spellbound by what they observed, or thought they had. As the investigative team move forward they realize they will have to split up as another murder occurs in Paris under the same circumstances.

Grey is uncomfortable with separation but Radek is insistent. There is something going on that strikes fear into the heart of all those involved. As the strange and eerie evidence begins to pile up, Radek finds himself in a mental backlog of his past. While Grey pursues the chilling leads in Paris and on to London, Radek tracks his memories of the past and finds the very devil at his own door. 

Has mass hysteria swept the cults of the underworld, or is the figure that seems to appear and disappear at will, challenging and killing his adversaries with fire, really a new and powerful master.  Can Grey uncover the answers before his friend meets the very fate of the rest?

The Diabolist is a novel of darkness and suspense, with a charismatic pair of investigators. Having followed this team in The Summoner, the case that brought them together, I am even more interested to learn the depths and interactions have only improved. The descriptions are so vivid, I picture them in my mind, rooting them to find and unearth the things that often paralyze us with fear.  Reading the tale you feel an odd relief that they are on the job.  The fear felt by the characters permeates you reading as you move forward.  As I stop to turn up the lights, I remind myself that this is a story.  One that will move you to the edge of your seat as you shake off your fear.

If you enjoy dark suspense, and really want to find an interesting read for the summer months, The Diabolist is a great find. The characters are bold and yet carry flaws that make them so likable, you will enjoy their exploits as they delve into the differing cults in an effort to educate others to the tricks and practices. Yet there is just enough realism as well that if you are an X-Files fan, this will be another venue for the often strange happenings that cannot be explained. 

A great work for a reading group, the protagonists will draw you in, and keep you looking for more.

Rating 4/5

This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based on my reading and understanding of the material.

 

The GOD Franchise; A Theory of Everything by Alan H. Dawe

Posted First on Blog Critics as Book Review:The God Franchise; A Theory of Everything by Alan H. Dawe

Since the beginning of time we have asked many of the same questions. Why are we here, where did we come from, and the real topper––What is life all about?

In The GOD Franchise; A Theory of Everything, the author Alan H. Dawe tries to give us a stance that he believes answers those questions and more. Not a book on any one religion Dawe delves to the core of the questions that haunt. With so many different religions as well as the non-believers there is a difficulty in answering to everyone’s satisfaction. What happens if you don’t believe, the different religions have different beliefs, so how do you take a concept and make it palatable for the masses.

If these questions and many others have you worrying and wondering, this work is precise and draws a parallel to the differences as well as the likenesses we all question. What about those that don’t believe in God? Well he has a theory for that as well.

If you are looking for answers and have questions about creation, you would enjoy the premise of this work. Dawe has taken the liberty of mixing the proven and the belief system and come up with an interesting scenario. Using the God Conscience as his credo, he has broken down the idea in easy terms. Much like the way a franchise works; he has drawn lines in the sand, a diagram of words to sooth the imagination and tickle the soul.

His philosophy is simple and easy to grasp, he colors the mix so thoroughly to paint a picture of beauty and you are drawn to the idea. You will hear much of what you already know, yet it is simplified. Mixing the scientific with the belief system, he uses famous quotes, passages from the bible and other works.

The perspective draws information from many varied and well researched works, and the ideology will challenge you to look deeper into your own life. If you are open to the challenge you may just find the answers to the questions that have always haunted you. Only you can change the way you live and think, and Dawe gives you a unique process that will at least have you questioning his ideas. As with any thing with free will, it is your choice and yours alone as to what you choose to do.

If you are looking for that certain something, here is another look through a different set of eyes.  You will recognize much of the theory from others works but Dawe draws a perspective that is at once fulfilling and interesting.

This would be a great book for a reading or discussion group. The possibilities are endless.

Rating 4/5

This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Adam Orser (Chronicles of Evolution) by Daniel Armand

Article first published as Book Review:Adam Orser (Chronicles of Evolution) by Daniel Armand on Blogcritics

In Adam Orser (Chronicles of Evolution) by Daniel Armand, we are in store for a highly challenging look at a new plan put in place by the Cosmos. When a young 9-year old girl is abducted the country goes on an all-out hunt to find her before the worst happens. Time is ticking and her chances of survival diminish as the days drag on. A young Rookie detective, Louis Collins stands ready for the challenge of finding her. Can he do what others with more background have been unable to do, find a reason for her abduction and a location of where she is being kept before it is too late?

Adam Orser is just an ordinary young man with a great outlook and in love with Jazmin. He is steady and gifted and working in a field he loves. Ready to make Jazmin his wife, he realizes that not only is she everything he has ever wanted but that her young daughter Carly also holds his heart, she is very like his own, and only ads icing to the decision. Ready to pop the question, he is distracted and decides it will wait. Heading to work he is injured in a car wreck, putting him in a coma, barely clinging to life. Can he find the will to survive?

Adam is the unknowing hero and has already come far along on his path to enlightenment. It is only during his coma that his past life regression is allowed to be remembered. With his deceased father as his guide he begins to receive training to help him get ready to help the army win a new battle in the never ending war. The elders have broken tradition in an effort to challenge a deadly evil, they only take their warriors from the deceased yet Adam is not dead. They have chosen to pull one from the living to help them in this time and this journey.

Jazmin is on the outside praying for Adam's safe return. Gathering his mother to her fold of friends, she finds she is in danger in a way she does not understand. Meeting an old flame, unaware of Adams true feeling, she finds herself fighting her own battle for her feelings. Will she remember what it is that Adam means to her? Will he be able to return to her from his coma and his own secret quest in order to help her realize the truth of love?

Armand has given us a smorgasbord of happenings that stretch the imagination. The development of his stasis for Adam’s true meaning is very in-depth and thought provoking. The revolving of Adams soul, as he transgresses into another realm is deep and meaningful. He is allowed to remember his past and his present in an effort to challenge the status quo. He is needed in this world to challenge an evil that has transcended its own journey and broken its own bonds. There is evil loose in the world that is beyond the reach of the usual warriors. Adam is their chance to make things right.
The circle of hope rests in Adam Orser, Jazmin and Louis Collins and as we learn more about their characters, Armand begins the delicate touch of weaving the strands through the different lives that begin to tie them together in a way that seems effortless. Initially there is confusion as to what each player brings to the whole, yet as the stories meld together they create a continuation which adds a solemn and unique twist to this work.

If you enjoy karma and angels, you will enjoy this work. There is suspense, danger and death, which give it a darker feel than many of the works along this genre. If you are a fan of the paranormal and enjoy a good mystery, this will fill the void. Daniel Armand has given us much to think about.

Two Harbors Press website:http://twoharborspress.com/

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

Adam Orser: The Chronicles of Evolution blog tour site:
http://adam-orser-chronicles-of-evolution.blogspot.com/

Adam Orser: The Chronicles of Evolution

Adam Orser seems to be a regular guy, leading a fairly successful life in Toronto as a psychologist with a loving girlfriend, Jazmin.

But there is nothing ordinary about Adam.

Fate interrupts his planned marriage proposal, and a serious car accident thrusts him into a metaphysical reality behind a deep coma that holds his physical body in check. Through an advanced system of training and evolution created by the celestial realm, Adam is called to a dangerous mission with profound implications for the world he knows, and life and death consequences for one missing nine-year old girl, who is no ordinary kidnapped child. Fantastical forces are at work on both sides of the veil between the world we recognize and those yet to be discovered.

Destiny compels Adam to freely choose the part he will play in a no-limits competition between good and evil. Questions of existence, causality, and truth converge as Adam struggles to find his way back to Jazmin and a life that will never be the same.

Daniel Armand Bio:

Daniel Armand lives in Toronto, Ontario. His inspiration behind Adam Orser: Chronicles of Evolution originated during the summer of 1983, after a near death encounter offered an incredible insight into the obscured aspects of life, love, and the progression of the human spirit.

Daniel is currently working on the next novel of the Adam Orser saga. "I truly hope this novel will help inspire readers all over the globe, to embrace their spirituality. It is through clarity of mind and understanding that we may one day 'bloom' into harmony and unlock our limitless potential."

Paperback
Publisher: Two Harbors Press
Price: $17.95
ISBN: 9781937928100
Pages: 312
Release: April 2, 2012

Amazon buy link:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1937928101?tag=tributebooks-20

Barnes&Noble.com buy link:
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=dcSBhG3Rj8w&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fadam-orser-daniel-armand%252F1109435768%253Fean%253D9781937928100

Betty's (little basement) Garden by Laurel Dewey

Article first published as Book Review: Betty's (Little Basement) Garden by Laurel Dewey on Blogcritics.

Bud, Seed, Weed, dope, marijuana, or cannabis, no matter what you call it, there has become a raging argument about the merits of this drug and its abilities to help heal and its qualities of reducing the after effects of the drugs used for diseases such as cancer.  Everyone has an opinion and even the law is divided on what is right. Medical marijuana is certainly becoming more of a mainstream topic.

In Betty’s (little basement) Garden by Laurel Dewey, we are invited into the world of this drug sensation in a strange and slightly bizarre, yet idealistic way. Betty Craven is a 58 year old woman who is known for her ability to create perfection, whether it is her prize flowers, or her fabulous chocolates, she excels in what she chooses. Little do her friends understand the real life that Betty is living? Having her only child die in a horrible way, and then losing her husband, she finally finds herself free from a hell she could not seem to escape. As do many new widows, she tries to move forward but does not understand how. Buying into her own hype, she spends everything she has and more to build a business she can be proud of. When the economy falls on hard times she finds she is in way over her head. Yet in her pride she must keep up appearances. Even her closest friends do not realize the problems she is beginning to face.  The lack of money is bad enough, but she is also beginning to see and experience things that make no sense. She is feeling so much guilt over her son’s death, she finds herself talking to him frequently.

Her son was always sensitive and artistic; he saw things as they were meant to be. Her husband was cruel to him because of what he thought were his pansy ways, and belittled him at every turn. Part of Betty’s pain stemmed from the feeling that she experienced of letting him down. She always thought she should stand up to her husband but she did not know how. She only knew how to be the perfect housewife, one who did not talk back or create waves.  When she meets another young man who looks very much like her son before he died, her life changes in ways she could never imagine.  This young man is the nemesis of everything she believes in and is part of the cannabis growing community.  She is disturbed by his antics and decides she must be the one to help set him straight. She has no idea what changes her life will take as she begins to shake the mantel of respectability, and really begins to live again.

This is a wonderful novel full of characters we see every day. There is more to the work than the usual change of life and the growth of change. There is friendship and hope, new love and forgiveness. The pain of discovery and the brittle house of cards that often hide the real needs of those in danger begin to shift through a veil that begins as opaque and slowly changes hue to a clear and shining purpose.

Regardless of your belief system, there is a great deal of information about the growers of medical marijuana and the difficulties that creates, and it takes you into the back streets of the illegal growers with their need to break the rules that protect those that are in the business to help others. Both facets do not trust the other and yet their lives intersect in many ways. There is a form of reliance that must be cultivated to continue to produce the crops, and the knowledge of each form of plant.

I really enjoyed this work and found it hard to put down. The story behind the title is deep and abiding, full of feeling and depth. Betty is the quintessential woman coming from a family that could only relate to perfection, and she has a difficult time letting go.

This would be an excellent book for a reading group or a book club. There is life and laughter, love and friendships, and a spark of the paranormal that brings it all together. This is a change of the usual Dewey story but she does not disappoint. Her characters maintain their charisma and charm and draw you in.  Take a chance and delve into this work, it is interesting and unique, full of a new and yet old fashioned type of charm.

Rating 5/5

This book was received free from the publicist. All opinions are my own based of my reading and understanding of the material.

A View from a Height by J.E. Murphy

Article first published as Book Review: A View from a Height by J.E. Murphy on Blogcritics.

The meaning of life seems so much a part of what we wonder on a daily basis, and is a question that is asked by almost everyone at some point in their life. While there seem to be no real answers, there is always the foray into spiritualism, which seems to give its own form of answers. At the same time, even this sojourn often leaves just as many questions.

In A View from a Height J.E. Murphy takes us into the world of a young woman Dawn Bang. Born of Chinese decent she has always felt she is different. She could hear things others could not; she could feel the pulse of the world. Living in Hawaii, she is also made to feel different, and as she grows up, she finds it easier to block out the sounds and feelings with alcohol and drugs. Living a life of desperation and shame, she is unprepared for her death when it happens. Taking a stand to save and endangered species as her boyfriend of the time races down the roadway to kill it, she grabs the steering wheel and runs them into a muddy ditch. This however is not the end, it is as she tries to pull herself from the muddy, wet ditch and she grabs what she believes is a branch to help, she finds herself looking down on the crumpled body of a young woman. Even as she watches emergency vehicles show up, she sees that this woman is her, and that the branch was actually a live wire that was knocked down by the impact of the car.

It would seem that this is the end of her journey, yet it appears as though it was not her time at all. As she finds herself in a beautiful place full of love and understanding her fear disappears. This is a place of transition, but she is made aware that there is more for her in the world. She has a job to do and she has not even begun. Even as she feels the love and acceptance, she is abruptly pulled back into her own body, here in the real world.

So begins the beautiful, yet painful, soulful and amazing life of a woman who becomes more than who she is. This is a truly enlightening tale of love and war, of the menaces of pride and of how this young woman begins a journey that is so fundamentally real, yet becomes so much more.

The Story was not what I expected as I picked it up. I was initially daunted at the size of the work, and yet as I began the story I had trouble putting it down. As I moved on to other tasks it followed me, keeping my thoughts on what would happen next. I felt the depth of her joy, and the pain and degradation with her. As she connects with others that are on parallel journeys with her, they too became my friends and mentors. I found an odd connectedness about this book that is hard to decipher. The descriptions are vivid and the tone is flowing. The evil that would often infect the world in her journey was truly something that seemed both real and unnerving.

For the science fiction and reality buffs, Murphy introduces us to an amazing dirigible, used to transport many of the characters from the West Coast, to Hawaii and on to China. This is an integral part of the process of the book and gives us another layer of thought. It is an amazing machine and the computer technology alone is exciting. The intricate and amazing description of the vehicle creates a wonderful backdrop for much of what happens throughout the story.

There is so much and more of this book than I can explain. I would recommend it for those who feel a spiritual connection, who believe in karma and often have questions on life. I would also recommend it for those who want to know more about the world, and there is a kaleidoscope of places to read about. It would be a marvelous book for a book club and reading group, adding discussion upon discussion. It would be a great book for your permanent library. The information and the story itself could be reread time after time. This book will take you on a journey, only you can decide if it is one you want to transverse.

Rating 5/5
A View from a Height

This book was received as a free e-book from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Death Line by Geraldine Evans

Article first published as Book Review:Death Line by Geraldine Evans on Blogcritics.

For a man known for his ability to read the future, Jasper Moon was totally unprepared for his own death. Killed with a blunt instrument, his own crystal ball, his death brings up more questions than answers. For Inspector Rafferty and Sergeant Llewellyn nothing about the case is what it seems.

As they begin their investigation looking for answers, they find possible suspects at every turn. There is the erstwhile partner, never fully appreciated, Edwin Astell. There is his lovely yet fragile wife, Sarah, who did not like Moon in the very least. Then there is Virginia Campbell one of the staff members, who also has offices on the premises. Mrs. Mercedes Moreno and Ellen Hadleigh round out the cast of characters with possible motive. When Rafferty finds that money is missing, the pool of suspects increases. As Rafferty and Llewellyn discover that Moon is not their victims real name they find themselves looking outside the internal cast to those that may have other issues with Jasper Moon. Just who is Jasper Moon?

In Death Line by Geraldine Evans, we find an unusual cast of characters, unique and just a bit new age, with interesting backgrounds and their own secrets. When Rafferty and Llewellyn find Moon’s real name, their investigation takes another turn, one that leads them to a murky and hidden past. This secret in his past is one that could very well create the anger necessary to perpetuate this murder. As they learn more about Jasper Moon, they try to read the real man behind the facade. Is he the egocentric man they hear about from some of their sources? On the other hand, is he the misunderstood, warm and generous man they are now beginning to develop a picture of? Finding out the truth about the man will lead them to the killer. However, with many of the players and pieces not being what they seem, can they unmask the real murderer?

Inspector Rafferty is a fun and slightly old-fashioned officer. He is not quite politically correct and has a tendency to put his foot in it. He is quite intelligent and seems to have a brooding manor. He is the opposite of his partner and together they seem to have an unbeatable team. Llewellyn is not just intelligent in the classic way he is also well schooled and entirely politically correct. He is young and in love, and he is the perfect foil for Rafferty. The interplay and conversation between the two is fun and they are constantly trying to outdo the other. Together they are able to find the hidden intricacies, those small clues that finally lead them to the brutal murder of Moon.

Due to the very nature of the jobs they do and the fields they work in, the other cast of characters are colorful and slightly eccentric. Evans has done a great job of building their characters and putting together a picture of their emboldened antics. In a funny way, they bring to mind a circus setting and yet that is only due to the color and overdone attitudes. There is also something just a bit dark and dangerous that stirs beneath as well.

I would recommend this book for the suspense aficionado. The dynamic duo of Rafferty and Llewellyn are quite capable and will surely be featured in further works. There is color and fun to the story as well as secrets and darkness. The interplay is good and Evens slowly guides you through the red herrings to unmask the real killer. This is a slow building murder mystery, with just a bit of humor, something for everyone that enjoys a bit of the unusual.

Rating 4/5

This book was recievied as a free download from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

The Source by Ursula James

Article first published as Book Review: The Source by Ursula James on Blogcritics.

If told magic were real …would you believe it? If given the opportunity to learn magic from a book … would you take the chance? In The Source by Ursula James, you are given just such an opportunity. A work springing for her own inner search and discovery, part of that step to the source requires passing on the magic, and Ursula James has put together a ‘Source Book’ of learning for the uninitiated, and those wanting to find that bit of magic inherent in themselves. This book is for those believers wanting to live a life of their own, fulfilling their own dreams.

The Source is also the story of Mother Shipton, and her life and death as well as her part in the power of magic. Known as a Prophetess, healer and seer, she is a wellspring of knowledge of the secrets of magic. It is a book of journeys and passage, a road to your own power.

The book is a story and yet written in textbook style with lessons and guidance to help the user in their path. It is full of information on the phases of the moon, an integral part of the process, and set and styled with ritual, again one of the prerequisites to attaining and pursuing that dream of life.

James shares her own story as she weaves the instruction, a story of excess and heartache, a life on the verge and how she also was able to learn, to open her vision and imagination to what is available to anyone who is looking for it.

The book is set with the ritual and guidance necessary to walk this path, listing the seven trances to attain that passage. Seven is a magical number, rife with meaning and James walks you through the process and just sets the stage, allowing the reader to move at their own pace should they choose this path.

This book is both interesting and intriguing, who hasn’t wanted to have a little magic at some time in their life, Bewitched (TV Show) made it fascinating and took away some of the stigma.

I believe this would be a great book for a reading group,creating an interesting and likely heated discussion of the merits of magic. It is well written and easy to follow.

If you are even a bit interested in this subject it is thoughtful and insightful, and a different and unique vehicle to help you achieve a more meaningful life. It is a book about values and becoming a better person, an alternative to the self-help books abundantly available.

Rating 4/5
The Source

This book was received free from the author through their publicist. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.