Vermillion By Kathleen Scott

Posted first at The Romance Reviews

Kristabelle gathered the tendrils of light as she called the soul forward, this soul, not yet ready to leave its body, but coaxed away by her magic. Her heart is shattered and tears stream down her face. There was never a time during this nightmare where she ever expected that she would be pulling the soul from her youngest brother. Saving her families life was the only thing keeping her at the task that the clerics had given her. As she moved the tendrils into the beautiful glass, and sealed the edges, she knew her life would never be the same.

Kristabelle St. Lucas is an etheralmancer, with the rare skills of working with stained glass. The magic of etheralmancy allows her to help those stranded in this world, to release their souls so that they might move on. The clerics have abused her talent in making the glass for the Portamere Cathedral. They have used threats against her family to force her into punishing the unbelievers by taking their souls and sealing them in the glass for the Church. This is punishment to keep the protests at bay but also a punishment for Kristabelle and her magic. She is devastated by this abuse and yet she must protect her family at all costs.

Darius Castillo is her guard, and he has a secret. He knows all about Kristabelle's pain and plans on rescuing her at all costs. He belongs to a secret order that works for the Magus, the true head of the Church. They have heard rumors of these clerics and their twisted interpretation of church doctrine, and Darius is sent in undercover to ferret out the truth. He is trained in the way of the sword and is a little out of his element as an acolyte. He is entranced by Kristabelle, for her art as well as her beauty. He has seen the price she pays each time she takes a soul before it's time, and his horror knows no bounds.

As Darius comes clean with Kristabelle, and allows her to know his true nature, they are drawn together. She is very attracted to him and finds in him a strength that allows her to trust again. From the beginning their every touch burns bright. The magic of Kristobelle's power helps to build an unbreakable bond bringing them together as fate would decree. Their love is a powerful, physical force, each glance has meaning, and each touch is an exquisite fire, burning to the very depth of their souls. Darius is determined to find proof before it is too late to save her.

In Vermillion, Kathleen Scott has built a world of magic and religion. And as often happens both or often twisted in such a way that it is no longer recognizable as what is really is all about. In this world she has built a cast of characters that are truly unforgettable. You can feel the evil leaching from the clerics of Portamere, with their twisted and unnatural thinking. You can understand the hatred and dismay felt by the townspeople, as each of them lose family and friends to the etheralmancy. Their pain has focused their hatred in the wrong direction and the blame falls to Kristabelle. You can empathize with them at the same time you are championing Darius and Kristabelle, urging them to find the answers they need to put an end to the atrocities performed in the name of religion. There is both beauty and madness in this story, and both are right at the surface, ready to be brought forth.

Summary:

Kristabelle is forced to work her magic on the town,s people of her home, in order to save her family. Many of those that she is forced to use her magic on, are well known to her. She is belittled by the clerics and spat upon by the townspeople. The souls she extracts are sealed in the stained glass of the Church as part of the process. She is lost and without hope.

Daruis is working undercover for the Magus, the head of the Church, trying to find out if the rumors leaking from the area are true. If they can find proof, the corrupted clerics will be arrested and the Church will regain its place. As the madness increases and the local clerics begin to use even more heathenish means to punish those who they feel are against them, the horror builds. It will be up to Kristabelle with her magic and Darius with his sword to determine who will win. Will they be in time to save the sanctity of the Church, and return the stolen souls to their rightful hosts?

Rating 5/5
This e-book was received through The Romance Reviews from the publisher. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the information.

Hunter's Moon Magic by Sandra SooKoo

Reviewed first on The Romance Reviews

Judith Goode finished putting the final touches on the gown that was supposed to be for her romantic tryst with Percy. The black velvet, used to make the dress, was supplied by Percy, her lover, which is what made it the perfect gown for their reunion. Judith was afraid though, she had been labeled as a witch and knew that she would be arrested and hung before Percy was able to rescue her. As she completed her task of love, she used all her healing craft to imbue the dress with love and hope, knowing that should she be arrested, that all the love she had for Percy would not be realized. If she can't wear the dress then she is determined that any women that wears the dress will have her true love dreams realized.

The sharp knock at the door interrupts her musings, and she finishes packing the beautiful gown with care, her brother must make sure the gown preserved and passed along their bloodline to their decedents. As the knock came again, she handed the package to her assistant and wiped the tears from her eyes. She would meet her fate with strength and honor, and she would stare into the eyes of her accusers, she would die but it would be on her own terms.
October 29th, I692 Ipswich, Massachusetts

Judith is a woman with healing lore during the 1600's in Massachusetts during a time of widespread hysteria. Many women and children were accused of witchcraft, as well as devil followers and were either burned at the stake or hung to death. She is one of these women whose life it cut short before her time. There is magic in love and with Judith's skill with herbs, that love is passed down through the generations.

Percy is bold and handsome; he is a seafaring man and the only man for Judith. In his estimation he will be able to rescue Judith at the last hour prior to her hanging. His love if fierce and burns brightly.

Throughout the years the dress has been handed down; the gown is meant to bring true lovers together, but on each occasion fate was not ready. Love was ignited and burned brightly until life got in it's way. Judith is trapped and until their hearts beat again as one, she will not be able to be with Percy. She has one last opportunity for this connection, or all will be lost.

October 31st, 2008 Indianapolis, Indiana

Jacob Howson loves the research he has been conducting on his family tree. Imagine belonging to a family that is descended from an accused witch. As he researched Judith Goode and her death by hanging, he was sad that she met the same fate as many of those others accused during that time in history. He is a strong and handsome man with a heart of gold. While he is at the dry cleaner picking up his laundry he ends up with an extra item on his load. It is a soft black gown and he tries to return it to the laundry. The owner will not take it as it was signed in to him. As Jacob turns to leave he runs into a young woman also bringing in her laundry. She does not move and he is knocked to the ground.

Lexy Brown, is beautiful and smart, she is challenging and very opinionated. Brushing against the plastic surrounding the dress she feels an immediate connection with Jacob. She is suspicious and ignores this feeling as she leaves the cleaner.

Jacob too feels that connection. Afraid he will not see her again, he follows her across the street and finally gets her to speak to him. He uses up his last nerve and asks her to accompany him to the Halloween party he attending later. Much to her surprise she agrees. She allows him to accompany her home and when she finds she has nothing to wear for the party, Jacob remembers the dress. When she finally agrees to wear it, she finds that it fits as if made for her. Again whether it is the dress or if it is just that their souls having found each other, Jacob and Lexy feel a strong connection. Their glances are white hot, and the passion inevitable. Each look and every lingering touch draws them closer. The dynamics are sizzling and the story pulls you in.

This is a first class and fun story full of charm and humor. It also gives us glimpses into the shadowy history of the trials of witchcraft and the hysteria it created. Women and children, young and old where accused during those dreadful years, and many innocents were condemned to death. While the story dealt with this horror, it remained focused on the bright and shiny hope of love and how it endures through the ages.

I was disappointed with the length of the story; it did not give the author enough time to really develop her characters. I was able to get a feel for a few of them, but the story was such a beautiful one to be cut short in this way. It was still very well written and fun. I would recommend it as the story is very innovative and moving. It is very unique from what I have read before.

Summary

Judith Goode is condemned as a witch in 1600 Massachusetts. The dress she has made for her romantic tryst with her lover, has just been completed. Her faith in love is strong so she imbues the dress with different herbs, so that anyone wearing it will find love. The story gives us the life and times of Judith Goode and then fast forwads us to the 1900’s where another of her decedents comes upon the dress. This too is a beautiful and doomed love, a love of passion and souls, fate and it fickleness.

With Judith still pulling the strings, trying to create that perfect love, we again fast forward to 2008 and our current time. Here we have a story of love and longing, of a passion that burns, and a pair of souls who may have reached the end of their journey. Has Judith finally set the stage for a lasting love? Will our final lovers be the ones to help her reunite with her one true love?

Rating 3/5

This Book was received as a free E-Book from the Publisher. All Opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Zan-Gah (A Prehistoric Advenure) by Allan Richard Shickman

Article first published as Book Review: Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure by Allan Richard Shickman on Blogcritics.

In the land of his people Zan, meant hunter. He is a young man in his early teens, preparing for a hunt that could bring more death to his people. It will be his first hunt, not one for hunger, but to keep their tribe

safe and for revenge of the death of a youngster. Once a lion has tasted of human they would not be safe while it still roamed. He would help to hunt it with his father, his uncle and the rest of the men of his tribe.

The hunt required them to create a large circle around the animal and make is smaller and smaller, thereby trapping the animal in such a way that he was attacked on all sides, more targets to confuse and annoy it. This lion immediately saw a weakness in the line, a line of tall straight unmovable objects but one. There was one weakness in that impenetrable wall. The lion leaped directly at Zan. With no recourse, Zen stood firm holding his

spear steadied by the ground. The lion was impaled, but Zan was marked by his claws. The cry immediately went up…..Zan-Gah, Zan-Gah. He had now just become a man, Zan the rock, immovable as a rock, solid in the face of danger.

As the celebration died down, Zan has made a life changing decision. He, who had been born one of a twin, had lost his brother the prior year. He did not feel that loss in his soul. Because this was so, he knows that his brother is not dead. Originally his family had thought that he too had been killed by one of the great cats, but with no success at finding his body, Zan was now sure he was lost, or taken by one of the many other tribes as a slave. With his newly found manhood, Zan has decided that his task has been set. He will follow the trail of his brother and not return home without him. A time of growth in a young mans life, of making a mark on the world. Will he reach his objective?

This is the story of Zan and his adventures in the prehistoric land of earth, living off the land, learning the customs of the others and searching for his lost twin.

In Zan-Gah, Allan Richard Shickman has given us a glimpse into the earth of long ago. He has described a time and place, rich with imagination, and believable in context. The country is described in detail and the descriptions bring the time to life. We meet different groups of cavemen and learn much of a culture that could have been how life really was on prehistoric earth. The weapons, and skins, as well as the face paintings are described in vivid detail. It is easy to visualize the meeting and fear of the most vicious of the groups.

Zan is a strong young man with a goal that he has set for himself. He will not let anything deter him. He has seen the ways of the world since he was a child and understands the dangers that he will face. He willingly accepts the challenge. He is extremely brave, and well tutored in the intricacies of dealing with others. Because there have been wars between the tribes for as long as could be remembered, there is knowledge of their ways as well.

The story is well told and the descriptions make it easy to visualize the time and place. This is a great book for the young adult reader, but also a fun story for anyone that would be interested in a story of bravery and courage. A story rich in life and adventure.

Rating 4/5
Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure

This book was recieved as a free copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own based of my reading and understanding of the material.

Invincible by Joan Johnston

First Reviewed on The Romance Reviews

Isabella Wharton Benedict, Duchess of Blackthorne, such a strong nom de plume, and yet what did any of it mean. Bella is dying, slowly and surely her heart is beginning to fail. It could be immediately of a heart attack or possibly three years down the road with good care. The damage is done and there is no going back. Now her only hope is that she can make amends, both with her husband and her children. While her marriage was never easy it grew into a cauldron of heat and fire, a passion that for her would never fade. Would she be able to find a way to explain and find her husbands forgiveness? He could not be aware of her failing health; she wanted him back on terms of love, not pity.

Now was a time to finally be there for her children. Could she be the catalyst to help them find the love that she had experienced? Would she be able to help them to realize that meeting of their one true soul mate, that passion that burns for a lifetime? There was little time, and with five of them, time was of the essence. How would she gain back their trust? There was so little time. And Bull, her bullheaded man, would there be enough time to heal the damage? Her heart, damaged beyond repair, was a viper, ready to strike her down without warning.

Bella is a very strong and determined woman. She has experienced so many difficulties in her life, and appears to be very misunderstood. There is a story there, one that is not fleshed out in this book, but will keep me reading the rest of this series because I really feel her pain. While she has earned much of what comes her way, she is human and has made many mistakes. While it takes the fear of her death to make her realize that there must be some closure for her children, but also for her own marriage, she had every intention of making amends. She just really felt there would be more time. She is afraid and lonely; there is much to do, to make it right.

In this book of the series we meet her son Max, who unknown to her is also a British secret agent. She knows a great deal about a woman that Max had been involved with as a teenager, and she knows that this is the woman for him. With her connections and her money she vows to bring them together.

Kristin Lassiter is a mom, and a FBI agent. As a teen she was a serious contender in tennis. In the last ten years her life as revolved around her daughter, Flick. Kristin is serious and smart, but has had some difficulties in her life, as well as her current job. She had been under review recently for using her gun, and was now under review again for a similar situation. Because she is on suspension from the FBI, her boss is loaning her to the British for an investigation of a possible murder plot against the United States president. The information is that the rumors are coming through a possible connection with tennis and that they need someone on the inside to ferret out the possible culprits. Kristin is a shoo-in due to her background. Her only problem is that she will be paired up with Max Benedict, a British undercover operative, and also the young man that broke her heart years ago on the tennis circuit. He is also unknowingly Flicks father. She has never quite forgotten that love, or even the friendship that preceded it. His betrayal as left a scar that will be hard to heal.

Max is a strong and resilient person. He grew up in a splintered home, with parents that were too involved with each other to pay attention to their children. He does not believe in marriage because of what he has had to endure. He has some very deep hurts that make him so very much human. He loves tennis, but left and moved on to his current job. He was cut very deeply as a teen, when he fell in love with another young tennis player years ago. They began as friends, and they were strong friends, but that all ended in one night of passion. The next day, all was as though it never happened, Kristin left for home, and he had never seen or heard from her again. He tried for some time but she would neither take his calls nor even respond to him in anyway. When he realizes that he needs her expertise to find a murderer, he is cautious but curious. Will there still be sparks. While he feels that he lost that love, he is still extremely attracted to her, for all the same reasons from the first time around. Just being near her still sets his heart aflame and the heat is thick with tension whenever they get together. The fires kindles, but he vows that love does not enter the picture; the passion is inevitable, pulling them, no regrets, no excuses, just plain uninhibited sex. But then what is that knot he is feeling, deep in his heart, dull and constant, hard to ignore?

Flick, a beautiful and precocious child, she will be the one to bring them together or tear them apart. She is Kristin’s secret, her joy and her connection to Max. But Flick is not an easy child. She is strong willed and extremely smart. She too has learned to play tennis from the time she was old enough and is better then both of her parents. She is so funny and sweet, but also just says it like it is. She is enamored of big words and throws them out in sentences, confusing and wowing her audience. She is a fun and strong cement for this wonderful cast of characters. Though her unselfconscious honesty we begin to see in Bella, a vulnerability, making you just wans to help her reach her goals, and it is also through Flick that we realize that one-Love is not just a tennis score.

Summary

Bella, the Countess of Blackthorne is dying. In an effort to make amends she has decided to use the time left to her, to help her five children find love. She also wants to rekindle her love with her estranged husband. The children are not very receptive to her invitation, but she is finally able to communicate with her son Max. Because of her status and wealth, she has hired private detectives and knows almost everything about him and his first real love. She also knows that he has a daughter and is determined to bring her into the fold. Now she just needs to create the perfect plan to make the puzzle pieces all fall into place. Just as in tennis, the winner takes it all.

Rating 5/5
Invincible

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

Petchy Maligula by Stan Carter

Article first published as Book Review: Petchy Maligula by Stan Carter on Blogcritics.

Set in an amusing parody of earth, a doppelganger if you will of the very place we call home is a distinctly odd but interesting mystery. There is only one person capable of finding the answers; Petchy Maligula, Private Investigator.

The heart throb of the History Channel, the host of “I Dig the Past”, Faladan Pala has disappeared. Petchy, along with hundreds of other women are absolutely devastated, he has been rumored to have been kidnapped and Petchy is on the case. Faladan is a handsome, lithe and friendly man, loved by those around him.

Petchy, as she would describe herself is definitely unlithe. In point of fact, she is not even good looking. She is a huge woman, but a very capable one. As she is drawn deeper into the mysterious absence of Faladan Pala, bodies begin to pile up. Different factions of the city and surrounding areas become immersed in the case. As each new clue turns up, it only creates further mystery.

The plot thickens as the History Channel hires an alternate host to temporarily replace Faladan, sending the investigation into false directions. It will take all of Petchy’s interesting and bizarre techniques to set the course to rescue her hero. And while it is an oddly straight forward, albeit strange and foreboding mystery, leading our heroine into untold areas, there is no way that she will have been able to foresee the bizarre and unusual ending.

In Petchy Maligula, Stan Carter has brought us an earth, in a parallel existence, just a bit different then the one that we know. It is inhabited by humans as well as aliens. Magic is still somewhat rare, but a very acceptable practice. The main setting for the story is the city of Betroit in Mechigan. Do not check your glasses, this is the correct spelling. This story is littered with this type of distinction. It is a dangerous and amusing world, so close to our own and yet just a bit off kilter. I was alternately amused and annoyed at times by the parables, but always entertained.

Petchy is an extremely interesting character and a very ample heroine. She dabbles a little in magic but is also bestowed with paranormal abilities. Her girl Friday’s are both ghosts, that do her bidding, sometimes gracefully, often times not. Lady Cresta Victaria Menden reached this state by being the thirteenth victim of Jack the slasher. Liddy McDade, her other helper was run over by a trolley. Liddy was also eleven at the time of her death, but she is a funny and willful ghost. Both have distinct personalities and add their own slant to the wild and crazy happenings in the story.

Petchy always carries her boob gun, very well encased to her bosom, and is a crack shot. She is sarcastic and crude, having belonged to a grrls (correct spelling) gang in her earlier years. She is the great, great, etc., etc. grand daughter to the Empress Maligula, a character in her own right, known for a particular appetite, and a device that was used on the male slaves that did not please her. This is also a part of the mystique of Petulanta as Petchy was christened at birth.

I enjoyed this story although it was a little difficult to get through. I generally read quickly but because of the different spelling I had to go back a few times to make sure I was correct. It is sometime a laugh out loud, maybe a chuckle, or just a slightly annoying read, but the story line is a winner. In all its absurdity, I found that I really enjoyed it. I believe that you will either love it or hate it, but it certainly captures the imagination. This is a fun and frivolous read, humor and imagination at its height.

Rating 4/5
Petchy Maligula

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

Desire Me by Robyn DeHart

http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=302

Sabine Tobias is a beautiful young woman in the prime of her life. The year is 1888 and she is still unsure as to why she was not chosen as the new guardian, when her mother passed on. The villagers made their choice and that was that. Her mother had been training her in the ways of a guardian, but Sabine really felt the villagers got it right when the chosen was her Aunt Agnes. But why then did her mother begin her training?

In “Desire Me”, Robyn DeHart has done a wonderful job creating a cast of characters, in a time a place that draws the imagination. Sabine lost her mother when she was still young and was raised by her aunts in a small village in order to keep their real identity a secret. There are small pockets of these villages throughout England where the inhabitants keep to themselves and remain hidden as some of the last decedents of the original inhabitants of Atlantis. As the rumors and signs of the prophesy increase Sabine and her Aunts move to London to open a shop. Here they will hide in plain sight and use the very thing that set them apart, the elixir, in a crème for ladies skin. This will keep their nemesis from finding them easily.

Sabine has to learn how to fit in, and she also has to find a way to know more about the fabled map of Atlantis, in order to learn more of the legend. Her origin puts her at risk but she must remain strong, and for some reason she feels that it is up to her to save her Aunts from exposure and to help them get in touch with the other guardians.

Her Aunt Agnes, the guardian, is a wonderful character, in the guardianship she is the healer. She is elderly but quite lively and very likable. Throughout the story we find out new and unique things about her that create such a yearning, I wanted her for my own family. She had a forbidden love from her youth that was forever in her heart. The love is so heartfelt and genuine it is a shock to find it also so forbidden. Her sisters Lydia and Calliope have their own idiosyncrasies and make for an interesting and fun group of characters. They are as close as friends as they are sisters and each rally around when any threat should occur. I was quite amused during one episode and could actually visualize it when they showed up, one with an old pistol and the other with a fireplace poker. They certainly have certain panache.

Our jaunty and extremely handsome hero of the piece, Maxwell Barrett is also the Marquis of Lindberg. He also belongs to a group called Solomon’s, a selective and secretive group of treasure hunters. Max/s whole life has revolved around proving that Atlantis really existed. At the tender age of seventeen he risked his life and found buried deep in a cave, an actual map of the fabled land. Off and on throughout his life he had been approached about the map, but his visit from Sabine was most unique and piqued his curiosity. He is very astute and incredibly intelligent so he is not fooled by her naivety when questioning him on the map. He is very attracted to her for her beauty but also finds her aloofness a challenge.

Spencer Cole, the chosen, is the nemesis of this story, and Robyn has created a character that is steeped in evil and easy to hate. He is oily and elusive believing his own hype while he stalks and murders members of the Queens guard. He considers himself above reproach and the murders as necessary to create the world as he was meant to rule.

Summary

The inhabitants of Atlantis have now started escaping their beautiful but doomed homeland. As the destruction continues, three ships leave port each carrying one of the guardians of the elixir, the nectar of Atlantis, understood by some to be the possible fountain of youth. Somehow the ships are separated and as landfall is reached so begin the separate settlements of the last of the remaining people of Atlantis. As years pass into decades and then to centuries, the tales and lore, as well as the guardianships are passed down in order to keep the hope of Atlantis alive. The guardianship is passed from father to son until the most recent guardianship known as the healers. This guardian did not have male offspring and so the guardianship was passed on to the first female in history.

Sabine Tobias is the daughter of that female guardian, and while not chosen by her village as the next guardian, her Aunt was chosen instead, she has taken on the challenge of saving the rest of her race. The signs have come that the guardians are under attack and that the elixir will be stolen to create an unbeatable army, an army that will take over the world. The prophesy makes mention of a weapon, the dove, which will save the world. It is this weapon that Sabine plans on finding. In order to get more information she needs to see the map of Atlantis rumored to be in the hands of Maxwell Barrett, the Marquis of Lindberg. She starts a madcap masquerade to try and relieve him of the map. Max is intrigued and is determined to find more about this beautiful and very elusive woman. As they work at cross purposes, each trying to outguess and outmaneuver the other, they do not realize they are being pulled into a dangerous game. And as murder and madness surrounds them they have to decide what is important.

This is a well written story of love and betrayal, where faith in humanity can overcome evil intentions.

Rating 4/5
Desire Me (The Legend Hunters)

The Ghost Of A Flea By John Brinling

Article first published as Book Review: The Ghost Of A Flea by John Brinling on Blogcritics.

Life for Roger Davis is mundane, he works a job that sucks the energy from him, he is married to Natalie, unhappy with how their love has warped since marriage, and one of his best friends Gideon, while a great person to talk philosophy with, has a keen and cutting mind, and a way of making Roger feel very small.

As he spends his usual one night a week with Gideon, defending his life and defending his wife, he is ready to snap. Gideon seems to see this and changes direction with their conversation, talking about all kinds of nonsensical things. He finally brings out a small panel, painted in tempura, asking Robert what he thinks of it. Robert is about done, feeing that Gideon is again setting him up, but Gideon just replies that the painting is a copy of one hanging in London, and is called The Ghost of a Flea. As Gideon tries to get Roger to relax, he invites him as he always does during their weekly meeting, to have a smoke. Tonight Roger finally gives in. He has never smoked marijuana before in his life, and he is amazed how calming it is.

Life as he knows it has just changed for Robert. All of a sudden things begin to happen. He hears conversations that are not happening, he loses things, but when he looks again they are exactly where he thought they should be. He gets called into a meeting by one of his work colleagues, and when he shows up no one else is there. When questioned, his friend knows nothing about a call. He initially wonders if it is a side effect from the marijuana but when he discusses it with Gideon he is assured that it would not affect him in that way. Here he also meets Peggy Curtis, a good friend of Gideon‘s, a very attractive woman that actually comes on to him. He is worried and frustrated unable to understand the mind games that he feels are being played on him.

Then his friend Gideon is found brutally murdered, shortly after Roger has left his apartment. And as he tries to figure out the pieces, he runs into Peggy again. Not sure what her part in all of this is, he is distrustful, but she knows so much of what is happening. As they work together to find the clues, at every turn, someone they have been close to or in contact with is found murdered. And who do they go to; even the police seem to be involved? Natalie, his wife, has gone off the deep end, she has moved out of their home, but even then Robert can not go home, he is now a suspect. As his friends are murdered, a young girl is kidnapped and he is now on the run for his life.

He has been cut off from everyone he has known and his only ally, Peggy is possibly at the root of everything happening to him. Who does he trust and will he be able to find Cathy, the young girl in time. He holds the key to it all, a puppet on the string, dancing in what ever way he is directed. But who is the puppet master? He is known only as the Clown. In this fast paced story of greed and murder, will the winner take it all?

This is a well written, and fast paced book. The Ghost Of A Flea is full of surprises and constantly keeps you on your toes, wondering what will happen next. Peggy is a strong heroine, while Roger is a very weak counterpart. As the story progresses he gains strength and confidence and actually seems to enjoy some of the action. The characters are well developed and written with exacting detail. It is easy to see them in your mind as the action takes hold. As the plot thickens it gets a little confusing, as almost every one that Roger runs into is suspect. Are the police on the take? Who do they trust when every were they turn there is murder and madness? Roger tries to steer clear of the danger but when everyone and every thing he holds dear is threatened he calls on his strength and cunning to find the mastermind, because only then will all be made clear and the madness find an ending. John Brinling veers left, then right, and then somewhere in the middle in this madcap game of suspense.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves suspense and mystery. Be prepared to be surprised and on the rollercoaster ride of your life. The twists and turns keep coming and it is anyone’s guess where it will all turn out. And really, in the end, it is a love story of note. Not everything is as it seems.

Rating 4/5
The Ghost Of A Flea
 
This Book was received as a free E-Book from the Author. Any opinion expressed is my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.