Mrs. Saint and the Defectives by Julie Lawson Timmer

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Mrs. Saint and the Defectives', A Novel by Julie Lawson Timmer.

In Mrs. Saint And The Defectives
by Julie Lawson Timmer, we come to terms with the label ‘Busy Body.’ As you find the spirit of this work through your reading, you will have an opportunity to see just how effective such a person might be.
Markie is a woman who has lost it all, her marriage as well as her financial and professional life. Embarrassed and depressed she packs up and moves with her teenage son to a new town where she can begin again to pick up the pieces of her world, privately. The one problem is an elderly neighbor, Mrs. Saint, that takes it upon herself to help fix whatever problems that she feels or determines that Markie has. Not only that, but she brings in her own group of friends to help.

Markie is both annoyed and disturbed, she wants to move on, and forget her problems. Yet she soon comes to realize that forgetting does not heal the hurt, and with the help of Mrs. Saint, she is able to find a way to cure both her own worries and feelings as well as those of her son.  When she and the other “defectives” find that Mrs. Saint has her own secrets that can threaten her own world, they jump in to find a way to help a woman who goes out of her way to help heal others through her kindness as well as her stubbornness. Can they come together and bring hope to Mrs. Saint as she has, in turn, done for them?

Julie Lawson Timmer has given us a feel-good book full of characters with interesting, fun, and even curmudgeonly, at times, personalities. The problems and solutions are real and she finds a way to bring each character together and create a bond that stems from kindness and caring. Using an older woman of mysterious means, she takes us into the world where hope and friendships create a healing, even for those who do not realize they are in pain.

If you are looking for that feel-good book for light summertime reading this will be a great one to begin your journey. Interesting and heartwarming, you will find yourself reflecting on each character long after reading about them.

This would be a wonderful book for a reading group or book club, full of creative dialogue.

Rating 4/5

The Mutual Admiration Society by Lesley Kagen

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'The Mutual Admiration Society', A Young Adult novel by Lesley Kagen.

In The Mutual Admiration Society by Lesley Kagen we are taken into the lives of two young sisters, Tessie, and Birdie. Tessie is convinced that she can solve crimes and keeps her younger sister involved as well. She doesn’t feel that Birdie can do as well without her own involvement as she is very sweet, and just a tad weird.

Tessie is sure, however, of her own abilities and it is fun having a younger sister believe in her and all her adventures. After all, Tessie is known for her crime solving abilities. When they hear a scream one night and mysterious happenings, she knows that she is the only one that can find a murderer. For she is sure that is what she has witnessed.

Another friend, Charlie, finds himself intrigued as well and determines to help in the investigation. What Tessie finds as she tries to solve the case, that no one else shows an interest in, is that often what we see and hear can have many varied reasons. She also finds with encouragement, that her sister Birdie is much more than she seems, that she has thoughts and ideas that might more than take over her own. But her sweetness and attention to Tessie’s plots, keep them going, and creating a strong admiration for each other’s abilities and input.

This is a sweet and funny story of the kids in the neighborhood that are just a bit different, those who look behind the everyday, and develop stories and intrigues that make life in their home and neighborhood interesting…At least for themselves.

Kagen takes us into the past and into the life of a family that struggles just as many others of the time do. But she also shows us the hijinks of children as they find ways to enjoy their time away from school, and other troubles. Her characters are very like those we each grew up with, I am sure you can relate as you find the fun and danger in this work.

If you are looking for a good work for your youngster, or are trying to get your child to read, this is a fun and fast paced work of fiction, that will keep you looking for more. Kagen does an excellent job of taking us into the recent past and showing us a life many will remember. She also gives us insight into the endearing traits of how children grow in the process of finding their niche in life.

Rating 4/5

Some Women by Emily Liebert

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Some Women,' A Novel by Emily Liebert.

Life is often difficult and changes in many ways as we grow older. Marriage and children add another twist but also bring both joy and often heartache. In Some Women by Emily Liebert, we are introduced to and won over by three different women with very little in common who find a way to connect and develop a friendship that helps them each to move forward and live the life that is thrust upon them.

Annabel Ford devotes her time to twin boys and her home. When her husband suddenly tells her he is leaving she is unprepared and finds her world spinning out of control. Piper Whitley has always been in control and run her life faultlessly. Raising a daughter and having a career as a reporter, she seems the epitome of a super mom. Yet when she finally meats the man of her dreams, her daughter’s father decides to show up, creating a maelstrom of emotion, causing cracks in the façade of her reality.

Mackenzie Mead has everything, she is married to the heir of a huge media outlet, and life seems to be hers for the living. Yet she has a strong and difficult boss at work, one who is also her own mother-in law. The life that seemed so perfect is eroding as she finds she can no longer find that connection for communicating with her husband.

Life is suddenly not coming out as planned. Thrust together, these women form an unlikely friendship and against all odds. Yet it’s this bond that helps them each reach within to find the person they each know is inside. Can such a friendship help them to cope with the changes and challenges of their unraveling lives?

Liebert brings us life and humor where we often see only struggle. She takes us into the hardships and challenges of modern day life. She brings together three very different women who become the backbone and the strength that helps them to move forward. Each character is very different from the other and yet Liebert finds a way to make the bond work in a realistic and tantalizing way. You find yourself immersed in the lives and problems, rooting them on, urging them to find a way to mend the hurts and hardships they are struggling with.

If you enjoy women’s fiction, drama, and witty, funny dialogue you will find this a great work to keep you entertained. Liebert keeps you entranced from start to finish in her heartwarming and funny look at the life of those we often deem most perfect. Life happens to us all, and Liebert’s work gives us the blueprint to keep moving forward.

This would be a great book for a Book club or discussion group. Full of interesting and challenging subjects it will create great open dialogue and fun.

Rating 4/5

The Rabbit Who wants To Go To Harvard by Zeldar the Great with help from Diana Holquist and Christopher Eliopoulos

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'The Rabbit Who Wants To Go To Harvard', A Parody by Zeldar the Great with Help from Diana Holquist and Christopher Eliopoulos.

The Rabbit Who Wants to go To Harvard by Zeldar the Great with Help from Diana Holquist and Christopher Eliopoulos is a fun poke at the concentrated effort some families use on children to overachieve at a young age, when friends and fun should be more important.

Interactive and witty, the work is fun and zany, almost more for an adult reader, although the way it is written is fun for a child. Leaving blanks to fill in the child’s name is one way it works to involve younger readers. Anyway, who couldn’t love the bunny family.  However there is certainly enough humor to entertain an adult as well.

Ronald Rabbit wants to be normal, but he can't. His mom wont let him. She harbors an obsession with Harvard. While she pushing him in every direction she works her way through her own issues. The rest of Ronald's siblings seem to be overlooked in this strange yet fascinating dive into his moms obsessive and compulsive push for achievement. But he won't let her down, even if it means giving up his own fascination with Peter Rabbit, after all his mother assures him that Peter will never go to Harvard with his background.

The Rabbit family is somewhat dysfunctional, but there is a strong push for the little rabbit to begin preparing himself for greater achievement while mom does her own form of encouragement. If you are looking for a book that is fun to read and can challenge your youngster, this may be the very one. By involving them with the use of their name and with all the various ways of encouraging the adult to follow the vocal cues required this is a great book for a parent to read with their child.

This would be an interesting book for a reading group, one full off fun and discussion, especially about obsessions and how they affect others.

Rating 5/5

The Wiccan Witch of the Midwest by Scott A. Lerner

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book review: 'The Wiccan Witch of the Midwest', a Samuel Roberts Thriller, by Scott A. Lerner.

Samuel Roberts has moved and begun a new life as he tries desperately to get over a relationship with Susan.  Unable to keep her from the danger that seems to follow him, she has moved on, leaving him free to find love again.

In The Wiccan Witch of the Midwest by Scott A. Lerner, we catch up with Samuel as he begins putting his new life together. When his friend Bob introduces him to a new woman, he is strangely smitten. Bridget Gillis is beautiful and vivacious and also happens to be a fortune teller. Yet if that wasn’t enough to get his “spider senses” going, she also belongs to a coven of witches.  The village that contains the coven was founded by her great aunt, and Bridget could certainly be her twin if the paintings are even close to her aunt’s depiction.
The relationship becomes quickly complicated as just a few days before Halloween; Bridget is to be tried by their coven for practicing dark magic. The punishment is to be burned at the stake. With

Sam’s background in law, he is the perfect advocate for her dilemma.  His best friend, Bob, is suspicious of the quick relationship, but comes to help all the same. Can they help determine if she is the good witch or the bad witch before it is too late?

Lerner gives us another fun and dangerous romp with his returning character Samuel Roberts. As usual Sam is only trying to do the right thing, and this new romance seems so wonderful.  Caught up in the crazy circumstances that usually accompany his life, he finally seems to have found a new direction and woman. Can it all really be so simple?

Bridget is such a mix of characters, part minx, part seductress and part innocence. Yet there are secrets hidden beneath her beauty. Calculated and cold she is temptress and succubus all at the same time ensnaring Sam in her life. She is in need of rescuing, is Sam the man that can get her back on track?

If you enjoy mystery, humor, romance and danger you will find this perfect for your library. Paranormal and magic thread throughout the telling and you will fall in love with the characters one more time.

This would be a great book for the upcoming holidays. It is fun and enjoyable, one you will want to pass on to your friends.

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Scott A. Lerner's Bio:

Author and attorney Scott A. Lerner resides in Champaign, Illinois. He obtained his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and went on to obtain his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. He is currently a sole practitioner in Champaign, Illinois. The majority of his law practice focuses on the fields of criminal law and family law. Lerner’s first novel and the first Samuel Roberts Thriller, Cocaine Zombies, won a bronze medal in the mystery/cozy/noir category of the 2013 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Awards. The second book in the series is Ruler of Demons. The Fraternity of the Soul Eater is book 3. Book 4, The Wiccan Witch of the Midwest, will be released on Halloween, 2015.

The Wiccan Witch of the Midwest Book Summary:

Samuel Roberts, a lawyer in Champaign, Illinois, has just moved to a new home to escape the memories of his old place—the stray body parts left by evil entities as well as traces of his relationship with Susan, who left him because he couldn’t stop risking both their lives trying to save the world. That leaves Sam free to fall in love again. Sam falls hard, suspiciously hard, for Bridget Gillis, a beautiful fortune teller who also happens to be a witch and a member of a coven. The village that encompasses the coven was founded by Bridget’s great-great aunt, also named Bridget and a dead ringer for her descendant. The new relationship quickly gets complicated. It is two days before Halloween, and Bridget is about to be tried by her fellow witches for the crime of practicing dark magic involving the blood of children. The punishment is to be burned at the stake. Bridget needs an advocate, and Sam is the perfect man for the job.

Sam brings in Bob, who is suspicious of his best buddy’s sudden passion. The two of them have until the Witching Hour on Halloween to clear Bridget’s name and find out who is killing the local children. As they comb the area for clues, quiz the locals, and take a crash course in witchcraft and Wiccan customs, Sam and Bob can’t shake the question: is Bridget a good witch or a bad witch?

The Wiccan Witch of the Midwest is the fourth book in the Samuel Roberts Thriller series, which began with Cocaine Zombies and continued with Ruler of Demons and The Fraternity of the Soul Eater.

Price/Formats: $4.99 ebook, $13.95 paperback
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 230
Publisher: Camel Press
Release: October 31, 2015
ISBN: 9781603812917

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Benjamin Franklin, Huge Pain in my ... by Adam Mansbach and Alan Zweibel

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Benjamin Franklin, Huge Pain in my ...' by Adam Mansbach and Alan Zweibel. 

Franklin Isaac Saturday is having a terrible time. His father has been located cross country, and his mom is remarried. Middle school is not what he expected, and he can’t seem to figure out the rules. In Benjamin Franklin, Huge Pain in my … by Adam Mansbach and Alan Zweibel, we are introduce to a comedic and historical work of interesting proportions.

Ike (as he is known) has a crush on his lab partner, but she doesn’t even see him. He has an opportunity to pick up extra credits by writing a letter to a Famous Historical Person. He picks Benjamin Franklin because of the name they share. He steals an old stamp from his stepfather’s collection just to add some authenticity. Then to make Claire (his lab partner) laugh, he mails it.

It is when Ben Franklin writes back that his life turns around and he begins a strange long distant friendship. How is it possible to communicate with such a heroic figure from the past; Ike isn’t sure but it has brought him closer to his crush.

To top it all off, Ben Franklin seems to have some of the same type of problems, so Ike finds himself continuing to write. Unaware of the ramifications of changing the past, he shares information that could change the entire course of history. Can he repair the possible damage he has begun?

This is a zany, funny look at time travel of sorts, as it relates to communication. You will find yourself entranced in the antics of Ike as he seeks advice from his historical mentor, and even tries to mail himself so he can actually meet him. The characterizations of both Ike and Claire keep the fun going with their silliness, but at the same time you are introduced to bits of real history that is fascinating.

If you have a young adult who loves to read and you can’t find just the right work, you will find this to be both fun and interesting for them. While written for the younger crowd it is also a tickling funny read for those who love books and especially the young at heart. You will be intrigued by the ideas and snatches of history included.


This would be a great book for a school book club or reading group. The fun is only part of its charm.

Rating 4\5

Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head by Lauren Oliver and H.C. Chester

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Curiosity House, The Shrunken Head,' A Young Adult Mystery by Lauren Oliver & H.C Chester.

Entertaining, intriguing, dangerous and full of action, Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head by Lauren Oliver & H.C. Chester takes you on a fun filled journey with a group of children who have grown up in Dumfrey’s  Dime Museum of Freaks Oddities and Wonders. Each with different abilities, orphans Philippa, Sam and Thomas call the museum home. When they are joined by a new member, Max everything suddenly changes.

When the Shrunken Head exhibit is unveiled, resulting in the death of one customer, suddenly the museum is drawing a different kind of crowd. Everyone wants to see the acts of the children but more importantly the curiosity known as the Shrunken Head. When it disappears, Dumfrey knows that his world has changed. With that loss he knows the children will be in trouble as well. They are not willing to let things change for good though. They have decided to investigate the disappearance on their own first, but as they begin their own interference, they find that as they move forward, each person in contact with the shrunken head seems to be dying.

When their very own Dumfrey becomes a suspect in murder, they scatter to find every clue. They know that their lives will change if they are broken up, and there are those who just do not understand their abilities. Their own safety and well-being lie in being a family, and Dumfrey is their most ardent supporter. Can they find the answers before he is taken away for good?

Oliver and Chester have given us a remarkable group of children and set them in a fun, exciting setting, the New York of the 30’s. While gifted with strange abilities they have come under protection of a man who is more then he seems. Unable to care for them in the normal way he makes them a part of his shows, but for him, they are his children. The love and respect that is engendered into the story create warmth of relationship, and the antics of the group keep you both interested and just a bit appalled.

This is a great work of humor, danger, interest and historical settings that catch your attention from the beginning.

If you enjoy adventure, oddities, family and mystery this will be a great copy of work for your library. Written with the young adult in mind, the antics create a great interest in reading, but make no mistake this is also a work of mystery and novelty that will keep the curious and young at heart entertained as well.

Rating 4/5

The Fraternity of the Soul Eater by Scott A. Lerner

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'The Fraternity of the Soul Eater', A Samuel Roberts Thriller by Scott A Lerner.

In The Fraternity of the Soul Eater, Scott A. Lerner takes us on a journey into the darkness that dwells in the mind of those most enchanted with darkness. Samuel Roberts an attorney by day has found himself in situations that cannot be explained. He feels as though there is danger that others do not believe, nor have they ever seen. His law duties seem quite tame by contrast and he finds himself wishing for more. His girlfriend thinks he is a junkie for danger and he is not sure he doesn’t agree.

He knows that something is stirring in the darkness through for he is having dreams he cannot decipher. Egypt often is the base of his worries, so when finds himself in an Egyptian museum he is both worried and excited.

The sudden danger though is quick and unexpected. He needs the help of his friend Bob, for things have begun to creep even him out. Even with warnings from his girlfriend to desist his quest he is unable to let go. Yet when she disappears he finds himself in deeper than expected. Suddenly his own life is on the line, and he is captured for an extremely unlikely DNA experiment.

Can Sam save both his girlfriend and himself from a crazy mad man who believes he can brings back the old Gods of Egypt through experimentation? Will this danger finally be the end of his relationship? With Bob as his only hope he escapes though brutality, something he has always avoided in the past. Will this be the final means that will allow darkness to enter his own soul?

Lerner gives us characters that are full of fun, bluster and charm, yet have that energy that you feel is trustworthy. His dynamics between his characters and protagonists are both strange and unlikely, but at the same time intriguing and interesting. You find yourself immersed in a story that takes you to the edge of darkness, twisting and realigning your own take on life.

The edge of darkness seems real and at any time you could find yourself immersed through the work of those who believe, for they are quite fanatical.

If you enjoy mystery, danger and the macabre, riddled with humor and friendship you will find this a must have for your library. You can read it time and again and still find passages you may have missed which make this a fun and unique find.

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Scott A. Lerner's Bio:

Author and attorney Scott A. Lerner resides in Champaign, Illinois. He obtained his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and went on to obtain his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. He is currently a sole practitioner in Champaign, Illinois. The majority of his law practice focuses on the fields of criminal law and family law. Lerner’s first novel and the first Samuel Roberts Thriller, Cocaine Zombies, won a bronze medal in the mystery/cozy/noir category of the 2013 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Awards. The second book in the series is Ruler of Demons. The Fraternity of the Soul Eater is book 3. Book 4, The Wiccan Witch of the Midwest, will be released on Halloween, 2015.

The Fraternity of the Soul Eater Book Summary:

It’s been a while since Samuel Roberts was called upon to save mankind, and he’s getting restless. His girlfriend Susan thinks he’s a danger junkie, and he’s worried he has a hero complex. He’s back to his usual small-town lawyerly duties in Champaign-Urbana, handling divorces and helping people beat DUI raps. But then a young fraternity pledge calls. During an initiation ceremony he witnessed the live sacrifice of a young woman, but he had so much alcohol in his system that no one believes him. Except Sam. Lately Egyptian lore has been creeping into his life, his dreams, and his movie preferences, and he’s pretty sure he knows why. Evil is knocking on his door again.

Is the call welcome? Why can’t Sam be satisfied with his comfortable legal practice and gorgeous redheaded girlfriend? Maybe it’s because he knows that, as inadequate as he may feel to the task, he and his friend Bob may be humanity’s only hope against ancient supernatural forces combined with modern genetic engineering. Come hell or high water. Or in this case, the underworld or subterranean pyramids.

The Fraternity of the Soul Eater is the third book in the Samuel Roberts Thriller series, which began with Cocaine Zombies and continued with Ruler of Demons.

Price/Formats: $4.99 ebook, $13.95 paperback
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 218
Publisher: Camel Press
Release: June 1, 2015
ISBN: 9781603812894

Amazon buy link
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A Sporting Murder by Lesley A. Diehl

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'A sporting Murder, An Eve Appel Mystery by Lesley A. Diehl

In A Sporting Murder by Lesley A. Diehl, we are introduced to Eve and her friend Madeleine, and their endeavors to run a consignment shop in Sabal Bay, Florida. Cowboys, swamps and alligators are the main scenery.  On a cruise with Eve’s detective boyfriend Alex, and Madeline’s new friend David they are unaccountably accosted by David’s neighbor, a very nasty character, leaving more questions than answers. Eve is hooked, she wants more answers, and she is willing to investigate on her own if necessary.

Both David and his neighbor own a sport-hunting reserve, so Alex tries to get her to put it behind them as professional jealousy. Yet when a dead body shows up on David’s land with every clue pointing at him as the murderer, Eve takes a stance. There is something fishy about the whole thing, and the encounter on the water with his neighbor isn’t the only issue. The neighbor’s wife has now also effectively had Eve and Madeleine’s business vacated. She is opening her own shop, and the line has been drawn in the sand.

As David molders in jail, Alex and Eve work at trying to get to the bottom of the murder he is being charged with. Can they find the real answers before it is too late? Eve and Madeleine take their own business on the road as well; they have clients to take care of. What is it with all the ugliness behind the sport-hunting business that has everyone up in arms?

Diehl gives us characters with strength and humor. Eve is a great mix of intelligence, charm and minx, and exhibits the tendency to butt in where it may not be comfortable. She also has a few friends in low places that are there for her regardless of what she needs. Her friend Alex is in no way immune to her charm but is also aware of her tendencies.

The situation is serious and the murder is odd, yet the mix of danger, fun and mystery keeps you turning the pages.

If you enjoy mystery, romance and a little bit of crazy you will enjoy A Sporting Murder. Eve Appel is a great character and her relationships keep the fun and mystery rolling in unexpected directions. This would be a great book for your library especially for the cozy mystery fan.

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Lesley A. Diehl's Bio:

Lesley A. Diehl retired from her life as a professor of psychology and reclaimed her country roots by moving to a small cottage in the Butternut River Valley in upstate New York. In the winter she migrates to old Florida--cowboys, scrub palmetto, and open fields of grazing cattle, a place where spurs still jingle in the post office. Back north, she devotes her afternoons to writing and, when the sun sets, relaxing on the bank of her trout stream, sipping tea or a local microbrew.

A Sporting Murder Book Summary:

It's smooth sailing for Eve Appel and her friend Madeleine, owners of Second to None Consignment Shop in rural Florida's Sabal Bay, land of swamps, cowboys, and lots and lots of 'gators. Eve and her detective boyfriend Alex have joined Madeleine and her new beau David Wilson for a pleasure cruise on his boat. But cloudy, dangerous waters lie ahead. A near fatal encounter with Blake Reed, David's supremely nasty neighbor, is soon followed by a shooting death on the dividing line between David and Blake's land. Both men run sport-hunting reserves, but Blake imports "exotics" from Africa and promotes gator killing, while David stays within the law, pointing clients toward the abundant quail and turkey as well as the wild pigs that ravage the landscape. Nevertheless, when a mutual client is killed, it is David who is arrested and charged with murder.

Blake's nastiness is only exceeded by that of his wife, Elvira, who forces Eve and Madeleine out of their shop, intending to replace it with a consignment shop of her own. It seems that bad luck looms over them all, even Eve's brawny and hard-to-resist Miccosukee Indian friend Sammy, whose nephew has disappeared. As the case against David grows stronger and his friends' misfortunes multiply, Eve and her strange and diverse group of friends, including her ex, a mobster, her grandma, and Sammy's extended family, band together to take on the bad guys. But the waters are getting muddier and more troubled, and Eve and Madeleine may end up inundated in every sense of the word.

Price/Formats: $4.95 ebook, $13.95 paperback
Genre: Cozy Murder Mystery
Pages: 250
Publisher: Camel Press
Release: July 15, 2015
ISBN: 9781603819398

Amazon buy link:
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Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Sugar' by Deirdre Riordan Hall.

In Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall we meet a young woman named Sugar Legowski-Gracia. Food is now a part of who she is, and while she is not as big as her mama, she is certainly on her way. Her mom is so heavy she no longer gets out of bed, and she is mean. Nothing that Sugar does is right, and even though she waits on her taking care of her, her mom is ungrateful.

Her brother is even worse, he is heavy, rude and crude, and his attitude even outdoes that of their mother. Life seems nothing but downhill.

When Sugar meats Even, his father was illiterate so the spelling is correct, she has her first opportunity to have a friend that sees her, not her weight, but the real her. As their friendship builds, Sugar finds that she has more control; she begins to think of the future, something that has always seemed beyond her.

Can she become the girl that Even sees beyond the mirror? She must decide soon or sink into the mire that has become her role in the family.

Hall gives us characters that are quite real. As you delve into her work you think back to those you have met, and you can see the same circumstances and personalities of some people in your own past. The hopelessness of the situation draws you in, making you feel the pain of rejection.

Introducing Even, a young man who looks deeper than most, she creates a shift in the reality of the darkness consuming her title character. You can feel a weight lifted, as hope and joy begin to bud. At the same time, strength must be found for to go against family and move in a differing direction takes fortitude.

If you enjoy literary works that make you think, works that create hope and courage, you will find this to be a great read. Hall has taken us into the mindset of lost hope and grief, and shown us around, while bringing us the light to see our way clear.

This would be a great book for a reading group or a discussion group. There is a great deal of controversial dialogue available.

Rating 4/5

The Blondes by Emily Schultz

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'The Blondes', A Horror Story by Emily Schultz.

To have a strain of disease that rocks the globe is always the stuff of horrors, the possibility of the beginning of the end for civilization. Yet each beginning of such illness seems to create a frenzy of those who search deep and find a solution thereby relegating the apocalypse to the background of thoughts one more time.

In The Blondes by Emily Schultz, we are introduced to a funny ‘tongue in cheek’ type of apocalyptic future where one after another horror and death or deaths are caused by blonde women throughout the world. Trying to stem the tide of killings, the research shows the only connection to be the color of the women’s hair. That the women generally die closely thereafter the episode makes for difficulty in finding the cause. The illness does not seem to differentiate between false blondes or the real thing, it also reaches out to light reds and highlights. Marshal Law is imposed and women rounded up and placed in camps for verification the disease is not just dormant and ready to come to the surface and create more horror. Each is tested and held, as the world turns crazy.

Hazel Hayes becomes the voice of the information, narrating though this crazy psychological conundrum as she tries to decipher if the disease will attack her as well. As the narrative moves further into a strange twisting tale of an epidemic causing women to go to great lengths to conceal their hair, even she is looking at making the change. As stores sell out all the darkest colors, pandemonium erupts, causing even more disaster.

As Hazel finds herself on the run, we find she is pregnant through one of her professors in college; she has very light red hair and is being hunted even as she updates the information. Her life is a bit like those around her but her pregnancy creates a strong sustainability for her, as most are not as afraid of her and are willing to help. While the pregnancy is unwanted, due to the circumstances she is hiding out herself and unwilling to seek an abortion. Yet when she goes in search of her baby’s father, she finds only his wife. Together through mutual dislike they form a bond over the child, moving away and in together for there is a small amount of safety in numbers.  What will happen to them as the world begins persecuting blondes and blonde derivatives?

If you enjoy horror and mystery this is an interesting look at how beauty kills. If you enjoy humor you will find yourself at times incredulous at the depths the women will go, and all the way through you will find a story of hope and friendship, but also brutality and abuse.

This would be a fun work for a reading and discussion group. There are pockets of horror and humor that compete evenly or possibly not. Only you can decide.

Rating 4/5

A Reunion of Ghosts by Judith Claire Mitchell

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: ' A Reunion of Ghosts', A Portrait of a Complicated Family by Judith Claire Mitchell.

Can the ‘Sins of our Fathers’ really dictate our own future, or do those that truly follow in such footsteps allow themselves such a belief. 

In A Reunion of Ghosts by Judith Claire Mitchell we are given a remarkable story of three interesting and odd sisters, with an extraordinary legacy of family suicide.  As they grow and emerge into distinct individuals, we garner an interest and wonder at the thought process that is engendered due to their past and their own belief of how they themselves with die. 

The Alter sisters, Lady, Vee and Delph are truly and eclectic mix of strange, interesting and absurd. They live together now in their families apartment.  Bad luck seems to follow them the same as that of their lineage, and yet they know that no matter what happens they have each other. Their sense of humor is intact and they use it to keep themselves and each other entertained. 

Lady is riddled with cancer and is thinking quite wildly of how she can make her own destiny, to choose her own death before the pain and destruction of the disease claims her.  Vee and Delph who love her and really have no other plans decide that when the decision is made they will go with her. Making a pact they set a time, and as it draws near many things begin to happen. 

Can they hold to their decision or will life happen and change the course of what they feel is their true destiny?

Mitchell has given us a family and a history that is interesting and strange. Her sister characters are brave and bold with a strangely wicked sense of humor. While some of the reading was slow and I found a bit of difficulty moving forward, I was glad that I did because there is a point where a voyeuristic fascination with the oddity seems to set in, propelling you headlong in a course to find out more. 

If you enjoy life and mystery littered with bits of history you will find this a book to look for. If you enjoy humor and fascinating people and ideas, this will give you some interesting case study. 

A reading and discussion group would find this a great work to discuss, full of strange ideas and intriguing dialog, this would create a remarkable bit of debate. 

Rating 3/5

The Alchemist's Daughter by Mary Lawrence

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review:'The Alchemist's Daughter', A Bianca Goddard Mystery by Mary Lawrence.

Forensics is an important part of crime scenes, necessary in the investigation of what, where, and why a crime occurred, as well as the possible who-dun-it. Long before the science of forensics there were those whose life revolved around alchemy, an earlier science involving herbs and medicinal plants, more in the form of remedies, but nevertheless often helpful in both the creating and solving of crimes.

In The Alchemist’s Daughter by Mary Lawrence we are introduced to Bianca Goddard, a young woman who lives and breathes the practice of Alchemy. Known for her remedies and discoveries, she finds herself digging even deeper as she saves her father from the gallows by proving he had not tried to poison the King.  Yet with all that past, life has settled and she is now affianced to her love, and busy trying to find a remedy for the diseases that strike the poor in the Southwark slums of London.

Unconventional and beautiful, Bianca is smart and daring. She has concocted a form of rat poison that is in demand, for rats have begun over running the area. Death and disease come along with them, and she is not going to allow them to continue their plague.

When a dear friend dies while visiting her shop she finds herself immediately a suspect, especially with her father’s background. She must use her skills in medicine to find the poison used as well as the actual murderer. Yet to do that she must stay ahead of the police. As she bobs in and out of the tenements, one step ahead, she stumbles on an even bigger plot, one that will take down the entire city if not stopped. Can she save herself from the goal and hanging, and help solve the mystery of the rats, before it is too late for them all? As the deaths pile up, Bianca finds herself one step ahead of danger.  When the police are after her, who does she turn to for help?

Bianca and her group of friends and misfits are brought to stark relief through the descriptions engendered by the author. You find yourself drawn to them, and even amused at the antics in the strangely creepy and suspenseful mystery.

Bianca is her won woman, and as such she does not follow the norms of the times. She stands out and becomes a hero to those who believe in her. She is smart and brave, sometimes to her detriment.

If you enjoy history and mystery with fun and romance, as well as a creep appeal you will find this a truly amazing addition to your library. Bianca makes a great sleuth, and the back drop of 16th century London takes you back to a time before forensics and medicine become as we know them today.

This would be a great work for a reading or discussion group. The appeal and nuances would create a great deal of debate and interest.


Rating 5/5

Keeping Mum: Episode One by Perrin Briar

Tongue-in-cheek and quirky you will find the action and ideas in ‘Keeping Mum’ both fun and gregarious.

 Peter is a fledgling actor looking for his slot in the difficult world of acting. Kate, his sister, is a high maintenance woman without the money or prospects to pull it off.  Their mother has been in declining health and they both know that in only seven more days, they will finally receive their trust money. Their mum only has to live for seven more days and they will be home free.  For Kate this means everything. She has spent more than she can afford and is now in dire trouble.

It is with both shock and dismay when Kate shows for a visit only to find that their mum has passed away. In a panic she calls her brother, and even in her anxiety she has a plan.

She knows that Peter has auditioned for a part that requires someone to play an elderly woman. He feel like he flubbed his chances and his sister Kate uses this to her advantage. With the right props and makeup he can pretend to be their mum for the next seven days and then they can announce her death. In the meantime they can put her in the big freezer and thaw her when the time comes.  Peter thinks she is crazy and will have none of it. When she comes clean with the mess of her life and the immediacy of her need he begrudging concurs, and so begins the fun and irresistible romp of humor and drama that pulls you in.

If you are a fan of the absurd and bizarre, this will fill the bill. If you enjoy comedy and strange behaviors then you are sure to enjoy the antics. I look forward to following the comedic situation as it unwinds, and believe that Perrin Briar has done a great job of setting a story and creating characters that seem a perfect fit.  You will want to read his episodes in their entirety to get the full comedic scope of his drama.

Rating 5/5

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

A Wedding and a Funeral by Lauren Carr

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review:'A Wedding and a Funeral; a Mac Faraday Mystery' by Lauren Carr.

Many nuptials are conducted within the hallowed grounds and premises of the Church. Arranging the timing is often the most difficult, between the sermons, the pastor’s free time and juggling your own time constraints, the lure is still there.

In A Wedding and A Killing by Lauren Carr, we find another obstacle in play that most do not have to deal with. As Mac Faraday and Archie Monday finally decide the time is right, and schedule an unprompted wedding, they are put on hold when a body shows up. Yet this is not just any murder, this is the murder of one of the churches own. Found in one of the church offices, everything is put on hold as Mac and Archie find themselves in the middle of another murder. This one though hits closer to home, as everyone in the church is suspect, including their friend and pastor.

As the clues begin, the local police have their own ideas of the culprit. Yet Mac does not agree. When he gets his own attorney involved and the local suspect claims church sanctuary, the words begin to fly. However there is an overriding trust in Mac’s abilities that create a fissure in the storm, giving them all the time to look deeper then imagined.

Sometimes the simplest of answers are the hardest ones to find, and Mac and Archie are hot on the trail, for nothing can stand between them and their decision to marry.

This is a mystery of jealousies and wants. The deviances of those who claim to be church members give a wicked name to the exploits of their seething need. The characters of Mac and Archie remain true to our initial introduction, but those who serve the church in varying ways have the ways and means to create chaos. There is a mix of tragedy that transforms goodness into pain, and there is vileness that hides in a cloak of goodness. The red herrings are well done and take you in every direction.

As a crime fighting duo, Mac Faraday is a great character, and when matched up with his lady love, they are hard to beat.

If you enjoy murder mystery and romance you will want to find this work. Once you have enjoyed this triumph you will be looking for the other Mac Faraday mysteries by Carr. She twists in the romance so it is more about the mystery, but the romance creates a feeling of surety that makes you want more.

Rating 4/5

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

Dislexic Dick by Richard "Dick" W. Kraemer

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Dyslexic Dick' by Richard "Dick" W. Kraemer.

Many choose to serve their country through the different branches of the military. Each has its distinct heritage, and those who have served often hold their training and abilities learned for a lifetime. Yet not everyone has the same experience.

In Dyslexic Dick by Richard “Dick” W. Kraemer, we are given a view of entirely different circumstances and experiences. Often what we know about the different branches comes from who we know a family member or friend who may have served. Many are silent and hold their time and experience close, not sharing that interval of their life with anyone except with friends they may have made in their own branch. Others let fly everything that may have occurred, and with everything there is both good and bad.

Dick has given us a view of his own experiences. Having found a way to enlist in the Marine Corp he finds difficulty with many of the training exercises, often due to a genetic marker called Dyslexia. Often more of a hard ship in school, reading is made difficult, but there are other side effects as well which he brings to light as he moves through training.  

Throughout the narrative, the author is very open about his anger, and his own activities, he is also unapologetic and very succinct in his view of his own experience.  He brings his own brand of humor as well as his diary like journaling and takes us on his passage as a young man through jaded eyes enlightening us to some of the pitfalls and decisions that occurred. He is open about his own activities, sometimes criminal in nature, as well as the drug culture of the time. He also discusses those in charge who may have crossed the line in punishment, often with their own hidden agendas.

His story deals with both his home life as well as his time abroad and discusses his romances and his heartaches. His accomplishments and his criminal activities are laid out in succession, and he is open and quite unapologetic about his past, as it is a part of who he is now.

Kraemer moves through the narrative relating his own experiences as he sees them, and recognizes both the good and the bad. Much of what is writing seems hard to understand, and yet human nature creates its own set of rules and each person carries the baggage of their past into their present, often creating who they become.

If you enjoy autobiographies and want to see a differing view of the military you may find this book to your liking. There is humor and yet there is pain and loss. There also seems to be a bit of overriding anger, suppressed but still showing through in places.

This would be a good book for a discussion group, I am sure it would create a great deal of controversy and conversation.

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.

Your Perfect Life by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review:'Your Perfect Life' by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke.

Often when life becomes complicated we admire and even covet the life of someone we know who seems to have it all. We have watched the moves “13 going on 30”, “Freaky Friday”, and “Big” where changing bodies changed lives as each learned real life lessons.

In Your Perfect Life by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, we are introduced to two remarkable women, Casey and Rachel, who have been friends forever.  Casey is the career woman and host of Gossip TV. She rubs elbows with celebrities and has a beautiful home. She seems to have everything.  Rachel is a stay at home mom with two teenagers, and new baby. She no longer recognizes the man she married and feels like life has passed her by.

As both women seem to look to the other, each is unhappy in their circumstances and the lack of confidence begins to erode the friendship. It all comes to a head the night of their high school reunion. Harsh words are said as they have a drink together. Life between them is full of jealousy and hurt. The tempers keep them at it and the evening closes with only vague memories as the morning rolls around.  

Yet life had decided to play a trick, and somehow they have changed bodies. Somewhere they were served up a cocktail of magical proportions and they must learn a lesson of love before they can assume their own body again. Yet, have they both finally reached the brass ring they have been chasing?

This is a funny and bright look at life. The surface is only that, what broils beneath is often personal and not seen by others. Fears and thoughts lurk there that rarely see the light of day, and now these friends begin to know each other from another perspective.

The wonderful mix of personalities and abilities as they grow into different roles trying to be the other is both touching and generous.  As the truth of the situations begin to shine through you find them to know and understand each other more than they anticipated.

This is a quirky, romantic and personal growth blend of fun and adventure. The story holds you from the beginning, entranced by the personalities and their insecurities. Yet as they fall into this spell they are each able to dig deep and find the true meaning of their life and dreams.

If you love fun and romantic stories full of adventure and excitement you will want this for your library. It is a feel good book of charming proportions.

This would also be a great book for a discussion group. The thoughts and feelings engendered would create great dialog among the readers.

Rating 5/5

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