Vanished, The Search for Sally Hunt by Jan Joseph

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review:'Vanished, The Search for Sally Hunt,' A Paranormal Mystery by Jan Joseph.

In Vanished, The Search for Sally Hunt by Jan Joseph, we are taken into the life of a young woman who has been chosen. As with any college student Sally Hunt is searching for herself. Yet when she is visited by a strange phenomenon that reveals she will be a healer, she realizes the stress of her life may be just a bit too much.  One of her best friends is just as stunned, yet they chalk it all up to nonsense, and too many late nights.

Yet how does that explain the accident where Sally hits a young man with her car. As she waits for the paramedics to show and places pressure on the wound, she feels lightheaded, in pain herself. When they bring the gurney they are just as concerned for her, as she has just as much blood on her as does the victim, yet neither of them has injuries. Witnessed by Jeanie, her best friend they are both at a loss. It is only as she meets Jeanie’s Grandma Rose that pieces begin to fall into place, as Rose too met her own guide in much the same way. 

As the years pass, Sally is involved in healing, not always by choice. She has become close to Rose, and estranged from Jeanie.  Her husband is the love of her life, yet he too has his own struggles, but for him she is everything.

When Sally Hunt vanishes no one understands what has happened. Jane Peters gets the case and is unaware of all the drama. Receiving a call from Sally’s mother, Jane wonders why her husband was not the one calling. Something seems so strange about the situation. Yet as she begins to dig, she finds the most extraordinary story unfolding. Who will believe her, and why would they? Speaking to Sally’s friend Jeanie they find bitterness and estrangement. Yet Jane feels in her gut that Jeanie has a part in the disappearance, but her life is a mess, drugs and lifestyle have changed her from the young woman who was Sally’s best friend and confidant, to a walking wounded pile of nerves.

As Jane begins her search she finds her own faith and beliefs being tested. Can what she is hearing really be correct. Where are the husband and Jeanie in all of this? And what about Rose, Jeanie’s Grandma, she has now become a ward of Sally, taken care of as one of her own. Can she find the answers before it is too late for a woman to whom everyone has come to depend on?

Joseph has given us characters that are at once lovable and in many cases extremely flawed. Sally is just as messed up in life and anyone would be that received her visions, yet she has managed to be relatively normal most of the time. She finds herself drawn to those in need of saving, and this is both her friend Jeanie, and her husband. There is such a vulnerability about them you find yourself wanting to ease their pain. Rose is a wonderful older woman and full of love as well as spunk. You can’t help but relate her to many of your own relatives. 

The story is interesting and the mystery is solid. You will find yourself looking for clues along with Jane as she tries to find the answers.

If you enjoy the paranormal and like a great mystery you will enjoy this work. The depth of character draws from many of those you may know or meet in your lifetime, and give credence to the novelty of the entire work.

Rating 4/5

Suspicion by Alexandra Monir

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review:'Suspicion,' A Young Adult Mystery by Alexandra Monir.

In Suspicion by Alexandra Monir, we are introduced to a mysterious fantasy of impressive proportions. From England to America and back we follow a young woman who must find her dream and uncover the secrets of her family over the generations before it is too late.

When Imogen’s parents are killed in a fire at their English country manor, she is relocated to the United States to live with her guardians. Yet she never forgets her family and friends left behind in Rockford. Her Grandfather and her cousin are the sole surviving relatives, and while she feels shattered to have left them behind, she longs of news. Yet her guardians, close friends of her parents feel they know what is right, and she must forget about her old life.

She knows there is a secret that she should know, she remembers her father telling her to look to the maze, but she is not encouraged in any way to ask questions of her past. Even the boy she left behind is off limits, and she has finally relented. Her cousin is heir of the estate, and Imogen’s life is now in New York City.  Even at 17 she feels as though there is something missing, something she is meant to do. What about the odd thing that happened to her at the estate before the fire. How could the flower have grown so fast and created such a furor for those that saw. She knows there is something, but does not remember what it is.

When she receives a letter that tells her she is the only living heir left to the estate and that she must return to England, her guardians must relent and allow her to make the choice. All is not as it seems and there is a mystery at hand that seems to involve her, but also Sebastian–the boy she left behind.

The secrets of the manor are very delicate and Imogen is cautious about creating any further concerns. There is something very strange about the deaths of her parents and that of her cousin, something that someone is willing to kill to keep secret. But there is also the secret of the land and the magic that creates abundance, another situation that also causes consternation.

Unsure who to trust with her own secret, and unaware of the dangers to her own life, she tries to find the answers without stirring up the lives of the only people she really remembers.  Can her guardians give her any of the answers? Does Sebastian know what happened to her cousin?

If you enjoy mysterious and magical happenings you will find this story just the thing. The characters are fun and exciting and the story is rather enchanting.  There are secrets everywhere, and Imogen is just the character to find them out. She is full of contradictions and folly, but also brave and tenacious. The characters each play a piece and each is central to their own part of the mystery.

This is a wonderful Young Adult mystery, threaded with magic and romance. If you are looking for that special book for your young reader, you will find this to be just the thing. If you enjoy fairytale type settings and happily ever after, even those who are not young adults, but just young at heart can relate to this work.

Rating 4/5

Secret of a Thousand Beauties by Mingmei Yip

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review:'Secret of a Thousand Beauties', A Historical Romance by Mingmei Yip.

Independence for woman goes back for decades, not just in the U.S but for many countries across the globe. Sometimes that independence ended in tragedy, yet many were willing to take the risk.

In Secret of a Thousand Beauties by Mingmei Yip, we are treated to an amazing array of ideas and customs that seem both unimaginable and indecipherable.  The history and beauty of China in the “30s” is brought to life as we follow the life a Spring Swallow as she tries to find her way. Promised in marriage at birth, she is still forced to wed even after the death of her intended groom.  Forced to become a ghost bride she escapes a fate of loneliness by running away. Taken in by a woman full of her own secrets, she joins a small group of embroiderers.  Aunty Peony is talented in a way that defies her station and while stingy with her methods she trains her students in the style of embroidery from her own youth.

Obedient but curious, Spring willow embarks on fact finding and looks for an understanding of her own life as well as those who have rescued her. In her duties she finds little time yet she yearns for understanding and finds escaping to the great outdoors soothes her soul, and writing her secrets on the rocks of her special mountain creates a sense of peace and control.  When she finds notes written back she finds herself falling for the author of such verse, but is afraid.

What is the secret that Aunty Peony hides, and how does she have embroidery that may have belonged to the emperor?  And who is the one she is coming to love that she only hears from in the stones from the mountain?

Yip has given us a behind the scenes look at the beauty of Chinese embroidery, and a small look at the history of independence in an amazing tale of romance and loss. The characters jump out of the pages and you find yourself along on the search for answers.  There is a majesty in her descriptions and there is danger and folly in the direction that some of her characters choose.
If you enjoy beauty and romance, as well as mystery and action you will want to find the marvel of creativity located within the covers. The beauty of the work done by the characters is easy to visualize with the tiniest of stitches to the glory of color, which only adds to the mystique. There is humor, humility, sadness, danger and romance all tied together with the threads of embroidery. A marvelous rendering of years gone by.

This would be a great book for a reading group as well as a book club. There is a great deal of information and background to keep a discussion in full force.


Rating 4/5

Found, Near Water by Katherine Hayton

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review:'Found, Near Water,' A Suspenseful Mystery by Katherine Hayton.

The past is often just that, something that occurs and then is beyond redemption.  Yet occasionally there are secrets that urge themselves forward. Those little tidbits that had been buried but now find a way to change the lives of those whose memories they had been hidden within.

In Found, Near Water by Katherine Hayton, missing and exploited children are a focus for a support group headed up by Christine, a victim support councilor and coordinator who works with the police in various situations.  The yammering and neediness of her focus group is beginning to wear on her, and her impatience is keeping new members away. That didn’t faze the members already aboard for they want the spotlight for their own pain. Having become almost friends they are comfortable talking about issues, yet Christine is struggling to focus.  Her irritation makes her curt for they have all had their moments and she is fighting her own anguish.

When the police ask for her assistance with a young woman injured in a car wreck, she finds herself intrigued. Why does this woman insist that her young daughter is now missing, taken from the car after or during the accident? Wouldn’t the woman’s husband know if her daughter was missing, for he does not come forward?  There is something quite strange going on. The woman seems quite delusional, yet as Christine begins asking questions she is shocked. The woman does have a young daughter, and no one seems to know where she is. On further questioning, she realizes that there is a strange tenseness, a compartmentalization that surrounds Rena, the young mother.

As Christine begins her perusal of the situation, she also keeps in touch with her husband through text, trying to heal her own relationship woes. She is torn between duty and her own past, but this case is one that pulls her out of her own doldrums. Where is the child and why did the father not report her missing? Although out of the country when called about his wife, no mention was made of a child.

Now the police must reevaluate the evidence and dig much deeper in their effort to find the truth. Little do they know that this strange and unusual disappearance will open a “Pandora’s box” of disturbing offenses occurring over the years, putting to rest one of the most sadistic of perpetrators. 

Hayton has given us a mystery with teeth. Whenever it comes to missing and exploited children there is always that painful feeling, for there is an innocence lost when a child disappears. The edginess of the story begins right from the beginning and the missing children are threaded together into a strange and eerie nightmare of questions and answers. The characters are in pain and have their own mistakes and flaws that they try to overcome, and each deals with their pain in their own fashion. You are amazed at the resilience that helps to hold them together. 

The mystery itself is well done and just as strange as the rest of the brew that spews from the pages.  As the facts are all entered, Hayton throws in another bit of incongruity as she details the background of Christine herself.

If you enjoy mystery and suspense this is a great book to add to your collection. There is a satisfaction as the situation breaks loose and the puzzle is solved that will make this one you will want to read over and over.  Hayton is an author to watch for.

Rating 4/5

Stolen, Heart of Dread by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: Stolen, Heart of Dread by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston.

In Stolen, Heart of Dread by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston, we continue the saga of Nat And Wes begun in the first of the series, Frozen.  Nat and Wes had parted and Nat has gone on to harness her powers. Having learned that the fire within is a part of who she is, at the same time she finds she is also the last of her kind. With the help of her friend Faix she learns to release the dragon and to use him in her fight of all that is wrong and those guilty of holding her planet in its frozen state.

Wes has gone on to find his sister, Eliza, rumored to be held in the golden domes of the Eldorado. Being back in New Vegas has its own dangers and what happens if Eliza doesn’t want to be found. 


When Nat loses her dragon she and Wes reunite as it soon becomes obvious that both their quests are leading them in the same direction, directly into the dangerous cauldron of what has created their frozen world from the beginning. Where does Wes’s sister fit in, and why was she kidnapped from her family so long ago.

If you enjoy fantasy and danger, threaded with mystery and adventure you will love the characters in this tale. The second of a series it still reads well on its own, and you will find that Wes and his erstwhile friends are a mix of fear and courage. It is when they are all together the courage becomes fierce, and when one of their friends comes into trouble, you see what makes them who they are.

Nat is heartbroken for she fears she has lost her inner dragon, but finding Wes again sooths her being for her love is strong.  Yet can she really overcome losing the primary part of her that has been her steady source of courage from the beginning?

Eliza is the question mark. Who is she really, is she a woman needing rescue or is she behind the plots to keep the world as it has become––frozen.  Can Wes and Nat along with their friends find the answers before it is too late for them all?


If you enjoy romance, danger, fun and mystery you are sure to enjoy this work. A young Adult fantasy that reads a bit like a fairytale and holds you captive, it is also a tale for the young at heart.
While is reads well on its own, you will want to find Frozen to find out how it all comes together.

This is a wonderful find for your young adult reader, and a work that you will enjoy as an adult as well. It has just enough mystery and danger to keep all levels entertained.

Rating 4/5

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

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.

Venom by Colin Falconer

Posted first to Blog Critics as Book Review: 'Venom', A Suspense by Colin Falconer.

Nature or nurture. So goes the argument from time to time when looking for a reason for truly heinous acts. Could the question really be so simple?

In Venom by Colin Falconer, we follow the life if Michael Christian. Born of mixed heritage and loved from birth by his mother, he is unwanted by his father and has learned a hard lesson very early. With hatred escalating between his parents, he is abandoned by his mother as she tries to move on.  The Lies from Jogi have come home to her, and she has learned that he will never marry her for he is already married in his own country. The bitterness and betrayal create a chasm and she takes the only chance she has, for she has found she is pregnant again, and there is only one option left to her.  A loveless marriage, but one that will help her win her father’s graces again and will give her unborn child a name.

Yet Michael is always on her mind, the bitterness of her betrayal of her own young son makes her into a different woman then the one she is destined to be.  Sure in her mind that he is safe with his father, she moves on, but is unable to forget.

Michael feels only anger and betrayal. From his mother who has abandoned him, and from his father who has thrown him away. He finds his own way in life in the back streets through whatever means make themselves known.  He finds very little friendliness, and much hardship. The anger is the only means of strength he can muster, and he thinks of nothing but revenge.  He reaches his manhood in wartime Saigon, and remembers every betrayal and beating. With his survival skills and his looks he builds his own little piece of life, surviving as a criminal.

As the years pass, a string of deaths from around the world reach the desk of Interpol headquarters. Captain Rene Budjinski is hot on the trail and finds the route to lead from Bombay to Paris. Following his own agenda, he is unsure where his search will lead him. With the master criminal cornered and behind bars, the end seems fated. Yet Michael has one last chance, can it be the redeeming factor?

Falconer has created an intense drama, full of vitriol and fear. His characters are a mix of brutal, egocentric, and dangerous. The flaws are exposed and the edginess of the expected disaster keeps your own nerves tingling as you worry and hope for an honorable solution.  You feel the pain and fear and experience a cognitive understanding of what makes them react the way they do.

The description of Saigon as a war torn country make you feel like you are there. The grittiness and brutality add a tenseness all their own.

If you enjoy suspenseful thrillers you will find this work a great find. Falconer creates an intensity that keeps you reading long after hours.

This would be a great book for a book club or reading group full of the types of situations that create active dialogue.

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.