Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 282

Review: HAZARDOUS DUTY by Christy Barritt

A crime scene cleaner. You don’t run into a job like that very often. Someone asks you: “What do you do?” Answer: “I mop up blood.”  Not only that, but you also clean up fragmented skulls, guts, and other unknown fluids. Yeck!


But, like Gabby said, you had to have a sense of humor to do a job like this, and she was all funny about it. I liked it.


Yes, cleaning up crime scenes was okay, but what she really wanted to be was a crime scene investigator. It’s amazing what a crime scene can tell you about the order, the suspects, the victim, everything.


While she was cleaning, Gabby stumbles upon the murder weapon—a gun. If only the police would stop thinking of her as a janitor and take what she found seriously. When the crime scene is burned down with Gabby inside, she loses all her equipment and her only employee/friend is arrested for arson. She would prove his innocence if it was the last thing she did, even if it meant accusing a high-profile Senator elect, who seemed as cold and vicious as they come.


Smart and witty! Gabby was a great, little sleuth. This was one of those reads that got better and better with every page.


A good mystery!


My rating: 5 stars

Review: A PRESCRIPTION TO DIE FOR by Bridget Bowman

Deanna was a reporter that was in hardcore for a good story. No more doggie pedicures and neighborhood bake sales.  Who would’ve thought the story would land right into her lap.


At her friend’s engagement party, the soon-to-be in-laws all get into a heated argument, especially the two rival pharmacists with one trying to put the other out of business.


Deanna loved detective shows and always had a knack for figuring out the killer. Well, those skills would come in handy when, the next morning, two police officers wanted to talk to her about a murder—the murder of the pharmacist. Yeah, I could imagine who wanted that mean, bitter, old geezer dead. On the one hand, she felt bad for her friend, whose engagement party was ruined by this old man. On the other hand, her reporter side was buzzing with the story of a lifetime.


Was it the trophy wife, the ex-wife, or the rival pharmacist? Maybe it could’ve been the son. Or could it have been Deanna’s friend? The only way to prove everyone’s innocence was to find the killer.


A good mystery!
My rating: 4 stars

Review: CURTAINS FOR ROMEO by Jessa Archer

Who would like pretending to be a tree? Hopefully the new theater professor (Antigone) wouldn’t put her students through that. A former actress on the show, Private Eye High (Charlie’s Angels meets Nancy Drew,) Antigone hoped that she could teach a thing or two to the future thespians of the world. The last thing she expected to do was a solve a real murder.


Story is kinda slow as we delve into the crazy world of theatrics and lame playhouse sets. I thought it would be better, but, instead, it was long and boring.


My rating: 2 stars

Review: THE PERFECT SCAM by Cecil Hansson

Remembering the voices he had heard as a child, Martin Burke, A.K.A. Balthazar, decided to become a medium. But somehow he lost his touch and, with that, soon went the fame, fortune, wife, and kids.
Now, ten years later, he was nothing more than a charlatan waiting for his next big break. Then Eliza enters his life. The woman believed she was being warned…from her dead dog. What?!  Apparently, something was coming for her. But what?
Frankly, the only thing Martin was figuring was how he could make money off this crazy, rich lady. Jewelry! He could “cleanse” her jewelry and take it from her. The perfect scam.
But what started off as a perfect scam soon turns into some dark and sinister.
Strange and mysterious, this small tale has that dark irony that I enjoy. It’s quick and easy read.
My rating: 4 stars

Blog Tour: DEAD & BUSY series by Keir Luzzato

Accidental Lazarus Dead & Busy Episode 1 by Kfir Luzzatto Genre: Humorous Noir, Supernatural Mystery

It is sort of annoying having dead people dropping by at all hours... 
A paranormal detective like Dave Callaghan has already seen everything, but he never expected to find a presumed dead mobster drinking scotch in his armchair. He is definitely unhappy when he (it?) engages him to find out who shot him. But the worse is yet to come; Dave’s girlfriend gets involved and the real trouble begins.
Episode 1 of the DEAD & BUSY series will keep you laughing to the (bitter) end.
"Dave Callaghan is not here to bring you profound, life-changing thoughts; only quick, unadulterated fun."
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Phantom Lover Dead & Busy Episode 2

A SEXY ECTOPLASMIC HOOKER Why Do All These Deadies Keep Flocking Around Dave? 
"It was bad enough, I can assure you, finding a half-naked ectoplasm sitting at my desk, but she had to talk nonsense too . . ." 
Dave Callaghan is used to having ghosts drop by uninvited at all hours. But this time he is in for a new experience, and you must get ready for a good laugh! 
Episode 2 of the DEAD & BUSY series - the one with the hooker. 
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Mice Dead & Busy Episode 3

TALKING MICE ON YOUR BED A Mouse That Keeps Reciting Poetry to You, Is a Pest 
When white mice plague a short-tempered mobster, he hires Dave Callaghan to find out where they are coming from. The mobster wants to know why the mice wake him up in the middle of the night to recite "Mary had a little lamb" to him. 
Dave is used to dealing with ghosts of every description, but this time he is facing a complex conspiracy that involves the government and a lascivious ghost. 
Episode 3 of the DEAD & BUSY series - the one with the Aussie ghost sailor. 

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The Accountant Dead & Busy Book 4

HOW TO ELOPE WITH A GHOST In Which the Accountant Disappears With the Bank Codes 
What can be more maddening for a businessman, than to have his trusted accountant disappear with all the bank access codes? Well, discovering that he has eloped with the ghost of a prostitute surely makes it worse. 
The need to walk into a ghostly brothel doesn't put Dave off. He even befriends one of the girls there and fun is had by all. 
Episode 4 of the DEAD & BUSY series - the one with the little ghostly whorehouse. 

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~~~
My reviews

Episode 1: Accidental Lazzarus
Dave Callaghan was a paranormal detective. In a nutshell, he can see dead people. Sometimes he couldn’t be sure if it was a gift or a curse. In this episode, Dave gets hired by a dead mobster, who wants to find his killer so that he can get even. Of course, the worst thing a ghost could do was interfere in his own murder; but how in the hell did he end up going to museums with Dave’s girlfriend?


Although it’s a quick read, the mystery was not as progressive. The whole thing mostly consisted of Dave bickering with Stupid Joe (the dead mobster.)


My rating: 3 stars


Episode 2: Phantom Lover
A wealthy woman requests Dave’s help concerning her husband’s affair. Turns out that her husband was seeing a ghost. An affair with a ghost? Obviously, I’m not sure how that would go, but, according to the woman, the ghost was sucking the life out of him (literally.)


But then moments later, that ghost (who makes her death as a hooker) comes to Dave stating that she’s being framed. A ghost being framed? Oh, that’s rich!


This was a quirky case.


My rating: 4 stars




Episode 3: Mice
Can Dave talk to mice now? Just when I thought I had his story figured out, he surprises you with something else. This case was a bit puzzling. I didn’t quite enjoy this as much as the previous episodes, but it still has that zany wit.


My rating: 3 stars




Episode 4: The Accountant
A case of a missing accountant. Well, what did the woman with the slit throat have to do with it?


These episodes are quick paranormal mysteries filled with strangeness and wit; however, you can’t always figure out what’s going on in some cases. Dave is a great investigator and readers will surely enjoy reading about his exploits.


My rating: 3 stars 


Kfir Luzzatto is the author of eight novels, several short stories and six non-fiction books. Kfir was born and raised in Italy, and moved to Israel as a teenager. He acquired the love for the English language from his father, a former U.S. soldier, a voracious reader, and a prolific writer. He holds a PhD in chemical engineering and works as a patent attorney. In pursuit of his interest in the mind-body connection, Kfir was certified as a Clinical Hypnotherapist by the Anglo European College of Therapeutic Hypnosis. 
Kfir is an HWA (Horror Writers Association) and ITW (International Thriller Writers) member. 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads


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Review: STEEL JOURNEYS: THE ROAD TO PATAGONIA by Lynda Meyers

Life on the road kept Abby Steel busy.
“It was the magic that kept her on the road. Each new place had its own set of challenges, its own set of charms. The challenges faded, but the charms remained, decorating her memories and dangling from her heart.” (2)
Her need to venture out and see what the world had to offer was something I could relate to. Ah, the itching bites of Wanderlust.
The purpose behind Steel Journeys, a motorcycle touring company she founded, was for women like her to experience freedom. For Abby, home was the road. The last thing she expected to get at home was a visit from her ex-boyfriend, who cheated on her 15 years ago. On top of that, she gets the unexpected news that he had a daughter with her former best friend, who died recently, thus leaving him to raise a teenager all by himself. Should Abby cry him a river now?
Before embarking on her trip to South America, her world is infiltrated by drama, love, and resentment.  
Abby is such a cool chick—spunky, brave, and street-smart. Her solo travels are very admirable to me, making me wish I could be more like her. Why else would Trevor want his daughter to be around Abby? She was a strong, fearless woman, one that has been through hard times but carried on. She was a kick-ass role model.
I also liked Kelsey, the smart and creative teen who becomes Abby’s protégé. Again, the idea of wanting to see it all before it’s too late is SO relatable.
Well-written and full of emotion, story is a true testament of what strong women are made of. Women leading women around the globe. How cool!
My rating: 4 stars

Review: ONE NIGHT IN PROVENCE by Barbara Wallace

Jenna was vacationing in Provence, where she meets a handsome Frenchman that takes her under his wing, touring the castles of France.
Although it was kinda slow, story fits the classic romance to a T. I mean, you can't get any more romantic than France, right? I wasn't too captivated by the characters, however, the writing was decent.
An okay read.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: LOVE, LUST, AND DRY UNDIES by Birdie Paxton

After turning 30, one woman was finally ready for a meaningful relationship.
“You’d think that you were meant to come across your soulmate sooner or later in a city like London. A city boasting three million singles ready to mingle. Believe me when I say that this couldn’t be further from the truth.” (6)
The writing was okay. The pace was slow and steady. There were a few too many characters for my liking (I prefer a story not to be overly crowded.) I get that this was supposed to relay the dating faux paus of a single, desperate woman, but I have to say that it wasn’t as comical as I expected it to be. It just kept on lagging with humble meanderings of pointless dialogue and forgettable characters.
Not to my liking.
My rating: 2 stars

Review: STRAY OUR PIECES by Jason Graff

This is the dramatic story of a mother and son. The son cannot seem to grow out of his shell and his constant bullying makes him cave back in even more.
“I’d turned my son into a soft-bellied bumble bee, too timid to sting anyone.” (7)
In an effort to give her son courage, one woman tries to make things right. Living in her suburbia town, the last thing she expected was to be bullied herself.
Story was easy to read, the pace was steady, and the writing was pretty good. There were a few too many characters for my liking, and, at times, the scenes seemed trivial. To me, this almost seemed like a tale of a bored housewife. The woman struck me like she wanted more out of life, and one of the things she wanted was for her overly-sensitive son to stand on his own. And who could blame her, right? It’s relatable in the sense that she was trying to see beyond her stale existence.
An okay read.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: DREAMY HOUSE by Bill Stack

A mysterious house. A new family has just moved in.
The writing was pretty good, but I felt it may have gone overboard with describing the overall creepiness of the house. The eeriness, the rancidness, the mustiness, etc. Okay, we get it—the house reeked. Story started off pretty slow. Was it really necessary to have to go through the looking, the proposal, and the escrow? Maybe that took up too much time. When does stuff start happening in this house?
I think this story had the potential to be a scary tale, but I just thought it was too slow and rather dull.
My rating: 2 stars