Wesley Britton's Blog, page 31
September 7, 2017
Book Review: The Pursuit of Happiness by Alan Trustman
The Pursuit of Happiness
Alan Trustman
Paperback: 338 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (July 1, 2017)
ISBN-10:1546786120
ISBN-13:978-1546786122
https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Happin...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
Alan Trustman’s long and distinguished writing career began with his screenplays for films like The Thomas Crown Affair, Bullitt, They Call Me Mr. Tibbs, Steve McQueen: The Man and Le Mans, and these are but a few of his 15 movies made for both the large screen and television. At one time, he was the highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood, but now works in other ventures including scribing novels.
According to publicity for his debut novel, Pursuit of Happiness, his fiction” reads and moves with the same crime thriller speed as his movies.” That’s one way to put it. Another is to describe his style as taut, terse, tight no-nonsense action with little exposition or description. You could say Pursuit of Happiness is in the minimalist tradition of Ernest Hemingway. Here’s a sample to demonstrate this point:
“We sat. There were plenty of fish all about, some bigger than those we had seen before, all of them feeding, not quite a frenzy, but lots of fish, circling, swirling, all right to left, then all left to right, and then vanishing suddenly, fleeing. A shark, a huge one.
A great white. A ten footer. A thousand pounds.
Teeth. All I could see was teeth. Mouth open, swerving, coming toward us. Would he bite the bars?
No! He lost interest. Disappeared! Lucky us!”
The novel is centered on government contract killer Burt Dixon who tells us his story in the first person. As a result, much of the time we know exactly what he is doing, kick by kick, breath by breath, and what he is thinking. He enters the stage by blowing away seven would-be robbers in a Boston restaurant which ignites a gang war in the city Dixon claims is the U.S. capital for contract killings. In short order, we meet other characters in his specialized circle including Boss Man, Bernstein, and Sinclair. Dixon is assigned the task of learning all about great white sharks in underwater cages off a luxury liner off the coast of Key West. Why? Beyond keeping Dixon out of Boston and out of trouble, the point isn’t immediately clear. At least, not until he is sent on a mission and the Middle East.
I’ve read reviews of Pursuit of Happiness comparing Trustman’s style to that of Ian Fleming’s Bond novels. I understand that comparison. Pursuit of Happiness very much reads like an old fashioned spy story with a very tight focus on one main protagonist and not the multi-layer, multi-character epics we’ve become accustomed to in espionage yarns in recent years. But, unlike Fleming, there’s no larger-than-life bad guy. The missions, and they’re not of global, international consequences, are unrelated small scale operations. One scene containing all the pyrotechnics in the book comes and goes in only a few pages. The conclusion is very surprising and is very human, considering the hard-nosed narrator we’ve come to know.
In short, The Pursuit of Happiness is a very fast-paced thrill ride, especially in all the underwater scenes. It should appeal to readers who like down-to-earth, gritty, and very believable espionage adventures. I must admit, I’m not sure about the book’s title. There must be something ironic about it that eludes me completely.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Sept. 7, 2017 at:
http://dpli.ir/oxFSUn
Alan Trustman
Paperback: 338 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (July 1, 2017)
ISBN-10:1546786120
ISBN-13:978-1546786122
https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Happin...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
Alan Trustman’s long and distinguished writing career began with his screenplays for films like The Thomas Crown Affair, Bullitt, They Call Me Mr. Tibbs, Steve McQueen: The Man and Le Mans, and these are but a few of his 15 movies made for both the large screen and television. At one time, he was the highest paid screenwriter in Hollywood, but now works in other ventures including scribing novels.
According to publicity for his debut novel, Pursuit of Happiness, his fiction” reads and moves with the same crime thriller speed as his movies.” That’s one way to put it. Another is to describe his style as taut, terse, tight no-nonsense action with little exposition or description. You could say Pursuit of Happiness is in the minimalist tradition of Ernest Hemingway. Here’s a sample to demonstrate this point:
“We sat. There were plenty of fish all about, some bigger than those we had seen before, all of them feeding, not quite a frenzy, but lots of fish, circling, swirling, all right to left, then all left to right, and then vanishing suddenly, fleeing. A shark, a huge one.
A great white. A ten footer. A thousand pounds.
Teeth. All I could see was teeth. Mouth open, swerving, coming toward us. Would he bite the bars?
No! He lost interest. Disappeared! Lucky us!”
The novel is centered on government contract killer Burt Dixon who tells us his story in the first person. As a result, much of the time we know exactly what he is doing, kick by kick, breath by breath, and what he is thinking. He enters the stage by blowing away seven would-be robbers in a Boston restaurant which ignites a gang war in the city Dixon claims is the U.S. capital for contract killings. In short order, we meet other characters in his specialized circle including Boss Man, Bernstein, and Sinclair. Dixon is assigned the task of learning all about great white sharks in underwater cages off a luxury liner off the coast of Key West. Why? Beyond keeping Dixon out of Boston and out of trouble, the point isn’t immediately clear. At least, not until he is sent on a mission and the Middle East.
I’ve read reviews of Pursuit of Happiness comparing Trustman’s style to that of Ian Fleming’s Bond novels. I understand that comparison. Pursuit of Happiness very much reads like an old fashioned spy story with a very tight focus on one main protagonist and not the multi-layer, multi-character epics we’ve become accustomed to in espionage yarns in recent years. But, unlike Fleming, there’s no larger-than-life bad guy. The missions, and they’re not of global, international consequences, are unrelated small scale operations. One scene containing all the pyrotechnics in the book comes and goes in only a few pages. The conclusion is very surprising and is very human, considering the hard-nosed narrator we’ve come to know.
In short, The Pursuit of Happiness is a very fast-paced thrill ride, especially in all the underwater scenes. It should appeal to readers who like down-to-earth, gritty, and very believable espionage adventures. I must admit, I’m not sure about the book’s title. There must be something ironic about it that eludes me completely.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Sept. 7, 2017 at:
http://dpli.ir/oxFSUn
September 6, 2017
New Cover Art for the Beta-Earth Chronicles!
In the coming weeks, the Beta-Earth Chronicles are all getting major face lifts! That’s because artist Sharon Lipman has created brand-new, eye-catching covers for five of the six book series. As of today, you can see her work on The Blood of Balnakin (Book 2) and When War Returns (Book 3) at:
https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Balnakin...
and
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GUOB1Z2
Very, very soon we’ll be sharing the new cover for A Throne for an Alien (Book 4). Sharon is currently working on new imagery for The Third Earth (Book 5).
As it happens, these are the very books in need of some new reviews. If you’re interested in review copies of any of these titles, please e-mail me at spywise@verizon.net.
https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Balnakin...
and
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GUOB1Z2
Very, very soon we’ll be sharing the new cover for A Throne for an Alien (Book 4). Sharon is currently working on new imagery for The Third Earth (Book 5).
As it happens, these are the very books in need of some new reviews. If you’re interested in review copies of any of these titles, please e-mail me at spywise@verizon.net.
August 31, 2017
Book Review: THE EULOGIST by Jeffrey B. Burton
THE EULOGIST
Jeffrey B. Burton
Hardcover: 360 pages
Publisher: Permanent Press (September 30, 2017)
ISBN-10: 1579625029
ISBN-13: 978-1579625023
https://www.amazon.com/Eulogist-Jeffr...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
The Eulogist is the latest FBI special agent Drew Cady mystery following The Chessman (2012) and The Lynchpin (2015). If the preceding novels are anything like The Eulogist, readers should expect surprising and fresh twists to well-established murder mystery formulas.
In The Eulogist, the strangeness starts with the very first pages when we see Senator Taylor Brockman tied to a chair, forced to listen to his murderer deliver the senator’s pre-mortem eulogy. Shortly afterward, druggie Thaddeus Jay Aadalen—known as T.J. -- is found dead in his car, stabbed through the heart just like Brockman had been. He too has an eulogy for detectives to find, in his case a Thomas Gray poem hidden in his glovebox.
Agent Cady is drawn into investigating these two cases even though he’s only in Washington D.C. as the FBI liaison for the Medicare Fraud Strike Force out of Minneapolis. Along with representatives from other like groups, Cady is there to assist testimonials before the United States Senate Committee on Finance. But the FBI pulls Cady away from such tedious duties and pairs him with agent Liz Preston to look into the murders which don’t end with the senator and the druggie.
Like most contemporary mysteries, things get very complicated very quickly. We meet the hired assassin known as the Canadian who reveals much about their background, notably his, or her, admittedly being an adrenalin junkie. Threads of the investigation dig into a breakthrough Alzheimer's drug, a reluctantly helpful hacker, two potential heirs to a drug fortune, and alternating points of view showing just how the Canadian and the investigators go through their various procedures.
One distinguishing aspect of the novel is an often sarcastic streak of humor. One example is a moment where a character reflects on the concept of someone dying “doing so while doing what they loved.” The character wonders how that idea makes any sense when most people would rather live and not die at all, whatever the circumstances. Few people are likely thinking “At least I’m doing what I love” as they crash into a cliff, are eaten by sharks, or the like.
Burton mixes in some obligatory murder mystery tropes including a number of red herrings, very unexpected twists, and surprises that seem to come out of the blue in the final pages. In short, murder mystery fans should feel very comfortable with The Eulogist while they enjoy the inventiveness of Jeffrey Burton.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 31, 2017:
http://dpli.ir/L6iyEi
Jeffrey B. Burton
Hardcover: 360 pages
Publisher: Permanent Press (September 30, 2017)
ISBN-10: 1579625029
ISBN-13: 978-1579625023
https://www.amazon.com/Eulogist-Jeffr...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
The Eulogist is the latest FBI special agent Drew Cady mystery following The Chessman (2012) and The Lynchpin (2015). If the preceding novels are anything like The Eulogist, readers should expect surprising and fresh twists to well-established murder mystery formulas.
In The Eulogist, the strangeness starts with the very first pages when we see Senator Taylor Brockman tied to a chair, forced to listen to his murderer deliver the senator’s pre-mortem eulogy. Shortly afterward, druggie Thaddeus Jay Aadalen—known as T.J. -- is found dead in his car, stabbed through the heart just like Brockman had been. He too has an eulogy for detectives to find, in his case a Thomas Gray poem hidden in his glovebox.
Agent Cady is drawn into investigating these two cases even though he’s only in Washington D.C. as the FBI liaison for the Medicare Fraud Strike Force out of Minneapolis. Along with representatives from other like groups, Cady is there to assist testimonials before the United States Senate Committee on Finance. But the FBI pulls Cady away from such tedious duties and pairs him with agent Liz Preston to look into the murders which don’t end with the senator and the druggie.
Like most contemporary mysteries, things get very complicated very quickly. We meet the hired assassin known as the Canadian who reveals much about their background, notably his, or her, admittedly being an adrenalin junkie. Threads of the investigation dig into a breakthrough Alzheimer's drug, a reluctantly helpful hacker, two potential heirs to a drug fortune, and alternating points of view showing just how the Canadian and the investigators go through their various procedures.
One distinguishing aspect of the novel is an often sarcastic streak of humor. One example is a moment where a character reflects on the concept of someone dying “doing so while doing what they loved.” The character wonders how that idea makes any sense when most people would rather live and not die at all, whatever the circumstances. Few people are likely thinking “At least I’m doing what I love” as they crash into a cliff, are eaten by sharks, or the like.
Burton mixes in some obligatory murder mystery tropes including a number of red herrings, very unexpected twists, and surprises that seem to come out of the blue in the final pages. In short, murder mystery fans should feel very comfortable with The Eulogist while they enjoy the inventiveness of Jeffrey Burton.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 31, 2017:
http://dpli.ir/L6iyEi
August 30, 2017
Kim Wilson gives us Blues and Boogie, Volume 1!
I realize a post about Kim Wilson, legendary front man for the Fabulous Thunderbirds, might seem very OT for this blog.
However, I had the opportunity to interview Kim for an online radio show I used to co-host, “Dave White Presents.” The interview was broadcast on our Oct. 22, 2014 show. I know that program is still archived at the Dave White Presents website. With any luck, the link below will still take you directly to that broadcast:
http://tinyurl.com/po7lbx2
Whether or not you’re interested in that in-depth conversation, here’s some up to the minute news you can use:
Kim Wilson Gets Back to Basics on Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1 CD, Coming October 20 from Severn Records
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Legendary singer/harmonica master Kim Wilson has gone back to the basics and old school Chicago blues for his exciting new CD, Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1, coming October 20 from Severn Records. Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1 was produced by Kim Wilson, with most tracks recorded and mixed by Nathan James at Sacred Cat Studios, Oceanside, California; except tracks 4 and 15 recorded by Big Jon at Big Tone Recording Studios, Hayward, California.
“I want to tell all of the real blues fans out there what a labor of love this project has been,” Wilson writes in the album’s liner notes. “I’ve been recording many, many tracks for a couple of years now and time has just flown by! A couple of the greatest musicians that ever lived, Richard Innes and Barrelhouse Chuck, have passed away during the process of making this CD. One of their dreams was to see this stuff come out.
“So here it is, the first of many to come. This kind of music is very easy and pleasurable for me to perform. I like to surround myself with musicians who like to ‘fly by the seat of their pants.’ People like Richard and Barrel, Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson, Marty Dodson, Nathan James, Larry Taylor, Malachi Johnson and all of the other fantastic blues musicians who are on this CD. I desired to record songs that I have always wanted to do. However, I have to put my own twist on everything.”
The track list includes several Kim Wilson originals that fit like a hand-in-glove along with the deep blues songbook he delved into for the new disc, including tunes by Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Rogers, Magic Sam and Jimmy Reed.
A founding member of the legendary Fabulous Thunderbirds and a multiple Blues Music Award winner as a solo artist, Wilson salutes many of his Chicago blues roots influences – in particular his harmonica mentors such as Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson and especially James Cotton – on Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1. It’s music that is both timely and timeless.
“I’m dedicating this CD to my big brother, James Cotton,” Wilson says. “He has always been a great inspiration and a dear friend. When I was a kid, having a great time with all of the masters of this music, I never dreamt I would be living in a world without them. Every time I open my mouth to sing or pick up my instrument to play I am doing it for them! There are hundreds of tracks in the can and still recording, and I really believe that this period of time is the beginning of my legacy. I could never have done it without my family of masters who invented this music and the musicians who are on this CD. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it!”
www.severnrecords.com www.fabulousthunderbirds.com
Kim Wilson – Blues & Boogie Vol. 1 Track Listing & Credits
1. Bonus Boogie - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Bob Welsh; Bass: Troy Sandow; Drums: Malachi Johnson
2. No Love in My Heart - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitar: Nathan James; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Big Jon Atkinson; Drums: Richard Innes; horns: Jonny Viau
3. Ninety Nine - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Drums: Richard Innes
4. Worried Life Blues - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Bass: Kadar Roy; Drums: Marty Dodson
5. You Upset My Mind - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
6. Teenage Beat - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes
7. Same Old Blues - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitar: Billy Flynn; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes; horns: Jonny Viau
8. Searched All Over - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor
9. From the Bottom - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes
10. Look Whatcha Done - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Bob Welsh, Big Jon Atkinson; Bass: Troy Sandow; Drums: Malachi Johnson
11. Blue and Lonesome - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
12. Sho Nuf I Do - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitar: Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Nathan James; Drums: Richard Innes; horns: Jonny Viau
13. Learn to Treat Me Right – vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes
14. Edgier vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Bass: Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
15. Mean Old Frisco - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Bass: Kadar Roy; Drums: Marty Dodson
16. You’re the One - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
Mark Pucci
Mark Pucci Media
5000 Oak Bluff Ct.
Atlanta, GA 30350-1069
(770) 804-9555
www.markpuccimedia.com
2008 Blues Foundation Recipient -
"Keeping the Blues Alive Award" - Publicist
From:
Rich Alterman
ralterman@mgroupsc.com
ralterman@mgroupsc.com
Everything Solid Has a Shadow by Michael Antman
Date: Wed, Aug 30, 2017 at 2:24 PM
Subject: Review Request: Everything Solid Has a Shadow - Mystery/Romance/Magical Realism
Please find a brief plot summary b
elow:
Charlie Alessandro is a musician and a marketing executive who ought to be happily satisfied. He is successful in his career, involved with a sleek and confident woman, and enjoying a fulfilling creative outlet with his guitar. Yet his seemingly complete life is troubled at every turn by something dark that happened to him when he was very young. Everything Solid has a Shadow is an intricately plotted novel driven by two intertwined mysteries—his investigation of that long-ago occurrence and the mysterious apparition of a woman he barely knows who invades his brain as he sleeps. Charlie’s journey into these two mysteries, his relationship with three beautiful young women in his life, and the very surprising resolution, make for an eerie and absorbing tale.
I am hoping that you may be interested in reviewing Mr. Antman’s new novel. Please let me know if you are indeed interested and I will send you a copy. Additionally, please find high-level details about the novel below:
• Title – Everything Solid Has a Shadow
• Author – Michael Antman
• Genre – Fiction
• ISBN – 978-1937484576
• Publication date – August 9, 2017
• Pages – 284
• Price – $15.95
• Publisher – Amika Press
Thank you,
Rich
Rich Alterman
M Group Strategic Communications
+1 212.266.0193
ralterman@mgroupsc.com
If you would rather not receive future communications from M Group Strategic Communications, please go to https://optout.cision.com/en/mZ3iC6sn....
M Group Strategic Communications, 1325 Ave of the Americas 27th floor, NYC, 10019 NY, United States
K-7-2074776-80709217-2-593-AV1-45FA3F19
I realize a post about Kim Wilson, legendary front man for the Fabulous Thunderbirds, might seem very OT for this blog.
However, I had the opportunity to interview Kim for an online radio show I used to co-host, “Dave White Presents.” The interview was broadcast on our Oct. 22, 2014 show. I know that program is still archived at the Dave White Presents website. With any luck, the link below will still take you directly to that broadcast:
http://tinyurl.com/po7lbx2
Whether or not you’re interested in that in-depth conversation, here’s some up to the minute news you can use:
Kim Wilson Gets Back to Basics on Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1 CD, Coming October 20 from Severn Records
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Legendary singer/harmonica master Kim Wilson has gone back to the basics and old school Chicago blues for his exciting new CD, Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1, coming October 20 from Severn Records. Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1 was produced by Kim Wilson, with most tracks recorded and mixed by Nathan James at Sacred Cat Studios, Oceanside, California; except tracks 4 and 15 recorded by Big Jon at Big Tone Recording Studios, Hayward, California.
“I want to tell all of the real blues fans out there what a labor of love this project has been,” Wilson writes in the album’s liner notes. “I’ve been recording many, many tracks for a couple of years now and time has just flown by! A couple of the greatest musicians that ever lived, Richard Innes and Barrelhouse Chuck, have passed away during the process of making this CD. One of their dreams was to see this stuff come out.
“So here it is, the first of many to come. This kind of music is very easy and pleasurable for me to perform. I like to surround myself with musicians who like to ‘fly by the seat of their pants.’ People like Richard and Barrel, Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson, Marty Dodson, Nathan James, Larry Taylor, Malachi Johnson and all of the other fantastic blues musicians who are on this CD. I desired to record songs that I have always wanted to do. However, I have to put my own twist on everything.”
The track list includes several Kim Wilson originals that fit like a hand-in-glove along with the deep blues songbook he delved into for the new disc, including tunes by Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Rogers, Magic Sam and Jimmy Reed.
A founding member of the legendary Fabulous Thunderbirds and a multiple Blues Music Award winner as a solo artist, Wilson salutes many of his Chicago blues roots influences – in particular his harmonica mentors such as Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson and especially James Cotton – on Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1. It’s music that is both timely and timeless.
“I’m dedicating this CD to my big brother, James Cotton,” Wilson says. “He has always been a great inspiration and a dear friend. When I was a kid, having a great time with all of the masters of this music, I never dreamt I would be living in a world without them. Every time I open my mouth to sing or pick up my instrument to play I am doing it for them! There are hundreds of tracks in the can and still recording, and I really believe that this period of time is the beginning of my legacy. I could never have done it without my family of masters who invented this music and the musicians who are on this CD. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it!”
www.severnrecords.com www.fabulousthunderbirds.com
Kim Wilson – Blues & Boogie Vol. 1 Track Listing & Credits
1. Bonus Boogie - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Bob Welsh; Bass: Troy Sandow; Drums: Malachi Johnson
2. No Love in My Heart - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitar: Nathan James; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Big Jon Atkinson; Drums: Richard Innes; horns: Jonny Viau
3. Ninety Nine - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Drums: Richard Innes
4. Worried Life Blues - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Bass: Kadar Roy; Drums: Marty Dodson
5. You Upset My Mind - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
6. Teenage Beat - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes
7. Same Old Blues - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitar: Billy Flynn; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes; horns: Jonny Viau
8. Searched All Over - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor
9. From the Bottom - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes
10. Look Whatcha Done - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Bob Welsh, Big Jon Atkinson; Bass: Troy Sandow; Drums: Malachi Johnson
11. Blue and Lonesome - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
12. Sho Nuf I Do - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitar: Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Nathan James; Drums: Richard Innes; horns: Jonny Viau
13. Learn to Treat Me Right – vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes
14. Edgier vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Bass: Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
15. Mean Old Frisco - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Bass: Kadar Roy; Drums: Marty Dodson
16. You’re the One - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
Mark Pucci
Mark Pucci Media
5000 Oak Bluff Ct.
Atlanta, GA 30350-1069
(770) 804-9555
www.markpuccimedia.com
2008 Blues Foundation Recipient -
"Keeping the Blues Alive Award" - Publicist
However, I had the opportunity to interview Kim for an online radio show I used to co-host, “Dave White Presents.” The interview was broadcast on our Oct. 22, 2014 show. I know that program is still archived at the Dave White Presents website. With any luck, the link below will still take you directly to that broadcast:
http://tinyurl.com/po7lbx2
Whether or not you’re interested in that in-depth conversation, here’s some up to the minute news you can use:
Kim Wilson Gets Back to Basics on Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1 CD, Coming October 20 from Severn Records
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Legendary singer/harmonica master Kim Wilson has gone back to the basics and old school Chicago blues for his exciting new CD, Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1, coming October 20 from Severn Records. Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1 was produced by Kim Wilson, with most tracks recorded and mixed by Nathan James at Sacred Cat Studios, Oceanside, California; except tracks 4 and 15 recorded by Big Jon at Big Tone Recording Studios, Hayward, California.
“I want to tell all of the real blues fans out there what a labor of love this project has been,” Wilson writes in the album’s liner notes. “I’ve been recording many, many tracks for a couple of years now and time has just flown by! A couple of the greatest musicians that ever lived, Richard Innes and Barrelhouse Chuck, have passed away during the process of making this CD. One of their dreams was to see this stuff come out.
“So here it is, the first of many to come. This kind of music is very easy and pleasurable for me to perform. I like to surround myself with musicians who like to ‘fly by the seat of their pants.’ People like Richard and Barrel, Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson, Marty Dodson, Nathan James, Larry Taylor, Malachi Johnson and all of the other fantastic blues musicians who are on this CD. I desired to record songs that I have always wanted to do. However, I have to put my own twist on everything.”
The track list includes several Kim Wilson originals that fit like a hand-in-glove along with the deep blues songbook he delved into for the new disc, including tunes by Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Rogers, Magic Sam and Jimmy Reed.
A founding member of the legendary Fabulous Thunderbirds and a multiple Blues Music Award winner as a solo artist, Wilson salutes many of his Chicago blues roots influences – in particular his harmonica mentors such as Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson and especially James Cotton – on Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1. It’s music that is both timely and timeless.
“I’m dedicating this CD to my big brother, James Cotton,” Wilson says. “He has always been a great inspiration and a dear friend. When I was a kid, having a great time with all of the masters of this music, I never dreamt I would be living in a world without them. Every time I open my mouth to sing or pick up my instrument to play I am doing it for them! There are hundreds of tracks in the can and still recording, and I really believe that this period of time is the beginning of my legacy. I could never have done it without my family of masters who invented this music and the musicians who are on this CD. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it!”
www.severnrecords.com www.fabulousthunderbirds.com
Kim Wilson – Blues & Boogie Vol. 1 Track Listing & Credits
1. Bonus Boogie - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Bob Welsh; Bass: Troy Sandow; Drums: Malachi Johnson
2. No Love in My Heart - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitar: Nathan James; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Big Jon Atkinson; Drums: Richard Innes; horns: Jonny Viau
3. Ninety Nine - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Drums: Richard Innes
4. Worried Life Blues - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Bass: Kadar Roy; Drums: Marty Dodson
5. You Upset My Mind - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
6. Teenage Beat - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes
7. Same Old Blues - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitar: Billy Flynn; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes; horns: Jonny Viau
8. Searched All Over - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor
9. From the Bottom - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes
10. Look Whatcha Done - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Bob Welsh, Big Jon Atkinson; Bass: Troy Sandow; Drums: Malachi Johnson
11. Blue and Lonesome - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
12. Sho Nuf I Do - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitar: Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Nathan James; Drums: Richard Innes; horns: Jonny Viau
13. Learn to Treat Me Right – vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes
14. Edgier vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Bass: Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
15. Mean Old Frisco - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Bass: Kadar Roy; Drums: Marty Dodson
16. You’re the One - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
Mark Pucci
Mark Pucci Media
5000 Oak Bluff Ct.
Atlanta, GA 30350-1069
(770) 804-9555
www.markpuccimedia.com
2008 Blues Foundation Recipient -
"Keeping the Blues Alive Award" - Publicist
From:
Rich Alterman
ralterman@mgroupsc.com
ralterman@mgroupsc.com
Everything Solid Has a Shadow by Michael Antman
Date: Wed, Aug 30, 2017 at 2:24 PM
Subject: Review Request: Everything Solid Has a Shadow - Mystery/Romance/Magical Realism
Please find a brief plot summary b
elow:
Charlie Alessandro is a musician and a marketing executive who ought to be happily satisfied. He is successful in his career, involved with a sleek and confident woman, and enjoying a fulfilling creative outlet with his guitar. Yet his seemingly complete life is troubled at every turn by something dark that happened to him when he was very young. Everything Solid has a Shadow is an intricately plotted novel driven by two intertwined mysteries—his investigation of that long-ago occurrence and the mysterious apparition of a woman he barely knows who invades his brain as he sleeps. Charlie’s journey into these two mysteries, his relationship with three beautiful young women in his life, and the very surprising resolution, make for an eerie and absorbing tale.
I am hoping that you may be interested in reviewing Mr. Antman’s new novel. Please let me know if you are indeed interested and I will send you a copy. Additionally, please find high-level details about the novel below:
• Title – Everything Solid Has a Shadow
• Author – Michael Antman
• Genre – Fiction
• ISBN – 978-1937484576
• Publication date – August 9, 2017
• Pages – 284
• Price – $15.95
• Publisher – Amika Press
Thank you,
Rich
Rich Alterman
M Group Strategic Communications
+1 212.266.0193
ralterman@mgroupsc.com
If you would rather not receive future communications from M Group Strategic Communications, please go to https://optout.cision.com/en/mZ3iC6sn....
M Group Strategic Communications, 1325 Ave of the Americas 27th floor, NYC, 10019 NY, United States
K-7-2074776-80709217-2-593-AV1-45FA3F19
I realize a post about Kim Wilson, legendary front man for the Fabulous Thunderbirds, might seem very OT for this blog.
However, I had the opportunity to interview Kim for an online radio show I used to co-host, “Dave White Presents.” The interview was broadcast on our Oct. 22, 2014 show. I know that program is still archived at the Dave White Presents website. With any luck, the link below will still take you directly to that broadcast:
http://tinyurl.com/po7lbx2
Whether or not you’re interested in that in-depth conversation, here’s some up to the minute news you can use:
Kim Wilson Gets Back to Basics on Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1 CD, Coming October 20 from Severn Records
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Legendary singer/harmonica master Kim Wilson has gone back to the basics and old school Chicago blues for his exciting new CD, Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1, coming October 20 from Severn Records. Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1 was produced by Kim Wilson, with most tracks recorded and mixed by Nathan James at Sacred Cat Studios, Oceanside, California; except tracks 4 and 15 recorded by Big Jon at Big Tone Recording Studios, Hayward, California.
“I want to tell all of the real blues fans out there what a labor of love this project has been,” Wilson writes in the album’s liner notes. “I’ve been recording many, many tracks for a couple of years now and time has just flown by! A couple of the greatest musicians that ever lived, Richard Innes and Barrelhouse Chuck, have passed away during the process of making this CD. One of their dreams was to see this stuff come out.
“So here it is, the first of many to come. This kind of music is very easy and pleasurable for me to perform. I like to surround myself with musicians who like to ‘fly by the seat of their pants.’ People like Richard and Barrel, Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson, Marty Dodson, Nathan James, Larry Taylor, Malachi Johnson and all of the other fantastic blues musicians who are on this CD. I desired to record songs that I have always wanted to do. However, I have to put my own twist on everything.”
The track list includes several Kim Wilson originals that fit like a hand-in-glove along with the deep blues songbook he delved into for the new disc, including tunes by Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elmore James, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Rogers, Magic Sam and Jimmy Reed.
A founding member of the legendary Fabulous Thunderbirds and a multiple Blues Music Award winner as a solo artist, Wilson salutes many of his Chicago blues roots influences – in particular his harmonica mentors such as Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson and especially James Cotton – on Blues and Boogie, Vol. 1. It’s music that is both timely and timeless.
“I’m dedicating this CD to my big brother, James Cotton,” Wilson says. “He has always been a great inspiration and a dear friend. When I was a kid, having a great time with all of the masters of this music, I never dreamt I would be living in a world without them. Every time I open my mouth to sing or pick up my instrument to play I am doing it for them! There are hundreds of tracks in the can and still recording, and I really believe that this period of time is the beginning of my legacy. I could never have done it without my family of masters who invented this music and the musicians who are on this CD. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it!”
www.severnrecords.com www.fabulousthunderbirds.com
Kim Wilson – Blues & Boogie Vol. 1 Track Listing & Credits
1. Bonus Boogie - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Bob Welsh; Bass: Troy Sandow; Drums: Malachi Johnson
2. No Love in My Heart - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitar: Nathan James; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Big Jon Atkinson; Drums: Richard Innes; horns: Jonny Viau
3. Ninety Nine - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Drums: Richard Innes
4. Worried Life Blues - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Bass: Kadar Roy; Drums: Marty Dodson
5. You Upset My Mind - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
6. Teenage Beat - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes
7. Same Old Blues - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitar: Billy Flynn; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes; horns: Jonny Viau
8. Searched All Over - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor
9. From the Bottom - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes
10. Look Whatcha Done - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Bob Welsh, Big Jon Atkinson; Bass: Troy Sandow; Drums: Malachi Johnson
11. Blue and Lonesome - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
12. Sho Nuf I Do - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitar: Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Nathan James; Drums: Richard Innes; horns: Jonny Viau
13. Learn to Treat Me Right – vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Billy Flynn, Big Jon Atkinson; Piano: Barrelhouse Chuck; Bass: Larry Taylor; Drums: Richard Innes
14. Edgier vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Bass: Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
15. Mean Old Frisco - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Bass: Kadar Roy; Drums: Marty Dodson
16. You’re the One - vocals & harmonica: Kim Wilson; Guitars: Big Jon Atkinson, Nathan James; Drums: Marty Dodson
Mark Pucci
Mark Pucci Media
5000 Oak Bluff Ct.
Atlanta, GA 30350-1069
(770) 804-9555
www.markpuccimedia.com
2008 Blues Foundation Recipient -
"Keeping the Blues Alive Award" - Publicist
Book Review: The Dictator of Britain: Book Three: The End of Days by Paul Michael Dubal
The Dictator of Britain: Book Three: The End of Days
Paul Michael Dubal
Print Length: 428 pages
Publisher: Paul Dubal (June 16, 2017)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B072S2HQ92
https://www.amazon.com/Dictator-Brita...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
The End of Days, book Three of the Dictator of Britain trilogy, opens much like volume one, The Rise to Power. This means author Paul Michael Dubal introduces us to many of his characters, both established and new, in a variety of settings that give us an extensive overview of life in England after the ascendency of Fascist Lawrence Pelham to power. Dubal presents the circumstances of what is happening to whom ranging from dictator Pelham arguing with his doomed wife and equally doomed lover to imprisoned dissident Harry Clarke being prepped for his trial to Clarke’s 12 year old son learning medicine in a deportation camp. While it’s clear the monstrous Pelham still has a strong grip on power, Dubal shows us the growing cracks in the foundation of that power, in particular, the beginnings of rebellion from Pelham’s own cabinet.
This rebellion is most obvious in the actions of Eleanor Beaufort, the Secretary of State for Health, who is beginning to realize her own compliance with what she learns about an often fatal man-made disease being spread around the deportation camps. After Pelham has both his wife and lover murdered, he attempts to rape Beaufort just before an assassination attempt orchestrated by Pelham’s power hungry Deputy PM, Giles Chamberlain, changes everything.
For example, can anything save Harry Clarke after he’s caught, convicted, and sentenced to execution? Is Pelham so insane that he’d actually release the artificially created virus in Europe as revenge for the long belated military intervention by the United Nations?
As with the previous two novels, The End of Days is so startling and worrisome because so much of what happens is entirely believable. This is especially true when people of good will stand back and allow tyranny to have its way unchallenged. Admittedly some scenes are a tad melodramatic and thus erode a little of the book’s verisimilitude. On the other hand, I was amazed and disturbed to read a speech from Pelham where he explains his motivations. He makes a lot of sense, at least in terms of the economic erosion of his country. While nothing can justify his barbarism, for one scene Pelham seems far more than a narcissistic and deluded monster. He spins out a believable if grim case for being regarded as an important patriot for England. Some of his complaints should resonate with American readers, especially regarding his unhappiness with political correctness and “fake news.”
Throughout the series, Paul Michael Dubal has created a cast of memorable characters, some of which most readers will end up caring about and hope for salvation in the face of all the carnage and bloodshed. The settings and events are too believable to be dismissed as being unrealistic or far-fetched. In fact, Dubal may be short-selling some matters as with the abilities of the British military. While we can hope the Dictator of Britain books don’t end up being prophetic, no reader can deny how thought-provoking all the events become. How would we behave if faced with similar circumstances? Perhaps the most surprising paragraphs are the final pages when the completely unexpected happens. There’s no way to prepare readers for the final outcome.
Wes Britton’s Aug. 18 BookPleasures.com review of The Dictator of Britain: Volume One: The Rise to Power is available at:
http://dpli.ir/TX1GNt
Wes Britton’s Aug. 25 BookPleasures.com review of The Dictator of Britain: Book Two: The Dirty War is posted at:
http://dpli.ir/EcMBRB
The above review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 29:
http://dpli.ir/8u1gTX
Paul Michael Dubal
Print Length: 428 pages
Publisher: Paul Dubal (June 16, 2017)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B072S2HQ92
https://www.amazon.com/Dictator-Brita...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
The End of Days, book Three of the Dictator of Britain trilogy, opens much like volume one, The Rise to Power. This means author Paul Michael Dubal introduces us to many of his characters, both established and new, in a variety of settings that give us an extensive overview of life in England after the ascendency of Fascist Lawrence Pelham to power. Dubal presents the circumstances of what is happening to whom ranging from dictator Pelham arguing with his doomed wife and equally doomed lover to imprisoned dissident Harry Clarke being prepped for his trial to Clarke’s 12 year old son learning medicine in a deportation camp. While it’s clear the monstrous Pelham still has a strong grip on power, Dubal shows us the growing cracks in the foundation of that power, in particular, the beginnings of rebellion from Pelham’s own cabinet.
This rebellion is most obvious in the actions of Eleanor Beaufort, the Secretary of State for Health, who is beginning to realize her own compliance with what she learns about an often fatal man-made disease being spread around the deportation camps. After Pelham has both his wife and lover murdered, he attempts to rape Beaufort just before an assassination attempt orchestrated by Pelham’s power hungry Deputy PM, Giles Chamberlain, changes everything.
For example, can anything save Harry Clarke after he’s caught, convicted, and sentenced to execution? Is Pelham so insane that he’d actually release the artificially created virus in Europe as revenge for the long belated military intervention by the United Nations?
As with the previous two novels, The End of Days is so startling and worrisome because so much of what happens is entirely believable. This is especially true when people of good will stand back and allow tyranny to have its way unchallenged. Admittedly some scenes are a tad melodramatic and thus erode a little of the book’s verisimilitude. On the other hand, I was amazed and disturbed to read a speech from Pelham where he explains his motivations. He makes a lot of sense, at least in terms of the economic erosion of his country. While nothing can justify his barbarism, for one scene Pelham seems far more than a narcissistic and deluded monster. He spins out a believable if grim case for being regarded as an important patriot for England. Some of his complaints should resonate with American readers, especially regarding his unhappiness with political correctness and “fake news.”
Throughout the series, Paul Michael Dubal has created a cast of memorable characters, some of which most readers will end up caring about and hope for salvation in the face of all the carnage and bloodshed. The settings and events are too believable to be dismissed as being unrealistic or far-fetched. In fact, Dubal may be short-selling some matters as with the abilities of the British military. While we can hope the Dictator of Britain books don’t end up being prophetic, no reader can deny how thought-provoking all the events become. How would we behave if faced with similar circumstances? Perhaps the most surprising paragraphs are the final pages when the completely unexpected happens. There’s no way to prepare readers for the final outcome.
Wes Britton’s Aug. 18 BookPleasures.com review of The Dictator of Britain: Volume One: The Rise to Power is available at:
http://dpli.ir/TX1GNt
Wes Britton’s Aug. 25 BookPleasures.com review of The Dictator of Britain: Book Two: The Dirty War is posted at:
http://dpli.ir/EcMBRB
The above review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 29:
http://dpli.ir/8u1gTX
August 25, 2017
Book Review: The Dictator of Britain: Book Two: The Dirty War by Paul Michael Dubal
The Dictator of Britain: Book Two: The Dirty War
Paul Michael Dubal
Paperback: 504 pages
Publisher: KDP (April 8, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1311549692
ISBN-13: 978-1311549693
https://www.amazon.com/Dictator-Brita...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
The Dirty War, book Two of the Dictator of Britain trilogy, doesn’t open like its predecessor. There, author Paul Michael Dubal spent considerable time painting the panorama of what England would be like if a right-wing Fascist politician, Lawrence Pelham, came to power. Its sequel, The Dirty War, begins by focusing on the aftermath of the destruction of a small resistance cell we saw crushed in the final pages of book one.
In particular, we spend most of the opening pages with disgraced journalist Harry Clarke, the subject of the largest manhunt in British history. We run with Clarke across the rural countryside as he escapes capture time and time again as we, along with Clarke, see just how barbaric Pelham’s Britain has become, especially the bloody atrocities occurring in the disease-ridden deportation camps.
Among those looking for Clarke is the former leader of that doomed resistance cell, the psychopathic Sean Kelly. After spending months in prison and enduring relentless tortures that force him to give up what he knows about the dissidents and his captors fuel his hatred for Clarke, Kelly is recruited to join the hunt. Another former member of that cell, Detective Constable Kendrick, also joins the hunt for Clarke but with a different motive. Along with Clarke’s former girlfriend, Julianne, Kendrick wants to help.
When we finally spend time with the dictator of Britain, we follow Pelham into an underground labyrinth of laboratories where his private Aryan Project is underway. There, amoral corporations fund experiments in genetic engineering, biological warfare, and psychological manipulation which Pelham keeps secret from his own government. We learn the U.N, other countries, and Pelham’s own cabinet are beginning to see Pelham for what he is although without the evidence to move forward with any legal actions. Those who know him see a very changed man from the politician who came to power less than a year before.
Pelham’s atrocities start to come to light after Clarke becomes a central figure in an underground London resistance cell led by cyber experts who find ways to bypass the government’s control of the internet and social media. Clarke becomes the face and voice of the resistance while nearly everyone seemingly opposed to Pelham double-crosses each other in a layer cake of conflicting betrayals. While this is going on, everyone wonders what it will take to get the U.N. to take any action beyond economic sanctions? Can Pelham be impeached? Can Harry Clarke keep eluding the authorities diligently seeking the most wanted traitor in England?
Like the previous Rise to Power, The Dirty War is a gripping read, all the more chilling because of its all too believable plausibility. True, author Dubal doesn’t touch all the bases and some story points are rather quickly glossed over. For example, the royal family all but disappears and only have a short mention when they complain about trespassers on their property. Surely King William and his family would have much more to say in “real life,” despite the despotic threats of Pelham and his military supporters? Surely Brits living overseas would also have more to say as they’d be out of reach of Pelham’s ruthless police force?
Despite these notes about things Dubal didn’t tell us, what he did write unfolds in a fast-moving, multi-layered, very character-driven epic brimming with thrills, surprises, and more than memorable scenes. For example, the steel drums filled with human exiles and what happens to them at the shipyards are unforgettable. If you’re like me, you’ll want to go on and read the grand finale, book 3 of the trilogy, The End of Days. And remember—2016 was a year when the astonishing and unbelievable did take place in American and British politics. As I said in my review of Rise to Power, don’t be too quick to say “It can’t happen here.” There are just too many folks who wish it would.
My August 18 review of The Dictator of Britain: Book One, Rise to Power was first posted at:
http://dpli.ir/TX1GNt
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 25 at:
http://dpli.ir/EcMBRB
Paul Michael Dubal
Paperback: 504 pages
Publisher: KDP (April 8, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1311549692
ISBN-13: 978-1311549693
https://www.amazon.com/Dictator-Brita...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
The Dirty War, book Two of the Dictator of Britain trilogy, doesn’t open like its predecessor. There, author Paul Michael Dubal spent considerable time painting the panorama of what England would be like if a right-wing Fascist politician, Lawrence Pelham, came to power. Its sequel, The Dirty War, begins by focusing on the aftermath of the destruction of a small resistance cell we saw crushed in the final pages of book one.
In particular, we spend most of the opening pages with disgraced journalist Harry Clarke, the subject of the largest manhunt in British history. We run with Clarke across the rural countryside as he escapes capture time and time again as we, along with Clarke, see just how barbaric Pelham’s Britain has become, especially the bloody atrocities occurring in the disease-ridden deportation camps.
Among those looking for Clarke is the former leader of that doomed resistance cell, the psychopathic Sean Kelly. After spending months in prison and enduring relentless tortures that force him to give up what he knows about the dissidents and his captors fuel his hatred for Clarke, Kelly is recruited to join the hunt. Another former member of that cell, Detective Constable Kendrick, also joins the hunt for Clarke but with a different motive. Along with Clarke’s former girlfriend, Julianne, Kendrick wants to help.
When we finally spend time with the dictator of Britain, we follow Pelham into an underground labyrinth of laboratories where his private Aryan Project is underway. There, amoral corporations fund experiments in genetic engineering, biological warfare, and psychological manipulation which Pelham keeps secret from his own government. We learn the U.N, other countries, and Pelham’s own cabinet are beginning to see Pelham for what he is although without the evidence to move forward with any legal actions. Those who know him see a very changed man from the politician who came to power less than a year before.
Pelham’s atrocities start to come to light after Clarke becomes a central figure in an underground London resistance cell led by cyber experts who find ways to bypass the government’s control of the internet and social media. Clarke becomes the face and voice of the resistance while nearly everyone seemingly opposed to Pelham double-crosses each other in a layer cake of conflicting betrayals. While this is going on, everyone wonders what it will take to get the U.N. to take any action beyond economic sanctions? Can Pelham be impeached? Can Harry Clarke keep eluding the authorities diligently seeking the most wanted traitor in England?
Like the previous Rise to Power, The Dirty War is a gripping read, all the more chilling because of its all too believable plausibility. True, author Dubal doesn’t touch all the bases and some story points are rather quickly glossed over. For example, the royal family all but disappears and only have a short mention when they complain about trespassers on their property. Surely King William and his family would have much more to say in “real life,” despite the despotic threats of Pelham and his military supporters? Surely Brits living overseas would also have more to say as they’d be out of reach of Pelham’s ruthless police force?
Despite these notes about things Dubal didn’t tell us, what he did write unfolds in a fast-moving, multi-layered, very character-driven epic brimming with thrills, surprises, and more than memorable scenes. For example, the steel drums filled with human exiles and what happens to them at the shipyards are unforgettable. If you’re like me, you’ll want to go on and read the grand finale, book 3 of the trilogy, The End of Days. And remember—2016 was a year when the astonishing and unbelievable did take place in American and British politics. As I said in my review of Rise to Power, don’t be too quick to say “It can’t happen here.” There are just too many folks who wish it would.
My August 18 review of The Dictator of Britain: Book One, Rise to Power was first posted at:
http://dpli.ir/TX1GNt
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 25 at:
http://dpli.ir/EcMBRB
August 21, 2017
Book Review: Stalin's Gold: A DCI Frank Merlin Novel by Mark Ellis
Stalin's Gold: A DCI Frank Merlin Novel
Mark Ellis
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: London Wall Publishing (November 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 099299439X
ISBN-13: 978-0992994396
https://www.amazon.com/Stalins-Gold-F...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
Stalin’s Gold opens rather differently from the other two DCI (Detective Chief Inspector) Frank Merlin novels published to date. Princes Gate, volume one of the series, and Merlin at War, volume 3, start off with Merlin and his four person Scotland Yard unit investigating murders in London during World War II.
But, set primarily in London in September 1940, the first hundred pages or so of Stalin’s Gold has Mark Ellis painting an elaborate canvas where he provides considerable detail about the life of Anglo-Spanish Merlin and his much younger Polish girlfriend, Sonia, her fighter pilot brother, Jan, and a number of other characters, some Russian, many Polish, many British . As the panorama unfolds, we are shown how Londoners dealt with the first months of the Nazi bombing of their city and we witness some dog fights in the skies as well as some criminal activity as looters seek treasures in bombed out homes and businesses.
The first investigation Merlin conducts isn’t official business, but instead he looks for a missing Polish airman at the request of Sonia’s brother. As his boss is very concerned about looting, Merlin stumbles on one such gang in one destroyed house where he discovers a mysterious ingot of gold. It isn’t long before these two cases become intertwined as a number of gold bars went missing in Poland, might now be hidden somewhere in London, and Russian spies are on the prowl to track them down. It isn’t long before Polish agents and Russian agents, along with a few English accomplices, are vying with each other to have possession of a lorry-full of gold. According to the Russians, a family of poles stole the gold from them in the early days of the war. According to the Poles, the gold was in the possession of that rich family for generations.
As with the other two Merlin mysteries, Elis is especially good at capturing the spirit of the times and places of his various stories. Showing considerable verisimilitude, it is obvious Ellis has immersed himself in the era and settings he explores. He’s also good at setting up his chess pieces and coordinating the movements of all his interwoven groups of players. Few characters are either black or white but are, for the most part, sketched with multi-dimensional depth.
Stalin’s Gold really should be read in sequence, in between the other two Merlin outings. It’s not vital readers do this, but that would help keeping track of some of the supporting characters in Merlin’s department and home life. However you do it, the DCI Frank Merlin novels are for those who like richly detailed historical fiction, international intrigue, murder mysteries, and World War II yarns, especially those set on the home front.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 21, 2017:
http://dpli.ir/TcbzED
Wes Britton’s review of book 1 of the series, Princes Gate, can be read at:
http://dpli.ir/5nR2Vw
Wes Britton’s review of book 3, Merlin at War, was posted at:
http://dpli.ir/NM2L02
And both reviews are archived here at my Goodreads blog as well.
Mark Ellis
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: London Wall Publishing (November 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 099299439X
ISBN-13: 978-0992994396
https://www.amazon.com/Stalins-Gold-F...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
Stalin’s Gold opens rather differently from the other two DCI (Detective Chief Inspector) Frank Merlin novels published to date. Princes Gate, volume one of the series, and Merlin at War, volume 3, start off with Merlin and his four person Scotland Yard unit investigating murders in London during World War II.
But, set primarily in London in September 1940, the first hundred pages or so of Stalin’s Gold has Mark Ellis painting an elaborate canvas where he provides considerable detail about the life of Anglo-Spanish Merlin and his much younger Polish girlfriend, Sonia, her fighter pilot brother, Jan, and a number of other characters, some Russian, many Polish, many British . As the panorama unfolds, we are shown how Londoners dealt with the first months of the Nazi bombing of their city and we witness some dog fights in the skies as well as some criminal activity as looters seek treasures in bombed out homes and businesses.
The first investigation Merlin conducts isn’t official business, but instead he looks for a missing Polish airman at the request of Sonia’s brother. As his boss is very concerned about looting, Merlin stumbles on one such gang in one destroyed house where he discovers a mysterious ingot of gold. It isn’t long before these two cases become intertwined as a number of gold bars went missing in Poland, might now be hidden somewhere in London, and Russian spies are on the prowl to track them down. It isn’t long before Polish agents and Russian agents, along with a few English accomplices, are vying with each other to have possession of a lorry-full of gold. According to the Russians, a family of poles stole the gold from them in the early days of the war. According to the Poles, the gold was in the possession of that rich family for generations.
As with the other two Merlin mysteries, Elis is especially good at capturing the spirit of the times and places of his various stories. Showing considerable verisimilitude, it is obvious Ellis has immersed himself in the era and settings he explores. He’s also good at setting up his chess pieces and coordinating the movements of all his interwoven groups of players. Few characters are either black or white but are, for the most part, sketched with multi-dimensional depth.
Stalin’s Gold really should be read in sequence, in between the other two Merlin outings. It’s not vital readers do this, but that would help keeping track of some of the supporting characters in Merlin’s department and home life. However you do it, the DCI Frank Merlin novels are for those who like richly detailed historical fiction, international intrigue, murder mysteries, and World War II yarns, especially those set on the home front.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 21, 2017:
http://dpli.ir/TcbzED
Wes Britton’s review of book 1 of the series, Princes Gate, can be read at:
http://dpli.ir/5nR2Vw
Wes Britton’s review of book 3, Merlin at War, was posted at:
http://dpli.ir/NM2L02
And both reviews are archived here at my Goodreads blog as well.
August 18, 2017
Book Review: The Dictator of Britain: Volume One: The Rise to Power by Paul Michael Dubal
The Dictator of Britain: Volume One: The Rise to Power
Paul Michael Dubal
Paperback: 430 pages
Publisher: Outskirts Press (April 26, 2013)
ISBN-10:1478712686
ISBN-13:978-1478712688
https://www.amazon.com/Dictator-Brita...
Volume One –
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
A review of a book that came out in 2013 might seem woefully behind the curve. While that may be true, I’m going to be reviewing book two of this series—The Dirty War—that came out in April 2017 and the third volume of the trilogy, The End of Days—which came out this June. I didn’t think I should bypass the first part of the series so my reviews of volumes two and three can be as informed as possible.
I have both good and bad news. The good news is that The Rise to Power is a powerfully written epic that is absorbing as it builds and builds with changing settings, evolving characters, and a wide panorama of events that demonstrate what England might become if the country undergoes such a social collapse that voters bring in a far right government that promises, at the very least, to make life difficult for immigrants and reduce the impact of the welfare state.
The bad news is that this not-so-brave new world is unnervingly realistic and seems much too believable and prophetic. In 2013, Paul Dubal seemed to see Brexit coming. His prime minister, Lawrence Pelham, has a lot in common with America’s Donald Trump. The main difference is that Pelham has a five year plan which is much more sweeping and destructive than Trump’s immigration cuts, proposed wall with Mexico, and deportation of illegal U.S. residents.
Dubal’s Pelham has a far tighter grip on power than any leader of a Western democracy has had since Hitler. Young brutal British males on the prowl, calling themselves FREE—the Fight to Return England to the English—are more than evocative of similar Nazi thug squads in the 1930s. Donald Trump may complain that news items he doesn’t like are “fake news”; Pelham’s government suppresses any news stories they don’t like. In addition, the internet and social networks are severely censored. Further, Pelham plans to create a totalitarian state with measures like deportation camps, the Minority Registration Act, ethnic cleansing and the end of pretty much all civil rights.
Many characters are actors in specific scenes and passages that illustrate one aspect or another of the chilling vista of Pelham’s new Britain. One continuing and important figure is disgraced journalist Harry Clarke who becomes the center of a far-reaching manhunt when he is given a disc containing Pelham’s secret five year plan before it’s revealed to the general population.
But it’s not official “law enforcement” who capture Clarke. It’s a small cell of the Independent Socialist Party led by Clarke’s former girlfriend, Julianne. Can a small, ragtag group of untrained rebels accomplish anything against the might of England’s military and political might? Can they act more humanely than Pelham’s forces?
While the era we live in is filled with often depressing if very readable dystopian novels, I can’t help but think of Sinclair Lewis’s 1935 It can’t Happen Here where circumstances very like what happens in Rise to Power take place, only in the U.S.. Depending on an author’s own political stance, their books either worry about
a too socialist left wing takeover or a right wing Fascist regime. More sci fi oriented writers explore the impact of climate change and global warming. Whatever a book’s themes, few speculative novels are very optimistic beyond offering us the independent and rebellious natures of future heroes and heroines opposed to whatever authoritative rule has taken control.
If you’re like me, you’ll find it difficult to read The Rise to Power and not plan on going on to delve into The Dirty War and The End of Days. Perhaps that’s where I will find an reasonably optimistic outcome. It can’t happen here, whether the U.K., the U.S., wherever you live? Why not?
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 18, 2017
http://dpli.ir/TX1GNt
Paul Michael Dubal
Paperback: 430 pages
Publisher: Outskirts Press (April 26, 2013)
ISBN-10:1478712686
ISBN-13:978-1478712688
https://www.amazon.com/Dictator-Brita...
Volume One –
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
A review of a book that came out in 2013 might seem woefully behind the curve. While that may be true, I’m going to be reviewing book two of this series—The Dirty War—that came out in April 2017 and the third volume of the trilogy, The End of Days—which came out this June. I didn’t think I should bypass the first part of the series so my reviews of volumes two and three can be as informed as possible.
I have both good and bad news. The good news is that The Rise to Power is a powerfully written epic that is absorbing as it builds and builds with changing settings, evolving characters, and a wide panorama of events that demonstrate what England might become if the country undergoes such a social collapse that voters bring in a far right government that promises, at the very least, to make life difficult for immigrants and reduce the impact of the welfare state.
The bad news is that this not-so-brave new world is unnervingly realistic and seems much too believable and prophetic. In 2013, Paul Dubal seemed to see Brexit coming. His prime minister, Lawrence Pelham, has a lot in common with America’s Donald Trump. The main difference is that Pelham has a five year plan which is much more sweeping and destructive than Trump’s immigration cuts, proposed wall with Mexico, and deportation of illegal U.S. residents.
Dubal’s Pelham has a far tighter grip on power than any leader of a Western democracy has had since Hitler. Young brutal British males on the prowl, calling themselves FREE—the Fight to Return England to the English—are more than evocative of similar Nazi thug squads in the 1930s. Donald Trump may complain that news items he doesn’t like are “fake news”; Pelham’s government suppresses any news stories they don’t like. In addition, the internet and social networks are severely censored. Further, Pelham plans to create a totalitarian state with measures like deportation camps, the Minority Registration Act, ethnic cleansing and the end of pretty much all civil rights.
Many characters are actors in specific scenes and passages that illustrate one aspect or another of the chilling vista of Pelham’s new Britain. One continuing and important figure is disgraced journalist Harry Clarke who becomes the center of a far-reaching manhunt when he is given a disc containing Pelham’s secret five year plan before it’s revealed to the general population.
But it’s not official “law enforcement” who capture Clarke. It’s a small cell of the Independent Socialist Party led by Clarke’s former girlfriend, Julianne. Can a small, ragtag group of untrained rebels accomplish anything against the might of England’s military and political might? Can they act more humanely than Pelham’s forces?
While the era we live in is filled with often depressing if very readable dystopian novels, I can’t help but think of Sinclair Lewis’s 1935 It can’t Happen Here where circumstances very like what happens in Rise to Power take place, only in the U.S.. Depending on an author’s own political stance, their books either worry about
a too socialist left wing takeover or a right wing Fascist regime. More sci fi oriented writers explore the impact of climate change and global warming. Whatever a book’s themes, few speculative novels are very optimistic beyond offering us the independent and rebellious natures of future heroes and heroines opposed to whatever authoritative rule has taken control.
If you’re like me, you’ll find it difficult to read The Rise to Power and not plan on going on to delve into The Dirty War and The End of Days. Perhaps that’s where I will find an reasonably optimistic outcome. It can’t happen here, whether the U.K., the U.S., wherever you live? Why not?
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 18, 2017
http://dpli.ir/TX1GNt
August 14, 2017
Book Review: Princes Gate: A DCI Frank Merlin novel by Mark Ellis
Princes Gate: A DCI Frank Merlin novel
Mark Ellis
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: London Wall Publishing (November 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 0992994381
ISBN-13: 978-0992994389
https://www.amazon.com/Princes-Gate-F...
First published on June 1st 2011 by Matador Books, then as a Kindle edition on September 3rd 2015 by London Wall Publishing, then as a paperback in November 2016 by the same publisher, Princes Gate is gaining renewed attention as Merlin at War, the third volume in the Frank Merlin mysteries, is scheduled for publication this October. (The second novel, Stalin’s Gold, was also reissued by London Wall in Nov. 2016.)
Throughout this series, DCI (Detective Chief Investigator) Frank Merlin of Scotland Yard investigates domestic crimes in London during World War II. In Princes Gate, the story is set in the early months of 1940 when Neville Chamberlain was still Prime Minister and the Luftwaffe bombing of Britain had not yet begun.
Political concerns make Merlin’s investigations rather delicate as he’s looking into the murders of two staff members of the U.S. embassy when Joseph P. Kennedy was ambassador. Merlin’s higher-ups don’t want the detective to rock any boats as they’re hopeful the U.S. will come to their aid in the war with Germany. This, despite the fact Kennedy is against any war with the Nazis at all, as he feels Britain has no chance.
This history provides a backdrop to Merlin and his team’s investigations which include many sensitive interviews with diplomatic officials and their contacts, sojourns into seedy London nightclubs, and interviews in London businesses, apartments, and homes. I’ve read one review of the book which called it “atmospheric.” That descriptor is spot on. Clearly, Ellis has immersed himself in the place and time of his Merlin books and takes the reader to that setting with convincing and vivid details from Merlin’s shoes to the music of the era to the geopolitical debates of the times. Unlike the sequels to Princes Gate, there’s no espionage plot this time around. But we do witness hanky panky and dastardly deeds by individuals from both the highest of the higher and the lowest of the lower classes.
This attention to detail also applies to many of the characters, both primary and supporting. We learn much about the Anglo-Spanish Merlin, as with his ongoing grief for his dead wife. I must admit, I never understood the role of Detective Claire Robinson. After she’s assigned to Merlin’s team by her uncle, Merlin’s boss, she contributes very little to anything in the various investigations. On the other hand, we get a very satisfying conclusion, even if some justice comes by way of a much higher authority than Scotland Yard. Me, I’ve read two of the Merlin books so far—Stalin’s Gold is next. For those who are just now being drawn into the Merlin series, my review of Merlin at War first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 3, 2017
http://dpli.ir/NM2L02
This review of Princes Gate first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 14, 2017
http://dpli.ir/5nR2Vw
Mark Ellis
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: London Wall Publishing (November 1, 2016)
ISBN-10: 0992994381
ISBN-13: 978-0992994389
https://www.amazon.com/Princes-Gate-F...
First published on June 1st 2011 by Matador Books, then as a Kindle edition on September 3rd 2015 by London Wall Publishing, then as a paperback in November 2016 by the same publisher, Princes Gate is gaining renewed attention as Merlin at War, the third volume in the Frank Merlin mysteries, is scheduled for publication this October. (The second novel, Stalin’s Gold, was also reissued by London Wall in Nov. 2016.)
Throughout this series, DCI (Detective Chief Investigator) Frank Merlin of Scotland Yard investigates domestic crimes in London during World War II. In Princes Gate, the story is set in the early months of 1940 when Neville Chamberlain was still Prime Minister and the Luftwaffe bombing of Britain had not yet begun.
Political concerns make Merlin’s investigations rather delicate as he’s looking into the murders of two staff members of the U.S. embassy when Joseph P. Kennedy was ambassador. Merlin’s higher-ups don’t want the detective to rock any boats as they’re hopeful the U.S. will come to their aid in the war with Germany. This, despite the fact Kennedy is against any war with the Nazis at all, as he feels Britain has no chance.
This history provides a backdrop to Merlin and his team’s investigations which include many sensitive interviews with diplomatic officials and their contacts, sojourns into seedy London nightclubs, and interviews in London businesses, apartments, and homes. I’ve read one review of the book which called it “atmospheric.” That descriptor is spot on. Clearly, Ellis has immersed himself in the place and time of his Merlin books and takes the reader to that setting with convincing and vivid details from Merlin’s shoes to the music of the era to the geopolitical debates of the times. Unlike the sequels to Princes Gate, there’s no espionage plot this time around. But we do witness hanky panky and dastardly deeds by individuals from both the highest of the higher and the lowest of the lower classes.
This attention to detail also applies to many of the characters, both primary and supporting. We learn much about the Anglo-Spanish Merlin, as with his ongoing grief for his dead wife. I must admit, I never understood the role of Detective Claire Robinson. After she’s assigned to Merlin’s team by her uncle, Merlin’s boss, she contributes very little to anything in the various investigations. On the other hand, we get a very satisfying conclusion, even if some justice comes by way of a much higher authority than Scotland Yard. Me, I’ve read two of the Merlin books so far—Stalin’s Gold is next. For those who are just now being drawn into the Merlin series, my review of Merlin at War first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 3, 2017
http://dpli.ir/NM2L02
This review of Princes Gate first appeared at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 14, 2017
http://dpli.ir/5nR2Vw
Book Review: My Undead Mother-in-law: The Family Zombie With Anger Management Issues by Andy Zach
My Undead Mother-in-law: The Family Zombie With Anger Management Issues (Life After Life Chronicles Book 2)
Andy Zach (Author), Sean Flanagan (Illustrator)
Print Length: 275 pages
Publisher: Jule Inc; 1 edition (August 5, 2017)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B0743FQ3QC
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0743FQ3QC
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
I first experienced the bizarre imagination of Andy Zach when I read his Zombie Turkeys: How an Unknown Blogger Fought Unkillable Turkeys (Life After Life Volume 1) which I reviewed for BookPleasures.com on Jan. 10, 2016 at:
goo.gl/IqWpSb
In that romp, blogger Sam Melvin tracked a horde of carnivorous red-eyed zombie turkeys plaguing Illinois in a zombie apocalypse while his boss/ girlfriend Lisa used his blog stories to build her website where the couple hocked all manner of killer turkey merchandise.
Now, in volume 2 of the series, Sam meets a family of human zombies. They’re nothing like the usual relentless undead walkers you’ve come to expect. In Zach’s world, zombie humans don’t mind the changes their bodies went through as the changes are mostly improvements. Lost limbs grow back and bodies don’t quit. In particular, Diane Newby, the undead mother-in-law of the title, becomes a zombie advocate urging her family to share their blood with other people, especially the elderly and disabled, whose ailments are “cured” when the zombie blood transforms them. In addition, Diane “reasons” with savage zombie animals like turkeys and bulls, taming them to behave themselves and obey her commands.
Perhaps not surprisingly, medical authorities and the government are divided on deciding just what the best response to all this should be. Is it discrimination for the NFL and other leagues to ban zombies from sports? What sort of legislation should Congress pass?
If all that weirdness isn’t enough for you, toss in European crime lord Vik Staskas who wants to take over America using hijacked zombie blood. He controls deadly remote-controlled cyborg animals like rats, snakes, and monkeys. They can talk and threaten pilots and ship captains to go where the billionaire wants them to go. Thus begins the war between zombie humans, turkeys, and bulls vs. cyborg snakes, gorillas, and chimpanzees. If all that still isn’t enough for you, well, next comes . . . zombies at sea, vicious killer zombie hula-girls with shapely legs, zombies watching The Night of the Living Dead with the Trumps in the White House . . .
Obviously, Zach isn’t expecting his readers to take any of this seriously. So he doesn’t spend much time developing his characters, describing his settings, or doing anything at all that would slow his fast-moving narrative. Yes, it’s a violent, bloody book with considerable carnage, but carnage of a very cartoonish nature. After all, zombies of any species can’t be killed, and cyborg creatures being smashed, crushed, or blown up aren’t likely to distress any reader’s sensibilities.
So My Undead Mother-In-Law, while not publicized as a YA story, should appeal to a generation for whom blogging is part of their daily life. Zach even asked a less than famous blogger to write the humorous “Foreword” to the book. That’s really what any reader needs to enjoy this strange yarn—a sense of humor and a willingness to lose yourself in a world that never was and never will be. But a world that seems likely to appear once again in yet another sequel.
This review was first published at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 14, 2017 at:
http://dpli.ir/Z1dJCo
Andy Zach (Author), Sean Flanagan (Illustrator)
Print Length: 275 pages
Publisher: Jule Inc; 1 edition (August 5, 2017)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B0743FQ3QC
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0743FQ3QC
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
I first experienced the bizarre imagination of Andy Zach when I read his Zombie Turkeys: How an Unknown Blogger Fought Unkillable Turkeys (Life After Life Volume 1) which I reviewed for BookPleasures.com on Jan. 10, 2016 at:
goo.gl/IqWpSb
In that romp, blogger Sam Melvin tracked a horde of carnivorous red-eyed zombie turkeys plaguing Illinois in a zombie apocalypse while his boss/ girlfriend Lisa used his blog stories to build her website where the couple hocked all manner of killer turkey merchandise.
Now, in volume 2 of the series, Sam meets a family of human zombies. They’re nothing like the usual relentless undead walkers you’ve come to expect. In Zach’s world, zombie humans don’t mind the changes their bodies went through as the changes are mostly improvements. Lost limbs grow back and bodies don’t quit. In particular, Diane Newby, the undead mother-in-law of the title, becomes a zombie advocate urging her family to share their blood with other people, especially the elderly and disabled, whose ailments are “cured” when the zombie blood transforms them. In addition, Diane “reasons” with savage zombie animals like turkeys and bulls, taming them to behave themselves and obey her commands.
Perhaps not surprisingly, medical authorities and the government are divided on deciding just what the best response to all this should be. Is it discrimination for the NFL and other leagues to ban zombies from sports? What sort of legislation should Congress pass?
If all that weirdness isn’t enough for you, toss in European crime lord Vik Staskas who wants to take over America using hijacked zombie blood. He controls deadly remote-controlled cyborg animals like rats, snakes, and monkeys. They can talk and threaten pilots and ship captains to go where the billionaire wants them to go. Thus begins the war between zombie humans, turkeys, and bulls vs. cyborg snakes, gorillas, and chimpanzees. If all that still isn’t enough for you, well, next comes . . . zombies at sea, vicious killer zombie hula-girls with shapely legs, zombies watching The Night of the Living Dead with the Trumps in the White House . . .
Obviously, Zach isn’t expecting his readers to take any of this seriously. So he doesn’t spend much time developing his characters, describing his settings, or doing anything at all that would slow his fast-moving narrative. Yes, it’s a violent, bloody book with considerable carnage, but carnage of a very cartoonish nature. After all, zombies of any species can’t be killed, and cyborg creatures being smashed, crushed, or blown up aren’t likely to distress any reader’s sensibilities.
So My Undead Mother-In-Law, while not publicized as a YA story, should appeal to a generation for whom blogging is part of their daily life. Zach even asked a less than famous blogger to write the humorous “Foreword” to the book. That’s really what any reader needs to enjoy this strange yarn—a sense of humor and a willingness to lose yourself in a world that never was and never will be. But a world that seems likely to appear once again in yet another sequel.
This review was first published at BookPleasures.com on Aug. 14, 2017 at:
http://dpli.ir/Z1dJCo
Wesley Britton's Blog
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“The Blind Alien is a story with a highly original concept, fascinating characters, and not-too-subtle but truthful allegories. Don’t let the ...more
“The Blind Alien is a story with a highly original concept, fascinating characters, and not-too-subtle but truthful allegories. Don’t let the ...more
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