P.A. Wilson's Blog, page 3

Alan Lennox and The Temp Job of Doom, by Brian Olsen: Book Review

Not my usual read, and frankly it took a while for me to get into it. From page one, it intrigued me, but I was trying too hard to figure things out. When I decided to go along for the ride, I was hooked. 

Alan is bored. The temp work gets that way fast for him and he has a habit of running out on the job. Things are different when he realizes that there’s something weird going on. A series of coincidences pique his interest and suddenly he’s reeled into the trap.

An addictive video game and a huge corporation have too many things in common for Alan and his roommates to ignore.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun read with a bunch of raving lunatics.

RATING: 

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Rest For The Wicked by Cate Dean: Book Review

Claire Wiche has a secret and someone is ready to exploit it. You can’t rely on family to help you when your family is your worst enemy.  

During the local magic festival, Claire and her best friend, Annie, are busy with their customers when a couple of strangers show up. Neither is who they claim to be, but both turn out to be important to rescuing the world from the latest crisis in the Wiche family.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a story about revenge, betrayal, and redemption.

 

RATING: 

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Follow The Crow, by B. B. Griffith: Book Review

This is a mystical fantasy. You know there’s something weird going on from the first page, but it takes a while to realize that you’re not reading too much into it. The mythology of the Navajo forms the basis of this novel which takes us on an epic journey with battles that no one knew were being fought. 

The crows are acting weird, but maybe that’s okay. Ben Dejooli thinks. It’s fall and crows flock in the fall.  One dead gambler is a sad story, but too often on this part of the rez, people die for no reason. The problem is that the crows just keep acting weirder. They follow him around and seem to be keeping their eyes on him.

Carolyn knows there’s something wrong with Ben. She can see the colors of sickness on patients, and Ben is in real trouble. When Owen agrees with her they set out to convince Ben to get tested. That’s where everything goes sideways.

I recommend this to anyone who loves mystical stories that challenge the way you look at the world.

RATING: 

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The Meldling, by Claire Ryan: Book Review

It’s a world being torn apart. Two powerful races use the world of humans to carry out an epic battle, one so old that they don’t remember why they fight. 

A sorcerer, as powerful as he is evil, melds a human soul to a daemon body, creating the first meldling. As she struggles to find out who she really is, Suzanna finds companionship in the knights who rescued her, and one in particular. Is there a way for creatures so different to become allies? Lovers?

I recommend this book to anyone who loves epic fantasy, and the search for identity in a world of enemies.

RATING: 

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Look What The Wind Blew In by Ann Charles: Book Review

Excavating a Mayan ruin isn’t all discoveries and glamor. It’s hot, and sweaty, and there’s that darn curse. No matter how many times Angelica denies it, there sure seems to be a lot of accidents happening since she found the curse. 

That’s bad enough when she’s running out of time this dig season to find the elusive proof of her mother’s belief, but then a nosy reporter shows up. And then her ex-husband marches in and tells her he’s in charge of their funding.

A lot of fun and danger in this mystery. I recommend it to any Ann Charles fan, and anyone who likes a feisty woman hero in their stories.

RATING: 

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Haunting Refrain by Ellis Vidler: Book Review

It’s bad enough when you find out you have psychic powers, but adding onto it experiencing the death of a young woman, it’s impossible to keep secret.

Kate loves her new life. It’s refreshing not to live with the rules and expectations of her ex-husband. What she doesn’t want is any more publicity. When she’s taking part in an experimental research project she shatters the peace of her life. The innocent headband takes her into the body of a young woman just as the killer is strangling her.

The attention she gets is all due to the reporter she wants to avoid. He’s too damn smart and too good looking for her peace of mind.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a good mystery with a great romance and a lot of paranormal interference.

RATING: 

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Key Lime Blues by Mike Jastrzebsk: Book Review

Wes Darling has had enough of being a private investigator. Too bad his mother doesn’t agree. He’s retreated to Key West to get out of the business after making a mistake that cost a life. He’s happy to spend time tending bar, living on his boat, and getting up the courage to ask Tanya out. 

That all goes to hell when he learns that his mentor’s body was found on the island. Despite his refusal to come back to the agency, Wes agrees to wrap up Nick’s last case. Easy peasey until he meets the crazy woman he’s supposed to send back to her boyfriend.

If you like noir, you’ll like this story. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story with no real good guys and everything is in dark shades of gray.

RATING: 

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Paradise Lot: GoneGodWorld – Episode One by R.E. Vance: Book Review

Imagine a world where all of the gods just left – kind of like the dolphins in Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. It might have been easier if they’d taken all of their, servants, minions, and assorted beings with them. But they didn’t. 

Angels crashed down from heaven, demons rose from hell, and genies, ghosts, and fairies among others all suddenly appeared. Is this Armageddon? No, that seems to be coming.

The first episode is a great read – I did want more. Vance is releasing each episode as a separate volume – I’m hoping for a collection because it’s hard to wait for the next one.

If you like dystopian tales that are about more than a zombie storm, you’ll enjoy this one.

RATING:  

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Village Books by Craig McLay: Book Review

Not my usual read. Those of you who check out my posts know that I love plot driven books with crazy characters, or not so crazy, but I do love a mystery. This one is more about the characters than the plot, and I couldn’t put it down for long. 

The Village Bookstore is in danger of folding – has been for years. The owner is seriously ill. The heirs are eager to grab the money offered. The employees are mostly looking for a new opportunity anyway, but everyone loves the store.

Our hero blurts out a marriage proposal to a woman browsing for Mamet. That starts our journey into the complexity of the employee’s lives and a romance that defies logic.

I recommend this to anyone who likes a gentle look at the lives of ordinary, but odd, people as their world changes.

RATING:  

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Pineapple Lies by Amy Vansant: Book Review

Another mystery with a weird cast of characters. I seem to be fixated on the fun reads these days. Charlotte grew up in a retirement community, which means her love life has been sparse, and mainly populated by the grandsons of her friends and neighbors.

That all changes when she finds a skeleton buried in her back garden. The body isn’t the only surprise in her life. Charlotte meets Declan. He’s hot, he’s involved with the investigation, and he has a great sense of humor. Now all she needs is a purpose in life, and to solve the mystery.

You’ll like this if you enjoy stories with entire communities full of odd characters, many of whom could be the killer.

RATING: 

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