D.J. Weaver's Blog, page 11

Book Review of THE SILENT ARMY by James Knapp

The Silent Army was written by James Knapp and published by Roc in 2010. You may purchase this book at www.amazon,com and you may read more about James Knapp at http://www.james-knapp.com/index.html
The Silent Army is the second book in the 'Revivor' series. In the future, Revivors take the forefront in battle. Revivors are average citizens who, once they pass away, become a part of the Zombie army sent to fight for the citizens' freedom. In order to live a better life, free of poverty, citizens must chose to have their corpses re-animated upon their death and enlisted in the military. There, they will commit horrible atrocities.
First things first…this is not your momma's zombie book. The Silent Army is a most unique zombie tale told in an absolutely original way. This book is horror, sci-fi, thrills, and chills all rolled into one tight, little package. Terrorists and mutants bent on taking over the world, nuclear and biological threats, and an army of undead combating these harrowing forces, The Silent Army is an all-out riot of post-apocalyptic good times.
I'm giving The Silent Army a 4 spider rating and recommending it to all you zombie aficionados out there… good times!
CK Webb

Book Review of PRINCE OF THORNS by Mark Lawrence

Prince of Thorns–Book One of the Broken Empire was written by Mark Lawrence and published by Ace Hardcover in August of 2011. You may purchase this book at http://www.amazon.com/  and you may read more about Mark Lawrence at http://princeofthorns.com/authorrbio.html  
Seeing his mother and brother slain before his eyes, has left Jorg Ancrath changed into something of a monster, who leads a horde of bandits in murdering and pillaging the countryside. He has sworn to take back the kingdom which is rightfully his, but in order to do so, he must return to his father's castle and face some very dark magic.
In this first book of dark fantasy in his Broken Empire series, Lawrence sets a stage in a new era of sorcery and magic that is climbing out from the destruction of modern society. The protagonist is both vicious and unforgiving, while still being believable, quick-witted, and at times, humorous. While kings compete for control of a kingdom, magicians and necromancers work from behind the scenes to gain dominance, and Jorg must attempt to defeat them all.
This highly praised fantasy will leave you breathless with anticipation of what the next page will bring, while making you wonder how high the body count will rise as Jorg and his men slice and stab their way through the story. Lawrence has a way with character and story development that will have you anticipating the second book in this fabulous series. Praise to Mark Lawrence and Prince of Thorns–Book One of the Broken Empire series.
I'm giving Prince of Thorns a 4 spider rating and recommending this fantasy read to any who love a tale of kingdoms, magic and mayhem.
DJ Weaver

Book Review of THE BLACK STILETTO by Raymond Benson

The Black Stiletto by Raymond Benson was published in 2011 by Oceanview Publishing and can be purchased at http://www.amazon.com/  You may read more about Mr. Benson at http://www.raymondbenson.com/
At age 48, Martin just found that his mom, presently in a nursing home with Alzheimer's, is the famous vigilante/superhero, the Black Stiletto. Her real name is Judy Cooper, and during the 1950's, she became a masked avenger who thwarted evil-doers until she disappeared from site. A lawyer friend gives Martin a key to a room at the house where he grew up, and what he finds are the secrets his mother left for him along with a diary that tells her story.
This was a good book and made me wish I was as strong as Judy was. The diary was written by her and told of her life and exploits as a superhero and crime fighter. She went thru some hard times, but overcame them and became stronger, realizing she had powers and abilities that helped her in her secret life. I was enthralled with the story as Judy's superhuman abilities helped her do amazing things. Told from three points of view, the book kept my attention and was well worth the read.
I'm giving The Black Stiletto, 4 spiders and recommending it to anyone who has a love for action heroes and adventure stories.
T Lane

Book Revew of ALREADY GONE by John Rector

Already Gone was written by John Rector and published through Thomas & Mercer in October, 2011 and may be purchased at http://www.amazon.com/  You may read more about John at http://johnrector.blogspot.com/  
Walking into a restaurant parking lot to get his car and having two thugs jump him and cut off his ring finger is not Jake Reese's idea of a good night. Having his quiet life escalate out of control and his wife disappear is not his idea of fun either…but then, what could a former bad guy expect to come from his not-so-distant past. What do these people want from him and why are they doing this? Questions Jake needs to find the answers to and he'll do whatever it takes to find them. Even if it means going to the one man who can help—a former mob boss and murderer who Jake has known all his life and worked with for part of it.
Jake Reese's life will never be the same and the reader will get a suspenseful look at how things are done on the wrong side of the law. This novel will leave you breathless and have you speed-reading to the twisting end. Another great read from John Rector, who really knows how to pour on the intensity and leave his readers with a smile on their faces.
Rector has written a fast-moving, thriller that will take you on a trip through the life of a man who, in his youth, became a mob associate, inflicting pain and suffering, only to give it all up for a quiet life. Now his past has come back to haunt him and he's paying a big price.
I'm giving Already Gone and John Rector, 4 spiders for this fast-paced, action novel and recommending it to all thriller readers.
DJ Weaver

Book Review of THE WHISPER JAR by Carole Lanham

The Whisper Jar
A collection of curious secrets
By: Carole Lanham
Published by: Morrigan Books
Genre: Dark Fiction/Horror/Paranormal
Release date: October 31, 2011
First things first… The Whisper Jar is a collection of previously published works by the author that have been brought together in one delicious volume. It is often very hard to review a collection of short stories and poems, but I will do my best.
The stories and poems in The Whisper Jar include:
•The Whisper Jar
•The Good Part
•Keepity KeepThe Blue Word••Maxwell Treat's Museum of Torture for Young Girls and Boys
•Friar Garden, Mister Samuel, and the Jilly Jally Butter Mints
•The Reading Lessons
•The Adventures of Velvet Honeybone, Girl Werewuff
•The Forgotten Orphan
The cover of this book was enough to piqued my interests, but when I read the titles of the shorts, I was taken completely with the original concept of this literary work. The Whisper Jar opens with a poem so wonderfully written and paced that you cannot ignore the depth and strength of Ms. Lanham's writing ability. Dare I say one of the best pieces of dark poetry I have read in quite a long while? YES… I do say!!
With a running theme that centers on secrets, each story ties itself to the theme in a most unique way. The first tale, fittingly titled The Whisper Jar, tells of people capturing their secrets in glass jars and hiding them away from the ears of others. Things do not always work the way we plan however, as her characters soon discover.
I'm giving The Whisper Jar a 5 spider rating and recommending it to anyone who likes this genre.
CK Webb

                                                                      

Book Review of THE SAVIOR VACCINE by Michael Rushnak

The Savior Vaccine was written by Michael Rushnak and published by Michael Rushnak Books in July 2011. You may purchase it at http://www.amazon.com/ and http:///www.bn.com  You may find out more about the author at http://www.michaelrushnakbooks.com/  Rushnak's  third novel in the HEALTH CLUB MYSTERIES trilogy--to be called---DENIED--will be published in 2012?

President Jane Williams is facing the fall-out of public opinion after a string of terrorist attacks are perpetrated inside the United States borders, the latest being a nuclear blast in Minneapolis. Thousands are dying from radiation-induced cancers with millions more to follow. Just as the President declares an all-out war to prevent all forms of cancer secondary to radiation fall-out, the CEO of Doctor's Choice Products claims his company has developed a vaccine that will prevent these cancers and save the population, but it has only been tested on monkeys and needs human trials.
Surgeon General, Dr. Jonathan Rogers, while testing the new drug, NeoBloc, discovers that the drug may not be the 'savior vaccine' it is touted to be. As attacks continue, the government must decide if inoculation of everyone in America is safe or if it could be disastrous.
Twists and turns abound in this second novel of the Health Club Mysteries by Michael Rushnak, with our old friend, Dr. Jonathan Rogers back to lead the way through this break-neck page turner. Murder, terrorists and world holocaust are just a few of the intrigues brought to light in this story and it's a race to the terrifying finish. Rushnak has done it again and you won't want to miss this horrifyingly true-to-life novel by this medical thriller writer.
5 spiders for The Savior Vaccine.
DJ Weaver

Book Review of THE POWER OF STONES by John A. Miller

The Power of Stones was written by John A. Miller and published in 2011. You may purchase it at www.amazon.com You can visit the author here: http://jmillerarts.com/  
Noah Morgan is an ex-con who acquires work as a unlicensed private investigator for a San Francisco insurance company. He is hired to search for a priceless ancient violin but there are others who are searching for him- believing that he possesses a trove of jewels, which includes an extremely valuable 40 carat green diamond. A group of unsavory urban characters are on the hunt for Noah and the precious jewels but Noah soon realizes that he has more to worry about. A strange aged gypsy woman ushers in a spirit world populated by demons, vampires and a romantically affectionate faerie who are also interested in what Noah might possess. In his quest to find the violin he encounters situations and entities that threaten his life- but he also learns that he also has powers that he will need to develop to keep himself alive.
Author John Miller creates this urban fantasy tale and manages to pull us into a story line which is both complicated and absorbing at the same time. It took a while for me to finally get a sense of where the story wanted to go but eventually I found the characters interesting enough that they actually helped to pull the story together. The author added a bit of a surprise near the end that was both interesting and thought provoking- an intelligent insight into how we see others in our community; especially the poor and the downtrodden.
This is a worthwhile read if you're looking for an escape into a world which melds fantasy together with real life. It's an adventure quest for material treasures as well as the riches that we can find within ourselves.
I give The Power of Stones 4 spiders.
T. Riddell

Book Review of WEREWOLF by Greg Hair

Werewolf was written by Greg Hair and published through CreateSpace in April, 2011. You may purchase it at www.amazon.com and you may find out more about Greg at http://greghair.blogspot.com/p/landon...
Landon Murphy is a vigilante Werewolf who has been using his natural instincts and ability for tracking, as well as his supernatural instincts for killing to remove the worst of the worst from society. Landon has been a sort of ladies man in the past, but now is a loner.
Landon has found two new werewolves in his area. He wonders how there could be two so new this close, but he endeavors to find and help them. In an effort to teach them about their new powers and their lineage, he takes them to Europe to learn about themselves.
Meanwhile, back in the US, there is a serial killer racking up victims. This killer is traveling all over the US, and the authorities can't seem to get a fix on an identity. It will take the skill of Landon and his team to track this killer and bring him to justice. In the process, however, Landon will learn more about the new werewolves, and about himself. The secrets he finds will change his life forever.
This book was a very fast read for me. The storyline was never boring. This book was exactly what I like in a supernatural story. It had vampires and werewolves, a little love, a lot of action, and some twists to surprise the reader. I would love to read more about Landon, LillyAnna and Jamie. This was very entertaining, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good supernatural story.
4 spiders for Werewolf
SB Price

Book Review for VANISHED IN THE NIGHT by Eileen Carr

Vanished In The Night was written by Eileen Carr and published by Pocket Books in July, 2011. You may purchase this book at http://www.amazon.com/ and you may read more about Ms. Carr on her Goodread's page at www.goodreads.com

Old bones turn up at a large construction site in Sacramento, sending Detective Zach McKnight and his partner on a cold-case hunt for a murderer. When the ME identifies the bones as those of one, Max Sheldon, his step-sister Veronica Osborne is paid a visit and given the news that the brother she loved and hoped would return, has been dead for nearly twenty years.

When McKnight discovers that Max's step-father is the reason Max was sent to a reform school so many years ago, and that the school had reported the boy missing not long after he arrived, McKnight begins to suspect that the lovely Veronica's father may possibly be the reason her step-brother has been dead for so many years. But, when Veronica realizes that the detective suspects her father of the crime, she begins an investigation of her own to prove her alcoholic father was not the culprit.

Twist and turns, mutilated bodies and bazar occurrences punctuate this novel by Eileen Carr and propel her into a top spot as an up-and-comer on the 'Masters of the Thriller' list. The characters are true-to-life, the attractions are right on target and the suspense is gripping in this great keep-you-up-all-night read. Murder, love, trust and betrayal…what else could you ask from a suspense novel?

5 Spiders for Vanished in the Night and Eileen Carr.

DJ Weaver
Reviewed for Suspense Magazine

Book Review of CHASING SUNSETS by Eva Marie Everson

Chasing Sunsets was written by Eva Marie Everson and published by Revell in 2011. You may purchase this book at http://www.amazon.com/ and you may read more about the author at http://www.evamarieeverson.com/  

Kimberly Tucker is living a life that she never expected. Her failed marriage has left her wondering what went wrong. Her ex-husband seems to be living it up while she tries to keep her two sons close. So when a Family Court judge decides her children should spend five weeks of their summer vacation with their dad, Kimberly is at loose ends.

Then, Kim's father asks her to go to the family summer home in Cedar Key, to spend a few weeks finding someone to keep the place up since the previous caretaker has died. It is a place she always loved until her mother died and a place she has not been to since. Kim balks at the idea of spending time in Cedar Key even though it was where she was happiest and where she found her first love. She will soon find that life is always changing and that second chances really can happen for the best.
Chasing Sunsets is not only a life story, but also a fabulous love story. It is told in first-person so the reader gets a great feel for exactly how Kim is processing everything that is happening in her life. The characters are well done and make the reader feel as if they could easily be someone they knew in their own life. The story is sweet and the reader will cheer for Kim as she moves to change the parts of her life that can never work and become the person she always thought she was—all while coming to grips with the reality of her mother's life and death.
Ms. Everson has written a great story that will take you back to your youth and make you wish for second chances—Chasing Sunsets is a fabulous read and will truly touch your heart.
5 Spiders for Chasing Sunsets and Eva Marie Everson.
DJ Weaver