D.J. Weaver's Blog, page 15

Book Review of 'A Perfect Gem' By Winslow Eliot

A Perfect Gem was written by Winslow Eliot and published by Telemachus Press in 2011. You may purchase this book at www.amazon.com and you may read more about Winslow on her website at www.winsloweliot.com
Crista Bruno's husband is dead—killed in a car crash she cannot understand. With all this grief to bare, how can she stand anymore? She is about to find out her loving husband was married to another woman and he left everything they have to her. Crista then finds her New York firm wants no part of the scandal and asks her to leave the lucrative, public relations job she's worked so hard for. To top everything off, her apartment no longer belongs to her. What is she to do?
Crista receives an email from her ailing father asking her to visit. The timing is perfect, but she reluctantly takes her kids and moves back to Tahton, the hometown she has not seen in twenty-five years. Back to the father she has not spoken to in twenty-five years—back to the man she never returned to twenty-five years ago.
Crista's father is suffering from Alzheimer's and her high-school sweetheart, Gareth is now running the Tahton Market for him. How could things have changed so much? How can Crista face this town after what happened so many years ago?
Strangely, Crista receives a request from Pia Bruno, her deceased husband's wife, who is living in Italy. She has recruited Crista's firm in New York to handle a big public relations deal for her brother and only Crista's expertise will do. Crista is whisked away to Italy to make the deal, but things aren't what they seem. What does this woman really want and what kind of danger is Crista facing?
Twist and turns are the order of the day in Winslow Eliot's newest novel, A Perfect Gem. This novel starts out running and never slows down, keeping the reader turning pages and gasping for breath. The story is well crafted and easy to follow with loads of emotion, suspense, love and hate…all the good stuff that keeps us on our toes and wanting more. I have read other books from Ms. Eliot, but I must say, A Perfect Gem has been my favorite so far. It compels the reader to cheer for the heroin, while hating the bad guys in the sincerest manner of a romantic mystery. Three cheers for Winslow Eliot and A Perfect Gem.
This novel easily merits a 5 spider rating and a hardy recommendation to anyone who loves their romance with a large helping of mystery. Put this one at the top of your list!
DJ Weaver

Book Review of 'Voice' by Joseph Garraty

Voice was written by Joseph Garraty and published in 2011 by Ragman Press LLC. Voice can be purchased through Amazon http://www.amazon.com/ . You may also visit the author at his website http://www.josephgarraty.com/

Joseph Garraty takes us into the musical world of heavy metal and the hard rock industry and explores just how far his main character, John, is willing to go for fame and fortune...to be a legend.
John Tsiboukas is the lead singer of the hard rock band, Ragman, an up and coming nothing band with not much to offer, but weak vocals. Playing dive after dive, John has high hopes that the 'New Band Night' on campus will get them noticed, but at what cost. The stranger in the corner, watching, seems like an old rocker, but he has a deal for John. Approached by the stranger, John makes a decision that will not only impact him and his band members, but innocent victims as well.
Over the next few months, John Tsiboukas, turns into his stage persona of Johnny Tango. The band is rocking with their new sound and hot new guitarist, Case. All is going well until Johnny begins referring to himself in third person, seems to be talking to himself more often and starts mixing lyrics with that of screaming nonsense; hypnotizing the audience. Certain fans, start to appear, along with stranger and stranger events taking place near Ragman. The members of Ragman realize something is terribly wrong, when odd accidents start taking place all around them. John wishes he'd never made a deal at the crossroads that night.
Joseph Garraty pulls us into this psychological thriller Voice, making this page turner difficult to put down. I am giving Voice a 4-spider rating.
K. McNiel

Book Review of 'Dark Corners' by Liz Shulte

Dark Corners was written by Liz Shulte and published by 4 Corners Press in 2011. You may purchase it at www.amazon.com and visit the author at http://bit.ly/nwxcmC
Ella is a well-known writer who lives in a house that she is bound to by a real life murder mystery. Her husband was brutally killed in their kitchen and the town folk have turned their suspicions on her. She finally becomes determined to find the real killer, but the house is haunted with entities adrift that seem to be working against her. Her sanity is threatened as she looks for clues along with Gabriel, a local detective friend, who will solve the mystery and hopefully give her closure and the ability to move on in her life.
As I started reading Liz Shulte's novel, I was impressed with her ability to infuse a strong sense of emotion and character into her main protagonist. Ella came alive for me as a person and I began to care for her—something that is essential to building a good story. After the initial introduction to Ella, I found myself caring so much that it was a little difficult getting through the first few chapters. The story and her life seemed to drag and there wasn't a lot of zing to the story. Questions that were inserted in my mind earlier in the story, lingered a bit too long for my taste and the tale lost some of the pop that I was looking for. However, the story soon recovered nicely and all of the story's neighborhood characters, including the ghosts, began to compete for a really good supernatural whodunit.
Liz Shulte has crafted a worthwhile read and I recommend that you find a place for Dark Corners on your bookshelf. I enjoyed it and am giving it a 3 spider rating. I look forward to more from this author in the future.
T Riddell

Book Review of 'Slingshot' by Marc Douglas

Slingshot was written by Marc Douglas and published by EDGE Publishers in 2010. It is available for purchase at www.amazon.com You can learn more about Marc by visiting his website at www.douglasnovels.com
As Earth's resources dwindle to nothing and the human population continues to explode at an alarming rate, scientists are forced to look to the stars for an alternate planet to support human life. A long range telescope that uses pinpoint-light to search through the heavens, stumbles upon a planet that mirrors Earth's atmosphere.
In a bold and technologically advanced move, scientists discover and use the 'slingshot' method to transport ships carrying humans to the planet for colonization. As two separate ships crash on the planet and are lost to Earth's radars, all on board believe they are alone on this new world. But, soon the two colonies clash in a battle for land, power and life.
A deep, dark and riveting glimpse at what 'could' happen. Slingshot takes the reader to a dystopian society and all of its madness and drops them down, right in the center of the action. Marc Douglas has touched on the very worst and the very best parts of us as humans and he has done so with scary accuracy. Slingshot is a well written, rich story with a cast of characters you won't soon forget. I am giving Slingshot a 5-spider rating. Fans of Dean Koontz will devour Slingshot like rare, literary candy!
CK Webb

Book Review of 'Shadow of Guilt' by Michael Davis

Shadow of Guilt was written by Michael Davis and published by Champagne Books in December, 2010. You may purchase it at amazon.com.
Sean Paterson is forced to carry scars of an unhappy childhood and Detective Christine Sheppy is tormented by the misery of those cast aside and by guilt from a desperate act. The two are brought together by the tragic murder of a young girl and her last request that her child be kept safe. The two join to protect the child and solve the mystery behind the young girl's existence and bitter past. What they uncover will have them asking if there are really random occurrences or if everything happens for a reason.
Michael Davis' book is well written and made me feel as if I was a part of the action. I originally didn't think I would care for this book, but soon found it to be interesting and full of heart. Shadow of Guilt was loaded with mystery, romance and love and really will make you question random occurrences. I recommend this book to anyone and it's great for all ages and readers. I couldn't put this book down and can't wait to read more from Michael Davis. I'm giving this book 5 spider rating. If you want a good mystery, Shadow of Guilt is for you!!!
TLane

Book Review of 'A Life for a Life' by Tim Ellis

A Life for a Life was written by Tim Ellis and the Kindle edition was published in 2010. It is available for purchase at amazon.com, smashwords.com, and barnesandnoble.com. You can visit the author's website at http://tim-ellis.yolasite.com. As the author is from the United Kingdom, the story is written in an enjoyable British-English dialog.
A Life for a Life is the first book in the Detective Inspector Jed Parish and Constable Mary Richards series and you will not be disappointed! Mr. Ellis has a way of bringing these two characters together so you feel as if you personally know them.
After only being on the beat for three weeks, a chance meeting at a crime scene and a shortage of other police officers, D.I. Parish must bring Constable Richards onto his one-man team. As the story progresses, Parish realizes what a important asset Richards is as a partner and a person. While the body count keeps rising, Parish and Richards find themselves at a loss as to who is doing the killings and why this person is leaving a token in the mouth of the deceased. What ties them together? Why is the killer using an unusual weapon and what is the significance of that weapon? To complicate everything, Parish, a bachelor who has left little time for real romance in the past, finds what he hopes is his true love, while Richards is also working towards her own happy ending?
Little by little the reader is able to put the pieces together with a shocking ending. Twists and turns abound throughout the story, in the case and also in the main characters' personal lives.
Also included in this Kindle edition is a teaser of Tim Ellis' next book in this series entitled Wages of Sin which is now available for download. It looks to be just as good as A Life for a Life. I am giving A Life for a Life a 4 spider rating and recommending it to anyone looking for a fast-paced crime thriller with an ending to shock.
J Goehl

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Book Review of 'Digger's Bones' by Paul Mansfield Keefe

Digger's Bones was written by Paul Mansfield Keefe and published by CreateSpace in October, 2010. You may purchase it at amazon.com You may read more about the author at http://www.paulkeefe.com/blog/
Angie Cooper is down on herself for a mistake that cost her a bright future in the archaeological world. Just as she is feeling sorry for herself, the phone rings with a familiar voice from the past. Her best friend, 'Digger' as she calls him, needs her help and he needs it NOW. She isn't sure what he needs her for but she doesn't hesitate. Unfortunately, before he can tell her what is going on, he is murdered in front of her. Now she has to find out what he was trying to tell her and make sense of it all.
This book follows Angie all over the world looking for clues to what Digger was trying to show her. The twists and turns are everywhere and the action never stops. This book kept me on my toes throughout and Paul Mansfield Keefe keeps your attention the entire way through. Just when you think things have reached their worst, there's more! Just when you think Angie is safe, something else happens. The plot thickens, twists and turns get exciting and then, the book gets REALLY good!
I absolutely LOVED this book. Keefe reminds me of Dan Brown, of whom, I am a big fan. Yet it is very different at the same time. Digger's Bones is a mystery thriller for the ages. I would love to see it on the big screen and I want to read more books with 'Angie Cooper'.
5 spiders from me for Paul Mansfield Keefe. If I could give more, I would. Digger's Bones was simply FANTASTIC.
SB Price

Book Review for Thomas Scopel's TWITCH

Twitch was written by Thomas Scopel and published by Suspense Publishing. Twitch will be available for purchase as an e-book on Amazon July 15, 2011. You can learn more about this author and his work by visiting his blog at http://stayingscared.blogspot.com/
McB is a carnival man, always has been. After living a hard, neglected life in an orphanage as a boy, McB decides to make sure no one around him ever feels the way he did as a child. To ensure he keeps this promise to himself, McB takes a shine to sideshow oddities, folks who are a lot different from everyone else. Some call them freaks, but McB calls them family and he takes good care of his family.
When McB is trolling another carnivals for a new attraction, he happens upon Twitch, a pitiful, limbless creature living in horrible conditions. After one look into Twitch's entrancing, white eye, McB instantly feels connected to the creature and sets out to buy Twitch away from it's owner and give him a proper home and family. Twitch is welcomed into the oddities sideshow, but something changes the moment he arrives. Things start to go tragically wrong and horrible accidents begin to happen all around Twitch.
Thomas Scopel has introduced us to a new kind of horror in his debut novella Twitch. With carnival treats, sideshow freaks and an entrancing storyline, readers will surely devour this book in one sitting. Boasting the same feel as classic Twilight Zone episodes, Twitch has an eclectic and fresh style that is sure to garner a loyal brand of fans. I am giving Twitch a 5-spider rating and recommending it to horror fans everywhere.
CK Webb

Book Review for 'The Heart of the Rose' by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

The Heart of the Rose was written by Kathryn Meyer Griffith and published by Eternal Press in November, 2010. It is available at amazon.com
In 1461 England, life was hard for an old wounded soldier and his beautiful young daughters. He scrapes by making a living grooming horses for the rich around town, teaching his oldest daughter the trade. One night a group of soldiers wearing the flag of the King of England ride into the inn and slaughter a company of opposing soldiers, killing bystanders who happened to be in their way.
After the massacre, young Bronwyn finds her father has been murdered by the soldiers' swords. At that moment, she becomes engulfed with grief and pledges to avenge her father's death.
A few years later, with father and mother gone, Bronwyn has taken her sisters to raise and finds work singing and working as a waitress at an inn. It is here she meets an enchanting man with beautiful blue eyes and a wonderful smile. It is also here, that she encounters a man who seems familiar, but she is uncertain why. The two men are complete opposites, and both are obsessed with her beauty and her voice. But Bronwyn has a secret that could cost her everything, including her life. She can heal with a touch and could be branded as a witch.
Each man vows to make her his own. Who will win her heart? Who will take her as a possession? Will either man be worthy of the Heart of the Rose?
The Heart of the Rose is full of love and adventure, and also mystery and fear. Will Bronwyn be loved, owned, or both? It is a tale of a resilient young woman who comes of age out of necessity and learns to control her own fate and never be a victim. This is a beautiful story of love and loss and growing in all forms.
Ms. Griffith is a young author full of promise and I look forward to reading more of her work.
4 spiders for The Heart of the Rose!!
SB Price

Book Review of 'Warm Bodies' by Isaac Marion

Warm Bodies was written by Isaac Marion and published by Atria Press in April, 2011. It is available from amazon.com You can read more from Isaac on his blog, 'Burning Building' at http://burningbuilding.blogspot.com
Warm Bodies is touted as a story about zombie love but is not about zombies…well, not really. Even though the book tells the story of a zombie boy, who finds and protects a human girl from other zombies in an apocalyptic world dying from a plague, it is not, at all, a zombie story. This book is about the human condition, or the un-condition if you will. It's about hope and fear, life and death and the consequences we could all face if changes are not made.
It is about 'R', a zombie boy who starts out as any other zombie, killing humans and eating their brains. But it progresses into a sweet story of a 'once-human' who is transforming into a 'once-again-human'. R saves a girl named Julie from a hoard of hungry zombies and takes her to his home, a 747 jumbo jet sitting on a tarmac in some random airport. He does not know why, but suddenly, he has this over-whelming urge to protect her.
These two strange friends begin to see things and do things they don't at first understand, but as time goes on, their actions begin to make a difference. They become a new hope that spreads out around them and changes everything.
Not in a very long time, have I read a book that has so touched me like Warm Bodies. Isaac Marion has an ability to write and express his story in a way that very few authors have done before and I believe this young writer will be a huge voice in the future of story-telling. His wonderful descriptions of characters and situations are like nothing I've read lately. His ability to understand and translate the human condition is uncanny and enlightening. What can I say…this guy can write.
If you read no other book this year, you must pick up Warm Bodies. It will fool you in the beginning, sadden you in the middle and move you at the end. It will knock your socks off and give you Hope!
I am giving Warm Bodies a 5 spider rating and recommending this book to anyone who reads...it's that good!
DJ Weaver