Uvi Poznansky's Blog, page 35

Terrific thriller

 Love this review for my new thriller, Overdue:

BookLover5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific thriller

Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2021

Verified PurchaseWhat a perfect storm - an espionage thriller combined with identity theft in the pandemic. The protagonist, Ash, has shot a Russian crime leader named Vlad, who lies in a UCLA hospital bed in a coma. But how deep is his coma, and will he recover to come after her? The hospital is overwhelmed with Covid cases, and unlikely to keep tabs on him. Then comes more crisis when Ash and her boyfriend, Michael, rescue a woman they find near death on a deserted beach, and help to get her transported to the hospital. The mystery woman recovers and leaves the hospital having stolen Ash’s identity – driver’s license, medical insurance, everything. Then the violent Russian escapes, and what follows is a plunge into one frightening twist after another.

What distinguishes this thriller is its fine writing, deeply atmospheric, intelligent and emotional. It is another example of the author’s gift for showing ordinary people’s struggle to survive in terrifying circumstances. I enjoyed this book immensely and will recommend it to friends. Well done, five stars!

A surprising David

 A short and sweet review for Rise to Power:

Erania Pinnera5,0 von 5 Sternen A surprising DavidRezension aus Deutschland vom 9. Februar 2015This is a very particular book for me. I started reading it believing it was a "fantastic" portrayal of King David but I ended up enjoying a great historical book.
Beyond the myth, passing though all the stages of David's life, I spent some hours imagining how tough his era was to live for a human being - and how adventurous as well.
A perfect book for an history lover who is not afraid of knowing the "unofficial" versions of what happened in the past.

A walloping fine thriller!

 Author of War Songs, Dr. Grady Harp is an artist representative, gallery owner, writer of essays and articles on figurative and all Representational art for museum catalogues and for travelling exhibitions, and an Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer. He describes himself as being ever on the alert for the new and promising geniuses of tomorrow. I am thrilled to find his review for my new thriller, Overdue:

Grady HarpTop Contributor: Children's BooksHALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER5.0 out of 5 stars A walloping fine thriller!

Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2021

Verified PurchaseUvi Poznansky wears a coat of many colors. Originally from Israel where she studied Architecture and Town Planning then moving to the US where she studied Computer Science and became an expert in Software Engineering, Poznansky managed to combine the design elements of two studies into unique formats. And she has accomplished the same with the other side of her brain - making visual her ideas (she is an accomplished painter, drawer, and sculptor who has enjoyed exhibitions both in Israel and in California, her present base) and making words in poetry and in short stories and children's books. APART FROM LOVE: Still Life with Memories is an adult romance in five parts, and now the series – the Ash Suspense Thrillers - combines the thriller genre with romance. The entries to date - COMA CONFIDENTIAL, VIRTUALLY LACE, OVERDOSE, and now OVERDUE is Book 4.

From the first lines of this fine novel the mood and tone are set – ‘One way for Vlad to avoid me, avoid paying the price for his crimes, is to play dead; another is to play dying. And who knows, perhaps it’s for real. Perhaps it’s not a game. Still, I can’t help but remain on guard, even if to others, it may seem pointless. Last time I saw him – about a half a year ago – he lay contorted on the stretched hospital sheet, seemingly immobile, and never once lifted an eyelid to meet my gaze, which brought pity to my heart – but didn’t expunge the fear. I keep telling my self there’s no reason to be cautious. I shot him, and now he’s said to be in a coma….’

Uvi’s skill at both visual and written art is outstanding, but her history of diversity does not end there. A synopsis of this series Book 4 follows: ‘‘Her bullet grazed his head, but the leader of a Russian crime organization is still breathing. One way for Vlad to avoid paying the price for his crimes is to play dead; another is to play dying. For Ash, this is not a game. She must learn his secrets. Only one problem: because of the raging pandemic, she must put her plan on hold. Vlad slips away from the hospital in a body bag, then develops a brazen fraud scheme that will bilk health insurance companies out of millions of dollars. If not caught in time, he will drive victims to suicide, rob Ash of her identity, and slit her throat. Will Ash manage to stay one step ahead of him and at the same time, protect her loved ones from contagion?’

Beauty of prose bound together with a sensitive thriller make this very special series from a very fine writer. Even the cover art bespeaks Uvi’s artistic gifts. As she says, ‘The cover depicts Ash as she escapes the fire set in the LA headquarters of the Russian gang. I gave a lot of thought to making each part of this cover shimmer with texture and light, creating an explosive, dynamic urban backdrop for her’ Yet another aspect of Uvi’s talent! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, February 21

A Thrilling Ride

Mark Scott Piper has been writing professionally his entire adult life. He is a longtime freelance writer and video director/producer. Mark holds an MA and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Oregon, and he has taught literature and writing at the college level for several years. I am thrilled to discover his review for my thriller, Coma Confidential.

Mark Scott PIper5.0 out of 5 stars A Thrilling Ride

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2020

USA Today bestselling author, Uvi Poznansky, certainly doesn’t need a review from me. But I read Coma Confidential anyway to see what all the fuss was about. I was impressed, but not surprised, by the quality of the writing and the compelling storyline.

The story is told through the point of view of Ashley Winters, and she is a memorable and highly relatable character. The book begins with Ash in a coma, inches from death, as a result of a brutal beating and rape. As she slowly regains consciousness and her faculties, she manages little by little to recover her abilities and her memory as she heals.

On the surface, choosing a main character who is in a coma doesn’t seem to be the stuff of thrillers. But as soon as Ash is kidnapped from the hospital, the action is nonstop until the end. Her ability to escape the gang of Russian hackers with her life depends almost entirely on her own cleverness and a little bit of martial arts . In the end Ash proves to be a an opponent to be reckoned with.

The supporting characters in Coma Confidential are memorable, if not always likeable. And Poznansky provides plenty of details that put us in the middle of the action. We are with Ash all the way.

The ending feels a bit rushed to me, and I had to suspend my disbelief a bit when Ash recovers from her coma a lot faster than I would have thought possible. But both these plot elements lead us to exactly where we want Ash to be in the end. And that ending suggests a sequel that you won’t want to miss.

WWII French Resistance Thriller

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Falmouth
Marriage Before Death: WWII Spy ThrillerStill Life with Memories, Book 5By: Uvi PoznanskyNarrated by: Don Warrick WWII French Resistance Thriller Overall  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4 out of 5 starsPerformance ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5 out of 5 starsStory ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-28-21

The book opens as the characters are nearing the end of their lives. He was an American Soldier in WWII and she, unbeknownst to him was a French Resistance Fighter. The story moves from the present to the past and details their adventures. Very good story, well written and entertaining. You never know where the story is going next. I listened to the audio version and it was very well done - the narrator was great.

Michael & Ash’s Story Will Thrill Fans!

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B. Roscoe Virtually LaceBy: Uvi PoznanskyNarrated by: Don Warrick Michael & Ash’s Story Will Thrill Fans! Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5 out of 5 starsPerformance  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5 out of 5 starsStory  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 11-23-20

Michael & Ash’s Story Will Thrill Fans Of The Ash Suspense Thrillers With A Dash Of Romance Series! As Michael Waits For Ash To Heal, He Finds Himself A Suspect In Yet Another Brutal Attack. This is book one in a series of interconnected stories by different authors, each delving into the exciting world of virtual reality and high-tech crime solving, highlighting fascinating tools and possibilities within the field in the context of a mystery. Fans of the author are in for a real treat! Ash’s story is told in the three part Ash Suspense Thrillers with a Dash of Romance series. Here Michael, her boyfriend, gets to tell his own story. It takes place months after the incident that set off the Ash Suspense series. Michael Morse, high school dropout, is a brilliant software developer. He chose not to pursue hacking, despite his talent. With the help of his girlfriend, he had been working on a startup in his garage until recently. His girlfriend Ash, who is working on her master’s degree at the University of California Irvine, assisted with developing a Virtual Reality model as an industrial designer. They are technically partners. He recently sold the software to a military ops company and remains contractually bound to working with the company to further develop the program. Ash should be as well, but that requires some explanation. He has not seen her since the incident – the brutal rape that left her hospitalized and in a coma. He had visited her in the hospital, but her mother’s looks and suspicion made him terribly uncomfortable. Michael had developed an aversion to police as a result of the days of questioning he endured after the tragic event occurred. He had found Ash in a pool of blood hanging onto life, and he was the only real suspect. Her mother had never liked him, but with Ash in a coma and him as a suspect, she never let him live it down. The case still has not been solved. Ash has since left the hospital but refuses to answer his calls and texts. He had promised to give her time and wait for her, but her involvement in the project going forward is questionable. Michael feels her absence sorely, as his most inspired work comes when they are together, feeding off of one another’s energy. The story opens at the end of April on a breezy evening at Laguna Beach. Lonely, Michael heads out to take a walk when at 8:03pm he notices a teenage girl that somehow looks familiar, and in a small way reminds him of Ash. Perhaps it was the distress that he sensed, but his instincts kick in. Something feels wrong, yet he knows he is crazy in his presumption. He follows her and the trail to the beach as he tries to reason with himself. Along the way he loses sight of the girl, but he crosses paths with a number of others that leave an imprint on his mind. There is a homeless man on a bench. The two divers. The little girl selling sea shells. The three teens rough housing on the sand. And the body that he happens to stumble upon on some rocks. Of course Michael should call the police – but after his recent past he knows that is the last thing he wants to do. He will automatically become suspect number one by doing the right thing, so Michael follows a different path. Michael goes to his new office and sets about constructing a virtual reality model of the crime scene in the hopes of finding the murderer before the police try to pin it on him. In the process he begins to connect some dots. One involves the name of the victim: Lace. In the meantime he must deal with company politics. The system will now be used in politics and war instead of gaming. The president of the company, Mr. Armstrong, understands little about technology. Moreover, he has a bad temper and his lack of experience seems to get in the way. Mr. Armstrong assigns his nephew to assist Michael, and it happens to be someone that Michael vaguely knows. Manny Bullock, or Bull, is an artist without the requisite tech skills for the job, but Michael has no choice but work with the odd man. Michael and Ash have an interesting relationship, and it is nice to see it from Michael’ point of view. Ash is a bit kooky. She is brilliant and independent, and very damaged from her brutal rape and its after effects (read her series for more). Michael is the most patient boyfriend she could ask for. He never pressures her for more when she asks for space to heal. Not to say he is perfect – he gets lost in his virtual reality creations and isn’t the best at keeping track of time. He is a genius, and together they make a great creative pair. Here his guilt for not preventing Ash’s attack drives him to do what he can to help a different victim, but Ash’s reasons for getting involved are different. She grows bold rather than cowering, and wants to see justice done, even if it puts herself at risk. She, too, gets a little lost in her own world at times. They go to battle solving crime with their intellect and the VR world they created. In the end there is a little healing as they find their way back together. Dr. Michael Foreman, an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Radiology, enters the picture, hinting at book two of the series. It appears the two men, experts in their own fields, might be able to help one another. Two issues merit mention. First, in the Ash Suspense Thrillers series Michael was a college dropout, not a high school dropout. Additionally, Michael is a little slow to make some obvious connections. Perhaps this just highlights his humanity – even the most brilliant of us cannot see what is right in front of our noses. It is also in all likelihood a product of his aversion to the police. He postpones and delays, exposing himself and others to danger, because he must be absolutely certain before coming forward. Michael and Ash’s story will thrill fans of the Ash Suspense Thrillers with a Dash of Romance series. As Michael waits for Ash to heal, he finds himself a suspect in yet another brutal attack. The story is very well-written and plot-driven. The great attention given to detail makes for a lush and vivid tale that comes to life. The world of virtual reality that Michael creates is fascinating to read about. The characters are nicely developed. The story is written in third person in Michael’s POV. I rate this book 4.5 stars. As for the Audio: it is very well-performed and consistent with the book. I received an audiobook and am voluntarily leaving a review.

How normal people get trapped in nightmarish scenarios makes the story so believable

Michael Gallagher is the author of technothrillers that hook you. I am thrilled that he read my novel and reviewed it. Here is his review for Overkill

Espionage Lover5.0 out of 5 stars A Poet Writes a Great Thriller

Reviewed in Canada on January 29, 2021

Verified PurchaseThe deft hand of a poet dabbles with soft touches and images throughout this exciting thriller. The main character moves through the story from one unexpected twist to the next. Unputdownable. What I liked best about this story was the fine writing and down-to-earth world. How normal people get trapped in nightmarish scenarios makes the story so believable. Well worth the read. Highly recommended.

Overdue: the Print edition

 The print edition for my new thriller is now available! If you love holding a book, smoothing a hand over the cover, flipping through the pages on a fast-moving journey to bring the bad guys to justice, here it is: Overdue.

Overdue

(Volume IV of Ash Suspense Thrillers with a Dash of Romance)

Kindle ★ Nook ★ Apple ★ Kobo

New! Paperback: Amazon

I’m tempted to lose myself in him, but can’t let go of me

We stop and, hearts pounding, kiss.

His touch is sweet, his embrace—gentle. I’m tempted to lose myself in him, but can’t let go of me. My eyes open even before he eases away. 

Dark clouds are brushing the sky copper, their fiery edges sketched in reflection across the vast surface of water. After years of drought, an abundance of wildflowers has burst over the shoulder of the bluff, painting it mustard yellow. Tickseed flowers shake their toothed-tip petals, their scent sweetening the salty breeze.

Holding hands, we cross the line between the wind-blown dry sand and the wet, saturated seaboard. The beach looks different than I’ve expected. The cove, located just south of the Pointe, used to be famous as a popular clothing-optional meeting place back in the sixties, according to Ma. “Did your father ever mention where we first met? No?” She would snuff out the little smile flickering in the wrinkled corners of her lips. “Oh, the stories I could tell!” 

Preorder now, get it for Valentine's Day!

Overdue

(Volume IV of Ash Suspense Thrillers with a Dash of Romance)

Kindle ★ Nook ★ Apple ★ Kobo

Paperback: Amazon

From USA Today bestselling author Uvi Poznansky comes a gripping suspense thriller:Ash has a long overdue plan to visit Vlad in UCI Medical Center and learn the secrets of his Russian gang. But during a raging pandemic, she unfortunately puts it on hold.

One way for Vlad to avoid paying the price for his crimes is to play dead; another is to play dying. For Ash, this not a game. He slips away from the hospital in a body bag placed in a refrigerator truck, then develops a brazen fraud scheme that will bilk health insurance companies out of millions of dollars, rob her of her identity, and drive other victims to suicide.

Will Ash manage to stay one step ahead of his gang and at the same time, protect her loved ones from contagion?

I hear you came to a gunfight armed with scissors

In the midst of all this clamor, it’s such a relief to see Michael cut through the crowd, rush over to the ambulance and hop into it, an incredibly huge bouquet of roses in his hand. 

I can’t help but wonder out loud, “While I was in danger, you stopped to buy flowers?”

“I practically snatched them from a flower stand while running through the airport—”

“Don’t apologize, Michael, I just love you for it.”

“Oh, Ash,” he says. “I hear you came to a gunfight armed with scissors.”

I try to lift my head from the gurney but immediately stop, wincing in pain.“Somehow, I came out on top.”

Michael leans in closer and smells my hair, parts of which have been singed by the fire. “I know you just enough to hold back from holding you back,” he says, in his softest voice. “I’ll never ever tell you to stay out of trouble.”

He touches the tip of his nose to mine, ever so gently. Only then do I start crying. 

And I can’t stop.

I don’t even know why I’m crying, but I have no choice but let the tears come, let them wash away the anxiety of the last few days and the fear. It seems to persist beyond the death of the shooter. 

★ Love Suspense? Prepare to be thrilled ★

Overkill

(Volume II of Ash Suspense Thrillers with a Dash of Romance)

Audible: US ★ UK ★ FR ★ DE

Audiobook: Amazon US ★ Amazon UK ★ iTunes

Paperback: Amazon

The last thing Ash expects when she lands in Clearwater, Florida is to be stalked by a troubled teenager. If that's not bad enough, she is caught in a shooting spree next to the nearby elementary school. The cops think it’s an attempt at mass killing, but Ash wonders if the only victim was specifically targeted by the killer. Will she manage to identify him and have him arrested before he comes after her?

"The author weaves a well-crafted Suspense Thriller with a generous sprinkling of Romance. Intriguing twists and turns also ensures that this book will captivate the reader from the first page to the last. I've read this author several times before and it's safe to say that her storylines leaves the reader spellbound." ~Piaras, Vine Voice Reviewer