Jeannie Hudson's Blog: Bookmarks - Posts Tagged "suspense"

Don't forget to request my historical suspense novel BEHOLD A LONE HORSEMAN
featured in my new Giveway from Jan. 10 -
Feb. 10. I think you'll love this story of Regan Townsend's dauntless quest to become a successful photographer in 1876 Dakota and Colorado Territories, an era dominated by men of foresight. Fearless and gifted, Regan meets these challenges head-on and with the help and love of the dashing and powerful Englishman Aiden Endicott, she carves out her own success and finds enduring love. Excerpt from BEHOLD A LONE
HORSEMAN:
..."She looked up into merry dark eyes. A slender man in a brown frock coat stood in the aisle,waiting for permission to sit.
'Hello, my name is Aiden Endicott. I'm sorry but the seats are filled otherwise.'
Regan glanced around to see if this was true,then embarrassed by her bad manners quickly placed her bag on the
floor. 'Forgive me,I was feeling a bit out of sorts and planned to sit here in
my doldrums all the way to Denver.' She
offered another smile of apology. I'm
Regan Townsend.'
He considered her with a droll
expression that sent amber lights dancing
in his eyes as he eased his long frame
down beside her. 'I promise I won't intrude on your misery.'
'Oh, I wish you would since I'm
behaving like a child, something I won't
allow.' She laughed at her choice of words.
Amusement still filled his eyes,
such a deep brown they appeared practically black.
Aiden Endicott. The name matched
his British accent that had faded a bit
and perhaps mellowed, suggesting he'd not
lived in England for some time.
'You'll no doubt feel a great deal
happier after some rest. You look very
weary. How long have you been traveling?'
The almost tender concern in his
cultured voice made Regan newly conscious
of her cramped muscles, the exhaustion
produced by boredom with the endless hours as much as lack of sleep. 'Nearly
four days. I came from Philadelphia...'
They'd left the station behind by the time she'd finished explaining.
He stroked his chin with long fingers. 'I lived in Philadelphia for several months some years ago. The final
winter before I came West to stay.' His
demeanor grew pensive and he seemed to look into the past....

This is the magical story of tragedy and the consequences of unthinking human cruelty. When the boy William Bellman recklessly kills a rook with his catapult
he barely remembers the incident. But the
rooks never forget. - I loved the allegory
of the rooks in this eerie, timeless tale.
One reckless act, one moment in time if you
will, creates repercussions forever in the
life of William Bellman. The foolish killing of a rook by the boy creates an
unpaid debt among the bird's brethren that is only repaid by the grown man's allegiance to the very essence of death
itself. - BELLMAN & BLACK is a strange,
haunting tale that will leave you wondering.... I give it three stars.

In Ben Mezrick's novel SEVEN WONDERS, i
found an intriguing premise of garden of
Edens tied to the 7 Ancient Wonders of the
World and to the 7 Modern Wonders of the
World. Through the fast-paced chapters
where 'tickle the ivories' takes on a whole
new meaning, the improbable becomes realized. Mezrich masterfully ties such
disparate religions as Muslim, Judeo-
Christian, Hindu, Incan and Mayan into a
comprehensive, mysterious take that would
make Clive Cussler proud. The ending was
a bit murky with the world shattering
revelations unprovable and the mysterious
power behind the evil still unknown. But
the two protagonists walk happily into a
heart-shaped sunset. It was a hectic but
satisfying read to the end. I give SEVEN
WONDERS 4 Stars.

I love historical suspense set in England so I looked forward to reading this book with great anticipation. And it was an enjoyable read. Yet, when I finished it, I
was left wanting more. I wanted to love
Bay as much as Charlotte and Sisi did but
his character development wasn't quite thorough enough to remove my misgivings
about him. After it was stated in the
beginning that Bay had fathered a child,
this was hardly mentioned again. This may have been perfectly acceptable in Victorian times but it left me fearing that Bay was a cad as Augusta and Fred feared. I would have loved to have seen some resolution of that situation. Despite my reservations, I found FORTUNE HUNTER a fast, intriguing novel. I give it 4 Stars.