CHARLIE BRAY’S BOOK REVIEWS – Five Great Books To Enjoy

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UNTIL THE FAT MAN SINGS by William V. Kelly

Mike Balmayne is a good man who works hard and plays hard. Playing hard is great, but when you do you can lose perspective and end up playing with not very nice playmates. What you see with Mike is what you get. No hidden agendas, he’s exactly as it says on the tin. Naively, he believes the same of others, more often than not, mistakenly. But he continues to enjoy the good life and the reader enjoys it with him.

Reading a book like this enables you to enjoy experiences and see things that you’re unlikely to encounter in real life – and that is the essence of a good book. You’re right there flying your own plane, sailing your own yacht – and I love it! I was reminded of a conversation I had with William when I was arranging for a copy of his book. He was catching the last of the Turkish sun as he reclined in the cockpit of his home, an ocean going yacht. I was ensconced in my drab office overlooking the incessant U.K. drizzle. Oh to dare to dream – and William’s book enables you to do better than that, you can actually live the dream for a few hours. It was also clear to me that William’s real lifestyle helped him write this book.

But they do say that nothing good lasts for ever and Balmayne proves the point. Courtesy of a dodgy business partner and a d0se of ill health, he loses everything. Desperation can spawn a different breed of character and it takes a clever writer to create the difference. William V. Kelly does so with aplomb. The story moves from a comfortable socio-documentary on the rather well-healed, to a fully fledged adventure story, and a whole set of new experiences awaits the reader.

So fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride. I know I did.

Also available from Amazon.co.uk

MOMENTS IN LIFE by SHANBREEN

Moments in life serves as a melting pot of many different cultures and classes, many of which exist in segregation upon this earth.

In many ways a tale of modern day America, probably the most intense multi-cultural environment on earth.

Through the words of fifteen varied stories, readers are  able to view life through many different eyes and are left to ponder aspects of life which are quite foreign to them. Pardon the pun, but it really fits. Comparisons of culture, age, nationality, genre, sexuality, wealth and poverty are all here,  wrapped up in fifteen exceptionally good tales.

Love, hatred, cruelty and abuse are all skilfully dealt with, and whilst being entertained, readers are also undoubtedly enlightened.

I’m certain you will laugh and quite sure many will shed a tear as you work your way through the twists and turns of these remarkable stories.

I’m really pleased I picked up this book, and it will live with me a long time.

Also available from Amazon.co.uk

LANTAMYRA: A TAPESTRY OF FANTASY by Susan Waterwyk

My only chance to leave this world alive is on the Virgin Galactic, and even though I’m prepared to sacrifice my Nottingham Forest season ticket to achieve this, I still fall far short of the rather extortionate ticket price

In Susan Waterwyk’s book, Tylya Lansing is prepared to do more. She is willing to give  up everything on Earth, but first she has to find her grandma’s crystal sceptre. Well she does, because that’s the sort of person she is. She makes it as far as Lantamyra, an earth-like planet where magic is created. About the time she is learning her way around her new habitat, Planet Earth is undergoing catastrophic changes which herald its demise. Good timing or what?

It could well be that her new home provides the only escape for threatened humans back home. Only trouble is, they’ll have to share their new planet with dragons, who are fairly well ensconced there. Quite pleasant, intelligent dragons as it happens.

This is a sci-fi / fantasy  novel for mature, rather than young, adults and abounds with drama, laced with lashings of humour. I’ve always found that if you don’t take this genre too seriously, a good read often ensues. And it certainly does in this case.

It is well written, the characters are interesting, with a lot of depth, and I feel that Lantamyra provides a wonderful escape from the mundane world that many of us inhabit

I might forget the Virgin Galactic, continue supporting Forest and get my fantasy kicks through Susan Waterwyk’s beautifully created new world.

Also available from Amazon.co.uk

THE DEAD CRY FOR JUSTICE by Barbara Griffin Villemez

The Dead Cry for Justice is the second book in this series, Dreaming Dark being the first.

A honeymoon couple are enjoying their outdoor pursuits, don’t ask, and decide to track an animal through the woods. They come across some old bones, the remnants of an execution.

Now the killers that are responsible for littering the forest landscape with the bones are not too pleased that their handiwork has been exposed. They would prefer that the result of their misdemeanour remained dead and buried.

It’s never wise to stir up a hornet’s nest, but that’s just what Cate and Mitch, the honeymoon couple have done. Oh, if only they had remained in their honeymoon suite – but that’s a book for another genre.

Clearly rattled, the killers resort to type and more bodies are found.

The new bride and a friend could be next, but they are warned of impending doom by spirits of the departed, who clearly still feel affronted about being bumped off. So affronted that they don’t just restrict their activities to warning the bride, they go hell for leather, if that’s what ghosts wear, after the killers.

A very entertaining read, which I thoroughly enjoyed

Also available on Amazon.co.uk

SEAFOAM WAVE FOLLOWER and the Mysterious Ghost by Doc BRILEY

Seafoam Wave Follower is sure to be enjoyed by most children, and may well become a secret pleasure for a lot of adults.

Seafoam is a sperm whale who displays all the traits of a mischievous child, and that’s the main reason kids are going to love him.

Like many curious children, Seafoam gets into scrapes, and in Seafoam’s case it’s a really major scrape. He has to co-operate with a young human ghost to stand any chance of survival, and that could be tricky. Humans are  the ancient and sworn enemies of sperm whales.

The boy and the whale do have something in common. Seafoam needs the boy to help him survive a very dangerous journey, and the boy needs Seafoam to help lift an ancient curse placed upon him in Hawaii.

The bond that slowly builds between the whale and the boy is quite captivating and is worth the price of the book alone.

But there’s much more, including warriors, sorcerers and a giant whirlpool.

There’s also a huge timing issue to keep readers on their toes. Not only do the intrepid duo have to combat many obstacles, they also have to fight against the clock – which is ticking!

All in all a great adventure story for young, and not so young, ones.

Also available from Amazon.co.uk

I hope you enjoyed reading my five reviews as much as I enjoyed writing them. I look forward to publishing more reviews soon. Meanwhile… Happy reading, Charlie.

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