BOOKS AND WRITINGS BY MEMBERS Showing 2,501-2,550 of 4,002

[Debra]

Hello to British history lovers!

I run the English Historical Fiction Authors, a multi-author blog at http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.... Though we are fiction authors, we have a daily blogpost bringing out interesting historical tidbits that we have uncovered in our research.

At the end of the first year, one of the authors suggested we make an anthology of select posts. With M. M. Bennetts and myself editing, that book, titled Castles, Customs, and Kings: True Tales by English Historical Fiction Authors, is to be released on September 23rd, our second anniversary.

I am organizing a blog tour and wonder if any of you might find such a book to be a good fit? I am also looking for anyone who might be interested in receiving a .mobi, .epub or pdf ARC to review.

Thanks to Rick for allowing me to make my request here.

[Chester]

The second book in my post Cold War political thriller trilogy, The Poksu Conspiracy, is now available in paperback on Amazon as well as in ebook format. There's also a short book trailer on my Goodreads page.

The Cold War has ended, but a reliable report reveals a plot that could throw the Far East into turmoil. Burke Hill, clandestine director for a Washington PR firm that's a CIA spinoff, is tasked to find the truth about a secret agreement for Israel to help South Korea develop nuclear weapons. The new Seoul government wants all U.S, troops to leave. A bomb decimates the North Korean leadership in Pyongyang, and Hill finds a diligent Seoul Metropolitan Police detective investigating a series of murders he believes are targeted at civilian leaders who favor close cooperation with America. Captain Yun Yu-sop identifies a ruthless Korean assassin who targets anyone who stands in the way, including Yun and Burke Hill.

[Bill]

I ran the world premiere of Harold and Maude for my good friend Ruth Gordon in Edgartown, Mass. It will be a challenge to film a period-piece movie of ladies in long dresses and parasols strolling in Central Park, New York City, 1911. My new book is available on amazon, and readers can click on author's name under title to see my bookshelf of other books,

http://www.amazon.com/Aimees-Secret-b...

[Helena]

Today I'm going to start writing a new novel. Rather exciting. Its been hard "transitioning" from Sparta after concluding the Leonidas Trilogy, which is why I've been reworking and releasing old works. Now, at last, I'm ready to write something new. No idea what the real title will be, but it is about Balian d'Ibelin, who surrendered Jerusalem to Saladin in 1187. Fascinating character -- even if the historical Balian shares little resemblance with hero of the same name in Ridley Scot's (nevertheless great) film, "The Kingdom of Heaven."

[Peggy]

Great interview and 'Book Spotlight' today about my thriller, Clementine's Shadow, on the Desert of Man website. http://desertsofman.wordpress.com/201...

[Michael]

The deathly Sanghouls have escaped from the Empty Province and, from within their golden dunes, they seek to wipe out all life in Empyria. Unaware of this, the last surviving humans continue going about their daily routine in the city of Nimar. But when the city’s water pool stops refilling, the Nimerians are forced to move into lands of myth and legend.

Only when Prince Viro, an elf of the southern lands, arrives in Nimar do the humans truly understand the threat to their existence. The two races must unite and reclaim the lost seven stones of light – the only weapon that can defeat the demonic shadow enclosing them.

As four of the city’s most talented young men and women, Athmane, Faria, Bayoud and Mary will be critical to Nimar enduring the perils, both natural and unnatural, that await them.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadows-Sand-...

[Richard]

Three FREE comical quick reads (Kindle)
Free Sat -Sun
My Husband's On Facebook! April Issue - http://www.amazon.com/My-Husbands-Fac...
My Husband's On Facebook! Feb Issue - http://www.amazon.com/My-Husbands-Fac...
Facebook Zombies - http://www.amazon.com/Facebook-Zombie...

[Bill]

Helena wrote: "Today I'm going to start writing a new novel. Rather exciting. Its been hard "transitioning" from Sparta after concluding the Leonidas Trilogy, which is why I've been reworking and releasing old wo..."

Hi, Helena, great idea and you ought to know of this timeline on wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_...

[Helena]

Thanks, Bill!

[George]

Amazon link to print & Kindle editions: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0989468100

My second novel, A 3rd TIME TO DIE is a unique paranormal Romantic Suspense, in the vein of Nora Robert’s "Midnight Bayou". My 1st novel, TRAPPED, received forty 4 & 5-Star reviews, and vaulted into Amazon's Top 100 Best Sellers

"A Third Time to Die," centering on Past Life experiences, is different from the glut of vampires, werewolves, angels and demons.

Two souls struggle to fulfill their destiny together. They discover magical love during a fox hunt in 17th Century England, and again in 19th Century Philadelphia. Each time they are snuffed out by brutal murder. Reborn a third time, in the 21st Century, their love of jumping horses brings them together again…and their ancient killer may be still stalking them!

A November, 2005, Harris poll found one in three Americans believe in reincarnation, and twice that many believe in some sort of after-life. Highly respected psychiatrist, Dr. Brian Weiss, wrote "Many Lives, Many Masters," and several follow-up books, and did many lectures and public appearances regarding the evidence of soul rebirth, including a full hour on Ophra. I’ve research the theory of past lives, and have been “regressed” by an associate of Dr. Weiss, to better understand the experience. My wife rode a champion Open Jumper in the early years of our marriage, and I’ve brought insight of that very popular subject to the storyA 3rd Time to Die George A Bernstein

[Bill]

Here is a book you can hold and savor and read and not be disappointed that it was too short. Are you ready to go back in time, in New York City, a hundred years, when women were fighting and marching for women's rights? Then, read this heady romance of ladies in long dresses and parasols, but behind closed doors, the passion heats up. http://www.amazon.com/Aimees-Secret-b...

[J.R.]

Another reviewer has good things to say about Practice To Deceive: http://readersfavorite.com/book-revie...

[Doug]

A Fresh Look at Greed, free on amazon kindle today and tomorrow.

Stop pouting about your wealth. Embrace your greedy true self. It will make you feel better about yourself!


http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Look-Gree...

http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Look-Gree...

Doug Bremner

[Mike]

I really like the way she has presented my international suspense thriller, COVERT DREAMS, here. I would love to have you share it with with your friends. http://www.pavartiktyler.com/excerpt-...

[Merle]

This new Amazon review of A Ghostly Shade of Pale by author KB Schaller is one of my favorites. 5.0 out of 5 stars "Definitely worth a second read!" August 5, 2013 By K. Schaller "A+Reviewer" (Plantation, FL, US)

"Against a backdrop of the 1960s social upheavals, Merle Temple has offered his first-hand experiences as a Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (MBN) agent. Through his engaging character and alter-ego, Michael Parker, the reader is taken from his loving grandma's rewards of unconditional love and peppermint candies to the dark underbelly of illegal drugs, political corruption, agency "friends" he could not trust and the angst of lost love; all are the stuff of bad dreams, where the rewards are sometimes the escape with life itself.

Mr. Temple has woven together the elements of a powerful Mystery-Suspense that left this reader's heart pounding: would the MBN's rookie agents survive an ambush shootout that was supposed to be a business-as-usual undercover deal?

Would Michael's best friend and mentor through the years survive the insidious attack of cancer, as Michael watches him grow more gaunt and haggard as the disease takes its toll?

There is also the figure that stalks him, one emerged from the black pit of night terrors. Although stark white with the flame-red eyes of a demon, he moves like a dark shadow, while leaving behind a trail of death and horror. And he manages to keep a step ahead of Michael.

And then, there comes that one unguarded moment. Michael, weary from the demands of life and his job, walks into an ambush where he comes face-to-face with the icy, white shadow-man who has super-human strength. It is a fight-to-the-death when all of Michael's training seems to fail him, and he can only call on his God. Will He hear him? Or is his Master finally calling him home?"-KB Schaller, Author
A Ghostly Shade of Pale

[Bryan]

Only 5 days left to get in on the chance to win one of two signed copies of my novel, "Year of the Songbird."

Here's the link: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho....

Good luck!

[Eliza]

Today I am beginning the second book in my paranormal series, Hearts of Darkness. The first book is now available on Amazon KDP Defeat the Darkness Defeat the Darkness

[Neil]

Ever since Ereader news today sponsored DROP OUT and it went to #22 in romantic suspense, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FX0K7U sales have remained steady in a good way. As I’ve always said, it takes a lot of extra hard work to keep the sales momentum going, but thanks to all the great reviews and word-of-mouth the book is getting the journey to the bestseller list is going easier. I had a feature written about me in my local hometown magazine and I’ve been doing a lot of blog interviews to add to my exposure. Here’s a link to my latest.
http://richlikesbooks.blogspot.com/20...

I’ve also been getting a lot of personal emails from people telling me how the book has affected them and literally change their outlooks on life. Nearly all my reviews from all over the world are five-star and my blog posts have been re-posted by others thousands of times. Here’s my latest review from Amazon U.K.

* * *
5.0 out of 5 stars I wasn't sure I'd like this book
6 Aug 2013
By Mrs. C. I. Campbell
Format: Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I thought the subject matter would be too gruelling and too sad to bear...and, in many ways it was. But it was handled in such a way that I didn't feel voyeuristic, as I expected. Instead, it felt like a story that ought to be told, and, in the end, I felt uplifted. The action scenes were so well written, it seemed incredible they could have been written by someone who had not lived through these things. There was intense pain and passion in this book as well as great compassion and understanding. Masterfully written.
* * *

Other indie writers have written me telling me that I am wasting valuable writing time with all this marketing and promoting. They say my time would be better spent writing new books than doing all the things I do so small pockets of readers can get to know me. They say volume of material will get me my readers. I disagree.

It may take a thousand blog interviews and reviews before the mainstream gets to know my material, but they will get to know it. I’d rather have a huge, loyal fan base that took time (years) to build over nine books than a hundred published books that no one has read.

To read more about me and my books please check out my blog: ALWAYS WRITING

Click here to read my blog!
http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

[Peggy]

Just received a 5-star review of Clementine's Shadow from Fran Lewis of 'Just Reviews' in her blog at: http://gabina49.wordpress.com/

"The California desert provides part of the backdrop for this novel. The desert town of Ardon holds many secrets that its residents hope will remain buried under the hot sand...

Hear the voice of the killer, learn his secrets and find out the rationale behind his actions and you will shiver ... this intricate plot so well-crafted and developed by author Peggy Rothschild that it will keep you in suspense until you turn the last page.

Just when you think you have it all figured out you won’t believe what happens...an explosive ending will leave the reader hoping that the author will bring Casey back again so we can learn more about what is in store for this great deputy. Will the shadow be lifted or will the black cloud remain?"
Fran Lewis: Reviewer

[Paul]

And here's ... a publisher's giveaway of Unburning Alexandria in paperback, right here on Goodreads!! http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

review and interview about Unburning Alexandria on The Morton Report http://www.themortonreport.com/books/...

[Mike]

THE THREE KITTIES THAT SAVED MY LIFE, an inspiring true story of love. On sale for this weekend only for only $.99. One reviewer has said, "It is one of the most moving books I've ever read." Another has said, "Sometimes after finishing a book, I will feel something like emotional awe. It is a rare thing, but The Three Kitties gave me that feeling." http://smarturl.it/ThreeKitties

[Michael]

You can now get my short horror story, SCRATCHERS, for FREE until Monday August 12th from Amazon. Here are the links to the UK & US Editions:

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scratchers-Ta...

US: http://www.amazon.com/Scratchers-Tast...

[Alex]

Hi Folks, I've been absent from GR for a while--sometimes the "social media" thing gets overwhelming and it does eat into writing time. I become resistant to all of it. I'm now about 15% into Book Seven, titled "The Lenin Factor". It's a cycle that comes and goes, so now I'm back in the mix...for you Action/Adventure fans, my award winning Amazon best seller The Tesla Secret is free this weekend. If you haven't read it, take advantage! Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Tesla-Secre... Have a great weekend!

[Moira]

Hello!

My recent series is called The Light & Shadow Trilogy, and the first book, Shadowborn, is free to read on Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, and all the rest! (iTunes! Smashwords! Those other ones!)

Links to all below, including my first novel, Mahalia:











I sincerely hope you will enjoy!

-M

[J.R.]

If you like mystery short stories, here's a deal for you. Buy Open and Shut http://store.untreedreads.com/index.p...
and get The Man Everyone Loved for free.

[D.E.]

I'm a new member and am reluctant to post so soon, but my newest mystery, Detroit Shuffle, will be publishing 9/3 on St. Martin's Minotaur Books. It's the 4th in a series (but definitely readable as a stand-alone).

The books are all set in 1910s Detroit, and this one is set against the real political scandals that rocked the city in 1912. (Political scandals in Detroit. Hard to believe, I know.)

I have a Goodreads giveaway starting shortly, as well as one on my own website, here: http://www.dejohnsonauthor.com/contes...

[Rick-Founder JM CM BOOK CLUB]

I continue to be amazed at the magnificent works posted here
Thank you all for posting!

[M.]

Lilith (a short story)
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...

[Chris]

One of my short stories is available for free from Smashwords if anybody is interested:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

It's not dystopian like my novel, but it gives you a sense for my writing style and approach to story-telling. If you read it, let me know what you think.

[Alex]

the Key to everything

Here's is the jacket description of my book "the Key to everything":

Cracked and weathered binding, hiding mysteries on pages tied closed by a bloodstained string. A happy young family enchanted by dreams and possibilities. A barren, empty room. A boy with no friends obsessively drawing angles, edges and diagrams.
In his debut novel, Alex Kimmell captures a vivid and startling tale of fear. Auden’s journey begins when he discovers a curious leather-bound book whose contents will soon endanger his entire family. The pages of this book draw him into a prison that cannot be breached, a place that can only be unlocked with a very special key.
In The Key to Everything, fear is explored and heightened through jarring imagery and a terrifying, unique menace, ratcheting up the tension until the novel’s gripping climax.

If you're interested, here is the Amazon page:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Key-Everyth...

[Larry]

When Valerie Caraota requested a copy of The Case of the Locked Drawer to review, I never expected this delightful response from her after posting the review on Amazon. God bless such a spiritual individual. Incidentally, The Case of the Locked Drawer is a cozy mystery, not a religious book.

If you were here in person I would have to salute you. Instead I do it from my living room with honors. Your book was outstanding. For sure I would not dare venture into that territory. I do not know how long it took you whether piece by piece over a long time or more constant flow effort, but regardless, it was masterfully devised. I noticed you hung around a mystery writer and God, in His goodness allows Divine appointments to come our way because He sees our tomorrow's. Your "tomorrow" has arrived and what demands of your very soul now is all that has been placed within you. It is a testimony that the ordinary can be recreated to extraordinary with the gift of heavenly inspiration. Surely you too must look back and wonder how you created this very thing.

My earnest hope for you is that as you continue to delight in Him that He in turn will hilariously prove Himself strong on your behalf. Thank you sir for this delightful opportunity and know full well that I enjoyed doing the review for you.

If you don't mind can you hit the yes button after the review if it is ok? I am trying to get in the top 1000 for an amazon reviewer and the more yes votes really help plus it brings greater credibility to the review.

God bless you and like good ol' Etta, I don't see you retiring Anytime soon :-)

Respectfully,

Valerie


You can be sure I hit the "Yes" button. I invite you to do the same.

I love you.

Larry Winebrenner

[Geoff]

Having just returned from an overseas trip it was the ending of a perfect month to find author copies of my novel sitting on the doorstep under its new title Triangle Trade. I originally self published as Ice King after 35 knock backs by publishing houses & agents. Out of the blue Pen and Sword (a well know UK publisher) under their imprint Claymore Press, picked my novel to republish with the new title of Triangle Trade. It was finally released on the 03rd July as a hardback edition, the day I left for the overseas trip. Some sellers have it listed as a paperback, which is incorrect. The dream of every self published author has come true for me.

[Mike]

Free today. Tuesday, August 13, through Thursday, August 15th. Guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. Grab your free copy and tell all your friends about it, so they can enjoy the laughter also. http://smarturl.it/FamousUnion

[Jill]

Hi all,

Hope all is well. I have created some giveaways for my newest books!

Enter below for a chance to win a copy of my latest children’s book: “The Stuffed House”

http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

or here for a chance to win a copy of “Luki and the Rocket Power Shoes”

http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

or go to Amazon and check them out ☺

Happy Reading ☺

Jill

p.s. you can find my books on amazon or click below

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...+

[Anastasia]

Hi! Thank you Rick and James Mason. My book "If Only You Knew" is about our intrinsic need to be known and loved for whom we really are. It doesn't really take much for people to be cruel, hurtful, disrespectful. Can someone who has experienced repeated rejection trust enough to love and be loved? Which is stronger, the yearning or the fear of more pain?
If you are interested in a true love story, please check out my book at Amazon.com.

http://www.amazon.com/If-Only-You-Kne...

[Ken]

Now number twelve on the freebie list in mystery/thriller-police procedurals. I'm even outpacing Michael Connolly. woo hoo

Free today only, the first twelve chapters of Deadly Talley.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DPZPDFY

[Peggy]

Great "Book Spotlight" today about my thriller, Clementine's Shadow, at Bookingly Yours!
http://bit.ly/16Y0IBw

[[deleted user]]

My new release is The Pinata-Maker's Daughter, Bk 1 of the Marisol Trilogy. Bk 2 is also out.
http://www.amazon.com/Pinata-Makers-D...

[William]

My weird Holmes collection is now available to order in signed hardcovers.$40 for a hardcover, $120 for the deluxe leatherbound edition. Both editions are illustrated, one B&W piece per story, by Wayne Miller who also did the cover.

http://www.badmoonbooks.com/product.p...

Here's the TOC

- Prologue
- The Quality of Mercy
- The Case of the Walrus Tusk
- The Color That Came To Chiswick
- The Call of the Dance
- The Case of the Highland Fiddle
- The Case of the Lost Overcoat
- The Case of the Tibetan Rug
- The Yellow Peril
- The Case of The Jade Pendant
- Revenant (a novella)
- A Matter of Time (Deluxe edition only)
- The Ghost Shirt (Deluxe edition only)

And some advance reviews...

For anyone who loves great storytelling and well crafted stories this book is for you. For Sherlock Holmes fans this book is an absolute must and I highly recommend it.- FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would be proud. The feel of each story brings me back to those old tales of Sherlock Holmes, and one can easily believe that Meikle has unearthed some forgotten tome that contains all of the supernatural, extraterrestrial and just plain old unnatural adventures of Holmes and his trusty companion, Dr. Watson - THE DEEPENING

Meikle writes Holmes and Watson with a warm friendship. Their interaction is reminiscent of the radio series featuring Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as the story-telling Watson. The collection is a quick read, with plenty of twists and turns in each of the cases. Fans of Holmes in any medium will enjoy this anthology. - HORRORVIEW

Readers looking for superb supernatural spins with Holmes need look no further. - Rick Kleffel's AGONY COLUMN

[Jewel]

The Teenage Girls Calendar, Appointment Book And Journal.
Straight Game
Separate Sense From Nonsense.

[Jewel]

By Jewel Webber

[J.R.]

Another five-star review for Sooner Than Gold: http://www.amazon.com/Sooner-than-Gol...

[Libby]

My most recent release, my 10th thriller, is HAVANA LOST, a 3 generational saga of the same family, set, of course, largely in Cuba. It also tracks the rise of a female Mafia boss.

You can find out more about it at Goodreads. It already has about 25 reviews.

Thanks!

[Wendilyn]

We are live now on Kickstarter with our project campaign for the World Premiere Stage production of "The Man In The Red Suit" please share widely. People use Kickstarter to fund creative projects. Pledges start at $1 and you are not charged unless the project gets fully funded. We are relying on our friends to share this so that people can check it out, and hopefully, pledge:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/8...

[Neil]

DROP OUT’s revised second edition is really having an affect. Here’s another 5-star review on Amazon. This review is also on Goodreads. Check it out!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FX0K7U


5.0 out of 5 stars Finished it yesterday and still reeling... August 19, 2013
By
Elly Michaels - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Drop Out (Kindle Edition)

Wow! My literature professors always said that a novel is praiseworthy if it inspires in the reader strong emotions, and Neil Ostroff's Drop Out certainly does that. I was, in turn, scared, horrified, revolted, depressed and warmed by this graphically depicted novel of disaster, tragedy, death and rebirth. Drop Out opens with haunting, pictorial scenes from the World Trade Center bombing where our hero barely escapes the horrors of inexpressible gore and death, loses all his friends and family, and is left not only jaded and guilt-ridden but unrecognizably disfigured to resume his lonely life. He subsequently battles a vividly and realistically portrayed hurricane off the coast of Key West to meet a dying woman, whose innovating love and spirit reminds him that happiness isn't only for the beautiful or carefree, and ultimately cures his irremediable depression. In this alarming novel, I confronted fear, revulsion, depression, loneliness, and mortality right along with the hero.


Elly Michaels
Author: For Love of a Cause
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DX6IV0E

To read more about me and my books please check out my blog: ALWAYS WRITING

Click here to read my blog!
http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

[J.R.]

Reviewers are saying good things about Sooner Than Gold. Here's the latest: http://theediblebookshelf.blogspot.co...

[Laurence]

Hi Friends--So happy to announce the arrival of a new Key West novel--SHOT ON LOCATION. I'd say it was 12 years in the making, but that would be a lie. It was 1 year in the making. The other 11 were spent living in California and learning at least a little bit about the entertainment biz, so I could mix in a dash of Hollywood glitz with a lot of Florida funky.

I'd say do yourself a favor and read this book, but that would also be a lie. Do ME a favor and read it! If you find it worthy, please post a review, tell your friends and your book groups, inflict it on your families. Thanks for the support. Love to hear what you think. Cheers! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EOB078Q

[Howard]

I have just read an advance copy of "The Last Stratiote" by LeAnn Neal Reilly who is, I believe, a member of the James Mason Group. As you will gather from my review, which follows, I like it and would encourage other members to pick it up upon its publication next month.

I recently laid my hands on an advance copy of LeAnn Neal Reilly’s The Last Stratiote, due to be published in September. I read it immediately for two reasons. First, I had liked her first two novels. Second, I remembered my father saying of another distinguished historian of his day that that writer had written a very good first book and had been writing it ever since. I wanted to see if Ms. Neal Reilly, like too many other current novelists, had dwindled into formula. I was happy to find she had not.

She has, instead, produced a layered, complex story in which two conflicts are interleaved. The first involves James Goodman, an American ICE agent, and Mirjeta Gjakova, an Albanian violinist, with whom James has fallen in love. Mirjeta, in turn, is in America after fleeing from a blood feud in her native land. On the other side of the feud and organizing the pursuit is Imam Xhemajl Krasniqi, a warlord in (for lack of a better term) the Albanian Mafia with a considerable seasoning of Taliban-like religious fervor. The growth of the relationship between James and Mirjeta while he tries to protect her from Krasniqi provides the basso continuo over which the fugue of the other conflict is stretched.

This second, and, I think, more interesting contest is between the ancient blood law and the more recent religion of love, free will, and redemption. One could think of it as the Old Testament Yahweh vs. the New Testament Christ. The former is fiercely jealous, demanding of absolute obedience and worship by His absolute rules. You can either be His unquestioningly obedient liege or his enemy, destined for destruction. There is little or no wiggle room in between. The latter speaks of love, understanding, and self-sacrifice among His worshippers. For Him, redemption is always possible for those who exert their free will to know themselves and seek it. Stryker, a sort of academic philosopher, is the theologian of the blood law and Aconcio, a lawyer, is its advocate. Zophie, who is more powerful than she first appears, represents the faith of redemption.

This battle is waged for the mind, conscience, and soul of Elira Dukagjini, a formidable Albanian woman with a taste for blood and an expertise in knife-fighting. As the story develops, we find that Elira is the last stratiote. I had to look the word up though I knew it was Greek. It refers to warriors or soldiers and becomes appropriate as we discover that Elira’s origins go back to an earlier time when Byzantine Greeks were still a presence in the Balkans.

The novel is one of the darkest I can remember reading. There are Taliban, or their ilk, who do abhorant things. There are some sweet little old Southern ladies of an Evangelical persuasion who intentionally do things designed to desecrate Islam. Violence, or the threat of force, overhangs much of the book. Ms. Neal Reilly has presented a very much half-empty glass. And yet the picture is accurate and realistic. The history of monotheistic religions is fraught with barbarity aimed at people who believe differently. In St. Augustine’s day, one could be arrested, punished, or even executed for heresy. The Middle Ages spent a great deal of time and effort preaching and fighting crusades against not only the infidel in the Holy Land, but against non-conformist groups closer to home, the Albigensians in France and the Russian Orthodox to name but two. In the seventeenth century, Protestants and Catholics in Germany had a theological debate which lasted thirty years, settled very little, and left a third of the German population unpleasantly dead. In the last month, the Westboro Baptist Church has visited Rhode Island to spread their peculiar brand of vitriol about gay marriage, of which they are certain that God disapproves.

One can argue that this dark view of humans and their religions is unfair, that religions are peaceful in their intent. This is undoubtedly true. But one should remember that for every St. Francis, there is a St. Clovis. Ms. Neal Reilly has opted to emphasize the dark side and to good effect. For out of that welter of pain and cruelty comes redemption. Elira uses her free will to make a choice, performs an act of penance knowingly and intentionally, and despite her long adherence to blood law, is granted redemption. The power of a great play or story is that within its context, one can suspend one’s disbelief and live the lives of the characters. I have no particular beliefs, but I found Elira’s redemption satisfying and true. Suspension of disbelief is why we are still able to read the Iliad and why we might benefit from some time spent with a stratiote.

Ms. Neal Reilly’s latest is complex. It requires thought. It requires, and rewards, re-reading. This is not a book for television watchers who rely on the laugh track to know where the jokes are in “The Dukes of Hazard”. One of my measures of artistic greatness is that I can hear or read something multiple times and see something in it each time that I did not see before. It is, in part, why I listen to Beethoven piano concerti and Wagner’s Ring cycle. When the book becomes publicly available, I shall buy a copy and reread it. Before I do so, however, I will reread a well-known novel I have not read since high school. Just at the end, I discovered (or think I did) that the Last Stratiote is based, loosely and subtly to be sure, on that earlier novel. I want to see if it really is. I want to spend some time with Stryker’s arguments and see whether I really disagree, or perhaps agree and, if so, where. I want to see what else I missed the first time by focusing solely on the plot.

I cannot say this is a “great” novel. If we are still reading it in a hundred years, then it will be. But it is a very good novel. And it does conform to the dictates of Prism’s Rule, “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means.”

[H.s.]

See the 5 Star review for SECRET THOUGHTS a Medical Thriller written for Goodreads by JW Edgar at http://goo.gl/zKd6PB

I've had lots of great Amazon reviews, but this is my first review on Goodreads. SECRET THOUGHTS a Medical Thriller is available in paperback from Amazon, and ebook from Kindle, Nook, IBooks, Kobo, and smashwords. Go to my webpage for links:

hsclarkmystery.com

[Joseph]

For those who enjoy reading international thrillers, you may enjoy my new novel, The Zurich Decision. www.josephbradybooks.com. Thanks Rick for the opportunity to post!