RebeccasReads

The Dream Master

I recently finished reading “The Dream Master: Baghdad to Wallstreet; The Rise of a Hollywood Mogul” and I have to tell you it was an incredible book. The author, Joseph Mazin, is an amazing writer; the story flows easily across the pages and the characters / plot are completely believable.

“The Dream Master: Baghdad to Wallstreet; The Rise of a Hollywood Mogul” begins with a triumphant celebration for Michael Nash the business genius also known as “the Wolf of Wall Street.” Years before this nick name had been given to Michael in derision by a sixty-five year old president of a prestigious banking firm who felt that Michael needed to be “put in his place.” Now, years later, Michael has achieved staggering accomplishments in the corporate world; he has achieved everything he set out to and more and “the Wolf of Wall Street” is now a term of respect, awe and admiration.

After meeting Michael, as he celebrated reaching the final pinnacle of his many successes, we travel back in time to the year 1919: Baghdad, Iraq. There we meet fourteen-year-old Samson Naquash, Michael’s father, and as we watch his history unfold we realize where Michael’s incredible drive and determination comes from. Between 1919 and 1949 Samson had amassed a fortune worth five million dollars but due to World War II Samson chose to leave almost all the fortune behind in order to bring his family to the safety of America.

We follow along as the Naquash family sets down roots in New York; change their last name to the much more easily pronounced Nash and begin their life anew. Unfortunately for you I’m not going to provide any further details about the story found within the pages of “The Dream Master: Baghdad to Wallstreet; The Rise of a Hollywood Mogul.” If you’re interested in knowing the “rest of the story” then you’ll need to get your hands on your very own copy…

In closing, a fantastic fictional read made even better by the consistent use of real world history. “The Dream Maker: Baghdad to Wallstreet; The Rise of a Hollywood Mogul” definitely merits that coveted five star rating…


The Dream Master
Joseph Mazin
AuthorHouse (2011)
ISBN 9781463419592
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads (1/12)

The God Complex

"The God Complex," while fiction, is a testament that each person must be the advocate for their own healthcare.  The reader is taken through the agony that plagues Steve Benson as he searches for a diagnosis of his multiple symptoms that elude Western doctors.

There is some non-fiction entwined in the story, as we read the journal entries from the author, as he explains the nearly debilitating problems that have no explanation.  The reader’s heart goes out to both the author and the character as doctor after doctor either prescribe a multitude of medications or say its psychosomatic.

Eventually, Steve ends up in Boston’s Chinatown following Eastern medicine practices and discovering he does in fact have a true ailment and begins to receive treatments only to slip back into the symptoms.  When a dead body is found in Europe and identified as Steve, his brother Paul travels to tie up the loose ends and try to determine how Steve wound up at the bottom of a bridge.  As Paul begins to sort through the items in Steve’s apartment he learns more about his brother’s plight than he knew existed.

The intrigue that follows and the information revealed leave the reader gripped in a story that crosses continents, and mixes Eastern and Western medical practices.  "The God Complex" is fascinating and makes the reader question if everything we’ve been told by the medical community is truly accurate or could there be much simpler answers to many of our ailments.

The only part of the story that disappointed me was the fast ending, I felt the ending was rushed and not fleshed out enough.  However, there are few, if any loose ends, and that makes for a great read.


The God Complex
Chris Titus
CreateSpace (2011)
ISBN 9781453717028
Reviewed by Melissa Koltes for RebeccasReads (1/12)

To Kill the Duke

Having recently finished reading the fictional story “To Kill the Duke” by author Sam Moffie I can safely say this book truly gave me a “unique” look back in time to the 1950s as well as an “interesting” perspective of Joseph Stalin. While I wasn’t riveted to my seat and biting my fingernails as I read; my attention was definitely captivated.

“To Kill the Duke” is set in the fifties; right smack in the middle of the Cold War. On the one hand we have the story of Ivan Viznapu – a loyal communist who yearns to make films rather than struggle through the hardships of his current life in mother Russia. On the other hand we have Dick Powell – an actor, who became a producer and then finally a film director who works for none other than the incredibly wealthy yet amazingly eccentric Howard Hughes. What do these two lives set thousands of miles apart actually have to do with one another? The answer to that question can be summed up in one name: John Wayne.

Apparently Hughes wasn’t the only over-the-top eccentric personality of his time. It seems that Stalin was right up there with him – at least according to the tale found within the pages of “To Kill the Duke.” Hughes planned to star Wayne in a movie he was making while Stalin was determined to kill him and thereby make a statement to the world. However, I’m going to let you read the rest of story for yourself rather than relay the crazy antics of the “elite” Russian spy squad or the sometimes disturbing idiosyncrasies of billionaire Howard Hughes.

For the most part I found “To Kill the Duke” to be an entertaining read although, at times, I did have trouble with the character of Hughes. Having seen the movie “The Aviator” which focused on the life of Howard Hughes there were passages and references that seemed to mirror scenes I had previously seen in “The Aviator.” I’m chalking these similarities up to the fact that Hughes was so rich and so eccentric that everyone knew everything about him; both private and business.

In closing, definitely a fun read although not really intended for the below eighteen crowd…


To Kill the Duke
Sam Moffie
CreateSpace (2012)
ISBN 9781461147060
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads (2/12)

Hitler’s Silver Box

Dr. Bruce Starkman is the Chief ER Resident at Cook County Hospital in Chicago.  His being was once thoroughly consumed by his career, but Bruce’s life changes drastically after his Uncle Max’s mysterious death.  So many things about his uncle’s death just do not add up causing Bruce to become suspicious about the circumstances.  As he digs deeper he finds many intriguing elements in his uncle’s past, most particularly surrounding the time his uncle spent in Theresienstadt concentration camp about fifty years ago.  Once Bruce realizes the significance of his uncle’s secret he determines that he needs to follow the clues that his uncle left in order to stop an impending Nazi resurgence.

I was immediately drawn in by the cover of “Hitler’s Silver Box.”  The cover image and the title are one that would definitely stand out in a book store setting.  I would certainly pick up the book to learn more about it.

As I read Malnak’s novel I became thoroughly absorbed in the events taking place.  Malnak writes in a very captivating manner.  I was pleased to find out that the contents of the book matched the expectations that I had formed from the cover.  I found it hard to find a place to stop as I found that I wanted to read more and more to see what happened next.  The novel is fast moving and certainly will hold your attention.  The characters in “Hitler’s Silver Box” are quite intriguing and well developed.  I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in reading of events of the Holocaust or to anyone looking for a gripping, fast-paced novel.


Hitler’s Silver Box
Allen Malnak
Two Harbors (2011)
ISBN 9781937293369
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (2/12)

The Tides of Avarice: A Sagaria Legend

“The first thing you notice is the smell.  It hangs like an almost visible miasma in the sluggish air of Darkwater- or, at least it does here, in the meanest, rottenest and generally most lethal part of Darkwater, the only town on Booty Island and, in its turn, the meanest, rottenest, and generally most lethal part of the Toxic Archipelago.  Darkwater is probably the only town in the whole wide world of Sagaria where murder isn’t a criminal offense:  in the local terminology it’s called ‘justifiable homicide.’  The men here will slit your throat for free and send a selection of your bodily organs to your loved ones for no more than the cost of the postage stamp.

The women are worse.

And the kids?  Don’t even ask.” (p.9)

This intriguing passage is part of the Prologue of John Dahlgren’s novel, “The Tides of Avarice: A Sagaria Legend.”  The four hundred and sixty two pages that follow are equally as entertaining.  One thing that struck me when I was reading Dahlgren’s work is how unique and creative the settings and characters he created are.  While reading I was reminded of “Pirates of the Caribbean” but with mainly non-human characters, most specifically lemmings.  In fact, the main character is librarian Sylvester Lemmington, a lemming.  The “Pirates of the Caribbean” vision comes in because Sylvester ends up with a treasure map and there is a pirate captain out there who is determined to get it back.

Although the book appears to be written for a Young Adult audience, I think that this story, like many other fantasy novels before it, would appeal to an adult audience as well.  “The Tides of Avarice: A Sagaria Legend” is an overall fun read. Be prepared to have a large time slot available to read it in because it is a book that is hard to put down and a lengthy one also!  I look forward to the next book in the series, “Sagaria.”


The Tides of Avarice: A Sagaria Legend
John Dahlgren
Editions Didier Millet Pte Ltd (2011)
ISBN 9789814260534
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (1/12)

Jarred Into Being

I’m unsure where to start in my review of “Jarred Into Being” by Pat Lawrence…

The premise of “Jarred Into Being” is this: the book’s main character, Eva Lange, has the idyllic life from infancy until age thirteen. She was that “miracle baby” that her parents tried to conceive for four years; she was a beautiful infant and child and due to her parents social circumstances Eva never had to want for anything. That is until she turned thirteen and her parents died in a horrific car accident…

Eva was left with a small trust once all of her parent’s assets had been sold and her only living relative was a twenty-three year old aunt from the maternal side of her family who had been branded as “wild” and “unreliable” by Eva’s mother. This is the home to which Eva went; now that this new chapter in her life had been started and life with her aunt from then on was anything but a fairytale.

From this point Eva’s life begins to spiral steadily downward; the straight A’s she used to get in school have now become non-existent and Eva has turned into a truant  student and has even been expelled from school for fighting. Her aunt Loretta has lost her job; is supporting herself with Eva’s trust money and to top everything off has just announced to Eva that she is pregnant and that the father has no intentions of staying around.

We continue following along through “Jarred Into Being” as Eva plays mom to Loretta’s baby Tina and then is left to fend for the both of them when Loretta runs off to avoid the mess of a life she created that Eva is now thoroughly embroiled in. Eva has a strong will and is determined to create a better life for herself yet it seems as if every time she attempts to pull herself out of that yawning abyss someone else comes along and takes advantage of her naiveté.

While I wouldn’t say that “Jarred In to Being” was a fantastic book – it was at least readable. Unfortunately, the writing itself, while honest and sincere, left much to be desired as far as depth of story and the true pain and emotion that should have been ever present in a tale as shocking as this one.


Jarred Into Being
Pat Lawrence
Outskirts Press (2011)
ISBN 9781432778842
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads (1/12)

Burned

This arresting Norwegian thriller is a fun and fast but intriguing read.   In his debut novel, "Burned," Thomas Enger introduces physically scarred and emotionally damaged Juul Henning, an investigative crime reporter for internet newspaper 123News.  Hesitantly returning to work after a long absence following a fire which left his face badly burned, his young son dead, and his marriage dissolved, Juul has much trepidation facing old colleagues and old routines in the workplace.  Unsure if he still has the impetus to succeed, he quickly finds himself thick into the investigation of what appears to be a radical Muslim ritual death of a young white woman.  He is unfortunately paired to work with Iver Gunderson, the handsome and revered reporter who happens to be ex-wife Nora’s new lover.  Conflicting work style and personal jealousy heighten the tension.
The unclear “honor killing” echoing Sharia law draws attention to the Muslim community, but the unlikely victim and the implausible motive of the crime seem to draw Henning in other directions.  With tips from a resurrected source and good old fashioned gumshoe reporting, he sets out to solve the crime. The reader is provided with surprising and often incredulous twists and turns.

Like Larrson’s "Blomkvist," Juul Henning is a reporter with a troubling past out to unravel the unsolvable case.  Also a bit of a loner, he attempts to maintain journalistic integrity and avoid pulp reporting. Driven by past damage, each is set on a quest.  Both explore social issues as the basis of their stories. Enger regrettably does not develop his locale with rich description of Norway as Larrson did Stockholm, nor does he develop the tension within the complicated relationships of his major characters.  It may seem a bit unfair to compare the authors, but the obvious similarities help create that association.  With that said, Henning is really a very heartbreaking but likeable character.  He has to deal with personal demons but we root for him to succeed, to take that step closer to recovery.  He has the potential to become a recurring central character in more books to come.


Burned
Thomas Enger
Atria (2010)
ISBN 9781451616453
Reviewed by Enid Grabiner for RebeccasReads (1/12)

The Tesla Formula

I just finished reading “The Tesla Formula” and I must say…great book; kudos to author Nicolas Kublicki. The book’s main character, Patrick Carlton, reminds me of the main character in Clive Cussler’s books and I would say that Kublicki has definitely brought action / adventure / intrigue / espionage novels to a whole new level.

Some of you may be familiar with the Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla who, for starters, brought us alternating current (AC) which is used in everyday life around the world. To put it succinctly, Tesla was a genius.

Tesla, the holder of 272 patents in 25 countries died quietly in a New York hotel room sometime during the night of January 7, 1943. His nephew, Sava Kosanovic, found him the following morning and also discovered that his uncle’s scientific papers had been gone through and that a black folder labeled “Government” was missing. Kosanovic immediately contacted the FBI who came and removed all of Tesla’s documents, papers and notes.

In 1943 our country was thoroughly embroiled in WWII and the FBI, seeking any kind of edge possible, ordered Special Agent in Charge P.E. Foxworth to review thousands of pages of Tesla’s papers. Amazingly enough Foxworth found something and it was such a significant discovery that Foxworth would only reveal it in person to the nation’s president: Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, FDR was in Casablanca meeting with Churchill and Charles de Gaulle. That didn’t stop Foxworth though; he boarded a military plane bound for Morocco but somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean the plane exploded and the secret was lost forever. Or was it?

The book’s introduction is true; the story itself is fictional however, with events from this day and age and with the author’s consistent use of real world facts and quotes “The Tesla Formula” reads like a non-fiction book. And if you want to know how it ends I suggest you get your own copy…

As for the writing… Kublicki does a phenomenal job. I daresay his words will hold readers riveted and keep them sitting on the edge of their seats; an amazingly interesting and realistic story without becoming over embellished. A solid five star read…


The Tesla Formula
Nicolas Kublicki
Rellihan Satterlee (2011)
ISBN 9780984935208
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads (1/12)

Ruth

“Friday 14th December 1956 had arrived at last.  Fed up with boarding school, Ruth’s final day couldn’t come soon enough.  She longed for the familiar lush, green landscapes of Papua with myriad flowering trees and vibrant, cascading orchids.  And, of course, seeing Tommy.  She hoped he’d missed her as much as she had missed him, and wondered if he had changed over the last year.  Ruth knew she had changed.”  (p.1)

So begins Marlene S. Lewis’ novel, “Ruth.”  When we first meet the title character, Ruth, she is on her long journey home from school.  The different settings for the novel I am not very familiar with (Sydney, New South Wales, etc.) so keeping track of the landscape was a little challenging for me.  After hours and hours of travel, she boards a small plane to take her on the final stretch of her journey to her home.  The plane ride though, is anything but routine, and has a terrifying conclusion.

Once that harrowing experience is in her past she finds out that there is more in store for her at home.  Her mother is acting differently and she is unsure what is going on.  Then there is also her relationship with the mixed-race Tommy to think about.  Ruth’s life would never be the same again after that journey home for Christmas.

I enjoyed the roller coaster ride that was Ruth’s life.    At first when incident after incident began happening to Ruth, I thought that the book was going to be a little far-fetched.  However, as I kept reading, I found that it actually worked well and made for a good read. The protagonist certainly ends up going through a lot and Lewis did a wonderful job of keeping the reader engaged in her life.  The characters in the book were all very well developed and the storyline flowed smoothly from start to finish.  “Ruth” is a worthwhile read.


Ruth
Marlene S. Lewis
Matador (2012)
ISBN 9781848766235
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (1/12)

Oracle: Sunken Earth

“Jaret turned to face the fighting.  When the smoke had cleared momentarily, he could see an old man, with a long beard and white staff, contending against a young man whose complexion was fair and radiant.  Each of them had one hand on a small sphere, which they were desperately clinging to and striving to pull away from the other.”  (p.2)

Jaret is a Coast Guard Captain who is battling a hurricane to try to aid those on a ship that he sees as is in distress.  The above paragraph is the scene that he stumbles upon when he boards the vessel.  He learns that the object that the two are fighting over is called the Oracle.  The old man ends up striking the boy with his staff and knocking him out.  The sphere rolls over to Jaret who picks it up and engages in brief combat with the old man before attempting to rescue the boy.  Once the boy is in the raft, the fighting continues resulting in the sphere being thrown in the ocean, Jaret perishing, and the boy and the raft motoring away.

This Chapter 0, as it is headed, lays out the backstory and groundwork for “Oracle:  Sunken Earth,” C.W. Trisef’s first novel.  Although the story line was unique and entertaining, there were some areas that were a little disjointed and didn’t flow well.  As Trisef is a first-time author, refinement in these areas will come with experience.  He definitely has the fundamentals and groundwork in place though to be a successful author.

I found the cover art to be quite visually appealing.   If “Oracle: Sunken Earth” were on a display table in a book store setting, it would definitely be a book that would grab my attention and prompt me to pick it up to see what it is about.  Once I opened the book and began reading, I was not disappointed.  The characters are intriguing, as is the subject matter

“Oracle:  Sunken Earth” is the first in a series.  I am looking forward to the next installment and watching the author grow as a writer.  If you enjoy science fiction and fantasy and are looking for a unique new series, then give Trisef’s first novel a try.


Oracle: Sunken Earth
C.W. Trisef
Trisef Book, LLC (2011)
ISBN 9781463559212
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (3/12)

A Life Lived Ridiculously

I’ve just finished reading “A Life Lived Ridiculously” by author Annabelle R. Charbit. It was a good book; well-written and the story / characters drew me in from the get go.

The premise of “A Life Lived Ridiculously” is this: Maxine (this story’s main character) is a Jewish girl with a serious case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Of course she doesn’t realize this; she’s done all the research on this particular ailment and none of its symptoms correctly fit what she experiences on a painful minute by minute basis. Her parents are constantly on her case to find a man; get married and settle down after all, what woman really needs to hold a PhD in anything? Her younger brother Claude, who has always been her best friend and confidante, has apparently met “Miss Perfect” and has turned his back on his earlier days of debauchery which unfortunately also includes Maxine.

One night at a family dinner party Maxine meets Sam… Sam is a boney stick of a man who comports himself like someone who is fifty not thirty and Maxine is instantly repelled by him. However, time moves on and Sam, desperate to win Maxine’s affections, is ever present in her life until one day she does the unthinkable and actually falls in love with him. It’s at this exact moment that Sam vanishes off the face of the earth. Maxine is frantic; she worries that Sam is dead and she finds herself obsessing about him and becoming more depressed by the day.

I’m not going to give away anymore of the story but suffice it to say that “A Life Lived Ridiculously” was a page turner in a dramatic and very true to life way. I guess my only beef with this book was its title: “A Life Lived Ridiculously.” Throughout its entirety I never felt that any of this fictional tale was ridiculous in fact, more often than not, I found it to be extremely sobering. I know there are people and situations that mirror this story in real life. Regardless, “A Life Lived Ridiculously” was a great read and definitely worth four stars. Probably a “must read” for most single women too…


A Life Lived Ridiculously
Dr. Annabelle R. Charbit
Firefly Publishing & Entertainment (2012)
ISBN 9780984642861
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads (2/12)

Thorns on Roses

Tom Jeffries is a former member of Special Forces but now is a private investigator working freelance for a large law firm in Florida.  After saving one of the law partner’s daughters from a gang of thugs he has an ally of sorts within the firm.

When Tom’s best friend’s daughter is raped and murdered he takes the law into his own hands.  As a cop in Dallas, his own sister had been murdered and her killers allowed to go free on a technicality.  He vows this won’t happen again.

As Tom begins his plan, he calls in the debt from the law partner.  This sets off concern and Tom is “assigned” a lawyer to keep an eye on him and make sure he does nothing to embarrass the firm.  This lawyer is one of the toughest litigators in the firm, smart and beautiful.  She begins to follow Tom to try and learn about him but soon finds that she is falling for him.

While she suspects what he is doing she doesn’t completely want to know.  He falls for her and doesn’t want to lose her because of his mission.

The plot is well fleshed out and the storyline is superb in "Thorns on Roses."   I truly enjoyed meeting the characters and seeing them come to life.  There were a few hokey lines here and there but they almost served as comic relief.  The love twist was well written without being too sappy or crude; very well balanced.

This is a very enjoyable book and I look forward to reading more from the author, Randy Rawls.


Thorns on Roses
Randy Rawls
L&L Dreamspell (2011)
ISBN 9781603183758
Reviewed by Melissa Koltes for RebeccasReads (3/12)

Nothing Left to Lose

“…She slit open the envelope with her finger and pulled out the single type-written page, her eyes blurring over the words, we regret to inform, but gritting her teeth, forcing herself to read the rest, sure that he was dead.

And then stunned that he was not.

She stared, uncomprehending, at the words, missing in action, and felt herself suddenly suspended somewhere in the awful barren space bounded by grief on the one side and hope on the other.”  (p. 24-25)

The telegram that Anne had received from the Department of Defense was regarding her son Josh, a Marine overseas in Vietnam.

As a mother myself, I found that I was completely engulfed in the mother Anne’s emotions.  I could imagine how much hurt and pain she felt upon receiving this news and in trying to comprehend it.  At least she had the hope, the hope that her son may still be alive, but what a frightening, life changing experience this would be.  The emotional tugs of this book do not end here and continue to ring throughout the entire novel.

“Nothing Left to Lose” is the captivating story of the effects of war on families.  It shows the emotional costs and provides insight into the sacrifices and hardships that these individuals face.  The book not only has characters that went to war, but also contains elements of the anti-war movement.  Johnson does a wonderful job with character development and drawing the reader in on a personal level.  The book is well-written and one that you will find difficult to tear yourself away from once you start reading. 


Nothing Left to Lose
Allan G. Johnson
Plain View Press (2011)
ISBN 9781935514947
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (11/11)

The Keya Quests: The Battle for Shivenridge

Had Glenn Skinner known that I would be the person reviewing his book “The Battle for Shivenridge” I think he might have contemplated requesting the review be cancelled rather than chance receiving another scathing review from me. I initially became acquainted with Skinner’s writings when I read the first book in “The Keya Quests” fantasy / epic line: “Three Souls Destiny-Bound.” That particular book was a very difficult read and I was extremely explanatory of why in its subsequent review.

In all honesty when I saw “The Battle for Shivenridge” was available for review I cautiously weighed whether I wanted to tackle it or not. I hoped that Skinner had taken some of my previous review advice to heart but I was afraid that his writing style would be unchanged and I would be forced to write yet another harsh critique. I definitely didn’t want that; I don’t enjoy writing bad reviews, however, my curiosity got the better of me, and I went ahead and requested it.

Upon receiving “The Battle for Shivenridge” I looked it over, front and back, and decided that it looked much more interesting / appealing than its predecessor had. Finding a quiet spot a day or so later I cracked the book open and began to read. I was happily surprised. Skinner’s writing style had improved…dramatically…and as I turned the pages I found myself lost in the tale and several hours slipped by without my noticing their passing.

To sum up quickly: “The Battle for Shivenridge” is the continuing story of Keya and her faithful friends / family as they travel through a magical portal in order to return to Keya’s home world and save her people from the insidious evil that remains even after Lord Randar’s previous defeat.

I don’t want to give any parts of this story away; suffice it to say that “The Battle for Shivenridge” is well worth the read. It is interesting and entertaining and while there are still some minor problems with the writing they are small enough not to hinder the reader’s enjoyment of the story.

Kudos to Skinner for a much improved book and I’m truly looking forward to reading (and hopefully) reviewing the next one.


The Keya Quests: The Battle for Shivenridge
Glenn Skinner
Outskirts Press (2011)
ISBN 9781432773625
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads (11/11)

The Analyst

David Heart is caught in a quandary.  His grandfather needs a costly surgery and his mother is panicked by her inability to cover the costs.  Facing eviction she turns to David for help.  David is a young investment analyst who secured his position based not on expertise but by nepotism, a favor for Uncle Charley.  Inexperienced and naïve he becomes coerced into changing research positions on a biotech drug company and then taking the blame when the report proves to be wrong.  Easily bullied and intimidated, he is taken advantage of by predator Sandy Allen, a savvy and unscrupulous trader.  On the pretense of mentoring him, she uses David to facilitate an illegal insider trading scheme.  The further into it she gets, the lower she drags David down as an unknown accomplice.  As he tries to extricate himself, he learns life’s lessons the hard way.

Dawkins presents a very interesting tale of a sheep headed for slaughter.  David is a good-hearted but immature young man placed in a precarious position by trusting the wrong people.  At first, I found him to be a likeable schlemiel, but became irritated at his dependence on other people.  If he would have acted on his own instinct instead of allowing other people to lead him, his circumstances might have been different.

David developed his own strategy to succeed using the acronym “PERK” when referencing it.  The whole concept of infusing this philosophy into the story actually diminished it for me.  The reader will find this tactic unsuccessful and clearly annoying.  The story can stand very well without it.

Also nicely woven into the novel is the chronicle of Alexei Baikov, the CEO of Baikov Biopharma, whose company is the focus of the SEC investigation.  His history and motivation are well developed as are those of the other characters portrayed.  The author is careful to show that there are often hidden circumstances that drive one’s action.  It is those shades of gray that make “The Analyst” so good.


The Analyst
P.T. Dawkins
llumina Press (2011)
ISBN 9781605947235
Reviewed by Enid Grabiner for RebeccasReads (11/11)

A Bitter Truth: A Bess Crawford Mystery (Bess Crawford Mysteries)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book hoping all along that Masterpiece Theater will choose to do a series on this wonderful character Bess Crawford, a strong, confident nurse serving in World War 1.  The rich historical backdrop helps to layer the stories within the small English village mystery and expand them to settings on the warfront.

On Christmas leave from duty, Bess arrives home to find a chilled, frightened woman in her doorway.  She takes her in as she clearly has nowhere to turn.  Her houseguest, Lydia Ellis, confides that her husband Roger, who has returned from war after three years, is a different man.  During a recent argument he erupted into violence and hit her, driving her to flee.  After much contemplation she now would like to return home to Vixen Hall in Sussex but wants Bess to accompany.  Reluctantly Bess agrees.

Bess finds herself in a home of mourning as Roger’s brother died of war wounds and the memorial service is about to take place.  Family and friends gather, and as you would have it in any good English mystery, a houseguest is murdered.  Their silence becomes self-imposed as relationships between family members are exposed. Time and separation forced by circumstance of war seems to have impacted everyone and implications of secret affairs cloud the atmosphere.  Distrust and jealousy pervade as talk of a rumored orphaned child of Roger’s in France surface. 

Back at the warfront, Bess begins a journey to find the child, uncertain what she will do if faced with her discovery.  Collaborating with newly made friend, Australian Sgt. Larimore, they set out to recover the child without much forethought to the end game!
More murders create more mysteries and as the murderer begins to show himself, the reader learns “the bitter truth!”

In addition to the detailed story line, there are so many rich diverse characters to both love and hate.  Beyond the goings on of the family in the village we are treated to more far-reaching moral, geographic and historical issues that individually impact the actions of each.  The novel becomes thought provoking long beyond the close of the story.  Multilayered in plotline and rich in the study of human behavior, "A Bitter Truth: A Bess Crawford Mystery (Bess Crawford Mysteries)" becomes thought-provoking well after one closes the book.


A Bitter Truth: A Bess Crawford Mystery (Bess Crawford Mysteries)
Charles Todd
William Morrow (2011)
ISBN 9780062015709
Reviewed by Enid Grabiner for RebeccasReads (11/11)

Saving Snowflakes in My Pocket

Can love survive years of deception? Can a woman love two brothers? Those are the questions at the forefront of Savings Snowflakes in My Pocket.

Sarah and Michael have both suffered loss and head to cabin retreats to heal. Michael is from a wealthy but altruistic family, but all he has left is his big brother, Jonathon, the protector. Sarah is all alone, her mother and father left her life by choice and the woman who loved and raised her died. Sarah and Michael find each other and form a new family with Jonathon and his adopted son, Lavar.

When Michael discovers he can’t give Sarah the child they both want, he secretly goes to his brother and asks him to donate sperm for Sarah’s in vitro procedure. Sarah gives birth to twins, Julia and Matthew. An odd, but loving, family is formed with Uncle Jonathon and Michael both take on father roles. Everyone is happy until the deception of the twins’ birth is exposed.

" Saving Snowflakes in My Pocket" starts with a beautiful poem about memories. Each chapter is subtitled according to a line in the poem, and it’s beautifully interwoven. Your heart goes out to each of the characters. Even though you question some of their decisions, it’s obvious they are making choices out of love.

“The mystery of love is a jigsaw puzzle. The whole picture doesn’t appear until all the pieces have been fitted together.” Love is complicated, and the author creates several believable love stories the reader can invest in. We see Sarah ultimately loving two men, and it never seems wrong or perverted. The author also showcases the parent-child bond, whether a child is biological or adopted.

I only wish the story didn’t feel rushed at times, the author trying to squeeze so many years into so few pages. The predictable conclusion seems rushed as well. The payoff for investing in these well-developed characters is too soon over. But, overall, the story pulls at your heartstrings and showcases the amazing power of love.


Saving Snowflakes in My Pocket
Barbara Jean Ruther
Outskirts Press, Inc. (2011)
ISBN 9781432773281
Reviewed by Tia Bach for RebeccasReads (12/2011)

Out of Oz

As we enter the final volume of the “Wicked Years” saga, we find that Emerald City is mounting an attack against Munchkinland.  Glinda is under house arrest and the cowardly lion is running from the law.  Dorothy, still unable to shake her original experience in Oz, is returning to Oz for some sort of closure, only to find herself a fugitive.  She is captured and put on trial for the murder of Elphaba, the wicked witch of the west.

This series is not a continuation of the jovial fantasy version of the original Oz story but rather a move into a dark social and political arena.  This segment focuses on Rain, the daughter of Liir and granddaughter of Elphaba.  She, menored by the seemingly superficial and scattered but loyal Glinda, is steadfastly determined to liberate Munchkinland from Shell Tropp, Elphaba’s powerful but wicked step-brother who is now ruling over Emerald City.

Gregory Macguire weaves a witty and oftentimes humorous tale without losing his control of serious social commentary in "Out of Oz."  It is also a coming of age story about finding one’s strengths and using them judiously.  Multi-layering the story and characters makes this fourth entry a resoundingly satisfying finale.


Out of Oz
Gregory Maguire
William Morrow (2011) HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN 9780060548940
Reviewed by Enid Grabiner for RebeccasReads (12/2011)

Heart of the Bison: Neandertals Book One

I recently requested to read / review the book “Heart of the Bison” by up and coming author Glen R. Stott. While I was initially interested by the book’s synopsis; I wasn’t overly impressed with the cover graphics (no offense to the author) but as the saying goes “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” This novel definitely hammered that home…

“Heart of the Bison” is book one in Stott’s “Neandertals” series and yes, I’m aware that I appear to be misspelling Neandertals. However, it seems Stott has done his research. To quote: “Many paleontologists spell the word with a “t” in place of the “th” to encourage proper pronunciation.” What do you know; I hadn’t even made it past the introduction and I was already learning new things. *chuckle*

So, the premise of “Heart of the Bison” is this: Kec, a young child of the Neandertals, wakes from a troubling dream. During this dream Mother Earth tells Kec that the clan she comes from is in trouble and that she must be the one to save her people. To help Kec in her efforts Mother Earth shows Kec the image of a child she will someday have; a “magic” child.

Across the same continent Strong Branch, a powerful and highly respected Shaman of his tribe, has had a dream as well. The Great Spirit shows him a child, born to his own people, whose future son will bring much dissention and discord; a distant relation of their chief who will challenge everything that Strong Branch’s people believe in.

Both Kec and Strong Branch have much thinking to do in order to correctly traverse the path that each of their deities have laid before them. Kec and her clan come from the much older world of the Neandertals; Strong Branch and his people are a less primitive race known as the Cro-Magnons. Stott’s tale meanders interestingly through these two worlds placed so close together yet so far apart but in the end their worlds collide and the outcome of this collision will strongly impact the fate of future generations on both sides.

In summary, a well-written, well thought out tale and anyone who has enjoyed the “Earth’s Children” series by Jean M. Auel will most likely want to read this saga as well.


Heart of the Bison: Neandertals Book One
Glen R. Stott
iUniverse, Inc. (2011)
ISBN 9780595235001
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads (2/12)

Murder under the Microscope

   “There was a dead body in my office.
     It wasn’t mine, and I didn’t put it there.
     I found it when I got called in for a frozen section at the ungodly hour of five o’clock in the morning.
     Hurrying into the office, I tripped and damn near brained myself on the corner of my desk.  The desk lamp fell over on me.  That, plus my hangover, nearly did me in.
     I picked up the lamp and switched it on.
     On the floor lay the body of a woman in tight white pants and a red tank top.  Long, black hair fell over her face, obscuring it, but there was no doubt in my mind who it was.  My first instinct was to run right back home and crawl under the covers.”  (p.1)

These are the words of Dr. Toni Day, a pathologist at Perrine Memorial Hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho.  A month prior to the incident above, a new doctor had been brought in to fill in for another physician who was out for medical reasons.  This doctor, Dr. Sally Shore, has other plans besides simply doing her job.  She has it out for Toni and tries to ruin her reputation.  Little did Toni know what was about to lie ahead of her.

Written in a short paragraph and short chapter style,“Murder under the Microscope” is a very fast-paced read that will hold your attention.  I found the main characters to be quite intriguing.  I really enjoy medical mysteries, and “Murder under the Microscope” was no exception.  The author, Jane Bennett Munro, M.D., like the main character Toni, is a pathologist.  This fact lends quite a bit of credibility to the novel and I enjoyed the inside look into the day-to-day life of a person in this profession.  This “realness” definitely added to the story in a positive way and it would have been very difficult for an “outsider” to this profession to write this book in such a believable and compelling manner.

If you are a fan of medical mysteries, I recommend putting Munro’s “Murder under the Microscope” on your reading list.  This is Munro’s first novel, but I expect that we will be seeing more books from her in the years to come.


Murder under the Microscope
Jane Bennett Munro
iUniverse (2011)
ISBN 9781450298629
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (2/12)