Books come alive when opened.
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The start of an apocalyptic story that isn’t obvious. Communication is down, and no one knows what’s happening. This story is told by the main characters in alternating characters. The individual stories within this apocalyptic event are captivating. I love this story. I hope it continues. I’m looking for the second book now.
Velma’s Gone Awry is the most detailed historical fiction book I’ve read. The author, Matt Cost, has written a true account of the roaring ’20s prohibition era with a fictional detective story embedded within. 8 Ballo is the detective hired to find a wealthy high society young woman, Velma. This isn’t a book I read. It’s an experience I enjoyed immensely. The historical characters are iconic. The fictional characters are well-written. They all blend in well together, leading to an awesome plot that is full of twists.
Traveling with the main character 8 Ballo gave me a live view of daily life in Brooklyn and the surrounding areas. Stopping in at a juice bar. Finding a speakeasy. Clients walking into his detective agency. Gangsters, cops, reporters, regular everyday people are all included in this story as the suspense continues to build.
I received an advanced review copy of Velma’s Gone Awry. I am offering my review of this book which I recommend to people who enjoy historical fiction, detective stories, and fans of the roaring ‘20’s. I’ve never read anything like this book. I will be reading other books by this author.
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Thunder continues the story set up in Mayan Shadows. The characters go on a globe-trotting adventure to find pieces of an ancient crystal for a millionaire. The main character, Max Barnes, and his best friend, Axel, are the focus of Mayan Thunder. All the other characters have some relationship with Max and Axel. Max is a second-generation archaeologist who is very resourceful and intelligent when it comes to the search for a shard of a crystal.
Imagine Indiana Jones meets The Mummy. This series is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller. The Mayan culture is part of this book. The authors use a fantastic approach so the reader can experience the explanation behind the crystal’s history. Slowly Max and Axel realize allies and foes are not who they may claim to be. A lot is going on. Each page leads to unexpected twists.
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The House at the End of the World is suspenseful and freaky. Dean Koontz has invented a brand new horror. Unlike any of his others. Katie lives alone on an island. On another island lives a family. The third island houses some facilities. Environmental research possibly.
The inhabitants of the three islands accidentally become involved with each other. Mysterious things happen at the research facility. It’s all hush-hush. Things are going wrong surrounding the research facility. Katie has been seeing and hearing odd things.
Two people learn what is happening and what must happen to stop it. Katie and a young girl from the family living on the other island find each other. They must try to get to the mainland and as far away from the research facility as possible as fast as they can if they want to live.
Dean Kootz fascinates me. His ability to come up with new and original horror is limitless. It seems everything happens for a reason and is true in the end.
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Rise takes place generations after an apocalyptic event. The world in Rise is very different from ours. This detail is critical when reading this novel. The author, Margot De Klerk, has created a complex and scary world mixed in between destruction and rubble. This is a dark place to live.
Technology is gone. Most people are poor and struggling. De Klerk plunges the reader right into this ugly world. People do what they must to survive. Gangs run everything. A different type of order exists than we live in now. Fighting, killing, foul language, sex, and slavery are all a part of this world.
Harley is the central character in Rise. The reader sees life through her perspective. She does the best she can to survive. Harley is a waitress In a hotel bar. One of the better jobs in this society. Since Harley works in a popular bar, she interacts with many different types of people. Some good, some evil, but it’s hard to be sure who to trust.
Harley is in her mid-twenties. There are love interests, but none are series. This is a dark tale. Once I realized how different Harley’s world is from my own, I was hooked. Harley gets up every day and does whatever she has to to get through that day.
I enjoyed this book. Rise is a gritty and suspenseful story. I’ve never read anything like this. I am hoping Harley’s story continues. I’m addicted to her now.
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Dark River Rising is a stand alone novel even though it is number 13 in the series. The author writes each book so the reader understands everything. Much of this novel is a flashback covering three years. This is Ava’s story. A 13 year old corpse that went missing on her tenth birthday. The detective to catch the case is Detective Winston Randhauser, nicknamed Wind or the Cowboy Detective, who lives and works in a small town named Ashland, Oregon.
Detective Radhauser gets a middle of the night call about a body discovered by a homeless man. This starts an intense investigation. This victim is one of the detectives cold cases which raises the already tense investigation to a new level.
This novel highlights the best and worst people found in todays world.
The characters are well developed, and realistic. As I read this book I felt I knew all of them personally. Life is messy even when everything appears perfect. This is an ongoing theme. As Detective Rafhauser works this case he shares his thoughts and memories. Ava, the victim, does the same. The story is heart wrenching page-turner. There’s a lot going on and everyone’s lives get intertwined during the instigation.
Each Radhauser book I read I feel is my favorite. This one absolutely it. Dark River Rising is a fictional book. The story it tells isn’t. This one will stay with me and I will never forget Ava.
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The Last Spin is a stunning short story. There are two characters in this story, Giorgio and Marianna, a married couple. Giorgio is unemployed, while his wife, Marianna, works at a bar.
On the surface, this is the suspenseful story of an unhappily married couple. There are two sides to every story. This is the husband, Giorgio, side. He is the narrator of his tale. Giorgio’s wife, Marianna, is on the receiving end of her husband’s paranoia and anger. So it seems.
The Last Spin is an easy and fast read. When I was done reading this story, I was left wondering which of the two people was crazy. You must read The Last Spin to understand the unease I am left with. The tragic ending will leave you with questions. I love stories that leave you thinking “what happened” beyond this one character’s view.
JACQUES OSCAR LUFULUABO is an Italian author. I read
SHADOW OF PUNISHMENT which I reviewed already. I loved that book and was happy to see a short story by this author.
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The Zombie Fallout series is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller. The main character, Micheal, is an imperfect, funny, sarcastic married man and dad. Along with living this series, Micheal journals everything. This series has an incredible cast of characters.
I love this series. Zombie apocalypse plus a crazed vampire. Great surprise ending I did not see coming. The narration brings this series alive. Each character develops brilliantly.
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Behind Dark Doors 3 is a series of thrilling short stories. I found myself lost in each one even the second time reading this book 2 years after my first time. All six stories are original. Each also leaves the reader pondering something. It’s this aspect of Susan May’s short stories that make them so interesting. Susan May connects with the reader leaving us with something to think about. The what if, nightmare vs dream, the right decision. These are some themes found within. I love short stories that leave you with something. There’s no the end really.
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Wayward Galaxy books are an ongoing story. This is the second time l’ve read this book. Thrilling, fast pasted plot taking place in a futuristic galaxy. I discovered some characters who are central characters in future books introduced here. Prisma is a baby held in her moms arms when her dad, Tom, returns from a horrible mission. I have much more insight into this story as a whole now. I was stunned when I came across baby Prisma.
Book Meets Girl 
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