Review: In the Name of the Family by Sarah Dunate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

`It is better to be feared than loved’ – Niccolo Machiavelli

In the bear pit of renaissance politics, a young Florentine diplomat finds himself first hand observer on the history’s most notorious family – the Borgias.

In the Name of the Family – as Blood and Beauty did before – holds up a mirror to a turbulent moment of history, sweeping aside the myths to bring alive the real Borgia family; complicated, brutal, passionate and glorious. Here is a thrilling exploration of the House of Borgia’s doomed years, in the company of a young diplomat named Niccolo Machiavelli.

It is 1502 and Rodrigo Borgia, a self-confessed womaniser and master of political corruption is now on the Papal throne as Alexander VI. His daughter Lucrezia, aged twenty-two, already thrice married and a pawn in her father’s plans, is discovering her own power. And then there is Cesare Borgia: brilliant, ruthless and increasingly unstable; it is his relationship with the diplomat Machiavelli which offers a master class on the dark arts of power and politics. What Machiavelli learns will go on to inform his great work of modern politics, The Prince.

But while the pope rails against old age and his son’s increasing maverick behavior, it is Lucrezia who will become the Borgia survivor: taking on her enemies and creating her own place in history.

Rating: 3.5-stars

Review:

In the Name of the Family by Sarah Dunate is deep political read. A family swamped with political tension, betrayal, and revenge. A daughter who helps her father as much as her brother tries to destroy their father.  So many themes are found inside this book…it was an adventure of a lifetime. The historical novel captured the time period and politics down perfectly. It felt as though I traveled back in time. There was plenty of action to keep me attention. Murder, corruption, and power were the central themes featured on every page. The children of the Pope felt more like pawns than anything else. The daughter was a pawn for the Pope’s own gain. The son became a hungry Mongolia for more power and influence. The level that each of these three main characters stooped to was engaging as it was sad. Too many viewpoints were told in this book. I would have enjoyed it more if there just two different viewpoints at most telling their side of the story. The historical time period was what made this an entertaining tale. I couldn’t connect with the main characters, which was really disappointing. Overall, good but could have been better.

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Review: The Cabin Sessions

Synopsis:

The Cabin Sessions is a confronting, hard-hitting, dark psychological thriller told with acid wit. Themes of abuse are explored through minds distorted by fear and corrupted by hatred and delusion; this is a tale in which redemption is gained in unexpected ways.

It’s Christmas Eve when hapless musician Adam Banks stands on the bridge over the river that cleaves the isolated village of Burton. A storm is rolling into the narrow mountain pass. He thinks of turning back. Instead, he resolves to fulfil his obligation to perform the guest spot at The Cabin Sessions. He should be looking forward to it, but fear stirs when he opens the door on the Cabin’s incense-choked air.

Philip Stone is already there, brooding. He observes with a ruthless eye the regulars, from sleazy barmaid Hannah Fisher, to old crone Cynthia Morgan.

Meanwhile, Philip’s sister, Eva, prepares to take a bath. It¿s a ritual – she’s a breath holder. At twenty-eight, Eva has returned to Burton to finish the business of her past, as memories begin to surface concerning one fateful day by the river and the innocence of her beloved brother…

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

The Cabin Sessions by Isobel Blackthorn is a dark edgy read. There’s an a lot hatred, anger, and fear represented in this thriller/mystery. The tale is built upon the motions of the characters. Their emotions cause for reactions that may cause them more problems. The internal war inside of the characters felt like a heavy dark blanket that simply would not lift away. The plot was interesting. It kept me wondering how it would explode and when. There were a few grammatical errors that made some lines confusing, other than that it was easy to read. Complex, intriguing, and a bit sinister…yet entertaining. The cast of characters was different from my usual reading kind but they added more to this book. Overall, it was good read.

Review: A Blazing Gilded Age

Synopsis:

A Blazing Gilded Age is the epic story of a volatile nation burning with ambition, yet bleeding with injustice. It was a time of profound change; boldly transforming from an agrarian backwater into an industrial powerhouse.

Center stage in this turbulent saga, are the Wozniaks; a poor coal mining family struggling to achieve the elusive American dream. Confronted by the evil ways of their ruthless and depraved boss, Archibald Desmond Huxley, the Wozniak family is thrust into utter turmoil, thus igniting a blazing journey of revenge and survival.

During the Wozniaks’ quest, the lavish lifestyle of Huxley and his fellow titans, including J.P. Morgan, Carnegie, Vanderbilt, Teddy Roosevelt, Mark Twain and others, are woven into the story line, thus painting a broad and vivid canvas of 19th century America. Springing to life are legendary figures and historic events that accurately depict an era boiling with bravado, innovation and astounding progress, yet blistering with corporate greed, class warfare, and political corruption. After many unexpected twists of fate (some fortuitous and others heartbreaking), the Wozniaks emerge victorious, thus finally achieving the American dream, yet not without scars.

Both powerful and poignant, “A Blazing Gilded Age” serves as an entertaining and enlightening read of how and why America has gone astray, and why it became a world leader. While on a personal level, it imparts the harrowing, yet triumphant, tale of a family’s struggle to survive in an age that, in many ways, was as dark and rough as coal, and, at times, could be as blazing as Hell. 

Rating: 4.5-stars

Review:

A Blazing Gilded Age by Rich DiSilvio is a talented writer. His characters both big and small came alive on the pages. The plot was deep, heartfelt, and thorough. History mixed in with fiction. Made this a new favorite. America wasn’t always great…a lot of bad went with the good. Here, inside this tale, I got to explore the depth in which Americans suffered. Suffered for survival. Power, greed, corruption and progress we’re just several themes mentioned in the book. 

One particular family of low class is mentioned in great detail. They’re not famous. They work like slaves. Slaving for the bigger guys. Hard labor, suffering, and agnogy just to make a few pennies to survive…barely surviving. A Blazing Gilded Age is dark, haunting, and heartbreaking. Child labor, poverty, and loss are featured here in great detail. I felt like I traveled back in time to the late 19th century. Overall, Rich DiSilivio’s latest book is a must read for all. I highly recommend it. 

Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Synopsis:

Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch—and there’s always a catch—is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Little is as it seems in Larsson’s novel, but there is at least one constant: you really don’t want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson is a fast-paced thrilling read. Mystery, murder, and corruption. The great depths the pages went into was fascinating. I was enticed from the start. Hooked. Most entertaining novel, I’ve come across so far. Stieg Larsson’s writing is out of this world. His words keep you entertained. Leaving me to keep turning the pages. Spellbound. I was excited. The charcaters are three-dimensional. Believable. I couldn’t help but to keep reading this book. I couldn’t put it down, once I started. A team of two work together trying to bring in the bad guys. Complicated, risky, and dangerous. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is phenomenal, and I highly recommend it to readers worldwide. 

Review: Jellybeaners

Synopsis:

Jellybeaners is a contemporary novel set in the heart of Appalachia, revealing the money ties, political corruption, wasted lives, and overall cash-churning nature of the prescription pill culture from perspectives spanning both sides of the law.

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

Jellybeaners by Gene Scott is a great contemporary read. This novel alerts readers to the pill popping issue. What better way to address it than to weave it into a work of fiction…an addiction that continues to haunt our world. Prescription drugs is one of the easy drugs for others to get their hands on…whether it’s over the counter from family members or on the store shelves. The entire plot was believable. Realistic, strong, and held truths. Gene Scott is a writer whose not afraid to lay out the troubles faced in reality. Not many are aware of the prescription pill addictions. I was intrigued by the tale. Overall, I recommend it to readers worldwide. 

Review: Justice Delayed

Synopsis:

It’s been eighteen years since TV crime reporter Andi Hollister’s sister was murdered. The confessed killer is behind bars, and the execution date is looming. But when a letter surfaces stating that the condemned killer didn’t actually do it, Detective Will Kincaide of the Memphis Cold Case Unit will stop at nothing to help Andi get to the bottom of it. After all, this case is personal: the person who confessed to the crime is Will’s cousin. They have less than a week to find the real killer before the wrong person is executed. But much can be accomplished in that week–including uncovering police corruption, running for your life, and falling in love.

With the perfect mixture of intrigue and nail-biting suspense, award-winning author Patricia Bradley invites her readers to crack the case–if they can–alongside the best Memphis has to offer.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Justice Delayed by Patricia Bradley is a stunning thriller. A crime has been committed, the wrong person is about to be executed, and time is running out for answers. Answers that need to come soon before it’s too late. Patricia Bradley’s latest novel, has everything readers want. Danger, romance, and a mystery. Diamonds, smuggling, breaking laws and a dangerous man that no one wants to crosss apcan be found inside…A woman determined to stay out of illegal stuff is once more finding herself caught up within the storm. After declining a job request, she finds herself in danger. And the diamonds in her possession. I love the three-dimensional characters. Their back stories and who they are make this an interesting read. I was fascinated. A strong woman trying to be broken by a bad man…hooked me. I had to see where the story went and how it ended.  Justice is not always easy, neat, or clean cut. Justice Delayed is the perfect title for this book. It definitely defines what will occur. I haven’t read any novels by Patrica Bradley until now. I am definitely going to lookout for her next intriguing piece. I really enjoyed following this suspenseful mystery. Fast-paced and exciting. Overall, I highly recommend it to readers worldwide. 

Review: Abduction (How Liberalism Steals Our Children’s Hearts and Minds)

Synopsis:

Abduction issues an Amber Alert for the souls and minds of America’s youth. The book exposes how the liberal Left seeks to brainwash our children. It places a spotlight on the corruption that permeates the entertainment, educational, and judicial systems of our nation. Parents, teachers, and policymakers need to know what is happening right under their noses. Abduction offers a practical guide for fighting back against those who would destroy the moral compasses of our children.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Abduction: How Liberalism Steels Our Children’s Minds and Hearts by both Steve Feazel and Dr. Carol M. Swan is an excellent read. This book is a must have for all readers whether you’re an intrigued conservative on what the liberals have done and are doing or a liberal yourself. Topics like mainstream media, how porn has been incorporated as an approved academic subject and many more. I found myself engaged with the content. Shocking truth…and a lot of research went into writing this. The book not only goes on how liberalism works on spepcific areas but also shows the conservative side as well. I like how the writers brought both sides into the informative piece and not just one sided. However, it does show greatly the side affects of liberalism on every issue. That stunned me. As a conservative myself, there were things…a lot that I wasn’t aware of about both my side and the opposite side. After reading Abduction: How Liberalism Steels Our Children’s Minds and Hearts, I have been reeducated on everything I thought I knew. The writers dive deep, into political, economical, and institutional issues. Education is at the center of it all. Liberals are teaching our kids everywhere more so than conservatives…I can only remember one time a particular teacher tried reinforcing me to believe her perspective on a major topic. That was in my senior year in high school. She thought that if we didn’t accept her policy on the matter than we were wrong. That’s not what teachers are for…they are to teach us subject not force us to accept their beliefs unless enrolled in a religious school. Otherwise the teacher was wrong for what she did. In college, I have not meet any teachers forcing my to accept anything I didn’t agree with…Overall, I highly recommend this book to readers worldwide. 

Review: The Candidate by Lis Wiehl

 

Synopsis:

How far will a candidate go to become president? Erica Sparks—America’s top-rated cable news host—is about to find out.

Mike Ortiz is a dynamic war hero favored to win the White House. Standing by his side is his glamorous and adoring wife, Celeste. But something about this seemingly perfect couple troubles Erica. Is Celeste really who she seems? And most importantly, what really happened in that squalid Al-Qaeda prison where Mike Ortiz spent nine months?

But more than the nation’s future is at stake. Erica’s relentless search for the truth puts the life of her preteen daughter Jenny in danger, even as Erica’s own dark past threatens to overtake her.

In her latest Newsmakers thriller, NewYork Times bestselling author and Fox News legal analyst Lis Wiehl weaves a taut and chilling story. The Candidate is packed with political intrigue and media manipulation as the lust for power turns deadly indeed.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

The Candidate by Lis Wiehl is the latest new novel in the Newsmakers series. Lis Wiehl couldn’t have planned her novel better… in time when the presidential campaigns are happening. No one trusts the government. Exactly what one would do to become the next president is a dark thought. With the technology of today and money made available, anything can happen. My thoughts were running back and forth like crazy. The suspense killing me. I had to read this new novel. Then, take the interesting yet peculiar couple that is trying to win seats in the White House. Both persons are a mystery. Where their intentions really lay is a question for Erica Sparks to solve. But with any kind of digging like this can bring a danger Erica never wanted. The danger that could come after, the one she loves the most…her daughter. The Candidate is a political thriller that will lure all readers in like a magnet. I was captivated, intrigued, and hooked. Lis Wiehl’s writing is one that entertains and drags readers deep into her worlds of fiction. Killings, witnessing, and an investigation that sent my heart racing. Family life is complicated but as much as Erica Sparks. She is the main character that proves to be a strong heroine. Overall, I recommend this new read to readers everywhere.

Review: Hail to the Chief

 

 

Synopsis:

Hail to the Chief — a political thrill ride as current as today’s headlines. President-elect Maggie Mathews–the first woman voted into the nation’s highest office–is felled by a ruptured brain aneurysm just 10 days before her inauguration. While she lies in a coma, her vice president-elect attempts to conceal his past, and with help from the chief of staff Bruce “Skeeter” Jamison, he gambles he can keep his dark secret from coming to light. But Maggie’s husband, the former secretary of state who schemes to seize the reins of power for himself, has other ideas.

Rating:  4.5 stars

Review:

Hail to the Chief by both John Leslie and Carey Winfrey is the most anticipated novel yet. Here, readers are plunged deep into the war of politics. Politicians are evil. Inside this masterfully woven story, readers will be shown just that. One leading female politician about to become president…slips into a coma. Then there’s her husband the state secretary who plans to take over. There are dark secrets from one’s past and another scheming his way into office. I was completely intrigued by what will happen to the lady president…and what will come of those taking advantage. I didn’t like that the fact that  the Chicago airport was changed to be named after President Barack Obama. I’m sorry…but as a Chicago native that was a blow, I’ll never forgive the fictional female character of…other than that the story was well-written, suspenseful, and kept my attention until the last page. The plot moved fast-paced.  After reading this novel, I would never want to work in any field that involves politics. Politics is a hard game to live by and usually only those that cheat make it way to the top. The reality of a woman making it to the top and then only ten days before being president everything is ruined…I can only imagine in life how any woman in that position would feel. This story had a realistic touch that made it seem less fiction and more non-fiction due to all legal and political crap that happened. I could see Hail to the Chief as a movie. The discussions on this novel would go on forever. Overall, I recommend this political tale to all.

 

 

 

Review: Midnight in Berlin

 

Synopsis:

Berlin in the spring of 1939. Hitler is preparing for war. Colonel Noel Macrae, a British diplomat, plans the ultimate sacrifice to stop him. The West’s appeasement policies have failed. There is only one alternative: assassination. The Gestapo, aware of Macrae’s hostility, seeks to compromise him in their infamous brothel. There Macrae meets and falls in love with Sara, a Jewish woman blackmailed into becoming a Nazi courtesan.

Macrae finds himself trapped between the blind policies of his government and the dark world of betrayal and deception in Berlin. As he seeks to save the woman he loves from the brutality of the Gestapo, he defies his government and plans direct action to avert what he knows will be a global war.

Inspired by true events and characters, James MacManus’s Midnight in Berlin is a passionate story that will leave you in awe of the human capacity for courage, sacrifice, and love set against the world on the brink of war.

Rating:

Review:

Midnight in Berlin by James MacManus is an incredible telling of when Hilter came to power. I am a huge history fan and love anything that features world war two. This is a moment in history that comes as a nightmare to all and still in the present seems to haunt us. James MacManus brings to life history and its events of this cruel time period. The way people lived their lives, how they socialized and the war developing at hand…popped up, as a three-dimensional stage where readers can witness everything first hand. Midnight in Berlin is a fascinating novel that immediately swoops reader into the horrifying journey that is just building up in Germany. Nazis, the Gestapo, and a thrilling romance are brilliantly wrapped inside this fictional masterpiece.

James MacManus’s historical novel…is truly a powerful tale that swallows one up, whole. Here there is a British officer and a Jewish woman who meet by fate and fall in love. She is posing as a Nazi courtesan. But not because she wants to…but because she’s forced to accept. A romance develops and war trudges on…danger, suspense, intrigue…kept me turning the pages faster. It’s was like reliving the terrible times all over again. Macrea plans to stop Hitler himself. But whether he does or not is something readers must figure out on their own. I found myself highly entertained and deeply engaged at the battles being bought. I wanted to survive…Politics, murder, corruption, courage, and sacrifice were tied into this magnificent title. The talent is superb. I can definitely see this novel being on the big screens everywhere. The famous names of Hitler’s men are brought to life within this read. Amazing how history can scoop us up and take us back in time. Overall, I highly recommend Midnight in Berlin to readers everywhere.

 

 

Review: Darwin Sin

 

Synopsis:

A killer virus, a race against time…

With the Hayes virus sweeping across America, killing anyone it touches, maverick scientist Derek Lane knows he must find a cure…and fast. But with no obvious connections between victims and fears that the virus could be a weapon of terror, time is running out.

Amidst this global panic, Derek finds his own life at risk, too, when he is subjected to a spate of terrifying attacks by an unknown assailant. His only escape is to follow his leads to Africa, eradicate the virus, and outrun the danger at home. His exploration plummets him into the underworld of illegal science where he sees the disturbing signs of a kind of reverse evolution, which he seeks to expose alongside the source of the virus.

But Africa guards her secrets well, and his search hits a brick wall—until he meets Kate Rhodes, a woman struggling with the mysterious death of her best friend, Emily, a fellow scientist.

Kate immerses herself in Emily’s research into environmental toxins and corporate corruption—discoveries that gain new relevance when Derek realizes that Emily’s death might hold the key to unlocking a cure…but can they stop the virus in time?

The Darwin Sin is a thought-provoking techno-thriller about the conspiracy that triggered the uprising of an oppressed species, and its ensuing consequences to mankind. The novel’s compelling characters, scientific details, and social musings will stay with you long after the last page.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Darwin Sin by L.R. Hughes is a dynamite read. A medical thriller that captures its audience and reels them in with every page. With enough action, the Bourne Series fans would love this new thriller. Suspense hangs onto readers as the plot unfolds. Fast-paced and brilliantly well-written. I can see this becoming a big motion picture like The Andromeda Strain. Heart pounding, intense, and addictive for all. L.R. Hughes brings us a story of one man and one woman who are willing to take risks where a new deadly virus is concerned. Illegal science, technological advancements, and travel will gobble readers up inside Darwin Sin. I have never read a medical suspense tale that plunges you deep into its depths and set you out on a race that deadly and highly dangerous.

Inside Darwin Sin, readers are introduced immediately to a scientist by the name of Derek Lane. He is being taunted by someone…that doesn’t want him around anymore. The discovery a virus that shouldn’t exist but does…Derek is more than determined to stop it before its too late. Then there’s a woman whose friend dies of a mysterious death. A scientist dead,  and another about to search for a cure along with the dead’s scientist’s friend, Kate. Together they have to figure out the answers or else all will be for nothing. L.R. Hughes is indeed a talented writer. His words bring, to life the chilling scenes and a conspiracy that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. I loved how realistic the scientific parts were inside this novel. It brings the reality of such a danger out of the fictional world and leaves reading wondering what will happen within our future. This read will leave readers sweaty, and fearful of what will become of the characters as their journey furthers with every word. Suspenseful, intriguing, and a must read for all. I highly recommend this riveting novel to all.

Review: The Dove’s Necklace

 

 

Synopsis:

The stunning novel that explores the secret life of Mecca by the first woman to win the international prize for Arabic fiction.

When the body of a young woman is discovered in the Lane of Many Heads, an alley in modern-day Mecca, no one will claim it as they are all ashamed of her nakedness. As Detective Nasser pursues his investigation of the case, seemingly all of Mecca chimes in―including the Lane of Many Heads itself―in this brilliant, funny, profane, and enigmatic fever dream of a novel by Raja Alem, the first woman to win the International Prize for Arabic Fiction.

Nasser initially suspects that the dead woman is Aisha, one of the residents of the Area, and he searches her emails for clues. The world she paints embraces everything from crime and religious extremism to the exploitation of foreign workers by a mafia of building contractors, who are destroying the historic areas of the city. In stark relief with this grimness is the beauty of her love letters to her German boyfriend. Another view reveals the city through the eyes of Yusuf, Aisha’s neighbor, increasingly frustrated by the acceleration pace of change.

As gripping as classic noir, nuanced as a Nabokov novel, and labyrinthine as the alleys of Mecca itself, this powerful and disturbing work of fiction masterfully reveals a city and a civilization in all its contradictions, at once beholden to brutal customs and uneasily coming to terms with new traditions. Raja Alem’s singular The Dove’s Necklace is a virtuosic work of literature that deserves the world’s attention.

Rating: 5 stars

Review: 

The Dove’s Necklace by Raja Alem is a captivating novel that will lure all readers to its great depth. A mystery that intrigues the soul to flip its pages in a haste to find out its secrets. What lies deep in this novel is a history that will blow readers away with every word. Raja Alem is indeed a talented writer with a way of bringing, to life, the murder, customs, and investigation that is portrayed in this stunning tale. The point of view is enjoyable. Told from an alley way’s point of view…was a brilliant idea. This sets readers, onto a journey, that will keep them hooked until the last page. Ever wondered about the city of Mecca and what secrets it keeps or the lives of the people? The Dove’s Necklace masterfully covers these and many more interesting questions that will surely rise as readers keep digging deeper into this powerful story.

Inside this riveting tale, The Dove’s Necklace, opens readers to the place where the danger and mystery begin. It’s also a place with tons of history such as wars, kingdoms, and customs that keep one’s mind buzzing with action. Raja Alem’s story is about love and revenge. Soon, readers are taken where a dead woman’s body lies…not only is she dead but also completely nude. No one knows the woman’s name…this scene and the people’s reaction to the dead woman’s body intrigues readers deeply. Who is she? Why her? Who killed her and why left nude? These questions and many others are answered but  will keep readers guessing and on the edge of their seats as they rush through the pages with a burning intensity to find out the answers. I loved reading this Arabic story. Traveling all the way to Mecca without so much as leaving my seat was amazing. The raw beauty of the novel will hold readers in like prisoners…Intriguing, dramatic, and suspenseful…The Dove’s Necklace is a must read for all. Giving readers worldwide a glimpse into one of the most famous cities of all time.

 

Review: The Letter Writer

 

Synopsis:

The first thing Woodrow Cain sees when he steps off the train in New York City on February 9, 1942, is smoke from an ocean liner in flames in the harbor. It’s the Normandie, and word on the street is that it was burned by German saboteurs. “Ten lousy minutes in New York and already his new life felt as full of loss and betrayal as the one he’d left behind.”

What he left behind in a small North Carolina town was a wife who’d left him, a daughter in the care of his sister, and a career as a police officer marred by questions surrounding his partner’s murder. When he gets a job with the NYPD, he wants to believe it’s the beginning of a new life, though he suspects that the past is as tenacious as “a parasite in the bloodstream.”

It’s on the job that Cain comes in contact with a man who calls himself Danziger. He has the appearance of a “crackpot,” but he speaks five languages, has the manners of a man of means and education—and he appears to be the one person who can help Cain identify a body just found floating in the Hudson River. But who exactly is Danziger? He’s a writer of letters for illiterate immigrants on Manhattan’s Lower East Side—“a steadfast practitioner of concealing and forgetting” for his clients, and perhaps for himself: he hints at a much more worldly past. What and whoever he really is or has been, he has a seemingly boundless knowledge of the city and its denizens. And he knows much more than the mere identity of the floating corpse. For one thing, he knows how the dead man was involved in New York City’s “Little Deutschland,” where swastikas were proudly displayed just months before. And he also seems to know how the investigation will put Cain—and perhaps his daughter and the woman he’s fallen for—in harm’s way. But even Danziger can’t know that the more he and Cain investigate, the nearer they come to the center of a citywide web of possibly traitorous corruption from which neither of them may get out alive.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

The Letter Writer by Dan Fesperman is a political thriller that will automatically entice its readers to it plot’s depth. Danger, intrigue, politics, and spies all masterfully woven for readers entertainment. I loved the sense of excitement and fear on every page. Readers don’t know what to expect until it happens.  Dan Fesperman’s writing has a way of sucking its readers into its tale. The way the novel is told, it creates a sense of actually being there and experiencing it all with one’s own eyes and ears. The scenes have a way of popping, to life, and sends readers on a race for truth.

Dan Fesperman takes readers on a journey that involves a city full of corruption, danger, and murder. The Letter Writer is fantastic…tons of action, suspense, and keeps readers guessing. One man witnesses an ocean liner go up in flames, his past life is a mess and now he’s an NYPD officer in New York and his partner is murdered. This alone will leave readers on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what’s to come. The title of this novel comes into play when this police office, Cain, meets a man who is a writer. Together these two unlikely characters pair up to investigate the city’s crimes that involve a group using swastikas. When one wearing a swastika pops up dead the danger heats up…and as with all investigators, Cain’s life isn’t the only life that may be placed into danger…his daughter and a woman whom he’s falling for might just be pulled into this intricate and highly intense investigation. Stakes are high but so are the possibilities of surviving it all. This was the first time that I have read any work by Dan Fesperman and I loved it. A novel worthy of every readers’ attention…addictive, fast-paced, and thrilling. Overall, I highly recommend this stunning novel, The Letter Writer, to readers everywhere.

Review: The 8th Circle

 

Synopsis:

A year ago, Danny Ryan lost his wife and son in a car accident. He’s still reeling from the tragedy when Michael Cohen, his friend and fellow journalist, drives into the pond in front of his house with a bullet through his gut.

With Michael’s death ruled a murder, Danny must work to get his name crossed off the list of suspects, and that means digging into Michael’s last article, an expose of the twisted side of Philadelphia politics. But powerful people are ready to kill to protect what Michael was about to uncover, and if Danny’s not careful, he’ll be next.

The dark heart of the city is on display in Sarah Cain’s gripping debut thriller, The 8th Circle.

My Rating: 5 stars

My Review:

The 8th Circle by Sarah Cain is the most intriguing thriller I have read. Readers will get an insider’s peak to the real dangers of what journalists uncover. The wrong doers are powerful and they do kill, if their secrets are about to be revealed. Readers will see the scenes of crime come to life with every page. Sarah Cain’s words are vivid and show readers what the corrupt evil ones do to innocent human beings…like a journalist who ends up dead. Then his best friend digs into his work and soon the danger is chasing after him. Can the innocent escape the powerful clutches of evil, or will more lives be shattered to keep things quiet?

Sarah Cain’s debut novel, The 8th Circle, is packed full of live action. Suspense hangs thickly and readers are aware that death is just lingering around the corner. A journalist dies with a bullet to his chest and the next thing that happens is his best friend becomes a suspect. Now, after losing his wife and child Danny Ryan loses his best friend. A friend that dug deep enough into dirt that the dirt came back to get him. Politics is a nasty business to begin with and then add corruptiveness to the mixture, and it’s never good. Michael Cohen found something bad enough that got himself killed. What he didn’t realise was that it would kill him and maybe his best friend too. Readers will love the mystery of who’s behind it all and why. Then there’s also the question of what kind of dirt did Danny Ryan’s best friend find…I highly recommend this stunning plot with its twists and turns. Readers will be on the edge of their seats with this story.

 

 

Review: White Nights, Black Paradise

Synopsis: 

In 1978, Peoples Temple, a multiracial church once at the forefront of progressive San Francisco politics, self-destructed in a Guyana jungle settlement named after its leader, the Reverend Jim Jones. Fatally bonded by fear of racist annihilation, the community s greatest symbol of crisis was the White Night; a rehearsal of revolutionary mass suicide that eventually led to the deaths of over 900 church members of all ages, genders and sexual orientations. White Nights, Black Paradise focuses on three fictional black women characters who were part of the Peoples Temple movement but took radically different paths to Jonestown: Hy, a drifter and a spiritual seeker, her sister Taryn, an atheist with an inside line on the church s money trail and Ida Lassiter, an activist whose watchdog journalism exposes the rot of corruption, sexual abuse, racism and violence in the church, fueling its exodus to Guyana. White Nights, Black Paradise is a riveting story of complicity and resistance; loyalty and betrayal; black struggle and black sacrifice. It locates Peoples Temple and Jonestown in the shadow of the civil rights movement, Black Power, Second Wave feminism and the Great Migration. Recapturing black women’s voices, White Nights, Black Paradise explores their elusive quest for social justice, home and utopia. In so doing, the novel provides a complex window onto the epic flameout of a movement that was not only an indictment of religious faith but of American democracy.

My Rating: 5 stars

My Review: 

White Nights, Black Paradise is an interesting read for all. I have to say, that I found this novel highly intriuguing. Until I read this book, I never heard of the historical events that are protrayed throughout this story. It was a great learning experience and insight for me. The characters, inside this amazing fictional world so brilliantly woven by Skivu Hutchinson, were realistic and shows readers the different lifestyles than we normally see. I kind of admire Taryn the opening character inside because she went through a lot to help and giv eher sister what she needed. A sister bond that lured me deeper into reading more. African Amercian lives were harder than what school texts led us to see. Definitely an eye opener. A church that experiences so many issues that the list in unending. White Nights, Black Paradise is full of many themes that will keep readers hooked until the very last page.  I would recommend this novel to readers world wide.