FMAM MOSTLY MYSTERY REVIEWS
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THE FMAM MOSTLY MYSTERY REVIEW is the place to come
to find out what to read next. Want to know what readers are saying
(as opposed to critics) about the books you see around you? You’ve
come to the right place! And, if you appreciate a critical review
we’ll have those, too. Come in, sit down and see what’s
write with the world! (Or, right in the world of write!) New reviews this month from: . Catherine Chant . Dr. Cynthia Clark . Dawn Dowdle . Cerri Ellis . Harriet Klausner . Christine I. Speakman |
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April 2007
THE
BLACK TEA EXPERIMENTS
Ray Atkinson
American Book Publishing
March 22, 2007 $18.00
139 pages
ISBN: 1-58982-370-2
THE BLACK TEA EXPERIMENTS is not quite a novel or a novella. Ray Atkinson
calls it the "airplane novel" as it is about the right length
to read in an extended sitting say in an airport. I love this format.
This book can be read in one sitting if you want or more if you desire.
But enough about the format, THE BLACK TEA EXPERIMENTS takes us on a journey
from the hallowed of the college town of Crandon , Illinois to Louisiana
to the Ukraine and back to the college town.
Twenty plus years earlier a Dr. Rostov in the Ukraine over saw drug experiments
on children. Years passed and anomalies were found in these now young
adults resulting in a new blood type and medical problems.
Brent Johnson, a college student is murdered on campus. Logan Bauer another
student who has invented a special lens for a telescope that has NASA's
interest rushes to the roof of a building to se if his telescope camera
may have caught the brutal murder. After several hours and computer enhancement,
Logan sees that he does have men pushing Brent into a van.
Tia, Logan 's girlfriend goes home for spring break while, Eddie a childhood
friend comes to Crandon for a visit. Logan and Eddie decide to take a
trip down to Louisiana to check out the funeral of Brent. When they return,
Logan 's room has been ransacked, his computer data stolen. And when Tia
returns she is accused of Brent's murder forcing Logan to travel to the
Ukraine to get to the bottom of it all.
THE BLACK TEA EXPERIMENTS is predictable but enjoyable none the less.
For such a "short" novel, Ray Atkinson's characters are well
developed and interesting. You can feel their accents. You know who they
are. Ray writes with a prose that invites you to continue reading and
the format allows you to do just that in one sitting. I love the format!
I give a 5 to the format.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give THE BLACK TEA EXPERIMENTS a 4.0!
Cynthia Lea Clark , Psy.D.
THE
DA VINCI COOK
By: Joanne Pence
Avon Paperback, 3/07, 328 pages, $6.99
ISBN: 9780060758066
Angie Amalfi ends up following her sister Caterina to Rome after Cat finds
a man dead in a house she's trying to sell for Marcello Piccoletti. Unfortunately
Cat is a suspect in the murder, and fleeing the country doesn't bode well.
Angie and Cat have trouble locating Marcello when they arrive in Rome
. Finally they end up working at his restaurant, Da Vinci's, in hopes
of running into him. Plus a potentially priceless religious relic is missing.
Homicide Detective Paavo Smith, Angie's fiancé is trying to clear
Cat's name and solve the murder when there are more murders. Plus Angie
and Cat's three sisters and mother are constantly showing up to "help"
him. He's also trying to talk Angie into returning home. Unfortunately
she doesn't return as fast as he'd like.
Can the murders be solved in time to get Cat and Angie home safe? Can
Cat and Angie stay safe in Rome with people following them?
I think this was one of the best books in this series. There is always
so much going on on both sides of the ocean that the story never lulled.
It gave us some better insight into Angie's family as well. I loved the
setting of Rome as well. Angie is such a fun character. She's pretty level
headed, even when they find themselves in some dicey situations.
I highly recommend this book and the whole series. Give it a try. You'll
be glad you did!
Dawn Dowdle - www.mysteryloverscorner.com
DEAD
ON
Elizabeth Stewart
Electronic book Publication: January 2007
Cost $7.99
ISBN #9781419908606
www.cerridwenpress.com
Can you have a murder without a body?
Molly Lynn was an abused wife. Her husband Paul Proctor an abusive, cheating,
loudmouth boor. Will anyone believe two elderly sisters when they say
they saw him kill his wife? No one can find a body, only circumstantial
evidence of the punch in the nose Proctor admits giving his wife. But
when a professional escort brings forward motive for the killing, things
really heat up...in the proverbial more ways than one.
Elizabeth Stewart has written an intelligent thoughtful mystery. Her characters
weave their way into your mind and some into your heart. I was emotionally
sadden during one character's choice...can't say more or I'll be giving
it away.
When I'm reading to review, I'm always trying to figure out the end...see
if the author can stump me. Ms. Stewart semi-stumped me...don't think
the obvious answer is the answer.
This is also a tale of hearts. How love can be discovered in different
packages and at different times of our lives when we think we've already
found it. And how to find our way home again.
I wouldn't mind visiting these characters again, see where their lives
take them. However, sometimes the first visit is the best, that one special
single read. DEAD ON will stay with me for some time.
Excellent!
Christine Speakman
THE
DETECTIVE'S WIFE
BJ Bourg
Electronic book Publication: January 2007
Cost $2.00, Acrobat Reader (PDF)
www.chippewapublishing.com
Detective Joe Adams needs to kill his wife's killer. THE DETECTIVE'S WIFE
is a simple tale of one man's need for revenge...justice.
Or is it?
In just 16 pages, BJ Bourg delivered a fast-paced, gut-hitting feast that
left me stunned.
Outstanding!
Other available formats:
Palm Doc (PDB), Rocket/REB1100 (RB), Pocket PC 1.0+ Compatible,
Franklin eBookMan (FUB), hiebook (KML), iSilo (PDB), Mobipocket (PRC),
OEBFF Format (IMP), Microsoft Reader (LIT), (HTML).
DON'T
SCREAM
By Wendy Corsi Staub
Zebra/Kensington, May 2007, $6.99, 476 pp.
ISBN: 0-8217-7972-9
Suspense thriller author Wendy Corsi Staub brings readers a chilling gift
in her latest effort Don't Scream. Sorority sisters and former friends,
Brynn, Tildy, Cassie, and Fiona share a terrible secret-one they've kept
for ten years. They know what happened to their Zeta Delta Kappa sister,
Rachel Lorant on her birthday-the same night she died.
For Brynn, it's been a secret she never wanted to keep. Now, all these
years later, it's obvious someone told. At least that's what she first
believes when she opens and reads the plain birthday card someone sent
on the tenth anniversary of Rachel's death. It's simplistic message, "Happy
Birthday to me. xoxo R," is eerily similar to her late friend's handwriting.
How can it be? Rachel died. Didn't she?
Brynn questions her old friends one by one, her suspicions growing that
this is no sick prank or practical joke, but something very real and frightening.
Someone intends to punish the sorority sisters. As each woman's thirtieth
birthday arrives, the killer makes plans to celebrate their birthdays
in vicious style.
Ms. Corsi Staub hooks readers from the first word and draws you into her
tantalizing plot of murder and revenge. As always, her stories unwind
with a slow but steady pace, building suspense with practiced ease. The
book reminded me of classic Hitchcock fare-each layer teasingly revealed,
as readers find a new piece to the mysterious puzzle. And as with Hitchcock,
the end is a complete shocker. Don't Scream is a taut chiller-thriller
you won't soon forget. Recommended read.
Cerri Ellis
DOORMAN'S
CREEK
Lea Schizas
Electronic book Publication: 2006
Cost $4.00
ISBN: 0-9740537-4-0
www.etreasurespublishing.com
Restlessness or gut instinct? To follow it or not...would you?
How many times have we heard of 'woman's intuition' or a 'cop's gut feeling'
and what about those dreams that seem so very real. DOORMAN'S CREEK takes
us on a journey of one family's emotional ride.
Richard Anderson is a cop. His wife, Susan, has been having nightmares
of him dying. Their teenage son has been feeling drawn to a cave by Doorman's
Creek...only to find someone's skeleton once he gets there. Is this the
remains of one of the missing girls that have plagued Richard Anderson?
Whose voice is telling them to look for a killing cop?
Yes, there is some paranormal aspects to Lea Schizas' story; however,
nothing so over the top as to be unbelievable. Just enough to feel very
real. The story plays out swiftly, but with all the clues right there
I'm surprised I didn't figure it out in the end.
Emotionally, it hit me in the gut. Missing daughters assumed dead; fear
of husband dying; protecting one's child...wish I felt I could say more,
but to do so would give too much away. A perfect example of crisp, tight
writing. Whether it was the fast-paced storytelling or my being pulled
into the story...both...but I finished reading in under two hours.
Sadly, I started reading just before bedtime and now will spend tomorrow
overtired due to another can't-be-put-down story. Thank you, Ms Schizas,
well done!
Superbly written.
Christine Speakman
FINDING
SARAH
Terry Odell
Electronic book Publication: February 2007
Cost $6.49
ISBN #9781419907821
www.cerridwenpress.com
Obsession. At all cost. Need.
Yes, that about sums up me last night. I'm writing this on a miserable
Thursday afternoon, why is it miserable? I spent all last night reading
FINDING SARAH. I couldn't walk away from the story. Thank you, Terry Odell,
for an extremely tired Thursday.
Thank you, Terry Odell, for a fantastic Wednesday night of pure reading
enjoyment.
Sarah Tucker hasn't had it easy. Her husband, David, killed himself a
little over a year ago. She doesn't believe it was suicide, but the insurance
company does and since the policy was under two years, they won't pay
the claim. That's fine. Sarah and David, now just Sarah, won't allow their
gift shop, That Something Special, to go under.
Someone else has other ideas. It all starts with a morning robbery and
meeting Detective Randy Detweiler. He believed the robber to be Gertie...Gracious
Gertie. Seems the sweet little old lady is back...or is she?
Randy can't help himself; he's drawn to Sarah. Her case takes on a life
of its own...too many coincidences for this officer's comfort.
FINDING SARAH is a smooth cannot-put-down read. The characters are fresh
and likeable. I ended up caring for them. Feeling for them, especially
at the end. Even though the story's antagonist didn't surprise me, it
fit the story and the unveiling was brilliant. The emotions at the end
rang true...sorry, can't really say more without giving it away.
FINDING SARAH is well worth a tired Thursday.
HOTEL
DUSK ROOM 215
Nintendo DS (game)
Rated T (teen), 2007
Mild Language, Mild Violence
A video game? FMAM and a video game? Yes. This video game is a mystery
noir game that seeks revenge, redemption, answers, and hope. Kyle Hyde
"killed" his backstabbing partner three years prior. But Kyle
doesn't think Bradley is dead. When Kyle shot him, he fell into water
and of course a body was never found. Kyle leaves the NY police force
in disgrace and becomes a door to door salesman. But he has a side job
of finding things. And of course, he is searching for Bradley. On this
night a few days after Christmas 1979, he finds himself being ordered
to Hotel Dusk to search for a couple of items. Here he meets a varied
and odd cast of characters who eventually all tie together. It is your
job to sort through many challenges and red herrings to discover what
happened to Bradley, who is Osterzone and why you should care.
I spent over 30 hours on this game and did solve it. Thank goodness I
have a teenager in the house. Some of the clues necessary to advance were
well hidden and a challenge. However, like all good video games, if you
mess up and Dunning, the owner of Hotel Dusk, kicks you out, you can reenter
and try again. There are puzzles and each chapter has a test in order
to go on.
The story is a real, logical mystery regarding art theft, a bad cop, kidnapping,
a child in a coma, and more. You must unweave the story through your actions
and correct questions, but if you act correctly, you will find a rather
interesting and fulfilling mystery. A couple of questions are left unanswered
making me wonder if there will be a sequel but other than that it is a
fun, sometimes pull your hair out game. But in those minutes, for those
of us over 30, get a kid, and you'll find the clue you're missing. Good
game, good story.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I'd give it a 4.8.
Cynthia Lea Clark , Psy.D.
IN
FLAMES
Michelle Perry
Electronic book Publication: February 2007
Cost $5.95
ISBN 9781419907845
www.cerridwenpress.com
Fire - Hot and Dangerous.
Nika Jacks and J.T. Riley - Hot and Dangerous
IN FLAMES is both a fast roaring blaze and a slow rising burn. Between
learning how to be a Hotshot at the National Forestry office in Arizona
and fighting her growing desire for "convict" J.T. Riley, Nika
Jacks has her hands full. But who in this "old boys' school"
of wildland firefighting is stalking Nika?
I thoroughly enjoyed IN FLAMES. This surprised me cause I had made the
assumption this was going to more a romance/mystery story than the jam-packed
adventure it really was. Yes, there's plenty of romance, but still Nika
Jacks is a strong female character with no weak kneed silliness. Just
the perfect balance.
If any of our firefighters go through half of what these characters do,
my respect for them has grown.
An immensely enjoyable read.
LADYKILLER
Lawrence Light and Meredith Anthony
Oceanview Publishing
April 15, 2007 $22.95
264 pages
ISBN: 10: 1-933515-05-8
A serial killer is loose in New York City and there seems to be no connection
between the victims. One is a student, another a stockbroker, another
a housewife and then a hooker, all female. Detective Dave Dillon must
catch the killer before he kills again. But alas, the serial killer strikes
again switching to a male, Rueben Silver. This new choice of victim (male)
throws the profile into a tizzy as serial killers rarely change race or
sex. Rueben was a social worker at a crisis center. When Detective Dillon
investigates Rueben at the center he meets Megan and Nita, two regular
hard working counselors. He falls head over heels for Megan and together
they search for this killer who is stomping the authorities.
There are a couple of petty criminals that Detective Dillon suspects to
be the Ladykiller, but while he is cornering one of them, the Ladykiller
is killing another victim.
LADYKILLER is a fast read. I found it predictable, but that is because
I am a profiler. However, with that in mind, I do think that the general
reading public will find the ending a surprise, a good fun twist. There
is explicit language. All in all, LADYKILLER is a fast, thrilling read.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give is a 4.8.
Cynthia Lea Clark , Psy.D.
THE
TERROR
Dan Simmons
Little, Brown and Company
January 2007, $25.99, 784 pp.
ISBN-10: 0-316-01744-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-316-01744-2
The author starts with the historical facts about Sir John Franklin’s
missing Artic expedition of 1845 and fills in the missing pieces, answers
the mystery, in a haunting tale of 129 men’s fight for survival against
unpredictable weather, starvation, disease, betrayal and something supernatural
they can never hope to understand.
The story is told in various points of view, separated by chapters, so
you get a well rounded picture of the story from several men involved,
not just one or two, although Captain Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier is
clearly the protagonist and someone you really root for.
Because the story starts in the middle of the action, when they are already
frozen in pack ice nearly three years after setting sail, the chapters
go back and forth in time to fill in the gaps, but I didn’t find
that confusing at all. The chapters are clearly labeled with the date
and location of the narrator, so if you pay attention to that you won’t
get lost. I found the use of flashback chapters an effective way to bring
the reader into the seriousness of the situation and then slowly fill
in what happened before this (which was as fascinating as the crisis point
that opens the book.)
The book is over 750 pages long, filled with exquisite detail (I’m
in awe of the amount of research the author must have done), and at times
I wondered if all that detail was necessary (impatient reader that I am).
However, aside from one chapter near the end of the book about Esquimaux
mythology, which I admit I skimmed after finding my interest waning beyond
the first couple pages, the attention to detail is one of the things that
brings this story so vividly to life. It didn’t slow the pace to
the point where I was tempted to put the book down, ever. The fate
of these men kept me turning the pages, and the details are what helped
me get to know each man and care about his future.
One of the other details seen to is the inclusion of a map at the start
of the book. Thank goodness for this! I found myself keeping my finger
there as I read so I could turn back and refer to it when needed. The
map helped me clearly visualize what the men were facing up there in the
Arctic, how far they had to travel, how far they got, and imagine what
the conditions must have been like. Until reading this book, I’d
never given much thought to the Arctic. Now I find it fascinating and
I’m seeking out more books to read about it.
As I sat there reading this book during New England’s unpredictable
winter, I could feel the ice and cold all the more. It was a little eerie
how the book affected me. It gets inside your bones just like the cold.
I loved the ending, not too tidy with a little bit of mystery remaining,
but thank goodness, a hopeful note after 750+ pages of misery and suffering.
And because of that little touch of hope and mystery, THE TERROR is a
book that stays with you long after you finish reading it. I will never
be able to look at the frigid New England landscape the same way.
Catherine Chant
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