CYNTHIA LEA CLARK, PSY.D. - MOSTLY MYSTERY REVIEWS
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Former Miss Chicago (Miss USA), Cynthia Lea Clark continued school, graduating from Northwestern University (multiple degreed), attended nursing school, and became a Firefighter Paramedic. After working as an actress in Chicago, she moved to Los Angeles where she worked on many television shows, such as DAYS OF OUR LIVES and STAT, while continuing her education with a Masters in Psychology and then a Doctorate of Psychology. While working on STAT, she was stalked which led her to work in Forensic Psychopathology. She has over 70 interviews with serial killers, mass murderers, etc. Today she mixes Forensics with writing and acting. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, Kiss of Death Chapter of RWA, International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, and the American College of Forensic Examiners International. |
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August 2006
UNDER
A RAGING MOON
Frank Zafiro
Wolfmont Publishing 06/15/2006 $12.95 299 pages
ISBN: 0-9778-4021-2
River City is like any other city. It has crime, political problems, and
police officers with lives, disappointments, fears, tragedy and hope.
But UNDER A RAGING MOON which has created River City is unique. It begins
with one of River City's police officers having to deal with a psychological
evaluation to see if he or she is fit for duty...and then story begins.
River City is plagued by a gunman robbing convenience stores. The more
he robs, the more violent the robber becomes. This incites the police
department to catch him all the more. But it's not that easy. The powers
that be, tie their hands.
As the police officers, Thomas Chisolm, Katie Macleod, and Stefan Kopriva
do their job, we also follow them in their life. We see their ups and
downs, their losses, and gains, their compromises and compromising positions.
We see these police officers and other members of the force as real people
not just stereotypical characters. Frank Zafiro's characters come to life.
When reading UNDER A RAGING MOON, you feel as if you are transported into
the action, you are viewing it, living it, not just reading it. Zafiro
has an uncanny way of making these character's seem as if they are your
neighbors, your cops, your friends.
UNDER A RAGING MOON is a fast paced, easy to read police procedural novel
written by a policeman who has put his soul into it. It is strong in emotion
with lows and highs that flows with a steadiness. UNDER A RAGING MOON
is a wonderful escape into the world of River City and I highly recommend
it.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I'd give a 5!
Cynthia Lea Clark, Psy.D.
THE
BOY DETECTIVE FAILS
Joe Meno
Punk Planet Books September 2006 $14.95 320 pages
ISBN: 1-933354-10-0
Billy Argo's tenth birthday is a turning point for him. Most of his presents
are mundane, even boring. Then he opens the one wrapped in blue paper.
It contains a magnifying glass, a pad of paper, a pencil, real lock picks,
a fingerprinting set, disguises, and a flashlight. A detective is born
and his younger sister Caroline becomes his trusty assistant. Cases, some
real, some hoaxes, and some staged are solved until the following year
when Caroline receives a magic kit for Christmas. Billy out of jealousy
destroys her magic kit and yet again she becomes his sidekick.
Time passes and Billy goes away to college leaving Caroline home to deal
with her adolescence alone. She does so by attempting suicide. Billy isn't
told of the attempt and a few months later she is successful. Afraid that
their healthy son may also take his life, Billy's parents have him hospitalized
for what turns out to be ten years.
Finally, Billy is released from the Institution because they can't really
keep him any longer. As he enters the real world he sees a world quite
different from the one le left behind. He immediately meets Effie Mumford,
an eleven year old science fair winner searching for her bunny's head.
And Billy feels like a detective again.
Billy is on a journey of discovery, of understanding. Along the way he
meets quite the cast of characters, including Penny Maple, a delicious
pickpocket.
Billy's journey is a long one. One that involves becoming a telemarketer,
solving crimes, falling in love, knowing when to grow up, and that for
some things there are no answers.
Billy is a vibrant, smart man, boy, who you have to wonder what he would
have been had his parents not had him locked away for ten years.
Joe Meno has written a fast paced, sometimes sad story about the human
condition. If only life was as simple as being a boy detective, but even
Billy learns nothing is that simple. Mr. Meno has created an easy to read
sometimes dark tale with a perfect ending. Perfect for this tale...not
perfect. The romantic in me, found it a little sad, a little trite, but
over all, an excellent read.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give is 4.8.
Cynthia Lea Clark, Psy.D.
MR.
MONK GOES TO HAWAII
Lee Goldberg
A Signet Book 2006 $6.99 286 pages
ISBN: 0-451-21900-7
The television series character MONK continues with his quirks and crime
solving in book form with MR. MONK GOES TO HAWAII. Mr. Monk afraid to
be alone, when Natalie, his assistant goes to Hawaii to be in her best
friend's wedding follows her there. In order to fly he takes drugs that
had been prescribed some time back that changes his personality from stiff
and Obsessive Compulsive to a wild and crazy guy. A side effect of the
medication is that it takes away his powers of deduction, but while on
it, he's a regular human being. Of course it wears off, and he is appalled
at his own behavior. Swimming in a pool and with other people? Shaking
hands with no wipes. Mr. Monk needs hand wipes after shaking hands, must
have everything even (number of cans, chairs, room numbers), separates
his food, etc. He is germaphobic. He is also a brilliant detective.
After the medication wears off, Monk is Monk, seeing clues, and liars.
As sharp as ever, he sees a crime when the local police write a woman's
death off as an accident by falling coconut. Monk is sure she was murdered.
Who is this psychic Dylan Swift? And why does Monk dislike him?
Is Mitch (Natalie's deceased husband) giving Dylan messages from the other
side for Natalie? Does Trudy (Monk's deceased wife) have a message for
Monk?
You don't have to be a fan of MONK or to have ever watched an episode
on television to enjoy this fast paced, witty, quirky, yet charming suspense.
Mr. Goldberg has once again captured the nuances and idiosyncrasies of
Mr. Monk and of OC (obsessive compulsive) sufferers. Mr. Goldberg makes
us laugh as he takes us on Monk's wild Hawaiian ride solving numerous
crimes. Only Monk could find a paradise like Hawaii to be a health risk,
and barbaric -- roasting a pig in the ground? Mr. Goldberg gives us just
enough clues to let us be MONK if we dare....I read this book in one sitting
and loved every moment of it. I felt the tug of heart strings with Mitch
and Trudy. I laughed, I was sad, I plotted who done it, but mostly, I
loved it! An excellent escape, a great read.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I'd give a 5!
Cynthia Lea Clark, Psy.D.
Cynthia's Archived Reviews
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