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.

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.

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