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: Dr. Cynthia Clark . Harriet Klausner . Christine I. Speakman |
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March 2007
BAKED
ALASKAN
William Scarborough
iUniverse
$17.95
284 pages
ISBN: 0595391826
Billy Ray Dent, a former Texas Ranger operates a fishing boat. Early one
morning Cole Porter, his former boss is out on Billy Ray's boat bass fishing
when there is a boom and Cole splashes into the water. Cole has been shot.
Billy Ray freezes in fear but then rescues Cole and under fire hides him.
What had Cole gotten himself into? Cole developed a revolutionary television
chip that everyone wants. A dying Cole promises Billy Ray a healthy bonus
if he gets the chip.
And then there is Cole's girlfriend Darian Tonelli. She is quite wild
one. She and Billy Ray join forces in a romp from East Texas to Alaska
to New York fighting off not only the Russian mafia and crooked executives
searching for this stolen computer chip.
BAKED ALASKAN is a well written enjoyable race to find the chip. William
Scarborough has created some fun, eclectic characters that make for an
enjoyable escape from reality. His characters challenge stereotypes. Quite
the enjoyable read.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.6!
Cynthia Lea Clark, Psy.D.
BIG
MONEY
Tami Parrington
Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF) ISBN 1-933400-27-7
November 2006, $7.00
www.chippewapublishing.com
BIG MONEY is a simple story, not enough suspense or mystery for my tastes.
Ms. Parrington has written a story that reads quickly and passes the
time when you're in need of a quick fix.
A middle-class, pay cheque to pay cheque family suddenly wins the big
lottery. Wife bought ticket against husband wishes...he doesn't believe
in gambling. She wants to spend; he wants to save and live like they always
did. One child falls into the high life's trappings while the other falls
through the cracks... I won't tell you who survives.
Enter the Baxters, they've lost all their money and will do anything to
get more. Someone will even kill for it.
I wish BIG MONEY had more suspense and less moaning from the wife and
husband. The closing did nothing to add to the overall story, actually
left me a bit confused in the end.
Not my cup of tea; however, it's good in a pinch for a quick fix.
Christine I Speakman
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)
COLD
TURKEY
Janice Bennett
Electronic book Publication: November 2006
ISBN #1-4199-0775-1, $6.49
www.cerridwenpress.com
100% YES!
COLD TURKELY has everything I want in my cozy mysteries: well-written,
well-plotted, great characters, clear voice. I want more!
Annike McKinley's an accountant who's returning home to her Aunt Gerda
and the cats...seven I believe. It's Thanksgiving and Annike has arrived
a day earlier, if she had arrived when she was supposed to have she never
would have found the dead body in Aunt Gerda's study.
Is Aunt Gerda guilty of murder? Just because Clifford Brody was her accountant
and possibly cheated her out of her coffee café, doesn't mean she
would have killed him. So many didn't like Brody that anyone could have
done him in...but in Aunt Gerda's home?
Enter the new sheriff - Owen Sarkisian - he's from the big city and no
one thinks he can fill Annike's deceased husband's shoes. Somehow wherever
Sheriff Sarkisian is Annike follows...of course it's just mere coincidence.
After all, she was conned into being the event coordinator for SCOURGE's
(okay, the Service Club of Upper River Gulch Environs) Thanksgiving celebration
and needs to talk to the same people he does.
Together Annike McKinley and Owen Sarkisian have become my newest favourite
couple. Ms. Bennett has created two complimentary characters that play
off each other wonderfully.
If cozy mysteries are your favourites or even if you're just trying them
out, you won't be disappointed in COLD TURKEY. I'm hoping for more.
MURDER...SUICIDE...WHATEVER....
Gwen Freeman
Capital Crimes Press
March 2007 $14.95
281 pages
ISBN: 097-762-7616
What a fun, charming cozy! Fifi Cutter is a freelance insurance investigator
in Los Angeles . She inherited a house when her father died, but her own
mother wiped out the contents, so she has a table, a chair and a futon.
She barely gets by and the last thing she needs is a visit from her leech
conning step brother Bosco. So, when there is a knock at the door one
evening, she does everything to block Bosco from entering her house, but
he gets the better of her, rushes past her and demands that she pay his
cab.
Bosco says he has a job. Fifi can't believe this as Bosco has never held
a job. Bosco has been hired to look into Uncle Ted's death. He's really
not their Uncle Ted, but close enough for Bosco. When Fifi questions Bosco,
she discovers when he really means is that she has job acting like a PI
even though she is not one. Needing to pay her house taxes she goes along
with Bosco's scheme.
Bosco and Fifi pose as grief counselors in an attempt to gather information,
check out alibis, and find a suspect. Digging into Uncle Ted's clients,
Fifi finds SXYFX. After questioning the owner about his policy and payments,
Fifi's car is attacked with a baseball bat, her house is broken into and
a dead rat is left behind. So, was Uncle Ted murdered or was it natural
causes? And then another member of the firm is shot. What is going on?
Will Fifi get the money for the taxes for her home?
This is a fun, fast read, with plenty of suspects. It got a little confusing
with Fifi's stepbrothers, as she does have another, and her family tree
got a little complicated (which was unnecessary for the story). That aside,
a delightful read. I look forward to more Fifi Cutter mysteries.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 5!
Cynthia Lea Clark, Psy.D..
TOUCH
OF FATE
Christine Amsden
Electronic book Publication: 2006
Cost $5.50
twilighttimesbooks.com
What if you're shown the signs of your own murder, and there isn't a thing
you can do to change it?
This is one dilemma facing Marianne Waters. Marianne has been cursed (her
words) -- receiving signs that predict future events. What she calls a
prophecy. And no matter how you try to change it, it always comes true.
Now her daughter, Gabrielle is receiving these signs; however she's still
innocent enough to believe people will believe her. Not only is this not
true, but her teacher and school counsellor think she's committed the
acts herself...killing a dog, running a teacher off the road. Can't wait
till they explain how she made an unmarried teacher pregnant.
After moving to St. Louis, Missouri, Marianne delights in finding other
women who share her same curse. Coincidence or did the prophecies bring
them together? No matter, they each have the same problem with these predicting
signs...can't change them.
But, when one decides to act upon these signs and change the outcome,
another takes it upon herself to ensure that "God's" plan is
fulfilled...even if it takes murder.
Enter Detective Derek Richards. Not only is he willing to stay open to
Marianne's 'signs' he's determined to show that she and he can change
the outcome. Marianne's life depends on it. Besides Gabrielle told them
they would soon be on very intimate terms.
TOUCH OF FATE is different from other 'future seeing' stories in that
Christine Amsden allows her characters to show their weakness and pain
caused by this curse. While allowing that sometimes all it takes is having
someone show you a different view.
Christine Amsden has written a very human story, with real to life characters
that just happen to have something extra. There's no dramatic all seeing,
all saving heroics just down to earth people in every day life. While
the addition of prophecies is an interesting aspect, it's the characters
and their normalcy that make TOUCH OF FATE a rewarding read.
TREASURE
HUNT
J. H. Bográn
Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF) ISBN 1-933400-16-1
September 2006, $6.00
www.chippewapublishing.com
What are you willing to do for your child?
Bill Porter hijacked a plane for millions; got away with it only to spend
years in prison after giving himself up. Himself; not the money. After
twenty years, he's being released. The money should be his...right? Now
he has to get it before his ex-cell mate, and without the authorities
finding out.
Enter the Falcon. He's a thief for hire, the man who can find and retrieve
anything. All you need to do is place an ad with the words "Falcon"
and "please" and if it's interesting enough, you'll hear from
him.
Porter does just that. While using the prison computers, he sneaks a way
to a free email and sends his plea. The Falcon answers; after all, the
contract is intriguing: go to Nueva Espana in Central America and retrieve
the buried money. Keep twenty-five percent of three million for himself.
However, The Falcon never counted on rescuing Porter's daughter from the
ex-cell mate--three times. Nor did he expect to fall in love.
TREASURE HUNT is a charming enough start to what could be a fun character:
The Falcon. However, this introduction storyline is just a tad too ordinary.
The hijacking doesn't fit. As a reader these opening pages took me into
one direction then threw me out of the story when the true story of The
Falcom started. I would have preferred less opening story and more Falcon.
TREASURE HUNT is more adventure than mystery, pleasant but not memorable
enough for me.
Available Formats:Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF), 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).
TRIPLE
CROSS
Kit Herman
Poisoned Pen Press
January 2007 $24.95
336 pages
ISBN: 1-59058-302-7
I love being surprised and Kit did just that. I tend to enjoy the same
old thing in mysteries, female heroines, etc. But in TRIPLE CROSS, we
have a young 23 year old hero Steve Cline. Steve takes a brief respite
from his life and his PI course to go to Louisville Kentucky on a working
vacation to aid his real father, Chris Kessler a trainer whose horse is
in the Kentucky Derby. Steve must complete an assignment for class upon
his return. It seems simple enough, pick a person, run their stats, address,
criminal history, car if you can, etc. But who should he run? He wonders
who until a beautiful young woman hangs out at another stall, Nicole.
She becomes his assignment. He gets her address simple enough and goes
there. Out front her address is a car with a race track sticker, probably
her car he figures and keys on the ground. He thinks this is suspicious
and checks out her apartment. No one there, so he puts the keys inside
the car. On Monday Nicole does not return to work and Steve is concerned.
When the owner of the horse Nicole had been looking at befriends him he
is curious but goes with it only to be beat up in the bathroom and asked
for a tape. What tape? Steve is confused and in pain, but knows something
bad is going on. And the mystery is on. Where is Nicole? What tape? Where
does Rudi (the other horse owner) fit into all this and why does he want
to be Steve's friend?
Triple Cross starts a bit slow but is well worth continuing. It is not
only a fine intriguing whodunit but an informative story on horses and
behind the scenes of preparing for a big race such as the Kentucky Derby.
A fun, charming escape into the horse mystery world. I highly recommend
it.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.8!
Cynthia Lea Clark, Psy.D.
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