Tendai Huchu

Published by Whiskey Creek Press

ISBN: 978-1-60313-923-6

134 pages

$6.95 ebook

Reviewed by Laura Hartman

Tendai Huchu’s second novel, An Untimely Love, is a love story wrapped in terrorism. Khalid Patel, a British Asian, decides attending University isn’t taking his life in the direction he desires. He leaves his home and travels to Pakistan with his friend to “fight the Imperial Forces” and become legends as suicide bombers.

While learning to shoot accurately and make home grown bombs to maim and kill, he meets Smokey, the woman of his dreams. She is there to learn to be a suicide bomber with the rest of the group. Within days they are on the way to blow up as many people as possible in the London underground system and become martyrs in the process.

On the way to the bombing, these two decide they are in love, have a friend marry them on the train, then go to their respective kill zones. Patel can’t go through with it, and spends the rest of the book looking for his lost love and lost life.

This book was very difficult to read. Every page had typos (99% of the words with double “ll” such as tells, spills, etc were on the page as tel s and spil s.) Learned was learnt and often sentence structure was written as though this was translated literally word for word into English. Attempts to use common American sayings would have been better if not used. For example, “The only other person I can call now is David; this is scrapping down the barrel” was used instead of “scraping the bottom of the barrel”.

In Huchu’s defense, maybe the Galley I received as the ebook was not completely edited or run through spell check. Going to the website http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com and reading the sample page, I discovered the missing “ll”s were corrected.  Even corrected, I found Patel to be distasteful and the bad situations he finds himself in were the results of his antisocial behaviors and beliefs. Even bad guys have to have some human quality to identify with. For me, no one in this book is likable enough to connect with.

Copyright © 2012 Laura Hartman

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.

Dave Becker

Published by Dave Becker

ISBN: 978-0-9853653-0-1

184 pages

$2.99 ebook

Reviewed by Laura Hartman

Dave Becker has a winner with his debut YA horror novel, The Faustian Host. Most teens feel as though the world is against them at one time or the other. But 14-year old Tony Marino seems to have the corner on problems. Within the first few pages of this fast paced novel, he attends his grandmother’s funeral, watches his family home explode in flames, is confronted by a dark, shadowy figure and is uprooted from his life in Florida to live with a couple he met as a young child and does not remember.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown were given custody of Tony by his deeply religious, superstitious grandma before she died, and move him to their home Massachusetts. They enroll him in an unconventional high school where he tried to fit it, but is thwarted at every turn. When suspicious events start spiraling around him, the few friends he makes start backing away. Is it magic, sorcery, or someone playing horrible tricks on the new kid? He refuses to believe in magic like his “crazy” grandma, but the strange events make him wonder if he is becoming as crazy as he always thought his grandma was.

Tony may be the key to saving the world, but will he and the residents of the small town he moved to be able to survive the plagues and monsters that seemed to arrive when he did?

Part of the beauty of the writing is Tony remains a teenager even when faced with adult problems, both normal and supernatural. One of my favorite lines is “Destroy the world – you said that.” Tony commented through a mouthful of nachos. “You just never said how.” I love the way Becker blends normal and supernatural seamlessly and interestingly. Most teenage boys I know wouldn’t lose their appetite in the face of an apocalyptic event – especially if nachos were around.

This was so well written and exciting to read it was disappointing to leave the world that Becker created. My only consolation is the end appears to be the stepping stone for a sequel.

Copyright © 2012 Laura Hartman

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.

Bernadette Pajer

ISBN: 978-1-59058-612-9

Poisoned Pen Press

225 pages

$24.95 US/ $31.95 Canada

Review by Ron Smyth

The second Professor Bradshaw book begins in 1901 when a wagon belonging to a patent medicine peddler is abandoned behind the professor’s home. Searching for the missing man and his daughter the professor discovers that the child may have witnessed a murder and is soon involved in a world where, before the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, the potions that are sold to the public may kill as well as cure. And the competition for business may be just as deadly.

With a police department that seems to care little and a missing child to worry about, he is soon involved in a world of seedy bars and brothels where he is totally out of his element, when he is supposed to be worrying about a contest to deliver music from the Seattle Grand Theater to homes throughout the city using the telephone system. Can he trust even his friends on the police force? It will take all of his professional skills as well as his skill at understanding people when he must transform his contest entry into a method to trap a killer.

Filled with a wealth of detail both technological and historical Professor Bradshaw continues to evolve in a solid series filled with the rapid changes, social and scientific, that were the hallmark of the early twentieth century. Very much a man of his time he is more interesting in this second volume, less the victim and taking more control of his fate rather than brooding on past losses. Though not immune to his grief and still worrying about his own son, he has the humanity to care about a lost child who has no one else on whom she can rely, even at significant risk to his own prospects and projects.

Fans of the ever growing historical mysteries market should enjoy this as a strong entry in the field.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.

Gray Basnight

ISBN: 978-0-9773787-8-4

Ransom Note Press

216 pages

$14.95 U.S./$17.95 Canada

Review by Diane Grace

She doesn’t do jiggle. She isn’t into shoes or jewelry. She doesn’t wear makeup (or, as she calls it, “war paint”). NYPD Homicide Detective Donna Prima’s sole concession to modern womanhood is the pink .38 she wears strapped to her ankle. Not that she has much opportunity to use it, having been demoted to desk duty for a serious infraction of NYPD rules.

On a routine burglary follow-up in Greenwich village, Donna meets soap-opera actor Conner Anderson (Crawford on the top-rated Vampire Love Nest), who alerts her to some strange goings-on in a liquor store across the street. Sick of being chained to her desk, Donna decides to investigate. Meanwhile, the Feds need her help on a cold murder case as they investigate a theft from a nuclear power plant.

But would-be detective Conner Anderson wants to come along for the ride. And Donna—an Italian-American from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn—can’t deny the mutual chemistry she feels with this Southern WASP from Tupelo, Mississippi. Will taking on Conner as a “Civilian partner” be the start of something beautiful or the biggest mistake of Donna’s life?

Without giving away any of the plot, let us just say this author brings a new light into detective fiction and has a most devious yet ingenious mind. Who knew you could buy pink guns? The reader also learns a great deal about New York City, the variety of areas, and the people who inhabit them.

This is a Police Procedural with a hint of cozy, a detective story with a bit of romance. It’s very evocative of the early Stephanie Plum books but is not a copy of Janet Evanovich’s work. They are similar in tone. Written very much tongue in cheek The Cop With The Pink Pistol is an adventure in reading. With any luck this is the beginning of a new series for those who like their mysteries presented with a touch of humor.

Copyright 2012 Diane Grace

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.

A Key West Mystery

Dorothy Francis

Five Star, A part of Gale, Cengage Learning

ISBN: 978-1-4328-2574-4 (Hardcover)

ISBN: 1-4328-2574-7

Price $25.95

Pages 290 (review copy)

Reviewed by Diane Grace

Rafa Blue goes to check on her family’s boat during a monster storm. The boat is safe, the dock master, Diego Casterano, is in the water dead. Rafa soon finds herself under suspicion of murder with her friends: boyfriend, Kane Riley the last working shrimper on the island; Diego’s son, Pablo a know beach bum; the marina owners Brick and Threnody Vexton; Dolly Jass, the last known person to see Diego alive.

Key West is a small enough place people work two and three jobs and everyone knows each other. And yet all is not what is seems. Rafa wants to find the murderer so she can clear Kane and herself. And she has an escapade from her teen years she needs to tell Kane about before he finds out from some old timer. Little things keep happening to lead Rafa to wonder if she’s being stalked while looking for clues.

“Daiquiri Dock Murder” is fast paced with enough twists at the end to rival a mountain road. I enjoyed learning bits and pieces about the island in particular and this legendary part of Florida in general. The tidbits were snuck within the action so you can catch your breath before you are off again. A couple of places in the beginning of our story I wished for more action rather than discourse, but the pace soon quickened. As a word of warning don’t start this book just prior to bedtime you’ll be up all night.

Copyright 2012 Diane Grace

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.

Sean A. Tinsley and Rachel A. Qitsualik

Illustrated by Andrew Trabbold

Published by Inhabit Media Inc. (Canada)

ISBN-978-1-926569-30-7

191 pages

$14.95 soft cover

Reviewed by Laura Hartman

Opening a book of short stories is like opening a box of chocolates. Ajjiit, Dark Dreams of the Ancient Arctic by Sean A. Tinsley and Rachel A. Qitsualik is not your average Whitman Sampler from the grocery store. It is more like an exotic blend of flavors encased in the darkest chocolate that deliciously lingers long after you have ingested them.

This collection of nine short stories is fantasy in nature, based upon the Inuit folklore and culture. They are filled with supernatural creatures and events, yet each story is unique in its own way. Reminiscent of Grimm Brother’s stories I was fond of as a child, these stories are a bit edgier and set in an icy Arctic landscape.

Illustrations by Andrew Trabbold accompany each story. Each one is a unique image that adds life and substance, enhancing the writing by adding an interesting visual element. The hauntingly beautiful woman Trabbold created for Slippery Babies is fascinating.

My favorite story in the book was Drum’s Sound. It is a mystical coming of age story about an adopted boy whose parents are the elders of the camp. He cannot speak, yet must to save his adopted mother and the rest of the camp members after they are turned into zombie-like creatures by evil spirits.

The only complaint I have is the liberal use of Inuit words throughout all of the stories with definition. At times it was easy to figure out the basic meanings within the context of the sentences or paragraphs. I understand the logic of adding the real feel of the Arctic, but at times it became difficult to read with so many words added that I had to slow down and go back to figure out.

The authors chose not to add footnotes explaining the terms, which I agree would have interrupted the pace of the stories. Footnotes also give a “textbook” feel that ruins the ease with which I want to read for pleasure. A glossary in the back would have helped me. It would not interrupt the flow of the dialog, yet the option is there if I needed or wanted to look up an Inuit word meaning.

Ajjiit, Dark Dreams of the Ancient Arctic is an icy delicious escape. Pick a shorter story if you have only a few minutes, or one of the longer pieces if you want to take a bigger bite of the folklore folded inside like a creamy caramel center. No matter what your taste is, you will find a favorite in this collection.

Copyright © 2012 Laura Hartman

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.

By: Jennifer Carson

Illustrated by P. A. Lewis

Pugalicious Press, New London, New Hampshire

ISBN: 978-0-9838240-0-8

Library of Congress Control Number: 2001012345

Review by Diane Grace

The Hapennies live in an extremely small, over-looked village that is protected by magical guardians. Once upon a time they were great explorers and traders, but the last trade mission did not return home and the nasty trolls came to raid the village for Hapennies were a troll delicacy. The trolls were originally defeated after much effort by the guardians. But guardians grow old and magic fades and young Hapennies find themselves in dire and cruel circumstances. This is the story of one such young Hapenny, Maewyn Bridgepost, and how with the help of her friends she finds talent, courage, and victory.

Sometimes I have to remind myself a good book demands to be read. “Hapenny Magic” is targeted to the eight to twelve year old market. I found it a delightful read and could not wait to share the news of a new author and book with my [much younger] family members. “Hapenny Magic” is Ms. Carson’s sophomore effort and I find the book engaging with it’s new class of wee people hidden in the forest. It is the tale of the smallest, after trials and timid effort, becoming the greatest. In some ways it is a typical moral tale, but in others it is fresh and new. Should you know a niece or nephew that likes to read about mysteries and fantasies I can recommend this. Of course getting a copy for yourself goes without saying.

Copyright 2012 by Diane Grace

Disclosure of material connection: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep in consideration preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.

Dan O’Brien

ISBN 9781469976587

88 pages

Reviewed by Amanda Capper

The End of the World Playlist is not a book that will appeal to the masses. If you are not a die-hard zombie fan, and if you are uncomfortable with profuse profanity, then best give this novella a pass.

The story centers on the end of the world and its six survivors. Due to the brevity of the novella there is little time to get to know these men and difficult to feel attachment or sympathy for any of them. The author does hint at a romance in Dan’s past that would have given the story more impact if it had been expanded but the author chose instead to use graphic imagery and youthful humour to entertain the reader.

A quick read with a lot of dialogue, it might interest the select few who appreciate being hit on the head with story and beaten into submission with rough words.

Copyright © 2012 Amanda Capper

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION

I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.

Anita Page

ISBN: 978-1-60318-381-9

$14.95

241 pages

Reviewed by: Ron Smyth

Anita Page has published a number of short stories and won a Derringer Award in 2010 for “‘Twas The Night”. This is her first novel.

Despite a bucolic setting in the Catskills the themes of this book are dark and violent, involving abuse and redemption. Drug abuse, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, emotional abuse. Evil lurks in even the most peaceful settings and Hannah Fox meets some of it first hand due to her volunteer work with Safe Harbour, a group dedicated to helping abused women. Nor can Hannah turn her back when a friend’s land is targeted by a fraudulent eminent domain scheme. So when the developer behind the scheme is murdered and her friend is a suspect, Hannah probes the dead man’s shameful past. It’s hard not to sympathize with whoever rid us of such a man but was it for business reasons or personal reasons? Then too her own life is starting to unravel in front of her as her own marriage begins to fracture. Her husband has cheated on her but is she ready to yield to her own temptations with the local law? Then there are the summer school students that she teaches, whohave their own demands on her emotions and time. All in all Hannah has her plate full.

In a mystery of this sort believable and sympathetic characters are a must and this is one of Ms. Page’s strengths. Along with Hannah, a fully realized well rounded character who never falls into triteness, Page has particularly believable adolescents, who act like real kids not small adults. If I had one quibble it was keeping track of the many minor characters. Despite that quibble this is a first mystery with an intelligent plot and an appealing heroine and a satisfying resolution.

Copyright © 2012 Ron Smyth

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION – I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.

Michele Drier

Mainly Murder Press, LLC

ISBN-978-0-9836823-1-8

221 pages

$15.95 (soft cover)

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Reviewed by Laura Hartman

Ann Hobbes, an efficient and often unwilling editor works for a small town newspaper in Monroe, CA. She is professional and competent, but a small part of her longs for the adrenaline rush her former life as a journalist provided. She lives vicariously through her talented young reporter, Clarice, who can sniff out a juicy story two towns away.

When a US Senator turns up dead in nearby Marshalltown, Ann assigns the story to Clarice. Researching the background story, Ann can’t resist getting involved. She welcomes the cooler weather of the small mountain town and the excitement of solving the mystery surrounding the senator’s death.

Two more people that have connections to Marshalltown and the historic Marshalltown Hotel end up dead adding more mayhem to the mix. Things get more serious by the minute when Ann spends a weekend at the hotel researching the WWII connection to the deaths and her feelings for a longtime friend that wants to move their relationship to the next level.

I hesitate to call this a Cozy Mystery. It has all the elements, an unlikely sleuth, a love interest for her and off screen murders, so technically it is. But the additional layer of history, WWII and Nazis adds depth that is missing in other Cozies. It is a welcome change to have a little meat added to the story without adding blood and gore. The story moved along at a quick pace, keeping me guessing to the end.

Michele Drier is an author with a writer’s past. On her website http://www.micheledrier.com , she states Edited for Death (as well are her vampire novel, Snap) are both first books in series. Drier has me watching the bookshelves for the next Ann Hobbes adventure.

Copyright © 2012 Laura Hartman

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.