Archive for December, 2012

Review: Edwin of the Iron Shoes – Marcia Muller

Thursday, December 27th, 2012
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: The Women’s Press (August 9, 1993)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0704343649
ISBN-13: 978-0704343641
Order book here:

amazon

Order E-book here:
amazon

Characters:

Sharon McCone – Staff Investigator for San Francisco Legal Services.
Lieutenant Gregory Marcus – Homicide Detective assigned to case.

Synopsis:

An elderly woman who runs an antiques shop is murdered. Was it the Real Estate Tycoon? A Spurned Lover? Or some other reason. Sharon McCone is determined to find out, much to the chagrin of Lieutenant Gregory Marcus.

Review

This book reminded me a lot of the cozy mysteries of old mixed with some of the newer style mysteries. There was humor, a well laid plot, and so many secrets were uncovered by the end of the story.

I’d not read one of Ms. Muller’s novels prior to this. I got it to try to get a broader view of the mystery genre, and how different writers attempted it. Having read this, I’ll definitely check out other offerings she has in the Sharon McCone series.

The character of Sharon was tough and spunky. For those who are fans of Stephanie Plum, I think you’d find Sharon just as delightful. She has an interesting backup cast and the characters are likeable.

If I were to give it a rating, I’d say about PG due to the content and storyline. Suitable for mid teens and older. If you like classic style mysteries, or just light fluffy mysteries, then grab this and see what you think. If you read it, stop back by and let us know what you thought about it.

About the Author

Marcia Muller has written many novels and short stories. Her novel “Wolf in the Shadows” won the Anthony Boucher Award.

The recipient of the Private Eye Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award – their highest accolade.

She lives in northern California with her husband, mystery writer Bill Pronzini.

You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

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Classic Corner Review: The Moving Target – Ross Macdonald

Tuesday, December 25th, 2012
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Vintage; Reprint edition (March 3, 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 037570146X
ISBN-13: 978-0375701467
Order book here:

amazon

Order E-book here:
amazon

Characters:

Lew Archer – Private Eye
Alan Taggart – Pilot for Ralph Simpson.

Synopsis:

Lew Archer is hired by the wife of Ralph Simpson to find him. He went on a business trip with Alan Taggart and disappeared.

Review

A beautiful noir style mystery featuring a tough talking private eye in the vein of Phillip Marlowe or Sam Spade. The settings, prose, and vivid descriptions brought the 1940s time period to life. Along the way to discovering and finding Ralph Simpson, Lew gets banged up, shot at, and pretty much everything you’d expect of a man in his business.

The characters are beautifully by crafted by a man considered to be a master of the craft. This was my first experience with Mr. McDonald’s work, but I definitely intend to follow up and read more of his body of work.

I’d say due to language and the events in the novel, that it would be rated PG for mid teens and adults. Most of the stuff you’d see in any 1940s B&W Gangster film, but some parents may object. If your a fan of hard boiled detectives, by all means pick up this book, I really think you’ll find a lot to enjoy in it. Stop back by and let us know what you thought if you do read it.

About the Author

Ross Macdonald’s real name was Kenneth Millar. Born near San Francisco in 1915 and raised in Ontario, Millar returned to the United States as a young man and published his first novel in 1944.

He served as the president of the Mystery Writers of America and was awarded their Grand Master Award as well as the Mystery Writers of Great Britain’s Gold Dagger Award. He died in 1983.

You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

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Review: The Disappearance of Grace – Vincent Zandri

Tuesday, December 18th, 2012
Print Length: 222 pages
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink; 1st edition (September 11, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: n/a
ISBN-13: 978-n/a
Order e-book here:
amazon

Characters:

Grace Blunt
Captain Nick Angel

Synopsis:

Now you see her. Now you don’t…

Captain Nick Angel has finally made a separate peace with the war in Afghanistan. Since having been ordered to bomb a Tajik village which resulted in the death of a little boy of no more than two, he’s been suffering from temporary bouts of blindness. Knowing the he needs time to rest and recover from his post traumatic stress, the US Army decides to send him to Venice along with his fiancee, the artist, Grace Blunt. Together they try and recapture their former life together. But when Grace suddenly goes missing, Nick not only finds himself suddenly alone and sightless in the ancient city of water, but also the number one suspect in her disappearance.

A novel that projects Hitchcockian suspense onto a backdrop of love and war, The Disappearance of Grace is a rich, literary thriller of fear, loss, love, and revenge. From the war in the Afghan mountains to the canals of romantic Venice, this is a story that proves 20/20 eyesight might not always be so perfect and seeing is not always believing.

Review

This novel, while a bit slow at times, unfolded a lot like some of those Harrison Ford movies of the 80s/90s. In Fact, I could see Mr. Ford playing Nick. There are twists, betrayals, cops who on the surface seem like they don’t want to do the job, and a feeling throughout that you aren’t sure who Nick can trust.

One aspect that was entertaining at first was flashbacks to Nick’s past in Afghanistan. However, oftentimes, these flashbacks were repeated and seemed to get a bit montonous. I think perhaps they’d have worked better if each time, they’d unfolded a bit more of the story, instead of repeating the same parts, then adding new stuff.

Other than the one aspect, I found it an enjoyable book. On a rating scale, I’d give it a PG-13 due to the content. Older teens and adults. But for a novel in the style of Missing, pick it up and give it a read, I’ think you’ll like it, and as always, if you do, be sure and stop by to let us know what you thought.

Excerpt

The wind picks up off the basin.
It seems to seep right through my leather coat into flesh, skin and bone. I try and hold my face up to the sun while the waiter takes our orders. Grace orders a single glass of vino russo and a pancetta and cheese panini. I forgo the Valpolicella and order a Moretti beer and a simple spaghetti pomadoro. The waiter thanks us and I listen to him leaving us for now.

We sit in the calm of the early afternoon, the sounds of the boat traffic coming and going on the basin filling my ears. People surround us on all sides. Tourists who have come to San Marco for the first time and who’ve become mesmerized by it all. I don’t have to physically see them to know how they feel. The stone square, the Cathedral, the bell tower, the many shops and high- end eateries that occupy the wide, square-shaped perimeter. The pigeons. The people. Always the throngs of people coming and going amidst a chorus of bells, bellowing voices, live music emerging from trumpets, violins, and guitars, and an energetic buzz that seems to radiate up from underneath all that stone and sea-soaked soil.

It’s early November.

Here’s what I know about Venice: In just a few week’s’ time, the rains will come and this square will be underwater. The ever sinking Venice floods easily now. The only way to walk the square will be over hastily constructed platforms made from cobbled narrow planks. Many of the tourists will stay away and the live music will be silenced. But somehow, that’s when Venice will come alive more than ever. When the stone is bathed in water.

The waiter brings our drinks and food.
With the aroma of the hot spaghetti filling my senses, I dig in and spoon up a mouthful. I wash the hot, tangy sauce-covered pasta down with a swallow of red wine.

“Whoa, slow down, chief,” Grace giggles.

“Eating, smiling, making love to me. What’s next? Writing?”

“Don’t press your luck, Gracie,” I say. “The sea change can occur at any moment. Just don’t start asking me to identify engagement rings.”

She laughs genuinely and I listen to the sounds of her taking a bite out of her sandwich. But then she goes quiet again. Too quiet, as if she’s stopped breathing altogether.

“There’s someone staring at us,” she says under her breath.

“Man or woman?” I say, trying to position my gaze directly across the table at her, but making out nothing more than her black silhouette framed against the brightness of the sun. Later on, when the sun goes down, the image of her will be entirely black. Like the blackness of the Afghan Tajik country when the fires are put out and you lie very still inside your tent without the benefit of electronic night vision, and you feel the beating of your never- still heart and you pray for morning.

“Man,” she whispers.

“What’s he look like?”

“It’s him again. The man in the overcoat who was staring at us yesterday.”

A start in my heart. I put my fork down inside my bowl. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I think. He’s wearing sunglasses this time. So,. I think it’s him.”

“What’s he look like?”

“He’s a thin man. Not tall. Not short. He’s got a dark complexion.”

“Black?”

“No. More like Asian or Middle Eastern. He’s wearing sunglasses and that same brown overcoat and a scarf. His hair is black and cut close to his scalp. His beard is very trim and cropped close to his face.” She exhales. I hear her take a quick, nervous sip of her wine. “He keeps staring at us. At me. Just like yesterday, Nick.”

“How do you know he’s staring at you? It could be something behind you, Grace. We’re in Venice. Lots going on behind you. Lots to see.”

She’s stirring in her chair. Agitated.
“Because I can feel him. His eyes…I. Feel. His. Eyes.”

I wipe my mouth clean with the cloth napkin. I do something entirely silly. I turn around in my chair to get a look at the man. As if I have the ability to see him right now, which I most definitely do not.

“What are you doing?” Grace poses, the anxiety in her voice growing more intense with each passing second.

“Trying to get a look at him.”

“You’re joking, Nick.”

I turn back, try and focus on her.

“You think?”

We sit silent.
Once more I am helpless and impotent.

“I’m sorry,” she says after a time. “I’m not trying to insult you. This isn’t like yesterday with the ring. But this man is at the same café we’re at two days in a row? This is really starting to creep me out, babe.”

My pulse begins to pump inside my head. Not rapid, but just enough for me to notice. Two steady drum beats against my temples. I find myself wanting to swallow, but my mouth has gone dry. I take a sip of beer thinking it will help.

“He’s coming towards us, Nick. I don’t like it.”

Heart beat picks up. I feel it pounding inside my head and my chest.

“Are you sure he’s coming towards us, Grace?” I’m trying not to raise my voice, but it’s next to impossible.

“He’s looking right at me. His hands are stuffed in the pockets of his overcoat. And he’s coming.”

I feel and hear Grace pulling away from the table. She’s standing. That’s when the smell of incense sweeps over me. A rich, organic, incense-like smell.

There comes the sound of Grace standing. Abruptly standing. I hear her metal chair push out. I hear the sound of her boot heels on the cobbles. I hear the chair legs scraping against the stone slate. I hear the sound of her wine glass spilling.

“Grace, for God’s sakes, be careful.”

But she doesn’t respond to me. Or is it possible her voice is drowned out by what sounds like a tour group passing by the table? A tour group of Japanese speaking people. But once they pass, there is nothing. No sound at all other than the boats on the basin and the constant murmur of the thousands of tourists that fill this ancient square.

“Grace,” I say. “Grace. Stop it. This isn’t funny. Grace.”

But there’s still no response.
The smell of incense is gone now.
I make out the gulls flying over the tables, the birds shooting in from the basin to pick up scraps of food and then, like thieves in the night, shooting back out over the water. I can hear and feel the sound-wave driven music that reverberates against the stone cathedral.

“Grace,” I repeat, voice louder now. “Grace. Grace…Grace!”

I’m getting no response.

It’s like she’s gone. Vanished. But how can she be gone? She was just sitting here with me. She was sitting directly across from me, eating a sandwich and drinking a glass of wine. She was talking with me.
The waiter approaches.

“The signora is not liking her food?” he questions.

I reach out across the table. In the place where she was sitting. She is definitely not there.

“Is there a toilet close by?” I pose. “Did you see my fiancée leave the table and go to the toilet?”

The waiter pauses for a moment.

“I am sorry. But I did not. I was inside the café.”

“Then maybe somebody else saw her. Maybe you can ask them.”

“Signor, there are many tables in this café and they are all filled with people. And there are many people who walk amongst the tables who can block their view. I am looking at them. No one seems to be concerned about anything. Sometimes there are so many people here, it is easy to get lost. Perhaps she just went to the toilet like you just suggested, and she got lost amongst the people. I will come back in moment and make sure all is well.”

I listen to the waiter leaving, his footsteps fading against the slate.
Grace didn’t say anything about going to the toilet or anywhere else. Grace was frightened. She was frightened of a man who was staring at her. A man with sunglasses on and a cropped beard and a long brown overcoat. He was the man from yesterday. The man with black eyes. He was approaching us, this man. He came to our table and he smelled strongly of incense. He came to our table. There was a slight commotion, the spilling of a glass, the knocking over of a chair, and then Grace was gone.

I sit and stare at nothing. My heart is pounding so fast I think it will cease at any moment. What I have in the place of vision is a blank wall of blurry illumination no longer filled with the silhouette of my Grace.

I push out my chair. Stand. My legs knock into the table and my glass spills along with Grace’s.

I cup my hands around my mouth.

“Grace!” I shout. “Grace! Grace!”

The people who surround me all grow quiet as I scream over them.

The waiter comes running back over.

“Please, please,” he says to me, taking me by the arm. “Please come with me.”

He begins leading me through the throng of tables and people. He is what I have now in the place of Grace. He is my sight.

“She’s gone, isn’t she?” I beg. “Did you check the toilets?”

“We checked the toilets. They are empty. I am sorry. I am sure there is an explanation.”

“Grace is gone!” I shout. “A man took her away. How could no one have seen it?”

“You’re frightening the patrons, signor. Please just come with me and we will try and find her.”

“She’s gone,” I repeat. “Don’t you understand me? My. Grace. Is. Gone.”

About the Author

Vincent Zandri is the No. 1 International Bestselling Amazon author of THE INNOCENT, GODCHILD, THE REMAINS, MOONLIGHT FALLS, CONCRETE PEARL, MOONLIGHT RISES, SCREAM CATCHER, BLUE MOONLIGHT and MURDER BY MOONLIGHT. He is also the author of the Amazon bestselling digital shorts, PATHOLOGICAL, TRUE STORIES and MOONLIGHT MAFIA. Harlan Coben has described THE INNOCENT (formerly As Catch Can) as “…gritty, fast-paced, lyrical and haunting,” while the New York Post called it “Sensational…Masterful…Brilliant!” Zandri’s list of publishers include Delacorte, Dell, StoneHouse Ink, StoneGate Ink and Thomas & Mercer. An MFA in Writing graduate of Vermont College, Zandri’s work is translated into many languages including the Dutch, Russian, and Japanese. An adventurer, foreign correspondent, and freelance photo-journalist for RT, Globalspec, IBTimes and more, he lives in Albany, New York. For more go to WWW.VINCENTZANDRI.COM

Website link:   (http://www.vincentzandri.com)
Facebook link:   (https://www.facebook.com/vincent.zandri)
Twitter link:   (https://twitter.com/VincentZandri)

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Cheryl at Partners In Crime Tours for a review copy of this book. It in no way influenced my review. You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

Giveaway – Blue Moonlight – Vincent Zandri

Tuesday, December 18th, 2012

Thanks to Cheryl at Partners in Crime Tours and the Publisher I”m able to offer my readers 1 copy of this book. To enter, follow these simple rules:

1) One Entry if you’re a follower [You can follow through Google Friend connect to the right, you can also sign up to follow through Twitter or Facebook].
2) An Additonal Entry if you blog about this contest.
3) An Additonal Entry if you’re a new follower.
4) One entry each for posting on facebook and/or twitter.
5) Must leave a comment letting me know how you follow me, blog link to this post, facebook/twitter link, etc.
6) Contest will continue until .
7) This giveaway is open to residents of US and Canada. No PO Box addresses (street mailing only).

See our review here.

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Review: Under the Eye of God – Jerome Charyn

Thursday, December 13th, 2012
Paperback: 222 pages
Publisher: MysteriousPress.com/Open Road (October 30, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 145327099X
ISBN-13: 978-1453270998
Order book here:

amazon

Order E-book here:
amazon

Characters:

Isaac Sidel – Mayor and Vice Presidential Candidate.
David Pearl – A powerful criminal boss.

Synopsis:

After decades of madness in the Bronx, Isaac Sidel visits the craziest state in the country.

Isaac Sidel is too popular to be America’s vice president. Once the New York Police Department commissioner, he became the most beloved mayor in the city’s history—famous for his refusal to surrender his Glock, and for his habit of disappearing for months at a time to fight crime at street level. So when baseball czar J. Michael Storm asks Sidel to join him on the election’s Democratic ticket, the two wild men romp to an unprecedented landslide.

But as the president-elect’s mandate goes off the rails—threatened by corruption, sex, and God knows what else—he tires of being overshadowed by Sidel, and dispatches him to a place from which tough politicians seldom return: Texas.

In the Lone Star state, Sidel confronts rogue astrologers, accusations of pedophilia, and a dimwitted assassin who doesn’t know when to take an easy shot. If this Bronx bomber doesn’t watch his step, he risks making vice-presidential history by getting killed on the job.

Review

This is the 10th or 11th outing for Isaac Sidel. His first appearance briefly was in Blue Eyes which we reviewed a few months ago. It’s been many years now since Blue Eyes was originally published, and now Mr. Charyn returns to show us where Isaac is currently (well as of the 80s).

The characters are well developed, and the story unfolds in both the present and Isaac’s past. It explores a lot of his conflicted feelings involving the man David Pearl, Pearl’s Mentor Rothstein, and the history of the Astonia Hotel.

While exploring this history we see Isaac on a national election tour, in which he’s the VP on the ticket, but someone is wanting to make him the President.

The scenes are tightly woven, the characters feel dirty and gritty as should the world Isaac inhabits. While the first novel in the series took time to think about, now that I knew what to expect I was able to enjoy this story right from the beginning.

If you like gritty crime novels, political thrillers, and books along those lines, then grab you a copy of Mr. Charyn’s latest. If I were to give it a rating I’d say soft R or NC-17 for much older teens and adults due to language and content.

If you decide to read it, make sure you stop back by and let us know what you though of it.

About the Author

Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.”

New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.”

Since the 1964 release of Charyn’s first novel, Once Upon a Droshky, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.

Charyn was Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at the American University of Paris until he left teaching in 2009.

In addition to his writing and teaching, Charyn is a tournament table tennis player, once ranked in the top 10 percent of players in France. Noted novelist Don DeLillo called Charyn’s book on table tennis, Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins, “The Sun Also Rises of ping-pong.”

Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.

Jerome Charyn’s web site:
http://www.jeromecharyn.com/

Jerome Charyn’s Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/jerome.charyn

Jerome Charyn’s Twitter:
http://twitter.com/jeromecharyn

Issac Sidel’s Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/IsaacSidel

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Nicole at Tribute Books for a review copy of this book. It in no way influenced my review. You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

Review: The Fart That Saved Christmas – Jacob Morningside

Tuesday, December 11th, 2012
Price: $4.99
Format: Ebook
Pages: 40 illustrated
Publisher: Publish Green
Release: September 6, 2012
Order book here:

amazon

Order E-book here:
amazon

Characters:

Santa Clause – An Antagonistic Boss
Reindeer – Disgruntled Employees on Strike

Synopsis:

The behind the scenes story of what really happened “The Night Before Christmas.”

It’s Christmas Eve. The reindeer go on strike with a list of demands for Santa, the elves and Mrs. Claus. Santa gets “loaded” and threatens to cancel Christmas, fire the deer and divorce Mrs. Claus. But, just when all seems lost, Christmas is saved by a timely fart.

Review

A poem along the lines of Clement Moore’s Twas’ The Night Before Christmas. I found the narrative to be very comical and entertaining, and the images from Nadja Andrasev that accompanied it to be fun to look at and tied to the narrative.

If there was one drawback, it would be with the electronic edition. The Epub version that I received for the nook had graphic files that were extremely large and made it impossible for the nook to load. Hopefully with the production version of the product, they’ve resolved that issue.

[12/12/2012: Mr Morningside contacted me in regards to the problem I had downloading and had the following information to provide

“I believe that the reason you had trouble with the DL of the graphics is because my book is exclusive to the iBookstore.com distribution site and is not meant for download to anything but the iPad; iPod or iPhone. Apple was the only system that could accommodate the graphics for e-distribution.”

So I am happy to add this to explain the one issue and to let you know in case you decide to go out and purchase it. If it becomes available for other formats later on, we’ll be sure to let you know.]

Mr. Morningside does list this as a Christmas Story for adults, so it’s not something you might want to give your children. For you adults who just want a fun little Christmas story of your own, I’d recommend it.

About the Author

Born into a body inhabited by multiple muse personalities, I create stories by stretching the “normal” beyond the boundaries of the absurd. The result is a worm-hole ride to the Far Side. I love a good story — so, I wrote one. Enjoy it with my wishes for a happy holiday season.

Tour Schedule

December 1
Great Minds Think Aloud (spotlight)

December 10
Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews (review)
Cheryl’s Book Nook (review)

December 11
Gina’s Library
Rhodes Review (review)

December 12
jbarrett5 (review, spotlight & giveaway)
Tic Toc (review)

December 13
The Book Connection (spotlight & giveaway)
Concert Katie (review)

December 14
Every Free Chance Book Reviews (review)

December 15
Putting Words Down on Paper (review)
Mornings Start with Em (review)

December 17
Simple Wyrdings (review)
The Bibliophilic Book Blog (spotlight & giveaway)

December 18
Celtic Lady’s Reviews (review)

December 19
Reading Challenged (review)

December 20
Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers (review)
D A Bale Publishing (review)
ReadEng. Didi’s Press (review)

December 22
From the TBR Pile (review)

December 23
Culture Shock (review)

December 27
Lissette E. Manning (review)

December 28
Christie’s Book Reviews (spotlight & giveaway)

iBookstore buy link ($4.99):
http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-fart-that-saved-christmas/id560241061?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Jacob Morningside’s Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fart-That-Saved-Christmas/136942536447992

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

The Fart That Saved Christmas blog tour site:
http://thefartthatsavedchristmas.blogspot.com/

Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Nicole at Tribute Book Tours for a review copy of this book. It in no way influenced my review. You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

Review: Monsters Do Ugly Things – Mark Adam Kaplan

Thursday, December 6th, 2012
Print Length: 42 pages
Publisher: BookBaby; 1 edition (October 25, 2011)
Language: English
Order e-book here:
amazon

Review

Entertaining little story by Mark Adam Kaplan with kid friendly illustrations by Glenn Scano. Some of the ugly things monsters do: They pick their noses, they talk with their mouths full, they laugh when other monsters get hurt. But Monsters also do pretty things. Some take baths, have friends, help other monsters, and share.

As you can see, this children’s book teaches kids good and bad behavior through the illustration of monsters doing ugly and pretty things. Naturally the child will want to be a monster doing pretty things. I think it was a beautiful idea, and will bring these lessons to children without them knowing they are being taught. Sometimes, that’s the best way to teach them it seems.

The illustrations by Mr. Scano make some of the fun parts of the book, seeing the variety of monsters, doing both the good and bad things that Monster’s do.  I think a child would love the book simply for the illustrations.

I’d say this appropriate for the younger set, though it does feature monsters, none of the illustrations are set to frighten, but rather to cause fits of giggles. Pick this up for the child in your life, and take some time to read it with them. You’ll create a great memory that they’ll carry throughout their lifetime.

About the Author

Mark and Glenn both grew up in New York City and have known each other since 1976.

Mark is a writer, now living in California with his wife and two daughters.

Glenn is an artist, still living in New York with his wife, a bulldog, a pug and a cat.

The creative partnership works like this… Mark comes up with most of the ideas and Glenn has some kind of mystical power that he uses to take the pictures out of Mark’s head (even though they’re separated by the continent of North America). Sometimes Glenn comes up with an idea and just draws it, knowing full well that Mark will come up with a caption.

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Mark Adam Kaplan for a review copy of this book. It in no way influenced my review. You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

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Review: Dead on Ice – Lauren Carr

Tuesday, December 4th, 2012
Paperback: 234 pages
Publisher: Acorn Book Services (September 10, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0985726733
ISBN-13: 978-0985726737
Order book here:

amazon

Order E-book here:
amazon

Characters:

Synopsis:

Review

I contacted the author directly in regards to her book. I’ve been struggling with mysteries of my own running around in my head, which like this author are set in WV. The trick was to pull off the feeling of that culture, without resorting to caricatures or stereotypes. Ms. Carr does that wonderfully. The two church ladies represented in the story reminded me so much of some of the women of my Dad’s church when I was growing up.

Outside that, I found the plot well developed and logical. When I’d finally reached the conclusion of the story, it all made perfect sense, how the murder(s) were committed, who did them, and why. Along the line there were people I suspected who turned out to be innocent. A well written mystery in the old classic who done it style, with some romance thrown in.

If there were one problem with the story, I think the romance would be it. Not that there shouldn’t have been a romance, nor that it was unbelievable, it was just the pace of the romance. It seemed to move at a much faster pace than the rest of the story.

Outside that one issue, I found it a delightful book, and look forward to reading more in this series. Ms. Carr has definitely made a new fan. If you read it, drop back by and let us know what you thought of it.
About the Author

Lauren Carr fell in love with mysteries when her mother read Perry Mason to her at bedtime. The first installment in the Joshua Thornton mysteries, A Small Case of Murder was a finalist for the Independent Publisher Book Award.

Lauren is also the author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. It’s Murder, My Son, Old Loves Die Hard, and Shades of Murder, have all been getting rave reviews from readers and reviewers.

Dead on Ice introduces a new series entitled Lovers in Crime, in which Joshua Thornton will join forces with homicide detective Cameron Gates.

Lauren is currently working on the next Mac Faraday Mystery (Blast from the Past, coming Dec 2012) and Lovers in Crime Mystery (coming Spring 2013).

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This spring, two books written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

She lives with her husband, son, and two dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Visit Lauren’s websites and blog at:
E-Mail: writerlaurencarr@comcast.net
Website: http://acornbookservices.com/

http://mysterylady.net/

Blog: Literary Wealth: http://literarywealth.wordpress.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lauren.carr.984991
Gnarly’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/GnarlyofMacFaradayMysteries

Lovers in Crime Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/LoversInCrimeMysteries?ref=ts&fref=ts

Twitter: @TheMysteryLadie

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Lauren for a review copy of this book. It in no way influenced my review. You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

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