GRANT LEISHMAN - BOOK REVIEWS

unmarked by kate hansen

14/7/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Elisha Dullard is just a typical twenty-something young woman wrapped up in her own world of singleness, friends and shopping, in the very close future. In Unmarked, Kate Hansen brings us a simple, uncomplicated and frightening view of what that dystopian future could look like. Elisha loves the freedom and lack of worries her single life brings her but at the edge of her consciousness she feels the world changing around her. Her best friend Emily keeps trying to warn her that things are changing; the banks and the big corporations are consolidating their power and that very soon they will have no choice but to do things their way – online. Cash is disappearing fast from the economy and before long everything will be conducted online. But, for Elisha, the epiphany occurs when Emily relates a tale from the long, forgotten and mostly ignored Bible, from the Book of Revelations. When Elisha sees the prediction in the Book of Revelations coming true, she realizes humanity is in for a desperate struggle for survival and she will be caught up in it. With Emily brutally murdered by an ex-boyfriend, Elisha must face the coming trials alone, that is, until she meets the perfect man, in Michael.

Unmarked is a frighteningly, realistic take on where the world appears to be headed. Author Kate Hansen, brings us an unvarnished, largely unemotional, tale that is starker because of the way she relates it. I particularly appreciated the fact that Hansen resisted the temptation to take the fanatical, moral or religious high-ground in this piece. By making her hero a down-to-earth, somewhat scatterbrained and essentially “normal” young adult she told the story through eyes that any reader could identify with. I particularly like the allusions she made comparing what was happening now with similar instances in humanity’s history. The old, chilling, saying; “the veneer of civilization is dangerously thin,” kept coming to mind as I read these pages. Perhaps the most chilling aspect of the story was the ability to see the direct parallels to the dystopian world the author created, happening right now, here, today. That was frightening, in its own right. This is a fantastic, very simple, story of what can happen when good people do nothing and extremely well told by author Hansen. I can highly recommend this read to all, not just dystopian fans.

You can find Unmarked, here on Kate Hansen's Amazon page:

saying thanks and beyond: is saying thank you enough? by ralph mosgrove

14/7/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Saying Thanks and Beyond: Is Saying Thank You Enough? by Ralph Mosgrove is a timely little reminder that what we do and say can have influence far beyond ourselves. As the author compares small, random acts of kindness to the ripples of a pond, he reminds us that our actions do have consequences that ripple out across the Universe. In today’s hectic, me-centred world, it is sometimes easy to forget even the common courtesies that we were taught as children… the pleases and the thank you’s. But even more than that, it is the little things we do that can make an enormous difference, over time. The smile at a stranger, holding a door open for a person with a disability or with arms full of packages, the allowing someone in a hurry to push in front of us, without getting annoyed; all of these minor acts accumulate and are placed in the bank of “paying it forward”, if you like.
Author Ralph Mosgrove, in Saying Thanks and Beyond: Is Saying Thank You Enough? touches a slightly raw nerve in most readers, I am sure, as it asks them to look inward at themselves and perhaps ask the question; what am I doing to help my fellow man/woman? It doesn’t take much and for me, that was the success of this book. The author wasn’t asking us to make massive changes in the way we deal with and interact with others. The suggestions he makes are simple and easily put in place. What is self-evident but often overlooked is the benefit, to the giver, of these little, random, acts of kindness. As well as making us feel better about ourselves for doing something nice, the flow-on effect is what really matters. As each person is made to feel better, they also pass on that good feeling and your act of kindness is multiplied. It’s well worth reminding ourselves that this ripple effect works equally as effectively when we pass on negative, grumpy, or even angry feelings toward others. As a reminder of the importance of pleasantness and civility in our currently fractured environment, this book is a tiny, little gem – one to be passed on from one to another.

You can find Ralph Mosgrove's little book of joy, Saying Thanks and Beyond: Is Saying Thank You Enough? here on Amazon

coming up murder by mary angela

11/7/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Coming Up Murder by Mary Angela is what one would call a “cozy” mystery. You won’t find any blood and gore here but what you will find is a clear, definitive, murder mystery deftly handled by the author. In this, a continuation of her adventures, Professor Emmeline Prather, an English Literature professor at a small, midwestern University in Copper Bluff is dragged into a murder mystery that twists and turns like a coiling snake. The University is holding a Shakespeare Festival and much pomp and ceremony will accompany the display of an original Shakespeare Folio, a refurbished Shakespeare Garden, a performance by the performing arts department of Hamlet as well as music and a celebration of Shakespeare’s birthday and death. When the actor playing Hamlet pronounces in one of the University’s forums during the week that he will conclusively prove that Shakespeare was not actually the author of the work attributed to his name, consternation on campus is rife. When Tanner Sparks is found dead on a bench in the Shakespeare Park, the day after opening night, a murder mystery is revealed and Professor Prather along with her boyfriend Lenny drop their academic pose to pick up the amateur sleuthing persona for which she is so well known in Copper Bluff.

What I particularly liked about Coming Up Murder was the simple, unpretentious and clean way in which author Mary Angela wrote the story. Yes, it was about murder but she was not about to assail her readers with all the gore and violence as so many authors are wont to do. I enjoyed the gentle, relaxed pace of the story and the blooming relationship between Em and Lenny. I also found the character of the nosy but well-meaning neighbor Mrs. Gunderson to be one that many readers would identify with and smile while reading. The story definitely had the requisite red-herrings and switchbacks that murder/mystery readers look for and right to the last chapter, I, like I’m sure most readers were still tossing up the possibilities among the suspect list. Angela’s writing style is simple, conversational and extremely readable. I’m not a massive reader of “cozy” mysteries but this book served to remind me of why the genre exists and why its readership is so dedicated and loyal. The greatest compliment I can pay any author who writes a series with the same characters is to say that I am now invested enough in the characters created to want to read other books in the series. If this is your genre and you haven’t discovered this author yet, I would urge you to try it. If this isn’t your usual genre, relax, sit-down, put your feet up and enjoy a good, old-fashioned murder/mystery that is hard to put down.

You can find Coming up Murder by Mary Angela, here on Amazon:

necessarily evil: prophecy (divine sitcom book 1) by shad nemo freud

8/7/2019

Reviewed For Author Resource Centre by Grant Leishman

Necessarily Evil: Prophecy (Divine Sitcom Book 1) is, “something completely different”, from the pen of Shad Nemo Freud. A self-confessed love of Monty Python, the author’s creativity and genius is clear for all to see throughout this amazing book that had this reader chuckling and grimacing all at the same time. As a reviewer, when an author tells me he is influenced by Python (especially an American author) I am wont to roll my eyes and shrug my shoulders – really? Someone from America, gets Python? Well, having read Shad Nemo Freud’s journey in Necessarily Evil: Prophecy, I can say – “well, it appears this American does get Python!” With a doff of the cap to Python and to The Hitchhiker’s Guide, Freud takes us on a surrealistic journey through the realms of demons, Gods, Devils, and all things evil but he does it in the best possible way.
Carl Beaumont, a half-Orc is an Inquisitor in the prevailing church on Earth, the Satanic Church and when he is sent on a mission by the Pope to save the world from a Prophesy that was written some two-millennium earlier, he quickly realizes this will be one of his most dangerous and difficult missions. He gathers around him a team of absolute misfits who bring a delightful diversity and comedy to the story. Their task is to gather the necessary items; a gun capable of killing a God, divine blood money to pay off a debt, as well as travelling through time to get the blessing of a dead God and they have just six months to accomplish this. Arrayed against them will be a plethora of dangerous and disgusting foes, ranging from demons of the Abyss, a Demon Prince who hates Carl with a passion, never mind the endless Nazi Zombies in the temple, all bent on the destruction of Carl and his merry men (and women).
Despite the incredible action, the magical firefights and the realm stretching magic, which is frequent and exciting, this story is not really about the “battles”, it is about the characters, the oddball team that Carl has put together to achieve this goal. Each of them has been imbued with a personality that lends itself to hating and loving them at the same time. Carl, with his arrogance, his chain-smoking, his drinking too much and his anger is beautifully counterweighted by his undying devotion to his wife and daughter, not to mention his love and loyalty to his fellow warriors. What becomes quickly apparent is that these characters, despite being as different, in as many ways as possible, is their unswerving devotion and loyalty to each other. For me, the character development was the absolute highlight of the story and was perhaps best exemplified in the reactions to the death of one of the main characters in Carl’s team.
This whole story was like a breath of fresh air to this reader. As I stated at the beginning, “something completely different” and something I’d been waiting for, for a long time. I loved the sardonic, dark, essentially British, humour and I loved the interplay between the characters which was natural and unforced despite the differences in their genetics and backgrounds. If I had one complaint about Necessarily Evil: Prophecy (Divine Sitcom: Book 1) it would be that Shad Nemo Freud (you’ve gotta love that name – right?) chose to end the story on a cliffhanger of sorts. That means I now have to read the next book in the series to find out what happens – but I can assure you that will be no stretch or punishment at all. I can rank this book as one of the best I’ve read this year.

You can find Necessarily Evil: Prophecy (Divine Sitcom: Book 1) by Shad Nemo Freud, here on Amazon:

the last enemy: the last enemy series book 3 by dan e. hendrickson

8/7/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

In Book Three of The Last Enemy series: The Last Enemy, author Dan E. Hendrickson brings reader’s the explosive finale of the Cartel Crusher adventures. Commander Jacob Edwards was known throughout Mexico and the American border, as the Hero of Cozumel for his exploits over a decade earlier when, as a United States Coast Guard Commander, he foiled a planned assassination of the then Mexican President’s daughter, Marnia Gonzalez, aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Mexico. Marnia would go on to become one of Mexico’s most feared law enforcement agents, known as the Cartel Crusher. Jacob’s actions had put him in direct conflict with some powerful and dangerous people; Boris, a notorious Russian Mafioso whose sole ambition was the accumulation of power and money, along with powerful Mexican cartel lord Maximillian Manerez. When Jacob, his wife and his mother are all killed in a sabotaged plane crash whilst heading to Australia on holiday, it appears Boris has won – but has he really? Marnia believes Jacob was not actually on that plane and is determined to uncover the truth, along with Jacob’s father and his daughter Danielle.

Having read the first two books in the series, it was a pleasure for me to be reunited with all the old, familiar characters in The Last Enemy: The Last Enemy Series Book 3. Author Dan E. Hendrickson has drawn characters at the very extremes of human nature. From the intensely patriotic and family-oriented members of the Edwards’ family through to the magnificent evilness of Boris and Maximillian. What I particularly liked about Jacob, as a character, was that he was flawed and defined by his actions that had seen him proclaimed as the Hero of Cozumel. He knew he had a dark side to him as evidenced that day but he accepted his limitations and still did whatever was necessary to protect his family and his country. I felt the author went out of his way to present positive and uplifting characters on the Mexican and Central American sides. Given the current stereotyping of these people, this was a real plus for me to read. Perhaps, and this could be just me, the finale was a little too contrived and pat for my liking but I am aware Hendrickson wanted to inject his underlying beliefs into the narrative, so it wasn’t a big problem for me. If you like a series with realistic action sequences, lots of twist and turns, plus some good, old-fashioned values and family love then you shouldn’t go past this book and this series. This has been an excellent series to read and one in which the author has grown as a writer. I look forward to what’s to come from this author.

You can find The Last Enemy, plus the rest of this series, here on Dan E. Hendrickson's Amazon page:

primeval origins: rise of serpents by b a vonsik

3/7/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Primeval Origins: Rise of Serpents is the third book in the Primeval Origins series from Author B A Vonsik, which ask the burning question; “what if all our legends and myths about man’s creation are true?” Rise of Serpents takes us from the near future, 2030’s, when man is not only experimenting with genetic enhancement but is also openly embracing the idea of cybernetics, also known as transhumanism, back to the origins of humanity when Gods and Ancients strode the world with their power and domination over all living things. Two men Rogaan, the half-Tellen, searching for his father who is held captive and Aren, the Evendiir are thrown together as allies, on a mission that perhaps neither of them fully understands nor grasps the enormity of the foes they will face. Both of them are more powerful than they realise and they will need to be as they come face to face with some of the most powerful beings and creatures of these ancient times. They must face and defeat those that seek what they possess, including the most feared of them all, the one who calls himself The Vassal. The legendary Shunned, Luntanus Alum is holding Rogaan’s father prisoner and it will take all of the pair’s Agni magic to find a way forward.

This story is definitely one for the reader’s who seek true epic fantasy. Author B A Vonsik has created, in Primeval Origins: Rise of Serpents, a world in which all of our most fantastical nightmares and legends about the past and the origins of humanity have come true. Evil Gods and powerful, magical rulers hold sway over a cowering populace. Simply put, this is the eternal battle of Good vs Evil played out on an epic stage across epochs. I haven’t read the first two volumes and, in many ways, I wish I had as I felt overwhelmed and a little lost at times as the characters, familiar to readers already, no doubt, emerged and took their place in the narrative. The author has a superb and engaging style which keeps the reader riveted and turning the page. The fight scenes (and there are plenty of them) were incredibly descriptive and realistic. One could almost hear and feel the magical power in the air. I particularly enjoyed the relationship and angst between Rogaan, his “former” friend Pax, and Pax’s sister Suhd. More than the epic fantasy, for me, this was one of the main cores of the story, along with the developing friendship between Rogaan and Aren. If epic fantasy is your thing then I have little doubt this book will sustain you and give you plenty to think about, even if it left me a little bereft of understanding.

You can find Primeval Origins: Rise of Serpents here on B A Vonsik's Amazon page:

The P.S. Wars: Last stand at custer high by Geoffrey Carter

30/6/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

The PS Wars: Last Stand at Custer High by Geoffrey Carter takes us inside the battle for the minds of America’s young people and the debate over private vs public education. Dave Bell is a retired teacher with over thirty-odd years spent teaching at the Public High-School, Custer High. With his wife and children estranged he sees no downside to returning to the school as a substitute teacher for another year. But Dave and his fellow teachers are about to be caught up in a battle for the privatisation of Custer High. EduNet and its corporate minions are seeking to convince the school board and the city that Public Education has failed its students and its community. They want to take over the school and replace it with a private charter school. Dave and his fellow long-serving teachers know well that in this predominantly African-American community and in a school with over 40% of its students falling into the Special Needs Education category, a private charter school will do nothing to help these students. In fact, they know they will be excluded. The students, the teachers, the parents and the community in general will rally around their beloved school but can they convince the School Board and the City not to give in, to the corporate raiders?

Being a non-American I found The PS Wars: Last Stand at Custer High to be a fascinating insight into the machinations of the US Education system and the argument that private enterprise can always do a better and more efficient job than a beurocracy-laden Government. Author Geoffrey Carter is clearly passionate about the topic and this flows throughout his work. The author’s style is easy, flowing and very readable. I found the characterisations of the teachers, especially, to be endearing. We can all remember those rare teachers, from our childhood, who made going to school somehow make sense. I loved the counterpoint he made between those (generally of the older generation) for whom teaching was a vocation and for whom the students were their lives, with those who just viewed teaching as a stepping stone to a more rewarding and successful career. The corporate greed honchos were perhaps a tad overdrawn and incredibly dysfunctional but no doubt made that way to highlight the differences in motivations between the two sets of characters. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of Dave Bell’s teaching style and his interactions with the students, which were realistic and never pulled any punches, showing starkly the difficulty and the rewards of working in an inner-city, impoverished, school. The point that the teachers were doing their absolute best, despite the appalling situation came through loud and clear. I found this book an excellent read and can highly recommend it.

You can find The P.S. Wars: Last Stand at Custer High by Geoffrey Carter, here on Amazon:

Re: Camelot - The complete edition by e. c. fisher

27/6/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

E. C. Fisher has brought the Arthurian legend to life in a new and different way in the novel, Re: Camelot, The Complete Edition. Young Arthur is unaware he is a direct descendant of the great King Arthur of Camelot. After Arthur’s parents are killed in a car crash when he was just twelve, a miserable aunt sends Arthur off to a boarding school where he is lost and alone, his only solace the books and stories his mother used to read to him, so assiduously, of Camelot, the Knights of the Round Table, King Arthur and their adventures. Obsessed with everything Arthurian, Arthur wishes for nothing more than to be transported from his hell here to the days of legend, a legend he somehow feels intimately connected with. On the planet Avalon, trouble is brewing. The sleeping black dragon is awakening and about to spread its evil across all of the land that was once Camelot – unless, a young man can be summoned to save the world, a young man capable of drawing Excalibur from the stone, of reuniting all of the sacred weapons and defeating the evil that threatens to destroy Avalon. Could young Arthur be that man?

Re: Camelot, The Complete Edition is certainly a unique twist on the old Arthurian story. Author E. C. Fisher has created a whole new world in which Camelot once existed and although now fragmented, can be unified again by the right person. I loved the unique premise and it is not one I have found in my Arthurian readings to date. It is always difficult to take a legend such as Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, which has been so written about over the years and give it a new and fresh twist. Fisher does this well and the descriptions of the planet Avalon and its environment are well done. Arthur and indeed the main characters of the story, for me, were a little superficial and their treatment and characterization not in-depth enough for my liking. That may be a feature of the author’s desire to have such a large ensemble cast but nonetheless apart from Arthur we really did not get to know the other characters in any real depth. That being said, the story is one that rollicks along at some pace, with plenty of action and fight scenes in the narrative, along with some budding romances between the characters. I suspect this is squarely aimed at the young adult audience and the speed and unique qualities of the story will doubtless appeal to them. I did particularly like the lack of gender bias the author built into the story – automatic rights of accession regardless of gender and, of course, a female Merlin all go a long way to address the need to be gender equal in today’s world. Well done to the author for that.

You can find Re: Camelot, The Complete Edition by E. C. Fisher, here, on Amazon:

vices/virtues: a novel by beatrice De Soprontu

24/6/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Vices/Virtues by Beatrice De Soprontu is an interesting piece of contemporary literature that attempts to go inside the minds of its characters and determine what motivates them in their decision making and why they took the course, in life that they did. It is very much a novel of “manners” in the old-fashioned style. Cristela grew up in a conservative, but poor world shrouded in secrecy and mystery. Her mother, a devout Venezuelan Catholic and her father – well, she wasn’t quite sure exactly who her father was. For years Cristela believed her father was from Puerto Rico, the same man, as her elder brother’s father but later on she would discover that not to be the truth and in fact her mother had no idea who her father was. Unsure of her heritage and doubting her place in the world, Cristela lived a double life. During the day she showed apartments, to potential tenants, in a large apartment block but by night she was a dominatrix working in a New York dungeon. Her attempts to keep her two lives completely separate would result in some difficult and at times humorous interactions with her friends and family. The book is essentially a collection of observations and anecdotes of the parade of clients and of staff of the dungeon. An endless line, of both, pass through the building during her time there and Cristela is often surprised by the different motivations people have for their involvement in this business.

I enjoyed Vices/Virtues for two main reasons. Firstly, it was a gentle exploration of what is often seen as the seedy side of society. Author Beatrice DeSoprontu does not bombard us with explicit and/or violent fetishes but introduces many of Cristela’s clients with understanding and compassion, making the reader aware that often fetish is simply a manifestation of something else that may be lacking in a person’s life or indeed a reaction to something that happened to a person earlier in life. She is not critical nor judgemental of her clients, which I found extremely refreshing. Coupled with this was the main character’s long-standing search for herself, her identity and her place in the world. The author’s characters, especially many of those drawn to work in the sex industry, were intelligent, funny and often extremely caring and sympathetic, which is perhaps not what one would expect from a “house of pain.” Secondly, the author eschewed the possibility of sensationalizing and exploiting the sexual nature of the job. Yes, there is explicit content but it is handled with grace, aplomb and sensitivity by the author, giving the tale a “naughty but nice” feel to it. I suspect this was a debut novel from this author and as such, I commend her on finding the right tone, the right style and for hitting all the right notes in this reader’s mind. Vices/Virtues is an excellent and insightful tale, well told.

Unfortunately, Vices/Virtues is not yet available on Amazon but it is worth keeping an eye out for. It is an excellent read.

the transmogrification of toby pickles by wilf tilley

24/6/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

The Transmogrification of Toby Pickles by Wilf Tilley is a journey back in time to 1960’s Britain where the swinging sixties, laced with post-war austerity and conservatism were very much on a headlong rush to culture clash. Mick is an Assistant Stage Manager for a small theatre company based in Skipborough. Seen as important to the preservation of culture in a devastated post-war Britain many of these small companies flourished, funded by local councils and putting on a collection of serious and humorous plays, plus, of course, the obligatory holiday pantomimes for the local hoi-polloi and summer tourists to the coastal regions. Mick wants to be part of the “players” but it seems he is forever destined to work behind the scenes. Life for Mick is simple, straightforward and humdrum; from rehearsals, to drinks at the pub with his co-workers, to regular dalliances at the pictures with the local lasses, Mick is young and ready for life. When his gay, theatre pal and man of mystery Toby Pickles is knocked out in a fight and hits his head on the concrete, putting him into a coma, Mick’s life begins to change as a new, weird and extremely colourful cast of characters come into his life. Suddenly Mick and his cohorts are thrust into a world of the elite; “Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen” plus a mystery that takes them into the London criminal underworld inhabited by the likes of the Kray twins along with a good dose of international espionage. Coupled with Mick’s fall for a certain Jamaican nurse, life gets much more complicated.

As someone with a British heritage and television upbringing, I was able to fully enjoy the humour, innuendo, double-entendres and colloquial language of both the period and the place. The style that author Wilf Tilley has used in The Transmogrification of Toby Pickles is reminiscent of the extremely popular 60’s movie franchise “Carry On…” with even some references to those movies and actors, in the text, with a dose of the “Benny Hill’s” thrown in for good measure. One particular scene late in the story of Matron’s running from the law did bring Benny Hill’s famous chase scenes to my mind’s eye. I enjoyed the, at times, clever double-entendres and the Cockney rhyming slang which leant authenticity to the time and place of the tale, however, I wonder how effective this story will be to those outside of the British Empire. That having been said, the story is one long collection of “mishaps” which lead our characters to understanding more about themselves. I liked Mick, especially, as the main character because he was, in many ways, naïve and innocent of the wicked ways of the world and yet he worked in an industry that was notorious for its gender misappropriation and its general sexual shenanigans. Don’t expect political correctness here; mid 60’s Britain was the polar opposite of political correctness, especially with the cultural clash between those who went to war and the new generation of baby-boomers. I did enjoy this book and can certainly recommend it.

You can find The Transmogrification of Toby Pickles by Wilf Tilley here, on Amazon:

wild hare by laura koerber

20/6/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Wild Hare was certainly something different in the reading genre from my perspective. Author Laura Koerber has brought us a tale of fairies and other magical creatures but they are far removed from the usual fairies and fae of fantasy novels. These fairies and half-fairies are, it seems, just normal characters trying to survive in a world gone crazy. Like the animals, the fairies have seen their world and their habitat shrink over the generations due to man’s incessant demands on his environment. Consequently, it appears they are indeed a dying breed struggling for survival. Living at a run-down resort out near Bear Lake, Bob gets by on a day-to-day basis with a bit of petty thievery, using his somewhat limited fairy skills and some odd-job work with his best mate Arne. Always wary about the militia who now run the police force, Bob and his friends lament the destruction of their environment and the loss of personal freedoms in their country. It is 2032 and the all-seeing, all-controlling Government has everyone at their mercy but Bob’s not so sure that he and his fairy friends can take much more. Perhaps it is time to strike back.

I really enjoyed Wild Hare, it was something different. I loved the idea of red-neck, southern characters coupled with the abilities of supernatural creatures such as fairies. Bob, was a fascinating character. Outwardly he cared little about the goings-on around him and sought solace in his limited slice of freedom at his cabin, in the forest and by the lake, but deep down a rebellion was stirring inside of him. To me, as a reader, Bob epitomized the concept of the individual who feels he can do nothing on his own to change the system, so why even try. It takes an epiphany of a little, old lady and his best friend’s arrest to get him riled up enough to take action. Bob was complex, yet simple and that’s what I liked the most about him. The opportunity to learn something of the Native American legends and culture was a real bonus in this story. I particularly appreciated this idea that fairies and their ilk revealed themselves to the Native Americans and lived in harmony with them, but understood that wasn’t possible with today’s modern humanity – a definite indictment on our society, of course. Beautifully written with a descriptive focus and limited dialogue the story eloquently tells of the pain and angst as the fairies watch their world being destroyed by man’s greed, seemingly unable to stem the tide. I can highly recommend this book for anyone looking for something just a little bit different.

You can find Wild Hare, along with the rest of Laura Koerber's portfolio, here on her Amazon page:

traces of home (open wide my heart book 1) by s.s. bazinet

17/6/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Traces of Home (Open Wide My Heart Book 1) by S. S. Bazinet takes us right inside the lives of some seriously dysfunctional people from difficult childhoods. Lea, a successful pediatrician is haunted by her childhood memories when her parents gave her none of the love and support, she needed instead leaving her to be brought up by nannies. One brutal Nanny, in particular, had physically and mentally abused and tormented her when she was just three. As a result, she has found it impossible to get close to anyone, as an adult. Engaged to an eminent but somewhat emotionless surgeon, Lea decided she has to run away and stop Matthew, her fiancée from the mistake of marrying her. When she is struck by a car, driven by a hard-working cardiologist and loses all memory of her past life, Eric and his Mother take her in and show her the love and concern she has always been lacking. What she doesn’t initially realise is that Eric and Margaret have their own internal traumas to deal with, relating to Eric’s late father and Margaret’s husband, Ricky. Throw in a somewhat confused and frustrated psychiatrist and you have a story full of angst, loss, doubt, self-discovery and love.

This story is essentially about family and the pressures and pain that parents can transfer to their children. In Traces of Home (Open Wide My Heart Book 1), author S. S. Bazinet has created an ensemble cast of characters each of whom has something in their past they are ashamed of or they are struggling to live up to the expectations of others, be it their parents, their peers, or their loved ones. The characters are drawn to an absolute extreme and sometimes appear less real because of this but the author does an excellent job of describing and understanding the weird dynamics that go into making family relationships work, let alone the extreme dynamics of these terribly dysfunctional people. The overwhelming saving grace of the story is the deep caring and love that is evident in each of the characters the author has drawn, beneath their exterior walls of indifference and pride that they have placed around themselves. An incredibly easy book to read, the author’s style and changes in POV’s were abrupt and frequent, which allowed each of the characters to shine at various times. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Matthew, Lea’s fiancée and Eric, her angel and faux brother. There was a chemistry and humour between them that had me chuckling and turning pages rapidly. It is difficult to write, convincingly, about the angst of familial relationships and I think the author does very well at that. If you enjoy family drama and the power of love to overcome all odds, you’ll enjoy this book. I look forward to the further adventures of these odd-ball characters in the next installment in the Open Wide My Heart series.

You can find Traces of Home (Open Wide My Heart Book 1) here on S. S. Bazinet's Amazon page:

dragon noir (dragon cycles book 1) by daniel moylan

14/6/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Written somewhat in the vernacular of old mobster-style novels from the 40’s, Dragon Noir (Dragon Cycles) by Daniel J Moylan was a new and interesting take on the existence of magic and witches in our society. Victor Quinn is the seventh son of the seventh son of the Magician’s King of the Americas. As such and as a warlock, he is in line for the throne, eventually. What he doesn’t realise is that his opportunity to shine, as ruler, will come much sooner than he anticipates. He has, to some extent, shunned the wealth and power of the family royal name and until such time as he inherits his title, he is happy to work as a private detective using his abilities to perform the role. Despite expectations from the family to provide a future lineage, Victor has to date stayed very much unattached. That is until his mother sends a woman to him that seeks his help but also opens his heart to love and need. Victor is about to discover that there is much more to being a warlock that he, or even his father or his beloved Paps, knew and understood. He is about to embark on his own journey of self-discovery.

Dragon Noir (Dragon Cycles) is certainly not your usual run-of-the-mill fantasy adventure about magic. I liked that it was set in a real-world environment where keeping the magic secret from the rest of the dullards on earth was a prime objective. Author Daniel J Moylan has created a group of characters who are caricatures of mobsters from 40’s crime novels and has done it successfully. The plot was novel, the writing imaginative, inventive and refreshingly new, for this reader, anyway. I also liked the fact that the author kept the possibility of future stories of this vein alive, with a clear path to a possible sequel. The writer’s ability to entrap the readers senses with his prose was evident in the descriptive nature of the some of the gorier fight scenes, inherent in the story. It was possible to almost smell the rot, the decay and the sense of fear described so eloquently by Moylan. If you like real-to-life fantasy adventure then this book should absolutely satisfy your needs. I was particularly taken by the idea that the warlock was not the final state of being and without giving away the plot look forward to more exploration of that theme in future stories.

You can find Dragon Noir (Dragon Cycles Book 1) here on Amazon:

tied lives by jonathan finch

11/6/2019

I've read a number of author Jonathan Finch's books over the years, both poetry and prose. I've always been impressed with his grasp of the language and his ability to write poetry that transcends the norm. He is truly a craftsman of words. It is fair to say that sometimes I have criticised his prose for being too verbose, too obscure and often too pretentious. Instead of focusing on the characters and their development it sometimes seemed that the descriptiveness of the writing was more important. One of the things about being a reviewer is it allows you to watch an author grow, develop and change. Finch's latest work Tied Lives is living proof of this adaptability and for that reason is an absolute winner.
Finch brings us a story that is both simple and complex, one that allows the most unlikely of characters to connect, to develop and to expose their vulnerabilities.
Reginald Washington is the archetypal British senior civil servant - stiff upper lip and all. Extremely successful, well respected and an authority on gender equality in society, Reggie, has achieved it all. Close to sixty, Reggie is unmarried and still lives at home, with his parents and adult sisters, though. When a chance encounter at the local pub introduces him to the beautiful, exotic, and alluringly sexy, thirty-year-old, Thai domestic helper, Siri-Srai, Reggie's whole world turns upside down. He is smitten and no amount of "common sense" from his family is going to change that. Reggie is in love and embarks on a journey of discovery that will take him away from his "safe place" the halls of parliament, halfway across the world to the "Land of Smiles" where he will discover exactly how the "other half" lives and what it is like to be a "foreigner" (farang) in a strange land.
This is a beautiful love story, a poignant and touching portrayal of devotion and betrayal that will pull at any reader's heartstrings. The story resonated so deeply with me because of the personal connection to the experience, yet Finch invites us all inside that very different world of cross-cultural relationships and bathes the reader in understanding, empathy and a deep connection to the characters. I can honestly say I loved this story and I particularly loved the telling of it in a straight-forward narrative. Jonathan Finch is to be commended for his exceptional work on this book and I think, from my perspective, he has truly arrived as a novelist. Congratulations on a job well done. Oh, and the little pun in the title of the book was just the icing on the cake for me.

You can discover Tied Lives and indeed all of Jonathan Finch's work, here on his Amazon page:

escaping midnight (what goes on in the walls at night #3) by andrew schrader

11/6/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Escaping Midnight: What Goes on in the Walls at Night #3 by Andrew Schrader is a collection of short stories based around a collection of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Some of the stories are short and sweet, whereas others allow the characters to develop and mature. The tales are as told to the narrator by a faceless, nameless beast he comes across “between the walls”. One story focuses on a woman who decides the best way to punish her uncaring and thoughtless, wealthy husband is to extract his consciousness before he dies and keep it in a hard drive where he can see and feel everything that is going on around him but can do nothing to change it or communicate. In another, reminiscent of “big brother” watching, a scientist has developed a scanning machine which can detect future criminal tendencies in advance of them appearing in the subject. Society can then, it seems, take proactive action to protect its citizens by locking them up before the crimes occur. All children will be scanned at age sixteen and those who fail will be dealt with accordingly. All goes well until the powers that be determine that the best way to get the public onside with this measure will be to perform the scan on the scientist’s own son in front of a world-wide television audience.

This collection of short stories offers a glimpse into a world that some would describe as madness. Escaping Midnight: What Goes on in the Walls at Night #3 is a chilling journey into what might be, especially with the continued advent of technology and AI. Author Andrew Schrader has plumbed the depths of his imagination to bring these stories to life. Not normally a fan of the short-story format, preferring the character development that full novels permit, I was nonetheless dragged into his weird and wonderful world. As always, with any collection of work, there are some that stir the consciousness and resonate with me, more than others. A couple of the stories I found particularly compelling in this collection were: The Cosmos of Meaning and See You in Theaters. The Cosmos of meaning particularly struck me, as a reader, because much of the philosophy on life, espoused by the character aligned with my own thoughts on the subject. See You in Theaters was great for another reason – simply because it was so weird. It was also long enough to allow some character development and I appreciated that. This is a wonderful, easily read, collection of the weird and wonderful. I can definitely recommend it and am inspired to check out Volumes 1 & 2 of the series. That’s a compliment, for sure, to this author.

You can find Escaping Midnight (What Goes on in the Walls at Night by Andrew Schrader, here on his Amazon author page:

normal family (normal family trilogy book 1) by don trowden

8/6/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Normal Family: Volume One Normal Family Trilogy by Don Trowden takes us back to the end of the sixties, to an American being torn apart by cultural unrest, generational change and an extremely unpopular war half-way across the world in South East Asia. Ten-year-old Henry Prendergast is growing up in what is becoming an increasingly dysfunctional family, trying to come to terms with why he doesn’t seem to fit into his family. Through a series of four disastrous family, holiday, celebrations including Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, Henry slowly discovers that everything and everyone he thought brought stability into his life is either leaving or changing dramatically. Looming large over Henry’s father and entire family is his over-achieving Grandfather – a well-known, wealthy and feted explorer and author. Henry’s mother is not only hiding a difficult past she is also trying to come to terms with her role as a wife and mother. It seems her slide into depression and mental instability is only exacerbated by the dysfunction of her family. Henry’s siblings provide little relief to his confusion; his elder brother being a “genius” and heading off to Yale at the mere age of fifteen and his elder sister appearing to be on the verge of anorexia. For Henry, at ten, life is simply an incredibly confusing state of being.

I found Normal Family: Volume One Normal Family Trilogy to be an extraordinarily insightful view into the psyche of a child growing up in a dysfunctional environment at a time of great social change. Perhaps it was the fact that I was, like young Henry, just ten-years-old also in 1969 but whatever the reason, author Don Trowden’s book absolutely resonated with me. The world, not just America was changing dramatically in 1969 and as children we looked at the uproar with wide open eyes not understanding at all why our solid bases we thought our lives were grounded on were slowly being chipped away. I absolutely could identify with Henry’s bemusement at it all. I chuckled when Henry began to wonder if he was adopted as he couldn’t grasp being genetically related to these weird people that made up his family. The characters in the story loomed large and real in the narrative. I particularly enjoyed the interaction and eye-rolling comments from both Grandfather and his long-suffering but clearly deeply loving wife. The stepmother also was pushed to the extreme of the “evil witch” and I appreciated that also although it was nice to have her children able to soften the effect on young Henry. This was a fantastic read and I absolutely loved it. As the first in a proposed trilogy, I absolutely look forward to see where this takes us next. I am making an assumption there is an element of an autobiographical nature in this story and I appreciate the catharsis this may have for the author, if this is the case.

You can find Normal Family by Don Trowden, here on Amazon:

double down by bruce wessell

8/6/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Double Down by Bruce Wessell is a fun romp through Las Vegas with a man who has been stretched to the limit by his job, his relationship and his life. Finally he takes a giant step and does something he never thought he would do. Johnny, a sales rep. for a food processing company in Iowa, was a success but today couldn’t possibly get any worse, could it? Just prior to the company’s annual conference where Johnny is going to be awarded the Pinnacle Award, including an enormous bonus, as one of the company’s top salesmen, Johnny is visiting some of his more difficult clients and not enjoying it one iota. When he gets a message from his boss, who he hates with a passion, he knows this day is going downhill fast. When Johnny’s informed he won’t be getting the Pinnacle Award due to some unaccounted for returns from one of his clients, he’s devastated and angry as hell. Seeking solace from his girlfriend, he returns home only to find her in bed with one of her co-workers. After rearranging the man’s face for him, Johnny storms off to see one his least favourite clients, Bernie and Mother. When presented with a bag full of cash at Bernie’s, sitting unattended in the office, Johnny grabs the bag and runs – heading for – Vegas, of course, some fun and adventure, all on Bernie’s money.

Double Down is a comedy but not in the gut-busting laughter vein. Its comedy is more subtle than that and Author Bruce Wessell has painted a scenario that each and every one of us has possibly wondered about from time to time. If presented with a clear opportunity, would I do something illegal if I was angry enough or feeling cheated enough? Johnny was a great character, in that despite his stealing Bernie and Mother’s money he still maintained and showed a moral compass that some of us may not have been able to. The supporting cast were all well-drawn almost to the point of caricature; with the Russian Mafia guys and Bernie’s Mother (the Mother of all Mothers). I liked the writer’s style, which flowed effortlessly from one amusing situation to the next. The action is fast-paced and the comedy subtle but funny. Johnny is on a winning streak and it seems no matter what he does, he will come up smelling of roses. This was a fun read and one I enjoyed very much. As a debut novel it is well presented, well-written and engaging. If you fancy a bit of light relief, I’d say give Double Down a try.

You can find Double Down, here on Bruce Wessell's Amazon page:

the healing of howard brown by jeb stewart harrison

5/6/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

The Healing of Howard Brown by Jeb Stewart Harrison is a return to the epic tales of the deep-South. When 60-year-old retired English teacher Howard Brown Jr. revisits his roots in the bayous of Louisiana he is taken on a journey of discovery and given an opportunity to rediscover himself and find out who he is and who is meant to be. As Howard and his wife Sandy wait patiently for his father to die, Howard’s sister Sisi is creating her own unique brand of havoc both within the Californian family but also back in the back woods of Louisiana where the Brown family roots are located. Howard has suffered from chronic pain, all over his body, from numerous problems and has been hopelessly hooked on opioids, to manage it, for a number of years. When his seemingly crazy sister disappears, Howard is forced to return to his roots both to try to find Sisi but also to look at the land his father has left the pair in the bayous. What Howard actually discovers is that he knew so little about his family’s history, his father, his sister and himself. The journey to meet his cousins in St Francisville turns into a real journey of self-discovery for the whole family.

It’s a long time since I’ve read a book of this style – old fashioned contemporary literature, written with a massive dose of “good ole boy” Southern humour, redneck nature, gentlemanly conduct, and self-deprecation. I found The Healing of Howard Brown to be a real refreshing change from the genre driven fashion of the day. Author Jeb Stewart Harrison really got inside the heads of the characters and they were true characters. From Howard Jr. the drug addicted retiree who effectively was just waiting for his father to die and release him from his all-powerful control, presumably so he could then just fade away quietly himself through to the passel of second cousins in Louisiana who were the archetypal good ole boys. Sister Sisi was a fascinating mixture of mental health issues and deviousness but all of the characters contributed to this incredibly dysfunctional family. The writing style was true to the environment and the descriptive language when conveying the miasma that is bayou country was so eloquent, I could also smell the rotting moss and the stagnant water, as the boat pushed through the swamp country channels. This was a fantastic read and although it could be accused of being a little fanciful in places it didn’t shirk from asking the big questions of Howard Brown Jr. and attempting to answer them. I can definitely recommend this read.

You can find The Healing of Howard Brown, plus the remainder of Jeb Stewart Harrison's work on his Amazon page, here:

two hearts under fire (two hearts wounded warrior romance book 8) by tamara ferguson

5/6/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Author Tamara Ferguson regularly brings us new iterations of her wounded warrior series and Two Hearts Under Fire (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance Book 8) is the latest story in that franchise. Airman Russ Quinlan and his team are targeted and their transport destroyed en-route in Iraq. When Russ returns to the States he realises that someone has been trying to frame him and the subsequent inquiry may well lead to his own court-martial and a lengthy prison sentence. Whilst looking for help, he contacts his old friend, AFOSI Agent Brand Reardon but instead finds the beautiful Claire Ellis at Brand’s apartment, a friend of Brand’s fiancé, Sarah. When a gunman attacks the pair, for no obvious reason they aren’t sure quite who the target was Russ or Claire. Clair it seems is on the run and hiding from a violent and deranged ex-husband who wants to kill her. The pair takes to their heels in a mad dash across country in upstate New York and the Great Lakes area, to try to escape whoever is after either one of them. The attraction between the pair was electric from the first moment they met and can only get deeper and more intense the more they are thrown together in this race for their lives and safety with their friends Brand and Sarah in Crystal Rock, Wisconsin.

This is not the first Tamara Ferguson book I’ve read. I can honestly say Two Hearts Under Fire (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Romance book 8) is up there with the best of the stories I’ve read, from her, to date. Two things I particularly love about this book and about all of this author’s work is the immense amount of action, excitement, plot twists and romance, she can jam-pack into what is essentially a smallish novel. I’ve read some books with this much excitement that are double the size of this and yet Ferguson loses nothing in the paring down of her work. There are no wasted words or padding in her books, which make them simple and easy to read in one sitting. In fact, it is always hard to put a Ferguson novel down and this one is no exception. The second thing I love about her writing is the sensitive and caring natures she manages to build into to these giant, hulking men, many of whom are ex-special forces operatives, who she shows are capable of feeling and expressing deep emotion, without shame. I also appreciate that much of the action takes place against the backdrop of The Wounded Warrior Hospital and the school for children with disabilities, both in Crystal Rock. These are obviously twin passions of the author and they fit perfectly with her stories. This is a great read and one I can highly recommend.

You can find Two Hearts Under Fire, along with all of Tamara Ferguson's fine portfolio, here on her Amazon page:

The flavorist by kevin urban

3/6/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

In The Flavorist by Kevin Urban, Allen Hale is a man in a billion. His incredible olfactory abilities and his talent of discerning every chemical and compound that goes into the making of a food product has made him renowned and envied world-wide. He is a flavorist, working in the candy industry. When he is surprisingly, to him, invited to the launch of a special new chocolate, in Belgium, by the famous and wealthy chocolatier, Adolf Van De Groot he absolutely destroys his welcome at the function and his host’s temper by tasting the new chocolate and immediately declaring it to be “rather good” for an imitation chocolate. At the function that he is rudely tossed out from, he meets Richard Harden, a CIA operative who is investigating Van De Groot for a suspected biological weapon that he is supposedly developing. When Harden recruits Hale for his scientific expertise all hell will break loose, as Van De Groot and his loyal henchman, Victor look to derail the investigation before it even begins and let loose their weapon on the world.

The Flavorist is a thriller in the grand style and is action-packed from start to end. Author Kevin Urban has created some archetypal characters that play their roles according to the standard rules. The arch-nemesis Van De Groot is a man bordering on insanity and well-written, especially with the suggested but subtle relationship that clearly exists between him and his No.1 henchman, Victor that leads to some interesting scenes and encounters later in the story. The tale takes us from Belgium to the South Pacific, the Amazonian jungle and the broad savannahs of southern Africa. The character of Harden especially and his relationship with the transitioning Maxi was something different in a thriller and added some needed levity and humanity to the non-stop action. For me, the many coincidences and synchronicities in the tale were a little overdone, but in general this was a satisfying and exciting read, with a touch of humour along the way. If you like thrillers that are not massive reads then The Flavorist will definitely appeal to you.

You can find The Flavorist by Kevin Urban, here on his Amazon page:

website statistics