​This is the fourth Griffiths book I have read now and I will continue to follow the progress of this new "indie author" with interest. 

Always a consummate story-teller, Griffiths continues to develop his literary skills and the ability to capture and hold an audience with his words. In each of his novels, I have seen development that makes me sure he is an author destined to continue his course of giving the readers exciting, thrilling and enthralling characters, situations and plotlines. Doll's House continues the progress I have monitored of this author. 

The basic plot revolves around a cursed Doll's House hand-built in the early twentieth century that continue to wreak havoc amongst those who possess it. Its evil was curtailed for a time by a coven of witches, but the breaking of the witches line has released the evil inherent in the house, into the world. The results are scary, horrific and ultimately satisfying. As I said, Griffiths knows how to tell a story, especially in this his preferred genre, the paranormal and The Doll's House is a rollicking story, full of action and excitement. It is a book that is hard to put down simply because you want to know what happens to the characters next. 

One thing I particularly like about Griffiths is he has no qualms about killing off his characters, often in brutal and barbaric ways. No sooner have you identified with a character and begun to egg on and empathize with them, Griffiths will smite them down. I find this to enhance his tales immensely. 

Doll's House is not perfect. There are still language, grammar and punctuation errors that could be better, but for a tale that grips you from start to finish, I am always prepared to overlook minor style issues. These shouldn't detract from your enjoyment and for me, they absolutely did not. 

The ending left open the possibility of a sequel, which I will be looking forward to with bated breath. I will be first in line for the next Griffiths paranormal novel when it rolls off the production line. This author is a breath of fresh air to this jaded reader and I enjoy his talent very much, so happy to award Doll's House five stars.  

Doll's House can be purchased from Amazon.Com here: http://amzn.to/1JGkPoJ

​I found Peter Best's The Burden of Truth an extremely interesting and fascinating view into the world of Buddhism. This book is a detailed tale of one man's journey of enlightenment and I always enjoy a story that takes us on a journey into areas unknown. I have had some exposure to the precepts of Buddhism over the past few years, but I found Best's knowledge and understanding of the underlying themes to be very enjoyable. 

The story follows the journey of "devil may care playboy" Brent Sandler from the horrible events of being rescued from a sinking ferry, The Spirit of Free Enterprise through his journey of discovering there is actually more to life than selfish gratification. Brent celebrates his miraculous survival on The Spirit of Free Enterprise by embarking on a lifestyle of enjoying every single minute of life in style. If Brent was going to go out, he was determined to go out in style and if he survived he would be able to look back on a lifetime of trying every experience he possibly could. This lifestyle led to his involvement in  the underworld and drugs to save his dwindling business finances. It takes a chance encounter to turn his life around and seek the mystery of an ancient Buddhist relic, through rural India. 

This is a very broad novel that addresses some of the questions we always find ourselves asking - what is the point of life? Is Karma real and how does it work? It was a fast-paced and rollicking journey through many difficult and violent encounters that left the reader reeling at times. I enjoyed the pace of this book and the characters were easy to identify with and empathize with. I really enjoyed reading this book. 

I would consider it for five stars, but for two minor drawbacks. Firstly, there are too many editorial errors in the book to warrant five stars. Although they don't detract in any way from the story, they do need to be fixed at some point if this book is to be the success it surely should be. The second issue was again a minor one, but one that kept me from fully embracing the story 100%. There was considerable violence throughout the book, much of it on our principal character, Brent Sandler, yet somehow he seemed to be almost bionic in his ability to survive what may well have killed a lesser man. 

That being said, this is a fantastic, fast-paced, mystery story that has the added attraction of informing the reader of some fascinating Buddhist precepts. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending this book to anyone who loves mystery stories that cross cultures and religions. This is a fantastic read. Good job Peter Best.

​You can check out The Burden of Truth here: http://amzn.to/1kpi84b

​Let me just say, in prefacing this review, that this particular book is so, so, far out of my reading comfort zone, that the three stars I allocated ut indicates a good read. I'm not denigrating the style or genre in any way, it is just so not what I would normally read, however, that being said, I did enjoy the novel, despite the ridiculously long title, no doubt designed to get higher rankings in searches. 

I'll admit to being fairly old-school when it comes to genres. Until recently I had no idea even what dystopian was, let alone cyberpunk or one word used here in the title Lovecraftian, which is still very much a mystery to me. Okay, I'm on a learning curve and at least, I know what dystopian means now. This particular book is described as dystopian, cyberpunk and Lovecraftian story. To me, it was a futuristic fantasy, but as I said, I'm not up to speed with all these new-fangled terms for the differing genres. Anyway, it's fair to say, this particular genre is not my cup of tea, sorry! 

The book is well written, well edited and although fairly short, did take me some time to read. I suspect that was more the difficulty I was having coming to grips with some of the concepts Futuro was introducing in the story. The writing is good enough to ensure that even I struggled with the concept, I was still able to identify with, admire and enjoy the lead character, Saru. 

Set in a dystopian Philadelphia; Saru, a kick-ass, female PI, is as strong a female lead character as I've read in recent times and I dud enjoy her laid-back, don't give a sh*t attitude to all the cr*p that was happening around her and to her. I think she was well written and for me lifted the book above my initial expectations. 

Futuro does, in this book take a swipe at many of our current-day obsessions with instant gratification and electronic aids and it appears does hark for a simpler, less technological time. I did also enjoy the Author's attempt to address that age-old question; what are we here for? 

There is a lot to recommend No Dogs in Philly. If this is your genre, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. The writing is crisp, clear and the author does use the story to tackle current moral and societal dilemmas. I liked the book, rather than loved it, but that doesn't mean it's not worth a read.    

​Mud on your Face is a delightful, little story, suitable for children's reading at, I guess, eight and above. It is a beautifully written and lovingly illustrated book that is neither too long to wear at a child's patience, nor too short to be boring and predictable. 

Like all good children's books, it imparts an important message that children can take away as a moral or a lesson on life. There are two morals to this story I suppose; value what you have and be careful what you wish for, both of which can resonate with adults as well as children. I have no doubt parents reading this book to their children can gain something from it, as well as the child. 

Gus is an eight-year-old boy growing up in a family of eight other siblings, who sometimes feels ignored, overlooked and undervalued in such a large family. Often teased by his older brothers and even his sisters, Gus wonders what it would be like to experience life as a single child, the sole focus of his parent's attention. 

When he meets Milly, in the forest, on a family, camping trip, she takes him on an adventure that explores the possibilities of living a different life, for Gus.     

McGrath is a talented author and makes her two principal characters Gus and Milly very believable and likable. This is a warm and gentle story that imparts her message with simplicity and love. The simple illustrations add to the appeal of the book, especially for children. The illustrations are not lavish, but they are sweet and simple, very much like the prose and characters in this book. 

I really enjoyed this simple break away from the serious novels that I would normally read. As a book that could be read either as a bedtime read for a child, or a bedtime story in conjunction with an adult, I feel Mud on your Face fits the bill perfectly. I would recommend it to parents and grandparents everywhere as a gift for their children or grandchildren. 

This book thoroughly deserves the five stars I have given it. I understand the author is producing a version of this book for the even younger set. An excellent idea, the sentiments expressed in this book are applicable to all age levels. A great, little story.     

"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." 

Illicit Passion, Stuart's second installment of the superstar Marsh family, builds on and improves even the exciting story we were first introduced to in Dangerous Liaisons. The web of deceit so intricately woven in book one grows even deeper, more tangled, and harder to control, for Michael Marsh, in book two.   

I think it is fair to say the second iteration of this story is actually superior to the first. Stuart is growing as an Author and this definitely reflects in this book. Dangerous Liaisons was an excellent story, but Illicit Passion is more complex, faster paced and every bit as exciting and titillating as the first book. I will put my hand up and state I enjoyed this book even more than the first and I can't think of a higher compliment to Stuart than that.

This series does handle a very sensitive and somewhat taboo subject, that of consensual incest. Rather than tip-toe around the subject, Stuart tackles it head-on and in both books handles it sensitively and beautifully, in her writing. 

Illicit Passion, set around fifteen years after the end of Dangerous Liaisons, sees an aging, yet still beloved superstar, Michael Marsh, reunited with his daughter/lover from fifteen years ago, for a tour of Europe designed to save the daughter Lisette from an evil, dominating, torturer who has ruled her life for many years. 

The story is fast-paced, with a wonderful cast of ensemble characters, older than when we last saw them, but some would say no wiser. The backstory linkage to the secret book dating back to the fifteenth century, continues in this book and  absolutely lifts this story far and above the run of the mill romance story.    

This is a wonderful story, even better than the first. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone with an open enough mind to read it for what it truly is - a story that reinforces the power of love and asserts that love really can conquer all. Five stars all the way for Illicit Passion, by Sarah Stuart.           

Every once in a while you get to read something special and this is what John Sharpe: No. 1,348 by Riley J Froud is - something very special. 

To be honest, I had always intended to read this, but I guess the title was strange enough to make me move it down the to be read list, each time it came up. I finally dived into it and what a treat was in store for me. 

How to describe John Sharpe: No. 1,348? Possibly it was the Author herself who summed it up best in the story when she talked about Alice in Wonderland. I guess, for me it is Alice in Wonderland meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - for adults. 

As I was reading this, I couldn't help but think that this type of book is exactly why I love Indie Authors. They are fresh, interesting and full of wonderful ideas. This book is the epitome of the classic indie author. I couldn't imagine a legacy publisher going for this book and yet it would be well worth someone taking a chance on Froud. 

I loved the style this was written in, especially the little asides to the reader, sort of like a narrator shot to the camera, in a movie. I've seen this done before, but not as well as Froud does it in this book. 

The tale itself is a mishmash of fairy tales, but centers on the premise that there were two evolutionary paths of man, many eons ago. Eventually, one of these paths (the smarter ones) removed themselves from the "overworld" and created an "underworld" for them to live in. The humans left in overworld apparently are now devolving back to their ancestral roots (perhaps an astute observation by the author), whereas those in the Underworld continue to evolve. 

The story of the hunt for the real John Sharpe (the Underworld's Queen's son, who was banished to the Overworld, years earlier) is told in a fun, conversational style. I found it incredibly refreshing and enjoyable to read. There was the odd occasion when I felt the little explanatory asides were beginning to get patronizing, but I could easily forgive that as the read was so much fun. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a bit of a laugh or cheering up. The humor is very British, which as a colonial, I got and loved. This is a fun, light, read and just what the doctor ordered. 

Five stars all the way for me. Well done Ms. Froud!   

Well, So About the Money, by Cathy Perkins is simply a wonderful read. Once I started it, I simply couldn't stop until I knew what the finish was. It's a good, long, solid, novel, which is a pleasure after some of the shorter books I've read lately. 

So About the Money isn't anything new, but it is a damn, good, murder, mystery, romance, exceptionally well told. I think Perkins has done a wonderful job in fleshing out her characters and making them believable as well as well as easy to identify with. 

The basic plot is home-town girl reluctantly returns to help her Mother out in their accounting firm after Dad runs away with the yoga instructor. When Holly left for the big city six years ago she left behind a broken heart and a wrecked relationship. A strong, independent woman Holly is not one to let men push her around.

She accidentally stumbles across the body of a murdered friend, whilst hiking and the drama begins. Holly and her hiking companion are the immediate suspects, so Holly sets out to find out just who did murder her friend. This brings her slap back into the attention of her old flame, now a detective, JC.

The sexual tension between Holly and JC was definitely one of the highlights of this book. Perkins handles the minor erotica exceptionally well in this story. It was easy to see where this whole scenario was headed, but that didn't diminsh my enjoyment of the read. 

I would highly recommend So About the Money to anyone who likes their romance spiced up with a bit of "whodunit", or conversely "whodunit" fans who enjoy a bit of spice in their story. 

A fantastic read. I really enjoyed this. Well done Cathy Perkins.