Category: Mystery/Mayhem - GRANT LEISHMAN

presumed dead by martin knox

6/1/2019

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Presumed Dead by Martin Knox is a crime mystery that almost has a feel of the “Perry Mason’s” about it. Jane Kenwood is a maverick local council politician who has been expelled from her party, which currently governs the city of Alexandra. She continues to frustrate and annoy her ex-colleagues on the Council by staying in politics and winning re-election as an Independent. When a Casino Proposal, requiring the demolishing of a heritage building, is presented to the City and supported by the ruling Council, Jane goes into attack mode to try and stop it and to propose an alternative use for the heritage listed building – a multicultural centre for the use of all the diverse ethnic needs of Alexandra’s citizens. When her colleagues, Dr Phillip Keane and her old friend Cutter, both cross the party floor to oppose the Casino, it suddenly seems like Jane may have mustered the support to defeat this proposal. But, then Jane goes missing and the hunt is on to find her abductors and/or murderers. Dr Keane, a former police forensic scientist takes the lead in the investigation of finding Jane. His incentive is Jane and he are lovers and he is desperate to recover her and destroy the perpetrators.

Presumed Dead is a classic “whodunit” and author Martin Knox does a very credible job of describing, in detail the investigative techniques of crime scene analysis that the character had developed in his years as a police forensic scientist. The story is well-constructed, with possible “red-herrings” thrown in at appropriate points. The two principal characters of Jane and Phillip are well drawn and easy to relate to and empathise with. It is interesting, that as in real life, Knox has sought to bring two people together in a romantic relationship that have polar opposite personalities. Jane, the firebrand extrovert with a passion for politics and Phillip the quiet, methodical, introvert who struggles to relate to people on a personal level. I particularly enjoyed the political undertones of the story and the ideals of what truly constitutes democracy. The idea of scrapping political parties and independent politicians voting on their conscience every time has been floated often and I think even trialled occasionally. It brings a real modern-day relevance to the story – one only needs to look at the political turmoil in the US at present to see the dangers of partisanship and party politics. All in all, a very satisfying read and one I can recommend.

You can find Presumed Dead by Martin Knox, here on Amazon:

death is for the living by j.c. steel

16/12/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Death is for the Living by J C Steel is an epic vampire fantasy that takes the reader on a journey from the Caribbean, all over the world, as Cristina Batista and her partner Jean are caught up in vampire machinations that reach to the very peak of vampire society. Cristina and Jean are part of a team of vampire hunters who roam the Caribbean, on the yacht Artemis, looking for and destroying vampires as they go. Both of them, though, have pasts that are perhaps not compatible with the idea of Vampire hunters. Christina was almost changed several years earlier, but somehow was able to stay human and Jean indeed, was a Vampire, changed several Centuries ago, until a witch gave him the power to become human again. Both, for different reasons have great motivation to kill the most powerful vampire in the New World, but their journey will be fraught with danger, fear, and an extreme sense that this may be the end of both of them.

In Death is for the Living, we find a different type of vampire tale that helps to lift this book above the ordinary vampire-hunting stories. Author J C Steel’s style is relaxed and readable, dropping little nuggets of information about the backstories of both Cristina and Jean as the reader progresses through the book. The conflict and suspicions between the characters, especially those of the hunters, who although on a common mission, with a common purpose, but who don’t know each other that well, is one of the highlights of this story. Steel does a good job at defining the two main characters and their relationship, which is both somewhat co-dependent but also extremely loving and beautiful at times. The character of the renegade vampire de Vallejo and the witch Mama Gale could have been fleshed out more full, in my opinion, as a reader. I was certainly left wondering more about these two. Still, this is a solid, readable Vampire fantasy, with the promise of more to come in future iterations of this story.

You can find Death is for the Living, along with all of J.C. Steel's work, here, on his Amazon page:

tears of fire (a lambeth group thriller) by gordon bickerstaff

22/11/2018

As a big Bickerstaff fan, I was excited to see his latest iteration of the Lambeth Group adventures was available. Tears of Fire continues the tradition of this series, with action-packed excitement from go to woah.
This book features the two main characters that fans of the series have come to know and love; Biochemist Professor Gavin Shawlens and Special Forces Soldier Zoe Tamsin. These two characters have become an endearing feature of this series and as each book passes, we grow fonder and fonder of them and their "odd-ball" relationship.
In Tears of Fire, Zoe has been sentenced to death by her Government for the murder of three members of the aristocratic Silsden family, who she had stopped in their nefarious plot to change the world forever. Faced with execution, Zoe knows she must go "dark" and seeks help from her CIA colleagues from across the pond. When Gavin becomes involved in an investigation linked to Insurance Fraud, Zoe realises the dangers he is in and is torn between her care and love for Gavin and her need to stay hidden from potential assassins.
as always this book is non-stop action, with plenty of plot twists and clever mechanisms to introduce new under-plots to the original story. Bickerstaff writes out and out thrillers and does it to an incredibly high level. Amongst the Indie Thriller authors I have read, Gordon Bickerstaff stands near the top of the tree.
Tears of Fire is a riveting read and one I cannot recommend highly enough.

Do pop on over to Amazon, where you can take a look at Tears of Fire, plus all of Bickerstaff's superb portfolio, on his Amazon page:

innocent bystander (the innocent mystery series book 3) by c.a. asbrey

21/11/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Abigail MacKay is a rarity, a detective for the famous Pinkerton Detective Agency at the end of the nineteenth century. In Innocent Bystander (The Innocent Mystery Series Book 3), by C.A. Asbrey, Abigail is drawn west, from her home in New York in search of her missing sister, Madeleine who it appears has run off with a man who is suspected of leaving a trail of dead, rich, wives behind him. The problem is nobody appears to know how he is killing his wives and although suspected of murder, no charges have ever been brought against him. When Nat Quinn, notorious bandit and leader of the Innocent gang, and his erstwhile Uncle Jake rob a train in Wyoming, they discover among the passengers, the beautiful and seductive Madeleine, who instantly reminds him of Abigail, with whom he has had previous romantic and unresolved issues. When Abigail realises Nat and Jake are her best chance to find Madeleine and save her from her killer husband, she heads into outlaw territory and persuades the pair to accompany her to San Francisco where they will try to discover the mysterious method by which the killer disposes of his wives without medical professionals being any the wiser.

Innocent Bystanders (The Innocent Mystery Series Book 3) is a powerful and exciting adventure that captivated me, as a reader, from the first page. I had not read the previous two iterations of this adventure, but author C.A. Asbrey did a superb job in filling in the gaps of what occurred in books 1 & 2. The characters of Abigail, Nat and Jake could almost have been taken from a “western adventure annual”. They are overdrawn, but purposely, I’m sure, by the author, to emphasise their characters. Nat and Jake were far from your average outlaws, with both having a strong moral compass buried beneath their outward bluster and toughness. Similarly, Abigail was your archetypal heroine; strong, independent, free thinking and wilful, everything you’d expect from a Pinkerton female detective. The author marvellously managed to imbue her with a softer, feminine and uncertain side to her character that just rounded her out perfectly. The plot was cleverly constructed and keeps the reader fascinated. Although this story could probably be classified as a “western” genre, it is far more than that and will appeal to aficionados of western, romance, murder/mystery and adventure. All in all, this is an excellent read and highly recommended.

Do pop on over to Amazon where you can find Innocent Bystander, plus the previous two books in the series, here on C.A. Asbrey's Amazon page:

Ready or not by ab plum

4/11/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Thirty-Seven-year-old Karen Sullivan is a woman with a childhood secret. Raped by a teenage neighbour, when she was just twelve, Karen never speaks to anyone about her experiences. Self-employed, she skirts the law, working as a corporate hacker who can find out anything about anyone, just by their digital footprint. In Ready or Not, by AB Plum, Karen and her only true friend, RJ, are volunteers for the Kansas City Rape Crisis Hotline. In the middle of one of the biggest snowstorms to strike Kansas City in years, Karen is left alone in the Hotline building, when she receives calls from a “perv” called Seth, along with photographs from long ago, showing her, her teenage rapist and her parents happily smiling for the camera. When RJ is brutally raped and murdered, it seems the past has come back to haunt Karen, but how can that be? Karen’s father had told her, many years ago, that her rapist, Eddie died not long after her rape… but did he? What follows is a hunt for RJ’s attacker, in tandem with a grizzled and careworn Lieutenant from the Kansas City Police Department, who wants to catch this attacker, just as much as Karen does.

Ready or Not, is a fast-moving and taut suspense thriller that keeps the readers guessing and on the edge of their seats right from the get-go. Author AB Plum’s style is harsh and frantic, drawing the reader along at breakneck speed. The two principal characters Karen and Wiley are both drawn as extreme caricatures of the roles they perform and as such, they work together and mesh perfectly. The abrasiveness and walls of defence Karen has built around herself, over the years, are slowly whittled away by the Lieutenant’s persistence and equal amount of grizliness. In many ways, this story works because of the author’s ability to mesh these two characters whom in many ways are extremely similar. The twists and turns of the narrative are clever and artfully done, with the bad guys and their extreme narcissism, misogyny and evil, splendidly filling out the story. This was an excellent read and one I would highly recommend to fans of the genre. It’s probably not for the squeamish, but if you like suspenseful murder/mysteries, this one will be right up your alley.

You can take a look at Ready or Not, plus the rest of AB Plum's portfolio, here on her amazon page:

A Heritage of Death (Reverend Cici Gurule Mysteries #2) by Alexa Padgett

4/10/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

A Heritage of Death (A Reverend Cici Gurule Mystery Book 2) by Alexa Padgett is an adventure into child abuse and murder in the Pueblos of New Mexico. The Reverend Cici Gurule has one special talent that makes her invaluable in solving crimes. Her twin sister was murdered and since then Cici has been receiving visitations and dreams from her late sister that give her clues that assist her to unravel complicated and even unsolved crimes. With her best friend Detective Sam Chastain, they are able to get the jump on other law enforcement people. When an abducted baby mysteriously turns up on Cici’s doorstep one stormy evening, she and Sam begin to investigate the abduction of one of Cici’s own parishioners. Their search for the missing woman takes them from Santa Fe to the Pueblo of Taos and a slew of cold cases involving missing and murdered indigenous women. Underlying the story is the on-going romantic tension between Cici and Sam. Cici always believed Sam was in love with her late twin sister, but recent events have led her to question Sam’s motives and feelings for Cici. Her search for some clarity on his feelings and her visions will lead them both into dangerous and uncharted waters.

This is the second book in the Reverend Cici Gurule Mysteries, but having not read the first in no way impinges on the reader’s enjoyment of this story. It stands alone, as a murder mystery. Author Alexa Padgett does a good job of seeding little nuggets of information, on what went before, into the story to keep the reader informed and understand the scenario that is developing. At its core this is a classic “whodunit” story but with the added spice of the psychic bond between Cici and her dead twin, plus the simmering sexual tension between the Reverend and Sam, it lifts itself out of the ordinary. The writer’s style is relaxed and easy to read, with some excellent descriptive passages that bring the reader right into the action in the searing heat of a New Mexico environment. There is plenty of action for the fans of that genre, but for me, the real action was the simmering relationship between Cici and Sam. If anything was to make me look for the next book in this series, it would be to see what develops between the pair. Clearly well researched, this novel is a good read within its genre and one I can definitely recommend to fans of murder mysteries.

You can find A Heritage of Death, plus the rest of Alexa Padgett's work, here on her Amazon page:

the hunt for the mountain man: book #24 by raymond cook

2/10/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

The Hunt for the Mountain Man by Raymond Cook takes us back to the turn of the twentieth century, as the “wild west” was just beginning to take on an air of respectability and prosperity. The small town of Marble, Colorado, so named for the magnificent marble quarried nearby, was overrun and destroyed by 400 Shoshone, Sioux, and Paiute Indians, in search of food and trying to recover their lands, stolen from them by the settlers. For the U.S. Government, it was time to make a stand and a Company of U.S. Army troops were sent to Marble to construct a fort and to rebuild the town, thereby encouraging those that survived the 1900 massacre to return and to entice newcomers to settling on the farms nearby and building new businesses in the rebuilt town. The coming of the railroad to Marble would also be a great fillip for the new town and things were looking up for the settlers in Marble. The early 1900’s in Colorado, though, were still rough and ready and a good supply of quality lawmen, led by Sheriff Mark Stein would be needed to keep peace amongst the soldiers, the miners and the settlers. The Indians were not the only problem facing the town of Marble. The wild and violent Mountain Men were always a danger and when four of them came to Marble to try to assassinate Colorado’s Governor at the inauguration of the rail line, all hell would break lose and the hunt was on to rid the district of these Mountain Men.

The Hunt for the Mountain Man is a very readable story, especially if you are a fan of the genre. Author Raymond Cook does an excellent job of setting the scene for the novel and providing a social commentary of this period in history, where expansion and prosperity were rapid, as the west was totally opened up by the arrival of the railroad. Cook provides a superb juxtaposition of the differing characters that inhabited the west in this period. The differences between the soldiers, far from home and isolated in this small community, with the hopeful, conservative and respectable settlers who had come to Marble to settle, to raise families and to build a solid, God-fearing community. When you throw the miners and the notorious mountain men you have a volatile mix that was always going to be a handful for the lawmen. The characters of Mark Stein, the town Sheriff and William Gracey, the hulking U.S. Marshall, were both pivotal to the story; Stein providing the solidity, common sense and even nature to ensure trouble in Marble was kept to a minimum, whilst, Gracey, a trouble-shooter of a U.S. Marshall who would go wherever he was sent, to fix the most difficult of situations, worked well. All-in-all, if you love historical fiction and if you love stories that tell of the privations and trials of early American settlers, this book will resonate with you. A satisfying read and one to recommend.

You can find Hunt for the Mountain Man, here on Raymond Cook's Amazon page, along with his other offerings:

his garden: conversations with a serial killer by anne k. howard

29/9/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

His Garden: Conversations With A Serial Killer by Anne K. Howard takes us inside the mind of a serial killer. In just a few short months in small-town Connecticut seven people went missing and just one man, William Devin Howell, better known as Bill, knew exactly what had happened to them. Author Howard, struck up a relationship with Howell, for the purposes of this book, whilst he was already serving time for the murder of one of the seven victims. Initially treated with suspicion by Howell, Howard was eventually able to win over the killer’s trust to the point where Howell thought of her as a friend. He had promised to Howard he would “tell all” once his trial was completed. When he decided to plead guilty to the remaining six murders he openly confessed everything to the author and attempted to describe and justify his reasons for killing the six women and one man, most of whom were drug-addicted prostitutes at the time of their murders. In a series of letters, telephone calls and face-to-face meetings (through prison plexi-glass), Howard has managed to capture the essence of this man’s/monster’s need and desire to kill and yet, like us readers, she remains perplexed how this all came about to Howell.

This is the first “True-Life” murder story I have read and in His Garden: Conversations With A Serial Killer, Author Anne K. Howard has painted a picture of a complex and strangely normal person who somehow managed to turn into a monster killer who would become Connecticut’s most prolific serial killer. Particularly fascinating for me, was that Howell didn’t really seem to fit the profile of a serial killer. He certainly wasn’t a loner and was both gregarious and well-liked outside of his predilection for picking up prostitutes for sex and then sometime raping and murdering them. In many ways Howell portrayed himself as a loveable rogue, which the author seemed to reinforce. Yes, he was a drifter and a drinker, but everyone who knew him appeared to have a few good words to say about him. This story was no doubt the author’s attempt to reconcile the William Howell, the happy-go-lucky drifter, with the William Howell the raping, murdering monster, he clearly was. At times the story is hard to read, especially the effects of Howell’s crimes on the families of the victims, something Howell still fails to realise, but it is riveting stuff to read and helps us to answer, in some small way, what makes a monster? This is an excellent read and one I highly recommend.

You can find His Garden: Conversations With A Serial Killer, here on Anne K. Howard's Amazon page:

Captive Love: A story of love, obsession and possession (Friends, Family and Love Book 1) by joni martins

26/9/2018

Captive Love by Joni Martins is a relatively short primer that introduces the reader to some of the characters who make up her Friends, Family and Love Series. Captive Love gives us an insight into the mind and actions of a mentally unbalanced stalker.
Lydia is a 24-year-old medical receptionist who has dreams of one day becoming a nurse. She has left the family farm and now shares a house with her best friend's elder brother. Their friendship is strong, but platonic. One evening when Lydia doesn't come home and does not turn up for work the next day, her housemate Rob becomes concerned about her whereabouts. This is not like Lydia at all - she is usually so considerate of her friends and always reliable.
Sam is a loner. He grew up the subject of abusive parents and even at the age of five was already having to fend for himself. He has long worshiped Lydia from afar and has always dreamed of their perfect life together - the perfect family that he was so cruelly denied. After years of stalking her Sam decides it is time they were together and it is time to act and help nature take its course in their relationship. Although Lydia remembers Sam from school, she'd never had much to do with him and was never aware of his burning obsession for her.
As a primer for the series, Captive Love does a nice job of introducing the characters that will play a role in future books. The character of Sam is both simple and complex. Clearly he has serious mental issues that have caused him to act this way, but even Lydia can find some sympathy for him, given his awful upbringing. I liked that Lydia's abduction has made the older Rob question his own feelings for her. Wonderful platonic friends now for a couple of years, he must now confront and address the feelings that rise up inside of him when he realises Lydia may actually be with someone else.
This is a good, entertaining and enjoyable read, with the writer's style straightforward and conversationalist. If you are looking for a series that will track you through with a familiar cast of characters then Captive Love is definitely the place to start.

You can find Captive Love, plus the rest of this series, here on Joni Martins' Amazon page:

Spirit of Prophecy: Paranormal and Sci-Fi Crime by j.j. hughes

19/9/2018

Spirit of Prophecy, a debut novel by J.J. Hughes was a stunningly unexpected surprise for me, as a reader. What I initially thought was a serial-killer hunt turned into so much more than that.
When Olympic Three Day Event Gold Medalist Juliet Jermaine's prize horse Gothic is killed, along with its young stable-hand rider, in an apparent road rage incident, the search is on to find the killer. Was Juliet the target of the attack or was it indeed just a simple case of someone losing their rag over horses riding on the roadway?
Enter psychic detective, Rosetta Barrett, who although working for the British police is actually, also a member of a top-secret research foundation that studies all sorts of paranormal, extraterrestrial and psychic phenomenon, world-wide. Rosetta is convinced that their is a long-past karmic link to this murder and believes she can unravel the mystery that happened so long ago to an Apache Indian, whose ripple effect is still acting on our world in 2021.
What follows is a classic "whodunit" mystery that delves into all things wiccan, psychic, paranormal and extraterrestrial, all wrapped around the exclusive and wealthy world of three-day eventing, along with the rogues that inhabit the world of horse breeding.
J.J. Hughes has produced an incredibly fast-paced and exciting debut novel that not only offers mystery and mayhem, but also give the reader pause to think about values, about relationships and about the impact of karma on our individual lives. What I particularly liked about this book is that it didn't allow the writer's obvious passion for these esoteric topics to impact too greatly, on the process of telling a good story. There is plenty of romance and no small degree of twists and turns to keep the most ardent romantic mystery reader engaged, but the addition of the psychic detective Barrett and her fascinating organisation, EPIS, lifts the story to another level and engages not only our imaginations, but our thinking brains as well. I doubt one can give a higher accolade to the writer than to say she has scored a bulls-eye on both aspects of this story.
For me, the number one criteria in rating a story that is clearly intended to be part of a series, is - will I read the sequel? With Spirit of Prophecy the answer is a resounding yes. In fact I'm on tenterhooks waiting for the sequel to come out. The characters she has created are fascinating and there are so many questions about Barrett's alter-ego, as a psychic investigator that beg to be answered.
Hughes has written a winner for her first novel and has ridden a faultless, clear round, in my opinion. This is clearly a new author to follow, with interest.

You can take a look at this superb book Spirit of Prophecy on J. J. Hughes' Amazon page:

game of twins by mo robinson

3/9/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Suzanne Delacroix is one of Atlanta’s top homicide cops, but she is a troubled soul; still disturbed by an attempted rape of her, back in College and the mysterious death of her father, also an Atlanta cop. When she and her partner are called to investigate a brutal, ritualistic murder of two twin teenage girls, something snaps inside of Suzanne and she immediately hands in her resignation from the Atlanta PD. She hasn’t given up on solving what now appears to be a series of murders, involving twins that stretch back over a Century. Still also determined to investigate her father’s mysterious death, she teams up with her Atlanta PD partner to try to get to the bottom of the horrific killings. In Game of Twins, by Mo Robinson, what they uncover is a sordid world of cult-like and ritualistic killing that defies belief. It takes a seemingly unrelated, minor event to finally blast open the entire web of deceit, murder and sexual perversion.

Game of Twins by Mo Robinson, can, at times, be a difficult read, simply because of the depths of depravity and perversion some of the characters in the story sink to, but I felt the author handled these arcs with enough sensitivity to allow most readers to cope with and accept what was happening. As a mystery/thriller, this story does a great job of twisting and turning, as we, the readers try to follow the many connections and coincidences that occur during the story. The main character, Suzanne Delacroix is well-drawn and totally believable as a strong-willed, determined woman who will stop at nothing to discover the truth and rid the world of the evil perversion she finds. The writer’s style is comfortable, easy to read and it is one of those books that you come to the end of and wonder where it all went to. I did appreciate that the author allowed a faint whiff, at the end, for a possible sequel, which is always a smart thing to do. All in all, this is a good murder/mystery, with some particularly nasty and evil content. I am sure many would enjoy it.

You can take a look at Game of Twins, here on Mo Robinson's Amazon page:

stolen: a kieran yeats mystery by linda j wright

25/8/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Stolen: A Kieran Yeats Mystery by Linda J Wright takes us to Vancouver Island, off the coast of Canada, where former crown prosecutor and poet aficionado, Kieran Yeats now lives with her two cats, Trey and Vlad. A passionate animal lover and disillusioned with the law, especially as it relates to animal cruelty matters, Kieran quit her job in Toronto and moved to Vancouver Island where she now operates a private detective agency specialising in animal crime and animal cruelty issues. When her distraught, thirteen-year-old god-daughter, Jen comes to her and begs her to help find some stolen, very expensive, Bengal cats, she was babysitting at a cattery, Kieran has to pull herself out from her annual funk and try to help her. What she discovers is that not only have the Bengal cats been stolen, but a whole raft of neighbourhood pets have also gone missing. Clearly it is the work of evil “bunchers” who steal animals, to order, for research at Universities, Government laboratories and private labs. Kieran is determined to bring these “bunchers” to heel, but she is also weighed down by her own personal issues and the expectations of so many lonely, lost neighbours, who are mourning the loss of their beloved family members; their pets.

This story, for me, was unique in that it focuses on an area I have read little about in the past. That in itself was interesting – who knew there were PI’s specialising in animal cases? Linda J Wright is as clearly as passionate and as concerned about animal rights and welfare issues as her fictional heroine, Kieran Yeats and that passion shows through in her writing. Stolen: A Kieran Yeats Mystery was a wonderfully easy read and one I quickly got caught up in. The characters were all sharply defined and it was easy to identify, to empathise, and to root, for all of them, especially the young child known only as “Trouble”. The author used the story to raise awareness of the need for more protection for animals, under law, in Canada and I am always impressed, as a reader, when social issues are able to be promoted in fiction, without drawing away from the enjoyment of the story and this author does it extremely well. I’m unsure if this was a debut novel by this author, but I am certain she has found a niche market for her books and especially her heroine, the flawed, but good-hearted, Kieran Yeats. I look forward to more adventures from her. This is a highly-readable and fascinating story that I recommend to all.

You can find Stolen: A Kieran Yeats Mystery, by Linda J Wright, here on Amazon:

death at crooked creek (jessie o'bourne art mysteries book 2) by mary ann cherry

16/8/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

When Jessie O’Bourne is asked to stand in, at the last minute for an indisposed friend, as guest artist at the annual Crooked Creek Art Expo in Montana, she is thrilled to do so. Travelling in her beloved RV, she’s nicknamed Hawk, along with her ‘ornery, ginger tom cat, the King Jack Dempsey, she is excited about the opportunity to present her work, run some workshops, and possibly sell some of her paintings at the Expo. Although she lives and paints in Santa Fe, these days, Jessie is a born and bred Montanan, coming from just up the road from Crooked Creek, in Sage Bluff. She knows she will run into many old friends at the expo, both from Montana, as well as among the group of fellow artists who tour the Art Expos of the Mid-west, as part of their business. What she doesn’t expect is that she will be caught up in a murder-mystery that just gets deeper and odder, the further she delves into it. This is the scenario Mary Ann Cherry presents us, the readers, with, in her murder mystery, Death at Crooked Creek. Currently sworn off men, after a messy encounter with FBI Agent, Grant Kennedy and a difficult breakup with her childhood sweetheart, Russell Bonham, now sheriff of Sage Bluff, Jessie certainly does not expects the romance that comes her way in this story, either.

I’ve read a few murder mysteries in my time, but few of them have been as cleverly crafted, with as many red-herrings thrown in, as this story, Death at Crooked Creek, by Mary Ann Cherry. This is superbly written, with as plot that takes you on twists and turns you don’t expect and leaves you guessing, or even better makes you think you know, “whodunit” before the actual reveal. I loved the artistic setting of the story and the fact that the author, an artist of note herself, was able to inject her knowledge into the story naturally and without artifice. As someone who struggles to draw a stick-figure, I could really appreciate the skill and artistry of the characters, described in the story. The book is so easy to read that I just kept going, effectively finishing the story in one long sitting. I’ve never read any of this author’s work before, but this book has definitely awakened my interest in her writing and I will be checking out what else she has published. I cannot pay this author any higher compliment than to say, I want to read more about Jessie O’Bourne’s crime-solving adventures. I note there are currently two Jessie O’Bourne books in the marketplace and I can only hope there are more on the way. A highly-recommended read.

Do pop on over to Amazon and take a look at Death at Crooked Creek on Mary Ann Cherry's Amazon page:

the lazarus continuum (resurrection chronicles #2) by ken fry

13/8/2018

As regular readers of my reviews will know, I am a big fan of Ken Fry's novels, especially those with a religious conspiracy twist and The Lazarus Continuum is a continuation of that fine tradition of his. A sequel to Fry's acclaimed The Lazarus Succession, this book finds its target with unerring accuracy. The important thing for me, as a reader, is that a sequel must build on the original, develop the story and move on, into different areas of exploration. The Lazarus Continuum does exactly that, whilst still keeping many of the characters that we met and fell in love with, in The Lazarus Succession.

You don't have to have read the first book, to enjoy this, as it is a standalone story and the author does an exceptional job at dropping little gems into the story to explain the backstory from the first book. That having been said, I would still recommend reading the Lazarus Succession first, if for no other reason than it is a superb story, by the incomparable Ken Fry. When it comes to religious icons and fantastical religious conspiracy theories, I have found none better in the genre than Fry. What makes this author stand out more than most is his innate ability to make the reader believe the unbelievable and the mystical. By the end of the book, nothing surprises you, as a reader, and you just accept the fantastic, as being merely normal and expected. This is the mark of a superb author and Ken Fry is one of those.

In this story, our heroes from the first book, Brodie and Ulla are still present, but the mantle is picked up by their daughter, Martha. The healing Lazarus painting has resided for many years now in a Monastery in Spain, guarded by Abbot Louis and Brodie himself, as Brother Baez. The legend of the powers of the painting has resurfaced though and this time, two unscrupulous rogues are determined to get their hands on it. One, Silas Shepherd, a typical American Super Church pastor has dreams of immense power and immense wealth when he has this miraculous religious icon in his hands and he controls the greatest church in the world, that he will found, The Church of the Lazacrucians. The other, a ruthless, casino owner, billionaire, John D Bower, who dreams of the immense wealth the painting can bring him. They will join forces to hunt down the Lazarus painting and it will be all hands on deck for those that must protect it from the usurpers.

As always, in Fry's novels, the action is fast-paced and exciting. I read the book, essentially in one sitting and cliched as it may be, I found it impossible to put it down. The Lazarus Continuum just adds to the already magnificent body of work in the area of religious conspiracy theories by this author. I, for one, wait with bated breath to see what his next contribution will be. Fry is an author par excellence and right at the top of the "Indie Author Tree" in my opinion. This is not to be missed - a "must read".

Absolutely do pop on over to Amazon and check out The Lazarus Continuum, along with all of Ken Fry's amazing works, on his author page. I can guarantee you there is not a dud among them and I've read them all.

The Murder of Paolo Mancuso: A Joey Mancuso, Father O'Brian Crime Mystery by Owen Parr

21/7/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

The Murder of Paolo Mancuso: A Joey Mancuso, Father O’Brien Crime Mystery, by Owen Parr introduces us to an unlikely pair of crime solvers; half-brothers, Joey Mancuso and Father Dominic O’Brien. Joey’s father, Paolo, was fairly high up in one of New York’s crime families, when he was murdered, in front of his teenage son, some twenty years ago. That and the influence of a New York City police captain saw Joey turn away from his father’s occupation and instead train to be a New York City Detective. After a successful career in the police force, Joey and his half-brother Dom, a Catholic priest have joined forces in business, running both a Cigar Bar and a Private Detective Agency. Haunted by his father’s unsolved murder and with new clues provided by Paolo’s best friend, on his deathbed, Joey decides it is finally time to put this mystery behind him and discover who ordered the hit on his father all those years ago.

Owen Parr has created an unusual set of characters for this series; headlined by Joey and his brother, but including the likeable Mr Pat, the former manager of their Cigar Bar, Joey’s wife, FBI Special Agent Marcy and their tech whiz, assistant Agnes. The cast of different character is probably what lifts The Murder of Paolo Mancuso: A Joey Mancuso, Father O’Brien Crime Mystery, above your average murder mystery. The story is very readable, with straightforward languages and a plot that flies all over the place keeping the reader continually guessing and wondering. The plot is complicated and twists relentlessly, taking the reader from New York, to a small island off Hilton Head on the east coast of the US and across to Barcelona, among other places. If murder mystery is your thing, or police procedures, then this book will surely satiate your appetite. I felt myself, as a reader, continually drawn to comparison to the works of Ed McBain. I saw character parallels between McBain’s main hero, Steve Carrella and Joey Mancuso, very clearly. The styles are similar.

You can find The Murder of Paolo Mancuso, along with all Owen Parr's other extensive works, here on his Amazon page:

the plastic paradigm: a jack jago novella by paul stretton-stephens

18/7/2018

Reviewed For the Author Resource Centre by Grant Leishman

The Plastic Paradigm, by Paul Stretton-Stephens, the first book in the Jack Jago Thriller Series could perhaps best be described as a short primer to this new series of thrillers based around the character of Jack Jago, a security consultant in Great Britain. At just 128 pages on Kindle, it is a novelette, but it does still contain a full story and action adventure featuring our hero, Jack Jago (or just plain Jago, as he prefers). This books serves its purpose well of introducing us to the dangerous and surreptitious world of Jago and his team of specialists, as they seek to thwart the actions of criminals, terrorists, or indeed anyone who crosses their paths, that needs justice meted out to them.

Jago is a former British special services operative and military policeman and as such is well versed in the “dark arts”, having funds as well as access to the most sophisticated and covert surveillance systems and weapons available. Although Jago’s firm may often work undercover for the British Government, they are a private organisation and not constrained by the normal “rules of engagement”. When you cross Jago, you are very likely to lose your life, especially if you try to fight back.

In The Plastic Paradigm, Jago is investigating the mysterious disappearance of a Government research scientist and his assistant, when a body appears at the wharf, tied to an anchor chain of a ship. Ultimately this will lead Jago into the world of illicit dumping at sea, of plastics and other hazardous wastes, by unscrupulous businessmen and shipping line owners. When Kim, a young employee of a shipping freight company is kidnapped and about to be raped and tortured, Jago is forced to step in and rescue her, sparking an investigation by him and his team to track down the people determined to stop an NGO, Ocean Beautiful, from releasing a report naming and shaming some of the most powerful businessmen and Governments in the world for their illicit waste dumping behaviours. In this high-stakes game, Jago must move fast to protect those who would expose these activities.

Author Stretton-Stephens, with Jago, has produced a character reminiscent of other thriller “heroes”, such as Cussler’s Dirk Pitt or Clancy’s Jack Ryan. These are indeed big shoes to fill, but from what I’ve read of Stretton Stephens’ work to date, I am impressed with the character he has created and has developed in the first two books in this series. Jago is everything you would expect in an “action hero” – smart, fit, well trained, exceptionally knowledgeable and extremely effective at what he does. He carries his military training, into civilian life and along with the gadgetry the new technology of today has to offer, is able to keep at least one step ahead of the “baddies” at all times. I also appreciate that his team is a diverse bunch of ex-military types, one who was severely injured in the service to her country and one with dazzling tech-wizard ability. Jago is perhaps not as suave and debonair as a Bond, but there is no doubt the man carries charisma and the ability to charm the ladies, extremely well.

I like the author’s simple, straightforward writing style and the non-stop and heart-pumping action he weaves into the stories keeps you on the edge of your chair. There is never a dull moment in a Stretton-Stephens’ book. Action hero stories are, by definition, somewhat formulaic, but in Jago, I believe we have a character and a storyline that lifts The Plastic Paradigm and the Jack Jago series, well above your run of the mill action thrillers. Stretton-Stephens’ own life imitates that of Jack Jago and therefore you can be well assured the author knows his subject matter, understands military tactics and weaponry well, and has well-researched the up to date technical issues in the story.

If you are a fan of action thrillers; a Clancy, a Higgins or a Cussler fan, then I suspect the Jack Jago Thriller series will be right up your alley. I’d say give it a go and celebrate the excellent, talented independent authors out there in the marketplace right now, such as Paul Stretton-Stephens.

Do pop on over to Amazon and take a look at The Plastic Paradigm, here on Paul Stretton-Stephens' Amazon page:

arcadia falls by ken stark

15/7/2018

This is the first Ken Stark book I've read and I'm certain it won't be the last. Although the genre; young adult. supernatural is hardly my demographic, I found myself completely caught up in the character of this fast-moving, thriller that grabs you from the very beginning and doesn't let you go until it spits you out at the very end.

Arcadia Falls is your typical, small-town America, but there is something going on in Arcadia Falls that defies description. For centuries, people have been mysteriously disappearing from Arcadia Falls, but even worse, it seems nobody even remembers who they were after they'd gone. When High School senior, Tyler John begins his final year of school, little does he know what is in store for him and his friends, as they are thrown headlong into a battle for survival against the evil that inhabits "the old town" of Arcadia Falls. Meeting Amanda, a new girl in town, is definitely a highlight of his last year and Tyler begins to imagine this year may be better than the past. Dream on, Tyler!

Tyler, Amanda and their increasing circle of friends, along with a crusty, curmudgeonly History teacher quickly find themselves fighting the battle of their lives against creatures that appear to have come from the very gates of hell itself. This is a battle for friendship, for love and for Arcadia Falls.

Ken Stark has a writing style that carries the reader along in a breathless, non-stop ride of adventure and horror, but yet he doesn't leave behind the character development and makes sure to inject his subtle and sometimes not so subtle humour into the situation. I found this a compelling mixture to read. His characterisations in this particular story were indeed caricatures of every high-school story we've ever read; there is the nerds, the gearheads, the beauties, the jocks, the braniacs and in Mr McTistis, the curmudgeonly, old History teacher, who it turns out is not such a bad "stick" after all. This, I'm sure was intentional, on the author's part to highlight his characters and it worked extremely well, especially as we saw them cast aside their prejudices and embrace each other as common partners in this race to save the town from something inherently evil.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have no hesitation in awarding it a full five stars and I will definitely be looking for other Ken Stark books to read in the future. Highly recommended!

You can take a look at Arcadia Falls, plus the rest of Ken Stark's portfolio, here on his Amazon page:

shades of loyalty (jack Jago thriller series book #2) by paul stretton-stephens

29/6/2018

Editorial Review for the Author Resource Centre by Grant Leishman

Shades of Loyalty (Jack Jago Thriller Series Book #2) by Paul Stretton-Stephens is the second book in the series that introduces the reader to our main hero, the terrorist fighting Jack Jago of the British Intelligence Service. Jack has one big advantage over the normal run-of-the-mill intelligence agency or police. Their team has no rules-of-engagement and has to seek no authority from anyone. When they are on a mission, the decisions are all theirs and they do whatever is necessary to ensure the job is done and the threat is eliminated.

When a series of bizarre, seemingly disparate, and inexplicable series of explosions and a murder have the authorities baffled, Jack and his team are called in to firstly discover if somehow these actions are linked and if so, what is the next target on these people’s list? The only thing that appears to link these heinous crimes is the date. They all occur around the 24th and 25th of the month. Jack’s team has little more than eight days to find and neutralise the miscreants before they can expect the next terror attack. Highly sophisticated, with all the latest technology available to them, Jack’s team is literally able to go and infiltrate where regular law-enforcement is not. This gives them a distinct advantage, but will they be able to solve the linkage and catch these criminals before they strike next.

In many ways I found myself comparing Shades of Loyalty and Jack Jago, to Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. In many ways this book strikes me as a British version of the anti-terrorist squad that features in so many of Clancy’s books. The comparison is indeed favourable. Shades of Loyalty displayed much of the same tension and excitement that Clancy is able to generate in his thrillers. The characters introduced in this story are as disparate as the situations they find themselves investigating. All are ex-military and usually ex-special forces. There is a pleasing balance between men and women and even a place for a wounded, disabled veteran, who handles the communications and liaison for the team. The story is action-packed and runs at full steam as you would expect from a good thriller.

The old saying in writing is; “write what you know!” Certainly Paul Stretton-Stephens appears to have done exactly that. With a background not dissimilar to his main hero, Jago, Stretton-Stephens clearly has an exhaustive knowledge of techniques, equipment, and procedures of anti-terrorist teams world-wide. The author has also clearly kept himself up to date with the latest technology available and writes with clear and obvious knowledge and understanding of the situations and the actors involved.

I found his writing style to be simple and straightforward with little or no pretension and conducive to absolutely sucking the reader in to the story and not letting them go, until the very end. I definitely did feel a comparison, in the style of writing, to that of another extremely successful thriller writer, Jack Higgins, who was one of my favourite authors, as a young man. This is a thriller, so it is more about action than character development, although to the author’s credit, we do begin to get to know and understand a little more, the motivations and lives of Jack Jago’s squad. I would love to see more of this development in future Jack Jago stories, if only because I felt the story was shorter than need be, given the full-on focus on action. Some more human elements would be greatly appreciated and I am sure that will come as the author develop and grows into this series.

When one begins to read a series from an author or reads a new author for the first time, the question always has to be; will I read any more of this series, or will I read more from this author? After completing Shades of Loyalty, my answer would have to be a resounding, YES! Good, easy to read and credible thrillers are not a dime-a-dozen, so I am thrilled to be able to recommend Shades of Loyalty to all action/thriller readers and give it the full five-stars it so richly deserves.

You can take a look at Shades of Loyalty and all of Paul Stretton-Stephens' significant portfolio, here on his Amazon page.

the socratic contract by d. c. russell

25/6/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

“Premature death”! It’s a phrase that does not tend to excite too much interest when applied to the terminally ill and elderly. “They were going to die anyway,” is the general response. When a highly secret division of a medical insurance company comes to the conclusion that helping their terminally ill clients to die prematurely, would be good for the families and efficient and profitable for the company, a new form of insurance was born. “The Chairman’s Policy” is never put in writing, but Delaware General secretly sells many of these policies every year, assisting their clients to die, when the time is right and reaping the benefits of their “premature death”. When Merritt Royce's, a high level administrator in the Federal Department of Health and Human Services, attention is drawn to Delaware’s unusual profitability in a difficult market, where other companies are struggling to maintain profitability, she begins to ask questions. Questions that the head of Delaware Insurance, Delbert Burroughs does not want asked. The Socratic Contract by D C Russell takes the reader deep inside the bureaucracy of the US Government in a twisting mystery that exposes the sources of power within the government.

In The Socratic Contract, author D C Russell uses this fast-paced, exciting story to ask questions about the morality, or otherwise of assisted suicide as well as highlighting many of the true levers of power in the government. Given the current political state of the United States, I found this story both timely and fascinating. The idea that, in general most of us support the concept of “ending their misery”, for terminally ill patients, very few of us are prepared to talk about it. By wrapping the concept up in a mystery/thriller such as this, I appreciated the thoughts and questions the subject matter raised in me, as a reader. As a thriller, it is an excellent story, well told, with realistic and very believable characters. I particularly liked the Socratic ideal, around which the story is based, that in order to seek truth, one must ask questions with total determination and fearlessness. As a mystery/thriller, it is an exciting and rewarding read, but the additional insights into government and its operations, as well as the thought-provoking topic, lift it above your average thriller. I can highly recommend The Socratic Contract, it is an excellent and fulfilling read. It appears that this is a debut novel and if so, it bodes extremely well for the future of author D C Russell. I will look for more from this author in the future.

You can find The Socratic Contract by D C Russell here on Amazon:

smoke on the mountains by sam knupp

24/6/2018

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

Author Sam Knupp takes us back to a simpler time in Smoke on the Mountains, as he transplants the reader to the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Shenandoah River, West Virginia (of John Denver Fame), in the little town of Timberville, Virginia. The world is in turmoil, it is just after the Charlottesville outrage and a protest march from Charlottesville to Washington passes through Timberville, a town still rooted in and in some ways fighting the Civil War of 1864, with a controversial statue of Southern General, Stonewall Jackson, dominating the main square. Amidst this, a little, local girl Pepper Anne goes missing and the townsfolk and protesters alike, unite to search for her. Attitudes, prejudices, and secrets will be revealed and discovered over the next few weeks leading up to and after Christmas. A huge variety of amazing characters will pass through the prism of suspicion as friendships and relationships are tested. Timberville, Virginia, will never be the same again.

Smoke on the Mountains could probably best be described as an acquired taste. The story, the writing style and the characters definitely grow on you, the more you read. Author Sam Knupp has used an eclectic and bizarre group of characters to try to highlight the cultural divide that is facing American society today. The sheer oddness of the different residents of Timberville highlights the cultural split between rural and urban; between white and non-white; between Evangelicals and non-Christians; and especially between Liberal and Conservative. The characters are grossly overdrawn (on purpose) as typified by the seven-foot-tall, blind preacher Marvel and his equally enormous sidekick, Buddy. I felt the author’s use of humoured cliché to make sense of the ridiculous to be clever and insightful, if a little overdone at times. The fact he was able to make the reader laugh, cry and shout with outrage within a few sentences, was indeed a credit to his ability, however, I did sense the occasional desire on the author’s part to “impress” the reader with his ability as a wordsmith, to the detriment of telling the story. Smoke on the Mountains is definitely different from anything I’ve read lately and it makes you think and question your prejudices, which is probably all one can ask from an author. It was definitely an intriguing read.

You can find Smoke on the Mountains by Sam Knupp, here on Amazon:

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