Dead On
by Ann Kelly
iUniverse
Reviewed by Vero Caravetta
Erotic and suspenseful, An Kelly's Dead On is a good read.
Ann Yang, medical examiner, is facing her first big case in Doylestown , PA a suburb of Philadelphia and not one that is used to the attention that a high profile crime brings. Ann who feels stifled emotionally, has an obsession for the past. Her point of view is different from almost everyone else around and her unorthodox approach is the way she handles the newest case which has her co-workers baffled. Someone ruthless and powerfully cruel is hunting down women, abducting them, and leaving their bodies in highly visible public places in order to taunt investigators. There is growing evidence that Ann is his ultimate target – and the killer is slowly building to that climax. Ann's friend Tony Cole, retired FBI profiler, jumps into the fray to help. They track the killer together moving from Doylestown down to Louisiana . In the process, Ann begins a series of past-life regressions under hypnosis and remembers being killed in several previous lifetimes. The shocker is that it's the same killer. Eventually, through a diary found in her home, Ann makes a connection between her present case and that of a girl murdered one hundred years before.
Kelly has been called a passionate and creative writer and that shows in this book. There's a complicated plot, an eerie background, and, of course, sexual/romantic tension. Kelly creates vivid descriptions, has a knack for creating an otherworldly feel, and has a definite style. Chapters are short and lead you effortlessly from one to another. Add to this a surprise ending and you could be set for a good read of an evening.
“Moondust”
by
Cleveland W. Gibson
LBF Books- April 2006
ISBN 1-885093-42-X
$14.95 USD; Softcover
(also available as an e-book)
reviewed by Julie Obermiller Win a copy of “Moondust.” Details in the author interview in this issue!
This collection of short stories comes to us from ‘across the pond' on whispering dragon wings. While Gibson's work has been published across many genres and across the world, this is the first compilation of his flights of fantasy. While the glorious cover art of Laura Givens speaks of surrealism, the reader must not assume to find safe haven in mystical, fictional creatures. The stories evoke the sinister and evil all around us, seeping into the quiet order of our lives.
I began reading Moondust one late night during a relentless rain, and felt myself dragged into sleep after five or six selections. In those periods of semi-wakefulness as I turned to settle back in a new position, I found myself listening for the whisper of wings over my own quickening heartbeat; I pulled the covers tighter and sought the depths of
sleep.
I have always loved short stories because they could be sandwiched, in entirety, between errands, chores, and favorite TV programs. My favorite book-length mysteries are "quick reads;” I tend to forge right through and spend many sleepless nights turning pages because I need to get to the end.
Moondust is quite a departure for a ‘cozy' fan. As a lover of who-dunnits, my primary reading pleasure comes from cozies and quirky character laden fluff. I can't watch scary, bloody movies and abhor the violence of man's inhumanity to man. Still, there is a guilty thrill in stories of suspense and the kind of fantasy that makes the violence safe by making the perpetrators not of this world, not real.
The stories in Moondust need to be read one at a time, in measured doses, like tiny slices of a rich, decadent cake. Gibson's tales are very vivid paintings of the stuff of imagination and while reason tells us these things are not to be feared because they don't exist, those whispering wings reach into the primeval part of all of us. I could see, and wonder about, the piece of ancient, parchment-like dragon skin that shed an aura of protection around a mere mortal much like the neighbor next door to all of us.
Lovers of the mystery/fantasy realm will savor these stories and welcome more, I'm sure. In my initial foray into the book, I was intrigued by the way the stories span time, place and setting and yet share the same evil in many forms.
Get a copy of Moondust for one of those wild and stormy nights and settle in with a cup of tea or a good brandy. Oh… and lock your doors. Cover art with permission from Laura Givens.
Deep Blue Alibi
by Paul Levine
Bantam 2006
ISBN: 0440242746
Reviewed by Joe de Marco
Get your beach blanket, your bottle of water and take along a copy of Deep Blue Alibi for a great read at the beach – or anywhere else, actually.
Deep Blue Alibi is the second outing for Levine's Solomon and Lord a funny, involving legal duo. They first appeared in Solomon Vs. Lord (2005) and I'll be sure to get a copy of that now that I've enjoyed his latest so much.
Where do I start? The plot? Levine is a master plotter. His work for TV (among other things 20 episodes of JAG) and the big screen shows and his story not only adds up it doubles your enjoyment. There are twists and turns, secrets and lies all of which make the story zip along in many directions and give it a depth that satisfies.
Victoria Lord wants to break up the firm. Steve Solomon, her partner in the office and at home, has some serious reservations about this plan and is willing to go into overdrive to stop it. But he doesn't have to – Victoria 's sort-of-uncle, Hal, turns up, actually comes flying onto the scene in a runaway boat. Also in the boat is an EPA official – run through with a fishing spear and quite dead. Hal, of course, as the only other occupant of the boat, is accused of murder. Victoria , seeing her plans derail in spectacular fashion, can't let Hal down and throws herself into the investigation.
Family secrets, the intricacies of love and lovers, and much more round out this book and make it something you shouldn't pass up. There's also good writing, lots of banter, some of which will leave you smiling, and characters with depth. These are people with flaws and imperfections, but also people who you will care about. Steve isn't the perfect lover or son or uncle – but he tries. His loyalty to his clients, forces him to take the law and bend it to suit his needs. Victoria is not a fan of his methods – unless she finds herself with no recourse and then she lets him have at it. She's also a very real, quite likeable woman. She wants to be her own person, build her self esteem and yet, Steve provides something in her life that keeps her forever vacillating. Other characters, like Hal, or The Queen ( Victoria 's mother) are also filled with life and depth.
All in all a great read – I put aside a lot of other things in order to finish this book. Make it your vacation read and you'll have a great time.
“Dressed to Keel”
A Darcy Cavanaugh Mystery
Candy Calvert
Midnight Ink Books
May 2006
ISBN 0-7387-0879-8
( cover art by Kun-Sung Chung)
Review by Julie Obermiller
Not going anywhere on vacation? How about a lazy cruise with Darcy Cavanaugh, emergency room nurse? The cruise from New York to Canadian destinations and back was for senior citizens, so the pace promised to be slow and relaxed; Darcy needed a break from her hectic life.
Darcy and her best friend Marie don't find the usual cruise ship glamour and glitz but they do find a chance to shape up at the shipboard gym. Marie took the job as ship's nurse and the gals were off on holiday. They get a lot a lot of exercise avoiding nosy and annoying passengers like the bingo queen, but make friends with a lot of interesting characters.
There's fun at the Electric Lobster Disco, in spite of a sleazy dance host, and the shopping aboard ship is to die for… literally. As the aging divas flaunt their jewels, robberies start to plague the ship. As if that wasn't enough intrigue, a ship's steward is murdered. When Marie becomes the number one suspect in the robberies, Darcy is left alone to solve the mysteries of the ship-board happenings. What's up with dashing and young Luke, who seems tailor made for his role as escort to wealthy over-the-hill mavens? Why the sudden amorous interest in our heroine?
Enjoy the prerequisite costume ball and other shipboard activities as you try to unravel the connections between the passengers…and crew. Lots of laughs and fair clues fill this well-paced mystery. You'll find this a quick and humorous read and want to join Darcy on her next adventure.
“The Mind Box”
J. Diehl
Midnight Ink Books 2005
ISBN: 0-7387-0820-8
(cover design by Kevin R. Brown)
Review by Julie Obermiller
The Mind Box is a tight procedural wrapped in the fast paced life in Hollywood and the seedy side of the Internet. Be glad you haven't received a present from “Mikes' Gifts,” a website used for revenge… and terror. Nothing in Hollywood is simple and when producer Eddie Ealing is murdered, it is in glorious Technicolor. Shock waves ripple the industry and everyone is on alert for the mysterious and sadistic killer. Hollywood homicide detective Lane Daily had wrangled some of the toughest cases in the L.A.P.D. and seen a lot of the rich and powerful, but the mind games being played defied description. The intense and graphic psychological tension in this book will have you looking over your shoulder and hesitating over your email. It is a thrilling and disturbing look at what lies beneath the sparkling waters of celebrity, and underneath is a current of a deeper secret.
Science can save and enhance lives, but where do we draw the line in the search for youth, beauty and perfection. The secret that Lane stumbles over opens a Pandora's Box of lies and deceit, of unspeakable horrors. The false leads and convoluted clues threaten her very life but Lane is driven to find the answer. As an aside to the case, the look into Lane Daily's life as a homicide cop is revealing and intriguing.
Characters in ‘The Mind Box” are carefully scripted and bold, providing the reader with a whole set of suspects and suspicions. Despite the psychological component, it is a clean mystery with fair clues and a satisfying ending; no cliffhanger to spoil the journey.
This is certainly not a relaxed, lull-yourself-to-sleep mystery! Hang onto your seat because it's a fast-paced ride that will keep you turning pages long into the night.
“Blind Traveler Down a Dark River ”
Robert P. Bennet
PUBLISHAMERICA, LLLP 2004
ISBN 1-4137-6999-3
Review by Julie Obermiller
The obstacles faced by a blind person can be enormous, but most manage perfectly well in their own environments. What will it be like in the year 2021? What happens when a blind man is given a GPS unit that helps him navigate the city as well as a sighted person? Technology is wonderful but not without it's problems, and one such glitch puts Douglas Aledan in a surreal setting that confuses his senses. A radio report of an accidental shooting causes the bits and pieces in Aledan's mind to come together as disturbing pictures. Aware that he knows something important about the supposedly innocent shooting, there is no convincing the authorities to check it out.
In this future setting, technology is at war with itself and the rich and powerful are still trying to capitalize on everything, despite concerns by environmentalists and unions seeking job safety and stability. It is not so far ahead that it seems like a Star Wars fantasy; the setting is much like today, with our worst global problems magnified. Abledan has decided that he must solve one small mystery and he uncovers a tangled plot that could cause devastation for many.
Right from the start, the reader will forget that Abledan has a handicap. While his mode is different, his bright mind and creative methods put him far and above most sighted sleuths. This is a taut procedural and mystery fans will love it.
Bennett has a wonderful gift for storytelling, for painting pictures with words. The language is rich and colorful and a delight to read and savor. You'll find a good mystery that will keep you guessing, an insight into our possible global future, and a wonderful read in “The Mind Box.” Although it is not a recent book, it is available and recommended! Visit Bennett's website at www.enablingwords.com.
“Whiskey Straight Up”
Nina Wright
Midnight Ink
September 2006
ISBN: 0-7387-0855-0
Review by Julie Obermiller (Cover art by Bunky Hurter)
A few days with Whiskey Mattimoe and friends will give you the wildest ride you ever took from your armchair! The second in the series that began with “Whiskey on the Rocks” is a zany romp through a Michigan resort town that will leave you breathless with laughter.
Whitney Houston Halloran Mattimoe may find the antics of her Afghan hound Abra trying, but the two are very much alike. Both are headstrong and independent and tend to run headlong into life and danger. Of course, Abra does have the habit of stealing purses, but all the characters in Magnet Springs are a bit quirky, much to the reader's delight. The lady sheriff generates magnetic forces when her stormy temper is aroused, and a neighboring rock star travels the world while her precocious eight-year-old stays with Whiskey and Abra. Stepdaughter Avery has new twins with no named father and has moved into her late father's home with Whiskey. Add puppy Prince Harry the Pee Master and it's a spicy mix.
The usual crew at Mattimoe Realty keeps Whiskey's business running while minding her personal business and when ex-husband Jed Halloran pops into the widow's life again, bets are on for reconciliation. Cowboy realtor and mayor Gil Gruen is Whiskey's sleazy competitor and adversary but when she stumbles over his bloody dead body, Whiskey falls into the icy water and headlong into another mystery.
In about 300 pages you'll find a Jamboree, a couple of murders, a kidnapping or two, a whole barrel of red herrings, lots of fur coats and hours of laughter. Mystery fans will appreciate the clever clues, plot and suspects, but hang on to your sleuthing cap because things change right up until the end in true cliffhanger style.
Don't expect a tight procedural mystery here. Not since Lucy Ricardo has any woman gotten into so many madcap situations. “Whiskey Straight Up” is a delight and you'll be anxious for your next visit to Magnet Springs. Nina Wright has promised “Whiskey & Tonic for 2007, refreshing news for readers who like to follow familiar characters. Wright has delivered a great cocktail for series fans.
“dot.dead”
a.silicon.valley.mystery
Keith Raffel
Midnight Ink
July 2006
ISBN:0-7387-0833-X
Review by Julie Obermiller (cover design by Gavin Dayton Duffy)
A mystery written by a computer wunderkind has the potential of being way over the head of an admitted technophobe and cozy lover like myself. What a delightful surprise to find that “dot.dead” didn't make me feel lost in cyberspace. The Silicon Valley setting is just that, a backdrop for a tight page turner that will hold your attention to the end.
Imagine a high-powered, hi tech bachelor whose beautiful home is well kept in his absence by an efficient maid he has never met. Annoyed by a senseless break-in at his home, Ian Michaels barely has a day to sort it out when he finds another surprise; maid Gwendolyn Goldberg is dead…in his bed. Although Ian dos everything right to alert authorities, everything seems to be going horribly wrong as he becomes a prime suspect in a web of intrigue.
Why does everyone, including Gwendolyn's sister, ex-boyfriend and others, think that Ian and Gwendolyn were involved? Can you have a romance with someone you have never met? Determined to find Gwen's killer, Ian sets out to unravel the mystery.
Along for the ride is Gwen's sister Rowena, who is half-convinced that Ian is to blame, as more and more damning evidence pops up. Can Ian and Rowena stay one step ahead of the police in their search for answers, or is Ian digging himself into a much deeper hole? The chase is fast-paced and the clues are plentiful, but nothing is ever as it seems. Could Ian be falling for Rowena or is she the killer?
The story is filled with well-drawn characters like lawyer Ellen Ishiyama and best friend and Ian's boss Paul Berk and wife Kathy. There are enough sub-plot threads to weave a mystery but not entangle the reader in too many side stories. From the funeral service at Congregation Sukkat Shalom, to Stanford University and Gwen's old home, Ian is obsessed with finding out more about his dead maid, but what he finds is that he really has met her before and everyone knows about him.
A day with “dot.dead” will be lots more fun than a day at the office, but the corporate intrigue might have you looking over your own shoulder. Kudos to Raffel for a well-paced read!
“Too Big to Miss”
An Odelia Grey Mystery
Sue Ann Jaffarian
Midnight Ink Books
February 2006
ISBN: 0-7837-0863-1
Review by Julie Obermiller (cover art by Ellen L. Dahl)
For a plus-sized gal, the dreaded back view on the cover of “Too Big to Miss” is a grim reminder of how the world sees the zaftig female. Odele Grey has been there. She's an overweight, middle-aged, never married gal with a wacky family and job situation everyone can relate to. It's the perfect read for everyone not on the “A” list of life and you'll laugh out loud at our brassy heroine. Amateur sleuth lovers will embrace Odele in a big bear hug; she's a breath of fresh air. It isn't all funny as Odele discovers the seedy world of web-porn when her friend commits suicide. The loss of her inspirational and motivational friend is devastating, and Odele is driven to find out the secrets of her friend's life…and death. The result is a wild chase that is forever getting Odele in over her pretty plump head. She ropes in her friend Zee and goes off in every direction in search of the truth.
Jaffarian's characters are delightfully rich and robust and add a dose of comfort and comedy to the mystery. You'll feel right at home with the wacky relatives, neighbors and friends who mirror those we can all relate to. Set in California , there's a fun look at life in sunny climes and, yes, there is even a hint of romance for our hefty heroine. There are lots of clues for the armchair sleuth and enough plot twists to make you dizzy, but you'll love the ride.
I identify with Odele because I am also a middle-aged, overweight gal, but I love mysteries more than food and that takes precedence! There are no horrible fat jokes, just an honest look at life in the fat lane on the way to a past paced and riotous romp with Odele and friends. You won't laugh at them; you'll laugh with them. These aren't characters as much as everyday folks who will make a delightful series. You'll certainly want to spend more time with them!
Witness To Myself
By Seymour Shubin
Hard Case Crime
www.HardCaseCrime.com
Paperback, 2006, 250 pages
ISBN #0-8439-5590-2
reviewed by Kevin Tipple Adolescence is a hard perplexing time ripe with strange thoughts, strange feelings, and impetuous actions with little consideration of the consequences. It certainly was fifteen years ago for teenager Alan Benning. His family, on vacation in Cape Cod by way of a large motor home, had no idea what he thought or felt. The family was well off, his parents were conservative and Alan, with no one to talk to about life and his feelings, began to hate and fear himself. That hatred and fear of himself grew and grew after the incident in the woods near the beach during that vacation.
In the present day, Alan, now thirty is a successful lawyer with a steady girlfriend, Anna, a loving cousin, and an obsession about what might or might not have happened that fateful day fifteen years ago. Driven to know, he begins to unravel his own perfect life. A life that appears to be perfect but hides so many dark secrets that he is not sure of what actually happened back then.
Author Seymour Shubin has weaved a complete tale about the human spirit. Shifting in point of view between Alan and his cousin the author paints a picture of obsession. Not only is Alan obsessed with what he might or might not have done but the cousin has his own obsession. The cousin's need isn't as obvious early in the novel but the end of the book it is clear that his own obsession is just as strong.
It is also clear that the author is commenting on the nature of mankind. Those little things that surely lead to disaster. Those little things, unnoticed or unremarked at the time and yet become telling through the use of hindsight. The signs were obvious, as they often are, and unnoticed until long after the fact. The author makes this point throughout the work as he weaves complex multifaceted characters throughout the tale.
The result is a fast paced intense read. While only 250 pages in paperback, this isn't a beach book and far from it. This is a book that rapidly becomes a real page turner as it pulls the reader into a world not unlike his or her own. This is a book that one doesn't want interrupted and is sorry to see end. Intense and driven, the book doesn't let go until that final phrase “the end” and even then lingers in the mind.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2006
The Case of the Greedy Lawyers
By Carl Brookins
www.carlbrookins.com
Five Star Hardback, 2005, 266 pages
ISBN #1-59414-319-6
reviewed by Kevin Tipple You many not have been aware of it but Minneapolis is the home of Private Detective Sean “No Middle Initial” Sean. Yes, you read that right. His first name is his last, he has no middle name, and maybe that is why he looks at everything just a little differently than most would. He's short at just five foot three, known for wearing his red Keds even when wearing nothing at all, and is good at what he does no matter what the might be. He also has a sense of humor except when one of his clients gets murdered.
Except she really wasn't his client. She drifted into his office one day, hardly said a word, told him she would have to give things some more thought and left. Sometime later she was found dead. For Sean, after being asked to identify the body, he isn't ready to let the police take over. He begins to investigate with all trails leading back to a huge law firm with a name that sounds like many publishing houses all put together. As he digs, violence begins to erupt and it becomes clear that his wise talking PI is being used as a pawn in someone's power game.
This book is a very enjoyable read from short to finish on two different levels. On one, it is a send up of all the classic detective novels. With allusions to other books and characters and how they would react, the read is often very funny. The author clearly has a knack for puns and delights in naming so many things after various publishing houses. Many of them seem to be villains in one form or another which increases the amusement factor especially for those working in the writing profession.
On another level, the read is a typical detective story with occasional violence, a beautiful woman in his life, and all the rest including a complicated and intriguing case that slowly becomes clear. The story line moves forward at a steady pace and features a character that is unique and entertaining. Misdirect ions are many and what appears obvious in the middle part of the novel is far from certain by the end.
The result is an entertaining roller coaster of a ride and one very good novel. A fun fast read, one can only hope that more adventures are planned for the detective with no middle initial.
The Man From Yesterday: A Jack Lehman Mystery
By Seymour Shubin
Academy Chicago Publishers
www.academychicago.com
Hardback, 2006, 232 pages
ISBN #0-89733-529-5
reviewed by Kevin Tipple
The mind can be a tricky thing. The name of someone you just met might escape your remembrance while at the same time the name of some classmate in elementary school from decades ago can't be forgotten. How many of us have forgotten our home phone number from time to time? For retired Detective Lieutenant Jack Lehman it seems to be happening more and more.
As the novel opens, he knows one thing for sure. A former snitch of his, the name he can't remember, reached out and by phone told him that a big heist of over a million dollars had happened. The phone call had come after a long night when he was tormented by the fact that he simply could not remember the name of who his favorite late night talk show host was as he watched him on TV. He was still more asleep than awake when his snitch called and now, as he sits in front of Captain Hewitt, who runs his old 32 nd District, he is humiliated and embarrassed.
As Captain Hewitt points out, while Jack can't remember the name, a heist that big means the police should have heard something. Jack knows that is true but he also knows the call happened. Driven by a need to prove himself as well as to dispel the notion that he is nothing more than a senile old man, Jack begins to work the case. A case that leads back to the past and scores unsettled. Beset by his own memory problems and the assumptions of others, including his family that he is suffering from senility or early stage Alzheimer's, Jack continues to push the case with little outside help others than from writer Colin Ryan who believes the former Lieutenant is on to something that could turn into a book for him.
While the novel does shift in point of view occasionally, the story is told primarily from the viewpoint of Jack Lehman. In so doing, the reader is treated to the viewpoint of a man who knows his memory is weakening and yet at the same time is sure that there is a case. A case that while shadowy and vague has some substance to it if he can just start pulling the pieces together. He also knows how others, including his family, feel about him and know that because of those assumptions, they aren't going to take him seriously. That pain of self awareness as he rages against the dying of the light flows throughout the entire novel.
Featuring a complex central character dealing with the efforts of aging on so many levels, this novel becomes an engrossing story that works across the board. It becomes easy to cheer each success Jack has and suffer the agony of each setback. This book, much like “Witness To Myself” also from this author, pulls the reader into a world of personal pain and obsession where the character is on a hunt for vindication.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2006
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