Murder by Bequest (Sherrod Colsne Mysteries by John Spencer Yantiss My rating: 4 of 5 stars Murder by Bequest reads like a classic novel, notably something like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would have written in his Sherlock series, with highly complex sentence structure that gave the impression of an author with immense vocabulary and equally complex thought patterns but little regard for the ease of reading. At multiple points in the reading I did think…
ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties by J. Bean Palmer My rating: 5 of 5 stars Book III in the Cape Cod Witch series brings us back together with Elsbeth Amelia Thistle, now a nine year old witch from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It is two years after The Pirate’s Treasure takes place, and Elsbeth and her cast of friends/classmates has grown and matured in the time since. The story opens by introducing us…
Gravettian Goddess by B. Alexander Howerton My rating: 5 of 5 stars Note: I received a copy of this text in exchange for an honest review. When I received word that Gravettian Goddess was on my list of books scheduled for review and learned the text was 1299 pages long I almost dreaded approaching the read. I thought I hope this is a good book worthy of such length otherwise this is going to be…
Be the Change: Saving the World with Citizen Science by Chandra Clarke My rating: 5 of 5 stars A short read due to the majority of the book being links to various Citizen Science projects, Be the Change still manages to be chock full of helpful and interesting background information and explanations of the field. Written in a style that is appropriately user-friendly, sans high tech jargon and acronyms, Clarke shares her enthusiasm for a…
Not From Around Here by Larry Hochwald My rating: 3 of 5 stars Not From Around Here is a collection of 18 short stories ranging in genres from horror to paranormal to science fiction. Starting with “Best Friend” the book begins on slightly predictable note with an adult man pining for family meeting a ghost boy. This is the last point at which I thought that anything in this book was predictable, and for a…
Persistence of Memory by Winona Kent My rating: 5 of 5 stars Note: I received a copy of this text in exchange for an honest review. When you sit down to read this book be prepared for a light hearted look at accidental time travel, unexpected romance, a well-envisioned and researched glimpse into the past, and a liberal dose of humor across the board. This was a fun read that kept me turning the pages,…
Heaven Sent by Tracey Dalziel-Bush My rating: 1 of 5 stars Heaven Sent was a challenging read. Classified as a paranormal romance thriller according to the author’s tag cloud on Smashwords, only two of these labels fit, and then only just. The book opens with an introduction to Lilia, the main character, a trained assassin on a mission to rid the world of evil-doers. She’s on the hunt for her best friend’s killer, Ramon Blur.…
Severed Ties by Angie Skelhorn/Witchskel My rating: 1 of 5 stars Severed Ties was a short read and mercifully so. While definitely well-written (the author knows her craft) this story missed some key aspects that kept it from achieving the full 10 out of 10 stars, ranking in at 5 for this reader. The synopsis is spot on as to describing the plot but what I immediately noticed is that the “inner city” that Sandra…
Ian Pemberton by Steven Hugh My rating: 3 of 5 stars Hugh delivers another slow-burner in his second novel, Ian Pemberton. True to the blurb, Ian, a young Englishman, wakes up one morning fed up with his current state of life and yearns for a change. His wife, Madeleine, who seems to be the more practical of the two, is shocked and somewhat angered by his arbitrary decision to take the day off from work.…
A Ranger’s Tale by Mysti Parker My rating: 4 of 5 stars A Ranger’s Tale is an enchanting read blending elements of fantasy, romance, and adventure. Told in alternating first person format, Parker brings us right into the characters’ mind, emotions, and motivations as they navigate a fully imagined world of high elfs, wood elfs, dark elfs, and Halflings, Trolls, and other fantastical beings. As a result Caliphany, Galadin, and Jayden come to vivid life…
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