Book Review: A Reason to Live

by: Matthew Iden

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: (Goodreads)
In the late nineties, a bad cop killed a good woman and DC Homicide detective Marty Singer got to watch as the murderer walked out of the courtroom a free man.

Twelve years later, the victim's daughter comes to Marty begging for help: the killer is stalking her now.

There's just one problem: Marty's retired...and he's retired because he's battling cancer. But with a second shot at the killer--and a first chance at redemption--Marty's just found A REASON TO LIVE.

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The story is classic detective mystery book. Iden's writing has a natural ease to it, and his characters are deep and well rounded. Just look at Marty, a retired homicide detective. Kind of cliche until you see that he's battling cancer.

I don't think Marty likes being retired either. He's a lonely man who is forced to look death in the face. This was a brilliant move because here is a guy who has dealt with the ugly side of death his entire career, now he has to deal with the possibility of his own.

Amanda, the daughter of one of his unsolved cases, showed up at the perfect time. He needed a project, to be needed. She needed help, and the police weren't an option. She knew the murderer was back, but it wasn't anything concrete and basically the police failed her the first time around.

This is a great book. If you like Michael Connelly or Jonathan Kellerman, you will love this.

Book Review: Elves and Goblins: Perspectives of a Father's Rebellion

by: Rex Jameson

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: (Goodreads)
The elves have spent the last three hundred years in quiet martyrdom while the goblins have built their towns and great markets. At first, the elven sacrifices had seemed worth it for the sake of peace. No more war would mean greater prosperity, and everyone would benefit. But as the goblins' success grew, so did their persecution and isolation of the elves. Without jobs, money or hope, the elven population declined, and the goblin men herded them into camps far from the great trees, universities, and streets of the bustling goblin towns. A fatal disease now spreads in the melancholy camps, taking the husbands, wives, sons, and daughters of the decimated race. And as a father looks into the eyes of his dying son, the last of his line, he realizes he has no choice but to break the centuries-long truce.

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"Elves and Goblins: Perspectives of a Father's Rebellion" is a 14,500 word (approx. 58 pages) novelette and followup to "Angels and Demons: Perspectives of a Violent Afterlife". "Elves and Goblins" is a distinct work from its predecessor that presents perspectives of a father's journey to find a cure for his son.

PRODUCT WARNING: This work contains graphic violence and alludes to sexual activity. It also has guns, grisly alternative uses for kitchen cutlery, and some naked goblins who deserve what's coming to them.

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The product warning made me chuckle, but the story did not. It was dead serious about a group of people being pushed to the fringes of society. Having their rights removed so slowly that they barely noticed until it was too late. For example, Rex writes about how the Elves were denied drivers' licenses because the Goblins told them they were low on laminating supplies. Then the Goblins issue a study that finds that Elves can't drive at night, so maybe they shouldn't drive at all.

The elves don't even get to call their town a town...it's a camp. Because towns get to have rights and medical care. The main character used to be a warrior, but there is no need for warriors in the Goblin world. Oh the goblins are peaceful people you say? Not necessarily. They have machinery to take up the slack should they have need. So are the Elves allowed to educate themselves, to find a place in society?

This book is eerie when you bear in mind what is going on in our own society. It just feels like we are moving backwards in so many ways. As if this story is a warning about where things can end up.

Book Spotlight: Check Out Time

by: Rosa Sophia

Synopsis: Naomi Vogler blames herself for her mother's tragic death, continually reliving the accident in her nightmares. When she reconnects with her estranged father, he invites her to live with him in a little town called Witchfire. A simple job stocking shelves overnight at a local grocery store seems a perfect distraction. But when the manager of the store is found dead in the boiler room, Naomi's boring job becomes something much more complicated. No matter how she looks at it, one thing is certain: retail is murder.

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I've had the pleasure of working with Rosa Sophia before. She is a professional author and editor. Her writing is clear and captivating. Even though I wasn't a huge fan of Taking 1960, the story has yet to leave my memory. So I don't mind recommending this story, especially for the younger crowd (I'm talking early 20s not tweeners - lol).

It is available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

**note: book spotlight means I did not read this book, but felt like sharing anyway**

Book Review: Angels & Demons

by: Rex Jameson

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Heaven and hell are vying for human souls in vortices between humanity and the afterlife. When Lucifer and his demons overwhelm Archangel Michael and Gabriel, heaven is faced with the possibility of losing all souls on the planet.

Reincarnated in heaven, Michael must fight his way back to Earth to stop more demons from swarming the planet and help his brother Gabriel track down the devil before he tricks humanity into harvesting billions of souls into his fiery kingdom.

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God had so much faith in humanity that he bet our souls on it. Those whose deaths are caused by other humans are sent to Lucifer. God gets the rest. Sucker! Lucifer comes to Earth to stir up trouble in order to collect more souls for a project he has in the making. Even he has to admit its just too easy to pit man against man.

It was supposed to be about how we, as human beings, are ultra-violent and how we may be focusing on the wrong parts of religious texts and making things much worse (from an afterlife perspective, in this one).

--Rex Jameson

I thought this story was fascinating. The main idea is that any death caused by man works against God. It's kind of common sense in a big idea kind of way. As a story, it flows quickly and easily, and will grip you. It's short, but very rich.

Book Review: The Risque Target

by: Kelly Gendron

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
There’s one name that has Agent Nala Dekker reaching for the gun holstered to her leg—Tantum Maddox, the one name her partner said before he died in her arms. After three years of searching for the faceless Tantum Maddox, his name has finally surfaced. Nala jumps on the first plane to Boston in chase of her long-awaited revenge. But instead of taking Tantum in for his crime or shooting him—in self-defense, of course—Nala nearly ends up in bed with the killer. So, it probably would’ve been a good idea to find out what her Target looked like before she went after him.

Agent Tantum Maddox has completed his assignment in Mexico... and now it’s time for his revenge. When Tantum finds a mysterious woman in his arms, and after he discovers exactly who she is—his Target—he must decide what to do with the gun concealed beneath her dress. Should he use it on her and kill her? Or spare her life and take her captive until he finds the answers he’s been looking for?

Somehow Nala’s innocence comes into question by the dangerously sexy Tantum Maddox and he accuses her of being a cold blooded killer. But why is Nala the one on trial, for Tantum’s the one who killed her partner—isn’t he? In this torrid twist of betrayal and seduction, will Tantum and Nala resist killing each other? Or worse, when the truth unfolds, will love become the only threat to their vindictive hearts?

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Review written by Lilith

The Risque Target is what I would call an erotic thriller. We start off learning about Tantum. A bad boy with a past. A past that he has deemed makes him worthless to any woman beyond a one night stand. What happened in his past to make him this way, you’ll have to read to find out. We also learn about Nala. She also has a past, one that keeps her from getting close to anyone. What happens when two people with a past collide? Tantum sees Nala as a possible conquest. Nala sees Tantum as a cold blooded murderer who killed her partner three years ago and she WILL get her revenge.

I will say this book was a pleasant read. It started off kind of slow, but once things got going I couldn’t put it down! There is action, suspense, and of course some really steamy sex scenes. The character development was pretty good, and I could picture Tantum in my head perfectly. Nala on the other hand, I had trouble getting a clear picture of her. The biggest complaint I have about this book is it seemed that the author had a set page number in their head and as they got close to that number they had to hurry up and finish the book. I think if there had been an extra 50 pages this book would have been outstanding!