KN Magazine: Reviews
The Right Side by Spencer Quinn / Review by Clay Stafford
The Right Side
By Spencer Quinn
Atria Books
$26.00
ISBN 978-1501118401
Published June 27, 2017
Book of the Day
The Right Side is a new novel by New York Times bestselling author Peter Abrahams writing under the pseudonym Spencer Quinn. The protagonist is a female soldier who comes home from Afghanistan after a horrific accident only to find the civilian world just as tough, if not tougher, than war itself.
LeAnne Hogan is a proud, independent woman who is now disabled. She does not take it well. At times, it is difficult to like her. She’s cutting, she’s rude, but she is hurting psychologically. She has witnessed the death of those close to her. She has guiltily lived and they have not. She feels betrayed. She feels it all her fault. And, saying all this, Spencer Quinn writes her in a way that the reader can’t help but root for her. You want her to do well. You want her to survive.
There are two things going on chronologically: we learn of the events leading up to the accident in Afghanistan, and we share the unfolding as LeAnne struggles to make her way in the civilian world. The mystery is what really happened in Afghanistan. She doesn’t want to believe it. Truthfully, neither does the reader. There are elements that made me physically angry. I credit Quinn for writing it to produce full-effect.
Part of the damage done to LeAnne is facial. She has lost an eye. I love the thematic symbol in this. Her depth perception is lost. She is blind on one side. It all plays into the storyline’s issue of trust and truth. In love, sometimes we are blind to what others can see; we see the relationship, but not its true depth.
The Right Side is not a thriller or even suspense. It is only remotely a mystery. It is a character study, and well-done at that. I do not want to give away more than I have to, but the ending satisfies. You need to read this novel. It will make you feel extremes along with LeAnne. It will make you want more. It will make you sad. And it will make you smile. Satisfaction will come on the last page. No need for a spoiler alert, just know: this is a book you’ll want to read.
Clay Stafford is an award-winning author, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He has sold over 1.5 million hardcover copies of his children’s adaptations and has seen his film work distributed internationally in over 14 languages. Four of his five staged murder mysteries have had Los Angeles premieres. He has reviewed books, plays, and films, writes near-daily book reviews for the Killer Nashville Book of the Day, has been quoted on book jackets, and has edited several PBS companion books associated with national series. Publishers Weekly has named Stafford one of the top 10 Nashville literary leaders playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” not only in middle-Tennessee, but also extending “beyond the city limits and into the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13). He is the founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com) and publisher of Killer Nashville Magazine (www.KillerNashvilleMagazine.com). He has served on the board of numerous nonprofits. Clay has a B.A. and M.F.A. and has been a professor or lecturer to several major universities. His list of current projects includes the award-winning feature-length documentary “One Of The Miracles: The Inge Meyring Smith Story” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” with fellow mystery writer Jeffery Deaver (www.JefferyDeaverXOmusic.com). Previously associated with Universal Studios and PBS, he is currently President / CEO of American Blackguard, Inc. (www.AmericanBlackguard.com), a publishing / film and television / music / entertainment company near Nashville, Tennessee. More information can be found at www.ClayStafford.com.
Fighting For Anna by Pamela Fagan Hutchins / Reviewed by Robert Selby
Fighting For Anna
By Pamela Fagan Hutchins
SkipJack Publishing
$12.99
ISBN 978-1939889391
Published 11/04/2017
Book of the Day
In this, the eighth installment of the What Doesn’t Kill You series, Fighting For Anna, author Pamela Fagan Hutchins, leads the reader on a wild beast chase from the opening paragraph. The beast, in this case, is an adorable mutt that has led our Michele Lopez Hanson and her kids to the scene of the murder of her elderly neighbor, Gidget. Who, coincidently, had recently hired Michele to write her biography. In this small Texas town, it appears there are as many folks who want to see Gidget’s story told as there are those want to keep it secret.
Hutchins weaves a tale that elicits a feeling of immense awe in the reader. With powerful and intriguing prose, she pulls the reader through each twist and turn of the novel’s ever-evolving plot. There’s always another clue to be uncovered—some blatant that unfold over the course of a few pages. Other clues—often those most key to the story—float by in a line or two.
Hutchins proves herself to be as good as any writer in her ability to create well-rounded characters, all of them imbued with distinct traits that make each respective character unique from the other. From the potential love interest with glowing black skin and dreadlocks to his waist to the brilliant—yet clumsy and bumbling—attorney who is supposed to be representing our protagonist (though whether his intentions are honorable becomes increasingly dubious as the story progresses), each character will astound readers. Hutchins' ability to give her characters such depth makes for a compelling narrative. Her cultivation of so many varied characters makes it near-impossible for even the savviest sleuth to determine who-done-it.
Fighting for Anna is riddled with surprises and compelling dramatic twists. Mystery, murder, and mayhem are around every corner. Hutchins’s ability to bring her characters to life in such a way that makes nearly each of them memorable is worth the read in and of itself. Anyone who enjoys a well-written suspense that will defy expectations until the last page should pick up this book.
And, really, what story isn’t remarkable that includes Andy Warhol as a love interest?
Robert Selby is a screenplay writer, book reviewer, and volunteer at Killer Nashville
Her Darkest Nightmare by Brenda Novak / Review by Danny Lindsey
Her Darkest Nightmare
By Brenda Novak
St. Martin's Press
$7.99
ISBN 978-1250076564
Published 08/30/2016
Book of the Day
Brenda Novak’s latest work, Her Darkest Nightmare is as unpredictable as the winter storms that blast throughout the Alaskan landscape which forms the setting for her story.
At 16, Evelyn Talbot’s first love betrayed, raped, tortured and left her for dead after murdering three of her friends in front of her. After 20 years, psychiatrist Dr. Evelyn Talbot has dedicated her practice to delving into the minds of the nation’s worst pathological personalities. She has arranged for them to be transferred to a newly constructed maximum security prison located in Hilltop, Alaska. The townsfolk have mixed emotions—jobs are scarce, but prisons are scary. When body parts begin to show up, the prison is the first place peoples’ thoughts turn.
Amarok, the lone state trooper assigned to Hilltop, is young and an inexperienced investigator of crimes more serious than the occasional drunk or poacher. But, he is certain that none of the Hilltop residents are capable of murder. Dr. Talbot sees three possibilities—either her teenage torturer has found her again, one of her subjects found a way to come and go from his maximum-security cell, or a member of her staff has begun to emulate the pathology of the inmates. It is not until the second murder that it becomes obvious the true target is Dr. Talbot. She and Amarok agree to join forces to track down the killer, but find themselves embroiled in an escalating relationship which at times threatens to derail the investigation.
Just as one storm after another pushes through Hilltop, one plot twist after another leaves the reader wondering whether it will take until the spring thaw to separate the good, the bad, the ugly, and the horrible. The novel is full of twists, turns, false starts, and red herrings that leave the reader breathless, and heart pounding. Readers will recognize elements of such thrillers as Silence of the Lambs and Fatal Attraction as Novak cements her standing with such names as Dugoni, Rule, and Gerritson as a leader in the genre.
Danny Lindsey keeps trying to retire. After a 20-year Army career and a 25-year second one in the private sector, he’s finally settled down. His current gig is as the Veteran Employment Services manager for a Huntsville, A.L. based non-profit, Still Serving Veterans. Both full careers were characterized by numerous writing assignments, from war plans to operating policies and procedures, then on to white papers, analyses of alternatives and competitive contract and grant proposals. Now his writing consists of blogs for the website www.ssv.org, podcasts for the local NPR affiliate, and a half dozen Pulitzer-worthy, albeit unpublished novels.
The Apothecary's Curse by Barbara Barnett / Reviewed by Bree Goodchild
Book of the Day
When you blend history with mythology and science you get a cocktail of Victorian mystery and alchemic fantasy. This decadent brew awaits within the text of Barbara Barnett’s novel The Apothecary’s Curse; a story of immortality and its consequences.
The story begins in the loft of Gaelen Erceldounes’s apothecary shop. Set in the early 19th century amongst the “vile zoology” of London. Simon Bell is a physician desperate to find a cure for his beloved wife, Sophie’s illness. Gaelen, who has recently lost both his wife and infant son, reluctantly agrees to help.
Following an ancient text bestowed upon his ancestors by the Goddess Airimid and the Tuatha dé Danann, Gaelen concocts a potion he hopes will cure Sophie—instead, it ends her life. A grief-stricken Bell takes the last few drops to join her in death only to wake up very much alive and seemingly, immortal. After years of suicide attempts, Bell discovers that Gaelen, now dubbed the “Miracle Man”, cannot die either. The ancient text has vanished without a trace, leaving Bell and Gaelen doomed to eternal life trying to escape torture and experimentation at the hands of the nefarious Dr. Handley.
Barnett’s careful use of language, shifting timelines, and abrupt plot twists seamlessly melds with the well-researched mythology. She invites the reader to become witness to the chaos and curse that is immortality. Fans of Anne Rice, Sherlock Holmes, and Celtic Mythology will appreciate this fantastic blend of chemistry, alchemy, and creativity.
Bree Goodchild is a recent graduate of Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville with a BA in English and Theatre Arts. She currently lives in Washington state with her beagle mix, Molly. A fan of a wide genre of books and authors, most recently Temple Grandin, Ira Glass, Terry Moore, Sebastian Barry, and Zora Neale Hurston.
Cast the First Stone by James W. Ziskin / Reviewed by Lia Farrell
Cast the First Stone
By James W. Ziskin
Seventh Street Books
$15.95
ISBN 978-1633882812
Available 06/06/2017
Book of the Day
It’s 1962 and Ellie Stone—girl reporter for the local paper in the small town of New Holland, N.Y.—gets a big break when she’s sent to Los Angeles to interview hometown hero, Tony Eberle. Tony has landed a big role in a real Hollywood movie, a fact which has generated a swell of pride throughout the town.
Undaunted, Ellie gets the actor’s address and sets out to conduct her interview. But Tony isn’t home when Ellie arrives. After a series of missed connections, Ellie is forced to give up the hunt and try again in the morning. She soon learns that her simple interview is anything but when a well-known movie producer—Bertram Wallis—turns up dead. The producer is believed to have fallen victim to foul play, and the missing Tony Eberle is the primary person-of-interest
Interestingly, both the movie’s director and his “fixer” are also searching for Tony. Their motivation is unclear, but Ellie suspects it might involve some missing photographs last seen in Wallis’ home or possibly a missing movie script. In her search for Tony, Ellie is propositioned by a woman and men, continually lied to, and even evicted from a bar.
Cast the First Stone contains more twists and turns than the hairpin curves on North Canyon Road, the treacherous path near the late producer’s home. Wallis’ well-publicized parties were more orgy than cocktail party and included underage boys. These facts alone are horrifying to sheltered young Ellie, but she’s not dissuaded from continuing her search for Tony. Ellie is motivated by her zeal to find the actor and, if possible, to get his job back for him.
In this treacherous world of Hollywood wannabes, panderers, and pornographers, Ellie carries on—unearthing secrets no one wants revealed. Will she find Tony? And, if she does, what truth will she uncover? These and other mysteries carry Ziskin’s story to a satisfying conclusion borne along on his clever and incisive writing.
Cast the First Stone is the fifth book in the Ellie Stone Mystery series.
Lia Farrell is the author of the Mae December mystery series.
Grace by Howard Owen / Reviewed by Robert Selby
Book of the Day Review
Grace, by Howard Owens, grabs you from the opening paragraph and refuses to let go. The main character, Willie Black, is a blue collar, crass and colorful reporter following a murder in the neighborhood. The first several “graphs” report a newspaper employee holding the editor hostage with an unloaded gun, and propel the story line toward the killer of his brother. The murder of a young and aspiring black teenager turns quickly into the investigating a couple of decades of similar young boys that have disappeared; and Willie is following that thread.
The most captivating aspect of this book is the development of the main character, and his story may be more compelling than the story he’s following and trying to unravel. In fact, unraveling is apparently something that Willie is most talented at achieving. He does so with an ever-mounting sense of protectiveness that grows in the reader, trying to ‘will’ him not to head off the deep end. He is at times throughout the story line more detective than reporter, but his hunches and ability to put together the clues far outclass the local law enforcement.
More often than not, the local police chief has about had it with Willie and comes close several times to 86’ing the reporter from any interaction with himself or his officers. Ultimately, this hardscrabble reporter stays a step or two in front of the investigating officers and becomes the guy that puts the defiant police chief in his place by solving 20 years’ worth of unsolved murders. Owens has created a reoccurring character who is similar to Sam Spade—especially in regard to his penchant for colorful— and use of— challenging language, particularly when he’s been over served. He picks up on clues that elude others as often as he picks arguments that others would avoid.
At the climax of the story line, a celebrity and local philanthropist is gruesomely murdered in his estate and Willie recognizes that this can’t be coincidental. As he continuously puts himself in danger with nearly every other character in the story in some fashion or another, it becomes a large part of the suspense for the reader as to whether Willie can solve the puzzle before he implodes upon himself. There seems to be more impetus for Willie Black to destroy himself than there is to be the hero of the tale. Those that enjoy a great wordsmith and a unforgettable character in a classic whodunit style will enjoy this next reporter’s tale.
Robert Selby is a screenplay writer, book reviewer, and volunteer at Killer Nashville
Poisoned Justice by Jeffrey Lockwood / Review by Jeanie Stewart
Poisoned Justice
By Jeffery Alan Lockwood
Pen-L Publishing
$14.99
ISBN 978-1683130086
Published October 11, 2016
Book of the Day Review
Cross a hard-drinking, hard-nosed, hard-boiled 70’s PI with a guy who likes bugs and classical music and you get C. V. Riley. Riley, the hero of Poisoned Justice by Jeffrey Lockwood, copes with the vermin of 1970’s San Francisco with neither regrets nor excuses.
When an ecology professor is found dead in his Los Angeles hotel room, his death is chalked up to natural causes—but his widow thinks otherwise. And after examining insects from the room, so does Riley. Promised a princely sum for his favorite charity, Riley, an ex-cop turned pest exterminator, agrees to help the widow find the truth. His investigations lead him from the conference attendees in LA, to the professor’s friends and enemies in Berkley, and even to the drug trade in San Francisco. He has run-ins with professors, pot-growers, drug-dealers, radical ecology-activists, and sexy teaching assistants. The list of suspects grows when he learns the dead professor had plans to bomb a chemical plant. Could the politically connected bigwigs in the chemical business have put a hit out on the professor?
Riley’s backstory, carefully woven into the fast-paced action, reveals his motivation to rid San Francisco of vermin—both the 6-legged and the 2-legged kind. But how will he do it? Will he go the legal route or take care of business in his own way?
Lockwood’s book fits well into the tough PI genre with seedy bars, fist-fights, and even the practice of giving suspects the third degree. The characters, though a bit insensitive, are true to the attitudes and turmoil of California in the late ‘60’s. Fans of the fictional characters of Raymond Chandler or Robert Parker will enjoy this tough but sensitive lover of booze, bugs, and Beethoven.
Jeanie Stewart has been a mother, grandmother, speaker, freelance editor, teacher, and library director, but before, during, and after these, she was a writer. Her first novel was published in 1997. Eight books followed in Bantam’s SVU series, including thrillers: Don’t Answer the Phone and Deadly Terror. She has published 9 children’s books for Steck-Vaughn and Rigby. Ten Book Summer won the Missouri Writer’s Guild 2002 award for Best Juvenile book. New Coach Blues won the same award in 2004. Shifting Ground won MWG’s award for best book about Missouri. She has also published numerous short stories and articles for children and adults
Another Day Another Dali by Sandra Orchard / Review by Kathleen Cosgrove
Another Day Another Dali
By Sandra Orchard
Revell
$14.99
ISBN 978-0800726690
Published October 18, 2016
Book of the Day Review
Another Day Another Dali by Sandra Orchard, is the fun and fast-paced sequel to A Fool and His Monet. The story’s hero, Serena Jones, is an art fraud investigator with the FBI. When she takes on the case of a forged Salvador Dali painting at the request of her grandmother, she sets in motion a chain of twisting events that does not stop until you reach the last page. It is chock-full of interesting characters, including an aunt who keeps turning up in unexpected places, and a nice little love triangle that doesn’t resolve in the end, giving the reader hope for more in this series.
Orchard introduces the action right away and paces the novel in such a way that the reader wants to keep turning the page. But she does not allow the action of the story to bog down the plot or exhaust the reader. Her detailed research gives the reader a behind-the-scenes look into the world of art forgery and fraud. There is plenty of humor and lightness to balance the dire undercurrent of villainy and perhaps even corrupt police officers.
All in all, this is an clever mystery with a smart, believable and—above-all—an immensely likable hero that will give the reader a fascinating look into the world of art and the people who love it, steal it, or forge it—sometimes all at once
Center Stage by Denise Grover Swank / Reviewed by Jeanie Stewart
Book of the Day Review
Center Stage is aptly named. Denise Grover Swank’s main character, Magnolia (Maggie) Steele, is always center stage—not only in her career, but in her life. Maggie attracts drama the way a magnet attracts iron. At times it flies at her hard and fast, and the impact is beyond her control. When an on-stage blow-up with a cheating understudy sends her Broadway career crashing like the scenery around her, she’s left with nothing.
With no money, no job, and no place to live, Maggie is forced to go back home to Franklin, Tennessee. Her mama takes her in, but there is no sweet reunion. Maggie had fled Franklin ten years earlier in disgrace, and even she doesn’t remember the details of the awful night that still gives her nightmares.
Before Maggie can get her bags unpacked, Mama, insists she help out at the party she’s catering for a country music star. There, while serving crab puffs to the Nashville movers and shakers, Maggie stumbles across the body of a sleazy agent she’d once sent to the hospital and had recently threatened. She immediately becomes a person of interest to the Franklin police.
The only way to prove her innocence is to find out who really killed the sleaze. The deeper she digs, the worse things get. She starts getting threatening emails. Her brother hates her. People from her past are angry about the way she ran out on them years ago. She meets new people but doesn’t know who to trust. And then there’s a second murder.
The author’s fast-paced writing and weaving of the past and present keeps the story moving. CenterStage is the first of four books in the Magnolia Steele Mystery series. Act Two and Call Back are available now and the final book, Curtain Call, will be published this fall.
Readers who like strong heroines will root for Maggie. Who wants to harm her? Will she stay in Franklin or go back to New York City? And how will she cope when she finally remembers the horror of the night she left her past behind?
Jeanie Stewart has been a mother, grandmother, speaker, freelance editor, teacher, and library director, but before, during, and after these, she was a writer. Her first novel was published in 1997. Eight books followed in Bantam’s SVU series, including thrillers: Don’t Answer the Phone and Deadly Terror. She has published 9 children’s books for Steck-Vaughn and Rigby. Ten Book Summer won the Missouri Writer’s Guild 2002 award for Best Juvenile book. New Coach Blues won the same award in 2004. Shifting Ground won MWG’s award for best book about Missouri. She has also published numerous short stories and articles for children and adults
The Widower's Wife by Cate Holahan
The Widower's Wife
By Cate Holahan
Crooked Lane Books
$25.99
ISBN 978-1629537658
Published August 9, 2016
Book of the Day
The Widowers Wife, a thriller by Cate Holahan features an interesting blend of third person/first person viewpoint. The events leading up to Ana Bacon’s death are related in first person as they occur. The subsequent insurance investigation trails her death by some 4 months, and is written in third person. The book features an intricate plot that leaves the reader wondering which thread will unravel, and what it might disclose.
When does an accidental drowning arouse suspicion? In this thriller, when the insurance investigator is a former policeman turned private eye. Ryan Monahan just can’t put his finger on it, but with millions of dollars at stake, he follows his hunches. Monahan is a private eye straight out of the Peter Falk as Columbo mode, complete with the obligatory “just one more question” as he interviews witnesses.
All signs point to an accidental death, but something still bothers him. Was it depression that drove the young wife and mother to jump? Or was the husband shopping around for a newer model? Was she having an affair with her boss, or was he a would-be lover, blackmailed by her? And was her husband, an unemployed and disgraced Wall Street trader, the manipulator behind her death?
The plot is filled with twist and turns, each seemingly the right path only to cross another, equally plausible answer. As the two viewpoints come closer to the same time and place, even more surprises await the reader. It’s difficult to put down – don’t begin it late at night or the next day will be rough.
While Holahan’s mixing of person is unique, buried nuggets can be found throughout the volume. An example is “For someone like her, the stares of men had to be like sunrays: something that happened in daylight and not worth noticing unless overly hot or oppressive.” The reader will come across them, and cannot help but pause and read them over, adding to the overall enjoyment.
Danny Lindsey keeps trying to retire. After a 20-year Army career and a 25-year private sector career, he’s (maybe) finally settling down. His current gig is as the Veteran Employment Services manager for a Huntsville, AL based non-profit, Still Serving Veterans. Both full careers were characterized by numerous writing assignments, from war plans to operating policies and procedures, then on to white papers, analyses of alternatives, and competitive contract and grant proposals. Now his writing consists of blogs for the website www.ssv.org, podcasts for the local NPR affiliate, and a half dozen Pulitzer-worthy, albeit unpublished novels.
Normal by Warren Ellis / Reviewed by Clay Snellgrove
Book of the Day
In the very near future, public and private interests will hire individuals to spend their days considering, foretelling, and predicting events, trends, challenges, and unavoidable disasters soon to impact the human race and the world. In his new novel Normal, author Warren Ellis introduces us to a collection of these professional prognosticators at a secluded rehab facility called Normal Head where they grapple with the insanity that their career has prompted. When one of the patients at the facility vanishes from his room, leaving behind only a swarm of strange insects in his place, Normal Head’s newest arrival, Adam Dearden feels called to solve the mystery of the disappearance.
Two different types of people have been forcibly detained at Normal Head. Foresight strategists are civil employees that gaze into the abyss and search for strategies that might help the human race avoid the coming doom. Strategic forecasters are the hired guns of corporations that brainstorm ways clients can prepare and survive the doom that is imminent. Dearden’s blurry past seems to include interaction with both sides of the profession which puts him in a unique position to seek information and guidance from longtime residents of the segregated rehab facility.
A successful author of comic books, Ellis aptly creates a compelling, graphic, and surreal setting in this bold, suspenseful tale. Fans of the author will love the intricate sociocultural commentary that is woven seamlessly throughout the narrative. As Dearden avoids the staff and ongoing surveillance in his efforts to discover the truth behind his fellow patient’s disappearance, he interacts with a cast of futurists that share the observations and visions that broke them, caused them to develop the “abyss gaze,” a symptom that signals the person needs to be committed.
As readers learn the tragic fate of our world through these conversations, they will find that the writer’s imagined culture not only feels possible but close at hand. Ellis takes risks in crafting this bizarre story but ultimately succeeds with the help of a brilliant, conspiratorial ending. Every sentence feels important, requiring a focused eye in order to absorb the smart, tightly packed prose.
Clay Snellgrove is the author of The Ball Player. He’s a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University. A former professional baseball player, Clay holds an MFA in creative writing from Converse College.
Escape Velocity by Susan Wolfe / Reviewed by Laura Hartman
Escape Velocity
By Susan Wolfe
Steelkilt Press
$29.99
ISBN 978-0997211702
Published October 4, 2016
Book of the Day
Escape Velocity has been described as being approximately 33 times the speed of sound on earth. That defines the pace of this second novel by Susan Wolfe.
Georgia Griffin is a daddy’s girl. She loved spending time with him at their home in Piney, Arkansas. Taking care of their horses and learning how to read and manipulate people were activities he taught Georgia and her younger sister Katie-Ann. They have his skills, but didn’t use them. But when one if his cons goes bad and sends him to prison, Georgia knows she has to make some drastic changes to survive. Things go from bad to worse after her mama takes up with a real creep. Georgia set a goal and is determined to see it through. Getting a job in Silicon Valley is the first step, and then saving enough money to get her younger sister out of harm’s way is the second. Katie-Ann is only in high school and too much of a temptation for her mom’s latest boyfriend, so Georgia is on a tight timeline to accomplish what may be near impossible with only a paralegal certificate.
Lumina Software could be her big break. She has interviewed with several companies, but nothing has panned out so far. But this interview is different. She is so convinced it might be the thrust she needs to begin her escape velocity, she is willing to put just a little of what her daddy taught her into play to give herself an edge. She immediately clicks with her potential boss, and finally getting the break she has been looking for; the job is hers.
The pay is great, her boss is even better than she first imagined, but some of the others in the company seemed to have personal agendas. The deeper she becomes involved; the more Georgia feels she needs to channel her daddy to make sure the company is a success. After all, if the company has problems, she might lose her job, then how would she get her little sister out of the mess of a life she has in Arkansas? Georgia is good at finding things out and using them to her advantage. If she pulls one small con to help the company, how could that be wrong? First she needs to find a vulnerable spot or two in a few obnoxious execs, then play them just like daddy would. But could she find out something that might put her in more danger than the business losing a bit of money? Certainly these boardroom bullies wouldn’t go as far as to kill someone – or are the stakes higher than Georgia imagined?
I love the mind games the characters play with each other. After working in an office for over twenty years, I could picture a few of my former unsavory co-workers taking things a step further than they should and then over the line. Fortunately in my life that never happened, but the realistic settings, events and characters in Wolfe’s book bring the schemers and scammers to life. I love hating the bad guys in this book and kept turning the pages to find out if and how they get what they deserved.
Anyone who likes twists, turns and intrigue will love this book. It was fun trying to figure out just who was bad and who was good until the very end. There is nothing better for a mystery reader than not knowing all of the answers until they are revealed in the final chapter, and then realizing the clues were there all along.
Laura Hartman is a short story author and book reviewer. She has work appearing in A Woman’s Touch: 11 Stories of Murder & Misdemeanors and The Killer Wore Cranberry, A Second Helping. She began reviewing books for GenReviews in 2011 and currently reviews for publicist Maryglenn McCombs, Penguin First to Read and NetGalley. She is a writer by day and a reader by night.
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the publisher/author in connection with Killer Nashville in return for my review. Copyright © 2017 Laura Hartman
Order to Kill by Kyle Mills / Reviewed by G. Robert FrazierKiller Nashville Book of the Day
Book of the Day
Vince Flynn’s CIA agent Mitch Rapp is in good hands with author Kyle Mills, who takes Rapp to the limit in his latest novel, Order to Kill ($28.99, Atria Books). This time around, Rapp is called upon to ferret out the location of nuclear fuel stolen from a half dozen Pakistani warheads and prevent the fissile material from being detonated in a series of dirty bombs.
Rapp goes deep undercover, taking on the identity of an American ISIS recruit. In doing so, he subjects himself to a ferocious beating at the hands of a friend in order to mimic the wounds inflicted on the actual recruit by interrogators. Apparently there is no easier way to play the part—there are no makeup artists on hand—showing the lengths that Rapp will go for God and country.
At the same time, Rapp is desperate to discover the identity of a Russian assassin who has critically injured his friend, Scott Coleman. Grisha Azarov, who is in the employ of Russian President Maxim Krupin, has an agenda of his own—specifically the death of Rapp—setting the stage for a knockdown kill-or-be-killed faceoff between the two.
Mills writes with authority and skill, making him a worthy successor to Flynn, who died in 2013. His prose literally puts you in the middle of the action so that you feel like you are ducking bullets right alongside Rapp.
While Rapp isn’t known for sentiment —this is an action-thriller, after all—Mills does a good job attempting to humanize him somewhat in this outing. For instance, when his friend Coleman is nearly killed, Rapp is clearly upset. He shirks orders just to bring Coleman home, even though it means letting his adversary get away.
Despite all of that, you never feel like Rapp is in any mortal danger. That’s the downside to a series character like Rapp or James Bond or Jack Bauer. You know that no matter what happens, he’ll survive and he’ll get the bad guy. It takes a bit of the suspense out, but not much. Because in the end, what readers really want from adventures like these is a hero kicking butt and taking names, which Rapp is.
When he’s not working on his own novel or screenplays, G. Robert Frazier writes about other writers and their works on his blog and other sites such as BookPage and US Review of Books. He is a script reader for both the Austin Film Festival and Nashville Film Festival screenwriting competitions and is a member of the Tennessee Screenwriting Association. He used to write and edit stories for several newspapers in the Nashville area until the industry caved in on itself and set him free. And he once won a flash fiction contest in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, so there’s that.
The Devil's Bible by Dana Chamblee Carpenter / Reviewed by Kelly Saderholm
Killer Nashville Book of the Day
Look for The Devil's Bible from Pegasus Books on Killer Nashville's affiliate, Amazon.com*
Release date: March 7, 2017
The Devil's Bible by Dana Chamblee Carpenter
Reviewed by Kelly Saderholm
Fans of Dana Chamblee Carpenter's Bohemian Gospel (Pegasus 2015) will be thrilled that the wait for more of Mouse's adventures is over. The Devil's Bible (Pegasus 2017) offers more of Mouse’s story in this beautifully crafted and extraordinarily well-researched novel which begins where Bohemian Gospel ends, in 13th century Bohemia—a setting that Carpenter brings to life with her smart, lively writing and attention to historical detail. For those not familiar with the first work, Mouse is an orphan left at a monastery. She has a mysterious origin and odd powers—powers that even the holy place’s residents cannot identify or explain.
In the Devil’s Bible, we flash forward into the modern day. Mouse is a professor and scholar working at an American University. When a former student of hers presents research on the mysterious Devil’s Bible, Mouse realizes that he is dangerously close to the truth of her own existence. The relic is a hand-written bible from medieval times that is shrouded in mystery and legend. As the name would suggest, the book is rumored to be written by the Devil himself. Through the centuries it has called out to scholars and those seeking power. It is whispered that those who come in contact with this ancient book are never the same afterward.
Hoping for a normal life, Mouse goes into hiding. All too soon she realizes that she has been found and that those close to her are in danger. She also learns that certain pages of the Devil’s Bible are missing, and she suspects those pages hold the key to the resolution of the conflict from which she’s spent centuries hiding—a conflict that is revealed to us in a series of deftly-crafted flashbacks.
In The Devil’s Bible, Carpenter has crafted well-rounded and complex characters. The novel’s plot is interesting and fast-moving. She provides gorgeous historical detail, without bogging down the novel’s pacing. Carpenter’s prose is detailed without being convoluted, and she weaves plotlines and histories together into a masterfully crafted tapestry of a tale. The history, the rich details, the folklore, and legends, with a dose of magical realism are reminiscent of Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian and Umberto Eco’s the Name of the Rose.
Carpenter based The Devil’s Bible on the true-life medieval manuscript Codex Gigas, (Giant Book) or, as it has been known throughout history, “Devil’s Bible,” a name it received due to a large portrait of the Devil inside the manuscript. There is also a legend about a monk who sold his soul to the Devil in order to complete the work. There is more to this ancient tome than just the canonical books of the Bible; it also contains history, medical information, magic spells and other mysterious works. Carpenter cleverly uses all these pieces to conjure a riveting tale and memorable characters. She casts a spell over readers who, once they start reading, will find it nearly impossible to put The Devil’s Bible down.
Dana Chamblee Carpenter’s debut novel, Bohemian Gospel won the 2014 Killer Nashville Claymore Award. Her short fiction has appeared in The Arkansas Review, Jersey Devil Press, and Maypop. She is a professor in Nashville, Tennessee and is currently at work on another novel.
Kelly Saderholm has written, blogged, and lectured about aspects of the mystery novel. She has moderated panels and presented papers at literary conferences, on both the Mystery Novel and Urban Fantasy. She is currently writing a non-fiction book dealing with Folklore in the American South. She is a recipient of a Kentucky Foundation for Women Writer’s grant. She lives in South Central Kentucky with her family and two feline office assistants.
Weregirl by C.D. Bell / Reviewed by Ashlyn Duke
Killer Nashville Book of the Day
Weregirl by C.D. Bell
Reviewed by Ashlyn Duke
C.D. Bell presents a unique twist on a werewolf story in Weregirl. This is the story about Nessa Kurland, an ambitious girl who is striving to get an athletic scholarship to go to college by running track. Her goal changes somewhat once she realizes that she can no longer be just a girl striving for college.
Weregirl is set in small town Tether, Michigan. After Dutch Chem had their way Tether was left a poison wasteland, and many people from Tether had to move. That is until the white knight Paravida shows up to save the day. Everything should be perfect now - until something slips. It’s up to Nessa to save Tether, but she has a problem of her own.
This is a book that is not focused on a love story, but of Nessa transforming into a stronger person. She doesn’t focus on guys, like her best friend Bree seems to. Her priorities are more focused on beating her rival Cynthia at the meets and getting the best running time. Nessa is a unique character that smashes the typical teenage stereotype. The evildoers in the story even have a unique motive.
Weregirl is a book for anyone looking to enjoy comedic/suspenseful/action filled book. The questions to be asked are: Will Nessa be able to control herself? What are they really doing in the labs? Can Nessa uncover the mystery of her little town or will she have to roll over and play dead?
Ashlyn Duke will graduate from Tennessee Tech in December 2017 with a Bachelors Degree in English Literature. She always has a book handy on her for those just-in-case moments. She also enjoys drawing, and going on hikes with her Australian Shepherd.
If you have a book you would like featured, send a digital ARC for consideration to books@killernashville.com. The Killer Nashville Book of the Day Reviews are coordinated by Clay Stafford with the assistance of Liz Gatterer and credited guest reviewers.
*Killer Nashville is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you purchase a book from the links on this page, Amazon will give Killer Nashville a small percentage of the total sale. Killer Nashville receives zero compensation (other than sometimes the book to review) from publishers who have been selected for the Book of the Day.
"Death Canyon" by David Riley Bertsch / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Debut author. Great new mystery/thriller. This book is the start of a series; but this story is so good, I’m not sure how Bertsch is going to top it using this scenario and these characters following this much fictional destruction.
The beginning gets my attention: earthquakes in Wyoming, men getting rid of the body of a friend of theirs in a watery gorge, and a group of half-naked Native Americans participating in a “relations” dance, which to this reviewer of Irish decent, looks a lot like the Celtic rituals of old.
Death Canyon is much better than the initial generic blurbs offered. This is an intertwined story of species’ rage and greed – both human and nonhuman. I really didn’t see in advance where this story was going (didn’t see it coming until page 157), which made it fun. This isn’t a story about fly-fishing and murder set in Jackson Hole; this is a story of avarice to the point of annihilating the human race, the propulsion to the end of the world as we know it. What starts small blows up to world-ending proportions. The backstory plays out with perfect pacing; not too much at the beginning, and then only peppered nicely when the explanation is needed. And add all the crazy and unexpected elements: Rocky Mountain wildlife, ex-lawyer, politics and corruption, Mafia thugs, real earthquakes in Wyoming (what’s up with that?).
In the beginning, Bertsch thanks his wife and family for giving him the courage to write this book. I thank them, too. There is a long career ahead for this new writer. Someday, I would like to take a little trip to Jackson, Wyoming and do a little fly-fishing with Bertsch. When the ground starts shaking, he would be a good one to have nearby.
Well, this should give you a few eclectic titles to read over the next few days. Get in touch with these authors, learn about them, and tell them you would like to see them at this year’s Killer Nashville.
And remember, if you buy your books through the links on Killer Nashville, you’ll still get the great Amazon discount prices, but – better yet – a portion of the proceeds goes towards the educational events sponsored by the good volunteers at Killer Nashville. So support Killer Nashville while you’re supporting our featured authors!
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com). As a writer himself, he has over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). A champion of writers, Publishers Weekly has identified Stafford as playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” throughout “the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Want to review books for the Killer Nashville family? With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to books@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you.
"Killer's Island" by Anna Jansson / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
I’m a fan of the differing perspectives in foreign novels (yes, my fellow Americans, there is a world outside the U.S.) and I’m a particular champion of the dark world of Swedish mystery writers. Killer’s Island is the action-packed seventh Detective Inspector Marian Wern book and the second of Anna Jansson’s – I think – translated into English, this one skillfully retold by Enar Henning Koch. I wish I spoke Swedish because – after reading this book – I’d love to read the rest in the chronology and also view the Swedish TV series based upon the character of Wern.
The story starts with a decapitated young nurse dressed in bridal clothes (hopefully not from Jansson’s part-time life as a nurse herself). Killer’s Island is part mystery and part scientific thriller. The supertech villain does a tremendous job playing cat-and-mouse with the police and Wern. What drew me in were my feelings for the victim. This is one of those books where, if you can figure out the motive, you can possibly figure out the killer. All deaths in this novel are taking place on an island – I love confined places stories.
What I got from this book: I have a new author to explore. With over 2 million copies of Anna Jansson’s books in print in over fifteen countries, I can only read two of them! We definitely need more translators and more publishers like Stockholm Text to get onboard sharing works such as this around the world.
Well, this should give you a few eclectic titles to read over the next few days. Get in touch with these authors, learn about them, and tell them you would like to see them at this year’s Killer Nashville.
And remember, if you buy your books through the links on Killer Nashville, you’ll still get the great Amazon discount prices, but – better yet – a portion of the proceeds goes towards the educational events sponsored by the good volunteers at Killer Nashville. So support Killer Nashville while you’re supporting our featured authors!
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com). As a writer himself, he has over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). A champion of writers, Publishers Weekly has identified Stafford as playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” throughout “the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
"The Last Time I Died" by Joe Nelms / Reviewed by Clay Stafford
Okay, this one made me pause. Highly different from my normal fare. At first, I wasn’t fond of the novel, but I couldn’t stop reading. That’s crazy. The reason is because the writing is just too darn good. Then after I got sucked into this character’s mad descent, the character was so complexly written that I couldn’t give the guy up. You’ve got to read this book! The last book I read that did this to me was Fight Club. I read that book once, but when the movie came out (starring a young Brad Pitt), I saw it (literally) six times at the 99-cent movie theater. This novel had the same effect on me. It’s a story I don’t think I would ever be able to write and it amazes me authors such as Nelms can turn out a world such as this.
This is a first-person novel of a man looking back at his unraveling life while his present life falls apart. The psychological first person format helps the reader view it from the main character’s perspective, even the fantasy of his detached self, where I began to wonder – and this is what the book is about – what is real and what is not? Sometimes I think the guy is going out-of-body for a detached third-person, which is freaky unto itself. It’s a dark book filled with caverns of repressed memories. The main character is a man focused on the negative who clearly sees the negative in others and acerbically – even laugh out loud – describes them. Reading this book is like watching a slow death. I can only imagine how tired Nelms was at the end of each day as he worked on this novel. For character studies, you don’t beat this one. It brings new meaning to the old phrase, How do I make you love me? As I read, I kept hearing Elton’s Blue Moves album in the background. You know, citing this character and in my own armchair-psychologist’s opinion, sometimes forgetfulness can be a good thing; I’m convinced that it is not always best – and I’m sure health professionals would disagree – to go digging in old tired mental graves. Obviously, this is a thrilling story that interested Nelms and one that he cathartically needed to write, definitely one you need to read, and a new author whose next book you should eagerly await.
Well, this should give you a few eclectic titles to read over the next few days. Get in touch with these authors, learn about them, and tell them you would like to see them at this year’s Killer Nashville.
And remember, if you buy your books through the links on Killer Nashville, you’ll still get the great Amazon discount prices, but – better yet – a portion of the proceeds goes towards the educational events sponsored by the good volunteers at Killer Nashville. So support Killer Nashville while you’re supporting our featured authors!
Until next time, read like someone is burning the books!
– Clay Stafford is an author / filmmaker (www.ClayStafford.com) and founder of Killer Nashville (www.KillerNashville.com). As a writer himself, he has over 1.5 million copies of his own books in print in over 14 languages. Stafford’s latest projects are the feature documentary “One of the Miracles” (www.OneOfTheMiracles.com) and the music CD “XO” (www.JefferyDeaverXOMusic.com). A champion of writers, Publishers Weekly has identified Stafford as playing “an essential role in defining which books become bestsellers” throughout “the nation’s book culture.” (PW 6/10/13)
Buy the book from the Killer Nashville Bookstore and help support a new generation of writers and readers.
Visit our bookstore for other similar books.
If you want to make your own comments on this selection, we would love to hear from you. Join our Facebook Killer Nashville group page or our blog and join in the discussion.
Remember that these books are listed at a discount through Amazon. You also don’t have to purchase the version that is featured here. Many of these books are available in multiple formats: e–book, hardcover, softcover, and audio. Enjoy!
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