My Buy Essay

Posts Tagged ‘murder’

The first thing that stood out for me about Michael Putegnat’s novel, Laguna, was the author’s excellent writing skills. He has the ability to create a vision in the readers mind and employs a clever use of humor. Attractive hooks at the ending of most chapters kept me unable to resist reading at least the first paragraph or two of the next one.

Laguna opens with Octavio Paredes, the missing fisherman, and his wife Anajita. This interesting inter-racial marriage gives glimpses of underlying racism in their families. From there we are introduced to Jason, a sergeant at a police station, and his brother Jack, who is depressed and out-of-work. The hands of fate drag these two brothers into the case of the missing fisherman. Intriguing threads lead back to Jack’s old job and his only refuge is his sailboat. However the unexpected romance with Angela brings a ray of relief to Jack’s battered life.

Sweet Angela, the green-eyed daughter of Sophia Poole, is more than she seems. She gets that from her mother. Sophia, no ordinary elderly lady, holds an emotional secret.

John Mange, his wife and two sons are facing financial loss on a grand scale. But nothing small in this family has been done in more than four generations. Greed runs deep in John’s genes and like his forefathers, he stoops to unspeakable levels to get what he desires most.

Enter Fester Stubb, a former IRS tax fraud specialist is employed by John Mange. John doesn’t yet know it, but he has just made his biggest mistake.

As you can probably tell by the list of characters, the back cover statement accurately describes the setting for Laguna as a place where “power and greed are the new religion and love is an accident”.

This book invokes political scams and rich men’s schemes, harbored loves and dedications that control women’s lives – and my favorite of all themes &ndash the love and desire to protect the environment. I love the good verses evil scenario set out from the start. Here we have greed working against vengeance with the backdrop of romance and the need to do what is right. I was stunned to discover this is this author’s very first book. It is of excellent quality with writing skills I have seldom seen.

The characters are made to appear so real. No one in particular is a “hero”, yet they all play a heroic part in some way &ndash each without knowledge of what any of the others were doing. It was a great example of what each of us can do by playing an active role.

In his real life, author Michael Putegnat is familiar with the political arenas and enjoys sailing. He also comes from a long line of Texans; his family has lived in the state for 5 generations or so. Because of this, his book comes alive for the reader with seemingly little effort on his part.

The Little Mornings, by C M Albrecht is a murder mystery with 262 absolutely absorbing pages. We have three main characters here &ndash the grandfather, an alcoholic of questionable character, a slightly off balance woman (Angie) and an impressionable young man (Darcy) who becomes mixed up in a whirlwind of events. Murder, thievery and lies keep the unsteady relationship between Darcy and Angie on edge. Keeping a secret is no easy task, especially when someone else pops into the scene with inside knowledge to the truth. Darcy, unable to control the events, becomes another person entirely from the one we knew in the first few pages of the book.

Perhaps because I am a writer, and this book has to do with the publishing industry, I am partial to the theme. Grandfather’s description of a writer’s methods to reach their creative dreams had me laughing out loud &ndash because it was so true. As were the frustrated, aspiring writers and the over worked publishers. I felt the book was very realistic in this regard.

I loved the first few paragraphs &ndash they really pulled me in. I kept hearing Humphry Bogart’s voice in my head narrating the story as I read along. I sat on the edge of an uncomfortable plastic chair 2 days ago and opened the first page to begin reviewing The Little Mornings. I meant to take only a ten-minute break from my day to enjoy the sunshine. The next thing I knew, my leg and butt-cheek were both completely numb and lifeless… and I was on page 50! So be warned, readers, this book may very well take you out of commission for a few days. I could not wait to get back to it every minute I had to spare!

ISBN#: 1894942434

Author: C M Albrecht

Publisher: Zumaya Publications.

Award winning author John Roynesdal, is a retired English teacher who has written for more than 15 years and produced 3 books for his Phillip Michael Carnegie Mystery series. Throughout the series, John focuses on issues that prevail on mankind: greed, prejudice, poverty, dysfunctional families and the conflict between traditional and modern societies. Living in Darkness, a 265-page mystery novel, is the third book in this series.

Here, we have a serial killer at large. Detective Carnegie and his coworkers Paul and Nick are out to solve the case. Clues point to many possibilities and keep the team working hard. Is it the work of a homophobe? Or a case of mad revenge? Or pointless youth rage? Juliana, their insightful and caring friend has often aided in cases in the past &ndash and this one is no different. Inspired by the work of another man, Juliana is attempting to open a safe house for runaway gay children but she is obstructed by zealous religious leaders.

The boss, “Fats”, wants to see the serial killer case closed and it seems that it should be &ndash but Detective Carnegie feels something is not quite right. He continues the investigation without consent and stumbles on some clues that change everything.

This book promotes freedom and a willingness to live and let live regarding sexuality. Good points were made about prohibition making various sexual urges into something secretive and devious. I felt that John did a wonderful job depicting the stresses of the homosexual. Readers are shown the stigma that is placed on them as soon as they are known as “gay”. The reaction of employers and family was interesting and the prejudice homosexuals endure was enlightening. The story line definitely brings awareness to the hateful and disgusting crime of gay-bashing.

ISBN#: 1411626702

Author: John A. Roynesdal

Publisher: Lulu Press

Proof Evident is a newly released crime fiction novel by lawyer and controversial psychologist, John Dicke. The story line is based around a criminal case for Judge Avery Jackson who coldly murdered Sheriff Hardacre during his speech to 150 city officials. The problem is, Mr. Jackson has no memory of the event at all…

Jack Maine leaves the public service and starts up a private practice with the assistance of his talented wife while taking on this difficult and seemingly doomed case. His dedicated and patient staff includes a master investigator and a phenomenal young novice lawyer &ndash both of whom are fully aware they may not see a paycheck for some time. Jack’s nemesis is the quick-witted and well-financed defense team led by an ambitious attorney that is set on becoming “seen”. Death follows this case everywhere. Just when the lawyers feel they are getting somewhere – people start dropping like flies. Soon a CIA scandal is discovered that threatens national security, which powerful people are desperate to cover-up; meanwhile a drug ring threatens to take control of every aspect of the community.

John Dicke addresses the issue of pleading Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity, which is a much larger issue than I had previously been aware of. Even mentioning the plea will turn off a jury, who are hardened by the preconception that the plea is repeatedly used to falsely gain sympathy, and therefore, receive a lighter sentence for a crime they are guilty of committing.

John also shows the intense stress of an exhausting case, which can be exhilarating to intrigued lawyers bored with the mundane courthouse activities, and the temptations that could destroy those that have more desire than sense. Mr. Dicke uses elements of real life, historical events &ndash including the government scandal.

It is my opinion that Proof Evident is a book for deep-thinking individuals who favor courtroom drama – because there is a lot of it. I found myself wanting to skip through those sections, but had I done so the ending would have left me shocked and baffled. I loved the eventful conclusion and was surprised by a few characters as well. Overall, I think John Dicke has created an interesting novel that deserves to be given a chance by readers of this genre.

ISBN#: 0-9764981-5-4

Author: John Dicke

Publisher: Synergy Books

What certainly stood out for me in Barry Southers novel, Queens and Crescents, was his strong and deep feelings for his family that Barry made apparent in the dedication for this book. The love and appreciation he shares here is actually quite touching. The introduction does a good job of setting up the book through a discussion of happiness and success in today’s society.

Readers will find plenty of action and suspense in this murder romance novel. The main character here is Sean Martinez, a 28-year-old divorcee who works a mundane position in a mortgage broker firm. For Sean, life is just one day blending into the next. He just could not get over his wife leaving three years ago with her old lover. If there were a need for an example of a man in dire need of a vacation, Sean would be chosen.

Spurred on by a radio commercial one excruciatingly hot day, Sean’s vacation destination is decided for him. There, he finds true love, fascinating passion and discovers the power of intuition and fate. Cruel crime lords fighting for position, bloodcurdling hired killers and a heavy loss bring Sean back into living life for what it is.

I was impressed with Barry’s writing style because I could really picture the scenes in my head. I felt he delved deeply into the psyche of his characters, making them seem much more real than many authors are able to do. Queens and Crescents may take readers only a day or two to read, but the characters will remain alive in their minds for a number of days.

ISBN#: unknown

Author: Barry Southers

Publisher: Publish America

The Chaos Cycle by John Kerchack is destined for the best sellers list! I couldn’t put it down and was quite frustrated when my life kept interrupting my reading sessions during the review process of this book. Honestly, my husband would talk to me and I wouldn’t even know it. He even made and served supper and I was scarcely aware of what had happened. I heard some banging of a pot lid being taken out of a drawer and then all of a sudden there was this steaming plate of food in front of me and the amused face of my husband beaming back at me.

The author uses excellent writer skills that provide a steady flow of suspense. His characters are full, realistic &ndash you really feel like you are right there. Not like watching a movie, but rather, right THERE. This is a rare talent indeed, and as a writer myself I can only envy it. John has incredible insight into the thought process of his characters – from those of the small abused children to the brutal killer.

Here we are taken on a chaotic ride while Harris and his team of talented detectives track down those responsible for a relentless murder spree in the state of Maryland, USA. I would classify The Chaos Cycle as a murder-thriller fiction novel with moments of brutal violence.

The cover is absolutely a work of art. The first thing my husband said when he saw it on my desk was “Wow! Check out this cover!” I’ve reviewed nearly 100 books to date and this is the first time anyone in my family reacted this way to a book cover.

The book itself is of very good quality and is a nice size &ndash at 288 pages.

Time will slip away for the reader who opens THIS book!

ISBN#: 1-4137-8536-0

Author: John Kerchack

Publisher: Publish America

Scott Underhill takes readers on a stimulating, emotional ride in his book The Cranberry Bog, an environmental suspense novel. Environment Engineer, Jeff Ridge works for the Environment Protection Agency. He and his co-worker, Tara Clemens, are walking on eggshells around an unusual assignment after being called into investigate tainted water at a Bed and Breakfast owned by Joshua and Debra Klickman. Jeff and Tara are quickly exposed to the ‘small town syndrome’ &ndash everyone knows everyone else’s business.

Meanwhile, Jeff is feeling ousted by his superiors who choose to compromise the Sheziou Report. Heated tempers and flared verbal exchanges are not enough to deter Jeff from his ideals. When the criminals resort to beatings and persecution, Jeff is only fueled by the knowledge that he is on to something big. The mysterious helper who drops off notes and envelopes of evidence leads Jeff to clues that egg him on to seek the truth.

Attraction to Lydia Kittle, the heiress of Kittle Manufacturing, contradicts his nearly fanatic feelings towards big business, which has often turned its back on the environment. Jeff’s tragic tale of loss froze his heart, but the sight of Lydia gives him the strength to thaw and except love again.

I really enjoyed reading this novel, which seemingly has it all. Environmental pollution, corrupt officials, politicians and companies lead to thrilling chase scenes and to cold-blooded murder. It is a moving romance with a glorious ‘David against Goliath’ theme that will have you cheering for the underdog. Of course, the focus on the environment is very appealing to me as I deeply cherish, and work towards, the health of the planet.

I highly recommend Scott Underhill’s novel, The Cranberry Bog &ndash and I look forward to reading his other novel, Give a Little!

ISBN#: 0975357158

Author: Scott Underhill

Publisher: The WordPro Press