Book Review - The Daughter In Law by Nina Manning

 

The Daughter In Law is a psychological thriller and the debut novel by Nina Manning. The story begins with Annie, who has not had the best deal in life. Her husband walked out on her when she was heavily pregnant, leaving Annie to be a single mother to her only child, Ben. Annie does not want to live in the house she and her husband bought. She moves into an isolated seaside cottage she inherited from her drunken father. Annie does not want to share her child with anyone and thinks this is the perfect place to bring Ben up. She loves their life together and enjoys keeping him close to her.

Ben and Daisy have had a quiet wedding ceremony after a whirlwind affair and finding out that Daisy is pregnant. Ben and Daisy are entirely in love. Ben has moved into the flat, which Daisy shares with her best friend Eve. They all get on well and are enjoying life. When Ben takes his wife to meet her mother-in-law, Annie struggles to understand why he needs anyone else. Daisy does not get a warm welcome from her mother-in-law. Annie is distraught that the couple has married in secret. Wouldn't any parent be?

When the flat Daisy and Ben share erupts in a gas explosion killing Eve, with nowhere else to go, they move in with Annie. However, the house is no longer warm and cosy Annie believes she recognises Daisy's face from somewhere. Searching the internet for information, she finds what she needs and prints it out to show Ben. Ben confronts Daisy and wants to know the truth about her. What is Daisy hiding? Will Daisy be safe? Are Annie's motives more sinister than trying to look out for her son?

Annie and Daisy tell their stories in alternate chapters in the first person, bringing a personal perspective to the plot. Their thoughts draw us into their confused minds abyss with equally complicated narratives. And then there is Grace, who shares her own remarkable story. Who is she? Furthermore, where does she fit in?

With each chapter, the story unfolds, delivering new shocking revelations that make 'The Daughter In Law' by Nina Manning a compelling and intriguing read you will not want to put down. The characters are complex, emotionally damaged, but entirely believable. It is easy to empathise with Daisy in her predicament from which she cannot escape. She is grieving, and she is missing her husband. Additionally, her hormones are playing havoc with her emotions, making her easy prey for the mother-in-law from hell. This is a fast-moving roller coaster of a thriller that keeps you turning the pages until the end and leaves you wanting more!

I want to give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Nina Manning excels in this genre and is an author to watch out for. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next. I highly recommend this to adults who enjoy page-turning, twisted psychological thrillers.

Book Review - Clean Kill by Nick Everard

 

Clean Kill by Nick Everard revolves around several stories. John Gault whose wife Jenny has recently died of cancer has just started a new relationship with Sarah Hall. The husband of the latter committed suicide a year ago. John has a son Tom who, together with his wife, Emma, has taken over the running of the family farm. John is only fifty-five but has spare time on his hands now. Writing a murder mystery is something he has always wanted to do, and encouraged by Sarah, he begins.

Carl Barrow, a self-made millionaire who made his money through nefarious ways, is described as a wide boy. He has just been released from prison and has been on remand for over a month. His wife Cynthia is displeased when he is released at the trial, and she walks out. A Panorama investigation is shown on BBC, all about Carl's strange acquittal. The programme gives John the idea that his book will be about someone who kills a stranger just because they have heard about them in the news and have come to hate them.

Carl begins to retaliate against the people involved in the documentary. The BBC arrange round-the-clock protection for everyone. Why do the protectors suddenly walk out? How is Carl connected to Sarah's husband's suicide? What lengths will John and Sarah go to get the book written? 

I like Nick Everard's excellent plot and subplots woven into the story. It could have been confusing with so many characters in Clean Kill, but Everard brings them all to life with his descriptions. He has done a great job of mixing several stories without causing any confusion, and I like how the book progresses. I particularly liked how Nick Everard drip-feeds the reader on how the characters tie up. I enjoyed the way John and Sarah dissect every part of the novel John is writing. In chapter thirteen, John and Sarah discuss what gun would be best to use and take an A.410 gun and some old tins of paint up to the spinney. Everard has researched guns thoroughly. 

There is swearing in Clean Kill by Nick Everard. However, it is always appropriate to the character in the story and not used unnecessarily. For example, on page seventy-six, "You have made a friend of mine very angry. You fucked around with his life, so now he's fucked around with yours. Don't do it again, or it'll be worse."

One of my criticisms is that John has only been a widower for two months and had been happily married to Jenny for twenty-nine years prior to her death. I do not think anyone could get over their grief that quickly! The editing lets this great book down as I found several grammatical errors and confusion on page 192 quote, "The cheap new trainers he'd bought for what he termed "the event" were already in the back of the Volvo" it was Sarah who bought the trainers, not John!

I want to rate Clean Kill 4 out of 5 stars due to the errors. I am really disappointed that I had to reduce a star as Clean Kill is an entertaining page-turner with a satisfying ending. This book is an easy read. However, it keeps you on your toes, turning the pages to discover what will happen next and wondering where the story will lead at the climax. 

I would recommend Clean Kill by Nick Everard to adults who enjoy a well-thought-out whodunnit with lots of twists, turns, and surprises. There are mild sexual references, mainly hinted at and left to the reader's imagination, and swearing.  

Thank you to Nick Everard for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.

Book Review - Stolid by Aaron D Key

 

Stolid by Aaron D Key begins with a man thumbing a lift in the torrential rain, a young man pulls over, and the rain-drenched Stolid gets in the car, believing he has a lift to London. Stolid is lulled to sleep by the warmth. When he wakes up, the car is parked in a layby on a quiet lane. The young driver tells Stolid that he knows him and only went out that evening to find him. Stolid's story is then told through flashbacks of his life.

Stolid had two relationships with older men. He was sleeping rough when Joseph offered him a place to stay. Stolid realises he has romantic feelings for Joseph; sadly, the relationship does not last Joseph and Stolid have too many insecurities about their sexuality. Stolid meets Jonathan things are looking up for Stolid. He has passed his exams and has been offered the two jobs he has interviewed for. So what has led to him being out in the pouring rain and accepting a lift from a strange young man? Moreover, does Stolid learn who the young man is?

Aaron D Key is a very talented writer. I love his descriptions which are almost poetic at times, e.g. page seventy-three, " I walked between the houses to the sewered stream where a fatted moon's reflection split into a moving picture of stained glass punched with light". I particularly liked that sex in the relationships was hinted at, and the reader is left to imagine what happened. I thought the ending was fantastic; it had a real twist which I had not expected. I am delighted that this book is part of a series, and I look forward to reading the next one.

The only thing I disliked was that although the flashbacks worked well, I got slightly lost in places because the sentences were so wordy.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. There are a couple of editing mistakes, but Stolid by Aaron D Key is beautifully written, and the plot is well thought out.

I recommend this book to adult readers, especially lovers of romance, particularly gay men trying to come to terms with their feelings. It would also be an excellent read for people who enjoy a good mystery with a difference. Because this is about men having relationships with men, I do not think it would appeal to readers with particular religious convictions.

Thank you to Aaron D Key for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.

Book Review - Wrath of Anwen by Gareth J Hughes

 

Wrath of Anwen by Gareth J Hughes revolves around the fictional Welsh coalmining village of Cwm Derw in a peaceful valley in Wales. The village has been here for centuries, and life has changed very little. Sons leave school and follow their ancestors into the mines.

It is the summer of nineteen sixty-seven, and Iolo, the Colliery Overman, has had a hard day at the mine. There has been a vast flood of water which has stopped production! That evening, he arrives home to find the house cold, no housework done and no dinner. Iolo has suspicions that his wife Anwen is having an affair, and he is sure he knows who Anwen's lover is. He feels that the community knows and is laughing at him behind his back. Iolo can take it no more and starts to plan his wife's and her lover's death! Will he use his shooting gun and say it is an accident? Will he hide their bodies in a dark tunnel in the mine? They live in a small community; how can he kill them without causing suspicion?

Then came the wild cat strikes, and the miners stopped working to fight for better pay and conditions. The community now has more time to talk about the disappearance of Anwen and her lover. How will Iolo cope with Ethel, the nosey neighbour's suspicions and her amorous advances? Furthermore, will Iolo get caught?

I liked Gareth J Hughes's idea for this book, and the descriptions of the wild cat strikes and the mines and their workings are brilliant, but the main storyline revolving around Anwen and her love affair is hugely confusing.

There are lots of grammar mistakes; it is a great shame that the editing and proofreading of Wrath of Anwen by Gareth J Hughes have let the book down so badly! In addition, I did not appreciate that the author masks some swear words in the book. For example, location two seven two, "Maldwyn keep an eye on the blutty horizon you're up and down and causing problems, the face looks like something from a  blutty fairground ride?" he shouted. The word bloody has already been used in the book, and I cannot believe miners would be mindful of swearing! Furthermore, I found parts of the book challenging to follow, as, in every paragraph, the characters are in different locations.

I rate Wrath of Anwen by Gareth J Hughes 2 out of 5 stars. I have knocked stars off for the grammatical errors, the confusing storyline and the fact that the story did not work for me. As Hughes is an ex-miner and knows this world inside out, I believe he would be better off writing a factual book about mining which I would love to read!

I would recommend this book to adults who want to learn more about Wales and coal mining in the nineteen sixties and nineteen seventies.

 

Thank you to Gareth J Hughes for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.

I'm in Love - welcome to the world little one xx

I have just finished this little dress for my granddaughter who is just over 6 pounds at the moment so it may be a while before she gets to wear it. There is a bit of a story behind this dress. I started making it 28 years ago when I was expecting my third baby.  I had 2 beautiful boys and I was very happy if I had a 3rd boy but I thought I would knit one girlie item just in case.  As it turns out I had a beautiful little boy and the dress was never finished. 

When this son and his gorgeous fiancee said they were expecting I was convinced we would have another wonderful baby boy. Whilst moving crafts around I found the half made dress and put it in with the other wool crafts. Imagine my amazement when we got a facetime call from the maternity suite saying "Hello Grandma - meet your beautiful granddaughter"... but our family don't have girls , I have brothers, sons, a nephew and now my beautiful little poppet. 

So the dress came out and is finished and with the new little family. They love it and the story behind it, hope you do too xx

Book Review - The Reel Sisters by Michelle Cummings

 

 

The sport of fly fishing is not necessarily the first hobby you would think of women doing, but The Reel Sisters, the debut novel by Michelle Cummings, is about five women who become firm friends through their shared love of fly fishing. Sophie has always fished in the pond at her childhood home but became fascinated with fly fishing after watching the film 'A River Runs Through It.' While shopping for fly fishing equipment, Sophie meets Rose, and they become firm friends, often taking breaks at the cabin Rose and her husband built beside the Arkansas river. Sophie meets Veronica on an airplane trip. The two sit together and start a conversation about fly fishing when Veronica sees Sophie put her fly rod in the overhead luggage storage. Sophie has a greenhouse and nursery business and meets Amanda when she takes her children to pick pumpkins and apples. Sophie tells Amanda about the children's gardening club. Amanda is a teacher of fifth-grade children and arranges a trip to Sophie's for the class. Along the way, Sophie mentions fly fishing and invites Amanda to join the friends at the cabin next time she goes.

The group meets at the cabin for a few days one spring. They happily fish and catch up when a naked girl screams for help. She has fallen into the rapids and is being dragged along. At this point, we are introduced to Melody, who becomes the group's final member. Why is she in the freezing water naked? Furthermore, how will this new, much younger member affect the dynamics of the group? The five women's careers, families, and other friendships are interwoven with their fly fishing group. Lots happen along the way, illness, death, and new relationships, but whatever happens, the women still keep in touch and meet up when they can. The Reel Sisters is beautifully written, and I am sure all readers will empathize with the girlfriends!

There is so much to love about this book, I was initially put off reading it as I had no clue about fly fishing and no interest in learning, but I was intrigued by the storyline of women finding long-term friendships through the sport. I loved reading about how the friends met and their blossoming friendships. I also found fly fishing much more interesting than I had thought, and I laughed at flies' ridiculous names. Michelle Cummings is a very talented writer, and I love her descriptions which are almost poetic at times, e.g. page ten, "Each spring, caddis flies by the thousands fill the air, as prevalent as dandelion tufts on a windy day." The last chapter has book club discussion questions which is a welcome addition. I loved that the book's last pages have helpful information for women interested in learning more about fly fishing. Including blogs run specifically for women wanting to learn more about the sport of fly fishing and addresses and websites of outfitters specializing in fly fishing gear for women. The author Michelle Cummings has thought of everything to help readers pursue the sport. Why don't more books have these finishing details?

I am sorry that I did not enjoy reading about all the creatures Sophie and her family hunted, especially as Sophie joined in from the age of nine.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. There are minor grammar errors but not enough to remove a star from this wonderfully uplifting book.

I recommend The Reel Sisters by Michelle Cummings to readers who enjoy friendship, loyalty, and self-discovery stories. The book has lots of humour and banter, so it is enjoyable. I think it would be of particular interest to anyone wanting to learn about a new sport. Although fly fishing is an integral part of the story, it is explained in a fun and user-friendly way. There is some swearing, so I do not think this book is appropriate for younger audiences.

Thank you to Michelle Cummings for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.

Book Review - The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson and Richard Dilallo

 

 

Gaby Summerhill is in her early fifties, she was widowed three years ago, and her four grown-up children have left home and have their own lives. Gaby often communicates with her children via video. At the beginning of  December, they each get a video telling them that Gaby is getting married again on Christmas day. Gaby has been proposed to by three men who are wonderful friends, and she is going to announce her future husband at the wedding. Will it be fifty-four-year-old Tom Hayden who grew up with Gabi? Or fifty-two-year-old rabbi Jacob Coleman who helps her run a breakfast club for local homeless people? Or maybe fifty-five-year-old Martin Summerhill, who is Gaby's brother-in-law? Only Gabi knows, and she is telling no one until the day of the wedding, not even her nosey best friend, Stacey Lee!

Meanwhile, Gabi's children have problems of their own Claire; her eldest daughter, is married to Hank. Hank only works part-time as he wants to spend the rest of his time either smoking weed or meeting up with his friends, Claire has been putting up with his behaviour toward the children, despite struggling to make ends meet. However, now that Hank has hit her and she has discovered their fourteen-year-old son Gus is also smoking weed, what direction will her future take? Lizzie, the middle daughter, is a homebody. She works in Walmart part-time and enjoys family life with her husband Mike and her eight-year-old daughter Tallulah. When Mike is diagnosed with a brain tumour, Lizzie takes it in her stride, taking Mike to his endless hospital appointments and chemo, but when Tallulah asks if her daddy is going to die, what answer can Lizzie give? Emily, the youngest daughter, is a high-flying lawyer and her husband Bart is a resident in neurology. Emily always pushes herself to do better and burns the candle at both ends. She also has a boss who makes sexual advances that are not entirely unwanted! With Emily and Bart spending very little time together, how will all these pressures affect their relationship? Seth is the baby of the family and the youngest son. He lives with his girlfriend Andie, a commercial artist. Seth works in a tedious job and longs to be a published novelist. His first novel 'Dream Chasers' is with an editor, and Seth is on tenterhooks. Will she think his book is good enough to publish?

The book differs from the style of book I tend to think of as the typical James Patterson genre; murder, investigation, thrillers, detective, and mystery novels. There is still an element of mystery as we do not know who Gabi's lucky man will be. I loved the little teases throughout the book, which constantly changed my mind about who it would be. This book has humour, sadness, tension, and a lot of love. I liked the little hints that made me think I had guessed who the groom would be, but I was left guessing right to the end. I think Gabi made the right choice!

I did not particularly like that everyone called Gabi by her given name. Even her children and grandchildren call her Gabi.

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed it very much. I think this would be enjoyed mainly by female fans of James Patterson, it is a love story with a difference, and I am not sure it would appeal to men so much.

I would like to thank my mum for recommending that I read this book.

Book Review - Predator/Nomad by Daniel Micko

Predator / Nomad by Daniel Micko revolves around two main characters; Princess Saleh, the twin sister of Prince Faruq, and a geneticist Dr. Jordan Roberts. The book starts with the inauguration ceremony for the Emir Prince Faruq bint Bandar al Saudi, who has now become the city's newly elected governor. At the reception, Dr. Roberts converses with someone she believes to be the Prince's bodyguard. Later that evening, she discovers that the bodyguard is Princess Saleh, the Prince's twin sister. Saleh and Jordan instantly feel a connection and begin a relationship. 

With Saleh's help, Dr. Roberts, a geneticist, attends a meeting with Prince Faruq, and she explains her new project involving genetic splicing, cell regeneration, and organ 3D printing. Dr. Roberts hopes to get funding for her new project and convinces the Prince to sponsor her research. In return, she promises to cure his subjects of all the diseases they are suffering from. Princess Saleh becomes suspicious when she discovers that one of Dr. Roberts's investors is a known terrorist. She contacts Interpol to try and find out who else is backing the Dr.'s work; when Princess Saleh discovers that Dr. Roberts is cloning people in a secret and highly guarded camp in the mountains in Afghanistan, she finds out that this is just the beginning!

I like Micko's excellent plot involving human cloning. He has done a great job of mixing the genres of science fiction and thriller, and I liked reading this book. I also enjoyed the subplots woven into the story. For example, Prince Faruq is a notorious playboy, but he needs to find a wife of which his family and country will approve, and when Princess Saleh is not spying on Dr. Roberts, she is trying to make her brother toe the line.

However, there are spelling and grammar mistakes. I was particularly aghast that the title on the title page was misspelled! It is a great shame that the editing and proofreading have let Predator/Nomad by Daniel Micko down so badly! I also did not like the overuse of the word 'giggle,' which is used forty-four times in the book; I feel there are other words that could have been used. I did not particularly appreciate how Dr. Roberts and Princess Saleh had a sexual relationship so quickly; it felt like the author needed to somehow put a lesbian angle in. However, once it happened, that relationship was almost forgotten. It felt to me as if Micko might as well not have bothered with the relationship, as this added very little to the story. I also felt some conversations were unnecessarily wordy and detracted from the story.

I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars. Predator/Nomad has an exciting storyline, but it is badly let down by the editing, and the misspelling of the title is unforgivable! Also it is not a book I would choose to read again.

Some of the topics in this book are very scientific and weighty, but Micko has written them in simple language, which makes the story easy to understand. There is no need for the reader to have a scientific background. The book contains swearing, so I recommend it to older teenagers and adults who enjoy the genres of crime, thrillers, science fiction, and anything with a science-related plot.

 

 Thank you to Daniel Micko for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.

Book Review - Three loves and other stories by Lata Gullapalli

 

 

A few years ago, Lata Gullapalli was asked by a friend to write some stories for a book he was publishing. Her stories got such great reviews that she was inspired to write Three loves and other stories. This book contains 'nine' intimate and compelling novellas exploring the pressures Indian women have regarding marriage and family life. Although the stories revolve around Indian culture, these are stories that all cultures can relate to in some way. Each story has a different theme ranging from love to bullying, parenting to long-distance relationships. Each theme is sensitively and compellingly written. The story I liked best was called "Growing Up", about the struggles the older children in a family have when their parents expect them to be more adult than their siblings.

I love the lyrical way that Lata Gullpalli expresses herself. She uses similes to significant effect. For example, on page twenty-two, when Sia explains what it is like to be in an abusive relationship, "It felt like the woodcutters axe heaving blows on the strong trunk again and again, with force and the chips were flying, weakening the tree all the time." Gullpalli uses vivid descriptions of the people and places, and they instantly become real, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I think these are stories that the reader will remember for a long time after they are read.

 

I like that the novellas in Three loves and other stories by Lata Gullpalli are written in such a way that they stay true to their Indian roots, but there are so many errors in grammar and spelling, often several on a page. It shows that this is a self-published book, and the lack of proofreading and editing is so apparent that it impedes the flow of the stories and lets the book down! It was also strange that all the stories had titles except the sixth one. I presume this is an error! 

I want to give this book 3 out of 5 stars as there were grammatical errors on most pages. I was disappointed not to be able to give the top rating as I thoroughly enjoyed the novellas and hope that Lata Gullapalli publishes more books that I could enjoy.

I would recommend Three loves and other stories to anyone who likes short stories, particularly readers who want to know a little more about Indian culture. There is no swearing, but sex is touched upon, so I would suggest it is aimed at an adult audience.

 

 Thank you to Lata Gullapalli for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.

Book Review - Zona: The Forbidden Land by Fred G Baker

 

Zona: the Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker is written in three parts. The first part introduces Grant Taylor, a 32-year-old single man who works part-time at the University of Chicago and conducts paleogeography research. It is 2015, and Grant has just arrived in Russia. His scientist Uncle, an explorer, whom Grant was close to, disappeared a year ago while on an expedition to an area usually off-limits and has been pronounced dead.

Grant has inherited his Uncle Randall's house, wealth, and belongings.      While sorting these out, Grant finds secret hiding places containing an envelope full of money, several unique keys, a loaded gun, and ammunition. Furthermore, a letter in a bank safe deposit box is only marked for Grant's eyes, highlighting Randall's enormous concerns about the trip. Why did Randall have a loaded gun? Moreover, what do the keys open? The book's second part describes Grant taking part in a further expedition to Zona, and the third part takes us to the heart of the Camp at Zona itself. Along the way, Grant meets many intriguing characters. Grant puts himself in danger to discover what happened to his beloved Uncle Randall. Is Randall dead, or is he very much alive?

There is so much that I love about this book. Fred G. Baker is a very talented author who thinks of
everything to give readers the best possible experience from his book. I found it very useful that at the front of the book are maps of traveling to Zona and a map of Zona itself together with a diagram of the campsite. These are handy additions and helped me to follow the story better. I enjoyed Baker's similes in this book. For example, on page fifty-four, "I felt like a peanut in a vise, and the squeezing was just going to get worse." I enjoyed learning about all the characters who come to life on the page, in particular Boris Ustinov, Randall's Lawyer, who had much more than a passing interest in Randall's expedition to Zona. Trina Ustinov, a niece of Boris, is a beautiful legal aid trained in science and law. Grant starts a relationship with her but still does not feel she is to be trusted, and Captain Oleg Godunov, a fellow scientist, warns Grant that there is more to his Uncle's disappearance than is being told!

I did not find a single part of the book which I did not enjoy. Zona: the Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker is a fantastic story that is well edited, I did not find a single mistake in spelling or grammar.

I want to rate Zona: the Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker 5 out of 5 stars. It is a fantastic and absorbing read which I thoroughly enjoyed!

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books involving science fiction, mystery, romance, adventure, and intrigue, as Zona: the Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker has all of these in spades. There is a reasonable amount of strong swear words, so I would suggest it is aimed at an adult audience.

Thank you to Fred G Baker for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.

Book Review - Killer, Killer, Killer and The Drug Exchange Dealer by Charles A. Jackson

 

Killer, Killer, Killer and the Drug Exchange Dealer by Charles A. Jackson tells the story of Anthony, a black man in his forties living in North Carolina. Anthony's life revolves around drugs. When he was young, he felt life was dull and saw the drug life as exciting. In the beginning, it was almost a game to him. He believes most people either take drugs or sell them. Anthony even sees his father as a legal drug dealer; for example, on page one, "The daddy also sold drugs but the difference was he had license to sell alcoholic drugs." Then one day, Anthony is watching the television when the newsreader reports that an African American male in his forties identified by his friends as Fungi has been murdered in a motel. 

Fungi and Anthony worked in the drug dealing world together. Anthony is still a young man, but he is also a drug user and a drug dealer. He is caught up in a vicious circle that he has to break to save his and his family's lives!

The only thing I liked about this book was the cover picture, which sadly does not seem to have anything to do with the story! The idea of a man deeply embroiled in drug addiction and selling but desperately wanting to break these chains could have been a great story. However, Killer, Killer, Killer, and the Drug Exchange Dealer is dreadful and reads as if a schoolboy has written it; for example page nine, "Jerome decided to have an age seventeen birthday party. During them days, the drinking age in the State of North Carolina was sixteen years of age." I did not particularly appreciate all the mindless conversation, which made this book dreadfully dull. There is a chapter where Anthony cleans himself up and joins the army, but we learn nothing about his army life, just that he spends most of his spare time in his room with different women drinking and taking drugs. Every paragraph of this chapter is virtually the same, with just a different woman's name in it. Writing in this way is unbelievably lazy.

When writing a story about drugs, it must be believable and exciting. I do not believe that a few days after Fungi is murdered, Anthony not only goes to a football match but also takes along his young daughter Keke. Fungi has been murdered, and there is a good chance that someone will be out to get Anthony, too, so going to a football match with his child makes no sense!
Nearly every page has spelling and grammar errors, and this book needs to be edited and proofread properly. Due to the mistakes, the lack of structure, and the difficulty I had reading this book because of how it is written, I would like to give Killer, Killer, Killer and the Drug Exchange Dealer 0 out of 5 stars

I do not recommend this book because the conversations lack structure, and the characters are never fully developed. The writing style of Killer, Killer, Killer, and the Drug Exchange Dealer is very chaotic, and much of the conversation does not make sense. I presume the author is trying to get the reader to understand how people talk in North Carolina, but it just comes across as childish! 

Thank you to Charles A. Jackson for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.

Book Review - Soldier Spy by Tom Marcus

 

Tom Marcus was in the army and then was recruited to the army special forces before joining The Secret Service. Soldier Spy by Tom  Marcus - Soldier Spy by Tom Marcus, known to his team as TC, is about Marcus' experiences as an operator with the Security Service. His joining was unusual for these days as he was recruited directly rather than going through the application and interview stages which are more normal now. However, his colleagues had come via this route, and TC always felt different to the rest of his team. He says he feels like an outsider, and his team is somewhat wary of him. You can see why when you read the book, as he is a bit of a live wire, being headstrong and not always listening to orders from above. On one training exercise, TC dislocated the shoulder of one of the trainers. On another occasion, while following a suspect, TC risked compromise by venturing into a target's place of work to access information on where the suspect was going next! You also feel the pressure TC is under, he has a wife and young son, and he has to try and be a family man whilst carrying the burden of a demanding and intense job with long and unsociable hours. The reader sees the effect on TC's mental and physical health.

The beginning of the book was exciting, but I think TC could probably abbreviate much of it and make it much more pleasurable to read. I liked that the editing and proofreading were perfect. I did not find a single error.

I read the second book by Tom Marcus: I spy, My Life in MI5 first, and I found that book flowed much better and was easier to follow. The sections in Soldier, Spy describing an operation with the whole team engaging in surveillance go on for too long and become dull. There is only so much: He turned right into Victoria Crescent. He went straight on into Smith Road. He stopped at the traffic lights. I could stand before wanting to scream! This was no longer an autobiography of Tom Marcus' life. It was now a story as he could not remember all these conversations. Many areas of the book are mostly repeating bits from previous chapters too!

I would rate this 2 out of 5 stars, my reasons being that there are big chunks of the book which are, in my opinion, unnecessary and boring, and Marcus repeats throughout the book. I could not finish the book as if I had read the sentence, " What I did was important, I saved lives, and I was good at it" one more time, the book would have gone through my window! This was a disappointing read, but I see TC has some fiction books published, which I will try.

I would recommend this to an adult audience because of the subjects covered and lots of swearing. It would appeal to people who particularly like autobiographies about the secret service and how the covert agents of MI5 do their jobs. I would not recommend this to anyone of a nervous disposition as you will find yourself suspicious of everyone and everything around you!

Book Review - Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas

 

Kalayla, the debut novel by Jeannie Nicholas, is a brilliant story about three people, a mother, a daughter and a neighbour, who bond as they struggle through life's difficulties. Kalayla is a cheeky eleven-year-old mixed-race girl, and she befriends septuagenarian Lena, who lives in the same apartment block. Kalayla is fascinated by Lena, who always dresses head to toe in black. Kalayla's mother, Maureen, is nearly thirty and is a single parent. Maureen works several jobs to keep a roof over her and Kalayla's heads, and when she is not at school, Kalayla is left to her own devices.

All three have secrets. Lena had four sons. She works part-time with one of them at the family business, her twin sons are dead, and there is one she is alienated from. Maureen is a widowed white girl who married a black man, and her family now will not have anything to do with her and has never seen Kalayla. Maureen has told Kalayla that they all died in an explosion at a family wedding! Furthermore, Kalayla tells her Mum that she spends most of her time at the library, but she is never there! 

Gradually as the story progresses, the secrets come out. Kalayla is an excellent book highlighting many issues, including domestic abuse, racism, prejudice, homophobia and family abandonment. Jeannie Nicholas's sensitive and thoughtful story tells how community and friendship improve lives as the relationship between these three very different people grows.

I loved everything about Kalayla, from the building friendship between Lena, Maureen and Kalayla to the gradual understanding of the lies they all tell and why. The book covers some dark subjects, but it is not without humour, e.g. page fifty-seven, "Now I was in the middle of an alphabet soup that was boiling over with letters I couldn't turn into words." This book is a real page-turner, and I felt like I was saying goodbye to a friend when I turned the last page.

There was nothing I disliked about Kalayla; it is a well-written and thoroughly enjoyable read, storytelling at its very best.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. Kalayla by Jeannie Nicholas is well-edited, I did not find any spelling or grammatical errors, and I loved reading this wonderful book!

Due to the relatively heavy topics covered, I would recommend this to an adult audience. I would recommend it to women because it is a story of friendship between 3 female characters, and it covers issues which mainly affect women.

Thank you to Jeannie Nicholas for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.

Book Review - Blanket Immunity by Adam Van Susteren

 

 

Blanket Immunity by Adam Van Susteren begins by introducing us to Joanna 'Jo' Channing, who, after several years as a Deputy District Attorney, has run for Judge with financial help from her parents. When she is not appointed, she quits her job and sets up on her own as a Criminal Defense Lawyer. Today is her first day, and she wonders how to attract clients when there is a knock on her office door, and Brad Gecina becomes her first client. Brad, a policeman, has been suspended because a woman claims he stalked and raped her. When Jo looks into all the evidence, it seems that the rape victim is lying. Brad pushes for blanket immunity, which will protect him from future prosecution for crimes related to his testimony. When Jo achieves this by pulling strings, she thinks that is the end of the case.

Jo gains her second client when she visits Tai Nguyen for a lawyer friend. Tai is a small-time drug dealer arrested for possession with intent to distribute. Tai needs Jo's help to pass a message to Marcos Omar; he is worried that he will be killed if Omar does not get the message. When Jo gets in touch with Omar, he becomes Jo's third client. Along the way, Jo meets Dzuy Gong, a character who seems too good to be true. Within minutes of the meeting, Dzuy has offered to go with Jo to a family dinner to diffuse the tension between Jo and her younger sister Jami. Dzuy is pulled into a desperate situation with Jo, Omar, and Brad. Someone has been lying! Who? How far will Jo go to make amends?

Van Susteren's characters in Blanket Immunity are so well described that you can picture them while reading the book. I enjoyed how Van Susteren showed so many sides to the characters. Jo is a strong, independent woman but shows her soft side when interacting with her family and Dzuy. I loved how Jo struggles between helping her cash-strapped parents out, e.g., on page twenty-three, "She dreamed about helping her parents and paying off her campaign debt." and keeping her professional and moral integrity even when offered more money than she can imagine. I enjoyed how the characters jelled with one another, and their interactions felt right. I felt throughout Blanket Immunity that Adam Van Susteren had either been in the law profession at one time or had thoroughly researched the subject. It could have been a very heavy-going book, but the author writes in such a way that I felt the subject was well explained without any unnecessary detail.

I was not impressed when I came to page one hundred and seventeen, which had a whole conversation in Spanish, I had no idea what the conversation was about, and this spoilt the flow of the story. I also found many grammar errors, e.g., on page one hundred and twenty-one, "Aaron starting writing on his pad." I did not feel that this was professionally proofread or edited.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I have taken one star off for the grammatical errors and the Spanish conversation, which I felt was unnecessary to the story as it was neither translated nor explained. Hence, it meant nothing to the reader. I was disappointed I had to reduce a star as this book is fast-paced and enjoyable. It is a book you can lose yourself in, an actual page-turner!

I would recommend Blanket Immunity to anyone who enjoys a gripping legal thriller with several stories running alongside one another. I would only recommend this to an adult audience as it has rape, murder, and drug-taking scenes.

Thank you to Adam Van Susteren for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.