Book Review - Those Who Are Gone by Lawrence F. Lihosit

 

It is nineteen-sixty-four, and Jack Colter recently moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, with his parents and older brother Dan. Soon after moving, Jack is on his bike exploring the area when he comes across a group of Mexican boys jumping ramps on their bikes. Jack asks if he can have a go, and the boys explore further afield as summer progresses. They swap the lunches they have taken with them, and Jack learns about the exciting flavors in Mexican food. 

The first Spanish Jack learns from his Mexican friends starts with swear words, then he buys a book and tape to teach himself, and soon, Jack can have conversations with his friend's families. The boys often get cuts and scrapes, and Jack learns about the healing properties of Aloe Vera from the grandmother of one of his friends. How is a young boy struck by lightning saved from death by an ancient Aymaran shaman? What is flag football? Moreover, what pamphlet was Jack given at school that his dad referred to as "hate garbage"? Read the novella Those Who Are Gone by Lawrence F. Lihosit to discover the answers to these questions and more.

I enjoyed learning about Mexican American Indians and their history while reading Those Who Are Gone. The book has a great title, which is appropriate for many of the subjects within it. Especially when Jack's class goes on a field trip to an archaeological dig, they learn a lot about the Hohokam, who built the great city about fifteen hundred years earlier. The author seems very knowledgeable about the history and archaeology of the area he is writing about. 

The boys in the story are keen on sports, and the author shows excellent knowledge of flag football and basketball. However, there were pages and pages of descriptions of basketball training and matches, which I did not enjoy. I felt that the author was using basketball to fill out his book. I was also not keen on the conversation at the top of page sixty-six, which was all in Spanish. I would have liked a footnote explaining what was said. Unfortunately, there were quite a few grammatical errors, and I feel Those Who Are Gone by Lawrence F. Lihosit would benefit from more proofreading. 

I would recommend Those Who Are Gone to anyone who enjoys factually correct fiction, where they can learn some of the histories of indigenous Mexican Indians in America. This is a novella of one hundred and eighteen pages which lovers of short novellas would also enjoy. As there are no swearing or sexual references, the book can be read by all, and in my opinion, anyone from young teenagers to older adults would find a lot to appreciate.

I want to give Those Who Are Gone 4 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed this novella, but I have reduced the rating by one star because grammatical errors spoilt the story's flow. Moreover, I did not enjoy that so much of the book has descriptions and stories of basketball. However, I am looking forward to reading more books by Lawrence F. Lihosit.

I want to thank Lawrence F. Lihosit for a copy of Those Who Are Gone in exchange for my honest and impartial review. 

You can see more of my reviews here http://onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-tara-d-morgan.html

Kindle Book Review - Within the Crystal Mountain by J. L. Putney

One day Dimplin is hoeing vegetables in the fields when he sees a strange phenomenon. A glass-like dome has covered the village of Arinton, and no one can get out, and Dimplin cannot get in. At his wit's end, he decides to head off and find help. Dimplin walks for two weeks before coming across a stream by the village of Wiston. Here he finds Elisse, an Agan, one of the tall people. Elisse takes Dimplin back to her cottage to rest and have some food. When Elisse's twin sister Lenore returns from the market, Dimplin tells her about his people, the Genish (who never grow over four feet tall) and what has befallen them. 

The girls wish their soldier friend Drance were not away fighting in the war between the Agan and the Forsene people. Surely he would know what to do. Who forces Dimplin's nine-year-old son Tupin to squeeze into the Crystal Mountain to get the magic crystals? Moreover, what are their plans to wreak havoc with these gems? What words of wisdom does the old soothsayer Grendfar pass onto the Genish people from their God Evershone? Furthermore, what is the significance of the number 1665? Read the enchanting book Within the Crystal Mountain by J. L. Putney to discover the answers to these questions and more.

I admire how J. L. Putney has written a complicated storyline with many off-shoot stories, which Putney gradually gathers together for the finale. There are many interesting characters in this story. We have little people who are always happy and positive and believe that their God Evershone will always look after them if they are kind and caring. The soldiers Drance and Trestun are on opposing sides but have to work together for the good of the Genish people. There is the corrupt wizard Sagins, and then there are the beautiful twin sisters Lenore and Elisse. With a large cast of supporting characters, this book continually entertains and excites the reader while taking them on journeys filled with magic and mystery.

I appreciated the map at the front of the book, which makes it much easier to visualize where all the different communities live and where they are in relationship to the Crystal Mountain. Although it was difficult to keep going back to the map when reading the Kindle version of this book, I printed it out to have beside me as I read Within the Crystal Mountain. I loved the intriguing illustrations at the beginning of each chapter, which hint at what is to come. I enjoyed how the different groups of people united to fight evil. This book gives truth to the saying, 'Strangers are just good friends that you haven't met yet.'

The only thing I disliked about Within the Crystal Mountain was the number of grammatical errors. The book had not been adequately proofread or edited, and although the mistakes did not spoil the story, they detracted from it in places.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an entertaining book that is absorbing from start to finish. In particular, anyone who loves fantasy, magic, mystery, myths, and legends. Within the Crystal Mountain by J. L. Putney would be particularly enjoyed by readers who love The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien. Adults and confident readers from twelve would find this book exciting. There are no swearing or sexual scenes, so younger children would also enjoy having it read to them.

I give this book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. I am disappointed not to be able to provide the top rating as I thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic fantasy tale, but there are too many errors not to remove a star. Once these are corrected, I will happily give the full rating. I would love to read more books by J. L. Putney!

I want to thank J. L. Putney for a Kindle copy of Within the Crystal Mountain in exchange for my honest and impartial review. You can see more of my reviews here http://onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-tara-d-morgan.html

Kindle Book Review - The Blandford Fly by D. N. Moore

The Blandford Fly is a ninety-five-page book containing four bewitching novellas that take the reader on a voyage of discovery. Every tale has a different theme, so the reader is always on the edge of their seat and keeps turning the pages to discover what the next story has in store for them; each tale is distinctive and captivating. The anecdotes arise from the science fiction, futuristic, ghost, and horror genres. Why is Danny Carson so obsessed with bugs? How does a doll save Davie McDaniel? Who puts sardines and ice cream together? Furthermore, who is the ghostly presence in "Radio Sweethearts"? Read The Blandford Fly by D. N. Moore to find the answers to these questions.

The cover of this book is beautiful and makes you want to find out what the stories inside are like. D. N. Moore writes exceptional narratives with full-bodied characters and exciting locations, which immediately become real, which I thoroughly relished. Each tale is unique, with unforeseen twists,  which kept me enjoying the story to the end and beyond. Readers will recall them for a long while after they have been read. Although these tales are short, each is fulfilling, well thought out, and well characterized. I believe the story "Sardines and Ice Cream" would work well as a stand-alone book, as Moore could follow so many more avenues.

The story I liked least was "The Living Boy: A Very Strange Christmas Story" it is a futuristic/science fiction story that leaves a lot to the imagination. This novella revolves around a human mother and son who are the slaves of doll people. It was too short; compared to the other stories in this compendium, it needed more substance.

I rate The Blandford Fly, 5 out of 5 stars as it is a compelling selection of stories. Unlike most compendiums, all the stories are very different. There were a few grammar errors, but they did not spoil my enjoyment.

D. N. Moore suggests that The Blandford Fly would best suit young adults. I recommend it to anyone who likes short stories, particularly fans of sci-fi, horror, supernatural, and futuristic genres. I would not recommend it to anyone younger than older teenagers, as there are some swear words but no sexual references. The Blandford Fly is the first book I have read by D. N. Moore. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be looking out for more books by this author.

I want to thank D. N. Moore for a copy The Blandford Fly in exchange for my honest and impartial review. You can see more of my reviews here http://onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-tara-d-morgan.html

Kindle book review - The face of Fear by R. J. Torbert

Deborah is the daughter of William Lance, a self-made millionaire. Since her mother died when she was thirteen, there have been just the two of them, which has made her father very protective of her. Deborah is now twenty-six and in a relationship with her father's assistant Robert Simpson. William is uneasy because of the big age gap but otherwise is pleased for the couple. One Saturday, Deborah meets William for lunch before he sees her drive onto the Bridgeport Cross Island Ferry. She is due to meet up with her best friend, Patty Saunders, for dinner and a concert. Deborah never arrives!

As the ferry leaves the dock, a stranger punches Deborah in the face and knocks her out. Two men with him help put her in the boot of his car. There are no clues, and nobody sees this happen. Detectives Powers and Johnson have never met Deborah, but she becomes a big part of their lives as they work hard to find her before the kidnapper's deadline. Detective Powers thinks he knows how the kidnapping occurred and enlists friends and colleagues to put his theory to the test. Unfortunately, it all goes horribly wrong! Why has Deborah been kidnapped? Is Robert Simpson hiding a secret? Moreover, who is Ghostface? Read The Face of Fear by R. J. Torbert to find answers to these questions and solve the mystery.

I disliked lots of things about this book. Torbert repeats himself throughout. For example, on page fifteen, Torbert writes that Joey constantly walks around the restaurant keeping an eye on the staff and customers. Two lines further on, he says that Joey was famous for constantly walking around the restaurant, making sure everything was running smoothly. This happens regularly throughout The Face of Fear, and I struggled to finish the book. Because of the repetitions, the story is slow to move on and becomes boring! 

I enjoyed the banter between Powers and Johnson, which added a touch of humor. The concept for this complicated story is excellent but could have been better executed and needs a professional editor and proofreader to knock it into shape. I found mistakes on most pages, sentences that ran on, spelling errors, and the wrong grammar. Torbert changes his mind on details constantly. For example, on page two hundred and seventy-three, Detective Johnson meets a friend's dog for the first time, and while petting her, he sees her dog tag, which reads Minty, and in the same sentence, Torbert writes that the detective says '"Hey, Monty!" There are also huge mistakes in a chapter entitled 'Saturday, June 25th' where everyone refers to the day as Sunday! 

I rate The Face of Fear by R. J. Torbert 1 out of 5. I give it one point because the ending was unexpected, and I was surprised when I discovered who Ghostface was! I have taken four points away due to all the errors I have already mentioned and the fact that many supporting characters are unnecessary. They are very one-dimensional and do not add anything to the story. I also found the main characters very stereotyped and predictable. 

Once all the mistakes have been corrected, The Face of Fear will be an engaging and exciting read. But as it stands, I would not recommend it to anyone; however, if you enjoy thrillers involving crime, murder, and detectives and can ignore the errors, then you would enjoy this book. There are swearing and sexual references, so it would be best suited to adults.

Kindle Book Review - Rock's Wages by Vivian Doolittle

In 1976, twenty-three-year-old Ricky Harris was the lead singer and bass player for the Windy City rock group. He is feeling good. He has a bottle of whisky and a cigarette in his hands. He has just played a sellout concert and is in love with Angie. Life could not be better. When he finds Angie in their hotel room having sex with his best friend, Ricky's life falls apart! Ricky is heartbroken. He jumps in his car and drives around aimlessly until he sees a man being thrown off a bridge into a canal by two thugs. Ricky jumps into the water to save the man. Once he gets the stranger to dry land, Ricky realizes he is too late and the man is dead.

Ricky sees that the man looks very similar to him and swaps clothes, driving license, and keys with the man, then drags him into his car before pushing the car and the man back into the canal. Ricky Harris is now dead, and Thor Swenson lives. Who was Thor Swenson? What have Ricky and Thor got in common? Moreover, what happens forty years later when retired Detective Mick Thorne reopens the case of the rocker who is found at the bottom of a canal in his car? To find the answers to these questions, read Rock's Wages by Vivian Doolittle.

I enjoyed reading Rock's Wages. It was fascinating knowing what had happened to Ricky and Thor but reading how Thorne gradually gets to the answer. This well-written story has been thoroughly researched and planned. Vivian Doolittle pays attention to every detail, whether writing about the 1970s or 2010s. I liked how Doolittle used Ricky changing into Thor to get the young rock star off alcohol and drugs and create a new, improved version of him. The twist in the tale whereby Ricky is singing the songs he wrote forty years before, but as his new persona Thor, is brilliant. 

I disliked nothing about Rock's Wages. Vivian Doolittle takes the reader through a roller coaster of emotions with ease. She sensitively tells of a person living with cancer. Raunchily describes rock bands and gigs. It tells of an ex-policeman's struggles to find the truth behind a cold case. There is sex rough and drug-fueled, and sex gently built up to with romantic dates. I laughed, sighed, held my breath, and cried my way through this brilliant book.

I recommend Rock's Wages to anyone who enjoys a murder mystery with a bit of romance and a lot of heart. There is profanity and sexual references, so it would only be appropriate reading for adults.

I read the Kindle version of Rock's Wages by Vivian Doolittle, which I give 4 out of 5. I enjoyed everything about this book, but there were many grammar errors. Once this book has been professionally edited and proofread, it will get a worthy 5 out of 5 from me!