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

Book Review - Visiting With An Angel by Jerry A. Greenberg

 

Visiting With An Angel by Jerry A. Greenberg begins with Jerry mulling over his life. He has two children he sees little of as they live so far away; his wife is dead, and so are many of his friends. He knows that he is getting older and won't be alive forever. Jerry thinks about what he will leave behind, which makes him wonder about his ancestors and how their lives may have influenced him. He wonders if he is the black sheep of the family. Jerry has been a writer, while the ancestors he knows about have been professional people. 

Jerry decides to research his genealogy. From his parents, who were born in the United States, back through his grandparents, who were Eastern European Jews. His first stop is the cemetery which is one hundred miles away! What work did Jerry's great-grandpa do? What has happened to the pine forest, which was next to Jerry's family home growing up? Which of Jerry's ancestors ran away to join the circus? Read Visiting With An Angel by Jerry A. Greenburg for the answers to these and other questions. Along the way, you will also meet Ray, Jerry's cat, his best friend, and confidante.

The history that Jerry found out about Poland and America is fascinating. He traced his fourth great-grandfather back to Poland in the late seventeen hundreds and discovered that Polish people did not have surnames then! I felt the deep emotions in Jerry's life. His love for his family and his overwhelming loneliness now most of them have died. It was clever how Jerry A. Greenberg transitioned from the present day to the nineteen fifties by visiting a café he had visited often as a child. Exiting the café, he could only see the people and places of his youth. Visiting With An Angel by Jerry A. Greenberg is well-thought-out, and the characterization is brilliant. Greenberg writes about the past, but he writes so vividly that I felt the story was taking place now. 

I disliked nothing about Visiting With An Angel. The cover art is beautiful and fits the story well. Jerry's humor and love for his family and friends shine through the book, making it a delightful read. There are also no swearing or sexual references.  

I recommend Visiting With An Angel by Jerry A. Greenberg to adults who enjoy history and autobiographies. But this book is so much more. It is also about ghosts, the supernatural, and the mysteries of life. Greenberg uses all these elements to tell the story of his life and the family and friends who influenced the man he is today. 

I want to give Visiting With An Angel by Jerry A. Greenberg 5 out of 5 stars. It is well-written, and the editing is perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Jerry's life and all the wonderful family and friends he has made along the way.

I would like to thank Jerry A. greenburg for a free copy of Visiting With An Angel in exchange for my unbiased review.  

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

Book review of Hemiphos by stefanie Jacob

Hemiphos by Stefanie Jacob begins at Edar Laxon's mansion in the Vosper Peninsular. It is a ruined castle perched on top of a hill. The elderly aristocrat who once lived there had vanished one night years before. None of the residents dare to go near it since the disappearance of John Hopper. They believe supernatural beings haunt the castle! Visitors to the town have often been curious enough to want to check out the castle themselves, but most of them never returned, and those that did had been driven insane! 

Three teenagers, Jason, Roxanne, and Pyrrhus, swim in a lake near the castle. Jason says that he has been inside the castle many times. The three have spent nearly all their time together since they were children, and Pyrrhus and Roxanne do not believe his boasts. They take up Jason's dare to enter the castle with him that evening. Do the teenagers make it out of the castle alive? What secrets do they uncover? Roxanne was told her father is dead, but she knows he is alive; what is the mystery surrounding him? Read Hemiphos by Stefanie Jacob to discover the answers to these and other questions.

There is absolutely nothing I disliked about Hemiphos by Stefanie Jacob. This book reminded me of being a child and devouring the stories written by the brothers, Grimm. It is a story that blends mystery, ghosts, and the supernatural seamlessly. There is a slow build-up, but Stefanie Jacob has written a powerful dark fairy tale that takes the reader on a magical journey introducing ghosts, spirits, and wolves with unique powers. Every chapter has some new element which kept me turning the pages to find out what happened next. 

I recommend Hemiphos by Stefanie Jacobs to older teenagers and adults who enjoy fantasy fiction involving ghosts, mystery, and a sprinkling of romance; this enchanting book has many secrets to uncover. "For Christ's sake" and "Bollocks" are used, which makes the book inappropriate for a younger audience.

I want to give Hemiphos 4 out of 5 stars. The book has been translated into English perfectly, and I found no grammar or spelling errors. The cover art is beautiful and gave me a feel for the story before I even began to read it. The last chapter is excellent and left me wanting more. I am pleased that this is the first book in a trilogy.

 

book review of The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci by Belle Ami

The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci by Belle Ami starts briefly in nineteen forty-four when the world is at war, and the Germans are bombing Florence, Italy. Sophia Caro is scared. Scared of the bombs and scared because her lover Gerhard Jaeger is a German officer!   It then moves forward to the present day and introduces us to Angela Renatus, an intern at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Angela is plagued by headaches caused by lack of sleep. She has strange, vivid, and repetitive dreams about fifteenth-century Italy, which unsettle her. Dr. Alberto Scordato is the director of the museum and Angela's boss. He has a penchant for young women, and Angela is scared of him. Scordato has noticed that Angela has been acting strangely and asks security for a copy of the video surveillance of the red gallery where a Botticelli is hanging. He cannot believe what he sees. Every day for weeks, Angela has been walking in a trance to the gallery. She sits in front of the Botticelli and has a one-sided conversation with the painting in Italian! 

Alex Cain, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, has been commissioned to find out whether a da Vinci painting of a wedding exists. He is also investigating Scordato, as there have been discrepancies in the accounts. Alex sees Angela in one of her trances and falls in love with her. He also realizes she may be a link to finding the missing painting, which, being by da Vinci, is worth a fortune. Are Angela's dreams part of the puzzle? Does Alex find the Da Vinci painting? What is Scordato hiding? Moreover, how are Sophia and Gerhard involved? Read The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci by Belle Ami to discover the answers to these and other questions.

The story moves backward and forwards in time. It covers the present day with Angela and Alex, the nineteen forties with Sophia and Gerhard, and fourteen seventy-five with Leonardo da Vinci. I liked how Belle Ami moved effortlessly between the different eras and gave a feel for the times with great descriptions of the people, places, and changes in how people spoke.

Angela Renatus and Alex Cain are the main characters, but we are told very little about their back stories, so they are relatively flat. When Alex sees Angela to her apartment after having a meal together, they find it has been broken into. Angela is obviously a competent and intelligent young woman. She is an intern at the Getty Museum and rents an expensive apartment. However, she does not quibble when Alex insists on staying the night to protect her and, the next day, proceeds to organize her day's plans. I found it unbelievable that Angela would do as Alex says despite the fact she felt comfortable with him! If you are a reader of erotica, you will enjoy the second half of the book, in which Alex and Angela's sex life dominates! I found the intimate details of their sex life unnecessary and did not enjoy this part of the book.

I recommend The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci by Belle Ami to adults who enjoy thrillers, romance, and historical fiction. Please note that there is nothing factual in this book and the reference to Da Vinci in the title only refers to a fictional painting. There are swearing and sexual scenes in the book, which make it inappropriate for a younger audience.

I want to give The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci 3 out of 5 stars. I found the conversational passages far too long-winded, which tended to make the book boring. I would have liked there to have been more depth to what could have been an exciting story. 

Book Review - Hattie Vavaseur by M. Rebecca Wildsmith

 

M Rebecca Wildsmith introduces the reader to Hattie Vavaseur when she is at a funeral. Hattie is perturbed that she doesn't know why she is at the funeral and has no idea who has died! After the funeral, Hattie is whisked off by John Bertram, who seems to think that at one time he was employed by Hattie as a chauffeur, to a mansion with a taciturn owner. In the beginning, I wondered if Hattie had dementia, it's not until chapter 4 that we find out the truth of Hattie's situation. Until then, all we know is that Hattie can only remember being a child brought up by a strict aunt and uncle who disliked her and that Hattie hates the color pink. Every character brings their own story, which means the reader is constantly on the edge of their seat, turning the pages to find out what happens next. We travel with Hattie while she learns about her past and future. Wildsmith is a writing genius. Her book contains humor, mystery, suspense, ghosts, the supernatural, and romance.

M Rebecca Wildsmith gave excellent descriptions of the people and places, and they became real instantly, which I really enjoyed. I also liked that the reader is slowly given information about Hattie's situation. There are constant twists in the tale which keep the reader on their toes. I also thoroughly enjoyed the humor throughout the book.

This book should have been a quick and easy read, but Wildsmith continually uses outdated words interrupting the flow of the story while the reader checks their meaning. For instance (on page 20), 'Hattie descended the grand staircase in the main hall, smartly dressed in her befurbelowed blue suit.' It is almost as if the author has looked up all the most complicated and outdated wording in the dictionary and tried to use all of it in this book; it may not be such a significant issue to other readers, but I found this both annoying and frustrating.

I recommend this to anyone who likes a good old-fashioned murder mystery with lots of twists and turns and some romance thrown in for good measure. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will be looking out for more books by this author.

Thank you to M. Rebecca Wildsmith for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.