Book review - The Stolen Manuscript by Ray E. Spencer

Tim Tender, the main protagonist, had studied criminology at college, which is where he learned to unravel mysteries. He enjoys reading detective novels by Raymond Chandler and aspires to be a Private Investigator. The body of prize-winning writer Jake Venom has turned up, and the manuscript he had gone out to post has disappeared! Mrs. Vicki Venom employs Tim to solve the crime. However, not only did Vicki not report her husband missing for two days she also did not seem that upset or surprised at her husband's murder. Who does Vicki fly off to stay with once the funeral plans are in place? Why was there a dictionary with highlighted words placed on Jake's body? Furthermore, what do these words spell out? 

I love Raymond Chandler's books, and this is written in a similar vein. It was very clever how the author hinted at writers of detective novels, their books, and films in this genre. For instance, he names his main character Tim Tender after the film Tender Nightmare. Tim likes to dress like Philip Marlowe, and this is remarked on several times in the book. However, because the author puts so many quotes and references in the book, it felt like he was reviewing these books rather than writing his own. Ray E. Spencer needs to concentrate on his own ideas! 

More things that I disliked about this book are that Spencer fills it with unnecessary detail. When the characters go to restaurants, we learn very little from their conversations, but we know every minute detail about the food, the waitress, and the decor. Due to this, I kept losing track of the story and had to reread chapters, making the book a slow and tedious read! Also, I didn't particularly appreciate that there were many unnecessary conversations. This book would be much more enjoyable if the author cut down on all the boring conversations and used them to give details that help move the story along. I read the Kindle book, which has yet to be edited or proofread, as I found grammar errors throughout! There are also details in the book which have not been checked for accuracy, such as the ashes from a cremation being collected the same day for scattering; this could not possibly happen! 

Due to all the negatives and the fact that I did not enjoy The Stolen Manuscript by Ray E. Spencer, I give a rating of 1 out of 5 stars. Spencer needs to rewrite this book and get a professional to thoroughly edit and proofread the new copy before publishing!

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!

Book Review - The trafficking Murders by Brian O'Hare

Lin Hui is studying at Queen's University but has amassed many expensive items; after a threatening phone call, she packs a bag and walks out of her life. How does a scholarship student from China have so many expensive clothes, shoes, handbags, and pieces of jewelry? 

Alina Balauru is a teenager living in Romania with her parents. Their farm is barren, and they are lucky to get a few vegetables daily from the dry earth. The family lives on cheap bones and makes soup with whatever they can harvest. They are malnourished, but other work is scarce. When a smartly dressed stranger stops his car to ask for directions and suggests he may be able to find Alina work in the UK, the family sees this as their salvation. 

In Ireland, three days later, Detective Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan is called out to a house where the body of a young woman has been found. A syringe is lying near the body. However, it is unclear whether she has overdosed or been murdered. Where do Lin and Alina fit into this scenario? Is the body one of these girls? Is it a suicide or murder? Did Lin or Alina assist in the death? Read The Trafficking Murders by Brian O'Hare to find the answers to these questions.

At the beginning of the book, there is a list of the characters in this story with details of any quirks they might have. There is also a list of acronyms used by the Police in Northern Ireland. I found these lists a convenient reference while reading The Trafficking Murders by Brian O'Hare. I enjoyed this absorbing novel. O'Hare has extensively researched people trafficking in Northern Ireland, evident in The Trafficking Murders O'Hare's fifth book in The Inspector Sheehan Mysteries series. 

Every day, worldwide, girls and young women go missing. Vile, sadistic, and evil people force these girls into prostitution and domestic slavery. O'Hare intertwines his research on trafficking with his unique style of storytelling. I felt a range of emotions but especially anger towards the men who use these women as commodities and deep sadness for the women whose lives are ruined. 

I would recommend The Trafficking Murders by Brian O'Hare to adults who enjoy murder mysteries and crime thrillers. I enjoyed that there are lots of twists and turns which keep you guessing, but by the end of the book, everything has been explained, and there are no loose ends. 

I want to give The Trafficking Murders 5 out of 5 stars. There are some grammatical errors, but they did not spoil my enjoyment. I disliked nothing about this book; I immersed myself in Brian O'Hare's exceptional edge-of-the-seat crime thriller. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

I want to thank Brian O'Hare for a copy of The Trafficking Murders 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 - Murder in the Garbage by Jerry A. Greenberg

 

Murder in the Garbage by Jerry A. Greenberg begins by introducing us to Raoul Martez. Raoul has just retired from a career in the army, where he had become a shooting instructor. He is now looking for a job to support him while he returns to night school to get qualifications and better career prospects. Raoul becomes a garbage collector joining Trinity Waste Management, the biggest waste management company in the town. The work is backbreaking, and often the trucks go out with a two-person crew when they are supposed to be manned by three men.

Mr. Samuels, the vice president of operations, is always angry. He thinks nothing of yelling at his staff or beating them up. Then the CEO of Trinity is found murdered,  stuffed into a large garbage bin. Enter Hank Boucher, an ex-U.S. Navy Seal for fifteen years who decided to retire at thirty-six. Having had six months of intensive training, Hank is now a Central Intelligence Agency agent, and investigating the murder is his first assignment. Why has the FBI not been assigned to the case? How are Raoul Martinez and his driver Hubert Manton involved? Moreover, is Mr. Samuels the murderer? Read Murder in the Garbage by Jerry A. Greenberg to find out the answers to these questions.

The only thing I liked about Murder in the Garbage was the deference and respect with which Greenberg portrays the job of garbage collection. Greenberg makes some essential points about our throw-away society; he makes one of Raoul Martinez's hobbies, upcycling. He also includes a conversation with Martinez and his partner about the different types of rubbish thrown away in rich and poor areas. This made me reassess my efforts to recycle and reuse.

I am disappointed that there was little else to like about Murder in the Garbage by Jerry A. Greenberg. The book has yet to be edited or proofread; there are a lot of grammar and spelling errors. I was not impressed that the author changed his mind about the name of the waste disposal company partway through the book. For example, on page eight, "Hello, Triangle Waste Management, Linda Bailey speaking, may I help you?" but by page ten, it is being called Trinity Waste Management example "What you said is true. Might I ask why you picked Trinity to apply to?". Moreover, many long-winded conversations lead nowhere, and every new character, no matter how small their part, is described in great detail, including their height and weight. This makes the book boring!

I rate this book 2 out of 5 stars as it needs proofreading and editing, there needs to be clarity over the company's name, and Greenberg uses unnecessary descriptions to make the story appear a lot more interesting than it is!

I would recommend this book to adults who like gentle murder mysteries which have mild swearing but no sex. There is some stereotyping of Mexican people. Moreover, no man can walk past a woman in this book without fancying her. So if you find these attributes offensive, then Murder in the Garbage by Jerry A. Greenberg is probably not for you.

Audio book review - 1979 by Val McDermid

 

1979 is the first instalment in the Allie Burns series set against the bustling backdrop of nineteen-seventies Glasgow. The story introduces us to Allie Burns. Allie is a young journalist whose investigative work leads her into a world of murder, corruption and terror. It is January nineteen seventy-nine. The year has brought strikes, blizzards, political unrest and power cuts. However, the bad news is a chance for Allie to move on from the "women's stories" to which the editors at the Scottish daily The Clarion have confined her. She becomes close friends with budding investigative journalist Danny Sullivan. Together, they uncover a story of international tax fraud involving Scots ultranationalists who plan to cause mayhem ahead of a referendum on breaking away from the UK. Danny and Allie's stories quickly get attention and create enemies for the two young reporters. As they get closer to breaking the news, will Allie and Danny find their lives on the line? Read 1979 by Val McDermid to find out.

Drawing on McDermid's experiences as a young journalist, 1979 is redolent of the thundering presses, hammering typewriters, and wreaths of the smoke of the Clarion newsroom. It is the latest suspenseful addition to McDermid's crime pantheon. It is compulsive, enthralling, and atmospheric. It not only looks at crime and the city's gritty underbelly but also touches on the changes in technology, fashion and music. The novel explores class, gender, sexuality, and politics alongside a high-stakes investigation into corruption and unrest in Glasgow in the Seventies. A riveting, captivating, and propulsive start to a series that shows much promise.

I was surprised to read that in Scotland it was still illegal for people to be gay until 1981. I liked the way McDermid dealt with the fact that Danny was gay and how that had an effect on his life.

I listened to the audiobook, which is eleven hours and six minutes long. Sadly the thing I disliked about this audiobook was the fact that the reader, Katie Leung, often mispronounced words. I thought this was because she is Scottish and the book is set in Scotland, but having researched the words, they should be pronounced the same as in England.

I want to give this book 3 out of 5 stars. It is an exciting read, but the ending is disappointing, and the Allie I got to know whilst listening to the audiobook would not have jumped into bed with Rhona after hearing that her best friend Danny had been murdered. I am also taking one star off for the mispronunciation of the reader as this should have been picked up on and is as bad as grammar and spelling errors in a print book!

Book review - House of Eire by June Gillam

 

House of Eire by June Gillam begins with Hillary Broome, a writer, and her husband Ed, a detective. They live in California. Hillary is busy finalizing plans for a two-week belated honeymoon in Ireland with Ed, their seven-year-old daughter Claire and Ed's mother, Sarah. They will stay with their friends Seamus, a solicitor, and his American wife, Bridget, living in Galway. Bridget has been studying the history of Ireland and wants a memorial built to honor the Irish people. Seamus has been working with Dermot Connolly, an American developer who plans to buy land to build a Disneyland-style theme park. Connolly has decided on land where Bridget wants to build her memorial and is taking devious measures to get his way.

Hillary has been trying to trace her family tree. Her mother ran off, leaving Hillary when she was ten; she hopes that researching the Irish family background will help her find out why. Why has Bridget been receiving strange dolls in the post? Can Seamus convince Bridget to build the monument outside the theme park? Is the rumor that Connolly runs an Irish Mafia true? Why do nightmares plague Bridget? Moreover, what is Seamus not telling Bridget? For the answers to these and other questions, read House of Eire by June Gillam.

I liked the sensitive way June Gillam approaches Irish history. Having traced my Irish ancestry, I felt the pain Bridget suffers every time she finds another piece of evidence of the troubled times the Irish poor went through. Quote from page fifty-one "But, there are hundreds and thousands more who lived and died without mention—I feel for them, and I wasn't even born here!" Many interesting themes are touched upon, and the tension builds slowly. House of Eire is the third book in the Hillary Broome series, but I found it easy to read as a stand-alone book.

The first half of House of Eire is unnecessarily long and detailed. The story takes a long time to build up, and the many long-winded conversations really could have moved the story along more. June Gillam tends to end each chapter with something dramatic, which often feels forced and awkward. I did not find the conclusion was worth the wait. The book was described as a mystery, but there are very few surprises, which I  found disappointing. House of Eire does not seem to have been edited or proofread at all. I found many errors in spelling and grammar throughout the book.

I recommend House of Eire by June Gillam to adults who enjoy reading fictional books about Ireland, murder, and mysteries. There is swearing in the book, which makes it inappropriate for a younger audience.

I want to give House of Eire 3 out of 5 stars. I have removed one star due to the lack of proofreading and the other because the conversations were far too long-winded, making the book drag. I would have liked there to have been more depth to what could have been an exciting story, and the ending was disappointing.

book review - That Weekend by Kara Thomas

 

That Weekend by Kara Thomas begins with Claire waking up in the middle of a pathway with no memory of how she got there. She has no memory of the last day. An entire day wiped from her memory! When Claire breaks up with her cheating boyfriend just before the school prom, her best friends Kat and Jesse invite her with them for a camping trip. She has been friends with them for years, and she is ready for some fun after her heartbreak. However, when Claire wakes up, her friends are missing. They have vanished without a trace, and everyone looks to Claire for answers. The trip has become a nightmare Claire cannot even remember! Why is Claire on her own on a pathway in a forest? What has happened to Kat and Jesse? Why does Kat's grandma hate Jesse? Moreover, how is Kat's cousin involved in the mystery? To find answers to these questions, read That Weekend by Kara Thomas.

The story starts slowly. While we wait to find out if Claire's memory returns, it feels right that the pace is slow. The story only gains momentum halfway through when Claire starts an investigation of her own. She follows some bizarre clues, and the book becomes more interesting. While I was hoping for a little more mystery, danger, and edge, I was entirely unprepared for the twist that happened and took me utterly by surprise!

I was hoping for more danger and more chills. I wanted a page-turning mystery that gripped me. That Weekend was a good read, it just was not the chilling mystery that I was hoping for. True, I needed to find out all the who, what, where, when, why, and how of everything, and some shocking details came out throughout the book's second half. The ending was where things became exciting.

I recommend That Weekend by Kara Thomas to readers who enjoy mystery. This book still has enough mystery and shocks to make it an enjoyable read.

I rate That Weekend by Kara Thomas 3 out of 5 stars. It was readable but did not have the edge-of-the-seat shocks, twists and turns I want from a murder mystery.

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 - 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.

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.