Fifteen-year-old foster child Josh Redford’s only friend in the world was an old Algonquin trapper who taught him the secrets of the wilderness. When the trapper dies, Josh runs away to a remote area of the rugged Laurentian Mountains, where he soon discovers that the trapper’s tales of animal spirits are true, and that not all of them are friendly. Caught in an ancient war between good and evil, Josh’s escape from grief quickly becomes a harrowing struggle to survive. Desperate and alone, he soon discovers the one secret the trapper never revealed.
Valley of the Wolves is a four-book series full of action and adventure that is rooted in Algonquin mythology. It is also the story of how colonialism nearly destroyed a beautiful people and their culture.
His Review:
Moving from group home to foster home wore heavily on Josh. His heart yearned to be free and away from adult guidance. Certainly, many of the homes were nice but they were not his family and he never seemed to fit in. He longed to be free and disappear in the Laurentian mountains of his ancestors. His only true friend is a dying Algonquin who is teaching him the old ways.
He is very proficient with a canoe and escapes on a foggy night and heads downstream. He will cross into Canada and leave the Foster Child Systems behind. His Indian name is Crazy Otter given to him by Stumbling Moose who tries to teach him the old ways. He knows that the officials will be looking for him and will put him in a juvenile detention facility until he is of age if he is caught. He stays in the darkest parts of the forest and continues northeast towards Canada.
As a child, I often thought of running away and making my own way heading north to Canada. Josh is much smarter because he read all of the books he could find on wilderness survival and how to exist in the wild. Building traps and foraging for edible foods and tubers, he could teach military survival. The further he melts into the wild, however, the more he becomes the hunted instead of the hunter. This is a great book for young scouts and others to read. 4.5 stars – CE Williams
The first book in a new series that launches an enterprising and magnetic main character and is a great start to the series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.
Rosepoint Publishing:Four point Five Stars
Book Details:
Genre: Teen & Young Adult Historical Fantasy eBooks, Teen & Young Adult Coming of Age Fiction eBooks ASIN: B0DLGM9F21 Print Length: 179 pages Publication Date: November 19, 2024 Source: Author and NetGalley Title Link(s): Valley of the Wolves – Amazon-US Valley of the Wolves– Amazon-UK
The Author:Brock Farrow is an avid outdoorsman and survivalist with a deep love for the Laurentian Mountains. He holds a profound respect for Canada’s Indigenous peoples, especially the original inhabitants of the Laurentians—the Algonquin Nation. He believes that they have much to teach us about our relationship with the planet and each other. The Valley of the Wolves series is his first attempt to share his knowledge and admiration with others.
“Giving to charity swells your heart with pride and joy; receiving charity crushes your soul with shame and embarrassment.”
When I got the invitation from Amy Jackson at Random House Publishing through NetGalley regarding this book and read the blurb, I thought this sounded too good to keep to myself and in turn invited the CE to read it as well. (Also, that book cover is pretty eye-catching!) Of course, I was in the middle of another book and he’d just finished his, so he jumped into this one and stayed. There were a number of LOLs and we did a buddy read. No doubt you can guess his thoughts on the novel—see below.
Book Blurb:
Award-winning comedian Zarna Garg turns her astonishing life story into a hilarious memoir, spilling all the chai on her wild ride from escaping an arranged marriage and homelessness in India to carving her own path in America and launching a dazzling second act in midlife.
Throughout Zarna’s whole childhood in India, everyone called her “so American” just for reading the newspaper, having deep thoughts, and talking back to anyone over the age of thirty. When Zarna’s dad tried to marry her off at age fourteen, Zarna fled—first to the streets of Mumbai and ultimately to the glittering paradise of Akron, Ohio, where she got to become American for real.
On Zarna’s very American quest to find herself and her calling, she threw herself wholeheartedly into roles like dog-bite lawyer, crazy perfectionist stay-at-home mom, Indian matchmaker, prizewinning screenwriter, and more. It wasn’t until a dare led her to a stand-up comedy open mic that Zarna finally found her spiritual home: getting paid cold hard cash for her big fat mouth.
And as Zarna discovered, after surviving the brutal streets of Mumbai, the cutthroat world of stand-up comedy is nothing.
This American Woman is an exuberant story of fighting for your right to determine your own destiny and triumphing beyond what you ever dreamed was possible. Zarna’s mantra becomes a call to action: It’s never too late. If Zarna can do it, you can, too.
My Review:
Absolutely no doubt this woman has a wild and wicked, often profane sense of humor. Given her history, it may be the only thing keeping her sane as she grappled with an insane drive she could not fulfill. That and the most loving and supportive brother she could have prayed for.
I loved the story of her early childhood, her place in the fairly well-to-do family, and the description of life as a privileged youngster up until the day her birth mother died.
“When you lose a parent, you lose your childhood.”
When her dad married again, rather quickly, he wanted his freedom. Zarna was shocked to discover just how serious he was. (Well, it’s interesting to see men really aren’t very different from country to country.)
At fourteen, and with all the guile of a young teen, she knew marriage to someone, kids, the end of an education, and a life of servitude was not what she had in mind. So split she did. Of course, that didn’t turn out as she’d expected. Returning home, her father began the process of finding her a husband, even going through the process of meeting the groom and his family. Marriage plans were being made, a wedding that would last for days.
When she was finally granted the Visa and quietly worked out the airfare to America to join her sister and her American husband, she fled. It wasn’t easy, but amazing how hard she worked at everything, tried everything, including her newly discovered stand-up ability. None of this happened overnight or easily.
Yes, she does find a husband and they have three children. Throughout the story, there are observations relayed by her keen sense of humor and delivered with a quick wit and sharp mouth.
“My family is Gujarati, observant vegetarians, while Shalabh’s family is from Uttar Pradesh, the Alabama of India.”
“Any woman anywhere can wear the bindi. But married women tend to wear it more because when they wake up the day after the marriage they should know where to aim the gun.”
The story is engaging, hard to put down, filled with anecdotes from funny to hilarious. Comments about life in India, comments about life in America, comparisons of the two, along with some hardcore facts. Yes, there are more than a few barbs, bound to be, I suppose. But let’s face it, she is one in a billion.
India population as of January 2024 is estimated at 1.44 billion. (AI overview) (Population density approx. 488 people per square kilometer.)
USA population as of July 1, 2024 – 340,110.988. (AI overview)(Population density in 2022 approx. 36.43 people per square kilometer.)
This book releases the end of April. Needing a little comedy? This one will brighten your day and leave you with a smile on your face.
Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars
His Review:
A domineering father who has decided that at age 14, Zarna should be married and launches on the quest to find her a husband. Zarna decides there is no way she will marry against her will and leaves her well-to-do home. Zarna begins by trying to stay with her many friends from school.
The problem is that she finds out that her welcome is overstayed very quickly and she is out on the streets again. There she learns what life is like for the many destitute people in India. The streets of Mumbai teach her many ways to get by but without money, she is trapped in poverty.
One of her best traits and biggest downfalls is her smart mouth. She refuses to cave to the continued attempted control of her father. Finally, she must return home or possibly die on the streets. Her father never capitulates and the end result is two hard heads unwilling to yield. She goes back with her tail between her legs and submits to husband interviews. Starving is simply not an option.
She has a married sister in America willing to sponsor her and help get her a Visa. Fortunately, this finally comes through just in time and she flees to the states.
She perfects her sense of humor and sets out to be a comic at local venues. At first, she begs to have people come to see her show. Many nights the theater is empty. If there are only a few persons in her audience, she goes through her act. Soon people begin to talk about this funny comedian from the streets and theaters begin to fill. She continues to write her dialogues spending many hours per day perfecting her act between shows. This book has many good belly laughs as you read about her trials and tribulations. Enjoy! 5 stars – CE Williams
Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars
Book Details:
Genre: Biographies of Comedians, Biographies & Memoirs of Women, Humor Publisher: Ballantine Books ISBN-10: 0593975022 ISBN-13: 978-0593975022 ASIN: B0DM6Z1SYQ Print Length: 320 pages Publication Date: April 29, 2025 Source: Publisher and NetGalley
The Author:Zarna Garg is a force of nature with a mic. America’s first Indian immigrant mom comedian burst onto the scene in 2023 with her first special, ‘One in a Billion’. Her follow-up special,’Practical People Win’, hits Hulu in 2025. Zarna cut her teeth opening for icons Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Her acting debut in the indie hit ‘A Nice Indian Boy’ earned rave reviews, while her hugely popular ‘Zarna Garg Family Podcast’ explores modern family life with her husband and kids. With millions of social media followers and billions of views, Zarna just can’t stop laughing her way to the top.
The classic mystery that inspired the Academy Award-winning film by Alfred Hitchcock.
“Le Chat” is a legend. He is a mystery. He is a jewel thief, famous and elusive for being able to swipe anything and get away clean. He is John Robie, retired and living a quiet life, tending his rose garden in the South of France.
But his retirement plans are thrown for a loop when a series of robberies too closely resemble the work of “Le Chat,” and the police start digging into Robie’s past. To keep himself free, and with the help of an equally mysterious young woman, John Robie will have to catch the true thief, before the police catch him.
His Review:
The French Riviera is a popular place for the rich and famous, and also for those who prey upon their fortunes. John Robie is one of those who go to the Riviera to attempt to relieve the wealthy of some of their possessions. Of particular interest are diamonds and pearls, for they can be disposed of through many outlets. Many are trying to capture him; nickname “Le Chat”.
The most likely targets are wealthy ladies who flaunt their jewels and then keep them in the lockboxes or safes supplied by the hotels. The French police and insurance companies know of their expensive baubles and have undercover gendarmes who monitor the ladies and also the comings and goings of known criminals. Disrupting the peace of the rich and famous is not tolerated by the French Ministry of Police.
This book is well written and illuminates the underbelly of life in the South of France. A thief must be very smart, agile, and extremely athletic to pull off some of the burglaries that ensue. The particular setting for these crimes is an old multi-storied hotel with a slate roof and great lighting! I found it a good primer for anyone who wishes to become a cat burglar. Enjoy the story and the experience. 4.5 stars – CE Williams
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.
Rosepoint Publishing:Four point Five Stars
Book Details:
Genre: Heist Thrillers, International Mystery & Crime, Crime Thrillers Publisher: Diversion Books ASIN: B087WN817G Print Length: 304 pages Publication Date: February 1, 2015 Source: Publisher and NetGalley
The Author: David Francis Dodge (August 18, 1910 – August 1974) was an author of mystery/thriller novels and humorous travel books. His first book was published in 1941. His fiction is characterized by tight plotting, brisk dialogue, memorable and well-defined characters, and (often) exotic locations. His travel writing documented the (mis)adventures of the Dodge family (David, his wife Elva, and daughter Kendal) as they roamed around the world. Practical advice and information for the traveler on a budget are sprinkled liberally throughout the books.
David Dodge was born in Berkeley, California, the youngest child of George Andrew Dodge, a San Francisco architect, and Maude Ellingwood Bennett Dodge. Following George’s death in an automobile accident, Maude “Monnie” Dodge moved the family (David and his three older sisters, Kathryn, Frances, and Marian) to Southern California, where David attended Lincoln High School in Los Angeles but did not graduate.
After leaving school, he worked as a bank messenger, a marine fireman, a stevedore, and a night watchman. In 1934, he went to work for the San Francisco accounting firm of McLaren, Goode & Company, becoming a Certified Public Accountant in 1937. On July 17, 1936, he was married to Elva Keith, a former Macmillan Company editorial representative, and their only daughter, Kendal, was born in 1940. After the attack on Pearl Harbor he joined the U.S. Naval Reserve, emerging three years later with the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
Special Agent Constant Marlowe pursues a lead to rural Illinois and finds a hornet’s nest of conspiracy in a pulse-pounding novella by New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver, where nothing is what it seems.
Special Agent Constant Marlowe is in pursuit of “Mr. X,” a key player in organized crime. Her mission is to collar him and flip him into a cooperating witness. The only problem? Marlowe doesn’t know who he is or even what he looks like. It doesn’t help that the trail has led her to a farming community in the nether land of Downstate, those stretches of Illinois where endless fields of late-season corn block the truth…and any sign of coming threat. When Marlowe stumbles on a teenage boy’s convenience store robbery, she suddenly finds herself in the crosshairs of a conspiracy that shatters the illusion of a sleepy small town.
His Review:
Rows of corn over 6 feet high as far as the eye can see. This is the location Constant Marlowe finds herself in. She wants to transport a criminal from Plains, Illinois to Chicago. The sheriff of the county does not want his prisoner to leave Plains but has other plans for him. Therefore, he rejects Constant Marlowe’s transfer request.
Tyson Barth was a local gangster that Constant Marlowe wanted to bring down. One of his warehouses gave Constant a lead to the town of Plains. Could this be the repository site for illegal drugs coming into the state and particularly into the greater Chicago area? And did it seem a larger than normal number of young ladies seemed to disappear periodically from the Plains area?
Constant arrests a young Hispanic male after he steals some gift cards and leaves a convenience store with a blatant disregard for authority. She is aware the young man is also connected with some gangsters in Northern Illinois but the local sheriff insists the arrest is his and should be attributed to his office. The obvious facts in the case do not seem to matter!
This tome has some very interesting twists and also points to unlawful activities in downstate Illinois. The plot is interesting and the book is well written. Enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.
Rosepoint Publishing:Four point Five Stars
Book Details:
Genre: Kindle Singles: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Crime Fiction, Mystery Publisher: Amazon Original Stories ASIN: B0DBW2V11C Publication Date: January 14, 2025 Source: Publisher and NetGalley
The Author:Jeffery Deaver is an international number-one bestselling author. His novels have appeared on bestseller lists around the world. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into over twenty-five languages. He has served two terms as president of Mystery Writers of America, and was recently named a Grand Master of MWA, whose ranks include Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, Mary Higgins Clark and Walter Mosely.
The author of over forty novels, three collections of short stories and a nonfiction law book, and a lyricist of a country-western album, he’s received or been shortlisted for dozens of awards. His “The Bodies Left Behind” was named Novel of the Year by the International Thriller Writers association, and his Lincoln Rhyme thriller “The Broken Window” and a stand-alone, “Edge,” were also nominated for that prize. “The Garden of Beasts” won the Steel Dagger from the Crime Writers Association in England. He’s also been nominated for eight Edgar Awards by the MWA.
Deaver has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, the Strand Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Raymond Chandler Lifetime Achievement Award in Italy.
His book “A Maiden’s Grave” was made into an HBO movie starring James Garner and Marlee Matlin, and his novel “The Bone Collector” was a feature release from Universal Pictures, starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. Lifetime aired an adaptation of his “The Devil’s Teardrop.” NBC television recently aired the nine-episode prime-time series, “Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector.”
You can find out more about Jeffery on his website http://www.jefferydeaver.com, Facebook page facebook.com/JefferyDeaver, and follow him on Twitter @JefferyDeaver.
He is very proficient with a canoe and escapes on a foggy night and heads downstream. He will cross into Canada and leave the Foster Child Systems behind. His Indian name is Crazy Otter given to him by Stumbling Moose who tries to teach him the old ways. He knows that the officials will be looking for him and will put him in a juvenile detention facility until he is of age if he is caught. He stays in the darkest parts of the forest and continues northeast towards Canada.
As a child, I often thought of running away and making my own way heading north to Canada. Josh is much smarter because he read all of the books he could find on wilderness survival and how to exist in the wild. Building traps and foraging for edible foods and tubers, he could teach military survival. The further he melts into the wild, however, the more he becomes the hunted instead of the hunter. This is a great book for young scouts and others to read. 4.5 stars – CE Williams
The Author: Brock Farrow is an avid outdoorsman and survivalist with a deep love for the Laurentian Mountains. He holds a profound respect for Canada’s Indigenous peoples, especially the original inhabitants of the Laurentians—the Algonquin Nation. He believes that they have much to teach us about our relationship with the planet and each other. The Valley of the Wolves series is his first attempt to share his knowledge and admiration with others.
Rosepoint Publishing 