#bookblog – Page 105 – Rosepoint Publishing

Buried by the Sea (A By the Sea Mystery Book 5) by Kathleen Bridge – #BookReview – #cozymystery – #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

At her family’s hotel on a Florida barrier island, sleuthing novelist Liz Holt is shocked by a hidden treasure—and a buried body . . .

A team of archaeologists is staying at Indialantic by the Sea to study the days of the Spanish explorers, and they’ve stumbled upon a stunning and valuable find at the dig site, but before they can unearth it one of the archeologists finds himself buried in the sand and pierced with diving spear tipped with poison.

The local sheriff’s department accuses the owner of the neighboring property, Liz’s elderly reclusive friend and naturalist, Birdman, of the crime. Liz is sure—well, pretty sure—he is innocent and sets her sights on the remaining four archeologists.

With the help of her PI boyfriend and an octogenarian hotel resident, and two mischievous pet parrots, Liz must dig into the mystery of who buried the scientist and absconded with the artifacts he’d promised would put him in Florida history books—before she becomes history herself . . .

Recipes included!

My Review:

A lovely spot on the coast filled with old stories, explorers, and shipwrecks consistently draws treasure seekers including the current team of archeologists staying at Indialantic by the Sea. They appear to have found a valuable artifact at their dig site (there by the permission of the land owner) but one of them is discovered very quickly buried in the pit with a diving spear. And if it’s not the owner, Birdman, a reclusive naturalist, then it has to be one of the four archeologists.

The Bennett property, site of the dig, has not been a particularly quiet venue lately. It’s obvious there are problems among them. Unfortunately, it’s Birdman the police arrest and protagonist Liz Holt, part of the hotel’s family, knows it couldn’t have been he. Not her first murder since she returned home, the novelist turned sleuth begins her investigation.

Ryan is her PI boyfriend and their relationship is becoming serious. Her octogenarian aunt, a flamboyant ex-Hollywood bit player is always full of stories, name dropping, with activities sufficient to cross the eyes. Among other support characters, are two macaws, one recently added in hopes of mating the pair and hopefully encouraging the female to talk.

The investigation and collaboration continue until the perp is ascertained in a rather low-key conclusion adding in one last twist of a romantic nature at the end.

I must admit to finding more than a few passages so low key my interest waned and I had a hard time staying engaged, nor was I really able to connect to the protagonist. A few more clichés than I appreciate and some mysteries and twists added (including the extended conversation regarding Barbies) that just lost me in the pages. Apparently the wrong book for me, but I’m sure fans of the author will find the discussions, particularly regarding Ponce de León enlightening.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Amateur Sleuth Mysteries, Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Lyrical Press

ASIN : B08D71LHR7

Print Length: 268 pages
Publication Date: April 13, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: National Bestselling author Kathleen Bridge started her writing career at the Michigan State News in East Lansing, Michigan. She is the author of the Hamptons Home and Garden Mysteries: Better Homes and Corpses, Hearse and Gardens, Ghostal Living, Manor of Dying, and A Design To Die For. She is also the author of the A By the Sea Mysteries: Death By the Sea, A Killing by the Sea, and Murder by the Sea, and Evil by the Sea. Kathleen is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime and blissfully lives on a barrier island on Florida’s central east coast.

The Red Button: The Sweet Romance Prequel to A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Keith Eldred – #BookReview – Victorian Historical Romance

Book Blurb:

Find fresh affection for A Christmas Carol with this classic prequel and enjoy the new holiday tradition of the Red Button.

The untold story of the doomed romance.

Belle Endicott and Ebenezer Scrooge are young, bookish, hardworking Londoners drawn together by button-making. His brand-new factory threatens her family’s tiny shop, yet they fall in love and start planning their future. When personal and business calamities strike, they confront them vigorously side by side, but ultimately something has to give. We know what it is. They do not.

His Review:

Can a person serve two masters? Becoming the richest person in the world or a happily married man are the tasks before Ebenezer Scrooge. He is smitten with the lovely Belle Endicott and she is the daughter of a famous button manufacturer. This is at the dawn of the industrial revolution. Belle and her father have long been one of the finest button manufacturers in the world. Belle learned her craft from her mother and works with her father. Ebenezer wants to mechanize the process. He also has a very deep interest in young Belle.

A red button is at the heart of the story. The button is given to Ebenezer by Belle and he carries it with him everywhere. If the button is not in his pocket it is around his neck. The Endicott family and Scrooge develop a production alliance whereas the Endicott group prepare hand- crafted special order buttons and the factory produces the mass-produced buttons for clothing manufacturers. The Red Button chronicles the mental struggles encountered by Ebenezer.

This is a great read for anyone who wishes to excel in life. The age-old adage of trying to serve two masters is evident. Can the drive for world domination be done concurrently with making a happy life with a spouse? Ebenezer desperately hopes that this is true. However, cornering the clothing fastener market in the British Empire takes much of his time. He does not have the time to court Belle and corner the market.

The give and take of the struggles are well documented by The Red Button. Belle is smitten with her “Ben” and would entertain his proposal, but work always seems to get in the way. This middle school novel paints an interesting picture of who the young Ebenezer Scrooge might have been. It is a fun, fast, and interesting read. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author without expectation of a review and these are my unbiased opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Holiday Fiction, Victorian Historical Romance
Publisher: This is RED
ISBN: 097676461X
ASIN: B08L9MY4F2
Print Length: 250 pages
Publication Date: October 22, 2020
Source: Direct author request
Title Link: The Red Button

The Author: Keith Eldred created the THIS IS RED project with his wife Janet, a public library director diagnosed with early-stage dementia. With Janet’s condition making every day precious, they decided to make the most of 2020, the year of their 30th anniversary, by publishing 20 books. All profits from these titles go the Hollidaysburg Area Public Library, where Janet works. See more at http://www.thisis.red.

Keith is also helping his granddaughter Brook Johnson (age 8) create a book trilogy about her character The Puppy Queen.

Judgment at Alcatraz: A Danya Biton Novel by Dave Edlund – #BookReview – Native American Literature

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Fans of Jon Land’s Caitlin Strong series and of James Rollin’s Seichan will identify with and devour the Danya Biton series.

Capitalizing on a peaceful protest for Native American rights, a small, extremist militia swiftly seizes Alcatraz Island and holds more than 200 people hostage. Their demand: return all lands taken from Indigenous Peoples through broken treaties, or an armada of drones will render the San Francisco Bay Area a glowing ruin, uninhabitable for decades.

Former Mossad assassin Danya Biton and her friend Toby Riddle are thrown headlong into the conflict. As the authorities debate the cost of acquiescing to the demands versus the loss of civilian lives, Danya—on the run from agencies on both sides of the Atlantic—offers the only hope for rescuing the hostages and preventing an unprecedented disaster… but she may have to sacrifice herself to save the others.

His Review:

The plight and poverty of Native American’s is well documented. Broken treaties and population displacement abound. Promises are made during election years and discarded as soon as the election is over. When the United States leaves a property that was taken from the natives, the land is to reverted to them. The island of Alcatraz is one such example.

Danya is an ex-Mossad operative who now works for the highest bidder. She is well trained, very physically fit, and an expert marksman. She can be very selective who she works for because her skills are very hard to come by. Two gun-runners have employed her to assist in delivering a mule train full of automatic rifles. The gun store owner and his nephew are way out of their league. The delivery goes sideways and Danya saves their lives.

Leonard White Cloud and Sacheen Crow Dog are Native Americans who have lived in poverty their whole lives. All of their ancestral lands have been taken by the whites and promises of reparations have never been fulfilled. De-commissioned military bases and other abandoned U.S. Government properties lie idle while their people still linger on the most arid land in the country.

It is time for the indigenous people to be compensated. Occupying Alcatraz might be a good start to that recompense. However, the U.S. Park service has turned the property into a tourist destination. No longer being used as a prison it should by rights go back to the natives that it was stolen from. Getting the property returned by peaceful means seems out of the question. The government could care less about the plight of the original people who developed this country.

Dave Edlund has developed a very entertaining tale of broken promises and reasons for the poverty indigenous people live in. He cites many reasons for the poverty and the military control of the natives. This entire book is a good example of governmental promises broken and population suppression. Currently on pre-order. 5 stars – CE Williams

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from publisher through NetGalley. These are my honest opinions.

Book Details:

Genre: Native American Literature, Political Thrillers & Suspense
Publisher: Light Messages Publishing
ISBN : 1611533848
ASIN: B08SJJGY45
Print Length: 284 pages
Publication Date: April 27, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: Judgment at Alcatraz
Also find the book at these locations:
Barnes and Noble
Kobo

The Author: Dave Edlund is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Peter Savage thrillers (all novels stand alone, read in any order). A member of the International Thriller Writers, Edlund writes action-political thrillers often compared to the Sigma Series novels by James Rollins, and the Jack Ryan novels by Tom Clancy.

Edlund’s latest thriller, GUARDING SAVAGE, was awarded the Silver Medal by IBPA for best popular fiction and has become a bestseller. LETHAL SAVAGE will be released October 22, 2019.

James Rollins, New York Times bestseller of The Demon Crown proclaims “GUARDING SAVAGE fuses the authenticity of Tom Clancy with the world-hopping adventure of Clive Cussler” and “Both topical and suspenseful, here is a book that belongs on the shelf with the best military fiction out there.”

Jon Land, USA Today bestselling author of the Caitlin Strong series, writes: “Equal parts military and political thriller, Dave Edlund’s Guarding Savage is a top-notch action-adventure tale that rivals the best of Brad Thor and Brad Taylor.”

Edlund’s award-winning debut, CROSSING SAVAGE, was followed by RELENTLESS SAVAGE and the critically acclaimed DEADLY SAVAGE. He lives with his family and four dogs in Central Oregon. A graduate of the University of Oregon (Ph.D. in chemistry), he has dedicated his professional career to developing new technology to support the hydrogen economy. “I strive to bring cutting-edge science and technology into my stories, and then to extrapolate that innovation beyond what is presently known, but is plausible,” Edlund explains.

An avid outdoorsman, you are likely to find the author in the deep woods far away from other people when he is not writing. To connect with Dave Edlund or to request a Skype visit, contact him at dedlund@lightmessages.com.

The Late Show by Michael Connelly – #Audiobook Review – #policeprocedural #TBT

– Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

From New York Times best-selling author Michael Connelly, a new thriller introducing a driven young detective trying to prove herself in the LAPD.

Renée Ballard works the night shift in Hollywood, beginning many investigations but finishing none, as each morning she turns her cases over to day shift detectives. A once up-and-coming detective, she’s been given this beat as punishment after filing a sexual harassment complaint against a supervisor.

But one night she catches two cases she doesn’t want to part with: the brutal beating of a prostitute left for dead in a parking lot and the killing of a young woman in a nightclub shooting. Ballard is determined not to give up at dawn. Against orders and her own partner’s wishes, she works both cases by day while maintaining her shift by night. As the cases entwine, they pull her closer to her own demons and the reason she won’t give up her job, no matter what the department throws at her.

My Review:

Yes, I suppose I’d been living under a rock when I reviewed my first ever Michael Connelly book, The Law of Innocence (a Mickey Haller Book #7 of the Harry Bosch Universe) late last year. Sorry, not having any experience with the Harry Bosch series, I was plunking down into the middle of the Haller series. This time I thought I’d start with the first of his Detective Renée Ballard Mystery series.

Detective Ballard has been through the whole sexual harassment thing with a supervisor and the loss of her six protection from the partner who witnessed the incident and didn’t back her. She’s landed on the night shift—The Late Show—in LA.

Ten years on the job and working with men, she can be abrupt, speaking her mind and standing her ground. She exudes attitude.

Ballard and her night shift partner (who tends a sick wife at home) confronts two situations: one, a transsexual woman beaten and left for dead. In the second, she assists with a nightclub shooting where five people have been shot to death. In each, she is to merely take notes and names and hand it to the day shift detectives. But with either of these two, she can’t.

Ballard keeps up a physical schedule that includes surfing—paddleboarding—and it is learned that her dad drowned under those circumstances and that she has a couple friends with benefits and her dog, Lola. But her work is her life and she’s like a dog with a bone—she’ll investigate on her own time.

I like this character. She’s strong, independent, watches her own back now, and knows where she’s going. I definitely preferred this one over the one noted above, finding more I could emphasize with, enjoying the description of the LA valley, the diversity, and the description of the Pacific and those southern California waves. I’ll be looking for the second in this series as I understand there are only four. No prob.

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense, Suspense Thrillers, Police Procedurals
Publisher: Hachette Audio
ASIN: B06Y5SW7T1
Print Length: 318 pages
Listening Length: 9 hrs 23 mins

Narrator: Katherine Moennig
Publication Date: July 18, 2017
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: The Late Show

Rosepoint Publishing: Four of Five Stars

The Author: Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of over thirty novels and one work of nonfiction. With over eighty million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. A former newspaper reporter who worked the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and his fiction. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent New York Times bestsellers include The Law Of Innocence, Fair Warning, The Night Fire, Dark Sacred Night, Two Kinds Of Truth, and The Late Show. Michael is the executive producer of BOSCH, an Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver and streaming on Amazon Prime. He is also the executive producer of the documentary films, SOUND OF REDEMPTION: The Frank Morgan Story and Tales Of the American. He spends his time in California and Florida.

The Narrator: Born on December 29, 1977 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US as Katherine Sian Moennig, she is an American actress and producer, best known for the role of Shane McCutcheon in The L Word (2004). Her father was William H. Moennig III and her mother was Mary Zahn, a Broadway dancer. She is of Irish and German ancestry. At 18 she moved to New York City, where she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She’s been married to a Brazilian film director and musician Ana Rezende since 2017.

The Corpse Who Knew Too Much (A Food Blogger Mystery) by Debra Sennefelder #BlogTour #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Welcome to the review for The Corpse Who Knew Too Much by Debra Sennefelder at my blog stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour.

The Corpse Who Knew Too Much by Debra Sennefelder - blog tour

Book Details:

The Corpse Who Knew Too Much (A Food Blogger Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Publisher: Kensington (September 29, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-10: 1496728912
ISBN-13: 978-1496728913
Digital ASIN: B082WR1YCL

Book Blurb:

Food blogger Hope Early takes on a cold case that’s heating up fast . . .

Building on her recipe for success with her food blog, Hope at Home, Hope is teaching her first blogging class at the local library in Jefferson, Connecticut. She’s also learning about podcasts, including a true-crime one called Search for the Missing, hosted by Hope’s childhood friend, Devon Markham. Twenty years ago on Valentine’s Day, right here in Jefferson, Devon’s mom disappeared and was never found. Finally Devon has returned to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother—and she asks Hope to help.

The next day Hope discovers Devon’s apartment has been ransacked. Her laptop with the research on her mother’s cold case is missing, and Devon is nowhere to be found. When her friend’s body is later discovered in a car wreck, Hope is convinced it’s no accident. Clearly, Devon was too close to the truth, and the cold-blooded killer is still at large in Jefferson. Now it’s up to Hope to find the guilty party—before the food blogger herself becomes the next subject of another true-crime podcast . . .

Includes Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen!

My Review:

Hope Early has achieved her dream of being a full-time food blogger in Jefferson, Connecticut, and is quickly expanding her reach with interested sponsors. The narrative has some great support characters including her sister Claire and Ethan, her police chief boyfriend. (She is divorced and has fur babies dog Bigelow and Princess the cat. She also has a few chickens, including Poppy, and I loved that the animals also have personality.)

Hope additionally is creating a community class at the local library for those who wish to learn to set up and run their own successful blogs and looking forward to her first class when she is informed of the return of the daughter of a woman who went missing twenty years ago. She quickly becomes embroiled in the quest to discover what happened when the daughter is found dead and it doesn’t appear to be an accident.

What was a cold case turns hot quickly as another body turns up and Hope is strongly warned off. Between testing recipes, creating her content, and caring for her animals, she continues with her interviews gleaning little clues along the way.

There are tidbits dropped here and there regarding motive, twists, and more POIs although it’s easy to eliminate those persons of interest that just don’t fit the picture.

In the meantime, she shares instructional materials with her class (and the reader) regarding some of the mysteries of blogging, social media, and SEO, which I particularly enjoyed.

The conclusion settles all the threads and clarifies the motive and suggests Hope may expand her blogging efforts in podcasting to her next entry to the series.

About The Author: Debra Sennefelder is an avid reader who reads across a range of genres, but mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery.

Her first novel, THE UNINVITED CORPSE (A Food Blogger mystery) was published in 2018. When she’s not reading, she enjoys cooking and baking and as a former food blogger, she is constantly taking photographs of her food. Yeah, she’s that person.

Born and raised in New York City, where she majored in her hobby of fashion buying, she now lives and writes in Connecticut with her family. She’s worked in retail and publishing before becoming a full-time author. Her writing companion is her adorable and slightly spoiled Shih Tzu, Connie.

Author Links – Website & Blog | Facebook | Instagram

Website: http://bit.ly/2lQwSNi

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2jBx9oV

Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2qjwHyT

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2EQh6da

Purchase Links:

Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Kensington – Kobo – Google Play

Thank you for visiting my stop on the tour and please visit the other stops listed below!

Tour Participants:

April 1 – Baroness’ Book Trove – REVIEW*

April 1 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

April 2 – Literary Gold – REVIEW

April 2 – My Journey Back – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

April 3 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT

April 3 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 3 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

April 4 – Christa Reads and Writes – SPOTLIGHT

April 4 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW*

April 5 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW*, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

April 5 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 6 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW*

April 6 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

April 7 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 8 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 8 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 9 – Novels Alive – AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 9 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 9 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

April 10 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

April 10 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW

April 11 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW*, AUTHOR INTERVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

April 12 – Christy’s Cozy Corners -SPOTLIGHT

April 12 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

April 13 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – REVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

April 13 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

April 14 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT

April 14 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

Thanks to Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this cozy mystery!

What You Never Knew: A Novel by Jessica Hamilton – #BookReview – #ghostmysteries – @crookedlanebooks

Book Blurb:

Told in alternating points of view between the living and the dead, Jessica Hamilton’s debut novel will be perfect for fans of The Lovely Bones.

Idyllic Avril lsland, owned by the Bennett family, where their hundred-year-old cottage sat nestled in acres of forest. Forty-year-old June Bennett believed that the island had been sold after the summer of her father’s disappearance when she was only twelve years old. It’s months after the shocking death of her older sister May in a fatal car accident, that June finds out that the cottage was never sold. Avril Island is still owned by the Bennett family and now it’s hers.

Still reeling from the grief of losing her sister, June travels back to Avril lsland in search of answers. As she digs, she learns that the townspeople believe her father may in fact have been murdered rather than having abandoned his family in the dead of night, as she was led to believe by her mother. And that’s when she begins to notice strange things happening on the island–missing family possessions showing up, doors locking on their own, unexplained noises in the night, shadowy figures disappearing into the woods. It takes June no time at all to realize that her childhood summers at Avril Island were not at all what they had seemed to be.

My Review:

Alternating chapters between May and June Bennett spark an interesting hook into this ghost mystery thriller. Extremely close, June loses her older sister May in a tragic auto accident only to set in motion the exploration of family secrets well hidden more than thirty years.

The daughters of well to do parents, they spent their summers on Avril Island. The idealistic laid back warm summer life spent in a gorgeous resort setting is well described and immersive. But their summers on the island ended when June was twelve with the sudden disappearance of her father. Their narcissistic mother divulges that he’d left the family and she subsequently sold the island.

Nope.

June has also recently divorced an overbearing, unemotional husband and left with two daughters of her own, and now without the sensitive support of her sister goes into deep grieving. She is shocked to learn she is sole owner of the island. Her daughters safely with her ex for the summer, leaves for the resort and the island to retrieve some of those good memories, the happy times, and hopefully a lessening in her grieving process.

The reader begins to learn about their mother, emotionally crippling and manipulative, but beautiful mother. She was the catalyst that drew the sisters closer, stronger in their common bond. The POV of May is compelling, drawing mental pictures of an ethereal sentient trying to “talk,” guide her sister—trying in her own way to remember events that led to the tragedy that split the family and those of her family from the local, year-round folks. May is still not sure why she has been drawn back or for what purpose.

Difficult to become engaged with forty-year old June, she is rather one dimensional. Ezra, the son of the family who did some caretaking of the island, is not fully developed either but characterized as being her only close childhood friend. I doubt June could have lived thirty years on royalties from a one-and-done book published in her twenties (or if still family money—how?). Ezra never married, thoroughly embroiled now in caring for his mother suffering from dementia.

The conclusion kinda veers off the rails but confirms what I suspicioned early on and wondered what took so long. The big reveal is certainly not a surprise. There is, however, a gotcha that you don’t see coming—one more little twist—that adds some fun.

There were some edits missed, it’s an ARC, and a couple contradictions that I’ll assume are fixed prior to release. Otherwise, it is certainly entertaining and for the most part keeps the reader engaged. Just a few points of disbelief to overcome and for a debut novel, an ambitious and worthwhile effort.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Ghost Mysteries, Amateur Sleuth Mysteries
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

ASIN : B08FZMZ6K2

Print Length: 297 pages
Publication Date: To be released April 13, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: [Goodreads] Jessica Hamilton was born in Australia but grew up in Canada. She has lived and worked in the Czech Republic, Taiwan, India and Japan. She studied writing at the Humber School for Writers as well as George Brown College. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband, son and daughter. What You Never Knew is her first novel.

Out of Crisis by Richard Caldwell – #BookReview – #politicalthrillers

Book Blurb:

In the not-too-distant future, a radical new movement is poised to disrupt the corrupt two-party political system that has held power in the United States since the 1800s. Politically left of conservative and right of liberal, the new Centrist Party pins its hope for a better future on presidential candidate David Stakley, the former US secretary of state. As David assumes center stage with determination, intelligence, and humility, another kind of disruption rumbles deep below the earth’s surface.

In Yellowstone National Park, one of the world’s two supervolcanoes awakens with an explosive roar from a fitful 640,000-year sleep.

Through the eyes of several different players, author Richard Caldwell weaves a political/natural-disaster thriller around the collision of events that will reshape the physical and sociopolitical landscapes of the United States and North America forever.

His Review:

Envision the next eruption of a super volcano such as Yellowstone. This book looks at three potential crises enveloping the United States at once. The end result is a complete change in the fabric of life on planet earth. Sub-plots are developed to add drama and authenticity to the narrative.

There is a group who feel the Constitution has holes in it which need to be amended. The problem is that there has to be a Constitutional Congress to amend the document and this will require ratification by at least 33 states. That task alone is herculean in its’ scope. Chief among the tenets of the proposal is to revise the second amendment and establish procedures for citizenship.

Bubbling under the surface of Eastern Idaho, Southern Montana, and Western Montana is a weak spot in the mantle of the earth. After nearly 640,000 years the volcano at Yellowstone is awakening. Evidence on the surface of the earth shows lava has flowed from near Boise in Idaho east well into Wyoming. Ash fallout is tracked through the states of Colorado and Nebraska.

A group of entitled individuals get together to change the very fabric of the American electoral process and rights of citizens. They are highly educated, affluent and privileged. They begin to groom a candidate to represent them and ostensibly the majority of Americans. Their chief goal is to rewrite some of the basics of the American Constitution. They begin to design a change to the fabric of the United States.

This book is very entertaining if not frightening. Growing up in Southern Idaho I saw the extent of the lava flow from Yellowstone. The area affected and magnitude of volcanic flows cannot be overstated. Many canyons in southern Idaho including the Snake River Canyon are over 400 feet deep and the walls are made of volcanic basalt.

I found parts of the tale a bit redundant and therefore tedious. Along the way the various plots are intertwined and become a bit aggravating because some of the threads are left hanging. The novel, however, is entertaining. 4 stars – CE Williams

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author through NetGalley. These are my honest opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four of Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Political Thrillers & Suspense, Espionage Thrillers, International Mystery & Crime
Publisher: Indigo River Publishing

ASIN : B08Z3CS2PR

Print Length: 280 pages
Publication Date: April 13, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: Out of Crisis

Also find the book at these locations:
Barnes and Noble
Kobo

The Author: Mr. Caldwell retired as an Army officer after twenty years service which included combat tours in Vietnam with 2nd Field Forces and D-71st. His awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal with three battle stars, Vietnam Gallantry Cross, Airborne Badge, Expert Field Medical Badge, and various overseas service awards.

Following his military service, Mr. Caldwell worked for twenty-four years in several hospital administration positions until he retired as COO in 2014. His education credentials include a B.S. in Computer Science, an MBA, and a postgraduate fellowship in Healthcare Administration. Additionally, he is a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College, holds a Black Belt in Taekwondo, and is an experienced SCUBA diver. He enjoys riding his Harley-Davidson, kayaking, fishing, camping and is a voracious reader.

He and his wife Patricia have lived literally all over the planet but currently reside in Pike Road, AL.

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey – #Audiobook Review – Biographies

Amazon Charts #2 this week

Most of the times it’s not stolen, it’s right where you left it.

Book Blurb:

Number one New York Times best seller Over one million copies sold!

From the Academy Award-winning actor, an unconventional memoir filled with raucous stories, I’ve been in this life for 50 years, been trying to work out its riddle for 42, and been keeping diaries of clues to that riddle for the last 35. Notes about successes and failures, joys and sorrows, things that made me marvel, and things that made me laugh out loud. How to be fair. How to have less stress. How to have fun. How to hurt people less. How to get hurt less. How to be a good man. How to have meaning in life. How to be more me.

Recently, I worked up the courage to sit down with those diaries. I found stories I experienced, lessons I learned and forgot, poems, prayers, prescriptions, beliefs about what matters, some great photographs, and a whole bunch of bumper stickers. I found a reliable theme, an approach to living that gave me more satisfaction, at the time, and still: If you know how, and when, to deal with life’s challenges – how to get relative with the inevitable – you can enjoy a state of success I call “catching greenlights”. So I took a one-way ticket to the desert and wrote this book: an album, a record, a story of my life so far. This is 50 years of my sights and seens, felts and figured-outs, cools and shamefuls. Graces, truths, and beauties of brutality. Getting away withs, getting caughts, and getting wets while trying to dance between the raindrops. Hopefully, it’s medicine that tastes good, a couple of aspirin instead of the infirmary, a spaceship to Mars without needing your pilot’s license, going to church without having to be born again, and laughing through the tears. It’s a love letter. To life. It’s also a guide to catching more greenlights – and to realizing that the yellows and reds eventually turn green, too. Good luck.

“…outlaw wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction.”

My Review:

Ugh! I’ve never been a fan of Matthew McConaughey. And if I can’t switch channels fast enough to NOT see another of his Lincoln TV commercials, it’ll be too soon.

I won’t deny that I don’t find him attractive. The problem is that he comes off egotistical, flaunting it (like most Hollywood women?). Narcissistic. Yeah, that too.

So why then, when I saw his audiobook come up on my wonderful library selections did I hit “request?” You’ve got me. No clue. And I’m not usually one to follow Hollywood types. The way they live is so beyond my imagination, I can’t even feign interest.

However…

McConaughey begins his book with an introduction to his early life in lower middle class east Texas. Begins with stories about his family. I’m hooked.

Strictly audiobook, strictly McConaughey and his quiet intimate voice but as he gets into his storytelling, becomes animated with nostalgic memories. And then his intro to the Hollywood scene—perhaps it all comes off too easy—and that throws him. An oft told story. Oh, he handles it with booze and women alright, pranks, and then comes his first (***) dream. (I’ll let you fill in the blank. Yeah, graphic, but not the first.)

So now MM turns into Monk McConaughey as he pushes off to seek the truth of life. Gimme a break. Would that we could all disappear for months at a time to seek the truth of life—or would I? Nah. In the quest of second and third dreams, he travels Africa and South America. (He’s already done Europe by motorcycle with two of his buddies.) And he does come back with some hard truths. Now McConaughey turns Texas Baptist preacher and mounts his pulpit. He punctuates his memoir with memorable stories or experiences that taught him little pearls of wisdom which he notes as:

PRESCRIPTION!

NOTE TO SELF! or

BUMPER STICKER!

These he almost invariably shouts. ARGH! Unfortunately, I almost invariably enjoyed them. Gees! Don’t encourage him!

It’s better to jump then fall.

Blue collar prayers – `I need` / White collar prayers – `I want`.

It’s classified as a biography, memoir, and also personal development or self-help and his many travels and experiences have enabled him a Ghandi range of personal development and self-help ideas—many of the latter loaded into the conclusion—almost to preachy levels.

Experiences seen as problems, difficulties, crises, quandaries, and hindrances eventually turned to his “greenlights” which he is happy to share. An over-abundance of optimism. Maybe we need that right now.

If you think you might enjoy a well narrated, lively novel by Machismo Matt, go for it. If all those laughin’, scratchin’, and testosterone-driven stories might not be your cup of tea, you might want to pass. I will say, however, that it turns out he is human. It is highly entertaining and you never know what the next chapter will bring you—maybe another story you’d like to live vicariously.

Book Details:

Genre: (#1 in:) Biographies, Personal Development, Self-Help
Publisher: Random House Audio
ASIN: B08HLW2JXD
Print Length: 288 pages
Listening Length: 6 hrs 42 mins
Narrator: Matthew McConaughey
Publication Date: October 20, 2020
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Greenlights

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

The Author: Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey is a married man, a father of three children, and a loyal son and brother. He considers himself a storyteller by occupation, believes it’s okay to have a beer on the way to the temple, feels better with a day’s sweat on him, and is an aspiring orchestral conductor.

In 2009, Matthew and his wife, Camila, founded the just keep livin Foundation, which helps at-risk high school students make healthier mind, body, and spirit choices. In 2019, McConaughey became a professor of practice at the University of Texas at Austin, as well as Minister of Culture/M.O.C. for the University of Texas and the City of Austin. McConaughey is also brand ambassador for Lincoln Motor Company, an owner of the Major League Soccer club Austin FC, and co-creator of his favorite bourbon on the planet, Wild Turkey Longbranch.