#fivestars – Page 6 – Rosepoint Publishing

Reading or Listening with Covid #BookReviews #TuesdayBookBlog

As mentioned last Sunday, day nine of the Covid infection, it was thought I might have lost several pounds. My son brought out his scale and discovered I had—ten pounds. He kept saying it looked like that, but was both a surprise and rather shocking to see him right. Loss of ten pounds in nine days? I knew I was getting weaker, but didn’t imagine. In the meantime, the CE lost…maybe eight? (He wasn’t sure.) And our son has now tested positive for it as well.

However, it’s been a long time since I could just lay around and read (or listen—when my eyes wouldn’t cooperate), and I’ve definitely chalked up a number of books. Both of the following were great reads and the first, The Blind Devotion of Imogene: The Misadventures of Imogene Taylor by David Putnam was an absolute hoot. The second, On Wahoo Reef, a Blacktip Island Novel, is the second in the series by Tim W Jackson. I read Blacktip Island back in October 2016 and loved it—unique plot, quirky well-developed characters.

The Blind Devotion of Imogene

Book Blurb:

In 1973, Imogene Taylor is seventy-five years old, on parole for murder, and works at a store that sells dented canned goods. Twelve years earlier, she went to prison for killing her love-of-her-life-husband, Wayne. She called it an accident. The judge and jury called it murder. Imogene’s parole agent is constantly on her case, looking to send her back to prison.

During her time in prison, Imogene had to vent her angst at someone and sent the sitting Presidents (during the ten years in prison) threatening letters bringing her to the attention of the Secret Service. She does extensive research and writes a novel, Peekaboo POTUS, about the assassination of a US President. She sends the book “over the transom” to one publisher. The publisher, after being unable to contact Imogene, comes looking for her.

The Cigar, an organized crime gangster, walks into Dentco, where Imogene works, and extorts the store for protection money. Pay up or get firebombed. The entire strip center is under this threat.

At the same time, Imogene’s neighbor dies of natural causes and leaves a hoarder’s mess to his daughter, Suzanne. Imogene helps Suz clear out a pyramid of boxes filled with junk in the garage. At the bottom of the pile, they find a box with a dead woman who has been hidden for many years.

Imogene must dodge an overzealous parole agent while dealing with a dead woman in the neighbor’s garage. She’s on parole for murder, so she can’t report it to the police. No one would believe her. Imogene and Suz think the woman in the box is Suz’s long-estranged mother. Rather than reveal Suz’s father as the probable killer, Imogene convinces Suz to bury her mom under the avocado tree in the backyard. Until Thelma, Suz’s mother, appears after reading the obituary.

It’s a race to uncover the real killer as Imogene dodges gangsters, family members, and a publisher on her quest to find the truth.

My Thoughts:

Oh my God. This whacked-out book…it’s a first for me.

A 75-year-old protagonist recently released from prison for killing her husband? (It was an accident!)

Imogene is out on parole working at Dentco. Yes, it sells dented goods, is situated in a less fortunate area of the city, and she has to stay on the good side of her parole officer for one more year—she needs this job! Something the parole officer is working very hard to keep from happening.

Imogene is one of those people who seem to attract mayhem. Trouble finds her no matter how innocent she is. Part of the problem stems from the time she spent in prison penning threatening letters to POTUS, eventually writing a book she called Peekaboo POTUS. It gets their attention and a coveted place on the “crazy” list.

Separate is the introduction to “The Cigar”, a local street thug bent on providing “protection” to those already struggling shop owners in the grimy strip center. Imogene has several friends, her next-door neighbor for one, and Ange, her erstwhile philosophical bunkmate in prison who still intrudes often into Imogene’s ear.

This thing may go over the top more than once, but it provides some hilarious scenes, quirky characters, outrageous dialogue, unexpected twists, and relief from laying in bed with the flu. 5 stars

Book Details:

Genre: Amateur Sleuth
Publisher: Level Best Books
ASIN: B0CYHQ3N5M
Listening Length: 282 pages
Publication Date: July 9, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): The Blind Devotion of Imogene [Amazon-US]
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble

The Author: Visit Davidputnambooks.com and also check out “David Putnam”‘s Bruno Johnson series.

D.W. Putnam is a pen name for David Putnam.

On Wahoo Reef: A Blacktip Island Novel

Book Blurb:

Northern Exposure meets Margaritaville in this comic Caribbean romp.

Wally Breight’s a miserable-in-his-job P.R. executive who dreams of escaping to happily-ever-after in the Caribbean. When he stumbles across a run-down scuba diving operation for sale on Blacktip Island, he snaps it up and settles into paradise. But paradise has other ideas. His dive boat’s a lemon. His business partner proves the age of piracy isn’t dead. Scuba guests are scarce. And a free-spirited dive mistress might party him into an early grave. If Wally can’t get a handle on paradise, pronto, he’ll be leaving Blacktip Island faster than a coconut in a hurricane.

My Thoughts:

It’s those thirties when many men take stock of their lives, bored, and don’t like what they see. But Wally Breight has given up his career, home in the US, and security to snap up a diving business on this Blacktip Island.

Typical of the author, he plunges his main character into hot water immediately when reality of the floundering business hits home. It’s not like even the boat is sea worthy, but he does manage to find two employees that skip soon as they’re paid for greener waters. The man is pathetically naïve and what money he brings to the business begins to sift through his fingers like…(um) water.

I love the characters! They are strange and unpredictable, the circumstances outrageous, the decisions…stupid less than well considered. What’s with this guy?

It’s pure escapism. Fun, simple, fast read, descriptions of the island almost have you packing for tropical climes (I said almost). Looking for something different, light-hearted, and twisty fun? Those who enjoy action, adventure, root for the underdog type tales, this is for you. 4.5 stars

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense Action Fiction, Crime Action & Adventure, Mystery Action Fiction
Publisher: Devonshire House Press
ASIN: B0CW1HM6H6
Print Length: 249 pages
Publication Date: May 17, 2024
Source: Author
Title: On Wahoo Reef [Amazon-US]
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble

The Author: Tim W. Jackson started kindergarten in Indonesia, graduated high school in Egypt and was educated everywhere in between. His first taste of scuba diving came at the age of six when he sneaked breaths off his dad’s double-hose regulator in the deep end of the pool. Later, as a former journalist armed with a newly-minted master’s degree in creative writing, he discovered he was qualified to be a bartender, a waiter or a PhD student. Instead he chose Secret Option D: run off to the Cayman Islands to work as a scuba instructor and boat captain by day and write fiction at night. Two decades later, he still wishes that was half as interesting as it sounds. Or even a quarter . . .

Jackson is the award-winning author of the comic Caribbean novels Blacktip Island and The Secret of Rosalita Flats, as well as The Blacktip Times humor blog. His “Tales from Blacktip Island” short stories have been published in literary journals worldwide. He is currently concocting his next Blacktip Island novel and still enjoys scuba diving with his dad’s old double-hose reg.

If you’d like to stalk Tim online, visit his website (www.timwjackson.com), the Blacktip Times (www.blacktipisland.com) or follow him on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/timwjacksonauthor/) and Twitter (@timwjax).

Lilac Ink: The Knocknashee Story by Jean Grainger #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

The prolific pen of Ms Grainger has churned out another start to a can’t-miss new series with unique empathetic characters in an atmospheric village of the turbulent Irish coastline.

Book Blurb:

As the world teeters on the brink of war in 1937, two young souls separated by an ocean are about to discover a connection that defies logic and time.

Grace Fitzgerald, a fiery-haired dreamer, longs to escape the confines of her windswept Dingle fishing village. Across the Atlantic, Richard Lewis, heir to a Savannah banking fortune, suffocates under the weight of societal expectations he can’t quite understand.

When their worlds collide through a twist of fate, Grace and Richard uncover a bond so profound it shakes the very foundations of their existence. As Europe inches towards chaos, they find themselves caught in a whirlwind of discovery, challenging everything they thought they knew about themselves and each other.

From the rugged Irish coastline to the genteel streets of Georgia, ‘Lilac Ink’ weaves a tapestry of love, destiny, and self-realization against the ominous backdrop of impending global conflict. Grace and Richard must navigate not only their impossible connection but also the turbulent waters of family expectations, social norms, and their own conflicting desires.

This mesmerizing journey through time and place will leave you questioning the very nature of fate and the extraordinary power of human connection. In a world being torn apart, can two hearts, inexplicably linked, find a way to beat as one?

My Review:

Oh my goodness, I love the descriptions of the quaint villages of Ireland, the people who live there, and the immersive stories that Ms Grainger generates!

The new series finds Grace Fitzgerald under the tyrannical thumb of her older sister, Agnes. She has been there since her return from the hospital following a four-year battle with polio. She has been left with a gimpy, painful right leg and is at the mercy of her sister, the headmistress of the school where she works as an assistant teacher.

In frustration and despair one evening, Grace throws caution to the wind off Dingle Peninsula and discovers someone across the Atlantic shares much the same frustration with his own family, though his circumstances are pretty much 180 degrees from hers.

Agnes is a scheming, nasty, spiteful woman bitter with the way her life turned after the loss of both parents and her sudden, unhappy role as Grace’s caregiver. It’s not that Grace isn’t grateful for the roof over her head, but…

Aside from Agnes and Canon Rafferty, who provide strong dastardly antagonistic roles, there are a number of wonderful support characters all given just enough development to engage. (When the time comes, they rally around Grace—I loved it.)

As with all of the author’s books, there is Irish and British history woven into the narrative, and as this book is set just pre-WWII, the tension of the country and its inhabitants. The storyline is a marvelous mix of storytelling, history, suspense, and that Irish sense of humor.

At this point, I’m sufficiently invested to anxiously await the next installment in her promising new series. Character-driven, I’ve got to see where they go and already placing bets, no money involved, as this author is always full of surprises.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest opinions. If you aren’t already a Grainger fan, now is a good time to check out her books.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Irish Fiction, Historical British & Irish Literature, Friendship Fiction
ASIN: B0CYY51D7H
Print Length: 296 pages
Publication Date: July 23, 2024 Happy Release Day!
Source: Author
Title Links: Lilac Ink [Amazon-US]
Amazon-UK

The Author: JEAN GRAINGER USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

SELECTED BY BOOKBUB READERS IN TOP 19 OF HISTORICAL FICTION BOOKS

WINNER OF THE 2016 AUTHOR’S CIRCLE HISTORICAL NOVEL OF EXCELLENCE

Hello and thanks for taking time out to check out my page. If you’re wondering what you’re getting with my books, then think of the late great Maeve Binchy but sometimes with an historical twist. I was born in Cork, Ireland in 1971 and I come from a large family of storytellers, so much so that we had to have ‘The Talking Spoon’, only the person holding the spoon could talk!

I have worked as a history lecturer at University, a teacher of English, History and Drama in secondary school, a playwright, and a tour guide of my beloved Ireland. I am married to the lovely Diarmuid and we have four children. We live in a 200 year old stone cottage in Mid-Cork with my family and the world’s smallest dogs, called Scrappy and Scoobi..

My experiences leading groups, mainly from the United States, led me to write my first novel, ‘The Tour’. My observances of the often funny, sometimes sad but always interesting events on tours fascinated me. People really did confide the most extraordinary things, the safety of strangers I suppose. It’s a fictional story set on a tour bus but many of the characters are based on people I met over the years. Little was I to know that it would end up as a six-book series…

[truncated]

Many of the people who have reviewed my books have said that you get to know the characters and really become attached to them. That’s wonderful for me to hear because that’s how I feel about them too. I grew up on Maeve Binchy and Deirdre Purcell and I aspired to being like them. If you buy one of my books, I’m very grateful and I really hope you enjoy it. If you do, or even if you don’t, please take the time to post a review. Writing is a source of constant contentment to me and I am so fortunate to have the time and the inclination to do it, but to read a review written by a reader really does make my day.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Rosepoint Reviews – June Recap – Boo to Century July Temps!

The rabbits and deer have won the fairy garden. It’s official. I’ve given up on live plants and planted plastic instead. Animals 1 – farmer 0. It’s a tie on the veggie bed with chicken wire and mesh around my tender plants. They did manage to penetrate to a vigorous bean plant and that plant won’t be going anywhere now. Love the animals, but…

Punkin the Pom is carefully beginning to enjoy her walks.* The CE, having a closer bond, is trusting her more and she’s taking advantage. Otherwise, still accepting few treats, no toys, no offers of companionship, and housetraining is a throw of the dice.

June was a struggle, once again, with the CE’s attention divided and my spending more time in the kitchen. It didn’t help that I decided my next personal challenge was to make a sourdough starter and produce a loaf of sourdough bread. I’m currently on the third try which is not looking good right now at Day 4 of a 6-7 day cycle of starter. Of course, it’s also that time of the year when the gardens and outdoor activities take precedence.

I’m thinking, if not a sabbatical, then a greatly reduced schedule through July and probably August. Most of my reading now includes audiobooks as time for reading has been greatly reduced. Of the twelve books, half were audiobooks!

As always, links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase or source information.

The Curse of King Midas by Colleen M Story (CE review)
Lockdown by Sara Driscoll
The Cyanide Canary by Robert Dugoni and Joseph Hilldorfer (audiobook)
The Wild Road Home by Melissa Payne
If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay (audiobook)
The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci (audiobook)
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (audiobook)
Best House on the Block by T R Ragan
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (audiobook)
Prevailing Wind by Thomas Dolby (CE review)
Breach by Holly S Roberts (blog tour)
Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews (audiobook)

Favorite Book of the Month

I really loved The Wild Road Home—it was addictive, kept me reading, and I was thoroughly invested in the well-developed characters. It fell just one-half star short of five, however, and the CE easily gave his book, Prevailing Wind, five stars even with a rather slow start. It’s a toss up, but I’ll have to give the nod to his book.

Favorite for June – Prevailing Wind by Thomas Dolby

My Reading Challenges page…Reading Challenges page—well, you know the score. Life is scattered and chaotic right now. The Goodreads Challenge is now six books behind schedule at 68 of 150. I make no promises.

Welcome as always to my new subscribers! My blog hopping time has seriously suffered having apparently landed somewhere underneath getting a review out. I apologize for the slow response to your great posts, but I’m trying. Honest.

Loggin' off

*Apologize for the poor GIF, apparently I’m not allowed to upload an MP4 even when I get it down to 11 MGs.

Prevailing Wind by Thomas Dolby #BookReview #SeaStories

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

On the eve of WW1, amidst the turbulence of the Ludlow Massacre and the Triangle Shirt Factory fire, the young Haskell brothers Davey (16) and Jacob (21) dream of escaping the poverty of their lobsterman life in Deer Isle, Maine. Their sailing talents catch the eye of the powerful New York Yacht Club, with a chance for glory in the prestigious America’s Cup race series.

The brothers’ bond is tested as they both fall for Edith, a captivating Irish maid. Family loyalty is at stake, and now, the pursuit of sporting fame threatens to drive them apart. Complicating matters further, someone must stay behind to care for their ailing parents.

When a near-fatal accident leaves one brother hospitalized and consumed by the need for revenge, a compassionate Latina nurse helps him heal, showing him a path beyond bitterness.

Meanwhile, the millionaire yachtsmen harbor dark secrets. A glamorous concubine is hidden away on a luxury yacht, leading to blackmail and scandal.

As the bachelor heir to the Vanderbilt railroad fortune grapples with his future, preferring the freedom of the sea over his family’s wealth, the Haskell brothers must navigate their own choices between love, family, and ambition.

Can they overcome the trials that threaten to tear them apart, or will the winds of change leave them stranded in the past?

His Review:

Brothers by their very nature and birth are competitors. Jacob and Davey are two such individuals who fit perfectly into that mold. Jake is the older more worldly brother who has all of the girls fawning over him; Davey is the little brother lagging behind his big brother in everything. Angst and jealousy are an integral part of their relationship.

The Americas’ Cup is a coveted race of sailboats with crafts from all over the world. The British are a proud maritime nation with a heritage of being the fastest and best sailors. The Americans continually knock them off their pedestal. This story is about the America’s cup contested in 1913. Some of the contestants and boats are owned by the Lipton, Rockefeller-Vanderbilt, and Astor families.

The best sailors come from some of the small fishing villages north towards Penobscot Bay and Maine. These sailors start young and spend 14-plus hours per day tending lobster nets and other fishing equipment in the cold northern seas off the coast of New England. Jacob and David are two of these young sailors. Like most brothers, there is always stiff competition between them. Jake the older brother appears more handsome and able to engage any young lady he wants.

The extremely wealthy racing boat owners hire them to man their boats in the race to ensure that their vessels finish first. A million dollars is the sum offered to the winner of the race, a very large sum of money prior to the Great Depression.

This story is based upon a true race and the venue is around Penobscot Bay in the northern waters of America. The competition is fierce and ruthless. Who will take home the coveted million dollars and the title of best boat and crew in the world?

I found the action fast-moving and the topic very informative. The story includes a wealth of information regarding sailing vessels and their riggings. Anyone who has ever dreamt of sailing the seas or crewing an ocean-going vessel will enjoy this book. 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my own opinions

Book Details:

Genre: Sea Stories, Historical Thrillers
Publisher: Archway Publishing
ISBN-10: ‎ 1665758317
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1665758314
Print Length: 318 pages
Publication Date: April 22, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Thomas Morgan Robertson, known by his stage name Thomas Dolby, is an English musician, producer, composer, entrepreneur, and teacher, renowned for his innovative contributions to music and technology. Born on October 14, 1958, in London, Dolby rose to prominence in the 1980s with his hit singles “She Blinded Me with Science” and “Hyperactive!”. His distinctive blend of electronic music and inventive compositions made him a key figure in the new wave movement, though his work spans a wide array of musical styles beyond the high-energy pop sound.

In the 1990s, Dolby founded Beatnik, a Silicon Valley software company that developed polyphonic ringtone software, including the iconic Nokia tune. His groundbreaking work in technology extended to serving as Music Director for TED Conferences and leading the Music for New Media program at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute since 2014.

Dolby’s talents have earned him numerous accolades, including a “Lifetime Achievement in Internet Music” award from Yahoo! Internet Life in 1998, The Moog Innovation Award in 2012, and the Roland Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. A versatile artist, Dolby has collaborated with legends such as David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, and Foreigner, and has contributed to numerous film scores and video games.

An author as well, Dolby’s memoir “The Speed of Sound” chronicles his adventures in the music industry and beyond, offering readers a glimpse into his multifaceted career. With his novel “Prevailing Wind” set to release in June 2024, Dolby continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation, inspiring audiences worldwide with his endless passion for music and technology.

Enjoy Your Sunday!

Rosepoint Reviews – May Recap – Welcome June and Summer!

Apparently, the upper Midwest will follow the pattern of cold, winter-like weather with summer temps and warm weather and no chance to acclimate. Not sure the plants like that either, not knowing whether to slow or grow. The cool weather crops are loving it, of course. The flower bed is actually looking pretty good with weeds as high as flowers, and the fairy garden yielded enough tender sprouts that the rabbits and deer came out and mowed everything down. Both animals are cute—from afar—until you realize they are munching on freshly transplanted annuals. The ferns gave it up a long time ago.

Skip the next paragraph if you are following Punkin the Pom odyssey becoming a real dog. Apparently, she is beginning to sense there are things out there she might have been missing out on—walks being one of them. She’s doing pretty well with the CE. Not so sure about me walking her and tries more often than not to dart away from me, hitting the end of the line on her harness. Otherwise, still few treats, no toys, and no offers of companionship.

First, the CE and our daughter headed to California for a family reunion. I took the opportunity to do some heavy cleaning and projects easier done while the house was quiet (note all the audiobooks!) Then, the household turned upside down with the unexpected return of a family member and his puppy, a mini-Aussie/Jack Russell mix, who has way too much energy, appetite, and interest in all things food, treats, toys, and walks. She can’t get enough of any of those things…and Punkin is noticing.

May was a struggle, though we did read and review seventeen books, again leaning heavily on audiobooks and this time filling in where the CE missed a deadline or two.

As always, links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase or source information.

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano (audiobook)
Down to the Wire by David Rosenfelt (audiobook)
Dark Dive by Andrew Mayne (audiobook)
Dying of the Light by Joe Regenbogen
After Dusk by Lynda McDaniel
The Missing Piece by John Lescroart (CE review)
Triptych by Karin Slaughter (audiobook)
Murder Road by Simone St James (audiobook)
Desert Heat by J A Jance (audiobook)
Your Forgotten Sons by Anne Montgomery (CE and me)
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
Two of a Kind by Gail Meath
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane
Gone to Dust by Matt Goldman (audiobook)
City of Secrets by P J Tracy (CE review)
Can’t We Be Friends by Denny S Bryce and Eliza Knight (audiobook)
Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea (audiobook)

Favorite Book of the Month

The CE and I both read Your Forgotten Sons and loved it, touched us deeply, and will remain in memory.

Book of the Month for May—Your Forgotten Sons

My Reading Challenges page still is behind. I know it. Once again a vow to get to it when the chaos settles down. Right now, the Goodreads Challenge is four books behind schedule at 58 of 150.

Welcome to my new subscribers and I hope to get back to a schedule of visiting all of my followers soon!

Small Mercies: A Novel by Dennis Lehane #AudiobookReview #historicalthrillers

Rosepoint Rating: Five Stars

Best Books of the Year 2023

Book Blurb:

Instant New York Times Bestseller

“Small Mercies is thought provoking, engaging, enraging, and can’t-put-it-down entertainment.”—Stephen King

The acclaimed New York Times bestselling writer returns with a masterpiece to rival Mystic River—an all-consuming tale of revenge, family love, festering hate, and insidious power, set against one of the most tumultuous episodes in Boston’s history.

In the summer of 1974 a heatwave blankets Boston and Mary Pat Fennessy is trying to stay one step ahead of the bill collectors. Mary Pat has lived her entire life in the housing projects of “Southie,” the Irish American enclave that stubbornly adheres to old tradition and stands proudly apart.

One night Mary Pat’s teenage daughter Jules stays out late and doesn’t come home. That same evening, a young Black man is found dead, struck by a subway train under mysterious circumstances.

The two events seem unconnected. But Mary Pat, propelled by a desperate search for her missing daughter, begins turning over stones best left untouched—asking questions that bother Marty Butler, chieftain of the Irish mob, and the men who work for him, men who don’t take kindly to any threat to their business.

Set against the hot, tumultuous months when the city’s desegregation of its public schools exploded in violence, Small Mercies is a superb thriller, a brutal depiction of criminality and power, and an unflinching portrait of the dark heart of American racism. It is a mesmerizing and wrenching work that only Dennis Lehane could write.

My Review:

The air in Southy (deeply Irish South Boston) is crackling both from the summer temps and also from the recent mandate to bus students from mostly white South Boston High to mostly Black Roxbury and vice versa. It’s 1974 and there is a sharp divide in integration from both sides. Violence is teetering on the slightest provocation and it won’t take much to light that match.

Mary Pat Fennessy is struggling like the rest in the projects; not enough money for anything, a teenage daughter pushing boundaries, and now missing. Mary Pat is not a woman who will go quietly in the night. She’s been a scrapper all her life, there is little that scares her and she was taught never to run from trouble. She starts a search for her daughter that disturbs the neighborhood Irish mob boss.

The story hooks immediately, such a dark period, rampant racism backdropped against a widow who has already lost an only son. She confronts with disbelief what she discovers about her daughter and that may be the last straw.

The well-plotted novel is dark, extremely atmospheric of the brutality of the time and locality, the gangs. The frustration weighs heavily, pain and grief in attendance, Mary Pat is an exceptionally well-drawn main character. The narrator nails the heavy resignation.

Yes, triggers of racism, language, sexual abuse, drugs. Hard to read or listen to this one and no way not to.

I downloaded a copy of this audiobook from my local well-stocked library. These are my honest thoughts.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Thrillers, Amateur Sleuth Mysteries
Publisher: HarperAudio
ASIN: B0B8PHDJLD
Listening Length: 10 hrs 23 mins
Narrator: Robin Miles
Publication Date: April 25, 2023
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Link: Small Mercies [Amazon]
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Dennis Lehane (born Aug 4th, 1966) is an American author. He has written several novels, including the New York Times bestseller Mystic River, which was later made into an Academy Award-winning film, also called Mystic River, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon (Lehane can be briefly seen waving from a car in the parade scene at the end of the film). The novel was a finalist for the PEN/Winship Award and won the Anthony Award and the Barry Award for Best Novel, the Massachusetts Book Award in Fiction, and France’s Prix Mystere de la Critique.

Bio and photo from Goodreads.

#TuesdayBookBlog

The Debt Collector by Steven Max Russo #BookReview #OrganizedCrimeThrillers

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Abigail Barnes is young, pretty and petite, but her looks and size can be deceiving. A tough as nails drifter who makes her living collecting outstanding debts for low-end bookies and loan sharks, Abigail arrives in Hackensack, NJ, from Baltimore, MD, and gets a job collecting for a small-time bookie, who winds up dead.

With a large Wall Street firm moving into town bringing jobs, prestige, and money, the press is soon up in arms about the killing. So the cops put the squeeze on Ronnie “Slacks” Falcone, a mobster who heads organized crime in the Jersey City area, to help find the killer.

Soon Abigail finds herself being sought by a gang of hoodlums, the mob, and the police. She knows she can’t run and she won’t turn herself in because she has a past that could send her to jail. She has little choice but to try and find out who killed the bookie – without getting killed in the process.

His Review:

Abigale Barnes is a lovely 5 ft. plus blond who turns many heads. Men wanted to protect her like a long-lost daughter. She disarms them with her smile and always presents as a very demure person. Abigale is a debt collector though; not for small bills but for large gambling debts. Most men laugh when she tells them why she is there. Her fees are not cheap, usually 35% of the amount owed plus expenses. Misjudging this person can be very painful.

Most collections are handled by big burly men who promise to break legs if they have to come back. Abigale has found that the best place to collect is at the source, the bookie’s office. Many bookies have made the mistake of underestimating her. Usually, weeks of recovery from broken bones is the reward.

I’ve found Mr. Russo’s writing style to be retro in its’ presentation and mesmerizing once engaged. I recommend his books for light hearted yet suspenseful entertainment. Enjoy! 5 stars – CE Williams

I read and reviewed The Dead Don’t Sleep back in April of 2020 and thoroughly enjoyed it. These are standalone novels that are fun, fast reads and recommended.

Many thanks to the author for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Organized Crime Thrillers, Murder Thrillers, Literature & Fiction
ASIN: B0CZ3XVQLM
Print Length: 197 pages
Publication Date: April 1, 2024
Source: Author

Title Link(s): The Debt Collector [Amazon-US]
Amazon-UK

The Author: Steven Max Russo (no bio listed on Amazon or Goodreads)

Christmas typewriter

The Lost Pope by Glenn Cooper – #BookReview – #Suspense

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

In this action-packed thriller, a Harvard theology professor uncovers religious and papal history—and plenty of conspiracy.

Cal Donovan, a theology professor at Harvard, receives an urgent message from a former graduate student, Samia Tedros. Now a museum conservator in Cairo, Samia has discovered a miraculous fragment of papyrus with three unknown lines from the Gospel of Mary Magdalene so explosive that a wealthy man is willing to kill to ensure no one ever sees it.

At the Vatican, another drama is developing. The new Pope has defied centuries of tradition and appointed a nun, Sister Elisabetta Celestino, as his secretary of state. Powerful insiders are outraged that a woman now sits as the second most influential person at the Vatican, and they plot to destroy her.

When Samia shows up at Cal’s doorstep in the dead of night, he is drawn into a deadly competition to possess a papyrus with the power to rescue Sister Elisabetta and change the course of Christianity.

His Review:

There have been a number of gospels not accepted by the church as part of the canon of the church. The Gospel of Mary is one such example. Depending on which book you read, Mary Magdalene was either a harlot or a casual follower of Christ. Some books maintain she was a consort of his.

This book maintains that she was the wife and ardent follower of Simon Peter and ardent follower of Jesus the Christ. She was very instrumental in preaching the gospel and message of Christ. She was possibly a disciple similar to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Another early proponent of the faith was the Apostle Paul. He was struck with his faith on his way to persecute and bring to trial early Christians preaching the teachings of a Rabii who was tried and crucified on a cross.

The Nicene Council in 324 was more interested in keeping the teachings of Paul and the four primary gospels. Mary was shuffled to the side and her teachings considered heretical. However, an old funerary mask discovered contains a snippet of the Gospel according to Mary, which would point her out as being the second pope after Simon Peter. Neither the church nor any of the current hierarchy within the church will recognize her teaching as being legitimate.

The piece of her teachings found in the mask historically alters the Nicene Council’s edicts and infuriates some current day Catholics. Those interested in maintaining the status quo want to disavow the piece of papyrus by radiocarbon dating and historical analysis. Remarkably some of those historians and scholars working on the project wind up dead! This entire book is mesmerizing! I suggest reading this book and making up your own mind. 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my own opinions.

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense, Suspense Thrillers, Literature & Fiction
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN:1538721260
ASIN: B0BHHGPNZQ
Print Length: 385 pages
Publication Date: June 6, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Glenn Cooper is an internationally bestselling thriller writer. His books have been translated into 31 languages and have sold over 6 million copies. To date Cooper has written seven novels all of which have become top-ten international bestsellers.

His Library of the Dead trilogy, is currently being adapted as a TV series by Pioneer Pictures.

Cooper’s novels are suspenseful intellectual, conspiratorial thrillers characterized by multiple interlacing time shifts which are often rooted in real historical events. In addition each of his books spotlights a large philosophical theme: fate and predestination, the nature of evil, conceptions of the afterlife, resurrection, and the interface between science and faith.

Cooper graduated from Harvard University, Magna Cum Laude, with a B.A. in Archeology. He attended Tufts University School of Medicine then practiced internal medicine and infectious diseases in hospitals, clinics, and refugee camps in conflict zones before joining the biotechnology industry where he was the CEO of several publicly traded companies. He is currently the chairman of Lascaux Media, a diversified media company which produces thrillers and horror films.

Rosepoint Recommended-5 Stars