#NetGalleyreviewer – Page 13 – Rosepoint Publishing

Ghost Team by Paul Heatley – #BookReview – #militarythrillers

A Tom Rollins Thriller Book 11

in War & Military

Rosepoint Publishing: Five stars

Book Blurb:

Tom goes up against a powerful militia. Turns out they’re the least of his problems.

Tom Rollins gets news that an old Army buddy, Adam Lineker, has killed himself. But at the funeral, another friend confides that he doesn’t believe the suicide story – he thinks Adam was murdered.

Sticking around the small town of Samson to investigate, Tom goes up against the disinterested and hostile sheriff, and finds an ally in Adam’s therapist, herself an ex-deputy.

Tom soon discovers that Samson has a lot of unsavory elements. A militia is based nearby, and they’re intimidating the townsfolk. Mysterious strangers are tailing Tom and watching his every move.

But how does all this connect back to Adam? What was he involved in?

As he digs for the truth, Tom comes under increasing pressure from the militia. Undaunted, he pushes back. And only then realizes there are bigger players involved and the bloodthirsty and well-armed militia may actually be the least of his problems.

But Tom presses on, determined to find out what really happened to Adam. And when he does, there’ll be hell to pay.

His Review:

A military squad is pinned down in a trench in Afghanistan. Lorne Henkle, Adam’s buddy, is badly wounded by an RPG. He begs Adam to leave him and save himself. The U.S. military protocol is never to leave a fellow soldier behind. Despite begging from his buddy to leave him, Adam will have none of it.

That was a number of years ago. The pair have gone back home and are trying to make a life for their families. The road block is that the Taliban have sworn a blood oath to avenge their fellow soldiers killed by this pair!

The small town of Samson was very peaceful until the drug lord chose this location for the control center of his drug operations. Adam and Lorne became a real thorn in his side, but he has a convenient hit squad that should make quick work of eliminating the problem.

The squad of nine people is not expected to have a problem with them and they will take over the town as soon as the two are eliminated. The local sheriff seems incapable or unwilling to reduce the threat. He is close to retirement and is not going to die by trying to save these two American veterans!

This book is very well written and points out the problems faced by many veterans who come back home to a family that has changed and a community that could not give a flying farkle for them. The drug gang hit squad will not allow the town to be protected nor the business plan to fail but they did not count on special operations veterans! I thoroughly enjoyed 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 thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Details:

Genre: Military Thrillers, War & Military Action Fiction, Action Thriller Fiction
Publisher: Inkubator Books
ASIN: B0CNYCJYH6
Print Length: 304 pages
Publication Date: December 3, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): Ghost Team [Amazon]

The Author: Paul Heatley‘s books have been published by the likes of All Due Respect, Inkubator Books, Close To The Bone, and more. His short stories have appeared online and in print for publications such as Thuglit, Horror Sleaze Trash, Spelk, Near to the Knuckle, Shotgun Honey, the Crime Factory, and the Flash Fiction Offensive, among others.

His website can be found at PaulHeatley.com.

Christmas tree

Mission Churchill by Alex Abella – #BookReview – #BiographicalFiction

Book Blurb:

In 1933 Cuba, a deadly game of cat and mouse unfolds. An IRA sharpshooter, driven by vengeance and a relentless mission, has Winston Churchill in his crosshairs. But just as the assassin is about to strike, Churchill’s tenacious bodyguard, Walter Thompson, intervenes, forcing the killer into the shadows.

Years later, amid the fiery rain of the German Blitz on London, Thompson locks eyes with a ghost from Havana—the very same assassin. But now, the stakes are higher. As Thompson dives deeper into the city’s underworld, he uncovers a chilling conspiracy within the British government, threatening to topple Churchill and hand victory to Hitler.

Racing against time amidst the backdrop of a city in chaos, Thompson must decipher the twisted web of treachery to save his nation and the man he’s sworn to protect. But at what cost?

Dive into a high-octane thriller where history hangs in the balance, alliances are tested, and one man stands against the darkness.

His Review:

This book explores the lack of popularity of Sir Winston Churchill. It was inspired by another book by Warren Alder and James C. Humes titled “Target Churchill.” The poor treatment of the Irish by the British in the 18^th and 19^th centuries has left a hate for the aristocratic British by the people of Ireland. The Prime Minister was the target of disaffected Irishmen looking for revenge for the starvation of Irish citizens during the famine years. Even food sent from Irish settlers in the United States was subject to excessive tariffs and duties as well as outright seizing!

The story begins with an accidental meeting between an Irishman tasked with killing the man in a jewelry store in Havana, Cuba! At that time Churchill was a member of Parliament and had a number of detractors who could not understand why he did not simply sue for peace and let the Nazi’s have their way with continental Europe. Their desire for peace caused resentment because they felt that Britain could have avoided the bombing and destruction of many large cities including London, Liverpool, and Manchester.

The assassin, Marcus Riley, cannot believe his luck! Running into that hated man in a jewelry shop in Havana! His attempts are thwarted by a member of Scotland Yard named Thompson. Everywhere that Winston went, he was shadowed by Mr. Thompson. Rather than a quick slitting of Winston’s throat, Riley would use a new weapon specifically designed by the Germans to kill the Prime Minister at a very great distance!

Alex Abella has devised a very intriguing and intricate plot around the killing of the perceived enemy of Ireland. The orders come from Germany as do a very sophisticated new weapon. The scope on the weapon has the ability to make objects at 500 yards seem to be across the street. Another feature of the weapon is the scope’s ability of low light viewing of a subject as easily as daylight! From a distance of nearly half a mile, how can he miss?

The end result is an example of hate and revenge at their best! Churchill’s life hangs in the balance as does the fate of the free world. This book will captivate you as a reader and raise additional questions about that time in history. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical British Fiction, Biographical Fiction, Historical British & Irish Literature
Publisher: Adler Entertainment Trusts LLC
ASIN: B0CL956SK2
Print Length: 276 pages
Publication Date: January 31, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): Mission Churchill [Amazon]

The Author: [Alex Abella] Papá was a poet. I am not.

But I am a writer–journalist, novelist, playwright, screenwriter, newswriter–I’ve tried practically everything that can be done with words upon a page, screen, or any medium, in all genres except poetry. So far.

The first time I ever wrote anything for publication–or so I thought–I was eight years old. Like most boys who want to be writers, I wrote an adventure story, about knights in armor, if I recall correctly. I thought someone somewhere would publish it but, alas, I had no agent so…

But seriously…the next time I pursued my writing obsession was in my late teens when I was determined to break into The New Yorker. I sent them a host of stories–none of which, mercifully, were published, nor have they survived.

Finally, success! I began writing film reviews for my school newspaper, The Columbia Spectator, and after graduation, became a magazine writer for a small publication in New York.

Moving to California, I joined The San Francisco Chronicle, but was fired the day after I wrote practically the entire front page. You need more ground strokes, said my editor. So I went to play for the electronic bullpen, becoming a reporter/newswriter/producer at KTVU-TV in the San Francisco Bay Area. While there I won an Emmy (group) for newswriting, was nominated for another Emmy for reporting, worked as a foreign correspondent in Central America, wrote a cookbook on bananas, drank too much, partied too much and was thoroughly miserable. I realized if I stayed a journalist I’d either burn out or commit suicide by age 50. So I quit the daily grind.

Since I speak fluent Spanish (I was born in Cuba, remember?) I became a court interpreter in Los Angeles. Based on that experience I wrote the thriller “The Killing of the Saints,” which, to my surprise, became a New York Times Notable Book. I wrote the movie adaptation of my novel for Paramount, then wrote something totally different, “The Great American,” a historical novel based on the true story of William Morgan, an Ohio-born, blond, blue-eyed American who became one of the leaders of the Cuban Revolution of 1959.

I wrote two follow-ups to Saints, “Dead of Night,” and ‘Final Acts,” then, shaken up by the tragedy of 9/11, I returned to journalism. My research on terrorism led me to co-write “Shadow Enemies: Hitler’s Secret Terrorist Plot against the United States,” about the band of saboteurs that Germany sent by U-boat to the U.S. in 1941. Finally, out of concern with the expansionist policies of the Bush Administration, and wanting to explore how the U.S. had become Rome, I wrote “Soldiers of Reason: The Rand Corporation and the Rise of the American Empire,” a study of the world’s most influential think tank, and how its scientists and theoreticians laid the foundation for the modern world we live in.

Over the past few years I’ve written three more novels, two of which I’ll soon be selling as ebooks, “More Than A Woman,” and “Tainted Love.”

Oh, and since I do have a life, in between books and jobs and obsessions I married a lovely woman, Armeen, whom I met at KTVU. I have three kids–ages 21, 16 and 9–and for now I am splitting my time between the lovely beachtown of Del Mar, California and the new Athens of the Western World, Los Angeles.

Hope to hear from you soon! Take care.
http://www.alexabella.com/
Alex [Goodreads]

Have a Great Sunday

Trans-Mongolian Express by David L Robbins – #BookReview – #HistoricalRussianFiction

Book Blurb:

In the harrowing aftermath of Chernobyl’s meltdown in 1986, the fate of Eastern Europe hangs by a thread.

From Beijing, American radiation scientist Lara, once a thorn in the Russian mob’s side, is drawn back into the shadows of the Soviet Union on the Trans-Mongolian Express. She isn’t alone. Anton, a Soviet scientist exiled for predicting Chernobyl’s catastrophe, is on a quest to expose the truth. Amidst them, Timur, a Chechen giant fueled by vengeance, plots to destroy the already crumbling Soviet Union.

Suddenly, a murder on the remote tracks of the Gobi thrusts them into a deadly game of cat and mouse. As Chief Sheriff Bat races to solve the murder, their lives are thrown into jeopardy. Lara finds an unexpected ally in Gang, a reluctant assassin sent to end her life, and an illicit romance blooms amidst the chaos. But Gang isn’t the only killer onboard. A hidden menace lurks, threatening to unravel all their plans.

In this electrifying ride across a historical backdrop, suspense and passion collide in an unyielding dance of survival and redemption. Who will survive the Trans-Mongolian Express?

His Review:

The Trans-Mongolian Express travels one of the longest rail tracks in the world. The route is from Vladivostok to Moscow. The train utilizes multiple engines and one can see some of the loneliest and most desolate areas on the planet.

The accident at Chernobyl is being hidden by the Soviet Union. An American Scientist is being sent by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission to identify the problem and offer her expertise in containing the damage caused by the nuclear reactor failure.

The Russians, however, have disavowed the accident and are allowing nobody to get within miles of Chernobyl. Assassins have been placed on the train to make sure she does not make it to Chernobyl. Traveling incognito cannot hide her from the government. (Maybe the Geiger Counter she is carrying is a dead giveaway?)

The Russians want to have their secret of the accident hidden from the world. Large waves of radioactivity are hard to hide, however! The ”Express” stops at many locations across the continent. More than three people are sent to stop her from disclosing the truth to the world and she becomes attracted to one of the killers. He has fallen in love with her as well and will allow no one to get close to her. But can he protect her from the killers and the KGB? Only time will tell. Should she reach Moscow, the KGB has additional operatives to eliminate the threat of her disclosure.

C E Williams This author writes a very interesting and compelling book. The action is multi-dimensional and keeps one’s attention until the end. It reads like a romance novel in the middle of an espionage saga. 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.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Russian Fiction, Historical Mystery Thriller & Suspense Fiction, Military Thrillers
Publisher: Adler Entertainment Trust LLC
ASIN: B0CL9BGQM2
Print Length: 447 pages
Publication Date: January 17, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link(s): Trans-Mongolian Express [Amazon]

The Author: David L. Robbins was born in Richmond, Virginia, on March 10, 1954. He grew up in Sandston, a small town east of Richmond out by the airport; his father was among the first to sit behind the new radar scope in the air traffic control tower. Both his parents, Sam and Carol, were veterans of WWII. Sam saw action in the Pacific, especially at Pearl Harbor.

In 1976, David graduated with a B.A. in Theater and Speech from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Having little actual theatrical talent, he didn’t know what to do for a living. David decided to attend what he calls the “great catch-basin of unfocused over-achievers”: law school. He received his Juris Doctorate at William and Mary in 1980, then practiced environmental law in Columbia, S.C. for precisely a year (his father demanded back the money for law school if David practiced for less than one year – he quit two weeks before the anniversary but got Sam to agree that the two weeks’ vacation David had accumulated could be included). David decided to attend Psychology school, having an affinity for people’s stories and a fascination with woe. However, while waiting for admisison in 1981, he began a successful freelance writing career. He began writing fiction in 1997, and has since published twelve novels. He’s currently working on the thirteenth, the fourth in his U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen series, as well as several scripts for the stage and screen. He has won awards for his essays and screenplays, and has had three stage plays produced.

David is an accomplished guitarist, studying the works of James Taylor and Latin classical. At six feet six inches tall, he stays active with his sailboat, shooting sporting clays, weightlifting, traveling to research his novels. He is the founder of the James River Writers (Jamesriverwriters.org) a non-profit group in his hometown of Richmond that helps aspiring writers and students work and learn together as a writing community. He also co-founded The Podium Foundation (thepodiumfoundation.org), a non-profit which brings writing and critical reasoning programs to the students of Richmond’s city high schools, as well as support programs for city educators. Most recently, David is the creator of The Mighty Pen Project, an intensive writing program for Virginia’s military veterans and their families, in partnership with the Virginia War Memorial. He also teaches advanced creative writing as a visiting professor at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Honors College. David resides in Richmond, near the James River.

To learn more, or to contact David, please go to authordavidlrobbins.com.

Have a great weekend!

Blue Ridge by Peter Malone Elliott – #BookReview – #politicalthrillers

Book Blurb:

What would you do if you were planning to kill your brother—but someone beat you to it?

After former Olympic contender turned burn-out horse trainer Cillian Clarke is framed for the murder of his identical twin Christopher, a rising-star Virginia politician, Cillian is forced to go on the lam. But when someone from Christopher’s past emerges and offers Cillian the chance to clear his name, Cillian is plunged headfirst into a sinister conspiracy that not only threatens the sanctity of democracy, but also promises to expose the devastating secret intertwining the brothers forever—the truth behind the death of a woman they both loved.

My Review:

For some reason, I seem attracted to the mystique that is the Blue Ridge Mountains—maybe from my riding days when the Blue Ridge Parkway was on my bucket list. So it was easy to grab this title, helped in no small part by the blurb.

“…the majestic, rolling landscape of the Blue Ridge is nature’s equivalent to the music of Patsy Cline…”

Oh, the prose.

Nailed it.

First, it was obvious from the author’s writing style that it was going to be unique. A good ole boy, Cillian, his musings—dark and honest as they were—confiding his sinister thoughts was a hook. He knew horses (his equine experience didn’t end well), but it was his estranged brother that fueled the fury within him. The resolve to kill his brother. The bane of his existence.

Interesting to get his side—then flip—and get his brother Christopher’s POV. And the immediate impression is one of a narcissist. Gees, no wonder Cillian had such a problem—but who was it said identical twins were opposite on the human spectrum. Everyone?

Christopher is popular; climbed the political ladder now viewing a possible run for governor. Is that even possible knowing what Cillian knows about his brother?

Cillian and Christopher share a secret, however, one so terrible, so horrendous there will be no reconciliation. Ever.

The author carefully develops his characters; molded, shaped by time, experience, love. Hate.

And then there is Audrey, Christopher’s carefully crafted love for Cillian’s beloved. His plot to secure her for his own gone terribly wrong. Irrevocably tragic. Each plotting the end of the other’s bid for her.

Then, the death of Christopher before Cillian can do it himself. Who? Why? Cillian so easily framed for his murder—a plot piece that fell neatly into the puzzle. How will Cillian find the answer without revealing the dark guilty secret each held?

A well-plotted and fast-paced narrative, this storyline just keeps adding intrigue, suspicions, twists and turns. The author adds just the right amount of hope and then yanks the rug out from under the feet. Can there be any escape here? Redemption? Solution?

I held out hope to the end.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts. I’m looking forward to what this author comes up with in a sophomore novel.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Political Thrillers & Suspense, Noir Crime, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Level Best Books
ASIN: B0CJKXKVJN
Print Length: 247 pages
Publication Date: January 9, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link: Blue Ridge [Amazon]

The Author: Peter Malone Elliott is an author, screenwriter, and developmental editor. Born and raised in Virginia, he now lives in Brooklyn, but still holds the magic of the mountains and Southern living near and dear to his heart. BLUE RIDGE is his debut novel. Other notable writing achievements include a Leo Award nomination for “Best Screenwriting, Motion Picture” and winning the Grand Prize of the Script Pipeline Screenwriting Competition. Peter is also the founder and owner of Fortiter et Recte Literary, where he offers bespoke editorial consulting for manuscripts and screenplays.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Invisible No More by Scott Pitoniak and Rick Burton – #BookReview

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

Wilmeth Sidat-Singh is the greatest athlete you’ve never heard of—and so much more. A rocket-armed passer on the football field, an ankle-breaking playmaker on the basketball court, he was also a scholar, civil rights pioneer, patriot, and one other thing—forgotten.

In this historical novel based on Sidat-Singh’s life, sportswriter Breanna Shelton stumbles upon the riveting story of the former Syracuse University star who was forced to hide his identity in order to take the field, leading to climactic moments when race and sports collided. As a young Black woman making her way in a profession not ready to fully accept her, Shelton immerses herself in the research, determined to resurrect an inspirational man who time left behind. Along the way, she finds courage and perseverance to transform herself and her career.

Post–civil rights era society still grapples with dispiriting obstacles that Sidat-Singh faced more than a half century earlier, when he was “passing” to play; serving as a Tuskegee Airman in World War II; and interacting with luminaries such as Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Grantland Rice, Sam Lacy, and Joe Louis.

This fictionalized account, as timely now as ever, honors an American hero whose life was cut short while serving a country that didn’t recognize him as a full-fledged citizen because of the color of his skin. After you read it, Sidat-Singh will be invisible no more.

His Review:

Children in Idaho were raised with admiration for the members of the Army Air Force. They were my heroes and I read of their accomplishments as often as I could. This novel gave me the opportunity to read about the exploits of the Tuskegee Airmen and one in particular, Wilmeth Sidat-Singh. My upbringing did not include prejudice towards people of color, because there were no persons of color in my hometown.

Wilmeth was the star football player at the University of Syracuse. In his first game against the University of Maryland, he was not allowed to suit up to play in the game. The U of M would have forfeited the game if he was allowed to play. Syracuse lost its’ game that year because of the prejudicial benching of their star athlete. U of M had discovered he was black rather than Indian which his name implied.

Prejudice was rampant throughout the United States during the 20s, 30s, and 40s and Wilmeth struggled with the problem. He was gifted in many sports and was given a full scholarship to the school of his choice. Growing up in Upper Manhattan he was introduced to many of the great African American minds of his generation. Everything segregated was the tenor of the day and restroom facilities and drinking fountains were jealously guarded.

After excelling in sports and just about everything he attempted, Wilmeth signed up for training as a black aviator with the Tuskegee all-black training squadron. His ability in the air and seemingly impossible maneuvers with an aircraft helped to mold the Tuskegee Airmen into one of the best fighter pilot squadrons in America.

His death in a training accident broke my heart. Long years later, I met Charles Williams, a Congressional Medal of Honor winner when a lad in Boise, Idaho requested he get to meet them. These pilots were impressive gentlemen and I was honored to be able to shake their hands. I would have also liked to know this outstanding American! 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: Historical Biographical Fiction, Sports Fiction, Biographical Fiction
Publisher: Subplot Publishing
ISBN-10: ‎ 1637558635
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1637558638
ASIN: B0CK595VN2
Print Length: 336 pages
Publication Date: December 5, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Authors: A native of Rome, N.Y. and a magna cum laude graduate of Syracuse University, Scott Pitoniak has been telling compelling, award-winning stories about people and the games they play for a half-century. He has spent 51 years in the newspaper business, including 25 as a reporter, feature writer and sports columnist for the Rochester, N.Y. Democrat and Chronicle, and has published more than 30 books and hundreds of magazine and website articles. Along the way, he has covered Olympics, Super Bowls, World Series, NCAA basketball tournaments, Stanley Cup playoffs and major golf tournaments.

Scott has received more than 100 national and regional journalism honors. His work, which often deals with the human side of sports, has been cited in “The Best American Sportswriting” anthology and he has been recognized as one of the nation’s top sportswriters by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the Professional Football Writers of America, and Gannett, Inc.. Scott has been inducted into six Halls of Fame: Rochester’s Frontier Field Walk of Fame (1999); SU’s Newhouse School of Public Communications Gallery of Fame (2000); the Rome Sports Hall of Fame (2009); the Rochester Red Wings Hall of Fame (2013); the Camp Good Days and Special Times Ring of Honor (2016); and the Rochester Softball Hall of Fame (2021). He also was selected as a torchbearer for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

Scott recently co-authored “Invisible No More,” a historical novel about a forgotten two-sport star athlete and Tuskegee Airman, and “If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Buffalo Bills Sidelines, Locker Room and Press Box.” Scott also recently updated “Juke Box Hero,” a collaboration with rock ‘n’ roll legend Lou Gramm, the former lead singer and co-songwriter of the mega-hit group Foreigner.

Scott’s first children’s book, “Let’s Go Yankees! An Unforgettable Trip to the Ballpark,” was published in the summer of 2017 by Ascend Books.

Scott writes weekly sports columns for the Rochester Business Journal. He is a regular contributor to the Baseball Hall of Fame’s bi-monthly magazine, Memories and Dreams, served as a columnist for USA Today and Gannett News Service (syndicated to 150 newspapers nationwide), and provided on-air analyst for CBS television affiliates in Rochester and Buffalo. A frequent radio and television guest, locally and nationally, Scott was interviewed extensively for two documentaries – ESPN’s Sports Century profile of Maurice Stokes, and Orange Glory: The 20 Greatest Moments in Syracuse Basketball History.

Scott is passionate about giving back to his community. Through the years, he has mentored scores of students, taught journalism at the college level, and been heavily involved in several charities and community service organizations. He is past president and current board member of the Rochester Press-Radio Club, which raised and donated more than 800,000 dollars to local children’s charities during a 20-year span.

He also is in demand as a public speaker.

His hobbies include traveling, photography and historical research. His most cherished moments are spent with his wife, Beth, his grown children, Amy and Christopher, his granddaughters, Camryn and Peyton, and their energetic family cats, Liam and Sunny.

Rick Burton is the David B. Falk Professor of Sport Management at Syracuse University and chief operating officer for Playbk Sports. Burton is a frequent contributor to publications such as Sports Business Journal and Sportico, and coauthor of numerous books, including Business the NHL Way; Forever Orange: The Story of Syracuse University; 20 Secrets to Success for NCAA Student-Athletes; and Sports Business Unplugged. His latest World War II historical thriller, Into the Gorge, was published by Subplot in June 2023.

Enjoy Your Sunday!

The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer – #BookReview-Historical Mystery Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

For years, there have been whispers that, before his death, Van Gogh completed a final self-portrait. Curators and art historians have savored this rumor, hoping it could illuminate some of the troubled artist’s many secrets, but even they have to concede that the missing painting is likely lost forever.

But when Luke Perrone, artist and great-grandson of the man who stole the Mona Lisa, and Alexis Verde, daughter of a notorious art thief, discover what may be the missing portrait, they are drawn into a most epic art puzzles. When only days later the painting disappears again, they are reunited with INTERPOL agent John Washington Smith in a dangerous and deadly search that will not only expose secrets of the artist’s last days but draws them into one of history’s darkest eras.

Beneath the paint and canvas, beneath the beauty and the legend, the artwork has become linked with something evil, something that continues to flourish on the dark web and on the shadiest corridors of the underground art world.

Alternating between Luke Perrone’s perilous hunt for the painting, and a history of stolen art and stolen lives, The Lost Van Gogh is an intricately layered historical thriller perfect for fans of The Last Mona Lisa and The Night Portrait.

His Review:

The great masters have always been favorite subjects of art instructors. Who has not had the fantasy of going to a garage sale and finding one of their paintings among the items being sold? This painting was camouflaged by another painting.

The original painting underneath is a portrait of Vincent Van Gogh painted by the artist! A garage sale “find” turns into a multi-million-dollar treasure! Taking the painting to an artist friend turns into a nightmare for Alex. This leads to a whirlpool of deceit and treachery that almost costs the young artist her life. Paintings worth millions of dollars may be sold on the black market by people who play for keeps.

This author has a commanding understanding of the city of Amsterdam and herein lies the problem. Ruthless crooks who handle artworks taken by the Nazis find very wealthy people who want the art piece for their private collections. Stealing and killing, however, are among the tactics used to secure the pieces. Alex is immersed in this shadowy underworld and her painting disappears!

The action is fast and the danger palpable in this tome. Dreams of wealth are soon shattered as Alex wonders if she will escape with her life. The writer includes many actual art dealers and facts known only to those who trade in art world. Thousands of pieces are still unaccounted for after the fall of the Third Reich. I enjoyed this tale immensely and highly suggest it to those interested in art and art history. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Mystery Thriller & Suspense Fiction, Suspense, Suspense Thrillers
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
ASIN: B0BZ9CG15P
Print Length: 343 pages
Publication Date: January 2, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Jonathan Santlofer is the author of 5 novels, The Death Artist, Color Blind, The Killing Art, The Murder Notebook, and Anatomy of Fear, which won the Nero Wolfe Award for best crime novel of 2009. His first novel, The Death Artist, was an international bestseller and translated into 22 languages. He is co-editor, contributor and illustrator of the short story anthology, The Dark End of the Street, and editor/contributor of LA NOIRE: The Collected Stories. His short stories appear in numerous collections, including The Rich & the Dead, edited by Nelson De Mille, New Jersey Noir, edited by Joyce Carol Oates, the Strand Magazine and Ellery Queen Magazine. He has been a contributing writer to ArtNews, Travel & Leisure, and almost every crime and mystery magazine.

Santlofer is the recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts grants, has been a Visiting Artist at the American Academy In Rome, the Vermont Studio Center and serves on the board of Yaddo, the oldest arts community in the U.S. He also serves on the boards of the Mystery Writers of America and the International Crime Writers of North America.

He is currently the director of New York City’s CRIME FICTION ACADEMY, the only program devoted exclusively to crime writing in all of its forms. He also teaches Crime Fiction Writing in Pratt Institute’s Creative Writing program, and has taught at Columbia University and The New School. He has given numerous workshops at writing conventions and festivals and has been a sought after lecturer at colleges and universities and museums across the country, among them the Whitney Museum of American Art, MOMA, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and LA MOCA.

A well-known artist, Santlofer’s work is in such collections as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, and Tokyo’s Institute of Contemporary Art.

Santlofer has been profiled in the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Newsday, USA Today; been the subject of a Sunday NY Times Magazine “Questions For” column, and his work has been written about and reviewed extensively.

He lives in New York City where he writes and paints. He has recently completed a new novel.

k-luv-u-bye

More Than a Hashtag by Penny Poulsen Watson – #BookReview – #YALiteraryFiction

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

A teen discovers a dark secret . . .

Can he do what’s right, even when it all goes wrong?

High school freshmen, Tee and his best friend Chilly, depend on each other against bullies and girls that keep them guessing.

As sightings of a dangerous Cajun legend turn up, the boys must find the truth everyone else fears. When they uncover a threat to Chilly’s brother, they’re determined to save him. But can they unravel the mystery before it’s too late?

Tee must trust in his friendships and found family to navigate the murky waters of the bayou

. . . or become another victim of its shadows.

A modern classic in the tradition of Tom Sawyer and To Kill a Mockingbird, More Than a Hashtag transports readers to the charming and unique Louisiana Bayou, where Watson captures the essence of the South and tells a journey of courage, grief, and broken homes.

Grab a paddle and join Tee and Chilly today!

His Review:

Bayou country is a great place to grow up. The pace of life is laid back and the folks are welcoming and gregarious. Most folks don’t realize it, but the real driving force in the bayou is the women! Thomas Edison Hopper aka Hashtag is growing up in this environment and his mama and grandmother are the lights of his life.

His best friend and cohort Chilly, is always by his side. He is the best friend a guy could ever want. They went fishing together for the myriad of fish that lived in the swamps. Hashtag has many chores to do and the women folk make sure he does his jobs before any play. Cutting the older ladies’ lawns and keeping up the garden are a couple of his weekly chores. Miss a chore and you may wind up going to bed hungry!

On one of their exploring fishing trips, they happened upon an old seemingly abandoned property where drugs are being handled. The boys decide to investigate and turn the evidence over to the sheriff. They did not want their parish to sink into the morass that was a drug city. Gathering the evidence, however, puts them in real danger as the drug lord and his henchmen find out. Once their investigation is discovered their entire life is turned upside down

Penny Poulsen Watson is a very gifted writer with a real talent for spinning a yarn. She knits a delightful tale with wit and humor. Her characters are well developed and very believable. Love is apparent throughout the story between the characters, even though a good switching is called for. The catastrophe that is the investigation into the production of drugs in the parish is heartbreaking.

C E Williams I recommend this book to all who enjoy a good adventure with well-developed characters and a believable plot. Enjoy! 5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Book Details:

Genre: Teen & Young Adult Nonfiction on Peer Pressure, Teen & Young Adult Literary Fiction
Publisher: PPW
ASIN: B0CJCQ72BM
Print Length: 408 pages
Publication Date: September 25, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Penny Poulsen Watson is a freelance writer, lyricist, poet and author of the novel, More than a Hashtag. She grew up in the Mountain West. She raised most of her children in Louisiana where she fell in love with the sweet and simple way of life. Although born in the West, it is southern skies, fireflies, magnolia trees and the smell of the bayou that live in her dreams.

She has been married to Allen Watson for 47 years. They are the parents of six children and seventeen beautiful grandchildren ranging from age 21 on down to 3 years old. Her family and her stable full of horses are the greatest loves of her life.

Happy Autumn Sunday

Rosepoint Reviews – October Recap – Snow? On Halloween? Uh oh…

Rosepoint Reviews-October Recap

Hoping that early snow is not a portent of a long, hard winter, we did have flurries on Halloween. I guess we had just a bit of the same in 2019, but usually when we had an early snow in California, we were hurting for decent skiing conditions even in December. I’m still getting used to the different weather climate out here.

I took advantage of a slight warming last week to get my yard stripped of the last vestiges of both the veggie and flower gardens. Not much to bring in, as we’d used most along the way and, sad to say, the tomatoes just sort of petered out. Crazy summer!

In the meantime, strongly feeling the absence of our Frosty and the encouragement of our kids (and the neighbors!), we began looking for another dog (as I mentioned last month)—this time a mature one (no puppies). I was looking for a small companion—the CE fell in love with an ex-breeder. Punkin, the Pomeranian A Pomeranian—one I never would have considered and she is proving to be the problem I expected she might. A 4 ½+-year-old with absolutely no history has apparently never been introduced to a house, never mind house training, commands, or even knows what treats or pets are. While she is extremely human shy, she doesn’t seem to have that problem with other dogs. Perhaps lived in a kennel all her life just turning out puppies? Who knows? This kind of shelter/rescue dog will take months of patience, kindness, and consistency. We’ve been at it now three weeks. According to the 3-3-3 rule, the first two big hurdles done. Hopefully, progress by three months. How do you go about house-training a dog that was never turned out to potty and won’t allow you to take them?

So you might have guessed where a bulk of my time went in October. Even deleting one post per week, I’m still backlogged and playing catch up. We did manage thirteen books in October, always including NetGalley books. I’ve experienced fits and starts with audiobooks but you’ll note one at five stars in the list below. (And as always, links below are to my reviews that include purchase or source info.)

Rosepoint Reviews-October Recap

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham (audiobook)
The Constant Soldier by William Ryan (CE 5* review)
Out of Nowhere by Sandra Brown
Quarter to Midnight by Karen Rose (audiobook)
Closure by Garrett Addison (CE review)
The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman (5*)
Twas the Bite Before Christmas by David Rosenfelt (5* audiobook)
Rescuing Crockett by David Pyke (CE review)
Secrets of the Greek Revival by Eva Pohler
Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris (audiobook)
Head Case by Bonnie Traymore (CE review)
Death by Cutting Table by Susie Black

Favorite Book of the Month

The CE greatly enjoyed several of his books and I always enjoy my auto go-to Rosenfelt books (audiobooks especially). My vote for October, however, is going to Jonathan Kellerman’s The Ghost Orchid. Love the way the author plays off the main characters and maneuvers two negative victims to sympathic.

Book of the Month for October—The Ghost Orchid

My Reading Challenges page… I have 122 books of a goal of 145 in Goodreads (at this point two books ahead of schedule) and still at a 97% feedback ratio in NetGalley. My Reading Challenges page has suffered from neglect–again.

Up for Discussion

In another move of the social media upheaval separating from each other, I got a notice that Goodreads will no longer connect with your Facebook account. First the change of Later for Instagram scheduling, the disconnection from Twitter (BIG BLACK X) and the push to sign up for paid accounts, then the change in Canva with an eye on providing all that scheduling if only you’ll go “Pro.” Soon the privilege of sneezing will require a paid account or risk the redoubling of the work and effort to continue a simple blog. Any change at my age is difficult, but change that comes with increased expense, more so. How are you coping? Signed up for paid accounts formerly free?

As always, welcome to my new subscribers! And I never stop appreciating those who read and comment.

Goodbye October