I love to read books that I can relate to real current events and An End To Kings by Ryan Schuette does that in a fantastical way. He includes things I love to read books that I can relate to real current events and An End To Kings by Ryan Schuette does that in a fantastical way. He includes things like political upheaval, civil liberty and climate change. Ryan Schuette’s master storytelling makes this an epic fantasy you won’t want to miss and I am excited to pick up where we left off in A Seat For The Rabble.
I love the illustrations. Illustrations always add something extra for me.
Political intrigue arises around every turn. No one can be trusted and some of the betrayals broke my heart for the characters that it happened to. One sticks out in a big way…
Sara is one of my favorite characters and her tragic life breaks my heart. She is a good person and too young for the horrors brought to her life. She is a child, struggling, facing things beyond her years. I have feared for her since I met her, especially when she lost the one person she could count on.
Zur had been kidnapped and Lorana was determined to find him. I thought there might be more to him than we see in the beginning. The same goes for Sara and the Mad Lady. I feel they will play a prominent role in what is to come for the Kingdom. What that role will be is yet to be determined.
Eden, what the hell?
Anyway, let’s get into the conflict that rages, as the rebels unite to get their Seat, but how can you band together when you can’t get along? When people are pushed into a corner with nothing to lose, they will fight back.
Because the king died without naming his successor.Jason must prove his right to wear the crown for the Kingdom of Loran and will have to face the Kingstrials. I love that the king’s daughter, Lorana was ruling the kingdom, though no one ever acknowledged it. After all, they cannot have a Queen as a leader…can they? For now, she is tasked with keeping the wolves at bay until a king is crowned.
The battles are savage, a brutal and bloody slaughter. The betrayals and cowardice allow tragic injustices to occur and more than one leaves me speechless. Ryan Schuette’s ability to pump up my emotions to a point where I want to throw my ereader against the wall makes me hesitate, putting the book down to pull myself together, then picking it up again….because I HAVE to know what happens next. On and on I read, wondering who will live and who will die.
An End To Kings by Ryan Schuette is intense. It has everything you can possibly want in an epic fantasy. And that ending, I can hardly wait to see what will become of my favorite characters in the next book. It is sure to be an amazing adventure.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of An End To Kings by Ryan Schuette.
Olivia Booth is a must read author for me, ever since I read her Hell’s angel series, which I highly recommend if you love apocalyptic/dystopian fictiOlivia Booth is a must read author for me, ever since I read her Hell’s angel series, which I highly recommend if you love apocalyptic/dystopian fiction. In The Spirit Witch, we are dealing with vampires and witches. Vampires vs vampires. Witches vs witches. Vampires vs Witches. Vated Ordo vs Sisterhood. Good vs Evil.
First off, I would like to mention the gorgeous cover. I love when a cover fits a story so perfectly, as does the one for The Spirit Marked Witch by Olivia Boothe. She is Avery Jaxson. Her innocence shines through, as it does inside the cover.
We begin with the Prologue. I love Prologues…don’t you? Allorn, a realm outside Earth, 5,000 years ago
Rayne wasn’t only fighting to save herself. She was fighting to protect her daughters from the most ruthless queen her realm had ever known. The queen had no idea there were two daughters, twins. To through the queen off the scent, they separated the girls. Rayne says:
“I don’t know how to be without you, Enid. Who will sing sone with me at night? Or tease the lily hoppers by the pond?”
Enid leaned in. “When the wind brushes against your cheek, sister, it will be me sending you a kiss.” As if speaking in a silent language only they could hear, they smiled and embraced one last time.
That was soooo sweet and soooo sad. What will become of them?
Present Day, New York City: We are at the underground club, Requiem run by Luther, an evil vampire. As he drains the last drop of blood from his blood host, there is a knock on the door. His debt has come due and Lilluth is there to collect. She is a member of Vates Ordo, the most powerful dark arts witch hive in the world.
As long as Avery could remember, people had thought her crazy. She shares a home with her best friend, C J. They have much in common, alone and raised in a series of foster homes.
Avery’s dreams are nightmares. She spends many hours drawing detailed images from them. They feel more like memories than dreams. A crow crashes through her window. She mends his broken wing….and her life is changed forever.
Kane knew something was wrong and headed to New York. The ‘family’ will come together. Luther, Kane and Azael. All of them desire Avery for different reasons. Where Avery, a Spirit Marked Witch, ends up depends on the winner of the battle to come.
I wrote and highlighted so many notes, I am having to decide which to share and which to toss out. The battle for dominion over the realm is fought to the death. Who will be left standing will not be decided until the end.
As Avery’s magic awakens, the danger increases, through no fault of her own. The Prophecy has come true.
The Spirit Marked Witch by Olivia Boothe is told from multiple points of view. Each character has their story to tell and it didn’t take me long to figure out what side I stood on. Olivia is not afraid to kill off her characters. Even though I knew some would fall, I was crushed at one in particular.
Olivia Boothe can pen a story that captures my heart and mind. The tempo and pacing of The Spirit Marked Witch kept me reading until the last word was read. I was so engrossed in the story, I never saw the end coming. Avery shone through Olivia’s words as she grew into the Prophecy. Her innocence may have been swept away, but her maturity and sense of right and wrong will carry her through the worst of times. I can understand some of the cruelty, but her mother? I am eager to meet the other guardians that will come to protect her. I know I have already seen the second one. There are those that will stand beside her, and those that want to use her, and I can hardly wait to read more of her story. The series does need to be read in order…and I intend to be there at the end.
I really mean it nowadays too. Life has a way of taking us on journeys that we didn’t want and maybe didn’t even need. but those journeys make up the
I really mean it nowadays too. Life has a way of taking us on journeys that we didn’t want and maybe didn’t even need. but those journeys make up the essence of who we are. I, for one, will always look back and remember those fragments of time. Those pieces of memory.
The quote was at the end of the book, but I thought it was so pertinent to life, that I had to share it in the beginning.
Richie Sterling comes from a broken home. He felt he was on the outside, looking in, until…
A group of boys, in a Trailer Park, become fast friends and discover that life is not always as it appears to be. Richie, Jose, Roberto and Frankie are on the adventure of a lifetime.
The rumor is, the old man next door is a vampire. Of course, curious kids are intrigued and their imaginations run wild. Jose begins to act differently and the kids are on the case. They never could have anticipated what they would discover. I feel I should have known what Mr Rosen was all about, but I never stopped reading long enough to figure it out. A bit of a rhyme there. Maybe I could be a rapper too. :-).
When Richie’s dad comes clean and starts rapping, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Trailer Park by C D Kester is perfect for teen and young adult vampire lovers. A light, yet gruesome adventure sure to peak their imagination.
C D Kester’s writing is amazing. He can write some of the most in depth, gruesome horror for adults, and some of the most fun and adventurous mystery horror for teens. We have a great ending that is not all unicorns and rainbows. Trailer Park was a quick read but chock full or horror goodness and I couldn’t put it down. I thought of two ratings, a four for adults and a five for teens and young adults, so a five it is and I’ll leave it up to you to decide.
So glad this is a series. Can't wait to see what happens next!
UPDATE:
I was looking for a pallet cleanser, a break from the dark and dangerous. A simpSo glad this is a series. Can't wait to see what happens next!
UPDATE:
I was looking for a pallet cleanser, a break from the dark and dangerous. A simple love story…But is love ever simple? Especially when you are a time traveler like Caitlyn in The Ripple Effect by Cally Jackson.
Caitlyn is a Gen Z girl, totally unprepared for what befalls her on her twenty first birthday. She finds she has inherited a disorder that causes her to time travel. She has no control over when it will happen. Imagine, you are here, then, POOF, you are gone.
She will have a tough choice to
make, seeing the condition is not permanent. It usually passes after a period of time. So, what would you do? Grasp every second in the past with the man you love? Throw caution to the wind, regardless of your present life? Could you even threaten your own life? Could it cause you to never to have been born?
What a quandary The Chaos Theory is and I appreciate a book that can get my mind spinning.
The Ripple Effect by Cally Jackson is a series, so be prepared for answers to be found at a later date. C’est la vie.
So glad this is a series. Can't wait to see what happens next!
UPDATE:
I was looking for a pallet cleanser, a break from the dark and dangerous. A simple love story…But is love ever simple? Especially when you are a time traveler like Caitlyn in The Ripple Effect by Cally Jackson.
Caitlyn is a Gen Z girl, totally unprepared for what befalls her on her twenty first birthday. She finds she has inherited a disorder that causes her to time travel. She has no control over when it will happen. Imagine, you are here, then, POOF, you are gone.
She will have a tough choice to
make, seeing the condition is not permanent. It usually passes after a period of time. So, what would you do? Grasp every second in the past with the man you love? Throw caution to the wind, regardless of your present life? Could you even threaten your own life? Could it cause you to never to have been born?
What a quandary The Chaos Theory is and I appreciate a book that can get my mind spinning.
The Ripple Effect by Cally Jackson is a series, so be prepared for answers to be found at a later date. C’est la vie.
Isn’t that cover fantastic? Dreadfully awful, yet so very intriguing. Just imagine the possibilities inside. Ghosts, monsters, and so much more of thoIsn’t that cover fantastic? Dreadfully awful, yet so very intriguing. Just imagine the possibilities inside. Ghosts, monsters, and so much more of those don’t go in the forest type of moments. A couple of my favorites was the ending for the woman plagued by blood sucking mosquitoes and the rare, tropical fish.
Kevin Bachar has created a collection of horribly terrifying short stories combining fact and fiction. So, like Kevin Bachar says at the end of the book….
I got lost in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, so I had to check out Go Set A Watchman. Go Set A Watchman didn’t hit me as hard as To Kill A MockiI got lost in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, so I had to check out Go Set A Watchman. Go Set A Watchman didn’t hit me as hard as To Kill A Mockingbird, but I loved learning what happened to Jean Louis Finch, since she was the star of the show.
She returns home, after living in New York City, seeing Maycomb, Alabama in a new light. Sure, she has gotten older, but she has been away from the small town life. She had left behind her brother, father, and Henry, who patiently waited for her to return, believing they would be wed.
For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.
Jean Louis has done a lot of growing up, but her return gives her many life lessons, showing her that things are not always as they appear to be. Her father has never tried to influence her, and he does not try now. She will become her own person.
Every man’s island, Jean Louise, every man’s watchman, is his conscience. There is no such thing as a collective conscious.
Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee did not hit me as hard as To Kill A Mockingbird, but I found so many words of wisdom in the pages, that I found myself nodding my head and thinking, well said. I feel both books should be must reads in English and History classes, for all high schools, North, South, East, and West.
I quickly discovered why To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee has become a classic and won the Pulitzer Prize. I was immersed in the struggles of a lawI quickly discovered why To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee has become a classic and won the Pulitzer Prize. I was immersed in the struggles of a lawyer, a widowed father, raising two young children, while defending a black man charged with raping a white girl.
All the darkness of the times came through the story, racism, classism, and violence in the Deep South during the 1930s. My disgust and anger brought a tear or two to my eye.
Scout, an eight year old girl had me in stitches. Her older brother, Jem, matures as the story develops.
I was smiling and laughing at their thoughts, their innocence, and their vivid imaginations.
“Maybe he died and they stuffed him up the chimney.”
The sophistication of the writing stands the test of time!
I wanted to read Among The Bros by Max Marshall, mostly, because I love to see the elite face the consequences of their actions. I’m not sure that wasI wanted to read Among The Bros by Max Marshall, mostly, because I love to see the elite face the consequences of their actions. I’m not sure that was accomplished here.
Max Marshall did his research, documented at the end of the book. He did give me many details, but the writing didn’t get me involved. I felt it was like reading a text book. It’s hard to relate to characters who feel they are entitled, that no matter what they do it’s no big deal. Just boys having fun.
I felt Max Marshall glossed over rape and murder, concentrating on the drugs and the never ending parties at the College of Charleston.
I find it interesting that so many Fortune 500 executives, Supreme Court Justices, and presidents have been fraternity members. What does that say about them, especially after reading a book like Among The Bros. AND that is why I love to read a book like Among The Bros. Is all the secrecy surrounding fraternities because the members do not want the members actions exposed? How far is too far?
The book left a bad taste in my mouth….and I expected that, so Max did deliver.
I was appalled when I saw the promotion for the film Killer Of The Flower Moon. I immediately went to my library app and put a hold on the book. I gotI was appalled when I saw the promotion for the film Killer Of The Flower Moon. I immediately went to my library app and put a hold on the book. I got access to it a lot faster than I thought and immediately began reading.
In May, taller plants creep over tinier blooms, stealing their light and water. The small flowers become buried under the ground and that is why the Osage refer to May as the time of the flower killing moon.
It was in May of 1921 when Mollie Burkhart began to suspect evil was afoot. She was right. The conspiracy was so widespread, the Osage never stood a chance.
It always amazes me when I come across such a brutal injustice in our history…that I knew nothing about. Shouldn’t this be part of the history we are taught in school? I mean, the conspiracy was so wide and tragic, it helped lead to the creation of the FBI. Of course, that creates a monster of its own. We all know the saying:
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
In the 1920s, the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma had the richest people per capita in the world. Greedy, power hungry individuals flock to the area like flies on s***. Racism is rampant and the Osage people were looked at as less than human.
I cannot begin to imagine their despair and sense of hopelessness, that no one would come to their aid. Not just to keep the white people from stealing their riches, but to keep them from being MURDERED. The people of the town turn a blind eye to the tragedy taking place right before them. We can see history repeat itself, over and over again, so I don’t know why I am so surprised. After all, if discrimination, racism, and inequality can exist as overtly as it does in the 21st century, it seems it would be even easier to perpetrate such violence in the 1920s.
I will be adding more of his work to my reading list. In fact, I just put a hold on The Wager.
The depth of David Grann’s research is displayed at the end of the book, where he has included all the materials, paper and human, he drew information from.
I usually read Jane Blythe’s series in a progressive order, but this time I stepped ahead. I couldn’t help myself. I feel her books can be read as staI usually read Jane Blythe’s series in a progressive order, but this time I stepped ahead. I couldn’t help myself. I feel her books can be read as stand alones. The characters appear throughout the books, but each book highlights a couple. Vicious Scars tells Tallulah Russell and Gabriel “Tank” Dawson’s story.
Jane sets the hook early, creating a need to know from the opening pages. An intruder. It wasn’t what I expected, and I love that. Jane is very good at throwing twists and turns throughout her books. There are two story lines in Vicious Scars and we will only learn the results of one, Tallulah and Gabriel’s story.
A kidnapping of a woman in Witness Protection. What? Why would Prey Security feel the need to save someone who has been given a new identity and is being hidden by the U S Marshalls? Well, I’ll tell you. There’s a rat and they are there to, not only save her, but catch the man who has put a million dollar bounty on her head.
At 6%:
Instead of trying to brute force her way out of his hold by thrashing about, which would have been impossible, she immediately put her hand between his legs, grabbed his crotch, and twisted.
Yeah, Jane may love her damsels in distress, but she does not leave them defenseless.
Tallulah carries the sins of her father and has been in foster care since she was three years old. Because of her desire to help those in need, she has put a price on her head. Just once, she would love to have something good in her life. She doesn’t know it yet, but her kidnapper is the man that fits the bill.
We have some light moments, having me nodding my head and smiling. Even in times of darkness, there is light.
Some steamy moments heated up my ereader, but Tallulah and Tank deserve something good in their lives. Even though I knew Jane Blythe would supply it, the road to their happy ever after was not an easy one. Bullets flew, bodies fell, and suspense mounted as we came to the heart pounding conclusion.
“Don’t worry, counselor. Nothing that anyone’s going to complain about.”
I immediately liked Helen Lipsco “You going to do anything illegal in there?”
“Don’t worry, counselor. Nothing that anyone’s going to complain about.”
I immediately liked Helen Lipscomb. Two years earlier she had been a by the book homicide detective. She had been pushed out of the police force, ostracized. Now, the thin blue line has gotten even thinner for her.
The serial killer angle is different from the norm. Instead of proving his innocence, Benson wants her to prove his guilt. He resents that someone else is taking credit for his kills.
“Anyone who can so piss off the members of the power structure is exactly who I need.”
Because she is low on funds she takes it on. She will be traveling around the country to find the answers.
Mysteries intrigue me, but lack the intense, fast paced action, and the darkness that drives my own twisted mind. So, to say that And The Devil Walks Away by Kevin R Doyle, seemed a bit slow to me, it may be through no fault of the book or the author. I will say, as the mystery grew I found myself becoming more interested in the outcome.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of And The Devil Walks Away by Kevin R Doyle.
Homecoming Chaos by D W Brooks was, all in all, a homecoming that kept me turning pages as the characters developed and the mystery unfolded.
“Can I bHomecoming Chaos by D W Brooks was, all in all, a homecoming that kept me turning pages as the characters developed and the mystery unfolded.
“Can I buy you a drink?”
After a quick visual scan, Rachel couldn’t find anything wrong with him,; his only flaw was that he was there.
I was cracking up from the getgo…But it was all downhill from there for Rachel, and it opened the mystery.
In the middle of her first night home her mother wakes her at midnight. There is a murder at the lab the family owns and she wants Jamie there.
Jamie had run as far from home as you could get, avoiding her helicopter mother. Her Homecoming was sure to be Chaos. Her life seemed to invite chaos. She was determined to live her own life this time.
“…Your mother lives fro drama, your brother dates chaos whenever he can, your sister married into chaos, and you search it out. I should call you Trey Chaos.”
Detective Nick Marshall is on the case and Jamie revels in her ability to annoy him. I thought it was funny too.
As the mystery unfolds and I become more familiar with the characters, the pacing speeds up, the danger amps up, and I am eager to get all the answers before something else happens some of the characters I have come to care about.
I love that the Atlanta are was familiar to me. It’s always fun to visit a place I have been. I love the characters are not your run of the mill characters. They are African American from the wealthy suburbs of Buckhead.
Secrets from the past are revealed and romance flourishes. I feel there will be more to this story. Will this be a series? I do think it will be fun to spend more time with the family.
The Price Of Safety by Michael C Bland is anything but…I was quickly swept up in the incredible world he has created.
“Dad, I need help,”: my nineteen The Price Of Safety by Michael C Bland is anything but…I was quickly swept up in the incredible world he has created.
“Dad, I need help,”: my nineteen year old daughter said.
Dray’s life is going to change in ways he never could have imagined, and he has been instrumental in many of the scientific advancements in the year of 2047. His heroes will become his worst enemies.
Neural implants, drones, genetic engineering, tyranny, conspiracy, and scientific advancements make up Michael Bland’s incredible world of The Price Of Safety, an oxymoron. Imagine, if you will, that every action you take and every word you utter is being observed. And if THEY don’t like it, well…there will be repercussions.
Dray may be the main character, because he has what everyone wants…knowledge, but others stood out to me, too. One of the characters, Kieran is the ultimate villain and one of my favorite characters because of it. On the flip side, Talia, Dray’s youngest daughter, is another of my favorite characters. Her chutzpah is adorable. She is bright and impulsive.
As Dray’s eyes are opened and reality seeps in, the danger rises for him and his family. There is nowhere to hide.
The action ramps up to a frenetic level. Bodies will fall in the streets, buildings destroyed, entire neighborhoods invaded. A war is on, but the ‘herd’ has no knowledge of it. They are caught in the middle of those who rule and those who refuse to go down without a fight.
Mina, Dray’s wife….Good one, Michael. I love that you show no mercy to anyone. Every time I turn around, I find my jaw dropping, my sense of wonder at the depth and creativity of your writing coming alive on every page as the tension takes over, making me rapidly flip the pages, devouring the words, lost in the story. I was filled with anger and rage, sadness and despair, yet hope for those who will not stop to keep us free from tyranny.
I want to share so much more, but I want you, the reader, to have the same emotions running riot as you read The Price Of Safety by Michael C Bland, as I did. So this is all you get.
The Price of Safety is part of a planned trilogy and I can hardly wait to see what comes next.
We pick up where we left off in The Shadow Amulet.
I am tired just reading about all Lizzie’s activities. How she finds time to juggle several men on tWe pick up where we left off in The Shadow Amulet.
I am tired just reading about all Lizzie’s activities. How she finds time to juggle several men on to of all her work calls and searches for answers to her personal dilemmas, amazes me.
We have hellhounds and fire vampires and Lizzie puts pressure on herself to save the whole town. Of course, she has some helpers, Abel, Alex and Cole, but Justin? I feel he is too perfect. Am I jaded from reading books about so much betrayal, or are my spidey sense spot on? We shall see.
I was suspicious about the ball. That night was magically deadly and the action was frantic. I have been waiting for the excitement and Andrea Pearson delivered at the end of The Black Masquerade. It was better than the first book, but I still wavered between a 3 and a 4. I am looking forward to reading more of the series and loved the action at the end, so 4 it is.
Andrea state that Lizzie will punch The Shade Amulet for not working properly for every review written. So, here is my review.
A Day In the Life by Andrew Masseurs is one of those books that is very hard to review without spoiling any of the goodies inside. At only 86 pages, A Day In the Life by Andrew Masseurs is one of those books that is very hard to review without spoiling any of the goodies inside. At only 86 pages, it packs a wicked punch.
I love apocalyptic novels, and Andrew Masseurs’ debut novella has Michael awakening to a desolate world where he is the only survivor. As he searches for his wife and daughter, he finds he is not alone after all. Each day passes with more strange and dangerous creatures making an appearance and I wondered how in the world Andrew Masseurs would wrap this up.
I was swept away by the story and had more than one OH NO moment that left me devastated. I felt like weeping with Michael and wondered how he would pick himself up and make it through another day. The ending…
Right out of the gate we meet the haves and the have nots. Could you imagine living underground? You Our people don’t know what else to do, so we dig.
Right out of the gate we meet the haves and the have nots. Could you imagine living underground? You get up in the morning and dig until you go to bed at night, barely enough food and water to keep you alive. I worked for General Motors and used to think, if I die, they are going to step right over me, or on me, and continue working. Morbid, huh? I feel that is Coal’s future, if he doesn’t follow his instincts.
He wants to save the people of Dirthome, and what an appropriate name it is. Nothing to see for miles but desert. John M Broadhead’s descriptions are spot on, considering he knows them so well, being raised in rural New Mexico.
The Outliers want what they have, mounting attack after attack, bodies falling on both sides. But, the biggest threat that so many refuse to even think about is the darkness coming. The sun will go down and not return. So many continue their day to day lives, refusing to make a decision to leave the only home they have ever known. There will be no food. No water. They cannot survive. A religious leader uses their fear to keep them under control.
Coal heads out with Slate, searching for a new home. He never anticipates what will happen when he sees birds for the first time, meets the sea, and the Stacca, a violent and dangerous people.
We travel from the present to the past and back to the present. Part One set the hook, Part Two gave me Coal’s adventurous history, bringing us to Part Three, where decisions will be forced, whether the people want to follow him or not. He never wanted to be a leader, just wanted to save his people, especially the governor’s wife, who he loves.
Farewll To Dust And Sun by John M Broadhead was a different kind of apocalyptic/ dystopian read and I am always on the lookout for someone to take one of my favorite genres and tweak it. Once I started, I couldn’t stop and will be eagerly awaiting the next Slow World Tale. How about it John? I hope you are writing fast.
I wanted to love Secrets That Gnaw At The Flesh by C J Weiss. The fantastic title drew me in and I love the eerie cover, but…
The story drew me in, a hI wanted to love Secrets That Gnaw At The Flesh by C J Weiss. The fantastic title drew me in and I love the eerie cover, but…
The story drew me in, a haunted house novel with a twist. We do have ghosts AND demons and that is different from the norm. We have plenty of characters, human, demon and ghostly. At times I found myself confused, trying to figure out who was who.
I was curious why Garrett would have to put his life on hold for a few months every so many years, if he chose to be a part of her life permanently. He’s going to Harvard and I don’t know how that would work. Would he give up his career?
Wheeling and dealing with a demon caught my attention. Would the demon hold up his end of the bargain, or was he luring them in, only to betray them?
Secrets That Gnaw At The Flesh by C J Weiss did have its Oh No moments, but, at times the pace was too slow to keep my attention and I found my mind wandering. It did pick up once the Breach approaches.
Of course, by the title, secrets will be exposed and I always enjoy that. Possession. Ghosts. Demons. Lured me in and I couldn’t stop until I knew the end, but it didn’t work for me and I find it hard to recommend. But, don’t let that stop you from checking it out for yourself. Just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it won’t work for you.
I jumped between a three and a four rating for Killer Dead Victim Alive by Michael Geczi. I love serial killers…I mean reading about serial killers. BI jumped between a three and a four rating for Killer Dead Victim Alive by Michael Geczi. I love serial killers…I mean reading about serial killers. But, that’s not all that drew me to the novel. A good title and the tropical content of the cover spoke to me.
We are on the beach near Santa Monica Pier and what do I spy? Why it’s Keith John Victor, serial killer. What??????
Mollie Granger and Greg Nichols, detectives in the Criminal Investigations Unit of the Santa Monica Police Department are on the case. Keith Victor had killed six people and a missing person, Chrissy Weeks, is attributed to him. Is she deal or alive? We shall see. And we do. She walks into the police department with a story that won’t hold water.
Mollie is hard working, has sharp instincts and is always asking questions. I loved this description from a colleague:
….her pupils were shaped like question marks because her eyes always “”looked like they wanted to now more.”
Her significant other, Gwen Seward, is an African America lawyer specializing in civil rights, while Mollie is a white police officer. Not only are they gay, but they will have to deal with racial differences and how they look at life. Many of Gwen’s clients have been profiled by police and the question remains…are the guilty or innocent?
The biggest question…who killed the serial killer? I quickly discovered who, but the motive remained hidden and I loved how Michael Geczi led me to the answer, step by step.
K J…hmmm. I wonder what part she plays in the abduction of the women and Chrissy. Her super power is being invisible, blending into the scenery, living in the shadows. How sad. Life has not been kind to K J and neither is Michael Geczi.
I love how some criminals think they are smarter than those out to catch them and I’m not sure what narcissistic game Chrissy is playing.
Funny what a small world we live in, with lines crisscrossing our lives, woven into a pattern not easily seen. Was it fate or Karma that brought Keith and Chrissy together?
Killer Dead Victim Alive by Michael Geczi was a wild ride. We got, not just one dysfunctional, dangerous villain, but two. Even when I think I know what’s going on Michael manages to pull a surprise out of his hat.
I didn’t get my hand on the first book in this series of books about serial killers, The Deadly Samaritan, but I hope to be there for the next one. Michael Geczi left the surprise ending open and I love it, so maybe….things are not always as they seem and our time in Santa Monica is not over.