The Conspiracy Club
Jonathan Kellerman takes a break from his usual Alex Delaware novels with this entry. The main protagonist is Jeremy Carrier, a psychologist at a hospital, who is recovering from the brutal murder of his wife. He befriends Dr. Arthur Chess, an older doctor and his group of elderly friends who have a private group that are interested in investigating crime and studying evil. Meanwhile, Jeremy is receiving messages that are clues about his wife’s killer as well as other murders that have plagued the area.This was not up to par with other Jonathan Kellerman novels that I have read. Plot holes abound in this novel, almost to the point of ridiculousness. The story line was not especially believable, and the characters left much to be desired. I wasn’t remotely impressed with this novel and I would advise skipping it.
Carl Alves – author of Blood Street
STROKE OF FEAR! (A Novella) (Denny Ryder Paranormal Crime Series)
In Stroke of Fear, Denny Ryder has a horrible car accident. Years later, Denny is having dreams of a missing child. Throughout Denny’s life, her dreams come true. She works with Detective Ted Collins in piecing together these dreams of hers. Later, Denny in her dreams comes into contact with a serial killer, who figures into the case of the missing child. All of this affects Denny in a negative way, but she’s determined to use her gift for good.There was a lot to like in this story. The writing in this story was professional and well-done. The narrative also moves at a quick pace. I enjoyed working through the quandaries that Denny faces in dealing with this gift she has, and ultimately physical toll she has to pay for it. The novella has a strong mystery component to it. Part of the mystery is what is really occurring to Denny in her dreams. Is she really with the killer or is this just a vision that she’s having? My only complaint was that I didn’t think the prologue was really necessary. Make sure to check out this novella.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
The Faceless One
The Faceless One is a horror novel that is steeped in Native American legend, most of it surrounding old gods, one of which is The Faceless One, an evil entity that is seeking a human to enter the world and wreak havoc and destruction. When Jimmy Kalamaku was a boy he had an encounter with the Faceless One. Now that he is an old man, he is being called by the Raven, a trickster god who has humanity's best interest in his heart, to defeat the Faceless One. The mask that was holding this ancient deity was found in a geological expedition. It is up to Jimmy, his friend George from his retirement home, Stan Roberts, a New York detective who falls captive to the Faceless One, and the family of the archaeologist who uncovered the mask to defeat him and send him permanently into remission.In Mark Onspaugh's debut novel, he showed the skills and talents of a seasoned veteran. He did a good of creating mood, starting with the setting of a small village in Alaska. I don't often read much fiction centered around Native American mythos, so this was a refreshing trope. There was some good horrific stuff in this novel, although most of the violence happens off screen, so even the squeamish shouldn't have a problem reading this. The characters were strong and well-developed. My only complaint was that there were some slow spots in the novel. All in all this was a delightful horror novel that I would recommend reading.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
Divine Scream
Divine Scream takes place in one day, the day that Jared Kare finds out that he is supposed to die. While waiting for a doctor's appointment (one in which Jared is going to be given the bad news) a banshee who is supposed to be the herald for his death intervenes. She has been following Jared for his whole life and knows every detail about him. She is defying all the laws of the universe in intervening in his death because he is destined to be a gift to the Assembly, a group of beings who operate in a hive mentality sharing each other's thoughts and consciousness. They serve a purpose in the order of the universe but are also psychopathic and depraved. Their plan is to torture Jared in the most creative manner until Jared is used up, and they discard him.I found the universe that Benjamin Kane Ethridge created in this novel to be utterly fascinating. It was such a cool concept and Ethridge built layers and nuance into it. It was also orderly and well-conceived with many rules that flowed in a logical manner. This novel moves at a lightning fast pace with all of the action taking place within a few hours of story time. The Assembly is constantly coming at Jared, and the Banshee does everything in her power to keep him from becoming their gift. This mostly consists of various screams, which can bend the world around them. I liked the creativity that can be found in the variety of screams. About my only criticism is that Jared isn't a very strong character. He doesn't have many skills and relies on people around him to do things for him. I would prefer a stronger and more assertive main character. He does, however, experience change during the course of the novel, so he does evolve in the process and by the end isn't quite so weak. This is a really cool novel that I would certainly recommend.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
A Bad Day For Voodoo
A Bad Day for Voodoo is an absolute masterpiece. Having already read Jeff Strand in the past, I was already a fan, but this surpassed anything I have ever read from him. The story mostly takes place in one day, a very bad day for Tyler, a teen living in Florida. It starts off with one innocuous decision when his best friend gets a voodoo doll of their teacher Mr. Click. When Tyler sticks a pin in the doll's legs, Mr. Click's legs fly apart and start gushing blood. As if that wasn't bad enough, Tyler's friend in a fit of panic gets a voodoo doll of him. From that point forward, more bad decisions are made and hilarity ensues as they have to keep Tyler's doll safe (something that's not as easy as it may seem). Along with Tyler's girlfriend, they come across a gang of thugs, a family that's a cross between the Leave it to Beaver family and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre family, a zombie, and a slightly deranged taxi driver in order to reverse the curse.After reading this novel I have to conclude that Jeff Strand is a genius; not in a Albert Einstein or even Bill Nye the Science Guy way, but a genius nonetheless. He is the best author I've ever read in terms of blending horror and humor together. In fact, A Bad Day for Voodoo is the funniest novel I've ever read. It was a fast paced novel that I breezed through. There were elements of the book such as a letter written by the editor because a chapter got lost or what the scene would have read like if it was dramatized that ordinarily I would consider gimmicky, but Strand made them work flawlessly. This was an enjoyable novel that I devoured. I highly recommend reading it. This novel will make your day.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
Reborn
Set in 1968 in New York City, the novel starts with Dr. Roderick Hanley, a Nobel Prize winning geneticist, dying in a plane crash. This sets in motion a chain of events that will facilitate the rebirth of an ancient evil entity. With Hanley’s death, Jim Stevens, a struggling writer and proud atheist, inherits Hanley’s vast fortune. In the process, he finds out about his own history and the strange way he came into the world. Meanwhile a group of Christians have been brought together to combat this ancient entity. They believe that they are trying to stop the anti-Christ, but the being is actually far worse than Satan. Mr. Veilleur is the only one who seems to know what is actually going on and he is very reluctant to join in the fight.I found this novel to be layered and enjoyable. The writing is strong and there is a good deal of dramatic tension. The novel took a surprising twist a little past the half way mark, which seemed to confuse myself as well as the characters in the novel. The book had a number of interesting characters. I liked the dynamic between Jim Stevens and his childhood friend who became a priest. To complicate matters, there is a love triangle between them and Jim’s wife. There were a couple of things I didn’t like. One was the connection between a person being a clone and not having a soul, and how that can lead to this evil entity occupying them. That part wasn’t particularly explained well. I also thought there were some story lines that didn’t go anywhere, such as the priest’s fascination with the politics of the day, and an orphan boy who couldn’t get adopted. Despite this, I enjoyed reading this novel and would recommend it.
Carl Alves – author of Blood Street
A Blaze of Glory
I have read some of Jeff Shaara's Revolutionary War novels, which were quite good, so I was looking forward to reading this novel that takes place during the Civil War at the Battle of Shiloh. After abandoning the city of Nashville, General Johnston and the Rebel troops are hunkered down in Tennessee. Meanwhile General Grant and Buell are planning on combining their forces and crushing Johnston. When Johnston gets wind of this, he sneak attacks Grant while he is still waiting for Buell. This starts the Battle of Shiloh, perhaps the bloodiest battle of the Civil War.There was a lot to like about this novel. Shaara does a great job with historical research, and I certainly appreciate that. The battle itself was dramatic and intriguing from a historical perspective. But what I think that I most liked about this novel was the humanization of some of these historical figures. It's hard to capture that just by reading a history book. I knew about the basic things that happened in the Civil War and who were the main players, but Shaara really brought these people to life with his writing. General Sherman was battling a confidence crisis with a loss at the Battle of Bull Run. General Grant was the brilliant mind who had to watch his steps with his superiors or risk being removed again from the field. Johnston was the strong-willed guiding force, who had he lived, could have guided the South to victory. Beauregard was the arrogant general whose hubris may have cost them the battle. On the down side, I thought the novel was overly long, and there was a decent bit of fluff that could have been cut out of this. In all, this was both informative and entertaining--a book that I recommend.
Carl Alves - author of Two For Eternity
Less Than Hero
In Less Than Hero, S.G. Browne presents an entirely different take on the superhero genre than anything I have ever read before. Typically, superheroes have cool powers like the ability to fly, or super strength, or speed. In this novel, Lloyd and his band of heroes do things like put people to sleep, make them develop rashes all over their bodies, and blow up like human version of the Goodyear blimp. Not exactly an astounding array of powers. Not to mention the way they obtain their powers is quite odd, being the guinea pigs of pharmaceutical company clinical trials. And what would a superhero novel be without supervillains to counter them? In this case, the villains can steal people’s memories and create hallucinations. One thing is certain, Browne will never write a novel that isn’t entirely fascinating and interesting to read.As usual, Browne writes in an easy going and professional manner. It’s always a breeze to read his books, something I appreciate. The premise is full of intrigue. I like the development of the characters’ powers and how they go about using it. These are unconventional heroes so it’s fitting that they should have an unconventional way of developing and using their abilities. There’s a lot to like in this novel. One area that I thought it falls short is that there is a lot of social commentary about the role of pharmaceutical drugs and how they are used in society. I don’t have a problem with that, but I did think it was a little heavy handed, and it often took me out of the story because those sections were lengthy. This is a cool novel that you will want to read.
Carl Alves - author of Reconquest: Mother Earth
Sullivan's Justice
In this novel, Carolyn Sullivan, a probation officer and law student, has to help her brother Neil get out of trouble. An artsy type, Neil calls Carolyn to tell her that his girlfriend was found dead in a pool. After she finds out a family secret, she begins to have doubts about Neil's innocence. All the same, she is determined to help her brother.This was a solid if unspectacular novel. The writing was competent and professional. There were no major plot holes in the novel. At the same time, there was nothing especially Earth shattering about it either. It was a fairly pedestrian thriller with nothing to distinguish it from many of the other thrillers that I have read recently. Although entertaining, this wasn't a deep read.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
Odd Thomas
The best thing about Odd Thomas is the title character Odd Thomas. Koontz managed to create a compelling character. Obviously he thought so since he went to write a series of books based on his title character. Odd, just an ordinary fry cook, has extraordinary powers. He can communicate with the dead and see supernatural things that normal people can't. In the first installation in the series, Odd is seeing a slew of bodachs in his town. Bodachs are passively malevolent creatures who gather where a great tragedy is about to occur in. This puts Odd on alert as he and his girlfriend try to figure out what nefarious deeds are going to take place in their small California town.I enjoyed the first person narration style that Koontz used in this novel. The pace is very mellow and the prose is almost soothing at times. This all makes for a pleasant read. The plot in this novel left a little to be desired. There were various logic gaps and plot holes that made it tough sledding at times. By and large I would recommend this novel. Even if it's not overly deep it still was enjoyable.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
Water Witch
Deborah Leblanc uses her unique talents and gothic Bayou style in creating a tale filled with terror and suspense. In Water Witch, the protagonist Dunny Pollock has a special talent, she has an extra digit, which allows her to find things. In the old days this was used for finding water, but Dunny can find other things such as people. Her sister Angelle enlists her help in finding two missing children who have been abducted by a man who is trying to invoke ancient Indian spirits in order to attain greater power for himself.Deborah Leblanc has a creepy, smooth style which she uses expertly in this novel. The concept of the novel was cool, and her use of the Bayou and legends associated with it make this almost another character in the novel. The tension in the novel builds to a nice crescendo. Leblanc uses the time tested race against the clock to build that tension. Dunny has to act quickly and use all of her resources to save the children before they are sacrificed. Leblanc does a nice job with the characters. Her expert mastery of prose makes this an enjoyable read. A must read novel.
Carl Alves – author of Blood Street
Accused
Lisa Scottoline is back at it again with a Rosato & Associates novel, this time featuring Mary DiNunzio as the lead character. The novel starts off with Mary becoming partner in the law firm. Her first client as partner is Allegra Gardner, a highly excitable and intelligent girl who believes that the man sentenced for the murder of her sister six years earlier is innocent of the murder. She wants Mary to prove this. Allegra and her case immediately strike a nerve with Mary, both because of her relationship with her sister and the way her first husband was murdered. Mary’s personal life is undergoing upheaval as her boyfriend proposes marriage to her, and Mary is filled with doubt. To further complicate matters, her best friend Judy doesn’t believe they should take the case and ultimately begs off of it. Despite all of this, Mary tackles the case with bulldog tenacity in order to get justice.The basic framework of the novel is good. I like the case that is presented and how they go about investigating it. Although Mary is a good character, and her backstory is worthwhile to include, I think where the novel falls short is that there’s almost too much of Mary’s life and it slows the book down. I think a little less of that would have helped it. I also think there was too much of Mary’s father, who became a bit annoying by the end. Taking those aspects away, I found the book enjoyable, but they prevent this from being one of the better Rosato novels.
Carl Alves – author of Blood Street
Robert B. Parker's Killing The Blues
I had previously read one of Parker's novels in the Jesse Stone series and I absolutely hated it. With a new author on board, I figured I would give it a try and I was pleasantly surprised. There were multiple story lines going on this novel. The most prominent is an ex-con Stone had seriously messed up while he was drunk and angry coming after him in Paradise. A car theft ring with mob ties ends up in murder. A bullied girl holds her principal at gun point, and Stone develops a love interest. It's almost too much going on for such a short novel, but at least it kept the story moving at all times, and there is little wasted space.I liked the writing style in this novel, more so than Robert Parker's. As I mentioned, the pace was strong. I thought the portrayal of Jesse Stone was well done. There were some elements of believability that were lacking. For one thing, for a small resort town, there is a hell of a lot of crime going on. It's almost a bit much. The other thing that I didn't care for was that the story lines were wrapped up a little too cleanly, and there was too much of a redemption theme going on. Overall, I did enjoy the novel as a light, fun read.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
Three Seconds
Three Seconds is a Swedish crime thriller where an ex-con, Piet Hoffman, has been working deep undercover for the Swedish police infiltrating the Polish Mafia operating in Sweden. He is involved in the drug dealing business and gets his break when he is being told to take over the drug distribution in the Swedish jail system. His handler proposes that they go along with this plan, but things get complicated when a Danish infiltrator is killed during a drug delivery, and the murder is being swept under the rug to go through with the plan. High ranking members of the Swedish police go along with this deal only to turn on him quickly.This novel was disappointing in many ways. First, the concept of distributing drugs inside of a prison seems hardly worth the effort. The logistics of smuggling in the drugs and selling to people who don't have currency on hand just doesn't make a whole lot of sense and not worth the risk. Second, the book is very slow in spots. There's too much wasted space, and it seems as if the authors are trying to prolong the story to hit a certain word count. Third, the way the police turn on Hoffman so quickly is just silly. On the threat that he might speak to the investigator about the murder, they sentence him to death at the snap of the finger. It wasn't believable and it felt rushed. Overall, I would advise skipping this one.
Carl Alves - author of Blood Street
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
In this novelization of the fourth (and by far the most inferior) Indiana Jones movie, James Rollins was given the task of making a credible novel out of this subpar story. By and large, I think Rollins comes up short. Perhaps it was because of the weak source material that he had to work with. Having never tried a movie novelization, I'm unfamiliar with the constraints placed in that situation. I can only review this as a reader and fan of the franchise.However, there are some significant shortcomings. One is the campiness of the dialogue and some of the action. It had me rolling my eyes in spots. Jones lacks the panache he has in some of his earlier movies. The action really stretches the realm of believability. Furthermore, the introduction of aliens into the Indiana Jones storyline just doesn't work. It's like a romance movie turning into a slasher flick. It just doesn't fit the Indiana Jones motif. Just like the movie, the novel for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull just isn't that good and I would advise skipping it.
Carl Alves - author of Two For Eternity
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
In the only full length novel that Edgar Allan Poe ever wrote, he tells a tale set at sea of Arthur Gordon Pym. He sails around the globe, and during his misadventures at sea, he experiences a mutiny on board, a terrible storm resulting in a shipwreck, and a run-in with a tribe of cannibals. In order words, all sorts of madcap mayhem fun. As far as the novel itself goes, I wasn't wildly impressed. It seemed to ramble at times and most of it wasn't terribly compelling. I'm not the biggest fan of Poe's writing other than some of his classic stories and poems.On the other hand, there were many familiar elements in the story that other writers emulated in their stories. On that basis, I will give Poe credit for coming up with some innovative story lines that stood the test of time. Certain aspects of the novel stood out in that regards. One is the uncharted land with a savage tribe. Another is drawing the shortest straw to face one's death. There is a whole pirate element to it and some macabre aspects that I appreciated. Overall, although I wasn't overwhelmed by the novel, I can at least appreciate it.
Carl Alves - author of Two For Eternity
