Chanticleer Book Reviews

Author: Tim MacAusland

The TRAIN from OUTER SPACE by Alan Sproles and Lizanne Southgate – Middle-Grade, Alien Invasion, Wormholes, Magic Trains

Don’t you just hate it when a train from outer space tries to swallow up you and your dog whole in the grassy plains behind your house? And don’t you just hate it when your planet is suddenly sucked through a wormhole and placed smack dab in the middle of a couple even bigger planets? And isn’t it just the worst when you realize that all of the above is all part of some game, that your world is just a cue ball for someone to propel across the pool table that is the universe?

Well, in The Train from Outer Space, that’s exactly the situation twelve-year-old Brady finds himself in, scrambling to make sense of it all while at the same time prevent what looks to be Armageddon on a scale no one could have ever imagined.

In Alan Sproles and Lizanne Southgate’s spirited sci-fi adventure for the middle-school set, insanity is the new normal for planet Earth. Introduced to the reader and Brady is a zany and mysterious universe filled with bizarre life forms, the likes of which no one has ever seen. Chief among them is the tiny, gelatinous being Brady and his spunky best friend Franky refer to as “Li’l Dude,” whose crashed space module heralds the advent of the train.

At first, their new extra-terrestrial companion seems to be more disgruntled than dangerous, but little do they know a whole mess of trouble follows Li’l Dude to their big blue home in the form of Rotaxis, an alien creature who repositions Earth in a brand new solar system.

With little time and planetary fallout imminent, Brady and Franky find they are the only ones equipped to discover the truth behind Li’l Dude’s presence and find a way to reverse the wormhole and send themselves back to the Milky Way. Only they soon realize there’s only one way to accomplish their goal. They must board the train from outer space.

Energetically comical without undermining true, human development, The Train from Outer Space thrusts its protagonists into a world of imagination and color that only seems to accentuate their even more vibrant personalities. While the supporting cast is equally wacky and fun, it’s Brady’s growth during the adventure that ties up the story nicely, as he searches for purpose and a newfound sense of family following the death of his father. Only through loyalty and teamwork will he finally find what he’s looking for… not to mention save the entire planet.

September 22, 2017
THE GALICIAN PARALLAX by James G. Skinner – Spies & Politics, Thriller, Terrorism

Lieutenant Sergio Quiroga of the Civil Guards has smelled something fishy brewing in the northwestern autonomous community of Spain known as Galicia for some time, and it’s not the world-renowned Port of Vigo.

Not directly, anyway. It’s the cartels that are using the port to funnel drugs into Europe via the yachting enterprise, but what’s worse, the cartels have ties to the terrorist faction known as Al-Qaeda. The deeper Sergio delves into the latter organization by way of the former, the more he learns of their shifting plots to attack on European soil. Without the support of his superiors, Sergio must immerse himself in the Galician underworld in order to stay ahead of this thing. He eventually enlists the aid of British consul Stan Bullock to decipher exactly where and when the onslaughts are to take place.

Largely set against the backdrop of northwest Spain following the 9/11 attacks, Skinner capitalizes on factual events to craft his narrative, such as the Madrid train bombings of 2004 and the bombings in London of 2005, to name a couple. And even more often he peppers in smaller-scale acts of aggression dually to punctuate the characterizations of Sergio and Stan and keep the looming threat they both face alive and machinating. To that point, Skinner also fills in the blanks of his international playing field by briefly focusing on the subsidiary parties such as the cartel leaders, Sergio and Stan’s superiors, and even the then President George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden.

The Galician Parallax is certain to make a shrewd birthday gift for your diplomatically savvy uncle who likes to read about the second Bush administration and the concurrent War on Terror as if he were reading a series of dailies. The author maintains that he uses information based on facts to inform his readers rather than just trying to keep them entertained. On the other side of the coin, those readers more inclined to pick up a tight-knit character drama with some thrills here and there may be left wanting. Ultimately, Skinner, in his didactic world-building, challenges his readers and forces them to decide if they want to be informed or entertained. On the fiction side of things, Skinner imbues Sergio and Stan with their own personal struggles and desires to keep the reader caring about the story’s primary focal points.

Make no mistake, The Galician Parallax is strong message serving to expose the cartel involvement in well-known terrorist organizations around the world. A timely and informative thriller set in Galicia, Spain. Shrewd writing about the international playing field of cartels by James G. Skinner!

July 19, 2017
SILVER KINGS and SONS of BITCHES by Michael McGranahan – Biographical, Historical Fiction

Three men. Two cities. And as fate would have it, not all of them will be able to find what they’re looking for.

There’s that old platitude claiming that the truth is stranger than fiction. And sometimes it is. Sometimes it’s not even close. But what about what lies in the in-between? The undefinable midpoint wherein truth and fiction coalesce into an amorphous other. Sounds precarious, like one false ingredient spoiling the brew, a tangy, bothersome clash between bitter and sweet.

Not here. Not with Silver Kings & Sons of Bitches, a shrewd and seductive history lesson deliciously coated in literary flair and thematic design, courtesy of novelist Michael McGranahan. Using fiction as a tool to complement fact, McGranahan strikes gold (irony aside) in weaving a sweeping epic grounded by rich character development and high-stakes, enchanting from the first page to the last.

Taking place in the mid-nineteenth century on the heels of the California Gold Rush, the story centers on three lead protagonists. Chief among them is William Ralston (factual), financier and founder of the Bank of California, whose business exploits in the purpose of serving a greater love seemingly mark him for tragedy. Two things he loves most: Louisa Thorn, taken much before her time; and the peninsula that is San Francisco, a budding, bayside metropolis that Will dreams to recreate as the Paris of the West in honor of his sweet Louisa. Quick to become one of the city’s leading figures, Will seeks a bonanza, something he can use to build his empire. And he believes he’s found it in Virginia City, Nevada at the advent of Comstock Lode and the veritable oodles of silver to be had.

Only picking silver isn’t the same as picking peonies, and Will soon finds opposition in the form of Adolph Sutro (factual), a Prussian immigrant with dreams of his own. Though initially, the men bear many resemblances and share aspirations, their own prospective plans for the Comstock put them at odds with one another, and ensure that they both cannot walk away with what they want in this rat race that is the West.

Thirdly and finally, we meet Finnian “Finn” Gillespie (fictional), a down-on-his-luck Irishman whose dodgy dealings in San Francisco find him similarly seeking solace in Virginia City. The sole working-man protagonist, Finn finds himself soliciting the affections of schoolteacher Jess Ohhlson (fictional), whose regrettable sexual history in San Francisco and striking likeness to the late Louisa Thorn brings her to the attention of the already married Ralston.

Captivating and beautiful, Michael McManahan’s Silver Kings and Sons of Bitches is a lesson in power, greed, and what a man will do for love.

May 9, 2017
The FURNACE: The Tanner Sequence, Book 1 by Timothy S. Johnston – SciFi/Thriller/Suspense

Accidents happen on a space station. But when a body’s head and hands go missing, that’s when top investigator, Kyle Tanner rushes in to solve the heinous crime before more of the crew lose their heads. More detective mystery than sci-fi, Timothy S. Johnston’s hero is the only one who can stop the villain before he or it destroys everything in The Furnace.

The year is 2401. Homicide investigator Kyle Tanner has seen his fair share of the galaxy’s obscenities. Most notably he’s responsible for the capture of its most infamous rogue, popularly dubbed the “Torcher,” in a manhunt that propelled him into the cultural consciousness, though he couldn’t care less. In fact, he’s never felt more alone in the universe after his oversight led to the death of a fellow investigator, and the closest thing to a friend he has ever had.

But it’s his former exploit that will forever mark his career, and ultimately what has him assigned to investigate SOLEX One, a space station collecting solar energy on the warmer side of Mercury. The case: Jimmy Chin, a crewman aboard SOLEX, killed outside the station when his vac-suit is mysteriously lacerated and decompression finishes the job. Not the grisliest of murders, but when the head and hands are removed from the body twelve hours later, the case falls within the realm of complication Tanner is known for untangling.

Now Tanner has fourteen remaining suspects aboard the station, any of whom could potentially be guilty of the crime. And though the rest of the crew widely consider Jimmy’s death an accident and the tampering of the body a prank, albeit an odd one, Tanner doesn’t share their sense of humor. He also knows something else: if there is indeed a murderer on the station, he’ll have to work fast to find them as their surroundings are far too claustrophobic and perilous for the potential victims, including himself, to rest easy.

Sure enough, the bodies begin piling up, and Tanner’s life is directly threatened. Were it the work of another maniac like the Torcher, Tanner might be able to get his head around the situation. Only there’s a secret that makes this case different than anything he’s ever experienced, and with implications that reach far beyond an isolated space station. It soon becomes clear that any one of them would count themselves lucky to make it out alive.

With a premise that’s virtually Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None meets John Carpenter’s The Thing meets Danny Boyle’s Sunshine, there’s some cross-pollination that could appeal to enthusiasts of multiple genres. This is not a straight Sci-fi, and it isn’t a straight mystery.

The author does face a challenge of blending a meaningful and entertaining story. Though there is plenty of intrigue piled into the first half of the book, the unwinding during the second half does take on a different pace. Some readers may find the technical aspects of the plot that point to plausibility a bit over complicated, lessening the tension and strength of the work. However, for those who crave Sci-fi/Thriller/Romance with the dial turned up to violent, this is your perfect read.

Don’t lose your head – even if someone or something tries to take it! Timothy S. Johnston’s The Furnace will have you checking your spacesuit for lacerations and keep you looking over your shoulder for what goes bump in outer space.

April 24, 2017
Greylock by Paula Cappa – Mystery/Thriller/Paranormal

What’s in the music we create? When we say it lives – when we say it breathes – when, for one fleeting moment it seems to bridge the gap between one soul and another – what kind of existence does it assume? What does it feel? What does it think? What does it want? Such questions may reside in theory for most, but not for piano virtuoso Alexei Georg in Paula Cappa’s Greylock.

Hot off the release of what will surely be his magnum opus, October, Alexei has achieved the level of success found only in his wildest dreams. Hailing from a Russian family steeped in musical artistry, he has transcended all those before him and become something they never could: a legend. And that’s all thanks to October.

There’s only one problem: he didn’t compose it.

And that would have been fine for him, taking credit for pages found in an antique chest belonging to one of his ancestors, if it weren’t for the demons it conjured every time he plays those chords. If it weren’t for the shadowy figure haunting him, punishing him, coming for him. October may have surfaced through the Georg bloodline, but there is something far more sinister and mysterious hidden in each note that is threatening to break free from Alexei’s control.

Alexei wants nothing more than to move on, but the past will not let him. Add to his troubles the threat of fraud exposure from those he’s closest to and a string of grisly murders within the Boston music community that brings the police knocking on his door, he can only come to realize just how much October is at the center of it all. He’ll have to confront three generations worth of Georg family demons to overcome this evil before it claims everything he has and hopes to achieve.

Using music as a central motif and life force to drive the narrative, Paula Cappa defies the limitations of the written word and adds a new dimension in storytelling through the personification of music. The descriptions being so richly layered and animated, one might just imagine these nightmares dwelling in the punctuation, awaiting their chance to come alive themselves.

With just enough integral characters in place to create conflict, Cappa creates a compelling mystery that allows the reader to virtually hear the machinations of the plot grind away before they inevitably crank up to a satisfying crescendo.

March 18, 2017