Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

  • A THEORY OF EXPANDED LOVE by Caitlin Hicks, a bold, coming-of-age novel

    A THEORY OF EXPANDED LOVE by Caitlin Hicks, a bold, coming-of-age novel

    Confused by conflicting messages from family and church, a young girl takes big issues of life, love, and trust into her own hands.

    It is 1963, and American Catholics are stirred. First, by the death of the pope, and later, the assassination of the first Catholic president. Preteen Annie Shea, one of eleven children in a devout Catholic family, is the narrator. Because her father, a soon-to-retire Naval officer, once had a chance encounter with a priest who is now a cardinal, Annie sees her parents shamelessly promoting themselves in the community and church as friends of the possible next pope.

    As we begin to live among the Sheas, we see a passive, harried mother who suffers in secret from the early loss of a baby and a well-meaning father who is tyrannical in pursuit of prestige, trying to control his unruly brood with strict moral injunctions backed up by a belt. But his rules can’t stop Annie from wondering: why is it a sin to lie, except about the family’s supposed connection to the papacy? Why can’t she talk to someone about a family member creeping into her bedroom and feeling her up?

    Worst of all, in a religious culture where babies are so wanted and life so precious, why is her older sister consigned to a convent to “repent” and, Annie learns, have a baby that will be taken away for adoption before anyone in the family even looks at it? Annie’s sudden bold rebellion may tear the family apart—or bring it together in ways never envisioned.

    Canadian author Caitlin Hicks is a playwright and actress who has crafted this coming-of-age novel like a series of episodes in a fast-developing family television drama. Annie is a likable, gutsy girl stuck in the contrast between what she knows in her heart to be right and what she is being told by various patriarchs—dad, priest, and pope.

    Authentic, amusing, wise beyond her years, Hicks’ heroine marches forth like a modern Maid of Orleans to remind others of their true moral duty. Hicks composes with confidence and competence, deftly manipulating the modalities of the fateful events of 1963 to reveal the Sheas as a sort of “every family,” with strong bonds of caring and some notable fault lines.

    A Theory of Expanded Love is a teen’s-eye view of what happens when doctrine threatens to outweigh compassion, and how balance can be restored with a few bold moves.

  • REMEMBRANCE OF BLUE ROSES by Yorker Keith, a passionate literary novel

    REMEMBRANCE OF BLUE ROSES by Yorker Keith, a passionate literary novel

    U.N. Human Resources Officer Mark Graham Sanders find his life turned inside out when a chance encounter reunites him with his friend, fellow U.N. colleague, Hans, and Hans’ beautiful, enigmatic wife, Yukari. Mark enters into this triangular friendship convinced that, although attracted to Yukari, he can maintain an appropriate emotional distance and still enjoy the deepening bonds of the trio’s relationship.

    As the three friends grow closer, they discover their bond goes back several generations through their descendants, prompting Yukari to claim that destiny has brought them together. In tribute to this almost magical connection, the two men steal out to plant a rare variety of blue roses in the U.N. garden in Yukari’s honor.

    In the meantime without warning, Yukari’s world is shattered when she learns of her husband’s infidelity. With a calm resolve, she takes Mark into her confidence, revealing her plan to divorce Hans. Mark’s loyalty to Hans pushes him to help the couple reconcile, and when Yukari becomes pregnant with Hans’ child, peace seems to return. But the quiet grace and gossamer vulnerability surrounding Yukari draws Mark in, like a moth to a bonfire. And when Hans’ quest for “meaning” in his life takes him to another continent, leaving Mark to care for Yukari during her pregnancy, tragedy beckons.

    Set in the rich cultural backdrop of New York City, author Yorker Keith uses precise language and an insightful first-person narrative to explore the myriad facets of complex emotional relationships. A struggle of personal integrity allows his main character, Mark, to develop deeper levels of human understanding, to accept his own imperfections and rediscover himself while Han’s crisis of conscience forces him into a position of atonement. Yukari, like Madame Butterfly, spans the entire range of tragic, elegant love.

    Yorker Keith’s Remembrance of Blue Roses is a slow-burning, passionate literary novel that speaks to the romantic in all of us.

  • TERMS OF SURRENDER by Lorrie Farrelly, a historical romance emerging from war

    TERMS OF SURRENDER by Lorrie Farrelly, a historical romance emerging from war

    Readers will experience a strong onslaught of emotions as they come to grips with the horrific battles that were fought in Gettysburg, PA during the Civil War. Lorrie Farrelly’s historical romance Terms of Surrender carries the spirit of a post-war nation expertly throughout its pages; a superb read for fans of love stories set on the rugged background of the Western Frontier.

    The plot follows the very real struggle of former Confederate Captain Michael Cantrell. As with many post-Civil War veterans, he’s unsure what to do with himself in a nation ripped apart by a war that left behind broken homes.

    Michael ends up in Wind River Basin, Wyoming, where he suffers a severe gunshot wound while coming to the aid of a young woman, Annie Devlin, and her younger brother, Robbie. The siblings are running their small horse farm on their own while trying to keep their land from people with less than kind intentions. What plays out in the remaining pages of the book is a love story over the course of a year and a half. As he is nursed to health, Michael and Annie fall in love.

    From the first page, Farrelly draws on the genuine emotions experienced during the era. The authentic dialogue spoken in choked whispers from the characters tug at your heartstrings and hooks you for the rest of the story.

    Farrelly devises a narrative that illustrates the heartbreak of a man who pledges his life to a cause that was lost; he was a soul who had witnessed a lifetime of war and death. However, despite the tragedy, the story provides the hope that most veterans lose in trying to re-acclimate a peaceful life; the hope of finding your soulmate. Love becomes the anecdote to heal Michael’s battered heart. No matter how wild the West may be, love will lasso it again and again.

    This author brings back to life an era that is long gone. Terms of Surrender is a brilliant historical romance with a healing love that is much needed in the aftermath of  destructive Civil War.

  • CROWNING GLORY by Stacy Harshman, an adventure memoir about self-image and anxiety

    CROWNING GLORY by Stacy Harshman, an adventure memoir about self-image and anxiety

    Hairstyles can speak volumes about your personality, or at least, that’s the idea Stacy Harshman explores in Crowning Glory: An Experiment in Self-Discovery through Disguise. A heartfelt portrayal of Harshman overcoming anxiety, her memoir is for anyone looking to read an uplifting story that’s also a sheer delight.

    Harshman spends weeks in New York City running an outrageous experiment: she records people’s reactions to the different colored wigs she wears. Her hairstyles range from a fiery redhead to a raven-haired goth. Her obsession with hair goes back to her adolescence:  “…my hair has been my archenemy since seventh grade. There was never enough of it, and what I had was wimpy.”

    In addition to the unusual experiment, readers are drawn to the author’s motivation to continue and complete her venture. Readers connect to not only the book’s premise, but to Harshman herself; readers advocate for her to succeed.

    However, beneath the hilarity of the experiment, readers see the author’s vulnerability:

    “I didn’t have a job to give me some sense of being a productive human being… I wanted to get one, but just the idea freaked me out…Before the depression, I had rehearsed and performed music…not being able to play out with my band killed me…just being around people was tough to impossible…I spent the rest of the day fighting panic attacks.”

    Readers also cheer for Harshman’s bravery to face and conquer her anxiety through finding her true self.  Her courage elevates the writing of this memoir, definitively distinguishing it from a self-absorbed story. The narrative reduces the stigma of mental illness that plagues so many people. The story offers hope and encouragement to those who have a mental illness, while bringing awareness and understanding to those who do not.

    The memoir demonstrates that appearance does play a role in social interactions to varying degrees. People’s feelings about their looks can become a determining factor in how others perceive them; a better understanding of self goes a long way in relationships.

    Some may find that the impact of the story is too diluted due to Harshman’s retelling of the experiment as she explores different looks. However, the book still resonates with emotion throughout, while still providing readers with a candid and fun experience.

    Readers get to embrace the past and present life of Harshman, sharing in her laughs, fears, and tears as she plays out her social experiment. An adventurous journey from start to finish, Crowning Glory provides fresh perspectives and insights about anxiety and self-image that might just inspire readers to conduct their own experiments with image in today’s society.

  • ICED TEE by Cherie O’Boyle, second installment of the Estela Nogales Mystery Series

    ICED TEE by Cherie O’Boyle, second installment of the Estela Nogales Mystery Series

    A freezer with blood trickling down the side. An inquisitive border collie. Cherie O’ Boyle stirs these intriguing images to bring readers another engaging mystery with Iced Tee: An Estela Nogales Mystery, the second book in her popular series. Boyle doesn’t fail to bring another fantastic narrative for cozy mystery fans.

    Readers are introduced to the quirky little community of Arroyo Loco located in the coastal mountains of California. A diverse community complete with its own obligatory Home Owners Association, filled with people you probably recognize from your own neighborhood: you have busybodies, town gossips, the obligatory community grouch, and the person who leads the association but no one really cares for them leading. Definitely a slice of California pie in this book!

    Our ensemble of quirky characters is topped off by one Estela Nogales who with her border collies Shiner and Scout, “live here happily in our weathered house under a big blue oak.” Estela is an amateur sleuth and psychologist by trade. At times self-deprecating, yet charming with a wry sense of humor, Estela really drives the story forward. Cherie O’Boyle crafts a character that makes the reader want to do two things: never put the book down until it is finished and pick it back up once completed.

    Estela’s perspective of the community is priceless and epitomizes the author’s desire to create a community that appears like any other real-life counterpart. Her descriptions are intimate and cozy, making readers feel right at home in the community in a feel-good type of way.

    The mystery unfolds rather quickly and humorously. Community member Tee is found dead, but this is certainly not your run of the mill death. Tee is discovered in a chest freezer. What ensues is a frankly hilarious exchange of community members on what resulted in poor Tee’s demise.

    The wild running theory is that Tee was killed over stolen ice cream; perhaps she was the ice cream thief. Did she fall backwards into the freezer, bumping her head, during this act of thievery? Was she startled by a fellow community member who caught her in the middle of this horrendous crime? After all, a broken camera was found in pieces on the floor near the chest freezer!

    You will have to pick up Iced Tee to find out what happens next. The narrative abounds with smaller challenges popping up in the background of the freezer mystery. If you enjoy puzzles presented in the form of a laugh out loud whodunnit, than this is this book for you. Cherie O’Boyle crafts another good old cozy mystery that will certainly appeal to a wide variety of readers and keep them guessing until the final page.
    Reviewer’s Note: This mystery was awarded the 2015 Chanticleer Book Reviews “Small Town Cozy” for Mystery and Mayhem Awards.

  • EVEN THE SMALLEST BIRD CASTS A SHADOW by Valerie Marie Leslie, a collection of youthful poetry

    EVEN THE SMALLEST BIRD CASTS A SHADOW by Valerie Marie Leslie, a collection of youthful poetry

    Spanning adolescence to the murky adulthood of the early thirties in each thematic chapter, Even the Smallest Bird Casts a Shadow also casts a light on the familiar struggles of maturity, romance, independence, doubt, depression, and further into the experiences of growing at the end of the last century. Altered little from their original creation, preserving the “dysfunctional integrity” of the youthful poems, Leslie varies the breathless experience with free form, rhyme, and lyrical verse.

    While plainly written for privacy and self-revelation, Leslie’s poems in nearly every form capture experience that might be known to any reader. Although each chapter covers roughly the decade and a half, there is a progression through the chapters that resembles the evolution of the narrative persona of Leslie. Back-to-school senses are evoked in the ramble of “During Science,” and there’s an affection to the poem “Hey Teacher,” which surely every high school writer has rendered some way. Heartbreak and romantic hope extend cover to cover but the early poems preserve the innocence of first attempts, culminating in the proud assurance of “The Ave Maria.”

    As the collection advances, the reoccurrence of life’s distresses, financial struggles, social pressures, miscommunication, failed expectations, and romantic disappointments, couple with resilience, ambition, and determination to reveal turmoil that’s as close as scented memory. The fallibility of human intention is confronted in Leslie’s poems at the same time as the loss of certainty in what she, we, seek from a life of surviving.

    The final chapters of supposedly reached adulthood still question the definition of that idea, and are laced with the aspirations and confusion of high school and college. The bitterness appears with simple sharp lines, “I didn’t get my degree for nothing,” and a young adult struggling to settle their purpose in life can find their frustration spoken from beginning to end in Leslie’s collection.

    Many of Leslie’s poems are untitled, and several throughout question, explore, or verify a sense of spirituality, connection, and security in God. These chapters plunge into the despair of doubt, guilt, and depression. In a life seeking love, Leslie expresses from an emotional pain felt in ages beyond the experience of her poems.
    Reading Leslie’s collection invited me to look back at memories and experiences of exactly the same time frame depicted, to question how I would define what I witnessed and learned then. The purpose of Even the Smallest Bird Casts a Shadow is to end a silence of self-doubt and shame, but it may easily motivate readers to delve into their past and youth for strength and inspiration.

  • The SILK and the SWORD by Ron Singerton – an epic journey from Rome to the Great Wall of China

    The SILK and the SWORD by Ron Singerton – an epic journey from Rome to the Great Wall of China

    Tacitus, the rebellious son of Gaius Septimus, learns too late that the temple that his gang has desecrated was his mother’s chosen holy place. Barely able to contain his murderous rage, Gaius issues an ultimatum to his son: Tacitus can spend the rest of his life as a slave, or he can work to redeem himself through military service.

    However, Tacitus has little time to absorb the shock of his punishment and his decision to join the military. Behind closed doors, Caesar’s consul, Marcus Crassus, makes a case for war and creating the need for many of the legionnaires. Tacitus is called to action, answering directly to the leadership of his centurion father, Gaius, who is Julius Caesar’s chosen “First Spear.”

    Cursed by his own arrogance and greed, Marcus Crassus’s military mission crumbles, leaving Gaius, Tacitus and a small band of surviving legionnaires to navigate uncharted foreign lands and savage cultures in their quest to return to Rome. With betrayal and deceit at every turn the soldiers suffer enormous physical and emotional beatings.

    Their survival, much less their success, hinges on the unlikely chance that Tacitus, an unrepentant son, and Gaius, an unforgiving father, will cast aside their differences and work shoulder-to-shoulder to restore order, hope and honor to their men.

    In this well-crafted follow-up to his first historical novel, “The Villa of Deceit,” author Ron Singerton delivers a cast of fresh, flawed, and completely believable characters through which he illuminates the universal strengths and weaknesses in all of us.

    Building upon the life story of his original main character, Gaius, the author invites the reader to investigate the events that have created a chasm between father and son. As Tacitus sheds his underdog status and takes the spotlight, we become invested in his trials and triumphs. And, as his respect for himself and his father grows, he becomes a hero worth rooting for.

    From the battlefields of Carrhae (now modern day Turkey), to the towering mountains and sweeping expanse of ancient Asia’s “Silk Road,” and on to the Great Wall of China, “The Silk and the Sword” is packed with vibrant historical and tactical detail.

    Culled from primary historical references as recorded by Plutarch, Pliny and Julius Caesar, the author illuminates the fascinating, multi-faceted private and public worlds of the Roman legionnaire. Fans of both historical fiction as well as Roman history will find Ron Singerton’s “The Silk and the Sword” to be a highly engaging, satisfying read about one of the most detrimental defeats in Roman military history.

     

  • BLIND FAITH: THE GAUNTLET RUNNER BOOK VI by S. Thomas Bailey, a powerful historical fiction novel

    BLIND FAITH: THE GAUNTLET RUNNER BOOK VI by S. Thomas Bailey, a powerful historical fiction novel

    Blind Faith: The Gauntlet Runner Book VI by S. Thomas Bailey is the latest in his award-winning series. This historical novel does well in carrying its readers through a part of the French and Indian War in 1759. We gain powerful insights, feeling the emotional swings and hazards faced by the characters. The author, a brilliant historian, weaves characters amidst historical facts, giving readers a view of the war’s colonist trackers and focuses on their leader, Jacob Murray––his tenacious endurance––and his dilemmas.

    The side story of his wife Maggie establishes her as a pioneering heroine. Their deep characterization inspires admiration when we consider the many folks who came before us––to settle North America. The underlying current of love gives us hope as we traverse through the agony of war and the challenges of the wild.

    Reader interest is captured on the first page. After the latest demoralizing battle defeat, Jacob’s compassion and disgust rises when he sees the pathos caused by inept British Officers. Jacob agonizes over his dilemma–stay and fight–or desert his men, including his son, to try to find his beloved wife, presumably lost to the north while searching for their child.

    Commissioned by the British Army, Jacob, and his fellow colonists operate as trackers gathering vital information for the British. He’s not a military man, but a settler who must fight in a British war. He leads his men using wisdom and strength but obeys commanding officers because he must. The secondary characters weave into the story either to support Jacob and Maggie or to be their foes––all characters have their own unique journey.

    The author truly resurrects the history of this war, making it alive and vivid. Readers are gripped within the reality of the fight. We feel the honor, courage, fear, horror, despair, and hope.

    Readers slog with Jacob and his men through the wilderness. Utilizing body language and dialogue, the author shows emotion and moves the story ahead. We feel their fatigue. We witness the unrelenting threat of attacks from the French and native warriors.

    In addition to battling human enemies, the men withstand rugged overgrown terrain and impassable waterways. They must obey officers of doubtful ability and endure the prejudice of the British against the lowly colonists. We see Jacob’s genius when he and his men work feverishly to prepare for the brutality of an advancing Canadian winter.

    Maggie engages readers in her own chapters. She forges through the wilderness amidst hostile Indians, searching for her two-year-old son.  Knowing she must shoot and kill to survive, Maggie pushes forward––on foot and in stolen canoes––against overwhelming odds. When hope waxes thin and she’s a captive of her circumstances, she ignores her suspicions and must trust others.

    We experience her vivid trials (similar to Jacob’s) in the wild tangled forests leading along the St. Lawrence River. She must reach Quebec City. We navigate the trails, get stuck in the waterways, and feel the impact of weather. We sympathize with her exhaustion and isolation. We can hear her smacking the swarms of mosquitoes and black flies.

    Jacob and Maggie can only groan inwardly, wondering about the fate of each other. Readers expect opposing forces during this mid-seventeen hundred French and Indian War. But a unique formidable foe arises––a traitor obsessed with revenge. He morphs within his growing depravity, turning into a deadly enemy spreading havoc and death.

    When we read the last words of the story, we are pointed to the next book in the series; we are left hanging in the midst of a crisis. So close, but not quite done. This reviewer is willing to wait for the next book for the outcome.

    Blind Faith by S. Thomas Bailey is an outstanding historical novel in its accuracy, craft, and ability to resurrect dynamic characters who are struggling to live another day.

  • WAKING REALITY by Donna LeClair, a courageous memoir about surviving abuse

    WAKING REALITY by Donna LeClair, a courageous memoir about surviving abuse

    Writing a memoir is more than merely putting facts down on paper and regurgitating the gory details of our painful past. We’ve all had heartbreak and joy, but the glue must be in the story. As American author Susan Shapiro (“Five Men Who Broke My Heart”) puts it, “A novel that is merely autobiographical is a great disappointment, but a memoir that reads like a novel is a great surprise.”

    Donna LeClair does the genre justice in Waking Reality, her page-turning memoir. It will make you appreciate full disclosure honesty rather than disparage over a writer evincing her suffering, which occurred mainly at the hands of men, including her father. This memoir is for anyone willing to go along for the ride with a writer who exposes her life’s nooks and crannies, some uplifting, and many horrifyingly unreal.

    Through engaging and well-written prose, LeClair relates the 1963 murder trial known as State of Ohio v. Bill Bush, a police sergeant who murdered three members of one family. Bush happened to be her uncle and the family he tore apart, hers. Due to the circumstances of the trial, LeClair and her sisters were in protective custody. Imprisoned at ten years old in her own home, she was forced to crawl so she “would not be within visual range of a shooter.” She stopped watching TV because the glowing screen alerted potential intruders when the family was home.

    Amid the horror, LeClair introduces the word “hologram” 27 times (I counted), evoking themes of truth, light, and above all, faith, as in this passage early in the book: “Lurking behind these seasoned holograms are withering spirits who weep in unfathomable chateaux, scrutinizing the tumbling of their gingerbread thoughts. None of our lives’ fantasies or any of our hearts’ desires can put crumbling pieces back together, but if you secure the courage to journey inward, the key to your happiness reflects there.”

    She doesn’t just tell us the story of her childhood fear, she sings it, using these fairytale-like passages: “I know angels carried me home that day because I was too young to make the journey unaccompanied, and hell is too far of a gallop for legs groomed not for devil’s track. Wings of godliness cloaked my thought’s defiance of belief and knowing; the communion of virtue and endurance heralded a sanctuary of nudities unbeknownst to my virgin eyes.”

    To some, the fantasy interludes may be a distraction; others will see the distorted sense of reality her child self endured. “Mirror, mirror of the truth, I beg of you, show no more. Why do I have to look inside? It would be easier to hide… Hide, if you wish, but there is no escape to all those things buried deep inside.”

    LeClair apparently honed her literary acumen in high school, but not by attending class and taking notes. Detecting a deep sadness in her student, LeClair’s English teacher excused her as long as she produced a short story or poem by the end of the day.

    Waking Reality is recommended reading for anyone looking for an engrossing account of a woman’s courageous story growing up in the 1960s. You will want to see that she emerges through the dark tunnel of abuse; LeClair has two children and three grandchildren and does lectures around the country.

  • THE DREAM JUMPER’S PROMISE by Kim Hornsby, a romantic thriller novel

    THE DREAM JUMPER’S PROMISE by Kim Hornsby, a romantic thriller novel

    A mysterious murder and vivid, strange dreams are the perfect recipe for an engaging story. Readers who enjoy a good adrenaline rush will find this a brilliant romantic thriller.

    Kristina (Tina) Green’s life was perfect. She owned a diving shop on the beautiful island of Maui, spending her days diving along the coasts and her nights with her loving husband.

    But when her husband disappeared, Tina’s life was uprooted, and ten months later she finds herself still unable to move on until she discovers what happened. Worse, her dreams relentlessly push her into the eerie depths of the ocean each night, and she is convinced that the ocean is trying to tell her something.

    As Tina desperately tries to move on from her husband’s assumed death and her mysterious dreams, someone from her past enters her life unexpectedly. The person has a preposterous offer of help by entering her dreams to determine what happened to her husband. Tina reluctantly accepts his aid, but her family and friends begin to act oddly. She finds herself on the brink of insanity as everyone loses her trust; she can only cling to the hope of resolving her husband’s mysterious disappearance.

    Kim Hornsby’s The Dream Jumper’s Promise begins with a heartbreaking premise and quickly envelops the reader in a cloud of intrigue. At first, the romantic energy of the novel and the developing background of each intriguing character is enough to keep the reader hooked. But soon it becomes clear that the death of Tina’s husband is a larger puzzle begging to be solved. Tina is a strong protagonist worth rooting for. As the mystery develops, Tina begins to lose herself, and the reader must advocate for the resilient woman to push through as she teeters between the waking world and the dream world.

    The narrative is further complicated by the strain put on Tina’s relationships with the people around her. The complexity weaves itself around Tina as she copes with her husband’s mysterious death, having someone invade her dreams, and trying to figure out whom she can trust. Readers are thrust into Tina’s mind as they’re left unsure with who and which world is telling the truth.

    The Dream Jumper’s Promise, the first in Kim Hornsby’s The Dream Jumper’s series,  is a sexy, paranormal thriller that gets the blood pumping and the heart racing.