Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

ALMOST MORTAL by Christopher Leibig — a high octane legal thriller

The physical and metaphysical collide in this award-winning legal thriller that promises to leave the reader hungering for more.

Part saint, part sinner, Deputy Public Defender Sam Young has an uncanny ability to work the legal system to his best advantage. With a super-human ability to ride the thought waves of others, Sam plays his hand like a mesmerist, planting ideas like seeds in people’s minds, “massaging” their thoughts to suit his needs. But underneath his self-serving agenda is an almost naïve desire to do good – a desire that compels him to take on private cases outside of his overloaded court schedule, not to mention outside of the law.

Sam’s mastery of the gray areas of the law hits a wall when drop-dead gorgeous Camille Paradisi, a nun from Sam’s former Parish, dumps the proverbial Catch-22 problem in his lap. The Rosslyn Ripper, a serial killer stalking their streets, is confessing. The catch? He’s using the protection of the confessional to unburden his soul.

With the clock against him Sam must find a way to break through the protective barrier Camille has built around her priest and access the information needed to reveal the killer. The only clue she’s willing to relinquish is a time-worn journal left at the church. Whether its contents reflect the grandiose ramblings of a delusional mind or of the killer himself remains to be seen. But one thing is certain. The DNA recovered from its pages present improbable if not impossible results, propelling Sam into world where the physical and metaphysical collide.

Attorney Sam Young is clearly a protagonist for the new millennium. Cynical, self-destructive and heroic to a fault, Sam Young is a modern-day standard bearer for the underserved segment of society. But no one in this extraordinary cast of characters is who they appear to be: leaving Sam to juggle conflicting agendas, hidden truths and a reality so mind-bending that it defies everything he believes.

With equal doses of insight and imagination, author Christopher Leibig draws on his experience as a defense attorney to provide a keen sensory awareness of the hectic and often desperate inner workings of an ego-driven legal system.

Blending the high-octane thrust of a contemporary legal thriller with the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, “Almost Mortal” cleaves a new, inventive niche in the legal thriller genre. This fast-paced legal thriller will leave the reader hungering for more. A terrific read!

June 8, 2016
The LIGHT of GRACE: Journeys of an Angel by Kasey Claytor – an epic spiritual journey

“The Light of Grace” by Kasey Claytor begins at the end of Grace’s final material/physical life on earth. She transcends into her angelic form and following a life review, Sophia, her former guardian angel, introduces Grace to the new charges she is to guide.

During her new role as guard and guide for people assigned to her, Grace continues to evolve. Her charges each live during vastly different time periods on earth. Mumbie, a woman, lives in primitive earth times. Garth, a Christian male, lives in the middle ages. Arnina lives in the technological age of the twenty-first century. Alistair lives in the twenty-ninth century, described as the salubrious Light Age.

In a surprising twist, the omnipotent narrator introduces himself by writing “And of course there is me. I am not a physical being, but I have been…”. The story teller describes the lives of each of these characters, from birth through life’s experiences until death, including their relationships and sufferings amidst supernatural guidance from Grace. To provide each character with visible and palpable loyalty and unconditional love, a canine spirit takes a physical form and stays by each one’s side.

Edifying dissertations give readers a smorgasbord of spiritual precepts combining multiple teachings and explanations from both Biblical and Eastern sages. Readers who enjoy the writings of Deepak Chopra or Wayne Dyer will find Grace’s metaphysical journey enlightening as it spans thousands of years both into the past and into the future.

The characters’ universal life situations trigger recognition of universal truths as they struggle to deal with war, death, love, hate, loss, drug use, jealousy, lust for power, success, failure, self- incrimination, torment, deep love, compassion, peace, and joy. Sufferings are portrayed as necessary stepping stones for the evolution of souls with the spiritual guidance of angels whose main tools are unconditional love and the absence of judgment, trusting that everything is what it must be.

You may want to gather with others to explore and discuss your observations as you accompany Grace and her special emissary, Aelfraed, on Grace’s spiritual journey crossing planes of existence and enduring trials and tribulations revealed through each character’s telling. The characters’ lives are vividly portrayed via the settings, lifestyles, and beliefs of the eras in which they live.

The Light of Grace: Journeys of an Angel by Kasey Claytor will make an excellent selection for book clubs interested in reading and discussing works that are spiritually and metaphysically oriented. It also will be a compelling read for anyone seeking answers to the mysteries of life, death, and what lies beyond.

June 7, 2016
VALENTINE’S DAY by April Kelly, — a Rick Valentine Mystery, Book 1

A clever plot, engaging characters, and a solid dose of self-deprecating humor make this detective mystery unique and a highly entertaining read.

Rick Valentine, a twenty-something, newly minted private investigator, is discovering that setting up one’s own PI business isn’t all that easy.

Clients aren’t lining up outside his office door and those who do come are more interested in having him find their lost cat than solve a real crime. Rick doesn’t exactly have an instinct for the business, either—once he’s stumbled onto a crime, he’s more likely to dig himself deeper with the bad guys than help put them behind bars. In fact, most of the people in Rick’s life seem to spend their time looking out for him, making sure that he survives to fight another day.

However, readers don’t make it very many pages into this cleverly written novel before realizing that there is far more going on behind the scenes than first appears to be the case.

A past employer who keeps Rick afloat by tossing him odd jobs here and there might also be connected with the death of Rick’s father. His “receptionist” no longer acts like a receptionist at all, instead exhibiting an alarming proficiency at handling a very large, very lethal gun.

Are these two drawing Rick into a life-threatening situation, keeping tabs on him for some reason having to do with his past, or helping him survive as he builds his business? And why are there two truly scary, murderous thugs suddenly looking for him?

April Kelly begins this first novel in her Rick Valentine Mystery series by gently introducing the reader to quirky, humorous characters and carefully laying the foundation for a more complex plot that is tied to past events in the main character’s life. After settling into thinking you are reading just another humorous cozy mystery, you suddenly realize you are hooked, thoroughly enjoying yourself, and unable to put the book down. This is fun! Clues pile upon clues, nothing is as it seemed in the beginning; Rick’s past is far more mysterious than it originally appeared to be and all those entertaining people you met early on have become compelling characters you truly care about.

Kelly has used her background as a television writer to skillfully develop a far more entertaining mystery novel than is typical of the genre. Valentine’s Day is highly recommended for those who love a good whodunit, endearing characters, and some laugh-out-loud moments.

June 7, 2016
The ONLY CLUE — The Neema Mystery Series, Book 2 by Pamela Beason – a gorilla mystery

When three gorillas disappear, Dr. Grace McKenna stands to lose not only her livelihood and her professional reputation, but also three close friends, in this lively new novel by animal advocate and author Pamela Beason.

Grace, assisted by a crew of young advocates from the Animal Rights Union, reluctantly fulfills a request from her project funders to hold a public exhibit of Neema, a mother gorilla, her baby Kanoni, and Neema’s giant, grumpy mate, Gumu. A dedicated cop, Matt Finn, supplies the project’s security protection (and Grace’s romantic interest).

After the public event, the apes vanish, a huge pool of blood on the floor of the gorilla compound is “the only clue” to what might have happened. Did they escape into the wild? Were they “liberated” by ARU operatives, or captured by exotic animal traders?

Grace can’t believe Neema would desert her, because the two have a close kinship based on their mutual use of sign language. Matt is sure someone connected with the project freed the gorillas on principle, or stole them for cash. He focuses on Tony Zyrnek, father of Jon, Grace’s most trusted assistant. Tony just got out of prison, is charming to a fault, and has a slew of highly questionable, greedy associates.

The project goes on lockdown, with Grace justifiably fearful of the consequences if word of the disappearance gets out. Matt and Grace are torn apart by the calamity, making it harder for both to function.

Matt’s investigations become increasingly complicated by crimes outside the compound, but his thorough police work gradually uncovers important evidence about the fate of the missing apes. Major revelations also result from Grace’s desperate delving into the bizarre international underworld where rare animals are bred and sold for profit.

Beason’s book, the second in her “Neema” series, will excite, enchant, and educate. Readers unaware of the innate intelligence of apes may be surprised to learn that Neema’s rather sophisticated communication abilities are based on verified fact. Beason skillfully shows us the human world through gorilla eyes.

Both dedicated animal rights proponents and people new to the dynamics of ape/human interaction will empathize with Gumu, Neema, and Kanoni’s struggles; while fans of the “locked room mystery” genre will fix their attention on the plight of the humans and their efforts to find more clues before it’s too late.

The Only Clue is a well-crafted mystery to inform as well as intrigue and captivate, opening an engaging realm of fictional exploration and speculation—the special bond that can happen between gorillas and people. Highly recommended.

June 3, 2016
PORTIA BENCH by Robert Boyd, a horror thriller novel

Ill-fated Clint Matheson. He lands what looks like the stellar job of his career—managing construction of a new highway across British Columbia, in time for the Expo 86 World’s Fair in Vancouver—only to find the highway must cross Portia Bench–a tableland that is ideal for a roadway.

However, it is actually a graveyard. Centuries ago, a First Nations chief lost his bride there in an earthquake, and in his grief he forever cursed the land. Later, a horrible train wreck took more lives, including those of circus animals. So when Clint’s team starts surveying this cursed ground, spirits awake, and start fighting back.

Survey teams are slaughtered when crew members suddenly go berserk. Surviving crew members see bewildering visions and hear incomprehensible noises. Clint, who learns of the legends from a contemporary chief and his daughter, plus a museum director knowledgeable about the Kootenay Central Railway, finds that maybe he shouldn’t have been so quick to dismiss the legend of the curse, especially once he starts seeing some of the visions himself.

But Clint can’t make his bosses believe, and they refuse his begging to reroute the highway. He has to find some way to stop the spirits from going crazy and get the road built. Meanwhile, crew after crew comes to grief. Even nature conspires to set back the project, with harsh winters and mysterious wildfires.

The story takes on a Grade-B-horror-movie flavor as the body count rises as an entire work crew is murdered. The plot of this story is about supposed progress interfering with a cursed landscape and unleashing primeval forces. Clint has to wrestle with some serious conflicting interests along with finding himself romantically distracted by Chief Edwin’s daughter, Cindy.

The most intriguing aspect of Portia Bench is the regional history brought to life by the author, who clearly has done his homework, and knows from experience the hardships of building roads across the high backcountry of western Canada. The central mystery of the story is: Will Clint be able to come up with a solution, or will the spirits wipe everyone out? The odds are against Clint and he must risk all to find a way.

June 2, 2016
THE BLEAK: a Sam Dyke Investigations, Book 4 by Keith Dixon

“The ninth rule of private detection states that you should never take on a client you think might be nuts. I wasn’t entirely convinced this was the case with the woman who’d called me that morning, but I was certainly tending that way.”

Sam Dyke is a private investigator whom you can’t help but enjoy getting to know. Readers will quickly get to understand Dyke’s character by his sharing of his detective tenets.

The case involves a distraught female named Margaret, who is deeply concerned over the recent behavior of her boss Nathan. Though apprehensive, Dyke takes on her case anyway even if it goes against his better judgement.

What unfolds is a fast-paced thriller based in England, specifically in Crewe, where a number of questionable suicides have taken place. One of these suicides turns out to be Margaret’s boss.

Dyke shares more of his detective axioms: “I’ve found that once I start a case it tends to move quickly. I hadn’t exactly started on this— whatever “it” turned out to be— but things still moved along at a click.”

Sam’s focus rests upon the research facility where Nathan worked. In fact, Sam is asked by the CEO of the company to look into Nathan’s death as well. This was not well received by some of the employees. “Why are you letting Dyke into all this? He’s a little toe-rag who shouldn’t be truffling around looking for something that he won’t find.”

Sam faces near silence and some pretty stiff push-back from some of those whom he interviews: “What do you think you’re going to find, exactly? What do you think people are going to tell you?”

Sam counters with “I won’t know until they tell me. That’s the way it is in this game. One minute, complete ignorance, the next, enlightenment. Private detection is almost a spiritual act.”

A real sense of danger and suspense culminates in some fairly intense moments for our main character. At times you are left wondering if Sam Dyke has taken on his last case.

When Sam interview’s Nathan’s wife, Isobel, what she tells him gives him grave reason for concern. “In the last eighteen months I watched my husband change from someone who enjoyed his life, enjoyed his work and enjoyed whatever spare time he had left to spend with me. He changed into someone whom I barely recognized. He didn’t eat well. He didn’t sleep well. He spent more time at the office than any sane man should.”

As the story progresses you learn of the bleak. Who or what is the bleak? You’re going to have to read this well-crafted detective tale to find out. Keith Dixon has given readers a thrill ride in this fast-paced story of hidden truths waiting to be discovered.

Keith Dixon’s winning protagonist is Sam Dyke; a gritty British detective who can take as well as give. Fans of hard-boiled detective series are going to revel in following the cases of Sam Dyke, Investigations.

June 2, 2016
GREY DAZE: a Lance Underphal Mystery by Michael Allan Scott

Disturbed by psychic powers and whisperings from his dead wife Sonja, freelance photographer Lance Underphal finds himself caught in a web of evil.

When Lance’s lady friend Callie asks him to investigate the disappearance of her reclusive uncle, he and Jake Jacobs, a PI and former Navy SEAL, are on it. What seems like the natural death of a lonely old man reveals itself as murder. As Jake tracks the suspects, he discovers a pattern leading to government corruption at the highest levels—drug dealing and gun running involving biker gangs and the U.S. Dept. of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

Lance is jailed, arrested on felony charges for Sonja’s death, all the while plagued with paranormal visions of the murderer. Hit from all sides, he suffers a heart attack.

Sonja’s ethereal guidance and Lance’s innate toughness put him back on track, and after he and Jake deal with everything from a shyster lawyer to a drug-addicted killer to a biker gang covertly supplied weapons by the ATF, the story could be over. But further psychic insights into a cache of stolen gold and murdered souls crying for release force Lance and crew to press on.

The third in the Lance Underphal Mystery series by Michael Allan Scott, Grey Daze dishes out action on every page. Scott clearly loves language and uses it deftly, depicting vicious battles to the death, steamy sex, and disgusting doings in a drug dealer’s den with equal zest and a refreshing absence of four-letter words. He has created credible, multi-dimensional characters, using them as glue for his sudden scene switches and dizzying plot twists.

Lance is an empathic anti-hero beset by middle-age aches and angst; Callie has her own sixth sense and is poised to accept a new romance; Sonja contributes unearthly messages ranging from wise, to wifely, to downright spicy; Jake is half muscle, half guts, and all heart. The circle is completed by a huge but affectionate pooch rescued from a life of crime.

This murder mystery/thriller, based on real events (as per the author), is layered with plot twists and alarmingly vivid details, along with voices of the dead and visions of imminent peril, make Grey Daze an action-packed page turner. It is sure to please already entrenched Underphal fans and draw new ones to the fold. Highly recommended for thriller/suspense fans.

June 2, 2016
DAUGHTER OF DESTINY: BOOK 1 OF GUINEVERE’S TALE by Nicole Evelina, the Grand Prize Best Book

Guinevere asks us, the readers, to listen to her words in the prologue of Daughter of Destiny, book one in The Guinevere’s Tale Trilogy. She implores, “I will take back my voice and speak the truth of what happened.” So shall the lies be revealed and Camelot’s former glory restored.”

Daughter of Destiny is the first of three historical fiction novels narrated by Guinevere in the series of Guinevere’s Tale, by Nicole Evelina. Her tale begins during her young turbulent childhood in fifth-century Britain. It is a time of struggling to come to grips with her special powers. She’s studying to become a priestess, competing against her future lifelong enemy Morgana, and coping with the politics and violence ravaging her homeland in England’s fifth century. The novel follows Guinevere as she is separated from her family in Northgallis, during her early years in Avalon. It follows her training in the magical arts and eventual return to her war-ravaged homeland.

This is no amateur first attempt at writing a novel—Evelina’s writing is lyrical and powerful. Her natural talent for storytelling is obvious from the first page as she captivates the reader with her tale told from Guinevere’s engaging perspective.

Even more impressive is the author’s extensive research behind the series. Her knowledge is evident as she constructs a richly-drawn fictional world of fantastical landscapes and sorcery. She immerses the reader in legend, magic, and tragic love, all set against the backdrop of misty Avalon. The author clearly loves her subject and passes on that passion through her telling of Guinevere’s story.

What makes this series brilliant, however, is that Evelina takes Guinevere’s story far beyond its common historical re-telling. Guinevere is not merely a woman destroyed by her own weaknesses in loving the wrong man, as history would like us to believe. She is also a woman of power, intelligence, and special gifts who, from her early childhood and beyond, strives to use her talents to help her own people.

Guinevere is an independent woman of strength and fortitude, who finds herself at odds with a world in which her gifts are a liability, and her passions put her and her homeland at great risk. Evelina’s account is a riveting and captivating page-turner.

This first offering by Evelina is rich and stunning, easily comparable to novels by other bestselling historical fiction authors. She has done her research and created a world that is compelling, historically accurate, and a realistic portrayal of the times balanced with the mystic and the magical.

This reviewer highly recommends Daughter of Destiny to fans of Arthurian and Avalonia tales, historical fiction, political intrigue, and heroic journeys.

The Guinevere’s Tale Trilogy won the 2021 Series Grand Prize Award for Best Fiction Book Series.

May 25, 2016
ICE MASSACRE: Mermaids of Eriana Kwai Book 1 by Tiana Warner – a killer twist on mermaid lore

Action-packed battle scenes, complex, engaging characters and a “killer” twist on mermaid lore make this award-winning YA fantasy novel a captivating read.

For generations the people of Eriana Kwai have selected their best warriors for the “honor” of embarking upon an annual assault on the murderous creatures infesting the waters that surround their tiny island. Known as “The Massacres,” this ocean-bound tactical offensive pits 20 rigorously trained young men against the burgeoning army of mermaids that lay siege to the island’s fishing grounds, leaving starvation in their wake. But these are no ordinary mermaids, rather, they’re the Homeric sirens of Greek legend, handmaidens of death and destruction, hell-bent on annihilating the human population of Eriana Kwai.

With the men failing to return home, a new, unconventional fighting force is ready to take its place in history – a band of 20 young women. Immune to the sensuous allure of the mermaids, the women combatants have a more level battlefield.

Among the most promising of the new warriors is Meela, an intelligent, thoughtful eighteen year-old whose skills, when harnessed properly, are unsurpassed. But Meela has a secret locked deep within her heart, an Achilles’ Heel that threatens to undermine their “Massacre” and send her entire crew to a watery grave.

“Ice Massacre,” the first installment of author Tiana Warner’s “Mermaids of Eriana Kwai” fantasy series, introduces a rich and engaging cast of characters. From her main character, Meela, brimming with the fire and passion of her youth to Meela’s arch rival Dani, a self-professed leader with an ax to grind, the author artfully delivers characters that reflect all of the excitement as well as the internal emotional conflicts that drive a woman-child of eighteen. These are characters with whom the YA and NA reader can easily identify. Make no mistake this is not a children’s tale, but a gritty and riveting story of strong female warriors who can be relentless and cold-hearted. Expect graphic violence and brutality. Betrayal, fear, anger, coming-of-age turmoil, and rivalry are portrayed as the story unfolds.

The author’s use of older world weaponry and sailing ships rather than our current weapons and communications capabilities creates an odd juxtaposition of technological eras that actually works. Armed with hand-forged iron weaponry and crossbows the women warriors are akin to modern day vampire hunters, straddling two worlds, challenging the reader to step on board “The Bloodhound” and join Meela on her hunt.

In the tradition of “The Hunger Games,” bestselling author Tiana Warner weaves a clever story of resilience and determination in the face of deadly odds. With riveting battle scenes, complex, enduring characters and “killer” twist on mermaid lore this award-winning, action-packed fantasy novel that is sure to captivate.

May 21, 2016
AN OUTCAST STATE by Scott D. Smith, a YA dystopian novel

One of the most popular genres out there today is “the zombie apocalypse.” You can find it on TV, in books, in graphic novels, and just about any other media format you can think of. Author Scott D. Smith brings his voice to the genre in his award winning book An Outcast State. It is a fast paced, imaginative, riveting read.

Written in the first person, you’ll quickly find out that the world is a different place than it was a few short months prior to the story. The book’s main character, Corbin, is a loner who has honed his survival skills and survived long enough to “live to tell tale.”

He tells us in the beginning of the book, “In fact, as I write this, an entire herd of them is outside this building trying to claw its way in. The door to this place is reasonably solid, but it won’t hold forever. Doesn’t really matter I guess since I’m planning on opening it soon anyway.”

The herd he is referring to are the zombies or as they are called in this book “eaters.” Corbin continues:

“The only comforting thought I have is that I don’t imagine the eaters are going to have any interest in this book. That means there’ll be some kind of record of my having been here, something that could give my death a little meaning. Assuming it even gets found. It’s better not to think about it. I have enough problems for today.”

Early in the book the loner status was soon to change for Corbin as he obtains a traveling partner. One of the realities of life in this current state of the world is the fact that to survive, one must explore the now empty homes of others. This quest is to gather usable supplies including such treasures as non-perishable good, batteries, and weapons.

On one such exploration, our main character meets Molly. Inside the home when Corbin arrives, we quickly learn that Molly is searching for her parents and this particular home Corbin chose to explore was hers. This sets off a quest to help Molly find her family, one that leads the duo via bicycle from Texas to Louisiana. This journey is filled with harrowing complications that build suspense. It is engrossing to see how our main character handles the new partner as this greatly impacts his ability to travel, seek food and defend himself.

Soon the pair encounters yet another challenging, but unexpected twist in their young lives. The following excerpt is a fine example of an important aspect about this book, the very real human concerns that play out in each of the scenes. Zombies are only the tip of the iceberg in this book. The real depth of the story lies in the interactions of the main characters to each other and those whom they encounter. It is through these interactions and encounters that Scott’s writing skills shine.

“Some combination of intelligence, intuition, and luck has kept me alive on my own all these years. I’ve learned to trust in each of them, but I usually count on all three working together. Unfortunately, intelligence and intuition had apparently called in sick that day.”

Luck was going to have to get some overtime, so one spot out in the middle of nowhere being as good as any other for chance to intervene on our behalf, I signaled Molly to follow me, turned my bike off the pavement, and headed for the woods that grew thick and dark just a few feet from the old highway……I have never believed in karma. I have never thought the universe was in favor of my success or my failure.

Things simply unfolded as they did, and that was that; however, as the events of the next few seconds played out, I was certain that I must have been paying for the accumulated sins of my lifetime.”

An Outcast State is one of those books that once you finish it, you are left with a desire to return to the world you just left and will want to hang out a little longer with the main characters. Filled with suspense and backed by a solid storyline, this novel is one that is hard to put down. Scott D. Smith has taken a popular modern genre, made it his own, and gives readers a thrilling tale to behold. An Outcast State received the Dante Rossetti Award for YA Dystopian Novel.

May 21, 2016