Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

  • HOT WORK in FRY PAN GULCH (Honey Beaulieu – Man Hunter) Book One by Jacquie Rogers – Take a ride to the Old West

    HOT WORK in FRY PAN GULCH (Honey Beaulieu – Man Hunter) Book One by Jacquie Rogers – Take a ride to the Old West

    Feisty, independent Honey Beaulieu is nobody’s fool, and she darned sure isn’t any man’s plaything. So earning a living on her back at her mama’s Tasty Chicken Emporium is not part of her life plan. Problem is, she doesn’t know exactly what her plan should be.

    Fortunately for Honey, her no-nonsense mama sees the proverbial writing on the bordello wall and does her own brand of arm-twisting to get Honey a job at the town marshal’s office.

    Lazy Marshal Fripp is none too thrilled to have a woman invading his domain and if it weren’t for his day-long excursions to the Tasty Chicken he and Honey would be banging heads constantly. With Fripp out of the office, Honey straps on her “Peacemakers” and gets a leg up on the career ladder, climbing from clerk-and-cleaner to Deputy Marshal. But Honey learns the hard way that Fripp is not about to stand on the sidelines while she hops on the fast-track to success.

    Plus, “lawdoggin’” doesn’t come close to paying the bills, let alone paying for all of the stray livestock that comes her way. So when a wanted man rides out of town on the back of Marshal Fripp’s horse, Honey is faced with the most important career decision of her life.

    Should she stick it out as the deputy marshal of Fry Pan Gulch or should she trade in her badge and a steady paycheck for a chance to leave the marshal in the dust and make some real money bounty hunting?

    In this hilarious first installment of the Honey Beaulieu – Man Hunter series author Jacquie Rogers introduces a lively and engaging main character whose heart of gold shines brightly through her tough-as-nails façade. Saddled with a strong conscience and her own set of rules, Honey sets the good old boy franchise on its ear, proving that they’re no match for a resourceful and enterprising, sharp-shooting woman.

    In addition to her fresh, new Honey Beaulieu – Man Hunter series, award-winning author Jacquie Rogers is well known for her popular Hearts of Owyhee western historical romance series and for her highly entertaining story-telling.

    Set in the Old West’s rough-and-tumble Wyoming Territory, Hot Work in Fry Pan Gulch is a tightly-written, action-packed romp that delivers page after page of laugh-out-loud fun—and maybe even a bit of romance along the way.

  • GHOSTS OF MATEGUAS by Linda Watkins, haunting American Gothic

    GHOSTS OF MATEGUAS by Linda Watkins, haunting American Gothic

    Spellbindingly dark and suspenseful, Ghosts of Mateguas will captivate gothic fans and keep thriller addicts on the edge of their seats.

    An old and wizened Native American shaman reveals what the ancient ones knew: Mateguas Island is steeped in spiritual power. He speaks of the positive effects of the swirling vortexes that lie on and around the island, but also warns that “The same healing energy, when disturbed by outside influences, can create vortexes that have the opposite effect.” He continues to explain that there’s a terrible evil on Mateguas, and it has manifested itself in a toad-like creature known as the Aglebemu – an entity that is an omen of tragedy to come.

    The story has characters compelled to return to mysterious Mateguas by their previous forays on the island. Watkins pulls readers into the story to question and investigate secrets of the island: What is this island hiding? Why do people seem to be drawn back to it despite problems that have occurred there for each of them? Many questions are answered as Watkins deftly weaves them together in this eerie saga.

    When the protagonist’s son begins displaying odd behaviors, she begins to wonder if he could be the legendary Blessed Boy. Could this boy, who began displaying unbelievable powers upon coming to Mateguas, be a legend come alive? What does the Blessed Boy have in store for the islanders?

    This suspense-thriller is a follow-up to the previous two titles: Mateguas Island and Return to Mateguas Island. Linda Watkins continues to engross readers in her compelling world of supernatural intrigue with this third thriller novel, Ghosts of Mateguas.

    Although it’s not required to enjoy the storyline, I recommend reading the first two books in the series first to become well-acquainted with the intriguing characters. Even though I read the third book out of sequence, I had an entertaining and scary time exploring its contemporary American gothic world. I am looking forward now to reading the prequels for the series’ full impact. This romantic thriller novel contains some sexual content that may not be suitable for readers under the age of 18.  

    Ghosts of Mateguas Island is a haunting novel packed with realistic characters and unpredictable twists placed on the backdrop of a spooky, magical island. As one of the main characters states in the book: “Welcome to my world…Strange paths no one else can find, evil spirits…it’s a wonder we’re not all in the loony bin.” This gripping saga is highly recommended for horror and Gothic fiction enthusiasts and those who enjoy romantic thrillers.

  • WAIT FOR ME by Janet K. Shawgo – WWII Historical Romance

    WAIT FOR ME by Janet K. Shawgo – WWII Historical Romance

    Second in the three-book Look for Me series, Wait for Me has the strength to capture readers as a stand-alone story with its new characters and historical setting. References to characters in Look for Me, the first book set during the Civil War, give sufficient back-story for the generational story of the White, Bowen, and Keens families.

    After the prologue shows Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, establishing the World War II setting, the story begins on September 23, 1940 in New York.

    “Jean Anne White-Shaw was reading the newspaper, listening to Glenn Miller on the radio and waiting for her son to come downstairs.” Songs from the Glenn Miller era become a powerful sensory cue for many scenes, some may say too many, while others may enjoy the trip down memory lane.

    However, the author excellently executes with the dialogue, bringing readers into the events and the characters’ emotions. The dialogue, coupled with excellent characterization, carries the story. It is strong, realistic, and shares considerable insight into the families. Readers connect to the people, and quickly find themselves engulfed in their story.

    Larry White is a reporter, a great nephew of Samuel White, a reporter during the Civil War; Susan Bowen is a nurse, a great niece of Sarah Bowen, a nurse during the Civil War; and Dealer Johns connects to the Keens family, going back to Mack, Sarah’s friend in the Civil War.

    “These were Samuel’s last handwritten notes from Gettysburg. Phillip…carefully removed his mother’s Bible and placed it in front of him. In the Bible was an envelope that contained two items he needed to give to Lawrence. … the necklace and note that were in Samuel’s possession when his body was brought back from Gettysburg.”

    Readers, watching the characters’ paths intersect, will eventually learn the connections to the characters in the first book whose similar paths these characters now follow. The plots and sub plots at times get a bit confusing, but as readers continue, they will make the connections, finding a finished story that is both cohesive and very good.

    The often-unknown role of women in wartime as travel nurses and pilots, as well as the use of herbs for natural healing, adds interesting and relative historical content to the story. The WASP pilots and their active role in the war effort was particularly fascinating reflecting Shawgo’s vigilance with her medical and military history research. Readers may find it interesting that Shawgo, along with being an award winning novelist, is also a travel nurse who goes where and when she is needed for national disasters.

    The satisfying ending holds just enough mystique to give a taste of what will come in the concluding book of the series, Find me Again, as well as stirring curiosity to go back to the first book, Look For Me, for the complete story in this engaging historical romance American saga that spans generations.

  • THE CLOUD SEEDERS by James Zerndt, a dystopian-future novel

    THE CLOUD SEEDERS by James Zerndt, a dystopian-future novel

    Environmental dangers, such as recent droughts on the West Coast, motivate many writers to explore futures where significant resources are scarce. Imagine a world where water is a rare, precious gem that people are trying to snatch up. James Zerndt builds a dystopian future in his novel The Cloud Seeders where the lack of water, and more importantly rain, has resulted in a dictatorial regime with water police, severe punishments, and near total control.

    Enter Thomas, his little brother Dustin, and Thomas’ girlfriend Jerusha.

    Zerndt is an expert on point-of-view and he crafts memorable  characters who have unique assets and flaws. The juxtaposed positions of Thomas being a young enforcer for the water police  and Jerusha being a member of a secret society that resists the regime offers a fascinating view of young love and its willingness to put up with opposing worldviews. Dustin’s surprising  capabilities  further round out a strong set of diverse characters. Zerndt’s three-dimensional characters remind the reader that none of us are all good or all bad – we have faults and strengths that set the foundation for who we are and who we will become.

    A prose professional, Zerndt’s pages are filled with dynamic characters and scene building craft that grips the reader from the beginning to the end. The poems between chapters, written by the two brothers’ deceased mother, are carefully crafted and also capture the reader’s attention.

    The adventure the three characters go on is fraught with realistic and compelling subplots that pull you along and make you want to keep reading late into the night. The scenery has a fresh perspective that puts the reader into Orwellian territory as the devastation  to the country is revealed through the storyline.

    Even though this novel, which crosses the genres of science fiction, new adult, romance, and dystopian, presents a coming-of-age story, I would recommend it to either young adults with parental guidance (PG) or the 18-year-old and over audience because the coarse language, sexual content, and violence–while not gratuitous–still permeates this riveting story.  

    Readers will be enthralled by the novel’s climax, which is both clever and believable. The ending  begs the question of what’s next.

    The Cloud Seeders is a gripping dystopian-future novel that leaves us questioning just how far are we from a future of environmental chaos, and how blurred the line can be between fiction and reality.

  • SHAKESPEARE’S CHANGELING by Syril Levin Kline — the Shakespeare Debate

    SHAKESPEARE’S CHANGELING by Syril Levin Kline — the Shakespeare Debate

    A debate has long existed among Shakespearean scholars about the authenticity of the playwright’s works. Author Syril Levin Kline is well versed in this subject. Kline presents a credible version of what might have happened back in the 1500s to account for the belief that someone other than William Shakespeare wrote his famous plays.

    The novel’s premise arises from a decree of the time that no aristocracy may debase themselves by being involved in commoner pursuits, such as the theater. That doesn’t work for Lord Oxford, a passionate poet and playwright, who is also passionate about Queen Elizabeth. They secretly marry and conceive an heir to the throne, which haunts them beyond their deaths. But because of their liaison in life, Queen Elizabeth allows Oxford to indulge in his art behind the mask of another’s name.

    That person is Oxford’s devoted secretary, William Shaxper—an ambitious nobody enamored with the theater, who weasels into Oxford’s graces and rises from “bucolic obscurity” to Oxford’s business partner and official impostor. The ruse lasts for decades; and even when old Shaxper is dying, he is unable to confess his role because of the constant twists and turns of the times.

    What times they were—war, plague, rebellion, court intrigues, tortures, and hangings for sins and alliances that changed with the wind. In this era, plays, which we know today as just another medium of entertainment, were used as political weapons. So the masquerade risked dangerous consequences.

    The story is told from Shaxper’s viewpoint with occasional switches to other key players. These shifts allow the plot to proceed sequentially and build suspense. The writing is adept, and the narrative is compelling.

    The novel is enriched with extracts from Shakespeare’s works and supported by meticulous research. It takes the reader back centuries to the origin of our literary culture, at the same time amusing us with human strengths and frailties that haven’t changed a whit, and presenting serious societal issues to think about.

    Shakespeare’s Changeling is Elizabethan historical fiction at its finest—intriguing, entertaining, and erudite. Kline makes a strong case for this alternative viewpoint to this lively debate. 

  • THE THINGS I LEARNED IN COLLEGE by Sean-Michael Green, a humorous reflection the college experience

    THE THINGS I LEARNED IN COLLEGE by Sean-Michael Green, a humorous reflection the college experience

    Sean-Michael Green looks like a typical college student; he meets new people, finds himself at parties on the weekends, and rushing to classes during the week. But Sean-Michael isn’t a typical college student — he doesn’t stick around long enough for final exams.

    The Things I Learned in College delves in to the journey of a 34-year-old former Marine who spends one month at all eight Ivy League schools just for the sake of understanding what makes each individual university unique and what are its quirks and attractions. Along the way, in between classes, he finds himself at a strip club, a bar with a lesbian cast of The Wizard of Oz, and on the verge of more than a couple of altercations.

    Beyond the witty experiences, Green takes readers through the real ups and downs of the Ivy League, leaving them with a sense of the heartfelt relationships and meaningful experiences of college life. Anyone looking to attend college, whether or not he or she is applying to the Ivy League schools, should read this book closely to get a more realistic picture of university life: the parties, the relationships, the laughs, the tears, and the nights you find yourself without a way to get home at three o’clock in the morning.

    The work moves through Green’s rich experiences at each of these eight highly selective and most academically challenging universities: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale. The Ivy League is known to attract the best and the brightest students from around the world and, by doing so, they shape tomorrow’s global landscape of business, politics, technology, medicine, science, mathematics, and the humanities. Competition is fierce and the stakes are high.  

    By reading Green’s engaging assessments, a prospective student would learn about things as mundane as which Ivy League college has the best pizza, to which ones are more liberal or more conservative politically, which ones live up to their academic and/or party reputations, along with more important ones such as which ones eschew fraternities for “eating clubs.”

    Green adeptly details the social landscape of each college to the point that anyone could jump in and understand how to get his or her bearings. Readers will discover the particulars that won’t be covered in college brochures; everything from which student newspapers have sway on campus, and how students actually view their professors, to which types of the ubiquitous fringe people who hang out by the different campuses, along with other idiosyncrasies that are distinct to each institution. In Green’s own words, he learned how to embrace a Zen-like state of acceptance when parking in Philly; that one should be wary of a smiling dog; that a cappella singing is sexy; and that marching band is not.

    Join Sean-Michael Green on his enlightening journey through the Ivy League to discover that there is so much more about life on campus to think about than what can be found in the college guides or the university websites. Anyone seeking to round out their information about student life at any of these eight colleges would be well served to read the candid, often humorous, but always informative, The Things I Learned in College.

    Next, we hope that Green tackles the science and engineering institutions of Cal Tech, M.I.T., Stanford, and ….

  • TIMBER ROSE by J. L. Oakley – 1900s historical fiction in the PNW

    TIMBER ROSE by J. L. Oakley – 1900s historical fiction in the PNW

    In the early 1900s, an independent young woman is forced to choose between family ties and romantic love, and face the consequences of her decision.

    Caroline Symington could live out the privileged life that her birth in a well-to-do family entitles her to, but her nascent notions of feminism take her on adventurous hikes and climbs in the northwestern mountains, where she meets a man whose grit matches her own. He gradually lures her to a far different destiny—one that she willing embraces over the path her parents have planned for her.

    Bob Alford, son of Scandinavian immigrants, is a tough logger sympathetic to the  union struggles with Caroline’s wealthy relatives. He loves hiking just like Caroline. She disguises her surname when they first meet, with near-disastrous consequences to their growing and mutual affection. ​Once the two acknowledge their feelings with total honesty, marriage is the next logical step, even though it will alienate Caroline’s family.

    Life for Caroline with her chosen mate (rather than a husband preferred by her father) will involve unexpected sacrifices. His new job as a forest -ranger will take him away from home for days at a time. Pregnancy looms as a hoped for event, while childbirth, alone in the wilderness, is a terrifying prospect.

    Luckily, there is a female soul-mate in the wings for Caroline, a fellow feminist named Cathy, and, for Bob, a mysterious and canny mountain man, Micah, who will provide rescue more than once. But before the young couple can really be free to live as they choose, they must face down the hypocritical, haughty Symington clan and prove that love can conquer both snobbery and scurrilous terror tactics.

    ​Spanning the years from 1907 to the rumors of the world war in 1916, this historical romance by award-winning author J. L. Oakley assuredly creates and sustains a magical love affair between Caroline and Bob, while successfully tackling a multitude of overarching themes: the determination of American working men to act collectively against self-seeking business titans; the will of American women to demand their autonomy despite the many subtle societal forces holding them back; and the formation of American national parks to preserve and protect nature’s beauty.

    Set at a time when the old ways were yielding to the industrial age on a number of significant fronts, Timber Rose is a timeless love story on a human scale, but one with a heart as big as the mountains of the great Pacific Northwest.

     

  • 23 DEGREES SOUTH: A Tropical Tale of Changing Whether by Neal Rabin — a fun and adventurous read

    23 DEGREES SOUTH: A Tropical Tale of Changing Whether by Neal Rabin — a fun and adventurous read

    Readers meet Hart, a young American, as he begins a new job as Senior Manager for Maytag in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Chapter one finds him in his new office on a Sunday battling depression by reading the city guidebook he found on his desk, learning the city’s geography and history. He came to the page with a quote that foreshadows the story’s direction.

    “That which you are seeking is always seeking you.”

    The short chapter ends with his childhood friend Simon coming into the office.

    In chapter three, a seemingly innocent sharing of a childhood experience gives insight into the working of the friendship of Hart and Simon.

    “On Hart’s twelfth birthday Mr. Goldman made him a gift of the classic Herman Hesse book “Siddhartha.” He read it then loaned it to Simon, who never gave it back. Simon always believed Hart possessed something he did not. He could never solidly identify what that mystery something was, or decide if lacking it made him jealous, disheartened, or relieved.”

    For those familiar with this classic book an entirely deeper significance surfaces that adds incredible thought- provoking depth to this fast-reading, upbeat story.

    Hesse wrote in German in 1922 about the spiritual journey of self-discovery. First published in the United States in 1951, this novel about Siddhartha and his best friend Govinda gained popularity in the sixties. In it, one seeks truth on his own with the other friend following,

    23 Degrees South will capture all readers with its story of two young friends on different paths who intersect within an action packed story, complete with some hilarious scenes.

    Those readers familiar with Siddhartha, however, will discover even more. While enjoying the more modern plot, they will find symbolism and depth in the reading of this story. Who influences us in our search for self? Does our life have meaning, or does it not make a difference? What obligations do we have to others? What obligations do we have to ourselves? What is the truth of who we really are, and of our purpose in life?

    The author’s characterization is exceptional, with an unusual mix of people with Hart’s beautiful assistant, criminals, a Jesuit priest, and a former Nazi to move along the action. Carmen, Carlos, Lazarus, Gil, and all the other characters come alive in the writing.

    Sub-plots add to the main story, giving background and adding to the substance of the main characters. The realistic dialogue keeps readers involved, and the humor throughout makes the story a fun adventurous read while giving the reader pause to reflect on his or her search for the meaning of life. An exemplary read for today’s hectic pace of living—highly recommended.

  • BANISHED THREADS by Kaylin McFarren – a standout romantic thriller

    BANISHED THREADS by Kaylin McFarren – a standout romantic thriller

    Chase and Rachel travel to England on board the Stargazer, intent on enjoying a week of vacation and receiving her uncle’s blessing for their marriage. Though this should be a joyous time for the couple, all is not well.

    Rachel is four months into a difficult and unintended pregnancy, and she’s feeling ambivalent about becoming a mother. Chase, though pleased about the baby, is having mixed feelings about his proposal of marriage, regardless of how much he loves Rachel. Rachel is acting distant, and he’s wondering whether a marriage with someone who doesn’t seem as committed as he is has any hope of succeeding.

    In addition to his troubled thoughts surrounding their relationship, Chase knows he faces an uphill battle with regard to receiving Paul Lyon’s blessing. Paul blames Chase for the drowning death of his brother, Rachel’s father, and odds are good that he’ll never forgive Chase. Chase is well aware that Rachel holds the power to persuade her uncle to approve of their marriage, but to do that, she’ll have to convince him that she’s truly in love with Chase, a fact even Chase isn’t all that confident of.

    When a thief makes off with a priceless collection of paintings from Paul Lyon’s estate, Chase seizes on the opportunity to help solve the crime and win back the good graces of his soon-to-be uncle-in-law. But the theft becomes complicated by unsolved murders, both in the present and from the past. The police are taking a close look at Paul Lyons and his wife, Sara, for those murders, and Chase is terrified that Rachel and the baby will be the killer’s next victims.

    In Banished Threads, McFarren proves that relationships can be just as treacherous as international treasure hunting, and that evil exists everywhere, not just in the form of the criminal organizations. McFarren has a gift for portraying complex family dynamics, the baggage people bring into relationships, and the unintended consequences of dysfunctional behavior.

    The author deftly immerses the reader in those complex relationships, revealing the real killer in a surprise ending that will leave the reader gasping. Family secrets, a need for revenge, the heat of romance, a cerebral intriguing plot, and a ticking clock with a killer who needs to exact a unique form of revenge makes Banished Threads a gripping psychological thriller.

  • DREAM of a VAST BLUE CAVERN by Selah J Tay-Song – Book 1 of a new epic fantasy series

    DREAM of a VAST BLUE CAVERN by Selah J Tay-Song – Book 1 of a new epic fantasy series

    In a wondrous world where a frost-covered region is contrasted with a sultry realm of lava and fire, the forces of cold are threatened by armies of flame, and a princess must stand between them. 

    New fantasy novelist Selah J. Tay-Song has created a unique landscape where exotic beasts—hippoles, chirats, and slinks—roam the tundras and lava rivers of two opposing continents: Isklaon,  inhabited by the Icers, and Chraun, the kingdom of the Flames.

    Their territories are connected by underground tunnels, and both the Icers and the Flames derive subtle energies from the T’Jas, a kind of vibrational wave that emanates from extremes of cold and heat. Flames are protected by a layer of lava mesh on their skin, Icers by vaerce, a crackling blue glow. Humans, known as Semija, are kept as servants in this fantasy universe.

    Stasia, an Icer princess, has been having dreams, the first person of her generation to be so gifted. She is haunted by visions of the legendary blue cavern of V’lthurst (“land of dangerous beauty”), and, certain her that dreams are always prophetic, she is convinced that she can and will find it.

    But she and her sister princesses will first have to deal with Flame King Dynat, whose goal is to reduce Iskalon to a cinder. Aided by her friend and healer Larc and her guardian Glace, Stasia begins exploring the tunnel that links her icy home to Dynat’s fiery kingdom, even as he attempts to destroy her country in a horrific blaze.

    Constructed in episodes told from the many character’s viewpoints, Dream of a Vast Blue Cavern projects a seamless, mythic atmosphere.

    The author has invented imaginative fantasy names and terms that sometimes veer close to earthly language (“egla”, like “igloo”, for house), and has appended a helpful glossary and a list of Icer and Flame military ranks.  It is a difficult task to keep so many threads of plot running concurrently, but the reader will soon feel comfortably immersed, because Tay-Song is a skillful storyteller and because at its core, her story is logical and consistent.

    Tay-Song planned this book as the first in a series (Dreams of Qai Maj) with alluring mysteries at the end needing resolution.

    Dream of a Vast Blue Cavern is a stirring saga featuring an ice princess with a warm heart, at war with a cold, heartless flame king in a shimmering world of crystal frost and blazing lakes.