Chanticleer Book Reviews

Category: Reviews

The 2020 CANDIDATE by Lloyd Bruce Miller – Political, Presidential Bid, Non-Fiction
There are so many hopefuls gearing up for the United States 2020 election, what’s one more?

Meet Lloyd Bruce Miller, 75-year-old who wants your vote. Or not. You see, Mr. Miller is a complicated man. Crazy, some may say – and why not, for he calls himself ‘crazy’ several times throughout his bid for the presidency.

In all actuality, it is uncertain whether or not Mr. Miller is indeed throwing his hat into the ring for 2020. He realizes he’s a “nobody” but goes on to comment that if “Trump could win, I don’t see why I, or anyone for that matter, couldn’t be a valid candidate.” By the way, Mr. Bruce did make a run for mayor of New York City back in 2009, he even registered, but Michael Bloomberg stole the election from underneath him. It’s as simple as that.

Reading through his 10,962-word bid for the 2020 Presidency (this is, the point of fact, what Mr. Miller’s book is all about), we begin to wonder who this man is. Where did he come from? He helps us out on page 24 by stating that “…(he) doesn’t really want to be president. (He’s) a fictional character in a story or novel.” We should all think of him in this way.

And yet, he has these thoughts… “I am a lunatic of some sort, a screwball in a novel. My name is Harold. That’s enough for you to know, at least for now.” He goes on to say, “The man who wrote something called ‘Utopia’, Thomas Moore I believe, must have been also a little crazy, like me.” Further along, he gives himself the title, “Harold the madman.”

From my perspective, there is nothing unusual for a politician to be a ‘madman.’ Most politicians have to be a little off in order to open themselves up to ridicule and public display. That being said, should you wish to cast your vote for Harold the Madman in 2020, you should know what he stands for, what his policies are, and how he approaches things.

Here’s a head’s up, Harold the Madman is not ‘politically correct’ in any fashion. Reading through his bid, here is what I’ve discovered:
1. Criminal Justice System. Criminals should be treated with respect and reasoned with. Therefore, no prison terms in years; prison terms should be measured by if the individual has had a real change.
2. Bullies have a right to bully. It’s a matter of protecting their Freedom of Speech. Victims of the so-called bullying should “toughen up.” (I warned you…) But, even so this is the age of “Jordan Petersen” and his penchant for political incorrectness that attracts both support and criticism.
3. #Metoo. It is, according to Harold the Madman, wrong for a woman to ruin a man’s career simply because he touched her. It’s up to women to tell men what behavior is right or wrong. He arrives at this because “100 French actresses came forward opposed to the Me, too, movement*.” Also, according to HtM, “women and men play sexually with each other.” He is also from the “Mad Men” era, much like that uncle we all have and care for but disagree with at Thanksgiving dinner. Perhaps Harold the Madman isn’t a misnomer after all, but perchance a lingering after effect?
4. Freedom of speech is the foundation of a free society; therefore, people have the right to talk about wanting to kill themselves, wanting to kill other people, etc. Because the only way to help these people is to talk to them and reason with them. HtM is opposed to the Suicide Hotline, and they are monitored by the government, and the government is more interested in collecting information about you to aid in your arrest**.
5. Foreign policy. Because HtM doesn’t have a lot of experience with foreign policy, he is going to leave it in the hands of the military. He believes in compromise and Manifest Destiny. This allows for the policy he proposes next: Because we cannot fit “the entire population of the whole world into the area of the current United States… you are welcome to join us, but now, your land is our land, part of the United States under the jurisdiction of our federal government.” At first, HtM will focus on friendly democracies like “… Mexico, Canada, Israel, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, France, Germany…” and extend the invitation to become part of the United States. Undoubtedly, HtM will find support for his foreign policy platform as I did see a red truck the other day with “I LOVE WALLS” painted across both sides of it.
6. “Compromise is actually the force which enabled the human race to survive over the centuries. Without compromise, no nation could even be formed or last a day. Compromise, more than anything else, is the basis of human society.” This is when HtM starts to make some sense and I found myself nodding my head in agreement—just when I was shaking my head in confoundedness on some of his other platforms.
While it is true that there certainly is much in his proposition to scratch your head about and ponder over, the true beauty of The 2020 Candidate is the freedom by which its author can express his opinions. That, after all, is the American Way.

And then in his closing remarks, he recommends that we all need to talk to each other and get to know each other on an individual basis. Because there are so many variations of us communication is key—if not the most important agenda of his bid.

In closing, if you choose to read Harold the Madman’s bid for the presidency, please read it through to the end. It’s not so “mad” after all…

All things considered, Lloyd Bruce Miller, a.k.a. Harold the Madman, is a unique character and perhaps someone with whom one might like to sit down for a conversation and a pint at Samwise Gamgee’s Old Gaffer’s table at the Green Dragon.

—
- Catherine Deneuve and 99 other prominent women in France did speak out against Harvey Weinstein, but also raised concerns with the Me, Too, movement going too far. Here’s the link to the NPR article:https://www.npr.org/2018/01/10/577163155/100-french-women-pen-letter-saying-metoo-movement-has-gone-too-far
**This is not our view at Chanticleer Reviews. Suicide Hotline is a vital service in our society, one we could scarcely do without. So if you are thinking of doing something dangerous to yourself or someone else, we strongly encourage you to reach out to this service at: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or call them at 800-273-8255
April 6, 2019
SUICIDE TANGO: My Year Killin’ it with a Shrink by Tripsy South – Teen Suicide, Psychology, Satire

A novelistic look at the serious issue of teen suicide, Suicide Tango walks us through the relationship between a young woman who wants to end it all and the psychiatrist who wants to keep her alive.

Doctor Jon Moore, a-just-okay-psychiatrist considers himself an expert on the issues surrounding teen suicide. One day a tall, beautiful girl, Tripsy South, strolls into his office without an appointment, lights a hooter (a joint) and tells him she has only a year to live. She intends to get rid of herself sometime soon. Her attitude is defiant with the overarching theme apparent: she is sick of her life.

Exploring who South is and who she might become takes one year, 52 sessions all recorded, even the ones South sleeps through. Moore points out that going from infancy to physical adulthood in only fifteen years is a massive endeavor that some may view as cataclysmic. The notion of suicide might provide solace to someone trapped in that maelstrom, especially since, to the young, it’s hard to envision a future beyond the moment. There is much opposition expressed to over-medicating and “big pharma,” and a leaning toward a simpler, more eclectic view of mental deviation through the vexing, ever-changing personality of South.

She is styled as an “indigo child,” more perceptive than her peers and more intelligent. These differences cause her to experience painful social alienation. At times the doctor becomes the student, and the patient becomes the teacher. South suggests, for example, that people like her need to talk to people like her – potentially suicidal peers. And by the time her therapy year has been successfully completed, Moore’s life has been upturned and needs examining.

This is a well-written book that slaps the reader upside the head with the snark of a young woman thinking of doing the most devastating act possible. And while the Suicide Tango is classified as Satire, it must be noted that Tripsy’s longing to commit suicide and her observations about it seem intensely honest and therefore able to speak to teen readers.

South presents a few practical ideas that may resonate with those who are at war with themselves. She is brash, unapologetic, and in-your-face in a way that demands and holds your attention, uncomfortable as that may be.

The best observation is from the dedication page: “…for Every Beautiful Soul who struggles with personal demons and, on occasion, slays the fuck out of ‘em.” Amen, Tripsy South. A-men.

April 4, 2019
100 DAYS of TERROR by Larry Temple – Terrorism/Thriller, Suspense/Thriller, Conspiracy Thriller

The suspense in Larry Temple’s excellent, haunting, global thriller, 100 Days of Terror, begins as a seed planted in the minds of the main characters and the reader. A torched car is found in a field in New Jersey. Residents in a town in Idaho wake to find green water gushing from their faucets. A small college town in West Texas is vandalized. And, then, three trucks explode on a highway in Los Angeles, and the clues linking the explosion to the other incidents are undeniable. The FBI knows that these aren’t random acts of isolated violence but an escalating series of terrorist incidents designed to disrupt life in America. During the next few months, multiple bridges will be bombed, airports will close, many highways will be unnavigable, communities will suffer power outages, and groups of children will stop attending school. The Dow Jones Industrial Average will steadily drop and the entire nation will be wondering what and where the next attack will be. Who is wreaking this havoc on America? To determine that answer, however, another question must be asked: Why?

At the heart of it all is Noah Reardon, an FBI agent in his thirties who saw plenty of violence during three years in Afghanistan with the Joint Special Operations Command. It is in America, though, where he has suffered egregious personal loss and is now getting through his days in an alcoholic haze. His boss, the gruff, no-nonsense McCullum has his reasons for not firing Reardon. Laura Spencer, Reardon’s partner, is protective of him, even while she chastises him for constantly over-sleeping and reeking of booze. Reardon has a personal connection to the events at hand; it was his stolen car that was found torched and abandoned in New Jersey. Could this have something to do with his liaison officer and close friend in Afghanistan, Abdul? After all, it was Abdul who told him, “Anyone who attempts to contradict or interfere with America’s drive for money and power are terrorists in your mind.” But, no; this can’t have anything to do with Abdul, the man who died in an explosion, the man who saved Reardon’s life. Or can it? Temple does an extraordinary job of keeping the reader guessing. Clues, the name of the game, are planted, but what to make of them? A sinister series of riddles are at play.

As a whole, the novel is a thoroughly engrossing meditation on what people can survive. The attacks aren’t leveled at the entire nation; they take place in an exact time and region of the country. Citizens will learn that they can keep going after local destructions. That doesn’t mean they emerge unscathed, however. They are forever changed by suspense-filled days, by hours wondering where and when the next attack will occur. If an explosion occurs nearby, can they relax for a moment and assume the next one won’t happen in their city, on their street? What is the true aim of terrorism? To eliminate people or to make fear such a constant in their lives that they stop living; they exist only to run for cover when the next attack occurs. When there is no end in sight for certain yet unpredictable violence, people are trapped in a cycle of action and reaction. “Normal” is no longer part of the national vocabulary.

The ending packs a huge wallop, a kick to the gut that will leave you gasping for breath. It causes the reader to stop and reconsider every question raised in a narrative that moves forward and back in time, giving us a composite of Reardon’s life, a mosaic of the good and the bad, the wonderful and the painful. Like the best fiction, it will leave the reader asking the question, “What would I do?” Read this powerful thriller for yourself and see if you can supply the answer.

April 1, 2019
BRITFIELD and the LOST CROWN by C. R. Stewart – Action/Adventure, Coming of Age, Mystery/Caper

Tom and Sarah are best friends who reside in a dilapidated English orphanage housed in a 16th-century castle. Only this castle isn’t the kind that inspires romance or chivalry; Weatherly orphanage is run like a maximum-security prison where children are forced to work, creating goods that are sold in the local village.

Many orphans have tried to get beyond Weatherly’s gates and have failed. Mr. Speckle, a scurrilous caretaker, prowls the grounds, keeping constant surveillance, ensuring the children are working and staying in their place. But Tom is a daring lad, often going on “raids” to steal books from the private library of Weatherly’s owners for his friends to read. Mr. and Mrs. Grievous, a dreadful pair who frown upon any sort of learning, run the orphanage.

One day, Tom and Sarah resolve to get out of Weatherly – forever. Ahead of them, the path is long, twisting, and dangerous, filled with a whirlwind tour through the English countryside. Here, author Stewart sharpens his focus and showcases the beauty and mystery of Great Britain. Readers will discover the places that are dear to the author’s heart as Tom and Sarah travel far and wide, including places such as the Midlands, Canterbury, Windsor Castle London and many more. But trouble is always nipping at Tom and Sarah’s heels, and when the renowned Detective Gowerstone takes up the case, the pair are nearly captured. They only escape by commandeering a hot-air balloon!

As we follow them on their clandestine route, we begin to learn more about who Tom might be—and why some highly placed operatives would like to see him eliminated altogether. It all goes back 150 years to the disappearance of the mysterious Britfield dynasty and the ascendancy of Queen Victoria, leaving one to wonder, Did the wrong person get the crown?

Britfield and the Lost Crown delivers as a detailed and intriguing first-in-series read that is sure to capture the attention of the middle grade and young adult crowd and those who love the Y/A action and adventure genre. Readers journey through the English cities and countryside beautifully rendered in the narrative. The book also includes maps and intelligent background information about the setting and history with access to online illustrations and commentaries on castles, villages, and towns where our heroes visit. Overall, Britfield weaves plot, texture, storytelling, and fascinating characters into a winning combination and enriching experience for adventure fans.

April 1, 2019
The SERPENT and the EAGLE, Tenochtitlan Trilogy (Book 1) by Edward Rickford – Native American Literature, Pre-Colonial Mexico, Cultural Historical Literature

In The Serpent and the Eagle, Edward Rickford details Hernan Cortes’ 1519 expedition to explore and secure the interior of Mexico for colonization, fleshing out known facts with the human factor—it is, to the typical depiction of Cortes’ exploration of the Yucatán peninsula, what a chorus is to a solo or a tulip to a bulb. Primarily narrated by individuals who were actual members, or may have been members, of this expedition, Rickford has crafted a fascinating tale of intrigue, love, lust, greed—essentially all seven of the deadly sins—within two diametrically opposed political and cultural systems.

The story follows the fates and fortunes of these individuals as they explore the Yucatán Peninsula before Cortes’ march on Tenochtitlán, the capital of the expanding Aztec empire in the 16th century. It has five major narrators and several minor narrators:

Captain Hernán Cortés was a Spanish adventurer, who left Cuba with a small fleet of ships manned by soldiers and slaves for the mainland of the New World, purportedly to “…find gold and serve God and King.” He rescues Father Aguilar, a Catholic priest, on Cozumel Island where the priest had suffered years of enslavement by an indigenous tribe. Vitale, a New Christian of Jewish descent, is a crewmember on the Santa María de la Concepción. He befriends Solomon, a Moorish slave, who grew up in the Emirate of Granada Al-Andalus when Muslims, Jews, and Christians all lived there in peace. Doña Marina is a slave girl who rose from obscurity to power and ultimately became Cortes’ confidante and consort.

Through the eyes of various tribal leaders, including, in particular, Motecuhzoma, the Aztec Huey Tlatoani, and several of his trusted counselors, the story takes the reader into the complex socio-political-religious system of the Aztec, and other indigenous tribes of pre-Colonial Mexico.

The Serpent and the Eagle is rich with historical and cultural detail and faithfully follows the events as recorded at that time. The multitude of narrators and situations can be challenging to follow. We suggest reading this novel with a pen and paper handy for inevitable note taking.

Rickford has written a book that forces the reader to reflect on the influence of history on the present, the possibilities when two cultures collide, and the impact of conflicting belief and ethical systems on human behavior.

Not a fast read, but well worth the time it takes. Prepare to be entertained, educated, and challenged to think.

March 29, 2019
TOM – The ADVENTURES of a PORTSMOUTH LAD by Tom Edwards – Memoir, Action/Adventure, Coming of Age

Tom Edwards grew up rough and never lost his yen for travel and new adventures, as shown in this wide-ranging portrait that spans numerous years and continents.

The author depicts himself through the eyes of an omniscient observer, growing up as a sailor’s son in and around the city of Portsmouth, England during the Depression era. Many scenes of his childhood speak to the poverty in which the family, his mother, sister, and brother, lived in as they rarely saw the father/husband who was mostly away at sea.

But the boy never realized they were poor until one Christmas when the better-off folk visited his neighborhood with boxes of fruit, cakes, and toys for the children. Vivid historical touches including everything from famous buildings, castles, and ships in the harbor are wrapped around childhood memories of the flannel vests slaked in camphor that children were forced to wear all winter, to the sports cards sold with cigarettes that children prized, saved, and fought over. Yet despite an absent father and a mother who seemed happy to have the old man gone, Tom chose the seafaring life.

Born in 1929, Tom was accepted at Portsmouth Technical High School, and as the war was ending, he joined the Royal Navy, beginning his roving lifestyle. He was often punished in his training stint for being a daring young man, but he also managed to compete in various sports – swimming, boating, sailing, and once – but only once, boxing.

Stationed in Ireland, he was then transferred to Malta, his first experience of a truly foreign place. That was followed by years in various countries of southern Africa and finally Australia. In those years he was married, twice, had daughters whom he loved but rarely saw as his wife kept returning to England, while he couldn’t bear the boredom of home for long.

He mined for semi-precious gems, learned to fly gliders, played water polo, started a camera magazine, headed a rescue team, battled and won a fight against tuberculosis, worked in a dynamite factory, sailed around the world, and was shipwrecked three times, became a surveyor, a painter and ran art groups in three countries, and immigrated to Australia when independence movements in Africa began to make existence difficult for the former English colonizers.

Edwards is known for his writing, his first book compellingly titled If I Should Die, composed after he joined an anti-terrorist unit in Rhodesia. His prose is colorful and well organized, and his interjections of significant events in the world add a stirring background – the abdication of Edward VIII, the coronation of Elizabeth II, the war and all its terrors told both by the history book and from the observant memory of a growing boy in a critical seaport city. Small details overlap the larger scheme of things, including a great deal of humor surrounding young men’s constant longing for, and occasional securing of, female companionship. He is careful to admit his flaws, such as his weaknesses as a husband, his incurable need to seek new adventures in new climes, and his now waning physical powers after a youth and manhood of grit and occasional glory.

Edwards has made a comfortable name for himself in several spheres and here delivers a memoir that combines the larger historical picture and a plethora of nostalgia, revealing him as both gutsy and tenderhearted.

March 27, 2019
PRAIRIE SON by Dennis M. Clausen – Early 20th-Century Orphans, Family Drama, Biographies & Memoirs

Lloyd Augustine Clausen has but one early memory of his real mother, in which she hugs him tightly displaying a deep love for him. Everything that follows is chaos and fear. He is handed over to an orphanage and by the time he is four or five years old, Lloyd knows two things: his adoptive Pa and Ma do not love him, and his role on the farm is to shut up and do as he is told. He takes Pa’s lunch pail out to him daily and tries to stay out of Ma’s way. For her part, Ma simply ignores him unless he does even the smallest thing wrong, inciting her evil temper.

Had it not been for the daring protection of the farm’s two dogs, Buster and Minnie, Lloyd might well have been seriously injured or even killed by his adoptive mother. For example, one day he trips and falls down, breaking some eggs. Unconcerned whether or not he is hurt, Ma attacks him with a frying pan, only to be stopped by Buster. Another time, when Pa is in town playing cards, his Ma has a mysterious visitor come to the farm. When she locks Lloyd in the cellar, a place of total darkness, Buster finds a way to get his nose into the small space and offer comfort. Buster and Minnie, in fact, behave more like parents than the ones with whom he’s stuck.

A friendly, mostly silent farmhand stays for a while and teaches Lloyd the art of machine repair and other skills needed to tend the farm, as Pa is increasingly lackluster in that regard. When the Great Depression hits, the family is often on the verge of starvation.

Lloyd’s bright moments come when he spends time with a fellow orphan, Delores, condemned like him to be tricked, spat on and called “bastard” by the other, un-adopted children. A wandering cowboy once offers him a ride on his horse. Gypsies make him a fishing pole. And occasionally, neighbors, seeing the boy’s plight, step in to assure that Ma and Pa treat him better.

Despite his terrible existence, Lloyd sometimes finds inspiration in the world of nature or the random kindness of others. As Lloyd grows older, he begins to research his past and through a series of serendipitous events, begins to find the answers he seeks.

In 1979, author Dennis Clausen learned that his father Lloyd, who had been a distant but loving figure for him, was dying of cancer. He encouraged his father to write his memoir. The old man’s words, painfully written out on a few notepads, displayed a great talent for storytelling. Those words form the basis of this luminous coming-of-age saga of sorrow upon sorrow and the will of one little boy to keep looking for a better way.

Bleak scenes of a weeks-long blizzard, a plague quarantine, and a tornado worthy of The Wizard of Oz provide lowering drama, as if the boy’s personal woes – being socked around by Ma, belted by Pa, and almost thrashed by school children until a local bully took his side – were not severe and frustrating enough. The direct effects of the Depression and then, rumors of World War II through the tinny voice of Roosevelt on the radio, fill out the historical picture. And, happily, the book’s ending is a kind of victory for the tough, lonely fighter.

Clausen has skillfully woven his father’s handwritten pages into a riveting story worthy of Steinbeck, a cinematic setting redolent of fundamental American community values, and a paean of hope for all orphaned children.

March 27, 2019
A RING of TRUTH: Henrietta and Inspector Howard, Book 2 by Michelle Cox – Mystery, Romance, Historical Romance

Once that glass slipper fits, how hard is it for Cinderella to adapt to life as the princess after so long as the scullery maid? And how many people are just itching for her to fail?

In the first book in the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series, A Girl Like You, barmaid and “taxi dancer” Henrietta Von Harmon met Detective Clive Howard in the midst of a dangerous case. Detective Howard was poking into the organized crime that had sprouted in the wake of Al Capone’s imprisonment, and Henrietta volunteered to help.

In the process of solving the case and nailing the villains, the police detective and the young working-class girl fell in love. Their engagement should have been the beginning of their happy ever after, but there is plenty standing in their way.

There are more than enough secrets in Henrietta’s background, but as this story begins, those revelations are still in the future. Howard, however, has kept a very big secret from his new fiancé. She fell in love with a hard-working detective, but Clive Howard is also the heir to one of the extremely wealthy families that reside in the fashionable little enclaves on the Chicago’s North Shore.

His parents, particularly his mother, are less than thrilled that he has brought home a future wife who is so far “beneath” their “class.” Henrietta is lost amid the trappings of wealth and privilege, as well as uncertain of her ability to adapt. That Clive is forced to leave her to the tender mercies of his mother and her social set while he goes back to Chicago to continue working on the case that brought them together does not initially bode well for their future happiness – or if they have any future at all.

Alone and out of her element, Henrietta makes “inappropriate” friends with the servants who are her social equals, while worrying about her family left behind in the poorer streets of the city. She finds herself fielding complaints from her mother in Chicago as well as “lessons” from her would-be mother-in-law in the suburbs.

And then there is a distinct possibility that the case she left behind in the city has stretched its ugly hands out to the North Shore to snatch her back into its clutches.

A Ring of Truth is a direct consequence of the events in the first book in the series, and readers of the first book will find more to enjoy with this second. Henrietta is a sympathetic and intelligent character. Her dilemma, how to adapt to a world in which she is unfamiliar, one that makes her uncomfortable, is easy to empathize with. And through her unfamiliarity, readers are able to learn about her strange new circumstances.

Where the first story divided its focus more equally between the investigation and Henrietta’s relationships and circumstances, in this book the focus is much more on those relationships, her attempts to forge new friendships, her struggles to take care of the family she is leaving behind, and her difficulties with her future mother-in-law.

The mysteries of the case take somewhat of a backseat to the relationships, and one of those mysteries is itself tied up with her family, and the secret of her own background. A secret that is not revealed to her until well into the story.

The case she helped Howard in Chicago casts a looming, suspenseful shadow over the entire story, causing shivers up the spine of both the characters and the reader.

While the plot of A Ring of Truth has a much different feel from that of A Girl Like You, it still features the same well-developed characters, adding depth and complexity to the story, while also giving readers that same “you are there” feeling of a walk back in time.

That the mystery moves to an even more dangerous phase as their wedding plans continue should be good news for fans of both historical mysteries and romance, as well as those looking for a peek at one of the great American cities during one of its more storied periods.

Even better news for fans, this series continues with two more books, the already available A Promise Given and the soon-to-be-released A Veil Removed.

March 24, 2019
Magic of the Pentacle by Diane Wylie – Paranormal Romance, Fantasy Romance, Historical Romance

Richard Blackstone, aka The Mesmerist, is a successful magician working in San Francisco, but in the city of millions, he is truly alone because Richard has a secret. He is immortal. Centuries ago, as a medieval knight in King Edward’s service, Richard’s life changed when he met a traveling magician and stole an enchanted amulet that granted him immortality, magical abilities, and the power to sense others’ emotions. But magic comes with a price.

After an enemy kills his wife and sons, he sees how miserable his long existence will be and gradually becomes determined to never love again rather than feel the heartbreak of loss; but following on overnight stay in a psychiatric hospital for an incident in a bar, Richard meets a woman who challenges his long-held beliefs.

What began as a bargain to help a patient becomes so much more for Dr. Juliana Nelson. After agreeing to attend one of Richard’s magic shows, Juliana can’t keep her mind or her hands off the sexy magician who is as mysterious as his magic show, but when she learns his secret, she is uncertain whether she can believe the tale. If it is untrue, Richard should be committed, but if she allows herself to believe it, she should be committed. If he is immortal, Julianna will inevitably be forced to give him up, and she is left to wonder if love can conquer time.

One strength of the novel is the paradoxical irony of Richard and Juliana’s relationship. After spending five hundred lonely years, he has now found his love redemption with Juliana, but in order to fully immerse himself, he must let go of the family he watched die in the fifteenth century. If Richard ever wants to find happiness in his present life, he has to free himself from his past life, and Juliana may be the key to his freedom.

But can this new couple’s found love balance a future of pain and loss?

A mixture of romance, the paranormal, and historical fiction, this novel has something for everyone. Romance lovers get their literal knight in shining armor. History fans will get to experience a fifteenth-century battle in a video game style quest, and paranormal buffs will love the power of the amulet. All in all, a fine read.

March 22, 2019
JACKAL in the MIRROR by V.&D. Povall – Ghosts, Mystery/Suspense, Thriller

Panic surfaces as bodies of murdered young women are found in the once peaceful lake located by a small, rural town in California. No one can find the murderer, let alone stop him. In the third psychic adventure book by authors V. & D. Povall, the reluctant psychic Sarah Thompson will follow a voice that rings with agony. She will try to track and stop the killer in Jackal in the Mirror.

Sarah Thompson has embraced the love of her new family and seems to be managing her sometimes unpredictable sixth sense. She makes plans for a fun four-day escape with her girlfriends from work to Eureka, California; a weekend that turns into a heart-pounding, fist-tightening trip of the most shocking events. It all starts when Sarah explores the little town’s shops. A strange book, Jackal in the Mirror, finds Sarah in the town’s antique bookstore. The book mystically weaves a story of murder, terror, misplaced loyalties, sweet love, and innocence. Sarah is the only one who can hear the call for help, the only one who knows that time is running out for someone, the only one who can help.

In fact, the spirit driving the book’s messaging is insistent that Sarah is the only one allowed to hear the story. Sarah finds herself increasingly emotionally and physically isolated by the ghostly storyteller, to the point that phone reception to loved ones is mysteriously cut off, and even best-intentioned friends are blocked from helping. Sarah is truly left on her own to solve this mystery. Her worried husband Conrad does all he can to try and find her, but she is secreted away, out of reach. Sarah can only hope that with the clues from the story she can piece together the mystery and save an innocent life.

The authors are a husband and wife writing team that has also authored screenplays, and fiction novels, in addition to this murder-mystery series. They’ve partnered in creating yet another tale that entertains and captures the imagination. Their writing is rich and exciting; readers may find they cannot put the book down.

Jackal in the Mirror explores dimensions of trust, loyalty, and love when tested by separation, misunderstanding, and regret. At times the spirit’s sentiment is so strongly insistent in urgently guiding Sarah that the underlying emotion can only be expressed poetically. Still, emotion is not always sweet, sometimes, as Sarah discovers, it is hidden fury.

Read our reviews of the first two novels in this riveting series, The Gift of the Twin Houses and Secrets of Innocence.

March 19, 2019