Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Animal Mystery

  • Excited to SHARE these FREE and 99 Cents Books from Chanticleer OVERALL Grand Prize Winners

    Hi and Happy Weekend from Kiffer Brown

    I am excited to share with you two great books – Chanticleer Overall Grand Prize Winners – that are on special at BookBub and Amazon  for the next several days! Be sure to add these to your To – Read digital library! 

    FORTUNE’S CHILD, A Novel of Empress Theodora by James Conroyd Martin

    James Conroyd Martin brings to life one woman we should all know better in his multi-award-winning, epic novel, Fortune’s Child: A Novel of Empress Theodora.

    Like Cleopatra, Empress Theodora was a legend in her own time. And also, like Queen Cleopatra before her, Empress Theodora’s life and accomplishments were distorted and maligned by the male historians of her own time. Even after death, men who couldn’t bear or couldn’t believe that a woman, particularly a woman of the lower classes as Theodora was, could possibly have accomplished the things she did or wield the power she had. Chanticleer Reviews 

     

    If you didn’t get the BookBub link, here are links where you may download this exceptional historical fiction for free through August 17th, 2024.

    Don’t delay! Download your copy today for your To Read Library!

    ALSO, here is another fantastic offer showcasing on BookBub another Chanticleer Overall Grand Prize Winner – a Mystery! 

    The Only Witness by Pamela Beason

    Can a gorilla identify a criminal? Neema is a “signing” gorilla that is part of an animal communication project (think KoKo). She is also the only witness to a crime.

    A missing baby. A teenage mother suspected of murder. A jaded detective whose reputation is on the line. A signing gorilla destined for the auction block. A scientist who is about to lose everything. Will the revelation that a gorilla is the only witness to the crime save or doom everyone involved?

    I, personally, am a big fan of the “Neema” series! It is a marvel of storytelling and a riveting mystery. Read Chanticleer’s review here. 

    If you did not receive the BookBub email for the 99 cent sale of The Only Witness, you can download it to your To – Be Read digital library with the link below for 99 cents until August 21, 2024!

     

    We are passionate about helping readers discover great reads and new authors!

    If your Chanticleer Award Winning Book is featured in a book promotion for free or 99 cents, we’d love to share it! Email us with the related links to Info@ChantiReviews.com with Book Special in the Subject line.

    If you are interested in the Chanticleer International Book Awards program, please click here. 

     

  • DIGGER: SIERRA and the CASE of the CHIMERA KILLER by Robert D. Calkins – YA, Mystery/Thriller, Crime Fiction

    DIGGER: SIERRA and the CASE of the CHIMERA KILLER by Robert D. Calkins – YA, Mystery/Thriller, Crime Fiction

    Artfully constructed with lightning pacing, Robert D. Calkins’ Digger: Sierra and the Case of the Chimera Killer is a must read for mystery/thriller fans and for animal lovers alike, especially those who know that a dog well-trained can be much more than just a pet. 

    Teenager Bryce Finn and his Golden Retriever Sierra share the spotlight as the novel’s human hero and canine heroine. As a determined duo doing SAR (search and rescue), they are just about the best in their Washington state region, time and again proving Sierra’s reliability and wholehearted enthusiasm for the often grisly “game” of locating decomposing corpses.

    There’s a serial killer on the loose in Kitsap County, targeting young female runaways, drug users, and prostitutes. Sheriff Elroy Patterson asks for some extra funds from the county council, above the objections of the hard-nosed conservative councilor, Garrison, who mockingly calls the supposed killer a “chimera”– an imaginary monster.  The council overrides him and grants Patterson the money, and the press latches onto Garrison’s weird term – so the hunt for the Chimera Killer is on.

    Tracking down the serial murderer becomes the new shared obsession of Bryce and Sierra, although one rescuer, Alan Granger, seems curiously determined to make the pair look bad – but with no success. Whenever Bryce tells his pet to “find Digger” she’s all too willing to please, knowing that a ball game will be her reward.

    But Bryce has another obsession: he’s finally getting a chance to woo Katie, his first foray into young love. Katie is reciprocating by taking an active role in SAR, a romantic interest in Bryce, and developing a fondness for his amazing canine. Meanwhile, more bodies are being discovered, which as Bryce notes, is both a victory for law enforcement and the SAR team, but a sad day for the victim and family.

    Author Robert D. Calkins, himself a SAR dog handler in the very county where this multi-layered plot takes place, has set out to educate as well as entertain. He offers fascinating details of the canine/human relationship, even to the tone of voice (high-pitched and childlike) that is best used to reward one’s dog for success in locating the sought-after person or object. Anyone interested in effective dog training will find this book a manual of best practice, as numerous tips are cleverly embedded in dramatic scenarios that will keep you turning the pages.

    This book will interest YA readers through adults with its teen characters out-doing many of the grown-up pros in solving crimes. More seasoned readers will also find themselves charmed and intrigued by the subtleties of a mystery well-conceived and cinematic.

    Calkins’ earlier works centering around this subject are suitable for the middle-grade readers and includes Digger, Sierra Becomes a Search Dog, and Sierra the Search Dog Finds Fred. The author’s fourth book is Bryce Bumps His Head, a chapter book for beginning readers. Although Digger: Sierra and the Chimera Killer could be considered a flagship novel, the author tells us he is working on a sequel. Now that’s something to be excited about!

    5 Star Best Book Chanticleer Reviews round silver sticker

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

    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.

  • FIRE at WILL’S by Cherie O’Boyle, a West Coast Cozy

    FIRE at WILL’S by Cherie O’Boyle, a West Coast Cozy

    When a psychologist calls on her powers of observation to solve a murder, she uncovers a secret that some in her small eclectic Californian community would rather keep buried. Fire at Will’s by Cherie O’Boyle  introduces Estela Nogales as an amateur sleuth with a wry sense of humor,  a keen sense of observation, and two border collies  as sidekicks in this engaging new cozy mystery series.

    Estela prides herself on doing a good job of navigating the petty grievances and animosities of her Arroyo Loco neighbors. And if it weren’t for a few rule ­enforcing cranks she and her beloved dogs could enjoy all of the open space and clean air that her picturesque, coastal mountain community has to offer.

    Will Rosenblum, the neighborhood’s biggest grouch, has made it a habit to stick his nose where it’s not wanted, going out of his way to ignite the ire of every one of his Arroyo Loco neighbors, so when his house goes up in flames suspicion lands in all directions, including at Estela’s feet.

    As the ashes settle, a body—thought to be Will’s—is found at the back of the house. Also, Will’s memory impaired wife is missing. A round of finger pointing brings everyone’s actions into question causing Estela to realize that the only way to clear her name is to launch her own investigation.

    With so many suspects Estela starts to wonder if Will’s demise could have been an orchestrated community effort. Armed with her knowledge of human behavior and sharp powers of observation Estela examines the motives and actions of each person in Arroyo Loco and discovers an ugly secret.

    In this first installment of the Estela Nogales series the author uses a small, isolated location with a captive, vocal population to skillfully address the question of how well we really know our neighbors or, for that matter, our friends. Although some are locked into mistrust and others prefer denial, Estela’s unwillingness to allow wrong to prevail compels her to reveal the inconvenient details buried beneath the public facade.

    With humor and keen insight into human nature, author Cherie O’Boyle offers up a clever cozy mystery filled with a varied and quirky cast of characters. From the strudel-­baking Freda von Liesing to Arroyo Loco’s resident metaphysical hippie Sunshine Rainbow, each character is a classic slice of the diverse California lifestyle. O’Boyle’s inventive homage to the HOA rules-­gone-­crazy communities springing up all over the country makes Fire at Will’s laugh-­out-­loud fun!

  • Can a Gorilla Identify the Criminal? Read the 1st in the NEEMA Mystery Series by Pamela Beason for 99cents – Left Coast Crime Special

    The Only Witness by Pamela BeasonNeema is a “signing gorilla” that is part of an animal communication research project (think KoKo). She is the only witness to a crime. Lives are at stake and the clock is ticking. Read Chanticleer’s review here.  In honor of Crimelandia Left Coast Crime Scene in Portland, Oregon, Pamela Beason is putting her Chanticleer Grand Prize winner THE ONLY WITNESS  on sale for 99cents.