Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Family drama

  • RAGGEDY MAN by Clyde Curley, The CLUE Awards Grand Prize Winner

    RAGGEDY MAN by Clyde Curley, The CLUE Awards Grand Prize Winner

    Detective Matt Toussaint is one of Portland, Oregon’s finest. Experienced and dedicated to the job of solving the violent crimes that plague his beloved city, his case clearance rate is one of the best. Because of his success, Toussaint is regularly asked to partner with and train new homicide detectives.

    As his latest murder investigation begins, he’s been assigned yet another new partner, Detective Missy Owens. Smart and known to be a rising star in the police department, Missy is nonetheless inexperienced at homicide investigations. Toussaint has his hands full, educating Missy about crime scene protocol while puzzling through the crime scene evidence.

    The murder victim, Ben Foeller, presents an intriguing contradiction: he is clean and neatly dressed, though his clothes are old and worn. His backpack contains literary works by some of the world’s famous writers, but Toussaint finds a vial of crack cocaine beneath his body. Is Foeller just a recent addition to Portland’s homeless community? Or was he under the bridge where his body was found for another reason, such as dealing drugs? And given that he’d recently traveled back to Portland from the East Coast, how does that connect with his murder in Toussaint’s fair city?

    Though the case appears at first glance to be a fairly typical crime associated with Portland’s homeless community, it quickly becomes apparent that the murder may have been committed for far more complicated reasons. As Toussaint digs ever deeper into the victim’s life, more contradictions arise. The cast of suspects is equally intriguing and includes members of Foeller’s own family, who are wealthy and influential, as well as a mentally disturbed homeless man whom Ben Foeller befriended. While some story elements reveal themselves logically as the police investigation unfolds, other details seem almost serendipitous, illuminating how simple circumstance can affect the outcome of any murder case.

    Mr. Curley has written an engrossing debut novel that immerses the reader in the lives of the characters and the city they inhabit. His story world is one that you don’t want to leave behind. His characters are fully-realized, living and breathing human beings struggling to make their way through days complicated by the best and worst of the human condition, and his writing is exquisite in its detail. I was disappointed when the book ended, and I am happy to know that Mr. Curley has written a second novel in the Detective Toussaint series titled A Cup of Hemlock. [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Read Chanticleer’s review]

    Raggedy Man by Clyde Curley was awarded the CLUE Awards Grand Prize for Best Suspense/Thriller/Mystery Novel. The CLUE Awards is a division of the Chanticleer Reviews 2013-ClueInternational Novel Writing Competitions.

    [Editor’s Note: Clyde Curley’s  novels are prodigious—yes they come in at more than 500 pages, but you will be wishing it were longer—and are page turners that tackle and explore the big ethical and societal issues of today.  Curley’s deft use of murder mysteries to microscopically explore society’s ethical issues is nothing short of brilliant. Highly recommended.]

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  • An Editorial Review of “Choices” by Kate Vale

    An Editorial Review of “Choices” by Kate Vale

    Choices by Kate Vale is a modern day romance story set in small town USA about a seemingly perfect family that ends up experiencing the harder side of life. The story is heart wrenching, but it is ultimately inspiring even though it deals with divorce, infidelity, and relationships. This novel uniquely shows the gritty and often ignored side of what families with kids go through when a marriage breaks apart.

    Melanie, the main character, finds herself in a position that no mother or wife ever expects or wants: her husband has just walked out on their family and she is left alone to pick up the pieces. She finds herself having to support her three children by herself and her kids are blaming her for their dad’s disappearance from their lives.

    The reader is dropped right into the heart of the story from the very beginning when Melanie is confronted by her estranged husband telling her he wants “out” of their marriage. He declares couples counseling was simply a waste of his time and he wants the marriage to be over so he can move on with his life. Self-doubt creeps through Melanie’s mind and she wonders why her husband would want to leave after sixteen years of a seemingly good marriage and what she could have done differently.

    It’s not long after her husband deserts her and their children that she re-meets Sam. Sam, the detective, the single detective who is smitten with Melanie from the get-go. He immediately takes to her kids and wonders what it would be like to have the full life of a family, house and all the trimmings. He carefully pursues Melanie in hopes of a life with her and her children.

    But Sam and Melanie aren’t prepared for the troubled times ahead of them. Melanie finds herself with two angry and troubled teens, both acting out and getting themselves into some frightening situations. Sam finds work colliding with his personal life and his attempts to court Melanie. And Melanie’s ex-husband has become jealous and angry at the thought of another man stepping into his role as husband and father.

    Can Sam, Melanie, and her children be there for each other and help each other when tragedy strikes and life gets even harder?

    Vale’s Choices sincerely explores the pain and anger that can come with a messy divorce in a realistic and honest way. This is a novel that everyone who has experienced the sting of divorce and troubled teens can relate to.

    Choices by Kate Vale is a sweet romance novel with a truly heart-warming ending. Each character grows and changes from beginning to end in this novel, making it not only a great read, but an inspiring one as well. Vale wrote a page turning story that I wouldn’t hesitate to read again!

    Choices by Kate Vale received the Chatelaine Grand Prize Award 2013 for Romantic Fiction, a division of Chanticleer Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions.

  • An Editorial Review of “Mother Love” by Susan Colleen Browne

    An Editorial Review of “Mother Love” by Susan Colleen Browne

    Mother Love, written by Susan Collen Browne, is a romantic Irish story set in the colorful Village of Ballydara. She vividly portrays a written slice of contemporary life in Ireland with its pubs, puddings, pals and mams. Hers is a story of love, growth, and healing. It has just the right amount of chaos and family conflict, along with a good dose of  Irish humor, to make it a fun and entertaining read.

    Grainne knows exactly what her perfect man is like, down to each little detail—the only problem is her perfect man is getting married just as this book, and Grainne’s story, have begun. Grainne sadly acknowledges and grimly accepts the fact that her perfect man is about to become permanently unavailable. However, her biological clock is ticking and, on the eve of her 30th birthday, she is anything but reasonable.

    A complex and realistic protagonist, Grainne is plagued by her own family conflicts. Grainne’s relationship with her mam is strained to say the least. Having grown up feeling that she was less important than her sisters, Grainne does her best to avoid visiting her family home more than she deems necessary. She can’t even be in the same room as her mam without making the entire situation uncomfortable for everyone around. Yet for a young woman who avoids her mother, Grainne spends more time wishing for her mam’s acceptance and attention than not.

    Despite her tumultuous family life, Grainne is a devoted and doting nanny to three rambunctious kids whose own mother is too busy running a newspaper to pay them much attention. She finds happiness in her work as she dotes on the kids, but her wanting of her own family cannot be ignored.

    Grainne’s mam is keen to turn her home into a B&B and Grainne’s sister has guilted our protagonist into helping out with the venture. Grainne grudgingly helps out, thinking this may be a good way for her to get to spend some time with Rafe—the one that got away. Grainne and Rafe’s story seems destined to end before it ever begins, but sometimes you never know what life has in store.

    Rafe isn’t the only man in Grainne’s life. She’s also got good-guy Joe, a nice man with a decent job and only minor flaws and he has his eyes set on Grainne. And with all the family drama and emotional stress it’s a good thing Grainne has Justine—her best friend and flatmate—who spends her free time cooking and baking delicious food along with obsessing with the blog “Girl Talk.”

    Grainne must navigate her way through this crazy and tumultuous life if she is to find happiness.  Mother Love is a novel that lives up to the lore of Irish tales. If you like an entertaining light romance that is full of Irish humor and family fun, Browne’s story telling will not disappoint.

     

  • An Editorial Review of “Home Fires” by Judith Kirscht

    An Editorial Review of “Home Fires” by Judith Kirscht

    Home Fires by Judith Kirscht is a deeply emotional and dramatic story that unearths buried secrets kept by a family that spans three generations. The author unflinchingly faces the darker and often concealed sides of families and marriages and the dysfunctions that surface in a myriad of unexpected ways.

    Kirscht takes the reader to sunny Goleta, California, where her protagonist, Myra, takes her morning ritual of a walk by the tide pools. Then, immediately we learn the need for the ritual. Myra is fighting to keep troubled feelings about her marriage at bay.  The story takes off at breakneck speed when Myra can no longer deny her suspicions that her husband, Derek, has recently had an affair. When Myra confronts Derek, their conversation opens a Pandora’s Box of pent up feelings in her. Realizing this is not the first, nor likely will this be the last time he will cheat on her, Myra falls into a depression.

    Myra finds herself on the receiving end of several differing opinions as to what she should do about Derek’s infidelity. Derek’s mother tells Myra that in Derek’s profession, that of college professor, his behavior is to be expected, but more than that, it doesn’t make their relationship less important. She tells Myra that their men will always come back home to them after they become bored with their latest dalliance.

    Despite these reassurances Myra cannot bring herself to forgive Derek for what he has done. Myra decides to stay with Derek for the time being for the sake of their two teenage children, Peter and Susan.

    Late one night though, dark fears arise in Myra’s mind. Accusations and suspicion abound when Myra hears her daughter cry out and catches Derek coming out of her room. He tries to convince Myra that their daughter was merely having one of her many nightmares, but she is unable to believe him.

    Myra divorces Derek and begins a new life for herself. But when Derek makes a sudden reappearance, her world is turned upside down with new doubts, fears, and suspicions.

    Although this novel masterfully renders the emotional hardships and tragedies that are sometimes part of dysfunctional relationships, it is not depressing to read. It is an evocative story that does not force opinions or an agenda.

    Home Fires is an intelligently written, fast-paced family drama that unfolds into a suspenseful page-turner. With spot-on dialog and believable characters, Kirscht explores the complexities of human nature and family bonds that sometimes lurk beneath seemingly idyllic veneers of normalcy.