Chanticleer Book Reviews

Tag: Thriller

Greylock by Paula Cappa – Mystery/Thriller/Paranormal

What’s in the music we create? When we say it lives – when we say it breathes – when, for one fleeting moment it seems to bridge the gap between one soul and another – what kind of existence does it assume? What does it feel? What does it think? What does it want? Such questions may reside in theory for most, but not for piano virtuoso Alexei Georg in Paula Cappa’s Greylock.

Hot off the release of what will surely be his magnum opus, October, Alexei has achieved the level of success found only in his wildest dreams. Hailing from a Russian family steeped in musical artistry, he has transcended all those before him and become something they never could: a legend. And that’s all thanks to October.

There’s only one problem: he didn’t compose it.

And that would have been fine for him, taking credit for pages found in an antique chest belonging to one of his ancestors, if it weren’t for the demons it conjured every time he plays those chords. If it weren’t for the shadowy figure haunting him, punishing him, coming for him. October may have surfaced through the Georg bloodline, but there is something far more sinister and mysterious hidden in each note that is threatening to break free from Alexei’s control.

Alexei wants nothing more than to move on, but the past will not let him. Add to his troubles the threat of fraud exposure from those he’s closest to and a string of grisly murders within the Boston music community that brings the police knocking on his door, he can only come to realize just how much October is at the center of it all. He’ll have to confront three generations worth of Georg family demons to overcome this evil before it claims everything he has and hopes to achieve.

Using music as a central motif and life force to drive the narrative, Paula Cappa defies the limitations of the written word and adds a new dimension in storytelling through the personification of music. The descriptions being so richly layered and animated, one might just imagine these nightmares dwelling in the punctuation, awaiting their chance to come alive themselves.

With just enough integral characters in place to create conflict, Cappa creates a compelling mystery that allows the reader to virtually hear the machinations of the plot grind away before they inevitably crank up to a satisfying crescendo.

March 18, 2017
St Louis Affair: The Adventures of Herbert Falken by Michael Scheffel – Historical Thriller/Detective

This tantalizing whodunit is set in 1899 St. Louis and revolves around the heinous murder of a prominent wealthy citizen, Charles Garrett, whose body is discovered on the banks of the Mississippi River. Because the crime scene is devoid of clues and political pressure for a fast resolution abounds, the city police turn to professional Inquiry Agent, Herbert Falken, for assistance.

Falken, also known by the public as Major Falken from his heroic exploits fighting renegade raiders along the US – Mexican border, is well respected for his deductive abilities and previous success in solving a perplexing string of grisly crimes. What the public doesn’t know is that Falken is haunted by his own personal and professional demons.

Not long after departing from this crime scene, however, Falken discovers a curious fact: Charles Garrett’s public and private personas are polar opposites. Faced with a growing list of suspects and demands from the Governor on down to the average citizen for an immediate arrest, Falken feels the pressure. If it weren’t for James Westfall (former army officer mustered out due to a permanent leg injury) Falken’s aide-de-camp, our hero would be in dire straights. Westfall not only records critical crime scene and subject interview information, but he also cares for and tries to protect Falken—sometimes from himself.

A strong cast of well-drawn and individually distinctive characters who aid, circumvent, and forestall Falken’s pursuit of justice adds richness to the story.

Scheffel’s use of architectural design, clothing and accouterments, individual and class attitudes, and various character traits and dialects to resurrect old St. Louis is a true highlight of the book. He deftly crafts different scenes in smooth, articulate detail without hindering the story’s pace. Whether it’s inside Falken’s dining room, traveling across uneven paving bricks in a horse-drawn buggy, trudging along the muddy banks along the river, descending into a seedy opium den, or watching Falken get his butt kicked in a bare-knuckle brawl, the reader is right there. Another treat is the seamless placement of real-world news events into dialogue, which adds both authenticity and consistency to the setting.

Overall, St Louis Affair: The Adventures of Herbert Falken is an entertaining turn-of-the-century page-turner with plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing to the end. Michael Scheffel grabs the reader’s attention from the first sentence and doesn’t let go until the very last in St. Louis Affair: The Adventures of Herbert Falken, a fast-paced, page-turner that will have the reader hoping that he is hard a work penning a new tale involving Herbert Falken, Inquiry Agent.

February 19, 2017
Age of Order by Julian North – YA Dystopian SciFi

In the not too distant future, one girl races to save the ones she loves in Julian North’s Age of Order.

Daniela Machado, a young Latina from Bronx City, is smart and successfully athletic – especially on the track – but she has more than a few secrets. She’s learned to be very protective of herself and those she cares about, her blood, in an environment where others frequently die. Aba, her grandmother, and her older brother Mateo, along with her sister of choice, Kortilla, are the only ones she fully trusts.

Daniela knows something must be behind the sudden offer she receives to attend a very prestigious and selective school in another part of the Five Cities, and she’s reluctant to accept. Attending the new school and leaving Kortilla behind, however, may be the only chance Daniela has to save Mateo’s life.

In this school environment, North skillfully weaves in multiple references to other dystopian works frequently taught in high school. The reader will be reminded of Orwell, Huxley, and William Golding, as Daniela reads them for class. Something else becomes abundantly clear: Daniela and most of her classmates don’t get along.

It’s more than just a question of money and social standing, though. It’s genetics.

Set in the near future of the United States, the action is often thrilling, complete with high-tech rivalries, partisan politics, chase scenes, and class conflicts. While most of the major characters are teens, North’s insights into their thoughts and feelings can apply to any age, lending an ageless quality to this otherwise clear morality tale. Their conflicts, confusions, and pain are more than any child should have to encounter. But in this world, those lucky enough to survive must grow-up quickly.

Daniela finds her one solace in running, and she fights her way onto the school track team. No one, not even the school star, can easily beat her when she runs. Daniela, it becomes apparent, has a gift which, after being honed throughout childhood, is now formidable.

It’s on the track when she feels completely free, even when the competition seems unfairly rigged against her. North does a fine job of writing these athletic scenes and the reader will feel their feet pounding and gasping for breath as Daniela runs against others – and her hidden past.

As that past comes into conflict with what she is experiencing at school, Daniela and her allies (the other misfits at school) begin to see the true shape of the reality around them. Only through courage and steely resolve will they be able to do what must be done to prevent the genocide those in power have already begun. It’s up to Daniela to find her true self, when she needs it most, to save the people she loves.

Age of Order is powerfully charged with rich characters and a dynamic storyline. One of the BEST new YA books we’ve reviewed!

February 9, 2017
The CLUE Awards for Thriller/Suspense Novels 2016 – Official Finalist Listing
The CLUE Awards Writing Competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genres of Thriller and Suspense Novels. The CLUE Awards is a division of Chanticleer International Novel Writing Competitions.

More than $30,000.00 dollars worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to Chanticleer Book Reviews 2016 writing competition winners at the Chanticleer Authors Conference April 2, 2017!

The CLUE Awards FIRST IN CATEGORY sub-genres are:
- Suspense/Thriller
- Detective/Crime
- Private Eye/Noir
- Legal/Medical/Police Procedural
- Spy/Espionage
The following titles will compete for the Short List (Semi-Finalists) Positions.

This is the OFFICIAL FINALIST POSTING of Authors and Titles that have made it to the Finalist List of the CLUE 2016 Novel Writing Contest. Good luck to all as the works compete for the 2016 CLUE SHORT LIST!
- Craig Anderson – Grabbed and Gone
- Ken Baysinger – El Camino
- Phillip Buchanon – Sexual Departure
- Timothy Burgess – The Never-Ending Swell
- Pamela Crane – A Secondhand Life
- Elaine Williams Crockett – Do Not Assume
- Don Daglow – The Fog Seller
- Dermot Davis – Fatal Eclipse
- Denise Dearth – Blind Redemption
- Joshua Andrew Dickson – Canon
- Donna Dillon – Dreamcatcher Chronicles: Little Girl Lost
- Keith Dixon – The Innocent Dead
- Jack and Sue Drafahl – D.N.A.
- Gregg Dunnett – The Wave at Hanging Rock
- A.S.A. Durphy – The Thing Speaks for Itself
- Lonna Enox – Striking Blind
- Danielle Esplin – Give It Back
- Alan J. Field – The Chemist
- Zach Fortier – Baroota: The Hunting Ground
- Patrick M. Garry – The Illusion
- John Herman – My Father’s Son
- Clint Hollingsworth – The Sage Wind Blows Cold
- Tina Meggs Keller – Baptism by Fire
- Matt Kilby – The Road Cain Walks
- Christopher Leibig – The Black Rabbit
- Christopher Leibig – Almost Mortal
- Christopher Leibig – Montanamo
- Michael Byars Lewis – Veil of Deception
- Kara Lumbley – Never Alone
- LS Cahn – The Trus Game
- Ken Malovos – Fatal Reunion
- James Marshall Smith – Silent Source
- Kaylin McFarren – Banished Threads
- A.B. Michaels – Death Runs on Time
- A.B. Michaels – Sinner’s Grove
- A.B. Michaels – The Lair
- M. Ruth Myers – Maximum Moxie
- Toby Neal – Wired In
- Dana Ridenour – Behind The Mask
- Bjarne Rostaing – Epstein’s Pancake
- Janet Shawgo – Archidamus
- Ben A. Sharpton – 2nd Sight
- James G. Skinner – The Goa File
- Lee Strauss – Gingerbread Man (A Marlow & Sage Mystery – A Nursery Rhyme Suspense)
- E.V. Stephens – Accountable
- Cary Allen Stone – After the Evil: A Jake Roberts Novel, Book 1
- Susan Strecker – Nowhere Girl
- Luke Swanson – The Ten
- Keith Tittle – A Matter of Justice
- Lawrence Verigin – Seed of Control
- Timothy Vincent – Prince of the Blue Castles
- Jim Weber – Jehovah: A Novel
- P. K. Williams – Buried Beneath
- Manning Wolfe – Dollar Signs: Texas Lady Lawyer vs Boots King
- DM Wolfenden – Carly
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com.

Congratulations to the Finalists in this fiercely competitive contest!

Good Luck to all of the CLUE Finalists as they compete for the coveted First Place Category positions.

First In Category announcements will be made in our social media postings as the results come in.

The CLUE Grand Prize Winner and the First Place Category winners will be announced and recognized at the April 2nd, 2017 Chanticleer Writing Contests Annual Awards Gala, which takes place on the last evening of the Chanticleer Authors Conference that will be held in Bellingham, Wash. To be present when your name is called, register for the Chanticleer Author Conference.

We are now accepting submissions into the 2017 CLUE Awards writing competitions for Thriller, Suspense & Mystery Fiction. Please click here for more information or to enter the contests.
December 22, 2016
ISLANDS by Sara Stamey – a contemporary thriller that combines the lure of the Caribbean with gritty reality

When anthropologist Susan Dunne goes to a Caribbean island to investigate a mysterious stone carving, she finds that it is not only the ancient past that haunts her, but a ghost from her closest family.

Susan is drawn to the islands by a crumpled letter from her murdered brother, who before his death made a find that could lead her to academic fame. If she can locate his discovery, she may be able to prove that a petro-glyph hundreds of years old is of African origin, predating the incursion of Columbus to the Caribbean. The combination of her professional dreams and the nightmare of John’s violent killing quickly pull her into the bloody heart of the region’s notorious voodoo cult. Seeking an old, wise professor, Phillip Holte, who may know where to find the petro-glyphs, she is aided and at times thwarted by John’s grieving girlfriend Laura, and by John’s worst enemy, possibly his killer, Victor Manden.

With Vic dogging her tracks and Laura watching from the sidelines, Susan, perilously naïve concerning the secrets of the island people, believes she is close to her goal when she finds and is befriended by Phillip. But she continually ignores the warnings of those who know better than she the danger she’s in. Almost too late she realizes that someone she has trusted is a force for savagery and suffering, pulling her into a morass of occult horror beyond her worst imagining. Before her island visit is over, Susan will have to confront the most primitive aspects of her own nature.

Author Sara Stamey has lived some of what she has created in the fictional Islands: she is a world traveler, who, like Susan and her Caribbean companions, is an avid scuba diver. Stamey knows the region, colorfully painting the searing sunlight, the sparkling clear underwater world viewed by divers seeking buried treasure, the ubiquitous sweet and sometimes doctored rum drinks, and the tight, tense lines drawn between island “natives” (actually former slaves) and the “continentals,” the name given to the minority whites, former plantation masters now trying to cynically exploit their properties as a glitzy tourist trap.

Mystical, romantic, intellectually and viscerally stimulating, Islands deftly depicts a woman’s encounter with deadly lies and the chance for true and lasting love.

December 22, 2016
OLD EARTH by Gary Grossman – an ancient secret, a secret society, intrigue and espionage

A historical fiction thriller in the vein of “The DaVinci Code.” An ancient secret, safe-guarded for 400 years discovered. A fast-paced thrill ride with a secret society determined to keep the discovery hidden from mankind.

Old Earth is a gripping tale of historical intrigue and espionage that leads readers on a journey that spans 400 years. The book weaves science, politics and religion into a high-octane thriller. With locations ranging from a cave in Montana to Vatican City, Grossman has created a tale that often leaves you wondering if you are reading a work of fiction or an actual historical account.

As the book opens, the year is 1601 and you find yourself crawling through a cave in Italy with none other than world renowned scientist Galileo Galilei. He discovers a mysterious black “wall” buried deep within the cave, something that will have implications later in the story and will impact many people. The composition of the wall fascinates Galileo as it absorbs all light and is covered in odd markings. In fact, this discovery plays a role (in Grossman’s telling) in Galileo being accused of heresy by the Catholic Church. What Galileo fears more than repercussions from the Catholic Church is the unprecedented turmoil on all fronts, including religious and secular governments, that will befall mankind if his discovery is revealed.

The plot thickens as a secret society of powerful individuals is formed to safeguard this secret — a secret so big that, if revealed, will cause society to fall apart — for 400 years.

Fast forward to the present when a group of students, led by Professor Quinn McCauley, is on an archaeological dig in Montana with high hopes of finding dinosaur bones. What they unearth instead is the well-guarded secret Galileo discovered some 400 years before, a black wall. When the secret society reveals itself, Dr. McCauley finds his life in danger. What ensues is a thrilling global quest for the truth that makes for a page-turning read.

The book does have spots that take some effort to wade through. This mainly occurs during the early stages of the book where a fair amount of time is spent setting the stage for the story and developing characters. However, the reader’s persistence will be well rewarded in the end.

October 18, 2016
NEWORLD PAPERS: THE WARRIORS’ TALE by KB Shaw, sequel to the Neworld Papers series

The highly-anticipated sequel to Neworld Papers: The Historian’s Tale brings readers back into the mysterious Neworld, a world founded by former inhabitants of Earth who fled after the planet fell to chaos and war. Deemed genetically superior and above violence, these founders created a utopia that appears to be free of war, greed, lust, and the worst of human nature.

When Fallon, a teenager with a photographic memory and an unusual drawing talent, was thrust into the middle of an underground movement, he discovered that his world has deep, dark secrets. He ventured into the depths of the world, documenting the planet’s true history, the motives behind the world’s leaders’ acttions, and the heinous crimes they had committed. Fallon became Neworld’s very first truthful historian.

Now, in Neworld Papers: The Warrior’s Tale, Fallon is revered as a hero in the Solarist movement as his written records of truth make their way around the world. As everyone in the movement looks to him for leadership, he must choose the direction of the rebellion: reverting to ancestral violence or embracing a path of peace.

Once Fallon rallies the Solarists, he finds himself once again exploring Neworld to uncover ancient secrets as his underground companions discover how their enemies have been controlling their forces and are working to regain manipulation of the truth ad history.

Shaw has expertly built a world that draws readers into its rich and complex past. Neworld was founded with the purpose of eliminating everything that is wrong with human nature and to create a utopia that dictates the lives of its inhabitants through contracts and emotionless interactions to maintain peace. But, as we know, human nature doesn’t like to be controlled.

Beyond the fascinations of Neworld, readers are coaxed into the lives of complicated and endearing characters. Fallon and his companions cope with the scars of violence and loss, while coming to terms with fiery emotions in a world that tries to suppress them. Fallon and his companion, Addie, to navigate a tumultuous relationship while they come to terms with how they came to this world and what they must do to take it back.

The Neworld Papers series by KB Shaw is a beautifully sculpted work of science fiction that delves into the complexities of human emotion through characters who battle grief, explore romantic ties, and defy global suppression.

July 30, 2016
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
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
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