Category Archives: Book review

The Harpy: #bookreview

May 18, 2020 holley4734 Leave a comment

How did you feel about the setting?

The Harpy by Megan Hunter is set in a pretty typical town. Lucy and Jake live in a nice home with their two sons. Lucy is a stay-at-home mom while Jake works at an office. Their life is nice and comfortable. It could be wrapped up in a nice gift box with a lovely bow.

Then one day Lucy receives the news that her husband is having an affair with a co-worker. She doesn’t know what to do except cry and be angry. Finally, Lucy decides to give Jake another chance.

They come up with this deal that she is allowed to hurt him three times in whatever way that she wants. People say that sort of thing during in an argument. What are the statistics on following through with inflicting pain on someone that has caused you pain? I guess that why there are so many shows like Snapped and Forensic Files.

So things are going alright for awhile. Definitely not perfect but they are trying to make the relationship work.

In between thinking about the relationship and taking care of her kids, Lucy remembers her fascination with Harpies. A Harpy is a half-bird, half-human creature. The most accurate description of them is that they are agents of punishment.

Anyway, Lucy discovers that Jake cannot be trusted. So she may have turned into Harpy – either in her mind or in a physical way. Lucy seems happy in this form. Maybe she feels free because this is her true nature – an evil, vicious bird. It may not work for everyone but maybe it will work for her. I hope she finds someone to take care of her kids while she’s off finding her true Harpyness.

If you are looking for a good book with plenty of drama and Harpies, then The Harpy should be the next book on your list.

If you are a cheater or have a fear of birds, also known as ornithophobia, then you have other problems that you should attend to first.

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for doing a review. All opinions are my own. Obviously.

Book review, Books, lgbtqia, Social Issues

The Less than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch: #bookreview

May 13, 2020 holley4734 2 Comments

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51886460-the-less-than-spectacular-times-of-henry-milch
Amazon

The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch by Marshall Thornton is set in Wyandot County in Michgan. There used to be a Wyandot County but it became Cheboygan County in 1853. It seems funny to hear the author refer to the area as the Northern Lower Michigan. It’s accurate. People always forget about the Upper Peninsula.

Henry Milch has recently moved to Michigan from Hollywood, California in order to live with his grandma. Henry had a choice between living with Nana Cole or going to rehab after an overdose. He’s still a drug addict and not always completely honest with anyone. He wants everyone to call him “Mooch” but it doesn’t stick. It’s a horrible nickname. Who really wants to be called “Mooch?”

Henry finds the body of Sammy Hart while working for a local land conservancy. There’s a reward offered for information about Sammy’s death. Henry’s motivation for finding Sammy’s killer is greed. He wants the money so he can move back to Hollywood.

Sammy was an interesting person while he was alive. He was an openly gay man living in a conservative area of Michigan. Unfortunately for Henry, the first gay person in the area that he meets is also deceased. Henry is also gay. He has only told a handful of people in Michigan.

Henry finds out everything he can about Sammy. Who would want to kill him? Was it because he was gay or was there another reason? Henry is really hoping that he solves the case before anyone else. Nothing is more important to Henry than getting out of Michigan.

If you are looking for an interesting LGBTQIA murder mystery, then The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch is a good match.

If you’re close-minded about everything LGBTQIA, then you should start reading articles or books about how to not be a bigot. Come back to the book at a later time.

Links for Tolerance articles:

https://www.vice.com/en_in/article/59nz5z/how-to-deal-with-friends-family-who-are-racist-sexist-or-bigoted

https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/publications/speak-up/six-steps-to-speak-up

https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2019/07/how-not-to-be-a-bigot/

I received this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for doing a review. All opinions are my own. Obviously.

Book review, Books, Uncategorized

Harrow Lake: #bookreview

April 30, 2020 holley4734 Leave a comment

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0827517CJ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

The Kat Ellis book, Harrow Lake,is set in the town of Harrow Lake. Approximately 20 years ago, the town was the setting for Nightjar, a horror movie directed by Nolan Nox.

He met and fell I love with the actress who played the main character, Little Bird. Her real name was Lorelei. Doesn’t everyone always fall in love with the Loreleis of the world? Nolan and Lorelei married and had a daughter, Lola.

Several years later, the wife disappears after visiting her mother in Harrow Lake. The rumor is that Mr. Jitters from the movie finally captured her. The townspeople think that he captures whoever plays the part of Little Bird in the parade. Why do people still want to get the lead in the parade?

After Nolan is hospitalized, Lola is sent to stay with her grandmother at Harrow Lake. Lola doesn’t think her father’s assistant, Larry, is telling her everything. He’s a creep so she might be right.

She’s not happy about going to her mother’s hometown. Lola thinks that her mother abandoned her.

Her grandmother steals her suitcase so Lola has to wear her mother’s clothes. It’s a weird situation. It’s even more weird that the clothes are Lorelei’s wardrobe from Nightjar.

When Lola was a little girl, she had a doll, Mary Ann, from another horror movie. She loved the doll but her father and his assistant got rid of the doll.

After arriving at Harrow Lake,Lola starts to see Mary Ann, except in a more human form. I thought that having the creepy doll was distracting from Mr. Keepers. Was Mr. Keepers real? Was Mary Ann real? I still don’t know. Sometimes an urban legend is as creepy as real life. I was too scared to read this book when no one else was awake.

After she gets to Harrow Lake, Lola finds out things about her mother that lead her to believe that Lorelei’s disappearance was more suspicious than anyone else thought. Maybe Lola had not been abandoned by her mother.

If anyone is interested in creepy urban legends or horror movies involving dolls, then you might enjoy this book.

Scaredycats should not read this book while home alone with dolls.

* All of the reviewers on the blogtour received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for doing a review. All opinions on this post are my own. Obviously.

Book review, Books, Uncategorized

Beneath the Broken Moon: #bookreview

April 21, 2020 holley4734 1 Comment

Beneath the Broken Moon by Patrick Todoroff was set in a land similar to Middle Earth after the apocalypse.

The main character is Addas, a half human half ork, who has been living in an ork settlement. I use the term living loosely. He is not treated well by anyone except maybe a goblin named Snat. Somehow he is volunteered to be the tracker for a Dwarf/Ork expedition. Addas has never done any tracking in his life. However, doing this job may lead to something better. He believes that it cannot be worse than his current situation.

He doesn’t know how to read and he hears the voice of his deceased mentor, Chalk.

So the expedition begins and Addas leads them to the next point without many problems. He does begin to piece together that there is more to this trip than anyone tells him.

I did enjoy reading this book, except that the print was so tiny. It was a fluke with my Kindle. Luckily my new glasses came yesterday.

If you enjoy sci-fi or fantasy, then you should give this book a chance.

If you don’t like adventure or books from a different perspective then maybe this isn’t the book for you.

Links

ABOUT HSSJ

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4539130.Patrick_Todoroff

* I received an ARC from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for doing a review. All opinions are my own. Obviously.

Book review, Books

Shamus Dust: #bookreview

April 6, 2020 holley4734 Leave a comment

https://www.amazon.com/Shamus-Dust-Hard-Winter-Murder-ebook/dp/B07VV4SLHP

Shamus Dust by Janet Rogers is set in London during Christmas of 1947. The people of London were still rebuilding after World War II.

The main character’s name is not Shamus Dust. Shamus is a term for a private investigator. Mr. Newman has been hired by Councilor Drake to look into the murder of Raymond Jarrett. It’s not too long before the body count starts to rise. Trust me when I say, it’s all connected. I think that there is even a line in the book about everything in life being connected.

There was a possible witness to the first murder. Nurse Greer was the one who found the first body and called the police. Newman seems to find her intriguing. Maybe that’s why I thought she was interesting. She was hiding at least one secret. Mystery is very often alluring.

Newman has quite a journey to discover the truth. If I had been smarter, I would have written a chart so I could keep track of who was responsible for what crime.

I did enjoy the book but sometimes it was difficult to keep track of the characters. Don’t hold it against the author or the book – it’s probably a personal problem of my own. The problem is probably that I need a nap. Newman hardly ever sleeps so I want to sleep on his behalf.

If you are a fan of mysteries or crime noir, then you will more than likely enjoy Shamus Dust.

If you don’t need more mystery in your life, then shelve this book until you do.

Book review, Books

The Body Double: #bookreview

March 12, 2020 holley4734 Leave a comment

The Body Double by Emily Beyda begins in an unnamed small town movie theater but mostly takes place in Hollywood, California.

The narrator doesn’t have a name. She’s been brought to Hollywood in order to be a body double for a famous movie star – both on and off-screen. She spends her time learning everything about Rosanna Feld so that she can become Rosanna. Her only job is to be Rosanna. She’s paid a lot of money to forget her former life.

Max is the man who hires her to be the body double. He’s a sleazeball but the narrator seems to like him. She’s suspicious of him but she overlooks quite a bit to keep him happy.

She does spend some time trying to figure out what happened to the real Rosanna. In the end, her questions are answered. I won’t give away the ending but it was not what I expected.

If you’re interested in stories about Hollywood and movie stars – the glamour and also the seedy parts- then you will probably enjoy “The Body Double.” The book has been compared to the movie “Vertigo.” I cannot believe that I haven’t seen the movie.

If you aren’t a fan of Hollywood or crime fiction, then this book might be too fancy for you.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for doing a review. All opinions are my own. Obviously.

Book review, Books

Venators: #bookreview

March 5, 2020 holley4734 4 Comments

Most of Venators by Devri walls is set in an alternate dimension called Eon. Every supernatural being that you can think of exists in Eon.

Rune, her brother, Ryker, and classmate, Grey, begin their day on Earth as usual. Rune and Grey are saved from supernatural hunters by Tate, who takes them to Eon through a portal.

Some would say that Grey is obsessed with the supernatural. He’s a bit of an outcast on Earth. Ryker has made life even more difficult for Grey but by the end of the book, his reason will make a little more sense.

Rune is usually the mediator between Ryker and Grey. She also has an interest in the supernatural but she keeps it a closely guarded secret.

Tate tells Rune and Grey that they are Venators, which are sentries between Eon and Earth. There’s more to being a Venator than being a gatekeeper.

If you are interested in the supernatural and alternate dimensions, then this could be the book for you. Personally, Venators has been my favorite book so far this year. I would go through the portal to Eon if it was possible.

If you are firm non-believer of vampires, werewolves or shapeshifters, then this book might not be what you’re looking for yet. I would recommend giving the book a chance even if you are not a fan of the supernatural.