miahpaws@gmail.com – Page 16

Beneath the Same Stars: A Novel of the 1862 U.S. – Dakota War by Phyllis Cole-Dai

Title: Beneath the Same Stars
Author: Phyllis Cole-Dai
Pub. Date: Aug-2018
Rating: 5 Stars

Are you a lover of Historical Fiction and/or American history? If so, you must read Beneath the Same Stars by Phyllis Cole-Dai. I have rarely read a book that portrayed the plight of the Native American so accurately. Much of the American history that I was taught was heavy on the American Revolution, Civil War and the two World Wars. The conflict with Native Americans got just a light gloss over. It is a tragedy because it has allowed us to continue to overlook their issues and concerns.

The main character, Sarah Wakefield, is the wife of an army physician stationed in Redmond which is part of the upper reservation of the Sioux. She has been assured that it is safe and most of the Sioux are farmers and mission Indians. Yet the tensions have been mounting with the Sioux. The Sioux have been promised, by the Great Father in Washington, a yearly payment in gold and food as compensation for the loss of their hunting grounds. Despite these promises every year the Sioux are cheated out of both food and money.

The tensions come to a head in August 1862 when yet again the promised amount of food is not sent to the Sioux. Faced with a winter of starvation, the Sioux kidnap Sarah and her two children along with other white families as hostages in an attempt to force payment of what has been promised. Fortunately for Sarah a Sioux warrior Caske takes her in as his wife. This gives her and her children some measure of protection from the other Sioux who might do her harm. Of course, when the uprising escalates into an all-out war, Sarah is stuck in the middle.

Though this book is a work of fiction, the underlying facts are historically accurate. The author has taken the real people that were involved in the conflict and given them a voice. She has accurately portrayed the prejudices of the time and the consequences of the actions on both sides of the conflict.

In addition, the author has done an outstanding job of weaving the fact and the fiction together to create a compelling piece of literature. She invites you to step into the world of Sarah Wakefield if only for a brief period. This is a must read for lovers of history of all kinds not just Native American history.

I received a free copy for the author in exchange for my honest review.

Honour the Dead by John Anthony Miller

Title: Honour The Dead
Author: John Anthony Miller
Pub. Date: 3-Nov-2018
Rating: 5 Stars

Honor the Dead, by John Anthony Miller, is a cleverly written historical murder mystery that will hook you in the first page and all the while keep you guessing right until the end. It was so good, despite grand kids visiting, I read it in three evenings. Granted, the third evening I read until 2:00AM because I HAD to finish.

The book opens with a death reported at Lake Como by the Milan, Italian newspaper. The reader is given only the basic facts, no names are released. Skip backward two months to a sanitarium at Lake Como where Penelope Cavendish, a wealthy English aristocrat, has just been admitted after a recent suicide attempt. Only, Penelope insists that someone is trying to kill her.

Dr. Joseph Barnett is a well-known and respected doctor who is taking on Penelope’s difficult case. He is sure with time he can help her recover. She is severely depressed over the death of her mother, at a young age, and then her brother during the Great War. She also is delusional at times and feels threatened by those around her.

Her father, Wellington Jones, is at Lake Como to lend Penelope, the only child he has left, the support she needs to recover. It seems he will do anything to protect her. Her husband, Alexander Cavendish, is also a wealthy aristocrat and war hero and also wants his wife better. So who would want her dead?

Nothing is as it seems and Mr. Miller is adept at weaving half-truths, lies and using misdirection to keep the reader on their toes. There are plenty of suspects and ample motives to go around. The facts are revealed slowly and the tension builds as the police work to solve the crime. Do the police even have the right suspects? So much was running through my mind when I was trying to work out who the killer was. I kept second guessing myself and you will to. I suspect, in the end you will be truly surprised.

Honor the Dead is not your typical murder mystery. Largely because of the way in which the plot was executed. Which, by the way, is ingenious. There are more reasons and I want to tell you all of them. Yet, if I do, it will spoil the fun for others. I hate spoilers and I refuse to do them!

The cast of characters is wonderful, with a lot of depth, and they fit the plot splendidly. I love it when an author is mindful of the characters and plot. This attention to detail allowed me to become deeply invested with the characters, both good and bad. It is ones of those rare books that has you rushing to the end to see what happens, then disappointed when you get there because there is no more to read.

In short, the book exceed my expectations. It should appeal to a variety of readers. Therefore, I highly recommend it to lovers of murder mysteries, thrillers and historical fiction.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for my honest review.

The Devil’s Son by Charles Kowalski

Title: The Devil’s Son
Author: Charles Kowalski
Pub. Date: 27-July-2018
Rating: 4 Stars

The Devil’s Son by Charles Kowalski was not the spy thriller I expected. I loved his first book Mind Virus and was expecting something like that again. I liked this one but it was not entirely to my tastes. That said, I think I will be in the minority and I will go into further detail shortly.

The story opens in Argentina in 1960 with Azriel Horowitz, a Jew and member of Mossad (the Israeli version of the CIA), attempting to capture two high ranking former Nazi fugitives. You see, for him this is personal, very personal. He is the sole surviving member of his family from Auschwitz and the two fugitives are Karl Weiss and Josef Mengele who were the deputy commandant and doctor, respectively, of Auschwitz. As luck would have it, the two manage to evade capture by the Mossad team.

Skip forward to the present day and Rachel Horowitz, the daughter of Azriel, and a member herself of Mossad, is being tasked with seeing that Henry Hale is not elected to the Presidency of the United Sates. She expects to achieve this by proving that Hale is actually the son of the famous Nazi Karl Weiss. She is also out to show that Weiss has passed on his Nazi views to his son.

Once in America this proves to be more difficult than she imagined and she will need the help of someone on the inside. When a near fatal car accident caused by Secret Service Agent Emmett Miller’s loss of focus turns out to be a blessing in disguise, Rachel manages to gain his attention and uses him for her own ends. Little does she know just how dangerous a game she is really playing.

There is a lot of action in this book and unexpected plot twists. However, the best part of this book is the suspense. I loved how the author set the reader up and then slowly resolved an issue only to have some other little twist come up for the heroine to deal with. Speaking of heroine, I loved the main character. Rachel is fierce, strong and resourceful, I just wished that her character had been a little more developed.

The story is good; however, I felt it a little far-fetched and it has a lot of political undertones. Personally, I am so over anything to do with politics. Another thing I want to mention, I felt the story in places was a bit Hollywood. In other words, a bit overdone. Without giving anything way, roughly ¾ through, a couple of things happened and I was like… really? Lastly, as much as I loved the main character, I felt things just came a bit too easy for her.

Despite the few things I mentioned above, I did enjoy reading The Devil’s Son. I have no hesitation in recommending this book to those readers who like fast paced thrillers and especially to those who like a strong heroine.

I received a free copy of the book, from the author, in exchange for my honest review.

Time and Time Again by Robert Silverberg

Title: Time and Time Again
Author: Robert Silverberg
Pub. Date: 6-Nov-2018
Rating: 5 Stars

Robert Silverberg is one of the first Science Fiction authors I remember reading as a young adult. His stories always seemed to contain that special quality… that euphoria I get when a story sweeps you away. No doubt that is why he is considered among the masters in the field of Science Fiction.

In this anthology of time travel stories, Silverberg explores various problems and contradictions that time travel could cause. Despite being a collection of sixteen stories, each story is unique in some way. I think that is one of the reasons I have always loved his works, he has never failed to impress with his unending imagination. This collection served to further reinforce my feelings.

It is not feasible to write a synopsis of each story. However, I will tell you that Silverberg has written a short introduction to each story that explains how he came to write the story and where and when it appeared. I actually liked this addition information and it did shed light on his thought processes. Therefore, I am glad the publisher had the foresight to include the introductions.

In addition to the story introductions, there is a lengthy introduction to the collection that I found interesting. Silverberg, among other things, talked about those that influenced him in his career. Because I have not read much about Silverberg himself, I found it intriguing.

My favorite story of the batch was Gianni. I was intrigued just from the introduction where Silverberg explained about his desire to be published in Playboy and how the editor at the time insisted that he change the story. In the story a musical genius that died at a young age from TB is brought forward in time from the 18^th century where now he is cured but suffers from, shall we say, excesses. At the heart, the story is suggesting that karma follows a person even in time travel.

I highly recommend Time and Time Again to all lovers of Science Fiction. This is a fantastic assembly of time travel stories from one of the best writers of our time.

I received an ARC from the publisher via LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program. For more of my reviews, and author interviews, see my blog at www.thespineview.com.

Melmoth by Sarah Perry

Title: Melmoth
Author: Sarah Perry
Pub. Date: 16-Oct-2018
Rating: 1 Star

I was expecting much more for Sarah Perry’s new book Melmoth. I was particularly excited that it was a gothic style novel since Halloween is right around the corner and I was in the mood for a spooky read.

First off, I did not get any spooky. I would call it more muddled than anything. The characters were lack luster and I was never able to connect with anyone or the plot for that matter. Thinking of plot, a turtle moves faster and there was not enough meat in the story to hold me interest. Despite three attempts, I have to mark this one as DNF (did not finish) at a little over 100 pages.

Here is the synopsis given:

For centuries, the mysterious dark-robed figure has roamed the globe, searching for those whose complicity and cowardice have fed into the rapids of history’s darkest waters—and now, in Sarah Perry’s breathtaking follow-up to The Essex Serpent, it is heading in our direction.

It has been years since Helen Franklin left England. In Prague, working as a translator, she has found a home of sorts—or, at least, refuge. That changes when her friend Karel discovers a mysterious letter in the library, a strange confession and a curious warning that speaks of Melmoth the Witness, a dark legend found in obscure fairy tales and antique village lore. As such superstition has it, Melmoth travels through the ages, dooming those she persuades to join her to a damnation of timeless, itinerant solitude. To Helen it all seems the stuff of unenlightened fantasy.

But, unaware, as she wanders the cobblestone streets Helen is being watched. And then Karel disappears. . . .

I recognize that I am the odd man out here. It was just not to my tastes. However, if you liked her first book then you might enjoy this one.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Problems in Prague – JJ Bennett: Junior Spy by Alba Arango

Title: Problems in Prague
Author: Alba Arango
Pub. Date: 10-May-2018
Rating: 4 Stars

Problems in Prague: JJ Bennett Junior Spy by Alba Arango is a middle grade book that reminds me of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books I loved as a kid; Of course, with more modern lingo and cell phones, etc. It is an exciting adventure story about kids as spies and secrets that must be protected at all cost.

Jeremiah Bennett, aka JJ, is currently living in Prague where his father works as a computer tech for the CIA. With the Bennett’s are JJ’s tutor Ms. Hernandez and her daughter Maggie who is the same age as JJ.

During a sightseeing tour at a castle, JJ and Maggie, run into a young Russian girl, Ivana, who JJ had an encounter with, at the airport, the day before. He wants to ask her some questions but she runs away before he has a chance. JJ and Maggie decide to chase after her. Ivana leads them into the Black Tower and they slip inside unseen. A short time later they caught a glimpse of Ivana leaving a room but she manages to slip away but not before telling them she is a member of the P-KGP.

They decide to investigate the room she exited from. Inside a book they find a cryptic note to a Josef left by a person called Kangsly. Later they find out that Josef is Joseph Stalin and Kangsly was an American defector in the early 1950s. They are now determined to figure out what this P-KGP is and what the note means. What they discover is a secret that must be kept from the Russians and so the adventure begins.

What I loved about this book is the likable characters of JJ and Maggie and the fast paced plot. There was not a lot of descriptive prose, which is a good thing; because in this case I feel excessive prose would turn off the target audience. I could never see an 8 or 12 year old reading a book for its prose! They want action and characters they can relate to.

Speaking entirely as a parent here, I appreciate that the author was sensitive to the audience she was writing for. The book did not contain any language or scenes that where inappropriate for a young audience, not even any hidden innuendos. In addition, there were no violent scenes that might be upsetting to younger readers.

The only negative comment I have is with the plot. JJ just seemed to be too quick to figure things out. I always thought this of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books too. I must admit, I think me age colors my thinking a little on this one.

Overall I found this book has a good story that was written with a young audience in mind. Therefore, I highly recommend this book for middle grade readers.

I have rated the book four stars and I feel this is the correct rating. However, upon reflecting I wonder how much my age is influencing my rating. I am passing the book on to my grandson, currently 10, who is also a big reader and I hope to update this review sometime in the future with his rating. In the spirit of fairness, I believe the target audience should have their opinion heard and have more weight because ultimately they are the consumer.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion. For more of my reviews, and author interviews, see my blog at www.thespineview.com

November Road by Lou Berney

Title: November Road
Author: Lou Berney
Pub Date: 9-Oct-2018
Rating: 4 Stars

November Road by Lou Berney is a crime thriller centered around the assassination of JFK. Americans have long been fascinated by this mystery, myself included, and there seems to be more theories that you can shake a stick at.

In this fictional version of the assassination, a crime boss in New Orleans, Carlos Marcello, is the master mind behind the fatal shooting. He has personal reasons for wanting Kennedy dead. It is the crime of the century and it has been meticulously planned even down to getting rid of EVERYONE who has ties to the crime no matter how trivial.

Frank Guirdy has been a loyal employee to Carlos for most of his life. He has worked his way up in the crime organization and is now one of the top lieutenants. He is very valuable to Carlos…. until he is not. A little errand in Dallas to drop off a car for the boss two weeks prior to the assassination has made him expendable. Very expendable!

It does not take Carlos long to put two and two together. Since everyone, regardless of rank, who has a connection to the crime is being eliminated. He fears he is next and he runs. However, he finds that he is too memorable as a traveler alone and Carlos has a long arm. Therefore, it is fortuitous that he happens to run into Charlotte, a young mother with two young daughters, who is escaping her unpleasant life in Oklahoma. They become the perfect cover. Carlos’s agent will not be looking for a couple with two kids. But Paul Barone is not just any agent and he is very good at what he does. Now not only is Frank’s life in danger but also the lives of the innocents he has attached himself to.

What a great story. I loved the author’s take on the murder of JFK. The plot worked so well and it was paced to keep the reader interested without feeling rushed. And the ending, not what I expected but it was a perfect fit.

Still my favorite part was the main character Frank. I did not like him much at first, but as I got deeper into the story I started to connect with him. I can even say I felt sorry for him. This left me conflicted because you are not supposed to like a person like Frank. He has done horrible things and he is using Charlotte for his own personal gain. Yet, you want him to win because the only other option is Carlos to win and you do not want that either. Wisely, the author has Frank grow as a person; therefore, making him more likable.

The only thing I was not crazy about is when Frank’s meets up with his contact in Las Vegas. All the stuff that went on between them just did not seem to fit at well with the rest of the story. I know that it was a means to reach a desired conclusion but it felt clunky. In the end, it is such a minor thing I felt it did not impact my overall feelings about the book.

In short this was a well-executed, entertaining historical fiction. I recommend it to not only readers who love that genre but also to those that like thrillers and crime fiction.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox

Title: The Witch of Willow Hall
Author: Hester Fox
Pub. Date: 2-Oct-2018
Rating: 4 Stars

The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox is a mix of genres: paranormal, romance, coming of age, and historical fiction. The title might lead you to believe that the book is all about witches and witchcraft when in actuality it isn’t. There is lots of good stuff going on and none of it related to witchcraft.

The main character Lydia Montrose, along with her parents and two sisters, are forced to flee Boston after a scandal involving her older sister Catherine. To escape the rumors they retreat to their summer home of Willow Hall in the small rural town of New Oldburg, MA.

Once they arrive, Lydia finds the house unsettling. She sees and hears things others in her family do not. She thinks she saw a woman walking in the garden in the middle of the night yet when she investigates no one is there. Then she receives a message written on her mirror that only she can see. All of these worrisome events have made it difficult for her to settle in at Willow Hall.

The one bright point is John Barrett, her father’s young business partner, and the former owner of the land on which Willow Hall now sits. Lydia is immediately attracted to Mr. Barrett but Catherine also has her eyes on him. Mr. Barrett is invited to dine with the family and shows up with a friend August Pierce. Catherine immediately forgets Mr. Barrett leaving Lydia to think she might have a chance with him.

Lydia has a lot of self-doubt to overcome. She has always lived in Catherine’s shadow and found her escape in books and her love for her younger sister Emeline. Yet the secrets that surround her maybe her undoing, for Catherine is keeping dark secrets that could ruin everyone, even the house has secrets. But the biggest secret lies within Lydia. She will have to uncover them all before she is able to shield and defend her family.

Had I not known going in this was the author’s debut novel, I would never have guessed it because the book is so well written. The characters are well developed and the plot moves along nicely with an excellent subplot to assist the story’s progression.

A couple of things stood out for me about this book. First the prose is above par. The author has that rare talent of describing a scene so you can see it in your mind’s eye and yet the description does not go overboard and bore the reader. Second is character development. Loved how I was so drawn to Lydia and how I hated Catherine. You know an author has done their job when she/he elicits these types of emotions from the reader.

I just read Kate Morton’s latest book The Clockmaker’s Daughter and this book is reminiscent of her style. Therefore, I highly recommend The Witch of Willow Hall if you are a fan of Kate Morton. I also think fans of historical fiction and witchy tales will like this too.

I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton

Title: Salvation
Author: Peter F. Hamilton
Pub. Date: 4-Sept-2018
Rating: 3.5 Stars

I am always excited to read a new to me author, especially in one of my favorite genres, however that excitement dwindled a little because I had a hard time becoming invested in the story. I loved the plot. However, there were a few things about the book I did not enjoy. I’ll get into that later.

The story opens with aliens, disguised as humans, landing on Earth. Skip forward to the beginning of the 23^rd century and the Olyix, another alien species, has made contact. They are on a religious mission and are making a stop over to refuel before continuing on their journey to the end of time to meet their God. They have given humans technology to greatly extend life expectancy in exchange for the fuel they need. In addition, humans have now begun to colonize the galaxy. A new technology of jump gates, literally, makes far flung plants just one step away.

A crashed alien ship is found on a newly discovered planet and this has a highly skilled team assembled to review the findings. As the team travels to the crash site, we learn more about each team member and how their lives, and what they do from this point forward, will affect the future of mankind.

Interspersed with the team member’s stories is a look at life in the future at least 1000 years later. The humans of this time are being genetically modified to do battle against a group of hostile aliens. The reader learns that the crash site investigation team members are now called “Saints”. Therefore, you know something is not at it seems and the reader does not yet know why they are called “Saints”.

I loved the story. My beef is with the execution. First problem, there is no main character. Therefore, I never had someone to identify with and root for. In addition, I did not enjoy all the various stories and the jumping around between time lines. It made the pace of the plot rough. Basically, it felt like a bunch of short stories strung together.

I liked the inventiveness of the story and a couple of characters I liked a lot. I just wished the author had focused on one or two of the characters to advance the plot. I did like the story enough that it over came some of the problems and I liked it enough to read the next book in the series.

One addition items to note, this book ends on a cliff hanger so if you enjoy the book it will be a wait for the next installment.

I recommend this book to all those who love Science Fiction. If you are a true Sci-Fi fan, I think the flaws in the book are not fatal and you will still enjoy this one.

I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Literary Book Gifts – Product Review

Product Review: Literary Book Gifts
Ratings: Website – 4.5 Stars; T-Shirt – 4.5 Stars and Tote Bag – 5 Stars

I recently was asked to write a review, by a small business owner, about bookish gifts for bibliophiles like myself. I was told they specialize in, “bringing books to life on t-shirts and bags.” Therefore, I had to check out the website.

At first glance, I saw, true to the description, Literary Book Gifts is T-shirts for Adults (both men’s and women’s) and tote bags. They also have tank tops for women that I thought would be great for workouts and hoodies for both men and women. There are no coffee mugs, bookmarks, etc. This site is all about bookish clothing and totes. The best part is the variety.

First, I would like to talk about the website in general and my experience. I needed to buy a bookish gift and I liked the totes so I started there. The site is well organized and I was able to go right to what I wanted. They have 60+ totes to choose from and they come in three sizes, small, medium and large. Prices are prominently displayed so you are not surprised when you get ready to check out. Product description was displayed to the right of the product picture (both front and back picture shown). Description included size description which I found very helpful. I picked a medium tote and then decided I wanted a T-shirt for myself.

There are 6 pages of women’s clothing to choose from. A lot of stuff to look through, but you can sort the results by best-sellers, from A-Z or Z-A, and by price, but not by type of clothing which I would have found helpful since I wanted a T-shirt and did not need to see the other items. Once I saw what I wanted and clicked on the icon I was able to choose, color and size. Descriptions were very good and I LOVED that there were so many colors to choose from. There are enough colors to please almost all tastes. I noted that the description said slim fit and I am a size 12 and like my T-shirts to be loose so I went a size up and bought an XL. I also noted that fit said “longer body length” that is great since I am tall. After I had added the shirt to my cart I was ready to check out.

Check out is simple and straight forward. I did not have to search to find the “cart” icon and it displayed the number of items in my cart correctly. Once the cart is displayed you can edit your cart, a useful thing if you change your mind, and you can add to your cart. I really liked that you could checkout as a guest. Who needs another user name and password to keep up with? The option is available if you except to be a frequent customer. There are several ways to pay including Google pay and PayPal. The whole checkout process was as I expected and went smoothly. I received an email order confirmation. Overall I rate my experience as 4.5.

Four business days from the date of my purchase I received a notice that my order had shipped. Actually, I received two shipment confirmations because each item was shipped separately. Included in the confirmation was tracking information. This is a feature I love and wish all companies did. The packages arrived a few days later via USPS. Packaging was normal for this type of product and arrived undamaged.

I liked the T-shirt a lot and I LOVED the tote bag. The T-shirt fits nicely; therefore, I am glad I bought a larger size. I like that it was cut differently than the men’s giving it a more feminine shape. The stitching is solid and the color was just like the picture. I have washed it once and it appears to hold up nicely. I do recommend cold water though since over time cotton can shrink. Over all I rate the T-shirt at 4.5.

As I said, I loved tote bag. It is one of the best quality totes I have purchased. The handles are long enough to allow you to put the tote on your shoulder. The stitching is extra sturdy to handle the weight all the books I expect it to hold. The fabric was excellent; it was thick and will last a long time. I have yet to wash it; but, I would recommend cold water only. 5 Stars for this tote. In fact, I loved it so much I bought another.

While I cannot attest to every item on this site, I was very happy with the two items I purchased. So happy in fact, I know I will purchase again. If you are looking for bookish clothing or a tote, I highly recommend visiting Literary Book Gifts. If you use the code THESPINEVIEW20 you will receive 20% off your purchase.

Please note, that the items I reviewed I purchased (with my own money); however, the business owner did ask me to write a review.