The Blameless Dead, by Gary Haynes, gives new meaning to the phrase “revenge is a dish better served cold.” Revenge is the only motive for the serial killer in this fast paced historical thriller. Yet, the story is so much more. I found it to be an intense and harrowing ride through the darker side of humanity.
The book starts with what appears to be a robbery gone wrong
but turns into so much more. When one of the suspects leads an attorney, Gabriel
Hall who is representing him, to make connections to his missing niece, Sangmu,
the darker side of this story starts to unfold. It is not long before Gabriel connects
the dots between this crime and a string of missing girls. Once he has put two
and two together he races to find the killer in hopes that he will also find Sungmu.
This book brings to the forefront the true horrors of war by
not only addressing the horrors themselves and what humans are capable of doing
to others but also the fallout of their actions. I do believe that in this
instance the killer is insane, as in the case of Ted Bundy, he was able to hide
it for years. In fact, I can see a lot of parallels to Ted Bundy and wonder if
the author took some inspiration from his story.
The plot is fast paced and the story line exciting and believable.
The author did a good job in researching the underlying facts though I know the
story is entirely fictional. I have not read much about the aftermath of WWII
especially as it relates to Russia; therefore, I found that part fascinating.
The plot was well done and is complex in places. This is one that you will have
to pay attention or you will miss an important element.
The only negative is I never really got to know the
characters in a way that allowed me to connect with them. This happens sometimes
in plot driven stories and is the main reason I rated it four stars instead of
five.
I actually found the story difficult to read because of the
subject matter. I feel this book is geared more towards a male audience. Therefore,
I am recommending it to those readers who like dark, intense thrillers. I think
that historical thrillers readers who don’t mind graphic violence and enjoy a
fast paced historical thriller will also enjoy this one.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my
honest review.
ME: What was your
inspiration for the main character?
A mixture of all the strong women in my life. My mother, my
daughters and my sisters. There is a little bit of Ella in each of them and
vice versa.
ME: What was the
hardest part of writing this book?
I try to be a positive person and writing about something as
dark as the Cold War and the Berlin Wall was difficult at times. Especially
when I included some of the victims and their histories, yet even then there
was an element of pride that surfaced knowing I was doing my small part to keep
their story alive.
ME: How many books in
the series?
3 books. The third and final book will be released on Nov 9th
2019, the 30th anniversary of the Fall of the Wall.
ME: What emotion are
you hoping to evoke in your reader?
Empathy and love. As Americans we tend to assume others live
like we do with the freedom to say or do what we want. It’s important for us to
recognize not everyone has had that.
ME: What do you think
is the most memorable thing about the main character?
Her determination and loyalty. When Ella sets her mind to
something, she persists despite the risks, but it was her decision to stay with
her father right from the beginning full well knowing he could die soon that
makes you fall in love with her.
ME: Why did you
choose to write in your particular genre?
I have a background in archaeology and history and love
intertwining fictional characters with real life events. Last year I spent a
month on an archaeological dig on an island off the coast of Spain and after
visiting a monastery, came home with 100 pages written on a new book. Too many
stories to tell!
ME: What was the
hardest part of writing this book?
The reality of darkness. As I researched the stranglehold
the government and the Stasi had on the broken people of East Berlin, it was
difficult to imagine living in such distrust and fear.
ME: Are you more
concerned with what the reader wants or are you writing something that
interests you? Do you have to comprise between to the two or do you find an
equilibrium?
I couldn’t write if it didn’t interest me. Although I am
amazed at the minds and imagination of fantasy or sci fi authors, I don’t think
that way. Historical facts are very important to me. The German words, foods
and culture are checked by friends from Germany, and the books truly didn’t
come to life until I stood on the street Ella lived or next to the fairy tale
fountain and the statues, but I also recognize the need for books to have a
balance. Your readers are your life blood, there are certain directions you
have to consider in that regard.
ME: Did you identify
strongly with the main character of your book? Why?
Several years ago, I awoke from a dream, scrambling to place
the location when it came to me that it was the Berlin Wall. From that dream, I
knew my main character had to be strong to withstand so many struggles. Ella
represents everything I believe a young woman in post war Germany had to be to
survive the evil that hovered for decades. Although I am not a stranger to
heartache or pain, it is different from hers.
ME: What is the most
rewarding thing about writing for you?
Is when people who didn’t know much about the wall and its
division before they read my book, then once they finish, they are driven to
know more. Any time I can stir interest in something I am passionate about, I
consider that quite successful.
ME: Can you summarize
your writing process?
I am a night writer! Many times, I am up until 1 or 2 am
hashing out one chapter at a time. Writing a series is different than writing a
stand alone though, especially one that spans 28 years. You have to outline
beginning to end to make sure your story and characters remain consistent.
ME: Do you have any
advice for someone just starting out?
Believe in your work, it’s your baby! Think about all the amazing books out there that we wouldn’t have if that writer never pursued their dream!
Leah Moyes
Leah Moyes is the author of the Berlin Butterfly series, she is from San Tan Valley, Arizona, but experienced many parts of the world in thanks to a career in the airlines, now most of her time, aside from writing is spent as a high school teacher, soccer coach, and mom.
Her favorite subjects to read and write are historical fiction novels or time travel. Favorite Author is Michelle Moran. “I love her writing style and detail in regards to ancient civilizations”.
The best part about being an author is the opportunity to share a world of your own creation with people from so many different backgrounds, history, lifestyles, beliefs, and cultures and still make a remarkable connection.
Ensnare, book one of the Berlin Butterfly series by Leah Moyes, tells the heart wrenching story of a young, former orphan girl, Ella, trapped on the wrong side of Berlin when the wall is erected in August of 1961.
Ella’s father is gravely ill as soldiers start unrolling spools
of barbed wire, which will form the first Berlin Wall, to keep the citizens of
East Berlin from fleeing to the west. She is torn between escaping while she
still can, with her young brother and best friend Anton, and staying behind to
care for her sick father. Ella makes the only decision she feels she can and
stays behind while entrusting her brother to Anton’s care.
In a very short time, Ella’s father passes away and she is stuck
alone in East Berlin. She has no money for food or to bury her father. Therefore,
she strikes a deal with the Frankes, a wealthy and influential family in East Berlin,
whom runs a mortuary. She will work as domestic help for 2 years to pay off the
debt she owes them for the casket and burial. Once Ella begins working for the
Frankes she makes friends and seeks ways to escape East Berlin. Yet what awaits
Ella in the next two years will be much more than she expected and will put her
life in danger and the lives of those she comes to trust and even love.
I was captivated with the character of Ella from the first. Her
story has a realness to it and kept me engaged throughout. Just thinking about a
15 year old girl having to make such a life changing decision gives me goose
bumps. Yet, she is strong and resilient. I felt the author did justice to the character
by making her that way. Times were different then and hard ship was common;
therefore, children had to grow up much faster.
I also loved the historical aspect of the book and felt the
setting was the perfect backdrop for Ella’s story. The descriptions of the East
versus West side of Berlin rang true to the times. It is obvious that the
author did her research.
In addition, the plot moves smoothly along and at a nice pace. I was never bored and never felt the story was rushed. The story just seemed to unfold effortlessly with just enough twists to keep your attention but not so much that it felt over worked. Really well done!
Ensnare is one of
those books that has a lot going for it and should appeal to a broad audience.
I highly recommend this book to lovers of Historical Fiction, Romance and Women’s
Fiction.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
If I had not known in advance this was a debut novel I would have said, “No way.” The prose is as polished as any seasoned writer. Beyond the Point, by Claire Gibson, takes the reader into the world of West Point where we meet three young women athletes, Hannah, Dani and Avery, recruited to play basketball.
When they first meet they do not become friends immediately.
Avery and Dani develop a fierce rivalry on the basketball court. Dani is an
incredibly gifted player and is given a place on the varsity team as a
freshman. Avery finds this hard to handle and it fuels her own personal
insecurities. Over time Hannah the shy and faith driven women, who tends to be
the anchor of the group, brings them all together and slowly a fierce
friendship is formed.
You might think this book is about how women endure the rigors of a male dominated school like West Point. It is that and so much more. It is ultimately about how three strong women forge a long lasting friendship and face the hardships of West Point together. The friendship they have not only makes them stronger; they draw upon this strength to navigate the world after West Point when tragedy strikes.
This book is strongly character driven. Dani, Avery and
Hannah are all portrayed very realistically and are fully developed. I
especially loved that the author gave me both their strengths and their weaknesses.
The story is told form all three points of view. So we get a
window into the interworkings of each of the main characters. The plot is not
slow or fast. It does meander some as the author, especially later in the book,
keeps flashing back to things that happened at West Point that sheds light on
to a current situation or event.
I am really excited to see what else this author has in store for the future and expect that this is just the being of many good things to come. I highly recommend this book to readers who like a character driven story especially those with strong female characters.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Based very loosely on facts, The Witches of St. Petersburg,
by Imogen Edwards-Jones, is about two young sisters Militza and Stana whose
father arranges their marriages to members of the Russian nobility. Once they
arrive at court the Russian aristocracy look down their noses at them for being
not only outsiders but uncultivated and having backwater ways.
The sisters further this appearance by dabbling in black
magic. They predict the sex of the servant’s unborn children, read tea leaves,
and hold séances to communicate with the dead. All of this is very unseemly for
someone of the nobility. That is until the sisters capture the attention of the
Tsar’s wife Alexandra.
Tsarina Alexandra has produced nothing but girls and she is
desperate to give the Tsar an heir. So desperate in fact that she allows the
sisters to send her charlatan, after charlatan, to help ensure a male child is
born to secure the Romanov line. I guess you could say desperate times call for
desperate measures. Once Rasputin enters the story Militza and Stana are
desperate to help Alexandra and secure their place in the social standings of
the Russian court. Unfortunately, they
are wholly unprepared for what will come.
I read some of the reviews going into this book and was not
sure if I would like it. Since I love reading historical fiction that are based
on facts and I also find paranormal stories fascinating, I decided to not let
others influence me. That is not to say that there were not flaws, because there
were and I just ignored them for the most part and enjoyed the story for the
entertainment it is.
So what I liked about the book was the darker side of court life
that was betrayed. I felt the author really did a good job of capturing that. I
also liked her imaginative take on fictional events surrounding the Romanovs. The
sisters Militiza and Stanza’s characters I also liked. I felt that they were
still young enough that they didn’t realize what they were getting into. What
started out as a simple attempt to elevate their social standing in the end
turned on them in the most horribly way.
What I did not like was the repetitiveness of some parts. I
felt that the book could have been cut down by a third and it would be better
for it. The other thing I disliked was all the sexual content, in the second
half of the book, which took away from the plot. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t
mind sexual scenes in books especially when it helps move the story forward or releases
tension. I just felt that it was heavy handed and fewer would have been better.
This goes back to my prior point, less would have been better.
In summary, while I did like parts of the story and enjoyed reading sections, especially the first half of the book. There were flaws that some readers will find fatal to the overall story. This is why I have rated it at 3.5 stars. I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff is the fictional tale
of women who were recruited and trained to become spies in Europe during WWII.
It is a tale of incredible courage and fortitude in the face of overwhelming
odds. Though the tale is fictional it is based on the fact that there were
women that were spies during WWII.
This story starts in the U.S. shortly after the war is over. Grace Healey, a
war widow herself, finds a suitcase in Grand Central station in New York City.
She can’t resist the urge to open it and look through its contents. She finds a
group of pictures of young women and this intrigues her. On a whim she takes
the pictures and returns the suitcase to its hiding spot under a bench.
She becomes obsessed with finding out who the suitcase
belonged to and who the women are in the pictures. As she works to gather
information, the reader is introduced to Eleanor Trigg. Eleanor runs the
organization in England that recruits, trains and handles women spies in German
occupied Europe. Eleanor recruits a young single mother Marie Roux who is later
sent to France as a radio operator for the French resistance. As Grace slows
finds all the puzzle pieces and fits them together we see what really happened
to these women.
My favorite thing about this book is the strong,
resourceful, women characters the author has presented us. We normally think of
women during WWII as entering the work force for the first time and doing men’s
jobs in factories that would normally have been considered male only job. We
tend to forget that women did play vital roles during WWII.
The story is told from three POVs, Grace, Eleanor and Marie.
The author made sure the plot was seamless despite the changing POVs
throughout. There was not tons of character development but there was enough to
fit the plot. At first I thought this might be a flaw, but I in retrospect I think
the author did this so on purpose. She gave us enough to connect to the characters
but not enough to overwhelm the reader and bog down the plot.
The pace of the plot was good and there was plenty of
intrigue to keep the reader turning the pages. I was hooked early on in the
story and I wanted to see what actually happened. I also liked how everything
wrapped up at the end. I wish I could elaborate further; yet, I don’t want to
spoil the story for others. Let me just say that how the government handled
things was spot on to what happens in real life.
I know from other books that the life expediency of a spy during
WWII was very short. Therefore, the only thing I disliked about the story was
the decisions made by Marie. I felt she was overly reckless and even a little naïve.
Who would go off and become a spy knowing the odds of dying are very high and thus
leaving a young child without a mother.
I highly recommend this book for readers of both Historical
Fiction and WWII stories. I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for
my honest review.
The Ruin of Kings
is a debut fantasy novel by Jenn Lyons. It is the first in, what I understand
is to be, a 5 books series titled A Chorus of Dragons. To date, I have only read
the preview, so this review is based on that alone.
Since I have not read the book in it’s entirely, here is
what the publisher has to say:
Kihrin
is a bastard orphan who grew up on storybook tales of long-lost princes and
grand quests. When he is claimed against his will as the long-lost son of a
treasonous prince, Kihrin finds that being a long-lost prince isn’t what the
storybooks promised.
Far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a
prisoner, at the mercy of his new family’s power plays and ambitions. He also
discovers that the storybooks have lied about a lot of other things things,
too: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, true love, and how the hero always wins.
Then again, maybe he’s not the hero, for Kihrin isn’t
destined to save the empire.
He’s destined to destroy it . . .
What I liked most about the
book is that I was drawn into the world immediately and became invested in the
character right away. I felt sorry for Kihrin because he was in jail, even
though I thought he brought some of his situation on himself, I wanted to know the whole story behind how he
ended up in this situation.
The plot moved along nicely. Even though I only read the preview, I was
able to get a sense of the world that allowed me to follow the story without
any problems. I would think as the book progressed you would have more world
building and character development. It worked for me and I actually prefer that
authors don’t do a data dumb at the beginning.
The way the author told the
story from the present looking back reminded me of The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. However, unlike Rothfuss,
the author had two characters tell the story and the book jumped between three
time lines, the present, and two pasts told from different POVs. This I found a
little confusing and a couple of times had to reread a few pages to stay on track
with each timeline. I thought this could have been handled better and took away
a little from the book.
Overall, despite the one negative, I liked the story and want to read the book in its entirety. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes epic fantasy.
I received my preview of The Ruin of Kings, via NetGalley, from the publisher.
The 7 ½ Deaths of
Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton is an ingenious murder mystery with
shocking twists that cannot be foreseen. It reminds me of the movie Groundhog Day
except here the MC is trying to solve a murder before it is committed so he
will be released from the loop.
The story opens on the resetting of the loop after innumerous
rounds without the murder being solved. When we are first introduced to Aiden,
he does not even know his own name. He wakes up in a wooded area near a castle and
he has no idea how he got there. He manages to make his way to the castle and
learns that he has just 8 days and 8 different hosts to solve a murder that
will be committed. No one will know it is a murder because it is disguised as a
suicide. Once he has solved the murder he is to meet the Plague Doctor, an
elusive person who appears to be in charge of the loop, at the lake with the
answer. When the correct answer is given he will be released.
The Plague Doctor informs Aiden that others are trying to
solve the murder and only one of them will be released. He further advises Aiden
to use all his hosts wisely and that each host has been carefully chosen for
him. What he does not know is that nothing is as it appears and someone wants
all of his hosts dead. He will have to trust someone in order to solve the
murder and free himself from the loop.
I am in awe of the author’s talent for making such a complex
and tangled plot. I honestly do not know how he kept all of the details
straight. It made for one of the best murder mysteries I have read in a long
time. In my opinion, Mr. Turton is right up there with Agatha Christy.
The plot is paced quickly but I want to warn you not to rush
through. There are too many little details that could easily be overlooked that
become important as the story unfolds. In addition, I thought it brilliant how
the author did not give the reader a lot to go on about the MC, Aiden Bishop. This
deliberate lack of character development allowed Aiden to change as the plot
required and Aiden needed to change and you will see why when you read the
story.
If you love mysteries and complex plots this is the book for
you. I highly recommend it to everyone. It is a suburb work of fiction and will
have you in knots trying to fit the puzzle pieces together.
I won my copy of the novel in a Book Riot giveaway and this in no way impacts my review.
The Dictionary of Animal Languages by Heidi Soponka is a captivating
literary fiction novel that is also historical fiction. The prose is lovely and
lyrical and connected me to the main character in an unexpected way.
The story tells the tragic tale of the life of famous artist
Ivory Frame. At the beginning we meet Ivory at the end of her life as she is
trying to finish her life’s work of studying animal languages that will be a
dictionary of sorts. As she is working on completing the dictionary, she
receives a message that she has a granddaughter; yet, she never had children. This
message is the catalyst to a flood of memories. We see Ivory as a young girl
who never fit into various schools she is sent to and later expelled from.
Finally as a young woman, disowned by family, she arrives in Paris where she
studies painting.
For Ivory this is
where her life truly starts and in some ways ends. It is the time between the
Great Wars and Paris is alive with creative people. Not only does she discover her
place in the world among the artists and other creative people living in Paris
at the time, she finds the love of her life in Lev. Lev is a Russian artist,
and an enigma, and Ivory loves him passionately even though he is married. Then
in a dreadful and tragic turn of events Ivory loses everything.
This is truly a heart breaking story told with such thoughtfulness and the beautiful prose just took me away. I did think the plot was rather slow; however, it fit the prose and the mood to perfection. If the story had been written any other way it would not have had the same effect on me.
The only negative thing I can say it that I felt the
granddaughter connection did not fit as well into the story as it could have.
To ultimately be so important, the revelation did not get the attention it
should have.
This is a tricky book to recommend because not everyone is going to like the slow pace or appreciate the prose. Though I enjoyed reading it, I recognize that it is not what I would call a “commercial novel”. Yet, for those readers that can truly appreciate it as the art form it is, I think you will love it.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
Title: Out of Season Author: Antonio Manzini Pub. Date: 2-Oct-2018 My Rating: 4 Stars
Out of Season is the third book in the Rocco Schiavone mystery series by Antonio Manzini (originally published in Italian). The book reads well as a standalone. I am grateful for this since I have not read the first two books in the series. It is a fast paced and entertaining mystery/thriller set in a small town in the Italian Alps.
The story follows Deputy Chief Rocco as he tries to solve the mystery of a missing girl by the name of Chairia Berguet. She is the daughter of a local business man who owes a lot of money to the wrong people. The story opens when the kidnapper is killed in a freak car accident.
At first the reader
does not know the accident and the disappearance of Chairia are connected. Then
as the investigation moves along, the reader realizes that the only person who
knows where she is being held is dead. When Rocco makes the connection he is desperate
to find her. He will do anything to location her including bending and breaking
the rules.
My favorite thing about this book is the MC, Deputy Chief Rocco. He is driven and relentless when on a case; yet, as a human being he fails miserable. He is moody, difficult, rude and arrogant and yet it worked with the story and I loved his character despite all the flaws. The author really did an outstanding job with him. I found the plot to a bit slow in the beginning but it was not enough to deter me form pushing forward. Then as the story unfolds, and the pace picks up, you are rushing to the end to see if he can find Chaira.
Even though this book is a mystery/thriller it is not heavy
handed. In fact, it contained a lot of humor. Rocco is very good at handing out
insults and one liners that will have you chuckling. So instead of a dark,
heart pounding thriller, that are a dime a dozen these days, you get a weirdly
funny thriller/mystery and I found it very refreshing.
If you are looking for a mystery/thriller that is on the lighter side, this is the one for you, make sure to put it on your TBR list! I thoroughly enjoyed and I look forward to reading more in this series. I am keeping my fingers crossed that more will be published in English.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
