Tag Archives: mystery

The Kelping: Rewind or Die Book 9 by Jan Stinchcomb (Book Review)

Print Length: 68 pages

Doctor Craig Bo has everything: a perfect wife and children, a thriving dermatology practice, and a house in a lovely coastal town. Nobody is surprised when he is chosen to be the Sea King of Beachside in his hometown’s annual festival.

But after the festival Craig’s world turns upside down. Something starts growing on his skin. His son tells him a story about a sinister mermaid who lives in the attic of the local history museum. And his beautiful wife, Penelope, can no longer hide her dark connection to the sea.

As Craig grapples with his own secrets and misdeeds, he finally understands the woman he married and the plans she has for him.

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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)

 

When you think of mermaids, your mind probably first goes to The Little Mermaid; sweet, singing, happy go lucky, under the sea people. 

Jan (the author) DID NOT write a Disney tale. Instead, she wrote a story that would make the Grimm Brothers proud. 

As a reader, Penelope was throwing up red flags all over the place. Certain phrases in conversations would lead any smart man to run for the hills. Example: Penelope wants him to “worship” only her. 

Craig didn’t see or didn’t want to see the warning signs that something was off about his wife. Heck, if he looked hard enough, I bet he could see she had crazy eyes. That’s the problem, he didn’t stop to look. Craig thought with his little head, and Little Craig got him into a particularly sticky situation. 

I didn’t feel compassion for Craig. I didn’t care about the outcome of anyone besides Dash. 

While I did like the progression of Craig’s inevitable transformation, I wanted more horror, much like we glimpsed in the opening credits. 

No doubt, this was an intriguing short story and one worth reading.

 
Heart rating system:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)
Score: ❤❤❤1/2
 

 

 

Jan Stinchcomb is the author of The Kelping (Unnerving), The Blood Trail (Red Bird Chapbooks) and Find the Girl (Main Street Rag). Her stories have recently appeared in Wigleaf, Hobart and Pithead Chapel. A Pushcart nominee, she is featured in Best Microfiction 2020 and The Best Small Fictions 2018. She lives in Southern California with her family. Visit her at janstinchcomb.com or on Twitter @janstinchcomb.

 

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The Unexpected Inlander by Kellyn Thompson (Book Review)

 

Agent Christopher Rockford has been the best assassin in the agency for eight years, and he loves his job. He loves his solitary lifestyle. He loves keeping the world safe by getting rid of anarchists who threaten their orderly society. He loves his comfortable life as a member of the wealthy Coastal upper class.

But in pursuit of a target, he meets Jenna, a mysterious civilian who belongs to society’s lowest and most shunned group. Meeting her is a life-changing experience. She makes him feel for the first time, and he is instantly captivated.

She boldly stands in the face of everything he has ever known and was taught to believe. He begins to see the world through her eyes, causing him to question his job, his lifestyle, and The Order he so obediently serves. It’s not long before he can’t imagine his life without her.

There’s just one problem: He knows she would leave him if she ever found out about his job. He knows this because he asked her how she felt about assassins in their government, and she was utterly disgusted with the idea, even though she believes their existence is just a myth.

As their relationship grows and intensifies, he knows he cannot keep the truth from her for long.

But Jenna has her own secrets to keep.

Set in an orderly world of near-perfect surveillance, genetically modified humans, and extreme socioeconomic divide, The Unexpected Inlander will take you through Chris’s journey of self-discovery and learning that change begins within.

 

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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 

 

When I was asked to read The Unexpected Inlander, I checked out the cover and the book summary. The cover was simple, but the book summary alluded the story would be anything but ordinary. 

Chris is a man dedicated to his job, that being the job of a government assassin. He’s never once questioned his assignments. That is until the assignment becomes personal.  

Chris is not a stone-cold killer, void of any emotion. He’s sweet, considerate, good with his hands, and loving. He’s also a badass with weaponry and taking out his targets… so I guess you can say he’s a well-rounded individual. 😀 

Jenna, she was just meh. She didn’t stand out to me, like Chris. She felt more like a supporting actress than the main star. 

Plot summation: The plot wasn’t hard to figure out, but the road to closing the Robertson’s case was very entertaining. 

Recommend? 

YES! 

Heart Rating System:

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 

Score:  ❤❤❤❤

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A few things about me:

  • Yes, Kellyn Thompson is a pen name. Why? Because I write non-fiction science articles and am into SciComm, for which I use my given name. I thought it would be best to keep my fiction writing separate from the non-fiction science writing, ergo I used a different name when I decided to write fiction.
  • I do love writing (hence my first blog post, titled, “Why I love writing“), but I hate writing about myself. Maybe this blog will help me on that front. But I much prefer the solace I find in the objectivity of science or the dreamy unreality of fiction.
  • I reside in the great Pacific Northwest in the United States.
  • I have a dark sense of humor. My whole family does.
  • I need at least two cups of coffee to get going in the morning. It’s not a good idea for me to try to do anything substantial before finishing that second cup.
  • I love animals and biology and the magic (er…science) of life in general and, of course, books and cats.
  • I loooooooove being dramatic in my fiction writing, haaaaate being dramatic in real life.
  • And, finally, in case it’s not obvious, I am very new to blogging–Thank you for your patience! and any tips you have 🙂

 

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Ghost Moon by Kathryn Knight (Book Review)

When Lark Cavanaugh’s life in New York City falls apart, she’s left reeling from a staggering betrayal. She escapes to Cape Cod, where a distant relative has left her an old house with a tragic past. Rumors of a haunting presence plague the abandoned home, but Lark doesn’t believe in ghosts…until she has no choice.

After completing his military duty, veterinarian Jesse Holt returns to his small hometown to take over his father’s practice. He soon finds himself drawn to the alluring redhead now living next door, but she has made her intentions clear—she’s moving back to the city as soon as possible. When frightening events threaten her safety, though, he can’t deny his protective instincts.

Unable to fight their feelings, they give in to desire…but another battle looms. Lark’s arrival has awakened a decades-old mystery, and the truth of what happened at Holloway House will only be revealed when it claims yet another life.

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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 

 

Without a doubt, Lark is a much braver woman than I. Even before her bags were unpacked, the house felt off to her. Preston, her cat, felt a disturbance in the force as well.

I understand money is tight, and options seem scarce, but I don’t think I’d move into a house that’s a hotspot for paranormal activity. 

Moans. 

Loud Crashes.

Apparitions.

Eerie sounds (lullaby tune).

Flickering lights.

Brrr, who turned down the heat?!

 

And that’s just what Lark is facing in her waking hours. Don’t get me started on her sleepy time horrors. I mean, I could, but I don’t want to give too much away. I want people to read Ghost Moon. It was spooky, but it also contained the right amount of romance. No, Lark didn’t get it on with a ghost. She fell for a military vet who was also a veterinarian. 

If you like paranormal (supernatural) stories that have a mixture of suspense, mystery, romance, and spookiness, then I encourage you to BUY GHOST MOON. 

 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤

 

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USA TODAY Bestselling Author Kathryn Knight writes books filled with steamy romance, dangerous secrets, and haunting mysteries. Her novels are award-winning #1 Amazon and B&N Bestsellers and RomCon Reader-Rated picks. When she’s not reading or writing, Kathryn spends her time exploring abandoned places and searching for ghosts. She lives on beautiful Cape Cod with her husband, their two sons, and a number of rescued pets.

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January River by Bernard Jan (Book Showcase)

Five friends. One dog. One river carrying a secret.

When one of their friends goes missing, everything comes crashing down for the small group of childhood friends in the small town of Greenfield. Ethan takes it hard. Then he loses his dog, his only consolation.

Hoping to start anew, Ethan leaves Greenfield and moves to New York City. Far from the ghosts of his childhood and the river that gives and takes life. There he finds his one true love and builds a career as a bestselling author.

But how long will Ethan’s happiness last as doubts creep back into him and shatter his reality? And will his reconciliation with the past come at too great a price?

All rivers carry their secrets, but not every river keeps its secret forever.

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Ethan McCoy lay in the grass, stretched out to his full length. He flung his head back and unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his neck and the pale skin of his chest to the sun. His rolled-up sleeves were already drenched in sweat. Perspiration ran off his forehead, dripping onto the jacket folded under his head in a faux pillow.

Ethan removed the light-sensitive glasses from his nose and wiped the sweat off with a handkerchief. Inhaling deeply, he stared at the sun through unprotected eyes. The scent of Greenfield invaded his nostrils, conquering his throat, lungs, and heart. Inside him the memories were waking up, ignited by familiar feelings from the past.

In the strong light he felt a pain in his eyes, forcing him to close them. So that he might suffer too, he didn’t move to escape into the protective shadows. Determined to stay exposed to heat that reached him from the vast distance with such strength, he willed the sun to cause him pain. Wanted it to numb his senses and make him oblivious to any and all experiences—both pleasant and unpleasant. Most of all, he wanted to let go of the internal pain that refused to leave him alone after all these years.

He wished one pain could soothe another. The physical could annul the emotional. Even as he thought it, he knew it was in vain. He also accepted there was no cure for that pain. At best, it might be blunted some day and become just a painful reminder of his past.

But it would never disappear.

Because if it did, Greenfield would no longer exist. The artificially created grove beside the river in which he now rested, would vanish too. The same for Willy, then Jason, Derrick, and Sarah. Riv and . . . Susan. Could they evaporate, all of them? Did he have the right to ask that?

Or, what if it were possible for all of them to remain in their reality where they belonged? While he—Ethan—disappeared? Both could be possible only by some supernatural phenomenon. Something that could never happen.

Eventually moving into the shadows, he took off his shirt, shoes and socks and continued with his fantasy. Recalling. Or gathering up the strength and determination to do what he intended. Well, that’s what he planned on saying if someone asked him why he was there. So far, nobody had. Nobody knew. He arrived less than an hour ago. He hadn’t gone to the town, but had come straight to the river. To the place where everything had begun. Therefore, it only seemed fitting that it be where the beginning of the end transpired. The place where he would insert a period at the end of a life story. If he got lucky, he’d tear out a blank page and start anew. No memories. No past.

Without the bad memories, he could live in peace.

However, if he were honest with himself, that would be equally impossible to achieve.


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Raven’s Glen by Nancy E. Polin (Book Review)

Skylar Donaghue has no memory of the night her parents died. When the perfect career opportunity arises, she ignores her brother’s superstitious warnings, choosing to leave the Choctaw reservation where she grew up and return to the place of her birth…

Widowed and caring for his young daughter, relationships are the last thing on Jack Langham’s mind. A chance encounter finds him intrigued, then captivated by a beautiful, but mysterious, violet-eyed woman and before he realizes it, he’s falling faster than fate may ever allow…

Stephen Donaghue holds the key to that long ago night, but never speaks of it. Now that Skylar is being pulled into the past, he fears its ghosts will darken their future and claim his sister forever…
 
 
 
 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
Raven’s Glen elicited many emotions from me. Read on to discover which ones and why. 


Curiosity: For a while, I pondered these questions…
What was up with the house?
What truly happened the night Stephen escaped with Skylar?
Will Nancy elaborate on John Patrick’s fascination with the occult?
What’s Molly’s background? How could she sense something was a miss with Jack’s house. 
What was up with the numerous encounters with the ravens?
Did Stephen have a unique skill like Skylar?
 
Frustration: Several times, I wanted to shake some characters. I wanted Jack to realize that not everything was kosher with his daughter, girlfriend, neighbor, and house. I wanted Stephen to wake up and stop dragging his feet regarding Chloe. 
 
Fear: For years, I have suffered from night terrors. No matter the age, they are frightening. I can’t imagine my bogeyman becoming real. I wouldn’t want to deal with a live version of Skylar and Avery’s monster either. Brief description: One side of his face was smashed in; the other was charred. An eye that appeared to be melting down his face. 
Gross, right?!
 
Love and Hope: Love was expressed throughout this story. Not always with words but with actions. Avery playing matchmaker for her dad. Avery trying to protect her dad and Skylar from the burnt man. Jack and Skylar finding themselves. Stephen finally realizing how important Chloe was to him. Jack sitting vigil against Sky’s bedside. Stephen taking a walk on the dark side. Even the ravens brought hope that evil would soon leave everyone’s life forever. 
 
I want to end the review with my favorite line from Raven’s Glen. It occurred during a meeting between Jack, the Principal, and a bully’s parents. The father of the bully said, “Words cannot physically harm, but hitting can.” What Jack said next is the absolute truth. 
 
(Jack) “Words can cause intense damage. It’s just not as easily seen with the naked eye.”
 
Recommend this book to others? YES! 

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score:  ❤❤❤1/2

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Nancy E. Polin began writing as a child and returned as a late bloomer to add experience and the occasional quirk to her work. She’s published four novels and several short pieces to date and is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing. Nancy shares her life with her husband, kids and critters, nestled within the towering firs of the Pacific Northwest.
 
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