Review: A Festival of Skeletons - Oh My!

Image by Ninja M. via Flickr

A Festival of Skeletons


By RJ Astruc






OMG, what had I gotten myself into? Yes, I had accepted to read and review a new "Dark Comedic Fantasy." My first. Actually, I didn't know the specific genre since it came to be as scifi/fantasy, so I decided, what the heck... It's not that I don't enjoy laughing, but I have found that what other people find very humorous is oftentimes just not funny to me. So, as a professional reviewer, I decided to review the storyline and not worry about whether I thought it was funny--and do the best I could...

RJ Astruc is an excellent writer and I would love to see her work when she's not on a bender. What? She says that in her bio. (Check out her web site by clicking the title of this article.) So as I started to read, it was easy to become interested in the basic storyline, even if I was not even smiling at her dark comedy...but of course, as her bio claims, her husband has six nipples, so she can't have everything, right?

First of all, most of her characters are found on the front cover of her book. I found as I got further and further into the story, I would go back to check out the character and study the individual one I was reading about--she's done an excellent job of describing them in word, but her artist, Jonatan Iversen-Ejve has also done a great job of portraying them! Ok, I admit it, the characters soon grew on me, even the "merkind."

So I found myself in Kamphor. I should let you know that there is magic there and some individuals and/or merkinds have the capability to use it. Like Mr. Sink, the one on the cover in the middle holding a skull. You may immediately think he is a cross-dresser; and he has gotten to like it now, but originally, he was advised to dress lighter to deal with his issue--being able to know when somebody was going to die. Fortunately, Mr. Sink is a mortician (or did he become one because of his ability, I'm not sure)

Mr. Sink was the only one who would give employment to his two assistants. Joshua is the hunk on the left of the cover (with the "shiny" ax). Vona Urgarth is the Merkind and is very grateful for her job, given that she eats both her own kind and...whatever... One other character I'll highlight is Percy (next to Mr. Sink on the right); he's nothing special--except that he's only 17 and he can get (and does) any woman he wants. Not very long after he had met Vona, however, Percy finds he is in love, the enduring kind...

The underlying story is a whodunit! Young women are being killed and mutilated. Most have been prostitutes; however, one of Percy's lady friends is also an actress and when she had to try out for a part, she had dressed for it and mistakenly was also killed. Although his affection was now with Vona, Percy felt he had to help find her killer.

The police, specifically, Mr. Sink's neighbor Arifia Fawles (yes, she's on the cover) believes Mr. Sink and or somebody from his household, is guilty. Actually, she's way off base because Mr. Sink is trying to solve the crimes as well! There is one man who hates Mr. Sink, but who was once his assistant. He is the brother of a woman with whom Mr. Sink was in love. In fact, she had asked him to marry her, but when she kissed him, he drew back suddenly. She was so shocked that she ran from him, out the door, and was hit in an accident. Her brother, Mr. Torvault hating Mr. Sink became a mortician and opened a competitive business on the other side of town.

Now, I'm not even going to mention The Knife, who used to kill like the present deaths were being done and who had never been caught. Nor am I going to mention The Fifteen Step Program that was started by Mr. Sink's lover and now headed by Joshua--you'll see a step beginning every chapter--like, Step Fourteen: Don't turn on those who try to help you.

I'm also not going to mention the Necromancers, the box full of skeletons, The Sentinel. I'm especially not going to go into the relationship between Vona and Percy, nor that when Mr. Sink is arrested, the members of the Step Program are brought into help...

Really, I'm not going to tell you any more. You have got to read this book to believe it. So what if I didn't laugh, it was gruesome enough and unbelievably sarcastic in other spots. Anything and everything you can think of just might be in this book...

Ok, I didn't love it but I couldn't put it down--hmmm, strange...maybe the magic...

For the genre, it is an excellent addition. If you are already a fan, then ENJOY!

GABixlerReviews

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Higher Than Eagles:


The Tragedy and Triumph
of an American Family


By Maralys Wills and
Chris Wills




When your son tells you he is going to be different, to be someone who will follow his dreams, will you listen? Or what if you have another son who has decided he wants to fly and builds the equipment he will use to do so? In fact, one of the authors of the book, Chris, is that son. Maralys is his mother. This is the memoir of their family's life, but it is so much more. After all, no parent knows that their son will be making and breaking world records one after the other...

Here's a front note to readers:

I am the mother of six children--five boys and a girl. Three of the boys became hang glider pilots and two were champions. Together they drew us, their parents, into unpowered flight until we found ourselves unable to resist...

Bobby was the oldest of the children; he would spend most of his time tinkering and making things in their garage. School was unimportant; he had more important things to do. Like building a bicycle that you could drive from about 6 feet off the ground--his sky bike...and then later, a motorcycle flying with a glider. (Wow!)

It was, Chris, though who would dream of flying, building his Red Baron first, which indeed did look like the famous one. Soon, however, they moved to bamboo and plastic gliders. I say they because it wasn't long before Bobby became a partner in Chris' dream. In fact, friends, family and the community were soon fans.

It was not easy raising a large family and with five boys, involvement in all kinds of sports was common. But soon Bobby and Chris were experienced enough that they were seen by that certain type of man--the oily, scheming weasels who have no problems in smiling and applauding your work to your face, and planning on taking advantage of your lack of business savvy behind your back.

Bobby and his father had always problems in communication. Where Bobby thought nothing of leaving the garage in a mess while he worked on some project, his father expected to also be able to use that space. Plus, of course, he had a job and paid the bills to keep the family going, so when strange men started hanging around, walking into their home and into work areas, things began to be even worse. Bobby enjoyed the praise and attention he was receiving. His father knew that his sons skills were marketable!

I appreciated the Wills family sharing the good and bad times as the family was growing, especially as the older ones began to look toward what their future held. It was wonderful to have the family move together to form Wills Wings, but only after they had learned the hard way that those who praise you can also be unworthy of your loyalty.

I know that stories about the beginning of air travel are wonderful, but I must admit that seeing the progression of the gliders and knowing that the pilot of gliders is the only thing that keeps the glider in the air, created a much more intimate look at the dreams of flying we have all had--none of mine, though, included flying alongside of eagles! My dream was to parachute from a plane...and, no, I never did... And after reading the story from both parents about their own trips, I doubt I ever would, although it was a thrill to learn that Bobby's father was so excited! 

Check out the pictures, the world records made, and the story of the Wills family. Death tore them apart; but their love pulled them through. A truly heartwarming story that, I think, parents of "creative" boys might just find a must-read!

Book Received Via
a Personal Recommendation

GABixlerReviews

Related articles

• I'm tellin' you boys, there ain't no noise (wfmu.org)

Review: Any True Crime Lovers Out There?

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Lizzie Borden has always been the Accused...

Lizzie Didn't Do It;
Emma Did!


By E. Elaine Watson














I don't read True Crime much, but anybody who has lived during some part of the last 100 years has at least one time heard the old rhyme that children would scream out “gave her mother 40 whacks’’ and “when she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41.’’ And, by the way, according to the official records, that old poem was incorrect!


NOT SO, according to E. Elaine Watson, in her new book (also in Kindle) Lizzie Didn't Do It; Emma Did! Hard copy has just been released by Branden Books. Click the title of this article to go to Amazon...


Watson, with a degree in Criminal Justice, and like a former well-known sleuth,  does an excellent job of her well-researched material in putting the story into a clear, clean chronology, including interesting complementary pictures from the Fall River Historical Society. In fact, it is done so well, in my opinion, that it seems strange that this alternative solution to the crime has not been considered and applied before. Or perhaps it takes a woman to see past the face of Lizzie to the older daughter who had much more to gain from the crime?

Lizzie Borden, of course, was not convicted of the murders of her father and step-mother. There had from the start been problems when their father remarried. Neither of the young girls would ever come to refer to the new Mrs. Borden with any terms of endearment. But then, both Lizzie and Emma began to see that the Borden money was often being designated for the family of the second wife, including giving a house to his wife's sister!


There were other suspects although the police quickly eliminated them. They took Emma's word that she had been out of town at the time, although neighbors had reported a coach in front of the house earlier. Those that been involved in embezzlement at his company were considered as was John Morse, their uncle who was visiting in the home.

Death Scene of Andrew Borden

Even in those early years of crime investigation, it was clear to the experts that there was a lengthy time period between the murder of Mrs. Borden and her husband. I am sure if you are interested in forensics investigation at all, you will quickly see the relevance of this to motive. 


Yet, no blood nor weapon was ever found to link anybody to the murders.


If I had been on the jury and E. Elaine Watson had presented her case, Emma Borden would have been convicted for the murders...but, in a way, she was! Read about the end of Emma's Life and judge for yourself...


A must-read for true crime lovers... By the way, do you believe that a death-bed promise must be fulfilled? You decide whether you would have followed that path to its logical end. I thoroughly enjoyed this in one sitting! 


Book Received Via
Branden Books


GABixlerReviews


Note: 2 errors on characters involved were identified by readers and have been corrected on this blog since first written: step-mother and Morse, uncle...

Enter Your Personal Story at The Write Place At The Write Time...

There's a Writer's Contest going on right now...for NonFiction--Want to Learn More?

Not Decided, then here is a sample of the nonfiction in this quarter for your reading pleasure...

"Our Stories"

These are stories of things that have happened serendipitously, being in the right place at the right time or just heartfelt musings, thoughts, and feelings on life.  Join us in our non-fiction section.  These stories speak to anyone and everyone and are told by anyone and everyone who has a story to tell. 

Before you start reading, spend some time with the page's artwork "Pond in Fog" Linda Woods

Start right at the top with

Memory on Fire

By Elizabeth Schwing

My earliest memories were here…sleeping on the screened-in porch with my sisters, reading Charlotte’s Web under the covers of our cots late into the night, flashlights propped between our knees.  We would fall asleep to the sounds of cicadas, owls and frogs, our nightly lullaby.  During the days, we would put on a production of E.B. White’s classic tale of friendship and sacrifice for our parents.  We spent summers here, learning important life lessons: how to gut a fish fresh from the lake, play chess, grow tomatoes.  Most important, we learned how to be content living without the amenities of modern life. 

Or choose

Training Shoes

By Elizabeth Schwing

They are hanging from a nail above my desk so that they are the first thing I see each morning when I sit down to work.  They remind me of where I started and how far I have come.

Next will be

Remembering Cambridge Snow

By Patrick Kinsley

The snow started falling an hour before I left. I was staying in Boston with an old friend but he was leaving on the Chinatown bus tomorrow. This old friend had given me directions- down the avenue and take a right, walk three blocks and find the bus stop just before the bridge. Take the number 16 across the highway to the square and walk down the street across from the supermarket until you come to the second avenue.

Ending with

A Lighter Tale of Baggage

By Nicole M. Bouchard

When you think of all the things a person amasses in the course of their lives, objects large and small, some temporary, some lasting, precious or wasteful, we are a species of collectors.  From spare change and crumpled movie ticket stubs in coat pockets to heirloom furniture, we are seekers and keepers of tokens that serve as proof of our life experience. 

Read what others are writing and maybe you'll have a story to write for the contest!

Click on over and plan to stay awhile...

       

 

 

Review: Davison's Fascinating Techno-Thriller Out In March

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State of Mind

By Sven Michael Davison

Just the cover of State of Mind can tell you what is coming in this science fiction adventure by Sven Michael Davison. Reading it, however, may give you a feeling of the "big brother" syndrome and is a perfect illustration of the potential future of "our" world. 

I am thoroughly enjoying the new books coming out that prophesy the future based upon where technology can (or could) be. And the date for this one is not too far in the future: 2030. By then you may find that what you remember may not even your memories... 

Right now, the only chip that most of us have heard about is having a location finder implanted. To me this sounds like a pretty good thing, especially for children or the elderly. But by 2030 Drs. Veloso and Morris have won the Nobel Peace prize for eradicating violent crimes in prisons. Soon Nano Technologies Inc., have moved to expand the "Personal Chip." into "the first fully functioning microprocessor that monitors and controls the autonomic, chemical and emotional centers in the brain." 

Before we go any further, just think about that... The ads began to talk about eating anything you wanted, but never gaining weight. And, of course, violence would be almost non-existent... Beginning to sound good to you?

I encourage you to read this book a little slower than a thriller, else you will miss the many "possible" things that are happening. One of the most significant is that nobody will be driving cars, except a few who want to do it or the very rich. Most vehicles will be guided electrically from one point to another and if you were to watch those in neighboring vehicles, you would see them doing just about anything you can imagine, including finishing getting dressed for work. 

As you may have guessed, prisoners were the first humans to test the P-Chips. But as news started circulating, a certain Senator took an interest, thinking that this invention could move America back to the top as a world power. He started talking to the Director of Homeland Security (HLS) who saw a broader, more significant role for the P-Chip, especially his role in its use... 

Jake Travissi was one of the first cops to be implanted. He had had some problems on the police force, so they had given him an opportunity to be implanted and start working with HLS. An elite team was established with Travissi as the commander. Another cop had been implanted and another was considered a "control" so that they could capture photographically what was happening with the Enhanced Unit members. 

For, you see, those implanted with P-chips were doubled up with those who were called God Heads who were centrally located to help the Enhanced Unit most effectively use their chips. 

The chips, by the way, allowed the implanted individuals to talk to each other telepathically. It also allowed them to be wounded and have the body begin working on healing them while the officer continued dealing with those breaking the law. 

But then Travissi started having "Flashes." He would see himself watching as someone was killed, perhaps by a fellow member of his team. He knew he had had major depression due to the deaths of his wife and child, so he wondered if he was experiencing hallucinations caused by that depression. Then he realized that he also could "see" backwards into the site where the God Heads were located. Something was very wrong... 

Sven Michael Davison shows us the good and bad of future technological advances. I would love to see us be able to have vehicles guided by a form of GPS and have the auto accidents decrease to zero. Like the doctors who had first created and experimented with the P-Chips, most technology is created to provide a better world. But technology cannot change those who will use that technology for greed and power. Davison has given us a thrilling expose of what could happen, especially when that technology is controlled by the big brother of today, Homeland Security. As a friend of mine says, Great Stuff! Scifi lovers--it's out in March! Order now! 

ARE YOU READY TO BE CHIPPED? (TPB Asks) 

Book Received Via 
To Press and Beyond 

G. A. Bixler


 

Related articles

• Book Review: State of Mind by Sven Michael Davison (seattlepi.com)
• Book Review: State of Mind by Sven Michael Davison (blogcritics.org)

Adolfo Caso Shares His Latest Back-Yard Scene!

Long-time resident of the woods behind the Caso house!
Picture by Adolfo Caso


Isn't he beautiful? Thanks for Sharing with Book Reader's Heaven, Adolfo!

Review: Puzzle Lover Alert! If You Love Puzzles Check This Out!

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The Quest for the Prize, Vol. 2

The Replenishment

By Keith Dyne

Puzzle Lover Alert! Keith Dyne is back with Volume 2, with new rhymes and puzzles for you to solve:

At first I'd thought it was just not right
Then caught on--and what a fright!
Though The Good Lord Was Now Replenished
The Prize itself was needed for the finish!
But The Good Lord, nor Guardians knew
That The Prize was the Key to be Used
So as had been done before, the Prize was now lost
To anyone Who could not solve the puzzles at all cost!
Now if you can guess what my little poem means,
you will have solved a puzzle just from me!

You who have not yet read Keith Dyne will wonder what my silly poem means...but you see, rhymes and puzzles is what The Quest for the Prize is all about! You must be able to learn what rhymes mean and solve puzzles...well, maybe not totally, but being able to, will increase your fun and enjoyment of the book. (And if you can solve my puzzle after you read the book, comment on my blog with the answer, and I'll send you another book!)

The Replenishment is Volume 2 of The Quest for the Prize. In Book 1, our small group was working hard toward the Quest. Two of the guardians had been killed and Jeremy Dumbarton was "a person of interest" in the murders. Fortunately, Inspector T. Jones had some hesitation about Dumbarton, because Sergeant Williams wanted to hunt him down and bring him in. That's just where the new book begins! The murders are still open cases...

Today is Jerry's birthday so Jules and Pete, his friends who have been helping him with the puzzles, are celebrating.

The Evil Lord had been seriously hurt in the battle for the Prize, but a secret potion was helping him regain his strength much faster than everybody assumed and there were some stirrings beginning to spread that he was ready to begin the fight again!

But it was time for The Replenishment and preparations were being made. It was to be held at a famous site of magic and because it was so well known, it had to be at a time when absolute secrecy was possible. So the guardians were spread throughout the stones and there in the center The present Good Lord called forth those who had been before. (Can you guess where the ceremony occurred?)

The Heavens opened up and the earlier Good Lords all were there, watching from on high. Jeremy held The Prize and the sacred ritual took place! Jeremy was immediately The new Good Lord, and Jules and Pete were named as Guardians along with two others. Jeremy's first act was to ask Pete to perform his first important assignment. Although he succeeded, he was killed during his work! 

While Jeremy began his new duties immediately, everybody soon realized that he seemed to be losing his strength, his power...What was wrong? Was Jeremy not really the chosen one? Or was it just because his best friend had been killed and Jeremy was mourning?

No matter why, something had to change because the Evil Lord was back! And the police were also, since that secret ritual had been observed from afar and the lightning and noises were reported! Jeremy was once again being looked at for murder...

Now here is an important clue! Check out the web site: http://TheQuestForThePrize.com
There you can find additional clues to help you!

I must admit I enjoyed the second book more than the first because I knew what to expect! Keith Dyne has written a series of books that can easily stand on their own, but adding rhymes, puzzles and games to tease and draw readers into an overall game that merges with his online site makes the books so much more! What Fun!

You know who you are--puzzle lovers of all ages will want to get involved and help ensure that Jeremy Dumbarton will reign! Highly recommended! The site is set up so you must choose which book you are reading...so if you haven't read Volume 1, I recommend you start there and work your way through the first set of puzzles because the next set, I believe, are even harder! Enjoy!

Book Received Via
Authors Den

G. A. Bixler 


The Quest for the Prize Vol. 2: The Replenishment

So You Think You've Written A Book...

Then I invite you to The Writer's Craft Box at


The Write Place At the Write Time...


Then see what


Writer, editor, and writing coach, Noelle Sterne 


has to say!

STOP! READ THIS BEFORE YOU PUBLISH YOUR BOOK

by Noelle Sterne­

           
You’ve made it real, that sprout of an idea you had way back there. You’ve forced yourself to sit at your desk daily. You’ve nurtured, protected, and grown it despite the thickets of demanding duties, seesawing motivation, and self-censoring gales.

Please read this...

Let me take this opportunity to add a little bit from my standpoint...

Within the last month, I've had two books come in that were not really ready for publishing...

The first author I wrote to immediately said that no other reviewer had said anything to him about problems with his book. I returned a marked-up copy to him and he since has hired a professional editor to review his book. He then had to pay for it to be republished...

The second author in his cover letter indicated there was a major error, told me where it was,  and that he would be republishing. You guessed it; I found other issues and wrote to him, I will be returning his book soon...

Please note that when a major publisher sends me an advanced copy, I do not mark/proofread, but when I received a self-published book I do. Yes, I do this for my own credibility. I use the same cutoff point of 30 errors as is used by the review site where I formerly worked. To me, even 30 is too many, but in trying to be fair, we establish that maximum count.

However, the majority of writers to which I write are thrilled to receive my feedback. Authors do want to put out a great book! I want to help them...

But...it really shouldn't be your book reviewer who provides such feedback...Do yourself a favor...read this article! It may just save you money, even if you still self-publish!

Like Noelle, "Holding Sally’s book, I felt a sick hollow in my gut. And sadness. " when I receive a book, I feel so sad for the writer to whom I will soon have to give some bad news...

"I don't review books with more than 30 errors related to editing, grammar, spelling, formatting, etc."

Please read Noelle's article!

Review: Sniper Crosses Country Following His Prey...

Image by thisisbossi via Flickr

Esme fell through the ceiling onto a lower floor as she
tried to escape from Galileo, only to have him find her 
after she had been seriously hurt!

While Galileo Preys


By Joshua Corin












Esme Stuart had retired from the FBI and living a suburban life with her professor husband and child, even starting to get involved with local activities, when the first killings happened. She did the first thing that came to her mind; she called her former boss to find out more...

And when she did, two things happened:

• It created a division between her and her husband since he wanted her to have nothing to do with her former life.
• It brought her close friend and mentor back into her life, who immediately began to beg for her help and return to the FBI.

There was a reason that the FBI needed her, Esme Stuart could analyze what was happening and begin to see patterns. Then she would her unique skills, that were never limited by logic, and begin to develop not only reasons, but potential future actions. And those type of skills were very much needed because Galileo, who had named himself, was preying across the United States, targeting police, firemen and other public service employees. His body count increased...and the follow up showed that every bullet hit its mark.

He never missed his target...

Until he stood over Esme Stuart with his gun pointing at her head...

Esme had agreed to come in as an consultant only for a short period, to analyze the case files and work toward developing a theory. And she did!

But her theory would cause major political problems if they were to pursue it and those in control refused to accept her suggestions for investigation, surveillance and action. And Galileo was brilliant in his strategy to set up a situation so that everybody would be away from the main office. Only Esme was there when he broke into the main office to get information. During her attempt to escape from him, she was seriously hurt. And when she woke up in the hospital, she could not believe that Galileo had not pulled the trigger of the gun he had pointed!

As the count continued to rise, the FBI team was being criticized by everybody. Tom Piper, her former boss, was calling Esme at home where she had returned after leaving the hospital, but Esme had begun to ignore his calls since he had refused to accept her unwillingness to return. She had already told him what she had learned and had projected for future locations. And they were coming true...

The trail was following the locations where a candidate for the presidency was traveling! By that time, though, there were further problems between Esme and Rafe, her husband, especially since his father was there babysitting and doing every thing possible to make Esme look bad for leaving her family in the first place! But when both the candidate and Galileo came to their home town, there was no longer an option for anyone...

Joshua Corin explores how an individual can be affected by traumatic events in which he has participated and learned too much so that he loses his former belief system. Galileo had left his first message, "If there were a God, He would have stopped me." His reason for doing what he was doing was now logical actions to him. This potentially real-life drama has an underlying message that must be heard, in my opinion. Will anybody listen?

No matter what, this fast-paced thriller is sure to keep readers actively following the action through to the last page, especially the changes in Esme's life!

Book Received Via
Amazon Vine

G. A. Bixler

So You're Looking For A Professional Site to Submit Your Writing or Artwork?

Image by Djuliet via Flickr

Then...


Check out Submission Guidelines for


The Write Place At the Write Time!


Just click on the article title and zoom over!


As always, you'll stop and enjoy the beautiful painting starting that page...


"Icon Lady" by Hermes Hernandez; 


From the Editorial Staff at The Write Place At the Write Time:

We are a quarterly on-line literary magazine whose mission is to move our readers with fiction and poetry that speaks deeply to the heart and mind. This publication includes not only fiction, poetry, original photos and artwork, but also interviews with professionals from the literary world as well as selected artists from other fields who use writing as a part of their craft. 

Submission guidelines: Most fiction genres and poetry considered, however, no erotica, no juvenile stories at present, and no explicit or needless violence. In short, tell an incredible story, move your audience through sympathetic characters, but please avoid sending us anything so disturbing that it keeps us up at night. Use sound literary judgment...


One of these days when I'm not reading or reviewing a book, I'm going to submit something to this site! I hope I can meet their high standards...


How about you...


Read More!

Review: Latest by Darlene Cox A Winner!

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Pearl:


A Life Too Short
A Death Too Long


By Darlene Cox






Darlene Cox read a line in a novel by David Baldacci and used it as her sub-title for her latest novel. I love how imagination is stirred by a writer who then goes on to create an entirely new story! Pearl certainly fulfills the image that we might envision from Baldacci's words...

All the men in town loved Pearl Sutton; some were even in love with her and would have sought a permanent life with her, but she was married to a rich influential man in town. But her beauty and her flirty personality made any man feel just a little more special--what harm did that do? After all, if any of them got a little frisky, she just mentioned that Pappy was expecting her home and she would leave them then and there...

Except for one man...

And sometimes another...

Everybody wondered about her being with "Pappy" Sutton--after all, he was much older than she; but their relationship seemed to work and everybody knew they were very close, even if Pearl would go off alone or with some man most days.

Pearl loved speed and would get into her car to ride off from town. Sometimes she would bring a picnic basket and she would offer a ride to one certain man and they would go off into the woods together. But when she didn't go home at night or came out later in the dark, she headed for only one man's bed and he always opened his home and heart to her...

Now she was dead--murdered, found under a pile of leaves by kids who had decided it was too nice a day to be stuck in school. But when their freedom led to Pearl, they once again were responsible young men and called for help. It was too late for Pearl, but Jon Atherton, the Sheriff, did everything possible, and more, to find the man who had killed Pearl. And many times, during the investigation, his mind would seek out the warmth of his bed whenever Pearl held him close and lovingly. Even though she had told him she was not in love with him, he loved her like no other.

They had spent most of their time in bed. Now Sheriff Atherton started to learn all of the secrets in Pearl's life, some he wished he had known long before she was gone...

But then another young woman was found, burned in the bed on which she had undoubtedly been assaulted, the complexity and relationship between the two murdered women seemed so remote that it was hard to establish any basis for comparison. Jon Atherton had come out of the Marines, wondering what to do with the rest of his life. He was new to law enforcement and the town. Now he realized that he didn't know much about any of the people with whom he worked and lived.

Cox presents a tale of murder in a small town where normally everybody knows everything about everbody, but this town has held their secrets tightly and while readers will begin to solve the crime, they will realize, finally, that they were probably wrong.

But Jon Atherton loved Pearl and he wasn't going to stop until he found out who and why she had been murdered. He owed it to the woman he loved...

Readers will have fun with Pearl. Not in the sense of having murder happen, but rather in following the clues, discovering the past secrets and learning more about the woman who had been loved by all the men in town. Much of the tale is sad... but the characters are those you enjoy learning about. I found myself wishing for a different ending for Pearl...and Jon... Let me know if you agree...

Highly recommended for lovers of whodunits! Pearl: A Life Too Short; A Death Too Long

Book Received Via
Blog Linkup

G. A. Bixler

Spotlighting Poetry Offerings...You've Just Got to Go And Enjoy This Page!

When you click over to The Poetry Section of The Write Place at The Write Time (click title of article), you will see a beautiful painting complementing the section!




"The Poet" by Denise Morris Curt


Followed by a Wonderful Tape of her paintings against music! (This is worth the time in itself!)

The Limner

by Denise Bouchard

An afternoon in May

The tulips are in bloom...

Bygone Memories
by Cheryl Sommese

It wasn't enough that he would call all me stupid,

a name I knew didn't apply...

A Powerful Passageway
by Cheryl Sommese 

Along that winding stretch,

a passageway leading to death...

Secret Garden

by C. Michelle Olson 

 An enchanted place where beauty awaits

 Flowers reach out like hands that grab a prize...

Black Tree Black Tree

by C. Michelle Olson

Black Tree, Black Tree

What's happened to Thee...

And so much more! More poetry! Add the beautiful paintings and music and I know you'll spend an enjoyable time in this section!

At the Write Place at the Write Time...