Lauralyn Keller Presents The Doctor's Convenient Marriage: Second Chances of the High Country - Book 3

...dance in the rain?” “Why not?” She pushed away and began twirling again. “It’s fun. We need some fun in our lives, don’t we?”

Father’s eyes sparked, and his face became dangerously calm. “Careful.” As if his threats ever deterred her. “Or what? You’ll block me from becoming a physician? It seems you’ve already decided on that.” She planted her palms on his desk, leaning forward with a sneer. “You can’t cow me the way you do your clients. Unlike them, I see you for who you are. A calculating, manipulative man who cares nothing for others, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.” She straightened, burning rage pulsing through her. “You won’t win. I’ll find a way to fulfill my dream. Count on it.” Pushing back his chair, her father rose slowly, gaze locked on hers. “I’ve had enough of your rebellion. You had your time in medical school. That part of your life is now over. No doctor in Boston will take you on. I’ve made sure of that.” A surge of heat exploded in Tori’s stomach. She slammed a hand on his desk. “How dare you!” “I dare more.” Father’s lips curved in a cruel smile. “As of now, you’re cut off from family funds...

Harrison’s gaze went back to the church doors. The organ swelled into the wedding march made popular by England’s Queen Victoria when her granddaughter married a few decades ago. His lips twisted with the irony. How appropriate as he prepared to marry his own Victoria. She’d probably spear him with words if he dared call her his to her face. Smothering a smile, he waited for his bride to appear. Then she did, on her father’s arm, and Harrison lost the ability to breathe properly.

Tori stuffed the questions down. She had a job to do, as did he. Ever since Mr. Tolson spread word that she’d fixed him up right—and that the rumors about her were wrong—people seemed more inclined to trust her. She’d only heard a couple protests about her gender over the last week. Things were finally looking up. Now if she could just sleep through the night. Thunder boomed in the distance, making her jump. She stared out the apartment window and watched rain pour down in sheets. It looked cool and refreshing. The early-August heat vanished with the storm. An impulse seized her. Tori bit her lip. The longer she watched the rain, the more she wanted to be in it, let it wash away her cares and worries. Why not? She crept down the stairs to the infirmary. Harrison sat at their desk, working on a list of necessary supplies. She slipped out the back door without alerting him to her presence. Rain pounded her skin, soaking her hair and clothes in a matter of seconds. She laughed, spreading her arms wide and twirling in the cool torrent of water. When she stopped, she closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sky, letting rain pour in rivulets down her cheeks.

~~~~~~

It was the time when high society and white men ruled homes, businesses, and even their families like an owner of slaves was known to do... Victoria, as our main character, had already seen her older sister escape from their home and had moved west, out of easy reach of her parents. But Victoria, a redhead that had obtained the fiery nature of her ancestors had watched as her sister left. But her goals were more lofty then just escape... She wanted to become a doctor. A woman who knew she would be alone in the professional field of doctors which was, of course, all white men who had become doctors as an accepted field for sons of high society rich families who were those who felt they were superior in their lives, especially about keeping women in their place...

Perhaps this is a tired, older than history story who we've known about forever it seems. But, Lauralyn Keller zapped the history lesson when she created her characters of the new generation living or moving into higher society... And some of them watched what was happening, and decided that was not what was wanted to have happen in their lives!

Victoria was quick to move from the name of a Queen, to go by Tori, at least to her friends... She of course, would have had the aggravation of men also studying medicine creating the atmosphere most women have experienced working in an environment where men and women work together. No matter what period in history, that type of man will be there...

And, of course, the "unique" method by which marriages were made in High Society continued... As soon as Victoria was a graduate--and got that out of her system--she was inundated with her parents working to match her to another rich family who would, of course, merge businesses in order to become richer and richer...  Well, of course, an also normal event happened, one of the "suitors" was assured that he would be in the top running for her hand, and since she was a beautiful woman, he naturally was willing... Not to wait... Of course, sharing what had happened was kept to herself, but she vowed that she would never marry such a man!

But at the same time, her father had also made it clear to all doctors in the rich part of town that they would NOT allow her to take the required residency in any of their offices! Or else face her father's wrath...

Funny to learn that, like today, we are fully aware that not all men dream of power and money... And Victoria had found a small clinic where she met a doctor who was happy to have her assistance. They had worked together for quite some time. Enough for Harrison to realize just how skilled Victoria was in presenting her medical knowledge to help his patients... They had become somewhat friendly as co-workers are prone to do, while they realized that a professional environment had been established and expected at all times...

And then something happened in both of the lives of Harrison, the lead doctor in the clinic... and Victoria, the doctor who was helping him with no salary... Harrison had learned of a major inheritance from an aunt which would allow him to fulfill his dream of building a hospital out west where it was most needed.... Victoria's father had given her a deadline--get married or get out with no financial support...

Of course, Victoria's situation was the most dire... And so one day, she proposed a business proposal to Harrison. She would become his wife... If he agreed to settle in Harmony Springs, where her sister and family had settled...

~~~~~~

BTW, I'm sorry that I couldn't find suitable music selections from the 1800s, but it's the sentiment that I wanted to share for this delightful family drama... As you might realize, Tori had grown so withdrawn that she didn't really trust anybody, including Harrison. After all, she had only known him as a co-worker. What would he be like as a husband? Would he think he owned her like her father and suitors had portrayed throughout her life? Especially, when her mother seemed to not have any love for her own daughters... What was this strange thing called being "husband and wife?"

I so enjoyed the time spent in Harmony Springs. Tori was now near her sister. She felt more secure; she would continue to address her marriage as a business arrangement--a marriage of convenience... 

Until Harrison realized that he cared enough and decided to court his wife, after getting suggestions from the man who had won Tori's sister's hand in a loving marriage... In fact, her sister also initiated some girl talk with her younger sister about just how wonderful it could be...

So they slowly began getting to know each other--in separate bedrooms...

It was Tori who once again was challenged by the men who refused to have a female doctor help them... While at the same time, the women who were bearing children, it seemed, as a routine event, said they would feel more comfortable with a woman to help them through those months, often of severe pain during those early years...

I was impressed also with how Keller chose to bring faith into the book. At that time, of course, it was assumed that everybody believed in God. Religion was merely a constant part of one's life... No questions or concerns of confusion. Each individual, when appropriately involved, merely started talking to God about a given situation... One of which was a major disaster in Harrison's life... When the criminals learned that there was large sums of money in the local bank... And even some of those men were following a greedy leader who happened to be an older brother...

Scary scenes of child birth in those early years, confusion and fear in agreeing to marry another individual with whom no personal relationship existed... and more to keep your attention... But, the most excitingly sweet and funny parts were when a man and a woman were courting each other, after they'd legally married the other 'til death do they part... Romance lovers? Enjoy! History buffs of American history-made for you... Family small-time drama with wonderful characters... You'll find it all in Lauralyn Keller's The Doctor's Convenient Marriage! And sit back and enjoy...

GABixlerReviews

Such sharp turns of circumstances in a short time had Harrison’s feet rooted to the ground. The mix of emotions he’d experienced in the last week were more than he’d felt over his entire life. From utter fear to despair to hope…and now joy.

“I don’t know if I want to offer forgiveness,” she muttered. “They don’t deserve it.” “Mercy is undeserved grace.” “You sound like a preacher.”

“I take things one day at a time. That’s all we can do. Each day, I give the children what I can. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like enough. But I love them with all my heart. I do my best and leave the rest in God’s hands.”

Copyright use under owner permission: Exceptions will be made for brief quotations used in critical reviews or articles promoting this work.

G. X. Chen Brings Book Three of The Back Bay Investigation Series, Death Comes to Lake Como

http://stresasights.blogspot.com/

Santa Maria delle Grazie, in Milano, inside of which is the Last Supper.

The painting, which measures 15’ x 29’, is a mural, not a fresco, as it was painted on a dry wall and not on wet plaster. Because of the method and materials used by Da Vinci the painting was very fragile. As early as 1517 it was already beginning to deteriorate, and several restoration attempts were made over the centuries. During WWII a bomb greatly damaged the refectory. The painting, which had been covered with panels and sandbags in a preemptive measure, survived, although it did incur further damage. The major restorative efforts took place from 1978 to 1999. The refectory was rebuilt, not in its original style, but as a sealed, climate-controlled environment. Visitors enter in small groups of no more than 25, pass through a humidity controlling chamber before entering, and are allowed only 15 minutes inside to view the painting. There are no other artworks inside, and there is no printed information inside about the mural. One is there only to view, and then one exits...

E-mail from Fang Chen to Ann Lee

Jane and I landed in Milan around noon yesterday. She was so tired she went straight to bed. I, however, went sightseeing--I really can't sleep during the day no matter how tired I am. The last time I was in Milan, I didn't get to see the Last Supper because the refectory that housed the famous painting had been closed for restoration, and so I was eager to pay a visit this time around.
The refectory turned museum reopened in 1999 after more than twenty years of overhaul and renovation, so it's natural that the tickets are being sold weeks even months in advance. You can imagine how disappointed I was when I learned there weren't any tickets available. Instead of leaving, however, I planted myself in front of the clerk, a middle-aged woman, pleading and begging until she gave in and assigned me one of the evening slots. I wasn't going to leave without seeing the painting, one of the treasures of Milan.
The Last Supper, painted on one side of the walls of an ancient convent, is astoundingly beautiful--even if it has lost more than 80 percent of its original colors due to wear-and tear over the past centuries, I can only imagine what a splendid artwork it must've been Leonardo da Vinci first painted it. The fact that he treated the wall as the canvas in order to obtain the perfect images--"dry paint" as it's called, using the same method as if painted on a canvas--allowed him to make the amendments easier but also made the painting extremely difficult to preserve. I bet he didn't expect five hundred years later future generations would line up every day to see him work...
While waiting for my turn to see the Last Supper, I wandered through the Parco Sempione, a delightful part that's bigger than Boston Common and Public Garden combined, to see the famous Duomo di Milano, one of the largest and most striking cathedrals in the world...

~~~

Death Comes to Lake Como:

Back Bay Investigation Series

By G. X. Chen

See also Review of Book 2 The Fatal Sin of Love
Book 1 - The Mystery of Moutai

Milan? Yes! Fang Chen, a partner in Back Bay Investigations has gotten married, and the third book opens up on a series of emails between Ann Lee, the other investigator, and the happy couple! The key thing you must realize about this series is that it is unique... The series moves back and forth between the U.S. and China, mostly, but, in this case, Italy,  because of the honeymoon. Readers should be prepared to learn about the story via the communication necessary to solve mysteries that require investigation overseas. 

I have to share a little tidbit that I enjoyed about the happy couple...You see, whenever Fang Chen writes to his friend, he refers to his wife as Jane, her name... But whenever Jane writes to Ann Lee, she always referred to Fang as "her husband." I must admit it was very noticeable to me and I wondered whether this was cultural or whether Jane was so in love with Fang that she enjoyed constantly referring to him as "her husband..." LOL. What do you think? Shall we ask the author to respond???

The body they fished out of the lake
turned out to be the missing nurse. My
friend, the concierge, told me as soon as
we came back from Villa Carlotta, as
knew I was interested in the case as much
as he was. We became almost like a pair
of conspirators because we didn't believe
it was an accident, even though, hotel
management tried to pin it down as
accidental. There's no possible way the
nurse could have drowned...The
promenade around the lake is well
structured and maintained with protective
wrought iron railing... if it wasn't an
accident, was it foul play?
~~~

It was during breakfast one morning when Jane and Fang learned about an elderly American tourist reporting that her nurse had not arrived. Later they learned that she was missing... They were again right there when police cars whirled by and they learned there had been an accident. Of course, Fang immediately got involved, pushing himself through the crowd to see what actually was happening. Sadly, they learned that the body was indeed the nurse... 

Coincidence often plays an important part in mystery murders and this was certainly proven as the next murder turned out to be Ann Lee's neighbor back in America! What this means to readers is Ann Lee is working with the police in America, while Fang is investigating and reporting back, even traveling to China for part of the time. This particular mystery reveals an early connection that I and many readers will probably pick up immediately. That does not, however, detract from the enjoyment of the actual step-by-step merge of the various pieces of the puzzle! However, I thought it best not to get into that so as to not divulge too much of the story.

We went back to the hotel and had a quick bite at the bar [after the body had been taken away]. Then we went next door to visit Villa Carlotta, the wedding gift to the namesake b her mother, a German princess. You wouldn't believe how beautiful its grounds are! The villa itself was built in accordance with the traditional Lombard architecture of the seventeenth century, but the grounds were brilliantly designed, mixing botanic gardens with simply amazing orchards. It has sweeping lake views, scenic pathways, exotic plants and delightful flowers. We followed the narrow pathways up and down the hills, walking blissfully without even noticing how fast the time was slipping by...

~~~

In fact, I would say that it was the description settings that most spoke to me in this book and I thoroughly enjoyed all the travel that the author took us on to many exotic places.

Clues in solving the mystery leads Fang Chen looking all the way back to the time of the Cultural Revolution, finding people who lived during that time and seeking the connection that had to be proven before any legal action could be taken...

And then there was the family wedding for Jane and Fang when they went to Jane's home...

Email from Fang Chen to Ann Lee. The jetlang wasn't too bad this time around, to my great relief, either because my body has gotten used to the long-distance travel or because of the excitement at Jane's family home. You won't believe what is going on! Remember Jane's old bedroom? It used to be tastefully furnished but now her mother has turned it into a traditional wedding room--all the bedding and the curtains are bright red...which drives me crazy because the color screams bloody murder to me...
Email from Jane Tian to Ann Lee. My husband left this morning for Shanghai. He couldn't wait to start the journey since he's been utterly overwhelmed by the wedding ceremony and banquet. He's been so ill at east that my mom finally took pity on him and agreed he didn't have to change into the traditional outfit for the groom--a little black hat and a red cheongsam. He wore a tuxedo throughout the ordeal and looked absolutely classy.
I, on the other hand, acted like a wooden doll, moving around the banquet hall in my floor-length traditional red gown greeting everyone according to my mom's instructions since she organized the entire affair with such gusto... There was also a tea ceremony when my husband and I had to serve tea to each member of the older generation--and in return collected hundreds of red envelopes filled with cash. I wish you could've seen the look on my husband's face during the ceremony! I felt so bad that I basically pulled him aside so I could handle the small talks with the villagers. To his credit, he never complained--which I appreciated very much. I can honestly say most of the villagers haven't seen such a foreign=like Chinese in their lives so they were very curious about the husband I've acquired in the US...

~~~

Once you get into the unusual storytelling via email conversations among the three lead characters, I think you will enjoy this latest book by G. X. Chen just as much as I did. Do check it out! It's intriguing, has a bit of Historical interest that triggers movement in the case, and proves once again that Back Bay Investigations is a international force to watch. Cool!

GABixlerReviews

G.X. Chen, author of the Back Bay Investigation mystery series and others novels, is a freelance writer and a graduate of Fudan University and University of New Mexico. She has taught literature at Fudan as well as the Shanghai Foreign Language Institute. A world traveler and an amateur photographer, she lives in the beautiful city of Boston with husband, Steve.

Note: I hope my wedding video is appropriate since I had only my judgment while reviewing. Let me know if anybody notices a problem...

Get to Know Eddy Harkness, Series Lead, in Third Rail by Rory Flynn! Out June 10th...

Harkness walked through the bar, getting a read on. He started at the cash register. Mach seemed orgamized, the kind of guy who kept his valuables together--keys and cell phone, wallet and Ray-Bans, drugs and money. Harkness trailed his fingers along the red leather bar stools and set them spinning.

The stool closest to the register was scuffed with tiny white scratches, almost invisible in the dark bar. Harkness jumped up on it, boots scraping the leather, and pushed up a stained ceiling tile. A BPD lifer named O'Rourke pointed his flashlight up into the ceiling to reveal wires and a metal duct.

"Thanks for finding the ventilation system," Sergeant O'Rourke said. "Was getting kind of toasty in here."

Harkness held up his right hand to quiet the smart-ass, then then it move toward the duct like a dowsing rod, his fingers running along the cool aluminum until they found the smudged edge. He peeled back a piece of silver tape, then ripped the metal duct open--a little at first, then more, until the flashlight revealed dozens of foil-wrapped bricks.

O'Rourke's eyes popped open. "Holy Crap.'

~~~

Third Rail:

An Eddy Harkness Novel

By Rory Flynn

We all know Shawn is not a psychic in his investigative program, helping the police. Neither is Eddy Harkness. But both had trained to observe and since their skills are above average, most people are surprised when Eddy finds something that nobody else can... It's fun to watch such a character in action as a reader. Not so much for the criminal who has hidden drugs where he thought nobody would find them!

The power of observation  is the only thing Eddy and Shawn have in common though. Eddy is more mature, experienced and is an actual cop--at least he was...

Harkness pushes the coin transfer unit down
Main Street, stopping to send coins gushing down
into its metal belly like a slot machine paying off
for someone else.
It's enough to make even the straightest
arrow go bemt.
As he walks from meter to meter, Harkness
asks the question he turns over in his mind
every day like a riddle--will he ever get back
to Narco-Intel
Next he starts going over every place they
went that night...and where he lost is Glock!
~~~

Now he's a Meter Man...

He also was once at Boston PD, but now is back in his old home town. A commissioner had pulled him aside and established him as lead of a small group called Narco-Intel. But many in town already know him and have strong feelings one way or another... My opinion was he was screwed,,, 

Of course, pinpointing where drugs were in Mach's place didn't help those involved in criminal activities and there is a blurred line telling who was good or bad, even if you wore a uniform...

For finding the drugs, Mach fired Eddy's friend, Thalia. Moving in with Eddie was about the only thing she could do at that point--but that put her in danger too, because people were starting to get killed...

Mach had indicated he was through with drugs and had gone into "girls" and indeed he was not involved with the new group, new drug, that was now being sold--Third Rail! They got them both the night they went from place to place getting more and more out of control... Neither one was able to identify what they took or had been given...

One thing he did know, his Glock was gone! And if his bosses found out, he'd be gone! Going over everywhere they went, inch by inch had not produced anything and soon Eddy was putting pressure on Thali ra as to whether she had taken it! Soon he didn't have to figure out whether somebody had found it--men started making comments about him using his gun...or not... Then he got word that whoever had it was using it! Eddy had to act to get it back!

, 

Bent forward, face flushed red,
eyes wide, the driver lays on the
horn. He's had a heart attack.
Or he's insane. The volvo races
by Harkness, jumps the curb,
and roars across the green to
smash into the town monument.
~~~

Then deaths started to occur and the reason turned out to be the new drug! More powerful than anything around, it was also very expensive because of what it did...and the rich users from Boston were coming in now...The first guy to go ran his car into a town monument, causing a political issue that got everybody in town involved!

Eddy started to do some deals and soon was fairly certain who was making the drugs and where their work was being done...But it was only by his knowing one of the town women, who was involved with the man he though was leading the drug making, that he finally got the method...

But it wasn't a happy one... The friend's child had been taken by her lover and hidden so that the baby would not disturb a party that was planned! She was begging him to come out there--right into a "Third Rail" party where nobody would be in control and nobody knew just what this drug would do to each individual! Without saying more, let me tell you that she was quite grateful that Eddy responded to her call! Amazing climax...

One reviewer mentioned Flynn writing like Robert B. Parker's Stone series. I could be wrong, but I'm not sure I agree with this. Even in Stone's series, Parker's infamous dialogue would nearly always be right there...but I didn't see a resemblance to Parker's style of writing. Since this was the first book for Harkness, again I could be wrong, but Harkness seems to have a rougher, more aggressive personality--a Charles Bronson type as opposed to Tom Selleck who played Stone in TV movies... What do you think? Personally, I'm looking forward to reading about Eddy Harkness in the future, no matter who might play him in movies!

Highly Recommended!


GABixlerReviews

Rory Flynn lives with his family in Concord,
Massachusetts. Third Rail is his first crime novel.

The Mystery of Moutai by G. X. Chen - Cozy Mystery Provides Short Trip to China and Murder, Of Course...

His voice echoed as he called out, "Mom, I'm home! Where are you?" ...He walked over and stood in front of the battered coffee table, looking down at the exquisitely designed liquor bottle, which seemed empty. Then, he noticed something bulky stuck between the sofa and the coffee table. It was his mother, face-down on the floor. On her partially hidden, painfully distorted  face, blood trickled from her nose and her mouth. His legs started trembling violently. John screamed, but no sound came from his mouth. It was seemingly a long time before he was able to control his limbs. He ran to the kitchen, picked up the phone, and dialed 911...The rest of the day was a blur. Police officers and detectives came and went, along with a team of forensic specialists and an ambulance. Everything in the apartment and around the body was checked, including a fancy gift box and the empty bottle of Moutai. The forensic officers used protective gloves, putting all the items, one at a time, carefully into separate evidence bags.

The Mystery of Moutai

By G. X. Chen

No, Jackie Chan has nothing to do with the story, other than apparently being one of millions who love Moutai. According to the author, men in China prefer a much strong liquor so wines from other countries do not sell well there... A gift of Moutai is so precious, that everybody will immediately accept a drink...not knowing, because of its strength, that it could have been laced...and the drinker soon dead...

Friday, April 24
Another warm night: the breeze coming from
the open windows makes me feel it's an early
summer rather than spring day.
It has been a thrill to know that I will soon
meet my old friend who suffered much at the
hands of the Red Guards during the Cultural
Revolution. I'm extremely excited about the
opportunity to renew our friendship. I
don't have many old friends anymore, having
lost all the contacts when I moved. I
particularly crave the comradeship we forged
during the formidable years when we were
both young...
~~~

The two amateur mystery solvers, Ann Lee and Fang Chen were friends of Shao Mei. All were living in Boston but were called because John had found his mother dead and the police asked for somebody to come be with him. Although they were called aunt and uncle, by custom, they were not related. Ann, though, was much like his mother and was a welcome support to John. He and his mother had come to America so that he could attend school; his father had stayed in China. John loved his new life, but would be returning to live with his father. Until then, it was agreed that he would stay with Fang Chen who had more space than Ann... 

Both friends, however, had only one thing they wanted--to find the individual who had killed Shao Mei. Actually, they made a good team, throwing out ideas to each other and then going over the options. At first, this goes very slow, so that the readers may feel the need for moving faster, but once readers are also into the story and the many events occur, I think you will become as involved as I did in solving the mystery. In cozies, there are sometimes not as many potential individuals to consider, but this is counter-balanced well with the fact that there are insufficient police officers who can assist in the murder due to language differences... 

Paul Winderman was the officer in charge of the case, but it was sitting on his desk, already becoming cold...there was no evidence, nothing found at the scene of the crime except the wine bottle and traces of the poison. The glasses had been washed, the place wiped down. Besides nobody could figure out the motive... Thus he happily accepted Ann and Fang's involvement since they had helped him before...

John's father had been trying to get approval for him to come to get his son but was having problems. Readers will learn much about living in China and the restrictions placed on nearly everybody. The Cultural Revolution was mentioned so often, that I've included a short narrative about it for readers who would like to learn more.

An interesting method for readers to learn and try to solved the mystery was the inclusion of a diary written by, perhaps, the guilty individual. But don't think it will help you immediately solve the case...a diary is merely the thoughts of an individual, at a given time, so you really have to consider what may be of use out of everything written...



When Ann and Fang talked about John's father having trouble with getting clearance to travel, they decided to go and take John home. They could also visit and enjoy a needed vacation, plus try to discover more about what Shao Mei might have been involved with to cause her murder...
Of course, the Great Wall was part of their tourist activities, but so was Wangfujing...where among all the other shops, they needed to visit one particular shop and talk to the owner...

The day after, that shop owner was killed...

The same method was used, the bottle of Moutai left behind...

Ann and Fang had seen the blood flowing from the five head openings and remembered that the result of poison was the same in both victims.

 At a point, Ann and Fang realized that they themselves must have provided information to the killer--How else would they have known that they would be visiting that shop?!!!

Fortunately, they were able to ask Paul, back in the U.S. to conduct background checks of those involved...

But that didn't stop them from being pursued. They had
noticed an old black car that they had both known to have once been used by the Red Guard... And when they almost got hit by that car, only being saved by a quick acting street vendor, they began to realize they must be on the right track, even though they didn't yet know it!

Shao Mei had been a physics professor in Beijing but had to accept a mailroom clerk job at an insurance company when she came to America. Still, she was able to have her son in school where he was excelling...

But as discussions occurred--such as perhaps she had some secret treasure she had brought from home, which was Fang's favorite choice, it was pointed out that she surely would not have become a mail clerk if she had something valuable!

It was interesting that they really didn't begin to have the whole story until they had returned to Boston! The setting moved into the academic area, where Shao Mei had once been. We learn that she had been taken as a prisoner of the Red Guard, along with many others there in China...

Action begins to move faster, even though within the college and soon the killer knows that her followers have returned home...

But they cannot be permitted to live!

Loved the ending! Ann Lee and Fang Chen are an excellent pair of mystery solvers and I hope th author will continue further mysteries with these two!

Highly recommended...

GABixlerReviews

Enjoy more of the amazing Mall!

The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution, was a social-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966. Set into motion by Mao Zedong, then Chairman of the Communist Party of China, its stated goal was to enforce communism in the country by removing capitalist, traditional and cultural elements from Chinese society, and to impose Maoist orthodoxy within the Party. The Revolution marked the return of Mao Zedong to a position of power after the failed Great Leap Forward. The movement paralyzed China politically and significantly affected the country economically and socially.

The Revolution was launched in May 1966. Mao alleged that bourgeois elements were infiltrating the government and society at large, aiming to restore capitalism. He insisted that these "revisionists" be removed through violent class struggle. China's youth responded to Mao's appeal by forming Red Guard groups around the country. The movement spread into the military, urban workers, and the Communist Party leadership itself. It resulted in widespread factional struggles in all walks of life. In the top leadership, it led to a mass purge of senior officials who were accused of taking a "capitalist road", most notably Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping. During the same period Mao's personality cult grew to immense proportions.

Millions of people were persecuted in the violent factional struggles that ensued across the country, and suffered a wide range of abuses including public humiliation, arbitrary imprisonment, torture, sustained harassment, and seizure of property. A large segment of the population was forcibly displaced, most notably the transfer of urban youth to rural regions during the Down to the Countryside Movement. Historical relics and artifacts were destroyed. Cultural and religious sites were ransacked.

Mao officially declared the Cultural Revolution to have ended in 1969, but its active phase lasted until the death of the military leader Lin Biao in 1971. After Mao's death and the arrest of the Gang of Four in 1976, reformers led by Deng Xiaoping ended the Maoist reforms associated with the Cultural Revolution. In June 1981, the Central Committee announced the official verdict: "The 'cultural revolution', which lasted from May 1966 to October 1976, was responsible for the most severe setback and the heaviest losses suffered by the Party, the state, and the people since the founding of the People's Republic." 

G.X. Chen is a freelancer who lives in Boston (both of her mystery novels are based in Boston). She permanently moved from China to the US after Tiananmen Massacre in 1989. G.X. Chen’s previously published books include The Mystery of Revenge (a mystery novel) and Forget Me Not: A Love Story of the East (a historic fiction/romance) and several other novels in Chinese. To learn more, go to http://gxchen.tateauthor.com/

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North of Boston Exciting New Thriller by Elisabeth Elo! Pirio Kasparov Fantastic New Female Character!

If it had occurred during a sunny day, there may have been the possibility of avoiding the collision. It might have been detected by the Coast Guard and tragedy would not have happened. Ned would not have been killed...

"Turn off Survivor, folks; this is the real thing. After a collision at sea sank the fishing boat she was on, leaving the captain presumed drowned, this incredible young woman spent nearly four hours stranded in the North Atlantic in water temperatures of forty-two degrees before she was rescued. As far as we know, no one has ever done such a thing before, my friends. The longest the average person can expect to survive in such temperatures is one to two hours, max. She's an inspiring survivor, a medical marvel, and one very lucky young woman!" He turns to me, eyes glowing with generous admiration. "I thank you for coming, Pirio Kasparov. Now tell us what happened out there."
My throat closes up. I feel like bolting off the stage. Talking about the collision is going to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. I look at him in apologetic horror. He slides a microexpression of intense irritation my way. I tell the truth, knowing it sounds like a hedge. "I don't remember much, I'm afraid."

I must be blanching visibly, because Jared Jehobeth intervenes. "Go back to the moments just before the accident. What were you doing?" 

"It felt like...well, first...I was standing in the stern. My friend, Ned Rizzo--"

"The man who died. A father of one, am I right?"

"Yes." I trust Noah's not watching. He doesn't watch much TV, and Jared Jehobeth is not his kind of show, but I told Thomasina to keep him away from the television this morning anyway.

"I was baiting lobster traps. It was very foggy. From where I was standing, I could just make out Ned in the wheelhouse. He was wearing a yellow oilskin. Those things are so bright, You know?..." 

"I stopped baiting when I saw blood oozing from the base of my right thumb. The hinges on the lobster traps are really sharp. I dropped an empty bucket over the stern rail, pulled up seawater, and dipped my hand inside to numb it and make the bleeding stop." I hear myself speaking and am impressed. I sound so competent!

"You must have known that being immersed in water that temperature for even a short period of time was potentially fatal." He is a genius, this man.

"I wasn't thinking about that."

"But you knew."

"Yes..."

"Anyway, I was pretty miserable, and the fog made it worse.

I kept peering into it, trying to find the horizon line, but I

could barely see the bow Right before the, uh, collision, everything was quiet--too quiet. I noticed a huge black wall a few feet off the bow, sort of lurking there in the haze. At

first it didn't seem to be moving. Then I realized it was sliding quickly along the starboard side. The next thing I knew the steel hull of huge ship--so high I couldn't see the top--was crushing the gunwale about ten feet from where I stood.

"The deck started cracking under my feet. There was a horrible loud noise. The next thing I knew I was diving over the side. I don't remember being afraid. I was just thinking how unfair it was, that I was already miserable and now I would be soaked."

"What else were you thinking?" Jared asks breathlessly.

I close my eyes and concentrate. "I was thinking...

Don't die, Ned."

~~~

North of Boston

By Elisabeth Elo

Most of you know that I love lead characters, both male and female, that are dynamic, action-oriented, and acts on their own to respond to injustice. But this woman, the lead in North of Boston--well, there were several times I just thought she was crazy for getting involved as she did! Of course, I loved her! Especially when she acts in the climax as she did!!! Just a little clue of that at the bottom of today's article...

Pirio Kasparov is her name...I've only ever talked to one Russian--Yuri was from New York...but I could tell that he wasn't the same type of Kasparov, Talanov and others I've met in fiction novels! LOL It appeared that there might be a chance that Elo is planning a sequel or a series...Here's one reader is shouts, YES! Let me tell you a little about the character. 

Pirio's father and mother had started a perfume company and Pirio was one day to take over. Her mother had been the one who was talented in identifying and merging the unique blend of plants that was used. She and Pirio would travel a month each year to a rented cabin and spent the time collecting, identifying and experimenting... But she had died quite some time ago... 

Her father had been so in love, obsessed actually, with his beautiful wife that he really never took time for Pirio, and now, even though he had remarried, everybody knew he was also not in love with her. Pirio and he didn't get along, naturally. Readers will learn of her anguish toward her father and watch as, when he learns he is dying, they attempt to come together... 

Pirio has a long-time friend, who has turned to alcohol, while Thomasina's son is a genius and has captured Pirio's heart as her Godson... It is the never-married father of Noah, Ned, with whom Pirio is out on the ocean, trying to help him, when the collision occurs. Ned is killed and Pirio is miraculously saved after being in the cold water for more hours than it was known possible. Of course, the government soon takes an interest in her and practically demands that, for the good of the country, she undergo a regiment of tests and interviews...

At the same time, while she does work at her family's company, she takes much time off, and gets involved in the investigation as to what ship had been responsible for slicing their fishing boat in half! Of course nobody knows anything and they merely state that more hit-and-run accidents happen on the water than on land... Well, you know what this aggressive, self-confident woman is going to do! She'll find out herself!

But there is somebody else asking questions as well. First he lies, but then Pirio confirms that he is a journalist, but he's also personally involved... At least, now, there are two people sharing the information, because the issue is much larger than one ship and one man being destroyed...

And unfortunately, Noah is right in the middle because his father sent pictures to him, even though nobody knew what they were...

Nothing's out of place; nothing's been moved. The last rays of sun slant through the vertical blinds the way they usually do on a September evening--long, honey-gold beams latticing the rug and coffee table. And yet. Something's off. A subtle scne hangs in the air. Just the merest whiff. A woody smell, but sour. An olfactory note foreign to my apartment...
That's why I'm sure someone's been in my apartment. If they'd stayed a bit longer or been there more recently, I might hazard a few guesses...It's oud wood. Yes, I'm sure of it. Dark, soft, spicy, medicinal. The smell of South Asian religious rituals...You either love oud wood or hate it; and there's no confusing it with anything else.

...I play my favorite jazz pianist, Akiko Grace, and try to relax. But for once the beautiful music doesn't take my mind off my problems....I flash on a vivid image of a guy in a crappy bar, throwing back his boilermaker and laughing like an idiot. So pleased with himself and his sterling career. Thinking he go away with leaving a little fishing boat in splinters and the human beings inside it to bob on the waves in terror until they sank. My hands grip the wheel so tightly that my knuckes whiten. It probably didn't occur to him that anyone would survive...

~~~

Fantastic! Exciting and unbelievably horrible scenes as the book moves toward its ending. Like I said, you'll be on the edge of your seat when Pirio runs off on her own and runs right into...one...big...bloody...mess! Action Adventure at its finest! Enjoy!

GABixlerReviews

Elisabeth Elo teaches writing in the Boston area. She lives in Brookline, Massachusetts