Review: Guest Blogger Janet Morris Grimes Shares Thoughts on Hand of Fate

4.5 stars.


Hand of Fate, the thrilling second installment in the Triple Threat Series, features three best friends who fight to stay at the top of their high profile careers in the most dangerous and heartbreaking of circumstances. As they wrestle with the unknowns in the murder of Talk Radio Host Jim Fate, they are forced to question the actions of everyone around them, even if it means exposing the hidden secrets of one another. The story opens with not only the on-air murder, but with the city-wide panic and evacuation of the downtown Portland area, caused by the crippling fear of poisonous gas in the air. From that moment, the reader shifts from scene to scene, picking up the pieces of Jim Fate’s past in the midst of the unforgiving world of live television and radio.

A story that shares tidbits of little known information without writing above the head of the reader is a treasure. A part of the action from the start, the reader must sort through the abandoned chaos with each main character, overlooking how the happenings affect them on a personal level. Nicole, Cassidy and Allison are complicated, yet believable; and so is their friendship and struggle to find God in a tough environment.

I now care about these characters, and look forward to their future adventures, but even more than this, their growth and deepening friendship. I highly recommend this book, and trust that the pages will keep you on the edge of your seat until the surprising ending.

--

Janet Morris Grimes
www.janetmorrisgrimes.com
Please join my Facebook Fan Page at www.facebook.com/janetmorrisgrimesfanpage.

Any day spent writing is the best day of my life...

Review: Only the Lonely by Susan Gabriel Presents Unique Drama!

Image by Loelle via Flickr

Only the Lonely


By Susan Gabriel

Black Velvet Seductions
ISBN: 9780980224665
170 Pages


A Sensuous Journey from Black Velvet Seductions has once again surprised me with the unique book—Only the Lonely by Susan Gabriel!

Summer Solstice is a late-night radio talk show host who spends time each night sharing and talking with those that are alone—and lonely. Her voice is low and sexy as she talks through issues about lost relationships or fighting off those that call just wanting to talk about getting together!

Until one night she gets a call from Bob. She can hear and feel his fear is real and in trying to calm him, she reveals a secret about herself. A secret she should never have shared!

Worse, her next caller picks up on her revelation and wants to talk more about it!

Even worse—when she goes outside for a cigarette, the last caller is there waiting for her!

Though younger than she is, she recognizes maturity and his eyes seem to reveal years of experience. Having the “face of an angel” and a body that spoke clearly to Summer—things that her own was quite interested in hearing! His name was Lucien and their relationship would not be denied, though they were from different worlds!

Oh yes, quite different worlds! Lucien is a centuries-old vampire.

He feeds on the lonely, those who are so lonely they actually want to leave this world.

And so, when Bob, the fan who had called her and confessed his fear that he was seeing vampires, was found dead, unfortunately, Summer immediately realized that Lucien might be the one who had killed him. And then more fans of her late-night show were found dead, wearing a t-shirt that she had just distributed that week!

Then Summer is attacked and seriously hurt right after she realizes who was killing her fans.

After a very erotic beginning to this book, readers are suddenly pulled into a different world. Summer is unable to care for herself and has no family to help. A vampire as a caregiver? Who knew that was possible?!

The dramatic switch that ended this book left a much more lasting impression on this reader than the one that most of us would have expected. Susan Gabriel has succeeded in creating sympathy, understanding, and even admiration for her lead vampire character, in Only the Lonely. The beginning was fun; the ending memorable—you can’t lose with that combination! Highly recommended, with alert for the adult content.

Book Provided Free By
Black Velvet Seductions

G. A. Bixler

Review: Hand of Fate - A Triple Threat Novel!

Hand Of Fate

By Lis Wiehl with
  April Henry
Thomas Nelson Publishers
ISBN: 9781595547064
304 Pages


I’ve been a fan of mystery and suspense books since I was young, so when I discovered that a number of Christian authors have started writing in these genres I was excited. What better way to see faith in action than to see great characters fight against the evil of this world!

Hand of Fate by Lis Wiehl with April Henry is an excellent example! Taking us into the world of radio, Lis Wiehl, a popular commentator for Fox News and other radio shows, including, with Bill O’Reilly, provides a realistic whodunit for us to solve. I failed this one, but that’s okay, because that just means that the storyline was intense and deep enough so that I was more involved, and less able to track the killer myself! Great!

Besides, there were so many possible suspects!

Jim Fate was a talk show host. One of those that either you love or hate. My guess is that I would have hated him. He was controversial, opinionated, rude, antagonistic... need I go on? He even chose the “Nut of the Day” That nasty award was for the best email that insulted him—and then he proceeded to tear the sender’s message apart!

His co-host, Victoria, had to be considered one of the lead suspects—he would not only take up most of the time, but often pushed the button to stop her input whenever he wanted to... Besides, she had stayed behind, to be with Jim as he died! Didn’t that mean she knew what had poisoned him?

And Victoria had given him the envelope from which the powder burst forth, claiming that the envelope had been mistakenly placed in her mailbox.

Everybody in the radio station immediately thought the powder could be sarin, and a city-wide emergency was declared, with panic ruling the streets.

One important issue I’ve left out so far! This Novel is A Triple Threat Novel! Think James Patterson’s “The Women’s Murder Club” and you’ll get the idea. If you love those books as I do, then you’ll understand that “A Triple Threat” will be fun too! Especially when one of the three women had been friendly with Jim!

This group of women includes FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges, crime reporter Cassidy Shaw, and Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce. Two of them are quite unhappy that one has held back her personal involvement with the case! But not to worry, they still work together to solve the crime.

This mystery was one I didn’t solve. Let me know if you succeeded where I didn’t...Better yet, let me know if you enjoyed the book as much as I did and whether you, too, recommend it highly to other readers!

G. A. Bixler