First in Reincarnationist Series Burns Hot and Fast!

Phoenix depicted in the book of mythological creatures
by F.J. Bertuch (1747-1822).

        The
Reincarnationist


By M. J. Rose


Rose (www.mjrose.com) has been featured in Oprah Magazine, the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, USA Today, The Boston Globe, the Today Show, and NPR radio. She has published eleven novels, and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors: Authorbuzz.com.  She is the Keynote speaker for the upcoming South Carolina Writers Conference in the fall, and a founding board member of International Thriller Writers.  She lives in CT.




M. J. Rose has a winning series, starting with The Reincarnationist. Watch for my reviews of The Memorist and The Hypnotist, the latest. I loved the mysticism, the "potential," as well as the exploration of architectural sites from our past and the suspenseful, intriguing mysteries that this first novel provided. I just knew I would, especially when Douglas Preston said, "I'm sick with envy I didn't think of it myself." To me that ensured I would be a fan!

Josh Ryder was hurt when a bomb exploded. At first he thought that injury had led to hallucinations. But his emotions were totally involved and it seemed that what he was experiencing were actually memories. The memories seem to be ancient and much of what he recalled was about gods that existed prior to the time of Christianity.


When he could no longer deal with what was happening to him on his own, he sought out representatives of The Phoenix Foundation, a group dedicated to the study and support of individuals who seem to be experiencing past-life activities.

Although the group only served children, Josh had explained his interest in learning more about their activities. As a photojournalist he was allowed to enter into discussions and had been working along side with the professional leaders and even with some of the children. It was through this group that Josh learned of a new archaeological dig in Rome.

When he arrived in Italy, although scheduled to meet with the Professor in charge of the dig, he became so agitated that he left his hotel,  and without knowing where the dig was, soon found that he had walked there! Meeting the Professor, he shared what was happening to him and was invited to enter down into what the Professor believed to have been an underground room, a gravesite. He believed it had been a tomb where a vestal virgin for a pagan religion had been buried alive there in that cell.

As soon as Josh had entered, he saw her there in a corner where she must have been digging, trying to escape. Sabina! Josh was moving back and forth between ancient times and the present. One thing he knew, he had been in this space before. He knew the woman that had been buried here. He also knew that he had loved her and that they had shared a secret love affair. She had been buried because he had made love to the head vestal virgin. She was going to have a baby and that was punishable by death!

Then something very strange happened to Josh. He saw that she appeared to have been digging in a certain wall and before the Professor could stop him, Josh went to that corner and using his own hands dug deep, so deep that he couldn't turn or barely move, but he had found what he was apparently supposed to find, a skeleton was buried there.

Suddenly Josh heard two voices arguing. The Professor was in trouble, but Josh couldn't get out to help him. Finally he calmed enough to realize he would have to crawl backwards to get out. By the time he was coming to the opening, he saw the men fighting, one grabbed a box that was held by Sabina (The Professor had called her Bella...) and stole what was inside, destroying the box. Still trying to stop the man from taking anything from the tomb, the Professor was shot. Josh had not been able to reach him fast enough to save his being hurt, but he did reach him to call for help and minister to him, saving his life. Unfortunately he later died from complications...

But that was already the second to die, for the man had already killed the guard who was supposed to be there and had posed in his place in order to steal what was believed to be in that box... Do you believe in reincarnation? Then you might want what was in that box too! The novel moves on to another murder, break-ins, kidnapping and more...to find the treasure that would allow the owner...

Read this exciting novel and watch for the next two reviews in this series coming soon! This author added to my must-read list...

Book Received Via
JessicaKeener.com


GABixlerReviews

Reviews Coming Soon!

Review: Jerry Bayne Provides Another Great Novel - This Time Horror!

The Gatherer


By Jerry Bayne
ISBN: 9781419687365
330 Pages

 
If you love horror, then you need to read The Gatherer by Jerry Bayne! I loved this book! And I'm not even a true fan of horror...


Jerry Bayne is just a great writer...my first read of his work was Kill Me Twice and I was immediately ready to see that book turned into a fantastic action movie...

Readers, you really have to experience Jerry Bayne...his work is not only well-written, but a fantastic read, no matter what genre!

Let me tell you about The Gatherer. It reminded me of Relic, Reliquary and other great novels by the Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child team! The Gatherer's name is Zakaris. He was released by a descendent of a family who for many centuries were servants of Satan. Now as an archaeological site has unearthed the location of the rites that were used in ancient times, The Gatherer has come back to claim what cannot be claimed.

The souls of those working for God...

Detective Mike Sams is finding his handiwork as one after another mutilated body is found. Everybody is stumped but Sams is willing to look outside the box and starts a discussion with a priest who has studied the occult for many years.

At the same time, Dr. Cary Blake, who is an expert in ancient languages has been asked to work with the Catholic Church to transcribe an ancient scroll found at the site.

While each group conducts an extremely confidential investigation due to the strange circumstances, the two groups finally find each other as their work converges!

But the experiences along the way shares the horrific work, and the potential future, if Zakaris is not sent back...to where he reigns as second in command.

Spiritually Spooky! Especially the way The Gatherer does his job of gathering the souls - YOU could be next!

Really don't want to go any further into the storyline. I must admit I enjoyed the forensics and linguistics research required in this kind of tale--and Bayne has done an outstanding job of presenting the professional and technical expertise involved as well as the gruesome details!

And just to make it a little more interesting, there's a great little side romance that develops between Blake and Sams which helps to break the tension just a little... You got it--I call The Gatherer by Jerry Bayne a must-read and am going back to see what else he's got available! Yes!

G. A. Bixler

Review: The Crossing Places Coming From England in January!

The Crossing Places
A Ruth Galloway Mystery
By Elly Griffiths
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 9780547229898
306 Pages
1-2010 Edition


Elly Griffiths’ The Crossing Places, includes all my favorite things! With a professional rating of 1-5, my personal rating is 10! Mystery, suspense, a taste of gothic, great forensics knowledge, a little bit spooky, a touch of the mystic, a captivating whodunit, and a main character I can actually relate to! It doesn’t get any better for me!

Ruth Galloway is an archaeology professor who lives near a dig site she once worked. There are isolated marshes, dangerous areas where one can be lost instantly, yet Ruth has found the home that suits her and her two cats. Now ten years later, based upon her forensics expertise, she is called upon to examine a body that is found very close to the former dig and, of course, close to where she lives. This connection results in an avalanche of murder, intrigue, love, and loss of trust because Ruth is right in the middle of it all!

Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson had also been there ten years ago. And when they found the buried child, he immediately thought, and hoped, that it was Lucy—Lucy who had been kidnapped and never found. Even finding her in death would be better than never knowing where she was! Nelson stood over Ruth as she kneeled to study the body. The child had been tied down, seemingly with vines. Then Ruth saw the torque, knew it definitely was from the Iron Age and suggested to the Detective that this was probably an ancient body, which on later examination proved to be correct.

The find did not ease the frustration of the police and family, but it did create excitement in the archaeological field. Ruth called her former professor, with whom she had worked on the original dig and explained what had been found. He was able to take a sabbatical and was soon there, seemingly to take over her discovery. Ruth was not pleased. But Eric moved ahead, getting permission to dig, pulling together a crew... Even Ruth had to admit she was happy to be back digging!

But then she would remember why permission had been granted. Another little girl had been kidnapped, her body found buried in the old dig site!

The police had of course conducted their own investigation, but Detective Nelson knew that the detailed search and dig process by professional archaeological staff could be beneficial to finding additional clues. But during that time, the past came back to haunt Ruth:

Her previous lover had separated from his family and came to live near her while he wrote a book, but really hoping to rekindle their earlier romance.

One of the main protestors of the previous dig was found to be living nearby and even working at the same university where Ruth was.

Eric’s return brought back all of her hero-worship/love feelings for him, even while he was laying claim to her discoveries!

And it was Detective Nelson who was pulling her further and further into solving the case--as well as close to him!

Actually, for a self-proclaimed overweight spinster, there were quite a number of potential suitors in her life, including one of her next-door neighbors who she had just become acquainted with!

Sounds like an ideal situation for her?

Well, no, because every one of those individuals was somehow tied to the kidnapping of the two little girls! Believe me folks, this whodunit keeps you guessing right up to the very end... I was fairly certain, then the seductive clues of the author would change my mind to another! Exciting, puzzling, page-turning suspense at its finest! I’ll be looking for more books by Elly Griffiths! Especially those in the Ruth Galloway mystery series!

G. A. Bixler