Fun Folk Mystery with Poor Title and Cover - So Check it Out!

Portrait of Sebastian de Morra, Court Jester by Diego Velazquez
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_Sebasti%C3%A1n_de_Morra

The market area was square-shaped, Consuelo’s shop having a corner position. Being L-shaped, it was only accessible from one side and whilst Sergio followed her round to the corner of the counter, she suddenly stopped. 
Three trays of chicken parts in front of his face made it difficult for Sergio to see where he was going and he immediately careered into Consuelo’s back, almost dropping his load. 
“Oh my God!” she shouted. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry, señora. I didn’t see you! Are you okay?”...

His delivery made, Sergio departed. Consuelo stood behind the counter and gave him a royal wave and one of those toothpaste-commercial smiles, made brighter by the reflection of the neon light through the perfectly clean metal showcase in front of her. 
She watched Sergio walk through the market. Some other shop owners were busy opening their shops and arranging their deliveries, something she also needed to sort out. Suddenly, Consuelo froze on the spot. She could not believe what she had just seen. She dared not look down. Was she actually standing on it? The thought made her heart jump.   After a few seconds, she stepped to the left. She took a deep breath and stared down at the floor again. And … there it was. A face! 
On the floor in the middle of her chicken shop!   
She looked up again, stared into space for a while and then looked at Pedro’s photo. “Oh my God!” she said. What was it? Who was it? How long has it been there? Was it there when she came in this morning or had it appeared right now? Had it actually appeared out of nowhere or had someone put it there? If so, who and why? What on earth was this thing? she thought...
She checked to make sure nobody was looking and disappeared under the counter again. She looked at the face from further away than before. Slowly it became clearer that it could not be the Virgin Mary. Firstly, and most significantly, it had a big bushy beard, or rather a goatee including the upper lip mustache part, which twirled upwards at the ends.   So if it was not the Virgin Mary, who was it? She moved on to the next theme of religious apparitions: Jesus. But why would He manifest himself on the floor of her poultry shop? Could that be a good thing or a bad thing? she asked herself.

~~~

Two Cats and a
 Chicken Shop Mystery

By C. R. Martinez

This title works for the content, but just doesn't help to really describe what is going on... C. R. Martinez has written somewhat of a folk tale, creating a "treasure hunt-type mystery" novel, but then throws a curve ball--a somewhat startling end that will shake readers for a moment...

Then when it sinks in, I think you'll chuckle and say, "well played..."

Maria Consuelo García Gómez,

 or simply Consuelo as most people  called her, 

was a sixty-two year old widow from Madrid

. For the last thirty-four years,

 she had been working at the Mercado de La Cebada, 

a traditional food market in the centre of town.

 Although she was not exactly pleased when they

 announced that she had to work another five years

 instead of two before she could retire,

 she did not really have any plans for this new phase

 of her life either. The market gave her 

the routine she needed and she wondered

 what she would do without it. 

Unfortunately, business was not going well

 and there were rumours that the market could

 soon be demolished. In that case, she really

 would not know what to do. Not only Consuelo, 

therefore, was waiting for a miracle – 

a miracle that was about to happen.

~~~

Consuela is an older widow who now runs a small shop in Madrid. Her shop is one of those that specializes in selling poultry, while others do the same in small enclosed areas--much like our lunch areas in large malls here in America...

Since her husband died, she worries more about being able to sell enough to keep her shop, since it is her only income. Plus it has been rumored that the mercadode may be demolished to make room for a new modern store!

Although it has been many years, she still misses her husband, but, more, she is lonely... Her shop is small, so mostly she waits for deliveries and customers and, of course, the gossip from the other vendors... She's not really into gossip, but it does pass the time and is almost unavoidable with one neighbor in particular... A somewhat dull life and she knows it... Her best friend and cousin one day asks if she will take his cat, who has caused problems with allergies in the family, so she now has a new friend, Antonio, who is helping with her loneliness! But Antonio becomes part of the mystery!

She was totally unprepared, though, for what happened when she arrived at her shop one morning... There was a face on her floor!

It appeared to be painted and she puzzled over it, then decided to just wash it off! That worked...

Until the next day when it was there... And the next... And the next!

Finally, she could not hold it inside of herself, but couldn't think who she could talk to. So she visited a psychic who read the cards for her. That gave her a list of things that could be happening in the future. But then, she did tell her best friend and cousin because by then Antonio had fallen out of the window! And there was another clue!

Now you know that I have to include that via pictures! Consuelo learned that tiger cats are known to have

http://pinterest.com/jcatz/

an M on their heads for
Mohammed I, who was saved
by a tiger cat...a good example of the historical tidbits readers will find!)

But one day Antonio got out of the window and finally when Consuelo found him in the garage under cars, he was so dirty she had to wash him!

When she did, she noticed that the M was very changed and his fur was lighter... the outer lines were gone or much lighter and it now seemed to look more like a V!

Clues were coming from every where, or at least that's what Consuela felt she had to assume, because she couldn't be sure what was important and what was not! And I must say that Consuela did a fine job of finding those clues and turning them into possible reasons that picture was on the floor in her shop! Finally, her cousin had been told and one day he came back with a bag that had a very similar image! It was of Sebastian, the Court Jester once painted by Velazquez!

Now the mystery was even more frustrating! Why would this picture be in her shop! And then she learned about the Belmez House! A home in another Spanish town where this type of picture had appeared on the walls as well as the floors and had been investigated for years by paranormal experts!

Now an interesting thing happened one day when one of her customers mentioned to her that he knew her brother and they began talking...Consuela had for a long time wanted to talk more to him so when she had the chance, she did! Even inviting him home to see the change to the cat!

Consuela now had a partner in her quest to discover what was going to happen!

The identification of Sebastian led to whether the picture was there to indicate Velazquez...for there was a mystery about where he was buried. Visits to the museum, researching books, talking to professionals all led them further in this mystery... Hey, I'm stopping cause you'll never be able to pull it all together from this brief overview. Needless to say, I enjoyed it...

Right in the middle of a mystery, readers will be taken into Spanish history and will learn quite a bit about several of their well-known artists...  Don't expect to solve this mystery...but if you see a face on your floor, wall, or even ceiling...just be careful--be very careful...and don't drink the tea...LOL


GABixlerReviews

This is an older trailer for Christmas last year, but still a good overview!

C.R. Martínez is the pen name of an Austrian author who worked in humanitarian aid before moving to Spain. The author currently works as an English teacher in Madrid.

Contact the author:
twocatsandachickenshopmystery at gmail.com

Justice Finally Served in Legal Thriller by Rocco Martino!

http://www.descopera.ro/cultura/3965166-
ilustrii-nebuni-de-pe-tronul-romei
"Execute them all!" The Emperor Tiberius was angry. The news from Judea was ridiculous. What was that fool Pontius Pilate up to? What incredible nonsense in that last dispatch from Judea. The carpenter son of a virgin had risen from the dead after being crucified. Impossible! What fools would believe a fairy tale like that? The criminal was really innocent? Who would murder an innocent man? Was this an execution for state reasons or for private gain? How could Pontius Pilate allow such a mess to happen? Worse still, how could it now come to his attention? There must be a situation brewing. The followers of this risen criminal could be a threat to Pax Romana - the peace of Rome. Nonsense! He would send Tribune Quintus to find out what had really taken place. His orders would be to investigate what happened, determine the best interests of Rome, and act accordingly. If need be, he could execute the whole lot; all the followers of the criminal, and even Pontius Pilate. "Send for Tribune Quintus!" he roared to his aide.
~~~

. 

The Resurrection:
A Criminal Investigation

By Dr. Rocco Leonard Martino

Believe it! For 99 cents, I was able to read, perhaps, one of the most important books I will ever read! Once I started, I couldn't stop until finished, less than a day! For me personally, it seemed to give me what I had been searching for all my life!

Where was the justice for Jesus?

Of course, most of us have read that his death was all part of a plan...But for those of us who ask Why? Who seek to solve the mystery of what happened...and Want Closure... Dr. Martino has provided it! If you do a search on Dr. Martino, you will discover that he is an international authority in his professional fields. Please conclude therefore, that the work is well done, presented in a logical format, and, in my mind, would represent a professional investigation report that would be suitable to present to your superior.  Please note that there is nothing religious about this book...and should be read that way. That's why I considered it a thriller--a police procedural investigation novel that has one of the best cop characters I've ever read! Some readers may recognize some names who are called as witnesses...

Quintus kept a straight face, but he was greatly disturbed. Tiberius was right. Something very out of the ordinary had occurred here. This was a Centurion before him. This was a man who had carried out many executions and who was now telling him that the disappearance of the body of the criminal may have been a true resurrection from the dead. He decided to be stern to gauge the reaction. Emphatically he lashed out, “Centurion, you are a Roman soldier. Are you a believer in this Jewish Sect? Are you no longer a believer in our Roman gods? In fact, what do you believe?”
Drawing himself even more erect, Longinus looked directly at Quintus, “Tribune, I am a firm believer in the gods of Rome. I am a firm believer in the laws of Rome. I am a firm believer in the policy of our occupation that we work in a cooperative atmosphere with the religious beliefs of our conquered people. I am not a follower in the belief of the Jews as I understand it, and as I have seen it practiced in the Temple and in my duties as part of the occupation garrison,” Here the Centurion took in a deep breath, “but I do believe there is something radically different about this man, Jesus of Nazareth. I am leaning more and more toward the opinion that this man was not a criminal, but only a political pawn between the religious forces of the Jewish people. I believe He was caught in a power struggle between what He was preaching and the status quo. He was a threat to the religious leaders of the Jews, and they engineered His execution by us." The centurion paused, somewhat lost in deep thought, and continued, “He may have even been a god. As time goes on, I am attracted more and more to what He had preached.
Upon my retirement as a soldier in a few short years, I may even become a follower of His beliefs. I truly believe that none of His teachings are detrimental to Rome. Some of our soldiers even reported to me that He continually preached and said, ‘Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and to God that which is God's.’” 
“What about the Roman gods?”
“Tribune, I have always kept a separation between my duties as a soldier and our religion of many gods. I know the Jews believe in one god rather than many; I further accept Jesus of Nazareth believed in a singular god. I am beginning to wonder if He was man and part of that god at the same time.”
Quintus sat back. This was a Roman soldier telling him there was a possibility that Jesus of Nazareth had not been a criminal and that He had risen from the dead, and that He might have been a god. Quintus was silent. “Thank you Centurion. You are dismissed.”
~~~

Now let's look at the main characters. The superior in this case is Tiberius, Second Emperor of Rome. Tiberius was fuming as we open the book because he just received a communication from one of his subordinates, Pontius Pilate. What had he just done?!

Tribune Quintus, who at that time was defined as an individual who defended the rights of people (cop!) was chosen to investigate what had caused all the trouble in Jerusalem. He and over 100 individuals took sail immediately upon receiving orders.

Both of these individuals worshiped the Roman gods at that time, so, I felt that was important, don't you think? Neither of these officials had any vested interest in anything other than the actions of Pontius Pilate and King Herod, both of whom ruled some part of the lands owned by the Emperor. His mission was:

• Find out what exactly happened to the body.
• Determine the political and power situation in Judea. This would require exhaustive examination of the relationship of the Jews, the Jewish leaders, King Herod, and the followers of Jesus to each other and to Rome. 
• Uncover the reasons for the current unrest, and unearth all factors in the life of Jesus and the actions of his followers, both as real and potential threats to Pax Romana.

Interestingly, Quintus was instructed to stop to visit Saul, a Tentmaker on their way. This was the first individual to whom Quintus had talked other than the Emperor and while he recognized his education as a pharisee, he also saw that Saul was adamant that Jesus should have been killed. As an aside, Quintus was assisted by a secretary, a slave who took notes which was fun to consider since it is hard to imagine how somebody would be able to keep notes at that time.

Fortunately for Quintus, Pontius Pilate was in Damascus so Quintus had the opportunity to proceed in his absence without any type of interaction. He immediately sought out Lucius who was head of the Roman Garrison. Although there had been early notices of what was to happen, Lucius had not been told to prepare so they went over things, and Quintus then asked for a list of all those that had been involved in either the death or the burial of Jesus. Two centurions, Sutonius and Longinus were identified and soon became totally involved in the investigation. Another centurion had come with Quintus, so they are were quickly formed into teams that would be responsible for various duties.

Longinus had been first interviewed by Quintus. He had been at the site when Jesus died. He had been the one to pierce his side with a lance to see that water and blood flowed out, as it would in death... Longinus became a personal aid to Quintus as he grew to trust him more and more and planned on nominating him as a Tribune when he met with Tiberius.

The disappearance of the body was the most problematic to Quintus and his investigation. He studied the grave, interviewed all individuals who were still alive--the guards that were assigned there were all executed--and could not find how the body had been stolen, carried away, or, if the man had not been dead, role the stone back by himself and escape.

Subsequent interviews with Pontius Pilate and Caiphas were brilliantly done. King Herod's interview was not covered much--it was clear to Quintus, upon meeting him, that this man was evil and would do anything to protect himself...

In my opinion the importance of this book is that there was no mandate guidance from the Emperor. He knew the two men involved but he couldn't just oust them from their positions. Sending an officer, albeit a close friend of his, was exactly what was needed. In fact, that is what Lucius, head of the Garrison, said should have happened long ago. Since it was not led by either the Jewish or the local officials, the novel allows so much to be explored by the individual in charge of the investigation--one who had no background on what had happened, who the people were that were really involved, nor the charged criminal...

This is a must-read for anybody who would like to learn how the investigation of an individual should be conducted...before...they were crucified... Thank you Dr. Martino for satisfying my personal need for closure...and for justice to prevail, at least legally...


GABixlerReviews

About the Author: Dr. Rocco Leonard Martino    

Dr. Rocco Leonard Martino is Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Cyber Technology Group, Inc. and of CyberFone Technologies, Inc. Most recently he was Founder, Chairman and CEO of XRT, Inc., the world leader in providing complete global treasury, cash and banking relationship management solutions for many of the world's largest corporations and government entities. Treasury systems designed by Dr. Martino are integrated and operate in real-time in a fault-tolerant, on-line environment in over thousands of organizations around the world. Dr. Martino has patented and is the inventor of the CyberFone - the first Smart Phone - and the driving force behind the software systems that unite communication and computer power. The CyberFone provides real-time video, voice and data linkages. in the home or in the office. Dr. Martino is a pioneer and international authority in the planning and use of computers, and originated many of the methods in use today.
Dr. Martino served in various high-level positions prior to XRT and CyberFone Technologies, Inc. He was EVP of Mauchly Associates created in partnership with Dr. John Mauchly, the co-inventor of electronic computers. He allied with Rear Admiral Grace Hopper USN, on Automatic Programming techniques, which were the forerunner of COBOL. As Director of the Computer Division for Adalia Limited, a consulting firm headed by Sir Robert Watson-Watt, the inventor of radar, Dr. Martino participated in the extensive development of wireless navigation systems. Dr. Martino graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Toronto in Mathematics and Finance. He earned a Ph.D. from the Institute of Aerospace Studies for work in the re-entry of Space Vehicles, especially in heat transfer requirements for heat shields.
In 1993 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Neumann University for his contributions in Information Technology. In 2000, he received Honorary Degrees from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia and from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Both degrees were awarded for his humanitarian and charitable activities, as well as for his scientific achievements. The National Italian American Foundation honored Dr. Martino for Lifetime Achievement in 1992, as did the Monte Jade Society in 1999, and the CYO in 2000. In this latter award he was chosen as a symbol for Youth. In 2011 he was awarded The Order of the Golden Palm by the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre; and in 2011 the Order of Merit by the Order of Malta. Dr. Martino served as Professor of Mathematics and Engineering at the University of Waterloo and at New York University. His graduate and senior undergraduate lectures included such topics as Artificial Intelligence, Space Flight, Information Systems, Economics, and Financial Modeling Systems. He continues to lecture at numerous Universities throughout the World.
Dr. Martino has been knighted five times. Most significant is his Papal Knighthood in the Order of St. Gregory the Great awarded by Pope John Paul II in 1991. Dr. Martino has served on various Public Service, Charitable, and Church Organizations. He served as Vice Chair of the Board of the Gregorian University Consortium Foundation and as a member of various public service Boards, including: St. Joseph’s University; Equestrian Order of the HolySepulchre; Order of Malta; Vatican Observatory Foundation; and Founding Chairman of the MBF Foundation dedicated to applying computer technology for those with severe physical and/ or mental handicaps. Dr. Martino has also served on various Corporate Boards over the past fifty years. Dr. Martino has been a guest speaker at many functions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. He has taken part in scores of radio and video broadcasts speaking on Foreign Affairs, Information Technology, Innovation, and National Security. He is a Senior Fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute. Dr. Martino is the author of twenty-one published books, including three novels, as well as scores of papers, and numerous corporate monographs. He is listed in various biographical anthologies.

Not Just Another Review--Fans of Hercules! Look Alikes!

Cat Trick:   

http://pinterest.com/manuellamariam/

                        

A Magical Cats Mystery

  He had a Big Mouth...
    Until the Cat Got His Tongue...


By Sofie Kelly




The thing I like most about Sofie Kelly's books is that she is
constantly talking and interacting with her cat characters. Yes,
the cats are magical, but she doesn't dwell on that much, except
when it gets her in trouble! LOL

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/22536530

And boy does Hercules start something this time!

Not only did he leave their vehicle, but he crossed major highways (although he did stop to look both ways) and went into a tent where he found a body! (Of course! LOL)

Now there was speculation about whether Herc could smell that body from so far away...or maybe in addition to his other ability, he has a super-nosed smeller! Well, these cats don't talk, so we probably won't find out, but that's ok... Because of course, it does get us started on solving another crime by Kathleen, who is the Mayville Heights Librarian...

The series is new, but already both cats are enjoying the fan adoration! And since Hercules has some fun markings that are somewhat unique, I invited a number of look-alikes from the fan club to visit! Now we don't see the chest of Herc on the cover,
but I personally think the pic at the top is my favorite...Let us know what you think!

The body in the Tent? He was a man who had originally lived in Mayville Heights and had come back, representing a tour company, to see if they might create a tour stop, which would help the little town as well as provide a nice rest stop and place to eat for tour groups. Everybody thought it was a great idea!

http://pinterest.com/lovinmotion/

However, Mike Glazer was just not a nice man! And while you think he would have been happy to interact with his former town members, he acted like he was much too important, and the offerings, such as the huge tent in which he died, was not the quality that he was looking for... Let's face it, nearly everybody that was working on the exhibit that would be used during the negotiations, were already very upset or...hated Mike Glazer!

Now he was dead...and it was determined he'd been murdered!

http://pinterest.com/piakw/

http://pinterest.com/dixpeach/

Kathleen, by the way, and the town sheriff, got involved earlier in the series and are still touchy with each other since Kathleen seems to be involved whenever there's a murder! In this case, one of her dear friends even asked her to try to solve the crime! But, readers, there was a Kiss in this book, so they also seem to be working to solve the issues or the Sheriff is just giving in??? LOL

A lot of time is spent by town members at a local restaurant, so you'll get to know about how well they eat and all the treats available! The owners will be setting up for the big event, so are trying out a lot of options on the library staff! Yippee! A new baker has also come into town and has a new bake shop! She came under serious suspicion when  Owen found something at the tent that belonged to her!

You guessed it...Owen also escaped, ran across the two roads (looking both ways) and took over the investigation by the cats! BTW, I'm including the comments about the cats looking both ways just to let you know that I personally think that these two cats not only have magical skills, but they are able to understand our language! I'll keep you posted on that opinion as I follow this wonderful series--but of course I will! And I collect cozy cat mystery books, so will eventually have the whole set. Of those out there, Lillian Braun is still my favorite, but Sofie Kelly just might turn out to come in second favorite! or Better!

http://pinterest.com/danamoos/

Now, for those of us who read Cat Cozies for the cat characters, that's the most important part of the book...but there is also a great murder mystery to be solved! And Kathleen is right there in the end--because fortunately, Hercules, was with her and saves her life!

From whom? Well, of course, the bad guy--can't remember his name, just that Hercules got him good! Hey, just kidding... But it is a fun mystery for all cozy mystery fans!


GABixlerReviews

http://pinterest.com/imagineitpretty/
Are we done yet?
Got Milk?!

http://attackofthecute.com/on/?i=10098
Hi! I'm a fan, but just came to enjoy some sun!

"It was Marcus's turn to laugh. "So does that mean that there won't be any cats joining us?"
"Yes, it definitely does." I glanced over at the doorway again. Owen and Hercules had disappeared.
"About six thirty?"
"I'll see you then," I said. "Have a good day."
"I wnt back to finish my breakfast. Owen and Hercules were sitting beside my chair like two adorable, well-behaved cats.
"I'm not fooled," I said, picking up my spoon. "I know you heard enough to figure out that Marcus invited me for dinner, and I'm not taking either one of you."
"Rrrow," Hercules said. It seemed he wasn't happy that Owen had been to Marcus's house and he hadn't. Or he might have been trying to point out the piece of yogurt-cover apple that had just fallen off my spoon onto the floor.
"Nice try," I mumbled around a mouthful of granola. "But it's not as though your brother had a five-course meal when he was visiting Marcus." I glanced down at Owen, who was still in well-behaved mode. "And it's not like he'll be visiting again anytime soon. Emphasis on soon."
"Hercules poked the chunk of apple with a paw and then made a cranky face when he ended up with yogurt on his fur. He held up the sticky paw and glared at me, a sour expression on his face.
"It's only a bit of yogurt," I said. "From soy milk. Look." I held up my spoon and licked the back of the bowl. "Lick it off your foot. You might like it. Abigail made it."
"He looked uncertainly at his paw, glanced over at the sink and then focused on me.
"I shook my head. "No," I said. "I'm not washing your feet again."
"He made annoyed noises in his throat. I figured he was probably muttering "Bite me" in cat..."

~~~

 Check out previous reviews:

http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2011/09/different-kind-of-book-review-guest.html
http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-different-kind-of-review-guest.html
http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2012/12/owen-and-herc-are-back-different-type.html

Sofie Kelly is the pseudonym of young adult writer and mixed-media artist, Darlene Ryan. Sofie/Darlene lives on the east coast with her husband and daughter. In her spare time she practices Wu style tai chi and likes to prowl around thrift stores. And she admits to having a small crush on Matt Lauer.




Please note that Pinterest was used for the pics...I couldn't get their embed process to work today so I've provided the original URL for info...

Linda Barnes' Writing Drew Me In So Much I Forgot About Solving the Murder!

The Perfect Ghost

"Jonathan," I said, "listen to me. You can't cancel this book."
The words spoken; the battle joined.
"He pushed back his chair, stood, and took three steps to the
window, where he fussed with the angle of the blinds. He had
a good view; a tiny closet of an office, but a glorious panorama
of rooftops."
"I'll finish the book," I said, "I know: Teddy's not here--but I
can do it. You can put it out as a Blakemore, or you can use my
name alone--whichever works for you."
"He kept his focus on the sky, as though waiting for a fireworks
display, "I don't know that we can go along with that..."
"Don't get yourself in a snit about repaying the advance right
away. Take your time. We all know that--"
"Time is what I need. Time to finish the book...
"I can manage the rest of the interviews," I said, and the minute
I said it, Teddy, I knew I could do it. "There aren't that many.
I have all Teddy's tapes. He was almost done when..." I swallowed.
"I have entire chapters of a finished manuscript. The early years
are complete."
"But--"
"I have a contract..."
~~~

By Linda Barnes


This is my first time reading Linda Barnes. With this one book, I would definitely want to read all of her books if I had the time! There are some writers that, well, are different. Barnes is one of them. Her words come to readers poetically, so delightful to read, you want to continue just for the joy the words bring! So, this reader was totally caught off guard by the ending! Waaay Cool!

The title was part of my confusion--I thought first it was truly a ghost as a character! And Barnes allowed you to consider this, since the female character, Em Moore, continually talks to her former partner, Teddy. He was recently killed in an accident and Em is afraid. She is not only shy but is agoraphobic, rarely leaving her home. Teddy, as her partner, was the front man, the one who interviewed, the one who faced the public on every situation.

Together, they were a team that wrote under the name T. E. Blakemore, a merge of their two names... It worked perfectly; Em was the writer of all books, while Teddy handled everything else. But now, Em was alone and the team had been right in the middle of a book!

"I stood, almost stumbling in my eagerness,
and in a flash felt like an awkward teen, a starstruck
fan about to gush some unforgivable platitude. Oooh,
can I have your autograph? He put out his hand and,
as I took it, he gave me the once-over.
"I felt like some cliche ingenue in a made-for-TV-
movie: remove glasses, loosen hair from tight bun,
swell the corny orchestration in the background.
God, what did I think I was doing? Malcolm nodded
Kelver out of the room, sank into the chair, and
summoned a smile that crinkled his eyes...
"You've never done this before, have you?"
"I almost choked on a sip of water. "I know how."
Even to my ears, I sounded defensive. "Mr. Malcolm,
I want to ask you if--"
~~~

Ghosting  the autobiography of "renowned and reclusive film director Garrett Malcolm..."

The problem was that nobody knew Em Moore! And Teddy was not now able to ever bring her publicly into the partnership. Not even the publisher knew her!

Readers watch as Em mentally prepares herself to go out, to take over the project, to discuss everything with the publisher, and then go to meet the great Malcolm himself...

All the while, talking to Teddy, as if he were still with her, just this time going over what he normally would be doing rather than what she was working on...

And then she discovered that the publisher had talked to Garrett and had suggested they "slow down" the process in order to possibly break the contract...

I admired Em all the more as she took control, handled everything and, when she met with Malcolm, finally broke through with him as they talked about his upcoming work to produce and play in Hamlet. When they started quoting Shakespeare back and forth to each other, he quickly changed his mind about this young writer. Little by little he realized how much she already knew about his life and even confessed about what he and Jonathan had discussed!

But she didn't intend to fall into bed with him, move into the main house, and believe they were in love. She realized that when the beautiful women who would be in the play starting coming in that she would be overshadowed quickly...

So she took the time offered...

While Em was now on solid ground working on the book, the investigation into Teddy's death had moved from accidental to murder...

Em discovered that there was a missing tape and that Teddy had become involved with a local gossip blogger who seemed to know much more about the "behind the scenes" activities than she had ever wanted to know or planned to use in the book. Still what had Teddy been thinking? And when she discovered that the tape was with the star of an earlier hit thriller series, who she discovered drunk one day in a lonely beach house, Em found herself in the middle of much more than writing the book she had outlined in her head!

When Teddy's wife comes, offering to trade some materials she'd found in his office, Em not only did not negotiate, but grabbed the bag and ran! Of course she realized that it was to his wife's advantage for the book to be finished and get Teddy's share of the proceeds. Still, Em wasn't sure that what she had brought was all that there was--would she try something like blackmail to get even more money?

While the police are investigating, Em winds up doing the same thing--but for purposes of the completion of the book. Individuals previously interviewed were contacted in her efforts to determine what, if anything, had been still in Teddy's hands when he died...

Like I said earlier, the climatic ending totally shocked me! I hope it does you, too! Because that will confirm that this author has us so involved in Em's personal story, that we miss what really is going on! A whodunit that in a very real way emulated other similar stories...but you have to figure that out for yourself! Let me know if you do! No matter what, read this author! Her writing will provide you pleasurable hours... Solving the mystery, well, let's just say I wasn't even worried about it, I was enjoying the book itself so much! Don't miss this one!


GABixlerReviews

Before writing her first stand-alone novel, The Perfect Ghost, which Publisher’s Weekly calls “a captivating story of love, rivalry, and revenge,” Linda Barnes wrote 16 mystery novels, 12 featuring her 6’1” redheaded private eye Carlotta Carlyle, and four featuring actor/detective Michael Spraggue, an amateur sleuth. In addition to best-selling mysteries, she has also written award-winning plays and short stories.

Linda Barnes's celebrated Carlotta Carlyle first appeared in 1985 in the award-winning short story "Lucky Penny." Since then, Barnes has written twelve Carlotta Carlyle novels: A Trouble of Fools (1987), The Snake Tattoo (1989), the Boston Globe bestsellers Coyote (1991), Steel Guitar (1993), Snapshot (1994), Hardware(1995) and Cold Case (1997), which also appeared on The Boston Globebestseller list. Flashpoint came out in 1999. The Big Dig was published in 2002, followed by Deep Pockets in 2004 and Heart of the World, in 2006 and Lie Down With the Devil (2008).

Among her many honors, Barnes won the Anthony Award for Best Short Story ("Lucky Penny," 1986) and the American Mystery Award for Best Private Eye Novel (A Trouble of Fools 1987). She has been nominated for both the Shamus and the Edgar. The Snake Tattoo was named one of the outstanding books of 1990 byThe London Times and Lie Down With the Devil was named one of the Best Mysteries of 2008 by Publisher’s Weekly.

She lives near Boston with her husband.

Douglas Clegg's Horror Novels So Good I Won't Be Reading Them...

Cover of Nightmare House
I love this original cover for this book! It certainly better defines the story--and what a story!

Stet Fortuna Domus.
It was the carving above the keystone of the house: May the House’s Fortune Stand. 
The old man stole that phrase from another Harrow, but it fit this place. At least it fit his wishes for his Harrow. 
A telling moment: when I was six years old and on one of my infrequent but wonderful stays at my grandfather’s estate, he told me that there were three things to watch for in the world. While I could not—ten minutes later—remember a single one, what I remember now is the warmth of his hand, the musty smell of the ill-fitting suit that must’ve lived most of the year within a mothballed closet, and the way he could not stop looking at me as if I were the most important child in the world even with my lies and games and pouts and stolen gingerbread men from the kitchen. 
It was the only time I felt this in my childhood. I never forgot that moment. Even now, I can’t judge him beyond knowing that my grandfather loved me and wanted all of this for me. 
It was the house—and what it held. 
I would never call a work of architecture evil; nor would I suggest that a house could be anything but a benign presence. It is always the human element that corrodes the stones and the wood and the brick and the foundation. It is the human heart that bends the floors and burns the rooms and imbues the structure with the spirit of error and false remembrance. 
                                                             ~~~

Nightmare House 

Book 1 of The Harrow 
 Haunting Series

By Douglas Clegg

Readers, you will probably never read another review like this one... I just finished Book 1 in a series from prolific author Douglas Clegg. It will be the first and last novel I read by an excellent Horror writer... I used to enjoy that genre when I was young. Now, I can recognize that his work rivals Stephen King's, who I also no longer read...LOL In fact, check out the excerpt above, his writing is quite wonderfully sinister, isn't it?

Clegg's older books came out on Kindle and that's how I was enticed...I always love the titles and succumb to temptation. But now I know--Clegg writes too well; his work is too realistic, too memorable...However, if you are still an avid horror fan, I will quickly highly recommend this series and his other books. Yes, I can tell by just one book that others will be just as good or better. In fact, I'd like to know what happens in this series--but I don't want to actually read them to find out! I know that makes sense, right?!

“Look!” Alf cried out, his voice echoing in
 the chamber, while he stumbled into a dark corner
of the turret room. “Over here, I found something!
 Something big!”
 And that’s when they found the remains of a
 human body in a recessed corner of the room.
 Finding a body came with its own set of problems—
particularly a corpse that had been rotting
 for several years by the look of it
(so saith Maggie, not showing on her face half
the horror that Ethan felt must have been on his).
 Maggie pulled Alf back, completely against his will,
 practically lifting him by the elbows.
 Ethan convinced Maggie—who then went
 to look at the corpse with better lamplight—
that they should all just go downstairs and telephone
 for the police like sane people. 
Alf proclaimed his hunger halfway down
 the banister to the first floor; Maggie made
 some grumblings about a woman’s work
 never being done; Ethan volunteered to make
sandwiches but Maggie pushed him away,
told him to
“make your blasted call to the coppers,”
and so, another remarkable evening in
Harrow began.~~~

I've always loved Gothic and this book reeks of it! Nightmare House is not the corny ghost story, although there are ghosts--untold numbers of ghosts!

And the house is more castle and has secret rooms,  above and below the main house...Normally such fun for me!

But this house really is evil...

I'm not sure that the total reason has come out in this first in series, but this is what I know. The entire structure was brought stone by stone from somewhere overseas...

There were also stolen artifacts brought to create an area as close to Egyptian tombs as possible...

In addition, the man who built the structure brought in psychics, mediums and other evil people such as Lizzie Borden, to have seances and who knows what other evil things...

Ethan had just inherited everything from his grandfather and had immediately come to Harrow House. He remembered happy times and warm love from him when he had visited in his younger years, even though his father and mother had been estranged from his grandfather. In fact, Ethan, himself, had never gotten along with his father, so wasn't surprised that Harrow House had come to him.

Only two servants were still there when Ethan came. Wentworth was the housekeeper and it appeared that she had expected some part of the inheritance but was congenial for the most part. Maggie--he had seen her first on the property and instantly knew that he loved her...

And it was with Maggie and her son Alfred that they first visited the Turret Room. Ethan had noticed that the window he had once enjoyed seeing his Grandfather from, was now bricked over. When Maggie didn't have the key, she showed him how to open the door with a ladies' hat pin!

But when the inner door was also locked and boarded, he had to get a pickax .. Once that was broken through, there was now a wall of bricks! They also broke through that!

Alf was the one that saw something in a far corner, that turned out to be a body...Maggie examined the clothes, etc., and proclaimed that she was a fairly young woman...

Shall we just say that, at that point, all hell broke loose!?!

The suspense of what they find, the description of being invaded, been possessed, was tantalizingly creepy! Fortunately, I was reading during the day because this was the type of story when, just at the truly terrifying parts, written so simplistically and straight-forward, that you do not want to try to sleep immediately afterward!

Who is the woman? Why was she locked away? We do learn that her name is Matilde...

And Matilde now IS Harrow House... Come visit if you dare, but don't expect to leave alive... unless you are escorted immediately to...an asylum...

Best horror novel I've read in a very long time... If you happen to have read the series, let me know what happens at the end...to save my curiosity that is no longer working when true horror comes into the picture! LOL Enjoyment for those brave enough...


GABixlerReviews

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Here's my current bio:

When Douglas Clegg was ten years old, he stood on the steps of the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico and vowed he would be a writer and travel the world. At sixteen, he stood within the arched doorways of the Alhambra in Spain after reading Lorca; at 21, he got lost in London, generally in the vicinity of Piccadilly Circus, living out every frame of Hogarth's The Rake's Progress in a condensed span of time; at the age of 23 he strayed along the boulevards of Paris with a yellow pad scribbling out a terrible novel that he destroyed soon after; but it wasn't until he was 27 -- in a lilliputian apartment in Hollywood, California -- that he sat down to write his first novel with any degree of conviction.

Clegg is the award-winning author of Neverland and Isis, among many other novels. He lives with his husband of more than 23 years in a house called Villa Diodati. Included in and around that household is a menagerie of animals, including cat, dog, mouse, rabbit and possibly more than 35 goldfish. He has written many books and more short stories. Recently, he wrote a new introduction for Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for the Signet Classics edition. He invites readers to subscribe to his email newsletter at http://DouglasClegg.com to keep up-to-date with his current and upcoming books in both print and ebook.

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Alafair Burke Keeps Pumping Out Winner After Winner!

susan-thoughtful (Photo credit: unnormalized)
"See, you just don't get it, do you,
McKenna? If you really knew my
sister, you'd realize that if she were alive--if she were here--she'd
know exactly where I was and how I was doing. She would know about her nephew. Hell, she'd probably have Porter's schedule down to the minute. She'd know that you were here right now. And yet I haven't heard one thing from her in ten years. Either she's dead, or she's got a damn good reason to keep her distance. Do you seriously think that, after all these years, you can take care of something that Susan Hauptmann couldn't? Please. Don't"
~~~

If You Were Here

By Alafair Burke


Alafair Burke kept me totally in the dark until the ending in her latest novel! She has a real talent for creating complex whodunits that are impossible to solve! No wonder I added her to my favorite author list when I had the chance to read Never Tell! Click over to read that review if you missed it!

The novel starts with a simple news story about a woman who had saved a young boy's life. Then evolves into more twists and turns than can easily be tracked! McKenna Jordan works for a New York magazine, so in order to cover something that has already been publicized in newspapers, she needs to look for a different, new angle. In this case, a young woman had jumped down in front of the subway, lifted a young boy up and back onto the platform, then jumped up and ran away without anybody knowing who she was.

"It was a Thursday, right around the time that single,
childless city dwellers had labeled Thursdays "the
new Friday." meaning it was the night to go out, get
drunk, and forget that one more day of work--albeit
a 'casual dress' one--still awaited us.
"And it wasn't just any Thursday, but a first Thursday
of the month, meaning it was the night of a Susan
Haupfmann happy hour.
"I arrived late, even relative to the obscene hours we
all kept back then. I had been burning the midnight
oil that entire week. I told my colleagues I was taking
the extra step of preparing written motions for all of
my upcoming trials. Their deadpan looks were the
silent equivalent of saying, "Whatever, nerd." But
I'd been in the District Attorney's Office for four
years and was still trying drug cases. I had vowed that
this would be the year that I got some attention...

"But that night involved no further mixing or
mingling. I barely noticed as the crown thinned and
familiar faces paused for a quick shoulder grab...
"Patrick and I paused the conversation only when
Susan showed up and squeezed between us, throwing
an arm around each of our shoulders. "Yo, I've been
sipping on gin and juice..."

"I was too distracted at the time to take Susan's
prediction about Patrick and me seriously. At the
time my entire focus was on making this the year
I finally got the attention I deserved at work.
"Both Susan and I turned out to be right..."
~~~

McKenna was fortunate to get her hands on a tape by a nearby observer and saw that the woman had been chasing the boy, and when she was leaving had something in her hand. Had the boy stolen her cell phone, only to be later saved by his victim, who definitely wanted to ensure she got her phone back! What a story angle that would make!

But as she studied that tape, she thought she recognized the woman--she thought it was a former friend who had disappeared ten years ago!

And once she believed that, there was no stopping her from finding her!

Because seeing her friend had taken her back into a time when her life was totally changed, bringing up memories, confusion and the doubt she'd once experienced. McKenna had once been an Assistant District Attorney. But when she had come to believe there was a dirty cop who had killed an unarmed boy, she had gone over her boss's head and to the public! She was fired, because it was proven that she was wrong...

But during that same time period, Susan, her best friend who had introduced her to her husband, had left without a word. Was she dead or alive, nobody had ever proven what happened. Now, perhaps, Susan was back...

Only one clue was found as she went over and over that tape--an emblem for a group of eco-terrorists! And where that group had been living was blown up shortly after the event on the subway. A woman was seen running out of the building, while others were killed. The FBI was soon involved!

McKenna believed that there had been too many coincidences 10 years ago. She started to talk to those that had been involved with the investigation at that time.

Burke peels off a new scene without muss or fuss and readers easily follow each layer of the complex puzzle that continues to unfold throughout the novel. Much is the usual police procedural interviewing as she pairs up with the cop that was on the case then, and admits now that, because of family problems, he may not have handled thee case as he should have.

And talking about family problems, McKenna is forced to question her own husband when she finds that he and Susan were apparently more involved than she ever knew. While at the same time, she is making bad choices as to which friends she really should trust!

Burke even throws in a bad guy who tries to turn to a good guy! Readers will have to keep their eyes on every single character to follow who "coulda" dun it and who really did! Suspense, intrigue, and lots of confusing signals reign to make this a novel that keeps readers in suspense to the very end!

I was impressed with her ability to weave in important clues without really making a big "to-do" about it. And the murders that happened? Well, they only served to cause further confusion. Finally, only at the end was it apparent what had led to the surprising climax...

Try this latest from Alafair Burke and see why I'm highly recommending!


GABixlerReviews

Alafair Burke is the author of "two power house series" (Sun-Sentinel) that have earned her a reputation for creating strong, believable, and eminently likable female characters, such as NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher and Portland Deputy District Attorney Samantha Kincaid. Alafair's novels grow out of her experience as a prosecutor in America's police precincts and criminal courtrooms, and have been featured by The Today Show, People Magazine, The New York Times, MSNBC, The Washington Post, USA Today, and The Chicago Sun-Times. Dennis Lehane has called her "one of the finest young crime writers working today."

A graduate of Stanford Law School and a former Deputy District Attorney in Portland, Oregon, Alafair is now a Professor of Law at Hofstra Law School, where she teaches criminal law and procedure.

She lives in New York City and spends too much time on Facebook and Twitter, but has no plans to quit.

Learn more about Alafair at www.alafairburke.com

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