“Consumed” by Justin Alcala

Categories Book Reviews

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. What a great story premise. Set in the seedier side of Victorian London, the novel introduces Detective Nathanial Brannick. His wife having died from consumption, he’s given the case of a young Irishwoman who suffered from the same wasting disease that is now ravaging Brannick himself.  To ease the pain, he’s consuming opium – the archetypal flawed detective. There’s more to it. Like a bloody birthmark on his wrist and an eerie…Continue Reading ““Consumed” by Justin Alcala” →

Review of Leslie Garland’s “The Bat”

Categories Book Reviews, Uncategorized

THE BAT is part of a string of stories told by the patrons of The Red Grouse Inn. I can see them there, sitting by the fire, a pint in their hands, spinning their yarns. I liked THE BAT, a coming-of-age story since it demonstrates that adult fiction does not have to pivot on adult protagonists. Instead, the friends enjoy Thomas’s tale, and the reader gets to listen in.Actually, while this set-up frames the narrative, it also creates a bit of a distance. We know…Continue Reading “Review of Leslie Garland’s “The Bat”” →

Review of “Gold River” by Eric Dabbs

Categories Book Reviews

Pissed-off rattlesnakes? Check. Hungry Caimans? Check. Murderous thugs and heinous villains pulling strings from afar? Check and check. Add the forgotten tomb of an Incan Emperor into the mix, a Texan treasure hunter and a British librarian, ah—sorry Kate, make that a historian—plenty of untouched jungle and, yes, a raging underground stream and you get GOLD RIVER. Think Die Hard, only in the Peruvian Andes. The whole story is pure action from the moment Tom tests his latest Amazon purchase—a metal detector—in the Texan desert….Continue Reading “Review of “Gold River” by Eric Dabbs” →