A Trick of the Light By Louise Penny

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AppId is over the quota

Apparently this was an interesting if not particularly difficult book for Ms. Penny to write. I am not sure if it was because of personal experience or just the subject matter but it is absolutely brilliant. If she is an artist and received a not so glowing review I say 'whatever'! If you like it and it made you happy to paint it - go for it. This brings us to one of the topics of this fabulous mystery. Art has critics just like any other medium and sometimes this can be a make or break for said artist. I think most of us can still look relatively objectively at something and realize it isn't the total sum of that person's work but the artist can and often does have a fragile ego.

One of the heroines of the Penny stories is Clara who lives in Three Pines and has been knocking out art for over 20 years now. She has finally been recognized and has her own solo show. This doesn't come as a surprise to those who know her but due to bad reviews years before she never really thinks her work is good enough. As a result of this self-deprecating thinking, Clara is physically sick about attending her own show. In fact if she didn't have friends to literally hold her hand as she walks in, she thinks she would have gone home and missed the entire party. Suffice it to say, she makes it through, endures the false praise as well as the honest and is the guest of honour at a party in her home town afterwards. The next morning she is going over the previous evening and enjoying her garden when a body is found. The body is in her front garden and is a stranger to the town. The stranger is wearing a party dress but no one seems to remember her attending the party, or inviting her either. The more we learn about the victim the more interesting the story becomes. I really don't want to give away a whole lot because this is such a fun book. There is the completely bitchy element of gallery owners who made bad choices, past relationships brought up as well as people who are doing their level best to change the way they have behaved in the past.

If you have read any of Ms. Penny's previous books then the character development continues. We catch up with cantankerous Ruth, lovely Myrna as well as Gabri and Olivier at the bed and breakfast. There is a lot of forgiveness to give and take in this story as a result of previous books as well. It leaves you with almost a warm fuzzy. Enjoy!

You can find more of my book and movie reviews at: http://ukchica.com/

Lilith: Demon of the Night, By Theodore Jerome Cohen - Book Review

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AppId is over the quota

Author Theodore Jerome Cohen brings his NYPD Detective Louis Martelli back with his partner Sean O'Keeffe in his novel Lilith, Demon of the Night, as the duo sleuths solve a bizarre series of murders dealing within the dark side of cult rituals and vampirism.

When a bullet is shot into the coffin containing a corpse lying in state at a funeral home from a mysterious cloaked perpetrator, the odd circumstances alerted NYPD's homicide detectives to take notice. The obvious question of who would want to shoot someone who was already dead prevails; as other details emerge alluding to the rituals and beliefs of something out of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Using silver through the heart, wood stakes to the chest, garlic in the mouth and even a silver crucifix in the coffin, the detectives find these techniques used to keep a vampire rising from the dead as they exhume bodies linked to the trail of finding the serial killer. With twists and turns like a Boa constrictor, the venomous plot unfolds and transports the reader from a modern day high-tech crime fighting novel into the dark side of cult practices within the mind of a serial murderer fixated on revenge.

Theodore Jerome Cohen writes in a very convincing and discerning fashion, offering credibility to his characters with his commonsensical understanding of police investigative techniques. He embellishes his characters with a harmonized balance of dialogue and descriptions, achieving excellent visualization within the reader's mind. The author's written wit is consistent with stereotypical references to tough, macho police work, yet Louis Martelli possesses an intrinsic understanding of human nature. I found it rather clever that in many instances Theodore Cohen referenced prior instances of his character Martelli's experiences from other novels, rewarding the loyal readers of his series with a bit of magniloquent pleasure.

Impeccably written with the obvious goal to entertain, Theodore Jerome Cohen once again effectuates what he set out to accomplish. Lilith is a trophy on any shelf, a book worthy of an afternoon's reading enjoyment, a fine gift, or a welcome companion to take on a trip. Written for young adults all the way to mature audiences, Lilith - Demon of the Night stands on its own merit as an enjoyable read. When combined with TJC Publication's other novels in the Detective Louis Martelli series, it becomes a link in the chain of adventures; an episode quite a bit different from the others.

Editor's note: This novel contains adult language

Reviewed by: Gary Sorkin

Gary Sorkin is the Senior Editor for Pacific Book Review. Please visit Pacific Book Review at: http://www.pacificbookreview.com/

In Dog We Trust

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AppId is over the quota

Desiring to escape his meager middle class existence, and a dead-end job making doughnuts, J.R. dreams of success as a world class counterfeiter. It is a dream that is consistent with the American dream, as J.R. explains in a journal entry: "I had a viable dream! A big, daring, foolproof plan to enter the great mansion of capitalism by using the side door. You can acquire money by earning it, winning it, stealing it, or printing it." Or is the notion that one can attain wealth by any means necessary truly compatible with what we've come to call "the American dream"? Have we as a nation, under the magical power of money, failed to truly consider the nature of our greed and its effect on our neighbors? Is the "American dream" founded on our mindless faith in a 'false-god'? If so, where will such a 'love of money' lead this country in the end? These are some of the questions author John Rimshas explores in his postmodern novel entitled In Dog We Trust.

Determined to reproduce the perfect twenty dollar bill, J.R. attempts to bring his plan to pass without any real consideration for the rest of society. He reasons that as long as he does not deliberately do any obvious harm to another American citizen, he is not really doing anything wrong. Yet through the course of the novel, and with each succeeding journal entry, J.R. and his 'partner in crime' -- his lovely girlfriend and fellow printer Mickey -- begin to doubt the innocuous nature of their initial intentions; as they slowly see that something as American as acquiring money, when approached with the wrong goal or motivation in mind, or even worse, if accomplished through illegal means, does indeed harm both society at large and one's own soul.

"Actually, it was an accident," J.R. confesses in his journal, explaining the strange occurrence that would alter his career as a counterfeiter, and also the entire financial system in America. While preparing to print more phony twenty dollar bills, one of the photograph negatives had been reversed; and instead of the standard motto that resides on the backside of traditional (or authentic) legal tender, he read the words, "In Dog We Trust." At first it appeared to be merely a mistake; but after a minute, considering the comic (and sardonic) implications of the phrase, J.R. decided to play a trick on the world and the American economic system. So he printed a couple thousand copies of this "funny money," featuring the 'sacrilegious slogan' written on the back above the Whitehouse; reasoning that nobody would know the difference.

According to the field of psychoanalysis there are no accidents. When we "slip" and say (or see) something that betrays our conscious mind, we have, in reality, stumbled upon a truth about our self or the situation at hand. This insight may in turn open us up to a new world within ourselves and change our perspective, and even our life, from that moment onwards. Such was the experience of the narrator of this novel. More significantly, J.R.'s decision to use these "dog bills," which the media defined as "a deliberate attempt to make a mockery of society," contributed to the loss of faith in American currency. Consequently, the circulation of these counterfeit bills (further deflating the value of money in America), helped topple the country's financial system; as it ushered in a sort of post-apocalyptical milieu characterized by anarchy and a survival of the fittest approach to existence.

Ingeniously, Rimshas draws us into the drama of our narrator, whose experience, ironically, runs parallel -- and in a sense presages -- the broader American narrative. In this way, we see that J.R.'s inspiration for gaining wealth, along with the methods he employs to carry out his get-rich-quick scheme, are not unlike the driving motivations and unscrupulous manipulation of the market exhibited by Wall Street brokers and world bankers of late. As J.R grows disheartened with his life dedicated to making money (literally), he plunges into a state of despair that mirrors the economic depression of the nation.

Through the lens of the narrator's experiences we not only get a look at the negative aspects of American capitalism, but we also find that "after the monetary collapse," there exists the possibility to enrich one's life through genuine relationships within a smaller and more personal social arrangement; one centered on religious faith and communal existence. The juxtaposition between these two socio-economic systems, one based on crass self-interest, and the other built on bartering and shared beliefs, provides the reader with a picture of two dramatically different ways of life.

Philosophic in nature, In Dog We Trust describes the potential pitfalls and catastrophic consequences of placing one's faith in something as ephemeral as money. Written in journal form, as each subsequent journal entry brings us closer to the narrator's present place and time, John Rimshas dissects the nature of American capitalism; while demonstrating how our dependence on money can become an addiction as destructive as any other drug habit. Couched in the context of a profound, and often comical, experimental novel, it is a timely work that provides the reader with a literary means of analyzing both the nation's recent economic crisis and the human heart.

Christopher Ackerman
For Independent Professional Book Reviewers
http://www.bookreviewers.org/

Death Comes to Pemberley By P D James

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AppId is over the quota

I just realized that I hadn't reviewed this after seeing it for another week in the top 10 of the New York Times best seller list. Oops. Well I will do my best to get this out. I did read it a few weeks ago but can remember how brill it was. From the beginning of this story you are transported to a Jane Austen novel. That probably sounds really goofy but it is true. You are just transported to that time and place and if you've ever seen any of the television productions you can immediately imagine the scenery too. Ms. James has done another great job but this is extraordinary. I literally re-read the first few pages as I couldn't quite believe it. She is amazing. Anyone who has read Pride and Prejudice needs to read this even if you have never read a mystery or like the genre.

The author takes the main characters we know and love, and even those we love to hate, and tells the story of their lives in and around Pemberley. This is a mystery so there has to be some drama but I have to tell you it was so cool reading about Elizabeth and Darcy's continuing relationship and how P.D. James assumes it went. I always hate to give away too much of the actual plot but someone dies on the grounds of Pemberley and Darcy immediately assumes responsibility of the body and informing the local magistrate. Some of the characters who made us all so mad in Pride and Prejudice rear their ugly heads once again and make life a misery for Darcy especially. Right now I just want to spill all the details but I really shouldn't so I won't do that.

Elizabeth's sisters and parents also play somewhat of a part in this book. There is an annual ball at the house that Darcy's parents handed over to he and Elizabeth so that is the backdrop of the main story line. So while the preparations continue for this gala, the decision has to be made on whether or not they should continue after a pretty gruesome death on the grounds. Elizabeth does see her family quite regularly but especially Jane who lives very close by and she comes and stays at the house to help with the ball. Again this is so fab to 'catch up' with Jane and all that she has been up to. I really could go on and on but gushing is so uncouth. Read this beautifully written book and really enjoy the countryside and character development. I know you will be pleased and feel as if you know Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth even better than before.

You can find more of my book and movie reviews at: http://ukchica.com/

Trespasser by Paul Doiron - Mystery-Thriller Book Review - Asian Murder, ATV Adventure, and Amore

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AppId is over the quota

Twenty-five-year-old Mike Bowditch is a passionate Maine state game warden. It's been seven months since the ordeal with his father, Jack Bowditch at Rum Pond (consider reading Doiron's award-nominated debut novel, The Poacher's Son as a preface to Trespasser).

Bowditch responds to a dispatcher's call to investigate a deer/car collision on Parker Point Road. He arrives to find a damaged, red, rental sedan, and deer bloodstains in the middle of the road, but no driver, no deer.

What happened to the driver and the deer? Who anonymously alerted the authorities from the pay phone at Smitty's Garage two miles away about the accident?

The rental car agreement found in the glove compartment indicates the current driver as Ashley Kim, 23, from Cambridge, Massachusetts.

State trooper, Curt Hutchins arrives at the scene soon after Bowditch. He assures him that he'll continue pursuit of Kim, now that it's a state police matter. Bowditch is skeptical. Something's not right and Bowditch knows it.

Bowditch is compelled to do his own investigation of Ashley Kim's disappearance. He entails the help of town clerk, MaryBeth Fickett and legendary, retired warden pilot, Charley Stevens. Stevens befriended Bowditch during his search for his father.

Fickett discovers that Hans Westergaard owns a summer home not far from the accident site. Westergaard is also from Cambridge, Massachusetts and a Harvard Business School professor. The Kim/Westergaard connection is too close to ignore. Bowditch calls Westergaard's wife, Jill, and learns that Kim was her husband's research assistant. She informs him too, that Hans left for a conference the day before and hasn't been heard from since.

Bowditch and Stevens explore the capacious, oceanfront Westergaard home where they discover the mutilated corpse of Ashley Kim. The killer had carved the word SLUT on her body. With no sign of Westergaard, early suspicions focus on a romantic liaison between the two gone sour.

Seven years ago, Earland Jefferts, an affable, handsome, former lobsterman, was convicted of murdering twenty-year old, Nikki Donatelli. The crime occurred on a hot July night after drinking and seduction at the Harpoon Bar. Interestingly, Bowditch learns that Donatelli's body also had the word SLUT carved into her body.

The J-Team, led by Jeffert's aunt, Lou Bates, is determined to win him a new trial; convinced the prosecution did a botched job of presenting the evidence. They approach Bowditch about joining their mission. He initially declines. But, given the similarities between the Kim/Donatelli murders, he finds himself drawn into investigating Jeffert's conviction.

Danica Marshall is the Assistant Attorney General who helped prosecute Earland Jefferts. Often referred to as a "courthouse sex symbol," and "Black Widow," she warns Bowditch to stop investigating Ashley Kim's death, and revisiting the details of Jeffert's conviction.

The Square Deal Diner is the town's gossip hub. Upon entering, Bowditch has been the topic of conversation, both during his father's disappearance and Ashley Kim's murder.

Adventure accentuates Trespasser, as Bowditch engages in a death-defying ATV chase on an ice-filled, snow-driven night to lure local Calvin Barter. Bowditch is sure he's the culprit whose ATV tracks have been ruining neighbor, Hank Varnum's property: " I shifted into a lower gear and gassed it, aiming for as much momentum as possible and hoping to hell my wheels didn't lose traction on the icy surface."

Bowditch met his live-in girlfriend, Sarah, during college. Despite her affluent upbringing, she was attracted to his raw, love for the outdoors. "She recognized something feral underneath my clean-cut exterior, and like many good girls from proper families, she was aroused by the scent of danger."

His affinity for danger, both during the search for his father and now in the Ashley Kim murder investigation, have take its toll on their relationship. Her tolerance for his availability, both physically and emotionally, have peaked, especially now that she's secretly pregnant.

Well-written fiction mirrors reality, often presenting insightful dialogue. One of the best lines in Trespasser worth contemplating is "You never really know someone until they're no longer in your life."

If you enjoy reading crime fiction, you'll appreciate Doiron's newish voice. It's one that's sure to become more recognizable over time.

The 2012 Bouchercon World Mystery Convention is being held in Cleveland, Ohio, October 4-7. To learn more about this gathering of some of the world's best crime fiction writers, visit: http://bouchercon2012.com/

Timothy Zaun is a blogger, speaker and freelance writer. Visit him online at http://timzaun.com/.

A Lost Journal And A Murder Draw An Investigator Into A Spiritual Awakening With Sex And Secrets

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AppId is over the quota

Rinella's first novel is a triumph of erotica, intrigue and mysterious secrets. Well researched yet still remaining intriguing, the book follows Ben Kramer on a journey of self-discovery and inclusion into a hidden mystery religion. This eventually leads him to some intense sexual encounters, solving a murder and further threats of violence, and truly intense enlightenment through ecstatic experiences.

Ben finds a mysterious box in his mother's attic when she moves to Florida for retirement. The journals contained therein reveal much about his reclusive and, at least to Ben, largely unknown uncle, Jonathan. Ben is reminded of a strange theology book this uncle gave him 25 years previously. In the intervening years Ben has developed a career as an investigator but also as a spiritual seeker. His uncle's journals from the box lead him into new situations with the "cult" his uncle and apparently many others close to him have been involved with.

Richard Ceznat is the outer voice of a secret religion, a cult in the positive form of a belief system hidden from public view. Thomas is the monk of this order that is brought in to guide Ben but eventually becomes much more. Cynthia is the priestess brought in to replace the murder victim. She also becomes more to Ben and their relationships all become more entwined in the course of the investigation into the murder. There are other characters and many situations where Ben learns about ecstatic religious practices, odd terrorists and himself. He seeks and finds more information and then enlightenment through these persons and some others that surprise him and the reader equally. Ben finds himself skeptical and doubtful of the veracity of what he reads and finds out. But the investigation becomes more of a journey of discovery for him.

The characters are all memorable. The situations and the religion described here are believable and uplifting for any in alternative sexualities. Such a religion would fulfill many dreams for those who live their lives as gay, lesbian, power exchange and even simply kinky relationships.

Highly recommended for any adult reader looking for light erotica, decent mystery and perhaps even personal enlightenment, the book is well written and very readable. In the genre of BDSM erotica it is a stellar beginning for Rinella, who has made a great first entry in the fiction market, he should write more.

Published by Rinella Editorial Services, 2011. ($19.95 USD SRP/Amazon $19.95 USD)

Reviewer received book from author.

Reviewed by Chris Phillips

No Cure For Murder Written By Lawrence W Gold, MD

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AppId is over the quota

Marvelous story that combines mystery in Brier Hospital, its patients, doctors, nurses, and other workers. There is murder in Brier Hospital, but who is doing the killing? How safe are patients in their room, some in a difficult medical state of health where they are not able to think straight, and some in a very delicate state near the end of their life? Dr. Jacob Weizman and his wife, Lola, were Holocaust survivors well up in years; Jacob was eighty-eight years of age and Lola eighty-five. Jacob was so very highly thought of in the medical world of Brier and beyond for many reasons. He told it like it was but always had compassion for his patients. That, along with his expertise towards almost any health problem, made him so very valuable and trustworthy in the medical field. Lola was also still active in her practice as a psychotherapist despite her age. She and Jacob would be lost without their professions and each other.

There is usually a person on most any hospital staff who has their problems with others in that hospital and that was the case with Jacob with a few thinking he was too darn old to practice medicine, but these same people had to admit he was the best and wisest in the hospital despite his age. When a friend of Jacobs called him and told him of a young doctor, Zoe Spelling, who was looking for an office in which to practice, Jacob asked that she come and see him. Jacob did hire Dr. Zoe Spelling. He knew he was getting old and could use someone to help him. Dr. Spelling was a bright young woman who seemed very capable and Jacob, despite his complaints about some things she did or didn't do, thought she was a good fit as his partner.

A few patients died when they should not have and every one of these deaths was deeply investigated and autopsied. At first it was thought they might have died of natural causes but some were not convinced of that. Another employee was stealing drugs and selling them. He worked at Brier as a regular so he could work freely around the hospital as well as sneak into the locked drug supply room. Eventually the police were brought into the investigation, first with an undercover cop with nursing experience. Shelly fit in well but found nothing for sure as far as a killer.

Jacob and Lola was such a happy couple. Jacob worked such long hours but he knew his beloved Lola was there for him at home regardless. Lola and Jacob would discuss each other's patient problems some times and they really complimented each other in that way. They hated to see so many of their friends passing away, especially after going through the Holocaust, losing so many family and friends during that. The police action intensified as the killings continued with all on the hospital staff being suspects.

I look forward to any future books by Dr. Gold. He writes in a common persons language, which a person in the medical field doesn't always do. You will love this book and you may suspect certain people but in the end you will probably be surprised. Enjoy it and thanks Dr. Gold.

Reader review by Cy Hilterman of a book supplied by the author.