Michelle

(Review originally published at Red Adept Reviews.)

Very Bad Men, by Harry Dolan was my inaugural “borrow” from my local library through my Kindle. I ended up buying the book so that my husband could read it at some point. This worked out very well for the author, my husband, and Amazon. Okay, to be honest, I wasn't actually finished reading it by the end of the lending period. It's the curse of switching off between multiple books.

Overall: 4 ?? stars.

Plot/Storyline: 4 1/2 stars

I selected this book because, well, it was one of the ones actually available from the library, and because Ann Arbor caught my attention. While I'm a Minnesotan these days, I'm from Michigan originally. I like reading about places I know, don't you?

And, I enjoyed this novel quite a bit, particularly the character of David Loogan. He gets less time than you might imagine from the description, being only one point of view character. Although, his portions are the only ones told in first person. His voice was consistently amusing.

I've never felt a need to figure out the whole mystery, I want to be surprised. I think that even if I tried to figure out what was what, I wouldn't have seen a few things coming. The author did made me say, “No WAY!” in the best sense possible more than once. And, a few times I said it because a plot twist of point strained credibility, but I forgave since I had a good time, and since the author really did tie up his loose ends.

As you can tell from the description, this is not the first book in the series, but this seemed to stand alone. I imagine I'll read the first one at some point, and the next one as well.

I even enjoyed the title. The people you might assume to be the bad men changes after a while.

Characters: 4 3/4 stars

As mentioned, I enjoyed David Loogan. I also enjoyed Sarah, his girlfriend's daughter, who can probably continue the series when Loogan is old and doddering. Come to think of it, I think the author excelled at characterization. Mysteries tend to be a little more plot-driven, and that's the case here, with some characters being perhaps a little stock. However, even in those cases there were moments of surprise or entertainment.

We know from the beginning that the man killing people is Andrew Lark, but he's not pure villain, and Mr. Dolan reveals his story slowly and imbues him with a strange decency. I doubt the reader will walk away thinking he is the biggest villain of this piece.

There is a female character who I didn't find nearly as charming as did David Loogan, but he might have come around to my side by the end.

Writing Style: 4 3/4 stars

Intelligent, but uncomplicated style. Mr. Dolan comes across as a natural storyteller.

Editing: (No score)

I have to nit-pick. A woman in this book had a missing cat. She described him, a male, as a faded calico. Calicos, as well as Tortoiseshells - dilute would be the term for the faded - are almost always female. The only way a male can have these colors is if he has XXY chromosomes instead of XY and then Roscoe - the kitty in question - would probably be, um, “shooting blanks.” But, I can't quite call it a mistake. And I just put Roscoe's business out on the internet... Of course, if you're reading this and are a female cat, you could have a great night on the town with Roscoe with little worry about “repercussions.”

(Review originally published at Red Adept Reviews)

Overall: 4 ?? stars

Plot/Storyline: 4 ?? stars

This is a very quirky and dark story. It's also nearly impossible to review without mentioning a certain detail, and yet I'll try, because it's only hinted at in the two descriptions on the page. I think people will probably figure it out from there alone, but I won't be the one to “say” it.

While the story is very darkly funny - the last line might as well be called a punch line - it's also just plain dark. It's also thought-provoking in a Wisdom of Solomon way, when you consider the issues of justice here.
I think this story will bother people - perhaps be seen as too dark, too quirky, too out of the realm of most people's existence. I enjoyed it though and it made me think.

Characters: 4 ?? stars

The author makes the characters distinct from one another, which I believe is crucial here, while not taking it too far.

There is a good brother and a bad brother, but Ms. Slaughter never went the campy route of making them absurdly different in surface ways, but rather she went deeper to the nature of identity.

Writing style: 4 stars

I laughed, I considered the issues, I laughed, I admired the skill in characterization and storytelling, and the use of language that was both interesting and accessible.

This review originally appeared at Red Adept Reviews.

(Note: What detracts most from the overall score are formatting issues. The author has since contacted me to say she'd been unaware of the issues, and that they'd since been corrected. I can only review the copy that I read, but I want to put this information out there for people who might be interested in the story except for this issue. The overall rating is 3.5 stars, and I have to round either up or down for the Amazon stars. I'm choosing to round up based on her assertion.)

Overall: 3 ?? Stars

Storyline/Plot: 4 stars

I like the premise - a lot. This love probably comes from being a “Buffy” fan since the concept behind the show was for the little blonde girl in the dark alley to “take back the night.” One of the themes of the show was how, because she was tiny and cute, she was continually underestimated. Anyone who is a blonde, or knows some capable ones, will appreciate the inherent humor and girl power message here.

I liked that there was a sly sense of humor here, an acknowledgement of the horror/suspense tropes being paraded through the story. Missy is fully aware that she has found herself in the middle of a slasher movie scenario.

As always, short stories are not to everyone's taste, and I don't think this story will be the one to make you a fan of this length if you're not currently.

I enjoyed this story overall, while feeling that it could have been a little punchier and saucier to lead up to - what I consider to be - a pretty darned good last line.

Characters: 3 ?? stars

I liked Missy well enough, as well as enjoying the portrayal of the secondary characters, but I think a page or two more to develop her would have made the story all the stronger. Because the story is short, because the plot is pretty straightforward, I think for Dumb Blonde to be really good that it had to excel as a character piece - and it didn't quite get there.

What I like is that Missy, as expected, is smarter than the stereotype. What I really like is that, realistically, she is still not exactly a Rhodes Scholar, and the reader can play backseat driver on what she should do.

Writing Style: 3 3/4 stars

The author got the job done, and the result was a nifty little story. I would read more by the author, and I'm actually curious to see what she could do with a novel, but... well, see editing score. There was something here that felt ... unpolished. Still, the effort was a good one.

Formatting: 2 stars

The formatting is seriously off here, with paragraphs running together. I emailed the author to tell her about this - and mentioned that the samples of her other books had the same issue. I requested she email me to let me know when this was resolved. I have yet to hear back, so I have to assume this is the same. We don't normally contact authors on these things, but I thought it was so big of an issue, yet something that could be a simple mistake, and so - in this case - I'd play Good Samaritan. Other than that, no other issues with editing, but this one took away from my enjoyment.

I read this probably back in August or September. I review nearly everything I read, but I just didn't have any enthusiasm for this one, any drive to talk about it. The good news is that it's a cheap read, and so if the topic interests you then you won't be losing much in the gamble. Perhaps it's a matter of this story being all too familiar, and so the stark recitation of facts just doesn't seem like more than you'd get in a newspaper story. At this point, I don't need to be convinced that the Catholic Church, for all of its positive qualities, has allowed their children to be devastated while shuffling the abusers around and hiding them. Now, I want to make sense of it all.

Father Bernard Bissonnette becomes more cliche than man as he pretty much hit every stereotype as he was allowed to abuse children for decades. A family seeks to confront him about it, and the beginning of the book promises this will happen. At the end we find out that he is pretty unrepentant, but so old and sickly that he is a pitiable figure. No one gets closure. The lack of closure for the reader is nothing compared to the lack of closure for these families. However, I'm left wondering what it all means and what the future seems to hold. Where is the context and how does this fit in with the bigger picture? Since the details, tragically, follow a familiar pattern, what does this piece offer?

I've I'd read this story years ago, it perhaps would have been enough in it's current form. The tale is no longer a new one, and even as the details should be shocking they've become too familiar. What are the answers? How is the church apt to change to respond to this? We live in a time when the word “priest” is said, and people have to will themselves not to snicker – even people who were raised Catholic. What now?

Originally posted to Red Adept Reviews.

Overall: 3 1/2 stars

Plot/Storyline: 3 3/4 stars

It???s a great idea, right? So cool of a concept that I read the article and purchased the book as soon as I could. I love the concept, but am a little less enamored when it comes to the execution of the story and to matters of characterization.

As far as it goes, I think it???s a helpful book for teens. Any story that preaches that bullying and casual cruelties have consequences is a needed message. The issue becomes what responsibility Hannah has for her choice and if the punishment fits the crimes. If nothing else, the discussions it opens up will be interesting.

Hannah says to these people that what they did lead to what she did and, by implication, they should carry the guilt of that. I suspect most readers will think that in the case of one or two of the people they should have to live with and struggle with that. However, some of the people were rude, or ignorant, or mean, or even casually cruel, but it???s arguable if it???s fair to expect them to carry the burden of Hannah???s decision ??? particularly in the case of a girl who was a victim herself or a guidance counselor whom she only met one time and set up for failure.

While the premise is good, I couldn???t help but think that it needed to take two paths ??? one of benevolence and education toward people who could not have known or one of anger toward people who were truly reprehensible. The difficulty is her anger toward both groups as if their ???sins??? were equal. Ultimately, this choice will put some readers in the uncomfortable position of realizing they dislike, or disapprove of, a girl who took her own life.

There was also the small detail that she threatened that if people didn???t listen and pass it on that another party would make sure that the tapes got out ??? but I can???t imagine that the adult recipient wouldn???t contact the authorities based on details in the tape. I also can???t imagine Hannah not knowing that.

Lastly, the reason why Clay was on the list seemed too easy, a bit off a cop-out, even a cheat, since ??? without saying more ??? he stood alone. This removed some of the power I might have felt.

Characters: 3 1/4 stars

There are two main characters here. Hannah and Clay. We meet the other characters who have received or will receive the take, sometimes during the course of Clay???s travels around town as he listens, but mostly through Hannah???s narration. As mentioned, when she speaks we also read Clay???s reactions to her words. Clay is pretty likable character. Some of the other characters are villainous. Others seem like kids making stupid mistakes.

I believe that we were supposed to see Clay as someone who could have saved her, if only he was more confident, if only he had listened to rumors less. For once, I don???t think Hannah put the burden on someone else so much as Clay felt understandable guilt at not reaching out to her sooner. (Understandable in the sense of it being a natural reaction, not in the sense of being justified.)

As mentioned, I had complex feelings toward Hannah. Obviously there???s built in sympathy for her, but it was hard to read her deliberate cruelty toward others. Suicide can sometimes be a very angry act, a way to punish others for real or perceived grievances, and the choice can be made for what seems to the outside world to be petty, but feels like the weight of the world to the person in question. Understanding all of this doesn???t change the fact that Hannah comes across as vindictive and looking for scapegoats.

I don???t get the feeling I was supposed to agree with Hannah completely, but I do get the impression I wasn???t supposed to be as irritated with her as much as I was, which was about 60% of the time. While teens are self-involved and this one was in a bad place, she was surprisingly difficult to root for in her efforts and I ??? yeah, I???m going to hell ??? never felt particularly saddened that the girl speaking had shuffled off this mortal coil. The inherent poignancy of the story she was telling couldn???t always rise above what seemed to be a need to punish. Think of Carrie, without the supernatural stuff, with 100% less pig???s blood, and with more time on her hands and a tape recorder.

On the plus side, there were a fair amount of minor characters, and the author did a pretty good job with them. I felt like I knew them.

Writing Style: 3 3/4 stars

Several nice moments, but in many ways this felt like a first book. This book called for a balance between Hannah???s telling her story and Clay reacting and also moving around town as he listened, and it never felt like the author quite worked out the right ratio. Many of the descriptions were good, places were described vividly in several cases, but at other moments it all felt a little flat.

Review to come later.

Tim Gunn writes about his relationship with his father. I think like most adults who've lost one or both parents, it's a continuous process to make peace with that loss, and accept that there'll not be another change to get it right with that person. The most poignant part of me was when Mr. Gunn shared a story about the family dog racing through the nursing home to find the elder Gunn and what the junior Gunn believes is the reason for the dog one day failing to recognize his owner.

Classy guy, a story that will resonate for a lot of people.

(Review originally published at Red Adept Reviews.)

Overall: 3 3/4 Stars

A solid effort that didn't fully work for me. None of the issues were fatal flaws, and I'm sure the things that bothered me will be no big deal to others.

Plot/Storyline: 3 Stars

I enjoyed several elements here, and read along with no desires to “ditch,” but there were still a handful of things which took away from my overall enjoyment. I felt like there were a few needed scenes missing between people, three secondary storylines that aren't wrapped up so much as their resolutions are quickly explained in a conversation, the narrator - unfortunately - was probably my 5th favorite character, until the last ten percent I wasn't particular scared, I don't feel like the myth the story was based around was fully integrated into the overall story, other than I think the house was the embodiment of a mythical spirit. Maybe.

This was a good story with a lot of the elements horror fans will enjoy. There was a YA sensibility so no heavy gore, which I suppose might interest some and lose others. We have a small town, a haunted house, the hell of high school, the bonds of new friendship, a love interest, Indian folklore, and a mystery.

Characters: 4 Stars

As mentioned, Nick - the narrator wasn't really my favorite character. At times, he seemed passive, not acting when he should, not pursuing logical avenues, other times doing things for what seemed to be plot reasons alone. He admits he hasn't cracked a book for years, but is in an AP English class (with his father as the teacher) and seems to have a pretty good vocabulary under the circumstances. Did he pick this up by osmosis? Interestingly enough, some of the words he used I would make the argument were incorrect. He says his father has a diatribe about oral literature and the importance of oral tradition, but a diatribe is against something, not for it. He describes walls as blas?? when that's not something walls are so much as something you feel about them or toward them. I wonder if this is a deliberate character trait. I spent way too long wondering this - I should get a hobby, like reading. (Technically, in this book, it's quite possible the walls could feel any number of emotions. Kidding.) Anyhow, I still rooted for Nick and wanted things to work out and all the feelings that are appropriate to feel toward a protagonist...

However, I was much more interested in his sister, Tabby. I wanted to read more about her, but Nick didn't talk to her even when it was clear she possessed vital information. She had a history of what was diagnosed as mental illness, but what was clearly telepathy and perhaps astral projection. Her brother talks about being protective of her, and he does help her at vital moments, but also leaves her to her own devices most of the time. It felt like there should have been one scene more between the two, at least, but to elaborate would go into spoilers. More than that, I would have loved a couple scenes from her point of view...
Nick's love interest is Sarah, a spirited, intelligent, young woman. I can't help but admit I would have liked some time in her head too. Then there's Gage, one of Nick's two friends, who is fascinated with ghosts because of a loss he suffered and a need to make sense of it all, and Saul, a level-headed sweetheart of a kid.

I thought all these characters could carry a book, or part of one, which says something good about Mr. Polson's ability to write characters. I cared about Tabby and Sarah, in particular, and I believe it was more than I'm a female and relating to the girls, but rather what how well they were crafted.

Nick's parents, while there and part of one of the secondary storylines, felt nearly non-existent in any real sense other than to say “be careful” and to emit the signs of a marriage in distress. They barely had dialogue. Their storyline was one of the ones wrapped up with a couple lines at the end, as if it was something that needed to be handled. Strangely absent, even when they were there, and I'm left with no solid impression of them.

There's the school hottie. Nick foreshadows within paragraphs of introducing her that he thought he'd fall for her, but not so much. She exists to flirt with him and bring about the wrath of her football player on and off again boyfriend. Standard issue. Lastly, there's a friend of the football player who had potential to be interesting, but there wasn't enough time.

I suppose I felt that the relationships in the book were important, could have been powerhouse, but needed a little bit to flesh them out and make me care that extra bit.

Writing Style: 4 Stars

The dialogue did the job and some passages were particularly good. There were moments in the beginning when I felt the descriptions were too predictable, but that clearly got better, and might have been because our narrator, Nick, wasn't familiar with the haunted house genre until Sarah lent him some books! (Did I mention that I love Sarah?) Solid mechanics.

Editing:

I only noticed a few small things, but not enough to be a real distraction.

Review originally published at Red Adept Reviews.

I purchased The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale, by Christina Bell, from Amazon. The premise sounded great and I???ve been meaning to read steampunk. Steampunk, time travel, romance.

Overall: 4 1/2 stars.

Plot/Storyline: 4 ?? Stars

I had a really good time with this. I don???t think the description conveys how touching of a read this was ??? or how funny it was at moments. There was a lot of good story here for such a short book, though no time to delve deeply into any of it. I was content with the length, but the story, I believe, could have supported an interesting novel. Since there was a fair amount going on, the relationship had to progress fast. Still, better to write a novella that could have been a novel than a novel that wears out its welcome.

I thought the conflict here was great. Too often in books with a romantic element, the thing keeping them apart is ??? lame. Here, I really understood the dilemma. I liked the set-up quite a lot ??? not just the time travel aspect, but also how our self-assured heroine is blind-sided by something she simply didn???t foresee. (Although this is based, in part, on a rather large coincidence, I forgave.)

Part of the story involved the notorious Bedlam, and I realized I really would like to read more on the topic at some point.

Characters: 4 1/2 Stars

I really liked Stormy. She was a very strong and determined character and her voice was a strong one. The older I get, the more I love an intelligent heroine with more spice that sugar. I liked that she had a full and exciting life, a close relationship with her brother, and then the romance storyline kicks in.

I really liked the Duke of Leister as well. It can be difficult to make a hero a really good guy without making him seem weak, and the author did a nice job here. I can???t discuss the hero at greater length than that without spoilers, but his backstory touched me. Even though he was suspected of being a little crazy, there are worse guys you could bring home to mama.

While I understood Stormy???s brother ??? Bacon ??? was a secondary character, he really got short shrift and a little more with him would have been interesting. Maybe he???ll show up again somewhere down the road. Stormy and Bacon selected their own names while children. She picked hers because of a love of The Wizard of Oz. Bacon, being even younger and having known hunger, went with his love of Bacon and Frogs.

One character, Stormy???s benefactor, died before the book began, but with very few words the author conveyed beautifully how important he was to Stormy and her brother.

Writing Style: 4 3/4 Stars

Smooth prose. Nice pace. Engaging style. I will definitely read more from this author. All good things to say here. A smidge more magic, and it would have been a 5.

Review to come later.

(Originally published at Red Adept Reviews.)

Overall: 4 stars

Plot/Storyline:

I think the most important phrase in the (Amazon)description might be “literary fiction,” followed by “psychology of the protagonist.” The horror angle in the stories is almost always a metaphor for other things - loneliness, fear, isolation, regret. The word “haunting” really does double duty here. While there were chilling moments, if you're looking for escapist gore I'd suggest you take a pass. However, if you're looking for well-written fiction about what it is to be human and, oh yeah, supernatural stuff happens, then you'll probably be quite pleased.

In fact, the book description is pretty perfect.

I'm not rating characterization as a specific category since there are over a dozen stories here and too many characters to take into account as a whole, I was consistently impressed by the author's ability to make each main character unique and whole in their own right. It's very easy for an author to fall into the same voice for multiple characters, and I didn't feel like any two main characters were alike.

The Other Room: 4 1/2 stars

Hey this would be a good name for the anthology. The first good thing about this story was that it let me know I was going to enjoy this anthology. I read this out in my backyard - er, garden to the Brits - and I think I must have looked fairly slack-jawed to anyone passing by. I simply wanted to know what happened next and I was legitimately concerned for Waits, a man who finds that an adjacent hotel room leads to a different version of his life. My only issue was the ending. The author seems to like a certain ambiguity, and it often works, but I almost felt like maybe he simply didn't know how to make the power of the ending match the rest, and - more so than usual - this is really a subjective opinion, and based on my personal need for fully resolution. The same general type of ending here worked perfectly for me in another story.

Home Time: 5 stars

This is one of the stories that really gets full use out of the word “haunting.” Beautifully written, evocative, masterful. Home Time makes wonderful use of a Philip Larkin poem entitled The Explosion, and the way the author allowed the words of the poem and the words of his story to plait together was ... wow. The main character is from a down on its luck ex-mining town, but I think his point of view resonates with anyone who's entered adulthood sure, on the surface, that they've “escaped,” while secretly terrified that all roads lead back to the past. (There's a scene in a Buffy episode I'm really struggling not to reference right now.)

Some Stories for Escapists #1: The Werewolves: 4 1/4 stars

A little bit of flash. Nicely done. To quote Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein:
Larry Talbot: You don't understand. When the moon rises, I'll turn into a wolf.

Costello: Yeah ... you and about five million other guys.

First Time Buyers: 4 ?? stars

In Danse Macabre, Stephen King discusses the original Amityville Horror movie and says that perhaps the scariest part of it is not the overt supernatural stuff but how the house is ruining these people financially. He suggests that perhaps it should have been called The Horror of The Shrinking Bank Account. I believe the main characters in his story can relate the pressures of a new house, precarious employment, and a bad economy.

Schrodinger's Box: 5 stars. Not actually a horror story though. The first story where the author takes an overt philosophical turn - or at least the first time I noticed it. In Home Time, the author uses a poem that a character is reading to bring home the theme of the story. This time we have the example of Schrodinger's cat to tell the story of a woman who feels boxed in. The ending honors the story title and also provides a pitch perfect ending.

The Watchers: 4 3/4 stars

Okay, we're back to the supernatural as metaphor. The Watchers was about a lot of things, among them the nature of attraction, and – I believe - how some people lose their identity and just become a projection of what their partner needs. How a gaze can feel like an assault. The desire to be honestly seen. There were moments when the story didn't feel as tight as some of the others, but I was still engrossed.

Some Stories for Escapists #2: The Plague: 4 stars

More flash. I wondered if the writer had something more specific in mind than what I could place - if the plague was a parable for disease in general, or a specific malady. What I do know is that it was an astute exploration of the nature of denial and ostracization. (Spell check says that isn't a word, but I think it is.)

The Final Wish: 2 ?? stars

Look, a story I didn't care for! I think I understood what the author wanted and where he was going but the writing felt like a young person's experiments with writing more than a mature effort. I had to struggle to rate this one and make sure I didn't punish it for not being as good as the previous stories. I'd sensed that the author might have a tendency for florid language, but this is the first and last instance where it felt like he gave in to that tendency.

A Writer's Words: 4 stars

This story was scary for me at moments – I find few things as terrifying as the thought of the type of loss of expression that the main character, Liam, suffers, and even as a reader I felt like I was on the brink of a panic attack at moments. I felt a little differently about it at the end of the story though, as this author made me see it in a new way. I don't know if the ending was supposed to be as scary as the rest and I'm just quirky, but the ending felt like a letting go – the feeling you get when the worst happens and you're still standing. Although, it's a little unclear if Liam is still standing anywhere. Hmmm...

One nitpick: the character of Liam says that it was a Twilight Zone with the earwig eating through someone's brain – it was a Night Gallery. Of course, sometimes these errors can be deliberate and the main character was a little distressed.

Some Stories for Escapists #3: The Haunted House: 3 1/2 stars

This is a very short story with layers of meaning, where the “scary” takes back seat to the use of language to draw in a reader and make, in this case, her think. However, this one was not one of my favorites.

Red Route: 4 ?? stars

I think a lot of people will sorta figure it out, but this is still well worth the read. Nicely done.

When The Walls Bend: 4 ?? stars

In some ways, this is the most traditional, purest horror story in the collection. The author brings the same psychological angle that elevate other stories, but there's I was also genuinely frightened of the things going bump in the night and one line made me gasp. This is also another one where the author doesn't spell out everything.

The book contained an author's note at the end in which he discusses the inspirations behind the stories. I wrote the review before reading it, even though I was aware it was there, because I think a story has to stand on its own with no additional help from the author. I loved reading it afterward though, and seeing where I'd misunderstood the writer's intent - and misunderstood it. I had to smile that I'd mentioned that one of the stories reminded me of King's discussion of Amityville Horror in his Danse Macabre, and then the author cited DM as an influence for the Some Stories for Escapists flash pieces. It made me feel like a read smartypants.

Writing Style: 4 ?? stars

I think from my comments it's clear that I'm pretty pleased and pretty impressed by almost all aspects of Mr. Everington's skills. I sense he will not be the reader for everyone, probably not for the horror fan who values gore over the literary, but I see all the tools in place for someone who knows how to tell a good story.

Editing: 4 stars

Periodic issues. For instance, twice “starring” was used when “staring” was the intended word, “eek” instead of “eke” the unintentional misspelling of a character's name, or the wrong tense of a word made it through. I enjoyed this collection so very much and would have liked it even better with an extra pair of eyes making sure it was publishing ready. Perhaps it's even more important since what shines through these stories is the author's love of language.

(Originally published at Red Adept Reviews.)

Overall: 4 1/4 Stars

Plot/Storyline: 4 Stars

The story is firmly in the category of mystery cozy, meaning there???s a murder, but no overt violence and it???s meant to be a more of a simple who-dunnit/light read. I love dogs and so I occasionally like the subcategory of cozy featuring them ??? there might be more than you think.

Because I???m such a dog freak, my favorite part involved a subplot with Raine???s collie. For the rest of you, the non canine obsessed, the mystery was interesting enough and satisfying enough to keep me comfortably entertained. Nothing here will tax a reader???s brain and sometimes that???s the perfect read.

The resolution to the mystery was pretty straightforward and I imagine most readers will figure out at least a piece of it. The shorter the work, the less chance for false leads and red herrings, and that???s to be expected.

As mentioned in the description, this ties in with a book series by the author. I haven???t read the other books and still felt like I could follow along and like this stood alone. I think a reader could enjoy it as a quick one time read or the beginning of a new series to explore. My understanding is that other books in the series focus more on search and rescue. I think the writer had just the right amount of ???sell??? for her other books.

Characters: 4 1/4 stars

I liked Raine well enough, but Raine liked dogs, so that???s a no-brainer. Like Raine, I live in a small town and love dogs. I don???t think I???d be quite as calm of one of mine trotted up with a leg bone. Raine???s first interest and concern seemed to be how much this would hold up getting her kennel built, which I think would be on someone???s mind, but I???m not sure it would be the most pressing thought for a couple days. I laughed because the author actually had the character make a comment about 25% in about not really being as cavalier about it as she seems, which seems like a nice bit of awareness on the part of Raine and Raine???s Maker!

Presuming we can include dogs as characters ??? aren???t they all? ??? they were terrific. This isn???t the first mystery I???ve read with a dog trainer, and I find it funny how the heroine needs to seem good at what she does, but the plot often needs the dogs to break training.

Writing Style: 4 1/2 Stars

I keep on coming back to a word I???d already used: comfortable. I???d add to that the word ???professional.??? The writer did a solid job here and provided me with a good read.

Editing/Formatting: 4 stars

Overall, this was solid. The exception is a recurring spacing issue. Sometimes a space would be missing and sometimes there would be an extra space. The issue was particularly noticeable when periods and commas were in play. It was noticeable enough to be slightly distracting, but I don???t see it as being a deal-breaker for most readers.

(Originally published at Red Adept Reviews)

Overall: 4 1/2 Stars

Plot/Storyline: 4 1/2 Stars

This was an easy book to enjoy, with a few caveats. On the positive side, the story was funny, clever, and irreverent. I'd compare it a little to Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's Good Omens. Perhaps Christopher Moore in terms of humor as social commentary and a vehicle to skewer sacred cows. Still, I can't say the book quite matches either of these comparisons, as Mr. Hendricks seems to take it a step or two beyond.

The author seems to be willing to offend, oh, everyone if the result is a brilliant line. Nuns, hipsters, conspiracy theorists, media personalities, celebrities, charitable institutions, are just some of the targets. I don't know what Quizno's Sandwich Shop did to him or his people, but it can't have been good.

I will mention the two issues I had with the book. One was that, in the midst of this legitimately funny and clever book, on multiple occasions, really bad things happen to kids. No one is going to confuse me with the teacher from Romper Room, but even I have to say this was a buzz kill. Well, at least one of the kids, to paraphrase Monty Python, got better. Still, I really would have loved this to be toned down as it will probably be off-putting to some readers, even thick-skinned ones, and the funny gets lost.

The other issue was Satan gets sued and shows up at the trial. Much of the book is absurd, delightfully absurd, kiss reality bye-bye, and yet this was a bridge too far. Nancy Grace - yes, she's a character, and those scenes are admittedly brilliant if you've ever watched her for even five minutes - just accepts this, as does Oprah, as does the judge and the jury, and presumably most people. I enjoyed the trial, as I liked most aspects, but throw me some explanation, even an absurd one. In a book that acknowledges atheists, how? I also acknowledge there are going to be some readers who are going to be able to just go with it and are giving me the old side-eye for this paragraph.

What I'm left with though is the simple fact that I couldn't stop laughing. Every issue I had with plot and characterization is no match for how much fun I had. This is clearly not the book for everyone though.

Characters: 4 1/2 Stars

Satan, it turns out, is the beleaguered manager of hell, and he gets a lot less respect than one might expect. He can't seem to get the demons to do his will, the circles of hell aint what they used to be, and the flames need repair. Funny stuff. Later on, as he explains the whole Fallen Angel thing to a corpse, we sorta get a hint of the whole powerful, majestic, bad-ass version, which may or may not make an appearance toward the end. I liked that too, but consistent characterization, not so much. I supposed a millennia or several dealing with this stuff might break your spirit - and I think that's meant to be the point. Still, I have to say that sticking to some core traits might have been nice.

Satan's assistant was Nero. Yeah, THAT Nero. He also served as Satan's attorney and his credentials involved multiple seasons of Law and Order and some Grisham novels. I understand this based on my credentials as talent scout based on watching American Idol.

Then, we have a nun who means well, but you don't want her to pray for you. A former wrestler who is now a judge. St. Jude. Michael. All your more famous angels and demons. Charo. While Dante never appears, his spirit is definitely felt.

All the characters with any significant “screen time” have clever, zippy dialogue. I'd give you a favorite line or two, but there are too many great ones!

Writing Style: 5 Stars

While I don't agree with all of his choices, I can't deny this was pretty masterful in nearly every way. Great lines, funny and cogent rants - the author is way cooler than I will ever be. He should totally quit his day job, unless his day job is writing, because that would be the opposite of the point I'm trying to make. I'll read this author again!

(What to do with the Amazon stars when you've rated something a 4.5? Since it's my birthday today, I'm feeling generous and rounding up.)

************

From the author, Grady Hendrix:

1. How did you come up with the idea for the story?

I've had some lousy jobs before - telemarketing cheap jewelry, selling cleaning chemicals to industrial kitchens, going through the garbage of hotels to estimate how many recyclables they were throwing away - and I think that's something everyone has in common. We all spend so much time working in jobs we don't love that it sometimes feels like our lives are going to disappear in an endless round of reports, and quarterly evaluations and bathroom breaks. Then I realized: how much worse must this be if your office is actually in Hell? And how much worse must it be if you're Satan and there will be no promotions, no retirement and no way to transfer to another company? And whenever things are really bad, that's also, simultaneously, when things are really funny.

While reading, I noticed that you went some places a lot of authors wouldn't go. Did you consider pulling your punches? Or did you and was this the, scary to contemplate, tame version?

I think with comedy that second-guessing yourself is the kiss of death. That's how you wind up with “Home Improvement.” And I also think that the beauty of ebook self-publishing is that people can stop worrying about what the neighbors think of them and just let it all hang out: the good, the bad and the ugly. I'm currently co-writing a YA series for Little, Brown called The Magnolia League, so SATAN LOVES YOU is like being on vacation where I don't have to worry about what
my agent, my editor and the marketing department are going to think about what I write. There's nothing at stake here except my self-respect, and I once worked as a street performer so I don't have much self-respect anyways. That said, I did take out a long section about being trapped in an infinite Chuck E. Cheese's. Life's bad enough without having to contemplate things like that. It was just too depressing.

Favorite movie or book featuring Satan, other than your own?

I'm a big fan of the Satan you find in Jack Chick's religious tracts. The one who wears a little red suit and spends all his time trying to think up ways to screw people over the second they make the slightest misstep, and then greets them in Hell with a hearty “Haw, haw!”

What's your favorite circle of hell and why?

Personally, I love the first circle because it's just so blatantly unfair. It's reserved for dead people who aren't getting into Heaven because they never got baptized. It's not a bad place, really, but it's just sort of like Discount Heaven, like a nice hotel that has scratchy towels, no channels on TV, and cheap shampoo that never suds up. I imagine it's absolutely crammed with Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, and pretty much everyone that a 14th Century Italian would think is going to burn in Hell eternally. Which means that it's probably party central and has really great restaurants.

If Satan Loves You becomes a movie, who would you like to play the title character?

I like that Gollum guy they got for Lord of the Rings. He had really good timing.

6. Anything else you want to say?

Just that I firmly believe in giving people what they pay for. SATAN LOVES YOU is 99 cents, and I truly believe that it's worth every penny.

Review to come later.

(Originally published at Red Adept Reviews)

Overall: 4 stars

Plot/Storyline: 3 stars

Almost all the reviews I've read have been pretty negative, and so I had no idea how I would feel about the story. Some of this seems to have to do with the reviewers possibly being fans of the author, or at least knowing his name, but not particularly fans of short stories. Some of these reviewers dinged the story for not making it clear “why” the events happened, the motives of the character that set the plot on motion; I didn't think it was necessary or even expected in a story of this size. (These details can be up to the reader to supply. I don't think there are a shortage of people with motive.) What I do agree with is that, after a certain point, about mid-way, most people will know exactly how the story will end. From that moment on, the reader can only enjoy the other charms of the story, and continue on it order to confirm what he or she already knows.

No Time Left had the feel of an old Twilight Zone episode. Perhaps this is another reason why I didn't need to know the exact why - because this tradition has always played on the reader's sense that there are forces at work, agents who usually dole out some form of poetic justice - with a twist. (Sometimes the tradition is about feeding on our worst paranoid fears, but that's another topic.) I felt like Frank Becker could have walked past Rod Serling at any moment. Of course, this leads me back to how old Twilight Zone episodes also have resolutions that are obvious from a mile away.

Still, the story was pleasing to me. I think potential readers are more apt to enjoy this if they are fans of short stories. If the appeal is the author based on his longer works then there is a chance that they might be at least slightly disappointed. This is a simple story with few events and only one twist.

Characters: 4 1/2 stars

The only character who matters here is Frank Becker. Again, some might mind that we never find out more about his newest client, but I find it to be a non-issue. Baldacci presents a very interesting character study and, in few words, hints at why Becker is the way he is - not the nicest or most popular guy.

I do have to take something off since the first portion of the story is about Becker leaving nothing to chance and being brilliant, but he failed to ask questions at a key moment, failed - after we're told about his patience - to take a few minutes to make sense of things. Baldacci wanted us to see this guy as brilliant, but allowed him to miss important details. He sacrificed character for plot. This is a valid choice, but it's not one that he can make without it dinging characterization.

Writing Style: 5 stars

I found the writing to be interesting and crisp. I can see why the author is popular. I felt Mr. Baldacci told this story the best that he could, given the above issue of predictability and needed moment of character inconsistency. Within the structure and limitations of a short story, the author got across a good amount of information, both through direct exposition and implication.

Receive free copy through Amazon Vine. It was aight. For a YA set at a prep school, followed the P&P plot fairly closely. Pretty innocent/nothing graphic – some underage drinking presented as a bad thing, implication that character's passed out state could make her vulnerable.

The Sabina Kane books are my some of my favorites – it is, in fact, my favorite series. When I finished Green-Eyed Demon I was happy to see the pre-order for Violet Tendencies. It was a promised “fix.” The story concerned events referred to in Green-Eyed Demon, but not shown. Um, there's not much to it other than a brief visit with characters fans of the series have grown to like and it is very light fare. We find out how Valva and Giguhl broke up and how much damage a Vanity Demon can cause in a short period of time. If you are not a fan of the series, there wouldn't be much here for you – but why aren't you reading the series?!?! ::grin::

(Originally published at Red Adept Reviews.)

Overall: 3 1/2 stars

After reading the first story, Firmament, (3 1/4 Stars) I had somewhat lowered expectations for how well this anthology would work for me. It dealt with a family, consisting of a mother and son, who'd just lost the man of the house. For largely subjective reasons, it didn't quite scratch my story itch. The main character and her son were in mourning, but I couldn't seem to care about her. Stories of grief often don't work for me because it seems to be that there are moments in mourning when we all do some pretty standard things, and those are touchstones in stories, but I think that if anything brings out the sense of individuality, the quirks in someone's nature, it's loss. Too often writers relate the universal stuff, hoping the reader will have experienced that same moment, when what rings truest for me are the unusual choices. This was why the mother didn't work for me. The character of the son was better drawn and his grief, alone in his understanding of what death means, was so much more effective. The general skill shown by the author and worthwhile ending didn't fully redeem the story for me.

However, every single issue I had with Firmament, every perceived weakness, was reversed later on in the anthology. I felt that, based on Firmament, Mr. Napier probably wasn't going to be able to present a portrait of loss that would move me, and then be proceeded to prove me wrong in multiple stories. I didn't think his words would sing for me, only to find that Mi Casa Es Su Casa (4 Stars) read like a poem and All The Little Secrets was a gem of a story (4 3/4 Stars). “Secrets” was a character piece that worked for me much like some of the better, more personal episodes of X-Files, such as Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose. (Yes, I just went full on geek.) Sci-Fi used as a mirror and as a character study. I'd actually love to read more stories related to this one.

Taking Quinn Home (3 3/4 Stars) was a classic horror tale. It was set in modern times, but we'll all recognize the timeless themes and source of the menace. The characters were almost all quite well done and most of them behaved completely logically and believably. There was genuine menace and a wonderfully slow build-up. Yes, I'd call most of the story masterful, particularly the events leading up to all hell breaking loose. It only failed for me based on a moment when I didn't buy a character's choice, another moment where a character does something convenient to prevent plot holes, and, some fridge logic. Fridge logic is when a while after the story, or during a break, you're going about your business and then a question or flaw pops into your head. (To use an example from a movie: How did Red know what Andy did on his last night in order to narrate it, when we only see them reuniting at the very end and his last line is about having hope for the reunion?) The story was well-written enough to work at the moment, but didn't hold up under too much scrutiny. Also, during THE most tense, intense, scary scene in the story, this line happens, “...I tilted the axe's handle upward it a harp jabbing motion.” Until then, I was holding my breath, y'all.

A Collection of True Evils (3 3/4 Stars) was the second story and the tale of two men who seek out a legendarily evil book. Some really classic stuff here and some good moments, but it sputtered for me a little at the end. The characters weren't deep, but I don't think they needed to be in this case. The build-up was better than the pay-off. There is some real creepiness here though. And tattoos from hell.

The Mannerisms of Runners (3 3/4 Stars) reminded me of Stephen King's pet theme about hell being repetition as a runner repeatedly, among other things, spits out something you really don't want to spit out. Another story where character took a backseat to mood and story, but it was appropriate.

The Tour Don't Roll Through Seattle (3 Stars) was interesting but I was haunted too much by the ghost of similar stories such as Robert Bloch's That Hell Bound Train, or, even more appropriately an excellent story called Beluthahatchie by Andy Duncan. There may or may not be a cameo in it by Kurt Cobain, or a grunge guy who'd probably be flattered to be mistaken for him. Deals with the devil rarely work out well.

Riding in Trucks with Ghosts (4 1/2 Stars) is a story about loss and covers a small sliver of similar terror with Firmament, but - for my money - much more evocatively and successfully. In Firmament, the weakness was the mother character and the strength was the young boy. In “Riding” we again meet a young boy, but he becomes the main character and that makes all the difference.

Butt of The Joke (2 1/2 Stars) is perhaps the weakest selection for me. It's the story of a comedian with woman problems. There was some nice use of language and the author worked the theme like crazy, but it fell flat for me. Yes, like a joke. The strengths of the story didn't make up for the predictability. For some reason, this reminded me a little of updated Poe.

Lunatic Mile (4 Stars) is for me, hands down, the gross out story of the volume. (This family here makes The Addams Family look all snuggly.) The fact that I can say this makes for an interesting point. A lot of the stories are more along the lines of psychological horror, some are sci-fi, and some like Farewell, From The Eleventh Hole (4 stars) has a supernatural event, but was really more a piece on the nature of life and loneliness. There are some really blood-spattered moments throughout 13 Broken Nightlights, but it's not the norm.

Grave Seasons (4 Stars) had a little something in common with Lunatic Mile and a tiny bit to do with Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, maybe a little bit of Stephen King's Children of The Corn. Rather than these similarities detracting from the story, I believe Grave Seasons fit well into those traditions.

Editing: 4 Stars

As mentioned, one error took me out of the story, and there were a few mistakes here and there, but really not too bad. I'm still mighty bummed about that one sentence breaking up the drama!

(Please note that the author has contacted me to say he's corrected errors and my review refers to the original version.)

(Originally published at Red Adept Reviews.)

Overall: 5 Stars

Plot/Storyline: 4 3/4 Stars

This is very much a character piece and most of the action is internal. The story concerns a moment in Lana's life when she has to decide who she wants to be - if she wants to cling to her small town, conservative upbringing or if she wants to embrace love and passion in the city, not to mention a little ambiguity.

There are no car crashes and nothing blows up.

Characters: 5 Stars

One character was a bit of a mystery, but I get the impression that was intentional. At the heart of this story is Lana's friendship with Colin. It's one of those relationships that people wouldn't predict. Unfashionable wallflower and gay extrovert. However, the fact of their relationship and its enduring nature hints from the beginning that Lana might not be quite the church mouse that even she's convinced she is and in the story there's a solid reason, several actually, for why she's been afraid to feel or, at least, unclench. I understood and felt for Lana, and I felt as if I too was friends with Colin. And then there's Sin...

Writing Style. 4 3/4 Stars

I was entranced with the language in this story, the lovely use of Lana's relationship with her violin as a metaphor for who she was and who she wanted to be. Early on, she accepted a man's advances – “He took my violin from my submissive hands...” and then shortly after that, “As I lay there, letting him pull of my jeans, I imagined my violin on the carpet, exposed. It rested there, sweetly docile, waiting for someone to lift it, use it, and put it in its place.” The author, simply, had a wonderful, near perfect, way with words. Every once in a while a line felt awkward or not quite right, but I have to say that I was charmed and touched by Lana's story, and moved by the ending.

(Originally published at Red Adept Reviews.)Overall: 3 1/2 StarsPlot/Storyline: 3 1/2 StarsPig Man was genuinely scary at times, particularly the final scene. Some of this might be residual childhood trauma over Jodie the Pig in Amityville Horror. Of course, I read Amityville Horror probably ten times, so what does that say about me? I think though that the author also managed to portray how scary it is to be an adult at home with a young child when the house settles, let alone when there's a real threat.However, upon finishing Pig Man, readers will realize that there is a bit of a narrative cheat at work, an improbability in the storytelling. My guess is this was deliberate in order to jar the reader. It was an interesting gamble and, while I think it added to my surprise, I finished the story feeling a bit tricked.Characters: 3 1/2 StarsPig Man is told from the point of view of a mother who is home with alone with her young daughter, unless you count the dog, while her husband is away on business. Although this was a short story, and there wasn't much time to flesh out the character, I felt like I had an understanding of this woman. She seemed to be chilled by her daughter's stories about Pig Man before most people would be, but I don't think it's a spoiler to say she wasn't wrong.Writing Style: 3 1/2 StarsThe first part of the story often felt like it could have been tighter and used to ratchet up the fear more. There was a sense that everything leading up to the last scene was not the best version of the story that the author was capable of, because, as mentioned, the ending was beyond scary and a notch above the rest.What I liked a lot was the author's sly sense of humor. I heard myself laugh out of surprise twice at lines I didn't see coming and which struck me as very amusing. I loved those moments and love them in particular when used in horror to momentarily defuse tension before everything goes to heck.None of the characters in the story are named. I can see where that could work, but I kept thinking of Jim Dear and Darling from Lady and The Tramp.Editing : 3 1/2 StarsAside from the sense that there should have been more commas as a stylistic preference, there were also a few commas inarguably just missing. Formatting was a bit wonky, with a tendency for whole paragraphs at a time to right justify. There was one hodge-podge sentence – that's what I call it when an author rethinks wording, but accidentally leaves traces of the original sentence.Comment Comment Permalink

(Originally published at Red Adept Reviews.)

I obtained The Elect, by James Gilbert, through a copy submitted to Red Adept Reviews.

Overall: 3 Stars

Plot/Storyline: 4 1/4 Stars

The plot was great. The events were interesting and made for a good story, with plenty of twists and turns. Clearly, a lot of work went into creating a story that would keep the reader interested and wondering what would happen next. If I were to sit across from someone at dinner and tell them what happened, I believe your average person would enjoy hearing about it, even if there was a sense this all could have been streamlined and arranged better to give more bang for the buck.

Because there was so much going on, sometimes it felt like the author temporarily forgot about a character or a subplot. There was a nice ambition to this, but with that came a more difficult task to honor all the aspects of storytelling.
If you like a lot of conspiracies and an intricate web of deceit, you should be pleased with the plot. I know that, whatever issues I had with The Elect, I never stopped wanting to know what was going to happen next or how various issues were going to be resolved.

Characters: 2 1/2 Stars

The Elect featured a huge cast of characters. Heck, the plot demanded it. I found the characters to often be rather flat however, with a sameness of speech and personality. While the narrative offered a wide variety of motives and world views, when they spoke they meshed into one, with the talk show host turned candidate sounding like the new paper reporter who sounded like the college kid who sounded like the middle-aged guy. The female characters, almost without exception, felt even more similar to one another.

We're told the conservative radio host's wife was whip smart (with the looks of an aging supermodel) and other characters refer to her this way, and yet I never felt this was true. In addition, we're told that she is successful in her own right, but that didn't feel right either. Her husband is running for president, but she wants to keep her day job and, I suppose, moonlight as first lady. Does anyone anywhere find that feasible? The whip smart aging supermodel doesn't see the issue with this, and neither does her husband.

It seemed like various characters who should be politically savvy ... weren't. I suspect some of this is so that the author, by informing the characters, could explain how things worked to the reader. However, it just made it seem like politicians and insiders are, for the most part, idiots. Yes, yes, I know - insert your own quips.

I needed to believe that two of these characters were presidential material - either in the old-fashioned sense of intelligent and principled or in the new-fangled Cult of Personality sense. One of them was supposed to be a bit of a Rush Limbaugh or even Glenn Beck type, but I never got the impression this man could command the attention of a huge audience in the way that these people, rightly or wrongly, do or that he had the first idea about strategy or the workings of D.C. (I laughed when someone I wasn't supposed to like called him a “nitwit.” Come to think of it, this was the same guy who found the candidate's wife to be na??ve about what it takes to be first lady. Um, he might be my favorite character.) People in a militia group use the word “ain't” to show, I suppose, that they're uneducated and working class. I'm not a fan of these groups, and I was still vaguely insulted on their behalf.

Conversations often felt clich??d and repetitive. While characters, in theory, would be on different sides of an argument, their general sameness zapped all the electricity out of scenes. Potentially interesting conflicts were nipped in the bud in what seemed to me to be a need for the characters the author liked to like one another.

I simply didn't feel like I knew these people as well as I should, well enough to root for some, and root against others. I also felt like there were clear opportunities missed to make that happen.

For example, the author wrote several scenes leading up to a debate – and then chose to have the debate “off-screen.” I was disappointed because I thought it was going to be interesting and dynamic and really show the differences between arguably the two most important people in The Elect. While reading the book there were moments I wish he'd focused on, for the good of both plot and character, and others that I felt were needless or redundant. The debate wasn't covered, but we got a scene of the candidate's wife having an anemic argument with a news anchor in which she quotes Mommy Dearest - and not even the line you're probably all thinking about, so that she can be touted as being sassy.

Writing Style: 3 stars

Mr. Gilbert's writing often lacked vitality. He had a habit of not using active verbs, which might not register consciously, but tends to sap the energy from writing. Along with this, he often used passive voice. (Reviewers can get away with it, or so I tell myself.)

Sometimes sentences read as clunky and convoluted. (“Senator, the heliport is over here,” the nondescript young man standing alongside grabbed the senator by the elbow and gently led him past the photographers.) Other times, I felt the author was unsure or uncomfortable about dialogue tags - the “he said/she said” moments and these were occasionally handled awkwardly.

There was also a scene that is told from the point of view of a man driving home. In the midst of this we're told he's being followed. For a few paragraphs I wondered how he was going to deal with this until I realized the author had switched points of view for all of one paragraph and the man didn't know he was being followed.

The name Candace was used for two different wives, one in Boston and one in, oh, I think it was D.C. I had to take time to search the name, because I didn't know if this was the same woman, but Candace 1 was married to Mitch and Candace 2 was married to Alec. There were also two characters named Ed, but this was much less confusing.

On the other hand, there were moments that genuinely worked, and lines that were genuinely good, and the author juggled a lot of plot and storylines and had everything come together at the appropriate moment.

Editing: 2 1/4 stars

Honestly? Beneath professional standards. Missing commas, missing words, misspellings, grammar issues. One character was called by another character's name at one point.

When we meet the talk show host's wife, Sandy, we're given these contradictory descriptions within pages, “Now, at age forty three...” and “As she settled into her late forties...” As a woman who is months away from my forty-third birthday, I object. Mother Teresa is referred to as Mother Theresa, a character worries she is “titling at windmills.”

The book never became unreadable, due to the solid plot, but the errors were frequent enough that they took away from the quality of book and I, frankly, got tired of making note of them. Few of the mistakes were huge, but the steady stream of minor errors reduced the reading experience significantly. Most of this stuff, absolutely, should have been caught.

(Originally published at Red Adept Reviews.)

I obtained Wounded Earth, by Mary Anna Evans, from a copy sent to Red Adept Reviews.

Overall: 3 3/4 stars

Plot/Storyline: 4 Stars

I liked the idea here. It tapped into a lot of my personal fears as Babykiller's technique involved eco-terrorism and harming endangered animals. Perhaps the saddest scene for me was when a pilot had to contemplate the fact that without his knowledge he'd been made to do harm while crop dusting. That the deer drinking from the river, the herons eating fish, might be ingesting toxins. Even though the book takes place in 1995, it called up memories of the Gulf Coast Spill, and how many innocent animals would die simply because humans keep screwing up. For the people less tree huggy than myself, there was also the threat of things not working out to well for people either.

Characters: 4 stars

Larabeth was a terrific character. Smart. Strong. From the second she even suspected there might be a threat, she sought out help. Now, by Literary Law, local police are useless, but J.D. - a private detective she knew - was her first call. I love that we're told she's smart and logical and then she goes ahead and does smart and logical things. Early on, after Babykiller calls her for perhaps the second time she said to him, “If you're threatening me, it won't work,” ... “I may have been careless in the past, but no more. If you know so much about me, you know I can afford a security system, a gun, even a personal body guard, if that's what it takes.”

I love that. She does make mistakes, but she makes reasonable mistakes. Even some of her actions that backfired were logical given what she knew. When she was careless, she was careless in a way that most people could understand - in defense of people she cared about.

Babykiller didn't work for me at quite the same level. He was so powerful and the cards were so stacked in his favor, even with Larabeth's advantages, that it seemed too much. He wasn't clever as much as well-connected. It was simply too much like he was waving a magic wand and never breaking a sweat rather than a Hannibal Lecter level villain. I felt he needed to be charismatic or really creepy in his conversations with Larabeth, but while his words were vile they were never clever. Some of his actions and threats interested me, but he did not.

Another character, Cynthia, was quite interesting and could carry her own book easily. J.D, the private detective, never gelled as a complete character for me, but I can't say why. I guess it's enough that Larabeth liked him.

Writing Style: 3 1/2 Stars

I'm a fan of the author. I'd read a mini anthology by her called Offerings that pretty much knocked me on my derriere. I have to say that Wounded Earth did not quite meet my expectations based on that previous effort, but much of what I'd enjoyed before was present. I think of Mary Anna as a very smart writer and this book didn't disappoint in that respect, but I kept thinking Wounded Earth should have been tighter. The story has a lot of things happening, and at least one major subplot, and yet it still felt like the pace of the first 50% or so was slow and that there was a little too much repetition. The nature of the story made me want a roller coaster ride, but things unfolding too leisurely for those thrills and chills to kick in until the book was over half over. This slower pace, however, worked beautifully for her in Offerings.

However, individual scenes were excellent, particularly the scenes in which Babykiller arranges for something truly vile to happen.

There was also a moment when the author really stepped into the narrative. The book took place in 1995 and the narrative voice sounded like the story was concurrent with that time. At about the 67% mark and at a crucial point, the tone changed for a couple paragraphs for, there's no other way to say it, the author to step in and remind us specifically that it's 1995 and explain why the thing that was about to happen (a tech snafu) would not occur today. I suppose it felt important to do this, but it was momentarily jarring and not necessary if the reader had been paying any attention.

Editing: 3 1/2 Stars

There was a sporadic formatting glitch that involved a couple paragraphs in a row to have a right justification. Beyond that, Glinda from The Wizard of Oz got called Glenda. There was sprinkling of typos and combined words. A minor character's last name changed. A store's name changed from The Spy Stop to The Spy Place within a couple paragraphs. The errors, while not completely over the top, were enough to alter the reading experience.

(Originally published at Red Adept Reviews.)

Overall: 5 stars.

Plot/Storyline: 5 stars. I was pulled in from the description, which made me purchase it, to the actual execution of the story. There was a lot of suspense here and I had a strong desire to read on and find out what was going to happen next. I felt like I was in the hands of an expert writer who knew his genre. There was all the built-in dread that I could hope for.

A portion of the story is told from the point of view of an author who was a part of these events and who is looking back at it at a distance of twenty years, telling it to an audience as if it's fiction. The events he remembers are current, with mentions of Red Bull and Vodka and the Jodie Foster movie Panic Room as a movie that is not too far in the past for them. Since the author is looking back on this twenty years from now, it's good to know that writers will still be of interest and in demand. This is a promise, right?

Characters: 5 Well-drawn recognizable characters here. The guy who dreams of better things, and who looks at his friends with a barely concealed sense of superiority, the opportunist with questionable morals and get-rich-quick schemes who is destined to fail, the long-time customers of a bar, drinking their drinks and measuring their lives by empty beer bottles and puffs of cigarettes. I felt like I not only knew these types, but also these particular people.

Writing Style: 5 stars. The descriptions and dialogue were so well done that I felt like I was there, a part of the author's world, unable to look away. I was enthusiastic from blurb, and it was great that the actual writing allowed the interesting story to be brought to life and handled expertly.

I had a really interactive experience due to the writing. I wondered what was going to happen. I tried to figure it out. I looked at certain lines and wondered if they were foreshadowing or contained clues. Sometimes I could tell something was a clue and that I tried to decipher the clue. All the time Mr. Menapace doled out just enough to keep me eagerly reading.

Mr. Menapace also wrote this with a great awareness and a sly sense of humor. He switched between first person and third person and I thought, “oh, that's a risky thing to do,” later in the story his author character commented, “It's a risky technique - switching perspective back and forth like that - but if you're careful, it can be a nifty took in the toolbox.” This was not the only time that the author character, talking to people in an auditorium, talks to the reader as well. I'd say more about this aspect, but would prefer readers to discover exactly how it pans out without my spoiling it.

The author sets up the concept of there being something scary behind a locked door, and that's a classic. Stephen King wrote many years ago about how a reader's imagination is bigger than anything an author can produce. When the Bad Thing shows up there is usually a letdown, or at least a release of tension, because the reality, the tangible monster, can never match what the reader - or viewer, in the case of movies - had conjured up in his or her imagination. This story has a door, and the author knows the nature of the story needs the door to be opened and for the characters and the reader to enter in and see what's beyond the door, and in doing so he risks disappointing the reader in the way King wrote about. Whether or not he succeeds is for the reader to decide, but I think he got away with it by focusing on the nature of dread, which is in anticipation, and the idea that any dread the reader felt waiting for the door to open is but a fraction of what someone would feel if they waited decades for the other shoe to drop after surviving the thing in the room.

This is a story meant for people who not only enjoy horror, but who appreciate writing as a craft. Yeah, I liked it a whole lot.

Editing: 5 stars. He left the first “t” out of Fred Flintstone. Inexcusable. Pistols at dawn.

(Added: Red Adept Winner in Horror, 2011)

(Received a copy from Amazon Vine.)

(Copy received from Amazon Vine)

Lots of factoids.