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book reviews, novel

Review of Ghost of a Chance by Jaye Marie

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OVERVIEW.

A gripping story. I read it in one day of continuous reading.

STORY

This is the 4th book in the DI Snow series. I haven’t read the others yet, but it is perfectly readable as a standalone novel.

DI David Snow was seriously injured in a previous encounter and has been officially retired from the police. He is wrestling with the breakdown of his marriage at the same time.

He goes to the police station to try to convince them that he is still able to do his job. While there, he sees a young woman bringing in an elderly woman in great distress. He goes to help. No one knows who the elderly woman is, and she has amnesia. The girl had found her in a state of stress and wants to help.

DI Snow decides to help find out who the woman is, and why she is upset. This leads him into an investigation involving murder and ghostly happenings.

BLURB

A damaged detective, out of a job

A relationship on the rocks
What does the future hold for David Snow?
Just when he thought life couldn’t get any worse
A ghost with a grudge adds to his pain
A ghost hell bent on stopping him from rebuilding his life…

CHARACTERS 

All the characters in this novel are believable. They all have problems and faults as well as their good points..

David Snow is wrestling with depression after losing his wife and his job. He finds some relief in investigating the mystery woman.

David’s wife, Jane, has had a string of affairs after the breakup. Not all were satisfactory, especially one. She regrets this, but cannot find the strength to stop.

Laurie, the girl who brought the old woman to the police station, has her own problems. After a difficult childhood and adolescence, she finds it difficult to settle to anything. She has enrolled at University, and is determined to graduate, but finds the commitment difficult, as well as commitment to another human being.

Alan Turner is a person who was jealous of David Snow’s success. He is a thoroughly nasty person who plots Snow’s downfall, wanting his job. He has few positive traits. I disliked him all the way through. (Which I suspect I was intended to.)

WRITING.

Jaye Marie has created an exciting and enthralling story. The writing is good and there are very few typos.

She manages to build up the tension well, creating an unputdownable book. 

The story is told mainly in third person past tense, but David Snow’s chapters are in first person. This, I think, brings us closer to him and his problems. I like the idea.

I give it 5*

  My ranking of books. In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

book reviews, novel

Review of Someone Close to Home by Alex Craigie

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Blurb

Talented pianist Megan Youngblood has it all – fame, fortune and Gideon.

But Gideon isn’t good enough for Megan’s ambitious, manipulative mother, whose meddling has devastating repercussions for Megan and for those close to her.

Now, trapped inside her own body, she is unable to communicate her needs or fears as she faces institutional neglect in an inadequate care home.

And she faces Annie. Sadistic Annie who has reason to hate her. Damaged Annie who shouldn’t work with vulnerable people.

Just how far will Annie go?

‘Someone Close To Home’ is a story of love, malice and deadly menace.

Overview

This is a gripping book. I couldn’t put it down, and when I had to, I was anxious to return to it.

Story

Megan Youngblood is an only child in a disfunctional family. Her parents don’t get on and she spends much time looking forward to visits to her loving grandparents from both sides.

When one of her grandparents gives her a piano, she finds she has a talent, and devotes much time to music. Then her beloved grandparents die and she feels bereft. Crying at the end of her garden, she meets a sympathetic boy of her own age. They strike up a friendship.

Her mother is a snobbish and manipulative person who takes over Megan’s life, organising her appearances as a child prodigy, playing the piano at concert venues, around the country at first, then worldwide.

Her friendship with Gideon develops into love, but when a famous actor shows an interest in her, her mother begins her machinations once more.

The story is told in a series of flashbacks from Megan, who is in a care home after a severe stroke that leaves her unable to move or speak. 

Characters.

Megan is a young girl at the beginning of the book. She is eager to do what her mother wishes. Her friendship with Gideon helps her to overcome her timidity.

In spite of this, as soon as she sits in front of a piano, all her fears disappear. She becomes a famous concert pianist.

Throughout the book, she develops into a more confident person.

Gideon is a kind, likeable young man. I was rooting for him to win Megan’s love.

Megan’s mother is a snobbish, manipulating woman. Selfish on the extreme, she looks on Megan as a means to boost her own influence.

The staff at the care home vary from caring, efficient to downright cruel. One member of staff in particular, Annie, Megan particularly fears, but we don’t find out the reasons until near the end of the book.

There are other characters whom I don’t want to incude here as commenting on their character would be something of a spoiler.

Writing.

I cannot fault Ms Craigie’s writing. It is very readable and she immerses us in the scenes extremely well. I can visualise the places quite easily, like the yew tree outside the window in the care home that Megan spends much time watching. And all the screws, drawers, tiles etc. that she spends endless hours counting.

The novel is told in first person present throughout, with flashbacks as an immobile Megan remembers her past life. 

I think it might have been an idea to put the flashbacks in the past tense to distinguish them from the current time. It didn’t confuse me, but it would help to distinguish the two timeframes.

I give this novel 5*

     My ranking of books. In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

book reviews, novel

Review of A Mersey Killing by Brian Porter.

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Overview

A gripping tale of murder and mystery.

Story.

A skeleton turns up in a disused wharf in Liverpool as it is being renovated. Closer examination reveals it to be that of a young man of around twenty years of age. He had been brutally murdered.

These findings bring to light a missing young woman. Both young people had been reported missing in 1966, thirty years prior to the setting of the story.It is up to Inspector Andy Ross and his assistant, Sergeant Izzy Drake to discover what had happened and to find the murderer.

Parts of the story are told in flashback to 1966, and tell how a moderately successful young band is trying to make it in the growing pop industry of the time. Brendan, Mickey, Ronnie and Phil have a following in Liverpool, but struggle to make their success national.

Characters.

The individual traits of the characters are not so important in a story like this as it’s not primarily about them. However, I did find Inspector Ross a sympathetic character, similarly Izzy Drake.

Mickey and Ronnie’s father is a thoroughly unpleasant man. He is well drawn, and I dislike him intensely.

Their mother is a quiet woman, pleasant, but unwilling to stand up to her overbearing husband. Mickey and Ronnie I didn’t find quite so clearly portrayed.

Writing

Mr Porter has shown us the pop scene in Liverpool in the 60s very clearly. The young people are obsessed with music. All are working class youngsters who hope to improve their lot.

He has done much research about police procedures and we can easily follow the way the police go about their job with a seemingly impossible task.

While not being bad writing, there are a few things that I found a little annoying. The overuse of the word ‘just’, for example, and repetition of words in close proximity.

I give the book 4* because of the gripping story line.

My ranking of books.

In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

book reviews

Review of Sophie and Candy by Brian L Porter

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Blurb

Before Brian L. Porter met his wife Juliet, and they embarked on their lives as dog rescuers, he adopted two beautiful dachshunds who shared his life as his constant companions.

This is their story. SOPHIE AND CANDY – A TALE OF TWO DACHSHUNDS tells how their lives had such an impact on the author that he discovered how the love of dogs can teach us, as human beings, to love and be loved, unconditionally.

There’s laughter and tears, love and loss in this story. Taking the reader back in time almost thirty years to a previous period in Brian’s life, it’s a fascinating and beautifully illustrated insight into the beginning of a life devoted to the love of dogs. Sophie and Candy were two very special dachshunds who left Brian with a lasting legacy of love.

My Review

Sophie and Candy by Brian L Porter is book 10 of Mr Porter’s tales of the dogs he and his wife, Juliette have rescued. In some ways it should really be the first as Sophie and Candy were the dogs that kick started the Porters into their dog rescuing.

It is a lovely, heart-warming story of the love between a human family and two very special little dogs.

It all started when, as often happens, Mr Porter’s son asked for a dog. They found these little beauties whose current owner could no longer look after them and didn’t want them split up.

The dogs helped Mr Porter through a variety of life traumas, including the death of his mother, whom the dogs loved as much as she loved them.

The book contains many lovely photographs as well as the beautiful story.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Well worth spending a few hours reading. It is an easy read.

Only one criticism. There are a number of word repetitions in close proximity, but that is no major problem.

I give it 5*

My ranking of books. In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria.

This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

book reviews, fantasy, novel

Review of A Door into Evermoor by Kent Wayne.

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Overview

This book is billed as a YA book. Much of the story is an ideal YA book, but I think that Mr Waybe puts a little too much philosophy in for that age group. I could see many, if not most young people skipping those bits, although I, personally, found them interesting.

Story

A young man, by the name of Jon Dough, who is starting out on his career wonders how his life will turn out. He does not relish the usual 9-5 dreary office job, marriage, kids, divorce etc so he goes to enlist in the army. There he meets a man called Atraya. (If you’ve read Mr Wayne’s Echo books you’ll recognise him.) Atraya gets him to sign a very vague contract.Jon begins to see ‘visions’ of another world in every door and window. This world could easily be straight out of a Dungeons and Dragons scenario. Eventually, Jon, wandering in a forest, sees a door appear in a tree. He enters and finds himself in the world of Evermoor.Knowing nothing about this world he is lucky to meet someone who will help him, and is dragged into the problems facing the land of Evermoor.

This is a fairly standard Fantasy story–young person finds themselves in another world where there is someone who is ruling with cruelty and s/he has to help overcome the situation and defeat the tyrant. However, this is done well, and it does not seem like a cliche.

Characters

The character of Jon is like a typical young man in his late teens. He is well-drawn and likeable. He does not really know who he is, but he does know that he doesn’t want to live the life he foresees.

Mr Wayne does a good job of making him naive and a little clueless, but I did think he learnt to use weapons rather easily.

Erany is a half elf princess. She is Jon’s love interest. He is a little clumsy around her because of his attraction. She is confident and knows her way around this strange new world. I found myself growing to like her more as I continued to read.

The other players all have different characters and skills. I found myself liking them in spite of some negative characteristics. But that is what makes them real. They don’t all get on well.

Writing

The difference between the two worlds is vividly drawn. The action scenes are exciting, and there is one surprise that I enjoyed, but I won’t say what it is except that it is to do with the identity of one character.

Grammar and punctuation are good.

I give it 4*.

My ranking of books.

In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

book reviews, novel, stories

Review of The Day of the Vikings by J.F.Penn. A Novella

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Overview.

An exciting read. I read it in one session.

Story.

Morgan works for ARCANE, an organisation that is more than it seems. She is sent to the British Museum to investigate the staff of Skara Brae. It is a small staff believed to be able to summon Ragnarok, the Viking Apocalypse.

While in the museum, a group of neo-Vikings arrives with a group being shown the Viking collection. When the staff is not there, their leader, an ancient woman, apparently summons the bones of the dead to rise up. The group then takes the visitors as hostages before escaping via a helicopter.

This leads Morgan, following the neo-Vikings, to the Isle of Iona where she finally finds the answers she seeks.

I don’t want to go into further details as I don’t want to spoil the story for you.

Blurb

She has been called many things: murderer, madwoman, monster. She will become only one thing: a god.

The Crone. A woman of legend, a creature of blood. A Valkyrie. She has tortured, murdered, maimed — performing all the rituals needed to call forth the power of Odin himself and summon Ragnarok. She just needs one more thing: the staff of Skara Brae, and her plans will be fulfilled.

But the staff is already in the hands of Morgan Sierra. An agent of ARKANE, the British agency tasked with protecting the world from supernatural crises, Morgan knows that giving up the staff could spell the end of all things.

Now the Crone has taken dozens of staff members, visitors — even children — hostage at the British Museum, demanding that Morgan turn over the staff. Willing to kill, possessor of powers beyond anything ARKANE has yet encountered, the Crone seems unstoppable.

Morgan’s only advantages are her wit, her skill… and Blake Daniel (of the best-selling Brooke and Daniel crime thriller series). Cursed with clairvoyance, Blake’s powers may be just enough to help Morgan turn back the Crone and stop the end of the world.

But the Crone has her own secrets. Able to weave illusions, to wield fear, even to call forth the dead Vikings of old. She is the most powerful adversary Morgan has ever faced. But will she be the last?

The Crone beckons. Ragnarok looms. And it is up to Morgan and Blake to deny them both.

Day of the Vikings is the fifth thrilling story in the bestselling ARKANE series by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J.F. Penn, with an epic crossover to the Brooke and Daniel stories. Tap the link, get your copy, and discover why so many readers love the ARKANE.

Characters.

The main character, Morgan, is fully relatable. She is enthusiastic about her work.

I liked the character of Blake, who is clairvoyant, and can ‘read’ objects. He is a great help to Morgan in finding more about the staff. I discovered he appears in another series by Ms Penn, and so I am going to read those books, too.

Writing.

An excellently written book. Although short, I don’t think that was a problem. In fact, it might even be an advantage as you don’t need to put it down, but can finish it on one session.

The story grips you throughout and thanks to the excellent scene setting, you can see the surroundings and action.

There were no typos or other errors that I noticed.

I give this novella 5*.

Have you read this book, or any of J.F Penn’s other work? While I have read much writing help by Ms Penn, this is the first book of her’s I’ve read, but I will certainly be giving others priority to read. Let us know in the comments.

If you would like to receive an exclusive, free short story by me, called The Haunted Table, simply click the link. This will take you to the page where you can download it.

Maria and Tom have bought an antique table for the old cottage they have bought. When they hear strange noises in the night that sound like crying, they worry their house is haunted, but the sounds seem to come from the table.

They set about trying to find what is causing the disturbances. The answer is stranger than either of them had thought.

(Clicking the link will add your email address to my email list, but don’t worry, you can unsubscribe immediately if you wish. Nor will you get any spam. I only send out an email each quarter, or if I have any exciting news–like a new release.)

book reviews, novel

Review of Nebula by Robert Scanlon

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Overview

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. 

In all honesty, I wish I’d read Book 1, Constellation, before reading this, as it’s the second book in the trilogy. Having said that, it is possible to read this without reading book 1 because Mr Scanlon skillfully fills in the gaps during the story without making it seem like an infodump.

The story is told in first person present tense. Not my favourite tense to read, but I got used to it as the story progressed. It seems to be the current fashion.

Story.

India Jackson is, for want of a better word, a Space Pirate. She is recruited to find out what Oberon, the leader of a different sector, is planning in order to capture Constellation, a ship that India secured for her sector. (Book 1)

A Space Station is destroyed, and India is accused of the deed. She flees with her crew to unsavoury parts of the galaxy in order to find out more, but with a price on her head, and possible traitors, it’s difficult for her.

I cannot say more without spoilers.

Blurb

Indy Jackson has had enough of war politics. After beating rival space fleets into submission and reclaiming a fabled battlecruiser, she refuses to kowtow to the derisive attacks from the military. But when an anonymous terror attack destroys a key space station command, she’s thrust into a power play that could be terminal.

She brought parts of the galaxy to their knees. Now one mouthy space pirate has become prey…

Forced on the run and accused of the horror assault that claimed thousands of lives, Indy ventures into lawless territory to find answers. But instead of gathering support, her reputation threatens to send her to the grave.

Can this fish-out-of-water and her ragtag crew save the entire sector from annihilation?

Nebula is the intense second book in the Blood Empire space opera series. If you like driven heroines, interstellar standoffs, and underhand political motives, then you’ll love Robert Scanlon’s intergalactic adventure.

Characters.

The book is told from Indy’s POV as it’s in 1st person, so we know her better than anyone else. She is a complex character, and can be unpredictable. Although she doesn’t mind breaking the law, she does have a strong moral sense and guilt feelings for people who die in her service, or because of her plans.

I think many people will know someone like Indy in their complexity. I certainly felt with her, and liked her.

Other characters are less well developed.

Writing

I have no complaints about the writing. 

Mr Scanlon does well in making us feel the dangers and excitement of space. Near the beginning, Indy performs a dangerous manoeuvre while escaping that we can almost feel.

His descriptions of the places visited are clear and we can easily visualise them.

Grammar is good. No typos that I spotted.

If you are a fan of Space Opera, then I suggest you read this book.

I give it 5*

My ranking of books. In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

Do you enjoy Space Opera stories? Have you read Nebula, or its earlier book, Constellation? What did you think of them? Let us know in the comments.

book reviews, novel

A Review of The Misery House by David Kummer

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Overview.

I wish I hadn’t read this book yet. It is the first part of a trilogy and I can’t wait for the other books to come out. I am captivated by the story, and chilled at the same time.

Story.

I am finding it difficult to summarise the story without spoilers.

There is an abandoned house on a hill just outside the town of New Haven. There is something frightening about it, and no one goes there.

The Woods family farms just outside the town, and their son, Nate, is on the baseball team. When a new family arrives, the son also joins the team, but there is something the other boys find odd. 

Then a shop burns down with the owner and his son inside. The sheriff immediately suspects the newcomers, even though they were all at the baseball game. 

On a bicycle ride near the house, Naomi Woods and her son, Nate, see mysterious lights and are chased by a strange animal.

When Kaia Woods’ best friend disappears, things come to a head. 

I’m saying no more.

Characters.

Mr Kummer has given us a variety of characters, each one different.

Cliff Woods, the father of Kaia and Nate, wants to farm his land in peace and do the best he can for his family. He does not always make the correct decisions, though.

Naomi is a sensible woman. She tries to do the right thing, and she stands up for the new family. But she is afraid of the house because of something that happened to her when she was foolhardy enough to go into it.

The sheriff is a prejudiced man who is suspicious of anything new.

Kaia cares for her friend who has married a strange young man, but she is impulsive.

Nate is a typical young boy who would rather play on his x-box when not playing or practising baseball.

On the whole, the characters are believable with flaws we can all relate to.

Writing

Mr Kummer builds the tension excellently. I felt quite afraid in the parts where the house was involved.

The story is written from multiple points of view. Each point of view has its own chapter. When we are with a member of the Woods family the writing is in the first person, which is the majority of the book, there are chapters which don’t involve them, and they are in third person.

I did not find this a problem as it’s made quite clear in the chapter headings.

One negative in the writing is the overuse of the word ‘just’. It appears several times on most pages and it did become a distracy, especially since in most cases it wasn’t needed.

This was not enough to reduce the rating, and I give it 5*.

My ranking of books. In order to get a particular number of stars, it is not necessary to meet all the criteria. This is a guide only.

5* Exceptional. Wonderful story. Setting well drawn, and characters believable–not perfect, but with flaws. Will keep you up all night. No typos or grammatical errors.

4* A thoroughly enjoyable read. Great and original story. Believable setting and characters. Very few grammatical errors or typos.

3* I enjoyed it. Good story. Characters need some development. Some typos or grammatical errors.

2* Not for me. Story not very strong. Unbelievable and flat characters. Setting not clearly defined. Many typos or grammatical errors.

1* I hated it. Story almost non-existent. Setting poor. Possibly couldn’t finish it.

Would you like a free short story?

If you would like to receive an exclusive, free short story by me, called The Haunted Table, simply click the link. This will take you to the page where you can download it.

Maria and Tom have bought an antique table for the old cottage they bought. On hearing strange noises in the night that sound like crying, they worry their house is haunted, but the sounds seem to come from the table.

They set about trying to find what is causing the disturbances. The answer is stranger than either of them had thought.

(Clicking the link will add your email address to my email list, but don’t worry, you can unsubscribe immediately if you wish. Nor will you get any spam. I only send out an email each quarter, or if I have any exciting news–like a new release.)

book reviews, fantasy

Do I Need to Use a Dragon by Charles Yallowitz (Book Review)

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I can’t use my usual format for reviews as this is a non-fiction book, and obviously, things like Story and Characters don’t fit.

Charles Yallowitz has written a book to help would-be fantasy writers to write an exciting and well-written fantasy book. It would be useful for any would-be writer, though, and even for those a bit more experienced. I certainly learned from it.

Mr Yallowitz has an easy-to-read style. You can almost imagine he is sitting across from you on your sofa and chatting about writing a book. I loved this. He is not putting himself across as the definitive expert who is telling you exactly what to do to write your book, but frequently says that this is what worked for him.

The excerpts from his books that he uses to illustrate his points are definitely helpful. 

I love the cover with the illustration of a little dragon-type creature, Fizzle, that he developed for his fantasy novels. There are many illustrations throughout the book of this endearing little creature.

The book is divided into sections such as ‘Do I Need a Prologue or Epilogue?’ and ‘What Tense Should I Use?’ There are many other sections such as World building, The Quest,  Characters, and many other sections.

But it’s not all about writing fantasy. Many of the things Mr Yallowitz talks about are pertinent to all fiction. Such as endings, character biographies, plotting vs pantsing (writing without a plot, or ‘flying by the seat of your pants’), juggling multiple protagonists and many more things.

I enjoyed reading the book. It is accessible to all. Definitely one you should read if you want to write fantasy, and you will find it helpful for any genre.

I give it 5* 

Have you read this book? If so, what do you think? Please add comments to the comments box.

book reviews, short story, stories

Life, Death and Other Characters. Geoff Le Pard

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb

What would you do if you were to host a dinner party and the sky wasn’t what you’d ordered? Could you find someone to shake out the creases from the clouds and tone down the wind to an acceptable zephyr? And what are the challenges facing a Portal Management Volunteer as they steer the recently departed to their chosen Hereafter? Or how would you organise your life if you were called to do God service just when you’d planned on making marmalade that weekend? Life, DEATH and Other Characters will inform and, where necessary, guide you through these and other complications amongst a lot of other short fiction that will educate inform and entertain. Well, maybe one out of three.

Review

As this is a book of short stories, my usual review is not applicable.

Geoff Le Pard has written a book of short stories that are not to be missed. Whoever you are, there is something for you here. I am not usually one for short stories, but I loved this.
There is such a variety of stories here. Some are irreverent, with tales of problems that God has; some are lough out loud funny; some are short; some are longer; some have deeper meanings for those who wish to search for them.
I love the tales where Death (or De’Ath as he has decided to call himself) is a character, but I can’t say I have a favourite story. They are all my favourites.
It is an easy read for when you have only a few minutes and don’t want to plough through a chapter of a full-scale novel. There will be a story that can fit into your time-scale. Or do what I did and start at the beginning and continue to the end.
Some of the stories are commentaries (disguised, of course) on modern life, and politics.
Whoever you are, I recommend this book to you.

I gave it 5*

If you enjoy short stories and would like to receive an exclusive, free short story by me, called The Haunted Table, simply click the link. This will take you to the page where you can download it.

Maria and Tom have bought an antique table for the old cottage they have bought. When they hear strange noises in the night that sound like crying, they worry their house is haunted, but the sounds seem to come from the table.

They set about trying to find what is causing the disturbances. The answer is stranger than either of them had thought.

(Clicking the link will add your email address to my email list, but don’t worry, you can unsubscribe immediately if you wish. Nor will you get any spam. I only send out an email each quarter, or if I have any exciting news–like a new release.)