KILLING the WITCHES

KILLING the WITCHES

The Horror of Salem

Massachusetts

BILL O'REILLY

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Born and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts, one of my high school's excursions was to visit Salem as part of our history class. Reading KILLING THE WITCHES brought alive that trip and the memories embedded in my brain.

The Puritan witch hunts stained the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the original colonialists. This story-telling book details how they started and ended, naming the culprits and victims.

Also, at the time, many cities in the rest of the world had the same problem. They hung or burned people to death for what they considered witchcraft.

In KILLING, it is noted how those witch trials and killings produced part of the Bill of Rights attached to The US Constitution. This process included debates about church and state function in government by people whose names you should know.

This discourse and the effect on the development of the United States would not have happened if it were not for the KILLING of WITCHES. Well-written book for the Inquisitive Mind.

 

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4f4FwjC

HOLA ALIBI

ALOHA ALIBI

Charlotte Gibson Mysteries

JASMINE WEBB

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Charlotte, known as Charlie to her friends, leaves the mainland because of a life-saving event—hers. She returns to Maui, Hawaii, USA, to hide from the mob.

Desperate for money, Charlie embarks on a quest to find a killer with the help of unlikely new friends—two elderly women with unique talents. The women are competing with Charlie for a significant award. 

During some crazy events that land Charlie in the hospital, she meets Jake, a young, good-looking detective. She has the knack and the tenacity to investigate and does not listen to his pleas to stay out of police business.

As in many of these cozy mysteries, Charlie and her friends do not comply with the police and find what they are looking for, with another hospital ending.

A Good read for a series, Book 1.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4dFhMl1

The Body: A Guide for Occupants

THE BODY

A Guide for Occupants

Bill Bryson

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

"Exercise regularly, Eat sensibly, Die anyway." ---Anonymous writes Mr. Bryson at the beginning of the last chapter. Each chapter has a poignant lead-in before he tells the reader a witty, informative explanation of the body in layperson's terms.

You name a part of the body inside and it's external affects, from head to toe, and Bryson mentions it. Sometimes, he uses humor to explain serious problems the body goes through but gives the straight poop on the function and what the results could be.

The research he put into this endeavor will keep the reader wanting to know more about a disease, an organ, or how the medical profession evolved to deal with an abnormality. The book is a must-read, honest guide for the body's occupants.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4dCk1FE

 

Review of MEG

MEG

Coffee & Dessert

in Key West Series

Book 1

JAN ROMES

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Romance is in the air, but not for Meg Matheson, who is thirty-five and works as a professional in a law office. Her boss directs her toward a matchmaker at a coffee shop owner named Riley.

Meg finds a new life because of circumstances at the office. She goes with the flow, which leads her to evaluate her current state—finding love in the wrong places.

The conversations between Meg and her girlfriend Kris are the fun part of Jan Romes's Hallmark-story-type romance, which ends with a kiss. The reader will laugh throughout and be satisfied, having purchased this novel.

 

Purchase: https://amzn.to/3BbpQwe

Review of CHARMING CHAPTER

CHARMING CHAPTER:

A Later-in-Life Just Kisses Romance

LORI HAAS

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

I read so few books as quickly as this lovely romance, which is what they call in the trade "A Chic Book." It is a fast-moving love story about a sixty-year-old named Laura, who retakes a chance on life after joining Babes Book Club.

Club members pressure her to enjoy life after the death of her husband, which kept her in a rut for several years. She travels to England to inquire about her family ancestry.

While pet sitting, yes, pet sitting, she meets a man. And everyone who reads a romance novel knows what is coming.

However, the obvious is not in Laura's cards. That adventure is worth reading this well-put-together short novel.

 

Purchase: https://amzn.to/3XFSb6H

Review of HIGH NOON

HIGH NOON

A Brookhaven Cozy

Mystery Book 1

S.E. BIGLOW

Review by Author Roy Murry

In this paranormal mystery, a woman, Darcy, a chameleon, and a ghost acquire magical powers. Many other witchy characters live in the American town; Darcy, an Englishman, moves there to develop her skills.

A newcomer arrives and becomes friends with Darcy and her apothecary boss, Sage. Unfortunately, the new arrival is found dead in the trunk of the car Darcy is driving.

With the help of her colorful witch friends, Darcy goes sleuthing against the Shariff's wishes. The twists and turns, combined with her new-found witchcraft, bring this mystery to a near-deadly ending.

The writing is crisp, and the well-developed characters will pull the reader into book 2 of this series.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4d26J5c

Review of SCHOLARSHIP GIRL

SCHOLARSHIP GIRL

Shadow Academy

KAT COTTON

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Cherry has unusual powers to develop as a paranormal. She can hide in a room full of people and has unused strengths.

She and a scholarship group of vampire-killing characters (Witches, faes, werewolves, and others) are protecting an elite academy. Their amusing behaviors make for enjoyable reading, which includes a love-hate relationship between Cherry and Ren.

Overall, this first in a series of young adult novels includes everything needed to keep the reader wanting more. KAT's writing does an excellent job of bringing it together with some errors.

This story ends with a big bang, and a young adult will read more; the older adult will not. It was fun as it lasted.

 

Purchase: https://amzn.to/3zikqyR