A STUDY IN SCARLET

 

A STUDY IN SCARLET

 Arthur Conan Doyle

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

SCARLET is the first in the Sherlock Holmes series, where he meets Dr. Watson to become roommates in 1878. "No man burdens his mind with small matters unless he has some very good reason for doing so," Holmes answers Dr. Watson's question on deduction.

Their relationship develops between the two when a London detective arrives at the new residence, facing a quagmire of being unable to solve a crime. Watson and the detectives have cluttered minds as they watch Sherlock go about developing a resolve.

A man is found dead with no apparent wounds. When a second man, who had been in the company of the first man, is dead in another part of London, Sherlock has solved the crime and has put a trap in place because of a carriage imprint.

Every one of Sherlock's cohorts, including the reader, is oblivious to his deductions until the crime is solved and he enlightens the men with cluttered minds. How did Holmes do that? --- will be on everyone's mind.

Arthur Conan Doyle's SCARLET is a fast-paced adventure that will bring in a new reader of the adventures. Years ago, it did for me, and I've been a mystery-genre lover since.

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The BODY in the BOOKSTORE

The BODY in the

BOOKSTORE

ELLIE ALEXANDER

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

All my followers know I am a mystery nut. This cozy mystery by Ms. Alexander is one of the better ones I have read for some time.

Annie, the main character, has a college degree in snooping but works selling books because of a past event. Out of her past, at a Mystery Festival in the small town of Redwood Grove, her classmates and professor show up.

All, other than the professor, who is a Town Detective, are suspects in the murder of a classmate hidden in the bookstore vault. Annie teams up with the professor and a friend to solve the crime.

Who done it? Well, that doesn't lead to who did. However, the reader will have a choice, which is the fun part of the novel, a la the book CLUE.

Supporting characters make this a series to read.

Purchase for fun: https://amzn.to/4v4XkUJ

Since the Day We Danced

SINCE THE DAY WE DANCED

KERK MURRAY

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Emma and Luke met because of unusual circumstances and immediately liked each other. Their family problems interfere with the relationship, and they keep it a secret.

When the secret is found out, separation begins. Everyone involved believes that Emma and Luke, including his son, will not get back together.

But does love help them find a way for reunion? The twists and turns bring this novel to an end that the romance lover will enjoy.

Each chapter is one of the main characters commenting on the situation at hand. This made the novel's prose move smoothly forward with their feelings known.

'DANCED' is a good novel.

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MANUFACTURING DELUSION

MANUFACTURING

DELUSION

BUCK SEXTON

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

As you know, I'm an ex-Green Beret Operations and Intelligence Specialist (Vietnam Veteran) and a graduate of the JFK Warfare Center. I believe Mr. Sexton has described the world as it is today. Using historical data on how people react to psychological manipulation, he outlines the stepping stones to how people are swayed into a delusional mindset.

He describes how past civilizations, including current ones, often show instances where humans have bowed to a small group's ideology, resulting in nations or small groups being controlled, believing nonsense. Brainwashing and indoctrination are spread through propaganda on many levels, which the left uses constantly.

Buck Sexton's nonfiction is well written, so anyone with a cognitive mind will understand and enjoy his narrative. Those on the left of the Democratic Party in the USA, Muslim countries, and places like Iran and Cuba will condemn this book as fantasy.

Read MANUFACTURING DELUSIONS and decide for yourself.

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A HIGH PRICE TO PAY

A HIGH PRICE TO PAY

CYNTHIA HAMILTON

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Madeline (Maddie), a P.I./Party planner, is caught up in an unconventional cluster of murder and thievery. As a party planner, she is hobnobbing with the Hollywood elite by overseeing a birthday party for the unhinged wife of a famous director.

Maddie Dawkins and her partner, Mike, try to unravel the crimes using clean police procedures, while dealing with a psychopath who is possessed with Madeline. It all comes to a head in a thrilling event that will leave the reader wanting more from the series.

This is the second book in the Madeline Dawkins Mystery Series; however, an avid mystery reader like me would have figured out a key point early on. Nevertheless, all readers of mysteries will be entertained to the end of this character-driven novel.

I liked the characters and the plot, and will return to read another in this eleven-book series.

Purchase Series: https://amzn.to/4diqKb9

A Cat's Garden of Secrets

A CAT'S GARDEN OF SECRETS

JACQUELINE DIAMOND

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

"Cat's" is a quirky journey into another world adjacent to California, where the main character, nineteen-year-old Chess Vevoda, travels through fog to Loobly. This land has magick in every endeavor, where the cats talk to each other, and Chess learns this quickly.

Chess has been brought to Loobly by a self-controlling car to claim an inheritance due to her grandmother's death, but many contest it. There is a question as to how her powerful grandmother died.

With her close family and friends, Ms. Vevoda embarks on a turbulent journey to clarify the situation. Control of a library of historical importance is at the heart of the Loobly society and part of the inheritance.

The reader will enjoy the colorful circumstances of this story, which is more of a fantasy than a cozy mystery. When the epilogue begins, the mystery is solved, and the reader will be content purchasing another of Ms. Diamond's fun novels about cats.

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

HEALED BY LOVE

HEALED BY LOVE

MELISSA FOSTER

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Ms. Forster's excellent writing is a romance addict's delight. She takes two people, Jewel and Nate, and puts them in a position of mental conflict even though they had feelings for each other since childhood.

There is a rollercoaster ride of emotions with family and friends, who take the place of a psychiatrist. Everywhere Nate and Jewel go, they are reminded of their personal blockage in taking the leap of love.

When it happens, romance readers will be content and most likely buy the second book in this 'Love in Bloom' series. HEALED BY LOVE hits all the pleasures of a Book 1 in a series: multiple family characters, open doors to other romances, and the harbor setting.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4r1TGaS

THE QUEST OF COSMIC JUSTICE

THE QUEST FOR COMIC JUSTICE

THOMAS SOWELL

Review by Author Roy Murry

I have read several of Mr. Sowell's endeavors interpreting the world around us. QUEST, even though it was written in 2002, explains many of the conflicts the USA is facing today without mentioning any global event.

The author explains how Comic differs from Social and Actual Justice in decision-making by intellectuals and governments. These conflicts drive our societies forward, whether for good or bad.

Thomas Sowell delves into many areas with ease; the wording flows without getting into intellectual mumbo jumbo. The reader will understand his explanations without stretching the mind.

A book for the Inquisitive Mind.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4s62zkK

 

A BODY ON THE DOORSTEP

A BODY ON THE DOORSTEP

London Ladies Murder Club Book 1

Marty Wingate

Review by Author Roy Murry

Miss Mabel Canning, a Renaissance woman of the 1920s, has moved from her small town to London. She has taken up residence and has employment at a service agency, Useful Women.

Her first mundane job for the agency is to help at the wake of a wealthy man. She opens the front door, and a non-guest is lying dead with a letter for the widow.

What happens next is Miss Canning going from one job to another while snooping. Mable's and the other main characters are woven into an interesting mystery that leads to a sensitive conclusion.

Wingate's writing is crisp, well-developed, and flows quickly. The characters fill the bill as a Book 1 lead-in to an enjoyable historical series.

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

FACE-OFF

FACE-OFF

A Vampire Vigilante

Justice Novel

ELIZABETH MONTANO

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Vampires, faes, witches, warlocks, and demons from the underworld. Who could ask for more? No one who enjoys this genre.

I read this for my fans and was surprised to find that I enjoyed the main character, Sahara, and the storyline, unlike in other vampire novels I have read. She is a no-frills, gorgeous, kick-ass Vampire P.I, who has a human side.

There is the beginning of a love story with a male client who takes orders from Sahara like a recruit because he wants her to find the killer of his twin brother. The client has hidden talents; he and Sahara's witch friend provide helpful assistance in the search.

A serial killer is loose from the underworld. Sahara and her entourage have a plan that sends the story into a whirlwind, leading to a conclusion any reader of the Vampire Genre will love.

 Purchase: https://amzn.to/45RpcAx

 

The Irish Cottage

THE IRISH COTTAGE

Finding Elizabeth

JULIET GAUVIN

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Elizabeth, a persuasive, successful litigator's surrogate mother, dies, and Beth, as she is known, goes to Ireland to contemplate her future. She takes seven letters from that mother to read on her journey.

She meets Connor, and, with the reading of those letters and fate, their involvement rises at each level, following an instructive template of life. Each person has their psychological baggage to overcome in a love affair.

Connor's friends are amazed by his change; he has enjoyed Beth's transformation since the first day they met. Both adults mend together, physically and emotionally, to the point of saying, 'I love you.'

The ending of this journey is uplifting, leaving the reader wanting more.

Book one is an excellent hook into book two. You'll love it.

 

#purchase: https://amzn.to/4q9rgv8

LIKE BOTTLED FIRE

LIKE BOTTLED FIRE

DOMINIC PIPER

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

I enjoyed reading several of Mr. Piper's novels, and his writing kept me on the edge of my seat. This read is my first short story.

After he purchases a deadly item, the man goes to eat, flirts with his waitress, and asks her out to dinner. They go out: The food, the company, the kissing, and the guessing game culminate before dessert.

Wow, I was completely surprised by what happened next. When the end came. The outcome hoodwinked me.

The story is thrilling from his breakfast to the delicious dessert ending, with conversations that leave you wondering what will come next in their encounter.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/46jep29

 

The Body in the Closet

THE BODY IN THE CLOSET

 JINTY JAMES

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

This Pru and Pip Investigator mystery is a no-brainer. Not many characters, but they are interesting enough to carry a series.

However, the terrier is used too much for an approval act with his "Ruff." If you like dogs in a novel, you'll enjoy Teddy's antics.

 The plot is not complicated, and the investigators don't do much sleuthing. Crook is found dead in a vacant house closet, where Pru and Pip are working on their current projects.

 There are a few characters, so the reader can easily solve the mystery. "Closet" is too cozy to be called a true mystery, but it is a fun and quick read.

 Purchase: https://amzn.to/4jWrRyF

 

 

 

THE LAST QUEEN; Book One

THE LAST QUEEN

Book One of the Chronicles

of Cleopatra

G. LAWRENCE

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

This is the story of half-sisters Cleopatra and Arsinoe, princesses of Egypt, 58-57 BCA. Their conversations are recorded in a chronicle of their father's reign as Pharaoh, up to Cleopatra's accession.

The two twelve-year-olds grow up during a turbulent time of war, famine, and family disputes with their other half-sister, Berenice. The girl's words flow with flowery descriptions of Gods that determine the fate of life in general and the future.

Many events transpire that the Gods willed during their lives, according to family records. Cleo is a history buff and explains to Arsinoe what will be, after their separate mother's murder.

Love and hate drive the young ladies to take control of their own fate, leading to a somewhat peaceful existence in Alexandria on the Nile. The journey is well-chronicled.

Gemme Lawrence's prose is beautiful; however, it is hard to believe twelve-year-olds could speak so eloquently. But it is a Pharaoh's verbal history of Egypt.

Excellent read: https://amzn.to/4sNerZY

Where the Crawdads Sing

WHERE THE

CRAWDADS SING

DELA OWENS

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Kya, a six-year-old, is homeless in the marshes of North Carolina. Where her family went is described in a heartbreaking way that lingers throughout the novel.

In a descriptive, colorful prose, Ms. Owens gives the reader a journey through Kya's survival and growth in the marsh. The young girl's connection to the world around her and her ingenuity develop her into a loving, beautiful, self-educated hermit.

When the opposite sex becomes an issue, her feelings of abandonment come into play, and a relationship begins and ends. She is left again, rebounds sexually with another man, Chase, who promises the world.

This last involvement ends with his death, Kya on trial for the crime, and an unresolved situation where the town is divided. Her first love, Tate, returns.

Years pass, she dies, and, as in other parts of Kya's journey, her lover, Tate, reads a poem Kya wrote. She did what nature would have her do: protect herself.

CRAWDADS SINGS is a lovely, enjoyable, well-written novel you should not miss.

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

Brave Companions

Brave Companions: Portraits In History

David McCullough

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

This storybook is about people who bravely went where no one had gone before them. Mr. McCullough's descriptions of people and events, some of which you know, are woven into a read you will enjoy.

You do not need to be a 'History Buff' to enjoy learning how the Brooklyn Bridge's structure was devised and built by a person you may not know. Or the enormous effort of that endeavor and the construction of the Panama Canal come to life in a people profile.

Those events and others will keep the reader wanting to know the next person the author delves into and explains their position in history. This will include Theodore Roosevelt and his Badlands adventures, as well as those who brought those western experiences to life.

Whether you enjoy reading about history or not, this book is well worth the price.

 Purchase: https://amzn.to/49csdO9

 

 

 

FLAIR for FLIP - FLOPS

FLAIR for FLIP-FLOPS

A Sadie Kramer Flair Mystery

DEBORAH GARNER

Review by author Roy Murry

 

Sadie and her Yorkie, Coco, go on vacation to California. It seems like death follows Sadie and Coco wherever they go. In this cozy mystery, book five in the series, a famous person washes up on the beach dead.

Sadie, of course, cannot let it be. She needs to snoop. With Coco in a carry-on bag and a new friend, she flip-flops around, interrupting her vacation to get to the core of the death.

This novel is a fun read for the weekend. The Yorkie is part of the main show, and if you like dogs, you will enjoy Coco's part in the book.

Enjoyable fun with an unlikely ending.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/3YKr1ex

married for Christmas

married for

CHRISTMAS

Noelle Adams

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Ms. Adams writes a fine novel that portrays a love triangle among a pastor, his deceased wife, and a longtime friend. The pastor cannot let his wife's spirit go.

 Jessica, who loves Pastor Daniel, devises a plan to marry him, and he agrees. What happens next is a melodrama that the reader will enjoy.

 Jessica's and Daniel's relationship goes from hot to cold and all over the spectrum, including their sex life. Their conversations highlight the development of a somewhat Christian love affair.

Love at Christmas is Jessica's endgame. How the two get there is a fascinating journey.

'married for Christmas' is a well-written and enjoyable romantic read.

 

Purchase: https://amzn.to/3MH7Kbf

THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS

The Perfect Christmas

DEBBIE MACOMBER

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

To me, this is not the endeavor of a New York Times Best Selling Author. #1 The story is too short and predictable. #2 The premise is ridiculous.

Cassie is directed to see Simon, an expert in matchmaking. She pays Simon a year's wages for many to find her a PERFECT MATE.

She wants the impossible but finds it not with Simon's match. I don't need to say who; it's a romance novella.

There are some redeeming qualities in this novella: the characters and the story flow are well put together.

If you like Debbie's writing, this novella is for you. PERFECT did not float my boat. Lastly, I have no idea why Christmas was used as a background.

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

DEADHEAD and BURIED

DEADHEAD and BURIED

H.Y. HANNA

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Poppy, a Londoner in a dead-end job, inherits a small cottage with a large piece of land. The land is cultivated as a nursery of flowers to be sold.

Part of the will requires Poppy to take over the business; she wants to sell, but there are problems with that. She has a second cousin, who claims the inheritance should be his. Her lawyer says not to worry, there are two witnesses to the will.

While surveying the property, Poppy finds a dead body buried in flowers. Snooping begins, and one of her possibilities, because one of the will's witnesses is the dead man.

Poppy's ingenuity and sloppy sleuthing lead to a surprising ending, which is aided by a neighbor's cat. There is also another neighbor's dog, who has little play in this novel.

Ms. Hanna's fun, cozy mystery features several interesting characters who will appear in the second book in the series, and it has a readable, cohesive flow.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4rH7VmX