Review of THE HANDFASTERS

THE HANDFASTERS

HELEN SUSAN SWIFT

Review by Roy Murry, Author

Before internet search for a mate, there was the meeting someone at an event to decide whether you cared to date that person. In 1811, families of a class met and decided who would be good together and they mated.

Alison Lamont, an eighteen-year-old is sent to Edinburgh, Scotland from the country to mate with one of her classes. During this adventure, she met a man who was below her class and fell in love.

This love affair presented many problems, and she runs away, close by, with the man's help. However, was it help he was providing?

She goes on a merry-go-round with many exciting results. Will she be able to grab the golden ring and be with her love?

Alison's romantic chance turns into an experience she'll never forget nor will her family. Will she move down in the class structure for love?

This romance is an easy and pleasant read with fun story twists and turns including a sea adventure.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/35bGXZ5

Review of SHAME

SHAME

How America's Past Sins Have

Polarized Our Country

SHELBY STEELE

Review by Roy Murry, Author

Mr. Steele's raconteuring of the past sins in the USA from the 1960s to the present highlights the culture wars of Liberalism vs. Conservatism, which Liberalism won. Those wars ended with a great divide that continues today.

Referring to the manipulating of Black culture, he states, "This liberalism is invested in an overstatement of America's present sinfulness based on the nation's past sins." These confrontations cannot continue, is my understanding of his discourse.

Mr. Steele tells a few stories to make his case of this hypocrisy of the left's philosophy. One is that of Justice Clarence Thomas, who graduated from Yale Law School. Did the institution treat him as a man or as a 'black man'? 

According to Mr. Steele, the Justice's Yale diploma is not on his office wall. You decide after reading the story.

The writing was clear and precise. You don't need a college degree to understand Mr. Steele's thoughts, but you will have to be open-minded to agree or disagree with his treatise.

Good intellectual read. Purchase: https://amzn.to/3a5aIyl

Review of THE HACK

THE HACK

WILL PATCHING

Review by Roy Murry, Author

The Hack is an international crime thriller that has so many plots going at the same time the reader is kept reading at a fast pace to keep up with the characters. Hunter and Kate O'Sullivan are brought together because of a worldwide crime syndicate camouflaged as a Travel Company.

O'Sullivan, a reporter wannabe, and her brother come upon a story when he hacks the CIA's files. The story hits the presses, and all hell breaks out while Hunter is doing what he does best - killing.

This novel has all genres rolled into one - romance, thriller, cybercrime, child trafficking for sex, and an international whodunit, but the reader will know whodunit and who hacked. Will they be caught?

That is the thrill of this read. The reader is on the edge of the chair waiting for the criminals to be apprehended - the good and the bad ones.

That conclusion is wrapped up in an explosive ending the reader will remember for days. And, maybe buy the next Hunter/O'Sullivan sequel.

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Review of Dinner and a Murder

DINNER AND A MURDER

Nancy Skopin

Review by Roy Murry, Author

Nikki Hunter, P.I., goes to her High School reunion and gets invited to dinner by a classmate she has not seen in years. He requests her aid in unraveling what he says is murder, but the police report it as not - the person worked on his shift at the airport.

She looks into the case, and their world moves faster than usual with others dying.  The crimes point to one, but not all evidence fall in place.

Nikki gets help and to her credit, its needed during the investigation and in the end when this thriller peeks.  At that point in the story, the reader will believe one person did the crimes.  Then all goes into high speed to a deadly ending.

Quick read. Good series characters, and for dog lovers, some dogs help make the story a little fun.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/2VhPZiz

Review of MIND YOUR MANORS

MIND YOUR MANORS

A Flamingo Realty Mystery

CEECEE JAMES

Review by Roy Murry, Author

CEECEE is one of my go-to authors when looking for the enjoyment of a good mystery. The genre I read the most. Her endeavors keep you glued to the page - this one went by in a flash.

Stella moves back to Pennsylvania to work for her uncle's realty company; she is assigned to help sell a family manor; she finds something that should not be on the third floor. What she finds starts the thread of events that are the mystery.

The storyline is not that simple. The residents of the house are hiding something that leads Stella in a snooping direction - interviewing the town's people to get to the root of the matter.

The history of the family unfolds into a close to deadly ending - the mystery man or Stella. All the bits of information that Stella collect now made sense and the house is sold.

Stella's investigation falls into place without her trying or knowing in a pleasant read. The characters are well put together for a series. CEECEE keeps your attention.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/37ZZycu

Review of the House of York

THE HOUSE OF YORK

TERRY TYLER

Review by Roy Murry, Author

Wealth and power are strange bedfellows. They either make you happy or destroy you, but a strong family that has it must go on to preserve the core whether misused or not.

Ms. Tyler, again, has brought to light in a well-written dramatic form the trials and tribulations of a wealthy family in present-day England using characters of its past. Englishmen may recognize the names, but the story is new.

In each chapter, a character gives you an update on family members as the novel progresses to the point that the real evil one is uncovered. Power is the driving force to control the family's corporate wealth that starts in one Century's values and ends with a surprising twist of the Next’s values.

The story is chock-full of love, hate, self-evaluation, grief, and bewilderment. This novel doesn't let the reader down in highs and lows.

At the end of reading "Everything was going to be fine... Wasn't it?", the reader will want more to know about THE HOUSE OF YORK, as I do.          

Purchase  https://amzn.to/2QbHTZ8

Review of IMMORTAL KISS

IMMORTAL KISS

LAURA DALEO

Review by Roy Murry, Author

While I raided the kitchen, Philippe prowled the streets in search of human blood... Beth love has no boundaries, LOL.  A human, she is in love with a vampire.

His mist was around all her life. Or was it? His and her transfers into something they allow to happen because of an infatuation is a story of a romance that is deadly.

Of course, as a human, I laughed at the vampire and human relationship they had, but the writing was well thought out and enjoyable. Ms. Daleo characters are colorful and set up for a sequel.

The storyline has twists and turns that keep the reader wanting more. In the end, you are sucked into the next level of Beth and Philippe's relationship to be able to love each other without vampire turmoil.

Well Done. Purchase: https://amzn.to/36dbS8P

Schultz's Story

From the Ground Up

HOWARD SCHULTZ

Review by Roy Murry, Author

When I read, I like to be entertained or learn something. I didn't enjoy Mr. Schultz's history lesson about Starbucks.

I do not know what I expected, but the chronicles of a company and its CEO is what I got. The story went deep into his management style which shows he does have the ability to start a company and bring it to fruition. To run the USA is another question.

He makes his points but embellishes on each way too much to the near boredom. Other than that, the writing was easy to follow, and the story is somewhat unusual.

I admit though; I did not finish the story because of what I just stated.  I started to read 'From the Ground UP' because of Mr. Schultz's claim that he may run for President of the United States of America.

It was my error reading his book, and his mistake if he runs for President as an Independent candidate.

Purchase, if you wish to know Mr. Schultz: https://amzn.to/2QaV0Km

Review of Too Close for Comfort

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

Peggy A. Edelheit

Review by Roy Murry, Author

I read another Samantha Jamison Mystery to enjoy the characters, which I always do. Three senior women, Sam, and a man trying to understand the goings-on of two younger women who have appeared into Sam's life and a strange letter found in her car.  

The letter states a ten-year-old event in Sam's life she doesn't remember completely.  A 'burial' is in the notes which Sam's group canoes over to her old rental property to identify.  Is someone dead or is something else going on?

This mystery snowballs from this point into an unlikely conclusion. Sam's group, as usual, gets into hot water at times. Reading the turmoil is fun and exciting.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/2F7ZpqX

Review of 10 DATES

10 DATES

Emily James

Review by Roy Murry, Author

Joanie, known in the novel as FOUR, has problems with her roommate Chris. He leaves to New York from London to find his future without her - the background story.

Because of the circumstances and her best friend Melinda's concerns, Joanie agrees to go on ten dates that Melinda has set up for her. These dates are when the fun begins. 

However, another person who is hot becomes a distraction - SIX.

FOUR and SIX refer to Joanie and his apartment number. The closeness and their bumping into each other become too close for comfort - love is in the air or is it just SEX.

Joanie and her friends, Melinda, and Mikey (Not Melinda's husband) are 'family.' The way SIX intermingles with the dates and the group is funny and enjoyable.

Emily James has put together a fun book - the characters are well defined, and the chatter, sarcasm, of them all, keep the story moving at a good pace. It's a one sitting read.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/2S5Y39i

Review of FACTFULLNESS

FACTFULLNESS

Hans Rosling with

Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Ronnlund

Review by Roy Murry, Author

After passing away from cancer Hans' family, Ola and Anna published this exciting book, written by Hans, about why people are wrong about their conception of the world and the facts they misconstrue. Hans' gives the reader much to think about in the way he presents his FACTS.

He uses a number of the four-level scale of human groupings to give the reader a new conception of the world around us - poverty to wealth. One example is the poorest use their fingers (Level 1) to brush teeth while the wealthy use power run toothbrushes (Level 4). 

He notes that there is no room for facts when fear and prejudices occupy our people's minds - we and them ideologies.  "...the simple and beautiful idea of equality can lead to a simplistic idea that all problems are caused by inequality, which we should always oppose; and that the solution to problems is the redistribution of resources, which we should always support," is Rosling's solution to the health wealth of the world.

The resolve of how this world solution can be put into practice is the crux of Hans' 'FACTFULNESS.'   The reader may agree with him or not, but he sets forth some challenges we all can understand even if it is not in our powers to change them.

This book is an intellectual read for the none intellectual. Worth the read to know more about the world

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Review of Flavia's Secret

FLAVIA'S Secret

LINSAY TOWNSEND

Review by Roy Murry, Author

Flavia is a young Celtic slave during a time when Rome ruled the world, 204 AD. Her master is a Lady who dies of strange circumstances and a Roman male, Marcus, comes from Rome to rule the house.

Beauty and intelligent, the Roman desires her, which presents many problems. Flavia and Marcus mentally entangle, and their words conflict with their desires, but life 'moves on' in a city on the sight of hot springs in what is now England.

An intriguing subplot interferes with the relation leaving doubts in both their minds of each other's true feelings. Both have hurdles of faith to overcome to reach an amicable ending.

Flavia's confrontation with the Roman mayor of the city in the City's Bath brings everything to a head which the reader of Romantic novels will enjoy to the end of this well-written novel.

I read a few of Ms. Townsend's novels, and I can say she has never disappointed me with her writing. She brings the pass into her endeavors which I love.

Purchase: 

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Review of 1984

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          1984

GEORGE ORWELL

Review by Roy Murry, Author

English novelist Orwell's dystopian novel published as Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1984, in the year 1949. I first read the book in college as a project for my Literature course in 1973.

I decided to reread the Orwellian future to compare his account with the existing world order. Orwellian actions are used various times when uneducated talking heads on the TV refer to activities by some countries' leaders or their attempts at control outside the norm.

In many respects, Orwell was not far off the mark when one looks at the world as a whole. However, the fact is the world is getting better and not as controlling as he advised would happen - the whole surface of the earth is not conquered, and Big Brother is not watching you, at least not all the time. LOL

You'll need to read the story he tells of one who lived in a system where a country controlled his life completely. Today, some elites are trying to control humanity, but people are not stupid and are pushing back.

Read Orwell's account, and you will see what happens when there is no push back and independent-minded people. A time when a few people controlled your mind and physical being.

It's a long, dull, but fascinating discourse that will help the reader understand the current world situation.

Purchase:  https://amzn.to/2KTtjlG