Review of COSMOS

COSMOS

Carl Sagan

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

If you are intrigued by the universe beyond Earth and its human perspective, this book offers a unique exploration. If not, it may not be the right fit for you.

Mr. Sagan weaves a compelling narrative of the cosmos' birth and the potential consequences of its disruption. His storytelling is not just readable but also captivating.

I took Astronomy in college, and this book awakened memories for me. For someone who has yet to study it, this chronology of life since the Big Bang might overwhelm the reader.

However, this is a book for the Inquisitive Mind.

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

 

Death Under Wratful Skies

DEATH UNDER WRATHFUL SKIES

The Victoria Sedgewick Mysteries

Book 2

BLYTHE BAKER

Review by Author Roy Murry

In the 1820s, Ms. Victoria attempts to be a private inquirer (Detective) after solving the murder of her husband (Book 1). Her advertisement in the local Hyde Park, London paper is attached to an article that piques her attention—a third man is killed in the same manner as the previous two.

Ms. Victoria starts her business (Investigating) by combining efforts with Mr. Keats, a well-known detective hired by the police to find the killer. Included in the conversations are her butler, housekeeper, cook, and the nanny of infant Daniel.

The characters and the story are well-developed, making this mystery series worth reading. I have only read this novel.

With intelligent deduction, Ms. Victoria and Mr. Keats come to the same conclusion about who the killer is: she does it unconventionally, and he uses Ms. Victoria's informational letter delivered the same day she goes into action.

The ending is surprising and dangerous because, after all, Ms. Victoria is a novice.

Good, Quick, and Fun Read. I read in two sittings.

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

FOR NOW and FOREVER

FOR NOW and FOREVER

Inn at Sunset Harbor, Book 1

SOPHIA LOVE

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Because of personal problems, Emily leaves the big city to return to Sunset Harbor, a small, quiet, close-knit town. Waiting for her is a huge house her father left that needs extreme repairs.

The land has a guest house in which Daniel, a young man of Emily's age, lives. He is the caretaker by choice.

Emily's father is nowhere in sight. After going down memory lane, she decides to investigate the house and make many repairs over six months.

After three months of confusion, feelings for Daniel, and conflicts with the town's leaders over her living in the rundown house, she must decide her fate.

The writing is professional but the story is a little too cutesy and predictable. Romance lovers will enjoy this.

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

 

Road to Eden is Overgrown

THE ROAD TO EDEN IS OVERGROWN

DAN WHEATCROFT

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

This novel is a police procedural drama based in Liverpool, U.K., and its surrounding area. Dicks, the protagonist and a government agent, goes around killing undesirables. A clean-up team protects Dicks.

It is unknown what agency he works for because the local police are searching for the killer of a mobster and others. After one killing that saved a woman's life, DCI Thurstan Baddeley (Detective Chief Inspector) has Dickerson in his crosshairs because of evidence.

With this and word-of-mouth knowledge, the DCI is ready to arrest Dicks, so he thinks. This time, the failure of the clean-up team opens the door for arrest. But does it?

OVERGROWN is a well-written suspense thriller that will be a bit confusing for American English readers. However, the plot moves along and keeps the reader's attention.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4cnTzz5

DEAD before DINNER

DEAD before DINNER

A Maddie Swallows Mystery

KAT BELLEMORE

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

In small towns, people gossip, and everyone knows everyone. Maddie Swallows, a psychologist, drags her children, Flash and Lilly, and her fellow therapist, Trish, back to her hometown, where they will open shop.

We all know that in small towns, there are no murders. However, not in this town - two people are killed within days of each other. Both are members of the Town Council.

Old friendships get Maddie involved after a troubled woman dies at her friend Debbie's dinner party. She goes about snooping because the sheriff has made her a prime suspect,

Her sleuthing is haphazard. Using her skills as a psychologist, she ultimately hits her target.

This novel was fun and interesting. The characters in the prologue will lead you into the second in this mystery series.

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

LOVING the LADIES' Man

LOVING the LADIES' Man

KRISTIN CANARY

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

LOVING has cute and fun dialog from a woman's point of view. Evie, who is an introvert, is put in competition with Connor, a ladies' man, for the same promotion.

Despite their differences, Evie and Connor maintain a professional relationship, mingling daily as they navigate their shared workplace. When those barriers break, and they become a couple, they find feelings for each other.

Those interactions are the center points of the novel. Romance is in the air until the day one will get the promotion.

Who will become the other's boss? You will have to read the book to find out. The ending will surprise the reader.

 

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

Ignorant Witch

AN IGNORANT WITCH

E.M. GRAHAM

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Despite not being the best in the genre, Graham's novel holds a special charm that will resonate with those who adore fairy tales.

Fairies are involved in the kidnap of a Normal, and Dara, a half-witch, is asked by a friend for help freeing her brother. A male half-witch gives Dara the courage to pursue his freedom.

The calamity that follows Dara's commitment is weird. She finds her powers, which leads to an acceptable conclusion for this Witch Story.

While the prose may be a bit rough around the edges, Graham's potential as a writer is evident in this first book of the series. If you are a fan of fairy stories, consider supporting this promising author by purchasing their book.

 

Purchase: https://amzn.to/3Yf9tYX

Black Readnecks & White Liberals

Black Rednecks & White Liberals

THOMAS SOWELL

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Sowell's Historical thesis on slavery brings to light many facets of how humans treat each other. The reader will get a learning experience from his narrative as to how the British and America's unique developments eliminated most of the world’s enslavement.

He explains human worth and non-worth in terms of how many countries used slavery for gain or as accessories. These norms were commonplace for centuries before arriving in North America/USA, which was the only country in the world to fight a war over it, killing more white people than the negros in the country.

Thomas Sowell's intelligent discourse will keep the reader turning pages thinking,  'I didn't know that.' For Liberals, this is a wake-up call, but for Conservatives, this education needs to be used in conversations against Liberals’ reparation demands.

To round out his book, Sowell's opinion of other human relations is in discourses on Germans, Jews, and the middleman.

 

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

Murder and a Tequila Sunrise

Murder and a Tequila Sunrise

Sunrise Cafe Cozy Mystery

ELIZABETH CLOVER

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Clementine is a bartender, a commercial actor, a klutz, a terrible tequila sunrise maker, and in debt up to her eyeballs. With all these traits, she is the hero who solves murder.

But here is the twist. Despite her seemingly unrelated jobs and financial situation, Clementine has a unique skill that sets her apart- she knows people and what questions to ask them.

This mystery is confusing because of all the overdeveloped characters. What question will the reader have when trying to solve the murder? Who did it?

Yet, in the end, the reader will be rewarded for their efforts. This cozy mystery will entertain you and leave you with a sense of accomplishment as you get to know the characters for the second book in the series.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/3RXUv5U

Accidental Princess

The Accidental Princess

Melissa McClone

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Christina is the daughter of a wealthy father who coerces her to attend a royal party in the middle of the Mediterranean. Prince Richard will be the king of that country if he marries the one who can fit in the royal engagement ring, part of a crazy country's historical mystic.

Neither person likes what they believe that the other person's moral and ethical qualities meet their needs. An event brought about by his Royal Aid put Richard and Christina on a quest to find the prince, the princess with the qualities he desires.

The calamities and amusing incidents that follow make for good reading. This novel, however, is not Hallmark movie grade but fills a Royal Romance lover's imagination.

 

Purchase: https://amzn.to/3zei3g8

Lost Bookstore

The Lost Bookshop

EVIE WOODS

Review by Author Roy Murry

This mystical drama about three people's lives will keep readers turning the pages. It is fascinating how their lives bring the world of books alive.

In the 1920s, a feminist book lover, Opaline, fleeing from danger, ended up in a Dublin bookstore. Her story keeps Martha and Henry searching for love, peace, and the bookstore.

Their stories unfold in the twenty-first century, with Henry relentlessly pursuing a hidden manuscript in a mysterious bookstore. Meanwhile, under the guidance of the enigmatic Madam Bodwin, Martha is fleeing a life she refuses to accept, all within the confines of that building.

After a series of gripping events, Martha and Henry unite to find the elusive bookstore.

The lives of all these characters are written in intriguing adventures that any book lover will enjoy. The ending is magical.

 

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4ctJKA9

 

Murder Calls in Shadow Falls

Murder Calls at Shadow Falls

Irene Jorgensen

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Olivia Twist returns home to Shadow Falls as her Grandmother GG says for REDEMPTION. Olivia is a thief but a nice one who somewhat repays her debt to society.

GG has a plan for redemption. However, it did not include the murder of someone Olivia knew in high school.

Assuming the role of a tea-reading British psychic so natives will not uncover her identity, Ms. Twist tries to clear her ex-best friend's name in a poisoning case. 

With twists and turns highlighted by detailed character development, Jorgensen's cozy mystery comes to an interesting end.

This first episode is well-written and is part of an Olivia Twist tea-reading crime series. GOOD READ.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/45s5ERU

The End of Everything

THE END OF EVERYTHING

How Wars Descend into Annihilation

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

VDH's book, The End of Everything, is a captivating journey through Ancient History. It brings to life the significant conflicts that led to the downfall of civilizations like Carthage, the Aztecs, and others.

Interwoven in his stories are human decisions based on their culture's norms during world development. By referring to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, he infers that the destruction of current cultures is nearing a breaking point.

Having taken Ancient History as a course in college, I find these detailed narratives somewhat overwhelming for the reader looking for entertainment. However, this extensive read is for history buffs or college students who want to learn how humans behave during war.

 

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