Review of Justified

JUSTIFIED

By Carolyn Arnold

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

TV programs Castle and Law and Order SUV both have strong women as detectives, who solve murder crimes. In JUSTIFIED, Ms. Arnold detective Madison Knight is as tough as they come.

As the lead partner, she takes control of a murder scene with Terry, her male subordinate, whose character complements Knight’s decisive, intuitive personality.  Their combined intelligence comes into play, trying to solve the death of a manipulative woman, who has literally screwed the men and the businesses they owned.

The duo's personal lives are interwoven into their daily investigative chores. At times those encounters are humanly funny. Knight is a one hundred percent work-alcoholic –to get the job done before pleasure person, and Terry has a family, needing time to be with them; and he tries to bring out Madison’s soft side.

The crime has multiple suspects which complicate things time-wise. They seem to be moving in the right direction various times as to whodunit but are left hanging. With the combined initiative, Knight and Terry get the lead that helps them reach their goal.

How they do it, is good police work, which author Arnold does an excellent job of writing. I have read many whodunit novels and have watched endless movies/TV detective stories.

Therefore, as somewhat of a self-professed expert, I will state: Ms. Carolyn Arnold’s novel JUSTIFIED is one of the better examples of detective novels I have read in my fifty plus years of reading.

Purchase at Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NE3Zay

Review of Crooked Moon

CROOKED MOON

A novel by Lisette Brodey

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

Relationships are hard to keep on an even keel. But to put one back together after a twenty-three-year interruption is an almost impossible task. This is the premise of Ms. Brodey’s story where two childhood intimate friends become women and are brought together because of a grim situation.

The interchange between the two has a soul-searching effect on each. One has moved on to a life of economic comfortability, where the other is stagnating in time at the place they became of age and separated.

The reasons for their separation are confronted. Many of the questions are answered and brought to an amicable plateau, but some conflicts are infused into their new relationship, which challenges it.

Through intelligent conversations and using down to earth characters, Ms. Brodey’s novel keeps the reader interested in the outcome of this sometimes funny but sad situation her two main characters are put in by their parent’s historical miss-conceptions.

This is a book for those who can handle the strengths and weakness in the human condition, of which the author is well versed. She brings it across in her well worth reading prose.

Get at Amazon: http://amzn.to/1K2KGg9

Review of The Bride Wore Dead

The Bride Wore Dead

A Josie Tucker Mystery

Written by EM Kaplan

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

There are people in the world who are observant. Josie Tucker, Ms. Kaplan's protagonist, is one of them. A food and restaurant columnist, she is asked to go to an Arizona spa, looking for answers to a puzzling situation arising from a wedding she was a bridesmaid in.

An unlikely person to go searching for trouble, Josie goes on the trip for a health reason planned by her doctor and because of a surprising and inquisitive conversation with the groom’s wealthy mother. She confronts a very uncomfortable situation in Arizona.

Accumulating clues confirming the bride’s mishap, Josie’s sleuthing comes to an end with consequences she didn’t see coming. Her handling of that situation brings her journey to a conclusion.

Ms. Kaplan’s story is intriguingly plausible with twists and turns that the reader will enjoy. Her style is cute and articulate, flowing in and out of scenes quickly. It’s an enjoyable read.

Purchase at Amazon: http://amzn.to/1n3rQLk

      

Review of Sticks and Stones and Broken Bones

STICKS  and

STONES and

BROKEN

BONES

What a Charmed Life I Lead

Written by Linda Lee King

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

‘What a life,’ Ms. King has had, can only be defined as chaotic. In stating that she is not an educated writer, this author proceeds to tell the reader of her confused existence.

From early remembering, the story is told, not shown, through an interesting dynamic – explaining her dysfunctions’ as a child through the age of fifty-four. Those mishaps were fueled by family DNA, as she informs us in the last chapters is confusing in itself.

Historically, this life adventure is a rollercoaster ride from the ’60s through 2009, where she receives an awakening, “It’s not where you start out, Linda, but where you end.” It wasn’t the PTSD, which she was affected with; it was how that psychological the defect was not treated that led her to her confused states.

Now partially treated, Ms. King’s paranormal self tells us how most of the world is in a traumatic state. I give her that. But her decision processing was not totally controlled by others – she had a free will that she did not use effectively throughout her life.

The story was told from a homegrown educational coherent point of view. Well-structured with some uneducated grammatical and punctuation errors, the prose keeps the reader engaged.

If this is “The Book,” that she states she was writing all her life, I believe Ms. King’s endeavor is complete. What next?

Purchase at Amazon: https://amzn.to/34PxbvF

  

Review of Run, Run, Runaway Bride

Run, Run, Runaway Bride

By Jacqueline Diamond

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

In this new year of 2016, we think of new beginnings by making our resolutions. Ms. Diamond’s protagonist Samantha is about to begin a new life with her betrothed, but starts running after the wedding ceremony ends in an unpredictable way.

Sam finds herself on the run from her short love affair and the betrothed is the one chasing. She lands in a hotel development city where she looks for refuse, but finds more than she wanted – stability.

Again, Sam is planning on running from the situation she has fallen into, but she has found feelings within herself she never felt before. As one who has no family, she is now running from those feelings by joining a cruise line as her promising future.

On this journey, Samantha finds contentment in friendships, the people of the community and a particular man, who stimulates her in more ways than one. These sensibilities become conflicting with her adventuring DNA attitude.

In coming to her resolve, the experience is overwhelming. Throughout the read of this romantic comedy, you laugh, cry, and cheer on the events to their end. Sam’s adventure ends is a surprisingly unconventional one, which you will reveal in, if you love the Romantic genre.

Buy at Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1JO7AlU

Review of Last Breath of Innocence

The Last Breath of Innocence

By Anna Cartman

Reviewed by Author Roy Murry

This story of two young adults, Keeley the narrator and her childhood boyfriend Kieran, grow into teens with baggage that defines their choices.

Confused in their entanglement, those choices crossed them over to the wrong side of the law.

Ms. Cartman’s novel holds you to the end, laying out Keeley’s reasons as to why she gets up each morning in a household she had no choice in living in, because of parent’s demise. Her only male friend, Kieran, moves in next door when she is eleven years old.

Their relationship builds, but Kieran is forced to leave because of an event they could not control. Meeting again in their teens, that event’s effect on their personalities brings them together in a strange one-sided love affair.

Ms. Cartman brings you to a chilling end of that relationship, which will stick with you after reading the last chapter. Throughout the novel, you will sympathize with Keeley’s plight to find herself, which we can all empathize with.

Innocence is captured in this well-written young adult novel. We were all young and will understand their choices.

Purchased at Amazon:http://amzn.to/1NRwpzk

Review of Last Stop: Paris

Last Stop: Paris

By John Pearce

Reviewed Author Roy Murry

This adventure is centered on a couple named Eddie and Aurelie, who resides in Paris. They're coming together, living together, and future is exciting and needed to understand the going on.

These two socialites are in a whirlwind that will define their future. International characters come back into their lives, and they will help determine their future.

Mixed with murder, kidnapping, international gold standard fixing, and Russian mafia movement, the couple are included in a non-official crime-fighting group including the USA’s CIA and Interpol. These characters’ subplots commingled with the main one that drives this thrilling story forward.

All the characters are well defined and primed for another adventure when Last Stop is consumed. The bad guys didn’t fare so well. However, some doors are left open which could lead to the couple’s future involvement.

Last Stop: Paris, like Mr. Pearce’s Treasure of Saint-Lazare, is a fast-paced thriller that can be read individually or read after Treasure… I have read both and can say that I will be looking forward to reading another of Mr. Pearce’s intriguing novels.

Get both at Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JtaCfo