SPELLS and SPANIELS

SPELLS and SPANIELS:

A Witchy, Cozy Paranormal Mystery

Familiar Spirits Book 1

CHRISTINE POPE

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Salem witch Charity, a renowned familiar whisper, is approached by a new witch client, Darla. She seeks Charity's expertise to evaluate her familiar, unique Cocker Spaniel named Milo, who mysteriously remains silent when spoken to.

While in Charity's care, Milo does not speak until Darla dies, which a Chicago detective reports to Charity via telephone. From then on, unusual events reveal the real reason for Milo's silence.

Milo is attacked and then kidnapped. Charity goes into investigative mode, leading to a crazy ending.

Ms. Pope's writing is crisp and enjoyable. She leaves the reader with a hook that kills a romance, an underlying theme a romantic may want to pursue in Book 2 of this series.

If you are a romantic and want fun, purchase Book 2 because Book 1 is free on Kindle.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4bC8YfG

Review of "god is not Great."

"god is not GREAT."

How Religion Poisons Everything

CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS

Review by Author Roy Murry

This book, penned by a renowned atheist, delves into the problematic aspects of all ORGANIZED RELIGIONS, a stance I agree with. I became a reformed Roman Catholic at the age of thirteen.

Hitchens attempts to destroy the collective illusions of monotheist organizations by describing their histories, hierarchy, and dictatorial systems. His arguments are full of realism, demonstrating that living a good life without these faiths is possible.

His narratives are long and interwoven with examples of Religions' poisonous edicts to control humans countered with logical results. Hitchens uses the books/stories of those organizations to show how ridiculous they seem.

His conclusions are worth reading if you have an Inquisitive Mind. This long, detailed read will stimulate your mind.

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

Murphy's Luck

MURPHY'S LUCK

BENJAMIN LASKIN

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." Murphy's Law does not apply to Murphy's Luck. Everything around Murphy is a disaster; at age eight, he is confined to his home because of circumstances beyond his control.

In his twenty-six years of confinement, Murphy's life takes a dramatic turn. Thanks to the internet, he becomes famous, wealthy, and productive. 

But no one has seen him. Yet, his unpopularity in the community forces him to leave his hometown, embarking on a journey that leads him to a monastery.

En route, a bus catastrophe happens, and Murphy heads for the beach for comfort and separation from people. He meets a young woman, saves her life from two calamities, and becomes attached because of her persistence.

Murphy's journey is a whirlwind of confusion and excitement, involving his new friend Joy, Joy's boyfriend, Detective Brock, and many other characters. It is a cluster of crazy events that could only happen with Murphy's uncanny involvement.

The reader will be thankful for the adventure when all is said and done. The reading is one sitting, enjoyable, and fast-paced fun time.

 

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

THE VISITOR

THE VISITOR

A Post Apocalyptic Murder Mystery

TERRY TYLER

Review by Author Roy Murry

A deadly outbreak plagues the world; a mere touch from a dying person seals your fate. Before this grim reality, a visionary uncle bequeaths Sarah a residence in an English village, complete with an underground bunker stocked to the brim with provisions and modern essentials, a last bastion against an apocalypse. 

The event arrives, and Sarah and her somewhat associates begin their life in the village. People worldwide are dying in multitude, with only a few lucky ones vaccinated against the curse - the new world order.

Interwoven into this plot is a killer of the underserved—they are deleted, according to THE VISITOR. Finding who this person is overshadows the plague.

The village members are leaving; food is getting lesser and lesser, water is rationed, and people are being murdered. Tensions arise among the villagers to an explosive ending that surprises everyone, including the reader. 

Ms. Tyler's prose invites the reader into an end-of-times thriller that will entertain the mind to the end.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4djHs7T

Review of COLLECTIVE ILLUSIONS

COLLECTIVE ILLUSIONS

TODD ROSE

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

"How do you know what you know?" challenged Confucius. In COLLECTIVE ILLUSIONS, Mr. Rose provides insight into some of these reasons.

He uses personal and private stories to support his sociological/psychological thesis that we all fall prey to groupthink. Because of our associations with churches, the media, organizations, and political groups, we have a human propensity to follow the majority by keeping our opinions to ourselves.

We then fall into traps that take work to leave. If we speak up, the group may change, or we may be blackballed.  

Mr. Rose's arguments, pro and con situations, are compelling and worth reading. His conclusions about human behavior will appeal to everyone.

 

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

Review of NUCLEAR WAR, a Scenario

NUCLEAR WAR

A Scenario

ANNIE JACOBSEN

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

According to the author, there are seventy-two minutes until the end of the world as we know it. Many years later, the human race is back in the Stone Age—the book in a nutshell.

Under Annie Jacobsen's gripping and fast-paced nuclear scenario, the world hurtles toward oblivion from the first volley. However, this probability is flawed: the combatants—North Korea, the United States, and Russia—lack communication.

Communication is the biggest flaw in her fascinating term paper. Russia would have seen on its radar that the first volley came from North Korea, and cell phones with red lights would have lit up.

The first half of this factoid fiction is a heart-pounding drama that will make the reader think the human race is approaching extinction. It may be if deterrence continues at a lower level.

Fifty percent of the e-book is Index, Bibliography, and about the author. If your heart needs exercise, this NUCLEAR WAR scenario between the United States and Russia will get it going.

Read this novel like a well-written fiction-think after.

 

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4cU6KZU

Pride and Prejudice

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Book or Movie?

JANE AUSTEN

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

If you want emotional entertainment, watch the excellent movie adaptation starring Keira Knightley. It differs from the novel in several ways, including the ending.

On the other hand, Jane Austen's writing in the novel offers a rich learning experience. It delves into the cultural nuances and individual characters' pride and prejudices of the 1800s. It is a literary journey that may be unfamiliar to most twenty-first-century readers but truly enlightening.

An Oxford dictionary can be a valuable companion on this journey. Kindle uses one.

The novel is simple: a wealthy man meets a woman of a lower class. She is prejudiced against him after hearing his proud comment at a ball. She refuses to dance with him, and his pride is hurt.

The situation infuriates both, and the romance begins. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy intermingle because of her sister's love affair with his friend. Their tit-for-tat communications lead to confusion and then to reality—they need each other.

The read is long but not tedious.

 

Purchase:  Book https://amzn.to/3JmuXdH

                         Movie https://amzn.to/3Ug80iW