Talamk an Eisc: Book One of the Celtic Rings Series by K.D. Carter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A well-crafted action-packed adventure...

Author K.D. Carter weaves a well-crafted historical fantasy. The story had every element a good story should have. A solid and captivating plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s plenty of imagery in the writing style that makes you feel like you are right there in the story, and that’s something I really look for in a good book.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘One thousand years ago, Norsemen sailed across the Atlantic from the Emerald Isle in search of new lands. They found Talemk an Eisc, rich in timber and farmland. But war with the native population raged for thirty years. Now a fragile truce has been put in place, but forces are seeking to reignite the conflict, and a killer stalks the land. Now four very different people - a Farmer, a Merchant, a Warrior and a Thief - must work together the preserve the peace. But how can they, when no one trusts the other?’

Now, if you want to find out what happens, you’ll just have to turn the pages for yourself! However, I will say it was well worth the read. This is my second time reading this author and I must say I was very impressed yet again.

I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much.

Talamk an Eisc: Nordic Landing had me engaged from the first page to the last. It’s a suspenseful and adventurous fantasy based on a historical account of Vikings traveling to Newfoundland. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. There are plenty of attention-grabbing moments in this page turner that will take the reader on a spellbinding journey.

It’s one of those books that comes along occasionally that will make you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. For those looking for an interesting, three-dimensional and stimulating read, this would be a great find. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader.

I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading more from K.D. Carter in the future. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in fantasy, adventure, suspense, and plenty of action with a Nordic flair. It would also make a great selection for book clubs. A well-deserved five stars from me.


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The Invisible Heiress by Kathleen O'Donnell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Author Kathleen O'Donnell weaves a gripping psychological thriller with intriguing twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning. The author paints a dramatic and riveting tale of intrigue and suspense in a very vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction. It’s a fast-paced novel that will keep you engaged from the first page to the last.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘Preston Blair, a blogger with a dark sense of humor, is committed to a private psychiatric hospital, accused of a shocking crime. Her father Todd’s influence as a D.A. has kept her from prison, but her sanity remains on a knife-edge.

Preston’s therapist, Isabel, is too preoccupied working her latest con on a rich, married, sadomasochistic secret lover, to care about Preston’s problems, even when Preston tells her that her socialite mother, Harrison Blair, had committed an unthinkable crime herself years before—one that might help explain Preston’s own misdeeds.

When Preston’s absent husband, Brendan, suddenly turns up and tries to prove her innocence, tragedy strikes. Preston’s convinced her parents were involved, but it turns out to be much more complicated. As Preston delves deeper into the mystery, her head clears and a devastating event that she had long erased from her muddled mind comes rushing back.

Stumbling onto video evidence, which exposes a killer’s greed and lust for power, Preston finds her own life is in danger from a surprising and once trusted source. She discovers that the truth hurts. It just might be the death of her…’

Now, if that’s not enough to get your curiosity juices flowing, I don’t know what will. But if you want to find out what happens, you’ll just have to turn the pages for yourself! However, I will say it was well worth the read. It’s my first time reading this author and I must say I was very impressed.

I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much. It’s a first-class psychological thriller with perfect pacing. Not much is as it appears here, which is just the way fans of mystery, thriller and suspense will want it!

The Invisible Heiress had every element a good story should have. An intriguing plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well-illustrated scenes that make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that’s something I really look for in a good book.

It’s one of those stories that come along once in a while that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader!

I’ll be looking forward to reading more from Kathleen O'Donnell in the future. I would absolutely recommend this book to all fans of the mystery, thriller and suspense genre. Five stars from me.

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Incursion by Lauren L. Garcia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Catalyst Moon: Incursion (The Catalyst Moon Saga Book 1) is a well crafted Science Fiction & Fantasy novel. And I would imagine that fans of this genre will love sinking their teeth into this one! This is my first time reading this author and I must say I was very impressed.

The story had every element a good story should have. An exciting plot, attention to detail, but best of all fleshed out, well-written and well-rounded character development. There’s an abundance of well illustrated scenes that really make you feel like you are right there in the story, and that's something I really look for in a good book.

This captivating and commendable work had me immersed from the beginning. The story flows from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional skill when it comes to storytelling. There are twists and turns in this page turner that will take the reader on a gripping journey!

It’s one of those stories that come along once in awhile that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader!

I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading more from Lauren L. Garcia in the future! I would definitely recommend this book! Five stars from me.


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The 231 Club: My Ten Year Journey From Therapist to CIA Courier and Sanctioned Kills - A True Story by J. Bartell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The 231 Club is well written and I certainly appreciated the author’s voice and the casual style. It also made me think what I would have done if I were in his shoes. Take the safe road and stay in my day job of therapist or take the one going left to the big unknown with plenty of risks along the way?

Fortunately I was in my armchair enjoying the dilemma. All in all, the book is very interesting, both in the author’s background as well as in the various stories he tells of life in the fast lane. The author’s adventures make for very good reading especially when you know they are true tales of CIA exploits. What may have started as high level thinking about the jobs that needed to be done in South America or Latin America during this time period was soon relegated to the people who actually had to carry them out and they often did so with very little resources or help from the upper level “suits”.

This was a very interesting read and I would highly recommend it.


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Daddy's Curse 2: A Young Boy Who Has Survived Child Slavery Remembers… by Luke. G. Dahl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my second time reading this author. His previous work, Daddy's Curse: A Sex Trafficking True Story of an 8-Year Old Girl was a gripping first-person account of organized crime and human trafficking. This book is about a young boy, named Od, who has also survived child slavery.

It’s worth stating here again what I had previously said about this authors’ last book: Human trafficking is thought to be one of the fastest-growing activities of trans-national criminal organizations. It is condemned as a violation of human rights by international agreements. ‘Human trafficking is a crime of such magnitude and atrocity that it cannot be dealt with successfully by any government alone. This global problem requires a global, multi-stakeholder strategy that builds on national efforts throughout the world.’

The book description gives a poignant preview: ‘When Od was growing up with his grandfather in the mesmerizing yet poverty-stricken countryside of Mongolia, he didn’t know that his life was about to turn into a living hell. His own grandparents sold him to child traffickers who took him away from his village and turned him into a slave, along with other children from the region.

Od, Altantsetseg, Chinua and Khulan were all held captive by child traffickers, but Od, being the oldest and smartest, managed to come up with an escape plan. Altantsetseg and Chinua escaped but Khulan didn’t make it. A shot was heard from behind and it was the last time they saw Khulan. But they had to keep on moving.

Yuna. Od’s only love was going through the same hell. She managed to escape from her abusers, only to find herself back in the hands of traffickers. When she finally found her way to freedom, Od found her. That was a moment of happiness in a lifetime of sorrow.

In this eye-opening child abuse story, Luke G. Dahl, author of the best-selling book “Daddy’s Curse” offers us a different perspective. Od is a young boy and his experiences in Mongolia, China and Thailand, his efforts to overcome his emotional wounds and his struggles to find Yuna will give you a unique way to truly understand child abuse and respect for life.’

Author Luke. G. Dahl writes a significant but harrowing story – based on true events - of sexual abuse, human trafficking and organized crime. It’s an emotional story that will take you on a journey to the dark side of human nature. The author must be commended for highlighting this truly appalling crime against the future of mankind…OUR CHILDREN.

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The Unlikely Adventures of Joe and Nick by Lee Arrowood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A very enjoyable tale of two friends...

Author Lee Arrowood weaves a fun-filled humorous fiction with interesting twists and turns that will easily captivate the reader’s attention from the beginning. The author paints a witty and entertaining yarn in a very vivid and convincing way. In addition, the characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction.

I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of interesting twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much. It’s a well-written story with perfect pacing that’s very reminiscent of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

The Unlikely Adventures of Joe and Nick flows from scene to scene with ease, and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. It’s one of those books that come along occasionally that makes you want to read it non-stop until you get to the end. I’m giving nothing further away here. And this, I hope, will only add to the mystery and enjoyment for the reader!

A highly recommended read and a well-deserved five stars from me. Looking forward to reading more from Lee Arrowood in the future.

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Jai’s Vision: A Medieval Tale of Magic, Swords & Sorcery (Book 1)

 A medieval tale of magic, swords and sorcery...

The year is 1304 A.D. in the Yorkshire area of England. King Dunstan reigns in Europe over the Kingdom of Misty Hill. The King’s castle stands large, beautiful and strong surrounded by large fences and all of his knights and their squires. Not far off from the castle lives the townspeople enclosed by the safety of the Northern Woods and the mystery of the Dark Woods to the South of the Castle.

The story showcases a young squire named Jai and his best friend, the beautiful princess Amelie. As the story unfolds we follow both of them on their adventures from their secret meetings in the Northern Woods to their forbidden steps through the Dark Woods. Most especially, though, we follow Jai who quickly develops an unforeseen talent for seeing visions.

As Jai and Amelie journey along their days, another kingdom from across the land arrives for The Medieval Games. As The Medieval Games begin, Jai uncovers secrets about the other kingdom to imply that they are more than what they seem - secrets that only he and Princess Amelie are privy to. What will they do with those secrets? What is the other kingdom really there for, if not for The Medieval Games? If he keeps secrets from the King will he risk his chance at knighthood?

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