Into The Realm

Into The Realm by Todd Forrest
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A masterfully written murder, mystery, and suspense...

Todd Forrest will entertain and enthrall you with this exceptionally well-written and researched Cape Cod story about families, resentment, and murder. It’s a captivating book that had me engaged from the opening chapter. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease and the author shows exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling.

Summarizing the synopsis we find a twenty-two-year-old modern-day fisherman named Caleb Forrest who has a story to tell—what he believes to be a story of justified murder… He sets out on his prized Catboat, "Sea Gypsy," suffering from a sort of memory loss from his previous voyage at sea. The one-day journey will take him past his childhood haunts and the memories, both good and bad, that go with them… As the last member of a once-proud maritime family, Caleb is left with the responsibility of maintaining a piece of land that he neither needs nor can afford but must do so out of respect for tradition… Caleb is up against a dishonest builder turned town politician who, constrained by a shrinking coastline, will stop at nothing to acquire the land, even if that means using his first-born son as a chess piece to do it. He is up against his heroic, albeit flawed grandfather as well… The story is set in the unfathomable beauty of a moorland that has not yet been spoiled and the ultimate price that must be paid to preserve it… The young fisherman's ordeal culminates on the desolate, wind-tossed dunes of Monomoy Island, where he must finally face his crime or face punishment far more terrifying than any hangman's gallows… But is he going to prevail?

This for me was a phenomenal read. The vivid descriptions of the settings, situations, and people were stunning. The author’s use of genuine dialogue further added to the overall atmosphere of authenticity. In addition, the contrast between tone and content is a characteristic talent of only a few authors, and Forrest pays as much attention to his sentences as he does to his plots, shifting or consolidating meaning with the use of a single word. His writing is impeccably honed, full of juxtapositions and qualifications that help to create a genuine and realistic contemporary psychological thriller.

Very highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me.

View all my reviews

A Letter from Sheri

A Letter from Sheri by Cheryl Gyant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A deeply disturbing, involving book - a page-turner that you can't put down.
Cheryl Gyant’s "A Letter from Sheri," is a compelling story that contains scenes of a graphic nature with adult content including sex, drug use, child abuse, abduction, and violence. It’s an unsettling narrative with an atmosphere that lingers long after the last page is turned.

The serial killer murders committed by Charles Ng and Leonard Lake in California in 1986 serve as the inspiration for this tragic story. In 2001, the author started to write a book about what it was like to be adopted. She was made to believe as a child that her biological father had killed her biological mother. However, when she was a teenager, she immersed herself in a ten-year, seemingly endless search for answers.

Consequently, her mother had been a victim of the 1985 Calaveras County, California Charles Ng, and Leonard Lake serial killings. This was confirmed when her biological aunt located her as an adult. When she contacted the retired detective that had worked on the case, he forwarded her an eleven-page letter from her mother that had been retrieved from a mountain of other evidence left at the crime scene. This letter provided answers to almost all of her questions. She came to the conclusion that her mother was never heard or given a chance in life after learning everything from her letter, her biological father, and her adoption files.

"A Letter from Sheri," a story that was once about an adoptee's quest for understanding, has altered its course to tell the terrifying tale of a victim. The details provided in the letter depict a life of trauma that began when Sheri was a young child and culminated with her death at the hands of ruthless serial killers.

"A Letter from Sheri," is a deeply disturbing, involving book - a page-turner that you can't put down. There are no tidy, last-minute plot twists to make you feel good in this documentary, just focus - to keep the reader focused - and the most disciplined writing I’ve read in years. Very highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me.

View all my reviews

MANY WORLDS - The Novelettes of T. E. Mark - Vol VIII.

MANY WORLDS - The Novelettes of T. E. Mark - Vol VIII by T.E. Mark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great collection of sci-fi stories...

My uncle gave me a science fiction anthology forty or so years ago. I went through the entire thick red hardcover book. A lifelong love of the genre was sparked by it. The stories in that book made me think outside the box. They filled me with awe for the imagination it took to write them. The book's name is OMNIBUS OF SCIENCE FICTION, edited by Groff Conklin, a well-known and prolific editor of the genre. It was published in 1952, the Golden Age of Science Fiction. It's a sizable book with 562 pages and 43 stories broken up into sections with a similar theme. Some stories are fun, some are thought-provoking, and some are adventurous. I love them all.

Science author, screenwriter, and editor T. E. Mark wrote his first novel, FRACTURED HORIZONS, at the age of 12 in the city of Bath, England, which serves as the setting for the story. He has studied architecture, music, and literature in the UK and the US. He has been writing stories since he was a young child. For national and international magazines, Mark has written a variety of scientific articles as well as novels for both young and adult readers. For universities, governmental and non-governmental organizations, he also writes and edits academic papers on a range of topics.

Having read this author several times before, I can safely say he delivers again with his latest collection of sci-fi stories, MANY WORLDS - The Novelettes of T. E. Mark - Vol VIII.

To summarize the synopsis: A computer science student's life is turned upside down when someone from the simulated Earth he built to study how scientists and world leaders will deal with catastrophic climate change contacts him, suspecting his world has been artificially created. SIM … A small rebel contingent of pure humans has decided to act desperately as the world council prepares to outlaw human-human procreation as the planned interbreeding of humans and their synthetic creations is near completion. VINDICATION … Travel between dimensions: the Multiverse. As Paise Atherton, a Quantum Worlds Investigator searches the multiverse for his parents, the girl he loves, and the memories of his missions that are routinely taken from him to hide the terrible effects of interdimensional travel to our universe, Many Worlds gives us a glimpse into his life. MANY WORLDS.

I once again appreciated the dialogue, character growth, and stories. Many of the plot twists I didn't see coming contributed to the book's allure. I began to ponder the events of the book and replay specific scenes in order to piece together more information. The pace of this collection of novellas is just right. Here, very little is as it seems, which is exactly how sci-fi fans will want it.

Finally, it’s well worth checking out the other books in this series. With great writing and excellent storytelling, fans of sci-fi will love these also! Highly recommended and a well-deserved five stars from me. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

View all my reviews

Dr. Benjamin Hardy EXPLODES Personality Myths with Eric Z! [+3 Free Courses!]

The Freedom Building by Martin Kendall

Dragons in the Clouds by David Blair

Zbooks: Meet the #1 SEO Author in the World : Dave Chesson...

Zbooks: Meet the #1 SEO Author in the World : Dave Chesson...:   Each of his books makes well over $1000 per month.  Let that sink in. He hits a HOME RUN every time he's up to bat!  Wouldn't you ...