Tandem Tryst

by Ralph E. Horner

TANDEM TRYST wasn’t what I expected, but then I’m not quite sure what I did expect
from my first time traveling romance. Let’s be clear, this is a SWEET romance, almost as straight laced as the Victorians portrayed. Jeff travels back in time 100 years to meet his deceased wife’s Marcy ancestor Melody, Marcy’s reincarnation or was Marcy Melody’s reincarnation? Confusing isn’t it. Whichever, Melody looks, speaks, and acts like Marcy, but as Jeff learns, is her own person molded by the world she lives in.

I’ll warn you if you are one of those who likes everything tied up neatly at the end, all questions answered, then you’ll be disappointed. After all time travel is paradoxical in nature and Ralph Horner has left a lot for the reader to wonder at. He also assures me that there is a sequel in the offing, so perhaps he will be forgiven.

The setting is the 1893 Chicago Fair and the author has managed to cram in an
enormous amount of history without making you feel as though you are reading a
travelogue or a dull history tome. Rich with detail describes it, TANDEM TRYST brings the 1890's to life.

The mystery grows slowly as someone stalks Jeff, trying to steal the magic ring which allows him to travel to the past. Gradually the mystery consumes the story until the dramatic conclusion. Again, I warn you if you are looking for a detective novel, you will be disappointed, there is no detective working hard to solve the crime, rather things just keep happening, involving Jeff and Melody in the mystery.

This is a mellow, slow paced book, well written, full of vivid details. The highlight is the fair and its multitude of attractions. For the people of that time, it was an experience of a lifetime, a marvel, from the world’s largest Ferris wheel, a ice roller coaster, a moving walkway over the lake, dancers, musicians, and entertainers from around the world, exotic cuisines, and some not so exotic appeared for the first time, such as the hamburger. Art and electric lights. This is a book for those who like history, especially those who like their history with a touch of romance. And the use of the time traveler as a protagonist allows the author to compare the two worlds. I suspect that is why time travel stories have always been popular and continue to do so with writers and
audiences.

Reviewed by Linda Suzane May 13, 2009 www.midnightblood.com

TANDEM TRYST
By Ralph E. Horner
# Paperback
# Publisher: Wings ePress (2009)
# ISBN-10: 1597056227
# ISBN-13: 978-1597056229

DEAD WRECKONING

By Sylvia Dickey Smith

Pirates, smugglers, and murder in Texas

Texas has swamps and bayous? Who knew? Kind of goes against my image of dusty, dry Texas, with the tumbling, tumbling weeds. But I suppose along the coast you would find swamps and bayous. Author Sylvia Dickey Smith has made the area come vividly alive for me, complete with mosquitos, crocodiles or is it alligators, and Spanish moss.

DEAD WRECKONING is an unusual mystery combining the paranormal, a dog, and an older female sleuth, but Sid Smart is no Miss Marple. She is plagued by doubts and insecurities. She left her abusive husband, and the confining world of being a minister’s wife, to build a new life as a private detective. Insecure in her new romantic relationship with Ben and unsure of her abilities as a newly licensed PI, she struggles to save her client from being convicted of murder. Boo, an old woman, claims to have found Jean Lafitte’s schooner, Hotspur, out in the bayou, but when she and her cousin, Sasha, return the next day the schooner is gone. Instead they find Sasha’s husband’s body. Since Boo shot at Zeke the day before, Sasha blames Boo and she is arrested. Sid is on the case, uncovering old pirates, modern smugglers, and ruthless treasure hunters. Visiting the scene of the crime she sees a ghost ship, with a beautiful and buxom lady pirate. Later a gentleman out of the 19th century visits her with a cryptic message. Are they ghosts? Real or just illusions? Sid isn’t sure and neither are we.

I really liked Sid Smart and all her baggage as she struggles to break free of the old confining church life where her husband demanded that she be the perfect minister’s wife. As a former minister’s wife myself, I could relate to her hang-ups and. And her relationship with her dog, almost supernatural. Then there are all the colorful, and I do mean colorful, characters. The writing is good, descriptions vivid. It is well edited, grammar and spelling, but I found myself having to re-read passages to comprehend them a few times.

The solution to why Sasha’s husband was killed was rather obvious, and surprisingly Sid nor the cops never seemed to consider it as a possibility. But the unraveling of the mystery moved along nicely, going in some interesting directions, and coming to a rousing conclusion. DEAD WRECKONING is a delightful mystery, well worth your time and attention, if you like mysteries with a touch of Southern charm. I certainly hope Sid Smart gets her detective agency rebuilt and there will be many more cases in the future.

Reviewed by Linda Suzane April 26, 2009 www.midnightblood.com

DEAD WRECKONING
By Sylvia Dickey Smith
Paperback: 252 pages
Publisher: L & L Dreamspell (March 11, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1603181385
ISBN-13: 978-1603181389

Collie Connection

By Dorothy Bodoin

When forced by circumstances to put down the book only a couple of pages into it, I found myself thinking, “She certainly has a way with words.” Then I heaved a sigh of relief that this is obviously a well written book, with an attention to detail. This thought was followed by a moment of surprise at the slowness of the beginning. It doesn’t start with a dead body or grab me and take off running as I’m used to in so many mysteries, but meanders through the mist and spring flowers. But then I remembered this is a cozy and that is the nature of a cozy. I can hardly wait until my next opportunity to pick it up.

~*~

I just finished COLLIE CONNECTION by Dorothy Bodoin and I am basking in the glow of a very happy ending. I don’t suppose that is a spoiler, since cozies always have a happy ending, but I felt in the course of the book that Dorothy’s heroine, Jennet Greenway had become a very close friend and she deserves her happy ending.

Jennet Greenway has lost her collie, Halley, and the person she believes took her turns up dead, floating in a Michigan lake. While she searches for Halley, she must deal with plans for her rapidly approaching wedding, reviews of her teaching by the principal (it seems that being sent to the principal’s office is every bit as traumatic for teachers as it is for kids.), and two more collies in her life that can in no way take the place in her heart of the one missing. Not to mention the series of mysteries that capture her attention, such as anonymous and strangely threatening wedding gifts, Alyssa, a strange little girl, who buys dinner every night at the Clovers Restaurant, a missing waitress and cook, and.who killed Crystal and dumped her in the lake

Dorothy Bodoin has filled Foxglove Corners with interesting and compelling characters, especially the heroine Jennet. The story moves at a leisurely pace, but never bogs down. The nit-picker in me found a few too many minor copy editing problems to give it the highest Q Award, but you won’t be disappointed when you read COLLIE CONNECTION.

And if you enjoy reading cozies, I highly recommend that you do.

Reviewed by Linda Suzane, March 31, 2009, www.midnightblood.com

Collie Connection
By Dorothy Bodoin
Trade Paperback
Publisher: Wings ePress (2009)
ISBN-10: 159705643X
ISBN-13: 978-1597056434
Available from www.Wings-Press.com (best price), Amazon.com, Fictionwise.com

A Curse of Silence

A Curse of Silence: A Mystery of Ancient Egypt by Lauren Haney

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
The ruler has sent her cousin Amonked to inspect the
fortresses along the Belly of Stones with the purpose
of closing them and removing the army. Everyone
from the Commander Thuty down to the lowest
peasant is horrified by the thought. When Amonked
arrives with ships laden with unbelievable finery he
seems just another bureaucrat whose mind is
already made up, unimpressed by what he sees and
unwilling to listen to reason. Against advice, he plans
to haul all the luxuries, including his beautiful
concubine, along with him across the desert. Despite
rumors of the return of a desert bandit, Amonked
refuses Commander Thuty’s offer of guards, claiming
that his own troops are enough, despite the fact that
they have neither faced combat or the desert. But as
the caravan leaves Buhen, the body of a local prince
is discovered and it appears that someone in
Amonked’s party killed him. Thuty uses the murder as
an excuse to send Bak and Nebwa with 20 bowmen
along. Thuty’s confidence that Bak will find the killer
seems misplaced as the long hot days pass and he is
no closer to uncovering the killer. But he and Nebwa
face graver concerns as it becomes clear that the
threat of the desert bandit is not just a rumor, but fact.
He plans to attack and they are vastly outnumbered.

I like Bak was kept in the dark as to who the killer
was, partially because like he, I came to like all the
characters as they face the challenges of the desert
and the threat of attack. In many ways it was the story
of the wagon train harassed by the hostile Indians, an
exciting adventure. The best so far in the series, I
think.

Reviewed by Linda Suzane March 26, 2009
www.midnightblood.com



View all my reviews.

The Q Awards

The Q Awards

The Starred Q means that this independent published book is of the quality expected of a New York publisher.

The Q means this book meets the minimum standards. It may have some writing defects, a few copy editing problems, but is worth reading.

The Red Typo warns readers that book doesn't meet the minimum quality standards. Poor writing or poor editing.

I hope this helps.

Reviewers are welcome to employ this rating system.

Finding Your Way Around

I have added an Authors list to help you find the reviews you are interested it. It also helped that I learned a lot more about using Blogger and WordPress to create blogs and websites. Eventually I will upgrade www.midnightblood.com to a WordPress site, when I have time, but by make certain changes here, I should be able to incorporate my Blogger site easily into the new site and save myself time and trouble.

For now listings include:

Authors (alphabetically) with the title of the book reviewed.Click on the author will take you to the review.

I also have categorized the articles by subject and genre. Click on the topic will bring a list of all articles related to that subject.

news - Updates about me and the blog.
articles - not reviews.
Q Awards - books that are published independently (eBook and print) that are ratedd by quality.
Wings Press - books published by my publisher, Wings ePress, Inc.

Genre (this list will grow) It is also somewhat limited to what I like to read.Again click on subject will bring up all reviews.
Fantasy
Urban Fantasy - These include paranormal series like Anita Blake and Harry Dresden. .
Paranormal romance - Romance with supernatural or paranormal elements.
Mystery
Mystery Cozy
Paranormal mystery - Mystery with supernatural or paranormal elements.
Romantic Mystery
Mystery Native American / South West
Historical Mystery Egyptian
Historical Mystery 19th Century

Try Just Once More

By Kate Henry Doran

“Maggie McQuire didn’t have time to die. With only two days left before the opening ceremonies of Saranac Lake’s winter carnival, there were too many things left undone.”

So begins this fast pace book, with one of the best first lines I have ever read in a long time. Maggie and her three grown children, Tom, Devon, and Lauren, are finally putting their lives back together after the horror that was her husband / their father’s death and the media circus and accusations of possible murder that followed. Tom has become a police officer, riding mounted patrol, Devon is a world famous artist, and Lauren beginning a promising career as a dancer. Everything is going well for Maggie and her children, except that Devon was mugged and later involved in a drive-by shooting, and Lauren stalked, and then Tom is critically injured when his horse goes down during a riot.

Oh yes, Maggie’s brakes failed and she barely avoids ending up at the bottom of a ravine along with her car, thanks to a Good Samaritan. She is very attracted to the Good Samaritan, his deep, soothing voice and good looks until she learns he is the one thing she detests more than reporters, a cop, the Chief of Police and Tom’s boss. And Michael learns she is another nurse, just like his detestable ex-wife. Sparks fly, lots of misunderstandings, lots of romantic ups and downs. And lots of humor. That was one of the best things about TRY JUST ONCE MORE, the sense of humor. Maggie faces her days with humor, laughing at herself and life, but she has a sharp witty tongue that is often unleashed on Michael.

After awhile, Michael begins to suspect that there might be something more sinister behind the accidents than just bad luck. But why would anyone want to kill Maggie and her kids? The answer is surprising and shocking.

Not only is this book full of humor and witticism, it is also vividly real. Maggie is a member of AA and she must struggle every day. I cried with her when Tom almost died, I grieved as Michael relived his own son’s death, and when Maggie finally unlocked her heart to share her past with Michael.

My only complaint is that this book needed to be more, possibly four books. There was so much going on, so much that happened in the past, hinted at, but never fully explained, that it felt like it should be one of those romance series where the author writes a romance for each character. I would have loved to know how Rachel became scarred, about Devon and Nessa’s relationship, and more about Kit. But it was enough to get to know Maggie and Michael, to find that romance can happen to those over 40. TRY JUST ONCE MORE is a great romance, shadowed by a great dark evil.

Reviewed by Linda Suzane

Try Just Once More
by Kate Henry Doran
Wings Press
Paperback: 332 pages
Publisher: Wings ePress (2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1597058386
ISBN-13: 978-1597058384

Visit Kat's website www.KatHenry.com