Deady Delights - A Review

 

Deady Delights

by

Laura Jensen Walker

A Review

It was August and that meant it was time for the annual Lake Potawatomi WI Bake Off. Les Morris, less affectionately known as Lester-the-molester by most of the women around town, was the head judge and the president of the chamber of commerce. The first round of competition had been completed with Les only briefly misbehaving. However. on the morning of the second-round of competition, Lester Morris was found on the floor of the competition’s venue, face down with his nose stuck in the middle of a coconut cream pie, dead.

Any number of suspects present themselves - relatives, competitors, the pole dancer from Racine WI. It was the job of Brady Wells, town Sheriff, to find the murderer. But Teddie St. John had a habit of getting involved in these investigations - and she would do it again.

Two secondary stories made the book stand out. First, was the underlying story of Teddie St. John’s breast cancer survival and the occasional discussion of her feelings and decisions related to those events. The cancer did not define her, but it did play a part in her daily life. Second, was the collection of not-so-healthy dessert recipes in the back of the book. I am looking forward to trying the “Everything But The Kitchen Sink Cookies (aka Sinkers)” using my favorite bag of trail mix.

Deadly Delights presents small town Wisconsin at its best and at its worst. Having lived in Southern Wisconsin, I recognized many of Lake Potawatomi’s inhabitants and surroundings. The book presented a fun recollection of my past. The final result is a nice, but not great, cozy mystery. I give Deadly Delights four stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

EXCEL for Microsoft 365: Reference and Cheat Sheet - A Review

 

EXCEL for Microsoft 365:
Reference and Cheat Sheet

A Review

Much like other sheets in the series, this item provides a brief overview of the most common features of Microsoft Excel. This it does we

On the other hand, it has the same weaknesses found in earlier “books” in the series. Because the four pages cover both the Windows and Mac versions of the software, users of each will find wasted space devoted to the unused OS. Also, because it focuses on the Windows and Mac versions of the software, it offers no explicit coverage of the mobile versions or the on-line versions of Excel. Finally, because it covers the most common features of the program, it offers little or no guidelines on some of the powerful features offered by Excel. For example, it offers four steps, six lines, on creating graphs; it offers no details on creating or using a pivot table.

These problems could be addressed by creating a web site addressing features that differ between different environments and the features needed by power users. As best this reviewer can tell, no such web site exists.

Given these strengths and weaknesses, I give the EXCEL for Microsoft 365: Reference and Cheat Sheet three stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Wisdom For Daily Living - A Review

 

Wisdom For Daily Living:

365 Encouraging Verses

Of The Bible For Men

A Review

Barbour Publishing is reprinting this devotional, originally printed in 2011, in time for Father’s Day 2021. Each one-page devotional begins with a verse reference, taken from one of 18 different translations. Also, about 18 twenty or twenty-first century authors have contributed devotional thoughts to this volume.

One of the strengths is the addition of two indexes at the rear of the book. The first index is based on authors, the second by scripture references.

The one concern I had as I read through the devotions was the lack of authors being given credit with their own devotional material. This information can be found - once the entry number is determined, the reader is able to scan the author index in the rear of the book. Note, the author index is sorted by author’s name, not by entry number. All the entries for each author are given in a single list.

I liked the devotions, but was less enthusiastic about the tools the reader is provided for accessing the various readings. I give this book 3-1/2 stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Word for Microsoft 365 Reference and Cheat Sheet - A Review

 

Word for Microsoft 365

Reference and Cheat Sheet

(ISBN: 9781641880589)

A Review

The publisher has put together a well-designed set of reference tools for MS Word 365 covering the basic needs for most daily word processing activities. It does not offer details on more complex activities such as writing chapters or generating an index. This long time user of MS Word (since 1983/1984), does appreciate the detail included in these four pages of notes.

I have two concerns. First, MS Word 365 is intentionally a work in progress, designed to be upgraded on a regular basis as updates are added. This Cheat Sheet has no way of being updated as the program grows. My second concern comes from the fact that the pamphlet is written for both Windows and Mac versions of the program - whichever version the reader is using includes wasted space. In addition, the focus on Windows and Mac means that details related to the Android and the on-line versions of MS Word 365 are omitted. Perhaps the publisher should add a web page that can grow and supplement the cheat sheet as the program grows. This addition would allow the author to address both issues - providing for program changes in the future and for alternate versions of the program existing in other environments (whether in a different OS or as offered on-line).

Given the usefulness of the Word for Microsoft 365 Reference and Cheat Sheet and my two concerns, I give this item four stars
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Pastor As Counselor - A Review

 

Pastor As Counselor

by

David Powlison

A Review

I picked up this book hoping to do a quick scan of the book before writing my review. I, instead, ended up reading this 80 page monograph and being pleasantly surprised. The book consists of two chapters, the first details the difference between pastoral counseling and traditional secular counseling. The second chapter outlines the unique elements that Christian counseling has to offer to broken people.

As a seminary graduate, I wished I had access to this content as I took my pastoral counseling course; as a pastor, I would have liked to have had this book available to help shape my thoughts as I interacted with my congregants; this book would have been helpful as I completed my Masters in Counseling at a state university (with two committed Christians on the faculty). Even now, 25 years after completing my education, I am glad to have access to this material for reference and review.

The author has drawn from saints across the ages: Gregory the Great, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C. S. Lewis, Thomas C. Oden, Richard Baxter, Sally Lloyd-Jones, et al. He is also not afraid from using help from more secular counselors when appropriate (e.g. Freud, Satir, and Ellis). The book concludes with an extensive bibliography and scripture index - both of which add value to the book.

I would think every pastor, every Christian counselor, and every believer involved in helping others would find encouraging material in this small book. Even the introduction, written by a friend of the author, contains valuable thoughts. I give the book five stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Bridge of Gold - A Review

 

Bridge of Gold

by

Kimberley Woodhouse

A Review

Certain moments in life define a person.
Moments that invoke physical

feelings that can’t be described.
That flood the heart and soul
with more emotions

than could possibly be fathomed.

This was one of those moments...

Ms. Woodhouse has written a faith-based thriller interweaving four era’s in the history of San Francisco CA. Beginning with California’s Gold Rush in the 1850s and ending with a present day archaeological visit to the very bottom of the Golden Gate Bridge, the reader makes a literary trip through time.

The Lucky Martha had gone down in the bay north of San Francisco in 1849. It was rediscovered in 1893, 1933, and, again, in modern times. The first three occurrences triggered death. It almost happened again. Mechanical engineer Steven Michaels and underwater archaeologist Kayla Richardson would assume the task of understanding the ship’s history and the deaths that seemed to follow it through time.

Bridge of Gold is part of a series of books commissioned by the publisher asking each author to develop a fictional mystery around events that occupy events in real history. The story of Bridge of Gold surrounds the development and restoration of the Golden Gate Bridge. This is the second book in the series I have been privileged to review with one more scheduled for next month. It was an exciting read, with enough history and citations for the reader to explore more details on his or her own. The author makes clear what is history and what is fiction. The result is a readable story about life above and below the surface of San Francisco Bay. I give the book five stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Aftermath - A Review

 

Aftermath

by

Terri Blackstock

A Review

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust...”

{Psalm 91:1-2 ESV}

Taylor Reid and her friends had come for the concert, not the politician. When the concert was over, they still stayed to see what the politician might say. They never heard him. Before he could speak, the platform exploded and the venue erupted into chaos. Taylor managed to escape, but then she had to juggle the “Aftermath”.

Terri Blackstock, as expected, has written a compelling legal thriller that held this reader’s attention from Chapter 1 to the very end. Jamie Powell would need to use her skills as a lawyer to protect her client (and, at times, herself) from the police who were certain he was guilty and Taylor who believed what the police said and what she heard on the news.

Though the book was a normal 300+ page book, it is the first time I completed reading a book in a little over 24+ hour - I literally could not put it down. I easily give it 5-stars.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review.  The opinions expressed are mine alone.  

Deadly Ever After - A Review

 

Deadly Ever After

by

Eva Gates

A Review

I love being alone in the library after
closing. I believe that when it’s very quiet,
I can hear the rustle of conversation as the

characters chat to each other, the wind
moving through the sails of ships of old, the
chug of a steam-powered train passing through
the countryside, or the roar of jet engines
bearing a heroine off to adventure.

Eva Gates has again hit a homerun - a cozy mystery that invites the reader to spend time visiting the North Carolina’s Outer Banks wondering when the next murder will occur. The author reminds us again that the lighthouse truly exists, though it is not a library, and can be visited on our vacation. We can then climb the 214 steps to the top to see the view of the ocean, the marshland, and communities that make up Nags Head.

It is within this lovely setting that we discover that Boston lawyer Richard Eric Lewiston the Second has been murdered on the back steps of one of the community's best restaurants. The suspects are numerous. including family, friends, mistresses, and a few others. Assistant Librarian Lucy Richardson will again be thrust into a murder mystery that she does not want to be involved in but must be involved in to protect the reputation of those she cares about.

It was not clear whether this will be the last of the series (I hope not), but is worth reading regardless. It held my interest while I attempted to finish the book in my allotted four days. This is the second book I have read in this series, but the book has no immediate holes if a reader would have missed previous volumes. I give this cozy mystery 5-stars.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Never Miss - A Review

 

Never Miss

by

Melissa Koslin

A Review

“I would never tell anyone they should believe anything simply because I said so,”

he said. “People should study for themselves.
Read both theologians and atheists, read the history and the science,
and then make your own logical conclusions.”

The author has composed a fast-paced novel on bioterrorism unleashed upon the leaders of the American government and medicine. Two very different people, one a nerd with three doctorates and one a trained assassin, will need to track down a small group of insurgents who have hopes of destroying humanity in support of their ecological motive.

The book occasionally had me looking for added details in Google (always a good sign) and staying up late to finish the book (another good sign). I was amazed how often the characters twitched (13x), quirked (2x), or tweaked (5x), their mouths. At one point it became a distraction - as it might if I were to interact with someone with similar habits in the real world.

Though this faith-based novel did a nice job of explaining faith to a non-believer (part of which is quoted above), and explores the characters response over time to those details, the book is in no way overly religious. I easily give the book five-stars.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

The Paris Betrayal - A Review

 

The Paris Betrayal

by

James R. Hannibal

A Review

An intriguing espionage thriller that reaches from Rome, to Paris, to Washington DC, the story follows Ben Calix as he travels the world trying to save America from a bioweapon attached to the equivalent of a 60-kiloton nuke to assist with disbursement. The catch is that no one will believe him based on his slim evidence.

The author has written a book that he claims is intended to parallel the Old Testament book of Job. Though the parallel is less than perfect, the book is attention grabbing in its own right and kept this reader up more than one late-night before coming to the end.

I felt as if I was reading the plot for the latest Liam Neeson or James Bond thriller. Set in well-known and more obscure spots around the world, this reader gained some new knowledge of world geography. This alone made the book a worthwhile read. I give the book four-stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

The Silver Shadow - A Review

The Silver Shadow

by

Liz Tolsma

A woman’s place was
in the home, raising children,
caring for her husband, keeping house.
She had no business out working a job,

thinking she didn’t need a man.

That was the thug’s motivation for attacking the women of Denver CO in the ending months of 1900 and the beginning of 1901. The problem was that it was not only his thoughts, but also those of the Denver Post’s editor, Joseph Ward, and at least one rising star of its newsroom, Harry Gray. And the only woman assigned to the newsroom, an attempt to show that an early 20th century employer could be inclusive, Polly Blythe, had to work in that environment.. It also appeared to be the attitude of the Denver Police Department’s Chief of Detectives, Hamilton Armstrong.

And if that was the case, why should anyone, police or otherwise, investigate the brutal attacks on 11+ women on the streets of Denver. The attacks involved the use of a lead or copper pipe hitting the women over the head - three died, the others were injured with varying degrees of physical damage. None were robbed; none were sexually assaulted. Altogether, it did make a good story - except many of the facts and people were taken from Denver’s historical record. Borrowing from that historical record, the author has done a surprising job of weaving a believable, faith-based, tale from the known facts of the era. The remarkable story concludes with a brief epilog describing the actual events that provided a foundation for the plot. The book provides fictional answers to many of the unanswered questions that remained from the actual events that took place in early 20th-century Denver.

In the present book, Polly Blythe and Denver Detective Edwin Price would be the two characters with enough gumption and curiosity to continue to follow the story - though many city leaders thought it a less than worthwhile task. Their work and the creativity of the author merit this five-star review.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.