All That Is Secret - A Review

All That Is Secret

by
Patricia Raybon

A Review

“Because our gathering this morning,
my sisters and brothers, isn’t so much
about us —and why we’ve come here
—wearing our nice
clothes and our fancy
hats and our new shoes —”

...

“Instead,” Jack added, “we gather in this place
—this holy place—
to worship and praise our God.
So draw in the wanderings of your minds,
 turning from your concerns and worries,
and let’s turn our attentions solely on him.”

Yes! YEs! YES! Patricia Raybon has created a great piece of historical fiction that leaves the reader primed for more volumes in this series. Maybe not from the first line (as per the back cover) but certainly from the first page “readers will be hooked.” From the moment that Joe Spain finds the baby left on the frozen ground on a ranch outside the city of Denver CO, it is clear that somebody is up to no good.

A year later, in 1923, Joe’s daughter arrives in Denver to discover the truth about her father’s death. The home of the second largest KKK chapter in the USA, Colorado becomes a hotbed of anti-black activity and politics. It is in this environment that Professor Annalee Spain, Joe’s daughter, finds herself looking for his story. With the help of the help of the local AME Pastor, Rev. Jack Robert Blake, an orphaned white lad, Eddie Brown Jr,, and a retired Denver DA, Colonel Sidney Castle, she would seek the answers she sought. The KKK makes its presence known, but they are not the enemy that Annalee is really fighting. Families and politics are far bigger problems - holding secrets that even the best of people do not want revealed.

Intense at times, the book is one the reader will not be able to put down. I spent more than one night staying up to get it read. 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.

Brutal Justice - A Review

 

A Brutal Justice

by

Jess Corban

A Review

Some books don’t fit every reader. This is one that did not fit this reader. The author has created a dystopian story that leaves a world where women dominate, and men are demasculated at birth when they receive a “vaccine” that will turn them into “Gentles” that are essentially slaves. Not a pretty picture.

Much of the story focuses on saving the male population so they are allowed to grow into “Brutes”, their natural state. I found the story boring and slow moving - determined at several points to put the book down without finishing it. I would pick it up again to give it another try only to give up again. Eventually, I did not finish the book and moved onto my next book. I give “Brutal Justice” 2-½ 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.

Undercurrent of Secrets - A Review

 

Undercurrent of Secrets

by

Rachel Scott McDaniel

A Review

Two stories, two mysteries, two romances, separated by one hundred years, joined by the love for a paddle-wheeler that had its beginnings in 1914 and that is still plying its trade along the Ohio River serves as the backdrop for this well-told plot.The author weaves the stories together using two narrators, one from the past and one from the present. Together these two narrators allow us to follow the lives of Devyn Asbury and Hattie Louis and their loves and adventures. Bootleggers, kidnappers, arsonists, and murderers all add to this exciting tale.

There are few books that will bring tears to my eyes as I finish them - this one did. I give this piece of faith-based historical fiction 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.  

You Can Run - A Review

 

You Can Run

by

Karen Cleveland

A Review

I loved it. I hated it. I suppose that means it was a good book. From the first page to the last sentence, the author provides a compelling story of espionage, revenge, and corruption. The reader will leave the story with a gasp - satisfied and feeling punched in the stomach at the same time. I give the book 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.