Always Look Twice - A Review

Always Look Twice 

by

Elizabeth Goddard

Harper Reynolds was a forensic photographer - but too much exposure to the horrific scenes she had snapped over the years required that she take a break. As her break was coming to an end she found herself in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, south of Yellowstone National Park. As she was photographing the grizzly bear on the banks of the Grayback River something caught her eye. It was a hunter. But he was not hunting deer or bear, he was hunting that woman. And Harper watched as she was murdered in the moments that followed. Thus begins Elizabeth Goddard’s latest book. 

In a story that takes the reader from Missouri to Wyoming to Texas, we are presented with a life and death drama that involves first responders from the national government and from multiple states and agencies. It is a gripping tale that holds the reader’s attention from the first chapter to the last - this reader’s heart could not stop pounding. The author does a wonderful job of describing the wildness that is found in the National Forest - whether seen on horseback or on foot. She is less successful in describing the downtown Dallas theater where the story finds its resolution, this reader’s only disappointment in reading the book.

A faith-based novel, Elizabeth Goddard book will find a willing home in the church library. But given its exciting and riveting story, it also belongs on the public library shelf. For the reader looking for a good fall story from a colorful writer, Always Look Twice may just fill the bill. 

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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 my own.

The Pajama Frame - A Review

The Pajama Frame

by

Diane Vallere

A Review

Diane Vallere has another winner with The Pajama Frame. The book opens with the death of an old friend. Along with the death of Alice Sweet, Madison Night, the owner of the Mod for You decorating studio gets a couple of nice gifts. First comes the unsurprising fact that  would inherit the contents of Alice’s house. What was a surprise was that the Madison would also be inheriting the locked and sealed pajama factory that had been a major source of income for the women of Dallas, TX, during WWII and in the years immediately following the war.

The first person story continues to move - keeping the reader involved and guessing. Madison Night, entrepreneur, amateur sleuth and the inheritor of the aforementioned gifts, working with newly promoted Captain Tex Allen (her boyfriend) will spend days finding bodies, tracking suspects, and messing with typical crime investigation procedures. The author brings together the elements to make a great cozy mystery - mystery, humor, and a touch of romance - and she does it successfully.

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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 are mine alone.

Miracle Drug - A Review

Miracle Drug

by

Richard L. Mabry

A Review

He was not the world’s greatest doctor, he was not even the smartest in medical school.  Yet he had been appointed to be the next primary care physician for David Madison, the former President of the United States.  And he had no idea why.

Though he was not the smartest guy in the world, he quickly became responsible for saving the life of the ex-President and his soon-to-be girlfriend. The disease they shared was easy to identify - but curing it became much more difficult.  And finding the cause would become more difficult still. And yet that is what fell into Dr. Josh Pearson’s lap.

The reader is introduced to the story by a preface full of disclaimers.  As I said to my wife, this book has more disclaimers than a bottle of medicine. This preface tends to make the reader feel that the plot is more science fiction than a medical thriller - which is far from the truth. The actual story begins in Bogota, Columbia, but moves quickly to Zale Lipsy Hospital in Dallas, TX.  The reader quickly becomes aware this he or she is reading a medical thriller. Dr. Mabry, a practicing physician, has not disappointed. As the story develops, we are introduced to the Secret Service, the Dallas Police Department, and the staff which continues to assist the former President in his day-to-day tasks. And together they will either contribute to Mr. Madison’s ills, seek to discover its cause, or work toward a cure, a miracle drug as it were.

The book will hold the reader’s attention as the action and accusations move across the southern tier of the United States. Waiting to discover who is helping and who is hindering the discovery of the guilty. There are enough twists and turns to make a compelling story is worth the time spent reading. I expect that most will enjoy the time they spend between this book’s pages.

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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 my own.