A Disturbing Nature - A Review

                                                   A Disturbing Nature

by

Brian Lebeau

A Review

Though I was looking forward to reviewing this book, I found myself discouraged as I read. The discouragement began with the lengthy “Acknowledgments” (3 pages). This was followed by a one page “Author’s Note”. The author’s note seems mostly unnecessary in that it focuses on the setting and timing of the novel - elements clearly covered within the body of the book.

The book itself was more a set of character studies than mystery - this reader found himself quickly losing interest. The well-written story may be of interest to some, but I can only give the book two-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.

Buried In A Good Book - A Review

 

Buried In

A Good Book

by

Tamara Berry

A Review

Sometimes an author does it exactly right. Tamara Berry has done just that. With the right amount of humor, the right amount of suspense, the right amount of romance, and the right amount of clues, Ms. Berry has put together a perfect cozy mystery.

Famous mystery writer, Tess Harrow, has come home for a change of pace with her teenage daughter to Northern Washington - Bigfoot country. She is struggling with her divorce, writer’s block, and teenage angst - would she survive the summer? Before the end of her first day home, she has to deal with body parts (literally) raining down on their temporary home.

As the back-page book blurb says, “... solving a real crime is a lot more difficult than writing about it …” Tess, her daughter, the local sheriff, and the town librarian, would have their hands full as they deal with an evil criminal, suspicious characters, and their own relationships. Here’s hoping for more in the series, the book receives 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.

Killer in the Court - A Review

 

Murder She Wrote:
Killer on the Court

by

Jessica Fletcher
Terrie Farley Moran

A Review

Jessica Fletcher is visiting her nephew, Grady, his wife, Donna, and son, Frank. It is supposed to be a relaxing break at the beach in Rockaway NY. And it is until Donna discovers her boss’s body lying on a tennis court - her boss’s dead body.

Though there is some initial suspicion that the Fletcher clan may have been involved. That is quickly resolved, but then it falls on Jessica working with the NYPD to eliminate the suspects and identify the guilty party.

The result is a relaxing cozy mystery that moves quickly to a satisfying conclusion. It did leave this reader with two concerns. First, Frank is the most well-behaved, well-mannered, ten-year-old I have ever met - somewhat uncharacteristic for a young man his age. Second, the book’s resolution comes about unexpectedly with few hints provided to the reader as to the guilty party. Even with those flaws, the book was an enjoyable story and well-worth four stars I am giving it.
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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.

Fatal Code - A Review

 

Fatal Code

by

Natalie Walters

A Review

The space race meets Los Alamos meets pseudocode in this modern faith-based thriller. Theoretical physicist, retired Iowa State professor, and grandfather of Elinor Mitchell has died - the book opens with his funeral. Unbeknownst to Elinor Mitchell, her grandfather has left behind the secrets to a decade old, unfinished, experiment from Los Alamos NM. Elinor had her own secret projects as well. And there were Russian, Chinese, and Industrial spies willing to kill for both.

Into the middle of this steps Kekoa Young, an Hawaiian cyber-expert working with SNAP, a defense contractor assigned to monitor the deepest secrets within the US and other Western governments. His current assignment is to build a relationship with Elinor to determine her commitment to the secrets she has access to - and the evidence suggests she is not as committed as she needs to be.

While most of the story takes place along the streets and areas around Washington DC, the story ends with a distant trip to Hawaii. It will be a difficult journey from the streets of the nation’s capital to the beaches of Hawaii - one that will threaten the lives of both Elinor and Keoka as well as their colleagues.

The book provided the suspense and thrills needed for a few Spring evenings. It deserves the five-star review I am giving it.

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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.

A Margin for Murder - A Review

 

A Margin for Murder

Lauren Elliott

A Review

What do you get when you mix a used bookstore owner, a dying library, and a crooked mayor? You get a dead body and a wrecked bookmobile inside a cozy mystery with a twist.

Add a biased cop and a romantic triangle and things get interesting really quick. Lauren Elliott has written an interest-holding story that takes the reader through the different communities of Cape Cod where we meet a world famous author as well as a number of eccentric characters that make the Cape home.

I could not put this five-star cozy down and recommend it to anyone looking for good clean fun and murder.
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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.

Quantum Physics for Beginners - A Review

 

Quantum Physics
for Beginners

by

Sean Lawson

A Review

This book purports to be an introduction to quantum physics - it might better be described as an introduction to the vocabulary of quantum physics. The closest it comes to actually giving details on the subject is an equation on page one:

s-h/2p eV/h

But the author gives no explanation of its meaning or of the terms used.

At one point the author suggests that there are “plenty of free resources available … This essay will explore some of these sites …” but then does nothing to fulfill that promise. No citations, no web sites, no suggestions for further reading.

The feeling I had was that the author wanted his book reviewers to serve as editors, writing,

Dear reader, despite the efforts made in producing an acceptable draft of this manuscript, I would like to warn you that you may find some spelling errors, grammar and even some sentences that may be improved following your advice. I therefore ask you, if you find some errors, to let me know through the ********** app or by contacting me at ***********@gmail.com.

It is not my task as a reviewer to edit an author's work - a disappointing expectation.

Given the quality of writing and the usefulness of the book, this book is not recommended and is being given only one-star.
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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.

Indigenous Theology and the Western Worldview - A Review

 

Indigenous Theology
and the Western Worldview

by

Randy Woodley

A Review

Several years ago I learned that religions, all religions, got their start in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” From this simple beginning all religious movements had their beginning. Thus, I am not surprised that we find remnant. Robert Woodley takes the stories handed down through Indian Culture to share their understanding God and His Creation, in much the same way that Jesus used Parables to share truth with his followers.

I was first drawn to the work of Dr. Woodley after noting his affiliation with George Fox College and Portland Seminary in Oregon. I was further drawn to this book when I found Dr. Woodley earned his PhD through Asbury Seminary, Wilmore KY. I felt less comfortable with the author's attempt to merge his Christian faith with his Native American background, though I appreciated his attempts to do so.

The book is a compilation of the 2019 Hayward Lectures made at Acadia Divinity College in 2019. The written lecture series is composed of three lectures and a set of interview questions following the lecture itself. Though I do not agree with all that I read, I did find the book readable and understandable. Writing as a Native American, this reader gains insight into an unfamiliar culture that has shaped much of American history - for that he is grateful. I recommend the book to pastors and others who work regularly within the indigenous population of the North American continent. 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.