I keep getting confused about all the Bloody Billionaire’s by Kay Widow, but I keep grabbing the books. They are quick reads, filled with vampires and romance. Right up my alley.
Quinn is the king and feels like he can do as he pleases, slaughtering humans left and right, leaving them for others to clean up. One of the problems, he eliminates their food supply and his inability to control his thirst could be his downfall.
In comes Tessa, his blood therapist, but she has an ulterior motive. She wants immortality for her and her sisters, and she must kill the king to get it. There is one problem….her attraction to the king.
The steamy sex scenes are smoking hot, even when its only in her head. The violence is graphic and gruesome.
Become a servant they said. It will be fun they said. And gods, they had no idea how fun it had become.
They fight their attraction for different reasons. Quinn because he cannot marry a commoner and Tessa because she must kill or be killed. I love the twist that Kay Widow throws into the mix and I wondered how she would do it. Do what, you ask? Well, if I told you, it would give too much away, so you’ll have t find out for yourself.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
“My blood has never burned like this before…”
Tessa knows her mission: Infiltrate the estate of vampire king Quinn Rodin and end his undead life.
This deal with the ruthless King Marr will grant her and her sisters immortality, but only if Tessa kills Quinn, Marr’s enemy.
As Quinn’s personal “bloodbag,” Tessa lives in the vampire’s mansion while spying on her target.
Yet when Quinn sinks his fangs into her flesh, Tessa discovers unexpected heat raging through her veins. His bite stirs a dangerous longing that clouds her judgment and threatens her task.
The vampire king’s allure captivates her, even as his unearthly powers put her life at risk. And Tessa struggles between restoring her focus and indulging the enemy’s temptation.
Each night Quinn’s bite unravels her and carnal hunger replaces duty. But at what cost?
Her sisters are counting on her, and King Marr does not tolerate failure.
With immortality on the line, Tessa must master her thirst for Quinn’s embrace and regain her wits before his wicked bite destroys her from within.
Bloody Billionaire is a supernatural romantic thriller that will keep you turning pages until the breathtaking end. For fans of dangerous trysts, forbidden passions, and lethal creatures of the night.
ABOUT KAY WIDOW
Kay Widow is a paranormal romance author. She writes page-turning romances that readers consume faster than she can produce. If you love spicy romances with protective and dominant alphas who fall for sassy curvy women, then you might just love Kay’s novels. Kay lives in Kansas with her husband, Irish twins, and all her book boyfriends.
Death By Theft: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery by Abigail Keam
About Death by Theft
Death By Theft: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery Cozy Mystery 19th in Series Setting – Kentucky Worker Bee Press (October 30, 2023) Number of Pages ~200 ASIN : B0BVJSY15M
MY REVIEW
I do enjoy a good cozy mystery now and then and have read some of Abigail Keam’s work. I enjoyed her writing, so when I saw Death By Theft, about a foal being stolen, I wanted to check it out for myself.
I really liked Asa, a complicated character that doesn’t seek out danger, but can be counted on to find out answers, especially when her family and friends have a problem. Josiah is a bit on the nosy side and dead bodies seem to appear whenever she is around.
I’ve mentioned the characters that stood out to me, but there are plenty more that have their place, adding depth to the story. After all, the more, the merrier, right?
Are the theft of the foal and the murder of Juan Gomez connected? Seems logical to me that they would be. But why? As the mystery unfolds, we have enough suspects to muddy the waters and things are not always as they appear to be.
When the Last Chance Mote in Key Largo is mentioned, I do remember a trip I took there, in The Mermaid’s Carol…and I enjoyed it very much. It is a magical place where you can relax and rejuvenate. Asa and her mother need it, after solving the mystery of the theft of the foal and the death of Juan Gomez.
3 Stars
SYNOPSIS
Josiah is happy for her pals Lady Elsmere and Shaneika Mary Todd when broodmare Jean Harlow gives birth to a male foal sired by Comanche. The owners of both horses have high hopes the foal will become a stakes winner—maybe even win the Kentucky Derby. The foal has a broad chest, indicating significant lung capacity—important for winning races, but just like his daddy, the foal is ebony with a bad attitude.
Josiah and Shaneika visit dam Jean Harlow early one morning and are shocked to find the prized foal is missing. They frantically search Lady Elsmere’s and Josiah’s farms without success. It’s urgent they find the foal fast as he is not yet weaned and is too young to be separated from his mother. Who would snatch the feisty foal from his mother’s care? And equally important, why?
Death By A HoneyBee Death By Drowning Death By Bridle Death By Bourbon Death By Lotto Death by Chocolate Death by Haunting Death By Derby Death By Design Death By Malice Death By Drama Death By Stalking Death By Deceit Death By Magic Death By Shock Death By Chance Death By Poison Death By Greed Death By Theft
About Abigail Keam
Abigail Keam is an award-winning and Amazon best-selling author who writes the Josiah Reynolds Mystery Series about a Southern beekeeper turned amateur female sleuth. Besides loving history, Kentucky bourbon, and chocolate, Abigail loves honeybees and for many years made her living by selling honey at a farmers’ market like her protagonist, Josiah Reynolds. She is an award-winning beekeeper who has won many honey awards at the Kentucky State Fair including the Barbara Horn Award, which is given to beekeepers who rate a perfect 100 in a honey competition.
Miss Abigail has taken her knowledge of beekeeping to create a fictional beekeeping protagonist, Josiah Reynolds, who solves mysteries in the Bluegrass. While Miss Abigail’s novels are for enjoyment, she discusses the importance of a local sustainable food economy and land management for honeybees and other creatures.
She currently lives on the Kentucky River in a metal house with her husband and various critters. She still has honeybees.
AWARDS 2010 Gold Medal Award from Readers’ Favorite for Death By A HoneyBee 2011 Gold Medal Award from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Drowning 2011 USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books List of 2011 as a Finalist for Death By Drowning 2011 USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books List of 2011 as a Finalist for Death By A HoneyBee 2017 Finalist from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Design 2019 Honorable Mention from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Stalking 2019 Top 10 Mystery Novels from Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A Blue Moon2 2019 Honorable Mention from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Stalking: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery 2019 Top 10 Mystery Novels from Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A Blue Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery 2020 Imadjinn Award for Best Mystery – Death By Stalking: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery 2022 Finalist in Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist for Best Historical Category – Murder Under A Full Moon 2022 Finalist for the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical Category – Murder Under A New Moon 2022 Death By Chance: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist for Best Cozy Mystery 2022 Top Ten Mystery Novel by Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A Bridal Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery 2022 Top Ten Mystery Novel by Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A British Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery
I came across this anthology because of Jamie Kort, the author of the short story A Puppet Scorned. Planet Bizarro picked up this short story to include in their anthology, so when Jamie told me I could grab a copy, I had to have it. I mean, look at that fabulous cover! Doesn’t it make you curious as to what is inside?
Of course, A Puppet Scorned was my favorite of the shorts. Who doesn’t remember sock puppets? BUT, I never had any like these.
It started out a bit flat for me, but anthologies can be like that. I may not care that much for all of them, but most of the time I can find a few that stand out. Another that stood out was the Special Tree. I felt what was coming, but it was a novel take on keeping up with the Jonses’.
It you are looking to be taken outside your comfort zone, you may find that special gem inside Planet Bizarro. To be sure, it kept me reading and I like that I could pick it up and put it down without losing my place. If you are a horror lover, I recommend giving these twelve shorts a try.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
IN A WORLD WHERE BODY AUGMENTATION IS THE NORM, A MAN IN NEED OF A NEW PAIR OF LIPS ENDS UP WITH MORE THAN HE BARGAINED FOR.
A CLASSIC TALE OF LOVE, FAMILY, AND BETRAYAL. PERFORMED BY SOCK PUPPETS.
A JEALOUS WOMAN VISITS A SPECIAL TREE TO GET A BABY. THE BABY IS NOTHING LIKE HER NEIGHBOURS’.
A WIFE RETURNS HOME TO FIND HER HUSBAND CUT IN HALF VERTICALLY. HE’S COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF IT.
THE BEST OF BIZARRO FICTION: VOLUME 1 FEATURES TWELVE INSANELY MEMORABLE TALES. YOU’LL NEVER LOOK AT LIFE THE SAME WAY AGAIN.
FEATURING STORIES BY MIKE JAMES DAVIS, LEO X. ROBERTSON, MADELEINE SWANN, BILL PURNELL, LEON SAUL, JAMIE KORT, XAVIER GARCIA, MEGAN STOCKTON, JAMES L. STEELE, BEN FITTS, SHAWN WAYNE LANGHANS, AND KEVIN SHAMELI
Genre: Anthologies, Bizarro Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Short Stories
Sanctuary Motel by Alan Orloff caught my eye because of the colorful cover and the title. What kind of sanctuary? When I read the blurb, I loved the premise. He’s not rich and powerful, but what he does have, he is willing to share with those who are less fortunate and in need of a helping hand.
Many, like his parents and uncle, may think he really is a Mess, but Mess marches to the beat of a drummer they can’t understand. With the help of Cesar, who keeps the place running, and a few other unique friends, they are willing to put their life on the line when a woman and her teenage son come to stay. They never anticipated it would be as complicated as it became and the danger level rises with each turn.
The description of Sanctuary Motel by Alan Orloff being a noir crime novel fits to a T. It’s more than a cozy and less than a suspense/thriller.
Myself, I love staying in motels. Sure, they may not be the best accommodations, but I love that you can park your car right outside your door. No muss, no fuss getting to your room. They can have everything hotels have, just easier access to it. And….if they had an owner like Mess, it sure would make it interesting.
The story, for me, was Mess. A man that goes above and beyond. A man who gives more than he gets. Isn’t that outside the norm we hear about? Sure, it may seem like he lacks ambition, but I think he’s on hold until his true ‘mission’ in life appears. Could it be in the form of a woman? We shall see, since this is Book I in the Mess Hopkins series.
There is nothing wrong with Sanctuary Motel. It has all the elements for a good mystery. For me, it seems, well, not enough. I do enjoy a lighter story, a relaxing read, but I revel in white knuckled, life or death urgency that makes it impossible for me to put the book down. All that being said, I will have my eye on future Mess Hopkins novels.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Mess Hopkins, proprietor of the seen-better-days Fairfax Manor Inn, never met a person in need who couldn’t use a helping hand—his helping hand. So he’s thrown open the doors of the motel to the homeless, victims of abuse, or anyone else who could benefit from a comfy bed with clean sheets and a roof overhead. This rankles his parents and uncle, who technically still own the place and are more concerned with profits than philanthropy.
When a mother and her teenage boy seek refuge from an abusive husband, Mess takes them in until they can get back on their feet. Shortly after arriving, the mom goes missing and some very bad people come sniffing around, searching for money they claim belongs to them. Mess tries to pump the boy for helpful information, but he’s in full uncooperative teen mode—grunts, shrugs, and monosyllabic answers. From what he does learn, Mess can tell he’s not getting the straight scoop. It’s not long before the boy vanishes too. Abducted? Run away? Something worse? And who took the missing money? Mess, along with his friend Vell Jackson and local news reporter Lia Katsaros, take to the streets to locate the missing mother and son—and the elusive, abusive husband—before the kneecapping loansharks find them first.
Genre: Fiction, Noir Crime, Suspense, Thriller
Format; 301 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication: October 24, 2023 by Level Best Books
Language: English
ABOUT ALAN ORLOFF
Before Alan stepped off the corporate merry-go-round, he had an eclectic (some might say disjointed) career. As an engineer, he worked on nuclear submarines, supervised assembly workers in factories, facilitated technology transfer from the Star Wars program, and learned to stack washing machines three high in a warehouse with a forklift. He even started his own recycling and waste reduction newsletter business. Now he writes fiction.
His debut mystery, DIAMONDS FOR THE DEAD, was a finalist for the Best First Novel Agatha Award. He writes the Last Laff Mystery Series: KILLER ROUTINE (#1) and DEADLY CAMPAIGN (#2), and has three e-book originals, THE TASTE (horror/thriller), FIRST TIME KILLER (thriller), and RIDE-ALONG (suspense).
He wrote the thrillers RUNNING FROM THE PAST and PRAY FOR THE INNOCENT (winner of the ITW Thriller Award for Best E-Book Original).
His novel, I KNOW WHERE YOU SLEEP is a Shamus Award finalist for Best First P.I. Novel.
His YA thriller, I PLAY ONE ON TV, comes out July 19, 2021 from Down & Out Books.
His short fiction has appeared in numerous publications, including JEWISH NOIR, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, CHESAPEAKE CRIMES: STORM WARNING, Mystery Weekly, NOIR AT THE SALAD BAR, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, five consecutive issues of the BEST NEW ENGLAND CRIME STORIES, THE NIGHT OF THE FLOOD, MICKEY FINN, and MYSTERY MOST GEOGRAPHICAL.
His story, “Rule Number One” (SNOWBOUND, Level Best Books), was selected for the 2018 edition of THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES anthology, edited by Louise Penny.
His story, “Dying in Dokesville,” won a Derringer Award, and his story “Rent Due,” is an ITW Thriller Award finalist.
Alan recently moved to South Florida. He loves cake and arugula, but not together.
I want to thank NetGalley and MacMillan for the opportunity to read Twas The Bite Before Christmas by Davidrosenfeld. This is book 28 in the series, so I thought I couldn’t go wrong.
Okay, before I get into the story, I will tell you, it was the cover and title that hooked me. Yeah, I read the blurb and all, but I still ended up feeling a bit disappointed and misled. Sure, the dogs are there, but they don’t do like the ‘normal’ animals in a cozy mystery. And bite in the title?
Derek Moore is revealed as being in the witness protection program, when he is arrested for murder. As his friend, lawyer Andy Carpenter is on the case. Seeing this is book #28 in the series, I expected big things.
Sure, we have a mystery, but at times, it felt like a police procedural or a legal mystery. I did enjoy the story, but I doubt I would actively seek out another Andy Carpenter series book. With David Rosenfeld having such a huge collection of books, others may enjoy the books much more than I did.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
In National Bestseller David Rosenfelt’s ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas, all through the Carpenter house, five dogs are stirring, and not even Andy can get out of working this latest case at his door.
Reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter is at the Tara Foundation’s annual Christmas party. The dog rescue organization has always been his true calling, and this is one holiday tradition he can get behind because every dog that’s come through the rescue—and their families—are invited to celebrate.
This year’s party is no exception. But before the stockings can be hung by the chimney with care, homicide detectives ruin the evening. Derek Moore, one of the foundation’s best foster volunteers, is arrested for murder.
Andy discovers Derek—whose real name is Bobby—is in the witness protection program after giving evidence against his former gang. The police believe Bobby murdered a member. But Bobby swears to Andy he didn’t do this. He’s built a new life, a new business, has two new dogs after being a double foster-failure.
There isn’t much Andy likes about this case, but he likes Bobby. If he’s innocent, Andy wants to help. Before Andy can settle down for his long winter’s nap, he has a client’s name to clear, a murderer to catch, and two new dogs to look after: a golden and a Dalmatian. Andy’s golden retriever, Tara, will have to adjust to not being the only golden at the house while Andy gets to the bottom of this one…
Genre: Christmas, Cozy Mystery, Holiday, Mystery,
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 10, 2023 by Minotaur Books
Language: English
Series: Andy Carpenter #28
ABOUT DAVID ROSENFELT
I am a novelist with 27 dogs.
I have gotten to this dubious position with absolutely no planning, and at no stage in my life could I have predicted it. But here I am.
My childhood was relentlessly normal. The middle of three brothers, loving parents, a middle-class home in Paterson, New Jersey. We played sports, studied sporadically. laughed around the dinner table, and generally had a good time. By comparison, “Ozzie and Harriet’s” clan seemed bizarre.
I graduated NYU, then decided to go into the movie business. I was stunningly brilliant at a job interview with my uncle, who was President of United Artists, and was immediately hired. It set me off on a climb up the executive ladder, culminating in my becoming President of Marketing for Tri-Star Pictures. The movie landscape is filled with the movies I buried; for every “Rambo”, “The Natural” and “Rocky”, there are countless disasters.
I did manage to find the time to marry and have two children, both of whom are doing very well, and fortunately neither have inherited my eccentricities.
A number of years ago, I left the movie marketing business, to the sustained applause of hundreds of disgruntled producers and directors. I decided to try my hand at writing. I wrote and sold a bunch of feature films, none of which ever came close to being actually filmed, and then a bunch of TV movies, some of which actually made it to the small screen. It’s safe to say that their impact on the American cultural scene has been minimal.
About fourteen years ago, my wife and I started the Tara Foundation, named in honor of the greatest Golden Retriever the world has ever known. We rescued almost 4,000 dogs, many of them Goldens, and found them loving homes. Our own home quickly became a sanctuary for those dogs that we rescued that were too old or sickly to be wanted by others. They surround me as I write this. It’s total lunacy, but it works, and they are a happy, safe group.
Ashleigh and Marci are chatting. You know…girl talk. Marci has her sights set on the bartender, so she slips Ashleigh a card, insisting she call the exclusive escort agency. Maybe she can end her dry spell.
When Ashleigh talks about her vibrator, she had me cracking up, as did the dialogue between the two girls. I am always up for some laughs.
I had a fabulous time hanging out with the girls and the Monster Escort Agency has me intrigued. Sure, we had hot, steamy, instalove, but that’s okay. I expected no less with a story told in 52 pages. I loved the idea of requesting a ‘book boyfriend’ and Ashleigh’s was a vampire. No surprises, but lots of fun. I think I will enjoy making a return visit and see who does what to who.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
After a considerably long dry spell, Ashleigh finally succumbs to peer pressure and does the unimaginable.
She contacts an exclusive escort agency.
To her astonishment, they unveil a unique service catering to her preferred literary realm: paranormal romance. Yet, what she could never have foreseen was the agency’s arrangement for a night of passion with a creature straight out of her beloved books—an actual, bona fide vampire.
Katya Ensmore resides in rural Saskatchewan with her #writingbuddy a Great Dane aptly named Khaos. When she is not spending time with Khaos, she can be found writing or hiding behind her iPad buried in the digital pages of a book.
When it comes to literature and film, she enjoys all things supernatural. She has been writing since she was a child. She currently has several works in progress with hopes to publish more in the near future.
Have you every wanted to run away? Change your life? Escape from the chains that bind you? Walk away and start over? How far would you go to get your happy ending?
Adrienne and Gabriel met at the gala and it was an instant attraction. The problem, he is taken. I loved when they first met and made up stories about others at the party. My friends and I used to do the same thing when we were…out. It was fun, imaging the possibilities.
Adrienne’s husband, Dustin, and his friend, Jarrett, stole millions of dollars. Gabriel finds out about it and decides to take the money for himself. Himself and his pregnant girlfriend, Cindy. He wants the money to give his family a life. And, he takes Adrienne along for the ride. At first, she is an unwilling participant, but it doesn’t long for her to see an opportunity to recreate herself.
Driving through Mexico, on the deserted roads, Adrenne finds herself in dangerous and unanticipated situations. She finds a strength she never knew she possessed. She may never be able to let down all the defenses she built up and I wonder…
“I was never a kid. I had to fend for myself…”
It’s interesting when an author adds a bit extra into a character, like Cindy being pregnant and Adrienne having a life or death health condition.
I can only imagine the tension in the household. Two women who want the same man. One man with a single goal, to give his family the best life possible. Can the women become friends? Can they all have what they desire? That is what kept me reading. Of course, I wondered if the American authorities would care enough to follow them to Mexico, if the Mecali’s would care enough to come after them, if they could avoid Dustin and Jarrett, who want the money that Gabriel took from them.
Then, we have a surprise guest, a retired secret agent.
I loved the premise, ditch your old life and create a new one. Just…think…of all the possibilities. Shed your old life, create a new one. Take a bad situation and make it work for you. From ennui, to despair, to…happiness (?). All things are possible.
Even though I never felt any mind blowing moments, I enjoyed the ride.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
“It’s a wild ride. Choices and decisions. Some are good and some not so good. Cheri Krueger has woven an intricate plot and invites us along to follow this cast of characters-all seeking a better life but going about it all wrong.” -Karen Brees, author of Crosswind Restless housewife Adrienne meets charismatic pilot Gabriel and feels an instant primal attraction. When Gabriel abducts her and steals millions from her embezzling husband, she should be afraid, but street-survivor Adrienne thrills to the rush. Feeling betrayed by her husband’s secrets, she turns from hostage to accomplice. Gabriel’s firm commitment to another woman is simply one more obstacle for Adrienne to overcome. In a chaotic hunt from the suburbs of San Francisco across the hostile badlands of Mexico, their pursuers find more questions than answers, people die, and the lines between the good guys and the bad guys blur. Adrienne is determined to reach the paradise Gabriel has promised, and she’ll do whatever it takes to get her happy ending.
Expected publication October 5, 2023 by Black Rose Writing
ABOUT CHERI KRUEGER
When not writing, Cheri Krueger can be found reading, traveling, or indulging her Scrabble obsession. Married with two grown sons and a grandson, Cheri lives in the beautiful San Joaquin Valley where she enjoys local music, craft beer, and playing with puppies.
Some of her favorite authors: Stephen King, Anne Tyler, Margaret Atwood, Alice Hoffman, Liane Moriarty, Kristin Hannah, Jane Smiley, Maeve Binchy, Jodi Picoult.
Visit OhCheri.com for news and links to my socials. Happy reading!
After watching the movies, over and over again, I had to grab me a copy of Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again by Shigeru Kayama, when I had the opportunity. I didn’t even know there were novellas out there and Jeffrey Angles did a great job translating this Japanese classic into English. The stories flowed smoothly and rolled out like the movies I’ve seen. That always makes it easier to visualize the action as Godzilla leaves his devastating mark on Japan. Of course, he may never have risen, if we didn’t create nuclear weapons, and that is Shigeru Kayama’s statement against the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
I learned some of the facts that are shared in the part of the book about the author, Shigeru Kayama and the how and why of his desire to create a monster that is payback for humans disregard for the world around them. His ‘bio’ is about a third of the book, and though I found it interesting, I wanted more of Godzilla and the other creatures he comes up with.
All in all, it was worth the read and I recommend grabbing a copy for yourself. It may be a fluff piece, but it is loaded with action and a quick read. If you are a creature feature lover, like me, this is a must have. HA HA HA HA HA
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The first English translations of the original novellas about the iconic kaijū Godzilla
Godzilla emerged from the sea to devastate Tokyo in the now-classic 1954 film, produced by Tōhō Studios and directed by Ishirō Honda, creating a global sensation and launching one of the world’s most successful movie and media franchises. Awakened and transformed by nuclear weapons testing, Godzilla serves as a terrifying metaphor for humanity’s shortsighted destructiveness: this was the intent of Shigeru Kayama, the science fiction writer who drafted the 1954 original film and its first sequel and, in 1955, published these novellas.
Although the Godzilla films have been analyzed in detail by cultural historians, film scholars, and generations of fans, Kayama’s two Godzilla novellas—both classics of Japanese young-adult science fiction—have never been available in English. This book finally provides English-speaking fans and critics the original texts with these first-ever English-language translations of Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again. The novellas reveal valuable insights into Kayama’s vision for the Godzilla story, feature plots that differ from those of the films, and clearly display the author’s strong antinuclear, proenvironmental convictions.
Kayama’s fiction depicts Godzilla as engaging in guerrilla-style warfare against humanity, which has allowed the destruction of the natural world through its irresponsible, immoral perversion of science. As human activity continues to cause mass extinctions and rapid climatic change, Godzilla provides a fable for the Anthropocene, powerfully reminding us that nature will fight back against humanity’s onslaught in unpredictable and devastating ways.
Genre: Classics, Fiction, Japanese Literature, Novella, Science Fiction
Format: 243 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication: October 3, 2023 by Univ Of Minnesota Press
First off, I want to let you, the reader, know that this book is outside my reading genre. I am venturing into the unknown, for me. I am reading more ‘digitally’ targeted stories to stretch my imagination and open my mind to new possibilities. My rating may not do the book justice for those who thrive in the cyberpunk world.
Maybe because I am unfamiliar with cyberpunk and this is a novella, but I was confused in the beginning. It took me a while to get involved in the story, a whodunit, a who took ‘my’ money story.
It is definitely a wild ride into the digital world. All I could think of to relate the story to was The Matrix, but I never watched the movie in it’s entirety. I knew the moment Aed gave control to Null, he would regret it, but he does get his answers. I think it is a wake up call for all of us. No matter what…you can be hacked. Where there is a will, there is a way.
I had numerous WTH moments, but, you in the know, know. For a virtual reality novice like me, it took me a while to get involved, but, once I did, I had to know the outcome. No one is immune to betrayal and I had to know whodunit.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Streetcab Seshjack by Olle Ordsmed.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Aedan Namakoto is a man torn between two lives. Online, he is the respected founder of a VR network promising virtual worlds free from invasive ads and surreptitious surveillance. Offline, he’s a guilt-ridden single father in poor health, working obsessively to escape the past.
But one day his two lives collide.
When a mysterious hacker pulls off an impossible crypto heist, Aedan is left broke and his network on the brink of bankruptcy. Desperate to take back what’s his, Aedan seeks help from his estranged brother, the powerful CEO of a rivaling VR network. But an enemy is a dangerous ally. And when Aedan does the unthinkable — borrowing a body against the will of its owner — he is betrayed in the worst possible way.
Olle Ordsmed is a science fiction writer fascinated by humankind’s struggle to adapt to her own inventions. He made his literary debut in 2023 with the cyberpunk novella Streetcab Seshjack. To pursue a career as an author, he alternates yearly between working as a software developer and writing full-time. His go-to remedies for writer’s block are night walks and pitch-black showers.
I must confess, it was the tropical cover that made me pause and check out the book. Then, the blurb mentions that it is based ‘somewhat on bizarrely true events’, I had to read it.
I have not read any of the previous books in the series and I don’t feel like it impacted my enjoyment of Tropical Scandal, though I always recommend beginning at the beginning, if you can. It helps to keep from stumbling over references to earlier books.
The descriptive writing made it easy to visualize the intriguing characters. The storyline is in depth, convoluted, twisting and turning, keeping me reading, because there was no way this was going to be an easy mystery for me to solve. I don’t read a lot of legal thrillers, but David Myles Robinson led me through the investigation and court proceedings, step by step.
Greed runs rampant. Flawed characters abound. Some I cared for, others I think get their just desserts. All in all, I enjoyed my time in Hawaii and would love to visit again.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Tropical Scandal by David Myles Robinson.
3 Stars
BOOK BLURB
When Pancho McMartin, Honolulu’s top criminal defense attorney, takes on the case of Dayton Kalama, a young drug dealer accused of murdering his grandmother (tutu), Pancho is faced with a daunting amount of evidence pointing squarely at Dayton. But as Pancho, together with his private investigator, Drew Tulafono, gradually pull back the layers of deceit, they begin to uncover hints at what is beginning to look like the biggest scandal ever to hit Hawaii’s legal community. This book is pure fiction, but is inspired by true, scandalous events which shook Honolulu’s legal community to its core.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/482xd4X
Book Excerpt
I was surprised when my current lover, Padma Dasari, asked me to meet with Isaac Goldblum, a legendary Hawaii trial attorney who, now in his eighties, was an alcoholic still representing clients. I had made known my intolerance for those attorneys who fell prey to addiction
yet refused help—all while still accepting clients. They were walking malpractice cases who risked everything they’d worked for in their own lives—not to mention the lives of their
clients—by living and working as functional drunks or addicts.
Being a trial attorney was stressful. Being a criminal defense trial attorney was particularly stressful. Aside from the relatively rare innocent defendant, our customer base was composed of criminals who, generally speaking, were not the warmest and fuzziest people to deal with day in and day out.
Whether they were guilty or innocent, their lives were in our hands—a situation only the most jaded and burned-out counsel didn’t find stressful.
My surprise didn’t arise from the fact that Padma knew Goldblum. She was the former medical examiner for the city and county of Honolulu, and just as I had cross-examined her many times in her capacity as coroner, so had Goldblum. My surprise arose from the fact that Padma knew Goldblum had been one of my early heroes. He was most famous for having won an acquittal for two Hawaiian teenagers who had been charged with the murder of a prominent haole (Caucasian) businessman. The public outcry against the Hawaiian kids had been reminiscent of the uproar in the Deep South when young black men were charged with the rape of white women. It was scary. Goldblum was vilified for taking the case.
As he later said in an interview for the Honolulu Advertiser, he knew that anything short of proving who the real killer was would fall on deaf ears. His cross-examination of the
businessman’s administrative assistant, who’d been having an affair with the dead man’s wife and who ultimately confessed to the murder, was nothing short of brilliant.
I had shared my early hero worship of Goldblum with Padma, but I had also made it clear that I now harbored a healthy dose of contempt for the man, who seemed intent on destroying his own legacy. At the time, Padma had not tried to defend Goldblum.
We were enjoying a quiet Saturday afternoon at Padma’s Kahala Beach condo when she broached the subject of my meeting with Goldblum. “He lives here, in the next building,”
she said. “He’s invited us to stop by for a cocktail at about four.”
I stared out from her oceanfront lanai at the tranquil ocean.
The palm fronds on the coconut trees fronting the beach barely twitched. One lone puff of a cumulous cloud hovered in the bright blue sky.
“Why?” I asked. “Why would I want to go have a drink with a drunk who should have put himself on inactive status years ago?”
Padma stared back at me with her piercing dark eyes. I half expected her to admonish me for being too judgmental—a trait I seemed to have developed in recent years. “Isaac asked to
meet with you. We know each other from court, and he knows I live in this building, and he knows we’re in a relationship. I think he came to me rather than you because he knows—or at
least suspects—that you aren’t much of an admirer of his.”
Padma had been born in India and had done volunteer work as a doctor in Bangladesh, but she had lived and worked in the United States for most of her adult life. Nonetheless, she
still retained the remnants of an accent, which was melodic and soothing. No doubt she was a calming influence on many people grieving the loss of a loved one. She had been instrumental in
helping my mother in New Mexico get through the early stages of the loss of my father. Just the tone of her voice seemed to take the wind out of my judgmental sails.
“Okay, but do you know why he wants to meet?”
She gave a small shake of her head. “Something about a case. That’s all I know.” She paused for a beat. “Look, I know he’s a drunk and you hate the fact that he’s still going to court, but you have to admit: drunk or sober, the man knows the law and probably still has pretty good instincts. I doubt he would ask to meet with you if he didn’t think it was important.”
I resisted the temptation to make a snide remark and instead looked at my watch. It was three-thirty in the afternoon. “Why’d you wait until now to tell me about this?”
Padma’s beautiful brown face broke into a mischievous grin. “So you wouldn’t have time to obsess about it.”
I laughed. “Jesus, Padma. We’re not even married and you play me like a fiddle.”
“I love the fiddle,” was her only retort.
About the Author
David Myles Robinson has always had a passion for writing. During the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, while in college, Robinson worked as a free-lance writer for several magazines and was a staff writer for a weekly minority newspaper in Pasadena, California. Upon graduating from San Francisco State University, he attended the University of San Francisco School of Law. It was there that he met his wife, Marcia Waldorf. In 1975 the two moved to Honolulu, Hawaii and began practicing law. Robinson became a trial lawyer and Waldorf eventually became a Circuit Court judge.
Upon retiring in 2010, Robinson completed his first novel, Unplayable Lie. He has since published eight more novels.
