An American Conspiracy

A Novel

An American Conspiracy

A Novel

By Alan C. Moore

2022

Freiling Publishing

Warren, VA 20188

ISBN 978-1-956267-42-6 Paperback

ISBN 978-1-956267-43-3 eBook

Fiction, Political Thriller 268 pages

The first two chapters will hook you with Moore’s explosive writing. This political thriller kept its intrigue the entire book. The author presents us, the reader with a great storyline and great depth of character.

The story opens with two jaw-dropping events, and with the short and trim chapter lengths; I quickly turned the pages. The main character is Rep. Madison Gladstone, a first-term congresswoman who has deep long political ties in her family. Her mentor in the story meets with an untimely passing, **No spoilers are given out here.** Then the congresswoman teams up with a mysterious FBI agent, who seemingly appears from nowhere. He is snooping around asking a myriad of questions about Gladstone’s mentor. She has nothing to lose or does she?

Together the two undercover an amazing and shocking network of clandestine “intelligence” designed to embolden a small group of political insiders unbeknownst to anyone outside the group. Without giving away this story’s plot, author Moore keeps the platitudes and fear going with complexity as his story grows deeper and the characters grow more conflicted with the unfolding events before them. The sudden fast-paced movements within the small group of insiders make for a compelling tale. The plot pushes the reader to examine what they might do in place of the characters. What choice would Madison Gladstone make?

The was a great story that held many meandering clues that were done in an artful way to keep the reader engaged. As both a reader and reviewer I found this remarkable.

This book is a solid 4 Stars. An American Conspiracy has character depth, plot, and intrigue. The ending was slightly anticlimactic. I cannot wait, however, for Alan C. Moore’s next fiction novel.

This book is available widely at all mass marketers and at the author’s own website at:

alancmoore.com

The Advocate

The Advocate by Teresa Burrell

The Advocate

By Teresa Burrell

Silent Thunder Publishing

San Diego, CA

92111

2009

ISBN: 978-1-938680-03-8

Paperback

286 pages

This debut book was a captivating read. The main Character, Sabre Brown is a juvenile court attorney and the author takes us on a journey into her world of cases that involve things like custody and the best interests of children. But Sabre Brown finds herself in a place where her life gets mysteriously intertwined with a case she’s working on. The case is that of a ten-year-old named Alexis Murdock. The author, Teresa Burrell hooks us into her immense story that includes a lot of twists and turns. Sabre’s story, ***While I won’t give out spoilers***slowly unwinds as she enlists the help of one Detective Carriage. While doing a background check on the little girl Alexis’ father, it leads suddenly to her own back story regarding her missing brother.

The story develops into a complex and even treacherous peril for Sabre as she continues on into the investigation of the child’s family. This leads to more intrigue and mystery, thrill and danger.

I thought this was a great work of fiction. The characters were compelling and helped to drive this story. I thought this was an interesting subject matter to write about. I was engaged and felt for the juvenile character Alexis all the way to the end. I would be interested to read her next book in the twelve-book series.

The author Teresa Burrell is indeed an Advocate and an attorney for a family court system in her real life. She truly has dedicated her life to children’s issues, her novels have been inspired by her many legal cases.

4****

I received this book for a #realandtruereview I’d like to mention Bookstagrammers.com for making this possible along with the author Teresa Burrell.

This book is available through the author’s own website at: teresaburrell.com/bookstore and at all booksellers. The author can be found on all social media channels including Facebook.com/teresaburrell

The River at Night By Erica Ferencik Review

The River at Night
By Erica Ferencik

Scout Press
An Imprint of Simon & Schuster
New York, NY 10020
2014, 2017
292 pages
ISBN 978-1-5011-4319-9

First, I wanted to thank Gallery Books for providing this book for me to read, enjoy, and review.

Second, as soon as I got done with this book, all I wanted to do was to hug my girlfriends! This fast-paced and action-filled novel written by MS Ferencik was chilling! The setting was a thick wilderness in Maine where four very best friends set out on an all-girl hiking and rafting trip.

Each character, whether it is Pia, Wini, Rachel or Sandra takes the reader to her very own circle of friends, identifying with at least one of them yourself and the personalities and dynamics of their friendships compared to your own friends. With misgivings aside, they set out for this fun and engaging raft trip where the girls could escape the regular rat race of life and bond together. This story puts to test the resolve of each of the girlfriends and their will to survive given the situation, the tough terrain of the wilderness and the rage of the waters. It gives them all they can handle, including the strength they didn’t know they had.

This story is a true thrill ride from the start to the finish and engages the reader into an adrenaline rush of their own. It keeps you guessing as the characters are pushed to the edge. MS Ferencik combines the very stark beauty of the landscape with unsavory characters the girls meet and the visceral pulsed story. It was a very superbly written thriller. I did not put this book down.

I highly recommend this book. I give it 5 stars.

This Is How It Begins Review

This Is How It Begins

By Joan Dempsey

ISBN 978-1-63152-308-3

2017

She Writes Press

387 pages

+3 page reader’s guide

Release Date 10/3/17

I was pleasantly riveted as part of the Advanced Reader Copy book launch. Author Joan Dempsey’s debut novel, crafts a timely story filled with characters that have depth. Immediately, as readers, we care about them. The novel takes us into thought provoking settings that exhibit and even mimic today’s current events. Ms. Dempsey writes a story that is compelling; her story breaches subject matters such as bigotry, intolerance, hate, and violence. Her characters are opinionated and exhibit some of those cultural and often criminal feelings.

The main character, Ludka Zeilonka, an 85-year-old art professor and matriarch of a well-known political family, becomes part of a religious discrimination freedom bill. This political fight brings on the firing of certain area teachers, including her grandson Tommy, who is gay. Spurred on further by a radio host named Warren Meck, who crusades this anti-religious freedom debate bias in public schools on his show, and becomes a key player, brought into the fray by local area Pastor Royce.

Deepening still is Ludka’s character who as a Catholic woman in WWII Poland, joined in her own secret lifelong resistance against Nazi War Crimes. She used her art drawings to depict and bear testimony to the crimes. Her family also sheltered Jews where she witnesses the death of her own parents in front of her for their efforts.

This novel is about free speech and the importance of having empathy. It is so applicable to today’s current events.

Author Joan Dempsey’s work has appeared in many highly regarded literary circles and magazines. Ms. Dempsey was recipient of a significant research grant from the prestigious

Elizabeth George Foundation. Ms. Dempsey is also the recipient of the 2017 Poets & Writers

Magazine’s Maureen Egen Writer’s Exchange Award.

I highly recommend this book for the reader who is looking for rich story content and character depth and suspense that feels ripped from the headline news.

Please pre-order your copy through Amazon at:

https://www.amazon.com/This-How-Begins-Joan-Dempsey/dp/1631523082

Or at her site at:

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Behind Closed Doors By B.A. Paris A Review

Behind Closed Doors

St. Martin’s Press, New York

2016

Paperback 351 pages

 

Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris is a real and true gripping psychological thriller that I as a reader could not put down! This book engaged me immediately.

Enter Jack Angel and Grace, the main subjects of this book, as they become a newly married couple in an interesting relationship. Grace is thoroughly smitten and enticed as well as gullible. Little did Grace know that Jack would easily suck her into his sick world of evil.

Jack, a lawyer for Domestic violence victims and issues wins the heart of many. Jack finds Grace at a park with her sister Millie, who has Down’s Syndrome, he observes her and them and Grace quickly becomes his mark.

This book will take the reader on lots of twists and turns and you will often ask yourself what is going on here? This book is told from the point of view of Grace as her experiences with Jack become odd and hedge on the creepy. Without giving away too many spoilers, the perfect life, and perfect marriage maybe just a little too good to be true!

The reader will feel chilled and even will wish for the controlling and manipulative Jack to just abandon his plans and turn the other cheek, but it is all to no avail. One wants Jack to be a good guy.

The author Paris makes this story believable because we as readers do see how something like this “could” happen to anyone of us!

I found this book to be one that kept me caring about the characters and where I was always rooting for Grace and Millie and the entwined neighbors and colleague friends to actually “catch” on to what was going on. This book was an easy read that was clever and will keep you enthralled until the very end.

 

 

 

 

The Girl On The Train Review

The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

Riverhead Books

Penguin Group (USA) LLC

New York, NY 10014

2015

ISBN 978-1-5943-366-9

323 pages

This work of fiction from author Paula Hawkins, her first thriller, definitely puts the reader on the edge of their seats! This psychological thriller debuted #1 on NY Times Best Sellers list. It stayed there for 13 consecutive weeks!

It is told narrative style or Point of View (POV) of the three female characters, Rachel. Anna, and Megan. The main character Rachel takes the same commuter train every single morning and returns on this same train every single evening. She has memorized the landscapes and the homes in her hum drum rides. As she passes, from time to time, she glimpses the people who live along this train route. She’s seen them in their backyards. Rachel actually names them as she wonders about their lives; even fantasizing about their affairs and hoe they conduct their family lives.

Then one day Rachel sees something from the train window that changes everything. She believes she may have witnessed a crime. She doesn’t report it at first, because she reasons with the characters she’s created, even thinking that the imaginary but real couple couldn’t have been involved in what she believes is a crime, that and her own hidden secrets may make her unreliable.  But she can’t bear her own thoughts and eventually does report what she sees to the police.

The emotional thrill ride begins and there are many twists and turns in this story that has been likened to Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpieces. It will keep you guessing and leaving you all consumed until the very last line!

An easy read that comes highly recommended.

This book has been aquired by DreamWorks Pictures.

*this book is part of Mary Caliendo’s personal library.

 

 

 

 

 

The Gentlemen’s Club

The Gentleman’s Club

A Story For All Women

By Becky Due

Due Publications 2003

ISBN 0-9746212-0-X

236 pages Paperback

 

 

This fictional book is dedicated to all the strong women in that world- also to note at the start of this review that I felt important is that the author Becky Due is giving a percentage of the profits to the group Alternatives To Violence.

This is a courageous look at how people can wield power over one another. This story takes us into the exotic dancing world behind the scenes, where the main character Angie no longer wants to be a victim of her circumstances. She wanted to be successful for what really mattered, her brains not her body. She wanted to be a writer not an object. It is deplorable to her the conditions in which dancers and women in general are treated by men and even by other women.

It is an inspirational story, that exhibits women do have the right to empower themselves, even if life has been extremely harsh. This book covers several issues that are directly relatable to women, such as, sexual assault, domestic abuse, rape, and prostitution. It also touches on other issues, again relatable, such as homelessness, morals, independence, and relationships.

I think the author Becky Due has her finger on the pulse of women’s issues. She has first- hand experience dealing with many issues, even though this book is a fictional account of the main characters, her honesty shows through in her writing. Her story proves that women are strong physically and emotionally and women need a mentors and support.

This book was written by an author who cares about women’s issues. A powerful message of support was delivered.

This book is a part of my personal library.

The Alchemist By Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist      Harper Collins, 1993   177 pages   Printed in 70 languages.  Fiction

This book has a wonderful feel, it was originally written in Portuguese and then translated into English. The author, Paulo Coelho led an extremely colorful life. His life as not all happiness, but with continued struggle he endured, never gave up on his personal passion. His words penned a beautiful well written almost fairy-tale like book whose take-away would be hope.

In any language this book gives one hope to dream or continue with a dream. The story takes a shepherd boy from child to a man. It is mostly set in the desert. The shepherd boy will encounter several “bigger than life” characters. The story infuses hints of religion and is very rich in symbolism.

The boy is transported from past to present and then is shown glimpses into the future. the story continues to show the shepherd boy ways to listen to his heart by using all of his senses, his environment, and even his dreams. He believed in his own personal legend and he found that what he was seeking was always inside him!

I recommend this book. It was and easy to read book that was filled with descriptive writing. One could instantly close your eyes and visualize an immediate scene.

This book made me a reader feel good-by placing me in the position of the shepherd boy’s hope and that of my own.

By Mary Caliendo