Book Review - A Traitor's Loyalty

A Traitor's Loyalty: A Novel of International Intrigue

By: Ian C. Racey
Publisher: Vantage Point
Publishing Date: May 2012
ISBN: 978-1-936467-31-0
Reviewed by: Mary Lignor
Review Date: July 2012

It is the summer of the year 1967. Twenty years have passed since the end of World War II where Germany was declared the victor. Simon Quinn, who was a master spy working for MI-6, is involved in a mission in Berlin with a spy who is trying to reach the gates of the British Embassy and from there to safety. The Gestapo is on the spy's trail and has finally caught up with him near the Embassy and as he is almost at the gates, he is shot and killed. No one knows if it was the Germans or the British that fired the fatal shot.

This is the prologue of this book wherein the German’s won the war. Beyond that, not very much has changed as they are still dictating how everyone should live. The time has now jumped ahead to 1971, and Hitler has just died. Now comes the fun and the conspiracy theories that will decide who will be the next leader of the Greater German Empire.

Simon Quinn, the spymaster, has since walked away from his career with MI-6 and is living his life in Greece, reasonably happy that he is no longer involved in espionage. But, of course, the British Intelligence Service blackmails him into coming back for one last mission. His mission will be to locate Richard Garner, a former British spy who has disappeared and may be defecting to Germany. It sort of reminds you of General Custer being told by the Army, “Just stand up one more time and then you can go home.”

Quinn, with the help of Ellie Voss, who works for the German High Command, a loyal German who is torn between loyalty to her country and dislike for some of the folks who are now running things. The two find Garner and learn the reason that he disappeared and all things change. They are now running from the Gestapo and MI-6. While all this intrigue is goind on, the Germans are vying for Hitler’s spot as head honcho of the government.

Quill Says: This is an interesting story and even though there have been some alternate history stories written in the past naming Germany as victorious in the war, this one is just different enough to make readers want to continue reading to see what happens. There are some surprises at the end that will keep you interested. A definite keeper!!!

Book Review - The 500

The 500

By: Matthew Quirk
Publisher: A Reagan Arthur Book/ Little, Brown and Company
Publishing Date: June 2012
ISBN: 978-0-316-19862-2
Reviewed by: Mary Lignor
Review Date: July 2012

The pre-publication promotions for this book were so good that readers were unable to get copies unless they knew somebody. The novel was advertised as being the most exciting “Debut Novel” to come down the pike for a long time. Does it deliver? There's no doubt that readers will be hooked after the very first page.

This novel opens up in Washington, DC at a very respected consulting firm, “The Davies Group,” where Mike Ford, a recent graduate of Harvard Law School, has secured a dream job. The 500 in the title refers to the 500 most prominent people (men and women) in the nation’s capitol who run things. The author is good at telling readers about the ins and outs of Washington society with a lot of great imagination and maybe a bit of truth thrown in for good measure. Mike Ford is a hard worker and works just as hard at fitting in with his richer than Midas classmates as he does at learning his profession.

The Davies Group is paid for by corporations and special interest groups to influence the 500 who are the people who run Washington behind the scenes. Mike is anxious to please Mr. Davies and goes into his job with a vengeance and, sadly the job that Mike is hired to do turns into a corrupt power play with powerful people behind it.

This novel is a very well-written story that brings together intrigue and action. It’s a first class debut that does remind this reader of John Grisham’s The Firm. However, it’s not exactly the same. As a matter of fact, in some places it’s a better read than The Firm. Maybe it’s because it takes place in the seat of power and it’s an election year.

Quill Says: The story is action-packed, fast-paced and a page turner. It’s clever and with many tales of Washington insiders. Chances are you won't be able to put it down until the very last page is read.

Book Review - City of the Dead

City of the Dead

By: Daniel Blake
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publishing Date: July 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4391-9762-2
Reviewed by: Mary Lignor
Review Date: July 2012

When this book begins, Franco Patrese, a police detective from Pittsburgh is taking a well-deserved rest in Khao Lak, Thailand and enjoying himself at long last. He is on the beach walking when he notices the odd way the surf is acting and pulling the water way out to sea. Patrese has seen this before and knows that a Tsunami is coming and tries to warn the beachcombers. He helps as much as he can but there are many casualties including a young woman that Patrese had spent some time with.

When he arrives back in Pittsburgh, he doesn't get a very warm reception. He becomes the scapegoat in a crime that goes bad; a crime that kills his partner. Franco decides that he will look elsewhere for work and calls a friend in the FBI. He gets hired by the Agent in Charge in New Orleans, Louisiana.

When Patrese arrives at his new job, he learns that New Orleans is being inundated with some horrible crimes that look like they are inspired by Voodoo rituals of some kind. He comes in contact with a very wealthy man, St. John Varden in the city and the man’s son, St. John Varden, Jr., who is the present Governor of Louisiana. When Franco starts work he is partnered with detective Selma Fawcett who is not fond of the FBI and tries to get rid of Franco at every turn. The first case that they partner on is the murder of Cindy Rojciewicz, who is the elder Varden’s Personal Assistant. She was killed in a horrific fashion that included dismemberment and a very large snake. There are more killings in the future and as these two try and figure them out sometimes the murder scenes get caught up in Voodoo, politics, drugs and some very interesting characters, including a lady who takes care of BIG snakes. But the snakes that crawl are not as bad as the snakes that walk on two legs.

There are a few surprises but they are mostly things that crop up in schemes to change the city as Hurricane Katrina comes down on New Orleans full force. There is the usual political corruption and horror for the people who believe in the occult.

Quill Says: This is a good story but a bit convoluted in some parts. For readers who are familiar with New Orleans and the culture there, it will make sense. Sometimes it’s hard to read through some of the difficult scenes of crime and corruption. The book starts with a tsunami and ends with a hurricane and there's a lot of murder and mayhem in between.

Book Review - Plotting at the PTA

Plotting at the PTA

By: Laura Alden
Publisher: Signet
Publication Date: July 2012
ISBN: 978-0451237491
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: July 2012

Beth Kennedy, owner of the Children’s Bookshelf, mom to Jenna and Oliver, and some kinda aggravated secretary for Rynwood, Wisconsin’s Tarver Elementary PTA just couldn’t seem to find enough hours in the day to get things done. Beth’s entire life felt like some kind of run-on sentence these days. Her children were a definite plus as was her current beau, Evan Garrett. He was everything she thought she wanted. On the other hand, Claudia Wolff, Tarver Elementary’s pita PTA vice president, was everything she didn’t. That woman spent a lot of time tooting her own horn and trying to “un-approve” Beth’s senior story project at the Sunny Rest Assisted Living facility.

Tarver’s seniors were going to interview the Sunny seniors and their stories were going to be published. The book would be a nice fundraiser and a definite distraction from thinking about Sam Helstetter’s murder. It wouldn’t be long before Beth was in the murder-she-wrote mindset once again when Amy Jacobson was found deader than a squashed ant in her yard. Agoraphobic Amy never left her property and when she ventured outside, she carried her EpiPen and was armed and ready to kill anything remotely buzzing with her bee killer. “The way Amy died seems a little...off that’s all,” Beth spouted off to her best friend, Marina Neff. Excuse me? Everyone knew it was an accident.

Police Chief Gus Eiseley didn’t want to hear her little theory either, but it wasn’t long before yet another one was distracting Beth. “Kelly didn’t do it, I tell you. She didn’t!” Didn’t what? Mean bean Auntie May, a Sunny Rest resident, had roped her into investigating the death of Maudie Hoffman’s great-niece who had supposedly committed suicide in Blue Lake more than twenty years ago. Beth sensed a surefire connection between Amy’s mysterious demise and Kelly’s. Could she solve the mysteries before Maudie died? Everyone, including Chief Eiseley, was putting her on ignore except for one person...the one whose hands reached up to clutch her throat in a death grip!

This delightfully charming mystery epitomizes the word “cozy.” The interconnected mysteries in this book quietly unfolded as Beth went about her job as a bookstore owner, mother, and secretary of the Tarver Elementary PTA. The story, minus the mysterious murders, was of a life that many women can relate to. I chuckled when she “suddenly felt sorry for Jenna and Oliver” because she claimed she was such a moron of a mother and an eyebrow raised when she was entered into a “weight loss contest.” Beth was definitely a loveable, likeable, and big time nosy ‘n’ reluctant sleuth that readers can add to their list of favorite cozy characters!

Quill says: If you want to stick your toes in the sand and read a totally relaxing book, you're going to love Plotting at the PTA!

Book Review - Angel on a Leash

Angel on a Leash: Therapy Dogs and the Lives They Touch

By: David Frei
Publisher: Bowtie Press
Publication Date: November 2011
ISBN: 978-193548463-9
Reviewed by: Holly Weiss
Review Date: July 16, 2012

The Angel on a Leash program began modestly in 2005 spreading to the Ronald McDonald House, major cancer hospitals and health care facilities because of generous funding. The program trains therapy dogs. This inspiring book describes how the dog-human bond is used to bring joy and healing to people in emotional and physical pain. Dogs have spontaneity and show unconditional love, making them perfect for therapy. Love and trust between people and dogs are life lessons taught over and over within these pages. Interacting with a dog, by petting or just looking into its eyes, increases your endorphins, which makes you feel better. Studies such as one in the American Journal of Cardiology state that owners make less frequent doctor visits and take fewer medications than non-owners.

What makes a good therapy dog? Inborn temperament—accepting, positive and tolerant—along with obedience training and the ability to withstand difficult situations. Assessing a dog’s people preference (quiet senior citizens versus active children) coupled with giving it the freedom to be itself result in the perfect therapy team. The book makes a clear distinction between a service dog, which has access to anywhere its person goes, and a therapy dog. A service dog is trained by a coach and then devotes itself to one human partner. Therapy dogs, generally accompanied by a handler, work in health care facilities with many people to promote well-being. They undergo orientation and background checks before entering a facility. Strict protocols to protect patient and dog alike are followed.

David Frei is described as the most knowledgeable mind in the canine field. Gushing from the pages of this book are both his love for dogs and belief in their healing powers. The book’s Forward says, “When a dog wags his tail, it is connected to his heart.” The author invites you to hug your dog before you read the book. Then he thanks his canine friends for letting him be the person holding the other end of the leash.

This inspiring book describes many instances of healing stemming from the unconditional love of canines. The author’s enthusiasm and sincerity leap off the pages. The book sports photos of “Angel on a Leash” dogs with schoolchildren, cancer patients and babies. One of the most poignant elements is a love letter to the dogs from a nine-year old boy. The stars of the book, Teigh, Belle and their successors, Grace and Angel, will make you chuckle and weep. Two quadriplegic brothers smile broadly while their parents cry for joy during a visit with Teigh. Brushing a dog as a means of doing painful range-of-motion exercise eases a girl’s suffering. Petting a furry friend helps a soldier with PTSD open up to the people around him.

The author’s many personal recollections detract from his message about healing dogs, but give credibility to his experience. His writing is most effective when he plunges into the touching stories of therapy dogs and the humans they help.

Quill says: Laugh, cry and learn as you read this heart-warming book about angels with four legs miraculously improving people’s lives.

Book Review - Beef Stolen-Off

Beef Stolen-Off: A Clueless Cook Mystery

By: Liz Lipperman
Publisher: Berkley
Pubication Date: July 2012
ISBN: 978-0425251423
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: July 16, 2012

No doubt fried bologna was good, but not that good. Jordan McAllister was practically doing a happy dance in front of her neighbors when she announced that she was going to be the culinary reporter for the “Ranchero Globe.” Jordan hadn’t mentioned that the only thing she could manage in the culinary department was curling bologna on the stove and an occasional casserole. Not to worry, little white lies were easier to whip up than a white sauce. Michael, Victor, and the rest of the gang nodded their approval at the promotion, but Jordan would still have to write those pesky personals. Penning the “Kitchen Kupboard” would be a snap!

Assignment numero uno from her boss, Dwayne Egan, was to head to the Cattlemen’s Ball. Lucas Santana wanted her to mention the shindig in her column. Jordan would have preferred to have gone with Alex, an FBI agent she dated, but instead her escort was Rusty Morales. Beef was big in the Southwest and so was that “frozen cow” of an ice sculpture outside the Pavilion Hotel. Jordan’s table was full of Texas’s beef tycoons and gropers, but a job was a job and admittedly Rusty was a hunk. Suddenly he began to cough violently, staggered outside, collapsed and died. Dating a cowboy corpse was definitely not part of her job description.

Things began to heat up fast and they weren’t in Jordan’s kitchen. Cooper and Drake “hadn’t looked too griefstricken,” but when she went to visit Rusty’s disabled mother, Maria, she was met with unexplained hysteria. Instead of frying up baloney, Jordan soon found herself chowing down on her favorite comfort food, Ho Hos. That hundred-buck-a-pound Wagyu beef was a hot commodity and it looked like cattle-rustling was picking up. Even the spirits were acting up at Sandy’s Gramp’s house and soon it would be séance time. What in tarnation was going on in cowboy country? It wouldn’t be long before she found out... “The two of you are going to jump when I tell you, or I’ll shoot you in the back.” Where were those Ho Hos when you needed them?

The twists and turns in this mystery will make you think you’re two-stepping in Urban Cowboy. Jordan may be a “clueless cook,” but when she finally starts to put together all the pieces of Rusty’s murder and the dilemma of Rachero’s cattle-rustling, things begin to pick up. Her brother, Danny, who is supposed to be working on the caper, has nothing on Jordan when she gets moving. Just when I thought everything was wrapped up and the mystery was solved, the tale took quite another turn and I had to rethink whodunit. The storyline seemed simple, but when I reached the end I realized that it was actually quite a bit more complicated than expected. Beef Stolen-Off was definitely a recipe that combined a bit of intrigue, purloined purebred cattle, and a dash of murder!

Quill says: If you like your cozy mysteries Texan style with a delightful dash of Jordan, a spicy hot sleuth, you'll love Beef Stolen-Off!

Book Review - Moo Kitty Finds a Home

Moo Kitty Finds a Home

By: Valerie Lee Veltre
Illustrated by: Liz Leonard
Publisher: Squidgy Press
Publication Date: December 2011
ISBN: 978-1608000104
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: July 2012

Life is good for “Moo Kitty,” so named because his markings make him look like a cow. He has a human who loves him, a warm, blue blanket to cuddle with, and plenty of food and sunshine to keep him fat and happy. But then one day, Moo Kitty’s human, an elderly woman, goes to heaven. What will happen to the adorable cat now?

When strangers come to the house to remove all the belongings, Moo Kitty hides behind the sofa. But then these same heartless people take Moo Kitty and put him outside, next to the trash bin! Moo Kitty is frightened and alone. At night, three kitty guardian angels with silver wings come to him in a dream and tell him to have faith and believe that he is not alone. They promise to watch over him and keep him safe.

Moo Kitty does what the angels tell him and he eventually winds up in a shelter, where loving humans take good care of all the animals. But people coming to the shelter all want kittens, not older cats like Moo Kitty. Will he ever find a new, loving home?

Moo Kitty Finds a Home is a fun AND educational story. The tale moves along nicely and the illustrations are bright and cheerful, keeping youngsters engaged and interested. The author avoids a common pitfall of many such books that tend to get preachy and disengage readers. Instead, she shares her message about shelter cats and the plight of all animals in need of homes, in a gentle and entertaining way. Young readers will see how frightened Moo Kitty is, how much love he has to offer, and that all he wants is a human to love. At the back of the book are several pages relating the benefits of adopting adult pets as well as useful tips once that new pet has come home.

Quill says: You’ll want to adopt Moo Kitty after reading this book! An excellent story to help spread the message about animal adoption.