Tag Archives: drama

Past Tense (Matt Moulton Mystery 1) by Michael Amedeo-review

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Past Tense (Matt Moulton Mystery 1) by Michael Amedeo-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 20, 2024

As America races toward the supposedly bright new decade of the 1950’s, disillusioned white private dick Matt Moulton finds himself faltering in the dark. Should he serve an amnesiac client whose recovering memories of paid murder intensify his own wartime guilt as an assassin? Should he risk endangering the person he loves, a beautiful black woman, for information on that case and an apparently related one? Does he imagine he can save her and himself from the corruption, the intolerance, and the apathy that linger in that violent nation’s shadows?

Taking place in a misty, sulky San Francisco, “Past Tense” appeals to readers who love their thrillers hardboiled. It brings pulp fiction back from the past, but here the genre seems more modern and yet more noir-like than ever before.

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REVIEW: PAST TENSE is the first instalment in Michael Amedeo’s historical, adult MATT MOULTON MYSTERY noir, mystery series focusing on private dick Matt Moulton.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers from more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspective (Matt) PAST TENSE follows former US Army sniper / Detective turned private dick Matt Moulton. The year is 1949, and Matt Moulton, a successful private investigator is about to find himself in the middle of an investigation where the body count rises in proportion to the secrets and lies uncovered by our story line hero. Matt has been contracted to find a missing woman but the information Matt receives only veils the truth when another case involving an assassin with amnesia crosses over with Matt’s current case, involving a corrupt politician, and several unscrupulous law enforcement officers. With the aid of his office assistant Sara, and administrative assistant Gina, Matt begins to unravel the truth, a truth that becomes stranger than fiction as a killer takes aim at everyone involved.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and interesting secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to Matt’s assistant Sara Manson; his girlfriend and detective bureau administrative assistant Gina Harner; Lieutenant Gilbert Brannigan; San Francisco mayor Anthony Rossini, and assassin John Boorman.

PAST TENSE is a story of secrets and lies, power and control, murder and corruption, race, acceptance and relationships. The premise is intriguing, suspenseful and dramatic; the characters are colorful and charismatic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Click HERE for more information about Michael Amadeo

The Writer with an Edge

It’s an edge in talent for conceiving and writing persuasive and engaging marketing, public relations, and journalism.

And now it’s an edge in subject matter and style: My two new hardboiled noir novels—with a third on the way—feature private dick Matt Moulton, whose opportunistic work uncovers and reluctantly confronts the dirty, violent underside of late 1940’s and early 1950’s America.

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When The Skies Cry by Steve N Lee – a Review

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When The Skies Cry by Steve N Lee – a Review

 

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Description:
Sometimes, the one you’re saving is really saving you.

Harley loses everything when his master dies — his home, his best friend, his reason for living. Day after day, he trudges the streets, trembling from the biting cold, whimpering from the gnawing hunger.

Across town, Rachel has an alimony hearing looming and a make-or-break deadline hurtling toward her, yet they aren’t her biggest worries — her autistic son has withdrawn so far into his own private world, he barely acknowledges she even exists.

Luckily, the magic of life is in the surprises no one ever sees coming…

 

 

 

Review:

When the Skies Cry by Steve N Lee is another one of his standalone novels that centers on a dog.  Having read the previous book by Lee, I looked forward to reading this one.  I really enjoyed this book, though I did have mixed feelings, which I will detail later in this review. 

We meet Harley at the start, as he doesn’t understand why his owner isn’t responding to him.  The owner is dead, and in a short time Harley finds himself on the streets, desperate for food, and everywhere he goes, no one helps him, and he runs into nasty teenagers who try to harm him.

Rachel, our heroine, has issues fighting her ex-husband for alimony, as she takes care of their autistic son. Rachel has her hands full trying to train her son, who is very withdrawn, at doing questions and answers.  When she takes Wes for a walk in the park, the nasty teenagers make fun of her son, until Harley comes out under the bench and scares the teenagers.  Wes finds himself enamored of the dog, and though Rachel does not want to bring the dog home, she sees he is starving, and most importantly, the dog seems to bring out another side to Wes. 

When Rachel can’t find Harley’s owner, she decides to keep him, as she can see the change in Wes.  Harley was a fantastic dog, knowing all kinds of tricks, especially making Wes and even Rachel laugh. In a short time, she will have to fight for Harley, as the deceased owner left a will, but the lawyer knows what is best for the dog, and luckily it turns into her favor.  Harley was an amazingly and wonderful dog, so much fun, and very loyal to both Wes and Rachel.  Wes improved so much, even in a specialized  school, they notice how much more he is talking and even helping others.

Rachel will discover, thanks to Harley, that she has a disease and will need chemo.  She prepares her friend Izzy to learn how to handle Wes, in the event if things go bad.

Now to my mixed feelings.  I thought the early part where Harley suffered was a bit depressing, though I understood that.  The majority of the book was wonderful, however the last few chapters of the end of the book totally turned me off, as it was very depressing and a shock.  The author decided to create an alternate ending that the reader can choose; which I did enjoy and chose. When the Skies Cry was well written by Steve N Lee.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for Review

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The Burnt Fox by Neil Grimmett-a review

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THE BURNT FOX by Neil Grimmett-a review

The Burnt Fox

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk /
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 20, 2016

‘It really is this place and not us. There’s a dark power in nature here. Some residue left over from its great, cruel past.’

With an overwhelming desire to escape from the council estate and fearful for his marriage, frustrated author Eliot decides to move his wife, Donna and Son, Bradley to the countryside. He takes a job at the grand and sprawling Cloothill estate. Eliot does his best to fit in while working for the aristocratic Compton family. However, it quickly becomes apparent that country life may not be as idyllic as he hoped.

Eliot and Donna’s marital troubles are exacerbated when farm worker Tobias sets his sights on Donna and Eliot begins to fixate on the Compton’s young au pair, Rebecca. The couple gradually begin to lose sight of themselves as life at Cloothill consumes them.

Unflinching and sexually charged, The Burnt Fox is a startling depiction of the unsavoury side of life in rural England.

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NOTE: Author Neil Grimmett passed away in November 2015 following a brief illness.

REVIEW: THE BURNT FOX by Neil Grimmett is a stand alone, dramatic story line focusing on frustrated author Eliot Barnes, and his long suffering wife Donna. Told from third person point of view (Eliot) THE BURNT FOX follows Eliot and Donna as they struggle to regain control of their floundering marriage. When an opportunity presents itself to move to the English countryside, Eliot and Donna jump at the chance to leave the noisy and frustrating city life behind, hoping for a fresh start working for a reclusive couple and their small child. What ensues is a dark and conflicting series of events that pull the couple deeper into a world that is slowly closing in and destroying their lives. The seductive allure of peace and quiet blinds the couple to the truth about the people and places they have now come to call home.

THE BURNT FOX is a well written, slow building (mostly) narrative that follows two people whose lives have spiraled out of control, consumed by the darkness, and yet feel helpless in the face of the oncoming disaster. Like watching an accident about to happen, the reader is caught in the maelstrom and chaos without the ability to walk away or stop the ongoing fallout when temptation beckons behind closed doors.

Neil Grimmett has written a passionate, intimate and imaginative story; a disturbing look at the dark side of country life; the pitfalls, the dangerous passages, the controlling power of a segregated people who live life by their own rules. The premise is intriguing and dramatic; the characters are controversial and tragic.

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

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Undertow by Kelly Cozy-a review

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Undertow by Kelly Cozy-a review

Young drown woman in a poetic representation, red hair girl

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 18, 2014

Drew Finley was a crime journalist, until his mind couldn’t shut out the images of blood and bodies. Alcohol made the images go away, but also ruined Drew’s career and innocents’ lives.

Drew’s eager to make amends and he’s got a story that will help him: a profile of a local celebrity who may have been framed for murder. As he digs deeper, he’ll uncover secrets and grudges that will put the people he loves in danger.

REVIEW:

Reviewing books by Kelly Cozy is becoming difficult. How many times can I use the words OMG, WOW, and HOLY SMOKES? But I find myself yet again at a loss for different words to review her latest book except to say WOW, she blew me away again. In most books you normally have two main characters that the book focuses around with a few others mixed in for substance. Not when Kelly Cozy writes a book. You have your main character, Drew Finley but as you read the book, character upon character is added that adds depth and intrigue to the plotline. And the attention to detail for each person, situation or scenario is remarkable. Reading a story with so much detail transports me to the places and I’m in the book as a bystander watching it all unfold like it was really happening in real life. I know I’ve probably said that before in a previous review but it’s true. The first sentence in chapter one is “He knows who I am.” If that doesn’t grab your attention and keep you reading, I feel sorry for you.

Drew is a recovering alcoholic that let a crime story destroy his life. He has finally found a place to rebuild his life when he moves to Los Cielos and begins working for the Weekly. Normal is what he wants and that is what he has…for a little while. His girlfriend Evie is a little eccentric in a great way and she balances him out quite nicely. But once his attention gets focused on the local celebrity who may have been framed for murder, everything important to him gets overcome with his obsessive need to get to the truth. Jones Cavanaugh was the basketball coach that was convicted of killing one of the players. Audrey, the boss at the Weekly wants to do a piece on Cavanaugh and she assigns Drew to the story. And that is when his life is changed forever. After a meeting with Cavanaugh, Drew is beginning to think he is innocent so he digs deeper, talking to witnesses and anyone involved to get to the truth. But what he finds is not what you expect. And Drew’s reaction changes many lives forever. Could I see the ending coming? NO WAY. That’s the best part about reading a Kelly Cozy book, you never know what will happen and at the end you have to pick your mouth up off the floor. And then you are depressed because the book is over and you have to wait until the next one is written! That’s what happens to me anyways! This book is a great read and I highly recommend it and any other book she has written.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Tricia

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