Blog Tour: Broken Windows by Paul D Marks

Broken Windows

by Paul D. Marks

October 30, 2018 Book Blast

Synopsis:

While the storm rages over California’s notorious 1994 anti-illegal alien Proposition 187, a young woman climbs to the top of the famous Hollywood sign—and jumps to her death. An undocumented day laborer is murdered. And a disbarred and desperate lawyer in Venice Beach places an ad in a local paper that says: “Will Do Anything For Money.” Private Detective Duke Rogers, and his very unPC partner, Jack Riggs, must figure out what ties together these seemingly unrelated incidents. Their mission catapults them through a labyrinth of murder, intrigue and corruption of church, state and business that hovers around the immigration debate. Along the way we explore the fiery immigration issue from all sides and no one escapes unscathed.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery/Crime/Thriller Published by: Down & Out Books Publication Date: September 10th 2018 Number of Pages: 360 ISBN: 1948235072 (ISBN13: 9781948235075) Series: Duke Rogers PI, #2 Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

 

Read an excerpt:

PROLOGUE
The Hollywood Sign beckoned her like a magnet—or like a moth to a flame. The sign glowed golden in the magic hour sun—that time of day around sunrise and sunset when the light falls soft and warm and cinematographers love to shoot. Like so many others, Susan Karubian had come here seeking fame and fortune, hoping to make her mark on the world. Oh hell, she had come to be a star like all the others. And she would do it, just not quite in the heady way she’d anticipated.
She had spent hours deciding what to wear. After all, this wasn’t exactly in the etiquette books. Probably not the kind of thing you’d find in Ask Amy column. She finally decided on a tasteful dress with high-heeled sandals.
The young woman drove her Passat down Hollywood Boulevard, turning up Franklin, passing the Magic Castle. She turned slowly up Beachwood Canyon, past the low-rent area north of Franklin, up through the towering stone gates with their “Welcome to Beachwood Canyon” signs. Past the movie star homes in the hills—past where she thought she’d be living by now. She drove in circles, past piles of rubble from the earthquake several months ago, figuring that sooner or later she’d hit the right combination of roads and end up where she wanted to be.
The Passat crested the top of the mountain—mountain or hill? What was the difference anyway? A small concrete building with an antenna sat just below the road. No cars. No one around. As quiet as the Sherman Oaks Galleria on a Monday morning. She parked on Mt. Lee Drive.
She rolled up the windows, locked the car, set her purse on the floor by the gas pedal. The note she’d written in a steady hand tucked into her pocket. She hoped someone would find it quickly. Standing beside the car, she realized she’d have to hike down to get to the sign. She had thought it would be at the top of the mountain. She was buggin’, as she treaded toward the edge of the road.
The nonstop rain of the last couple weeks had broken. The view from up here was incredible. You could almost see Mexico to the south and the Pacific glittering in the west. The city below, shiny and bright. Pretty and clean from up here. A million doll houses that reminded her of childhood, playing with dolls and making everything come out the way she wanted it to. Little toy cars down below, scooting back and forth. Swarms of ants scurrying this way and that on important business. Oh yeah, everyone here had important business all day and all night. Everyone but her. She gazed down at Los Angeles on the cusp of the millennium. The place to be. Center of the universe. Totally.
She hesitated at the edge of the road, her toe kicking some gravel down the hill. It clattered down, somehow reminding her of the industrial music in the clubs where she liked to hang.
Should she try to talk to him? What would be the point now? She was talked out. And he wouldn’t forgive her. Why should he? She had hurt him. No, it was beyond hurt. There was no way to rationalize it.
***
Excerpt from Broken Windows by Paul D. Marks. Copyright © 2018 by Paul D. Marks. Reproduced with permission from Paul D. Marks. All rights reserved.

 

Author Bio:

Broken Windows, the sequel to Paul D. Marks’ Shamus Award-winning mystery-thriller White Heat hit the shelves 9/10/18. Publishers Weekly called White Heat a “taut crime yarn” and said of Broken Windows: “Fans of downbeat PI fiction will be satisfied…with Shamus Award winner Marks’s solid sequel to… White Heat.” Though thrillers and set in the 1990s, both novels deal with issues that are hot and relevant today: racism and immigration, respectively. Marks says “Broken Windows holds up a prism from which we can view the events burning up today’s headlines, like the passionate immigration debate, through the lens of the recent past. It all comes down to the saying we know so well, ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’.” His short stories appear in Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazines, among others, and have won or been nominated for many awards, including the Anthony, Derringer and Macavity. His story Windward, has been selected for the Best American Mystery Stories of 2018, edited by Louise Penny & Otto Penzler, and won the 2018 Macavity Award for Best Short Story and was also short-listed for a 2018 Shamus Award. Ghosts of Bunker Hill was voted #1 in the 2016 Ellery Queen Readers Poll. He is co-editor of the multi-award nominated anthology Coast to Coast: Private Eyes from Sea to Shining Sea.

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Tour Participants:

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Author Interview: Subhashish Dey, author of Fate's Design

Subhashish is a 14-year-old student of Chinmaya Vidyalaya Anna Nagar. He has been regularly contributing short stories to his school magazine. An avid reader, Subhashish believes that books open the doors to some wonderful insights in life. A brilliant student, Subhashish loves to explore different places and spends time trying to understand the culture of the people there.

Subhashish lives in Chennai along with his parents and grandmother. This is his first attempt at writing a novel. Subhashish is passionate about music and loves singing and playing his piano. Incidentally, music forms the backbone of the story of his novel. 

When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/a storyteller?

I only realized that I wanted to be a writer when I started working on my first manuscript. It was a strangely liberating experience to put all my thoughts into a piece of paper, and as I watched it taking shape, I just knew all of a sudden that I would never stop writing.

What motivates you to write and where does your inspiration come from?

Two things inspire me to write. One, all of the dramatic things I see happening to people around me, and two, the songs I listen to all the time.

How did you come up with the idea for your current story?

I had heard of a girl being bullied and couldn’t get it out of my mind. I went to sleep thinking about it, and woke up with a story in my mind of a girl who got bullied, whose mother just happened to be a popstar.

What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine or do you have any weird, funny, or unusual habits while writing and what are they?

I just knew where my story would start, and where it would end, but I never had the whole thing planned. I just went along with the flow as I was conjuring chapter after chapter, and maybe that is why I was satisfied only after five drafts. After every draft, I made some major changes to the plot itself. It was a tedious and time consuming process, and I will definitely spend more time finalizing my ideas hereafter.  I never followed any semblance of a routine. Whenever I had any free time, I would go straight to the writing desk. I scream-sing a lot when I write. It helps make the dialogue natural.

What are your current/future projects?

I am currently planning a sequel to Fate’s Design, and after that I am going to write a post-apocalyptic fantasy book.

Are you traditional or self-published, and what process did you go through to get your book published?

As a young boy, I did not have any idea about publishing. I wrote the book, and then left it to my father to talk to publishers and get it published. From him I have come to know about Good Times Books Pvt. Ltd. and am thankful to them for seeing the spark in my writing and accepting my manuscript. I am very happy with the way the proof reading, typesetting and post publication promotions have been and are being done by the publisher.   

What do you do if inspiration strikes in an inconvenient place like (car, restaurant, bathroom/shower, etc..) and how do you capture that moment before it gets away from you?

I have an app in which I can type notes, which I use all the time. It’s full of snippets of poetry, thoughts of characters, physical descriptions or even just names I see here and there.

If you had the chance to get one message out there to reach readers all over the world, what would that message be?

I feel like my book carries a message of hope, a message that dreams do come true and that bad things do happen, but there is always a silver lining. We live in an age when something called the quarter-life crisis exists, so I hope that people find my book to be an encouragement to live through the lows of their lives and work towards a better future.

What would you like to write about that you have never written about before?

I would like to write fantasy in the future. I love reading fantasy books, but didn’t have the courage to undertake such a huge project for a debut, however, I read somewhere that writers should write what they are afraid to write. That way they expand their horizons.

Were there any challenges (research, literary, psychological, or logistical) in bringing your book to life?

There were a few times when I lost patience with the book and wanted to give up. My father would then talk to me, and encourage me to go on. He has been instrumental in instilling patience in me to finish what I had taken upon myself.

Do you read? Who are your favourite authors and how have they influenced your writing style?

Yes, I love reading books. One of my favourite authors is George R.R. Martin, and through his books he has portrayed that the people we consider to be “evil” may not really be truly black. He has taught us writers that everyone falls into a grey area in the good or bad spectrum, and that it is possible to create empathy for supposedly antagonistic roles. One of my characters in the book also exhibits similar traits.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone that wants to get into writing?

Plan what you want to write, to the tiniest detail, and only then jump into the actual writing part. I find patience to be a very important factor too, as writing a book definitely is a tremendously laborious process.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with your readers?

I am fourteen years old and this is my first attempt at writing a novel. I have tried writing short stories before, but not a novel. I feel that I have given it my best effort and that people will find themselves emotionally invested in the novel. I would really love it if the people who read my book give me their honest feedback. That would help me grow as a writer.

When a kidnapper redeems his lost conscience and finds himself unable to murder the girl he has kidnapped, what does he do? Fate is cruel to him, and good intentions are never enough.

At the same time, a woman dissatisfied with her existence flees from her home, not knowing what lies ahead of her. But all things come at a price, and she has a hard path ahead through storms and fire.  

Watch how fate has entwined these lives together, into a song through struggles of conscience and identity, through the deepest lows and greatest highs, and through the flame of madness and the stings of survival.  

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Thank you, Subhashish for this amazing interview! I wish you success for all your future works. Keep writing!

  

Book Review: Tree Bears Witness by Sharath Komarraju

Title: Tree Bears Witness

Author: Sharath Komarraju

Publisher: Westland

Sharath Komarraju’s ‘Tree Bears Witness’ is the second book in the Birbal Mystery series. However, this novel easily stands alone without the first-time reader of the series having to worry about missing out on the first book.

Set in the golden age of the Mughals, the novel revolves around the royal court of Agra. There’s political intrigue, personal enmities, and hidden rivalries and everyone is a suspect until proven otherwise in the court of Akbar the Great.

The plot is set with the royal marriage having taken place and Akbar returning to his palace with his newly wedded wife and princess of the Rajput Empire, Jodha. She has brought with her a royal retinue. The days should have followed in celebrations but sadly Sujjamal, Jodha’s brother, is found murdered in the palace gardens. The murder has taken place at a spot between two mango trees in a garden and the two guards, who are eyewitnesses, have conflicting versions of what could have happened. With his honour and reputation at stake, Akbar asks his trusted advisor Birbal to solve the mystery.

Nicely edged characters, perfectly choreographed events, and clipped narration make this otherwise linear plot a good read, interesting even. This whodunit never becomes boring and the reader would definitely follow Birbal’s investigation with bated breath until he draws the curtain on the probe at the end of the novel. There are times when it becomes evident who the culprit may be. But at the end it doesn’t matter much because the execution of the investigation itself is interesting to follow.

Komarraju has managed a perfect novel for lovers of classic mysteries who’d like to watch a clever and introspective detective solve a tricky puzzle.

Sharath Komarraju is an author of fiction and nonfiction based in Bengaluru, India. His best known work (to date) is the Hastinapur series, in which he speaks into the silences of the Mahabharata story through the voices of the epic’s many women characters. His first novel, Murder in Amaravati, was longlisted for the Commonwealth Book Prize, 2013.

Once a software engineer, he now tells stories full-time. When he is not writing or reading, he can be found watching cricket on television, talking to his wife, or munching on the nearest chocolate bar.

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I'd like to thank the publisher for letting me review the book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading!

* I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

** Picture courtesy: Amazon.in

Book Review: A Bride, A Murder & A Trail Of Blood by Laxmi Natraj

Title: A Bride, A Murder & A Trail Of BloodAuhtor: Laxmi NatrajPublisher: StoryMirror Infotech Pvt Ltd

Review

A newly married young woman comes to live in a posh neighbourhood. That her marriage is on the rocks is evident to all from the telltale bruises and injuries on her body. She is a victim of domestic violence. And one fine day she goes missing under mysterious circumstances. An excess amount of blood and visible sign of violence in the house is a clear indicator of a brutal attack or even a murder. The obvious suspect, her husband, is missing as well. An investigation is carried out and evidences pile up against the husband who is a well known professor.

What looks like a murder investigation with a strong motive, several witnesses, and a culprit in denial is but the tip of an iceberg in a case that keeps the police department on its toes. When the investigating officer, Shinde, comes across the truth during his probe, he is both shocked and assuaged at the same time. But is that all that is there to fish out? Or is there a truth that actually evades his investigative eyes after all? Has justice been served finally? These questions are what set the story apart and interesting.

In her latest novel, ‘A Bride, A Murder & A Trail of Blood,’ Laxmi Natraj has woven an intelligent story which is more than a crime thriller and focuses on the corruption and plagiarism involved in the field of higher education. Revenge gets a new flavour and so does justice.

Although the language and plot sometimes border on cliché, the story itself keeps one fascinated. The breakneck pacing of the narration eventually resolves into a poignant ending. But the editing is certainly not up to the mark. A lot of the fat could have been cut out to give the novel a crisper feel.   

Happily, the many loyal fans of crime thrillers probably won’t mind the snags in the novel; they’ll just delight in the feels.

Buy Link

Amazon

About the Author

Laxmi Natraj is an educator with a 35 years of teaching experience. She has authored a series of Children's science fiction and adventure books. She has also written two thriller adult fiction books and is working on her third. She also writes short stories in Women's Era and Champak and Gokulam. Recently, she has also taken up blogging and is active on social media.

I'd like to thank the author for letting me review the book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 

* I received a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

** Picture courtesy: Amazon.in 

Book Review: The Girl Who Loved A Pirate by Kulpreet Yadav

Title: The Girl Who Loved A Pirate

Author: Kulpreet Yadav

Publisher: Rumour Book India

Review

In the second installment of the Andy Karan series, The Girl Who Loved A Pirate, author Kulpreet Yadav delves into the abysmal depths of piracy and drug cartels. The story begins with the Pirate of the World who wants to quit a life of crime and settle down with Dao-Ming, the woman he loves. Unfortunately for him, his final mission fails. With his arrest ends the reign of terror that lasted ten years in the Malacca Strait. Locked up in a high security jail in Malaysia, the Pirate of the World longs to be reunited with his lover even when he is days away from his execution. 

The setting of the novel is the high seas, off the Indian coast, where a North Korean Ship called Ocean King is on its way to a port in Iran with a secret cargo. The mission is to hijack the ship and its cargo along with the Brazilian captain and the Filipino crew. The captured pirate and the Indian security forces team up to prevent this shipment.

In a parallel storyline, Andy Karan, an undercover spy from a top secret agency, is sent off on a mission to Goa to avenge his colleague’s murder by drug dealers and to crack the case his friend had been pursuing before getting murdered. 

For the uninitiated, Andy Karan made his debut with ‘Catching The Departed.’ A seeker of truth and justice, he is forever fighting the demons of his birth and fate. He is the star investigator of New Delhi Today magazine by the day and an undercover agent working for the Indian government as and when deemed fit.

The author intertwines the two plots seamlessly when in exchange for the pirate’s freedom, the Indian intelligence, along with their Malaysian counterparts, intends to use the pirate’s expertise for the greater good of the world. Andy, of course, heads the mission.

Kulpreet has written, well and capably, a story that is largely narrative, if full of nice twists and turns. The richly detailed account makes for a cinematic feel with well fleshed out characters to watch out for. There is just the right dose of thrill and anticipation. The ethical dilemmas of the characters involved are crisply conveyed which is oftentimes neglected by authors.

The Girl Who Loved A Pirate is a first-rate crime story that gets inside the shadowy—and astoundingly average—world of spooks, moles, and ops.

Buy Link

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About the Author

Kulpreet Yadav is a bestselling author, motivational speaker and Founder-Editor of Open Road Review, South Asia's leading online literature and culture magazine. Kulpreet’s novel, The Girl Who Loved a Pirate, is India’s first thriller based on marine piracy & hijacking. Passionate about creative writing, Kulpreet also mentors aspiring writers at schools and colleges and has spoken at many literary festivals in India & abroad.  An ex-armed forces officer, his latest novel, The Girl Who Loved a Spy, was launched in 2016. 

I'd like to thank the author for letting me review the book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 

* I received a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Women of Baker Street by Michelle Birkby

Title: The Women of Baker Street
Author: Michelle Birkby
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Review

Michelle Birkby’s ‘The Women of Baker Street’ is the second installment in the Hudson and Watson investigation series. In this adventure series, Mrs Hudson, Holmes’ landlady and “a long-suffering woman” with her eccentric and irregular lodger and Mary Morstan, the first wife of Dr. Watson, step out into the spotlight. Given there isn't really much about their background in the original books, Birkby has meticulously woven a history, and a maiden name and a personality straight out of her own imagination for Mrs Hudson. Mary Watson née Morstan too gets her fair share of foreground.

The book opens with Mrs Hudson falling ill and rushed to a private ward at St Barts hospital, where there is an abnormally high death rate. Soon we are introduced to a truly eclectic and strange group of women who share the ward with Mrs. Hudson while she recuperates. None of these women in the ward are what they seem; Emma, Betty, Eleanor, Flo Bryson, Miranda Logan, and all have secrets they wish to hide. The ward is presided over by the mysterious Sister Ruth Bey, who is the night nurse. She spends all of her time at her desk, obsessively writing in a logbook, refusing to go near the patients. Mrs Hudson is driven to investigate, when she witnesses one of the deaths taking place, and discovers that it was murder.

Mary gets her own investigation to solve. Her case involves the “pale boys,” who may or may not be real. The boys are street children, either snatched from the street, from orphanages, or trained to kill. The two investigations run in tandem, before converging halfway through the novel. I was much impressed as to how two separate mysteries were handled by the author. Both were given roughly the same amount of focus, but at no point did I feel lost or found the telling lacking.  

However, this isn’t a standalone book. You will likely find yourself lost if you don’t read the first in the series, because while ‘Women of Baker Street’ has a much more straightforward narrative, it also refers to and relies on threads that were set up in ‘The House at Baker Street.’

Birkby knows how to write fun, feisty, and fully realized female protagonists. Her characters are their own persons with their own personality. The narrative is surefooted, lively, and inventive.  Finally, here’s a pastiche based on a promising idea.

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About the Author

Michelle Birkby has always loved crime stories and read her first Sherlock Holmes book when she was thirteen. She was given a beautiful collection of all the short stories and has been hooked with the wonderful, gas-lit, atmospheric world of crime and adventure ever since. A few years ago Michelle was re-reading The Empty House and a blurred figure in the background suddenly came into focus. It became clear to her that Mrs Hudson was much more than a housekeeper to 221b and she’d always been fascinated by Mary Watson's character. So she set about giving the women of Baker Street voices and adventures of their own...The Women of Baker Street is the second book in the series, following The House at Baker Street.

I'd like to thank the publisher for letting me review the book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 

* I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

** Picture courtesy: Amazon.in 

Cover Reveal: Dangerous Games by Danielle Steel

Dangerous Games by Danielle Steel

Genre: Crime, Thriller & Mystery

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Release date: 9th March, 2017

Danielle Steel tears down the walls of power at the heart of the White House in the thrilling Dangerous Games.

Television correspondent Alix Phillips dodges bullets and breaks rules to bring the most important news to the world. With her daughter in college, and working alongside cameraman Ben Chapman, an ex-Navy Seal, Alix exhilarates in the risks and whirlwind pace of her work. But her latest assignment puts her at the center of an explosive story that will reshape many lives, including her own: investigating damning allegations involving the vice president of the United States, Tony Clark.

Alix starts with a nationally revered woman who may be the key to exposing frightening secrets. Olympia Foster is the fragile, reclusive widow of America's most admired senator, who had been destined for the presidency before an assassin's bullet felled him. Since then, Olympia has found emotional support in Clark, who once wanted her as his wife and now stands as her protector and confidant. When Alix begins to dig deeper, federal agents pick up the trail. Then the threats begin.

As the stakes rise in this dangerous game, Alix needs Ben's help as never before. Soon they realize they are grappling with an adversary far more sinister than they had imagined . . .

Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's most popular authors, with over 650 million copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include Property of a Noblewoman, Blue, Precious Gifts,Undercover, Country, Prodigal Son,Pegasus, A Perfect Life, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless;and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Parisand Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.

http://daniellesteel.com/contact/

Book Review: The Party Worker by Omar Shahid Hamid

Title: The Party Worker

Author: Omar Shahid Hamid

Publisher: Pan Macmillan India

Review:

Pakistani police officer-cum-novelist Omar Shahid Hamid delivers yet another gritty account of politics and its associated evils. ‘The Party Worker’ as such focuses on corruption and duplicity along with some sordid but keen insights into winning and maintaining power in the big bad world of politics.

It all begins with the murder of a Jewish woman on the steps of the Natural History Museum in New York. A committed NYPD detective picks up the case with the intention of solving it. He sets his eyes on a self-exiled Pakistani politician by the name of Mohammad Ali Pichkari. Disparate lives are thrown together for the purpose of bringing about the downfall of this man who, as it turns out, is the uncrowned king of Karachi. A burnt out New York cop; an octogenarian Parsi businessman sitting in a decaying Karachi mansion; an unconscionable hatchet-man whose days are numbered; a journalist who dreams of the big time — who brings about the downfall of Pichkari and how, forms the crux of this maelstrom of a novel.

The writing is easy to follow. Hamid’s characterizations call for rounds of applauds. His are not two-dimensional figures devoid of nuance; rather these are believable characters and seem to be drawn closely from real-life people. The pace is wonderfully set and is sure to keep readers glued to the pages.

An astutely written and well-crafted work. Just the thing for politics junkies and journalism buffs.

About the Author:

Omar Shahid Hamid has been a police officer in Pakistan for sixteen years and is a senior member of the Karachi Police's Counter Terrorism Department. In 2011, following an attack on his offices by the Pakistani Taliban, he took a five-year sabbatical to write books and worked as a political risk consultant. He has been widely quoted and regularly featured in major news outlets like The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Times, Le Monde, DW, Bloomberg, Reuters, CNN, BBC, France24, Radio France and NPR. His first novel, The Prisoner (2013), was long listed for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2015 and is now being adapted for a feature film. His second novel is The Spinner’s Tale (2015). In 2016, Omar returned to active duty as a Counter Terrorism Officer.

Buy Link:

Amazon

I'd like to thank the author for letting me review his novel. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 

* I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

** Picture courtesy: Amazon.in

Book Review: The Curse Of Mohenjodaro by Maha Khan Phillips

Title: The Curse of Mohenjodaro

Author: Maha Khan Phillips

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Review:

Maha Khan Phillips’ The Curse of Mohenjodaro is an evocative, meandering tale that creates an intriguing milieu. There are familiar elements in this story — an archaeological dig, people dying in a mystery fire, an ancient civilization, a fanatical cult, a super-successful writer of teen horror, a blond assassin, a discovery that hints at an adventure — but they are synthesized in a fresh way in this keenly observed, quietly powerful novel.

It all begins with a university-backed excavation at Mohenjodaro, when the young intern, Layla, apparently blows up the entire team. Later she goes missing and it is up to Nadia to go looking for her missing half-sister. Along the way she picks up Liam, Layla’s teammate from the expedition. Together they set out to look for the missing sister. Then there’s Jaya — a girl who frequents Nadia’s dream. She is undoubtedly connected to the Mohenjodaro mystery.

The narrative of the book is such that it goes back and forth between two time frames. But there is nothing that confuses the reader. The material is enhanced by the author’s well-realized rendition of time and place. Khan Phillips’ detailed world-building provides plenty of insight into the world of 3800 BC Mohenjodaro. The flow of the events makes it a page turner with a decent plot and good characterization. There isn’t really anything I can fault about the book and I’d recommend it as a must read for 2017. 

About the Author:

Maha Khan Phillips is a multiple award-winning financial journalist and the author of Beautiful from This Angle and the Mystery of the Aagnee Ruby. She grew up in Karachi, Pakistan. She has a bachelor’s degree in Politics and International Relations and a master’s degree in International Conflict Analysis from the University of Kent at Canterbury. In 2006, she completed a master’s degree in Creative Writing from City University in London, where she currently lives with her husband and son.

Buy Link:

Amazon

I'd like to thank the author for letting me review the book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 

* I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

** Picture courtesy: Amazon.in

Book Review: This Was A Man by Jeffrey Archer

Title: This Was A Man
Author: Jeffrey Archer
Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Review:

Jeffrey Archer’s ‘This Was A Man’ is the closing chapter of the Cliffton Chronicles, a book series of seven novels published in a span of five years. The series follows the events of the fictitious Clifton and Barrington families, starting in the 1920s. It is full of unexpected twists and turns characteristic of Archer’s style. At times the story is tragic and sad. Other times it is hopeful. Still other times the tale is funny, even hilarious.

This final installment essentially ties up the loose ends. Emma rises high in her career as she is appointed the Minister of Health by Margaret Thatcher's government. Meanwhile, Harry decides to begin his final William Warwick novel which he wants to accomplish as per his late mother’s wish. Giles finds out about Karin’s secret. Lady Virginia refuses to get out of their lives. Little Freddie is a young boy now who idolizes Giles, primarily for his flair in cricket. Seb is busy tackling Desmond Mellor and Jim Knowles as they resurface again. Jessica wins her place at the prestigious Slade School of Fine Arts but unfortunately falls into bad company and risks her career being compromised.

The thing with a series is that picking up any of the installments at random can be a risky affair. Though mostly all the books can be read as standalones, the flavor as a whole gets lost somewhere. At least it does for me. I’m a die-hard fan of Archer’s short stories. I would even swear by them if that were possible. But I never had the opportunity to read one of his novels. This is a first for me. To be honest, I felt a little lost with what was happening in this book. There was so much I didn’t know. There was so much I needed to know before I could process this saga. So I did the next best thing I could do other than binge read all the six previous installments. I Googled the books and armed myself with all the essential knowledge. Then I was good to go.

The story is superb. The writing is flawless to say the least. The characters seem so real that their trials and tribulations become the reader’s own. The narrative is highly absorbing and free flowing with a smooth pace as the author peels away layer upon layer until the readers get to the very depth of the story line. It chronicles an absorbing and affecting family journey across generations.

Ina a nutshell, this novel is an amazing offering, full of memorable characters.

Buy Link:

Amazon

About the Author:

Jeffrey Archer, whose novels and short stories include Kane and Abel, A Prisoner of Birth and Cat O' Nine Tales, has topped the bestseller lists around the world, with sales of over 275 million copies. He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction, short stories and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries). The author is married to Dame Mary Archer and they have two sons and two grandsons.

I'd like to thank the author for letting me review the book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 

* I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

** Picture courtesy: Amazon.in 

Spotlight: E.S. Ready

Title: Until Someday

Author: E.S. Ready

About the Book:

The year is 1927 and professional boxer Emmett Roane is losing his grip on reality. His career is faltering, memories of a lost love haunt him and the horrors of the Great War muddle his mind. Emmett’s past is hobbling his future, and no amount of booze or knockout blows can ease his painful memories. 

     Seeking solace in the place where he and his Anna had once been so happy, Emmett leaves Brooklyn for a few days alone in Newport at the gilded waterfront Hermann Hotel. During a fateful weekend as he tries to make peace with his ghosts, Emmett crosses paths with Maude Mable, a lively beauty with secrets of her own. But they soon learn the luxury hotel also hosts Luther Irvin, an opium-addicted mobster who is as violent as he is desperate.

     When Emmett and Maude discover Luther’s hideous plan to wage war on a rival gang, the pair is thrust into a deadly match of wits and force. His back against the ropes, Emmett finds his quest for self-restoration has become a mission of survival—for him, Maude and everyone at the Hermann. Can Emmett Roane, a fighter who desperately seeks an elusive peace, halt the embodiment of evil while finding a way to heal his own heart and mind?

 About the Author:

E.S. Ready graduated from the University of New Haven with a B.S. in Criminal Justice - Investigative Services. He enjoys reading and writing crime, action, adventure, mystery, and historical fiction. He currently resides in his Connecticut hometown with his family. E.S. is an old soul that is fond of mischief and living a good story as much as he likes telling one. Until Someday is his first novel.

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Book Review: Envisage by Jaydeep Khot

Title: Envisage
Author: Jaydeep Khot
Publisher: Notion Press

Review:

Jaydeep Khot’s novel Envisage is a relatively small book just shy of 80 pages. The story revolves around Kasak, a pretty and clever girl with the ability to see the future. She gets premonitions of impending occurrences by touching objects.

The plot got me thinking of another story, The Mythos Academy, which is a young adult urban fantasy series. It focuses on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. Gwen’s magic lets her see everyone who has ever touched or used an object as well as feel their emotions — the good, the bad, and the ugly. Kasak’s supernatural power is somewhat similar to Gwen’s brand of magic. But then the similarity ends there. Whereas Gwen is shipped off to an elite school set apart to train kids who just so happen to be descendants of various mythical warriors, Kasak gets to stay with her uncle, aunty and her cousin, Ravi. She attends Taekwondo classes and the author has devoted an entire chapter to explain this beautiful art.

The readers become a part of Kasak’s life since her birth. As her powers grow, so does her sense of responsibility towards the society. She develops a keen sense of right and wrong. Ultimately her virtues help her avenge her father’s death.

The simple language of the book and its length makes for a fast read. The cover is beautiful. The book lacks proper editing and proofreading with punctuation errors, typing mistakes, and incorrect grammar usage. This definitely is a drawback but this shouldn’t be held against the author.  Overall, a light read for young-adults that brims with possibility and perhaps a shot at a sequel.

Buy Link:

Amazon

Author Bio:

Jaydeep Khot is a 21-year-old writer. He is an alumnus of Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics. He is also a final year student of chartered accountancy course. 50 Miles – A Reverse Journey is his debut novel, and this is his second book. His favorite subjects are history, economics and psychology. Writing is his passion.

Contact:

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I'd like to thank the author for letting me review his book. Thank you for stopping by. Happy reading!