Old Worlds

J. K. K. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings series and its companion volume, The Hobbit has delighted readers for over seventy years. There have been many imitators, but nothing equals the originals. These are stories to be treasured among the greats.
I discovered them late in life, as when I was working with young adults they were into Edgar Rice Burroughs' Galaxies stories and I had little time for personal reading.
There is little reason to summarize each title as the stories are imprinted in the minds of readers and movie fans. The movies are masterpieces of film photography and adhere closely to the original story line.
The books are enchanting for readers of any age and maybe should be read about once every decade to indulge in the skill enchantment of words.
If you've never read them you are in for a treat of verbal images, power of language, and creative story wise. If you have read them savory them again to discover the fine art of story telling.
Nash Black, author of Cards of Death.   

FOUR LETTER WORDS

2015 brought changes that have either been long desired or frequently dreaded, a major change has been in how we view four letter words. No one gasps in shock when they hear a vulgar expletive. The words sound as if they are coming though the cracks of the restroom door when grade school kids try prove to each other how tough they are. It is so common no one pays the least attention.
   Transmutation is a four syllable word that means "to change from one form to another." The four letter words I'm going to discuss are not crude expletives, but common ones we hear everyday and seldom pause long enough to study their meaning.
   During 2015 the citizens of the United States grasp a litany of hope for a change in their circumstances. Reality cast a heavy hand as work became the goal for millions who had lost their jobs in industries that may never rise again. It was sometime in the late 1970s when the greatest manufacturing nation in the industrialized world changed from a producer of goods to a conveyor of services. This in-of-itself is the breaking point of a consumer economy because production of goods builds a strong foundation thereby creating wealth. The consumption of services has no intrinsic value.
   We ended 2015 in a state of confusion as to how to attempt to recover from the staggering debt fostered by our government in a frantic attempt to perpetrate a myth of prosperity.
   The population who learned to acquire what they want on borrowed money is now faced with living with the prospect of witnessing their government in default into bankruptcy.
   2016 is a new year when we Americans must look within ourselves not with fear of the future in our eyes, but to care in our hearts for our county. so the gift our ancestors gave the world will not be transmuted into take from out neighbors.
   Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying it this way, "We given you a gift, but it is up to you to keep it."
   My wish to you for 2016 is to learn and know the meaning of many four letter words.

   I dedicate this essay to the late Robert Ritche who once told me, "Blackie, I know you speak formal, standard, colloquial, and street English, but would you please not use them in the same sentence." I don't think I have, but then I've mellowed with the years though I still use four letter words. A friend describes it as my "potty" mouth.
   

"Marketing Explained"

Telemarketing IN Our Day. 

We did not write this. It came to us in an email. We have no idea who wrote it or when, but it cracked us up when we read it and wanted to share. It would make a marvelous teaching tool if you didn't get drummed out of the classroom for being sexist. It is not for enlightenment, but for pure fun.
We quote:
  "One buzz word in today's business world is MARKETING.
  "However, people often ask for a simple explanation of "Marketing." Well, here it is: You're a woman and you see a handsome guy at a party. You go up to him and say, 'I'm fantastic in bed.' That's DIRECT MARKETING.
  "You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a handsome guy, One of your friends goes up to him and, pointing at you, says, 'She's fantastic in bed.' That's ADVERTISING.
  "You see a handsome guy at a party, you go up to him and get his telephone number. The next day you call and say, 'Hi, I'm fantastic in bed.' That's TELEMARKETING.
"You see a guy at a party; you straighten your dress. You walk up to him and pour him a drink. You say, 'May I.?' and reach up to straighten his tie, brushing your breast lightly against his arm, and then say, 'By the way, I'm fantastic in bed.' That's PUBLIC RELATIONS.
"You're at a party and see a handsome guy. He walks up to you and says, "I hear you're fantastic in bed.' That's BRAND RECOGNITION.
"You're at a party and see a handsome guy. He fancies you, but you talk him into going home with your friend. That's SALES REP.
"Your friend can't satisfy him so he calls you. That's TECH SUPPORT.
"You're on your way to a party when you realize that there could be handsome men in all these houses you're passing, so you climb onto the roof of one situated towards the center and shout at the top of your lungs, 'I'm fantastic in bed!' That's FACEBOOK."
   Thank you, whoever you are. You made a black day bearable.

 

Personal Effects Chronicles: A mid Week Funny

Personal Effects Chronicles: A mid Week Funny: Just The Way It Is:  A goofy acting guy comes in the store. He points to a book I have on laying on a blanket box.  Man: Boy, that&...

Vengeance in My Heart

L.C. Hayden's second installment in the Aimee Brent series is Vengeance in My Heart. Aimee paves a dangerous road for herself when she leaves Rich Cole and South Lake Tahoe to trace the man who murdered her mother.
The man she seeks is her biological father who today is rich and powerful with many employees who execute his commands with little regard to the consequences. He will stop at nothing to wipe his past clean when he is ready to move on the a new life under a different name. Aimee is at the top of Lee's list of expendables from his past.
Their purposes collide when Aimee's reporter skills bring her to Los Angeles to Disney World following the lead of a twenty-year old photograph of her father standing in the background of a picture that was taken at the famous theme park. The photo was taken months after he had supposedly drowned in a boating accident.
A master technician of voice, pace, place, and plot Hayden weaves a mystery of adventure and suspense.
Vengeance in My Heart should come with a warning label: Do Not Read in Bed. This title does not permit sleeping until after the reader reaches the final page. The bags under my eyes from lack of sleep are so puffy my glasses are resting on them.

 http://amzn.com//1505509157

Nash Black, author, Games of Death.

Personal Effects Chronicles: Book Review:Kentucky's Cookbook Heritage by John ...

Personal Effects Chronicles: Book Review:
Kentucky's Cookbook Heritage by John ...: Book Review: Kentucky's Cookbook Heritage by John Van Willigen  OK, I'm really excited about this.  Just checked this out o...

Under the Apple Boughs and Batch Magna

Peter Maughan's Batch Magna series has the marvelous charm of a landscape painting, a moment caught in time, but Peter draws with words. Images that move in rhythm with the currents of the river that flows through the land.
When the troubles of the world become too much to endure escape into a land that may not exist, but should for everyone to enjoy. You will enjoy your visit and hoard each vivid phrase.
The Cuckoos of Batch Magna is where the reader is first introduced to the delightfully unique characters who dig a hole in your heart. They reside on the Cluny River in derelict paddle wheelers. Their view of life is that of an endless summer when the reality is held at bay for a few brief hours.

"River talking ... you could put the world to rights and change your life, or somebody else's, several times, all before breakfast."

Their lifestyle is extreme casual and frequented by 'jollies' on whichever old boat one happens to pass. Who would want to disturb the peace and tranquility of their home with 'change?'
The river people must cast loose their moorings when Humphrey Strange (American) inherits a title he knew nothing about and
heavily mortgaged land, with tenants who don't pay their rent in a world beyond his comprehension until he finds that yes, he does want to be the 9th baronet of Batch Hall.

Meet Sir Humphrey in the sequel Sir Humphrey of Batch Hall, has discovered love and taken up living in his ancestral home even though the walls are molding, the roof leaks, and the taxes must be paid. Now that he has found his baronial home place, he will fight to the death to protect it even against the evil which threatens to invade and seize his land by "a road to nowhere in particular, and in no particular hurry to get there."
Miss Wyndham, the village spinster, comes into her own as she 'frantically flaps her hand' to shush a wren whose song might betray her presence as a sleuth in Cutterbach Woods.

Polish the novels off with the outstanding baker's dozen essays that will take you though a year of village life. Detailing each season with their lyrical story telling of birthing, living and growing, harvesting and dying for humans and the land.
The pieces in Under the Apple Boughs will draw you back again and again to read and savor as one does a cup of well-brewed tea, a steaming mug of coffee, or a goblet of vintage wine.

As Peter observes, "Time. We are tied to it from birth and burdened with its future as well as its past."

Peter Maughan's books are available in Kindle editions. Visit with him on Twitter @PeterMaughan and http://www.batchmagna.com.
Nash Black, author of Cards of Death.

Wiggle Room

War is hell, especially when there is no escape and it follows you home. Darden North paints a vivid picture of the tragedies of war and conflicting values and religious beliefs in his page turning thriller, Wiggle Room.
Major Brad Cummins is serving a tour in Iraq as a surgeon. On a horrible day two young men are brought into surgery. Brad follows all the procedures, but Marine Lance Corporal Chad Giles dies after his successful surgery for no reason.
Brad must use his skill to save the life of an Iraqi civilian who was standing on the sidelines when the roadside bomb exploded.
Zarife Amarah is not an innocent victim, but the bomber himself and he resents the American doctor's interference with his attempt to die a martyr to Allah. He follows Brad home seeking vengeance against the doctor for his disruption of a deadly goal.
Amarah is not alone in aiming for retaliation. Dr. Brad Cummins becomes the target for revenge that will see both his twin brother and fiancée die, leaving him suspected of murder.
The ending will surprise and shock you, though if you look deep Dr. North has laid little clues along his twisted plot line.
You can visit Dr. Darden North at http://www.dardennorth.com and can purchase Wiggle Room from Amazon.
Nash Black, author of Prelude of Death.

According to Luke

Rosanne Dingli's According to Luke is an outstanding traditional mystery with an interesting premise. Ms. Dingli's quiet style enthralls the reader with possibilities as Jana Hayes searches for clues to authenticate an ancient icon.
The narrative is seamless with each tiny thread leading to broader questions. Questions posed in fiction that have valid evidence in verifiable fact.
Jana works for Johan Berg at Zona Scientifika in Venice is far from her home in Australia, but she is not lonely in her dingy apartment. She is within walking minutes away from the riveting intricate work she loves.
She discovers through x-rays a seconded painting hidden behind a black madonna that was sent to the firm by the Catholic church to its establish providence. The bearer of the precious artifact is a young priest, Rob Anderson, who is a fellow Australian. There is an instant recognition between Jana and Rob, but as strangers passing, Jana's work is almost finished.
She arrives at the lab to discover all of her notes and work files have vanished. Her friend and colleague, Anita Schneider, is dead. She was murdered during the break-in.
Jana and Rob set off across Italy on a journey both personal and professional. They are aided in their quest by Bryn Awbrey, a Welsh bibliophile, who becomes involved in their search for the truth, no matter what it may cost them.
The reader is drawn into the story and will remain there through the exciting climax to the end. Then you may find yourself doing some reading in the Bible.
This title has been compared to a famous book of the symbolic seaching, but I see traces of the early traditional mystery writer, Mary Roberts Rinehart.
Rosanne Dingli is at work on a related title to be published in the near future, which will again involve the wily Bryn Awbrey who lives with books and never forgets a page or reference. You can visit with her on Twitter @RosanneDingli or on her website at http://www.rosannedingli.com.
Nash Black, author of the Ono County of Death series.

The Past Never Ends

Jackson Burnett's The Past Never Ends is a treat for fans of traditional mysteries. The reader learns all the facts at the same time Chester Morgan uncovers them. The clues along with the red herrings are there, but Burnett's twists gives an experienced reader a challenge.
Tanya Everly, stripper/prostitute, had few friends, but those who loved her want answers as to why she died.
Alan Kinman has little money, but he is willing to hire Chester Morgan to gain access to records of her death, which are marked "accidental death-closed."
Chester spends valuable-billable time on the case to the despair of his helpmates, but each way he turns his way is blocked. In frustration he turns to the law and the courts.
This is were Mr. Burnett lifts a complex legal mystery above the ordinary. He executes a skill in turning 'the law' into a character in its own right. This technique is so exceptional it makes for fascinating reading.
Enjoy The Past Never Ends. It is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kindle.
Nash Black, author of Sandprints of Death.

Cover of Snow

Thriller, chiller, suspense, or literary mystery, it doesn't matter what genre it's finally labeled. Jenny Milchman's Cover of Snow will be one of the most talked about must reads of 2013. It is a unique debut novel that covers all the emotional bases with the sharp finesse of a seasoned craftsman.
Nora Hamilton endures her worst nightmares when she discovers her policeman husband's body. He hung himself after spending a never-to-be-forgotten evening making love to her. They were close and shared their lives with a deep understand of strength of their love for each other. His chosen career was on track and her small business was growing. Brendan had no reason to commit suicide.
Goaded out of her grief laden stupor by her sister Nora demands answers of those she has come to accept through Brendan as family and friends. Her faith in her husband is fractured when she begins to ferret out long held secrets that have held residents of Wedeskyull, NY in a morass of hatred and fear.
When the reader is presumptuous enough to anticipate a relationship or a result Ms. Milchman will execute a 300 degree turn toward the unexpected. Cover of Snow is not a thriller that travels previously explored roads, it's as treacherous as the ice and snow buried back roads that are never plowed in upstate New York. They are the perfect physical and symbolic enhancements of the storyline.

Cover of Snow will be released January 15, 2013 by Ballantine Books wherever books are sold. You can visit with Jenny on her website http://www.jennymilchman.com or contact her on Twitter @jennymilchman.
Nash Black, author of Sandprints of Death. 

Time of Death

Ellis Vidler's Time of Death had me hooked from the beginning because of an experience I shared with Alex Jenrette, the protagonist.
Not withstanding having a tree fall on your home and the displacement of its aftermath this second title that uses the psychic abilities of the McGuire women is excellent.
The terrorist tension Ms. Vidler creates with the murders, conflict of interest, budding romance and the well-crafted narrative makes a compelling read.
Alex, an artist, who has inherited psychic tendencies when violence is near her comes to the island home of her aunt, Isobel Devore.
Wanting to occupy her time recording the natural beauty of the protected landscape she takes her camera and sketchbook to the beach.
She climbs a tree to use an overhead perspective for her studies and becomes a hidden witness to a murder even she does not know has occurred, but her hands recognize violent death.
Alex's "gift" has brought her pain and trouble, but when a killer seeks to eliminate all witnesses her life and that of her beloved aunt are endangered. Her car is forced off the road and they are nearly killed. She garners her resources to fight back.
A failed marriage in her recent past protects her from the charm of a man she meets by chance. This is the one man she cannot have.
Connor Moran is a federal attorney who has been working for over a year to bring a man to justice. He will not jeopardize his case to listen to a woman, no matter how personally fascinating, who sees things.
Time of Death is a read that will keep you up at night turning the pages. It did me.
You can visit with Ellis Vidler at http://ellisvidler.com  or @EllisVidler on Twitter . Her good reads are available from Amazon.
Nash Black, author of Sandprints of Death.

Novel Ideas

J. C. Allen's Novel Ideas is the most profound futuristic novel I have read in a long time.
It begins as an adventure when Penny Reed refuses to become a ward of the state after her father's death. She steals her father's sailboat and travels across the Pacific to find a grandfather she has never known.
Forrest Reed, a well known author, has withdrawn from the world and has refused to write books for publication for a public who considers reading passe. He doesn't know he has a granddaughter and does not believe the fiery twelve-year-old who breaches the defences of his secluded island and bruised heart.
Set in the year 2044 of absolute socialism when all personal assets belong to the state, their personal conflict and resolution are the bone structure of a complex novel with intricate themes.
When finishing it I remembered a joking statement I made to our state representative when my home state passed an educational reform act still in place today. I asked him if education officials were going to stand outside of the hospital delivery room door to assume control of a child before it was placed in its crib.
An old friend, he understood my penchant for sarcasm. Today he is deceased, just before he died he attended a book signing and say, "You were right." I'm left watching an educational establishment holding citizens hostage.
Novel Ideas is the perfect gift for readers of any age who relish an intriguing read, It is available on Amazon Kindle for $2.99.
Nash Black, author of SANDPRINTS OF DEATH

When the Past Haunts You

L. C. Hayden's When the Past Haunts You will keep you up at night as Harry Bronson confronts his past relationship with a sister he blames for their parent's early deaths.Carol Bronson, Harry's wife, makes him answer a phone call from his estranged sister, Lorraine. She has frantically been calling him for a week with a plea for help before she is murdered.Harry flies to PA to confront her. She has asked that they meet on a covered bridge in a state park that was part of their childhood. An assassin kills her as she rushes to Harry's arms. He holds her as she dies and her last words to him are, "Don't leave me."
Harry is assisted by his friend from the Dallas Police Force, Mike Hoover, as he hunts for a killer while learning about a sister he never knew who was loved by many people.
L.C. Hayden is an award winning author who delivers a great detective novel with enough twists and turns to draw a county road map. You can visit her at http://www.lchayden.com. Her books are available in bookstores and on Amazon.
Nash Black, author of Sandprints of Death.

Slow Curve on the Coquihalla

R.E. Donald, a Canadian author, introduces a unique character in Hunter Rayne in Slow Curve on the Coquihalla. Hunter is a twenty-year veterin of the Mounties who had worked his way up through the ranks to detective when he made a major change in his life's work to become a long haul truck driver.
Randy Danyluk, a trucker/owner, is discovered dead at the foot of a ravine. His daughter is struggling to keep her father's business afloat and her marriage from going sour when her husband's brakes fail on the same wicked stretch of road that claimed her father.
Although Hunter intended to leave the investigating behind and seek a new life the daughter begs him to find the answers behind the mysterious accidents.

The series is set in British Columbia and western Washington as Hunter and crime crosses international boundaries with the spinning hum of eighteen wheels burning up the blacktop.

Ice on the Grapevine is the second offering in this new series that has been nominated for several awards and received outstanding reviews.
The second story finds two hard-luck individuals who have found each other and are making a new life for themselves. That is until they arrive in the US with a frozen corpse in their trailer. Arrested and held in separate seclusion they both clam up as they are afraid they will incriminate the other. They refuse to give the police any information and put their freedom at risk to save each other.
Ellie, Hunter's dispatcher, asks him to finish deliving their load and discover who left a man to freeze to death while the couple was on the road.
R.E. Donald is garning legions of fans with her new entry in traditional semi-amateur detective fiction with fast page turners, intricate ploting, and memorable characters. Her books are avilable as Kindle editions.
Nash Black, author of Sandprints of Death.

 

Cold Comfort

Ellis Vidler's Cold Comfort crosses several genres to provide the reader with an exceptional romantic/suspense read.
Claire Spencer's comfortable life as the owner a small Christmas shop in Williamsburg, VA that was written up in Southern Living turns upside down with violence when she meets a mugger in her own driveway.
After a trip to the hospital for stitches in her head and treatment for a sprained arm, she returns home to discover her house and business have been burglarized.
Her sales assistant suggests that Claire seek help from Mary's brother, Ray when quotes from private detectives prove more expensive that Claire can afford. Ray suggests his friend, Ben Riley.
Riley doesn't want a female client, he wasn't fast enough to save a young woman in Bosnia and his former wife left scars over his soul. He agrees to meet Claire because he owes Ray a favor, but all of his self-preservation instincts tell him to run.
After he pulls Claire from the path of a speeding car in the alley behind her shop he understands this woman needs help. The problem is where to begin, someone with muscle wants Claire dead, but there isn't an obvious motive.
Each step they take rips the foundations of Claire's life apart, but the killer is always one step ahead of them. Cold Comfort is fast moving and packed with a host of characters who each have a story of their own to tell. The reader will not know what happens next until they turn the last page.
Ellis Vidler's Cold Comfort is available in paperback or Kindle edition on Amazon.com. You can visit with Ellis at http://ellisvidler.com/ or http://theunpredictablemuse.blogspot.com/.
Nash Black, author of Sandprints of Death

Don't Take My Lemonade Stand

Janie Johnson's Don't Take My Lemonade Stand: An American Philosophy accomplishes with simple words and graphic illustrations a definitive exploration outside the sneering media clamor against American conservatism. She wrote with a difficult purpose: to explain a position in a language that is both lucid enough to appeal to adults and simple enough to be understood by students who have been denied an education in the fundamentals of government designed by the Constitution of the United States.
Yesterday, Standard & Poor down graded the credit rating of three European countries, an act that was long coming as the United States had achieved this reevaluation of credit in 2011.
Our own fiscal situation has not improved at this date. Rather than 'reinvent-the-wheel' I'm going to use Ms. Johnson's own words as to the fiscal behavior one should follow to achieve financial creditability from page 130.
"Did our elected politicians not understand the five basic rules of fiscal responsibility?
1. Don't spend more than you make.
2. Don't borrow more than you can repay.
3. Don't print so much new money that the currency is devalued.
4. Don't tax achievers so much that they lose the incentive to achieve.
5. Plan and save for a rainy day."
Today, one of the most vital issues before the American public is our national debit which grows exponentially every minute. Ms. Johnson defines three common sense areas that must be addressed before a solution to the problem can be achieved.
1. Limited Resources: ascertain how much can be siphoned off from tax payers before the entire system enfolds in upon itself.
2. Priorities: Congress must be spend time to set priorities of government.
3. Performance Measurement: Congress never outlined how to measure the effectiveness of their programs.
This review examined the question of fiscal responsibility in Don't Take My Lemonade Stand. You owe it to yourself and your children to read this title and consider its implications.
Janie Johnson's Don't take My Lemonade Stand can be found on Amazon and other book outlets.
Nash Black, author of Sandprints of Death.

White Jade

Alex Lukeman's White Jade is an espionage thriller that is as plausible as today's headline news. This novel earns the phrase, "you can't put it down" and you wonder about its implications long after the story is finished.
Ungovernable ambition and the quest for power are a combination that wreaks havoc across the annals of humankind as does the suppression of the masses to achieve those goals.
A millionaire's cruel death trigger events that range across the Pacific Ocean and deep into the mountains of Tibet.
Selena Conner is the niece of the murdered man. She is content with her life of study and teaching of ancient languages until she meets Nick Carter, an operative for the low profile Project. Project personnel answer only to the president of the United States. Selena knows the location of an ancient text her uncle was tortured to obtain. Together they set out to obtain the text, prevent it from falling into enemy hands, and to unravel its significance to a modern regime.
The fine details of ancient history, combat, terrain, and equipment set White Jade above its competition. I found myself laughing during a tense scene when the author mentioned "GE turbofans" engines. My husband transported and x-rayed those jet engine fan blades in the 70s to insure they were perfect prior to assembly.
White Jade is a thriller that lives up to its genre to join the legions of Clancy and Flemming. This is one you won't want to miss, I enjoyed it so much I bought the sequel, The Lance to find out what happens next.
Visit with Alex @Alexlukeman on Twitter. His exciting stories are available on Amazon Kindle for $.99. Its a big bank for your buck.
Nash Black, author of Visitors and Sandprints of Death.

E-Force

James D. Kellogg's E-Force is a genuine thriller. Many titles are labeled with the term thriller, but fall far short of being any thing more than an ordinary mystery/suspense works. Not so with E-Force.
Make sure you reserve a block of time sufficient enough to finish the novel. If you don't you will find yourself reading well into the night and early dawn.
Colt Kelly's employer EcoFriends is moving to the far left with its philosophical trends. Mixed with a change in direction is the misappropriation of contributions that has reached money laundering proportions. Colt pledged his loyalty to the group, he is guilty of transfering funds, and it now caught in a fraud scheme which could send him to prison.
E-Force is a ecoterror group that vows to destroy the resort communities built by AmeResorts. The group operates outside the law, their attacks are well planned, well financed, and have acquired the support of Marla Wells, a local TV reporter. In her broadcasts, she portrays the commandos as victims of the establishment who have been pushed beyond the edge.
E-Force is a political thriller that draws the reader deep into the lives of each individual well-drawn character. No thread, subplot, or scene is isolated, each leads to a satisfying whole of plot integration, which is writing at its best when the reader can live within the pages of the story.
Politics aside this is one of the finest thriller novels to reach the public in a long time. I'm delighted James D. Kellogg found me and requested a review. I'll be back for the sequel.
E-Force is available from Barnes & Noble and on Amazon.com both in print and as an e-book. Visit with James D. Kellogg at http://jamesdkellogg.com/
Nash Black, Sandprints of Death.

Dumpster Dying

Lesley A. Diehl's Dumpster Dying is a cozy/traditional mystery set in Florida's interior where cattle and cowboys are the treat of the day. No beach bikini bimbos or sand fleas, instead a fun mystery where the older generation must face their past to stop a killer and stay out of jail.
Emily Rhodes was all set to live out her golden years with Fred Costa, her long time companion when Fred went for a run from which he didn't return. Fred "the rat" never managed to write a new will and his ex-wife inherits their assets including a portion of Emily's down payment on their home.
To keep a roof over her head and pay the bills Emily acquires the skill of mixing drinks and takes a job at the local country club. She is taking out the trash when she discovers the body of Marcus Davey in the dumpster.
Snow bunnies are not welcome in rural Florida, their only value to the natives is what money they can be induced to part with before leaving.
Characters may be slightly stereotyped but they read like real people you'd meet in the grocery store or at the local watering hole.
Did I mention no psychics, no recovering drunks , no vampires, etc? Plain fun for a great read without of the quirks, but a well paced whodunit with a surprising twist. Maybe just a touch of romance, no bed of roses, but then no matter how sweet they smell roses have thorns.
Delight with Emily and her friends as they hunt for a killer before he finds them.
Nash Black, Sandprints of Death