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Book Review: The Shadow Cartel by Layton Green

The Shadow Cartel by Layton Green

Thomas & Mercer, 2015

ISBN-13:  9781477827819

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook.

 

Dominic Grey makes things happen. He works for a professor who conducts investigations of religious events for both private individuals and police agencies around the world. Dominic is the man on the ground. and it has been too long since he’s had an investigation. He has been spending his downtime teaching jiu jitsu to teenagers, just to keep himself from going stir-crazy. He finally gets a call. It is Nya; it has been over a year since he has spoken to her—collateral damage caused by a Zimbabwean religious investigation Grey had headed up. Things had gotten messy; he had not expected to hear from her again. Now, Nya needs his help. Her father’s goddaughter, Sekai, recently died from a hit of ecstasy at a party in a South Beach nightclub. When Grey looks into it, he finds that drug dealers in Miami are being ritualistically murdered.  He soon stumbles into a nest of witchcraft involving a knife-wielding blue Indian woman. The mystery deepens from there.

 

The Shadow Cartel is a great read that delves into the world of ritualistic murder and the religions that use it. I really enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced and grabbed me from the first chapter. I especially liked how the author wove in the horrific history of The Peoples Temple in Guyana, which was headed by Reverend Jim Jones. This gave the book an air of realism and authenticity that invested me in the story. The tone of mystery was very good as each religion’s involvement was uncovered. As a result, the suspense builds well and kept me going. The characters have distinct voices and it was fun to discover bits of their past as they were revealed. The plot is full of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. The descriptions were full without going overboard. There is nothing in the story that was particularly disturbing or offensive; and the writing flows well. I have not read any of this author’s other work, but, The Shadow Cartel is a fun read. Recommended for adult readers.

 

 

Reviewed by Aaron Fletcher

Posted on September 4, 2015 by , Reply

Book Review: Little Boy Blu by Cara Brookins

Little Boy Blu by Cara Brookins

The Wild Rose Press, Inc., 2014

ISBN: 978-1628306903

Available: Paperback, Kindle

 

Novels set in Appalachia will always hold a certain mystique: there’s a certain air about the location found only in a few places in America. In Little Boy Blu, readers will find themselves immersed in a dense atmosphere comprised of heavy forests, mountains, moonshine stills, and a culture that entices, amazes, and often frightens those outside of this geographic microcosm. This is what makes Cara Brookins’ tale so tantalizing.

Brookins is the author of the very successful Timeshifters series, and has now penned what just might become a staple in the genre. Based on true stories of the “blue” people of Kentucky, Little Boy Blu centers around a family living far away from the mainstream, deep within the woods, where time and civilization often fail to penetrate. Blu Tracey was born with an anomaly—he’s the only one in his family who does not sport the blue-tinged skin. This characteristic gives them a disturbing bond and also places a target on their souls.

Blu’s mother sold out her family for a reality show, but her pseudo-fame didn’t quite pan out the way she had planned. Her own story is chronicled alongside Blu’s during a journey where he discovers that someone is trying to kill him. But is the killer from the world outside their own, or from someplace much closer?

 Many threads weave together into a story as profound as the mountain song that echoes through the hills and flows down the rivers and streams which bisect Blu’s world. Little Boy Blu is Southern Gothic crossbred with a tight thriller. It sings with Brookins’ stylish writing, smoother than the ‘shine found in those hills, but just as potent. Her characters are the backbone of the story,   and will entice just before punching the reader in the heart with twists and turns that work on so many levels. Tough to categorize but very easy to love, I recommend giving this fine novel a shot. Recommended for age 15 and up.

Contains: N/A

Reviewed by David Simms

Posted on August 22, 2015 by , Reply

Help a Reader Out: Victoria and Harris, Trapped In A Nightmare School

Guys, I found this! I have to admit it was totally by accident. I was browsing while my daughter looked through potential candidates for checkout at our public library, and this practically jumped out at me– it was right at my eye level (I’m short). The book is:

 

 The Cavendish School for Boys and Girls  by Claire Legrand

I was right on all the details, except that Victoria’s friend is named Lawrence, not Harris. And this is an even creepier book than I remembered it being. It’s over-the-top gothic and has a weird fiction feel to it as well. Edward Gorey would probably love it. If you have a tween who is into fantastic, creepy gothic stories, All Hallows’ Read is coming up soon.

 

This one’s for me. I am going bananas! I read this book just a few weeks ago and I can’t remember the name. A middle school girl, Victoria, who always does everything perfectly, is friends with Harris, who is awkward and embarrassing and plays the piano beautifully. One day Harris disappears from school and when she visits his parents they tell her he is visiting his grandmother, but something is clearly wrong. Kids keep disappearing from the school and even teachers seem frightened.

A boarding school has opened up on her street and when she goes to see if Harris is there, she is invited in by the proprietress who seems to think they’re alike. Eventually Victoria is trapped in the school and discovers Harris is there. It is a nightmarish, almost living building, and the job of the school is to mold everyone into behaving beautifully and identically. The cover was white with that kind of gothic look to the illustration and text that you see in a lot of children’s books now. I cannot remember the name of the book. The title was Miss or Mrs. ——- School for ——– or something similar. It’s a relatively new book. Can anyone place it?

 

Posted on August 21, 2015 by , Reply
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