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Review by Arlene Germain
The Gift by Verda Foster

Verda Foster’s The Gift is a romantic mystery novel with an intriguing premise.  Lindsay Ryan has the gift of precognition, seeing events that will come to pass before they actually occur. This clairvoyant ability has been more of a curse for Lindsay than a blessing, and she has made every effort to keep it a secret. After an unfortunate incident with her father, Lindsay relocates to start a new life.  However, not long after arriving, Lindsay has a strong premonition of danger which involves a child.  Lindsay reluctantly comes forth with her startling revelation only to be perceived as the child’s stalker by Rachel Todd, a no-nonsense and emotionally wounded police detective. These two women take an instant dislike to one another which makes the investigation into a possible kidnapping and murder even more difficult to conduct. Both Lindsay and Rachel have painful pasts they wish were different, but now they must find a way to overcome their legacy of loss and find a way to trust each other...and Lindsay’s gift.

Foster has an uncomplicated and forthright writing style which enables the reader to visualize both the main characters and the evolving events with little difficulty. The two women are sharply and concisely drawn, and in a thoroughly concrete manner, each is developed into an appealing personality.  The initial reaction to meeting each other shows Rachel with her preconceived assessment and Lindsay with her frustrated reaction. Rachel has indeed had to deal with far too many crackpots, while Lindsay fully recognizes that familiar skepticism to which she is so often subjected. As the storyline develops, the reader can see the subtle changes occurring in both Lindsay and Rachel.

The narrative is nicely balanced with the dialogue, and the dialogue rings true. When Rachel’s mother refers to Lindsay’s gift of sight, Lindsay responds, “More like the curse of sight. It’s not a gift if you don’t understand what you’re seeing” (p. 62).  Those two sentences could also serve as the thematic focal point for the story. Sometimes it is just as difficult to understand what is standing before you. There are instances when you have to relinquish any pre-determined conceptions and explore the possibilities of there being alternate paths to achieving the same goal.

Foster presents a series of problematic situations that fully involve the reader.  As the various discoveries are made about the characters, the mystery elements, and the eventual conclusions, one has the clear sense that all events logically build toward the climax. There are no last minute surprises here that very often can ruin the reality level of a novel. The suspense follows a natural progression that effortlessly carries the reader along from chapter to chapter.

The Gift is a novel that will satisfy those readers who are searching for a refreshingly different mystery premise, those who prefer their romantic elements to progress gradually and convincingly, and those who enjoy a touch of the paranormal. This reader found The Gift to be an overall pleasurable reading experience, but it would have been even more engrossing for this reader had it been a moderately longer novel, one that had further developed and expanded Lindsay’s gift. Perhaps, Foster has in mind a sequel wherein Lindsay and her special talent can assist Rachel in solving another case? That would be indeed be a book worth waiting for.

Review by Arlene Germain
Sudden Loss of Serenity by Jacqueline Wallen

Dr. Claire Winston, a college professor, awakens to a day unlike any other. There has been a brutally violent murder of a woman; ironically, the body has been discovered in the local cemetery. Claire’s best friend and neighbor, Marlene Lundstrom, fails to keep an early morning appointment with her. Then, to make matters even more appalling, she discovers that her teenage daughter, Serenity, is missing. Soon, Claire realizes that the deceased is Marlene, and there appears to be a connection between her dear friend’s demise and her absent child. Unbeknownst to Claire, apparently both Marlene and Serenity were involved in a Buddhist group, led by a monk called Sonam, practicing Chod, the ancient ritual of releasing demons. Events slowly unfold, shocking revelations surface, and the most personal of secrets are revealed, but Serenity has yet to be found. Claire Winston will discover how little she knew about the two people closest to her, and she will finally be forced to deal with some personal issues of her own.

Jacqueline Wallen’s first novel is a commendable effort. It has an original mystery premise, an array of intriguing characters, elements of suspense, more than a few red herrings, and a realistic denouement between mother and child. The Buddhist slant and its impact for some of the main characters are also a refreshing departure from the more common and formulaic mystery plots. Wallen’s writing style moves the storyline along at a swift pace. The first few chapters engage the reader by not revealing too hastily the important plot elements. Although some may question the plausibility of the resolution to the crime and this reader might have made an adjustment or two, this is such a minor point that it fails to detract from the overall quality of story.

Sudden Loss of Serenity has several memorable characters, people who are distinctly original and well-crafted. Claire plays well as the distraught and confused protagonist whose witty retorts serve to deflect her true feelings. Sharon Goldstein, the police detective in charge of the investigation, is low key, sardonic at times, and thoroughly enjoyable. Harry, the distraught widower, plays the suffering and betrayed husband with enough anger and stupidity to make one experience his situation. Wallen also captures the essence of speaking to teenage girls when she attempts to get some answers from one of Serenity’s friends. “Prying information out of Allison was like opening one of those heavy duty shrink-wrappers, she seemed hermetically sealed” (p. 18). The dialogue is right on the mark. The reader feels she is actually standing nearby listening to these typical exchanges of teenage ambiguity and equivocation.

The interaction among characters drives the plot much more than the actual crime. This diverse group of characters sustains the interest of the reader, and as one becomes more familiar with them, one realizes that this development of personalities is the central focus of the story. Complex situations and relationships make for excellent narrative material, and Wallen manages quite handily to deliver both.

Sudden Loss of Serenity is a quirky, amusing, fiction delight. This first person narrative is an enjoyable way to spend a few hours with the citizens of the sleepy little village of Hector’s Mill. The conclusion certainly provides a graceful and logical segue to into a sequel. This reader would very much like to continue getting to know Dr. Winston.

Rating: (on a scale of 1-5, with one being poor and five as excellent)
Sudden Loss of Serenity

Sudden Loss of Serenity Author: Jacqueline Wallen Category: Mystery Paperback: 191 pages Published: 2004 ISBN: 189228121X Retail: $12.95 Publisher: New Victoria Click here to buy SUDDEN LOSS

Review by Arlene Germain
Hunter's Pursuit by Kim Baldwin

Kim Baldwin’s novel, Hunter’s Pursuit, Author’s Edition, is set during a raging blizzard in the northern Michigan wilderness just a few miles south of Lake Superior. Living in a secluded bunker is Kat Hunter, an introspective, solitary, and lethal woman who is contemplating retirement from her job as a paid assassin. Determined to bury the past, she has forsaken her violent world and former associates. However, her tranquil days of music and photography are interrupted when she rescues a mysterious woman from a serious car accident. Upon bringing the woman back to the bunker, Kat discovers that the woman has no recollection of who she is. To further complicate the situation, there are several nefarious and ruthless people who are doggedly pursuing Kat for the million-dollar dead-or-alive bounty which has been offered by the one individual who knows Kat all too well. As the storm rages outside her hideaway, Kat will be tested as never before, and along the way, she will awaken feelings she thought were long dead.

Baldwin has created a gripping, fast-paced, and suspenseful wilderness adventure that reads easily and enjoyably. The two main characters, Kat and the injured amnesiac, Jake, are intelligent and appealing. The deft characterization displays the multi-faceted personality of the charismatic protagonist, Kat. As the reader begins to peel away each layer and proceeds to uncover the events that have molded Kat into the woman she has become, the reader is subtly made aware that nothing should be taken at face value. Jake is a character that immediately evokes one’s concern and sympathy, yet Baldwin always manages to keep the presence of mystery and inscrutability in the forefront. Is Jake who she appears to be? Could she be a ruse perpetrated by Kat’s enemies? Does she know Kat’s Achilles’ heel? Baldwin has indeed created memorably inventive and compelling characters. In the hands of an author with a less stylized technique, Kat could have come across as an extremely unsympathetic character who had committed despicable acts. However, through the use of fluid substantive dialogue and an impressive narrative depicting the inner conflicts of this main character, Baldwin has succeeded in creating a very realistic portrayal of a woman who displays, despite all odds, an intrinsic decency and compassion. It is for those very reasons that the reader genuinely cares for and about her.

This novel has some of the best action sequences this reader has experienced. They are animated, vigorous, and exciting. The reader can virtually experience the sensory world of the somber winter and its uninhabited forest. Baldwin’s fast-paced sentence structure effortlessly sweeps the reader along at practically breakneck speed. The chapter endings make wonderful use of the familiar cliffhanger technique. Baldwin’s chapter conclusions are extremely precise and definitely suspenseful. The juxtaposition of various plotlines, the evolving focal points of reader interest, and the realistic dialogue hurtle the reader forward at an ever increasing rate. Hunter’s Pursuit is most definitely a page turner.

Kim Baldwin’s novel, Hunter’s Pursuit, Author’s Edition, takes the reader on a dangerous, heart-pounding rollercoaster ride brimming with intrigue, betrayal, deliverance, passion, and ultimately, self-less love. From the stark setting to the character of the anti-heroine to the possibilities of redemption, Baldwin has managed to write a novel which is memorable not only for its energetic detail but also for its appealing and perceptive portrayal of a woman conditioned, but not held captive, by her past.

ARLENE GERMAIN is currently a book reviewer for OutLook Press, Lambda Book Report, the Midwest Book Review, the Independent Gay Writer, the Golden Crown Literary Society newsletter, The Crown, and the JustAboutWrite.com newsletter/e-zine. She is also a freelance copyeditor and proofreader. A former English teacher who resides in Massachusetts with her partner and two dogs, Arlene enjoys travel, music, film and theater, writing poetry, golf, and the beach. Feel free to drop her an email.

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Distant Shores, Silent Thunder by Radclyffe

“No matter how much we plan, life—and people—have a way of surprising us.”

With an opening like that, one glance tells you that you’re in for an amazing ride. Radclyffe brings us the third book in the Provincetown Tales: Distant Shores, Silent Thunder, which tells the story of local sheriff, Reese Conlon, and her lover, Doctor Tory King. When we last visited Reese and Tory in Beyond the Breakwater, they were emerging from Tory’s difficult pregnancy, where Reese had to consider the possibility of losing Tory and the baby, and Tory was faced with the constant fear of losing Reese in the line of duty.

In Distant Shores, Silent Thunder, these fears are behind them. Reese and Tory are now the proud parents of Regina, their new bundle of joy. Tory has yet to return to her clinic, but is soon contemplating the thought, even though it’s earlier than she should. Reese and her protégé, Brianna Parker, are back on the beat, attempting to find out why apparently upstanding kids from good families are showing up dead in their town. It’s all in a days work, and all seems well in the world of Provincetown. However, unbeknownst to Reese and Tory, all of that tranquil peace is about to come to a screeching halt when Tory’s ex-, Dr. KT O’Bannon makes an unexpected appearance. And not only does KT show up, but she wants a job!

Four weeks prior, KT was viciously attacked in the trauma center by a crackhead wielding a knife, nearly losing her fingers in the process, and losing mobility in her hand. Unable to work trauma with her damaged hand, which is in need of rehabilitative therapy, KT hears through the grapevine that there’s an opening at Tory’s practice, and makes the journey to P-town. Confronted with her cheating ex-lover, Tory is thrown for a loop, and isn’t quite sure she can work with KT. All the anger from being the jilted lover looms at the surface of her emotions, and Tory has to decide if it’s worth the risk of taking KT on, and possibly jeopardizing her relationship with Reese, even though she desperately needs the help at the clinic.

After consulting with Reese, Tory decides to hire KT, who settles into the town and engages a lovely occupational therapist, Pia Torres, to perform the necessary therapy she needs in order to make her hand functional again. Pia is a mystery, a Latin beauty with dark eyes and glossy midnight hair with acres of sienna skin. KT is at once taken with her, but Pia holds KT at arms length, determined to fix KT’s hand, not her heart.

Throughout the story, we’re taken on several journeys, the first of which is Tory reconciling her anger at KT’s infidelity. At one point in the dialogue, KT finally apologizes for hurting Tory all those years ago, and Tory finds out that none of it really mattered anymore anyway. Another journey is how Reese handles the appearance of KT and her ensuing relationship with Tory. While Reese is every woman’s dream—rock solid and stable—her reaction at seeing KT and Tory in what appeared to be a compromising situation (which it wasn’t), was almost a bit unrealistic. While one would hope their partner would have enough trust in them to know nothing was going on, in the real world, most women wouldn’t have been quite so understanding if they caught their partner in a clinch with their ex-lover. I think it would have helped Reese’s character appear more “human” if she had expressed at least a sliver of jealousy or insecurity or even anger. As it stands, Reese appears impervious to the idea of anyone stealing Tory’s affections. But that’s why it’s fiction, right?

The most engaging plot is the one between KT and her budding relationship with the aforementioned, Pia Torres. Their courtship is quaint, old-fashioned, and quite nicely written. It's enlightening to see two characters get to know one another instead of professing their love for each other within days of meeting or hopping into the sack on the second date (perhaps real-life lesbians could take a few lessons from their fictional counterparts!). KT constantly makes attempts to get closer to Pia, but time and again, is gently rebuffed. While it's obvious that Pia is indeed attracted to KT, it remains a mystery for many pages as to why she won't pursue a romantic relationship with her. Upon the reveal, it is again both quaint and old-fashioned, but fits the character of Pia perfectly, staying true to her values and desires.

As KT and Pia continue to see each other according to Pia's rules, one can feel the heat as it builds between these two. When it finally is released, we’re talking a major explosion here! Radclyffe did a fantastic job of creating the character of Pia Torres, and we hope to see her in future editions. A calm, strong, and reassuring character, she’s the perfect foil for the brash and impetuous KT O’Bannon.

A minor plot involved Brianna and her new working partner, Allie, was quite enjoyable and a nice inclusion of the younger generation. Brianna’s lover, Caroline, is away in Paris studying art, and she is suddenly faced with temptation in the form of the ever-present Allie, with whom she had a minor dalliance with in the past, tempting Bri with her wanton ways. When Bri is almost killed in a bust gone bad, you can’t wait to see who will be by her side as she recovers.

In all, Distant Shores, Silent Thunder is full of well-rounded, strong characters that fit on the page. Many writers develop characters that simply don’t ring true, but Radclyffe has a gift for character development in real-life situations. Her dialogue flows well and storylines move at a snappy pace. While some people shy away from love scenes or use flowery prose to describe a moment of passion, Radclyffe dives right in, sharing both the heat and emotions her characters are feeling during the heat of the moment. We believe Distant Shores, Silent Thunder is an excellent addition to the Provincetown Tales, and given Radclyffe’s prolific ways, we look forward to the next installment. —OutLook Press

Click Here to read an Excerpt of Distant Shores, Silent Thunder courtesy of Radclyffe

Mini-Reviews Isle of Dogs by Patricia Cornwell Reviewed by M.K.S. As most loyal fans of Patricia Cornwell, I anxiously await any new stories she publishes. After reading her latest, Isle of Dogs, I can honestly say Cornwell needs to go back to writing the Scarpetta novels. Isle of Dogs was one of those books you can pick up or put down and forget about it. The latter is where I was with it. Isle of Dogs is a continuation of the Judy Hammer series, but I found very little about Hammer in this book. There are several new characters introduced in this title, instead of Hammer being the main character, and that was quite disappointing. Cornwell seemed to focus a little too much on the character of Andy, as well as providing a history lesson about the area, which was incredibly boring. The storyline goes as most of her novels do—people get killed, butchered, and eventually a lone perpetrator gets a conscience and confesses. End of story. That is how boring this book was.	Isle of Dogs Judy Hammer Mystery Author: Patricia Cornwell Category: Mystery Paperback: 777 pages ISBN: 039914739X Retail: $18.86 Publisher: Putnam Pub Group Click here to buy ISLE OF DOGS
Lucifer Rising by Sharon Bowers Jude Lucien is every girl's wet dream: tall, dark, and gorgeously attired in black leather. Oh, and she just happens to be packing under all that leather—a Sig Sauer automatic, to be exact. The brooding, troubled drug dealer has it all—money, women at her beck and call, and a rising empire of illicit activity. But nothing could have prepared her for the entrance of Elizabeth Gardner, the honey-haired investigative reporter bent on discovering the true story about Jude's rise, and subsequent fall, from the DEA. When Elizabeth sets Jude up, she isn't prepared for a fall of her own—right smack dab in love with the troubled drug lord and the violent world in which she lives. As their lives become more intertwined, Jude and Liz find that neither is what the other expects—a revelation that could prove disasterous for them both. Lucifer Rising is a must-read, erotic sizzler guaranteed to heat up the night! Don't miss it!	Lucifer Rising Author: Sharon Bowers Category: Thriller, romance Paperback: 320 pages ISBN: 0963823167 Retail: $16.99 Publisher: Justice House Click here to buy LUCIFER RISING
Alma Mater by Rita Mae Brown Southern humor and outlandish characters is a stalwart trait of writing by Rita Mae Brown, and her latest offering, Alma Mater, doesn't stray far from it. Set on the campus of William & Mary College, it tells the tale of Victoria "Vic" Savedge, the statuesque beauty of an old-fashioned Virginia family, where life is lived according to tradition, and daughters "marry well." Vic's life is following her mother's plan perfectly until she meets Chris, the diminuitive blonde new to the college. This happenstance meeting turns Vic life upside down, has her questioning everything she has ever known to be true, and before long, finds herself madly in love with this beautiful woman. Once this passion is unleashed, it follows an unpredictable path guaranteed to upset the course of both their lives. Compared to other Brown novels, Alma Mater doesn't quite live up to the enchanting and charming characters of say, Six of One, one of the most entertaining books I've ever read. But as a standalone novel without previous knowledge of Brown's other work, Alma Mater is an enjoyable read.	Alma Mater Author: Rita Mae Brown Category: Southern fiction, Romance Hardcover: 416 pages Publisher: Ballantine Books ISBN: 034542820X Retail: $16.80 Click here to buy ALMA MATER
Beware the Kiss by J. Alex Acker Light a few candles, turn off all the lights and get ready to be spooked silly after reading Beware the Kiss by novelist J. Alex Acker. A paranormal mystery, Acker introduces characters guaranteed to scare the bejesus out of you! Raven Delaire is a woman scorned, and as most scorned women go, quite unbalanced. Swearing vengeance on those who have caused her pain, she embarks on a journey filled with poetic curses that unveil, piece by piece, culminating during the midnight hour on all Hallow's Eve. Tayler Windquest is the practical journalist, happy with her world of facts and figures, a peaceful existence until someone tries to kill her! When a beautiful and reclusive neighbor saves Tayler, she finds she is drawn, not only to this mystery woman, but also into a web of treachery and sorcery where she must learn to trust newfound powers to destroy Raven—before Raven destroys them all! Beware the Kiss is the first part of a three book trilogy featuring this enchanting cast of characters. All we can say is "more, more, more!"	Beware the Kiss Author: J. Alex Acker Category: Paranormal Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: Women's Work ISBN: 1930874022 Retail: $12.95 Click here to buy BEWARE THE KISS

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