The Irish Cottage

THE IRISH COTTAGE

Finding Elizabeth

JULIET GAUVIN

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Elizabeth, a persuasive, successful litigator's surrogate mother, dies, and Beth, as she is known, goes to Ireland to contemplate her future. She takes seven letters from that mother to read on her journey.

She meets Connor, and, with the reading of those letters and fate, their involvement rises at each level, following an instructive template of life. Each person has their psychological baggage to overcome in a love affair.

Connor's friends are amazed by his change; he has enjoyed Beth's transformation since the first day they met. Both adults mend together, physically and emotionally, to the point of saying, 'I love you.'

The ending of this journey is uplifting, leaving the reader wanting more.

Book one is an excellent hook into book two. You'll love it.

 

#purchase: https://amzn.to/4q9rgv8

LIKE BOTTLED FIRE

LIKE BOTTLED FIRE

DOMINIC PIPER

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

I enjoyed reading several of Mr. Piper's novels, and his writing kept me on the edge of my seat. This read is my first short story.

After he purchases a deadly item, the man goes to eat, flirts with his waitress, and asks her out to dinner. They go out: The food, the company, the kissing, and the guessing game culminate before dessert.

Wow, I was completely surprised by what happened next. When the end came. The outcome hoodwinked me.

The story is thrilling from his breakfast to the delicious dessert ending, with conversations that leave you wondering what will come next in their encounter.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/46jep29

 

The Body in the Closet

THE BODY IN THE CLOSET

 JINTY JAMES

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

This Pru and Pip Investigator mystery is a no-brainer. Not many characters, but they are interesting enough to carry a series.

However, the terrier is used too much for an approval act with his "Ruff." If you like dogs in a novel, you'll enjoy Teddy's antics.

 The plot is not complicated, and the investigators don't do much sleuthing. Crook is found dead in a vacant house closet, where Pru and Pip are working on their current projects.

 There are a few characters, so the reader can easily solve the mystery. "Closet" is too cozy to be called a true mystery, but it is a fun and quick read.

 Purchase: https://amzn.to/4jWrRyF

 

 

 

THE LAST QUEEN; Book One

THE LAST QUEEN

Book One of the Chronicles

of Cleopatra

G. LAWRENCE

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

This is the story of half-sisters Cleopatra and Arsinoe, princesses of Egypt, 58-57 BCA. Their conversations are recorded in a chronicle of their father's reign as Pharaoh, up to Cleopatra's accession.

The two twelve-year-olds grow up during a turbulent time of war, famine, and family disputes with their other half-sister, Berenice. The girl's words flow with flowery descriptions of Gods that determine the fate of life in general and the future.

Many events transpire that the Gods willed during their lives, according to family records. Cleo is a history buff and explains to Arsinoe what will be, after their separate mother's murder.

Love and hate drive the young ladies to take control of their own fate, leading to a somewhat peaceful existence in Alexandria on the Nile. The journey is well-chronicled.

Gemme Lawrence's prose is beautiful; however, it is hard to believe twelve-year-olds could speak so eloquently. But it is a Pharaoh's verbal history of Egypt.

Excellent read: https://amzn.to/4sNerZY

Where the Crawdads Sing

WHERE THE

CRAWDADS SING

DELA OWENS

 

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

Kya, a six-year-old, is homeless in the marshes of North Carolina. Where her family went is described in a heartbreaking way that lingers throughout the novel.

In a descriptive, colorful prose, Ms. Owens gives the reader a journey through Kya's survival and growth in the marsh. The young girl's connection to the world around her and her ingenuity develop her into a loving, beautiful, self-educated hermit.

When the opposite sex becomes an issue, her feelings of abandonment come into play, and a relationship begins and ends. She is left again, rebounds sexually with another man, Chase, who promises the world.

This last involvement ends with his death, Kya on trial for the crime, and an unresolved situation where the town is divided. Her first love, Tate, returns.

Years pass, she dies, and, as in other parts of Kya's journey, her lover, Tate, reads a poem Kya wrote. She did what nature would have her do: protect herself.

CRAWDADS SINGS is a lovely, enjoyable, well-written novel you should not miss.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/4sywRNN

Brave Companions

Brave Companions: Portraits In History

David McCullough

Review by Author Roy Murry

 

This storybook is about people who bravely went where no one had gone before them. Mr. McCullough's descriptions of people and events, some of which you know, are woven into a read you will enjoy.

You do not need to be a 'History Buff' to enjoy learning how the Brooklyn Bridge's structure was devised and built by a person you may not know. Or the enormous effort of that endeavor and the construction of the Panama Canal come to life in a people profile.

Those events and others will keep the reader wanting to know the next person the author delves into and explains their position in history. This will include Theodore Roosevelt and his Badlands adventures, as well as those who brought those western experiences to life.

Whether you enjoy reading about history or not, this book is well worth the price.

 Purchase: https://amzn.to/49csdO9

 

 

 

FLAIR for FLIP - FLOPS

FLAIR for FLIP-FLOPS

A Sadie Kramer Flair Mystery

DEBORAH GARNER

Review by author Roy Murry

 

Sadie and her Yorkie, Coco, go on vacation to California. It seems like death follows Sadie and Coco wherever they go. In this cozy mystery, book five in the series, a famous person washes up on the beach dead.

Sadie, of course, cannot let it be. She needs to snoop. With Coco in a carry-on bag and a new friend, she flip-flops around, interrupting her vacation to get to the core of the death.

This novel is a fun read for the weekend. The Yorkie is part of the main show, and if you like dogs, you will enjoy Coco's part in the book.

Enjoyable fun with an unlikely ending.

Purchase: https://amzn.to/3YKr1ex