2013 Book Reviews

The Tenth Saint by D.J. Niko & Giveaway (US/UK & Canada)

December 4, 2013 by Darlene

The Tenth Saint by D.J. Niko will take you on an adventure and will surely have you turning the pages quickly as it did me. The Tenth Saint is the first in the Sarah Weston Chronicles and I’ve actually done things a little backwards this time as I read the second in the series before this one but it made no difference. The Tenth Saint had me enthralled from the first pages to the last and I have to say that this series has me hooked. I love the characters and the fast paced story line with plenty of action!

The Tenth Saint finds archaeologist Sarah Weston in Ethiopia where she discovers an ancient tomb with unusual inscriptions on it. The tomb is said to belong to the tenth saint of Coptic Christianity and as Sarah delves into the case she finds that the remains of this rumored saint are odd and seemingly impossible as he is found to have fillings in his teeth that are unlike anything ever seen before leaving Sarah mystified. Sarah, along with Daniel Madigan who is anthropologist, set out to decipher these inscriptions and what they ultimately learn has the power to terrify them. They tell of the eventual destruction of the earth and man’s role in causing it to happen. As with any discovery Sarah wants to share it but quickly learns that there are some very powerful people that do not want to see these inscriptions come to light and they do will anything to make sure that they don’t. Soon enough Sarah and Daniel are putting their lives in danger and they can only hope to make it out alive.

I really like both Sarah and Daniel. Sarah is a very strong female character. She comes from privilege but has chosen to not live her life that way much to her father’s chagrin. I love that she falls head first into any situation, dangerous or not, in order to do what she believes is right. Daniel just seems to be a really great guy and together he and Sarah make a great team. Between the two of them they always manage to find trouble and then have to risk life and limb to get themselves out of it.

On another note I love D.J. Niko’s novels for the historical elements. I find it fascinating to learn all the information she includes on religion and ancient artifacts or writings. You can definitely tell that she loves what she writes about and meticulously researches all elements to bring them together in a fictional story that has you on the edge of your seat as it unfolds. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend The Tenth Saint or the Sarah Weston Chronicles to readers who enjoy historical fiction with a little mystery and adventure added in!

Other tour stops with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours
D.J. Niko’s website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads
Buy at: Amazon, Amazon Canada, B&N, and IndieBound

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/UK/Canada)

I have one paperback copy of The Tenth Saint by D.J. Niko up for giveaway. To enter…

For 1 entry leave a comment entering the giveaway.
Tweet, share on Facebook, or blog for 2 extra entries.

This giveaway is open to US/UK, and Canadian residents (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on December 19/13. Good luck!

Source: My own personal copy. Giveaway copy provided by the publisher. No compensation was received for this review and all opinions are my own.

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One Thousand Porches by Julie Dewey

December 2, 2013 by Darlene

One Thousand Porches by Julie Dewey is a novel that takes you back in time when diseases simply took people’s lives. Back in the 1800’s medications such as we have today did not exist. This novel weaves fact with fiction and takes us back to when tuberculosis was a deadly disease and many lives were lost.

At the beginning of this novel TB is starting to make its presence known in many smaller towns. We meet Christine who loses two children to the disease and when a third comes down with it she vows not to lose her but realizes quickly she’s fighting a losing battle. That is until her husband tells her of a place called Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Mountains that is referred to as a sanitarium and takes on the sick and cares for them. Being a family of means he is able to secure a spot for his daughter Collette and Christine goes along to be of service any way she can.

Arriving there Christine realizes that there are many that need help and not just those in the sanitarium. She also sees though that the work that Dr. Trudeau is doing with these TB patients is making a difference and some actually go on to live a normal life. It is believed the clean mountain air and rest is what helps these patients recover. The patients spend the majority of their days sitting out on the porch in lounge chairs that are dubbed the cure chairs. The most remarkable thing about being at this sanitarium is that the town does not shun TB patients which is in great contrast to how they are treated elsewhere.

This novel was fascinating. Of course I know of TB but to hear the history behind what Dr. Trudeau did for so many is remarkable. It was also interesting to learn more about the disease and very interesting to see how doctors tried to treat diseases like this in the past. I can’t imagine how hard it was for families to watch their loved ones die one after the other because there was no way to help them. Entire families were wiped out. We are very fortunate today to have the medications that we do that save so many lives.

I think anyone interested in history and especially the history of TB and the development of the first sanitariums should enjoy this novel. I’ve read one other of Julie’s books and I find her writing to be very frank and real. Nothing is sugar coated and is presented in such a way that you feel the pain and hardship of her characters. I look forward to seeing what subject Julie tackles next!

Julie’s website, Facebook, and Twitter
Buy at: Amazon, Amazon Canada, and B&N

Source: Review copy provided by the author. No compensation was received for this review and all opinions are my own.

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Quiet Dell by Jayne Anne Phillips (Audiobook)

November 29, 2013 by Darlene

Quiet Dell by Jayne Anne Phillips is a story based on truth. It weaves fact with fiction to tell us the story of a con man who preyed on widows back in the 1930’s. His history and arrest all came to light after the multiple murder of a woman and her children. Quiet Dell is a moving and emotional story that highlights a devastating tragedy.

Asta Eicher is a young woman when her husband dies suddenly and she is left with three young children to care for. Eventually her financial situation becomes dire and she makes the decision to look for a husband. She puts an ad into a matchmaking publication and begins to receive very promising letters from a man who calls himself Cornelius Pierson. He promises her everything but most importantly he promises to care for her and her children. She agrees to meet with him and go away for a week. At the end of that week Asta and her children are dead.

At this point Emily Thornhill enters the picture. She is one of the few women journalists working for the Chicago Press. She becomes obsessed with the case and finding out exactly what happened to the Eicher family. The majority of the novel focuses on the trial and also a romance that develops between Emily and a banker that had been close to the Eicher family.

For the most part I enjoyed the novel. I was fascinated with the Eicher case as I had never heard of it before or the serial killer Harry Powers. I was most drawn to the parts that related to the case. I liked Emily as a character but I found the romance that was included in the storyline with her and the banker something that wasn’t needed. I would have preferred her focus being entirely on the Eicher case.

I listened to the audio version of Quiet Dell which is narrated by Tandy Cronyn. I have never listened to her before but I wouldn’t hesitate to again. She has a quiet, soothing voice that lent very well to the serious subject matter addressed in this novel. So while there were some aspects of the story I wasn’t fond of the audio production itself is very well done and Tandy Cronyn definitely brought the power and emotion of this novel to life.

Buy at: Simon & Schuster, Audible, and iTunes

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher. No compensation was received for this review and all opinions are my own.

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The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (Audiobook)

November 28, 2013 by Darlene

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion is this authors fiction debut and it is utterly fantastic! This novel is funny and quirky and all about finding love but maybe not in the way you thought you would. I listened to the audio version of this book which is narrated by Dan O’Grady and he was an absolutely perfect choice to tell this story. He added the right amount of humor to every minute of this story which had me laughing more often than not and he has an awesome accent which I always love. A very well done audio!

Don Tillman is a professor of genetics and completely brilliant. Along with being brilliant though comes being extremely awkward in social situations and that is where the hilarity of this novel comes in. I’m not usually drawn to male characters but one can’t help but like Don. The thing is Don knows he’s horrible at anything to do with a social situation but still he’s decided it’s time to find himself a wife. To do this he puts together a questionnaire dubbed The Wife Project to aid him in finding this appropriate mate. In case you are wondering yes Don needs a questionnaire because he’s missing that emotional side that would help him pick a wife. He has to rely on what he’s looking for in one instead.

Then he meets Rosie and many of his lifestyle habits along with his questionnaire go right out the window but does Don realize this – no, not really … at least not at first. At first his only goal is to help Rosie find her biological father but it seems that Rosie may be interested in Don. It’s too bad that the socially inept Don is unable to recognize that love really has nothing to do with science. Will he ever be able to feel a normal emotion like love before it’s too late?

The Rosie Project is sure to have you laughing as it did me. Don is truly funny in just how awkward he is. The things he does and says, while making perfect sense to him, come off as hilarious to the reader or listener in this case. This novel is so full of humor and warmth and I truly enjoyed it. Listening to the audio of this book was time well spent. When I finished it I felt happy and good and you have to love when a book leaves you feeling like that. I look forward to reading more from Graeme Simsion!

Buy at: Simon & Schuster, Audible, and iTunes

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher. No compensation was received for this review and all opinions are my own.

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The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom

November 26, 2013 by Darlene

The First Phone Call from Heaven is yet another beautifully told tale from the incomparable Mitch Albom. I have been a reader of his work since reading Tuesdays With Morrie years ago and I love his writing. Mitch Albom works magic with words and always leaves you questioning life and what it means to you or should mean to you.

What would you do or think if you received a phone call from a person who has already passed on. Well it happens in the little town of Coldwater near Lake Michigan but only to a chosen few of the townsfolk. Of course people are skeptical but to those it’s happening to it is a miracle. The phone calls tell of the beauty and peace of heaven and encourages telling others so they too would know what awaits them someday. The big question is whether or not these phone calls are real or a hoax and one man is determined to find out.

There are several characters portrayed in the book but my favorite was Sully who is the non believer that these calls are actually coming from heaven. Sully has recently been released from jail and is trying to raise his young son after the death of his wife. Naturally these calls have his boy hopeful that his mama will call. Sully knows it can’t be possible and he hates seeing his son disappointed and hurting. He knows there has to be some explanation. People don’t receive phone calls or messages from the dead … or do they?

As usual Mitch Albom’s novel left me questioning how I would feel about this happening. Of course you would want to say all those things you didn’t get a chance to and tell your loved one once again that you love them. Ultimately this happening in this small town brought people closer to their beliefs and God once again – it got them going to church and praying again. That alone makes it all worth while … hoax or not…

I listened to audio of The First Phone Call from Heaven narrated by Mitch Albom himself and he does a fantastic job with perfect tone and emotion. The First Phone Call from Heaven comes highly recommend as do all of his books. He is one of my favorite authors and this newest book of his just topped my list of favorites for the year!

Check out the other stops on the TLC Book Tour
Mitch’s website, Facebook, and Twitter
Subscribe to Mitch’s newsletter
Buy at: Amazon, Amazon Canada, and B&N

Source: Review copy was provided by the publisher but audiobook is from my personal library. No compensation was received for this review and all opinions are my own.

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Red Hill by Jamie McGuire (Audiobook)

November 22, 2013 by Darlene

The audiobook of Red Hill by Jamie McGuire was quite simply phenomenal! It is set against an apocalyptic world and it is fast paced and unputdownable. From the beginning of this audiobook I was sucked into this world and couldn’t bring myself to shut this audio off for even the simplest things. Red Hill is gripping, suspenseful, and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole journey it takes you on.

Scarlett is a single mom of two girls. When she drops them off at school one day she has no idea that she may never see them again. Going into work at the hospital it becomes apparent quickly that something is very wrong. The news reports are saying that there is a widespread, deadly outbreak taking over everywhere. Soon enough Scarlett sees exactly what they mean when ordinary people are all of sudden turning into crazed zombies. She is horrified and scared but her main priority is finding her girls and keeping them safe. Her journey to find them is nothing short of terrifying.

Others are fleeing the big cities as well. After Nathan’s wife leaves him and his daughter he knows he needs to get Zoe somewhere safe. Miranda and her friends had been planning a fun weekend when the zombies take over. All of these people are heading towards Red Hill Ranch which is owned by Miranda’s family. It’s out of the way and should be safer than anywhere else. The journey to get there and all that occurs afterwards will keep you flipping those pages ever faster.

Red Hill in audio is excellent. It is narrated by Emma Galvin, January LaVoy, and Zachary Webber and they do such an amazing job of bringing this apocalyptic world alive for the listener. I was on the edge of my seat from the beginning to the end of this audio. Highly recommended for those who like stories like this and if you can the audio version is the way to go because it is fabulous!

Buy at: Simon & Schuster, Audible, and iTunes

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher. No compensation was received for this review and all opinions are my own.

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