Review – Toyworld: Home of the Christmas Thief by Tony Bertauski @tonybertauski

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NEW RELEASE

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have been reading books in Tony Bertauski’s Claus Universe since Claus: Legend of the Fat Man came out in 2012. I have missed some of the books, but I am always eager to enter the fantasy realm Tony as created.

Hiro’s world expands when he finds the dreams he has been having are of Toyworld. He finds friends he never would have made, danger that could keep him trapped in Toyworld, and the reason the real world is so gray and dreary. Christmas has disappeared. Hope and happiness has been stolen.

Dreams aren’t just dreams, they’re windows. Not windows, doorways. Most nights we’re just looking through the, seeing what’s over there. But you can crawl through a window if you open it.

People say anything is possible even when we know it isn’t true.

It’s hard to review a book like Toyworld by Tony Bertauski without giving all the good parts away. The adventure is definitely something a reader would want to experience on their own. The world building is out of this world. HA HA HA The descriptions are vivid and detailed. The characters are richly developed, and, if you are anything like me, you will find it hard to choose a favorite. They all have a role to play and it will take all of them to save Christmas.

Can the villain be redeemed? Isn’t that always the question?

I find it hard to name an age group. I got lost in the adventure, but it has been so long since I have had a youngster in my home that I can’t remember their reading level. I did some searching, so I would recommend middle grade and up.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Toyworld: Home of the Christmas Thief by Tony Bertauski.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Book 10 in the Claus Universe.

Hiro’s parents rearrange the furniture every December.

They make space in the corner for something tall. They plug in string lights and leave them on the floor. Sometimes, they cut down a tree but don’t know what to do with it. It’s not just Hiro’s parents. Everyone does it. Come January, they all straighten up their living rooms and everything goes back to normal. They do this every year.

No one knows why.

Something’s missing and they all feel it, but they never wonder what it is. And every year that passes, the world becomes colder and grayer. Until Hiro has a dream.

It’s a world of magic, where he can taste sounds and hear thoughts, see things that defy the laws of physics and biology. It’s a place where trees are decorated and stockings are hung above the fireplace. Every day is celebrated with gifts.

It’s the last place where joy exists.

Someone has stolen the Christmas spirit from the universe and hidden it in the dream. Hiro doesn’t remember a jolly fat man or flying reindeer, or elves on the North Pole. No one in Hiro’s world remembers Christmas at all.

Hiro and others like him need to free the Christmas spirit. This is their one and only chance. If they fail, his world and all others like it will stay cold and gray without Christmas… unless they discover the thief’s true identity.

It’s closer than they think.

ABOUT TONY BERTAUSKI

Tony Bertauski

Get my books FREE. Tell me where to send them at http://bertauski.com

My grandpa never graduated high school. He retired from a steel mill in the mid-70s. He was uneducated, but he was a voracious reader. I remember going through his bookshelves of paperback sci-fi novels, smelling musty old paper, pulling Piers Anthony and Isaac Asimov off shelf and promising to bring them back. I was fascinated by robots that could think and act like people. What happened when they died?

I’ve written textbooks on landscape design, but that was straightforward, informational writing; the kind of stuff that helps most people get to sleep. I’ve also been writing a gardening column with a humorous slant. That takes a little more finesse, but still informational for the most part.

I’m a cynical reader. I demand the writer sweep me into his/her story and carry me to the end. I’d rather sail a boat than climb a mountain. That’s the sort of stuff I wanted to write, not the assigned reading we used to get in high school. I wanted to create stories that kept you up late.

Fiction, GOOD fiction, is hard to write. Having a story unfold inside your head is an experience different than reading. You connect with characters in a deeper, more meaningful way. You feel them, empathize with them, cheer for them and even mourn. The challenge is to get the reader to experience the same thing, even if it’s only a fraction of what the writer feels. Not so easy.

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Review – Dreamland: A Ghost Story by NIck Clausen @NickClausen9

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love the cover and it is perfect for the story. I have read a lot of NIck Clausen’s books and he never ceases to amaze me with his ability to add a fresh twist to a familiar tale. Translating his books to English has not been an issue for him. They read seamlessly. The characters wormed their way into my heart, especially Louis. He gets lost in his nightmares and it is through his own ingenuity that he finds his way out. Do you believe in ghosts? Do nightmares haunt your sleep? Maybe Louie can give you some hope.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dreamland by Nick Clausen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Dreams can come true. So can nightmares.

In his sleep, Louie starts visiting a magical world where he meets his father, who died when Louie was still a baby. But nothing turns out to be what it seems, and great horrors loom very close by …Welcome to Dreamland
 

A mysterious teen ghost story about fear and loss and losing yourself in dreams, Dreamland was originally published in Danish to great reviews, and is now available in English.

ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN

Born 1988 in North Jutland, where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a much more powerful pull on me.

Nick Clausen

I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book, Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at 14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should be an author.

That day I made a promise to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the publisher and came out a year later.

I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.

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Review – The Final Winter by Iain Rob Wright @iain_rob_wright

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I love the cover of The Final Winter by Iain Rob Wright…and who doesn’t love a story that takes place during a fatal weather even…in this case, a blizzard.

It is available through Kindle Unlimited.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I began Final Winter eagerly. I love the cover and the blurb drew me in. It started out slow, for me. I kept thinking, will I finish it. My mind wandered and I kept bringing myself back. I am sooo glad I did. What began as a two, or maybe even, one star read, turned into a solid three stars. I would love to give it more, but I didn’t get into the story until I was halfway through. I thought…this is a story of our humanity…how low can we go…and that’s okay. Then, the last quarter of the book SAVED it. Final Winter was definitely worth reading.

There’s also some great bonus content: seven short stories of Final Winter, each spotlighting a family during the apocalypse and the standalone short: The Peeling of Samuel Lloyd Collins, which may be short, but, most assuredly, is not sweet.

I believe I have a couple more stories by Ian Rob Wright hanging around on my Kindle. I’ll be checking that out.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Critically acclaimed début novel of bestselling author, Iain Rob Wright.

What would you do if it started snowing in every country in the world? Would you panic? For a ragtag group of strangers gathered at a dilapidated English pub, the best solution is a pint of beer with a hearty shot of denial. The truth is too strange to admit; but, one by one, they will be forced to accept reality – that something sinister is lurking outside in the snow. Something no one could imagine.

Amongst those at the pub is Harry Jobson, the local drunk. Nobody would ever look to him during a time of crisis, but as things deteriorate he is forced to get a grip on his past and be the man he was always meant to be. It will be up to Harry to find answers to questions like: who just threw a body through the window with the word SINNER carved into its chest?

Not everyone is going to make it through the night – and those who do will wish they hadn’t.

Special edition bonus content – seven additional short stories set during the events of The Final Winter, plus one additional stand-alone tale: The Peeling of Samuel Lloyd Collins.

ABOUT IAN ROB WRIGHT

One of Horror’s most respected authors, Iain Rob Wright is the writer of more than twenty books, many of them bestsellers. A previous Kindle All-Star and a mainstay in the horror charts, he is a prolific producer of unique and original stories. From his apocalyptic saga The Gates to his claustrophobic revenge thriller ASBO, Iain writes across a broad spectrum of sub genres, creating both beloved series and standalone titles.

With work available in several languages and in audio, Iain Rob Wright is one of the fastest rising stars in horror, but when not writing he is a dedicated family man. Father to Jack and Molly, and husband to Sally, he is often seen sharing his family memories with his fans on Facebook.

To get 6 of his books for free (no strings), just visit: www.iainrobwright.com

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Review – Nursery Rhyme Killer by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love Jane Blythe’s ability to spin a tale of darkness and I am super excited to delve into her new series, Storybook Murders. Nursery Rhyme Killer takes those childhood poems we all know and love to a whole new level, and you will never look at them the same way. We will meet some familiar characters from a previous series, the Candella Sisters.

Summer and Luke both have tragic childhoods, but that is nothing surprising when it comes to a Jane Blythe novel. Summer has her secrets, lets no one know of her past. She has made friends in the past ten years, but, until Luke, let no one know the heart of her. Luke is the opposite. He has a check list and checks it twice, looking for the future Mrs Sleigh. 🙂 He wants the complete package…wife, house, kids, white picket fence….

The first part of the book, Jane Blythe lulled me into complacency. She has a tendency to do that. To let me think I know what’s coming next. Just reading along, a little mystery here, a little romance there, a little blood and guts. Then, WHAM! The plot thickens. Most of the time she has a couple of subplots going on at the same time, throwing out red herrings.

It’s hard for an author to catch me with my mouth open, but Jane Blythe can do it, Not only did the villain stay hidden for the longest time, Jane managed to throw me a couple twists that had me wanting to jump up and down with joy, though they were tragic and horrific. And she did it without Summer running off and doing something stupid. You know what I mean. In most romantic suspense novels, ‘she’ just can’t help doing something that gets in her deep shit. Am I twisted because I love the deeeeep, darrrrrrrk side of humanity? To wallow in the filth with some of fiction’s best villains?

WHEW! That ending was intense. The last quarter or so of the book bounced the rating an extra star. When you read the book, you will know why. I can hardly wait to get my hands on Fairy Tale Killer by Jane Blythe and see what damage she can to fairy tales and princesses. HA HA HA

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Nursery Rhyme Killer by Jane Blythe.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

How can she ever trust another man after what her ex-husband did?

Summer Height isn’t sure it’s worth it to risk her heart again in another relationship, not after what happened with her ex-husband and the debilitating guilt it left her with. When she meets her best friend’s husband’s brother she doesn’t know what to think, she likes him, but she’s not sure she wants to take a chance on him after what she’s been through, especially when it looks like history is repeating itself.

Luke Sleigh wants to find someone to love him, everyone else in his life has always walked away and he’s desperate to find that forever person. He has a list, when he meets a woman he mentally checks off whether or not the woman meets his criteria, but that gets thrown out the window when he meets Summer.

He might be swept off his feet but he’s about to face the challenge of a lifetime; proving that he’s not guilty of multiple murders in time to save Summer’s life.

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

USA Today bestselling author Jane Blythe writes action-packed romantic suspense and military romance featuring protective heroes and heroines who are survivors. One of Jane’s most popular series includes Saving SEALs, part of Susan Stoker’s OPERATION ALPHA world! Writing in that world alongside authors such as Janie Crouch and Riley Edwards has been a blast, and she looks forward to bringing more books to this genre, both within and outside of Stoker’s world. When Jane isn’t binge-reading she’s counting down to Christmas and adding to her 200+ teddy bear collection!

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Long Anticipated Finale for the Wormwood Trilogy – Angel of Ashes and Dust by D H Nevins @dhnevins

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FIRST, I feel bad because I missed the Launch on the 18th. I was under the weather and it got by me. I know how important it is for independent authors who depend on us bloggers to spread the word.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I am going to start by saying I LOVE the gorgeous cover. Once I finished the book, it became even more pertinent to the story inside. I fell in love with this trilogy as soon as I met Kali and Tiamat in the first book, Wormwood. At that time, I had not read very many angel and human novels and was just getting hooked on apocalyptic and dystopian novels. Now, I say bring ’em on. I can’t get enough of them and D H Nevins is part of the reason why.

The first two books of the series, Wormwood and Angel of Shadow, blew me away! The characters came to life on the pages, as the Earth began to die. Just because a character does something horrific, does that make them an evil person?

Kali: I was darkness and death, shadows and pain.

Tiamat commanded the Nephilim, half angels/half humans, who had destroyed the world and most of humanity. Tiamat’s Shadow is a parasite that forces them to stay apart.

Kali is the leader of the encampment, a position that was foisted on her. The Shadow is her weapon, an extension of her, though she refuses to call upon it. It frightens her.

Her father, Richard is a demon. What is his ultimate goal? Is it to destroy them and everything left on Earth?

Bram is a special character, a youngster that I have come to love. He is a ninja, secretive, sneaking up on people, spying on them, now you see him, now you don’t. I can picture him climbing through the rocks and looking around corners.

I am always curious how an author will end a series…and to know the complete story, you need to read the entire Wormwood Trilogy. D H Nevins kept me reading as I tried to figure it out. I had no idea how the story would finish and who would be left standing. It took her telling me to find out.

D H Nevins shocked me. She saddened me. She made me smile. She made me tear up.

I keep mulling over the ending. Yes, I am satisfied. Yes, I am super happy that I was unable to figure out how it would end. Yes, D H Nevins did a fantastic job of wrapping it up.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Angel of Ashes and Dust by D H Nevins.

4 Stars

BACK COVER DESCRIPTION

The end of her people and the death of a planet are looming over her. Kali Michaels must choose between the illusion of safety and the danger of her own power in this anticipated and heart-stopping finale to The Wormwood Trilogy. 

Kali learned the hard way that her abilities cannot be trusted if they can be used against her. In an effort to protect those she cares about, she is determined to let the power of her Shadow lie dormant, despite the dangers rising up around her.  

Now, tormented by an unstoppable enemy, she and Tiamat Wormwood must try to lead others while doing the impossible—ensuring the survival of humans and half-angels alike.  

But how can she partner with Tiamat, when her proximity could kill him? 

And how can the Nephilim, Tiamat, be trusted to save a planet, if he is the one who shattered it in the first place? 

Little do they know that sometimes, for new beginnings, that which they love must first be destroyed. 

  • Title: Angel of Ashes and Dust, Book 3 in the Wormwood Trilogy 
  • Author: D.H. Nevins 
  • Release date: October 18, 2022 
  • Link to Wormwood (book 1 in the series, which is FREE right now): https://amzn.to/3TqDD6g
  • Link to Angel of Shadow (book 2 in the series, which is only $2.99): https://amzn.to/3CYfNYR
  • Link to Angel of Ashes and Dust (special pre-order and release week price is only $2.99):
  • Author Website: www.dhnevins.com 
  • Newsletter sign-up: https://bit.ly/3xFL6pu  

ABOUT D H NEVINS

D.H. Nevins was born in Toronto and currently lives in a quiet area of Ontario, surrounded by forests and lakes. By day, she is a personable, friendly school teacher. By night, she silently chuckles as she writes about destroying the world. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys hiking, camping, flying around on her motorcycle or dabbling in live theatre.

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Review – A Puppet Scorned by Jamie Kort #JamieKort

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

A Puppet Scorned is one of the wildest horror stories I have ever read. I don’t even know where to start. Sock puppets having sex? It had me laughing out loud and wondering what would happen next. It may be a quick read, but it was chock full of wickedness.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Enter a world where needles are sexy and knitting is deadly…

Camille and Brad are sock-puppets trapped in a dusty old attic. One day they find needles, and Brad teaches Camille how to knit sensuous and arousing patterns… but what begins as a journey of sexual awakening leads to the unravelling of Camille’s perfect world in a strangely twisted nightmare of obsession and betrayal.

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Horror Stories From Denmark by Willow Rose @MadamWillowRose

Amazon / Goodreads

I have read a couple of the stories earlier and saw the bundle so I thought I would finish it off for some October horror reads, of the two legged kind. It is available on Kindle Unlimited or a Kindle price of $4.99.

Rock A Bye Baby by Willow Rose will tug at your heartstrings. It took me a moment to catch what was really happening, and I felt for her. Things are not what they seem…or are they. A lot is packed in this novella and Willow Rose did not let me down. 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Lisa Rasmussen just had a baby and everything in her life seems perfect at this point. Only she wishes that everyone else around her would be as flawless as she is and stop getting in her way. And if they won’t listen, then she’ll make them.

Amazon / Goodreads

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You can see my review for Nibble Nibble Crunch HERE. I didn’t review Eenie Meenie but rated it a four, the same as Nibble Nibble Crunch.

Another success story for Willow Rose. Humpty Dumpty may be short, may not be sweet, but it sure had my blood pumping. Graphic and brutal, Karma comes to those who did wrong. 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

They thought it would be easy. Four boys from a nearby boarding school planned on attacking and killing a family – just for the fun of it. But they hadn’t prepared themselves for the terror of what they would meet inside of the house in shape of a little girl with a very special gift.

Amazon / Goodreads

4 Stars

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Review – Blood Seance by John Kaden #johnkaden

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love the gothic cover.It does tell of what’s inside, a 1940s actress and her haunted house. But this haunted house in on steroids.

Past: What happened to Evelyn Leighton? She had starred in B level horror movies and had just hit her stride. Robert and Evelyn were having marriage problems. He is embarassed with her ‘stardom’. Now, Evelyn lives her own kind of hell and it is not in the movies.

Present: The Kellerman family moves into Evelyn’s mansion. It doesn’t take long before it starts ‘falling down’ around them. But there is something or someone that wants their daughter. They will fight tooth and nail to not let them happen. Mom and dad are heroes. They place their lives in danger, more than once, to fight for Ginny. Glen had no idea what it would take to save her, but he goes down the rabbit hole. Thank goodness, there is someone there to help him.

Blood Seance turned out to be so much more than I expected. The past and present converge and it will take all the players to put this demon to rest. Be prepared. Blood Seance may have you checking your house to see if you missed something when you purchase it.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO EVELYN LEIGHTON?

When the Kellerman family moves into a gorgeous old Spanish mansion in the Pacific Palisades, they have no idea that they’ve just bought a piece of forgotten Hollywood folklore, once owned by a forties-era B-movie actress.

But when the walls start cracking and strange voices whisper in the night, they begin a white-knuckle journey to save themselves from the dark forces in the house, and to confront face-to-face the horrible fate that befell a beautiful young starlet named Evelyn Leighton.

BLOOD SEANCE is a fast paced haunted house thriller with a riveting 1940s backstory.

ABOUT JOHN KADEN

ohn Kaden is the author of Blood Seance and Alexandria, with more stories on the way. He is a die-hard fan of horror, thrillers, and apocalyptic fiction. He lives in Southern California.

You can follow his work at johnkaden.blogspot.com. He’d love to hear from you.

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Review – Claws by Ricky Sides #rickysides

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The fabulous cover speaks horror and I love it! A pet food company messing with Mother Nature…I know that is not going to end well. You may look at your pet a little differently after reading Claws. Is your cute, cuddly little bundle of fur looking at you funny? Is your sweet kitty licking your hand as an appetizer…getting ready to take a chunk out of it? LOL Will that make you sleep better, when kitty curls up on your chest wanting snuggles? The main issue I had was with the ‘romance’. The dialogue did not ring true, but, then, I look at a book like Claws as a B movie, not known for its sophistication, but still a very enjoyable use of my time. Greed and all that comes with it was expected. The head of the ‘operation’ will stop at nothing to get more of that all mighty dollar. Will he get his comeuppance? I loved the ending.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

I’d like to give special thanks to Jason Merrick for the great cover.

Alcorn Pet Food Corporation is working with an experimental cat food laced with hormones and appetite enhancers. The special food causes cats to add muscle, gain weight, and exhibit extremely aggressive behavior. When an employee threatens to expose the pet food as a threat to public safety, she finds herself out of work, her home ransacked, and all her carefully gathered proof missing. Meanwhile, animal rights activists release the cats involved in the testing because they are scheduled to be euthanized. These bigger, stronger, and more aggressive animals begin to prey on small game in the area. Then the ravenous cats turn their attention to people.

Lovers, runners, hunters, dogs, deer, rabbits, normal cats, and even motorists begin to fall victim to the predations of these enhanced felines. An unemployed scientist, a small special ops team, a grieving father, a chief of security, and a homeless veteran join forces to try to prevent a catastrophe.

When a murderer steals the secret formula that created the menace and sells it to eight foreign enemies of the United States, the stakes suddenly get a lot higher, because the most deadly biological weapon ever created has just been released. The genie is out of the bottle and the world will never be the same.

To make matters worse, the scientist discovers that the first generation offspring will be even bigger and more aggressive, and then they learn that the food also affects dogs and rats.

ABOUT RICKY SIDES (from Amazon)

Ricky Sides was Born in Florence, Alabama in May of 1958. He has a wife named Sue that he married at age 18. He has one adult son named Larry Dale.

The author studied martial arts from 1981 to the mid 1990s. He has been an avid camper and student of survival. The techniques described in his fight sequences are often from his own personal experience and training. He has taught women’s rape prevention seminars in the 1980’s that he conducted free to the public.

The author’s writing experience includes the ” Peacekeeper” series, the “Brimstone” series, “The Ultimate in Women’s Self-Defense,” and “Adventures in Reading,” “Claws,” which is a suspense / horror novel that will ultimately serve as the back story for an epic post apocalyptic novel that he will release in 2011. “Claws 2. After the Apocalypse,” and “Lina’s Story,” which is connected to the peacekeeper series.

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Giveaway & Review – Lucifer’s Triangle by N S Wikarski @GoddessFish

Amazon / Goodreads

Lucifer’s Triangle by N. S. Wikarski

GENRE:   Thriller (Historical Elements)

MY REVIEW

This is one of those books I probably could have passed on, but I was intrigued…by the cover and title. Dan Brown is not a favorite author of mine and Lucifer’s Triangle by N S Wikarski is similar to his work.

Jerusalem – City of Peace. That is a misnomer if I have ever heard one. The constant battle for turf has taken many lives.

Cassie was becoming bored and figured this would be her last mission. I do love a strong female lead, and Cassie fits the bill. Her boyfriend, Griffin is fine with boring.

Cassie has a talent, she gets more than impressions from objects. She, literally, walks in the owners footsteps..

When I read a book like Lucifer’s Triangle by N S Wikarski, I am always curious about how much research was done and how factual some aspects of the story are.

Lucifer’s Triangle by N S Wikarski is Book One of The Trove Chronicles, but the mention of a Nephilim War had me confused. Is this series a spinoff?

Lucifer’s Triangle by N S Wikarski is pretty much what I expected it to be once I got into it. It is well written, with well developed characters, mystery and intrigue, but I felt no urgency, nothing that I hadn’t read before.

If you are a Dan Brown fan, you will probably love this, so don’t be discouraged by my take on the novel.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Lucifer’s Triangle by N S Wikarski.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

BLURB

In a city where belief means everything, putting your faith in the wrong person can get you killed.

THE TROVE CHRONICLES
A Series for Fans of Archaeology Adventure, Alternative History Thrillers, and Treasure Hunt Mysteries

A myth-busting adventure series pitting patriarchy against buried history in artifact hunts that span continents, centuries, and lost civilizations. Meet the Arkana: a secret society of antiquarians devoted to unearthing the buried past of humanity. Continent by continent and dig site by dig site, they have amassed troves of evidence that overturn history as we know it. Follow their ongoing adventures in The Trove Chronicles.

Volume 1 – LUCIFER’S TRIANGLE
Arkana agents Cassie and Griffin are sent to Jordan for a standard retrieval mission. What could go wrong? When a colleague’s nephew is murdered, the teen’s death leads to a suicide bomb plot and a conspiracy that could plunge the Middle East into war for decades to come. The entire Arkana team springs into action to counter a threat unlike anything they’ve ever faced before. That’s because they’ll have to square off against a villain as devious as the devil himself, who wants nothing more than to see Jerusalem go up in flames.

EXCERPT

Of course, he knew how deceiving appearances could be. He himself was living proof of that adage. Anyone who chanced to notice him would see an average-looking, thirty-something businessman with dark hair and a neatly trimmed goatee. One might easily assume he worked in an office nearby. That assessment was partially true. He was a businessman, and he was about to start his workday. However, he didn’t follow a profession as mundane as banking or law. His true vocation lay in stirring up trouble, and he was a master of his craft. After their last successful venture, Akeem had taken to calling him an agent provocateur. He liked the title. It had a certain bygone elegance to it.

Aside from that colorful descriptor, most of his current contacts knew him as Lucifer. He realized the pseudonym was a ridiculous cliche. Still, he liked the flair of it. He valued flair because it was the one trait that someone in his line of work couldn’t afford to display. That was ironic since his current venture might amplify his fame to legendary proportions among his prospective clientele. But he was getting ahead of himself. He needed to arrange all the details first. Lucifer had already zeroed in on some toy soldiers who would be perfect for this mission. Next, he needed to muster them and get them marching in the right direction before Akeem would feel inclined to greenlight his proposal.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Nancy Wikarski is a fugitive from academia. After earning her PhD from the University of Chicago, she became a computer consultant and then turned to historical mystery and adventure fiction writing. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, the Society of Midland Authors, and has served as vice president of Sisters in Crime – Twin Cities and on the programming board of the Chicago chapter. Her short stories have appeared in Futures Magazine and DIME Anthology. Her book reviews have been featured in Murder: Past Tense and Deadly Pleasures, and her articles have been published in Mystery Readers Journal.

Her novels include the Gilded Age Chicago Mysteries set in 1890s Chicago. The series has received People’s Choice Award nominations for Best First Novel and Best Historical as well as a Lovey Award Nomination for Best Traditional Amateur Sleuth. Titles include: The Fall of White City (Rev. 2020), Shrouded in Thought (Rev. 2020), and The Black Widow’s Prey (2021).

The Arkana Archaeology Mystery series has become an award-nominated Amazon bestseller. Titles include: The Granite Key (2011), The Mountain Mother Cipher (2011), The Dragon’s Wing Enigma (2012), Riddle of the Diamond Dove (2013), Into the Jaws of the Lion (2014), Secrets of the Serpent’s Heart (2015), and The Sage Stone Prophecy (2016). The Trove Chronicles is a thriller series based on the further adventures of the Arkana. The series debuts with Lucifer’s Triangle (2022).

All titles mentioned above are available in paperback, ebook, hardcover, and audio formats.

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