Half Term Round-Up

The following books are ones submitted for review by their authors and which I read during my first week of half term.

The Intern by Dale Wiley

Published: April 2016

Pages: 218

Synopsis: “It’s 1995 and life is great for Washington DC intern Trent Norris. But life can change in a moment – and does when Trent becomes the prime suspect in two murders and a slew of other crimes. Overnight, he becomes the most wanted man in America.

Trent has to find a way – any way – out. He holes up at The Watergate on a senator’s dime and enlists a call girl as his unwitting ally. But with the media eating Trent alive, he doesn’t have long before they catch him.

From the tony clubs of Georgetown to murders on Capitol Hill, The Intern has all the twists and turns of a classic DC thriller, with an added comedic flair.”

Rating: *

I don’t tend to read books set in Washington or that have anything to do with the American Government, so this was always going to be a challenge for me. And it did indeed take me a little while to get into.

I really like the format of the prologue being in the present and then the bulk of the book does back in time to explain how the protagonist got to where they are. This always works well, and is a hook to draw the reader in.

The titular character Trent the intern is a young man who seems dissatisfied with his lot in life. It did frustrate me a little that he gets this amazing opportunity as an intern for the NEA, but is more worried about making friends in meetings with whom he can pass notes.

Not for me, but I can appreciate it is a well written novel which would appeal to a wide range of readers.

Death on Delivery by Anne K. Edwards

Published: October 2004

Pages: 242

Synopsis: “Unexpected death has a way of drawing attention to itself. Death calls on Jania Yewbanks when she accepts a delivery for her husband. Her obituary attracts the attention of Hannah Clare who has decided early retirement is boring and she returns to work as a P.I. Her first case is to find how Jania Yewbanks died. The investigation leads her to a murder-for-hire ring that advertises itself as a gift service in the local newspaper. More than one murder, more than one murderer cross Hannah's path as she tries to discover the identity of the person or persons behind the murder-by-mail company.”

Rating: *

There seems to be a niche for fiction in which older ladies investigate murders – Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher to name two – and this theme even has its own name “Little Old Lady Investigates” or “Cozy Mysteries”.

Personally, Death on Delivery wasn’t for me. The first chapter was good, and a good hook but this didn’t continue throughout the novel.

Christiana of Chibok by David Damey

Published: October 2016

Synopsis: A gripping tale of kidnap, rape, battery, bombings, forgiveness and unmerited love, Christiana of Chibok is based on a true event: the kidnap of 276 Nigerian Schoolgirls by the islamist sect, Boko Haram. Christiana and hundreds of your classmates are abducted from their school dormitory by an extremist sect. They are driven to the sect's camp in the middle of a vast forest in the north east of Nigeria. Considered war booty, she is given off as wife to Bukar Mujahid, the sect's chief executioner. But she will not be a murderer's wife. She would escape and pursue her dream to be a doctor. But resisting Bukar comes at a price. He tries to forcefully consummate their so-called marriage. When she resists, she is brutality beaten. Then her cousin, Tina, abducted with her, is gunned down attempting to escape from the sect's camp. It seems as though all hope of Christiana's escape is dashed. When Bukar and most of the sect goes off to raid army positions and is missing in action, Christiana is surprise to find that she misses him. She prays for his safe return. Many weeks pass. As she waits for any news of him, Kabiru Marafa, a sect commander, burst into her room, late in the night, rapes and almost kills her. Shortly after, Chadian troops storm the sect's camp and airforce jets bomb the hideout. Caught in the crossfire, will she survive, escape and pursue her dream of becoming a doctor or will she die in the fighting?”

Rating: **

A very thought-provoking and well written piece, with a brave titular character.

Not an enjoyable read due to the subject matter, but a very reflective one.

Casting Stones by Laurencia Hoffman

Published: December 2011

Pages: 88

Synopsis: “The act of revenge is short-lived. The feeling of regret lasts forever. Avery Stone was a normal guy who never did anything important in his life. After a tragic childhood, he found a family ready and willing to take him in. Though he never really felt that he belonged there, he knew that it was better than being alone. When someone starts murdering random werewolf families Avery finds himself fighting to keep his loved ones safe.”

Rating: *

The first thing I noticed was that there was so much swearing. I felt this was unnecessary and didn’t add anything to the book whatsoever.

A very unhealthy relationship between Avery and Simone, which was written as if normal. The interaction between the two in the flashbacks didn’t feel natural, their dialogue felt stilted. I didn’t feel any connection to any of the characters, and I didn’t get the impression they were particularly nice people; murderers and drug dealers etc. Again, this was written as if an everyday occurrence. This was basically a book about rival gangs, one of whom happened to be a clan of werewolves. A good idea, but the execution let it down.

I think the author needs to slow down with the dialogue and description and go into more detail as opposed to trying to fit so much in. Introduce the characters individually rather than en masse so the reader gets a chance to know them as individuals and have more of an idea of how they impact the plot.