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book reviews |
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Multi-volume author Alexa Spagnoli introduces us to her latest book, “Queen of Diamonds”: 2004 – Chicago gangster Nick Nicoletti was dying of heart failure. Who could he trust to help him keep control of his criminal enterprises before it was too late? Who had the cold-blooded killer instinct and cunning required to do what his businesses required and would accept the mantle he had to bestow when his time came? No man in Chicago could fill his shoes, as far as he was concerned. But he knew a woman who could. It had been twenty years since Cyn Hardy breezed into Las Vegas from small-town Michigan, a wide-eyed eighteen-year-old innocent looking for excitement in her life. During that time she married the son of mobster Joe Spagnoli, became the owner of the largest call-girl service in Sin City, and survived the murders of her husband, then her father-in-law, and finally her twenty-year-old son. As she was immersed in grief, her father-in-law’s closest friend, Nick, sent for her. Cyn had something no one in Chicago had – Nick’s complete trust. And she owed Nick big time. So Cyn Spagnoli was back in the Mafia again, learning Nick’s gambling and loan-sharking businesses and his specialty – assassination, tapped to become his successor.  I truly enjoyed this sequel to “Mafia Madame”! I loved the concept. Cynthia Spagnoli exemplifies the strong female protagonist. While grieving the deaths of her closest family in Nevada she steps up to the plate when asked to and accepts the responsibility wholeheartedly. This book is so well written. The authors make a great team. I thoroughly enjoyed the dialogues; the action was good and an appropriate amount of scene setting makes for an easy-to-read story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I award 4.8 stars to “Queen of Diamonds”.
You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Queen-Diamonds-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/queen-of-diamonds You can follow the authors: @SinCityMadame http://www.mafiamadame.com http://www.facebook.com/Alexa-Spagnoli @Johnldeboer http://www.novelsbyjohnldeboer.com Tags: Mafia, Las Vegas, Chicago, gambling, loan sharking, rivalry, the mob, assassination Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the authors’ introduction
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A Dark Age Historical Fiction Novelby Francis Williams Multi-genre, multi-volume, award winning author Francis Williams introduces us to the latest volume in the Thrones and Soldiers series, “Usurper”: Five long years have passed since Drysten was thrown into a cell. All hope of his escape or release left him with the realization his people had no idea he was alive. He was once a great warrior who fought proudly and ferociously for the very same king who cast him aside. He didn’t know how, but he knew he would find his revenge. One man placed into the cell beside him gave him the knowledge needed to wage war across the kingdom of Ebrauc. All he would have to do was wait for the moment he would be free. That moment has come, and with it the opportunity to serve one of the most ancient gods of Britannia. But with all things comes a cost.  This is a great sequel to Honor, the premiere of the Thrones and Soldiers series. This is wonderful dark historical fiction! There isn’t a plethora of information about the dark ages of Britain and Europe after the fall and contraction of the Roman Empire. The author does wonderful work to enrich the dry, dusty bones of this dark period of time. The multitude of characters are quite individual and realistic in their actions and conversations. The scene setting is well-balanced and supports the characters perfectly without taking over the story. I loved this book so much! I give it a score of 4.8 stars, the score would have been higher except for the large handful of spelling errors.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Usurper-Historical-Fiction-Thrones-Soldiers-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-usurper You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/IamFrancisW https://www.instagram.com/iamfranciswilliams https://www.facebook.com/IamFrancisWilliams I reviewed the first book in the series here: Honor: A Dark Age Historical Fiction Novel (Thrones and Soldiers Book 1) By Francis Williams - Word Refiner We had a nice interview and continue it here on this review of Usurper. tags: action, adventure, ancient military, gods, God Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume, multi-genre author Paul C. Thornton introduces us to his latest book about cruising and the people who enjoy it: Cruising Interrupted started out as More Joy of Cruising, the follow-up to the award-winning The Joy of Cruising, a fun, upbeat look at travelers from all over the world with a passion for ocean cruising and who act on that passion in creative and fascinating ways. Then the pandemic happened. And cruising was interrupted. Cruising Interrupted will fascinate anyone who has ever cruised, aspires to take a cruise, or just loves travel. At the same time, Cruising Interrupted acknowledges the influence on cruising of the Covid-19 pandemic, the most significant event in the history of cruise travel since the sinking of the Titanic.  I admit that I have never been on a cruise. After reading this book, I really want to go cruising now. I can’t decide if I should focus on a destination or on the ship itself. All ships have their advantages and disadvantages. Each itinerary has pros and cons as well, and they all seem so exciting. I am far better equipped to make a wise choice after reading this book. I love the author’s style of writing, part investigative journalist and part close friend, he really makes the selection process easier. Highlighting some of the blogs and youtubers that share their personal experiences and inside information provides a wide breadth of available knowledge. I award 4.6 stars to “Cruising Interrupted” the score would have been higher except for the handful of spelling errors I found.  You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Cruising-Interrupted https://www.goodreads.com/-cruising-interrupted https://www.barnesandnoble.com/cruising-interrupted You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/joyofcruising http://www.thejoyofcruising.net http://www.facebook.com/TheJoyOfCruising http://www.instagram.com/thejoyofcruising http://www.amazon.com/author/paulthornton I reviewed the first book here: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/the-joy-of-cruising Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction |
Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
October 2021
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