Word Refiner
  • Start Here
  • Word Refining
  • Learn More
  • Books I Have Refined
  • Promote Your Book
  • Acclaim from Authors
  • Book Reviews
  • Previous Book Reviews
  • Boomers on Books
  • Blog: Words For Thought
  • Highly Regarded Blogs
  • Guest Blogs
  • Contact
  • Hyper-Speller Humor
  • The Hyper-Speller interviewed
  • In memory of Grizz
  • Start Here
  • Word Refining
  • Learn More
  • Books I Have Refined
  • Promote Your Book
  • Acclaim from Authors
  • Book Reviews
  • Previous Book Reviews
  • Boomers on Books
  • Blog: Words For Thought
  • Highly Regarded Blogs
  • Guest Blogs
  • Contact
  • Hyper-Speller Humor
  • The Hyper-Speller interviewed
  • In memory of Grizz

​book reviews

Stolen by KA Woodford

11/13/2021

30 Comments

 
Debut author, KA Woodford introduces us to her psychological thriller, “Stolen”:
Jenna Brandt can't stay out of trouble for five minutes. When she sees one of her friends about to be abducted, she launches into action not thinking of the consequences. Detective Sergeant David Sawran doesn't know what to think; troublemaker or daredevil. The vehicle she stole has evidence from a cold case fifteen years and fifteen hundred miles away causing Sawran and the original detective to team up hoping they can catch a killer before he finds Jenna.

Picture
This was an interesting read! Yes, it was a little gory in places. How could it not be when the story is about the hunt for a serial killer. This hunt stretched over a couple of decades, hundreds of miles and there were lots of missing girls.
All the steps the police had to go through to eliminate suspects to find the killer was quite fascinating. I really do enjoy police-procedural stories.
There was a little bit of jumping around in the timeline. There was also changing first-person point of view, that was not clearly defined sometimes. I do like the intimacy of first-person POV, however.
Excellent closure at the end of major plot points.
I award 4.5 stars to "Stolen".

Picture
You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Stolen-KA-Woodford-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/-stolen
 
You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/woodfordauthor
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ka-woodford

Psychological fiction, crime, thriller, police, kidnap, murder, killer

Copyright ©2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction
30 Comments

Kuimba by Priscilla B. Shuler

11/7/2021

49 Comments

 
Multi-volume, multi-genre author, Priscilla B. Shuler introduces us to her story, “Kuimba” set in the American South a little over 100 years ago:
South Carolina, 1914. Ophelia Smith’s life changed completely when she heard his beautiful singing. After hours of hard labor, the first-time mother feels blessed when the blue-eyed baby comes out of the womb making sweet music instead of cries. Naming him Kuimba for his enthralling voice, she proudly shares him with others who become enamored with the newborn… unaware of an older boy whose eyes are filled with hate.
Over the years, Ophelia watches in awe as her child grows up healing people through his touch and being visited by holy beings. But she struggles to protect him from the brutal attacks of a savagely jealous young man whenever he’s out of her sight. And when angels warn her that God has one more task for the youth before calling him back to Heaven, she fears the looming fate that threatens to take him away forever.
Will Ophelia’s magnificent son achieve his destiny and bring light into the world?
KUIMBA is a spellbinding standalone historical fiction novel. If you like captivating characters, spiritual wonders, and divine fate, then you’ll love Priscilla B Shuler’s religious southern tale.

Picture
This story is set in the American South 1900s and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The title character is most unusual because he sings throughout the book. That is far from the most unusual thing about Kuimba.
Much of the dialogue is heavily accented and that worked well for me because I have heard many southern accents. There is a lot of regional flavors, descriptions of the times, and mores of people who lived then.
The other characters play very important parts also. I like the level-headed attitude that so many of them have. I also like how many of them experience drastic changes for the better as a direct result of knowing Kuimba.
I award 4.8 stars to "Kuimba"!

Picture
You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Kuimba-Priscilla-Shuler-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/-kuimba
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/kuimba-priscilla-b-shuler
 
You can follow the author:
twitter.com/ShulerPriscilla 
https://priscillabshulerartistauthor.com
https://www.amazon.com/Priscilla-B.-Shuler 
www.facebook.com/priscilla.shuler.33 

I have reviewed another book by Priscilla that I enjoyed quite a bit:
www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/favored 

Copyright © 2021 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction
49 Comments

    Who am I?

    An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller.  I am a husband, father, and grandfather.

    Contact

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

"I'm very pleased with all your efforts. Twitter promotion and proofreading were beyond what I expected with a book review. Your suggestions throughout the process of refining both books helped me immensely. I look forward to working with you again."   A.E.H Veenman “Dial QR for Murder” and “Prepped for the Kill”