{2014 Eclectic Reader Challenge: Review} THE VANISHING by Wendy Webb

ISBN #: 978-1401341947

Page Count: 304

Copyright: January 21, 2014

Publisher: Hyperion

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

Recently widowed and rendered penniless by her Ponzi-scheming husband, Julia Bishop is eager to start anew. So when a stranger appears on her doorstep with a job offer, she finds herself accepting the mysterious yet unique position: companion to his mother, Amaris Sinclair, the famous and eccentric horror novelist whom Julia has always admired - and who the world believes is dead.

But when Julia arrives at Havenwood, the Sinclair's enormous estate on Lake Superior, she begins to suspect that the reason this position is "too good to be true" is that something very sinister, and very close to Julia's own family history, is quickening out of the past.

Mandy's Review:

This makes the second book of Ms. Webb's that I've read. Just from these two books, I believe she has a slight obsession with old castle-like dwellings that may have potential ghosts living in them. I must confess, though ... I do, too.

When the book opens, the reader meets Julia who has just recently lost her husband to a suicide after he was caught stealing people's life insurances. All of her "friends" have abandoned her and won't return her calls. She has nobody to turn to for help; not even her lawyer, who is refusing to take her calls. When Adrian shows up on her doorstep, it's as though he's God-sent to rescue her despite her trepidations.

Meeting Amaris is almost mind-blowing for Julia. To be able to talk to her favorite author about writing and hearing her stories first-hand were glorious for her. It's the stories that are started and not finished by Adrian and Drew that play on Julia's mind. Are there ghosts at Havenwood, or something more sinister? What really happened when Seraphina was here all those years ago? Why is the east salon kept locked? Why is everyone so friendly to her as if they've known her for years instead of days?

The twists and turns in Wendy Webb's stories are genius. The books she writes are the perfect cozy mysteries for any day of the week. They have just enough intrigue to get you hooked and give you goosebumps, but not enough spookiness to scare the daylights out of you. I adore Wendy's writings and imaginations and look forward to many more stories from her.


*A paperback ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

** This book also counts as my 'Published in 2014' selection in The 2014 Eclectic Reader Challenge.

{Review} THE RAVENHOE CAULDRON by Rebecca Yount

ASIN #: B00DQCUKTU

File Size: 673 KB

Page Count: 401

Copyright: June 30, 2013

Publisher: Independent Publisher; 1st Edition

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

The garotted corpse of a notorious antiquities thief and forger is discovered in an excavation pit at an archeological site near Colchester, on England's east coast. Despite being on parental leave to care for his four-month-old daughter, Detective Inspector Michael "Mick" Chandra is put in charge of the case, his family leave suspended by New Scotland Yard's commissioner.

The victim is identified as Stanislaw Janus, a former curator of pre-Roman British artifacts at the British Museum, who turned to crime by fencing his forgeries on the international antiquities black market. Prior to the murder, Janus had engineered the theft of the priceless Ravenhoe Cauldron from the Colchester Museum,. The nearly 2,000-year-old solid gold vessel had been unearthed by archeologists in the very pit where Janus' corpse was later dumped.

Mick must find Janus' murderer as well as locate the missing cauldron, but his task will not be easy. Interpol reveals that Janus assumed multiple identities and remained out of reach of law enforcement agencies. Nathaniel Wyatt, his former colleague at the British Museum, descricribes Janus as the "Steppenwolf" -- charming one minute, vicious the next. Mick calls upon he Yard's Arts and Antiquities Unit for help in this complex case.

As it turns out, he will need all the help he can get, as the case becomes increasingly fraught with danger and risk.

A diverse cast of characters illuminates and obscures Stanislaw Janus' past: Dr. Cassandra Palmer, Chief Curator of the Colchester Museum, who had known Janus for more than a decade; Dr. Gil Matcalf, director of the archeological dig, who openly disdains Janus; Alissa Woo, Metcalf's beautiful graduate assistant, who originally discovered the caludron at the Colchester sitre; Nathaniel Wyatt, Janus' former collesgue; and Anderson Peale III, noted wealthy collector of Celtic artifacts, who may not be as reputable as he seems.

Familiar faces from the two previous Mick Chandra books return as well: Jessica Beaumont, the American-born pianist who is now Mick's wife; Mick's friend and chief informant, Jamie Geller; and Mick's no-nonsense partner, Sergeant Elizabeth Chang.

The plot of The Ravenhoe Cauldron takes many u-turns and detours, often landing Mick and Elizabeth back to square one and exposing them to danger.

And what is the meaning of the mysterious rust-encrusted key sent through Mick's home mail slot bearing a note that reads: "The key to the Ravenhoe Cauldron?"

Kathy's Review:

This is the third Mick Chandra mystery that I’ve read, and I have enjoyed all of them. While I don’t think you need to read the first two to enjoy this one, it might help to understand the characters of Mick and Jessica more. In the first novel, the relationship between Mick and Jess is the focus. In the second, they are newlyweds. In this book they now have an infant daughter, Sarabeth, and gain another addition to the family in cat, Pickles (who joins faithful dog Nessie). In getting to know this family, it deepened my appreciation for the characters in each installment of the book.

In Ravenhoe, a notorious art forger is murdered and a priceless artifact is missing – and Mick Chandra is put on the case. As he investigates, a long list of suspects is revealed, and someone is trying their best to keep Mick off their tail. Who is guilty? Is more than one murderer on the loose? As the body count rises, Mick must work to uncover the mystery behind the Ravenhoe Cauldron.

I am impressed with Ms. Yount’s research in this novel. It is obvious she did her homework about art forgery and fakebusting. And again, this installment just made Mick and his wife, as well as friend Jaime Geller and Mick’s partner, Elizabeth, more endearing. This is a thoroughly enjoyable and well-written series of mysteries and as always, I look forward to Mick’s next case. If you haven’t already read the first two books in the series, A Death in C Minor and The Erlking, do yourself a favor and pick up all three.


*An ecopy of this book was provided by the author's publicist in exchange for an honest review.

{2014 Reading Challenges} The Eclectic Reader Challenge: Mandy's List

Yep! Mandy has found her second 2014 reading challenge. What she loves about this challenge is that it takes her outside of her reading comfort zone. If you're interested in joining Book'd Out's challenge, click here to read the rules and sign up.

Mandy's List:

1.) Award Winning: The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (also on Mandy's 2014 TBR Pile Challenge list)

2.) True Crime (Non-Fiction): Bestial: The Savage Trail of a True American Monster by Harold Schechter

3.) Romantic Comedy: Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

4.) Alternate History Fiction: 1984 by George Orwell

5.) Graphic Novel: Ghost World by Daniel Clowes

6.) Cozy Mystery Fiction: Foreclosed by Traci Tyne Hilton

7.) Gothic Fiction: Gothic Tales by Elizabeth Gaskell

8.) War/Military Fiction: I Am Abraham by Jerome Charyn

9.) Anthology: Flashy Fiction & Other Insane Tales by Jen Wylie & Sean Hayden

10.) Medical Thriller Fiction: Final Mercy by Frank J. Edwards

11.) Travel (Non-Fiction): Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz

12.) Published in 2014: The Vanishing by Wendy Webb

{Review} WHERE ARE THE CHRISTIANS? by Eric Shuster

ISBN #: 978-1462112067

Page Count: 336

Copyright: May 14, 2013

Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Where are the Christians?

Despite numbering two billion worldwide, this question is being asked with more frequency given the eroding moral state of society.

This ground breaking book explores the dynamics of American Christianity offering unique and timeless insights into one of the world's most prevalent religions. Whatever the reader 's beliefs, this book will challenge conventional notions and broaden ones understanding of Christianity's past, present and future.

Where are the Christians? uses the classic format of who, what, where and how to explore Christianity and the dynamics that unite and divide the religion into the unrealized potential it suffers from today. The book enlightens the reader as to who the Christians are from a historical perspective; what a Christian is from a spiritual perspective; where the Christians are from a behavioral perspective; and how Christianity can be strengthened and more united from a societal perspective.

Where are the Christians? examines hundreds of Biblical and scholarly sources, analyzing data from a multitude of studies and interviews leading to unique perspectives and solutions to the challenges facing Christianity in the modern era.

Mandy's Review:

I don't know if this book comes with the companion workbook when you buy it in the store, but it did come with one for my review. Even though it's labeled as a companion workbook, it can really be done on its own.

The book itself took me a long time to read. I'm not usually a fan of non-fiction, but I wanted to give this one a try since I consider myself a Christian and I was intrigued by the title and premise of the book. I will say this: Mr. Shuster is very thorough in his research. So much so that I got bored while reading it and even began to fall asleep during certain parts. I think I would've enjoyed this book more had it been more conversational in tone and less technical. I almost felt as if I were reading a statistics report or a scientific study ... both extremely boring to me.

If you're a fan of historical analysis or scientific research, then I would recommend this book to you. Otherwise, don't be drawn in by the title like I was. You'll find yourself bored into dreamland.


*A physical copy of both the book and workbook were provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} KILLING HIS FEAR by John B. Wren

ISBN #: 978-1478320456

Page Count: 300

Copyright: August 27, 2012

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

The films of the forties and fifties depended on lighting and sounds to convey terror. They didn't have the advantage of color and computer graphics nor did they delve into the same level of gore and violence that we see today. Such was the world of Brandon, a young impressionable boy who watches a Frankenstein movie on television one night and begins a trek through life in an ever deepening spiral of FEAR of the grey men and shadowy characters of these early films.

Losing his father to a hit and run driver and his mother to her own mental hell, Brandon leaves home in suburban Detroit, seeking sanity in Florida. He arrives in Washington, DC and decides to earn a little money as a dishwasher before continuing his journey. He stays and eventually begins to see hope in his dark tunnel and a few life changing events begin to lift his spirits.

Killing His Fear takes place almost entirely in the District of Columbia. This is Wren's second book about a serial killer. It is a work of fiction, but the events are well within the realm of possibility. Brandon may be on a track to coming out of his hellish spiral, or he may be boring deeper into oblivion.

Mandy's Review:

Brandon's a little mentally unbalanced because he saw the old black and white Frankenstein movie when he was little and it had a profound effect on him. Now, as an adult, he thinks there are demons in the movies that can see him and know him. He believes they want to hurt him. In order to get "them" to shut up, Brandon finds out that killing people does the trick. He continues to do so until the police catch up to him.

This makes the second book of Mr. Wren's that I've read. While I applaud his imaginative skills, his work is not for me. I'm pretty sure it's his writing style that I'm not fond of, although I can't really pinpoint exactly what is it about it that turns me off. Sorry, Mr. Wren. I think your books have solid enough plots and I know there's an audience out there for you ... I just won't be included in those numbers.


*A physical copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.