Tracy Krauss's Blog – April 2013 Archive (6)

Tokyo Bossa Nova, by Martin Roth, introduces Feisty Ferreira, a unique and interesting character that is sure to show up in a sequel or two. Geologist turned financial analyst, she is a divorced Christian in her thirties; originally from Brazil, educated in the States, and now living in Australia. If that isn’t enough, she’s a philanthropist of sorts and owns an orphanage in the Philippines. She’s also a bit of a sleuth,…

Darkest Hour is the fourth in the Sanctuary Point Series of murder mysteries by author Nike Chillemi. The series takes place during the post World War Two era in Sanctuary Point, a quaint New England town. In this fourth installment, Chief Medical Examiner Hank Jansen champions accused murderess, Lucinda Byrne when her boss, one of the town’s doctors, if found shot to death. There are plenty of twists and turns as the mystery unravels, and of course, love blossoms as Hank and Lucinda help…

Still Life In Shadows by Alice Wisler is a book with many layers. There is a thread of romance, but the real theme of the book is learning to forgive, learning to let go, and learning to trust yourself. The very unique thing about this book is that it is written from two very different points of view, and not those that you would expect. Gideon Miller escaped from the Amish community fifteen years ago. He has managed to carve out a life for himself as a mechanic and an…

Dance On Fire by James Garcia Jr. is definitely NOT your typical vampire tale. Nathaniel is a rogue vampire in that he actually has a good heart and does not want to hurt humans. Apparently he escaped from his creator, an evil vampire named Vincent. Vincent is now on a quest to find Nathaniel. When he finds him in a small California town, all hell breaks loose. The annual Swedish festival is about to take place, but grizzly murders begin showing up in the otherwise peaceful town. Vincent…

The Art of My Life is the second book by author Ann Lee Miller that I’ve read, and with it, she has officially been placed in my ‘favorite authors’ file. We met the main characters Aly and Cal in a previous book by Miller called Kicking Eternity, (which made my top five list for 2012). Aly is a self deprecating nymphomaniac on a path of destruction while Cal is an eccentric artist and surfer; the rogue son of a pastor. They have both grown and changed since book one, Cal through spending…

a review of the book BROTHER HALF ANGEL by Martin Roth American missionaries are in China, working at a Bible College that fronts as an English school. Their presence is not agreeable to many in the town, including an ancient martial arts sect known as the ‘Flower Boxers’. The story actually begins with a massacre of some missionaries almost a century earlier, carried out by the same sect. The grandson of one of the martyrs is now working at the school, feeling it is his mission to carry on…