DDBook Reviews

  Two brothers, one drawn to the chaos, the other to order. One searching for cures in his hospital and the other an Inquisitor. Silas, a brilliant healer and Dunewell the Inquisitor’s younger brother, arrives barefoot on Dunewell’s doorstep, wet with rain and blood, after finding their parents murdered in their bed. Dunewell, the Inquisitor, is charged to investigate the double murder.    In the intricate dance for balance and truth, each brother follows his path. To find their destinies and become the Lord’s of Chaos and Order. click on the image to go to amazon This is a good story once you get your bearings.  The prologue sets up the story intense and draws you in. Then, however, I was lost. The Formatting made it challenging to follow and figure out exactly what is going on.  But if you stick it out and go back more than once, you will realise that the story is told from both Silas and Dunewell’s viewpoints.  It could have been clearer, and the audiobo...

  " Mila Anslov, the poor Navia who had gone to sea, lured away by the smile of a pretty fae. A girl who soon found herself residing at the lowest portion of the ocean, her death spurring Navka to rise from her watery grave." - The Starlit Coast click on the image to go to amazon At the end of the Barren Sea, we left Mila, where she chose to go back to Haldia, as Demetri proclaimed the goddess Navka who had risen from the sea. Finn and his friends were going back to Whyn. Now three months later, days before Mila is unified with the High priest, she is not happy.  She may be the goddess Navka, but she essentially lived in prison, although a gilded one. She wishes she had made a different decision in the Barren Sea and that she could see Finn. The day before the grand affair of her unification with the high priest – Demetri- she discovered an intruder in her room.  The last person she thought she would see.  Finn had come to bring her an offering, the one thing as ...

  click on image to go to amazon After all the excitement of the previous months, Emily Buchannan, owner of Eternal Rest Bed and Breakfast, is looking forward to the Oakhill Art Festival. She has a temp coming into man at the front desk, which means she is free to do her regular volunteer work at the Festival. It is her chance to be out of the house and relax between the beautiful artworks. She has guests staying with her, all of the artists. For the first time in weeks, it seems that there will be no scandal around Eternal Rest.   That is until an artist is killed at the Festival.   At first, it looks like a heart attack, but suspicions develop around his death as evidence comes in.   Sage has instructed Emily to practice her budding talent as a medium with her ghosts at Eternal Rest.   The plot seems straightforward until a twist takes it in an unexpected direction. Emily and her friends have to try and piece evidence left by a ghost to catch a killer in their...

When Sarah Brightwater was at her prom in 2004, her mother became the victim of a serial killer who has never been caught.  She became an FBI agent to find and arrest the man responsible. In 2018 she and her partner were investigating a body found in Whitney State forest. As she chases leads, her path crosses with journalist Tyler Ford.  They become entangled in a complex entanglement of circumstances. The case of the serial killer dubbed John the Baptist has both of them crossing professional lines . As they work together to untangle the leads, they place their lives in danger to catch the killer. This is a good clean mystery, with very little violence and no sexual content and very little cursing.  The story has interesting twists and keeps you guessing who the killer might be. The book ends with a cliffhanger that promises that the story that continues will be just as enjoyable to read. I liked the audiobook; although it took me a while to get comfortable with the ...

  We had to be the weirdest supernatural-crime busting team in the whole city. Had to say, I kinda liked it. We could kick some serious ass. – Sera: Graveyard Waltz                                                                                click on image to go to amazon   Seraphina is back, manoeuvring her new relationship with Nate, the rift between her and Ellie and Dev’s threats towards Nate.  Add to this a nefarious necromancer gone ghoul hunting Sera down, as well as the Vampire party of the century reluctantly hosted by Nate and you have a story filled with action, emotion, blood and gore. Once again Jessica has written a fast-paced novel where you expect the final battle around each twist in the story.  Sera learns...

  click on image to go to amazon The Roach by Rhett C Bruno is an excellent example of Noir fiction.  Set in the 1980s in Iron City, The Roach, or Reese Roberts is a vigilante who prowled the streets and took care of the criminals in the city.  After making a rescue, he is shot and paralyzed.  This is where we meet him, on the river’s edge in his wheelchair contemplating suicide.  A cry for help diverts him, and from this point on, the story develops into an adrenaline-pumping grungy thriller.  After again sustaining immense injuries while saving a little girl, Reese wakes after a month in a coma to find that someone had stolen his identity and was killing in the city.  Reese, in his wheelchair, solicits the help of a young man he tried to help and embarks on the search for the one scumbag reporter that may have answers.  Reed makes the comic book heroes look like little girls playing dolls as he races through the city in his wheelchair to try and...

click on image to go to amazon   Intercession by Kevin J Haar is an excellent novel of Historical Fiction. The story begins with the birth of Aoife, the daughter of Niall and Izette.   As the sun does not come through on the morrow, the child is called cursed by the superstitious residents of Innis Aer, a small Irish island housing a nunnery and priory. At the priory, brother Declan hides a shameful secret that could be the end of his peaceful existence at the priory. Almost twelve years later, the fates of Father Declan and Aoife intercede.  They become embroiled in a mystery that threatens Aoife’s life with her father at their Inn, as well as bringing Father Declan to a crucial crossroads in his life.  As the political strife of the outside world closes in on this small island, Aoife stands on the brink of womanhood and will do whatever it takes to be rid of the curse everyone says she is carrying.  She searches for the witch that interceded at her birth. ...

  click on image to go to amazon In The Murderess of Mayfair, author J. M. Shannon weaves a story of a young widow, Elise Bristol, who has been dubbed a murderess by the Ton after her husband was found dead with a dagger in his back. Because of this, her chance at a second marriage is slim. She secures the services of Oliver Woodgate, a known womanizer and a retired Bow Street Runner, to find her husband’s murderer. Elise has sworn that no man shall ever have control over her nor touch her ever again but when a serial killer tries to kill her she is whisked away to Oliver’s house and he swears to keep her safe, especially from himself. Elise wears her haughty cold mask to keep herself safe. But neither will be able to protect their hearts in the race to stop one killer and also find another. The Murderess of Mayfair: A Second Chance at Love is a Regency romance with everything it needs to make a wonderful read. There are balls, deceit, disguises, and do not forget the heart-racing ...

  click on image to go to amazon Requiem by Rachel V Knox is a Paranormal Fantasy Romance that is more new adult than young adult.  The story follows Hagar as she performs magic in Sera, where all magic is against the law.  Her friend from childhood, Noq, is a magical creature, and only she sees him. After she is caught burning down the furrier’s barn, the elders offer her an offer she cannot refuse.  She is sent to Vanar university in Candesa as a spy; she is exiled from Sera, and only through spying on the University will she receive permission to see her father.  Hagar takes the chance to study magic formally amongst other magical people her age.  She makes friends and enemies in her year at University.  She and her friends can join multiple legal and illegal secret societies, but navigating University politics and petty jealousy is difficult, mainly because negative emotions cause shade.  Shade is dangerous and poses a threat to Light in the w...

     click on image to go to amazon As a foundling, Carin has had it hard in the house of her adopted parents, and when she is encouraged by the town's wise woman, she starts on a long trek north in search of her home. She unknowingly stumbles onto the lands of Lord Verek, a Warlock, grieving the loss of his wife and young son. In the woods, Carin also meets a wood sprite living in the land's trees that Verek had cursed on the death of his wife and son. Soon it becomes clear that Carin is immune to some of Verek's enchantments. He sees in her the opportunity to find out the message hidden in a book in a foreign language that Carin can read. Carin fears the Warlock and the secrets he keeps. Why is he obsessed with the unique book, and what will his experiments in the magic vortex in the bowels of his house lead to? When Carin is forced to help him to interact with another world, something goes wrong. What will become of Carin? Is Verek a black-hearted Warlock with no feeli...

                                                                               click on image to go to amazon The Shape of Memories begins where Alpha Tyler Grisham calls his wife from space and informs her of an important decision that he has made.  Moments later, he and his crew are on a flight for their lives as a debris field around planet UP-117 threatens to destroy their vessel –aptly named the Mayflower.  The crew are sent out in their pods, evacuating the vessel, leaving Tyler with the vessel until he too is ejected by the safety system of the vessel. When Elizabeth and the crew return to the Mayflower to salvage what they can, they encounter an alien entity that threatens the lives of the crash survivors. Meanwhile, Tyler wakes up an...

  click on image to go to amazon The Kingdom war by J.D. Ruffin is a fantasy that starts with a prophesy inscribed in a glassy black stone. A loyal servant sworn to her cause will see Irina, the most powerful mage on the continent, return when the time is right. Hidden in the mountains between the Kingdom and Melucia, the Children have waited patiently for the time to come for them to fulfil their destiny.  Now, all over the continent, Gifted are taken and not seen again. With a team specially picked for the task, they quickly trace the missing healer to Melucia and the Kingdom border. In Melucia, the Healer Tiana is taken, and Lt. Keelin Rae is placed in charge of the investigation. Meeting up with Declan, Keelan’s brother and a Ranger, they enter the mountains following Tiana’s trail. As Keelan and his team sneak over the mountains into the Kingdom, Declan is sent on his own secret mission. Meanwhile, in the Kingdom, 16-year-old Crown-Princess Jessia runs away with him...

  “Finding Hope” by Erin Brockus is a Contemporary Romance in which Hope Collins, a predictable and stable woman, gets dumped by her comfortable boyfriend. At the same time, she is passed over for a promotion, and she resigns on a whim. Out of the blue, she wins a dive resort on the Caribbean Island of St. Croix and decides that being unpredictable might have something to offer. Relocating to St. Croix, she takes over the resort where she encounters Alex Monroe – the perplexing divemaster. Both of them have baggage and trust issues, but as they work alongside each other, they come to terms with themselves and the feelings both of them are trying to escape. Throw in a couple of life and death situations that push them towards each other, and you have a beautiful romance in the making.                                                   ...

  "There was a legend..." In Haldia, there are girls who can charm the sea; they are called Navia. They are pledged to a patron who makes an offering to them, and in return, they then would protect at all costs through making offerings at the sea goddess. Mila had already been rejected twice and has all her hopes that she will be chosen as Navia and find a Patron this time.                               Finn is a Fae Cartographer from Whynne, Haldia's neighbour and enemy. Finn needs to find a boat to take him to Whynne when he becomes Mila's patron by chance.  She is excited and takes her duty seriously and finds a ship that will take him home, but the way home is through the Barren Sea, where ships are wrecked, and unknown creatures live. The heart of the legend of the sea goddess lies at the bottom of the Barren sea.              ...

"Some rules are meant to be broken" click on the image to go to amazon D.M. Barr writes a quirky and engaging “coming of age” story with a kinky twist.   Dani Barrett has just come out of an unfulfilling marriage carrying with her the stigma of adult ADHD, which had in the past led her to impulsive actions.   As she restarts her job as a travel trade journalist at 35, she arrives in Argentina with nine other journalists for a country tour, her long-time friend Liam, some female writers and James Aldridge, a wealthy owner of Aldridge Publications. She has laid down some rules for herself, and therefore she is not on the lookout for a relationship.   However, intriguing Brit, James, catches her eye, and they begin a tentative friendship leaden with a promise of things hinted at and not said.   James is on the writing tour as a cover for his investigative writing,   taking days away from the tour group as he needs to follow up on his sources.   Dani is writing...

  click on image to go to amazon A Flight of Broken wings is an enchanting and riveting fantasy of humans and Aerials in constant conflict. Ruban is the top Hunter on Earth, and Ashwin, an Aeriel prince in disguise, are on a secret mission. Together they face battle and lies, betrayal and heroics and shared love for their planet. This is a fresh new world with lots of action and adventure if you love fantasy—a good read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

  Remember where we left the friends of Maple Bend at the end of Blood Creek Beast? We wanted to find out if the friends will prevail and save two worlds if Jenny and Annabelle are in time to save their friends, and what happened to Sean? In Blood Creek Phantom, the third book in the series, we find out what Sean has been up to.  He is still looking for Debbie, the ghost that brought him to Maple Bend.  When Chrissy King asks for help to keep safe from Avery, the ghostly serial killer, he makes a mistake that sets him up for much trouble.  He ends up meeting Hattie’s great-great, maybe one more great-grandma kills another giant and resolves some issues he has had with his family, and unintentionally literally wakes the dead.   click on the image to go to amazon Jenny has learnt a lot from Annie but still has much more to master when she ends up in the war between Lila and the Wardens.  She finds Jack and Jessabelle and joins them in fighting to hold...

  Luke Lancaster is a good bounty hunter.  His Christian upbringing has made him unique in that he never killed a criminal.  He has a troubled relationship with his father, a Comanche warrior, who left his English wife and young children. When Luke realizes that the criminal Billie Batson, whom he was supposed to bring in for justice, is a woman, he knows he is in trouble.  Billie, a schoolteacher, is on the run from Clovis Caldwell and the law after her co-worker was shot and she was framed.  When she is shot, Luke has no other option than to take care of her.  In his endeavour to help her, she meets his family and is kidnapped by Comanche Indians.  Luke has to make a decision that will affect his and Billie’s future.  And how does this decision fit in with life in Arkansas? In The Bounty Hunter’s Bride, taking a chance on people and trust in God is apparent in the actions and words of the characters.          ...

click on the image to go to amazon   Blood Creek Beast starts where Blood Creek Witch ended.   Jack and Jenny stayed behind in “Round the Bend” with Annabelle Rose to seal the gateway and keep guard over it. Jessabelle and Sean went back to Maple Bend to keep watch on the gateway on their side.   When Annabelle sends Jenny and Jack to buy provisions in the nearby town of Hobbfield, they end up chasing away bandits who were extorting the poor villagers.   Jenny goes back to Annabelle for help, and Jack sets off to find the sheriff in the next town..  Jack always wanted an adventure; as he travels further away from Jenny, he is thrown into the deep end of a fantastical fairytale reminiscent of Jack and the Beanstalk.  He encounters friendly Giants and evil Fae creatures.  An as in any good fairytale, there is a Princess, conspiracies, loyal guards and torturers. While Jack is living his adventure, Jessabelle is discovered in her Panther form and take...

click on the image tot go to amazon Angelina has noticed a dark presence wherever she goes.  When she finally corners the man she has seen all over the world, hovering on the fringes of her vision, in New Orleans, a new world full of intrigue opens to her.  When Jude insists she will be his wife, they start a three-week intense dating experience. She meets the family and other members of The Society of Messengers on Earth, some of whom are a great surprise.  Jude has been following Angelina for three years, making sure that she is trustworthy and honest, he has learnt all about her, and when he lets her corner him in New Orleans, he is sure that he wants her to be his wife, The New Queen of the Vampires. In The History of Vampires, Amanda Lewis tells a story filled with strong yet humble characters.  Personalities from history grace the pages with their appearance in a story that sets the scene for a great series to follow.  Devoid of explicit sexual or graphic ...

  Late Checkout by Beth Dolgner is the second book in the Eternal Rest Cozy Mysteries series.  Emily Buchannan has her hands full as she receives some businessmen who are planning to renovate and reopen an old hotel just outside Oakhill.  The townspeople are not excited about the soon rumours are all over town.  Emily has to bute her tongue as one of the guests is a very entitled and rude man Jaxon Knight-MacGinn who treats her as his personal assistant to run his errands.  Luckily, Tripp, a young man from town, has started working at Eternal Rest, giving Emily time to complete the to-do lists Jaxon leaves for her.  Even the ghosts at Eternal Rest are restless, and Kelly voices her opinion about Jaxon in a note in his room.  When one of Emily’s guests turns up dead, murdered, Emily realizes that she has a new ghost at the bed and breakfast.  As Emily’s psychic abilities develop, several ghosts lead her to solve the recent murder.  It seems th...

  “He calls for patient endurance and faithfulness.  He gives mercy and grace, all freely.”                                                                           click on image to go to amazon Pip had arrived at the gates a while ago and has not felt that she was ready to enter the city of the king, so she spent her time with Megalos, the Gatekeeper.   He has taken her in as family and takes care of her. Her perfectly round white stone is in her pocket to hand in when she enters the city gates. Matthew Mackenzie is a very unhappy 13-year-old.  His father, who was an astronomer, had died some years back, and his mom remarried.  She was now divorced and what makes it worse for Matthew is that he now has a baby sister of 4, and to top it all, ...

click on the image to go to amazon He needs a gardener and she needs an occupation. She is not what he expected and he is her destiny. Throw in some paranormal happenings and you have the recipe for a riveting and interesting read.

  click on the image to go to amazon or go to  Smashwords It all starts with the witch hunts in Salem, America. Three sisters and a lover are ripped from their time and forced to search through time for where they belong. But deceit and betrayal have kept them from each other, the betrayal lies close to home, and the dangers they face are real.

  "Rule number one about Vampires: Never look in their eyes." Nathan -Wicked Magic. click on the  image to go to amazon Nathan is not having a good year; his Initiation as Vampire Hunter is slowly creeping closer.  He has trouble talking to girls -Cynthia took off running for the hills on their first date, his parents are not around much, and he is training so hard that he is failing school.  What else could go wrong? What about a secret coven of witches practising black magic, his Vampire uncle, whom he should not see and on top of it all, his girlfriend is kidnapped.  Did I mention the bit about him visiting both the Vampires and Witches at their headquarters and nearly being killed by a Sahir's black magic knife? "Maybe hunters had it all wrong. Maybe monsters weren't just the supernatural." Nathan - Wicked Magic. Nathan Delacroix is a descendent of an old line of hunters, whose reputation became stained when Adrian was turned and never killed by his fami...

click on the image to go to amazon Hidden deep in the Appalachian mountains is the small town of Blood Creek.  For four young people, this town becomes a home and a dangerous magical arena.  Faced with grief, alienation, and other social problems, they discover their magical abilities, and through trial and error, they save each other from evil witches, Ogres, Giants and even Unicorns. Jenny has always moved around, not knowing her parent's motivation behind the moves.  When her parents are killed in a motor vehicle accident, her aunt fetches her to live in Blood Creek.  Here she discovers that she is not the normal girl she believed and realises her mother had already taught her magic! Sean Williams does not realise that the girl he is looking for is a ghost until the search leads him to blood creek. Here he meets Evelyn, who is very kind and helpful.  Jack Parsons has the nickname Lyin' Jack because he had reported seeing a Giant a few years earlier.  Now...

"THERE were four of us - George, and William Samuel Harris, and myself, and Montmorency. We were sitting in my room, smoking, and talking about how bad we were - bad from a medical point of view I mean, of course." And so we begin the adventure of three men a dog and a boat.  The book was supposed to be a travel book but the witty humour and hilarious antics of the characters overshadowed the travelling bit.  From the hilarious opening scene to the packing and unpacking and repacking of the clothes and the struggle to pull the canvass to cover the boat and also the incident of the dog and cat we see a side of life from the late 19th century. Every page is filled with events that tickle your giggle and you will be better of for having read or, as I have listened to a reading of the novel.  In between all the humour, there are literary treasures that imbue the scenery in a haze of magic, it must truly have been beautiful. The river - with the sunlight flashing from its danc...