Cheryl's Book Nook

The year is 1994. Jasper College is about to embark on a new course. It is titled “Unraveling a Literary Mystery” The class will be talk via television by convicted murderer, Dr. Richard Aldiss. Dr. Aldiss’s inspiration was recluse author, Paul Fallows. Followers of Fallows’s work would play a game called “The Procedure”. You were special if you were invited to play. The rules of the game are simple…Try and uncover the true identity of Mr. Fallows through his work. If you do than you are in the top elite few that have solved this great mystery but if you don’t than you should hope for death. Present day. Alex Shipley was one of Dr. Aldiss’s students. Now, it seems that someone is still playing the game only the person is playing for keeps. Two people have already been killed, who attended Dr. Aldiss’s class. It is up to Alex to find out who among the remaining former students is the killer. I can remember reading Mr. Lavender’s debut novel, Obedience and saying, “Ok, this is an author ...

I have a special treat for my readers. Have you ever wondered what the secret to life is and if so how you could gain it and live forever. Well the secret is out (kind of) in How to Live Forever (A Very Fictional Guide) by author Barry Burnett, M.D. Here is a brief sample of the book. If you want to read the whole book. You can download it from Anazon for free here. Chapter One: Where There’s Smoke, There’s Ire or Intrapustular Fidelopenia Head in hands, elbows on knees, David Black looked out between his fingers. Beyond them lay a warm evening in late spring – new leaves and new flowers, the sun behind the mountains, an infinitely deep blue sky. High within it, a single band of cloud glowed with a copper-colored radiance that traveled down between the low brick buildings, the telephone wires and the still-dark streetlights to burnish the concrete at his feet. A good day, he thought, to die. “Oh, come on...” said the executioner. David squinted sideways, over his thumb. “Did I say that...

It was obvious Mr. Parfitt is knowledgeable about China and not just someone interjecting their thoughts about what’s wrong with the country, but rather explaining the reason why things are the way they are. Or course, this came a little later in the book. First, Mr. Parfitt goes into detail about the country’s culture, history, and national psyche. On the one hand, I liked the detail as it was as though I were in China and could see, touch and smell it. On the other, there was so much detail that at times it was like reading a history book, and I would gloss over sections. The one constant was that I got a good feel for what the real China is – in language I could understand. What I took away from this book was that China, though a major manufacturer, will not overtake the US because it is stuck in its old culture and ways. Until China truly progresses and is ready to let go of its old culture and ways, it will never be as advanced as the US. Why China will Never Rule the World is a...

Detective Anna Travis has a serial killer on her hands. Someone is targeting prostitutes and killing them. The latest victim was found naked and by a truck stop. Anna and the rest of her unit have tried everything to identify the woman but she is a Jane Doe. With the trail growing cold, Anna’s boss is feeling the pressure to crack the case and soon. So when opportunity presents itself to Anna in the form of an offer from inmate, Cameron Welsh offering to help Anna track the killer, she can not pass up the invitation. I had high hopes for this book and it did have glimmer of brilliance but it was far and between for me. I found Anna frustrating. I kept yelling at her to wake up and grow some, you know what. For instance, when she was interviewing a gal that she knew was lying, she just took the woman’s word and left. Later when she and another detective were talking, she said that she bet that the gal threw away the suitcase after I left. If Anna believed that the woman had the suitcase...

Ten years ago, Rosemary Thomas is found guilty of murdering her husband, Thomas. It was said that Thomas’s body was found encased within an iron maiden trap. His body was decayed and so decomposed that it was almost impossible to identify his body. The only thing that the police were able to use was a small, piece of a tooth. Jon Nunn was the lead detective on the case. Present day. To this day the image of Rosemary’s execution still haunts Jon. Jon decides to reinvestigate the case for closure. What Jon finds instead is a web of lies and deceit. What do you get when you mix some of the best (twenty-six mystery writers to be exact) and ask them to collaborate on one mystery novel? You just get one of the best books of 2011! The book is…No Rest for the Dead. Ah, as if you could not already guess but I really, loved this book. I started this book on my lunch hour and by the time my hour was up, it was hard to go back to work and concentrate. I finished this book later that afternoon. The...

Review by Nancy Okay. So you’re spending an evening with your best friend as usual. She’s a bit magic addled (thinks she’s an expert in casting spells). So she is playing with a summoning spell which brings someone to you. Good, so far; an absolutely gorgeous guy - then the glitch – this dude is NOT breathing! Isabel is not at all thrilled with the appearance. She is even less thrilled when she finds that said ghost is attached to her by an invisible 5 foot chain. Makes showering and toileting more interesting than usual – more embarrassing, too. Tripp, the spell-caster un-extraordinaire; is totally unconcerned because, hey, not her issue! Turns the ghost may not be an actual ghost. Yet. It has to do with a copied spell book and a pretty unhappy real spell caster named Parker, a spirit named Finnegan and, of course; the requisite demon. Girl vs. Ghost was a funny, entertaining story with a well-thought out plot. The authors “get” the teen-age years and I’m personally looking forward to...

Things are alright with Hailey. Nothing that a missing finger will keep Hailey down. Hailey is going strong as Serena’s right hand woman. Hailey has also taken up fighting in the ring for money. Things just may be looking up for Hailey. Nope, I spoke too soon. Hailey has just become the number one suspect in a murder investigation. To make matters worse, one of the victims was a cop. Thieves Get Rich, Saints Get Shot is the follow up to Hailey’s War. It is recommended that you read Hailey’s War first. This way you get more of the background of Hailey and Serena. Though, author, Jodi Compton does a good job of briefly explaining what transpired in Hailey's War. Don’t let Hailey’s looks and blond hair fool you. She is one tough cookie. She can fight with the best of them. She is a good person to have around as she has your back. While, I did like this book and the fact that it focused on a group of tough women, which you can never have enough of. It was a slow start for me. In fact I...