Reviews By Charline

“The Silk Box”

Author: Shirley Mihoko Hairston

I just finished reading my copy of “The Silk Box” by author Shirley Mihoko Hairston and I must say it was a much better read then I expected it to be when I initially requested it. From the very beginning “The Silk Box” was an easy story to “get in to” and I immediately began to empathize with “Mi-Chan” Mihoko Namura, one of the book’s main characters. In reading Hairston’s dedication to her mother, Mihoko “Mi-Chan” Drake as well as to her father, Charles “Sonny” Drake I couldn’t help but notice that these were also the names of “The Silk Box’s” title characters. Being intrigued by this aspect I wondered how much of the tale I was about to embark on would be fictional and how much would be fact…

The premise of “The Silk Box” is this: Mi-Chan (Mihoko Namura) is a young Japanese girl who has just returned by train to the city of Hiroshima on the infamous morning of August 6, 1945. Mi-Chan is a docile and obedient child, yet for some reason on that particular morning rather than disembarking at Hiroshima station as she should have, she opted to stay on the train as it continued its journey to the military base. Mi-Chan was not alone as she traveled from home to school but, her best friend and companion, Junko was the feeling ill and decided to get off the train so she could rest at school rather than accompanying Mi-Chan any further.

A short while later the train stopped at Hirohito Station; and it is here that Mi-Chan finally stepped off the train; a decision that ultimately saved her life. It was a beautiful day, although exceptionally hot, and Mi-Chan began her walk to the bay. The stillness of the day was broken only by the sound of a propeller plane and as Mi-Chan looked skyward she was surprised to see that it was American. Moments later her life was irrevocably and forever altered.

“The Silk Box” continues and we follow along through Mi-Chan’s life; we learn about some of the horrors that the atomic bomb survivors lived through and we meet “Sonny” (Charles Drake, Jr.) who turns out to be the love of Mi-Chan’s life. Unfortunately life itself is never simple and these star-crossed lovers will wait years before they are finally able to be together.

I will not share any more of the tale found within “The Silk Box” as it is the author’s to share with you however, should you decide to read it, you will not be disappointed. Hairston writes with poignancy and eloquence and even though parts of the story were shocking and horrific they were always represented with dignity and class.

“The Dream Master: Baghdad to Wallstreet; The Rise of a Hollywood Mogul”

Author: Joseph Mazin

I recently finished reading “The Dream Master: Baghdad to Wallstreet; The Rise of a Hollywood Mogul” and I have to tell you it was an incredible book. The author, Joseph Mazin, is an amazing writer; the story flows easily across the pages and the characters / plot are completely believable.

“The Dream Master: Baghdad to Wallstreet; The Rise of a Hollywood Mogul” begins with a triumphant celebration for Michael Nash the business genius also known as “the Wolf of Wall Street.” Years before this nick name had been given to Michael in derision by a sixty-five year old president of a prestigious banking firm who felt that Michael needed to be “put in his place.” Now, years later, Michael has achieved staggering accomplishments in the corporate world; he has achieved everything he set out to and more and “the Wolf of Wall Street” is now a term of respect, awe and admiration.

After meeting Michael, as he celebrated reaching the final pinnacle of his many successes, we travel back in time to the year 1919: Baghdad, Iraq. There we meet fourteen-year-old Samson Naquash, Michael’s father, and as we watch his history unfold we realize where Michael’s incredible drive and determination comes from. Between 1919 and 1949 Samson had amassed a fortune worth five million dollars but due to World War II Samson chose to leave almost all the fortune behind in order to bring his family to the safety of America.

We follow along as the Naquash family sets down roots in New York; change their last name to the much more easily pronounced Nash and begin their life anew. Unfortunately for you I’m not going to provide any further details about the story found within the pages of “The Dream Master: Baghdad to Wallstreet; The Rise of a Hollywood Mogul.” If you’re interested in knowing the “rest of the story” then you’ll need to get your hands on your very own copy…

In closing, a fantastic fictional read made even better by the consistent use of real world history. “The Dream Maker: Baghdad to Wallstreet; The Rise of a Hollywood Mogul” definitely merits that coveted five star rating…

“Life on Grayson Island”

Author: E. R. Champion

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I asked to review “Life on Grayson Island” by E.R. Champion but, having found it listed in the “Humor” section, I did expect it to be funny. It was funny…just not as much as I had hoped. Don’t get me wrong; I’m sure there are those who will find this book hilarious but unfortunately I’m not one of those people.

The premise of “Life on Grayson Island” is this: Brent Williams has just recently moved to Grayson Island in lieu of completely retiring from the police force. However, Grayson Island is also a private island which means that all of the standard infractions that would normally cause some form of citation, ticket or even an arrest do not apply to the “natives” of Grayson Island. Needless to say most of the training and experience that Williams acquired during his stint as Lieutenant for the Department of Defense cannot be applied in his new position as “Special” Policeman of Grayson Island.

Grayson Island is also a crazy island. The people who live there are extremely wealthy and amazingly eccentric. Opinions are provided on an over-the-top regular basis to be made into the island rules for the non-natives to live by and each resident seems to have their own reality that doesn’t mesh with anyone else’s. In summary, two hundred and eight pages of inane antics by the mainly over forty crowd and the question you have to ask yourself is: how long can Brent Williams and his wife deal with the idiocy before they decide enough is enough and move back to a more “normal” part of the country?

All in all “Life on Grayson Island” was a decent read. To be fair the book did manage to hold my attention / keep me occupied on the two hour flight from Oakland to Phoenix. “Life on Grayson Island” was well-written and, due in part to the craziness of today’s society, the characters were totally believable. At times there was a little too much innuendo / cynicism for my taste but I do understand that’s kind of the premise of the book. Let’s look at how the other half really lives…

“A Hidden Affair”

Author: Pam Jenoff

I just recently finished reading “A Hidden Affair” by Pam Jenoff and, all in all, it’s a great book. In fact, when I finished reading it I turned around and read it again.

The premise of “A Hidden Affair” is this: A decade ago Jordan Weiss’s life was irrevocably shattered when her college boyfriend, and love of her life, drowned in the River Cam. After graduating from college; Jordan attempted to put the pieces of her life back together and accepted a job with the State Department.

Years later, and quite by accident, Jordan discovers that she was betrayed by those closest to her. Jared is not dead; he is in fact alive and well and living somewhere in Europe. Having never really been able to completely rid herself of Jared’s ghost Jordan is overwhelmed by this staggering news. She immediately resigns her commission and travels over two thousand miles to the French Riviera in search of answers. Once there Jordan runs into a mysterious and secretive woman named Nicole who might actually know Jared but, when questioned about his whereabouts, she quickly hightails it out of the country.

During her seemingly wild goose chase Jordan realizes that she is not alone in her search. A handsome and charming Israeli man named Aaron is also looking for Nicole, and while Jordan doesn’t trust him, she does realize that she needs to work with him if she ever hopes to see Jared again. Unfortunately Jordan finds herself fighting an almost immediate attraction to him which has her questioning the strength of her feelings for Jared. Ten years after Jared’s supposed death, and so close to finding him, is she finally capable of letting him go?

I’m not going to give away any more of the story but if you enjoy reading a fast-paced and interesting fictional novel then “A Hidden Affair” would be a great book to pick up. Jenoff has a wonderful writing style; the characters found within the pages of “A Hidden Affair” are completely believable and the plot flows seamlessly from page to page, chapter to chapter and (within the book) country to country.

Definitely a five star read…

“Currents of Deceit”

Author: Ronald Perkins

Recently I was asked to review “Currents of Deceit” by author Ronald Perkins. After reading the provided synopsis I immediately agreed as “Currents of Deceit” sounded like it would be a good book to say the least. When my copy arrived I scanned the front and back before sitting down with it a day or so later.

The premise of “Currents of Deceit” is as follows: Scott Simmons, a marine biologist who hails from a small town in Indiana now works with the Florida Fisheries Commissions and lives in Key West. Once a week Scott visits the local fish market to examine the freshly caught ocean fish looking for harmful parasites or anything else that might cause these fish to be unfit for human consumption. The vendors are never happy to see Scott because they know if he finds any sort of contamination he has the legal authority to stop their sales.

Linda Stevens, a marine biochemist and Scott’s girlfriend decides to run some tests on Scott’s latest samples and look for POPs: Persistent Organic Pollutants. Neither of them expects her to find anything; they both know she’s just killing time while waiting for Scott to finish his own tests. However, once her tests are finished the results are…sobering. Linda has definitely found high concentrations of PCBs in Scott’s deep water fish samples. PCBs are polychlorinated biphenyls; things like pesticides that don’t degrade quickly and don’t stay in one area. Needless to say both Scott and Linda are horrified by her discovery and they quickly work on finding experts to verify their findings and help them figure out what they need to do from this point.

I’m not going to give away any more of the plot; suffice it to say that “Currents of Deceit” is a great book and well worth reading. While “Currents of Deceit” is a fictional story, in today’s world of seemingly endless oil and other contaminant spills, this book hits home hard.

Kudos to Perkins for a fast-paced, well-written and interesting book. The plot / storyline is realistic; the characters are believable and the message contained within “Currents of Deceit” is one that we all need to hear.

“The Keya Quests: The Battle for Shivenridge”

Author: Glenn Skinner

Had Glenn Skinner known that I would be the person reviewing his book “The Battle for Shivenridge” I think he might have contemplated requesting the review be cancelled rather than chance receiving another scathing one from me. I initially became acquainted with Skinner’s writings when I read the first book in “The Keya Quests” fantasy/epic line: “Three Souls Destiny-Bound.” That particular book was a very difficult read and I was extremely explanatory of why in its subsequent review.

In all honesty when I saw “The Battle for Shivenridge” was available for review I cautiously weighed whether I wanted to tackle it or not. I hoped that Skinner had taken some of my previous review advice to heart but I was afraid that his writing style would be unchanged and I would be forced to write yet another harsh critique. I definitely didn’t want that; I don’t enjoy writing bad reviews, however, my curiosity got the better of me, and I went ahead and requested it.

Upon receiving “The Battle for Shivenridge” I looked it over, front and back, and decided that it looked much more interesting/appealing than its predecessor had. Finding a quiet spot a day or so later I cracked the book open and began to read. I was happily surprised. Skinner’s writing style had improved…dramatically…and as I turned the pages I found myself lost in the tale and several hours slipped by without my noticing their passing.

To sum up quickly: “The Battle for Shivenridge” is the continuing story of Keya and her faithful friends/family as they travel through a magical portal in order to return to Keya’s home world and save her people from the insidious evil that remains even after Lord Randar’s previous defeat.

I don’t want to give any parts of this story away; suffice it to say that “The Battle for Shivenridge” is well worth the read. It is interesting and entertaining and while there are still some minor problems with the writing they are small enough not to hinder the reader’s enjoyment of the story.

Kudos to Skinner for a much improved book and I’m truly looking forward to reading (and hopefully) reviewing the next one.

“Against the Storm”

Author: Kat Martin

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I agreed to review “Against the Storm” by author Kat Martin but…I certainly didn’t expect to read a romance novel that was as fast-paced, compelling and interesting as one of today’s well-written action / adventure novels. After finishing my copy of “Against the Storm” I can completely understand why Kat Martin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

The premise of “Against the Storm” is this: Maggie O’Connell is a beautiful and extremely talented photographer who has, unfortunately, managed to acquire a stalker. Maggie has used all of the legal options available to her; she’s even gone so far as to move but she can’t rid herself of this psycho. When the stalking first started Maggie even went to the police but they were absolutely no help; in fact, they seemed to think she was making it all up.

One afternoon while Maggie was having lunch with a friend she happened to witness Trace Rawlins, a private investigator, intercede and handle a bad situation before it turned worse. Impressed by what she saw; knowing she needs more help than what the local authorities are willing to provide, Maggie calls Trace’s office to set up a meeting. She hopes that he will be able to help her; that somehow he can make this nightmare that has become her life go away.

Trace Rawlins is an attractive, ex army ranger who has retired and now works as a private investigator. Trace’s instincts are sharply honed and while he can tell Maggie is genuinely fearful about her predicament he can also sense that she’s hiding something from him. If the threats and letters Maggie showed him are real then Trace isn’t sure why the police aren’t more helpful. Against his better judgment he agrees to take Maggie’s case…apparently he’s a sucker for beautiful redheads.

I don’t want to give anymore of “Against the Storm” away; suffice it to say that what follows is an extremely believable and well-written story. Definitely a five-star book and a “must read” for anyone who enjoys sitting down with a great book.

“Wired”

Author: Douglas E. Richards

I just finished reading my copy of “Wired” by author Douglas E. Richards and…wow, what a riveting read! To sum up in one sentence or less…Richards is an amazing writer. “Wired” is an enjoyable yet gripping read that keeps you on the edge of your seat and the book’s characters practically jump out of the story and into your living room. Did I mention that Richards holds a master’s degree in molecular biology? I’ll be honest; having reviewed books by other authors who also hold degrees in the scientific field, I was initially concerned that “Wired” might be dry, long-winded and tedious. Needless to say, I was ecstatic to find that “Wired” was anything but boring and I was extremely impressed to find an author who could incorporate a subject like molecular biology into a fictional tale and wind up with a book as well-written and interesting as “Wired.” As an aside, even though this particular book is not labeled as science fiction, I do believe that Isaac Asimov himself would be complimentary about Richards’ subject and writing technique.

About the book… Kira Miller, one of the main characters in “Wired,” is a brilliant genetic engineer. And by brilliant I mean brilliant. She graduated from high-school at sixteen, received her BS in molecular biology at nineteen and then went on to obtain a Ph.D. in molecular neurobiology from Stanford at the tender age of twenty-three. Kira’s intentions in her field, and with her research, are initially for the betterment of mankind. She learns how to achieve short-term “savant-like” capabilities, and using herself as a test subject, she is able to temporarily increase her brain’s ability to think, reason, and create. However, this advancement is not without a price…

David Desh, the book’s other main character, has left the US Army’s Special Forces division after being forced to watch his team being brutally tortured and murdered while stationed in Iran. Not knowing what to do with himself after he retired; David joined an executive bodyguard service but gets recalled to duty for one final mission: find Kira Miller who has put together a bio-terror plot that threatens the entire planet.

I’m not going to give any more of the story away… If you want to know what happens then I suggest that you read the book – it’s definitely well worth it.

In closing I give “Wired” a five-star rating and place it in the “must read” category.

“Too Sinful To Deny”

Author: Erica Ridley

I just finished reading “Too Sinful To Deny” by romance novelist Erica Ridley. While I’m not an avid romance reader and I wasn’t sure what to expect from Ridley, having never read her works before, I am however glad that I read it.

Susan Stanton, our damsel in distress, has been banished to a remote manor located on the side of a massive cliff overlooking the ocean because her socialite parents find her too inquisitive for her own good and their social standing. Even before Susan settles in she makes an eerie discovery and realizes that everything is not as it would appear to be. Finding her new home to be both maze and prison Susan attempts a descent down the cliffs to the seashore so she can hopefully locate a town and some form of transportation to return her to London. She thinks she’s unobtrusively following the handsome scoundrel Evan Bothwick outside but once she’s trapped on the steep cliff trail with nowhere to hide he decides to take that moment to confront her. With nowhere else to go she finds herself at his mercy…and I’ll let you continue from there when you decide to read “Too Sinful To Deny.”

I think we all know that most romance novels all have the same theme: in the beginning a beautiful but tragically unhappy damsel runs into the devilishly handsome but all wrong for her scoundrel yet somehow, by the end, they have worked out all their differences; have fallen madly in love with each other; have the world’s best um…“evening activities” and manage to live happily ever after. And of course “Too Sinful To Deny” is definitely more of the same.

With that being said though I must compliment Ridley on her writing style and technique. She takes a closely followed formula and successfully makes it her own. Her writing is descriptive; her characters are engaging and the plot itself is surprisingly interesting.

In summary I give “Too Sinful To Deny” a four-star rating and am placing it in the “must read” category for anyone who enjoys reading a well-written romance novel.

“Dina’s Lost Tribe”

Author: Brigitte Goldstein

I found “Dina’s Lost Tribe” by author Brigitte Goldstein to be an excellent read. Goldstein writes with an impeccable style and her fictional novel is both captivating and enthralling. Goldstein seamlessly weaves together historical fact with well thought out and plausible fiction and truthfully, the end result is a superb story.

The premise of “Dina’s Lost Tribe” is this: Professor Henner Marcus receives a letter with an urgent request for help from his niece Nina who disappeared without a trace five years earlier. Due to the letter’s tone, Henner is fearful for his niece’s safety. He puts his personal and academic affairs in order and immediately sets out to find her. Following the letter’s postmark, as well as Nina’s covert ramblings, Henner winds up almost five thousand miles away from his Chicago home in a small town located in France close to the Pyrenees Mountains. Once settled in France, Henner follows Nina’s instructions to the letter and impatiently waits for her to find him. While he isn’t happy with Nina’s cloak and dagger requests; he is concerned for her safety and will do nothing to jeopardize it.

Nina, a historian of some repute, has searched all her life for the city of her birth; the city of Valladine. Unable to locate this town on any map, and having no concrete evidence that Valladine even exists, Nina finds herself compelled to explore the Pyrenees Mountains in an attempt to satisfy the insatiable hunger and curiosity that this name stirs up inside her.

Rather than give too much of the plot away I will just end by saying there are two separate stories to be found within the pages of “Dina’s Lost Tribe.” Even though these lives are set centuries apart; Nina’s life in the present seems, at times, to mirror a life that happened seven hundred years ago.

In closing, “Dina’s Lost Tribe” was a riveting read. Both past and present stories were written with skill and a seemingly immense knowledge of history, religious history, religious rites and geography. “Dina’s Lost Tribe” definitely merits a five-star rating and I would say it’s a “must read” for anyone who enjoys fiction, historical fiction or simply being able to sit down and read a “good” book.