Best Mystery
Twenty years before, amid strange staff disappearances and allegations of fraud, panicked investors sold Cleveland’s largest bank in the middle of the night, locking out customers and employees, and thwarting a looming federal investigation. Iris, a young engineer working her first job out of the office, finds herself assigned to map out a floor plan for the bank building which has been empty for two decades. Just as Beatrice did 20 years before her, Iris quickly recognizes that there’s something not quite right at the bank and she soon learns that the building is not as empty as everyone thinks.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When I was a regular shopper at my local bookstores, my initial selection was based off thickness (how I discovered Robert Jordon and Terry Goodkind and others of that epic length writing). THE DEAD KEY, however, is largely one single, long wind-up, the pacing not really picking up till well past the last quarter. moments rolling, the suspense tight with wonderment and discovery, simply an exquisite plotline that has made the game a cult classic. And the ending... well, a completion within the same emotional level as Arturo Pérez-Reverte's 1993 novel, THE CLUB DUMAS had concluded with (the novel may be recognized by more as the later movie, THE NINTH GATE). All in all, enjoyable, yet I do have to wonder how even more fantastic these elements would be if the book was the same 477 pages but made tauter in pacing, richer in action, and, yes, even more deeply layered."
"I left off one star because the main characters are too much alike, in fact all the women especially but the men as well seemed like slight variations of the same personality."
"Several low-level female employees at the bank discover that something is awry (in both time periods), and their attempts to solve the mystery puts them in serious danger."
"The story concept is interesting: an important bank mysteriously closes overnight. When I was about 1/3 into the story it seemed that n.o.t.h.i.n.g. Reading the early reviews, I was sure I was reading a different book. For example, in most instances, we don't read about the secretary's workday, we read about her thinking about her workday or thinking about the personalities of the people she works with, or wondering where her friend is, or wondering about the significance of papers she sees. For example, the engineer meets her boss at the building and explains to him some of the work she has done, but (from the reader perspective) this is merely retelling what the engineer already mused about in the previous pages: she went to the eighth floor, to the room on the left; it was dusty; she made some measurements; she went to the next room; she saw papers on the floor; she wondered why the papers were left behind; she made some measurements; she looked at some of the papers; she wondered what the papers meant; she decided to take some of the papers with her to look at later; she went to the next room; she made some measurements. I second that thought."
A young woman is found brutally murdered, and the main suspect is the victim’s fiancé, a hideously scarred Iraq War vet known as the Burned Man. Do yourself a favor and give this bright talent a read.” —John Hart, multiple Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of Redemption Road. Barbara Nickless has written a twisting, tortured novel that speaks with brutal honesty of the lingering traumas of war, including and especially those wounds we cannot see. I fell hard for Parnell and her four-legged partner and can't wait to read more.” —Vicki Pettersson, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Swerve. Barbara Nickless has fashioned a beautifully drawn hero in take-charge, take-no-prisoners Sydney Parnell, former Marine and now a railway cop battling a deadly gang as she investigates their purported connection to a recent murder. Skilled in evoking emotion from the reader, Nickless is a master of the craft, a writer to keep your eyes on.” —Chris Goff, author of Dark Waters. “Barbara Nickless’s Blood on the Tracks is raw and authentic, plunging readers into the fascinating world of tough railroad cop Special Agent Sydney Rose Parnell and her Malinois sidekick, Clyde. Haunted by her military service in Iraq, Sydney Rose is brought in by the Denver Major Crimes unit to help solve a particularly brutal murder, leading her into a snake pit of hate and betrayal. Full of the suspense that holds you on the edge of your seat, it’s also replete with acts of bravery, moments of hope, and a host of feelings that keep the story’s intensity level high. An active member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, she has given workshops and speeches at numerous writing conferences and book events.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Here's a quick rundown, without spoilers: THE HEROINE -- At first, it appeared this was going to be another female character who somehow seems to do everything right despite all the angst she has to lug around. Her scene descriptions are vivid, and the attention to the thoughts of her main character Sydney is wonderful. ADDITIONAL WRITING THOUGHT -- The author uses transcripts of the main character's notes, interviews, journals, etc. I don't subtract stars if an author chooses to include language or sex, just letting potential readers know both exist in this book. For me, I enjoy when an author drops clues throughout the book that add up to a strong justification when the murderer is finally revealed, and I personally thought this could have been handled a little better. HOWEVER...even with the "twists" issue, the story is excellent and I found myself really liking the character of Sydney Parnell."
"Since I enjoy reading police procedural novels, I didn’t need to go past the summary description that this one included a K-9 partner to immediately select it as my Kindle First choice. While this is an especially interesting police procedural story since Sydney Rose Parnell and Clyde are part of a railroad police force, it goes much deeper."
"I was hooked from the first chapter - drawn in by the main character, Sydney, who hides her complex and compassionate nature beneath a stoic exterior."
When Althea Leary abandons her nine-year-old son, Jasper, he’s left on his uncle’s farm with nothing but a change of clothes and a Bible. “An evocative, deeply felt story of innocence lost that glows with the slow burn of suspense.” —Lou Berney, Edgar Award–winning author of The Long and Faraway Gone.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Uncle Leo, Aunt Velma and Wayne provide a safe, while disciplined and loving home for our main character, 9 year old Jasper, as he embarks on his search for his mother."
"Nine year old Jasper Leary has just been abandoned at his uncle’s farm by his mother. After his father comes to pick him up and take him home, he stays with a neighbor and things happen in his apartment. In an attempt to get away, he ends up at some places a kid should never be, including a peep show and alone on a bus back to his uncle’s farm. The whole book is told from Jasper’s viewpoint and Pulley does a great job of having this read like a nine year old’s mind. It’s not a shock and awe that the author is trying to go for, it is just what could honestly happen to a lone nine year old boy."
"I am not much of a 'book reviewer' that I see a lot on here, with all those explanatory words and expressions of feelings, I wish I could write reviews like that though. And when a book can make me feel all these feelings, like it's for real, then to me this a damn good book."
""The Buried Book" was a good read."
"This story is well constructed and told from the perspective of a little boy."
"Entertaining story, worth reading."
"This book is full of characters who are interesting and full of life."
"Very well written and suspenseful."
Best Suspense
Twenty years before, amid strange staff disappearances and allegations of fraud, panicked investors sold Cleveland’s largest bank in the middle of the night, locking out customers and employees, and thwarting a looming federal investigation. Iris, a young engineer working her first job out of the office, finds herself assigned to map out a floor plan for the bank building which has been empty for two decades. Just as Beatrice did 20 years before her, Iris quickly recognizes that there’s something not quite right at the bank and she soon learns that the building is not as empty as everyone thinks.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When I was a regular shopper at my local bookstores, my initial selection was based off thickness (how I discovered Robert Jordon and Terry Goodkind and others of that epic length writing). THE DEAD KEY, however, is largely one single, long wind-up, the pacing not really picking up till well past the last quarter. moments rolling, the suspense tight with wonderment and discovery, simply an exquisite plotline that has made the game a cult classic. And the ending... well, a completion within the same emotional level as Arturo Pérez-Reverte's 1993 novel, THE CLUB DUMAS had concluded with (the novel may be recognized by more as the later movie, THE NINTH GATE). All in all, enjoyable, yet I do have to wonder how even more fantastic these elements would be if the book was the same 477 pages but made tauter in pacing, richer in action, and, yes, even more deeply layered."
"I left off one star because the main characters are too much alike, in fact all the women especially but the men as well seemed like slight variations of the same personality."
"Several low-level female employees at the bank discover that something is awry (in both time periods), and their attempts to solve the mystery puts them in serious danger."
"The story concept is interesting: an important bank mysteriously closes overnight. When I was about 1/3 into the story it seemed that n.o.t.h.i.n.g. Reading the early reviews, I was sure I was reading a different book. For example, in most instances, we don't read about the secretary's workday, we read about her thinking about her workday or thinking about the personalities of the people she works with, or wondering where her friend is, or wondering about the significance of papers she sees. For example, the engineer meets her boss at the building and explains to him some of the work she has done, but (from the reader perspective) this is merely retelling what the engineer already mused about in the previous pages: she went to the eighth floor, to the room on the left; it was dusty; she made some measurements; she went to the next room; she saw papers on the floor; she wondered why the papers were left behind; she made some measurements; she looked at some of the papers; she wondered what the papers meant; she decided to take some of the papers with her to look at later; she went to the next room; she made some measurements. I second that thought."
Best Thrillers
Twenty years before, amid strange staff disappearances and allegations of fraud, panicked investors sold Cleveland’s largest bank in the middle of the night, locking out customers and employees, and thwarting a looming federal investigation. Iris, a young engineer working her first job out of the office, finds herself assigned to map out a floor plan for the bank building which has been empty for two decades. Just as Beatrice did 20 years before her, Iris quickly recognizes that there’s something not quite right at the bank and she soon learns that the building is not as empty as everyone thinks.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When I was a regular shopper at my local bookstores, my initial selection was based off thickness (how I discovered Robert Jordon and Terry Goodkind and others of that epic length writing). THE DEAD KEY, however, is largely one single, long wind-up, the pacing not really picking up till well past the last quarter. moments rolling, the suspense tight with wonderment and discovery, simply an exquisite plotline that has made the game a cult classic. And the ending... well, a completion within the same emotional level as Arturo Pérez-Reverte's 1993 novel, THE CLUB DUMAS had concluded with (the novel may be recognized by more as the later movie, THE NINTH GATE). All in all, enjoyable, yet I do have to wonder how even more fantastic these elements would be if the book was the same 477 pages but made tauter in pacing, richer in action, and, yes, even more deeply layered."
"All-in-all, I found it a worthwhile read although I do wish the end of the book would have provided a bit more insight into how the characters from the earlier period fared."
"It was a complicated story line but worth reading as I did want to find out the mystery behind the key and what happened to the two main characters."
"Her use of two major characters in different times yet in the same location brings new meaning to "Hot in Cleveland"."
"The story concept is interesting: an important bank mysteriously closes overnight. When I was about 1/3 into the story it seemed that n.o.t.h.i.n.g. Reading the early reviews, I was sure I was reading a different book. For example, in most instances, we don't read about the secretary's workday, we read about her thinking about her workday or thinking about the personalities of the people she works with, or wondering where her friend is, or wondering about the significance of papers she sees. For example, the engineer meets her boss at the building and explains to him some of the work she has done, but (from the reader perspective) this is merely retelling what the engineer already mused about in the previous pages: she went to the eighth floor, to the room on the left; it was dusty; she made some measurements; she went to the next room; she saw papers on the floor; she wondered why the papers were left behind; she made some measurements; she looked at some of the papers; she wondered what the papers meant; she decided to take some of the papers with her to look at later; she went to the next room; she made some measurements. I second that thought."
Best Crime Fiction
Surrounded by quirky, fascinating characters as dedicated to one another as they are to their new partner, Harmony must learn to trust her team—and a new romantic interest—on a dangerous and deadly mission that conjures up memories she’d much rather forget. Craig Schaefer’s books have taken readers to the seamy edge of a criminal underworld drenched in shadow through the Daniel Faust series; to a world torn by war, poison, and witchcraft by way of the Revanche Cycle series; and across a modern America mired in occult mysteries and a conspiracy of lies in the new Harmony Black series.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"“Harmony Black” is set in the same universe as the Faust series and there are major spoilers for that series in the first chapter. So I’ll start by saying if you want to read or haven’t finished the Faust series, do that before reading this. I think that he was quite successful- I liked her a lot even though she clearly harbors some misconceptions about Faust :) I’ll probably still read the rest of the Faust books- I think that one of the “spoilers’ is misleading- but I definitely look forward to reading more about Harmony. But although Harmony can definitely be read as a standalone- and a separate series- I still wish that I had read all of the Faust series first."
"I had never heard of Craig Schaefer before, but now I will be seeking out more of his books. Before today, there were only two books I ever found so captivating that I read them straight through, cover-to-cover, in one go."
"The novel is written like a normal crime story, except the bad guys are demons and the agent is a witch. In a nutshell, about every 30 years 6 children disappear from their cribs in a small town called Talbot Cove, Michigan. The team who is assigned to hunting down "Hostile Enemy 17" include Harmony, the witch; Jessie, a half-breed, female "Big Bad Wolf';" April, an older lady in a wheel chair; and Keith, a computer hacker. Sounds crazy, but this combination works to make this a great story about chasing down Hostile Enemy 17, aka the "Boogey Man.""
"And although there are occult elements in this novel, don't let that put you off if you happen to dislike such reads; the supernatural portions are so successfully integrated into the storyline that after you've finished reading, all you will be aware of is a darned good crime novel with a dedicated, yet whacky cast of characters. Normally I would add more insights and impressions about such a fine book, but I'm afraid I'm practically jumping out of my skin to read more by this author, having already downloaded another of his books!!"