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Recommend this book:
Memories Live Here
A near future mystery
Marc Sheinbaum
2021 Gold Medal
292 Pages
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Fiction - Mystery - General
Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Memories Live Here by Marc Sheinbaum is a fast-paced thriller that follows three brothers, Josh, Louie, and Donny Brodsky, in the wake of their mother's death. Josh is on the rise as his new career in California's Silicon Valley at Sway, a cutting edge technology firm, provides the money he never had in his previous government job. But his work at the U.S. Department of Defense gives him the credibility he needs to spearhead Sway's ambitious artificial intelligence project named CHERL, Computerized Human Experienced as Real Life. He's able to channel historical greats such as Ulysses S. Grant, Napoleon, and Churchill. Donny is looking for money to start up his AI boot camp as he works to learn enough coding to get his foot in the door. He sends out a proposal to his wealthier brothers with an attachment. Donny becomes the lead suspect when Louie and Josh discover malware that cripples their work, leading to a showdown that may dig up the dead and some old family secrets along with them.
Memories Live Here is an incredible book. Mark Sheinbaum had me hooked in under a minute with an opening that is absolute fire and followed through with the compelling development and backstories of Josh, Louie, and Donny, who all have chutzpah to spare. The brothers share a balanced spread of moving the plot forward and are as authentic as any person standing right in front of you. The conversations between Louie and his no-b.s. wife Vicky are perfection, especially when she leans in hard. I loved all of their personalities, their casual f-bombs, and the diversity of motivations that holds the trio together by a common bond: the loss of their parents. Brotherhood. It's what keeps Louie from going to the Feds and provides Josh with the fodder needed to justify ambushing Donny to get the damn encryption code. This is one of the best reads I've invested my time in all year. Very highly recommended.
Memories Live Here by Marc Sheinbaum is a fast-paced thriller that follows three brothers, Josh, Louie, and Donny Brodsky, in the wake of their mother's death. Josh is on the rise as his new career in California's Silicon Valley at Sway, a cutting edge technology firm, provides the money he never had in his previous government job. But his work at the U.S. Department of Defense gives him the credibility he needs to spearhead Sway's ambitious artificial intelligence project named CHERL, Computerized Human Experienced as Real Life. He's able to channel historical greats such as Ulysses S. Grant, Napoleon, and Churchill. Donny is looking for money to start up his AI boot camp as he works to learn enough coding to get his foot in the door. He sends out a proposal to his wealthier brothers with an attachment. Donny becomes the lead suspect when Louie and Josh discover malware that cripples their work, leading to a showdown that may dig up the dead and some old family secrets along with them.
Memories Live Here is an incredible book. Mark Sheinbaum had me hooked in under a minute with an opening that is absolute fire and followed through with the compelling development and backstories of Josh, Louie, and Donny, who all have chutzpah to spare. The brothers share a balanced spread of moving the plot forward and are as authentic as any person standing right in front of you. The conversations between Louie and his no-b.s. wife Vicky are perfection, especially when she leans in hard. I loved all of their personalities, their casual f-bombs, and the diversity of motivations that holds the trio together by a common bond: the loss of their parents. Brotherhood. It's what keeps Louie from going to the Feds and provides Josh with the fodder needed to justify ambushing Donny to get the damn encryption code. This is one of the best reads I've invested my time in all year. Very highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
The Seavers Conspiracy
Travis Pearson
2020 Finalist
Kindle Edition
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Fiction - Mystery - General
Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite
The Seavers Conspiracy by Travis Pearson is a thriller and mystery weaved tightly together to offer a scintillating story that will have your mind reeling. There was a time when Seavers, Texas used to be a bustling little town that thrived, but lately, homes have been vacated, people have gone missing and something strange is happening in this once lively town. So when Randall’s niece calls him over to see what is going wrong, Randall has no idea that he is about to come across something that he might not be ready for. He never thought solving this issue was going to be easy, but he had no idea it was going to be this hard. The moment he starts counting the bodies, he realizes that he has some dangerous enemies that will do whatever it takes to stop him before he digs a little too deep. Can Randall solve the mystery in time before he becomes another casualty of the Seavers conspiracy?
Randall is an incredible character; he is intelligent, witty and sharp. He is an observant man, one who believes what he has seen and known and this makes him perfect for this story. He is a leader; he is a man at the front line and trying to make a difference. The mystery is thick from the very beginning. I was trying to figure out why people were leaving the town, why only a certain type of person was disappearing and who could actually be behind this all. The ambiance became a little creepy at times, but it all added to the story. The narrative was powerful, the dialogues were crisp and the overall atmosphere of the story was perfect. I enjoyed The Seavers Conspiracy by Travis Pearson a lot more than I expected and the cover is gorgeous too! It is very entertaining and so well-written.
The Seavers Conspiracy by Travis Pearson is a thriller and mystery weaved tightly together to offer a scintillating story that will have your mind reeling. There was a time when Seavers, Texas used to be a bustling little town that thrived, but lately, homes have been vacated, people have gone missing and something strange is happening in this once lively town. So when Randall’s niece calls him over to see what is going wrong, Randall has no idea that he is about to come across something that he might not be ready for. He never thought solving this issue was going to be easy, but he had no idea it was going to be this hard. The moment he starts counting the bodies, he realizes that he has some dangerous enemies that will do whatever it takes to stop him before he digs a little too deep. Can Randall solve the mystery in time before he becomes another casualty of the Seavers conspiracy?
Randall is an incredible character; he is intelligent, witty and sharp. He is an observant man, one who believes what he has seen and known and this makes him perfect for this story. He is a leader; he is a man at the front line and trying to make a difference. The mystery is thick from the very beginning. I was trying to figure out why people were leaving the town, why only a certain type of person was disappearing and who could actually be behind this all. The ambiance became a little creepy at times, but it all added to the story. The narrative was powerful, the dialogues were crisp and the overall atmosphere of the story was perfect. I enjoyed The Seavers Conspiracy by Travis Pearson a lot more than I expected and the cover is gorgeous too! It is very entertaining and so well-written.
Recommend this book:
Shoot If You Must
Pam Clark
2020 Honorable Mention
323 Pages
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Fiction - Mystery - General
Reviewed by Steven Robson for Readers' Favorite
Pam Clark’s Shoot If You Must is a truly classic story of life’s immeasurable ability to surprise, carrying individuals through an incredible range of emotions towards an uncertain future. One such future belonged to teenage Heather Hillcrest, and when hers is cruelly cut short in a vicious assault, Lieutenant Stephen Raleigh is given the onerous task of finding the perpetrator of this heinous act. As the investigation unfolds, Stephen finds that long-dormant feelings within him are triggered by Professor Meghan Adams, and as their relationship develops he finds he is in a race; a race with ultimate stakes involving the lives of both Meghan and his daughter Lindsay. Will the Lieutenant win this race or will another tragedy befall his life and the community.
Shoot If You Must by Pam Clark was an extremely emotional read. The interactions between the players in this book were the most finely crafted and accurate I have experienced in a long time, as were the feelings portrayed. Not only were the characters sublime, but the entire story arc was also well planned and precisely knitted together to form a perfect reading experience. I went through all of the emotions laid bare in this tale, and couldn’t help being touched by two predominant scenes in particular; Heather’s demise and her later funeral. To me there was a touch of poignancy in Heather’s fate, being linked in a tenuous way with another teenager from the past, Nannie Crouse; two innocent girls linked through an uncertain history with dire consequences. I challenge anyone to read this book without shedding a tear. Overall, a really great book I thoroughly enjoyed.
Pam Clark’s Shoot If You Must is a truly classic story of life’s immeasurable ability to surprise, carrying individuals through an incredible range of emotions towards an uncertain future. One such future belonged to teenage Heather Hillcrest, and when hers is cruelly cut short in a vicious assault, Lieutenant Stephen Raleigh is given the onerous task of finding the perpetrator of this heinous act. As the investigation unfolds, Stephen finds that long-dormant feelings within him are triggered by Professor Meghan Adams, and as their relationship develops he finds he is in a race; a race with ultimate stakes involving the lives of both Meghan and his daughter Lindsay. Will the Lieutenant win this race or will another tragedy befall his life and the community.
Shoot If You Must by Pam Clark was an extremely emotional read. The interactions between the players in this book were the most finely crafted and accurate I have experienced in a long time, as were the feelings portrayed. Not only were the characters sublime, but the entire story arc was also well planned and precisely knitted together to form a perfect reading experience. I went through all of the emotions laid bare in this tale, and couldn’t help being touched by two predominant scenes in particular; Heather’s demise and her later funeral. To me there was a touch of poignancy in Heather’s fate, being linked in a tenuous way with another teenager from the past, Nannie Crouse; two innocent girls linked through an uncertain history with dire consequences. I challenge anyone to read this book without shedding a tear. Overall, a really great book I thoroughly enjoyed.
Recommend this book:
And Come Day's End
A Michael MacKaybees Mystery
Gabriel F W Koch
2020 Bronze Medal
Kindle Edition
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Fiction - Mystery - General
Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite
And Come Day's End: A Michael MacKaybees Mystery by Gabriel F. W. Koch is a murder mystery that will keep you up at night if you don’t finish it in one sitting. Our hero is Michael MacKaybee, a private investigator who was looking for a runaway teen when something far more dangerous grabbed his attention. When his best friend Lenny is shot dead, he somehow becomes the prime suspect in the case. But it isn’t just Michael who is suspected of the murder. His father, whom he hasn’t seen in a long time, is also one of the suspects. But that is the least of his worries. The people who killed his friend are after him. They want to silence him for some reason. However, as the body count starts to rise, Michael knows he has to do something to stay alive and find out why his friend was murdered so coldly. But will he get the chance to find out what happened before the people who want him dead catch up?
And Come Day's End opens with action and ends with action. The storyline is complex and has layer upon layer of plot that will keep you entertained and hooked. I wanted to know where Michael’s father Marlowe had been all these years and why he never met his son for so long. I wanted to know why Lenny was killed, why the people responsible for his death wanted Michael dead, and how he will keep one step ahead of them and the law. The chemistry between the father-son duo was perfect for the story. They lacked synergy at the beginning, but the two put their differences aside to bring justice and clear their names. The mystery is so thick that I could almost taste it. There is action on almost every page; you see Marlowe and Michael rebuild their relationship at their own pace and they share their disagreements with the reader. Gabriel F. W. Koch did a great job of building the plot, making sure the characters were leading the story, and the reader was in the moment with them until the end. I loved this book!
And Come Day's End: A Michael MacKaybees Mystery by Gabriel F. W. Koch is a murder mystery that will keep you up at night if you don’t finish it in one sitting. Our hero is Michael MacKaybee, a private investigator who was looking for a runaway teen when something far more dangerous grabbed his attention. When his best friend Lenny is shot dead, he somehow becomes the prime suspect in the case. But it isn’t just Michael who is suspected of the murder. His father, whom he hasn’t seen in a long time, is also one of the suspects. But that is the least of his worries. The people who killed his friend are after him. They want to silence him for some reason. However, as the body count starts to rise, Michael knows he has to do something to stay alive and find out why his friend was murdered so coldly. But will he get the chance to find out what happened before the people who want him dead catch up?
And Come Day's End opens with action and ends with action. The storyline is complex and has layer upon layer of plot that will keep you entertained and hooked. I wanted to know where Michael’s father Marlowe had been all these years and why he never met his son for so long. I wanted to know why Lenny was killed, why the people responsible for his death wanted Michael dead, and how he will keep one step ahead of them and the law. The chemistry between the father-son duo was perfect for the story. They lacked synergy at the beginning, but the two put their differences aside to bring justice and clear their names. The mystery is so thick that I could almost taste it. There is action on almost every page; you see Marlowe and Michael rebuild their relationship at their own pace and they share their disagreements with the reader. Gabriel F. W. Koch did a great job of building the plot, making sure the characters were leading the story, and the reader was in the moment with them until the end. I loved this book!
Recommend this book:
 this deftly-paced mystery thriller checks every box included in the mythical Writer�...){kind=link}
The Rabbit Skinners
John Eidswick
2020 Silver Medal
Kindle Edition
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Fiction - Mystery - General
Reviewed by Joel R. Dennstedt for Readers' Favorite
The Rabbit Skinners by John Eidswick is fully comparable and sometimes superior to any Jack Reacher or Lucas Davenport novel on the market. Such comparison is meant to convey just how good this book is. Besides the meticulously satisfying plot (more on that later,) this deftly-paced mystery thriller checks every box included in the mythical Writer’s Guide to Writing. Namely, dialogue is pitched so finely tuned that one actually hears the characters speaking; these characters themselves are so well sketched, one thinks he must have met them somewhere before; and the myriad tiny details necessary to establish place are so lavishly but unobtrusively sprinkled throughout that one feels (and hears, and smells) himself to be fully there in person. And all of this precision writing skill is devoted to telling a marvelously plotted story about a 9-year-old missing girl.
Like both Reacher and Davenport, James Strait, lead character and FBI agent-on-hold, is a BIG man in John Eidswick’s The Rabbit Skinners. Unlike his uber-healthy predecessors in this popular genre, however, Strait suffers from debilitating bouts of Ménière's disease, as well as some lingering guilt from a previous raid gone wrong. In one of life’s mysterious synchronicities, Strait’s search for the missing child resonates much too strongly with the case of another child he could not save. This time, he does not mean to fail. A twisting but logical plot line moves Strait among an intriguing cast of people, places, and potentially fatal situations, making this book a truly exciting and highly enjoyable read.
The Rabbit Skinners by John Eidswick is fully comparable and sometimes superior to any Jack Reacher or Lucas Davenport novel on the market. Such comparison is meant to convey just how good this book is. Besides the meticulously satisfying plot (more on that later,) this deftly-paced mystery thriller checks every box included in the mythical Writer’s Guide to Writing. Namely, dialogue is pitched so finely tuned that one actually hears the characters speaking; these characters themselves are so well sketched, one thinks he must have met them somewhere before; and the myriad tiny details necessary to establish place are so lavishly but unobtrusively sprinkled throughout that one feels (and hears, and smells) himself to be fully there in person. And all of this precision writing skill is devoted to telling a marvelously plotted story about a 9-year-old missing girl.
Like both Reacher and Davenport, James Strait, lead character and FBI agent-on-hold, is a BIG man in John Eidswick’s The Rabbit Skinners. Unlike his uber-healthy predecessors in this popular genre, however, Strait suffers from debilitating bouts of Ménière's disease, as well as some lingering guilt from a previous raid gone wrong. In one of life’s mysterious synchronicities, Strait’s search for the missing child resonates much too strongly with the case of another child he could not save. This time, he does not mean to fail. A twisting but logical plot line moves Strait among an intriguing cast of people, places, and potentially fatal situations, making this book a truly exciting and highly enjoyable read.
Recommend this book:
Pinot Noir: An International Banking Spy Thriller
A Louise Moscow Novel Book 2
Lorraine Evanoff
2020 Gold Medal
310 Pages
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Fiction - Mystery - General
Reviewed by Astrid Iustulin for Readers' Favorite
Lorraine Evanoff’s Pinot Noir is one of the best thrillers I have read in recent times. It is the second installment of a series centered on the character of Louise Moscow, but despite some references to the previous volume, it works as a stand-alone book. Louise is still in witness protection when banker Ekram Almasi and his nurse are murdered. Even though investigators seem to have found the ideal culprit, the case is not as open-and-shut as it might seem. After leaving her “paradise,” Louise starts an investigation that will take her to Monte Carlo, Paris, and Burgundy. The amazing scenario, however, cannot hide a complicated and awful truth.
Evanoff is a fine writer, and she knows how to put every detail of her story in place. Pinot Noir is a remarkably well-developed novel, and its structure reveals the author’s excellent writing skills. Although it is not a short book, you will read it in one sitting. Evanoff’s style is engaging, and the way she reveals the conspiracy makes the story more and more complicated until the incredible end. The characters are vibrant, close to real persons, and the descriptions of the places Louise visits offer a wonderful setting to the story. Moreover, even the parts that are not about the investigation are delightful to read because of their liveliness. It is difficult to find a book that every reader will like, but Pinot Noir seems one of those that have achieved this result. Not surprisingly, I recommend it to every reader who loves spy stories.
Lorraine Evanoff’s Pinot Noir is one of the best thrillers I have read in recent times. It is the second installment of a series centered on the character of Louise Moscow, but despite some references to the previous volume, it works as a stand-alone book. Louise is still in witness protection when banker Ekram Almasi and his nurse are murdered. Even though investigators seem to have found the ideal culprit, the case is not as open-and-shut as it might seem. After leaving her “paradise,” Louise starts an investigation that will take her to Monte Carlo, Paris, and Burgundy. The amazing scenario, however, cannot hide a complicated and awful truth.
Evanoff is a fine writer, and she knows how to put every detail of her story in place. Pinot Noir is a remarkably well-developed novel, and its structure reveals the author’s excellent writing skills. Although it is not a short book, you will read it in one sitting. Evanoff’s style is engaging, and the way she reveals the conspiracy makes the story more and more complicated until the incredible end. The characters are vibrant, close to real persons, and the descriptions of the places Louise visits offer a wonderful setting to the story. Moreover, even the parts that are not about the investigation are delightful to read because of their liveliness. It is difficult to find a book that every reader will like, but Pinot Noir seems one of those that have achieved this result. Not surprisingly, I recommend it to every reader who loves spy stories.
Recommend this book:
The Sleeping Lady
Bonnie C. Monte
2019 Finalist
248 Pages
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Fiction - Mystery - General
Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite
The Sleeping Lady by Bonnie C. Monte is a thrilling mystery story. Rae Sullivan runs a home décor shop with her friend and business partner Thalia, right next to The Sleeping Lady, or Mt. Tamalpais. Thalia is being blackmailed because of an affair in France and, insisting on facing up to the blackmailer, is found murdered in Golden Gate Park. The police think it was a mugging gone wrong and won’t listen to Rae so she decides to do their job for them. Heading to France, Rae and Luc, Thalia’s half-brother, go on the trail of a blackmailer and killer who is coming after Rae, all the while fighting off the spark of attraction between them. Can Rae solve the murder and will she remember that she has a husband she adores?
The Sleeping Lady by Bonnie C. Monte is a great amateur detective story, a nice light read to while away a few hours. It isn’t complicated and you probably will guess who did it before you officially find out, but that doesn’t make it any less of a good story. It’s all go and there are a few red herrings thrown in for good measure, just to try to throw you off the scent. The characters are believable, very likable and solid, well developed throughout the story. The Sleeping Lady is a page-turner; when you get to the end of one chapter you’ll just want to keep on reading to see where the story takes you next. Good story, well-paced and fun to read.
The Sleeping Lady by Bonnie C. Monte is a thrilling mystery story. Rae Sullivan runs a home décor shop with her friend and business partner Thalia, right next to The Sleeping Lady, or Mt. Tamalpais. Thalia is being blackmailed because of an affair in France and, insisting on facing up to the blackmailer, is found murdered in Golden Gate Park. The police think it was a mugging gone wrong and won’t listen to Rae so she decides to do their job for them. Heading to France, Rae and Luc, Thalia’s half-brother, go on the trail of a blackmailer and killer who is coming after Rae, all the while fighting off the spark of attraction between them. Can Rae solve the murder and will she remember that she has a husband she adores?
The Sleeping Lady by Bonnie C. Monte is a great amateur detective story, a nice light read to while away a few hours. It isn’t complicated and you probably will guess who did it before you officially find out, but that doesn’t make it any less of a good story. It’s all go and there are a few red herrings thrown in for good measure, just to try to throw you off the scent. The characters are believable, very likable and solid, well developed throughout the story. The Sleeping Lady is a page-turner; when you get to the end of one chapter you’ll just want to keep on reading to see where the story takes you next. Good story, well-paced and fun to read.
Recommend this book:
Brooklyn Bitters
Sally Saylor De Smet
2019 Honorable Mention
Kindle Edition
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Fiction - Mystery - General
Reviewed by Ruffina Oserio for Readers' Favorite
Brooklyn Bitters by Sally Saylor De Smet follows Kate Hathaway, a sophisticated character as she faces some of the most challenging moments and situations in her life, a gorgeous treat for fans of stories filled with drama and strong female characters. Kate graduates with honors from Emory University and looks forward to an exciting career in publishing. When her brother-in-law dies in an accident, Kate lives with the guilt, blaming herself for his death, because she is the one who invited him to give her a ride. While her younger sister, Stacey, has moved on, this incident haunts Kate, because Glen Lloyd Hastings was also her best friend. Kate spends time helping her ailing mother and on a business trip to New York, she meets an attractive man who wins her heart, but is she ready to step out of her loneliness and what happens when he disappears?
This is a beautifully written story and one of the elements I enjoyed is the way the author explores the themes of love, family relationships, guilt, and loneliness. The family dynamics come out neatly in the narrative and I enjoyed the way the author handles the relationship between Kate and her pampered, domineering sister and their relationship to their ailing mother. The tension grows between the sisters and I was keen to see if Kate could live up to her role as an older sister to Stacey. The romance part of the novel is intelligently handled and nothing is rushed. Brooklyn Bitters is well-paced and deftly plotted with some twists and turns, and characters that are real and relatable.
Brooklyn Bitters by Sally Saylor De Smet follows Kate Hathaway, a sophisticated character as she faces some of the most challenging moments and situations in her life, a gorgeous treat for fans of stories filled with drama and strong female characters. Kate graduates with honors from Emory University and looks forward to an exciting career in publishing. When her brother-in-law dies in an accident, Kate lives with the guilt, blaming herself for his death, because she is the one who invited him to give her a ride. While her younger sister, Stacey, has moved on, this incident haunts Kate, because Glen Lloyd Hastings was also her best friend. Kate spends time helping her ailing mother and on a business trip to New York, she meets an attractive man who wins her heart, but is she ready to step out of her loneliness and what happens when he disappears?
This is a beautifully written story and one of the elements I enjoyed is the way the author explores the themes of love, family relationships, guilt, and loneliness. The family dynamics come out neatly in the narrative and I enjoyed the way the author handles the relationship between Kate and her pampered, domineering sister and their relationship to their ailing mother. The tension grows between the sisters and I was keen to see if Kate could live up to her role as an older sister to Stacey. The romance part of the novel is intelligently handled and nothing is rushed. Brooklyn Bitters is well-paced and deftly plotted with some twists and turns, and characters that are real and relatable.
Recommend this book:
The Broadcast
A Mystery Thriller
Liam Fialkov
2019 Bronze Medal
379 Pages
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Fiction - Mystery - General
Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
The Broadcast by Liam Fialkov is a suspenseful mystery that follows multiple points of view of characters as they witness a newly televised broadcast that is as confounding as it is captivating. Somehow, a network is able to obtain footage of past events that, until the time of broadcast, had been unsolved crimes. The timelines vary, as does the content, but what appears to be satellite feed—despite much of the footage being from a time when no such thing could have possibly existed—has a mixed effect on the general population, both good and bad as crimes are unquestionably solved...but at what cost? Meanwhile, a middle-aged couple with their own tragic pasts finds themselves affected by the broadcast in ways nobody could have predicted or ever imagined.
Liam Fialkov has developed a really unique and tantalizing narrative with The Broadcast. This is an exceptional piece of fiction. I found the premise to be wholly original, which is like a breath of fresh air at a time when many new releases come from the same stagnant plotlines. The story, at least initially, dances between past and present as Fialkov weaves together a backstory. It then plows forward at full speed, unrelenting as new broadcasts are released and the mystery begins to entwine the characters and the reader. It's uncommon for me to read a book and not have any inkling where the next page might take me, but The Broadcast was able to thread the suspense until the very end. I loved this book and would recommend it to all who enjoy excellent speculative, transcendental fiction in the same spirit as Philip K. Dick and Ray Bradbury.
The Broadcast by Liam Fialkov is a suspenseful mystery that follows multiple points of view of characters as they witness a newly televised broadcast that is as confounding as it is captivating. Somehow, a network is able to obtain footage of past events that, until the time of broadcast, had been unsolved crimes. The timelines vary, as does the content, but what appears to be satellite feed—despite much of the footage being from a time when no such thing could have possibly existed—has a mixed effect on the general population, both good and bad as crimes are unquestionably solved...but at what cost? Meanwhile, a middle-aged couple with their own tragic pasts finds themselves affected by the broadcast in ways nobody could have predicted or ever imagined.
Liam Fialkov has developed a really unique and tantalizing narrative with The Broadcast. This is an exceptional piece of fiction. I found the premise to be wholly original, which is like a breath of fresh air at a time when many new releases come from the same stagnant plotlines. The story, at least initially, dances between past and present as Fialkov weaves together a backstory. It then plows forward at full speed, unrelenting as new broadcasts are released and the mystery begins to entwine the characters and the reader. It's uncommon for me to read a book and not have any inkling where the next page might take me, but The Broadcast was able to thread the suspense until the very end. I loved this book and would recommend it to all who enjoy excellent speculative, transcendental fiction in the same spirit as Philip K. Dick and Ray Bradbury.
Recommend this book:
The Last Van Gogh
Will Ottinger
2019 Bronze Medal
Kindle Edition
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Fiction - Mystery - General
Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
Adam is a struggling art dealer in Chicago. His most recent show promises to bring him some luck and fame, but the artist, Vasily Sorokin, is murdered outside the gallery. To make matters worse, Vasily’s uncle is part of the Russian mob. Adam’s brother, Wes, shows up with some letters and an unlikely story that their father had smuggled an unknown Van Gogh painting, a rather large one, out of France at the beginning of the Second World War. A hidden and undocumented painting. Adam hesitates to believe it. Their father, after all, was a drunk and a con man. But, with people all around Adam being killed and the Russian mob boss interested in financing a search, Adam begins an adventure that reads like a James Bond exclusive. In the end, though, he wonders if this painting, or any work of art for that matter, is worth so many deaths.
Will Ottinger’s thriller mystery novel, The Last Van Gogh, takes the reader on an exciting adventure that spans two continents and two centuries. Written primarily in the first person, from Adam’s point of view, the author also incorporates multiple points of view in the third person, including the famed artist himself. The action-packed plot develops with rising tension and sporadic looks into Van Gogh’s troubled life from the artist’s perspective. The painting captures the attention of multiple evil powers and the plot thickens. The author uses powerful descriptive passages to set the scene and develop the characters with efficiency. Not only are the notations on Van Gogh credible and well researched, but the author has created a very plausible situation that will make the reader wonder what other missing masterpieces are hidden around the world. A fascinating read.
Adam is a struggling art dealer in Chicago. His most recent show promises to bring him some luck and fame, but the artist, Vasily Sorokin, is murdered outside the gallery. To make matters worse, Vasily’s uncle is part of the Russian mob. Adam’s brother, Wes, shows up with some letters and an unlikely story that their father had smuggled an unknown Van Gogh painting, a rather large one, out of France at the beginning of the Second World War. A hidden and undocumented painting. Adam hesitates to believe it. Their father, after all, was a drunk and a con man. But, with people all around Adam being killed and the Russian mob boss interested in financing a search, Adam begins an adventure that reads like a James Bond exclusive. In the end, though, he wonders if this painting, or any work of art for that matter, is worth so many deaths.
Will Ottinger’s thriller mystery novel, The Last Van Gogh, takes the reader on an exciting adventure that spans two continents and two centuries. Written primarily in the first person, from Adam’s point of view, the author also incorporates multiple points of view in the third person, including the famed artist himself. The action-packed plot develops with rising tension and sporadic looks into Van Gogh’s troubled life from the artist’s perspective. The painting captures the attention of multiple evil powers and the plot thickens. The author uses powerful descriptive passages to set the scene and develop the characters with efficiency. Not only are the notations on Van Gogh credible and well researched, but the author has created a very plausible situation that will make the reader wonder what other missing masterpieces are hidden around the world. A fascinating read.
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