Genre: Gentle Noir / Mystery / Women Sleuths
Publisher: Cinco Puntos Press 
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Date of Publication: August 20, 2019
Number of Pages: 306
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PURCHASE LINKS
Cinco Puntos Press ◆ Octavia Books  ◆  Murder by the Book
◆ Indiebound ◆ Galveston Bookshop  ◆  Book People
  ◆  Interabang Books  ◆   Collected Works  ◆ Tattered Cover

To start off - I really wish I had read the first book in this series, The Do-Right. I believe by reading that book, it would have been much easier (and quicker) to get into The Bird Boys. With that said, I still very much enjoyed Bird Boys and all it’s noir goodness. 

There is a bit of a glimpse as to who Delpha and Tom are from The Do-Right, but the reader truly starts to understand who these two are once we are introduced to the fact that Delpha has done some time and Tom rushes to help keep her out of it at the beginning of Bird Boys. There as an obvious and mutual appreciation between the P.I. (Tom) and Delpha. It was evident from the get-go that I was sincerely going to enjoy these characters - and I did. Author, Lisa Sandlin, does a fantastic job in creating characters that the reader can care about and thoroughly appreciate. In my opinion, this is due a lot to the fact that Sandlin gives us the opportunity to experience this story through both of the POVs of Tom and Delpha. I absolutely adore reading two POVs in stories (anyone who has read my other reviews knows this). There are many layers to Tom and Delpha and the execution of their stories by Sandlin as well as the characters’  personalities only adds to the mutual gratitude the characters have for each other, and that we, the readers, have for them. 

Speaking of layers - that is also the way I would describe this story. Firstly, the atmosphere that Sandlin has created is truly ethereal and (what I imagine to be) reminiscent of the 1970s (the story is set in 1973). The descriptions gave me the feel of what the 1970s in Beaumont, Texas must have actually felt like. I’ll be honest, what first drew me to the book was how the cover looked to be very creepy-looking. However, when I started reading it, I was pleased to experience the true in depth and intricate weaving of a southern gothic noir story. What ultimately had me in love with the book, however, was the absolutely fantastic pieces of the story that took place around research, the library, and the absolutely fantastic librarian, Angela! So, to this bookish nerd, the scenes concerning bookish love was just a wonderful experience to partake in. 

All in all, this work is a great piece of mystery fiction even if at first it took me awhile to get into - which I totally blame on my inability to make it to the library to pick up a copy of The Do-Right. It is definitely worth getting into if you are curious for or are in love with noir fiction.  

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​Victoria
By John Molik
Genre: Technothriller, Science Fiction, Action and Adventure
 
It's the year AD 2430. Almost four hundred years earlier, humanity had barely survived a horrific near-extinction-level event: a solar micronova. Survivorship colonies set up by a cabal with advanced technologies eventually evolve into a global Perfect Society called the United Federation of Connectedness (UFC). 
 
Initially based on co-ops, barter and trade, and equal access for all, a model that rose out of the ashes of the authoritarian governments of the past, humanity, bored and striving for more, eventually steers the planet to a balanced authoritarian model run by Victoria, a genetically engineered Master Server, implanted with artificial intelligence.
 
When the Animal Rights Act is introduced, the backward-looking religionists and many others think that Victoria has finally gone too far. Artificial love is the glue that keeps the heavily networked society together, but a radicalized religious cult, the MHs, who yearn for a natural connection to their God, reject technology and the electronic beasts who govern. Protected by the blood of their human messiah, they launch a terrorist attack to take down the Perfect Society and replace it with their own.
 
A top scientist, Claressa, who is loyal to Victoria, and her boyfriend, Pierre Lewalski, are summoned to UFC Capital City to thwart the attack.
 
Will they be successful? Should they be? 

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​John grew up in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor's degree in economics, and has worked in numerous corporate finance and project management positions in the consumer electronics and IT industries. In 1990, he took an extended backpacking trip of the South Pacific before attending graduate school. He met his future wife in New Zealand, and they were married in 1991. They settled in Laguna Niguel, California. In 2003, John and his family (now with two kids in tow) relocated to Christchurch, New Zealand.
 
John's passion for writing began when he was a student at UC Davis and worked as a feature writer for the California Aggie newspaper. Having been nominated for a Hearst Journalism Award (1986) for a feature on genetic engineering, John later found the inspiration to write again. In 2013, he began outlining his first thriller, The Fiduciary Delusion, which became the first novel in the Horsemen trilogy. John loves to read techno-thrillers, science fiction, murder mysteries and action and suspense novels. Some of his favorite authors include: Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut, Lawrence Sanders, Isaac Asimov, Michael Faber and Clive Cussler.
 
John's interests also include science, existential philosophy, health, and both Western and Eastern holistic medicine. John also plays guitar, piano, sings, and writes music. In addition, a self-confessed “gym rat,” John can be regularly found lifting weights, trudging up hills, sea kayaking, and getting out and about enjoying the beautiful wild outdoors.
 
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/WriterJOHN/
 
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Victoria-John-Molik-ebook/dp/B07WVRNMJB 
 
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15168291.John_Molik
 
Readers' Favorite:
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/the-three-poisons
 
askDavid:
https://askdavid.com/books/14988
 
 
Excerpt
 
“Careful! If you don’t get this part right, you will blow us all to hell!”
Boniface Rotner faltered, shook his head, and aggressively ran his hands through his shoulder-length black hair.
Cornell Elam, a bald 54-year-old technician from the sect, leaned against the stainless steel railing which encircled the metal alloy chamber. Peering down, he glimpsed the top of Boniface’s mat of black hair. Cornell wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. He pleaded. “Come on! You can do this!”
Boniface Rotner gazed up through the metal tunnel and bit his lip. “Of course I can, Mr. Elam.”
Boniface, at only 15 years old, was far ahead of anyone in their sect in intelligence, creativity, and focus. Earlier, it was decided by sect leaders that he was the only one that could accomplish this critical mission. Not only was Boniface the only one who understood the technical complexity of this 398-year-old technology, he also had very small hands due to his age, which was a crucial job requirement for this particular task.
Having recently resurrected the bank of Moray generators using his keen intellect, time was of the essence.
Boniface grasped the magneto coil wand and carefully inserted it into the capacitance resonator of the high-voltage transformer. Mr. Elam is right. This goes wrong and this entire community will be enveloped in a ball of super-heated plasma.
Cornell’s breathing quickened and his palms were clammy. Fidgeting, he mindlessly looked right then left, and replied, “Alright, then! But, you got to hurry, lad! You got to hurry!” Cornell nervously glanced over his shoulder as if the empty ten-by-ten-foot, fully contained and impenetrable control room was suddenly being breached by a pack of rabid wolverines.
Sweat was pouring down the nape of Boniface’s neck, but he paid little attention to it. Busy concentrating on the task at hand, he knew that the magneto wand must not touch the quantum harmonic oscillator. The Moray generators were at full bore, producing over 5,000 kilowatts of raw electrical power, and were just one step away from being connected to the Tesla scalar interferometer which, when ignited, would produce a thin, impenetrable shell of electromagnetic energy hovering over the sect’s temple and surrounding area. No weapon, or even gamma radiation from an electromagnetic pulse, would be able to touch those living under it. But, if Boniface screwed this up and touched the oscillator, it was lights out for every living thing in a ten-mile radius.
Suddenly, the dead quiet of the sealed control room was interrupted by a strange, distant whirring sound.
Like a cocker spaniel sensing the scampering of a squirrel, Cornell jerked his head in the direction of the sound. “Shit! Those are fucking incomings!” He pounded the steel railing with both fists. “Hurry!”
Boniface squeezed his eyes tightly to assuage the anxiety and regain focus. Opening them slowly, he made sure his steady hand did not waver. The magneto wand just had to pass by the hidden oscillator and make contact with the bridging terminal.
The sound of the incoming missiles, likely all nuclear-tipped, grew louder and louder as their perilous cargos came closer to their target.
“For fuck’s sake, Rotner! It’s now or never!”
Boniface didn’t like swearing, as it was against their religion. Besides, it was Mr. Elam who had taught him acceptable words from the past to use as substitutes. Yet, he also realized that when your life and the lives of all your community looked like it was nearing their end, man’s evil tongue could sometimes release vulgarities, so he forgave Mr. Elam.
Figuring he had about five seconds, he quickened his pace. Biting his lip, he edged his hand forward through the small gap toward the contact plate.
A thin, shrill voice, like the cry of a dying mouse, emanated from Cornell Elam. He held his head in his hands.
Four inches to go. Boniface precisely guided the wand upward. The sonic roar of the incoming missiles was now vibrating the entire control room. It was now or never.
As soon as Boniface touched the plate, an ear-shattering electronic clang and hum assaulted their ears. The hair on his head stood on end as if he was grabbing the top of a Van de Graaff generator. The banks of LED lights on the control panels illuminated just before the entire room shook violently.
Cornell Elam was thrown from his perch into the steel chamber, landing on top of the 15-year-old.
Boniface’s face was red hot. This was the last thing he felt before his rapid descent into total darkness.
 

Drive Me Crazy
by Tracy Wolff

Synopsis

His rival’s in his bed, and this rocker is ready to play.

Former rivals Quinn Bradford and Elise McKinney are not friends, at least not anymore. As teens, all they cared about was psyching each other out before concerts. But when Quinn—now the keyboardist for Shaken Dirty, the hottest rock band on the scene—returns to his hometown and hears about the car accident that shattered Elise’s career, he’s determined to make things right.

Elise wants nothing to do with an arrogant rock star, despite how bad she so clearly wants him, so Quinn kidnaps the stubborn little piano player and whisks her back to his mansion. A little seduction might be just the thing to keep Elise under his care…and in his bed. But amid pranks both childish and very adult, their past comes rearing back to haunt them. And it might be more than either of them can forget.

Review
You know - the synopsis for Drive Me Crazy does absolutely no justice for this book. It definitely has a few flaws, or should I say, areas that could have used more attention - but overall it was such an enjoyable book. 

This book definitely has that whole rocker god trope that I can't help but love (they're so unattainable! haha). However, what this book also has is a lot of heart and heartbreak. Elise and Quinn know each other from their very early days of being, basically, piano prodigies. Ten years later, they are suddenly back in each other's lives when Elise is in a horrible accident that has also killed their mentor, Ellington. Quinn feels the need to take care of Elise and refuses to leave her alone after the accident. 

So, what we have is not so much miscommunication between Elise and Quinn, but rather, the feeling of having to sacrifice and protect and underneath it all....understanding. That's what I found so enjoyable about this read - Elise and Quinn love each other and understand each other. There is no purposely trying to hurt or provoke (except for their pranks, which are hilarious and more affectionate than anything). Their feelings for each other are deep and intricate and showcased beautifully by the author, Tracy Wolff. 

There were a few areas I wish Wolff would have taken more time on and they go together. I wish we could have heard more about Ellington since he was someone so important to both Elise and Quinn and also about Wyatt (granted, this book is part of a series and we will probably hear more about him in another book, but I'm curious!). I really wanted to read about Wyatt meeting Elise. Also, I wish we could have read more about Elise's grief. She's lost a log of important people in her life, including Quinn. I wish we could have read more about that and seen Elise and Quinn's relationship grow even more. 

All in all, I loved this book. So much heart - and so worth the read. 

If you're a usual reader of my blog (which, if you are, thank you!), you know that I tend to stay away from historical fiction. I'm not entirely sure why - I love learning about history! Slowly I've been trying to get out of the habit of "dismissing" the genre, and I can happily say that Leila Meacham's Dragonfly has certainly encouraged me to keep delving in to the genre!

Firstly, Meacham's writing is absolutely gorgeous. It is easy to follow, yes, but most importantly, her writing almost places you into a trance so that you keep on reading her words. They are perfectly placed together to form the story for your imagination. To say I was reading the story isn't quite right; it felt like I was sinking in to and almost becoming a part of the story. 

I am a huge fan of organization. I love for concepts, for example to have an order to them. Sometimes it's chronological, other times it is by a different sense of organization. So, what I truly appreciated from Meacham's writing for Dragonfly is that we know exactly where we are going in the story - not plot wise necessarily - I wouldn't describe this book as predictable. No, what I mean is that we know when we're in the present and when we are flashing back to the past. This may be a simple thing to be appreciating in writing, but believe me when I say that I have read some confusing timelines in fiction, and this definitely wasn't one of them. 

Another aspect I must gush about is the characters. I am a sucker for well-rounded, well-described characters and that is exactly what I got with Dragonfly. We meet each one of our major players, and they each are described in such a way that I feel I honestly know them as the story unfolds. They become friends of mine and it is almost as if I am part of the story as well.  I found myself truly wanting to learn about their situations, and so I constantly stopped reading to ask my husband (an ex-history teacher!) about certain aspects of the history (I said I like history, not that I remember it all that well...). I wanted to fully understand, the best that I could, what each one of these characters was experiencing - around them and even within themselves. 

Meacham does a gorgeous job in unfolding a story that is not just about history, but also about people. These characters are some of the most intricately described and well-rounded characters that I have encountered in my many years of reading. Dragonfly is a big book - and it is definitely worth the read. 

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