The Unclaimed Victim by D.M. Pulley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

D.M. Pulley’s books are like bags of Cheetos… They’re addicting and I NEED more! Disclaimer: I might just suck at solving mysteries. I think? Real Life problems and scenarios of whodunit- no problem; but written suspense novels, I’m almost always unsure. Well, maybe 80% of the time. Some stories kinda leave enough clues that it’s just obvious I guess… But so far, not D.M. Pulley, she has me guessing 'til the very end and then it’s so beautiful how it all comes together! Anyway, on with the review… sorry!

Plot: If you read her first book, ‘The Dead Key’, I’d say that this book follows the same formula. If you didn’t read her debut novel- you NEED to. The plot of this story follows a fictional theory of what might explain who was behind the (very real) “Torso Killer” killings of Cleveland, in the 1930s and beyond; (it’s) based off of real events, real characters, and real evidence. And, just like with ‘The Dead Key’, I’ll repeat the same sentiment; the plot was well thought out, there were no loose ends left untied. All questions were answered – beautifully – with surprises. The story kept me guessing until the satisfying end.

Characters: The story follows from 3rd person POV, the two main characters, Kris Wiley and Ethel Ann Harding. Kris is our present-day protagonist, who doesn’t believe that her father is really dead (even though pieces of him have been found); so she snoops through all of his belongings for clues and stumbles upon his notes on the Torso Killer. And so begins her journey to find out what he knew, how he was involved in the investigation, and who is behind his tragic death. Ethel is Kris’s 1930s counterpart who is alive and present during the initial period of Torso killings. She is a prostitute, who by a twist of fate ends up being right smack in the middle of the events that have haunted history for decades. She too is trying to find answers and possibly stop the killer, before another friend or even herself ends up hacked to pieces. Both women have a cast of supporting characters that are equally well-developed.

The Writing: I devoured this book in a few hours. Ms. Pulley’s style is so easy to read and flows effortlessly…even with the dual timelines/back-and-forth (Every 3) chapters of Kris and Ethel's individual experiences.

In Case You Wanted to Know: A majority (like half) of this book takes place in the 1930s where wars were done and a new one was on the horizon. Human life wasn’t valued if you were poor and living in the slums. Unfortunately, these souls were seen as expendable/disposable, and White Supremacy was rampant. Do not head into this book expecting to not be exposed to the vileness that is- Men in Power, and some women as well. Trigger warnings for some sexual and abuse situations, and violence, as well. Expect to see life differently. Expect to be bothered and concerned, and possibly offended by the behaviors of some characters. But do take all of this into consideration – the story reads like a real-life/true crime story. This is not a pretty tale. Although I'm sure you will agree it ended well.

Overall: I can’t leave this review without commenting on the very real similarities that this story illustrates to “back then” and “now”. Yes, Ms. Pulley’s take on who might’ve been behind the murders is, in my mind, plausible; but for the sake of contrast, the link between some of the worst people in history, and the idea that these people just went underground until it was time to rise again, is a hard truth in today’s political atmosphere that I can’t ignore. The author used this thread artistically, without pushing an agenda… something I think is brilliant and easily missed by those that choose to believe history cannot/is not repeating itself.

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Exposed Fury by Marie Flanigan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After getting shot on the job, Annie Fitch recovers, quits the Police Department, and begins working as a Private Investigator for the town’s wealthy & well to do. An accidental discovery pulls her in and links her to a murder mystery that had me guessing whodunnit right til the very end. The characters, even the minor ones, were beautifully real & fleshed out with specific, clear personalities. Btw, I especially loved Annie’s friend, Celia! Details were sprinkled in evenly, as opposed to using major info dumps. The plot for me was solid. The murderer’s motives could be seen as questionable, but rage and jealousy know no limits of space or time… So, again, for me, I felt that the story just made perfect sense. Of course, I’m a sucker for a good, fast, murder mystery, and this one definitely delivered. Told in 3rd person POV, there is nothing in the writer’s style that makes this novel less than perfect. There were hardly any cuss words (2 f-bombs in the whole thing), no typos or spelling errors… Exposed Fury was simply an enjoyable book to snuggle into a chair with on a rainy afternoon, hot cup of coffee in hand.

*I received a FREE copy of this story, in exchange for my honest review.


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A Killer's Mind by Mike Omer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve come to enjoy Murder-Mystery/Thrillers. Years of watching Criminal Minds, Law & Order, CSI… yeah, it obviously fed my morbid curiosity about behaviors, personalities, and motives. This book fits perfectly into that same mold.

Plot: So, the plot was your basic murdered bodies found and a couple of detectives need to figure out whodunit, type of story. Reading through (it) was fun, and finding out who the murderer was (after a string of successfully planted Red Herrings), was equally satisfying and enjoyable.

Characters: Besides the killer, who is truly an explainably (totally a word I just made up?) sick, individual that is a Forensic Psychologist’s dream to study; the two other main characters are Zoe Bentley and Tatum Gray. Zoe, a consultant hired by Quantico’s BAU, loves Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, her eggs yolky/bacon-crispy, and has details from her past that give her an edge in finding the killer. She’s young, but she’s privy to the dark side of human nature and is smart enough to know what to look for. Her counterpart, Tatum Gray, is a newly transported to VA from the LA office, after being a bit of a rogue agent. He has his flaws, is a bit of a jerk, but ends up being a supportive match to Zoe’s hunches and instincts. I was pleasantly pleased that although it feels like Zoe and Tatum could have a romance blossom between them; it was NOT a driving force for this story. Other minor characters included were also well written.

The Writing: The book is told from 3rd person POV, alternating from Zoe and Tatum mostly, but also including the unknown killer and some supporting characters/witnesses. The writing style is fast paced and to the point. Details added were not long and drawn out. I only spotted (maybe) 2 typos.

In Case You Wanted to Know: The victims in this novel, would be part of Law & Order’s SVU, so take that into consideration and know that details of what happened (although, not AS it happens) are not left out. Four letter words are also NOT omitted. For me, neither of these was a problem, but I also don’t feel that if some details had been left out or fewer cuss words were included, that it would’ve hurt the story.

Overall: I’m smart enough to know there are no new stories, just ingenuity… the retellings of something, a different way. Each well-written Murder/Mystery novel follows a certain formula; just as an Epic Adventure story follows a formula of its genre. When those formulas are diligently followed, you get an exquisite read. And when you get to the end and find out you were wrong in how you thought it would turn out… well, that’s when you anxiously await the next sequel.

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Inheritance by Thomas Wymark
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Just. No. I started this book, and then quit somewhere around page 20 something. I just couldn’t deal with the M/C anymore, nor the OVERLY DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS and did I mention… details? And… ugh!!

But… even after reading much of the same sentiment in most of the 1-star reviews (which is what I was originally going to give this novel), I decided I’d give it another go about three days later. I REALLY hate quitting. Plus, having suffered a concussion myself, back in 2017, I figured, why not? I love mind study & behavioral analysis stuff… so, I began again. Now, I’m going with a three-star review, and here’s why…

Let me start by asking you this… Have you ever had a friend or relative relate a story to you that was SOOooo minutely detailed, you found yourself zoning out and only tuning back in when he or she raised their voice in emphasis, denoting a plot twist, etc.? Well, that’s this book. Lots and lots and lots of minute details… Pages worth.

In fact, to be completely honest, I stuck with the story, patiently hoping the pace would pick up and I would actually be given more ‘story’ to go along with my generous serving of ‘details’, soon and in more abundance, as a reward… NOPE. I made it to about 46% (page 257 of FIVE HUNDRED and FIFTY FIVE!!!) before I finally said “forget this” (I didn’t say that though… it was MUCH WORSE) and fast forwarded to page 484 (a random number chosen near the end). I can HONESTLY say that when I came across new characters & new developments in the plot, that I didn’t recognize, it wasn’t difficult to figure it all out and piece together what I’d “missed”, without losing ANY of the storyline.

Now, from 484 on… it’s a DArN good read. The ‘aha’ moments of how everything came together was BEAUTIFUL, making this a good story. Good story, but regrettably, not a good read. So much could have been omitted without ruining the thread. And this is coming from an INCREDIBLY long-winded individual, me. Easily could’ve been a 5-star novel if my endless patience hadn’t gotten annoyed with the mundane.

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The Man of Legends by Kenneth C. Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This review is for The Man of Legends by Kenneth Johnson

This book, written by Kenneth Johnson, but in the style of being told after an ‘event’ has happened, by one of the characters that were there, is a bit difficult for me to give an easy review. Here’s why…

Okay, so right off the bat, we get the impression we’re dealing with a long-lived Immortal being. Who is he? What’s his story? And why does the author/ (character telling it) hate Mexicans? The plot unfolds over many chapters and scenes, some from ‘now’ and some from when the ‘event’ happened, as well as some from this Immortal’s origin days… all told by many, many characters, in the 1st person POV.

Each character is unique-ish, with the couple of M/Cs being fairly fleshed out. The supporting characters are really all just there to lend a viewpoint to the final/ Main Event. The writing was fragmented, and the slang/accents were WAAayy overdone. From reading other reviews before choosing to read this, I can say that YES, it CAN be perceived as racist and unnecessary, and the “writer’s” justification* of why it was written that way, to me, still does not make it acceptable.
*See 1st page/ Intro of book

I was expecting to be wowed a bit… Kenneth Johnson wrote “V”, one of my FAVORITE series to watch when I was a kid too young to watch it, but I did anyway. This book read much like a movie/TV episode/ documentary. Which, in any case, I guess it was supposed to since it’s written by one of the characters, right?

I HATED the slang/ ignorant speak of some of the minorities; like, REALLY HATED it. It was unnecessary and often distracting from the details/ the story because I had to try REALLY hard to figure out what was even being said. I stuck with the book, only because I had a ‘hunch’ who “he” might be, knowing early on who it was that he was connected to. I have read stories & seen movies etc. based off of that time period’s key players, so I had no problem reading another rendition of an old, old tale.

I managed to make it through this book, despite the annoyances, semi-quickly. I don’t bore easily. Actually, I just really hate not finishing something. Up until the very, very end, I enjoyed The Man of Legends, despite the abundance of “ignorant- can’t speak right- racial” dialogue. YES, there is THAT much of it! But, I did grow up with a racist father, whom I had no problem ignoring, so I just did my best to ignore what I felt was often the type of vernacular you’d find in a book written by a white person that didn’t like Black/Mexican people etc. living in the 1800s.

Another “problem” I have is the way the women characters think & act; which, unless you’re a woman (or someone in touch with their feminine side?) reading this review, I don’t know if you’ll understand. Let’s just say that it is obvious the women’s voices are written by a man. Okay, like how in some Biker Romance novels with the guy’s POV written, you know a woman wrote it? Or like, how most men in real life aren’t typically abusive jerks & killers; well, not all women should be written as damsels in distress that can’t walk & talk & chew gum. Just saying.

I wouldn’t read this book again, nor would I recommend it, mostly because it was a long-ish book, and the direction I thought it was going wasn’t where it went, but that’s my own issue.

Gosh, looking at what I’ve written, I feel like I’ve been over the top scathing, which was not my intention. I DO actually feel that even if I didn’t LIKE it, personally, there’s no reason I should give it less than 4 stars. The plot WAS solid. It read (somewhat) easily. The backstory has been done before, but I like new takes on old ideas… There were no loose threads left at the end… It was/is a well-written novel.

But, I think ultimately, for me, the ending is what makes this a 4 at best. The Man of Legends is a 414 pg. “Forrest Gump” sojourn through the last 2000 years of human history, filled with Metaphysical musings, but ending in overly religious undertones… which for me, was the biggest disappointment.

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