Book Reviews

All reviews from Blue Archipelago Reviews

Here you can browse all of the reviews that I have written since 2008, starting with the most recent books.

The Long Way Home by Andrew Klavan

Charlie West went to bed one night an ordinary high school student. He woke up a hunted man. Terrorists are trying to kill him. The police want to arrest him for the stabbing death of his best friend. He doesn’t know whose side he’s one or who he can trust. With his pursuers closing in on every side, Charlie makes his way back to his hometown to find some answers. There, holed up in an abandoned mansion, he’s joined by his friends in a desperate attempt to discover the truth about a murder he can’t remember-and the love he can never forget.

The Auschwitz Violin by Maria Angels Anglada

In the winter of 1991 a musician is captivated by a marvelously pitched violin, when he asks how she obtained it the woman reveals the remarkable story behind it’s origin…

The violin is the creation of a luthier named Daniel who was imprisoned at Auschwitz. The luthier and his violin are the subject of a cruel wager that could be the difference between life and death.

The Baker Street Phantom by Fabrice Bourland

It’s the spring of 1932 and Londoners are being terrorised by a series of brutal murders in the English Capital just as the private detective agency of Messrs. Singleton and Trelawney opens its doors in Bloomsbury.

There first client is an extremely worried Lady Arthur Conan Doyle who tells them of mysterious goings on at 221 Baker Street and warns them that mankind is in terrible danger.

The ensuing investigation takes the unlikely heroes into a world of seances and spirits where they are forced to rethink the boundaries between reality and fantasy. The question is of course, can they solve these bloody crimes…?

Golden Rainbows by Christine Brannen Reilly

When you’re caught up in the trials and tribulations of every day life where everything seems like a constant battle it takes someone like Mikey Reilly to make you realise that life is something you should be thankful for.

Diagnosed with cancer at just eight months old Mikey became a constant visitor to the Children’s Hospital where over the years doctors and nurses battled against the disease.

But during that time he never complained about the hand that life had dealt him, instead he was a beautiful, courageous and outgoing little boy who stole the hearts of everyone he ever met.

Through the stories that Christine has so gracefully shared with the world I felt like I came to know Mikey and loved reading about his Valentine’s Day “date” with one of the support team, and his beautiful friendship with Summer Sanders. As a fellow lover of Disney World the recollection of him dancing with the princesses in the parade will stay with me and I’ll think of Mikey next time I’m standing on Main Street USA.

A Hemorrhaging of Souls by Nicola Furlong

I was drawn into this book from the very first page, and Nicola does a wonderful job of weaving a tale with so many twists and turns, that I didn’t know whodunnit until the last page. I couldn’t even begin to tell you what happened in this book as it is so wonderfully complex, yet simple to follow along as you read it.

The characters are quirky and believable, and it’s always good to throw in a little romantic tension in a “will they won’t they” fashion!

If you have a few hours to spare and you want to escape from the world then download this book to your Kindle and get reading

Swallow by Tonya Plank

Swallow is unlike any novel I’ve ever read before, and I loved it from the first sentence to the last. The characters are wonderfully diverse and larger than life. From Sophie herself to her pornographer father, her gay friend who paints male nudes and her fashion maven friend and confidant oh and her banged-up clients that Sophie tries so hard to prove innocent.

Tonk combines laugh out loud humour with more serious issues of family connections, psychological conditions, and the fight to survive in the Big Wide World. It’s a great summer read without the chick lit cutesiness!

Pieces of Someday by Jan Vallone

This insight into Jan’s life is honest and frank, and I appreciate that. As a wife, mother and lawyer with a beautiful home, from the outside it looks like she has the perfect life. But inside she struggles with frustration and anxiety. Jan invites us into her life to reflect on the challenges that she faced as she fought for the right to feel happy and fulfilled.

I found myself caught up in her stories and by the end felt like I knew her and her family.

There are many themes within the memoir that I could relate to, and it’s always comforting to know that you’re not the only one with struggles in the world!

Red Flag Warning by Kurt Kamm

Red Flag Warning is a mystery novel with a difference, it’s based around the world of arsonists. The story is told from the viewpoint of various characters: from NiteHeat who developed a love of fire at a very early age, and Fire Captain Jim Kendall who lives and breaths his investigations to Ruffy, the Command and Control supervisor who dreams of joining the fire crew rather than directing them.

Based in California, the arsonist takes advantage of the Santa Ana winds to start devastating fires that destroy countless family homes while the firefighters battle to put a stop to the travelling flames. As NightHeat prowls the darkness looking for the perfect incendiary that will leave its mark, Kendall and his team do all they can to catch the arsonist and put an end to the devastation.

Out of the Dark by Linda Caine and Robin Royston

Linda Caine is a contented wife and mother who should have nothing to feel depressed about. But a darkness begins to cloud her thoughts and she starts to have strange flashbacks. She calls suicide her friend and decides that if it all gets to much she will simply drive her car off the side of a cliff so her family thinks her death was accidental. When it all gets too much Linda drives off in her car, but her concerns for her family’s welfare stop her from following through with her plan.

Admitting that she has a problem Linda is introduced to Robin Royston, a psychiatrist who will become her friend and guide on a journey that spans nearly four years. Linda’s recollections of her childhood and adolescence uncover glimpses of horrific events that her mind has chosen to bury. Robin is torn between helping Linda to recall these memories in the hope that the cathartic effect will release her from her depression and suicidal thoughts, while knowing that unleashing the events that scarred her childhood could have an even more devastating effect on his patient.

The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain

The novel revolves around two sisters; Maya and Rebecca Ward, and the chapters alternate between the sisters to tell the story from their point of view.

Both sisters are physicians, but that’s about as far as the similarities go. Maya is cautious and timid and treats children from the safety of her office, while Rebecca is the risk taker who travels the world offering medical services in disaster zones.

When a hurricane hits the coast of North Carolina Rebecca heads out to join the rescue operation along with Maya’s husband Adam. When he sees the sheer devastation and the number of injured children Adam urges Maya to join them.

In a twist of fate Maya’s helicopter crashes in the forest and she finds herself stranded on a small island, cut off from civilisation and caught in the lives of the strangers who rescued her. As Maya tries desperately to let her loved ones know she is alive the search party gives up hope of ever finding a survivor and Rebecca and Adam find themselves drawn to each other.

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

The novel is set in the early 1900s and the main character is a young girl by the name of Mattie Gokey. She lives on a farm with her father and her younger sisters and dreams of being an author. She goes to school with her friend Weaver who is a black boy determined to be treated as an equal and together they plan to pass their entrance exams and move to New York City to go to college.

Plans are changed when they both find themselves working at a local hotel for the summer and Mattie speaks to a young woman named Grace who begs her to burn a stack of letters written to her beau. Later that same night Grace is dragged from the river in what looks like a boating accident gone horribly wrong.

Mattie reads the letters and uncovers a truth that changes the way she looks at her own life.

PING! Limitless Success & Endless Happiness by M.D. Windwalker Walsh

If you’re looking for a guide that you can trust to lead you along the path to increased confidence and a more successful career or happier relationships then you should definitely check out Daniel’s PING system.

Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francois Lelord

Hector is a young psychiatrist who becomes disillusioned with his job because many of his patients are not ill, they are just unhappy with their lives. This begins to rub off on Hector, making him feel unhappy too. So he decides to take a holiday and visit some friends in far off countries in an attempt to discover the secret of real happiness.

I think everyone should read this book to be reminded that we don’t need to search for happiness, it’s inside all of us and we just need to take a step back and see the bigger picture to understand that

The Army of the Republic by Stuart Cohen

If you are looking for a white-knuckle ride of a novel then you will enjoy this book; if you believe that America is headed in the wrong direction then you will connect with the themes in this novel. If you’re looking for a book for your book club with multiple themes for discussion then Army of the Republic by Stuart Cohen would be the perfect choice.

Get Financially Naked: How to Talk Money with Your Honey by Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar

It’s extremely simple; if you spend money then you need to read this book. And don’t let the title put you off either, if you’re currently single then you should read this book too, it is completely applicable to you and you’ll have the added benefit of being able to talk money with your honey as soon as you meet them!

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