Reprise Review: A Referendum on Conscience by Christopher Truscott

Genre: Political Thriller

Description:

 “A terrorist attack. A vote against a popular war. A re-election campaign.

Rebecca McElroy is looking forward to retiring as she nears the end of her second term in the U.S. Senate.

Clarissa Rogers, the senator's young speechwriter, is glad to be out of the campaign business and has no intention of ever going back.

Then terrorists launch a devastating attack on Washington that drives the country into a bloody war and changes everything for the pacifist senator from Minnesota.

Clarissa's sent home and is tasked with managing a campaign the experts predict is doomed to fail. They're running against fear and anger—and public opinion. All they have to go on is the senator's conscience.”

Author:

A former journalist, Christopher Truscott now sometimes works as a political strategist and is a veteran of “two dozen local, state and federal campaigns over the last ten years.” He has written three books in his Perpetual Campaign series (this is the second) and recently co-authored a non-fiction book on Michele Bachmann. He lives in a suburb of St. Paul, MN.

Appraisal:

Sometimes I’m guilty of refusing to remember that fiction is, by definition, not true. No matter how much an author might weave people, places, and things they’re familiar with into a story, it is still a story they’ve made up. I was guilty of that with A Referendum on Conscience, picturing the President in the story as a George W. Bush clone and the war in question as a slightly modified war in Iraq in search of non-existent “weapons of mass destruction.” I’m not sure that viewing the story in this light wasn’t a good thing for me, but I found out after reading that the true happenings which served as inspiration were something else.

Regardless of how you choose to relate the story to real life, if you do that at all, it’s a great story. That there are multiple ways to relate the story to our world only makes it better. I assume it is due to the author’s work as a political strategist, but the “behind the scenes” look at a political campaign felt right to me. Much of the story takes place in Minnesota, and his depiction of the different cities and towns, as well as the specifics of the Twin Cities metro was spot on. If you’re a political thriller fan, you owe it to yourself to give A Referendum on Conscience a read.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Some adult language.

Although this is the second book of a series, I didn’t realize this prior to reading and never felt that I was missing pieces of the story even though I haven’t read the first. It definitely works as a stand-alone.

Added for Reprise Review: A Referendum on Conscience by Christopher Truscott was a nominee in the Thriller/Suspense category for B&P 2013 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran July 5, 2012.

Format/Typo Issues:

Very few issues; however, among the few, one was using the wrong last name for a character (a third party candidate with a major role in the story) and the other, also a name problem, calling one of the character’s cars a Porsche Boxter, which should be Boxster.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 110-115,000 words

Review: A Mountain of Untold Tales by Fleming J. Allen

Genre: Short Story Collection

Description:

“… a book of twenty-five unique short stories. They are split into two categories. One group of narratives tend to illuminate the everyday experiences and issues of childhood, motherhood, family, marriage, adventure, and so forth. The other set of tales, however, accentuate the gloomier aspects of life which imagination dictates. They invoke fear, mystery, the supernatural, malice, despair, and more. Regardless of the variety of these fictional storylines, this collection aims to provide reflections and impressions that can be enjoyed and shared for years to come.”

Author:

In addition to this collection, author Fleming J. Allen has written a novel and a work of non-fiction.

Appraisal:

The plot or underlying story in some of this collection was entertaining or interesting to a point, even if the presentation was often lacking. Other times I was left wondering what the point of the story was. While the stories in the first half were generally more upbeat and the second half tended toward darker subjects, I found my opinion was the same with both halves.

The issues I had with the presentation of the stories were numerous. I’ll hit on some of the high (or low) points in a quick list.

Proofreading was lacking. I found numerous sentences that were obviously lacking a word or had an extra word or in some other way didn’t make sense without reinterpretation. Homonym errors were also frequent.

It seemed like redundancy and long lists were the order of the day. While they increased the word count, they also slowed things down. An example of redundancy is the mention of a “snow blizzard” (snow is inherent in the definition of blizzard and specifying snow serves no purpose). Then there are sentences like this:

“He went to places like: the Washington Monument, Smithsonian National Museums, Lincoln Memorial, U.S. Capitol, Arlington National Cemetery, Old Ebbitt Grill, Ben’s Chili Bowl, Indian eateries, and pubs.”

Again, this is way more specific detail than is important. “While in Washington he visited the typical DC monuments as well as several eating establishments he’d heard of” or words to that effect would do the trick. Sure, name one or two examples, but an exhaustive list is only going to put the reader to sleep. This issue wasn’t just a one-time problem, but a constant. Most stories had at least one example of this. I didn’t go back to check, but suspect some had multiple examples.

Another issue was throwing in lots of information about characters or places in the story that do nothing to contribute to the story, so just bog it down instead. For example, “They also jumped into the bath or shower to clean up and changed into their warm pajamas. They had the footed kind.” If having the “footed kind” of pajamas figured into the story in any way, knowing this could matter (although there is probably a better way to let us know about it). But if it doesn’t figure into the story or tell us something important about the character, it’s just a bunch of useless noise.

Ultimately it was a struggle to read this to the end. The stories need a lot more polish.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

Format/Typo Issues:

Numerous proofreading issues that ranged from extra or missing words to homonym errors and various other problems.

Rating: ** Two Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 115-120,000 words

Review: Treacherous Ground: Elemental Keys Book 2 by Lynne Cantwell

Editor's Note:

In case you missed it, in our last post Judi Moore weighed in with her review of this book. Now in the last half of this double shot review ?wazithinkin gives us her thoughts. If you missed the first half, check it out too.

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Celtic Mythology

Description:

“Can’t a girl get a good soak around here?

Raney Meadows, undine and out-of-work actor, is in Ireland with her no-name team of Elemental superheroes on a mission of mercy. They’re taking team member Collum Barth’s brother’s things to his parents. But they’re also on the trail of Raney’s father, Damien Jones. Daddy Dearest is possessed by an ancient evil, and the creature wants to destroy the Earth by unleashing a Very Bad Thing. The V.B.T. is behind a locked door, and Damien has the Key.

The team is in a race against time to find the door before Damien does. It could be anywhere – in a cave, in a passage tomb, maybe even in a bog. Collum’s father is a gnome who should know where it is, but he’s not much help. The fae have offered their help, but Raney is leery of their price.

And while the team tries to outrun Damien, Raney is trying to avoid him, lest he snatch her up for his collection of one-of-a-kind things.

It’s enough to make a half-undine like Raney go to pieces…”

Author:

“Lynne Cantwell is a contributing author at Indies Unlimited where she shares her knowledge about Indie publishing and promotion. She has a master’s degree in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins University and is a former broadcast journalist who has written for CNN and Mutual/NBC Radio News, among other places. Ms. Cantwell currently lives near Washington, DC.”

You can connect with her at her website or on her Facebook page.

Indies Unlimited:

Appraisal:

Are secrets and loyalties worth keeping when the fate of the world is at stake? Where is that line located before it crosses into treasonous for your species? Ms. Cantwell tackles these questions on a more personal level in what’s left of the Barth family as their relationship dynamics are explored. While our small team of superhero Elementals search for the Earth Key in the beautiful country of Ireland.

As an old soul, Collum has taken a liking to his new smart phone. Proving you can teach an old dog new tricks, which doesn’t necessarily apply to cats. I just stuck that in so readers would know Tiger finds her way to the home of Collum’s parents, Niall and Kate Barth, in Kilkenny. Tiger is just as much a member of our small team of half-breed Elementals. She is such a diva and adds humor when things get intense, because you know she’s going to be right in the middle of things.

I was glad Raney and Gail were able to get in a little sightseeing before all the action started. There are false leads, dangerous bogs to avoid, caves to explore, kidnappings, and golems to battle. Golems are demon made warriors of clay whom are propelled by fire, and are single-minded in their directives. Outwardly, they look like real humans, so when Raney tricks two into a bog she has a crisis of conscience thinking she killed two men.

The storyline twists around on itself as our team of superheroes chase and are chased by the demon riding Damien Jones, Raney’s daddy dearest. Each team member are becoming more dimensional and true to their personal elements. I am also enjoying the way Raney is learning how to use the new element Gail shared with her in the ritual joining ceremony from book 1, Rivers Run. If you haven’t read it yet, pick it up! These books build on each other. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the team learn to use their shared elements. I am looking forward to book 3. Will our team finally come up with a name that fits them all? And will they finally get team t-shirts? These questions and more, I hope, will be answered in upcoming books.

Buy now from:   Amazon US    Amazon UK

FYI:

Treacherous Ground is book 2, of the ELEMENTAL KEYS Series. Following book 1, Rivers Run.

Format/Typo Issues:

Nothing significant.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words

Review: Treacherous Ground by Lynne Cantwell

Editor's Note:

This is the first half of what we at Books and Pals call a "double shot" review. Today Judi Moore weighs in on a book. Then in our next post, two days from now, ?wazithinkin will weigh in with her opinion on the same book.

Genre: Modern Fantasy

Description:

This is the second novella in a projected tetralogy (Elemental Keys), there being four elements, earth, air, fire and water. Raney Meadows is half undine (water nymph). In the first book (Rivers Run: Elemental Keys Book 1), a series of super-coincidences brought her together with Earth, Air and Fire Elemental half-bloods. The four became a team to stop an ancient evil in the first book. Now they’ve come to Ireland to bring team member Collum Barth’s dead brother’s things home to his parents. But they’re also on the trail of Raney’s father, who tricked them out of an ancient key at the end of Book 1, and is now possessed by the ancient evil. The team needs to find what the key fits before Damien does. They believe it is in Ireland, close to Dublin and Collum’s parents’ home. The fae offer to help, but the fae charge a high price for assistance. Raney is keen to avoid her father as she knows that, even un-possessed, he has a passion for collecting of one-of-a-kind things, such as a unique, half-undine daughter.

Author:

Our Lynne Cantwell (not to be confused with the Irish woman rugby international of the same name!) grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan and currently lives near Washington, DC. She is a prolific author of modern fantasy novels and novellas, usually with a warm romantic strand.

Cantwell worked as a broadcast journalist for many years. She has written for CNN, the late lamented Mutual/NBC Radio News, and a number of recherché radio and TV news outlets, including the now defunct wire service Zapnews.

Amongst her many qualifications, Cantwell includes a journalism degree from Indiana University, a master’s degree in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins University, and a paralegal certificate.

She is a contributing author at Indies Unlimited.

Appraisal:

This novella works as a standalone, but you will quickly become aware that you are joining the story partway through.

The story quickly locates to Ireland, and we are given considerable information about Ireland in general and Dublin in particular. I once spent a week working in Dublin: a lovely city. Being a Celt by birth myself, I felt right at home there. I hope Cantwell did too.

As with all of Cantwell’s books, this one zips along. Something is constantly happening, problems are always being raised and solved, magic is being worked. In this case add to the mix a cat who mind-speaks with humans (if it likes you). The Elementals are still testing the extent of their powers as a quartet, and these are still growing. They get better, as the book unfolds, at what they do. But they are up against powerful opposition. Collum, in particular, learns much about his gnomish gifts which are very useful to the Elementals.

And there is a warmth in the growing relationship between Raney and Collum to spice the book.

If you enjoy modern fantasy which is based on splicing together worldwide pantheons, myths and legends, then you will enjoy this book.

Buy now from:    Amazon US    Amazon UK

FYI:

I was surprised that Cantwell puts in the mouths of her characters the word ‘Indian’ to refer to Native Americans. Especially as in earlier series of books her protagonists have been Native Americans.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four stars

Reviewed by: Judi Moore

Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words

Reprise Review: Dissolute Kinship: A 9/11 Road Trip by David Antrobus

Genre: Memoir/Travel/Short Story

Description:

“This is what can happen when a personal story of trauma meets the collective horror of an apocalyptic, true-life event: in this case, 9/11.”

Author:

“David Antrobus was born in Manchester, England, raised in the English Midlands, and currently resides near Vancouver, Canada. He writes music reviews, articles, creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. The lessons he learned from working for two decades with abused and neglected street kids will never leave him.”

For more, visit Antrobus’ website.

Appraisal:

Until the day I die, I’ll remember what I did the night of September 10, 2001. I attended the Minneapolis stop of what was billed as the “Slewfoot Calvacade of Stars,” a tour of small Midwestern clubs by the top (really almost all) music acts on a tiny Ozark record label. It was a late night and I intended to sleep in the next morning. Then my girlfriend’s phone call woke me up. “I think you better turn on the TV,” was all she said. I turned on the TV to see a plane fly into a building for the first of several times that day. A few years later I talked to the late Duane Jarvis and Stevie Newman, frontman for the Domino Kings, both of whom had played that night. I mentioned the date and they immediately remembered where they’d been and told me about being awoken the next morning with the news that the two remaining shows on the tour were cancelled. As soon as they could, they were on the road, to Nashville and Springfield, their respective homes. Like the day Kennedy was shot, that day is cemented in the minds of all of us who lived through it.

David Antrobus remembers that morning too. He woke up in Vancouver, got in his car, and headed for New York. It was a road trip to visit friends that, as he heard and eventually saw what had happened, became much more. Recently diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), Antrobus was to see much of the same symptoms among the residents of New York. One of the ways of dealing with a stressful event is to talk about it, which he did to many New Yorkers he met, and continues doing here, telling us what he saw and felt, and how he reacted.

Dissolute Kinship packs a big emotional punch in a small number of words. I loved Antrobus’ writing style, which to me felt almost literary, but it was in the conclusions he drew where I found the biggest payoff. What do the events of 9/11 say about the world and our place in it? In Dissolute Kinship you’ll find one Canadian’s opinion and, agree or disagree, realize that the most important thing is to keep the conversation going.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

Added for Reprise Review: Dissolute Kinship: A 9/11 Road Trip by David Antrobus was the WINNER in the Memoir category for B&P 2013 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran June 29, 2012.____

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 5-6,000 words

Reprise Review: Night Undone by K.S. Brooks

Genre: Action-Adventure/Thriller

Description:

“Former Special Agent Kathrin Night is not adjusting to civilian life. More than a year after her career-ending injury, she still can’t get the hang of it. This is wearing thin on her lover, Russian FSB Agent Aleksey Khovechkin, who tricks Kathrin into seeing a psychiatrist specializing in post-military/espionage patients.

The therapy doesn’t go exactly as Aleksey hopes, but before he can react, Russia recalls him to make him an offer he can’t refuse. Before his departure, Aleksey reveals his deepest, darkest secret to Kathrin. Had he, in fact, used her to escape his duties in Russia, or was his allegiance to her?

Determined to see justice served, Kathrin hatches a scheme to help Aleksey while at the same time reviving her career in espionage. The Vancouver Winter Olympics could be the perfect venue for her plan, but can she pull it off without destroying their relationship, causing an international incident, or getting either of them killed?”

Author:

K.S. Brooks has written numerous books in multiple genres including romantic suspense, satire, and educationally oriented children’s books. She is the administrator of Indies Unlimited (a multi-author blog “celebrating independent authors”), where you can often catch her pontificating on matters of interest to both readers and authors.

For more, visit Brooks’ website.

Appraisal:

As with the last book in this series, Kiss of Night, this book is character driven more than the typical story in this genre. However, the action, adventure, and intensity are jacked up, as you’d expect from an action-adventure or thriller. Much of what leads to that action is driven by Night’s desire to find a way for her and Aleksey to work together in a way that will satisfy the desires and needs of both.

Night Undone not only satisfied my need for a vicarious adrenalin rush, but left me wanting more to see where Night and Aleksey’s relationship goes next. Brooks has a history of long waits between books in this series. Hopefully, I won’t be waiting too long.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

             

FYI:

Some adult language and situations.

This is the third book featuring Kathrin Night. The first of these, Lust For Danger, I haven’t read and don’t feel this is required to get the most out of this book. However, the second book, a novelette called The Kiss of Night, has a lot of Night’s history as well as establishing much of the backstory for this book. Although this could possibly be read as a standalone, I’d recommend reading The Kiss of Night first.

Added for Reprise Review: Night Undone by K.S. Brooks was a nominee in the Thriller category for B&P 2014 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran December 27, 2013.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 75-80,000 words

Review: The Midsummer Wife (The Heirs to Camelot Book 1) by Jacqueline Church Simonds

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Mythology/Multi-Cultural

Description:

“The reincarnated souls of King Arthur, Merlin, and an anxiety-ridden priestess return to save Britain after a devastating nuclear attack, only to find an old foe: Morgaine.”

Author:

Jacqueline Church Simonds describes herself as “an author and publishing consultant living in Reno, Nevada” who loves “(in no particular order) books, writing, reading, beagles, coffee, good bourbon, publishing, and politics.”

To learn more please visit Ms. Simonds’ website.

Appraisal:

The Midsummer Wife is an imaginative, well-written urban fantasy, with a beautiful book cover, and flawed characters who must face their past and come to terms with the truth. Lord Ron Steadbye – the heir to King Arthur, and Duke Drunemeton – the heir of Merlin, who is known as The Harper. The Harper was created to keep the Arthurian tale alive and preserve the artifacts which would help prove they are who they say they are when the time of reckoning comes. The High Priestess of the Sisterhood, Ava Cerdwen, is the heir of Mother Anya. These three characters are challenged to live up to their mythical strengths to heal Britain after a nuclear blast in the heart of London.

The story takes place in the not too distant future and is mainly told through Ava the High Priestess’ eyes, who has flaws of her own to work through. She is the pivotal character who guides Ron/King Author, and Harper/Merlin. Ava will also lead the healing ceremony at the Summer Solstice with Ron and Harper by her side, along with Druid Priests to lend power to the Celtic rite to heal and cleanse the affected area. But is Ava strong enough to handle all this power? Morgaine has had 1500 years to hone her dark magic and gather power. She also has the cult of Hela tracking our three heroes who are on the attack to divert the healing ceremony that is approaching quickly.

The Midsummer Wife is enthralling, with captivating, complex characters you want to succeed. Ava, as High Priestess, is also charged with bringing about a new world order featuring spirituality at its core.

I was disappointed in the cliffhanger ending, it’s a cheap way to hook the reader to want to read the next book in the series. I think the story and characters are strong enough for readers to want to continue without tricks or a cliffhanger. I was further soured by the way this book ended. Morgaine is a thoroughly evil character, which I admit every story needs. I just hope our heroes are not so blinded by their success as to not see the truth.

If you love Arthurian tales with strong characters and a captivating plot, this is a good one where the story continues into the future. And did I mention the eye-catching book cover? Sometimes it’s okay to judge a book by its cover.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

The Midsummer Wife is book one in Jacqueline Church Simonds’, THE HEIRS OF CAMELOT series. Adult language—numerous F-bombs, and adult situations—where sex is NOT behind closed doors. If you are sensitive to either of these, this book may not be for you. There is also one whopper of a cliffhanger.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of proofing issues.

Rating: **** Four Stars

Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words

Review: The Nudge Man by Keith Nixon

Genre: Crime Fiction/Satire

Description:

“A washed-up reporter, an escaped convict, a sociopathic gangster. All are hunting mysterious vigilante The Nudge Man…

Born again, ex-gangster, Eric Hennessey offers down on his luck reporter, Harrison Vaughan, a job. Track down the Nudge Man, a mysterious vigilante who’s stolen most of Hennessey’s money, ill-gotten gains which now Hennessey wants to use to do God’s work. Trouble is, Harry has no desire to work for a sociopathic murderer, even if he is an apparently changed man.

Harry is estranged from his family since a fabricated scandal destroyed his career. Hennessey tells Vaughan it was the Nudge Man who set him up for the fall. Find The Nudge Man and Harry has the chance for redemption and maybe even his family back.

However, Hennessey has another objective in mind. Unknown to Harry his family were taken into witness protection and had to cut ties with everyone after Harry’s son saw a murder – carried out by Eric Hennessey and he's has been looking for them ever since. Now Hennessey may have a way in – Harry himself.

And others are on the trail of the Nudge Man, including the British government and an American secret service agent. Then there’s the lawyer who offers Harry £1m to stay away from The Nudge Man. With more questions than answers and hapless guard dog Bonzo, whose bark is definitely worse than his bite, at his side Harry begins his search.

Can Harry find the Nudge Man and save his family? Or will Hennessey exact his revenge?”

Author:

“Keith Nixon is a British born writer of crime and historical fiction novels. 

Originally he trained as a chemist, but Keith is now in a senior sales role for a high-tech business.

Keith currently lives with his family in the North West of England.”

Appraisal:

At its heart this is a good mystery thriller with all the elements I’d look for, the most important being that it is intense, keeping you on edge and unsure what is going to happen. Just when you think you know what direction things are going, something changes and you realize you weren’t even close. I’ve read other books by the same author that have the same elements, British criminals and someone trying to stop them, and they’ve all been good. But The Nudge Man takes that basic blueprint and adds a few things including the US government getting involved in ways you wouldn’t expect, or at least wouldn’t have until a few years ago. These other elements add a satirical edge to the basic story as well as expanding the things I as a reader thought were possible explanations when trying to guess where the story was going. While I’ve enjoyed all of Keith Nixon’s books that I’ve read, this one is my new favorite.

Buy now from:            Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

A small amount of adult language.

Author uses UK spelling

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: BigAl

Approximate word count: 60-65,000 words

Reprise Review: Long Way Down by Tony Black

Genre: Crime/Noir

Description:

Gus Dury is a down at heel ex-reporter with a dark past. He’s kicking his heels in life when Danny Murray, a runner for local gang boss Boaby ‘Shaky’ Stevens, asks Gus to do a job for him – find an old friend, Barry Fulton. Gus is reluctant, but £3,000 helps sweeten the deal. Gus quickly learns Barry has got involved with Irish gangsters encroaching onto Shaky’s patch and, unless he finds him soon, someone’s going to end up dead.

This standalone novella is part of Black’s Gus Dury series, the other four (Paying For It, Gutted, Loss, and Long Time Dead) are full length novels.

Author:

Tony Black is an award winning national journalist who covered a diverse range of stories from crime to nightclub reviews. Tony then moved into writing crime novels, with nine now published to critical acclaim.

More information can be found about Tony Black on his website.

Appraisal:

Long Way Down is a gem of a story. It’s theoretically a quick read, however I found myself spending a lot longer than normal with it simply because I wanted to stay immersed in the prose. This was a challenge because the action starts on the first page, when Danny steps into Gus’s sphere, and doesn’t let up.

The characters are very strong, Gus himself clearly has a deep background with references made to a difficult upbringing. He drinks, swears, fights – not someone you’d want your daughter to bring home. But he’s resolute, loyal, tough – someone you’d want at your back. The supporting cast of (few) friends and (many) enemies are equally entertaining – Gus mixes with some dubious company. A particular favourite is Mac the Knife, a man not to be messed with.

The dialogue is sharp and at times witty, despite the gritty and grimly sharp Edinburgh location which, is excellently described with a minimum of carefully chosen words and some local vernacular. For example:

The bar was dark, dingy. In days gone past there’d have been a pall of grey smoke you’d struggle to shine headlamps through. Now the nicotine-stained walls and ceiling looked painfully over-exposed – the woodchip papering would turn to writhing maggots after a few scoops.

And another:

I picked out the smell of p*ss and sickly-sweet Buckfast mingling on the grimy stairwell. Some of the young crew had been in to tag the walls since my last visit, and despite being a respecter of the creative urge I couldn’t help but think their efforts sucked balls. Right into a hernia.

The only ‘disappointment’ with Long Way Down? I finished it too quickly! Top drawer noir.

Buy now from:    Amazon US        Amazon UK

FYI:

Frequent strong language.

Added for Reprise Review: Long Way Down by Tony Black was a nominee in the Thriller/Suspense category for B&P 2013 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran January 13, 2013.

Format/Typo Issues:

None.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Approximate word count: 10-15,000 words