I picked up A Study in Red: The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper, the cover hinting at the dark secrets contained between the covers. But, the cover didn’t warn of the depth of travel into the mind of a madman.

Brian L. Porter’s words grab the reader and won’t let go as he describes Robert Cavendish’s reading of the secret journal of the notorious Jack the Ripper. The man’s life changed as he discovered an ancestor’s place in Jack’s life, the workings of The Ripper’s mind, and the terror the mad man invoked.

This book is not one I could sit and read at one time. I would read a section, shiver, and lay the book aside. I had to return to its pages, though. I could not stay away. Part by part I delved into the horror that Porter portrayed in his novel. I can’t say I enjoyed the book, because the uneasy feelings it left in my mind were not enjoyable, but the book held my attention.

If one could live forever, what would one do? This has been a source of fiction and philosophy since our own brains first conceived the thought. For many, insanity, or power-hungry corruption seems to be the end results. Basically, to have immortality is a kind of hell no one really wants.

As a reader of Science Fiction and all the subgenre glory of the genre, I am amazed that so little has been written about an immortal that does not go crazy or power hungry.

What do you get when you have an environmentalist possibly on the take, federal agents authorized to commit murder, a mob widow who may know something, but can’t remember or even say it because of a stroke? Add to this unusual mix, health care scams, crooked politics and a rehab center nicknamed Hell in the Woods. Of course, the only place all this craziness could happen is in Florida. The only person who could pen it is Michael Berres in his latest thriller, Final Stroke.

The astrological sign of Scorpio has long been associated with intrigue, strong emotions and renewal. It is also considered by many to be the sexiest icon in the zodiac. Authors Jenna Howard and Deanna Lee have drawn upon these qualities for Scorpio, their contribution to the Zodiac Series from Liquid Silver Books.

She Was A Showgirl by Deanna Lee
Lola Bridges used to work as a showgirl at the Zodiac Hotel & Casino where her life was fun and carefree. This was before witnessing her former boss, mobster Phil Moretti, carry out two brutal murders. For the past year Lola has been on the run as she knows Moretti has her on a hit list. During this time Lola has relied on her own cunning and the skills learned from her policeman father to evade Moretti. She has also stayed under the sights of the police because she feels they cannot protect her.

A current theory is all wars are about hunger for power, or money, or both. Unfortunately, in this eternal struggle, innocent people suffer, and sometimes the same innocent by-standers make all the difference in making the struggle survivable. It follows that all crimes are about money and power. What is crime, but a war on a smaller scale? J.H. Bogran explores this lust for power and money in his novel, Treasure Hunt.

I responded to The Boss's request for a review on this book because I need to show that I am eager, hardworking, brave, reverent, and wise. This earnest, well-meant gesture sent me on quite a trip as I read Full Circle.

On a whim, Brie Donovan calls the number Billy Gage had written in her yearbook years ago and makes a date with him to meet in room 13 of Ruby's Hideaway. After marathon sex during the night and into the morning, Brie decides the sex is the best she has had, but they have nothing else in common. Billy decides Brie is his woman, but she is still in love with Nick Drake, her first love.

Imagine your nice, peaceful life thrown into chaos by a string of ugly and horrific events. On top of that, it is suddenly becoming clear that someone may be out there trying to destroy not only your own life but also that of your children. Such is the dilemma faced by Allie Constantine. Her husband, David, is the president of Genesis: a research company that has produced many lifesaving drugs. The two of them live in an idyllic community that is protected by Genesis security guards. There is never a lack of company as Allie can always just call another corporate wife who lives down the street.

I wouldn't call this a comedy even though there were several times I laughed out loud. The main character, Valerie, is undeniably a hoot. Valerie began as an amnesia victim living with a roommate Molly. Valerie had been run over by a car and was barely alive (every bone broken) when taken to the hospital, but miracle of miracles, she had healed completely within four months. Molly had started off as her nurse and ended up her friend and roommate. Valerie had no memory of life prior to her hospital stay, and no friends or family had come forward to tell her of her past. Some kind benefactor, however, had given her a trust fund to live on and to cover her medical bills. Roommate Molly was a horror movie buff, and was particularly interested in a hot Italian actor Guytano Marsarius;. She was matchmaking a match between Valerie and one of the physicians who had saved her life, Dr. Payton Sullivan.

Victorian London vividly depicted complete with intriguing plots, counterplots, Jack the Ripper, a talking hallucinogenic spider, and a shadowy subculture of shape shifters. If somehow you still don’t think that’s enough, then toss in time travel, lots of suspense, and a love triangle. What do you end up with? Why nothing less than a surefire recipe for success in the form of the novel, Sojourn, by Jana G. Oliver.