SYNOPSIS:

Now you see her. Now you don’t…

Captain Nick Angel has finally made a separate peace with the war in Afghanistan. Since having been ordered to bomb a Tajik village which resulted in the death of a little boy of no more than two, he’s been suffering from temporary bouts of blindness. Knowing the he needs time to rest and recover from his post traumatic stress, the US Army decides to send him to Venice along with his fiancee, the artist, Grace Blunt. Together they try and recapture their former life together. But when Grace suddenly goes missing, Nick not only finds himself suddenly alone and sightless in the ancient city of water, but also the number one suspect in her disappearance.

A novel that projects Hitchcockian suspense onto a backdrop of love and war, The Disappearance of Grace is a rich, literary thriller of fear, loss, love, and revenge. From the war in the Afghan mountains to the canals of romantic Venice, this is a story that proves 20/20 eyesight might not always be so perfect and seeing is not always believing.

AUTHOR BIO:

Vincent Zandri is the No. 1 International Bestselling Amazon author of THE INNOCENT, GODCHILD, THE REMAINS, MOONLIGHT FALLS, CONCRETE PEARL, MOONLIGHT RISES, SCREAM CATCHER, BLUE MOONLIGHT and MURDER BY MOONLIGHT. He is also the author of the Amazon bestselling digital shorts, PATHOLOGICAL, TRUE STORIES and MOONLIGHT MAFIA. Harlan Coben has described THE INNOCENT (formerly As Catch Can) as “…gritty, fast-paced, lyrical and haunting,” while the New York Post called it “Sensational…Masterful…Brilliant!” Zandri’s list of publishers include Delacorte, Dell, StoneHouse Ink, StoneGate Ink and Thomas & Mercer. An MFA in Writing graduate of Vermont College, Zandri’s work is translated into many languages including the Dutch, Russian, and Japanese. An adventurer, foreign correspondent, and freelance photo-journalist for RT, Globalspec, IBTimes and more, he lives in Albany, New York. For more go to WWW.VINCENTZANDRI.COM

EXCERPT:

The wind picks up off the basin.
It seems to seep right through my leather coat into flesh, skin and bone. I try and hold my face up to the sun while the waiter takes our orders. Grace orders a single glass of vino russo and a pancetta and cheese panini. I forgo the Valpolicella and order a Moretti beer and a simple spaghetti pomadoro. The waiter thanks us and I listen to him leaving us for now.

We sit in the calm of the early afternoon, the sounds of the boat traffic coming and going on the basin filling my ears. People surround us on all sides. Tourists who have come to San Marco for the first time and who’ve become mesmerized by it all. I don’t have to physically see them to know how they feel. The stone square, the Cathedral, the bell tower, the many shops and high- end eateries that occupy the wide, square-shaped perimeter. The pigeons. The people. Always the throngs of people coming and going amidst a chorus of bells, bellowing voices, live music emerging from trumpets, violins, and guitars, and an energetic buzz that seems to radiate up from underneath all that stone and sea-soaked soil.

It’s early November.

Here’s what I know about Venice: In just a few week’s’ time, the rains will come and this square will be underwater. The ever sinking Venice floods easily now. The only way to walk the square will be over hastily constructed platforms made from cobbled narrow planks. Many of the tourists will stay away and the live music will be silenced. But somehow, that’s when Venice will come alive more than ever. When the stone is bathed in water.

The waiter brings our drinks and food.
With the aroma of the hot spaghetti filling my senses, I dig in and spoon up a mouthful. I wash the hot, tangy sauce-covered pasta down with a swallow of red wine.

“Whoa, slow down, chief,” Grace giggles.

“Eating, smiling, making love to me. What’s next? Writing?”

“Don’t press your luck, Gracie,” I say. “The sea change can occur at any moment. Just don’t start asking me to identify engagement rings.”

She laughs genuinely and I listen to the sounds of her taking a bite out of her sandwich. But then she goes quiet again. Too quiet, as if she’s stopped breathing altogether.

“There’s someone staring at us,” she says under her breath.

“Man or woman?” I say, trying to position my gaze directly across the table at her, but making out nothing more than her black silhouette framed against the brightness of the sun. Later on, when the sun goes down, the image of her will be entirely black. Like the blackness of the Afghan Tajik country when the fires are put out and you lie very still inside your tent without the benefit of electronic night vision, and you feel the beating of your never- still heart and you pray for morning.

“Man,” she whispers.

“What’s he look like?”

“It’s him again. The man in the overcoat who was staring at us yesterday.”

A start in my heart. I put my fork down inside my bowl. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I think. He’s wearing sunglasses this time. So,. I think it’s him.”

“What’s he look like?”

“He’s a thin man. Not tall. Not short. He’s got a dark complexion.”

“Black?”

“No. More like Asian or Middle Eastern. He’s wearing sunglasses and that same brown overcoat and a scarf. His hair is black and cut close to his scalp. His beard is very trim and cropped close to his face.” She exhales. I hear her take a quick, nervous sip of her wine. “He keeps staring at us. At me. Just like yesterday, Nick.”

“How do you know he’s staring at you? It could be something behind you, Grace. We’re in Venice. Lots going on behind you. Lots to see.”

She’s stirring in her chair. Agitated.
“Because I can feel him. His eyes…I. Feel. His. Eyes.”

I wipe my mouth clean with the cloth napkin. I do something entirely silly. I turn around in my chair to get a look at the man. As if I have the ability to see him right now, which I most definitely do not.

“What are you doing?” Grace poses, the anxiety in her voice growing more intense with each passing second.

“Trying to get a look at him.”

“You’re joking, Nick.”

I turn back, try and focus on her.

“You think?”

We sit silent.
Once more I am helpless and impotent.

“I’m sorry,” she says after a time. “I’m not trying to insult you. This isn’t like yesterday with the ring. But this man is at the same café we’re at two days in a row? This is really starting to creep me out, babe.”

My pulse begins to pump inside my head. Not rapid, but just enough for me to notice. Two steady drum beats against my temples. I find myself wanting to swallow, but my mouth has gone dry. I take a sip of beer thinking it will help.

“He’s coming towards us, Nick. I don’t like it.”

Heart beat picks up. I feel it pounding inside my head and my chest.

“Are you sure he’s coming towards us, Grace?” I’m trying not to raise my voice, but it’s next to impossible.

“He’s looking right at me. His hands are stuffed in the pockets of his overcoat. And he’s coming.”

I feel and hear Grace pulling away from the table. She’s standing. That’s when the smell of incense sweeps over me. A rich, organic, incense-like smell.

There comes the sound of Grace standing. Abruptly standing. I hear her metal chair push out. I hear the sound of her boot heels on the cobbles. I hear the chair legs scraping against the stone slate. I hear the sound of her wine glass spilling.

“Grace, for God’s sakes, be careful.”

But she doesn’t respond to me. Or is it possible her voice is drowned out by what sounds like a tour group passing by the table? A tour group of Japanese speaking people. But once they pass, there is nothing. No sound at all other than the boats on the basin and the constant murmur of the thousands of tourists that fill this ancient square.

“Grace,” I say. “Grace. Stop it. This isn’t funny. Grace.”

But there’s still no response.
The smell of incense is gone now.
I make out the gulls flying over the tables, the birds shooting in from the basin to pick up scraps of food and then, like thieves in the night, shooting back out over the water. I can hear and feel the sound-wave driven music that reverberates against the stone cathedral.

“Grace,” I repeat, voice louder now. “Grace. Grace…Grace!”

I’m getting no response.

It’s like she’s gone. Vanished. But how can she be gone? She was just sitting here with me. She was sitting directly across from me, eating a sandwich and drinking a glass of wine. She was talking with me.
The waiter approaches.

“The signora is not liking her food?” he questions.

I reach out across the table. In the place where she was sitting. She is definitely not there.

“Is there a toilet close by?” I pose. “Did you see my fiancée leave the table and go to the toilet?”

The waiter pauses for a moment.

“I am sorry. But I did not. I was inside the café.”

“Then maybe somebody else saw her. Maybe you can ask them.”

“Signor, there are many tables in this café and they are all filled with people. And there are many people who walk amongst the tables who can block their view. I am looking at them. No one seems to be concerned about anything. Sometimes there are so many people here, it is easy to get lost. Perhaps she just went to the toilet like you just suggested, and she got lost amongst the people. I will come back in moment and make sure all is well.”

I listen to the waiter leaving, his footsteps fading against the slate.
Grace didn’t say anything about going to the toilet or anywhere else. Grace was frightened. She was frightened of a man who was staring at her. A man with sunglasses on and a cropped beard and a long brown overcoat. He was the man from yesterday. The man with black eyes. He was approaching us, this man. He came to our table and he smelled strongly of incense. He came to our table. There was a slight commotion, the spilling of a glass, the knocking over of a chair, and then Grace was gone.

I sit and stare at nothing. My heart is pounding so fast I think it will cease at any moment. What I have in the place of vision is a blank wall of blurry illumination no longer filled with the silhouette of my Grace.

I push out my chair. Stand. My legs knock into the table and my glass spills along with Grace’s.

I cup my hands around my mouth.

“Grace!” I shout. “Grace! Grace!”

The people who surround me all grow quiet as I scream over them.

The waiter comes running back over.

“Please, please,” he says to me, taking me by the arm. “Please come with me.”

He begins leading me through the throng of tables and people. He is what I have now in the place of Grace. He is my sight.

“She’s gone, isn’t she?” I beg. “Did you check the toilets?”

“We checked the toilets. They are empty. I am sorry. I am sure there is an explanation.”

“Grace is gone!” I shout. “A man took her away. How could no one have seen it?”

“You’re frightening the patrons, signor. Please just come with me and we will try and find her.”

“She’s gone,” I repeat. “Don’t you understand me? My. Grace. Is. Gone.”

My Thoughts:

The Disappearance of Grace is full of climactic events that kept me on the edge of my seat. Vincent Zandri took me on roller coaster ride that kept me turning the digital Kindle pages late into the night. The plot flowed well and gave up the clues to the disappearance of Grace in just the right places to keep me engaged. The characters uniquely fit together and their dialog brings them into believable life with all their human faults. This novel is not a relaxing read as it will keep your adrenaline high.

The one thing that kept me wondering was this idea that PTSD could actually cause blindness. I did some research and found that blindness, deafness, and paralysis, among other conditions, are common forms stress reactions from PTSD. With this validated in my own mine it added to the believability of the plot.

Who should read this novel?

I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves fast paced mystery novels and especially those that like mystery novels written around the effects of war and PTSD. This novel will not disappoint!

I have given the novel a 4 out of 5.

In accordance with new FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers I am disclosing the following: Partners in Crime provided  this book and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

(4/5)

SYNOPSIS:

AUTHOR BIO:

JOHN WORSLEY SIMPSON is a crime-fiction writer. John was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, emigrated to Canada at the age of four and grew up in Toronto, He has been a reporter and editor in major newspapers and news services in North America, England and Ireland. He is married and lives in Newmarket, Ontario.

 AUTHOR SITES:

Website (http://www.johnworsleysimpson.ca)

Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/johnworsleysimpson)

Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/jworsim)

 

 

 

 

EXCERPT:

“Okay.” The detective moved the computer mouse on the table and the screen lit up. He clicked on a folder and a video player opened; another click and the video began to play. The first scene was inside one of the mall’s entrances. In a moment, Liam and Rebecca entered the frame from the bottom of the screen, their backs to the camera.

“Is that you and your wife?” Welburn asked.

“It is, yes. It was a cold day, like today, so Rebecca wore her red, quilted ski jacket. I wore my pea coat and watch cap—hello, sailor,” Peters said, grinning vacuously, and immediately felt stupid.

“Sure. And right away you split up.”

“Rebecca likes to shop alone, which is great. As men, you must appreciate that.”

The detectives exchanged a glance and then nodded politely.

They ran the video for about an hour, various cameras picking up Rebecca in her bright red coat and ink-black hair. One scene showed Rebecca heading past the camera toward the mall exit, carrying a Lord & Taylor bag. The next scene showed Peters carrying a huge Hugo Boss bag, passing Rebecca as she re-entered the mall empty handed. He waved to her as he passed, and she turned down a side corridor that led to the restrooms.

“I took the jacket and pants I’d bought out to the car,” Peters explained. “Rebecca had a couple of outfits in her bag. She left them in the car, too. I found them later.”

Almost instantly, because of the truncating of the video by the technician, a man wearing a long, black overcoat, its collar turned up, and a sloping-brim, Irish-style, tweed hat appeared from the bottom of the screen, his back to the camera, as if he had just entered the mall. He was carrying a duffel bag. His shoulders were hunched and he walked with long, quick strides, so that he was around the corner and in the restroom corridor in a few seconds.

Welburn paused the video.

“Let me explain. I’ve watched the video before, a few times. The original showed this corner of the hall for some time. There is an emergency exit at the end of the corridor to the restrooms, and there are a couple of utility rooms. If the exit door had been opened, an alarm would have sounded, and a signal flashed in the security room. It wasn’t opened. There’s no camera in the restroom hallway, by the way. It’s only a short hall, fully visible from the main hall. Anyway, you’ll see when I start the video again that two people—the guy in the long coat—and a woman in a long coat and a wide scarf covering her hair and most of her face come out of the restroom hallway. The guy is holding the woman’s elbow. Okay, watch.”

As soon as the detective restarted the video, the couple he had described came hurrying around the corner in the direction of the camera. The hat and collar of the man concealed his face, as did the woman’s scarf cover hers. He seemed almost to be pushing her. He wasn’t carrying the duffel bag.

“Now, the entire rest of the video shows no one in a red ski jacket, or even anyone roughly resembling your wife come out of that corridor, or from straight down the hall.”

“That must have been her.”

“With the long-overcoat guy? Yeah we think so. The height looks about right, for instance. And—I’m sorry about this, but we checked with the lost-and-found at the mall, and they had a red ski jacket that looks exactly like the one your wife was wearing. It was found in the ladies washroom in the hallway we’re looking at. And the duffel bag the guy was carrying was in the hallway.”

My Thoughts:

Overall, I did find the plot to be intriguing and easy to follow. I also found the introduction for this book was pretty good and this allowed me to get into the overall plot very quickly. The clues of what really happened to Rebecca were cleverly hidden so that the ending wasn’t predictable — I like that in a well written mystery novel. I also found the ending too nicely bring all the lose ends to a conclusion — albeit not the conclusion that  I expected.  The other triumphs of this book are hard for me to name as I found some of character development to be lacking and the plot at times seemed rushed.  I would have preferred more descriptive voice and a richer dialog between the characters — if these two things would have occurred I am sure the overall affect would have greatly enhance the believability of characters.

 

One example of how I felt the plot was rushed was the description of Rebecca’s marriage and how the dating, proposing, accepting, and abracadabra she is  married occurred in only a few days, three to be exact,  and only took a few paragraphs in the book to describe, and only one paragraph that really gave me any detail about this event in Rebecca’s life. While there are reasons for a quick marriage in real life and maybe also in Rebecca’s case the overall affect of such a life changing event could have been made more genuine with a richer more detailed writing style of this important event. Below is the excerpt of the descriptive writing detailing this event:

Three days after they arrived at Liam’s house, leaving the door open to the January chill and tearing their clothes from their bodies as they scrambled upstairs to give the bed a pre-conjugal trail, they were in front of the justice  of the peace  and were pledging eternal and reciprocal love.

I would of loved to read more about what Liam felt about Rebecca the first time she arrived at his house: did her eyes glisten, what were some of sounds that were heard from the January chilly day, what perfume was Rebecca wearing, what kind of clothes did she have on for the first time in Liam’s home, did Liam enjoy his first time with Rebecca and of course the vice versa did Rebecca enjoy her first time with Liam? I could go on and on with what I found missing and what my mind was craving as I read this novel; however, I will just say that the overall affect of not being more descriptive made me perceive that the characters were not believable and the plot rushed.

 

I found a number of  grammatical, and spelling errors that are sprinkled throughout this novel. Maybe this was a first readers edition (I’m not sure?)  before the final edition is printed and the final edition may correct these errors, but I can only critique the work that I was provided.

 

One final word of caution for prospective readers of this novel — the author has liberally used the ‘F’ word throughout much of the dialog and as such this novel is not for underage readers or those that are opposed to such language. I am not downgrading this work because of this language, but I did want to caution readers to what they will find throughout this novel.

 Who should read this novel?

This novel will appeal to readers that enjoy mystery, and romance around a plot that will keep you interested from the first page to the last. Readers that would like a quick read while on a plane trip or just setting out under the sun will find the length of Missing Rebecca the perfect read.

I’ve given this novel a 3 rating out of 5.

 

In accordance with new FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers I am disclosing the following: I was given an eBook of this novel by Partners In Crime Tours and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3/5)

 

 

 

Reviewed by: Steve Capell

The protagonist Archie Sheridan is a homicide detective that works for the Portland, Oregon police department. Archie pays a visit to Gretchen Lowell who is serving time at a psychiatric hospital for her previous unnerving, horrific, and painful murders that she committed in her past. Archie describes Gretchen as a woman with such stunning beauty and eyes that are passionately blue. Archie knows the type of torture that Gretchen can wield as he was a recipient of one of her bloody rampages. During his visit with Gretchen he is told of a man that he needs to find in order to put an end to some of latest slayings that have occurred to the innocent people of Portland. Archie is not sure what to make of Gretchen’s statements … could she really know who is behind these slayings or is this just another way to further satisfy her mentally deranged mind. The one thing Archie knows for sure he is that Portland is  much safer now that Gretchen is locked away in a psychiatric hospital and he now has the time to bring justice to whoever is behind the latest slayings.

My thoughts.

I will say up front that this audio book by Macmillan Audio really brought the character’s to life. Christina Delaine, Macmillan’s Audio Book narrator, was able to narrate the dialog of these characters in way that I felt sometimes they were breathing on my neck … that was a bone chilling experience. Her tone of voice is one that really allowed me to experience the overall end product of this novel. I saw the following excerpt on Macmillan’s web page concerning her bio:

Christina Delaine is an accomplished stage and voiceover actress. Onstage, she has performed at The Public Theater, Trinity Repertory Company, Actors Theater of Louisville, Ensemble Studio Theater and Peterborough Players. Notably, she has also acted in JEWTOPIA, the longest running comedy in off-Broadway history and the title role in ANTIGONE at both Portland Center Stage and Kentucky Repertory Theater. A voice over artist and audio book narrator, Christina has voiced scores of commercials as well as the works of several New York Times Best Sellers, including Chelsea Cain and Erica Spindler, and is an AudioFile Earphones Award winner.   She recently completed work on the film “WHO KILLED CHANDRA LEVY?”

The plot of Chelsea Cain’s novel flows sequentially forward at a very effective and brisk pace. There were times that I felt I couldn’t turn the audio off because the ongoing plot was so alluring and captivating.The characters are complex, fully developed, and as mentioned earlier I swear some were breathing on my neck.

So what could of been done better or differently about this audio book?

I always try to find something that could of been done differently or better; however, it is very difficult to name anything major that I would like to change. I like the fact the ending wasn’t predictable and also the ending came when I wasn’t expecting it. The ending tied up all the lose ends of the plot in a very satisfying conclusion, but  Chelsea Cain leaves enough wiggle room in the ending of this novel for another novel to be written. The one caution that I will give all readers and listeners of this novel is listener beware — this novel is full of some very detailed horrific torture and death descriptions. There is also a fair amount of sexual activities that are also detailed in this novel. Most thriller type novels that are written today delve into at least one of these areas if not both areas. I am only bringing this up in my review because a reader and or listener needs to be informed that this material is for adults only and not written for the faint of heart. My personal opinion is that this writing could have been as compelling with maybe not as much of the details of some of crime scenes and the sexual encounters. I am not lowering my rating of this novel because the writer added this a fair amount of adult material to the novel, but I did feel it was more than I was expecting.

Who should read this novel or listen to this novel?

Anyone that likes fast paced thrillers with well developed characters will want to pick this one up. I understand that Chelsea Cain has several novels in this series and if you are a follower of her novels this one will be a must read. One final note that I will plug again is the narrator of this novel … if you haven’t listened to any narrations done by Christina Delaine then this would be the perfect time to witness a superb narration … you will love the way she brings breathable life from the text of this superbly written novel.

Anyway a good novel and well worth the  4.5 rating out of 5 that I am giving this one.

In accordance with new FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers I am disclosing the following: The publisher provided this book and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

(4.5/5)

Reviewed by: Steve Capell

The protagonist, Tess, finds out that something isn’t right when friends and even family members are murdered. She is determined to find out how all the murders fit together; however, the more she investigates the closer she comes to being a victim as well. Tess has a plan, but the real question is will her plan work or will she become just another victim. You will have to read this amazing novel to find out.

My thoughts:

This is the first Russell Blake novel that I have read and it will not be my last. I found the writing to be strong, witty, and expressive. The character development was very good and dialog flowed well. The plot has two on your edge thrillers going on at the same time and Blake handles both plots with eloquence as I was swept between these two contending plots.

I have given Fatal Exchange a 4 out of 5 rating.

Who should read this novel?

This is a book for any season; perfect for a sunny summer beach or a chilly winter’s day before a crackling log fire. Anyone that loves fast paced mystery novels will find this one a breeze to read. One note of caution as this novel is written with a number of violent scenes. I would recommend this book to everyone I know and many that I don’t.

In accordance with new FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers I am disclosing the following: I received this novel free from the Kindle book store and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html:
“Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

(4/5)

Reviewed by: Steve Capell

If you are like me and desire to know as much as possible about Jesus then the book The Jesus We Missed by Patrick Henry Reardon is a must read. I was concerned prior to reading this book that this would be book full of opinions that lacked physical evidence of fact; however, Patrick backs up all his claims with scripture and the language that was used in the scripture. He paints a brilliant picture of Jesus. While Jesus is 100% deity and 100% human Patrick’s focus is mainly on the humanity of Jesus.  As one who has often considered this dichotomy of historical fact — Patrick compassionately and brilliantly allows the reader to see Jesus as deity and human throughout the text of this book.

The chapters included in this book are listed below:

Growing Up

Two Conversations

Baptism

The Human Condition

The Public Ministry

Learning and Teaching

Jesus at Prayer

Jesus and the Women

The Growing Crisis

The Garden

The Bridegroom Is Taken Away

Risen in the Flesh

Epilogue: The Same Jesus

Appendix: The New Adam

I’ve easily have given this book a rating of five. I can recommend this book to laypeople and clergy as this book will easily become a book that will be cherished.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

(5/5)