Reader Views

One Hand Killing (An Alex Sullivan Zen Mystery)

Article first published as eBook Review: One Hand Killing (An Alex Sullivan Zen Mystery) by Nancy O'Hara on Blogcritics.

When Alex, a New York City Detective, plans a trip to visit her Zen Master Setsu Roshi at his monastery retreat, she is looking forward to taking a break from her busy city life and the tough cases that she has to handle. Using special sensory skills that she has developed from her years of Zen training to help solve hard cases has its pluses, but at times it also can be somewhat draining. Going to the monastery gives Alex a chance to distance herself from the stress of her job and to get mentally refreshed. Little does she know that she is about to be involved with one of the biggest cases of her life because it involves her friends at her retreat.

Shortly after Alex arrives at the monastery, people start disappearing and bodies start appearing. There are three murders and one mutilated cat. Each situation seems to be connected with someone who has knowledge of Zen koans, who is also leaving a specific message. This leads Alex to suspect some of the people whom she is closest to, even her Zen Master Roshi. Alex has heard rumors about Roshi having a colorful past and this causes her to contemplate how true of a master he really is. Because the monastery also houses people with criminal backgrounds, Alex doesn’t limit her suspicions to him. When law enforcement agencies get involved Alex is allowed to assist with doing some investigative work. Her knowledge of the people and their special ways helps give some insight to the outsiders.

The further Alex goes into the investigation, the more unsavory history she uncovers, including information about people who were formerly or are currently involved with her Zen master. She also learns that Roshi is being blackmailed. Striving to solve this case and help keep both herself and those around her safe while still enjoying some retreat time is very taxing and consuming, but Alex is compelled to help. As she gets closer to finding the truth, she also gains some greater insight into herself.

I really enjoyed reading “One Hand Killing,” which is the first novel in the Alex Sullivan Zen Mystery series. I look forward to finding out what Nancy O’Hara has in store for Alex in the future. I also found the premise to the story to be incredibly unique. I appreciated that the author used her own knowledge of Zen to add depth and credibility to the story. As I read, I found myself admiring this novel on two levels. The first was that it is a creatively written mystery with a unique plot and well-developed characters. The second aspect that I enjoyed is that the Zen focus isn’t just on the story, but it also offers many thought-provoking ideas with which I can apply to my own life. I also could really relate to the main character’s dilemma about having doubts about being able to trust her spiritual advisor. This is something very similar to a situation that I personally dealt with recently and I was really interested in seeing how the author resolved it. I suspect that there will be many other readers that will relate to this. “One Hand Killing” is highly recommended reading.


One Hand Killing (An Alex Sullivan Zen Mystery)
Nancy O’Hara
Nancy O’Hara (2012)
ISBN 9780984893805
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (2/12)

Hot Sexy Banker Chicks

Article first published as Book Review: Hot Sexy Banker Chicks by Elizabeth Pier on Blogcritics.

I have to admit, at a glance, I was sure that the title of the book was, “Hot Sexy Biker Chicks,” instead of “Hot Sexy Banker Chicks.”   Boy was I wrong!  The real title actually makes for a more unique and interesting read because books and movies about biker chicks have flooded the market over the years.  This is actually the first book that I have ever seen written about banker chicks.

The author, Elizabeth Pier, writes a fictional story based upon real incidents.  The main character Marilyn was born and raised in New Orleans during the 60s. In the 80s she moved to San Francisco and began working in the banking industry.  From there she moved with her husband and children to the east coast.  She finally manages to settle down in North Country which is a rural area in upstate New York where the cows outnumber the people.  Feeling out of sorts and bored after she gets settled in, Marilyn decides to return to work in the banking industry.  It is not easy to find openings, let alone people who are willing to hire a newcomer to this area. When she finally is hired by an international bank, her career begins again, only it is very different this time.  Unlike the metropolitan areas where she previously was employed, the people who require banking services are very different. Some of the ones who you would least expect to have money, have the most. They don’t stand out as wealthy when they come into the bank dressed very casually with cow manure on their boots.  Almost every customer has a story to tell, or an eccentricity which the bank employees have to handle.  In “Hot Sexy Banker Chicks,” we get to be entertained by these stories.

When Marilyn is hired as the bank’s Asset Relationship Manager, she develops a quick rapport with Steph who is the branch manager and Louise, the assistant manager.  These are the “Hot Sexy Banker Chicks.”  As with the customers, these ladies have their own eccentricities.  For Steph, she has a blended family that involves mischievous boys who are constantly in trouble.  Marilyn is grateful for the friendship of these two ladies. As co-workers they usually try to help each other out when dealing with pesky customers. Other times, they just laugh, as I did when reading their exploits.

Marilyn’s experiences while working at this bank offer the reader many lessons to be learned about life. One is to remember to treat each human being as a person with value. She also learns not to judge people by their appearances, there are some incredible souls lurking behind long hair. She also taught me to be very careful about making sure that my personal affairs are in order now while I have most of my mental faculties intact.  There is a huge lesson about this in one of her stories. I also pray that one day, when I am old and lonely, people will look forward to seeing me and that I will not overstay my welcome when I venture into town to do business.

I highly recommend reading “Hot Sexy Banker Chicks” by Elizabeth Pier and I think that this book is a must read for women’s reader’s groups.  It is guaranteed to be enjoyed by all!


Hot Sexy Banker Chicks
Elizabeth Pier
CreateSpace (2011)
ISBN 9781456502751
Read by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (2/12)

The Analyst

Article first published as Book Review: The Analyst P.T. Dawkins on Blogcritics.

P. T. Dawkins draws on his career in the investment world as well as his unique insight into human nature in crafting his book “The Analyst.” Protagonist David Heart lands a job as a stock analyst at an off Wall Street investment firm. The opportunity came about for David to move from his job at a small town bank to the investment firm as a result of a family connection with the firm’s management.

David is motivated by a strong desire to make good financially so that he can provide subsistence for his widowed mother and to pay for the care of his aging grandfather.

Naive and untrained as an analyst David is unprepared for the insatiable greed, and unethical, sometimes illegal conduct of many unscrupulous operators prevalent in the financial industry. David soon finds himself verbally abused and bullied by the head trader, Blackie, and befriended, but used, by attractive Sandy Allen, an investment saleswoman with the firm. David becomes entangled in an illegal plot of extortion involving insider trading. He has been set up and is being threatened with being found guilty of felony charges for his complicity.

I found Dawkin’s characters so believable that within the first two or three chapters I was emotionally reacting with contempt, empathy, compassion, and loathing. These colorful characters, the fast-moving action, and distinctive dialogue all add up to the potential for a successful movie adaptation. (Note: as a word of caution, excessive strong language may be a distraction to some readers as well as in a movie script.)

Dawkins writes with an uncanny attention to detail to plot development as well as tying up loose ends. Along with the dark side of his characters, he develops an interesting perspective on business ethics, adds a touch of alt ruism, and a strong message of integrity. I found his descriptions of SEC regulations and investigative procedures informative as well as adding a significant note of intrigue and suspense to a spellbinding plot.

Avid readers of Wall Street adventure novels should find “The Analyst” by P. T. Dawkins is a riveting read that is highly recommended.


The Analyst
P. T. Dawkins
Llumina Press (2011)
ISBN 9781605947235
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (1/12)

Unemployment Benefits (Kindle Edition)

Feeling down on his luck, depressed and angry about being let go from his job, Walter Milton does not have enough to do to keep him busy.  He just has to make sure that he is home in time to start dinner for his working wife. Too depressed to job hunt, he spends his days wandering around fantasizing about killing people. Taking things one step further, he illegally buys a gun.  This greatly increases the likelihood that he could actually live out one of his murderous dreams.  As his fantasies and reality collide, Walter believes that he has done something horrible.

Feeling both repentant and fearful of being caught and becoming someone’s sex toy in prison, Walter starts to snap out of his fantasy world and begins to make sincere efforts to find work.  Even as he gets his life back in order, his fantasy world still has a tendency to creep back into his thoughts.  Will he actually do it, or won’t he? That is the question.

Having experienced episodes of unemployment myself, I can understand how Walter could feel too depressed to go looking for work.  Futile was the word that came to mind when I read this story.  Especially since I suspected that his daydreaming might have played a role in being fired. Even if Walter didn’t see it this way, I did.  So instead of doing something to better himself, he dreams up ways to kill people. Not very productive, however, since this is a fictional story, I found it to be highly entertaining.

The message here is about the importance of keeping yourself too busy to have time to dream up ways of killing people.  “Unemployment Benefits” is another fun read from Bob Frey.

Unemployment Benefits (Kindle Edition)
Bob Frey
Van Fleet Books (2011)
ASIN: B004J170AO
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (6/11)

Basic Steps for Starting a New Business: Avoiding Zaps, Traps, and Pitfalls

On page one of “Basic Steps for Starting a New Business” R. W. states “My purpose is to try to help (by way of this manuscript) you find a suitable way to start and push your business to the next level....The first step will get you going.  If you go the wrong way, it is likely because you started wrong.  Watch your step.  It is important to know why you are doing this.”

Continuing from this page and statement, R. W. gives the reader some basic information on starting a business.  He covers areas such as researching to be sure you know about the venue and focusing on establishing the business as well as cautions. The rest of the book consists of a checklist and workbook style questions. Each page has a question, for example, “What is the cost of getting started?” with space to write in your answers. At the back of the book, R. W. gives a sample business plan.

The author is adamant that taking a job for at least six months in the area of interest before starting a business is important.  He claims "If you are not good enough to be promoted by then, don't even think about this as your new life.  You may not be stupid, but if you cannot be promoted while working for someone that knows the business, you will not be able to survive in it, and if you cannot see what I'm am trying to get across to you, you really are stupid, AND YOU ARE DESTINED TO FAIL."

“Basic Steps for Starting a New Business” is only 63 pages but has some important information.  Although this isn’t the only book you will need to start a business, it does give the reader preliminary thoughts to consider and ponder.  I also believe that writing down the answer in the space provided will give clarity and I commend author, R. W. for providing that avenue.

Basic Steps for Starting a New Business: Avoiding Zaps, Traps, and Pitfalls
R. W.
Llumina Press (2010)
ISBN 9781605944685
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (2/11)

Leading Team Alpha: Leadership in Novel Form

Author and business leadership guru Joel DiGirolamo proclaims in the preface to his new book, “Leading Team Alpha,” that “…mounds of research data and many concepts have been generated in the academic community and yet little has leaked into the business community.” Further, he explains, organizational and industrial psychology practitioners have tried to bridge the gap but with only limited success. The author’s goal is to bring viable research from the academic community to the business community “…in such a manner that it is understandable, entertaining, thought provoking and immediately useful.” Throughout the book, the goal is often achieved.

“Leading Team Alpha” includes the best of current thinking on leadership, but such information is not exclusive to this book. What actually distinguishes “Leading Team Alpha” is the author’s decision to sow current leadership best practices organically throughout a novel that tells the story of a middle manager’s immediate need to become a leader in the fight for the life of the company for which he works. In essence, Mr. DiGirolamo has abandoned the traditional leadership guide model, including the short, mundane situational vignettes, and infused leadership tenants throughout his entire novel. The result of using this device is, indeed, clearer, impactful communication of the definition of leadership. This device also might attract more experienced middle and upper level managers who might perceive that traditional leadership volumes have nothing new to offer.

As for the story itself, it is a bit lean and the characters are underdeveloped, but the telling is engaging and easy to follow. Given that the genre is primarily a delivery medium, and that the book is really a new format for exploring leadership, this shortcoming is not a significant deterrent to the book’s effectiveness.

Nearly all readers enjoy good stories. Joel DiGirolamo’s decision was mindful of this universal truth when he decided to write his book on leadership in the setting of a novel. “Leading Team Alpha” is an informational, impactful and entertaining story that is truly worth reading by managers and leaders at all levels.

Leading Team Alpha: Leadership in Novel Form
Joel DiGirolamo
PranaPower (2010)
ISBN 9780977088430
Reviewed by Joseph Yurt for Reader Views (1/11)

Follow the Money: A collection of interconnected short stories

“Follow the Money” is a hysterical collection of short stories that share a connection about a cache of stolen money.  The stories begin with two bumbling brothers who get outwitted by their kidnapped victim.  The adventure escalates when she takes off with their money.  Well, it really is her money, since her dad paid it for her ransom.  As she embarks on her new life, she encounters some scammers who manage to talk her into letting them invest it for her.  In spite of her worldliness, especially for a teen, she learns a hard lesson about something being too good to be true.

Each story tells a quirky, hysterical tale about where the money goes. The author, Ross Cavins, gets an A+ for creativity.  How he manages to connect all of his ideas into one book, I will never figure out.  The only thing that comes to mind is that he randomly opens a dictionary and chooses topics from the words that are on the pages that fall open.  I love this aspect of the stories, because nothing is predictable, except that the money will soon end up in someone else’s hands.  As the stories progress, things seem to come around full circle, demonstrating the interconnection of all things in life.  This of course is not always a good thing though.

I am truly glad that I didn’t read “Follow the Money” in a public place because my inability to hold in my laughter would have strangers assuming that I am in serious need of some kind of psychotropic medication.  I highly recommend this novel to people who enjoy a good, laugh out loud adventure, and who are not offended easily!

Follow the Money: A collection of interconnected short stories
Ross Cavins
RCG Publishing (2010)
ISBN 9780982772003
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (04/10)

The Brotherhood

“The Brotherhood” has just about everything that could make for a great movie: a good and noble businessman-turned-hostage, heroic cops working the case, and evil terrorists determined to save their way of life at any cost, but certain things that would be bearable on the screen are just irritating on the page.

David Hamilton is a businessman with a vision; a vision of uniting the Middle East with an ultra-fast optical laser communication network. Unfortunately, not everyone shares Hamilton’s dream of unity and he winds up as a hostage after his executive staff is murdered by jihad terrorists.

Hamilton’s role as a hostage is short-lived when an unexpected blizzard results in a catastrophic accident that leaves all but Hamilton and one terrorist dead. The surviving terrorist, Mustafa, is badly injured and unable to walk so he and his former hostage must form an alliance to survive in the harsh winter elements they find themselves stranded in.

Mr. Stopa undertook a risky venture in an attempt to turn a terrorist into a character we feel sympathy for. Surprisingly, his goal was a success. Mustafa is portrayed mostly as a gullible young man who had the misfortune of falling under the sway of some very bad people. Deep down inside, he is not a violent man and it’s impossible to view him as a bad guy.

I did have a couple of problems with the story, though. Mr. Stopa frequently broke the writer’s rule of ‘show, don’t tell’ and missed out on opportunities to let us feel even closer to the characters. I would have preferred to see action and emotion in certain incidents, instead of simply being told point-blank what a certain character was feeling at any given time. The story also hit a couple of bumps because Mustafa’s past is re-told numerous times. While it’s interesting to see how this intelligent, young man wound up as terrorist, it’s not a tale that needs to be rehashed. I was also less than thrilled with pages and pages of interrupted dialogue between Hamilton and Mustafa discussing the merits of Western culture versus Middle Eastern culture.

Aside from the above issues, “The Brotherhood” is an adventure filled with both interesting characters and a plot that moves at a decent pace. The realistic settings and true-to-life character motivations make for an entertaining and believable story.

The Brotherhood
Frank Stopa
CreateSpace (2010)
ISBN 9781451510683
Reviewed by Marty Shaw for Reader Views (09/10)

Death by Wall Street: Rampage of the Bulls

Theodore Jerome Cohen has chosen to use the medium of the novel as a platform to express his repugnance for the brazen manipulation of the stock market in the field of biotechnology. As a result of the collusion among pharmaceutical developers, unscrupulous doctors, Wall Street stock analysts and inaction by government agencies, the lives of innocent victims are put jeopardy. “Death by Wall Street” is a work of fiction. The story is based upon real events.

Three separate murders appear to be related because the heads of the victims were severed and left to be discovered in prominent places. One is found pinned to the horn of the bronze sculpture “The Charging Bull” in Bowling Green Park near Wall Street. Another is left in the lap of Robert Aitken’s statue “Future” at Federal Triangle on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. The final of the trio is propped against the window on the driver’s side of his black Mercedes-Benz, which is parked near the delivery dock behind the Delacourt Theater in Central Park.

The public, the mayor’s office, and the chief of police are all clamoring for results, a quick arrest, and closure to these heinous crimes. Feeling “strangled” himself, Homicide Detective Lou Martelli of the NYPD is forced to think outside the box to solve the case.

Cohen proves to have an innate ability to instill believability in his fictional characters. Steve Jacobs, John Williamson, and Tricia Fournier represent the various levels of stock market analysts. They demonstrate the corruption, greed and lack of ethics often resulting from affluence.

Dr. Broussard is the embodiment of the persona without moral fiber. Ruthless and unprincipled, he smears the reputation of all his peers in the medical profession.

Detective Martelli and his support team of experts in crime detection, although somewhat devious on occasion, are examples of the finest in character, dedication, and loyalty to public service.

I especially appreciate Cohen’s strong characterizations and attention to detail. I admire his boldness to speak out with a keen sense conviction on the unethical practices flagrant in industry and government today.

Detailed footnotes document instances where facts are introduced into the fictional account. Important background information on Wall Street practices, drug research, and investigative procedures added to my personal enjoyment of Cohen’s writing style. This is a book that should be added to the reading list of college and university classes in ethics, political science, finance, business, law, science, and medicine. Detailed footnotes document instances where facts are introduced into the fictional account. Important background information on Wall Street practices, drug research, and investigative procedures added to my personal enjoyment of Cohen’s writing style. This is a book that should be added to the reading list of college and university classes in ethics, political science, finance, business, law, science, and medicine.

“Death by Wall Street: The Rampage of the Bulls” will be enjoyed by mystery readers who enjoy matching wits with the protagonist and by concerned citizens eager to see reformation in steps to enforce the laws regulating US financial markets and the nation’s health care practices.

…Cutting edge reporting, important insight, timely, and relevant… “Death by Wall Street: Rampage of the Bulls” is destined to firmly establish Theodore Jerome Cohen as a fresh voice in literary journalism.

Death by Wall Street: Rampage of the Bulls
Theodore Jerome Cohen
AuthorHouse (2010)
ISBN 9781452079455
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (09/10)

A Book is Born: 24 Authors Tell All

“A Book is Born” follows 24 author-moms through the journey from getting their books published, through the marketing and publicity of their books. These authors give the writer setting out to publish some idea of what the journey might be like.

The strength of “A Book is Born” is the stories of the 24 female authors. Nancy Cleary has organized a group of women who are also mothers and authors, and these women tell their stories of getting published, their dreams, disappointments, and achievements along the road, and how they balanced their writing with motherhood. “A Book is Born” continually compares writing and publishing a book to giving birth and raising a child—something I think many women writers will relate to. However, I thought stories from three or four, rather than twenty-four female authors would have been more effective and focused. The authors did tell stories that I could relate to as a published author myself. I think if any woman wants to write and publish a book, she will find this book useful primarily in understanding the emotional journey—the joy and stress involved in the process. As a published author myself, I found I could relate to many of the writers, but as a man, I more stereotypically wanted to learn about the nuts and bolts rather than the emotional journey.

This book is not for the writer who wants to learn how to be published or self-published. As the 24 authors talked about their journeys, I found myself impatiently wanting to be told how to get an ISBN number, how to find a printer, how to create a press kit, how to develop a marketing plan. The book does have some “Tech Tips” sections, but these contain minimal information. If anyone wants to know how to get published, I don’t think this book will be much help. The most useful section, “The Secret and Science to Getting Your Book Published” was only about 20 pages long, and it mainly consists of a checklist for you to rate the energy you are willing to put into publishing and promoting your book so you can decide whether you should go with a print-on-demand publishing company, self-publish, look for an independent press, or seek an agent to sell a book to a major publisher. The real nuts and bolts of publishing were not covered—when the author mentioned press releases and media kits, she did not give any real pointers on how to write them, and the sample press releases and other materials in the book were printed so small they were not readable for use as examples. If you want to learn about publishing details, this book is not for you.

I recommend “A Book is Born” as a supplement to writers in helping them to decide if publication is right for them. While I felt the book could have been more focused, “A Book is Born” will tell you what the “How To” books do not—how it feels to be a published author.

A Book is Born: 24 Authors Tell All
Nancy C. Cleary
Wyatt-Mackenzie Publishing (2007)
ISBN 9781932279504
Reviewed by Tyler R. Tichelaar for Reader Views (1/08)