Telly Says.....

Have you ever read a book that stays in your mind even after you close the cover and move on to your next read? Ghost on Black Mountain is that kind of book. The story is told in the voices of five very different women who all have a connection to the same man, Hobbs Pritchard. Some love him, most hate him. He is a monster of a man and one of these women killed him. His ghost haunts Black Mountain and stories about him are told to children to scare them and get them to behave.

This was an absolutely wonderful book. I loved how each women tells her own story about how she is tied to Hobbs. We get very different perspectives on this man through the eyes and voice of these women. I enjoyed exploring the depths that a mother would go to to protect her child or try to. Seeing how secrets can do so much harm. I found myself asking myself numerous times what I would have done if I were in the shoes of any of these women.

I cared about every single character and my heart broke for Iona and what she went through because of lies and secrets. The one person I would have loved to see more of is Jack, the brother of Hobbs. I felt that he has a story of his own to tell that was touched on but never truly explored. I would be very interested to hear his side of things.

Family relationships, spirits, secrets, love, this book has it all and I was up very late finishing it. Highly recommended.

This was one great book. I think it was even better than Still Missing! Read the full review here:

Article first published as Book Review: Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens on Blogcritics.

Article first published as Book Review: Summer in the South by Cathy Holton on Blogcritics.




Summer in the South takes us to Woodburn, Tennessee. It is to Woodburn that Ava Dabrowski decides to go after an invitation from a college friend. A lot of things happened to Ava including the death of her mother, finding out her boyfriend is married and things not going so great at work. So she heads down to Woodburn for some R&R and a chance to work on her novel. She's not too keen on the South, but Will convinces her that staying with his aunts will be a fun experience and lots of time for her writing.

Summer in the South was very well written, and the characters were easy to get to know. I enjoyed the "eccentric" ways of the people: ways that could be called looney or crazy but in the South they are not seen that way. There were plenty of moments that left me shaking my head. Having lived in the deep south, it was very easy for me to believe the people and their ways.

While the story did appeal to me in its gothic style, I ultimately just couldn't get fully into the book. For me there were too many non-important details, and I found myself getting lost in them. But do not use my feelings to make a decision on reading this. It is a very enjoyable story. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, gothic stories, a bit of romance, quirky characters and family sagas, this would be a good book for you.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-summer-in-the-south/#ixzz1fuOCsknG

I was not sure what to expect by this book so I opened it with an open mind. I was hooked by page 2! Peter and the Vampires is truly a delightful book with lovable young boys as our main characters. Add to that a creepy grandfather, a huge house where strange things happen and a two year old little sister who wears a bathing suit every day OVER her clothes!

Dill and our hero Peter find adventures and is some circumstances adventures find them. I loved this book. It was creepy, mysterious and laugh out loud funny. I enjoyed Peter but his buddy Dill was hands down my favorite. When Dill gets scared he "maybe" pees his pants, "just a little" and while most of us would keep that tidbit to ourselves, Dill always tells Peter. The exchanges that follow that are hilarious!

I was very curious about the grandfather. He has his own story that unfolds slowly and made me read as fast as I could and turn the pages so I could find out. Dill is scared to death of grandfather and grandfather is none to fond of him either since there was an incident with Dill blowing up some watermelons in the grandfather's garden. The interaction between those two is a lot of fun.

My favorite part of the book besides Dill was the vampire schoolgirl with a crush on Peter. I felt sorry for her at times and wanted to kick her butt at other times. There was nothing funny about her to Peter who had to fend her off but since he's such a nice guy really didn't want to hurt her. Good thing he has back-up in Dill and grandfather!

Peter and the Vampires is a quick, easy read and truly a lot of fun. I will surely look for the other books in the series and I hope my friend Dill shows up in them too.

This is a Young Adult book but trust me, adults will enjoy it just as much, maybe even more. Normally I don't read or enjoy YA but I devoured this and want more! Highly recommended.

Article first published as Book Review: Shattered Wings by Bryan Healey on Blogcritics.

Shattered Wings tells the story of a family, John, Charlie and their little girl Cassie. It tells how one change, the loss of John's job, can break the family into pieces and drive John to do things he never thought possible or that he was capable of.

This is a powerful book. It shows the power of love and how love is not always enough. It introduces us to a family who went from being so happy to slowly falling apart when John's depression over not having a job drives him back to drinking, which he tried to hide from Charlie with no success.

Charlie has seen him at the bottom before, has walked away from him until he got clean and sober and who now refuses to allow Cassie to grow up with a father who is drinking and coming home drunk. Charlie makes the choice to take their daughter and leave, which only drives John closer and closer to his edge.

My heart truly broke for John. He was a good guy who was dealt a bad card with getting laid off. He tried to find work but it just wasn't coming. He was a high paid manager and times are tough, while interview after interview led to nothing and he was ashamed of himself and embarrassed that he was not able to take care of his family the way he should. What I didn't understand is why he never told Charlie from the beginning about getting laid off. He chose instead to hide it from him and act like he was going to work until the money ran out and he had no choice but to tell him.

I could relate to Charlie as well. He was working from home to be able to take care of their daughter during the day and his income was not as good as John's. Charlie tried his best to be there for John in all ways but John pushed him away. As much as he loved John, his first priority had to be Cassie and her well being. I could feel his struggle when he made the decision to leave.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-shattered-wings-by-bryan/#ixzz1ORMhnYLJ

Let me say Cruelty to Innocents is not a very long book but it is long enough to knock your socks off!

Imagine you are out with your children and see an accident, a person having a heart attack or any person needing help, you stop to help help them. When the ambulance and police arrive you go back to your child only to find them gone! Disappeared into thin air. You did a good deed and now your child has been taken by some sicko. Can you imagine how you would feel, what would be going through your head, the guilt that would be there for leaving them to help another? That is what this book is about. Children being abducted from their parents who are helping others.

I love, love, love the characters in the book. Sloanne is an amazing woman who faces her demons by going back to Aberdeen Maryland, a place she left and had no intentions of returning to. She does, to help her best friend,Chloe, find her missing daughter, Danni who is also Sloanne's god-daughter. Once back she pairs up with Shawn Tyler, a local fireman an old school acquaintance. The two of them together are such fun to follow as they do everything they can go find the missing girl. Sloanne and Shawn are two people that I would love to have as neighbors!

Twists and turns aplenty in Cruelty to Innocents. It will have you up well into the wee hours turning pages and wanting more. I was floored by the ending and never suspected what was coming. CK Webb and DJ Weaver are authors you don't want to miss. If you love suspense hurry up and grab this book. Highly recommended.

It's no secret that I have an interest in Charles Manson. I have always felt there was so much more to him than what the media makes him out to be. CHARLES MANSON NOW gives us a different look at the man who is the poster child for murderers.

What I enjoyed about this book was the way it was written. It told about the author, Marlin Marynick, his background and how he came to know Manson and do this book. It was not an overnight thing, he worked for years for this. He gives us details that maybe you didn't know, introduces us to people that are close to Manson. Mr. Marynick takes us on the road with him in his travels to the people and places that all lead to Charlie. At times I thought there was too much info about the author and not enough about Charlie but that did not take away from the reading.

Read the full review and see pics on my blog, Reading,Reading & Life

Article first published as Book Review: A Conflict of Interest by Adam Mitzner on Blogcritics.


A Conflict of Interest opens with Alex Miller, a lawyer with a hot shot legal firm attending his father's funeral and meeting Michael Ohlig, a good friend of his father. Michael needs help in a securities fraud case that he is involved in and asks Alex to defend him. He has been accused of selling Salminol, a worthless stock to unsuspecting elderly people who then lost all they had when it went bankrupt. There is so much more to Ohlig, and it is revealed little by little with each turn of the page.

The story keeps pulling you in deeper and deeper. I found it very hard to close the book for the night because I felt I was missing something. I had to read on and see if Alex would work on his marriage to Elizabeth that was falling apart or fall for the lure of Abby, the lawyer working with him on the Ohlig case.

As the book goes on we find out that our suspicions were correct; there is much more to Michael Ohlig than meets the eye. There are also things about Alex's mother that come to light and cause Alex more than a little confusion and pain. And Abby: is she who she wants us to think she is, does Abby really have his best interests at heart or is she using him to work her way into partnership with the firm? All these questions are answered, but you have to read the book to find out. I won't spoil any of it for you.

I found the book well written. The action slowed down in some places but never stopped. It goes from legal offices, to courtrooms, to restaurants, to bedrooms, to police stations, jails and so much more. The characters are well thought out and very well developed. You quickly come to see them as your neighbors or friends and really do care about what happens to them.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-a-conflict-of-interest1/#ixzz1LjTPwCbG

"In order to be a successful serial killer, one must understand how to deal with the normal daily functions of life and project the pretense of normalcy. Normal being defined as the acceptable practices that are allowed in standard society."

This is going to sound crazy, this book was fun to read! You know I love my serial killers and Duncan was quite lovable. Yes, he murders and quite gruesomely but he is also a funny guy. Quite a decent chap too if you can look past the fact that he gets his jollies out of killing people. He is a middle aged man whose marriage fell apart, his life took a turn for the worse but aside from all that, he loves his children and is a fabulous daddy to them. Take about oxymoron's! You can't help cringing one moment and feeling sorry for him the next.

You can read the full review on my blog

It's hard to say what I felt about this book. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. I enjoyed the telling of the story but I couldn't help but feel like the author was a bit full of himself. I admired his calmness during the emergency. He didn't panic but called his father who is a doctor who told him to head straight to the ER, say he's never had a headache and this is the worst pain ever. His dad knew that should get him seen pretty darn quick and it basically did.

Finding out out had a bleed in the brain has got to be a very scary thing. More scary is lying in the hospital waiting to find out what is wrong with you. Tests coming back normal is great but there is something going on and it has to be found. I found the author very brave as he encountered the good, bad and ugly in the medical profession. He faced everything head on and didn't spend a whole lot of time feeling sorry for himself. Kudos to him.

Overall it was an interesting read. I am glad things turned out ok in the end.

First reviewed on my blog Reading,Reading & Life

Columbine was one of the best audio books that I've listened to. The telling of this horrific event was excellent. The author managed to take us front and center. Honestly, I felt like I was right there. I felt the fear just like these kids did. Many times i found myself holding my breath or clenching my fists. I could almost hear the sirens and the footsteps of the killers. Columbine should be a must read/listen for everyone. These kinds of tragedies need to be prevented in the future.

Article first published as Book Review: The Scar by Michael S. Weiner on Blogcritics.

The Scar is about a serial killer in Pennsylvania and the detective who is hunting him. It begins with the killing of a priest then proceeds to tell the story of the killer and how he came to be the way he is along with the hard work the police put into finding him and getting him off of the streets.

I especially enjoyed the chapters where the killer talks about himself and why he is killing:

"I also desire more than impossible dreams. I desire a life I can call my own, but that day may never come. I have a job I must do for which I have come to believe brought me back from death: to punish those who are undeserving of life." (21)

Our killer truly feels he is doing the world a favor by eliminating these people that he sees as evil. As the book unwinds and we learn their stories, we also see they are not the upstanding citizens that people think they are. But do they deserve to die such horrible deaths?

The characters are likable and believable. I enjoyed the interaction between Detective Seff and Captain Baron. Captain Baron wants the case solved yesterday and wants the mayor off of his back and he expects Detective Seff to comply:

"I don't need to tell you that having a serial killer roaming the streets that we're supposed to protect makes us look bad. Not to mention it's giving me heartburn and a bad case of diarrhea. And I don't like having a burning sensation from my ass, so tell me you have something we can go on." (53)

The action does not stop and only intensifies as the book goes on. The author trips us up a lot. Just when you think you may have a handle on who it is, wham, he hits us with something else and sends us on a different track! And the ending? Just let me say WOW! I never saw it coming, and I like to pride myself on being able to figure things out. Not this time. I honestly sat there with my mouth hanging open in shock!

In short, this book blew me away! It is not a long book, only 152 pages, but those pages pack a wallop! I was expecting a typical serial killer story — murders, how he was caught, etc. — but what the author gives us is that and so much more. Mr. Weiner takes us into the the mind of this killer and manages to make us feel sorry for him and almost cheer him on. He shows us the day to day workings of a police investigation and how mundane it can be, how leads turn into nothing and how hard it is to find that one clue, one piece of evidence that breaks the case.

I highly recommend The Scar to anyone that likes thrillers. I really hope to see more by Michael S. Weiner in the future.

Article first published as Book Review: Manson In His Own Words by Charles Manson & Nuel Emmons on Blogcritics.


Say what you want, but Charles Manson fascinates me. I do believe he is crazy and should not be out walking around, but, still, something about him makes me want to try to figure out how his mind works and why it works the way it does.

Manson In His Own Words was a little bit helpful. Honestly, I don't know how much of it is accurate. The author Nuel Emmons says himself that he did not have a tape recorder or pencil or paper during the conversations, so he had to go by memory, writing things down when he returned to his car. That alone tells me that there is probably more of Mr. Emmons thoughts' or feelings than Charlie.

Reading about his childhood was heartbreaking. Imagine your own mother trading you as a child for a pitcher of beer. Your own mother turning you over to the courts because she didn't want to take care of you. Being in foster homes, reform schools and jail since you were twelve years old. Being abused in those places mentally, physically and sexually. How can that not have a negative effect on anyone?

Charles Manson definitely has a screw loose, but is he the evil incarnate that the media has made him out to be? Again, you have to read this with an open mind and take what is written with a grain of salt. I am not real sure how much of what Charlie says is reliable, but it was a very interesting perspective from what is supposed to be his point of view.

Charles Manson is now 77 years old, and he will again come up for parole in 2012. We all know that is a joke and he will never walk free again. When I look at this picture I see a sad old man, but that is just my opinion:

I believe in ghosts, spirits and hauntings. My family has had some experience with these but nothing like what Sarah has to contend with in this book. It was very easy for me to relate to Sarah. Where other people may thing her strange or a little "off" she was perfectly normal to me. I found her story believable and at times pretty creepy.
My favorite quote from Sarah was early in the book, page 10:
“A ghost watching over a loved one is not an indication the spirit is not at peace. The ‘Protector Ghost,’ as I already mentioned, ‘chooses to’ hang around,and watch over their kin. The spirit has gone into the light, however makes its presence known at certain times throughout the person’s lifetime. The ‘Protector Ghost’ may stay close to their family for a short time, or a longer duration, or sometimes throughout the individual’s entire lifetime.”

This touched me for two reasons. The first being that my aunt who had passed when I was pregnant was my daughter's Protector Ghost until she was about two. She saw her, described her and even sang songs that only my aunt sang! The second reason is because I lost my father in 2007 and like to think he is hanging around keeping an eye on my mother. Sarah's great, great grandfather was her protector and it really is nice to believe that our loved ones are never really gone.

I also liked the relationship between Sarah and her husband. In a lot of ways Richard reminded me of my husband. Loving, understanding and willing to be there through think and thin. The book is full of characters who are incredibly easy to relate to.

I thought that author did an outstanding job of writing a believable story about the paranormal and it's effects on people. What I did not like and for me kept the book from getting five stars was referring to Sarah as the psychic, the seer, the supernatural warrior,the mystic and more. These terms were used in place of her name and for me it was too much and stopped the story from flowing smoothly. This would not however stop me from reading more from Ms. Kronick in the future.

Sarah, They're Coming for You, is a good supernatural, paranormal mystery, I recommend it to all lovers of things that go bump in the night!

Full Disclosure: Book provided free of charge for an honest review

Article first published as Book Review: House of Secrets by Lowell Cauffiel on Blogcritics.


House of Secrets is the story of the very dysfunctional Sexton family. Eddie Lee, his wife and children. Dysfunctional is not strong enough a word. Incest, abuse, torture, satanic rituals and, yes, all this led to murder. You have to read it to believe it.

Lately, I have become addicted to true crime and have read many — all of them disturbing but in different ways. House of Secrets made me sick. Not like other true crime books did with killings and blood — this book had those, too — what made me sick was that this was a family. Parents who are supposed to love and protect their children did just the opposite. They abused them, brainwashed them, had sexual relations with them, boys and girls. I could go on and on. Grandchildren who are really not grandchildren but the father's children.

I was shaking my head just about the entire time that I read this. Where were the social workers? Child protection? Teachers reported things, but for whatever reasons these people fell through the cracks and were never caught — until one daughter had enough and told it all, breaking the ice for her sisters and brothers to choose to reveal how they were forced to live. The authorities finally caught up with them but not before they murdered at least two people.

The writing was excellent. Author Lowell Cauffiel did a very good job transporting the reader into the sick world of the Sexton family. My heart goes out to these innocent children whose lives were ruined by their parents.

If you like true crime, this is a book for you.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-house-of-secrets-by/#ixzz1J36hyxKj

Another winner from M.William Phelps! I thought when I read about the murder of a couple who were tied to an anchor and tossed overboard a boat was the worst that I had read but Cruel Death wins hands down! I can not fathom what happens in a persons brain to even cause them to think about murdering innocent people but dismembering them? As if cutting up a person is not enough read this quote from Erika:

"...and my family will end up exactly like those people. Cut to pieces and him jerking off to the body parts..."

Can it be any sicker? Personally I don't care whose idea it was or who was the leader, in my opinion both of these people are monsters who need not see the light of day again.

Mr. Phelps is one of my favorite true crime authors. Cruel Death like his other books reads more like a horror novel than a nonfiction book. He gives us the background on these two sickies and honestly, it's proof to me that good families have bad kids regardless of how well they are raised. We can not always blame the family life for how people turn out.

I think the author did a tremendous job of showing the unconditional love of Erika's parents, especially her father Mitch. My heart goes out to him. He was so proud of his daughter and had such high hopes for her. Now he has to live with knowing what she was involved in and/or guilty of.

I thought the book was very well researched. I enjoyed reading about their trials even though I was shocked at the light sentence BJ received. I do not agree with it but the author did a good job of explaining the reasons why the jury reached their decision based on what was presented to them.

Yes, I am a true crime addict and M. William Phelps is always high on my list. While this was one of the most disgusting cases that I have read about the overall way the story was told was top notch.