Haunting WWII fiction infused with mystery, suspense and time travel

Where David Threw Stones: A Haunting WW2 Tale of Courage, Love, and Redemption by Elyse Hoffman is one of those treasured reads I plan to read again. The plot takes place 30 years after WW II and is a blend of historical fiction infused with mystery and suspense merged with fantasy to create a captivating WWII story of the cursed German town of Brennenbach.

 

Book Review by Donna

About the Book

This town is under a curse and reverts back in time to revisit it’s Nazi occupation each night complete with very real SS ghosts. The protagonist, David Saidel, is a 10-year -Jewish boy sent to Brennenbach to live with his grandfather following the death of his parents resulting from an antisemitic crime. Life in Brennenbach delivers haunting secrets, plenty of mysteries, and ghost-like characters who are tangible and dangerous during the curse hours. Amid all this is David and his grandfather both need healing from a haunted past. 

I especially enjoyed how Elyse Hoffman captured David’s perspective as he gets to know the grandfather he never met and deals with his grief, guilt, desire to honor his dead parents, and the emotions of trying to make friends amid a climate of hatred and bigotry. Hoffman weaves several plot threads and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, and she brings it all to a rewarding ending well worth the read. I didn’t see it coming. Loved it.

@donnasundblad Book Review Where David Threw Stones #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #booktok #bookworm #booktour ♬ original sound Donna Sundblad

Book Review: Where David Threw Stones

If you’ve read Hoffman’s Book of Uriel, you’ll love this one, too. I didn't want to put it down. Her writing is masterful, subtly blending details that urgently pull multiple plot threads to a satisfying conclusion. I recommend Where David Threw Stones to readers who enjoy WWII fiction, ghost stories, as well as mysteries. I think people who enjoyed reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak will fall in love with this story. I award this book 5 stars. 

As BookHookup, I am a long-time book reviewer and I received Where David Threw Stones as a free review copy and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. This review is posted in collaboration with Black Coffee Book Tours. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites. 

About Author Elyse Hoffman

Elyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. She loves to meld WWII and Jewish history with fantasy, folklore, and the paranormal. She has written six works of Holocaust historical fiction: the five books of The Barracks of the Holocaust and The Book of Uriel.

Social Media

Goodreads

Bookbub

 

 

The Bone Key Curse delivers a plot riddled with mystery & suspense

The Bone Key Curse by Mike Scantlebury is an adventure/thriller with a religious premise. Think of Raiders of the Lost Ark but bring it to modern day Bristol England where students from Bristol University have been excavating for years. The story centers on what they discover in the River Trym, which flows through north Bristol and empties into the River Avon. It’s an ancient ship, and it holds well-preserved secrets. Mickey and his team arrive on site due to a terrorist threat. He’s out of his element, but his co-worker, Amelia Hartliss, provides him with enough information to give him a foundational understanding of the importance of the find and why religious zealots might want to capture or destroy the artifacts. 

 

Book Review

 

This story explodes with action in the first chapter and introduces a plot riddled with mystery and suspense. Scantlebury weaves a web of intrigue as Mickey, and his team, follow ancient clues to catch the terrorists. The Bone Key Curse is book 7 in the Mickey from Manchester series and the first I’ve read. The story stands alone, but it would be fun to pick up this series from the beginning. I wish the characters were more developed so I knew them better and could care more about what happens to them, but overall, I give this book 4 stars and recommend it to readers who enjoy books like The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown or Altar of Eden By James Rollins. The Bone Key Curse entertains and keeps the pages turning.

 

As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

About Author Mike Scantlebury

 

Free-wheeling author Mike Scantlebury confuses a lot of readers. Most days he writes adventurous stories, but he has so many other creative interests as well, it’s hard keeping up. Sure, you can find his books in all good online book-stores, but there’s e-books and paperbacks too, as well as a slew of audio-books that he’s narrated himself. Is that why he’s on Sound Cloud? No, he’s also got songs up there, as well as podcasts. You can also find him on You Tube. Talking about writing? Of course, but also performing, (songs, yes, and he’s also made a series of short drama movies, with local friends).

For a dedicated author, it’s almost as though he has NO PLAN at all. Well, yeah, That’s why they started calling him ‘Free-wheeling’. He’s so laid back, you never know what he’ll be doing today.

Still, if you want to read what he’s written - novels, short and long - try the usual book outlets. But if you want to hear him TALK, search out audio-books, (as well as podcasts on Sound Cloud). If you want to hear him SING, it’s Sound Cloud again, (plus You Tube), and if you want to see him act, try You Tube (and Vimeo.com).

That voice? It will tell you one thing. Mike Scantlebury is from the West of England. In fact, he’s the North West’s only West Country crime writer. That sounds like fun. He deserves an Award for that in itself!

The Broken Man: A Fantasy Novel by Hawkings Austin - Unpredicatable fantasy with a who-dun-it

 

The Broken Man: A Fantasy Novel (The Rise of the Fisher King Book 1) by Hawkings Austin unfolds slowly. The first three chapters, while interesting, on the first read seemed disjointed. Turns out that wasn’t the case. Within these foundational chapters lay the introduction to this world of Pywer with perspectives from three cultures that converge into an epic fantasy when Ruad children show up murdered with their eyes burned from the inside out.

Unlikely allies from divergent cultures are thrust together to catch the murderer of these children and solve the mystery of how they were killed. Each character carries enough baggage and backstory to make them unique, interesting, and cared about by the reader. Their strengths and weaknesses come into play to save the day. My favorite characters include the giant Fomor ex-sorcerer/prince, Waylaid, his orphaned Bolg apprentice who lost his family to the sea when very young, and the widowed Daen Judge and warrior, Brea, equipped with her sword Answerer.

Farmers want something done about the death of their children Some report seeing a ghost or evil spirit known as Shadow Man. Legends say sorcerers have sent out such spirits to kill their enemies. When a handful of children witness the headless Shadow Man, and little Ella is killed, her mother believes the ex-sorcerer, Waylaid, is the monster who killed her baby. When he is brought in to help solve the mystery of the girl’s death, it ratchets up the conflict and breeds a multitude of questions.

Austin’s characters are complex and flawed making them believable and relatable. He does a great job making me care about each one. While an unlikely hero, I found myself cheering for the physically and emotionally broken Fomor giant, Waylaid.

This fantasy/mystery is well crafted and I’m happy to give it five stars. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy with a who-dun-it feel. I wasn’t able to figure it out until the last details unfolded. The end is  totally satisfying and answers all the questions and leaves things wide open for the continued growth of the characters on their next adventure. The one word of caution I offer is that the book does have some violent scenes and the Shadow Man may be a little too scary for 

younger readers. I recommend parents read the book first if they have any questions in this regard.

As BookHookup I am a longtime book reviewer and I received The Broken Man: A Fantasy Novel as a free review copy and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. This review is posted in collaboration with #BookTasters. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites. 

 

About Author Hawkings Austin

Hawk’s current supervillain title is “Director of Radiation Effects.” In his quest to take over the world, Hawk has landed a series of jobs with NASA, DoD, and Missile Defense. Currently, he’s testing spacecraft for the rigors of the natural (and unnatural) environments that only he can conquer. The recent loss of his sidekick, Vlad (to a paying job) has been painful, but he’s managed to work through the loss to conquer large swaths of Colorado.

Hawk has a number of professional publications in engineering, science, history, and fantasy. He has been performing as a Mad Scientist for many years and is very close, at this point, to taking over (or destroying) the Earth. He can be found blogging on Urban-Fantasy.com, Madsci.us, and tweeting as @Sablehawk. He loves to speak at Science Fiction Conventions, such as Dragon Con, and will be happy – over a beer - to talk about any of these things for hours.

Hawk currently lives in Denver CO and is enjoying the heck out of spoiling his wife and current baby girl with all of his ill-gotten gains.