Take eight invited guests, one uninvited nephew, a self-invited neighbour and an unwanted sister, mix them together, add a housekeeper and her daughter, shake them up and with what do you get? A Manzuik and Ryan mystery. When George and Ellen Brodie throw a weekend house party at their posh Toronto mansion, they get much more than they bargained for. One guest turns up dead in the Japanese garden and all the others become suspects. Detective Paul Manziuk is assigned the case on top of the four he is already working. A serial killer with a special hatred for red-headed women is on the loose and all of Detective Manziuk’s leads have turned to dead ends. All he needs is to have to find another murderer. To make matters worse, there is no one available to work with him except rookie detective policewoman Jacqueline Ryan. The case becomes more complex when the police find that all the guests have a motive for murder. And if that were not enough, a second body found the following day adds another layer of confusion. Ms. Lindquist weaves an intricate web of lies, deceit and intrigue as she takes us from the beginning to the end of the mystery. She holds the reader’s attention with various twists and turns in the plot never revealing the motive or culprit until near the end of the story. Each plausible clue adds to the mystery and is meticulously developed until the truth is finally revealed. It is obvious that Ms. Lindquist knows her craft and has researched police procedures. Although I found it a somewhat daunting task to keep the characters straight in my mind, and wondered if they were all necessary, I must admit that for the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I am not a mystery writer and seldom read the genre, so perhaps all the characters were necessary to the plot. The story moves at a good pace and keeps the reader enthralled. I hope to see more of Manziuk and Ryan.
My Brother's Keeper
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Shane Donahue’s life is a mess and he knows it. Whether it’s from trying to keep up with his twin brother, Scott, or some other reason, he can’t quite figure out. But whatever the cause, he’s just about had enough and is ready to either run away with his so-called friend Cole, or totally call it quits. After all, who would care? Not his brother and definitely not his dad. His mother might shed a few tears but then she would be able to get on with her life. And his girlfriends? They were part of the cause, not the solution. Boredom causes Shane to go with Ethan to a ‘religious do’. What’s he got to lose? It’s Friday and the alternative is sitting at home – alone. He might as well tag along and find out what Ethan is talking about. Lindquist has created believable characters and situations in both Shane and Scott and the growing rift between them. Anyone who has ever dealt with highschool seniors knows how frequently the stories of their lives and the out-of-control spirals which threaten to engulf them, mirror those of Shane and his friends. Since the story is sub-titled “everyone deserves a second chances” I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that Shane does get a second chance at life. What I will not say here is what that second chance all entails: that would be the spoiler. Suffice it to say, this is a good read. While I have never personally experienced any of the type of incidents Linquist creates, I do know people who have, so I have to believe they are possible. I do wonder, however, if all of these events could happen to one person. This gave me the sense that some of the story was somewhat unrealistic. In spite of this, I did enjoy the story. Although I have briefly met the author at a writers’ conference, this review was not requested by her and is independently done.
A Taste of Hot Apple Cider : Edited by NJ Linquist
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Desperate Missionary in Trouble with the Law. Now there’s a title to get you wondering. Hot on the heels of Hot Apple Cider and A Second Cup of Apple Cider come a new anthology, A Taste of Hot Apple Cider. As with the other two books in the series, A Taste of Hot Apple Cider is a collection, in this case, sixteen short stories and poems from Christian authors. The Desperate Missionary recounts a harrowing experience and God’s provision during it; Something to Crow About gives us a different prospective on those pesky birds; Love Has No Limits tells of enduring love at any age; and Picture This is a call to action. Whether the story brings a tear, a laugh, or a new thought, all are reflections of God’s graciousness and love for his children. I found this anthology to be well-written, thought-provoking and comforting. I laughed, teared up and reflected. This Apple Cider volume comes with biographies and contact information for all the contributors, many of whom are accomplished speakers as well as authors and poets. An additional bonus, which for the previous anthologies needed to be purchases separately, is the Discussion question section at the back. This makes it perfect for use in reading clubs or church groups.
Hot Apple Cider with Cinnamon
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This fourth installment of the Hot Apple Cider short story and poetry anthology focusses on love and contains at least one story or poem to touch every reader. From the humorous “The Other First Prize” by Martin Smith, to the poignant “Here Mommy, This is for You” by Ruth Warren, to the heart-rending “A Baby Named Hope” by Carmen Witmeier the theme of love is brought out: love for each other, love for the downtrodden, love for the marginalized and love for, and especially from, God. The majority of the stories are non-fiction giving us a glimpse into the authors’ lives, joys and heartaches. The fictional stories are very believable and could happen to any reader. All give one pause to consider and think. As with the other books in the series, the authors are all Canadian and Christian. Their belief and world-view come out strongly. One does not, however, have to be Christian to be touched by the stories. Since each of the authors contributing to this anthology is a unique individual, so the writing styles are unique and individual. Some may better resonate with the reader than others, but all have been professionally written and edited.
The Shadow of A Butterfly: The Case of the Harmless Old Woman
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Detectives Paul Manziuk and Jaquie Ryan, barely recovered from their last case, are thrown into another mysterious murder. A senior citizen has been knifed to death while napping in her chair between crocheting sessions and all of the residents on the twentieth floor of Serenity Towers are suspects. Who wanted a crochety old woman, well on her way to senility, dead? And what about some of the other recent deaths? Where they what they seemed? This book has all the hallmarks a good mystery needs: an unusual case; a number of unexpected twist and turns; red herrings and white lies; and a surprising motive. N.J. has woven together an intriguing story which has the reader making predictions, discarding them, then predicting some more.