Review: Mind Scrambler

I think I have found a new crime fighting hero. Chris Grabenstein’s new John Ceepak novel, Mind Scrambler, the fifth in the series, rocked my world. The story revolves around two Sea Haven detectives who are on administrative leave  in Atlantic City. While there, Danny Boyle, Ceepak’s partner and the voice of the narrative, runs into a ex-girlfriend and makes an appointment to meet her. It is a rendezvous she will never make. Danny’s old flame is currently the nanny for a family of performing Magicians currently headlining at a major casino. She is found, after the show, in what appears to be an S&M sex scene gone bad, the victim of over-zealous asphyxiophilia.(GoogleGoogle it or ask your teenager.) With the Atlantic City PD overwhelmed with crime, and the potential media storm and bad publicity, Bolye and Ceepak are deputized to help with the case. As the clues mount, along with the bodies, it becomes crystal clear there is a lot going on behind the scenes, and uncovering the secrets this family of prestidigitators want to keep will not be easy. [Read more...]

Review: The Alchemyst The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

Fatherhood has its challenges. I was in the middle of reading a book that I planned to review for this site. My oldest daughter asked me if I would like to read the one she had just finished, as it was the best book ever, and I would really, really like it. Being distracted, I said, “Sure, honey, when I am done with this one.” I figured she would forget about it as soon as I did, which was pretty much immediately. So when I reached for a new tome from the prodigious pile I have in front of me, the caterwauling took me completely by surprise! It seemed as though she not only remembered, but that she was serious! Imagine my surprise!! So being a dutiful and loving Daddy, I acquiesced, albeit grudgingly. And I am so glad I did. I was introduced to a Gem hiding in the gravel pit of youth literature. [Read more...]