Tea Time Thursday

5 Flames

Good Evening my Fellow Book Dragons. This evening is hot, humid and a storm is brewing just outside the safe and cozy confines of my cool and comfy cave. I hope you are well set with tea, cool air and a light blanket because this evening’s gem is a cozy little mystery that came to me in the form of a key fob.

At first it seemed an ordinary fob with a number of ordinary keys..but as I picked it up, it began to emanate a howl like a mountain wind..then trailed to the howl of a heartbroken pup. This is Dragon Feeder Jamie Rutland Gillespie’s “Inheriting Murder”. It is book one in her Bobwhite Mountain series. I understand it recently took the Silver Medal in the Reader’s Choice Awards.

I can understand why. This is the story of Landry Burke’s introduction to Bobwhite Mountain. And what an introduction it is. In the span of 24 hours Landry becomes an heiress to a book store and an apartment building. She has money to run them both but must make a financial success of both or at the end of one year, everything goes “poof” legally, not unlike my dear friend Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage. How hard could it be?

Bobwhite Mountain is where the rich go to hide and try to act like normal folk. The apartment building and bookstore have always turned a profit. Landry is a smart redhead with a twist. She has anxiety abc at times it’s overwhelming anxiety. She is not graceful, she is , to put it politely, a clutz.

Luckily she has Adam Wilcox, family attorney to help her navigate her new home town. Things are going rather swimmingly for Landry. Adam is taking her on a tour of her new property when, as they go to the Event Room, they find a body…a very dead body …and it’s here we get to delve into the mystery. And if you are a body count person, I can tell you that you will love this book.

I found it rather refreshing. Landry is likeable and sweet, but not a pushover. She has tact if not physical grace and she uses her head. She is prone to anxiety attacks, but she keeps on pushing herself. The twist in the book is rather clever and unlike mysteries that are suddenly solved by some unmentioned clue, this one is out in the open if you are paying attention.

I truly enjoyed this book and I believe you will as well. It is available when fine books and cozy mysteries are sold. Now get that tea, get comfy and go help Landry solve the mystery on Bobwhite Mountain.

Until next week, I remain your humble Book Dragon.

Drakon T. Longwitten.

I received a copy of this book for review. My opinions are completely my own.

Saturday’s Child

5 Flames

Good Evening my Fellow Book Dragons,

This evening’s gem comes to us from a faraway land named Devovea. It is in the form of a shield. Holding the shield and turning it in my claws, I can feel a definitely humming that gives off a feeling of discontent and an air of despair…however this is a stronger feeling of strength, fidelity and courage…it must be the owner of this shield.

This is gem maker Linda Xia’s “Heir of Blood and Secrets”. It is the story of Scylla – the Heiress to her father’s Council Seat in the Castle, a place filled with members of the court to The Crown.

Ms.Xia spins a magnificent tale of intrigue, assassins and courage. Her Scylla is a girl on the verge of adulthood who must make tough choices based on hard truths that are verging on a rabbit hole that goes farther and deeper than Scylla could have imagined.

I really enjoyed this book. In a world where One grows weary of mages and magic, this book had something more. It has youth who use their heads, who have bravery in the face of painful truths and a hero who’s development begins here. We get to watch and experience it.

If you are a young person who enjoys reading about young people who are the heroes, who are smart, caring and fun, this book is for you. Linda Xia doesn’t dumb down, she respects her readers and it shows.

Heir of Blood and Secrets is one of a kind. Read it and see for yourself.

Until next time , I remain your humble Book Dragon,

Drakon T. Longwitten

I thank #newdegreepress for the review copy. My opinions are my own.

Freakish Friday

5 Flames

Good Evening My Fellow Book Dragons,

Freakish Friday is reserved for Monsters and Mayhem. This evening’s gem came to me in the form of an alabaster human skull. As a turn it in my claws, the jaw unhinged and a smell from the pits of Hades assaulted my nostrils. This is Saint Bloodbath by Dragon Feeder Frederick Douglass Reynolds, of Black White and Gray All Over.

Saint Bloodbath follows real life Homicide Detectives Mark MacGuire and Hugo Cortes as they try to solve the murders of five homeless people. All murdered at the same time, in the same place – a homeless encampment.

I have been reading the True Crime genre for nearly 50 years, starting with The French Connection. I have always felt a voyeur at the crime scene, in the courtroom with the very best of these books…but this one was different.

St. Bloodbath is filled with monsters of various sorts. It is filled with the innocent and not so innocent victims of these monsters. It also introduces us to Knights and even an “onyx and alabaster” Witch. I didn’t feel like a voyeur, I felt like I was going on a ‘ride along’ in the back seat of MacGuire and Cortes’s car.

Mr. Reynolds writing style doesn’t dumb down for the reader. He treats you with respect and in turn, makes you respect the work he has put into this true tale of murder, mayhem and the Knights who conquered the Monster.

If you are a true crime fanatic as I am, if you have ever wanted to know what life on the streets of L.A. is really like, if you have ever wondered how the police do what they do day after day, then this book is for you. If, like me, you have been looking for a well written book that tells it’s story well, then this book is for you. Treat yourself. Go ahead, read St. Bloodbath….I dare you.

Until next time …I remain your humble Book Dragon,

Drakon T. Longwitten

I received a copy of this book for review. My opinions are my own.

Whimsical Wednesday

5 Flames

Good Evening my Fellow Book Dragons,

This evening’s gem came to me in a heart shaped box, the heart was riddled with cracks as though it had been broken many times and yet it had been put back together by a Mighty Hand. As I held the box in my claws, it pulsated within and I could feel a great energy. I slowly opened the box and light filled my library. A gem lay there in the shape of the Star of David and it’s sapphire blue continued to light the room as it told it’s tale.

This is Gem Maker Sarah Lavane’s “Unmatched”. She takes us on a journey of faith, laughter and tears as she tells of her mystifying journey to find a soulmate while upholding her Orthodox Jewish beliefs.

Her tales of dating woes and singlehood within a culture where wife and motherhood are central to a happy life, to fitting in and being seen as a woman and not a girl made me laugh and, more than once, have to get the tissues.

She tells of her parent’s own struggles to find a mate after World War II and how two people, despite language barriers, came together to build an Orthodox Jewish home with four children.

Sarah herself upholds the faith and values of her family. Her search for a mate is fettered with obstacles and her clever names for the men she has dated along the way, matchmakers (both professional and the well meaning), and even computer dating.

Who are these men? I don’t do spoilers but I’ll give you one example. There is Singular, who, despite a dozen different run ins , feels they aren’t compatible, but then marries a woman he barely knows. The dates, the coincidences, all of it, are both funny amd sad.

The folks who try to help by introducing her to men are just as funny and sometimes infuriating. Why would anyone set someone up on a date with a person who obviously has nothing in common with the other person?

But this tale is about more than going on dates. It’s really a journey of learning to rely on God, of learning who oneself truly is and being the type of person who holds to those values she finds important and fundamental to her very soul and doesn’t compromise these pearls she holds dear. Something we don’t see enough of in this world of fast and loose.

Whether you are single or married or divorced, I recommend reading this book. In all my years I have never read anything like this. Sarah lets us in on not only her Jewish Culture but Womanhood in general.

If you only read one memoir this year, make it this one. You’ll find it on Amazon and other book sellers.

Join me next Friday for another gem.

Sincerely, Your Humble Book Dragon,

Drakon T. Longwitten

I received a copy of this book for review, my opinions are my own.

Time Travel Tuesday

5 Flames

Good Evening My Fellow Book Dragons,

This week’s gem is from the long ago past in the Wild West. It came to me in the form of a cactus rose and peering through it’s petals I found a great tale of adventure! We first meet Ruby and Pip in Ruby’s cigar store. Ruby of the checkered past and lover of her Wooden Indian in front of her establishment. Pip is there as a customer and at first it seems Ruby may be shot by the very woman who was once her best friend and whom Ruby had cowardly ran out on. Pip doesn’t want to shoot her, she’s come to warm her of a very bad hombre from their past named Cullen…a low down, mangy killer, if there ever was one.

As you know I don’t do cheats and so I am going to tell you how this book made me feel and not give anymore away. I started the tale and suddenly it felt as though someone shouted, “And their off!!” And I was on a wild ride through the cactus barren lands myself!

The characters are perfect. Neither Pip nor Ruby are wilting violets who need a man to save them. They live by their wits until the end. They understand the men around them and still like them, well some of them.

This is a rugged ride through the woolly West and one heck of an adventure. Does Cullen bite the dust? Do our heroines both survive?

Once again, Ms. Blakemore gives us strong women in dangerous situations with only their sheer determination to survive. Pip and Ruby are a part of me now. I love them. I know you will, too.

K.T. Blakemore, if someone doesn’t pick this up for a movie, we are all the worse for it.

Get out your coffee, your saddle blanket and find out for yourself..this is Book 1 and honestly, I can’t wait for Book 2. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get the grit out of my blanket.

Until next Wednesday when I will be with you again, as always,

Your Humble Book Dragon

Drakon T. Longwitten

I received an advanced copy for review. My opinions are my own.

Time Travel Tuesday

5 Flames

Good Evening My Fellow Book Dragons,

Our Gem this evening came to me quite unexpectedly, passed into my claw by a mysterious figure in an old fedora and a long black trench coat. I waited until I was quite alone and opened my claw to see what appeared to be a vintage Zippo Lighter. I flicked it open and it turned into a Diamond of the highest quality. Color dancing as it reflected off the candles in my library.

I realized it’s maker was author Craig W. Fisher and its title, “Baker Street Irregular” captivated my attention. Baker Street, where I had gone on so many adventures with my dear friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, but this wasn’t a Holmes story, this was a Spy Tale. Those brave souls of the Second World War, who often found themselves in dire straits from the people they had most trusted.

This is the story of Bill, a man who is equal parts Holmes, Bond and Whicher. He’s in the last days of the war when we meet him, ready to knock over SS headquarters to rescue those from the resistance and his fellow spies. Things definitely do not go as planned and we meet him again two years later, hunting a particularly nasty Nazi. I’ll leave it to you to find out who.

What I found most interesting is that so very many of the characters in this book were real people. Real spies, Nazis and assorted others. I couldn’t put this down. I have not had a Cold War Noir hold my attention like this since John le Carre’s “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold”.

If you only read one book set in this time period this year make sure this is it. I believe Mr. Fisher may just very well be this generations le Carre. It is available at your favorite place to buy books.

Join me next Tuesday as we travel through time again. Until then, I remain your humble Book Dragon,

Drakon T. Longwitten

I thank Godwinson Press for my review copy. My opinions are my own.

Time Travel Tuesday

4 out of 5 Flames

Hello, My Fellow Book Dragons. This evenings gem is quite interesting, it came to me in an old doctor’s bag and the smell from inside was hideous. The gem itself is black with sin and insanity and a pale green streak pulsated within it’s core. This is the story of Hitler’s Maladies and Their Impact on World War II, by first time Dragon Feeder Tom Hutton, MD, PhD.

He is a Behavioral Neurologist. His study does, in no way, excuse or look to make excuses for this monster’s behavior. I was sceptical at first, but he indeed does not. He does, however, show, through medical records the impact possible and definite maladies the course that drove Hitler to lose the second world war.

Everything from Hitler’s childhood ailments – some merely perceived and allowing Hitler to use as excuses to get out of certain responsibilities.

Dr. Hutton also describes the injuries the dictator received in World War I. How these ended up sending him straight to the heart of the Nazi Party while being a snitch for the government in control.

He goes in depth as to how Parkinson’s Disease would have killed Hitler had he not done himself in (hurrah).

The book is well written and one does not have to have a medical degree to understand it. An excellent study on the subject of the paranoid and death obsessed devil of the 1930s and 40s.

If you, like I, are a student of WWII history, this is a must have for your library.

Until next time, I remain, as always, your humble Book Dragon.

Drakon T. Longwitten

** A review copy of the book was provided to me by Texas Tech University Press, my opinions are my own. **

Black White and Gray All Over

Frederick Douglass Reynolds: 5 Flames

Hello My Fellow Book Dragons,

Tonights gem took a bit of unearthing. It was mined in the mean streets of Detroit and cultivated in the meaner streets of Compton. See it shimmer? Wipe away the blood and you find the glowing venomous gray-green of pain, the yellow of a thousand battled sunrises and what is this? The shine of Hope.

This is Frederick Douglass Reynolds Black White and Gray All Over: A Black Man’s Odyssey in Life and Law Enforcement.

This is a must read, not only for the true crime buff, but everyone concerned with the human condition. Mr. Reynolds starts by giving us a glimpse into his own beginning and how he went from what possibly could have become the story of an outlaw to living on the other side of the country as an ex-Marine.

He weaves in detail tales of cops, dirty ones, honest ones and burnt out ones. Of gangs who prey on the public and each other. Of good, honest citizens who become victims while sitting in their homes, minding their own business.

The most fascinating twist in the tale takes us up close and personal with corruption that nearly gets him killed.

If you read only one true story this Spring, let it be Black White and Gray All Over. You’ll be glad you did.

Until next time, I remain your humble Book Dragon.

Drakon T. Longwitten

This review was made possible by a copy of the book from Mindstir Media. Opinions are my own.

The Auschwitz Photographer

5’Flames

Good Evening, My Fellow Book Dragons. You will notice a change to my reviews as I have had Gem Makers telling me they are being told the reviews sound as though they are paid for. Those who follow me know I am honest and have posted my share of books I haven’t cared for. Please know this is the only reason I am adjusting my style.

Our Gem tonight is The Auschwitz Photographer by Luca Crippa and Maurizio Onnis.

This is the story of Wilhelm Brasse, professional photographer, Polish Deportee, and human.

I have read hundreds of books on the Holocaust…this is unusual in the relationship between Brasse and his boss, Walter. Their relationship is different in the sense that Officer Walter respects Brasse’s talent, so much so that he tries to get him to join the NAZI party and free himself from his fate. Brasse’s response will surprise you.

If you are a student of WWII or humanity in general, get this book yesterday! It is that well written and important.

Until next time I remain, your humble Book Dragon,

Drakon T. Longwitten

I received a review copy from Sourcebooks. My opinions as ever are soley my own.

Leaving Phoenix

5 Flames

Hello My Fellow Book Dragons. Long time no see. I have been writing and decided to take a break to explore several Gems dropped here at the Cave.

This latest is by Gem Maker and Dragon Feeder, Jafe Danbury..of The Other Cheek fame.

Jafe has hit it out of the park with this Thriller. What do a Firebird, a Phoenix and a cryptic letter from a mysterious stranger have in common? They come together to answer the question of an adoptee named Phoebe who is desperate for answers. This was one wild ride back into the past and hurtles you back to present day.

If you are looking for an edge of your seat ride in the passenger seat of one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time, Leaving Phoenix is it.

Don’t delay, hitch a ride with Phoebe today!

Available at fine book stores everywhere!