Plaid Pals: Dave’s Suicide Risk Assessment by Dave Johnson.

This is a short story about Dave who underwent a suicide risk assessment whilst being sectioned on a psychiatric ward.

This very small book of just 18 pages is a kind of check-list for assessing suicide risk. It could be useful for social workers to see if vulnerable people should be directed to professional help. It is clear and to the point. It is told in the style of a shopping trip where the buyer has a list. I found it to be an okay read and gave me some insight into a situation that sadly claims so many victims.

I wondered why it was called Plaid Pals but a quick internet search told me why. The University of Notre Dame has a University Counseling Center and on it’s website there is a page called Assessing the Risk of Suicide. Things to watch for when assessing potential risk: PLAID PALS - so it is an acronym standing for Plan, Lethality, Availability, Illness, Depression, - Previous attempts, Alone, Loss and Substance Abuse.

So Dave has clearly been through the system and the material is out there to publish his little book. What we have is an expansion of a university webpage which he is passing off as his book. Therefore I can only give his work just 2 stars as he has added so little to the game. Rather than bother with this little book, you would be better off searching online for self help websites.

Plaid Pals is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2015.

Cold Fear by Rick Mofina.

10 year old Paige Baker is on a camping trip with her parents when she goes missing. Will she be found in the remote Glacier National Park? Will a cold fear grip Paige or her parents? How will the multi-agency response handle her disappearance? Will the reader feel a cold fear or is this book like drinking cold tea?

Rick starts his novel by casting doubts on the parents. He develops a mystery surrounding their back story. He brings in lots of characters who are on the trail of finding Paige. He follows the news media as they report the disappearance and the search. He slowly reveals what happens to Paige after she has gone missing.

Rick’s writing style is that of a newspaper reporter in that his novel is bite-sized and snappy. I found this book shallow and under-developed. The mystery elements are okay and make you wonder how this story will pan out. But the search for Paige and the plot of this novel are mundane. It is all rather run of the mill and nothing was outstanding or radically different. Rick does try to develop a mystery of the dark secrets held within the Glacier National Park to give the reader a chill factor but fails as this is not cold fear but like drinking cold tea.

Cold Fear is an okay read with nothing special. It is very much like following an everyday newspaper story of a missing child. My reading pleasure was very limited and I took nothing away from this book. The ending was very far fetched and unrealistic. Rick did not develop social issues and did not have an attitude or message. There was no real darkness to this novel and overall it was very light. The plot, mystery, dialogue, character development and entertainment were all light.

Cold Fear is a disappointment for one simple reason. Rick tried to instill a fear that within the Glacier National Park there lurks an evil. To tell a tale that gives you the creeps and makes your mind wander when walking your dog, takes great skill but can be done. Cold Fear for me was like cold tea, an okay read that I will vote the middle score of 3 stars. If you want a 5 star novel that employs the hidden darkness and evil held within a landscape, then I can recommend Black Wood by S.J.I. Holiday. She can teach Rick a thing or two about writing a good novel.

Cold Fear is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2001.

Stone of Fire (Arkane #1) by J.F. Penn

Follow Morgan Sierra as she searches for the Pentecost stones in this thriller about religious relics.

Joanna writes a wonderful and entertaining thriller that should appeal to all readers regardless of their faith or views on religion. Her book has a lovely mix of fact and fiction. There is lots of history and background in this story which is gently explained. You do not need to be a religious scholar to understand what is going on because as this story unfolds, the characters explain both the nature of faith and the importance of the Pentecost stones.

I found Stone of Fire a very interesting read because of all the detail within the plot. Joanna has done a tremendous amount of research to build her story around the Pentecost and this depth is a joy to read. This book works on a number of levels, the concept of faith, conspiracies, secret rooms and societies plus adventure and the thrill of the chase. The whole feel of this book is very similar to the average Dan Brown novel but for all the right reasons.

Stone of Fire was a pleasure to read. I loved the writing style which was very descriptive, educated, informative and with an extensive vocabulary. The whole story was bright and refreshing. It was a very entertaining tale and because I am an Atheist, I found it very funny! Joanna does not poke fun at religion but it made me laugh! She writes a very convincing tale that is verified by lots of detail and background. It was lovely that when the story ends she includes some author notes to explain which parts were fact and which were fiction in case you were confused. She gave me what I want from my reading experience, a refreshing trip into another world and for that I vote her the top score of 5 stars.

I used to read a daily newspaper and did not bother with books. But a passenger left behind a copy of The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown on my coach and I took it on holiday with me in June 2007. I enjoyed reading it so much that I abandoned my daily newspaper and moved onto books instead. I have never looked back and I feel that a novel like Stone of Fire can very easily turn on people and make them want to adopt reading books as a hobby. I view Stone of Fire as a stepping stone for readers to get the bug of a media that can give them years of pleasure.

Stone of Fire is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2011.

Killing the Beasts (DI Spicer Book 1) by Chris Simms.

Follow DI Jon Spicer in this crime thriller set around Manchester. People are very busy in Manchester with the opening of the XVII Commonwealth Games in 2002, when a body is discovered.

Okay, this story is set in 2002 but do not let that put you off. People remain the same, the world over and what we have here is a gritty urban drama. This story is not dated, although you should ignore all the smoking in enclosed public spaces, which is now thankfully illegal.

This is a lovely balanced story, it is not purely a police procedural tale. Character development is great with a lovely diverse range of people. The plot is very good and the pace at which this story unfolds is spot on. It was a pleasure to read and DI Jon Spicer is a very likeable chap who does enjoy a pint in a pub giving you a wish to join him for a night out.

Crime thrillers are a crowded market but Chris Simms offers more in his books. You get the regular crime and it’s detection but also lots of local colour and a social life among the characters. Chris details how Manchester was re-generated in the run up to the Commonwealth Games and how the ugly parts of the city were covered up. He gives the reader the impression they were living there at the time. This novel has a very British feel to it and I like how it is set in the real Manchester rather than a fictitious city. There is also lots of social commentary spread throughout this story and I particularly liked the focus on consumerism and all forms of litter.

Chris has done a lot of research for his novel and this is explained at the end of the book in a section entitled “The ideas behind the story”. I got an awful lot from reading this book, pleasure, a method of killing I had not come across before, the importance of the number 7 through history and a shiver whenever I walk past a branch of B&Q. Killing the Beasts is a great book that I am very happy to vote the top score of 5 stars. This book stands the test of time just like a beer Jon was offered in the novel called Summer Lightning, which is not brewed in Manchester but in Downton near Salisbury, an old favourite of mine and a winner of many real ale awards over the years.

Killing the Beasts is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2005.

A Thousand Fiendish Angels: Stories Inspired by Dante’s Inferno by J.F. Penn.

Joanna wrote these three short stories as part of an online contest for the launch of Dan Brown’s thriller novel, Inferno. At the end she explains about her writing, the language, imagery and symbolism used.

Joanna writes really well and this is quality on the page. These three horror stories really pack a punch. A lot of work has gone into these short stories and the writing is rich in content, depth and language. Her writing style is top quality and the best way for me to describe it is to give a brief quote to illustrate her talent…

Simon had succumbed to his own tug of desire for influence far beyond his brother’s petty pleasures, but there were days when he still longed to lose himself in an orgy of flesh, and take intimacy to the realm of ritual.

...You don’t get this quality of writing in many short stories and Joanna has really raised the bar with her collection. I got a lot of pleasure from reading her three short stories. They are also great in length to read one within your 45 minute tachograph rest break. These stories are snappy, you can finish them and not have to drive for up to 4 hours 30 minutes before you can find out what happens next!

I was really impressed by these short stories and found them to be top class entertainment. I could find nothing wrong with them and they made me one very happy reader, so it’s 5 stars from me.

A Thousand Fiendish Angels is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2013.

Wanted (A Leopold Blake Thriller #1) by Nick Stephenson.

Follow criminology consultant Leopold Blake with his big ego as he romps around Paris with his two lap dog girlfriends Mary and Sophie. Hang on tight for this fast paced, far fetched, unbelievable thriller.

Oh dear, this is a tale of puerile fantasy where a billionaire playboy can afford to do whatever he wants with the other characters jostling to wipe his backside. The plot is typical James Bond and people are killed willy nilly.

I was unable to find any depth to this novel. Oh yes, there was plenty of action but it was all far fetched. The plot was quite simple and lacked realism. Character development was basic and I felt no empathy for these throw-away characters.

The lack of realism irritated me and the comic book storyline gave me very little reading pleasure. This book was simply an okay 3 star read, something better than a daily newspaper to read but only just. It is light reading but the enjoyment is also light.

If this was a television pilot, I very much doubt it would be commissioned. It is shallow and the viewers would drift away after wasting their time on the first episode. Nick calls his novel Wanted, a better title would have been Wasted. Why… because of the number of characters who were unnecessarily killed and the time the reader has Wasted.

Wanted is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2013.

Darla the Muse by Kerry Barger.

Erik fancies a waitress called Darla in a diner. This is his story and Erik believes that Darla is his Muse.

This book is quite a mixture, a love story but only told from Erik’s point of view plus an exploration of this Muse concept throughout history. There is also quite a lot of religion thrown in plus some science fiction. The story starts off as a regular boy fancies girl tale, then all this stuff about a Muse inspiring people through history and how Darla inspires Erik. Then I thought that Erik was a victim of a spiked drink and the drugs had sent him off his trolley but this was the start of the science fiction section. In the end things are rounded up about how Erik’s life continued after he first met Darla in that diner.

I found this book unusual as it was such a mixture. I thought the religion was stupid and childish. I liked the start but did not like the way this book developed. As I read further this tale became more and more unrealistic. Okay, this is a cross-genre book but it does not achieve a good reading pleasure in any aspect of the text.

Darla the Muse is very different to regular novels. The change was refreshing but my reading enjoyment was simply okay. It was like reading a travel brochure in that it sparks an interest but will never be an outstanding read. I liked how the feelings Erik had for Darla and this Muse concept were fully explored. This raised the quality of this book in my eyes and am glad to vote this novel 3 stars as I found it to be an okay read.

There is one little riddle that made me think, smile and then laugh when I worked the answers out. When Erik first met Darla at the diner he asked her if she knew about Eileen who worked there...

“Oh, you would remember Eileen,” he said. “She only has one leg and wears a pink tutu over her cheerleader costume. She usually wears her hair in pigtails. Her oriental friend named Irene also works at IHOP. Eileen keeps her pet horse in a hole in her backyard.”

Darla the Muse is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2015.