Murder Books

This book was great-fast read! I am in Nashville and it was fun to know the places where the book was taken place.

I had hoped that the Women Suffrage had played a larger part of the story.

Kip Gayden has written a wonderful novel based on actual events that took place in Gallatin and Nashville Tennessee in the early 1900's. The reader is exposed to a different time in history that has been all but forgotten. The subject matter which is as much about womens suffrage as it is about murder; but it is also about passion and forbidden love.
Anna Dennis meets her future husband (Walter Dodson) in summer camp. Walter Dodson takes note of Anna the minute she arrives at camp with her father. Anna soon takes note of Walter and signs up in all of his camp counselor activities. When Summer ends and they depart, both Anna and Walter find themselves wondering if they would ever meet again.
Years later the two do meet again at a hospital where Anna takes a job and where Walter just happens to be a physician. Once they meet eye to eye again, there is no stopping this powerful romance; well almost. Anna's miscarriage of their second child and Walter's ambition and thoughtlessness, sets in motion a wanton, lustful, extramarital, love affair that had no chance of ending well. The actual newspaper articles are included in the novel which makes the novel a historical fiction.
It is an easy, wonderful, read and I recommend it highly. Miscarriage of Justice: A Novel

I LOVED this book! I'm not always content with historical fiction, sometimes there is too much history and not enough story. This book is a perfect mix of both. It centers around the Women's Suffrage movement, a 1913s love triangle, and the longing of a lonely woman. The author has done a great job blending together the facts and the fiction to create characters that come to life and characters that I was able to care about. Hope to see more good works from Mr. Gayden!

Could not put down. It combined facts with fiction to make a book you could not put down. I live in the area that the characters and setting were from which made it even more appealing but it was a wonderful book.

Miscarriage of Justice is based on the actual events surrounding a 1913's love triangle gone horribly and irrevocably wrong. Kip Gayden has delivered an impressive novel that is as exciting as the crime and verdict were shocking. Anna and Walter Dotson were prominent members of the small Tennessee community of Gallatin. Walter, in addition to being a very successful physician, was active in numerous community activities, Masonic Lodge, church bible study and city orchestra leader, and he also had political aspirations. While Walter was attending various groups and meetings, his wife, Anna, was home with her two children. There's a pointed change in the marriage after Anna miscarries their third child, all the romance and intimacy the couple had once shared was drained from the relationship. As time and time again Walter rejects his wife's attempts to rekindle the romantic fires, she is left feeling lonely and unfulfilled.

When Charlie Cobb and his family moved to town, he began working at the local barbershop and quickly became Walter Dotson's favorite barber. It isn't long before the flirtations between Charlie and Anna spiral into a full blown affair. They are both so consumed by the affair and finding ways to be together they fail to recognize the whispers, quiet nods and gossip, that eventually reach Walter. With her adulterous behavior exposed, Anna confessed her actions to her husband and then at his behest, to her brother. What follows is a crime that rocked the small Tennessee community to its core and a controversial verdict that would ultimately play a roll in the women's rights movement.

Masterfully weaving fact with fiction, Kip Gayden has crafted a wonderful novel that brings the characters to life and gives the reader a front row seat in the private lives of people that lived almost a hundred years ago. Gayden has the ability to take the reader back in time and present a believable story, that is informative and entertaining. Threading the women's suffrage movement into the story at the onset puts the reader into the mindset of the era...painting a detailed picture of Anna Dotson's daily life and the importance of women's rights.

A tragic, beautifully delivered historical novel that was a real pleasure to read. I look forward to reading Kip Gayden's next novel. Miscarriage of Justice: A Novel has a wonderful combination of everything, true crime, romance, deceit, adultery and historical fiction.

As a long time horse and mystery story lover, I'm always on the lookout for books that combine the two. I've often been disappointed in what I have found. I've read quite a few in this genre with glaring inaccuracies about horses. Or, if they get the horse stuff right, the characters are weak, the plot is convoluted, the pace is off, and the writing is painful. This author gets it right, gets it all right! She obviously knows the difference between a Quarter Horse and a Shetland Pony, the characters are engaging, the plot is interesting, and the story moves along at a decent clip. Even if you aren't a horse lover, it is a good mystery, even if you aren't a mystery lover, it's a good horse story. I'll be looking for more from this author.

A wonderful fun book. I enjoyed how the plot moved from A to B without leaps of faith. It is great to have a horse mystery where the author obviously has been around horses and the horse show scene. Can't wait for the next book.

This is a great book. I couldn't put it down once I started it. I really enjoyed it and I look forward to her next one:)

What an excellent book! It grabbed me from the very first page & ended with me wanting to read the next book! You know how authors include excerpts from a chapter of the next book in a series? Well, when I finished this book, I was dying to read an excerpt from this author's next book! The Misplaced Horse is very well-written ~ it's as good as ANY of the mystery books that are written by famous authors. It has the added bonus of being written around the horse world. It's refreshing to read such a book that's not full of mistakes about the horse "stuff". I once read a book by a VERY famous author who was talking about a big Tennessee Walker. Then the character went on to say that this big TW was 13.1hh. Nothing like that happens in The Misplaced Horse! The characters are well-developed & the storyline will grab you & hang onto you until the end. I'm going to get copies for everyone I know who likes mysteries or horse books. The Misplaced Horse is a great gift.

I loved the characters and the way the plot moved along. I especially enjoyed the wry humor combined with a mystery plot. A great read, it is a fun book. Great job and I look forward to more.
Jim Brady
Washington, DC

As a former law enforcement officer who served with a crime scene unit, an avid reader and contributing editor to a national law enforcement magazine, I am too frequently disappointed when a perfectly well told story falters over details of events,actions or other descriptions that are blatantly inaccurate. "Murder and Mayhem" is an excellenct source for writers who wish to avoid these mistakes.

Dr. Lyle not only provides answers to questions posed by writers accurately, his answers are presented in a manner that laymen (and espeically their prospective readers) can understand. The books added value is that the examples he uses are geared to specific literary situations.

This is a 'must have' addition to any mystery or cirme writer's reference shelf.

This volume contains detailed description of the why and wherefore of injury suffered to the human body. It covers injuries both traumatic and violent or otherwise... and treatments for. Highly recommended reading for the serious writer and the curious reader alike.

A writer's perspective, Dr. Lyle had a unique view of what is allowed and how to present it to a reader. This collection is composed of articles from a column first presented in Mystery Writers of America newsletter. It takes a little digging to unearth some specific detail and lacks an index.
When seeking specific information it is best to use what I've termed "the fingernail approach" -- run your finger down the page and soon or later you will find it. The book has some excellent line drawings for writers not versed in anatomy. A good place to start when searching for how to bump off your victim and confuse the investigation.
The style lends itself well to just taking it a chapter at a time to fill in gaps of knowledge before you go Net search. Remember in a investigation when confronting the killer, never ask a question you don't already know the answer to.
Writing as a Small BusinessSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil WarUnder the Liberty OakQualifying Laps: A Brewster County Novel

I've used this book as a reference while writing my first novel. Its very helpful. I'll use it again on my next. Cold Eyes

I have used this book numerous times since I purchased it new a year ago. If the answer I'm searching for isn't in this book, Lyle gives enough general information that I know what questions to ask my medical contacts when I touch base with them.

Definately worth full price, this book is packed with timely and detailed information mystery and crime writers need today.

Angela Wilson
Author

Robinson, holds a PhD in anthropology. Apparently, her husband bet her she could put it to use writing mysteries set in the past. They are about Lord Meren, the "Eyes and Ears of the Pharaoh" (an actual position, sort of a secret service type of job) in the time of King Tutankamun "Murder in the Place of Anubis" is the first in the series, but very hard to find. This series is, to me, the best of all the current ancient Egyptian mystery series, and superior to the current popular ancient Rome series as well. Write more and re-release the older ones, please!!

What a delightful read! I've read them all now and I think this is the best one--and it is very good indeed. I whooshed through them all with complete delight, and this is the most endearing of the series; but it is also the best-constructed. By that I mean it is by far the best puzzle--for mystery fans like me--and the plot had the fewest holes. Some of the books are slow to start; this one is not. All of them have wonderful and gripping climaxes that solder you to the page. It will be much more enjoyable if you read the series in order, beginning with "Murder in the Place of Anubis," which is the weakest of the series, but still a delight and a pretty good mystery. The three books that follow this one are also beautifully done--but it's very easy to guess the "who's" from the "dunits." I can't wait for the next book. A very, very charming and beautifully narrated and imaginative series.

After being wounded at the conclusion of the previous story, Meren needs to leave Memphis, rest, and recover his health - and not-so-incidentally orchestrate the transfer of extremely secret royal cargo from the former heretic capital city, Horizon of the Aten, to its new resting place in Thebes. What could go wrong during a nice quiet rest on the family estate in Abydos?

If you have to ask, you *must* come from a small family.

Meren's widowed sister Idut is in charge, training Meren's younger daughters Bener and Isis in estate management - and against Meren's express orders, she's organized a great feast of rejoicing, inviting most of Meren's extended family, including outspoken great-aunt Cherit, Meren's spoiled younger brother Nahkt (called Ra), and widowed Lady Bentana (Meren's female relatives think she'd make him an excellent wife). At the end of the list are the two names Meren least wants to hear this side of the halls of judgement: Hepu and Nebetta, who disowned their son Djet. Meren blames them for the suicide of the cousin who was far closer than his own younger brother. Even their surviving son Sennefer is warped, forever boasting of his sexual conquests while his embittered wife Anhai poisonously points out that he hasn't given *her* a single child in a dozen years of marriage, and threatens divorce. All this doesn't include two or three lawsuits, Anhai's maneuvering to get a good settlement, Hepu's agonizing habit of reading his own proverbs at banquets, Idut's new suitor Wah, Ra's drunken irresponsibility, and the young scribe Nu, who's been hanging around Bener lately - and the typical embarassment of much older relatives treating Meren like a toddler.

When one of Meren's more poisonous relatives turns up dead in the grainary, Meren is in charge of the investigation - after all, he's the local lord, and he's the Eyes and Ears of pharaoh anyway. I believe the body count in this story rises to 3 - and if *that* weren't enough, pharaoh himself clandestinely visits the area to check up on the transfer of the cargo. Meren has his hands full persuading Tutankhamun *not* to try to pass himself off as an ordinary nobleman so he can watch the investigation close up.

Some of the physical evidence is strange, giving Meren's physician a chance to shine. Kysen, after days of putting up with Meren's family's attitude - 'get rid of the adopted peasant, remarry, and father more sons' - exacts beautiful payback from the worst bully of the pack.

Even without Meren's own opinions on the ineffectiveness of torture in interrogation - having suffered it on the orders of Ahkenaten - he tends to encounter cases in this series wherein the suspects' position protects them from such indignities. In the case of some of his more trying relatives, though, he's not above making certain threats - and for any man who thinks improper thoughts about Meren's daughters, Meren gets downright graphic.

Lord Meren was injured in the solving of the Murder at the God's Gate, and Pharoah has granted him a leave to journey to his home in the country and recover. Of course, Meren never rests, and this trip also has another purpose. The bodies of the heretic, Ahkenaten, and his queen, Nefertiti, are to be entombed near Meren's estate until a proper place for them can be constructed. Those who were injured during Ahkenatens rule tried to interrupt his eternal rest by disturbing the bodies and looting the tombs. It is most important to King Tut that his brother and sister-in-law are properly cared for in death.

Unfortunately, Merens sister, Idut, has planned a feast for his homecoming despite his express directions to the contrary. His estate is crawling with relatives who squabble, meddle in his romantic life, and accuse him of shirking family duties. To make matters worse, Pharoah shows up, wanting to make sure the bodies are properly entombed.

As Meren is at his wits end, his cousins wife turns up dead, her body found in a granery. There is no evidence of murder, but what was the woman doing there and how did she die? She did not lack for enemies, and Meren's job is made more difficult when his family members and friends become suspects.

Lord Meren is sent home to rest but his sister arranges a family reunion instead. How many of these characters actually come from your own extended family? I recognized the majority from mine . This really makes Lord Meren into a human being rather than an historical personage. The series gets better with each book as I read them.

The book is a typical true crime book but it does provide background information about the mysterious accidental shooting death of beloved Pennsylvania attorney, Martin Thomas Dillon. He goes on a shooting trip to Gunsmoke with his supposed friend, Dr. Stephen Scher. Ironically, his friend is having an affair with Marty's wife, Patty. It's practically common knowledge. Sadly, the death was first ruled as an accident but Marty's family persisted to know the truth. They didn't believe Marty could accidentally shoot himself. The book is an easy read and I was more interested in the relationship between Patty and Stephen, the doctor and nurse. The author does an adequate job in providing details and reasoning. I felt sorry for the children, Michael and Suzanne Dillon, who would be raised by Patty and her second husband, Stephen, in New Mexico. Only a year later, the couple married and remained married until Stephen's arrest and trial. I don't think he could have gotten a fair trial or jury in the Montrose area. Anyway, he testified on his behalf which allowed a conviction. He is serving time in prison. Ironically, his former wife Ann was on the verge of suicide at the news of Marty's accidental death. She moved on and remarried happily to a wonderful guy.

I found myself shocked and surprise about the begining of this story The Secrets in the Grave. The story had taken place in a rural town in northern Pennsylvania in the mid 1970's, Two succesful people that go by the names of Marty Dillion who is a lawyer and a doctor who name is Stephen Scher.

These two men were tareget practing with rifles and shooting at clay pigeions. When Stephen had fired a shot from his rifle, accidently Marty was in the way and got a bullet in his chest. Marty had died in less then a hour before the authoritys and help came.

Stephen had told the authoritys that Dillion had accidently shot himself which he had manage to keep a straight face to make it look like he had nothing to do with the murder. If i was in stephen shoes i wouldn't beable to live with myself with out paying the consequences. I would have told the truth and less of a charge would be bought. But by lieing he would be getting himself into more trouble in the years to come by. There is a secret that is laying beneath the ground that will help authoritys solve this case but it will not be found right away. We will just have to continue to find out how they will solve this case.

A great book, but...I wanted more character description. It is very obvious who was willing to be interviewed by the author and who was not (namely, Dr. Scher and his wife Pat Dillon Scher). I guess they felt they would come out worse than they already do in the story. This book has been one of the saddest true crime stories I have ever read. Almost all of the main characters are despicable, but you can't put the book down.

Maria Eftimiades has given us a well-written, well-researched book on a murder that took 20 years to solve.

I don't know who I was more disgusted by: the sociopathic, cruel murderer Stephen Scher (who drove his first wife, Anne, to the brink of suicide); Pat Dillon Scher, who remains a spoiled brat to this day; Martin Dillon's two children who "disowned" their own grandparents for wanting the murder of their own father to pay for his heinous deed (Suzanne I would especially love to slap) or Pat's parents, who raised her to think she was better than everyone else in the world and "deserved the best", no matter who she hurt to get it.

All in all, great book. Difficult to put down!

The author does a superb job of bringing the reader all the details of the gruesome murder of Pennsylvania Attorney Marty Dillon.... June 2, 1976 Marty and his friend, Dr. Stephen Scher, went hunting.........according to Dr. Scher, Marty got killed while chasing a porpupine, when he tripped and his gun went off.... Before two years were gone by, the doctor married Marty's widow...the town became a little suspicious, and Marty's parents always believed something was "fishy"......... It took 20 years of battling the system, but at last Marty's body was exhumed .... the autopsy showed that the wounds were not found to be self-inflicted and his death was finally ruled a homicide......... I don't read true-crime novels as I find them too gory, gritty and disturbing..........however, while visiting my Mom, and forgetting to bring the book I was reading, I looked through her large pile..........since she's not a reader of fiction, my selection was limited........] This book was a quick and compelling read...My heart broke for Marty's parents......I suggest you read it yourself and draw your conclusions..........as for mine, I'm so glad that our great legal system still (for the most part) works!

"All is safe with a lady engaged; no harm can be done." This quote by Jane Austen opens Something Borrowed, Something Blue, but for Abigail Elizabeth Duncan nothing could be further from the truth. From the very beginning when Abby's doting boyfriend buys her the antique aquamarine ring she wants for their engagement, a strange element of violence creeps in. The murder of a young woman she never knew invades her dreams and Abby finds herself entangled in a mystery that will claim her own life if she cannot solve it in time. Author Sandy Henry has combined the bright mundane of everyday life with the darkness that can lie in the human soul and the combination is a disturbing one. If you enjoy the eerie, you are going to love this book!

A winding, twisting tale of murder, romance, friendship, and family. Something Borrowed, Something Blue moves quickly and easily through a smart, unique story that left me hanging until the last few pages. Having read dozens of murder mysteries, this one was particulary appealing to me because it doesn't get lost in the details. Firming sticking to the story, Sandy Henry is now canonized in my short list of authors who wrote works I "couldn't put down."

Better than Professor Plum with the candlestick in the library.

I love this book! I read it in a single evening. Just when you think you've figured it out Sandy adds a new twist, and the characters are off and running. Sandy is very descriptive in her writing, and she keeps you guessing until the very end.

This book was excellent. It was well written and easy to follow. There weren't too many characters to keep track of and it just kept your interest all the way through. I picked up the book and thought I would start reading it, but it captures you from the very beginning, I couldn't put it down until I read every last page.

A perfect murder mystery with a touch of the supernatural, a number of possible suspects which will put wild guesses of motive in your head. Twists and turns that will make your thoughts fall apart, and some romance on top of that. What more can anyone want?
Sandy's way of describing with random details makes the characters and the scenes come alive, as well as they made me laugh in the middle of the dramatized and puzzling chapters.
The only problem with this book is that while reading it on the beach you'll forget to turn and lay on the other side in the sun. The book keeps you hooked! I wish I had Sandy's next mystery at the beach already tomorrow.

I found that A Stabbing for Sadie, by Wednesday Lee Friday, was a book hard to put down! I loved following the story and waiting to see what would become of Sadie. The twists and turns made the book riveting and I could not wait to get to the end. This dark tale of an abused young woman was fabulous! I cannot wait to read the next book by this talented author. I highly recommend this read for all who enjoy exploring the dark side of human nature.

The main character is a sick kitten. Really sick. Like, a reanimated kitten corpse missing two legs and the stumps replaced with stuffed mice. Friday takes you into the mind of a serial killer so thoroughly, you wonder why she didn't kill more people. The character, that is, not the author ... something tells me we don't want to know the author's body count.

"A Stabbing for Sadie," the debut novel from Wednesday Lee Friday, is an engaging read. The journey through the mind of protagonist "Sadie" is often disturbing and sad, sometimes amusing, and always intriguing. Skillful character development and some surpising twists along the way make this book a thoroughly enjoyable read!

A Stabbing for Sadie
Every printed word has a purpose in this story and each paragraph paints her story in vivid detail all the way to the last page. I have no idea how Wednesday managed to cram such a personally gripping story into 189 pages, but she did it very carefully and with the craft of a master story teller. Wednesday Lee Friday has really put herself into this book and it shines like a shattered windshield.

I don't remember what I expected when I was recommended this book -- despite that, it proves engaging at the start and riveting at the end. The nearest thing I can compare it to is 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest,' where the reader is never quite sure of the reality posed by the speaker. Full of twists, turns and emotional free-falls ... this is a novel everyone should own and no-one should forget.

I carried 'Cuckoo's Nest' in my backpack for six months, and I encourage potential readers to do the same with 'Sadie.' That's all I can recommend -- read it twice. Interpret it thrice. You won't be sorry.

I like the way Corey Mitchell writes, this book is excellent as is Evil Eyes. Both held my attention throughout with plenty of interesting details and juicy bits without sensationalism. After having read stacks of true crime books that declare they contain pages of "shocking photos" this book actually contains a really disturbing picture, I love it! Corey Mitchell writes true crime that almost takes you there. I dont pretend to read this stuff for purely intellectual reasons. I want to experience what the crime scene technicians and profilers experience. While I am very interested in what may separate a homocidal maniac from Joe America and I want to know warning signs and patterns and all of that. I admit I want a thrill of the forbidden and the chase. Corey Mitchell gives you the feeling of looking over the shoulder of the killer in my opinion and I like that. This is a really good book; but, I think Evil Eyes is even better. If you feel like I do, you probably should look into buying both of them.

I read this book in only a few days because I couldn't put it down. The way the author went into the backgrounds of not only the victims but some of the detectives, lawyers, etc. was really nice and cool. It helped remind me where I had heard some of the names before. Last night I was only gonna read to one part and as I was reading that mark kept changing until it was 5:45 AM and I was at the end :) A must for any true crime reader! Great job!

Once again, Corey Mitchell holds my intrest with his story telling. He is sure to become a favorite among true crime readers.

"Strangler" is another excellent offering from true crime author Corey Mitchell.
This is the second book from Mr. Mitchell that I have read. Like "Evil Eyes" it didn't disappoint.

The author includes transcripts from Anthony Shore's confessions.
The reader gets a chilling insight into the mind of an incestuous serial killer. He sensed that he would be discovered after submitting a court ordered DNA sample. Mr. Mitchell gives accounts of some of Shore's disturbing activities as a youth.

Corey Mitchell does a great job of detailing the investigation and prosecution of Anthony Shore.He writes about the crime lab scandal and that makes the independent DNA lab very important as a part of the prosecution's case. Add to that the tragic suicide of one of the homicide detectives,and the revolving door of relationships that the killer had and you have a very chaotic period.

The author provides a fast-paced but focused book on virtually every aspect of theses murders,from the victims,their families,Shore's family,the detectives determination to solve the cases,and the Assistant District Attorney who successfully prosecuted the killer.
A great read from one of the best true crime writers of the day!

This is the first book I have read from Corey Mitchell, and based on the strength of this one, I will be purchasing his other true crime stories. Mitchell has a gift. Even with presenting what could be dull facts, he keeps the pages turning. His writing is clear and concise, and never gets boring. The story of Anthony Shore is interesting and the author really details his life nicely. You can never really know what makes a talented musician and very intelligent guy turn into a murderer, but Corey Mitchell lays out all the facts and gives you everything you need to get into the twisted mind of this killer. Very good book.

I was very surprised by this novel as I do not care for murder mysteries; and am usually not interested in Southern fiction. This is both of those things, yet also in a separate category too - just plain, good fiction. These characters were so well realized, the story sad and hopeful at the same time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although it definitely left me sad at Sheila's cruel, short life ... and through it all, she was so positive and kind. It's not always an easy book to read emotionally, but it's very hard to put down. I finished it in 2 days and it lingered well after that. Highly recommended.

You cannot put this book down!What a wonderful story that stays with you!

This is a most unusual murder story that is well written, with "real-life" characters. You get to know them all intimately and feel their pain at what happened. I had two suspects in my mind throughout the book, but ended up being wrong. Now THAT's a good mystery!

WOW! I absolutely loved this book. What beautiful writing! I still can't get Shelia out of my mind or her poor misused body. Read this book if you don't read anything else this year. Such a wonderful coming of age story & a plethora of other subjects. Please more Ms. Marshall. I am looking forward to all of your novels.

Bev Marshall's first novel, WALKING THROUGH SHADOWS, is a breathtaking creation. Set in a small town in rural Mississippi just before World War II, the story's obvious center is the murder of a young woman, Sheila Barnes. Sheila is one of the most unforgettable characters I've run across in recent years - just seventeen at the time of her death, married for around a year, Sheila is uneducated but full of unconventional wisdom, which she bestows gently on those around her as their needs dictate. She is a gift in their varied lives - and they all come to realize it in their own time.

Sheila comes to work at the dairy farm run by the Cotton family, and soon becomes the Best Friend of ten-year-old Annette (her caps) - the two girls grow as close as family, and at one point Annette's mother, Rowena, comments that `Annette loves Sheila like a blood sister'. Sheila is seemingly completely without a formal education - she comes from a family of numberless children, loomed over by her brutal father. The beatings - and other abuse - she receives from him on a regular basis are the central reason in her leaving home, to seek work and shelter at the Cottons'. She is also possessed of a physical anomaly - a hump on her back - although she never lets it interfere with her image of herself or the way in which she attempts to live her life. It is at the Cottons' dairy, where she works, that she meets Stoney Barnes - despite her `deformity', he falls in love with her (and she with him), and after a short courtship, they marry. The abuse she suffered at the hands of her father continues sporadically - and Stoney is guilty of inflicting physical pain on her as well. When he reports Sheila missing early one morning, and her body is found in the Cottons' cornfield, the investigation that ensues reveals things about almost everyone involved that each one would have most certainly preferred to be left in the dark. The revelations strain friends and family and community - the outcome is both expected and surprising, and soul shaking.

The story unfolds gracefully through various viewpoints - a technique that Marshall employs extremely well. The author endows each of the characters with a distinctive personality and - even more importantly, I think - a unique, completely believable voice. Rather than simply describe each character to the reader, the author skillfully allows them to illuminate not only themselves but also each other. Their narratives - which vary in length, but grow shorter and switch back and forth more in the second half of the book - overlap in both subjects and time frames, much as if the reader were privy to individual tellings of the same story, walking from room to room, eavesdropping. There is a subtlety in Marshall's method here that is a wonder to behold - things are revealed to the reader as they are revealed to those in the story, allowing the mysterious aspects of Sheila's brutal murder to be opened like a flower. The suspense is palpable and deftly controlled.

There are lessons to be learned here - as well as a story that entertains - about a plethora of subjects: love, honor, family, pain, abuse, friendship, faith, race, healing, and more...including magic. I'm not speaking of the type of magic that is performed on the stage - I'm speaking of the more indefinable magic that lives and breathes in the touch of a friend's hand, in the stories they share that delight and instruct, in the pain that we cause each other and in the healing we can inspire. If this leads you to believe that this is a soporific tale, don't be deceived - this is fine writing of the highest order, and a story that reveals not only the innermost workings of its characters, but of all of us.

I have to say I just read this book last night (yes I read it in a day) & I thought it was AMAZING!! I love mysteries especially when they're so good you can't put them down & this was definetly one of those books, You should definetly read this book if you get the chance!

The book Fake ID by Walter Sorrells is a great book about a teenage girl who's mom suddenly goes missing on her sixteenth birthday. She now has to find her mother; find out why they were always running and moving to different cities. The city that Chastity and her mother now are living in is High Hopes, Alabama.. Her and her mother change there ID's like they do whenever they move to a different city. Chastity, if that is even her real name asks her mom who her dad is, why they are always moving and why she can never listen to music and sing songs like she loves to do. There is all these questions and Chastity can't find any answers until her mom goes missing and she will have to figure out everything in order to find her mother. This is a very mysterious book that is non linear that will make you think and want to keep reading.
I think Fake ID was a really good quick reading book that always made you wonder what was going to happen next. I like mystery books like this one because it is fun to read. I am a person that likes to read but I don't read a lot because I have to find a book that I'm interested in. I like books that can kinda be realistic and have to do with someone my age; that I can relate to. I thought this book was awesome.
Chastity is the main character of the book. She is a young sixteen year old girl who just wants to stay and make friends at her high school. Her mother which you will find a lot about in the middle of the book kept a lot of secrets from her daughter. They are really close and in the book Chastity knows that her mom didn't die and she has to find her before she has to go live somewhere else.
Ben which is another character in the book is Chastity's closest friend for a long time and will help Chastity throughout the book. He is a really nice guy and is there for her when her mother goes missing. Rachel which is another character in the book is a popular cheerleader at school who Chastity doesn't like that much. Though she doesn't like her she also ends up helping Chastity find her mother,.
In this story you learn that when someone you love goes missing that you will do anything in world to find them. It's sad when you lose someone but you are so happy when you get them back. When your parents don't want you to do something or don't want to talk about something they have a reason for it. Like Chastity says in the book-" Mom is weird about music. Like she won't listen to it. I mean, at all she says music is bad luck." This is how it all starts and you will find out why this is so important when you read the book Fake ID.

The two books in the series are great! Its about this girl and her mom moving from place to place. Read it if you a fan of suspenfull mysteries. Trust me and a bunch of other readers: THIS BOOKS ROCKS.

I loved this. It was fast-paced, suspenseful, and really interesting. You just want to know what happens next! I was so shocked, and yet strangely it felt like it was so obvious all along. I cannot wait to read the sequal!!! This was really exciting.

On one hand, this was a great book! I love this genre and I couldn't put the book down! A true page turner! An easy and fast read!! I imagine everyone who loves mysteries would enjoy reading this book! Creative and original!

However, there were unfortunate distractions that totally undid the enjoyability. I've never read a book with so many flaws in continuity and character. For example, the lead character, a budding musician, distinctly has to leave her prized guitar behind in a car used to kidnap her. Yet, her guitar is with her when next she needs it. Impossible. Then, in one paragraph, she is riding in a convertible Mustang and on the same page, just a couple of paragraphs later, the same Mustang is said to have a "sun roof." Again, impossible. In another section, a teacher tackles the lead character in the school library in order to get her to turn off her cell phone. That is implausible. Besides these and other obvious flaws, all characters except the lead are stereotypical, totally predictable, and one dimensional.

At the end of the book, the bad guys survive what should have killed them. This felt like a weak, obvious gimmick to get a second book going for the character where she must face these bad guys again. Why?

I don't know whether these are problems because the author has a poor editor, or because the author is cranking out books too fast to stay on top and keep the plot details tight and consistant. [On his Web site, the author says that he wrote 4 or maybe 5 books last year...he can't really remember which because he's writing so much he can't keep track.] The author obviously CAN concoct a GREAT plot (an EXCELLENT plot) and tell a great story (an AWESOME story) that keeps readers' attention. There is no excuse for the flaws.