BOOK REVIEW - Wrong Crowd - Richard Godwin

Wrong Crowd by Richard Godwin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received, at my request, an advance copy of this book from the publisher. This in no manner or form had any bearing on my review. Thank you. vmls

In this slick, fast-paced noir thriller, Richard Godwin brings the same verve and compelling narrative style that is the trademark of all of his writing, crossing genres as effortlessly as one crosses a street. Stories with sharply drawn characterizations, crisp dialogue and action that keep the reader moving as the suspense builds to its inevitable conclusion.

Wrong Crowd is a voyeuristic view of one man’s desires and the passion, if I may use such a mundane word to describe a woman who is anything but ordinary, which drives him back to a life he had thought left behind. But, to paraphrase a character in a popular American movie.... "They keep pulling me back."

That passion is Maxine. A woman who demands little and gives all. A woman whose very existence consumes Claude. Every waking moment. Every second of sleep.

Desire is a powerful force.

Claude is a man with desires... appetites… waking dreams. And neither Russian gangsters nor cheap East End hoods are going to come between Claude and the woman he would possess. Totally. At any cost.

And with each line Claude crosses, there is a little cut to his soul, a blood trail leading back to…

Ahh, but one does not want to reveal too much, does one? I will say this about Claude…

The adage 'the means justify the ends' has never been more apropos than in Wrong Crowd as Claude plumbs the very depths of his soul in his quest.

Wrong Crowd is an erotic tour de force, interwoven with cheap but deadly Russian mobsters, East End low-lifers and one man's erotic desires brought to life as only Richard Godwin can do. Godwin is like a knowing lover, his tales leaves one sated, yet eager for the next encounter.

Memorable characters, fast-paced action and more than a little ‘undercurrent’ of sex, Wrong Crowd delivers and will leave even the most die-hard reader breathless.

I recommend without reservation, Wrong Crowd. Richard Godwin often surprises, but never disappoints.

Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw
1 October 2015
(Writing under a large mushroom somewhere in the Pacific Northwest)

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BOOK REVIEW - ZOE SHARP: THIRD STRIKE

Third Strike by Zoë Sharp
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Zoe Sharp certainly hasn't lost her edge with #7 in the Charlie Fox series.  Taut drama, tight prose, plot twists and action jumping out on every page, Third Strike is a must read for anyone who loves action and suspense.

When someone sets off a wad of plastique (figuratively speaking) in Charlie's father's reputation, Charlie doesn't take it lying down.  Regardless of how they feel about each other, in Charlie's world... you don't f**k with family!  Not if you want to walk away without serious physical impairment... or worse!

I won't give away the surprise at the end, but it does make me want to jump right into the next in the series, Fourth Day.  I should probably go back and pick up the one's I missed though... Killer Instinct - Zoe's incredible debut novel - is the only other one I've read so far.  Trust me... I will remedy that!

If you're already a fan of Zoe's writing, nothing I say here will surprise you... you know already... and if you're not?  What are you waiting for?

Now, I'm off to see where I can find Riot Act.

Thank you, Zoe, for some of the best writing in the genre I have come across in a long while, and an absolutely unforgettable character in Charlie Fox.

I recommend Third Strike whole-heartedly.


Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw
16 March 2013
Cannon Beach, Oregon

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BOOK REVIEW - J.F. JUZWIK: KING'S BISHOP TAKES KING'S ROOK'S PAWN

King's Bishop Takes King's Rook's Pawn by J.F. Juzwik
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve been a fan of Joyce Juzwik’s writing ever since she introduced me to the online writing community over at Flash Fiction Friday.  Her writing flows very well… it is both clean and nuanced… and she brings depth and a sharp realism to her characters; something that is missing from the characters in some books I have read.  ‘Homo erectus’ is a flawed creature… why should the characters we write and read about be less so?

Joyce’s first novel – King’s Bishop Takes King’s Rooks’ Pawn – takes us inside the mind of a serial killer and the police detective determined to bring a psychopath to justice.  She draws the protagonist- Detective Charlie Dunne – with a caring and compassion that adds great depth to the character… giving him real strength… and real flaws.

Charlie has a keen sense of justice… he also has a troubled past… a past that threatens his latest case.  A serial killer has ‘come to roost’ in the quiet small town Charlie has moved to in the hopes of starting his life over.  The killer has deliberately… but wait, I don’t want to spoil anything here.  You’ll have to read for yourself.

Charlie quickly finds himself battling both the ticking clock of a serial killer’s ‘timetable’ as well as contending with the small-mindedness of a small town city council intent on not letting the ‘good name’ of their fair city become soiled with the publicity of a madman on the loose by bringing in help for Detective Dunne, who struggles with woefully inadequate resources with which to catch the killer.  On top of all of that, Charlie is still battling his own personal demons.

What makes this story all the more intriguing is that Joyce tells it from the differing perspectives of the major characters as well as the victims… allowing us glimpses inside the minds of these people… seeing and feeling their needs, wants, desires… including the sick, twisted fantasies of the killer – a rare glimpse into the pathology of a madman.

There are no red herrings in this story, but Joyce does make the reader work for the story… feeding bits and pieces at a time and making the reader think… to draw their own inferences from the facts presented.  I don’t care much for stories that hand the reader everything on a plate… like the author doesn’t think we are smart enough to figure stuff out.  Joyce does not do that.

King’s Bishop is a well-plotted read with just enough sub-plot to keep the story interesting but not so much that the reader becomes lost.  And as the reader will soon see, this sub-plot is integral to the story.  It hasn’t been ‘thrown in’ simply to add pages to the book.

Joyce’s narrative style moves the reader along at a good pace, building the suspense with each chapter… each new revelation… and as the body count climbs, the reader becomes completely caught up in the story… emotions roller-coastering along with the story… until the very end.  An end I confess I had not quite expected and thus was very pleased with.   It ended the way a good thriller should end.

King’s Bishop is noir… a crime drama… it doesn’t have a happy ending, nor should it.  Life isn’t always rainbows and unicorns… bad things happen to good people and sometimes, fighting the good fight doesn’t save you in the end.  Lives are changed… some shattered beyond repair or redemption.

The final scene, as much of Joyce’s writing does, took my breath away with its shocking, brutal finality.  Joyce is a writer who clearly knows her craft and her audience.  I would recommend King’s Bishop Takes King’s Rook’s Pawn to anyone who loves good suspense.


Thank you.


Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw
Silverdale, Washington
3 May 2012


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