In Miracle Drug, overcoming these odds will take more than a miracle drug – it will take a miracle.
About Miracle Drug
The infection wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did. The treatment was supposed to take care of it, but it didn’t. Then Dr. Josh Pearson discovers why – his patients, including the former President of the United States, have been dosed with a different strain of the original virus, one that is universally fatal. The only chance for survival is treatment with an experimental drug, but the manufacturer might already have discarded its supply.
As if treating the President of the United States isn’t stressful enough, the situation goes from bad to worse when Rachel Moore, a nurse Josh is falling in love with, falls ill. With the nation’s eyes on him, Josh must pull off a miracle to save a man who holds a good deal of power and the woman who holds his heart.
My Thoughts
A thrilling and suspenseful novel from start to finish, Miracle Drug keeps you guessing and never really knowing what to expect right to the very end.
I want to call this a medical thriller as it was full of medical suspense; an infection that is hidden behind another infection that needs a treatment that can not be found! Talk about intense! While a medical suspense novel, it is perfect to read for any individual without a medical background. The terminology was not overwhelming but instead exciting and kept your mind reeling.
The plot line was intense throughout the whole novel, building up to a fantastic but never quite guaranteed ending. The novel is well written and thought out with nothing left out that would make it hard to follow. A definite gem from start to finish!
Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician who writes “medical suspense with heart.” His novels have won multiple awards: a semifinalist for International Thriller Writers’ debut novel; finalists for the Carol Award, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, and Romantic Times’ Reader’s Choice Award; and both finalist and winner of the Selah Award. “Miracle Drug” is his ninth published novel. He and his wife live in Frisco, Texas.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Book four in the Roma Series, Turning to Stone finds our favourite team fighting against the most powerful and ruthless mafia gang, the Camorra.
About Turning to Stone
Alabaster Black aka Bianca Nerini returns as an investigation into a public official’s assassination pits Bianca and her friends against a backdrop of financial speculation, female assassins on motorcycles, and the Camorra, the most ruthless of Italian organized crime gangs.
En route to a secret meeting, Aldo Giurlani, the regional commissioner of Lombardy in northern Italy and a specialist on organized crime, is assassinated in the middle of a public square.
More mysterious is the package sent to Giurlani’s hand-picked team of five top investigators within the Guardia di Finanza (GdF), the Italian law enforcement agency that investigates illegal financial transactions, from money laundering to drug trafficking. Within the package are five copies of a book entitled Man of Smoke written by Aldo Palazzeschi.
Then there is Bianca’s tenuous online contact with a mysterious online contact known as Loki, who delivers a cryptic message to her, takes on a new twist with the appearance of a brilliant young obsessive-compulsive man who joins her team.
Complicating matters even further, old enemies and, more problematically, Alabaster’s former employer Rendition, a murky covert U.S. government agency that does more than just investigate financial crimes still have grudges to bear against her.
As new mysteries unfold, Bianca’s group quickly discovers that Naples might just be the most dangerous city in Italy.
My Thoughts
Wow, wow, wow! Just when you think a series can’t get any better! I fell in love with book four in the Roma Series as the past collides with the present in a unique and suspenseful unfolding. You never quite know what to expect in this novel.
This was by far the best novel in this series as Gabriel slowly reveals and pulls back the story layer after layer. The other three novels make small appearances and patterns left slightly undone come together. While you don’t have to read the other three novels to understand this particular one, you really should to get the full effect and impact this novel makes. Bianca is at her finest in this novel. Her character has really developed from book one and we are able to glimpse the more human side of her. The side of her that loves and cares, not just the girl who can tear down corruption in companies.
Book Four, Turning to Stone, is a novel you do not want to miss out on. It has something for everyone in it that will have you reading long into the night.
You can purchase a copy of Turning to Stone on Amazon.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Gabriel Valjan lives in New England, but has traveled extensively, receiving his undergraduate education in California and completing graduate school in England. Ronan Bennett short-listed him for the 2010 Fish Short Story Prize for his Boston noir, Back in the Day. His short stories and poetry have appeared in literary journals and online magazines.
Revenge, trust, love and murder collide in Evitable Destiny by Izabela Monick.
About Evitable Destiny
After Chris’s mother dies, he vows to seek revenge on his mother’s ex-lover Kevin whom he blames for her death. He also vows to never make his mother’s mistakes and fall in love.
When Kevin’s company begins to falter, Chris sees his chance and kidnaps Kevin’s step-daughter, Julia. His ransom? Kevin must cancel his business saving deal in order to have Julia returned alive. What Chris doesn’t count on is his feelings for Julia, who pushes his buttons and whose own feelings for her kidnapper become confusing.
As the romance between Chris and Julia heats up, other factors slowly come into play. Chris is not the only one who wants Julia, and others will stop at nothing to capture her. Will Chris fight for his future with Julia or will he let destiny play out on its own?
My Thoughts
Evitable Destiny follows the story of Chris and his plot to take revenge on Kevin for his Mother’s demise. Julia is the key to his revenge. When he kidnaps her, he feels nothing about it. But slowly a relationship builds between them. Julia develops a Stockholm syndrome for Chris but is angry with him for not trusting her. The middle to end of the novel was full of twisting shocks and surprises, many of which I did not see coming at all!.
The plot is a really great idea but it almost feels like something may be missing, almost as if it needs to be developed a bit more in the beginning. After the slowly built beginning, the story becomes fast paced and exciting to follow. By the middle of the novel you do not want to put it down, as the story becomes fast paced with lots of curve balls thrown your way. Some of which completely shocked me (in a good way!).
Izabela lives in New York with her husband and two children. She works as an accountant during the day and writer at night. Izabela delights in shocking her readers with unexpected turns and twists.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Every choice has a consequence in the explosive conclusion to the Carthage Chronicles as Lisbeth returns to third-century Carthage for a thrilling final adventure in Valley of Decision.
About Valley of Decision
Thirteen years ago, Lisbeth made an impossible decision – leave third-century Carthage and her husband Cyprian behind for good. She knew it was to protect her daughter Maggie, so Lisbeth gathered the strength to move on with her life.
All these years, Lisbeth has thrown herself into her work and raising her headstrong daughter, all to live up to the promise she made to Cyprian. But Maggie is sick of being protected. In an act of teenage rebellion Maggie decides to do what her mother can’t, secretly returning to the third century on a quest to bring her father back, leaving Lisbeth no choice but to follow.
With Maggie’s surprise arrival in Carthage, chaos ensues. She finds her grandmother on trial for murder and attempts to save her, but instead the diversion sparks a riot that nearly destroys the plagued city. Only one thing will appease the wrath of the new proconsul of Carthage: the death of the instigator.
Will Lisbeth arrive in time to save her daughter from the clutches of Rome? How can God possibly redeem such a slew of unwise decisions and deep regrets? Filled with heart-wrenching twists and riveting action, Valley of Decision brings the romantic adventure epic, The Carthage Chronicles, to an electrifying conclusion.
My Thoughts
History, time travel with just enough romantic spin on it makes the final novel in this series epic!
In Valley of Decision, we see a grown up version of Maggie who doesn’t understand why her Father can’t just be saved by coming to the future. She is resentful of her Mother for in her opinion, just leaving him there. What she can’t appreciate is the full impact on changing the past and why her Mother was trying to protect her.
When Maggie makes a hasty decision to travel alone back in time, Lisbeth must follow her. This is when everything goes wrong. They find themselves stuck in the middle of death, trials, illness and deadly plots. Valley of Decision will keep you guessing and begging for more. I know that I personally would love to see this series extended!! The series has been well written, thought out and easy to follow with just enough plot twists.
You can find more reviews of Valley of Decision on the Litfuse Blog Tour page. You can purchase a copy of the book here.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Lynne Gentry has written for numerous publications. She is a professional acting coach, theater director, and playwright. Lynne is an inspirational speaker and dramatic performer who loves spending time with her family and medical therapy dog.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
What turns the gentle mean and the mean brutal? The thirst for wealth? The demand for respect? Vying for a woman? Birds of Passage recalls the Italian immigration experience at the turn of the twentieth-century when New York’s streets were paved with violence and disappointment.
About Birds of Passage
Leonardo Robustelli leaves Naples in 1905 to seek his fortune. Carlo Mazzi committed murder and escaped. Azzura Medina is an American of Italian parents. She’s ambitious but strictly controlled by her mother. Leonardo and Carlo vie for her affection.
Azzura, Leonardo, and Carlo confront con men, Tammany Hall politicians, the longshoreman’s union, Camorra clans, Black Hand extortion, and the Tombs prison.
My Thoughts
As a third generation Canadian Italian, I never had to go racism or cultural hate. I have never been assumed to be a certain way because of my heritage. When I pick up and read a novel like Birds of Passage, I can then relate to what my ancestors did when they sailed across the ocean for a better life for family. They wanted and needed hope. What did they find when they landed? Mistrust, corruption and misunderstandings.
Birds of Passage is an incredible story of immigrating to the US from Italy during a particularly rough time in New York history. The book is honest, well written and you can feel the pain and struggle these immigrants went through. The lack of jobs, of respect and just trying to make it in a culture so different from their own. The blending of cultures is a constant struggle as individuals try to escape their past only to have it resurface in the ‘new world’. A lot of this can still be seen today as immigrants leave their country for a new life.
I loved how Joe includes the corruption of certain politicians, Mafia and family members to illustrate exactly how people lived during these times. This novel is a story that you will not want to put down because of all the raw emotions, corruption and pain. It was definitely well-loved in my home!
Joe Giordano was born in Brooklyn. His father and grandparents immigrated to New York from Naples. Joe and his wife, Jane have lived in Greece, Brazil, Belgium and the Netherlands. They now live in Texas with their shih tzu Sophia. Joe’s stories have appeared in more than sixty magazines including Bartleby Snopes, The Newfound Journal, and The Summerset Review.
Q&A with Joe Giordano
Q: When you were writing the book, did you have a possible film version in mind? If so, did you write in a way that lends itself to film adaptation? For example, lots of dialogue and present day action, not so much description and back story.
A: I’m sure every writer hopes their book will be adapted for the screen. My goal in writing Birds of Passage, An Italian Immigrant Coming of Age Story, was to create vibrant characters and put them into challenging situations. That’s the touchstone of any good movie. I often visualize my scenes and rehearse the dialogue, a sort of mental storyboard, to insure believability of my writing.
Q: What do you think of the way Italian Americans have been portrayed in Hollywood films over the years?
A: Early Italian immigrants faced prejudice. For example, Jacob Riis in How the Other Half Lives, an 1890 exposé on the deplorable conditions of tenement life, labeled Italians as the lowest of the new immigrants and “dirtier than the Negro.” Italian immigrant labors were given the worst jobs, and although they were instrumental in building New York’s subways and skyscrapers, were often used like human steam shovels. In Birds of Passage, I use small asides by Americans to recall these biases against Italian immigrants.
Early Hollywood films portrayed Italians as swarthy gangsters, cheap peddlers, or in a ridiculous comic role. A number of Italian-American organizations pushed back. Ironically, the turning point may have been “The Godfather.” Here, the gangsters were portrayed as wise, clever, resourceful, loyal, and largely in control of their destinies. More recently in, “The Sopranos,” Tony suffers a dysfunctional family, struggles to maintain his position as capo of a gang against internal and external rivals, and seeks psychological counselling. Notwithstanding that he occasionally kills someone, he lives a life of quiet desperation, like the rest of us. In Birds of Passage, my protagonist, Leonardo Robustelli, starts out as a somewhat naïve young man, quick to anger, and then learns that to avoid being buffeted in the world and take control of his own destiny, he must take certain decisions. Of course, there are consequences, but you’ll need to read the book to find out more.
Q: Italy, of course has a vibrant and very important film industry. Have Italian filmmakers paid much attention to Italian Americans? This may be a tough one to answer.
A: I can’t recall Italian filmmakers portraying many Italian Americans. In fact, I suspect that most Italians consider Italian Americans just Americans. Our cultures are quite distinct. I’m old enough to have known people born in the nineteenth-century. One of the reasons I wrote Birds of Passage was to recall how early Italian immigrants thought and acted, which is quite distinct from many Americans of Italian heritage today.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.
