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Book Review: Out of the Ashes by Kara Thomas

Out of the Ashes by Kara Thomas

Thomas and Mercer, 2023

ISBN-13 ‎978-1662509537

Available: Paperback; Kindle

 

Samantha, a nurse in a hospital ICU, is rushing to leave Queens and head back to her small hometown in New York, at the start of Kara Thomas’s engrossing thriller Out of the Ashes. It’s late at night, and as she passes a cruiser, she confesses to having been “skittish around law enforcement” since she was a tween. “No need to behave like a criminal,” she says to herself. “I hadn’t killed anyone. Not yet.” But, it is surprisingly soon that she assists in her very sick uncle’s suicide, and it is then that a flood of memories engulfs her as she has returned to the place where her mother, father, and little sister were shot and their home destroyed by fire in an unsolved murder several years ago.

 

Kara Thomas doesn’t waste any time plunging the reader into the fascinating recent history of Carny, New York and the sometimes complicated lives of Samantha’s relatives, friends, and enemies. We learn about the corrupt cop she fears, the addict who was once her friend, her harsh aunt, her loving father, and the men in the family farm business that seem to have some sort of hold over the town. In sharp, spare detail, Thomas draws multi-faceted characters and reveals their unique experiences with each other, experiences that tie them together in unexpected, for the reader, ways.

 

Samantha is an exciting protagonist: gutsy, smart, and aggressive. Her determination to find out whether her little sister might still be alive leads to a fast-paced investigation of people Sam already suspects to have been involved and those she adds to her list. Also, a detective new to the case poses alternative theories for Sam to consider. Whereas other crime novels might show us things are not as they seem, Thomas shows us Sam’s perspective as an unchanging story that steadily becomes more of what it seems. Sam herself tells the gripping story of her own weaknesses and mistakes and is a study in the effects of childhood psychological trauma.

 

There is never a dull moment in Out of the Ashes; it is never predictable. Thomas delves into the complicated: internet research, family histories, and psychological trauma. However, the reader is never forced to accept confusion as the author’s way of deepening the mysteries embedded in the narrative. This is a novel to lose yourself in – and maybe enjoy again someday on the big screen. Highly recommended.

 

Reviewed by Nova Hadley

 

Posted on June 17, 2023 by , Reply

Book Review: Shadow Runner by K.J. Fieler

 

Shadow Runner by KJ Fieler

Shadow Runner by K.J. Fieler

Black Rose Writing, 2023

9781685132040

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy (pre-order): Bookshop.org | Amazon.com

 

The only negative to Shadow Runner is that eventually, like all great stories, it ends.  It would be tougher to put together a better YA fantasy/thriller than this.  Like the Harry Potter series, Shadow Runner has the ability to appeal to young and old alike, although it is oriented to the younger set.  It’s a must-read.

 

As far as genres, this is listed as “steampunk,” taking place in a Victorian-style society where fancy machines run on steam and electricity hasn’t been invented.  Shadow Runner’s basic premise is that young, born to wealth Ada is kidnapped in her pre-teen years by a group of ladies known as the Shadows.  They’re like the Thieves’ Guild in Dungeons and Dragons, taking robbery and assassination jobs from those willing to pay for it.  As Ada grows and learns the trade of the Shadows, she eventually has to make some important decisions that will determine the course of her life.  Is the Shadow life truly the life she wants, and can she compromise the values she grew up with?

 

Despite the above, this isn’t a story about robbing and killing.  At its heart, it’s a beautifully told tale of human interaction.  Ada’s adventures are secondary: the story is more about how she and her mentor, Nadine, have to come to trust and rely on each other, even though they live in a world where friendship can get you killed.  The story adds another excellent layer when Ada shows compassion for a young outcast, Dieb, who everyone else scorns.  The three of them have to decide what matters: their emotional ties to each other, or survival in an uncaring world.  It’s a back-and-forth for all of them, as none of the three characters are one-dimensional: they are all painted with shades of gray.

 

It’s how the author handles them that demonstrates serious writing skill.  Readers will feel and connect with the characters as they try to survive, which isn’t easy with a group of people to whom backstabbing is the norm.  Some parts will make you angry, some will make you cry.  When you love the characters enough that you are unhappy when the book ends, then you’ve just read a pretty special story.

 

Despite the Shadow lifestyle, the author wisely avoids any graphic material. Characters do kill each other, but the author spares readers any messy details.  It helps keep the focus on the interactions of the three leads themselves, which is where the book’s appeal comes from.

 

Bottom line: thiis is the first must-read of the summer for everyone.  There’s room for the story to continue in another book, and there will be a lot of unhappy readers if it doesn’t happen.  Highly recommended.

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson

 

Posted on May 17, 2023 by , Reply

Book Review: The Den by Cara Reinard

The Den by Cara Reinard

Thomas and Mercer, Dec. 2022

ISBN: 9781542039765

Availability: paperback, Kindle

 

Cara Reinard’s The Den recycles a tried and true plotline used countless times, and keeps it entertaining enough to ignore that there really aren’t any original twists to the plotline.  You know exactly what you’re getting ahead of time, but it’s fun enough that you don’t care about the lack of originality.

 

In this case, the plot is the trope”‘rich dad with estranged children is about to die and leave inheritance to offspring, all of whom have reason to want him dead.” If you’ve seen the movie Knives Out, then you know the majority of the book plot.  In The Den, the only stab at something new is that if any of the four siblings die before the old man, their share of the inheritance is split among the other siblings.  The rest is standard fare in the book: all the kids have financial problems, and they are all screw-ups in one way or another.  

 

Any of “inheritance plotline” books just need to follow some simple rules to be worth reading.  One, everyone needs to be a suspect and have motive.  Two, the killer or killers’ identities are well hidden until the end of the book.  Three, the author can’t get carried away with their own cleverness and make the mystery too convoluted.  Finally, the book needs to be entertaining.  With The Den, the author succeeds on all four counts.  There are other suspects besides the siblings: the housekeepers, servants and their families all have reason for murder, so there’s a big enough cast of characters to keep the reader guessing.  The identity of the villain(s) is well-concealed until the very end: the majority of readers probably won’t guess correctly, and that’s what is supposed to happen in a book like this.  The plot is twisting enough and clues are scattered throughout, but it doesn’t get too difficult to follow.  Readers will get to the end and feel it made sense. Most importantly, the book is entertaining.  The pacing is quick enough with no wasted time or pointless plot offshoots, and it’s enough to keep the pages flipping.  With a book like this, that’s all you’re looking for.

 

Bottom line: this is predictable fun.  Readers who enjoy mysteries are likely to enjoy this one.

 

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson.

Posted on April 6, 2023 by , Reply
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