Mikel J. Wilson
Autor(a) de Murder on the Lake of Fire
Séries
Obras por Mikel J. Wilson
Etiquetado
Conhecimento Comum
There is no Common Knowledge data for this author yet. You can help.
Membros
Críticas
This book was given to me through the Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Fanatics R2R group for an honest review, thank you.
When I saw the title of this book I was immediately interested in reading Sedona because I’ve been to Sedona and it’s beautiful. The other reason was the idea behind the story about paranormal activity and vortexes. So I was looking forward to reading this story. Sadly, I was very disappointed and could not get more than 100 pages through the book. I actually put it aside for a few days thinking that I just needed a breather from the author’s style of writing. I tried to read it again, but just couldn’t bear it. I usually type out my review notes as I read the book, so my reasons for not finishing the book are written below.
The one thing I liked about this book is that in describing Sedona, and my having been there, the author did a good job so that I could picture the places described very easily.
This book could have been cut by at least 100 pages. There’s too much unnecessary description that slows the pace of the book down and way too much preaching by the reverend August and his son, Mitchell. The sentences are long to the point of almost being run-ons if it weren’t for the commas. It tired me out reading so much filler that didn’t need to be there and I grew bored wanting to skim read the book to hurry past the overly descriptive scenes.
The first chapter, nineteen pages worth, was slow and boring. We are introduced to the characters in an unusual way. We are given very brief snippets of each character at a point in their life that doesn’t really make sense. Then we jump to the next character, same thing happens. Only at the end of the chapter are we shown that these people know each other.
The author switches povs at the drop of a hat. A conversation or scene with one or two characters will last anywhere from a couple paragraphs to a page or two, before abruptly jumping to another scene or character and then another and so on. The hop-scotching of the viewpoints breaks up the rhythm of the story and it’s difficult to get immersed in a scene. The only time the scenes last pages, are when the author has either the reverend August or his son Mitchell, preach on endlessly. They made the book tedious to read.
I always critique on formatting and it’s not good in this book. One character can appear in the same paragraph with another character following immediately after. The added problem is that the second character is in a completely different scene. So you have two different characters in two different scenes in the same paragraph. For example a scene at a campsite starts a paragraph but is immediately followed with a scene with the reverend August ending the same paragraph. This happened too many times to count throughout the book and made reading this story very confusing. Add on top of this the hop-scotching viewpoints I mentioned above, and the povs are an absolute mess.
The erratic pov changes and the formatting flaws are so obvious and sloppy they make Sedona a very confusing and unpleasant read, so much so that I couldn’t finish the book. These two flaws completely overshadow the plot, which is sad because the idea behind the plot is good. However, I read enough to know that I can say in all honesty I can’t give this book higher than 2 stars with the major flaws I found.
… (mais)
When I saw the title of this book I was immediately interested in reading Sedona because I’ve been to Sedona and it’s beautiful. The other reason was the idea behind the story about paranormal activity and vortexes. So I was looking forward to reading this story. Sadly, I was very disappointed and could not get more than 100 pages through the book. I actually put it aside for a few days thinking that I just needed a breather from the author’s style of writing. I tried to read it again, but just couldn’t bear it. I usually type out my review notes as I read the book, so my reasons for not finishing the book are written below.
The one thing I liked about this book is that in describing Sedona, and my having been there, the author did a good job so that I could picture the places described very easily.
This book could have been cut by at least 100 pages. There’s too much unnecessary description that slows the pace of the book down and way too much preaching by the reverend August and his son, Mitchell. The sentences are long to the point of almost being run-ons if it weren’t for the commas. It tired me out reading so much filler that didn’t need to be there and I grew bored wanting to skim read the book to hurry past the overly descriptive scenes.
The first chapter, nineteen pages worth, was slow and boring. We are introduced to the characters in an unusual way. We are given very brief snippets of each character at a point in their life that doesn’t really make sense. Then we jump to the next character, same thing happens. Only at the end of the chapter are we shown that these people know each other.
The author switches povs at the drop of a hat. A conversation or scene with one or two characters will last anywhere from a couple paragraphs to a page or two, before abruptly jumping to another scene or character and then another and so on. The hop-scotching of the viewpoints breaks up the rhythm of the story and it’s difficult to get immersed in a scene. The only time the scenes last pages, are when the author has either the reverend August or his son Mitchell, preach on endlessly. They made the book tedious to read.
I always critique on formatting and it’s not good in this book. One character can appear in the same paragraph with another character following immediately after. The added problem is that the second character is in a completely different scene. So you have two different characters in two different scenes in the same paragraph. For example a scene at a campsite starts a paragraph but is immediately followed with a scene with the reverend August ending the same paragraph. This happened too many times to count throughout the book and made reading this story very confusing. Add on top of this the hop-scotching viewpoints I mentioned above, and the povs are an absolute mess.
The erratic pov changes and the formatting flaws are so obvious and sloppy they make Sedona a very confusing and unpleasant read, so much so that I couldn’t finish the book. These two flaws completely overshadow the plot, which is sad because the idea behind the plot is good. However, I read enough to know that I can say in all honesty I can’t give this book higher than 2 stars with the major flaws I found.
… (mais)
After a mysterious inferno claims the life of a young up-and-coming ice skater, TBI special agent Emory Rome is called back to the tiny mountain town of his childhood. Looking for a murderer, Emory may just find himself instead.
Britt Algarotti works up the courage to try going back out on the ice after a bad competition experience. Going to practice on Cicada Lake should have been a walk in the park for the young figure skater. It's anything but, when she's caught in a ferocious fire. Emory Rome and his partner are sent to investigate- requested by the local Sheriff actually, in an unprecedented willingness to relinquish jurisdiction to 'the feds’. Turns out, the Sheriff is Rome’s father.
Investigation of the site reveals the presence of calcium carbide on the ice. Mix with water, add a spark, and you've got a recipe for pyrotechnics. Joining Emory and his partner Wayne is Jeff Woodard, a PI hired by Victor Algarotti, Britt's father. A second fire related death, Britt’s coach, ups the stakes. Can they catch the killer before anyone else dies?
Along the way, Emory's carefully crafted facade of indifference to friendship and love begins to crumble. As the young TBI agent is drawn back into the life of the tiny town he'd left behind, he finds he has hard choices to make. He must become open with himself about what he wants from life. More daunting… in order to do his investigation right, Emory must stand up against his father's misconceptions about what is and isn't allowed under the law.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. The mystery plot was clever and unique. The endgame was awesome. I really wasn't expecting either of the two big events at the end. Suffice to say, Emory's made a dangerously deceptive enemy. And gets snarled up in attitudes and bigoted behaviour I'd like to think the modern world has left behind. Sadly, I know better.
Hints to Emory's past are studded throughout the book, teasingly just beneath the surface. I want to know more about him! It's a series first, so I know I'll get to eventually. The setting is Tennessee, and poor Emory gets double the dose of closed-minded thinking, thanks to it being a tiny rustic mountain town in the South. Part of the prejudice, small but present, is related to his Native American heritage. I think it makes him a far more fascinating character.
He's so shuttered, so inhibited by necessity, that he's missing out on living life to the fullest. Then along comes Jeff to shake things up. At first you think he's going to be a bad guy, but he's more a grey character. He's got secrets, and he has a flaw of being money hungry. Some may say it's practical, but there's a whole ‘respect the grieving’ thing that gets trampled on. Not cool.
Another proofing wouldn't be amiss. There were a few homophone errors. My greater qualms were with more factual information. At one point Jeff compares himself to Icarus in regards to stealing fire. That should be Prometheus. Also, another character said they shouldn't be judged by their muscles, that they don't have an ectomorphic IQ. This should either be they do have an ectomorphic IQ, or that they don't have a mesomorphic IQ. Overly muscled people, the ones with a mesomorphic body type, tend to be stereotyped as having a lower IQ. Slender people, ectomorphic, are stereotypically seen as having a higher IQ. Our speaker in question is a former MMA fighter. Some crime scene things rang false too, but no more so than modern crime shows bend things.
If you enjoy murder mysteries with a twist, be sure to check Murder on the Lake of Fire out.
**This book was reviewed for XPresso Blog Tours, copy provided in exchange for a fair and honest review.… (mais)
Britt Algarotti works up the courage to try going back out on the ice after a bad competition experience. Going to practice on Cicada Lake should have been a walk in the park for the young figure skater. It's anything but, when she's caught in a ferocious fire. Emory Rome and his partner are sent to investigate- requested by the local Sheriff actually, in an unprecedented willingness to relinquish jurisdiction to 'the feds’. Turns out, the Sheriff is Rome’s father.
Investigation of the site reveals the presence of calcium carbide on the ice. Mix with water, add a spark, and you've got a recipe for pyrotechnics. Joining Emory and his partner Wayne is Jeff Woodard, a PI hired by Victor Algarotti, Britt's father. A second fire related death, Britt’s coach, ups the stakes. Can they catch the killer before anyone else dies?
Along the way, Emory's carefully crafted facade of indifference to friendship and love begins to crumble. As the young TBI agent is drawn back into the life of the tiny town he'd left behind, he finds he has hard choices to make. He must become open with himself about what he wants from life. More daunting… in order to do his investigation right, Emory must stand up against his father's misconceptions about what is and isn't allowed under the law.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. The mystery plot was clever and unique. The endgame was awesome. I really wasn't expecting either of the two big events at the end. Suffice to say, Emory's made a dangerously deceptive enemy. And gets snarled up in attitudes and bigoted behaviour I'd like to think the modern world has left behind. Sadly, I know better.
Hints to Emory's past are studded throughout the book, teasingly just beneath the surface. I want to know more about him! It's a series first, so I know I'll get to eventually. The setting is Tennessee, and poor Emory gets double the dose of closed-minded thinking, thanks to it being a tiny rustic mountain town in the South. Part of the prejudice, small but present, is related to his Native American heritage. I think it makes him a far more fascinating character.
He's so shuttered, so inhibited by necessity, that he's missing out on living life to the fullest. Then along comes Jeff to shake things up. At first you think he's going to be a bad guy, but he's more a grey character. He's got secrets, and he has a flaw of being money hungry. Some may say it's practical, but there's a whole ‘respect the grieving’ thing that gets trampled on. Not cool.
Another proofing wouldn't be amiss. There were a few homophone errors. My greater qualms were with more factual information. At one point Jeff compares himself to Icarus in regards to stealing fire. That should be Prometheus. Also, another character said they shouldn't be judged by their muscles, that they don't have an ectomorphic IQ. This should either be they do have an ectomorphic IQ, or that they don't have a mesomorphic IQ. Overly muscled people, the ones with a mesomorphic body type, tend to be stereotyped as having a lower IQ. Slender people, ectomorphic, are stereotypically seen as having a higher IQ. Our speaker in question is a former MMA fighter. Some crime scene things rang false too, but no more so than modern crime shows bend things.
If you enjoy murder mysteries with a twist, be sure to check Murder on the Lake of Fire out.
**This book was reviewed for XPresso Blog Tours, copy provided in exchange for a fair and honest review.… (mais)
Prémios
Estatísticas
- Obras
- 7
- Membros
- 39
- Popularidade
- #376,657
- Avaliação
- 3.5
- Críticas
- 3
- ISBN
- 8
The only negative that I came across, was there were a few points that the writer flat out gave away the foreshadowing word for word instead of letting their writing do the talking. Also the point of view changes from character to character within chapters and that was a little unsettling but you get used to it after a few changes.… (mais)