Sins of the Border - Leslie Kohler

Sins of the Border Leslie Kohler In “Sins of the Border” by Leslie Kohler Lila Morrison is a former crime reporter who is trying to find out who killed artist Deanne Buffinton. The police think one of Lila’s friends killed Deanne but Lila is set to prove a Detective Garcia wrong. This book was slow to get off the ground however by the middle of the book it grabs hold of you and won’t let you go until you read the last page. I do recommend this book to those that love murder/suspense. **** 4 Stars Carol Langstroth Mind Fog Reviews

Murder, Secrets snd Injustice in a Small Town - Anastasia Cassella-Young

Murder, Secrets and Injustice in a Small Town
Anastasia Cassella-Young

Anastasia Cassella-Young weaves an intriguing tale with Murder, Secrets and Injustice in a Small Town.

This tale carries the reader through a maze of deceit and lies, keeping you guessing what is around the next turn.

The characters in this story are believable and engaging. I felt that these were people that I knew, people whose lives I was involved in.

Reading this made me feel as though I were fly on the wall. Ana began to feel like a close personal friend, and I began to feel like her confidant. I felt true indignation at the injustice that was done to both the victim and to the accused. As a reader of true crime novels and stories I have to say that this one felt so much like reality it was scary. The crime, the corruption, the cover up all screamed out to me for truth and revelation.

After a bad marriage Ana leaves Florida and returns to her home town in Maine with her teen aged son Bill. Ana hopes to start a new life there for her and her son, but soon the ghosts of the town's past are resurrected when Ana meets and falls in love with Sherman. Ana believes that she has finally found happiness with Sherman and that she will at last be able to offer her son a stable life. Reality sets in however when Sherman reveals a dark secret to her about an unsolved murder that occurred years before. Suddenly Ana's life is thrown into a terror more frightening than any nightmare could ever be. As she struggles to keep her sanity and deal with the secret she has promised to keep, she soon feels that it is a battle she will lose.

Review done by author/reviewer Marilyn Thompson

Gumbo Justice - Hollie Castillo

Gumbo Justice Holli Castillo In Holli Castillo’s Gumbo Justice a tough lady Assistant District Attorney, Ryan Murphy, has a mouth and an attitude that ticks off judges, other attorneys and even her adoptive father. She even teed off a killer that is unbeknownst to her. The killer has been killing felons that have not been able to be sentenced due to the lack of evidence. These are killers that Ryan has been involved in their cases. The killer would attempt to present them to Ryan as gifts by doing such things as dressing them up with bow ties and the like. The killer informs her that they are gifts by secreted phone calls to her answering machine and also by leaving notes for her asking her if she liked the killer’s gifts. This story is set in pre–Katrina New Orleans. This story offers the reader the deep flavor of Louisiana. I found this book to be engaging and the characters very real. Ryan goes through a traumatic experience and leans on the one person who is there for her…Detective Shep Chapetti. She learns to lean on him and trust him throughout this story. Shep brings out Ryan’s human side which this reader enjoyed. In fact it left me wanting to see more of their relationship. For those that love a good murder/mystery with the proverbial “surprise ending” this book is for you. This reviewer was definitely floored by the ending and thinks that you, as a reader, will also enjoy the twists of fate involved. This story could have easily been a **** 4 Star review had I not felt that the setting and the details did not provide enough of a mental picture for the reader. *** 3 Stars Carol Langstroth, Manager Mind Fog Reviews

Dispel the Mist - Marilyn Meredith

Dispel the Mist by Marilyn Meredith

I found Marilyn Meredith's "Dispel the Mist" to be a wonderfully engaging story filled with suspense and intrigue. The plot was rich with characters and a storyline that pulled at the detective in me. Just when I thought I had the solution, a new suspect would spring forth and throw me off balance. I especially loved the inclusion of Native American folklore which added even more mystery to the story. This story was like being on a roller coaster that only went uphill. It filled me with the same breath-holding anticipation of what was to come when I finally reached the top. This is a very good 5 star book and I will be recommending it to all of my friends and family.

***** 5 Stars

Author/ Reviewer Marilyn Thompson

Mind Fog Reviews

Infinite Exposure - Roland Hughes

Infinite Exposure Roland Hughes This fiction based story begins post 9/11. Nedim kept telling himself that he was a good Muslim, doing what any good Muslim would do for his country. That was till an anti-terrorist covert operation found out he was sending embedded secret messages for al-Qaeda. This starts an investigation into a world showing what could happen if we do not change the way we do things in America. I found Roland Hughes’ “Infinite Exposure” to be very interesting and a book that I think everyone should read. However, the problem I see is that the author’s vocabulary extends that of the average “Joe”. There were some Muslim words in the beginning and there were words I had to look up in the dictionary in order to understand what was being said. However, like I said, this should be a must read for every American who is concerned with our country. **** 4 stars Carol Langstroth Mind Fog Reviews

The Last Door - K. Raven Rozier

The Last Door
K. Raven Rozier

Rozier’s “The Last Door” gives a vivid account of the O’Neal family’s struggle to help their stepson, Brendan, recover from multiple personality disorder brought on by satanic ritual abuse by his estranged mother and her cult. Rosier intricately laces together the emotional and spiritual nature of the family’s struggle with the complexities of approaching a severe mental disorder in storytelling.

Unfortunately, Rozier’s presentation of the family characters often falls flat within this lacework. At times the triumphant declarations of the mother and father as they work against Brendan’s affliction seem contrived. Furthermore, the author’s attention to detail has a double edge to it. In her description of scenes it takes away from the reader’s opportunity to apply his or her own imagination. Yet, during the accounts of the personalities, it makes what might otherwise become a quagmire of profiles into a memorable line-up of characters within characters.

Overall, a readership seeking a documentation of true Christian love will find a great companion in Rozier’s novel so long as one focuses on the struggle and not on the details of the presentation.

*** 3 Stars
Sara Messina – Reviewer
Mind Fog Reviews

Beautiful Ugly - Sheila E. Lipsey

Beautiful Ugly
Sheila E. Lipsey

In “Beautiful Ugly” by Sheila E. Lipsey Envy, Layla and Kacie are three women that go through a spiritual awaking in their lives. They are each learning a very important life lesson that will bring them closer to each other and to God.

I’ve often read Christian fiction and I must say “Beautiful Ugly” is one of the best I have ever read. The characters are very real and engaging. The book teaches an important lesson that all girls and women need to know.

***** 5 stars
Carol Langstroth, Manager
Mind Fog Reviews