#BookReviews: #Mystery #TimeTravel #Memoir

Published on by balroop singh

Taking a break from syllabic poetry, I want to share the reviews of some fabulous books I’ve read this month. All four are my favorite authors (The Haunting… has been written by two perceptive stalwarts.) I have read one more brilliantly written book by our wordsmith – Diana. I would share it in my next post this week.

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The Haunting of Chatham Hollow gives you a few hiccups in the beginning, oscillating between two timelines and many characters but soon picks up a steady pace and keeps you invested in the mystery as well as seances. A complex plot, ensconcing many stories, it is a combination of supernatural fantasy and cozy horror. 

The style of two authors mingles in a brilliant manner! Who seeks the hidden treasure of Ward Chatham and why? Would Chatham’s ghost reveal the secret? What is the significance of the curse? Many such questions keep gnawing at your heart till the end.

The strength of this book lies in the seances, each one more vivid, more captivating than the other, giving you the feeling of a real scene of a movie. Spiritualists and skeptics provide a balanced view but Ward Chatham adds a weird aura to the story.

Benedict is hardly a competitor for Victor, probably due to his nefarious designs and that is why the latter emerges to be my favorite character. All the characters have been crafted with equal astuteness and the most stunning one is the grandmother of Aiden. 

It is marvelous how all the links are woven together in the end. However, some of the details are superfluous; they hamper the pace of the book and eliminating them could have made it more thrilling. Highly recommended for all kinds of readers. 5 stars reading. 

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Geller’s Find by Sandra Cox is an intriguing tale, a combination of western and time travel, with a cozy romance thrown in. True to her style, Cox dives into the story headlong, and keeps a brisk pace, never letting you waver an eyelid. While hiking through the majestic Great Basin, Luke’s love for artifacts leads him into the past, as he hurtles down into a deep hole, “whirling into a tube of rock”and reaches in the year 1882 where he meets Lily, a rancher. The vivid description of his journey, as if he were in an elevator is most captivating. Many questions would crop up in your mind – How would he get back? Will he stay and never go back? How would he find his bag that gets lost? Where would he stay? Can he adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings?

Cox’s characters are most realistic and the way they welcome Luke into their lives is heart-warming. Strong yet tender at heart, Saffron likes Luke but he keeps his distance, as he knows he doesn’t belong to their world. Stryker remains an enigma till the end though Luke is smart enough to see through his sinister plans. There is enough action to keep you enthralled. The book converts into a page-turner toward the end and much is left to the imagination of the reader. Pick up this book, you won’t be disappointed. 5 stars! 

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The Winding Road is a poignant memoir of Miriam who was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma in one of her organs at the time of her hysterectomy. It was considered to be incurable. She was told that the survival rate was six to twelve months among the patients over the past twenty years. An experimental treatment was recommended and Miriam decided to go ahead with it. Her candid account of the treatment and suffering is extremely heart-rending.  My heart goes out to her, as she had the grit and the determination to walk through the unknown road, never losing sight of her destination. The positivity that kept her going despite the long waits, failing health and side effects of the chemo, is noteworthy. It was the most difficult path, with excruciating pains that she had to bear throughout the treatment, loss of appetite and weight loss.

Her persistence paid off; the blessings and prayers of her friends and family plucked her from the jaws of life-threatening cancer and she could fulfill her wishes of playing with her grandchildren. It requires great resilience to relive those moments while telling the story but Miriam chose to share it and I admire her fortitude. She has also shared some beautiful pictures of her family that reinforces how valuable this life is with our near and dear ones. 5 stars!

Happy reading! Thank you.

– Balroop Singh.

If you like poetry, here is my latest release  Hues Of Hope 

32 thoughts on “#BookReviews: #Mystery #TimeTravel #Memoir”

  1. Thank you so much for sharing your review of The Haunting of Chatham Hollow, Balroop. Reading your review has me doing a happy dance. Thank you! 🙂

    I’ve read Miriam’s book and was blown away by all she went through and how she endured. I’m so glad she has regained full health and has the love of friends and family around her.

    Sandra’s book is on my Kindle and next up for reading. I had hoped to start it last night, but had a library loan book pop up. Hopefully, by the weekend, I’ll be deep into Sandra’s latest!

    1. Thank you Mae, it is amazing how your style synchronizes with Staci’s style. I tried to discern the pages written by you but it was hard to distinguish. Wonderful job!
      Miriam’s pain could leap from the pages of her book to touch my heart. Yes, so nice to see her in good health and spirits. 😊

  2. Great reviews, Balroop. I’ve read the Haunting of Chatham Hollow and highly recommend it. I’ve heard good things about the other books as well.

  6. Great reviews for great books! I adored The Haunting of Chatham Hollow, and I have Geller’s Find and The Winding Road waiting for me on my ereader! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Balroop 💕🙂

  7. What a lovely surprise, Balroop. Thanks for the inclusion AND in such great company. I’m currently reading Chatham Hollow. I’m in awe of two authors writing together and they’ve done such an amazing job. I have yet to read Miriam’s but just the description is humbling.
    Thanks again, my friend. Appreciate ya.

    1. My pleasure! I agree with you Sandra, a collaboration must be challenging but Mae and Staci have done a fabulous work! Thanks for coming over to share your thoughts. 🤗

  8. I haven’t read Geller’s Find yet, Balroop, but it’s coming up on my kindle and I can’t wait. I love Sandra’s books. I also enjoyed Staci and Mae’s book and agree with you that the seance scenes were riveting. I loved the characters. And great review for Miriam’s book – what a courageous journey she endured and kudos to her for sharing it with her readers. I was impressed. I’m looking forward to spending the day with you on Saturday! Hugs.

    1. We are in wonderful company Diana, I am proud to be connected with such awesome authors!
      I think it needs a lot of courage to re-live the pain one has experienced in the past and yes, kudos to Miriam for daring to go back and write about those days, which we want to forget.
      See you on Saturday! Happy reading. 🤗

  12. Thanks for the great book recommendations. I read Miriam’s The Winding Road and was amazed at all she went through, and how she succeeded thanks to faith and family love (and good medical help too) . Wow.

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