Steven Ramirez's Blog: Glass Highway, page 3

I like thrillers. A lot. And when a novel is written by someone who was a doctor, lawyer, or medical examiner in their former life, I’m all in. Because I always learn something new. Before picking up Poison Pen by Sheila Lowe, I was unfamiliar with the life and work of a graphologist. Unlike some side characters, though, I wasn’t dismissive of forensic handwriting—I just didn’t know anything.

Following Claudia Rose, as she attempts to investigate the death of an unlikeable, high-profile woman of means, we learn about the secrets that handwriting can hold. Some are benign, and others… Well.

Poison Pen is an enjoyable, fast-paced read written with intelligence and humor. The evolving romantic relationship between Claudia and the cop, Joel, is fun and entertaining. If you enjoy thrills, danger, and intrigue with a side of Graphology 101, you can’t go wrong with this novel.

“IT WAS FUN WHILE IT LASTED.”

Those were the words on the suicide note found near Lindsey Alexander’s body. The police say it is an apparent suicide. Case closed.

Or is it?

Ivan, Lindsey’s partner, disagrees. He hires forensic handwriting expert Claudia Rose to poke around.

Motives for murder begin to pile up. Lindsey had made powerful enemies. Soon, a brutal attempt on Ivan’s life confirms Claudia’s fears.

A desperate enemy is lurking.

There is a massive target on Claudia’s back.

Claudia must join forces with intense LAPD detective Joel Jovanic to survive. They must stop the killer before the killer destroys her.

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Greetings. It’s been months since the Russians invaded Ukraine, and I wanted to share a way for us to help these folks and pick up some great reading, too. A bunch of outstanding authors got together and created a box set called Turning the Tide. Grab the ebook and get ready for some thrills. All proceeds go to Ukraine. And thanks for your help.

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So, it looks like book signings are back—and I’m ready, baby! For those who live in Southern California, you can meet me in person at Barnes & Noble in the Glendora Marketplace Shopping Center. I’ll be there between noon and three. Hope to see you there.

Recently, I reviewed Sleepwalk by Dan Chaon. As I said in my post, if Raymond Chandler and Kurt Vonnegut made a baby, this novel would be the result. Intrigued? You can read the review here. Also, check out my other book reviews.

Book Description

Sleepwalk’s hero, Will Bear, is a man with so many aliases that he simply thinks of himself as the Barely Blur. At fifty years old, he’s been living off the grid for over half his life. He’s never had a real job, never paid taxes, never been in a committed relationship. A good-natured henchman with a complicated and lonely past and a passion for LSD microdosing, he spends his time hopscotching across state lines in his beloved camper van, running sometimes shady often dangerous errands for a powerful and ruthless operation he’s never troubled himself to learn too much about. He has lots of connections, but no true ties. His longest relationships are with an old rescue dog that has post-traumatic stress and a childhood friend as deeply entrenched in the underworld as he is, who, lately, he’s less and less sure he can trust.

Out of the blue, one of Will’s many burner phones heralds a call from a twenty-year-old woman claiming to be his biological daughter. She says she’s the product of one of his long-ago sperm donations; he’s half certain she’s AI. She needs his help. She’s entrenched in a widespread and nefarious plot involving Will’s employers, and for Will to continue to have any contact with her increasingly fuzzes the line between the people he is working for and the people he’s running from.

With his signature blend of haunting emotional realism and fast-paced intrigue, Dan Chaon populates his fractured America with characters who ring all too true. Gazing both back to the past and forward to an inevitable-enough-seeming future, Sleepwalk examines where we’ve been and where we’re going and the connections that bind us, no matter how far we travel to dodge them or how cleverly we hide.

Where to Buy

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When a pair of crazed gunmen take a bank full of hostages, off-duty cop Jack Lisbon finds himself caught up in a terrifying siege. If you like gritty crime stories with a vigilante justice flavor, you’ll love Jack Lisbon. Take Down by Blair Denholm.

There’s an unsettling chill in the air around Jason Workler, and it is a wind most foul. Something sinister festers beneath the surface, and this particular demon may just be depraved and wicked enough to scorch all that remains of his past, present, and future. Transforming Into Evil by Timberly Price.

Will Detective Lagarde uncover the truth before it’s too late? Or will she be burned by the evil that lurks behind her? Find out in the captivating, spine-tingling crime thriller series. Detective Lagarde Series Boxset by Clara Lewis.

To avenge being abandoned by his ruthless Wall Street financier father, Ti Riley fights his moral conscience to become a nefarious cyber criminal. Luckee Lynx by TJ McKaye.

If you’re a Netflix subscriber, here’s a documentary you won’t want to miss. It’s called ‘The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes’—and wow. I was kid when she died at thirty-six and was unaware of all the dark political shenanigans going on in the background. Check it out.

Logline. Explores the mystery surrounding the death of movie icon Marilyn Monroe through previously unheard interviews with her inner circle.

Okay, that’s a wrap. See you next month when I go in search of a genuine Chicago hotdog for the Fourth of July. Peace and love.

The post June 2022 Highlights and Ukraine appeared first on Steven Ramirez.

It’s true. Raymond Chandler and Kurt Vonnegut made a baby. And its name is Sleepwalk. From the first few pages, I was enthralled by author Dan Chaon’s ability to create an antihero of such depth—such longing—that I nearly forgot Will Bear is a sociopath. Yeah. Among his many side jobs, he kills people.

As you wend your way through the backroads of a slightly futuristic America, you realize that the person Billy is was mainly due to his random, haphazard childhood. That and a sometime mom who herself had sociopathic tendencies. Like his mother, when the protagonist takes someone out, it’s not personal. Instead, it’s necessary.

When Will learns that he might have a biological daughter, things get even more interesting as the revelation turns his world upside down. There were times when I pictured the character as Philip Marlowe chasing down clues. Other times, I recalled some of the funniest moments in novels, such as Player Piano and Cat’s Cradle. But hey, that’s me.

Sleepwalk is a hard book to categorize. If I had to sum it up, I’d say it’s crime fiction with some laughs, mainly at Will’s expense. And like him, the other characters are as real as they get. Truthfully, though, The novel is not for everyone. Just saying.

If you’re into authors who write to market, then this book may not seem like a slam dunk. But, on the other hand, if you give it a chance, I promise it will open your eyes to addictive storytelling that doesn’t play by the rules. If there was a way, I’d give this book six stars.

Sleepwalk’s hero, Will Bear, is a man with so many aliases that he simply thinks of himself as the Barely Blur. At fifty years old, he’s been living off the grid for over half his life. He’s never had a real job, never paid taxes, never been in a committed relationship. A good-natured henchman with a complicated and lonely past and a passion for LSD microdosing, he spends his time hopscotching across state lines in his beloved camper van, running sometimes shady often dangerous errands for a powerful and ruthless operation he’s never troubled himself to learn too much about. He has lots of connections, but no true ties. His longest relationships are with an old rescue dog that has post-traumatic stress and a childhood friend as deeply entrenched in the underworld as he is, who, lately, he’s less and less sure he can trust.

Out of the blue, one of Will’s many burner phones heralds a call from a twenty-year-old woman claiming to be his biological daughter. She says she’s the product of one of his long-ago sperm donations; he’s half certain she’s AI. She needs his help. She’s entrenched in a widespread and nefarious plot involving Will’s employers, and for Will to continue to have any contact with her increasingly fuzzes the line between the people he is working for and the people he’s running from.

With his signature blend of haunting emotional realism and fast-paced intrigue, Dan Chaon populates his fractured America with characters who ring all too true. Gazing both back to the past and forward to an inevitable-enough-seeming future, Sleepwalk examines where we’ve been and where we’re going and the connections that bind us, no matter how far we travel to dodge them or how cleverly we hide.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Google Play

Did you enjoy this review? Check out my other reviews here. And don’t forget to follow me at BookBub.

The post Book Review—Sleepwalk appeared first on Steven Ramirez.

Victorian England was all about expectations—you know, the ones society placed on everyone. Men were expected to be strong, faithful, and devoted to their families. Women were expected to be proper and virtuous. So when they married, they raised the children and ran the household so men could do whatever it was men did.

Now, take a London detective with emotional baggage and zero people skills. Then, pair him up with a seventeen-year-old orphan who has barely seen the city she inhabits. Finally, throw in a madhouse, demonic forces, and strange powers the girl is unaware she possesses. Take all these, and you have Shadowseer: London.

This novel is supernatural thriller at its finest. I immediately fell in love with Kaia, the heartbreaking waif. Though inexperienced in matters of life, she manages to teach a crusty, science-is-everything policeman with a liking for metronomes that dangerous, unseen things exist all around us.

Shadowseer: London is an entertaining page-turner filled with action, drama, and pathos. Don’t miss it.

Dark fantasy meets mystery as a brutal murder in an insane asylum in Victorian London turns out to be more than what it seems. A brilliant detective must partner with the mysterious 17-year-old orphan girl Kaia to unearth the inexplicable, and to discover who she really is—and whether she has secret powers after all.

Kaia, 17, an orphan coming of age in the Victorian London of the 1850s, yearns to escape her horrific orphanage, to discover who her parents were, and to understand why she can sense shadows when others cannot. Yet the streets of London are as brutal as the orphanage, and for Kaia, there is no easy way out.

When Kaia, arrested, faces an even worse punishment, Detective Pinsley, 45, notices a strange marking on her arm and thinks she might be the key in solving a peculiar, mysterious case. Bodies are turning up dead in London, and Pinsley wonders whether it’s the work of a deranged serial killer, or of something… else. The methods of murder seem impossible, as does the murderer’s ability to escape death.

Kaia is given a choice: help solve the case, or be shipped off to Bedlam, the notorious insane asylum.

Unlikely partners, each mistrusting the other, Kaia and Pinsley embark to scour the dark corners and cobblestone streets of 19th century London in search of clues.

Yet what they find may shock and horrify even them.

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Prosecuting someone you went to law school with is probably not the best idea. Conflict of interest? Where to begin… When a case lands on Meredith’s desk, she rightly tries to recuse herself. But then—and I’m not sure this would fly in the US—she’s forced to take the case anyway.

Julian wasn’t her ex-boyfriend, so there’s that. But his defense attorney was—sort of. Jonathan is a puzzle. He cares for Meredith yet doesn’t express his feelings in words. In fact, he’s pretty blasé about the whole thing. Meredith is involved with Chris now—sort of. As personal relationships go in this novel, there’s a lot of “sort of” going on.

At the heart of the story is an age-old law student thought experiment: Can someone pull off the perfect murder? Meredith quickly learns that if the defense has anything to say about it, it’s precisely what Julian will do. I have zero law background, but I enjoyed all the legal maneuvering. The Murder Game is an entertaining tale for fans of legal thrillers.

For fans of The Secret History and How to Get Away With Murder comes an exciting new voice in suspense fiction. Ten years working as a prosecutor have left Meredith Delay jaded and unsure of what she wants out of life. She’s good at her job, but it haunts her. Her boyfriend wants her to commit, but she keeps him at arm’s length. Then Meredith is assigned to a high-profile prosecution involving the violent murder of a fallen hockey star. At first, it appears to be just another case to work. But when her old friend Julian is accused of the murder, it takes on a whole new dimension. Meredith, Julian, Jonathan, and Lily were a tight-knit group in law school. But now, Jonathan’s defending Julian, and Lily’s loyalties aren’t clear. And when Julian invokes a rare—and risky—defense, Meredith is forced to confront their past. Has something they played at as students finally been brought to death?

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The post Book Review—The Murder Game appeared first on Steven Ramirez.

Returning to one’s hometown after being away for years is a staple of American small-town thrillers. Joe Hart’s Or Else puts an interesting spin on the genre by having the protagonist involved with a local married woman whose husband isn’t very nice. When that guy turns up dead, guess who becomes a person of interest?

Making matters worse, the wife, Rachel, disappears with her two children. Naturally, Andy wants to find her, but how can he do that without exposing the truth about the affair?

The novel’s prose is taut and drives the story forward. As Andy learns about others in the town who may or may not be involved in the unfolding mystery, we learn about his struggle to be happy. I especially enjoyed the relationship between the protagonist and his father, a quiet man whose mental faculties are sadly declining.

Or Else is a suspenseful tale filled with strong characters and lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. It’s a fun read with a satisfying but dark resolution.

A secret love becomes a fatal affair in a twisting novel of suspense by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Joe Hart.

When novelist Andy Drake returns to his hometown to care for his ailing father, a reconnection with his childhood friend Rachel escalates into a secret love affair. For Rachel, struggling to maintain the facade of a picture-perfect life, it’s an escape from an emotionally abusive marriage. Then Andy receives an anonymous note warning him to end the affair. Or else.

Whoever’s been watching is going to make Andy pay. Weeks later, Rachel’s husband, David, is shot to death. Rachel and her two young sons vanish without a trace. One misstep, one careless reveal, and Andy could look as guilty as sin. Clue by clue, as his investigation into the mystery unfolds, Andy discovers that he and Rachel weren’t the only ones keeping secrets.

Nothing in this quiet neighborhood is as it seems. No one peeking from behind the curtains of their homes can be trusted. And the worst is yet to come. Because David isn’t the only one who will die.

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Greetings. Wow, it’s May already and time to celebrate. Cinco de Mayo, sure. But I’m talking about Mother’s Day, people. Here’s a photo of my family from a lifetime ago. The little guy is my brother.

I’d like to share a quick story about my mom. She worked full time, driving to work from a sleepy suburb to LA. Back then, freeways weren’t all that great, and traffic was always a mess.

There was a jazz concert I really wanted to go to, but it was on a weeknight. My father worked nights, and my mother volunteered to drive quite a long distance just so my brother, his friend, and I could attend the concert. Why? Because that’s what mothers do. Thanks, Mom.

Recently, I reviewed The Devil’s Whispers by Lucas Hault. Fans of good old-fashioned gothic horror should check out this novel. And if you thought vampires were rough, wait until you get a load of what’s waiting for you at Mathers Castle. You can read the review here.

Book Description

In a silent, sleepy castle, evil has awakened…

Famed British lawyer Gerard Woodward is summoned to an ancient Welsh castle to assist a dying lord in his final affairs. But as his host slips closer to death, Gerard begins to feel less like a guest and more like a prisoner. When he finds himself locked inside his room, he realizes he must escape.

After finding his way out of his room, Gerard begins to wonder if he was safer locked inside. The labyrinthine halls echo secrets. A terrible wail and the rattling of chains sets his nerves on end. Something sinister is happening within the walls of Mathers Castle, and when he descends into the dungeons, he discovers a horrible secret…

In nearby London, children vanish into the night, animals are horribly mutilated, and a savage creature stalks the shadows. When Gerard’s wife, Raelyn, becomes the creature’s next target, his need to escape reaches a fever pitch. He must get out alive so he can dispel the evil that threatens to destroy his beloved Raelyn… and the rest of us.

Fans of epistolary Gothic horror classics like Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Picture of Dorian Gray will devour The Devil’s Whispers.

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million

And then, there’s revenge. Dr. Vigilante is a taut medical thriller—sharp as a scalpel—that will leave you breathless. All I can say is, watch out, bad guys. Check out my review here.

Book Description

Doctor by day.

Vigilante by night.

Robert lives a double life in New York City. He spends his days treating patients at the St. Jude’s Hospital ER and his nights going after the psychopaths who wrong them: the child molesters, wife beaters, and rapists. But when the fiery, beautiful new social worker discovers his secret identity and their love affair takes off, Robert is forced to face some hard questions:

Do the ends justify the means?

After years of hunting down psychopaths, is Robert turning into one himself?

An action thriller with strong, distinct characters, filled with suspense and surprise, Dr. Vigilante is also a love story unfolding amid the turmoil and drama of a busy ER.

Where to Buy

Amazon

A cold town reeks with deaths and mysteries, and there are shadows at every turn. In the wake of the unearthing of age-long secrets, private investigator Marcus Lynette launches against the darkness clouding Deadwood. Check out Deadwood’s Hotel Mystery by Peyton Dinwiddie.

One dead body… One mysterious sign… And a case that’s stumped every detective who’s looked at it … Payne’s Disclosure by Audrey Walker is a page-turner you won’t want to put down.

Okay, that’s a wrap. See you next month when I try to slip in a backhanded compliment for National Say Something Nice Day. Peace and love.

The post May 2022 Highlights and Mothers appeared first on Steven Ramirez.

Imagine you’re an emergency room doctor. You’ve seen it all—the good, the bad, and the ugly that is humanity. But what tears you apart is the violence visited on the innocent, especially women and children. At first, you’re horrified. Then, you become depressed. And finally, an unquenchable rage consumes you. Time to act.

Dr. Vigilante is a smart, taught medical thriller filled with revenge-worthy characters. Criminals, lowlifes, and abusive spouses. As intelligent readers, we know it’s wrong to answer violence with more violence. Still, it’s damn cathartic when a doctor trained in weapons and martial arts metes out justice like a Gatling gun.

Because the author is a doctor, the emergency-room scenes are filled with hair-raising details that put the reader at the heart of the action. I could almost hear the beeping of the machines and the chatter over the PA system.

If you’re looking for a real adrenaline rush, check out Dr. Vigilante by Alberto Hazan. But be warned—this story isn’t for the squeamish.

Doctor by day.

Vigilante by night.

Robert lives a double life in New York City. He spends his days treating patients at the St. Jude’s Hospital ER and his nights going after the psychopaths who wrong them: the child molesters, wife beaters, and rapists. But when the fiery, beautiful new social worker discovers his secret identity and their love affair takes off, Robert is forced to face some hard questions:

Do the ends justify the means?

After years of hunting down psychopaths, is Robert turning into one himself?

An action thriller with strong, distinct characters, filled with suspense and surprise, Dr. Vigilante is also a love story unfolding amid the turmoil and drama of a busy ER.

Amazon

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The post Book Review—Dr. Vigilante appeared first on Steven Ramirez.

Classic gothic horror engenders fear and a feeling of being haunted. The best fiction induces terror in the reader and makes them wish they’d lit more candles. For me, The Devil’s Whispers hits the right notes—a creepy Cardiff mansion, an evil servant, and a dark, forbidding forest from which unholy things can emerge.

Like Dracula, an attorney is summoned to the home of a dying aristocrat. But unlike that famous Bram Stoker novel, there are no vampires. Instead, something ancient and terrifying awaits Gerald Woodward. And it’s a force that threatens not only his life but that of his fiancée and their close friends.

What I enjoyed most about this story was the author’s meticulous description. He creates a world I can almost see as Gerald does. And it’s a place that, frankly, I wouldn’t want to visit, except maybe for London. That great city is teeming with life, whereas Cardiff imbues an overpowering sense of melancholy—and worse.

If you enjoy inventive gothic horror featuring well-drawn, colorful characters, I recommend The Devil’s Whispers. It’s good, old-fashioned, diabolical fun.

In a silent, sleepy castle, evil has awakened…

Famed British lawyer Gerard Woodward is summoned to an ancient Welsh castle to assist a dying lord in his final affairs. But as his host slips closer to death, Gerard begins to feel less like a guest and more like a prisoner. When he finds himself locked inside his room, he realizes he must escape.

After finding his way out of his room, Gerard begins to wonder if he was safer locked inside. The labyrinthine halls echo secrets. A terrible wail and the rattling of chains sets his nerves on end. Something sinister is happening within the walls of Mathers Castle, and when he descends into the dungeons, he discovers a horrible secret…

In nearby London, children vanish into the night, animals are horribly mutilated, and a savage creature stalks the shadows. When Gerard’s wife, Raelyn, becomes the creature’s next target, his need to escape reaches a fever pitch. He must get out alive so he can dispel the evil that threatens to destroy his beloved Raelyn… and the rest of us.

Fans of epistolary Gothic horror classics like Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Picture of Dorian Gray will devour The Devil’s Whispers.

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million

Author Profile
https://www.tckpublishing.com/our-authors/author-lucas-hault/

Publisher’s Website
https://www.tckpublishing.com/

Did you enjoy this review? Check out my other reviews here. And don’t forget to follow me at BookBub.

The post Book Review—The Devil’s Whispers appeared first on Steven Ramirez.

Spring is here—at least in California. On the homefront, everyone is well. And I wish the same for you and yours. By the way, you can find me on TikTok now. Seriously, though. Don’t expect to see me wearing funny clothes and lip-syncing to popular tunes. I plan to take it slow. You can see my profile here.

Speaking of pets, ZuZu the miracle cat is a year old and thriving. To pay us back for nurturing her, she raises hell on a daily basis. And we love it.

I’m still slogging my way through my zombie trilogy, tidying it up for next year’s ten-year anniversary release. This time, I plan to create a hardback version, as well as a physical box set. Which brings me to the topic of audiobooks.

For years, my daughters have been begging (well, strongly encouraging) me to record the audiobook version of the trilogy. And by golly, I think I’m ready to tackle the project. More on that later. In the meantime, I need to order an atomizer and practice vocalizing. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers…

If you’re looking for a tense medical thriller to liven up your nights, check out Nerve Damage. Doctor-turned-author Tom Combs delivers punch after punch, resulting in a memorable roller coaster of a ride. You can read my review here.

Book Description

ER physician and medical researcher, Drake Cody, has developed an experimental drug that may help the paralyzed walk. Rogue elements operating in the shadows of the pharmaceutical industry have learned of Drake’s breakthrough and they will destroy anyone or anything that prevents them from pirating the priceless research.

Drake, his wife, and their children become pawns in a deadly contest where billions in profits are at stake and their lives mean nothing. Murder, blackmail, and violence touches all those he cares about as the hospital, his home, and his city are swept into the madness. Greed, lust, murder, and betrayal confront courage and selflessness as Drake’s family and his hospital coworkers battle to save what matters most—their patients, their love, their lives.

Physician turned bestselling author Tom Combs’ suspense-packed thriller explodes with true-to-life medical action in a tale of heart-pounding thrills, brilliant twists, and characters readers care about.

John Grisham introduced legal suspense and thrills to the mainstream—Tom Combs has done the same with the world of medicine in book one of this riveting series.

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million

A simple package. The head of an infamous serial killer. Detective Robin Matthews is shocked by her finding. This is just the beginning. Check out Chasing Past by Audrey Walker.

There is a whole underbelly of betrayal, past violence, and murder that finally blows open. Find out how in Parents Don’t Approve by Peyton Dinwiddie.

Click these images for more fantastic titles.

Amazon Prime is showing a creepy new television series from the producers of ‘Lost.’ Be sure to check out ‘From’ to learn why these townspeople can’t escape the evil that threatens them.

Logline. Unravel the mystery of a city in Central America that imprisons everyone who enters. As the residents struggle to maintain a sense of normalcy and seek a way out, they must also survive the threats of the surrounding forest.

Okay, that’s a wrap. See you next month when I try not to terrorize my cat during Be Kind to Animals Week. Peace and love.

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