Final Price by J. Gregory Smith

A quarter finalist in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest, this book deserves to be looked at carefully. Most of us have purchased a car at one point or another. I doubt many of us have considered the car salesman’s point of view, let alone a psychopathic car salesman. Shamus the car salesman does not take rejection well. His reaction to rejection is investigated by the largest Chinese American State Trooper in Delaware and his emotionally vulnerable sidekick.

Smith paints a vivid portrait of a tortured soul inflicting his inner demons on those who he feels has wronged him. Those of us who have sold for a living recognize some of the frustrations in dealing with a fickle, often unreasonable and frequently unpredictable customer. Doing your best to please someone and feeling maligned and misunderstood is painful. Luckily most of us are able to shrug off the bad, revel in the good and move on with our life. Shamus Ryan’s soul was shriveled long before he started selling cars. Price does a nice job inferring his past without detailing it, this provides a lot of room for the imagination to flourish.

Paul Chang struggles with his own demons and endeavors to stay on the sane side of the emotional precipice that Shamus cheerfully drives over. Paul’s loyalty to his former partner his endearing and his pain is clear. I think Price painted his characters well. The book is a good mystery and provides a modicum of motivation to consider the feelings and stresses of those who sell for a living.

I recommend the book, for a first effort this is outstanding!

Body of work of J. Gregory Smith

Review none found

Web Site: none found

A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi

A grisly murder brings FBI agent Leia Bines to a small town in Connecticut. Agent Bines specializes in child cases. She meets Dr. Peter Gram, a local child psychiatrist who has a very special patient. Together the two face tragedy, terror and unexplained happenings in an engrossing mystery.

Grandhi has created a nail biting psychological thriller. His characterization of the slaaf is simply chilling. Dr. Gram’s skepticism is well played and justified, considering what he is dealing with and what he finds out about himself. Agent Bines soul searching would be inevitable considering that in her work a mistake may mean the life of a child. The story was laid out well and the outcome was certainly not predictable. It was a good read, not necessarily a comfortable read based on the subject matter, but an engrossing, compelling story none the less.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Preetham Grandhi

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The Eight by Katherine Neville

The story seemed like one that Dan Brown and Sandra Brown might have collaborated to create. It is a study of mysticism and mysterious formulas, treasure, clues and a wealth of historic personages wrapped in emotional relationships. A mysterious, ancient chess set is the center piece of a frantic and fanatic hunt detailed in the 1790’s and the 1970s. Whosoever holds the chess set will rule the world, according to legend. The forces of good and evil have been striving to capture the board for a millennium.

Neville bounces back and forth from the 1790’s to the 1970’s without promoting a great deal of confusion. Her characterizations have depth, breadth and color. There are times where it appears she may have read a little too much Clive Cussler but the introduction of historic figures and preposterous chases is very entertaining. I’m not sure if there is an attempt to challenge the intellect but regardless, the book is a fun read.

I recommend the book and look forward to the sequel, "The Fire".

Body of work of Katherine Neville

Review: http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/personal/reading/neville-eight.html

Web Site: http://www.katherineneville.com/