Death is Overrated: A Mystery by Jeffrey Perren

Death is Overrated: A Mystery.  Jeffrey Perren. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. August 2013. 304 pp. ISBN#: 9781491275443.

Professor Thomas Payne looks down at a body that other people are claiming is him – a very dead man with brutal marks that indicate foul play!  The more Payne insists the body is not him, the more he seems to be getting himself into deeper trouble.  He is taken to the local jail and the inquiring police officer believes he is the murderer, albeit the fact that missing evidence is all that questions Payne’s guilt.

A meeting with the Police Captain’s daughter, Terri, seems like oil and water that simply will not mix; however, she seems to trust him enough to quietly arrange for his release from jail and that enables him to begin the search for the unknown murderer.

The betrayal of a colleague follows with destruction and theft; but it turns out that there is someone behind these actions who is even more deadly.  Add to that puzzle that Payne’s father, a former Quaker, is looking for Payne.  Sounds innocent enough, right?  It’s not.

Terri’s father is a tough, competent detective, who is willing to give Payne the benefit of the doubt but will leave his guilt or innocence an open question.  In the meantime, Payne and Terri will be frustrated by a gauntlet of misunderstandings and missed meetings to contend with in spite of their growing feelings about each other.

Death is Overrated is a superb mystery that will engage every reader with its numerous twists and turns.  The capacity for evil has no boundaries but the perseverance and integrity of better characters as well as the physical and mental tests arising on every page of this novel proves the better human beings.  Great read!

Empress of the Night: A Novel of Catherine the Great by Eva Stachniak

Empress of the Night: A Novel of Catherine the Great.  Eva Stachniak. Random House Publishing Group. March 2014. 400 pp.  ISBN#: 9780553808131.

Catherine the Great arrived to begin her training as Grand Duchess, naïve and much maligned by her future mother-in-law, Elizabeth Romanov.  The pattern was set: she would appear to be a cooperative, willing wife to a future Emperor, ensure that her devout attitude was appropriately noticed, and at the same time learned about the internal and external politics, treaties, battles, finance and more that would be part and parcel of Russian government.  Empress of the Night…  is written in an unusual style, reflecting Catherine’s thoughts, emotions, and spirit for all that occurred throughout her training and actual rule of Russia.

Catherine and others as well see her husband as a spineless man incapable of ruling, obviously created so by his imperious mother who trusted no one, feared everyone, and therefore ruled with an iron fist smothering all disagreement and conspiracies, real or imagined.  Catherine rules after the Empress’ death. But surprisingly, she spends more time reflecting on the slew of lovers who coveted not only her body but her power as well.  Her fiercest passion is depicted as a love that could never survive so much intensity with Grigory Potemkin.  Unfortunately for him, her foremost dedication was for her country and this decision was the cause of much hurt for him. 

Catherine never boasts of her power but does frequently state that she was gifted at discerning between those who wanted the best for Russia and those who wanted the best for themselves and manifested that in scheming, traitorous ways.  We read about her anxiety when dealing with the Poles, Prussians, French, and later on in the story the Turks.  At the same time, she is interested in lavish spending on the one hand for her home and gardens but frugality meant to help promote the Russian economy. 

Her reflections on her children and grandchildren are carefully charted because she must make a decision as to who will take over the Crown of Russia after her death.  The thoughts on this topic are scathingly truthful and pragmatic.  Disappointment is described as almost apathy and pleasure is clearly connected to her delight and favor.  As her health declines, Catherine’s mind rages with both hatred of her ailments and haunting, torturous reflections on the past relationships that have so often denied her opinions and provoking disagreement and dissension within her most loyal servants and administrators.

Empress of the Night… is a wonderful read.  Surprisingly, it is highly effective historical fiction because it refuses to only catalog lists of events and what others thought of them.  It is a mental and emotional exploration of what is true and false about Catherine’s decisions on pivotal issues and concerning her relationships with multiple lovers and friends.  One truly gets to know and trust this intelligent, passionate, and careful ruler, lover and friend; and the reader wants to know even more by the time the story ends with Catherine’s untimely but spiritually connected death forever.  Very smartly crafted, engaging and intriguing historical fiction – a great read! Congratulations, Eva Stachniak, for writing a brilliant story in such a stylish, literate, and robust manner!

Ethel Merman, Mother Teresa...and Me: A Memoir by Tony Cointrau

Ethel Merman Mother Teresa… and Me: A Memoir. Tony Cointreau. Prospecta Press, LLC. February 2013. 312 pp. hbk. ISBN #: 9781935212348.

Adversity can produce many forms of dysfunction but also many forms of sensitivity and compassion that become a gift to those who are hungry for same.  It so often arises out of one’s own hunger for connection.  Tony (Jacques) Cointreau’s childhood was far from pretty, with a case of brutal abuse and really tough, nasty relatives who seemed to delight in inflicting discomfort if not actual pain on Tony.  Next to that were his parents who raised Tony on the “Real men don’t cry,” belief and showed zilch affection. Yes, they were the wealthy family famous for building the famous liquor business but that seemed to be the only bright side of this family who alternated living in the United States, Paris and Europe.  What a troupe!

This memoir charts the psychological nightmares, panic attacks, and other illnesses arising from this inhuman childhood, but Tony Cointreau seems to have been made of tougher stuff and the right people were always there to later bring him through each crisis.  This, the mid-1900s and later, was a time when therapy was not deemed a normal, helpful exercise. 

Tony, however, was gifted with surrogate mothers in the form of Lee Lehman, wife of the financier Lehman; Ethel Merman, a singer of momentous talent but also with a heart of gold; and Mother Teresa who truly saw God in every human being (despite what some biographies have said in denial).  This isn’t name dropping; Tony had a deeply meaningful relationship with these women and also had the support and friendship of numerous other famous people like Pierre Cardin and more. You truly get to know the surrogate “mothers” and this is a delightful, poignant aspect of this memoir that makes it very special. Tony’s lover is a relatively silent but dominantly supporting character throughout this account.

For Tony became a renowned singer in the USA and Paris, later took over the family business for a brief period and finally was drawn to Mother Teresa’s work in caring for the dying poor.

Outlining the above is not a spoiler at all; to read this memoir is a rich, inspiring experience, with a little something for everyone within its memorable pages.  Very nicely done!

The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

The Last Letter From Your Lover.  Jojo Moyes.  Viking Penguin. January 2013. 416 pp. pbk. ISBN #: 9780143121107.

Jennifer Stirling wakes up in the hospital after an awful car accident in the 1960s.  She remembers nothing but feels a sense of familiarity with certain people who come to visit her in the hospital.  Little by little she is able to retrieve certain memories but absolutely nothing about the accident and no one will give one iota of information about that pivotal event.  So Jennifer returns to her role as the wife of a cold man who is also a brilliant, successful businessman engaging in African mining.  Laurence is also oblivious to the conditions his business practices leave behind but Jennifer doesn’t discover this memory for a very long time.

It’s the letters Jennifer finds, one by one over a broad span of time, that bring back her memories of Anthony.  To say more would be a spoiler but suffice to say that Jennifer has a feisty nature that will not be cowed by the strict demands of her husband.  It would be nice to imagine a happily ever after story and that’s what the letters seem to imply.  The story, however, is more realistic in depicting how fate sometimes plays an intriguingly different hand to its players.

The story then rewinds to Jennifer’s pre-accident experiences, most importantly her meeting and falling in love with Anthony, a journalist who was well known for his expository articles about African atrocities which include the business and political spectrum of the African economy.  But Anthony has a wild nature that gets him in trouble and so he’s been temporarily corralled to home to work on local stories while the top brass decide if he should continue to work or be let go.  After meeting Jennifer, he is extremely distracted from his passion for Africa but doesn’t forget his past.  Now he has passion for both.

Years later in 2003, a young journalist, Ellie Haworth, is questioning her own affair to a married man when she comes across a letter in which a man begs his lover to follow him so they can travel to Africa and end their separation forever.  The story evolves in an amazing way to the discovery of the lovers’ names, story and the final path of their destiny.

Passionate love requires intense courage and determination at times.  Moyes’ novel is endearing and heart-breaking in its ever-changing scenes for the riveted reader.  But it is the intensity of the story that is passionately victorious and the reader never loses the empathy in these lovers or the countless other feelings arising from the other characters who would be called “minor characters” but who really seem to be controlled by a fate none previously imagined could come true!

Highly recommended! Great, great read!

War of Wings: A Novel by Tanner McElroy

War of Wings.  Tanner McElroy. Brown Books Publishing Company. March 2014. 384 pp.  ISBN#: 9781612541549.

Lucifer, Michael, Gabriel, and other angels in Heaven are parties to a looming revolution against God.  Heaven is described as a heady, perfect place where the architecture is rather garishly glorious and nature yields only the most succulent of fruits.  God is really never actually seen because of the blinding radiance of His person and there is a touch of human envy in the way all the angels vie to be in God’s presence in order to “talk” with him.  Blind faith is the heavenly, ubiquitous law and the initial hints of “trouble in Paradise” begin with multiple questions about the origin of life and Lucifer’s need to sit at the right hand of God.  It all seems like petulant children vying for parental approval and favor until the initial discomfiting conversations transition to a nasty tone!

Surprisingly, Gabriel’s character is given a rather different slant in this story.  He seems to be a totally self-absorbed individual who is an athletic professional and a despoiler of nature in the nonchalant way he gorges on luscious fruits and discards the rinds like a true litterer who never gets caught and penalized.  Then there is the odd relationship he has with his best friend, Michael.  Michael consistently berates Gabriel for a lack of responsibility and lax attitude to his work for God.  Their constant bickering, however, suddenly becomes violent with physical fights and then avoidance of each other.

The fascinating part of this story, besides Lucifer’s seductive campaign to turn the other angels away from God, involves the asking of questions similar to those of the evolutionary crowd debating the creationists.  If God made all, who made God?  The origin of matter is never explained beyond the questions but it does succeed in getting pride to rise and rise and rise, becoming anger and then rebellion.  Women are also used to exacerbate the confusion and turmoil, as well as being used as tools to tempt the faithful to the side of evil. This reviewer was reminded, while reading this novel, of the debates and declarations of the great writer, C. S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters.

War of Wings moves from a playful to serious and then dark tones.  Heaven’s light begins to dim as the looming war approaches!  However, even at the end, the resolution is not quite finished business and obviously seems like a transition point for a future continuation of this world-changing conflict which continues to today.  Very nicely plotted mix of religious and scientific thought!  Interesting, somewhat contrived but thoughtfully crafted and fascinating novel!

Cossacks in Paris: A Napoleonic Era Novel by Jeffrey Perren

Cossacks in Paris: A Napoleonic Era Novel.  Jeffrey Perren. ClioStory Publishing, Third Edition. November 2012. 462 pp. E-book. ASIN #: A00ADRAQJK.

Jeffrey Perren ingeniously blends two stories.  One is a battle between Agripin the Cossack soldier and Breutier Armande the French engineer for the love and hand of Kaarina who is the daughter of the Finnish counselor to Tsar Alexander I.  Kaarina, however, has a twin, who becomes a part of the puzzle as the characters meet frequently but are then parted during the frantic comings and goings of Napoleon and Alexander’s soldiers. Both twins, as well as Agripin and Breutier, escape hair-raising moments posing life and death risks that clearly parallel the brutally devastating war covering their travels.

Breutier has a plan to create sewers in Paris, an act that could save thousands from the rampant disease of the beautiful but unclean famous city, and another plan to create a steam-driven railroad system that would jettison the French economy beyond its wildest planning.  But Breutier’s plans are stymied by Napoleon who conscripts him into the war that will ultimately be the tyrant’s well-deserved demise.  Breutier escapes French service several times but always comes back or is forced back by other French officers and soldiers.  His passion for Kaarina overrides loyalty to any leader, especially the manically driven Napoleon. 

Agripin is a Cossack who betrays his soldierly heritage with his lust for the same woman Breutier has madly fallen in love with; however, technically speaking, Agripin is already engaged to Kaarina but that matters little to her pursuer.  The culture of Cossacks is presented within the love and war story plots.  Agripin comes across for most of the novel as the chief antagonist and yet there comes a point where a common goal mandates he put aside his homicidal intent toward Breutier for a more important mission that will affect European history forever.

Clearly, Perren has carried out extensive research on the military campaigns of Alexander and Napoleon who careen back and forth across Europe, trying to woo other leaders, especially Metternich, into joining their war.  The reader is mesmerized by the determination of both leaders juxtaposed by the painfully difficult movement and battles of the soldiers fighting for victory. 

Cossacks in Paris is a fine romantic, historical novel that will fascinate romance and history fans.  The conflict between human nature and Mother Nature emerges in multiple ways that create tension, mystery, and fascination on almost every page.  Very nicely done, Jeffrey Perren!

Fallen Beauty by Erika Robuck

Fallen Beauty. Erika Robuck. NAL Trade Paperback. March 2014. 384 pp.  ISBN#: 978045141890.

 A seductive, jaded poet presents as a liberal woman in 1928 upstate New York.  Anyone who knows her wants to drink, eat, and embrace free love with her, with no reservations on a daily basis.  The same group from town, who are riddled with jealousy but who secretly join her bacchanalian parties, condemn her as an immoral witch.  The last group is emotionally shattered by this free love style which has sucked up spouses in a parasitic, hallucinatory embrace, the ultimate betrayal for committed couples. 

Yes, this is the poet, Edna Vincent Millay, known as “Vince” or “Vincie” to those who have entered her embrace, the woman who leaves behind tormented bodies and shattered souls, the woman who needs these lovers and worshipers to inspire her creations of amazingly sensitive and famous poetry.  One might call her bohemian or a torturer, but while reading this novel the reader is enchanted by her poetic, truthful comments or conversations.  The reader is thus as easily seduced by this poet who seems to exude the truth of beauty and the beauty of truth, principles which one may come to understand but which yield to daunting costs and shattering revelations.

While Millay forges ahead in her campaign of ravishment, a young woman living in the town next to the countryside where Millay resides is suffering her own betrayal and shame.  Remember, this is 1928 and to fall in love and bear a child out of that love but outside of marriage is anathema to any law-abiding middle class resident.  Christianity is used more as a tool of condemnation against Laura Kelley, who attempts to ignore the critics but whose shame for being an unwed mother of a beautiful child never leaves.  She is also a talented seamstress, whose business declines after she gives birth to a witty, fearless little girl and is abandoned by a former lover who remains unnamed for a very long time.

Complications follow involving Laura’s sister, a revered female leader in the town, a group of Gypsies, and a sculptor.  Secrets are revealed as the relationships of all begin to fragment.  The beauty in this novel, however, has to do with Laura’s significant skill in creating beautiful dresses and gowns reflective of the Jazz Age, the time in which men and women yearned to be rid of all rules, laws and boundaries.  

Poetry is an accepted art but at the time the creators of beautiful, liberating clothing was admired by many but worn by only those daring enough to “not care” about conventional values.  The creation of both gifts is depicted in exquisite details which can be relished by any sensitive reader.  Yes, Edna or Vincie, as well as Laura, suffer in order to generate beautiful and liberating art.  Many aspects of several mysteries are revealed and both women mature (having nothing and everything to do with art) and both evolve into memorable, dynamic characters.  The rest is indescribable but MUST be read and experienced through one’s intellect and soul. Transformation follows for all, including the reader.  Delightful historical fiction and highly recommended!  You won’t want it to end at all!