• Back to Town

  • Information about Amey's books

  • The news on Amey's latest books and appearances

  • Let your voice be heard

 

 

 

 

Occasionally, I have time to review novels by other authors. When I do, I post them here. If you would like to have your book reviewed, please email me at amey@ameytippett.com

Previous Reviews

Veiled in Human Flesh by Jamie Caldwell - Released March 2006

What if the lines between good and evil were blurred beyond recognition? Jessie Kane isn’t sure that those lines even exist, and, if they do, she is definitely on the side of evil. Or is she?

Unforeseen circumstances allow Jessie to choose her own path. Although her choices lead her into great danger, Jessie finds herself moving down a path different than anything she’d ever imagined. Fear, hatred, and even love overwhelm the unsuspecting heroine, but she never gives up. Jessie is more human than even she could ever imagine.

Jamie Caldwell has taken the classic story of Good Versus Evil and put her own unique spin on it with her novel Veiled In Human Flesh. Caldwell’s descriptions are spectacular, nail-biting episodes that create a true page-turner. Even at the end, I found myself wishing for more.

 

No Shortage of Evil by David S. Rosenberg - Released July 11, 2005

FBI Special Agent Donald Corbitt's life is as bleak and empty as the apartment in which he barely lives. Confronted with a corporate scandal, a series of murders, and bomb threats, Corbitt is forced to examine terrorism in all of its forms, and also to reconstruct the thoughts and actions of killers in order to anticipate their moves. And, yet, despite all of this, our hero seems to have the blanket of hope pulled around his shoulders.

As he discovers new clues about the evil which surrounds him, Corbitt also manages to meet, and become interested in, his colleague Jocelyn Hafner. This sweet relationship provides a contrast to Corbitt's professional life, causing him to contemplate the recipe for the delicacy known as "Happiness Soup." This perfectly spiced dish is one that keeps our hero, and the reader, from falling into the dispair that would cloud the minds of most people.

Debut author David S Rosenberg tackles several difficult subjects in his post 9/11 world of terrorists and federal agents. This wild ride of suspense is tempered nicely by humorous and even romantic moments that are masterfully woven into the plot. Although he has an unmistakable talent for plot creation, it is Rosenberg's characterization that shines through the entire novel. This nail-biting adventure is full of people that the reader is sure can be touched, if only one could reach into the pages in order to do so. I found myself not only seeing these people in my mind, but hearing them as well. Getting lost in this book is a must, and I look forward to reading the sequel to "No Shortage of Evil".

Bridge over Troubled Water by Ethylene Crenshaw -Released October 10, 2005

"Dear God, don't let me be pregnant." The opening pleas of Ethylene Crenshaw's book Bridge over Troubled Water bring home the fear and despair of teenage pregnancy. She takes the reader on a journey through her own experiences as a pregnant teenager, through her thoughts and her broken dreams. And, yet, Crenshaw also carries a message of hope. This book is one that can and should be read with your teenaged daughter. It dispels the locker room myths surrounding sex and pregnancy, and lets girls know that sex not only doesn't equal love, but that it has consequences as well.

Sweet Dreams by DL Edwards - Released March 3, 2005

Megan Montgomery is living a nightmare. Not only is she dreaming of gory murders committed by a psychotic serial killer, but she has to awaken two mornings later to find that she has seen the crime before it was committed. And this isn't anything new - as a child, she saw through the eyes of another killer, and the experience nearly killed her. I could not put this book down. From start to finish, Sweet Dreams had me biting my nails, unable to sleep. The images created by DL Edwards are so vivid that you almost feel like you're there. I really enjoyed this novel and can't wait to see what DL Edwards does next.

The Chaos Cycle by John Kerchack - Released October 31, 2005

Chaos - it's a concept most of us are familiar with. Yet no one seems to completely understand how the craziness of our lives comes about. Take Tiffany, for instance. She's a girl on her way to work when her life takes a sudden drastic change which places her not only in the life of her future husband, but also that of Hugo, a man who thinks he has been abandoned by his mother. The Chaos Cycle by John Kerchack brings the reader into the story slowly. Written in what seems at first to be an unorganized method, the reader is not only brought slowly into the story, but also drawn into the mystery of the piece. It was this slow unfolding that enhanced my enjoyment of Kerchack's work. Kerchack has a solid understanding of not only what chaos is, but also how the decisions that we make in our every day lives affect not only our own path, but also the decisions that others must make. Through his realistic,though not likeable, characters, he has shown that we can indeed control the chaos in our lives and that there is no puppeteer and that each person controls the disorganized mess of life.

The Other Casualty of War by Paul Bylin - Released January 31, 2005

The Vietnam War. It is a subject that inspires strong, yet vastly differing opinions in almost everyone. And the soldiers who lived through this time are no exception. Paul Bylin's The Other Casualty of War is an honest account not only of his experiences in Vietnam, but also of his experiences trying to recover from this event. He gives the reader a sense, not only of who he is, but also of the emotions and trials that he experienced. So often, this war is held up as an example of the negative effects of war. Bylin's no-nonsense account puts a personal face on the war, and makes it impossible to consider that these boys who were sent to war were ever anything more than boys who did as they were told, and who, in many ways, never came home.

Banyan...Keeper of the Trees by Paula "Walks Alone" Urso - Released August 15, 2005

When Banyan learns that the forest is in danger, there is only one thing that he can do. He must travel to the thirteen ancient clans and learn from them. Meanwhile, Jeremy Landruth works for the side of evil, accelerating the destruction of the place that Banyan loves.
Will the forests be destroyed? And, if they are, will it mean the destruction of man? The ending to this story seems all too clear. If people continue on the path they travel, we are certain to lose the nature and beauty around us. Paula Urso reminds us of this in her cautionary tale, Banyan...Keeper of the Trees.
As I read this novel, I could not help but be saddened by the destruction that mankind leaves in its wake. Urso should be commended, not only for her environmental conscience, but for her ability to weave this social issue into an entertaining story without losing the moral.

Alliance and Defiance by Harold D. Armstrong - Released April 5, 2005

"The class of 1983 is cursed, and tragedy follows its members everywhere. Drugs, death, and even organized crime plague this group of high school seniors far beyond their graduation. As Howard D. Armstrong follows the escapades of this group of high school companions, he invites the reader to examine the complexity of human relationships. Spanning half a century, with his well-written tale, Alliance and Defiance shows that life comes full circle, and that your choices can always come back to haunt you. And, that, in being human, you are always worthy of redemption. Armstrong’s messages are universal, and I look forward to reading more of his work."