The Granny - By Brendan O'Carroll

The New York Times Book Review praised Brendan O'Carroll's first novel, The Mammy, as "Cheerful...as unpretentious and satisfying as a home-cooked meal...with a delicious dessert of an ending." With the forthcoming second book in the trilogy, The Chisellers, and a movie about The Mammy (entitled Agnes Browne) on the horizon, the world is discovering O'Carroll's uniquely Irish blend of warmth and grittiness, comedy and pathos, as he elevates the lives of ordinary working-class Dublin people--and one extraordinary family--into tales that are small in size but epic in emotion. With the final installment, The Granny, our comedic and lovable heroine, Agnes Browne, has a French lover, six children in their twenties--including one in prison--and a wee grandchild of her own. But the world is spinning fast for Agnes--especially considering that her lover wants her to become "a sexual animal" and that her family's far-flung fortune is beyond her control. The members of the Browne family split up to make it in the world on their own until a tragedy brings the brood back together again--and love keeps them that way forever.


I put off reading this for quite a while. Only because I didn't feel ready to say goodbye. The final book in the Agnes Browne series, The Granny finds Agnes in middle age, her children grown and flown the nest. It is both lighthearted and bitter sweet as are the previous books. Sprinkled generously with humor through out. All good things must come to an end but I miss you already Agnes Browne.

The Devil You Know by Adrian Lilly

The Devil You Know is most definitely a story about Julie. You will not be allowed to forget this. The author goes to great pains to make sure you remember her name. In fact her name appears a full 1,746 times in the book. Julie raised, Julie saw, Julie pushed, Julie heaved, Julie felt, Julie refused, Julie Julie Julie! No I did not count them. By the time I was 10% through the book I was put off by the number of sentences that begin with the word Julie, and typed it into the kindle's "search this document" feature. While I did enjoy the story itself it was a bit distracting that so many sentences began with Julie. I felt that it dragged on longer than it needed to It also may be better suited to the young adult section. I received a free copy for review.

The Third Floor by C. Dennis Moore

THEIR NEW HOME IS OUT TO GET THEM Welcome to Angel Hill, Missouri, a town that shot blood from the ground at its own groundbreaking. There are only two roads in or out of town, and everything within those borders is subject to the whims of reality. Those who grew up here are immune to the town's peculiarities. But Jack and Liz have just moved here, and for their young son, Joey, it's almost like coming home again. As the Kitches start settling into their new home, a large abandoned house in need of a lot of TLC, Angel Hill welcomes them the only way it knows how. Footsteps in the middle of the night. Voices on the phone. Their big empty house wasn't so empty after all. There's a presence, and it's growing stronger. And angrier. DOES MADNESS LIVE ON AFTER DEATH? A hulking figure stalks the halls while childlike voices whisper in mourning. And there's something unexplainable happening to Joey. His hair is shorter now, and his eyes . . . they didn't used to be that color, did they? And that birthmark on his neck looks more like a scar every day. Jack doesn't want to believe his own eyes, but for Liz the threat is all too real, and it's closing in. From the invisible shapes under the sheets, the eyes she feels on her constantly, and the banging coming from the third floor . . . is that something trying to get in? Or something wanting out? Welcome to Angel Hill.


The Third Floor by C. Dennis Moore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you love a good ghost story then this is a must read. The Third Floor is the best haunted house story I have had the pleasure to read in quite some time. In fact the entire town has a long history of strange and creepy occurrences which adds nicely to the spooky atmosphere of the story. Also includes an additional short story at the end which I would rate 5 stars as well.


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Soul Hostage - Evil Takes A Backseat by Jeffrey Littorno

"Thomas and Joey have known a great deal of trouble in their lives. Through it all, they have been able to count on each another.

But everything starts to change when they meet Louis Stoaffer. Stoaffer spins an engaging tale of betrayal and downfall. For assisting the old man in getting his revenge upon a scheming wife and a treacherous business partner, Thomas and Joey will be rewarded with the means of making their dreams come true.
However, as the trio travels south to carry out Stoaffer's plan, the promised slice of heaven goes south as well. Nothing is as simple as it first appeared. Dreams become nightmares. Demons within and without must be confronted.

The final question is how far Thomas will go in order to save himself. Read this novel of paranormal horror to learn the answer"


What starts off as just another ordinary day for best friends Joey and Thomas (ordinary when you're a criminal that is) takes an unexpected turn when they grab a hostage who claims he can lead them to a score so big they'll never have to pull another robbery. Well as they say, what sounds too good to be true usually is, and this claim was no exception. Something is just not quite right about this hostage from the very beginning, and then it gets worse from there. A very enjoyable story with an ending I nearly didn't see coming until I was 80% finished with the book.
I received a complimentary copy to review.