Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Fifth Column by Mike Hollow (Book Review!)

Fifth Column (The Blitz Detective, Book 2)

By Mike Hollow

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Fifth Column

Genre- Fiction / Suspense

Published by- Lion Fiction

Copyrighted- 2016

Number of pages- 336

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN: 978-1-78264-186-5

We are taken back to the time of the London Blitz during WW II in Fifth Column, by Mike Hollow.

D.I. Jago is back to solver another mystery.  After a night raid, the body of a young woman is found.  She has no identity and can’t be tied to the area, so D.I. Jago is called in.  He quickly learns that her name was Mary Watkins and was strangled.  She worked for an engineering company which is now missing chemicals.

Is she to blame for the theft?  Who killed her?  And will the romance between D.I. Jago and the American reporter, Miss Dorothy Appleton. 

About the Author-

Mike Hollow currently lives in Hampshire with his wife.  He has worked for the BBC and Tearfund.  He is a freelance writer and editor.

My thoughts-

One of my favorite genres to read is mysteries, so I was excited when I was given the chance to read Fifth Column, the second book in the series.

While I enjoyed trying to figure out who killed Mary Watkins, my favorite part of the book was learning all the little interesting tidbits about the London area in 1940.  It helped me to know and feel what it was like for those in the area at the time.  I didn’t know that they had Dig for Victory gardens (vegetable gardens), similar to our Victory gardens in the States.  I didn’t know that there were people who liked Hitler in England and wanted to be a part of his world.  It was interesting that there were the superstitions like “knock and wood” and that a magpie by itself means bad luck.  Those superstitions came from a lady from Scotland. 

I liked the map of the area in the front of the book, but I would like to see a list of characters in future books.  I kept getting the characters mixed up.  The acknowledgements were interesting, because I learned that this mystery was based on a 1939 trial about a man who tried to extort money by threatening to accuse someone of spying for Germany. 

I enjoyed learning more about Detective Inspector John Jago and meeting new characters in this book.  Fifth Column stands alone, but it is still a good idea to read Direct Hit first.  I look forward to reading more books by Mike Hollow.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Fifth Column, by Mike Hollow, for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Friday, September 16, 2016

The Bible and Me retold by Lois Rock and illustrated by Alida Massari (Book Review!)

The Bible and Me: Stories with a message to live by

retold by Lois Rock and illustrated by Alida Massari

(received in exchange for an honest review)

The Bible and Me

Genre- Nonfiction / Christian / Bible Story

Published by- Lion Children’s Books

Copyrighted- 2016

Number of pages- 128

Age Group- Juvenile

Description of book- hardback, listed price- $14.95, ISBN 978-0-7459-6495-9

This Bible storybook is sure to inspire all who read it.  It covers some of the most popular stories from the Bible.  In the table of contents each chapter name has a list of the chapters from the Bible, so that the reader can find the exact stories.  Each story begins with a quote from the Bible and ends with either a selection from Psalms or a prayer.

About the Author-

Lois Rock has written Bible stories, prayer books, and infomation books for children.  Her books have been translated into over thirty languages.  She is a mother of three.

About the Illustrator-

Alida Massari considers her art work as modern with an ancient atmosphere.  She studied in Rome at the European Institute of Design.

My thoughts-

I think this book of Bible stories is going to become a family favorite, to be passed down for generations. 

One of the best parts of this book was the illustrations, by Alida Massari.  I could study and learn from them on a daily basis.  They would also work for art study.  I liked how there were the same stories, but they were told in a new way.  Lois Rock included more of the back story and a little bit of the future of God’s people.  The quotes were from the Good News Bible, so they are easier for young children to understand.  I appreciated the extras between the chapters, it was nice having different Psalms, poems, and prayers between the chapter.  I also liked how the table of contents included all the books of the Bible that the stories were taken from.

I really recommend this book to families of young children.  It will become a classic in your family.  Find a copy for the young children in your life.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received The Bible and Me, retold by Lois Rock and illustrated by Alida Massari, for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.