Steven Ramirez

Steven Ramirez

Book Review—Cades Cove: The Curse of Allie Mae

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Cades Cove Cover

Okay, I’ll just say it. Cades Cove: The Curse of Allie Mae, by Aiden James, is one mother of a scary book. Immediately, I became caught up in the story of a man with questionable judgment who, through a seemingly innocuous act, stumbles into a world of sheer mayhem. As a result, he puts not only himself but his family in danger. What starts out as the innocent taking of a souvenir from a magical vacation spot soon turns into an unrelenting reign of terror conducted by the vengeful ghost of a dead girl.

This kind of story has been told countless times. In lesser hands, it might have been trite. But the author has taken great pains to create a rich world of Appalachian and Native American folklore that lends an incredible depth to the haunting tale of a young Tennessee girl wronged in another century. I particularly enjoyed James’s meticulous description of a Sioux ritual meant to protect the protagonist, David Hobbs, and his family.

If you enjoy novels that harken back to an earlier, less civilized time in America and feature nail-biting scenes of supernatural horror, then I suggest you read Cades Cove: The Curse of Allie Mae. It will be well worth the nightmares.

You can find this review at Goodreads.

Book Description

Buried deep in a ravine in the picturesque Smoky Mountains is a very dark secret.

David Hobbs, vacationing with his wife Miriam, inadvertently stumbles upon a small cloth ‘keepsake’ bag and a broken tooth. A human tooth. Miriam begs David to hand the bag and tooth over to park officials, but he ignores his wife’s pleas and secretly keeps the ‘harmless’ items. The action opens a doorway that had been closed for nearly a hundred years and unleashes hell on earth, or at least hell in the lives of David and Miriam.

Following the brutal murder of his best friend in Denver, and unprovoked attack on his oldest son, David desperately seeks to understand why a mysterious teenage girl has chosen to terrorize him and the males closest to him. To prevent further devastation to his family and end the wanton bloodshed, he returns to the enchanted hills of eastern Tennessee, where a terrible truth awaits discovery… one that forces him to face the consequences for the unpaid sins of his ancestors.

Where to Buy

Amazon US
Amazon UK
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More Reviews

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Book Review—The Gun

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The Gun Cover

As I read The Gun by Fuminori Nakamura, Holden Caulfield immediately came to mind. Both novels are told in the first person. And both characters are alienated, though Nishikawa gets the prize. He hangs out with friends he is not close to, has sex with girls he cares little for, and attends school because he has nothing better to do. Wandering the Tokyo streets seems to calm him. One night, when he discovers a dead body, his life changes. But it’s the gun lying next to the corpse that intrigues him, and he becomes obsessed.

Chekhov wrote that story elements should not make false promises. If we see a gun at the beginning, then someone must use it. Nakamura takes this principle to heart as he weaves his tale of ever-growing madness. He builds an almost unbearable tension as Nishikawa tries to decide when and where to fire the weapon. In the meantime, the character’s personal relationships continue to suffer. Feelings of hatred emerge, making the threat of violence more palpable.

The Gun is a taut thriller that begs the question, “Was Nishikawa already crazy, or was it the gun that made him so?†If you enjoy nail-biting crime fiction, then I highly recommend this book.

You can find this review at Goodreads.

Book Description

A Tokyo college student’s discovery and eventual obsession with a stolen handgun awakens something dark inside him.

On a nighttime walk along a Tokyo riverbank, a young man named Nishikawa stumbles on a dead body, beside which lies a gun. From the moment Nishikawa decides to take the gun, the world around him blurs. Knowing he possesses the weapon brings an intoxicating sense of purpose to his dull university life. But soon Nishikawa’s personal entanglements become unexpectedly complicated: he finds himself romantically involved with two women while his biological father, whom he’s never met, lies dying in a hospital. Through it all, he can’t stop thinking about the gun—and the four bullets loaded in its chamber. As he spirals into obsession, his focus is consumed by one idea: that possessing the gun is no longer enough—he must fire it.

Where to Buy

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA

More Reviews

Did you enjoy this review? Check out my other reviews here.

April 2020 Highlights and We’re All in This Together

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Spring Squirrel
Courtesy of Joachim Dobler

Well, we’re carrying on in the Ramirez household. We have food, water, and enough toilet paper to make it through the next couple of weeks—and no one is sick. I sincerely hope you and your families are safe and that you have enough to eat. These are the strangest times I’ve ever lived through. I can’t wait for the world to get back to normal, whatever that means.

Steven with BeretLike many men out there, I’ve pretty much given up shaving. This is me now. What do you think? I’ve been told now that I’ve embraced the natural look, I need to invest in beard oil. Yikes. What happened to the good ol’ days of washing with Lifebuoy soap? Next, they’ll be telling me I have to wear cable knit sweaters.

One good thing came out of this, though. I finally purchased the French Basque hat I’ve always wanted. Yeah, I know. But come on, we’re in a pandemic, for crying out loud.

Writing

I’m making headway in Book 3 of my Sarah Greene Mysteries series. I’m hoping to finish it by the end of the year, God willing. When it’s published, I’ll create a box set.

Sheltering at home means many of you are reading a lot more. For those of you who are Kindle Unlimited subscribers, you can now read The Girl in the Mirror and House of the Shrieking Woman for free.

 

Recommended Reading

One For Sorrow Cover

If you enjoy psychological thrillers that leave you breathless, then One For Sorrow by Sarah A. Denzil may be the ticket. You can read my review here.

Recommended Viewing

For those of you with an Amazon Prime account, check out Fortitude, a dark mystery thriller set in the Arctic Circle. For me, this series is perfect for these pandemic times.

Once again, stay safe. See you next month, when I plan to spin up a face mask-making business. Keep your eyes open for a GoFundMe. Peace and love.

Book Review—One For Sorrow

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One For Sorrow Cover

Reading One For Sorrow by Sarah A. Denzil is like getting into the mind of a deeply conflicted, mental patient who must still function in society. Leah Smith is a tragic character whose need to help others while fighting her demons is heartbreaking. When she starts a new job at Crowmont Hospital and is put in charge of a troubled girl named Isabel, who may or may not be a murderer, the road to sorrow is perfectly paved.

Immediately, Leah falls under the girl’s spell, believing her innocent of the brutal murder of a small child. And we fall with the good-hearted nurse. Isabel is an incredible artist and always cheerful. She especially loves drawing birds—magpies in particular. She doesn’t remember what happened all those years ago, and she is grateful when Leah takes an interest in her. Will Leah’s kindness be rewarded in the end?

If you enjoy psychological thrillers with characters who ring true like notes on a piano, I suggest you grab this book. Oh, and one other thing. Beware of magpies.

You can find this review at Goodreads.

Book Description

A chilling psychological thriller by the million-copy bestselling author of Silent Child.

Who really killed Maisie Earnshaw?

Within the walls of the high-security psychiatric facility, Crowmont Hospital, reside many violent offenders. To nurse Leah Smith, no matter what, all offenders are patients first and foremost. When Leah is appointed as nurse to Isabel Fielding, she is determined to remain professional despite the shocking crime Isabel allegedly committed in her past.

Years ago, six-year-old Maisie Earnshaw was found face down in a duck pond, her body mutilated. Isabel—at age fourteen, found covered in Maisie’s blood—was convicted of murder.

As Leah spends time with Isabel, she comes to know her as a young woman with a sweet, gentle nature, someone she could never see as a murderer. Leah begins to suspect members of the Fielding family of framing Isabel as a young girl, and she’s not the only one. True crime blogger James Gorden thinks Isabel is innocent too.

Is Leah allowing her own dark past to taint her judgement as she grows closer to her patient? Or has a young woman been unjustly robbed of her childhood?

Where to Buy

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA

More Reviews

Did you enjoy this review? Check out my other reviews here.

March 2020 Highlights and Writing Competition News

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Courtesy of DaPuglet

With all the news surrounding COVID-19, I want to say first and foremost, stay safe. If you are sheltering in place, make sure you have plenty of food and water on hand. And try to stay positive. We’ll get through this. Speaking of which, I had planned to set up book signing events—which included attending this year’s Los Angeles Times Book Festival. Well, the festival has been postponed. And that made me reconsider doing other events. So, I’ll most likely look to start setting up these signings again in the summer.

Writing

Previously, I announced that The Girl in the Mirror had won a 2019 Best Indie Book Award (BIBA) in the Paranormal Fiction category. Well, it seems I’m at it again. The first book in the Sarah Greene Mysteries series is a finalist in the 32nd annual IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards Horror Category. These awards are regarded as one of the highest national honors in independent publishing. I’ll keep you posted on the final results. You can see a complete list of the finalists here.

Recommended Reading

The Curse She Wore Cover

What do you get when you combine a homeless girl from New Orleans looking to avenge her best friend’s murder, a time-traveling psychic grieving the loss of his family, and Jack the Ripper? To find out, grab a copy of The Curse She Wore by Jordan Dane. You can read my review here.

Okay, that wraps it up. See you next month, when I’ll be painting Coronavirus-free Easter eggs. Peace and love.

Book Review—The Curse She Wore

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The Curse She Wore Cover

What do you get when you combine a homeless girl from New Orleans looking to avenge her best friend’s murder, a time-traveling psychic grieving the loss of his family, and Jack the Ripper? Why, you get a Jordan Dane supernatural thriller, of course. The Curse She Wore is a wild, unpredictable ride filled with twists and turns that would make a Disney Imagineer jealous. And it has heart—a lot of heart.

I’ve visited New Orleans several times in my life, and I have to say, the author brings the famed city to life in glorious Technicolor. And if that weren’t enough, she does a masterful job of recreating the Whitechapel district in East London at a time when Jack the Ripper was terrorizing its impoverished citizens with grisly murders that began in 1888 and ended in 1891.

What I love best about this novel is how adept the author is at combining the traditional elements of a serial killer story with those of supernatural tales such as Peter Straub’s terrifying Ghost Story. And trust me, the combination works. If you’re in the mood to be scared, then touched by the tortured yet loyal and loving Trinity LeDoux, I suggest you stop what you’re doing and acquire The Curse She Wore. Oh, and did I mention there’s humor? I’ll leave you with my favorite quote:

Tell me something while you’re here. Why do men go to bars to find women? It makes much more sense for them to go to a garage sale. Women are already looking for things they don’t need.

You can find this review at Goodreads.

Book Description

Trinity LeDoux, homeless on the streets of New Orleans, has nothing to lose when she hands a wealthy, yet reclusive clairvoyant a cursed vintage necklace.

During one of Hayden Quinn’s rare public appearances, he is unexpectedly recruited into Trinity’s perilous mission–a journey back through time to the exact moment of death for two very different victims.

Hayden and Trinity, two broken people with nothing but death in common, pursue the dangerous quest to stop the murderer emulating the grisly works of a notorious serial killer. Trespassing on Fate’s turf comes with a price–one they will never see coming.

Where to Buy

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon CA

More Reviews

Did you enjoy this review? Check out my other reviews here.

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