Monty's Book Reviews

Modern Gothic Short Stories : a reflection of the human condition Christine Verdu 3.5 Stars Pages: 130 Genre: Short Stories, Tragic Drama Published: April 15 2022 Publisher: Gothic Publishing Publisher's Blurb Let your guard down, shed your inhibitions and explore characters who reveal their deepest fears, sorrows and secrets. Somewhere in this book, you will find one character you can relate to, perhaps more. Tales of love, hatred, indifference, lust, envy, greed, death and more await you. Are any of your own secrets exposed in this book? You might find yourself among the pages. Review Modern Gothic Short Stories: A reflection on the human condition by Christine Verdu is an interesting collection of mostly unrelated tales that target the darker side of life.   Like all collections of short stories this is a mixture of the great, the good and the occasional one that misses its mark. This is to be expected when you gather together a collection of yarns utilising various situation...

Tomorrow Lives Today W.O. Torres 4 Stars    Pages: 451 Published: 02 June 2022 Publisher: CatRabbit Press Genre: Sci-Fi, Time Travel, Superhero Publisher's Blurb   When a weapon composed of dark matter mysteriously arrives from the future, twenty-four-year-old Brody Rodriguez's chill life gets a super-powered upgrade. A clandestine government agency led by Agent Gonzo and a squad of sinister spies kidnaps Brody and his future tech to save democracy … or at least their version of it. Brody’s only ally is his time-traveling granddaughter, Isabella Rodriguez who wields a future tech of her own. Brody must convince his future wife “Dez” to stick around his chaotic life long enough to fall in love with him or watch him die. As an impending A.I. War inches closer, threatening humanity, Brody will face who he was, who he is, and who he is meant to be. Die-hard sci-fi fans will geek out over this time-traveling, roller coaster on steroids ride! Tomorrow Lives Today is a fast-pace...

  Hacking George Bob Palmer 5 Stars Pages: 349 Published: 10 June 2022 Publisher: Double Bluff Books Genre: Humorous Dark Comedy Publisher's Blurb Playing God is a dangerous game, even if you do write the rules and think they’re pretty neat. Following a road-rage incident in which he was the victim, middle-aged cynic George Sanderson has an epiphany. He believes he has the power to influence fate and set the world to rights. During a meticulously-planned intervention to help his friend Angela Hayworth, the two fall in love. George’s lonely existence looks set to improve. But he’s about to discover that playing games with people’s lives is fraught with danger. And when his life starts to fall apart, he’s forced to confront the frightening truth… Someone is manipulating  him . But why? With his freedom and sanity at stake, George must fight for everything he holds dear – especially his lawn, his meat thermometer, and Angela’s perfect teeth. Perfect for fans of Fredrik Backman, G...

  Carvel Daze : A Mischievous Kid In The Hippie Generation Speaks Chris Garcia 4 stars Pages: 177 Genre: Memoir, Humour Published: 22 April 2022 Publisher:  Cloud Rider Productions Publisher's Blurb Houston, Texas, circa 1967. A large family with a mischievous kid - the younger brother of the Hippie Generation - moves from Kansas City to an island suburb, Sharpstown, that still offers an opportunity for independent play and adventure, where the spirits of Tom and Huck might still run free. Review CARVEL DAZE: A mischievous kid in the hippie generation speaks, is a memoir of Chris Garcia’s childhood in a suburb of Houston, Texas where he lived with his parents, his Grandmother, his 7 brothers and sisters plus Charlie Brown the dog. The tales of ‘The Crazy 8’, their Mexican Grandmother and the psychotic ‘flying’ dog are collected here to both entertain and also to give a glimpse into the past which as L.P.Hartley once said, “is a foreign country: they do things differently...

  On the Bank of the Chippewa Steven Lomske 5 Stars Pages: 302 Genre: Family Saga, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction Published: March 24 2022 Publisher:    Independently published Publisher's Blurb Hidden beneath the cold, damp farmland of Michigan lies an incredible, heartwarming family saga of sacrifice and heroism waiting to be unearthed. The masterfully crafted, fast paced story comes to life through the lives of three brothers as they experience the joy and hardship of growing up in an evolving, rural town during the turbulent events of the mid 1900s. They must fight for what they believe in and eventually find the truth about their family legacy. The young brothers, Paul, Gustav and Steven live in harmony until their love for the same woman, deception, jealousy, and tragedy shatter their trust in each other. Two of the brothers seek out their own unique paths in life leaving Steven behind. After the brothers separate, Steven unexpectedly discovers his grandfather...