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Saturday 30 May 2015

Book Review: Antique Discovery by Eileen Harris


About the book:

Title: Antique Discovery
Published by: WingsEPress
Published on: February 1, 2013   
Pages: 278
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 3/5


A vacation becomes complicated by murder, discovery, and friendship. Danger lurks in too many directions. Alicia and her friends will have to stay alive and sort through the clues carefully if they want to save an innocent friend and prevent the destruction of an historic treasure.


About the author

From living off the grid in the Arizona desert, Eileen has moved to the woods of
upstate New York. She has authored a standalone adventure novel called Desert
Shadow. She is also the author of Alicia Trent Series. The Black Cane : Dowager
Diaries Book 1 is her latest release.Find the author here: 



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My Review:

Yet again, this was an intriguing plot.
It starts off as Alicia, and her boyfriend Nick embarking on a vacation to the ranch. True to its title, they have an antique discovery to make

The plot, this time around was fairly predictable, partly because we knew Ali would definitely get embroiled in any distasteful event occurring, and partly because I found the ending the most obvious one. However, the author kept it gripping enough for us to surmise which of the alternative endings it is going to be.

Charm was conspicuous by its absence. I have read a couple of books and their descriptions of the ranch had my expectations high. Also, The conversations between Ali and Nick were more practical than romantic, despite the fact that they were spending more time together.

Again, the descriptions of the antiques had me. I could read those descriptions over and over again, and never get bored. To imagine those antiques in front of me was a surreal experience.

There were far too many characters for my liking, and I admit to being intimidated by them, but well, I was also more alert to observe who it could be.
Some hitherto unanswered questions are answered, much to my relief.
I felt that this book had an ending with the biggest cliffhanger, leaving me to read the next book in the series.

Links to the book:





                                         


Source of the review copy: B00kR3vi3w Tours @ http://b00kr3vi3wtours.blogspot.in

I thank DDS for having me on tour.




To get your book reviewed, read my review policy here. And then contact me here.

Follow for regular reviews, author interviews and bookish love:

        

Friday 29 May 2015

Book review: Antique Forgery by Eileen Harris



About the book:

Title: Antique Forgery
Published by: WingsPress
Published on:  August 1st 2012 
Pages: 269
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4/5


This second book in the series takes the reader further into the life of Alicia Trent and her friends. Magic, forgery, betrayal, and fabulous jewels surround Alicia as she struggles to find the reason for her friend's death.


About the author

From living off the grid in the Arizona desert, Eileen has moved to the woods of
upstate New York. She has authored a standalone adventure novel called Desert
Shadow. She is also the author of Alicia Trent Series. The Black Cane : Dowager
Diaries Book 1 is her latest release.Find the author here: 



Social media:

                   

My Review:

The second book in the Alicia  Trent series, Antique forgery continues where Antique Magic left off. Ali has a couple predictions as given by the magic objects in the first installment, and now that she has been called to the place of the prediction, she is sure it will come true.
Her childhood guardians, more of a family, consisting of Arthur and Janice, have called her because Olivia, one of the sisters has died and Ali is needed for appraisal of the jewellery that Olivia, who was a spinster, had hoarded.
All the detritus of her life might go to the strangers, because Janice doesn't even want to look at her sister tenderly, even though she has left for heavenly abode.
The plot is no less twisted-knotted, what with personal issues, and materialistic tendencies, playing the prime players. The love for art, which is a constant in magnitude, even though different in the presentation, is beyond comprehension,
When she arrives, and they manage to get though the jewelery room, it appears as if there was a robbery, yet it is obvious that it was disheveled in a fit of rage, a tantrum.
The time for the prediction to come true is near, and to her utter dismay, it does come true. Another inexplicable murder follows and Ali now becomes a prime suspect. Kendra, her friend has been gruesomely murdered and she was the one to find out. Grief and shock and trauma were overridden by rage at being suspected . Detective Barton arrives and they start off on the wrong note. The circumstantial evidence makes her a suspect, and of course does not elicit a friendly disposition. later on, Nick arrives, and it turns out he has a secret too. He asks Barton to go easy on Ali. Ali still thinks he is either a jerk or is coping up with the stress of the job.
She has made other discoveries but then with an unfriendly authority at work, she refrains from revealing the discoveries to the Detective.
Barry's character is as always the sweetest person who knows what to say to make her feel better.
However, I felt quite irritated with the remark that murder follows Ali around. The reason is simple: the very nature of her job requires her to stay at places which have riches and precious stuff, which has been inherited, death is inevitable and certainly a mystery, and although Ali has her curiosity going at full velocity, still this was a forced observation.

There are different characters: a woman inhabiting the guestroom. the helps, the chef etc.
Then comes a twist: Janice and Arthur, who have a knack for paintings weren't at the auction they were supposed to attend on the day of the murder.

The revelation in the end, was worth the reading. I think there hasn't been so tasteful an ending to a crime/mystery novel.
It wasn't an acrimonious or vengeful goal that had perpetrated the murders, but a helpless situation.
I enjoyed reading the mystery and it was gripping just like the previous book.

Links to the book:








                                         

Quotes from the book:
For more quotes, follow:

     

Source of the review copy: B00kR3vi3w Tours @ http://b00kr3vi3wtours.blogspot.in

I thank DDS for having me on tour.




To get your book reviewed, read my review policy here. And then contact me here.

Follow for regular reviews, author interviews and bookish love:



        

Thursday 28 May 2015

Book Review: Antique Magic by Eileen Harris





About the book:

Title: Antique Magic
Published by: WingsPress
Published on: November 1, 2011
Pages: 269
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4/5


Antique dealer Alicia Trent is hired to appraise a huge collection of treasures hoarded by a woman who has recently died in the town where Alicia grew up.

The huge old house poses mystery after mystery from the moment she arrives, but the stakes become deadly when murder is added to the mix. The question then becomes, can she stay alive long enough to unmask the killer?

About the author

From living off the grid in the Arizona desert, Eileen has moved to the woods of
upstate New York. She has authored a standalone adventure novel called Desert
Shadow. She is also the author of Alicia Trent Series. The Black Cane : Dowager
Diaries Book 1 is her latest release.

Find the author here:



Social media:

                   

My Review:

Alicia Trent's story is an absolute delight, gripping and frightening in equal parts.
Her hometown calls 28-year old Alicia Trent back, but not for the obvious reasons. The house, very old by western standards, the one they joked about as being haunted and spook as kids, has been inherited by the two sons of .
Alicia Trent, or Ali, as she is called for the major part of the book, is the co-owner of an antique store called Eclectic Treasures in Scottsdale, Arizona. As a child she had been inside the house just once. Turns out, that one visit was enough to connect her to the home in unknown, intricate ways. And although that visit had now relegated to the background and faded gradually as a shadowy memory, things change all of a sudden as she gets to apprise and facilitate the bidding for the exquisite collection of antiques that Mrs Hall has left behind.
Only, it is not as simple as that. Mrs Hall has also left a plethora of mysteries as well. Riddled with clues, magic and a murder to add to the spice, Ali now has a lot of work to do while she is alive in her quest.

It is a gripping read, and since there aren't many books that uncover mysteries related to antiques, or for that matter, revolve around antiques, it is a refreshing read.
The job of appraisal is huge, Herculean even, and thankfully her co-partner Barry is a very caring and understanding person. Cody and Ned Hall are brothers, Lawrence Hall and Nick are other important characters. Ali stays at the mansion along with the guard Dan, and the cook. What follows is a series of cryptic letters, immensely valuable antiques, suspects themselves getting murdered, and every possible plot twist.
Although too many characters were a challenge to keep up with, the pace of the plot was steady enough to let the reader take it all in.

An important clue is a list of names left by the deceased, and thereon Ali isn't able to quell her thirst and curiosity.
Irony can be so cruel, and through interesting twists, we are in for s thrilling culmination.
It does leave space for s sequel.
Why I'd recommend this book would be for the love of all things antique and a knack for the paranormal.

Links to the book:







Quotes from the book:

For more quotes, follow:

     

Source of the review copy: B00kR3vi3w Tours @ http://b00kr3vi3wtours.blogspot.in

I thank DDS for having me on tour.




To get your book reviewed, read my review policy here. And then contact me here.

Follow for regular reviews, author interviews and bookish love:


       

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Kritika's bookshelf: read

Angels & Demons
The Story of My Life
The Hunger Games
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Ruined
A Tale of Two Cities
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
Sense and Sensibility
Emma
A Christmas Carol
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Kidnapped
The Time Machine
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The Da Vinci Code


Kritika Narula's favorite books »


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