*Deep Tide by Laura Griffin

May 16, 2023 By Leave a Comment


*Deep Tide by Laura Griffin
Book 4 of 4: The Texas Murder Files
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Larkspur

With two brothers on the police force, Leyla Breda is well aware of the rising crime in her small beach town, but she never expected it to show up on her doorstep. When Leyla finds one of her employees murdered in the alley behind her coffee shop, she’s deeply shaken, and as a new law enforcement officer in town begins to circle her place of business, her instincts only sharpen.

Sean Moran is on an undercover mission: The seaside community of Lost Beach may look like a picturesque postcard, but his team suspects it’s a point of intersection for several crime syndicates that the FBI has been investigating for years. Even so, when the brash and beautiful Leyla Breda starts bossing him around, he’s immediately intrigued. He knows her brothers want him to back off, but every time he sees her, he feels more of a spark.

Leyla’s connections in the local community and Sean’s skills allow them to go deeper into the case together than they would be able to go alone. But when a single crime spirals into something much darker, Sean’s carefully planned mission takes a deadly turn.

Laura Griffin writes another heart pounding, suspenseful romance and I loved every minute of it. She is one of my favorite authors and I was excited to read her newest story, Deep Tide. I was immediately immersed into the small town of Lost Beach and I found myself quickly turning the pages to find out what would happen next.

Sean is an FBI special agent working on a case when he meets Leyla. She owns a cafe in town and is the little sister of a friend of Sean’s. Leyla is a no nonsense, take charge type of woman and she intrigues Sean. Even though Sean knows Leyla’s brother would not be happy to learn Sean is interested in his sister, Sean can’t seem to help his attraction to her.

This is a fast paced, intriguing story that held my interest and kept me up late at night, so I could find out what would happen next. I liked everything about this story, especially the two main characters, Sean and Leyla. They are believable and interesting and I was easily sucked into their life. While I enjoyed the suspense and mystery, I also enjoyed the romance slowly brewing between Sean and Leyla and all the chemistry flowing between them. I wasn’t sure how everything would turn out in the end, but I was hoping Sean and Leyla would find a way to be together, once they solved the mystery of the murdered young woman. I loved everything about this enthralling story and I’m sure you will too.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

The Babel Apocalypse by Vyvyan Evans

May 8, 2023 By 3 Comments

The Babel Apocalypse by Vyvyan Evans
Publisher: Nephilim Publishing
Genre: Science Fiction
Rated: 5 stars
Review by Rose

Language is no longer learned, but streamed to neural implants regulated by lang-laws. Those who can’t afford language streaming services are feral, living on the fringes of society. Big tech corporations control language, the world’s most valuable commodity.

But when a massive cyberattack causes a global language outage, catastrophe looms.

Europol detective Emyr Morgan is assigned to the case. His prime suspect is Professor Ebba Black, the last native speaker of language in the automated world, and leader of the Babel cyberterrorist organization. But Emyr soon learns that in a world of corporate power, where those who control language control everything, all is not as it seems.

As he and Ebba collide, Emyr faces an existential dilemma between loyalty and betrayal, when everything he once believed in is called into question. To prevent the imminent collapse of civilization and a global war between the great federations, he must figure out friend from foe—his life depends on it. And with the odds stacked against him, he must find a way to stop the Babel Apocalypse.

This is an intriguing book with an all-too-real feel to the premise of technology gone wrong. I’ve often daydreamed about the ability to learn a new language without having to study…kind of a built-in universal translator, if you will. The thing about advancements is that sometimes they lead to a slippery slope.

In this case, that slippery slope leads to a world in which it is mandated that babies be implanted with a chip at birth that forms language for them. And, for a price, you can add on all kinds of services to your streaming language.

With only one person left in the world who has never been chipped, the stage is set for this story. And, what a character she is. Ebba Black is the leader of a group that is trying to reclaim, in a sense, what has been lost. And Emyr Morgan, a Europol detective, has been assigned to discover who is behind a massive cyberattack that makes many unable to talk or understand language.

I really liked both of these characters. I enjoyed the way they interacted and the relationship between them. This book had me turning pages as fast as I could read and had so many twists and turns, I was never sure what was going to happen next.

It’s the first book in the Songs of the Saga series, and I’m looking forward to reading the upcoming books. Be aware, The Babel Apocalypse ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but don’t let that stand in your way. This book is very much worth it! 5 stars

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Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , ,

My Daughter’s Boyfriends by Penny Jackson

May 1, 2023 By Leave a Comment


My Daughter’s Boyfriends by Penny Jackson
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Romance, LGBTQ, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

My Daughter’s Boyfriends is a short story collection from the Pushcart Prize–winning writer Penny Jackson. Her female narrators explore the loss of love and innocence, as well as the strength to overcome adversity and the need for redemption. The setting of these stories ranges from a hotel in Jamaica to New York City during the terror reign of Son of Sam to a summer camp for teenage girls in New Hampshire. Original, entertaining, thought-provoking, My Daughter’s Boyfriends will prove to be of special appeal to readers with an interest in coming-of-age stories about women.

These are the parts of womanhood that most women don’t discuss out loud.

The main character in ‘The First Brassiere” was irritated by the prospect of needing to wear a bra for the first time. Growing up isn’t always easy, and I liked the way she described what she wanted out of life instead and why she was so hesitant to start acting like a proper young lady. Ms. Jackson captured that stage of development perfectly and with the perfect amount of humor.

As soon as “The Elephant in the Bush” mentioned that Ida had Alzheimer’s disease and her former daughter-in-law was looking after her, I was interested in hearing more. I’d been a little suspicious this might be the case as soon as she was introduced, and I wanted to see what the plot did with characters like these. The relationship between them was warm, loving, and slightly unusual given that Susan had been divorced from Ida’s son for many years. This was something shared very early on in their conversation, and it only deepened my curiosity about how their family worked and what else I could learn about them.

Rose had a complicated and sometimes painful relationship with her father in “Green Love.” I was intrigued by how little she knew about what he did for a living and how uninterested she was in learning more. This was a memorable snapshot of a dysfunctional family that loved each other but struggled to express emotions like love for reasons that I will leave up to other readers to discover for themselves.

My Daughter’s Boyfriends made me yearn for more. What a poignant and gorgeous collection.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Salt Water by Eugenia Triantafyllou

April 28, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Salt Water by Eugenia Triantafyllou
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

While all her friends’ fish are changing into mermaids, is 12-year-old Anissa’s fish becoming something else?

Change isn’t always easy, especially when you don’t have any control over how or when it happens.

Anissa was a likeable and thoughtful main character. There were times when I wished she’d go into more detail about her physiology, but it made sense for someone her age to assume the audience was already familiar with the idea of various aquatic animals developing in people’s bodies. Of course, she didn’t know any differently! She barely even knew herself yet, much less had time to envision what life might be like on other worlds.

I loved the fact that Ms. Triantafyllou expected her audience to put some effort into understanding the analogy she was making. It was only after rereading this tale that I fully understood what she was saying, but I relished the opportunity to spend more time with the characters as I looked for more clues about Anissa’s relationship with her fish and what might happen to them after she became an adult.

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that gently encouraged readers to make the connection between this symbiotic society and what it can be like for LGBTQ people to grow up in a world that isn’t always welcoming or kind to them by any means. There were other analogies that could work well here, too, and I applaud the author for leaving space for them, but I kept coming back to how different Anissa felt from her classmates and how desperately she wanted to be accepted no matter who she grew up to be.

Salt Water was brilliant, and I’m crossing my fingers that we might get a sequel to it someday.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , ,

Marvelous by Molly Greeley

April 19, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Marvelous by Molly Greeley
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rated: 5 stars
Review by Snapdragon

1547: Pedro Gonzales, a young boy living on the island of Tenerife, understands that he is different from the other children in his village. He is mercilessly ridiculed for the hair covering his body from head to toe. When he is kidnapped off the beach near his home, he finds himself delivered by a slave broker into the dangerous and glamorous world of France’s royal court. There “Monsieur Sauvage,” as he is known, learns French, literature, and sword fighting, becoming an attendant to the French King Henri II and a particular favorite of his queen, the formidable Catherine de’ Medici. Queen Catherine considers herself a collector of unusual people and is fascinated by Pedro…and determined to find him a bride.

Catherine Raffelin is a beautiful seventeen-year-old girl whose merchant father has fallen on hard times and offers up his daughter to Queen Catherine. The queen will pay his debts, and his daughter will marry Monsieur Sauvage.

Catherine meets Pedro for the first time on their wedding day. Barely recovered from the shock of her father’s betrayal, she soon finds herself christened “Madame Sauvage” by the royal courtiers, and must learn to navigate this strange new world, and the unusual man who is now her husband.

Gorgeously written, heartbreaking and hopeful, Marvelous is the portrait of a marriage, the story of a remarkable, resilient family, and an unforgettable reimagining of one of the world’s most beloved fairy tales.

The very unexpected beauty of Marvelous starts out as a promise that becomes, through Greeley’s elegant words, a complex, emotional and amazing story. She has a rather immediate style and seems to positively luxuriate in words, though we will notice that later, for at the start, and throughout really, the characters themselves have our attention.

We might dismiss the concept of arranged marriage as an old one. We romance readers might well believe we’ve seen it all in the ‘arranged marriage’ trope: the bride a mere pawn, but the marriage is suitable, or unsuitable, but love triumphs, or perhaps there is a last-minute rescue.

Yet here, in Marvelous, we are made to understand the bride’s dismay to deeply touching levels. This is only tempered by the sympathy the author has already developed in us, for the groom. Their situation is captivating. Their journey – in the courtly society of France in the 1500’s, has them struggle with church, community, and more, the court. We wonder, and then worry, for their future. Their humanity, and that of those around them, is subtly evaluated at every turn. On a day-to-day level, we feel the slightest highs, the depths of the lows. Every friendship is a treasure, their interests and pursuits often surprising. Even the most ordinary event, when they must meet it, will seem unique, because of who they are.

The events of the day are not overlooked, nor the political climate; the reality that was France at the time. Somehow, the ordinary human realm becomes a backdrop.

Greeley manages to convey a deep understanding of the two main characters. I don’t want to spoil a moment of reading, so suffice to say, that this long, involved tale is also incredibly moving and satisfying. It is a novel that one might open casually, but then discover it is somehow incredibly engaging.

One need not be a fan of historical fiction to find Greeley’s Marvelous to be a wonderful, engaging novel. Do read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

Little White Lies by Margaret Fenton

April 5, 2023 By 1 Comment


Little White Lies by Margaret Fenton
Publisher: Aakenbaaken & Kent
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Claire Conover is drawn into another mystery when the office of black mayoral candidate Dr. Marcus Freedman is bombed. Marcus is found safe, but his campaign manager Jason O’Dell is found dead in the rubble. Claire’s office gets a call about Jason’s daughter who was left at her daycare, and she becomes Claire’s latest charge. Further investigation reveals that Jason was living under an assumed name, and is really Jason Alsbrook, son of prominent local mine owner James Alsbrook. James holds many records in Alabama, including the most accidents and deaths in his mines. Any number of people would wish harm to he or his family. Claire works to keep little Maddie safe as she faces new challenges in her relationship with computer programmer Grant Summerville. She investigates Jason’s death with the help of her friend and reporter Kirk Mahoney, and they become closer, The addition of a foster child further complicates everything as she must make some decisions about her future with Grant.

There is one fatality after a Birmingham, Alabama mayoral candidate’s office was bombed. Social worker Claire Conover soon gets a call that 8-month-old Madeline O’Dell’s father did not pick her up from daycare. Claire is quickly drawn into the investigation by her reporter friend Kirk Mahoney. Will the two be able to find out who is responsible for the bombing? Was the black mayoral candidate the target?

This is book three of the social worker Claire Conover Mystery series. This is the first book I’ve read in the series, however, before I finished reading book three, I placed my order for books one and two. The story started off with a different writing style that I am not used to, but I quickly adjusted. I like to have a visual of the characters while I am reading about them. I did not get a visual of the characters and it could be that I am just starting with book three and the character opening descriptions were already told in the previous books.

The story is told from Claire’s point of view which worked well as it provided a full story. I don’t know much about Claire in the visual sense but after reading this book I feel I know her pretty well. I think I see a little bit of every woman in Claire. Her kindness, her need to help others, family oriented, focused on her job and the tendency to lose focus on having some down time for oneself. Claire is a busy woman. Claire has good intentions but does not seem like the settling down kind or it could be that she may not be settled down with the right person. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I felt sorry for Grant Summerville. He is a good guy, but it seems he takes a backseat to all that Claire has going on.

I am not judging Claire because I probably would have done the same thing. Claire mentioned early on that she has been worried and concerned about 13-year-old LaReesa so when she got the call in the middle of the night, she picked LaReese up and took her into her home, the home where Claire’s boyfriend Grant also lives. Like I said I am not judging but this makes Claire seem impulsive since there are guidelines and rules in place about social workers fostering children, not to mention she is spending a lot of time investigating baby Madeline’s case. But as I analyzed it some more, I wonder was this a subliminal way of ending a commitment Claire previously made? I also couldn’t help but wonder, is Claire’s life stable enough to foster a child? Claire is not perfect, and I think that’s why I enjoyed reading her story so much. Even though she has some faults, her intentions for LaReesa are good. She tries to give LaReesa what she needs, a home and a quality education by enrolling her in a good school system. I like that Claire listens to LaReesa and that she allows LaReesa limited freedom and explains why limitations and boundaries are necessary.

Kirk Mahoney and Claire did find out the details behind the bombing. I was confused about whether the police or FBI completed their investigation and if there will be any charges against the guilty person. The author gave enough detail and information to keep the story progressing. I liked that she included the different towns and locations in and around Birmingham so effortlessly throughout the story. My takeaway from the book is there were several forms of neglect in the book. Neglect for the lives of children, and others, neglect of business obligations, and the neglect of relationships.

This was an interesting and well told story that I really enjoyed reading. In fact, I haven’t read a book this fast in a long time. I think the reporter Kirk Mahoney and Claire make a good investigative team. I think Claire will do well with LaReesa. I am glad that LaReesa trusts and feels safe with Claire, however I wish Claire would have a talk with LaReesa about her (cursing) language. I look forward to reading book 4 to see how things progress with LaRessa and Claire.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris, Narrators: Janina Edwards, Shayna Small and Adam Lazarre-White

April 3, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris, Narrators: Janina Edwards, Shayna Small and Adam Lazarre-White
Publisher: William Morrow (Harper Audio)
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

It’s the summer of 1964 and three innocent men are brutally murdered for trying to help Black Mississippians secure the right to vote. Against this backdrop, twenty-one year old Violet Richards finds herself in more trouble than she’s ever been in her life. Suffering a brutal attack of her own, she kills the man responsible. But with the color of Violet’s skin, there is no way she can escape Jim Crow justice in Jackson, Mississippi. Before anyone can find the body or finger her as the killer, she decides to run. With the help of her white beau, Violet escapes. But desperation and fear leads her to hide out in the small rural town of Chillicothe, Georgia, unaware that danger may be closer than she thinks.

Back in Jackson, Marigold, Violet’s older sister, has dreams of attending law school. Working for the Mississippi Summer Project, she has been trying to use her smarts to further the cause of the Black vote. But Marigold is in a different kind of trouble: she’s pregnant and unmarried. After news of the murder brings the police to her door, Marigold sees no choice but to flee Jackson too. She heads North seeking the promise of a better life and no more segregation. But has she made a terrible choice that threatens her life and that of her unborn child?

Two sisters on the run—one from the law, the other from social shame. What they don’t realize is that there’s a man hot on their trail. This man has his own brand of dark secrets and a disturbing motive for finding the sisters that is unknown to everyone but him . . .

The sign of a good book is when you hate to get to the end because you will have to let the characters go or you are left with an emotional tie well after you have finished reading. “Anywhere You Run” is a historical suspense with in-depth characters that I got to know very well after approximately ten hours of audio play. Readers will start off knowing whodunnit but will be propelled to keep reading to know how the events unfold.

The author effortlessly delivers an enhancing reading experience that is told through alternating points-of-view. Several events set the tone in the beginning of the book. Three Civil Rights Activist (two white, one black) are killed by locals near Jackson, Mississippi and also around that time Violet Richards is raped by Huxley Broadus. Two strong sisters, Marigold (whos is 22 years of age — she’s the smart one with dreams of going to college to become a lawyer), and Violet (a year younger — she is the pretty one that makes fast decisions and does not have any dreams). While different, they are strong and determined women each with their own problems.

The author delivers a good idea of what life was like as a black woman in the South during the 60’s. The author kept history as it was including language fitting during the Jim Crow era. Violet sees the opportunity that Dewey Leonard offers to make her escape from Jackson after she kills Huxley. After Marigold confronts the father of her child and he wants nothing to do with her she settles for the proposal from her longtime admirer Roger Bonny. Both women are on the run, but can they truly escape what they are running from?

This is a masterfully scripted well paced story, and the author adds to the intensity when Mercer Buggs takes on the job of hunting down Violet. The characters and suspense of the chase kept the plot progressing. I wanted Marigold and Violet (Vera) to win, to find happiness, to turn their tragedy to triumph, for the sisters to heal and see redemption but there were so many dangers ahead of them. I loved the relationship between Marigold and Violet, they did not judge each other for their mistakes or faults, in fact each spoke highly of the other sister.

A story of loss, heartbreak but also bonds are made stronger. In a story like this I wasn’t sure how Marigold and Violet’s stories would end; I could only hope for a happy ending. No spoilers but I will confess I did not like the ending at first, but then I thought maybe in a funny way the author gave some accountability to everyone for all the wrongs that were done.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook. There is something about the author’s writing, the audio’s narration, the story in itself that I found incredibly gripping and wonderfully structured. If I could pick one word to sum up my thoughts, it would be resilience. The flower sisters, Marigold and Violet successfully withstood a difficult and challenging early life experience. I have a new favorite author and I will definitely look forward to reading more of her work. A highly recommend read for those that enjoy historical details told in a serious tone along with emotional subject matter surrounding the strength of sisters.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country by Helen Russell

March 27, 2023 By Leave a Comment


The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country by Helen Russell
Publisher: Icon Books Ltd.
Genre: Travel, Non-fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

Given the opportunity of a new life in rural Jutland, Helen Russell discovered a startling statistic: Denmark, land of
long dark winters, cured herring, Lego and pastries, was the happiest place on earth.

Keen to know their secrets, Helen gave herself a year to uncover the formula for Danish happiness.

From childcare, education, food and interior design to SAD and taxes, The Year of Living Danishly records a funny,
poignant journey, showing us what the Danes get right, what they get wrong, and how we might all live a little more Danishly ourselves.

In this new edition, six years on Helen reveals how her life and family have changed, and explores how Denmark, too – or
her understanding of it – has shifted. It’s a messy and flawed place, she concludes – but can still be a model for a better way of living.

Helen and her husband are a hard-working British couple who get an exciting opportunity. Helen’s husband is offered a job to work for the Lego company in Denmark. As humor underlies Helen’s story of this time, she refers to her husband as Lego Man throughout the book. Other people receive this same type of honor: Friendly Neighbor, Bearded Man etc.

Helen and Lego Man set off, not for the busy capital, but for a rather isolated part of the country, but they do visit the big city. Helen regales her readers with anecdotes of daily living, sometimes comparing it to life in her homeland of England. She tells readers of the culture, food, politics, values, and even the weather of her new temporary home.

Readers are sure to be drawn in by a tale of nonfiction that comes across in a fun way. So many interesting tidbits are described as Helen and her husband make the adjustment and learn their new expectations.

As the author and Lego Man are expecting a child, readers get to hear about how the state treats new parents. Facts unroll in this adventure and offer many things to think about.

This is a great book to learn about another culture while being entertained. Hopefully this author will write more such books.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Travel For As Long As You Wish: The Blueprint For Budget Travel, Backpacking And Escaping The Rat Race by Mark James Murphy

March 22, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Travel For As Long As You Wish: The Blueprint For Budget Travel, Backpacking And Escaping The Rat Race by Mark James Murphy
Publisher: Amazon KDP
Genre: Non-fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Chamomile

Learn how to escape the 9 to 5 and live your dream life, without delaying any longer!

What if you could say goodbye to the daily grind and fill every day with adventure and experiences, packed with true value and meaning right now?

From humble North-East roots, in the industrial city of Sunderland, U.K to becoming an artist, adventurer and teacher, Mark James Murphy did exactly that and wants to show how it’s possible for everyone.

This book gives you the ultimate tools and knowledge to get unstuck from the rut of the rat race once and for all and travel for as long as you wish. Whether you are young and inexperienced in travel or a seasoned globetrotter or you have retired and have more time on your hands to explore the world, this book will give you the very latest travel advice and explore the following topics:
How to prepare for your trip, what and how to pack
The latest digital devices for travelling and useful apps
Insightful personal experiences from my own adventures
Reasons why we want to travel and what meaningful travel is
Why you can travel with very little money
How to find your own value and generate finances from this as you travel
Avoid scams while in a new country
Great tips and discount information for senior travelers

Travel For As Long As You Wish is a great resource and is good for both first time travelers as well as those who haven’t traveled in some time and would like to get back into the habit! I loved the detailed tips and suggestions. I also appreciated that the author used many of his own personal experiences and lessons he’s learned along the way as examples of how to get the most out of your journey.

While this one focuses quite a bit on the Middle East and similar destinations, since that is the author’s preferred travel region, many of these tips are things that can easily be modified to fit other travel locations as well. He also mentioned teaching classes online or other similar jobs as a great way to make traveling possible. This is also a wonderful way to both practice skills to avoid getting rusty and gain useful connections. This option makes it possible to work and afford to live anywhere you want without being limited on job options based on location as there are countless things that can be taught, and good teachers are always in demand.

This was a wonderful read for those looking to fit more into their travel plans, would love to travel, but don’t know where to start, or those who are just looking for ways to up their travel game. This book is sure to have a little for everyone and is both a quick and entertaining read!

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

In Search of the Animalcule by Steven L. Berk, M.D.

March 22, 2023 By Leave a Comment


In Search of the Animalcule by Steven L. Berk, M.D.
Publisher: iUniverse
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

When he is born in 1847 Vienna, Jacob Pfleger shares just two days with his mother, a female obstetrician who dies, like thousands of other women around the world, of the mysterious childbed fever. Because his birth father wants nothing to do with him, Jacob is placed in an orphanage. His mother’s dying wish is that he will grow up with resilience and independence.

As Jacob matures into a precocious twelve-year-old, he is told about the legacy of his mother by her colleague, Ignaz Semmelweis, and learns that his father is a winemaker in Lille, France. Determined to find his father and his destiny, Jacob embarks on a quest to locate him. When he arrives in France, Jacob is introduced to Louis Pasteur who is working with is father to determine why the wines of France are spoiling. As he is led on an intense scientific journey, Jacob eventually also works with Joseph Lister and Robert Koch, participating in the great discoveries of the era that uncover the animalcules, the bacteria, that have caused global disease and death. Later Jacob studies to become a doctor under the mentorship of Sir William Osler at Johns Hopkins.

In this amazing story that captures the real lives and work of the great scientists of the time, an orphan assists in shocking discoveries that change the worlds understanding of disease and uncovers the field of infectious disease.

To read an entertaining and engaging account of what is probably the most important medical breakthrough of the nineteenth century—germ theory—this book should not be missed! It is seen through the eyes of the highly likeable orphan boy, Jacob, whose mother died birthing him at the hands of doctors who didn’t wash their hands. Jacob’s mother was a doctor who believed that germs, or rather, animalcules, were responsible for many deaths. This sets young Jacob on a life-long course to discover more and save lives, but first, he must find the father he never met.

Jacob starts off on an adventure and runs away from the orphan home in a quest from Vienna to France to find his father, a vineyard worker. What comes next is a tale of danger, showing what a brave boy Jacob is. He heads out on foot with little food.

Over the course of the story, he runs into interesting people, both fictional and real. The characterization is done with excellence, and readers are treated to wonderful inside views of doctors and scientists who made history: Pasteur, Lister, and others. The author of this story is not only a doctor who understands the medical aspects involved but knows how to write these concepts in a way that laypeople can understand and enjoy.

Jacob’s interaction as he lives and works with those who have dedicated their lives to unfolding the mysteries of germ theory is not only charming but also enlightening. Readers will learn things, which is a bonus to being entertained. They will see what it was like to be a researcher in an era without modern equipment.

The author doesn’t forget the women who were involved and includes their important contributions. Jacob’s relationships are at times motivating and at others heartbreaking.

Setting in this story is done in a way to bring in even more realism and put readers there with a sense of time and place.

This is a fascinating account that is sure to touch readers’ hearts and inspire their minds. It is worth the read!

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
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