Completely Restored Review

Have you ever longed to live in another time and place? Joe and Linda Murphy found a beautiful 3-story Victorian house that they decide to restore to its original splendor. As the restoration continued, the family decided that maybe 1909 was a better place to live than where they were now.

Three years later, the day after they installed the last item bringing their renovation to completion, they were shocked to find that they really had traveled back to 1909, when the house was built.

They could remember their lives in 2009, but were living in the same house in the same town in 1909.

Completely Restored is a wonderful story by Robert Kerr that shows what happens when a family who has drifted apart must either pull itself together or continue its downhill slide.

Filled with historical facts and people, Completely Restored was a fairly easy read and one I had trouble putting down. I hope you get a chance to read this book. If you are interested at all in time travel, you will love the care that Mr. Kerr took in recreating 1909 Marshalltown, Iowa and its inhabitants. You may also find someone you recognize.

Book Reviews Offered on This Blog

Recently I decided to open this site to non-mystery books related book reviews, mostly in the contemporary or romance area. Still fiction, but just not the mystery/murder/police procedural/cozy mysteries I have been doing as Mystery Books Editor on BellaOnline and the reviews I post on Amazon.

If anyone is interest in having a book reviewed on this site, with a similar review on Amazon, please let me know. I enjoying reading and writing, and writing a book review helps me do just that.

In the meantime, I'll also write about writing and anything to do with how to write, when, where, etc. Basically, whatever ideas come to mind that have to do with the craft of writing. I know there is a ton of information on the web, so I hope that I can offer something unique in some way.

I feel like this blog keeps changing gears every once in a while, but ultimately, it will end up where it is supposed to go.

Take care, everyone. Hope to hear from you soon.

Wife of the Gods Review

When the body of a popular young woman was found in the forest near Ketanu in the Volta Region of Ghana, local police quickly realized the sensitivity of the situation and called for regional help. Little did they know their request would be kicked up to Headquarters in the capital city of Accra. Maverick Detective Inspector Darko Dawson was assigned the case because he could speak the local Ewe language.

Treated as an accidental death by the locals, when Dawson realized the beautiful young volunteer for the Ghana Health Service AIDS outreach program was murdered, local authorities quickly arrested a young man for her murder. Although Samuel adamantly denied having anything to do with her death, he was jailed and repeatedly beaten until he was willing to confess.

The assignment brought Dawson in contact with family members who still lived in the area where his mother had disappeared twenty-five years before. Her body was never found. Dawson often found himself struggling with dreams that she was trying to reach him.

Dealing with anger issues, and the mishandling of the case by local authorities, Dawson doggedly probed into the murder. Frequently clashing with the locals and their superstitious ways, the local fetish priest, and the outdated religious customs of the region, Dawson found support in surprising places as he struggled with unexpected challenges.

Dawson is admittedly a flawed man who has a penchant for marijuana. He also has a strong wife and a sickly son who love and support him no matter what the circumstances.

Wife of the Gods probes the horrifying practice of families offering their young daughters to fetish priests as trokosi, or Wives of the Gods, essentially becoming slaves to the priests for the rest of their lives.

Wife of the Gods author Kwei Quartey takes an intriguing look at the life of a man who lives in a large urban area, and who struggles with the belief systems and centuries-old rituals found in the rural Ghana. It quickly becomes apparent to the reader that Quartey has firsthand knowledge of the area.

Using the scenic beauty of Ghana as a backdrop, Quartey brings his characters to life. The plot sizzles and the pace never slows providing a surprising finish. Hopefully, we will see more of the intriguing and likeable Detective Inspector Darko Dawson.

You can order Wife of the Gods from Amazon.com.