“thanks to the author’s skill, the plot is tight, the scenario plausible, and the narrative tidy and intelligent, conveyed with a wry undertone throughout.”
“Simpson’s depiction of the south after the Civil War is chilling, with lynchings, beatings, voodoo, and hidden secrets sprinkled throughout that keep us turning the pages.”
Writing good historical fiction is a particular challenge. Not only must an author craft a good story, they have to get the history correct, especially the mood and setting for the plot.
“as the story progresses, the reader finds not merely a mystery but the story of a family cursed to have history repeat itself not once, but three times.”
John Connolly’s recent book, A Book of Bones, is difficult reading for several reasons—its extreme length, its wandering story arc, and its disappearing protagonist, just to name a few.
“Although she doesn’t yet have the knack of creating deeply compelling characters, Dovalpage’s writing hints at the possibility that she will be to Cuba what Donna Leon has become for Venic
“Clearly inheriting the mantel of Jim Thompson and Donald Westlake (and admittedly strongly influenced by them), this walk-on-the-dark-side author will also appeal to readers of early Garry
