- Barry Finlay

Jake Scott Mystery Receives Great New Review

From The Online Book Club

Review of The Guardians of Truth

Post by Hubre De Klerk » 22 Feb 2023, 03:40

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of “The Guardians of Truth” by Barry Finlay.]

Book Cover

5 out of 5 stars

A secret organization, a missing person, a body, a police investigation, and a retired reporter—if these words don’t get you excited, I don’t know what will. This book is full of suspense, action, and a bit of romance. When Cassie tells her daughter that she must stop someone from hurting other people and then doesn’t return home, a missing person’s file is immediately opened for her. Jake is a retired reporter and a “family friend” of Cassie’s daughter through his relationship with her friend’s mom, Dani. Jake knows that the police are busy with their investigation, but he also knows that they are short-staffed. He decides to dust off his retired gloves and conduct his own investigation in order to assist. He had no idea how far he’d get himself involved or what danger awaited him.

This was such a fun book to read, and it was full of descriptions and easy-to-follow protocols. I enjoyed being part of the investigations and seeing how they unearthed new evidence. I couldn’t help but put myself in Haley’s teenage shoes and imagine the worry she had to go through when her mom didn’t come home. It was also easy to grasp Dani’s frustration when the clues to help them figure out what happened were so few and it felt like the case was at a standstill. Jake was my favorite character by far, with his empathy for others, his being a true friend, and his tenacity to help. He made me think of a bull terrier that just won’t let go after he has locked his jaw.

I enjoyed everything about this book. This book has been excellently edited, as I only found two minor errors throughout the whole book. There was nothing I disliked or would have changed. The book was fast-paced and didn’t have any slow-moving parts. I had my ideas about who the culprit was, but I was still surprised at the end of the book. I was entertained and hooked from the start of the book until the end.

I would rate The Guardians of Truth by Barry Finlay a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. There is absolutely no reason to give this book anything but a perfect score. This book also showed me how important the people in your life are and the importance of being there for each other. I know I have felt shallow when someone is going through a traumatic and emotional time, and the only words I had to offer were that it will get better and that I am here for you. This book showed me both sides, and that the person receiving those words may appreciate them a lot more than you can even imagine. Families and friends are important, and they are what keep you sane when things get tough.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy crime, action, and mystery books. This is a fun afternoon read that immerses you completely. You feel like you are part of the investigation, and you feel all of the emotions running rampant in this book. I really enjoyed it and would love to read more of this author’s books.

Book Review – Farewell, My Lovely

As an author of crime and police procedural novels, I’m always interested in what and how other people write. One day I searched for the best crime books of all time. Of course, there are many lists, but one on Wikipedia included Agatha Christie, Daphne Du Maurier and three books by Raymond Chandler in the top 15.

I decided to read Farewell, My Lovely by Chandler to see what would place him on the list. The book was written in 1940 and the reader has to remember it was a different time. There are racially derogatory terms that are a bit shocking by today’s standards. There were also a few more typos than I would have expected in the e-book I read.

The story line is clever with peaks and valleys and a few murders, corrupt cops and rich women. The dialogue, while again from another time period, is excellent. Marlowe has a tough, no nonsense personality, but his flippant, and often witty remarks add to the enjoyment of the read. However, aside from being a page-turning thriller, what sets it apart, I think, is the use of descriptions. The synonyms, metaphors and descriptive terms make you feel like you are right there with Philip Marlowe. The description of the city and neighborhoods is excellent.

Farewell, My Lovely is not today’s crime thriller. With the racial epithets, I’m not even sure it would be published today. But setting that aside, it is a well written book and I will be reading more from Raymond Chandler and authors of that era.

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

One of the things I plan to do with Keyboard Reflections is to share reviews of books that I have thoroughly enjoyed or found to be enlightening. One of those books is The War Of Art by Steven Pressfield.

I was given this book as a Christmas gift by one of our sons who is a singer/songwriter in Nashville. The book focuses on overcoming the blockages that get in the way of people starting a project or finishing what they started. While we often hear of authors with writer’s block, it applies equally to anyone who is creative, entrepreneurs, people starting to diet or exercise… The list goes on.

Pressfield introduces the subject by pointing out that each of us has two lives. There is the one we live and the one unlived within us. Between the two stands resistance. The first third of the book examines how resistance prevents us from fulfilling our dreams or living our lives to the fullest.

The next third deals with the difference between professionals and amateurs. He uses the term “professionalism” as an ideal and explains what it means to be professional in chasing our dreams and overcoming resistance.

In the last part of the book, Pressfield encourages the reader to embrace the magic allies surrounding us to make a start and to continue on the path towards living the unlived life within us.

I have to admit to being a bit lost in the final section when the concepts become more abstract. Nevertheless, the first two sections offer enough valuable insight into the resistance that might be holding us back and how to address it to make The War of Art a worthwhile read. The author cleverly uses interesting anecdotes from his life that are relatable. The blurb refers to the book as a “kick in the pants” and it is that, but it’s also a handy list of the many barriers that could be preventing us from reaching our full potential and how to overcome them. In my opinion, the first two sections alone are well worth keeping nearby and picking up when we find ourselves blocked from the goals we want to achieve.