Book Review: DEAD CERTAIN, by Adam Mitzner

Adam Mitzner
DEAD CERTAIN
Thomas & Mercer (June 2017)
348 pages
Thriller / Mystery / Suspense

** Review is based on an Advance Review Copy (ARC) / Details and specifics may change once book is actually published June 2017 **

I am up to date. Ahead of schedule, actually. I have now read all five novels by Adam Mitzner, and it has been an awesome adventure.

DEAD CERTAIN, much like THE GIRL FROM HOME, steps away from the legal thriller, and moves more into mystery / suspense. There is still a legal aspect, and the main character, Ella Broden, is an attorney --but those facts are secondary to the plot. (Although it was kind of cool seeing Ella's father --also an attorney-- representing a notorious criminal from an early Adam Mitzner tale. Mitzner likes to do that, I've noticed. Splash a bit of this and that from one book into the next. Kind of a treat --an Easter Egg-- for readers).

In DEAD CERTAIN, Ella's kid sister, Charlotte has some big news. She's sold her first novel. It's a murder mystery. She hasn't yet completed the book. Regardless, one of the largest publishers offered up a contract. With the first half done, and a copy given to Ella to read ASAP, Charlotte is anxious to celebrate, and tell their father the cool news!

Ella is a lawyer by day, and a lounge singer by night. She takes on a complete different persona. A new new name, a different look. After the death of her mother, Ella pursued a career as an attorney to make her father proud. She set aside her dream of becoming a professional singer. She realized it was time to grow up back then --and only now does she allow herself the chance to sing one night a week. It is also why when Charlotte shares her good news, Ella can't help but feel a little bit of jealousy.

Everything changes when two days later no one has heard from Charlotte. Charlotte is unreachable. Police initially think Charlotte's boyfriend may be the only suspect. However, after Ella reads the first half of her sister's manuscript, and although she knows the work is fiction, she can't help but wonder if Charlotte might have been leading a double-life as well.

In the manuscript, the main character has a boyfriend, and two other lovers. The boyfriend who is the artist, a student with little experience, and a banker, who is married. Working with the police, Ella tries to fit together parts of her sister's life with with pieces she never knew existed.

The question is simple. What else was Charlotte hiding? And on a more basic level, is Charlotte still alive?

As I have come to expect, Adam Mitzner weaves together a plot that just keeps you reading, and your mind churning with thoughts, and ideas, and guesses, all the while hoping for the best, but fearing the worst! Tension is high, and the suspense just builds and builds in DEAD CERTAIN. Well worth the read, folks. Well worth it!

Phillip Tomasso
Author of the Severed Empire Series
and The Vaccination Trilogy

Book Review: SKIN DEEP/ORDINARY MONSTERS, by Frank Martin

Frank Martin
SKIN DEEP: A Vampire Story of Love
ORDINARY MONSTERS: High School and the Final Solution
Burning Willow Press, 2016
85 / 88 pages
Horror

I truly enjoyed the taut tales by Frank Martin. The publisher was quite creative. They combined two novellas, and separated them with a handful of pages of dark comic strips. The cool thing about the book design is when you finish reading one story, you flip the book over, end over end, and there is the second one. Ready to go. Clever, fun design. Two thumbs up to BWP.

SKIN DEEP is a fast paced vampire tale. It is about two sisters, parents, and expectations. Laura, the "favorite" is a track star, destined to do great things. Her artistic sister, Jessica has dreams that leave her parents worried about her future. However, when Laura meets a dangerous stranger it is up to Jessica to attempt saving the day. But does she have it in her to rescue her sister from a hideous vampire?

ORDINARY MONSTERS once again revolves around family, and secrets. It starts out like any High School story. Reckless boys with crushes on girls, and parties. When learning about Nazi Germany and the holocaust, Liam and Eric (who I very much imagined as Christian Slater the entire time I was reading the novella) find themselves in the midst of a legend from the past. Eric's family has secrets. And whether he wants to learn them or not, Liam will find himself face to face with . . .

Frank Martin has put out two chilling novellas. They are gripping, and dark. I imagined them each like a half hour horror show on the SyFy channel. Totally unique, and compelling, I truly enjoyed the books. I have no idea what the eBook version is like -- but I have the paperback, and am proud to shelf if with the rest of my collection!

Phillip Tomasso
Author of The Severed Empire Series,
and The Vaccination Trilogy