ANGIE MANGINO
journalist | author
book reviewer
copy editor
ANGIE MANGINO
journalist | author
book reviewer
copy editor
The 5 Moons of Tiiana
By PT Harry
2024
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 4 stars
The very first paragraph does much to bring readers into the setting.
We see Rez Cantor’s home in Corin and feel his sense of helplessness.
“It was overcast, the sky dark with a cold drizzle, melancholic clouds hanging low over the city. I stood looking out the window of my flat, caught up in my thoughts as I rested from my fencing workout. The view was monochromatic and depressing for several reasons. First, it was sorely cold. The winter storm that had swept down from the north had brought an icy chill to Corin, peppering my window with a mixture of rain and slush. Its bleakness made me shiver and yearn for warmer days and the bright, gay lights that normally winked on at this hour. It was odd not to see my home’s usual collage of color—the rainbow hues that painted the evening skyline. The lack of their sight was disheartening, depressing me further, for I realized the lights were dim for good reason—that my home was withering under a cold, failed sun, and there was nothing I could do about it.”
His sense of duty prompts him to go beyond helplessness to step up to the given challenge.
First, he must survive if he is to make a difference. His mission is to rescue the princess. In the process, he fights against the unknown to save her by finding the answers needed to prevent the destruction of the five moons of Tiiana.
The author tells the story well, but the tendency to have paragraphs with the word “I” too many times throughout the story tends to pull readers out of full immersion in the story. The book would be more powerful with stronger rewording of those sections which would greatly improve the pace.
“I stood out like a sore thumb. I was out of uniform, dirty, filthy, and sweating—a complete wreck. And I needed a way to arm myself without drawing unnecessary attention. I removed my sword and pulled my shirt from my belt, draping it over my hips. Underneath this covering, I hid my knife and the nitro blaster; the auto-lock was too big. I put everything back into the closet for my return. I then headed upstairs and quickly found myself surrounded by Imperial uniforms. Everyone was filing into the rotunda for the ceremony. I bucked the flow of bodies and pressed forward, searching for a face I recognized. I wasn’t having much luck.”
The dialogue and descriptive paragraphs, however, engage readers much better than just the telling.
“...It was then that Kensey, one of my men, spotted me.
‘Captain!’ he yelled, moving toward me, a look of disbelief on his face. ‘Captain, you’re out of uniform.’ He then realized his lack of protocol and saluted me. ‘Sir, sorry, Sir. We just heard about the Princess. I’m sorry.’
I returned his salute, then pushed him back against the wall. I whispered to him, ‘Where are the men?’
‘They’re waiting for you back at the deck. You weren’t there so they sent me to look for you. Captain… What’s going on?’
‘Listen, Kensey. Get the section—bring everyone here. We need to find a pilot.’
‘A pilot? Why?’
‘Go! Do it—that’s an order!’
Kensey saluted. ‘Yes, Sir.’ He then disappeared into the crowd, leaving me alone.”
The photos add to the story, helping to ground readers better in the setting.
Overall, this is an interesting journey to embark upon for science fiction fans who will enjoy this intricate story.
Crypto and Bitcoin: A Millionaire Mindset for Opportunity
By Mike Duniec
2024
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
What do you know about digital currency?
Does the mere mention of it cause you to shake your head in confusion?
The author strives to give readers the history and background to dispel the mystery.
“In this comprehensive exploration of the digital currency revolution, we embark on a journey through the intricate world of cryptocurrencies. From the genesis of Bitcoin to the myriad of crypto assets that have followed, this book delves into the technological innovation that has challenged traditional financial systems and sparked a global conversation about the future of money. Each chapter is a deep dive into the key moments and critical developments that have shaped the cryptocurrency landscape.”
The author begins a dialogue with readers to share the history as well as giving things to consider for the future of cryptocurrency.
Readers meet Roger who becomes the narrator as a human connection to the digital world.
“Roger sat in his apartment sipping on the piping hot coffee he had made. He asked himself what a morning would be without a coffee, then reclined on the couch to enjoy the pleasant weather. Since it was Sunday, he didn't have much work to do and had decided not to turn on his laptop until the next day. As he sipped the coffee, he remembered that the price of the coffee had almost doubled since he last bought it due to inflation. If the central bank continued minting U.S. Dollars and expanding the money supply, depreciating it in the process, inflation would never stop. His gaze settled on the bookcase that had been a part of his life for more than ten years, and he thought that if only cryptocurrencies had been incorporated into the system, the problem of inflation might have been mitigated since the bitcoin system, unlike traditional banking and payment systems, is based on decentralized trust. (Antonopoulos, A. (2017). Mastering Bitcoin: Programming the Open Blockchain. Chapter 1. https://github.com/bitcoinbook/bitcoinbook/blob/develop/ch01.asciidoc)
This unique approach helps to generate a better connection between readers and author to attempt to address their concerns.
“The volatility of cryptocurrency is both a lure for investors and a warning for the cautious, making it a fascinating study of market dynamics.”
Yet the jargon of it puts off many. To remedy that for readers interested in taking a deeper dive in understanding cryptocurrency the author provided a Glossary at the end of the book.
This Silver Medal Winner in Finance - 2024 Global Book Awards accomplishes its goal.
Malooca and the Look of Love
By Mary White Hirsen
2024
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
Just eighteen pages broken into nine short chapters makes this book enticing.
It holds so many important lessons shown, not preached, in lyrical rhyming lines.
Its brevity holds its strength.
Illustrations by Callah Barnes enhance the words.
“Malooca Blutz was born in Coolville, but it must have been a mistake;
That’s what the junior high kids said, and it made her heart just break.”
Different from her classmates, Malooca navigates sixth grade.
Sometimes teased by them, while other times just ignored, she found her way by finding what she loved to do. She loved to draw, paint, and imagine. With Art class the last one of the day, she held onto the anticipation of that time to get through the rest of the school day.
In Art class her spirituality and creativity eventually found an appropriate outlet.
Deciding on her entry in an upcoming Valentine’s Day Art contest on the theme of “The Look of Love” at first frustrates her.
“Malooca pondered so fully, but she was almost down to the wire.
She hadn’t come up with one good idea. And her time was about to expire.”
She perseveres, though, learning along the way.
The events at and after the contest at the conclusion are inspiring.
It’s easy to see why this book was a finalist in the Literary Global Children's Book Awards Inspirational category.
Shattered
By Jenell M. Jones M.ED.
2024
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 4 stars
“I am Jenell Jones, the creator of my strong, inclusive, African American, and Christian home. I have a huge family, and everyone in my family—whether I birthed them physically or not—is wanted, needed, and cared for. I am willing to sacrifice anything for my family, and I strongly believe that raising children is what God has empowered me to do.”
With these words the author introduces herself to us. They will remain relevant throughout this heartful story. Continuing in the introduction, she describes her story better than any summary I could write.
“This story is about my journey as an adoptive parent to Mercy, my second adoptive child, and how she became an intricate part of our family dynamics. This story is about the changes and challenges her presence and, most recently, her absence have brought to our home. This story is about the dysfunction within the adoption system and how laws and health care have changed our lives forever. It is a story that is raw and filled with emotional, disturbing, and traumatic experiences. It is a true story, written from a firsthand account and experience.”
Getting to know Mercy is a captivating story.
We see her now, learn of her past, and we become caught up in how her story develops. We experience joyful moments along with traumatic ones. With her mother we get angry at a system that hurts Mercy instead of helping her through not only their treatment of her, but also their impact on the entire family from the withholding of pertinent information.
The author writes from her heart.
Her intense love is evident as she fights for Mercy, while challenged with the need to balance protecting the rest of her family at the same time. Most times it becomes an all-consuming battle.
As to the author’s writing style, it is one of telling the story. Developing it more into showing the story would have carried even more impact. That said, it is still a story that needs telling. If readers look at it as a conversation rather than a literary piece, it will capture the heart.
Night Sirens
By Stefan Vucak
2024
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
In chapter one readers meet Frank Hram as he steps onto the crowded sidewalk.
“Endless rivers of people, and streets were arteries that channeled the never-ending streams. Blank faces, tired faces, animated faces, an anonymous tide ebbing out of the city. Tomorrow morning the flood would carry in those same faces. A treadmill stuck on fast with no off button.”
Frank defies living as they do by having a two-bedroom apartment in the building that houses his business. He walks alongside the people to the Emporium Hotel Blink’s Bar, his favorite spot for a drink.
“Make it a double.” Frank cast a quick glance at the mixed clientele. Easy to be picked up here by either sex, knowing from personal experience, but he wasn’t hunting this evening, and would not need to for a while yet. He simply wanted a drink with bodies around him.”
This vague reference to hunting is the first clue there’s more to Frank than the normal guy introduced.
After a newfound acquaintance named Dan that leaves with an enticing woman, Frank shares more of himself with readers.
“It takes maturity, training, and a lifetime of experience to recognize a feeder, provided one chose to be recognized. There were little mannerisms a feeder can adopt to prevent recognition, and Frank used them all. This woman flaunted her desire.”
Throughout the rest of the chapter Frank reveals more of himself.
Enter Nadala Robinson in chapter two which introduces both her background and new opportunity.
She received an email from Deputy Commissioner Neville Trusk, Australian Federal Police offering her a transfer to Taskforce Crimson. Her interview would be with Inspector Kurt Porter at the Spencer Street Police Center. The change of pace from routine detective work appealed to her, so Nadala reported to Porter.
“‘Welcome to Taskforce Crimson, Detective,’ Porter told her in an even voice devoid of emotion. ‘You signed a nondisclosure confidentiality agreement … Our existence is not secret, but what we actually do definitely is, covered by the Crimes Act 1914. Everybody knows we deal with organized international crime and its impact on Australian commerce, and we promote that image. … From this moment on, you will not refer to or discuss any aspect of your activities with anyone.’”
The story develops into one of feeders, Covenant Keepers, and Taskforce Crimson. It expands both psychologically and emotionally beyond the story, with Frank and Nadala key players in it. The pace of the action proceeds a bit slowly with the added insights and romance, but this adds much to its impact and strength. The characters being relatable keeps the story moving forward well, allowing the concept of energy feeders to become believable right through to the satisfying conclusion.
The Dish Dog
By Peter Davidson
2024
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
In Chapter One, Harley Ross, a busboy at Dominique's of New York receives this notice.
“Dear Mr. Ross,
ALERT: We recommend that you buy McClintok Mining (MCMG) common stock within two days of receiving this investment letter. Sell your shares when the price makes a significant price increase, expected within four days of your receiving this letter.
Mail your $5,000 fee to Emerald Investment Strategies, P.O. Box 1497, United States Postal Service, 185 Clinton Street, New York, NY 10002.
Remember, if you do not submit your fee within two days, you will not receive another investment letter.
Happy Investing.
And remember, Loose Lips Sink Ships.”
The thirty-one-year-old man sends his check.
In Chapter Two an unnamed man goes to Box 1497, discreetly takes the envelopes, and proceeds to the library on Houston Street.
“He found a table in the back of the library where nobody was seated within twenty feet of him. He pulled the envelopes from his pocket, all addressed to Emerald Investment Strategies. He put a pair of cloth gloves on his hands and withdrew a small penknife from his jacket pocket. He sliced open the envelopes; there were eleven of them and each contained a check for $5,000. He methodically checked off the names of the payors on his checklist. Everyone had paid.”
The subsequent chapter introduces Dr. Kimberly King, known as K.K. by her preference.
Further into the book readers follow her path into the FBI, to her assignment of this case, and throughout her investigation.
Insider trading involves access to confidential information that gives an illegal advantage when trading stocks.
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How is Emerald Investment Strategies getting the information for their newsletters?
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Who are the eleven sending them $5000 each to have this advantage?
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How will K.K. investigate?
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Will she be able to root out Emerald Investment Strategies and put an end to the insider trading scheme?
The author created relatable characters with enough mystery involved to keep the well told story moving along at a nice pace.
The dialogue realistically furthers the narrative.
The clues are there for the reader with a satisfying twist at the ending.
Shout the Battle Cry of Freedom
By K.M. Breakey
2023
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 4 stars
Shout the Battle Cry of Freedom
By K.M. Breakey
2023
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 4 stars
This reviewer feels it important to first share the author’s statements at the end about this book before the review itself.
The concern is that some readers may misconstrue the message of this work of fiction as a depiction of the majority of Americans and as a call to violence before getting to the end, if at all, to read the note.
In the note to the reader at the end the author writes:
“When you write reality-based fiction you’re taking a gamble – cause reality takes discontinuous jumps.”
“I do not advocate violence. I never set out to write a book about insurrection, I simply went where the characters took me. You might call this novel a cautionary tale. An alternate future to spur discussion and debate.”
The Canadian author shares this description about this fiction built on the news on his website. http://www.kmbreakey.com/
“My latest novel, Shout the Battle Cry of Freedom, takes readers on an inside tour of America’s decline – COVID insanity, violent crime, open borders, descending Dystopia. However, a new leader emerges – a patriot who’s ready to die fighting for freedom. Is it too late to save the once-mighty nation?”
At the beginning of the novel readers meet Thomas Baker.
If the idea of an All-American millennial boy from the South, first a quarterback, then a member of Congress aligned with former President Trump until he believes Trump didn’t go far enough appeals, readers will relate to him.
If the idea that the problems in America don’t fall into the conspiracy theories held by Thomas Baker, he will anger readers.
That’s the gamble since the main character will come across as either a hero or a traitor.
The story goes on with the introduction of other characters, full of a rehash of media news and conspiracy to support a sharp divide in America.
What part in the divide does the media and politicians propel by using the fear and uncertainty people feel to inflame the division?
It took a while for the real story to get underway, but when readers continue, the action picks up the pace. The author’s use of dialogue realistically brings the characters to life. Readers become invested in following what drives Tom Baker whether agreeing with him or not.
To the protagonist Tom Baker the American Dream is no more. To get it back he goes to extremes, willing to die and to kill to do so.
Is this the answer for America? Or is this a warning?
Readers who are objective enough to read with an open mind, and willing to differentiate between fact and opinion, will understand better what’s at risk.
Nine North
By Art Smukler
2022
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
Nine North
By Art Smukler
2022
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
“Two years and one day after Nelson Bennett died, he rose from the dead.”
What a powerful way to immerse readers into the story!
The author goes on to introduce Jake.
“… ‘Nelson!’ Jake yelled. ‘Nelson!’ The man was about fifty feet away – close enough for Jake to clearly make out his features; far enough to provoke enough doubt to make Jake wonder if he was hallucinating. There was no way Jake could ever forget or mistake Nelson’s face. It was the face of his older brother, his only brother and only sibling.
The man turned, stared straight at Jake, his blue eyes locking onto Jake’s blue eyes. Abruptly, he glanced over his shoulder, a startled look transforming his gaunt, clean-shaven face, and he placed his index finger in front of his lips. Then he pivoted, and like a snowflake landing on a hot windshield, melted away.”
As readers learn of Jake Bennett’s life in the present with insights into his brother, Jake’s writing aspirations, his job as a waiter, and his tangled relationship with Gina Carton, the story engages them.
They next meet Dr. Todd Horowitz, senior psychiatric resident at New County Medical Center. Learning some of his back story and relationship with his fiancé Tanya Roth, efficiently develops the setting for the intersection of their lives beginning with Jake’s confinement in Nine North.
An intriguing faster pace rapidly develops with intrigue and danger that navigates psychiatry in action, the Hassidic Judaism community, and the financial world seamlessly.
The dialogue is authentic, with characters both believable and endearing, which makes it easy for readers to care about them throughout the story to its satisfying conclusion. The last chapter further rewards readers with a glimpse into the lives of the four protagonists seven years later.
Nine North is a book that will stay with readers after their enjoyable journey with it.
Lawn Darts & Lemonade
By Steven Manchester
2022
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
Lawn Darts & Lemonade
By Steven Manchester
2022
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
In this sequel to Bread Bags and Bullies, which was set during school winter break of 1984 during a late Nor’easter in New England, readers will again enjoy the antics of the three brothers now during the summer of 1984.
The author shares why he wrote this follow-up novel.
“In twenty-five years of writing fiction, I’ve never written a sequel—until now. At my core, I am a storyteller, and there are times when a story requires a bit more real estate than a single novel. Lawn Darts & Lemonade is one of those stories.
With many more lessons to learn—and fears to overcome—Wally, Herbie, and Cockroach step into the unforgettable summer of 1984.
Within each comical passage and every heartfelt scene, Lawn Darts & Lemonade is a tribute to my greatest heroes—my mother and father—who believed it was their job to raise me and my siblings. Thankfully, they took their job very seriously and worked hard at it.
My siblings and I are eternally grateful to them both.
Enjoy the stroll down memory lane,”
~Steve Manchester
Chapter one begins in the present day with the now grown men grieving the death of their father. As a close-knit family with their mother, they celebrate the man’s life through the sharing of their family memories.
“‘To be loved this much by so many people…’ I paused to compose myself. ‘…now that’s what I call a successful life.’ I’d been reduced to an eight-year-old again, feeling lost—even orphaned. Losing my dad was wreaking havoc on my inner child, making me feel panicked. Failing miserably at concealing this, I raised my glass and was immediately joined by my mom, my wife and children, my siblings, nieces, and nephews: the family my mother and father had created.
I pictured my dad’s smiling face. ‘I did this,’ Pop used to say, referring to our family. As a dad myself, I now understood the incredible pride that the old man carried with him. Family is the whole shebang, he’d say. Everything else is a distant second.’”
It’s May 1984 in chapter two, beginning the story of that summer. As readers engulf themselves in much simpler times, getting to step back in time to relive the summer with the boys.
“It was the last day of school, Friday, May 25, 1984. Winter had melted into spring and, although most days felt like they went on forever, spring was finally giving way to summer. The black rubber boots, lined with bread bags, had long been tossed into the closet, along with our green snorkel coats.”
The well-done dialogue allows listening in on the boys. Realistic descriptions recreate their experiences evoking the sights of them dodging lawn darts in the back yard and summer excursions in the neighborhood to the taste of watered-down Country Time lemonade mix, the “healthier” drink from their Kool-Aid during the rest of the year.
The author, as he has done before, has a writing style that brings the boys’ adventures alive, told from the perspective of a father now with sons of his own.
While it’s a wonderful continuation of their story, the author shows his talent as a storyteller in making this an enticing stand-alone novel on its own. Readers new to the story will have an enjoyable read that will be satisfying, but this reviewer anticipates they will want to go back to the original story, too.
28th Amendment
By Stefan Vucak
2022
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
28th Amendment
By Stefan Vucak
2022
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
“‘Talk to me, XO,’ Captain Vasily Bandera growled, his steely eyes fixed on the radar masts of the Chinese Type 052D Luyang III guided-missile destroyer and its heavier Type 055 Renhai-class consort heaving themselves over the horizon, bearing down on him on a reciprocal course.”
With this start thrusting readers into the action on the South China Sea, the stage is set for the struggle between China and the United States. China President Zhou Yedong and U.S. President Samuel Walters are set firm against each other.
“According to White House statements, the 7th Fleet continues to exercise its right of free passage through these waters, daring China to do something about it.
The Chinese president had done something about it by sending hundreds of armed trawlers, part of China’s Maritime Militia, to fish in Exclusive Economic Zones of all South China Sea countries in blatant disregard of numerous protests.”
Will this lead to war?
President Walters takes a stand on this, as well as introducing the 28th Constitutional Amendment to set Congressional term limits. With the proposed Amendment elections for all of Congress will coincide with the four-year election of president. Rather than constant campaigning, the Congress will have to act for the benefit of the citizens.
Additionally, Walters urges the Supreme Court to reverse its 2010 decision to restrict the influence of Big Money and Super PACs in the nation’s political process and to stop kickbacks overseas he wanted the Justice Department to unbendingly implement the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Will the secretive Omicron Group succeed in the assassination of this president who is challenging their comfortable status quo?
This political novel brings readers into the underbelly of corporate and political greed, international economic and military conflicts, and assassins, keeping them intrigued along the way to the satisfying conclusion.
Crossing the Lines
Stories by Tony Press
2022
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
Crossing the Lines
Stories by Tony Press
2022
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
Readers get to enjoy this collection of thirty-three stories published in Boston Literary Magazine, SFWP Quarterly, Toasted Cheese, and twenty other publications. Different titles and different versions were in some of their appearances, but the heart of the stories remain. Length of each story varies, using just the right number of words to convey its message.
“After the Whistle,” the shortest, is only three paragraphs, but the impact will stay a long time.
“Quickly he was the sole missing worker, and then he was found.”
“At Last,” the longest, needed eleven pages to fully experience the storm while driving back from Spring Green to Madison, the stop at Barneveld, until his return to the road. Much is told in his reflections, with even more told through his interactions at Barneveld.
“He’d only gone to Spring Green and the Frank Lloyd Wright thing to please his mother. She’d made him promise that if he got within 100 miles of it, he must go, for her. Among the many mysteries that made up his mom, her fascination for Wright and his designs was high on the list. She otherwise had no interest in architecture, worked as a beautician, and lived in a nondescript Fresno home. But she had asked, and he had gone.”
The size of the rest of the stories varies between these two, with the order of the works chosen to give a balanced picture of the events. Dialogue is realistic, adding to a sense of being there with genuine people.
Readers will enjoy this journey, experiencing different people, events, and experiences that will stay with them after crossing the lines. Through the author’s compassionate view of humanity, in our differences we discover our sameness.
Identity Crisis
By T K Kanwar
2022
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
Identity Crisis
By T K Kanwar
2022
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
In the Prologue Yuri Alexandrovich Bezmenov’s letter immerses readers into where this book is headed. Readers who jump ahead immediately to Chapter One without reading will miss a key thought to consider in their reading.
Chapter One begins in Toronto on August 18, 2025, where readers meet Sam Dhillon at the High Park subway station.
“The Toronto Transit Commission had struggled to keep up with the city’s explosive population growth for decades, but in recent years things had gotten much worse. Air-conditioning was non-existent and the crowding during morning rush hour was so bad that he would usually have to wait for two full trains to pass before he could squeeze on board. How long before they bring out those big sticks to push people inside?”
Chapter Two goes back to October 24, 1992, when Sam felt connected to his city leading into Chapter Three when readers meet Jennifer Moore, a 19-year-old Freshman at New York University in New York City on September 17, 2018. The background of the two main characters is now set up well for readers to rejoin Sam in Chapter Four in 2025. Later readers will rejoin Jennifer.
The author established these transitions excellently. Readers will seamlessly follow the story, anxious to know more about both of them when reading. Racial and cultural issues blend into the fabric of both of their experiences and readers have much to ponder keeping open to the ideas presented.
Both Sam and Jennifer are believable characters that readers will care about. Excellent dialogue enhances the story with a plot that will have readers involved in the happenings in their lives.
After the story concludes a return to the prologue for a rereading of Yuri Alexandrovich Bezmenov’s letter seems appropriate, bringing the story full circle. The author gave readers much to consider in the subset of this compelling story set in Canada and the United States.
FX 26
By Steven Vucak
2022
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 4 stars
FX 26
By Steven Vucak
2022
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 4 stars
At the beginning readers meet Ogdan Kostan.
“A former Air Force major, he had what other men called command presence. With his tall, trim frame, he dominated everybody around him, expecting deference and usually getting it. He did not have to work at it. That’s how he was: driven, ambitious, and ruthless. Only the survivors ruled. The rest followed in his jet wash. During his abridged career as an advanced fighter test pilot, they’d taught him well how to survive… at every level. To him, a customer was simply a bag of money, and a competitor someone to destroy because they took money he felt rightfully belonged to him. …He held high hopes for his F/ X-26 Wasp sixth generation fighter concept prototype.”
His ambition brings readers into the inner world of his civilian aviation business Rebus Aviation, and his interactions with the Air Force, the US Department of Defense at the Pentagon, the Secretary of State, and the US Congress, as week as with his employees and competition.
The cutthroat industry, with sabotage, bribes, disloyalty, and fierce competition, governs the initial chapters, making getting to know or like Ogdan Kostan difficult. This complicated world of his at first provides readers only a one-sided look at the man.
For readers interested in the process to produce such a prototype, they will find the details.
For readers interested in sabotage and competition, they will have their appetite satisfied.
For readers interested in the government workings to attain fighter planes, they will find an inside look.
For readers more interested in people, rather than specifications, antagonism, or politics, the beginning is a bit slow moving, but some patient reading further into the book will provide what they seek. They will get to know more of the enigma that is Ogdan Kostan, along with the people in his work and private life.
Dad: A Novel
By Steven Manchester
2022
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
Dad: A Novel
By Steven Manchester
2022
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
Chapter one introduces readers to Oliver Earle.
“How in the hell did I ever end up here? Oliver wondered for the umpteenth time. Recently, it had become his pathetic mantra.”
Readers meet his son Jonah after he picks him up from school.
“On the way home, Jonah asked, ‘Dad, were you all freaked out because you were a few minutes late?”
Oliver looked in the rearview mirror and offered a partial shrug.
The little guy chuckled. ‘You worry too much.’
‘I’m your dad. That’s my job,’ Oliver told him, thinking and you have no idea just how much. He looked back at his son again and grinned. But you will someday.’”
Readers learn of Oliver’s wife, Ginny, and their daughter Layla.
Chapter two begins introducing Robert Earle, Oliver’s father, completing readers’ entry into Oliver’s family dynamics.
“I woke up one morning and realized, I’m 72 years old, Robert thought. Now how in the hell did that happen? Although I’m retired, I …
‘Are you still with me, Dad?’ Ginny asked, yanking him from his daydream.”
Readers see Jonah’s perspective as a first-year college student in chapter three.
“How in the hell am I supposed to know where to go from here, Jonah wondered, if I have no idea where I am?”
The author’s use of similar type musings in the first three chapters is an excellent interconnection of the three men: father, son, and grandson.
Readers connect to the three quickly, drawn into their similarities while alert to their differences.
The men in this family will make you laugh, cry, and most importantly feel both the bond and the disconnect experienced by most fathers and sons.
This book grabs readers immediately, connects with them, and will be one they will not want to put down.
Broken Bloodline
By John J. Jagemann
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
Broken Bloodline
By John J. Jagemann
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
The story begins with readers meeting the narrator in the summer of 1969.
“My name is Pasquale (Patsy) Scallaci. I grew up in Belmont, a tough Italian neighborhood in the Bronx, one of the five boroughs comprising New York City. I lived with my grandparents, Pasquale and Natala and my father, Vincenzo, on Arthur Avenue and 187th Street, the heart of ‘Little Italy.’”
Readers follow this 18-year-old young man as he shares not only his family’s history dating back to 1893, but shares feel of the history in the nation as experienced by them. Well done transitions between the history and the events currently happening keep readers engaged without any confusion.
Interspersed references to the mafia, the police, Roosevelt High School, Fordham University, Loew’s Paradise theater, or the singer Dion’s beginnings on Belmont Avenue now copied by scores of young men holding their own singing sessions on the corner makes the depiction of this Bronx neighborhood come alive as it rings so very authentically.
Upstate New York provides Patsy with a welcome relief from the streets of the Bronx.
“I could not believe my rapture as I sat on Johnny’s porch drinking a cold one, breathing in the fresh Adirondack mountain air.”
Yet it is here where the mystery takes place that he needs to unravel to know the full story of his familial bloodline.
Readers will not be disappointed as this mystery and history interact.
Captain Arnold
By Arthur M. Doweyko
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 4 stars
Captain Arnold
By Arthur M. Doweyko
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 4 stars
This collection of 17 stories presents to readers a variety to catch their fancy. Not limited to a central theme, each story offers a distinct stand-alone experience, one or more of which will speak to you. Here’s a taste of three of the stories.
Captain Arnold and the Zantharian Invasion, published in 2020 in ANKH Magazine, Cherry House is the first offering in the collection. A handicapped eight-year-old boy escapes ridicule with his connection to his robot nanny.
“‘That's quite alright. Accidents happen. Now, go to your bathroom. Nina will see to you and help you clean up.’
It was a mantra Arnold heard almost every day, and it invariably ended the same way. Nina, Model N for Nanny, would give him a lecture, or a wash in the tub, or both. She held his hand as they toddled out of the dining room.”
Further along readers meet Apple in “Guardian Angel,” published in 2011 in Christmas Angels.
“Applegate Bogdanski was born in the Aldershot military camp in England in 1947…. In 1951, the Bogdanskis moved to New Jersey, where Apple, as he is known to his friends, began his schooling at Saint James in Newark. …
‘Do you remember what we went over in yesterday’s Catechism lesson?’
Apple thought back, his mind suddenly blank. After a moment, his face lit up.
“Yes. It was about guardian angels, and how each of us has one to look after us.”
“And what is it they look after, exactly?”
The pointer moved a little closer.
Adam knew that the correct answer was that they looked after each child’s spiritual welfare. But today there was a different answer.
‘I think my guardian angel saved my life this morning,’ he said in a whisper.”
The collection concludes with “Five Reasons to Wonder,” a Writer’s Digest Essay Award winner in 2019 which delves into the meaning of our existence.
“The Ohio paper, The Morrisonville Times, June 11, 1891, featured a small column describing 'Gold Chain Found Inside Coal.' Mrs. S. W. Culp shoveled coal into her kitchen stove when a large lump broke and out fell a gold chain. The coal came from the Pennsylvania era, which suggested that it could have been over one hundred million years old.
Welcome to the thin line between what we know and what we don't.”
Each unique tale will challenge the reader with different characters, settings, tones, and perspectives. Some will resonate with them more strongly than others, but all will make them stop after each one to ponder the message portrayed.
The Lonely Vampire
By Ann Greyson
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 4 stars
The Lonely Vampire
By Ann Greyson
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 4 stars
The prologue gives readers the back story. It is 1578 in Gheorgheni, Romania.
“A GRAY MIST lingered over the horizon of the rural town in the Szekely Land in eastern Transylvania. The light was changing in the sky. At first glance, it was a peaceful-looking scene. But the sounds of low moaning traveling through the air evoked something else — menacing, threatening. Because these spooky sounds were not coming from the grazing sheep in the yards of the farmhouses.”
Readers meet Ileana Vladislava, a vampire, as Claymor, a werewolf, takes part in the massacre of the vampires in the area. After destroying the vampires, however, he “caught the scent of vampire in the air near the forest,’ upset that one had escaped him.
Chapter one brings readers to 2017 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England meeting Myrna Ivester and her friend and roommate Siobhan Mulcahy, leading into the rest of the story with Ileana, that escaped vampire, today at Wightwick Hall. Lonely, but still surviving, she keeps herself hidden from Claymor while annoyed by a prying neighbor. Lorraine and Arthur Krag, the neighbors, provide the right touch of comedy as well as the tension added to Ileana’s safety with Lorraine’s snooping.
A chance encounter at the library between Ileana and Myrna has Ileana tempted to risk everything for Myrna after being alone and isolated for over 400 years.
Readers will connect with Ileana and Myrna in this fast-moving folklore horror style novel feeling their needs, fears, and search for happiness.
Knight of Light
By Deirdra Eden
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
Knight of Light
By Deirdra Eden
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
As the first book of The Watchers Series, this tale begins by bringing readers into England in the year 1270.
While the publisher suggestion for the book is for those 9-12 years, this fantasy will draw in not only young readers, but those young in heart who enjoy a fairy tale that includes adventure, danger, emotional connection, a young girl’s search for self-discovery, and just the right amount of young romance and humor to balance the scary parts.
“Flames spewed in waves of red heat from the windows. Hot ash floated into the sky like smoldering snow. Screams from the children inside the burning cottage pierced the darkness.
‘We’ve got to help them!’ I shouted and covered my ears to muffle the agonizing pleas of the trapped children. Surfacing memories haunted me of the fire that killed my parents three years earlier.”
Auriella, a young orphan girl, runs into the flames to save the children, but is then repaid by a Shadow Lord, disguised as a nobleman, accusing her of being a witch. He stirs the villagers by declaring that she had survived the fire in the village that had killed her parents, and now has run into the fire and come out unburned.
“Fear surged through my body and the instinct for survival took over. I kicked up the burning rubble at my feet and showered him with hot embers. He released his grip just long enough for me to twist free. I raced toward the edge of the village, sprinting over sharp rocks and
twigs, ignoring the pain on my bare feet.
Heavy footfalls pounded behind me. I glanced over my shoulder. A group of men from the village chased after me, including the abomination who had disguised himself as a nobleman.”
Readers are immediately plunged into this story, fearful with Auriella, rooting for her success in this battle of good vs evil.
The author’s excellent descriptions and characterizations of the young girl, as well as of the other characters in the book, will hold readers throughout to a satisfying ending, while enticing them into continuing their connection with Auriella in the subsequent books of the series.
Generational Lessons from Dad
By Brian Baleno
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 3 stars
Generational Lessons from Dad
By Brian Baleno
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 3 stars
The first chapter of this personal family history begins with a cell phone ringing while the author Brian is on a business trip in Chicago.
“To this day, I cannot recall who phoned me that July morning.
I know it was either my younger brother Michael or my mother. The only recollection I have is hearing the news that my dad had a stroke and was being rushed to a hospital in Pittsburgh.”
Both he, who was 27 at the time, and his brother Michael, the second oldest, in Seneca Falls learned of the stroke by phone. The rest of the family, spanning in age from 9 to 21 years, included Steve and Kim, who were in college, and Katie and Matty who were living at home in
Pittsburg with Mom and Dad.
“The perspective of those at Baleno family home in Pittsburgh was very different. They were living at home. They experienced Dad’s stroke and subsequent seizure firsthand.”
In this chapter readers meet Tony Baleno from the perspective of his children at the time when his stroke caused the uncovering of a tumor that required brain surgery.
In subsequent chapters the author shares the family history throughout the generations, complete with old photographs to punctuate the story. The author tells the history by recounting the lives of the family members, beginning with his grandparents, to his parents’ story, to his generation, adding piece by piece the lessons they passed on. Hard work and commitment to family define this Italian American family.
“Transferring these lessons from one generation to the next, Dad has combined the core principles of work ethic, education, and discipline with values such as humility and ethics.”
This first-person account moves a bit slowly in parts due to the telling rather than showing writing style, but it has much to offer. Readers will find the author talking to them to share his family history, rather than witnessing it for themselves, but readers who spend the time to absorb all the author offers from what he has learned, will find inspiration in the telling of it. Our society, especially now, can use the reminder of aspiring to and of practicing the core principles and values the Baleno family history embodies.
Murder Comes to Madtree
By Georgann Prochaska
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 4 stars
Murder Comes to Madtree
By Georgann Prochaska
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 4 stars
“Wedding Invitation
Lena Vincenti and Julian Mueller
Request the honor of your presence
Saturday, October 24, 2014
At 11:00 a.m.
Elizabeth Madtree’s Apple Orchard Resort
(No gifts and no dead bodies, please)”
With this begins the sixth Snoopypuss mystery by the author and Lena’s fifth marriage.
Readers of the previous five mysteries will find the familiar characters of past stories, knowing their past history and interactions adding to the enjoyment of this one.
It’s the day of the wedding at the Elizabeth Madtree Apple Orchard Resort with three people staring up with a solitary police car sitting off to the right of them.
“Julian’s and Lena’s wedding guest checked their watches and cautioned children to stop squirming. A man behind Alice said, ‘You’d think they’ve had enough practice to start the ceremony on time. They’re both in their sixties, for God’s sake. How long are they going to make us wait?’
Alice easily imagined Lena being late to heighten the intensity of her entrance, but Julian, a retired truck driver, liked a schedule. So, what was the delay?”
The ceremony gets under way as a second police car arrives. As it proceeds a third police car comes, followed by an ambulance and another police car. The couple exchange their vows. Two more police cars arrive.
After the wedding ceremony, Elizabeth the owner has solicited Alice Tricklebank’s help to return with Audrey her bloodhound to assist in the murder investigation, additionally offering rooms to Cyril, Sylvie, and Virgil at the resort. Lena, of course, wants to be part of it. From celebrating to investigating Alice and Lena are at it again!
Readers experience this adventure along with Lena and Alice. The mystery plays out with good dialogue and description, accompanied by compassion, and touches of humor.
As a stand-alone story from the rest of the series, however, new readers may not understand the dynamics of the friendship of Lena and Alice, Audrey the slobbering bloodhound, along with the Bottom Ridge posse of Sylvie and Virgil in their eighties, with ninety-year-old Cyril, Virgil’s older brother.
There are some clues from the past, such as Sylvie’s passed note to Alice after the appearance of all the police cars which included: “Hope you’re ready because this Bottom Ridge posse stand ready to sink our teeth into a good murder investigation, again.”
The story later references to them.
“Had it been just the previous Christmas that Sylvie and Virgil had been Alice’s house guest for another wedding. They had weathered her stairs and kept a protective eye on her. Alice studied Virgil. Without his vigilance, she might have died.”
Similar type clues to Lena and Alice’s friendship, and to Audrey performance in previous cases, intersperse the story, but this reviewer recommends reading prior stories to get the full character development and history to relate more closely to familiar characters and to appreciate fully the story set out here. It will make this good cozy mystery even more enjoyable.
The Menu
By Steven Manchester
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
The Menu
By Steven Manchester
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Rating: 5 stars
Chapter one has readers meet Phinneas Michael Reed before he is born through his birth. Not the normal course in a novel, but one that sets the tone of this inspiring story.
“Through the veil of fog, the taller shadow handed the other a thin book and patted him on the shoulder. The gold embossed, burgundy cover was the approximate size of a menu…. Gently and lovingly, God wrapped his arm around Phinn’s shoulder. “This is your life. Order whatever you wish, but keep in mind—whatever you choose to taste, you have to finish,” He told Phinn before sending him into the world.”
In chapter two Phinn is just about to turn 25 when his girlfriend Tina tells him she is pregnant.
“Although the small token was hardly wrapped by a professional hand, Phinn was excited to see Tina’s face when she opened it.
After a long yawn, she peeled off the wrapping paper and stared down at the tiny pair of booties. “Oh Phinn,” Tina said, “they’re…”
He handed her a piece of paper. “This is the real gift,” he said, excitedly. “It’s a poem.” He smiled. “The first one for our child.”
“You wrote a poem?” Slowly—almost reluctantly—she accepted the paper. “Unborn Child,” she read, already choked with emotion.”
Readers journey with Phinn, with whom they easily will connect, from this start to all the events in his life: the good, the bad, the unexpected. They meet the people he meets in his life, watching him experience not only his choices, but the choices made by them. Each choice impacts not only the one making the choice, but additionally those in their lives.
The author’s note shares the purpose in the writing of this story.
“The spiritual journey is a personal one for me; I am not only a believer but a follower. That said, I did not write The Menu to recruit. I penned The Menu to connect, while also sharing my vision of “going home” and how the miracle of death should be no more feared than the blessing of birth.”
And connect is what he so superbly did! No matter one’s beliefs, readers will connect to Phinn and to all that transpires during his life. They will laugh with him and cry with him. They will most likely see something that parallels their own life in at least one thing that happens to Phinn. Phinn’s poems shared in the story beautifully bring this book to an even higher level.
This book is a gift of love from the author that readers will cherish.
Autumn Leaves
By Stefan Vucak
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino
Autumn Leaves
By Stefan Vucak
2021
Reviewed by Angie Mangino