“Not now, McGonagall. I’m interrogating Harry.”

Flashback! You are entering a new grade in elementary school. It is the year 1998, and the backwards baseball hat is in style. The cool kids are talking about “Harry Potter” – a sweater clad orphan that rides a broomstick. Teachers everywhere are overjoyed to see their students take an interest in reading books instead of watching MTV and skateboarding. Suddenly, the Harry Potter wave spreads. Soon, everyone will be curious about the adventures beyond Platform 9¾. The Vatican will denounce J.K. Rowling’s work as witchcraft and every boy with brown hair and glasses will be told that they look like Harry Potter, which is actually quite a compliment in many ways. 

It is not surprising that the Harry Potter series has captured and maintained such a loyal fanbase. After all, the books grew up with the readers. As Harry began to discover what he wanted in life, so did we. As Harry developed everlasting friendships, so did we. As Harry went through periods of both joy and sorrow, so did we. As Harry got rejected by the Ravenclaw as his date to the Yule Ball, so did we. (That’s right, Wendy. I still remember.) So of course the books’ popularity spawned movies, videogames, comics, hundreds of fan sites, forums, and spin-offs. But it doesn’t end there. The world of Hogwarts has been (and continues to be) analyzed from Azkaban to the Zombie Trails. Readers of the books and fans of the films are determined to search every stone in the walls of Hogwarts for more information about their favorite wizarding world, and that’s where Boughey and Earnest step in.

“Hey Harry, what’re ya doin’?” I dunno, spyin’ and stuff.

Due to their extensive backgrounds in the world of spycraft, it should come as no surprise that this is a subject they hold in high regard. Harry Potter and the Art of Spying examines our hero’s growth as a young recruit to a top secret covert operative from his tenure at Hogwarts. It is apparent that the writers are experts on the subject, and the extensive contributions of Courtney Klein and Nichole Ellis certainly help make the case that Harry is a damn good secret agent. The Art of Spying begins with a chapter-by-chapter analysis of Harry Potter and the Order Of The Phoenix, the fifth book in J.K. Rowling’s seven book saga. This essentially means that the reader is expected to know all the major plot points of the series beforehand. While it may seem odd to immediately jump right in to book five without first examining the previous four entries, the concept works rather well. It is explained that Harry’s true talents as a spy don’t really hold much weight until Dumbledore’s Army and the Ministry of Magic enter the fray. The first 38 chapters (yes, 38) are littered with footnotes and endnotes, as well as personal quips from the authors; in many ways it reads more like a fun lecture than an actual textbook.

This does not necessarily mean that everything from Sorcerer’s Stone to Goblet of Fire received the axe, however. Notes are scattered throughout the text that provide insight, direct quotes, and even sourced page numbers for reference. In the early chapters we are told that Harry’s skills at reading facial expressions are an absolute necessity in the world of spying, and his interactions with the looming shadow that is the Ministry of Magic paint a pretty clear picture of how interactions between agencies in the wizarding world accurately reflect our own. The real star of the show is Professor Snape, however. Fans of the series are well aware that our grumpy Master of Potions turned out to be one of the greatest Double Agents in the genre. Without getting into the hows and whys, I can say that Boughey and Earnest’s explanations are certainly worth considering the next time you reread… Or re-reread, or re-re-reread the series. Seriously, I can’t tell you why. That’s classified information. (Get it? Classified? That’s a CIA joke.)

The Art of Spying explores more than just the characters, too. What really makes this worth reading is the detail into the actual world of Harry Potter. The Aurors, the Dementors, the Ministry itself, etc. all have a role to play. Each agency has its own rich history, and it is certainly refreshing to see a companion book that delves deeper into the witching well. Another interesting aspect to consider is that the authors are well aware that J.K. Rowling probably didn’t intend for Harry and the gang to become spies. There is a sort of mentality that “If you search hard enough, you can find anything” prevalent from start to finish and the honesty is quite welcome. Included in the pages are expansive glossaries, annotations, and appendixes that are worth looking to for further information. The text itself is very easy to read and it is written in a clear, concise manner.

ALL SPIES MUST HAVE GOOD HAIR. THIS IS THE LAW.

But let’s get to the nitty gritty, shall we? The Art of Spying Harry Potter would probably do pretty well in the CIA. The Boy Who Lived has been trying to blend with his surroundings since he first showed up in The Sorcerer’s Stone (Or Philosopher’s Stone, as it is known in the lovely United Kingdom.) He is a wizard in a Muggle world; he simply does not belong. Naturally there were instances where Harry had used magic before his enrollment in Hogwarts, such as his mishap with the Reptile House. Harry, unwittingly, learns he can communicate with snakes and helps a boa constrictor escape captivity.

Later on we see Harry blowing his cover again. This time, however, he is aware that using magic in the outside world is a big deal. It is hard to forget Aunt Marge’s Big Mistake from Prisoner of Azkaban. Here we see Uncle Vernon’s sister verbally abuse Harry, but she later learns that it may not have been a good idea to insult the boy’s dead parents. Long story short, Harry turns her into a giant balloon. While just about every single person would applaud such an act, the Ministry of Magic certainly did not find it funny. Using their shadowy influence across the realms, the Ministry reprimanded Harry and “dealt with” the matter at hand. Harry’s lesson? Don’t blow your cover.

Then there is the infamous trial scene from Order of the Phoenix. The judges are not exactly on board with Dumbledore sticking up for Harry, but the wizened old Headmaster instructs Harry that knowing your enemy and knowing who is ignorant are two very, very important keys to getting out of trouble. Harry must weigh the consequences of every word and every action. He must be subtle and observe the body movements of each inquisitor. By now, Harry has become rather adept at reading people. Perhaps he may not be a guard in Guantanamo Bay, but he is certainly an agent who can work in the shadows.

While The Art of Spying is not an approved or sponsored entity, it definitely belongs on the shelf of any Harry Potter fan. Those who are not acquainted with the series will have trouble investing time into Boughey and Earnest’s work, however. In short, if you’re interested in the world of Hogwarts and an in depth analysis of the Ministry of Magic, this is absolutely worth reading. It is a large book, ending at 576 pages, with an additional 42 pages of glossary, but it is very easy to read. Harry Potter and the Art of Spying can be purchased from Itasca Books and it is available on Amazon.

Score: [REDACTED]

This was written using an advanced review copy of the book.

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

Bernie is a young man just finished with school and starting out in the business of universe creation. Life hasn’t been plain sailing up until now, though. He’s the only child of a single working mother, his father having walked out on them after achieving fame for his universes. Despite being absent, his father’s shadow is quite large; he’s the only god to have ever won three awards for universes that he’s created. As if all this weren’t enough, Bernie is one of those gods cursed with a powerful Cloud – a chaotic force, much like a poltergeist, that vents his subconscious frustrations out on the world. Despite all these odds against him, working for The Business may just be the opportunity he needs to prove himself to his father and give his mother the life she deserves.

Events don’t go as planned, however, and working soon turns out to be plagued by the same sort of problems that occurred at school. It turns out that his first commercially constructed universe is not only plagued by problems with his technique, but that an old school rival is actively sabotaging his efforts. Due to his rival’s seniority and his own problems with authority figures, Bernie is forced to try and undo the damage on his own. So begins a guerilla war between gods to destroy or save a just-created planet. The stakes get upped when Bernie discovers the unthinkable: intelligent life has flourished on his world, without him creating any or even setting events in motion for life to flourish by itself. He’s no longer just fighting to save his family’s future, but also the lives of thousands of thinking, breathing bronze-age beings.

LeBel’s style is fluid and sleek, making it easy to devour this page-turner. Bernie is a likeable underdog protagonist and manages to attract a cast of outsiders and free-thinkers to his cause that are each as well-developed as he is. Lenny is an old school friend who has a fascination with the technology and superstitions of the civilizations the gods create, and is always seen carrying a primitive charm or piece of advanced technology to give him an edge. Then there’s Alcandor, one of the people on Bernie’s world who correctly works out that there’s a powerful being trying to protect them. He manages to contact Bernie, and together they make plans to save Alcandor’s world.

Another of Bernie’s allies is an old school friend, Suzie. She is the personal assistant to the head of human resources, and uses her charm to get Bernie as many second chances as he needs to succeed. She has a passion for worlds that challenge the inherent patriarchy in the Gods’ societies. Unfortunately, Suzie and the other female characters in the novel feel as though they exist solely as motivations for the protagonist or to further romantic subplots. Despite that, they’re still given defining traits and stay within character.

No mention of characters would be complete without talking about Billy, Bernie’s rival. He’s a cruel god who takes pleasure in inspiring his creations to war with each other, treating their lives and worlds as games for his own amusement. Bernie’s cloud left a scar on his face when they fought during school, something he’s never forgiven Bernie for. His uncle is Bernie’s departmental head, a fact that’s earned him many cronies. Even with all his friends at his side, Bernie has his work cut out.

The action is exciting and fast-paced. The narrative alternates between Bernie and the other gods, and the lives of the people on his besieged world. This helps establish a context to the consequences of Billy and Bernie’s actions. It makes for fascinating reading, and succeeds in making you wonder whether or not we have our own Bernie. If you’ve ever played any simulation or strategy games, it also makes you hanker to get back into one of those while simultaneously making you question whether or not all the soldiers you send to their doom had families and lives outside of your dictates.

The plot experiences minor repetition towards the third quarter of the book. By then we’ve seen Billy create problems, and Bernie fix them several times. There are enough new developments along the way to keep the story fresh, but this point in the plot is a no-man’s land between old and new developments, where we see much of the same thing happening.

Even with the above, this is a read that’s sure to please and guaranteed not to disappoint. If you’re looking for a great new indie book to sink your teeth into, it’ll be this one.

You can buy The Universe Builders on Amazon, or follow further details about the universe at Steve’s website.

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

The cover and title says it all.

The Ice Cap and the Rift is the second novel in Marshall Chamberlain’s the Ancestor Series of Adventure Thrillers. John Henry Morgan, director of the United Nations’ Institute for the Study of Unusual Phenomenon (ISUP), is still reeling from the events in the first novel (The Mountain Place of Knowledge) when a combo-quake of unprecedented size occurs without any prior warning. The situation escalates when a team in Iceland detects the presence of strange, hidden structures within the newly formed rift that pre-date the birth of human civilisation. Morgan has encountered evidence of advanced, ancient technology before, and recognises these structures as having been built by mysterious beings they’ve named the Ancestors. He has to secure a UN presence at the rift, and balance conflicting international interests as different nations scramble to secure the technology within the rift for themselves.

Hounding Morgan at every step is Dick Murray, director of the CIA. Murray only cares about results and the protection of his country, a man desperate for success after being outmanoeuvred by the Chinese the last time they discovered Ancestor technology. Morgan needs his help, but every bit of assistance Murray offers is a double-edged sword. Thankfully, Morgan isn’t alone. Doctor Mary Ellen, his colleague, friend and partner, was also witness to the capabilities of Ancestor technology before, and uses her extensive scientific knowledge and force of personality to help ISUP succeed against the odds. Operating from within the shadows is Ling Soo, the Chinese Minister of Intelligence, a dangerous and canny opponent. Using deception and the co-operation of international allies, he proves an adept opponent equally capable in both the political and military fields.

The dual UN-Cambridge team investigates the rift in the ice cap while trying to prevent too much information from leaking out to the various international factions eager for a piece of the pie. What they find is a fully operational habitat, with several flying vehicles that are still in top condition. The flying vehicles are saucer-shaped crafts, and raise questions about humanity’s origins, and whether our history is as complete or short as we’d been led to believe. Before the full implications of the discovery can be worked through, the Chinese manage to secure the information about the rift’s contents and execute a daring plan to steal one of the flying saucers. It’s up to Murray and Morgan to set aside their differences in order to track and recover the stolen craft.

The Ice Cap and the Rift reads like a story-driven political thriller with a sci-fi twist. In style it’s reminiscent of Tom Clancy in that Marshall explains the workings of his world in great detail. His research into a variety of topics lends this text believability and weight. You get a very real sense that he knows what he’s talking about regarding the way the various organisations and modern technology works. The unfortunate trade-off, however, is that the narrative flow gets interrupted by lengthy exposition.

The blending of the science fiction into the real-world setting is handled very well, with a careful reverence that’s not often experienced in novels. The mystical and spiritual nature of the Ancestors is well defined because of this, lending a strange metaphysical feeling to everything centred on their works. From the get-go he manages to arouse intrigue as to what we have in the rift, and who its mysterious architects were.

The man himself

Unfortunately, this reverence seems to disappear when the aura of mystery vanishes. The UN team has no great difficulty in getting into the newly revealed habitat, and spend more time sweeping the area for CIA bugs. Once inside, the descriptions of the habitat’s controls give it a strangely ‘Fisher-Price’ feel. Scientists don’t spend much time puzzling through symbols or controls, and in fact have no hassle deciphering how everything works. The fact that much modern human technology within the novel’s setting seems on par with that of the Ancestors – virtual environments, advanced invisibility cloaking technology, satellite mounted lasers – makes the discovery in the rift feel a little underwhelming. There are even two chapters within the novel where we are treated to modern, living Ancestors as the viewpoint characters in order to understand their motives. Had the sense of mystery been preserved, then we’d be able to maintain the sense of wonder the Ancestors are supposed to engender.

One of the other stumbling blocks for the novel is the sheer volume of characters. Aside from Morgan, Murray, Ellen and Soo, the cast of characters is extensive. With so many individuals, running the gamut from pilots, secret agents, terrorists and academics, characterisation is kept brief of a necessity, with most characters getting a short introduction and a single defining characteristic. In the worst examples the supporting characters are ethnic or occupational stereotypes. This makes many of them feel more like caricatures than actual flesh-and-blood individuals. Fewer characters performing many of the same roles, or more face-time for some characters, would really strengthen the impact they make.

Chamberlain’s descriptions are stronger than his characters, but inconsistent. At times he paints a scene vividly using multiple senses; I’m still stuck remembering the nutty smell of a cup of coffee Morgan has towards the final chapters. At other times, it feels like Chamberlain is watching a movie and describing it to us, his readers, with a certain level of dispassion. This creates a distance, something dangerous in a novel that requires reader investment in order to get swept up in the action. The worry is that the weak descriptions far outweigh the good ones. Despite that, the tension of the final chapters prompted further reading, the reader trying to work out the intricacies of the Chinese plot alongside the protagonists.

There’s much to recommend in The Ice Cap and the Rift. Chamberlain lends his world both a sense of credibility and mysticism. However, the presence of many weak characters hampers our involvement. Sacrificing descriptions for exposition in order to preserve the fast pace of his novel created further distance between readers and the action. If you’re looking for a light adventure novel with global conflict and alien artefacts, then this might just be the book for you.

With a release date of 15th October 2014, you can pre-order the ebook on multiple platforms, or start with the first book in the series.

This book was reviewed using a copy provided by the publishers for that purpose

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

A unique twist on a classic tale – Christ uses the Holy Grail to curse the Apostles with Vampirism

The novel starts strong, the prologue putting a unique twist on Christ’s words to his Apostles on the night of the last supper. It leaves us hungry for more, and open to a fresh interpretation of the vampire mythos. From Bram Stoker’s conception of the undead, to Anne Rice and Stephanie Meyer’s more recent renditions, vampires and their powers and weaknesses are as varied as their origin stories. In Batiste’s novel, vampires are ageless, heal fast, and the only sure things that kill them are fire, losing a head or getting stabbed through the heart. The characters are quick to point out that they don’t sparkle in the sunlight, though when they ‘shift’ into vampiric form they have their fangs elongate and their eyes turn violet. The narrative implies that every time a vampire feeds, the human in question dies, a choice rife with moral ambiguity for an audience used to vampires that can choose whether to kill or not.

Another interesting ability the vampires in this world have is the ability to have normal off-spring by having regular sex with mortal men and women. Kellan is the offspring of one such union, and his task is to do the same with Nicole. The chapters alternate between these two primary viewpoint characters, with the occasional chapter devoted to secondary characters like pursuing demons. Kellan is a movie-star lookalike living the high life with the accumulated wealth of centuries. His love and loyalty for the Apostles is well established, but the turning point is clear when his love for Nicole overrides his better judgement. Of the two, Nicole is the stronger character and just feels more real. Her actions and motivations are the clearest from the get-go, and her story is the most compelling of the two. You find yourself rooting for her and wanting to know that she’ll come out on top. Indeed, the supporting characters of her story arc often feel more rounded and better developed than many of the established characters that make recurring appearances in Kellan’s narrative.

Ultimately, the difference in the strength of the characters in the two narratives seems to rest on the vampiric nature of all the characters in Kellan’s story arc. Batiste does some brilliantly subtle characterisation in some places – Simon doesn’t like blasphemy, demons refer to vampires as mosquitoes – but then undermines it later. The Apostles are indistinguishable from a group of golf buddies or business colleagues, apart from the mention of blood drinking. Kellan is Simon’s son, and their interaction is just like that of two family members. Kellan has a habit of getting his way and is never disciplined, despite going against the will of a fraternity of beings a millennium older than he is. The fact that a human dies every time they feed is barely examined and quickly handled with a justification that vampires only feed on evil people now. There are so many opportunities to deepen the setting or examine the implications of decisions, but these are glossed over and moved aside so that the romance and the action can proceed.

To Batiste’s credit, the romance and action are the novel’s strengths. The interaction between Kellan and Nicole is electric, and the nerves on their first dates complement their later passion. The action sequences are equally well crafted, with the writing fast-paced and exciting. The writing style is fluid and engaging, and the pace never flags or gets bogged down. Despite that, The Vitandi suffers from being two separate genres in one – a paranormal romance, and a supernatural thriller. While both the romance and thriller are handled very well separately, jumping between the two styles compromises the text as a whole. Maintaining some mystery could have saved for the insertion of exposition in otherwise tense scenes, whereas foreshadowing could have stopped some other reveals from feeling too deus ex machina. The romantic confessions and revealed motives feel melodramatic and contrived when set against demons and vampires battling.

All in all, The Vitandi is easy to read, and neither the romance nor the action disappoint. The concepts at the core of this novel are intriguing and exciting, but many are poorly handled. Though the writing is good overall, the occasional block of exposition or lack of foreshadowing let it down. Batiste shows promise, but better characterisation of the vampires and a deeper examination of the vampiric condition would have made for a more immersive novel.

Should you be intrigued by Batiste’s original ideas and want a different spin on your paranormal romance, you can purchase The Vitandi on Kindle or Nook.

This book was reviewed using a copy provided by the publisher for that purpose.

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

The Hagia Sophia, one of the more important locales in the story.

For those not familiar with the  Ottoman siege, Constantinopolis is a useful companion. It portrays events in an historically accurate way, and Shipman delivers authenticity by stressing the importance of faith and family to the societies in play. On one side of the fence, the establishment is embodied in Constantine XI, Emperor of Constantinople. The city has seen far better days, yet the people seem to love Constantine and see him as a capable ruler. Constantine must also balance his duties against his love life with Zophia, an entirely fictional romantic foil. Opposing Constantine is the disruptive Mehmet II, a brash, young sultan with a lot to prove. While Constantine’s story arc is primarily one of being honorable to his fellow Greeks, Mehmet’s storyline is thematically composed of his desires for glory and vengeance against those who doubt his capabilities.

The chapters themselves are woven seamlessly in their transitions. Each chapter focuses on the point of view of either Constantine or Mehmet, with a few occasional chapters devoted to the Hungarian rulers who would play an important part in the siege’s conclusion. Unfortunately, each chapter becomes more and more repetitive. For example, Mehmet leads a failed Ottoman charge in one chapter, followed by another where Constantine discusses the enemy’s failure from the previous chapter. This will then get broken up by Constantine trying to organize his love life with Zophia. While the point-of-view  format is a great way to spin the narrative and make the characters more believable, the writing does not always work. The dialogue between secondary characters is as interesting as porridge and the reader will likely see the phrase “As you know” countless times.

Not all the writing is poor, however. The characterization of Constantine is historically accurate and Shipman does a fine job representing him as a young ruler with too much on his plate. The emperor’s mind constantly wanders between his vastly different personal desires and professional duties, and this thinking stands in contrast with Mehmet, the Muslim Sultan who sees his personal desires as his professional duties. However, Constantine’s chapters eventually become quite uninteresting, again due to repetition. Constantine tries to gain the affections of Zophia, a beautiful woman who returns his love with loyalty. Their relationship is important, and when things get rocky between them, Constantine makes poor decisions. While the romance is forced and seemingly arbitrarily thrown into the mix, it does help to advance the plot. In the long run, Constantine is simply a likable enough protagonist without this extra angle.

Countering the good guy Constantine trope is the villainous Muslim, Mehmet. While many writers would paint him as a mustache-twirling caricature, Shipman gives the reader ample understanding of the sultan’s motives for wanting to capture Constantinople. Living in the shadow of his father and his Grand Vizier Halil, Mehmet acknowledges that he was not always a wise ruler and wishes to make up for his previous failures by adding Constantinople to his empire. His advisers trust the counsel of Halil, who goes against Mehmet’s interests at every turn and often makes a fool out of the young wolf. Readers will find themselves rooting for Mehmet many times, which paints both warring leaders in shades of grey. While Mehmet’s methods may seem cruel, his faith and his desire for personal growth add humanity to an historically complex character.

Of course, this is a story about war and action scenes are bound to pop up, which are as entertaining as they need to be for those unfamiliar with the historical outcome. Shipman’s description of the battles is vivid, and interestingly enough only seen from the viewpoint of specific characters. Staying true to history, it is unlikely that Mehmet and Constantine would have ever met face-to-face, swords drawn, in the middle of a field while bodies flew every which way around them. Shipman handles the battle scenes with care, and yet everything else is described in much fewer words. A palace is simply described as that – a palace. A wall is simply a wall. Shipman wastes no time in painting the world, which is both good and bad. On one hand, it is a relief not to sift through seven pages just to read the description of a tree. On the other, it would help to have more detail in certain aspects of the novel.

Overall, Constantinopolis is a short read with many great moments. Sadly, there are less than stellar moments that truly weigh down the novel. While it is historically accurate, the modernist dialogue and forced romantic subplot dragged much of the excitement. There is an epilogue at the end which explains what happened to each character after the battle as well, and while it is short, it should be interesting to those who are not as brushed up on their history. If you are inclined to learn more about the great siege of Constantinople, you can purchase the book from Amazon here.

This book was reviewed using a copy provided by the publisher for that purpose.

© 2014, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.

O’Leary’s Luck, written by Teel James Glenn, falls somewhere between short story and novella. For this kind of story brevity works fantastically. You want something easy, fast, exciting, and a little grimy. The first pages of the story give the sense that the author will deliver on these points. You have a New Orleans race-yard junkie loser in the wrong place at the wrong time gunned down for overhearing something sinister. There to witness this, of course, is our protagonist: Jon Shadows. Shadows makes his living as a body guard and has become world-worn in the process. In this case, Shadows has dropped by the town to enjoy Mardi Gras accompanied with a beautiful performer he met previously named Flora. She turns out to be tangled up in the drama they witnessed and Jon’s vacation quickly tuns into a job. A murder, a mystery, a manly protagonist with a silly name, and a damsel in distress – this is getting good.

Some well executed characterization can be found in O’Leary’s Luck. You get a sense of O’Leary’s life and motivations which makes him a pretty sympathetic character when he’s killed in the first few pages of the story. The violence feels less random and pointless, and makes you root for Shadows to get to the bottom of the whole ordeal. A little background on Shadows himself makes him somewhat more interesting than the typical protagonist in these kinds of books. You learn a bit about his looks, his family, and how he feels about himself, which influences how you feel about him. Little moments like these are wonderful and essential for an indie book to become something that sticks out from the crowd.

Unfortunately, things start looking down a bit from here. The amateurish writing starts to become painfully apparent as the story progresses. The author, Teel James Glenn, has a tendency to not only break some basic rules of grammar – like getting it’s and its confused a handful of times – but to repeat the same word in a sentence or paragraph until you almost feel like you’re getting slapped in the face by it. Take, for example, this line from the story: “I wasn’t sure if I should try to make myself invisible or just flat out run for my life but that’s never how I’ve run my life; I generally run toward the sound of gunfire.” The run-on sentence combined with the repetition of the word “run” is enough to give the reader whiplash. If these issues only popped up in the story occasionally looking over it would be easy. But this line reads the way most of the book does. Not horrible, but strange enough to be a off-putting and to slow or stop the flow of reading.

The tone of the book is also somewhat of a mess. Everything feels a little too PG for a hard boiled pulp. Throughout the fifty three page story Shadows says “heck” instead of “hell,” talks about feeling like a kid at Disney World, and tells his date, Flora, about how he was a full grown man before he could grow peach fuzz on his lip. He also spends some socially awkward time with Flora’s mother. Nothing is inherently wrong with these things, but it certainly does not work well in a genre associated with violence and exploitation. Characters from the book talk like the forties or fifties even though the story takes place in modern times, which adds to the weirdness. No one calls anyone a “songstress” or uses the phrase “dandy of bygone days” anymore.

The Coup de grâce for O’Leary’s Luck occurs when enjoyable campiness evolves into bizarre cheesiness. For example, Shadows describes a fight in the book as “impromptu breakdancing,”. I had to set down my e-reader when Jon Shadows – the books supposed lead badass – says, “Some things are better the old way and some the new. At least that’s what my mom would say as she made me do traditional Ninja workouts when I wanted to play baseball.” I was dumbfounded when I first read it, and I remain so now. That line, and a few like it throughout the book, left me with the impression of Jon Shadows as a Napoleon Dynamite type character.

O’Leary’s Luck is disappointing not because it stinks, but because it falls just short of being a marvelously enjoyable pulp story and instead succumbs to the common pitfalls of indie books. With some stringent editing and a little rethinking of a few story elements I would not hesitate to recommend the purchase to fans of the genre. As it exists now, though, O’Leary’s Luck stands just a little above average in the giant heap of self-published books.

O’Leary’s Luck is available for both NOOK and Kindle for $2.99, as well as in paperback from Amazon for $6.99.

© 2013, The Indie Mine. All rights reserved.