books – Page 3 – E. De Sousa

Book Tuesday

Welcome.
For today’s book review, I am taking a look at Stephen King’s Thinner. This is an exciting book for me because it harks back to my childhood when my older brother and I used to voraciously read anything my dad put in front of us. From westerns to love stories, adventure to mystery and suspense, we were exposed to worlds away from our mundane home in Zimbabwe.

Thinner was one of the first books I read by Stephen King. I’m not sure how old I was at the time, but after reading Pet Sematary, I was looking for my next horror fix. My father had banned me from reading Cujo, he thought it was too frightening and violent for me at such a young age. I don’t think he knew that I had already read Pet Sematary!

My brother handed me a copy of Thinner and I was struck by its plot: Billy Halleck, an arrogant lawyer who runs over an old gypsy woman whilst driving, due to his wife distracting him, escapes murder charges thanks to his ties with the judge and police involved. Angered by the lack of justice, an old gypsy relative of the murdered woman curses the lawyer and those involved. Billy curse is one word…”Thinner!”. His disbelief at first and then his ineffectual attempts to stop the process leads him back to the gypsies and finding a cure.

The old gypsy man tells Billy that he should bear his own punishment but, if he wanted to be rid of it, he would have to give a slice of a special pie baked with his blood to the next victim of his choice. Choosing to give it to his wife, whom he blames for distracting him whilst driving, he awakes to find that his daughter and wife have eaten slices from the pie. In the end, Billy takes his slice and eats it, joining his family in their doom, thanks to him.

The story, written under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman and inspired by his own weight loss, leaves no sympathy for the main character, Billy Halleck. He is the epitome of our population; overweight, unapologetic and greedy for a quick fix. Though published in 1984, this book is just as relevant now as it was in the 80’s. With the politics and popular opinions flying this way and that in this world, we should be careful in case we become Billy Halleck. Who knows, there might be a gypsy out there ready to teach us a lesson on not facing up to consequences!

If you would like to read Thinner by Stephen King, please click on the pic below.

I do hope you have enjoyed this week’s Book Tuesday. Join me again next week for more of the same.

Have a great week.

Book Tuesday

blogs, Uncategorized

Hello, welcome to Book Tuesday.

This week I have read a rather interesting crime thriller called Before He Sees (A Mackenzie White Mystery – book 2) by Blake Pierce.

Mackenzie White is young police detective pulled from the backwaters of Nebraska and recruited to Quantico as an FBI rookie agent. Already a promising student, she is chosen to assist in a series of murders that have the FBI chasing their tales. The pressure to prove just how good she is mounts as another body is found and the powers that be who have given her the opportunity have set a deadline for her to solve the case or lose her job and career as an agent. Flashbacks of Mackenzie’s own troubled past mixed with previous experience from solving the Scarecrow Killer murders, which bear a similarity to the case she is helping solve, puts her in a precarious position. With no-one to turn to or share the burden of responsibility, she is pushed beyond her limits, testing her capabilities as a true detective and agent.

When she is pulled off the case and returned to the status of rookie agent, her own perseverance in cracking the case pushes the powers that be to give her a second chance, but their own stubborn arrogance forces her to take drastic measures which put her in danger.

This was a great thriller and I enjoyed the momentum of riding along with the main character as she pushed her way through a world of dominant characters bent on proving they are right! Though the end was predictable, I still enjoyed the thrill of the story unfolding and would recommend this book to readers who want a light crime thriller.

There are two more books in the Mackenzie White series and I look forward to reading them. If you would like to read Before He Sees, click on the pic below to order your copy.

As always, please leave a review for the author. It’s a great way for other readers to gauge the books. Thanks.

If you would like to read one of my crime thrillers, please click on the pics below to download your copy.

deception cover — Click here to order your copy.

Book Tuesday

blogs, Uncategorized

Hello and welcome to Book Tuesday. I’m in the middle of a crime fiction at the moment, which promises to be good. So, instead of a book review for this week, I thought I’d treat you to a short story. My inspiration for this story comes from the cruelty we show each other. I’m taking you back to the school room and using an example of temptations our children face these days. Let me know what you think of it. Continue reading “Book Tuesday” →

Spoilt Miranda

blogs, Children

It is with huge excitement I announce the arrival of Spoilt Miranda in audio format. The wonderful, talented and incredibly kind Kate Shrewsday has helped me create a version of Miranda that is easy to download and enjoy at bedtimes or on the road – perfect for driving to the Dorset coast where Miranda goes on holiday with her parents and siblings!

After Googling Spoilt Miranda to see how many sites have picked up on her, I discovered a new site called takealot.com which is offering Miranda at R21 in South Africa. It’s strange to think that someone will be purchasing Spoilt Miranda close to where I came from! How fantastic is that? The most surprising place I’ve found Miranda is listed on Ebay through a variety of sellers.

A massive thank you to all who have purchased Spoilt Miranda. Please, don’t forget to leave your review of the book from your point of purchase. Thank you.

Readers’ Favourite have given Spoilt Miranda 5 stars. Here’s their review of the book:

Book Review

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers’ Favorite

Spoilt Miranda by Eloise De Sousa revolves around Miranda and her tantrums that are driving her family mad. Miranda is a spoilt and sulky child, unlike her brothers and sisters. Her parents found it embarrassing to take her anywhere with them because she would sulk and pout – she thought no one could touch her, including the policewoman who comes to check on her. The family goes to Aunt Joan’s beach house on the Dorset coast for their summer family holiday. Miranda continues with her usual behavior, but for once Miranda finds herself on the other end of tantrums. She finds it surprising at first, and scowls and pouts to no avail. Will she realize her mistakes and change for the better? Or will she still be the same incorrigible Miranda?

It is a good story that tells kids about the disadvantages of being a problematic child and how one person’s tantrums can spoil everything for the other siblings in the family. The changes that come about in Miranda during their summer vacation are indeed inspirational for kids to rectify their behavior. The illustrations are good and they give a personality to Miranda and the rest of the characters in the story. Miranda’s character is relatable since many parents have kids like Miranda. It is a peppy story that kids will enjoy reading. Miranda and her dreams tell us how kids make a scary place for themselves. The terrible tantrums, summer holidays and the kids make this book a wonderful read.

spoilt miranda cover — Click here to order your copy

Next in the series is Cecil The Bully. Order your copy here.

Cecil The Bully

Children

Cecil and his friends are the best at playing pranks on others, especially their teacher, Mr Barns. But, after a seriously bad prank involving exploding Easter Eggs, Mrs Palmer, the Head Teacher, decides that Cecil and his minions have gone too far!

The Police are called in and a specialist teacher is sent to the school to teach those badly behaved Year 6’s a lesson they won’t forget. You might remember her: the tall, thin woman with the raven black hair. Her name is Ms Crow and she has a knack of finding children that don’t behave.

Will she teach Cecil and his gang a lesson, or will their pranks prove to be too much for Ms Crow?

THE IRON PENDULUM

adult fiction, Adult Fiction

Extra! Extra! Read all about it…

The Iron Pendulum is now available.

https://read.amazon.co.uk/kp/card?asin=B01HYFLBII&asin=B01HYFLBII&preview=inline&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_w0lJxbCYNKAXR

Here’s a quick synopsis:

Julia Webster and Hugo del Fuego are missing from their third floor apartment in Bagley. The grisly display discovered in their home leaves Detectives Perkins and Jones with little evidence to follow and, as more remains turn up, the pressure mounts to find the killer. Time is the key element in solving a case riddled with dead ends and a strange family hiding its true evil behind the façade of money and power.

Can they unravel the secrets hidden behind the closed doors and will it be enough to solve the case and rescue the couple in time?

The Iron Pendulum is currently available from lulu and on Amazon with all my other titles.

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00060] — **Click here to order your copy**

Download your copy and don’t forget to leave to a review!

One Month To Live

adult fiction

https://read.amazon.co.uk/kp/card?asin=B00KX6E3CC&asin=B00KX6E3CC&preview=inline&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_u1Duxb1VZFN6R

“Five years I had waited for this day to come. Five years. At last, my mother was going to die!”

What if your mother was about to die. Would you celebrate and relish the fact that she would soon pass on to the other side – or would you fight to keep her alive.

This book is not at all what it seems. To find out why, click to buy!

Deception

adult fiction

After five years of struggling to make a new life for herself, Amanda is called back to her past under the hot African sun.

Dangers she thought she had left behind are waiting to haunt her and reveal the secret she ran away to protect. Alex is a man drowning in his own world of sorrow from his wife’s death. Questions which plagued him for years are suddenly finding answers that he could never imagine. The woman he has sworn to protect might be his wife’s murderer. The past might have found Alex and Amanda, but it is the future they have to fight for . . . if they survive the truth.