I tried reading this book on four different occasions in just about as many months.  I couldn’t get into it.  Not because of subject matter, but the way it was written (both grammatically and style)

This one is going into my DNF pile.

Product Description:

For 12,000 years a dark and deadly secret has been hidden deep below the Great Sphinx of Giza. In present day Egypt, a frightening, yet awe-inspiring story unravels as archaeologists race against time to decipher an ancient truth…

Review of Story Line:

This story line is great.  It will grab you right from the beginning and never lets you go.  The story will appeal to everyone and definitely brings an element of surprise at the end that no one can reasonably expect. You can’t help but want to solve the murder along with the story, as Kizzy just pulls on your heartstrings from the very beginning.

Review of Characters:

Most of the characters in this book were relatable and while they were mostly well written, a couple of things upset me.  The two main detectives in this story don’t really seem to work together in a believable manner.  While I understood that one of them was off the case, besides the first couple of pages, there didn’t seem to be much of a relationship or understanding between them.  Something else that bothered me was how quickly the detective off the case formed a task force and was able to re-visit the scene of the crime.  Wouldn’t everyone on the force know he was off the case?  And a murder that gruesome, they would really just let laymen trample all over it?  I just kept asking myself…”Where is all the security? Why is no one stopping these guys?”

Review of Writing:

While I enjoyed this book very much, the writing seemed extremely choppy to me.  A little bit like “paint by numbers”  Put this sentence here, then this one here….  Not enough was left to my imagination to help the flow of the book as I was told when he parked the car, how he parked the car, how he got out of the car and so forth.  And because of this, I found myself reading a lot of little sentences which just made me feel uncomfortable.  I am not sure if this is just “first novel jitters” or if it was an editing error.

Review of Editing:

As I mentioned above, the sentence structure was a bit choppy.  As all self-published and small publishing houses typically do their own editing, it is imperative that everything get checked over 5,6,100 times over.  Read the sentences out loud and then listen to yourself on tape.  By doing that, a lot of the grammar errors present in this book, could have been avoided.

Review of Cover:

I get the concept of the cover.  But the fact that it looks like someone literally cut out pictures and posted them on a blank white page bothers me.  Indies need to understand the uphill battle they face.  Go to the library and the bookstores, and look around.  See what it is about the books that draw your eye.  Then use those points on your own books.  Sure you don’t have the same budget, but playing around with an image software program does wonders.   What would have helped here would be if the cutouts and the background had the same base color.

So while the book was good, the cover didn’t portray any confidence.

Overall Review

Overall, this book was a good read.  If the author could re-edit and tighten up the story, this book would be able to find its legs.

Continue Reading

This book had its good points and its bad points. Thankfully the story line tilted more towards the good side.

Being an ex-diver I appreciated the constant references on dive gear and procedures. Would a non-diver understand them? For the most part yes, although there were certain areas where it heavily counted for the reader to know his stuff, and if he didn’t, he would more than likely read over the descriptions.

In terms of the story line, the barracuda part was great. Was definitely eerie and you would see this creature in your mind as you were reading it. The only part that bothered me about it, is that the creatures name was “It”. Seeing as how that is a common word used in sentences, it was sometimes confusing to know if you were talking about “It” or if the author was just saying “it” (especially in the beginning of a sentence).

The Russians vs The Japanese Mob story line, was ok. It brought another level to the book, but at times I wanted the book to drop them and just focus on the Barracuda. Mike Monahan did manage to bridge the two story lines together, but it seemed a bit forced. Micko just happened to land on an island with a beast AND mob activity?  How much bad luck can happen to someone on vacation?

In terms of the writing in this book, the sentences were a bit fragmented and stilted as if each thought needed its own sentence.  If was more evident in some parts than others, but would have read better if it was cleaned up all around.

The last line of the book read “The end…or is it?”  I would be curious to read how the author evolves in his next book and where he takes the story of the Barracuda.

Soul Identity is a good quick read.  But that in of itself does not make a book good.  Thankfully this book took it one step above.

It takes its readers into a journey and discovery into their own beliefs.  Is it possible to get your souls history and future?  And if so, is it moral to find out and try to manipulate it?

Every reader can relate to the topic in the book as we have each wondered what happens to our souls once we die, or if we even have one.  It was interesting to read how each character felt about the issue and their own questions about it.  Whether they were trying to help Soul Identity flourish, or help with its demise, excellent points were raised that forces the reader to choose a side.

While the book held some good action and twists, the characters could have been developed a bit more.  Some of the actions they took also seemed a little jarring and made you question how they got into the situation in the first place.  I do have the sequel on my reading list and am looking forward to seeing Dennis’s growth and progression of the story line.

As this authors’ first book, I think it is well done.  If he cleans up some characters and tightens up the story line, he is sure to gain a following.