Wild-Born by Adrian Howell

Wild Born is a suspenseful, young adult, paranormal, thriller and the first book in the Psionic Pentalogy created by Adrian Howell.

When an accident renders twelve-year old Adrian immobile, he begins to develop telekinetic ability, that he has long suspected he has but not proven until now. Shortly after, however, his home is attacked and he finds himself separated from his sister, Cat.

He soon learns that he is a psionic, a human with special ability, and that there are more like him. After the catastrophic night that changed his seemingly normal life, Adrian ends up a fugitive depending heavily on his wit and undeveloped ability for survival and hunted by paranormal factions, each intent on having him on its side.

This is an exciting and suspenseful paranormal thriller that easily calls X-Men to mind. It portrays various human traits, emotions, and behaviors such as compassion, kindness, and unconditional love. It also depicts bigotry, prejudice, and discrimination. It shows that family is not limited to blood relations but those who are with you when you need them the most.

Scenes are carefully described in detail including chasing and fighting scenes. Characters are well-developed and accurately depicted like benevolent Cindy, naïve Adrian, and unpleasant Dr. Denman. Though the ending is less conclusive than my usual taste, it is understandably so.

Congratulations to Adrian Howell on such an exciting and enjoyable book. Some scenes, however, may be too violent for very young readers. For more books by this author, click HERE.

Derailed by Mary Keliioka

Derailed is an interesting and suspenseful thriller novel, and the first in the Kelly Pruett Mystery Book Series created by Mary Keliioka.

Private Investigator Kelly Pruett feels elated and apprehensive at the same time. She just meets the client that gives her her very first real private investigating job since she inherited the detective agency from her father. Though the idea is quite exciting and, somehow, heightens her level of empowerment, at the back of her mind, she isn’t altogether confident that she can actually do the job. However, her father’s dying request makes the decision for her.

As per her client’s request, Kelly needs to get to the bottom of a case viewed by the police as an unfortunate drunken accident. To find out whether the victim was struck by the train due to her inebriation or she was murdered, Kelly sets up a meeting with the sole witness at the bar where the victim was last seen alive. Sadly for Kelly, however, the witness does not show up.

This is a suspenseful thriller novel mixed with domestic issues, women empowerment, and a little bit of romance. Just like other books of this genre, the author develops the plot by presenting an insignificant amount of clues as far as the case is concerned, but with the protagonist’s unwavering determination and unbelievable level of tenacity, possible suspects and possible motives begin to surface. The author successfully keeps the suspense by introducing shocking twists and unexpected turns of events that culminated in a satisfying climax.

The characters are well-developed and are very relatable especially Kelly. In this day and age when more and more women are beginning to discover their self-worth, I can imagine a lot of female readers who can actually empathize with the main character. Scenes and settings are depicted vividly as well as the behaviors and emotions of each character.

All in all, this is a great thriller novel and I recommend it to fans of this genre.

Congratulations to Mary Keliioka  (@mary_keliikoa) on such a great and enjoyable book. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. For more information about this author, click HERE.      

Everyone Needs a Hero: Why Can't It Be You by Aimé Mukendi, Jr.

Everyone Needs a Hero: Why Can’t It Be You? is an inspiring and an encouraging book written by Aimé Mukendi, Jr.

This book is about the extraordinary transformation of the author from someone who is in love with his own ego to the person that he is today, a motivational speaker, life coach, social media influencer, entrepreneur, radio show host, blogger, and book author.

The author begins by narrating a life-altering event that happened to him a year ago. The event marks the death of something in him and the birth of something else. It is followed by a short story of his early life with apparent emphasis on the role of his hero, his mother.

The rest of the book, essentially, encourages the readers to find their purpose in life and offers suggestions on how to do it. Aside from his personal experiences, the author shares other lessons he learned in his own journey through life including Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues and Earl Nightingale’s spoken word record, The Strangest Secret. The book also features quotes by Abraham Lincoln, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Albert Einstein, and quotes by the author himself.

All in all, this is an encouraging and inspiring book. In this age and time when people find it easier to conform and people live to compete with others, it is a book that may help readers to focus on self-examination, and, consequently, self-improvement.

I find it perfect for young adults. Millennials who know LeBron James, Kanye West, Will Smith, and Kevin Hart would probably relate to the author and some of the things he went through while growing up.

However, those who have already read books by Napoleon Hill, Rhonda Byrne, Og Mandino, etc. may not find anything new from this book.

Nevertheless, I find this book very encouraging and the author seems to be very promising. Congratulations to Aimé Mukendi, Jr. (@SirAimezing) on such a well-written book. To learn more about the author, click HERE!   

The Reflecting Pool by Otho Eskin

The Reflecting Pool is an exciting and suspenseful crime and thriller novel written by Otho Eskin.

Homicide Detective Marko Zorn, of Washington DC Metropolitan Police, knows that the body of a Secret Service agent found in the Reflecting Pool is not a typical drowning victim. For reason, unfathomable even to himself, Zorn knows the victim is murdered.

Fueled by his desire for justice and his inherent disregard for rules and protocols, Zorn proceeds with his investigation. Curiously, his effort to get to the bottom of the case is met with discouragement, lack of cooperation, and even hostility from the departments he believes should, at the very least, show more keenness in catching the perpetrator.    

This is a suspenseful thriller that features a multitude of subjects including organized crime, domestic terrorist group, long-buried crime, and secret liaisons. The author is able to keep the plot interesting and suspenseful by throwing in seemingly unrelated scenes and putting them together in one explosive climax and a satisfying denouement. 

Moreover, the author is able to successfully describe, in detail, not only the scenes, ie police interviews, confrontations, chasing, and fighting; but also the behavior and personality of each character. Unlike other authors who use descriptive words to portray characters, Otho Eskin depicts people through their attitudes and manners of speaking. Finally, though Detective Mark Zorn is not my idea of an ideal protagonist, with his vanity, materialism, and moral code, I would say I have seen worse. And though it’s difficult to see past his character, I think that is what makes him, somehow, realistic and relatable.

Congratulations to Otho Eskin (@OthoEskin) on such an enjoyable book! For more books by the author, click HERE.