Book Reviews by Ehlen Administration

The Electra Conspiracy by Elizabeth Revill My rating: 4 of 5 stars British pop superstar Electra is getting ready to launch her new worldwide tour, and Jon and Amy are filming a documentary about it. When Electra dies in a freak auto accident, reminiscent of Princess Diana’s untimely death, Jon and Amy are heartbroken, but determined to finish the film as their own eulogy to the beloved star. What Jon and Amy uncover, however, is far more than an innocent car crash, and now they are on the run from a powerful organization determined to cover up their practices. I love a good conspiracy theory, and the Electra Conspiracy does not disappoint. I really enjoyed the obviously well researched plot and minutia that added some depth to the story. Unfortunately, in stark contrast were some really small, but perpetual writing mistakes throughout the book that were very distracting, including some really obvious mispellings or wrong words, ie using “birth” for “berth.” It’s really nothing ...

To Parts Unknown by John Anthony Miller My rating: 4 of 5 stars George Adams is running from his past. To get out of London he persuades his editor to post him in Singapore. Unfortunately for him he arrives in 1942, just in time for the Japanese to invade. While trying to keep up some semblance of journalism he runs into the most fascinating character, Lady Jane Carrington Smythe. She too, is running away. But will they be able to escape together, and will their respective pasts prevent their future? Author John Anthony Miller paints a vivid scene of the Pacific theater during WW2, and then inserts seemingly ordinary characters put into an extraordinary circumstances. While he does a good job moving the story along, brief interactions with otherwise extemporaneous characters become the foundation of main character George Adams’ introspection and healing from the death of his wife, Maggie, and move him towards forgiving himself for his part and and his interest in Lady Jane. Whi...

High Hopes by Sue Lilley My rating: 4 of 5 stars Grace had always been unlucky in love, although successful in many other areas of her life. When her ex-husband moved to New York for a year she took solace at Penrowan, the home of her two best college friends. The problem is she also brings with her a secret that could tear Sam and Dixie’s marriage apart. Will she be able to tell them about the baby she placed for adoption all those years ago? As I work for an adoption agency ( www.agiftofhopeadoptions.com ) stories from the birth parent perspective, especially search and reunion stories, always intrigue me. Adoption in general is much more open than it used to be, often with children growing up knowing who their birth parents are and where they are, but that is recent enough that there are still lots of birth parents and adoptees who have not reconnected. What I liked about this story was the whole family coming together around the idea of being there for the adoptee, despite t...