Book Reviews by Ehlen Administration

Monarchs and Mendicants by Dan Groat My rating: 4 of 5 stars Gifford has got to get out of downtown St. Louis to flee the Hacker, an assassin who for some unknown reason targets the local homeless population. After discovering his friend, Raphael, cut to pieces he takes Tobias, Raphael’s faithful dog, and heads south, toward Benoit. There he finds a community and even somewhat steady work at the local brick yard, but also danger. Has the Hacker been tracking him? Who does the Hacker work for and why is he following Gifford? Monarchs and Mendicants is a thoughtful tale that looks at the plight of the homeless through Gifford, a Veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and generally down on his luck guy. He is the homeless guy that no one likes to admit exists - not a druggie or a wino, or lazy, just trying to catch a break. You can’t help but be drawn to him despite his tough exterior, and root for him as he works to survive and eventually come out of his shell to do what he does be...

An Enigmatic Escape: A Trilogy by Dan Groat My rating: 4 of 5 stars An Enigmatic Escape is actually three stories that intertwine into one tale of the three Blaylock brothers, who come from a less than ideal family life, and how they conquer their past - or don’t. From the very first story, Groat engrosses you with his description of a descent into madness and leaves you wondering exactly where that came from. You vaguely figure it out in snippets revealed in the subsequent stories, but as with most stories it’s the journey that will stick with you more than the destination. I found it interesting that all three stories were told from “outsiders” perspective but still weave you into the story of the Blaylock brothers more so than that of the actual story teller. All in all the writing was superb, and being a Missouri girl myself I was thrilled to read bits of the Midwest entwined in the descriptive narrative. I look forward to a full length novel from Groat, as I figure if his s...