The Purple Don: Mystery Thriller Suspense Novel (Illuminati) – SLMN

Posted on May 20, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Don Jung)

 

Exceptional
The Purple Don is a gripping and eerie murder mystery that takes readers deep into the world of crime, power, and deception. At the heart of the story is Joey Diamonds, the son of a Mafia crime boss who faces the ultimate betrayal when his father disowns him upon discovering Joey’s sexuality. This life-altering event sets Joey on a path of reinvention and ruthless ambition as he leaves New York to carve out a new empire in Miami and Los Angeles.

Joey Diamonds is a fascinating character, depicted with a chilling blend of charm and menace. His experiences in the crime world have shaped him into a merciless figure who demands absolute loyalty and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Joey’s ruthless nature is underscored by his willingness to kill even those closest to him if they do not meet his exacting standards. This relentless drive for control and power is both terrifying and captivating, making Joey a protagonist who keeps readers on edge.

The narrative swiftly moves through Joey’s expansion of his criminal enterprises, from running an underworld drug empire in Miami to exerting influence over the movie industry in Los Angeles. His interactions with various gangs and the ways he manipulates and deceives his contacts are intricately detailed, showcasing his cunning and strategic mind. Joey’s ability to mesmerize those around him with his deceitful charm is a testament to the author’s skill in crafting a multi-dimensional antagonist who is as intriguing as he is horrifying.

One of the most compelling aspects of The Purple Don is the constant uncertainty about Joey’s fate. The reader is kept in suspense, never quite sure if Joey will face retribution for his actions. This tension is maintained through a series of unexpected twists and turns, making the book impossible to put down. In fact, I read it in one sitting. The storyline’s unpredictable nature keeps readers off balance until the very end, ensuring a riveting reading experience.

The Purple Don is a masterfully crafted tale of crime, loyalty, and deception. This book is a must-read for fans of dark, character-driven mysteries that keep you guessing until the very end.

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Purple Don: Mystery Thriller Suspense Novel (Illuminati) – SLMN

The Debt Collector – Steven Max Russo

Posted on May 16, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch)

 

The Debt Collector by Steven Max Russo is a very good book for readers who enjoy this genre. The basic premise is an unassuming female debt collector, Abigal, comes into a new town to establish herself. Before long, she finds herself in the uncomfortable position of being the prime suspect in a murder case. The characters in this book are well thought out and believable. Their interactions with each other are clever and always keeping the reader guessing.

What I liked best about The Debt Collector is Russo’s portrayal of the main character, Abigal. Russo kept her believable and didn’t overplay her physical prowess and unique skill sets too much.

What I didn’t like is that the book seemed to go on too long after what I considered to be the natural denouement of the story. My guess is that Russo is trying to set up a sequel to the book, but I thought it could have been more easily handled with a couple of paragraphs in an Epilogue.

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers | Tagged | Comments Off on The Debt Collector – Steven Max Russo

They All Swore an Oath: Stories from Everyday Heroes in our Midst – Christopher J. Lynch

Posted on May 13, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Don Jung)


They All Swore an Oath is a collection of interviews between author Christopher Lynch and our unsung American war heroes from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the recent Persian Gulf conflict. Lynch randomly selected men and women from various backgrounds who came to serve in our armed forces.

Some stories are just from everyday people who rose to the occasion and dedicated years of their lives to protect our freedoms and then returned to civilian life while using their military training to become policemen in their local communities.

One of the stories is about Buddy Vantrease, a Kentucky farm boy, who was sent to Vietnam and was trained as a medic. He had many treacherous assignments
before coming home in 1971 to discover he was not a hero and eventually worked
in the mortuary business. It wasn’t until he attended his granddaughter’s school on Veterans Appreciation Day, with the kids waving the American flag that he finally realized he was a hero.

Most of the stories were as equally riveting as this one. Lynch effectively conveys how so many people served in our military and have many untold stories of heroism and it’s rewarding for them to get mentioned in a book for their years of service. Democracy has its cost, and we can’t take their call of duty for granted.

Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Non-fiction, WWII | Tagged , , | Comments Off on They All Swore an Oath: Stories from Everyday Heroes in our Midst – Christopher J. Lynch

How To Burn A Rainbow: My Gay Marriage Didn’t Make Me Whole, My Divorce Did – Karl Dunn

Posted on May 9, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by John Heilman)

 

How To Burn a Rainbow is an honest and well-written tale of the author’s journey through the world of divorce. Author Karl Dunn describes the moment he told his husband he wanted a divorce and then takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster through the legal system and through his own personal recovery from a bad gay marriage.

Dunn perfectly captures the frustration and anger he experiences when he realizes that the legal system requires an equal division of all marital assets, including his house, even though Dunn’s husband contributed little to the marriage. Dunn’s tale, however, is only partially about his divorce. The book details Dunn’s personal evolution from anger, victimhood and, at times, self-absorption toward more self-awareness and enlightenment. Along the way, Dunn shares his journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles to Berlin and the interesting characters who helped him on both his physical and emotional journeys. At times, Dunn’s spiritual path appears a bit cliché—reconnecting with Buddhism, living in a collective, contemplating his inner child. But perhaps these steps are cliches because they seem to work for so many. They certainly helped Dunn achieve a greater sense of self-respect and inner contentment.

As Dunn takes the reader through his journey, it’s easy to wonder how someone so intelligent and ambitious could tolerate a husband who cheated on their honeymoon and was unemployed during much of the marriage. Dunn’s naivete about California’s marital property laws is also surprising. But Dunn’s tolerance of an intolerable spouse and lack of knowledge about protecting his own assets is understandable. Like many gay men, he grew up facing bullying and contempt. His life choices were influenced by his lack of self-worth and a desperate need for the acceptance and love that so many LGBTQI people in his generation were denied in their youth. At times, it is easy to become frustrated by the mistakes Dunn makes along the way, but his deeply personal revelations are so captivating and so compelling, you can’t help but be on Dunn’s side.

Posted in Bios and Memoirs | Tagged , , | Comments Off on How To Burn A Rainbow: My Gay Marriage Didn’t Make Me Whole, My Divorce Did – Karl Dunn

The Deceived Ones – Judith Krummeck

Posted on May 6, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

 


“Luck always seems to be against the man who depends on it.”-     Ukrainian proverb

Vira Blyzinska fled to Poland from her home in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion. She brought little with her except for her viola da gamba. Unfortunately, her twin brother, Sevastyan, stayed behind to serve in the military. That said, they managed to communicate almost daily.

Due to the Uniting For Ukraine program, Vira was able to fly to Baltimore in the U.S. After her arrival, she is attacked by thugs, and her belongings, including her phone, are stolen. How will Sevastyan know how to contact her? Since she feels victimized as a woman, she takes on her twin’s identity.

She gets a job cleaning for composer, Orson, who has been commissioned to direct an opera for the Twelfth Night Festival. He is blocked creatively as his muse, singer Isabella Foiani, has refused to sing in the opera. Once Orson discovers Vira’s (who he thinks is Sevastyan) talent, he asks her opinions on the musical arrangements. More importantly he believes that Vira (Sevastyan) can persuade Isabella to join the opera. As each relationship develops, we learn the potential harm that this deception could cause. In the back of our minds, we still wonder if the twins will ever reunite.

The Deceived Ones takes its title from Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, “Twelfth Night”. Each character is fascinating and completely fleshed out.  Maybe this novel takes too much from other stories incorporating gender deception, but the contemporary issues of crime, immigration, xenophobia, and cultural diversity make it an engaging read.

Posted in Culture, Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Deceived Ones – Judith Krummeck

Splice of Life: A Memoir in 13 Film Genres – Charles Jensen

Posted on May 3, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

Exceptional
Splice of Life: A Memoir in 13 Film Genres is structured in essays, each representing a “splice” of writer and cinephile Charles Jensen’s life. Each story is interwoven with a particular film that he studies in its own context and how it relates to a certain event or period in his own life.

Jensen begins with growing up gay in a rural blue-collar town in Wisconsin, coming out as a college student in Minnesota and then living in various states as an adult. He starts out by analyzing and identifying with the movie “Mean Girls” and how girls will sell out their friends in order to climb the social ladder in high school.

His analysis of “Fatal Attraction” made me re-think the movie, as he considers Dan (played by Michael Douglas) as one of “the most exceptional assholes in cinema history.” In fact, he is cognizant of the prevalence of misogyny in film and society, while considering how film represents the thoughts of the time. Though he includes many film genres and time periods, I admit that I haven’t seen several of the movies analyzed in the book. However, one I am determined to rent, and watch is the 1943 film-noir Hitchcock thriller “Shadow of a Doubt”. His analysis is chilling.

I appreciate this original approach to the memoir genre and how Jensen writes with authenticity and a sense of vulnerability. This is particularly evident in his examination of his own relationships as an adult.

Splice of Life: A Memoir in 13 Film Genres masterfully blends personal anecdotes with cinematic analysis. Charles Jensen’s original approach makes this a compelling read for both cinephiles and those seeking a deeper understanding of life through the lens of film.

Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Non-fiction | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Splice of Life: A Memoir in 13 Film Genres – Charles Jensen

The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History – Karen Valby

Posted on April 30, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

Exceptional
At the start of the Covid 19 pandemic, five original dancers from the Dance Theater of Harlem formed the 152nd Street Black Ballet Legacy Council. Lydia Abarca, Gayle Mc-Kinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton embarked on a journey to reclaim their rightful place in the narrative of ballet. They got together online weekly to “write themselves back into history”.

One incident that prompted this was that Lydia Abarca’s daughter couldn’t find anything about how her mother aided in breaking the color barrier in ballet over fifty years ago. In fact, she was the first black ballerina to be on the cover of Dance Magazine.

The Swans of Harlem delves deep into the dancers’ personal and professional lives, unraveling the intricate tapestry of their experiences—from childhood aspirations to the arduous path to becoming ballerinas, to current- day. It sheds light on the barriers they faced as black girls aspiring to excel in a predominantly white dance form, as they were often shoved towards modern dance instead of ballet. Despite the odds, they persevered, buoyed by the unwavering support of their families. As we read on, we learn that there were black ballerinas before them who were virtually forgotten.

Readers gain insight into the company’s rich history, its trials and triumphs, and the indelible mark it left on the world of dance. Their interactions with the late founder and director Arthur Mitchell, both positive and negative, offer a look into the complexities of mentorship and leadership. We learn how difficult it is financially to just keep a dance company afloat.

One section of the book pays homage to their dance partners who died of AIDS—a poignant reminder of the fragility of life.

The Swans of Harlem will resonate with readers irrespective of their familiarity with ballet. It serves as a testament to the power of perseverance, the importance of reclaiming one’s narrative, and the transformative potential of ballet in transcending barriers and inspiring change.

Posted in Bios and Memoirs, History, Non-fiction | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History – Karen Valby

The Notebooks of Sonny Rollins -Sonny Rollins, Sam V.H. Reese (Editor, Introduction)

Posted on April 22, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)


In 1959, twenty-eight-year-old tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins disappeared for two years with the purpose of practicing and improving his craft. He wrote down his thoughts on technical aspects of the saxophone, “rethinking musical concepts”, as well as those on perseverance, and self-improvement and control. These notes are at the beginning of the book, The Notebooks of Sonny Rollins, and these notes continued through this century.

The notebooks will appeal to a niche audience, especially those who play the saxophone. However, as a jazz aficionado (particularly of the late 1950’s era), I found these writings instrumental in trying to understand the persona of this great jazz legend.

Rollins also wrote of his jazz contemporaries and influences, and later about his political and sociological thoughts and life in general. He included interesting sketches to amplify his notes.

Sonny Rollins is now ninety-three years old and has been considered “jazz’s greatest living improviser” by the New York Times. At only 166 pages, musicians and jazz fans alike will enjoy this book.

Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Non-fiction | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Notebooks of Sonny Rollins -Sonny Rollins, Sam V.H. Reese (Editor, Introduction)

An UnderratedRead Revisited -All Who Wander – Joe Clifford

Posted on April 18, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)


“I’ve spent years in therapy pushing dark memories into a black corner where, without light, I though the wild things could not grow. I was wrong. Left alone and ignored, I’ve provided ideal conditions for them to flourish.”

And allow others to manipulate us with their “truth”.

In All Who Wander, we travel between the present and the late 1990’s, just days before twenty-year-old Brooke Mulcahy disappeared.

Brooke lived with her father in a small Massachusetts town. He didn’t know how to deal with her wild behavior, drug abuse, and affection for the wrong men. Her mother, who had abandoned them a decade earlier, returned on the brink of death, accompanied by a baby boy. Brooke understood her mother’s desire to escape, but harbored resentment toward her newfound half-brother, Robert, or “Bobby.” The narrative in the present unfolds through the lens of Robert, now a thirty-six-year-old civil engineering professor, husband, and father.

When a young woman, claiming to be the daughter of Brooke comes to visit Robert, his life starts to unravel. Brooke’s disappearance was considered a cold case, as her body was never found. However, even authorities believed that she was a victim of a known serial killer. The problem for Robert though, was that it brought back excruciating childhood memories of his life as “Bobby”.

This intoxicating novel transports us to uncharted territories of human emotion and psyche. The characters are meticulously crafted, and we understand their motivations. Author Joe Clifford writes with haunting clarity, and we can feel the intense emotion of the characters as well as the smell of the stench and sweat of everyday life. The conclusion hits you as a complete surprise, and from start to finish, this book captivates, refusing to release its grip.

I seldom give a book the highest rating of “5 Bookmarks”, but All Who Wander meets the necessary criteria. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Posted in Revisited | Tagged , , | Comments Off on An UnderratedRead Revisited -All Who Wander – Joe Clifford

Benetton: A true story – Francesco della Barba

Posted on April 15, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)


Benetton: A True Story offers a fascinating journey through the history of one of the most iconic fashion brands of the 1980s. Written by Francesco della Barba, the Executive Vice-President of Benetton USA, this memoir provides an insider’s perspective on the rise and evolution of this Italian clothing company.

Della Barba assisted the company grow its business in the United Kingdom, United States and later in the Middle East. I found his perception of the cultural differences between the Italians and the British fascinating. In fact, he believes that American culture is somewhere in-between the two countries, depending on where one lives. He opened an office in Dubai in 1989 and uses engaging anecdotes to explain how their stores were successful despite such conservative religious dress codes.

There are so many fun and interesting stories within this memoir, some stranger than fiction. I enjoyed reading about the associates: some quirky, many trustworthy and some less than.

While the memoir is rich in content, I found the timeline a bit confusing. However, this minor flaw is overshadowed by the overall quality of the book.

Benetton: A True Story offers readers a captivating look into the world of fashion and business. Delving into the colorful history of Benetton, della Barba’s narrative is both entertaining and enlightening, making it an engaging read for anyone interested in the fashion industry or entrepreneurial success.

Posted in Bios and Memoirs, History, Non-fiction | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Benetton: A true story – Francesco della Barba