Literary Scene

By Ryan G. Van Cleave 

Gumshoe on the Loose
by Rob Leininger book

USA Today bestselling author Rob Leininger has released Gumshoe on the Loose, the third novel in the Mortimer Angel series. An IRS-guy-turned PI, Mort’s my kind of hero. He’s got a good dose of the classic PI in him, but he’s also got a snappy voice and keen eye. Plus, he gets into all the trouble Reno can offer, which is where all three books are set. book

The book starts with “I am a murderer. Technically speaking.” Say something like that, I’m hooked!

In this tale, an attractive woman (he can’t seem to stop bumbling into them!) hires Mort to find out why someone left her a note demanding a million bucks. At her house, he stumbles upon the body of Jo-X, a recently-gone-MIA Nevada gangsta rapper who Mort calls “an opportunistic, foul-mouthed piece of shinola, twenty-four years old, who had taken advantage of all the flaws and loopholes in the First Amendment to make millions while encouraging kids to kill their parents and rape their hos—a ho being pretty much any female in the vicinity who still had a pulse, not that a pulse was an absolute requirement, according to Jo-X.” book

Things get cooking fast from there. Leininger knows how to turn a phrase and keep the action hot. If you’re into maverick PIs and a little Nevada sun-and-fun, this is the book for you. book

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 

robleininger.com

Speed the Dawn
by Philip Donlay

An avid pilot with over six million miles logged, author Philip Donlay knows about things in the sky and things falling out of it, too. And that’s what Speed the Dawn is about—things falling. In this case, it’s hundreds of screaming-hot meteor fragments shooting down at California. Unfortunately, that’s exactly where our hero, Donovan Nash, finds himself. Now it’s up to him to save himself and others as the meteorites ignite the arid landscape and start an inferno like those that current real Californians know all too well about. book

It’s up to Nash’s wife, Dr. Lauren McKenna, and the use of her Pentagon and Forest Service connections to dream up a solution to keep the fire from spreading and killing millions in the Bay Area. But will her plan stop the fire and save Nash, too? book

Fans of science-based stories like those of Michael Crichton will delight in this tale. Nash is a strong lead with lots of energy and smarts. Plus, Donlay’s got a knack for twisting and turning at just the right time so readers get the full effect, too. book

If this is your type of story, Donlay’s got seven other Donovan Nash tales, and all of them move at the same breakneck speed.

Rating: 4 out of 5 

philipdonlay.com

BONUS Dad! BONUS Mom! A Child’s Guide to Understanding the Role of a Step-Parent
by Justin and Monique Honaman
Reviewed by Courtney Jones

This fun and loving picture book teaches children, in a light-hearted way, all about the role of a step-parent. The story follows a family as they go about their daily activities, all the while showing children the responsibilities that bonus parents have. book

Paired with amusing and colorful illustrations, the book lets children know that their bonus parent loves them very much and that kids are always special. The book also teaches readers about soft skills such as responsibility, honesty, gratitude and cooperation, which helps them to develop into well-rounded individuals. book

Authors Justin and Monique Honaman and illustrator Jackie Benson use an exuberant family of dogs to portray human activities in a quirky manner that makes the book memorable and interesting. The book can be read in two ways—from front to back for the bonus dad story, and from back to front for the bonus mom one. book

This title is ideal for children ages 4 to 8, whether or not they currently have a bonus parent in their lives.

Rating: 4 out of 5