Alan Scott's Page

In The Sacrilege, the third installment of John Maddox Roberts ancient Roman mysteries, everyone’s favorite beleaguered quaestor is back in Rome after a year of required military service but now, Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger is a Senator. With the small promotion comes substantially more trouble. His sworn enemy Clodius is stirring up problems and vows to kill him in the streets. The hated Pompey is outside the city walls pushing for a triumphant procession the likes Rome has nev… Continue

Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol, the next in the series after The DaVinci Code, is an exciting page-turner but gets bogged down with facts that oftentimes don’t add to the story. Brown has an amazing eye for research and details and he puts them all together in a fast-paced action-packed novel set in Washington, DC.

I’m sure no one would question Brown’s ability to spin great tales concerning the deciphering of codes, symbols and long-forgotten languages but how much of it is necessar… Continue

A love of knitting and a love of cozy mysteries. These aren’t required to enjoy Needled to Death, Maggie Sefton’s second knitting novel featuring Kelly Flynn, but they are strongly recommended. If you’re looking for something edgier or more suspenseful, search elsewhere. Although a delightful read, Maggie Sefton’s writing style is homey, comfortable and even a little campy. And she knows how to spin a good yard (no pun intended).

Needled to Death is stuffed with knitters talking a… Continue

Wow! I love a good ghost story and Heather Graham delivers a great one in Deadly Harvest, the second installment in her Flynn brothers trilogy. Aidan, Jeremy and Zach Flynn inherited a mansion outside of New Orleans from a great-aunt whom they have never heard of before her death. Aidan, the oldest of the brothers, and his now-wife Kendall deal with their own ghosts that haunt the mansion in Deadly Night.

Deadly Harvest opens in New Orleans just before Halloween as Jeremy F… Continue

I met Anthony Bidulka quite unexpectedly during a business trip to Toronto earlier this year. While perusing a bookstore, I found out that he had a book signing later that day just a few blocks away. I had seen Mr. Bidulka’s works in many places but this was the first chance to meet him. I purchased Flight of Aquavit, the follow-up to his debut novel, Amuse Bouche and enjoyed it very much.

His sleuth Russell Quant, like the author, lives in Saskatoon in Saskatchewan. The novel ope… Continue