A Bridge to Elne

A Bridge to Elne: Epic Novel of French Resistance To The Nazi Occupation
L. E. Indianer
AuthorHouse
Reviewed By: Laura T.

"In these times, nothing was ever, forever."

In June of 1942, Dr. Marcel Pontier, a successful dentist in Marseille, France, made one of the hardest and most important decisions of his life. As WWII raged about him, he decided to move his wife and four children to her parent's home in the peaceful village of Elne, located in southern France. Elne was seen as a safe place to be at that time as the Nazi movement was most active in northern France, and no one was sure that when war would touch the beautiful village which is near the coast.

Marcel was not a man to sit still and try to wait out the war; he was a man on a mission. A member of the Maquis, or La Resistance, he and a group of extremely brave Frenchmen and women fought their own battles for France by attacking the Vichy and the invading Nazi troops. It was not an easy life at all for Marcel. Constantly on the move and hiding from the enemy, he sorely missed his wife Angelina and his family.
Angelina misses him also, and while she takes care of their children at the home of her parents, Elizabeth and Paul Courty, and her sister Paulette, they are all shocked to learn that the Germans are moving their troops into Elne, and each household there is ordered to house a German officer.

Captain Johann Weller, a German engineering officer who is secretly opposed to the entire Nazi doctrine, moves into the Courty home in Elne. The family does not want to like Johann, for he is German and an enemy, but Johann is very kind to them and they gradually get to know him and come to accept his presence in their household.

Marcel soon becomes a Maquis commander, and is on the Gestapo's list of top ten most wanted fugitives. In the home of the Courty's, Paulette and Johann find themselves quite attracted to each other, but this is a time of War, and for them to be together now is too extreme for either of them to pursue. Paulette works for the mayor of Elne, and as her office is next to an office being used by the Germans to make their plans, she is then able to pass those plans along to Marcel, who will use the information for the good of France through the Marquis.

Things go along pretty well, until the German commandant begins to suspect that Paulette may be a spy. This could cause the entire family to be executed. What takes place from then on is nothing short of a true adventure.

This novel is based on a true story and is full of wonder and suspense. The characters are brilliantly real and very well written. The style of this book tends to make one feel as if they are right there with Marcel in that time period, fighting alongside him. This reviewer picked up the book to do a "quick skim" of it, and was unable to put the book down; its story is so fascinating. As the author puts it so well, "sometimes in war, as in our life, you have to make tough decisions." I think that it would make an excellent movie.

L. E. Indianer, a retired optometric physician and lecturer on eye-related subjects, has also lectured on International Terrorism for the past fifteen years. He has written two plays, the second one being A Bridge to Elne, on which this wonderful novel is based. He resides with his family in Florida.

FALL: The Rape and Murder of Innocence in a Small Town by Ron Franscell

FALL: The Rape and Murder of Innocence in a Small Town
Ron Franscell
New Horizon Press
Reviewed by: Laura T.

"Two men, two girls, one night, and nothing is the same. We all changed."

It seemed like an ordinary chilly night on September 24, 1973, when eighteen year old Becky Thompson and her eleven year old stepsister, Amy Burridge were asked by their mother to make a quick run to a local store to pick up a few groceries. That night, turned into something so unordinary and so horrific that it changed the two girls themselves and their community of Casper, Wyoming forever.

As the two girls emerged from the gas station/grocery store to head for home, Becky discovered that her right rear tire was flat. Two men appeared in a white Impala and offered help with the flat. Becky sent Amy to a nearby pay phone to call their mother and let her know about the flat, and that two "kind men" had stopped to offer assistance. They would be returning home as soon as possible. The mother of the girls, Toni Case, became more and more worried as that night crawled by with no more word from them.

Ronald Leroy Kennedy and Jerry Lee Jenkins, the men who offered help to the sisters, were by no means Good Samaritans. At knife-point, they forced Becky and Amy into the Impala's backseat floorboard, where they were told to lay face down.

The two men beat and terrorized the girls as they took them on a winding drive that finally led to the Fremont Canyon Bridge, which is located about forty miles southwest of Casper. The bridge is a one lane steel-beamed structure which hangs 112 feet above the North Platte River.

Ronald Kennedy removed young Amy from the car first, and threw her body over the bridge. Kennedy and Jenkins then drove 150 to 200 yards up the road, where they took turns raping Becky. Becky was then thrown over the bridge. Amy was dead. Becky, miraculously, survived.

Becky hid herself in a crevice of the canyon, freezing cold, half naked and in a great deal of pain, but she dared not move nor make a sound in case the killers were still up on the bridge watching for any signs of life from her.

At dawn, in thirty-four degree weather, Becky painfully dragged her shattered body up the canyon wall where she was found by Carl and Dorothy Strasser, who were on their way for some early morning fishing. Becky was rushed to the hospital, where among numerous injuries, her pelvis had been broken in five places.

Her sister Amy's lifeless body was recovered from under the bridge, resting at the bottom of thirty feet of water.

This story literally hit home for Ron Franscell, at the time of the incident he was sixteen years old, and the two stepsisters were his next door neighbors.

Thanks to Becky, Kennedy and Jenkins were found quickly, then tried and sentenced to death. However, the death penalty was overturned by Wyoming Supreme Court in 1977 and the verdicts for both men were changed to life imprisonment.

The reader would think that the story would end there, but it was far from over. Veteran newspaperman and novelist Ron Franscell kept this story stored in his heart and I believe that the shocking events which occurred concerning Becky on July 31, 1992, cried out to him that this story needed to be brought to light.

Many were forever haunted by this horrible crime, and what happened to then thirty-seven year old Becky brought back that haunting feeling; and with it, a life altering experience for Franscell. Almost thirty years later, he felt he had to tell this incredible story. This situation ended up becoming a tragedy within a tragedy of a true crime. Becky always felt survivor guilt and felt that it should have been her, instead of Amy, who had died.
Not only does Franscell tell the story of the crime in it's own cold facts, he also tells Kennedy's story, distorted as it is, as Kennedy is still living. Jenkins died in prison in 1998. As Franscell puts it quite accurately, Kennedy's story "reads like a bad movie script."

Full of facts, this horror that stunned an entire community will leave you breathless at its end. Especially chilling, is the fact that on September 24, 2003, Franscell spent the night of the thirtieth anniversary of the crime under the Fremont Canyon bridge in the spot Becky had been on the night that changed her life forever. He was trying to capture some of the feelings she must have felt during that hellish and terrifying night so long ago.

This book is a must read for the fans of the true crime genre. Franscell's personal feelings which he dealt with, in and of themselves, make this a memorable account of the crime. To put it in Franscell's own words, "Fall is a story about surviving in a messy world. None of us escapes untouched by evil. But we have a choice: we can struggle on or we can surrender."

This book is Franscell's first true crime. He has written two novels titled Angel Fire and The Deadline. He resides in Beaumont, Texas, where he is a lifelong newspaperman.

Thriller: Stories to Keep You Up All Night, edited by James Patterson

THRILLER: Stories to Keep You Up All Night
Edited by: James Patterson
MIRA Books
Reviewed by: Rob Holden

I have never been a fan of short story anthologies, as a rule. Perhaps it has just been my bad luck, but the majority of anthologies I have tried in recent years have featured one or two decent stories by big name authors – followed by what can be best described as substandard material by authors you are never likely to hear from again. So when Sarie Morrell – ReadersRoom’s book publicity columnist – told me that she would be sending me a copy of THRILLER, I was all set to take a quick look at it and then spend a little time thinking up an excuse for not reviewing it (I hate giving negative reviews). The quick look ended up being just under five hours (and ten stories) long – ended only by the fact that it was past 9:00 in the evening and I hadn’t even started dinner! The book became my constant companion for the next couple of days – and since finishing it I have gone back and read a couple of the stories a second time. I have no doubt that in the coming weeks – when I have a little free time – I will be re-reading them all again.

So much for not being a fan of short story anthologies.

THRILLER: Stories to Keep You Up All Night is a collection of short stories by members of (and for the benefit of) ITW – International Thriller Writers – an organization that started a couple of years ago to promote the thriller genre, and has been growing by leaps and bounds. Internationally recognized bestselling author James Patterson served as editor on the project – and provides a brief sketch of both the contributing authors’ careers and how the story they have contributed came into being. Long time readers of ReadersRoom.com will notice many familiar names among the contributors – Steve Berry, David Dun, James Grippando, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell and M.J. Rose, who join a host of other authors including Lee Child, John Lescroart, Eric Van Lustbader, Douglas Preston, and Christopher Rice. In all, there are 30 short stories in this collection, and quite honestly, there isn’t a clunker in the bunch. James Patterson’s brief introductions to each story are informative, often witty, without exception fascinating – providing a real insight into how the story actually came about, as opposed to the usual fluff you so often find in anthology introductions. The reader gets the feeling that Patterson really enjoyed each and every one of these stories and is hoping that we, the reader, will as well.

Thrillers, as a genre, have been around for years – overlapping with the more popular and recognized genres such as horror, suspense and mystery – and have always been somewhat under appreciated. And yet, thrillers come in every shape and size and with every sort of character imaginable – from the suave and sophisticated James Bond created fifty years ago by Ian Fleming, to Peter Benchly’s man-eating shark in JAWS, to David Morrell’s intrepid urban explorers in this year’s bestselling CREEPERS. Scratch a horror novel, or a spy novel – look a little deeper into much of the Science Fiction being published today, or legal mysteries, or even romantic suspense and BANG – there it is – elements of the thriller! The fact that more and more authors are attempting to classify themselves as thriller writers – and have formed the ITW to promote the genre – is a long overdue and much needed step in the right direction. That these same authors have contributed to this particular and unique anthology makes the book worthy of a look in and of itself.

But what makes this anthology really stand out is the writing. First person, third person, multiple points of view – you get it all in this collection, and by people who do it better than anybody else in the business. This book is filled with “big name” authors writing at the top of their game and, even if some of the names might not be familiar to you, I doubt you will forget them after reading their contributions to THRILLER. These people can flat out write – and the stories you find in this collection are not the product of a couple of hours at the computer to fulfill an obligation. These are unique, well thought out, exquisitely plotted vignettes – many of them featuring characters from the various authors’ series work – all entertaining, and all exploring the varied and wonderful permutations of the thriller.

THRILLER: Stories to Keep You Up All Night – at $24.95 list and almost six hundred pages – is one of those books that will not only keep your engrossed for hours reading, but also introduce you to writers who you might not know, but would like to read more of. It is definitely a MUST read.

Angelos by Robina Williams

“Angelos” by Robina Williams
Twilight Times Books, 2006
Kingsport, TN 37664PO Box 317
New Castle, CO 81647
www.twilighttimesbooks.com
ISBN: 1933353600
$16.95

When Father Fidelis abruptly leaves the friary,
the Brothers ­ Peter, Oliver, Valentine, and
Bernard ­ wonder if Leo the cat might have
something to do with it. They have good reason to
wonder since they are keenly aware of Leo’s
uncanny ability to appear and disappear like
magic. No one knows what to expect when his green
eyes change to a golden glow.

When Leo’s not bewildering the Brotherhood at the
friary in this life, he crosses over to guide the
recently deceased Brother Jerome through the next
life. In “Jerome and the Seraph”, the first book
in the series, readers learned that Leo is a time
traveling feline whose real name is Quantum ­ or
Quant for short. A rock falls on the Minotaur
(half man/half bull) in the Labyrinth of Knossos
which sets off a quantum leap, sending the
Minotaur to the friary and Jerome to the
Labryrinth. Leo/Quant is busy hiding the Minotaur
in the shed when Jerome calls on his old companion to help him escape the maze.

Meanwhile, Aidan the new Guardian arrives at the
friary (to replace Fidelis) and decides the
Brothers are much too lax. To everyone’s surprise
and dismay, he posts a new prayer schedule and
new rules. However his inflexibility masks a
deeper crisis of faith haunting him.

Williams creates a fascinating contrast between
Brother Jerome’s journey of discovery in the
after life and Father Aidan’s struggle to
understand this life. “Angelos” weaves history
and mythology into spell-binding fantasy and a
soul-searching tale which readers of all ages will enjoy.

Reviewed by Peggy Tibbetts

Capitol Murder by William Bernhardt

Capitol Murder
William Bernhardt
Ballantine Books
2006
Reviewed by: Rob Holden

It is usually fun for me to review the latest installment in a series that I have followed over the course of several years. It is particularly fun when that latest installment happens to be the best thus far. That is the case with Capitol Murder – number thirteen in the series featuring Oklahoma defense attorney Ben Kincaid – by William Bernhardt.

The novel opens with Ben being called to Washington to defend Senator Todd Glancy, who has been caught in a sex scandal. The Senator has called Ben in to help him save his career. But when the young woman involved in the sex scandal is found dead in a secret basement office in the Senate building – on Glancy’s favorite couch – with her throat cut, Ben Kincaid has more to worry about than saving the Senator’s career. After he is arrested and charged with murder, Kincaid must try to save Glancy’s life.

As the novel unfolds, Bernhardt takes his readers inside a Washington that most people never see – and into the inner workings of Government that most people know little or nothing about. At the same time, however, the author shows us a different, darker side of our nation’s capital – one that has nothing to do with the government, one that takes place in the darkness. As Kincaid’s defense team looks into the background of the murder victim, they come upon a hidden world of modern day Goths, and vampiric “circles” in which there exists the ritualistic drinking of human blood. What ensues is a wild ride that takes place at a pace that makes you wish you could turn the pages even faster.

Where this novel really excels, however, is in Bernhardt’s presentation of Senator Glancy’s trial. There has been a trend in recent years for “legal thrillers” to stay out of the courtroom and concentrate, rather on the crimes and criminals themselves – turning their lawyer heroes and heroines into more private investigators than attorneys. In contrast, a good amount of Capitol Murder takes place firmly in the courtroom, and the authors uses his considerable talent for writing compelling and readable dialogue to make this some of the fastest paced fiction I have read in quite a while. When I asked William Bernhardt why he has always bucked the trend to stay out of the courtroom in our chat with him this month at ReadersRoom, he answered: “It's hard to beat a good trial. Conflict in a bottle. All in one room, diametrically opposed parties in combat with words, which works well for a novel, and within that context, you can address virtually any subject.... I enjoy the courtroom scenes. They almost write themselves, perhaps because I worked as a trial attorney for many years. No reader wants you to pause a good trial to describe the light fixtures. It's all verbal warfare.”

Capitol Murder is a fast paced, compelling read, written by an author who – over the course of 12 previous novels – has gotten to know his characters extraordinarily well. The mix of action, courtroom drama and comfortable interaction between his large ensemble cast of characters makes Capitol Murder a must read!

The Latent: A Miami Novel

The Latent: A Miami Novel
Marshall Frank
Publish America
2006
Reviewed by: Laura T.

Marshall Frank is back, and in full force with his latest mystery novel, The Latent. In this fast paced read, a string of homosexual men who choose to dress as women are being found brutally murdered throughout the southeastern United States. No one knows who is behind what seems to be a very well planned operation of executions. The trail of dead transvestites populating the landscape has the entire community in an absolute panic. As the amount of bodies pile up, the detective in charge feels like this is only the beginning.

Leading the investigation is "hard luck" Rock Burgamy, whose career has taken a nosedive due to his drinking, black-outs, and family struggles, and does not seem to be stopping in it's decline. Burgamy is an award winning homicide detective, well known for his practice of recovering latent fingerprints developed from the surface of a victim's human skin. Never before has Burgamy handled a case that is so immersed in the "gay world."

From there, he enters this world that is totally unknown to him, this subculture of gay men who live their lives as women; they dress as women, with the walk, talk, and pitch of voice of a woman, and they find men attractive. They dress beautifully and, ironically, are gorgeous. But, their lives are expendable in the real world, which sees and treats them as freaks.

"Lara" Lawson, a well-liked transvestite bartender, is one of the victims of this ongoing slaughter, and latent prints have been lifted from her right foot. The rub here is that the prints belong to Rock Burgamy himself. He is horrified when he realizes that during an alcoholic black-out, he has slept with one of the victims.
Burgamy goes to trial with a capable team consisting of his lawyer Harry Grubbs and his ex-wife Kathryn, who is also a lawyer, backing him all the way. Yet in the end, he finds himself sitting on Death Row, pondering all the men whom he has sent there himself in the past....were they really guilty, or an innocent man such as he?

Meanwhile, Grubbs and Kathryn are determined to locate the real killer, along with help from Burgamy's friend and mentor, Lieutenant Reed Christopher. All three feel that regardless of Burgamy's drinking, his rough life, and a childhood which still haunts him, there is no way their friend could be the killer. The only clue they have to go on is a description of a bushy-headed, mustached biker who has been seen by several witnesses at or nearby the scenes of the crimes. What follows is one heck of a wild ride, in which you just can't turn the pages of this book fast enough.
The police tales which Marshall Frank writes go beyond their sub-genre in that he brings insights that illuminate the victim's lives. This device garners sympathy and understanding in the reader, who is drawn very deeply into the investigation. As a writer, Frank proves his talents by sustaining a high level of suspense without exploiting the cases. His quite colorful and realistic characters make for exciting and entertaining reading.

Marshall Frank is a retired captain from the Miami-Dade Police Department, where he investigated major crimes during the majority of his thirty year career there. The Latent is his fifth novel.

Thrilled to Death by Jennifer Apodaca

Kensington
320 pages
ISBN: 0758209886
February 2006
Hardcover

In Jennifer Apodaca's newest installment of the Samantha Shaw mystery series, Thrilled to Death, Sam manages to be just as entertaining and just as impetuous as she has in the past, but she also manages to show growth along with very real, very human feelings.

This is one of Apodaca's strongest gifts. Making us believe in--and love--her very real characters.

And in this book we get to learn a lot about magicians. Sam's beloved grandfather Barney is acting mysterious, and Sam soon learns that he is a suspect in the murder of a magician he--once upon a time--mentored. A magician who became a "spoiler," or someone who made his money, and his entire act, upon revealing the secrets of other magicians. In short, a magician who made a lot of enemies. Sam knows her grandfather could NOT have killed anyone, and so, as is usual, she must investigate and see if she can find out just WHO the murderer is--before it's too late.

This extremely readable author offers up a great, fast-paced read, complete with witty dialogue, fast-paced suspense and tension, and of course, hot sex.

Apodaca has a gift with the creation of the romantic triangle, and she makes you wonder just who Sam should end up with, even if you are mostly pulling for her hunky younger boyfriend Gabe Pulizzi.

A series is sometimes hard to hold up, and I'm thrilled to say I was not even slightly disappointed in Thrilled to Death, and I know that fans of this series will feel the same. I also think that Apodaca can bring in some new readers who will learn to love Sam, and hunky Gabe, just as much as this reviewer does.

The Prey by Allison Brennan

Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0-345-48023-6
January 2006
Romantic Suspense

The Prey is the debut book of author Allison Brennan, and the first of a three part series, being released in an interesting marketing plan from Ballantine. The Prey hit bookstores in December 2005, The Hunt is due this month, and The Kill next month.

Brennan's writing is reminiscent of early Iris Johansen books, which should endear her to romantic suspense fans worldwide.

In The Prey, Rowan Smith is an author of suspense novels, living in a borrowed Malibu beach house while her latest bestselling novel is made into a movie. She is a former FBI agent with secrets she is not willing to share with anyone. But when a twisted murderer starts killing people, in exact copies of murder victims in her books, Rowan has to face up to her past.

She is forced to open up her life to strangers, including a bodyguard who is a former Delta Force officer with his own mysterious past. The two share a connection, whether it is the twisted secrets they hide from the world, or their own desire to do the right thing--and protect the underdog.

This book is a solid first effort from Brennan, and we learn enough about the protagonists in the next few books to be anxious to hear their stories, too. The characters are well-defined, the momentum is non-stop, and you can't put the book down.

Brennan is a new author to watch.