KAYE TROUT'S BOOK REVIEWS 1

I specialize in reviewing Print-On-Demand (POD) published books for my website and Midwest Book Review. Please query for a review by email to hgunther234@hotmail.com.

Monday, April 28, 2008

THE LAST DEER HUNT, A Yooper Mystery by Jerry Sarasin

Outskirts Press, Parker, CO
www.outskirtspress.com
Genre: Fictional - Mystery - Light Romance
Rating: Very Good
ISBN: 97891432717414, $14.95, 422 pp.


The Last Deer Hunt is a classic mystery story about a protagonist named Hank Duval, his family and friends in the town of Fairhaven, Michigan, the unearthed body of Ronald Pettiford, and Hank’s love, Maggie. Hank has recurring nightmares from his youth which lead him to believe that he is Pettiford’s murderer. His buddies from the Omega gang tell him bad Vic Pollo, now dead, was the murderer...but something just isn’t right.

Jerry Sarasin is a Yooper from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He tells a good story which keeps you guessing while he brings Fairhaven and its people to life.
The novel is well written and generally well edited. There are a few minor editing errors, but that is true for most any mainstream novel. His writing style is pretty straight forward and flows smoothly...not dynamic or unique, but he gets the job done. I can certainly recommend The Last Deer Hunt to mystery buffs.

Kaye Trout - April 28, 2008

Saturday, April 05, 2008

IT WAS NEVER ABOUT A HOT DOG AND A COKE by Rodney L. Hurst, Sr.

A personal account of the 1960 sit-in demonstrations in
Jacksonville, Florida and Ax Handle Saturday.
By Rodney L. Hurst, Sr.
WingSpan Publishing
PO Box 2085, Livermore, CA 94551
www.wingspanpress.com
Genre: Historical memoir
Rating: Very Good
ISBN: 9781595941954, $14.95, 204 pp.


Quoting from the back cover:

"On August 27, 1960, more than 200 whites with ax handles and baseball bats attacked members of the Jacksonville Youth Council NAACP in downtown Jacksonville who were sitting in at white lunch counters protesting racism and segregation. Referred to as Ax Handle Saturday, It was never about a hot dog and a Coke chronicles the racial and political climate of Jacksonville, Florida in the late fifties, the events leading up to that infamous day, and the aftermath."

This informative memoir is about a dangerous time. The events are a part of our history, and through Rodney’s story we learn more about the people and groups involved and the courage it took to sit. The book is well-written and well-edited. Thanks, Rodney, for taking the time.

Kaye Trout - April 5, 2008