Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Michael J. McCann - The Rainy Day Killer - Review and Giveaway



About the Book

A man in a business suit offers the protection of his umbrella to an unsuspecting woman, and several days later she turns up dead on a river bank, raped and strangled. The terrifying serial killer known in the press as the Rainy Day Killer is now hunting new victims in the city of Glendale ... whenever it rains.

Homicide Lieutenant Hank Donaghue leads the investigation as the killer begins to communicate directly to him through phone calls and grisly packages containing body parts of his victims. Assisted by FBI profiler Ed Griffin, Donaghue and Detective Karen Stainer pursue an elusive predator who leaves no physical evidence behind.

The timing couldn't be worse, however, as Karen Stainer's attention is divided between the investigation and preparations for her upcoming wedding. Distracted and uncertain about her future, Stainer is furious when she learns that the Rainy Day Killer has followed her to Virginia, where the wedding will take place, and that he intends to make her his next victim!


My Review

It's always a treat to read a novel set in an area that I'm familiar with. I've visited the 'Baltimore - Washington, DC - northern Virginia' region several times and Michael J. McCann got it right with his depiction of it. The coastal atmosphere of the Chesapeake Bay. The congested six-lane traffic around the Capitol. The rolling farmland of the landed Southern gentry. I could picture these locations in my mind and see McCann's characters moving through these environments.

But the most prominent aspect of the book's setting is its proximity to our nation's seat of power - both politically and militarily. The first murder victim's body is dumped under a bridge outside of Quantico, home of the U.S. Marine Corps. And as it turns out, all of the players involved in his capture are engaged in some kind of battle for supremacy of their own. Hank, the lead investigator, is gunning for the captain's chair, but an incompetent upstart might yank it out from under him. When the local police department finds out they're dealing with a serial killer, the FBI takes over the collection of evidence, ruffling more than few feathers in the process. When the murderer strikes twice in a two-month span, the case is turned over to a federal Special Ops task force, wresting control away from those originally assigned to the case. Firmly placing the novel in the context of both literal and figurative survival.

Everyone is looking to gain some kind of advantage over an opponent. Careers are made or broken on these high profile investigations. One mistake is all it takes to land at the bottom of the food chain. Some are gunning to catch the killer for the praise and accolades afforded to the victor. While others who work the daily grind with their heads down and their ears open, just want him off the streets and away from any future victims.

Their motives may be mixed, but they're all after the same result. How they get there is another matter entirely. From high end boutiques to abandoned warehouses, the killer leads them on a wild goose chase. He brazenly makes appearances from yuppie supermarkets to shopping malls in the midst of retail decline. He crosses the economic spectrum in search of his next target from suburban apartment complexes to Civil War era farmhouses.

He's elusive. He's smart. And he thinks he's the one in control, no matter where he goes and what adversaries he comes across. He makes it personal. Surveilling his targets. Reaching out to the lead investigators. And so far, he always been able to get away, ready to terrorize yet another town with his brand of brutality and fear. But even the best criminal masterminds make mistakes. And this time he may have gotten a little too close for comfort.

***

The Rainy Day Killer can be purchased at:
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBookstore, Sony, Kobo, Smashwords, Powells, Amazon UK, Amazon CAN, Fishpond AUS, Fishpond NZ

Prices/Formats: $8.99 ebook, $19.99 paperback
Pages: 290
ISBN: 9780987708786
Publisher: Plaid Raccoon Press
Release: August 30, 2013
Click to add to your Goodreads list.


About the Author

Michael J. McCann was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. He earned a B.A. (Hons.) in English from Trent University and an M.A. in English from Queen's University. He has worked as an editor and a project and training consultant and manager with the federal government. He is an author of crime fiction and supernatural thrillers. His Donaghue and Stainer Crime Novel series includes Blood Passage, Marcie's Murder, The Fregoli Delusion, and The Rainy Day Killer. He is also the author of the supernatural thriller The Ghost Man and is currently working on another supernatural novel.

Links to connect with Michael:
Web Site
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Blog (mystery)
Blog (paranormal)
Pinterest
Blog Tour Site


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Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Michael J. Bowler - Children of the Knight - Review and Giveaway



About the Book

According to legend, King Arthur is supposed to return when Britain needs him most. So why does a man claiming to be the once and future king suddenly appear in modern-day Los Angeles?

This charismatic young Arthur creates a new Camelot within the City of Angels to lead a crusade of unwanted kids against an adult society that discards and ignores them. Under his banner of equality, every needy child is welcome, regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation, or gang affiliation.

With the help of his amazing First Knight, homeless fourteen-year-old Lance, Arthur transforms this ragtag band of rejected children and teens into a well-trained army—the Children of the Knight––where even gay boys and gangsters work side by side. Through his intervention, they win the hearts and minds of the populace at large, and gain a truer understanding of themselves and their worth to society. But seeking more rights for kids pits Arthur and his children squarely against the rich, the influential, and the self-satisfied politicians who want nothing more than to maintain the status quo.

Can right truly overcome might? Arthur’s hopeful young knights are about to find out, and the City of Angels will never be the same.

The Knight Cycle begins . . .


My Review

Hollywood. The first thing that usually comes to mind is the glamor and decadence of the red carpet. Movie stars bedecked in diamonds waving to adoring crowds. However, the reality is quite different. The streets lined with the handprints of famous celebrities are where children abandoned by society are forced to make a living, hustling drugs or selling their bodies. It's a bleak scene, lacking hope and in need of a champion. Michael J. Bowler answers the call by heralding King Arthur from the mists of history to fight for these neglected teens in CHILDREN OF THE KNIGHT.

Arthur is oblivious to the culture of instant fame and America's obsession with reality TV. He magically wakes up in twenty-first century California, but he doesn't know how. Is it the working of Merlin? Legend has it that he would return when Britain needed him most ... but would one of her former colonies count when it comes to summoning him from the beyond? He has Excalibur. He has his throne. He has a trusty steed. All he requires are the knights he can lead into battle against poverty and despair.

But parading through the barrio to combat crime and corruption with a bunch of delinquent teens, gets him noticed. Soon the whole world is aware of his campaign through viral videos and internet postings. The media can't get enough as they follow him around, reclaiming one poor neighborhood after another. Ratings soar. Interest is high. His knights become household names. People can't get enough, hounding them for autographs and asking them to pose for cell phone pics. In a town where everyone's looking to catch a glimpse of a famous person, King Arthur and his new and improved Knights of the Round Table become the hottest stars around.

But there's a mysterious quality surrounding the whole production. Is it really King Arthur or a lunatic with delusions of grandeur or even a well-meaning person acting out one of the world's greatest hero roles? No one really knows for sure. And even though Arthur recruits over a thousand teenagers to train and fight with him, his underground lair remains a secret. He travels stealthily through the city, using the drains and grates of the sewer system. He emerges to right the wrongs of urban decay and child abuse, empowering the weak to take their city back from the corrupt politicians and dangerous criminals who think they are running the show. He gives the people the choice whether or not they wish to help him in his mission, having them reclaim ownership over the place they call home.

Maybe in a day and age where celebrities wield the most influence, Hollywood is exactly the place where King Arthur needs to reign. In spreading the message of right over might, it's no wonder he's such an intoxicating figure. Long live the ideals of King Arthur today and everyday!

***

Children of the Knight can be purchased at:
Amazon

Prices/Formats: $6.99 ebook, $17.99 paperback
Pages: 344
ISBN: 9781623806552
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Release: June 20, 2013
Click to add to your Goodreads list.


About the Author

Michael J. Bowler is an award-winning author of three novels - A Boy and His Dragon, A Matter of Time, and Children of the Knight - who grew up in San Rafael, California.

He majored in English and Theatre at Santa Clara University and earned a master’s in film production from Loyola Marymount University, a teaching credential in English from LMU, and another master's in Special Education from Cal State University Dominguez Hills.

He partnered with two friends as producer, writer, and/or director on several ultra-low-budget horror films, including “Fatal Images,” “Club Dead,” and “Things II,” the reviews of which are much more fun than the actual movies.

He taught high school in Hawthorne, California for twenty-five years, both in general education and to students with learning disabilities, in subjects ranging from English and Strength Training to Algebra, Biology, and Yearbook.

He has also been a volunteer Big Brother to seven different boys with the Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters program and a thirty-year volunteer within the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles. He is a passionate advocate for the fair treatment of children and teens in California, something that is sorely lacking in this state. He has been honored as Probation Volunteer of the Year, YMCA Volunteer of the Year, California Big Brother of the Year, and 2000 National Big Brother of the Year. The “National” honor allowed he and three of his Little Brothers to visit the White House and meet the president in the Oval Office.

He has already completed the two continuations of Children of the Knight that complete the trilogy - Running Through A Dark Place & And The Children Shall Lead. Both will likely be released in 2014.

Links to connect with Michael:
Web Site
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Blog
Tumblr
Freado
Blog Tour Site


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