jbronderbookreviews

The Atwelle Confession by Joel Gordonson

After discovering rare gargoyles mysteriously positioned inside an ancient church being restored in the small English town of Atwelle, the architect Don Whitby and a young research historian Margeaux Wood realize that the gargoyles are predicting the bizarre murders that are occurring in the town. Five hundred years earlier when the church is being built, two powerful families in Atwelle are contesting control of the region in the delicate backdrop of King Henry VIII’s dispute with the Pope over the King’s divorce. In the middle of these conflicts, the same bizarre murders are being committed in the town. Two stories of identical macabre murders five hundred years apart ─ One surprising solution in the mystery of the gargoyles and the Atwelle Confession.

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Author’s Bio

Joel Gordonson is the author of The Atwelle Confession (On Sale September 19, 2017) and That Boy from Nazareth: The Coming of Age of Jesus of Nazareth. Along with being a novelist, he is a successful international attorney. With law degrees in the United States and from the University of Cambridge, he has published scholarly works in legal publications while writing fiction on the side. In addition to writing, he has done extensive public speaking including decades of appellate arguments, seminars, speeches, and media appearances. “Home” is divided between the Pacific Northwest and Southern California.

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My Review

3 Stars

Margeaux Wood is researching the Atwelle Church and Don Whitby is the one restoring it. They get talking about the history of the church and how it relates to King Henry and his argument with the Pope. While exploring the church Margeaux and Don discover some gargoyles in the inside of the roof. It seems that people are being murdered in the area in the same sequence as the gargoyles holding the heads.

At the same time we follow along as King Henry VIII’s is fighting the Pope over his divorce. We witness the balance we have has he decides what could happen with his breaking with the church. As we read about 1532, we learn that there are murders happening in the same sequence as the gargoyles too.

This was an interesting story. I don’t really know much about Henry VIII so I did enjoy learning about that. I think the mystery was well executed and I did not expect the killer at the end of the book so that was a plus. The story did start out a little slow but did pick up the pace. I just had a tough time with the dialog. It seemed rough, the interactions between the characters seems forced. I think this is what made the book tougher to read.

But I did like the story. It looks like this is Joel Gordonson’s second book so I do see things flowing better from here. I am interested in reading other books from Mr. Gordonson.

I received The Atwelle Confession from FSB Associates for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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Holy by Abbie Krupnick

Gus Stevens has the worst of both worlds. By night, he resides in the Dream World, a place steeped in magic and exotic dangers. By day, a giant snow-lizard stalks him in the Real World, looking to make Gus its next meal. In order to regain control of his life, young Gus must undergo a psychoanalytic exorcism. But this comes with a high price—he must break away from everything he has ever thought was real. Author Abbie Krupnick blends the magical and the mundane in this avant-garde dark fantasy where nothing is as it seems.

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Author’s Bio

Abbie Krupnick lives in Summit, New Jersey. When she’s not writing, she trains Brazilian jiu-jitsu and makes explosive quantities of visual art.

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My Review

5 stars

Gus Stevens lives in two worlds. At night he is in the Dream World with a Magician and three mother’s. It is a world with lots of perils and magic. During the day he lives in the Real World where a large white lizard called Winter is hunting him down. Gus is being run ragged by these two worlds and needs to take some control but that is going to be harder than he thinks.

I have to say that I was not expecting this story to go where it did. I couldn’t help but feel for Gus as he is navigating the Dream World and everything there. I loved everything that happened there and how magic affected it. Then you have Winter basically destroying everything trying to get to Gus. It was interesting how although he does damage it disappears afterwards. Clearing there is more to this story than what we initially see.

This was a really good story. I really liked the mix of magic, real life, and other things in between. This is a story that I recommend checking out. It will surprise you.

I received Holy from Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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