Gregg's Cross is Slightly Pickled

My Cross to Bear, by Gregg Allmann tells all, but definitely from Gregg’s point of view. We all know he spent a good deal of his life on drugs and alcohol. Hence, that point of view is rather pickled, to say the least. He has some interesting stories and a bunch of disappointing and well-known events – all with his own personal point of view thrown in. Again, swayed by all that drugging and boozing over the years. One thread throughout the book is that he was completely affected by the death of his brother Duane. I give him credit for getting it all down in book form, but I do believe he could have done better. Maybe some stories need to be looked at again with a little more truth and not necessarily just from his skewed point of view. I did enjoy reading about his younger years in military school and living in Florida. If you’re into the Allmann Brothers, you may well enjoy this book.

Don't Bother

Only the Truth, by Pat Brown, a murder mystery. And, well, that’s probably the best thing I can say about it. It’s a story of an uneducated man who finds love. Unfortunately, his love Charlotte is supposedly a murderer and wanted criminal. Well, it eventually turns out she isn’t but it takes awhile to get to that conclusion. Without giving away the story plot, Billy Ray “investigates” on his own to find out why Charlotte isn’t what he believes her to be. He unveils the truth after being given unbelievable access to witnesses. Unbelievable may be the key word here. Only the Truth is such a disturbing and poorly written book, that I even ignored the lack of editing. This book was obviously thrown together quickly. All I can say is don’t bother.

Dealing with Teens in the Crazy World

Tough Guys and Drama Queens, by Mark Gregston, is a very good guide to parenting teenagers. We’ve all been teens and know what it’s like to deal with parents. But once we have teens of our own, we kind of forget how we felt back then. We don’t want to lose control so maybe we over control or let go of the control completely. Neither works. Gregston lives with about 60 troubled teens from around the country. His program, Heartlight, is a residential counseling center in Texas. Living with and dealing with teens and their problems 24/7 is difficult work but he can report many, many success stories and few failures. So this man knows what he’s talking about I recommend this book to any parent who has a teen or a child headed that way.

Diary of a Murder

Diary of a Murder, by Jean Henry Mead, is exciting and a fast read, but it has many aspects of “this would never happen in the real world!” Dana Logan and her friend Sarah arrive in Wyoming after hearing of Dana’s sister Georgi’s suicide. Dana doesn’t believe her sister could end her own life and the amateur investigation begins. The prime suspect is Georgi’s husband Rob. But they can’t go to the sheriff who is Rob’s brother and apparently corrupt. So they investigate on their own. Sarah soon becomes ill (possibly poisoned) and Dana finds herself on her own while Sarah recuperates in the hospital. Suddenly, the housekeeper and probably girlfriend of Rob ends up the victim of a hit-and-run accident. Then an investigator who Dana was finally lucky enough to tag along with ends up in trouble. Oh, it just goes on and on. Yes, it’s interesting but not terribly realistic. But if you like murder mysteries you may well enjoy this one.

"Whispering" - Predictable and Lame

Whispering, by Gerrie Ferris Finger is a quick read but also has a rather predictable storyline. Set in 1921, there is a fair amount of history and the setting of the super rich and somewhat liberated women of the time was interesting. The mystery itself was vaguely solved with Cleo Snow being the instigator in asking questions. The romance was somewhat unbelievable, but once it was established it followed a predictable course. If you’re into easy romance stories, this is for you. But I prefer something with a bit more meat and better proofreading.

Exciting New Science Thriller!

Fossil River, by Jock Miller, is a science fiction thriller – the type of book I avoid like the plague. But having received a copy of Fossil River I decided to give it a try. Thought it would help me fall asleep one night. NO WAY! I was awake for hours because I couldn’t put it down. Me? Reading science fiction? Those who know me well would never believe it. Fossil River is set in Alaska’s beautiful Noatak National Park at a time when the United States’ oil is about to run out and difficulties with OPEC causes our energy supply to be on its last legs. May not be too far off, which is scary. In a last ditch effort, the government is determined to tap into a large oil deposit in the midst of Noatak. Unfortunately, as they soon learn, there’s a colony of living fossils equally determined to protect their territory. Yes, dinosaurs! The conflict is deadly. Miller fills his novel with facts and that alone makes the book very interesting to read. But he has intertwined a storyline of a decorated ex-Marine, his Inuit friend, a museum curator, and two teenagers looking for (and finding) adventure. This is a very interesting and exciting book. Read it. You won’t be sorry. But I suggest you don’t read it at night if you need your beauty sleep!

The Butler Didn't Do It!

Darker By Degree, by Keri Knutson and Susan Branham, is a classic “whodunit” mystery. Hint – it wasn’t the butler! Maddie Pryce, lead character and self-made investigator, seems to have everything happen to her or around her. Talk about curiosity killed the cat! Maddie works in an old theatre when she’s not off auditioning for acting roles. The first murder occurs at this historical theatre where she ushers and does a little bit of everything. This is also where her “career” as crime investigator begins and nearly ends. Then a series of murders, break-ins, kidnappings occur all around Maddie. She has a very close encounter with murder herself. But, in the end, she helps solve the mystery and moves on toward a, hopefully, calmer and happier life. But, guessing from her personality, I doubt if her life will ever calm down. Knutson and Branham have written a good story with lots of action. Putting down the book will be the toughest thing for the reader to do. Read Darker by Degree.