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Thursday, March 3, 2022
[New post] The Heretics Hymnal by Ken Dalton
kjlamon posted: " Welcome back to Lamon Reviews. Today we have an excerpt and review for The Heretics Hymnal by Ken Dalton Enter todays giveaway as author Ken Dalton will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter durin"
Welcome back to Lamon Reviews. Today we have an excerpt and review for The Heretics Hymnal by Ken Dalton
Enter todays giveaway as author Ken Dalton will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
*I received a free copy of this ebook from Goddessfish promotions to review honestly on the blog tour. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
A cryptic phone call from a police detective in Germany caused Pinky to contact Bear and Flo so they could keep his client from being extradited to Germany for murder by hiding him in Pacific grove, California. Pinky's client was accused of strangling a used book store owner to get a first edition of Martin Luther's Achtliederbuch—a book published in 1524—a book that all experts agree no longer exists.
While Pinky burns through a couple more legal secretaries, he directs Bear and Flo, "Go to Nuremberg and find someone, anyone, who had the motive, means, and opportunity to murder the book store owner." To which Bear replies, "Boss, let me get this straight. We fly to Germany to find a patsy, and then we frame him so the German cops think that the patsy, not your client, murdered the dead dude. Right?"
Bear's apt observation kicks off the mystery that takes the dynamic trio from the peaceful California town of Pacific Grove to Nuremberg, Germany—the city where Hitler told his Nazi party followers that his Third Reich would last a thousand years.
Read an Excerpt from The Heretics Hymnal by Ken Dalton
I stared inside the FedEx box. There seemed to be a small book that consisted of fewer than ten pages. I could make out some printed words but they looked to be an old German script that was completely indecipherable to me. The contents did seem old enough to have some bona fide value, however, without further research I could not be sure. As I pondered my next move, Florence, popped into my mind. She was a woman who seemed to have been placed on this earth to torment me. However, when I looked beyond her overly developed breasts and her worthless PhD in philosophy, I recalled that she had majored in linguistics with an emphasis in German.
I picked up my phone and dialed her number. After I impatiently listened to many rings, I was about to hang up when she answered.
"Hello."
"Florence, I seek some information. Sitting on my desk there is a small box. Inside the box is what appears to be a very old book that presents me with more questions than answers. The item looks to be hundreds of years old, consists of less than a dozen pages and on one page I can make out some words but they are German and as you are well aware, French was my language of choice during undergraduate studies, so I am unable to read or translate German."
"Can you read any of the letters to me."
"I can see some very faint text in an old German script. The letters are n-u-n," I lifted the cover higher, "f-r-e-u-t, and the last four are e-u-c-h."
After a moment of silence, a vocal condition that was totally unlike the Florence I knew, she responded, "Nun freut euch is part of a whole sentence, Nun freut euch lieben Christen g'mein. That translated means, Dear Christians, one and all rejoice. Also, Nun Freut Euch, is the title of a hymn written by Martin Luther somewhere during the early 1520's...
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Ken was born in 1938 at Hollywood Hospital. He grew up in Los Angeles with his parents, his older sister and younger brother. In a turn of bad luck, the dreaded Polio virus attacked Ken at the age of five. By the age of sixteen, after eleven years of operations, therapy, and braces to mitigate the effects of Polio, Ken's luck changed when he met the girl of his dreams. A few years later they married, produced three wonderful children, and settled into a happy life in Southern California.
In 1966, Ken and his family moved to the wine country of Northern California where they bought a home.
Ten years later, Ken, designed, built, and operated a small winery that produced award winning Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
Then, in a moment of madness, Ken began writing. His first article was published in Golf Illustrated. Many more golf articles followed in national and regional magazines including Golf Magazine and Fairways and Greens. Eventually Ken felt the urge to write his first novel.
Now, after the publication of The Bloody Birthright, The Big Show Stopper, Death is a Cabernet, The Tartan Shroud, Brother, can you spare a dime?, The Unsavory Critic, Casper Potts and the Ladies' Casserole Club, and his non-fiction, Polio and Me, he publishes his latest mystery, The Heretics Hymnal.
Ken Dalton will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
**This contest is sponsored by a third party. Lamon Reviews is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions. Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Lamon Reviews. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.**
The Heretics Hymnal by Ken Dalton took me by surprise. When I first started reading it, I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did. But once I got into a rhythm it pulled me in. I particularly enjoyed the later chapters when the action ramped up.
The book itself is broken into fourty two chapters alternating between points of views for Pinky Delmont, Bear Zabarte, and Florence Sonderlund. The dynamic between the three reminds me of the three stooges to a small degree.
I feel the juxstaposition of iPhones and Teslas with the old fashioned jargon from an old nostalgic detective noir film appealing. Sayings like "...the skinny, patsy, and Sucker, and fink. I can't remember the last time I heard the word fink. All together, they made the novel fun and engaging for me
Of the characters in the novel, my least favorite was definately Pinky. While I consider him the main character, this quote from the novel sums up why I disliked Pinky.
"... Pinky, you pushed me to the point that I couldn't take your misogynistic attitude any longer—the way you treat all women. Think about how you deal with your ex-wife, Willow, and Flo. That's the real reason I left...
Lu Yong- The Heriticts Hymnal
I think Ken Dalton wrote Pinkys character well. Pinky is consistant in his misogyny and his constant hyperbole annoyed me, but I can't imagine him any other way. I actually felt a little bad for him as the novel wrapped up— but not too much.
I wish the author had circled back to Lu Yongs character and gave more info about her after leaving Pinkys employ, but if there are later novels her exit leaves room for another adventure.
One thing I did not like was Lu Yongs exit. Although she is a secondary character, I liked her. I thought with as much praise as Pinky gave her when readers are first introduced to her, I thought her exit was extremely abrupt.
This novel is a fast-paced and exciting thrill ride as the characters trapse from the US to Germany to help Pinkys client shake another murder charge.
In the end, I recommend The Heretics Hymnal by Ken Dalton to anyone that enjoys fast-paced mysteries. I also enjoyed the historical bits and scenery included by the author.
My Rating
Now I'd like to hear from you.
What did you think of my review? Let me know in the comments below. Remember to enter the giveaway using the links in the post.
And As Always...
Go forth, dear readers, support your favorite indie authors and encourage reading and literacy.
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