Review: For Boys Who Struggle With Darkness

 

Richard Schwindt has a knack for creating unique characters.

I’ve read all of his fiction. His works are the epitome of Bradbury’s Dictum: Create your characters, let them do their thing, and there’s your story.

Story flows from the characters. And Richard’s characters are full of story.

In his most recent book, For Boys Who Struggle With Darkness, the 28th book in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series, he gives us a powerful psychologically driven murder mystery. One in which Dr. Mike Kurelek, professor and psychotherapist at Burnet College, struggles with his anger and desire for justice. Anger that wants to see justice accomplished, but is thwarted by the police and the legal system’s bureaucracy.

Bureaucracy’s operate on correct procedure. And sometimes, and perhaps more than sometimes, that mandate to follow correct procedure gets in the way of achieving justice.

Mike struggles with doing what is “right” and doing what is right. In the end, he makes a choice that is consistent with who he is in order to see that justice is done.

Richard Schwindt follows the standard murder mystery format: a world the is functioning normally, which is then turned on its head by murder, and then restored to order by the sleuth solving the crime.

As Raymond Chandler observed, what differentiates one murder mystery from another is style.

And this is where Richard shines. His characters are cut from the fabric of life. In many ways they are much like us. But their world gets turned upside down by murder.

Richard, who is a social worker and psychotherapist himself, shows us the inner workings of what goes through people’s minds when their world is suddenly shattered through no fault of their own. And what they are willing to do to restore order to their lives.

I am an ardent admirer of Richard Schwindt’s fiction. It has everything to create the most satisfying movies of the mind.

In Dr. Mike Kurelek, he has created a most memorable character. One of the best in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series.

Pick up your copy of For Boys Who Struggle With Darkness today on Amazon.

Comments are always welcome and until next time happy reading!

CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with three bestselling novels. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes 

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For Boys Who Struggle With Darkness is Coming Soon

 

We all have our demons, and for Dr. Mike Kurelek anger is one of his.

Richard Schwindt, social worker and therapist, knows a lot about the demons people have, which makes his fiction so very lifelike.

We see ourselves in his characters and that draws us into his books.

I’ve known Richard for quite some time now. He is an amazing author. His fiction is laced with humor, action, suspense, and introspection, presented in an easy to read style.

When the Underground Authors were first being gather together, Richard was an easy suggestion for me to make to the late Caleb Pirtle. And Caleb, already familiar with Richard’s work, immediately sent an invite.

Richard’s main contribution to the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles is Dr. Mike Kurelek. Through him we get to see the inner workings of Burnet College and Burnet Medical Center.

Kurelek is a professor and a practicing therapist. He is also very good with a bow and arrow.

The good doctor professor made his first appearance in The Shine from a Girl in the Lake. He returned in Men Lying Dead in a Field. 

And now we have his third appearance in For Boys Who Struggle With Darkness. Here is a teaser to whet your appetite:

When clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Kurelek’s elderly best friend is savagely beaten in a home invasion, rage pushes him to the limits of his emotional control.

After nearly choking a woman abuser to death in O’Gara’s bar, he turns his attention back to the new students at Burnet College, and his pregnant wife, Sue. 

But his anger – and the sociopathic attackers – don’t go away. 

Locked out of the investigation by the Magnolia Bluff police department; Mike goes rogue, enlisting the help of friends, family, and two troubled young women with their own reason for vengeance.

For Boys Who Struggle With Darkness is on pre-order right now for 99¢. The book goes live September 20, 2024. I’ve ordered my copy. Why don’t you order yours?

I’ll be back with a review sometime after the 20th.

In the meantime, check out Richard’s website to see all of his books and learn more about him.

Comments are always welcome and until next time happy reading!

 

CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with three bestselling novels. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes 

Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries on Amazon!

Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles on Amazon!

Introducing April Coker of the Underground Authors

This month the Underground Authors bring you the newest book from the pen of April Coker: Just Dying to Glamp. It is book 25 in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles series. The multi-author series that has everybody talking.

But April’s not new to writing. She’s been writing ever since she was a wee lass, and has been a published author since 2006. She started publishing her books independently in 2019.

Her independently published books are The Keeper Trilogy and a spinoff for kids: Ellie and the Alphabet Zoo.

April has also garnered an award from the Texas Authors Institute, which named Keeper III: Blackout a Texas Best Christian Romance.

It’s an honor to have a seasoned writer join the ranks of the Underground Authors and contribute to the group’s multi-author series.

You can learn more about April on her website: https://aprilnunncoker.com/

In addition, Rob and Joan Carter, the hosts of Meet the Author podcast, recently interviewed April (along with Joe Congel) and you can watch the show on their YouTube channel.

What can we expect from Just Dying to Glamp? This is what readers have said of The Keeper series:

“…fast-paced story with well-developed characters.”

“Suspenseful, scary, edge of your seat story.”

“Great characters and edge of your seat situations.”

Great characters are what I look for in a story. And reading the above comments, I’m champing at the bit to get my eyes on Just Dying to Glamp.

It’s currently on pre-order for only 99¢ on Amazon.

Place your order now. I’ve already placed mine.

And be sure to checkout all of April’s books on Amazon.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with three bestselling novels. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes 

Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries on Amazon!

Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles on Amazon!

Courtin’ Disaster: A Review

 

With the publication of Courtin’ Disaster by Cindy Davis, the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles numbers an even 2 dozen novels.

As I posted previously, the Chronicles are actually a collection of mini-series. Each author focuses the spotlight on their special protagonists, and brings in the other characters as needed to round out the story.

Courtin’ Disaster continues the ongoing adventures of Bliss Jager, who has now settled in Magnolia Bluff.

Her top priority, aside from refurbishing and landscaping her new home, is to move her friend, Merrick Doyle, who is a ghost, to her new home, getting him out of the General Store so he can be with “family”.

Of course nothing goes according to plan, does it? And when you add murder to the mix and vengeful ex-boyfriends, it all just gets that much more exciting. Well, exciting for the reader, that is.

You can read the book’s blurb over on the Amazon page. And while you’re there, pick up a copy.

What I especially like about the Bliss Jager mini-series within the world of Magnolia Bluff is the excellent storytelling by Cindy Davis. I think this is her best work. And what makes it so is the cast of characters she’s pulled together who tell us their collective and individual stories.

Bliss, Whitney, Hannah, Merrick, Chief Tommy Jager (no relation to Bliss), and let’s not forget Diablo, reveal to us bits of who they were and who they currently are.

Which makes them real people. People no different from those I meet in the neighborhood and gradually learn who they are, learn what makes them tick.

To let the characters tell their stories is the hallmark of a great writer. As I often say, we’re just the amanuensis recording what these people tell us about themselves. And in the Bliss Jager stories, Cindy Davis is a great writer.

Courtin’ Disaster contains humor, a lot of humor; it contains a well-crafted puzzle; entertaining sub-plots; just the right amount of description to make you feel like you are right there in Magnolia Bluff; and food, let’s not forget the food. There’s lots of it. And it is delish.

I thoroughly enjoyed Courtin’ Disaster and I think you will, too. Be sure to get your copy on Amazon. Before the price goes up.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with two bestselling novels. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider buying me a cup of tea. Thanks! PayPal.me/CWHawes 

Justinia Wright Private Investigator Mysteries on Amazon!

Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles on Amazon!