Book of Killowen

Title: Book of Killowen
Author: Erin Hart
Genre: Mystery
Source: Library Book: Hardback
Rating: 4 out of 5


When a ancient body is found in the trunk of a car buried in bog located in Killowen Ireland, archeologists Nora Gavin and Cormac Maguire are asked to assist with the scene.  It is then that a second modern body is found and the mystery grows deeper.  The case takes the detectives and archeologist to an artists "Retreat" not far in search of answers, but everyone seems to be hiding something.  The further the archeologists dig the further into an ancient mystery they go.  Could the recent murder have something to do with the legendary Book of Killowen?  The other man found in the bog, could he have been a scribe or a monk of old?  Nora and Cormac embark on a journey into the past in order to solve the mystery of the present.  As they do so they begin to put their lives in more danger.



Medieval manuscripts, a bog in Ireland's beautiful countryside and a possible murder, what more could a girl possibly ask for?  I randomly picked this book up at the library because the cover caught my eye, and then when I read the synopsis, I felt the need to read more.  I am glad I found it or else I would not have discovered this author.  Erin's writing enthralled me from the beginning with the discovery of the bog man in the trunk of a car, then finding out he was centuries old! It was a great start to the novel.  I love how she incorporated history, art, philosophy, and a little bit of religion into the story.  She masterfully weaved her tale together that made it more than interesting.  I would say I would prefer her writing and stories over that of Dan Brown.

This is the fourth book in a series and I didn't feel like I was missing anything or felt lost when reading about the characters.  There are some things about Nora that may have been explained and happened in previous novels, but they don't affect the effect of the story.  If anything I want to go back and read the older novels as well.  I loved her character and how eager she was to learn and find out new things and how excited she got when she learned something new.  It felt like I was a part of her character because I love this sort of thing, well not murder but the archeology.  Honestly this book re-sparked my interest in archeology.  It is evident that Erin Hart did research and knew what she was talking about especially with wax tablets, ancient philosophers, the region her story takes place.  So much so, that it made me want to research Killowen and see if there really was a monastery there and add it to my list of places to visit.

The book is unpredictable, when things begin to get revealed you are astonished because the people involved are people you wouldn't have suspected.  Hart does a wonderful job at keeping things a secret and revealing just a small bit at a time.  She leaves her readers spellbound by the story, setting, characters, everything about her book leaves readers craving for more.  I looked into her and it seems there has been anything written since Book of Killowen, but I know I will go back and search for the other books in this series.  I need more of Nora Gavin!  I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is looking for a good story.

Seven Stones

Title: Seven Stones

Author: James Rozoff

Genre: Fantasy

Source: Kindle Ebook

Rating: 3 out of 5

Doug is a young magician who is determined to become greater than the great Houdini.  When an older magician named Ashavan offers to share his secrets in exchange for Doug's help, he jumps at the opportunity.  Little does Doug know that each item he must hind has deep dark secrets to them.  Now things have grown bigger than either Doug or Ashavan can handle, but it is too late to turn back.  Doug must finish what he started and race against time to find all seven stones.  Will Doug succeed in finding all the stones? Or will he give up and abandon his search?

There are a lot of things happening in this novel it's a book about treasure hunting adventure, a metaphysical journey, magic, historical fiction, mystery, but oddly enough it works well for the story.  One aspect of the tale does not overshadow the other. It starts off very compelling with an older magician dangling new and exciting tricks in front of a younger magician.  In order to get what he craves, the younger enters a world of séances, real magic, even death and zombies.  What zombies? Really?  It's not what you think, the way Rozoff presents these creatures of lore is very interesting and unique rather than the traditional zombie we see in other stories.

There are small hints of inconsistency throughout the novel, such as the main character Doug sometimes being referred to as Dave.  It took a moment or two to realize these were not two separate people.  The story is interesting enough of being a treasure hunt for seven mystical stones, but it tries to be so much more and includes a lot of different politics and things which ends up making the story slow moving.  Once Doug leaves Mississippi (or is it Louisiana), the story slows down dramatically, and it's hard to get back into the story after this.  I liked the idea of the seven stones being related to Pangaea, but it was hard to follow the idea that Rozoff was going with it and the stones because the explanation is broken up throughout the story.


Overall it was a decently written story, that had it's interesting moments.  It wasn't the thrill ride I was hoping it would be when I started reading it, but it was interesting enough to finish.  It was difficult to continue to feel connected to the story.  The multiple things happening throughout the novel made for a large feel of disconnection for the reader.  It takes too long to get to the good parts, we are pulled in with Doug finding three of the stones and dealing with their effects quickly, but then there are chapter after chapter of nothingness, which honestly felt like a let down. 


Will I read this book again?  Probably not.  Will I recommend it? eh I'm on the fence because I always feel like there is an audience for a book even if it wasn't my cup of tea.  I will recommend it for those who like books with mystical or philosophical aspects too them, or with a hint of history interspersed.  It just happens that I felt like the characters wondered around like lost puppies after a while.