Grant McKenzie

Jersey Castle, tough homicide detective, called to the scene of a RTA where it would appear the husband has driven over his partner and a little later commits suicide. Salvation Blue, or Sally as she prefers (thank goodness!) is also present at the accident and has the uncanny gift of seeing events unfold through the eyes of the victim...she is the "Seer". Sally has been working peacefully as a morticians beautician for the last 25 years, aware of her turbulent childhood, and haunted by her dead mother's last words...Run Sally Run! There is a connection between Sally and the Church of a Sabbath Day's Journey. Aedan, dutiful husband, has finally found her and determined to return Sally to her rightful position in the church as the Seer of Visions....."I'm Aedan. Your husband." It took Sally a moment to adjust to the news. "Husband?" Aedan nodded. "That is why I never gave up looking for you. It was my duty."....

Jersey together with the beautiful Kameela..."A tall strikingly handsome woman with skin the color of bittersweet chocolate and curly hair so short it could have been a woolen skullcap" immediately leave in search of Sally (it would appear that on first meeting Jersey was instantly smitten!)

I found this story somewhere between a B movie and a badly written made for tv series, with the stories, descriptions, characters and eventual outcome laughable. Look at this paragraph on Jersey's first encounter with Kameeela..."untouchable runway model-all pouty lips and attitude-or a disemboweling Zulu warrior. Either way, she made him nervous. Perhaps sensing his anxiety the woman opened her lips to revel a blinding and utterly captivating smile. A bright pink tongue followed as she plucked a flake of tobacco off its tip." There is a final scene where a group of bike driving nuns, a cross between hells angels and ninja warriors, (are we serious!) attempt to make a forced entrance at the church's stronghold....Sister Mary Theresa turned to her pack of nuns and quickly gave instructions. Instantly, two nuns broke right and two went left. Each pair glided their bikes silently away from the gate until they reached the far side of the two homes. Hidden from view of anyone looking out, the nuns propped their sturdy machines against the eight-foot stone wall. As Jersey watched, the ninja-black nuns, hopped onto their saddles, stood up tall, and scrambled over the wall. One half of each pair carried a lariat, the other, a shotgun. The maneuver was so perfectly executed, Jersey wondered if the Mission of the Immaculate Heart had been recruiting women from the Navy Seals." At his stage in the story I would not have been surprised if that all American hero Audie Murpy together with his trusty sidekick John Wayne had made a dramatic entrance to aid those ninja warrior nuns!!

Some months ago I read The Butcher's Son by Grant Mckenzie and really enjoyed describing him as an exciting new name in the thriller genre. Unfortunately "Speak the Dead" has proved to be a cliché ridden tale of nonsense, superhero hollow characters with egos to match, and a storyline silly in the extreme. I received a copy of this book from the good people at edelweiss for a fair and honest review and that is what I have written.… (meer)

There are many and varied reasons why we read but paramount above all others is the simple premise, we want to be amused...we want to be thrilled and for a little time....no matter how short, we want to be transported to another dimension lost in the writing, thoughts and creations of a good author. Grant McKenzie is certainly an emerging star in the thriller genre!

Meet Ian Quinn, a child protection officer with his own sad past. He was there when his daughter Emily died, crossing the road to meet her dad Ian after school. How does one over get over such a tragedy, quite simply you don't but if you are to go on you must learn to live with the guilt. So in some ways Ian's job can help ease his conscience as he tries to give to those children that which he failed to deliver to his own child....."When I think about how Helena and I ripped our marriage apart after losing Emily."

An unexpected inheritance comes his way, his grandfather Augustus bequeaths Ian his Butchers shop and the mystery that unravels forces our hero to question every value that he has ever held to be true. He will learn the truth but his sister's disappearance, the dreadful death and wonderful work accomplished by his grandfather. He will come to know evil in the form of Walter Zilig as he attempts to discover the relationship between Zelig and Augustus, and tries to piece together the jigsaw concerning the disappearance of Zelig's own daughter Constance. It may all sound a little complicated but it is not and once started I devoured every word hoping that Ian Quinn would finally have some peace in his life. I did however find that his romantic relationship with Rosella Ragano ,solicitor, a little incredible. His first meeting was not quite the professional affair I expected, they appeared to have and want an immediate sexual encounter within minutes of meeting. Having said that this is perhaps just me being a little jealous :)

Many thanks to the good people at "edelweiss" for supplying me with a gratis copy for a full and honest review, and that is what I have written. I really enjoyed this introduction to the working mind of Grant McKenzie and I look forward to reading many more of his novels.… (meer)