Hope by Rosy Stewart

Hope by Rosy Stewart

Publisher: Cricket International (February 2016)

130 pages, eBook (provided by Author for review)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Note: Includes Swearing and Violence

This is a collection of stories about Sue, a woman that runs a women’s shelter, and recounts her attempts to help the women she encounters through her association with the shelter. In many cases Sue feels there isn’t enough being done to help the people in question, and she ends up enlisting the help of a couple friends (a female police officer, and a tech specialist) in an attempt to work outside official channels in order to see more progress being made toward a satisfying conclusion. There are eleven stories, all quite short, and could easily be read in short daily doses. Great stories of women or families in crisis that receive help and gain a chance at a better future. Engaging collection.

The Basquiat Bounce by Chris Murphy

The Basquiat Bounce by Chris Murphy

Publisher: CJM Publishing (October 2015)

227 pages, eBook (provided by Author for review)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Content Note: Includes Swearing and Violence

After a successful contemporary art show,  the demoralized artist commits suicide sending the price of his remaining works skyrocketing, and not only that but his masterpiece appears to be missing, leaving many scrambling to find it. This story started out a little slow and there were a lot of characters to keep track of, but once you got past that, it was a really good story. The missing painting brings together the most unlikely bunch of quirky people, and I liked the way their individual stories intertwined so intricately. Great story about both the beauty and absurdity of modern art.