Location: United States
Member Since: July 21, 2011
Nora Lee
Books
This member has not published any books.Smashwords book reviews by Nora Lee
- Laundry Day (Short Mystery Story)
on July 21, 2011
I thought I was getting a book; instead it's a nine page sample, about the length of a short magazine article. The story got a little goofy at the end when the husband is bouncing all around the room while Dennis is strangling his wife and Dennis doesn't even hear him. I'd be generous in giving it a 3.5 rating but the system doesn't allow for that.
- The Agreement
on July 23, 2011
R.E. Schobernd has delivered wit, romance, conflict and a surprise ending in his latest book. This story of two lovers is terrific.
- Reverse Metamorphosis book one of the Irrevocable Change trilogy
on July 23, 2011
This story is not for the faint of heart. The language is coarse and the violence is abundant, but not overdone considering the characters; it's what I expected in a novel about an assassin. I was drawn to the humanity of the characters and amazed by the details of the planning and executions. A lot of internal thoughts by Clay let me feel who and what he was as he turned from a nice young man into a killer. A very good read.
- The Assassin Evolves book two of the Irrevocable Change trilogy
on July 23, 2011
The author continued to amaze me in the second story. I liked it a lot. The violence was almost over the top, but in all cases was not so explicit as to be graphic and gory The story line kept me fully involved and I felt myself attached to Clayton and cheering for him. I bought book three and have started it.
- My Perceptions of Our Incompetent Incumbents
on July 23, 2011
Regardless of political leaning this is a must read for all. I'm and independent and was drawn to the common sense assessments and solutions presented. I didn't agree with all of the authors opinions but with most. The writing is good and there are few editing errors.
- Larson's Point
on July 28, 2011
Good plot and action. The book had good bad characters and a very interesting main character. The editing is good which made reading easy. It's not a superb story but a good solid read.
- The Devil’s Homecoming book three of the Irrevocable Change trilogy
on July 28, 2011
I expected the action to slow in the final book of this trilogy, but it kept up at a breakneck pace. Clayton is one bad killer and drinks too much. He isn't perfect and screws up sometimes and that made him seem more real. The storyline is consistent throughout and the characters are believable. There are very few editing errors and the characters seem real.
- Heller
on Aug. 11, 2011
Just finished reading Heller and am disappointed. The personalities of the two central characters quickly change from one extreme to the other. It's like both of them are bipolar. Having read Blood Ties by the author I was prepared for over the top characters, but characters I could relate to. The situations the heroine is placed in, her actions and the results of those actions are not creditable and I lost interest before the book was finished.
- Bury Me Deep
on Aug. 11, 2011
I had trouble getting into this book. From the middle to the end I found myself skipping through paragraphs to get finished. I didn't find the characters interesting and there isn't a coherent plot. The author used excessive hyphens, I guess to create an ethnic dialect in the prose, and it was simply distracting. There is confusion abut use of first person and third person in the same paragraphs, and between past and present tense. Sorry author, but I did not enjoy it.
- Blood Ties
on Aug. 11, 2011
The characters in this Australian tale are over the top. The good people of Little Town are eccentric to say the least and the bad guys are pure evil. Character development is great and there are many characters on both sides. I did notice a few missing words, maybe a dozen or so, which isn't a big deal to me in a 150,000 plus word book, but I do suggest the author take the time to edit and put them in. The main characters are interesting and their conflict as they grew to know each other was well balanced between dislike and affection. Both of them harbor dark secrets they are unable to share. I'm looking forward to a Little Town sequel.
- The Blonde Heiress, a Carter A. Johnson novel
on Aug. 19, 2011
I have enjoyed The Blonde Heiress thoroughly, so much that I read it twice. The editing is good and character development is great, especially the way Carter A. Johnson was introduced and shown to be a stubborn and focused contrarian. The action scenes are well thought out and detailed. The plot and dialog are believable and fast paced. I anticipate this is going to be a series and look forward to the next book.
- Blood Brothers
on Aug. 19, 2011
Editing needs a lot of work; missing & wrong words, at least four different font sizes are used (as read on my Kindle). It seems that 90% of the story is narrative. Plot is contrived, woman sleeping on her side is rolled over onto her back, each hand tied to a headboard and she doesn't wake up; has to be slapped to waken her. She's not drunk or on drugs! The central character who doesn't do drugs or drink excessively, randomly goes to a bar he's never been to before, picks up a woman who is planted there to wait for him, is so mesmerized by her that he drinks too much and takes drugs. Please get real. Too much detail while skipping back in time to set the stage for the plot, I understood that Mikey was a fat child who was brutalized and molested repeatedly by tougher kids in his class, and that his father beat and verbally abused him, the first or second time it was told was enouth. I like detail in the right place but one scene set in Memphis doesn't warrant a detailed description of the entire city. Detail beyond being able to picture the scene only serves to slow the story down and makes it boring. Reference is made to dialog in the same scene that didn't happen. There are several instances of conflicting statements. In one Mikey says it's too cold to go outside, but an hour or so later, "Night had fallen, but it was still warm on this late summer evening." This is pathetic and the whole story needs rewriting. The storyline is interesting and could be very good, but I'm not sure I can finish after having endured 40% of it. A 2 rating is very generous.
- Free To Die: A Short Story
on Aug. 19, 2011
This short story is full of action, but was hard to follow at times. Character development was good considering the length, but the storyline is contrived and story continuity was erratic. It's a decent read but nothing great. At this time I don't believe I will try other short by the author.
- One of the Boys
on Aug. 25, 2011
It's really hard to rate a story of only 2400 words; there is minimal time to develop characters or plot and issues like flow and continuity are almost non existent. Having said that, the author of One of The Boys managed to pull it off. Plus the editing is good; what more can you ask for?
- The Ghosts of Varner Creek
on Aug. 25, 2011
I scanned through ten percent of this story and got bogged down in the mud of boredom. The story at that point was about an eighty seven year old man in a nursing home who sees, and has always seen ghost. About ninety five percent of the text was narrative about his seeing ghost and crapping himself and farting. I don't believe in ghost, read about ghost or care about ghost. Maybe if I had suffered further into the book I would have discovered a Mystery/Detective novel. I give it a three rating only because some people might like slow, plodding ghost stories. Editing was good with only a few errors.
- The Last Cowboy in the East
on Aug. 25, 2011
This short story is not 4,500 words as advertised, but about a 2,000 word short before some chapters of another book the author is pushing. Another marketing gimmick that is not mentioned in the description. I deplore this kind of trickery. The Last Cowboy itself is not a mystery at all, he was arrested after an altercation where a policeman was punched and then he is released. Sorry author but this get you a rating of one.
- Dr. X's Island
on Aug. 25, 2011
(no rating)
This is not a novel, it's a game; a game for fourteen people to play. Since I don't like playing games I didn't go but a couple of pages before disappointment set in. If you're a game player download this but if you choose not to play pass for a real book. Since it did mention hosting a party yourself in the description (and I overlooked it) I'll not rate it.
- Dr. X's Island
on Aug. 25, 2011
(no rating)
This is not a novel, it's a game; a game for fourteen people to play. Since I don't like playing games I didn't go but a couple of pages before disappointment set in. If you're a game player download this but if you choose not to play pass for a real book. Since it did mention hosting a party yourself in the description (and I overlooked it) I'll not rate it.
- Slippery Slope
on Sep. 02, 2011
The plot of Slippery Slope is good and the story could be superb; but it falls far short of its potential. Excessive flowery prose and adjectives slow the action down and cause the reading to become tedious. Craig, the primary character spends page after page in self incrimination. His state of mind swings wildly and he can't decide if he wants to be a crook, a professor or a beach bum. After enduring about 80% of the story I began to scan the pages in an effort to finish. Editing is fair to good for the length; there are misspelled words etc. but less than in most of the Indie books I've read. The last portion where the chase is on the river, and especially when Craig crawls out of the water, was extremely over written and tedious. The story isn't terrible and if you like extremely detailed, flowery descriptions you may like it more than I did; and that's a shame because it truly has potential.
- Broken Highway: A Thomas Highway Story
on Sep. 22, 2011
The main character in this short story is presented as a broken down drunk who gets laid, gets into a fight with three tough guys and suddenly has a reason to live. Sorry, but the story is feeble and the character is too quirky. He was discharged from the Navy Seals after contracting a flesh eating virus, but no mention was made of his present condition and how it might be affecting him; it certainly hasn't stopped his drinking, erections or fighting.
- Going Through Changes
on Sep. 22, 2011
This story is in the wrong category. It belongs in Young Adult and is a coming of age tale centering on a fourteen year old girl and her family. She, her mother and two siblings are floundering after the loss of her father in an auto accident. Editing is good and the simple story is short and fast paced. Character development is minimal, but enough to give the reader a feel for each of the characters. I don't usually read this genre but found the story to be refreshing and up lifting.
- John: The Senior Killer
on Sep. 22, 2011
The author lived in South Korean and taught English there. Hence, the extensive information on Korean culture and cooking. What I don't understand are the poor English writing skills exhibited here. The sentence structure is very poor and confusing; words are misspelled, missing or unneeded and too many cliché phrases are used; not the mark of an English major. I would have guessed it was written by a foreigner and translated by someone who did a very poor job. The story concept started off very good and was interesting but near the end fell apart; old people following orders to lay down quietly to be murdered, and the killer sitting silent while being secured inside a car and doused with gasoline and having nothing to say about it. When a lonely 76 year old woman willingly gave the killer a blow job (her first) and he killed her as she finished I lost interest. Too many scenes are unreal and even with a good rewrite and credible editing this couldn't be a five, but now it's so difficult to read I rate it a 2 and that's generous.
- A Date to Die For
on Sep. 22, 2011
This author writes in the Women Sleuths genre and does a very good job of it. It's a little too much fluff for me but the story is entertaining and the writing is good. Editing is good with only a few missing words. I would have liked to learn more about Kline the detective/boyfriend. The ending felt contrived when Kline left the group to call the police, the villain shoots someone while in a crowded setting with witnesses all around, and then the mother saves them. All in all a good light, short read with no profanity and minimal implied violence, but not a great read.
- Of Mice and Murderers - Book 1 in The Z-Detective Series
on Oct. 20, 2011
I have three things to say about this story. It's boring, boring, boring. Sorry, but I'd like some action instead of endless introspection. Editing and sentence structure are both bad, bad, bad. Details of small trivial items are overwhelming and the writer uses the name Z over and over; Z did this, Z did that. ZZZZZZZZs put me to sleep. After reading 15% I still wasn't interested and quit. I don't recommend it, so that makes it a 1.0.
- The Value of Life
on Oct. 20, 2011
Wow! What a great read. This is the one of the best books I've read at Smashwords, for free or purchase. I do hope the author will go back and perform a first class edit of the book because the story deserves it. Presently there are many words missing or misspelled. I would have liked to know what happened in the end to the Judge and to Mason. Normally with the editing that is needed I would give any book a 4.0, but since the story and characters are so well written I'll stretch that to a 5.0 and hope the author cleans it up.
- Filthy Night
on Nov. 16, 2011
I got through 50% of this book and couldn't think of a reason to continue. The main character is a middle aged ex cop who is a drunk and has a young girlfriend who stays out half the night and cheats on him. But he loves her and wants to protect her. Why I didn't figure out, other than the sex is good. The writing is slow and plodding with endless descriptions of trivial items and descriptions of London streets and buildings like a bus tour. It's not horrible, just boring. Editing is good but not perfect. And if the author was trying to impress me by using many words I had to look up the meaning of, he failed.
- Injury Inn
on Nov. 28, 2011
Injury Inn is confusing. The first 66% was one story; when it ended another short episode started and then it reverted to the main character and a woman from the first story. Editing is poor, one example, feat used in place of feet, among others. Words are missing, sentence structure is poor. The story itself isn't bad if you can ignore the poor writing. I rate it 3.0 to 3.5.
- Scar Tissue
on Nov. 28, 2011
It's not long, but it's very good. A retired cop reluctantly does a good deed and takes out the bad guys in the process. The pace is good, the plot is believable and editing is good. Character development brings the characters to life and I felt a tie to the lead character. What more do you need. I hope to see sequels to this story.
- Sins of a Nation
on Dec. 28, 2011
It's been a while since I've read a story this good. The editing is good and the characters are exciting and believable. The politicians portrayed and the political wannabes are scary and all too real. The heroine has just the right amount of reluctance to be true to character. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
- Night of the Assassin
on Feb. 23, 2012
A well written story, but it's not for the squeamish; it's about the Mexican drug cartels. It's mostly narrative; but then stories about assassins have to be because they plan their hits alone and mostly work alone. So you're left with internal thoughts and described actions. Editing is fair, not great but not too bad. Character development is good. The story is a catch up to a previously written book. Not superb, but a good solid read if you can stand murder, mutilation and torture.
- The Dogtrot Murder - a Carter A. Johnson novel
on Feb. 24, 2012
I cried, I laughed, I got angry and I cheered, what more can you want from a book. There are two main characters, Carter and Kate and both are written in first person; and it worked. Carter is the continuing series lead. I don't know what the author intends to do with Kate, but I liked her and hope to see more of her. Kate is convicted of killing her husband. She arrives at a woman's prison and the first portion deals with her emotions and adjustment. While she is there Carter is introduced parallel to her and we experience his happy life with a new girlfriend in contrast to Kate's harsh surroundings. While she's being attacked he's making love. Carter is told to take a cursory look at Kate's case, rubber stamp the conviction and move on. He however, smells a rat and thinks she may have been framed. The book is then about how he rescues her, but there is action galore while he investigates the real killer. Several plot twist surprised me. A very good fast paced read.
- Two Bits Four Bits
on March 03, 2012
I kept reading this, up to 30%, thinking it would get better. There's too much filler about stray cats, running eight miles while playing mind games with his jogging partner, and page after page about proper Texas funerals. I found myself skimming through it looking for some action. The main character was interesting and the writing is very good; there's just too little story.
- The Hate
on March 06, 2012
The main story was good and the shorts following it are mostly exerts of other works. Well written and interesting. The Hate portrayed a main character changed from loving mom to accomplished killer. Too many things happened without enough detail as to how they got done. Like, do you know how to break into a house with out leaving any signs of entry? How and when did the MC learn these skills? A decent fun short read if you don't ask too many questions.