Hi, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Ken Dalton and his new book, “The Heretics Hymnal,” here on FAB!! For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.
Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Ken and to increase your chances of winning!!
Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!
The Heretics Hymnal
by Ken Dalton
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GENRE: Mystery
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BLURB:
A cryptic phone call from a police detective in Germany caused Pinky to contact Bear and Flo so they could keep his client from being extradited to Germany for murder by hiding him in Pacific grove, California. Pinky’s client was accused of strangling a used book store owner to get a first edition of Martin Luther’s Achtliederbuch—a book published in 1524—a book that all experts agree no longer exists.
While Pinky burns through a couple more legal secretaries, he directs Bear and Flo, “Go to Nuremberg and find someone, anyone, who had the motive, means, and opportunity to murder the book store owner.”
To which Bear replies, “Boss, let me get this straight. We fly to Germany to find a patsy, and then we frame him so the German cops think that the patsy, not your client, murdered the dead dude. Right?”
Bear’s apt observation kicks off the mystery that takes the dynamic trio from the peaceful California town of Pacific Grove to Nuremberg, Germany—the city where Hitler told his Nazi party followers that his Third Reich would last a thousand years.
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EXCERPT ONE:
“I thank you for your cooperation. Herr Delmont, are you familiar with a man named Konrad Kaufmann?”
A curious chill worked down my spine. Kaufmann? A few years ago, I represented a client named Helmut Kaufmann who I had extracted from a trumped-up murder charge. Could it be possible that the Nuremberg murder victim and Helmut were related?
“Detective, I can inform you that I have never known, nor met, nor communicated in anyway with a man named Konrad Kaufmann. Is he an integral part of your investigation?”
“Konrad Kaufmann was the murder victim!”
I said, “This has all been very interesting, but as I stated, I do not know the man and I am a few minutes away from an important meeting with a client.
“Herr Delmont, before you go I do have a few more question that I hope you will be kind enough to answer. My concern is not only the murder of Konrad Kaufmann, but das motiv einer tat.”
“Detective, as I am not up to speed with your native tongue, would you please translate that for me?”
“I apologize. Das motiv einer tat means the motive for the deed.”
“I see. So you are talking about the motivation for the murder that you are investigating. What have you discovered so far?”
“My investigation has led me to believe that the murder victim possessed a book by Martin Luther that is considered extremely valuable.”
“Just how valuable?”
The detective paused. “If the book could be authenticated, perhaps many, many millions of Euros. I am positive that the book is the motiv einer tat!”
My interest perked up. “So you feel the shop owner was murdered for the Martin Luther book?”
“You are correct. However, Herr Delmont, I have not been totally honest with you.”
By this point in our conversation I felt we were finally getting to the reason the man had called me. “There’s more?”
“Herr Delmont, we have discovered some evidence that leads us to believe that the murder of Konrad Kaufmann was committed by his nephew, Helmut Kaufmann, a man who lives in Carson City.
Finally, I understood the reason for the German Detective’s phone call.
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MY BOOK REVIEW:
This book is an amusing, interesting, intriguing read!!
I am a huge mystery book fan, so I enjoyed the crime solving aspect and even more so the exciting "treasure hunt," aspect with the rare book - trying to determine if it was indeed the genuine article or a well crafted forgery. I also loved the fun and thrilling adventure of following this story all the way to Germany, where the crime actually took place. This book is filled with well-researched historical and cultural references that truly add to the authenticity of this story.
While I enjoyed the overall story line and felt this book had potential, I unfortunately found this book somewhat difficult to read, between the slow pace, unrelatable characters, jumbled timeline, and the many spelling and grammatical errors.
I kept hoping for the pace to pick up, but for the most part this book is on the slower pace side with few climactic points sprinkled in.
I had a difficult time connecting with the main characters. There are three main characters in this book, Flo, Bear, and Pinky. Each of these characters narrate the story from their point-of-view over the course of the 42 chapters. Flo is smart, with a PhD, although she and everyone else refers to it as a worthless degree. Flo is witty, crafty, well-traveled, polite, and considerate. She is the only character I liked and probably the main reason I was able to finish this book. Bear is Flo’s partner – personally and professionally. Flo and Bear work as investigators for Pinky’s law office. Bear is a self-proclaimed hick from Elko, Nevada. The chapters he narrates are full of crude, uneducated, and unsophisticated writings. His pages are also full of baseball references, mainly regarding his favorite team the Boston Red Sox, and drinking beer. Bear is clearly street-smart, as he seems quick to gauge the situation, locally and while abroad in Germany. And according to Flo, Bear is very strong and “drop-dead handsome.” While Bear is kind to Flo, it seems he often goes out of his way to irritate people, getting under their skin, finding their tells, especially while during the trip to Germany, as he uses slang the Germans would undoubtedly be unfamiliar with, nagging their formal customs, and calling them by nicknames they clearly loathe. Then there’s the boss, Pinky, who if I could only use one word to sum him up it would be despicable!! His chapters were full of disgusting misogynistic and egotistical rantings of a lunatic that thinks everyone should practically be worshipping their right to even breathe the same air as him. This character was a cheap, obnoxious, repulsively, slimy creep!! Not to mention his unbelievably and disturbingly unethical practices that should have him disbarred if not imprisoned. I honestly could not scroll through his pages fast enough as I felt disgusted reading about this psychopath.
I also want to point out that many of the secondary characters were also a bit disappointing. Lu, who was Pinky’s legal secretary at the beginning of book, was surprisingly praised by Pinky as, “the most efficient legal secretary in the State of Nevada.” Probably one of the only compliments Pinky gave that wasn’t about him. However, after she is repeatedly interrupted and brushed off by Pinky, she just up and leaves, quitting without saying a word or leaving a note. This felt extremely odd and unfitting for her character. While I understand her anger about her trying to talk to Pinky multiple times and him continuously interrupting her, promising her that he’d get to her situation, while also belittling her needs and dismissing her urgency, it seemed unprofessional and awkward. Then there was Lu’s replacement, Robert V. Silva. Wow, that guy, was so annoying!! I must admit there may have been a few smirks that was only fittingly fair that the ever-so pompous jerk, Pinky would be the one to end up with a pesky secretary like Robert!! Now, as Robert is paraplegic I might have been sympathetic to this character, but his irritating demeanor and immediate attack (practically the first thing said) on Pinky’s law office bathroom not being up to ADA code, felt disconcerting. I agree that ADA regulations are important, however, some portions of the ADA allow exemptions for small businesses with fewer than 15 employees. As a lawyer, I would assume Pinky would be well aware of that and as the bathroom is for employees only, not customers, and not previously having had any employees that were disabled or needing such accommodations, I’m not sure I’d be expectant of his office being up to ADA code in that manner. And if at first meeting of a new employee, in that same breath of introductions, they berated my bathroom standards, and then threatened that if I didn’t have the bathroom fixed in less than 24 hours they would report me to the federal authorities, I am not sure I would even want that person who just spoke so rudely and unprofessionally working for me. Not to mention in the following breath, Robert, tells his new boss what his schedule will be, while listing he will only work Monday through Friday 8am-5pm, will absolutely not work weekends, will be taking two ten-minute breaks, one at 10am and the other at 2pm, and will be taking a one-hour lunch every day at noon. Seriously??!! Who works for who?? If I ever showed up at a new job demanding such allowances I can’t imagine that job lasting very long. Especially in a legal secretarial job where meetings, court appointments, conference calls, etc. could be any time during the workday, and a secretary should be available for these types of events. Yes, they should get breaks, but you don’t pre-schedule them, and have to have your boss fit their schedule around yours. Ridiculous!! And then there’s Willow, Pinky’s ex-wife who he repeatedly refers to her as, “My love,” and “the love of my life.” One moment it’s all lovey-dovey, and then after Pinky ignores her calls and stands her up, she says she is changing her number, never to call her again, and that they are forever through. Then later on Pinky calls her for “legal advice,” leaving a voicemail message, she returns the call all concerned and lovey-dovey, and then by the end of the call it’s back to, “we’re done.” Bizarre, back and forth.
As for the muddled timeline mentioned above, I found several passages that contradicted the previous writings and made for some head-scratching confusion. For example, Pinky writes an address on a piece of paper, places it in a sealed envelope, and hands it to Helmut, telling him to meet Flo at the bar and to give her the envelope. We learn that the address is one of Pinky’s safe houses and that Flo and Bear are to take Helmut there. Shortly after Detective Bauman, who is the one leading the murder investigation in Germany, calls Pinky. During this call the detective gives Pinky his direct number and contact info. A little bit later, Pinky decides that Flo and Bear must fly out to Germany to investigate the crime scene and find a patsy to take the fall. Pinky tells Flo that they should find Detective Bauman when they arrive and that he had already wrote the detective’s phone number on the note that was passed on to Flo earlier. How is that possible??!! As the detective didn’t give Pinky his direct number until after Pinky had already sealed and passed on the address note. Another example, Pinky tells Robert that Mr. Jake “Hook” Dudek will be arriving soon, and to let him know when he gets here. He also describes Hook to Robert, saying you’ll instantly know him when you see his stainless-steel hook in place of his right arm. Robert responds questioning Pinky if Hook had ever visited the office before, and Pinky confirms he has. Robert replies that Pinky had lied to him as he mentions that Pinky said upon their first meeting during the ADA compliance berating that no other handicap person had used the bathroom. Pinky responds that it’s been several years since he last saw Hook, he may have misspoken, but ultimately did not recall seeing Hook ever use the bathroom. In which case, Robert responds that he will question him on his bathroom history and see if Pinky is telling the truth. Pinky tells Robert he can ask Hook whatever questions he feels are necessary, and then to send Hook into his office. REALLY!!?? You’re going to question a client/customer about their previous bathroom experiences??!! Can you say inappropriate!!?? However, the major problem of this example is what happens next. Robert calls Pinky on the intercom and says that Hook has arrived and is standing at his desk. However, he goes on saying, “I have informed him that according to your standard office policy, he would need to make an appointment.” Pinky tells Robert that he talked to Hook previously on the phone, which Robert was the one that put the call through in the first place, and had asked him to come by, so he does in fact have an appointment. Robert replies that he will send him in, and “by the way, according to Mr. Dudek, he has never used your office toilet facility.” Seriously??!! Pinky told Robert that Hook was coming and to send him back to his office when he arrives, what he looked like, and they even got into a whole spiel about it, so fifteen minutes go by, and Robert all of a sudden doesn’t remember that Hook was coming or to direct him to the office. But, yet remembered to ask him about his bathroom history?!?! This makes no sense!! I don’t want to give away all the story details, but there are a few other similar instances where the timeline is off, or the author forgot certain details that later changed down the road and therefore make the previous statements puzzling. This certainly was confusing, and I found myself having to go back to re-read earlier passages as I thought maybe I had misread something, but that was not the case.
I also want to mention the uncomfortable, strange phrasing used throughout the book that felt unrealistically voiced. For example, more than a dozen times Pinky starts his sentences out with, “My good man,” or “My good woman.” I have never heard someone talk that way, let alone repeatedly use that term over and over in all of his conversations. Furthermore, phrases like “I seek some personal time together,” “I seek a reason as to…,” “I need to complete our discussion first.” “I see an explanation is in order,” and “Here is the reason I have to talk to you.” These wordings felt stiff and unlikely to be realistically used in general conversations.While most book review copies are ARC's (advanced reader copies) and are often not polished, I rarely mention these types of errors in my reviews as more often than not the author is still going through edit's and by the time the book is released to the public, these discrepancies are resolved. However, between these obviously missed errors and perhaps the intentional errors of Bear's blatantly overt uneducated/unsophisticated "hick," language, it became overwhelmingly distracting and confusing.
There are some predictable scenes. However, there are still a couple unexpected twists and turns that you won’t see coming!
I enjoyed the humorous ending and I’m glad I stuck with it so I could appreciate the happy, tidy ending, and find out how everything concluded.
I also really enjoyed the author’s note at the end of the book. I liked that the author took the time to provide the historical references that inspired his writing, information on how he developed the story, and some of his research methods and findings. Plus, I loved that he included photos of the setting from a historical background reference to current images of what those same places look like today.
This book is Book Six of the Pinky and Bear Mystery Book Series. While this book is part of an already established and on-going book series, it can still easily be read as a standalone.
This book was an enjoyable read, but it sadly wasn’t able to keep me hanging on every word and it was a book that I was able to and actually did put down.
All in all, there were a few hang-ups for me, but overall, I still enjoyed reading this book and would still recommend it!! I think all mystery readers and historical fiction fans will like this book too!! So, be sure to add it to your TBR List!!
**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations**
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AUTHOR BIO:
Ken was born in 1938 at Hollywood Hospital. He grew up in Los Angeles with his parents, his older sister and younger brother.
In a
turn of bad luck, the dreaded Polio virus attacked Ken at the age of five.
By the age of sixteen, after eleven years of operations, therapy, and braces to mitigate the effects of Polio, Ken’s luck changed when he met the girl of his dreams. A few years later they married, produced three wonderful children, and settled into a happy life in Southern California.
In 1966, Ken and his family moved to the wine country of Northern California where they bought a home.
Ten years later, Ken, designed, built, and operated a small winery that produced award winning Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
Then, in a moment of madness, Ken began writing. His first article was published in Golf Illustrated. Many more golf articles followed in national and regional magazines including Golf Magazine and Fairways and Greens. Eventually Ken felt the urge to write his first novel.
Now, after the publication of The Bloody Birthright, The Big Show Stopper, Death is a Cabernet, The Tartan Shroud, Brother, can you spare a dime?, The Unsavory Critic, Casper Potts and the Ladies’ Casserole Club, and his non-fiction, Polio and Me, he publishes his latest mystery, The Heretics Hymnal.
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CONNECT WITH KEN:
Website:
Email:
ken@kendalton.com
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4343552.Ken_Dalton
Goodreads Book Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58844791-the-heretics-hymnal
Amazon Author Page:
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon US Kindle eBook:
Amazon US Paperback:
Amazon CA Kindle eBook:
https://www.amazon.ca/Heretics-Hymnal-Pinky-Bear-Mystery-ebook/dp/B09CR96WD9
Amazon CA Paperback:
https://www.amazon.ca/Heretics-Hymnal-Pinky-Bear-Mystery/dp/0578968363
Book Depository Paperback:
https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Heretics-Hymnal-Ken-Dalton/9780578968360
Books-A-Million Paperback:
https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Heretics-Hymnal/Ken-Dalton/9780578968360
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Ken will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog. This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**
This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions. Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
Sounds like a good book.
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