Melissa Brown Levine wrote this review of Coastal Empire for Independent Professional Book Reviewers: In author Rocky Leonard’s debut novel, Coastal Empire, Savannah private detective Robert Mercer, finds himself in the middle of an elaborate, illegal real estate scheme after taking a job to track a suspected philanderer. What begins as a simple case soon becomes a tangled web of fraud and murder. Mercer risks his on life as he works to save the remaining targets on the criminals’ list. This story has a complicated plot that moves in unexpected directions. After receiving a thank you card from a jeweler in Atlanta, Sarah Reid hires Robert Mercer to find out if her husband, Barry Reid, a prominent local real estate agent, is cheating on her. Mercer accepts the job and spends a couple of days in Atlanta searching for the man who sent the thank you card. During his investigation, Mercer meets Kelly, a woman who originally presents herself as an employee of the jewelry store, but who Mercer later discovers is a significant figure in his case. Upon his return to Savannah, Mercer meets Nick Mason when Nick runs out into the middle of the street as Mercer and his dog Ox are making their way home. This chance meeting turns into a partnership when Nick informs Mercer of strange real estate transactions involving multi-million dollar properties and a local attorney. When the men discover that the owners of two of those properties were killed just months after a real estate trust on their properties was set up, they investigate the key players in the scheme. Barry Reid happens … [Read more...]
Archives for July 2012
Coastal Empire earns solid review from Independent Professional Book Reviewers
Reader’s favorite review for Always a Next One
While our focus has remained fixed on the release of Secondhand Sight on September 7th, we haven't exactly been idle. A few weeks ago, my collection of short stories about animal rescue titled Always a Next One was officially released by Each Voice Publishing. To date, the anthology has received several very favorable reviews. Lee Ashford from Reader's Favorite wrote the following kind words in this very complimentary five-star review: “Always a Next One” by John L. Leonard is a pleasant, enjoyable read with a powerful message. The author and his wife volunteered countless hours of their lives to assist their local no-kill Humane Society with the rehabilitation, care and nurture of unwanted dogs and cats. They accomplished this by establishing themselves as a foster home, primarily for dogs, to house companion animals in excess of the Humane Society’s capacity, as well as injured or otherwise less-adoptable animals. In this book of tales (pun intended), he relates the experiences his family had with the more than 100 animals they housed over the years they volunteered. These tales will entertain and delight you, and tug at your heart strings. The book is full of chuckles, and may even prompt you to volunteer some time at your local Humane Society. “Always a Next One” is short, and can be read in a few hours. I have always been a “dog person” and knew I would enjoy the book, but it still surprised me how much I enjoyed it. The author wrote in a conversational manner, as if he were sitting with me and personally telling me his tales. I recommend this book with a … [Read more...]