The Eye Stone

In the twelfth century AD, Venice is little more than an agglomeration of small islands snatched from the muddy tides. The magnificent city-lagoon of Venice, the rich and powerful Serene Republic, is yet to be born. Here, in this northern backwater, a group of artisans have proven themselves to be unrivalled in an art form that produces works of such astounding beauty that many consider it mystical in nature and think its practitioners possessed of otherworldly gifts: glassmaking. Presciently aware of the power they wield and the role they will play in the Venice of the future, the Venetian glassmakers inhabit a world of esoteric practices and secret knowledge that they protect at all costs.

Into this world steps Edgardo D’Arduino, a cleric and a professional copyist. Edgardo’s eyesight has begun to waver—a curse for a man who makes his living copying sacred texts. But he has heard stories, perhaps legends, that in Venice, city of glassmakers, there exists a stone, the “lapides ad legendum,” that can restore one’s sight. However, finding men who have knowledge of this wondrous stone proves almost impossible. After much searching, Edgardo meets a mysterious man who offers him a deal: he will lead him to the makers of the lapides ad legendum in exchange for Edgardo’s stealing a secret Arabic scientific text that is kept in the abbey where Edgardo lodges. When a series of horrific crimes shakes the cloistered world of the glassmakers, Edgardo realizes that there is much more at stake that his faltering eyesight.

The Eye Stone (Historical Mystery)

“A Novel of Venice”

By Roberto Tiranoschi

ISBN #978-1609452650

Europa Editions

288 Pages

$17.00

Rating 5-stars

Edgardo, a young cleric, deformed at birth, and now going blind seeks a miracle. A miracle to restore his eyesight in order to copy great manuscripts. It’s the early Twelfth Century, and the church refuses to accept anything new, believing it will not be from God. Yet there is a rumor that manuscripts exist in the archives of a church library that might hold the key to the discovery of sight once more. Edgardo travels to Venice where glassmakers seek great discoveries in their field of art also.

However, Edgardo discovers something else is going on when he arrives. Red-algae is filling the lagoon, and babies and animals are born deformed. To add to the mystery, someone is killing glassmaker apprentices, removing their eyes and replacing the eyes with colored glass marbles. And the cleric falls in love with a slave, which will lead him away from the church.

Although the story moves slow the reader is pulled into the deep mystery, and the characters keep you turning the pages. The historical aspect of early glass making is done in an interesting way, and not at all distracting from the flow of the story; in fact it is embedded into the mystery in a way that adds purpose to the over all story telling. This may not be for readers of fast action, but fans of mystery lovers will find it a good read, as well as having a strong twist at the end. I’m not sure how accurate the historical Venice is, but the mystery is certainly good. Highly recommended.

Tom Johnson

Detective Mystery Stories

Dime Crimes #34

Dime Crimes #34

Rebel, Rebel Productions

Executive Producers John Benjamin Hickey & Bob Giraldi

Directed by Ed Hellman

Written by JM Wagner

Approximately 16 minutes running time

Starring Ashlee Mundy as Doll, Jimmy Dalton as Bug, and John Michael Wagner as Jack

Rating 5-Stars

Doll and her boyfriend, Jack, rent out a room in their apartment to Bug. Doll notices a gun tucked in Bug’s belt, and he makes no doubt to her that he’s interested. Doll reads comic books and men’s action stories to help her sleep at night, and Bug does excite her. However, when Bug makes moves on her, she’s not sure how to respond.

This is a fun short film, well produced, and professionally acted by the cast. Though only about 16 minutes in length, it has a beginning, middle, and ending, and would have been a nice short story in a men’s adventure magazine. Lots of comic book art is also displayed in Doll’s room, showing the influence for this film. Visit the Rebel, Rebel Face Book Page at https://www.facebook.com/rebelrebelproductions for more information, and view the trailer here

https://vimeo.com/122945899

Tom Johnson

Detective Mystery Stories

Murder: Take Three

When movie action hero Micah Deifenschlictor is accused of murdering his longtime agent, private investigators Maureen O'Brien and Blake Ervansky are offered a small fortune by Micah's attorney to prove her client's innocence. Blake and Maureen uncover evidence that eliminates Micah as a suspect in less than a day, earning the huge paycheck for very little work. When the case boomerangs back to them, however, the detectives realize they may have been duped into participating in a cover-up. After secretly reopening their investigation, Ervansky and O'Brien are drawn into something much larger and darker than mere homicide, something that will bring unimaginable grief to Blake's life, not only changing him as a man, but irrevocably altering his relationship with Maureen.

Murder: Take Three (Murder Mystery)

By April Kelly & Marsha Lyons

ISBN #978-0615555065

Flight Risk Books www.flightriskbooks.com

Price $10.72

304 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

“Just Keeps Getting Better!”

Receiving a big paycheck for proving movie action hero Micah Deifenschlictor did not kill his agent, Blake and Maureen feel good about their investigation until things start looking funny about the case, and another man is arrested after clues lead to him. Now, they’re wondering if maybe the clues were planted, and they were supposed to find Micah innocent when in truth he was the killer.

Micah had served a tour in the Marines, and with a body-builder’s muscles was perfect for action parts, even if he couldn’t act. When he left the marines, he brought many of his old military buddies back with him, setting them up in his movies. But is Micah really in charge? Drugs are liquefying his brain, and he doesn’t seem to have the intelligence to plan a murder. Blake and Maureen start looking at his movie studio, where ex-marines are patrolling the grounds armed to the teeth. And when Pinnacle Studios notices their interest, Blake’s home is burned down and the suspected body of his wife is found in the ashes, sending Blake temporarily over the edge. Maureen remains on the case, however, and discovers that Blake’s wife may be alive, and the body was someone else.

Wow! This series just keeps getting better. The characters continue to grow, though the mood becomes a bit darker as Blake and Maureen are pulled deeper into the cases they investigate. There is little mystery to the stories, as the reader understands the set up from the beginning, but we get to see the main characters work out their investigation, discovering clues that will lead them to the guilty party, and this brings the reader closer to the characters involved. And it is the characters that make the series. The sleazy Hollywood setting is another plus. Highly recommended for mystery buffs who love a good yarn.

Tom Johnson

Detective Mystery Stories

The Method

A down-and-out LA actor with a knack for impersonations finds his circumstances completely reversed by a chance meeting with a look-alike stranger. After a night of drinking with his new friend discussing the possibilities made possible by their similar appearance, the stranger offers the actor a ride home. On the way there is an accident and one of them is killed. The survivor finds himself in the hospital with amnesia and everyone assuming he's the stranger, the right-hand man for a mob boss. The survivor plays the role that's expected of him, despite the fact that doubt about who he is, weighs heavy on his mind. Life becomes a balancing act between the role he finds himself playing and the search for who he really is: the down-and-out actor or the mob consigliere?

The Method (Graphic Novel, Crime Noir)

By Jerry Bader

MRPwebmedia

ISBN #978-0994069818

132 Pages

Price $19.99 (Paperback)

Price $15.99 (Kindle)

Rating 4-Stars

“A New Experience In Graphics.”

An unnamed actor down on his luck falls even farther under when his wife leaves him for his agent, and depletes his bank account on the way out. With a hundred dollars left in his wallet he heads for a bar to get drunk. But a strange encounter changes his life suddenly. The waitresses mistake him for someone else, and within minutes that someone walks into the bar. He’s mobster Arnie Barnardo, the right hand man of gangster, Carmine, and is a twin to the actor. Becoming drinking partners, they’re both drunk when the mobster offers to drive the actor home. On the way there’s an accident, and one is killed, the other is left with amnesia. In the hospital, the survivor meets mob enforcer, Vito, and Arnie’s moll, Lonnie. The survivor quickly understands that he’d better play along, or the mob will kill him if he’s really the actor.

This was certainly a new experience for me. I was sent the iPad version, which included the audio. Unfortunately, I had trouble with the audio. Either I listened to just the audio, without changing pages, or I lost the audio by changing pages; every three or four pages, the audio hook-up would return, but just for that page. Although this is a Graphic Novel, with pictures and text, it is also adult in nature, and not meant for youngsters. The “f” bomb is constantly used in dialogue, so anyone offended by language should be aware of the content. The story itself was interesting, though contained numerous typos – “were” was usually always “where”, etc. Recommended for adult readers with an interest crime noir, and Graphic Novels with an edge.

Tom Johnson

Detective Mystery Stories

Jerry Bader is Senior Partner at MRPwebmedia.com Production Company. “The Method” is the first in a series of hybrid Graphic Novels written in screenplay format with the script on one page and the illustrations opposite. The iPad version also has audio included for each chapter. In the coming months “The Method” Universe will be expanding with exciting and exotic  new characters as well as many of your old friends from this edition. If you’d like to be informed of each new edition please follow @mrpwebmedia on Twitter.

Hunter's Moon

HUNTER’S MOON by Tom Johnson, featuring The Moon Man in his best adventure since the Frederick C. Davis period. With the police closing in on Angel's hideaway, the
 danger for the Moon Man may be escalating for Great City's Robin Hood. To
compound matters, tragedy strikes closer to home. This time, he won’t be
 able to provide help to someone close to him. Sergeant Steve Thatcher, seeing the people struggling to survive, dons the mysterious garments of the Robin Hood thief to relieve the filthy rich of their ill-gotten gains
to be distributed among the poor by ex boxer Ned Dargan. When they come up against an illegal weapons manufacturer masquerading as a toy company, his fiancé is taken prisoner by criminals and he must not only remove them of their money, but put a stop to their weapons sale overseas. Available on Kindle for $1.99 at http://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Moon-Tom-Johnson-ebook/dp/B00A9YH6PE/ref=la_B008MM81CM_1_41?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430484035&sr=1-41 Also available in paperback for $15.00, post paid, from the author in his short story collection, NEW CLASSIC PULP FICTION STORIES.