Review: The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry

Ghostly hauntings, forbidden love, high society, the occult….what could be more thrilling? The Arrow Chest is a haunting Gothic tale of love set in the Victorian era with a distinct Tudor element.

Painter Amos Roselli has been in love with his childhood friend and muse, Daphne for years.

Daphne has modeled for a number of Roselli’s paintings for years, but when the rich industrialist Lord Oliver Ramsey of Bowlend commissions Roselli for a portrait he discovers the course of Roselli’s inspiration–the strikingly beautiful Daphne.

Ramsey pursues Daphne with vigor and vengeance, ultimately winner her hand. A marriage to Ramsey is ideal for Daphne. He is rich and can offer her a life of luxury and for a women like Daphne, this life has its own appeal.

Continue reading “Review: The Arrow Chest by Robert Parry”

Special Feature and Giveaway: What Maisie Knew by Henry James

The classics are making a vivacious come back to the silver screen this year! This year we have seen modern takes on old favorites with such blockbusters as Anna Karenina, Les Misérables and The Great Gatsby.

The Henry James classic, What Maisie Knew, has also been made into a feature film!

Though there hasn’t been as much buzz about this film as some of the others, it has been highly praised by the critics after its debut at the Toronto Film Festival in Sept 2012.

The movie has now been released to the masses in May and continues to   garner much critical praise for the performances of Julianne Moore, Alexander Skarsgård, Steve Coogan, and the young Onata Aprile.

Continue reading “Special Feature and Giveaway: What Maisie Knew by Henry James”

Review: Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell

Terror has gripped the foggy streets of London in 1854. A family of five has been found brutally murdered–beaten to death with their throats slit–the youngest victim was an infant. Since nothing was taken and the crime scene neatly staged, it can only be considered a crime of the deranged.

Constable Becker was first on the scene, only missing the murderer by a matter of minutes. After raising the alarm, Detective Inspector Sean Ryan arrives and he immediately sees potential in Becker as an assistant.

They gather what few clues were left at the crime scene and realize they aren’t dealing with a mad man, but rather an educated man of means.

The crime itself closely resembles another infamous murder that happened forty three years earlier, The Ratcliffe Highway murders. The famous author Thomas De Quincey also wrote an essay portraying and praising these murders as ‘fine works of art’.

Continue reading “Review: Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell”

Guest Post: Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell

As part of the Murder as a Fine Art Virtual Book Tour, author David Morrell wrote a feature/guest post for your enjoyment! Be sure to check out other stops on the tour for giveaway opportunities, interviews, and more guest posts! You will fin the tour schedule at the end of this post! Without further ado, please join me in welcoming David Morrell to The Lit Bitch!

Continue reading “Guest Post: Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell”

Review: Seduction (The Reincarnationist #5) by M.J. Rose

Complex, exotic scents bring this novel alive!

This isn’t just a tale of historic fiction– it’s a novel with a unique blend of the paranormal, romance, mystery, and psychology.

In 1843 the renowned author Victor Hugo discovers that his beloved daughter, Didine, has drowned.

In his grief he turns to the occult in hopes of communicating with his daughter. His wife, family, and friends all being having séances and they soon discover they can communicate with the dead.

Soon the séances turn into something more….Victor fears he has open an unwanted door to the spirit world when he starts being visited by the Shadow of the Sepulcher (the devil) who offers him what he desires most….the return of his daughter.

Continue reading “Review: Seduction (The Reincarnationist #5) by M.J. Rose”