Review of “One Last Lie”
written by Jon Michaelsen

“One Last Lie” by author Rob Kaufman in a word is awesome, in a word is awesome, an incredible psychological thriller that will have the reader hanging on the edge during the explosive and thrilling final pages. Which is odd, since the reader knows a very important fact very early on that drives the novel – and yet, I found myself shocked and stunned by the actual event. To say that I was affected is an understatement.

Partners Philip and Jonathan seem to have a wonderful relationship together of ten years. They have earned all they wanted; a nice home, great jobs, and money in the bank. But, elluding them is the dream of having a child. But, soon this challenge becomes possible when Angela, Philip’s college friend – once a very large woman with deep depression – has appeared anew, lighter, happier, ready and willing to help the boys out. The three decide to have a child together through artificial insemination of Jonathan’s sperm. Got that? It gets better.

Life begins to unravel for Philip and Jonathan and Angela’s deceit comes to light as her pregnancy awakens hidden psychological and physical problems.

This psychological thriller is told man years later from an elder Jonathan in his hospital bed, awaiting death. Angela’s web of deceit had caused heartbreak, legal battles – and ultimately murder.

The first half of the tense and romantic novel seems tame at best, a love story between two men wanting desperately to have a child and the one driving this dream is the one who is sterile due to a previous bout with cancer, of which he is a survivor.

Kaufman is a master of romantic suspense. The novel is set in the beautiful, romantic Westport, Connecticut. The subject – gay couple wanting to father and raise a child – popular in today’s gay culture. The protagonists, Jonathan Beckett and dashing Philip Stone, are successful, love their careers, very wealthy and can afford the finer things in life – and to fulfill their dream of having a child.

In comes Angela, an old college friend – err, girlfriend – of Philip’s, squirreling her way into Philip and Jonathan’s lives, ironically offering what the boys are looking for – someone to carry Jonathan’s child via artificial insemination. Angela experiences a Jekyll-Hyde complex, able to turn on a dime with both her low-life moronic boyfriend, Tommy, and her brooding – and easily manipulated — best friend, June. Angela manipulates anyone around her that she feels able to advance her agenda, an agenda set into motion the moment Angela picked up and moved to Connecticut, without invitation, to assist the boys in having a child with her via artificial insemination.

Kaufman’s gift as a writer is detailed within the sharp dialog, vivid imagery, skillful flashbacks, and well-rounded multidimensional character portrayals, but his inherit talent lay in his remarkable ability to craft a spell-bounding story, laid out for the reader in a way to have you cheering for the good guys and demonizing the psychos.

There are critical clues dropped within the novel that are thrilling, yet disturbing yet the same as Kaufman’s hurls the readers toward a well-crafted, suspenseful climax that will leave some breathless and others – like me- angry. Yes, I said it; angry. The reason for my anger is simple: I didn’t want the ending to happen as it did yet I KNEW what the ending would be and still, the author managed to shock me.

Angela is neurotic, psychotic and delusional – all required traits in portraying the villainess she becomes. Several characters that came before her came to mind as I learned more and more about her character, such as “Alex Forrest” (portrayed stunningly by Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction”), or Annie Wilkes in Stephen King’s “Misery” (portrayed in film by the astounding Kathy Bates), even the sultry Rebecca de Mornay’s portrayal of Peyton Flanders in “The Hand That Rocks The Cradle”.

The malicious plot Kaufman’s Angela devises years before putting the such an evil plan into motion upon signing the co-parenting legal contract with Jonathan’s and Philip’s attorney.

But, I digress…Kaufman has created a spectacular psychological thriller that is sure to stun – is that the right word? – Readers of the genre. [Book:One Last Lie|14624158] is chock full of tense drama, betrayal, lies, compassion and violence; all the marks of an excellent thriller.

My only complaint is likely due to the HTML uploading issues unique to Amazon’s conversion technology for uploading e-books. The reader can become confused with the sudden backward or forward in time breaks without the benefit of section dividers. However, these small inadequacies are easily overlooked.

Ultimately, Kaufman has created a “must-read” novel for anyone searching for a kick-ass psychological thriller with a strong romantic theme. [Book:One Last Lie|14624158] will suck you in and won’t release you until the shocking ending, indeed the ‘one last lie’.

http://www.onelastlie.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/745558.Rob_Kaufman

Ink by Isabelle Rowan

Dominic is tired, old and alone; weary of his existence to the point of withdrawing from any human contact…except to feed.
It’s been a while since he’s had a lover, one that touched him as much as the one from his past. For a reason not entirely clear to the reader, Dominic finds himself watching Ink every night, a tattoo shop emanating smells of blood and sweat that draw him and where he spots Michael, a young tattoo artist that stirs something in the ancient man that he has not enjoyed in a long time – something he has attempted to avoid over the many decades.

Michael is a young tattoo artist at Ink. He’s handsome, witty and insightful, yet somewhat aloof in his youthful grace. When a mysterious and alluring man comes into the tattoo shop one evening as it’s ready to close and asks for a tattoo, Michael quickly volunteers to “ink” the man. He is intrigued by the mysterious, brooding man.

But Dominic – the customer – erases the experience from Michael’s memory. However, Dominic returns several nights later for a tattoo that disappears by the next day.

Michael feels drawn to the mysterious man for reasons he cannot explain, or understand. He stalks Dominic, spying on him, inexplicably drawn to the man – a pull beyond his understanding. But Dominic will have none of Michael. He discourages Michael, even pushes the young man away with powerful impulses of his mind.

Dominic chooses to end his “life”, not wanting to bring any harm Michael. Michael still feels compelled to look for the man he’s feels drawn to, romantically and physically – to seek the man out, to understand his feelings, determine once and for all if there is any possibly of a relationship with Dominic.

Michael locates Dominic and excitement turns to fear as he realizes Dominic is dying, possibly dead. In a desperate attempt to revive the vampire, Michael shares his blood with the man and curls beside him in bed.

Through the first half of the novel, Dominic seems to do everything
he can to push Michael away, but the pull is too strong and soon, Dominic gives into his desires, only to attract the attention of his “maker”.

And all is not well when Dominic’s maker senses a chance to reclaim
his “son”, and interfere with Michael’s newfound love affair – the man’s very existence and that of his close friends, is suddenly in danger.

Ink is a dark, at times gothic, at times mushy, romantic tale of angst, fear and discovery, of an ancient vampire’s loss of hope and desire – a m/m romance with strong characters and plot; the writing is very good, save for a few references to modern pop culture that appeared odd. The novel builds very slow and deliberate until Dominic and Michael are finally joined as lovers, only to meet a fate stronger than either of them could have imagined.

Isabelle Rowan has created a very gratifying m/m love story – and thriller (the part I loved most toward the end!); a novel between opposite men, unlikely lovers – men destined to meet in this lifetime (or perhaps the next.)

The story drags at some points in the beginning, but pushing forth to the thriller portion of the last fifty pages or so are well worth the wait.

A very enjoyable read indeed!



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FIVE STARS!

Author, Ryan Field, has written a reivew of my latest release, False Evidence, for Amazon.com and Goodreads:

I had a chance to read “Murder Most Deadly 1: False Evidence,” by m/m fiction author, Jon Michaelsen, last week. It’s a m/m romance novella, with a mystery/suspense theme that revolves around the main character’s infatuation with an extremely attractive young man who lives in an adjacent building. The book is set in Atlanta, where some of my favorite books of all time have been set (“Peachtree Road” by Anne Rivers Siddens).

I hate to write reviews like this because I’m always worried I’ll give out a spoiler, and with a book like this, almost anything I say could ruin something for the reader. So I’ll try to keep it short and ambiguous, and focus more on how I felt while I as reading the book.

When I started reading, I obviously expected a murder mystery. But it’s a little tricky at first, because there’s an interesting set up that involves a little harmless voyeurism, a hot young guy, and a decent young guy who seems lonely. In fact, the lonely guy almost seems to have self-esteem issues. But only he feels this way. I felt that he underestimated himself in more ways than one. And I immediately started to cheer him on as the book progressed. I like this in any book, where I start to feel emotionally invested in the character. I wanted to see him change.

And he did change. In more ways than I expected. There are some erotic scenes that are handled very well. Nothing that I would consider over-the-top, but in the same respect they were arousing…both emotionally and physically. I’ve been let down before, but not this time. And this is why I wound up reading the book in one sitting when I should have been doing something else.

Another reason I wound up reading it in full that night was because there was a ring of reality I don’t see often enough. I have known characters like this in real life, where they get involved with someone thinking it’s all going to be innocent and it winds up becoming something they never expected. I honestly can’t say anything more than this because I would ruin the book for other people. But this shit happens to gay guys all the time. In fact, it almost happened to me once. And though I wish I could explain in more detail, it wouldn’t be fair.

In the end, just when I started to feel there was no hope left, something interesting happened that made me feel so much better. No details because that would ruin the ending. But I will say that I’m looking forward to the sequel to find out what happens. The main character is someone I won’t forget, nor will I forget his complicated situation. And that doesn’t happen often to me.