SATURDAY NIGHT DEAD by F.H.Belfus-Bennett

I met the author, F.H.Belfus Bennett, at the New England Author Expo in Danvers, Massachusetts during the summer of 2018, and happily exchanged my book for hers. In this first novel, she has written a compelling story set in the neighborhoods of Boston, Cambridge, Allston and Brighton. The characters are of a wide assortment of ethnic backgrounds and their families and friends interact in a believable way.  Socioeconomic disparity in the urban setting is accurately described; the villain (poor young Eastern European man) murders the victims (wealthy privileged college students) for a paying  sponsor (southern gentleman from a childhood of emotional abuse.) Drugs play a significant role in the evil of this novel.  The authorities carry out their investigation with credible diligence and attentiont to detail. The book is well planned, written, edited and proofed which makes it an enjoyable read. The author shows promise!

TWO MORE MYSTERIES FROM DR. JANSON

Dr. Paul Janson has again created believable characters with depth and personalities that are memorable. With these characters, he has created two distinctly different murder mysteries. The first, titled THE MANUSCRIPT, introduces the characters gradually, bringing them together in unusual circumstances, and following them on a trail filled with suspenseful twists and turns.  What does a locomotive, a privatized prison, and a course in writing query letters have to do with nuclear terrorism? (And, to pique your interest, can an old drawbridge ever be jumped?)  Frank and Joan wil grow into their friendship gradually, and will exit this first book safely enough to reappear, surprisingly, in its sequel, ADVANCED DIRECTIVE.  I enjoyed both titles, and highly recommend that you purchase both!

In the sequel, Advanced Directive, Dr. Janson writes of the dilemma an out-of-pratice-nurse-suddenly-needing-work faces when the first job she can secure is in a nursing home, where the care is not what she is used to practicing in hospital settings. Joan, of the first book, is not the nurse in question, nor does she appear until the story of April's new position is well underway ... in fact, her entrance into April's story is like a warm, welcoming recognition for the reader. Before reacquainting with Joan and Frank, the reader is introduced to April's recently-dead husband's family; the link that joins these three main characters is an elderly aunt who resides at the home. The excitement picks up when the elderly aunt's unexpectedly sudden demise catches Frank's attention, and brings him into contact with distant relatives of his own ... relatives who chose a career path on the other side of the law ... relatives who somewhat tolerate Frank's defection to the uniformed side of the law. And once again, Dr. Janson's clever twists and turns unite  other family units with the potential of additional stories ahead...