Jeremy Hepler

Seth Fowler was near the end of an ordinary day when it all started. There would be no more ordinary days for Seth. When his long time friend and coworker Randy stops by with a 6 pack and a brand new truck that he shouldn't have been able to afford Seth is understandably a little jealous and maybe a little suspicious but he doesn't notice the birds just yet. What he does notice, when Randy goes in the house to use the bathroom.. is the dead body in the back of the truck. When Randy leaves, Seth calls the cops, but soon he is met by Luther, an otherworldly stranger who makes him an offer he can't refuse. Literally, there is no way to refuse Luther, so Seth will do what it takes to protect his girlfriend, his adopted daughter and his elderly father from harm, but the police and his brother-in-law are getting suspicious and meanwhile the bodies are piling up.

I can't tell you this wasn't a bit of a crazy story, or that I wouldn't have liked some sort of explanation of what and why Luther is whatever he is, but damned if I didn't enjoy it anyway. It's suspenseful, and creepy, and Seth is just plain likable. I was rooting for him, I wanted those pesky cops to leave him alone. I wanted his brother-in-law to mind his own business, and now I think the birds are spying on me!


I received a complimentary copy for review.… (más)

Alice, an elderly woman, nearing the end of her days shares a miraculous story with Emily, a young friend who helps her care for her famous garden. This is a poignant tale of Alice's youth, growing up in a small town near a Nazi prison camp after her father was killed in the war.
It put me in mind of "The Green Mile" in the way that someone thought to be evil was actually a gift from God.
It's a beautifully written coming of age tale set in one of my favorite time periods, World War II
when Alice and her mother had to find a way to get on with life while grieving their loss.
I can't say much about the plot without spoiling it for you so I'm just going to say if you enjoy historical fiction or coming of age novels you get both here and it's glorious. I loved it.… (más)

Cricket Hunters takes place on two time lines. It is both a coming of age tale in the late 1990s and a supernatural mystery taking place today. Back then Cel and Parker were teenaged sweethearts, and part of a close knit group of friends. In the present day the bloom is off the rose and their marriage is quite rocky. After a heated argument with Cel, Parker disappears. Cel doesn't know if it's because of his philandering ways or if it is something to do with an unresolved incident in their past. The interpersonal relationships between the characters in the past and the way it shaped their adult selves is quite realistic and believable. In my opinion this is the author's best work to date and that is saying something considering his previous work is quite good. The ending left me awe struck.
5 out of 5 stars.
I received an advance copy for review.… (más)

Enjoyed this from beginning to end. I came into this fairly blind, not knowing what to expect. What I got was a very warmly done coming of age tale that was personally reminiscent of the feeling I got reading To Kill a Mockingbird. A completely different scenario, but the rural/ small town feel was there. Hepler created characters that you connected to immediately upon introduction. The time jumps from past to present were seemless and easy to follow.

Being the Bad Bitch that I claim to be is hard to stick to because this book had me feeling some strong emotions throughout. But I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend.… (más)