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Let's Read it: Wicked Wives by Gus Pelagatti

Teaser: An evil mastermind plays the role of a ladies man and uses his harem of black widows to turn murder into money in the affluent hills of Philadelphia in the late 1930s. Driven by love, lust and greed, more than a dozen wives conspire with their playboy lover to murder their husbands and collect hefty insurance payouts. The women are ruthless, unemphatic and unapologetic in their conquests for money and sex and they all share a common thread. Their love and admiration for a man named Giorgio Disipio. Cold, calculating and ultimately cowardly Giorgio secretly despises the women who worship him and has no regrets for facilitating the deaths of more than a dozen men. When the police begin closing in on him, he's more than content to give up his co-conspirators, many of which are women who truly loved him, to save his own skin. Unfortunately for him the scorned women he manipulated are more than willing to do the same. Long time lover and deadly black widow, Eva, can't accept her demise. She's murdered two husband with the help of Giorgio, but like many of the other women, she believes herself to be Giorgio's one true love and secretly resents him for never genuinely returning her affection. She won't sit by while he or any of the others get away with their crimes. When she starts talking the deadly pyramid plot and the lives of all those involved begins to crumble to the ground. District attorney Tom Rossi has slam dunk if he can wade through this intricate web of deceit, affairs and murders. But he'll find out just how close his personal life is intertwined with this band of devious killers.

Did I like it: I'm an absolute sucker for most types of crime novels and true stories are even more enthralling. Accordingly, I very much in enjoyed this book. I generally find it a good sign when you can't stop reading until the end, and this definitely gave me the "just one more page" feeling I like when reading. The characters are very well developed, and I say this having had a general dislike for most of them. They are awful people and this really shines through, particularly their lack of empathy and their desperation when their scam unravels. The female characters are exceptionally well written. They manage to be incredibly strong forces but at the same time very weak.  Three of the main women, Eva, Joanna and Lillian have a deep love for Giorgio. A man that treats them like nothing more than slabs of meat, will not and cannot commit to any of them and constantly betrays their trust.

 But they are tireless in their efforts to secure him as their own, and just as much so to live their lives the way the want even in they have to lie and kill to do it. The women are wild, some murdering multiple husbands with no regard for the consequences. They are certainly "evil" but in my opinion their willingness to become killers steams from their flaws as human beings. They are either in loveless or unfulfilling marriages for which murder seems like the only way out with the bonus of a hefty sum of cash each time. Giorgio's character preys on this weakness, on their need for a passionate man who loves them. They are pawns, but he is the true master and truly befitting of the word evil. He feels no remorse for his lovers or the people he's killed, and even lies to the very last moment when faced with the responsibility for his deeds. But these despicable characters are what enjoyed most about this novel.

The dialogue is excellent and fitting for the times. Their are some instances of racial slurs but they fit into the world of the story, being that it takes place in the 1930s.  I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys, crime, suspense novels or "based on a true story" type novels. It's an entertaining, medium sized read. However due to adult language and sexual situations I would not suggest this for younger readers. 

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

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Spotlight: Gemini Rising Ethereal Fury by Jessica O' Gorek




Synopsis:  

Mother Earth, wounded by the human race and its disregard for her resources, will recruit human souls to serve Her and turn against humanity. A rising force festers; Gemini, a clan of paranormal beings will systematically possess and destroy towns, cities, and states. Amidst the chaos, a forbidden relationship between Onyx, a lead Gemini, and Violette, a human, begins. They will both find themselves in the middle of a revolutionary war that will either save, or destroy our world.

A Word with the Author:

What inspired you to write this novel?


We aren't taking care of the earth and in case anyone hasn’t noticed, things are changing! (Polar ice caps, see level rising, super storms) I hope to create awareness that global warming is real and that we have to rapidly change our ways or suffer the consequences. I don’t think we are doing enough and I think the damage we have done is atrocious. 

Which is you favorite character?
 
Onyx. He is so full of angst over what he does and his loyalty to killing humans is fierce. I love the way he protects Violette like a rabid animal and I love that he struggles with his own conscience. He discovers he doesn't like killing and changes completely.

Do you relate to any of the characters or do you feel that your audience will be able to connect with any of the character?
 
I relate to all of my characters in one form or another, even the nasty ones. I guess there is a part of me in all of them. People will find Violette the most relate-able. I believe her innocence and her spunkiness will appeal to the younger readers, while her wisdom will appeal to the older readers. Poor Slate, he always gets the short end of the stick and I think most will pity him. 

What makes your novel unique?
Well, a new paranormal force has been born. No vamps, no wolves, no zombies, no ghosts, the ultimate and elite form of predator, the Gemini is a new concept. More dangerous that all the others combined and recruited by mother earth for the sole purpose of taking back her lands. They are like evil superheros with limitless powers. Ironically, there only weakness is getting trapped in a human by fabric.

What do you think your novel adds to it genre?

A new message for our youth. I hope to scare them into taking care of the earth, or at least to think very hard about how they treat it. Most young adult novels these days are focused on love triangles, (which I have in mine too) and shallow concepts that barely scratch the surface of their true analytical power. I attempt to go deeper and pull on heart strings and future actions.

What do you think your novel adds to it genre?
A new message for our youth. I hope to scare them into taking care of the earth, or at least to think very hard about how they treat it. Most young adult novels these days are focused on love triangles, (which I have in mine too) and shallow concepts that barely scratch the surface of their true analytical power. I attempt to go deeper and pull on heart strings and future actions.  

 Author Bio:



I was born in Chesapeake, Virginia on April 19th, 1979. I was raised within the American Indian religion and was taught great respect for the earth and all its living beings. Powwows, sweat lodges, vision quests, you name it, I’ve done it. I was the weird kid who would confront kids on the playground in elementary school when they squished a bug. I would very sincerely tell them what they were doing was morally wrong and then I would pray for the bug to come back as a butterfly in its next life. 

​​I grew up admiring my father, Barry Weinstock, as an author. When I was twelve I started hand writing novels. My first one was two thousand pages. My daughter, who is thirteen, is currently working on her first novel. I hope to continue the legacy.


 Preview Gemini Rising




“Give me my brother! I know you have him!” The shy little girl was now screaming at him, her fists pumping the air, but he paid her no mind.
It was always easier to leave out the details. Tork always said there was nothing worse than a room full of hysterical captives. Bad enough to be human, but add in the adrenaline and the fear of the unknown, they became that much more insufferable. He ignored their pleas and timid curses, pulling the door shut with a thud, cutting off their curious stares. Someone yelled out they were hungry and he hesitated a little, trying to remember what hunger was. Ah yes, the need for food. The youngest of his clan, Sapphire, usually fed them three meals a day: canned food, all stolen from the local country store. He had no need for food and didn’t keep any around.
 


 Find Jessica on the web:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-OGorek/306913389429972