Book Reviews

Book Blurb

When Flip McCabe spots an unusual ad in a magazine requesting a young man or woman to train in the fine art of tea service, he's pleasantly surprised to learn that it's still available. He needs this job—any job—desperately, but his new boss, Mr. Chen, will mysteriously tell him only to report for duty at Platform Thirteen at LA's Union Station at nine o'clock the following morning.

Arriving in plenty of time, Flip becomes panic-stricken when he can't find any such platform, nor is there a tea shop listed at the bustling railway station. Frantic to get to work, he stumbles across an old line on an outdoor platform and is catapulted in another era of the station somewhere else in time.

The elegant, old-worldly Mr. Chen dispenses tea and serious help for those who need it, but his frail body is no longer up to the dangerous escapades involved with murder, mayhem and steam trains. Flip is sent back to the past to help various famous, often wrongfully convicted criminals, and then plunged back to the present to find a man who needs not only his help, but his love.

But will Flip be able to aid the dynamic, exhilarating Balthazar Starblitz, a werewolf on the run from charges related to a series of grisly murders he did not commit?

First edition published by Amber Allure, February 2013.

Book Review

'Balthazar Starblitz' is one of those books that grabbed my attention through the title alone, I love the cover art for the mystery it exudes (which turns out to be quite fitting), and as for the story itself? What a treat! I'm not even sure where to start and I don’t want to say too much, because that would spoil the many surprises in this book, but let me tell you, if you like tea and mysteries, and enjoy a little time travel, you cannot go wrong with this one.

Flip, the narrator of the story, is in desperate need of a job. He has no idea what he is n for when he applies to work in a tea house – but the moment he tries to find the (non-existent) platform 13 at LA's Union Station he figures out that he's in trouble. I loved the various attempts he makes to get to his place of work (and it is never easy, each day presenting new challenges), and his boss, Mr. Chen, is a great guy But he sure doesn’t make it easy for Flip…

As interesting as Flip's various excursions into different time periods are (and believe me, they are fascinating), the story really takes off when he runs into Balthazar Starblitz. With a few secrets and problems of his own, this werewolf is in desperate need of help, and Flip, of course, comes to the rescue. How he does it, and what else happens, you need to read for yourself. AJ does a great job at setting up then solving the problem, and said it much better than I could in a few short sentences.

If you like the supernatural, enjoy trying to figure out what is going on as the main character runs into one riddle after another, and are curious about Steampunk, definitely give this book a try. It is colorful, enigmatic, contains some great characters and events, and above all, is utterly charming and surprising at every turn.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Extasy Books for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 82 pages/23247 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	22-June-2018
Price	$3.99 ebook
Buy Link	http://www.extasybooks.com/978-1-4874-1257-9-balthazar-starblitz/