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Fast Facts:
Author: Chariss K. Walker
Genre: Paranormal Thriller/Horror/Dark Fantasy
Book: Crescent City of the Alec Winters Series
Bio
Award winning author, Chariss K. Walker, M.Msc., writes fiction and nonfiction books with a metaphysical/visionary message. All of her books are sold worldwide in eBook, paperback, and many are in large print. Chariss lives in Amarillo, Texas.
Blurb
Crescent City (An Alec Winters Series, Book 1) takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana where secret, despicable crimes against children often go unpunished. Alec Winters quietly moves through the city streets looking for predators–those who destroy and prey on innocence. His alter-ego tracks down these sexual deviants to give them exactly what they deserve in chilling, horrifying details. Trained in close-hand combat, he uses these skills when necessary to kill the offenders. Sometimes, his military training isn’t needed at all. Sometimes, the only thing it takes to end the lives of wicked, evil men is one look at him.
After two suspicious murders in only a short time, the main problem Alec faces in his quest of redemption is a nosy reporter. Vivien Simon came to the metropolitan area to do a series on the effects of Hurricane Katrina–with crime rates on the rise, her interests are drawn to the seedier aspects of the city. She’s hoping to get the story that will make her career. When she discovers that both murder victims were pedophiles, Vivien begins a newspaper and blog campaign that frightens parents and turns the city upside down.
Some say the perpetrator of the murders is an angel while others insist it’s a devil. With contrasting accounts, Vivien wonders if a vigilante is on the loose–or worse, a serial killer. She’s hell-bent on discovering the truth, but her persistence and stubbornness might bring her closer to death and damnation than she ever imagined.
No one can stop the Angel of God…and they wouldn’t want to get in his way as he metes out the punishment deserved. Continue this thrilling adventure as Alec travels to Mobile, Alabama in Port City (An Alec Winters Series, Book 2).
Author’s Note: This novel includes A for Angel-Avenger; D for Demon-Destroyer; E for Explicit; G for Graphic and Gritty; L for Language; M for Murder and Mayhem; P for Punishment of Pedophiles and Rapist; R for Retribution; V for Vengeance and Violence.
Book review:
Crescent City (An Alec Winters Series-Book 1) by Chariss K.Walker, is a book in the fantasy genre. The story is based in New Orleans where the protagonist, Alec Winters, is hot on the trail of sexual predators. When two similar and horrific murders rock the city, Vivien Simon, an investigative reporter, tries to uncover the connection between the two. Who is behind these murders? When the murder victims are proved to be pedophiles, the police and Vivien have to decide who are they pursuing: a serial killer or a vigilante?
The running theme of the novel is retributive justice. The author focuses on sex crimes, especially pedophilia, present in every society. The book is based in a dark, urban fantasy world. The description of the sex crimes committed in the book is so graphic that it made my skin crawl. The best (and the worst, for the weak hearted) quality of these scenes was that they were pretty realistic and the author effectively couches the dark reality in fantasy fiction.
The writing style is crisp and the author creates images which are disturbing, to say the least. If the description of the sex crimes was not enough, the killings are described in a more horrific and violent fashion. The author’s writing style is quite persuasive and succeeds to a great extent in convincing the reader that the culprits in the book deserve the punishment they get.
What really impressed me was the manner in which the author explains the psychology of victims of sex crimes. The author drives home the point that often sex crimes, like pedophilia, are more about control than about actual physical violation. Often the offender is someone from the family or someone who is well respected in the society, and the author does a good job of describing the mental abuse felt by the victim. The sex offenders in the book leech happiness and courage out of their victims. The author also dealt effectively with the gullibility of children and how the offenders manipulate them to believe that they were responsible for what was happening to them. The emotion of fear has a certain duality in the book. It is felt by the victims, when they were about to be violated and by the criminals, when they were facing their horrific punishment.
What I found slightly disappointing in the book was the climax. Firstly, the climax was quite predictable and secondly, the last scene is not as action packed as the rest of the book. But apart from that, the book is fast paced and engaging. I rate it 4 out of 4, though I would advise teenage audience against reading this book. Also, readers who cannot stomach excessive violence should avoid this one. – Official Review: Online Book Club.orghttp://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=25074
5.0 out of 5 stars Angel or Demon? January 16, 2015
By Madelon Wilson Format:Paperback
There are a number of reasons that I might not have read this book, but I did offer to review it, so read it I did. A book located in New Orleans draws me in like a moth to a flame, but the abuse of children is a subject that just leaves me cold. I am not a religious person, so I don’t usually pick books about angels, but I certainly read horror, so demons are right up my alley. If you are beginning to sense that I have mixed feelings about CRESCENT CITY, you would be correct.
If asked to pigeonhole this book, I would be hard pressed to select a single category. It is certainly a mystery, perhaps even a thriller. All in all, I think I would call it a tale of horror, both supernatural and psychological. Then there is the fairly graphic telling of the abuse of children, which truly disturbed me. I used to watch “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” but I stopped watching it a number of years ago because too many of the stories just made my skin crawl.
Setting aside my personal bugaboos, CRESCENT CITY succeeds on many levels. The writing is very good, the characters, both human and not so human, are believable, and the plot is well developed and moves the story along without foreshadowing everything that is about to happen. I am giving it five stars on its merits, and I do look forward to reading the next two books in this three book series.
I am not one to retell the story, so I have tried to illustrate why this book is both compelling and disturbing with the hope that all who read take the plunge with an open mind.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic! January 26, 2015
By Sheri A. Wilkinson Format:Paperback
Crescent City (An Alec Winters Series, Book 1) by Chariss K. Walker
Set in New Orleans Alec Winters in not an ordinary guy. He is an Angel, both dark and good. He is out to clean up the city by getting rid of pedophiles. The victims see Alec as an angel, their savior. While the cruel viscous men see him as something dark, evil and dangerous.
Reporter Vivien Simon is reporter, looking for the perfect story to make her career. She soon starts to investigate Alec, and she gets contradicting stories. Some see him as a vigilante (An Angel) while others see him as a Demon, possibly a serial killer. She is determined to discover the truth at any cost.
A fast paced story, original and well written. Alec is unique and (to me) very likable. Vivien is likable as well. I liked the message the story tells, and I like the fact that the hero is an Angel.
A captivating, thrilling, dramatic, suspense story that mixes supernatural, religion (just a bit) real life crime/drama/suspense. A perfect blend that made for a fantastic all night read. I highly recommend Crescent City to those who like dark/fantasy (angels).
4.0 out of 5 stars Gritty and Intense! March 16, 2015
By Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews Format:Paperback
A serial killer is on the loose, but it’s not what anyone in New Orleans thinks it is. Pedophiles are becoming the victims to the Angel/Devil. Alec Winters is a amazingly complex character who has the ability to not only see the auras surrounding a person, but see the truth behind their evil or innocence. Alec also has a great gift, some see him as an angel and others see him as the devil. The story is very intense and graphic, and the scenes may not be for everyone, but it is very well written. I look forward to reading more of Walker’s work. Alec Winters is a character unlike any I have ever read about, and I would read more of his stories.
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