Review by Sally McAlinden

I’ve read several of the stories and like them. I was waiting for a friend at the hospital and it was a bloody perfect short read. And another I was waiting for a late Grandkid drop off. Hal, I love them! I knew they were short stories. And at least 2 of them ended and had me finishing the next chapter in my head. Wasn’t that the point? Character and plot development in a 20 minute read asks the reader to think. Good job and I hope you keep teasing your readers with your short stories. 

This is a VERY interesting book – couldn’t put it down!

This is Harold Fischel’s most recent book and he gets better every time. This book of short stories is different from the previous ones which were novels. The stories hold your attention, with plenty of action and some surprising twists, but there is also deeper character development. If i were to pick my favorite, it would be the last one – also the longest one – because it has all these qualities well-developed. I’d give it 4 stars because I wouldn’t give any book 5 stars, unless it was one of the classics.

-Robinz

Book Review: And What Would You Do?: Modern situations with surprising endings

Summary

And What Would You Do is a collection of contemporary short fiction by Harold J. Fischel. The book contains 10 stories that deal with very difficult situations. Some issues tackled are hit-and-run, human trafficking, sexual assault, insurgency, and homicide.

Review

All the stories are great! The stories impart life lessons that a person can get from sticky situations. I think the primary message of the book is that the truth will always come out in the end. Also, I learned a lot of legal facts and information that I never knew before.

My favorite story is, “Run, Tommy, Run.” Tommy commits homicide to save his mom from an assault and leaves before the police arrests him. He disguises himself and travels as far as he can. He goes out of the country and into a series of extraordinary adventure where he meets good and bad people. If there’s a short story I would pick to turn into a novel, it would be this one because it is very exciting and suspenseful. Tommy just keeps on running away and in doing so, he travels from U.S. to East Africa in a yacht!

-Shey Saints

Book Review: And What Would You Do?

By Herzie Santos

Summary

And What Would You Do is a collection of contemporary short fiction by Harold J. Fischel. The book contains 10 stories that deal with very difficult situations. Some issues tackled are hit-and-run, human trafficking, sexual assault, insurgency, and homicide.

Review

All the stories are great! The stories impart life lessons that a person can get from sticky situations. I think the primary message of the book is that the truth will always come out in the end. Also, I learned a lot of legal facts and information that I never knew before.

My favorite story is, “Run, Tommy, Run.” Tommy commits homicide to save his mom from an assault and leaves before the police arrests him. He disguises himself and travels as far as he can. He goes out of the country and into a series of extraordinary adventure where he meets good and bad people. If there’s a short story I would pick to turn into a novel, it would be this one because it is very exciting and suspenseful. Tommy just keeps on running away and in doing so, he travels from U.S. to East Africa in a yacht!

I’m giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. I hate to give this rating because I really enjoyed reading it and wanted so much to give it a perfect score. The only thing that’s holding me back is its poor editing. Overall, the stories are very informative, inspiring, and they inculcate values. I recommend this book to ALL readers who love crime stories.

Book Review: Anthony by Shey Santos

Summary

Lieutenant General Bruce Walker died when the plane carrying him exploded. In his will, Yuni, his mistress, and his son, Anthony were acknowledged, but the general’s widow ordered her lawyers to fight the provisions of the will. Yuni gained popularity from his controversial affair with the highly respected general and became a top model, but soon, she was diagnosed with bone cancer. At such a young age, Anthony had to deal with her mother’s illness and they had to move to a neighborhood where he was faced with difficulties and trials.

Review

Anthony is a romantic drama by Harold J. Fischel. I was instantly pulled into a story of hardship and success and almost cried during the most painful events in Anthony’s life. My favorite character is his very protective dog named Zorbo, and my least favorite character is Rita.

This book is a whirlwind of emotions. I felt sad, scared, disgusted, happy, and excited. The story is interesting and realistic, and the characters have personalities that are neither too bad, nor too good.

Romantic Suspense Novel

Summary

When Caroline’s stepfather made sexual advances to her, Kitty, her boyfriend’s mom took her as her own. She and Jason, her boyfriend, had to follow Kitty’s rules in the house and act like they were siblings. But even when they were both at the right age, Jason did not show much interest in settling down with Caroline because he was more focused on his career. Just like his dad, Jason was intelligent and very skilled. And just like his dad, he broke the hearts of women. When he travelled for business, the plane was hijacked by terrorists and he witnessed evil humans who killed with no mercy. He escaped such dreadful incident, but little did he know, there were more evil things in the world than he could ever imagine.

Review

Do No Evil is a romantic suspense novel by Harold J. Fischel. It shows the many bad things that people can do and the different effects these evil deeds could have, depending on how strong or weak the victim is.

What I like most in the story are the places that Jason travelled to, most especially in South Korea, because it’s my dream destination for a grand vacation. The author put that special place in such a good light when he described the scenic spots like the Westin Chosun Hotel’s spectacular panoramic view of Haeundae Beach. There’s also the popular resort called Ulleungdo island which is known for good seafood. On top of the great destinations, there were also good remarks about the Korean Culture so I was ecstatic that there were parts in the story that described my favorite country and culture. I also learned that Thailand has a vehicle called “tuk tuk” which is something that’s also in my country, although we call it “trycyle.”

The only thing I dislike about the story is the way that Kristy had told Jason of a shocking news that Caroline had kept secret for so many years. She relayed the news very casually, and Jason’s reaction was also lacking.

Overall, I am giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. It was very informative with a touch of philosophy. It was also entertaining, and on some parts, nerve-wracking, but the good moments outshone the evil ones. I recommend this to mature readers who love romantic suspense novels with a warning that there are sexual assaults and violence involved.

Action Thriller

Summary

Goggles is an action thriller and adventure novel by Robert Fischel. Paul van Dycke is its lead character and he’s one of the youngest solo-flying pilots in the state. He got his pilot license at the age of 16 because of his great passion for flying. The nickname Goggles came from his flying instructors which was given to him because the large goggles looked so pronounced on his face. Soon, everyone called him Goggles. His amazing skills for flying put bank robbers behind bars and this earned Police Chief Hank Miller’s trust and admiration for him. More action and adventure came his way when he and his three new friends embarked on a summer vacation in Mexico.

Review

I enjoyed reading this book. It’s supposed to be for kids, but I found myself recalling my teenage years with such nostalgic memories of watching Disney or Nickelodeon. This book brought out the inner kid in me and I would love for my kids who are ages 14, 10, and 9 to read this adventure-filled story.

I love that Goggles made friends when he saved Bobby Douglas. Bobby, Johnny, Michael, and Herbert were inseparable and they brought Goggles to their group to have a thrilling adventure in Mexico, although Bobby couldn’t go with them. I love the places they went to, like the Anthropological Museum in Chapultepec Park, and Teotihuacan, the ancient city of pyramids. I also learned that ‘pesero’ is a green bus that travels a set route between city squares.

I’m giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. It’s an awesome adventure story for kids, teens, and even adults. Goggles saves people and helps the cops by catching the bad guys. Such lovable and heroic character is bound to make readers enjoy this fascinating novel.

Anthony Review

Summary

Lieutenant General Bruce Walker died when the plane carrying him exploded. In his will, Yuni, his mistress, and his son, Anthony were acknowledged, but the general’s widow ordered her lawyers to fight the provisions of the will. Yuni gained popularity from his controversial affair with the highly respected general and became a top model, but soon, she was diagnosed with bone cancer. At such a young age, Anthony had to deal with her mother’s illness and they had to move to a neighborhood where he was faced with difficulties and trials.

Review

Anthony is a romantic drama by Harold J. Fischel. I was instantly pulled into a story of hardship and success and almost cried during the most painful events in Anthony’s life. My favorite character is his very protective dog named Zorbo, and my least favorite character is Rita.

This book is a whirlwind of emotions. I felt sad, scared, disgusted, happy, and excited. The story is interesting and realistic, and the characters have personalities that are neither too bad, nor too good.

I’m giving this 4 out of 5 stars, and I recommend it to ALL mature readers who want a heartwarming story about a little boy who grew up to be a handsome gentleman of great values.