I haven't seen reviews specifically for that novel, but if you're interested in true crime adapted into a dark narrative style, you might find the anthology 'Sinners & Saints: A Collection Of Dark Romance Stories' compelling. One story reimagines a notorious historical crime through a twisted romantic lens, focusing on the complex, morally ambiguous relationship between the perpetrator and an accomplice. It's more fictionalized and character-driven than a straightforward retelling, which offers a different kind of tension.
Reading reviews for 'Salamander' felt like peeling an onion—each layer revealed something new. Fans of the genre applaud its gripping storytelling, especially how it ties the forgery aspect to the murders in a way that feels organic. I saw a few complaints about the dense historical context, but personally, I ate that up. It’s one of those books where you end up down a rabbit hole of Wikipedia articles afterward, just to learn more. The Salt Lake Tribune even called it 'a masterclass in true crime narrative,' which sums up its reputation pretty well.
I stumbled upon 'Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders' while digging through true crime recommendations, and wow, it’s a wild ride. The book dives into the bizarre intersection of religion, crime, and deception, with the Mormon forgery murders serving as this eerie backdrop. Reviews I’ve seen praise its meticulous research—the author doesn’t just recount events but paints a vivid picture of the cultural tensions at play. Some readers found the pacing slow in parts, but the payoff is worth it for true crime buffs who love deep dives into historical scandals.
What really stuck with me was how the book humanizes the victims while unraveling the killer’s motives. It’s not just a cold procedural; there’s a palpable sense of tragedy woven into the narrative. Critics on Goodreads highlight how the author balances forensic detail with emotional depth, though a few wished for more focus on the broader Mormon community’s reaction. If you’re into books like 'The Devil in the White City,' this might scratch that same itch.
I’ve been recommending 'Salamander' to friends who enjoy true crime with a side of sociology. The reviews I’ve read often mention how the book doesn’t shy away from the darker corners of faith and ambition. One critique that kept popping up was the occasional info dump, but honestly, I didn’t mind—it added to the authenticity. The author’s background in investigative journalism shines through, especially in the courtroom scenes, which are so tense you’d think they were lifted from a thriller. A Reddit thread compared it favorably to 'In Cold Blood,' which is high praise in my book.
Curious about 'Salamander,' I scoured Amazon and found a mix of 4- and 5-star reviews. Readers love its blend of mystery and history, though some warn it’s not for the faint of heart—the murders are described in unflinching detail. A recurring theme in the praise is how the book challenges assumptions about morality and power. It’s the kind of story that lingers, making you question how far people will go for belief or greed.
Forced to return to the past and then venture back into the realms of the dark lord to save her friend, Esmerelda faces loss, love, and a new awakening in this final installment of the Esmerelda Sleuth Series.
Filled with excitement, love, loss, time travel, family dynamics, dimension hopping, and a few vampires, this is the completion of a story that you won't want to miss.
Meet Esmerelda Sleuth. Sleuth is her name and investigating is her game. (Paranormal Investigating, that is.)
Esmerelda makes a good living as an investigator in a rather progressive firm. She lives a stable and sensible life until she meets Lance; an old money "hottie" who works for a real estate firm next to her building. After accepting an invitation for a weekend getaway party, she quickly discovers that Lance has a secret. He is wealthy. That part is true. And, yes, he's procured a job as a realtor in the building next door. His secret is that he belongs to an underground society of humans who didn't abandon their connection to magic centuries ago when religion declared it evil and he has traveled through time specifically to find her and bring her back to his time to marry him. If that isn't enough of a far fetched tale to absorb, he informs her that she was born in his time to a family belonging to that same secret society and was promised in marriage to him as an infant. When enemies who didn't want to see the union of families take place made attempts on her life, her parents sent her into the future and erased her memories of them as a precaution.
Possessing virtually no belief in magic, ghosts, psychics, time travel, etc., it takes some doing on Lance's part to convince her to believe his story and go back with him. When she does, the lies, deceit and attempts on her life start all over again. Will she escape emotionally and physically unscathed?
"The Other Side Of the Mirror" is a steamy-paranormal-romance- mystery-thriller and book one of the Esmerelda Sleuth series.
With her enemies in pre-civil war Virginia still seeking her death, Esmerelda is forced to return to the future only days after wedding Lance. Because it was necessary to fake her death in order to stop her enemies from following her to the future, her new husband, Lance, was forced to stay behind. He’d placed a magic box for them to communicate until he found a way to safely be with her beneath the floorboards of the house.
Now, she must find it.
A task that is easier said than done!
“The Magic Box” is book two of the exciting paranormal-romance-mystery-thriller Esmerelda Sleuth Series
A string of sexual assault cases sweeps through Fenborough, and all the evidence points toward me. In just a single night, I've become the prime suspect and target of everyone's anger.
The moment I get home, my wife, Natalie Parker, glares at me with hatred and disgust. "A monster like you doesn't deserve to be called a human!"
As she rages at me, she dumps a bottle of sulfuric acid on my crotch. The agonizing pain makes me collapse onto the floor, unable to move.
The next day, she brings another man to the house—Harvey Green. He looks down at me and says, "So you're nothing but a scumbag. No wonder she detests you so much."
Natalie also eyes me coldly, her words cutting as she says, "Why would I keep a tainted piece of trash like you around? Just the sight of you disgusts me."
I refuse to believe that I would ever commit such a crime, so I secretly arrange for a DNA test—but the results prove that my DNA is a match with the culprit's.
My blood runs cold. A wave of despair washes over me.
Once Natalie sees the results, she brings the victims to the house. They charge at me, smashing glass bottles against my head and breaking my legs with bats.
When my parents rush over and see this, they faint on the spot.
I end up dying on the operating table.
Suddenly, my eyes open again. I've been reborn. I've returned to the day the crimes took place.
Three people who are best friends from childhood end up in a deadly triangle and everyone has their scheme to break that triangle but never expected the turn of events in their lives.
Join the journey of their schemes and the result which was never expected by any of them.
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Prathap, a 28-year-old who recently started to follow his dreams instead of the path laid before his way has been in a one-sided love with his best friend as fas as he remembers who in turn is in one-sided love with their other best friend.
He never gave up but then the day he felt everything is going to end gave a new problem which he never expected but that was the result of the schemes he plotted long back for his love.