The Accidental Anarchist

The Accidental Anarchist by Bryna Kranzler

Published by Crosswalk Press

ISBN  978-0-9845563-0-4

Our story begins in Poland at the dawn of the 20th century, when the country is occupied by Russia.  Our hero, Jacob Marateck, lives in Vishigrod with his parents and brothers, and is conscripted into the Russian army to fight in the Russo-Japanese war which is centred in Manchuria.   He is part of a constant stream of foot soldiers sent to do battle with the enemies of the Czar.  He neither cares for the Czar nor his enemies and just wants to do his duty and head for home, with as little damage to body and mind as possible.

Jacob’s diaries form the basis for this book which has been carefully transcribed by his granddaughter Bryna, ably assisted by her parents, who undertook the translation of the journals.  The resulting story is a fascinating tale of war and the utter futility of countries throwing their young men at each other until one of them runs out of steam, or moves on to another conflict.  Horrifying images are described by Jacob as he travels from his home to the various battlefronts and the difficulties he encounters along the way.

In those days, as in many before and since, Jews were not the most popular citizens of Russian-occupied Poland, and their treatment in the army was no different.  The hardships were many, and the tales of death and destruction numerous, but somehow Jacob survived to tell his story.  He travelled thousands of miles in the service of the Czar, facing occasional imprisonment, death sentences, and terrible deprivation which made his survival all the more amazing.

A fascinating story, which brings to life those violent and troubled times, through the words of someone who was there.  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written historical biography.

Semisweet

Semisweet by Jill Brock

Published by CreateSpace

ISBN  978-1453808375

Our heroines,  Maggie and Odessa, are two enthusiastic amateur detectives who manage to involve themselves in all sorts of scrapes.  Maggie works for a real P.I. but believes she can do the job better herself, and she enlists the help of her friend Odessa, who is a dessert chef at her family-run restaurant in Queens, New York.

Maggie has a new client, a wealthy businesswoman who wants her future son-in-law investigated.   She thinks he is a gold-digger with his eyes on her money.  Maggie offers herself as a wedding planner as cover for her snooping, and she has only three weeks before the big day to make the arrangements and smoke out the dodgy bridegroom.  

Odessa has her own problems at the restaurant, where her cake making business is taking off and she needs more space, but there is one big obstacle in the shape of George.  There is also a bug exterminator who is trying to kill her using his Bug Mobile as a weapon.  When Maggie gets in a jam, Odessa feels obliged to help out as best she can, trying to keep her friend out of trouble but not always succeeding.  Together they look into the background of the bridegroom and find some very unsavoury characters connected with his business dealings.  They chase around town following leads and finding dangerous corners to get backed into.  There is more than one trip to hospital for our protagonists, as they come across quite a few villains on their quest.

A lively, quick-paced yarn that keeps the reader glued to the page.  The characters are an interesting mix of nice and nasty giving a good balance to the book.  An enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from this author.