Tag: Book Reviews

Joseph Under Three Flags – Barbara Reaume Sandre

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JOSEPH – Under Three Flags
by Barbara Reaume Sandre

Edmond Gagnon‘s review

Sep 13, 2026  

I liked the Detroit Shoemaker better but truly enjoyed following the Reaume family exploits in Joseph Under Three Flags. The book gives us an inside look at the hardships our ancestors faced daily, back in the day-things we could barely imagine.
I’m sure few Canadians and even less Americans truly know how the Detroit-Windsor areas were settled and how the U.S. major city was once occupied by the French and then British.
If you’re a local history buff, you’ll love hearing the familiar French and English names of the past which are now reflected in our historical landmarks and city streets.
It’s obvious Barbara Reaume Sandre has meticulously researched this book, weaving historical fact with family tradition and tragedy.
It’s a great read.

Tales of Texas Road – K.G. Miceli

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Tales of Texas Road: Amherstburg, Ontario (Haunted Tales)
by K.G. Miceli

15204490

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Sep 03, 2026  

bookshelves: did-not-finish

Having been born in the Town of McGregor, where Texas Road is located, I was looking forward to scoring a copy of this book and reading it. My parents had their own ‘stories’ of a headless motorcycle rider/ghost.
Starting it, I have to say I enjoyed the first several stories.
I struggled to finish the book but gave up about two-thirds of the way through.
The book was well-written for a new author but the stories quickly became repetitive, and frankly a bit boring. I’m aware that the book’s content is simply a collection of other people’s ‘stories’ but many seem far-fetched or made up by young folks who were either drunk or high.
I visited the graveyard and road when I was a teen too but never saw anything out of the ordinary.
I am open-minded to the supernatural though and maybe others will enjoy the book.

The Paris Option – Robert Ludlum

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The Paris Option (Covert-One, #3)
by Robert Ludlum, Gayle Lynds (Goodreads Author)

15204490

Edmond Gagnon‘s review

Sep 03, 2026  

bookshelves: did-not-finish

I picked up this book off the patio table at least a dozen times, trying to get into the story and put it to rest but it wasn’t to be. There is way too much fluff and back story for me…so much so I forgot where the plot was going.
Perhaps it’s only my perception but almost all female author’s I’ve read, go into way too much detail in trying to explain every scene that takes place. This book was co-written by Gayle Lynds so maybe that’s my point.
I’ve read other Ludlum books and don’t recall having the same issue. It should have been a good story to read but I finally gave up less than half-way through.

True Blue – David Baldacci

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True Blue by David Baldacci (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Feb 23, 2026  

I rarely give a book five stars but I think David Baldacci deserves every one of them, for True Blue. Being retired law enforcement, I can easily relate to the various roadblocks police have to negotiate while trying to solve crime. The two protagonists (sisters) played well off each other, along with a lawyer for one of their sidekicks.
The story move quickly, with a plot that kept me guessing (almost) most of the time. The police procedural action was believable and pretty accurate, and the behind the scenes government corruption came as no surprise to me.
In my opinion, there are way too many secret government investigative organisations, with way too much power.
True Blue is a great read for crime fiction fans.

Standoff – Sandra Brown

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Standoff


bySandra Brown (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review Feb 18, 2026  

Not a page turner for me…instead, I struggled to pick it back up and finish the book so I could see how it ended. It was painful getting there, with way too much fluff and backstory and detail for me. In my opinion, the last chapter was the best and I enjoyed the ending.
Perhaps it is my personal opinion of investigative reporters who put ‘getting the scoop’ above anything else.
Thankfully, unlike so many other hostage stories, Standoff puts a completely different spin on things.

Death in the Jungle – Diary of a Navy SEAL

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Death in the Jungle, Diary of a Navy Seal
by Gary R. Smith, Alan Maki

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Jan 14, 2026  

A well written account of what U.S. soldiers and especially the Navy Seals went through in Viet Nam. I wasn’t aware of their role in that war. Their elite training obviously contributed to their survival rate, where many other ‘trained’ soldiers weren’t so lucky.
It’s completely insane, reading about how they spent hours and even days in waist deep muck and swamp water, waiting to surprise the enemy. They had to endure mosquitos, snakes and even crocodiles, while trying not to be discovered by an enemy who often outnumbered them.
The authors do an excellent job in describing the Seals dangerous missions as well as their every day life stationed in a hostile country on the other side of the world.

Reading Progress

The Detroit Shoemaker

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The Detroit Shoemaker
by Barbara Reaume Sandre

Edmond Gagnon‘s review

Aug 28, 2025 

This book took me completely by surprise. Not usually a genre I read, I was quickly consumed by the story of a French family who emigrated from France, settled in Montreal, and then helped to establish the cities of Detroit and Windsor.
The author’s research is extensive and meticulous, tracing her family’s roots back several generations.
The story delves into Canada’s fur trade and French migration south along the St. Lawrence Seaway to the birth of Detroit, in the form of Fort Pontchartrain.
The level of survival skills and determination of our pioneering ancestors is nothing short of amazing.
Every local history buff should snag a copy of this book.

Support Your Local Authors

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In this day and age of Elbows Up and buy Canadian, please consider supporting your local authors. There are at least a hundred in Southwestern Ontario that I know of and probably another hundred or so that I don’t. I’ve met several of these writers over the years and am amazed at the talented people that surround us.

Many of us can be found on giant websites or bookstores such as Amazon or Indigo but you can also find certain local authors in your neighbourhood bookstores like Biblioasis, Juniper, Riverbooks and StoryTellers.

We’ve recently added a new bookshelf at StoryTellers, stocked full with various titles from your local authors. It’s just inside the front door so be sure to check it out on your way into the store. Linda, the owner, can tell you about many of our books along with hundreds of other titles from other more famous authors she has in stock.

Please support your local author.

The Never Game – Jeffery Deaver

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The Never Game (Colter Shaw, #1)
by Jeffery Deaver (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review May 31, 2025 

It’s maybe more like 3.5 stars to me.

I do like Deaver’s new protagonist, Colter Shaw, but personally think he went into far too much detail with the back story about Shaw’s past. Granted, it’s nice to know how he acquired his skillset but it was a bit more than I really needed to know. Actually, I found it a bit confusing, trying to separate past from present more than once throughout the book.

The story is fresh and interesting, taking us into the gaming industry and giving us an in depth look inside the minds of both vide0 game creators and players.

I stumbled across a TV series called, Tracker, which currently runs two seasons on the Disney channel. Watching the show has given me a new appreciation for Colter Shaw and his ongoing quest to locate missing people.

The Eagle Has Flown – Jack Higgins

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My Review

Edmond Gagnon

Author 17 books50 followersMay 17, 2025

I couldn’t give this book any more than 2 stars since I was bored and stopped reading after 100 pages – if a story can’t get my interest in that time then it’s not worth finishing.
For a war story, I expected a lot more – not just a lot of backroom dialog that barely moved things along.
If you think this book is as good as The Eagle Has Landed, you’re in for a big disappointment.
My loss if it got any better in later chapters and pages.