Blog Tour: Second Cousins Once Removed – Kenneth L Toppell

The Bibliophagist Blog Tour, Book Blogging 101, book review, Young Adult/Adult Book Reviews , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Blog Tour: Second Cousins Once Removed – Kenneth L Toppell

Homeschooling is…fun and interesting. There are moments where I question if I am actually able to do this…to teach my children all they need to know. Then I look back and see all I have already accomplished…I can do this. We will of course have our good and bad days but my boys have the freedom to explore beyond just a classroom. But I might get into that in another post…for now let’s get into the book review!!

 

I want to thank TheWriteReads and the author of today’s book. TheWriteReads might get tired of hearing how grateful I am but I truly cannot thank him enough for bringing this community together! He works so hard for all of us and the least I can do is thank him for that.


That being said, be sure to visit TheWriteReads via Twitter to find the other posts and support someone who supports us so much! He truly is an amazing person who has brought so many of us together.

 

I am so excited to talk about yet another new author…well new to me that is! Let’s learn a little about the book first, shall we?

 

Today, I am telling you all a little bit more about Second Cousins Once removed, by Kenneth L Toppell.

Second Cousin Once Removed

Second Cousins Once Removed

Author: Kenneth L Toppell

Publisher: Brown Books Publishing Group

Published: September 8th 2020

Book Length: 232 Pages

Genre: Mystery

Buy the book: Amazon

 

 Henry Attkinson’s life as an attorney is slow, predictable, and lonely, given his divorce and his ex-wife’s custody of the kids. He recently took up geneology as a hobby to fill the time, but it doesn’t do much to spice up his mundane routine. Until the day he prods at a dead end of one of the branches of his family tree. Who is this cousin Shelley, whom he’s never met or even heard of in years? Ignoring a warning to leave well enough alone, Henry still doesn’t find much in his deeper delve into the mystery–just a concerning criminal record for the man that finally convinces him to drop the matter. But Shelley is a man who doesn’t want to be found or even looked for. And now he knows someone has been looking. Faster than he knows what’s hit him, Henry is propelled into sudden mayhem, receiving ominous threats, meeting mysterious strangers, and running for his life. Second Cousin Once Removed is a fast-paced, sweaty-palm thriller that will keep you hooked until the last page.

 

 

All I can say is looking at this, it does not appear to be something I would pick up normally. I also would not want to walk down the dark alely and see that man ahead of me…talk about scared! I mean he is carrying a baseball bat that is leaving an evident blood trail…

 

Before we dive into this mysterious book…let’s take a look at the author.

 

About the Author

Kenneth L. Toppell

 

Kenneth Toppell graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1963 with a degree in History and Political Science, the same year that the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Yankees in four straight games to win the World Series. The next month, President Kennedy was assassinated and baseball faded from view. Dr. Toppell graduated from Emory University School of Medicine in 1968 followed by a medical residency at Baylor College of Medicine. With fellowship training in the military. Dr. Toppell became Major Toppell, US Army, Medical Corps for the next five years. He went on to practice Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in Houston, Texas for forty years with some time out for lectures in American History. He now lives in Plano, Tx. where he reads, writes, and enjoys life with his wife, Loretta, who ran away with him fifty-four years ago. In Atlanta, they still don’t think that will last.

 

 

Review

*There may be spoilers! Read at your own risk!*

 

This book had an intriguing premise. It was a quick read, that is for sure but there were many things that I just did not enjoy. The first thing that really bothered me was the first person POV the story was written in. It is very choppy, flat, and honestly felt like I was reading a diary. It did not pull me in right away. Henry, of course, did what he was told not to do and that is what started this entire story. The more I read, the more it felt like one of those really bad B rated horror or thriller movies. For example, after thinking you are being chased and reading about a body you stop to have sex…yea logical. Also, not one but two people can just up and leave their entire lives without anyone asking any questions? That seems so unlikely.

 

It kept me interested for at least part of it becuase I did finish the book…the story is not bad! It is a nice quick read but it just lacked depth…which is a skill that is hard to aquire while writing a short story. We learn more about each character as the novel progresses, yet it seemed superficial. The author failed to make me feel connected to the characters at all! I did enjoy the fast read but I wanted more…I wanted to feel their fear, their urgency…and I just didn’t.

 

That being said, I think that if you are looking for something quick while waiting for a bus or an appointment, this is a good choice.

 

 


 

 

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.