Praise For Louise Gaylord's Books

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Reviews

Compulsive Reader
This story is smart, fast-paced and suspenseful. The surprises keep coming long after you think “that’s got to be all”. Louise Gaylord is masterful in creating believable characters and uncanny circumstances. A national award winning author, Louise Gaylord is at the top of her game. A riveting and exciting read.

ReaderViews
“Julia Fairchild” by Louise Gaylord is one of those books that you won’t put down until you read every word on every page. Ms. Gaylord has woven a tale of betrayal, murder and passion. The characters have depth. Reading this book is like looking in a window and watching the lives of the characters unfold before you. Julia and Mac are two of the most complex characters I’ve ever read about. We also syndicated the reviews and they are appearing around the Internet, i.e.

Blogcritics.org (Gets 100,000 daily visitors)
To say that this is a page-turner of a book does not do it justice - you have to be careful that you do not get paper cuts from turning those pages too fast! If you are looking for a light and entertaining read, one that has a little bit of sex, a little bit of violence, a hint or two of true love, and a huge amount of bitterness between characters, I recommend that you go down to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of Julia Fairchild. This same review was also posted in the Blogger News Network. Also, Ellen, because the review is posted at Blogger News Network, it is being picked up by a large variety of sites, including blogtoplist.com.

OXNARD JOURNAL BOOK REVIEW:
Author: Louise Gaylord
Publisher Cedar Vista Press
Release Date November 2006

A GOOD READ FOR ANYONE WHO LOVE NOVELS WHICH BECOME MYSTERIES.
As editor of an internet newspaper, many interesting things come to you via e-mail, word-of- mouth, and even the US Mail.

Just before Thanksgiving a package arrived with three books which appeared to be novels of sorts, and all by the same author. A letter and press kit came along with the books to encourage me to provide a review. Hopefully more will come because I do take interest in other writers as well as myself.

Intently interested in wanting to know who Louise Gaylord, the author was, I ‘googled’ her and found her pop up on the first hit. Amazing what SEO can do.

Noting that Cedar Vista has just rolled out as a new imprinteur for the more familiar Little Moose Press of Beverly Hills, California, Louise's books are great additions.

Looking more closely at the author, you may want to understand why such a wonderful lady would write mystery novels. I learned from first look that a line of work existed for the returning character of Allie Armington, who was penned by Gaylord. You’ll get to know her real name as you read.

Her three offerings for review where the newly published “Julia Fairchild”, “X’s” an Allie Armington Mystery” and “Anacacho”, similarly an Allie Armington story. Armington, a sharp and successful Texas attorney gets frequent flyer miles in Gaylord’s novels.

“ Anacacho” attracted my eye first because of the cover art and where the story was based. Gaylord’s writing style is fast paced, not wordy, and the constant dialogue has you believing you are seeing a movie instead of reading a book. Characters are quickly introduced through dialogue and you get the details of their character as you read.

Anacacho, first released in hard cover, won the National Benjamin Franklin Award for Best Mystery/ Suspense. This should tell you something about any book written by Gaylord.

Anyone who wants something refreshing must pick up a Louise Gaylord novel.

” X’s” takes you to the heart of the east coast, New York City. Capturing the mood, method of speaking, the smells, the pace and highlights of one of America’s most dynamic city really proves Gaylord’s ability to write in a style other than her earthy western one and take us into a story that could be one of the millions within that naked city. Being from the east coast, I wanted to look at this story with the critical eye of finding some detail that was incorrect. I could not. Louise’s use of multiple characters to weave a story is commendable. Continuity is invaluable with authors as much as it is with film directors. Gaylord keeps you apprised of each main character as they come in and out of the story. X’s with it’s cover art direct from Central Park will lure you into the story that truly mixes the rough side with an even rougher side of life in the Big Apple.

“ Julia Fairchild” mixes that bustle of New York with the 180° opposite reality of a small New Mexico town. Again with Gaylord being from Texas, she masterfully mixes worlds and takes you as quickly and smoothly to each as if you flew first class from La Guardia to Albuquerque.

I don’t want to tell you any details of the stories because you need to discover them for yourself. I will say this author will gain a more national niche as book sellers buy and distribute these novels. The cover art alone on all three entices you pick up a copy and start reading. Very well produced and crafted, these books would make a special gift for anyone whom you know that loves novels, murder mysteries, or just a good read.

There is a picture of Louise that comes with the press kit. It depicts how I first saw and became acquainted with the author and it is how I feel everyone should see Louise Gaylord. Below is that picture and links to her book’s promotional websites. Happy and worthwhile reading awaits you with either of these there books.

Xs: An Allie Armington Mystery
Louise Gaylord

What happens when Houston homegirl Allie Armington receives a distress call from her sister in New York? Everything imaginable.

Angela, a has-been top model, lives on the brink of danger. She calls Allie and tells her she needs some money wired before noon that day. Allie probes for the reasons why, but since her sister sounds desperate, she gives in, against her better judgment. Allie waits to hear from her sister all day and the next day. Finally, not knowing whether the money has been received or if Angela is alive, she hops a plane to New York to find out.

Upon arriving at her sister's townhouse, she finds that it wasn't the emergency Angela made it out to be. Alas, in the process of the visit, they find Angela's roommate murdered. Not an ordinary murder, either. This one is similar to several others that have occurred in the city over the last few months, down to the X marked on the left breast of the dead person.

The case becomes more high-profile than a more prosaic murder since there are other similar cases pending. The DEA and other agencies get involved as this turns out to be a drug case, out of jurisdiction for the New York cops. Allie takes on Angela's identity to help the group break the case. Things are going along pretty well in the investigation, but running up against a brick wall leaves Allie questioning herself and almost aborting the mission.

As Allie struggles to keep her mind on the case at hand, an old lover comes in to the picture, magnifying the doubts and reasons for doing what she is doing. Anytime an old lover gets involved, it is never good news. Suppressed feelings re-emerge, wounds reopen, and all the while allie is trying to keep her thoughts on catching a killer, exposing a drug ring, and determining how the drugs are being trafficked from Colombia to New Jersey.

.......Xs is a quick read.

X 's by Louise Gaylord

Publisher: Little Moose Press ISBN: 0978604911

Reviewed by Stephanie Padilla, New Mystery Reader

This latest mystery featuring Houston attorney Allie Armington begins when Allie receives a call from her younger sister, a popular model in New York, asking for a large amount of money. Worried that her prone-to-trouble sis has once again gotten herself in a bind, Allie rushes to New York only to find her sister's roommate's mutilated and murdered body. The detective on the case believes it might be related to a string of similar murders that they have connected in a dubious way to an elite men's club that provides many nasty goodies for its clientele. So, naturally, curious Allie manages to get herself involved in the investigation when she convinces them to allow her to go undercover, leading to a series of dangerous events that just may get her killed.

Okay, well I've told you how the book begins; however, very shortly after that it takes a wild left turn and doesn't return to the above plotline of the murdered women until the end, and even then only briefly, causing a bit of confusion and perplexity. Add to that a few more jumps in logic and events that don't quite stand up to close scrutiny and you're left with a rather muddled read that at times has you wondering just how you got there.

The paradox is that it's still a fun read filled with some interesting characters and some downright silly characters, with Allie herself being one who actually charms. Usually my complaint is the excessive details that authors throw in their stories, but this time out it's the lack there of, which is unfortunate as this is a read with great potential had its initial direction remained the focus. Ah well, it's quick, breezy, and for the most part entertaining and, if you can get past the above, one that should satisfy.

Anacacho, an Allie Armington Mystery

Louise Gaylord
Cedar Vista Books (2006)
ISBN 0972022708
Reviewed by Ana M. Rubio for Reader Views (10/06)

This book is a great mystery story, from beginning to end. Louise Gaylord is very successful at keeping you guessing who is the bad guy, but when you think you got it all figured out, comes another twist to the story, and keeps you interested and anxious to finish reading the book to see what the outcome is.

Louise Gaylord’s writing is amazing; the references that she makes in the book about the world of drug trafficking, makes you think this is a real story. “About the time I split with Reena last summer. She was real mad and said she’d tell Susie about us, but I threatened to tell Paul she was filching money out of the ranch account and that shut her up. She’s been taking funds ever since she offered to do the books.” “Paul let her handle the books? What’s with the CPA?” “Dell gives a rueful laugh. C’mon, Allie. The CPA’s a man. You know Reena and men.” “How could I forget? Maybe Reena was the one involved with the trafficking. She seemed very friendly with that cowboy when I was here in January.”

Most of the characters in the story met in college and had lost contact with each other, reconnecting later in life. “Allie,” who is the main character in the story, didn’t expect the big adventure she was about to get involved in when she accepted an invitation from her former roommate to spend a few days at the Anacacho. Everything on the surface looks perfect -- a rich friend living the big life with her handsome oil field owner husband.

“Anacacho” is a book for mystery readers that love to be guessing the ending of a story. I really thought that I had it all resolved, but before I knew it, another twist kept me guessing again. Even the end is a mystery. I can’t say there is a particular part of the story I like best, because all of it got my attention, and since the end is left hanging, I’m looking forward to Louise Gaylord’s next “Allie Armington’s Mystery” I really enjoyed this book.

Julia Fairchild, A finalist in the USABookNews.com Awards.

“LOUISE GAYLORD ONCE AGAIN DELIVERS A TOP-NOTCH PAGE-TURNER WITH VIVID CHARACTERS, TIGHT PLOTLINES AND A PROTAGONIST EVERYONE CAN RELATE TO. JULIA FAIRCHILD IS BY FAR ONE OF GAYLORD’S BEST BOOKS.”

— USA Book News