Mark E. Shaver
Author
M S MYSTERIES
Dakota's Daring Adventures
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In the summer of nineteen sixty six my father’s company
transferred him to the city of Cork in Ireland. Shortly after
we settled in, we took a family trip to an Irish landmark;
Blarney Castle. Legend has it that anyone
who kisses the famous Blarney Stone will be blessed
with ‘the gift of more eloquent speech’.
Being the good parents they were, and knowing dad’s
assignment in Ireland was only a temporary one, I was drug
to the top of Blarney Castle and required to kiss the
fabled stone. I reluctantly did so, partly out of curiosity,
but mostly to appease my parents.
Ever since then words have come quite easily for me. I’m not
saying that it had anything to do with kissing that cold,
gray stone, though I’m not saying it didn’t either. In
retrospect I believe I had the best parents in the world.
And although they’ve both left this earth, I can’t think of
a thing about my childhood that I’d change, even being
dangled by my feet some ninety feet above the Irish countryside.
By the way, the photo on the hearder above was taken during a recent trip to Alaska.
Reviews
Photo by Mathew Yudell Photography.
A Critical LossOf Balance
TThis book was a page turner. I simply couldn't put it down, and when I wasn't reading it, I was telling my friend about it. I especially liked absence of bad language, sex and over the top violence that many criminal mystery books deem necessary for a good story. CC
This was a carefully constructed masterpiece of mystery that kept me guessing until the end! I absolutely loved every aspect of this book from how it was written to the plot. As a parent I could completely relate to and become emotionally involved in the plot of every parent’s worst nightmare: kidnapping!
A Critical Loss of Balance is an excellent read and I could almost promise this story would pull you in. You'll never know the depths that you would go to for someone that you love or for something that you think is right until you're put smack dab in that situation. This story makes that reality feel so much closer and really got me thinking what I would do in that situation. Lindsey.
The character development, and conversation style, place you at Cliff Elliott's side as he learns that his daughter had been kidnapped. You remain at his side, as you walk through the pages, until his daughter is returned to him. And you feel the gut check that he felt when he realizes the circumstances that led to her safe return. You wrestle with him as he struggles with the loss of balance that this crime leaves behind. You can't help but pull your children closer, as you wonder what you would do if anything ever happened to them. And as you hold them closer, you turn another page. In A Critical Loss of Balance, Mark Shaver created characters that the reader not only empathized with, but cared about. VH
After The fact; When Passion And Fate Collide
I enjoyed the suspense--I had to keep reading as Denton and Karen's fates converged. Great humor and snappy dialogue as well--this novel would make a great screenplay! ES
Strap yourself in for a wild ride! This wonderful tale weaves several threads together and finishes with a totally unexpected and awesome twist. Definitely worth a second or third read. BW
An easy and excellent read! His subtle hinting towards the things to come keeps the reader wanting more from the very beginning. Mark allows you to get to know the main characters so well, that at some points you feel as if you are in the middle of the story living out Mark's words and ideas right along with them. If you're looking for a novel that offers humor, suspense, sarcasm, and action, this one is for you! KB
The Second Verdict
I am a stickler for good suspense writing. It is truly an art form that few possess. Mark does an excellent job of developing the characters and there are twists in this book that I truly did not see coming. This was a delight to read. I honestly could not put it down. I look forward to reading another book by this author. RC
This novel was incredibly well crafted and creatively suspenseful. Once I started it I couldn't put it down and it really kept me on my toes. I could really visualize the characters and I think this would make an excellent screenplay. BM
This certainly kept me waiting for the next chapter. I was always waiting to see what would happen next. If you like a good thought provoking mystery, try this book. It makes you think about what you would do in a similar situation. Good book! MW