This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Barna William Donovan is a graduate of the film school of the University of Miami and he earned his Ph.D. from Rutgers University. His books on film and fandom include "The Asian Influence on Hollywood Action Films" (2008), "Blood, Guns, and Testosterone: Action Films, Audiences, and a Thirst for Violence" (2010), and "Conspiracy Films: A Tour of Dark Places in the American Conscious" (2011). He is also the author of the science fiction/suspense novels "Confirmation: Investigations of the Unexplained" (2018) and "The Cedar Valley Covenant" (2020), and the mystery "Fatal Pose" (2021). His commentaries on conspiracy theories, film, television, and popular culture have been quoted in media like Variety, the BBC, "The Buddy Cianci Show," MSNBC, CBS news, NBC, Yahoo News, The Daily Journalist, HLNTV, LiveScience, Forbes and in various publications from Europe to Latin America.
Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite
Fatal Pose by Barna William Donovan is a murder mystery with a twist. Gunnar Marino is an ex-bodybuilder who works as a private investigator. Being his own boss is better than he expected, and his job came with its perks. He has seen a lot in his time as a bodybuilder and private investigator, but nothing prepared him for his new case. Brad Holt was preparing for a comeback after a seven-year hiatus when he suddenly died. The apparent cause of his death is deemed to be his unhealthy diet. Holt’s sister asks Marino to look into Holt’s death and find out what happened to him. However, nothing could have prepared Marino for what he finds out about Holt’s past. The man wasn’t a saint, and he seems to have had a vendetta against Laura Preston. With the help of some unlikely sources, Gunnar Marino is adamant about closing this case soon, or else everyone he loves will pay the price.
Original and creative, author Barna William Donovan surprised me with how everything tied together. You can tell that he did his research about the bodybuilding world before he penned the story. The terminology, how certain things are expressed, and how they fit into the narrative is natural. Opening the story with Brad Holt and Laura Preston is the right decision (in my opinion), and introducing Marino later builds the hype. Marino’s method of investigation is as unique as he is. He is smart, observant, and very aware of what happens around him. He doesn’t trust easily, which makes the work easier for him. Having Diane and Erika by his side worked in his favor too. The dialogues are interesting and unique to each character. You can tell which character is speaking just by the way the dialogue is written. Simple yet effective and entertaining!
