Reviews for

E

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.

Originally published on Curled Up With A Good Book at www.curledup.com. © Elysabeth Eldering, 2006

Friday, June 10,'05

Dear Louise, I finished your second book "Xs" at five am a few mornings ago. If possible it was even more gripping than "Anacacho." And the love story going through both books is great! Surely you will win a prize on this second one too.

" Certainly your books are great movie material or a TV series. Congratulations on "Xs!!!!"

- Margaret

Heartland Reviews are not like those found in other book review sources. Each book is evaluated according to standards laid out in scientifically developed rubrics or evaluation guidelines. Essentially they are given a grade through a quantitative scoring process which examines multiple areas of consideration, i.e., plot, pacing, characterization, emotional content, symbolism, and several others. These scores are added together for an overall numerical score. This drives how many hearts we award the work, which range from one to five hearts.

Xs by Louise Gaylord gets a 4 HEART REVIEW FROM HEARTLAND!

"A lady lawyer from Texas gets a call from her modeling sister in New York, asking for twenty thousand dollars immediately. Allie, the lawyer, drains her savings account and then follows the money to New York. She finds herself in the middle of a police sting operation against a club of extremely wealthy playboys who play rough—even to the death—in a prostitution operation. She also chances upon a lost love from Texas who appears to be in law enforcement and has lost his Texas accent.

The author races through this romantic mystery, providing keen insights into the wealthy and the vice scene with accompanying sex and drugs. Her treatment of characters builds a credible story. We rated it four hearts."

www.heartlandreviews.com

Another Rave Review

I began reading about Allie in the Big Apple while stranded in a carpark in downtown Santa Barbara and couldn't resist turning the pages. There I was, oblivious to my surroundings, deeply immersed in Allie's travails in Houston and Manhattan. One page seemed to melt into the next, until, finally, a dear soul came up to my car and tapped on my window, gently motioning for me to move on, which I did, of course, to let other cars pass. I felt that sting of guilt as my eyes fell on page 43. Louise Gaylord's X's is that kind of book, one that you close, only when you have to. I enjoyed Anacacho, the first in the Allie Armington series, well-worth the price of admission, but I enjoyed so much more X's . Allie and her constellation fascinate and entertain with the precision of a perfectly crafted movie. Read the book for Gaylord's polished writing, for an ending you won't be able to guess, and for her ability to make the written page turn into fast-moving Technicolor, right before your eyes.

Cynthia Teed

Reviews and Reflections: This murder mystery all Xs and ohs

By LAUREN ROBERTS
SPECIAL TO THE BEACON

Allie Armington is a former Texas assistant district attorney who stars in a new mystery series by local author Louise Gaylord. In Gaylord’s first book, entitled Anacacho, Allie barely survived a startling, twisting tale of murder, deceit, drugs, betrayal, mistrust and lust. Indeed, one might think Allie’s life a bit stormy as she moves into the second mystery that claims her attention as much as it attempts to claim her life. Xs (Little Moose Press; $23.95) has Allie rushing to New York after a frantic phone call from her sister seeking a quick, unexplained loan of $20,000. Shortly after her arrival, her sister’s roommate is found murdered in a bizarre manner. The discovery that the murdered woman was involved with a secretive, high-stakes drugs- and prostitution-littered party circuit opens up the opportunity for a police sting operation — if Allie will help.

She will, but her sense that this is different from anything she’s previously experienced begins with the first party at the secluded and exclusive “Castle” complete with guards, check-in stations, masks, assignments and someone named the Cardinal who takes a personal interest in her.

As she is pulled deeper into the circuit of rich men and beautiful women, other forces reach out for her: the apparent death and possible murder of the Cardinal; a red address book; the unsettling reappearance of Allie’s vanished-and-now-returned heartthrob, Bill Cotton, who moves from Texas sheriff to DEA agent to lowly attorney to loving nephew far too easily.

But it is the emergence of the mysterious six-foot Sigrid Hale that endows this story with its delicious sense of unease and sets the stage for Allie’s ultimate confrontation. Who Hale is and what Hale plans empowers this story with an ending so unexpected one wonders what the author could possibly have in mind for Allie’s future.

Lauren Roberts can be contacted at
reviews-reflections@verizon.net

"This is a richly textured novel with several criminal threads woven into the fabric of the plot; drugs, prostitution, wild sex, cross-dressing and abduction."

— Leonard Tourney, author of Time’s Fool

"A good read; imaginative, surprises, with lots of material, quirky characters, a fast beginning and satisfying ending."

— Diane De Avalle-Arce, author of Calabrinia Falling

“Sex, money and murder – Louise Gaylord gets it done like nobody else. A beautifully written page-turner with “best-seller” written all over it."

— Michael Levin, author of Stone Cold Sober

FIRST PLACE WINNER! "BEST BOOKS MYSTERY FICTION

—USA BOOK NEWS

"What a tension teaser and suspense catcher....all ready for a movie script."

— Ilse Kern

"I have developed a "Louise Gaylord cult..they are looking forward to seeing what Allie is doing."

— Gail Webster

"I love Allie. You have created a believable and sympathetic protagonist who we want to get the bad guys and have her man at the same time. Your sense of place is rich with detail. I can taste the food, and get a buzz from the wine and champagne. I can see the glitter of the masquerade clothing and feel the locked-in feeling at the townhouse. Xs is a great mystery with twists and turns that all fall together at the end."

— Jackie Pelham

"I enjoyed your new book Xs. I liked the first one, but liked this one even more. Keep on, I'm ready for the next one!"

— Bob Schawe

"I loved the book. It's a quick, fun, entertaining read."

— Jack Crowe

"I loved the book! Next thing I'll hear is that you have a TV series! You are a great talent."

— Suzanne F. McCrary,

"Allie Armington is back and she's taking no prisoners! Murder mystery fans will love this second installment."

— USA Book News