Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: From the moment Austin Shelby met Hekalu Selba, he disliked the Martian nobleman and suspected it wasn't just because of the affection his girlfriend, Jan, showed toward Shelba. Shelby's suspicions are confirmed when Selba attempts to obtain his formula for an atomic ray gun, going as far as to take Shelby and Jan prisoner. Shelby then learns Selba is working with a race of Star Men with plans to conquer the solar system. Review: I picked up a copy of The Revolt of Star Men  both because he was an author from my hometown of Beaver Dam, WI and because I needed a book to serve as a palate cleanser before reading another Agatha Raisin mystery. I finished the book tonight and will admit it exceeded my expectations. I was a bit skeptical when I started reading the book, mostly because it is a story that was written nearly 100 years ago and long before human space travel was a thing. I figured, at minimum, the material would be severely dated to the point the story would c...

Synopsis: Despite being warned by literally everyone she knows, Agatha Raisin finally marries James Lacey and, just as everyone she knew warned her, the marriage quickly goes south as James refuses to give up his bachelor ways and criticizes everything she does while they keep their separate cottages just to have space from each other. Furthering complicating things are the brain tumor James is diagnosed with and his affair with the attractive Melissa Sheppard.  Then, before things between them can be resolved, James goes missing, leaving behind a pool of blood in his cottage. Days later, Melissa is found dead. Despite warnings from the police not to meddle, Agatha, with the help from her friend/sometimes lover Sir Charles, investigates in an attempt to clear both her missing husband of murder and herself. Review : I grabbed Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell the last time I was at the library because, while her on again/off again romance with James Lacey has been one of the th...

Synopsis: From the time she was a little girl, Wong Liu Tsong wanted to be an actress and gets an opportunity to do so as a teenage when she is discovered while working as a movie extra. Going by the stage name Anna May Wong, she quickly rises to international fame. However, her Chinese American heritage and skin color continue to provide an obstacle to her dreams of being a leading lady who isn't typecast by racist Hollywood while her chosen profession creates a rift between her and her father. Review: To be perfectly honest, I had a lot of doubts about The Brightest Star when I reserved a copy of it through my local library. While I am, as I've mentioned in the past, a fan of old movies and Hollywood history, I wasn't sure what to expect from a book that is based on the life of a real celebrity but told in a way that even the author describes as fiction. Still, I gave it a shot while hiding indoors from the cold this weekend and it turned out to be a book I couldn'...

Synopsis: Seeking solitude while her hair grows back from a vengeful attack by a hairdresser, Agatha Raisin takes a vacation at an English seaside resort in the village of Wyckhadden only to discover it is a dreary place in the offseason and the others at her hotel are elderly and only interested in playing Scrabble. When someone breaks into her room and vandalizes her fur coat, Agatha immediately suspects the local witch that had criticized her for wearing fur when she visited earlier in the day for hair tonic and a love potion. However, when she goes to confront the witch, Francie, she finds the woman dead and any hopes of ending her vacation early and returning home are dashed when she becomes a suspect in the murder. Review: I didn't have any books on hold at the library and, for the first time in a while, went with no idea what I planned on checking out. As a result of this, even though I have had mixed opinions about previous Agatha Raisin mysteries, I decided to stick with...

Synopsis: After former Director of the CIA, Keegan Barrett, is elected President of the United States, he decides to attempt a power grab using two of his loyal CIA agents, Liam Grey and Noa Himmel. While they are sworn to carry out the president's orders, the agents find their loyalties tested as their orders are in direct violation of the United States Constitution. Review: While I'm not a huge James Patterson fan (or really a fan of the spy thriller genre in general), I have at times read some of his books, mostly because they tend to be given to me as Christmas or birthday presents. In fact, the only reason I have Blowback in my library was because it was given to me on my 49th birthday last week. Since it was a gift and because I was between books at the time anyway, I did give the book a read. Overall, while still not really my thing, it turned out to be decent. I think the thing that stood out for me was it really wasn't all that farfetched which, in itself, is a...

Synopsis: When Scott Shelby goes overboard while trying to complete a business transaction on a yacht, his wife, Marion, who was found wandering the deck with a gun in her hand, becomes the prime suspect in his murder. Believing Scott Shelby faked his death and framed his wife, Perry Mason decides to defend her. However, things get more complicated when her husband's body is found with a gunshot wound that matched her gun. Review: OK, to be honest, when I started reading this book, I thought I would be bored out of my mind because, when it first starts out, there's a lot of legal stuff regarding oil leases, property escrows, etc. and definitely nothing that would hint this would turn into a murder mystery. But, after finishing the book last night, I have to say I did end up enjoying it. I think one of the biggest surprises for me was who Mason's client turned out to be. I had an older copy of this book that didn't contain any sort of information as to what the plot was...

Synopsis: When he obtains a large settlement for his client following a car accident, Perry Mason feels it was a little too easy and begins to suspect the defendant paid the money to hide shady business dealings. When the wealthy businessman he's investigating is found murdered on board a yacht, Mason ends up defending the yacht's owner and must figure out how the ocean tides impacted the murder scene. Review: I didn't intend to check out another Perry Mason book the last time I was at the library. However, I couldn't find the two books I did want and, needing to get back to the office, wound up grabbing this off the shelf on my way out. Overall, it's an OK mystery but, to be honest, I found I didn't like it nearly as much as other books in the series. I think the best way to describe this book is you need a score card to keep up with it. There are so many potential suspects. This includes Mason's client, who seemed to go out of his way to manufacture an ...

This is a book I worked on with my oldest daughter a few years ago. It's based on a story I wrote when I was roughly her age and edited when she discovered it and said I should try to publish it. I had her draw the illustrations. The book is available on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Bubble-Planet-Steven-Helmer/dp/1494946130