Colleen’s #Book #Reviews – “Panama,” by Author, C. S. Boyack

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Colleen M. Chesebro 44 comments

Title: Panama
Amazon Author Page: C. S. Boyack
File Size: 2493 KB
Print Length: 310 Pages
Publisher: Self-Published by Author
Publication Date: May 8, 2014
Sold By: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00K7Q949A
Formats: Kindle
Goodreads
Genres: Fantasy, Urban & Paranormal, Action & Adventure, Western

IN THE AUTHOR’S WORDS:

Ethan and Coop are sent to the construction zone along the Panama Canal. They have some experience with strange phenomenon, but nothing prepared them for this.

They are faced with civil war, Carlist pretenders to the thrones of France and Spain, an invading Spanish army, and another, from Hell itself. They’ll be lucky to survive, let alone take care of anything while they’re down there.

This story is based upon the construction of the canal, Panamanian independence, international cooperation, and a few celebrity cameos. Even the magic takes on an international flavor.

Ghosts and Voodoo are one thing, but they have no idea what waits along the isthmus.

MY RECOMMENDATION:

I love books with a paranormal twist and have read Will O’ the Wisp, also by C. S. Boyack. You can read that review HERE.

Panama took me on a reading adventure I will not soon forget. Now, sit back, and listen to how it all began. It’s a doozy! I have a book hangover like you would not believe.

First, let me introduce you to Ethan, a man who possesses the ability to see ghosts! And, if that isn’t strange enough, he can communicate with them. So, it was with little surprise that this unusual ability gets the attention of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Strange paranormal events are affecting the building of the famous Panama Canal, and the President knows just the man who can figure it out. He grants a unique opportunity to Ethan where he can become a U. S. Marshall, with a post in the Witchcraft Division. Ethan knows he will need help, so he asks to have his friend, Coop, serve with him.

However, Coop has his own problems and will need Ethan’s help to save him from certain death. Coop is a practitioner of the ancient Hoodoo magic rites, and between the two men, they eventually set out to complete their mission.

However, before they embark, Ethan and Coop are sent for specialty training using top secret weapons developed by the government. Remember the television series, The Wild, Wild West? This book could have been an episode of that show. The unusual weaponry could only have come out of the creative brain of C. S. Boyack.

Ethan and Coop are strong characters whose friendship figures prominently in the story and propel it toward the explosive ending. But, they can’t defeat this evil alone. They pair up with some other folks who possess their own style of magic. As a team, this group of paranormal misfits works together like a well-oiled machine to face the ultimate challenge between good and evil.

You will fall in love with the characters, the era, and the history of the period. The folklore and legends grabbed my attention and were well placed by the author. My favorite was the legend of the man at the crossroads which led the reader to the place that is neither betwixt or between. Let the shivers begin.

Everyone loves a ghost story, and Panama is exceptional in that realm. Throw in a few gun fights, a splash of hoodoo, and some supernatural gypsy magic, and you have a book that you won’t be able to put down. It did me in. I stayed up late into the night reading because I had to find out what happened next. I love when that happens.

I enjoyed this novel so much that I’ve added it to my “Me-Time,” category in paranormal fiction. The writing is fast-paced and will transport you to the jungles of Panama where all “six” of your senses will kick into overdrive. Enjoy!

MY RATING:

Character Believability: 5
Flow and Pace: 5
Reader Engagement: 5
Reader Enrichment: 5
Reader Enjoyment: 5
Overall Rate: 5 out of 5 Fairies

Author, C. S. Boyack

About the Author

I was born in a town called Elko, Nevada. I like to tell everyone I was born in a small town in the 1940s. I’m not quite that old, but Elko has always been a little behind the times. This gives me a unique perspective of earlier times, and other ways of getting by. Some of this bleeds through into my fiction.

I moved to Idaho right after the turn of the century and never looked back. My writing career was born here, with access to other writers and critique groups, and I jumped in with both feet.

I like to write about things that have something unusual. My works are in the realm of science-fiction, paranormal, and fantasy. The goal is to entertain you for a few hours. I hope you enjoy the ride.