Perpetual Check

by F. Nelson Smith

"Perpetual Check is a page-turner with a resolution readers won't see coming. It will please anyone who appreciates interesting characters and mysteries that deliver the unexpected." BlueInk, Starred Review

It's 1985, and to get away from her domineering mother, Dani Morden travels to England with her cream tea-drinking aunt, Lucy. She anticipates a week of touring museums and being bored silly.

What she gets is murder, espionage, and running from unknown killers who are convinced she has something they want. Dani faces dangerous people, hate-fueled by bitter Cold War politics, but to get her and her aunt out alive, she will need to confront the bitterness that festers inside her first.

A fast-paced and fun story straddling cozy mystery and lighthearted character-driven drama, reminiscent of an 1980's John Hughes film. PERPETUAL CHECK takes readers on a nostalgic tour of the past, following characters they would have come across on their travels, just as they remember them.

"Clever and surprising, Perpetual Check is a thrilling novel set during the intersection between the decline of the Soviet Union and the dawn of the computer age." Clarion, Foreword Reviews

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction

280 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2019

Reviews

[Alexa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing of this book was really boring. It seemed so basic and simple. As someone said in an earlier review, the author decided to “tell” rather than “show”. When reading a book I pay close attention to the writing style because ultimately that’s what gets me hooked on a book. This book failed to hook me. Often times the dialog didn’t make sense, or the transition from one thing to another was confusing. And since the writing was very straightforward there was nothing keeping my interest there. The characters felt incomplete. I also feel like the German elements were off/could gave been stronger

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book! I love that it was set in the 80's! Having Dani and Lucy on a bus tour in England also made it feel very Agatha Christie. Great mystery - lots of suspects and confusion. I guessed some of it but not all of it. I would definitely recommend Perpetual Check to those who enjoy light espionage/cold war mysteries.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book three stars, because the plot was interesting and provided a decent amount of intrigue. But considering the odd pacing, the authors inability to properly transition between perspectives, and all the “telling” instead of “showing”, three stars is pretty generous. The dialogue is also pretty weak, with contextual oddities that immediately pull you out of the story. When faced with the prospect of being murdered, one of the MC’s, Dani, replies “Oh rats!” Well golly gee, folks, that just doesn’t fit. The author quite often writes in reactions that don’t seem appropriate to the occasion either; anger over something that seems completely benign, laughter at something that’s not remotely entertaining. I struggled to believe that either Dani or Lucy possessed anywhere near the “superior” intelligence they were described as having; the pair of them made a ridiculous amount of really stupid choices. It was aggravating and had me shaking my head at their idiocy.

I wasn’t really attuned to the goings on during 1985, so it was interesting to see how computers—which are completely ubiquitous now—were so new and foreign to the average person. I wonder if they even use microfiche anymore. Overall, I feel as though the plot was really the only saving grace here. It was convoluted at times, unnecessarily complicated (hello, Jeffries 🙄), but I enjoyed the cat and mouse bit enough to finish.

I received a free copy of this book from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Divya Mahajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perpetual Check is a term in Chess matches where a draw is obtained by repeated checking of the king.
The story is about an aunt and her reluctant niece who are on a grand tour of England get embroiled in a web of deceit, lies, betrayal danger spying cold war kidnapping and murder putting their lives in danger when an unknown german woman they met at airport puts a postcard in the aunt's hand just before her last breath (stabbed to death). They meet so many characters but are unsure of who to trust. They have rely on their own wits and unlikely allies to over the danger and handover something to the right person. The story has an eclectic mix of Miss Maple analysing, a slight touch of jason bourne and James Bond adrenalin rush and some old school sleuthing added with a dash of revenge drama.
A nice detective/spy novel with a great characters and story though far fetched but not implausible .
Thanks @BookTasters and the author for this book

[Sama AbdelQawii · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about a page turner!
This book was so amazing i was practically living with the characters, i loved it and would definitely recommend it to someone.
Can't wait to read more books by the author

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perpetual Check has an interesting plot, and the primary setting is England in the year 1985. The story starts in Stuttgart, Germany, and we're introduced to Ida Schiller, whose boss has been murdered. Quickly we move on to Dani Morden and her Aunt Lucy, who embark on a trip together from Canada to England. Upon arriving in London, they accidentally meet up with Miss Schiller, who is heading for the same hotel and bus tour of England that Dani and Lucy are booked on. I won't go into any more detail on the plot so as not to spoil it, but needless to say, no one on the tour seems to be who they say they are, there are more deaths, and Dani starts to think better of her doddering Aunt Lucy and Dani's mother, Lucy's sister, who encouraged Dani to take this trip. The plot involves international intrigue, computer parts, and a missing microfiche - remember, this novel takes place in 1985, during the infancy of personal computers and before cell phones.

Things I liked about the book: The setting, of course, as they traveled through tourist sites and towns that I myself have visited. The plot is sufficiently complex to keep the reader guessing for a while, at least. The writing is competent and the editing as far as typos and grammar is fine. It's not part of a series, (that I know of anyway), it is complete in this book, and it's not written in first person except when a character is sharing thoughts.

Things I didn't like: Despite the fact that Dani and Lucy figure out pretty early on that they are in over their heads, and their lives are in danger, they continue to put themselves at risk - they say they won't go anywhere by themselves and yet they constantly do. They say they won't trust anyone but Dani in particular blabs everything to several people. The story drags at times by getting bogged down in too much detail and exposition. By the two-thirds mark, I was skimming just to get done because I was increasingly irritated by Aunt Lucy and Dani. Some editing for length and moving the plot along would be beneficial. My Kindle version on my iPad was not formatted well, so there wasn't any space or other distinction between perspectives. The story seemed to jump around a bit from plot point to plot point.

Bottom line, it's a decent read that could be better with some editing and making the two main characters a little more thoughtful in their behaviors. It has a good plot that gets bogged down occasionally.

Full disclosure: I received a free ARC copy in return for an honest review on Amazon and Goodreads.

[Juliana Veale · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The book takes in place in 1985, a time that doesn't seem too far away yet it read more like a historical mystery. Perhaps, in the days of social media and instant connectivity we tend to forget that 30-40 years ago it took a lot of time for information to reach us. The world was still in a grip of the Cold War and mysterious spies weren't really a cliche.

The book begins in West Germany and continues in England when Dani Morden decides to accompany her aunt Lucy on a tour of England. Upon arrival they unwittingly become involved in a tale of murder and espionage.

What I liked about the book straight away was Dani's aunt Lucy. A woman of independent means, she is happy enough to be considered fragile and limited in understanding when it suits her, whilst in reality she is an observant and smart woman. The first part of the book, seems to center on her being the main protagonist. There is something vaguely Ms Marplish about her manner and ways to come out of the situation into which both she and her niece are drawn into. If anything, almost all parts featuring Lucy has been great, her insight about their situation correct and when required, Lucy rose up to the challenge.
Whilst on the tour, it's her observation and conversation skills that feature prominently in trying to discover who in the tour group is someone to hurt them and who is there to save them. This was by far the most enjoyable part of the book, with a British mystery feel to it.

I enjoyed the believable 1980s feel, from descriptions of communications to how the tour companies operated in those days.

I do wish that Lucy stayed the main protagonist, whilst her waspish yet smart niece Dani becomes the sidekick. The book definitely suffers from this change of protagonists. Chapters in which Dani tries to find out information are a mash of her observation skills and personal attraction to a character she talks to. Characters already established seemed to completely change and it feels like the plot takes a backstage to Dani's own issues with life. The latter part of the book is disjointed until the last few chapters as the adventure concludes.. It feels like the author herself wasn't sure what to make of the secondary characters, some promising characters ended up being a clumsy attempt at a red herring.

The changes in pacing and the tendency of the author to tell rather than show is what brings an otherwise excellent idea and beginning of the book down. Main protagonists shouldn't change mid-book. The difference in ages between Lucy and Dani change the tone from the cat- and-mouse game of smarts to an almost thriller-like adventure when Dani takes the lead.

My recommendation is that "Perpetual Check" is worth more editing to polish it and perhaps considering if this book requires two protagonists. Also some checks where the actions are shown rather than told would be great. The best example of tell rather than show is the Epilogue. It delivers the news of what happened, but done in such a boring manner that it comes across as an afterthought added last minute before the book was sent to be published rather than a part of the book.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free ebook copy of Perpetual Check and was asked to read and review it. I was not obligated to write a review. However, this review is my honest opinion of this book.

Perpetual Check by F. Nelson Smith is a mystery that takes place between the decline of the Soviet Union and the dawn of the computer age.

Dani Morden is a young woman who loves and teaches history. To escape her controlling mother, she agrees to take a trip to England with her Aunt Lucy. Dani fully expected to be bored.

However, it isn't long before a murder victim falls at their hotel room door and they become the prey of unknown hunters who believe Dani has something they want. Dani and Lucy don't know who to trust and who not to trust.  

Dani and Lucy also decide to try to solve the murder mystery on their own.

In addition, Dani is filled with bitterness she needs to deal with, as well as a problem she is not even yet aware that she needs to resolve.

F. Nelson Smith created a cast of unusual characters and a story plot that has more twists, turns, ups and downs than a roller coaster ride. 

I must admit the story kept me turning pages until the last third of the book. In the last third of the book I felt the pace slowed a little too much and I believed the mystery could have been solved sooner.

However, near the end, there were more twists and surprises that kept me turning pages, yet again, until the end. I enjoyed how F. Nelson Smith wrapped up the mystery, as well as decisions Dani needed to make at the end of the story.

I give this story a 4-star rating.

[Mark taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got Perpetual Check by F. Nelson Smith from BookSirens for a fair and honest review


Perpetual Check is set in 1985, during the cold war, and tells the story of two Canadian Women Danni and her Aunt Lucy, who when they arrive in London to go on a bus tour round England. However when they land in the UK they meat a a German lady who dies after being stabbed in front of their hotel room door.

The story is a spy thriller, from the heart of the cold war in the 1980’s, it goes from set peace to set peace event in a smooth process, as the tension is built up throughout the story. While the premise of the story does have a good plot, there are weaknesses, in the execution, the characters are two dimensional, with only having just enough development for the story,

What Perpetual Check does well is take us back to the 1980’s and the cold war, with bits of information, from that time.

If you are into reading a cold war thriller, different to the normal run of the mill then F. Nelson Smith has written it in his latest novel Perpetual Check.

[|Duke Miguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I put away this book after reading the first chapter because I concluded it was one of those detective novels; the same overused notions and whatnot. After a while, I decided to pick the book up and continue, and boy did I ever regret putting that book down in the first place.
Fast-paced, suspense-filled, romance with a twist, electric personalities and curves being thrown when you let your guard down, this book took me on a lovely adventure! Good character development, great storyline, this book I really liked. I would recommend it to crime novel lovers and non-crime novel lovers alike.
Touching the cold hand of politics during the aftermath of the cold war, and the struggles of a young woman too intelligent to be understood by those around her, or so she thinks, the protagonist learns that life is not always as predictable as you think it is. It's not predictable at all!
It was a lovely read

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a hard read. The writing, while simplistic, was awkward, convoluted and had very little flow. Perhaps it was the formatting in ebook edition but the story jumped from scenario or conversation to another without any pauses to help you get there. The main characters were not very likable, especially Dani, who had a chip on her shoulder the entire time. I never connected with them. The mystery/thriller part of the book was good and had a cast of bad characters woven in. You can’t tell the good players from the bad until the end. I liked that it took place in the English countryside with mentions of historical sites abounding. As much as it pains me to say, this just isn’t the page turner it is made out to be.

I received a free book in exchange for an honest review.

[Aileen (Ailz) Grist · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick and enjoyable read. It's 1985 and Danni escorts her Aunt Lucy on a visit from Canada to England. They are to go on a tour of, mainly Southern England ending up at Oxford. Danni thinks she's in for a quiet and genteel time with her mild mannered, helpless aunt, but nothing could be further from the truth. Aunt Lucy's helplessness is an act, Danni finds that she misses very little. The Berlin Wall is still up and the Russians are after secrets which have been brought out of Germany by a woman who is murdered outside Lucy & Danni's room. Then the fun begins.

Really enjoyed it. Nothing too heavy.

I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

[Pchirsch]

Quite fascinating story, characters just kept coming. And the mystery intensified. However, You felt very confused most of the time from the haphazard meetings and all the coincidences. It only got more complicated the further in you got. It did hold my attention and the characters were very believable. You didn’t know till almost the end who the good guy was!

I feel that I would like to try another of Flee’s, the author’s books. This is her second novel, if I recall correctly.

Since I hadn’t visited England in a while,I also like the travelogue, it’s like (re)visiting old and new places.

[Nancy Garbe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perpetual Check is overall an exciting, intense mystery. The main characters, Danielle (Dani) and her Aunt Lucy are pleasant and intelligent. The rest of the cast is plentiful and a challenge to keep track of, as there are at least three groups and it seems they keep switching teams. I spent a good bit of time backtracking to confirm who the players were and what was happening.

I received a free copy of this book from Book Sirens for my voluntary and honest review. Much like the game of chess, from which the title is derived, I found the story sometimes entertaining, often confusing and, at the end, a disappointment.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

There was enough intrigue and red herrings to keep things interesting. Though with so many characters, it was a bit confusing at times. Dani could have used better fleshing out. We’re told that she’s one thing, but she acts differently and that clouded some of the story. I liked Lucy. Overall it was entertaining, but if you’re looking for a lot of 1980s references, there aren’t really any other than general references to personal computers. It’s a fairly enjoyable read. Cozy international intrigue, which turns out to be an actual thing. 😁

I received a free copy from Book Sirens for an honest review.

[Becky Durstenfeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mostly enjoyed this book. It is well written. The mystery was not easy to guess. lt did have quite a few deaths in it, including several murders. I don't often read this type of book, but it's fun to every once in awhile. It is set in England where my son lives, so that probably helped me decide to read this book. The only thing is I had a bit of a hard time keeping track of all the characters and since I read it on a Kindle, I couldn't easily go back to refresh my memory. This would probably make a good movie. I liked Dani and Lucy and glad it was a happily ever after for them, even though that didn't necessarily mean they found the love of their life.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an old school Cold War mystery, which feels a bit odd to read today, in 2021. It may be more difficult to understand for people who didn't grow up in the Cold War. An Aunt and Niece from Canada go on vacation in England and end up with a dead German woman in their room. Why was she killed? Will they carry out her last directives? There are almost too many suspects to keep up with! Are their any allies for them in their tour group?

At the end of the book are short bios about what happened to everyone after the events in the mystery.

I received an advance review copy from Book Sirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Romaine Heart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dani and her Aunt Lucy travel to London for an adventure.....
Until...
A German woman in their hotel room ends up murdered.
Unexpected twists and turns around every corner. Dani and Lucy don't agree who their contact is. Several suspects had me guessing as I sit on the edge of my seat.
I felt as though I was there helping Dani and Lucy solve the murder in computer espionage.
Thank you BookSirens and the author for a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Barb Hegreberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, I did not enjoy this book. These days, I read most of my books via the read-aloud function on Google Play Books, and the voice for Perpetual Check was so heavily accented (German, I think) that I had to strain to understand each and every word.

I received this book free from the author, publisher, or other source. My only obligation is to provide a fair and honest review.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fast pace mystery was a clever and surprising fun book.
The writting style was different from what I normally read ( a tell me rather than show me type). The characters were quite intelligent and likeable. It had a Agatha Christie feel about it which included an intreging unsuspected twist, espionage, murder, lies, and confusion. A great mystery.
I received an ARC free from BookSirens of this book and this is my voluntary honest review.

[David Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable read in which an Aunt and her Niece whilst holidaying in England, get caught up in in a dangerous game of espionage, murder, lies, confusion with plenty of twists. Highly recommended.

[Marietta Slater · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I liked this book, I was glad I kept a score sheet to keep up with all of the characters. I felt that some of the scenes did not transition well. With that being said, part of the problem may be with how the book transferred over to an e-reader. While there were breaks between scenes, I feel that more of a break or even a special symbol would have been better. A special symbol would definitely give the reader notice that there was to be a different scene.
The plot was good; however, it did seem far fetched in places. But it is a fictional story and I give lots of credit for imagination. Two Canadians (Aunt Lucy and her niece Dani) travel to London for a 4 week vacation. While still at the airport, the two witness a young lady (Ida) being followed (or at least that is what it appears to be). While getting into a taxi, Ida rushes into it also and suggests the 3 share a taxi. Later that evening Ida dies in front of Lucy's hotel door. Before she dies, she gives Lucy part of a postcard along with a message. The next morning Lucy and Dani leave on a bus tour with 10-12 other passengers. They know that their lives are now in danger. Who can they trust? Are these passengers really who they say they are? Dani and Lucy have to find out before it is too late.

[Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of my favorite mysteries. It was well-written, had great characters and was set in the time period I first traveled to England so I could imagine myself on the sightseeing tour at the center of the story. Lucy and Dani, tourists from Canada, were an unlikely investigative duo. Lucy, Dani's aunt, was determined to get some excitement in Dani's rather humdrum existence and did so in spades! When a German woman, scheduled to be on the same tour, dies outside Lucy's hotel room door after asking Lucy to take something to a friend in Oxford, Lucy convinces Dani they should do it. Of course, they got in way over their heads and put themselves in grave danger not knowing who they could trust. I wasn't sure till the very end who was trying to protect them and who was out to do evil as part of corporate espionage during the Cold War. It kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. I highly recommend this book and would love to read more by this author.

I received an Advanced Review Copy from Book Sirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Maria Rivas-mc · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s 1985 and the Berlin War is still up. That’s when and where F. Nelson Smith begins her spy cum thriller story. It is a quick and enjoyable read that takes us back to a time when computers were not commonplace and public phone booths were.

The heroines are different from the regular type which makes the book more interesting; they’re also different from each other in generations, in temperament, in world view. Instead of an idyllic few weeks touring England, the two ladies find themselves in the middle of a Cold War conflict where anyone could be a deadly enemy. Nelson Smith’s characters are wonderfully drawn with idiosyncrasies that could be genuine or a mask - and several turned out to be. Along the way to the unmasking , Dani and Lucy face situations that reveal character and test mettle. My thanks to Booktasters for facilitating a complimentary copy in exchange for a fair review.

[Diane Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 1980’s Cold War mystery with an Agatha Christie feel, Smith delves into a story of international espionage with an unlikely pair of sleuths. I really enjoyed the characterization of the story's two leads, Dani and her Auntie Lucy. They're the kind of average, every day women you could picture getting together with for a brunch with mimosas.

The story itself had its moments. Dani and Lucy inadvertently get caught up in computer espionage while on holiday in England, after a women on their tour gets murdered and leaves a crucial piece of evidence in their hands that could lead to the killer. The suspects, of course, are the rest of the people on the tour.

Unfortunately, as others here have noted, the story got confusing for me because of POV and time transitions that were easy to miss. And there's a lot going on in the story,so missing those transitions got frustrating.

[Marisa Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an odd book for me.....I enjoyed it enough to finish it but I wouldn't say I would have been that bothered if I hadnt! For me, it didn't seem to flow well, like other reviewers have said it may have been the format I read it in, but there were times where scenes changed with no warning and I ended up having to re-read due to confusion. I felt that although the plot was technically viable and "exciting", it was executed poorly with shallow character development and far too many "players" leading to a reader who just felt lost most of the time! Not one for me in afraid.

I received an Advanced Review Copy from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are entirely my own.

[Wathanya Souvanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perpetual Check is a cozy mystery that gets more and more thrilling the further you read. There were interesting twists and turns, a few of which I didn't see coming.

The story is based in the UK, specifically England, not long after the Cold War, but it doesn't feel historical to me (one of the youngest people that can still claim they are a millennial). It is told in the third person from multiple points of view, and the main characters feel very real and likable.

Although I took way too long compared to the average person, giving the impression that I didn't enjoy it, I actually enjoyed reading it very much.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a mystery book and it holds true to the name, I did find the characters and plot kind of confusing - there are a lot of main players in this story. At the end it had a twist which I enjoy in books. I also liked how the author followed up with the characters at the end to tell how their lives have been. It may have been the copy I had but the spacing in between sections didn't flow very well and it took a minute to realize the scene had shifted.

Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Dede · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perpetual Check begins like most mysteries with a murder. However, the main characters, Dani and her aunt Lucy, don't learn about that murder until they find a dying woman outside their hotel room! There is more death along the way as they try to fulfill a dying wish and escape international criminals. There were many different characters whom were all suspect, and Dani and Lucy don't agree on whom to trust. Full of surprises until the end, this one will keep you guessing! I received an advance review copy of this book for free am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Annie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am writing an impartial review in exchange for a free copy from book sirens.

I finished this with difficulty. The story was at best confused and I lost track of who was who regularly. It stretched the bounds of reality beyond credibility.
Writing not great either, a little more editing would make a big difference.