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Dora Ellison #5
A Special Storm
A performance of a troupe of young people with special needs is backing one of their own, the beloved singer Julian Lockhart. As he is about to sing his penultimate note, he pauses … and a crack is heard, blood spurts from his neck, and he falls to the stage . Pandemonium and panic ensue. The boy’s father hires Geller investigations, and Dora Ellison and Missy Winters set out to find his killer.
Who would kill this beautiful and talented special young man with the voice of an angel? A local NIMBY activist? The father of another special young man whose object of affection is a special young woman who has eyes only for the young victim? Or could it be a parent who was not aiming at the young singer at all but at the school’s founder, Mason Montgomery, who reneged on his promise to fund the school in perpetuity? Or … could it be someone with another as yet unknown connection to the special young singer.
Secrets and danger abound!
Who would kill this beautiful and talented special young man with the voice of an angel? A local NIMBY activist? The father of another special young man whose object of affection is a special young woman who has eyes only for the young victim? Or could it be a parent who was not aiming at the young singer at all but at the school’s founder, Mason Montgomery, who reneged on his promise to fund the school in perpetuity? Or … could it be someone with another as yet unknown connection to the special young singer.
Secrets and danger abound!
245 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 21, 2023
27 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
David E. Feldman
29 books19 followersDavid E. Feldman has written 8 books of his own and has ghostwritten twelve others.
His books include: Not Today-Dora Ellison Mystery Book 1; A Gathering Storm-Dora Ellison Mystery Book 2; A Sickening Storm-Dora Ellison Mystery Book 3; A Biological Storm-Dora Ellison Mystery Book 4; A Special Storm-Dora Ellison Mystery Book 5; Pilgrimage from Darkness Nuremberg to Jerusalem; Bad Blood, a Long Island Mystery; Born of War: Based on a True Story of American Chinese Friendship; How to Be Happily Married.
David's film, Everyone Deserves a Decent Life (directed, produced) won the Alfred Fortunoff Humanitarian Film Award at the Long Island Film Expo, 2014.
His film, Let Me Out! (Written, directed, produced) won Best Psychological Thriller at the 2009 New York International Film Festival.
His play, Love Lives On, was a winner of the inaugural Artists In Partnership Inaugural Playwriting Contest. He has also been the owner of eFace Media (eface.com) since 1989.
His books include: Not Today-Dora Ellison Mystery Book 1; A Gathering Storm-Dora Ellison Mystery Book 2; A Sickening Storm-Dora Ellison Mystery Book 3; A Biological Storm-Dora Ellison Mystery Book 4; A Special Storm-Dora Ellison Mystery Book 5; Pilgrimage from Darkness Nuremberg to Jerusalem; Bad Blood, a Long Island Mystery; Born of War: Based on a True Story of American Chinese Friendship; How to Be Happily Married.
David's film, Everyone Deserves a Decent Life (directed, produced) won the Alfred Fortunoff Humanitarian Film Award at the Long Island Film Expo, 2014.
His film, Let Me Out! (Written, directed, produced) won Best Psychological Thriller at the 2009 New York International Film Festival.
His play, Love Lives On, was a winner of the inaugural Artists In Partnership Inaugural Playwriting Contest. He has also been the owner of eFace Media (eface.com) since 1989.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 14, 2023
I sat down to read A Special Storm and finished reading it largely in one setting. In that aspect, it is easy to see that the book captivated me and kept me reading to figure out what was going to happen next. The opening chapter with Julian getting shot was brutal and interesting, making me wonder, “Who would do this to a poor boy?”
The book explores 2 different teams as they try to solve this mystery. The way the story was told very much reminded me of Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys - which I give as a compliment, seeing as those were some of my favorite stories growing up. It was very much to the point of what it was about, told in a direct and interesting way. There was not a lot of “Filler” added into it, but that worked for this novel. I also found myself fairly surprised with a couple of the reveals; the first one being that Moran was the one that attacked most of the people. The author does a good job of setting herself up as a bad person, but I still didn’t think that she was necessarily in on it. There were some definite red herrings that the author threw out as well, Lockhart even mentioning one with Ashford. I think what was the most interesting part for me was that all the possible scenarios seemed plausible, which makes the ending even more satisfying. I only wished that they had found it out another way than Emily just telling them that that’s what happened and them staging the meeting… it almost felt like that was “too easy” of a way out of things to just wrap the book up nicely.
At times I also felt that the author was a bit stereotypical of people with special needs, and I’m not sure if there’s really an influx of people out there that would rally against a school for special needs like that, but it worked for the story so it didn’t bother me too much. Some of the plot lines also wasn’t necessarily as fleshed out as I hoped them to be, such as C3 and his sponsor, who took his own life. A little more background may have been helpful, or a little more of a description of their relationship, etc. Then again, this is the only book that I have read in this series, so it may have been something that longtime readers would have more emotional attachment to.
Overall, I thought this was a very enjoyable read. It read quickly and concisely, and while the mystery wasn’t “thrilling” or high stakes, it was enough to make you wonder and keep reading. That being said, I would recommend this book for cozy mystery lovers and definitely give this author another try.
The book explores 2 different teams as they try to solve this mystery. The way the story was told very much reminded me of Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys - which I give as a compliment, seeing as those were some of my favorite stories growing up. It was very much to the point of what it was about, told in a direct and interesting way. There was not a lot of “Filler” added into it, but that worked for this novel. I also found myself fairly surprised with a couple of the reveals; the first one being that Moran was the one that attacked most of the people. The author does a good job of setting herself up as a bad person, but I still didn’t think that she was necessarily in on it. There were some definite red herrings that the author threw out as well, Lockhart even mentioning one with Ashford. I think what was the most interesting part for me was that all the possible scenarios seemed plausible, which makes the ending even more satisfying. I only wished that they had found it out another way than Emily just telling them that that’s what happened and them staging the meeting… it almost felt like that was “too easy” of a way out of things to just wrap the book up nicely.
At times I also felt that the author was a bit stereotypical of people with special needs, and I’m not sure if there’s really an influx of people out there that would rally against a school for special needs like that, but it worked for the story so it didn’t bother me too much. Some of the plot lines also wasn’t necessarily as fleshed out as I hoped them to be, such as C3 and his sponsor, who took his own life. A little more background may have been helpful, or a little more of a description of their relationship, etc. Then again, this is the only book that I have read in this series, so it may have been something that longtime readers would have more emotional attachment to.
Overall, I thought this was a very enjoyable read. It read quickly and concisely, and while the mystery wasn’t “thrilling” or high stakes, it was enough to make you wonder and keep reading. That being said, I would recommend this book for cozy mystery lovers and definitely give this author another try.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2023
In the series of Dora Ellison Mystery Crime Fiction Novels, this is the fifth book. It is an exciting thriller that will leave you breathless. The narrative opens with the murder of a teenage performer on stage moments before singing his final note. The boy's father, shocked by the tragedy, hires private investigator Geller to help find the murderer.
The book has a gripping plot and lots of
unexpected turns that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. Particularly the three leads—Geller, Dora Ellison, and Missy Winters—the characters have excellent character development. Each one has a distinctive personality and special skills that make them essential to the investigation process.
The suspense in the book is kept up throughout,
and the mystery and intrigue the author creates keep the reader interested at all times. If you like police thrillers, you should read this book.
The book has a gripping plot and lots of
unexpected turns that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. Particularly the three leads—Geller, Dora Ellison, and Missy Winters—the characters have excellent character development. Each one has a distinctive personality and special skills that make them essential to the investigation process.
The suspense in the book is kept up throughout,
and the mystery and intrigue the author creates keep the reader interested at all times. If you like police thrillers, you should read this book.
Read
March 9, 2023Special needs kids are the stars of this book, which is a crime solving book about the killing of a 25-year-old young man with cerebral palsy. It's kind of neat that all kinds of special needs kids are featured in this story, from kids on the spectrum, to kids with downs syndrome, to those with cerebral palsy. The parents and families and their particular problems and worries are written in to the story as well, along with some common misconceptions and societal problems faced by these families. The book itself is ok, it starts off slow and the writing is basic and obvious, and the actual murder storyline was hard for me to really get into, but I did appreciate that a normally underrepresented segment of society was included in this book.
March 10, 2023
This was undoubtedly another piece of work I couldn't put down. “A Special Storm” is the fifth book in the Dora Ellison mystery series by David E. Feldman. It's a police procedural story with a lot of dangerous secrets, intrigue, lies, twists and turns, some suspense, betrayal and a touch of romance. Technically, I can say that it has everything a reader looks for in a good novel.
It had an interesting storyline, complex characters and unexpected events that kept me thinking about a possible ending but it turned out that I was completely wrong. If there's one thing I love about mysteries, it's the surprise factor.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the installments.
It had an interesting storyline, complex characters and unexpected events that kept me thinking about a possible ending but it turned out that I was completely wrong. If there's one thing I love about mysteries, it's the surprise factor.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the installments.
March 10, 2023
Just as the previous installment in the series, this fifth one does not seize to surprise me. Its plot is as captivating as the previous ones since the events get catchier and catchier as soon as we flip through the pages.
All the characters have been developed in an on-point manner and plenty of themes coexist in one single narrative. There are some dialogues mingled in the pages that add a lot of meaning to sequences of events that unfold one after the other.
This fictional tale definitely has it all and I consider it a perfect tale for lovers of mystery, of crime fiction and of proper authors that know how to make readers get thrilled and entertained.
All the characters have been developed in an on-point manner and plenty of themes coexist in one single narrative. There are some dialogues mingled in the pages that add a lot of meaning to sequences of events that unfold one after the other.
This fictional tale definitely has it all and I consider it a perfect tale for lovers of mystery, of crime fiction and of proper authors that know how to make readers get thrilled and entertained.
March 12, 2023
perfect crime fiction!
As a life-long lover of crime fiction novels, A Special Storm is just what I was looking for to fulfill my craving for a good crime story that will leave a reader questioning the motives and suspense. This story is the fifth installment in the Dora Ellison Mystery Crime Fiction Novels series and tells the thrilling tale that follows the murder of a singer while on stage. This story has well-developed characters, a deep thought that will pull a reader in, and comes highly recommended from me for any reader who enjoys a crime fiction novel that plays out with vivid scenes. I am definitely looking forward to diving into the rest of the series.
As a life-long lover of crime fiction novels, A Special Storm is just what I was looking for to fulfill my craving for a good crime story that will leave a reader questioning the motives and suspense. This story is the fifth installment in the Dora Ellison Mystery Crime Fiction Novels series and tells the thrilling tale that follows the murder of a singer while on stage. This story has well-developed characters, a deep thought that will pull a reader in, and comes highly recommended from me for any reader who enjoys a crime fiction novel that plays out with vivid scenes. I am definitely looking forward to diving into the rest of the series.
March 12, 2023
In this crime fiction series, author David E. Feldman crafted a very peculiar yet captivating read. It keeps the reader guessing until there are only a few pages left in the book. Feldman has a basic way to describe the situations and how the characters are feeling and also why they are acting that way, but it ends up flowing with the story.
Gladly, this novel is book number 5 of the Dora Elison series so I have a few books left to continue to read more about these adventures.
Overall, I was happy to read about different cognitive disabilities in a fiction book. I would recommend reading it!
Gladly, this novel is book number 5 of the Dora Elison series so I have a few books left to continue to read more about these adventures.
Overall, I was happy to read about different cognitive disabilities in a fiction book. I would recommend reading it!
May 7, 2023
What a sad commentary on our status as humans today. Stilling the voice of a remarkable being out of spite and anger. Compelling story, interesting conclusion.
May 2, 2023
The Review
This was a twisted and captivating murder mystery thriller The heavy atmosphere and rich character growth that the author introduces early on in the narrative were thoughtfully written. As someone new to this franchise, it was great to be able to get a sense of these characters even without prior knowledge of the series. The depth that these characters showed helped elevate the mystery greatly as it unfolded. It was also great to see the author truly represent the special needs community in a new way, both narratively speaking and as a theme overall.
To me, this story excelled due to its chilling plot and mystery elements. The way the author was able to make the reader feel like this crime was both heinous and shocking felt like something ripped out of the headlines, and the twists and turns that the protagonist goes on as she investigates showed just how personal the case became for her, taking the character in a whole new direction that speaks to her role as a new heroine in the mystery novel world.
The Verdict
Memorable, thrilling, and entertaining, author David E. Feldman’s “A Special Storm” is a great murder mystery thriller and a great fifth entry in the A Dora Ellison Mystery Book series! The twists and turns this narrative takes and the choking revelation of the killer and their motives will have readers hanging onto the author’s every word. The constant peeling of layers around this mystery will keep readers guessing until the very end.
This was a twisted and captivating murder mystery thriller The heavy atmosphere and rich character growth that the author introduces early on in the narrative were thoughtfully written. As someone new to this franchise, it was great to be able to get a sense of these characters even without prior knowledge of the series. The depth that these characters showed helped elevate the mystery greatly as it unfolded. It was also great to see the author truly represent the special needs community in a new way, both narratively speaking and as a theme overall.
To me, this story excelled due to its chilling plot and mystery elements. The way the author was able to make the reader feel like this crime was both heinous and shocking felt like something ripped out of the headlines, and the twists and turns that the protagonist goes on as she investigates showed just how personal the case became for her, taking the character in a whole new direction that speaks to her role as a new heroine in the mystery novel world.
The Verdict
Memorable, thrilling, and entertaining, author David E. Feldman’s “A Special Storm” is a great murder mystery thriller and a great fifth entry in the A Dora Ellison Mystery Book series! The twists and turns this narrative takes and the choking revelation of the killer and their motives will have readers hanging onto the author’s every word. The constant peeling of layers around this mystery will keep readers guessing until the very end.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews