Reviews for Paradox Forged in Blood

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"This book is so much more than historical fiction; it’s about the characters that are described so well you begin to believe they are real and that you are a part of the family. To say this is a mystery about a murder on Millionaire’s Row is to oversimplify the complexity of the story. One tends to have to think back a few pages when another character is introduced, and there are a lot of characters. There are stories behind the main story, but without complicating it too much, I was amazed at how it all came together at the end. I fell in love with everything about this book and eagerly await Growing up O’Malley, Fisher’s companion book to Paradox Forged in Blood. If this book is an indication of things to come, we will be hearing a lot about Mary Frances Fisher – she’s that good." —Linda, Host of The Authors Show

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"Mary Frances Fisher took all these scenarios and put them together to create a murder mystery with a twist, a love story, and historical fiction. PARADOX FORGED IN BLOOD will make you mad, it will make you cry, and it will make you cheer for the good guys. The story of the lives of these people will warm your heart and leave you shocked. The twist was well played and you will not see it coming. I was completely caught up in this story and could not put it down. There is something for every reader in this book."

—Reader's Favorite, 5 stars  (Read the full review.)

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"Paradox Forged in Blood has intrigue, but it's much more than a murder mystery or a war novel. It's a family saga about self-discovery and coming to terms with the past while looking toward the future." —Books & Benches

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"Paradox Forged in Blood is a wonderful captivating book. It captures you from the very beginning and holds you all the way through. The characters become like family and you live their lives with them. This is a must read book." —Amazon Reviewer

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"A wonderful read! From start to finish, you won't be able to put it down. The story has all the ingredients of a gripping yet accurate look at life in Cleveland, as well as WWII and Europe. Forging into nationalities is another rich part of this novel. If you love a good read, don't miss Paradox Forged in Blood." —Amazon Reviewer

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"I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it kept me guessing until the very end! Clues are there in character development but the mystery sustains itself. For anyone interested in a mystery, a history, a romance, or a psychological study, this tale weaves them all together. Bravo!! I look forward to more good reads by this author."

—Amazon Reviewer

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"A compelling debut, and a stirring journey of love, loss, and war."

—MK McClintock, Award-Winning Author of Alaina Claiborne

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"I wanted to say that I loved your book Paradox Forged In Blood. I've read it 6 times already as I was reading it I felt as though I was there and I could picture it. The book was and is amazing it's my all time favorite book. Thank you and I've been trying to find other books you have wrote but no luck yet and I also grew up in Cleveland Ohio"

–Comment on MaryFrancesFisher.com Website

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"'......Ellen saw the myriad of webs doled out by fate as lives intersected through one tragic event ... their consequential acts created ripple effects' ... Though fiction (based on a family history handed down), this made for an enthralling story - you just have to continue reading to finish to see where this cold case meets its conclusion. I felt mentally exhausted - in a good way - after reading as there are a lot of characters wandering in and out as we are taken back in time to the tragic events that set off a 'ripple effect' over the many years later. ' ... the past is a fabric upon which our lives are woven ...'" –NetGalley Reviewer

 

"A really great book written by an amazing author

One of the best books I have read in a really long time." –Amazon Reviewer

 

"Mary Frances Fisher took all these scenarios and put them together to create a murder mystery with a twist, a love story, and historical fiction. I was completely caught up in this story and could not put it down. There is something for every reader in this book." --Reader's Favorite

 

"I really enjoyed this book! Even though there were several story lines, the author managed to weave them all together masterfully. This story has something for everybody-mystery, historical fiction and mystery. This book kept me hooked from the beginning and the ending really was a paradox. It was also interesting because the author is the daughter of the main character and the story was based on true events. A great book-highly recommend!" –NetGalley and BackLit PR Reviewer

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"Read and finished PARADOX IN BLOOD in 2 days. If I had not been sleepy I would have read it in one. Although it was before my time I was familiar with the city. Great read." –Amazon Reviewer

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"As a lover of historical fiction, I highly recommend this one.
When had to put the book down, I couldn't wait to get back to it." –Readers’ Favorite Reviewer

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"This story had it all. The plot and the characters were believable and the story telling was superb. You just found yourself wrapped up in the events and felt like you were truly part of the story.” –Amazon Reviewer

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"Such a good read!!! This book was easy to read and moved along smoothly and quickly- I looked forward to picking is up each day and missed it when I was done. Loved getting to know each character, and the introduction of new characters and the intertwining of each life was so well done. Loved the referrals to Cleveland and could picture each setting. Looking forward to Growing Up O'Malley. Well done!!" –Amazon Reviewer

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"Totally enthralled with this novel from first page to last. I started it because I like WWII books. But it was so much more. The character(s) were delightful...felt like I knew them. Totally recommend this book." –Amazon Reviewer

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"Paradox Forged in Blood is a very cleverly written mystery. There are numerous subplots that all come together at the end. The backdrop of historical events from WWII added much interest to the story. I highly recommend this book as an intriguing and delightful read." –Amazon Reviewer

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"This story had it all. The plot and the characters were believable and the story telling was superb. You just found yourself wrapped up in the events and felt like you were truly part of the story." –Amazon Reviewer

 

"A wonderful read! From start to finish, you won't be able to put it down. The story has all the ingredients of a gripping yet accurate look at life in Cleveland, as well ax WW 2 and Europe. Forging into nationalities is another rich part of this novel. If you love a good read, don't miss Paradox Forged in Blood." –Amazon Reviewer

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"…An excellent slice of American life. Mary Frances Fisher is an author I will follow." –NetGalley and BackLit PR Reviewer

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"…This story is character driven with many people's lives intercept and weaves together to tell an interesting tale, during a time of fear, upheaval, and war the reader learns how each character impacts the lives of others. I enjoyed the story…"

--NetGalley Reviewer

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"The characters and detail of this story kept me guessing and turning pages till the end. The story does not lend itself to a brief summary. The tragedies, friendships and skillful weave of circumstances makes this a great read and one I will reread. I will be interested to see if this author writes another book as she definitely has the gift of storytelling." –Amazon Reviewer

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"I legitimately finished this in two sittings. It was addicting. Not only was there the main murder mystery, but there were so many other mysteries at play . . . .the main mystery was the murder mystery. This was a headache to solve, but I pretty much guessed who it was, but I didn't realize WHO the murderer was....hard to explain, but the twist about the murderer was a shock. I didn't see it coming!! I had a different theory, but I knew it was a stretch. The mystery of baby Patrick frustrated me too and I had no idea. The mystery of Sadie's twin seemed an easy one, but the author got me there. … I'm glad the author revisited everything to make sure everything was nicely tied up. I hate loose ends! In the end, this was a fun book. Lots of stories and lots of mysteries. Time does have a weird way of bringing out the truth and revealing mysteries. It may take decades or longer, but someday the truth will be dug up … overall I really did like this. I highly recommend it for people looking for a good people story and mystery novel." –Amazon Reviewer

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"The murder mystery itself is quite suspenseful, several people may know what happened, but all are too afraid to speak . . . With WWII on the horizon, tensions are heightened and other concerns are put into the forefront … Overall, a surprising murder-mystery that highlights tensions and values of America during World War II." –Goodreads Reviewer

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"This is a twisty historical murder-mystery that is based on the author’s actual family members. The murder mystery itself is quite suspenseful, several people may know what happened, but all are too afraid to speak. Meanwhile, the police are chasing several suspects that match the murderer’s description that seem to have disappeared. With WWII on the horizon, tensions are heightened and other concerns are put into the forefront … Overall, a surprising murder-mystery that highlights tensions and values of America during World War II."- NetGalley

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"This is a compilation of stories from the life of the main character, Ellen O’Malley Szabo ... The story is tied together by the relationship of the characters to each other and the effect of each on the others’ lives. A brother of Ellen is kidnapped and the story takes off from there … the lives of the family change because of this void … The story touches on the Lindberg kidnapping and the Great Depression. The author did a great job with description and time periods …" -Goodreads Reviewer

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"I found this book really interesting to read. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that it was the author's own family history that made me keep reading. When you first start reading it is kind of confusing with all the different people introduced but you do figure them all out. It makes sense all the different people because when you get to the end, they all tie in together. I couldn't believe the way everyone was so intertwined in their lived with each other, even when you didn't know it. The history was fascinating to read. If you enjoy a murder mystery, history and twists this is your book to read." -Goodreads Reviewer

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"I love reading anything to do with WWII and Nazi Germany. However, even though this book does touch on the Holocaust, that is the not the main theme of the story. It is a story about how lives are intersected, how we are all connected in one way or another, and how sometimes, secrets (however wrong they might be) are kept to protect those we love.  I downloaded this book today and finished it within a few hours." –NetGalley and BackLit PR Reviewer

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