Wednesday, July 2, 2014

BOOK REVIEW: JACK AND THE JUNGLE LION BY STEPHEN JARED

STILL PLAYING CATCH UP ON THE BOOK REVIEWS. SO...
Cover art by Paul Shipper

Fans of the golden age of Hollywood (the 1920s through the 1950s) and classic "B" movies (the second film of a double feature) will love Jack and the Jungle Lion, the first book by actor Stephen Jared.

Movie star Jack Hunter becomes smitten with animal trainer Maxine Daniels as they travel to the location shoot of his next thrilling adventure. Jack will let nothing stand in the way of winning the fair lady's heart, not even the fact that he is technically a married man while Maxine can't stand him, and is more concerned about raising her niece and nephew as their lone guardian.

But a plane crash, needing to get everyone back home safely, and the fact that the silver screen image Jack portrays and his real life persona are not exactly the same complicate matters just as much as the dangers the jungle foliage hides.

Actor turned author Stephen Jared definitely knows this time period, and his love for it shows in his work. This book reads just like an old time radio drama or the screenplay to a "B" movie, with all the cliches and stereotypes one would expect from that time. Yet Jared makes them work considerably well for a first novel and turns the adventure into a real page turner that leaves audiences waiting to the very end to discover the final fate of any potential relationship between the two lead characters.

Jack and the Jungle Lion is available from Amazon in both print and e-formats.

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