William R Potter

The Fright Factor – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat and Think With Your Taste Buds

‘Wesley saw motion from the corner of his eye. Jesse wandered into the room. “Howzit going?” He had a length of chain and a padlock. He looped the chair between the two chairs, pulled up the slack, and then clicked in a lock. With a second length of chain he secured Wesley and Robin to the cast iron fireplace. Where Robin had been able to slide along the floor earlier, they show more were now secured in place. Jesse showed them both a candle with a hole drilled through the middle near the base of the stick. He set the candle in a brass candle holder on the coffee table. He walked to the kitchen and returned in a few seconds with a long red stick, obviously dynamite. He used duct-tape to fasten two more sticks to the first and he set the three next to the candle. He then took a long string that looked like a fuse and threaded it through the hole in the candle. Wesley wasn’t sure what Jesse was doing but he knew it wasn’t good. Jesse took the camera off his shoulder strap and began to film Wesley and Robin. Brandi entered the room with a long butane fireplace lighter. She wiggled her ass for the camera and licked the end of the starter seductively and then headed for the candle.’

Wesley and Robin Tate are your average run of the mill couple. They have spent their lives raising two kids and running their own restaurant. As far as Robin knows, the restaurant has been doing great allowing her to be a stay at home wife and mother who is on the Board of Directors for a non-profit group which raises funds for children’s charities. They have been able to put both kids into law school and new it was just the two of them. No problems in their lives. That is unless you count the credit card bill that Robin has opened and found to be extremely maxed out and in the rears. Wesley handles the financial portion of the business and Robin knew he never let the balances get out of hand and he has always paid them off each month. Apparently they aren’t as comfortable as she thought.

Wesley, on the other hand, knows exactly why the balance is so high. One mistake six years ago and he’s still paying for it. He has to bring his and Robin’s lives under control. The first item to repair is their love life and what better way to start the mending than to take Robin to a cabin at the lake for a few days. This would surely put the romance back into both of them. And it might have worked if Brandi hadn’t shown up. Robin met her while getting things from the car in the pouring rain. She said her car had broken down a few miles back and she needed to use the phone to call a tow. Being where they were, the phones weren’t receiving signals so Robin decided she could sleep on the sofa for the night and get help the next morning. That would turn out to be the biggest mistake of her life…as well as the lives of several others.

I read The Fright Factory in two days during spare time. How…I couldn’t put it down. If you like shows such as CSI and Criminal Minds, you will want to read this book. In fact, it could easily be made into a Criminal Minds show. But I have to warn you. It’s VERY graphic and also has a few erotic settings so it’s not for the weak nor the youngsters. I also wouldn’t suggest you read it at night while alone. Also, I don’t think I will be finding myself staying in a cabin at the lake for quite a while. Potter, you’ve done it again!

Review Stir, Laugh, Repeat at Amazon.com Stir, Laugh, Repeat show less

Dead of Knight – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

“It’s a good day to die,” he said quietly. “Pardon?” “Happy birthday, Kim.” “What?” She retreated a step. “How did you know it’s my birthday?” Tyro clenched the lighter in his fist, pulled back and struck a quick blow to her throat. The porcelain cup of steaming coffee burst from her grip and smashed to the ground. Her eyes widened in shock as she clutched at her neck and sunk to her knees. He show more grabbed her hair in both hands and slammed her face down against his rising knee once, twice, releasing her so that she cracked her head against the wall. He stepped aside to survey the results of his attack. “You have accomplished a great deal in your thirty-two years, haven’t you, Miss Walker?” he said as he dragged her into the hidden space between the two dumpsters. “Two illegitimate children, a deadbeat boyfriend, and a minimum wage job slinging burgers to the scum of the earth.” He undid his leather belt and pulled it from his waist.

Jack Stall is a detective with the Hanson Major Crime Section. At times, teams from his department are sent to a crime scene to start the work-up and secure the scene until the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team arrives. Jack and his partner Rachel Gooch have both been assigned to this preliminary work for two prior cases where the victims have been violently raped and murdered on their birthdays. The media has dubbed the killer as “Birthday Boy.” Now they can add a third victim to the list with the killing of Kim Walker, who has been murdered on her birthday.

Author William R. Potter takes Jack Stall through the wringer with Dead of Knight. He is already fighting depression from a mass killing in the park. His deceased partner’s wife Wendy Reynolds has called asking him to find her missing daughter and now the Birthday Boy killings. This may be a lot for one person to deal with, even in fiction, but the writing abilities of William R. Potter not only makes the characters believable but the story as well. This story was so well written. There were no super cops coming along to save the day. The events unrolled so well that you actually felt as if you were following a real police story. This is one author that I will continue to follow and will be waiting on his next Jack Stall Mystery. Until then, I’ll be indulging myself in his book Lighting the Dark Side. show less

Reviewed for Review the Book
Published by RealTime Publishing

This psychological thriller was of special interest to me because a lot of the action centered around the area where I grew up, Vancouver and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. According to the cover blurb, Canadian author William R. Potter began this book in 2002, put the book on hold, and after completing other work, returned to Dead of Knight. I for one, am very glad he did.

A descriptive book, it takes place in the fictional show more town of Hanson in British Columbia. The book begins with a journey into the mind of a psychotic murderer, nick-named the Birthday Boy, because his victims were murdered on their birthdays. He sees himself as a hero; he is currently Tyro, training to become what he perceives to be a super hero who will be Damian Knight, Soldier of Justice. He believes he is on the same side as the law. The character is well-defined, as is the character of Jack Staal, the detective who becomes Knight's focused nemesis.

The story is also a police procedural that doesn't always follow procedure, often a sign of office politics versus either the very caring or the corrupt. Jack Staal is one of the caring, but he is fraught with demons of past cases. Some might call him flawed, others a hero. No matter, this is one man who is determined to stop Damian Knight, the psycho-serial killer with a mission. But what is the mission? How do the murders connect?

Jack and his group of allies on the police force must buck authority to bring in the "perp" as soon as possible, while the authorized group bungle and follow wrong leads, rumours abound. This is a very satisfying thriller, complete with background descriptions of what has led to this killing spree, internal strife in the police department, a vendetta against Jack Staal by Damian Knight when he thinks he is getting too close to solving who Damian Knight is, false leads, taunting hints left for Jack, death and injury. The methods of putting the pieces together is compelling. The plot was well thought out, played out with passion and resolve. A complex and taut story that kept my attention throughout. Written for mature readers. show less

This short novella delves into the ordered, but complex life of Dwayne Johnson, who is severely afflicted with obsessive-compulsive disorder. It makes him one of the best workers at his telemarketing job, but leaves him very vulnerable to the endless pranking by his fellow co-workers. Then, he meets Dee-Dee and love really turns his world around. Told from Dwayne's view, the story really creates a compelling characterization. The book comes with an extra - a crime procedural short story - show more that felt like a mismatch of genres under the same cover. If you enjoy both contemporary romance and police thrillers, consider it a bonus read, but the main story stands on its own. show less