Category: Fiction

AUTHOR, Book Review, F, Fiction, Read in 2013, Review Book

2013.14 REVIEW – The Dark Pool by J.E. Fishman

Tara

The Dark Pool
by J.E. Fishman

Copyright: 2013
Pages: 424
Read: March 6-14, 2013
Challenge: No Challenge
Yearly count: 14
Format: Print
Source: Publicist for review

The Dark PoolBlurb: Shoog Clay: The nation’s winningest inner-city high school football coach resists pressure to move up to the college level because his kids in the Bronx mean everything to him. But more powerful people won’t take no for an answer.

Antwon Meeps: One day Harriet Tubman High School’s star running back is a shoe-in for a college scholarship. The next day he’s accused of a rape he didn’t commit, his life begins unraveling, and he doesn’t know how to stop it.

The Mean: This incognito Greenwich hedge fund manager is so rich he keeps a giant sea creature as his pet. But a risky investment threatens to ruin him, and a stubborn high school football coach holds the key to his redemption.

Soon a tragic hanging in the school gymnasium will lay bare a secret force that none of these men understands. In a “dark pool”  marketplace, insatiable Wall Street players have wagered everything on certain real-world outcomes. When fortunes hang in the balance, financiers cloaked in anonymity won’t hesitate to pay off their claims with the blood of others.

Review: Financial thrillers aren’t necessarily my cup of tea, but when I was pitched this book, I figured that the rest of the description would cover enough of the financial aspects for me to enjoy this one. And I was right to take a chance on this book. I really enjoyed it.

If J.E. Fishman is good at one thing, it sure is character development. By the end of the book, I felt like the characters were family to me and I was rooting them on to make it out of the mess they were in. But that’s not to say that they were absolutely perfect. First, I have to admit that I found Shoog Clay’s character really sticking his neck out the entire book for one of his football players was a little unrealistic. Not very many high school football coaches are going to go on the run with their star football player. And the idea that Clay’s boss would harbor both of them, as well as keep important details from the police, well that is a little unbelievable as well. And while that might have come out negative, it really didn’t have an impact on my feelings toward the book. In fact it was quite the opposite – I was flying through the pages trying to figure out exactly how Shoog, Miranda and Antwon would get out of the mess they were in.

The writing was very good. The chapters were short, which kept the pages turning. And the action, while not what I would necessarily consider fast-paced, was definitely not slow either. The storyline was interesting – the so-called dark pool is a secret marketplace where the richest investors bet on certain things, and you definitely don’t want to be on the short end of the bet. But what’s really interesting is just how far some people will go to manipulate the dark pool in their favor.

Overall, I felt like this was a very good thriller that will appeal to a wide variety of audiences – financial thriller readers as well as crime fiction fans will all enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to review in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation.

AUTHOR, Author Debut, Book Review, Fiction, Read in 2013, Review Book, U-V-W

2013.13 REVIEW – The Trajectory of Dreams by Nicole Wolverton

Tara

The Trajectory of Dreams
by Nicole Wolverton

Copyright: 2013
Pages: 285
Read: March 1-5, 2013
Challenge: No Challenge
Yearly count: 13
Format: Print
Source: Author for review

The Trajectory of DreamsBlurb: For Lela White, a Houston sleep lab technician, sleep doesn’t come easy—there’s a price to be paid for a poor night’s sleep, and she’s the judge, jury, and executioner.

Everyone around Lela considers her a private woman with a passion for her lab work. But nighttime reveals her for what she is: a woman on a critical secret mission. Lela lives in the grip of a mental disorder that compels her to break into astronauts’ homes to ensure they can sleep well and believes that by doing so, she keeps the revitalized U.S. space program safe from fatal accidents. What began at the age of ten when her mother confessed to blowing up the space shuttle has evolved into Lela’s life’s work. She dreads the day when an astronaut doesn’t pass her testing, but she’s prepared to kill for the greater good.

When Zory Korchagin, a Russian cosmonaut on loan to the U.S. shuttle program, finds himself drawn to Lela, he puts her carefully constructed world at risk of an explosion as surely as he does his own upcoming launch. As Lela’s universe unravels, no one is safe.

Review: This is one of those books where it’s going to be very hard to review it without giving away too much of the plot line, so I’ll do my best to avoid any kind of spoilers.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Lela White is absolutely insane. It is obvious that there is something seriously wrong in the head with this woman from the first page. But to be completely honest, it’s not until the very end that the reader becomes aware of just how serious her problems really are. I certainly had no idea as to the severity of her mental illness. I had a pretty good idea as to what had happened to her mother, but other than that it was completely surprising to me.

I thought that overall the writing was very good, there were a few typos here and there, but I was reading an ARC, so hopefully they were caught before final publication. However, I have to say that I kind of thought some of the transitions could have been smoother. Nothing that a couple of spaces between paragraphs couldn’t fix. It might have been something done intentionally by the author to further the picture of Lela’s character. I’m not sure. But then again, this might just be something that I like after having so many professors in college pound the words “transition sentences” into my brain!

As I stated above, this is a really hard book to review without getting too detailed. All I can say is that Lela White’s character is insane and that the storyline itself is pretty good and the reader should be stunned at the end.

Now go read it 🙂

NicoleWolverton_highres_RTAbout the Author:

Nicole Wolverton is the author of the upcoming psychology thriller, The Trajectory of Dreams (Bitingduck Press, March 2013). Her short stories and flash fiction have appeared in Black Heart Magazine, The Molotov Cocktail, and Penduline, among others. In addition to writing fiction, Wolverton is founder and managing editor of Farm to Philly (www.farmtophilly.com), a website devoted to locally grown foods and sustainable living. She resides in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area with her husband and small cadre of pets.

Praise for The Trajectory of Dreams

“The Trajectory of Dreams is unsettling, beautifully written, and truly original. In Lela White, Nicole Wolverton has created one of the most haunting characters in contemporary fiction. This is a remarkable debut.” –Emily St. John Mandel, author of THE LOLA QUARTET, THE SINGER’S GUN, and LAST NIGHT IN MONTREAL

“This novel is a free dive into the bottomless ocean of insanity. With every chapter, every kick of the fins, you’re sucked in deeper as the darkness mounts and the pressure builds. And like the ocean, The Trajectory of Dreams gives up its secrets grudgingly, so you’ll continually be stunned as the protagonist, Lela, falls to her inevitable implosion.” –Mike Mullin, author of ASHFALL and ASHEN WINTER.

“This is a psychological thriller of epic proportions. […] 5 out of 5 stars for its crazy twists and exhilarating ending. This is a gripping, disquieting look at mental illness that will cause you to question how well you can truly know a person, especially those with something to hide.” –Literary R&R

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to review in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, F, Fiction, Mitch Rapp, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES

2013.12 REVIEW – Transfer of Power by Vince Flynn

Tara

Transfer of Power
by Vince Flynn

Copyright: 1999
Pages: 549
Read: Feb. 24 – March 2, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf Challenge 2013
Yearly count: 12
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Blurb: On a busy Washington morning, the stately calm of the White House is shattered by a hail of gunfire. A group of terrorists has descended on the executive mansion and gained access by means of a violent slaughter of dozens of people. Through the quick actions of the Secret Service, the president is evacuated to his underground bunker, but not before nearly one hundred hostages are taken.

While politicians and military leaders argue over how to negotiate with the terrorists, one man is sent in to take control of the crisis. Mitch Rapp, the CIA’s top counterterrorism operative, determines that the president is not as safe was Washington’s power elite had thought. Moving stealthily among the corridors and secret passageways of the White House, Rapp makes a chilling discovery that could rock Washington to its core: someone within his own government is maneuvering to make his rescue attempt fail.

Review: This is the first in the Mitch Rapp series and over the years I have accumulated most of the series. For one reason or another I had never started this series. Well, now I can safely say that I definitely regret not starting this series sooner.

This book starts off with a bang and never really lets up until the ending. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, they were very well-developed. And there’s even a love interest for Mitch – something that I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

It’s hard for me to review this book without giving away the ending. But overall I think that this is a solid first installment in a series that I hope only continues to get better.

Highly recommended.

AUTHOR, Book Review, D, Fiction, Pump Up Your Book, Read in 2013, Review Book

2013.7 REVIEW – The Man From 2063 by Jack Duffy

Tara

The Man From 2063
by Jack Duffy

Copyright: 2012
Pages: 270
Read: Jan. 27-29, 2013
Challenge: No Challenge
Yearly count: 6
Format: Print
Source: Pump Up Your Book Promotions

The Man From 2063Blurb: I knew it. I knew it, he repeated to himself. A conspiracy. But who had planned the murder? Was Lee Harvey Oswald even involved? If only one could go back in time and solve the mystery. I have to pursue this, he told himself. Someone has to find out the truth once and for all.

On November 22, 2063 a new film finally proves a conspiracy was involved in the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Sean Zumwalt dares to go back in time to alter the course of world history and save JFK. But he soon finds that the truth is much more complicated than he ever could have imagined.

Based on actual events and forty years of research, The Man From 2063 will take you through the golds of time and historical conspiracies, leaving you wondering ‘What if?’

The Man From 2063 banner

Review: I have to start out this review by just stating that I am a total Kennedy junkie. I remember watching all the 40th anniversary Kennedy assassination shows back in 2003 from my dorm room. I was a college freshman. I think my roommate wanted to kill me because I essentially took over the television for the entire week – hey, it was my TV so she couldn’t complain too much. But she definitely thought I was nuts. And I probably am a little bit, but I have always been a little obsessed with the Kennedy family, but especially with the assassination.

So when I was pitched this book for the Pump Up Your Book Blog tour, I was immediately intrigued. I knew it was a book I would love. Mr. Duffy addresses the fact that his storyline is very similar to Stephen King’s 11/22/63. I actually DNF’d that book a while back. So I went into this book knowing that I once set aside a book that dealt with the Kennedy assassination and time travel … would I make it through this book?

Why, yes … yes I would! And I would end up truly enjoying it. From the first page it sucked me in. I had to know if Sean would accomplish his goal in preventing the assassination.

Overall I enjoyed this book, but there were two main issues that I must address: the dialogue and the middle section of the book. Let me start with the dialogue. One thing that I noticed was that Mr. Duffy started too many sentences with “Well…” It was to the point where it was a little overdoing it. The dialogue also felt a little forced in places. It didn’t flow very well at certain times. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book, but it was definitely something that I noticed. Also, the middle portion of the book bothered me at times. The book itself is divided into three sections. It was really the middle section that bothered me  – the main character, Sean, was not mentioned once. I understood why this occurred because of the way Mr. Duffy set up the book, but I felt as if it kind of took away from character development. Once again, this was not something that made me dislike the book in any way, just another slight problem that I had (I’m big on character development).

Okay, so now that the “negatives” are out of the way, let me tell you why I actually liked this book a lot. It introduces a very interesting “what if” to the Kennedy assassination. I personally believe that there was some sort of conspiracy involved and while I felt like the conspiracy that Mr. Duffy set up is a little far-fetched (rogue CIA agent paying three mechanics (assassins) $1 million each .. where would an individual get that kind of money?), I felt as if it made a great storyline. You could also tell that Mr. Duffy knows the Kennedy assassination – he sure has done his homework! The book is very fast paced and exciting. I could hardly wait to find out what the outcome would be … if Sean would succeed and how it would affect the course of history. I read it so quickly, I just really enjoyed it.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book.

Jack DuffyAbout the Author:

Jack Duffy is an attorney from Fort Worth, Texas.  The Man from 2063 is his first book.  On November 22, 1963 he was in school at Bruce Shulkey Elementary when he heard the news about President Kennedy’s assassination.  His parents were at the breakfast in Fort Worth, Texas, that morning when President Kennedy gave his last speech.  In 1970 he saw the Zapruder film for the first time.  He has been researching the JFK assassination since then.  He has interviewed many eyewitnesses including Marina Oswald and several Parkland physicians who treated JFK.  He has met many researchers who have written books on the assassination.  He came up with the idea for a time travel novel in 1998.  He has one of the largest private collections of materials on the JFK assassination.  He graduated from Texas Tech University with a B.A. in Political Science.  He then earned an M.B.A from Baylor University.  He then graduated from South Texas School of Law with a J.D.  He is an Eagle Scout.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK

Praise for The Man From 2063:

Although I reject the premise of “The Man From 2063″ that Lee Harvey Oswald did not kill President John F. Kennedy and that there was a conspiracy in the assassination, from a purely historical standpoint Jack Duffy has succeeded in writing a very clever and engrossing “what if” story surrounding the events of November 22, 1963.

-Vincent Bugliosi, author of Helter Skelter

**This review is posted in conjunction with the Pump Up Your Book! blog tour. I received a copy of this book to review in exchange for my honest opinion. I
received no monetary compensation.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Harry Bosch, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES

2013.11 REVIEW – The Black Ice by Michael Connelly

Tara

The Black Ice
by Michael Connelly

Copyright: 1993
Pages: 427
Read: Feb. 16-22, 2013
Challenge: 2013 Sequel Challenge; Off the Shelf Challenge 2013
Yearly count: 11
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Blurb: Narcotics officer Cal Moore’s orders were to look into the city’s latest drug killing. Instead, he ends up in a motel room with a fatal bullet wound to the head and a suicide note stuffed in his back pocket. Working the case, LAPD detective Harry Bosch is reminded of the primal police rule he learned long ago: Don’t look for the facts, but the glue that holds them together. Soon Harry’s making some very dangerous connections, starting with a dead cop and leading to a bloody string of murders that wind from Hollywood Boulevard to the back alleys south of the border. Now this battle-scared veteran will find himself in the center of a complex and deadly game – one in which he may be the next and likeliest victim.

Review: This is the second in the Harry Bosch series. I read the first, The Black Echo back in 2008 and hadn’t ever gotten around to reading this one. I think my problem is that I wasn’t all too impressed with the first in the series – I remember it being just okay. That probably affected my choice in to continuously pass this book up. Plus is also doesn’t help that there’s a gazillion more books in this series – I tend to get really overwhelmed when there’s a lot of books ahead of me (I must read all the books, in order).

Regardless of the reason as to why I had waited so long to read this one – I finally picked it up. And I have to say that while it had a somewhat slow beginning, it got really good really quickly. However, I didn’t think it was all perfect. There were some things that I just didn’t care for – first of all was the Mexican connection. Obviously, having read the blurb, I knew that it was a part of the book. However, I wasn’t expecting more than half of the book to be set in Mexico. And for some reason I had a problem with it – I felt like Harry was much better when he was in LA, on his own turf. But this is just a personal preference.

There was a pretty big twist that I found to be very interesting. It definitely made the book so much more enjoyable. It was quite shocking to me, and I really liked how Harry brought everything together in the end. Bosch also did something that for sure made it obvious that he’s not a cookie-cutter police officer. I liked that.

All in all, as I was reading this book I realized that I was wanting to know more about Harry – who is he, where did he come from? We get snippets here and there of the boy he was and the man he is; and I can only look forward to learning more about Harry Bosch in the future!

Bottom line: Want a good hard-boiled story with a flawed detective? Pick up this book. And although this book can be read as a standalone, as with any series I read, I recommend starting at the beginning.

AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Fiction, Pump Up Your Book, Read in 2013, Review Book

2013.10 REVIEW – The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin

Tara

The Aviator’s Wife
by Melanie Benjamin

Copyright: 2013
Pages: 396
Read: Feb. 10-15, 2013
Challenge: No Challenge
Yearly count: 10
Format: Print
Source: Pump Up Your Book Promotions

The Aviator's WifeBlurb: For much of her life, Anne Morrow, the shy daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, has stood in the shadows of those around her. Then Anne meets Colonel Charles Lindbergh, fresh off his 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic. Enthralled by Charles’s assurance and fame, Anne is certain the celebrated aviator has scarcely noticed her. But she is wrong. Charles sees in Anne a kindred spirit, a fellow adventurer – and her world will be changed forever. The two marry in a headline-making wedding. In the years that follow, the fairy-tale life Anne once longed for will bring heartbreak and hardships, ultimately pushing her to reconcile her need for love and her desire for independence, and to embrace, at last, life’s infinite possibilities for change and happiness.

Drawing on the rich history of the twentieth century – from the late twenties to the mid-sixties – and featuring cameos from such notable characters as Joseph Kennedy and Amelia Earhart, The Aviator’s Wife reveals the dizzying highs and devastating lows of a complicated marriage. With stunning power and grace, Melanie Benjamin provides new insight into what made this remarkable relationship endure.

The Aviator's Wife banner

Review: Wowzers. This has definitely been a great reading year for me and it’s only February 🙂 This is another book that I absolutely adored!!

Let me start by telling you what I knew about Charles Lindbergh before I began this book.

  1. He was the first to fly solo across the Atlantic.
  2. His son was kidnapped and eventually found murdered.

That’s it. That’s where my knowledge of Charles Lindbergh and his family ended. I had no idea what his wife’s name even was. I didn’t know that they went on to have 5 more children (Jon, Land, Scott, Ansy & Reeve).

And do you know what I came away with when I put the book down? The feeling of wanting to know more! And to me (and the author, as she states in her Author’s Note), that is the best part about historical fiction.

So now I suppose I should actually tell you about the book itself. (Other than that you should go buy a copy!)

The book starts out with introducing Anne Morrow and her family. Then it progresses with the short courtship of Anne and Charles. Then it goes on with the marriage, birth of their first child, kidnapping of Charles Jr., and then spends a lot of time of their lives in the aftermath of the kidnapping and murder of little Charlie, and then ends with Charles’ death.

But as Ms. Benjamin explains in her Author’s Note – this is really a book about the relationship between Anne and Charles. And I must say, that the way Charles is depicted in this novel – well, if that’s who he really was in real life, he was one very cold man. And that’s the nicest thing I could say about him. There were many times when I wanted to reach into the book and grab him by the neck to tell him to straighten up and act like a human for goodness sake!

For example, shortly after Charlie’s body was found, Anne was obviously having a very difficult time. Any parent would. But somehow Charles wanted her to throw it all under a rug and forget it. I was absolutely appalled. But I will say that when the book finally reaches its conclusion it makes you realize just how differently everyone grieves.

Throughout the book you are given glimpses into the future, to 1974 when Charles is on his way to his final resting place in Hawaii. And without giving away any spoilers, I can tell you that I was absolutely shocked by what Anne finds out at the end. However, that’s not to say it was completely surprising, giving the way that Charles appeared to be throughout his life and their marriage.

But Anne. Oh, Anne. What a woman she turned out to be. The reader really sees her grow from a shy, self-conscious young woman who is convinced that Charles must be mistaken in wanting to marry her – after all, her sister, Elisabeth was a much better candidate – to a strong mother who finally stands up to her husband once and for all. She really grows into her confidence. She finally writes that book Charles knows she’s capable of writing. She is the best mother she can be. And she stands by her husband, through it all. But when you finish this book, you will really have a great respect for exactly who Anne Morrow was. Because, honestly, I really do think that she was exactly what Charles needed in his life … she was, as he was fond of saying, his crew.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. I’ve definitely got my second candidate for my Top 10 reads list 🙂

Melanie BenjaminAbout the Author:

Melanie Benjamin is the author of the nationally bestselling Alice I Have Been and The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb.

Her latest book is the historical fiction, The Aviator’s Wife.

Benjamin lives in Chicago, where she is at work on her next historical novel.

Visit the Author:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

**This review is posted in conjunction with the Pump Up Your Book! blog tour. I received a copy of this book to review in exchange for my honest opinion. I
received no monetary compensation.

AUTHOR, Book Review, E-Book, Edelweiss, Fiction, P, Read in 2013, Review Book

2013.9 REVIEW – The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper

Tara

The Demonologist
by Andrew Pyper

Copyright:  2013
Pages:  306
Read: Feb. 2-13, 2013
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 9
Format: E-Book
Source: Edelweiss

The DemonologistBlurb: Fans of The Historian won’t be able to put down this spellbinding literary horror story in which a Columbia professor must use his knowledge of demonic mythology to rescue his daughter from the Underworld.

Professor David Ullman’s expertise in the literature of the demonic—notably Milton’s Paradise Lost—has won him wide acclaim. But David is not a believer.

One afternoon he receives a visitor at his campus office, a strikingly thin woman who offers him an invitation: travel to Venice, Italy, witness a “phenomenon,” and offer his professional opinion, in return for an extravagant sum of money. Needing a fresh start, David accepts and heads to Italy with his beloved twelve-year-old daughter Tess.

What happens in Venice will send David on an unimaginable journey from skeptic to true believer, as he opens himself up to the possibility that demons really do exist. In a terrifying quest guided by symbols and riddles from the pages of Paradise Lost, David attempts to rescue his daughter from the Unnamed—a demonic entity that has chosen him as its messenger.

Review: I received a digital copy of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. It is set to go on sale March 5, 2013.

Way back in December, I saw a review for this book at A Book and a Review and I was immediately intrigued by the description. It sounded so interesting to me. I was thrilled to find it on Edelweiss and even more thrilled when I was approved for it! Then I let it sit. Why do I always seem to do that?

When I finally started this book I was immediately sucked in. The beginning really had me wanting to know what was going on … I honestly couldn’t get through the first 150 pages fast enough. And then for some reason it lagged a bit for me. I think it was my “yeah, right” instinct coming out. There was just something about the middle part of the book that didn’t really sit all that well with me. But I continued on, determined to find out what happened. And I have to say that while I wasn’t necessarily disappointed with the ending, I was a little surprised at how abrupt it was. Once again I was stuck with that “yeah, right” feeling.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I don’t read a lot of horror novels anymore (although I gobbled up every Stephen King and Dean Koontz book I could when I was in high school!), but this one really wasn’t all that bad. I would definitely recommend it.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, D, Fiction, Pump Up Your Book, RATING, Read in 2012, Review Book

2012.34 REVIEW – The Sons of Jude by Brandt Dodson

Tara

The Sons of Jude
by Brandt Dodson

Copyright: 2012
Pages: 314
Rating: 4/5
Read: Dec. 19 – Dec. 24 2012
Challenge: No Challenge
Yearly count: 34
Format: Print
Source: Pump Up Your Book Promotions

The Sons of JudeBlurb: When Chicago detectives Frank Campello and Andy Polanski are assigned to investigate the murder of Trina Martinez it seems like an ordinary homicide. An unfortunate young girl in the wrong place at the wrong time has been brutally murdered. But their investigation is halted by a wall of silence, a wall formed by powerful interests that will render their inquiry a lost cause.

Then they enlist the support of reporter Christy Lee – and come under immediate fire. Polanski is arrested. Campello threatened. Christy is attacked.

It’s the case that every cop gets. The one that changes his life. The one where justice is elusive and the hunter becomes the hunted.

The-Sons-of-Jude-banner

Review: I took this book on vacation with me and I have to admit I was a little bummed that I chose my vacation as the time to read it – it was that good! I hated to put the book down once I started it.

This book starts off with a bang and never stops until the last page. As a reader I really felt for Frank’s character when we find out that he had just lost his partner and is almost immediately partnered up with another detective – and a “traitor” at that. But I think what I liked the most about the whole situation is that Frank really took the high road and worked things out with Andy. It was definitely a tough position for a cop to be put in, but it made me feel that Frank’s character really was a top-notch police officer. The job is obviously everything to him and it makes him come across as a highly likeable character. On the other side of it, Andy’s character is fleshed out nicely when Frank begins to open up. The reader learns that things aren’t necessarily as they seemed with Andy – and I liked that. So yeah, I really enjoyed the characters in this book as you can see.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the way that Chicago politics are depicted in this book. Good old Chicago crooks politicians 😉 I was quite intrigued by what was going on with the politician and the predicament that he found himself in … going along with certain things in order to make his political career stronger. I thought it made for a good secondary storyline and definitely set things up in for the next book.

I always enjoy finding a new series (yeah, like I need any more of those!) and this one was definitely a good start to what I hope is a very successful series. I personally found the characters to be very well-developed. I look forward to seeing what happens with Christy and Frank as well as Frank and Andy. I think that Mr. Dodson has done a fantastic job setting up the characters for some very interesting storylines in future books.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I felt that the writing was great, the storyline was interesting and the characters were enjoyable. I would honestly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good crime thriller.

Highly recommended.

Brandt DodsonAbout the Author:

Brandt Dodson was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, which he would later choose as the setting for his Colton Parker Mystery series. Although he discovered in grade school that he wanted to be a writer, it would be another twenty-one years before he would put pen to paper.“I knew in fifth grade that I wanted to be a writer. Our teacher had given each of us a photograph which we were to use as inspiration for a short story. The particular photo I was given was of several young men playing handball in New York City. I don’t remember all of the particulars of the story now, but I do remember the thrill that writing it gave me.”

Later, while in college, one of Brandt’s professors would echo that teacher’s comment.

“But life intervened and I found myself working at a variety of jobs. I worked in the toy department of a local department store and fried chicken for a local fast food outlet. Over the course of the next several years I finished my college degree and worked for the Indianapolis office of the FBI, and served for eight years as a Naval Officer in the United States Naval Reserve. I also obtained my doctorate in Podiatric Medicine, and after completion of my surgical residency, opened my own practice. But I never forgot my first love. I wanted to write.”

During his early years in practice, Brandt began reading the work of Dean Koontz.

“I discovered Dean’s book, The Bad Place, and was completely blown away by his craftsmanship. I read something like 13 or 14 of his back list over the following two weeks. It wasn’t long after that I began to write and submit in earnest.”

Still, it would be another twelve years before Brandt was able to secure the publishing contract he so desperately desired.

“I began by writing the type of fiction that I enjoyed; I wrote edgy crime thrillers that were laced with liberal amounts of suspense. Over the years, I’ve begun to write increasingly more complex work by using broader canvases and themes.

Since securing his first contract, Brandt has continued to pen the type of stories that inspired him to write when he was a boy, and that have entertained his legions of readers.

“I love to write, and as long as others love to read, I plan on being around for a long time to come.”

Brandt Dodson’s latest book is the crime thriller The Sons of Jude.

This tour also has a Kindle Fire HD Giveaway – if you are interested, please go HERE for the sign-up.

**This review is posted in conjunction with the Pump Up Your Book! blog tour. I received a copy of this book to review in exchange for my honest opinion. I
received no monetary compensation.

AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Dirk Pitt, Fiction, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES

2013.8 REVIEW – Iceberg by Clive Cussler

Tara

Iceberg
by Clive Cussler

Copyright: 1975
Pages: 340
Read: Jan. 30-Feb. 10, 2013
Challenge: 2013 Eclectic Reader Challenge, Off the Shelf 2013
Yearly count: 8
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: The luxury yacht had disappeared long ago, on its way to a secret meeting at the White House. Now, it has been discovered – within a million-ton mass of ice …

The only clue to the ship’s demise – and its missing cargo – are the corpses of its crew, and a set of ornately carved rings. The only man who can find the answer is Dirk Pitt…

Review: This is the 3rd book in the Dirk Pitt series. Overall I enjoyed this book. But it definitely wasn’t perfect. First of all I didn’t really like the technical details about the underwater probe that went missing. And while that wasn’t a huge portion of the book, it was definitely a central theme. Luckily, there was enough action in the book to keep me going. I find it amazing just how much trouble Dirk Pitt finds himself in time after time. You’d think that the man would have died 50 times by the third book – but he always manages to find his way out of the trouble he’s in. The ending really surprised me, there was a twist to it that I really never saw coming. And I’m not sure how Dirk made the connection, either, to be completely honest.

It’s really hard for me to review this book without giving away a large portion of the plot. So I’m just going to leave it at this … I liked it.

While these books aren’t for everyone, I thoroughly enjoy them. But what I like about this series is that (so far) they stand well on their own – you don’t necessarily have to read them in order to have a complete understanding of what is going on. I look forward to continuing on with this series in the future.

A, AUTHOR, Author Debut, Book Review, Fiction, Read in 2013, Review Book

2013.6 REVIEW – Death Has Its Benefits by Ronald Aiken

Tara

Death Has Its Benefits
by Ronald Aiken

Copyright: 2012
Pages: 271
Read: Jan. 23 – 27, 2013
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 6
Format: Print
Source: Author

Death Has its BenefitsBlurb:  What would you do if your best friend told you his boss was going to kill him? Try to save his life because he once saved yours? Well if you’re Tony Benson, and your best friend is a prankster like Leo Radigan, you’d do nothing, just laugh it off and say, “That’s a novel approach to work-force reduction.” If only it was that simple.

Leo’s boss, the mysterious Hike Meurtens, is an influential businessman and philanthropist, but Leo insists he’s not the man he appears to be. “With this guy you gotta give an arm to keep a leg,” he insists.

At first, Tony believes Leo’s ever increasing paranoia is fueled by problems at home – a bad marriage, spoiled kids and rising debt. After all, why would a man of Muertens’ stature commit murder? But as Tony tries to help his friend through his personal crisis, he finds himself being drawn into Leo’s paranoid world, and begins to wonder if there might be something to his crazy tales, after all.

As paranoia becomes reality, Tony’s darker side emerges and he must successfully navigate his way through the state’s mental health and criminal justice system to save his own life.

Review: I received this book via the author after being contacted by his PR rep.

Do you want a non-stop, thrill ride, edge-of-your-seat-suspense thriller? Then this is the book for you! The book starts and really never let me go, I was hooked from the very beginning. With the short chapters this book was very easy to get sucked into 50 pages before I knew what had happened.

I thought that the storyline was interesting – your boss wants to kill you? I don’t think that’s a storyline I’ve ever encountered! Definitely a nice thing to happen after reading so many mystery/thriller novels!

I think what I liked so much about this book was the real feel to it. The dialogue felt real, not forced. The characters felt real, the storyline never dragged – overall a very good read.

I am amazed that this is a debut – I can only look forward to seeing Mr. Aiken’s books in the future. Highly recommended.