Category: 4/5

4/5, AUTHOR, Author Debut, Book Review, E-Book, Fiction, M, NetGalley, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book

2014.9 REVIEW – Precious Thing by Colette McBeth

Tara

Precious Thing
by Colette McBeth

Copyright: 2013
Pages: 233
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 15 – Feb. 21, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 9
Format: E-Book
Source: NetGalley

Precious ThingBlurb: For fans of Sister and Before I Go to Sleep comes a stunning suspense novel about two childhood best friends, reunited as adults and then ripped apart.

I know her inside out. I know what she’s thinking, I know what she wants. So I can’t give up on her, she knows I never will.

Some friendships fizzle out. Rachel and Clara promised theirs would last forever.

They met in high school when Rachel was the shy, awkward new girl and Clara was the friend everyone wanted. Instantly, they fell under one another’s spell and nothing would be the same again. Now in their late twenties Rachel has the television career, the apartment and the boyfriend, while Clara’s life is spiraling further out of control. Yet despite everything, they remain inextricably bound. Then Rachel’s news editor assigns her to cover a police press conference, and she is shocked when she arrives to learn that the subject is Clara, reported missing. Is it abduction, suicide or something else altogether?

Imagine discovering something about your oldest friend that forces you to question everything you’ve shared together. The truth is always there. But only if you choose to see it…

Review: I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley for review purposes, all opinions expressed below are my own.

You can be so close to someone for a lifetime and not know who they really are. (p. 90 of e-galley)

What. A. Book.

I don’t even know where to start, to be completely honest. This is another one of those books where you just can’t say too much about it or else you get into some serious spoiler territory. And honestly, the less you know about this book going into it, the better.

First of all this book is written in the form of a long letter from Rachel to Clara. You get flashbacks of when they met in school alternating with what is going on present day. Ms. McBeth slowly reveals things layer by layer. It makes for a completely thrilling read, in my opinion.

The characters. I don’t even know what to say. I went back and forth trying to figure out who was more crazy, Clara or Rachel. Obviously I can’t say much more than that without giving away anything. But I can say that you can know almost immediately that something is definitely amiss.

Best friends who tell each other everything but the truth. (p. 204 of e-galley)

I’ve seen people comparing this one to Gone Girl. I can’t say for sure about that, I haven’t read Gone Girl. But I can tell you that I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

If you’re in the mood for some seriously crazy, psychologically insane reading, pick this one up! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Highly recommended!!

A couple more quotes to share:

I’ve said it before. Truth is subjective. It’s not an absolute. My truth and theirs. Two against one. (p. 165 of e-galley)

My bosses had insisted I take time off until everything sorted itself out, when what they really wanted to say was stay away until we know you’re not a psychotic killer. (p. 216 of e-galley)

4/5, AUTHOR, Author Debut, Book Review, Fiction, M, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book

2014.8 REVIEW – Fortunate Son by David Marlett

Tara

Fortunate Son
by David Marlett

Copyright: 2013
Pages: 337
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 14 – Feb. 20, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 8
Format: Print
Source: The Story Plant for blog tour

Fortunate SonBlurb: Meet James Annesley, son of 18th Century Ireland. Though you may have never heard his name before, his story has already touched you in profound ways. Now, for the first time, novelist David Marlett brings that incredible story to life.

Stretching from the dirty streets of Ireland to the endless possibilities of Colonial America, from drama on the high seas with the Royal Navy to a life-and-death race across England and up the Scottish Highlands, from the prospect of a hangman’s noose to a fate decided in the halls of justice, Fortunate Son is a powerful, relentless epic. Here nobility, duels, love, courage, revenge, honor, and treachery among family, friends and ancient enemies abound. And at its center is the most momentous trial in Irish history – the trial of Annesley v. Anglesea from which our modern “attorney/client privilege” was forged, and our concept of a “jury of one’s peers” was put to the test.

Carefully researched, vividly evoked, and lovingly brought to the page, Fortunate Son is an unforgettable work of fiction based on fact, one that will resonate deep within you long after you finish it.

Review: I received a copy of this book for free from The Story Plant for review purposes in conjunction with a blog tour, all opinions expressed below are my own.

When I was pitched this book, I was immediately drawn to the words “historical,” “courtroom drama” and “epic adventure.” They had me at hello!

I will say that in the beginning I found this book difficult to read. It’s very true-to-form in regards to the language used. I’m not used to reading books that have 18th century language. But once I got used to that it was a lot of fun. Jemmy, what a character. He went through so much, honestly, that it really hurt me at times to read what was happening.

I cannot imagine the amount of research that Mr. Marlett put into this book. It’s billed as being “carefully researched,” but that simply does not do it justice. As a reader I could tell that Mr. Marlett knew his subject inside and out and I truly believe that this is what made this book so very readable.

It might be a “courtroom historical adventure” but this book is all of that and so much more. The blood, sweat and tears, of the characters and the author are ever-present in this book. I really recommend this book to adventure fans, historical fans, and legal fans. It’s a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

About the author:

shapeimage_1David Marlett is an attorney, artist, and self-trained historian who grew up in a storytelling Texas family. He attended Texas Tech University where he earned multiple degrees in finance, economics and accounting. Subsequently, he earned his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. David has created and written stories and screenplays since childhood, and is particularly interested in richly textured history and the drama behind major courtroom battles. He is a serial entrepreneur focused primarily on the arts. (He once owned eight bookstores across the United States.) David currently speaks and lectures at conferences and universities on trans- media, storytelling, entrepreneurship in the arts, and crowdfunding. He has been a featured contributor to Movie Maker magazine, Digital Book World, and many other publications. He has developed and sold a number of film scripts and has directed/ acted in many regional theatrical performances. David is also a photoartist whose work has appeared in several galleries across the United States. He lives outside Dallas, Texas, and has four children. His second novel, American Red, another historical courtroom drama, is due to be published in late 2014.

Connect with Mr. Marlett:

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, LT Early Reviewer, P, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book

2014.6 REVIEW – The Innocent Sleep by Karen Perry

Tara

The Innocent Sleep
by Karen Perry

Copyright: 2014
Pages: 323
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 1 – Feb. 5, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 6
Format: Print
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program

The Innocent SleepBlurb: Tangier. Harry is preparing his wife’s birthday dinner while she is still at work and their son, Dillon, is upstairs asleep in bed. Harry suddenly remembers that he’s left Robin’s gift at the cafe in town. It’s only a five-minute walk away, and Dillon is hard to put down for the night, so Harry decides to run out and fetch the present.

Disaster strikes. An earthquake hits, buildings crumble, people scream and run. Harry fights his way through the crowds to his house, only to find it a crumbled wreck. Dillon is presumed dead, though his body is never found.

Five years later, Harry and Robin have settled into a new life after relocating to their native Dublin. Their grief will always be with them, but lately it feels as if they’re ready for a new beginning. Harry’s career as an artist is taking off and Robin has just realized that she’s pregnant.

But when Harry gets a glimpse of Dillon on the crowded streets of Dublin, the past comes rushing back at them both. Has Dillon been alive all these years? Or was what Harry saw just a figment of his guilt-ridden imagination? With razor-sharp writing, Karen Perry’s The Innocent Sleep delivers a fast-paced, ingeniously plotted thriller brimming with deception, doubt, and betrayal.

Review: I received a copy of this book for free from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer Program for review purposes, all opinions expressed below are my own.

They say there are two sides to every story. Sometimes, there are three. (p. 265 from ARC)

Oh where to start with this review? I have to admit that I slept on my thoughts before really sitting down and writing them out. It’s so hard to put into words my feelings regarding this book without revealing major spoilers.

So to begin, overall this is a thrill-a-minute book that slowly reveals itself to a pulse-pounding, nearly unbelievable conclusion.

I guess I have to really start with the entire notion that a parent would leave their young son in bed asleep and go out and down the street. I don’t care if it’s 3 blocks down or next door, you just don’t do that. Heck, I don’t even like to go to the mailbox when Garrett is asleep! It’s just something that I cannot wrap my brain around. So from the beginning I had a really big problem with Harry’s character. I simply could not trust him after that revelation. And then there’s Robin. I was so fed up with her character because she continued to stay with Harry after he not only left Dillon alone asleep in bed but there was another big revelation that is just absolutely unforgivable. What kind of woman could really stay with a man like Harry? Well as the reader continues, it becomes very obvious that not everyone is as perfect as they appear. Robin has some pretty nasty stuff in her past as well. They’re both incredibly flawed characters. But it works for some reason.

So how on earth could I possibly like a book that I was really disgusted by the two main characters? I simply cannot answer that question. But for whatever reason, it works. The psychological mind twist that goes on throughout this book really makes you want to keep reading. I had to know what happened. I had to know if Harry was losing his mind. I had to know if Dillon could really be alive.

And then the ending … the last page. Just, wow. There’s a huge twist that I never saw coming and left me with a little lukewarm feeling. Personally it felt unnecessary and more than a little unbelievable if you ask me. Unnecessary, that’s really the best word that I can use for the ending. But please don’t let this change your decision to read this book, because it’s a good read.

This is just one of those books that words can’t adequately describe. You have to really read it to understand it. I can’t say much more about it without giving away entirely too much. Just read it. Seriously.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, Myron Bolitar, RATING, Read in 2014, READING CHALLENGES 2014, SERIES

2014.7 REVIEW – Fade Away by Harlan Coben

Tara

Fade Away 
by Harlan Coben

Copyright: 1996
Pages: 355
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 6 – Feb. 13, 2014
Challenge: Eclectic Reader Challenge
Yearly count: 7
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Fade AwayBlurb: In novels that crackle with wit and suspense, Harlan Coben has created one of the most fascinating heroes in suspense fiction: the wisecracking, tenderhearted sports agent Myron Bolitar. In this gripping third novel in the acclaimed series, Myron must confront a past that is dead and buried – and more dangerous than ever before.

The home is top-notch New Jersey suburban. The living room is Martha Stewart. The basement is Legos – and blood. The signs of a violent struggle. For Myron Bolitar, the disappearance of a man he once competed against is bringing back memories – of the sport he and Greg Downing had both played and the woman they both loved. Now, among the stars, the wannabes, the gamblers, and the groupies, Myron is embarking upon the strange ride of a sports hero gone wrong that just may lead to certain death. Namely, his own.

Review: This is the third book in the Myron Bolitar series and I want to start this review by telling you the same thing I told you in my review of the second book (Drop Shot). Myron Bolitar is hilarious. Laugh out loud hilarious. Yeah sometimes it’s pretty cheesy, but for the most part it’s really funny. Humor is not something I have in the book that I read, so this was a nice light read for me … just what I needed, really!

In this book Myron is called back onto the basketball court. His NBA career was over before it even began many years prior when his knee blew out after an unfortunate collision with another player. So you could tell that Myron was as giddy as could be when the opportunity arose which would place him back on the court. Yeah, he understood he wasn’t in as good of shape as the other guys and that he would likely warm the bench. But still, you can’t help but smile at the thought of a second chance for Myron. Regardless of how short-lived it would be. And so what if this opportunity arises because a star player has disappeared and he’s really only joining the team to get closer to the team members in order to try to find Greg Downing.

There are many twists and turns in this one. Myron finds himself crossing paths with the Mob, murderers, blackmailers and even some people who have been underground for many years after being outed as 1960s revolutionaries. There’s a lot that goes on and every twist and turn definitely kept me on my toes because I never knew what Myron would find himself involved in next.

Overall this is a really good book. The characters were well-developed. The writing was excellent. The storyline was interesting. The book’s pacing was spot on. There’s not much at all I can honestly find to complain about.

I’m definitely interested in seeing where Myron goes next now that he’s had his “closure” from his playing days. I think what I like most about Myron is that yeah he’s funny, but he’s really got heart. There’s just something to him that works.

Definitely a good book that I would definitely recommend, but I don’t know if this one would standalone very well. I’m sure it would be okay, but I honestly think that you won’t understand some of the secondary characters if you don’t have the background of the first two books.

Either way, definitely recommended.

Favorite quotes:

Riverside Drive was relatively quiet. Myron arrived at his Kinney lot on 46th Sreet and tossed Mario the keys. Mario did not park the Ford Taurus up front with the Rolls, the Mercedes, Win’s Jack; in fact, he usually managed to find a cozy spot underneath what must have been a nesting ground for loose-stooled pigeons. Car discrimination. It was an ugly thing, but where were the support groups? (p. 34)

Myron checked the clock. He’d been in for thirty-four seconds and his man had scored five points. Myron did some quick math. At that rate, Myron could hold Reggie Wallace to under six hundred points per game. (p. 241)

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, Jeremy Fisk, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book, SERIES, U-V-W

2014.5 REVIEW – The Execution by Dick Wolf

Tara

The Execution
by Dick Wolf

Copyright: 2014
Pages: 335
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 26 – Feb. 1, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 5
Format: Print
Source: Publicist for review

The ExecutionBlurb: A number of bodies are discovered on the United States’ border with Mexico, each carved with a bizarre symbol: a hummingbird. Detective Cecilia Garza – dubbed the Ice Queen among her colleagues at the Mexican intelligence agency because she’s famous for never showing an ounce of weakness – arrives at the scene and recognizes the image immediately; it is the calling card of a killer called Chuparosa, a man both feared and celebrated for his cunning and brutality. Known to be incorruptible in a seemingly lawless land, Detective Garza has pursued this killer for years, yet knows little about him, except that he’s merciless and heading to New York City – along with the rest of the world.

It’s United Nations Week in Manhattan and Jeremy Fisk – an integral member of the NYPD’s Intelligence Division, an antiterror unit modeled on the CIA – can’t let his grief over a devastating loss keep him from his duty to safeguard the city and the world’s most powerful leaders. Complicating matters is the startling news of a mass murder on the beach in nearby Rockaway – and the arrival of a beautiful and assertive Mexican detective determined to do things her way.

To have a chance at finding and stopping Chuparosa, these uneasy allies must meld their opposing investigative styles. They soon discover that there’s much more to this threat than meets the eye – and Fisk will have to learn the hard way that justice is not always blind.

Review: I received a copy of this book for free from a publicist for review purposes, all opinions expressed below are my own.

This is the second book in the Jeremy Fisk series. I read an ARC of the first book, The Intercept, shortly before it came out. Even before looking back over that review, I had vague recollections of being a little irritated by something within that book. After reading my review, I realized that it was because Mr. Wolf made the decision to kill off a pretty important character in the first book in the series.

So I guess you could say that I actually went into this book with a little bit of trepidation. How would Mr. Wolf handle things minus Fisk’s partner? Overall, I am quite pleased with the direction this one decision ended up going. I don’t want to spoil anything too big here, but I really think that it opens up Fisk’s character a lot more than I had ever thought possible. He’s a wounded man from losing his girlfriend and partner. He’s angry. And he’s sick and tired of everyone tip-toeing around him in regards to her death. The reader gets to see a lot more of Jeremy Fisk than he would want us to see just by the way he handles his feelings about her death after a little bit of time has passed.

The storyline of this book is very fast-paced and interesting. There’s really a lot going on in this book. You have Fisk trying to coordinate UN Week. And you have Cecilia Garza, a Mexican police officer in town on her country’s Presidential protection detail. Cecilia may be on that protection detail, but there’s a lot more that has drawn her to New York City than she wants to admit. Fisk and Garza have to work together to catch a very brutal killer before he has a chance to kill someone else.

I think what I liked most about this storyline (as well as the storyline to The Intercept) is that it felt real and relevant. It seems very hard to keep things relevant these days. But somehow Mr. Wolf is able to do just that. Having Jeremy Fisk work in the Intel division, rather than just be your standard homicide detective, makes for a really interesting protagonist with endless possibilities of story lines.

Overall I felt like this was as really good book. The storyline was interesting. The writing was very good. The characters were extremely well-developed. I’m very glad that I gave Mr. Wolf a second chance after only feeling lukewarm about his first book. In my opinion it’s a really good installment in this series that has me wanting more Jeremy Fisk.

Favorite quotes:

The explosive noise of the guns had set off a chain reaction, sheets of wet snow dropping from the limbs of the pine trees surrounding Jeremy Fisk. Even after the gunfire stopped, Fisk could hear limbs snapping, snow thudding to earth, a circular cataract expanding, fading away from him like ripples in a frigid pond.

And then the endless forest … went silent.

My God, thought Fisk. They’re all dead. (p.1)

And then I also wanted to share with you a quick one-liner that really made me chuckle just because of the absolute truth to it. To set it up a little bit, it’s spoken to Jeremy Fisk by Magnus Jenssen, the man responsible for Fisk’s girlfriend’s death.

What is a jury trial now but a television entertainment show? (p. 89)

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, F, Fiction, Mitch Rapp, RATING, Read in 2014, SERIES

2014.4 REVIEW – Separation of Power by Vince Flynn

Tara

Separation of Power
by Vince Flynn

Copyright: 2001
Pages: 436
Rating: 4/5
Read: Jan. 17 – 25, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 4
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Blurb: Newly appointed CIA director, Dr. Irene Kennedy, is the target of an inside plot to destroy her and prematurely end the American President’s term. To make matters worse, Saddam Hussein is close to entering the nuclear arms race – something Israel has vowed to stop. With the haunting specter of World War III looming, the President calls on his secret weapon: top counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp. But with only two weeks to take out the nukes, Rapp is up against a ticking clock – and impossible odds.

From the deadly alleys of Baghdad to the corruption-riddled streets of Washington, D.C. Separation of Power is Vince Flynn at his shell-shocking best – filled with true-to-life insider detail and action that sizzles.

Review: This is the third book in the Mitch Rapp series (but I’m seeing some places call it the 5th because two books have been published in recent years that supposedly come before the first two in the series. Personally, I like to stick with the order they’re published, so this makes book #3).

Last year I read the first two books in the series and enjoyed both of them immensely. I am not entirely sure why it took me so long to go ahead and pick this one up, but I can honestly say that I was not the least bit disappointed. A word of caution though, this book relies heavily on the second book,  The Third Option. This book really picks up where that one left off and goes with that storyline a little bit. Now that’s not to say that you can’t read it as a standalone, I just have a feeling that it makes more sense if you know the whole backstory as to why Mitch goes astray in Italy.

That being said, this book was an exciting read. I don’t have much to complain about in regards to it. I suppose if I had to nit-pick something it would be that the really exciting action happens in probably the last 100 or so pages. But that’s not to say that the book is not enjoyable in any way, because I did not feel that way at all.

The writing is extremely good. The overall storyline is interesting. The character development was excellent. It made me want to pick up the next on in the series when I finished this one. And that’s how series books are supposed to be in my opinion.

I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what happens in future books now that Mitch has been “outed.” It definitely sets up for some interesting developments that I’m looking forward to discovering in the future!

My only true disappointment is that we lost Mr. Flynn last year. I was very upset when I heard of his death, but I’m even more upset now that I realize that there can only be so many more Mitch Rapp books (I honestly hope his estate doesn’t continue on like some prolific author’s have … I don’t like that at all).

A good solid read and another good installment to a series I highly recommend.

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

2013.51 REVIEW – The Last Coyote by Michael Connelly

Tara

The Last Coyote
by Michael Connelly

Copyright: 1995
Pages: 408
Rating: 4/5
Read: Dec 15 – Dec. 29, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2013
Yearly count: 51
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

The Last CoyoteBlurb: Harry Bosch’s life is on the edge. His earthquake-damaged home has been condemned. His girlfriend has left him. He’s drinking too much. And after attacking his commanding officer, he’s even had to turn in his LAPD detective’s badge.

Now, suspended indefinitely pending a psychiatric evaluation, he’s spending his time investigating an unsolved crime from 1961: the brutal slaying of a prostitute who happened to be his own mother.

Even after three decades, Harry’s questions generate heat among LA’s top politicos. And as the truth begins to emerge, it becomes more and more apparent that someone wants to keep it buried. Someone very powerful … very cunning … and very deadly.

Review: This is the third in the Harry Bosch series. And another really good installment in my opinion. I only wish I had started this series before I did, they’re such good books!

This particular installment started out a little bit slow to me, but once it picked up it was a really exciting read. I think in this book the reader really gets to see just who Harry Bosch is. He’s not perfect by any means, but I think that’s what really adds to the intrigue of Harry. It really makes for an interesting protagonist. Personally I like Harry. He’s tough and not afraid to get his hands dirty. But at the same time he’s got a soft side, even if he does everything in his power to hide it. I just like him, that’s all I can say about it really.

This particular storyline was interesting. Harry taking on the unsolved murder of his mother. He knows going into it that he might not like what he uncovers. And when the end is revealed, it’s not at all like I was anticipating. But I think it will be good in the end for Harry to have the closure that he seemed to need so badly.

As always with Mr. Connelly’s works, the writing was good, the character development was good and the storyline was fresh and interesting. Definitely a series that is quickly becoming one of my favorites. And I’m really looking forward to getting to the next installment in the very near future.

Highly recommended, though I do strongly suggest you read this series in order so that you can fully appreciate Harry’s character.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, H, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES, Sookie Stackhouse

2013.50 REVIEW – Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

Tara

Living Dead in Dallas
by Charlaine Harris

Copyright: 2002
Pages: 291
Rating: 4/5
Read: Nov 29 – Dec. 9, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2013
Yearly count: 50
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

Blurb: Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse is on a streak of bad luck. First, her coworker is murdered and no one seems to care. Then she’s face-to-face with a beastly creature that gives her a painful and poisonous lashing. Enter the vampires, who graciously suck the poison from her veins (like they didn’t enjoy it).

Point is, they saved her life. So when one of the blood-suckers asks for a favor, she complies. And soon, Sookie’s in Dallas using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire. She’s supposed to interview certain humans involved. There’s just one condition: The vampires must promise to behave – and let the humans go unharmed. Easier said than done. All it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly…

Review: This is the second book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I’m kind of unsure why I waited so long to start it because I’m quite enjoying it.

Overall this is a good book. It actually felt a little darker and grittier than the first installment did. It was definitely a lot more violent (if that’s not your cup of tea). But I wouldn’t consider it over the top on violence at all where it was not enjoyable … and trust me I don’t have the stomach for that stuff that I used to so I’m a pretty good judge of it now.

I’m really intrigued by the Bill/Sookie, Sookie/Eric, Eric/Bill thing that is going on. It’s obvious that Eric wants what he can’t have, but I can’t help but wonder if Sookie isn’t just a little curious about Eric either. I think it will be quite interesting to see where Ms. Harris takes all these characters.

As I said, it’s really a good book. The storyline was interesting. The writing was excellent. And it’s just a fun book in general.

Highly recommended.

4/5, Alexander Hawke, AUTHOR, Author Debut, B, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES

2013.48 REVIEW – Hawke by Ted Bell

Tara

Hawke
by Ted Bell

Copyright: 2003
Pages: 596
Rating: 4/5
Read: Nov 9-17, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2013
Yearly count: 48
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

HawkeBlurb: A direct descendant of a legendary English privateer, Lord Alexander Hawke is one of England’s most decorated naval heroes. Now, in the Caribbean on a secret assignment for the American government, Hawke must disarm a ticking time bomb – a highly experimental stealth submarine carrying forty nuclear warheads that has fallen into the hands of an unstable government just ninety miles from the U.S. mainland. But Hawke’s mission is twofold, for he has returned to the waters where modern-day pirates brutally murdered his parents when he was a boy – after a lifetime of nightmares, will vengeance be his at last?

Review: That moment when you realize that it’s been more than a week since you last read this book and have finished another one since then … and you know that you won’t do this review justice. *Sigh* Good thing I wrote down some notes immediately after finishing this book.

This is the first book in the Alexander Hawke series and overall it was pretty good. I did find that the beginning was a little slow to start. However, once the action really picked up (about the halfway mark), the book was just a non-stop roller coaster ride.

At 596 pages this is definitely a chunkster. And it’s my opinion that it might have been just a little too long. I don’t want to say that it necessarily dragged on endlessly, but it probably could have been shortened and tightened up a bit and not lost a whole lot.

I really enjoyed the characters. Alex is a complicated man with a troubled past (his parents were murdered when he was a boy; he witnessed the murder but his mind has blocked it). Victoria is interesting as well, I think there’s a lot more to her than we really get to see in this first book. It will be interesting to see how their love story plays out. And Ambrose … what a character! Funny! Overall the main characters are well-developed and interesting in their own way. Which definitely helps set up for what I hope will be a good series!

I think if I *had* to complain about something it would really be the multiple storylines. I sometimes had trouble remembering who belonged in what storyline and what was really going on in that particular storyline. It was a little overwhelming at times and I even found myself asking “what is this storyline again?” Nothing that is necessarily terrible, but something that I did struggle with (could have also just been my sporadic reading as well, though).

Overall a good book that I enjoyed and a great first book in what I hope turns out to be a good new series for me (…as if I need another series to keep track of…)

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, RATING, Read in 2013, Review Book, U-V-W, Virtual Author Book Tours

2013.47 REVIEW – The Thunderbird Conspiracy by R.K. Price

Tara

The Thunderbird Conspiracy
by R.K. Price

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 327
Rating: 4/5
Read: Nov 2-8, 2013
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 47
Format: Print
Source: Author for blog tour

BookCover6x9_Cream_330Blurb: The Thunderbird Conspiracy is the remarkable tale of Robert Kaye, a Hungarian freedom fighter who claimed he knew and collaborated with JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. R. K. Price’s second novel is also a tale of a Nebraska farm boy who was a great admirer of President Kennedy and a true patriot who desperately wanted to believe his government’s hurried conclusion that Oswald had no accomplice. Yet his own harrowing experience at the hands of his government created profound doubt in his mind, and it haunted him to his death.

These two men, one willfully acting, the other a true victim, became entangled in the most notorious crime of the 20th century. This saga of intrigue and murder was revealed to the author on a wintry Colorado day about three weeks before the farm boy’s ravaged heart gave out.

That man was R. K. Price’s uncle. His name was Bud Carlson. Price stashed away Bud’s account of Robert Kaye, letting it lay dormant for nearly forty years until he could corroborate his uncle’s story with the release of previously secret FBI files from the National Archives.

Now nearing the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination Price has brought Robert Kaye and Bud Carlson back to life. Their incredible story will leave you questioning just how and why JFK was taken from America far too early.

 

Review: If you are a loyal reader here you have probably figured out by now that I am a total JFK junkie. I seriously cannot get enough! So of course I jumped on the opportunity to read this book!!

Mr. Price definitely has a way with words! I was immediately swept up in the flow of this book and was more than happy to let it carry me to the end. The characters were so well-developed and I enjoyed getting to know them, even the secondary characters were fleshed out so well they didn’t feel secondary at all.

I’m going to be completely honest here, I’ve never been 100% convinced about the lone bullet theory. It just seems to much for me to comprehend. It is my personal belief that Oswald was a patsy (but this is where I have to say that I’m not entirely sure who he was a patsy for; I just don’t feel as if he did it all himself). So you can imagine that I gobble up everything about the Kennedy assassination just in an attempt to see if I can make sense of my feelings on the assassination itself.

I think what I liked about this book so much was that it was really fiction wrapped around fact. The whole idea that the author’s uncle’s story is what really brought this book about. Just, wow. It makes me wish I had a story like that to tell! And I think this personal connection with the author is what makes the book that much better.

Definitely a book that I would highly recommend. You don’t even have to be a conspiracy theorist to enjoy this book, you just need to enjoy a good mystery 😉

RK Price-1About the author:

R.K. Price is a Colorado native. He lived in Pueblo for a number of years, earning his way through college as a radio/television and newspaper reporter. He moved north to Denver in the mid 70s, joining a major advertising/public relations firm as a writer, producer and press agent. Later, he formed his own media relations and political consulting firm. He spent the early 1980s in Washington D.C. actively involved in national politics, and returned to Denver in the mid 80s to become an investment and mortgage banker — a profession he remains in today. He now lives in the Washington D.C. area with his wife Janet and daughter Sara in Alexandria, Va.

R.K. Price Website: http://rkprice.com/
R.K. Price Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rkpriceauthor
R.K. Price Twitter: https://twitter.com/RK_Price

Buy The Thunderbird Conspiracy:

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Check out the rest of the tour:

So Many Precious Books Oct 18 Review & Giveaway
Dr. Bill’s Book Bazaar Oct 21 Review
Dr. Bill’s Book Bazaar Oct 22 Interview
Ordinary Girls Oct 24 Review
Rainy Days & Mondays Oct 25 Review
Fundimental Oct 28 Review
Fundimental Oct 29 Guest Post & Giveaway
Joystory Oct 30 Review
Rose & Beps Blog Nov 1 Excerpt
Cozie Corner Nov 4 Review (postponed)
Library of Clean Reads Nov 5 Review
Romance & Inspiration Nov 7 Review & Interview
Kate Eileen Shannon Nov 8 Review
Kate Eileen Shannon Nov 12 Guest Post
Tales of a Book Addict Nov 13 Review
Deal Sharing Aunt Nov 19 Review
Indies Reviews Behind the Scenes Dec 7 Live Interview

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