Category: 4/5

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, P, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES, Women's Murder Club

2013.45 REVIEW – 11th Hour by James Patterson

Tara

11th Hour
by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Copyright: 2012
Pages: 387
Rating: 34/5
Read: Oct. 23 – Oct. 27, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf Challenge; RIP VIII; 2013 Sequel Challenge
Yearly count: 45
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

11th HourBlurb:  Boxer is pregnant at last! But her work doesn’t slow for a second. When a millionaire is mercilessly gunned down, Lindsay discovers that the murder weapon is linked to the deaths of four of San Francisco’s most untouchable criminals. And it was taken from her own department’s evidence locker. Anyone could be the killer – even one of her closest friends. Lindsay is next called to the most bizarre crime scene she’s ever seen: two bodiless heads displayed in the garden of a world-famous actor. After another head is unearthed, Lindsay realizes that the ground could hide hundreds of victims. Then a reporter launches a series of vicious articles about the cases, and Lindsay’s personal life is laid bare. But this time she has no one to turn to – especially not Joe.

Review: James Patterson is my go-to author when it comes to trying to break out of a slump. I had picked up and put back down about 4 books prior to picking up this one. So it was a no-brainer for me to choose a Patterson book, I just had to decide which one (I have two other books of his). This one has been on my shelf for a while, so I chose it just because it was the Patterson book I have had the longest.

Overall, this is another good installment in the Women’s Murder Club series. I really enjoyed the dual story lines. They were both interesting cases which needed Lindsay’s undivided attention…. but she took on both cases at the same time. I did have a little issue with this in a way. As someone who has been through an easy pregnancy, I couldn’t help but shake my head at how Lindsay’s pregnancy is being portrayed. I was absolutely worn out, and there would have been no way I could have ever gone all day without eating … working 10-12 hours wasn’t going to happen either. So I was a little irritated as to how this was shown to the readers, it just wasn’t realistic at all and it irritated me at times.

However, I did like that the “Club” was back in action in this book. It was fun to see Claire, Lindsay, Cindy and Yuki trying to solve the case together again! It seems like this has been a missing piece in the last few installments of this series. And that really is a shame, because that’s what this series is all about! We as readers need those four characters working together to solve the case, it’s a great dynamic when they’re together!

I will say that while the killer really wasn’t a huge shocker, it was a little bit of a surprise to me. I had it narrowed down to three people and the actual killer was in that pool of three, but I hadn’t figured it out completely. That always makes for a fun read in my opinion.

Having looked back over my review of the previous book in this series, I had complained about the lack of editing for that book. I can say that this book did not have those issues, so I was glad to see that whatever the problem was regarding that was resolved for this book.

Overall, another good read. Mr. Patterson might not be the best author out there (he’s just prolific), but it’s always a fun and quick read that I enjoy. Even though this is the 11th book in the series, I wouldn’t say you would be missing anything terribly important if you picked this one up first.

Recommended.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, E-Book, Fiction, N, NetGalley, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, Review Book

2013.42 REVIEW – The Edge of Normal by Carla Norton

Tara

The Edge of Normal
by Carla Norton

Copyright: 2013
Pages: 316
Rating: 4/5
Read: Sept. 30 – Oct. 7, 2013
Challenge: RIP VIII
Yearly count: 42
Format: E-Book
Source: NetGalley

The Edge of NormalBlurb: In many ways, Reeve LeClaire looks like a typical twenty-two year old girl. She’s finally landed her own apartment, she waitresses to pay the bills, and she wishes she wasn’t so nervous around new people. She thinks of herself as agile, not skittish. As serious, not grim. But Reeve is anything but normal.

Ten years ago, she was kidnapped and held captive. After a lucky escape, she’s spent the last six years trying to rebuild her life, a recovery thanks in large part to her indispensable therapist Dr. Ezra Lerner. But when he asks her to help another girl rescued from a similar situation, Reeve realizes she may not simply need to mentor this young victim—she may be the only one who can protect her from a cunning predator who is still out there, watching every move.

Review: This is another great book that grabbed me from the first page and spit me back out at the end.

But I just want to stop feeling like I have this ugly part of myself that no one can possibly understand. I want to have a normal life and be a normal adult. (p. 26)

From the very beginning you know exactly what has happened to Reeve. When she was 12 years old she was kidnapped. She suffered a lot of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse during the four years that she was being held by the psychopath who took her. And all she wants is to be normal. She can’t be faulted for wanting that more than anything. So she’s been seeing her therapist, Dr. Lerner. The reader can tell in the first few pages that Reeve is an intelligent woman who appears to have bounced back rather well from her past. Sure she’s got some issues still, but nothing that I would consider out of the ordinary considering what she went through. But you really don’t see who Reeve is until she is asked by Tilly’s family to come and meet with them. It is here that we are really introduced to an extremely strong woman. Stronger than she gives herself credit for.

This is really quite the suspenseful book. You know from the beginning that there is more to the story than the police officials are aware of. That made it even more interesting for me as far as all the questions being answered. It’s really interesting to see Reeve really put herself out there and investigate for herself. She makes a promise that she does not under any circumstances want to have to break, so she must do things her own way. I felt like that really made the storyline interesting … it was just one more insight into Reeve’s character as a whole.

I have to admit that there were more than a few times that I was a little suspicious of some of the main male characters. My suspicions were completely off the mark, but I couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like had the author taken things a different route. Maybe I just wanted to make a mountain out of a molehill 🙂 There are some open-ended possibilities for Ms. Norton to bring Reeve back in another book. I like that there is an opening for that. It would be definitely interesting to see if Reeve goes back to school as Dr. Lerner has suggested to her.

Overall, I felt like this was a great book. It’s not for the faint of heart, but I don’t think that the author went into too much detail that it felt overly gratuitous in any way. I’m definitely looking forward to Ms. Norton’s future in fiction writing!

Highly recommended.

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

2013.38 REVIEW – Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Tara

Dead Until Dark 
by Charlaine Harris

Copyright: 2001
Pages: 292
Rating: 4/5
Read: Sept. 5-8, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2013; RIP VIII
Yearly count: 38
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Dead Until DarkBlurb: Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She’s quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn’t get out much. Not because she’s not pretty. She is. It’s just that, well, Sookie has this sort of “disability.” She can read minds. And that doesn’t make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He’s tall, dark, handsome – and Sookie can’t hear a word he’s thinking. He’s exactly the type of guy she’s been waiting for all her life…

But Bill has a disability of his own: He’s a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of – big surprise – murder. And when one of Sookie’s coworkers is killed, she fears she’s next…

Review: I am probably the only person on the planet who has neither read the Sookie Stackhouse books nor seen the HBO series TrueBlood. Why? Well, first of all, vampire books are not my thing. It just isn’t. But having read Ms. Harris’s Harper Connelly series a few years back, I knew that Sookie had to be worth a shot.

And it was a lot of fun.

There were a lot of times when I wanted to shake some sense into Sookie. I mean, I get that she has her disability. But then she gets involved with a vampire? Okay. But it’s everything that comes along with being involved with a vampire that I didn’t get. And then you find out about her boss, Sam’s, own secret? Yeah, I had to roll my eyes just a little bit about that one (actually, I thought he was the murderer…).

Overall, I don’t know what I could possibly say about this book that hasn’t been talked about a million times before. It’s not as if it’s a new book that no one has read. So I guess I should just state that it’s a fun, humorous read and that I enjoyed it.

And hopefully I won’t wait so long to get to the second book 🙂

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, M, RATING, Read in 2013, Review Book

2013.35 REVIEW – The Widows of Braxton County by Jess McConkey

Tara

The Widows of Braxton County
by Jess McConkey

Copyright: 2013
Pages: 355
Rating: 4/5
Read: Aug. 6-11, 2013
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 35
Format: Print
Source: Publicist for review

The Widows of Braxton CountyBlurb: Kate is ready to put her nomadic, city-dwelling past behind her when she married Joe Krause and moves with him to the Iowa farm that has been in his family for more than 140 years. But life on the farm isn’t quite as idyllic as she’d hoped. It’s filled with chores, judgmental neighbors, and her mother-in-law, who – unbeknownst to Kate until after the wedding – will be living with them.

As Kate struggles to find her place in the small farming community, she begins to realize that her husband and his family are not who she thought they were. According to town gossip, the Krause family harbors a long-kept secret about a mysterious death that haunts Kate as a dangerous, unexplainable chain of events begins.

Review: I was provided a copy of this book by Megan Swartz at HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those books that I had to “sit on” after finishing it for a bit before I was able to really gather my thoughts on it. It’s such a complicated, yet simple, book. I have to say that when I was first pitched this book, I was really intrigued by the family secret aspect. That really got my attention. And what secrets they truly are!

The basic premise of this book is a city-girl who escapes her demanding grandmother for a man she met on the internet. She’s then thrown onto a farm with a mother-in-law who does not hide the fact that she resents her new daughter-in-law. Then you have some town gossips, a miscarriage, a death that happened in the 1800s that no one will talk about, some spousal abuse, another murder and friends in the unlikeliest of places. It all makes for a pretty interesting book.

I really liked how the storyline really switched between Kate’s time on the farm in 2012 and Hannah’s experiences in 1890 on the same farm. I couldn’t help but compare what those two were going through. Sure, there were over 100 years separating them, but they were almost like kindred spirits, really. It was very interesting I thought. But the majority of the story was really Kate’s. And while I originally felt sorry for her, then I was angry at her, I eventually came to admire just how strong of a woman she really was. She was stuck on that farm in an abusive atmosphere, and she was able to escape it. But then again, she suffered a great many losses as well in the short time period she was there. And Hannah … well, I obviously can’t give away the ending to her side of the story, but I can say that she was:

A voice not silenced. (p.355)

I felt like the storyline was fresh and exciting, it was well executed as well, and the characters were well-developed. Overall I thought that this book was a highly enjoyable read. I think this book would appeal to a wide variety of people, mystery lovers will enjoy it, as well as women’s/literary fiction readers too.

Highly recommended.

4/5, AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, Sean King & Michelle Maxwell, SERIES

2013.33 REVIEW – Hour Game by David Baldacci

Tara

Hour Game
by David Baldacci

Copyright: 2004
Pages: 590
Rating: 4/5
Read: July 24 – Aug. 2, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2013; Sequel Challenge 2013
Yearly count: 33
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Hour GameBlurb: A woman is found murdered in the woods. It seems like a simple case but it soon escalates into a terrible nightmare. Someone is replicating the killing styles of the most infamous murderers of all time. No one knows this criminal’s motives … or who will die next.

Two ex-Secret Service agents, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, have been hired to defend a man’s innocence in a burglary involving an aristocratic, dysfunctional family. Then a series of secrets leads the partners right into the frantic hunt that is confounding even the FBI. Now King and Maxwell are playing the Hour Game, uncovering one horrifying revelation after another and putting their lives in danger. For the closer they get to the truth, the closer they get to the most shocking surprise of all.

Review: Wow, talk about a crazy roller coaster ride! Yes, this book is nearly 600 pages long, but trust me when I tell you that the pages fly by!

I read the first book in this series, Split Second, last year and enjoyed it. I’m not entirely sure why I waited so long to get to the second book, but I’m glad that I did read it. Better late than never 🙂

This book was full of twists and turns. I was constantly trying to figure out the “who-dun-it” part, and while I had it halfway figured out, there was one twist that I never saw coming … one that definitely threw me for a loop to be completely honest.

I really liked the characters in this installment. Of course Sean and Michelle were enjoyable, but the supporting cast were something else! The Battle family … just, wow. I can’t help but laugh at just how dysfunctional that family really was. Mr. Baldacci sure did create a crazy family in that one! Ha!

The storyline was interesting. There were multiple murders throughout the book and Sean and Michelle had to figure out which ones were connected to the others and which ones were separate. It definitely made for some thrilling moments. I really liked the copycat serial killers aspect, I thought that was an interesting way to take things.

Overall I would definitely recommend this book. I must say that while I always recommend reading a series in order, I don’t think you would necessarily miss anything if you read this one before Split Second.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2013, Review Book, S

2013.31 REVIEW – Torn Apart by Marta Sprout

Tara

Torn Apart: The Abduction of Gillian Curtis
by Marta Sprout

Copyright: 2013
Pages: 327
Rating: 4/5
Read: July 13 – July 21, 2013
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 31
Format: Print
Source: Author for review

Blurb: On a night she’ll never forget, sixteen-year-old Gillian Curtis stumbles into the middle of her father’s fraudulent and lucrative scheme that puts millions of lives at stake in the biggest health insurance scam in US history – and he will kill anyone who gets in his way – including her.

Within seconds of running away Gillie finds herself kidnapped by Walter Lovett, who ironically shows her more kindness than her own father. Clearly he has no intention of hurting her – it’s her dad, Dr. Curtis, who’s the real target. Walter’s wife died becomes of him.

When her dad’s hired guns show up to take on Walter they get more than they bargained for from this retired Green Beret. With his formidable skills, Walter jumps into action and puts it all on the line to protect Gillie. Only a few steps aead of a bullet, they careen through city streets and the dark wooded hills of New Hampshire in a race to expose the truth before it’s too late and face the one man she hates the most – her father.

Review:  I was provided a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I really didn’t know what to expect from this book, but it sure wasn’t what I got from it! Let me just say that you will love, love, love Gillie’s character. She is fun, spunky, and honest. I mean, who would actually like being kidnapped? I have to say that her kidnapper, Walter, was not your typical kidnapper, but still … she was kidnapped and it was like a big adventure to her! It was hilarious in the first few pages when all that initial action happened.

Overall I felt as if this was a very good book. Anyone who reads my blog consistently knows that I am huge on character development. It is very important to me and definitely has a direct impact on my feelings on a particular book. Luckily, this book’s characters are all so awesome! Obviously we know Gillie and Walter the best, but even Lyn, Kip, and Deter felt so very real to me. Ms. Sprout definitely knows how to develop her characters, no doubt about that.

The storyline was interesting. Healthcare is obviously a big debate in America right now, and although this book didn’t necessarily revolve around that particular issue (the story really concentrated more on Walter and Gillie fighting for a change), it is a big part of this story. I honestly think that it helped the book seem so much more relevant. Walter was a good man, but he was a changed man because of what he experienced when his wife got sick. And so many people in this world get sick each and every day, and so many people do not get the healthcare that they truly need … yeah, it definitely makes this story very relevant.

The writing was good and strong. The action was non-stop and exciting. The characters were well-developed. There was some much-needed comic relief when you wouldn’t expect it (Deter’s orange flip-flops come to mind). Overall a very good book and it definitely makes me look forward to Torn Apart 2: Finding Ryan, which will hopefully give the reader some answers in regards to Deter’s story.

Highly recommended.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, E-Book, Edelweiss, Fiction, K, Maggie O'Dell, RATING, Read in 2013, Review Book, SERIES

2013.27 REVIEW – Stranded by Alex Kava

Tara

Stranded
by Alex Kava

Copyright: 2013
Pages: 336
Rating: 4/5
Read: June 23-26, 2013
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 27
Format: E-Book
Source: Edelweiss

Blurb: Tired travelers and weary truckers have stopped at rest areas on the nation’s highways for decades to refuel, grab a bite, and maybe get some shut-eye, but one man’s rest stop is another’s hunting ground. For decades the defenseless, the weary, and the stranded have disappeared along the highways and byways, vanishing without a trace, but these seemingly unconnected incidents are no coincidence, and a madman stalks the freeways.

When FBI special agent Maggie O’Dell and her partner, Tully, discover the remains of a young woman in a highway ditch, the one clue left behind is a map that will send Maggie and Tully on a frantic hunt crisscrossing the country to stop a madman before he kills again.

As the body count rises and Maggie races against the clock to unmask the monster who’s terrorizing the nation’s highways, she turns to a former foe for help since he seems to know just what the killer’s next move will be. As she gets closer to finding the killer, it becomes eerily clear that Maggie is the ultimate target.

Review: I was over the moon excited when I found out that Alex Kava’s newest book was available to request on Edelweiss. I try not to request too much on Edelweiss or NetGalley. I’m not a huge fan of e-books in general, so I typically shy away from them altogether. However, Alex Kava’s Maggie O’Dell series is one of my absolute favorites and I couldn’t resist. You can imagine how excited I was when I was approved for it.

And let me tell you, dear readers, this was really a book I needed to read. I had been in a little bit of a slow slump, but I devoured this book in 3 days and loved every single word of it.

I don’t even know what to say about this book. The writing was good. The storyline was good. The character interaction and development was good. The killer was a surprise to me. I feel like Maggie O’Dell is back on top of the game with this book, and I was really excited about it!

I am really a fan of Maggie O’Dell’s character. She just seems so real to me. She’s likeable, she’s tough, she’s determined, she’s successful. And yet she’s flawed in some ways too, she has commitment issues. A few books back there was a big change-up with the characters, and at first I was not impressed. However, I must say that I really liked the direction Maggie’s boss is headed back in. There was very little mention of another character, highlighting Maggie’s commitment problem, so I’m kind of confused as to how Creed plays into the storyline in future books.

I’m excited to see what happens in future books. Between the introduction of Creed’s character and Gwen’s diagnosis, I am very interested in seeing where the series goes in the next book.

This is a series that I recommend to a lot of people, since for whatever reason, it doesn’t seem to be as well-known as some other series out there. There are a couple of duds in the series, in my opinion, but overall the series itself is extremely good.

Overall a great and exciting book for summer reading! Highly recommended.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, Grant County, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, S, SERIES

2013.29 REVIEW – Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter

Tara

Blindsighted
by Karin Slaughter

Copyright: 2001
Pages: 376
Rating: 4/5
Read: June 25-July 6, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2013
Yearly count: 29
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Blurb: A small Georgia town erupts in panic when a young college professor is found brutally mutilated in the local diner. But it’s only when town pediatrician and coroner Sara Linton does the autopsy that the full extent of the killer’s twisted work becomes clear.

Sara’s ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, leads the investigation – a trail of terror that grows increasingly macabre when another local woman is found crucified a few days later. But he’s got more than a sadistic serial killer on his hands, for the county’s sole female detective, Lena Adams – the first victim’s sister – wants to serve her own justice.

But it is Sara who holds the key to finding the killer. A secret from her past could unmask the brilliantly malevolent psychopath … or mean her death.

Review: For whatever reason I have never started this series. It’s definitely a series that I’ve wanted to give a go for quite some time … and now I can say that I’m very glad that I started it (even if the last thing I need is another series!)

Overall I thought that this book had a very good storyline. I really liked how everything unfolded as the book went on. And while I had guessed who the killer was about halfway through (there are some pretty obvious clues), it was still interesting to see how Sara and Jeffrey solved the case.

So let me talk about the characters now. Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that I am huge on character development. It’s a must for me. And it’s probably why I read so many books that are part of a series … you really get to know the characters when they are featured in numerous books. But I have to say that I really liked Sara’s character. Here you have a woman who has a dark secret in her past. A terrible thing happened to her and she’s done nothing but try to move on from it. But she really hasn’t dealt with it, actually, she’s just tried to put it out of her mind and only her family knows about it. That’s really a sad way to live, but understandable at the same time. I was just shocked that she had been married to Jeffrey and never felt the courage to open up to him. I can’t imagine keeping such a part of your life from your spouse. But then again, having never experienced that kind of pain, who knows how someone would really react. Either way, I really enjoyed seeing how Sara and Jeffrey interacted. You can tell that there’s still a lot of feelings on both sides, but who knows if they will ever really work out as a couple. Whatever happens, I’m interested in seeing how it works for them.

I don’t think I could ever have imagined a pediatrician also being a local coroner. The two just don’t mix for me. But for some reason, I really think it works. I think it provides a good balance for Sara’s character – she gets to have the easy, but busy, office work while at the same time gets the challenges of doing autopsies and solving murders … sounds like a good balance, right? I know it sounds funny, but I actually really liked it for some reason! Maybe I’m just that macabre, ha!

There is one thing that I was a little confused about. There was a whole lot of emphasis on the restaurant owner and his employee, and then all of a sudden that whole storyline disappeared. I didn’t ever feel like there was any conclusion to that part of the story. I know it wasn’t the main storyline, obviously, but I just felt as if things were left hanging in some way. It’s hard for me to really describe my feelings on that, but like I said, something didn’t feel wrapped up in regards to those characters.

Overall, a very good first book in what I hope will be a very good series. Highly recommended.

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

2013.26 REVIEW – The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly

Tara

The Concrete Blonde
by Michael Connelly

Copyright: 1994
Pages: 397
Rating: 4/5
Read: June 11-16, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf 2013
Yearly count: 26
Format: Print
Source: Personal copy

Blurb: They called him the Dollmaker – the serial killer who stalked Los Angeles and left a grisly calling card on the faces of his female victims. With a single faultless shot, Detective Harry Bosch thought he had ended the city’s nightmare…

But then the dead man’s widow sues Harry and the LAPD for killing the wrong man – an accusation that rings terrifyingly true when a new victim is discovered with the Dollmaker’s macabre signature…

Now, for the second time, Harry must hunt down a death-dealer who is very much alive, before he strikes again. It’s a blood-tracked quest that will take Harry from the hard edges of the L.A. night to the last place he ever wanted to go – the darkness of his own heart. 

Review: This is the third book in the Harry Bosch series, and I think these books just keep getting better. After not being overly impressed by the first, The Black Echo, I gave the second, The Black Ice a go earlier this year and really enjoyed it. So I figured picking up the third book would be a great place to sneak in a TBR book 🙂  

This particular installment is mainly set in the courtroom, where Harry and the city of Los Angeles are having to fight a civil case brought against him by the Dollmaker’s widow. I think we really got to see more of Harry’s character in this book. I know I personally saw a softer side to him. From his interactions with his girlfriend, Sylvia, to the internal conversations he has with himself during the course of the trial, I think that he is really starting to open up some. I definitely liked that. I want to like Harry as a character, but I have to admit that he wasn’t too likable for me in the first book. So I felt as if it was some much needed character-development. I also really appreciated that we finally got to see why Harry had been demoted, but I think he will work his way back up the ladder eventually. He definitely seems to have the backing of the chief after this case. 

I had a lot of fun trying to figure out what was going on … was it the Dollmaker or was there a copycat? Was it a cop? Or someone just close to the investigation. I definitely went round and round trying to figure it out. Mr. Connelly sure did a great job of making me fall into trap after trap with Harry. And although who the killer ended up being was not very original in my opinion, it definitely took me the entire book to figure it out. 

Overall another great installment in this series that I would highly recommend. 

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.