Cherry Bomb by J.A. Konrath

Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey is satisfying, not my favorite but satisfying.   Jack Daniels the book character is a hard nosed female detective tracking a psychopathic serial killer out to destroy all who Jack loves.

Apparently in a previous book, Jack had incarcerated and disfigured Alex while killing her only love.  Alex took this amiss and that is her rationale for her demented behavior.

I have only read one other Konrath book and this one was even more violent than the last one.   This too had some humor mixed with the incessant violence.  The action was continuous with soul searching by the protagonist and introspection by the villain.   The viewpoint of the villain is often overlooked and that added an interesting dimension to this book.  

The plot was not too complex, revenge, horrific revenge was the theme.  It was well done and a compelling read.

I highly recommend it.

Web Site: http://www.jakonrath.com/

 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Smoky Mountains Murders by Marlene Mitchell and Gary Yeagle

Seasons of Death by Marlene Mitchell and Gary Yeagle

This mystery features a small town cop as the main protagonist.  Grant Denlinger is a young man pondering his future in law enforcement while faced with the antagonism of his red necked Chief.  Grant is thrust into a series of grisly murders that are totally out of character for his small town.

The authors start the book with a graphic depiction that tends to turn the stomach.   It certainly captures your attention.   The story doesn’t start slowly, it explodes in the first few pages.   Then you are lulled into a folksy mystery that explodes again.   The authors do a great job of dragging your attention away from the TV and painting a true 3-dimentional heart stopper.  

The culmination of the story leads to an ethical dilemma.   Grant is faced with a major decision that will impact the rest of his life.   Motive and means take a new perspective in the final twist of the plot knife.   What is good and what is evil and what responsibility does the average man have for cleansing the soul or perhaps the community. 

I highly recommend the book.    Echoes of Death TBA.

Web Site

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Marlene Mitchell and Gary Yeagle Virtual Tour May 15 to June 14, 2013

About Marlene Mitchell:

Originally from St. Louis, Marlene makes her home in Kentucky now. A mother and grandmother, Marlene has a wide range of interests including watercolor and oil painting, yet writing has always been her passion. That comes through loud and clear in her wonderful novels!

These novels reflect a genuine sincerity with very strong characters to which her readers can relate. To quote Marlene: “It took me a long time to start writing, but now I can’t stop. The stories just keep on coming.”

About Gary Yeagle:

Gary Yeagle was born and raised in Williamsport, Pa., the birthplace of Little League Baseball. He grew up living just down the street from the site of the very first Little League game, played in 1939.

He currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife and four cats. He is the proud grandparent of three and is an active member of the Jeffersontown United Methodist Church. Gary is a Civil War buff, and enjoys swimming, spending time at the beach, model railroading, reading, and writing.

Seasons of Death

Book Synopsis:

In the fall of 1969 in the mountains of eastern Tennessee, a poor backwoods farmer and his wife were brutally shot and killed by four drunken hunters, along with their three dogs, horse and two fawns. The farmer’s two young sons managed to escape but were unable to identify the killers. Now decades later, the murders of the Pender family remain unsolved. In Townsend, Tennessee, in Blount County, someone has decided to take revenge.

Echoes of Death

Book Synopsis:

It’s springtime in the Smokies and despite the four murders of the previous year, tourists from every corner of the country have made the journey to Townsend, Tennessee. The hiking trails are packed, the restaurants are jammed, and the campsites are full. Vacation season is in full swing in the peaceful side of the Smokies.

But then… there is another murder.

Tour Schedule and Activities

Tour Page URL

May 15  - Bookishly Me - Promo/Spotlight

May 16 - Full Moon Bites - Interview

May 17 - Read 2 Review  - Excerpt

May 18 - Pick of the Literate - Review

May 19 - Beagle Book Space - Promo/Spotlight

May 20 - Sheila Deeth - Guest Post

May 22 - A Daydreamer’s Thoughts - Interview

May 25 - The FlipSide of Julianne - Excerpt

May 26 - CelticLady’s Review - Promo/Spotlight/Excerpt

June 1 - Mochas, Mysteries, and More - Guest Post

June 3 - Crossroads Reviews - Review

June 4 - Shelley’s Book Case - Review

June 5 - Darlene’s Book Nook - Character Interview

June 6 - Breath of Life - Review

June 6 - Babs Book Bistro - Promo/Spotlight/Excerpt

June 8 – JeanzBookReadNReview - Interview

June 10 - Bee’s Knees Reviews - Review

June 11 - Mary’s Cup of Tea - Review

June 12 - The Dan O’Brien Project - Excerpt-Promo

June 13 - Mom Cat’s Book Blog - Character Post

June 14 - Fictional Candy - Review

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Die Trying by Lee Child

I am now getting used to the pace Lee Child sets in his Jack Reacher books.  I am budgeting the time necessary to read it in as short a time as possible since it is darn near impossible to put down.  In this rendition, Jack is in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up in a hostage situation with a psychotic militia.

Jack is once again a force of nature.   He is willing to go with the flow unless he is personally affronted or if he feels someone is being wronged.  We find out in this book that Jack is sniper trained.  I have only read four other Reacher books and I was not aware of this area of his expertise.  

Holly, a wounded bird FBI agent, is the object of Jack’s affection in this book.  It appears that Jack is destined for heart break in his previous books but perhaps he gets lucky in this book.   (Take that for whatever meaning you want to ascribe to it.)

  

Government agencies, the military and bureaucracy in general are once again showcased with a high level of incompetency.   Beau Borken is an excellent villain as he is so easy to despise.   Child paints with a broad brush and not a lot of technical nuances.  His stories are easy to follow and frequently leave you breathless with their pace.  Although this book is several years old, the plot resonates with the current events of the Boston Marathon.   That adds a veneer of believability that enhances the story and frankly is rather frightening.   In spite of that I am really enjoying this series.

I do like the way Jack faces his fear and conquers it.

There is non-stop action and lots of violence.   I enjoyed the book and I recommend the book.

Web Site: http://www.leechild.com/

        

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

The Sixth Station by Linda Stasi

Dan Brown meet Sandra Brown.   This is a novel of the 2^nd Coming.  Alessandra Russo has a Manhattan size chip on her shoulder and a mouth most truck drivers would be ashamed of having.   She despises hypocrisy and authority equally.  She finds herself caught up in a millennium old religious conspiracy.

Demiel ben Yusef is either Satan incarnate or the Son of God.   Alessandra finds herself trying to discover which.  

This book had a fast pace incongruent with it’s thought provoking premise.   It has the hallmarks of a major best seller with intrigue, secret societies, age old vendettas and modern violence.   Ms. Stasi adroitly uses historic underpinnings to provide plausibility to her story.   Her plot encourages skepticism even while reading.   I found myself Googling things to see what was fact and what was fiction. 

I think Ms. Stasi clearly points out that religious conflicts have the potential for being the most destructive of wars.   The book is a captivating read that alludes to historic conspiracies that force you to ponder.   Ms. Stasi makes no attempt to pander to the sensitivities of those who may be offended by her irreverence.  This book will no doubt offend some.  

This is an action adventure mystery that must be read.

I highly recommend. 

Web Site: none found

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Reading Humor 5/2/13

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

The Green Man or Charlie No-Face

There is an urban legend in Western Pennsylvania about a mysterious figure walking the back roads

in the dark of night.  The mysterious figure is supposed to have green skin and no face!

As in many legends there is a grain of truth.   There actually was a man by the name of Raymond Robinson who wandered the dark roads of Beaver County in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

From Wikipedia: Robinson was eight years old when he was injured by an electrical line on the Morado Bridge, outside of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania while attempting to view a bird's nest. The bridge carried a trolley, and had electrical lines of both 1,200 volts and 22,000 volts which had killed another boy less than a year earlier. Robinson was not expected to survive; he lived, but he was badly scarred and lost his eyes and nose, one ear, and one arm.

Having grown up in Western Pennsylvania, I had first hand knowledge that Raymond was more than a legend.   My cousins and my sister had given him cigarettes and food more than once.   He was a frightening figure but was truly harmless and just wanted to avoid notoriety.  He lived in Koppel, PA.  

Tisha York, actually filmed his life in 2007.  She was the wife of one of my old childhood neighbors and also a native of my old home town.   A film maker, she documented the life of Raymond.   I corresponded with her to find out when the movie would be available and was told that the movie was in the “can” but due to the economy there was no money for distribution and release.   So perhaps sometime in the future we will be able to see a film featuring many of the Koppel area residents telling the story of Raymond.

I used Raymond as an example of intolerance.   Everyone Raymond met was not accepting of his disfigurement.   Consequently he was leery of any strangers.   In my story, Hardy Belch as the protagonist is frightened and dismayed on his first encounter with Raymond.   Tiny, his telepathic dog, found nothing wrong with Raymond.   The story is a tale of discovery and acceptance of those who may be different from whoever “we” are.   I was fascinated with the tale of the Green Man as a boy and I hope the use of this urban legend will be a good vehicle to demonstrate the dangers of intolerance.  

The urban legend inspired this story but it is not intended as a historic document or an accurate portrayal of Raymond Robinson.  Its intention is to be a story for children demonstrating the need for tolerance.

Released Today on Kindle:  Hardy Belch and The Green Man at $.99

 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.