Sea of shadows by Jeff Edwards

Jeff Edwards is going to be a force to reckon with in the genre of military fiction. I have always been fond of the down to the sea in ships war stories. Mr. Edwards crafts a plausible story considering the conditions of the Middle East and the world’s economic conditions.

In the US we are all aware of our dependence on foreign oil for energy needs. Mister Edwards uses energy dependency as the fuel for the plot of the story. There are clear underlying political considerations that make this plot so plausible and frightening. Although the underpinnings of the story have the ring of truth they in no way detract from the intense actions and heroic feats.

The book shows the complexity of a world economy and how economic conditions impact the closest of allies. This is an excellent action adventure story. It is not a political or economic treatise but it is clear that Edwards did a serious amount of homework to write this book.

I particularly enjoyed the character development and the depictions of real to life people. Edwards showed both heroic and normal behavior in a compelling style. The stresses of command decisions and the facing of loss were palatably portrayed as was the ponderous and pandemic motions of bureaucracy. One has to wonder how many military disasters were created by the lavish display of the “peter principle” and the dependency on rank as opposed to talent.

I really enjoyed Edward’s science fiction novel Dome City Blues and I am delighted to see he brought that expertise to the military fiction arena as well.

I highly recommend this book!

Body of work of Jeff Edwards

Web Site: http://navythriller.com/

The Yoga Club by Cooper Lawrence

Four costumed Sarah Palins bond when faced with adversity after witnessing a heinous crime.

Ms. Lawrence background and exposure shows in this book. The characters, their behavior and the setting are so far beyond the bulk of the population that is smacks of fantasy or Science Fiction.

The plot and the characters could be lifted from practically any supermarket tabloid. The sad thing is that due to the antics of the wealthy and famous it is hard to not take the plot and characters as somewhat realistic.

I find it hard to believe that people behave the way the three Jills and a Jack-eline behave but apparently some folks do behave and live that way.

The book is practically a travelogue to another dimension beyond belief or at least as far as afternoon Soaps. I suspect it will be a huge hit with tabloid buyers and beach readers. I also suspect that most guys would find this a difficult read.

For the appropriate audience, I recommend it.

Body of work of Cooper Lawrence

Web Site: http://www.cooperlawrence.com/books.html

Killer Sweet Tooth by Gayle Trent

This is a food oriented mystery in the fashionable “cozy” mystery genre. The protagonist finds herself embroiled in cake batter, Elvis impersonators and murder.

This book was a fun read. Much like cotton candy, it was tasty and certainly not filling. This was a mystery for those who want mystery without graphic and gratuitous violence. The protagonist, Daphne Martin, is a woman getting back on her feet from a disastrous and abusive marriage. She is an accomplished baker and returns to her home town to recover and start over. This quest is interrupted by dead bodies. Reference to previous bodies in other stories is alluded to but never fleshed out.

Daphne is likeable as are her zany friends. The thrust of the plot is Daphne and her friend Myra trying to prove they had nothing to do with the murder of a philandering dentist.

This is beach reading in a low stress, un-taxing form.

Body of work of Gayle Trent

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

Gods and Fathers by James Lepore

This is another excellent mystery from James Lepore. See my post of Sons and Princes review. This mystery aligns a hot tempered prosecutor against terrorists and criminals in an attempt to save his alienated son, ex-wife and new girlfriend from death and destruction.

Matt DeMarco is a good protagonist. He isn’t perfect, he has trouble controlling his temper and he has problems with relationships. In other words, his characterization is eminently believable. Pristine, perfect protagonists are no fun as they are so hard to identify with.

The story has plenty of twists and turns and a wealth of evil villains. I liked the fact that the main characters worked through their personal demons. Jade successfully faced her fears while Debra didn’t do as well. Another example of how Lepore both maintains interest in the characters but also gives a reality check that all can not be saved.

Having an old testament approach to justice myself, I appreciate Lepore’s willingness to delve out street justice in full measure. I’m aware of the rule of law and the need for it but there is some visceral satisfaction in seeing evil get it’s just deserts.

Lepore also clearly demonstrates how difficult parenting is in any circumstance, let alone in one fraught with peril.

I highly recommend it.

Body of work of James Lepore

Web Site: http://jamesleporefiction.com/

Dreams Of the Dead by Perri O’Shaughnessy

Nina Reilly is the main protagonist in this excellent mystery. It is the first story I have read featuring her as the main protagonist. It certainly won't be the last it was an excellent mystery full of twists and turns and a modicum of violence.

The two sisters that write the series do an excellent job of portraying an attorney who although she believes in the law also answers to a moralistic streak in her nature. Although this story stood alone quite well, I think that events in previous stories would provide greater enjoyment of the story.

The authors fleshed out the characters with enough detail and color to enable emotional attachment or visceral disdain. The scenes were set well the plot was certainly complex enough to capture the interest of the most discerning mystery reader.

I highly recommend it.

Body of work of Perri O’Shaughnessy

Web Site:http://www.perrio.com/~perrio/news

Eye of the witch by Dana E. Donovan

The book seemed like a typical murder mystery, however the smidgen of the occult that was added provided enough spice to lift it above the average murder mystery.

I particularly enjoyed the main protagonist being an articulate, dynamic retired person. It's always nice to see that retired people can still be seen as a viable and able to impact events.

This is the second book in a series. It was a good read as a stand alone but I suspect it would've been a better read if I have read the first book in the series.

The mystery plot was solid and enjoyable. There were enough twists and turns to maintain your interest. The characters were intricate and well portrayed. The touch of the occult was lightly done but it did spice up the story.

I enjoyed the book and I recommend it.

Body of work of Dana E. Donovan

Web site: http://dana-donovan.blogspot.com/2011/12/call-of-witch-book-cover.html

The Stranger You Seek by Amanda Kyle Williams

A demented killer is leaving bodies all over Atlanta with no apparent rhyme or reason. An ex-FBI profiler and her unknown main squeeze combine efforts to stop the mayhem.

This is in some ways a tale of redemption, of the ability to hold demon alcohol at arms length start a new life. So there is a good message of perseverance and tenaciousness seen in Keye Street an ethnic oriental with a southern drawl. Keye is a surprising blend of personalities. She struggles every day with being a recovered alcoholic yet she has time for kindness to strangers and a self destructive bent for chasing unnecessary violence. I really enjoyed the complexity of personality written for this character.

Rauser on the other hand, could have been fleshed out a bit more. He was a good character but I felt his development could have had more depth. Ms. Williams portrays a hot and sweaty southern environment populated by a wealth of questionable characters. Entertaining and thought provoking while maintaining suspense and action are a lot of balls to juggle but Ms. Williams did it well.

This is the first book in a new series and I will look forward to reading more about Keye Street.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Amanda Kyle Williams

Web site: http://www.amandakylewilliams.com/