Storm Warning by James Byrne

 

Dez Limerick is back! Dez’s self-deprecatory humor may be his most charming feature. Dez is a Gatekeeper.  His skill set enables him to open any door and keep it open as long as necessary.  A mine and research facility in Newfoundland ceases communication with the outside world.  Due to the international staffing of the research facility, a diverse group of diplomats and police are sent to discover why communications have ceased. An FBI associate asks Dez to accompany the group.

 

Corporate entities represented by heavily armed mercenaries, as well as foreign special forces, provide a wealth of villains. The weather is also an implacable enemy, thwarting the efforts to discover why the facility has gone incommunicado.

 

Byrne’s Machiavellian mind provides extraordinary complexities and a wealth of action.  I find his work exceptionally entertaining and exceedingly difficult to put down.

 

I strongly recommend the book!

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Blood Memory by Greg Iles

Blood Memory by Greg Iles

 

This novel is beyond compelling.  Sexual abuse is a main factor in the book.  If you are squeamish, this book may not be for you.  It is a tale of murder, more murder some of which is understandable, and sexual abuse.  

 

I am a Greg Iles fan.  That said, I think this book is both horrifying and educational.  Set in Natchez and New Orleans. Cat Ferry is a forensic odontologist who often works with the New Orleans Police Department. A serial killer with an odd MO is stalking New Orleans.  Cat is called in to consult. 

 

Cat has a boyfriend, Sean, who is a married NO cop. Cat is complicated. She is an excessive and obsessive drinker.  She is from a wealthy family, and doesn’t want their money.  Dr. Nathan Malik is a shrink loosely connected to her past.  Dr. Kirkland, Cat’s grandfather, wields the family wealth as a sledgehammer against all who oppose him. Pearlie is an elderly black woman who works as a maid for Dr. Kirkland, but in reality, raised Cat more than anyone else.

 

I’ll leave you to ponder that cast of diverse characters, complemented by an extensive stable of supporting cast members.

 

This was an excellent book, troubling, with subject matter that was extremely difficult to contemplate.

 

Iles is a master of his art, and I recommend this book.
 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming

This is the first Clare and Russ story I’ve read.  Interesting dynamics, Clare, an Episcopalian Priest and Major in the Army National Guard, is married to Russ, a former Police Chief in the unlikely named town of Miller’s Kill. Clare’s role as a priest frequently runs afoul of her past life as a tough ex-Army chopper pilot.  The relational aspects run pleasantly through the book.  This novel’s plot revolves around a white Nationalist militant group and their nefarious plans.

 

The subplot of the book is domestic violence.  The inclusion of Native Americans is a bonus.  Spencer-Fleming seamlessly blends a wide variety of characters with their strengths and foibles. 

 

The story moves fast, has plenty of action, and is captivating.

 

I recommend the book. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Spotlight on the Ice Princess: A Big Huna Novel by Ralph Griffith

If you enjoy dark, atmospheric crime fiction, this is the perfect time to dive in:

Set against the lush, sun-drenched facade of Honolulu, Ice Princess unspools a haunting tale of deadly obsession and decay, where paradise becomes a stage for madness.

When a young man’s lover rejects him for another, his world shatters, and his passion turns pathologically dark. Unable to surrender his vision of her, he commits a terrible act, then preserves her body in a bathtub of ice, clinging to a frozen illusion of love.

As days pass, his fixation deepens, spiraling into a dark descent where paradise becomes the stage for madness.

In this complex, haunting noir, the heat of the Hawaiian sun meets the cold brutality of obsession.

"A masterclass in contrast: A chilling, psychological noir that proves madness can bloom even in the relentless sun of paradise."

"Haunting and unforgettable. Ralph Griffith's latest Big Huna novel plunges into the dark heart of obsession, where love becomes a deadly, frozen illusion."

"The ultimate tropical nightmare. The collision of Hawaiian heat and ice-cold brutality creates one of the most unique and compelling thrillers of the year."

"Griffith delivers a complex, gripping tale of decay, fixation, and shattered reality that will hold you captive until the final page."

Buy it Here

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Thieves by Steve Russo

This may have been a morality play. It seems like it may want you to question what you would do if you were scrambling to survive and an opportunity came up to dramatically improve your life without causing major damage to someone else. Stir into that recipe a sociopath on the run from a cartel.

Russo portrayed a truly despicable character in Skooley. Skooley was a sociopath. Weak impulse control, sly, prone to bursts of rage, and occasionally able to feign sociability. His fate could ignite little or no remorse.
The inferences that Russo made to the Russells’ background were more than adequate to explain the cash-caching impulses that were demonstrated.

Esmeralda demonstrates a flexible morality that may accompany abject working poverty. The haves stru

ggle to understand have have-nots and vice versa.

Lorretta exhibits the emotional devastation that can result in a close encounter with a perverse predator.

I enjoyed the book and recommend it.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned