River of Secrets by Roger Johns

This is a classic “who done it”.   Johns puts together a good mystery with a likeable and flawed Detective Wallace Hartman.  A flamboyantly colorful white politician is murdered and an equally notable disbarred black attorney is accused of the murder.  Is it a racial incident, is it a political crime or one of revenge.   Hartman finds herself doubting who she can trust in this complex mystery.

Johns does a nice job tying the current racial tension to his plot.  Sadly it often feels we are one step forward and two steps back in racial inequality.   John illustrates both prejudice and the willingness of good people to look beyond color for solutions to their problems.

This was a good story and an excellent book.

I 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.

The English Girl by Daniel Silva

Gabriel Allon is older, a bit wiser and just as deadly.  He discovers that payback can truly be a problem.  Gabriel is drawn into a kidnapping against his will but due to his need to repay a past favor.  The kidnapping involves governments and economies as well as organized crime.

Gabriel finds himself pressured to take charge of his intelligence service and soul searches through his pass to help him make his decision.

The plot is typical Silva with counter plays, sinister foes, corruptible governments and failing economies.   He handles it well and draws you in (as usual) to the story, turning pages long after bedtime. (or gently stroking your Kindle) 

I enjoyed the story 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.

Surprise ending by Jeffrey Deaver

This was a short eminently enjoyable book. Seybold is an author of Crime Stories who is asked by Baltimore police to help take down a crime lord.  The cops think that Seybold’s devious mind can create a scenario that will result in the downfall of the criminals.

Things don’t work out exactly as Seybold expects or the cops either.   There are a couple of nice plot twists that keep the story fresh.

Deaver does a nice job creating his characters and that doesn't necessarily mean characters that you like. 

The plot was quite clever and the title was eventually made quite clear. I enjoyed 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.

Alpha by Steven Konkoly

This is another black ops thriller that has a questionable protagonist. Daniel may have been serving his country but he may have been serving it in illegal black ops operations.  Daniel has retired and is attempting to live in Normal life when he is pulled back into the abyss by General Sanderson, the head of the black Ops program. What transpires has some interesting quirks and turns and a wealth of action and violence.

The author paints a troubled person trying to move away from his past.  The characters are a bowl of alphabet soup, the CIA, DOD(Department of Defense), NSA and the FBI are all involved. Lot of mayhem and a lot of collateral damage.

The goals of the people trying to defend our country are positive but this book illustrates the way those goals may sometimes go awry.

 

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

No Place Like Home by Mary Higgins Clark

 

Daddy’s Little Girl was the last book by Clark I read.   There was a familiarty of style that came through on this book.  At first I thought I was rereading a story but the stories are not the same.  I guess it is style.  This was a good mystery with a satisfyingly complex plot.  

Clark has a young woman with a troubled past as her protagonist in this book.   She has a lot of self doubt and a measure of self loathing.   She is thrust into a psychologically damaging environment and struggles to keep her head above water.

Clark manages to keep you in the dark until the very end.  Well done!

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.

Need an Illustrator For Your Book?

 Introducing DART

Dani has illustrated 10 books for me.  I also produce books for clients and she has illustrated 6 books for them.  My web page is www.bentrim.info .  Click on Terrific Illustrator on the left hand tool bar to see examples of the work she has illustrated. Her prices are very reasonable.

I am posting this as a favor, no money changed hands for this recommendation.   Dani is attempting to go full time as an illustrator and needs more work.   Please take a look at a page on my web site to see examples of her work. 

She is available at:

facebook.com/Dart.DanijelaArt
instagram.com/dart_bl
behance.net/Dart_
e-mail: danijelap85@gmail.com

Bloody Sunday by Ben Coes

Power Down was the first book I read by this author.   The author writes with the pedal to the metal and doesn’t hesitate to gun down a character that you like.   This is not a series for the faint of heart.  Bloody Sunday takes us to the front pages of last week’s newspaper.   North Korea and nuclear weapons are the main focus.

The main character is  Dewey Andreas.  Dewey was Delta Force but was forced out by some questionable circumstances.  His background allowed him to become a major force in stopping the terrorists as shown in Power Down.   Apparently some time and books have passed as he is back working for the government.  Dewey has burnt out and decided to hang up his spurs but the President talks him into a mission.

A side story which looks to be continued down the road involves Jenna, a brilliant analyst from the Brits.   Coes sets her up as a mystery.

Action, action and then a little more action characterizes the Coes books.

If you have issues with high levels of graphic violence the book may not be for you but I found it an enjoyable but frightening read.   Too often the world’s fate may hang on a nut cases shoe string.

I recommend.

Web: http://www.bencoes.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.