Required Reading

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Books I have authored.

Many times I receive books for FREE to give them an honest review. I do not get paid to give a good or bad review. Spotlights are promotional and should be regarded as advertising for the book spotlighted. Regardless of where or how I got a book, my review will be as honest as I can make it.

Thursday, December 31, 2020

The Master Sniper by Stephen Hunter


This is a stand alone and has no Swaggers in it.   The book takes place at the end of WWII.  The plot involves a Nazi sniper and those attempting to stop his attempted mission.

The details of the concentration camps are as depressing and horrific as usual.   There is no understanding of how supposed civilized beings stooped so low.  It really shows the depth of depravity that prejudice can engender. 

Hunter, as usual, provides a story that captivates and always has a plot twist that surprises.  


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.

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Born to Be Wild by Catherine Coulter


This is a book about a soap opera star and is probable classified as a romance.   I’m being up front here, I use avoid any book that has a male on the cover with a shirt open to his waste throwing a scantily attired female over his brawny shoulder.  I just don’t read them.   Well the cover didn’t have any of that and I got sucked into reading this, in spite of it being a romance.   It is a romance with a thin layer of mystery over it.   Mary Lisa is a successful soap opera star who is being stalked.   Jack Wolf, who in spite of his name is not in show business, is the chief of police where she grew up.  His past experience with a nasty ex-wife and a felony type prank by Mary Lisa tends to make them adversaries.

I enjoyed the book, sad to say, really, but I did enjoy it.   There was enough characterization, mystery and plot to make it entertaining.   I STILL don’t read romances. 


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

Sunday, December 20, 2020

The Nearest Exit by Olen Steinhauer



Milo Weaver is back.  This is the second book of the trilogy, the first being The Tourist, review to be found on Pick of the Literate on 10/19/20.  Milo is again a tourist and not the obvious kind.  He is a CIA tourist which is a secret group withing the CIA which seems to handle many of the black bag operations.   Milo is tasked to do something he finds morally repugnant and true to the clandestine methods of his job, he hides his disobedience.  The results fuel the plot.

The author has his main protagonist, Milo, re-evaluating his life and his morals.   Steinhauer clearly shows the devastating impact a life of lies has on the liar and his family.  

Steinhauer writes a devious plot with many twists, 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. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

The Devil’s Workshop by Stephen J. Cannell

This is really not the best time to be reading a book that deals with bio-terrorism.   Covid-19 may not have been a weapon but it is changing our world.   Cannell postulates a scenario where the federal government is running a black program to create genetically targeted bio-weapons.

Stacy, a USC grad student, finds herself searching for the cause of her  husband’s alleged suicide.   She doesn’t believe for a minute that he committed suicide.

Cris, Lucky, is a down and out hobo, riding the rails and drinking himself into insensibility and oblivion.  The loss of his child has fueled his self-destructiveness.

These two unlikely candidates find themselves partnering with Buddy Brazil, a flamboyant and enormously insecure Hollywood producer to stop a white supremacist group from making a bio-terror attack.

Gripping comes to mind as, perhaps, the most descriptive term for this book.   Some of our current events made it difficult to put this book down.


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.

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Robert B. Parker's Someone to Watch Over Me by Ace Atkins



Ace Atkins isn’t Robert Parker but he is pretty good.   It seemed like having Spenser periodically using quotes was overly contrived.  In my opinion, Atkins writes a good story but was trying to hard to emulate Parker.   Regardless, it was an entertaining book.   Spenser jumps in to aid his protégé, Maggie.   Maggie has stumbled into a pedophilic situation where wealth and privilege are preventing any type of prosecution.

The characters were familiar, the interplay between Hawk and Spenser wasn’t quite as biting and sharp as I recall.  There were few times I laughed out loud where as with Parker, the repartee often was the main stay of the relationship.  

I give Atkins credit, trying to emulate another author’s style has got to be hard, overall he did a good job and 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.

Saturday, December 5, 2020

The Forgotten Room by Lincoln Child

This story focuses on a reclusive think tank in a spooky old mansion.   There is a secret that is negatively impacting the researchers. Jeremy Logan is called in to find and solve the problem.
Child crafts an old turn of the last century mansion.   Towers, turrets and obelisks as well as a sprawling confusion of rooms provides the setting for the book.

Logan discovers a decades old secret and some of the people who help him suffer dire consequences.  


This was a good mystery and 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.

Monday, November 30, 2020

Spotlight on Stargods by Ian Douglas

STARGODS
by Ian Douglas
Star Carrier: Book 9
ISBN 9780062369031 $7.99 | eISBN 9780062369048 $4.99| Audio ISBN 9780063050723 $26.99

The last installment in the Star Carrier series, where first contact, space opera, and military adventure combine, from New York Times bestselling author Ian Douglas!

Will this be the end?
Or a new beginning…

Having battled aliens to prove humanity’s worth as a star-faring species, Admiral Trevor Gray has a new mission: follow the directives of the super-AI Konstantin and lead the star carrier America on a mission through time and space to determine if humanity can truly transcend into Singularity… and avoid the pitfalls that have plagued so many of the aliens Earth has encountered since it gained faster-than-light travel.

But there are those out there who don’t want an answer, who wish to maintain their own power with the status quo. Beyond the dangers of star travel, Gray must contend with politicians looking to end the influence of artificial intelligence on human decisions, a secret fleet out to destroy him, hostile aliens, and the vast, uncharted space full of clues but short on answers.

A species must evolve to survive into the future. But that species must have a vision of the future. Gray hopes to find that vision for humanity…800,000 years in the past.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Ian Douglas is one of the many pseudonyms for writer William H. Keith, New York Times bestselling author of the popular military science fiction series The Heritage Trilogy, The Legacy Trilogy, The Inheritance Trilogy, The Star Corpsman series, The Star Carrier series, and The Andromedan Dark series. A former Navy Hospital Corpsman, he lives in Pennsylvania.

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

Friday, November 27, 2020

The Disappeared by C.J. Box






This is a Joe Pickett novel.  Joe is a game warden in Wyoming.  He has a buddy Nate who has a thing for frozen fish.   A dual plot with a missing Brit and strange happenings at the lumber yard provide a good pace to the book.


Joe is a straight arrow and his buddy Nate, not so much.  The author paints a very cold picture of Wyoming winters.   Very cold!  

The story has enough twists to make it interesting and political games are sadly all too familiar.

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.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Spotlight on Robert McCaw's Death of a Messenger

 

Ever wonder how Koa Kane got his start?

 

Death of a Messenger is the first book in the Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery series by Robert McCaw https://robertbmccaw.com/   Revised and updated, it will be released by Oceanview Publishing on January 5, 2021.

 

Read my reviews of his 2nd and 3rd books, Off the Grid and Fire and Vengeance, no spoilers in either review, both of them 5 star mysteries.

 

On Hawaii Island, an anonymous 911 caller reports a body at Pohakuloa, the Army’s live-fire training area. Hilo Chief Detective Koa Kane, a cop with his own secret criminal past, finds a mutilated corpse—bearing all the hallmarks of ancient ritual sacrifice.

 

He encounters a host of obstacles as he pursues the murderer—an incompetent local medical examiner, hostility from both haoles (Westerners) and sovereignty advocates, and a myriad of lies. Koa races to discover whether the victim stumbled upon a gang of high-tech archaeological thieves, or learned a secret so shocking it cost him his life and put others in mortal danger.

 

Will Hilo’s most respected detective stop this sadistic fiend—or will the Pohakuloa killer strike again, with even deadlier consequences?

 

Coming soon in early 2021!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert McCaw

  is the author of Fire and Vengeance, Off the Grid, and Death of a Messenger. McCaw grew up in a military family, traveling the world. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, served as a U.S. Army lieutenant, and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia. He was a partner in a major international law firm in Washington, D.C. and New York City, representing major Wall Street clients in complex civil and criminal cases. Having lived on the Big Island of Hawaii, McCaw imbues his writing of the Islands with his more than 2-year love affair with this Pacific paradise. He now lives in New York City with his wife, Calli.

 


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

Sunday, November 22, 2020

Under Currents by Nora Roberts


I struggled with the beginning of this book due to the descriptive aspects that probably fall under spoilers so I will just say that the first part of the book is not for the squeamish.   It is worth persevering as the book describes the healing of multiple people from life’s trials.

Roberts books depend on her excellent character building.   She lets you see who they are and how they became the person that they are.  Roberts also provides messages of hope that karma functions and that people can be very supportive and loyal when they are treated right.

This was a good read and ended up in a satisfactory manner.


I recommend it, just push through the beginning. 

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

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Blue Moon by Lee Child



Reacher gets into a Ukrainian/Albanian turf war.   Take a guess as to the winner.

Child is successful in providing a credible explanation for how and why Reacher ends up in so many fracases.

I enjoyed the book and it is a quick read.


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

Saturday, November 7, 2020

The Headshrinker's Brigade by Leslie Tourish NOW and Audio Book

A poignant journey, newly released as an audiobook,  to finally seeing what’s truly important

The Headshrinker’s Brigade By Leslie Tourish

About the Novel:

Julia Longley seems to have it all - a great job as a photojournalist and a perfect boyfriend in Nick, the paper’s star reporter. But it all comes crashing down when she experiences a trauma on the job and temporarily loses her eyesight due to hysterical blindness.

In The Headshrinker’s Brigade, Leslie Tourish weaves a story with a quirky and memorable cast of characters, starring Julia, a young woman who was blind to many aspects of her life, but who sets off on a journey to rediscover her true calling as a therapist and what she really wants in love.

Originally released as a paperback, it is now available as an audiobook on Audible. It is narrated by voice actor Carrington MacDuffie, known for her narration of Marianne Williamson’s A Politics of Love and Marilynne Robinson’s What Are We Doing Here.

About the Author:

By day, Leslie Tourish helps others - via screen now - through life’s biggest problems. By night, she follows her lifelong dream of being a writer. The thread that continues to weave between the pages of her life is her love for the written word. Stories and characters have always played in her head, just waiting for the day they can bust out and have a life of their own.

Just like her main character, Julia, after a career as a photojournalist, she decided she needed a change and returned to school where she earned a Master of Arts in Human Services specializing in counseling. While employed in various mental health clinics, the idea for a book took root and resulted in The Headshrinker’s Brigade. It won the 2019 Texas Authors Book Award Contest for general fiction.

Born and raised in Texas, Leslie currently lives in a small town in the Texas Hill Country with her husband and three terribly spoiled dogs. For more on Leslie, www.latourish.com.

Praise:

 "Through her array of colorful characters and their funny, sometimes poignant, stories, Ms. Tourish offers readers a glimpse into the common humanity of therapists and clients alike."—Shelly J. Oliver, Amazon reviewer

"Fun novel that takes you through the trials and tribulations of a young woman trying to find her true calling. The characters are engaging and the story line is rife with quirky hilarity. Love this book."—Jana Kaura, Amazon reviewer

"The detail is crisp; the wit solid."—Julia Jerome, Amazon reviewer

"Tourish’s use of metaphor is exceptional, transporting the reader to an emotional as well as descriptive place. "— Joe, Amazon reviewer

 Author Links:

Website: www.leslieanntourish.com

Facebook: Leslie Tourish, Author

Instagram: @leslie.tourish

Twitter: @leslietourish

 Book Details:

 Audiobook: 12 hours 29 minutes, available on Audible, Amazon and iTunes

Publisher: Treaty Oak Publishers/The Block House (October  2020)

Narrator: Carrington MacDuffie

Language: English

ASIN: B08L55CFJN

 
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

Monday, November 2, 2020

Spotlight on Anstey Harris’ THE MUSEUM OF FORGOTTEN MEMORIES

At Hatters Museum of the Wide Wide World, where the animals never age but time takes its toll, one woman must find the courage to overcome the greatest loss of her life.

Cate Morris never expected to meet the love of her life, Richard, while on a date with his best friend. Despite an awkward start, the pair had a blissful marriage—until Richard began to fade away before Cate’s eyes. Boisterous and bright, he felt the weight of the world more deeply than most, his thoughts clouded by depression.

Four years after Richard’s suicide, Cate is emotionally raw—from the guilt, the anger, the sadness, but mostly, the loneliness. Laid off from her job, Cate and Leo, her energetic 19-year-old son with Down syndrome, seek temporary refuge in Richard’s birthright, a magnificent Victorian museum, where long-kept secrets await.

Notwithstanding an unpleasant start with Araminta Buchan, the old family retainer, Cate is soon charmed by the peculiar menagerie and senses Richard’s presence everywhere. Cate and Araminta have long been weighted down by a responsibility of care—one to a fading husband, the other to a Downton-esque dwelling—both bound to duty by love. Resolving to save the forgotten museum, the pair face unexpected threats, forcing Cate to confront the reality of Richard’s death in order to reimagine her future.

 Perfect for fans of Katherine Center and Evvie Drake Starts Over, THE MUSEUM OF FORGOTTEN MEMORIES grapples with life’s heaviest burdens, all the while offering an unexpected tale of hope and wonder.

 


About Anstey Harris

Anstey Harris is based by the seaside in south-east England where she lives with her violinmaker husband and two dogs. She teaches creative writing in the community, local schools, and as an associate lecturer for Christchurch University in Canterbury.

Anstey writes about the things that make people tick, the things that bind us and the things that can rip us apart. In 2015, she won the H G Wells Short Story Prize for her story, Ruby. In novels, Anstey tries to celebrate uplifting ideas and prove that life is good and that happiness is available to everyone once we work out where to look (usually inside ourselves). Her short stories tend not to end quite so well...

Things that interest Anstey include her children and granddaughter, green issues and conservation, adoption and adoption reunion (she is an adopted child, born in an unmarried mothers' home in Liverpool in 1965), stepfamilies, dogs, and food. Always food. She would love to be on Masterchef but would never recover from the humiliation if she got sent home in the first round.

 

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

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Short Cut by J. Gregory Smith


I’ve enjoyed reading Smith’s books since he started writing.  I feel fortunate to have discovered him early as it has been a pleasure seeing him develop as a writer.   This book is the Reluctant Hustler Book 2.   Now I have to get book one as I really enjoyed this book.   Kyle is the reluctant hustler.   He finds himself then unwitting heir of Ryan’s favor business.  These aren’t party favors; these favors are both life threatening and life-saving. 

Smith has the ability to bring characters to life.   Kyle is now a real person.  I think I know VP.  This is just an indication of the skill Smith has used to make his fictional people gritty, flawed and real.   The story is believable as are the characters.

J. Gregory Smith writes a captivating and highly entertaining story. 

I heartily recommend the book.

BTW I did receive this book in exchange for an honest review.  An honest review is what I have given.  No favors, in spite of the book’s favor theme, were exchanged, no gifts received except the delight of reading a well crafted story. 


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

Thursday, September 24, 2020

The Readers’ Room by Antoine Laurain

This book surprised me.  I am normally lukewarm about translated books.  It seems like all too frequently slight cultural differences can dramatically impact literature.   Just as in Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, I have been delightfully surprised.   A publishing house selects a mystery for publishing and complications arise.

Laurain develops characters with, well character.   They are not cardboard cutouts such as MLB is using but people with a wealth of foibles.   There really are no heroic protagonists in the book.  It just has a complex, people driven plot.


I enjoyed the book and sugar flowers can be quite beautiful.


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

Monday, September 21, 2020

Spotlight on A Mother’s Grace: Healing the World One Woman at a Time by Michelle Moore

This book shares remarkable true (and inspiring) stories from female change-makers with advice about turning adversity into action. Moore shares how her adversity became a global movement when she survived an aggressive form of breast cancer at the same time her son faced near fatal complications from juvenile diabetes. Grateful to be alive, she was compelled to make changes in her life and in the lives of others. Along with her own personal story, Moore shares the stories of 11 women and how their lives serendipitously came together in the most unique ways so she could continue to grow this movement and partner with these women in quite miraculous ways. 

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

Monday, September 14, 2020

Guest Post by Dr.Tinita Kearney Author of Lola Koala Travel Adventures


Dr. Kearney's New Book 
A Guest Post by 

Author Dr. Tinita Kearney 

Creative Ways to Build Your Toddler’s Language Skills While Quarantined
By Dr. Tinita Kearney

Like many families impacted by the Covid-19 quarantines, I have found myself bound to my home alongside a high-energy toddler, struggling to find ways to keep her two-year-old brain entertained (while also maintaining my own sanity). As many of us are finding out first-hand, homeschool life is not an easy one and finding ways to occupy our children’s time with fun, meaningful activities can be a difficult task. The learning has to go on, however, and one way to ensure that your child remains ready for the expectations of school is to work on his/her language and communication skills. This happens to be right up my alley since I am a speech-language pathologist, and I am happy to share some of the ways that I’ve put my skills to work each day with my own little one!
 

1. Tag Team Dressing

You’re probably already familiar with the growing independence of your toddler! Encourage this important development and also build expressive language skills by getting your toddler involved in the dressing process each morning.
Activity: Play “I Choose, You Choose,” where your child gets to select one clothing item that they would like to wear for the day, and you select another until a complete outfit is created. Spoiler alert: this game leaves NO room for meltdowns because your little one makes all the decisions — even on your turn! When it’s your turn to choose, make a show of not being sure which is the better choice (get as dramatic as you like!) and ask your toddler to help you pick something.
Language Booster: Use sentence-starters to encourage your child to use more complete sentences during this activity (e.g., Caregiver: “I choose…” or “I want to wear…” or “My choice is…”). Also, try giving your child 1 ‘silly’ option (e.g., a thick sweater as a choice in the middle of summer) and encourage your child to tell you why it’s a silly choice (e.g., Parent: “Is this sweater a good choice? No, it’s silly! It’s too hot outside! Tell daddy why this is silly.”). This exercise helps your little one to grow his/her critical thinking skills while also working on his/her ability to form more complex sentences.
Tips & Tricks: Present your child with only 2–3 clothing item choices at a time to avoid spending 2 hours on this activity!

2. Match It Up!
Categorizing is a great way to grow vocabulary and to teach basic concepts (words that we use to indicate location [in/out], descriptions [little/big], feelings [happy/sad], time [always/never] or number [more/less]). It is easiest to teach categorization skills using physical items that your child is familiar with, such as toys, clothing items, familiar foods, common household items or school items. The goal of this activity is to work on building your child’s ability to categorize items by their attributes (e.g., an item’s color, shape, size, use/function).
Activity: Start by picking an attribute that you want to focus on (I like to start with colors, so let’s use this as an example). Gather 2–3 items around the house that are the same color (red, for example) then hunt for 2–3 additional items that are a different color (e.g., blue) and finally, 2–3 more items that are another color (e.g., green). Place all the items together on the floor, pick one up and ask your child to find another item in the pile that is the same color. Each time your child finds a ‘match,’ he/she gets a point; collect five points and win!
Language Booster: Label and describe each item as your child selects it to teach new vocabulary
(e.g., “Yes, this magnet is red!”) and basic concepts (e.g., “This magnet is big and shiny”). Tips & Tricks: Before starting this activity, allow your child to select a toy, game or snack that they would like to receive as a reward for ‘winning.’ Use this as a motivator during gameplay to keep them working hard!

3. ‘WH’ Question Basketball

Increase your little one’s vocabulary skills, verbal reasoning skills, ability to understand spoken language and grow expressive language skills with this fun game that combines answering who, what, where, and what doing questions with basketball!
Activity: Grab a basket or bucket that you can use to toss a ball into (think laundry basket, extra storage bin, empty wastebasket), a ball (if your home is ball-free, grab some sheets of paper and ball ’em up!) and an age-appropriate picture book. The object of this game is to earn chances to toss a ball into the basket by correctly answering ‘who,’ ‘what,’ ‘where,’ and ‘what doing’ questions about the story. Have your child sit with you to read a page or two of the story, then ask one question (e.g., “What is this girl doing?”). Each correct answer earns your child two shots at the ‘hoop’!
Language Booster: Give two answer choices if your little one finds it difficult to answer questions on his/her own (e.g., Caregiver: “What is this girl doing?” Eating or running?”). Be sure to encourage your child to form a complete sentence to answer questions before earning a turn to toss the ball (e.g., Child: “She is running” NOT “Running”).
Tips & Tricks: Pick a picture book that has colorful, vivid illustrations of characters engaging in different activities throughout the story to 1) keep your little one engaged, 2) allow you to ask a
variety of WH questions about what is going on in the story and 3) provide visual clues to your child as they try to answer your questions.

4. Chore-Helper

Unfortunately, chores don’t take a break during quarantines. Little hands can be a big help though, so take advantage of the opportunity to get a bit of assistance completing daily chores while also teaching your toddler how to follow directions!
Activity: Pick a chore (e.g., loading safe dinnerware in the dishwasher, putting away folded socks, sorting their own dirty laundry, cleaning up toys). Set a timer for 10-minutes and have your little one see how much they can get done before time runs out. The idea is to give simple, specific instructions for completing the assigned chore — making sure to give only as much work as they can actually complete in the 10-minute time frame. If they can follow your directions to complete the chore in the given time, they get a reward!
Language Booster: Start with one-step directions (e.g., Caregiver: “Put the socks in the drawer”) then build on this by gradually introducing two-step and three-step directions (e.g., Caregiver:
“Open your sock drawer and put your socks in”).
Tips & Tricks: Set your timer for 5-minutes and work your way up to 10-minutes if you think your little one will have a hard time focusing on one task for 10-minutes, even with your guided instruction. Also, if you’re looking to maximize your ‘me-time,’ give your child reward options that don’t require your direct supervision (e.g, coloring, playing with a favorite toy that doesn’t require your assistance, a short episode of a favorite TV program, etc.).

Happy learning!

Dr. Tinita O. Kearney is a speech-language pathologist who hails from New York. She owns a speech therapy private practice and lives to empower families to be their child’s very best advocate and resource. Check out her newest children’s book series at lolakoala.com and subscribe to get weekly communication tips and tricks.

#lolakoala


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

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Under Pressure by Robert Pobi


Whew, in the midst of reading three other books, simultaneously as this, I had to close the cover on the Kindle, the tablet and the phone and finish this book.   Pobi grabbed my attention like a YumYum Donut’s dutch crumb dropped onto my plate.  Captivated my attention in one fell swoop.   Lucas Page is apparently a recurrent protagonist that may have a death wish for the frequency in which he wraps himself around flames and mayhem.  Physically challenged due to injuries from a previous book, Lucas finds himself involuntarily involved in a serial bomber hunt.

Page has an attitude which may have come from his previous injuries or perhaps only from his massive intelligence driven ego.  Page does not willingly suffer fools and seems to go out of his way to antagonize even people who want to help him.

Pobi created a marvelously complex plot.  Just when I felt vindicated that I had figured out the true villain early in the book, I found out I was wrong.   I love that, I hate books and TV show mysteries that are transparently portrayed.   Working toward the solution is half the fun and Pobi makes you exercise your intellect.   In addition, he does not substitute the appropriate word for the more commonly used one.  In other words, he doesn’t dumb his writing down for the lowest common denominator, he writes like he assumes you have a modicum of intelligence.

I was impressed with the book and truly enjoyed it.

I highly 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.

Friday, September 4, 2020

Hunter Killer: A Pike Logan Novel by Brad Taylor

This is part of a series.   Coming into the middle, a back story would have helped.  Pike Logan is the leader of a black ops team that is tasked with handling situations the establishment feels are too sensitive for normal sanctions.

This was a good action adventure.   Pike is obviously a poster child for anger management.   He struggles to keep the darkness at bay.   He believes his team is his family and will do anything to protect them.

This book was about a Russian crew that is similar to Pike’s team without any moral restraints.


The book was entertaining. 

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

Sunday, August 30, 2020

Rigged by D. P. Lyle

Jake Longly, a retired baseball star, Nicole his ravishing and humorous girlfriend, Pancake his enormous best pal and Ray his condescending father are the main characters in this series.   This time the private eye agency is drawn into a double and then quadruple murder just up the road in Alabama.  

Lyle does a good job with Tammy, Jake’s demented ex-wife.  Her character adds some light humor.   Jake’s self-depicted inadequacies are a bit tiresome.  You’d think that someone who pitched in the bigs would be more confident.   He and Nicole’s relationship reminds me of Parker’s characters of Spencer and Hawk except the sex part.  

The story was entertaining, light fare and good to get the mind off of the horrific aspects of the current year.


I enjoyed it and recommend the series.


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

Thursday, August 20, 2020

The Names of the Dead by Kevin Wignall

 
This was a violent rendition of soul searching.   Wes, a former CIA agent, is incarcerated for a crime that although he committed was not planned.   Mia, the daughter of a war-lord becomes his special needs side-kick.

Wes is the classic trying to clear his name protagonist with a very sharp and violent edge.   Mia is an almost gender neutral, socially awkward person who Wes learns to trust.   The plot of going country to country seeking retribution for a murder and the search for a lost child provide the rest of the plot.

The story was compelling, the author provides a reasonable rationale for Wes’s behavior.

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.

Friday, August 14, 2020

Spotlight on The Journalist: Life and Loss in America's Secret War By Jerry A. Rose and Lucy Rose Fischer


In the early 1960s, Jerry Rose, a writer and artist, travels to Vietnam to teach English and gather material for his writing. Almost accidentally, he becomes one of America’s most important war correspondents.  He interviews Vietnamese villagers in a countryside riddled by a war of terror and embeds himself with soldiers on the ground—the start of a dramatic and dangerous career. Through his stories and photographs, he exposes the secret beginnings of America’s Vietnam War at a time when most Americans have not yet heard of Vietnam. His writing is described as “war reporting that ranks with the best of Ernest Hemingway and Ernie Pyle.”

In spring 1965, Jerry agrees to serve as an advisor to the Vietnamese government at the invitation of his friend and former doctor, who is the new Prime Minister. He hopes to use his deep knowledge of the country to help Vietnam. In September 1965, while on a trip to investigate corruption in the provinces of Vietnam, Jerry dies in a plane crash in Vietnam.



Now, more than half a century later, his sister, Lucy Rose Fischer, has drawn on her late brother’s journals, letters, and other writings to craft his story. She has written this memoir in “collaboration” with her late brother—giving the term “ghostwritten” a whole new meaning.



Buy it at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. 
#thejournalist #vietnam

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

Saturday, August 8, 2020

The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton


Dog people will find this book irresistible.  I like dogs, I’ve had three over the years but I am not really a dog person. Dog people live and breathe for their “children”.   Mason Reid is a dog trainer; his specialty is cadaver dogs.   He loves dogs and is a bit of a social isolationist after is marriage failure.   Vira, his golden retriever and Kippy Grimm a dog loving cop, combine with Mace to track down a serial killer.

The author either is a dog lover or did really good research because Mace and Kippy are clearly portrayed.   The plot was solid and the human and canine interaction was well done.


I recommend the book and I enjoyed 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.