Anvil of God by J.Boyce Gleason

Anvil of God by J.Boyce Gleason

Persevere, I struggled with this book for the first fifty pages but I am happy I continued.  This is loosely based on Frankish history in the time of the Merovingian Kings.  I plead abject ignorance of the time and era so I won’t comment on anything historical.  The plot as I saw it was a dysfunctional family struggling to maintain power when the Christian Church was striving to limit secular rule regardless of morality.

The main characters have few laudable characteristics with the possible exception of Trudi, Pippin, and Helden. There is intrigue and a wealth of treachery.   There are some complicated interpersonal relationships with a bit of the Stockholm Syndrome thrown in to further complexity.

There is swordplay and battles as well as more moronic treachery.

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

French Windows by Antoine Laurain

A book where the story is full of stories.  A patient is asked by her therapist to construct fantasies about her neighbors.  The goal is to lift her depression. 

The fantasies of the patient were interesting, but the overall story not as much.  In all fairness, Laurain pulled it together at the end.   I gave the book to a friend who is French and she suggested there could be some cultural issues that decreased my enjoyment.

This story would not make my top ten. 

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

Pitch Dark by Paul Doiron on Sale Today

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In the News

• "Vividly Portayed" via Associated Press
• "Once you start reading Pitch Dark, you won’t be able to stop" via Criminal Element
• "An outstanding addition to the series" via Marilyn's Mystery Reads

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You can order your copy of Pitch Dark here today!

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

Don't Ask, Don't Follow by Mary Keliikoa Now Out!

This is a very complex and intriguing mystery. Beth’s favorite and only sister has disappeared.   Distraught, Beth, the boring, studious, industrious, and non-descript sister, sets out to solve the mystery of Lindsay’s disappearance and a murder.

Intertwined with a hunt that leads to a hunky but intellectual motorcycle dude, a stern police detective, a judge, a father with political ambitions, a drug-addled mother, a loving maid, and a violent and mysterious adoption agency is Beth’s search for herself and the search for her missing sister.

 

I always enjoy Keliikoa’s books but this one was a new level of captivating.  Twisty and compelling, 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

The Debt Collector by Steven Russo

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  A strong female protagonist rocks my boat.   Russo crafted a believable character for those of us lucky enough to have strong women in our world.  Gabby proves that dynamite comes in small packages.  

In a way, Russo is making a commentary on the continued underestimation of women to do everything men can do.  Gabby is proven positive that you don’t have to be a muscle-bound ape to be tough.

The plot was entertaining and I highly recommend this book.  

BTW I do have several five-foot-nothing women in my life, some of whom have black belts as well as years of kickboxing experience.  

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

The Righteous Arrows by Brian J. Morra

This book reinforces the futility of war.  The Russian perspective provides a different view of Afghanistan than what is in our popular press.  This takes place in the 80’s when Gorbachev was fueling hope that the Russian hardliners were a thing of the past.  There was speculation that the CIA was providing Stinger missiles to the Afghans opposing the Russian presence in their country as punishment for the Russians supplying weapons to the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese. 

The human part of the equation was Air Force Captain Kevin Cattani and Russian General Levchenko’s interaction.  They were the principles in The Able Archers a previous Morra book.   The author shows the person and the relationships of these two soldiers. 

There is very little fighting but a lot of thought-provoking incidents in the book. 

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. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos

Porter Beck, the sheriff, is having eye issues.  His sight is dramatically diminished at night and getting worse.   An old friend has an issue at his ranch which draws Porter and his sister Brinley into conflict with a hacker and unnamed government agencies. 

Borgos does a great job portraying a dedicated man hanging on to his job despite major impairment. I enjoyed his characters and the quirks.   The plot wasn’t Byzantine but is certainly was intricate. 

I highly recommend the book and a twist at the end teases you with the possibility of more to come. 

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