A Conflict of Interest by Adam Mitzner

 This is another legal novel that will probably make ethical lawyers cringe.  (Note I am refraining from any of the cheap shot jokes here.)

Alex Miller has pulled the all nighters studying to be a lawyer, the incessant hours to become a partner and now as a partner the world is his oyster or is it?

This a not a thriller, it is more of a character study.  If you enjoy legal novels, I suspect you will find this very satisfying.  If you are an adrenalin junky, I suspect the lack of action will mean this book is not your cuppa.  

Alex Miller’s life is put on trial in this book.   The decisions he makes, the people around him, the impact others have on his life all contribute to the persona that defines Alex Miller, attorney, son, husband and father.  

There is a hint that overly ambitious goal setting may contribute to an unsatisfying life.  

I recommend it.

Body of  work of <a type="amzn" > Adam Mitzner </a>

Web Site: http://www.adammitzner.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.

Legacy of the Dragon by J. Gregory Smith

A Noble Cause was an improvement over Greg’s first book Final Price . I enjoyed both but Noble was better. Now this third book really vaults J. Gregory Smith into the professional arena. Dragon is a page turner than truly establishes Greg as a contender!

Paul Chang, the huge Chinese American detective is back but in the private sector. He and his quirky partner Nelson are running a private detective business that is floundering. Chang’s old boss and the commander of the Delaware State Police are making his life miserable. Paul never intentionally went out of his way to harm them but that isn’t stopping them from persecuting him. This book details that persecution and an unrelated but dark and life changing event in Paul’s past.

Greg did a masterful job in truly giving Paul Chang full, three dimensional characterization. The back story is well done and having read Final Price, some pieces that were missing are now put into play.

The twin prongs of a diabolically clever plot intermesh enough to provide questions but not confusion. The characters, overall, are well written and colorful. Action in a Smith novel is a given and is in abundance here.

I highly recommend this book!

Body of work of J. Gregory Price

Web Site: http://www.jgregorysmithbooks.com/bio-personal.html

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

A Noble Cause by J. Gregory Smith

Greg’s first book, Final Price was a quarter finalist in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest. After Greg self publishing the book, it was picked up by AmazonEncore and re-released. I mention this because I was lucky enough to read and review Greg’s first book and am proud to say I was able to read and review this advanced readers copy of A Noble Caus

Mark Noble’s estrangement from his parents takes a deadly turn when he finds himself caught up in the web of treachery wound about his father’s business.

This book is action adventure at it’s best. Greg Smith has portrayed believable characters facing unbelievable things. Mark, his main protagonist, is sympathetically shown as struggling to find his own identity. I particularly liked the courage and fortitude displayed by his friends. We should all be so lucky to have friends that stalwart.

There is some reflection of current events with the women missing in the Caribbean and the lack of success by local authorities in solving the mysteries.

This book has all the features of a good mystery, a black hearted villain, a loyal sidekick, a damsel in distress and a good hearted but occasionally clueless hero. It is a fun story to read and from my point of view, Greg has a home run with this book.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of J. Gregory Price

Web Site: http://www.jgregorysmithbooks.com/bio-personal.html

Bubba and the Dead Woman by C. L. Bevill

A mystery set in Texas but has the feel of the bayou.    Bubba, a good ole boy is accused of murder and appears to be guilty. 

This was a surprisingly good story.  Bubba is a likeable chameleon who appears to be a mindless baby Huey and does exhibit behavior that seems to confirm that assessment.   The Snoddy mansion and the local hangouts provide a very colorful environment to stage this amusing mystery.  

Bevill did a good job on crafting a wealth of potential suspects for a murder.  You are left to your own devices to determine who did what.   The Sheriff and others provide eminently dislikeable polarization from lovable Bubba. 

I recommend it. 

Body of work of C. L. Bevill

Web site:  http://www.clbevill.com/

Keys to the Kingdom by Senator Bob Graham

This book  is a frankly dismaying and terrifying look at the political intrigue surrounding our home land security.

The credentials of this author are beyond impeccable.   He states that this is a novelized form of events around and after 2001’s attack.  30 to 40% of the story is reputed to be factual which is why this book is so scary.

We are all aware of the Madoff’s of the world amoral people whose focus is strictly on what is in it for me.   Political power, wealth, prestige are all components of this book.  The desire to hang on to the perks of power seem to preclude human compassion and concern for the well being of both the nation and it’s citizens. 

I think the book will tap into the cynicism regarding politics that is sweeping the nation.   I have heard more than one person stating the conviction that they are going to vote against every incumbent in every election.  This is indicative of the disappointment in those who purport to represent the interests of their constituents. 

Tony Ramos is a likeable protagonist who is attempting to discover why a friend and mentor has been murdered.   That search leads to the pinnacles of corporate America, the halls of government bureaucrats and the palaces of supposed allies. The most dismaying aspect of this book is the sense that it is all too true. 

Senator Graham has crafted a true page turner that wasn’t as entertaining as it was compelling.   It is a commentary on the perfidy that infects those in power, regardless of whether it is political or business power. 

I don’t recommend this book so much as INSIST you read it.  If it doesn’t raise your eyebrows and furrow your brow, I will be shocked. 

Body of work of Bob Graham

YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO71yPlvcSA

Web site:  http://bobgrahamcenter.ufl.edu/

The Ark by Boyd Morrison

 

Is Noah’s Ark  a bible parable or a true story?  A misanthrope, an archeologist and a MacGyverish engineer are ingredients in a tasty action adventure.

Morrison provided good strong characterizations.  He gave a good background story on all of the major players.   I enjoyed the interaction between Tyler and Grant who certainly were different in personality.   I also enjoyed the corporate ethics of Gordian, Grant and Tyler’s employer.   People with disabilities were show cased in responsible positions and demonstrated that a disability is not necessarily a handicap.   I like a dose of moral values in an action adventure.  

Dilara Kenner’s portrayal was a bit hard to believe.   She responded astoundingly well being thrust into dangerous situations, more so than I could easily swallow.   I do enjoy strong female protagonists and this lady was nobodies victim.  

Ulric the messianic billionaire’s obsession with godhood was sadly reflected by some current event figures.   He was thoroughly dislikable.  I saw some positive comparisons to Clive Cussler, whose books I also enjoy.    

I recommend the book.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson

This is an outstanding mystery that will hold your attention to the very last word.  This is fictional investigative journalism at its very best.

This is the third review I have started with that sentence.

Reading the afterword in this book, Larsson appears to have infused a great deal of his own past in the character of the  journalist Mikael Blomkvist.  This book is the wrap up of the previous two books and ties up all the loose ends of Lisbeth Salander bad girl par excellent.

Lisbeth’s character is believable in spite of her astounding range of talents.   The government corruption and deceit is sadly also believable.   There are too many clear cut examples in current events where government agencies go to illegal extents to protect their own precious fanny’s.   As much as there is a public outcry for accepting responsibility for one’s actions there seems to be some misconception that it is only other people who need to accept responsibility.   It was reassuring to see that, at least in the book, sanity prevailed and good people rallied to correct injustices. 

The characterizations in this book made it extraordinarily difficult to put down.   I really enjoyed it and was totally captivated by it.   It is a darn shame that there will be no more books from the late Stieg Larsson.  I have seldom seen such a variety of people express strong positive feelings about a series of books.   It seemed to appeal to readers across age, gender and income gaps.   

I strongly recommend the book!

Body of work of Stieg Larsson

 

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

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

This is an outstanding mystery that will hold your attention to the very last word. Fictional investigative journalism at its very best.

I mentioned in my review on Three Seconds  that there seems to be a wealth of good stories coming out of Sweden. Well this is definitely one of them.

As a journalist Mikael Blomkvist demonstrates ethics and tenacity that is seldom seen in real life. If only the main stream media would take a page from Mikael’s fictional portfolio of ethics. His tenacity in the face of daunting adversity was a joy to read.

Lisbeth Salander might be a character that is hard to believe for some readers. I have been privileged to know a young woman who could have been the role model for this character sans the dragon tattoo. A word of caution, do not ever underestimate a woman due to her size, demeanor or gender.

Having been a computer professional for 25 years, I felt that Larsson did a good job on explaining hacking without getting technical.

It was a bit of a struggle to get into this book but much like my favorite California Screaming coaster, once you get going there is no going back and it is a heck of a ride.

I strongly recommend the book!

Body of work of Stieg Larsson

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