Lot’s Return To Sodom by Sandra Brannan

This book provides more details than you may want to hear about the underbelly of the 1% outlaw motorcycle gangs.  A murder and other despicable behavior are offset by the tenacity and courage of the female protagonist.

Liv Bergen is recovering from her encounters with murder in a previous book.   I think a smidgen more of back story would be helpful in understanding Liv.   Liv’s feelings for her brother Jen overwhelm whatever common sense she might have.   Liv is the consummate “stick your hand in a hornet nest” protagonist.   Her passion and tenacity are laudable.  

Mully is an outlaw biker whose character is somewhat confusing.   Streeter, an FBI agent, apparently held a major role in the previous book.  Streeter is carrying a large torch for Liv who is unaware of his existence.   The book has action, intrigue, violence, romance and interesting twists to the plot.  The setting of the Sturgis motorcycle gathering is colorful and somewhat dismaying.   All in all, Ms. Brannan put together a fun book to read.

I recommend the book.

 Body of  work of Sandra Brannan

Web Site: http://sandrabrannan.com/

Vengeance by A.J. Scudiere

If your taste runs to Old Testament justice, this is a must read.   Two souls overcome with anger and rage wreak havoc on the villains who provoked them.

In many ways I found myself more touched by the enormous pain that Lee and Cyn(Sin) felt in this book.   They were both involved in horrific situations that scarred their very being.   Out of the hundreds of people each year in similar situations, they responded with uncanny similarity of goal and dissimilar behavior.   The cathartic value of their actions seemed to be out of reach.  Their hopes to find solace remained unreachable.  

The lead FBI agent tasked to catch them finds himself washed with ambivalence.  He is aware that their behavior is criminal and yet they seem to be ridding society of vermin that the justice system has not been able to topple. 

The characters roles evolve in different ways to what I saw as a satisfactory conclusion.   This book is not for the faint of heart,  vengeance can be very messy.

I recommend it.

Body of work of A.J. Scudiere</a>

Web Site: http://www.ajscudiere.com/

Spycatcher by Matthew Dunn

Will Cochrane is the Spartan.  MI6’s answer fictional answer to the fictional 007.   A one man killing machine, Cochrane is thrust into a situation that has Byzantine subtleties and world changing consequences.

Angst in spades may be a good description on Will.   A veritable thrashing machine of violence and a heart throbbing with compassion describes this most secret of secret agents.   I found the compassion part a bit difficult to accept based on the acts of violence committed by Cochrane.   Of course all the violence was supposedly for the good of mankind with the exception of some personal acts of revenge.   The dichotomy of mission goal and personal goals occupied a great deal of the plot.  

There is violence and mayhem galore and not all of it is noteworthy for it’s nobility of purpose.   The plot is superb in it’s complexity.   I also liked the loyalty of the support characters.   It was moderately believable considering the current world situation. 

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Matthew Dunn

Web site: http://www.harpercollins.com/books/Spycatcher-Matthew-Dunn/?isbn=9780062037671

The Thyssen Affair by Mozelle Richardson

This book was highly reminiscent of the wealth of spy vs. spy stories that abounded during the Cold War. An ex-OSS operative is pulled out of retirement by his deceased son’s best friend. The interplay between the KGB, CIA, Nazis and the Mossad provide the grist for this mill.

Canyon Eliot was highly entertaining as the multi-talented, loveable and ruthless retiree returning to the fray. It may be a reflection of my own age but it was satisfying to have an older protagonist kicking butt. The Cold War setting may be hard to swallow for the younger readers. It seems like purely speculative fiction unless you are an age to have experienced the stresses of the Cold War. Anya was well portrayed as a woman who strove to succeed in a career predominantly peopled by males with testosterone issues.

I thought the story idea was good and the plot well thought out. I did feel that the ending was a bit abrupt. I think another 20 or 30 pages would have enabled a more “meaty” conclusion. Overall I really enjoyed the book.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Mozelle Richardson

Web Site: googling her did not bring up a website.