Legacies by F. Paul Wilson

I just read the prequels to the Repairman Jack series in December.  I am now trying acquire them and read the ensuing series in order.   This Jack is more mature and more decisive than the Jack in the prequels.  This story encompasses world economics and the onset of Aids.

Jack violates a couple of his earlier rules in this book.  He gets attached to both a client and a single mom in this book.  Jack's normal reaction to bad folks is aptly illustrated in this book.  It seemed dated until I read the copywrite of 1998.   Some themes are timeless and sadly in this book, their are a couple of disturbing themes than continue to plague us.

There is plenty of action and if you have an Old Testament attitude toward retribution you are going to devour this series.    

I recommend the book and I plan on reading more of the series.

Site:  http://repairmanjack.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.

Kick by John L. Monk

This book is far from a kick.  It makes you consider the consequences of you actions.  Dan Jenkins face reality through eyes other than his own and sees the consequences of their actions.

This is an unusual book.  It is vignettes of violence interspersed with introspection.   I’m struggling here to describe the book without giving away the basic premise.   Dan’s life is a living hell or perhaps purgatory.   He discovers there is more to his internal self image than he ever imagined.

Imagined is a good word as Mr. Monk has imagined a very interesting scenario.  There are parts of the book that are not for the faint of heart but they fit the plot so plow on through.

I recommend this book!

Web Site:  http://john-l-monk.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.

Not Authorized by Whit Gentry

We met him in the first Whit Gentry book.  Jake is more of a bit player in this book.  Women are being abducted and Jake finds himself drawn into the seedy human trafficking trade.

Whit paints some pretty despicable villains.   His hero’s are also questionable folks.   Whit writes a story that portrays a current version of rough western justice.  

Old Testament justice is central to the theme of the book.   The bad guys discover that without the rule of law they are susceptible to the same type of violence that they so glibly dish out. 

Two private contractors, ex-military, are the Warriors in a very black op that until you read the book is information that is NOT Authorized!

Whit Gentry is crafting a niche with his gritty fiction.  The nature of his characters reflect the real emotions that normal people would have when faced with horrendous circumstances.   Most people would not have the courage or fortitude to purse the course taken by Jake and Bill Toliver.     

Once again Whit Gentry has evoked emotion with his story telling.  He, again, has made a masterful display of creative ambivalence that characterizes the plot.   Intellectually I find much the protagonists did very wrong but emotionally I can see the needful justification for the greater good. 

I look forward to reading more from Whit Gentry.

I highly recommend the book.

Web site:  http://whitgentry.com/bio

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

Lethal by Sandra Brown

This is an excellent mystery with rogue agents, dirty cops and sexy women.

For some reason I think of Sandra Brown as a romantic fiction author.  Well I, once again, need to revise my thoughts.  This was a very entertaining, difficult to put down mystery. 

The characters were varied and colorful.   Ms. Brown paints a brilliant canvas with bold strokes and steamy sexual tension.   Oh, and action, I can’t forget action.  There is plenty of gruesome violence and determination.   The bad guys are bad but Ms. Brown provides enough background to get a feel for why they are bad.   The good guys are just as complex and so are their feelings and actions.  

Coburn is the quintessential bad good guy, ala James Dean.   He is on a path of discovery and his tour guide is a sexy widow and a 4 year old ice breaker.  Emily’s impact on Coburn may have been the most telling emotion in the book.  

I really enjoyed this book.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Sandra Brown

Web site: http://sandrabrown.net/

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/

Odd Jobs by Ben Lieberman

 Kevin Davenport is the main character in this story Kevin has had enormous tragedy in his life. The story is a coming-of-age in the seamier side of life.

Kevin was a likable character in spite of his many faults. I think because of the characterization and the language he truly represented a guy his age dealing with some pretty major problems. I think this seems represented in the factory where he was being hazed by the guys were true to life. Any college kid that has worked in a factory for a summer job has discovered that there oftentimes is resentment of the fact that they're in college and their peers aren't.

It is a sad reality of life the crime does exist. Most of us are fortunate enough not to have been exposed to it.  The book was pretty fast-paced and highly compelling. I think the author did an excellent job at the end in explaining the negative side effects of seeking revenge. If you get put off by violence and graphic action you may want to avoid this book.

I recommend book.

Body of work: Ben Lieberman

website:  http://benliebermanbooks.com/

Thou Shalt Kill by Daniel Blake

This is a complex and compelling murder mystery set in Pittsburgh, PA.

Growing up in western Pennsylvania, I found the setting for this story quite interesting.   It is always fun to be able to picture exactly where the author is taking you.   That is not to take away from Blake’s descriptions.  He did a good job describing both the environment and the people.   For Pittsburghers, the Steelers are not so much a sports team as a life style cult.   I haven’t been in Pittsburgh for 15 years and yet I have a Steeler sticker on my car, I have a terrible towel, black and gold scarves, more Steeler ball caps than I can count, Steeler head covers for my golf clubs a Steeler swim suit and more and I don’t even live there any more.   Black captured the essence of the community quite accurately. 

The characters were believable as were their motivations.   The emotional vacuums in the protagonist’s lives were clearly responsible for their aberrant behavior.

The story line was clear but complex so it kept your interest and never got boring.   Current events were incorporated to provide a very up to date feel for the setting.   Daniel Blake did an excellent job with this book. 

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Daniel Blake

Web site:  Did not find one.  

Revenge: No Statute of Limitations by Whit Gentry

 If you carry a grudge, you will find a pair of kindred souls in this debut thriller.  

Whit Gentry has successfully created a positive reputation with his first book.   His characters were believable and portrayed with clarity and panache.   I found myself highly outraged at the circumstance and oddly sympathetic.  

Evoking emotion always indicates to me a consummate story teller.   Whit has certainly evoked emotions in this book.   A masterful display of creative ambivalence characterizes the plot.  

I look forward to reading more from Whit Gentry.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Whit Gentry

Web site:  http://whitgentry.com/bio

The Deep Blue Good-By by John D. MacDonald

Travis McGee is a beach bum with a talent for finding wounded birds and murderous mayhem. A charming ex-con tramautizing McGee’s neighborhood discovers that only one good man is needed to stand in his way. McGee involves himself in other peoples business and collects his lumps.

Over the years I have read as many of the John D. MacDonald Travis McGee novels as I have been able to acquire. His stories are classic, hero with a heart, diamond in the rough, private eye stories that I grew up loving. In spite of my overwhelming love of fantasy and scifi, I always made time to read the latest Travis McGee tale.

The stories are dated, the scenes are changed, the environment and mores are dramatically altered and yet the story still entertains. Timeless mysteries with an admirable protagonist.

I highly recommend it.

Body of work of John D. MacDonald

Web Site: http://www.jdmhomepage.org/jdmhomepage.org/index.html

Once Wicked Always Dead by T. Marie Benchley

This book has a cover that will grab you. I don’t know that I have ever mentioned a cover in a post before but I do love this cover. A story of treachery, betrayal and modern, flexible mores contrasts with a cowboy morality. This could also be characterized as a tale of vigilante justice.

Molly Madison nee O’Malley unhappily lives a superficially perfect life. A perfect husband, a successful social life and an enviable life style is shattered by startling revelations and the shocking demise of loved ones. Molly rises admirably to combat her detractors. Her strength of characters suggests that there are many women in lives that they would change if they could.

Clayton the ranch foreman is described in terms that seem more appropriate to a Harlequin romance than a mystery.

The characters were portrayed with broad brush strokes and little depth. They were not believable but they were entertaining. The depths of anger and hatred did strike a chord with some of the more lurid tabloid headlines.

This was a good mystery and an entertaining read.

I recommend it.

Body of work of T. Marie Benchley

Site:

The Capitol Game by Brian Haig

One can only hope this is a fictionalized account of corporate corruption’s impact on the legislative process.

I found the book chilling as it seems entirely too realistic after reading any newspaper, electronic or otherwise. The plot could be gleaned out of any issue of the New York Times or Washington Post.

Jack Wiley was just shy of being super heroic. His brilliant plan and it’s execution leave you hanging at each chapters end, lusting for more. It is a difficult book to put down. The only thing I disliked is that it seems entirely too likely to be true.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Brian Haig

Web Site: http://www.brianhaig.net/

The Hunted by Brian Haig

A frightening story of corruption and violence, Haig shows that lack of morals is not restricted to foreigners. A lurid story of corruption at the highest level in the “new” Russia, “The Hunted” showcases the KGB role in modern Russia. A young entrepreneur finds that democracy doesn’t truly exist when a mafia, KGB consortium conspires to steal his fortune. He discovers the corruption is as rampant in the USA as in his home country. The depths that politicians sink to further their own goals with out regard to human rights is depressing, especially considering the book is a fictional account of a true story.

Haig portrayed an ambitious, talented couple with compassion and interest. Alex and Elena would be likeable and interesting without the violent story line. The character development was superb. The story line was dismayingly frightening. There was a surreal feel about the story that suggested improbability. In historic perspective the story may have been less lurid than reality in the “new” Russia. The lack of concern by high officials in both governments for human rights was depressing. It put totally new perspective on the whole illegal immigrant debacle.

I enjoyed the book, I recommend it. It was unpredictable and depressing on occasion but it didn’t just hold my interest, it snatched it, grappled with it and squeezed it without mercy until I turned the last page.

Body of work of Brian Haig

Defiance by Alex Konanykhin is the non-fictional account of the trials and tribulations faced by the author as a young Russian entrepreneur. It is reviewed here.

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

Review: http://genregoroundreviews.blogspot.com/2009/06/hunted-brian-haig.html

The Texicans by Nina Vida

Nina Vida’s book is a character study of the variety of people who emigrated to Texas and formed the state. She shows the disparity between the newly arrived, the native Americans and the Mexicans. It is a tale of prejudice and perseverance.

I enjoyed the book. The central character Joseph Kimmel shows the strengths that define Texas and the flaws the define human nature. Kimmel’s basic dissatisfaction with life and his unrequited desires for a life that might have been are central to the books theme. Each major character is totally humanized by Vida. They don’t seem like characters in a book, they seem like real, live people. Katrin’s desire to be the best she could be was both inspiring and sad. It seems like a sequel is necessary to track the further lives of these people. It was compelling voyeurism.


Body of work of Nina Vida

Review: http://bethsbookreviewblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/interview-and-giveaway-texicans-by-nina.html

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

Killjoy by Julie Garwood

Every time I find a new author I discover that I have just been missing them for years. Garwood writes a nice mystery. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. A sociopath with a long memory hooks up with a second sociopath to provide plenty of violence and action. Family entanglements add a bit of spice to the plot with low self esteem being trumped by self centered egotism. The anti-hero hero becomes less anti and the low self esteem heroine becomes more confident. A good story, I recommend it.

Body of work of Julie Garwood

Review: http://sr.thebestreviews.com/review7119

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

Sacred Stone by Clive Cussler & Craig Dirgo

Sacred Stone was ok. The story was entertaining but if you weren’t already familiar with a lot of the characters, you would be uncertain of their identity. The book read choppy. The chapters were often very, very short, as in one or two pages. The premise was excellent but the delivery was less than elegant. Dirk Pitt was supplanted by Juan Cabrillo, chairman of the Corporation. The Corporation is a multi-tasking band of mercenaries with good hearts. They are pro-USA but will work with some of our allies. They have close ties to the government and often receive sub-contracts from organizations like the CIA. Actually the subcontracting theme infused a sense of realism to the story considering recent government and corporate behavior. The book is worth reading, the premise is altogether too likely but this book isn’t up to the Cussler standard of excellence.

Body of work of Clive Cussler

Review of the book: http://www.cusslermen.com/SacredStone.htm

His site: http://www.cusslerbooks.com/

Protect and Defend by Vince Flynn

If you are into Old Testament justice, you will love Vince Flynn’s work. In an action laden format, set as about as current as you can get in today’s world, Mitch Rapp is an “out of control” CIA operative who takes terrorism very, very personally. Flynn’s Mitch Rapp makes John Wayne look like a reticent sissy. He believes in himself and his country and hates politicians. This is a very sobering book on the intricacies of the Middle East political arena. I have read Flynn, I have been able to find. I have enjoyed them all, this is no exception.

Body of work of Vince Flynn

Review: http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews2/9780743270410.asp


Web Site: http://www.vinceflynn.com/protectanddefend.html