The Secret Affair by Ethan Jones

Kudos to Ethan Jones for diving into the uncharted waters of a new genre.   New genre in that Jones' prior books were action thrillers and this is a chick lit romantic suspense.   No doubt my characterization will offend someone, practically anything you say, offends someone these days but a romantically oriented book with a feminine focus and mild references to reproductive actions and moderate violence but not terribly action oriented and a good story line regardless of those limitations seems like it is much more wordy than a chick lit romantic suspense.

This book showcases personality differences and how they can impact a business relationship.  It also is a launching platform for a new series.

I recommend it.

Web site: http://ethanjonesbooks.wordpress.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.

Deadly Promises by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love, Cindy Gerad and Laura Griffin

Romantic suspense was a surprising genre for me.   My introduction was fairly recent.   The three stories in this book have a commonality of action and sexual tension.   The guys are all hunks with soulful eyes, gentle hands and the smell of danger.  

My only complaint about this book is that there doesn’t seem to be any normal kind of guys who rise to heroic deeds.   The male protagonists are way larger than life, reveling in physical mayhem and then showing up in a silk shirt with passionate plans.

The stories are harder to believe than the sword and sorcery or space operas that I prefer.   That doesn’t mean that the books won’t cause heaving bosoms and shortness of breath in the gender targeted audience.  (I don’t think I have ever typed the word bosom before.)

What is truly dismaying is that I didn’t find the book repugnant.   I enjoyed the stories.  I can’t decide if this means that I am a manly man in touch with my feminine side or a major woos.   (Word defined woos as to woo, but the Urban dictionary clearly states woos is a synonym for wimp.)  I am sure you can guess which description I favor. (at least in my own mind.)

I recommend the book.  

Body of work of Sherrilyn  Kenyon

Body of work of Dianna Love

Body of work of Cindy Gerad

Body of work of Laura Griffin

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

http://www.authordiannalove.com/

http://www.cindygerard.com/

http://www.lauragriffin.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 Ridge by Michael Koryta

Once again, Michael Koryta takes ordinary folks and puts them in extraordinary situations fraught with danger and mystery.   A lighthouse in the woods and an exotic cat rescue center draw focus on the deep woods surrounding a remote mining community with an unusual number of deaths.

Michael Koryta has the ability to bring to the printed word characters that you might know.   His characterizations are detailed and clear.   He paints scenarios that are vivid and emotionally evocative.  I found myself humming The Lions Roar Tonight several times as I read.    

Kevin Kimble’s infatuation was more far fetched than many things in the book, the man had a huge capacity for forgiveness.    To my mind, the eliciting of emotions is a mark of a successful author.   Koryta successfully draws out tension, anxiety, pity, empathy, anger, frustration, fear and love.   His books are difficult to qualify, not horror but certainly not mundane fiction.  

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Michael Koryta

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

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 Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

This is an outstanding mystery that will hold your attention to the very last word.  This is without a doubt fictional investigative journalism at its very best.   What is interesting is that the very foundation of the book is investigative journalism and the protagonist, Mikael, is grossly dissatisfied with his own media and their morals.

I started my recommendation of The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo using the same sentence as above two posts back on the 4th.  This book may be even  more so.

Lisbeth Salander is back with a vengeance.   This book gives us even more insight as to how she became who she is.  The plot is illustrative of governmental and bureaucracy that has run amuck and is eminently believable.

Once again, Mikael Blomkvist character 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 and made it extraordinarily difficult to put the darn book down. 

I will repeat my caution from the last book recommendation, you are a flaming idiot if you underestimate a woman due to her size, demeanor or gender. 

The character development and depth of detail makes this book.  It is impossible not to become immersed in the story.  I am currently reading the third and last book and so far it is as stressful to put down as the first two.

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/

Redemption by Laurel Dewey

This is a suspenseful private eye novel with a strong female protagonist.

Jane Perry’s tenacity is her greatest strength. I always like a book with a strong female protagonist. Of course in Jane’s case bull headed and stubborn might also apply. Her inability to accept those who want to help her appears to be her biggest fault.

The story bogged down for me when what appeared to be proselytization occurred. The spirituality and mysticism weren’t strong enough to categorize the book as fantasy or speculative but it seemed to pull it out of main stream literature’s path of normalcy. However when you are dealing with fictional psychopaths one does wonder what is normal.

I think the book and series starring Jane Perry will cultivate a strong following. I won’t be one of them. I just had a hard time staying with the story. The characters were colorful and the plot was intricate but it just didn’t grab my attention. I had a hard time reading it. That being said, I do think it will be a success, this is why there is chocolate and vanilla.

Body of work of Laurel Dewey

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

The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer

A fast moving Intrigue set in Washington D.C. fraught with  treachery,  politics and unbridled loyalty.

Being overly fond of books I was delighted to see the major protagonist is an archivist in the National Archives.   Beecher White is not a man of action, more of a spectator than a participator in life when a female blast from his past, Clementine, storms into his life and turns it topsy turvey. 

The National Archives hold more than data, it holds secrets and those secrets prove deadly.    The characterizations are excellent and the personality quirks are believable and frustrating.   Political secrets are so believable because of all of the corruption and deceit we see in day to day real life in our elected officials.   The author’s premise is eminently believable.  

Meltzer did an excellent job and this book is right up there with Vince Flynn and David Baldacci, two of my favorite authors.  

I highly recommend the book.

The Loch by Steve Alten

This is an excellent action adventure novel. The loch is Loch Ness and as you can guess the main character is Nessie the Loch Ness monster. Zack Wallace find the roots of his migraines and night terrors by returning to his roots while simultaneously solving multiple mysteries.

Zack is a believable character in his coping with his night terrors. An over achiever he must face his deep rooted fears. The popularity of the Loch Ness monster practically guarantees a successful book.

The author portrays the protagonist as a skeptic. That tends to make him for more believable. The friendship and family ties are complicated and convoluted just like the real world.

I enjoyed the action adventure aspects but the book is more complex than a simple adventure. It is also an excellent case study of personal redemption. The book is worth reading just for the character interaction. It has something for everyone, the Crusades, Knights, Templars, villains, monsters, murder, action, deception, evil, loyalty, friendship and redemption. Even reading my description I am surprised at how expansive the story line was.   This book truly is a must for the Loch Ness monster fans. 

I highly recommend it.

Body of work of Steve Alten

Web site: http://www.stevealten.com/fast_loading.htm

Wall of brass by Robert Daley

This book was a little different than the regular cop novel. This is more about political intrigue and unchecked ambitions. Murder and mayhem ensue.

Bert Farber appears to be a cops' cop. Starting in the trenches he ends up as Chief of Detectives responsible for 3000 cops. He has faith in the system and loves being a cop but is not a very good politician. Bert is a deeply reserved man. Face with the death of an old acquaintance he has difficulty sharing the facts of the case. The sheer number of people who have good reason to want Harry Chapman dead is daunting.

Bert's tenaciousness forces him to discover the man he shared a squad car with was not the same man he once knew.

The book shows that police are no different than the rest of society in their hopes and ambitions.

The author does an excellent job painting characters with a deep and colorful brush.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Robert Daley

No web site found.

The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming

This was a story of insidious collusion of conflicting ideologies at the highest levels. MI6 meets KGB in a surprisingly convoluted mystery.

Sam Gaddis, a bit of a gadfly academic, finds himself immersed in something far different than the backstabbing of academic circles. Sam’s naiveté is a bit difficult to swallow but its eventual erosion is more believable. I enjoyed his tenacity and his loyalty to his friends. I dismayed over some of his obvious moves and his unwillingness to address the seamier side of government.

The story was well told and the characters provided with enough depth to create believability. Historic facts were used well to provide credence for the story line.

I enjoyed the book and I recommend the book.

Body of work of Charles Cumming

Web site: http://www.charlescumming.co.uk/

Sword of God by Chris Kuzneski

Novels that read like current events are frequently frightening. This portrayal of an orchestrated mass murder to unite the diverse elements of Islam is very disturbing. The disturbing aspect is that it seemed eminently probable.

Jonathan Payne is larger than life and a good combination of Bruce Lee and John Wayne. His side kick D.J. Jones is a tad more believable. The novel does a nice job in the portrayal of feared elements both abroad and in our own government.

Sadly some of the behavior of those who wish this nation harm lead to an acceptance of deplorable means to stop them. This is a sobering look at terrorism and what it creates in both perpetrator and victim.

This is slam bang, thank you mum action and violence that is entertaining, easily read and digested but not for the faint of heart.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Chris Kuzneski

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

The Cypress House by Michael Koryta

This is a story of the great depression, the despair and the illicit means some used to survive. It is a love story in many ways as well as a crime and violence filled occult tale of how people can be trapped in situations beyond their control.

Michael Koryta is an artist. His characters have such life that it is simplicity itself to visualize them and their surroundings. I read the book while in Florida and found myself looking around for some of the scenery or characters.

The story was set in a time of depression and post war trauma. That setting resonated with today’s recession and returning veterans. War changes people and Koryta captured that essence of humanity.

I also liked how he showed a love between two unrelated men that had nothing to do with gender bias or sexual preference. Sometimes the depth of friendship is love that has absolutely nothing to do with sexuality. That type of relationship seems practically taboo in contemporary fiction.

Arlen Wagner’s skepticism of his own talent promoted belief in what he experience, much more than a simple presentation of that talent.

This the second of his books I have read and I will be actively seeking out the rest.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Michael Koryta

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

So Cold the River by Michael Koryta

A down and out want-to-be Stephen Spielburg find himself immersed in water, deceit and confusion. A trip to a famous resort for a simple project lands him in the most danger fraught period of his life.

Eric Shaw is a man with an enormous ego that has been shattered by failure. His self loathing promotes his driving of those who love him to despair. Koryta truly paints a man who conspires to destroy himself. The characterization is poignant and colorful. Small towns with secrets are a frequent topic of scary novels. This isn’t scary like a slasher film but more thought provoking scary.

The books is primarily an exploration of Eric’s personal redemption but ancillary characters such as his wife, Claire and Kellen Cage are also well done. I particularly enjoyed the quirky Anne McKinney looking to the sky for personal redemption.

Josiah Campbell was almost a stereotypical red neck haunted by a desire to be someone and no ambition to get there. This book was overflowing with memorable characters that added both their own nobility and despicable behavior.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Michael Koryta

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

Boiling Point by K.L. Dionne

Scientists deal with their ethics, morals and personal frailty as they tackle pollution, volcanic eruption and global warming.

This is not a tale for any with a weak heart. Ms. Dionne plunges into contemporary controversy and personal relationships from page one. She uses the issue of global warming and possible scientific solutions to set her stage and then uses an erupting volcano to add drama. It sounds complicated but it works very well. You are draw into the characters concerns and personalities while the action is fueled by the awesome power of a volcanic eruption.

This book forces you to ponder the questions of global warming and the ethics behind individual responsibility for both creating and solving such dramatic issues.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of K. L. Dionne

Web site: http://berkleysignetmysteries.com/author421

Unforgivable by Laura Griffin

Romantic suspense, who knew that was a genre? I learn something new every day and this is a correctly named genre. Well done suspense with steamy interludes. Mia Voss is a DNA expert who finds herself targeted due to her expertise. She finds protection and much, much more from Detective Ric Santos.
I have to admit that preceding the word suspense with romantic nearly convinced me not to read the book. I’m not a fan of the romance genre. Ms. Griffin successfully blends suspense with strong romantic overtones. I found the book entertaining and fast paced and I suspect my wife will find the romantic aspects a little more appealing than I did. This seems to fit the current mainstream perchance for crossovers whether it is in vehicles or books.

The author did accurately portray the inability to address emotions and feelings that many men share. I also liked the strength of character portrayed by the females in the story. They were strong and able without losing any femininity. Perhaps if more authors portrayed women as successful, confident characters the stereotypes of yesteryear could finally be eradicated. .

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Laura Griffin

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