The Thieves of Darkness by Richard Doetsch

Move over Cussler, there is a new guy in town. At least new to me, I see that he has quite a few novels under his belt. I will be seeking those out. This is a saga of a “retired” thief, a priest, cop and beautiful woman questing against evil. Sounds more like the beginning of a tired joke but there isn’t anything tiring about this book except you, when you can’t put it down. A classic adventure romp with jailbreaks, legends, evil and mystery, this book is guaranteed entertainment.

I found Michael and KC’s relationship tiring. However since I have known couples who exhibited similar bizarre relational behavior, I did find theirs believable. Busch was a bit more difficult to believe due to his normalcy and supposed stable marital arrangement, great sidekick though.

The sociopathic psychopaths that provided the villainy were sadly believable. I’ve been lucky to have had very limited exposure to that type of distilled evil and those people do exist, dismayingly so.

I’m not sure rollicking adventure actually does justice to this book. It has some mystic and mysterious twists that lift it out of the mire of simple action adventure.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Richard Doetsch

Web Site:

Starstrike, Task Force Mars by Kevin Dockery and Douglas Niles

Starstrike is a military shoot-em-up. Regardless of the time frame and setting, it still is a somewhat simplistic and far fetched saga of a group of SEALS. The new SEALS as opposed to the original Navy Seals are space faring commandos. On their first off world training mission they encounter hostile aliens and requite themselves in the tradition of the real Navy Seals. In other words, they kick some alien butt.

Although none of the characters are memorable as individuals as a group they prove themselves ferocious warriors. The arrogant aliens grossly outnumber, out gun the SEALS. The alien technology is superiour. In spite of this the SEALS show the Aliens that we may be backward technologically but our spirit and ferocity are not to be underestimated. The story is a very entertaining, small unit combat novel.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Kevin Dockery
Body of work of Douglas Niles

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Domestic violence is despicable. It is dismaying to contemplate anyone subjected to violence let alone the horrific aspect of having someone you love and trust hurting you. The Pixel Project is sponsoring a project called Paint it Purple. I’ve recorded a YouTube video as per their program to show support for the end of domestic violence.


If someone you know is abused or abusing, they can find help at NOVA. NOVA stands for the Network of Victim Assistance and although they are local to Bucks County Pennsylvania, they do not limit their toll free help line to local residents. If you are in trouble, afraid for yourself or others, find help. NOVA 24 hours a day hotline #800-675-6900

Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon

Once again Moon has captivated me with her characters and her plots. This author has the ability to create a character that is like the girl next door but with super powers. Kylara Vatta is no super hero but she has grit and determination that overpowers all obstacles. Her dismissal from her life’s dream and her resultant resurrection in another direction provides the focus of the story. The trials, tribulations and action are icing on a delicious cake.

Kylara’s introspection into her own motivations and her questioning attitude flesh out her character with reality. Kylara’s character becomes real and you keep paging because you begin to care for her and want to see what she is facing next. The book is the first in a series and I have refrained from reading it until I could acquire all the books or at least all that have been announced and published at this point. This looks like the beginning of a terrific series with some similarities to David Weber’s Honor Harrington and as far as I am concerned that is a very good thing.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Elizabeth Moon

Site

Big Nate Strikes Again by Lincoln Peirce

This book is based on the comic strip of the same name, Big Nate. It targets the lucrative Diary of A Wimpy Kid market. It details the trials and tribulations of 6th grader Big Nate.

The humor in this book is definitively age appropriate. I have a grandson in 6th grade and he could have written sections of this book. Peirce captures the frustrations, fears and emotions of a 6th grade boy and his particular phobia regarding the opposite sex. Big Nate is well done and offers good humor for the 4th to 7th grade reader. Gina, his nemesis is a composite of the girls that you remember from grade school. As a former 5th grade teacher, I found the book entertaining.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Lincoln Peirce

Web Site:

Excellent web site for kids.