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

Lassiter by Paul Levine

A pseudo-loser tough guy attorney is a mouth full but if you add ex-pro-football player you have an apt description of this loose cannon protagonist with the attitude of a rabid pit-bull. Lassiter defends the unsavory, unwashed and unwanted with an unorthodox style that leaves him on the razor edge of disbarment in this mystery that reeks or the underbelly of south Florida and the porn industry.

Paul Levine does a masterful job in crafting a likeable character in Jake Lassiter. He humanizes him by carefully including his faults and then he highlights the man’s innate goodness. Familial patterns had little to do with creating this craggy Don Quitoic aging athlete. You find yourself wiping the sweat off your brow in the hot Florida sunshine so image invoking is Levine’s writing. Once again I am mystified that I was unaware of this author.

I liked the plot, the intricately woven web of deceit and betrayal that leaves a lingering odor of grimy back rooms and slimy ne’er-do-wells populating the silicon pumped porn industry. Levine succeeds in keeping your interest high with both morality and action in unlikely scenarios and characters. I can’t guess if you will be educated but you will most definitely be entertained with this book.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Paul Levine

Web Site: http://www.paul-levine.com/content/index.asp

A Sword In Her Hand by Jean-Claude Van Rijkeghem and Pat Van Beirs

In 1347 a surprisingly modern female protagonist was born in Flanders. Not Flanders N.J. but Flanders a region with a rich history in Belgium.

In the modern world it is entirely to easy to forget how important small and nearly unknown regions of the world had historic impact. Marguerite Van Male was the last heiress of the Count of Flanders. From the authors’ deductions she would have been burning her bra and marching on the Pentagon if she had been born 625 years later. I enjoyed the portrayal of a young woman unwilling to accept the stereotypes of her time period. The authors painted a grimly realistic portrait of poor hygiene, stringent social codes and devastating diseases culminating in an early demise for the bulk of the population.

Even the background setting of the story provided insight to how the wealth involved in sheep and woven goods was changing the fabric of a stagnant society both literally and figuratively. The supplanting of the power of hereditary nobles by the wealth of the rising guilds was a excellent backdrop for the coming of age of a feisty non-conformist.

This is a book that will go well in my list of butt kicking female protagonists.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Jean-Claude Van Rijkeghem

Body of work of Pat Van Beirs

Web Sites: http://www.annickpress.com/authors/vanbeirs.asp?author=574 http://www.annickpress.com/authors/vanRijckeghem.asp?author=573

The Start-Up! Episode 2: The Anti-Social Network by Sadie Hayes

This is a follow up to The Start-Up, a short story on fledgling businesses and the geeky intrigue of Silicon Valley.

I reviewed the first episode and liked it. This picks up where episode one ended. Adam and Amelia, twins are the featured protagonists again. Amelia portrays a clueless coder who revels in technology. Adam is her more business focused brother. The both exhibit startling naïveté in the story, Adam more than Amelia.

I’m familiar with overly ambitious young entrepenurs and I think there was reasonable accuracy at depiciting the unscrupulous behavior where large dollar amounts are involved.

The story reads quickly, one sitting quickly and I read it on my beloved Droid X.

Worth reading.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Sadie Hayes

Web Site: www.TheStartUpBooks.com

Merry Christmas

May all your wishes come true this holiday season!
Merry Christmas!