Tough Cookie by M. Ruth Myers

Maggie Sullivan pistol whips a breath of fresh air into the moldy corpse of the hard boiled dick.  (No Snicker, come on, we are all adults here!)  It is about time that the stalwarts like Travis McGee and Mike Hammer moved over for a broad with an attitude, a dame, a gat carrying, nylon wearing DAME!  (Same intro as the last review of an M. Ruth Myers' Maggie Sullivan book but I still like it.)

Maggie's client  has been swindled and he is not happy.   He wants Maggie to find out what hole the dirty rotten rat  has slithered into and drag him out by his slimy skinny tail.

Maggie, as usual, ends up butting heads with both authority and the nefarious villains.   Equally as usual, her good heart, surrounds her with stalwart aides and companions.  

The depths of the Great Depression flesh out the scenery in this book.   The vernacular of the time is used but understandable.   The mystery has sufficient depth to keep your attention and enough gritty realism to make it believable.

Connelly's revelations about Ireland add additional veracity to the book, brief as that revelation was.  Myers does a good job making her characters breathe.

I recommend the book and look forward to seeing more of Maggie Sullivan.

Web Site: http://www.mruthmyers.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.

Double Agents by Ethan Jones

This is the fourth book in the Justin Hall series.   Justin is a Canadian Intelligence Service agent.   Carrie O’Connor, Justin's partner, and Justin roam the mean and dangerous streets of Moscow trying to discover what US location is being targeted by  Chechnyan terrorists.     

Once again Jones pulls his themes from current events.   He portrays friction between the CIA and Canada's CIS which smacks of authenticity if you consider that the US CIA doesn't play nicely with the NSA or the FBI.   The inner workings of the current Russian hierarchy doesn't seem to play well with their own agencies either.  

The story has an intricate plot with harsh villains having no care for civilian casualties.   In all fairness none of the intelligence agencies come out smelling too rosy in this book.

There is action abounding to keep you turning the pages.

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.

Merry Christmas 2013

Merry Xmas 2013

The Final Judgment by Richard North Patterson

This is a book about self redemption.   A multi

generational look at a dysfunctional family who becomes embroiled in a murder is it's focus.

Caroline Masters, the main, protagonist is self contained, self created and self absorbed.   She has taken pain and glorified it into a personality builder.  Her estrangement from her family helps her to reinforce her aloofness.  

The author forces Caroline to face her fears and her family when her niece is arrested.   The family is portrayed in painstaking detail.   The plot is intricate without being confusing.   The author does a superior job at keeping key facts within reach but just out of sight.

This is an enjoyable mystery with personal redemption and developing self awareness as part of the mix. 

I enjoyed the book and I recommend the book.

Web Site: http://www.richardnorthpattersonbooks.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.

Heroic Measures by Greg Smith

Greg's short story published by the recently launched Amazon StoryFront imprint. How cool is that!  Couldn't happen to a nicer guy!

Psychiatrist Dr. Renee Conway has taken on a new patient: Kevin Reynolds, the local hero who ran into a burning building to save a young family from certain death. When the rescue goes horrifically wrong, a boy is dead and Kevin suffers excruciating burns. Plagued with nightmares and left with a horribly disfigured face, Kevin finds celebrity its own torture.

As Conway helps Kevin sift through his guilt and grief, his recounting begins to unnerve her. Odd details and detours hint at another side to the story. Despite the lives he saved, Conway finds herself questioning why Kevin ran into the building, and why he walked into her office.

J. Gregory Smith, author of the Paul Chang Mystery series and Kindle bestseller A Noble Cause, delivers a dark, intense story about heroic motivations and the inevitable hand of fate.

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