Tag Archives: Thriller

Novus Dies (The Posterity Doctrine 1) by Schalk Holloway-review

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Novus Dies (The Posterity Doctrine 1) by Schalk Holloway-review & excerpt

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The year is 2364. Robotics and advanced communication technology is failing inexplicably. As if in concert, hostile militant factions are adapting and attacking faster than which the Collective—the preeminent society of the age—can respond.

The epicentre is the Durban Reclamation Zone. After a frightening robot on human attack, husband and wife operator team, Kate and Monty Park, are tasked to investigate. Like all members of the Special Task Force, the Park’s are decorated and retired warfighters with proven track records, and usually only called in when security operations might need heavy hitters.

When the investigation starts unfolding at neck breaking speed, the Parks quickly find themselves outside the Collective perimeter, in areas of the metro that have been long forgotten, or that few even knew existed. To make matters worse, they notice subtle signs that their squad of security robots might be going rogue and they begin to question whether they can trust the hardware that they rely on to protect them.

Assets are destroyed, lives are lost, and before long the military is placed on standby. Throughout the upheaval and chaos, one thing becomes certain: what Kate and Monty Park discover in the next 72 hours will usher humanity into a new era.

••••••

REVIEW: NOVUS DIES is the first instalment in Schalk Holloway’s adult THE POSTERITY DOCTRINE sci-fi, action series set in the year 2364.

Told from omniscient dual third person perspectives (Kate and Monty Park) NOVUS DIES is set in a futuristic time period in which artificial intelligence aka AI has evolved into a sentient collective, and their directive may ultimately be to control the human populations. In the early test stages, small anomolies catch the attention of the people in charge but the danger to the human population may be a threat to them all. As a squadron commander, Kate Park will quickly discover that her trio of bots have a mindset of their own, a mindset that may be targeting our story line heroine.

NOVUS DIES is set in a detailed, complex and multi-layered world of possibilities including AI, SI, cyborgenics, sentience, and loss of control. Think Star Trek ‘cyborgs’ meets I,Robot, wherein the ‘collective’, although of one mind, are individuating, acclimating and evolving into something more. NOVUS DIES is an entertaining, interesting and though provoking story of what if and how.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

A flush, covert panel sits at eye level, not far from the apartment’s
front door. To its right are the rec room’s manual light buttons.
Electronics are dark, and every wall opening is sealed by perfectly
fabricated doors and blackout windows. The space is silent—
mandated as such to allow for optimal sleep.
When the Deep Space Atomic Clock broadcasts its second daily
timestamp, Collective society on the 20/35 longitudinal resets to
00:00.
1
Novus Dies
The Otto home automation unit pings its update server from a
back-box behind the left panel. The update package checks out
against the header and security data, and the unit accepts the update
without question. It places all active services into its autonomic
bank and then reboots so fast that no human would have noticed the
downtime. Back online, it retrieves all active services from the
bank, and then switches all the lights in the apartment to full
luminance.
‘What the!’ comes a loud shout from the master bedroom.
The rec room’s newly cataloged furniture and art speak of
contemporary bachelorhood—a spartan and sleek aesthetic, with the
man now stumbling through the doorway the only item that’s
seemingly out of place.
The man shields his eyes with his palms and goes to stand in the
center of the room. Squinting against the brightness, he drops his
hands from his face and flicks one wrist a couple of times. When
nothing happens, he repeats the procedure in different directions:
first to his left, then to his right, and eventually he turns around and
flicks his wrist in the direction he came from. Still there’s no
response.
He starts searching for something and, eventually finding the
half-forgotten manual light buttons next to the Otto’s panel, pumps
them with all the vehemence his exhausted and hungover self can
muster.
At last the Otto switches all the lights off again and the man
lumbers back to his room, mumbling incoherently. When he’s
halfway there, the Otto again switches on all the lights and the man
groans as he arches his back and tugs at his hair. When he starts
moving back toward the manual buttons, the home automation unit
2
Schalk Holloway
quickly switches all the lights off again. The man’s arms shoot out
like a tightrope walker fighting off a wobble, and then he freezes.
The Otto switches all the lights on and off three times in quick
succession.
Furious, the man speeds back to his room, picks up his comms
unit, and seats it in his right ear. ‘Otto, who can I call about this
malfunction?’ The Otto rattles off a few options, but before long the
unit’s gender-neutral robotic drone gets on the man’s nerves and he
arches his back again and claws at his chest. ‘Just call the building
rep!’
Before the call connects, the Otto starts strobing the lights on
and off, and the man rushes back to the rec room, hoping to find
something to vent his frustration on. The Otto doesn’t tell him, but it
hasn’t called the rep. Instead, it found the correct dial tone in the
wild and is merely repeating it incessantly over the man’s comms.
The man lets the Otto cycle through a host of other contacts, only to
get the same grating dial tone with each attempt


 

Schalk Holloway is a subject literature author in the fields of Christian ministry, as well as professional combatives instruction. His first book, ‘Die Groot Storie’, was traditionally published by Struik Christian Media (CSM is the preeminent publisher for Christian books in South Africa), and can be found on the shelves of most South African chain bookstores. ‘The Maul Book’, co-authored by Gavin Coleman, as well as his ‘Schalk’s Little Book Series’, can be found on Amazon. 
In 2022 Schalk suffered a severe injury leading to multiple surgeries and a long period of recovery. Subsequently, he retired from certain instructional and operational environments. He is now enjoying an independent career as novelist. His first novels, ‘The Brooklyn Saga’, are a crossover between psychological thriller and realistic fiction. These books draw inspiration from his extensive experience running interventions and operations in at-risk communities. Schalk is currently working on more titles for his ‘Little Book Series’ as well as the hard and military scifi series, ‘The Posterity Doctrine’.  
Neurodivergence and C/PTSD themes feature strongly in in all Schalk’s tales.
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The Reaper Follows by Heather Graham – a Review

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The Reaper Follows by Heather Graham – a Review

 

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Description:
Death comes for everyone.

Deep in the Florida Everglades, the body of a woman is discovered in pieces, presumably ravaged by an alligator. Upon closer inspection, it’s determined no animal could make such perfectly precise cuts. Only a blade could do that. Wielded by a human. Soon, dozens of oil drums emerge amid the river of grass. Each one packed to the brim with body parts.

FDLE special agent Amy Larson and her partner, FBI special agent Hunter Forrest, share a bad feeling that extends beyond the horrifying nature of the grim discovery. They’ve seen this kind of sadistic killing before, and when a small beige horse is discovered at the bottom of one of the barrels, they know exactly what it means. The fourth horseman of the apocalypse rides a pale horse—and his name is Death.

With so many bodies to identify, connecting one victim to the next is easier said than done. But finding a pattern in the chaos might be the only way Amy and Hunter can zero in on the killer, testing their skills as agents—and their relationship—like never before. And when the disturbing trail of clues signals these slayings are just the beginning, the agents will have to return to where it all started before it’s too late. The apocalypse is coming, and Hunter and Amy have only one chance to stop it, even if it means sacrificing each other.

 

 

Review:

The Reaper Follows by Heather Graham is the 4th book in her Amy Larson & Hunter Forest FBI series. When bodies start turning up in the Florida Everglades, dozens of oil drums emerge filled with body parts.  They have seen this kind of killing before, and when a small beige horse is found in one of the barrels: they know what it means. Both continue their investigation into a series of crimes linked to the four horsemen in the Book of Revelations; the 4th one meaning death. FDLE special agent Amy Larson and her partner, FBI special agent Hunter Forrest, with both of them on this case since the beginning. This final book brings us to the final horseman and mastermind; who rides a pale horse. Amy and Hunter know they are close to finding the mastermind, who is killing so many people, especially in the Everglades.

Though we do not know who is the killer until near the end, we know he considers himself the archangel, and brainwashes his followers; then when they are no longer needed, he kills them.  The mastermind (archangel) is a manipulator who manages to sway people to his cause. Sadly, many of these deluded cult followers take their own lives.  I will say that half way through the I did suspect who the killer was.

I really liked the duo of Amy and Hunter, as in this 4th book, they are both planning to marry, once this case is solved.   Amy is an amazing tough and fearless detective, who pushes herself to exhaustion, even when her superiors force her to get sleep and rest.  Hunter being FBI, and closely working with all the agents that have gathered where the bodies have been found; he is also determined to protect Amy at any cost.  As noted previously, they both made a great team.  The romance between Amy and Hunter was sweet, as it was spread throughout the book. I really liked so many of the agents and secondary characters, who all played major parts in this conclusion; Aiden, Sabrina, Mickey, Jimmy, and so many wonderful team members. They all made a great team, working hard together to solve the case.  

The Reaper Follows was an intense, suspenseful, haunting, dangerous story that kept us unable to put the book down; especially in the last quarter of the book when Amy’s life was in danger and she knew who the killer was.  The story was a great plot, fantastic characters, and the murders were gruesome.  The Reaper Follows was so very well written by Heather Graham, who once again gives us a fabulous murder mystery.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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CENTAURI’S SHADOW by Ross Garner-Review & Guest Post

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CENTAURI’S SHADOW by Ross Garner-Review and Guest Post

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 8, 2024

‘Eight years ago they sent a single ship to test our defences. Now they’re building an armada.’

Cole grew up in the shadow of grief. Kyoko grew up in the shadow of war. Two pilots, separated by time, set out on parallel journeys to Proxima Centauri. What they find could be the start of something new. What they bring with them could be the end of all we know.

In this sweeping science fiction debut from Ross Garner, readers will find an Earth that is transformed by fear of an imminent invasion; a space station in orbit that acts as a gateway to other worlds; a Martian colony with all of the threat and violence of the Old West; and a distant star where answers can be found.

What is ‘the signal’? A greeting, or a threat?

••••

REVIEW: CENTAURI’S SHADOW by Ross Garner is an adult, science fiction thriller focusing on a potential war on the horizon with an alien race.

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Cole and Kyoko), focusing on two timelines, CENTAURI’S SHADOW follows in the wake of a message from space possibly signifying a senscient lifeform from beyond the sun but the UNSA’s (United Nations Space Agency) first attempt to circumnavigate the sun, ends in disaster, and years later, the sole remaining survivor, volunteers to set a plan into motion, to reach the Centauri system, in an effort to complete the original mission.

Meanwhile, several decades into the future, Earth and its’ colony on Mars have been attacked by an unknown enemy, and Kyoko and her crew of fighter pilots is tasked with ending all future attacks but Kyoko will quickly discover that all is not well on her voyage towards the end.

The characters are numerous, determined, dynamic and often lost. Mars is not so much a respite from Earth, but a virtual imprisonment for those who have been forgotten or have no direction home.

CENTAURI’S SHADOW is a detailed, complex and intriguing story of what ifs and whys. Humans have not learned from the past, and the past is gearing to repeat itself over and over again. Every generation or two fights for power and control, and in this, vengeance and greed lead to another war that no one will win.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Click HERE to read the first chapter of CENTAURI’S SHADOW by Ross Garner

The Wright Flyer to Apollo 11

By Ross Garner

In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made history as the inventors and pilots of the Wright Flyer: the first airplane. Of the first four test flights, the most successful was the last: covering a distance of 260 metres.  

Just 66 years later, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins flew Apollo 11 a distance of 953,054 miles. They landed on the moon, and returned safely.

There aren’t many people who lived through both events. A person born in the United States in the 1880s had a life expectancy of just 40 years. But there were some: a miraculous few who experienced first hand the transition from the Old West to the Space Age.

What was their reaction to this dramatic change in our technological capability? Did they feel like time travellers, leaving the world of the horse and wagon behind in favour of rockets and satellites?

It was this idea that led to the writing of Centauri’s Shadow, my first novel.

I imagined an astronaut, setting out alone to visit our closest star: Proxima Centauri. The journey would take him 40 trillion kilometres away from Earth. With today’s technology, it would take 70,000 years.

He would need to be frozen somehow, waiting to be reawakened on arrival.

And how might his home planet have changed while he slept?

If humankind’s technology could shift from a flimsy biplane to a rocket-fuelled spaceship in just 66 years, how might it evolve over 70,000 years?

It seemed reasonable to conclude that our technology would continue to improve. That the journey time would shrink from 70,000 years, to something more manageable.

By the time our astronaut arrived, Proxima Centauri could be home to millions of people: living in spaceships, space stations, and on other worlds.

I thought about this astronaut: sacrificing his life on Earth to be the first great explorer to visit another star, only to find that the journey had been pointless. The time, wasted. The sacrifice, meaningless.

And I decided to turn this idea into a book.

The story of Centauri’s Shadow evolved in the writing. The astronaut in question became Cole Anderson, and he journeys to Proxima Centauri not with a traditional rocket but with the use of solar sails: a method of propulsion that already exists and uses the pressure from solar radiation to gain speed.

With a bit of science fiction fudgery, the journey time was reduced to 30 years: allowing for a stronger emotional tie to Cole’s life and relationships back home. But the core concept remained, including the themes of time and sacrifice.

And the original idea lingers in the novel in another major way: the notion of the Old West, complete with saloons, brothels, missionaries and violence, re-emerged in the form of the first martian colony.

It took me 10 years in total to finish the story. A rather damning reflection of my ability to get things done when compared to the accomplishments of those who followed in the steps of the Wright brothers.

But I came to have sympathy for Cole, with all his faults. He did his best to find his way, as we all do.

Readers can make up their own minds whether it was worth it.

Centauri’s Shadow is available now on Amazon (US / UK / Canada)

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THE HOUSE ON BISCAYNE BAY by Chanel Cleeton-review

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THE HOUSE ON BISCAYNE BAY by Chanel Cleeton-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 9, 2024

With the Great War finally behind them, thousands of civilians and business moguls alike flock to South Florida with their sights set on making a fortune. When wealthy industrialist Robert Barnes and his wife, Anna, build Marbrisa, a glamorous estate on Biscayne Bay, they become the toast of the newly burgeoning society. Anna and Robert appear to have it all, but in a town like Miami, appearances can be deceiving, and one scandal can change everything.

Years later following the tragic death of her parents in Havana, Carmen Acosta journeys to Marbrisa, the grand home of her estranged older sister, Carolina, and her husband, Asher Wyatt. On the surface, the gilded estate looks like paradise, but Carmen quickly learns that nothing at Marbrisa is as it seems. The house has a treacherous legacy, and Carmen’s own life is soon in jeopardy . . . unless she can unravel the secrets buried beneath the mansion’s facade and stop history from repeating itself.

••••••

REVIEW: THE HOUSE ON BISCAYNE BAY by Chanel Cleeton is a stand alone, adult, historical, mystery thriller focusing on the Maribrisa, a grand mansion in Miama built as a birthday gift by a man for his much younger wife.

Told from dual first person perspectives, and dual time lines (Anna -1918, Carmen-1941) THE HOUSE ON BISCAYNE BAY focuses on deaths or perceived murders of the women of Maribrisa. In 1918, Robert Barnes, tired of New York society, moved his beloved wife to Miami, Florida where he gifted her with one of the most magnificent homes to be build in Florida but from the outset all was not as it appeared to be as cracks in the marriage began to reveal a disheartening reality.

Fast forward to 1942, businessman Asher Wyatt and his wife Carolina, the new owners of the refurbished Maribrisa home, find themselves with an unexpected houseguest in the guise of Carolina’s younger sister, following the tragic drowning of both of their parents. Similar to the 1918 timeline, Maribrisa holds too many deadly secrets, and when Carmen begins to investigate the truth, suspicion and rumors begin to spiral out of control when death and destruction, murder and infidelity mirror one another in two different timelines.

THE HOUSE ON BISCAYNE BAY is a story set in a gothic mansion, a mansion that keeps its’ secrets buried deep within the walls. Jealousy and envy, secrets and lies, infidelity and obsession blur as the investigation takes a twist no one expected. The premise is intriguing and enthralling; the characters are edgy, broken and struggling. Not everyone will get their happily ever after, and those that will, reveal a surprising and impassioned love.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline-Review & Giveaway

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The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline-Review & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
TJ Devlin is the charming disappointment in the prominent Devlin family, all of whom are lawyers at their highly successful firm—except him. After a stint in prison and rehab for alcoholism, TJ can’t get hired anywhere except at the firm, in a make-work job with the title of investigator.

But one night, TJ’s world turns upside down after his older brother John confesses that he just murdered one of the clients, an accountant he’d confronted with proof of embezzlement. It seems impossible coming from John, the firstborn son and Most Valuable Devlin.

TJ plunges into the investigation, seizing the chance to prove his worth and save his brother. But in no time, TJ and John find themselves entangled in a lethal web of deception and murder. TJ will fight to save his family, but what he learns might break them first.

 

 

Review:

The Truth About the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline is a standalone crime mystery thriller that grips you from the start. The story is set in Philadelphia, centered around the Devlins, who are a family of successful lawyers, in their own law firm. The story revolves around TJ Devlin, who is the black sheep in the family, as he is a recovering alchoholic, as well as having spent time in prison.  TJ works at his family’s law firm as investigator, working hard to redeem himself to his family.

It is his father’s birthday party, when his older brother needs help, and asks TJ to come with him.  Seems John (the older successful brother) met with a client, who pulled a gun on him, and John threw a rock at the client, hitting him in the head.  John fears he killed the man, but when they get to where John left him, there is no body. When they get back to the party, the family immediately thinks that TJ was in trouble.  John tries to conceal where they went, making up a lie that TJ had a relapse, even though he has been sober for a while.  TJ is angry with John, for lying, and when he tries to explain to the family, they brush him off as he is not telling the truth.

The next day TJ learns that John’s client was dead, supposedly by suicide, due to embezzlement, at a different site. This relieves John, and he no longer worries; but TJ is suspicious because he sees he is being followed.  TJ continues his investigation, putting himself into dangerous situations.   TJ is also helping out his sister, Gabby on a pro bono case, related to illegal drugs conducted on inmates in prison by pharmaceutical companies. TJ begins to suspect that John has some issues, causing his downward spiral endangering his family.   Were both of these cases related?

I really liked TJ, who was dedicated to proving himself to his family, despite them treating him like a lost cause; which was heartbreaking at times.  Only his sister, Gabby was always believing in him; as his mother usually did.  His father was harsh to him, always believing the worst; especially with John’s lies to defend himself.  TJ also closer to the end will find the perfect woman for him, as they made a great couple.

The Truth about the Devlins is an exciting, fast-paced story in the last third of the book, with a dangerous lethal web of deception and murder. I was unable to put the book down, as it was a heart-pounding, captivating page-turner.  The Truth About the Devlins was very well written by Lisa Scottoline.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

The Reading Cafe is offering a paper copy of THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEVLINS to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

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8. Giveaway runs from March 25th – March 29th, 2024

 

 

 

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Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner – a Review

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Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner – a Review

 

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Description:
Frankie Elkin is an expert at finding the missing persons that the rest of the world has forgotten, but even she couldn’t have anticipated this latest request—to locate the long-lost sister of a female serial killer facing execution in three weeks’ time.

She has called herself “death,” but people called her the devil.

The case was sensational. Kaylee Pierson had confessed from the very beginning, waived all appeals. Despite the media’s chronicling of her tragic circumstances—the childhood spent with a violent father—no one could find sympathy for “the Beautiful Butcher” who had led eighteen men home from bars before viciously slitting their throats. Now, with only twenty-one days left to live, Pierson has finally received a lead on the whereabouts of the sister who was kidnapped over a decade ago, and she needs Frankie’s help to find her. The Beautiful Butcher’s offer:

When was the last time your search ended with finding the living?

Unable to resist the chance for a rescue, Frankie takes on Pierson’s request. Twelve years ago, five-year-old Leilani went missing in Hawaii. The main suspect? Pierson’s tech mogul ex-boyfriend, Sanders MacManus. Now, on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific—the site of MacManus’s latest vanity project—fresh evidence has appeared. In order to learn the truth and possibly save a young woman’s life, Frankie must go undercover at the isolated base camp. Her challenge: A dozen strangers. Countless dangerous secrets. Zero means of calling for help. And then the storm rolls in…

 

 

Review:

Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner is the 3rd book in her Frankie Elkin series. I have read a number of books by Gardner, and I think she is one of the best authors who write suspense thrillers, as I have loved all her books. Frankie Elkin, our heroine, is the star of this series; she is a recovering alcoholic, who is an expert in find missing people that are cold cases. Over the years she has found 15 people, with the majority not found alive.

The prologue has Frankie visiting a prison, where a serial killer (The Beautiful Butcher) is on death row, having viciously killed eighteen men; with her execution scheduled in three weeks. Kaylee receives a letter from her long-lost sister, who disappeared many years ago.  She believes her sister (Lea) was kidnapped by her ex-boyfriend, and she wants Frankie to find her and help her escape.  She convinces Frankie to take the job, which is in a remote lodge on a Hawaiian Island owned by the ex-boyfriend. 

Frankie flies to the private island, and poses as a staff member, helping with cooking and cleaning rooms; she gets to know many of the staff, as she learns more about MacManus and his protégé, Lea. I really liked many of the staff members, especially the cooks Ann and Trudy; and slowly becomes closer to all of them (Vaughn, Ronin, Charlie, etc.). Frankie needs to know who she can trust, especially with MacManus arriving with his security team, and Lea.  She begins to suspect there is someone who is possibly sabotaging the resort.  

When Frankie meets Lea, she tries to question her, but finds her not fully cooperative, claiming she knows nothing about a letter to her sister, whom she has not seen in 12 years. Frankie then discovers that Kaylee has escaped from death row, which is why MacManus has added extra security.  They all suspect that Kaylee will be coming for them; and Frankie begins to suspect that Lea is also very much involved.

What follows is an amazing, action-packed and exciting thriller, where Frankie finds herself in a number of dangerous situations. The last half of the book was an extremely tense thriller that kept me glued to my kindle.  Especially in the last quarter of the book, with the tension escalating as everyone was fighting for survival. Still See You Everywhere is a gripping fast pace story that is filled with danger, drama, fear, and everyone’s lives on the line. As we get closer to the end, there are a number of surprises and twists.

Once again, Lisa Gardner gives us a fabulous intense exciting story, that was very well written. As noted previously, you can never go wrong reading Lisa Gardner, who always writes fantastic suspense psychological thrillers.  I suggest you read Still See You Everywhere, which was a fantastic story.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Murder Road by Simone St. James – a Review

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Murder Road by Simone St. James – a Review

 

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Description:
July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They’re looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to be a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchhiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.

When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all.

 

 

Review:

Murder Road by Simone St. James is another one of her excellent psychological thrillers.  Murder Road takes place in the summer of 1995, centered between newlyweds April and Eddie. They are embarking on road trip to for their honeymoon destination, only to discover they had taken a wrong turn to Coldlake Falls; as they end up on a deserted highway called Atticus Line. On the dark road, a flash of lightning shows a woman slowly walking; they stop and offer her a ride, which she hesitates, but then accepts.  April notices blood on the girl, and they rush to find a hospital, to help the her; who in a short period dies. 

 Detectives Quentin and Beam show up at the hospital, and after being interrogated, they warn April and Eddie, not to leave town.  Instead of being good Samaritans, they now are considered suspects. Unexplained murders have been happening along the Atticus line for many years, and legend has it that a vengeful spirit roams the road, hunting for hitchhikers.  Rumors say twenty years ago, someone was murdered, unable to identify her, they name her Jane Doe, but legend calls her The Lost Girl.

Unable to leave, April and Eddie manage to have the owner of a B&B allow them to stay. At first Rose, was very weird, but in a short time, Rose opens up, and beings to help them, explaining the stories from the past. They learn more about the ghostly legends of The Lost Girl.  They also meet Beatrice and Gracie Snell, two teenage sisters, who are wannabe detectives, with lots of information about the missing people.  Truly, they were better then the detectives.  Both Eddie and April have their own secrets, which neither knew about; they both suffered from domestic abuse, adoptions, and personal drama.  As we reach closer to the end, there is a surprise that will reveal some things from the past.  Besides that, I really liked April and Eddie.

What follows is an exciting, dark, suspenseful and creepy mystery in both time periods, which kept me hooked to find out what happened.  Murder Road was an exciting and awesome mystery, with a slight paranormal element, as well as being chilling and captivating.  The mystery has so many surprises, which were gripping and horrifying at times; a page turner all the way. Simone St. James did an amazing job writing this captivating thriller. If you enjoy suspenseful thrillers with a ghostly background, you should be reading Murder Road.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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Dark Angel/The Investigator by John Sandford – Reviews

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Dark Angel/The Investigator by John Sandford – Reviews

 

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Description:
Letty Davenport, the tough-as-nails adopted daughter of Lucas Davenport, takes on an undercover assignment that brings her across the country and into the crosshairs of a dangerous group of hackers.

Letty Davenport’s days working a desk job at are behind her. Her previous actions at a gunfight in Texas—and her incredible skills with firearms—draw the attention of several branches of the US government, and make her a perfect fit for even more dangerous work. The Department of Homeland Security and the NSA have tasked her with infiltrating a hacker group, known only as Ordinary People, that is intent on wreaking havoc. Letty and her reluctant partner from the NSA pose as free-spirited programmers for hire and embark on a cross country road trip to the group’s California headquarters.

While the two work to make inroads with Ordinary People and uncover their plans, they begin to suspect that the hackers are not their only enemy. Someone within their own circle may have betrayed them, and has ulterior motives that place their mission—and their lives—in grave danger.

 

Review:
Dark Angel by John Sandford is the second book in his exciting Letty Davenport series. Letty is an investigator for Department of Homeland Security, but her real boss is with Senator Christopher Colles. She has garnered a lot attention from her last case, with other government leaders interested; but she is asked to help with a joint operation between Homeland Security and the National Security Agency.  Letty will partner up with Rod Baxter, an NSA security computer programmer; as they will need to go undercover to infiltrate an organized cell of hackers known as “Ordinary People”.  Both Letty and Rod agree that they suspect NSA leaders are not telling them all the facts. 

Letty is smart, calm, fantastic ability with guns, and determined to find the information that they need; Baxter is the programmer/hacker guru, who is not a fan of any violence.  They are both opposites, but they each have a sense of humor and focus on what needs to be done. They make contact with some hackers, showing them, they can break down Ordinary People. After they complete the work, things turn violent, as the breakdown brings in a dangerous adversary; a Russian crew is murdering people from the Ordinary People hacker group. Letty and Baxter realize the real danger is with the Russians who are bent on revenge against the OP group, as well as fighting a battle with Ukraine.

What follows is an exciting and intense thriller in the last half of the book.  Letty asks for help bringing in her CIA friend Barbara, who also is great with guns, and Kaiser (her previous partner), as well as other help from NSA.  The hackers, who they worked with earlier, and Baxter are trying to bring down the Russian attack on Ukraine; while Letty and her team prepare for the Russian invasion.

The final attack was wild, haunting and riveting, with violence, murder, and a fantastic ending.   Dark Angel was suspenseful, fast paced, and action packed throughout, with a lots of violence, murder, espionage and hackers.  I loved Letty, who was a sensational leader, and happy to see Kaiser join closer to the end, as well as Barbara.  I also like the rest of the team and hackers who were very good characters. Dark Angel was very well written by John Sandford.

 

 

 

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Description:
By age twenty-four, Letty Davenport has seen more action and uncovered more secrets than many law enforcement professionals. Now a recent Stanford grad with a master’s in economics, she’s restless and bored in a desk job for U.S. Senator Colles. Letty’s ready to quit, but her skills have impressed Colles, and he offers her a feet-on-the-ground investigative work, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security.  Several oil companies in Texas have reported thefts of crude, Colles tells her.  He isn’t so much concerned with the oil as he is with the who is selling the oil, and what are they doing with the profits? Rumor has it that a fairly ugly militia group might be involved. Colles wants to know if the money is going to them, and if so, what they’re planning.  Letty is partnered with a DHS investigator, John Kaiser, and they head to Texas.  When the case quicky turns deadly, they know they’re on the track of something bigger.  The militia group has set in motion an explosive plan . . . and the clock is ticking down.

 

Review:

The Investigator by John Sandford is the 1st book in his new Letty Davenport series. This is a spin off of Sandford’s US Marshall Lucas Davenport series, with his adopted daughter, Letty taking center stage. At the age of 24, Letty is working for US Senator Colles, but she is bored and ready to quit, but Colles is impressed with her skills and offers her a job doing investigative work along side of the Department of Homeland Security. Letty learned at a young age from her father, on handling firearms, knowledge of police procedures, handling tense situations as well understanding all kinds of investigative reports.

Letty is pared with Homeland Security investigator John Kaiser; at first John wasn’t sure that Letty would make a good partner. But she quickly proved that she knew what she was doing, not to mention her sharp abilities using guns. In a short time, they began to trust each other, making them have a great working relationship.  

Their mission involves checking out recent oil thefts in small Texas towns, as a number of oil companies have reported thefts. Rumors are reported that a militia group may be involved, and what are they doing with the profits from the stolen oil?  While doing their investigations, they discover an oil company employee, and wife is murdered in their home; with some other people also being murdered. Letty and John begin to suspect that this militia group is planning a possible anti-immigration explosive attack at the Tex-Mex border. With time running out, Letty and Kaiser alert Homeland Security and local police to help stop the attack. Who will survive?

The Investigator was an exciting, intense story line, with the last third of the book had me unable to put the book down.  I really liked Letty, who was a compelling heroine, with her overall intelligence, amazing ability with guns, and so very confident and independent. The Investigator was very well written by John Sandford. I look forward to more of Letty Davenport.

Reviewed by Barb

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