(Magical Love Affair)

Genre: Fantasy

Will Laurence is the captain of the British warship, Reliant.  They had just fought a one sided battle with a French ship and are now on board the vessel making sure the remaining French Naval personnel are secure and conducting a detailed search.

What they find is remarkable.

A dragons egg, that has hardened (meaning it will soon hatch).  Not quite sure how to proceed, since the egg will hatch before they make land, Laurence selects a number of crew members with no attachments (wives, kids, etc) for the dragon to select as it’s soul-mate / rider (himself included).  When the dragon makes it’s selection, the two of them will be transferred to aviation where they will help protect England from French invasion (Napoleon Bonaparte).

One bright sunny day about a week later, the egg hatches while everyone on board watched in awe.  Mr. Carver was the selected soul-mate for the dragon.  He stepped forward, but, the dragon ignored him.  Once it was ready, the dragon moved around inspecting the ship and the people.  Occasionally, it would stop and look a person in the eye….then move on.

Laurence was disappointed.

“Still exploring, the dragon came past him; it sat up on its haunches to look at him inquisitively, and Laurence gazed down at it in unconcealed sorrow and dismay.

It blinked at him; he noticed its eyes were a deep blue and slit-pupiled, and then it said, “Why are you frowning?”

Thus starts a remarkable love affair between the dragon and Laurence.  Laurence, not knowing the conventions of the aviation world (to pick a Greek name), named the dragon: Temeraire and the dragon accepted that name……then declared he was hungry.

“His Majesty’s Dragon” is a magical read.  Since England and France are at war, there is a lot of action on the ground, “dogfights” in the air, and, unfortunately, death. But, the love between Laurence and Temeraire conquers all.

This is the first in a series and I am definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the books.

Another year!  Yikes….lots of books, not enough time.

Get busy!!  :-)

• The Hunter by John Lescroart
• The Burning Edge by Rick Mofina
• Royal Pains: Sick Rich by D. P. Lyle
• Deadly Campaign by Alan Orloff
• Betrayal by Jon Land
• Sudden Insight by Rebecca York
• The Professor by Cathy Perkins
• The Immortalists by Kyle Mills
• Kill Switch by Neal Baer & Jonathan Greene
• The Departed by Shiloh Walker
• Shear Murder by Nancy J. Cohen
• A Quiet Vendetta by R.J. Ellory
• The Secret Crown by Chris Kuzneski
• The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau
• On A Dark Wing by Jordan Dane
• All Necessary Force by Brad Taylor
• The China Gambit by Allan Topol
• Scapegoat by Amy Dawson Robertson
• Silent Kills by C.E. Lawrence
• All Lessons Learned by Charlie Cochrane
• The Case of the Displaced Detective: The Arrival and At Speed by Stephanie Osborn
• Boca Daze by Steve Forman
• The Jaguar by T. Jefferson Parker
• The Lewis Man by Peter May
• Blindside by GJ Moffat
• Incursion by Aaron Rosenberg
• Icefall: A Dane Maddock Adventure by David Wood

Genre:  Fantasy

(Epic)

“A Clash of Kings” is the second book of the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, and is VERY long (nearly 1,000 pages).   I started reading the book, then Christmas rolled around and Santa brought me a Nook Simple Reader.  I downloaded (and paid for) the Nook version and finished “A Clash of Kings” on the Nook.

Continuing where “A Game of Thrones” left off there are now several Kings claiming to be the true ruler.  Brothers Renly and Stannis Baratheon, young Robb Stark, and Joffrey Baratheon are the main contenders vying to take over rule (Joffrey is the currently recognized King).

The “Imp”, Tyrion Lannister, is now the Kings Hand and plans the defense of Kings Landing.

Renly and Stannis plan an attack on Kings Landing, but, must battle each other before they can attack.  Robb is defending the North, while is bastard brother, Jon Snow, is taking care of his duties as a member of the Nights Watch guarding the Wall.

Robb’s little sister, Arya, has escaped Kings Landing only to be captured and put to work in Harrenhal castle.  Sister Sansa is still planning to be married to Joffrey.

Daenerys Stormborn (Targaryen) is now the mother of three dragons, and is planning to enter the fray on the mainland to claim her rightful place as Queen.

There is no way I can summarize “A Clash of Kings” sufficiently well in this blog.

Brutal, gory battles, with the introduction of black magic, deceit, and dragons.  A rousing epic that will keep you on the edge of your seat and firmly entrenched in the world of fantasy.

There is no ending, and interestingly since I was reading it on the Nook, I was surprised when it ended.

Enjoy.

A couple of years ago, I was DEAD set AGAINST e-readers.  I thought the world was ending and I made it perfectly clear that I would NEVER stop reading a “real book”.  The smell and feel of a good book….sorry I will never get an e-reader.  NEVER!

Fast forward a year or so, and Lori bought me a Nook e-reader for Christmas or Birthday…I forget which (AH!!  It was Father’s Day 2010).  It was nice.  I read my first book on it (“Prime” by Nate Kenyon, see my review).  The book was great, but, so was the Nook.  And I got a free coffee at B&N just by showing them my Nook.  NEVER?

Fast forward to today (Dec 27, 2011), and I am debating visiting Galen at Barnes & Noble Tracy, CA to see how hard it would be to return all the books I got for Christmas and putting them on my NEW NOOK Simple Touch e-reader.  Long live the NOOK!

Why the change?

Hmmmm, let me list a few reasons:

1. New books don’t smell the way they used to, or my nose ain’t as good as it used to be.

2. I have decided that it is the author’s writing that matters.  And that won’t stop without books.  Not only that…the author is free’er to express themselves.  Read Barry Eisler’s e-short story “The Lost Coast” (my review) to see what it is like to read a freed up Eisler.  WOW!

3. After reading the entire Harry Potter series (mostly in hardcover) and now the “Game of Thrones” paperbacks my arms, fingers, and hands are TIRED!

4. I can go to B&N, sit in my normal seat, chat with Galen, and use the Nook to read locally available books, buy a book, lend a book, or show a coupon for more coffee.

5. I am a geek after all….and these things are getting good!

Using it

The Nook is super easy to use.  I can flip the pages just like I do in a book…I just swipe my finger on the screen and I am on a new page.  I like the default font and size, but, that can be changed.  The clarity is amazing!  See the picture below (click to enlarge).

I can buy a book, subscribe to a magazine or newspaper, and if I really wanted to, connect to FB, Twitter, and / or my Google email (but…I will NOT do any of those).

I can press the screen in the middle of the page and get the time, the battery usage, the title of the book, and more.

When I am writing a book review, I can search!

It is light, easy to hold, and very easy to read.

Why did I pick the non-color Nook Simple Touch?

While sitting here at AltamontCowork…I surf the Internet, check my email, hit Facebook, Google+, etc. etc. on my computer.  At home, I surf the Internet, check my email, hit Facebook, Google+, etc. etc. on my computer or cell phone.

The Color Nook (or similar Amazon Fire and other “Tablets”) are good at doing what I already am damn tired of doing all day long, and not very good at letting me READ by the pool in the bright California sunshine.

When I read…I want to READ.  The object is to get away from reality and into my own fantasy world (mind out of the gutter!!!), I don’t want my book to bing me when an email arrives, and I damn sure don’t want to surf the Internet before Harry fights Voldemort, or Mich Rapp kicks some ass, or heads fly at Winterfell.

The Nook Simple Reader is just that….a Simple Reader.  I can read anywhere (I have a light I used with books in the dark or in daylight by the pool) and all I want to do with it is: READ (and the e-ink is awesome).

As long as it stays reliable (my old Nook needed frequent re-booting) I am happy.

STILL reading George R.R. Martin!  Wow….a BIG book!  But loving it….

There are 20 new Thrillers for your reading pleasure!  Enjoy and Merry Christmas to all!

• If I Should Die by Allison Brennan
• Beyond the Darkness  by Jaime Rush
• Gun Church and Hurt Machine by Reed Farrel Coleman
• A Vine in the Blood by Leighton Gage
• The Winslow Incident by Elizabeth Voss
• Time of Death by Gary Madden
• The Catalyst by Boyd Morrison
• Chronic Fear by Scott Nicholson
• Shaman’s Blood by Anne C. Petty
• That Which Should Not Be by Brett J. Talley
• Virtual Virgin by Carole Nelson Douglas
• In The Bleak Midwinter: A Special Agent Constance Mandalay Novel by M. R. Sellars
• She Can Run by Melinda Leigh
• The Boy from Berlin by Michael Parker
• Blue Horizon by J. L. Hammer
• Storm Damage by Ed Kovacs
• Stairway to the Bottom by Michael Haskins
• The Silence: A Viennese Mystery by J.Sydney Jones

Rating: 5 WaterTowers

Readers:  This is my first “Guest” book reviewer!  Tom Alexander is a lifelong (truly he has known me ALL of my life) friend.  After high school Tom was accepted to, and attended, the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY.  While there he met….R.E. McDermott.   I thought Tom’s expertise in all things merchant marine would be best suited for a review of “Deadly Straits”….and he accepted the challenge!

Thank you, Tom, awesome review!!!   And thank you, Robert for writing such a great book!

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Review by Tom Alexander, The Lightship Group, LLC

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Don’t you just love to find something new?  Be in at the start of something?  Uncover a true gem hidden amongst your surroundings?

Well, with new author R.E. McDermott’s first book, “Deadly Straits”, here is an opportunity.

McDermott is one of those guys who had a career that, early on as a merchant mariner, gave him ample opportunity to read other peoples’ works; then later as a marine technical manager, required him to travel the waterfronts of the world, living and working, observing and experiencing…….one of those ”Someday, I’m gonna’ write a book” careers.  And then he did.

The result is nothing short of phenomenal.

A techno-thriller with all the juice…..well-defined characters hop-scotching through real-life exotic locales, experienced ship operations and technology, and moments hanging in the balance; all masterly blended into a believable plot of world-wide terror, guiltless killers with nefarious goals, suspense, untenable situations and ……..(read it!).

The main character of the book, Tom Dugan, is a marine engineer who operates, surveys, and repairs ships around the world.  He is unique in that he is a highly skilled and educated professional, but is not afraid to get his clothes and hands dirty….maybe even a little grease in his hair.  He is the type of person who can be relied upon for everything: from cajoling a pompous, sniffy bureaucrat, to organizing and supervising a shipyard’s work around the clock, and doing it himself if necessary.  Unlike many heroes of fiction, he is not a trained killer, or even black-ops.  His fortes are his knowledge, perception and guile; his ability to take action when and how he sees fit; and his capacity to absorb just about any abuse that comes his way.

The victims all have their own well-developed and unique personalities, adding depth and richness to the book; and the villains comprise a variety of fanatical no-gooders with no use for anyone or thing that does not promote their scheme, and ruthless acts for anyone who is in the way.

The plot is entirely possible and realistic, and it is here that McDermott’s background and knowledge shines through. We already know that terrorists have used aircraft as weapons of destruction, and we must only assume that they have studied the use of ocean going vessels similarly. We also know that the hi-jacking of unarmed merchant ships has become a commonplace occurrence nowadays.

As the name of the book implies, the “Deadly Straits” story is built around the very real scenario of terrorists gaining control of loaded ocean tankers and using them as weapons in straits, the pinch points in the world flow of ocean traffic. McDermott uses his knowledge of ship operations and design to devise terrorist plans that anyone familiar with ships knows are plausible….the scariest aspect of this book is that it is only fiction because it has not occurred yet, not because it is a fictitious premise.

Go out and get this book, and discover a brand new and thoroughly enjoyable talent on the literary scene! Read it, and if you are like me, you will find yourself anxiously awaiting the next appearance of Tom Dugan and company!

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Highest bidder wins a character name in the next Kelli Stanley, Miranda Corbie, mystery!

THANK YOU Kelli!!!!  Readers:  Please keep Kelli in your hearts and prayers this holiday season.  Both of her parents are very ill and she needs our support.

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Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Wow…I am late this month.  Happy reading!  :-)

• Death, Taxes & A French Manicure by Diane Kelly
• Who Do, Voodoo? by Rochelle Staab
• Zero Day by David Baldacci
• A Crimson Warning by Tasha Alexander
• Escape From Paris by Carolyn Hart
• National Security by Marc Cameron
• Obsession by Debra Webb
• Eddie The Kid by Steven M. Forman
• Mercury’s Rise by Ann Parker
• Dead of Night by Jonathan Maberry
• Firetrap by David Hodges
• Black Diamond by John F. Dobbyn
• Troubles in Paradise by Yigal Zur
• The Mongol Objective by David Sakmyster
• Courting Darkness by Yasmine Galenorn
• The Traiteur’s Ring by Jeffrey Wilson
• Resuscitation by D. M. Annechino
• The Spy Who Left Me by Gina Robinson
• Against the Storm by Kat Martin
• Lawyer Trap by R.J. Jagger
• Playing the Hand She’s Dealt by David Fingerman
• Risking Trust by Adrienne Giordano
• Elvis and the Tropical Double Trouble by Peggy Webb
• Another Colorado Kill by Bob Doerr
• Deception by Adrian Magson
• The Darts of Deceit by Wilf Nussey
• Blind Traveler’s Blues by Robert P. Bennett
• Wight Mischief by JL Merrow

Genre: Thriller

(Sean King and Michelle Maxwell return)

Edgar Roy is really really smart.  So smart that he was selected to filter the overwhelming information from the E-Program’s “Wall” and, in that role, performed like no one else had before him.  Countless lives were saved as he deftly put random pieces of information together (out of billions of pieces of information) to avert terrorist strikes and numerous other man made disasters.  Now Roy is awaiting trial for possibly murdering 6 people.  He sits, in a near catatonic state, in a highly secure Federal prison in Maine…Cutter’s Rock.  The E-Program is in jeopardy, and under attack from politico’s.

Summoned to a meeting in Maine with old friend and lawyer representing Roy, Ted Bergin, Sean and Michelle are driving to their destination when they find Ted dead (that rhymes!) in his car.  A single bullet to the head.

Calling the authorities, not only do the local cops show up, but, also the FBI, lead by Special Agent Brandon Murdock.  Why the FBI?

As explained in the first paragraph, Edgar Roy WAS Homeland Security.

“The Sixth Man” follows Sean and Michelle (and Roy’s half-sister, Kelly Paul (a new continuing character?) as they try to unravel the mystery of Bergin’s death, and the subsequent deaths of several other people involved in the Roy case.   They find that the deception reaches the highest political offices in Washington, D.C.

“The Sixth Man” is a great book.  I love the Wall concept where all the intelligence gathered by the disparate intelligence organizations is displayed for one person of extreme intelligence (Roy was the only E-Six) to figure out.  Very cool…pick it up or download it!

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Another batch of great books!  Happy Reading.

• Hell to Pay by Wendy Corsi Staub
• Blood Falls by Tom Bale
• Bad Moon by Todd Ritter
• Zillionaire by Gary Alexander
• Starcraft Ghost: Spectres by Nate Kenyon
• Hominid by John C. Boland
• The Affair by Lee Child
• The Dark at the End by F. Paul Wilson
• Shock Wave by John Sandford
• Freezing Point by Elizabeth Goddard
• If You Hear Her by Shiloh Walker
• Lethal Remedy by Richard Mabry
• The River Panj by David Raterman
• The Towman’s Daughters by David J. Walker
• Skating Over The Line by Joelle Charbonneau
• Murder by Music: The Wedding Quilt by Barbara Graham
• Horizontal Collaborator by Adrianne Sainte-Eve
• Cold Glory by B. Kent Anderson
• Picture Of Lies by C. C. Harrison
• Miss McGuire is Missing by Eileen Robertson
• Wolf’s Edge by W.D. Gagliani
• The Vengeful Dead by J.N. Duncan
• Scream Catcher by Vincent Zandri
• Reflections In Blue by David Hodges
• Always the Bad Guy by Shane Briant
• The More the Terrier by Linda O. Johnston
• Ionshaker by Felix Timothy
• Darkness All Around by Doug Magee
• Reckoning for the Dead by Jordan Dane
• Classified by Debra Webb
• One Step Away by Eric Wilson
• Net Impact by Donald J. Bingle

Genre: Mystery

(fun and fast)

Stephanie Plum was laid off from her job as a lingerie buyer for a local (Trenton, NJ) department store.  Needing money quickly she turned to family and out of the goodness of his heart (not) her cousin Vinnie hired her to be a “skip tracer” in his bail bonds company.

As luck may have it, one of Vinnie’s best bounty hunters, was in the hospital, so Stephanie picked up his case load.

Her “luck” continued when she found out that the most money could be made by bringing an old neighbor (with whom she has had sex with) to justice.

Among a host of problems for Stephanie: She has zero experience with guns or apprehending people. The skip, Joe Morelli,  is a cop on the run with skills that Stephanie cannot match and she still has the hots for him. To top it all off…..world champion boxer (Benito Ramirez) with a sadistic streak….. is after her.

Murders start piling up and a sinister drug ring is uncovered.  LOTS of action.

“One For the Money” is a fast, fun read.  The humor is infectious and the violence sudden and shocking.  I am glad I finally picked up this book, and now, have another really cool female lead character to fall in love with.  Nina, Kinsey, Jimm, and now Stephanie.

Oh yeah…this is gonna be a movie staring Katherine Heigl.  The trailer looks true to the book (well….as close as a movie can get anyway).

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Genre: Thriller

(Mitch Rapp before he was Mitch Rapp)

The terrorists who brought down Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland had no idea what hell they brought upon themselves.

They will find out.

Mitch Rapp was a star lacrosse player at Syracuse University in Upstate New York.  A gifted athlete waiting for his girlfriend to return home for the holidays.  When he learned of the bombing of the Pan Am flight, his goals in life changed….and the terrorists were doomed.

CIA agent Irene Kennedy found Rapp and spent several months observing him.  She thought he was special, but, only found out how special when she approached him and he kinda wondered why it took her that long.  Ooops.

The CIA was forming a super secret team of assassins to counteract the wishy washy politicians and throw some fear into the terrorists who were becoming bolder and bolder knowing that no punishment would come their way.

Taking Rapp to the Lake Anna, Virginia training facility run by Stan Hurley, Rapp immediately showed everyone that he was one of a kind (even though he had no military training).

While he and the others were being weeded out, then trained, at Lake Anna, Islamic Jihad members (led by Assef  Sayyed) in Beirut, Lebanon had taken two American’s hostage and were taking their time torturing them to gain information.  Working with the Russians, Sayyed and friends had no fear of reprisal from the Americans.

Suddenly, one of their colleagues (an arms dealer) was shot and killed, and, a few days later, all their money (over $30 million) disappeared after the death of their banker.  WTF?

You will just have to read “American Assassin” to know what happens.

“American Assassin” is a great read.  Vince Flynn’s writing is smooth as silk, and the story is flawless.  It was nice to visit with long dead friends and see how the characters we know and love (or loved) met.

Mitch Rapp rocks!

S-P-L-A-T

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Inspired by this months National Geographic cover.

Copyright Sept 8, 2011 by Mike “TracyReaderDad” Pihlman.  This is fiction, I think.

Genre:  Thiller

 (I LOVE Nina!)

At one time, I considered Perri O’Shaughnessy my favorite authors.  In 2004, we took a day trip to Carmel, CA to meet them, get autographs, a picture (which they asked me to take off this blog a few years later) and hang around Carmel.  It was a great day.

Before I started writing this blog, after every three or four books I had to get my “Nina” fix.  Eventually, I ran out of  ”Nina” books and at the meet and greet in 2004 we learned that Nina was about to take a “vacation”.  So sad.  Since then, Perri wrote a couple of outstanding stand-alone’s and a Nina prequel.  Now, a “real” Nina (even though the timeline is a bit off, being only two years after the events that are described, when it has been much longer…).  Is the magic still there???

I knew this book was coming…eventually.  When I saw it in B&N a few weeks ago, I immediately snapped it up and put it in the queue.  Anxious to get my next “Nina” fix….I moved it up in the queue.

It took me awhile to get back in the story (sorry, but the timeline threw me, I expected Nina’s 15 year old son, Bob, to be about 20 by now) but I eventually got over it (it is fiction after all).

What I found:  Vintage Nina!  WhoooHooo….

Really quickly, to help you catch up, here are the main characters:

• Nina:  single mother of Bob, lawyer, in Lake Tahoe, CA.  Hitchcock the dog.
• Paul: Carmel based PI (ex-cop), lover, friend, associate of Nina.
• Sandy: Nina’s office assistant
• Matt and Andrea: Nina’s brother and sister-in-law
• Wish: Sandy’s son now working for Paul in Carmel.

Two years ago (way more, but, I am over it, right?) Jim Strong disappeared (a body was never found) to no one’s dismay.  Jim was a sadistic killer and thief.  He killed Nina’s husband, Collier (which made ME want to take care of Jim myself…Collier was awesome, and that event sooo shocking I had to put the book down for awhile), and several others.  We know (and have known for years) it was Paul who “took the garbage out”.

In “Dreams of the Dead” Jim Strong is back.  The impending sale of Paradise Ski Resort has prompted a request from Brazil, supposedly from part-owner Jim, for his portion of the money from the sale.

But Jim is dead….right?  Only one person knows for sure, and now,  he may be forced to tell the truth and possibly end up in prison.

Jim’s father, and Paradise owner, Philip Strong, agrees to let Nina help (his lawyer is not court tough…Nina is), but has his own PI, so Paul is not welcome.

Two women are murdered, and Paul is hired to investigate (this is good because he wanted to be in Lake Tahoe for Nina).

“Dreams of the Dead” proves that you can come home again.  I was enthralled.  After a few bumpy chapters in the beginning, I could not put this book down.  The twists and turns and  interweaving of plots is pure Perri and the characters are all brought back to life just like the good old days….OMG this was awesome.

You will have to buy the book to find out what happens.  You will love it.

Yes, the magic is back.  I can only hope that Perri (who are sisters:  Mary and Pamela), and Nina, are back for good!

• Flash and Bones by Kathy Reichs
• Petroplague by Amy Rogers
• Saint’s Gate by Carla Neggers
• Only Fear by Anne Marie Becker
• Where All The Dead Lie by J.T. Ellison
• The Black Stiletto by Raymond Benson
• The Arranger by L.J. Sellers
• The Ninth Day by Jamie Freveletti
• Getting Off by Lawrence Block writing as Jill Emerson
• Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane
• Did Not Finish by Simon Wood
• Half-Past Dawn by Richard Doetsch
• The City of Secrets by Kelli Stanley (Read my Review)
• Pay Me in Flesh by K. Bennett
• The Ronin’s Mistress by Laura Joh Rowland
• A Killer’s Essence by Dave Zeltserman
• Dove Season: A Jimmy Veeder Fiasco by Johnny Shaw
• Under the Dog Star by Sandra Parshall
• Pirate King by Laurie R. King
• The Queen by Steven James
• The Essene Conspiracy by S.Eric Wachtel
• Lassiter by Paul Levine
• Claim of Innocence by Laura Caldwell
• 13 Million Dollar Pop by David Levien
• A Rhumba In Waltz Time by Robert S. Levinson
• The Taker by Alma Katsu
• The Jihad’s Messiah by Nick Daniels
• The Hitman’s Woman by Devon Vaughn Archer
• Revenge by Michael Haskins
• Dangerous Women & Desperate Men by Rick Mofina
• Sweet Justice by Christy Reece
• A Just Deception by Adrienne Giordano
• Primacy by J.E. Fishman
• Suckerpunch by Jeremy Brown
• Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan
• Moonlight Rises by Vincent Zandri
• Motor City Shakedown by D.E. Johnson
• Exit by Phillip Thomas Duck
• Kusanagi by Clem Chambers
• Secrets of the Dead by Tom Harper

Genre: Mystery

(fun, fast, exciting)

This book is an ARC sent to me by David J. Walker.  It is due in stores October 1, 2011, but, can be found online now.

Kirsten is an ex-cop turned PI (owner of the detective agency:  Wild Onion, Ltd.), and Dugan, her husband is a lawyer in his own small practice.  Together they solve crimes.

In “The Towman’s Daughters” Kirsten is out of town and Dugan is lucky enough to get her car towed.  Arriving at Wancho’s Towing to reclaim his (errr, her) Camry, he finds himself in the middle of what appears to him to be a kidnapping.  A large man (we later learn this is Tyrone Beale), with a gun, is pulling a young woman out the door, backwards.

Dugan, slightly drunk, “accidentally” trips the man, the gun goes flying, and the girl ends up in the hands of a couple of nasty looking fellows….who take her away.

When Kirsten returns from her trip, she and Dugan agree to let the matter drop.  But try as they might….the problem comes back to them and expands.

The girl Dugan “rescued”, as it turns out, is Juan Cho’s (the towing company owner) older daughter, Isobel.  In addition to her now being missing, her boyfriend, Jamison Traynor, had hired Tyrone to protect her which he was trying to do when Dugan came along.

Thank you, Dugan…..

Add in a bit more spice with a U.S. Senator, Jamison’s mom, Eleanor, two parents who do not want their kids going out, a non-profit organization “Hit the Rock” recently hit (rocked?) with a murder, and two very shady characters, and you have one fast, fun, intriguing, read.

“The Towman’s Daughters” rocks!

This is the 6th book in the series (Thanks David!)….start with “A Ticket to Die For”.  It is $60 new on Amazon.com.  No kidding, check it out.

Genre:  Fantasy

(brutal, epic)

“A Game of Thrones” is the first of five books in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series.  Galen at the Tracy, CA Barnes & Noble told me it was a great book (he was right) and that I really should expand beyond spies, killing and murder.

With “Harry Potter” and “Pendragon” I had already read “kids” Fantasy, but, now, this is an “adult” Fantasy (watch what you are thinking!  haha).

Being the first of an epic saga, it is hard to get a grasp of who the main characters are or are going to be.  Every time I thought I had it figured out….the person dies!  Arrrghh…

Overview

The story takes place in a land that is divided into three parts.

The most northern part is wild (The Haunted Forest) and inhabited by mythical / supernatural beings such as “The Others”, Giants, the dead who are still alive (and very hard to kill), and the Wildlings.

Separating this far northern wild land from the rest of the realm is a 700 foot tall ice wall that extends from the mountains in the west to the water in the east.  A VERY long and tall wall. The wall is guarded by the “Night’s Watch”….men (some boys growing into men) who dress in black and have taken a vow that they will never take a wife, bear children, and will die in service to the realm and the wall.

The Northern people (just south of the Wall) are tough and used to bitter cold weather (a 10 year long summer is just ending and winter is coming).  They seem to be more peace loving (but are vicious fighters when they need to be), and can trace their heritage back to the “First People”.   They worship the “old Gods” of the trees.

The Southern people have milder weather, worship a different set of Gods, and seem to be more ambitious and mean.

There are islands that are home to others who can be terrifyingly brutal and uncivilized (for example, they often “ride” a woman of their choice in public).

The main families, at least so far, are the Starks of Winterfell (a northern area, the Direwolf is their symbol) and the Lannisters (from the south, the Lion).  Other families are aligned with one or the other.

I could spend days introducing all the characters, but, I won’t.

“A Game of Thrones” is an epic that reads like a new classic.  It is over 800 paperback pages, easy to read but brutal.  On that note….don’t fall in love with anyone because all hell breaks loose more than once….as do many heads.

I am looking forward to reading “A Clash of Kings” because the ending of “A Game of Thrones” is not an ending.

Lots of new books / e-books!

Happy Reading  :-)

• Killing Kate by Julie Kramer
• The Sixes by Kate White
• Inmate 1577 by Alan Jacobson
• Home Improvement: Undead Edition by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner (Editors)
• Drop by Drop by Keith Raffel
• Serial by John Lutz
• A Killer Like Me by Chuck Hustmyre
• The Twelfth Enchantment by David Liss
• The Evil Inside by Heather Graham
• Fall From Pride by Karen Harper
• Seven Spanish Angels by Stephen Graham Jones
• Hideout by Kathleen George
• Legacy by David L. Goleman
• Time-Crossed Lovers by Karl Alexander
• Silent Enemy by Thomas W. Young
• Operation Medina The Crusade by George Mavro
• The Killing Song by PJ Parrish
• Kage: The Shadow by John Donohue
• Man Law by Adrienne Giordano
• Deadly Sins by Kylie Brant
• Multiplex Fandango by Weston Ochse
• Kin by Kealan Patrick Burke
• Hang on Sloopy by Randy Rohn
• Midnight Fear by Leslie Tentler
• Under Fire by Rita Henuber
• Senior Moments are Murder by Mike Befeler
• Helsinki Homicide: Nothing But The Truth by Jarkko Sipila
• The Stranger You Seek by Amanda Kyle Williams
• Dandy Gilver and The Proper Treatment of Bloodstains by Catriona McPherson
• The Square Root of Murder by Ada Madison
• Louise’s War by Sarah R. Shaber
• Identity: Lost by Pascal Marco
• Where The Shadows Lie by Michael Ridpath
• The Pink Tarantula by Tim Wohlforth
• Cat in a Vegas Gold Vendetta by Carole Nelson Douglas
• Low Town by Daniel Polansky

Genre:  Mystery

 (terrific)

Rating: 5 WaterTowers

This is an ARC sent to me by St. Martin’s Press.  It is due in stores July 19, 2011.

Wow!

Refreshingly original characters, and settings, with more than a dash of humor makes “Killed at the Whim of a Hat” one of the most enjoyable reads this year (or any year).

Just the fact that there are no chapter numbers is unique.  Each chapter instead starts with a George W. Bush’ism that relates to the chapter, such as this quote from Jan 11, 2000:

“Rarely is the question asked:  Is our children learning?”

*Sigh* He was our President and a Harvard graduate…..’nuf said.  And yes, there is an explanation why Bush quotes are used.

Jimm Juree is a crime reporter for the Chiang Mai Mail newspaper.  Her and her family live in Chiang Mai and are, basically, in a holding pattern.  Living day to day.

One day, Jimm’s mother, Mair, decided to sell the family home (without consultation with the rest of the family) and take over the rundown Gulf Bay Lovely Resort and Restaurant at Maprao in the Chumphon province (it is in southern Thailand on the Gulf of Siam (Thailand) near the town of Pak Nam).

Needless to say the family was NOT happy, but, all but one made the trek and settled in their new surroundings.

Once there….the excitement starts.  In a part of the country known for it’s laid back peace and quiet the excitement level rises when a VW Kombi with two skeletons is discovered buried in the ground, and, then the excitement level reaches epic proportions when, shortly thereafter, a Buddhist Abbot was brutally murdered.

Crime where there is no crime.  Jimm is loving it, and she sets out to investigate the mysteries with the help of a cast of interesting and colorful characters including her family.

I will say no more.  To learn what happens, you will just have to buy the book.

Here is a quick family overview…just because:

+ Daughter Jimm Juree is 34 years old, a virgin, and crime reporter.

+ Older Brother, now Sister, Sissi is a former Transgender Beauty Queen and now Internet mogul / hacker extraordinaire.  Sissi stays behind.

+ Brother Arny is a sensitive (he cries a lot) body builder who was in training for the Northern Adonis 2008 Body Building Competition when they moved.

+ Mother, Mair, is starting to lose her mental capacities but is kind and generous and only wants the best for her family.

+ Grandfather, Grandad Jah, is an ex-traffic cop on the job for 40 years, now retired watching cars go by.  He barely says a word relying on an occasional grunt to communicate.

“Killed at the Whim of a Hat” (yes…that is a Bush’ism) is funny and poignant, fast paced but leisurely with twists, turns, and surprises.  I could barely put the book down, and I can’t wait for the next installment.  Watch out Kinsey, Nina, and Miranda.  I have found another love….Jimm!  :-)

Here is a picture of a resort in Pak Nam.  Would I go there?  You bet!

Genre: Mystery / Noir

 (Miranda rocks!)

Rating:  4 WaterTowers

“City of Secrets” is an ARC sent to me by Kelli Stanley.  It will be in stores Sept 13, 2011.  Small caveat:  You may know that I adore Kelli. I will try very hard to be objective.

Pandora Blake is dead.  Stabbed with an ice pick, naked, with the word “kike” written in blood on her right breast.

It is opening day of the 1940 Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island, San Francisco.  Miranda Corbie, private detective, is on the scene.

After surviving “City of Dragons”, but, still feeling the effects of her close encounter with death, Miranda finds herself embroiled in another case that the police want to keep quiet, and they try to make sure Miranda is out of the picture.

Not an easy task….geeezzz, they should have learned that from the last time!

Europe is in turmoil. The Nazis are invading countries.  Britain may fall.  Anti-Jewish sentiment has reached San Fransisco and people are dying because of it.

Another body emerges…same MO.

Finding herself in an unusual situation, Miranda accepts an offer that allows her to continue her investigation even though she has major concerns about who she is helping.

I am not saying any more (except that Miranda is still mourning Johnny, Rick is a great friend, she still has the hots for Gonzales, she really needs to give up Chesterfields, she enjoys Old Taylor, carries her Browning, and someone new / old is about to enter her life). Whew…  :-)

To find out more….you will have to wait until Sept 13th to pick up a copy of the book (or an electronic version) and read it for yourself.

I will tell you that this is an outstanding book.  My mind was taken away to another time and place where the worries of the real world do not exist.

Kelli’s style of writing, again, took me awhile to get used to (curt, gritty), but, once I got into the rhythm (it did take 100 or 150 pages) the book flew by.

You will find yourself immersed in 1940 San Francisco: Market Street, the Ferry Building, Chinatown, the Embarcadero (see picture below of Carol and Kristen there in a happier time), etc.  And you will learn a bit of world history:  anti-semitism in the US, Hitler, eugenics, domestic terrorism, the rise of the Nazi’s in Europe (and in San Francisco), and, most fun for me, learning about the Golden Gate International Exposition and Gayway’s, “Artists and Models”, Billy Rose’s Aquacade, the healing waters in Calistoga (interesting parallel to “The Curse Maker”)…and so much more.

Damn…here I am back in the real world.  Arrghh…

PS:  I would like to publicly thank Kelli Stanley for everything she has done for ForCarol.com.  Her generosity, friendship, and support during these tough times will always be remembered and appreciated.  

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

Carol and Kristen at the Hyatt Embarcadero

A while bunch of new Thrillers coming out in July!

Happy Reading and Drive Safe! this holiday weekend.

• News from South Africa by Mike Nicol
• Full Black by Brad Thor
• Creep by Jennifer Hillier
• You’re Next by Gregg Hurwitz
• The Knowledge of Good & Evil by Glenn Kleier
• The Nightmare Thief by Meg Gardiner
• Unhinged by E.J. Findorff
• The Fifth Kingdom by Caridad Pineiro
• Beach Rental by Grace Greene
• Macbeth – A Novel (audio book) by David Hewson & Andrew Hartley
• Sacred Evil by Heather Graham
• Heart of Evil by Heather Graham
• The Paradise Prophecy by Robert Browne
• A Game of Lies by Rebecca Cantrell
• The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen
• Inside by Brenda Novack
• A Good Excuse to Be Bad by Miranda Parker
• Hotwire by Alex Kava
• Deed to Death by D.B. Henson
• Threat Warning by John Gilstrap
• Diabolical by Hank Schwaeble
• Concrete Savior by Yvonne Navarro
• The Vault by Boyd Morrison
• Steal the Show by Thomas Kaufman
• Midnight Eyes by Sidney Williams
• The Marriage Murders by Bobbye Terry
• Abyss by David Hagberg
• The Traitor’s Emblem by Juan Gomez-Jurado
• Cowboys by Gary Phillips
• Darkness at Dawn by Elizabeth Jennings
• Soul Survivor, Lost World by Misty Evans
• Thunder Moon by Richard Helms
• House of the Rising Sun by Chuck Hustmyre
• Guilty Pleasures by Judith Cutler

Genre: Thriller

Rating: 5 WaterTowers

Picking up where “The Rule of Nine” left off, Liquida leaves the garage severely wounded by Herman Diggs (who is lying in a pool of his own blood).  The Mexicutioner gets medical attention then heads out to the farm in Ohio to kill Sarah Madriani.

In Ohio, Sarah proves to be both extremely stupid and extremely lucky. Liquida’s stiletto gets stuck in Sarah’s aluminum water bottle, and Bugsy, the Dobermen she is running with, attacks Liquida forcing him to flee.

With Herman recovering from the knife wounds that nearly killed him, Paul (Madriani), Harry (Hines) and Joselyn (Cole) follow Liquda around the world from Washington DC, to Ohio, to Thailand, to Paris, and finally, to Mexico.

As a bonus, following Liquida puts them onto the person who is hiring him, Bruno Croleva, and two defectors (one of them is the “Trader of Secrets”) from a super secret NASA program that has the potential to kill everyone on Earth.

Madriani and crew not only are after Liquida, but, now, have to save the world. Luckily they have help….

But do they succeed?  You will have to read “Trader of Secrets” to find out…

“Trader of Secrets” is an AWESOME mind-boggling read.  End to end action, great characters (both old and new), technology, and settings that will knock your socks off.

I have said this before and I repeat:  Martini is THE Master.

Genre: Legal Thriller

Rating: 3.5 WaterTowers

“Fetching Raymond” is  short story from “Ford County Stories” by John Grisham

Leon Graney borrows Mr. McBride’s upholstery business van for a road trip with his mother, Inez,  and brother, Butch.

They are going to visit their other brother, eternal optimist, Raymond, at Parchman prison.

As the road trip unfolds we learn about the Graney’s and find out what this particular visit is about.

Very moving short story, but, very similar (I wonder if Grisham wrote one then got the idea for the other) to “The Confession” that I recently finished.

“Blood Drive” is  short story from “Ford County Stories” by John Grisham

Genre: Cozy (?)

Rating: 4 WaterTowers (Three rednecks driving to Memphis to save a friend)

Bailey was working in Memphis when he got hurt and sent to the hospital.  The details of his condition were varied, but, the town-folk of Box Hill, Mississippi were sure of one thing….he needed blood.

Volunteering to drive 2 hours to Memphis, Wayne “Aggie” Agnor,  Calvin Marr, and Roger Tucker drove off with food and money and gas.

What follows is a terrifically surprising short story (all of 44 pages long) filled with booze, sex, shotguns, pistols, gang fights, a barroom brawl, beer, lap dances, naked women….all the things you would expect from three rednecks on a drive to help save their friend.

Terrific read.

Genre: Thriller (a Rain / Delilah Short Story)

Rating: 3.5 WaterTowers (Read it!  Great story)

This is Eisler’s second short story in the past few months.  Both are self-published in electronic format only, but, the first “The Lost Coast” is pure new age scary as hell 4 WaterTower thriller (a love story….oh sorry, Mr. Eisler, I just had to say that

John Rain (killer) and friend, Mossad operative (and lover) Delilah, are eating dinner at “Auberge de la Reine Blanche on the Ile Saint-Louis” in Paris when Rain spots something suspicious.

This quote says it all, and then this review will be over.

“Dinner for two at Auberge de la Reine Blanche? Eighty Euros.  Being underestimated by the punks outside? Priceless.”

A new world of publishing is upon us….Barry Eisler is paving the way.  :-)

Barry Eisler responds via Twitter:

barryeisler Barry Eisler

The Lost Cost “love scene.” Love it. RT @AltamontCowork: Book Review: “Paris is a Bitch” by Barry Eisler: http://t.co/mibi0su

Genre: Romance

 (Romance fans would rate this higher)

Rating:  2.5 WaterTowers (Angst, Sex, Basketball)

The PDF version of “Amber Rules” was sent to me (for my Nook) by Melinda Curtis.  I believe it is available now.

I do not read romance very often (errr, ever) so I was looking forward to this. And it is a darn good book.  Well written, great sense of humor, and sex.  A bit long, a bit heavy on the angst for my taste, but, I’ll bet romance fans would LOVE it!  Not one murder, not one spy (well….maybe), no one was killed, no blood (well….a little), lots of sex and two beautiful people confused about it.  Like a famous shoe maker says:  Just do it!  Geezzz….  :-)

The head of the Dooley Foundation, patriarch Dooley Rule, has died.  His three kids get their marching orders via Rule’s lawyer while reading the will.

Amber Rule is to be the CEO of the Dooley Foundation (formed to help people with issues via the “Rules”, that none of the kids know, but Amber was the main recipient of as she was growing up).   Her brother Blue, and half-sister, Cora are tabbed to help the Dooley Foundation survive so they can continue getting their money.

Amber, Blue, and, eventually, Cora set out to help the exisiting clients with no more knowledge of the rules other than these words:   Choose, Voice, Trust, and Welcome.

The Foundation’s major client is the NBA Flash based in LA.  To keep the money flowing from that client, Amber is tasked to help new player, Evan Oliver, fit in with the Flash and play good enough to help them make the playoffs.

Lots of pressure when you are not really sure what Dooley did…

You can probably guess that the, now, beautiful redhead Amber and the tall muscular Evan experience a sexual attraction that is hard to ignore, and, in fact, they don’t ignore it.

If you like romance, my bet is you will like this book.  I did skim the last 100 pages or so….thus the 2.5 WaterTowers.

As for me, the book I will start reading on Fathers Day is:  ”Trader of Secrets” by Steve Martini.  Spies, killing, and murder….ahhhh, back to normal.  :-)

In the meantime, to ease back to normal I read short story “Paris is a Bitch” by Barry Eisler.  See the review above!

Sandra at the Tracy, CA Barnes & Noble held this up for me to see when I sat down in my favorite spot.  I jumped up, took it, and spent 30 minutes or so playing with it.

VERY nice!

Having the old Nook; I found out that this one is much faster, has a full touch screen display (how many times have I tried to touch the large part of the screen on the old Nook?  LOTS!), uses e-ink technology (for those of us who read by the pool in full sunlight), and offers WiFi connectivity.  Memory expansion is possible.

It does NOT run (oddly) Android apps or have a browser.  I suppose B&N meant it to be simply an e-reader for books and magazines (but, I’m sorry, color is why I like Magazines (see pic below)…I would get the Color Nook if magazines, or surfing the Internet, or playing games were my thing….as it is….I READ, so this is PERFECT).

This new Nook is smaller and lighter than the original making it quite a bit easier to hold for that looooonnnngggg reading session.

One thing that bugs me is I could not adjust the font size.  I looked everywhere…

Hey, B&N…THAT can be a problem as we all get older.  If you can adjust it…make it a lot easier to find!  :-)

Here is what it looks like reading a story:

Here is what the Library looks like:

And lastly….this is cool if you are addicted….you can connect to your favorite social media outlet or new ones being introduced by Barnes & Noble.  You can also add contacts.

Summary

This new Nook is very nice, but, I think the gray scale e-ink display will appeal to the READERS not the surfers or gamers who happen to be readers.

No matter, it is easy to read (except for the small font size) and easy to hold.  Using the full screen is more intuitive that the original Nook where you only had that tiny area to touch…

Fathers Day?  Birthday?  I am perfectly willing to say goodby to my old Nook and embrace the touch screen new Nook.  :-)

Kristen works there now….do I get a Dad discount?

Sandra in the background.  :-)

Where have I been?  Working on ForCarol.com since that is REALLY important…

But….I am caught up now….there are 35 new Thrillers in June 2011 for your reading pleasure!

Enjoy

• The Phoenix Apostles by Lynn Sholes & Joe Moore
• The Devil Colony by James Rollins
• Strong at the Break by Jon Land (Read MY review)
• County Line by Bill Cameron
• The Witch of Babylon by D.J. McIntosh
• Mr. Monk on the Couch by Lee Goldberg
• A Conflict of Interest by Adam Mitzner
• Buried Secrets by Joseph Finder
• The Breath of God by Jeffrey Small
• Tunnel Vision by Gary Braver
• Blood of the Reich by William Dietrich
• The Genesis Key by James Barney
• From Bad to Cursed by Katie Alender
• Hot Lights, Cold Steel by D. P. Lyle
• The Story in the Stars by Yvonne Anderson
• The Profession by Steven Pressfield
• Broken by Debra Webb
• Grace Interrupted by Julie Hyzy
• East on Sunset by Ken Mercer
• Blood Secrets by Jeannie Holmes
• A Simple Act of Violence by R J Ellory
• White Shotgun by April Smith
• In the Presence of Evil by Autumn Jordon
• Many Genres, One Craft by Michael A. Arnzen & Heidi Ruby Miller
• The Brothers of Baker Street by Michael Robertson
• The Valley of Shadows by Mark Terry
• Royal Pains: First, Do No Harm by D. P. Lyle
• The Girl Who Disappeared Twice by Andrea Kane
• Bones of a Feather by Carolyn Haines
• Pittsburgh Noir by Kathleen George
• Heaven’s Fire by Sandra Balzo
• The First Victim by JB Lynn
• Hoodwink by Dominic Torr
• Devil’s Plaything by Matt Richtell

Genre: Thriller

Rating: 3 WaterTowers

After meeting with the President, Oliver Stone (now nearly everyone knows he is John Carr) accepts a near suicide mission to help stop an influx of Russian spies tied to the, now, very powerful Russian drug cartels.

This is the price he has to pay for killing two Government officials in cold blood, and he accepts the mission like the Triple Six killer that he was.  No complaints.

Pondering his fate the next night, Oliver decides to take a walk through his old stomping grounds, Lafayette Park (which is across from the White House).  Normally, this late at night there is no one in the park.

But this night, Oliver’s radar goes up when he spots several unlikely park inhabitants just as the British Prime Minister is on his way to the Blair House from the White House.  A woman sitting on a bench making a cell phone call, a fat man in a jogging outfit, a man in a suit carrying a briefcase, and a gang banger.

When bullets rain down on the park, Oliver takes cover and the others scatter.  The fat man runs and jumps into a hole waiting for a new tree to be planted.  Suddenly a bomb goes off destroying the statue of Polish general Tadeusz Kosciuszko, and severely killing the fat man in the jogging suit (he went in the hole as one, and came out a crowd).  Stone was injured and rushed to the hospital.

The next day, Stone is recruited by the U.S. Gov’t as an Agent to help solve this with a new partner from Britian’s MI6: Mary Chapman.

What follows is a very complex plot line involving the Mexican cartels, Russian cartels, spies, and a traitor.  Unfortunately, the Camel Club (Reuben, Caleb, Annabelle, Harry Finn, and Alex Ford) is (are?) only involved twice in the book, and those parts SPARKLE.  The rest of the book is not Baldacci’s best (and you know I love Baldacci). Maybe too complex?

That said….the last 100 pages, or so, are the Camel Club (and I suppose possible new members of the Camel Club) at their very best doing what they do best: Independently kicking ass and taking names!

Here is a WikiPedia entry on Lafayette Park.

Surfing the Internet today I spotted this article from the NY Times stating that a new Nook eReader has been introduced!

Very cool.

Here are some basics of the $139 eReader:

It is WiFi only, it uses e-ink technology so glare will not be a problem, the entire display is touch screen, they claim the battery can last (without WiFi turned on) for 2 days, and it has a slot for SD memory expansion.

It weighs 7.48 ounces, and is as thin as a #2 pencil.  It is 6.5 inches tall and 5 inches wide.

Unless I missed it, the article does not say anything about an Android OS or Android apps?  I’ll dig a bit more after I post this….

Here is a page comparing the new Nook to the Kindle 3.

And a page showing the specs….no word about Android…how interesting.  Found it! It is Android (it is on the Nook / Kindle compare page), but, guess what?  No web browsing.  Not sure if that was smart….

Anyway….this looks really cool….I may have to request one for my 60th…ouch.

Paul spent his last week preparing for the rapture everyone said was coming.

He quit his job, told his nagging ass wife to stuff it, picked up with a particularly attractive hooker, and drove to Yosemite to hang out until 6 PM PST May 21.

He was ready.

As he was walking a trail sometime close to 6 PM…he heard an odd sound.

A fluttering, then a loud screech.  What was left of his eyes spurted blood and he felt tearing of his flesh..the last thought he had was of the coming of the Rapture.

He was at peace.

He was also wrong…it was the coming of the Raptor.

Ooops.

++++++

Copyright May 22 (yes we are still around!), 2011 by Mike “TracyReaderDad” Pihlman.  This is fiction, I think.

Wow!  This happened a lot faster than I thought it would just a couple of short years ago.

I was surfing the Internet and saw this article from our friends at Computerworld.

Amazon says it sells 105 Kindle based e-books (not counting the free e-books, so these are actual purchases) for every 100 print books.  Did I say this already?  Wow!

From that article:

“Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said the e-book threshold arrived sooner than expected. “Customers are now choosing Kindle books more often than print books,” he said. “We had high hopes that this would happen eventually, but we never imagined it would happen this quickly.” Amazon has sold print books for 15 years and Kindle books for less than four.”

Glad I got my Nook.  In the Nook of time….haha.

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 3 WaterTowers

Tom Newquist was found dead several weeks ago in his car in Nota Lake, CA.  Tom was a Nota Lake detective in the local Sheriff’s Department.

The past few months, Tom had seemed distracted and distant.  Now that he is gone his wife, Selma, hires Private Investigator Kinsey Millhone to see if she can find out what was bothering Tom.

Hanging around Nota Lake and asking questions Kinsey very very slowly starts to uncover bits and pieces of Tom’s last few months.  The more she uncovers, the more trouble she finds until one night someone broke into her hotel room and dislocated a couple of her fingers…all in an attempt to scare her off.

Hmmm, they obviously do not know Kinsey!

The information she gathers leads her back home to Santa Teresa (or rather to the nearby town of Perdido).

Slowly, the clues lead to a double murder and back to Nota Lake where Kinsey suspects the murderer lives and works in the Sheriff’s Department.  Yikes!

“N is for Noose” is a lot slower to develop than most of Sue Grafton’s books.  An occasional clue pops up, but, most of the time Kinsey is just asking questions.

The ending picks up speed as Nota Lake turns against Kinsey.  Of course, she gets her man / woman …but not before a life threatening situation.

I must tell you…the murderer is a surprise, I really thought it was someone else….  :-)

Galen at the Tracy Barnes & Noble gave me (well…..loaned me) a 3 chapter preview of “No Rest For The Dead”.  This book will be in stores in July 2011.

There is one thing totally unique about this upcoming book:  It was written by 25 of our favorite Authors (it looks like they each took a chapter) with an Intro by one of my all time heros: David Baldacci.

Sweeet.

In the Prologue, written by Jonathan Santlofer, we witness the execution of Rosemary Thomas.  Rosemary was convicted 10 years earlier of murdering her husband, Museum Curator, Christopher Thomas (interestingly his decomposing body was found inside an “Iron Maiden“).

Among the witnesses of the execution are Rosemary’s brother, a newspaper reporter (and friend), and the Policeman (Jon Nunn) who’s diligent work made sure Rosemary got the death penalty.

In Jon Nunn’s Diary, written by Andrew F. Gulli, we learn that Jon had evidence that he ignored, and that he now thinks Rosemary was innocent.  He vows to gather all the suspects (a la Agatha Christie) and name the killer (Baldacci warns us that this may happen, but, it will be a shocker).

Time moves back 10 years….

Chapter 1, written by Jeff Lindsay, introduces us to the (fictional?) McFall Art Museum in San Francisco, Curator Christopher Thomas, and the start of the list of suspects.  Among the suspects are museum employee Justine Olegard whom he just lied to about a painting and her job for the sake of rolling around on the couch with her.  We find that Christopher is selling the paintings (under the guise of theft), and that he borrowed money from someone who wants to be paid back.

More suspects.

Chapter 2, written by Alexander McCall Smith, brings Christopher and Justine to France to meet with Max Porter (a wealthy art collector).  While there, Christopher meets, and rolls around in the hay that night with a German woman.  Justine is pissed (I guess she was horny the night before) and threatens Christopher, Max wants Christopher to illegally transport a Bocelli back to the US and in the process threatens him should he want to say no.

More suspects, more motive!

Chapter 3, written by Raymond Khoury, finds everyone back home in SF, but introduces Bandini, the painting restorer / seller of stolen art.  Bandini becomes suspicious of Christopher and decides that he may have to take Christopher out to protect himself.  Back at the Museum, Justine demands her cut of the profit while she and Christopher do it again in his office.

More suspects, more motive.

OK….you get the point.  I suspect there will be a lot more suspects in the coming chapters, and we will learn even more about what a cad Christopher is.  I’m sure we will hear Rosemary’s side of the story too….

July…..can’t wait!

A bunch of new Thrillers come out this month!  Happy Reading!

• The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry
• The Last Time I Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene
• Eyewall by H.W. “Buzz” Bernard
• Forced to Kill by Andrew Peterson
• Sweet Tea and Secrets by Nancy Naigle
• Burn Down the Sky by James Jaros
• Chosen By Blood by Virna DePaul
• The Informant by Thomas Perry
• Flowerbed of State by Dorothy St. James
• The Burning Lake by Brent Ghelfi
• Lost and Fondue by Avery Aames
• Damaged by Debra Webb
• Fangtooth by Shaun Jeffrey
• The Serial Killer’s Daughter by Heywood Gould
• Devil Wind by Deborah Shlian and Linda Reid
• Blood Trust by Eric Van Lustbader
• Hunter’s World by Fred Lichtenberg
• Secret Legacy by Anna DeStefano
• Camwolf by JL Merrow
• Rogue Patriot by Gerald Meunier
• Haunted by Douglas Misquita
• Dance of the Dead by Ines Eberl
• According to Luke by Rosanne Dingli
• Defenders of the Faith by Chet Williamson
• The Devil She Knows by Bill Loehfelm
• Zero Day by Mark Russinovich
• Striking Back by Mark Nykanen
• Concrete Pearl by Vincent Zandri

Got this email today announcing the opening of a new web site dedicated to crime and mystery.  CriminalElement.com   Pretty cool.

Here is the complete press release.  Gee I wonder if they like my original horror stories?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sarah Melnyk

646-307-5662

sarah.melnyk@stmartins.com

MACMILLAN TO LAUNCH PUBLISHER-NEUTRAL CRIME AND MYSTERY COMMUNITY WEBSITE:

CRIMINAL ELEMENT

(CriminalElement.com)

NEW YORK, NY, 4/26/2011–Macmillan announces the launch of a new crime and mystery-focused community website with a focus on sharing and enriching the experience of crime story fandom. Liz Edelstein, Senior Manager and editor at Macmillan Community Network, made the announcement, and said that the site will highlight different areas of the genre, from noir to cozies and everything in between.

The site will feature pre-release excerpts, original short stories from various authors in the space, topical blog posts, and will eventually be offering downloads and podcasts.  It’s a place for fans of the genre to come together in one exciting online space.  At launch there will be excerpts, original fiction and articles by authors Joseph Finder, Steve Hamilton, Rosemary Harris, Charles Ardai, Luis Alberto Urrea and more.

Much like its successful sister sites, science fiction community Tor.com and romance community HeroesandHeartbreakers.com, CriminalElement.com is “publisher neutral,” meaning that it will include author participation from all publishers and other content creators, and is not exclusive to Macmillan authors.

“This is not a typical review or promotions site,” says Edelstein.  “We think of CriminalElement.com as a community for fans, by fans, and the focus is on editorial content rather than on marketing.”

CriminalElement.com will have a social media presence on both Facebook and Twitter as well; visitwww.facebook.com/crimehq and www.twitter.com/crimehq respectively.

With CriminalElement.com, Macmillan is leading the charge in creating a themed community for authors and fans to interact and share their love of crime fiction and nonfiction.

Original short story submissions and pre-release excerpts from authors at any publishing house or other interested parties are truly welcome. Those interested should contact Liz Edelstein atsubmissions@criminalelement.com

About Liz Edelstein, Senior Manager and editor, CriminalElement.com

Working in the intersection of the digital publishing revolution, Edelstein started her career in technology as a product manager at Netscape/AOL and later moved into online book marketing. Prior to taking on this latest role, Edelstein was the Digital Content and Marketing Manager at Macmillan Audio.  Edelstein is also an award-winning author, having published thirteen romance novels under the pseudonym Liz Maverick. Edelstein and her books have been featured in USA Today, Cosmopolitan, San Francisco Magazine, The Chicago Sun-Times, The Toronto Star, and more.

For more information on CriminalElement.com, please contact Liz Edelstein or Sarah Melnyk.

Liz Edelstein

Macmillan Community Network

(646) 307-5090

Liz.Edelstein@macmillan.com

Sarah Melnyk

Minotaur Books

(646) 307-5662

sarah.melnyk@stmartins.com

Genre: Thriller

Rating: 3.5 WaterTowers

“Pirate Latitudes” was found as a complete manuscript after Michael Crichton’s death in 2008.

I have read a lot of bad reviews of “Pirate Latitudes” and, foolishly, let those reviews stand in the way of my reading it in a timely manner.

“Pirate Latitudes” is a terrific read!

A linear story where the main character, Captain Charles Hunter, puts a lethal crew together, sails the Caribbean chasing treasure, fights and kills to grab that treasure, then sails the Caribbean again meeting up with monsters, cannibals, and Spanish warships.

Lots of boozing, womanizing, cheating, killing.

Hey….they are pirates (or “privateers”) based out of Port Royal, Jamaica.  They do what pirates (at least the romanticized version of pirates) do…..arrrrghh.

I love pirate stories, and this one is every bit as good as…..well, hmmmmm….the “Pirates of the Carribean” movies.

Those other reviewers need to chill out and enjoy….

I ran across this article on CNN this morning.

Very interesting and very scary for those of us who LOVE books, but, the changes in how bookstores evolve in the next few years will be interesting to watch.

To summarize the article:  Borders is going under chapter 11, and Barnes & Noble stock is down almost 80% since 2006.  The swiftness of the eBook phenomena took Borders and Barnes & Noble (and ME!) by surprise.  Of the two, B&N is doing the best job moving to the eBook world, but, the article says it may not be fast enuf.  It says that B&N will be closing stores (many of them) and / or downsizing and / or leasing out space (see my future below) in the once sprawling book aisles.  It sees Nook boutiques…and a whole new look for what once were the mighty “bookstore”.

The eBook trend has the publishing industry facing tough times ahead as well.  See this discussion between Authors Barry Eisler and Joe Konrath.

“These are interesting times, Harry”

My Future B&N

I can imagine the new Barnes & Noble housing a coworking location within it’s walls (hell, we already have B&N tables at AltamontCowork, see the above pic), with video conferencing stations for those who need to keep in visual contact with their company or attend meetings remotely.  Barnes & Noble coworking….how cool would that be?

There could be a section of the once large store where parents can take their kids while they cowork.  B&N Day Care.

The Cafe will stay, and a large section of Nook ebook readers and accessories could be located somewhere close.  In fact, a whole small community can evolve in a single empty B&N store; from fast food, to a small grocery, to whatever….this new community could be billed as a “green working environment”.

#telecommuting = #coworking = #Barnes&Noble

Genre:  Thriller

Rating:  4 WaterTowers (Extremely interesting)

During the Revolutionary War, the British knew who the American intelligence operatives were and captured them.  Good intelligence is key to winning a war.  George Washington, with the help of Benjamin Tallmadge,  formed a super secret organization called the Culper  Spy Ring (History Channel, Brad Meltzer’s Decoded, WikiPedia) on Long Island (how cool…I am from Bay Shore).

The original Culper Spy Ring was crucial to America winning the war.

Some think the Culper Ring exists to this day.  A small group of people (each individually selecting their successor) ”Serving the Presidency” (not the President….the Presidency).

Beecher is an archivist at the National Archives.  He is helping an old friend (and his first true love), Clementine Kaye, find information about her father.  Walking thru the archives, Beecher (with help from his friend, Security Guard Orlando), shows Clementine the super secret room (SCIF-Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) used by President Wallace to read.

While in the room, coffee spills, and a document comes to light.  A secret document.

From this auspicious start, “The Inner Circle” races through a maze of lies, deceit, and deception as Beecher and Clementine try to unravel the mystery behind the secret document, and how it relates to the President.

“The Inner Circle” is a fascinating lesson in history, spies, the Culper Ring, and the Plumbers.

“The Inner Circle” is truly a great book, loaded with twists and turns that will keep your head spinning until the very end, and then some (yes…I see a sequel).

Meltzer is awesome.  In fact, read “The First Counsel” for a 5 WaterTower thriller about the First Family.

Genre: Thriller

Rating: 4 Watertowers

This is only available in electronic form.  You can get it at several online locations including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  This is Barry’s first “self-published book”.

“The Lost Coast” refers to a geographically challenged section of Northern California coast where US 1 pushes away from the water and heads inland to join 101.  Here is an interesting WikiPedia article on the lost coast.

This novel is a short story featuring Daniel Larison (the antagonist from “Inside Out”) on the run. He is headed up the California coast when he stops in Arcata, CA, the home of Humboldt State University, to rest for the night.

If I said anymore….it would ruin the plot.  So with a short story, you get a very short review.  :-)

“The Lost Coast” is different.  Very different.  Raw.  Intense.  Brutal.  Unafraid.  Controversial.  Written with an edge I have not seen…..in any author.  Read it if you dare….I suggest you do, because this is cutting edge writing.  The future.

The book comes to an end abruptly at page 46, leaving you wanting much more. I think you will get your wish in Eisler’s upcoming book (self-published?) “The Detachment” which brings together characters from different books like Rain, Treven, Dox, Larison and others.  Merging.  Emerging.  Terrifying.

Book Review

Genre: Thriller

Rating: 4 Watertowers

Donte Drumm has less than a week to live.

He is at the end of a 10 year stay on death row in Texas for killing Sloan (Texas) High School Cheerleader Nicole Yarber.  Her body was never found, and the evidence during the trial was circumstantial at best.  Donte’s lawyer, Robbie Flak, has been working tirelessly for nearly 10 years to spring Donte.

Problem is…Donte confessed.

The Monday before the execution, in Topeka, Kansas, Travis Boyette (living at a half way home since he got out of prison) meets with Reverend Keith Schroeder and tells him that they are going to execute the wrong man.

“The Confession” rockets forward from there as Keith takes it upon himself to free Donte.  Does he succeed?  You will have to read “The Confession” to find out.

“The Confession” is a superb but harrowing account of justice and injustice similar to “The Innocent Man” (see my review here).  Grisham at his best.

On page 390 of the hardcover, the University of Kansas takes center stage.  I have three words for that:  ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK !  My alma mater.  :-)

Drive Safe! Never Forget.

34 new Thrillers this month!  Happy Reading.

• Special to The Big Thrill: ITW Roundtables: Get More Than You Give by Dan Levy
  
• News from South Africa by Mike Nicol
• The Fallen Angel by David Hewson
  
• Hybrid by Brian O’Grady
  
• Threshold by Jeremy Robinson
  
• Afraid of the Dark by James Grippando
  
• The Trial by Larry D. Thompson
  
• In the Arms of Stone Angels by Jordan Dane
  
• Bulletproof Hearts by Kay Thomas
  
• Killer Routine by Alan Orloff
  
• The Silenced by Brett Battles
  
• The Last of the Good Guys by Ernesto Patino
  
• Grey Zone by Clea Simon
  
• Dogs Don’t Lie by Clea Simon
  
• Xombies: Apocalypso by Walter Greatshell
  
• The Medusa Amulet by Robert Masello
  
• Running on Empty by Sandra Balzo
  
• In Desperation by Rick Mofina
  
• Hitched and Hunted by Paula Graves
  
• Deadly Dreams by Kylie Brant
  
• Death by Misfortune by AM Riley
  
• Rebuild My World by Cheryl Norman
  
• A Hard Death by Jonathan Hayes
  
• Diagnosis Death by Richard L Mabry, MD
  
• Winged Obsession by Jessica Speart
  
• Missing by Debra Webb
  
• Lessons in Trust by Charlie Cochrane
  
• Come and Find Me by Hallie Ephron
  
• Against the Law by Kat Martin
  
• The Shadow Guard by Diane Whiteside
  
• Night on Fire by Douglas Corleone
  
• Targeted by John M. Wills
  
• Deadworld by J.N. Duncan

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

“Ebooks and Self-Publishing: A Conversation Between Authors Barry Eisler and Joe Konrath

Genre:  Thriller

Rating: 4 WaterTowers

This is more than an ARC.  Jon sent me an email and asked if I wanted a PDF version of his upcoming book (June 21, 2011) now…..or wait for a paper version.  Since I have the Nook, I figured it was time to give the PDF a try (and besides, I wanted to read the latest Caitlin Strong book asap).  It worked!   For those who don’t know, I owe EVERYTHING I am doing now as a book reviewer to Jon Land.  I am sooo lucky to have met him (virtually only) and many other great authors (including the few special friends I have made…you know who you are).

“Strong at the Break” is the next in the Caitlin Strong, Texas Ranger series.  I have been lucky enough to read the series from the beginning, and am already looking forward to the next book…come’on Jon…..get crackin!  :-)

Catlin Strong is the latest in a long line of Strong Texas Rangers.  Her grandfather, Earl, was a legend.  Her father, Jim, was a feared lawman, and Caitlin is, well, a “gunfighter”.

When Caitlin was a young girl of about 13, Jim had a tip that a particularly bad fellow (Church of the Redeemer founder, Maxwell Arno)and his son, Malcolm, were at the Bait and Tackle store.   Jim went there, with Caitlin, to arrest Maxwell.  Only problem was….Maxwell did not want to be arrested…..so he died in his sons arms.  This set into motion the events of “Strong at the Break” many years later.

Years Later

Caitlin is on a drug stakeout in Canada (as part of a drug task force).  The stakeout goes sour as the Hells Angels arrive and start taking out (ie killing) the occupants of the house.  Caitlin cannot stand by and watch, so the fighting begins.  At the end, the Canadian Mountie working with Caitlin is wounded and several Hells Angels are dead (2/3′rds of the LaChance brothers).

Caitlin heads back to Texas amid a firestorm of controversy (in other words she kicked ass, took no prisoners, and the Canadians are in shock).  Back home, she and Cort Wesley Masters are thrown into another firestorm with profound National Security implications. Interestingly, the person at the center of this problem is none other than Malcolm Arno (who has built an evil empire far surpassing his fathers) .

Ah….the wheels of fate are turning to put Caitlin and Malcolm face-to-face once again.

As “Strong at the Break” zooms forward, Caitlin, Cort Wesley, and Colonel Guillermo Paz (Angel de la Guardia from the last book) may be the only ones who can stop Arno.

Do they succeed?  You will have to wait until June 21, 2011 to find out!  :-)

“Strong at the Break” is a complex story.  Jon Land introduces several seemingly disparate plot lines that ultimately converge at the end (I had several “Ah…I see now” moments).  And just when you think you know what is going to happen, and think you know Caitlin, you are surprised.

“Strong at the Break” is a great read.  Smooth and fast.  The characters come alive off the page.  Clearly, Jon Land knows, and is very comfortable with, Caitlin Strong, Texas Ranger…..gunfighter.

Update from Jon via Faceboook:

And don’t forget the big news that my first 13 long-out-of-print books have just been reissued as E-books by Open Road Media, including the first five in the Blaine McCracken series. You can check them out on Kindle at:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_20?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=jon+land+%2B+open+road&sprefix=jon+land+%2B+open+road

As slow as I read….I’d have to live to 230 to read all these….  :-)

Just stumbled across this today.  The part 2 trailer for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” (see my review here).  This is interesting since it has the actors and director / producers giving some insight.

UPDATE:  If you read the books (I’m sure you did if you are here), can you tell me WHY this scene would have been deleted from Part 1?  It tells the movie viewer sooo much, and is quite powerful.

Drive Safe!  Never Forget.

A few years ago, I had a cool posting on the books I had read and what order they should be read in…well, with all the movement of my blogs, that posting got lost!  Soooooo, here is a new one.

I will add to this regularly, so book mark it and come back.

Barry Eisler, John Rain series, start with “Rain Fall”.  Read my review here.

Barry Eisler, Ben Treven series, start with “Fault Line”.  Read my review here.

Brad Thor, Scot Harvath series, start with “The Lions of Lucerne”

Brian Haig, Sean Drummond series, start with “Secret Sanction”.

Carolyn Haines, Sarah Booth Delaney series, start with “Them Bones”.

C.E. Lawrence, Lee Campbell series, start with “Silent Screams”.  See my review here.

C.J. Box, Joe Pickett series, start with “Open Season”.  See my review here.

Clive Cussler, Dirk Pitt series, start with “The Mediterranean Caper”

Clive Cussler, The Oregon Files series, start with “Golden Buddha”

Clive Cussler, The NUMA Files series, start with “Serpent”

Colin Cotterill, Jimm Juree series, start with “Killed at the Whim of a Hat”.  My review.

Dan Brown, Robert Langdon series, start with “Angels & Demons”

David Baldacci, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell series, start with “Split Second”.

David Baldacci, Oliver Stone, Camel Club, series, start with “The Camel Club”.

David Baldacci, A Shaw series, start with “The Whole Truth”.  See my review here.

D.J. MacHale, Pendragon Series, start with “Pendragon: The Merchant of Death”.  See my review here.

D.J. MacHale, Morpheus Road series, start with “The Light”.

David J. Walker, Wild Onion, Ltd Series (Kirsten & Dugan), start with “A Ticket to Die For”

Diana Gabaldon,  The “Outlander” series, start with “Outlander”

George R. R. Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire Saga, start with “A Game of Thrones”

James Patterson, Alex Cross series, start with “Along Came A Spider”.

James Patterson, Michael Bennett series, start with “Step on a Crack”.

James Rollins, Sigma Force series, start with “Sandstorm”.

Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Plum series, start with “One For the Money” (Read my review)

J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter series, start with “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”

John Gilstrap, Jonathan Grave series, start with “No Mercy”.  See my review here.

John Lescroart, Dismas Hardy series, start with “Dead Irish”.

John Sanford, The Prey Series (Lucas Davenport), start with “Rules of Prey”.

Jon Land, Caitlin Strong series, start with “Strong Enough to Die”. See my review here.

Jordan Dane, “No One” series, start with “No One Heard Her Scream”.  See my review here.

Jordan Dane, “Sweet Justice” series, start with “Evil Without A Face”.  See my review here.

Joseph Finder, Nick Heller series, start with “Vanished”.  See my review here.

Kelli Stanley, Miranda Corbie series, start with “City of Dragons”.  Read my review here.

Kelli Stanley, Arcturus series, start with “Nox Dormienda” but read my review of “The Curse Maker” here.

Kyle Mills, Mark Beamon series, start with “Rising Phoenix”.

Lee Child, Jack Reacher series, start with “Killing Floor”.

Mary Kennedy, Maggie Walsh, Talk Radio Mystery, series, start with “Dead Air”.  See my review here.

Michael Connelly, Harry Bosch series, start with “The Black Echo”.

Michael Connelly, Mickey Haller series, start with “The Lincoln Lawyer”.

Michelle Gagnon, Kelly Jones series, start with “The Gatekeeper”.

Mike Lawson, Joe DeMarco series, start with “The Inside Ring”.

Naomi Novik, Temeraire series, start with “His Majesty’s Dragon”. (Read my review here)

Perri O’Shaughnessy, Nina Reilly series, start with “Motion to Suppress”

Robert Ludlum, Bourne series, start with “The Bourne Identity”.

Robin Cook, Laurie Montgomery series, start with “Blindsight”.

Stephen Coonts, Jake Grafton series, start with “Flight of the Intruder”

Stephen Coonts, Tommy Carmellini series, start with “Liars and Thieves”.

Stephen Coonts, Deep Black series, start with “Deep Black”.

Stephen Frey, Christian Gillette series, start with “The Chairman”.  See my review here.

Stephenie Meyer, Twilight series, start with “Twilight”.   See Kristen’s review of “Eclipse” here.

Steve Berry, Cotton Malone series, start with “The Templar Legacy”.  Read my review here.

Steve Martini, Paul Madriani series, start with “Compelling Evidence”

Steven James, Patrick Bowers series, start with “The Pawn”.  See my review here.

Stuart Woods, Stone Barrington Series (and others!), start with “New York Dead”

Sue Grafton, Kinsey Millhone series,  start with “A is for Alibi”.

Vince Flynn, Mitch Rapp series, start with “Term Limits”

Here is the list of Thrillers for March 2011 !  Happy reading…

• Live Wire by Harlan Coben
• The Informationist by Taylor Stevens
• Spiral by Paul McEuen
• Kiss Me, Kill Me by Allison Brennan
• Last to Fold by David Duffy
• The Shepherd by Ethan Cross
• Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein
• So Close The Hand Of Death by J.T. Ellison
• Stealing The Marbles by EJ Knapp
• The Water Rat of Wanchai by Ian Hamilton
• The King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry
• Twice a Spy by Keith Thomson
• Beaglemania by Linda O. Johnston
• Rock Bottom by Erin Brockovich and CJ Lyons
• Deadly Lies by Cynthia Eden
• Buried in Briny Bay by Bobbye Terry
• Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells
• The Gallows Curse by Karen Maitland
• Public Anatomy by A. Scott Pearson
• Vegas Knights by Matt Forbeck
• Mahu Blood by Neil S. Plakcy
• Fall From Grace by Wayne Arthurson
• Against the Law by Kat Martin
• Bermuda Heat by P.A. Brown
• Into the Black–A Nick Kismet Adventure by Sean Ellis
• In the Shadow of Evil by Robin Caroll
• Every Shallow Cut by Tom Piccirilli

(See the “new” wood table donated by Barnes & Noble, Tracy, CA…cool, huh?)

Book Review

Genre:  Thriller

Rating: 3.5 WaterTowers (Awesome read!)

This book was sent to me, and signed, by Michelle Gagnon.  It is in stores now.

This is the first book I have read by Michelle Gagnon.  Breaking my own rule number 53 (to read series in order) by reading this book, I started the series 4 books in.  I love the way Michelle did not do a standard re-cap of the previous book or books, but, instead, integrated the previous information as the story developed.  The only bad part about that is I was pretty much lost as to who the main characters are, and still am to some degree.  Arrrghhh…  My suggestion to the new reader of Michelle Gagnon:  Start with “The Gatekeeper”.

Lets see…..there should be a run on “The Gatekeeper”, ’cause “Kidnap & Ransom” (once I got into the characters) was outstanding.

“Kidnap & Ransom” opens with the unlikely kidnap, in Mexico City, of Cesar Calderon the CEO of the world’s most famous kidnap & ransom organization….the Tyr Group.  The notorious, and lethal, Los Zetas accomplished the kidnapping.

In an attempt to rescue their leader, Tyr sent out a group of special operatives lead by Mark Riley.  Unfortunately, the rescue attempt goes horribly wrong leaving several would be rescuers either dead or captured.

Back in the States, Mark’s brother Jake Riley, who runs another Kidnap & Ransom company, hears about Mark’s disappearance and decides to put a team together to rescue him.

Off to Mexico City.

If I say much more, I will ruin the action.  So while the team is looking, they run into all sorts of obstacles, discover hiding places, and raise all sorts of havoc.  Do they succeed in rescuing Cesar and Mark?  Well….you will just have to read “Kidnap & Ransom” to find out.

In a second plot, heroine  FBI Agent Kelly Jones, who is not well enough to go on the eventual mission to rescue Mark having just recovered from a horrible injury (from the previous book “The Tunnels”), finds out that her old nemesis from that book is alive (surprise!) and living in Mexico City.   Chasing down Stefan proves a daunting task.

At the end, both stories collide in an explosive ending that will leave you breathless….and sad.

The pacing of “Kidnap & Ransom” is PERFECT.  Every two or three pages, another story line picks up and ends two or three pages later in a cliff hanger.  There must be a hundred cliff hangers that make it extremely difficult to put the book down…. because you HAVE to find out what happens.  But it is like that every few pages, so you are CONSTANTLY reading to see what happens.  I love it!

I hope Michelle does not mind me comparing her to James Rollins, Clive Cussler, and Matthew Reilly when it comes to adventure and thrills.  More realistic than Rollins or Reilly, but, she definitely has the same devil-may-care adventure.

Start with “The Gatekeeper”…..you will have fun.

There are 31 new Thrillers this month!  Happy Reading!!  :-)

• A Between the Lines Interview with William Bernhardt
• News from South Africa by Mike Nicol
• Gideon’s Sword by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
• One Rough Man by Brad Taylor
• The Curse-Maker by Kelli Stanley
• Final Vector by Allan Leverone
• Jack: Secret Vengeance by F. Paul Wilson
• Exacerbyte by Cat Connor
• Merciless by Mary Burton
• Wildcase by Neil Russell
• A Heartbeat Away by Michael Palmer
• Delirious by Daniel Palmer
• Learning to Swim by Sara J. Henry
• The Omega Theory by Mark Alpert
• Deadly Ties by Vicki Hinze
• Homefront – The Voice of Freedom by John Milius and Raymond Benson
• Blood and Ashes by Matt Hilton
• Deadly Heat by Cynthia Eden
• The Blackhouse by Peter May
• Lucky Stiff by Deborah Coonts
• The Irish Princess by Karen Harper
• Outsourced by Dave Zeltserman
• Someone’s Watching by Sharon Potts
• Deadly Games by Cate Noble
• Midnight Caller by Leslie Tentler
• Eyes of the Innocent by Brad Parks
• The Corruptible by Mark Myhneir
• Burning Darkness by Jaime Rush
• Fire Dance by Mike Sirota
• Free Range Institution by Michael Haskins
• Tracers by Adrian Magson
• Winter Break by Kayla Perrin
• Against The Fire by Kat Martin