Reviews

Another excellent book from Tess Gerritsen. I checked it out and finished it in a night. Well written story, interesting characters, plenty of whisky, twists and turns but satisfying ending.

I would suggest reading the first book in this series The Spy Coast , although this does work as a stand alone. I don't think there is a sub genre called cozy spy novels but if there was this would qualify.

I think it is also a great summer read set in a small and beautiful town on the Maine coast. I was hooked the the series name, The Martini Club. Great entertainment led by Maggie Bird and her fellow retired spies.

The newest entry in the Cotton Malone series. It is well written and the history is well researched. I get to read a great Cotton Malone story and have a history lesson included with my fiction! This book is also filled with great locales and is a nice escape novel.

The Big Empty” is vintage Crais, with a plot that starts simple then turns dark, taking myriad twists leading to an unpredictable finale. Elvis still revels in his snarky humor — yes, he still uses the Mickey Mouse landline in his office — but also is completely serious and professional at his job. As for Joe Pike — let’s just say he’s the person you want on your side. The friendship and respect Elvis and Pike have for each other continues to be a driving force. The action is believable, yet restrained.

I love this series, this is book 10 and it is best to start this series from the beginning.

Evan Smoak, the legendary Nowhere Man, faces one of his toughest challenges yet—going up against his closest friend, Tommy Stojack.
When Evan learns that Tommy may have violated his strict moral code, their conflict escalates into an intense, high-stakes battle.
The story moves at a breakneck pace, filled with incredible fight sequences, sharp dialogue, and deep emotional moments. Looking forward to his next book.

I am a very long term fan of David Baldacci’s books but, must admit, that with some of the more recent stories, I felt that his usual punch was missing. Then along came To Die For and the Travis Devine series  it was as though all had been revitalised. A great plot, very well scripted with constant twists and turns. Most stories have a hero and in this instance it is Travis Devine but there are several other characters who fall into the hero category as well and 12/13 year old Betsy Odom rounds out the “team”. A great read, well worth picking up.

 It is a compelling story but the spiritual journey of several of main characters towards acceptance is beautifully portrayed and not at all heavy handed or preachy. Once I started reading, I could not stop until I finished. Krueger does an excellent job in a few sentences of reminding the reader of who the main characters are and the back story without rehashing the previous stories. He also weaves in the tragedy of missing Native women and the destruction wrought by the greed of the oil industry. This is book 20 in the Cork O'Connor series.

I enjoy all the Easy Rawlins books especially the back stories of WW2 and Easy in his younger days. The description of LA and surrounding neighborhoods, the people, and social climate from 1948 thru 1970 are the real story. I especially enjoyed reading how Easy has transitioned and matured as a P.I now that he's in his 50's , great read.

Hap and Leonard are not your everyday heroes and they have a somewhat loose opinion on what is justice. Joe R. Lansdale has once again written a masterpiece but I didn't expect anything less from this author. Sugar on the Bones is the 13th book in this series and I really had fun reading it. The story is as always well written and filled with witty dialogue and I was surprised that the duo left Texas to finish off the job. I will always recommend this series to people that wants a good book to read that is not like everything else.

Daniel Silva continues to bring favorite characters from past episodes in Gabriel Allon's life into this book in a way that makes me want to go back to see how they met in the first place. Now that Gabriel isn't having to face terrorists trying to destroy Israel, the story lines can flow along without the heart stopping worry as to whether or not Gabriel will survive. He still seems invincible, but the places, music, art, and action make Gabriel one of my favorite characters.

Erik Larson writes historical books, like some write fiction. Interesting, fast paced, and keeps the readers interested. If your interested in the Civil War and how a country can become very polarized this is an excellent source, and a good place to start. I've  never been to Sumter but after reading this book I would like to see it. I enjoyed the book but not as well as some of his other works.