Kirkus Reviews Crime Novel with Sarcastic Protagonist

Title: Devil's Run

Author: Frank Hughes

Website: http://www.frankhughesauthor.com

Genre: Suspense, Thriller

Pub Date: Aug. 16th, 2012

ISBN: 978-1478354550

Page count: 332pp

Publisher: CreateSpace

Reviewer: Kirkus Indie

Review Posted Online: Nov. 21st, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1st, 2013

Review weblink: https://www.kirkusreviews.com

 

KIRKUS REVIEW

A pedal-to-the-metal crime novel in which a sarcastic private investigator gets more than he bargained for while working a missing person case.

Former federal agent Nick Craig is a man who doesn’t “play well with others.” He is impudent, ill-mannered and quick to deliver acerbic one-liners. Working as a private investigator for a respected Manhattan-based security consultant, Craig grudgingly accepts what appears to be a routine case: to find a University of Washington student who has disappeared. The case quickly grows complicated as Craig explores the dorm room of Kenneth Boyd (whom his own lawyer father called “a wimp”). His belongings are gone, his computer’s history has been erased and his car has been meticulously wiped clean. The only lead is a picture of Boyd with an attractive young woman known around the campus as a hard-core environmental activist. Further investigation leads Craig to Vermont and the base of a radical environmentalist who is being watched by the FBI. After witnessing the murder of that radical and his colleague (and almost getting killed himself), Craig eventually lands in the mountains of Colorado where he finally stumbles on a grand-scale conspiracy—and all of its jaw-dropping revelations. While the storyline is ingeniously knotty, it also requires a certain amount of suspension of disbelief; some of Craig’s exploits are incredible. But because the pacing is frantic and the narrative engaging, readers will undoubtedly not be too distracted.

This action-packed thrill ride, reminiscent of Ian Fleming and Nelson DeMille, will satisfy the most demanding literary adrenaline junkie.

-----
  The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

MuseItUp Author Publishes New Romantic Thriller

REFLECTION
By: Kim Cresswell
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing
eBook ISBN: 978-1-77127-256-8
Publication Date: January 2013
Genres: Suspense, Thriller, Romance
Purchase at: MuseItUpPublishing.com, Amazon.com, Bookstrand, Omnilit, Kobo, Smashwords and B&N
Reviewed by: Ellen Fritz at Books4Tomorrow
Ellen's star rating:  5/5

Summary

Florida investigative reporter, Whitney Steel, has lived in the shadow of her legendary father long enough. To prove herself she needs to find the “Big” story.
She found it.
Now it may kill her.
After Whitney receives a lead pointing to the world’s first cloned human, now a small child, she vows to unravel the truth. However, sifting through the facts proves to have dangerous results, including death threats and murder.
When Whitney is nearly killed, but is saved by undercover FBI Special Agent, Blake Neely, he refuses to let her get in the way of his own objective—at least not right away.
Caught in a lethal game between a billionaire obsessed with genetic perfection, his hit man’s thirst for retribution, and a Colombian drug lord fresh out of prison determined to make Blake pay for his twin brother’s death over a decade ago…
Can they save an innocent child before it’s too late?
Faced with tough choices, with deadly consequences for many—Whitney soon realizes that sometimes a story becomes more than just a story.

Review by Ellen Fritz originally for Books4Tomorrow

A truly edge-of-your-seat, never-a-dull-moment read. Reflection has a dramatic start and just never slows down. When her ex-husband is killed while trying to tell her something important, investigative reporter, Whitney Steel, realizes that she may be on to the story of a lifetime. Too bad then that Nathan Shaw, Blake Neely and an enemy from her past want to prevent her obtaining the information for her story; and at the heart of all this, an innocent child.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as it moves forward all the time with no lengthy descriptions or angsty inner dialogue. The romance in the story is tastefully written and skillfully distributed throughout the book so as to enhance rather than interfere with the main storyline.

The characters are fleshed out and vividly described thus giving the reader captivating mental images that truly makes the story come alive. I love a strong female protagonist who can hold her own, kick butt and doesn't indulge in self pity. Whitney Steel is exactly that. Blake Neely, the male protagonist, is extremely realistic with his inner battles about keeping Whitney safe, the death of his sister and, ultimately, his own mission. Let's not forget the bad guys in this story. Ruthless, mean and self-serving are just some of the adjectives that come to mind. Add to that vengeful and the author has some truly nasty but highly realistic antagonists to give our heroes a run for their money.

I highly recommend this five-star page-turner to those who love a suspense laden novel with constant action and well balanced romance. The extra complication at the end gives this book a unique quality, and, oops, let me stop before I give too much away! As the book has a slightly open end, let's hope that we'll soon see another book by the highly gifted Kim Cresswell. Ellen Fritz - Books4Tomorrow http://bookstomorrow.blogspot.ca/2013/03/review-reflection-by-kim-cresswell.html

What Others are Saying

“Reflection is an edge-of-your-seat suspense, with gut-wrenching emotion, and sexual tension that has you turning the page to see how it all turns out. This was one of the best suspense stories I've read, and Nathan Shaw is a villian you'll love to hate!” - Jerri Drennen, Author (Amazon Review)

“Reflection is a fast-paced thriller with something for every reader: scientific experiments, murderous encounters, and a complicated love story. Kim Cresswell’s debut work will leave you hanging on every page in a world where every word counts, every man’s word is suspect, and those ‘three little words’ mean more than anything when all is revealed.” -M.K. Chester, author of Surrender to the Roman (Carina Press)

“Glad to know there is a sequel coming as I really liked this one. The plot had a lot of typical Rom Sus elements, but somehow the whole was very fresh to me. The greatest element of the story for me was that the heroine, Whitney Steel (great name!) was believable mixture of being strong,and capable but vulnerable and sometimes misguided. The story was exciting and definitely left me wanting more!” -Lhenry (Goodreads Review) (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/527104585)

About the Author

Award-wining author, Kim Cresswell resides in Ontario, Canada. Trained as a legal assistant, Kim has been a storyteller all her life but took many detours including; working for a private investigator, running a graphic design business, and teaching computer classes at a local business school. After becoming disabled with Fibromyalgia and Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome, Kim returned to her first love, writing.

She's also an avid reader who enjoys playing computer games, ghost hunting and loves anything paranormal.

Kim has a few new books in the works including; Retribution, the sequel to Reflection, slated for October. Lethal Journey, a suspense thriller, will be released later this summer.

Web Site: www.kimcresswell.ca

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KimCresswellBooks

Twitter: @kimcresswell

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6898395.Kim_Cresswell

-- 
REFLECTION - A reporter's determination to expose an illegal human cloning project places an innocent child in the crosshairs of a master criminal. 
MuseItUp Publishing:  http://tinyurl.com/ctwm5cp 
Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Reflection-ebook/dp/B00B5HRBZE
Paperback at Createspace eStore:  https://www.createspace.com/4144264
Kobo:  http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Reflection/book-_5-zhN2-20u_RUw8yO1Cxg/page1.html
Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/289845
Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflection-kim-cresswell/1114770566?ean=2940044344181
_______________________________________________
 
_______________________________________________

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Top Review Ranks Chipset "Best Thriller of 2012"

Title:      Chipset

Author: Lior Samson

Genre:   thriller, action-adventure

ISBN:     978-0984377282
Kindle edition 978-0984377299

 

Reviewed by James A. Anderson originally for Amazon.

5 Stars

 

Lior Samson hits another one out of the park with Chipset, the fourth techno-thriller in his Homeland Connection series.

Samson, the pen name of a university professor, delivers another page-turning, multi-dimensional thriller with a solid background in computers and computer chips. Samson certainly knows his stuff and has researched his subject thoroughly, bringing the reader a better understanding of this high-tech world and how it permeates our lives much greater than we realize.

Few thriller writers can match Samson's ability to deliver a gripping story. In previous reviews, I have compared him to John le Carré and Tom Clancy. He doesn't have the same name recognition or sales, but he is equal to or better than both those authors. His work deserves to be on the New York Times Best Seller list

As in his previous novels in the Homeland Connection series, Samson offers international politics and high-level espionage. The plot twists and exotic international settings in this novel make it a highly readable and entertaining thriller. There is also a powerful parallel story set in World War II that aptly explains the experience and background development of the characters.

I highly recommend this book which arguably may be the best thriller of 2012

 

 

About the Author:  

 

~~Larry Constantine, IDSA, ACM Fellow | Lior Samson, novelist

    Active (Professional) Member, SFWA

    Simon Rockower Award (2010), American Jewish Press Association

    Author of The Rosen Singularity (Gesher Press, 2011) and The Homeland Connection novels: Bashert, The Dome, Web Games (Gesher Press, 2010) and Chipset (Gesher Press, 2012)

 

About the Reviewer:

 

James A. Anderson is an Amazon Top Reviewer with a ranking of 4,407.

 

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Donna Monroe Calls Supernatural Thriller a Must-Read

The Hand of God
By Tony Acree

Author site: http://tonyacree.com/

Genre: Supernatural Thriller / Urban Fantasy
ISBN is 978-0615754550

Reviewed by Donna Monroe originally for Amazon.com.

 

The book The Hand of God written by the Kentucky author Tony Acree is a masterfully crafted thriller that has something for everyone. I was hooked the moment I read the first page and was pleasantly surprised every page after as I tried to anticipate how it would end! The supernatural aspects of the book range from vampires all the way to the Devil himself. However, these supernatural portrayals are unlike any you have read or seen before! The star of the book, the lead character Victor McCain, will leave you at moments laughing to painfully struggling along side as he tries to save his brother, Mikey, without compromising his beliefs.

 

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Review Blogger Reviews Paranormal Thriller

Shadowed,
by Ken Hughes
Author's Web site: www.kenhughesauthor.com
Genre: paranormal thriller
Print ISBN: 978-0-9850484-0-2
E-book ISBN: 978-0-9850484-1-9

Review by Charlene Mabie-Gamble originally for Literary R&R 
Description:

Paul lives in hiding, struggling to control preternatural senses no secret is safe from and certain that nobody suspects he exists. He searches the city for answers, using his power and a few self-taught tricks to outwit those who have something to hide and still he cannot remember what drove him away from the people he loved. And now Paul must risk everything to protect the family he left, make peace with a woman he's wronged and face enemies more ruthless than his worst fears, to at last learn what has transformed his life. Because the one person who knows, is the one who did it to him.

Charlene's Review:

Paul has some unusual abilities that have led to him becoming estranged from his family, friends, and most of the world. He stalks through the days searching for the cause of his abilities, as well as trying to right the wrongs of the world. When he finds out his family is in danger, he reconnects with them, rather cautiously, and through a series of events, faces the one who he believes is responsible for changing his life.

This was an amazing suspense tale. The focus on the book is Paul, a victim of a mysterious transformation that allows him to use his five senses in ways unheard of before. Despite being an unwilling victim, he does his best to bust corruption around him, and to protect his family.

Before I realized it, I had read the book through in one evening. The degree with which this novel moves will completely sweep you in. Paul is a very complex character as he struggles to understand what happened to him, and how much of the consequences is his fault. Facing unknown forces, betrayals, and even risk of death, Paul begins to piece together his past, and to hopefully, right the future.

There are a lot of twists and turns, dead-ends, and suspense, all the way to the final page. It is left wide open for a sequel, that I hope to be just as riveting.

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Sun News Reviewer Shares Thriller with New Book Review

Title: Justice Beyond Law
Author: Barry Kelly
Website: www.factsandfictions.com ; www.facebook.com/factsandfictions
Genre: Fiction
Review: Originally appeared in The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
ISBN: 978-0983307334

 

Reviewed by Joan Leotta

Reading Corner | ‘Justice Beyond Law’ a fast-paced thriller with good writing, plot, characters

Move over Batman: Jack Brandon, former cop and Marine and millionaire does not need a utility belt or a special car. With his superb martial arts skills and two ex-CIA female sidekicks, Kathy and Anita, he battles today’s super criminals – ex-KGB agents working with al-Qaida.

Having accepted the basic premise of the hero’s massive skill set and the tremendous abilities of his sidekicks, plus a plethora of great connections, amazing family background story and money, the book captivates readers with a well-structured plot, terse writing and fast-paced action. Author Barry Kelly’s scenic descriptions in this, his first novel, are right on the mark.

I was especially pleased to see his loving detail of Pittsburgh (my hometown) and Washington, D.C., (where I lived for 35 years) and the places along Route 30 that connect the two. More exotic locales such as Katmandu receive equally detailed treatment. Does the hero find romance? Yes, but without slowing the action. Kelly uses every scene to advance the action and plot.

The trail of dead bodies left as our heroes fight for justice without the structure of CIA rules stretches across several continents in the course of the action; the totals are worthy of an opera.


~Submitted by Caroline Evans, freelance editor, stareditors@gmail.com.



-----

The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.

Amazon Reviewer Calls Dead Bishops Don't Lie Marvelous

Title : "Dead Bishops Don't Lie"

By Andre K. Baby

My website : www.andrekbaby.com
Genre : Thriller
ISBN number : 9780988 087217
Publisher : CreateSpace
Originally Published on Amazon

Rating : five star

Format:Kindle Edition

Reviewed by Peter K

Dead Bishops Don't Lie starts off with a gruesome murder and quickly gets underway with a plot that unfolds at breakneck speed in hugely interesting locations. Baby's characters have depth and substance. His heroes are people that we would all like to spend an evening with, and I was cheering (and fearing) for the good guys right from the beginning. His villains, and there are plenty of them, are twisted and believable. The plot is a marvelous story that kept me engaged and caring about what happens next. Fast-paced and intelligently drawn, it kept me turning pages. This is a solid first effort from a writer who is definitely someone to watch. Can't wait for the next installment!

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Linda Barnett-Johnson Reviews Young Adult Novel

Book: The Dog Men

Author: Patricia Crandall

Genre: Young Adult, Suspense/thriller
Author's Web Site: http://patriciacrandallauthor.homestead.com/

Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/d5sdom5

Rank: 5 stars

 

Reviewed by Linda Barnett-Johnson, Editor and Virtual Assistant for Authors. Originally review for Amazon.

The Dog Men is one of those books that your older kids and adults should read. If you are interested in what goes on in the dog fighting world, then it's for you. But it's also for those people that care about animals. Unfortunately, this goes on more than we know.

The characters are young kids about 9 and 10. As you know, most young kids are curious. When they discover a terrible secret in their small town, they vow to do something about it.

Fun read and a good gift to those kids that want something different.

More on the reviewer:

Linda Barnett-Johnson

Editor/Virtual Assistant

Linda Barnett-Johnson Editing Services

Assistant Editor of Long Story Short ezine

Administrative Director of LSS School of Writing

Her Blog.

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Kirkus Calls Dipwipple Book a Romp

Tongue-Tied With Stomach Knots (An Enlightened Comedy)
By Reginald Dipwipple
Fiction: Humoir/Thriller/Spy
ISBNs: 978-0-9833761-1-8 (Kindle ebook version)
             978-0-9833761-6-3 (Print version, pending).
Available on Amazon.com.

Brief Synopsis of Tongue-Tied With Stomach Knots (An Enlightened Comedy)

In a world wherein so much appears to be bizarre, insane, and beyond rational explanation, Secret Agent Reginald Dipwipple knows the insider truth: the world is incredibly incompetent. This is the world he operates in, fighting the good fight against terrorists just trying to make a living through mass intimidation. It is a world wherein words are weapons when they contain too many syllables. A world wherein computers have personality, geeks are cosmopolitan, and blondes are smart enough to deceive. A world of acronyms utterly indecipherable to the uninitiated: HUMINT, MASINT, GUTTER, USSR. A world wherein crises cause comedy.

And Dipwipple delivers. Join him at a spy school in rural Virginia where poachers encounter cute cuddly animals who shoot back. Dare to accompany him to Washington, D.C.’s fashionable neighborhood of Georgetown, to the high fashions of New York City, to the funky fashions of Greenwich Village, to the Italian fashions of Rome, to the frumpy fashions of American tourists. It is a journey intertwined with Biblical espionage, ancient Roman postal workers, prostitutes and politicians, Nazis and Communists, philosophers and phonies, comedy writers and other political appointees. From spies full of hot air (ballooning) to spies of the underworld, tunneling into East Berlin. From the sexy spies of the Civil War to the sexy spy planes of the Cold War, Dipwipple delivers. From the United Nations to divided states, from the science of humor to the art of the bad joke, Dipwipple delivers. From the great questions of theology to the questionable greatness of bureaucracy, Dipwipple delivers.

Dipwipple not only delivers, he takes it back. This is his story.

Kirkus Reviews declares: “In a literary landscape full of serious spy thrillers, this romp sticks out like a 7-foot clown in a police lineup. … Through his [beginner’s spy] coursework and on his first assignment, Dipwipple and the reader learn a great deal of trivia and true spy history. … The laughs never stop, but this one's more fun house than thrill ride.”

About the Author

Reginald Dipwipple, Secret Agent Extraordinaire, claims not to exist. Even those who know him say he's not much to look at. He has no known address, nor birthplace, nor a Social Security number, nor any verified qualifications for his supposed memoirs. Let's face it: he's a nobody. But he writes some great stuff, including a brilliant blog at SecretComedy.com.  The author also reports that tomorrow, August 1, for one day only, his e-book will be available for FREE for Kindle downloads — although even thereafter, it can be borrowed for free by Kindle users. Enjoy!

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Murder Mystery Features CSI Agent and Child Molesters

The Goodbye Man
By Chad Barton
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Don't you love it when you find a great murder mystery? Chad Barton has delivered one with The Goodbye Man, a first rate novel loaded with great twists and turns and a tear jerker surprise ending.

It’s about a former CSI agent, Jack Steele, who has become independently wealthy and has at his disposal all the necessary tools to eradicate child molesters continuing to offend using an assumed identity – law enforcement credentials, a private jet, a .380 Walther and his trusted companion, Sadie. One by one, he and Sadie hunt them down – even though he knows his days are numbered. Of course, his mission is complicated when he meets a beautiful woman he can love- something missing in his life since the death of his wife.

Here’s what one reader said, "This book mixes elements of romance, murder, suspense, vigilantism and sadness. As a person, you become proud and encouraging of Jack ... even knowing that what he's doing is against the law and a sin. Who wouldn't want to hunt down and kill child rapists and murderers?"

It's gotten loads of great reviews and I'm glad I found it. And, to my delight and surprise, I got to download all sorts of great bonuses, like book chapters, e-courses, e-books and more! Such a deal! I’m so glad I found this in time for my summer vacation – what a treat! Thanks, Chad!

Check out the book & bonuses.

~Submitted by Denise Cassino, publicist and book marketing specialist

303 838 3399
skype: denise.cassino
www.BestsellerServices.com
www.spiritoftheseasoncatalog.com
www.mybestsellerlaunch.com

Follow me on Twitter

Follow me on Facebook

----- The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Reviewer Lauds Author's Debut Thriller

Title: The Gizeh Scrolls

Author: Charles Yockelson

Author's Web-site Link: http://www.wix.com/charlieyo/gizeh1

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

ISBN: 9781475173451

Reviewed by Eve Anderson originally for Amazon

Reviewer's Rating: 5 stars

Charles Yockelson has produced an excellently crafted storyline of international intrigue mixed with historic content. I was not expecting such a page turner plot and, once started, I could not stop reading the book. His descriptions of historic landmarks in many countries are so well constructed that you feel as if you are walking alongside the book's characters and experiencing the same breezes and seeing the same views as they.

The book was obviously very well researched and the author intertwined fact and fiction so well that the telling of the story could easily be mistaken for nonfiction instead of a novel.

It is hard to believe this is Yockelson's first book. I sincerely hope there are more to come.

----- The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Sigmarie Soto Reviews Thriller

Title: Q: Awakening
Author: G.M. Lawrence
Author's Website: http://www.gmlawrence.com/
Genre: Fiction/Philo-Thriller
ISBN: 9781935142539
Variance Publishing

Reviewed by Sigmarie Soto originally for ZiggySoto

 
G.M. Lawrence’s career as an author can only excel from here given the sophistication of his first novel. Q: Awakening focuses on the quest of conflicted hero, Dr. Declan Stewart, in not only searching for an ancient manuscript (“quelles”), a lost gospel believed to be written by Christ, but also regaining his faith in people and God after years of hiding.


The writing in Q: Awakening is elegant and clever, providing multiple layers and insight into a variety of complex cultural, political, and religious components. While this is an action-packed, save-the-world adventure, there is significantly more depth due to the philosophical aspects and the conflicts among and within the characters as well as the motives driving each of them. And all of this can draw a variety of audiences ranging from diehard adventure/thriller fans to those interested in modern philosophical fiction.


The read is captivating and enjoyably consuming in everything from character development to the vivid settings covering anything from New Zealand to the deserts of Saudi Arabia. While most plots have one villain, Q: Awakening has multiple villains with multiple agendas. Some want to profit from Q while others want to destroy it.



Beyond struggling with accepting that Q is his destiny and obsession, Declan is also interesting because of his struggle with moving forward after already having lost so much during his prior search for Q. As with any good and believable hero, Declan is flawed and even mysterious. His constantly weighed conscience forces him to accept his mission despite the fact he insists he doesn’t believe it is the salvation of the human race.


The quality of writing and imagination mixed with the detail and realness of the characters and places is quite refreshing. Since Q: Awakening is the first in Lawrence’s trilogy, the remaining novels have quite a bit to live up to as well as a lot of questions to answer. Given the complexity and adventure in this novel, a screen adaptation would also be successful and well-received.


-----
  The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Girl with Dragon Tattoo Reviewed by UK Reviewer

Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Author: Stieg Larsson
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Crime

Reviewed by Owen O'Hagan, United Kingdom

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

If I’d stopped reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo twenty pages in, when I originally wanted to, I would never have experienced the compelling, clever and engrossing story that followed. It may get off to a slow start, but this book will keep you on edge until it’s all you can think about and you have no choice but read on.

Dragon Tattoo’s central mystery was beyond exciting. Ageing business-man, Henrik Vanger, employs journalist Mikael Blomkvist to solve the mystery of his great-niece, Harriet’s, disappearance and the truth slowly starts to reveal itself. I wanted to know what happened to Harriet, as much as the characters did themselves. At first, the amount of suspects in her case may seem overwhelming, but this particular part of the plot remains intriguing rather than complicated. The writer, Stieg Larsson, who tragically passed away shortly before the books were published, cleverly introduces characters and will leave you suspicious of each of them at some point.

Here lies a major strength of the book; its two protagonists. Blomkvist is a strong main character, who I gradually grew to understand and like. He has his flaws and is most definitely not the most likable character ever written, but his investigation into the disappearance of Harriet connects you to him. I even felt invested in his bazaar, accepted relationship with a married woman. I felt like I was on the case with Blomkvist and therefore grew to know him. It was small moments, like his relationship with a stray cat, that gave him some much needed depth, and made him three-dimensional

The second and perhaps the most unique character I’ve ever encountered, is Lisbeth Salander - the girl with the dragon tattoo. She’s a deep character, who is cold and calculated, but there’s something incredibly likable about her persona. She’s fiery, and doesn’t let anyone walk over her. It’s almost endearing. Salander’s sub-plot has likely attracted more attention than the main storyline itself. She loses her beloved guardian, only for him to be replaced by a disturbing and horrific monster of a man. This is where Larsson takes the story to a much darker place. It’s distressing and in your face, but that’s what’s so strong about the novel; it makes no excuses. Its conclusion is one of the most satisfying I’ve read, as well as one of the most shocking.

While Salander’s sub-plot is impressive, the same cannot be said for the story surrounding the political and financial scandal Blomkvist faces, thanks to his adversary, Wennerstrom. This very storyline is what put me off the book after merely reading the first chapter. The pages are full of information dumps, mostly about finance and business, and will likely go over the heads of many readers, leaving them bewildered and put off. I was relieved when the Harriet mystery was introduced, as the scandal was only mentioned occasionally, becoming background noise. Unfortunately, the mystery surrounding the Vanger family, that is full of compelling twists and shockers, concludes far before the end of the book. Instead, the focus returns to the scandal, and my interest levels dropped by a huge extent. This to me was a vital flaw in the novel – the main bulk of the book was enticing and gripping, but the beginning and the end fell flat. This was a disappointment in a book that had potential to be outstanding.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is at its core, an incredible thriller. The main mystery will steal your attention until its shocking conclusion. The characters will have you investing in their motivations and relationships. It’s just a shame that it doesn’t do enough to pull you into the story, and runs out of steam at its end. Please read this book, once you get past the first few chapters and delve into the mystery, you won’t want to put it down.

-----

The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Political Thriller Important Study in Culture

Title: The HomeGrown: Narrative of a conversion
Author: Harry Deshpande
Author's Website: www.thehomegrown.info
Genre: Political thriller
ISBN: 1460998316



When recent college graduate Anwar, a Muslim born in Denmark, marries Nahgma, an Indian Muslim, her prosperous father is keen to celebrate the union by treating them to a honeymoon in Hawaii. However, Anwar's father has a markedly different idea in mind to launch their marriage: a visit to the family homeland of Pakistan to acquaint the new bride with Pashtun culture. Reluctantly agreeing, Anwar finds himself in the province of Quetta, and in the forbidding company of Hamid, a member of his extended family who has a palpable madness in his eyes.

Regrettably, this meeting will forever alter Anwar's worldview. When he takes up Hamid's offer to visit a site of American attack as proof that the United States is targeting innocents, Anwar lands in the middle of a skirmish between American Special Forces and the jihadist elements. From there, one traumatic event after another calls into question Anwar's accepted Danish mores, his relationship with his new bride, and his comprehension of Denmark's complicity to Pakistani atrocities at the hands of Americans.

From there, rigorous Jihadist brainwashing quickly transforms a benign Western accountant into an avowed Muslim with a new wife, for whom he has a passion that even surprises him. With that love rendered asunder, Anwar now has the fire to enact the unimaginable, right in his once-beloved Denmark.

With each turn, The Homegrown charts the grave and all-too-common trajectory from world citizen to public enemy, casting crucial light on why terrorists succeed with their message of hatred, and why the United States may be losing in the war of propaganda.

The story is told through Anwar's eyes; fundamentally, it is the story of the definition, breaking, and re-making of his character. Thus he moves from being a more or less vague, dissatisfied, vacillating, and anonymous character to an equally anonymous character, albeit re-made and somewhat hardened in the mold of a terrorist. The irony at the heart of the story is that, in the end, Anwar is no more his own man than he was at the outset, but his closely mentored suffering, combined with his exposure to an exotic and seductive religiosity that appeals to his weak and sentimental nature, makes him an ideal weapon in the hands of higher-ups who, like officers of every stripe, nationality, and era remain safely behind the lines.

-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Goodreads/Amazon Reviewer Likes Adventure Book

It's Always Darkestby Steve Spencer
www.PaulDMallory.com
Action-adventure/thriller (self-published)
Available for both Kindle and Nook
http://amzn.to/qRX28j
http://bit.ly/o7iCl9

Reviewed by Julia Hughes (http://amzn.to/nQpfbn), originally for Amazon
This ebook appealed to me enormously. The author writes with authority and
deftness. I identified very easily with the main character Paul Mallory,
an easy going journalist content with his lot who enjoys old films and
collects trivia just to perplex a geeky work colleague. Paul is jogging
along in life doing well enough - when the mysterious and vaguely sinister
Bentley Cramer approaches him with an offer he can't refuse.

Quote: "He was large enough and round enough to join the solar system with
no questions asked. The cigar that protruded from the right side of his
mouth would have been a full day's work for the best torcedor in Havana,
and if he was worried about the stadium being a smoke-free location, he
gave no sign of it. Gave no sign, in fact, of ever being worried about
much of anything." Throughout the book, characters are sketched so
convincingly they step from the page and go home at night to their loved
ones.

Before Paul can say wtf? he finds himself working for the irrepressible
Bentley and in Russia reporting on a handball competition. But he soon
learns there's something very funny going on. Or at least it would be
funny, if people weren't getting murdered. Before long Paul is on the
trail of a psychopathic killer who would give Fredrick Forsyth's 'Jackal'
a run for his money.

Paul Mallory's point of view is written in the first person, which creates
an immediate bond. When the action moves elsewhere it is described in 3rd
person pov which I appreciated, as some scenes are as you would expect in
a hard hitting thriller such as this, violent.

This book worked for me on all levels. I liked the characters, enjoyed the
action scenes and locations and appreciated the author's knowledge of his
craft. Parts of the book made me smile at the sly humour the author allows
his main character to display from time to time. I felt as though I'd made
a new friend in Paul Mallory and I'm certain I won't be the only one by a
long shot to become a fan.

In case you're wondering, I have a little system in place when reviewing
indie authors. I know how hard it is to get the formatting, grammar etc
correct when you're editing your own work. So any indie ebook
automatically gains points when these are correct, in this book they are
impeccable. I then add points for storyline, originality and enjoyment.
This book scores all five points. If I'm reviewing a book which is
published by a 'house,' I automatically expect some of the money I've paid
to have been spent on an editor.

~Find more reviews by Julia Hughes on Goodreads.
-----
The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Green Thriller? Yes.

Title: The End of The Computer

Author: Andre Mikhailovich Solonitsyn
Author's Web site link: http://theendofthecomputer.com/
Amazon link
Genre: Thriller, Green Thriller
ISBN
eISBN: 9781618420169 (Kindle)


Reviewed by Catherine C. Gorski "CateArtdotcom" (Portland, OR), originally for Amazon

The synopsis for this book boasts that this story is full of intriguing thoughts. 'Yeah sure,' I thought, 'in an action book?' It also promised whimsical humor, unexpected joy, and deep fulfillment. High marks to achieve!

So, I decided to give it a whirl. Besides, the cover was intriguing. I love me some nukular 'splosions!

Turns out, the claim on the virtual jacket underestimated the impact this story had on me; calling those thoughts intriguing was a very mild way of putting it - and now, that deep thinking stays with me, and has actually had an impact on several conversations. As one of the characters explains: 'it's a little bit like dying, and entirely like being born.' I looked at where these ideas came from, what the dry facts are - though I had to dig - and now I have a sense that if we don't do something soon, drastic measures similar to some in this story might have to take place.

But, I am not a resident of the Valley of Thunder yet, so let me tell you more about the book!

Like precious carvings being placed in niches made specially for them, beautiful bits of speech are laid in here with simple care; they stand out, but are set in their perfect environment. When Berkeley is described, I know without a doubt the author sees it both as it is today, and as it was in times past. When the women are conversing, they talk like actual women. When men talk, even when they express things you don't often hear men verbalize, they sound like real men.

A favorite line of mine is given by a fella who has seen too much and done too much, who is being asked to do it all over again - bigger, and right this time - who has a soul-rendering, very personal revelation (tissue box time, btw). He gives this explanation that should be so obvious, and yet it's ignored all the time: "You can't fight for a noble cause with heinous actions."

I don't want to give away too much of the plot. The truth is, I can't: it's unique in many ways and has a cheeriness to it that belies it's origins and the deeper meaning behind the words. Once the story starts gaining speed, you're treated to chapters so different from each other, there's no way of explaining how they form such a coherent whole. Let's just say... the payload is worth the wait!

Oh, and you must read all the way to the end. Yes, the ~story~ ends about 20 pages before the book does, and it's easy to miss on first run-through, but if you miss what comes after the story, you'll be very sad, and your tummy will stay empty.

Despite everything that happens during the telling of this tale - and there's a bunch of not-good-for-our-protagonists stuff going on there! - when you put it down, you feel fulfilled. Happy, even. Which is totally amazing, given what happens in the later chapters. But it makes you want to read it again. I've already read it twice, and now I'm a little sad that I'll have to put it down for a while for my brain to refresh so I can read it again... for the third time. I want to go back to Vallee de Tonnerre. See you there. ;)

-----

The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :

Political Thriller Highly Praised

ETA - Estimated Time of Arrest

A novel by Delphine Pontvieux
Author's Web site: http://www.missnyet.com
Genre: ThrillerMiss Nyet Publishing
ISBN: 9780984217601
Winner of Indie Excellence Book Award 2011 - thriller category
Also 2010 recipient of French in Chicago community award in the Arts andculture category

Review by: Jason Pettus for the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography

Rrating: 8.9 of 10: 8.9: 9.4 for fans of political thrillers

As I've said here several times before, I think it unfair to directly compare the worth of a book by a full-time writer on a major press with one by a part-time self-publishing author, if for no other reason than the tremendous amount of editorial advantages held by the former -- after all, a full-time author signed to a large publishing company will have at least a full-time editor, copy editor, proofreader and agent at their disposal, all of them making fine-tuned changes to that manuscript that a self-published one simply doesn't receive, not to mention the entire army of student volunteers that full-time writers sometimes have if they are a professor as well, which they are in so many cases. So it's always a real delight to come across a book like Delphine Pontvieux's ETA: Estimated Time of Arrest; because although you should be aware from the start that it's not much more than a beach-and-airport political thriller, it's a good enough one that it could literally be picked up right this second by Random House for a million-copy print run with no changes needed, a rare occurrence for a book like this which is basically one step above being self-published. (So that is, it's put out by an actual company called Miss Nyet, but which was started by the author specifically to put out this book, the situation that many people are referring to when they use the term "basement press.")

And in fact I suspect one of the reasons this book is so effective is that it's set in a milieu that's rarely discussed here in the US; that of the Basque separatists who live in the borderland between Spain and France, a place that the French-born, globetrotting Pontvieux (now a Chicagoan) is obviously quite familiar with, and which turns out makes for an almost perfect setting in which to base an exciting political potboiler. For those who need a little primer (and forgive me if I get some of this wrong -- I'm getting most of my info from the novel itself), you can think of the situation in Basque in much the same terms as the more well-known Northern Ireland; for a long time a tiny independent nation surrounded by the various Great Powers (much like its nearby neighbors Monaco and Luxembourg), during the fascist Franco years it was taken over by Spain and subjected to a brutal process of assimilation, which like the Irish Republican Army (or IRA) inspired the formation of a paramilitary nationalist organization, known there as the ETA. But by the 1990s, twenty years after the fall of the Franco regime, a compromise of sorts had been struck, which gave the Basque region an autonomous political status while still officially remaining a part of Spanish and French territory, with an end to imperialistic hostilities and the official public right again to celebrate Basque history and culture; and again, much like the IRA, it was at this point that even more and more locals started questioning the effectiveness or even need of a continued ETA, making them much more controversial and not nearly as automatically supported by separatists as when they were fighting literal fascists hellbent on destroying them.

And like the best political thrillers, Pontvieux takes no official sides in ETA, but rather uses the complex situation itself to tell an epic and far-reaching story, essentially centered around a young good-guy named Lorenzo Izcoa, swept up as a teen into the romanticism of the paramilitary movement but then eventually falsely accused of blowing up a police station, during a mass protest that turned chaotic. Like the early work of Tom Clancy, then (which I happen to like a lot), Pontvieux uses Izcoa's situation to examine a whole series of communities and locations related to the issue of Basque independence -- from rural Mexico where he spends time as a fugitive, to the alps of southern France where he is brought in by the group to do one last favor, from a mountain hippie community full of environmental activists to the weary police inspectors of big-city Espana. Pontvieux uses all these settings to examine the issue of Basque separatism and terrorist violence from all kinds of different angles, thankfully enfolding these more philosophical issues into the action itself, instead of simply lecturing us like so many mediocre political thrillers do; and along the way, she bases an important aspect of the plot on her personal love for freehand rock-climbing, a natural addition within the beautiful yet treacherous mountain terrain of southern France and northern Spain where our story largely takes place.

Now, like I said, this is a genre project through and through, and you will need to be an existing fan of people like John LeCarre to have even a chance of enjoyingETA; but as far as that's concerned, this is definitely on the high end of the quality scale for that genre, a quickly-paced page-turner that I imagine most fans of political thrillers will find themselves flying through. What a great week it always is when I get a chance to stumble across a book like this, one that far exceeds both my expectations and its publishing circumstances. It comes highly recommended today to those who are fans of such work.

-----

The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. As a courtesy to the author, please tweet and retweet this post using this little green retweet widget :