847. "Trapped" by Amanda Byrd -- 2-Stars

Trapped  by Amanda Byrd – 2 Stars

Publisher: Blacksheep Press

ISBN: 9781619848160

This book was tagged in the Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy categories.

When I think of horror, I think of books I read from Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Bentley Little, Peter Straub, Clive Barker, Anne Rice, Bram Stoker. Thus, I would not characterize this as a horror story. Sci-Fi? Certainly not approximating stories by Ray Bradbury, H.G. Wells, Mary Shelly, Michael Crichton, David Golemon, Dan Simmons. But, it does fit the Fantasy category – with a werewolf, vampire, gargoyles, and a chimera why wouldn’t it?

I did find the conversations between Miranda’s three entities – Human, Werewolf, and Vampire – humorous and necessary to keep this book somewhat entertaining. Plus, the characters are interesting, each with strange personalities and roles. The overall story one could say is a very good “campfire” story fantasy.

The entire book was written in a matter-of-fact way. Almost like an explanation of a very short period of someone’s time without any content beyond the confining lines. I’m sure some people would love to read a book ONLY to get to the end in a hurry. This would be for them. Not for me. I was expecting much richer depths. Why build up to a battle of mythical entities and then have the battle last less than a couple of pages and exactly like already planned with no deviation, suspense, or intrigue? Dull! Likewise, the human Miranda needed to satisfy her other two entities. A slam, bam, kill ‘em, eat ’em, of, maybe three, individuals could have been greatly enhanced to fulfill the hidden “evil” fantasies within the reader.

So, the book was good from a I-don’t-have-much-time-but-do-have-some-time-to waste point of view. It is readable and somewhat funny. But it definitely lacked any depth or richness. The Introduction was quite confusing. I took it as just an Introduction; whereas, my wife was thinking there must have been other books in the series preceding this one. The Introduction, a short summary of how Miranda became a 3-way freak, could have been a prequel book in itself – well, with about another 350-400 pages.

If I consider a 3-Star as good, 4-Star as very good, and 5-Star as exceptional, I could have rated this 3-Star. However, if I compare it to all the other books I have read in all three of the categories, I struggle to rate it more than a 1-Star. So, let me just give it a 2-Star.

Reviewer: Rich

 

846. "Stolen Lives" by Matthew Prichard -- 4-Stars

Stolen Lives  by Matthew Prichard – 4 Stars

Publisher: Sapere Books

ISBN: 9781912786787

When I began reading, I realized the author was referring to events in Spain’s past that I knew little about. Therefore, I took time to learn about the Spanish Civil War, its influence on past events, and the effects of those events on the present. After that I was better able to easily enjoy this book and understand the characters.

The historical aspect of the plot was intriguing while the mystery unfolded. For decades the trafficking of infants perpetrated by those who influenced others and who should have been protecting those who trusted them was disturbing and true.

The very believable characters whose lives were so tragically affected by the actions of politics and religion made the plot’s events and mystery realistic.

Stolen Lives was thought provoking, well researched, and entertaining.

 Reviewer: Nancy

 

845. "Judgement" by Joseph Finder -- 5-Stars

Judgement by Joseph Finder – 5-Stars

Publisher: Penguin Group, Dutton

ISBN: 9781101985816

This book was a pleasure to read. Exceptional!

Judge Brody has a fling that not only causes personal family issues, but initiates blackmail regarding a case she is trying as well as threats to her and her family’s lives. I suppose you could say this book is about doing what is right, persistence to get it right, and working through the consequences of your actions and those imposed on you. The exceptional part of this writing is that you will actual feel what is happening instead of just reading it. Every paragraph, every sentence, every word seems to have been selected to involve you emotionally while it logically takes you through its suspense and intrigue.

Supplementing the story itself is some very subtle humor, and possibly satire. For example, I loved her friend Martie’s dog’s toy. Depending on your political affiliation and using the glass-empty or glass-full rule you can easily think it is criticizing our president or complimenting him for his persistence throughout these ripping times.

Care to know what the Russian’s are up to and how the Oligarchs were created and now utilized by Putin? Wonder why America isn’t stepping up to the alleged Russian meddling? The correct answer may not be within, but some compelling reasons will get you to think about why.

Persistence is the theme. Intelligent and clever writing seals this novel as one of the best I’ve read in a long time.

Reviewer: Rich

 

844. "The Silent Corner" by Dean Koontz -- 5-Stars

The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz – 5 Stars

Publisher: Bantam Books

ISBN: 9780345545992

This is the first book in a series. The last book is available upon request at Netgalley.com. So, I wanted to prepare for it by reading the first four books. After this read I am very much looking forward to the entire series.

The series is based on a character Jane Hawk who has somewhat departed from the FBI after her husband commits suicide -- well, as “They” claim. She is already deep into a conspiracy theory that is sounding truer as time passes: that the inordinate jump in the number of suicides is caused by something or someone evil. Her mission is to find out what, to stop it, and to punish anybody involved. She is so motivated and angered that she has to hide her child Travis with guardians to protect him from the same people who are hunting her. “They” cannot let her reveal “their” plans.

Throughout this novel the suspense and action continues unabated. The flow of the story is supplemented by descriptions of location and characters that only a few authors can duplicate – always interesting and informative. Mr. Koontz is a master of words and story telling.

Without giving the story away, let me say that Jane encounters many adverse situations that are smartly resolved with cunning planning and skills. Her use of outsiders to assist her proves rewarding, despite the high risks to her, to them, and to her family, which includes her parents and the guardians of Travis. She has already concluded that “They” are an elite, rich group of people who want to control all living things in the world. This first book introduces and clarifies her goals, her skills, her tactics, her persistence, and her continuous and cautious awareness of “Those” after her. As you learn, “They” are infiltrated everywhere.

The book ends at a logical break in the action, but one that will force you to read the next book. At least it wills me!

Reviewer: Rich

843. "Downfall" by Will Jordan -- 3-Stars

Downfall by Will Jordan – 3 Stars

Publisher: Canelo

ISBN: 9781910859735

Let me begin with this is one of the most difficult books to review. Am I an action novel enthusiast? Yes. I love one that is consistently intriguing throughout, suspenseful, and cleverly combative when necessary.

First I have to give it an A+ for grammar, vocabulary, and construction. But the repetitious events, combats, and predictability ruined this book for me. How many combat situations do you need where every one is identical except for a minor change of characters? It became like visiting a dentist to have a tooth pulled and then when finished and you are paying he comes back and says he forgot to pull the other one. Now repeat this over and over until most of your teeth are gone. Then he says, “Oh, I must have been my other self to do that.” Sorry. Hope I didn’t give away the plot with that analogy, but I just can’t explain my dissatisfaction any better than that. Now, if you are into repetitive action that is no more than just another battle, somewhat like reading 20 comic books just to see if the good guy wins again, then fine. This is what you will get.

The idea of what is wrong with Ryan Drake, how he reacted and the resolution to his issues were clever. But the continuous cat-and-mouse hunt and same characters scene after scene bored me quickly, as did the unnecessary pages of Hawkin’s past.

To sum it up, I would approximate the entire story could have been told more effectively and entertainingly in just 25% of the words. Now if you add another 75% with meaningful, interesting material without repetition, then it would be a great book. Sorry. Not so as is.

This is the first book I read by this author. Maybe had I read the first 8 books in the Ryan Drake series I would have acquired something of benefit that would not have made the reading of this one so torturous.

Reviewer: Rich

 

842. "Memory Man" and "The Last Mile" by David Baldacci -- 4 and 5 Stars

I can't describe these novels any better than Amazon's description. I found Memory Man, the first novel of the series, very entertaining and where he introduces his main character Amos Decker. As a result of a football injury, Decker is "gifted" with an ability to never forget anything is realizes in the world. But, he is plagued by a spontaneous display of colors when stressed. Amos returns from retirement to resolve two mysteries: the murder of his wife, daughter, and brother-in-law and a mass murder in a little town. His inability to be social confuses his teammates and causes some tense events, but he works through it and impresses everybody with his discovery of information and use of logic to produce effective results. In this first book he teams with an astute woman Jamison to solve both mysteries. Because of their collective success, they are offered jobs on a special government team to investigate other cold cases in book two of the series, The Last Mile, when they informally add a most unsuspecting character to their team. This team works outside the law at times in a suspenseful venture to track down the real murderer for which someone on death row has been framed. This second in the series portrays Baldacci's writing talents at his best. I recommend both books and look forward to reading the third in the series, The Fix.

Reviewers: Rich and Nancy

841. "Don't Get Mad" by John Vocale -- 3-Stars

Don’t Get Mad by John Vocale – 3 Stars

Publisher: Black Rose Writing

ISBN: 9781684331253

Although I found this novel somewhat entertaining and often quirky, I was displeased with slow, long-character back stories, setting descriptions, repetitive dialogue, and a strange romantic subplot. Most of the book was a setup for a brief assassination. Sturgis’s friend got it right when he told Sturgis to hurry up and get to the point because he hates it when people tell a story with thrown in useless facts. This novel is a fast, uncomplicated read. I agree with other reviewers who recommended this as a casual vacation book.

Reviewer: Nancy