862. "Shamed" by Linda Castillo – 5 Stars

Shamed by Linda Castillo – 5 Stars

Publisher: Minotaur Books

ISBN: 9781250142863

I have read all of the books in the Kate Burkholder series. They have all been entertaining, but this is one of my favorites. The suspense in this well crafted murder kidnapping mystery begins in the first chapter and continues as the hours are counted in the search for a missing Amish girl.

Though Kate, the sheriff of Painters Mill, left the Amish life, she has respect for those in the community. The Amish society is at the core of the story and their beliefs are treated with dignity and respect. Although sometimes dark, strange and misguided by the standards of today’s society, their choices follow their religious teachings and culture. I grew up near Lancaster, PA and had limited contact with the Amish. I am fascinated to learn about these people who lived near but by choice, removed from those outside their community.

I absolutely enjoyed this book. “Couldn’t put it down” is a much used phrase, but for me it was true. It has a complex plot with a sheriff who doesn’t stop until she learns the truth. I am grateful for the opportunity to preview Shamed and look forward to reading more books in this series.

 

Reviewer: Nancy

861. "Thirteen" by Steve Cavanagh – 5 Stars

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh – 5 Stars

Publisher: Flatiron Books

ISBN: 9781250297600

The book blurb says enough to introduce this novel about a serial killer Kane who cleverly inserts himself onto a jury so he can pronounce his guilty verdict on a movie star for a murder he, Kane, committed. Eddie, an ex-con, now lawyer, even more cleverly not only displays a brilliant defense, but also orchestrates the discovery, hunt, and end of Kane’s evilness. Both Eddie and Kane have a team of players stacking the odds in their favor and it’s not until the surprising end that all hands are. We loved this book which was captivating throughout and we relished each and every turn and twist. We would love more Eddie books.

Reviewer: Rich and Nancy

860. "The Night Window" by Dean Koontz – 5-Stars

The Night Window by Dean Koontz – 5-Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Bantam

ISBN: 9780525484707

Jane Hawk is inspiring. We all have too much government or individuals/groups infiltrating our space. If you read the first 4 books in the series, you are quite aware that a corrupt cabal of individuals has decided to impose havoc on the world by controlling the minds of high-level individuals to satisfy their desires. Four long books led us to book five, the climax. I’d like to say I read every word from this masterful author, but I’d be lying since a lot of this novel is material repeated from the previous books. This is necessary to guarantee it can stand alone. But, the extra words certainly adds page after page of repetitious text. I appreciate an author who can utilize words, analogies, descriptions, etc. to clearly express an environment or situation. However, I would be remiss not to point out that this can sometimes be overdone. My advice: just skim over the repetitions and enjoy the book.

All my expectations for this last book in the series were met: exciting, suspenseful, twists, just the right amount of combative actions, characters that are memorable. I’ll always remember Jane for her perseverance despite the numbers and the power of her adversaries.  Her lessons to us are to never-give-up and to always think and plan as best you can! Then there was Cornell with his quirkiness, who struggled, but conquered his personality faults to reach out and contribute to a cause. A third, Vikram, is new to us in this book and shows us guys how to treat a off-limit lady despite absolutely adoring her. Well, Vikram, is a computer hacker, who gives far more than he receives to assure the cabal is defeated. A clever last-step plan when Jane and Vikram are up against insurmountable odds saves the team. But, will everybody live happily ever after?

Reviewer: Rich

859. "The Auguries" by F. G. Cottom – 3-Stars

The Auguries by F. G. Cottom – 3-Stars

Publisher: Severn House Publishers LTD

ISBN: 9780727888693

Dawn was the highlight of this book. She is a very evil, mischievous, little girl who finds the Almanac of Forbidden Wisdom and begins her quest to learn all the spells no matter the cost. She’ll stop at nothing to perfect a spell, even by using her brother as a guinea pig. The “Auguries” are side effects, chaotic to claustrophobic in nature, of using a spell, or in some cases just caused by a person near the book. Had this novel continued to build on Dawn and her demonic acts, I would have loved it.

Unfortunately, Dawn and her activities became less and less in terms of text. Meanwhile the history of the Almanac of Forbidden Wisdom and the search for the book and the person utilizing it became the focus monopolizing the novel. It was like Dr. Jekyll (the book hunt) and Mr. Hyde (Dawn and activities), where I wanted the excitement and interest of the unpredictable Mr. Hyde with the imaginative Auguries; not an increasingly boring Dr. Jekyll or a over done Sherlock Holmes.

The history of the book and the individuals leading the hunt were very nicely introduced and developed as necessary. However, once that was done, it was not pleasant to drag on with it. I stopped reading this at about 80% and asked my wife to fill in the ending. She’s always committed to finish a book no matter how its interest it fades.

So, I rated this a 5 to begin and 2 by the end, making it a 3 overall. I suppose how you will enjoy it depends on whether your pulse rises from Mr. Hyde actions or Dr. Jekyll and Sherlock Holmes discoveries.

Reviewer: Rich

858. "The Forbidden Door" by Dean Koontz – 5 Stars

The Forbidden Door by Dean Koontz – 5 Stars

Publisher: Bantum Books

ISBN: 9780525483700

What is there not to like about this book 4 of a series of 5? If you read the previous books in the series, you might note the amount of recap done; however, if you didn’t read the previous books, you would have soured through this one that very effectively and efficiently covers the past events, main plot, and detailed character sketches. This book can stand on its own! Although I could have quickly skimmed through the passages related to the past books, I still went slowly, not wanting to miss the author’s wonderful writing. Mr. Koontz certainly rules describing a scene in every aspect – he creates a virtual painting that reveals details and feelings more expressive than a real painting itself.   

Jane Hawk once again uses her intelligence, discipline, and commitment to further her quest to bring down the evil rebels who are attempting to take over the world by injecting people with mind controlling drugs. As learned, her husband was killed -- persuasive suicide – and her son needs to be hidden to protect him from the perpetrators. She gets help for the latter from Cornell, an autistic millionaire, who is a real hoot himself. Her battles are fought with the aid of past acquaintances, Luther and Bernie, who each have unique and dynamic personalities that add to another clever story of suspense and action. This one begins in Cornell’s underground, secret fortress with Jane’s son Travis and pet dogs, while Jane is initiating a plan to get to him before the rebel do. Of course, the good guys win or there wouldn’t be a book 5 on the horizon. However, I am certainly not going to be the spoiler of the details how Jane outmaneuvers the rebels who utilize all our defense, legal, and investigative agencies through embedded --  “adjusted and controlled” – highly positioned leaders. It’s not just the government that is “controlled,” but also key private entities.

I could write much more praising this book, but need to now hurry off to read the pre-published book 5 as a reviewer on Netgalley.com and learn the final fate of Jane, her son, and the evil-doers. Enjoy your read.

Reviewer: Rich