Brendan DuBois

"The First Lady" was a compelling, political thriller and one of Patterson's better books of late. It started with a bang and stayed a page-turner until the last page, with action, drama, twists and turns all the way along. The main female characters were strong and courageous but I found the President weak and Parker Hoyts, the President's Chief of Staff, was conniving and power-hungry. Overall, an entertaining read.

Buried Dreams by Brendan DuBois is a very highly recommended mystery/crime thriller and the fifth novel in the Lewis Cole series.

Keep in mind this is a re-release of a novel first published 7/1/2004. That threw me off when I recently reviewed #4, Killer Waves on 9/1/23, but I was prepared this time and it resulted in a greatly enjoyed novel. I was eager to read about what Lewis Cole was up to now and appreciated appearances from recently met and known characters, Felix, Diane, and Paula.

In show more this outing, a friend of Lewis, retiree Jon Ericson, has been murdered. Jon had just called him about a discovery that he had been seeking for years, and just discovered the proof. Jon had spent years looking for evidence of artifacts proving that the Vikings had landed on their coast for years. When young he had found a coin, but sold it. He's regretted that for years. Now he excitedly called Lewis to tell him the good news: he has the evidence. When Lewis arrives at his home, what he finds are the police, crime scene tape up, and Jon has been murdered in his home. There are no sign of the artifacts.

Lewis takes Jon's murder personally and contacts his mobster friend Felix Tinios to help him find the killer, assuming it is Jon's brother, Ray, who is the prime suspect. Lewis's best friend, Detective Diane Woods, had asked him to please stay out of it and leave the investigation alone, but he is unable to do so. Lewis is in for a world of hurt this time out.

Having been introduced to all the characters with the previous Lewis Cole novel, I enjoyed Buried Dreams even more. The characters were still fresh in my mind and I remembered them so the character development was not an issue, as it had been when I read #4. I was actually quit happy to see these characters again. This may be a series where reading the previous novels definitely is helpful for the enjoyment of the current novel being read.

The writing is excellent and the fast-paced plot held my complete attention throughout. Lewis is an intelligent character and completely focused on his goal. With the help of Felix, he uncovers clues to establish Jon's activities and he follows up on what he can, ignoring Diane's plea. Lewis chooses to place his safety on the line and seek the truth. The ending is an unexpected twist and very well done. I'm now anxious to move on to number 6 in the series.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Severn House Publishers via Edelweiss.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/10/buried-dreams.html show less

The Summer House: A Thriller, James Patterson, Brendan Dubois, authors; Ari Fliakos, narrator
Once upon a time, a home called The Summer House was once a refuge for the rich and famous like FDR, JFK, and Martin Luther King Jr. However, in recent years, The Summer House had fallen into disrepair and was a rental for those who were down and out. Then a brutal tragedy occurred there, in this small town in Sullivan County, Georgia, and the history of its prior fame was lamented as its current show more infamy was exposed. Seven people, including one two-year-old little girl, were executed there, in that house. Four Army Rangers, once known as the Ninja Squad in Afghanistan, were arrested for the heinous crime. One motive was thought to be that the house was being used for dealing drugs, drugs that had just about destroyed Ranger Staff Sergeant Jefferson Tyler’s stepdaughter, but why then would they also murder the little girl? Another motive was that they were repeating a crime they were once accused of in Afghanistan but somehow got away with. Did they think they could do it again?
The army sent in a team of investigators from the Criminal Investigation Division, the CID, to investigate the crime. Major Jeremiah Cook, a former cop, is in charge. He had served in Afghanistan, had been grievously injured, and was lucky to have survived. His partner in this investigation is Special Agent Connie York, also a former cop. The others are Special Agent Manuel Sanchez, an ex-cop, Lieutenant John Huang, a psychiatrist, and Captain Allen Pierce, a JAG lawyer.
The house is in a town that is controlled by a very corrupt, controlling and powerful sheriff named Emma Williams. Whatever Emma Williams wanted, she seemed to get. From where did she get such power? It seems that she has chosen her acolytes well from the loose cannons in society. They have all needed her help in the past, for one reason or another, and now they all blindly follow her orders, regardless of how heinous they may be, because she exacts brutal punishment for disobedience. People sometimes simply even disappear, never to be heard from again. She runs a sophisticated game of blackmail. This sheriff is determined to get these four rangers, and is committed to do anything to get them, but if they are not guilty, why would she want innocent men condemned for a crime they did not commit? Williams seems sure that they are guilty. All the evidence points to them.
Major Cook believes that something is awry. He wants a complete and thorough investigation, but every time they seem to be getting some place, a witness disappears or a body is discovered. Soon danger is lurking everywhere. As they investigate further, they are all drawn to different places. Tragedies and disappearances threaten the integrity of the investigation. Major Cook keeps wondering why these Rangers, if guilty, carried out this barbaric act. Was all the evidence just a bit too convenient? Were they being framed? Was the confession coerced?
Suddenly, Major Cook is notified that the whole investigative team is being fired, called back home, and told they will face demotions, discipline and reprimands. In spite of that, with the emergence of new clues that point to the Rangers’ innocence, the major decides to continue the investigation as long as he can. The truth lies in Afghanistan and so Major Cook travels there, facing great danger and dealing with his memories of being attacked and injured years before. With nothing to lose, since they have all been warned of their impending doom, and they have been told they will be disciplined, the team risks all and goes along with Cook’s plans to unearth further clues and evidence to prove the men incarcerated are innocent.
The sheriff also has plans. She has high aspirations of getting to Washington DC and landing an even greater position of power. She has managed to get complete control of her town because she preys upon the losers. She technically makes them offers they can’t refuse, when she offers to help them out with work or loans, etc. Afterward, she holds them hostage to force them to do her bidding. The next election will propel her to Washington DC and the greater power she craves. She is not going to give up the flunkies she controls. She will not let anything interfere with her ambition, especially not the four Army Rangers who were arrested for the murders of the seven civilians or the CID investigators.
Racism and corruption are revealed at the highest level of the military and the government apparatus. The small-town powerful sheriff in Georgia stands to benefit from the upcoming election. She supports a candidate who will take her with him to DC. She is willing to risk a great deal not to endanger her chances of getting there. They are both part of the problem, not the solution.
However, are these Rangers truly guilty? Is anyone lying? Did they murder the victims because of their drug dealing or for revenge? Something didn’t smell right, and the investigators defied orders to bring about justice.
The book was read superbly by the narrator, and the pages turned themselves, even as the plot veered off in many directions. It always kept me entertained and interested in the outcome. There was mystery and wit perfectly combined. show less

Terminal Surf by Brendan DuBois is a very highly recommended investigative thriller and the twelfth book in the Lewis Cole series. This is an excellent addition to an outstanding series!

After Lewis Cole discovers a drowned migrant woman and her child outside his home, he suddenly finds himself in the midst of a highly emotional controversy involving a human smuggling operation on the coasts of New Hampshire and Maine. The Department of Homeland Security is on a nearby beach where other show more bodies have washed ashore and quickly take control of the scene away from Detective Sgt. Diane Woods. Reporter and girlfriend Paula Woods does manage to take a few pictures for a story. Suddenly Tyler Beach becomes the focal point for activists from both sides of the immigration issue and a well know reporter tries to take advantage of the high emotions.

DuBois treads into choppy waters with this highly topical plot focused on human smuggling and does an exceptional job of looking at all sides of the issue without lecturing the reader. I've been known to caution authors to keep their personal political/social views to themselves as it diminishes and dates the novel but no such note is needed here. The focus of the plot is to uncover who is doing the smuggling and is responsible for the deaths. The investigation Lewis undertakes is interesting and there were several surprising twists along the way.

At this point in the series, Lewis is a well-developed character and has a complicated background that those following the series will know. Terminal Surf can be read as a stand-alone novel but knowing all the backstory of Lewis, Diane, Felix, and Paula makes the current novel a richer reading experience. Thanks to Severn River Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/06/terminal-surf.html show less