Ray Ellis (2)

Ray Ellis delivers once again with Kracken. When I started Kracken I didn't know what to expect, but having read Ellis's crime fiction, I already appreciated his storytelling ability. Kracken has a sci-fi, fantasy, love story essence that never forgets its characters are inherently human. Kracken is a classic story of good and evil with a hint that neither is always as good or as evil as it seems giving hope that redemption is always possible. As the characters come together, are torn apart, show more and find their way back together, they face danger, injury, and death. Ellis's character whether male or female exhibit emotion, rationality, strength, weakness, and capability as they fight each other and work together to create the world they wish to inhabit. The sometimes flawed decisions of the characters make them all the more real and give the reader a sense of satisfaction when they are forced to face the consequences of their decisions. Ellis writes stories that grip the reader and refuse to let go, and Kracken is no exception. show less

Ray Ellis introduces readers to Detective Nathan (Nate) Richards in his debut police procedural, NHI: No Humans Involved. Nate’s faith is tested on multiple levels as he investigates the murder of a police officer, a teenager, and the ensuing slaughters of gang members. When his partner is shot while on a robbery call, Nate’s faith is further tested. Nate’s best friend, Amber, finds herself in harm’s way, and Nate struggles to let the investigation proceed according to departmental show more policy. Using his extensive knowledge and experience as a police detective, Ellis creates a police procedural in which the investigative techniques and the office politics are quite realistic. NHI will pull the reader into the storyline and grab hold until the final page even when the reader disagrees with a character’s choice. Ellis creates a cast of characters with varying beliefs and morals who are well-rounded and interesting. He avoids creating caricatures of “good” and “evil” by exploring the idea that all people have the potential for good and the potential for bad in them. In NHI, Ellis imparts a message of hope and acceptance through his characters, their trials, and their faith without becoming preachy. show less

D. R. T.: Dead Right There is Ray Ellis's intriguing second book in the Nate Richards series. Ellis once again grabs hold of the reader and won't let go in this intense book. A serial killer is targeting registered sex offenders in the Treasure Valley. Richards and his partner, Mac, must stop him before he completes his list. Ellis takes the reader into the killer's mindset where he believes God is directing him to take out the registered sex offenders. Ellis draws from his own experience as show more a detective to illustrate the difficulties of life in law enforcement. Richards and Mac miss Thanksgiving dinner with their families because they're called out to a crime scene. Richards love life becomes complicated when he finally decides to start dating again, and Amber, the woman he professed his love to just before she left town, returns. Richards again feels his faith being tested in both his professional life and his personal life. Ellis gives the reader enough insight into the murderer to remind the reader that there is a human being who was once hurt himself somewhere inside the monster committing the crimes. With characters who are multilayered rather than caricatures of good and evil, D. R. T.: Dead Right There exposes the raw truth that even the most righteous have sinned and that it is human nature to see one sin, especially someone else's, as worse than others. show less

D. R. T.: Dead Right There is Ray Ellis’s intriguing second book in the Nate Richards series. Ellis once again grabs hold of the reader and won’t let go in this intense book. A serial killer is targeting registered sex offenders in the Treasure Valley. Richards and his partner, Mac, must stop him before he completes his list. Ellis takes the reader into the killer’s mindset where he believes God is directing him to take out the registered sex offenders. Ellis draws from his own show more experience as a detective to illustrate the difficulties of life in law enforcement. Richards and Mac miss Thanksgiving dinner with their families because they’re called out to a crime scene. Richards love life becomes complicated when he finally decides to start dating again, and Amber, the woman he professed his love to just before she left town, returns. Richards again feels his faith being tested in both his professional life and his personal life. Ellis gives the reader enough insight into the murderer to remind the reader that there is a human being who was once hurt himself somewhere inside the monster committing the crimes. With characters who are multilayered rather than caricatures of good and evil, D. R. T.: Dead Right There exposes the raw truth that even the most righteous have sinned and that it is human nature to see one sin, especially someone else’s, as worse than others. show less