Carolyn McCray

Carolyn McCray has hit another one out of the park with her Harbinger series. “Plain Jane” is a combination of Sherlock Holmes meets Hannibal Lecter. Beginning with the short story “Anatomy”, the prequel to “Plain Jane” is a must read to truly appreciate the relationships of the characters. The characters are well developed and the interaction between them is so believable it is sometimes hard to accept they aren’t real people.
FBI consultant Kent Harbinger is so sexy and oddly show more disturbed that I was torn between lusting after him and wanting to run away as fast as I could. McCray has managed to make him dangerously desirable while leaving enough of his physical appearance out of the mix. As for Nicole Usher I alternated feelings of envy and sympathy. While I developed a soft spot for Ruben Torres I just couldn’t muster up the same passion for him that I had for Harbinger. Yet throughout the book part of me rooted for him to solve the crime and get the girl.
The story has more twists and turns than a dark country road and I wanted to keep riding along all night. Each chapter brought a new shock and each shock made me hungry for more. McCray delivered. I was awake until 4:00 AM and even after I finished reading I lay in the dark going over the story in my head.
“Plain Jane” is a brilliant and frightening story that will keep even the most dedicated mystery reader on his toes. It has an amazing surprise ending that left me with my mouth hanging open. While definitely not a tale for the squeamish it is not so gory it grossed me out. Still I don’t think I’ll look at a needle and thread quite the same way. I hope Ms McCray continues the adventures of this group of detectives or I’ll have to re-read “Plain Jane” at least once a month. show less

If you're looking for an action packed thriller from the Dan Brown school of mystery mash ups with more than a smattering of Indiana Jones thrown in - this is for you.
It's a wild ride that I thoroughly enjoyed: a lot of stuff is blown sky high, but the stakes are even higher in an archeological cat and mouse that spans most of Europe and even a bit of Asia. Exotic locations, colourfully described, sinister opponents, dynamic heroes, mysteries hidden at the roots of Christianity and spanning show more the millennia as well as the occasional thought provoking twist giving a fresh look at the life of our savior make for an absolutely riveting read that will keep you glued to the reading device of your choice.
Enjoy! I did. show less

"30 Pieces of Silver" is an action-packed thriller of a controversial nature. A real page turner, it incorporates history, geography, and religion in a book reminiscent of Dan Brown, Steve Berry, and James Rollins.

The story begins with a Christian suicide bomber at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. The bombing uncovers a cache of skeletons, and it is determined that one of them is the remains of John the Baptist. Written on the bones is a story in ancient Greek that will lead to more show more remains. The State Department's Anti-terrorism division sends Sergeant Vincent Brandt and his four man special ops team to the Ecuadorian jungle to extract genetic anthropologist Dr. Rebecca Monroe, who is participating in a ritual involving her being tied to a stake with a anaconda wrapped around her. She was trying to prove herself worthy in order to obtain DNA samples to test a hypothesis she had developed. Sergeant Brandt's team rescues her right before the end of the ritual, angering Dr. Monroe. She was resisting the extraction until sergeant Brandt mentioned the name of her ex-professor/lover, Dr. Archibald Lochum. Dr. Lochum is trying to find the remains of Jesus to prove his hypothesis that Jesus was not resurrected as the bible states. But a secret organization known as the Knot has been tasked with preserving the remains of thirty people who were buried with silver coins over their eyes. These thirty were supposedly in on a secret that was fabricated at the base of the cross, and the Knot was formed at the same time.

The remains found in Paris lead the team to Budapest, where more skeletons lead the team to Istanbul and finally to Rome. They were constantly harassed by the Knot, lead by the unique team of Tok and Petir. Sergeant Brandt suspects one of his team is a double agent, as the Knot seems to know his every move. Along with the action, a romance begins between sergeant Brandt and Rebecca, adding more difficulties to Brandt's mission. The climax takes place in Rome where the member of Brandt's team working for the Knot is revealed and Rebecca finds the secret the Knot had been trying to keep.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was full of action and plot twists, making it hard to put down. I do not agree with the secret revealed at the end, but the story was excellent and makes the reader think. If you enjoyed "The Da Vinci Code," you will enjoy "30 Pieces of Silver." As stated earlier, the book is highly controversial and speculates an alternate view of the main premise of Christianity. If you do not like alternate views of Christianity, then steer clear of this book. show less

It is so fantastic to see a three-dimensional female protagonist at front and center of a book (I've been reading too much romance lately). Alexis is a complex and conflicted young detective. She's also the daughter of the former Chief of Police. Can you say Daddy Issues? Yet, this is what I love about this character. The weight of expectations, the self consciousness, but most of all her determination to overcome it all.

I found the relationship between Alexis and Dekker fascinating. The show more way he challenged her, and how she rose to it each time. Her strength and tenacity are endearing. The sexual tension between them was electric, and it drove the pace of the story (and my reading) to a break-neck speed.

I'm also a fan of Mixed Martial Arts and always love to see it represented in fiction. Gray and West do a fantastic job of authentically representing the MMA both in the fighting and the fighters. Though I will say they going to an extreme side of the underworld of fighting that readers that are unfamiliar with MMA should NOT confuse the legitimate sport. I appreciate that they never flinch away from the graphic nature of this kind of physical violence.

Warning: There is a great deal of violence that is described in graphic detail. Readers should be prepared to deal with it and the crude, profane mannerisms of many of the male characters. These portrayals are spot on for the type of men in the fighting world, but might shock unprepared readers. There's also a steamy and intense sex scene that was just as graphic (not that I'm complaining about it, not at all).

In other words: Delicate flowers should not fucking read this book.

I especially loved the twist at the end, and was completely blindsided by it. The genre is Thriller and despite the chemistry between the characters and sexual content, that is where the heart of the story lies. show less