A day that begins with a call to jury duty and just gets worse leads to investigation of smuggled antiquities and a young woman hit and run case with implications to a case six months previous. To further complicate her life, a favour is requested that requires a quick trip to Afghanistan, enabling a brief visit with her daughter. And the story gets more complicated: human trafficking and prostitution.
This is a typical Temperence Brennan novel full of intrigue and personal insights. As soon as one is finished, you want to read another.
This is a typical Temperence Brennan novel full of intrigue and personal insights. As soon as one is finished, you want to read another.
You take up a novel and read it for several days and reach the conclusion. How does it leave you feeling? If you readSplicer, you probably feel satisfied that the story has ended with the innocent cleared and love found. The bad guys are in custody and the world returns to normal. What about Splicer? Is it real? Can it be the saviour of mankind or a means to its end? Can the reader believe it is not a threat? Or can you believe what the creators say? Read the novel and you can make your own decision. You are sure to enjoy it.
I first found interest in this novel as it was placed in Toronto. When White Rock came up, I was sure this was a book that was required reading. I liked the characters, especially Rusty and Jayne, and how the story unfolded. Sometimes I thought I knew where the story was going, other times I was sure I didn't. There always seemed to be a reason to read a little more before putting the book down. Chapter 40 was disappointing. To not disclose the characters in a chapter can really annoy a reader who has already been introduced to the woman. Especially a reader who sees the story visually. To find out six chapters later that the woman was Shay Redfield was a bit like finding a spelling mistake on page 414, or the logic flaw on page 461/486. Maybe I had a pre-edit version?
I first found interest in this novel as it was placed in Toronto. When White Rock came up, I was sure this was a book that was required reading. I liked the characters, especially Rusty and Jayne, and how the story unfolded. Sometimes I thought I knew where the story was going, other times I was sure I didn't. There always seemed to be a reason to read a little more before putting the book down. Chapter 40 was disappointing. To not disclose the characters in a chapter can really annoy a reader who has already been introduced to the woman. Especially a reader who sees the story visually. To find out six chapters later that the woman was Shay Redfield was a bit like finding a spelling mistake on page 414, or the logic flaw on page 461/486. Maybe I had a pre-edit version?
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
Scarlett is hired as a live-in nurse for Armand Sayer. She is well qualified and quickly assumes her responsibilities. That would all be very simple if Armand was a normal person and not a drug lord recovering from wounds received in an attempt on his life. And if Scarlett was just a nurse and not an agent for Interpol, undercover to gather evidence to prosecute drug dealers. Scarlett is well suited for that also, as her grandfather, a hit man, raised her after her parents are killed.
The story carries on and feelings develop between Scarlett and Armand. Will they discover that Scarlett is an agent? Will Armand or his body guard, George do to her what others are trying to do to them? The story comes to a smashing conclusion when another drug lord decides to remove Scarlett, the Interpol agent, from the story.
This novel is well written. The story moves ahead at a suitable pace. There is often a mystery of what some of the characters may do next. When they are gruff, you never know what will occur next. When they act friendly, it is unsettling as they must have a reason that may not be nice. It is a hard novel to read casually as there is always something coming and it is always just a few pages ahead. An excellent start to the series.
The story carries on and feelings develop between Scarlett and Armand. Will they discover that Scarlett is an agent? Will Armand or his body guard, George do to her what others are trying to do to them? The story comes to a smashing conclusion when another drug lord decides to remove Scarlett, the Interpol agent, from the story.
This novel is well written. The story moves ahead at a suitable pace. There is often a mystery of what some of the characters may do next. When they are gruff, you never know what will occur next. When they act friendly, it is unsettling as they must have a reason that may not be nice. It is a hard novel to read casually as there is always something coming and it is always just a few pages ahead. An excellent start to the series.
“he couldn’t believe that Hell had actually come to Earth, and in the wake of that terrifying revelation, he was all but certain that the Christian church would fall before the firestorms of Lucifer. Yet faith prevailed, and though it was severely weakened, the church of God had endured that initial scathing and the tumultuous years that followed.
Now, after years of desperate survival, a new scourge loomed on the horizon like a black plague of locusts. ”
Excerpt From: Mark Carver. “THE AGE OF APOLLYON.” iBooks.
APOLLYON
A very well-crafted story of the fight between good and evil. It takes the reader to a world where Satan rules the hearts of most and God seems to have deserted his flock. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between the hero and the antagonist. When Christians begin acting like savages and the satanists fall back, a new messiah arrives to do miracles and begin a reformation of the church of God. While he appears sincere, the power he wields causes his personality to prove the adage, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
There are many interesting characters in this novel. Their stories carry the reader through a long journey. This is not a quick read, but it has such a huge story to tell, it cannot be done quickly. This novel is for readers who enjoy a novel that makes them think and are willing to continue until they reach the conclusion. It is worth the time and effort to get there.
Now, after years of desperate survival, a new scourge loomed on the horizon like a black plague of locusts. ”
Excerpt From: Mark Carver. “THE AGE OF APOLLYON.” iBooks.
APOLLYON
A very well-crafted story of the fight between good and evil. It takes the reader to a world where Satan rules the hearts of most and God seems to have deserted his flock. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between the hero and the antagonist. When Christians begin acting like savages and the satanists fall back, a new messiah arrives to do miracles and begin a reformation of the church of God. While he appears sincere, the power he wields causes his personality to prove the adage, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
There are many interesting characters in this novel. Their stories carry the reader through a long journey. This is not a quick read, but it has such a huge story to tell, it cannot be done quickly. This novel is for readers who enjoy a novel that makes them think and are willing to continue until they reach the conclusion. It is worth the time and effort to get there.
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
Daniel Geller creates a formula for predicting the date of death for a subject which he uses in his doctoral thesis. It is rejected by Trintity College which ends his hope of receiving his Phd. Daniel moves on, leaves his girlfriend, becomes a tower crane operator, takes a wife, and starts a family.
Twelve years later, Daniel is invited back to academia when it is discovered that one of his subjects has died on the date predicted. Daniel is willing to ignore that, but the next of his subjects, an ex-girlfriend, Grace is to die within a week. Should he fly to Amsterdam to attempt to warn her and prevent the prediction? If he just left it and waited, perhaps the results would support his thesis, and he might get the recognition he deserved many years before.
Daniel does what he feels is right. It puts him in a conflict between his wife, Zoe, and son, Sean, at home in Dublin and what feelings he still has for Grace. Grace has recently left an abusive husband and in spite of Daniels best efforts, Grace dies on the predicted date.
Daniel returns home and completes his studies and is about to receive his doctorate. His feelings about predictability were too important to ignore and his future was better served expanding on his thesis in academia. What if the next predictions of death came to pass? It might be worse if they didn’t.
Why read this novel? It has real situations, some excellent characters and is written in a logical manner. It is easy to read and will take the show more reader places geographically and emotionally that may not have been experienced. The reader can feel Daniel’s conflict between a peaceful life as a crane operator and returning to academia that rejected him over a decade earlier. His love for Zoe and Sean is challenged by his lingering feelings for Grace. The actions of Grace to flea from her abusive husband, Otto, are something the reader can feel. The story unfolds before the readers’ eyes and the ending is too good to miss. This novel is an excellent read. show less
Twelve years later, Daniel is invited back to academia when it is discovered that one of his subjects has died on the date predicted. Daniel is willing to ignore that, but the next of his subjects, an ex-girlfriend, Grace is to die within a week. Should he fly to Amsterdam to attempt to warn her and prevent the prediction? If he just left it and waited, perhaps the results would support his thesis, and he might get the recognition he deserved many years before.
Daniel does what he feels is right. It puts him in a conflict between his wife, Zoe, and son, Sean, at home in Dublin and what feelings he still has for Grace. Grace has recently left an abusive husband and in spite of Daniels best efforts, Grace dies on the predicted date.
Daniel returns home and completes his studies and is about to receive his doctorate. His feelings about predictability were too important to ignore and his future was better served expanding on his thesis in academia. What if the next predictions of death came to pass? It might be worse if they didn’t.
Why read this novel? It has real situations, some excellent characters and is written in a logical manner. It is easy to read and will take the show more reader places geographically and emotionally that may not have been experienced. The reader can feel Daniel’s conflict between a peaceful life as a crane operator and returning to academia that rejected him over a decade earlier. His love for Zoe and Sean is challenged by his lingering feelings for Grace. The actions of Grace to flea from her abusive husband, Otto, are something the reader can feel. The story unfolds before the readers’ eyes and the ending is too good to miss. This novel is an excellent read. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
A Warrior’s Redemption
Roric is an arena warrior who escapes slavery and lives as an outlaw. He is given the challenge of rescuing a the son of a spy and return him with the spy’s report to Valley Lands, the free country.
Krista is a young slave girl sold to Sansa. As she grows, she learns the from Sansa, a natural healer and herbalist. Eventually Attorgon slavers attack the village, kill the older people and take the younger ones as slaves. Krista is captured and sold to a new master in another place.
In time, Roric visits the master, and sees Krista, someone he had known in the past as a young child. She is unaware of their meeting, but finds interest in his attention. Together they travel on to the conclusion of the story.
Why is this worth reading? It is a fantasy in a strange world where things are not like today. It has characters that strive for right and heroes with proper moral values. Read it if you enjoy people overcoming wrongs for the right reasons.
Roric is an arena warrior who escapes slavery and lives as an outlaw. He is given the challenge of rescuing a the son of a spy and return him with the spy’s report to Valley Lands, the free country.
Krista is a young slave girl sold to Sansa. As she grows, she learns the from Sansa, a natural healer and herbalist. Eventually Attorgon slavers attack the village, kill the older people and take the younger ones as slaves. Krista is captured and sold to a new master in another place.
In time, Roric visits the master, and sees Krista, someone he had known in the past as a young child. She is unaware of their meeting, but finds interest in his attention. Together they travel on to the conclusion of the story.
Why is this worth reading? It is a fantasy in a strange world where things are not like today. It has characters that strive for right and heroes with proper moral values. Read it if you enjoy people overcoming wrongs for the right reasons.
Lisa Tauranto, a NYPD detective, investigates the death of an Iraqi, Ahmed Sazzar. The investigation leads to a pair of sets built to resplicate a New York police station and a popular night club. Thus begins a trail that includes another mutilated body, an assasination attempt on Lisa, a mysterious man named Flint and the quest for a treasure that exceeded the description of mere wealth.
Guy S. Stanton, III, tells a complex tale of the quest, where few of the characters are who they seem, and trustworthy is not a common character trait. He weaves a story of mystery with tales of love and loss to keep the reader entrapped until the final chapter. This is an easy to read novel with many twists and turns.
Guy S. Stanton, III, tells a complex tale of the quest, where few of the characters are who they seem, and trustworthy is not a common character trait. He weaves a story of mystery with tales of love and loss to keep the reader entrapped until the final chapter. This is an easy to read novel with many twists and turns.
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
There are romantic novels that tickle your fancy and erotic ones that raise feelings and emotions. There are mystery thrillers that make your heart race as you rapidly read to the next reciting twist and turn. There are fantasies that take you out of your time and place and deposit you in another you have only begun to imagine.
This novel is all of the above. It takes the reader on a trip through a fantasy, where the characters might be from some other place, or maybe not. Does the mirror reflect ourselves or another dimension? We travel with the Parson Smith, his better half, Mary Smith, Jack and Little Jack, Mona and Henry. Have we fallen down a rabbit hole, or are we seeing yourselves ten years in the future? Is what we see real, or will we turn the page and realize it was all in our minds?
The reader must be open minded and aware of the story being told. It is not so casual a story like the menu for takeout pizza. This novel is not for everyone. It will either grab you and throw you out of the story or capture your mind and cause it to read slowly as not to miss a single piece of the story.
The author has accomplished something that many others cannot, and broken the mould of the simple genre novel. Well worth reading for the experience.
This novel is all of the above. It takes the reader on a trip through a fantasy, where the characters might be from some other place, or maybe not. Does the mirror reflect ourselves or another dimension? We travel with the Parson Smith, his better half, Mary Smith, Jack and Little Jack, Mona and Henry. Have we fallen down a rabbit hole, or are we seeing yourselves ten years in the future? Is what we see real, or will we turn the page and realize it was all in our minds?
The reader must be open minded and aware of the story being told. It is not so casual a story like the menu for takeout pizza. This novel is not for everyone. It will either grab you and throw you out of the story or capture your mind and cause it to read slowly as not to miss a single piece of the story.
The author has accomplished something that many others cannot, and broken the mould of the simple genre novel. Well worth reading for the experience.
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
On March 8, 2014, Malaysian Airways flight MH 370 left Kuala Lumpur International Airport for Beijing Capital International Airport. It did not arrive.
Within hours, a massive search began but with little to direct it, nothing was found to explain where the flight with 239 people on board had come to earth.
This novel, by an experienced air traffic controller with involvement in aircraft accident and incident investigations, looks at the whole story, and puts the real data together to explain what may have happened. There is no unsupported speculation, and the proof to be provided by recovery of the aircraft is not yet available.
Where this investigation shines is in applying experienced logic to a situation that is complicated by claims and misinformation and perhaps a few missing facts due to incompetence of the early investigators or political protection by various governments.
Will the full story ever be told? This novel is a “work in progress” and will expand as more fact becomes available. It is well-written, logically correct from the mind of someone who knows about aircraft, their abilities and how air traffic control operates. It is recommended reading for anyone who wonders about things that have no explanation, or who has the question in mind, “What happened to flight MH 370?”
Within hours, a massive search began but with little to direct it, nothing was found to explain where the flight with 239 people on board had come to earth.
This novel, by an experienced air traffic controller with involvement in aircraft accident and incident investigations, looks at the whole story, and puts the real data together to explain what may have happened. There is no unsupported speculation, and the proof to be provided by recovery of the aircraft is not yet available.
Where this investigation shines is in applying experienced logic to a situation that is complicated by claims and misinformation and perhaps a few missing facts due to incompetence of the early investigators or political protection by various governments.
Will the full story ever be told? This novel is a “work in progress” and will expand as more fact becomes available. It is well-written, logically correct from the mind of someone who knows about aircraft, their abilities and how air traffic control operates. It is recommended reading for anyone who wonders about things that have no explanation, or who has the question in mind, “What happened to flight MH 370?”
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
Dennis Carlsson is a Vietnam veteran who gave for his country and returned to a remote part of Maine to live in solitude. Sometimes he would relive the horror when memories are triggered by low flying helicopters, or the introduction to Dr. Susan Tranh, who looks like someone he killed during his tour of duty.
Dennis just wants his privacy and to run his animal rehab in peace. Susan wanted to count Bald Eagles and ensure animals receive professional treatment in their time of need. But others have needs. The Navy base wants to find who killed two of their guards, and the local tribal council wants to keep things quiet on their lands. The local criminals want to continue their business without people watching them, like the Navy and Susan. They will have to avoid the Navy but they begin a “Susan go home” harassment to ensure she doesn’t have reasons to be watching their operations. Things don’t improve when a navy lieutenant goes missing after a confrontation with Dennis.
Aunt Jean Haskell, a matriarch of the Tribal Council gets involved after Dennis sees a spirit of a large bear and Susan has two of her eagles killed, and her home attacked and burned down. A blind deer is taken from Dennis cages, killed and dragged off by something large. Rich Bouchard, a ranger, tribe member and tracker gets on the trail and thinks it is a “Swimmer of Dark Waters,” someone unseen for 300 years. Why has it come and who injured it, preventing it returning to its family nest? show more What can Dennis and Rick do to help? Are they caught up in Indian legends or is there something the eagle and bear spirits want them to do?
James A. Hetley has written a thrilling and complex novel, with much to capture the reader’s imagination and hold it to the exciting conclusion. His characters are real, the situations realistic and he manages to blend the multiple plots while allowing the reader to wonder about what is left unsaid and how will the story end? show less
Dennis just wants his privacy and to run his animal rehab in peace. Susan wanted to count Bald Eagles and ensure animals receive professional treatment in their time of need. But others have needs. The Navy base wants to find who killed two of their guards, and the local tribal council wants to keep things quiet on their lands. The local criminals want to continue their business without people watching them, like the Navy and Susan. They will have to avoid the Navy but they begin a “Susan go home” harassment to ensure she doesn’t have reasons to be watching their operations. Things don’t improve when a navy lieutenant goes missing after a confrontation with Dennis.
Aunt Jean Haskell, a matriarch of the Tribal Council gets involved after Dennis sees a spirit of a large bear and Susan has two of her eagles killed, and her home attacked and burned down. A blind deer is taken from Dennis cages, killed and dragged off by something large. Rich Bouchard, a ranger, tribe member and tracker gets on the trail and thinks it is a “Swimmer of Dark Waters,” someone unseen for 300 years. Why has it come and who injured it, preventing it returning to its family nest? show more What can Dennis and Rick do to help? Are they caught up in Indian legends or is there something the eagle and bear spirits want them to do?
James A. Hetley has written a thrilling and complex novel, with much to capture the reader’s imagination and hold it to the exciting conclusion. His characters are real, the situations realistic and he manages to blend the multiple plots while allowing the reader to wonder about what is left unsaid and how will the story end? show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Caleb Pike is an insurance investigator who likes the challenge of weeding out false claims for the firm’s clients. One day he receives a new assignment to travel to Michigan to discuss the findings of an actuarial researcher, Jenny Miller. Details were slim, but a trip on behalf of the insurance brokers association was a better assignment than chasing down an auto insurance cheat.
Caleb meets with Jenny who wonders why the association sent in an investigator instead of answering the questions she sent to them. Caleb asks about her research and she explains that she has found a few cases of senior citizens that have died in what appear to be professional hits. Her sampling is small, but she requested data from the association and Caleb’s visit was their response. She shows Caleb several murders, with a common thread that each had taken out insurance less than a year before their deaths.
Who is killing seniors and why? Those were the questions left with Caleb when he requests data from the Association.
Meanwhile, in California, a junior gangster, James Day is given an assignment to end the life of a senior, Ted Benson. He goes to the retirement home, but forgets the silencer for his pistol. But time is limited, so he proceeds to complete the hit. Once complete, James retreats only to face a senior with a walker blocking his way. James does what he knows best, firing several times and fleeing to the hall. He walks briskly for the exit. James’s driver has heard the show more shots and pulls the car in front of the entrance. James comes out and runs for the car, almost making his escape until a security guard shoots him in the back. The driver leaves without James.
Caleb receives the data he needs for Jenny, and it indicates a much bigger situation than anyone imagines. Seniors are being murdered in many parts of the world in greater numbers than actuarial projections would suggest. So begins a thrilling story of the investigation of an international organization determined to control the euthanasia of seniors who prefer not to wait for natural causes. This puts Caleb and Jenny in the sights of the hit men working for the Omega organization. The path takes them to California, where clue after clue is uncovered leading to solving the case. Or is it just bringing Caleb and Jenny closer to their own deaths? There are few people to be trusted and too much at stake to treat anything lightly.
Paul Wornham has written a second novel that takes the reader on a fast moving trip through the world of crime and mystery. It is a book that is hard to put down, with a wealth of characters and an easy to follow plot, that leads to a dynamic conclusion. Are an insurance investigator from Georgia and a professor from Michigan able to destroy a wealthy international criminal organization? This is a book equal to the best mystery writers of the day. I predict Paul Wornham will be one of the famous writers of this century, so read his work before it takes him to the heights of celebrity. show less
Caleb meets with Jenny who wonders why the association sent in an investigator instead of answering the questions she sent to them. Caleb asks about her research and she explains that she has found a few cases of senior citizens that have died in what appear to be professional hits. Her sampling is small, but she requested data from the association and Caleb’s visit was their response. She shows Caleb several murders, with a common thread that each had taken out insurance less than a year before their deaths.
Who is killing seniors and why? Those were the questions left with Caleb when he requests data from the Association.
Meanwhile, in California, a junior gangster, James Day is given an assignment to end the life of a senior, Ted Benson. He goes to the retirement home, but forgets the silencer for his pistol. But time is limited, so he proceeds to complete the hit. Once complete, James retreats only to face a senior with a walker blocking his way. James does what he knows best, firing several times and fleeing to the hall. He walks briskly for the exit. James’s driver has heard the show more shots and pulls the car in front of the entrance. James comes out and runs for the car, almost making his escape until a security guard shoots him in the back. The driver leaves without James.
Caleb receives the data he needs for Jenny, and it indicates a much bigger situation than anyone imagines. Seniors are being murdered in many parts of the world in greater numbers than actuarial projections would suggest. So begins a thrilling story of the investigation of an international organization determined to control the euthanasia of seniors who prefer not to wait for natural causes. This puts Caleb and Jenny in the sights of the hit men working for the Omega organization. The path takes them to California, where clue after clue is uncovered leading to solving the case. Or is it just bringing Caleb and Jenny closer to their own deaths? There are few people to be trusted and too much at stake to treat anything lightly.
Paul Wornham has written a second novel that takes the reader on a fast moving trip through the world of crime and mystery. It is a book that is hard to put down, with a wealth of characters and an easy to follow plot, that leads to a dynamic conclusion. Are an insurance investigator from Georgia and a professor from Michigan able to destroy a wealthy international criminal organization? This is a book equal to the best mystery writers of the day. I predict Paul Wornham will be one of the famous writers of this century, so read his work before it takes him to the heights of celebrity. show less
Beirut is not the typical location for a mystery, but it captures all the turbulence of the Middle East and the divided factions that compose the tension that fills the lives of all who live there. Walter Lukash is an American agent, required to fill in a short assignment before his return to Washington. His superiors don’t tell him but he is expected to stay for two years.
Walter has a history with the city. He left a wife and fled the country, leaving only the false identity he had used. The chance of being recognized could be as dangerous as much as the checkpoints manned by Christians or Muslims or other soldiers that were as often like criminals. A diplomatic passport was not enough to make it safe.
The assignment seemed simple enough. Set up in East Beirut and become the Liaison Officer to the Phalange. Be the source of information to the Phalange and extract information from them to assist the US government in their role in the peace process. It is an assignment that will put Walter in opposition to Syrian forces that would be equally interested in the information Walter collected. And if Walter was able to recruit a few people to assist in gathering information, his superiors would be well pleased.
Walter’s personal life is equally dynamic. If he is recognized as William Conklin, the alias he had used on his previous posting to Beirut, would his wife, Muna, or her family find out he was back in town? To further complicate things, Lorraine, his girlfriend of show more several years follows him to Beirut. Will he end up with either? Both are people that are unsuitable if he wishes to continue his career in the American foreign service. Walter’s superior wish him to break off with Lorraine the same as they did with his marriage to Muna. Her family would only like retribution for the way Walter treated her.
When Walter helps his new friends in the Phalange take delivery of American aid and pass it to a rebel group, it becomes a mystery of what is the purpose? Is it just a plot to draw out the rebels and prove that the Americans are helping rebel groups? Who will it gain? And who will lose? There are so many factions looking to score, and so many people trying to improve their positions.
Will Walter Lukash get out alive? You have to read the novel. It takes the reader on a visit to a place many will never see, in situations that most will never be involved it. It is a finely written story with more twists and turns than a modern roller coaster. It combines mystery, travel, romance and political intrigue in a novel that is difficult to put down. Preston Fleming is a master writer who has made this story become real. show less
Walter has a history with the city. He left a wife and fled the country, leaving only the false identity he had used. The chance of being recognized could be as dangerous as much as the checkpoints manned by Christians or Muslims or other soldiers that were as often like criminals. A diplomatic passport was not enough to make it safe.
The assignment seemed simple enough. Set up in East Beirut and become the Liaison Officer to the Phalange. Be the source of information to the Phalange and extract information from them to assist the US government in their role in the peace process. It is an assignment that will put Walter in opposition to Syrian forces that would be equally interested in the information Walter collected. And if Walter was able to recruit a few people to assist in gathering information, his superiors would be well pleased.
Walter’s personal life is equally dynamic. If he is recognized as William Conklin, the alias he had used on his previous posting to Beirut, would his wife, Muna, or her family find out he was back in town? To further complicate things, Lorraine, his girlfriend of show more several years follows him to Beirut. Will he end up with either? Both are people that are unsuitable if he wishes to continue his career in the American foreign service. Walter’s superior wish him to break off with Lorraine the same as they did with his marriage to Muna. Her family would only like retribution for the way Walter treated her.
When Walter helps his new friends in the Phalange take delivery of American aid and pass it to a rebel group, it becomes a mystery of what is the purpose? Is it just a plot to draw out the rebels and prove that the Americans are helping rebel groups? Who will it gain? And who will lose? There are so many factions looking to score, and so many people trying to improve their positions.
Will Walter Lukash get out alive? You have to read the novel. It takes the reader on a visit to a place many will never see, in situations that most will never be involved it. It is a finely written story with more twists and turns than a modern roller coaster. It combines mystery, travel, romance and political intrigue in a novel that is difficult to put down. Preston Fleming is a master writer who has made this story become real. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
The Sheriff Catches a Bride - Cora Seaton
Fila Sahar plans her escape from Afghanistan and the Taliban, as Rose Bellingham is trying to escape from an engagement she made before she knew what real freedom was. One struggles to travel from New York to Montana, the other struggles to find it inside herself to do the right things to end a relationship.
An entourage of people live in this story. The sheriff, Cab, his three friends and their wives, plus a host of other local residents add flavour to the novel. They are like real people living in Chance Creek, Montana.
Which is the real story? Will Fila reach her safe place, pursued by the Taliban? Will Rose break off her engagement and find a life with Cab? Will the Taliban change the relaxed little town into a war zone?
The answers are in the novel. It is well-written and easy to read. Once you start, it is hard to put it down, and it won’t let the reader free until the last page. Don’t expect it is a love story - it goes so far beyond that into a drama that most readers will enjoy.
Fila Sahar plans her escape from Afghanistan and the Taliban, as Rose Bellingham is trying to escape from an engagement she made before she knew what real freedom was. One struggles to travel from New York to Montana, the other struggles to find it inside herself to do the right things to end a relationship.
An entourage of people live in this story. The sheriff, Cab, his three friends and their wives, plus a host of other local residents add flavour to the novel. They are like real people living in Chance Creek, Montana.
Which is the real story? Will Fila reach her safe place, pursued by the Taliban? Will Rose break off her engagement and find a life with Cab? Will the Taliban change the relaxed little town into a war zone?
The answers are in the novel. It is well-written and easy to read. Once you start, it is hard to put it down, and it won’t let the reader free until the last page. Don’t expect it is a love story - it goes so far beyond that into a drama that most readers will enjoy.
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
Chelsea arrives in the seedier part on an unknown city to find that her three million pound sterling trust fund has been reduced to about 50 quid in the bank and debts in many unknown places. Her step father (Gerge McAllister), the trustee of her estate, claims poor business investments and promptly disappears as does his lawyer.
This begins a long trip, through an underworld that may begin her career in personal services to pay off a debt she inherited. Chelsea’s search for her step father and any remaining funds from her trust fund, leads her to Vladimir Voyeykov, who suggests she leave the matter to professionals.
Chelsea gets taken in by Scotland Yard for questioning as her name appears on many documents for a corporation named Imatek that was the front to own other small companies that had cheated investors. When Chelsea gets kidnapped by mafia over debts she had not incurred to an escort agency, mobster Carlos Santiago expects her to pay back double, and more as she resists. Then Carlos calls in an enforcer to show her the services she will provide while working to pay off her debt.
Just as Chelsea shows she can protect herself, Vladimir arrives and buys her so that Carlos will not shoot her. Thus begins a flight to Moscow where Chelsea has to stay in the protection of Vladimir to avoid the mafia. Chelsea learns about graft and corruption and the drug deals that can make or break a criminal. Vladimir is kind and caring, but is he really a crime boss getting into show more major drug dealing? Chelsea is torn between the feelings she has for Vladimir and the fear that he is no better than the mafia trying to kill her. Will she ever recover what is left of her estate and return to a normal life?
You must read the book to learn the answers. It reads very well, and will capture the readers interest and not let go until one reaches the end, which may be a new beginning.
The novel has a great group of characters, from the gangsters to Vladimir’s associates and the service girls in Moscow. They bring the story to life so the reader is often lost in the story, forgetting it is fiction.
If you like mysteries (or love stories is your thing,) this is the novel to read. It will take you on a journey that only ends in the last chapter, and leaves you wishing there was more. show less
This begins a long trip, through an underworld that may begin her career in personal services to pay off a debt she inherited. Chelsea’s search for her step father and any remaining funds from her trust fund, leads her to Vladimir Voyeykov, who suggests she leave the matter to professionals.
Chelsea gets taken in by Scotland Yard for questioning as her name appears on many documents for a corporation named Imatek that was the front to own other small companies that had cheated investors. When Chelsea gets kidnapped by mafia over debts she had not incurred to an escort agency, mobster Carlos Santiago expects her to pay back double, and more as she resists. Then Carlos calls in an enforcer to show her the services she will provide while working to pay off her debt.
Just as Chelsea shows she can protect herself, Vladimir arrives and buys her so that Carlos will not shoot her. Thus begins a flight to Moscow where Chelsea has to stay in the protection of Vladimir to avoid the mafia. Chelsea learns about graft and corruption and the drug deals that can make or break a criminal. Vladimir is kind and caring, but is he really a crime boss getting into show more major drug dealing? Chelsea is torn between the feelings she has for Vladimir and the fear that he is no better than the mafia trying to kill her. Will she ever recover what is left of her estate and return to a normal life?
You must read the book to learn the answers. It reads very well, and will capture the readers interest and not let go until one reaches the end, which may be a new beginning.
The novel has a great group of characters, from the gangsters to Vladimir’s associates and the service girls in Moscow. They bring the story to life so the reader is often lost in the story, forgetting it is fiction.
If you like mysteries (or love stories is your thing,) this is the novel to read. It will take you on a journey that only ends in the last chapter, and leaves you wishing there was more. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
An interesting trip to a second hand store by Gena with her two friends, Juniper and Anne. The story is smoothly paced with nice tight dialogue and is a fine example of a novella. It reads easily and ends firmly but promises more interesting things in the readers imagination. It does what a novella should do.
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
A great story that captures the feel of nascar racing, plus captures the reader's interest, whether a fan or not. The intricate story as the author is known for, bringing the reader into a place that they may, or may not, have ever visited. Lots of mystery and a conclusion that ties all the threads together. One of the most capable mystery writers on this decade.
A story that takes one from the streets of Montreal to the neighbourhoods of Yellowknife. So well written that one feels they are beside Temperance Brennan as she drags out each little truth to disclose the reasons for the death of a simple young woman. Is anyone who they appear to be?