The Best Friend by Shalini Boland
Reviewed by Nancy Eaton
The Best Friend is a real psychological thriller that held my attention from the very first page. There are so many twists and turns taking place at the same time. Just when you think you have everything figured out — you do not!
When you meet someone for the very first time and they appear overly friendly, watch out! That is what Louisa experienced when she met Darcy. Darcy had everything – a beautiful house, money and a husband who had a very successful business. Louisa, on the other hand, did not have all of these things. At first, she was very impressed with Darcy but as time went on, her new best friend turned out to be the complete opposite – a person full of revenge. What secret is Darcy hiding in her past?
August Origins (An Action Mystery (Mackenzie August series) Book 1)by Alan Lee
Reviewed by Allen Hott
Mackenzie August has just moved back to his old hometown of Roanoke, Virginia. He is settling into a private practice as an investigator and is now living with his dad and Kix, Mackenzie’s son.
He is somewhat startled when the sheriff and a police officer come into his office. The sheriff quickly tells Mackenzie his entire life’s history and then offers him a job. He is really not interested and turns down the offer.
However on their next meeting and with further discussion he takes her offer to work as an undercover agent for her while he begins teaching at the high school. The reason he took the job is that he has heard a lot about the gangs that are now ruling the schools and actually have even killed several girls.
During his first week of teaching he goes to the local gym to work out and ends up in a ring with Nate Silva who is ranked as one of the top fighters not only in Roanoke but all of Virginia. Mackenzie has done a lot of fighting while he lived and worked as a cop in Los Angeles so he is prepared. Though Silva comes on strong and showy the end result is that Mackenzie wins 2 out of 3 rounds and the match. He also quickly builds quite a reputation around town with his ability.
Hush, Hush: A Ronnie Lake Mystery by Niki Danforth
Reviewed by Dianne Woodman
Hush, Hush is an exciting and fast-paced cozy mystery with an intriguing opening, mushrooming tension, imaginative red herrings, scintillating dialogue, brilliant character arcs, a jaw-dropping climax, and an amazing and satisfying twist ending. With a hint of political subterfuge, power struggles among law enforcement agencies, and a tenacious private investigator with martial arts skills, Hush, Hush is a teeth-chattering mystery that keeps readers’ eyes glued to every single word with anticipation.
Hush, Hush is told from the perspective of the main character, Ronnie Lake, a newly licensed private investigator. Ronnie takes on the case of a missing female college student, and her strong and brave German Shepherd, Warrior, participates in the investigation. Even though Ronnie has past experience using her private investigator skills, this case is proving challenging. Ronnie runs into roadblocks, both external and internal, in her search for the missing student. Is the young woman a runaway or a kidnap victim? Is she dead or alive? As the days go by, the investigation into the unexplained disappearance of a seemly happy individual leads to far more sinister ramifications. Will Ronnie solve the case before life-threatening dangers escalate out of control?
A Berry Deadly Welcome: A Humorous Cozy Mystery (Kylie Berry Mysteries Book 1) by A.R. Winters
Reviewed by Allen Hott
Kylie Berry, who has just divorced her husband under very bad terms, heads out to Camden Falls. She is broke and very disgusted with her life. Not only did she divorce her husband but his family held her responsible although in reality it definitely was him and his “fooling around”. She gets to the little town in Kentucky and heads to another relative’s restaurant where Kylie was given an offer to work if she wanted.
Going into Sarah’s Eatery was quite a shock as it turns out the restaurant is quite large with many chairs and tables. Over the bar was a big sign saying, “We’ll miss you “and Sarah’s name was taped at the end of the sign. When Sarah runs around the bar and meets Kylie. She then takes her up and down the bar introducing her to all the regulars.
And then they move into a little office where Sarah hands Kylie a stack of papers and shows her where to sign. Unbeknownst to Kylie because she had lost control of her phone and computer during the divorce with her husband, Sarah sold the restaurant to Kylie! And after handing her keys to the restaurant and to an apartment upstairs Sarah was out the front door. She and her husband were moving away.
Manhattan is My Beat (Rune Trilogy Book 1) by Jeffery Deaver
Reviewed by Allen Hott
If it is by Jeffery Deaver it will be an interesting read! Manhattan is
My Beat is definitely another of his interesting books. This time he has a young lady named Rune getting involved deeply in a very entangled chase for a suitcase with money in it. Or at least that is what Rune (the young woman) thinks.
Rune works in a tape rental store (lower class style) and watches tapes a lot in her off time. She also constantly battles with Tony, her boss, because she either is late or plain misses a lot of hours that she is supposed to be putting in at the store.
She had gotten very friendly with a much older customer, Robert Kelly. Nothing personal. Just friends. But one afternoon when she went to his apartment to pick up a tape she called him on his intercom and when he began talking shots were fired. She and another woman who was standing there both turned and were almost deliberately run over by a speeding green car. Going up then to his apartment they found Mr. Kelly, dead on the floor from gun shots.
New Yorkers: A Feisty People Who Will Unsettle, Madden, Amuse and Astonish You by Clifford Browder
Reviewed by Lisa Brown-Gilbert
When it comes to New York City, its dynamic environ and multicultural fusion of distinctive inhabitants, author Clifford Browder focuses his keen literary eye on his life and experiences as a seasoned resident there, as well as providing glimpses of the eclectic history of the city in his recent work, New Yorkers: A Feisty People Who will Unsettle, Madden, Amuse and Astonish You. Moreover, being no stranger to using the backdrop of New York as a setting for his previously published books, including a series set in nineteenth-century New York, titled Metropolis, author Browder once again provides an intriguing exploration of a very culturally distinctive locale.
Moreover, this is not your typical cut and dry biography, providing dry facts; instead, the read is a heartfelt memoir of a man and the city he lives, loves, survives and works in. The narrative keeps you rapt in its pages with a winning combination of information gleaned from Mr. Browder’s unique standpoint, research, and experiences from his many years as a resident. Consequently, author Browder does well with transfixing the mental eye with descriptions of his life as a longtime resident, including historical glimpses and insider tidbits of the better-known aspects of New York as well as the lesser-known and even the obscure.
The Second Hostage by Jeffery Deaver
Reviewed by Allen Hott
It appears that Deaver has now begun writing the short stories (I suppose for EBooks). If this is a taste I would have to say that it was a great taste! Very short and easy to read but with a great plot, good characters, and great dialogue that are the norm in all of Deaver’s books.
The opening is kind of interesting in that during a meeting a fairly good sized group of deputies in Humble, Kansas receive a call that someone has been taken hostage. The sheriff isn’t available but one of the deputies decides that they as a group need to go and see what is going on.
It just so happens that a fellow named Colter Shaw is in town and was in listening to the deputies talking. Shaw is somewhat unique in that he is a “Reward Seeker”. Not actually a legal cop in any way he does travel around the west looking to earn rewards for finding missing persons or even things. Kind of an unusual occupation but he makes a living doing it and it somehow may be of help here.
Part of the story then goes into some detail as how Shaw is looking for a young teenager named Emma. He used various methods to trace her to the Humble area but wasn’t having much luck getting help from any lawmen as they all pretty much scoff at his occupation.
The Money Shot (A Teddy Fay Novel Book 2) by Stuart Woods
Reviewed by Allen Hott
Basically it is a Teddy Fay story although the cover claims it features Sone Barrington. Teddy is without a doubt the main character and he carries if off pretty well. As a matter of fact even though he is shot by three shots on the first page of the book he not only survives but he goes on to do many other extraordinary things.
Whoops! I guess I forgot to mention that those shots were not real bullets and Teddy was playing a part in a movie! But it is an interesting beginning to a pretty well written and very fast paced story by Woods.
Although Teddy uses several names and does several different jobs in the book he primarily is put to work as a detective. In addition to those roles he is also a top-flight weapons expert and make-uo artist. But in Hollywood he is a stuntman, a producer, and then a former CIA man turned detective. He fills all the roles well and is well accomplished in them especially the detective bit.
It seems as though someone has been able to get some rather or perhaps very risqué movies of a famous female actress. The actress, Tessa Bacchetti, has come to Teddy to see if he can help her as she is being blackmailed by someone. The blackmail involves some film taken of her and her boyfriend in college. Needless to say the film has sexual scenes. Supposedly the boyfriend, with whom she has broken up some time ago, was to have destroyed the film.
She knows of Teddy’s abilities and hopes that he can help her without her having to go to the police because of the damage to her career.
Teddy agrees to see what he can do and then gets very deeply involved with several different groups of villains. The original pair of culprits who have the film are basically after the money but as the plot grows and thickens it really gets deep. There are others who have now gotten involved. And they are looking for ways to get involved not only in the motion picture industry but to actually take over one or more studios.
Teddy, pretty much always on his own, has to not only sort out who is who and what he is doing but he has to stop it. Luckily his background in the industry puts him in positions that most would be unable to get into. Using his circle of friends and overall knowhow of what goes on he is able to make great strides quickly.
But not without injury! Mainly to himself as some of his stuntman work gets screwed around by the bad guys leaving Teddy “to take the fall”.
When you read the book you will figure out what that term actually means! A good fast read without a bunch of sex or profanity!
One Good Deed by David Baldacci
Reviewed by Allen Hott
Shortly after WW II Aloysius Archer ends up in Poca City which is the little town that he is assigned to as part of his parole. He was put into prison for a crime that he didn’t commit. He knows nothing about the town and the townsfolk know nothing about him. While in prison he spent much of his time exercising and actually doing body building so he was in very good shape although not a big man.
Archer quickly realizes that not only does he need to meet with his parole officer but he also needs to find some sort of employment as his room rent is eating up his meager savings.
After getting checked into a hotel he begins to feel the need for a drink although bars and liquor are both listed on things that parolees are not to partake of. But he believes he can control himself so off he heads to The Cat’s Meow. And this first visit is pretty much the beginning of One Good Deed..
While at the bar he meets up with Hank Pittleman who is enjoying his drink with a young lady who turns out to be Jackie Tuttle (though Archer doesn’t know it at the time). Pittleman tells Archer that a man named Lucas Tuttle borrowed some money from him and not only didn’t pay it back but he also didn’t turn over the 1947 Cadillac which was used as collateral for the loan.
Pittleman gives Archer some money to go and get the Cadillac and bring it to him. Archer sees this as a good way to earn some cash and agrees to the task.
The following morning Archer makes his first visit to his parole officer who turns out to be a lady named Ernestine Crabtree. He explains about his new “job” since she tells him there is plenty of work in the area and part of his parole is partaking in three job interviews. She accepts his explanation of his job and tells him that if it doesn’t work out he must do the interviews. He agrees.
All of this is just the groundwork for a very interesting read as Archer gets involved with Poca City residents and especially Pittleman, the two Tuttles, and Crabtree. Those four play interesting roles in this story as Baldacci tells it.
One of the first events is that the Cadillac is actually burned up before Archer can get it or before Pittleman can retrieve it from Tuttle.
However there are many other interesting happenings as Archer begins his new life in Poca City. The ongoing battle for “big man on campus” so to speak between Pittleman and Tuttle is perhaps the largest but the life that Archer lives involving Jackie and his Parole Officer also contribute to the story line.
Another great read by the master, David Baldacci! Read it and enjoy!
JFK and Mary Meyer: A Love Story by Jesse Kornbluth
Reviewed by James Eaton
I read this book hoping it’d be all canard, gossip, and balderdash. I checked it out via Google and such. It isn’t. So that makes it what, a horror novel? Mr. Kornbluth claims, perhaps tongue-in-cheekly, that it’s a romance. Maybe then it’s the first of a new breed, a new genre: horror romance.
A note I took a third into the reading:
“I find myself hoping that nothing in this book is true, even as I admit without hesitation that I believe it. It is not a novel, per se, not even of the epistolary kind if one adheres to the literal definition. But it is something of a revelation, and its overarching theme, relevant to the madness of our current political situation is: Wherever you go, there you are.”
If this were written today about the current White House occupant, it’d be lauded by half and hated by the other, so to speak. And of course, the political leanings and motivations of the author would immediately be called into question. Kornbluth is telling it like it is, Kornbluth is a liar, Kornbluth is an angel, Kornbluth is the devil. But unless it’s intended as a cautionary allegory, JFK and Mary Meyer hasn’t got anything to do with our world of today. Ahem. Not at all. No, instead, we as readers are offered a close up glimpse of a man many recall as something of a fallen saint who instead turns out to be an almost Me Too textbook predator. The account is credible in a sense because it’s written from the perspective of a woman who was, to say the least, complicit in the goings on. Camelot? Lord help us.