Die Trying by Lee Child

3.5 Stars

Jack Reacher - Book 2

Gideon's Sword by Preston & Child

3.5 Stars

Gideon Crew - Book One

When I finish a book that totally blows me away, I have to either change genres completely or go to reread a very old fave.  This time, I chose to change genres and try a new - to me - series.  And it did the trick!

This was an enjoyable read.  Sort of like the Ilona Andrews book, it  felt like some good junk food to my reading brain.  The story clipped along at a decent pace - the chapters weren't very long which helps a lot, keeps things from dragging.  The plot was intricate enough to keep me interested yet not so complicated that I was stopping to try and figure out things. 

The main character, Gideon Crew, is an interesting fellow.  Clever and smart, he reads people really well.  He has a great sense of humour.  And he has a sense of purpose and is just dark and cynical enough to appeal to me.  I liked following along with him on his 'mission'. 

There is a small cast of supporting characters that have the potential to increase their interestingness over the coming books. Apparently one of the guys comes one of the writing duo's other series, but I'm not ready to go hunt that down yet.  :)

So, I've found another series to follow when I need some tasty junk-food reading and that's a good thing!

Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly

3.5 Stars

The Amberlough Dossier - Book One

The book I read was not the book I thought I was going to read.  I'm not sure what I expected, but what I got ended up being interesting and thought-provoking, especially in this day and age.

Amberlough is a fictional province in a fictional country called Gedda. A double-agent sacrifices all his ideals in order to save his smuggler lover before a government coup takes over their decadent city in this glam spy thriller, or as I've also heard it called - a cabaret thriller. (Think 1930s Germany)

I had problems with what felt to me like slowness in the first 2/3rds of the book, if I'm being honest.  It felt draggy and what's the point, even though the writing was quite good and I will admit, it built up the atmosphere quite well.  It set up a lot of backstory and situational things about the governments and past spy doings that are needed to tell the tale.  But I think I was just not in the right frame of mind to enjoy it. Because the writing is very special and engaging and perfect for the 'period' of the book.

I've seen the book spoken about in romance circles, but it's not really a romance.  Yes, there is a romance at the heart of it, a love story for the ages type of thing, but it's not any kind of HEA that I know about.

The book ends on a cliffhanger and while that usually pisses me off, I was okay with it this time.  It fit the book.  And the book is clever, it's dark, it's scary (especially when held up against the current shit going on in the world), it's exciting.  But there are moments of humour and moments of true sweetness and gentleness, but baby, they're few and far between.  And maybe all the more precious for it.

Anyway, I'll be looking for the second book when it comes out.  Wondering what's happened to the three main characters and if we'll be seeing any of them again.  Two of them I think for sure we will, the third?  I'm not certain at all.

Anyway, Amberlough ended up being a different and intriguing read.  Check it out.

Panacea by F. Paul Wilson

3.5 Stars

The ICE Sequence - Book 1

F. Paul Wilson is a favourite author of a bunch of my friends and one of them recommended Panacea to me, knowing I enjoy a good thriller.  And I did enjoy this one.  :)

It's a typical thriller in that there's a lot of action, a bunch of twisty turny investigations, bad guys with big guns and lots of power, good guys with a bit of mystery in their pasts, and a possible world-wide disaster to be avoided.  There's also a cute kid and some ancient mythology. 

The book reads lickety split, thanks to some great pacing by the author and chapters that don't run into the 30+ page realm.  I'm a firm believe that short chapters help give a book an aspect of  "can't put it down" or "just one more chapter before I sleep" type of thing.  The characters aren't really complex, but they are believable in a thriller sort of way.  And they're likable - well the good guys anyway - and that, for me, is important.  I especially liked Rick Hayden and his sense of humour.  I also liked him together with Laura Fanning.  There's going to be some romance, somewhere along the line, but there's little of it here, just the pair getting to know each other and starting to trust each other as they search.

I like the idea of ancient history and ancient mysteries being explored and the whole secret societies thing.  I find it all quite fascinating. 

Wilson, I think, is more known for his horror books - Repairman Jack and the like - but there's not much horror in this book.  One scene though.... near the end... well, I guess it was more gross than horror, but EWWWWW!  *LOL*

I think if you enjoy books like the Sigma Force books by James Rollins, you'll enjoy this.  I know I'll be looking to add Book 2 to my library.  :)

The Blood Gospel - James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell

2.5 Stars

The Order of the Sanguines Book 1

I wanted to like this book so much!  It sounded like such interesting fun from the blurb and I enjoyed the James Rollins book I read earlier this year, so I was looking forward to another action-filled thriller with some cool religiously supernatural overtones.  Vampire priests!  Woot!

Ugh.

That's not what I got.

First off, the female lead, the heroine, Erin... well, she spent half her time hiding behind the big, strong, blond, soldier protector guy who could make her warm with just a faint touch in the midst of all the danger of the damned world.  Every time something remotely dangerous approached, there was the big dumb hero thrusting her behind him.

Speaking of big dumb hero, his name was Jordan, which is fine.  Jordan is a unisex name.  The only problem with this is that Jordan is a name I have used in my own writing for years as a woman's name.  So that bugged me from beginning to end.  *LOL*  Most people probably won't have this problem though.

Overall, this book had a really sexist vibe to it. Not only was Jordan 'protecting' Erin every chance he got and not only were the both of them getting turned on by the slightest of things in the midst of great danger or focus, the whole plot of the book hinged on sex it seemed.  Now I know that vampires are supposed to be sexy and all, but neither author is very good at writing sexy to prove it for one thing - and for another it all read like the downfall of all the good and holy came at the hands of the woman and her seduction of the defenseless priest.

I also felt that some of the ideas were really good and could have been expounded upon more but the authors maybe didn't have the facility to go deeper?  I dunno... I felt they missed the mark on a lot of the historical stuff.  And there was A LOT of historical stuff in this book - maybe too much.  Masada, Christ's Life, Saint Peter, Hitler, Rasputin, the siege of St. Petersburg, medieval Hungary.... just so so so much and alot of it just glossed over.

But of course we have the improbable love story of Erin and Jordan - oh, did I mention that I think the story takes place over 2 days - 3 max?   Yeah, well, the number of times that we were treated to adolescent reactions from both of these characters was really over the top.

I could go on because so much of this book left me unsatisfied.  And in the end... well... we don't really get much closure at all.  Oh... Erin and Jordan like each other.  *RME*  I don't know that I'll pick up the second book in this series.  Maybe, but I doubt it.  I think I'll probably stick to Rollins' Sigma Force novels instead for ridiculous, crazy action thrillers.

Windward by Kirby Crow

4 Stars

Mirror - Book 2

This is a serious book!  Not for the faint-hearted, let me tell you.  And I loved it.  :)

We're back with Matty and Grant who still have so many things to iron out between them.  It's not an easy row to hoe by any means, love notwithstanding.  Are they to be allowed to do this by themselves?

Oh hell no.

If it's not interference and at times outright disapproval from Grant's family, it's the FBI come knocking with a request for Matty to help them out with the tracking down and capture of his ex-lover, the chilling assassin, Jaeger Koning.  And what's with Jaeger?  Well, nothing other than that he wants his one-time submissive, Matty, back where he belongs.  With Jaeger.

There's action.  There's banter.  There's humour.  There's emotion.  There's heart-stopping danger and there's moments that one is tempted to weep.   Seriously!

But the main strength in this book, I think, comes from the way the author brings us into the minds of the three main characters - Grant, Matty and Jaeger - sharing their thoughts and how their minds and their.. well... their selves are guided and formed by the power exchanges of D/s relationships.  I'm explaining it badly - who's surprised? - but I find the whole idea of power exchange to be sexy and heady and fascinating.

Loved it and I hope we may revisit the Mirror Universe at some point.  :)

Slow Horses by Mick Herron

3.5 Stars

Slough House - Book 1

It sounded good when I read the blurb.  I wasn't sure about it until about half way through, but then it really got going and the twists and turns were twisty and turny and suddenly, I couldn't put it down!  *LOL*

The characters are, for the most part, quite unlikable.  Even the erstwhile hero, River Cartwright has his problems.  But, once I got to the second half of the book, I began to find them, still distasteful, but intriguing!

The plot was nice and twisty and turny, as I said, and kept me wondering until the end.  A few nice surprises along the way too.  Very British in feel, I thought.  Which is a good thing for a British spy novel, right?  And the subject of all the spy stuff is very topical for now.  Rising nationalist feelings and hate crimes against minorities.  Maybe a little too close to home?   Still... I enjoyed my read.

So I will be reading more of these.  :)

Forty Words for Sorrow by Giles Blunt

3.5 STARS

John Cardinal - Book 1

I read this first of the John Cardinal mystery thrillers to get ready for the 6-episode mini-series (Cardinal) that's coming on CTV this coming week and I'm glad I did.  The introduction of Detective John Cardinal and his new partner Lise Delorme is a pretty good read.  It didn't blow me away, but it certainly held my interest and has me looking forward to the show, which BTW, is perfectly cast with Billy Campbell and Karine Vanasse as Cardinal and Delorme respectively.

The mystery of who is committing the murders lasts until barely halfway, so this is more of a how are they going to catch 'em thriller, as well as being a character-driven narrative as we learn about John Cardinal and his somewhat shady past.  I liked Cardinal and I liked Delorme, even though we don't get to know a great deal about her.

The crimes in Forty Words for Sorrow are rather gruesome, which isn't really my favourite thing and why I only rated it 3.5 stars instead of 4.

Also, I love that it's set in Canada, a vaguely disguised North Bay, Ontario. :)

Will I read more?  Oh yes, I think so.

Sims by F. Paul Wilson

4 STARS

Sims was recommended to me by my friend Mike when I expressed an interest in Wilson's latest novel, Panacea, and was going to have to wait because I won't pay $14 for an ebook.

I really enjoyed it! It was a real page turner, I have to say. Part of that was helped by the way that Wilson wrote the book, using mostly small chapters which gives the book a brisk pacing perfect for a thriller.

There were some nice twists and turns in the book, some that I saw coming and some that I didn't. But I think it's okay to see some because then you don't feel like a moron while you're reading. *LOL* I loved the character of Patrick, the lawyer, and I loved the sim Tome. The bad guys were suitably bad and the good guys were suitably good, as should be. I did find myself wondering a bit at the epilogue about what Patrick was actually doing - everyone else important was accounted for and I had to take off a half a star for that.

I wonder why they never made a movie out of this book, it would seem to me to be a perfect property.

So, yup, I really enjoyed my read. :)

Mr. and Mr. Smith by HelenKay Dimon

4 STARS

Tough Love - Book 1

This was a fun read. Hit all the right buttons for me. If you're a fan of Abi Roux's Cut & Run series or S.E. Jakes Hell or High Water series, you'll love this series.

Mr. and Mr. Smith is the first in the Tough Love series, stories about rough, tough undercover type agents and soldiers going after the bad guys and having hot sex and falling for each other along the way. Lots of what I call 'fun guy banter' too. This is the story of Fisher and Zach and the beginning of what I assume is going to be the series arc.

It doesn't break any new ground really, but it is an action-filled, fun, hot romp filled with a whole bunch of lovely men and it really hit the spot. One of the scenes early on reminded me a lot of a scene from one of my favourite TV shows, Strike Back, and that was quite alright by me!

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, The Talented Mr. Rivers.

Ha'Penny by Jo Walton

4.5 STARS

Small Change - Book 2

Inspector Carmichael of Scotland Yard is back and boy has he got problems!

The alternate world that Jo Walton has created, "In 1949, eight years after the "Peace with Honor" was negotiated between Great Britain and Nazi Germany by the Farthing Set, England has completed its slide into fascist dicatorship.", is utterly fascinating. It causes you to ponder the might have beens and what ifs. Fascinating. :)

I call this book a thriller as opposed to a mystery because it's really not about who killed whom and why, it's a race (even if the 'good guys' don't know it until near the end) against time and a bomb that could change the world once again. So it felt more like a thriller.

Again, Walton alternates her narrative between the 1st Person POV of actress Viola Lark and the 3rd person tight POV of Inspector Carmichael. And again, it works very, very well. I was concerned that Viola would turn out to be too similar to Lucy, the heroine of the first book, but her voice was quite different and quite distinct.

I was thrilled to see Jack, Carmichael's long-time partner, get some screen time in this book. It was quite interesting to see more of Carmichael's private life and learn more about how he has to be so very careful in this reality.

There's some heart-break in this book as well and I found myself tearing up a time or two and at one point I think I actually yelled at the author. *LOL*

A yummy, delicious, complex, intriguing, fascinating treat and I can't wait to read #3 in the series.

No Boundaries by SE Jakes

3 STARS

Phoenix Inc. Series - Book 1

A quick read that delivered what I expected. A bunch of hot, manly, damaged men indulging in sexytimes in between rescuing one of their own and solving the mystery.

I hadn't realised that this book was an offshoot of one of the volumes of the author's Men of Honor series but it is. It features the threesome of Styx, Law and Paolo in high-profile secondary roles as they support their friend and co-worker in the Phoenix Inc PI agency, Marcus as he protects and falls in love with the agency's latest and pro bono client, Cole.

I thought the stalker story was rather weak but as it was basically the raison d'etre to set up the romantic story, I guess it wasn't that big of a deal. Still, I could have done with more thought given to it.

I enjoy SE's books for the delightfully sexy romps they are but her Hell or High Water series remains my favourite.

Killing Floor by Lee Child

4 STARS

Jack Reacher - Book 1

At first I was going to rate this as 3.5 stars, but then I thought for a moment and decided that, no, it really is more a 4 star read for me because for almost all of it, I resented having to put the book down and take care of other things. *LOL*

For the most part, the book was non-stop plot moving forward. Lots of action, lots of important exchanges of dialogue, lots of simple but thorough scene-setting and the introduction of interesting characters throughout the whole of the novel. Jack Reacher, the main character, is an interesting fellow. At 6' 5", 200+ lbs, he's a very big man. And man of few words we come to know.

Thanks to the introduction written by the author that tells of how Jack came to be, I went into the story with an idea in mind of who and how he would be. Child describes him as somewhat of a "knight-errant" and I'll go along with that. He mentions comparisons to Shane or some of the Zane Grey westerns that my grandfather loved so much. It's a very apt description. As is a kinship with John D. MacDonald's 'Travis McGee' series of mysteries which I love to bits.

The novel is written in the 1st person, so we necessarily see everything through Jack's eyes and hear the story from Jack himself. And maybe that's why the narrative sentences are so short and choppy. I will admit that I tended to read them as longer after a bit. Was that me getting used to it? Maybe. :) As I said on Twitter, though, Lee Child hates commas and loves periods.

The secondary characters were nicely drawn and fleshed out, even though we see them as Jack sees them. I just wish Child had named the lady cop differently. Roscoe just conjures visions of Roscoe Lee Brown far too easily in my brain. *LOL*

The only time the book lost me was in the midst of some of the longer-winded explanations of why the bad guys a) were doing what they were doing, b) how they were able to do it and c)how all the people were intertwined. I felt like my eyes were beginning to glaze over at some points during the final quarter of the book.

There were some terrific plot twists - minor as well as major. I did not see the first biggie coming at ALL, so kudos to Mr. Child. :) And you know what? The story of this town, Margrave, had a feel of the TV show Banshee about it. Not a bad thing. Just interesting.

All in all, a great fun read for folks who like suspense thrillers and a hero who is different and intriguing. I'll be reading more of his adventures, that's for sure.

American Craftsmen by Tom Doyle

3 STARS

American Craft - Book 1

I had very high hopes for this book. The premise sounds so cool! From the blurb - "In Tom Doyle's thrilling debut, American Craftsmen, Seal Team Six meets ancient magic--with the fate of the United States hanging in the balance . .". I mean, uber cool, right?

Well, I haven't been this happy to finally finish a book in a long time. It was an okay read, but my Lord, it seemed never-ending! Dale Morton is the main protagonist - he can control weather, compel people and other witchy type stuff. I feel like through the book we get to know him, but only on the surface really. I felt the same about the other main characters as well, Endicott and Scherie. Maybe that's a function of this being the first book in a series, but it sure made it difficult for me to connect with them and create that 'need' in me to know what's going to happen to them next.

The world-building was pretty nifty although, there was some things that left me extremely confused. To be honest, the first half of the book left me scratching my head more often than not. It seemed that I was missing that one bit of information that would unlock the barrier in my head that would allow me to get what everyone was seemingly taking for granted. I wanted to, but the sparkly ball of OMG I GET IT! Never happened.

Also, by the blurb of the book, it sounded to me that Morton and Endicott were going to team up to conquer whatever was going to be thrown at them. Sort of like a Tom Clancy (early days) buddy book with magic and ghosts and otherwordly things (which sounded quite alright by me!). Wasn't what I got. I think that by the end of the book, Dale and Michael were beginning that journey and that is what will probably propel me to check out the next book whenever it comes out.

I think the end result is that I never reluctantly put the book down because I needed to go to sleep or cook supper or go grocery shopping or do any other number of chores.

The Tomb by F. Paul Wilson

3 STARS

Repairman Jack - Book 1

So a bunch of my buddies recommended the Repairman Jack novels to me and I finally decided to take the plunge. This was so not what I was expecting. *LOL* And that's not a bad thing, really! :)

So Repairman Jack is the guy that fixes things for a price. He lives off the radar, far off the radar and only his best friend Abe knows what he's really about. He's broken up with his girlfriend, Gia.. or should I say, she broke up with him when he confessed some of what he does to her. He misses Gia and her little girl Vicky very, very much. Vicky, by the way, is a Westphalen through her father, and either her grandfather or great-grandfather did something that set in motion a sequence of vengeance-filled events that are meant to culminate in her murder. And thereby hangs the tale

You know what this felt like? And Indiana Jones type adventure. :) There are monsters and rituals and myths and talismans and non-western gods... all the things that are necessary for a good pulpy horror-adventure. There are fires, explosions, guns, daggers, poisons and all kinds of things including eyes that glow in the dark.

Once I got past the first couple of chapters, I began to get more invested in the character of Jack and the book began to move along quite nicely. Was it 'scary'? Nope. Suspenseful? Some, yeah. Mystery? There is some, but to be honest, there were no surprises for me, I had sussed it all out from the beginning, but then again, maybe I'm supposed to. :) There were some flashes of humour that I quite enjoyed, especially concerning Jack's friend, Abe. Very, very quirky and I like him.

The ending? Well, it was a bit teeth-gnashing because I know there are more stories of Repairman Jack to come and it sort of leaves you suspended. But if I didn't know there were others? I'd be impressed by the almost ambiguous finality of it.

My friend, Ginette, wanted me to fall in love with Jack. I'm not there yet, but I did come to like him a helluva lot, especially in the final chapters. Will I read more? I most certainly will. It was a fun, Saturday afternoon matinee type of read and those are always enjoyable. :)