Sunday, August 31, 2014

A Pedigree To Die For - Laurien Berenson

A Pedigree To Die For is the first novel in the Melanie Travis Mystery series. This book is $4.61, but it was free for the kindle when I downloaded it. If you like murder mysteries and dogs, this is the book for you.

Melanie Travis is a school teacher with a four year old son Davey. Melanie is divorced and her summer job just fell through, so making ends meet this summer will be tough. Then Melanie's Uncle Max dies in his kennel and her Aunt Peg needs her help finding a missing dog. Solving a murder or two might be a useful unintended consequence. This is a light-hearted murder mystery with just a little romance to spice it up. And don't forget there are lots of dogs. Highly recommended.

Friday, August 29, 2014

The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree - S. A. Hunt

The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree is the first novel in the Outlaw King series. This book is $3.99 for the kindle. It was free when I downloaded it. Keep looking for bargains. I got this book for free and it's great.

Ross Brigham just got back from serving in Afghanistan. Ross finds out his wife has left him and his father, E. R. Brigham, has just died. E. R. Brigham was the author of the seven volume steam punk universe series The Fiddle and the Fire. Volume seven is not finished, and the fans of the series are pushing Ross to finish it. Then Ross discovers the key to his father's muse and his whole world turns upside down. This is a great story. It's a little slow to start, but once it gets going it's hard to put down. The ending is a huge cliff hanger, but the second book in the series is now available in the same download as the first book. Very highly recommended.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

The Doctor Wears A Stetson - Anne Marie Novark

The Doctor Wears A Stetson is the first novel in the Diamondback Ranch series. This book is free for the kindle. This story is a modern western romance, so expect some heat.

Jessie Kincaid is a grease monkey. Jessie had been helping her father in his garage since she was old enough to hold a wrench. When Cameron McCade, the most popular senior in high school, pulled Jessie out from under a car to ask her to the prom, Jessie was just 15 years old. That prom was their one and only date, until Cameron came back to the little town of Salt Fork seventeen years later. Jessie owns the garage now and Cameron is a big city doctor. A lot has changed, but that spark is still there. This is a great story. No murders or ghosts or international intrigue. This is just a plain old romance. Highly recommended.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Taming Fire - Aaron Pogue

Taming Fire is the first novel in the Dragonprince's Legacy series. This book is free for the kindle. This is a great story with wizards, dragons, treachery, battles, and even a beautiful girl.

Daven Carrickson is seventeen years old. He's an orphan and a simple shepherd. Daven enjoys practicing with his sword in the evenings, and he's encouraged other boys from the village to join in. Daven even has a simple magic he uses to keep them all safe and score their matches, but Daven isn't a wizard. That all changes when one of the king's guard shows up for Daven, and challenges him to a match. It doesn't go well for either contestant. Then a wizard shows up to take Daven away from his simple existence, off to the Academy of Wizardry. Daven's life is about to change. It's not clear if it's for the better or worse. Especially when there are dragons. This is a great story. The characters and predicaments are interesting, and the danger and suspense keep you from putting the book down. Very highly recommended.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Supreme Justice - Max Allan Collins

Supreme Justice is $4.99 for the kindle, but it was free when I downloaded it. Keep looking for bargains. This is a great book and I got it for free.

Joseph Reeder is the CEO of ABC Security. Joe is also an ex-secret service agent who took a bullet for the president. When a restaurant that Joe's company monitored was the scene of a robbery, Joe was called in. Especially since a Supreme Court Justice was killed in the robbery. What Joe uncovers is a conspiracy to change the whole balance of the Supreme Court. Can Joe stop the conspiracy? How many more justices will die? This is a great story. The characters are well crafted, and the suspense is compelling. The only problem is the author's over-the-top political rants. If you can stomach the liberal bullshit, this book is really great. Highly recommended.

Friday, August 22, 2014

The Dragon King and I - Adrianne Brooks

The Dragon King and I is the first novel in the Fairest Of Them All series. This book is free for the kindle. This is one twisted fairy tale.

Alexandria Greyson thinks she's cursed, but according to her friend Rachel, there's no such thing as a curse. Alex is pretty sure there are curses, right up until she meets her fairy godmother, then she's convinced. Well, actually it's the witch who's substituting for Alex's fairy godmother. It's complicated. That's just one word to describe this story, but it's complicated in a good way. It's also funny, suspenseful, and scary at times. Highly recommended.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Witch Hunt - SM Reine

Witch Hunt is the first novel in the Preternatural Affairs series. This book is free for the kindle.

Cèsar Hawke is an agent with the Office of Preternatural Affairs, Magical Violations Department. That's a mouthful that means Cèsar is a witch who hunts other witches who break the rules. When Cèsar wakes up with the worst hangover he can remember, and finds a dead body in his bathtub, he knows he's got trouble, but he can't imagine how much. When there's no help coming from his boss, Cèsar decides his best chance to clear up his troubles are to do it himself. Who's on Cèsar's side and who's not? Even Cèsar can't decide. Witches, demons, and crooked cops, all combine to make this a great story. Highly recommended.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Gehenna - Jason Brant

Gehenna is the first novel in the West of Hell series. This book is free for the kindle. This story is less than 200 pages long, but it packs a lot of action into those pages. This is another zombie western. Is no genre sacred?

Gehenna is a small western town of about 2,000 souls. It's just a railroad way station for passengers continuing west. Gehenna is about to become much more. Mad Dog McCall used to be a law man. Now McCall is locked up in the Gehenna jail. Karen is a whore who works at the Ellis Saloon in Gahenna. Karen's not just a whore though. She may be the smartest person in town, and that's part of her problem.

The trouble starts when a couple of strangers show up in town, with tomahawks and arrows sticking out of their bodies. These two strangers proceed to start gnawing on a lady right in front of the saloon. The strangers are captured, and taken to jail, but everyone they bite along the way is going to change, and not for the better. Soon McCall and Karen are going to have to join forces just to survive escaping from Gehenna. The questions is, will they really survive? This story has plenty of action, danger, and zombies galore. It does end with a wicked cliff hanger, but as zombie westerns go, I highly recommend it.

After the Storm - M. Stratton

After the Storm is the first novel in the Storm Series. This book is free for the kindle. As incongruous as it sounds, this is a romantic murder mystery.

Lexi Hanson is a photographer. She's not exactly running and not exactly hiding, but she's enjoying the privacy at her beach house near Ipswich, Massachusetts. Lexi only has one neighbor, and she's never met him, although she's friends with the couple who are his live-in caretakers. Lexi doesn't think it's possible she'll ever fall in love. The darkness in her past seems to eclipse that kind of happiness. Then Lexi meets her neighbor, and maybe the impossible is more likely. But Lexi's past is coming back to stalk her, and threaten any happiness she finds. Can she defeat evil again, or will it win this time? This is a great mystery story, with some humor, romance, and terrible danger. Highly recommended.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Winter Solstice - David Caldarola

Winter Solstice is the first novel in the Alaric Trilogy. This book is $3.99 for the kindle. It's hard to describe this tale as belonging to a specific genre. Adventure, supernatural, religious, and even horror come to mind. You'll have to decide for yourself.

It's 1898 in the town of Exeter England, and Christmas is coming. Four good friends have gathered together to complain about the holidays. Clark Edmondson is the scholar in the group, with his fellow scholar and house-mate Svetlana. Reverend Harold Avery is a man of the cloth, and is accompanied by his ward Jeremy. Peter Allen Daniels is an artist and has brought his muse Elinor. Finally, Major Volker VonWaltrin is a retired German army officer who brought is friend and confidant Samuel to the meeting. The group is engaged in a discussion that leads them to decide on a unique plan of action. They'll each spend some time doing research, and the following year, on the eve of a new century, they'll meet again to decide on an adventure. An adventure to confront evil directly. The group has no idea how well their plans will work.

As I read this story I was reminded at times of Jules Verne, H.P. Lovecraft, and even Charles Dickens. In most cases that was good. I've enjoyed all three authors. The thing to note about all of those authors is, they wrote close to 100 years ago. This book seems to have that older feel to it as well.

This book was hard to put down at times, but frustrating at others. The villain and some of the other characters pontificated far too much for my taste. I prefer tales that move at a faster and more active pace. I found myself skimming whole sections of monologue at times.

This novel has elements I like and elements I don't. There are some circumstances when an introduction to a work of fiction is necessary, but I prefer a story that speaks for itself. This introduction went well beyond setting the stage for the chapters to follow. I usually skip poems or quotes at the beginning of chapters. This book provides poems. I read some, but skimmed over most.

The characters are very well done, and the plot is great, it's the extra words that got in the way at times. That said I enjoyed the story. The ending leaves the reader impatient for the rest of the trilogy. In spite of some problem I had, the story shines through. I highly recommended this book.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Hombre - Robert J. Thomas

Hombre is the 23rd novel in the Jess Williams series, but you don't have to worry about reading out of sequence. This book is $2.99 for the kindle, but it was free when I downloaded it. This is a brutal uncompromising western.

Jess Williams is a bounty hunter. Some would say the best there ever was. Now Jess has a partner, Alex Brand. The two bounty hunters are on the track of a vicious gang of outlaws, headed by the man known as Hombre. Hombre and his gang broke into United States Senator John Thibadough's mansion outside of Chicago, killed his entire household, and raped and murdered his beautiful wife. Now the gang is hiding out in Texas, and doing their best to avoid the law. Jess and Alex are determined to change their luck, and collect the $100,000 bounty on Hombre's head. This is a good western tale. The descriptions of crimes and even captures are vivid and brutal. In my opinion, unnecessarily brutal. Given that, I still recommend this book.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Death's Hand - SM Reine

Death's Hand is the first novel in the Descent Series. This book is free for the kindle. Prepare for some long nights.

Elise Kavanagh has a special talent. She kills demons. She can also perform an exorcism if the need arises. However, Elise is retired. She's now an accountant. When Elise's ex-partner, James Faulkner, asks her to check on a five year old girl, Elise does it as a favor. Jim, who's a witch, has a member of his coven who's daughter might be possessed. Elise should be able to tell, but this is no ordinary possession. Elise and James have tangled with this particular demon in the past and almost lost. Now one of them is going to die. The question is which one and for how long. This is a great book. It's very intense. The action never seems to stop and the bodies just keep piling up. Highly recommended.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Uncaged - John Sandford, Michele Cook

Uncaged is the first novel in the Singular Menace series. If you like Sandford's other novels you'll want to read this.

Shay and Odin Remby are a sister and brother pair caught in the foster system in Eugene Oregon. Seventeen-year-old Odin gets tangled up with some animal rights activists. While raiding a lab they stumble on something far bigger then animal experiments. Then Odin disappears. Sixteen-year-old Shay's last message from Odin says he's working with a group in Hollywood, so she grabs her stuff and heads south. Shay has to survive on the streets while trying to find her only living family. Meanwhile the big corporation, trying to recover their experiments, is doing the same. This is a thrill ride of a book. It has great characters, danger, suspense, and some seriously evil bad guys. The story comes to a satisfying conclusion, but there will be a second book and I can't wait for it. Very highly recommended.

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Tin God - Stacy Green

Tin God is the first novel in the Delta Crossroads Trilogy. This book is still free for the kindle. Get it while you can.

Jaymee Ballard has a hard life, and she's only 25 years old. Jaymee cleans houses, works at a diner, and lives in a rundown trailer on the bad side of town. Jaymee has a hard life because she has a secret. What Jaymee doesn't know is that her secret has already gotten one of her friends killed, there are more murders to come, and Jaymee will probably be included in the body count. A quiet southern town has lots of secrets, and Jaymee's isn't the worst. This is a great story. The characters are interesting, the suspense is palpable, and the ending is what an ending should be. Even though this book is part of a trilogy, it stands solidly on its own. Very highly recommended.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Rushed - Brian Harmon

Rushed is free for the kindle. This is the first novel in the Rushed series. Even though the other two books in the series aren't free, I've already ordered them. This book is that good.

Eric Fortrell had a dream. His dream was very compelling. It got Eric out of bed, dressed, and standing next to his car, ready to drive off into the night. Then Eric realized he had no idea where to drive off to. All he could remember of his dream was it has something to do with a bird. The second night Eric's wife Karen was able to break the spell, but the dream persisted. The third night, with Karen's reluctant blessing, Eric started the most bizarre, terrifying, and rewarding trip of his life. The question is will Eric live through it? This is a mix of science fiction, fantasy, humor, and horror that's almost as compelling as Eric's dream. Strange characters and creatures fill this tale with wonder and dread. Best of all, it has a great ending. Very highly recommended.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

The Ghost and The Graveyard - Genevieve Jack

The Ghost and The Graveyard is the first novel in the Knight Games series. This book is free for the kindle. This one is just plain racy.

Grateful Knight is an ICU nurse at St. John’s hospital in Carlton City. Grateful just got out of a bad relationship. So bad her ex-boyfriend took all her money and left her with a ton of debt. Grateful is lucky her Dad inherited a house in Red Grove that she can live in for free. The first catch is the house is a 30 minute commute from St. John's. The second catch is the house backs up to a graveyard. There are lots of other catches. Ghosts, vampires, witches, a sexy caretaker, and more are about to make Grateful's life very interesting. This is a great book, but there is a significant dose of explicit sex. Just a warning. Highly recommended.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Islamophilia - Douglas Murray

Islamophilia is $6.99 for the kindle. It's not real long, but it's a book that will open your eyes.

Ever wonder why Islam seems to get a pass from politicians, the press, and in movies? Ever wonder why an army major screaming "Allahu Akbar" and shooting unarmed soldiers is labeled workplace violence? Douglas Murray has some answers for you. They might make you uncomfortable, but they should make you think. Hopefully they'll make you look at things more clearly. Highly recommended.

Monday, August 4, 2014

A Charming Crime - Tonya Kappes

A Charming Crime is the first novel in the Magical Cures Mystery Series. This book was free for the kindle when I downloaded it. It's now 99 cents.

June Heal runs a booth at a flea market peddling homeopathic cures. The same booth that June's mother Darla ran before she died. June seems to be having more luck with the cures, but she keeps setting fire to her workshop. When June finally burns it to the ground, it seems like luck that she's asked to open a shop in the small village of Whispering Falls. June may find the truth about her past in Whispering Falls, but she's definitely going to find secrets, mystery, and danger. This story is great. The conversion to a kindle book seems to have had some problems though. Still highly recommended.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch

The Lies of Locke Lamora is the first novel in the Gentleman Bastards series, an epic fantasy adventure. This book is not free. I paid $4.59. It's now $5.49. It would be a bargain at twice the price. This is a long one at over 752 pages, but it's worth every minute you spend reading it.

Locke Lamora is a thief. He's not an ordinary thief though. He's in a group knows as the Gentleman Bastards. In the city of Camorr there's what's known as the Secret Peace. Thieves have boundaries in Camorr, but Locke Lamora and his band ignore them. Then a new player shows up in Camorr, and it's up to the Gentleman Bastards to save the city they've spent their lives robbing. The problem is they're likely to die trying. This is an amazing story. There are great characters, great settings, great danger, and mysteries a single novel could never uncover. That's why I've ordered the second book in the series. Very highly recommended.