Friday, October 31, 2014

Midnight Harvest - Elias Anderson

Midnight Harvest is the first novel in the Seasons of Blood series. This book is free for the kindle, and very appropriate for Halloween reading.

William Coe is a detective on the Bridgetown Police Force. Bill is the best detective on the force. Then the Sterlings happen. Bill is about to find himself on a case that can't be solved. At least not by conventional means. The question is how unconventional is Bill willing to go? This is a murder mystery that keeps ratcheting up the tension to the very end. There's a cliff hanger, but it's worth reading to get there. Very highly recommended.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

The Demon's Bargain - Lisa Alder

The Demon's Bargain is the first novella in the Demons Unleashed paranormal romance series. This book is free for the kindle. Thankfully it's only 80 some pages. When did the term romance become synonymous with soft porn?

Vetis is the demon of corruption. A gambler tried to pay his debt to Vetis with his wife Amara. A bargain was struck which resulted in sex and more sex between Vetis and Amara. That's about it. Not my kind of supernatural book. There was a little plot involved, but mostly the plot was a device to allow the author to write sexual fantasies. Not recommended, unless sex is what you want in a book.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Fire Mage - John Forrester

Fire Mage is the first novel in the Blacklight Chronicles series. This book is free for the kindle.

Talis Storm is the youngest son of the House of Storm. His sparring partner is Mara Lei of the House of Lei. As a team, Talis and Mara are seeking to win this year's Blood Dagger competition. The young royals of the City of Naru are only thirteen, but still a formidable pair. When Jiserian sorcerers attack Naru, Talis and Mara are given a map by Master Baribariso. That map contains the last hope for Naru and its people. Talis and Mara are crucial to that hope. This is not a stand-alone story. Talis and Mara's quest isn't complete when the book ends. It's still an interesting tale, with battles, magic, and a budding romance. Highly recommended.

Monday, October 27, 2014

A Cold Day for Murder - Dana Stabenow

A Cold Day for Murder is the first novel in the Kate Shugak series. This book is free for the kindle. That's an Edgar Award winning novel for free. Don't miss it.

Kate Shugak was an investigator for the Anchorage DA’s department. Their best investigator actually. After the conclusion of an investigation gone wrong Kate quit. She now lives in the Park, in a cabin five miles from her closest neighbor and twenty-five miles from the closest village. Kate's tired of people. When her old boss tracks her down for help on a missing person's case, she's not going to do it, but she does. Kate's dragged back into tribal and Park politics. Kate will wish she'd never taken this case, if she survives. This is an awesome mystery novel. The heroine is strong and tough, but not by trying to be a man. I can understand why this story won an Edgar Award. Very highly recommended.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Dog Tags - Kathleen Foley

Dog Tags is the first novel in the Faith in Uniform Book series. This book is free for the kindle.

Megan Stanley is a mother of three, and the wife of the Marine Corps detachment commander at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. Megan is waiting in line in her car, with her husband's supper, when a car in front of her explodes. Megan is grabbed from her car and taken away. Megan was a Marine herself before she married her husband. Her captors have some surprises coming, but Megan's strong faith, and that of her husband, are what get her through this ordeal. If you're opposed to novels with a strong streak of religion, then this book is not for you. You'll be missing out on a great story though. A story with faith, suspense, danger, and some serious terrorist ass kicking. Highly recommended.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Earthfall - Thomas Hopp

Earthfall is the first novel in the Dinosaur Wars series. This book is free for the kindle.

What if the dinosaurs weren't wiped out? What if they were intelligent enough to plan ahead and find a way to save their civilization on the moon? What happens when the dinosaurs decide to come back to earth?

Chase Armstrong is a park ranger. His job is the relocation of wolves into the Beartooth Mountains of Montana. Chase is about to become involved in the relocation of some much more exotic species. Species that have been extinct on earth for about 65 million years.

Diedre Porter works at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The Clementine 3 project was classified and buried three years ago, but it's about to resurface, and it could hold the key to the survival of the human race. Diedre has seen what's located at the moon's south pole.

Brigadier General Matthew Davis was on leave when the attack began. He raced back to his job as director of the U.S. Space Command Center at NORAD, only to find himself the highest ranking officer in the U.S. military. The whole world is being destroyed, and General Davis is tasked with stopping the destruction.

This is a book that I found hard to put down. I'm still not sure how a three clawed species was supposed to have invented space travel, but they were opposing claws anyway. The story has more than its share of suspense and danger, and it's got lots of dinosaurs. Highly recommended.

Friday, October 24, 2014

Even Zombie Killers Get The Blues - John Holmes

Even Zombie Killers Get The Blues is the first novel in the Zombie Killer Blues series. This book was free for the kindle when I downloaded it. It's now $1.99. This story reminds me of parts of World War Z, some of the best parts.

Sergeant First Class Nick Agostine is back in the army, only now he's leading Irregular Scout Team One, a squad of United States army irregular scouts. Six months ago the zombie apocalypse started, and after his experience serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Nick is serving again. This time in New York. The rules of engagement have changed though. Basically it's kill 'em all and don't get bit. This is a gritty hard hitting zombie killing adventure. Very highly recommended.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Natural Selection - Stephen Leather

Natural Selection is a Spider Shepherd short story. It's a good introduction to the character who's the focus of the Spider Shepherd thriller series. This book is free for the kindle.

Dan Shepherd is starting the jungle training portion of his British SAS selection process. This should be the final stage. The jungle of Belize works fine, especially since it's the only country in Central America where the official language is English. Dan doesn't have his SAS nickname yet, but he soon will. Thanks to the Guatemalans, Dan and the other SAS trainees will get some live fire exercises. This is a great introduction to what should be a great series. Unfortunately, Leather is a sanctimonious British journalist who seems to take joy in insulting the USA when the opportunity arises. If you can stomach his hypocrisy, I highly recommend this story.

Wilder's Mate - Moira Rogers

Wilder's Mate is the first novel in the Bloodhounds series. This book is free for the kindle. Note there are a lot of explicit sex scenes spicing up this book.

Wilder is a bloodhound, one of the best. Bloodhounds are a special paranormal breed designed by the Guild to fight against vampires. Nathaniel is the best inventor the Guild has. When Nathaniel goes missing, Wilder is sent to find him. Satira is Nathaniel's apprentice. It's an unofficial position, since women are not allowed to be inventors, but Satira isn't going to let Wilder search for Nathaniel alone. She's been raised by Nathaniel, and he's all the family she has left. Satira and Wilder have to fight their way through the Deadlands if they're going to rescue Nathaniel. That is, if they can get there in time. There's plenty of action, suspense, and some humor. There is also more than a little sex. Highly recommended.

I've read several books from different series by Rogers, and there are two constants in her books. One is supernatural, and she does supernatural very well. Two is sex, and she's does sex with abandon. If I didn't like her story telling I wouldn't read her books, but like Laurell Hamilton, Rogers relies too much on sex and not enough on her ability to spin a compelling tale. That's too bad, because she's great at tale spinning. I stopped reading Hamilton's Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series because they'd become closer to soft porn then novels of the supernatural. I hope Rogers can avoid that tipping point.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Hushabye - Celina Grace

Hushabye is the first novel in the Kate Redman Mysteries series. This book is free for the kindle.

Kate Redman is reporting for her first day on the job as a Detective Sergeant in Abbeyford. Kate and her partner Mark Olbeck don't even head into the station. They've been sent to the scene of a murder and kidnapping. Kate's past will make this a hard case to process. A three month old baby is missing. Kate will have to reign in her personal issues to find the killer. This is a British murder mystery. It's always a little harder to get into when the social references require some googling, but the story is good and the characters are interesting. Recommended.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

The Wind in the Willows is a classic for all ages. This book is free for the kindle. Fall is a great time to read this story.

The classic story of Rat, Mole, Badger, and Toad is a great read. It has talking animals, but it's not just a kid's book. This is an adventure even adults can enjoy. Take chapter nine - Wayfarers All, where Rat is restless and "there was a feeling in the air of change and departure." This chapter is adult fair that perfectly captures the feelings mid-westerners have when fall sneaks up on us. Or chapter three - Wild Wood, where Mole is tramping through a bare winter day "when Nature was deep in her annual slumber and seemed to have kicked the clothes off." A good book is always worth reading one more time. Very highly recommended.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Diva Las Vegas - Stephanie Caffrey

Diva Las Vegas is the first novel in the Raven McShane Mysteries series. This book is 99 cents for the kindle.

Raven McShane is an exotic dancer. OK, Raven is a stripper, but she's aware of her career's limitations. That's why Raven has also become a private eye. Raven is approached by an old friend to help with her husband's murder investigation. The killer managed to win in court and Raven's task is to come up with enough new evidence to win a civil case. What Raven doesn't anticipate is people are now trying to kill her. Finding the truth behind this murder will require some risks and turn up some interesting twists. There's enough danger, suspense, and humor to keep any reader from putting down this book. Highly recommended.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Shock Diamonds - E.R. Mason

Shock Diamonds is the sequel to Deep Crossing, which is the sequel to Fatal Boarding. Clearly there's a series here, and I really hope it continues to grow. These are all great books. The first two are free and Shock Diamonds is 99 cents.

This time Adrian Tarn and his merry band of space junkies use the Griffin on a mission 700 trillion miles from earth. Their goal is to keep one friend out of the clutches of an evil criminal, and to rescue the kidnapped daughter of another. The detours along the way are amazing, and the ending is extremely satisfying. Very highly recommended.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Deep Crossing - E.R. Mason

Deep Crossing is the sequel to the novel Fatal Boarding. This book is also free for the kindle, and I find that amazing. These are two of the best science fiction tales I've ever read.

Adrian Tarn is fishing in the surf, minding his own business, when a shuttle lands in the parking lot, and someone has a job offer for him. Adrian's last mission went so wrong he's not going to be interested in space for a long time. During that mission Adrian came as close to making friends with a Nasebian as any human ever had. Now the Nasebian's want Adrian's help. He can't refuse. Adrian and a small band of hand-picked pilots and engineers are about to go where no humans have gone before, on a ship with engines, and a few other surprises, that were designed by an alien race. It's going to be a grand adventure.

These books are as good as any science fiction out there, and they're free. Do not let this opportunity escape. The third book in the series is available for 99 cents. It's already in my reading queue. Very highly recommended.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Fatal Boarding - E.R. Mason

Fatal Boarding is a great hard science fiction novel. This book is free for the kindle.

Adrian Tarn is chief of security for the starship Electra. Adrian signed up for what should have been a simple mission, just a charting tour through an empty sector of space. Then the Electra dropped out of light early for some kind of alien derelict. It looked empty. Sensors said it was empty. They decided to board it. That's when the trouble started. This is an awesome space adventure. Really bad aliens, plenty of action, and a surprise inside. Very highly recommended.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

To Kill For - A.J. Carella

To Kill For is the first novel in the McKays series. This book is free for the kindle. This is a murder mystery that takes a while to get going.

Jamie McKay is a young women who seems to have it all; a rich family, a handsome boyfriend, and a bright future. Then greed smacks Jamie down with a vengeance. I almost gave up on this book and quit reading. I was going to relegate it to the small pile of free books I download that are still overpriced. But then it finally took off. At first it seemed like a daytime soap opera, but finally the down and dirty started, and it turned into a real murder mystery. It was still somewhat disjointed, but worth a read. Especially since it's free. Recommended.

Monday, October 13, 2014

A Shade of Blood - Bella Forrest

A Shade of Blood is the second novel in the Shade of Vampire series. The first is A Shade of Vampire. You should read them in order.

Sofia Claremont and Derek Novak are connected at some deep level. Even though Sofia is free, and realizes she was being held captive by vampires, she can't stay away from Derek. The revelations about the hunters and the Maslen vampire clan are interesting twists to the saga. The story started to lag a little, but the book was still interesting. Highly recommended.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

A Shade of Vampire - Bella Forrest

A Shade of Vampire is the first novel in the Shade of Vampire series. This book was on special for 99 cents and had more than 2,000 five start ratings. It's worth much more than 99 cents. Now I'm going to have to pay for the second one!

Sofia Claremont just turned seventeen. The night of her birthday party, Sofia is strolling on the beach, when a strange man accosts her. The man is a vampire. He kidnaps Sofia and takes her to the vampire sanctuary The Shade. Sofia is intended for the ruler of the vampires, Derek Novak. Sofia's ordeal is softened by the care that Derek shows her. Sofia's role in the future of all vampires is not clear, but it is clear she'll play a major part, and that "blood would be shed." This is a great book. Most of the teenage angst from the Twilight series is missing. What's left is a very different and completely engaging story. Very highly recommended.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

The Invisible War - Jasper T. Scott

The Invisible War is the second novel in the Dark Space series. The thrill is gone.

The first novel in this series was fast paced and filled with action. The second novel follows the same characters, but the action is sporadic and the angst and politics are a burden. I was honestly waiting for this book to be over. I'm disappointed. Not recommended.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Deadline - John Sandford

Deadline is the eighth novel in the Virgil Flowers series. This book is not free, but it's worth every penny I paid. It came out today and I couldn't stop reading until I got to the end.

Virgil Flowers is an agent with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Virgil isn't happy when one of his buddies calls him at 3:00 in the morning about some dognappers. But the next day Virgil takes off for Trippton Minnesota to see what he can do. How hard could it be to find some dognappers? It turns out dognapping isn't the only crime going on in Trippton, and not that easy to solve. When the bodies start to pile up, Virgil realizes Trippton has "a little darker underbelly than he'd been prepared for." This is another great Sandford novel that you won't want to miss. Very highly recommended.

Dark Space - Jasper T. Scott

Dark Space is the first novel in the Dark Space series. This book is free for the kindle. This is a great shoot 'em up science fiction tale.

Dark Space is the last refuge of humanity. The war with the Sythians was a disaster. In less than a year the human race was almost annihilated. Dark Space is where what's left of humanity came to hide. The gate leading to Dark Space was deactivated. Dark Space was isolated from the rest of the universe.

Ethan Ortane is trying to lay low. Ethan and his co-pilot Alara Vastra owe money to the Dark Space crime boss Brondi, and Brondi takes it seriously. Ethan is a 5A rated pilot, but his path led him to be a smuggler, not a warrior. Ethan may get his chance to fly a Nova though. He may not have a choice. This is a great science fiction story. Evil aliens, military battles, beautiful women, and a dubious hero add spice to a fast moving story with plenty of surprises. Very highly recommended.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Cry Sanctuary - Moira Rogers

Cry Sanctuary is the first novel in the Red Rock Pass series. This book is free for the kindle.

Keith Winston is a dominant werewolf, and the right-hand man to his Alpha. When Keith is tasked with escorting some refugees into the Red Rock Pass sanctuary he's not aware that it will change his life.

Abigail Adler was a technical writer. Then a werewolf decided he wanted her, and a simple bite changed her life. Abby and a friend are trying to make it to the Red Rock Pass sanctuary where she can be something other than a sex slave for a werewolf pack.

Keith and Abby meet when he saves her life. That's just the beginning of their relationship. Abby will need more help from Keith. The question is can he provide what she needs?

This would be a great werewolf adventure story except for one thing. The author seems to think the book would be better as soft porn than as an adventure. Be prepared to skim a bunch of pages to get back to the real story. That said I still recommend this book.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Castle Cay - Lee Hanson

Castle Cay is the first novel in the Julie O'Hara Mystery Series. This book is free for the kindle.

Julie O'Hara is a body language expert. She can tell when someone is lying or telling the truth. When Julie's best friend Marc is found dead, and suicide is suspected, Julie won't believe it. Julie is going to prove Marc's death was murder or die trying. She might have some help with that if she's not careful. This is a good murder mystery with suspense, danger, and a great ending. Highly recommended.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Quinn Checks In - LH Thomson

Quinn Checks In is the first novel in the Liam Quinn Mystery series. This book is free for the kindle. It's just an art theft until the bodies start to pile up.

Liam Quinn is an ex-con and an ex-boxer trying to get by in Philly. Since Liam was sent up for art forgery, an insurance company has hired him as a claims investigator. Fine art is insured for big bucks. Liam's life is complicated because his Dad and one of his three brothers are cops. Being the ex-con in the family isn't easy. What looks like a simple art gallery robbery becomes complicated when some men seem intent on killing Liam. Then the mob gets involved. Pretty soon what looked simple is very complicated. This is a great mystery, with likable characters, humor, suspense, and plenty of danger. Very highly recommended.

Tucker's Way - David Johnson

Tucker's Way is the first novel in the Tucker series. It stands by itself as one of the best stories I've read this year. This book is free for the kindle.

Tucker has had a hard life. She's a true misanthrope. Tucker lives an isolated existence, except for the three grandchildren she's raising. Tucker was happy when her neighbor died three years ago, leaving the only house she can see from her property empty. When Tucker sees Ella moving boxes into the house, she regrets she didn't sneak over and burn the place down when she had the chance. But Tucker and Ella have something in common, a person to hate. Their budding friendship has fits and starts, but in the long run the bond is solid. This story will make you mad as hell, cry tears of sadness and joy, and should have you laughing out loud. My face was sore from smiling by the time I was done. Very highly recommended.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Sky Hunter - Chris Reher

Sky Hunter is the first novel in the Targon Tales series. This book is free for the kindle. This is science fiction like I like it.

Lieutenant Nova Whiteside is an Air Command Kite pilot. Nova's squadron is assigned to Bellac Tau to guard the new space elevator the Union is building and to fight the Shri-Lan rebels. The fighting is fierce and dirty. To make things a little tougher, Nova is fighting with the Union ground pounders too. As the only woman pilot on base she's become a target. Nova is not an easy target though. This tale is down and dirty with plenty of space ships, battles, aliens, intrigue, and a little romance. Everything you could want in science fiction story, and it's free! Very highly recommended.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

The Enemy We Know - Donna White Glaser

The Enemy We Know is the first novel in the Letty Whittaker 12 Step Mystery series. This book is free for the kindle.

Letty Whittaker is a psychotherapist. Letty is also an alcoholic. When Letty's attacked by a knife wielding client in her office, she's tempted to fall off the wagon. She hangs on, but Letty's life takes a turn for the strange at that point, and that wagon is getting harder to hang on to. Letty is being stalked. Is it the client, her boyfriend, her boss, or a fellow AA member? Letty can't figure it out, but as all her suspects start to die, at least the list is getting shorter. A murder mystery with a psycho twist. There are plenty of bodies, blood, and booze. There's also a good dose of humor. There's a little too much angst for me, but still highly recommended.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

The Eden Plague - David VanDyke

The Eden Plague is the first novel in the Plague Wars Series. This book is free for the kindle.

Elise Wallis was just another terminal cancer patient and then they found her. Daniel Markis was just a burned out special operator with PTSD and then they found him. What they didn't realize was that Elise and Daniel would ruin their plans. What if there was a virus that cured all diseases and also forced a conscience on everyone it infected? Could you use if for good or evil? Elise and Daniel are going to find out. This is a great story. Plenty of action and suspense, and a little romance. Very highly recommended.