Monday, December 26, 2011

A Dozen Deadly Roses - Bennett, Kathy

A Dozen Deadly Roses is another 99 cent bargain. This is a great mystery written from a veteran cop's perspective.



Officer Jade Donovan is a five year veteran with the LA police department. When this novel gets started, she finds her self assigned as the training office to a rookie named Mac Stryker. The same Mac Stryker who used to be her training officer when she was a rookie. The fact that he resigned in disgrace back then makes their working together awkward at best, and neither is happy with the assignment. A fact that the police LT who made the assignment, is well aware of. The fact that someone is stalking Jade, and she can't trust anyone in or out of the department, adds to the tension in this fast paced thriller. I would have preferred that the issue of the father of Jade's son didn't drag out so long, but I really enjoyed the book and I'll look for more from Bennett. Highly recommended.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward - Lovecraft, H.P.

This story is from The Essential H.P. Lovecraft Collection. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward is about a young man who delved too far into his ancestor's past and paid a frightful price.



Charles Ward was an inquisitive young man. In his research of his family and home town of Providence RI, he found allusions to an infamous ancestor Joseph Curwen. This ancestor's traces had been systematically erased from the public record. Charles should have left well enough alone. Lots of twists in a story written in 1927. Highly recommended.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Desert Waits - Black, J. Carson

The Desert Waits is a 99 cent book that's worth much more than I paid. This is a good murder mystery with some interesting twists.



Alex gets a message from her old friend Caroline to come to the desert because she's needed. When Alex gets there she finds her friend in a strange mood and threatened by a stalker. Then Caroline is killed and the mystery deepens. This story has some great descriptions of the desert and the animals who inhabit it, in addition to plenty of murders and bad guys. Highly recommended.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

The Litigators - Grisham, John

The Litigators is the story of a young lawyer who decides the rat race of a big law firm is not what he wants, after an awe inspiring panic attack and drinking binge. When his head clears he finds he's landed at a small boutique law firm. Boutique being a euphamism for ambulance chasers.



David Zinc is doing drudge work, that pays an amazing amount, at a very prestigious law firm. One morning he find himself panicked at the thought of going back to work. His ensuing flight finds him at the law firm of Finley & Figg, two ambulance chasers who are barely scraping by and looking for the big case that will make them rich. Finley & Figg think they have their big case with a drug that may cause heart attacks or strokes. It turns out they've taken on more than they can handle. Another great Grisham novel. Very highly recommended.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

A Killing Tide - Alderman, P.J.

A Killing Tide is a murder mystery with a romantic twist. At $2.99 this book is a real bargain.



Kaz Jorgensen came back to the town of Astoria, on the Columbia river, because she got a call that her brother needed her help. Their family fishing business isn't the only thing having problems. When one of their boats burns and a body is found on board, the new fire chief takes an interest in Kaz. That interest starts as suspicion and changes to something else. There's plenty of action and intrigue. I good mystery to keep you reading past bedtime. Highly recommended.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Death By Sarcasm - Amore, Dani

Death By Sarcasm works on many levels. It's a great detective story, it's got more one-liners than Henny Youngman, and it has a protagonist who does more shooting than Dirty Harry. It's another 99 cent winner.



Mary Cooper is a P.I. stranded in a family of comedians. She couldn't give a straight answer with a gun to her head, and she proves that more than once in this book. When her uncle is murdered behind a comedy club Mary's determined to track down the killer. The question is, will she find the killer before the killer finds her? Very highly recommended.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Wish List - Locke, John Locke

Wish List is a Donovan Creed Novel. Creed gets a call for help from an old friend's brother. Creed comes to the rescue, but sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.



Buddy Pancake and his drinking buddies found a site on the web where they could make four wishes. They discovered you should be careful what you wish for. Creed comes to the rescue in is typical amoral train wreck style. Very highly recommended.

The Call of Cthulhu - Lovecraft, H.P.

This story is from The Essential H.P. Lovecraft Collection. The Call of Cthulhu is about a young man who's come to understand that ignorance is bliss. What he's learned has him scared for his life and his sanity.



Professor George Angell died suddenly from a fall, and his great nephew, Francis Thurston, begins to think it was not an accident. While going through his great uncle's papers Thurston is fascinated by, and begins to investigate, an evil looking statue that was inspired by a dream. What Thurston eventually uncovers is something he wishes he'd never brought to light. Reading Lovecraft after dark can be hazardous to peaceful slumber. Highly recommended.

Monday, December 5, 2011

A Wild Light - Liu, Marjorie M.

A Wild Light is the third Hunter Kiss novel. It's been a while since I've become entangled in a Hunter Kiss book. Too long. I recommend reading them in order. And don't miss the short stories that crop up in anthologies and other works.



Maxine wakes up from her birthday party covered in blood, and laying next to her grandfather's dead body. This novel starts out at a fast run and never slows down. Fighting zombies and demons is bread and butter to Maxine and her boys, and they have plenty of fighting to do in this book. The veil is open and somebody's going to have to close it or humanity will pay in rivers of blood. Very highly recommended.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Dark That Day, After All - McIntyre, Jason

Dark That Day, After All is a short story taken from the anthology Black Light of Day. It was free. That's something I find very appealing in any kindle fare.



Two old men sit on a bench where they can get a good view of the first solar eclipse in decades. Where have their paths crossed before? How will they cross today? This is a chilling little tale to whet your appetite for more. I believe I'll try the anthology. Highly recommended.

Friday, December 2, 2011

At the Mountains of Madness - Lovecraft, H. P.

This novel is from The Essential H.P. Lovecraft Collection. This collection contains 20 of Lovecraft's works and I intend to review them separately. They're all out of copyright and are available free somewhere. I first read many of these in high school, decades ago. I got this 99 cent collection to make it simpler to reread some books that kept me awake long after I finished reading, listening for something to go bump in the night.



This story has been credited with the inspiration for the movie The Thing. The narrator is the leader of a scientific expedition to the antarctic. The scientists who survived discovered things that were so horrific they didn't report them initially. Now a second expedition is being formed, and in order to avoid a terrible catastrophe the narrator is describing the expedition's findings in more chilling detail. The language is out of date, but the story is timeless. Highly recommended.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

The Summoning - Armstrong, Kelley

The Summoning is the first book in the Darkest Powers series. I really like Kelley Armstrong's books and this is no exception. This is young adult fiction and would be appropriate for my grandkids, and probably yours.



Chloe is 15 years old, and a freshman in high school. Suddenly she starts to see dead people. When she panics while in school she's sent to Lyle House, a group home for troubled teens. But is it a home for troubled teens or something more sinister? Is Chloe troubled or does she have special abilities that someone wants to harness? This story has a definite cliff hanger. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Very highly recommended.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Chasing the Night - Johansen, Iris

Chasing the Night is an Eve Duncan novel. For those who've never read a book in this thread, Eve Duncan is a gifted forensic sculpture. She can take an old skull and put a face on it like nobody else. Her skills are put to the test in this story. You don't have to read Eve Duncan books in order but they're all good.



Eve is surprised to find a woman in her house. A woman who wants Eve's help to find her missing son. By the time this puzzle reaches it's conclusion there will be kidnapping, death, and mass destruction. The question is, can Eve and her friends keep that destruction from spreading to multiple American cities. There's a definite cliff hanger here, but the this story does conclude. Now I have to read the next one. Very highly recommended.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Emmett & Gentry - Locke, John

Emmett & Gentry is the third novel in the Emmett Love western series. You need to read these books in order, but it's definitely worth it. This series contains some examples of 99 cent wild west good reading.



Emmett has escaped the army railroad gang and heads back to Dodge to find Gentry. He's got to get rid of his leg irons, fend off civil war widows looking for a new man, and find his Gentry. It's not going to be easy, but with some help from Rose he should manage. Very highly recommended.

Friday, November 18, 2011

The Mill River Recluse - Chan, Darcie

The Mill River Recluse is the most enjoyable story I've read this year, and I've read plenty. This book is truly a 99 cent marvel.



The Mill River Recluse is a story about Mary McAllister. Mary suffered a horrific event as a young girl. That event influenced Mary's entire life. While she became reclusive, she never lost her humanity or her capacity for love. The way Mary's life affected the lives of everyone in the town of Mill River Vermont makes an amazing story. Anger, anxiety, joy, and profound sadness are just some of the emotions Chan's novel evoked. This tale brought tears to my eyes from happiness and grief. An amazing book. Very highly recommended.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The Player of Games - Banks, Iain M.

The Player of Games is a book that takes place in the distant future when mankind has spread out to fill the galaxy with what's known as The Culture. If you like science fiction you should love Banks vision of it.



Jernau Gurgeh is the arguably The Culture's greatest game player. The alien empire of Azad is ruled by the winner of a game called Azad. Will Gurgeh give up his decadent life in The Culture to play the game of Azad? With a little nudge he might, and the result could be an adventure he'd never imagine. Very highly recommended.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Victory of Eagles - Novik, Naomi

Victory of Eagles is a Temeraire novel. Temeraire is a dragon in Her Majesty's Service, in an alternate history where dragons are just another weapon in the arsenal of most large nations. This is book five in the series. They should be read in order to be appreciated.



Temeraire and Captain Laurence have been convicted of treason and separated. Captain Laurence is imprisoned on a ship and Temeraire is exiled to the breeding grounds. When Napoleon manages to cross the channel and threatens London, Temeraire and her captain are freed to help in the fight to save England. This is another story, set in a pre-industrial age, when the world is threatened by war and dragons can be the difference between defeat and victory. Another hard to put down tale. Highly recommended.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Succubus Dreams - Mead, Richelle

Succubus Dreams is the third Georgina Kincaid book. Georgina is doing her best to be good when her job is to be bad. She is a succubus after all.



Every time Georgina feeds on the energy of another person she dreams it away that night. It's a problem she can't figure out. To make things more interesting a new succubus is in town and Georgina is the designated succubus mentor. Throw in a bunch of angels on a secret mission, boyfriend problems, and Christmas just around the corner. Something is going to have to give. Very highly recommended.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Three Ways to Die - Goldberg, Lee

Three Ways to Die is a trio of stories about dying. This book makes me think I have to read more stories by Goldberg. These are great.



Jack Webb's Star is about a man who goes to great lengths to please a woman. It's not enough and somebody dies.

Bumsickle is a little murder mystery that takes some infidelity to solve.

Remaindered is about missing the one little thing that eventually catches up to you.

These are all clever and compelling stories. I'll be looking for more books by Goldberg. This collection is very highly recommended.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

To Kill A Warlock - Mallory, H.P.

To Kill A Warlock is the first book in the Dulcie O'Neil Series. Dulcie is a fairy working for the A.N.C (Association for Netherworld Creatures) as a Regulator. Dulcie is kind of a Netherworld cop, but when this story starts she's a seven foot tall monster who resembles a gigantic booger. A warlock has hexed her good. Another 99 cent winner.



Dulcie is the best regulator working out of the Splendor California office. She'd rather be a novelist, and she's working on it, but crime doesn't stop just because she wants to be writing. When the warlock who hexed her turns up dead, and a particularly gruesome dead, she's on the case and a suspect at the same time. This book just gets more interesting as it goes along. It's a good relatively light-hearted romp with demons, vampires, gremlins, hobgoblins, elves, and even a loki. It continually entertains. Highly recommended.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Blind Pursuit - Prescott, Michael

Blind Pursuit is about a serial killer who wants to be cured. So he kidnaps a therapist to cure him. It's not quite that simple. Another 99 cent bargain for the kindle.



Erin Reilly is a psychologist. She's kidnapped and help captive somewhere in a basement. Her captor wants to be cured of his compulsion to kill women. To burn them to death. Erin's twin Annie is the only one who really believes her sister is missing. Can she convince someone to help or will she have to find Erin on her own? There are many interesting twists and turns in this novel. You never quite catch your breath. The ending is great. Very highly recommended.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Just Run - Culver, Chris

Just Run is a novel about two people running for their lives. Both are running from people who want to kill them, but one is running toward revenge. This is another 99 cent bargain.



Renee Carter is a math professor. Her life is shattered when a colleague is murdered on campus and her laptop is stolen. Trent Schaefer is a detective with the Ohio State Police. He's called in to investigate the campus murder, and is responsible for Renee because she's a witness. Then people start trying to kill them, they're blamed for a murder, and they have to run for their lives. This is a real page turner. There are some places where better editing would have been a plus, but the twists and turns keep you guessing. I never saw the ending coming. Highly recommended.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

The Catastrophe Scroll - Massie, Gordon & LaFleur, James & Dalglish, Rich

The Catastrophe Scroll is the last book in The Crisis Trilogy. I read this book only because I'd already purchased it before I read the second book, The Chaos Pendulum, and because I had to see what kind of ending this psychedelic trilogy would produce.



Now Caesar's ex-wife Annie becomes the scroll. Then she loses her mind. Caesar now is going back and forth in time instead of realms, and the world is being slowly destroyed by Annie. This stuff is starting to read like Revelations in the New Testament. You almost need a translator. And since I hope nobody else has to read this I'll spoil the ending. Both Caesar and Annie die but the world is saved. The ending is just as bad as the rest of the book. No editor should have let this be published. I can't believe I read it. Highly NOT recommended.

The Chaos Pendulum - Massie, Gordon & LaFleur, James & Dalglish, Rich

The Chaos Pendulum is book two in The Crisis Trilogy. I hate to say it but the writing is deteriorating.



In book one, The Crisis Artifact, Caesar finds the artifact and then becomes the artifact. This book crosses the line from coherent wild possibility into some pretty absurd wild imagination. Caesar is flashing back and forth between realms and the world appears to be coming to an end. There are three authors and it's like they send in their parts and don't communicate. Sorry but I can't recommend this one. If this is the kind of stuff that 711 Press is going to be putting out it should be 911 Press.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

The Crisis Artifact - Massie, Gordon & LaFleur, James & Dalglish, Rich

The Crisis Artifact is the first book in the Crisis Trilogy. The books in this trilogy are more like novellas in length, but a lot of story's packed into them.



Caesar Guevara was an archeologist. Then he was seriously injured and his daughter killed in an accident while on a dig in the jungles of Peru. Now he's a derelict living in east LA, but that's about to change. Caesar is about to find what he's spent years looking for, or it's about to find him. Not the best flow or dialog, but the story is good and keeps you turning pages. Recommended.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

WIRED - Richards, Douglas E.

WIRED is a novel about bioengineering taken to the extreme. What if humans could use 100% of their brains? This kindle book is only 79 cents. An amazing bargain.



David Desh is an ex-special forces warrior pulled in by his old CO to capture the most deadly terrorist threat to the world. That threat is Kira Miller, a brilliant scientist and complete psychopath. Or is she? What exactly is the mission and who is the villain? Can David figure this mystery out in time to stop the end of the human race as we know it? Very highly recommended.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The Power of Six - Lore, Pittacus

The Power of Six is the second book in the Lorien Legacies series. Things are really starting to heat up for the the Loriens in this novel.

Just a warning. This kindle book is formatted with special features for the kindle app in the Apple market. That means it doesn't look quite right on the standard kindle. A fact that I'm very disappointed about. That is not reflected in my review recommendation though. It is something I hope Amazon will correct and then re-release the book for the standard kindle hardware.



Number 4, Number 6, Sam, and BK all manged to get out of Paradise alive. Staying that way is getting difficult. In a separate thread Number 7 surfaces in Spain and she has a whole different set of problems to deal with. The Magadorians are building up forces to defeat the Loriens who've banded together. More action and adventure than the first book in the series. Very highly recommended.

Monday, October 17, 2011

The Abbey - Culver, Chris

The Abbey is a murder mystery that takes place in good old Indiana. Indianapolis and the suburbs to be exact. This is another fine example of a 99 cent kindle book that's as good or better than novels costing 10 times more.



Ash Rashid is a detective sergeant in the Indianapolis police department. He's married with a four year old daughter and he's Muslim. When his niece is murdered, even though it's not his case, he takes an active interest. Ash soon gets entangled in a criminal conspiracy that puts him at odds with the bad guys and the police. There are dead bodies piling up, and if Ash isn't careful he and his family could add to the list. Very highly recommended.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Dark at the End - Wilson, F. Paul

The Dark at the End is the final book in the Repairman Jack series. But it's not the final book where Jack plays an important part.



This book follows the others in the series like one continuous novel. The difference is this is the last in the series and I would have thought it would be a conclusion. Nope. Nightworld, the last book in The Adversary Cycle series, will be the conclusion to the Repairman Jack series as well.

Nightworld is not available on the kindle, and even a paperback will cost you almost $60 new. I guess I'm not finishing this series :) I highly recommend The Dark at the End, even though you'll still be hungry when you're done.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Spell Bound - Armstrong, Kelley

Spell Bound is the 12th book in the Women of the Otherworld series. It's nice to be able to follow a series with lots of characters who can switch from a main role to the supporting cast. This is a great series.



Savannah offered a desperate bargain and someone appears to have taken her up on it. Her powers have vanished. She's not dealing with being a normal mortal well. There is a lot going on in this story and the ending is good, but it's not a conclusion, it's just a beginning. Very highly recommended.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Now & Then - Locke, John

Now & Then is a Donovan Creed Novel. Locke has yet to disappoint me. He always provides something to surprise and please.



This time Creed finds himself in seaside resort and discovers a mystery he wants to stick around and solve. While solving it he has to deal with assassins and squirrels and some interesting town's people. The wrinkle is this story takes place in the present and 300 years in the past. Very highly recommended.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Nightwolf - Samuel, David

Nightwolf is a werewolf story with a twist, and it's a good twist. I'm looking forward to a sequel.



Danny Correll is a special kid. He's had a hard life. He never knew his Dad, and when he's nine his Mom dies and he's taken in by his uncle's family. This is a positive turning point in his life. Danny grows up to be a strong independent young man. On a hunting trip in Canada he has another turning point. I'll leave it to you to decide if it's for the better. The writing is a little stilted in places, and the ending seems to beg for a sequel, but I really enjoyed this book. Very highly recommended.

Bike Snob - BikeSnobNYC

Bike Snob: Systematically and Mercilessly Realigning the World of Cycling was written by the blogger BikeSnobNYC. Stick to blogging. Shorter is better for this kind of writing.



I enjoyed this book in dribs and drabs. If you were to read the parts as short essays or blog entries they would be more enjoyable. Trying to read this as a book was like eating your ice cream too fast. You get a blinding headache. Keeping that in mind, I recommend this book to people who consider themselves cyclists. Anyone else will scratch their head and use the book to prop up a table.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Fatal Error - Wilson, F. Paul

Fatal Error is the next to last novel in the Repairman Jack series. You have to have read the previous novels or you will be totally lost. They're well worth reading. Repairman Jack is one of my favorite characters and series.



Jack has several irons in the fire. He's trying his best to keep up with the plots the Otherness has going and keep everyone safe, especially Gia and Vicky. Dawn has her baby and it's a surprise, and the lady is fading fast. Of course since this is the next to last book in the series there's a cliff hanger. Very highly recommended.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Full Dark, No Stars - King, Stephen

Full Dark, No Stars is a collection of four novellas. If you're a King fan this is a must read. Be prepared because the thing about King is you can never count on a happy ending.



1922 is the story of Wilfred James. A man haunted by one singular act of violence and the ripples it caused in his world. This story seemed to drag at times, but was worth the read. I try not to dream of rats.

Big Driver is about revenge. About how a horrific event can change a person and their ideas of what's right and what's wrong. This one kept the pages turning late one night.

Fair Extension is about revenge, but a more subtle revenge than Big Driver. Streeter has let the sin of envy eat at him for years. The devil can do some amazing things with a little sin.

The best of the bunch is A Good Marriage. What would you do if you found out something about your spouse that changed your whole world? Find out what Darcy did.

A great collection of King. Very highly recommended.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

The Guilty - Samuel, David L.

The Guilty is a novella about friends and couples and how it can all go wrong. It can really go wrong.



Steve, Eddie, and Slug have been friends since high school. Every year they go on a fall hunting trip to get away from civilization and women, and get back to their glory days. What happens when Steve and Eddie bring their girl friends along makes for a suspenseful, fast paced, and gory weekend of terror. This book could have used some better editing but the story keeps you turning pages. Recommended.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Succubus On Top - Mead, Richelle

Succubus On Top is a Georgina Kincaid novel. Georgina is the succubus with a heart of gold, or something like that. She always seems to work above her pay grade. Yes they have pay grades in hell.



Georgina is still attempting a relationship with Seth, a mortal man. It's touch and go, if you'll pardon the pun. Her old friend Bastien is in town. He's an incubus and enlists Georgina's aid in the corruption of a religious right radio hostess. Georgina is also trying to figure out what's going on with her friend Doug and his band. She's a busy succubus and it makes for a great story. Highly recommended.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Enough Said

I admit I borrowed this image and made my own changes. Books build your brain. Reality TV turns your brain into mush.

Quick Fixes - Wilson, F. Paul

Quick Fixes is a series of tales about Repairman Jack. If you've never read a Repairman Jack story you're in for a treat. Check out the whole Repairman Jack Series.



Repairman Jack is a true libertarian. He has no SSN or any other records. He exists in the cracks in the system and makes his living "fixing" things for people when the law is not an option. And Jack is very good at his work. Individual stories in this collection have been published in earlier anthologies, and some are excerpts from longer books. They're all worth a second read, in case you're not a Repairman Jack virgin. Very highly recommended.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Spellsinger - Foster, Alan Dean

Spellsinger is book one in a series of eight books. I'd like to know how the battle against the evil plated ones turns out, but not that bad.



Jonathan Thomas Meriweather is a college student working part-time as a sanitation engineer. He's pulled into another dimension by a wizard who's in search of a real engineer. Jon-Tom doesn't manifest where expected so the first being he encounters is a talking otter. The otter takes him to the wizard who is a turtle. Eventually Jon-Tom becomes a spellsinger, which explains the title of the book, and the series. It's an interesting book, with some interesting characters, but wordy and long and I can't believe there are seven more books before the evil that Jon-Tom was transported to help fight is vanquished. And while the first book was $3, which is a reasonable price for a kindle book, the second and subsequent books are $8 each. Forget it. Not worth the price.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Second Son - Child, Lee

Second Son is a short novel in the Jack Reacher series that gives us a look at Reacher as a 13 year old who's family just transferred to Okinawa.



Reacher is already figuring the angles and solving problems as a young teenager. He has himself, his brother and even his father to take care of. Short but very highly recommended.

Jack: Secret Histories - Wilson, F. Paul

Jack: Secret Histories is a prequel to the Repairman Jack series. It provides a glimpse of a 14 year old Jack and how he started his repair business.



Jack, Weezy, and Eddie find an interesting artifact and a dead body in the pine barrens. The artifact and the body lead them into some interesting and dangerous adventures. There's an old women and her dog in this story too. Sound familiar? Very highly recommended.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Florida Roadkill - Dorsey, Tim

Florida Roadkill is a train wreck of a novel. You try to stop watching but you just can't turn away. I almost stopped reading this book twice, but I managed to hang in there to the end. I'm actually glad I did.



If you didn't have ADHD before you started reading this book, you'll be infected by the time you're done. The book starts out like a unrelated series of short stories about the crazies in Florida. It takes a long time, but the author eventually braids the separate threads into a coherent conclusion, almost. There's still the five million bucks and the anti-hero, Serge Storms, to account for. There's enough violence to populate several Peckinpah movies, and it's the creative kind. It won't take you long to understand why 'roadkill' is in the title. In spite of my initial shock and awe I liked the end result. Highly recommended.

Friday, September 9, 2011

We All Fall Down - Wood, Simon

We All Fall Down is a high-tech thriller. Do you know what your company is doing with your work?



Hayden Duke is an engineer doing contract work for multiple companies. When Marin Design Engineering employees start committing suicide Hayden is there to witness it. The body count continues to grow and so does the suspense. Not the best book I've ever read but a good story. Recommended.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Mile 81 - King, Stephen

Mile 81 is not a full length novel. It's only 80 pages in print. Amazon calls it a kindle single. That doesn't mean it's not packed with all the real life grit and horror you've come to expect from Stephen King.



There's an abandoned rest stop at mile 81 on the interstate. The local teens hang out there doing the things teens do. Something else is hanging out there now, and it's something you'd do well to avoid. My advices is to read this one in bright sunshine way before bedtime. Very highly recommended.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Succubus Blues - Mead, Richelle

Succubus Blues is about Georgina Kincaid, a succubus. She's not your ordinary garden variety succubus. Georgina is a reluctant succubus.



Georgina is tired of seducing men and stealing their souls. She's been slacking off and only picking men with little or no soul left to collect. Her demon boss is not happy. Georgina wants to be in love, but that can only end badly. She's dazzled by the author of her favorite books and infatuated with a linguist, but both relationships seem doomed to failure. Then someone starts killing the local Seattle immortals and Georgina decides to figure out what's going on. Could this make her a target for the mystery killer? You bet.

This is a new twist on the supernatural genre for me. I really enjoyed this book. Very highly recommended.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Don't Poke the Bear! - Locke, John

Don't Poke the Bear! is an Emmett Love Western. Locke makes westerns that are real and gritty, and never fail to make me laugh. A good combination.



Emmett and Gentry have settled down in Dodge City and are respectable saloon owners now. Emmett manages to get saddled with a dancing bear and things get a little crazy. Then Shrug and Rose show up and a little turns to a lot. Add the civil war breaking out and you have a volatile mix. My only complaint is this one ends screaming sequel. I'm just going to have to wait for that next book. Very highly recommended.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

World War Z - Brooks, Max

World War Z is based on a series of interviews that cover the history of the Zombie War.



The zombie war was truly a world war. It covered every continent except Antarctica, and all the islands and bodies of water that were warm enough for zombies to be mobile. This book contains interviews with heroes, villains, and some who are hard to place in either category. It covers the war from its beginnings in China, to the declared victory in the USA, and beyond. Just remember that every spring, somewhere, some Z's start to thaw out. Never let your guard down.

By the time you're done reading this book you can almost remember the war. Very highly recommended.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Saving Rachel - Locke, John

Saving Rachel is a Donovan Creed Novel. Creed has a unique way of looking at life. Come to think of it, he has a unique way of looking at death.



Who is Rachel? This book is written from an interesting perspective. First we see events unfold from the viewpoint of Rachel's husband. Then later the perspective changes to that of Donovan Creed. The transition from confused to lucid is quite a shift. As always when Creed is involved, action, danger, death, and humor combine to make an excellent tale. Very highly recommended.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Wicked Day - Bunn, Christopher

The Wicked Day is the third and final book in the Tormay Trilogy. If you read the first two books and liked them, you'll like this one too. This story is a good ending to the series.



This final book reveals most of the mysteries the first two books presented. The action is fierce, the suspense is intense, and humor is still a thread that ties the story together. This is a very good trilogy. Very highly recommended.