Monday, December 25, 2017

Call Me! -‎ John Locke

Call Me! is the first novel in the Dani Ripper series.
Dani Ripper is not her real name. Dani was kidnapped as a girl and managed to escape from her captor. Later she changed her name to avoid the publicity of being the little girl who got away. Now Dani is a private investigator leading a complicated life. A life that gets a lot more complicated. Very highly recommended.

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Promise You Won't Tell? - John Locke

Promise You Won't Tell? is the second book in the Dani Ripper series. This book is free for kindle.
Dani Ripper is a private detective. Dani is a little tired of the background checks and infidelity investigations. Then a young woman comes to Dani's office, and Dani gets the kind of case she dreams of. Dani's on the hunt for sex offenders, something she knows a lot about. Keep in mind that things are not always what they seem. This is a tale with twists and turns from start to finish. Very highly recommended. It's good enough I've read it twice.

The Forever Girl - Rebecca Hamilton

The Forever Girl is the first novel in the Forever Girl series.
Sophia Parsons is a 22 year-old waitress. Sophia is also a Wiccan. What Sophia doesn't know is that she's an actual witch. But Sophia will find out, and it will change her life. Very highly recommended.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

The Indian in the Cupboard - Lynne Reid Banks

The Indian in the Cupboard is the first novel in the Indiana in the Cupboard series. This is a book suitable for third graders and up. Up includes adults.
Omri and Patrick had been friends forever. Well at least since they started school. For Omri's ninth birthday Patrick got him a plastic Indian. Omri was disappointed, but little did he know how significant that present would be. The best present though was the old medicine cupboard his brother Gillon had scavaged from the alley. When Omri's Mom noticed there was a keyhole she let Omri look through her box of old keys to see if one would fit. One did. A very special key. And that's when the adventure began.

This is a great story. In spite of nine-year-old behavior, Omri manages to handle the responsibility thrust upon him well. The story has a bittersweet but happy ending. Very highly recommended.

Friday, December 15, 2017

Killing the Rising Sun - Bill O'Reilly,‎ Martin Dugard

Killing the Rising Sun is one of the books in Bill O'Reilly's Killing Series.
The defeat of the Japanese in the second world war was the first and only use of nuclear weapons in an armed conflict. We should all hope it stays that way. This book covers the steps leading up to dropping the bomb, and what takes place afterward. It is a riveting book from the first page to the last. Very highly recommended.

Thin Line - L.T. Ryan

Thin Line is the third novel in the Jack Noble series.
In a job like Jack's there's a thin line between being a good guy and a bad guy. It's getting harder for Jack to find that line as his current assignment becomes a convoluted mess. Very highly recommended.

Thursday, December 7, 2017

A Deadly Distance - L.T. Ryan

A Deadly Distance is the second novel in the Jack Noble series. I'm sorry I waited four and a half years to get to the second one.
Jack Noble works for the shadowy SIS. This time Jack gets tangled in a dangerous plot and the man in charge seems to be able to see through the SIS shadows. Jack is in more danger than ever. Very highly recommended.

Sunday, December 3, 2017

Dead Stop - Barbara Nickless

Dead Stop is the second novel in the Sydney Rose Parnell series. This book is available through kindleunlimited.
Sydney is called in when a train hits a woman. There isn't much left, but Sydney has seen more than her fair share of bodies. The woman is suspected of being a suicide, but that's not the case. She is just the fourth death in her family, and definitely no suicide. None of them were. Another victim is still hanging on to life and the youngest, an eight-year-old girl, is missing. Sydney and Clyde have their work cut out for them. Very highly recommended.

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Blood on the Tracks - Barbara Nickless

Blood on the Tracks is the first novel in the Sydney Rose Parnell Series. This book is available through kindleunlimited.
When Sydney Rose Parnell came back from the war she brought a lot of ghosts with her. She also brought her partner, a combat-trained Belgian Malinois named Clyde. Sydney took a job as a railroad cop. It was a family thing. Being a railroad cop isn't as simple as it sounds. Especially when skinheads are involved. Now Sydney is creating more ghosts while trying to save lives. Very highly recommended.

Friday, November 24, 2017

Eye of the Storme - W. L. Ripley

Eye of the Storme is the third novel in the Wyatt Storme Thriller series.
Very highly recommended.

Quantum Predation - Isaac Hooke

Quantum Predation is the fourth novel in the Argonauts series. This book is available through kindleunlimited.
Highly recommended.

Friday, November 17, 2017

The Midnight Line - Lee Child

The Midnight Line is the 22nd Jack Reacher Novel. Read them all. I have.
Reacher runs across an old West Point class ring in a pawn shop. By the time he tracks down the owner he's started a ball rolling that will pull in everyone from local law enforcement, to the DEA, to the Pentagon. Reacher never fails to go all the way. Very highly recommended.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Beast Master - Shayne Silvers

Beast Master is the fifth novel in the Temple Chronicles series This book is available through kindleunlimited.
Nate Temple and his band of mixed monsters would seem to be at peace. Unfortunately, a wizard shows up and spoils the peace. Now Nate and company must fight to free the beasts controlled by an evil person who uses them for sport, blood sport.

I'm done. Silvers suffers from the same malady that hits lots of good authors. They keep trying to top themselves with more and more complexity. I read for enjoyment, not as a challenge to my organizational skills. If you like the Temple Chronicle series this is a must-read. It's likely my last read from Silvers.

Sunday, November 12, 2017

Killers in the Family - Robert L. Snow

Killers in the Family is sub-titled Inside a Real Family of Criminals Bound by Blood. It's a true story of a family that defies understanding.
The Reese family was no good and everyone in the neighborhood knew it. Even the police knew it, but being no good isn't a crime. Unfortunately, thirteen-year-old Dawn Marie Stuard didn't know it. Dawn disappeared on March 16, 1986, and no one was brought to justice until 2011. Dawn's family knew who was responsible. The police knew who was responsible. But the wheels of justice turned very slow for Dawn. Thanks to a dedicated detective, who never forgot Dawn, justice was finally served. This book is a bit tedious at times. The court proceedings were hard to get through. The final result is rewarding though. Recommended.

Miramont's Ghost - Elizabeth Hall

Miramont's Ghost is mostly fiction with some real-life settings to make it even more tedious. This book is available through kindleunlimited.
I read the whole thing. I should have stopped when it turned into a historical non-fiction reminiscent of Les Misérables, but without any real historical significance. It was even set in France at first. Unfortunately, I kept reading in hopes of a happy ending. No such luck. Don't bother.

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Hero in a Halfling - William Tyler Davis

Hero in a Halfling is the first novel in the Epik Fantasy series. This book is available through kindleunlimited.
Epik is a hafling. He is obsessed with magic. Epik finally decides to take his furry feet and leave the Bog in search of his obsession. Epik heads to the city-state of Dune All-En. Unfortunately for Epik, the king banished magic the day before he arrived. He still manages to find some magic and lots of other interesting things. Not to mention helping to save the kingdom. Highly recommended.

Monday, October 23, 2017

Deep Freeze - John Sandford

Deep Freeze is the tenth novel in the Virgil Flowers series. They're all excellent.
Virgil is on vacation when his boss calls. It sounds like there's more trouble in Trippton Minnesota. Virgil has already put a whole bunch of Trippton residents in prison. (Read the novel Deadline.) Now there are two things going on in Trippton that require Virgil's attention. A woman's body showed up in the frozen river, and someone is making obscene Barbie dolls. Virgil gets all the good cases. Very highly recommended.

The Lost City of Z - David Grann

The Lost City of Z proves that non-fiction can be just as exciting as fiction.
Percy Fawcett is a legend among explorers. This book explains his obsession with finding a lost civilization in the Amazon jungle. Very highly recommended.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Silver Tongue - Shayne Silvers

Silver Tongue is the fourth novel in the Temple Chronicles series. This book is available through kindleunlimited.
More magic and mahem from Nate Temple. This time defeating the Grimms is the goal. The problem is who will be lost in the fight for that goal. Very highly recommended.

Unchained - Shayne Silvers

Unchained is the first novel in the Feathers and Fire series. This book is available through kindleunlimited.
Callie Penrose is a Kansas City native. She's your normal girl next door wizard in training. Her mentor is a Vatican Shepherd named Roland. Roland is injured in a fight with a mutant werewolf, so Callie is tasked with the simple job of bidding on a religious artifact. Of course, the item is a piece of the spear that pierced the Savior's side on the cross. There's nothing simple about it. Callie runs into Nate Temple at the auction. He's bidding against her. When the auction is disrupted by a fight between Nate and a werebear, a Nephilim is killed, and some vampires and a demon get into a fight over the artifact, Callie is in a little over her head. It just gets more interesting from there. Very highly recommended. Too bad the next book in the series isn't written yet!

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Rendezvous - Jerry Aubin

Rendezvous is the fourth novel in the Ship Series. This book is available through kindleunlimited.
If you were ever nervous about how AI could affect our world, you probably don't want to read this book. If you do it will give you a bad case of the heebie geebies.

Zax is out of cryostorage, and back on flight training. Twelve years have changed much about the ship, and Zax is having a lot of adjustments to make. Zax was woken up because the ship is almost to earth and they want all available combat pilots awake and ready for a fight. Ship has encountered the other humans numerous times and if they're setting a trap at earth the ship wants to be ready.

Ship always seems to be run behind the scenes by the main AI. Zax's friend Mase tells him he's been able to hack into some real old logs and uncovered secrets about the AI. Zax reluctantly listens and the truth of the AI is stunning. It changes everything Zax and Mase thought they knew about the ship's history. This is a great book, with another dang cliffhanger. Only this time the next book isn't even written yet! Highly recommended.

Monday, October 2, 2017

Armageddon Cometh - J.K. Accinni

Armageddon Cometh is the third novel in the Species Intervention #6609 Series.
Abby, Scotty, and Jose are almost completely changed now. Hiding their new bodies is becoming harder. When Netty and Baby contact Abby about the coming disaster, the group mobilizes to save as many creatures as they can.

I have begun to get annoyed at the authors theme that humans are a destructive force and a problem to be solved. I'm so tired of authors deciding that current politics and the lies of the left are important to incorporate into their narratives. I still enjoy this book, but I'm not going to bother reading any more in the series. Somewhat recommended.

Saturday, September 30, 2017

Echo - J.K. Accinni

Echo is the second novel in the Species Intervention #6609 Series.
This is 100 years in the future and aliens are still trying to "fix" humans and the earth. Baby's offspring is finally awake and working on the mission. It's about to get interesting. Highly recommended.

Monday, September 25, 2017

Baby: An Alien Apocalyptic Saga - J.K. Accinni

Baby: An Alien Apocalyptic Saga is the first novel in the Species Intervention #6609 Series.
Baby expected to die. Instead Baby changed lives and learned just how evil humans can be. This is a seriously disturbing tale set in the early 1900s. The difference from most prohibition era stories is an alien trying to make things better. Very highly recommended.

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Storme Front - W.L. Ripley

Storme Front is the second novel in the Wyatt Storme Thriller series.
Wyatt Storme and Chick Easton are a force to be reckoned with. In this adventure, while they're trying to keep a friend from getting into trouble, they uncover enough guns, money, and old secrets to keep things busy for some time. The bodies are starting to pile up from the start and they don't stop. The question is, even if Wyatt comes out of this one alive, will his life ever be the same. Very highly recommended.

Alien Empress - Isaac Hooke

Alien Empress is the third book in the Argonauts series. This book is available through kindleunlimited.
Rade and his Argonauts go the the aid of their Green Phant employer when the Green's homeworld is attacked. This is an adventure with plenty of action and danger as always. Space opera at it's best. Very highly recommended.

Happily Ever After - John Klima

Happily Ever After is a collection of fairy tales, but not the fairy tales of your youth.
John Klima edits and writes for this collection of rewritten fairy tales for adults. There are 34 tales in all. Some are quite dark. Many are rewritten for modern times. Some were not to my taste, but all were interesting. I believe The Troll Bridge was my favorite. Highly recommended.

Friday, August 25, 2017

Hearing Voices - Axel Cruise

Hearing Voices is the first novel in the Isaac Blaze series. I look forward to many more. This book is available through kindleunlimited.
Isaac Blaze is the world's most wanted fugitive, but he always has companionship. The two voices in his head keep him company, give him advice, and provide a daily dose of snark. One voice is male with an English accent. The other is female with playful southern accent. And no they don't have names. To quote Isaac, "What? No, that would just be weird."

When Isaac lets himself be caught there's a good reason. Of course lots of people died, but Isaac wasn't one of them. This is a great character with lots of quirks and mad skills. Very highly recommended.

You Are Prey - Isaac Hooke

You Are Prey is the second novel in the Argonauts series. This book is available through kindleunlimited.
Now that Rade's team includes the good green phant Surus their goal is to find and destroy all the bad phants they can. Rade and his team pursue a black phant to what looks like a dead planet. Unfortunately it's not as dead as they thought, and the black phant is not an easy target. The hunters become the prey. Plenty of action and close calls. Very highly recommended.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Bug Hunt - Isaac Hooke

Bug Hunt is the first novel in the Argonauts series. This book is available through kindleunlimited.
Great book with lots of adventure and plenty of aliens. Very highly recommended.

Hook, Line and Blinker - Jana DeLeon

Hook, Line and Blinker is the tenth book in the Miss Fortune Mystery series. One of my grandkids ordered this by mistake while "borrowing" my tablet. Turns out I read the first book in this series years ago, so I was familiar with the characters.
Fortune is doing her best to keep Ida Belle safe. If she has to deal with the mob to do it she will. This adventure has lots of fun and plenty of bodies to deal with. Very highly recommended.

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Homeward - Jerry Aubin

Homeward is the third novel in the Ship Series. This book is available through kindleunlimited.
Now that the civilians are in charge some things have changed. The ship is now headed back to visit colonies that were planted over the last 5,000 years. But the problem of the unknown humans who have been harassing the ship still exists. It's coming to a head, and Dax is going to be the focus. Very highly recommended.

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Caesar's Last Breath - Sam Kean

Caesar's Last Breath is subtitled Decoding the Secrets of the Air Around Us. It's an interesting and informative non-fiction, almost.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It has interesting stories to go with the interesting facts. My only problem was when the author, who clearly swallowed the Kool-Aid, starts to get preachy about how man is destroying the environment. My advice is stick to the first eight chapters and stop before that happens. Highly recommended anyway.

Power of the Fire Dragon - Tracey West

Power of the Fire Dragon is the fourth book in the Dragon Masters series. I got them out of order, but it didn't cause a problem.
While the other dragon masters are visiting queen Rose's kingdom, Drake and Rori stay behind. Rori's fire dragon Vulcan almost accidentally burned up King Roland. Since Vulcan was too dangerous and Worm can't fly, they were left behind. Then a four headed dragon attacks the castle while being controlled by the evil wizard Maldred. What will Drake and Rori do?

The Dragon Masters series are Scholastic Children's books. I read this story because my BBBS little brother is reading the series. If you read on a kindle, I recommend a tablet with color. The book is well illustrated. Highly recommended.

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Song of the Poison Dragon - Tracey West

Song of the Poison Dragon is book five in the Dragon Masters series.
There is a new dragon master named Petra. Here dragon has four heads and spits poison from all of them. When Petra's dragon accidentally poisons the king the dragon masters have to find a cure. Sometimes the cure is right there with the poison.

The Dragon Masters series are Scholastic Children's books. I read this story because my BBBS little brother is reading the series. If you read on a kindle, I recommend a tablet with color. The book is well illustrated. Highly recommended.

Revolution - Jerry Aubin

Revolution is the second novel in the Ship series. This book is available through kindleunlimited.
It's been a year now, and Zax and Kalare are on two completely separate career tracks. Kalare is in the pilot training academy. Zax is just another crew member working in the bowels of waste management.

Then the civilians revolt. Largely because of the video Zax released. Now Zax may have a chance to get his career back on track, but first he has to save the ship and survive the revolution. Very highly recommended.

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Secret of the Water Dragon - Tracey West

Secret of the Water Dragon is the third book in the Dragon Masters series.
Drake and the other dragon masters are worried when they discover someone has been trying to steal the Dragon Stone. They are even more shocked to find out who it is. The Dark Wizard is behind this crime. It's up to the dragon masters and Wizard Griffith to get to the bottom of this.

The Dragon Masters series are Scholastic Children's books. I read this story because my BBBS little brother is reading the series. If you read on a kindle, I recommend a tablet with color. The book is well illustrated. Highly recommended.

Friday, July 21, 2017

Landfall - Jerry Aubin

Landfall is the first novel in the Ship Series. This book is available through kindleunlimited.
Zax is not the typical Zeta cadet. He's very high on the leaderboard, and in no danger of being culled. Living on the Ship, a ship designed to preserve the human race, could be daunting. But it's just life for Zax. That is until he discovers something that changes everything he thought he knew. Something that could get Zax killed. Very highly recommended.

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Saving the Sun Dragon - Tracey West

Saving the Sun Dragon is the second book in the Dragon Masters series.
Drake and the other three dragon masters were exercising their dragons outside when Kepri the sun dragon began to fall from the sky. Vulcan the fire dragon was able to catch her and gently lower her to the ground. A sick dragon was not what the group needed. All the dragon masters and the wizard Griffith worked furiously to find a cure. The dragon who held the key to curing Kepri was not who they expected.

The Dragon Masters series are Scholastic Children's books. I read this story because my BBBS little brother is reading the series. If you read on a kindle, I recommend a tablet with color. The book is well illustrated. Highly recommended.

Thriller: Stories To Keep You Up All Night - James Patterson (editor)

Thriller: Stories To Keep You Up All Night is the first anthology of thrillers put out by International Thriller Writer Inc. Thankfully it wasn't the last.
This is a long collection with 32 writers and 30 individual short stories. There wasn't a stinker in the bunch. For more details see the Amazon link. Very highly recommended.

Friday, July 7, 2017

Rise of the Earth Dragon - Tracey West

Rise of the Earth Dragon is the first book in the Dragon Masters series.
Drake is an eight-year old peasant working in an onion field when the king's men come for him. He's been chosen to be a dragon master. Drake has been picked to master an earth dragon. This could be the start of a great adventure.

The Dragon Masters series are Scholastic Children's books. I read this story because my BBBS little brother is reading the series. If you read on a kindle, I recommend a tablet with color. The book is well illustrated. Highly recommended.

Thursday, July 6, 2017

The Elders - Dima Zales

The Elders is the fourth novel in the Mind Dimensions series.
Darren has reached level 2. The trouble is he can't do it on purpose. In order to beat the super pusher he's going to have to manage it. Eugene thinks he has a machine to help. The problem is this could rob Darren of his powers forever. It may be the only way to stop a war between the readers and the guides, not to mention save Mira's life. Another great story. Very highly recommended.

Friday, June 30, 2017

MatchUp - Lee Child (editor)

MatchUp is a special anthology that pairs off thriller writers and their characters. This time it's one woman with one man.
This collection has eleven stories by some of the best thriller authors. It's a follow-up to FaceOff, but each pair of authors is a woman and a man. Each story has an introduction that explains how the authors collaborated. If you're looking for some new authors to follow, or just want some stories from your old favorites, this is an excellent anthology to explore. The link on amazon has more details. Very highly recommended.

Friday, June 23, 2017

FaceOff - David Baldacci (editor)

FaceOff is a unique anthology that pairs off thriller writers and their characters.
This is a great book with eleven separate short stories by the premier authors in the thriller genre. Each short story has an introduction that talks about the authors and how they collaborated. If you're looking for some new authors to follow, or just want some stories from your old favorites, this is an excellent book to explore. The link on amazon has more details. Very highly recommended.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

The Enlightened - Dima Zales

The Enlightened is book three in the Mind Dimensions series.
Now that Darren has most of what he can do figured out, it's time for more. Darren knew he had more "depth" than most readers and guides, but he didn't know all the implications of that depth. It's time for some enlightenment. That and trying to find who murdered his biological parents. Priorities! Another great novel. Very highly recommended.

The Thought Pushers - Dima Zales

The Thought Pushers is the second novel in the Mind Dimensions series.
Now that Darren has discovered he's both a reader and a pusher, he has some exploring to do. What does it mean? Fortunately Darren knows a pusher, or as they prefer to be called a guide. Of course their name for readers is more insulting than pusher. The guides call them leachers. Darren has a lot of learning to do, and he's still fighting for his life from a rogue pusher. Very highly recommended.

Monday, June 12, 2017

The Time Stopper - Dima Zales

The Time Stopper is a prequel to the Mind Dimensions series. Think of it as book zero.
Mira Tsiolkovsky is 18 going on 40. Mira and her brother Eugene are orphans. Mira was watching when her parents were blown up by a car bomb. Now Mira's out for revenge. She'll stop at nothing to get it. Mira's quest to find the man who caused her parent's murder is dangerous and deadly. It's a good thing Mira is too. Very highly recommended.

Saturday, June 10, 2017

The Thought Readers - Dima Zales

The Thought Readers is the first novel in the Mind Dimensions series.
Darren Wang Goldberg is a genius. At least people think he is. Darren being able to stop time has a lot to do with it. He calls it "the quiet." While time is stopped Darren can poke around in other people's stuff and they never realize it. Like their cards in a poker game. Then at a one poker game, when Darren stops time, he finds someone else in "the quiet" with him. And she's beautiful. Darren has a lot to learn. This is a great story. Very highly recommended.

Friday, June 9, 2017

Possess - J.A. Howell

Possess is the first novel in the Possess Saga series. This book is free for the kindle.
Harley Martin has escaped from a bad situation. Things seem to be going Harley's way, but then her new apartment isn't what she thought it would be. Harley's bad situation may have just gotten worse. This a good ghost story, with a little more erotica than it needs. Still highly recommended.

Friday, June 2, 2017

League of Dragons - Naomi Novik

League of Dragons is the ninth novel in the Temeraire series.
Temeraire and Captain Laurence are still working to defeat Napoleon, even though they're his prisoners. Napoleon has tried to lure all the dragons in the world to his side with promises that he can't keep. It's up to Temeraire to convince them of his lies. Can they finally defeat Napoleon or will he finally be victorious. Very highly recommended.