Lights Out - A Review

 

Lights Out

by

Natalie Waters

A Review

The President is traveling to Egypt, terrorists are on the lose throughout America, and private defense contractor SNAP is stymied in it search for those out to destroy the country before the President walks into his own assassination.

Brynn Taylor, CIA Analyst, finds herself unexpectedly assigned to work with SNAP. She would prefer to work the case in Egypt, but Director Frank Peterson has made his decision - now she will need to work alongside her ex-boyfriend or not work the case at all. The story will take the reader from Washington DC to Houston to California to Guam to Egypt. This well-written faith-based thriller will keep the reader’s attention from beginning to end.

Only two concerns prevent me from giving this a five-star review. First is that though promoted as a faith-based book, it is only moderately so. This might make it more saleable to a secular book market, but not as appealing to a Christian audience. Secondly, the conclusion of the book seemed to sneak up on this reader - it was stumbled on rather than discovered through the usual deductive techniques one would expect in an international thriller. I am giving this book four-stars.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Chasing the White Lion - A Review

Chasing the White Lion

by 

James R. Hannibal

Adam Taylor and his crew of ex-crooks, along with a CIA agent or two, have taken over for TNT’s Leverage. They are using a series of cons to take down an international gang of criminals as well as those at the very top of the chain. To do so, they would need to travel from Russia to Washinton DC to the Czech Republic to Thailand to Greece.

In the process of taking down the gang, they would save several groups of children targeted for trafficking around the world. And Talia would learn the meaning of trust - both in her colleagues and in God. It would be a hard lesson to learn.

The author has done a good job of weaving the role faith can play into the lives of ordinary (or are they extraordinary) individuals. Though faith plays a role in the plot, this reader had no feeling that it overran the main storyline, but fit nicely into kt. The book represents the best of faith-based suspense thrillers

Suitable for personal, public, and church libraries. It is not difficult to give this book a five-star rating.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

Killer Thriller - A Review

Killer Thriller

by

Lee Goldberg

A Review

I was introduced to Lee Goldberg’s writing through his collection of books featuring the mentally ill, but superb, detective, Adrian Monk. This book is not Monk. It is grittier, more explicit, and more action-packed.

Ian Ludlow is a fiction writer whose imagination is clever enough that it parallels reality — parallels so close that governments, in this case, the Chinese, are out to stop the leaks that are revealing their secret plans to take over the United States government.

The action moves from Los Angeles to Hong Kong to France. Ian has no idea that the plot of his latest (and yet unpublished) novel reveal plans that are already in motion to control the American Presidency. Ian, his CIA sidekick, Margo, and the fictional star of Ian’s books, Slacker, to save both the President and the American government.

The book held this reader’s attention from beginning to end – whether in LA, Hong Kong, or Paris. It required numerous dips into Wikipedia to check maps, historical references, and miscellaneous facts — a sign of a fun book for this reader.

My only concern was the extra grittiness and explicit speech and behavior recorded by the author. Because of this added touch, I am awarding the book 4-1/2 stars rather than the five I might expect to give a book of this caliber. The average reader, if not offended by the explicit and gritty text, will enjoy this book. It should be a welcome addition to the local libraries' bookshelf.

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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.