Fatal Code - A Review

 

Fatal Code

by

Natalie Walters

A Review

The space race meets Los Alamos meets pseudocode in this modern faith-based thriller. Theoretical physicist, retired Iowa State professor, and grandfather of Elinor Mitchell has died - the book opens with his funeral. Unbeknownst to Elinor Mitchell, her grandfather has left behind the secrets to a decade old, unfinished, experiment from Los Alamos NM. Elinor had her own secret projects as well. And there were Russian, Chinese, and Industrial spies willing to kill for both.

Into the middle of this steps Kekoa Young, an Hawaiian cyber-expert working with SNAP, a defense contractor assigned to monitor the deepest secrets within the US and other Western governments. His current assignment is to build a relationship with Elinor to determine her commitment to the secrets she has access to - and the evidence suggests she is not as committed as she needs to be.

While most of the story takes place along the streets and areas around Washington DC, the story ends with a distant trip to Hawaii. It will be a difficult journey from the streets of the nation’s capital to the beaches of Hawaii - one that will threaten the lives of both Elinor and Keoka as well as their colleagues.

The book provided the suspense and thrills needed for a few Spring evenings. It deserves the five-star review I am giving it.

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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.

Dead Fall - A Review

 

Dead Fall

by

Nancy Mehl

A Review

I reached out to the only Person 

who could show me who I was truly meant to be. 

I found God. Without Him, 

I have no idea where I’d be right now. 

You see, positions, success, praise from people

— none of that lasts. 

If you judge yourself by human standards, 

you’ll fail. The only way to truly know yourself 

is to know the One who created you. 

Without Him, we’ll never find our way. 

No matter what happens, 

nothing will ever rob me of my identity again.

                                                                       -- Nancy Mehl

They were retired FBI Special Agents - and somebody killed them. Now the same UNSUB was trying to kill active FBI Agents. Somebody will have to stop the murders or the BAU will be gone.

It would not be easy and the active members of the BAU would find their lives in danger. Following the themes and practices known to fans of Criminal Minds, the story kept this reader awake as the members of the BAU follow the evidence to identify and apprehend the UNSUB.

The characters are real, with strengths and weaknesses they each have to use and overcome. The ending was a surprise (almost), but worth waiting for. I give the book five-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.

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.

You Can Run - A Review

 

You Can Run

by

Karen Cleveland

A Review

I loved it. I hated it. I suppose that means it was a good book. From the first page to the last sentence, the author provides a compelling story of espionage, revenge, and corruption. The reader will leave the story with a gasp - satisfied and feeling punched in the stomach at the same time. I give the book 5-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.  

Right Cross - A Review

 

Right Cross

by

Andrew Huff

A Review

Though it started slow, the book evolved into a nicely done faith-based thriller. Starting with a startling arrest in England, the setting moves quickly to Washington DC and its suburbs and on to Cheyenne Mountain, the former home, and now, of the alternate command center, of NORAD.

This is the third book in which John Cross finds himself fighting the terrorist organization going by the name of Forge. It was never clear what purpose and motivation drove Forge’s activity - but whatever it may be, they were set on destroying much of the US and its nuclear arsenal. John Cross and his team of allies (including a journalist, members of MI6 and the CIA, and members of the US Air Force) would need to fight hard to defend America as we know it.

At times the faith was a bit more of a distraction than I have found in many of the faith-based thrillers. The plot is riveting and full of the grit that many will expect in today’s suspense and thrillers titles. I give Right Cross 3-½ 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.

Never Miss - A Review

 

Never Miss

by

Melissa Koslin

A Review

“I would never tell anyone they should believe anything simply because I said so,”

he said. “People should study for themselves.
Read both theologians and atheists, read the history and the science,
and then make your own logical conclusions.”

The author has composed a fast-paced novel on bioterrorism unleashed upon the leaders of the American government and medicine. Two very different people, one a nerd with three doctorates and one a trained assassin, will need to track down a small group of insurgents who have hopes of destroying humanity in support of their ecological motive.

The book occasionally had me looking for added details in Google (always a good sign) and staying up late to finish the book (another good sign). I was amazed how often the characters twitched (13x), quirked (2x), or tweaked (5x), their mouths. At one point it became a distraction - as it might if I were to interact with someone with similar habits in the real world.

Though this faith-based novel did a nice job of explaining faith to a non-believer (part of which is quoted above), and explores the characters response over time to those details, the book is in no way overly religious. I easily give the book five-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.

The Paris Betrayal - A Review

 

The Paris Betrayal

by

James R. Hannibal

A Review

An intriguing espionage thriller that reaches from Rome, to Paris, to Washington DC, the story follows Ben Calix as he travels the world trying to save America from a bioweapon attached to the equivalent of a 60-kiloton nuke to assist with disbursement. The catch is that no one will believe him based on his slim evidence.

The author has written a book that he claims is intended to parallel the Old Testament book of Job. Though the parallel is less than perfect, the book is attention grabbing in its own right and kept this reader up more than one late-night before coming to the end.

I felt as if I was reading the plot for the latest Liam Neeson or James Bond thriller. Set in well-known and more obscure spots around the world, this reader gained some new knowledge of world geography. This alone made the book a worthwhile read. I give the 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.

The Wayward Spy - A Review

 

The Wayward Spy

by

Susan Quellette

A Review

Nicely done book by a new author.

Maggie Jenkns’, CIA Analyst, fiancee was stationed in Tbilisi Georgia, south of Russia and North of Turkey. He had died in the explosion in the restaurant that morning and now he was being accused of selling national secrets. Maggie made it her task to prove them wrong, whoever “them” was.

On a journey that will take the reader from the top of the US Capitol’s dome to the countryside of Tbilisi Georgia and back, Maggie is one step ahead of the CIA agents charged with discovering the truth behind Steve’s death.

The plot is well written and attention holding. And the conclusion leaves room for more story - as we the readers know the true story, but the protagonists are being charged with murder and espionage. And a major terrorist is still on the loose.

As this reviewer said earlier, “Nicely done book by a new author.” This reader will be looking for more to come.
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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 are mine alone.

The Price of Valor - A Review

 

The Price of Valor

Susan May Warren

A Review

The story gets interesting as Hamilton Jones arrives in a small town in Sicily. In the distance can be seen one of the world’s more active volcanoes, Mt. Etna. It had been quiet for the last couple of years - that day was not going to be one of them. In the midst of an erupting volcano, Hamilton (aka Ham) would need to find his wife and discover where she had been for the last 10 years. Her story was that she was deep undercover with the CIA - but was she working for or against the American government. The lives of Ham, his wife, their friends, and the newly elected President, would depend on the answer.

Susan May Warren has done a marvelous job of combining the thrills of a natural disaster, the excitement of working a CIA op, the dangers of protecting the President, and following the progress of two romances about to go south. Along with this, she has woven the wonderful love of Jesus as He impacts the lives of people’s lives.

The book could easily find a place on the shelf of the church library; I would like to see it on the public library shelf as well - though some public librarians would disagree. Any reader looking for an international thriller that moves from both rural and urban Minnesota to Sicily to Washington DC would find the book satisfying. Though no hint was given, more books with this set of characters would be welcome.
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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 opinion are mine alone.

Minutes To Die - A Review

Minutes To Die

 

by

Susan Sleeman

Four bombs, sixty minutes - or goodbye dam; goodbye Arizona.

And that is six chapters. Most of the rest of the book is just as intense as the FBI’s RED team had to track the terrorist that had entered then USA via a container through the Tacoma WA harbor. They also needed to track the killer of Kiley’s Confidential Informant in Washington DC, and those responsible for the kidnapping of three girls in Montgomery AL. And Kiley was responsible for her first assignment as the team lead.

The book was one this reader could not put down - Susan Sleeman has written a great faith-based thriller to follow-up her earlier Seconds to Live. Moving across the country with Kiley and her team with limited time to prevent the deaths of million of Americans makes for an intense nine hours of reading. 

I will be looking forward to the next book in the series - though only hinted at in the final moments of the current book. One can hope.  

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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.

State of Lies - A Review

State of Lies 

by

Siri Mitchell

Georgia Ann Brennan’s husband had died in a horrendous hit-and-run car wreck six months ago, now her father had been nominated for the position of Secretary of Defense by the President - he only had to be approved by the Senate. And then her world turned upside down.

This political thriller held this reader’s attention from page one to the very end. Though we meet no politicians in this 350+ page book, the events described have the potential of disrupting the very core of the American government. In the course of telling the story, we examine the nature of grief, the cost of integrity, and the result of honesty. Georgie, as she was known to her friends, would experience a very difficult ride as she interacted with the CIA, FBI, and other government agencies. Into the midst of this mess stepped a Russian spy network that had roots into the deepest parts of the US government. Georgia Ann, her son Sam, and Alice, the family dog, would have to dig themselves out of the hole in which they found themselves.

Though published by Thomas Nelson, “a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing”, I would have a difficult time calling this a faith-based book. There is nothing offensive within the story, but also little about faith. Would it appeal to Christian readers? Definitely, but because it is a well-written thriller with a story that, sadly, could be torn from the pages of today’s newspaper. For the same reason, it would appeal to any reader interested in finding a captivating thriller rooted in the world of 21st-century politics.
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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.

The Persian Gamble - A Review

The Persian Gamble

by

Joel Rosenberg

I have enjoyed the three books I have read, The Persian Gamble being the latest. Markus Ryker is again the star protagonist in this international thriller that moves between Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Washington DC, along with some minor players. The book is an immediate successor to Rosenberg’s previous novel, The Kremlin Conspiracy, which concludes with Marcus and two conspirators leaving a small private jet over Northeastern Russia with unopened parachutes. And that is where we find Marcus and the others as this newest book opens. The author uses the first third of the book enough of the previous history to help the current reader find his place in the current story.

The middle third of the book describes a gripping and intriguing novel of espionage, tracking from the various countries mentioned earlier. The last part of the book focus on the attempt to capture the nuclear weapons purchased secretly and being transported for installation into a set of fully capable missiles aimed at western capitals around the world. A movie based on this third part of the book would surely be rated R — not suitable for children under the age of 18 - because of the level of violence.

The author does a good job of weaving Marcus’ faith into the story — both as it relates to himself and how it relates to those around him. It is not a simple faith, but it is real (well, as real as it can be in a novel).

For fans of Tom Clancy and Nick Thacker, Joel Rosenberg’s The Persian Gamble will be satisfying. Church libraries may or may not want to add this book to their collection — depending on their willingness include the violence found in the last third of the book on their shelves. As a pastor, I would be bothered; but I know several readers who would be less bothered than I.
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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.

Hope Never Dies - A Review

Hope Never Dies

by

Andrew Shaffer

A Review

Barack Obama and Joe Biden may have retired from their most famous positions. However, if Andrew Shaffer’s story is to be believed, this famous pair remain active in the Washington DC area, not as politicians, but as private investigators.

Biden’s favorite Amtrak Conductor has died in a tragic accident. The police are content with calling it an accident; Biden is less convinced.

Obama and Biden’s investigation will take them from Amtrak stations to Wilmington, DE, to the somewhat hidden hangout of the Marauders outlaw bike gang. With the assistance of a Secret Service Agent assigned to protect Obama and an undercover DEA Agent, the team follows the clues to discover the truth.

Shaffer’s story is as inviting as it is exciting. The story has the feel of historical fiction, yet is written in the contemporary era — well-done.

Shaffer’s Obama says he is done with serving as a PI, but this reader hopes that Shaffer and Obama will change their minds — allowing Biden and Obama to again team up and work together to solve a crime that the police have ignored or have chosen to pursue the wrong suspect; together, Biden and Obama will choose to make justice right again.

For the characters, the plot, and the setting, it is easy to make this a 5-star review.

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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.  

Kill Shot - A Review

Kill Shot

by

Susan Sleeman

A Review

Ace said he was going to be killed, but his therapist, Dr. Olivia Dobbs, did not believe him. After all, PTSD had defined his fears over the last few years. She thought they had made real progress, but now he was back with the delusions again.

Except this time he was not delusional and before the first chapter was half over, he was dead.

The FBI’s Critical Incident Response team was called in to investigate – not because of who was killed, but because of how he was killed. And that was Top Secret and could not be shared outside their own unit.

Agent Rick Cannon, though not the team leader, was asked from the beginning to take charge the investigation. But from the moment he first crossed paths with Dr. Olivia Dobbs, he had to separate his personal reactions to her from his professional responsibilities – after all, she was the first person on the scene and was a likely suspect. That distinction would not come easy.

Both Olivia and Rick would have their faith challenged as they worked the case. Their families would find ways to interfere with their personal lives and hard decisions would have to be made in response to each of their families of origin.

The author has written an exciting, thrilling, story that would take the FBI unit and its home office, more than simple forensics to solve. The number of bodies would grow – including members of Congress and personal friends of the FBI team. Their team would travel from Washington DC to Atlanta, GA. And the 7 days would see non-stop action for those involved in the case.

Two comments. First, the book involved more romance than I would normally like to see in a book I would choose off the shelf. Relationships, healthy relationships, do not develop in seven days, though that is part of the thesis of this book. However, the book was a romantic thriller and those kinds of relationships are often found in the plots of these novels. Regardless, this reader was disappointed.

Second, if the author would choose to create a series of books using these characters, there would be time for a healthy, growing, relationship to be modeled. The Critical Incident Response team did not have a profiler on staff – Olivia could easily fill that position – as a consultant, if not a formal FBI agent. Perhaps this is planned, but it was not obvious to this reader.

Even with these two concerns, the book warrants 5-stars. The plot is intense, the characters are real, and settings are believable.

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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 are mine alone.

Beyond Justice - A Review

Beyond Justice

by

Cara Putman

A Review

Cara Putman has created a captivating legal thriller based on the many issues present in the immigration discussion - particularly the immigration of children - legal and illegal.

A trained lawyer, I found Ms. Putman’s description of the law understandable and believable. Her use of legal references allows the reader to delve deeper into the legal issues discussed in the book. The law is not merely described but is used to build an engaging story in which Hayden McCarthy, is handed an unwinnable case. The client has recently legally immigrated to the US with her younger child. When she discovers that her older son has been caught crossing into the US illegally and has been murdered while in custody, she approaches Elliot and Johnson, the law firm for whom Hayden works, to discover the truth and ensure justice follows. The ensuing hornets’ nest endangers the life of the client, her child, Hayden McCarthy, and her friends. Set Washington DC and its environs, as well cross country to Waco, TX, the story takes us on a bumpy ride that will easily hold the reader’s attention.

My only disappointment is that it appears the author is attempting to build a series of book..s around the “justice” theme, but not around the characters introduced in this book. This implies that each book in the series will stand alone, rather than continue to build upon characters with whom we have already become familiar.

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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.

Skydive - A Review

Skydive

by

Susan O’Brien

A Review

Not quite your normal cozy mystery.  Not even your normal murder mystery. Yet a book worth reading.

Kat (aka Katherine) has disappeared - almost as soon as she grew out of the foster care system, she was lost. Lost to everyone - her jailed mother, her foster parents, her friends, and to the PI “hired” to make she was okay. And, why was she lost, because she was not okay. Caught in the hands of human traffickers and nearly missing the deadline to avail herself of the help available to those leaving foster care, Kat needed help, and she did not yet know just how much help she needed.

It was up to Nicki Valentine, her colleague, Kenna, her boyfriend, Dean, the local police, and various associates and friends made along the way to find Kat before it was too late. The story of how they do so is gripping and tense. So gripping and tense I almost decided to give the book a rather poor review - with its various dark and creepy sittings (including the tattoo shop, a strip club, the basement drug hole, and the sleazy hotels they spent time visiting) and the people they had to deal with (prostitutes and drug dealers). Two things changed my mind. In the midst of this dark story there were glimpses of grace in the lives of the main characters as they found opportunities to pray and put faith into action. Though not a Christian book, faith is still present as the reader moves through the book. The second mind changer was the commitment of the author to responding to the issue of human trafficking - not just in her writing but in her life’s personal commitments as well. Her commitment to the abused was helpful in understanding the darkness that surrounded this story.

Does this book belong in the Church library - probably not; but it certainly would be worth reading by any believer or other person who has a concern for the abused and misused children in our world and in America. Though sexuality is certainly a part of the story, it is not explicit and will most likely not be offensive to most readers. Though fictional, the story opened my eyes to the underside of American culture - a side I wish did not exist.

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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.

Treason - A Review

Treason

by

Newt Gingrich

and

Pete Earley

A Review

Some books I look forward to reading. Others I figure I will give a try, but do not expect much. And there are some that I choose to review, but really expected to be disappointed. This was one of those. I was wrong.

The second book of a series coming from these authors, the book stood relatively well as a stand alone novel. The few parts dependent on the earlier book were written into the text not leaving the author in the dust.

Beginning with an attempted (actually two attempts) assassination of the US President, Major Brook Grant is drawn into a treasonous attempt to take down the American government. The evidence mounts up in the hallways of Congress, in the Washington DC metropolitan area, and in the dry heat of the Middle East. Neither the protagonists or their families are safe from the deadly plans of the Falcon, the moniker of terrorist associated with the Islamic State.

The book if a political lesson in how different Americans view the Islamic threats seen around the world. Characters in the book represent several of the view expressed in the daily news - some totally committed to keeping Islam and its terrorist leanings from American soil, some committed to the freedom of speech that allows this same terrorism to co-exist in the American culture, and others who understand that freedom mean letting those we disagree with live in peace within the same space we occupy. Answers are not provided, but the book does provide a door to communication.

Surprisingly, though the book is not an openly Christian book, I would think it could easily be found on the book lists of some major Christian publishers. Faith plays a positive role in the lives of characters as they develop throughout the story. Thus, the Christian reader may find themselves satisfied with the story as it continues to develop in the next book of the series - drawing in the political power of a deadly North Korean government.

My only disappointment in the book was the occasional writing style which at times seemed more like a seventh grader’s writing using short, staccato like sentences. The author moved in and out of this mode and did not leave this reader feeling too disappointed, though this writing style showed itself two or three times early in the book.

For the reader looking for a political thriller, a terroristic drama, or good solid summer read, TREASON may just be what the doctor ordered.

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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.