Tag: thriller

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#BookReview: Drenna Steel Series by John Sneeden

Review Of Retribution, Originally Written February 11, 2021:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
With Remorse. This is a book that has a lot of similarities to Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse (soon to be in bastardized form on your screens), but a lot of key differences. As with the Clancy text, here we get to see a bit of a retired super spy/ assassin falling in love… before we see that ripped away in brutal fashion, with the spy surviving what the bad guys think has killed them. And as with the Clancy text, the rest of the tale is essentially the spy doing whatever it takes to send their lover’s killer(s) straight to Hell – Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200. The key differences here are that while the Clancy text was more of a coda to an already existing character, this one is intentionally set up as Book 1 of a potential new series, and thus there are some of the standard-ish “book 1” mechanics of working to set up a universe, allowing a few plot threads to dangle, setting up an overarching mythos that can be strung out or wrapped up as the author (and, likely, sales) demand, etc. And arguably the real difference here is the lack of utter brutality in this text. Here, Steel is quite capable, and often underestimated – and we see her use her skills in situations that many might deem “less realistic”, but which are plausible enough to work within the story. Still extremely hard hitting and with a decent body count of bad guys genre readers expect, just nowhere near the outright savage brutality of the Clancy. But fans of Clancy, either long time or new ones picked up from the upcoming movie, will do themselves a great service in reading this book. Very much recommended.

Review of Collateral Damage, Originally Written September 30, 2022:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Explosive Spy / Revenge Thriller. When we catch up with our heroine of the series in this book, she is hiding and hurting – but still righting wrongs where she sees them, in badass and brutally effective fashion. And shortly thereafter, she gets roped into yet another mission that turns out to not be as it seems, which leads to even more action which tends to also be brutally effective at times. Yet again Sneeden does an excellent job of providing a seemingly shortish (no official page count as I type this review, but it *felt* like it was in the sub-300 page area) bit of pure escapism, this time highlighting various areas of Europe in the process. Perfect for fans of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher or J.M. LeDuc’s Sinclair O’Malley, or (sadly now late) Matthew Mather’s Delta Devlin. Very much recommended.

Review of Dark Reckoning, Originally Written October 11, 2024:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Explosive From Start To Finish. This is one of those books that starts out as a somewhat classic spy caper – someone is trying to flee from their home country with hyper sensitive material (and knowledge) and is doing the whole “take two steps. stop. turn right and go 3 steps. stop.” thing trying to avoid detection and give the authorities the slip.

But then it takes about 1/3 of the book to get back to that… because we’re now involved in *another* spy thriller such that both will come together – and get even more explosive when they do – but now we need to get back to our series heroine, Ms. Drenna Steel, and find out what she is doing and how she is going to get involved with the first scene.

No matter where we are in the tale, the bad guys are always a shadow away and it is up to Ms. Steel and her allies to keep the good guys safe and handle the bad guys… well, in the manner in which bad guys get handled in such tales. 😉

But then that ending. Wow. On several different levels. Yet again, Sneeden manages to make you want the next book… how about right freaking NOW?!?!?!?!

Very much recommended.

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#BookReview: Dark Reckoning by John Sneeden

Explosive From Start To Finish. This is one of those books that starts out as a somewhat classic spy caper – someone is trying to flee from their home country with hyper sensitive material (and knowledge) and is doing the whole “take two steps. stop. turn right and go 3 steps. stop.” thing trying to avoid detection and give the authorities the slip.

But then it takes about 1/3 of the book to get back to that… because we’re now involved in *another* spy thriller such that both will come together – and get even more explosive when they do – but now we need to get back to our series heroine, Ms. Drenna Steel, and find out what she is doing and how she is going to get involved with the first scene.

No matter where we are in the tale, the bad guys are always a shadow away and it is up to Ms. Steel and her allies to keep the good guys safe and handle the bad guys… well, in the manner in which bad guys get handled in such tales. 😉

But then that ending. Wow. On several different levels. Yet again, Sneeden manages to make you want the next book… how about right freaking NOW?!?!?!?!

Very much recommended.

This review of Dark Reckoning by John Sneeden was originally written on October 11, 2024.

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#BookReview: Arkangel by James Rollins

Solid Sigma Tale. Unlike a certain reviewer who claimed that this was a standalone book, I’m going to tell you right now that you need to read at *least* books 14-17 (ish) before coming into this one in order to fully understand and appreciate it. But once you’ve read those other books, you’re going to want this one anyway… and you *will* appreciate likely the very same things I liked about this book – namely, certain elements of its ending. Which is all I’ll say without going into spoiler territory.

Beyond those ending elements, this is a standard-ish globe trotting Sigma Force action/ thriller, emphasis on the action. And yes, it is about as plausible as the Fast and Furious franchise at this point, but you don’t come into these kinds of tales wanting or expecting the ultra-realism of say Andy Weir’s The Martian. You come into these types of books *wanting* to see the motorcycle vs attack helicopter fights, the desperate and last second escapes from traps of various forms, the ultra close quarters action where blades get left stuck between arm bones… and, yes, with now *two* very well trained war dogs, Tucker and Kane and Marco’s scenes damn near steal the show every time they come up, ala the “motorcycle ride with the raptors” from the first Jurassic World movie that Universal’s Islands of Adventures’ Velocicoaster captures so well with its initial launch. Because *that* is the kind of adrenaline rush you want in a rollercoaster and in a tale like this, and by God James Fucking Rollins is going to give you that in *spades*.

Some people like Hallmarkie romance books. Others like This Is Us level dusty-rooms-every-other-scene dramas. Others like more pure scifi ala the aforementioned Weir or the more scifi based Rollins type action of Jeremy Robinson. Some like their fiction to be ghost chili level damn near erotica spicy, others don’t like reading the word “fuck” at all in anything whatsoever. There are all kinds of books for all kinds of readers, in other words, and if you like the type of book that Rollins continues to write, well, you’re gonna like this one too.

Very much recommended.

This review of Arkangel by James Rollins was originally written on October 1, 2024.

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#BookReview: Heroic Measures by Joel Shulkin

So You’re Investigating A Dead Body – That Moves. What Do You Do? And thus, the critical hook here. Shulkin combines his own military experience generally with his general medical knowledge as a working MD and spins a tale he openly admits (in the Author’s Note) was designed to pay homage to some of the great comic book tales of old – and it absolutely works. The Nick Fury level spy story, the Purple Man horror of not being in complete control of your own body, in addition to the far more obvious Captain America and Hulk aspects here. Indeed, Shulkin takes nearly the entirety of the Marvel *comic* stories – where *oh so much* of the villains’ actions revolved around some version of trying to recreate the Super Soldier program that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America – and manages to use that as inspiration for a plausible-enough real-world tale of how those things could actually play out.

Thus, for those looking for a fun action read with balls to the wall “total nonstop” action… this is going to be a ride you’re going to love. For those needing a palate/ mind cleanse from the seriousness of whatever drama/ suspense/ thriller had your brain in a twist or from the latest bubblegum pop saccharine sweet romance (with perhaps some ghost pepper spice, if that is your thing)… this is going to give you exactly that. A fun few hours of engaging your brain just enough to follow along with all the twists here – and shutting it down enough to simply enjoy the ride. (At nearly 400 pages, this is on the longer side for many readers, though perhaps fantasy readers will enjoy the “speed read”, since their books generally double that length. 😉 )

Overall a fun read that does everything Shulkin set out to do and likely then some, this is absolutely one to check out almost no matter your normal preferences.

Very much recommended.

This review of Heroic Measures by Joel Shulkin was originally written on September 18, 2024.

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#BookReview: Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman

Pulse Pounding Nail Biting Thriller With Some Powerful Dusty Rooms. Wait. An author known for *airplane* tales is writing a book that takes place 99% *on the ground*? Yes. And she does a damn fine job of it to boot.

As someone who has actually worked in the nuclear waste disposal area (at the Savannah River Site, where I sat yards away from tanks containing tens of thousands of gallons of nuclear waste and worked on putting the information-and-control spreadsheet (yes, spreadsheet) online), having a *touch* of knowledge of the field only made it that much more terrifying… because I knew exactly what some of the devices Newman speaks of were. (Specifically, the dosimeter badges. Never had to wear one myself, despite going into certain areas a time or two, but remember the training all too well – the “Kiss Your Ass Goodbye” badge in particular.)

Even without having worked a touch in an adjacent area of the tale though, this is one of those disaster tales that starts off in the middle of the action… and never really slows down. After the introduction where we see the plane going down, from there the tale takes place entirely ground-based, but with a strong countdown clock that is actually calculated within the tale and is used to great effect, going down to the final moments.

Perhaps Newman’s greatest strength in this particular tale though is in *not* making any “superheroes” but instead showing everyday people in every day situations (yes, including nuclear power generation and nuclear waste management) doing their best with what is in front of them and trying to avert catastrophes big and small. Newman even manages to “humanize” her (fictional) President of the United States in ways not often done well, yet here is.

And about those dusty rooms… man, the hits just keep hitting. There are *several* points here where if your eyes don’t get misty, I question whether they *ever* do. Newman sprinkles these moments throughout the book, but in a couple of scenes are particularly strong indeed – nearly to the point of needing an audio version of the text to get through them.

Overall truly an excellent and fast read – despite being 300+ pages, you’re not going to want to put it down.

Very much recommended.

This review of Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman was originally written on September 13, 2024.

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#BlogTour: My Sister’s Boyfriend by Nicola Marsh

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a dark, creepy yet non-supernatural sequel perfect for the fall/ Halloween mood. For this blog tour, we’re looking at My Sister’s Boyfriend by Nicola Marsh.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (BookHype.com / TheStoryGraph.com / BookBub.com / Goodreads.com):

Dark. Creepy. Maybe Read My Sister’s Husband First. This is one of those dark, creepy books where *most* of the worst stuff (though not all) is “off screen”, so even though there are mentions of animal abuse, rape, sexual assault, and more, for the most part we never “see” any of this happening – and more often than not, it is merely mentioned, rather than “showing” anything at all about the abuse at hand. (Though there are points where *slightly* more is shown, to be clear – it is simply that the actual abuse is never shown.)

So for those who can handle seeing such primarily “off screen” abuse in a twisty thriller all about family relationships… this one is done quite well, but truly works *best* if its predecessor, My Sister’s Husband, is fresh in your mind. (Vs my having read 869 books between them – seriously.) The events pick up after the events of the first book, with most of the relationships between the characters already well established from that book. (But with enough recap that it is possible to follow along here, there’s just a lot to learn.) Told from just three perspectives (rather than each character’s or a single narrator’s), we get a good sense of what is going on in these complex and complicated relationships, along with a lot of backstory for our new character for this book.

Still, for those looking for dark and creepy yet not necessarily supernatural reads as we go into this fall/ Halloween season, both of these books are quite good for exactly that kind of mood.

Very much recommended.

After the jump, the “publisher details” – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: My Sister’s Boyfriend by Nicola Marsh”

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#BlogTour: The Summer Reunion by Leah Mercer

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a book where *everyone* has secrets… and even the secrets have secrets. For this blog tour, we’re looking at The Summer Reunion by Leah Mercer.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (BookHype.com / TheStoryGraph.com / BookBub.com/ Goodreads.com):

Their Secrets Have Secrets. Easily a great line in The Avengers (the Marvel version, you Imperialists) is when Tony Stark is speaking of Nick Fury and says “his secrets have secrets” – which is absolutely true, both in The Avengers and this book. If you enjoy semi-slow burn (to start) almost disaster movie type suspense, where everything starts off a touch slow and normal ish before completely fucking unravelling… this is exactly the kind of book you’re going to enjoy.

The other great thing about this, to me, was how well Mercer used the setting she created to create an atypical emergency situation. Without giving anything away, let’s just say that it put an interesting spin on a couple of fairly worn concepts and made everything seem newer and much more intriguing in the process.

Ultimately one of those books you’re going to be reading deep into the night, because “one more chapter” will never be enough.

Very much recommended.

After the jump, the “publisher details” – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: The Summer Reunion by Leah Mercer”

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#BookReview: A World Of Hurt by Mindy Mejia

Fast Paced Action Thriller Featuring Atypical Hero – Yet Set During “Real”-World Collapse. Straight up: This would have *easily* been a 5* book for me had it been set in literally any period of human history *other than* 2020 – 2022… unfortunately, where it as actually set. Kara is awesome as a non-straight (it is never made clear in *this* text exactly what her sexuality is, though it may have been clarified in the preceding book, To Catch A Storm, which I read 20 months and 300+ books ago) badass with a certain condition that Mejia works with well to show its uses and detriments. Max is excellent as the more by-the-book cop just trying to do his best to do his job and get back to his wife and son, particularly during the period the book is set in. Together (and separately), they’re going to find themselves in some pretty cool to watch action sequences that would get most of us real dead, real fast in real life. But ultimately, that is exactly what you’re coming into a book like this for – escapist action of a near cinematic quality, and other than the time period this is set in (which, to Mejia’s both benefit and detriment, she *does* show all too realistically and all too well), this book *is* that very action first with solid backstory and drama kind of tale that is generally so pleasing to read.

So for those of you who can withstand a book set entirely within the COVID lockdown period… this is one of the best books I’ve seen written telling a story within that period. But for those of us who – for whatever reason – *don’t* want to read a story set in that period… unfortunately you’re going to miss out on a truly fun, kick ass book unless you can overcome that particular mental objection.

Very much recommended.

This review of A World Of Hurt by Mindy Mejia was originally written on August 19, 2024.

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#BlogTour: When The Sky Falls *AND* When The Dawn Breaks by B.R. Spangler

For this blog tour we’re doing something I don’t think we’ve ever done in the history of this blog – we’re looking at *two* books at once! For this blog tour, we’re looking at the Dark Skies Apocalypse series, When The Sky Falls and When The Dawn Breaks by B.R. Spangler.

First, the review for When The Sky Falls I posted to the book sites (BookHype.com / TheStoryGraph.com / Goodreads.com):

Explosive Opener Leads To Survival Epic. One of the first things you need to know about this particular (now) duology of When The Sky Falls and When The Dawn Breaks is that this is now the third time this story has been revised and repackaged – thus, when it feels like the book suddenly switches gears and becomes seemingly an entirely different book at around the 2/3 mark or so… that’s because in its original forms, it *was* a second book at that point.

But taking that into consideration and reading this duology back to back, effectively reading what was formerly a four book series all at once, feels a bit like reading a shorter version of Douglas Adams’ epic five volume romp through space in The Hithhiker’s Guide To the Galaxy… but in a far more grounded, survival scifi type story. As with The Complete Hitchhiker though, this story actually works quite well in this form.

Part I has the explosive opener reminiscent of the opener of Brett Battles’ SICK, the opening salvo of his seven volume epic apocalyptic survival series PROJECT EDEN, and in some ways – the mall scenes in particular, but also some of the scenes between the opening and that point – really challenge Battles as to which is truly the more compelling story.

Part 2 of this text is set a bit “down the road” from the events of Part I. The Apocalypse has effectively happened, and the survivors have set up what civilization they can. Here, the story becomes more of an exploration-survival story, where we learn how the world has changed from the one we know… and how humanity, in many ways, never really changes much.

While Part I has its heart wrenching moments and makes the room a bit dusty at times in certain ways, Part 2 manages to twist these things a touch and do a bit of its own thing – which is why it can be jarring to read it in the same book as Part I – but also manages to up the stakes a bit in its own way, before finally leaving the reader almost literally begging for the continuation of the story – now to follow in When The Dawn Breaks, with both books being released together.

Very much recommended.

Next, the review for When The Dawn Breaks I posted to the book sites (BookHype.com / TheStoryGraph.com / Goodreads.com):

More Consistent Yet Less Grounded Storytelling Than Predecessor. When The Sky Falls, for all of its faults in rather clunkily combining two prior books into one, was a very grounded story of survival in both the immediate aftermath of an Apocalypse and several years later. Here, we continue not long after the events of Part 2 of When The Sky Falls leave off – indeed, seemingly just hours after the events of that book’s finale.

And we wind up getting a far more consistent – if also much more fanciful – tale in this book. Without going *too* deep into spoiler territory, I’ll say that some elements of the ending of When The Sky Falls are continued and continued quite effectively, but the newer elements of this tale are where it becomes far less grounded and much deeper into the realm of scifi than simply a post-Apocalyptic story. We get some versions of some answers to some questions, and we’re left with a lot more questions… seemingly leaving room for Spangler to come back to this world, if the third time revising and rereleasing these stories is indeed the charm and sales truly increase such that this may be an option for him.

While When The Sky Falls had a few dusty rooms, this tale has a very different feel that taps into a very different but nearly equally visceral emotion – particularly in some more blatant moments. It is hard to describe this part while avoiding all spoilers, so I’ll just leave it at that. I enjoyed this stretch and thought it well done, but admittedly it could be a bit much and perhaps a bit complex for some readers.

So come along for the ride and see what happens after the sky falls and when the dawn finally breaks. 😉

Very much recommended.

After the jump, the “publisher details” for both books – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: When The Sky Falls *AND* When The Dawn Breaks by B.R. Spangler”

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#BlogTour: The Body Next Door by Maia Chance

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a book with an intriguing mix of magical realism, cults, and a dual timeline mystery/ thriller. For this blog tour, we’re looking at The Body Next Door by Maia Chance.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (BookHype.com / BookBub.com / TheStoryGraph.com / Goodreads.com):

Mystery/ Thriller With Cults And Magical Realism? Yes Please. First off, if you’re turned off by any discussion of cults… this book likely isn’t your thing. If you’re turned off by any element of magical realism… this book probably isn’t your thing. If you can’t handle books dealing with domestic violence and/ or sexual assault/ rape… this book probably isn’t your thing. If you can’t handle books with multiple POVs… this book probably isn’t your thing. If you’re turned off by books with dual timelines… this book probably isn’t your thing. If you’re turned off by books with any LGBT characters at all… this book probably isn’t your thing.

With all of *that* out of the way, I thought this book was done particularly well and told a not-overly-typical (because it dealt so intrinsically with cults/ life after cults) tale in new and interesting ways (re: magical realism elements). All of the various elements work well to create a story with an admittedly slow start that absolutely heats up later in the text, particularly during a somewhat detailed account of the night everything came crashing down in the earlier timeline. The overall mystery ties both timelines together well, and while the front of the book can seem a bit disjointed at times with its POV switches, it *does* all come together quite beautifully and dramatically down the stretch.

Ultimately a fun read that is different enough to stick out in a very crowded field of similar ish (re: mystery/ thriller) books, this is definitely one to check out – even if it is a touch longer than some will be comfortable with (just over 400 pages).

Very much recommended.

After the jump, an excerpt from the book followed by the “publisher details” – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: The Body Next Door by Maia Chance”