After a very slow start author John Sanford really makes " Gathering Prey" race at high speeds. Very very difficult to put it down after about the 50 After a very slow start author John Sanford really makes " Gathering Prey" race at high speeds. Very very difficult to put it down after about the 50 page mark. Amazing characters in addition to a very hyped up Lucas Davenport and his new sidekick wanna be Letty. This one is easily far better of any of the past 5 or 6 Prey books. A must read in a must read series. Five stars out of a possible five stars. Check it out....more
Beginning with, "The First Shot", Author E.H. Reinhard has written a series of books that are prequels to his original series featuring Tampa HomicideBeginning with, "The First Shot", Author E.H. Reinhard has written a series of books that are prequels to his original series featuring Tampa Homicide Detective Carl Kane. (And trusty partner Hank Rawlings). The first of these prequels still has Carl partnered with Hank Rawlings, both still working for the crafty Captain Bostock.. (Hank gets his own series by joining FBI later on). also Carl has not yet interacted with Callie the super hot bar maid working for "Lefty's Bar". Being a big fan of Reinhard's Carl Kane series this seems like an excellent idea. Carl and Hank are called out to an abandoned cigar factory after reports of several dead bodies. The detectives first come across two women that were bound, gagged, and brutally executed outside the factory. However inside, the detectives find local gangsters Charles Treadwell, Michael Woodward, and LaMarcus Taylor all shot to death. With a lot of forensics that don't help with the case left on the scene Carl and Hank have a lot of digging to do. Before the detectives make headway with this unusual case another multi shooting victims case lands on their desk. At a local Gentleman's club, "Emerald Palace", five bodies are left after a robbery overnight. Blood and clues also reveal a sixth man also died but body has disappeared. With a plot that moves at breakneck speed this one is packed with action. Carl and Hank must survive several shoot outs, car chases, and with killers who murder at the drop of a hat. Just over 220 pages this one is over pretty much as fast as the first chapter blazes by. Carl and Hank don't have any time for conversations into the off the job lives. The supporting characters from Carl's team don't really get any depth at all. Luckily I remembered a lot of these support characters from the first set of series books. That's a shame. Author E.H. Reinhard should have slowed it up a bit and given the plot space to breathe. Don't get me wrong, I liked the story. Blowing through it in just over three hours was a bummer. It appears the second book in this new "Death" series goes about the same way. A solid three stars out of a possible five stars for, "The First Shot". (3.25 stars better sums up it's rating)...more
An exceptionally atrocious read. Was a military procedural not a police procedural. Far too many alphabet organizations to decipher and keep track of. FaAn exceptionally atrocious read. Was a military procedural not a police procedural. Far too many alphabet organizations to decipher and keep track of. Far too much time and explanations of guns/ ammo. Cardboard characters showed little to no real life. Silly video game action sequences blown way out of proportion and ridiculous. Protagonist liked his car and dog more than the girl. "Michael Night" protagonist- Really ????? (Michael Knight had Kitt too) The bad guy was HIV positive- and full blown AIDS, yet "Ate" 2 women daily. Just a mess start to finish. Was this a first draft that got turned in by accident ? ...more
DCI Carol Jordan and Dr. Tony Hill team up for a fifth time in author Val Mcdermid's, "Beneath The Bleeding". Jordan is running the Bradfield Police wDCI Carol Jordan and Dr. Tony Hill team up for a fifth time in author Val Mcdermid's, "Beneath The Bleeding". Jordan is running the Bradfield Police while Hill is working out of Bradfield Moor Secure Hospital. While at the hospital, one of the more dangerous patients, LLoyd Allen has managed to stop taking his medication for quite some time. On one night Allen picks up a fire axe and hurts orderly Jerry Golabeck, 24 very badly. In the ensuing madness Tony Hill wanders into Allen's path. Hill desperately is trying to save other patients and staff as he engages Allen. However Allen sinks his axe into Hill's knee. Hill is transported to Bradfield Cross Hospital for surgery and a lengthy recovery. Meanwhile also turning up at the same hospital is star "football" player, Robbie Bishop. Bishop has what looks like a very bad case of the flu. It's when the doctors at the hospital discover Bishop has actually been Ricin poisoned that Carol Jordan and her team go into action. The detectives must take apart every element of Bishop's life looking for how he was poisoned. They must also try to discover a motive for poisoning the 26 year old star player. But with Ricin, there is no cure. Bishop dies an agonizing death. On another front, Yousef Aziz a local fabric merchant has decided to develop a "TATP" explosive device. Aziz is not very religious, nor is he considering himself a terrorist. Yousef has his own agenda. When the second poisoning victim turns up dead it may be related to Bishop. Danny Wade a $5 million lottery winner and loner has died from a very rare type of poison. Tony Hill who is trying to get both legs under him again is stuck in the hospital fighting with his mother and the staff. Tony is desperate to help Carol. Unfortunately with the next big "Football" match and a moment of silence for Robbie Bishop, an explosion rips through the stands. With 35 dead and hundreds wounded Carol really has her hands full with the murders and now the "terrorism". The brass however sends in the super special forces to deal with the blast as they trample over Carol and her team. Youself Aziz killed in the blast is established as the bomber. Aziz's house and family are turned upside down in the investigation. Of course Tony Hill has figured out why Yousef did what he did. But the race is still on to find Bishop's killer. Tony can never seem to catch up with the dynamo Carol to lay out his theories. In a spellbinding plot running just over 480 pages this one is very difficult to put down. With the events of the crimes intertwined with perfection it's a guessing game until the conclusion to find out what transpired to set off these events. As usual Tony Hill and Carol Jordan are larger than life characters. Hopefully some day they will overcome the emotion wall between them to become a united couple. Also as always with author Val McDermid's supporting characters there are some unusual folks to be sure. I thought it was just an excellent read. Maybe a little too long. A few times Tony Hill does gets lost inside the story. Somehow Tony and his mother must come to heads with the lies she's fed him over the years. Tony's mother clearly fears Carol, as so she should. Four stars out of a possible five stars for Val McDermid's, "Beneath The Bleeding". For those Tony Hill/ Carol Jordan fans it's a must read. Do not miss. Onward to sixth book in series I go....more
The third book in author Paul Levine's excellent series starring Jake Lassiter, "False Dawn", is a high octane read out of the gate. Lawyer Jake LassiThe third book in author Paul Levine's excellent series starring Jake Lassiter, "False Dawn", is a high octane read out of the gate. Lawyer Jake Lassiter's client Francisco Crespo is charged with the murder of fellow warehouse worker Vladimir Smorodinsky. Vlad had been impaled with a fork lift during an altercation with Crespo. However, Crespo is cleared in a fluky set of circumstances, then himself is murdered. Before long Lassiter is taking a crash course in fine art from retired M.E. Dr. Charlie Riggs. Lassiter must deal with a ruthless C.I.A. agent, Robert Foley who has it in for Jake. Jake also has local P.I Lourdes Soto continuing trying to lead him into dangerous predicaments. Everywhere Lassiter turns he's dealing with former KGB agents, or Cuban gangsters, and some really odd characters in general. Just when Jake thinks he's working for the good guys he's actually working for the bad guys. When Jake meets up with Jillian from Minnesota it turns out she's a Suppo agent (Finland Intelligence). Coming in at just over 360 pages this Lassiter tale has it's share of ups and downs. At times the story just couldn't get out of it's own way. The world of stealing fine art just doesn't work very well for a Lassiter tale. I read this book in just over 24 hours. At about the 60 % mark I decided I needed to get this one finished and out of my hair. It was a shame because the book came out of the blocks really well and looked like a winner. This Lassiter book being somewhat of a let down makes me hopeful the next book in series will rebound nicely. I gave, "False Dawn", three stars out of a possible five stars. Really it's a 2.50-2.75 book at best. If you're into reading this series give this one a go. Otherwise just move onto something else. ...more
"Murder On The Whiskey George", was one of those books that was a likable enough read until the mechanics of the writing messed it up. This one sadly "Murder On The Whiskey George", was one of those books that was a likable enough read until the mechanics of the writing messed it up. This one sadly needed an editor who wasn't asleep. Words running together over and over, letters missing out of words, and dialog run ons really beat this book up badly. I did actually like the story for the most part. Okay, the end was silly and at 230 some odd pages it was at least 25 pages too many. Protagonist Cage Royce slipped into the story without an actual introduction and I had to go back several pages twice wondering what I was reading wrong (?).... The story takes place in Panama City, FLA, and Cage's younger brother Billy has been murdered. Billy originally was arrested briefly, but not long after being released is killed execution style. Big brother Cages leaves his highly profitable law firm in NYC to solve Billy's murder in FLA. Billy's lawyer Luke Carey teams up with Cage to do what the police haven't been able to do. Before long a junkie named Bo Crowley has Billy's murder pinned on him. Of course Crowley is dead from an OD. Luke and Cage agree there is a whole lot more to the story not being investigated. Naturally one of the things Billy had been mixed up in was running drugs from his boat to shore. Deep in debt and owing money to the drug cartel Billy was in a tough spot. Billy's girlfriend Samantha Graham disappears for a year then turns up to level with Cage and Luke. (The year was one page and bam !)In a plot with several shady characters the story itself was somewhat enjoyable. The supporting characters, especially all the bad guys were pretty lively and mostly developed. However, THE primary characters, (Cage, Luke, Jamie,Police Chief Harland) were all really lightweights in terms of their depth. I believe this is the first book in a series from this author. I'm not sure I'd go back and look for a second book. "MOTWG" gets two stars out of a possible five stars. It takes work to read this book. Best left on the shelf....more
I found this interesting read, "Bullets", by author Elijah Drive by accident in Kindle shop while looking up something else. The protagonist is Jon "BI found this interesting read, "Bullets", by author Elijah Drive by accident in Kindle shop while looking up something else. The protagonist is Jon "Big Slick" Elder from NYC. However he is currently in the Arizona desert carrying out one of his contract killings. "Slick" is a pretty unique character as he's a pro poker player from NYC. Slick kills for money, never eats meat (Strict Vegan), no burgers, no wings, no BBQ. Slick is also 6'4" and black. Not just black but a very dark shaded black. In the small Arizona town of Haddenfield, Sheriff Ted Rawlings is a man with aspirations. He's also crooked as a $3 bill. Slick gets arrested as one Pedro Garcia is beaten to a pulp and almost to death. Deputies Brower, Collins, and Moore know Slick is not the guilty party but they keep him locked up anyhow. Slick's friends "Thumper" Tommy Olsen, and "Navajo" Joe work with Slick's lawyer to get him out of jail. When Pedro succumbs to his beating, Slick meets ADA Camilla "DubyaDee" Leon. Sparks fly right away for Slick and Camilla. Incredibly at the time Pedro was hospitalized he was actually arrested along with Slick. The pair were charged with killing land owner Roger Carlson. Pedro's fingerprints were on shovel used to bash Roger to death. Camilla and Slick start to work with the FBI to try and clear Pedro's name and find Roger's real killer. FBI agent Javier Rivera has a huge crush on Camilla so he's running to work with her at every possible turn. Javier begins to resent Slick being involved. He was in love with Camilla long before Slick showed up. Camilla however has no interest in Javier. Pretty soon the big discovery was that Pedro had a white girlfriend which shocked many in the town. In an action packed plot with some clever and witty banter and sharp dialog, "Bullets" was very difficult to put down at times. The twists and turns with each body popping up keep the plot moving nicely along. Slick may be a bad guy as book starts out, but he morphs into something else altogether as conclusion arrives. With plenty of colorful names and characters to go with some pretty good supporting players, figuring out the ending was kind of difficult. I gave, "Bullets", four stars out of a possible five stars. Having enjoyed this author's first book I will be looking for a second read following this one up. Check this one out for sure. It's a little different which is a pretty good thing. ...more
Extremely fast reading at just 230 pages, "Contract: Sicko", from author Ty Hutchinson took me just two sittings to fly through book. I found the secoExtremely fast reading at just 230 pages, "Contract: Sicko", from author Ty Hutchinson took me just two sittings to fly through book. I found the second book from this series to be about the same as first book. I thought first book was somewhat weak in substance, as this follow up book is as well. Contract hit person "Sei", lost her newborn daughter on her delivery day to the infamous Black Wolf in the first book. Black Wolf has decided to keep the kidnapped child permanently, and is now dispatching assassins to kill everyone involved with the delivery. Black Wolf knows keeping Sei's child with no intention of giving her back will drive Sei insane. Early in, "Sicko" we find out Sei now does free lance work for the CIA. She uses CIA contacts to gain information to the whereabouts of Black Wolf. After traveling from Italy, to France Sei needs to find a real bad guy named Akil Badash. Akil is as bad as a person can be. Sex with minors, killer, thief, and hired thug fill out his resume. Akil is currently hiding out somewhere in Viet Nam. Sei must travel to Viet Nam to pick up Akil's scent. He's hiding in south east Asia for killing a young girl he paid to have sex with. Akil was also working for Black Wolf as security on Sei's delivery day. He's also got information of some type to Black Wolf's hiding places. The plot becomes a wild chase that'll take Sei and Akil through Viet Nam, and into Cambodia before ending in Thailand. Dodging killers, gang members, and all sorts of unsavory people, Sei must keep Akil alive to find out his secret information about Black Wolf. The plot flies along non stop as chapter after chapter lays out this grand chase. Although filled with action sequences pretty much on every page, it did seem to be a plot without much meat on the bone. The characters never really develop very far, and some of Sei's action stunts are pretty ridiculous. Yes, written as a fun read with non stop action I didn't expect a high bar out of this book. It was a good book to read for breaking a streak of really long complicated thrillers I've been reading the past few weeks. Quick and uncomplicated. Overall rating, "Contract: Sicko", three stars out of a possible five stars. I felt it was about a 2.75 star book. Book two in author Ty Hutchinson's Sei assassin series is a good read to lighten up a reading list. For fast paced over action reading Sei will deliver. Check it out. Hutchinson does have a unique style in his story telling....more
The eleventh book in author Jeffery Deaver's Rhyme/ Sachs series, "The Bone Collector", pays homage to the first book in the series, "The Bone CollectThe eleventh book in author Jeffery Deaver's Rhyme/ Sachs series, "The Bone Collector", pays homage to the first book in the series, "The Bone Collector". Billy Haven a very talented tattoo artist awed by the bone collector. Billy however has his own sick and twisted plot. Billy likes to trap his victims and take them down underground or in basements so that he can tattoo them with his cryptic messages. Billy doesn't use ink on his tattoo subjects, he uses rare poisons. First injecting his victims with a heavy duty anesthesia, then he tattoos with a poison which will cause a painful and horrible death. Rhyme and Sachs know the Skin collector is following a book published about famous crimes that include the famous bone collector case. As the victims pile up with their cryptic messages, and the forensic evidence keeps getting destroyed the city is in a panic. The skin collector taunts Rhyme and Sachs at every turn. Even one of Rhyme's closest NYPD allies is incapacitated by the bone collector. Meanwhile another of Rhyme's toughest villains, "The Watchmaker" has died in prison. He's to be cremated at a local funeral home. Rhyme decides to dispatch his rookie team member to attend "service" at that funeral home. Who and how many will show up for the "Watchmaker" weighs on Rhyme's mind. In a long an very complicated plot running 430 pages this one struggled to get out of it's own way. With several shocking twists and turns this one is a stunner chapter by chapter. However at 430 pages, easily 100 pages too long and a couple twists/ turns too many. I struggled at times to stay with this one. It almost went into "Not finished pile" a few times. Rhyme and Sachs seemed tired as characters. The usual supporting cast hasn't grown very far from the first book in the series. Overall it was a pretty good story. Easily could have been four plus stars. However I'm only going with three stars out of five possible. I've now read nine of the eleven books in this series. I may have to let it go for good at this point. Still author Jeffery Deaver is a master story teller. He is an amazing writer. Although I'm no fan of his Kathryn Dance series, his Rhyme/ Sachs books for the most part have been very very good. For all those Deaver- Rhyme/ Sachs fans this one is a must read. Check it out. Be prepared for some wild twists in this shocking tale....more
Jake Lassister the irreverent and all around good guy lawyer,(Oxymoron ?), returns in the second book of author Paul Levine's series entitled, "Night Jake Lassister the irreverent and all around good guy lawyer,(Oxymoron ?), returns in the second book of author Paul Levine's series entitled, "Night Vision". The usually jovial defense attorney, Lassister gets tapped by Assistant State's Attorney Nick Fox to act as a special prosecutor in the gruesome murder of investigative TV reporter Marsha Diamond. Diamond a paramour of Fox was investigating a long forgotten incident from the Viet Nam war several decades prior. Marsha also "enjoyed" trolling in a graphic adult hook- up chat room. She was found with her head smashed into her computer screen, and brutally beaten/stabbed. Also arriving at the crime scene is writer and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Pam Maxson. Jake is immediately suspicious as to why Fox is bringing in Maxson. Fox decides to partner Jake with Detective Alejandro "Alex" Rodriguez, to decipher this somewhat odd crime scene complete with it's cryptic lipstick message referring to Whitechapel's "Jack The Ripper". While Lassister and Fox bump heads and barbs to each other, a second victim is found. Similarly beaten/ stabbed along with an odd Alfred Tennyson quote is 27 year old flight attendant Mary Rosendahl, laying dead under her computer. As the case shifts towards Compu-Mate chat room owners Bobbie and Max Blinderman, Lassister continues to be hampered by Fox. The Blinderman's are a very unique couple and team up to stymie Jake at several turns. Luckily Jake has his long time best friend retired medical examiner Charlie Riggs to bounce theory and logic off of. As the case makes it's way to London and back, progress seems to be nonexistent day after day. At times it seems Fox may fire Jake from case rather than cooperate with him. Fox was quick to appoint Jake and now at times he's itchy to fire him. Soon the first real suspect in these murders turns out to be a drunken college professor who uses the handle "Passion Prince" in the hook-up chat room. As Jake and Dr. Maxson seem to get comfortable with each other the third victim turns out to be Fox's ex-wife Priscilla. Jake certainly has his hands full every where he seems to turn. In a plot with some heart palpitating suspense, and really clever banter, "Night Vision", roars out from the first page into a decidedly intricate who- done- it. Just when you seem to think how this case will turn, it does a U-turn time after time. Reading at times made me feel like I'd tapped into an old 40's B-movie complete with some very shady characters not usually seen. Unluckily for Jake he rarely has time to catch his breath with a Grolsche's beer and fishing with Charlie. For me at times this one was very difficult to put down as the suspense heightened again and again. At 340 some odd pages there are no dead pages or passages holding down this thriller. I'm really looking forward to the third book in this series. "Night Vision", gets five stars out of a possible five stars. The first two Lassister books from author Paul Levine are without a doubt - Do not miss reads. This is a series to jump into asap. ...more
Yes, Darby Stansfield is THE "Telecommunications Consultant to the Criminal Underworld", without question. Author Ty Hutchinson's third Darby book in Yes, Darby Stansfield is THE "Telecommunications Consultant to the Criminal Underworld", without question. Author Ty Hutchinson's third Darby book in his enjoyable series entitled, "Loco Moco", is set in Hawaii. With sun, sand, gangsters, and an amazingly hot girlfriend, Izzy Weber, Darby has himself set for six solid months of R & R. Back home in San Francisco, Darby's a heavy hitter in sales for Teleco Wireless Co. Darby Stansfield has decided he's earned six months off relaxing in Hawaii for all of his hard earned work. In addition, Darby is going to surprise Izzy in asking her to come along for the six months. However Teleco won't grant her that amount of time off. Izzy decides she'll go for part of Darby's time, and then travel back to Virginia to visit her parents. Not surprisingly for Darby he's found the criminal underworld of Hawaii just days after arriving. He quickly stumbles upon the gang known as "NBB" (North Beach Boys). Naturally before long Darby finds himself selling the NBB gang's leader Akahi a package of services to expand, and increase his business. Selling Telecom packages to the criminal underworld is what Darby does best. Along with his rock star status in the underworld Darby really gets the royal treatment with perks galore. Meanwhile, Izzy has met local merchant and favorite "Momi". Momi runs a local general store and becomes fast friends with Izzy. When Darby sees how much Izzy is enjoying herself spend this block of time in Hawaii he decides to pop the question. But first he flies in a large collection of Izzy's relatives, and his best pal Tav too. While having a huge celebration dinner, Darby surprises everyone by asking Izzy to marry him. Even Izzy's retired FBI agent father seems happy. Of course Darby is alarmed finding out who Izzy's father worked for. Now he's got to walk a tightly guarded line with Izzy's parents. Consulting for NBB and dealing with Izzy's father are a real challenge for Darby. With a delightful plot that reads quickly with some interesting and kookie dialog, "Loco Moco" delivers. While Darby dodges the Yakuza, NBB enforcer Roger Kwan, a peeping tom, and some "Blue & Black surfer jerks he seems to be running for his life a good portion of his six months in Hawaii. Luckily Izzy is pretty good at taking care of herself in tough situations. At one point Darby hires P.I. Rudy Balagot to help watch his back and try to figure some things out for him. A very clever story to be sure, the conclusion was nothing like I expected. Without question, "Loco Moco" clearly the best Darby Stansfield book so far from author Ty Hutchinson. With this third book, this is absolutely a not to be missed series. Although I wasn't bowled over with the first two, this third book greatly increases my opinion of the entire Darby series. I will eagerly await the fourth installment. in addition to his Darby series author Ty Hutchinson's "Abby Kane" series is top notch reading for thrillers. I'm going with five stars out of a possible five stars for' "Loco Moco". Also, I'd like to find a Loco Moco somewhere, it sounds really pretty delicious....more
Dr. Tony Hill and D.I. Carol Jordan are once again teamed up to tackle several bad guys in the fourth book from author Val McDermid's excellent seriesDr. Tony Hill and D.I. Carol Jordan are once again teamed up to tackle several bad guys in the fourth book from author Val McDermid's excellent series. With "The Torment Of Others", both Hill and Jordan are forced to confront their worst fears, and nightmares. Not surprisingly Hill and Jordan still refuse to address the heat that they continually generate every time they pair up for a murder case. Carol having being raped in the previous book is still tormented from that experience. As always Hill is wrapped up in own little world that he hates to venture out of. Carol is totally unable to create a relationship with any man she encounters. Hill and Jordan both know they were meant to be together. However, they've agreed to keep things purely professional working on Carol's latest grisly murder case. Carol has been put in charge of a special squad to go after a brutal killer who murders women in a very nasty fashion. They latest murders are identical to murders committed by the evil Derek Tyler. However, Tyler has been safely locked away for the past two plus years. Meanwhile, Carol has assigned D.I. Don Merrick to take the lead on a time sensitive abduction case of two small boys. Merrick races against time searching for the newest boy kidnapped. Merrick even consults with a forensic geologist, Dr. France. Hill continually goes to visit Tyler locked up in the Bradfield Moor Secure Hospital.However Tyler has been mostly mute and non responsive his entire time locked up. It seems Tyler is waiting for the "Voice" to give him further instructions. There is also a killer running loose as he is guided by the "Voice". In a really suspenseful thriller, "The Torment Of Others", is action packed from the first page right on through to it's explosive conclusion. The dynamic between Tony Hill and Carol Jordan really makes this book sizzle. The interactions Hill and Jordan have are consistently made to be awkward on purpose. Author Val McDermid is a master at creating some really unique and quirky characters. Beyond Hill and Jordan, the supporting characters are a big reason the pages turn so quickly. The surprising turn of events at the end really help make this a top notch mystery/ thriller. So far all four books in this series have been incredible reads. Author Val McDermid is truly a master story teller. Giving, "The Torment Of Others, four stars out of a possible five stars. I didn't go with five stars because this 400 plus page yarn could have been wrapped up somewhat quicker. I'd like to give this book 4.25 or 4.33 stars.....But if you're not reading Val McDermid's Hill and Jordan series you're really missing out on some suspenseful thrillers. Check this series out- It's a must for any mystery thriller readers....more
This first book from author Paul Levine's Jake Lassiter series is a top notch legal thriller. "To speak For The Dead", is a rough and tumble suspense This first book from author Paul Levine's Jake Lassiter series is a top notch legal thriller. "To speak For The Dead", is a rough and tumble suspense medical/ legal who done it that delivers a pretty good jolt reading. It's an amazing story being told by author Paul Levine. Levine is an author who can mold a really good tale for readers to get lost into. Jake Lassiter is our protagonist who's a crafty lawyer, and all around tough guy who can more than take care of himself when he needs to. This first Lassiter book opens in the middle of a medical malpractice case that also involves a somewhat consequential death. Top notch surgeon Dr. Roger Stanton is being sued for several million dollars by widow Mrs. Philip Corrigan, named Melanie. Dr. Stanton is accused of booting a routine procedure that several hours post-op, ended up killing Philip Corrigan. Melanie and Dr. Stanton of course have been having a relationship for years behind Philip's back. In a scheme supposedly cooked up by Melanie, Roger was supposed to be found guilty, and insurance company would pay off widow. After big payoff Roger and Melanie would then live off Philip's wealth , and their new settlement money. If that wasn't crazy enough, before long Lassiter is dragged into a murder case involving the same cast of characters from the malpractice case. Jake manages to convince long retired medical examiner Charlie Riggs to join his team sorting out this web of lies and murder. Jake also gets some unexpected help from Susan Corrigan. Susan is Philip's daughter from his first marriage. Susan and Melanie are absolute enemies of each other. Battling leg breakers, mobsters, alligators,evil doctors and a crazy drug called succinylcholine, Jake Lassiter is in the middle of one explosive situation. The plot moves at breakneck speed with plenty of action sequences, and enough suspense that would not able to cut through with a knife. Spot on dialog is also a huge asset keeping this plot alive and moving so quickly. The supporting characters are very well defined and developed, making it hard to wait for another to pop up and turns things in the book on it's head. Absolutely five stars out of a possible five stars for, "To Speak For The Dead", the first Jake Lassiter series book from author Paul Levine. I found this series by accident by picking up the eleventh book in series and enjoyed the heck out of it. The author also notes any of the Lassiter books can be read in any order. All are considered stand alones. I'm planning on jumping into the second Lassiter book very soon. If haven't heard of or not ever checked out one of Paul Levine's Lassiter books, don't waste time they are top notch for mystery/ thriller readers....more
So so read. At 489 pages far too long. Story was running out of gas entire second half of novel. Bad guy(s) far too stiff and developed about as thickSo so read. At 489 pages far too long. Story was running out of gas entire second half of novel. Bad guy(s) far too stiff and developed about as thick as cardboard. It seems with author Jeffery Deaver's Rhyme/ Sachs series it's feat or famine. Some reads are really good where others mope like, "The Burning Wire" did. Being generous with three stars out of a possible five stars on this tale. I'd leave it on the shelf and find something else- unless there wasn't much else to pick from....more
Master story teller Thomas Perry's "Sleeping Dogs", is the second "Butcher Boy" novel from an amazing pulp fiction series. Perry lays out this crime nMaster story teller Thomas Perry's "Sleeping Dogs", is the second "Butcher Boy" novel from an amazing pulp fiction series. Perry lays out this crime novel in a crafty, graphic and compelling fashion. The hard boiled characters with their crackling and hard edged dialog make this yarn a special read. Once again we never do find out who Eddie Mastrewski's "Butcher's Boy"really is. This killer for hire morphs from identity to identity on a dime. Seemingly Justice department lawyer Elizabeth Waring, who even after being out of the organized crime division for over ten years, is able to find a pulse towards finding this hired killer. Waring may be the Butcher Boy's Achilles heel, but doesn't quite realize it. The plot itself opens up when the Butcher Boy leaves London for the states triggering a sequence of events that'll leave bodies over several states. Crime boss Carlo "Carl Bala" Balacontano 66, in prison for the past eight years wants payback on Butcher Boy. Before long several crime families from across different "territories" are chasing down the Butcher Boy. Also the FBI, and Justice department investigator Jack Hemp are desperately searching for this killer for hire. However, the Butcher Boy would rather stay in the retirement he's enjoyed for the past ten years. His hopeful goal is to and make it back to London. Coming to the states to "conclude" business was the last thing the Butcher Boy really wanted to do. It was too much to ask to settle down in London with his squeeze of the past few years, Meg Holyrod. But for the Butcher Boy business is always around the next corner waiting. In a powerful and fast paced plot the bodies keep dropping as the pages fly by. After so many years and "hits" Butcher Boy has done for crime families over the decades, do they really want to chase him around the country ? Nobody ever said criminals were all that smart. As usual with author Thomas Perry's books the characters really make the plot twist and turn for an incredible reading enjoyment. Although I thought it was a really good book it seemed to take me longer than usual to get through it. It wasn't like there were a lot of dead or slow parts, the story itself moved like a river at it's own pace no matter how much I tried to speed up reading. That was the only reason I didn't give the book five stars. I rated, "Sleeping Dogs", four stars out of a possible five stars. Should be a 4.33 star book. Once again if you're not reading any of author Thomas Perry's excellent crime thrillers you're missing a huge treat. Even this book written in 1993 did not seem dated reading in 2016. Master story teller Thomas Perry are absolutely do not miss thrillers. It's impossible to go wrong looking for a good thriller if you pick up a Thomas Perry book. Believe me !...more
I literally picked up the paperback, "Bum Rap", from author Paul Levine while walking past a bargain bin of books recently. While skimming through a fI literally picked up the paperback, "Bum Rap", from author Paul Levine while walking past a bargain bin of books recently. While skimming through a few pages I decided to give it a try. What I found was a witty and irreverent legal/ crime thriller that was enjoyable to read as it was difficult to put down. When I found out it was also the eleventh book within a series from author Paul Levine I was somewhat surprised. Lawyer and investigator Jake Lassiter is hired to represent Steve Solomon, who's also a lawyer from a rival law firm, Lord-Solomon. Steve is charged with shooting Nicolai Gorev between the eyes inside the office of the night club "Anastasia". He's pretty much caught red handed. However he claims Nadia Delova was also in the office at the time, and actually pulled the trigger. Jake has a huge crush on Victoria Lord. Victoria however, is in love with law partner Steve Solomon. "Bum Rap", features a very colorful plot that allows protagonist Jake Lassiter to get himself into and out of some pretty scary jams. Lassiter once briefly played NFL Football can certainly handle himself in a tough spot. Reading through the book, the character Jake Lassiter reminded me of actor Robert Urich in the old "Spenser For Hire" TV Series. With some gritty and colorful dialog this story crackled. At just over 300 swiftly reading pages there are no lulls that slow this story down. Supporting characters consisting of Russian gangsters, Night club "B" girls, shady lawyers and shady cops really help Lassiter navigate his way to Nicolai Gorev's killer, and Victoria Lord's heart. Five stars out of a possible five stars for, "Bum Rap", from author Paul Levine. Be sure to check out this thrilling series. Now that I've real eleventh book in series, I've already gone onto my Kindle, and downloaded the first four books of this series. I'm excited to start following story teller Paul Levine's Lord-Solomon series and his Lassiter thrillers....more
At over 625 marathon pages, "The Cold Moon", from author Jeffery Deaver is the seventh Lincoln Rhymes/ Amelia Sachs thriller of series. Rhyme and SachAt over 625 marathon pages, "The Cold Moon", from author Jeffery Deaver is the seventh Lincoln Rhymes/ Amelia Sachs thriller of series. Rhyme and Sachs must match wits with not one, but a pair of killers who have a fascination with clocks and time. With the apparent gruesome murders of two victims dying in December's cold, and with a loudly ticking clock nearby, the NYPD begin to look for "The Watchmaker". A serial killer who leaves almost no forensic evidence at his crime scenes. What Rhyme and Sachs don't realize they are actual looking for the brilliant and meticulous Gerald Duncan, and his associate Vincent Reynolds. This pair have a plan to commit ten murders all in brutal and vicious ways leaving a ticking clock at each murder scene. No matter which way the police turn things never seem what they actually are. Luckily for the NYPD and Rhyme, Kathryn Dance from the California Bureau of Investigation makes an appearance to help interrogate several suspects. Dance is the master of telling body language to gauge lies. Before long Sachs who had been working solo on a suicide/ murder (?) finds out her father may have been part of a police scandal of crooked cops. Sachs is stunned her father was never charged as he was the "fish" that got away. Sachs is horrified her late father may have been dirty. As the plot moves along and the killing pair have several troubles carrying out their ten murders the case stars to slip into a police corruption mess. With the main characters of Rhyme, Sachs, and Dance this is one of the better reads in the series to date. The odd ball and unique supporting characters are essential in making this plot really work well. Although the book is just far too long, the story does flow very well from start to finish. I must admit it took me several reads to really make a dent into book. Although that's not really a bad thing because this is a very enjoyable read. After reading the past couple of Rhyme/ Sachs and Dance books that were kinda flat this one is solid. The final twists and turns in the last 100 or so pages were very unexpected as well. I'm going with four stars out of a possible five stars for, "The Cold Moon", by author Jeffery Deaver. I'd actually like to give the book 4.25 stars if it were possible. No way to go to five stars with it being over 625 pages. check it out- It's really an interesting thriller....more
This one started out as a pretty good read. Rhyme and Sachs even make a pretty good cameo. However as a whole this story really annoyed me. Plot took This one started out as a pretty good read. Rhyme and Sachs even make a pretty good cameo. However as a whole this story really annoyed me. Plot took so much promise and just made a mess of it. Beyond Kathryn Dance the characters were just pitiful. So far all three of the Kathryn Dance novels have left a lot to be desired of....more
FBI agents Hank Rawlings and Beth Harper face their most difficult case yet in author E.H. Reinhard's, "Deserted". The sixth book in this excellent seFBI agents Hank Rawlings and Beth Harper face their most difficult case yet in author E.H. Reinhard's, "Deserted". The sixth book in this excellent series finds the pair investigating a string of killings that stretch from Memphis to El Paso with bodies being left along interstate highways. A task force that had been concentrating on this string of murders didn't realize how far the path of the killer(s) actually encompassed. It seems a pair of twin girls Kerry and Kitty Levy, both around 20, drive a big rig 18 wheeler and like to collect victims to rob and kill. Picking up hitchhikers or just grabbing people from local diners to lock up in the back of their trailer is a game these girls like to play. Some of their victims they just kill and leave their bodies along various highways. Some victims get to ride to the home of the twins who live down by the Texas/ Mexico border. Papa Silas Levy, and his equally reprehensible brother Harper take great joy torturing and killing those victims the twins deliver home. Yes, this murderous family have their own little compound where evil reigns. Hank and Beth are both challenged while tracking this family of killers. The plot is chock full of intense action sequences. Though being somewhat a short read just over 200 pages, this one is dynamite from start to finish. Short and to the action right away is sometimes a very good thing. This high octane action and gritty drama are well supported by it's two solid protagonists in Rawlings/ Harper. All six of author E.H. Reinhard's Hank Rawlings/ Beth Harper books are top notch suspense thrillers. In, "Deserted", the supporting characters are plenty scary and vile enough to keep this thriller spinning at top speed. Kerry and Kitty are certainly two girls one would not like to come across driving an 18 wheeler on the highway. Five stars out of a possible five stars for, "Deserted". Author E.H. Reinhard's Hank Rawlings (and Carl Kane) series are must reads for suspense thriller readers. Do not miss either of these series. Check it out, good reading !...more
Another very strong effort from author E.H. Reinhard in his Hank Rawlings series. Entitled "Mounted", this yarn is a very gritty suspense thriller. ThAnother very strong effort from author E.H. Reinhard in his Hank Rawlings series. Entitled "Mounted", this yarn is a very gritty suspense thriller. This fifth book in this excellent series takes place in Louisville, Kentucky where a gruesome serial killer taunts the PD as he seems to be killing at will. The PD is overwhelmed and needs the help of the FBI and their resources. FBI agent Hank Rawlings and partner Beth Harper travel to Louisville to help the local PD track "The Sportsman". This serial killer has sent the police a package with sets of photos of what he does to his victims step by step. With four victims to date and two other women missing this case gets the highest priority. His name is William Allen David, and he has an ax to grind with single successful women. David seriously tortures his victims for hours before he "Mounts" them in his own sick way. Rawlings and Harper doggedly track down every small lead possible to find this killer. With this Rawlings series, author E.H. Reinhard has created some creative and brilliant characters that are enjoyable to follow and root for. At a lightning pace just over 230 pages, I read this book in just a couple sittings. I've found almost all of E.H. Reinhard's books incredibly difficult to put down once the story starts rolling from page 1. Five stars out of a possible five stars for E.H. Reinhard's, "Mounted", a top notch suspense thriller. Do not miss this series. Also Reinhard's Carl Kane series is just as excellent....more