RebeccasReads

Hitler’s Silver Box

Dr. Bruce Starkman is the Chief ER Resident at Cook County Hospital in Chicago.  His being was once thoroughly consumed by his career, but Bruce’s life changes drastically after his Uncle Max’s mysterious death.  So many things about his uncle’s death just do not add up causing Bruce to become suspicious about the circumstances.  As he digs deeper he finds many intriguing elements in his uncle’s past, most particularly surrounding the time his uncle spent in Theresienstadt concentration camp about fifty years ago.  Once Bruce realizes the significance of his uncle’s secret he determines that he needs to follow the clues that his uncle left in order to stop an impending Nazi resurgence.

I was immediately drawn in by the cover of “Hitler’s Silver Box.”  The cover image and the title are one that would definitely stand out in a book store setting.  I would certainly pick up the book to learn more about it.

As I read Malnak’s novel I became thoroughly absorbed in the events taking place.  Malnak writes in a very captivating manner.  I was pleased to find out that the contents of the book matched the expectations that I had formed from the cover.  I found it hard to find a place to stop as I found that I wanted to read more and more to see what happened next.  The novel is fast moving and certainly will hold your attention.  The characters in “Hitler’s Silver Box” are quite intriguing and well developed.  I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in reading of events of the Holocaust or to anyone looking for a gripping, fast-paced novel.


Hitler’s Silver Box
Allen Malnak
Two Harbors (2011)
ISBN 9781937293369
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (2/12)

The Tesla Formula

I just finished reading “The Tesla Formula” and I must say…great book; kudos to author Nicolas Kublicki. The book’s main character, Patrick Carlton, reminds me of the main character in Clive Cussler’s books and I would say that Kublicki has definitely brought action / adventure / intrigue / espionage novels to a whole new level.

Some of you may be familiar with the Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla who, for starters, brought us alternating current (AC) which is used in everyday life around the world. To put it succinctly, Tesla was a genius.

Tesla, the holder of 272 patents in 25 countries died quietly in a New York hotel room sometime during the night of January 7, 1943. His nephew, Sava Kosanovic, found him the following morning and also discovered that his uncle’s scientific papers had been gone through and that a black folder labeled “Government” was missing. Kosanovic immediately contacted the FBI who came and removed all of Tesla’s documents, papers and notes.

In 1943 our country was thoroughly embroiled in WWII and the FBI, seeking any kind of edge possible, ordered Special Agent in Charge P.E. Foxworth to review thousands of pages of Tesla’s papers. Amazingly enough Foxworth found something and it was such a significant discovery that Foxworth would only reveal it in person to the nation’s president: Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, FDR was in Casablanca meeting with Churchill and Charles de Gaulle. That didn’t stop Foxworth though; he boarded a military plane bound for Morocco but somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean the plane exploded and the secret was lost forever. Or was it?

The book’s introduction is true; the story itself is fictional however, with events from this day and age and with the author’s consistent use of real world facts and quotes “The Tesla Formula” reads like a non-fiction book. And if you want to know how it ends I suggest you get your own copy…

As for the writing… Kublicki does a phenomenal job. I daresay his words will hold readers riveted and keep them sitting on the edge of their seats; an amazingly interesting and realistic story without becoming over embellished. A solid five star read…


The Tesla Formula
Nicolas Kublicki
Rellihan Satterlee (2011)
ISBN 9780984935208
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads (1/12)

A Life Lived Ridiculously

I’ve just finished reading “A Life Lived Ridiculously” by author Annabelle R. Charbit. It was a good book; well-written and the story / characters drew me in from the get go.

The premise of “A Life Lived Ridiculously” is this: Maxine (this story’s main character) is a Jewish girl with a serious case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Of course she doesn’t realize this; she’s done all the research on this particular ailment and none of its symptoms correctly fit what she experiences on a painful minute by minute basis. Her parents are constantly on her case to find a man; get married and settle down after all, what woman really needs to hold a PhD in anything? Her younger brother Claude, who has always been her best friend and confidante, has apparently met “Miss Perfect” and has turned his back on his earlier days of debauchery which unfortunately also includes Maxine.

One night at a family dinner party Maxine meets Sam… Sam is a boney stick of a man who comports himself like someone who is fifty not thirty and Maxine is instantly repelled by him. However, time moves on and Sam, desperate to win Maxine’s affections, is ever present in her life until one day she does the unthinkable and actually falls in love with him. It’s at this exact moment that Sam vanishes off the face of the earth. Maxine is frantic; she worries that Sam is dead and she finds herself obsessing about him and becoming more depressed by the day.

I’m not going to give away anymore of the story but suffice it to say that “A Life Lived Ridiculously” was a page turner in a dramatic and very true to life way. I guess my only beef with this book was its title: “A Life Lived Ridiculously.” Throughout its entirety I never felt that any of this fictional tale was ridiculous in fact, more often than not, I found it to be extremely sobering. I know there are people and situations that mirror this story in real life. Regardless, “A Life Lived Ridiculously” was a great read and definitely worth four stars. Probably a “must read” for most single women too…


A Life Lived Ridiculously
Dr. Annabelle R. Charbit
Firefly Publishing & Entertainment (2012)
ISBN 9780984642861
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads (2/12)

A Bitter Truth: A Bess Crawford Mystery (Bess Crawford Mysteries)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book hoping all along that Masterpiece Theater will choose to do a series on this wonderful character Bess Crawford, a strong, confident nurse serving in World War 1.  The rich historical backdrop helps to layer the stories within the small English village mystery and expand them to settings on the warfront.

On Christmas leave from duty, Bess arrives home to find a chilled, frightened woman in her doorway.  She takes her in as she clearly has nowhere to turn.  Her houseguest, Lydia Ellis, confides that her husband Roger, who has returned from war after three years, is a different man.  During a recent argument he erupted into violence and hit her, driving her to flee.  After much contemplation she now would like to return home to Vixen Hall in Sussex but wants Bess to accompany.  Reluctantly Bess agrees.

Bess finds herself in a home of mourning as Roger’s brother died of war wounds and the memorial service is about to take place.  Family and friends gather, and as you would have it in any good English mystery, a houseguest is murdered.  Their silence becomes self-imposed as relationships between family members are exposed. Time and separation forced by circumstance of war seems to have impacted everyone and implications of secret affairs cloud the atmosphere.  Distrust and jealousy pervade as talk of a rumored orphaned child of Roger’s in France surface. 

Back at the warfront, Bess begins a journey to find the child, uncertain what she will do if faced with her discovery.  Collaborating with newly made friend, Australian Sgt. Larimore, they set out to recover the child without much forethought to the end game!
More murders create more mysteries and as the murderer begins to show himself, the reader learns “the bitter truth!”

In addition to the detailed story line, there are so many rich diverse characters to both love and hate.  Beyond the goings on of the family in the village we are treated to more far-reaching moral, geographic and historical issues that individually impact the actions of each.  The novel becomes thought provoking long beyond the close of the story.  Multilayered in plotline and rich in the study of human behavior, "A Bitter Truth: A Bess Crawford Mystery (Bess Crawford Mysteries)" becomes thought-provoking well after one closes the book.


A Bitter Truth: A Bess Crawford Mystery (Bess Crawford Mysteries)
Charles Todd
William Morrow (2011)
ISBN 9780062015709
Reviewed by Enid Grabiner for RebeccasReads (11/11)

Murder under the Microscope

   “There was a dead body in my office.
     It wasn’t mine, and I didn’t put it there.
     I found it when I got called in for a frozen section at the ungodly hour of five o’clock in the morning.
     Hurrying into the office, I tripped and damn near brained myself on the corner of my desk.  The desk lamp fell over on me.  That, plus my hangover, nearly did me in.
     I picked up the lamp and switched it on.
     On the floor lay the body of a woman in tight white pants and a red tank top.  Long, black hair fell over her face, obscuring it, but there was no doubt in my mind who it was.  My first instinct was to run right back home and crawl under the covers.”  (p.1)

These are the words of Dr. Toni Day, a pathologist at Perrine Memorial Hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho.  A month prior to the incident above, a new doctor had been brought in to fill in for another physician who was out for medical reasons.  This doctor, Dr. Sally Shore, has other plans besides simply doing her job.  She has it out for Toni and tries to ruin her reputation.  Little did Toni know what was about to lie ahead of her.

Written in a short paragraph and short chapter style,“Murder under the Microscope” is a very fast-paced read that will hold your attention.  I found the main characters to be quite intriguing.  I really enjoy medical mysteries, and “Murder under the Microscope” was no exception.  The author, Jane Bennett Munro, M.D., like the main character Toni, is a pathologist.  This fact lends quite a bit of credibility to the novel and I enjoyed the inside look into the day-to-day life of a person in this profession.  This “realness” definitely added to the story in a positive way and it would have been very difficult for an “outsider” to this profession to write this book in such a believable and compelling manner.

If you are a fan of medical mysteries, I recommend putting Munro’s “Murder under the Microscope” on your reading list.  This is Munro’s first novel, but I expect that we will be seeing more books from her in the years to come.


Murder under the Microscope
Jane Bennett Munro
iUniverse (2011)
ISBN 9781450298629
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (2/12)

Dead Man’s Switch: A Kate Reilly Mystery

I know very little about car racing and did not expect to enjoy this book.  Was I ever wrong?!

"Dead Man’s Switch"  by Tammy Kaehler was fantastic.  The main character Katy Reilly is a superb hero.  She is smart, determined and easy to like.

Katy is an up and coming race car driver waiting for her big break.  When she discovers the dead body of a prominent driver she is thrust into the spotlight.  His racing team then asks her to take over the open seat and she immediately must deal with the speculations that she is the murderer.

In order to prove she earned her spot on the team she must clear her name and find out who the real killer is.  She uses her position within the racing community to perform her own investigation.  Along the way we are introduced to a boat load of other characters, including her father.   While her relationship with him is strained it weighs heavily on her throughout the story.

I truly enjoyed the story and it will keep you guessing right up to the very end and then surprise you with the murderer.  I went back and forth throughout the book trying to figure out which character did it and was thrilled that the culprit was not easily discerned.

There are a bit too many characters to keep straight and it can get confusing trying to remember which one did what but in the end it is worth it to take the time and pay attention to the details.


Dead Man’s Switch: A Kate Reilly Mystery
Tammy Kaehler
Poisoned Pen Press (2011)
ISBN 9781590588833
Reviewed by Melissa Koltes for RebeccasReads (1/12)

Dying for a Dance

If you like the idea of Dancing with the Stars combined with a murder mystery, you’ll love "Dying for a Dance."  Laurel McKay is trying to learn a ballroom dance routine for her best friend’s wedding. She has two left feet, but things only go downhill from there. One of the dance instructors is found dead with Laurel’s shoe heel stuffed in his mouth.
A murder mystery, a wedding, ballroom dancing… what more could you want? How about a hunky detective thrown into the mix? Detective Tom Hunter is Laurel’s ex-boyfriend, but the attraction is still very much alive. This isn’t Laurel’s first murder mystery, and her boss quickly pulls her in deeper when his wife becomes the prime suspect and he asks Laurel to help clear her.

In between learning to dance and playing detective, Laurel is a single mom juggling two kids. She’s also struggling with her mom’s decision to remarry and the hustle bustle of the holiday season. The whole family heads to Tahoe for the wedding, the same location as the ballroom dance competition. Here, the mystery finally comes to an exciting conclusion.

"Dying for a Dance" will leave you guessing until the very end and enjoying the ride while you are trying to figure it out. The twists and turns, no pun intended of course, are fun and the writing is witty and amusing. Cindy Sample makes murder entertaining in all the right ways. It’s a fast, entertaining read.

I only wish I had read "Dying for a Date," the first in this series. I wanted Laurel, as fun as she was, to be more fleshed out. Maybe that was done in the first book, but I don’t know and neither would other readers who picked up this book first. The gap of not knowing is all that kept this from being a five-star read.


Dying for a Dance
Cindy Sample
L & L Dreamspell 2011
ISBN 9781603184274
Reviewed byTia Bach for RebeccasReads (1/12)

Death’s Crooked Shadow

The Prologue to “Death’s Crooked Shadow” takes place fifteen years prior to the start of the first chapter.  In this glimpse into the past, the following scene plays out:

“The man’s car was parked in the alley behind the alderman’s house, in the shadows, away from the yellow glow of the sodium streetlight.  By the time he had lugged the suitcase up the basement stairs, wheeled it across the tidy patch of lawn and past the garage to the alley gate, he had sweat through his shirt and summer suit.  He hefted the case into the Buick’s trunk and quickly shut the lid before the inside light gave him away.  He guessed the case weighed over fifty pounds, maybe ten of it audio- and videotapes, the rest being cash.” (p. ix)

After these shady events take place, the reader is transported to July in Chicago fifteen years later and we meet real estate developer Doug Sutherland.  In the opening pages, Sutherland’s foreman discovers human remains in a building that they are restoring. This discovery will change the course of Sutherland’s life.

I enjoyed the plot of McIntosh’s second novel.  The writing moved along at a fast pace and the story was full of intriguing characters.  The author writes in such a manner that I could vividly picture in my mind the events that were taking place.  He has just the right balance of descriptive passages.  If you enjoy action-packed thrillers then I recommend giving Gordon N. McIntosh’s book “Death’s Crooked Shadow” a try.


Death’s Crooked Shadow
Gordon N. McIntosh
iUniverse (2011)
ISBN 9781462048519
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (1/12)

Under Cover of Night

“They forced her to her knees at the edge of the pit.  The driver stepped behind her, pulling his Makarov from his belt.  Her head was waving around as she sobbed uncontrollably.  He grabbed the back of her neck and held her still.  A second later a shot rang out.” (p.8)  These events in the opening pages of Al Gellene’s “Under Cover of Night” depict a secret execution carried out on a man and his daughter.  The information about this event has been under lock and key and only few people knew of what actually took place.

Enter attorney Steve Caputo.  He receives a strange phone call from a patient at Greystone Psychiatric Hospital asking for his help.  He is not sure what to make of the patient who seems to spout a series of odd phrases that do not appear to make any sense.  Will he be able to decipher them and figure out what she is talking about?

“Under Cover of Night” is a book that will draw the reader in right away in the opening pages.  I liked how the different parts of the storyline fell neatly into place.  I also enjoyed the main characters in the book, most particularly the character of Beverley, the patient at the psychiatric hospital.  The majority of the novel moved along at a nice fast pace and was full of suspense.  I suspect we will be seeing more of attorney Steve Caputo in future novels by Gellene.


Under Cover of Night
Al Gellene
Casterline Press (2011)
ISBN 9780984567881
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (11/11)

Currents of Deceit

Recently I was asked to review “Currents of Deceit” by author Ronald Perkins. After reading the provided synopsis I immediately agreed as “Currents of Deceit” sounded like it would be a good book to say the least. When my copy arrived I scanned the front and back before sitting down with it a day or so later.

The premise of “Currents of Deceit” is as follows: Scott Simmons, a marine biologist who hails from a small town in Indiana now works with the Florida Fisheries Commissions and lives in Key West. Once a week Scott visits the local fish market to examine the freshly caught ocean fish looking for harmful parasites or anything else that might cause these fish to be unfit for human consumption. The vendors are never happy to see Scott because they know if he finds any sort of contamination he has the legal authority to stop their sales.

Linda Stevens, a marine biochemist and Scott’s girlfriend decides to run some tests on Scott’s latest samples and look for POPs: Persistent Organic Pollutants. Neither of them expects her to find anything; they both know she’s just killing time while waiting for Scott to finish his own tests. However, when her tests are done the results are…sobering. Linda has definitely found high concentrations of PCBs in Scott’s deep water fish samples. PCBs are polychlorinated biphenyls; things like pesticides that don’t degrade quickly and don’t stay in one area. Needless to say both Scott and Linda are horrified by her discovery and they quickly work on finding experts to verify their findings and help them figure out what they need to do from this point.

I’m not going to give away any more of the book; suffice it to say that “Currents of Deceit” is a great book and well worth reading. While “Currents of Deceit” is a fictional story, in today’s world of seemingly endless oil and other contaminant spills, this book hits home hard.

Kudos to Perkins for a fast-paced, well-written and interesting book. The plot / storyline is realistic; the characters are believable and the message contained within “Currents of Deceit” is one that we all need to hear.

Currents of Deceit
Ronald Perkins
Independent Publisher Services (2011)
ISBN 9781450724791
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads (11/11)

The Pirates of Aden

“Suddenly, he heard footsteps and grunting above him and felt the blood return to his brain.  He kept his eyes up the hole.  A dark limp body was dropped through the hole just missing Sami.  He looked at the body, the dark fatigues and the dark skin.  It was Ali.  Sami held Ali’s body in his lap, wanting to comfort him but he immediately felt his soaked clothing.  Blood.  Oozing – no pouring- from somewhere in his chest.  The momentary relief Sami had felt was now replaced with fear and guilt.  Why had he agreed to bring Ali with him?  He was too young, too inexperienced.”  (p. 31)

This excerpt comes from the opening scenes of the book when Sami, his nephew Ali, and others are in the process of hijacking the Stebelsky, a cargo ship passing close to the coast of Puntland, Somalia.  This incident onboard the ship links the pirates and Dr. Paul Alban together as they seek treatment at his clinic.  Dr. Alban has a past, which while he has attempted to forget, may just be brought back out and threaten his future.

In “The Pirates of Aden,” Rasic has a fast moving, gripping work.  I was drawn into the story right away and while the subjects involved in the book were not ones that I usually choose to read about, I found that I enjoyed the novel.  I enjoyed the relationships among the characters and the plot twists and turns throughout the book.  This is Rasic’s first novel and overall for a debut novel he did a great job.  I look forward to watching his writing progress in future works.

The Pirates of Aden
Daniel Rasic
Wings Press, Inc (2011)
ISBN 9781613099926
Reviewed by Kam Aures for Rebecca’s Reads (10/11)

Against The Storm

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I agreed to review “Against the Storm” by author Kat Martin but…I certainly didn’t expect to read a romance novel that was as fast-paced, compelling and interesting as one of today’s well-written action / adventure novels. After finishing my copy of “Against the Storm” I can completely understand why Kat Martin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author.

The premise of “Against the Storm” is this: Maggie O’Connell is a beautiful and extremely talented photographer who has, unfortunately, managed to acquire a stalker. Maggie has used all of the legal options available to her; she’s even gone so far as to move but she can’t rid herself of this psycho. When the stalking first started Maggie even went to the police but they were absolutely no help; in fact, they seemed to think she was making it all up.

One afternoon while Maggie was having lunch with a friend she happened to witness Trace Rawlins, a private investigator, intercede and handle a bad situation before it turned worse. Impressed by what she saw; knowing she needs more help than what the local authorities are willing to provide Maggie calls Trace’s office to set up a meeting. She hopes that he will be able to help her; that somehow he can make this nightmare that has become her life go away.

Trace Rawlins is an attractive, ex army ranger who has retired and now works as a private investigator. Trace’s instincts are sharply honed and while he can tell Maggie is genuinely fearful about her predicament he can also sense that she’s hiding something from him. If the threats and letters Maggie showed him are real then Trace isn’t sure why the police aren’t more helpful. Against his better judgment he agrees to take Maggie’s case…apparently he’s a sucker for beautiful redheads.

I don’t want to give anymore of “Against the Storm” away; suffice it to say that what follows is an extremely believable and well-written story. Definitely a five-star book and a “must read” for anyone who enjoys sitting down with a great book.

Against The Storm
Kat Martin
a MIRA book / Harlequin (2011)
ISBN  9780778312925
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads (10/11)

Virion

James R. Templer’s novel, “Virion,” opens with the following thought-provoking passage:  “Like people, viruses come in many sizes and shapes.  Like people, some viruses are harmless; some are menaces; some are deadly.  The root of the word virus means toxin or poison.  There are those among us who are pure poison – whose thoughts are as toxic as cyanide.  And toxic thoughts at some point poison the soul until it is dead and dried up like the shed skin of a snake.  That’s when toxic thoughts turn to poisonous acts; that’s when the thinkers become destroyers – disciples of Satan some might say.  They may be right- after all, a virion is but a disciple of the virus.”  (p.4)

The main character in the book is Alexander who possesses psychic abilities which he uses to help identify criminals.  Through the course of the novel, we learn how he came to have these visions and how he corrals them in his mind and depicts the individuals on paper.  Having these abilities does not come without a price though.  Alexander not only finds himself the target of Virion, but everyone around him is also threatened.

One thing I found interesting is that Templer’s protagonist has a similar background to the author himself, most notably the Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing.  I enjoy when authors give their characters familiar backgrounds, as I know that they are knowledgeable in the areas of which they write and it gives a more real feeling to the book.  Although I don’t know much of the Galveston, TX area it does appear that the author is quite familiar with the locale.  I think that this book would be a very enjoyable read to those who are familiar with or live in that area.  It is always fun to read books set in places that you know well.

The suspenseful novel moves along at a fast pace with never a dull moment.  The 303 pages flew by and I didn’t want the book to end.  “Virion” was filled with an interesting, unique cast of characters who were developed very well.  I thoroughly enjoyed Templer’s mystery and I am hoping he has plans for more in the years to come.

Virion
James R. Templer
Black Rose Writing (2011)
ISBN 9781612960203
Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (05/11)

Grace Interrupted (A Manor House Mystery)

Grace is the young, newly appointed curator of the historical Manor House, an estate that has been opened to the public as a museum.  Her appointment comes after the murder of the former curator and just in time for another murder to fall upon the estate.

A group of Civil War re-enactors have rented out a portion of the estate, among them; Kincade, a rather sleazy character is hunted by two women bent on getting revenge.  Kincade has emotionally destroyed another woman and her friends come to handle the situation.  However, after the altercation it is discovered that not only does he have a history with these women but also the Manor’s grounds keeper, Jack.

Kincade and Jack have a sorted past that has not been resolved and can destroy everyone along the way.  When Kincade is discovered murdered there is one main suspect.  Grace is certain he is innocent but must go about finding the truth without getting in the way of the police force.  Grace must make sure to keep her personal feeling for Jack in check just in case she’s wrong.

The story was fantastic.  I was completely sucked into the character development and the story line.  Although, this is part of a series, the reader does not need to have read the series from the beginning to get completely wrapped up in the mystery. 

The author ties up all the loose ends and gives just enough information from the previous novels to allow a reader to step in and understand what has already transpired.

"Grace Interrupted" was the perfect book to cuddle up with on a dreary day.

Grace Interrupted (A Manor House Mystery)
Julie Hyzy
Berkley; Original edition (2011)
ISBN 9780425241905
Reviewed by Melissa Koltes for RebeccasReads (09/11)

Wired

I just finished reading my copy of “Wired” by author Douglas E. Richards and…wow, what a riveting read! To sum up in one sentence or less…Richards is an amazing writer. “Wired” is an enjoyable yet gripping read that keeps you on the edge of your seat and the book’s characters practically jump out of the story and into your living room. Did I mention that Richards holds a master’s degree in molecular biology? I’ll be honest; having reviewed books by other authors who also hold degrees in the scientific field, I was initially concerned that “Wired” might be dry, long-winded and tedious. Needless to say, I was ecstatic to find that “Wired” was anything but boring and I was extremely impressed to find an author who could incorporate a subject like molecular biology into a fictional tale and wind up with a book as well-written and interesting as “Wired.” As an aside, even though this particular book is not labeled as science fiction, I do believe that Isaac Asimov himself would be complimentary about Richards’ subject and writing technique.

About the book… Kira Miller, one of the main characters in “Wired,” is a brilliant genetic engineer. And by brilliant I mean brilliant. She graduated from high-school at sixteen, received her BS in molecular biology at nineteen and then went on to obtain a Ph.D. in molecular neurobiology from Stanford at the tender age of twenty-three. Kira’s intentions in her field, and with her research, are initially for the betterment of mankind. She learns how to achieve short-term “savant-like” capabilities, and using herself as a test subject, she is able to temporarily increase her brain’s ability to think, reason, and create. However, this advancement is not without a price…

David Desh, the book’s other main character, has left the US Army’s Special Forces division after being forced to watch his team being brutally tortured and murdered while stationed in Iran. Not knowing what to do with himself after he retired; David joined an executive bodyguard service but gets recalled to duty for one final mission: find Kira Miller who has put together a bio-terror plot that threatens the entire planet.

I’m not going to give any more of the story away… If you want to know what happens then I suggest that you read the book – it’s definitely well worth it…

In closing I give “Wired” a five-star rating and place it in the “must read” category.

Wired
Douglas E. Richards
Paragon Press (2011)
ASIN: B005C4XVYG
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads (9/11)

The Opium Equation: A Cat Enright Mystery

Cat Enright is young and owns a horse stable.  She trains horses and riders for the circuit.  Her passion for horses is her life but she has a sad past.  That past ties her, unknowingly, to a bratty little boy that lives down the road.

When one of her students is murdered and the boy disappears, Cat begins her own investigation into what happened and where is the missing boy.

Throughout the story there are several characters that are rather pointless and somewhat annoying.  Other characters pop in with some new found information that they are excited about.  The problem is the information makes no sense to the reader…there is no explanation as to why this knowledge is important.

Since the story is written in the first person the reader does not have all the facts to figure out the “who done it” and that is half the fun of a mystery novel…being able to sort out the clues.

The voices/tones that some of the characters have is a bit too much, making them sound silly rather than genuine.

That all said, the author does a very nice job of tying up the loose ends and once she gets into her rhythm puts on a pretty good story with many exciting scenes that leave the reader glad they picked up the book.

The Opium Equation: A Cat Enright Mystery
Lisa Wysocky
Cool Titles (2011)
ISBN 9781935270065
Reviewed by Melissa Koltes for RebeccasReads (07/11)

Soon Come

Initially I had a difficult time reading “Soon Come” by Alan Dayno. The sentences and paragraphs were extremely verbose. The grammar, terminology and way of speaking were also quite different than what I’m used to seeing in print. After reading the first few pages I set the book down in order to mull over Dayno’s rather difficult and different writing style.

I found I had to look at Dayno’s book from the aspect of where the story is set, Jamaica, which finally made things “click” for me. Having myself never been to Jamaica its style of speaking is definitely alien to me. Unfortunately, the way that “Soon Come” is written might also present a challenge to other readers who, like me, have no first hand experience with that “island lingo.” Hopefully, if this happens, Dayno’s readers will be able to understand this book’s tale by looking at the aspect of where “Soon Come’s” story is set rather than how unusual the writing style is. Once I was able to understand Dayno’s writing style I did find it was easier to read the book and for the most part I was able to enjoy it.

In summary “Soon Come” has, within its pages, a complicated story of love and hate, friendship and romance, tangled relationships and ultimately murder. Add to that the complexities of being on an island where it seems everyone can trace their lineage back to each other, throw a huge cultural divide into the mix, adversity and man’s overall greed and I guess things like betrayal and murder could become commonplace and not such a surprising ending.

In closing, I found “Soon Come” to be an engaging read. The author, Alan Dayno, has definitely written this book with a Jamaican flair. It is also obvious from his writing style that Dayno has spent enough time there to allow him to write this story with an authentic Jamaican feel right down to some of the island superstitions. This is definitely an insightful book into their culture and I would recommend “Soon Come” to anyone who enjoys reading fiction, intrigue, murder and mystery that reads more realistically than not.

Soon Come
Alan Dayno
Outskirts Press (2010)
ISBN 9781432758622
Reviewed by Charline Ratcliff for RebeccasReads (7/11)

Lost and Fondue

Charlotte Besette, owner of Providence, Ohio’s local frommagerie “The Cheese Shop”, is busy catering a fundraiser for her close friend Meredith who is trying to establish a liberal arts college on the site of an abandoned winery rumored to hold a long, lost hidden treasure.  She is aided by wine expert Matthew, her cousin and boyfriend of Meredith, and assistant Rebecca, who left the Amish fold and is now an amateur sleuth.
 
During a planned scavenger hunt for the lost objects at the function Charlotte stumbles across the body of one of the art students brought in to paint the winery.  Quinn, niece of Meredith, is another of the budding artists and is the girlfriend of the deceased, Harker Fontaine.  Heard arguing with him before the murder, she   becomes the main murder suspect.   Her father, Freddy is one of the art teachers and is escorted by Nicole, a potential donor to the proposed college.  Her motives are suspect.

Add to the confusion many more art students,  Matthew’s flamboyant ex-wife who abandoned him and their twin daughters, Charlotte’s ex-boyfriend who is the attending policeman, her new boyfriend, her French theatrical grandparents and a myriad of local merchants and the convoluted plot becomes even more complicated to follow.  The main mystery is overshadowed by the complexity of back stories of each of the characters and their relationships to each other.  They all seem to have a past that impacts the present goings-on.  If the author would have spent more time on the investigation and eliminated the extraneous information, the flow of the novel would have been greatly improved.

This is a charming little mystery but the cutesy names and puns make it quite Cheesy!  Oops, sorry!

Lost and Fondue
Avery Aames
Berkley Publishing Group/Penguin Group (2011)
ISBN 9780425241585
Reviewed by Enid Grabiner for RebeccasReads (7/11))

The Third Rail

Third in a series of Chicago-based mysteries, Michael Harvey has proven himself an intelligent, well informed craftsman of the genre.   Michael Kelly, is his recurring private investigator, formerly a Chicago cop, who maintains strong connections within the city neighborhoods and the police force.  He is savvy about the goings-on in the Windy City.

What first appears to be a random shooting on the platform of the elevated soon proves to be more complicated than an indiscriminate execution.  It seems too much of a coincidence that it happens on the 3oth anniversary of a horrific crash of two commuter trains.  Michael becomes personally involved by the sniper, the reason yet to be revealed to the reader.  He is teamed up with the police, homeland security and the FBI, as he tries to decipher clues and threats which clearly implicate him.  As more bodies pile up, he goes renegade.  His contacts are killed and his girlfriend is seriously injured as more information surfaces.  A vendetta also tying in the Catholic Archdiocese and a terrorist plot to release deadly bacteria through the train tunnels is developed as well.   Kelly has to follow the trail and at the same time face personal demons.

I like the character of Michael Kelly.  He is not the typical hard-shelled figure haunted by a wretched inescapable past that makes it impossible for him to bond with people.  Although he has the toughness and determination of a cop, he has a very likeable demeanor and a soft side reflected in his personal relationships.  Unfortunately, always an issue is that ever present a ménage a trois:  him, the woman and the job.

Harvey’s intricate mysteries have a noir quality.  The tone is often dark and gritty, accurately reflecting the seedier side of the city.  Interwoven into the fiction, well-researched terrorist reports and abuse by the Catholic Church, play a role as important as the “L” accident itself in this intricate and visual novel.  Anyone familiar with Chicago gets the added advantage of walking along with Kelly as he moves through the train tunnels, the Irish bars, Cabrini-Green housing projects and Bucktown. The plot of revenge, collusion, corruption and greed is neatly and satisfyingly tied together.  Harvey has proven himself an author difficult to resist.

The Third Rail
Michael Harvey
Vintage Crime/Black Lizard (2010)
ISBN 9780307473639
Reviewed by Enid Grabiner for RebeccasReads (7/11)

You're Next

Young Mike Wingate was abandoned by his father, seemingly for no reason, at the early age of four.  Found by authorities, he is sent into a foster home where he is surrounded by similarly unwanted and broken young souls all seeking love and answers.

During his time there, he befriends a fellow foster child by the name of Shep and these two ‘brothers’ form an interesting bond.  "You're Next" then jumps forward to current day where Mike Wingate owns his own construction company and has built a successful life for his family --- wife Annabel and young daughter, Kat.

Suddenly, strange things begin happening to Mike.  He feels like he is being followed and watched all the time.  He also begins receiving strange phone calls and threatening text messages with eerie quotes like ‘you’re next’.  Who is following Mike and what do they want?  It is these questions, and the inevitable sins of the past taking revenge on the present that drives the rest of the story.

Mike hires a private investigator to not only try to uncover who is after him but also to see if this has any connection to his early childhood abandonment.  Above and beyond this, Mike needs to know who his parents were and why they got rid of him.  After having been subjected to such a horrific incident at an early stage in his life why are there still forces out there looking to terrorize Mike Wingate further?

To complicate matters, Mike’s old foster brother Shep suddenly appears.  He is now an ex-con with a questionable track record.  Mike chooses to believe and trust in him and confides to Shep about the strange things happening to him.  Shep and the P.I. (Hank) are the only people willing and able to help Mike Wingate as some seriously dangerous killers after him for unknown reasons.  Even more disheartening is the fact that local law authorities do not take Mike Wingate seriously or seem to want to help him at all.

The premise established by "You're Next" is intriguing, but not a new one.  The rest of the story plods on with barely any suspense and the ultimate payoff is rather a letdown.  This is surprising because Greg Hurwitz has had a pretty nice career writing thrillers and novels as well as for television (he single-handedly almost saved the recent ABC series “V” when he was brought in to write and co-produce it).  "You're Next" is a mediocre suspense thriller at best.  Here’s hoping Greg Hurwitz’s ‘next’ effort is more in line with his potential.

You're Next
Greg Hurwitz
St Martins Press (2011)
ISBN 9780312534912
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Rebecca's Reads (7/11)