Red Dead’s History by Tore C. Olsson has a fantastic premise and was inspired by the author’s college history class that he taught. It covered theRed Dead’s History by Tore C. Olsson has a fantastic premise and was inspired by the author’s college history class that he taught. It covered the Red Dead Redemption games and history and drew upon years of gaming experience, research, and reflections on how video games can interest individuals in serious history. The book focused on the game set in 1899 that has been touted for its realism and attention to detail. The author looks at the game and the actual U.S. history and evaluates where the game shines and where it falls short as he explores events in the West, the Deep South, and southern Appalachia that the game introduces.
While I enjoy history, I found this book somewhat slow-paced, which is not what I expected. If you are familiar with the late 19th century U.S. history, you probably won’t learn anything new. However, it did flesh out a couple of items in more detail than I had studied. I appreciated that the author covered the social, cultural, economic, and political atmosphere, as well as the violence, of the time. There are also many footnotes with sources listed.
Overall, this is a creative, well-researched, and well-organized book that ended up a little too slow for my tastes. I was expecting history to come alive and to learn something new, but that didn’t happen. However, it may work to get someone who doesn’t already like history to engage with it; especially if they enjoy the video game.
St. Martin’s Press and Tore C. Olsson provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for August 06, 2024. ---------------------------------------------------- My 2.63 rounded to 3 stars review is coming soon. Outlier rating....more
What an enchanting world Alexandra Ivy has created in the Magic for Hire series. Book two is Ancient Magic and features Skye Claremont and Micha. What an enchanting world Alexandra Ivy has created in the Magic for Hire series. Book two is Ancient Magic and features Skye Claremont and Micha. Urban fantasy, a mystery, a kidnapping, and a paranormal romance are combined into an enthralling storyline. The Vampire Cabal are investigating Skye’s friend Peri to determine whether she is a threat to vampires. However, someone is trying for a power grab.
Skye is a mage who has visions and whose father indentured her when she was young to pay off his gambling debts. When he returns and asks her to meet him, it turns into a trap. However, a vision tells her Micha must be kidnapped as her father’s debtholders desire.
Both Skye and Micha are well-defined characters with depth. A byproduct of Skye’s magic is that she can sense emotions which can be overwhelming at times. She tends to hide her emotions, has a rigid sense of integrity, is intelligent, courageous, stubborn, and has a high degree of curiosity. Micha is a scholar at heart. He’s self-controlled, stubborn, plans meticulously, and can be arrogant at times.
Action, suspense, and drama immediately pull readers into the story, which is well-written. The plot is twisty and flows well. There is the right amount of mystery, romance and creative twists to the paranormal to keep readers engrossed and wondering what was going to happen next. The descriptive writing doesn’t slow the pace, but enhances the reader’s experience. The world-building is excellent except I wanted to know more about the Gyre. Themes include trust, instant romance, betrayal, fear, greed, murder, kidnapping, found family, ruthless ambition, and much more.
Overall, this is a fast-paced and entertaining tale with great characterization and plenty of action that kept me engaged throughout the story. Whose story will be next?
Kensington Publishing – Lyrical Press and Alexandra Ivy provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for July 23, 2024. ------------------------------------------ My 4.23 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon....more
The Lost Coast by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman is the fifth book in the Clay Edison mystery series. With an intriguing and multilayered The Lost Coast by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman is the fifth book in the Clay Edison mystery series. With an intriguing and multilayered plot, the authors give readers a story that is suspenseful, full of fascinating characters, and largely set in a picturesque but secluded area of the California coast.
Clay Edison is now working as a private investigator when a client brings him a potential fraud case. Chris Villareal has been named the executor of his grandmother’s estate and has found a reoccurring charge that doesn’t make sense. Investigating what seems to be a scheme targeting those who are easily preyed upon leads Clay to the remote community of Swann’s Flat, California. The small coastal community doesn’t like Clay asking questions, especially when he also starts investigating a second case in the area.
The story has a deeply involved plot, fantastic worldbuilding, and a remarkable set of characters. The characters are well-defined and Clay’s character was especially dynamic as he responded to events and experienced changes in his outlook. His relationship with his wife and children added another layer of depth to his character. It seemed most of the individuals in the story had agendas. But who is prey and who is a predator?
The setting is incredible. This area is mostly natural and undeveloped with geotechnical challenges that only allows for a very rough, curvy, and steep road in and out of the community. The authors made the spectacular setting come to life, making this reader feel transported to the remote coastal community.
The story lived up to its potential with plenty of deceptions, secrets, and an action-packed ending. Additionally, the book did a great job of revealing the past events. An ever-present threat looming piqued my curiosity and kept me engaged. The evolving quest for answers and the suspenseful twists are sure to delight readers. My biggest quibble is that the pacing was slow in a couple of places in the middle.
Overall, this tense, exciting, and gripping book takes readers through unpredictable moments as the authors provide suspenseful twists in the intricate plot. It’s engaging with an unusual and strange set of characters and a complex plot in a great setting. If you enjoy mysteries, then this is a series to consider. I can’t wait to find out what is next for Clay. While this book can be read as a standalone novel, it contains spoilers if you plan to read the earlier novels.
Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine – Ballantine Books, Jonathan Kellerman, and Jesse Kellerman provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for August 06, 2024. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine. --------------------------------------- My 3.71 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon....more
If you enjoy unusual and very different military thrillers and science fiction, then The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Mieville may If you enjoy unusual and very different military thrillers and science fiction, then The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Mieville may be the book you’ve been wanting to read. Legends tell of a warrior who can’t be killed. In this story, he’s known as “B” and he wants more than to kill and to die and come back to life repeatedly. When a dead soldier comes back to life, B wonders if there’s another with similar abilities to his own.
While I enjoy both military thrillers and science fiction, this one didn’t quite live up to its potential. The authors have written a novel that is stylistically different. However, it didn’t quite work for me. The writing style felt uneven and unfocused at times which adversely affected the flow and made it harder to follow. It’s non-linear and contains graphic violence at times. Unfortunately, only three of the many characters have any depth to them. Despite this, it has a great premise and is thought-provoking. The prose is also poetic at times and the worldbuilding is excellent.
Overall, this is a unique and fascinating novel that captures the imagination.
Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine – Del Rey, Keanu Reeves, and China Mieville provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently expected to be July 23, 2024. -------------------------------------- My 2.8 rounded to 3 stars review is coming soon....more
Bruce Borgos continues to excite and engage readers with Shades of Mercy, his suspenseful and action-packed second book in the Porter Beck crime tBruce Borgos continues to excite and engage readers with Shades of Mercy, his suspenseful and action-packed second book in the Porter Beck crime thriller and police procedural series. Beck is the sheriff of Lincoln County, Nevada, a dry and sparsely populated county in the high desert. He has a twelve-person department covering territory nearly the size of the state of Maryland. If you think that not much is happening in the county, think again. A childhood friend of Beck’s has succumbed to a strong drug and another one, a successful rancher, has been targeted by a hacked military drone. However, that is just the beginning.
Borgos is adept at creating strong male and female characters. Beck is fluent in several languages due to his previous military career and has an incredible ability to think critically and analyze data quickly. He has initiative, is patient, and has a degenerative disease of the retina that significantly affects his eyesight at night and in poor lighting. It was interesting to see how he deals with the condition as he does his job. This added another layer to his character. The secondary characters also have depth. I loved Beck’s newest partner, a young English Lab named Frank Columbo or Bo for short.
The world-building is terrific with fluid and descriptive writing that helps readers envision the scenes without adversely affecting the pacing. There was a strong sense of place causing me to feel as though I was experiencing the events alongside the characters. The dynamic plot has a tremendous amount of conflict and action that kept me engaged throughout. It is twisty and has exciting scenes, multiple antagonists, and an incredible setting.
Borgos is an excellent storyteller who brings an intensity and action throughout the novel, but also intersperses some humor and some thought-provoking events. The author surprised this reader with the epilogue that makes me anxious to find out what happens in the next book in the series. Interspersed into the story are themes of family, death, friendships that run out of juice, lies, found family, dementia, grief, lost opportunities, and much more.
Overall, this was intriguing, gritty, suspenseful, and action-packed with compelling characters and great world-building that kept me rapidly turning the pages as I sat on the edge of my seat. With exciting scenes and fascinating story lines that converge, this fantastic crime thriller was intense and dramatic. It kept me on an emotional rollercoaster throughout the novel. I’m thrilled I’ve found this series and can’t wait to read the next book. If you’re a fan of contemporary crime thrillers and police procedurals set in a rural western U.S. locale, then this is a series to read.
St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Bruce Borgos provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for July 16, 2024. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine. --------------------------------------- My 4.61 rounded to 5 stars review is coming soon....more
Death, mystery, and suspense take center stage once again in Robert Dugoni’s fourth book in the Detective Tracy Crosswhite police procedural series: Death, mystery, and suspense take center stage once again in Robert Dugoni’s fourth book in the Detective Tracy Crosswhite police procedural series: The Trapped Girl. Tracey and her partner Detective Kins Rowe are called to Puget Sound where a woman’s body had been discovered in a cab pot. Identifying the victim won’t be easy though. Eventually evidence surfaces that the woman may be one who disappeared months ago when climbing Mount Rainier and the Seattle police department team must work with the Pierce County sheriff’s office.
Tracy feels realistic and authentic as she continues to struggle with the guilt for not being there to protect her sister years ago while she works the case involving a young woman who died. She loves the mental and physical challenges of the job. It was fascinating to see her approach the evidence from a visual versus an analytical standpoint near the end of the investigation. Her struggles with the captain of the police department’s Violent Crimes Section, Johnny Nolasco, aren’t quite apparent as he was investigated for some of his prior cases. Tracy’s boyfriend, Dan O’Leary, is a lawyer who’s adept, strong, and sensitive but didn’t play as large a role in this one until near the end of the book. I also enjoyed seeing Detective Vic Fazzio have a larger role in the investigation. Dugoni uses vivid descriptions that help a reader to better understand the environment whether it is the task force office or a small town. The story also uses flashback scenes from a point of view other than Tracy’s without derailing the pacing. The plot has several twists within the intricate story that’s full of betrayal, greed, deception, lies, murder, and more.
The storyline is engaging, suspenseful, and includes some tense scenes. This engrossing crime novel keeps you on the edge of your seat. Besides the investigation, readers get insight into Tracy’s dynamics with her co-workers, Dan, and those in other police departments. The author has weaved another installment involving murder, relationships, grief, lies, the pursuit of justice, and much more.
Overall, this well-written book has well-developed and compelling characters. If you are expecting a solid series that will have mysteries, suspense, crime, action, and a little romance, then this is a series that I recommend. It should be read in order. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date was January 24, 2017. ----------------------------------------- My 4.13 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon....more
Murder, mystery, suspense, and action take center stage in Robert Dugoni’s second book in the Tracy Crosswhite police procedural series: Her Final Murder, mystery, suspense, and action take center stage in Robert Dugoni’s second book in the Tracy Crosswhite police procedural series: Her Final Breath. She has just returned to her job as a Seattle homicide detective after taking leave for the retrial of her sister’s killer. However, she and her partner, Detective Kinsington “Kins” Rowe, are soon drawn into a new case. A serial killer known as the Cowboy is killing young dancers in cheap motels. With few clues, a task force is formed with Tracy as the lead. On top of that, she is being stalked. Is it the Cowboy or a copycat?
Tracy feels realistic and authentic as she continues to struggle with the guilt for not being there to protect her sister years ago while she works the case involving young women being murdered. She loves the mental and physical challenges of the job. Additionally, she is mentoring a young police officer needing to pass her firearms qualification test. Her struggles with the captain of the police department’s Violent Crimes Section, Johnny Nolasco, continues to provide another layer of conflict to the story line. Tracy’s boyfriend, Dan O’Leary, is a lawyer who’s adept, strong, and sensitive and continues to be a major secondary character in the series.
Dugoni uses vivid descriptions that help a reader to better understand the environment whether it is the task force office or Tracy’s home. The story is complex with several possible culprits and a couple of twists. My only quibbles are that it was slightly slow in a couple of places, and the serial killer was a little too easy to guess.
The storyline is engaging, suspenseful, and includes some very tense scenes. This engrossing crime novel keeps you on the edge of your seat as the race is on to find the killer. Besides the investigation, readers get insight into Tracy’s dynamics with her co-workers, Dan, and a couple of young police officers. The author has weaved another installment involving murder, relationships, balancing work and family, grief, lies, the pursuit of justice, and much more.
Overall, this book has well-developed and relatable main and secondary characters. If you are expecting a solid series that will have mysteries, suspense, crime, action, and a little romance, then this is a series that I recommend. I recommend it to those who enjoy police procedurals, mysteries and crime novels and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date was September 15, 2015. ------------------------------------------ My 4.27 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon....more
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