Book #1, in the Warriors shorts
“Zulu Hours” is the first in a series of short stories featuring Zeb Carter and is definitely a prequel to the main Warriors Series.
I always said I wasn’t a fan of short stories but here I stand corrected. 49 pages of brilliantly writing and engaging storyline that bring us back to where it all started. If you are already familiar with the Warriors series reading this prequel will answer most of your questions. If you want to start at this point, this book will give you a sample of what to expect and all you need to go forward.
Even with 49 pages we have a good storyline filled with action and great characters. We find out how Zeb’s group came together and how with Broker became important assets to the Agency.
1993, Mogadishu, Delta Force operative Zeb Carter meets Mohammed Jama, a vicious warlord…..and the action moves on from there….
Book# 12, in the Bernie Gunther Mysteries
This story moves back and forth between Nazi Germany in 1939 and the French Riviera in 1956. We follow Gunther match wits with German officials in two suspenseful stories that at first seemed to go their own ways but meshes nicely by the end. Mr. Kerr brings once again a renewed life to the monsters of the Nazi era and at the same time gives us a thrilling adventure, a deadly cat and mouse game in the French countryside….
Nothing is more frustrating for a cop with a conscience than to work under the Nazis and not end up in prison. “Prussian Blue”, swings around between a plot that trails the reluctant Gunther’s from France in the 50’s being pursued by his old enemies of the Reich, narrowly escaping the noose by doing dirty deeds to save himself. Then the plot brings Gunther to the days when he worked for Martin Bormann to clean up a messy situation at Hitler’s vacation home before he shows up for his birthday celebration in a week. The two plots go back and forth.
Mr. Kerr has a real talent in capturing the mood and misdeeds and once again brilliantly created a whodunit to bring the horrors of life during the Nazi’s regime. The shrewd and acute interpretations of facts blended with fiction makes for a believable depiction. The research and the accuracy of the historical setting can only match the best of the best authors; Mr. Kerr is definitely a master. I am a huge fan of Bernie Gunther and have devoured in gulps of fright and pleasure all of them to date. The plot is an entertaining adventure that takes in high crime, scandals, fraud, drugs and murder and features one of the most successful anti-heroes in crime fiction, Bernie Gunther: a WW1 veteran, a Kripo detective during WW11 who now roams the world like a wanted criminal. Gunther is not a young man how long can he stick around….only Mr. Kerr knows…but in the meantime I will be faithful to him….
I like this book but on the down side, although the pacing is steady it lacks the suspense I was hoping for. It is a bit overwritten, descriptions of people and places and long paragraphs stretch the plot over many pages unnecessary, making a meaty book to read.
Good story but not one at the top of my list.
Book #1, in the Assassin series
This is one brutal and heart-stopping novel I read in a long time. In “King of Swords” we are taken on a violent journey through drug cartel of Mexico. This thriller is definitely not for the fainthearted, it is a blend of facts and fiction and strange enough, we will never know where the truth ends and where Mr. Russell’s inspiration kicked in, the fine line between is a little fuzzy.
This thriller is cranked up on steroids and has left me gasping and cringing more often than not. The storyline is very graphic. It captures the casual savagery of the ordinary men engaged in extraordinary brutality. Thousands of good and bad people die every year caught in violent confrontations. The author wanted to highlight the psychological making of a monster and he perfectly achieved his goal in his storyline. The pacing is high-velocity I couldn’t help but to follow the tempo by furiously flipping the pages so captivated by the goings- on. El Rey, the main character is a cold blooded killer and assassin operating in Mexico who would work for both the cartels and the police depending upon the situation. Romero Cruz is the police captain on El Rey’s tail and with panoply of interesting side players adding to the thrill, we can only be smack into an exciting saga. Reading this book is like watching a Die Hard movie. It is extremely well- written, full of nasty stuff, fast-paced (I think I said this many times), violent, enthralling….
This thriller is an excellent cat and mouse game full of gritty details. I loved it.
Book # 27, in the Colton Banyon Adventure/Mystery series
When Mr. Kubicki sent his book for review he told me “You will like this one”, he was perfectly right. This one turned out to be one of my preferred Colton Banyon books to date.
This book follows the same pattern as most of them starting with a prologue taking us back in time and giving us a bit of history and a tad of speculation. It is followed with multiple short and captivating chapters and finally ends with the usual author’s notes telling us that most of his story is a fruit of his imagination and as always the events and facts are true but have been enhanced to fit the story.
But what a story, Mr Kubicki brings us back to when Colton Banyon was in his late teens living in Westhampton, the year is 1966. It opens after a hurricane struck and smashed part of the Island and destroyed some houses. Colton with his friend Dale decided to explore the surrounding but what they found was the military standing guard. They are young and fearless and a little pocking around couldn’t hurt….and the weekend long adventure commences….
This book is a fun read, not taxing at all with clear and concise wordings. Of course we should be entertained with this mystery and not take it too seriously. In reality, the German U boat mentioned was never found and archaeological societies have discredited anything to do with the Phoenicians. What I enjoyed particularly is the turn down tone the mystery has: no ridiculous fantasies, no nit-wit oversexed women, no big bang and jump over the moon action the previous installments gave us. It is a plain very subdued story writing in a very captivating manner. It doesn’t leave out intrigue, plenty of it throughout. For fans of this series, you will finally know how (Wolf) and Colton met.
Although this book is part of a series starting with this one would be a good move, it works well as a stand-alone novel. I think young people could enjoy this one also.
Book# 5, in the Emilia Cruz Mysteries
In “Pacific Reaper”, Emilia confronts a death worshiping cult and takes us once again inside Mexico’s drug war. The setting is Acapulco, a breathtaking and deadly city where Mexican cartels battles for control and more politicians that you can imagine are in the drug lord’s pockets.
Murder victims are sacrificed to Santo Muerte. Looking into gruesome and ritualistic murders Emilia takes us to another level of suspense. This character-driven mystery is hard to put down. The author has raised the stakes for her protagonist by forcing her to face vicious members of the cartel while appeasing her superiors and politician and making peace with her colleagues (Emilia’s continual battle). As the investigation progresses and more clues fall into place, more blood is shed and more is revealed. The novel pulls no punches.
This crackling multi-faceted story is well-written, is most captivating, one that keeps a steady pace and holds the attention from the get-go. We also have new revelations about the main character, her family and the people she associates with, adding a nice personal touch. I can well imagine this scenario happening in the real world this is both scary and fascinating at the same time…..You have done it again Ms. Amato providing your readers with hours of entertainment.
The author is an ace storyteller and one of my favourite authors. I wish to thank you Ms. Amato for the gift of your book for my enjoyment. These are my thoughts I have not be asked to give a positive review.
Book #1, in the Hail series
If you are a die-hard fan of thrillers that uses detailed technology of drones and military equipment to intricately detail a plot you will find all you wish for with “Operation Hail Storm” and much more. This captivating story has multi-billionaire Marshall Hail, the main character, using his vast resources to fight a personal vendetta after losing his family in a terrorist attack.
Although well done, this thriller has a level of technology details all through that is quite overwhelming, maybe it is a bit too technically challenging and rather overly done at least in my books. Once passed all those terms we are into a cleverly laid and executed plot with characters we come to know in minutia details. Alongside Hail is Kara a deadly CIA operative who plays the female lead. The drones in Hail fleet are piloted by elite video gamers and MIT graduates we meet some of them in their unique roles. This interesting high-tech story includes super tankers with cinemas, high class restaurants and all the goodies found in upper class hotels, not forgetting all the fire power found on naval ships and plus. The experience may be over the top but is quite exciting to read.
This thought-provoking thriller that uses drones as a way of assassination may have a slow start but the originality and the constant alternate action between Hail’s ship, what happens between US Security Council and Hail (the USA Executive’s problem- solver) and what happens in North Korea make for a very captivating read hard to put down. Yes, the pacing does pick up and becomes fast and furious…or was I so much into this story that I couldn’t help swiping pages at a rapid pace to see what would happen next. Excellent story.
I wish to thank the author for providing a review copy of his book.
Book # 4 in the Jack Noble series This thriller is a collection of five episodes sort of standalone stories that are smoothly meshed into one volume. This series follows the story of Jack Noble, an assassin for hire who practices his art with a clean conscience and he does it for the money.
The main characters:
Jack is an awesome cold blooded killer: rather smart, somewhat funny and definitely you want him on your side but deep down he has a heart of gold. Bear is his best friend, this guy has a soft spot also although don’t step on his toes. Clarissa is the only one that can keep Jack and Bear straight and can keep up with them. Mandy plays a good part in this story also, she the little girl that the group took under their wings.
The setting:
As in many thrillers the story brings you to different countries, where you hear different languages and meet good people and a lot of bad ones.
The story in a few words:
Jack stop to help a lost child moments before he's supposed to complete a deal with one of the east coast's top crime bosses? This is a decision that places Jack in unfamiliar territory. He's become the hunted and finds himself in a race against time to save those closest to him.
My thoughts:
This is a fast-pace suspense full of nonstop action, a bit far-fetched but captivating if you not squeamish with all the killings you will surely have a hoot reading this book. The style is rough and saccadic but this didn’t bother me after all it is mainly a story of killers, don’t forget these guys don’t pussyfoot around. I love all characters even brutal ones can be likable. The author knows how to develop an exciting plot with well-drawn characters to pull us in from start to finish. I would say it is a gripping page-turner
This historical fiction is a carefully researched blend of historical events using real people. The story is about Jennie Pickett and her struggle to become a doctor in the 1870’s Oregon.
This tale is an amazing journey in a time where women physicians were shun by society. For Jennie to become a doctor she had to surmount imaginable obstacles: her dyslexia and a difficult husband and son. She first learned homeopathic treatments with herbs and oil and practiced her art at every occasion with passion. After her divorce from her husband, she met her second husband, a wonderful man who gave her all the encouragement and the push needed to become a doctor. We follow her life through a bad marriage and a good marriage.
This story is told in a smooth narrative one that easily pulled me in from the first chapter. I wanted Jennie to succeed and have a wonderful life. She is portrayed as a strong and determined person regardless of her disabilities and the tragedies in her life. We have a lot of surprises along the way to keep us flipping the pages.
This is a captivating story of over-coming tragedy and poor choices, personal and family challenges and never losing hope. It is also a story of love. Beautifully written this novel is hard not to like.
“All She Left Behind” is based on a true story
I received this ARC from the publisher Revell via the Early Reviewer Program for an honest and unbiased review.
