"Macbeth", by Jo Nesbo

A Hogarth Shakespeare tragedy

Ms. Nesbo is the latest bestselling author to have been commissioned to retell a tragedy originally written by Shakespeare and to spin the tale in a modern way for the a 21st century audience, he chose Macbeth.

“Macbeth “is a thriller about the struggle for power. In Mr. Nesbo’s version the main character “Macbeth”, is the leader of a Swat team in a coastal city where crime is rampant. After a drug bust that went terribly wrong Macbeth and his team must clean up. Power and money becomes the main character’s ambition. He is soon plagued by hallucinations and starts to unravel. In order to get what he thinks is rightfully his, Macbeth does the imaginable….

Nesbo’s revamp is an intricate and dark plot weaved in intrigue, passion and the fallibility of the human mind. It is also a gripping drama that enfolds out of guilt, ambitions and moral conflicts. The story is well-written as a police drama the author is known for. It is a hard book to get into with its multiple characters to get to know and a story that is filled with conspiracies and murders to track of; it is not an easy read. It took quite some time before I managed to piece everything together but mid-way without even realizing it I was totally hooked and I could not put this book down so intrigued to see what would come next I kept pushing forward and I could honestly say that by the end I enjoyed this tragedy.

This dark and gritty crime noir fiction is an excellent addition to join the list of books retelling Shakespeare’s plays by well-known authors.

I received this ARC from Crown Publishing via NetGalleys

"Deadly Partnership", by Richard Gardner

Murder, Blackmail and Voices from the Spirit World

At first I was leery reading this book after all voices from the other world is not my kind of excitement and by far not my cup of tea. Was I ever wrong thinking this and so glad I said yes to Mr. Garner’s request to review his book. This was a very captivating read.

Right from the opening page I was hooked by this dark and clever storyline. The author feeds his story and builds suspense in calculating steps, drop by drop. It begins with an introduction to the main character with Paul Jenkins decisions to live with his sister Julie in their child-hood home after retirement….this may not have been a wise decision. Our first meeting with the spiritual world comes when Julie attends a séance.

After moving in Paul’s idyllic life turns into turmoil when he comes face to face with a burglar, his reaction to this intrusion had tragic consequences. It is not the first time Paul has taken matters in his own hands and it seems that those who have disappeared in the past are not completely gone….from then on we have strange occurrences, medium visits and more murders.

I enjoyed this book. It has a cracking great story with characters easy to connect with. The story provides surprises after surprises and the medium aspects are at its bare minimum. What kept me glued was wondering the outcome, what will Paul do next, who will squeal on him, will he get caught, what about his son, his sister, old friends and the riffraff Paul associates himself with, what’s next…..This story is very well-written with enough suspense to have us flipping the page at a rapid rage…that good.

"Finding Grace:Captured by a Cult", by Warren Adler

What would you do if your loveable child is in the clutches of a notorious cult? Would you question yourself: where did we go wrong, was our child unhappy, did our chattered life had a terrible effect on her…etc. a million questions and very few answers….The novel gets to the heart of brainwashing and its power to control. It also highlights how far parents will go to get their child back, even if that child is an adult.

Mr. Adler is a master in creating drama with visual scenes and building upon relationships. At first blush, the book seemed to be of Grace and the parental attempts to find her but it soon morphed into an overwhelming sexual obsession between two self-centered characters: Harry and Paulie, Grace divorced parents. The story jumps back and forth from the present and go back in time as the characters often reminisce about their life together. At one point, their romance is rekindled and this completely takes over the plot. These two characters did not fully won my heart… but their quest and the drastic measures taken to turn Grace around and bring her home is where this story excels in delivering its message.

This easy and fast read set some decades ago moderately dabbles into the cult mindset and their persuasion techniques. Although the premise is more about the efforts and courage needed to find and bring Grace back home we nevertheless have a look at this young woman who has been sucked into a cult and is now under their firm grasp.

As with all of Mr. Adler’s work, the narration flows smoothly and his powerful prose leaves a whirlwind of emotions. After-all having your child under the spell of mind control who shuns your love can only be but devastating.

An emotional read

"Casino Havana". by Graham Tempest

Book # 5, an Oliver Steele Thriller

In this latest our intrepid forensic accountant is tasked with another mission this time to Cuba he goes to find a friend, who was kidnapped and put in prison.

This is another suspenseful story in the Casino series hard to put down. Mr. Tempest creates interesting intrigues that pulls you in and manages to keep you captivated till his protagonist wraps up his mission. This one reads more like an espionage thriller than a mystery. The Castro era is winding down, Cuba is in a process of a big political change and officials are jockeying for position but some are very corrupted, Oliver must tread the line very carefully.

The story keeps a steady pace, is exciting and full of red herrings especially when Oliver mounts an attack on an island prison trying to reach his friend .Throughout this nail biting journey, one crisis after another happens to our loveable adventurer. Along the way we have details of old style Cuba, its 1920’s music and how things were then and how things are since the Castro era. Recurring characters from previous adventures are weaved in to show us that Oliver still has to deal with bribery and intimidation at every turn. No dull moment with Oliver.

“Casino Havana”, has an interesting and well-written plot with good characterization and is an enjoyable entertainment from cover to cover.

"Gaslight", by Mark Dawson

Book #0.5 in the Soho Noir series

A 65 pages novella, a prequel to the earlier published works “The Imposter and The Black Mile.

The story is moody and vivid but it is too short and too thin but the biggest disappointment is that it leaves you hanging and wanting more. Like most short stories “Gaslight” has its flaws but it is worth the time reading it.

What pushed me to download this book: simple I am a huge fan. Mr. Dawson usually writes exciting stories that lures you in and keeps you interested till you reach the end and why not at the time the book was offered free of charges.

Here he set the stage to post war London 1920, his main characters are two brothers, Harry and Frank Costello who burgle house to supplement their incomes. Mr. Dawson even in his short story never misses the mark in creating the right atmosphere. His vivid prose paints a picture of the seedier side of London’s life, its crime elements and the poorer quarters with ease. But it ends too abruptly for me. This story is more of a teaser…..

"The Westhampton Scare", by Gerald J. Kubicki and Kristopher Kubicki

Book#28, in the Colton Banyon Mystery

Although this may be the 28th book it is just the 2nd bringing us back in time when Colton was a young man. The year is 1968 and Colton just finished his sophomore year at college and was home for the summer working at a restaurant along with some of his friends.

Using the same pattern he always does, Mr. Kubicki starts with an interesting prologue and a bit of history then he swiftly moves to the core of his mystery. I really love this new approach, a good storyline that moves along a good pace with plenty of suspense. The book is fun to read and not taxing at all, we can easily read it in no time. Making Colt and his friend trespass on some secret government land where a nuclear missile went missing gives us just enough intrigue to keep turning the pages, to boot a Russian sleeper cell lurks around the corner….a recovery search spearheaded by a sexy Major is teasing our teens and the wild ride through Westhampton can only make “The Westhampton Scare” a very captivating read.

After reading all but one book written by the Kubicki I noticed a great change in style that I appreciate: out with the ridiculous fantasies, out with the over-sexed dim-wits and more concentration on a solid and good storyline. Well-done.

"Crypt of Bone", by J.F. Penn

Also published under the title “Prophecy”

Book#2, in the Arkane series

In her books Miss Penn uses her vast knowledge in theology to create great stories with a healthy dose of action and intrigue. This second episode picks up sometime after the conclusion of “Stone of Fire” (Pentecost) with Dr. Morgan Sierra investigating supernatural phenomenon in a religious context.

Where to begin when the rich narrative keeps you so stitched to the story you even forget where you are. Well I am guilty of doing this; I was so immersed in this intriguing subject that for moments I thought I was part of it. This is not a boring book, too much adrenaline flows while you heart pounds turning the pages.

The story in a blurb

“Dr. Morgan Sierra travels to Israel to investigate the deaths of victims of the Jerusalem Syndrome and becomes embroiled in an international conspiracy that will use cutting-edge technology to carry an ancient curse to mankind, and threaten those she loves. Morgan joins agent Jake Timber to investigate the supernatural”.

Each book has a different setting actually it is a kind of travelogue in exotic locations. As the action moves swiftly into a wonderful blend of the real world with one of fiction we follow the protagonists to Israel, France, Italy and the Czech Republic .There are no dull moments in this race against a shadowy organization. At time I wondered if Morgan will survive or come out in one piece but again she is the main character and after all needed in subsequent novels. Evil characters Ms. Penn excel in developing them, not mentioning that her main players are memorable and brilliantly conceived.

This is not my first experience reading this author and her style has grown on me through the times. Although I haven’t read the book in sequence I did read a few already and each have stood well on their own. I must catch up and fill the void….you always learn something reading Ms. Penn’s books.

This is a tantalizing thriller that will pull you in right from the start.