Making Time book #2
Mr. West is great at tricking his readers’ imagination by leading us in one direction knowing full well that it was a ruse all along. Mid-way some of us will surely think we have figured out where the story was leading but hold tight you are in for a surprise, at the last moment he always pulls a curve and the results are far from what we may have presumed…..
Since it is a recurring theme that follows “The End of Making Time” although preferable, I really do not think it is a must to read it first. Re-education of the criminal justice system has revolutionized America: where once caught, you are arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced all in one day. In book #2 we have the story of computer hacker, Jordan Voss and what happens to him once he is moved to a special apartment where everything he does is monitored.
Change perspective and you will enjoy this story. The premise has its own merits, is quite original and gripping most of the time. It is one drama that does not reveal itself until the very last chapter, great twist. The best part in this story is how we are pulled into the characters psyche, bad and evil they will make you think….
Of course this book has a weird concept of the justice system but seen through the eyes of an author with great imagination is something to think about although I really do not think it would ever happen….well I hope so.
Book #9, in the Warriors series
Another good read for fans of Mr. Patterson and those who like action thrillers. Although this may be part of a series, the story stands well on its own. We do have some backstory in order to situate us and understand the characters but it is neither over bearing nor boring.
The plot is good with plenty of action. When Zeb came across a body in the high desert of Oregon he called the authorities who took over the investigation. When he met the dead man’s daughter he couldn’t leave things to others and decided it was time to find those behind the killing…..At the time Zeb didn’t know of the Death Club and who was behind this illusive club…..he soon found out and things started to be exciting and we are plunged once again into one of those captivating story.
Action packed from start to finish this is a page turner. The plot is one of those easy and simple one to follow although there is a lot of stretching reality but put that aside and enjoy this nail biting adventure. I need to mention in this series we find the toughest men and women who have all the tools at their disposal. They always find themselves in unusual situations and they always offer the readers a hell of a ride….
Fun series
Book # 7, in the Warriors Shorts
“The Cab Drive”, the best in this series is a thrill to get into. From the opening page till the very end I was totally immersed in this fast paced drama of only 87 or so pages. This is a very addictive mini-series.
The cab driver which true identity is only reveal in the last page follows his code of ethic of helping others. This time in get involved in the personal lives of two women passengers and by doing so becomes a target….
Of course this is a fast read filled with suspense and packed with intriguing action sequence. What a page-tuner and an exciting plot this one is. I loved them all but this one is my preferred. The main players are great characters of course the cab driver is one of the primary cast member in the main series and the two women play perfectly their roles in this thriller….Awesome series….
This is a perfect mini story to read on your phone while waiting for someone….Hopefully Mr. Patterson will in the future write more of them.
Book #1, in the Ryan Mitchell thrillers
After reading the first few chapters that set the stage you fall into a fat-paced and very violent thriller. If you do not like guts and blood and people being killed this intense drama is not for you but if you love never ending action and extreme suspense you will enjoy this one. This thriller is not for everyone but it was mine and I loved it.
In a few words:
Ryan Mitchell, a former special operative is drawn into the race to find the Goliath and her hidden secret and with his team must protect Jennifer March from the deadly and well- finance group that intends to change the world.
My views:
This plot is totally unbelievable but very exciting to follow. Put aside your disbelief and enjoy the ride you will find yourself in a rollicking adventure from cover to cover. This far-fetched drama that brings us around the world is difficult to put down. There is a lot going on and the suspense will kill you (not really) I was flipping the pages at a rapid pace to see how the team will get out of their predicaments…they always did with a bang and a lot of blood. The writing style is very graphic and focuses mainly on action leaving character development aside. For a hard boiled thriller we find neither profanity nor sex scenes. Finally, all this wraps up neatly and this international kidnapping and terrorist saga leaves us with an unexpected surprise……
This is a wild and crazy read I enjoyed immensely
This political thriller and fiction tale take place in and around Johannesburg, South Africa during apartheid and focuses on the supporters of the cause. The story spans from the uprising up to the release of Nelson Mandela and sometime after. The main players are the Helgers, a second generation Jewish family, young Martin is the key player in this heartbreaking and tragic account.
In the 1980’s, the regime is on the verge of collapse and the population suffers a maelstrom of violence during that horrifying time. Although fictional the author’s words have made this story sound so real with his incredible passages. When Martin is thrust in the heart of the struggle by a manipulative American and comes out of his bubble to help the cause we see a tad of what may have occurred during that time. Mercy is in short supply and no one is safe…..black, white, Afrikaans, Europeans, foreign nationals, immigrants ….. This novel, a moving coming-of- age tale honestly explored the bold themes of identity as well as terrorism and revolution and is said through an unforgettable journey.
The characters are well developed and believable some are even quite sympathetic and others so evil it is hard to believe their actions. This is a very hard book to get into. The narration and dialogue are peppered with some South African dialects, some slang, some Yiddish a challenging mix if not familiar with the languages. Although the author has given us a glossary at the end of the books I found it was very distracting and I needed to pause too often and reread the sentences in order to understand the meaning. The long paragraph sometime over a page long and its stretched narrative also made reading a daunting task at times. ….Of course what I think doesn’t remove the feeling of authenticity this story projects.
I may not have enjoyed this novel at its fullest nevertheless I must say “The Mandela Plot” is a good read to be enjoyed by historical buff….
I received this ARC from Penguin Random House Canada via NetGalleys for my thoughts
Book #3, in the Maxine Benson Mystery
This suspenseful crime fiction is a “Rapid Reads” easy on the eyes. Its 150 pages (paper version) can be read in one setting: small pages and good size font and a style meant for young adults. This story is not taxing.
Maxine Benson, police chief in a small town, sets out to solve the murder of her ex-husband’s new girlfriend.
This is an entertaining and well-written drama that unfolds nicely. Not being my first “Rapid Reads” I knew that the plot would be too short and would come to a quick resolve and that the characterization would also lack development (not enough time) to do so.
Having said this “Murder Among the Pines” has nevertheless a captivating plot within the limited pages, a simple story yet not boring and one that stayed true to the characters.
I received this ARC from Orca Book Publishers via the Early Reviewers Program.
Book #5, in the Colton Banyon Mysteries
If you want an amusing and a fun read you will be well served with this series. No problem to start at any point, each book has a unique drama and just enough background on the characters to situate us so that we can enjoy the moment without being overloaded with pass information.
In, ”A Dubious Plan”, Colton and his sidekick Loni are called to Death Valley to attend a wedding. But when a WW11 German plane is found in the sand dunes things changes….fast.
Don’t take this story seriously it is pure escapism from reality and very entertaining. The tempo is steady and holds its own all through, actually it never let go. The characters are a bit shallow, especially the female roles. I been stating this for a good part of the series, sexuality and the women insecurities and appearances are too often repeated…Naked brainless women catering to sex starved men is rather annoying (no explicit sexual scenes )…... Passing beyond the sexual innuendos and the frivolities the plot is an intriguing adventure. Most of Mr. Kubicki’s stories have a bit of mysticism and cynical humour mixed with a little bit of history…The author’s notes at the end of the book tells us what triggered his inspiration to write this story.
This book may be the latest I have read but actually I have read all of the books written to date by the Kubickis.
