Book #1, in the Tom Dugan Thrillers series
Not having spent time in the marine industry and one who is by far not fond on being captive in a tin can of any size, thrillers involving ships and its operations are not my favorite topics. Having said this, the plot will nevertheless capture the imagination of ship geeks….this techno-thriller with all the juice and characters hop-scotching through exotic locales will surely please the majority of readers.
The central character is Tom Dugan, a skilled professional who travels the world as an operating engineer on ships, he is one the good guys. As for the bad guys they are many of them most are motivated by religious fanaticism and some simply by greed. They are all sadistic as we would expect them to be. “Deadly Straits”, is a fast paced and multilayered plot that travels from Singapore, Malaysia, London , Malacca, Panama, Chechnya, Teheran, Virginia. 9/11 told us it is possible to used aircraft as flying bombs, “Deadly Straits”, suggest that huge tankers can be also used as weapons….Some said this plot is entirely possible and realistic….terrorists gaining control of loaded tankers and using them as weapons in straits to block flow of traffic. This story tells a scary account on how they may attempt this…..
This is one convoluted story very I had a hard time keeping focus on. Following the many characters with strange names was a challenge and keeping track of who is a good guy and who is a bad guy was even more. Mr. McDermott has definitely deployed his knowledge of ships and navigation with the many details about manoeuvering and detonating supertankers. Maybe he did a too good job doing so. The many threads that bounce from storyline to storyline make this book long and complex and not all that interesting… I struggled to keep up till the end …
A Hunter Rayne Highway Mystery Sketches
I didn’t realize this was a series of three very short stories 21 pages in all, sketches introducing the author’s main character and two supporting players in the main series “Hunter Rayne Highway Mysteries”. I like the main series so when I saw “White Liners” I just picked it up but what a disappointment when I noticed what this book really was. I don’t really know why authors spend time doing this kind of promotion….it was a freebie at the time, thank goodness.
Each stories is way too short to have time getting into the swig of it, to get hooked and be captivated. As soon as you open the story it is already finished….so what is the point……
Pass on this one, but give the full novels a chance they are well-worth it. I read a few and have enjoyed them immensely
Book #1, in the Ellie Foreman mystery
This mystery is a blend of politics, history and suspense. It begins with an exchange between two men in Prague in 1944 and the story proceeds with the ramification to contemporary Chicago.
The main character is Ellie Foreman, a documentary filmmaker, who becomes an amateur sleuth when an old Jewish man she did not know dies and her address was found among his belongings. A string of murders and attempted murder follow and inquisitive Ellie pokes her nose into the mystery that will lead to links between Nazi war crimes and a present day politician running for office.
This debut story is very entertaining, a clever mystery puzzle that is somewhat funny. Both the multi-generational historical mystery and the political one are well- done. The author is good at putting clues and red herrings to intrigue us and to keep us on the edge of our seat, guessing and of course turning pages. The action is interesting and not overly-done: no shoot out and no graphic murders…smooth sailing….The narration and dialogue are in the everyday language. The romance needed a stronger push to get going and finally the rare sex scenes lacked enthusiasm….quite vanilla….maybe with time things will get hot… I like Ellie, she is likeable, a single mother with a deadbeat ex-husband, doing her best and she is surely entertaining….This cozy mystery is a fast read that nicely wraps up at the end.
I received this Rapid Reads from Orca Book Publishers via the Early Reviewers Program for my thoughts.
Short and sweet, this large print paper book which also includes a preview of the author’s next book is just under 130 pages long. “”No Return Address” is a hearth warming story about how a family grows apart and what is necessary to bring them back together.
Rhonda receives mysterious package in the mail from her mom who passed away the previous year. Curious she turns to people around her and along the way she makes new friends and reconnects with her brother.
I love those little books perfect to squeeze in when time is not on our side. Ms. Dargatz knows how in simple words make an impact that will make us think. Wouldn’t you also be curious? Although not very long the storyline is captivating and suspenseful and is said in a prose that is warm and down to heart. Well-done.
Rapprochement is a bigger gift that one can ever imagine….
“We Are Holding the President Hostage” is a powerful tale of terrorism and revenge originally published in 1986.
This title may be a dead giveaway but this book is nonetheless a high-octane thriller that has gripped me from the very start and kept me riveted till the last page and sometime after.
Summary:
When terrorists capture the daughter and grandson of a Mafia Don in Egypt, the Don cleverly insinuates himself into the White House and holds the President and his wife hostage.
Although basic, the plot is intriguing and well- done. The story takes place in the White House and the kidnapped hostages’ part is in the Middle East. The author skillfully keeps the tension going in this deadly game of bluff as the struggle between the two sides intensifies and the hostages are just plain pawns in a war of nerves. This is a mind game between the characters, a real cerebral chess match. This story excels in the contrast between the men and how they use their power over the other.
The style is clean cut, no profanity or sex scenes and as the drama progresses each character share their point of view on their situation as well as their feelings and fears…
If you enjoy politically savvy action novel, this quick and fun read may be up your alley.
Book #1, in the Founders series
This is one weird story that may please fans of heists and mostly those enjoying fantasies. Reading this book was a new experience for me, I did not know of Mr. Bennett and less of his works so I was eager to see what he had in store for me the main reason I accepted the invitation to read “Foundryside”.
The plot is mostly a series of heists and a cat and mouse game taking place in a city controlled by merchant houses. The setting is at the most unusual, a unrealistic vision beyond fantasy where the players use a complex magic system “scriving” for their purpose and to interact with the world…….
To be fair, this is not my preferred genre and by far. Reviews praised this book but I never finished it…I rarely do this but ¾ into it I had enough and closed it. I urge readers to see what others reviewers think before discarding this book.
What made me stop reading the book?
Too much information dumping, the author spends a lot of time describing the “scriving” on objects and tends to repeat himself. The scenes were too hard to visualize, the action too Harry Potter for my taste, the vernacular language that kept creeping at times was hard to follow. To be picky I also didn’t like the presentation: to differentiate the narrators the story is told by alternating pages some written in regular style text and others in italics. I also found the book to have a strange combination of “scriving” and politics. Finally, this story never tweaked…. definitely I am not a fan of fantasies….
On the positive side
The story is at most imaginative, the magic system quite original, the constant mystery behind Sancia’s power added suspense and some intrigue, as for the characterization: the players are fairly well-developed.
Since “Foundryside” did not strike a chord it was a hard book for me to rate. But this story may be up your alley, so take my review with a grain of salt. My apologies to the author for my unfavourable thoughts.
My thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
Mr. Adler is at the top of my favourite authors list. His style is so diverse you never know what genre he will surprise us with next. In his huge varied library we find psychological and political thrillers, fantasy, romance, mysteries, comedy, family relationships, historical fiction, cozy and short story. Boy what a prolific author. I am happy to be one of his faithful fan and member of his reviewing team.
“The Norma Conquest” offers a brief view into the last hurrahs by a long time agitator and now a homeless activist in a battle to save a women’s shelter from being relocated. Norma is the underdog that will lead the fight against a tycoon and his partners till she gives her last breath. The story is both heartbreaking and joyous when Norma’s ill health brings her daughter Jenny back to her after years apart. Family bonds are stronger than we can imagine……
I love this story but it took time before I put things together 70 pages or so by then I slowly realized that I was being pulled into a captivating quest alongside Norma and Jenny to save the homeless women their home. This is a wonderful and extremely well written story that is played by well-drawn characters even the evil men are attractive. The rapprochement between mother and daughter is very touching, in the long run both reached the same vision and ideas but sadly it came too late…..A warning the narrative and dialogue are street jargon and we have a lot of the F words…..exactly what one would hear….well-done Mr. Adler this story was well worth passing time with.
