Book #2 in the Dotan Naor Series
The story in a few words:
Dotan Naor, an Israeli private investigator, goes to Thailand to find Sigal Bardon who has disappeared in Bangkok. Dotan is familiar with the city’s dark side and he knows in his search every path will be blocked but this will not deter him in his pursuit for Sigal Bardon. Dotan is one who specializes in rescuing missing young Israelis abroad.
My thoughts:
Dotan, this tough-talking Tel Aviv private eye narrates his story and his voice inevitably pulls you next to him as we follow him in his search for the missing woman. The dark and seedy side of the city is dissected in all its glory with sensual pleasures and all the corruption you can imagine. This drama is fast moving and is filled with gritty thrills which had me flipping the pages so captivated by Dotan’s pursuit of the elusive Sigal. Along the way he encounters a number of stock characters: a know it all cabbie, a matriarch madam, a drug boss and we learn everything we need to know about the sex and narcotics trade. As the search goes on I had no idea where things were going and if Sigal would ever be found but the suspense is in the uncertainty of no knowing…..and this is very well-done. The added flavour is the exotic locale which Dotan navigates and brings him to dead end bars, addicts with no way out and every form of crime. Things did not stop there, Dotan also goes to place where he has to confront the ghosts of the past…
This is an easy and fast read that delivers suspense cover to cover.
“Passport to Death” is Dotan second mission his first can be read in “ Death in Shangri-La”.
Mercy Harbor Thriller book #1
Who’s killing the girls of Willow Bay?
Eden Winthrop, the key player, runs “Mercy”, a shelter for abuse women in honor of her sister whose life was taken prematurely. She has been blaming herself ever since her sister died for not protecting her. So when a troubled teen showed up at the shelter, then disappeared she made it her mission to find her……But when a friend of the teen turned up dead in the Willow River the search turned out to be another ball game……
It opens with a murder in progress. The killer think he is saving his victims from sex and drug trafficking and from police corruption. There on we have more murders, lots of violence, domestic abuse and an investigation that uncovers that the latest Willow River killing is linked to two cold cases murders and the twisted motive of a serial killer.
This is definitely a page-turner and a real nail biter of a thriller. Intense and emotion packed from the opening and never let go. We have lots of twists and turns to keep us on our toes and as it smoothly progresses to its conclusion it is hard to pin point the whodunit till reaching the few last chapters. The main character is a mess and plays her part beautifully as a woman who suffers from PTSD. We have other interesting characters such as the Detective who is in charge of the cases and the lawyer who had defended Eden sister’s killer plays a very important role… it doesn’t stop there we also have seedy characters and violent pimp with his sidekick there helping to move this captivating thriller along.
What a great job the author did with the presentation, the narration, the dialogue, of course the plot and the entertaining characters. Well done.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Book # 32 in the Colton Banyon Mystery
Mr.Kuckicki has created an exciting mystery blended with some Sumerian mythology and has topped it all with some fantasy. What I like the best about this series is although fictional we always learn something of history all said in an entertaining way. This latest is based on the Anunnaki, ancient Sumerian gods whose primary function was decree the fates of humanity. Some believed them to be extraterrestrial.
It has been a long time between novels and I missed reading Colton exploits. “The Anunnaki Purse” is divided in Fourteen parts and starts a long time ago “A Very Ancient Times” with the ruler of Nibiru looking down on a planet in trouble, then the story progresses to “Ancient Time on Earth” and to the “Present Day”. There is a lot going on, first the Annunaki purse is found then is stolen and then the hunt is on to retrieve it. Colton takes a long time to show up but finally does with his team in Part three chapter Fourteen. But once in, his contribution to the story is what makes this thrilling adventure intercepted with fantasy a very pleasant read.
The prize:
Why is the purse so valuable? What magic does it hold? Why is it so sought after? Why would so many kill to get hold of it? We find all answers along the way…..
The Characters:
So many players to entertain us: Egyptians, North Koreans and Americans, good people, bad people and the Anunnaki… all parts played are graphic and visual. Most of all, Colton and the members of the Forever Ours team are always ready for a challenge and of course there to save the day….They are a great group of super heroes…..
The plot:
The story provides one surprise after the other. I won’t spoil your enjoyment by revealing too many secrets. But be ready to travel from one side of the world to another and even take a step or two into the unknown. …and be spooked along the way….
More thoughts:
This is an easy and fast read: small chapters, clean language and a captivating storyline. The characters are well-drawn even the Anunnaki are characterized to leave an impression and they do…..
A special mention taken from the author’s notes
“We don’t know when the Anunnaki appeared, but the first written evidence of them appeared in tablets around 2,500 B.C. We likewise don’t know when they disappeared.”
Grens & Sundkvist book # 3
This is one provocative reading experience that pushes a point of view that is quite controversial: those who advocate capital punishment. Death-row and the conflicting desires for justice and retribution is the premise in this multilayered plot. Detective Superintendent Ewert Grens will deal with this.
It opens in a US prison with 17 year old John Meyer Frey on death row for a murder he says he did not commit. While on the other side of the world in Sweden, John Schwartz is remanded to jail after assaulting another man….But it turns out that Frey and Schwartz are one and the same…..How this came to be discovered comprise much of the story.
The mesmerising crime narrative will grab you by the throat and never let go. This is one concocted and devious plot that is hard to put down. It is said with flashbacks to the past to provide answers and the manipulations so masterfully told that I was caught off guard, extremely intrigued by the direction the plot was going and even more how it would end. Although I was frantically turning pages hoping for a positive outcome I was off base so many times that I gave up trying. Not being able to predict what would happen is what made reading this mystery all the more enjoyable. I didn’t see the twist at the end coming.
This story is not without Grens’ eccentricities, he is a special character whose bizarre attitude is what makes him different. I like him he is so entertaining with is rock and roll music and dancing to the tune….in his office. Other good players add colour and atmosphere to this absolutely original story.
Greed book #1
Something fishy is going on with this deal …does anyone knows the true intent of a corporate takeover? When a technology giant swallows up a private company for one the thought of layoffs comes to mind.
Michael Doyle a mid-level management is sure that he and many of his friends will lose their jobs when the top brass announces they have sold out to an international conglomerate. But his self-pity is cut short when he discovers the dismembered body of a co-worker, this gruesome murder gave him purpose to investigate the whodunit and the why.
This a deeply compelling crime drama that chronicles the live of Michael who finds himself on the corporate’s chopping blocks. The plot has a bit of everything: suspense, mystery, adventure, sex, love, corporate power, personal needs, murder, backstabbing, mischief, etc. and is masterfully created to hold our attention throughout. It mainly centers around a corporate sale and on the level of greed necessary to satisfy each personal goal. The author paints a bleak picture with a realistic touch of what could happen to anyone these days.
Lots of suspense builds up while trying to find who is behind the gruesome murder. This fast-paces edge of your seat mystery held my attention captive from page one till I reach the conclusion. I simply couldn’t put the book down and read it in two settings. Another well- written story played out by great characters.
Smooth style, easy to read and a unique storyline, what is not to like.
Set in the U.S territory of Hawaii. 1948. “The Preserve” is based on some true events, includes real-life characters and offers a meaningful take on the dark side of American power in the postwar era. Reading this novel you should be willing to face some grim truths.
This is the sequel to “Under False Flags” which I haven’t read and I surely missed out not having done so. It would have been an asset to have read it in order to better understand where the main character, Wendell Lett, came from and why he ended up in Hawaii. Although the author does make mention of his past he did not elaborate. So now I am curious to read Wendell’s mission in Europe.
According to Mr. Anderson his story is entirely fictional. But it wouldn’t be surprising if a camp like the preserve did exist with its classified psychological drug programs, its clandestine rogue operations, and a place where plots against major figures are made including assassination. “The Preserve” and Wendell Lett brings us deep into the heart of what could have been…..In “The Preserve”, Wendell desperately seeks a cure for his severe combat trauma, he thinks he is in wright place for his salvation…or is he?.... he is not alone…
Seeking a new beginning is Kanani Alana who became a close friend to Wendell. This tough-minded Hawaiian who speaks Hawaiian Pidgin English added local colour to the narrative and a sense of place. Her language is smoothly incorporated and is not overly done. The author has a strong way with prose, slow, pausing at times to let us savour his tale.
Wendell and Kanani although are the main characters they do not play in this drama by themselves. There is a huge cast of characters that crosses their paths. Some names are known such as General Douglas MacArthur and the nefarious US intelligence operative Ed Lansdale and others less familiar but nonetheless important players.
It is not without suspense. When Wendell discovers the true intentions behind the camp, he and Kanani plan a dangerous escape. But can they survive the harsh wilderness of the Big Island?....Their escape is slow moving but what a nail-biting drama we follow. Well-done, it is hard not to root for their success.
Included in this captivating story, is the search for the missing Imperial Japanese fortune that had been plundered throughout Asia during the war. The author also mentioned that with the U.S. military ruling the territory the Hawaiians culture and ways of life changed for ever.
“The Preserve” is an exciting fiction written with elegance.
