Bernie Gunther book # 14
In “Metropolis” the final story of Bernie Gunther, Mr. Kerr’s created a timeless moment by taking us back to 1928 Berlin, when Bernie was on his first case as a homicide cop looking into a string of murders committed by a killer nicknamed “Winnetou”. I am not going to give the plot away you will have to find out for yourself. This is definitely a fitting end to Philip Kerr storied career.
Mr. Kerr style is appealing, I love the first person narrative, with his wise-cracking voice and trademark banter Bernie tells what is happening. Bernie is a detective caught up in an increasingly Nazified Berlin police department and he hates it “Metropolis” give us a tour of a city in chaos with its seedy sideshows and sex clubs, not forgetting a taste of the underground gangs, the homeless, the abandoned and the bewildered citizens. As always, the setting is brought to life with vivid description and through perfectly drawn characters. Weaved in are a number of real life historical characters and of course plenty of intrigue is found throughout. What a fine job of immersing us in the seamy side of Weimar Germany, through the facts of history and the vagaries of human nature.
On the other hand, this latest is not the author’s best, it seems more of an unfinished draft. Some plot lines appear out of nowhere and abruptly die there. Some sentences are clumsy and hard to follow, at times I didn’t know where I was or what I was reading... did I miss something?. ..As a whole “Metropolis” is a good read but one that did not meet my expectation.....
Saying goodbye is hard to do.....you will be missed...
The Clifton Chronicles book # 5
This is the fifth novel in The Clifton Chronicles series could be accessible as a stand-alone story although to have a better feel of what’s going on it is by far better to read it in sequence otherwise you may find yourself wanting to see what had happened previously. And if you have read the previous novel “Be Careful What You Wish For” you will remember it ended in a major cliff hanger....But as a great storyteller, Mr. Archer thought of his newbies and thankfully volume 5 begins with repeating the final chapter of the last book.
Like the other entries in this series this story is an episodic adventure following a large cast of diverse characters and their political, romantic and financial machinations. It covers the tumultuous years from 1964 through 1970.
“Mightier Than the Swords” is a real page-turner that starts with a bang. The IRA sets of a bomb during MV Buckingham’s maiden voyage across the Atlantic. From then on cover-up with more cover-up, more machinations trump more machination, back stabbing over back stabbing, lies on top of lies...you name it. Of course, we see much of the same struggles of the families as they face off again with old foes. I couldn’t put this story down, definitely an engaging one.
We also have a new plotline in the quest to publish a biography of Stalin that is now behind the iron Curtain and once again Mr. Archer leaves this riveting saga with a cliff-hanger.
Another runaway read written by a master. I am so addicted to this series.
This is a psychological suspense at its best, one that plays with the mind of the protagonist and also with the one of its readers.
Not everything is as it seems
Sidney “Doc” O’Keefe is free after being incarcerated for 10 years in a maximum-security for a murder he did not commit. He needs a change in pace so with his wife and daughter he heads to Lake Placid but soon things turned ugly when his daughter is abducted from the beach just steps away from their hotel room. Sid thinks his old crime boss Mickey Rabuffo to be behind the act. Unfortunately, with his history of violence both in and out of jail Sid becomes the prime suspect. With nowhere to go Sid and Penny (wife) decide to take matters in their hands…Is this a mistake? Both are led down a path too convoluted to discover the truth. What a story.
This is a classic noir writing style at its best. Told from Sid’s point of view, he is a simple man driving by his unwavering love for his daughter. We immediate feel a connection with him. I loved him and rooted for him hoping all would end well.
This story needs full attention, Mr. Zandi knows how to execute twists that seem to lead somewhere but just when you thought you had it all figured it out and knew where he is going with his next move, he throws a curve to derail us and teases us with something new. I couldn’t resist turning the pages to see what would happen next. What a smart and cunning drama. The words are perfectly weaved to grab from the start and not let go. We have many chase scenes, lots of violence, blood and gore to make this not only an intense and captivating read but also a cinematic page-turner hard to put down. What a conspiracy is played out here.
And by the end:
Was this saga the fruit of Sid’s fertile imagination ……an illusion of some kind...the question is up for debate....well-done.
I received a digital copy of this book from Oceanview Publishing via Netgalleys for my thoughts
This latest by Andrew Pyper really pulled me out of my comfort zone…”Moi” reading a supernatural horror thriller really????
This ghost story based on true events tells the story of a marriage and is set at the most famous building in the world: the White House during the time of President Franklin Pierce’s tenure. Jane his wife was a charming First Ladies and Frank a leader whose inaction set the course toward civil war... a president almost forgotten by historians.
The “Residence” is the story of a couple struggling with the loss of their children especially Ben who was the sole fatality in a bizarre train accident. After the inauguration, the couple were forced to reside in a place of grief. Jane wrote letters to Bennie, pleading for the boy’s return and in the book, he did. There were séances, eccentric behavior, visions, apparitions, all kind of weird stuff the author’s describes. Jane talked to Bennie every day and the ghost of Sir appeared multiple times, a vision in Jane’s mind that started in her childhood days. At first the sightings and exchanges were civil then events became tragic….. All in the haunted house its residents are not permitted to leave…A house with that much history must have some pretty dark secrets…right? We have a truck load of strange behaviour in this novel…
Wasn’t it supposed to be a kind of ghost story to scare us? No, it is simply a bla bla bla sad and depressing story. A dread-filled kind of story or any kind of dark story has to capture your imagination and keep you captive and engrossed to the last page. I was so bored I couldn’t reach the end fast enough. Not saying it is bad it simply did nothing for me. Having read and enjoyed books from this author in the past I was simply disappointed with this one. I guess one cannot please all the time. Well Mr. Pyper you did it, a story creepy for some and for others to leave on the shelf and never open it.
I received this ARC form Simon & Schuster via NetGalleys for my thoughts
Uncommon Justice, book #3
“Don’t Keep Silent” is a soft romance/mystery where the focus is on Liam Mckane, the last of the three brothers in this series. Each book tells a story centered on the life and adventure of each brother. Their stories are independent to each other so no worry if you haven’t read the two first books you will enjoy this one on its own.
The two main players are Liam, ex-military and DEA operative and Rae Burke, an investigative reporter. Both have history together that has left a bad taste. When Rae seeks Liam to help her find her missing sister-in-law, he couldn’t say no even if she used him, blew his cover and broke his heart. Looking deeper into the disappearance they soon find themselves in the midst of a very sinister situation…..
The mystery is intriguing and quite suspenseful. I was once again immersed in the beauty and danger of the Grand Teton/Jackson Hole following the two protagonists. This is an intricate plot with some twists and turns that has kept me guessing for a while but I nevertheless figured it out before I flipped the last page….Both characters were so earnest in their hunt for the truth, so focus I felt immersed along with them in their investigation. Oh yes, as well skiing down the treacherous mountain slopes… The setting definitely plays a large role…..The beautiful imagery of the ski resort, the struggling to ski and the snowmobile scenes show the natural beauty of Wyoming.
“Don’t Keep Silent” is an excellently written suspense that breathes in a way fits of tender moments. A great finish to the series.
I received a copy of this book from the Publisher Revell Books via the First Reviewer Program for my thoughts
The World’s Most Dangerous AssassinKirk McGarvey book # 25
When asking for this book from the publisher Macmillan-Tor/Forge through Netgalleys I had not realized it was #25 in the series, there were no notes to that effect but now looking back after reading this story there were no reason to do so. This story stood well as a stand-alone. As agreed when receiving this book the following are my thoughts.
A tid-bit of the story:
McGarvey investigates the mysterious death of his parents a long time ago that unravels a string of buried secrets that are tied to Vladimir Putin. In return the Russian dictator wants him dead and sends Russian Hit Squads to eliminate him….
My thoughts:
Some would say the plot is unrealistic, I do agree but no doubts quite fun to read if you put aside that the smartest computer expect and hacker in the world can do what he is capable of doing in this plot is implausible. He will do anything to help Kirk even if it means to destroy every computer systems on earth….
As the story switches between times from recounting the time of the accident the protagonist’s parents were involved in to his present state of looking into the reason behind their death. Along the ways he comes face to face with members of the hit squad. Of course we have some action and Kirk comes out unscathed to fight another day. The scenario is not too complicated to follow although when the tension builds we definitely want Kirk to success without declaring a war. I wouldn’t say this book is action packed but it has a fair amount to be entertaining enough to keep us pushing forward. The writing is not literature nor pompous. The exchanges between characters are rather down to earth, very simple, really what it should be. As for the characters, you will definitely root for them….maybe even Putin.
“McGarvey” is good but quite the run of the mill type of spy story.
Book 3, of the Mapwalker fantasy adventure trilogy.
I must say dark fantasy novels are not my preferred reading experiences and I rarely read them but I make exception when it comes to Ms. Penn. To be fair to the author and to myself I will say what I like about the book and I will also say what I like the least.
The Mapwalker Fantasy trilogy:
- Map of Shadows #1
- Map of Plagues #2
- Map of the Impossible #3
I am a huge fan of her Arkane series and was quite taken by the Sins series also, so when this trilogy was offered for my thoughts I jumped right in and said yes sent me the books. Thank you for doing so Ms. Penn.
In a few words:
Sienna and the Mapwalker team will use the Map of Impossible for their journey through the realm of the dead and face the challenges and the nightmare that awaits them. Can’t they reach their goal before it is too late?
What I like:
The blend of psychology and supernatural written with richness of words, each movement is vividly painted, although extremely dark but most of all full of lively descriptions…very wicked ones most of the time. Ms. Penn is very creative in her story and she loves to include creepy characters and supernatural happenings in order to propel us into a world of fantasy.
What I like the least:
Terror, darkness and “impossible” action. A storyline out of this world totally “impossible” played out by characters that weave spells, flames out of their hands, creepy creature at every corner, lead characters facing “impossible” situation and jumping, twirling in the air, kick boxing….dead birds coming back to life…brrrrrrrrrrr ”Impossible” is the correct word but again this is a fantasy and should be “Impossible”. In a few words the storyline didn’t gel for me but the way it is said is excellent and will please fans of this genre.
Since this story was not my cup of tea, I suggest you do not take my words for it and judge for yourself.
Veronica Lee Thriller book #2
This one also joins the terrific stories have been reading lately. I am a huge fan of Melinda Woodhall and after reading the 4 books in her thrilling “Mercy Harbor” series, I stayed faithful. So when she started the Veronica Lee Thrillers I seized the opportunity to immerse myself once more knowing that Melinda’s plot would be well thought of and be suspenseful, will bring back some characters from her first series and would add wonderful players to captivate us and most of all by the end all the dots would be connected . “Her Final Fall “, is one story that grabs attention and hold you captive till you reach the conclusion. What a great addition to the Veronica Lee series.
I loved passing time with “Her Final Fall”, it is a story about murders, the hunted and the hunters. It all started after a glamorous model is pushed to her death from a high-rise balcony in Miami. Then the action moves to Willow Bay with Veronica receiving a video of the horrific act. The victim so happened to be the state prosecutor Riley Odell’s sister, making the crime very personal for all. The chase is on when chief of police suspects the killer is in town and will strike again.
Action packed drama, one that kept me glued to the pages. So many twists and turns along the way and what an unpredictable ending. I never suspected the whodunit, what a surprise this turned out to be. Well-done.
Although this second book is part of a series it can be read as a standalone, so no worries to start here but you will be tempted…..
I received a free digital copy of this crime fiction. This is a voluntarily review, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
