"Her Day to Die", by Melinda Woodhall

A Veronica Lee Thriller book #5

Veronica Lee, our fearless woman sleuth and loveable investigative journalist is once again the target of a serial killer. She has been on the front line for Channel 10 TV for some time exposing the Syndicate and their Boss for a series of horrific murders...they want to silence her once and for all. But on today’s news is a man known as the “Hangman” she needs to give all her attention to him....and from then on we are into a very captivating hunt....

I love how Ms. Woodhall set the stage for her story slowly but steadily adding intrigue and suspense along from dripping clues that leads and teases us in finding the whodunit to suddenly switch direction in order to keep us guessing and tuned in this the last drop unveils everything. The intertwining stories and the many threads are smoothly blended to make a story so captivating that I simply stayed prisoner glued to the pages till the surprising ending. What a page turner that gives us a fresh, fast-paced and well written story.

What not to love with the main characters, they are developing nicely and a joy to follow. We also have recurring ones from previous stories and of course the introduction of new ones to entertain us and they do an excellent job in doing so.

This book could be a stand-alone although I am glad to have been following the series from the start.

Fabulously enjoyable read

I received a free copy of this book and I leave a voluntary review, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

"From Ashes to Song", by Hilary Hauck

This story inspired by true events is one of ordinary people that left their country during the great wave of immigration to start in a new life in the coal mines of Pennsylvania. This fictional portrayal of two young people who represent those who ventured from the vineyard in Italy for what they thoughts would be a better life in America. What they faced is hardship in the shanty towns and the danger in the coal mines. This is the story of Pietro, a maestro clarinetist and Assunta whose beautiful voice was the inspiration for his music.

The story span from 1911 to the 1950’s and touches: love, loss, heartache, happiness, sadness, all aspect of life one must face. The story is elegantly written and meanders a lot from page one till the wrap up in order to pull us into the mindset of the time. It is an emotional journey; the days are incredibly hard for them but their will to success made them stronger. Pietro music is so well describes I could almost hear it....the snippets nicely ties everything together. The characterisation is fairly realistic; the author has captured skillfully the time and place and has penned a fictional story that will please most.

So why did “From Ashes to Song”, not pique my interest and hold me captive from start to finish? Why did I find this story somewhat boring? Maybe, the lack of intensity in the progression of the story that simply was plugging along and said in an even tone that did not totally agree with me but again this is only my opinion.

I received a copy of this book from Sunbury Press via Netgalley for my thoughts: this is the way I see it.

"Recoil" by Ty Patterson

Zeb Carter Short Stories book #3

This is another thrilling covert-ops suspense action novella with Zeb and his Crew in the middle of the action in LA. Yes, the usual they can’t catch a break even when on vacation they have to save the day. This time thwarting the kidnapping of a mother and a young girl is on the agenda. Of course less than 60 pages the action is fast and furious with lots of big bang and all the good things fans have come to expect. Like any short stories this one also ends too fast but what a great read when time is not on your side.

This is a fun and quick read and a short escape from reality. Till next time thank you Mr. Patterson

"Bones of Hilo". by Eric Redman

I love stories set in Hawaii they bring back fond memories of my time vacationing there. Eric Redman story transports us to the Big Island and plunges us deep into a murder mystery in Hilo and other locations on the island as we follow Detective Kawika Wong in his attempts to get at the bottom of the gruesome murder of real estate developer Ralph Fortunato found with an ancient Hawaiian spear having impaled him, the mogul was found dead on a signature golf course and resort.

This fast-paced story grabs the attention from the start. When one murder becomes two then three and angry indigenous people come into play as well as the power of the press you have a compelling story filled with lots of Hawaiian details and mostly intrigue....Kawika finds danger at every turn on his perilous journey that stretches from the Big Island to Washington State and back. Along the way he uncovers a cache of secrets reaching far back. I was on pins and needles from start to finish, not wanting any harm coming to this loveable protagonist. What a great story that held my attention from the opening words and held me captive till the very end.

Mr. Redman’s imagery is outstanding, the cultural and history is well researched not only both are informative but they are expertly blended into the plot. Kawika is an excellent although flawed protagonist I found it hard not to love him, he really entertains.

This is a good book, hopefully a start of a series. If so I am looking forward to reading more.

I was given the opportunity to read this ARC from Crooked Lane Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

"Untethered", by Nick Stephenson

The storyline:

A scientist discovers the secret to teleportation; he struggles to figure out what to do with it.

My opinions:

Mr. Stephenson in his little story of 20 pages or so gives us a trial run into a deferent genre he plans to pursuit: Sci-Fi. This is definitely a long way from his usual thriller style.

I am not a fan of sci-fi and was more than reluctant to give this one a go but what can go wrong in 20 pages? Not in this one. I was simply grabbed from the first word and hated when I reached page 20. Hopefully we will see a full version of this captivating story. Short and sweet, nicely said and a good plot.

Mr. Stephenson give it a go It should be a success.

"Tap That" by John W. Mefford

Book #2 in, The Booker Thrillers series

A short synopsis:

A budding Broadway musical star is found dead, a single bullet to the head. Then it happens again, someone Booker knew. This became more a personal obligation than a professional one and running against time before another murder happens Booker is forced to solicit the help of a crime boss.

My thoughts in a few words:

I am a huge fan of this author and through the years I have read a fair number of his books and thought they were an excellent escapism that offered mainly exciting stories for us to enjoy. I have to make an exception with this one. This latest was so slow and so drawn out I lost focus many time and couldn’t even remember what I had just read. The story lacked the usual intense action to keep my attention at bay. I wasn’t even trying to outsmart Booker in his quest to do whatever he was set to do. In previous books I felt often challenge to be one step ahead of the protagonist not here. Yes, I found this book somewhat boring. Although to his credits, Mr. Mefford writes with a strong hand and doesn’t shy from giving us a story with a mysterious side ...maybe a little too much this time. I am not giving up on this author and will continue to be one is faithful fans and read book #3 “Hate City” shortly.

This is the way I see it. But don’t shy away from this author you may love “Tap That”

"Lost Immunity", by Daniel Kalla

Daniel Kalla is an emergency doctor in downtown Vancouver B.C and the author of many medically themed novels. In his latest he writes about modern pandemic.

What a thrilling read.

“Lost Immunity” brings us to Seattle during an outbreak of meningitis that started nearby a Bible camp. The most vulnerable victims are children and teenagers. The chief public office, Dry Dryer and her team quickly take the necessary measure to contain the outbreak....An epidemic is in the making... an experimental vaccine deployed to battle a lethal outbreak - until patients start dying of unknown causes.

As usual Mr. Kalla mixes lots of information into a very suspenseful drama. Along this exciting page-turner we not only have a story that showcases the benefits of inoculation but also the point of views of anti-vaxxers and of the Pharmaceutical Company. Most of us will recognize the medical terms in this novel so Mr. Kalla did not expend on their meanings. The narration and dialogue are said in the everyday language.

Although a hard subject, the style is smooth and easy to read. The plot and characters are realistic. Because of the Covid 19 outbreak we have at the present it easy to relate to the characters and feel the pains of those suffering but most of all the devotions given by the frontline workers: excellent characterisation.

On a final thought: for a vaccine to be effective, a great % of the population has to be vaccinated. Yes, there will be “vaccine injury” as stated in this story but the benefits outweigh the risks....

Another strong story told by a master storyteller

Thank you Simon&Schuster, NetGalley and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review this book.