"Cordite", by Ty Patterson

Cutter Grogan Thrillers book # 6

Another over the top thriller penned by Mr. Patterson, in this latest his protagonist (Cutter Grogan) is sent to San Diego to look into Aleja Guttierrez death supposedly by natural cause but her mother doesn’t believe this to be the case and needed Cutter to investigate. Soon after looking into the case, Cutter finds himself in a turf war with a Russian bratva, in a city where the sheriff wants him out of town and to top it all tugs have a bone to pick with him from....everyone is out to get him.

Action over, action under, action left and right it never stops. One thing for sure no lack of it, Cutter doesn’t have a moment of rest. He is the person with a target on his back and the author really sets his plot one gunfight after the other. I agree with some reviewers: reminiscence of the Wild West...lol. Lending him a hand are Zeb Carter and his team of Merry men and women, those of us that have been following the Zeb Carter series knows that when this group is involved no one is at peace. Apart from giving us a thrill ride, the plot has a fixer(Cutter) meeting a grieving mother, an arrogant self-indulgent fighter pilot, a Senator, a family of billionaires and along the way he manages to get himself in a lot of trouble and getting out unscathed to live another day.

If you like an unbelievable story but one that is quite entertaining give Cutter and his many adventures a try. In a few words: “Cordite” is writing to give us an exciting and enjoyable read.

"Road to Evil", by Melinda Woodhall

A Bridget Bishop FBI Thriller Book #4

Working with FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit criminal psychologist Bridget Bishop tracks down her old nemesis the Backroads Butcher but discover this depraved serial killer is not the only killer terrorizing the small town of Mount Destiny, Virginia. Will she come face to face with the remorseless killer and will she unravel the truth behind the murders? “Road to Evil” will leave us intrigued from start to finish.

Although this book may be the fourth, it stands well by itself. The story is fresh even if all the books centers on serial killers.

This is another winner for Ms. Woodhall. She once again penned an exciting and very captivating story that moves along clear- free never bogs down with unnecessary side bars. The plot stays focus on the tasks Bridget set forth and never wavers. Along the way much excitement awaits us and guessing who may be the real Backroads Butcher is the fun that awaits us. Bridget is a solid character that is helped to achieve her goal by a cast of secondary players who are also well defined, even the evil ones. This book is a real page turner.

“Road to Evil”, gives us all the necessary elements to keeps us engrossed and captive... Well done.

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

"Never Say Die", by John W. Mefford

Jack Whitfield Thrillers Book # 2

The mission is clear:

From Lyon to Cairo and back again, Jack Whitfield exposes a conspiracy that could topple a government and ignite a new war in the Mideast.

My thoughts:

This latest did not disappoint this long-time fan, “Never Say Die” provides all the elements needed to make an exciting read hard to put aside. Filled with action, suspense and a mystery so tense, quite a nail biting experience we are into from start to finish. I like Jack Whitfield, he is a well penned character hard to not root for. He is a man coerced to do missions he really doesn’t want to do and is at the mercy of Simon who dictates what mission he needs to accomplish in order to get his daughter back. Simon sends him on wild adventures, in book #2 his second he must accomplish to achieve his goal...will he succeed?....But behind all this... the action of the enigmatic organization Jack works for could very well end his life at any time.....Yes, lots of mayhem to entertain us. What a dazzling ride of espionage and international intrigue filled with breakneck twists we are in for.

Mr. Mefford alludes quite a bit to what had transpired in book #1“Never Go Back”, nevertheless I highly suggest reading it first. It is as exciting as book#2.

Another winner John what a great adventure you gave us.

"Murder at Black Oaks", by Phillip Margolin

Robin Lockwood book # 6

In this latest Mr. Margolin tells us that he wanted to write a story in the style of Agatha Christie and to personalized the experience give it his own twists. I think he did a great job, “Murder at the Black Oaks” harkens back to some of the great mystery writers Agatha Christie would be happy with this one.

Attorney Robin Lockwood finds herself at an isolated retreat in the Oregon Mountains, one with a tragic past and a legendary curse now own by a retired and eccentric lawyer. Lockwood is needed by Frank Melville in a legal matter: righting a wrongful conviction of Jose Alvarez in the murder of his girlfriend. Melville wants her to help in getting that conviction overturned.

Spooky indeed, a Manor at the end of a remote location, a dark and stormy night, a washed up road, a faulty elevator, strange happenings, a mansion packed with guests, corridors behind walls and murders, etc....many more surprises awaits the guests.... Brrrr. Throughout the plot line, we are led to false trails and impossible outcomes. When body count mounted I tried to figure out who may be behind...when motive and the obvious clues surfaced I had no troubles guessing the whodunit ...although the reveal came at the last minute...yippee, I had guess right. I admit, Mr. Margolin created an atmosphere of the haunted, the curse with werewolves and boogie men...

I loved how I was taken on an eerie journey from start to finish and I enjoyed every minutes of it. Well-done.

I received this ARC from St-Martin Press via Netgalley for my thoughts: this is the way I see it.

"Deep South", by Michael Ledoux

Ian Richard has a working relationship with Israeli intelligence agency. They alternate mission one time the agency needs him (The Angel of Justice) tells us what happened during his first mission. This time around Ian is in the driver seat and needs the Mossad’s support in paying retribution to a group of men who escaped justice for their part in a murder and lynching of black Mississippi residents in 1964 when the KKK were at their strongest. Each of the murderers is studied for vulnerability before taken action. “Deep South” brings us in a journey beneath the clichés of the south visiting places where the legacy of segregation can be felt.

This is my second book by Michael, as in his first, “Deep South” is a highly imaginative blend of fiction and historical facts. The story is richly written and well presented to give us a view of what happened to warrant the action taken against each individual. The course of action taken in some cases was very gruesome and will stay imprinted in my mind for some time. But I agree with Ian’s and the team’s action...no one deserved what was done to this segment of the population. The culprits needed to pay and they did.

The action is slow moving; each step is skillfully studied for impact and is nicely executed for our enjoyment. The narration is active and the exchange between players follows the same. In whole “Deep South” gives us a good story well said and well done.

"Sundown", by Susan May Warren

Sky King Ranch #3

A story of the homecoming and redemption of the handsome Kingston brothers

This climatic close in the Sky ranch trilogy is a high stake race against the clock with Former Delta Operative Colt Kingston and Tae Price at the center of thrills. Also featured heavily are Colt’s brothers Dodge and Ranger giving us plenty of intense moments along the way. The action is over the top and at times hard to believe. Would an important rescue role be given to an Operative with macular degeneration with a major heart condition...not in real life. I do admit this fast paced action story about saving the world from bio warfare played by a strong irresistible man as lead and a very clever and intelligent woman as a side kick give us exciting roles and a thrill ride. What is spoiling the experience of a great read are the never ending teasing romance and faith aspects that littered the pages. A bit too much, at one point all those sidebars were so annoying that I was tempted to skip pages since they bogged down the flow of what could have been a very captivating story.

This story wasn’t my favourite but it may be an excellent read for those who enjoy a lot of romance and religious connotations overshadowing a fast paced action thriller.

I received this ARC through the First Readers Program for my thoughts.

A Fearsome Moonlight Black", by David Putnam

The Bone Detective, a Dave Beckett novel, book #1

Taking from the author’s own experiences as a law enforcement official “A Fearsome Moonlight Black” brings us, the first part of the novel, to the rookie years of David Beckett when he worked the beat in a small town in Southern California. He is naïve and has a vision that cops are advocate there to help the wronged. Facing deadly situations, he learned quickly that crime is not cut and dry. In the second part, we have a mature David in pursuit of criminals on both side of the fence. This story is part true and part fictional.

Following David through his career cracking great cases such as murders and suicides was exciting and show what kind of cop Dave turned out to be. The development moved at a steady pace: smooth and slow but the action never stopped. I found it refreshing this glimpse into the life of a rookie cop as well as how Mr. Putman gave true feelings to his narrative. The later years, as a homicide detective David opened a can of worms investigating the wrongful conviction of his mentor by doing so this slow moving drama became a fast pace mystery and a compelling depiction of life as a law enforcement officer. We have between the lines a loose thread of love and the heartbreaking disclose of what happened to a long missing partner.

This story is smooth and seamless to read, has a storyline with a personal touch and peppered with characters hard not to love. Well-done.

I received this ARC from Level Best Books (IBPA) via Netgalley for my thoughts.