"The Last Bridge Across Mostar", by Jeana Kendrick

1992: war-torn Bosnia

This recreation of what life could have been during this grueling time is brought to us through the eyes of American Katrina Winslow who is accused of spying and had to risk her life to protect war orphans caught in the crossfire as the Serbians plot to destroy Mostar. While Croatian Captain Lucien Brezac helps Katerina to save the innocent. Their story is heart-pounding......

What a thrilling novel that tells us the experience in the Balkans. It may be a fiction but the events are historic. This well-written story places us front and center in the conflicts of several Yugoslavian republics. The prose brings to life the terrifying realities of war as Katerina and Lucien navigate the treacherous web of intrigue and violence. Flipping the pages rapidly to see if they will succeed in the quest to save the children and Mostar from destruction couldn’t have been done fast enough. This is one exciting journey that smoothly sails from the beginning till its closing chapter. Embarking on a journey of love and survival with Katerina and Lucien was a chilling experience and a hard one to fathom.

As the story navigates through unknown regions it was quite challenging to follow I wished I had a map in front of me I really couldn’t visualize where I was and who were all those characters one I definitely remember Slobodan Milosevic.. We come across a lot of characters to keep track of, so pay attention or you will have to reread some parts as I did.

The varied reasons for the country’s breakup ranged from the cultural and religious divisions between the ethnic groups this story does an excellent job highlighting this fact. You will come across a lot of praying, I guess being in their shoes I would have perhaps done the same...

No doubt this is a difficult read but so is war. The author tells us that she took liberty in the timing and events for the sake of the narrative and all inaccuracy is on her. After all this book is a fiction not a dissertation and we should take it as such.

My thanks to the publisher for giving me the privilege to review this story.

"Diamond Cut", by Thomas B. Cavanagh

What a gem of a story I has a hard time putting it down. This story is so captivating that time simply past by in a jiffy. In simple words I loved it from the opening page till the final one.

Sandy Corrigan used to be called Diamond when she was an escort spending time in hotel rooms catering to unfaithful men until she escaped and left her old life behind...so she thought. Till one day a girl from her past reappears and asks Sandy to investigate the disappearance of a young girl....Sandy finds herself back into a web of corruption, sex, evil pimps and murder.....and us as reader into one of those exciting drama.

Rooting for Sandy was easy for me. “Go girl you got this” This newly minted P.I. had such a checkered past and used it to her advantage to pursuit her goal and brought us deep into a world that is as corrupt and as dangerous one can imagine. The pacing is rapid till the very end and is written with a solid understanding of human trafficking and the sinister side few have ever seen. This multi-layers story involving a call girl who seeks justice for sex trade workers is one of the best I have read. The story is told from the main character’s perspective and oozes with suspense, it is brilliantly said. From the first page Sandy’s character shines.

“Diamond Cut” focusses on real-life tragedies: human trafficking and contemporary slavery.

Well said- and well done.

I received a copy of this book from the Oceanview Publishing for my thoughts: this is the way I see it.

"Sea to Sky", by R.E. Donald

Hunter Rayne Highway Mystery book #3

Former homicide detective hunter Rayne finds himself the prime suspect in the RCMP’s hunt for “The Chairlift Killer” what a way to spoil his weekend at Whistler and putting a lid on a potential romance. He has no choice but to get involved in order to clear his name.

The believable and interesting plot aids the story to move along well enough to hold attention till the last page. Of course this is a relaxed and cozy read with some rough patches. After all, the entire story is about a murder investigation leaving Hunter relationship on hold. It is easy to get irritated with him and how he interacts with the opposite sex at times but what woman does not love a tall silent type persona, he surely fits the profile. There were odd bits of dialogue and some funny moments to make us smile but not much is really exciting or even captivating.

Although this is a well-written book with pretty good characters “Sea to Sky” brings nothing new to the genre. Hunter now a truck driver will always be a RCMP at heart and “will uphold the right and always get his man” (official motto of the RCMP)

Enjoyable story that works well as a stand-alone.

"One Night in Tehran", by Luana Ehrlich

A Titus Ray Thriller Book #1

This book was a promotion I picked up a few years back and it finally reached the top of my very very long list of kindle books, books I rarely open. This story really caught me by surprise being described as a Christian fiction and focussing on religion and spirituality definitely is not a type of book I would usually go for, then why did I ask for it?

After reading it I can say I enjoy this well-written page turner and did not mind the very small parts pertaining to moments of faith since every religious element were subdued and did not interfere with the pacing and my enjoyment.

What an interesting, intricate and easily believable plot it turned out to be. There is a lot of action and dialogue and the writing is done with excellence. This first novel features intelligence officer Titus Ray, a man trained in lies now on the run from Iranian secret police. A group of Iranian Christians manages to smuggle him out of Iran to eventually end up in the States...there things got out of hand...

By grapping my attention from the beginning and never let go this well thought out plot has given me an exceptional journey filled with suspense. The first person narration, always wins me.

This story is well-written and well- said. Kudo Ms. Ehrlich

"The Elias Network", by Simon Gervais

Caspian Anderson book #1

What a breathless game of cat and mouse this turned out to be and what an exciting read. It opens in Switzerland with Caspian, code name “Elias” a black operative working for the Department of Homeland Security is sent on a killing mission to take out a banker by the name of Leonard Alrich who has deep ties to human trafficking. While Caspian’s girlfriend Liesel an accountant with ties to intelligence agency does her thing. Both love birds have no knowledge that they are working on different sides of the same problem nor do they know of each true identity....The story immerses us in both character’s worlds and along the way gives us a thrilling ride.

When Caspian unearths a conspiracy implicating political figures his mission takes a turn sideways....but for us.... step aside Jason Bourne we are into one of those high-flying story that gives us pulse and heart-pounding action sequences one can wish for. Along the way we are taken through a web of lies and secrets while the sweet and tender moments between Caspian and Liesel give us a well needed break.

This story is a joy to read even if there is a lot to unpack spy vs spy vs spy and back and forth, trust and mistrust at every corner what a way to keep you tuned in. The multiple characters that cross the pages just add to the complexity of this well-said and well-plotted drama.

This is my first experience reading this author and definitely will not be the last.

I received this Arc from Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for my thoughts: this is the way I see it.

"Suspicious Looking Packages", by Gregory Delaurentis

The Bomb Squad: a Crime Story

New York, 1940 an explosion at the World’s Fair leaves the city on edge. A pipe bomb is found hidden in a red sock… the first device of the sort delivered leaving a strong message to the city. Who is this madman leaving a trail of devastation and brought three detectives at the heart of this nightmarish puzzle.

My thoughts:

I had a terrible time with this story and apologize to the author for not giving him full credits. I was hooked by the cover story I though stepping aside from my usual read would give me another view I rarely step unto. My error.

What I found excellently done is the story has a feel of authenticity: men in the 40’s wore spiffy clothes, fedora hats, had greasy hair and depending of the job status used very colourful languages: picture them holding a cigarette in one hand and whiskey in the other hand chatting with their colleagues and criticizing their wives. We read this page after pages yes once in a while they are sent on a defusing mission… But the development is so slow I actually had to skip pages of never ending day to day life till yes once in a while they have a bomb to diffuse. In my books the exciting parts are too short and lack excitement…. Or was my negativity regarding this story the fact that I skipped too many pages?

This story did not gel for me but you may like it, so don’t judge this story by my feelings give it a go if the hypnosis appeals to you.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.

"The Seamstress of Auschwitz", by C.K. McAdam

This story spans from 1932 and continues through the British pulling out of Palestine. Sara’s journey immerses us into the horrors of Auschwitz and gives us a glimpse what life was for the displaced persons in camps around Europe. Through the eyes of Sara a lot is said including the obstacles Jews faced in trying to enter Palestine.

All stories during this time are heart-wrenching and compelling this one is no exception. Apart from giving us a large timeline, this version of events recounts and rehashes the same experiences endured by the prisoners. We can find numerous books recounting these events. Nothing new here for those who are a fan and have read books of this era before.

Having said this “The Seamstress of Auschwitz “is nevertheless a very well- written and well-paced story and reading it you won’t get bogged down with unnecessary details. Even if I read many stories covering the camps in the past, I still had a hard time leaving my emotions in check flipping through the pages.

Ms. McAdam’s version is well crafted and powerful but to my eyes did not bring anything new.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalleys

"Target Acquired", by Lynette Eason

Synopsis in a few words:

Kenzie King has earned her place as a tactical medic on a SWAT team, a world dominated by all-male. She soon finds out that her arrival has rocked the boat and that not everyone on the team accepts her but she is committed to the job and will have to prove she is as good as they are....She soon finds herself caught between a cold case and a threat to her life.... Cole Garrison, her team leader, will help her navigate while they work to crack the case and find the culprit who is threatening her.

My thoughts:

The story:

The plot gives us a little of everything: lots of intrigue, high-octane action packed with many twists, slow and steady pacing, a bit of poignant moments, some soft romance to spike the narrative and clean humour to make us smile but most of all keeps us interested till the very end. The romance is sweet and clean as expected with Ms. Eason.

We have two timeline criss-crossing each other one is the contemporary story and the other takes us back to 1940. I love the backstory a lot. Eventually they connected and smoothly blend into an entertaining saga.

The characters:

Kenzie King is the image of women who pierced gender inequality with resilience determination and tenacity and faced challenges with courage and strength. By the end she won her colleagues respect and accepted as an equal member of the team.

With his big heart, protective instincts and indomitable spirits Cole Garrison’s dynamic personality brings heartwarming feelings to this inspiring tale.

The SWAT team is a group of tight-knit and courageous bunch of friends (colleagues) looking out for one another. The story is filled with their interactions.

Conclusion:

Well-written and said this story published by Revell is a clean read and meant for everyone.

Although “Target Acquired” is part of a series it stands well on its own.

I received this Arc by the publisher via Netgalley for my thoughts: this is the way I see it.