"Witness 8" by Steve Cavanagh

Eddie Flynn series book #8

A legal thriller

It opens with a bang….. a murder setting the stage for Ruby Johnson a nanny and cleaner to homes in the neighborhood to become the prime witness to a gruesome murder. …Will Ruby do the right thing and tell the authorities what she really saw and identify the right killer? Or will she do something else?... Knowing who he was and where he dumped the weapon was all she needed to put a plan into action

Of course, Ruby decision points to the wrong person and this poor man finds himself defended by a one-time con man Eddie Flynn who quickly took the case. It’s a race against time to uncover the truth while Eddie faces a personal threat from a hit man, the enigmatic Mr. Christmas.

Plain old murder mystery was not in the cards for Mr. Cavanagh he definitely had other ideas and has spun a very convoluted drama for us to enjoy. It is an amazing ride that had me hooked till I reached the last page. What a fun read and a fantastic story that dragged me in its fantastic plot, its legal sequences and its peculiar characters.

“Witness 8” is loaded with surprises and takes unexpected directions when Eddie finds himself defending his client while dealing with Mr. Christmas. The machinations is the game here Ruby played it well and her tactics blended well with the legal handlings and the investigations of Flynn’s team. This story is loaded with surprises and has left me constantly on the edge of my seat till the very end.

The build up to the conclusion and the end result is extremely well done. This is a wonderful novel: entertaining and pleasurable to read.

My thanks to Atria Books for this ARC which I received via Netgalley

"The Sinister", by David Putnam

Bruno Johnson #9

I love this series although I haven’t followed it in sequence, I had not trouble getting into it. Mr. Putnam knows how to give us one hard-boiled crime fiction that opens with a bang and goes on at breathtaking pace till you reach the last page.

In this edition Bruno, an ex-cop, who has been hunting down violent criminals and paroled ex-con…is in deep trouble. Just released from hospital recovering from a gunshot in the chest is now on the FBI Most Wanted list now holed up along with his wife at a hotel in Glendale. He isn’t really a criminal but isn’t opposed to crossing the line to help abused kids…. helping a friend this time has placed him in a tight spot…..

If you are a crime enthusiast like I am you will enjoy how the author places Bruno in implausible situations taking literary license detours to give us an exciting read one that has captivated and held me captive in never ending suspense. The language and descriptions show the author knows the lingo, no surprise there being a retired law enforcement officer he knows the game.

The plot is intriguing and action packed and is one tough story to put down. It gives us a good balance of likeable and not so likeable characters. In my books this story has all the attributes to make this a riveting read.

This book was available at Edelweiss as a read now I took advantage of the offer why not.

"Break My Fall", by Lynn H. Blackburn

Gossamer Falls #2

I like those romantic suspense novels with a twist of family drama to it and I know that Ms. Blackburn will pen one to entertain us from the beginning to the end and once more did not fail in doing so with “Break My Fall”.

Dr. Meredith Quinn is heading home to Gossamer Falls to practice dentistry. Her clinic will service mainly children and adults to underserved areas known to harbor drug traffickers an area where local law enforcement is looking the other way. In Gossamer, Police Chief Grayson Ward has feeling towards Meredith leaving him exposed and vulnerable……and the story goes on…..

This second installment follows in the same tone and same concept has its predecessor. This time it focusses on Meredith and Grayson and to support them recurring characters from previous stories. “Break My fall” has its excitement especially when our heroes were confronted by the bad guys. There were a few in the neighboring town out to get Meredith. But she shows guts and genuinely cares for her patients and will go to no end to help. The side kick Grayson is a sweetheart, a man with a broken heart but cares deeply for Meredith but to scare to let his feelings known…I felt like shaking both…Get on with it. Of course, we had the expected play between them…definitely not X-rated ones.

This is a quick read, interesting in many ways and captivating in others. The style is clean and well-said no words out of place and one that says a lot yet fast to forget.

I like this latest I hope you enjoy it also.

I received this ARC from the publisher Revell via Netgalley for my thoughts: this is the way I see it

"Silent as the Grave", by Rhys Bowen

A Molly Murphy Mystery #21

In a few words:

Molly’s daughter Birdie is asked to replace a lead female in D.W. Griffith’s latest film. Everything goes smoothly till Birdie nearly dies while filming a dangerous stunt. To Molly something is not right and decides to jump back into PI work and go undercover on the set to figure out who may be behind all this brouhaha…..

My thoughts:

From time to time, I like to pick up an engaging mystery full of vibrant historical details. The magic of New York City in 1909 and the growing film industry should have made an interesting read. But the authors were not that convincing evoking the period, less so when it came to real-life figures (Griffith and Thomas Edison). I thought they were more comical characters that visionaries and inventors but that is me you may think differently. As for the tempo, it drags a little too much for my taste, at times I had some difficulty staying in tune with Molly escapade my mind wandering too much…maybe I was somewhat bored.

Even if this latest is not my preferred installment in this series I will admit this story is a satisfying domestic mystery even with all its predictability and its silly moments.

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

"The Cosmos Keys", by Glenn Cooper

What an interesting and entertaining concept this high-stake thriller gives us. A story with cutting-edge science and an unforgettable adventure into the heart of ancient mystery. The main character in archaeologist David Birch who can be described as mix between Dr. Henry Jones Jr. in” Indiana Jones and Robert Langdon in” The Da Vinci Code”.

In “The Cosmos Keys” we are in the depths of Turkey’s ancient underground city of Derinkuyu where David Birch unearths an intricate bronze object. He turns to renowned expert on ancient technology, Eleni Lillakis, for help. Their search brings them across Europe but they are not the only one seeking this mysterious artefact…danger awaits at every turn. No force will keep David and Eleni to unravel the secrets behind the Destiny Machine before it is too late for humanity.

The author’s background in archaeology shines, no way to deny that his experiences and studies are behind this story. I find it to be a bit overwhelming at times, my lack of knowledge in Greek historical and religious beliefs definitely did not help. Although the author played well around the subjects by giving us an adventure filled with some excitement.

As for the pacing it keeps a steady tempo even when extensive explanations on history, mythology are at the forefront. In hindsight, not my favourite parts I have to admit that I skimmed pretty fast over some.

I like the characters they are well define and their action visual. I could really imagine their every move. Reading this book I though I was watching a movie on the big screen, popcorn and a soda beside me....dream on.

What a crazy concept ….a contraption that can foresee catastrophes…doesn’t this pique your interest…..

I received this ARC from the Book Whisperer for my thoughts: this is the way I see it.

"A Murder in Zion", by Nicole Maggi

A National Park Mystery Book #1

This mystery centers on Emmeline Helliwell, a special agent with the National Parks Service.

After the death of her mother Emme isn’t herself, her sister is on a dig a world away and she fells alone and lost, especially after her last case resulted in a woman’s death. She had given her boss a two week’s notice and planned to move on…But when investigators found a body in Zion National Park and her boss asked Emme to look into it…It was soon discovered that the victim was one of her high school friend…..She then decided to delay her retirement to take part in the investigation….and the mystery begins.

The author’s prose is effortless and very dynamic. Ms. Maggi knows how to unspool an intricate whodunit mystery with a wonderful cast to entertain us. She placed her drama in the most dramatic settings of all to keep us on our toes till the very end. The imagery is so vivid, no doubt the description will stay fixed in your mind a long time, it has for me.

“A Murder in Zion” is a gripping tale and a real page -turner that brings the breathtaking beauty and the dangers of the wilderness close to home and is also a nuanced tale of how family and career can tear people apart and how religious fanatic and abusive cult leaders can use their power to manipulate and control others.

This story is well-said and well-done

Many thanks to Oceanview Publishing for this ARC

"Cuban Deep", by George Wallace

Published in 2019

Hunter Killer #3

Commander George Wallace was for years Executive officer of class nuclear submarines and worked extensively with the Seal community. It is not surprising that “Cuban Deep” is peppered with Submarine Phraseology.

Examples:

Forward room, set depth one ze-ro feet.
Forward room, set depth one ze-ro feet.
Conning tower, tubes one, two ready
Fire one. Fire two

The story in a few words:

Admiral Juan Valdez is the puppet master behind Venezuela’s doctorship believes that seizing Latin America is well within his grasp. What he is really aiming for is the massive undersea oil deposit that lies to the north. He must take Cuba….. he will go to no ends to get to it. Then came the crew of submarine USS Toledo with its handful of SEALs to protect America’s interest…Voilà….the chase in on….enjoy.

My thoughts:

Superbly done and the most realistic submarine story I have ever read. At the moment I am watching a TV documentary on submarines called “Hell Below” I see how accurate this thriller is even if at times it is a bit over the top and no doubt in my mind it is written for our enjoyment. Both the characters and the plot are credible of course it helps when a story stars with action and ends with even more roaring action. Excitement galore when the SEAL team are stranded on a small island, we eventually find out that one mucky-muck is working both sides.

This is a superbly crafted story giving us multiple twists and giving us more suspense as we follow the elite American warriors doing their thing….I was kept on the edge of my seat from the got-go. Once into it I had a hard time putting aside…that captivating.

This is the story of a power grab attempt by a Venezuelan admiral and the America’s elite thwarting the intent….

Examples:

Make all preparations for surfacing *Secure the ventilation. Shut bulkhead flappers.