"Dead Drop", by Elias Ashcroft

Short and sweet this mystery gives us 87 pages of fun read

Special Agent Tessa Rourke discovers the drop containing a file tied to an assassination plot that could derail global diplomacy and is thrust into a world of encrypted files…The stakes are high and Tessa must decide to protect the truth or expose those behind the plot…..Tick Tick Tick what will she do…
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Intense action packed and a real rollercoaster ride from start to finish. A lot goes on and the intensity could have keep going for another 200 pages or so but it ended way too soon. Having said this, this is a fast-paced espionage filles with tension and unexpected twists all said in a tempo that is tight and exciting.

It is an engaging read and my first experience reading this author and it will not be my last.

I enjoyed it

"The Dead Zone", by Peter Hogenkamp

Jade Stryker Thrillers, #3

This 3rd installments the two main characters Jade Stryker and her fiancé Mark Brand. The books stories vacillate between the two in alternative chapters and are said from the point of views of each one in the present tense. Both stories are very slow to kick off but when they do, the intensity is palpable and the experience wonderful.

Throughout this thriller we have extensive explanations I must say sometimes the details were overbearing but most of all it slowed the pacing down to a crawl: exp. boats maneuvers, medical terms, etc. Although I must note following Jade and Mark in different locations: the Caribbean and the Rockies we have an impressive sense of place.

Mr. Hogenkamp’s narrative is active, simple and very well done, most of all he knows how to paint characters in a positive way. Jade and Mark are wonderful characters you wouldn’t mind passing time with them and listen to their experiences and very exciting life…Well I guess I will have to wait for book #4 to see what comes next….. looking forward to it.

It is a must to have read the 2 previous books in order to understand Jade antecedent and how she came to be Mark’s significant other.

Now did I pique your interest, I hope I did “The Dead Zone” is a fine book.

Here is a snippet of what to expect:

Jade Stryker takes a trip to find her father she has never met. However, trouble is never far away. In the sunlit valley of the Rockies where he lives seems her father is the only thing preventing a corrupt sheriff from abusing his family. Jade decides to take the matter into her hands…..

While her fiancé Mark is looking forward to seeing his brother Mitchell he hasn’t seen over a decade…unfortunately, on arrival Mitch was abducted initiating a cascade of events….

Enjoy

Thank you, Mr. Hogenkamp for the hours of entertainment this story has given me.

"One Split Second", by Robert Dugoni

Tracy Crosswhite book #12

I simply love this author again he has provided a story filled with suspense, action, intrigue and of course some exiting courtroom scenes. This latest involves the shooting of an unarmed veteran, Anthony Alvarez, by Sheriff Jenny Almond who was later charged with first-degree murder. Jenny is Tracy best friend and along with her husband a lawyer they set out to prove her innocence. Decades ago, Alverez was the prime suspect in the unsolved disappearance of a teenage babysitter. Digging into both the past and present cases they need to find the truth before it is too late for Jenny.

Robert Dugoni excels as a storyteller one that know how to pull you in from the start and keep you engaged till you flip the last page. He draws well- developed characters and propels them into a compelling plot filled with tense scenes that keeps us on the edge of our seat, even biting our nails. The tempo is kept at a high level as he lets the mystery builds up in both his stories till the timelines intersect and the focus switch to the legal strategy. This story is well balance to give us police procedural and a realistic courtroom shenanigan.

Well said and well done

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer for the chance to review this ARC