"Fear the Reaper", by David Housewright

A Mac McKenzie Mystery book # 23

If you are a classic P.I. fan you will enjoy this one. I assure you even if it’s you first experience reading works by this author you will fit right in and not be lost, I know I did, I stepped right in and I enjoyed every moment, although reading this installment piqued my interest for the previous ones….

While visiting his friend in Minong Flowage Mac and his friend dropped in at local winery tasting room for some chat and wine when a man barged in carrying an AR-15. Bobby an officer in the Homicide Unit immediately recognizes the danger and the two sprung into action to take him down. Unfortunately, Wisconsin is an open-carry state…. Their actions started a whole new ball game…Afterall what appears to be a mass murder attempt may be something else……you have to read this book and see what develops…..enjoy.

I enjoyed this story a great deal. It is a fast paced and quick read filled with suspense. I like Mac, he is bad-ass so determined no matter what the cost to himself to do the right thing and along the way he entertains us. There are a lot of people populating this story it may be a bit confusing at times to place them, don’t worry you will do so.

This is a very engaging story giving us a few twists and turns some I could guess others not so much but what I liked the most is how Mac untangled the mystery and how the story is intercepted with Mac’s” inner voice” …pretty entertaining. Boy the man loves to express his thoughts out loud…fun book. I could go on but I will spare you.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur for this ARC

"AKA Montana", by Fabio Amato

The Rise and Fall of an Italian Drug Lord

Based on the true story of a boy from Salerno. Donato lived in the slums of Salerno when at eighteen he left with little in his pocket and a debt to repay. By twenty he was sentenced to three years in a Manhattan Detention Center and from then on, his life spirited out of control, from a small drug operator to a master in brokering kilos of cocaine into Italy, Spain even Australia. He made friends also enemies…When the situation got hot, he bailed out. Donato was the one who walked away clean, his close friends died, in prison or were extradited…

Fabio Amato tells his remarkable story, a journey through the dangerous world of international drug trafficking. He brings his voice, experiences and reflections to us his audience. From the heights of the underworld to confronting his choices to rebuild his life made a very humbling and honest account.

Aka Montana, the moniker giving to Donato, is a raw, honest and powerful account of crime, resilience and how someone can do an about turn and change.

Of course, the story highlights criminal activities at its best: drug trafficking and substance abuse, lots of violence and murder. We will see betrayal and manipulation and emotional distress….all activities eventually ends with law enforcement on someone’s tail…..

The tempo is steady and the cadence was perfect to have kept my full attention till the very last page…. Depiction of the players was up to par and I enjoyed every bit of them even if Donato and his buddies were criminals.

This story is well-said and well-done. Kudos for sharing, this was a very enjoyable read.

My thanks to Book Whisperer for this ARC

"Traitors", by Robert B. McCaw

A political thriller

Robert Cooper, a Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the DOJ’s National Security Division has dedicated his life to hunting spies. When approached by a stranger on a lonely beach exposing Russian moles deep under cover embedded with the American government. Cooper pursues the trail that will lead him into the nation’s most protected corridors of power….

This is a gripping tale of espionage, betrayal and deception. Not a dull moment: fast-paced, high stakes international intrigue. I love how Mr. McCaw has combined this espionage thriller with legal aspect making one of the most riveting novels of its kind.

Explores the Department of Justice is quite a step away from the author’s Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery series I loved so much to penned a thriller about a Russian campaign to take control of the White House. Cooper had to negotiate with Russian sleeper agent who is willing to divulge details of a plan which involved a Russian mole in the FBI. Suspenseful following him through a series of hurdles to achieve his goal flushing the traitors. I loved the finale a punchy one that began on a fishing trawler off the Canadian coast and provided a very satisfying payoff.

Being a former lawyer and Army lieutenant, Mr. McCaw has definitely brought unique authenticity to his gripping, very well written and cleverly told tale.

My thanks to W.W. Norton & Company to this ARC whish I am happy to review.