"One Wish", by Laura Krieger Emack

A Tale of Reckoning After 9-11

This short read of 97 pages or so which I received via the first reviewer program was not what I expected. The story is mostly centered post 911 on 3 lives Sandra, a lawyer, who reluctantly agreed to spend ten days caring for her critical ill sister-in-law Janine, while her husband, Greg, is on an oversea clandestine assignment. Greg had assiduously studied Arabic…Sandra surmises that her brother investigation involved 9-11….

A great part of this book describes what happened on the home front, Sandra caring for Janine bringing her to doctors and eventually to her final days in palliative care till the day Greg came back home and shared confidential information about a certain foreign student. Then the book picked up speed and became far more interesting.

In a few words: 7/8 of the story is very slow and mundane till we reached the end by then it was too late to win my attention. I had no affinity or even cared for any of the characters even poor Janine fighting an unbeatable illness. Sandra and Greg are bland players; I didn’t care at all for them.

In a few words this book was not my cup of tea but it may be yours. I let you judge for yourselves…..

"A Medicine Game", by Jason Donville

Mostly set in 1992 during the peacekeeping mission in Sarajevo

Moose and Jonathan, infantry officers in the Canadian Army and best friends since their time at Royal Roads Military College are deployed to Sarajevo as peacekeepers and soon find themselves into a genocidal war. They had to confront the brutal realities of human violence where snipers target civilians often children while they are ordered to remain neutral.

Jonathan, a Mohawk soldier, carries with him something older than his uniform he wears: lacrosse- the Creator’s Game, known as the Medicine Game when played for healing. Moose, a white man, is very close to Jonathan and his culture.

Spanning continents and generations, from Canada’s Ouest coast to Sarajevo and living the traditions of Six Nations. This wonderful story brings to life the soldiers, civilians and moral uncertainties of a city under siege. The characters are people caught between competing forces- power and autonomy, love and fear, trauma and healing and who care deeply about one another. Jonathan and Moose are excellent representatives.

This is a wonderful read where we have a real sense of what Canada is: landscape, seasons and the heart of the people. Not a boring instant passing time with this well said story told with passion and compassion in a prose that is smooth and far from being condescending….

More than a war story “A medicine Game” is primary about friendship and is a gripping and captivating read from the first to the last page.

My thanks to Book Whisperer and Netgalley for this ARC

"The Lipetsk Conspiracy", by William Fernie

Tom Munro Aviation and Espionage Series Book #4

The story in a few words:

Berlin 1926

Germany conducts secret aviation trials at a remote airfield deep in Soviet Russia, laying the foundations of an air force that would later devastate Europe. The hidden collaboration between the Reichswehr and the Red Army remains one of the most extra ordinary military deceptions of the interwar years.

Captain Tom Munro, a pilot for Deutsche Luft Hansa, is determined to expose the truth by infiltrating Lipetsk, the Russian Air base….His plans go awry when he is forced to serve in a flying role.

My thoughts:

Although this is not my usual read, I was captivated nevertheless by the style, the language and how the story developed in a smooth and entertaining way. Getting into the base at Lipetsk was not an easy task. As a test pilot Tom risked his life…if caught he will be considered a spy.

By exploring this fascinating chapter of military history and the lesser-known chapters of Germany’s clandestine military build-up, I am even more curious to discover more. The story talks intensively about airplanes that were tested at the time: Ardo, Albatros, BFW, Heinkel, Dornier to name a few. The test pilots and their prowess in the sky. Tom was one of them….a spy but a darn good pilot first.

“The Lipetsk Conspiracy” blends real historical events with compelling fiction and technical authenticity and brings the interwar to life. The author’s builds his stories on real covert operations making reading more than interesting…never hurts to be a bit more knowledgeable at the end of the day….

At the heart of this series is Tom Munro: pilot and reluctant spy. In each installment we follow him into the dangerous world of espionage….

Excellent read: well-said and well-done.

My thanks to Book Whisperer and Netgalley for this ARC