"Child of Dust", by Yigal Zur

A Dotan Naor Thriller book #3

This thriller takes places in Thailand and in Cambodia and exposes the dark underbelly of paradise. Investigator Dotan Naor takes on the case of Eden, the daughter of a wealthy couple who vanished without a trace from the beaches of Thailand. Join by Iris, the young woman’s mother, they delve into the mystery and soon find out the link to a sinister real estate deal gone wrong and must navigate a treacherous maze of Russian and Israeli mafia, human trafficking and dark business dealings.....

My thoughts:

First of all be warned those sensitive with crude words may be offended, I was not one of them reading about the underworld bring foul language or should I say very colourful language. The story is peppered with them again you have to set your mind that this story navigates in an immoral and corrupt world.

Dealing with tugs, Bratva and Israeli mafia and a multitude of corrupt officials is a rough task to face. Mr. Zur gives Dotan, ex-Mossad, all the tolls needed for the job and he excels doing it. Following Dotan and Iris is very suspenseful they definitely not on a pleasure trip. The tension is high and I couldn’t read fast enough to see how things would turn out. Really I stayed on edge all through: action packed and very tense following these two. This hunt for the missing girl is a pulse-pounding race against time very hard not to be engaged in.

It all started with Eden’s father who had his own agenda being in deep financial trouble owing organized crime a lot of money which he couldn’t pay back. No wonder the mob took Eden and kept her well-hidden till he cough up the cash, if he doesn’t pay up she will be sold. Time is pressing Dotan needs to recues her. Did he succeed?....haha I urge you to get this book.

“Child of Dust” is very well-written to give us a message about official corruption, dark dealings, tourism prostitution and human trafficking especially of selling little girls to rich degenerates. You will meet a lot of characters but no worries they are easy to follow.

I love passing time reading this story, thank you Mr. Zur for the hours of enjoyment.

"The Curator", by John W. Mefford

Jack Whitfield Thriller book #9

I have been following Mr. Mefford for years now and always enjoyed how he spins entertaining stories for us to enjoy. This latest brings our debonair Jack Whitfield in a quest to unearth his secret past. No doubts in my mind you need to read this series in order, otherwise you will have too many unanswered questions...

The story in a few words:

Jack and his partner Natasha are searching for the person who is responsible for tuning Jack an Olympic track athlete into a brutal hit man. This cloak and dagger quest will bring them to Prague to end up at a mystical castle off the coast of France. Along the way they will face an ambush by the agents of KIRO, an unexpected betrayal and a devastating plan to control the world’s communication....Every one’s life is on the line even those dear to Jack.

My thoughts:

What an exciting conspiracy Jack faces with many twists and turns and ups and downs to overcome. Along the way Jack is having a hard time with the knowledge that he has been brainwashed by a cult to do their bidding. The first person narrative reflects his inner turmoil...it so feels as he is speaking to you. I favour the first person narrative by a long shot.

It is so captivating when the KIRO assassins attempt to kill Jack and Natasha failed and deeper and deeper they see themselves smack into a ploy that will bring all communication down. They must to do their best to thwart it and save the wold. Hold on to your seats you in for a ride. Excellently done all loose ends unanswered from the previous story are neatly tied leaving us to believe this may be the end of this series...but no...”The Curator” ends “à la James Bond” with all the bing bang and the obligatory escape and all ends well.

This 9th installment is good Mr. Mefford always delivers a fast-paced, well-written story with lots of excitement one can wish for. He has his formulae and he is sticking to it. Jack will always hold us captive...maybe Mr. Mefford can give Jack a break soon....

"Cultured", by D.P. Lyle

The Jake Longly series Book# 6

Although I haven’t read the previous installments I had no trouble getting into this book. Mr. Lyle gives us little background but enough to get the drift and move on and enjoy his latest. “Cultured” rips a page right out of the famous Jeffrey Epstein saga and is freaky to no end.

Said in a mischievous tone we have a story that soon turns quite dark but is so interesting I stayed captive till the very end. It opens when April Wilkerson dropped off the radar after becoming involved in a self-help and enlightenment retreat TLM (The Lindemann Method) that recruits wealthy people and promises enormous financial returns. April is an attractive, smart and culture individual although she doesn’t have the $120,000 membership fee needed is willing to work as a hostess.....Now do I have to go any further.....

What a story the author spins on us. Of course I omitted a lot that is said in this novel to pique interest...don’t miss this. The writing is great and as the layers peel away...darker edges appear. Does TLM make money for his investors or is this just an expensive scam? The prose is stylish, smart and compelling all this is wrapped up in a clever plot filled with twists to surprise even the hard core mystery seeker. This is definitely a juicy mystery told with snapping dialogue and played by fun characters. Jake, a former Major league pitcher and reluctant P.I and his girlfriend, Nicole are the protagonists that saved the day finding April and all the girls that went missing...and put an end to TLM.

This story is fast-paced, slick and a page-turner I devoured in no time.

A copy of this book was provided by Oceanview Publishing for my thoughts: this is the way I see it.

"Chasing Monsters", by Melinda Woodhall

Bailey Flynn FBI Mystery book #3

The story n a few words:

Books by Melinda Woodhall are addictive and a breeze to read. In this latest adventure she pins her protagonist against a vengeful killer who carries out an insidious plan of death and retribution. Bailey must delve into a criminal world of corruption, deceit and murder and find the killer before he can kill again...but time is running out.

“Chasing Monsters” picks up where book #2 left us, so it is important to read this series in order.

My thoughts:

We are into an action packed journey as we follow Bailey and her loyal partner Ludwig, her search and rescuer dog, into numerous path many dead end ones looking for the whodunit. She runs the show, nothing will stop her in finding the identity of the murdered person, running DNA test, visiting prisoners to get information. She is a real Pitbull nothing will get in her way. She digs so much that she becomes a target to be silenced and dragging her family along the way.

As the body mounts she is more determined to catch the monsters and the tension is at its highest level. Nothing can be better to pin us down into a thrilling ride, biting our nail till the very end than an exciting plot. Although this story may be about murder it is not gruesome, we do not have vivid torture scenes or descriptive accounts of how attacks were done. It is done softly and with taste but it seemed a little unrealistic.

Of course Ms. Woodhall did not forget to inject Bailey’s personal life into her drama to soften things; a touch of romance will do the trick. I like the characters but still Ludwig wins the best actor award.

I am a fan of this author and I will be looking forward for her next book.

I received an advance copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntary

"Zealous", by Alex Rawecki

Mr. Rawecki is new at the game of fiction and right from the bat he has penned a winner. “Zealous” is a fast paced techno-thriller filled with suspense and intrigue that dabbles intensively into neuroscience. One can say it is a bit on the sci-fi side but what an exciting and unpredictable read very hard to put aside.

The story in a few words:

Nika Beresic, a talented scientist, has vivid and recurring dreams of being a secret agent. Is her mind playing tricks? After experiencing an epileptic seizure and ending up in hospital she discovers her dreams may be more than a figment of her imagination. She sets out to unravel what happened to her memory and while doing so she learns that she is up against a powerful enemy....Nika becomes a liability to be dealt with.......will she make it out alive...

More thoughts:

At the very start I didn’t think I would enjoy this story but once it got rolling and the action kicked in I was hooked. The story flows well and is very graphic. It would make a great movie it surely is a fabulous read. This thriller is a taut and action packed not a dull moment following the scientist and Marc, her partner, in a desperate search for answer. This blend of sci-fi and mystery ticks all the right boxes: well written, exciting storyline, great characters, lots of suspense and action and to boot a fresh and entertaining story.

“Thank you Mr.Rrawecki for this unpredictable and exhilarating read

"Not Dead Yet", by Peter James

Roy Grace book #8

At one point you need to put a series aside, forget it for some time but eventually you cannot resist coming back. I did just that almost 10 years since I read book 1 and from time to time through the years read one more till I reached book # 7 got hooked again and here I am reviewing book #8 2 weeks later.

Rock superstar Gaia is chosen to play the leading role as Maria Fitzherbert in the biggest Hollywood production. The greatest love story between King George 1V and Maria Fitzherbert is to be filmed on location in Brighton and Hove.

An obsessed stalker is after Gaia who may have followed her to the UK it is up to Detective Superintendent Roy Grace to make sure she stays safe. Meanwhile, a torso is discovered on a chicken farm and Roy Grace is soon to be father. The two ongoing plot move beautifully well. To put salt on everything, Grace’s missing wife Sandy is messing around.....oh boy....That part I simply loved, how to add tension to a plot this author has a hack in doing so. All this is neatly entwined to make a coherent and engaging tale full of distractions: twists and turns sure thing to have us turning the pages.

“Not Dead Yet” is an enjoyable read, a suspenseful police procedural hard to put aside. This is definitely a classic crime novel which has everything I look for. The main character is a lady Ga Ga hybrid, an international celebrity with a big ego who will play the role as mistress to the King. Her role may be farfetched but it is well done to captivate us well least it did to me. M. James blurs the fact and fiction a lot in this production but having limited knowledge of Royalty in England, anything goes as long as the plot is captivating. The pace is good and the plot reads well. The characters are excellent players and I loved following the recurring ones through their long saga. Yes I up to read the next on “Dead Man’s Time”.

I think it is important to read this series in order otherwise one may think this latest is a bit silly.

"Africa", by Ty Patterson

Cutter Grogan book #8

This latest brings Cutter to South Africa to avenge the murder of his godson Thabo Nkosi and his father, Cutter’s best friend. This is a personal matter for him and refuses the help of Zeb Carter and the team but accept the one of Warner, their mighty computer and of all their gadgets. Off to Cape Town he goes....

From the time he sets foot in Cape Town all hell breaks loose and from then on we are in never ending chaos and mayhem as our super hero follows the trail that would lead him to the killers. Along the way Warner interacts with Cutter to give him pointers. Where Cutter goes behind him is a trail of bodies more than we can visualize and getting to that point is why Ty Patterson is a master in giving us entertaining action sequences. A tad of humour to break the tension is ejected when Quindica and Difiore on a different assignment show up to tease him and when Cutter makes friends with the local cow (lol). Of course Cutter, Quindica and Difiore get in trouble leaving Zeb Carter and the team to save the day.

Mission accomplished

As usual the plot is fast and furious, well executed and exciting. The characterization well done but the players are the same same old ones very predictable in all ways. You must love reading action packed stories to fully enjoy them. The Cutter Grogan series is my preferred although I loved all of them.

Thank you Mr. Patterson for the hours of enjoyment

"Break-Up Pact", by Emma Lord

I really stepped away from my usual genre tackling this deeply emotional novel. One side of me says I loved it yet the other tells me what a boring book....How do I get out of this conundrum and say my true feelings without getting in trouble...ok I may be exaggerating a bit.

The story in a few words:

June and Levi were two best friends who haven’t spoken in ten years pretend to date after break-ups with their respective exes go viral. They both experienced public, humiliating break-ups with their exes that spread like wildfire across TikTok and daytime talk shows alike. By doing this subterfuge June hopes to get back on her feet and Levi wish his ex. realize she made a mistake and comes back.....

My thoughts:

The positive and the negative:

Emma Lord’s writing is very enthusiastic and moving. She beautifully blends humour and emotional depth in one smooth stroke. The story in its own is cute and the characters are well defined. The author also has a beautiful style if you like mushy and extremely slow story. The plot is so slowed down by June’s frequent monologues in which she expresses her emotions and past experiences...over and over. I often wish things would speed a bit but no, I almost fell asleep, unfortunately, so bored I became that was happy to see the very predictable ending in sight. This fiction was not for me: messy bits of heartbreak, crying, run-ins with exes and the multiple crisis got to be too much for me.

This story about love, friendship and self-discovery is not for everyone but to those believing in magic of love will simply adore “The Break-Up Pack”. So far I seemed to be an exception in thinking this is a boring fiction...Judge for yourself.

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

"Murder 8", by Brian Shea

Nick Lawrence #5

This book has an awesome story filled of action, suspense and is quite entertaining. Mr. Shea gave us a great story very relevant in today’s age.....opioids and the dangers of fentanyl. In addition to following the law enforcement coming down hard on the rampant drug rings that is plaguing the streets of Massachusetts the author gives us a captivating spin into the corruption that is rampant everywhere.

Nick Lawrence and the Valhalla Groups are tasks with taking down the distribution network but when they were about to make a bust, things go south. The drama started when the daughter of Senator Buzz Litchfield overdosed and he wanted revenge....tension galore from then on. The plot is good and moves along at a steady pace, I also like the characterisation: Declan, Nick, Mouse and Jay are depicted with care, although without having read the previous books it was harder to relate to them. It may be recommended to start with the previous books first.

Who doesn’t love crooked politicians? And what a joy when they get what they deserve.

This novel is not taxing, it is short and sweet and is one to zipped through it in no time.

“Murder 8” is a pretty good read I enjoyed passing time with.