"The Sea Captain's Wife", by Tilar J. Mazzeo

A true story of mutiny, love and adventure

“The Sea Captain’s Wife”, is the story of Mary Ann Patten and what she accomplished in the short time she lived in the 1800. She was only 19 on Sept. 5 1856 when her husband was truck down by disease and ultimately kill him. They were near Cape Horn when she took charge…this is her story.

This is a storytelling said with skills and definitely well researched. Guiding us through the challenges of the sea takes one with ability and knowledge and the author shows every sign she did this and very well. Some say the narrative is crip and engaging and very detailed but leave it to me to have a rough time with all of this. There are far too many details about ships, sailing, ports, rivers, towns…etc. to have kept me fulling tune till the end.

This blend of adventure, romance and historical insight may be well said and exceptional, I never managed to stay with it, my mind wanted to move on and read something else…definitely not my cup of tea.

My thanks to St-Martin Press and Netgalley for this ARC

"The Redemption File", by Marc Sinibaldi

This mystery has Detective Brandon Sidney living in the wake of a personal tragedy had to dealt with the murder of his best friend and partner Derek Hill. It seemed evidence showed Derek was on the take. Not believing this to be so, Brandon maneuvers through an underworld of drug dealers, rival cops, weapon smugglers to solve not only Derek’s murder but also to clear his name….

I was on the edge of my seat following Brandon confronting a labyrinth of corruption while dealing with his personal drama. The author deftly balances the crime and personal struggle and by doing so he has expertly penned an emotionally charge thriller for us to enjoy.

The fast paced and tightly woven narrative is vividly said and very engaging. The tension is relentless and never lets go, needless to say I was hooked from the start. I love the gritty plot line and how Brandon tackled the investigation leaving no stone unturned.

Drugs, murders, smugglings, kidnappings, mole in the department, mob boss and it goes on and on….what is not to like when you have a story filled with all kinds of excitements.

Well said and well done

Thank you Lisa from Swell Media for this ARC which I received via Netgalley for my thoughts: this is the way I see it.

"The Second Son", by Simon Gervais

From soldier to sommelier Chase Burke finds himself dealing with the aftermath of his older brother covert action branded a traitor. His attempts to move his life forward was soon derailed when he is caught in crossfire protecting congresswoman who was dining at the restaurant where he worked at. Question by detectives investigating the shooting, when things didn’t quite add up, they soon had doubts about his heroism and Chase soon became a person of interest. He then went on the run to clear his name and get at the bottom of this mystery…. Enjoy

I simply couldn’t put this story down, both authors are at the top of their game writing this type of thriller. It is a pulse-pounding espionage thriller that is writing with realism only someone in the know can do. Even with its breakneck intelligent pacing it still offers a deeply human core and insights into loyalty. This book is well worth passing time with. The story is well balanced with high- octane moments and quieter ones.

Chase Burke is a wonderful protagonist well worth rooting for: intelligent driven and somewhat flawed and by far not superhuman, he has bad moments. I loved how he partners with a street-smart NYPD detective to uncover the truth before the shadowy network of mercenaries silence them both.

In whole, this story is a nice blend of action, emotion and family drama. I loved every moment I spent time reading it.

Special thanks to Thomas & Mercer for this ARC which I received via Netgalley