"Untethered", by Nick Stephenson

The storyline:

A scientist discovers the secret to teleportation; he struggles to figure out what to do with it.

My opinions:

Mr. Stephenson in his little story of 20 pages or so gives us a trial run into a deferent genre he plans to pursuit: Sci-Fi. This is definitely a long way from his usual thriller style.

I am not a fan of sci-fi and was more than reluctant to give this one a go but what can go wrong in 20 pages? Not in this one. I was simply grabbed from the first word and hated when I reached page 20. Hopefully we will see a full version of this captivating story. Short and sweet, nicely said and a good plot.

Mr. Stephenson give it a go It should be a success.

"Tap That" by John W. Mefford

Book #2 in, The Booker Thrillers series

A short synopsis:

A budding Broadway musical star is found dead, a single bullet to the head. Then it happens again, someone Booker knew. This became more a personal obligation than a professional one and running against time before another murder happens Booker is forced to solicit the help of a crime boss.

My thoughts in a few words:

I am a huge fan of this author and through the years I have read a fair number of his books and thought they were an excellent escapism that offered mainly exciting stories for us to enjoy. I have to make an exception with this one. This latest was so slow and so drawn out I lost focus many time and couldn’t even remember what I had just read. The story lacked the usual intense action to keep my attention at bay. I wasn’t even trying to outsmart Booker in his quest to do whatever he was set to do. In previous books I felt often challenge to be one step ahead of the protagonist not here. Yes, I found this book somewhat boring. Although to his credits, Mr. Mefford writes with a strong hand and doesn’t shy from giving us a story with a mysterious side ...maybe a little too much this time. I am not giving up on this author and will continue to be one is faithful fans and read book #3 “Hate City” shortly.

This is the way I see it. But don’t shy away from this author you may love “Tap That”

"Lost Immunity", by Daniel Kalla

Daniel Kalla is an emergency doctor in downtown Vancouver B.C and the author of many medically themed novels. In his latest he writes about modern pandemic.

What a thrilling read.

“Lost Immunity” brings us to Seattle during an outbreak of meningitis that started nearby a Bible camp. The most vulnerable victims are children and teenagers. The chief public office, Dry Dryer and her team quickly take the necessary measure to contain the outbreak....An epidemic is in the making... an experimental vaccine deployed to battle a lethal outbreak - until patients start dying of unknown causes.

As usual Mr. Kalla mixes lots of information into a very suspenseful drama. Along this exciting page-turner we not only have a story that showcases the benefits of inoculation but also the point of views of anti-vaxxers and of the Pharmaceutical Company. Most of us will recognize the medical terms in this novel so Mr. Kalla did not expend on their meanings. The narration and dialogue are said in the everyday language.

Although a hard subject, the style is smooth and easy to read. The plot and characters are realistic. Because of the Covid 19 outbreak we have at the present it easy to relate to the characters and feel the pains of those suffering but most of all the devotions given by the frontline workers: excellent characterisation.

On a final thought: for a vaccine to be effective, a great % of the population has to be vaccinated. Yes, there will be “vaccine injury” as stated in this story but the benefits outweigh the risks....

Another strong story told by a master storyteller

Thank you Simon&Schuster, NetGalley and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review this book.