"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.