"Taken by Evil", by Melinda Woodhall

Bridget Bishop FBI Mystery book #2

This is another exciting page-turner. “Taken by Evil” is a story that grabs from the outset and doesn’t let you go till you flipped the last page. Ms. Woodhall is an excellent storyteller that loves to plunge her players into hot water and give her readers a race against time before another gruesome murder is committed. Criminal psychologist and ex-profiler Bridget Bishop is one again asked to assist the Bureau’s behavioral Analysis to unravel the motive behind a series of brutal murders linked to a charismatic guru.

After reading 18 books, I earn the right to be called a faithful fan and I assure you I plan to stay so for a long time. The story in this latest is very engaging and is played out by well-defined characters. Of course Melinda Woodhall added a second nail-biting drama to give us a buzz. No fear keeping track of the two, they are distinct and well-penned. The narrative is lively and the engaging pacing keeps the entertainment active. I was fulling absorbed from the moment I open the book. Well-done, well-said.

Thank you Melinda.

I received a free copy of this book and I leave a voluntary review, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

"Last Night with Tokyo Rose", by Alexa Kang

Nisei War series, book #1

In a few words:

Being a Nisei, a son of Japanese immigrants, the USA was not a friendly place to be in 1941 when Japan and the US were on the brink of war. All Tom Sakai wanted was nothing but a good life and a decent job. In search of his place in the world, he leaves Seattle for Manila where he met Fumiko, a Nisei from Los Angeles. They fall in love and together they began a new life...till Pearl Harbor....Now stranded in occupied territory, their survival hinged on whether they stood with the land of rising sun or the land of the free.

My thoughts:

I thought this novel was a war story with some historical facts set in the Pacific theater. I am a huge fan of historical fiction this one left me highly disappointed. Half the book is dedicated to Tom’s childhood and growing up as a Nisei. It was a long and tiresome intro. The pacing is so slow it almost put me to sleep. Later on when things got somewhat moving, the melancholic scenes and Tom reminiscing on his past left me in constant suspense I wanted so much to see what he had to face in the present ; after all wasn’t he in occupied territory where danger lurked everywhere and no one could be trusted. Tom did found out the hard way and was a witness to cruelty multiple times...scenes got hot and exciting but by then the ending was near...far too late to say I had been grabbed by the drama. The story had lost me long before....

On the up side:

The style is filled with emotional conflict and moral dilemmas. It also touches some racism, injustice and has a tad of romance without explicit sexually. The scenarios both played out in the US in the Philippines are believable and showed both sides of the conflicts.

I may not have liked this story at the fullest but it may please you. So this is only my opinion....give this novel a try if you wish.

I would like to thank the Book Whisperer for bringing this book to my attention.

"Sunburst", by Susan May Warren

Sky King Ranch Book# 2

In this second installment Ranger Kingston heads to Nigeria with a team of fellow former Navy Seal to save a group of hostages. Among whom, are his brother Colt and Noemi Sutton, an aid worker he had met years earlier. Things do not go smoothly when a 15 year old girl is recaptured after a short escape. Determined to save everyone, Ranger along with Noemi navigate rough terrain to rescue the girl and make their escape.

My thoughts:

I have mixed feelings about this story globe-trotting romance where the only solution to make a final escape from Nigeria is to pose as husband and wife. All through the story we see two love birds refusing to acknowledge their deep love for each one that has been germinating since the first day they met years ago while on a holiday trip in Key West. They pussyfoot around and pussyfoot around all the time. I just wanted to shake both of them to go on with it.

The story moves along in flashbacks or memories then suddenly change to the present. This switch back on forth did not always register well and I seemed thrown out of kilter and needed to reread some times. I did not fully enjoy this story although we do have a lot of action to keep us interested especially when the trio were dodging bullets trying not to fall back in the hands of their pursuers.
Finally homestead, Ranger and Noemi still couldn’t evade who ever were after them and the chase continued....oh boy. Yes, like the previous novel it ends on a cliff hanger....what is next....The novel also includes a lot of Christian values and beliefs and it may not gel with everyone but again ignore this if you do not approve.

On a high note, the Nigerian culture is well said and done. The traditional wedding in Nigeria is lively and colourfully and is told with all the traditions and some pidgin to place us in middle of the excitement. I loved this part.

I received this book through the Early Reviewers Program in exchange for an honest review.