Review - Damascus Countdown

Damascus Countdown
By Joel C. Rosenberg
Publisher: Tyndale Fiction
Pub. Date: March 5, 2013
ISBN: 978-1414319704
ASIN: B008PX1XHI
Pages: 480

Review:

Picking up where the Tehran Initiative left off, CIA operative David Shirazi returns in the international thriller in a plot that actually could take place in real life with Israel launching a strike against Iran, destroying all of their nuclear capabilities. The current United States president, William Jackson is considering agreeing with the U.N. Security Counsel about taking action against Israel for their aggressive strike against Iran.

David Shirazi is caught between two worlds as he is a follower of the Twelfth Imam, but he is a devoted CIA agent. David and his team learn that a few Iran nuclear warheads have survived. Now they must race against time to find the missing warheads before they are launched at Israel.

Review - Merry Christmas, Alex Cross

Merry Christmas, Alex Cross
By James Patterson
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pub. Date: November 12, 2012
ISBN: 978-0316210683
ASIN: B007BGQBFY
Pages: 352

Review:

It’s been several years since I have read a James Patterson novel. My grandmother was a huge fan of his books and after her death I have continued to buy each new release. The latest Alex Cross novel has been sitting on my coffee table for a few weeks. With some free time on my hands, I started reading it yesterday afternoon.

In his nineteenth outing, Detective Alex Cross is looking forward to spending a quite Christmas Eve with his family, but one phone call will change his holiday plans. A distraught man, Henry Fowler, forced himself into his ex-wife's home on Christmas Eve. Henry has taken her hostage along with her new husband, Dr. Barry Nicholson, and her three children. Alex knows that man is on a short fuse and could begin killing the hostages at any second, but Alex is their only hope of surviving the night.

Just as Alex is ready to return home to his family, an enemy from his past emerges from the shadows and intends on bring deaths millions.

Review - Resurrect

Resurrect
By David E. Stevens
Publisher: Monarch Books
Pub. Date:October 2, 2012
ISBN: 978-0857212498
ASIN: B008M4ISD2
Pages: 384
Buy Link: http://ow.ly/faaOD
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/DStevens

Review:  

Resurrect has been sitting on my desk for a few months, as I received a free copy from Litfuse Publicity Group and Monarch Books in exchange for an honest review, and I recently got around to reading it. The book is written by Commander David E. Stevens, a navy fighter pilot, and by the fighter jet on the book cover, I thought Resurrect might be a war novel, but I was completely wrong. I don't want to give away too many spoilers, so I'll leave the synopsis short.

Navy Commander Josh Logan is the main character in Resurrect and he is testing out a new fighter jet. After a malfunction, Logan quickly avoids crashing into civilians' homes, but ejects from the jet a few moments too late.

Review: Broken Build

Broken Build
By Rachelle Ayala
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 978-1480010512
ASIN: B0099MLND8
Pub. Date: October 5, 2012
Pages: 330

Review: 

From the author of Michal's Window comes a new suspenseful thriller titled Broken Build, set in the high-tech world with backstabbing and deception around every corner. The author, Rachelle Ayala, had sent me a free copy to review after I had previously reviewed her biblical romantic tale, Michal's Window. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect since this book is set in modern times.

The main character, or should I saw heroine, is Jennifer Cruz, a woman with a rocky criminal past, who has now gone to great manners (plastic surgery, etc) to disguise herself into a new identity, Jen Jones. She takes a job as a computer techno whiz for David Jewell, a software CEO, a man she deeply hurt six years ago in her past life. Of course he doesn't recognize her now. As she spends time with David, their old romantic feelings start to resurface, but she can never erase her past.

Review - Submerged

Submerged
By Dani Pettrey
Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN: 978-0764209826
Pub. Date: May 1, 2012
Pages: 320

Review:

In this debut novel by Dani Pettrey, Bailey Craig finds herself returning to her hometown of Yancey, Alaska to attend her aunt's funeral, who died in a plane crash. Coming back home is not easy thing to do as she had a bad reputation of being "easy" when she left. She turned her life around after leaving Yancey and now is a devoted Christian, but forgetting her past mistakes is a difficult thing to do.

While she is grieving for her sudden loss, she runs into an old flame, Cole McKenna. She broke the guy's heart years ago. Cole is now a devoted Christian himself, but he can't come to forgive Bailey for the way she treated him. He owns a successful business with his siblings and he also helps out with the local Search & Rescue crew as a diver.

Two more bizarre deaths occur and Cole suspects that the deaths are related to her aunt's murder. The police then determined that her aunt's plane was tampered with. Bailey and Cole work together to unravel the mystery that is behind the murders, but in order to this they must resolve their feelings for each other.

Review - The Twisted Window

The Twisted Window
by Lois Duncan
Publisher: Open Road Young Readers
ASIN: B008L8GHT6
Pub. Date: August 28, 2012
Pages: 194
Buy Link:
The Twisted Window (Laurel-Leaf Suspense Fiction)

Review: 

The Twisted Window is written by the teen thriller-master, Lois Duncan. The book was original published back in 1987, but has been released onto Kindle with a few minor changes, the mention of cell phones, DVDs, etc. I've been a Lois Duncan fan every since I read I Know What You Did Last Summer (the book, not the movie) when I was a teenager, so when I saw this book up on Netgalley, I had to review it.

Tracy Lloyd had recently lost her mother, her father practically abandoned her, and she now resides in a small town with her aunt and uncle. The plot begins with a strange boy named Brad started staring at her during lunch hour at school. Brad is from Albuquerque, but he doesn't exactly go to her school. He follows her around and eventually asks her out. She thinks it is a date, but it isn't what he had in mine.

Review - The Reason

The Reason
Written by: William Sirls
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 978-1401687366
Pub Date: September 4th, 2012
Pages: 416

Late one stormy night, a small Michigan town is shaken to it's core when lighting strikes a church's fifteen foot wooden cross, splintering it in two and the upper section falls to the ground.

The congregation is small, and the blind minister, James Lindy, doesn't know how they are going to afford to repair the cross and keep their faith at the same time.

A young boy, Alex, who attends the church with his mother, Brooke, has been diagnosed with leukemia. A young oncologist, Macey Lewis, wants to help him with modern medicine, while Brooke puts her hope in faith.

ARC Review - The Reckoning by Alma Katsu

The Reckoning
AUTHOR: Alma Katsu
PUBLISHED BY: Gallery Books
ISBN: 9781451681536
RELEASED DATE: June 2012
PAGES: 348

    In book two of the Taker Trilogy, the immortal Lanore, aka Lanny as he friends call her, is wanted for murder in the United States for the unknown man (her love, Jonathan St. Andrew) that was found in the small town of St. Andrew, Maine. She barely escaped with the help of her now lover Dr. Luke Findley, who has left his children and his life for her.

    They reside in London, where Lanny has decided to giveaway all of the wonderful treasures she has collected, some stolen, over the years. After the death of Jonathan, she wanted to start anew by uncluttering her life. With Luke’s help, she has boxed up the treasures and donated them to different museums around the world. Lanny was looking forward to having a life with Luke, but then she gets a strange feeling that her taker Adair has been awaken from his confinement, the very one that she personally put him in, and she knows that nothing will ever be the same.

Review - The Caves of Etretat

The Caves of Etretat
AUTHOR: Matt Chatelain
ASIN: B005TJ9CT2
RELEASED DATE: 2011
PAGES: 293

    Paul Sirenne owns a small bookstore in Canada and is just living a normal life until his parents are brutally murdered, leaving him with one clue - H.N.  His father had prepared for such tragedy and had sent Paul a note before their untimely demise. The content holds a long, hidden family secret which sends Paul to Etretat, France where a hundred year old family mystery lies within the book “The Hollow Needle” by Maurice Leblanc.

    He isn’t alone on the mystery hunt as he is assisted by Leblanc’s great-granddaughter, Raymonde. Together they try to unravel the puzzle that has been unleashed before them, which takes them to the caves in Etretat’s chalk cliffs.

Review - Roan by Jennifer Blake

Roan
BY: Jennifer Blake
PUBLISHED BY: Severn House
ISBN: 978-0-7278-8124-3
RELEASED DATE: 2012 (Original copyright in 2000)
PAGES: 380

 After one of the suspects jumps out of a moving van and rolls down a hill, Sheriff Roan Benedict pulls out his gun and fires, only to realize that he had just shot a woman. He takes her to the hospital with the intention to charge her for robbing a local grocery store. When Tory awakens, she claims that she was a kidnapping victim, but does not know the names of the men that were in the van. Roan does not want to believe her, but he cannot exactly arrest her either.

    Two unknown men try to break into the hospital. Roan knows that Tory is no longer safe there and invites her to stay at his house until she can identify the kidnappers. Of course, Tory is not exactly telling the truth. She is running away from her evil ex-fiancée and her stepfather, who are both after her inheritance. As a romance blossoms between Roan and Tory, she wonders if she can tell him the truth. However, she may not have a choice as her ex arrives in town for her.

Review - The Thirteen

The Thirteen
BY: Susie Moloney
PUBLISHED BY: William Morrow
PUBLISHED IN: 2011
ISBN: 978-0-06-211766-3
Pages: 330

    After being fired from her waitress job at a strip club, Paula Wittmore is notified that her mother has taken ill. She packs up her bags along with her teenage daughter, Rowan, and returns to her home town, a suburban called Haven Woods. Everything may look normal there, but Haven Woods has dark secrets at every corner, including several strange deaths and apparent suicides.

    Returning home is putting Paula on an emotional rollercoaster as she reunites with some of her childhood friends, not to mention her mother’s strange frenemies - twelve women bound by terrible secrets that requires a thirteen to be sacrificed.

Review - The Taker

The Taker
BY: Alma Katsu
PUBLISHED BY: Gallery
PUBLISHED IN: 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4391-9706-6
Pages: 456


 After midnight, Dr. Luke Findley of St. Andrew, Maine gets an unusual patient, murder suspect Lanore Mellvare. A young man’s body had been found in the nearby woods along with “Lanny”. As Luke attends to this young woman, who the police said looks “pale”, which is probably due to the cold Maine temperatures, Lanny begins to tell the doctor an unbelievable tale. The man’s body that is now in the morgue is none other than the body of Jonathan St. Andrew, which cannot be true as no St. Andrew has been alive for a few hundred years.

    Pleading for Luke to help her escape, Lanny continues her story which starts in 1811 and talks about her admiration for the town founder’s son, Jonathan, despite her father’s and brother’s hatred for the St. Andrew family. You see St. Andrews were quite wealthy, while everyone else struggled to get by. Secretly, and despite being a few years younger, Lanny develops a friendship with Jonathan that later turns into a fling, one that results in her pregnancy. Lanny tries to hide her situation from her family. Jonathan becomes engaged to another very young girl, an arrangement made by his father. With nowhere else to turn, Lanny tells her parents of her pregnancy. Her father is furious and embarrassed. The decision is made that Lanny will be sent to Boston to live at a nunnery, in which the baby will be given up for adoption.

Book Review: Colby Agency - Christmas Miracles: Colby Brass

Colby Agency - Christmas Miracles: Colby Brass

BY: Debra Webb

PUBLISHED BY: Harlequin Intrigue

PUBLISHED IN: 2010

ISBN: 978-0-373-74562-3

Pages: 281

Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Victoria Colby, the owner of the detective agency, steps outside to find an injured woman asking for help - her ex has kidnapped her daughter. She assigns the case to Trinity Barrett and his ex-wife Evonne Cassidy, an Equalizer. The Colby had just merged with another agency, the Equalizers.

Trinity and Evonne search the Chicago streets for the missing girl. Only to find out that there are other girls missing as well. They must put aside their rocky past and trust each other as the go undercover to stop the kidnappers.

Colby Brass is categorized as romance suspense, but there was very little romance. Sure, sparks fly for the two main agents, but the book was more action and suspense. The plot is believable and fast paced. The injured mother shows up at the end of the third page and, then, the story takes off like a rocket until the heart-pounding conclusion. If you are looking for a good read, check this book out.

Book Review - The Snowman

The Snowman

BY: R.L. Stine

PUBLISHED BY: Scholastic

PUBLISHED IN: 1991

ISBN: 0-590-43280 -X

Pages: 181

Ages: Young Adult

Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Since her parent’s death, Heather has been living with overprotected Uncle James. She hates the man. She thinks he is only after her inherence, which she will receive when she turns eighteen. Until then she is spending her time working at a diner and dating her kind-of- boyfriend, Ben. Everything changes when she meets the tall ice-blond, Snowman.

Heather instantly falls for Snowman’s charms. She soon gives him money to help with his family, but she does not know he does not have a family. He does not even go to her school. Then, her uncle goes missing. Could Snowman be involved? Is Snowman a cold-blooded killer?

The book cover is a little misleading. This book is not about an actually snowman, but a mysterious boy whose nickname is Snowman. There is not much of a plot to go by, but there are some twists and turns that make this book worth reading. I would like to add that this book is written for Young Adults and not for children.

ARC Review - The Twelfth Imam

The Twelfth Imam

BY: Joel C. Rosenberg

PUBLISHED BY: Tyndale Fiction

PUBLISHED IN: 2010

ISBN: 978-1-4143-1163-0

Pages: 444

Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Charlie Harper and his wife, Claire Harper, barely escaped Iran in November of 1979, thanks to Dr. Mohammad Shirazi and his family. Their daughter, Claire Harper, was born that very day. Charlie helps Dr. Shirazi and his family immigrate to the United States. Both families stay in contact over the years.

After the tragic disaster of September 11, 2001, both families are personal impacted by it; leading to a chain of events that will change the life of Dr. Shirazi’s son, David.

The CIA picks David to help them infiltrate the Iranian government. The Iran leaders are planning to bring the apocalypse to Israel. Soon, word spreads of a mysterious cleric who claims to the Islamic messiah known as the Twelfth Imam.

The Twelfth Imam is a fast-paced, action-packed apocalyptic religious thriller. The author has wonderful mixed in real life headlines into this fiction tale of suspense and intrigue. The plot will haunt you way after you have read the last page. It is a great read!

*I would like to thank Tyndale Fiction for sending me a copy to review.

Book Review: Fear Street Super Chiller: The New Year's Party

Fear Street Super Chiller: The New Year’s Party

By: R.L. Stine

PUBLISHED BY: Parachute Press, Inc.

PUBLISHED IN: 1995

ISBN: 0-671-89425-0

Pages: 193

The book starts out in the early morning hours of 1965, two teen siblings, Jeremy and Beth, are killed in a car accident. The book then skips to the present day where Reenie Baker starts dating P.J., the new shy kid. Reenie also makes friends with the new girl in town, Liz.

At a Christmas party, a terrible prank goes wrong. Reenie and her friends believe that P.J. has died of a bad heart. They soon discover that his body is missing. Is P.J. still alive, or is someone out for revenge from the grave?

“The New Year’s Party,” is a fun read, but it does have some violence in it. Just like real life, the teens in this book can be cruel to others, but R.L. Stine throws in a supernatural twist towards the end. If you’re looking for a good thriller, check this book out.

Book Review - The Thyssen Affair

The Thyssen Affair

BY: Mozelle Richardson
PUBLISHED BY: Mount West Publishers
PUBLISHED IN: 2009
ISBN: 978-1-61658-244-9
Pages: 460
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

The Thyssen Affair is a cold war novel set during the year 1980. Russians steal a skull from a World War II grave in Colorado. A retired OSS operative Canyon “Cane” Eliot is called back in to help the CIA solve the mystery. The CIA isn’t the only ones interested in the skull, the Israeli Mossad wants it too.

Cane must travel around the world to Munich, Italy and Germany to try to figure out what is going on. While in Germany, he crosses paths with ex-Nazis. Everyone wants the skull. There are several twists and turns.

The author, Mozelle Richardson, is 96 years old and received her BA in Journalism at the age 90. That’s a major accomplishment.

I felt that the book had too much dialogue at times. There should have been more descriptions of the surroundings. The plot takes Cane to different countries, but I never felt he left Colorado. There are several twists in the story, and at times I found it very annoying. The plot was original and it kept me interested in it. The book is over four hundred pages, but it’s fast paced. If you enjoy spy thrillers, you might want to check this out.

* I would like to thank the Cadence Group for sending me a copy to review.

Book Review - Buying Time

Buying Time

BY: Pamela Samuels Young
PUBLISHED BY: Goldman House Publishing
PUBLISHED IN: 2009
ISBN: 978-0-9815627-1-1
Pages: 419
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

“Buying Time” is author Pamela Samuels Young’s fourth novel. Waverly Sloan is your typical nice guy being disbarred from his job - a lawyer. Afraid of losing his high-matinance, younger wife, Deidra, he takes a job as an insurance broker at Live Now, a new insurance company.

At his new job, Waverly signs on terminally ill people in exchange for quick cash to pay for medical bills, house payments, and other expenses. Investors, some of them doctors, advance the cash, and then those investors become the sole beneficiary of their life insurance polices when the client dies.

Waverly gets a broker’s fee for every deal he makes. Within a few months, Waverly has paid off all of his debts, and he has finally gotten the home that Deidra has always dreamed of. Life is good, until his clients starting dieing off, one by one.

Angela Evans, a U.S. Assistant Attorney, starts investigating Live Now and Waverly Sloan.

Waverly starts questioning his new job and wants to find out why his clients are dying so fast.

“Buying Time” is fun thriller to read. The plot is cleverly written, and the characters are entertaining enough to keep you turning the pages. The main character Waverly Sloan is very likeable, but at times can be a little annoying. He’s suppose to be an ex-lawyer, but he had no clue what was happening to clients at the insurance company. Why would an ex-lawyer join Live Now to begin with is beyond me? Besides this little silliness, I enjoyed the book. If your into thrillers, you should give this book a look.

Note: I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy to review.

Book Review - Heat Wave

Heat Wave
BY: Richard Castle
PUBLISHED BY: Hyperion
PUBLISHED IN: 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4013-2382-0
Pages: 196
Ages: Adults
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Being a fan of the television show “Castle,” I was excited about reading “Heat Wave” by Richard Castle - the fictional character on the show. I think the real author was either James Patterson or Stephen J. Cannell.

The main character is Nicki Heat, a NYPD Homicide Detective. The commissioner assigns a famous magazine journalist, Jameson Rock, to follow her on the job. Jameson is a wisecracking idiot who keeps getting in her way - similar to the Richard Castle character on the show. As Nicki investigates the death of a real estate tycoon, she starts to fall for Jameson.

I was disappointed that “Heat Wave” is just under 200 pages. More of a novella than a novel. The characters, dialogue and plot all mirror the television show. There is nothing original here. If you’re a fan of the show, you may tolerate this so-so crime novel.

Book Review - The Beguiled

Beguiled
BY: Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand
PUBLISHED BY: Bethany House
PUBLISHED IN: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0628-3
Pages: 332
Ages: Adults
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Rylee Monroe is a dog walker in Charleston in the “Beguiled.” Most of her clients are in the wealthiest neighborhoods. While at a client’s house, she encounters an intruder. When the police arrive the intruder has escaped, but the client’s jewelry box is missing. More break-ins continue to occur. Logan Woods, a local reporter, begins investigating the crimes. He soon learns that the break-ins are connected to Rylee.

I have mix-feelings about the “Beguiled.” Though it’s well written, it’s very predictable. The love story between the two main characters feels rushed and unbelievable. Merging a Christian romance story into a crime thriller just doesn’t work. I give the authors credit for making the story fast-paced. I can only recommend the “Beguiled” to fans of Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand.

Note: I would like to thank Bethany House for sending me this complimentary copy to review.