Literally the Best Reviews: Shadow State

Shadow State - Frank Sennett
Crooked Lane Books
288 Pages

Thrillers that are written after grabbing attention from the headlines are always a lot of fun. When I first started reading thrillers, the United States was in a life or death struggle with the evil Soviet Union. Authors like Tom Clancy played on those fears and headlines to become a very successful writer. These days, the Soviet Union is only a memory, unless your name is Vladimir Putin. Instead, the thrillers ripped from the headlines are based on our own paranoia. Such is the case with Shadow State by Frank Sennett. Supposedly, this is the start of a new series. I sincerely hope it is.

Literally the Best Reviews: The Dead Girl in 2A

The Dead Girl in 2A - Carter Wilson

Poisoned Pen Press

416 Pages

Sometimes, psychological thrillers can put me as a reader right on the edge of my seat as I attempt to figure out the twist that will make the whole novel fall into place. The Dead Girl in 2A by Carter Wilson seemed to fit the bill when I saw it on the shelf at the Lockport Library. These types of books are always better when you fight to find the connections before they’re actually revealed, and then how the reveal is pulled off can be a thing of beauty. 

Literally the Best Reviews: Never Look Back

Never Look Back - Alison Gaylin

William Morrow Paperbacks

346 Pages

Have you ever read a mystery story that keeps you guessing until the very nearly the end, and keeps your nerves jumping with each turn of the page? With Alison Gaylin’s Never Look Back, that’s exactly what you get. I spent one evening reading this book, staying up way past my bedtime to finish it and find out what the hidden truth ended up being.

Book Reviews Reloaded: Eeny Meeny

This article first appeared on East Niagara Post on October 13, 2015. It is repeated here as I work to put all my book reviews in one place. They will be posted on Thursdays or Fridays and only be altered from the original in that I will add publisher information and pages. Hopefully, by revisiting these reviews, other people might find a book they'd like to pick up for their own enjoyment.

Eeny Meeny - M.J. Arlidge

Penguin Publishing

432 Pages

This week’s review concerns a novel that is a psychological thriller that makes the reader wonder “What would you do? What decision would you make?” Not all choices are easy, and this book will make the hardest ones even harder.  Eeny Meeny by M.J. Arlidge is one of those books that keeps you turning pages while you bite your nails wondering what choice the characters will make.

Book Reviews Reloaded: Somebody I Used to Know

This article first appeared on East Niagara Post on September 29, 2015. It is repeated here as I work to put all my book reviews in one place. They will be posted on Thursdays or Fridays and only be altered from the original in that I will add publisher information and pages. Hopefully, by revisiting these reviews, other people might find a book they'd like to pick up for their own enjoyment.

Somebody I Used to Know - David Bell
Berkley Publishing
484 Pages

Several months ago I wrote a review for a book by David Bell, The Forgotten Girl. I thought it was a very well written book that was a gripping read. So, when I discovered that Bell was releasing a new book over the summer, I made plans to read that book and give another review. The books are that good.  I read his newest output, Somebody I Used to Know, in a single day while on a road trip to Virginia. The pages passed as quickly as the miles.

Book Reviews Reloaded: Disclaimer

This article first appeared on East Niagara Post on September 15, 2015. It is repeated here as I work to put all my book reviews in one place. They will be posted on Thursdays or Fridays and only be altered from the original in that I will add publisher information and pages. Hopefully, by revisiting these reviews, other people might find a book they'd like to pick up for their own enjoyment.

Disclaimer -- Renee Knight

Harper Publishing

352 Pages

Sometimes I pick up a book based solely on the jacket cover thinking it’s going to be a great book. More often than not, it is exactly that. Disclaimer by Renee Knight is a psychological thriller that slowly builds in intensity, pulling the reader along for a ride that keeps you guessing.

Literally the Best Reviews: Closer Than You Think

Closer Than You Think - Lee Maguire

TCK Publishing

307 Pages

Occasionally I get emails from publishers about whether I’d like one of their new books to review. It doesn’t happen enough, but when it does, I generally take them up on the offer. The book I’m reviewing today is Closer Than You Think by Lee Maguire, and I was offered this book to read in exchange for a review for them. Regardless of the origin of the book, I always strive to give my most honest review.

Books Review Reloaded: Pinnacle Event

This article first appeared on East Niagara Post on August 11, 2015. It is repeated here as I work to put all my book reviews in one place. They will be posted on Thursdays or Fridays and only be altered from the original in that I will add publisher information and pages. Hopefully, by revisiting these reviews, other people might find a book they'd like to pick up for their own enjoyment.

Pinnacle Event - Richard A. Clarke

Thomas Dunne Books

304 Pages

When the chairman of a counter-terrorism group under three Presidents decides to write a novel, you better believe that book will give you a unique, inside look at the dirty world of terrorism. It seems like I’ve reviewed quite a few of these types of books lately, but Richard A. Clarke’s book, Pinnacle Event takes the genre to a whole new level.

Book Reviews Reloaded: Killing Floor

This article first appeared on East Niagara Post on July 21, 2015. It is repeated here as I work to put all my book reviews in one place. They will be posted on Thursdays or Fridays and only be altered from the original in that I will add publisher information and pages. Hopefully, by revisiting these reviews, other people might find a book they'd like to pick up for their own enjoyment.

Killing Floor - Lee Child

Berkley Publishing

576 Pages

Most people know of Jack Reacher from the recent movie of the same name. Lee Child’s lead character dates all the way back to 1997 when the first book, Killing Floor, was published. If you’re interested in learning how Reacher got his start, away from the Tom Cruise rendition, this book just may the one for you.

Book Reviews Reloaded: Zodiac Station

This article first appeared on East Niagara Post on July 14, 2015. It is repeated here as I work to put all my book reviews in one place. They will be posted on Thursdays or Fridays and only be altered from the original in that I will add publisher information and pages. Hopefully, by revisiting these reviews, other people might find a book they'd like to pick up for their own enjoyment.

Zodiac Station - Tom Harper

Harper Paperbacks

400 Pages

At the top of the world, the sun doesn’t set for six months, or it stays hidden for the other six months. In my review this week, there are secrets hidden in the shadows of the Midnight Sun. Zodiac Station by Tom Harper hides those secrets in the snows and ice of the Arctic for the reader to uncover.

Book Reviews Reloaded: The Fire Sermon

This article first appeared on East Niagara Post on July 7, 2015. It is repeated here as I work to put all my book reviews in one place. They will be posted on Thursdays or Fridays and only be altered from the original in that I will add publisher information and pages. Hopefully, by revisiting these reviews, other people might find a book they'd like to pick up for their own enjoyment.

The Fire Sermon - Francesca Haig
Gallery Books
384 Pages

Imagine the world has been destroyed by the fires of a nuclear conflagration. Civilization struggles to survive in a drastically changed landscape. Nature always has a way to survive. In The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig people are all born twins. One twin, the Alpha, is perfect. The other, the Omega, is born with deformities. The Omegas are branded and sent away from the Alphas to live in squalor. Despite the mistreatment of the weaker twin, when one twin dies, so does the other. Always.

Book Reviews Reloaded: The Third Target

This article first appeared on East Niagara Post on June 30, 2015. It is repeated here as I work to put all my book reviews in one place. They will be posted on Thursdays or Fridays and only be altered from the original in that I will add publisher information and pages. Hopefully, by revisiting these reviews, other people might find a book they'd like to pick up for their own enjoyment.

The Third Target - Joel C. Rosenberg
Tyndale House Publishers
448 Pages

Sometimes I find an author I really like and just have to pick up his or her books whenever they show up on the “New Releases”  shelf at the library. Joel C. Rosenberg is one such author, and his latest output, The Third Target was grabbed and taken home with me.

Literally the Best Reviews: A Monster's Heart

A Monster’s Heart - Mark Laufer

CreateSpace Independent Publishing

344 Pages

I always want to see local authors do well. I’d love to see a bestselling author come out of Lockport. However, I sometimes find it difficult to give reviews on local author’s books. Inevitably, we have mutual friends, and if I’m not all sunshine and rainbows with my reviews, someone gets upset with me. I try my hardest to be constructive with my reviews on the works I don’t like. Even the ones I do like, I still try to find the best in it and offer suggestions to make it better going forward.

Book Reviews Reloaded: All the Old Knives

This article first appeared on East Niagara Post on June 2, 2015. It is repeated here as I work to put all my book reviews in one place. They will be posted on Thursdays or Fridays and only be altered from the original in that I will add publisher information and pages. Hopefully, by revisiting these reviews, other people might find a book they'd like to pick up for their own enjoyment.

All the Old Knives -- Olen Steinhauer

Minotaur Books

304 Pages

If you’re into classic spy novels where there’s more thinking involved than gratuitous violence, this week’s book might just be for you. With All the Old Knives by Olen Steinhauer, you’re given exactly that. This subtle thriller will keep you guessing until the end, and even beyond.

Literally the Best Reviews: Lies

Lies - T.M. Logan

St. Martin’s Press

432 Pages

We live in a world where most movies, despite being called “live action,” are a mixture of real people and computer generated reality. And there seems to be a lot more of the computer generated world than real world lately. With our lives being controlled by all our electronic devices, our hold on reality seems to be slipping more and more. In Lies, author T.M. Logan explores the perception of reality and its fragility.

Literally the Best Reviews: The Boy at the Keyhole

The Boy at the Keyhole -- Stephen Giles

Hanover Square Press

304 Pages

Sometimes I grab a book from the library thinking it will be an interesting read to pass some time. Sometimes, those “filler books,” as I call them, end up being among the best books I’ve read in the last month or two. Such is the case with The Boy at the Keyhole by Stephen Giles. I first picked it up thinking that it sounded interesting and that I might read it. I ended up leaving it behind at the library twice before finally bringing it home. And am I glad I did.

Book Reviews Reloaded: Red Cell

Red Cell - Mark Henshaw

Touchstone Publishing

338 Pages

This article first appeared on East Niagara Post on March 3, 2015. It is repeated here as I work to put all my book reviews in one place. They will be posted on Thursdays or Fridays and only be altered from the original in that I will add publisher information and pages. Hopefully, by revisiting these reviews, other people might find a book they'd like to pick up for their own enjoyment.

I used to be an avid reader of Tom Clancy’s novels, especially The Hunt for Red October. Ever the faithful reader, I stuck with him through the long wait between The Teeth of the Tiger (2003) and Dead or Alive (2010). The political thriller/espionage genre is full of fine writers, but I have been searching for that one author who really grabs the reader’s attention and throws it around the room just to keep them on their toes. With Red Cell, Mark Henshaw has picked up the mantle vacated by Clancy’s untimely death.

Literally the Best Reviews: The Oracle Year

The Oracle Year -- Charles Soule

Harper Perennial

416 Pages

Raiding the “New Releases” shelves at the Lockport Library, I ended up bringing home a new book that grabbed my attention as soon as I picked it up. The Oracle Year by Charles Soule was that book. Reading the back cover summary, this book had an intriguing premise that could go in several directions. It could end up being a political thriller, a sci-fi adventure, or something completely different.

Literally the Best Reviews: Stillhouse Lake

Stillhouse Lake - Rachel Caine

Thomas & Mercer

300 Pages

I love to read just about anything I can put my hands on. When I first saw Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine, I thought it looked interesting, but I second guessed that decision when I read the other books she had written. It seemed like she wrote young adult, vampire fantasy books. After the debacle that was Twilight, I was concerned. However, after starting to read this book, I glad I stuck with my initial, gut feeling on it. This was an amazing book that I couldn’t put down, even to sleep. I finished it the same evening I started reading it.

Literally the Best Reviews: Need to Know

Need to Know - Karen Cleveland

Ballantine Books

304 Pages

Political espionage can be a tricky genre. Sometimes they are spectacular, like the early works of Tom Clancy. Other times they can be a tired retelling of a retelling of a retelling. It is a genre that I like, so I almost always pick them up when I’m at the library. This time, I picked up Need to Know by Karen Cleveland. Cleveland is a new author, testing her skills at the political thriller in her first novel. Right from the first page, I was hooked by the writing.