Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and the Intriguing Special Agent Pendergast

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child became my favorite authors when I started reading Relic, a horror/thriller set at the American Museum of Natural History. Douglas Preston worked at the Museum as a writer and editor from 1978 to 1985 and the rich detail around the museum's inner workings drew me in. There began a series of novels that would become centered around a very unusual protagonist, Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast.

Douglas Preston was born in Cambridge, MA in 1956. He attended Pomona College and after exploring the sciences picked English literature as his area of study. After working at the museum for eight years, he wrote a non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic. It was that book that led to his introduction and later collobaration with Lincoln Child, the editor of his book at St. Martin's press. Their first book Relic, was made into a movie in 1997, and was the beginning of a successful series of ten additional novels, Cold Vengeance, their latest, was just released in August, 2011.

Lincoln Child, was born in Westport, CT, and attended Carleton College majoring in English. His first position after college was at St. Martin's Press, where he made full editor in 1984. He left publishing in 1987 to pursue a career with MetLife in computer programming and analysis, and in doing so began pursuing his writing on the side. After Relic was published in 1995 he began writing full-time.

Both authors experiences in college and professional careers can be felt in the detailed backgrounds they give both the characters and their stories. They have over the course of the series introduced concepts that are somewhat fantastic, a serum to prevent aging, or a drug that causes a metamorphosis, but have done so in a plausible way.

They have developed their characters over the series, many reappear in subsequent novels to where they were first introduced, and their continued growth and development is not ignored in favor of the main character. But it is that main character, Aloysius Pendergast, and his loyal friend, NYPD Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta, that keep me returning to their novels. Special Agent Pendergast is one of the most entertaining characters I have met in years. His background as a member of a wealthy, but strange, New Orleans family that includes charletons and serial killers, is an ever unfolding delight.

His methods are as eccentric as his family, and include a smattering of disguise, Tibetan meditation, Chongg Ran, pyschological manipulation, and pure brilliance. He is a charming enigma, whose story and background is uncovered slowly over the series. While he started out almost as super-hero like in his amazing abilities, it is in Preston and Childs' latest series, the Helen trilogy, you get to see the character as a man, who's loss of his wife ten years earlier, and his subsequent discovery of a cover up, causes cracks in that unflappable exterior.

C. J. Mackey is a working mother of three, balancing a full time career while taking an active role in her children's lives. She has an advanced degree in engineering and over twenty years making technology decisions for fortune 500 companies. For more professional information about Special Agent Pendergast you can visit Special Agent Pendergast Series

The Shadow Patrol Written By Alex Berenson

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

The preface for this story took place in 2009 when the CIA, always looking for specialist agents to assist in the war on terror, thought they had found a man who was fully knowledgeable about all the enemies in the Afghanistan area to the point where, except for his immediate handler who had some doubts about this man, polished him to gain access to those who would kill all Americans, then report this information to his superiors. This preface gives the reader an excellent start to the intrigue and suspense to follow.

The story advances to present day Afghanistan at a friendly forward operating base where the friendly military, some out to gain only for themselves, could fairly well come and go as needed with few checks on them. They were smart and had most of the superior officers brainwashed thinking they were always on military missions when they left the perimeters of the base. Little did they know about all the money some of these "friendly" military made on their visits to other areas. They were good but there were some higher ups that suspected something wrong was going on and decided to bring in the best intelligence person they had, John Wells, to investigate closely. Wells appeared in the authors preceding book and immediately gave readers a likeable role in almost everything he did, despite being a bit loose in morals and tougher than nails physically even though he was getting up in years. He had kept himself well conditioned, physically and mentally. Before Wells arrived in Afghanistan, there were people disappearing, bodies found, even some in charge were killed. Also before he departed for Afghanistan, he had to make a trip to meet his son who he had not seen in many years. They had their meeting but the son only knew his father as one who always had to leave rather than do things with the family. They did not part with good feelings as his son thought of his father as leaving his family once again, apparently without concern. Such was the life of a deep cover spy. When he left his son he headed for the CIA to obtain the details of his mission, should he decide to go back into action. After learning how the crookedness was going on in Afghanistan he decided he had to take this assignment so off he went to work his way into the area hopefully as an unknown.

After some time Wells found a very few he could trust and far too many he did not trust. Men kept dying and not from war action. The military "thieves" had a great drug pipeline moneymaker going so why should they be expected to give that up? Wells worked in personal danger with the few he could trust along with the few he could also trust in the United States. There was a leak somewhere in the CIA and he had to plug that leak. The story is very well written and has lots of intrigue that will drag you into this investigation. I highly recommend it.

Reader review by Cy Hilterman of a book supplied by The Amazon Vine Program

Vince Flynn's Transfer of Power

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

The series by Vince Flynn focuses on Mitch Rapp, an undercover counterterrorism agent with the nickname of Iron Man. His policy is to do first and apologize later. As an operative he has little patience for the bureaucracy and political dancing that surrounds his job. Although a bit dated, the author's first book Transfer of Power is well researched and a good read for those interested in political intrigue.

Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people. Even though the hero is outside the political machinations of Washington, D.C., he still has to work within its framework. I guess it is the framework that bores me. Descriptions include lots of numbers and initials to describe all the government agencies and its newest toys and gadgets for getting the job done. For some, that is reason enough to read the books.

I also dislike hostage situations, which is the heart of this story. Rapp has to infiltrate the White House, which has been seized by a group of terrorists. They are painted so extreme in their evilness, that they become their own caricatures. That evilness allows our hero to be forgiven for anything he does or may do in the name of truth, justice and the American way. If this sounds a little like the Jack Reacher approach to life, it is. But Rapp does not seem as cold-hearted as Reacher, at least not in the first book of the series.

I did like the descriptions of the White House and some of the insights into the building and its history. The story about which Roosevelt photo gets the position of honor over the fireplace or to its right, based on whether the standing President is Republican (Teddy) or Democrat (FDR), was amusing. Any book, that teaches you some history as it tells a fictional story, is doing a public service. It is, in fact, the insights and thorough research that make this series a step above pure escapist fiction.

Copyright 2011 by Linda K. Murdock. Linda wrote Mystery Lover's Puzzle Book, Crosswords with Clues from Your Favorite Mystery Series. In it she reviews 29 mystery writers, has a check-off list of book titles and a puzzle for each series. Download a FREE sample crossword on Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series or sign up for more mystery book reviews under Author Bio at http://bellwetherbooks.com/

Explosive Eighteen By Janet Evanovich

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

So can Ms. Plum get any sillier? The beginning of this book starts with somewhat of a mystery. Apparently Stephanie has been to Hawaii and Ranger was there. Hmmm. But then we find out she ran away, and went home to New Jersey and won't tell anyone any details. So we are left in the dark. Well we find out eventually but she definitely keeps quiet for a long time, much to the chagrin of Lula who tries to get any information out in any way possible. This book has the usual FTAs which our bounty hunter extraordinaire has to find and they are just as incredulous as ever. She actually has one who is morbidly obese but he still manages to not only get away from Stephanie and Lula but also to steal her car. Then we get to her love life and she is not speaking to either of her beaus. We don't find that out for a while either but it is pretty interesting as Evanovich writes exactly what Stephanie is thinking most of the time and it is pretty messed up.

There is a reason this series is consistently in the top 10 of the best seller list. They are fun, quick reads which have a light story line that is easy to follow. Meanwhile back at the ranch or the home she grew up in, her mother is still trying to keep the peace along with great meals daily. Her father still grunts every time any of the women say anything and her grandmother has a new friend who is into potions including love potion. Grandmother thinks it is time for Stephanie to pick a man and settle down and she has just the potion for making that decision.

As you can imagine what ensues is hilarious and ridiculous all at once. Stephanie is once again taken to viewings at the local undertakers with her grandmother as well. It is the best entertainment in town apparently but this one is of interest to Stephanie too. They are trying to gather information about someone and actually attend a service. Grandma Mazur is used to crashing funerals so this is no big deal, in fact she relishes it. What a bunch of nutters!

As I write this the film based on the first book about Ms. Plum is due to be released soon and I am looking forward to seeing how well they do with that. Stephanie's shoes aren't that hard to fill but I think we all have an idea of how she looks and behaves and hopefully we won't be disappointed with the way she is portrayed. Regardless report will follow the movie and we can dish about that.

You can find more of my book and movie reviews at: http://ukchica.com/.

The Perfect Marriage Falters From Charleston Ghosts and Murder

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Unrepentant Siren by Karen M. Bence ISBN 978-1-56315-438-6

Bence follows up Midnight Revelations with another compelling and haunting sequel. Characters from Midnight Revelations come back into focus and then erupt into a mystery and in fact a horrific secret that murder is the mildest repercussion these secrets generate.

The story line begins with a shocking accident. Leila, Sara's best friend, is electrocuted. It is a freak accident but apparently only a near death experience for Leila. Sara is the protagonist of the tale carrying to plot with many exciting and interesting discoveries. Alex, Leila's fianc?, has been part of the dramatic changes in Leila's life. Alex is the one boyfriend that survived Leila's six month rule and then he proposed. After Leila's recuperation, all the interested parties go to Charleston for the plans that Alex's mother has for a grand traditional wedding get pushed at Leila. Sara and her son, Jack, are involved as they came to Charleston as a support group. Then the odd happenings that seem to always follow Sara and Jack start up even in Charleston. Sara finds herself drawn into some deep dark family secrets and she must solve these mysteries to save her friend, her friend's marriage and ultimately her own life.

The characters present from the first book in the series, The Dark Whispers Series, continue to develop and are further enhanced with abilities that Sara must deal with and even help Leila to understand and pay attention to. Leila and Sara develop a strong psychic connection despite efforts to stop it. David, Sara's husband, becomes more supportive and understanding.

The plot has sufficient twists and turns to keep even those who don't ever read a book sitting on the edge of their seats. Surprises crop up with unnerving regularity while still maintaining a depth of character not often seen. Bence has done it again and supplied a sequel leaving the reader with a longing for the next book in the series.

Although this deals with some sensitive issues the book should enthrall any young adult through jaded mystery reader. Highly recommended as a stand-alone, it is even better when read after Midnight Revelations. Hopefully Bence is only just beginning to write in this series and there will be many more before she stops writing like this.

Published by Sterling House Publishers, 2011. ( http://www.sterlinghousepublisher.com ) ($15.95 USD SRP/Amazon $9.11 USD) Reviewer received book from author.

Book Review: The Reunion by Sue Walker

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

If you have been reading my posts for quite sometime, you already know that I am a fan of mystery/suspense stories. I love the chest-thumping, heart-stopping, and hand-trembling sensation brought about by suspense stories and I love making who-done-it guesses related to solving the mystery in a particular story. My love for mystery and suspense books started when I was in highschool when Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys became popular readings amongst my friends and classmates.

Suspense and mystery are inherent in most if not all crime stories and it obviously follows that I love crime stories too. Before I learned to love other genres, I thought that crime stories are the only books that I can ever tolerate. It's a good thing I came across Goodreads, and I was able to discover other genres and thus expand my reading preferences.

I bought The Reunion by Sue Walkerone fine, random day at Booksale without having any idea how good (or bad) it is and without any inkling who the author is except that it was only Php20.00 and its blurb seems to be just the kind of book I would like (suspense, check...mystery, check). It has suspense and mystery, all right, but I feel that the resolution towards the end took very long. I believe that for a suspense story to be effective, it must keep up with the pace otherwise it will turn out to be anticlimactic. The Reunion was just like that - anticlimactic. The suspense was so prolonged I finally got bored with it and did not care how the mystery will finally unfold in the end. I still endured it until finish and though there were some unexpected plot twists and surprising revelations, my interest had faded already that I was no longer that shocked nor surprised.

I have not heard about Sue Walker before so I did not have any idea about her writings. I do not have any trouble liking the way she writes except that the repeated flashbacks in the story terribly confused me and therefore added to my growing disinterest. This may be the last time I will ever read a book from Sue Walker, no offense meant. I do not mean to say that I entirely hated the book. It is okay, but entirely forgettable.

The Reunion is a leftover reading from last year and I don't know for how long this book has been sitting in my shelf. It just feels good to finally count this off my TBR list. Now on to other more interesting reads.

2 stars.

Blood Collector - The Time Anderson Series, By TC Elofson - Book Review

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

It's another Thanksgiving in Seattle, and Detective Tim Anderson has a few problems. His partner, Detective Kenny Johnson, is having family issues with an elderly uncle. Anderson has a few family issues of his own, what with rarely seeing his daughter and having to deal with a bitter ex. Worst of all, somebody's killing people left and right on the Seattle streets, and all the evidence - such as it is - points to a vampire. However, as Anderson investigates further, he discovers it's worse than that: not only is the killer a vampire, but so are her victims.

This is the setup to Blood Collector, T.C. Elofson's mashup of vampire and police procedural novels, and it's a fast-paced ride. In fact, it might be a little too fast-paced; clocking in at just over 200 pages, Elofson takes readers on a whirlwind tour throughout history and several viewpoints as the saga of Fabiana, a nearly 2000-year-old beauty bent on destroying the original vampire, unfolds. Despite switching between first- and third-person points of view, as well as a few nested flashbacks here and there, Elofson does an admirable job of keeping the plot elements straight. Even better, real care is taken with the procedural and scientific evidence aspects of the plot, demonstrating a care and thoughtfulness with the realistic portions of the narrative that thoroughly grounds the novel's events in reality and helps sell the more fantastical aspects. This realism is not as assiduously applied to the vampires' effects on the real world, but there's enough present to sidestep some of the sillier clich?s, such as the lack of reflection in mirrors.

However, in a narrative this streamlined, something has to go, and in the case of Blood Collector, it's the characters. Not one is elevated to anything more than broad archetype, and in the case of the vampires, particularly Fabiana and her longtime love Cerci, all the clich?s Elofson managed to sidestep in vampire lore come crashing to earth from the romance side of the aisle. Even given the routine nature of characterization in most thrillers, these fall flat, and the stilted dialogue, frequent homophone misuse and comma-spliced sentences do the narrative no favors. The humans don't come off much better, and in at least one case - specifically, the FBI agent investigating the Seattle killings, which follow a pattern crossing state lines - some of the characterization and motivations seem to come out of left field. Mid-narrative switches in character don't do much for suspension of disbelief, and in this case, it becomes one too many burdens for the story to bear.

While the weak characterization and fundamental language issues sink the novel overall, Elofson displays strong plotting and clear thinking in constructing the narrative, raising hope that future efforts extend those strengths to characters.

Reviewed by: Nicole Sorkin, Pacific Book Review

http://www.pacificbookreview.com/

Wahoo Rhapsody, An Atticus Fish Novel by Shaun Morey

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

This is a rockin' good read! Shaun Morey hit all the bases with this. Readers have never met these outrageous characters anywhere else. They come right out of Morey's rich imagination, and are crafted in such a way that makes a series of Atticus Fish novels a must. Baja California makes a beautiful backdrop for the characters to move through, and these characters are certainly on the move. Drug running from Cabo to San Diego aboard a fishing charter called the Wahoo Rhapsody pulls the reader right in. The writing style is fresh, creative, and fast paced.

Atticus Fish, as a lawyer, sued God and the Church and won! Unfortunately, Atticus runs afoul of the "Christian fanatics," and with the huge settlement from the case he heads for southern Baja. He buys an island and buries his millions in the sand. To keep his sobriety Fish builds a bar, Cantina del Cielo, his reasoning being, "hanging around drunks all day is a good reminder to stay sober." He also owns the Wahoo Rhapsody. Atticus's character continues to unfold throughout the book, as a hero on the side of right, truth and justice he is a champion for sea life, and down and out people. He rides a burro in the name of ecology and simplicity, and doesn't have a girl friend, however there are a few juicy spots for the more randy readers.

Weevil Ott, the first mate on the Wahoo Rhapsody, is also a part-time drug runner, and a hapless sort. The reader starts to feel a little sorry for him, because the author has created hilarious ways of bringing pain to the pitiful fellow who just can't seem to get a break. The bet is on that the reader will actually laugh out loud more than once while reading Weevil's plight.

"La Cucaracha" the drug lord that Ott is tangled up with begins an attack on the Rhapsody for the "fat fish" stored on ice. Morey comes up with an ingenious way of transporting drugs as there is "a fortune in marijuana" hidden inside the cold carcasses. The big yellow-tail are off-loaded to a tuna canning operation in San Diego, where the unscrupulous manager, disembowels the pot from the bellies, cans and labels the Cannabis for shipment to the cartel.

Greed bites everyone but not as hard as poor ol' Weevil, who starts digging in the sand after Atticus' millions. There are many other notable characters, but Weevil steals the show. Foiled again by the drug runners who he had worked with, and being so beaten up he turns heartless as he kills them in very nasty ways. Atticus gets to fly his seaplane into the rescue, fights the bad guys, kills a few, and the plot twists and turns like making a run through the fresh-water mangroves of Baja's inland waterways.

Shaun Morey is also the author of the bestselling "Incredible Fishing Stories" series and won the inaugural Abbey-Hill short-story contest, as well as a three-time winner of the Los Angeles Time novel-writing contest. He has a passion for southern Baja, and has lived off and on in Baja for years, which definitely shows in his descriptive details on location. His inspiration for Atticus Fish started when he "fell in love with the remote rugged beauty of Magdalena Bay." He spent days exploring the outer islands, and "rolling down steep stunning sand dunes." It was natural for Fish to buy an island and build his getaway there. Shaun Morey's second book in the series of Atticus Fish novels is coming out in August of 2012.

Martina Dobesh has been a resident of northern Baja for 12 years, having lived in southern Baja and spending much time on the Gulf of California. She is an author, journalist and editor of The Baja Sun. Her focus and intention is to bring a clearer awareness about what Baja has to offer, beyond the mainstream ideas of real estate and good food. The Baja Sun was created out of this desire. Please visit http://www.thebajasun.com/ and see for yourself. Read the stories from people who know the truth of this most amazing land. "Wahoo Rapsody" by Shaun Morey can be purchased on Amazon.com

Believing the Lie By Elizabeth George

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Here finally is another Inspector Thomas Lynley novel. This one is over 600 pages though. Who knew there would be that much to say about a single case? Well it flows really well and goes exceedingly quickly. Lynley is summoned into the presence of Hillier at his London club away from Scotland Yard. He is asked to not mention where he is going or with whom he will be meeting. Immediately a little suspicious Thomas goes along as asked and finds himself meeting Lord Bernard Fairclough. Fairclough is a little bit of a rags to riches story. He met his future wife when they were teenagers and set about to not only courting her but also to marrying her. Her father owned a very successful business which Bernard eventually took over and made even more successful. This gentleman was requesting the help of Scotland Yard, but only on the sly. His nephew had just died a few days previously which had been ruled an accidental drowning by the courts. He wanted clarification of these results and to not make that public information. Lynley was to tell no one - not even his immediately superior.

Thomas enlists the help of his two best friends, Deborah and Simon St. James and they head up to the glorious Lake District and Cumbria. He knows he is going to need some help as they are to try to remain incognito to the rest of Fairclough's family too. The man has three grown children, all of whom seem to have their own set of issues. The dead nephew has two young children but he had left their mother about a year before to live openly with his male lover. To say the ex-wife was incensed would be to put it mildly and took out her grief and anger on anyone who would listen. As is usually the case, the children of this now defunct marriage are the ones who take the brunt of the hurt.

Every member of the family has a story, and a pretty extreme one in most cases as well. Lynley and his friends initially try to examine the evidence of the drowning as a place to start and quickly become embroiled in the everyday workings of the family. There is the added question as to whether or not the deceased was the intended victim as Lord Fairclough's wife used the boathouse far more regularly than he did.

The plots thicken and thicken and never does this story get old or feel as though one is reading what amounts to a tome. You could literally use the book as a door stop it is so large but then that is what was required to get all the facts out. Throw in Barbara Havers in London dealing with brass at the Yard as well as having to get herself sorted with regard to her personal grooming and a rabid tabloid reporter who is desperately searching for a great byline into the mix and you have a grand novel. A long one but a great one.

You can find more of my book and movie reviews at: http://ukchica.com/

Book Review for: "Murder in the Buff"

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Book Review for: Murder in the Buff
Written by: Maggie Toussaint
MuseitUp Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-927361-93-1
Avail as: ebook
5 Stars

Toussaint entertains with "Murder in the Buff," a cozy crime-mystery. Molly Darter is having a bad day. She's busted her husband kissing her sister and now she's chasing an obituary at the nudist colony for her day job. When the naturalists suggest that their friend, Barbara Jean, has been murdered, Molly doesn't know what's worse - searching for a murderer or dealing with her dysfunctional family.

Set in the contemporary south, Molly is a reporter for the local paper. Her mother is a modern southern belle, her father is pond scum, her sister is spoiled rotten, and her soon-to-be ex, Hadley, is in the doghouse for kissing her sister. The cherry on top of her day is her assignment to visit the nudists so she can write an obituary on Barbara Jean McAllister, a member of the naturalists who has recently passed away. It's enough to give Molly a monster-sized headache.

Mama Leon, the leader of those in the buff insists Barbara Jean was murdered and asks Molly to find the killer. Molly goes home only to discover that someone has placed compromising photos of Barbara Jean with several prominent men from the community in her paperwork. With suspects galore and her pond scum father on the list, Molly knows determining if Barbara Jean has actually been murdered, then going after the killer, is going to be challenging.

Complicating matters is her family. Her husband has involved her sister in his undercover work looking for drug dealers. After a long night, Hadley is caught kissing Molly's sister. Molly is furious and everyone around her feels her wrath.

Can Molly calm down and get to the heart of the matter involving Barbara Jean's murder and her family's problems or will she shoot herself in the foot?

Toussaint's writing style is crisp and sharp. She engages the reader from the get-go. Her contemporary voice brings a rich authenticity to Molly and her predicament. Just when you think it can't get any wore for the heroine it does. Toussaint keeps the reader on their toes with all the twists and turns in the plot.

The supporting cast is a hoot. From Mama Leon and his free-spirited naturalists who sell organic fruit to Molly's uptight mother, everyone in town has a motive to kill Barbara Jean. Molly's got her hands full whittling down the suspect list and managing her family's drama.

Toussaint waves a hint of romance effortlessly into this murder mystery, leaving the reader to wonder what will happen next. The love scenes are sensual in nature.

"Murder in the Buff" will keep you turning the pages and leave you wanting to know what's next for Molly, Mama Leon, and the good citizens of Marshview.

Reviewed by: S. Burkhart

StephB is an author who likes to read many books and a variety of different genres. StephB is an author at http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Creative Writing.

Genealogy Mystery Writers for Family History Buffs

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

I recently found a list of mystery books on the Internet that have a genealogical theme. In order to narrow it down, I picked authors, whose books were written since the year 2000. That's not to say older books are not as compelling. It just means that these newer books will be easier to find if your interest is piqued.

It is always helpful to have a list of authors to draw from that covers a particular subject of interest. Dana Stabenow's series on Alaska was my motivation. Her 2011 book, Though Not Dead, is the second time she has delved into the genealogical background of her characters in an effort to give readers a clearer understanding of Alaskan history. I loved the book, and I highly recommend her Kate Shugak series.

One series of mysteries came out in 1997. The main character is a historian and genealogist for a small town on the Mississippi River in Missouri. She is married with two children. The first book of this series by Rett MacPherson, is Family Skeletons, and it has Victory (Torie) O'Shea looking into a client's WWII ancestors. These books are cozies with a family history theme.

Sarah Stewart Taylor began her Sweeney St. George mysteries in 2003. Her character is a single college professor, who focuses on cemeteries and gravestones and the mysteries that they conjure. In the first book, O' Artful Death, Sweeney finds an intriguing statute at a gravesite and decides to investigate its background. The stories take place in Vermont.

Fiona Mountain began her 2-book series in 2002. Her main character is thirty-year-old Natasha Blake, an ancestor detective and genealogist in England. Her curiosity comes naturally, since she was abandoned soon after her birth and knows little about her own family history. In Pale as the Dead a man, whose lover has disappeared and is somehow linked to an artist/poet of the 1860s, hires Natasha to find her.

Dan Waddell writes more non-fiction than fiction. His book Who Do You Think You Are? should be familiar to anyone who has seen the PBS series of the same name. The show traces the family history of celebrities. However, in his 2008 book The Blood Detective, he introduces Nigel Barnes a genealogist, who helps the police decipher a 100-year-old murder mystery. The present-day killer, who carves an archival index number into the bodies of his victims, leads them to a killer in the past. Nigel's job is to find the link between the past and present killings. Waddell's second book has Nigel delving into the Mormon Church.

For those who cannot get enough, I recommend you research three other authors that may be of interest. Chris Larsgaard wrote just one book back in 2000 called The Heir Hunter. In real life the author's business in San Francisco was to track down the heirs to money held by the State of California. The 10% commission reminded me of John D. McDonald's Travis McGee character. Veteran mystery writer Patricia Sprinkle has a series based in Atlanta, beginning with Death on the Family Tree. And K. J. Erickson has his police characters delve into mysteries related to Gettysburg and the Japanese internment during WWII.

For those of us who are addicted to genealogy, it is nice to sit back and let someone else solve all the mysteries. Who knows, the fictional research just might jump-start you into thinking about new sources for your own family tree.

Copyright 2012 by Linda Murdock. Linda K Murdock is the author of four books, including two cookbooks, a mystery crossword puzzle book and an insider's look at living in Colorado. She has traced her genealogy back ten generations in America and is an avid mystery reader. Learn more about her Mystery Lover's Puzzle Book or read more mystery book reviews at http://bellwetherbooks.com/

First Rate Thriller

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Atticus Gunner was known as the "Hawkman" during WWII. He served under Major Gaperman in Germany in a unit known as the Night Hawks. Gunner's special skills set made him an invaluable addition to the Night Hawks, whose job "was to identify and hunt down escaped Nazis suspected of war atrocities." He was "considered the best hunter in the unit," which earned him his nickname. Since those days, however, Atticus has adopted a more sedate life as a high school administrator, and as the thrilling and page-turning novel The Moonhawker by George A. Fox opens, Gunner lands a plum job assignment in Michigan to be the new assistant principal at Madison West. Things seem to be going well for Atticus, who is divorced and is the father of two daughters-he will be earning a larger salary, and will be able to spend more time with his girls. But then, when he receives a job offer to become the principal of a high school on Washington Island, his career and life takes yet another turn. His past comes back, and it appears that he still might find a need to call upon his considerable skills at hunting down Nazis and bringing them to justice.

When his friend, Principal Bob Thrison, offers Atticus the position as the assistant principal of Madison West High School, Gunner jumps at the offer. Why shouldn't he? He will get the chance to work alongside his friend, he'll be making more money, and have great job security. But, when the attorney who represented Atticus in his divorce proceedings meets with him and out of the blue introduces him to another attorney, William Markup from New York, who presents him with another job offer, it is one that is too tempting to refuse. If he accepts the offer, he will get paid $310,000 and will get, as a further incentive, "a brand-new thirty-two-foot sailing sloop." The name of this $276,000 sloop is-you guessed it-the Moonhawk.. He's given a $5,000 check straight off for expenses. There are a few conditions the attorney attaches to the deal, but it is so tempting to Atticus that he accepts.

Even before Gunner makes it to the island, while sailing the Moonhawk with one of his daughters (Inger), he and his ship are attacked by men who appear in a small boat out of the fog. Atticus manages to chase them off, but they threaten him as they leave, saying: "you better hope we never meet again!" When the men board a nearby ship, the vessel almost rams into the Moonhawk, and Atticus and Inger are fired upon. Is it a simple case of holding a grudge, or do the men have some other motive for wanting to see Atticus dead?

On Washington Island, Atticus and Butch Gorpon (the president of the school board there) join forces to uncover the secrets behind a mysterious series of deaths. What they find is a chilling connection to the Nazis of WWII. From fighting off the men who try to board his ship with an ax handle to getting involved in a barroom brawl with the Cline boys the very first night he's on the island, Atticus proves he can handle himself and that he hasn't lost the edge that earned him his reputation as a top Nazi hunter. There's more than enough action in Fox's novel to satisfy the most discriminating fan of the thriller genre.

Other aspects I really liked about The Moonhawker is the three dimensionality of the characters, and Fox's display of his intimate knowledge of Lake Michigan, Madison, and Washington Island. The characters are vividly described, and Fox's skill as an author makes them come alive for the reader. Michigan, Washington Island, and the Moonhawk become characters in their own right, as well. The relationship Atticus has with his two daughters, Stacie and Inger, is integral to the plot and is interesting in itself. He will do anything he can to protect his daughters and he will stop anyone from harming them.

The Moonhawker by George A. Fox is a page-turning novel filled with twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat. It's a very cinematic and sweeping novel that begs to be made into a movie. I can imagine that the panoramic vistas of Lake Michigan and Washington Island would look fantastic on the Silver Screen. I look forward to reading more from this talented author in the coming years, and I highly recommend this stunning debut novel.

Reviewed by Douglas R. Cobb for http://www.bestsellersworld.com/

The Gateway to Hell, By: Ray Mileur

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

In the world of hard-boiled detective fiction, the story is generally not so much about solving a mystery as it is setting things up for the hero to take on the bad guys and win, usually with bullets flying and plenty of bloodletting. Unfortunately, too many writers have turned this into a template for a lot of bad stories filled with clich?s, caricatures, and stereotypes, not to mention a lack of any shred of originality.

The Gateway to Hell is certainly a part of this genre. Thankfully, it manages to avoid many of the pitfalls of this type of fiction, and turns out to be an entertaining read. That's not to say it doesn't have its share of clich?s, caricatures, and stereotypes. In fact, the private investigator at the heart of the story is introduced to us being very much an over-the-top, clich? of a detective.

Mike Shannon is a St. Louis' private investigator who has made a career out of solving the cases the police couldn't or wouldn't take. He's killed more men then he cares to remember. He's fiftyish and his work is starting to wear him down.

Shannon is also a former Marine sniper, former St. Louis police detective whose exploits often landed him in the newspaper, and the leader of a covert CIA op team known as Sabre 6, who we learn has just rescued an ambassador's daughter in South America from the Escobar crime cartel.

Shannon is one very tough, hard-to-kill, private dick, uncorruptable and a boy scout at heart.

And if, by the bottom of page two of the book you aren't convinced of this, well, you just haven't been paying attention. Admittedly, the opening chapters don't really get the ball rolling. But the fact is, author Ray Mileur is just using those early chapters to set us up for a great ride, as Shannon ends up having an assortment of bad guys-- the mafia, the Escobar cartel, corrupt cops-all out to kill him.

His rescue of the ambassador's daughter has led to a $1,000,000 bounty on his head, and resulted in the New York mob, at the prompting of the Escobar family, sending hit men to St. Louis to do him in. On top of that, the "Sandman," a former marine sniper-trained by Shannon and now a freelance hit man- is also in St. Louis to perform a hit. And while Shannon isn't his target, the Sandman clearly wouldn't mind having a shot of Shannon.

And when Shannon pays a visit to the local mob boss, Salvatore Salerno-a Don Corleone-type who wants nothing to do with drugs, the FBI turns up. Their agents initially arrest Shannon in a ruse to get information out of him to help in their investigations into a cocaine trail that leads to St. Louis.

In the middle of all this, Shannon is hired by a minister and his wife to find their missing 17 year old, runaway daughter, who may be linked to one of Shannon's police buddies, Steve Holland. When Holland turns up dead, and appears to have been a dirty cop involved in the drug trade, the action amps up, as things get increasingly personal for Shannon.

What ends up setting Shannon apart from so many other similar characters, is that it turns out he's not superman-- he manages to nearly get killed while trying to catch the runaway. Shannon gets hurt, physically and emotionally, and he makes mistakes, e.g., had he returned a phone call he might have been able to save Holland. He's also got an ex-wife who manages to complicate things even more for him.

Reviewed by: Gary Sorkin

Gary Sorkin is the Senior Editor for Pacific Book Review. Please visit Pacific Book Review at:
http://www.pacificbookreview.com/

They Always Win Written By Anthony M Pesare

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Mobs have been around since time has been recorded. When Anthony Pesare sent me his book I have been engrossed by its contents, questioning why and how these organizations run by thugs, killers, persuaders, financial controllers, and much more can control so much in the world. The book is excellent and will make you also wonder about the same things that puzzled me. The author, now the Chief of Police of Middletown, Rhode Island has seen it all and I am sure lived much of it. I also wondered what connection, if any, he had in the story.

The story begins as it follows a recruit for the Rhode Island State Police force, Gino Peterson. Gino was Italian and he knew that most of all police forces were very short on Italians, partially because of the many Italians in the mob. After his graduation Gino dug in as so many opposed him as an Italian on the state police force but Gino was determined to make a difference. While in training and the early part of his work, he was transferred around to many rural areas but Gino figured it was time to try to get into the intelligence part of police work. He had a rough life as a youngster, knowing that some of the things he did were not really legal but he followed orders given to him by his family. These things taught Gino much about the mobs. Sex, drugs, beatings, shaking down merchants, and killing were routine in the mob.

Gino knew some of the mobsters from his past association when he was younger and he used these connections to investigate and question some that he knew. His sergeant and immediate boss on the force was Michelle, a woman that Gino had feelings for from the first time he saw her but the rules were that no state police officers could fraternize with each other. These two did eventually have deep feelings for each other and saw each other secretly, or so they thought, for a long time. Michelle helped give Gino lifts in the intelligence unit to do some work otherwise not available. Gino got deeper and deeper into the investigation of several murders in which the mob was known to be involved. Gino would interview inmates trying to get them to cooperate in murder charges against those most wanted. He worked with those inmates and prosecutors preparing a trial against some key members of the mob.

You will learn much about the mobs organization and how they were able to intimidate, mostly through fear, so many not to testify against the guilty mobsters. You will go to trial with Gino, the mobsters, and those that decided to testify against those mobsters with whom they had been associating with for years. Gino, in most cases, would work directly with the attorneys. You will listen as a jury would listen including the selection of that jury. You will hear verdicts that seem impossible and charges that flew around like a bird but very few would actually believe most of them. The book is easy to follow but so enjoyable. The subject matter will leave you wondering how and why these organized groups exist.

Reader review by Cy Hilterman of a book supplied by the author.

Book Review for "Sebastian's Salvation"

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Book Review for: Sebastian's Salvation
Written by: Jillian Chantel
BookStrand Publishing
ISBN: 1-61926-313-0
Avail as: an eBook
4 Stars

Reviewed by: S. Burkhart

Chantel crafts a story filled with romance, betrayal, suspense, and love with "Sebastian's Salvation." Sebastian Hughes has seen combat in Afghanistan that's left him scared physically and emotionally. Is he ready to find love or will a foe seeking revenge ruin his happiness?

The story is set in modern day London. Sebastian Hughes is an American ex-green beret now medically retired. On his last mission, Sebastian's body suffered shrapnel wounds and he uses a prosthetic from the knee down on one leg. While in the hospital, Sebastian became a portrait painter.

The story opens with Sebastian's friend, Jackson, an art curator hosting a show of Sebastian's work. Sebastian is the talk of the town. His work involves painting women in the nude - tastefully, of course. A slew of potential clients make the night a success, but not before Sebastian receives a cryptic warming - a dead rat.

Sebastian, treating the rat like a prank, meets Lady Joanna Gresham at the event. Joanna challenges Sebastian in ways he hasn't been before and reawakens urges he hasn't felt in years. Still, he keeps her at bay, afraid his scared body is repulsive and he isn't a whole man.

Joanna isn't intimidated in the least by Sebastian's off-putting nature and goes after what she wants. When she learns her father has made arrangements for their family to entertain a group of friends at their Swiss chalet. Joanna is delighted to find out Sebastian is on the guest list. While Joanna makes her plans, Sebastian's stalker becomes bolder, putting him on edge. Dare Sebastian let Joanna into his heart knowing that danger lurks just around the corner?

Chantel's writing is easy to read and pulls the reader into Sebastian's story with ease. I appreciated the contemporary setting and Sebastian's military background. It gives the story a topical theme in which many returning from the war zones have struggles. The plot flows smoothly. Chantel builds suspense well, leaving the reader anxiously turning the page.

The author uses a good economy of words to paint nice visuals of the London setting. The dialogue also adds a nice accent to the characters.

The characters make the story shine. Sebastian is a true hero and his intentions are always noble.

Joanna is as tenacious as a bull when it comes to letting Sebastian know how she feels about him. Her steadfast belief in their love proves to be his salvation.

The supporting cast is well rounded and a delight, complimenting the main characters well.

The story is sophisticated for romance readers. There are several love scenes that capture the passion and intensity of the couple. Sebastian's Salvation is a page-turner. I highly recommend it.

StephB is an author who likes to read many books and a variety of different genres. StephB is an author at http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Creative Writing.

Author Interview With Theodore Jerome Cohen

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Hello again Ted and thank you for joining us to talk today about your latest book, Lilith - Demon of the Night, continuing the Detective Louis Martelli series.

TJC: Hi, Gary. It's nice to be with you again.

PBR: At first I thought the book would be hard for readers to keep a serious frame-of-mind, with the overtone of vampirism throughout the book, but you kept true to the characters and used the "ridiculous" beliefs as being something the NYPD wanted to avoid exposing. Tell us, please, how you view the balancing of the macabre and reality of modern day police work, and how you chose to underplay the bizarre aspects.

TJC: There's no question that vampirism is about as bizarre as it gets. And yet, as you know, you can find crimes associated with it cited in recent criminal case history. So, for me, it was simply a matter of treating what happens in the novel pretty much as I would any other crime I have written about. I did this by using factual presentations and catchy dialogue punctuated with graphic details. But... I wanted to stay true to myself. Which is to say, you know that all of my novels are a blend of truth and fiction.

PBR: Tell me about it!

TJC: I didn't say it would be easy to separate the two. But, in Lilith, I wanted to make sure I didn't stray into fantasy. To do so, I think, would have destroyed the entire 'Martelli' character and storyline... perhaps even the series. And it would have made me very uncomfortable. I do notwrite true fiction, but rather, enjoy taking something real and, shall we say, 'embellishing' it by taking it down new and different paths. So, to balance the macabre with the reality of modern day police work, as you put it, I used the pretext of the police not wanting the story unfolding in the media. This allowed me to downplay the sensationalism, to keep a lid on things. It allowed me to focus on police procedures and, more specifically, on Martelli's and O'Keeffe's work.

PBR: Martelli teams up with O'Keeffe for this novel. Tell me a bit about how you view their relationship. Where does it go from here?

TJC: That's a very good question. I got beaten up by Marty Shaw from Reader Views when he reviewed my last Martelli novel, House of Cards: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

PBR: I reviewed that as well, Ted, and thoroughly enjoyed it. What was his beef?

TJC: Well, Marty loved the novel, too, but he felt O'Keeffe should have had a 'beefier role.'

PBR: It certainly looks like you took Marty's comments to heart.

TJC: Absolutely. One of the greatest things about being a novelist is being able to create characters out of whole cloth, and once created, breathe life into them. And so it was with 'Sean O'Keeffe.' For all intents and purposes, neither of the two earlier Martelli novels said much of anything about the man. All readers knew about him was that he was Martelli's partner, was a pretty sharp guy, and, to Martelli's benefit, was a great shot with a handgun. Beyond that, his life was a mystery.

PBR: But after reading Lilith, he's a mystery no more.

TJC: Right you are. I think readers will enjoy learning about his past and how he came to be the person he is. In some ways, he's Martelli's alter ego, but in other ways, the two have much in common. It's clear that they care about each other and, importantly, work well as a team. They're both reckless to some extent, but in different ways. And that makes writing about them fun because I can place them in situations where they 'work' off each other.

PBR: I liked the references you made to your other books on vampirism within the story. What were your thoughts when you brought up this type of dialogue when writing the scenes?

TJC: The references, in these particular cases, were added for several reasons, not the least of which were to add credibility and embellish the storyline. But they also dropped as clues, so perhaps that's where we should leave it. As for dialogue, I thoroughly enjoy writing exchanges between and among people. Dialogues between Martelli and Missy Dugan, the NYPD's Senior Information Technology Specialist, are among my favorite, as are those between Martelli and his wife, Stephanie. And in Lilith, of course, several exchanges between Martelli and O'Keeffe left me laughing at the keyboard.

PBR: Your research into police policies and procedures is very impressive. How did you learn so much about the law enforcement "industry?"

TJC: an expert today. You have to remember you're talking with someone who's been watching detective and private eye shows on television since 1948! I mean, I was watching shows like Boston Blackie - "Enemy of those who make him an enemy, friend of those who have no friend" - before you were a gleam in your father's eyes. And even before that, I'd listen to radio shows such as Gang Busters. These days, I love watching CSI Las Vegas and NCIS. Now, these are all fiction, of course. So, for real 'ground truth,' Officer Sy Nankin of the Essex County (NJ) Sheriff's Department keeps me on the up and up. He has read all of the Martelli books and has provided me with the 'fine tuning' I needed in certain areas to ensure the police procedures are portrayed in a more realistic light than I might otherwise show them if left to my own devices.

PBR: The way the "perp" was found was truly a slow, methodical effort of many talented investigators. How do you envision the advances of CSI, biometrics and computer data bases will affect our society over the coming decade?

TJC: It's going to be stunning. Look at how genetics changed the whole area of forensics. The problem, of course, will be the need to educate the public on the new technologies employed and build the basis for acceptance. Without an educated public... one that accepts what science has to offer... the ability to employ new technologies in the prosecution of crimes will be hampered in the courtroom.

PBR: What's next for our favorite detectives?

TJC: I have no idea. Seriously. I literally don't know what I'm going to write about until I wake up one morning and say, 'Hey, this or that might make an interesting storyline.'

PBR: Is that what happened with Lilith? I mean, what in the work triggered a story about vampires, other than the fact that we seem to be bombarded these days with all sorts and manner of vampire books and films, the Twilight Saga, perhaps, being the best known?

TJC: Actually, I was exchanging e-mails with Irene Watson of Reader Views one morning last November regarding book sales. I had noted that sales for House of Cards had not reached the level that the sales for Death by Wall Street had reached when it first was released. We thought it might be the result of two factors. First, there are a ton of new books released every year-perhaps a million or more in 2011-so competition is great. Second, in case you haven't noticed, the economy isn't exactly flying high.

PBR: You don't have to tell me.

TJC: Anyway, Irene says, 'What you need to do is write a teenage vampire romance novel. That'll sell.' And I'm thinking, 'Right.' But then, I knew of one or two cases of real vampirism that had appeared in the press, and I got to thinking: "Why not to a Martelli book based on a vampire cult in New York City."

PBR: And that was it?

TJC: That was it! And here we are.

PBR: We wish you the best of success, as always, and look forward to much more from your prolific keyboard. Happy New Year to you and your family from all of us.

TJC: Happy New Year to you, Nicole, and Sophia, as well, Gary.

(This book contains Adult language)

Reviewed by: Gary R. Sorkin

Gary R. Sorkin is the Senior Editor for Pacific Book Review. Please visit Pacific Book Review at: http://www.pacificbookreview.com/

If The Dead Rise Not By Philip Kerr

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

I do so love a book that weaves history in with a fictional plot. Mr. Kerr is great at doing that. Bernie Gunther is the hero in these books. He was a police officer in Germany pre-World War II and was basically roped into becoming a Nazi soldier. That whole story is also weaved throughout the series and how they got to him - well obviously violence but you know what I mean. Bernie cannot go back to Germany in the mid-1950s due to the fact that he was officially a Nazi soldier. He has been hiding in Argentina - big surprise there - and has now made it to Cuba. I haven't been reading these in order so not sure exactly how that came about except that no one is looked at too closely and there are many nationalities still in Cuba at this time. Batista is still in power but Castro and his rebels are starting to make a dent. There are many sympathizers to the communist way in Cuba around this time probably due to the deplorable conditions a lot of the people were having to live in.

At the start of this book mid-1930s, Hitler is in power and Bernie is working as a hotel detective in Berlin. Anti-Semitism is starting to be a part of everyday life. 'Real Germans' are encouraged to not give any business to Jews and the Jews are highly encouraged to get out of the country. As is true to the time no one ever questions that these are Germans. Judaism is not a nationality but a religion. Anyway even those 'good Germans' are having to eradicate any 'Jewishness' from their history to avoid any visits from Gestapo. Ridiculous as this may seem, this is part of our world history and Bernie is very good at mocking the whole system while trying to live within it.

As hotel detective, Bernie is responsible for security and dealing with any number of small or large complaints from guests. He is asked to respond to a wealthy hotel guest who is visiting on business from the States. He claims to have lost a very valuable wooden Chinese box. The night before a guest was seen in the company of a 'lady of the night' who seems to have disappeared and the gentleman whom she was with, to have died without warning. He was dreadfully overweight and probably had a heart attack but there is still the mystery of the woman who was nowhere to be found and his wallet and valuables untouched. These two stories plunge us headfirst into a mystery that culminates in Cuba. We hear Bernie's commentary throughout the book and he is smart and witty albeit sometimes a little too sure of himself.

You can find more of my book and movie reviews at: http://ukchica.com/

mysteries and thrillers

mysteries and thrillers